Sorghum and Bourbon Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and pumpkin pie just might be the official dessert of the day, but pecan pie probably comes in second. I don't think I've ever suffered a Thanksgiving without pecan pie, thankfully.

But how to make pecan pie better? But not blasphemous with such additions like chocolate or orange zest. Better is as simple as ditching the light corn syrup, and going back to the era of your grandmother when she was using sorghum syrup or cane syrup. Oh, and a little bourbon isn't too out of line with traditions, is it?Sorghum syrup is a dark molasses extracted from sorghum, a tall grass that looks like earless corn. I'm using sorghum syrup in this recipe, but you could also use cane syrup, a similarly dark and deep molasses which is extracted from sugar cane. What Sorghum and cane syrup provides is an amber color and, most importantly, a depth of flavor that corn syrup does not have.So, you can bring this pecan pie to the Thanksgiving table without upsetting the traditionalist, but have your guests asking what makes your pecan pie more than just a one note, sugar and nut bomb. Sorghum and bourbon, you'll say!

Just so you know, this has to be about the simplest pie I've ever made. Also, I killed half of the pie in one sitting. Sorghum and Bourbon Pecan Pie
adapted from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt and Ted Lee
makes 1 9-inch pie

I added bourbon to Matt and Ted Lee's recipe, guided by other bourbon pecan pie recipes. Most recipes added 2 tablespoons of bourbon, and some added 3 tablespoons. I added 2 tablespoons of bourbon. The bourbon flavor is strongest on day one (don't think I'd want to eat a 3-tablespoons bourbon pie on day one), and mellows on the second day. On day three, the bourbon is almost non-detectable. Add bourbon fittingly as to how long the pie will sit before serving. Day-old pie with 2 tablespoons of bourbon was pretty much perfect.

1/3 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons bourbon
3/4 cup sorghum syrup
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, plus some halves for decorating top
1 par-baked pie crust

• In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar and eggs with an electric mixer until incorporated.
• Add the butter, cornstarch, salt, and bourbon to the bowl and mix .
  
• Add the sorghum and pecans to the bowl and mix.
• Pour filling into a par-baked pie crust. Decorate top of pie with pecan halves.
• Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and let cool for 1 hour before serving. Can be made a day ahead.
  

Lotte Double Berry Cheesecake Toppo

In a world of endless Pocky-like snacks, Toppo is one of my favorites. I usually like it better than Pocky (with the exception of those fancy dessert mousse types of Pocky), so I was excited to try a new flavor.

However, in a world of endless desserts, cheesecake is not my favorite. Oh sure, a bite is good, but it's often just too rich for me - even New York style (though it is better). It could have something to do with the lactose intolerance, but if I'm picking the dessert, it's almost certainly not going to be cheesecake.


The Toppo smelled strongly of cheese (yep, I took a Lactaid) but not cheesecake. The cheese flavor was quite subtle and didn't seem like cheesecake at all. Mostly, I tasted the strawberry and blueberry flavors, but they had a slight soapiness about them.

The pretzel was standard, slightly sweet and salty Toppo fare, with a slight preservative-like aftertaste. The whole thing left a little oily residue behind, but it wasn't bad. The soapy berry flavors turned me off, and I definitely prefer regular chocolate Toppo to this limited edition.

B-

L'Artisan Du Chocolat

I spoke a few days back about the relationship between aesthetics and palate, and how important I value a careful balance of the two to create something truly spectacular. I consider good food to be like good writing- anyone can do it as a task, be it cooking or blogging, but when true artistry comes along, it's incredible and very special.

I can safely say that tonight, Keepitcoming and I had what was probably, to date, the best chocolate I've ever consumed. I mean, it takes a lot for me to willingly consume twenty of anything, and even after a large dinner, we just shared twenty truffles. This was only Keepitcoming's second experience with consuming an entire box of chocolate, the first being Maison Du Chocolat, equally as comparable.L'Artisan du Chocolat is based out of LA, too far away for me to visit, but as soon as I saw flavors like Kalamata olive, mango and wasabi, and Korean red bean, I knew I had to have these. So three days later, the truffles arrived, and we ate them today.

Let me start by emphasizing how pretty these truffles are. I feel like a lot of thought was put into emulating some of the flavors in the outer shapes and patterns on top, and each one was different and pleasing to the eye. My personal favorite was the Italian pistachio, because it looked like little trees in different shades of green, giving a nod to the inside colors as well.

