Cafe au Lait Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
Creole Sweet Heat Brownie Parfaits with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
Bourbon Butterscotch Bread Pudding
Dark Chocolate Toffee Pecan Bars
Roasted Sweet Potato Milkshakes
Ingredients:
Cake
3 cups cake flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ cup satsuma juice (or other mandarin)
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
Satsuma Syrup
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup satsuma juice
Satsuma Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp. satsuma juice
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a Bundt pan really well by coating every inch with butter and then sprinkling flour on top of the butter. Shake out pan to remove excess flour.
3. Whisk together cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
4. With a hand or stand electric mixer, beat butter until smooth and creamy.
5. Add sugar and beat for another couple of minutes until the butter has combined well with the sugar.
6. Add eggs and vanilla, and continue to beat on medium speed until well mixed.
7. Add the satsuma juice and buttermilk and continue to mix.
8. At this time, reduce the speed to low and slowly combine the dry ingredients a little at a time until all is combined, being careful to not overmix.
9. Pour batter into your Bundt pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. (Test doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake, ensuring the toothpick is clean after it is pulled back out.)
10. Make the syrup by combining the sugar and satsuma juice in a pot on the stove and heating on medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Turn off heat and set aside.
11. Turn out Bundt cake very carefully onto a wire rack over a plate or parchment paper.
12. Pour the satsuma syrup over top of the cake and continue to let cool completely.
13. After the cake has cooled, make the satsuma glaze by whisking powdered sugar and satsuma juice together and drizzle over the top of the cake.
14. Transfer carefully to a cake plate and serve immediately or cover and store for up to three days.
Cafe au Lait Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
For this recipe, I use an ice cream maker. If you don’t have an ice cream machine, you can simply place ice cream into an airtight container and freeze, stirring every hour until ice cream thickens.
Ingredients:
Ice Cream
1½ cups whole milk
2 tbsp. chicory coffee grounds
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
sea salt to sprinkle on top
Directions:
Ice Cream
1. Combine milk, coffee grounds, and sugar, over medium heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves and milk is heated through, but not boiling.
2. Separate the egg whites from their yolks. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
3. Once sugar is dissolved, put a tablespoon at a time of the milk base into the egg yolks until they are tempered (which means bringing the temperature up so the eggs don’t scramble).
4. After adding a few tablespoons of the milk to the yolks, add the tempered yolks into the ice cream base. Continue stirring the ice cream base until it thickens slightly, and the back of a wooden spoon is coated. Run a finger down the back of the spoon to ensure the mixture is thick enough.
5. In an airtight container, pour heavy whipping cream, and add the thickened ice cream base.
6. Stir well, seal the container, and refrigerate overnight (or a minimum of 4 hours).
7. Add ice cream base to an ice cream machine and let churn for 30 minutes or until thickened to desired consistency.
8. Once ice cream has thickened, place back in airtight container and freeze overnight.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, beat butter and sugars together until they are fluffy.
4. Add egg and vanilla to the sugars and continue to beat until thoroughly combined.
5. Add dry ingredients a little at a time until all is combined. A wooden spoon works best here, as the batter will be thick.
6. Fold chocolate chips into the batter. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
7. Drop a tablespoon of the dough onto a parchment or silpat–lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt.
8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until cookies just set. Let the cookies rest for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
*After your ice cream has frozen overnight, place 1 scoop of ice cream between 2 cookies and press lightly. Serve immediately or freeze the sandwiches by wrapping in parchment paper and then aluminum foil to serve at a later time.
Gateau de sirop is a classic cane syrup cake that has been made in Louisiana dating back generations.
Ingredients:
2½ cups flour
2½ tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
½ nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. baking soda, dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
1½ cups pure cane syrup
½ cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon + more for dusting
¼ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder.
3. In another large bowl, combine cane syrup, vegetable oil, and egg, and mix well.
4. Slowly add one-third of the flour mixture at a time followed by one-third of the baking soda mixture at a time, until all ingredients are combined and smooth.
5. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and pour batter inside each liner.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until cupcakes are done and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely on a cooling rack.
7. In a stand mixer or other mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy, then slowly add in powdered sugar, cinnnamon, and salt.
8. Add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency has been reached.
9. Frost cupcakes and dust with extra cinnamon.
I have had a sweet tooth for as long as I can remember. I get this quality from my mom, who, for most of my life growing up, always ended her day with a small bowl of vanilla ice cream. I am one of those people who need (or want) a little bite of something sweet after almost every meal. It’s to my detriment, but I can’t help myself. Ice cream is my number one vice, but I most definitely do not discriminate when it comes to dessert.
