Desserts Quotes

“On Sunday, we slathered brioche with cultured butter, dolloped crème fraîche on daubes, and spooned a pudding of Aida's creation. The interior was so creamy it recalled the molten center of the earth. If the land of milk and honey produced no further milk, this meal proclaimed, then we would sup of the last like kings and queens.”
― C Pam Zhang, Land of Milk and Honey

“The menu is spectacular. Passed hors d'oeuvres include caramelized shallot tartlets topped with Gorgonzola, cubes of crispy pork belly skewered with fresh fig, espresso cups of chilled corn soup topped with spicy popcorn, mini arepas filled with rare skirt steak and chimichurri and pickle onions, and prawn dumplings with a mango serrano salsa. There is a raw bar set up with three kinds of oysters, and a raclette station where we have a whole wheel of the nutty cheese being melted to order, with baby potatoes, chunks of garlic sausage, spears of fresh fennel, lightly pickled Brussels sprouts, and hunks of sourdough bread to pour it over. When we head up for dinner, we will start with a classic Dover sole amandine with a featherlight spinach flan, followed by a choice of seared veal chops or duck breast, both served with creamy polenta, roasted mushrooms, and lacinato kale. Next is a light salad of butter lettuce with a sharp lemon Dijon vinaigrette, then a cheese course with each table receiving a platter of five cheeses with dried fruits and nuts and three kinds of bread, followed by the panna cottas. Then the cake, and coffee and sweets. And at midnight, chorizo tamales served with scrambled eggs, waffle sticks with chicken fingers and spicy maple butter, candied bacon strips, sausage biscuit sandwiches, and vanilla Greek yogurt parfaits with granola and berries on the "breakfast" buffet, plus cheeseburger sliders, mini Chicago hot dogs, little Chinese take-out containers of pork fried rice and spicy sesame noodles, a macaroni-and-cheese bar, and little stuffed pizzas on the "snack food" buffet. There will also be tiny four-ounce milk bottles filled with either vanilla malted milk shakes, root beer floats made with hard root beer, Bloody Marys, or mimosas.”
― Stacey Ballis, Wedding Girl

“An hour and a half later, we are the proud parents of two massive sheets of Monster Cake, some impressive concoction called Unicorn Ice Cream Bread, three dozen Kitchen Sink Macaroons, peanut-butter-and-jelly cupcakes, a three-layer Paige creation dubbed Sex-Positve Brownies ("Slutty Brownies," Pepper explained, "but Paige took a course on feminism and sex work, so."), an ungodly amount of banana pudding, and a bunch of misshapen cake balls we rolled around in melted chocolate and stuck in the fridge.”
― Emma Lord, Tweet Cute

“Each person has a different idea about how they want to finish off a meal.
The Japanese are avid noodle lovers. Eating ramen after having a drink is a classic thing for the Japanese. And then there's curry udon; the Japanese people love curry. So I'm sure there are many people who want to finish off the meal with that.
If those two are a little too heavy, then kitsune udon or warm sōmen would be a lighter alternative."
"Hmm?! So that's what you mean..."
"Some people want to eat something sweet after a drink. And for them, there's red beans with shiratama dumplings...
... and anmitsu for those who want something a little heavy.
For those who don't have a sweet tooth, there's tokoroten...
... and we also have grilled rice cakes wrapped in nori.
And for the extreme sweet lovers, we've made Western style desserts as well: frozen yogurt, chocolate parfait, vanilla milkshake and donuts.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Izakaya: Pub Food

“I breathe in the fresh summer air as I pass a table covered with all sorts of cakes---Victorian sponge, Madeira, Battenberg, lemon drizzle. Again my mind drifts to my childhood, this time to the Michigan State Fair, which my family would visit at the end of every summer. It had all sorts of contests---pie eating, hog calling, watermelon seed spitting (Stevie's favorite)---but the cake competition was my favorite challenge of all. Every year I'd eye the confections longingly: the fluffy coconut cakes, the fudge chocolate towers filled with gooey caramel or silky buttercream, the cinnamon-laced Bundts topped with buttery streusel. The competition was divided into adult and youth categories, and when I turned twelve, I decided to enter a recipe for chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream and peanut brittle.
My mom was a little befuddled by my participation (her idea of baking involved Duncan Hines and canned, shelf-stable frosting, preferably in a blinding shade of neon), but she rode along with my dad, Stevie, and me as we carted two-dozen cupcakes to the fairgrounds in Novi. The competition was steep---pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, German chocolate cupcakes, zucchini cupcakes with lemon buttercream---but my entry outshone them all, and I ended up taking home the blue ribbon, along with a gift certificate to King Arthur Flour.”
― Dana Bate, Too Many Cooks