It was hard to pick our five favorites, but in no particular order, here they are. The rosemary and lavender chocolates had soft, creamy interiors. The herbs were delicately sweet, but noticeable in the composition of the truffle and easily recognizable. I think that was what won me over for a majority of these chocolates- the subtle yet distinguishable flavors that accurately mimicked the real product.The pineapple and coconut truffle, surrounded by white chocolate, tasted like a fresh pina colada with chunks of pineapple inside. It was decadently moist with a fruity pulp, and I was surprised that it embodied such a textural similarity instead of simply the essence of both fruits.

Another white chocolate success was the Japanese matcha truffle, another flavor with a softer inside and a earthy flavor. It was fabulous, with an intensity rivaling many other tea-flavored treats I've had in the past, and with another really beautiful exterior. The white chocolate added some sweetness to cut the natural bitter tea flavor and made it creamy. I loved the pairings of chocolate with these- I felt like a good deal of thought went into discovering which chocolate percentages went with which flavors to really accentuate the vibrancy of both elements, and found the chocolate to be equally as high of a quality as the filling.

The last of our favorites, which longtime readers will be shocked to discover, was something I'd previously refused to eat. I have to admit, this was really all about timing. If this was the first truffle we'd tried, I might have turned it down. But twelve truffles in and I had a pretty good idea about how good these were, so I trusted the chocolates and dove in. And I loved the Shitake mushroom truffle. That's right. I ate a mushroom truffle and I adored it. I don't think I'm going to start eating beef Wellington or start sniffing around in crap for actual truffles, but this is a start. It was earthy and meaty and incredible with dark chocolate.Another honorable mention goes to bacon, passion fruit, and curry kiwi, two unique successes that we also loved with textures and flavors that really popped. There were a few truffles that didn't sit well with us, the most memorable being the Aztec truffle. The concept was in the right place, with apricot and three chilies, but unfortunately ended up tasting remarkably identical to cherry cough syrup, right down to the menthol eucalyptus numb factor. Others were palatable, but just didn't have the same pinpoint accuracy as others, bumping them down a few notches. And it goes without saying that despite saving it for last, Korean garlic was one of the strangest and least congruent flavors I've ever had. I'm glad I tried it, but it was so intense and pungent that I could barely finish the small bite I took. Oh well. You can't win them all.

Really, these were stupendous. I'd order these again in a heartbeat, and I'm anxiously awaiting the summer, when I can sample the tomato and cucumber vodka truffles. These were incredible in every single aspect of what makes chocolate good, and to have unusual flavors instead of the standard quotidien really satiated my inner gourmand.

Herrell's Almond Hot Fudge Sauce

Six months and a few days ago, I wandered into Herrell's to get an ice cream with a girl I'd never met. We hit it off pretty damned well.

And six months ago today, she asked me to be her girlfriend.

I know six months might not seem like a lot of time to most people, but it's like half a lifetime for most infants, and that's nothing short of incredible. So tonight, to celebrate dating for half a year, Keepitcoming and I made a wonderful dinner with roasted chicken, mashed red potatoes, and icebox cake for dessert- drizzled with Herrell's almond hot fudge sauce.It's no secret as to why people come to Herrell's. It's cute and funky and the ice cream is jaw-droppingly, orgasmically, eye-rollingly insane- but the fudge is the cherry on top. It's made with fresh cream and butter and all the things that diabetes is made of, but it's good enough to bathe in and is perfectly textured.

I think the hallmark of a really incredible hot fudge sauce is the texture. Pouring this onto the icebox cake after warming it up, it flooded down the sides in thick ribbons but still adhered to the surface. This sauce is smooth, kids, and we're talking smooth like Smoove B riding a white unneutered stallion to Switzerland to pick up the finest chocolates and jazz CD's. That kind of smooth.A few slugs on a piece of anything basically creates a dessert, but the most important thing about this is how accurate the flavor is. Almond-flavored anything can be a little dodgy, especially when paired with something as strong as dark chocolate, and I find that with a lot of products, the nut flavor fades into the background while the chocolate takes center stage. Not this. This tastes like fresh marzipan or genuine, untoasted almonds mixed into an incredibly rich chocolate base. It was perfectly sweetened and tasted natural. I know that word is thrown around these days, but something about this sauce just tasted really genuine. It was outstanding.

