The Broke Baker

Category: Custards

  • Chocolate Pudding

    Chocolate Pudding

    There was a time in my life where finding a plastic carton of supermarket chocolate pudding in my lunchbox would have absolutely made my day. And, while I still love a good chocolate pudding, my tastes have gotten a little more “grown up” since then.

    Don’t let the plethora of boxed mixes fool you. Making your own chocolate pudding is easy, and SO MUCH better than the store-bought or instant stuff. For an extra-special treat, top your pudding with whipped cream and some chocolate crisp pearls for a dessert that will impress both young and old dinner guests.

    Chocolate Pudding

    Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

    Ingredients

    • 2 Large Egg Yolks
    • 2 tbsp. Cornstarch
    • 2 1/2 cups Whole Milk, Divided
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Dutch processed, if you have it)
    • 1/4 tsp. Salt
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Directions

    In a medium, heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, and about 1/4 cup of the milk. Once smooth and incorporated, set aside.

    Place the sugar, cocoa, salt, and remaining milk in a saucepan, and bring to barely a simmer over medium heat.

    Remove the pan from the heat. While whisking constantly, dribble the hot cocoa into the egg cornstarch mixture very gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time. Once you have incorporated about half of the chocolate milk mixture into the eggs, pour everything back into the saucepan.

    Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding has thickened and comes to a full boil.

    Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the pudding into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the chocolate pudding so that a skin doesn’t form. Alternatively, divide the pudding equally in 4-6oz ramekins or pudding cups, then cover. Refrigerate for four hours or until completely chilled. Served your chocolate pudding with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

  • Pressure Cooker Passion Fruit Curd

    Pressure Cooker Passion Fruit Curd

    Skip to Recipe

    In the US, most of us think of cheese when we hear the word “curd.” However, curds made of fruit are popular in other parts of the world. They are eaten as a spread or as a dessert topping. My first introduction to fruit curd was the lemon kind, but lemon has never been my first choice. I figured that it would also work with passion fruit, due to the high acidity. The passion fruit curd is now the only curd that I ever make.

    Passion Fruit Curd Jar

    You can use curd in a lot of ways. I have personally used it as a filling for cakes or sweet rolls, yogurt topping, pie/tart filling, and macaron filling.

    Pressure Cooker Passion Fruit Curd

    Ingredients

    • 1/3 cup seedless passion fruit pulp
    • 3/8 cup sugar
    • 2 large eggs (or 3 yolks)
    • 3 tbsp butter, cubed

    Directions

    Combine the passion fruit pulp, sugar, and eggs in a blender. Pour into a 16oz mason jar. Cover the mason jar, but do not screw on the ring.

    Add 1 cup of water to the liner of your electric pressure cooker. Place the covered mason jar on a trivet in the pressure cooker. Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. When the timer is up, let the pressure release naturally for an additional 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.

    Carefully remove the jar from the pressure cooker and uncover. Add the cubed butter and whisk vigorously until all of the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Let the passion fruit curd cool completely before refrigerating.

  • Pressure Cooker Irish Cream Creme Brulee

    Pressure Cooker Irish Cream Creme Brulee

    Creme brulee is one of my absolute favorite desserts. It is also one of my go-to desserts for when I have egg yolks or heavy cream lying around that I need to use up in a hurry. This Irish Cream creme brulee always gets rave reviews whenever I make it. And, making it in my Instant Pot has made it so much easier.

    I find that you don’t need as many egg yolks when you make it in the Instant Pot to get the smooth, silky finished custard. And, it’s done in a fraction of the time!

    Creme brulee tastes best if you let it refrigerate at least overnight to develop the flavor. So, make sure to plan ahead!

    Pressure Cooker Irish Cream Creme Brulee

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 1/4 cup Irish cream
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    • Additional sugar for the top

    Directions

    In a medium, heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, Irish cream, and vanilla. Set aside.

    In a small saucepan, heat the cream and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture starts to simmer. Do not let it come to a boil.

    Remove from the heat. Gradually add the cream mixture to the egg mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, whisking constantly. When about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been incorporated, pour in the rest of the cream mixture and whisk until incorporated.

    Divide the mixture evenly among 6 4oz ramekins. Cover each ramekin with foil.

    Place a trivet in the liner of your electric pressure cooker and add 1 cup of water. Arrange the ramekins in 2 layers in the pressure cooker. Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 1 minute. When the timer is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.