“The tower of cookies was high enough to touch the lanterns Mrs. Belmagio and Mrs. Vaci brought in a five-tiered chocolate cake, meticulously decorated with plump crimson cherries and hazelnut frosting. Each layer was shaped like a scalloped bowl, meant to resemble the fountain in Pariva's central square, and topped with a generous sprinkling of bluebell petals.
But what made Chiara tear up were the cards pressed carefully into the cake, each on a sliced piece of cork---messages from every friend, neighbor, child, and elder she had ever known.
We'll miss you. May you spread your light and make all of Esperia bright.”
― Elizabeth Lim, When You Wish Upon a Star

“I love you more than ice-cream”
― Aditya Raosahab

“They are all unique and lovingly constructed. There's one for a chocolate ganache tart striped with hazelnut and praline, a honey cake with orange marmalade filling, coconut cream-filled doughnuts with meringues in the center.”
― Jessa Maxwell, The Golden Spoon

“My best friend and other business partner, Adeena Awan, was embracing spring's floral vibes by pushing her signature lavender chai latte as well as her new seasonal creations, including a lavender honey latte (the honey sourced from Elena's uncle's local apiary), lavender calamansi-ade, and a sampaguita matcha latte (I didn't really like floral flavors, but even I had to admit the matcha drink was stunning).
As for me, I was leaning into "spring means green" and had prepared pandan-pistachio shortbread and brownies with a pandan cheesecake swirl. I also came up with a red bean brownie recipe, which wasn't particularly spring-like, but hey, I was in a brownie mood. And for a quick no-bake option, I developed buko pandan mochi Rice Krispie treats, which would be sure to delight our youngest customers”
― Mia P. Manansala, Murder and Mamon

“Tita Rosie had taken care to prepare their favorite dishes, so we got to enjoy pork and chicken adobo with hard-boiled eggs, seafood ginataan, Bicol Express (Ninang April's favorite, a spicy, coconut milk-based stew from her region), and other delicacies that my aunt hadn't cooked in a while. Even Lola Flor had gone all out and prepared silvanas, the frozen cashew meringue and buttercream sandwich cookies. They were a deliciously decadent and time-consuming dessert”
― Mia P. Manansala, Murder and Mamon

“Every time he saw her, every time he thought about her--- every time he smelled vanilla or caramel or chocolate--- she was the food that fed his desires. Her kisses tasted of pralines, her thick blond hair smelled of coconut cake, and her shoulders made him think of white chocolate macarons.”
― Karen Hawkins, The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove

“The charlottes cooled in their tin molds while she squeezed lemons and crushed strawberries to flavor her Sicilian ices. The juices trickled into the rectangular tins she stored them in. Then she split off a sheet of foil and smoothed it out on top of the tins; the foil crackled beneath her hands.
Later on, the names of the desserts she made got printed in dark green cursive on the backs of the menus: Raspberry Fool. Queen Mother's Cake with a shot of Rum. Mocha Ice Parfait in a Bitter-Chocolate Tuille. And, of course, Charlotte au Chocolat.”
― Charlotte Silver, Charlotte Au Chocolat: Memories of a Restaurant Girlhood

“Once upon a time, my father told me, fine dining meant baked lobster and cocktails. Not all restaurants could be counted on to have wine lists. But at Peasant Stock, they made osso bucco and cassoulet, and for dessert things like macaroon soufflé with apricot-brandy sauce. They never served ice cream, but some far more fascinating item called granita, in potent infusions of espresso or huckleberry or blood orange.”
― Charlotte Silver, Charlotte Au Chocolat: Memories of a Restaurant Girlhood

“To me, nothing showed how much times had changed more than the disappearance of the charlotte au chocolat. (It still appeared at weddings and special events, but was no longer available on the regular menu.) This came about when my mother stopped baking the desserts herself and hired a procession of young pastry chefs. These pastry chefs had gone to culinary school, and apparently they didn't understand charlotte au chocolat. It was an old-fashioned dessert, whose beauty spoke for itself; it didn't need any frills. But the pastry chefs liked embellishing desserts with frills now: star-shaped cookies and chocolate cigarettes and spun sugar that looked like golden spiderwebs. Now, whenever I ordered dessert, I chose from clementine granita with red-wine-poached pears, almond cake trimmed with candied orange rind, or triple-crème cheesecakes, soft and dripping with huckleberry sauce. Charlotte au chocolat was gone.”
― Charlotte Silver, Charlotte Au Chocolat: Memories of a Restaurant Girlhood