We'll probably go back to Herrell's in six months to celebrate when the weather is warmer and have some ice cream, but for now, it was a really special treat to stay in and cook knowing that was in store for dessert. And it went fabulously with the icebox cake.

Nestle Salt and Caramel KitKat

This flavor has been recycled many times since Nestle Japan started selling limited edition KitKats, but this might be the first time I've tried it. Salted caramels were quite trendy a few years ago, and even though the sweets industry has mostly moved on, the combination is still good.

The packaging feels a little nautical, and I like that. My bar was a little melted, since it came from Japan in the summer (and I'm just getting around to it, yikes), but it still had its structural integrity, so I doubt the flavor was affected.


The chocolate had a strong caramel scent with just a hint of salt. When I bit into it, it was apparent that the wafers were very salty and that the caramel flavor seemed to come from the chocolate. The two tastes came together nicely for a savory flavor.

I do enjoy the ratio of wafer to chocolate in the larger KitKat, especially when the flavors are done well. The salt mostly kept the sweetness of the milk chocolate in check, and the bar easily defeated my craving for salty/sweet.

B+

KitKat website

Sucré Sicilian Pistachio and Rose Petal Bar

Milk chocolate has received a pretty bad rap lately. When dark chocolate reigned supreme and was touted for being single-origin and free trade, with more nuances and retronasal breathing than a '98 Mondavi, milk chocolate was seen as unrefined and was set on the shelf alongside wine coolers and Furbies.

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for milk chocolate, though, especially when it's done well and is chock full of interesting mix-ins. This particular chocolate bar, from Sucré, seemed like it would hit all my points and be a thoroughly enjoyable dessert for both Keepitcoming and I, as I love salty-sweet snacks and she loves floral flavors in food.The first thing we noticed about the bar was the beautiful presentation. It was in a simple box with clean cut lines and had all the toppings studded on top, looking luscious and colorful. That might have been the first problem. I've had many chocolates that balance gracefully, like dancers, on the line separating presentation and flavor, and what they create is beautiful. Leaning too far in one direction can be good, but always fails to impress in the end.

This bar was trying too hard to be aesthetic, and this was noticeable in the taste. For starters, the toppings were floating on top of the bar instead of being mixed in. I appreciated the view of what was in the bar, but would have liked to see mixed pieces inside as well. When the pieces broke off, they were almost always bereft of the toppings. Out of roughly ten pieces, only one or two had both the toppings on them. It was extremely irregularly scattered.The flavors were decent, but nothing to be enthused about. The milk chocolate was clearly of a high quality, tasting of lip-smacking caramel and cream, and it balanced perfectly with the salty pistachios. I'd have been pleased to have a bar with only those two ingredients. This was an area where the exposure of the nuts enhanced the flavor of the bar. With their salty exteriors, a note that may have been lost upon mixing, they were crisp and very tasty. However, the roses did not fare as well. They were so laden with sugar that the floral note was completely lost and dissolved into a saccharine punch on our tongues.

Having looked forward to this Grecian inspired flavor, I was disappointed by the obvious quality of the ingredients and their failure to collaborate as a bar. I believe this flavor has a lot of potential, but has serious setbacks that really detract from the overall enjoyment.

Country Ma'am Ujikintoki Cookies

Since I don't live in Japan, Country Ma'am cookies are something to which I have very little exposure. On my last visit to Kyoto, I tried a kinako version that was tasty, but I think that's the only time I've had them. You can read several reviews of different types of Country Ma'am cookies at Japanese Snack Reviews.

Ujikintoki is a type of Japanese shaved ice dessert (kakigori) made with matcha syrup and red bean toppings. The package suggested putting the cookies in the refrigerator to simulate the shaved ice dessert. To get the full effect, I tried three different preparation methods: straight out of the bag, one hour in the refrigerator, and 20 seconds in the microwave.


Straight out of the bag, the cookie was grainy and very sweet, but it had a soft and chewy texture. The matcha and azuki flavors were subtle, and I also tasted brown sugar. The chocolate chips seemed downplayed by the other flavors.

Refrigeration brought out the chocolate and azuki flavors, but the matcha was almost undetectable. Also, the cold made the cookie a little crunchy and I prefer a softer chew.

I'd definitely recommend going with the microwave option. The warm, buttery cookie had a nice chocolate and matcha scent, and they were so soft and gooey. They tasted like brown sugar or molasses with less azuki flavor and a little more matcha.

A-

Fujiya website