After moving to Louisiana, I was introduced to a whole new world of desserts I had been deprived of my whole life. One bite of a fluffy beignet covered with powdered sugar, a spoonful of bread pudding swimming in a bourbon sauce, a piece of a king cake, and a handful of pralines made to perfection, and I knew that Louisiana and I were going to be fast friends. My sweet tooth would be satisfied here and would probably never be the same again.
After the holidays, as part of the pre-Lenten celebrations of Mardi Gras and Carnival season, comes the release of the famous king cake. It’s my favorite sweet treat from Louisiana and, since they are only available for a short period of time, I have to eat as much of them as I can before the season is over! During Mardi Gras season, king cakes become part of every gathering, work place, and home environment, and then disappear almost as quickly as they came after Fat Tuesday. King cakes are a quintessential Louisiana dessert and a huge part of Mardi Gras tradition! I prefer the plain cinnamon or cream cheese flavors, but king cakes are offered in a multitude of flavor combinations from pecan praline to strawberry. Placed inside is a plastic baby, and those who get the baby in their piece of cake are thought to have luck and prosperity. That’s reason enough to partake in the tradition, if you ask me.
While we are on the subject of luck, you can consider yourself lucky if you ever have tasted beignets from Cafe du Monde! These beignets paired with a cup of hot and creamy café au lait while sitting in the middle of the French Quarter is an experience that everyone should have. And if you don’t leave with a little powdered sugar on your face or your shirt, then you didn’t do it right.
Is visiting Louisiana going to be good for your waistline? Probably not, but I can guarantee every single bite will be worth it. With so many options for decadent treats in Louisiana, you really can’t go wrong. There are plenty of options to satisfy even your sweet tooth’s sweet tooth!
You can find my own takes on these classic desserts right here. My take on classic Louisiana desserts can be done right in your kitchen and will have your taste buds transported to somewhere down on the bayou!
Creole Sweet Heat Brownie Parfaits with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
Creole Sweet Heat Brownies
3 oz. semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. brewed chicory coffee
¼ tsp. cayenne
½ tsp. cinnamon + extra for dusting
½ tsp. sea salt
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
1 vanilla bean, or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 x 8 square baking pan with parchment paper, or grease well.
2. In a double boiler, heat chocolate and butter until butter is just melted.
3. Remove from heat and stir to combine.
4. Whisk in sugar, eggs one at a time, vanilla, coffee, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Slowly fold in flour until just combined.
6. Pour batter into baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Let cool completely and then refrigerate for 20 minutes.
8. Remove brownies from the refrigerator and cut into small 1-inch squares.
9. Take a small knife and run it down the center of the vanilla bean and then scrape out the seeds inside.
10. In a stainless steel bowl, combine whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla beans, and whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks have formed.
11. Layer squares of brownie with your fresh whipped cream in a glass.
12. Dust with cinnamon and shave extra chocolate over top of each parfait; serve immediately.
Bourbon Butterscotch Bread Pudding
Ingredients:
Pudding
1 loaf day-old Italian bread
½ cup heavy cream
1½ cups milk
5 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup butter, melted
Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce
3 tbsp. butter
½ cup light corn syrup
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. bourbon
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cube bread, and place in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, combine heavy cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted butter, and whisk to combine.
4. Pour mixture over the bread cubes and let sit for 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Grease a 9 x 10 baking dish and pour soaked bread cubes and extra custard filling inside.
6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and the custard has cooked through.
7. While the pudding is baking, combine butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
8. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
9. Stir in heavy cream and bourbon and let cool.
10. To serve, pour the desired amount of sauce over the pudding (warm or at room temperature) and serve with extra sauce on the side.
Dark Chocolate Toffee Pecan Bars
Ingredients:
Crust
2 sticks butter
⅔ cup packed brown sugar
2⅔ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
Filling
4 eggs
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup toffee bits
1 cup dark chocolate chips
½ tsp. salt
2 cups pecans
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To make the crust, beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
3. Add flour and salt and mix until crumbly.
4. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, allowing some overhang. Press the crust into the aluminum foil in an even layer.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. For the filling, combine eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, toffee bits, dark chocolate chips, salt, and pecans in a bowl.
7. Pour over hot crust and bake for another 20 minutes.
8. Let cool completely. Remove bars from the baking sheet and slice into bars.
Ingredients:
2 very ripe bananas, mashed (leaving a little chunky)
2 eggs
⅓ cup buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup Greek yogurt
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. rum extract or regular rum
1½ cups sugar
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
Bananas Foster Sauce
½ stick butter
½ cup brown sugar
pinch salt
½ cup water
¼ cup spiced rum
1 banana
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.