    Remove ramekins and cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

    To serve: Add about a teaspoon of sugar to the top of the cold custard, tilting the ramekin around so the entire surface is coated with sugar. Use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar until caramelized and bubbly. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

    Makes 6 servings

  • Halloween Desserts 2018

    Halloween Desserts 2018

    Halloween is finally here!  And, for the first time in a while, I REALLY got into the Halloween spirit.  My job organizes a Halloween bake-off every year.  For the first time, I decided to enter.  I’m usually not the creative/artsy type when it comes to sweets, but I decided to challenge myself.  Pictured below is what I came up with, titled “The Mad Doctor’s Lab.”

    I was super happy with the way that my display turned out.  And, as it turns out, so were my coworkers.  I wound up getting awarded First Place for Originality for my Mad Scientist themed dessert display.  In addition to the actual desserts, I topped my display with a flask filled with water and a few drops of food coloring.  I did the same with two silicone cauldrons on either side of the display, then added a waterproof tea light to give them a “glow”.

    The kicker, though, was a few chunks of dry ice plunked into my vessels.  The smoke/fog effect produced by the dry ice really took the display over the top. The rest of my display was made up of two different desserts.

    My “Beaker Creatures” were key lime pie parfaits garnished with gumpaste tentacles and a Spiked Jelly Eyeball.  I used this tutorial to make the tentacles.  You can make the key lime filling by mixing 16oz of room temperature cream cheese, 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk, and 5/8 cup (that’s 1/2 cup plus two tablespoons) of key lime juice.  Add a few drops of green food coloring.  Then, alternate layers of this filling with graham cracker crumbs in small beakers (mine are 100mL).

    The “Bloody Brains” are vanilla bean panna cotta with raspberry sauce. I garnished the panna cotta brains with a royal icing meat cleaver and served them on a petrie dish just for an extra festive touch.

    Making these panna cotta brains is easy, but you do need to have a silicone mini brain mold to pull it off.  It took me about 4 or 5 tries to get the panna cotta to where it would hold the brain shape AND still be creamy.  But, I finally got the right formula, so I am passing it along so that you don’t have to go through the same trial and error as I did.  You’re welcome.

    Panna Cotta Brains

    Ingredients

    • 3/4 cup heavy cream
    • 2 tbsp sugar
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 1/2 tbsp unflavored gelatin
    • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
    • Red or pink food coloring
    • Required equipment: Silicone brain mold (I used this one)

    Directions

    Lightly grease each cavity of your brain mold and set aside.

    In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean with seeds.  Cook on medium until the mixture starts to simmer, then remove form heat.  Allow vanilla bean to steep in the hot cream for about 10 minutes.

    Sprinkle gelatin over water and allow to soften for about 5 minutes.  Microwave for 15-20 seconds, or until all of the gelatin is dissolved (do not let the mixture boil, or you can ruin the gelatin).

    Remove the vanilla bean from the cream mixture.  Stir in the gelatin, vanilla extract, and enough food coloring to achieve the desired shade of pink.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.  Remove panna cotta brains from mold and serve with raspberry sauce.

    Makes 4 Servings

  • Mango Pastry Cream

    Mango Pastry Cream

    Skip to Recipe
    I’ve been experimenting with recipes for mango pastry cream for a while.  My previous go-to recipe was good, but it really didn’t have a whole lot of mango flavor.  I’m pretty happy with the results of this current iteration of mango pastry cream.  My friends and family must agree, because I got so many requests for the recipe that I had no choice but to share!

    Place your egg yolks in a measuring cup or small mixing bowl and whisk them, then add sugar and whisk until the sugar dissolves.  Once that is done, add your flour and whisk until the flour is combined, there are no clumps, and the mixture is pale yellow.  Set them aside.

    Combine the mango puree and the half-and-half in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to combine.  Heat the mixture until it starts to simmer, then remove it from the heat.  Add the hot mango mixture gradually into the yolk mixture, a little bit at a time, whisking constantly.  When about 1/3 of the mango mixture has been added, add the yolk mixture to the remaining mango mixture in the pot.