“Dessert was home-made candied chestnuts, chiffon cake baked with amazake and rice flour, and cups of gingery chai. Biting into the cake, Rika discovered that it was perfectly fluffy, with a pleasing springiness and bite to it.”
― Asako Yuzuki, Butter

“Saturdays meant a hodgepodge of chocolate treats--- chocolate peppermint cocoa, chocolate flavored coffees, éclairs, tarts, turtles, truffles, cookies, fudge, and mini lava cakes. Chocoholics came in on Saturdays to indulge.”
― Jennifer Moorman, The Baker's Man

“A waiter set a small tart of caramelized pears before each of them and added a dab of licorice ice cream. Next came bananas topped with passion fruit and black pepper, little pirouettes of pleasure.
The meal was as large and generous as the chef himself, and by the time he was serving them aged Armagnac with a ripe Roquefort, Stella's head was spinning. Although they were now surrounded by people eating dinner, new dishes kept arriving. Petit fours appeared, and then chocolates. A basket of fruit. Jules and the chef toasted each other with fragrant fruit brandies.”
― Ruth Reichl, The Paris Novel

“Elena came up with the idea of a fusion elote, taking her beloved Mexican street corn and adding Pakistani and Filipino twists to match with Adeena's and my respective backgrounds. Not only did Jae gave us his mother's recipe for the oksusu cha, or Korean corn tea, but he'd also volunteered to handle all elote duties: slathering the corn with thick, creamy coconut milk before rolling it in a fragrant spice mix that included amchur powder and red chili powder, grilling it, then squeezing calamansi over the corn before sprinkling it with your choice of kesong puti or cotija cheese. It was a simple yet laborious task, but he seemed to enjoy himself ( I wasn't one for gender stereotypes, but what was with guys and grills?) and I'd caught him sneaking more than one smoky, salty treat as he worked. The benefit of being the cook.
Meanwhile, I arranged the sweet offerings I'd prepared: mais ube sandwich cookies, mais kon keso bars, and two types of ice candy--- mais kon yelo and ginataang mais. Corn as a dessert ingredient may seem strange to some people, but Filipinos absolutely love and embrace corn in all its salty-sweet possibilities. My first offering sandwiched ube buttercream between corn cookies, the purple yam's subtle vanilla-like sweetness pairing well with the salty-sweet corn. Cheese and corn are a popular savory pairing, but guess what? It makes one of my absolute favorite Filipino ice cream flavors as well, and I channeled that classic combo into a cheesecake bar with a corn cookie crust.
Mais kon yelo, literally corn with ice, is a Filipino dessert consisting of shaved ice with corn, sugar, and milk, while ginataang mais, a simple porridge made with coconut milk, glutinous rice, and sweet corn, is usually served warm for breakfast or meryenda. My take on these simple, refreshing snacks utilized those same flavors in a portable, easy-to-eat ice pop bag. However, if you wanted to try the traditional versions, you could just pop down a few booths over to Tita Rosie's Kitchen, the restaurant run by my paternal aunt and grandmother. While my aunt, Tita Rosie, handled the savory side of the menu, offering small cups of corn soup and paper cones full of cornick, or corn nuts flavored with salt and garlic, my grandmother, Lola Flor, reigned over the sweets. The aforementioned mais kon yelo and ginataang mais were the desserts on offer, in addition to maja blanca, a simple corn and coconut pudding. Truly a gluten-free sweet tooth's paradise.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Guilt and Ginataan

“Sour cream brownies, banana pie made with vanilla wafers, lemon poppy-seed pound cake, strawberry shortcake, almond-scented tapioca, pecan blondies (oh... my... God, those are good), butter brick ice cream with butterscotch, angel food cake with rhubarb compote, gingerbread with hard sauce, and on Saturday nights, peppermint ice cream sundaes topped with homemade hot fudge.”
― Sarah Strohmeyer, Sweet Love

“When the kids were growing and Frank was still in construction, I made sure all our meals ended with something sweet. Frank deserved it. Sour cream brownies, banana pie made with vanilla wafers, lemon poppy-seed pound cake, strawberry shortcake, almond-scented tapioca, pecan blondies (oh... my... God, those are good), butter brickle ice cream with butterscotch, angel food cake with rhubarb compote, gingerbread with hard sauce, and on Saturday nights, peppermint ice cream sundaes topped with homemade hot fudge.”
― Sarah Strohmeyer, Sweet Love