3. Mash bananas, and mix together with the rest of the wet ingredients.
4. Sift together dry ingredients.
5. Slowly fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined.
6. Pour batter into your greased or lined loaf pan, and bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on your oven.
7. To test if the bread is baked through, stick a toothpick in the middle and see if it comes out clean.
8. To make the sauce, melt butter, then add brown sugar, salt, and water, and stir to combine. Let the brown sugar melt and thicken.
9. Once sauce has thickened, turn off heat and carefully pour in the spiced rum, and stir to combine.
10. Slice 1 banana and put into the sauce; stir to coat.
11. Poke holes in the banana bread with a toothpick and then pour sauce over the banana bread. Serve immediately.
King cake is one of the most well-known desserts in Louisiana, and the classic flavors of cinnamon and cream cheese make for the ultimate homemade ice cream!
Ingredients:
Ice Cream Base
1½ cups whole milk
2 cups granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Cinnamon Swirl
½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup water
2 tbsp. butter
1½ tsp. cinnamon
Directions:
1. Combine milk and sugar over medium heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves and milk is heated through, but not boiling. This is your ice cream base.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
3. Once sugar is dissolved, put 1 tablespoon at a time of the ice cream base into the egg yolks until they are tempered (which means bringing the temperature up so the eggs don’t scramble).
4. After adding a few tablespoons of the warm milk in with the yolks, add the tempered yolks into the rest of the ice cream base mixture. Continue stirring the ice cream base until the back of a wooden spoon is coated.
5. Strain the ice cream base through a fine mesh strainer into a separate bowl.
6. Cut the cream cheese into small cubes and whisk into the hot ice cream base until melted. (Small bits of cream cheese is fine.)
7. In an airtight container, pour heavy whipping cream, and add the thickened cream cheese ice cream base.
8. Stir well and seal the container and refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 4 hours.
9. In a small saucepan, add brown sugar, water, butter, and cinnamon, and melt over medium heat.
10. Bring the cinnamon mixture to room temperature, or chill until ready to make ice cream.
11. Follow ice cream maker directions after ice cream base has thoroughly chilled.
12. Once ice cream has thickened, layer the cream cheese ice cream and the cinnamon sugar syrup a layer at a time in an airtight container until you have used up both and freeze overnight.
Ingredients:
1 packet dry active yeast
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
2 quarts + 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
powdered sugar
Directions:
1. In a stand mixer bowl, combine yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and warm water, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until yeast is bubbly.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt.
3. Whisk eggs, almond extract, and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil together and then add into the yeast mixture.
4. With the mixer speed on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients until the dough has come together.
5. Remove and place into an oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel for 1 to 2 hours in the fridge, until dough has doubled in size.
6. Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface and knead a few times.
7. Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat until the temperature is at 350 degrees. Test by carefully dropping a small piece of dough inside—when it sizzles, the oil is ready.
8. Pull off bite-sized pieces of the dough and drop into the vegetable oil and cook on each side for about 2 to 3 minutes, until dough is golden brown.
9. Remove from the oil and place onto a paper towel–lined plate or cooling wire rack to let excess grease drain.
10. Dust the cooked beignets liberally with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Louisiana strawberries are in season twice a year (November to January, and March to May) and are so sweet you could consider them candy on their own, but blended with cream and sugar, they make for a delicious and refreshing popsicle.
Ingredients:
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 pint strawberries
Directions:
1. Heat heavy cream and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Let cool slightly.
2. Remove stems from the strawberries and wash the berries.
3. Slice the strawberries in half and purée in a food processor or blender until smooth.
4. Add in the sweetened heavy cream and purée until well combined.
5. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze overnight.
6. To serve, run under warm water for 30 seconds until popsicle releases from the mold.
Roasted Sweet Potato Milkshakes
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. butter
¼ cup pecans
1 pint vanilla ice cream
¼ cup milk
½ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut sweet potato in half and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Roast for 45 minutes or until sweet potato is tender. Let cool.
3. Combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until sugar and butter have melted.
4. Add pecans to the pan and stir to coat. Set aside and let cool.
5. Scoop the inside of the sweet potato out, discarding the skins.
6. Combine vanilla ice cream, sweet potato flesh, and milk in a blender and combine until smooth and creamy.
7. Combine whipping cream and powdered sugar and whip until thickened.
8. To serve, divide the sweet potato ice cream mixture into 2 glasses, top with whipped cream, and pour the pecan brown sugar mixture over top.