    Return the mixture to the heat and cook until the mixture thickens (it took about 5-10 minutes for me), whisking frequently to keep clumps from forming.  When it is thick enough, remove it from the heat and stir in your butter and vanilla bean paste.  When the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth, strain it into a heat-proof bowl with a fine mesh strainer.

    Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours before you use it.

    This pastry cream has many uses.  One of the favorites is filling tartlet shells with it, which makes a simple and fancy dessert.  You can also use it to fill donuts, in puff pastry, or even just eaten as-is with whipped cream!

    Stayed tuned for a post on how to many tartlet shells coming soon!

    Mango Pastry Cream

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup mango puree (strained if using fibrous mangoes)
    • 1 cup half-and-half
    • 3/8 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup flour
    • 6 egg yolks
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
    • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into chunks

    Directions

    In a measuring cup or small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and flour until pale and creamy.  Set aside.

    In a small saucepan, heat the mango puree and half and half.  When the mixture starts to simmer, remove from heat.  Gradually add the hot mango mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.  When about 1/3 of the mixture has been incorporated, pour the yolk mixture into the remaining hot mango mixture and stir to combine.

    Return the mixture to the heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens starts to form bubbles.  Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla paste (or extract), stirring until the butter has completely melted and incorporated.  Strain with a fine mesh strainer into a heat-proof bowl, then cover with plastic wrap (with the plastic touching the surface of the cream to avoid forming a skin), and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using.

  • Pressure Cooker Mango Creme Brulee

    Pressure Cooker Mango Creme Brulee

    Skip to Recipe

    Mango creme brulee is a Mango Madness staple, and I have been making it since I first started experimenting with mango a few years ago.  Since I was getting so many mangoes anyway, I decided to try adapting the recipe to make in my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.  It took a few tries, but I was able to get a smooth and creamy mango creme brulee!  You still need to do all of the stovetop work, but cooking them in a pressure cooker takes the guess work out of getting the perfect texture.

    Put your egg yolks in a measuring cup or small mixing bowl, then whisk them and set them aside.  Heat your cream, sugar, and mango chunks over medium to medium high heat.  As the cream heats, you will notice that it will start to change color as the mango releases juices into the cream.  When the cream starts to simmer, using a potato masher (or a fork, if you don’t have one) to gently mash the cooked mango so that it releases a little bit more flavor into the cream.  Then, remove the mango chunks using a slotted spoon and discard them.  Remove the cream from the heat and get your egg yolks ready.

    Temper the egg yolks by gradually adding some of the hot cream mixture into the yolks.   When you have incorporated about a third of the hot cream mixture into the yolks, whisk them into the pot with the rest of the cream mixture.  Strain the mixture into a heat-proof bowl, stir in the vanilla, then divide it evenly among 6 4oz custard cups.  Cover them with foil and arrange them in two layers in the liner of your pressure cooker (filled with 1 cup of water at the bottom).  Cover, seal, and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for  minute, and then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before you release any remaining pressure.

    Remove the custards, uncover them, and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.  When they’re cool, cover them and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

    When you are about to serve them, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar over the surface of the custard.  Tilt the custard cup around to make sure that the entire surface is covered, then use a torch to melt the sugar on the surface of the creme brulee until it bubbles and turns amber.  Let the custards cool for at least 5 minutes before you dig in.

    This is a great dessert if you want to impress!  Smooth, creamy, with just the right touch of mango flavor.

    Pressure Cooker Mango Creme Brulee

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 2 cups fresh mango slices
    • 6 tbsp sugar, plus more for torching
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

    Directions

    Pour 1 cup of water into the liner of your pressure cooker.  Whisk your egg yolks in a heat-proof measuring cup or small bowl and set aside.

    Heat the cream, mango, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.  When the cream mixture is just about to simmer, lightly mash the mango, then allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes (do not boil).  Remove from heat and use a slotted spoon to scoop out the mango pieces and discard them.

    Slowly add the hot cream mixture to your egg yolks, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, whisking constantly.  Once about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been added to the eggs, incorporate the egg mixture into the remaining hot cream mixture.  Strain using a fine mesh strainer, then stir in the vanilla.

    Divide the mixture equally among 6 4oz ramekins.  Cover with foil, then arrange in two layers on trivets in the pressure cooker.  Cover, seal, and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 1 minute, and then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.  Remove custards from pressure cooker and allow to cool completely on a wire rack, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

    To serve, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the top of each custard, then use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar until it browns and forms a crispy top.  Allow the creme brulee to sit for 5 minutes after melting the sugar, then enjoy.

