Dessert can save the world.

Bold statement. Unrealistic? That depends. Overly optimistic. Perhaps. If you’re asking me, I’m sticking to a whole body yes answer. Stubbornly so. I’m a Capricorn and we goats are have it in excess. So yeah, it’s in my DNA.

I would also add that cooking and anything that involves sharing food has the power to change worlds but that’s just me.

Now I can’t take credit for the dessert can save the world statement, but I can give you my unsolicited opinion and why I believe it in my bones. First let me explain where it came from. It’s started with extremely appropriately titled book by the charming, energizer bunny ball of positivity and joy that is Christina Tosi. And let me tell you there’s so many things about this book that got me but it definitely started with the title but even more so its tagline - Dessert Can Save The World: stories, secrets and recipes for a stubbornly joyful experience. That’s life in a nutshell. It’s not always rainbows and fairytales but there’s always an opportunity to choose joy. Even if it’s stubbornly.

If you don’t know Christina, she’s the founder of Milk Bar, a dessert empire she’s created doing things her own unique way; with sprinkles, cereal milk, converse and colourful headscarves. If you have a minute, watch her ted talk and you’ll instantly get why I love her.

What she’s really in is the business of is dispensing joy. And she’s done it in the best way possible; by breaking the rules .

I can see where Christina gets it after diving into her book. It’s her mom Greta. She recounts so many stories of her mom always being the one to share food with others whether it was bringing her accounting clients a piece of whatever she’d made that day or a care package for her dental receptionists’ son. Why? This quote sums it up and brought me to tears when I read it:

‘She lives to help people remind them of their hearts. Paving joy trails and that they always pay it forward. Her entire life’s work has been about paving joy trails for people to follow in their own lives, always with a pay it-forward mentality.’

Joy trails. That’s just it, isn’t it? Every time you make and/or share food it has the possibility to leave a trail. To make the ordinary more magical and meaningful. Connecting us deeper. And when we reach for that, when we start from there, the world is instantly a better place.

Desserts are usually connected with celebrations, right? What if we just celebrate life more? Find the joy in every moment we can, even (maybe even especially) the small ones. Make excuses to do it - even go a little overboard and make your family blowtorch the s’mores cake for their birthday because it’s more fun and you can bet they’ll remember it years from now. Celebrate the really good moments. Even the crappy ones. Because nothing has more potential to shift your day than a home cooked meal or freshly baked cookies. Just do it and see what happens. Share food with someone. Cook yourself a meal and say good job. Celebrate the success of making something new or even just getting through the day. It all matters.

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What’s cooking this week: 3 Desserts to help you leave some joy trails of your own

I couldn’t pick just one so you’re getting three this week. The s’mores pie is fun to make right now if you have anyone with a birthday coming up. And it’s worth the investment of the mini blowtorch (if you don’t have one) just for the look one peoples faces when you get them to torch the top. The blueberry lemon pudding cake is an easy one to throw together and it’s a great make ahead option. The local blueberries just hit my markets so I’ll be making this one a few times over the next month. Last is the raspberry hibiscus sorbet. I can’t tell you how much joy and calm it brings me to watch it thicken up in the ice cream maker. Something about it is so soothing - and that colour! Sorbet is also a great way to use up any overripe fruit.

S’mores Chocolate Pie 

For the pudding pie:

• Graham cracker crust (see recipe below)

• 6 oz semisweet chocolate

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 4 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 4 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue)

• 3 cups milk

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the marshmallow meringue:

• 4 large egg whites 

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar

For the crust:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.

• Crumble the graham crackers into a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Add the sugar, butter, salt and vanilla and pulse once more until combined

• Transfer the crumbs to the prepared pan and press in firmly to form a crust.

• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm.

• Allow to cool to room temperature.

For the Pudding Pie:

• Prepare your pie crust. 

• Separate your eggs and set aside the whites to come to room temperature for making the meringue later. Be sure not to get any yolks in the whites.

• In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt and egg yolks. Add the milk and chocolate.

• Place saucepan over medium-low heat, and stir constantly until mixture comes to a slow boil. Boil and stir for an additional 1 minute.

• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla 

• Pour pudding into crumb crust.

• Place the pie in the refrigerator to chill for several hours or until firm.

To make the Marshmallow Meringue:

• When the pie is completely chilled, combine egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar in the bowl of your electric mixer.

• Place bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture reaches 145°F.

• Remove from heat and attach bowl to your electric mixer.

• Using the whisk attachment, beat on low speed until foamy, then turn up to high speed and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. This will take several minutes.

To Assemble Pie:

• Preheat your broiler, or prepare a creme brulee torch.

• Remove the pie from the refrigerator, and spread the meringue over the pie with a small offset spatula or pipe it on with a pastry bag.

• Use a blowtorch to brown the top by gently moving it back and forth over the meringue. If you don’t have a blowtorch you can place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Blueberry Lemon Pudding Cake ⁣
⁣
* 1/4 cup all purpose flour⁣
* 2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar⁣
* 1/4 teaspoon salt⁣
* 1 cup buttermilk⁣
* 3 eggs, separated and at a room temperature ⁣
* 3 tablespoons butter, melted⁣
* 1/4 cup lemon juice⁣
* zest of one lemon⁣
* 1 1/2 cups blueberries⁣
* powdered sugar for garnish⁣
⁣
Preheat oven to 350°⁣
⁣
Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl; add buttermilk, zest, lemon juice, butter, and egg yolks, stirring with a whisk until smooth.⁣
⁣
Beat the egg whites at high speed of a mixer until foamy. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. ⁣
⁣
Gently stir 1/4 of the egg white mixture into buttermilk mixture; lightly fold in the remaining egg whites. Fold in blueberries.⁣
⁣
Pour batter into an 8-inch square baking pan. ⁣
⁣
Place pan into a larger baking pan or roasting pan; add hot water to larger pan until the water reaches about 1 inch. ⁣
⁣
Bake for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in centre.⁣
⁣
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Raspberry & Hibiscus Sorbet

• 1 heaping cup dried hibiscus flowers

• 1 cup water

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

• 5 cups fresh raspberries

• 2 tbsp light corn syrup

Place the hibiscus flowers and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain with a fine mesh stainer and discard the flowers. Add 1 cup of sugar to the liquid and stir until dissolved. Set aside.

While the hibiscus mixture steeps, stir together the raspberries and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium saucepan and let macerate about 10 minutes. Cook over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool until room temperature.

Transfer raspberry mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour through a mesh strainer and discard solids. Add the hibiscus syrup and corn syrup. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours, up to 12.

Pour the mixture into a frozen freezer bowl of an ice cream maker and proceed according to the specific instructions. Serve immediately if you like soft serve consistently, otherwise place into a freezer safe container and freeze until firm, up to 2 hours.

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