“WEEK ONE: Summer Abundance

Almond-Infused Hot White Chocolate over Iced Berries
Cold English Summer Pudding
Fresh and Easy Strawberry Crème Brûlée
Peach Cobbler D'Ours with Ginger Ice Cream
Limoncello Sorbet and Wild Maine Blueberries


WEEK TWO: Simple Comforts

Classic Tarte Tatin
Warm Cherry Crisp with Vermont Maple Cream
Almond Biscotti Tiramisu
Old-Fashioned Gingerbread and Lemon Sauce
Spiced Pear and Roquefort Flan


WEEK THREE: A Multiple Chocolate Orgasm

Grand Marnière Chocolate Mousse
Torta Caprese
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Profiteroles with Dark Chocolate Kahlúa Sauce
Quick Chocolate Soufflé”
― Sarah Strohmeyer, Sweet Love

“I want a dessert."
She turns and starts wiping down the clean counters like it's her new mission in life. "I'll go to the farmers' market and get some ripe fruit."
"Not. Fruit." Fact is, I can't eat a mango anymore without wanting to suck on Delilah's tongue. "Something rich and sweet and creamy." And now I'm thinking about sinking to my knees before her. Behind the kitchen island, I reach down and adjust myself. Having zero experience with flirting, I don't think I'm doing a proper job of it. I'm only getting myself riled up here.
Especially since Delilah's expression remains deadpan. "I don't think any of that is on the approved list."
"I think you bring up that damn list to annoy me, Tot."
"This is true." She doesn't bother to hide her glee.
Like a bee to nectar, I drift closer. "Come on, Delilah. Cheat with me. Just a little?"
Shaking her head in clear exasperation, she tosses the cloth into the sink and faces me. "All right, just this once. Name your poison."
She isn't in my arms. My mouth isn't on hers. But it's still a victory, and I rub my hands together in anticipation. "Let's see... oh, God, the choices. Your Totally Toffee-Chip Cookies? Your Mad Monster Chocolate Cake?" I stop to think of all the desserts Delilah has made over the years. "Ah. I know... Bountiful Banana Cream Pie.”
― Kristen Callihan, Dear Enemy

“This spreadsheet covered items already delivered. Every entry noted the person, general information, and the item sent. Coconut cream pie. Buttermilk pecan and strawberry rhubarb. Butterscotch, double peanut, and lemon icebox. So many choices. All of them sounded amazing. I hadn't had Patti's sawdust pie in years. The name had something to do with a lady likely named Patti. That was the extent of my Patti knowledge. But how had I missed out on a delicacy called grits pie?
Bottom line: they sold a lot of pies, and those pies weren't cheap. The pies were the lead seller at Mags' Desserts but cupcakes, scones, cakes, and muffins made a pretty impressive appearance on the list as well. Lots of people. Lots of orders.”
― HelenKay Dimon, The Usual Family Mayhem

“Everyone who could cook had cooked:
Carrots that tasted like candy. Asparagus coated in a creamy yellow sauce. Potatoes prepared six different ways--- fried, roasted, baked, twice-baked, and cooked with cheese and with cream. Fish flavored with herbs that Terlu couldn't even name but tasted beyond delicious. A few dishes weren't her favorite, like the mussels in butter that Yarrow loved but reminded Terlu too much of slugs, but she loved the dish with squash cut into noodles mixed in a nut-flavored sauce, as well as a sweet carrot bread made by one of the uncles. And Yarrow had prepared her favorite, the layered zucchini, squash, and tomato dish he'd perfected.
They ate, they talked, they laughed, they sang, they told stories, and they danced.
Above the greenhouse, snow fell lightly as the shortest day of the year dipped toward nightfall. When desserts were brought out, everyone oohed and ahhed. Yarrow's sugar glass with flavored roses was proclaimed the star, but there were also berry pies (Terlu contributed a blueberry pie) and cakes and cobblers and an amazing peach tart (Yarrow's grandfather's recipe). And of course, chocolate-covered oranges.”
― Sarah Beth Durst, The Enchanted Greenhouse

