Easiest, Lightest Dinner Party Dessert

I hate having to make desserts for dinner parties, not because it's not the crowning moment of the evening, but because by the time dessert comes out, everyone is always too full, too tired, or even too drunk! I think I solved the puzzle with the below churro recipe. It takes 5 minutes of prep and it's so simple.

I pair this with a spicy salted chocolate dip. A hit every time!

Ingredients (Churros): 

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 stick butter
1 cup each cinnamon and sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the puff pastry in half width-wise and then into about 4 inch long rectangles. ( I ended up with about 20 per pastry sheet).

Lay the cut pastry on parchment paper and bake for 12 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and immediately roll each pastry in the cmelted butter and then cinnamon sugar mixture.

Ingredients (Spicy Salted Chocolate Sauce)

12 ounces good quality milk chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp sea salt (to start)
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Heat the chocolate in a heavy-bottomed pan until melted. Add the cream and stir until very smooth.

To the chocolate mixture, add the salt and cayenne to taste. I always end up adding a lot of salt, which people like because they don't expect it, but be very sure to add it slowly and taste as you go along so you don't make it too salty or spicy!

Any Season Angletti

It's pretty well known that I hate baking. I mean hate it. I don't like being exact with my measurements (if you ever saw me cook, you know that already) and I just don't have the patience for it. But, each Christmas, I make a few new cookie recipes, searching for my one "best" recipe I'll contribute year after year.

Last Christmas, I finally made this Angletti recipe I found in Real Simple a few years ago. It's really is simple (hah), delicious and pretty! The cookies are soft and not overly sweet-- perfect for a sweet treat with tea or evening coffee, but won't give you a cavity like more traditional holiday cookies. I plan to experiment adding orange or lemon zest to these to play with flavors.

Why am I posting about these in May? Because since the finishing touch is a few shakes of sprinkles, you can play with the colors and make them year round! These are great for Easter, Mother's Day or just to brighten someone's day. Have fun!  

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for rolling the dough
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Glaze:
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tbsp  pure vanilla extract
• Warm water (to thing the glaze, if needed) 
• 6 tablespoons multicolor nonpareil sprinkles, for decoration 
• Note: you can add food coloring to the glaze if you like as well

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and eggs until blended. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined (do not overmix).
3. With floured hands, roll level tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and the bottoms are pale golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and the vanilla until the mixture forms a thick but pourable glaze (add more water if necessary. You want a thicker consistency, sort of like white school glue). Add the food coloring here if you are using.
5. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and let set, rounded side up, on a rack set over a piece of parchment paper. (I take each cookie and roll it around the icing. It doens't need to be perfect. The glaze will reset itself and harden to a beauitful, smooth finish.) 
6. When cookies are still wet with glaze, sprinkle with non-pareils, if using. (I take a bowl of them and sprinkle them over the cookies with my fingertips. It's messy, but it gets the job done.
7. Allow the glaze to set, about 20 minutes. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. 
8. Enjoy! Impress your guests! Look like the hostess with the mostest! 

Pots de Creme

I'm obsessed with the Pioneer Woman. Obsessed! Every recipe of hers is amazing, but the superstar at a dinner party last weekend were her Pots de Creme. I could blog about how to do it, but there's no way I could come close to this!

This is absolutely my go to dessert from now on.