“Last night, I read we'd be making béchamel and Mornay sauces, poulet poché sauce suprême and hollandaise. There would be rich potages of crème de moules au safran, bisque d'etrilles and homard, soupe à l'oignon gratinée, and then a whole lot of les oeufs: oeufs durs mimosa, ouefs mollets à la Florentine, ouefs cocotte à la crème, and ouefs frits au bacon. Oof!
Leçon 16 would feature compound butters and nothing but. Followed by la leçon on braising (lamb stew, braised crown roast of pork nivernaise, beef à la mode), which begets frying and sautéing (beignets de gambas, sole meunière), which begets a whole section on "au gratin." Even the salads are full of lardons and heavy cream. And the desserts! Apple Charlotte with custard, crème brûlée, crème caramel, and sabayon.”
― Amy Rosen, Off Menu

“I spotted a duo of pouchy handmade raviolis: spinach and ricotta with fresh tomato sauce, and porcini in sage butter. Their fish dish was salmon with a skin so crispy it looked like crackling and their handmade pappardelle was tossed with braised rabbit. They went even more rustic with their desserts, albeit with elevated flavor combinations, like an orange flower torte with pine nuts, and a honey semifreddo with apricot lime sauce.”
― Amy Rosen, Off Menu

“I've been to great vegan restaurants. Ones where instead of being served simply steamed, the beets were roasted and chopped into a tartare with shiso and toasted hazelnuts and served with fried gnocco dough, crisp, puffed and golden, like a clever tartare. Vegan restaurants where the waterier vegetables like zucchini and yellow squash are treated with even more care: chunks of grilled zucchini surrounded by a vibrant yellow squash purée with chili crunch, lime, and fresh mint, served with fresh-from-the-oven vegan barley bread for ripping and dipping. I've also had amazing vegan desserts. Once, in class, Claire made a chocolate cake layered with a creamy tofu mousse, rhubarb gelée, strawberry sauce, and fudge crunch, using no gross heavy olive oils or coconut cream. It was magnificent!”
― Amy Rosen, Off Menu

“You were traveling through the bloodline and entering each of your ancestors' minds. You know things about all of us now."
Lily was right. Sibyl knew where Ivy kept the baking soda. She knew the family recipe for scones, which Sadie had brought over from Scotland. She remembered that Rose had been particularly fond of currant and cream scones, though she'd never seen her eat one.”
― Kirsten Miller, The Women of Wild Hill

“FOOD

Adobo (uh-doh-boh)--- Considered the Philippines' national dish, it's any food cooked with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and black peppercorns (although there are many regional and personal variations)
Arroz caldo (ah-rohz cahl-doh)--- A savory rice porridge made with chicken, ginger, and other aromatics
Biscocho (bihs-coh-cho)--- Similar to Italian biscotti, this is a twice-baked bread, often coated with butter and sugar and baked low and slow; often used to repurpose stale bread
Champorado (chahm-puh-rah-doh)--- A sweet chocolate rice porridge
Dinuguan (dih-noo-goo-ahn)--- A savory Filipino stew of pork and pork offal simmered in a rich, lightly spicy gravy of pork blood, chiles, garlic, vinegar, and other spices
Ginataan (gih-nah-tah-ahn)--- Any dish cooked with coconut milk; can be sweet or savory
Lumpia (loom-pyah)--- Filipino spring rolls (many variations)
Mamon (mah-mohn)--- A Filipino chiffon cake, made in individual molds as opposed to a large, shared cake
Pandan (pahn-dahn)--- A tropical plant whose fragrant leaves are commonly used as a flavoring in Southeast Asia; often described as a grassy vanilla flavor with a hint of coconut
Patis (pah-tees)--- Fish sauce
Salabat (sah-lah-baht)--- Filipino ginger tea
Ube (oo-beh)--- A purple yam”
― Mia P. Manansala, Death and Dinuguan

“I got a scoop of the double fudge coconut brownie ice cream in a waffle cone (the smell wafting through the shop as the employees made these from scratch made it impossible to resist), Elena requested the cherry lime rickey, Jae asked for an apple pie milkshake, and Adeena, who we had to talk down from trying to order everything on the menu, settled on an egg cream plus a white chocolate macadamia nut affogato. Elena got sick of Adeena's constant sighing and eyes that strayed longingly toward the counter and added a brownie topped with pear dark chocolate oat crisp ice cream for us all to share. The brownie came with a tiny silver pitcher of fudge sauce, and Adeena audibly moaned as Elena poured it over the ice cream and brownie.
"Girl, we are in public. Please keep your lusting to a minimum," I said. Then I took a spoonful of the brownie-fudge sauce-ice cream combo and let out a similar sound. "Never mind, I take that back. That was the proper reaction to this slice of heaven.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Death and Dinuguan