    Makes 6 servings

  • Pressure Cooker Flan

    Pressure Cooker Flan

    Skip to Recipe

    Flan is one of my favorite desserts EVER.  I blame the Latina in me.  I can’t help it.

    I still remember when I first learned how to make it.  It wasn’t easy.  I overcooked it many times before I finally got the hang of the ideal temperature and cook time.  When I moved, I’d have to re-learn in order to get it just right with the new oven.  I was baking flan in a water bath for about an hour and a half.  It was torture!  So, you can imagine my delight when I discovered that flan cooks quicker AND easier in an electric pressure cooker.

    I mean, seriously!  Rich, velvety smooth flan every single time.  No air bubbles.  No graininess.  Just flan perfection.

    A friend of mine asked me to teach her how to make this.  I decided to do even better and post the step-by-step instructions on the blog.  And, after some additional requests for the recipe started rolling in, here it is!

    I use a flanera (flan pan) for my flans.  I have also had success with round ceramic or glass baking dishes.  Just make sure that you use the oven-safe kind.

    Start by making your sugar syrup.  Heat the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Swirl the pan occasionally to redistribute the sugar, but do not stir it until it starts to turn deep amber and most of the sugar has melted.  At this point, use a heat-proof spatula to stir the sugar until the last solid clumps are melted, then remove it from the heat and add 2 tbsp of water.  Be careful, because it will steam and might splatter.  Once you can get close enough, stir the sugar and water until it’s all combined, then pour it into your flan mold.  If you want, you can also tilt the mold around a little bit to get some of the sugar to coat the sides.

    Next, we make the custard mixture.  All you need is half-and-half, condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Combine them in a blender, then pour the mixture into the sugar-coated flan mold.  Cover the mold, place on a trivet, then lower into your electric pressure cooker (filled with 1 cup of water).  Seal and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 12 minutes, then do another 12 minutes of Natural Release.  Remove the flan and uncover.  The center of the flan should still be slightly jiggly, as it will firm up as it cools. Once it has cooled completely, cover it and refrigerate until it’s ready to serve.  The minimum should be 4 hours, but it’s preferable to leave it overnight.

    When you are ready to serve, run a thin knife along the edge of the flan, then invert onto a serving plate.

    Then, be rewarded with creamy flan goodness.

    If you like a firmer flan, you can add an additional egg or two to the flan mixture.  You can also adjust the amount of vanilla extract, but I feel like this amount gives it a great flavor.

    Pressure Cooker Flan

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 2 cups half-and-half (or milk)
    • 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
    • Required equipment: a flan pan (this one is what I have)

    Directions

    In a small saucepan, heat white sugar over medium heat until all of the sugar has melted and turned amber.  Remove from heat and carefully add the 2 tbsp of water (watch out for the steam).  Stir until all of the water has mixed in, then pour into your flan mold or round baking dish.  Set aside to cool while you make the flan mixture.

    Combine the eggs, half-and-half, condensed milk, and vanilla in a blender.  Blend until combined and no streaks remain.  Gently pour into your prepared flan mold, then cover.

    Pour 1 cup of water in the liner of your electric pressure cooker.  Place the flan mold on a trivet in the liner, then seal and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 12 minutes.  After time is up, turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to release naturally for another 12 minutes.  Remove flan from pressure cooker and uncover (flan should be slightly jiggly in the center, but not watery).  Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) before serving.

    Makes about 8 servings.

    Note: To make an Irish Cream Flan, replace 1/2 cup of half-and-half with 1/2 cup of your favorite brand of Irish Cream and reduce the vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon.  Do NOT use milk, or your flan might curdle.

    To make a dulce de leche flan, replace the can of condensed milk with a can of dulce de leche.

  • Pressure Cooker Burnt Caramel Custard

    Pressure Cooker Burnt Caramel Custard

    Skip to Recipe
    It’s no secret that one of my primary motivations for getting myself an Instant Pot was to make foolproof flan.  And, sure enough, my flan pan is one of my most-used accessories.  However, making custards in individual ramekins had always been a crapshoot, with the likelihood of having overcooked custard was pretty high.  I had been seeing a lot of posts about people making custards and creme brulee in their pressure cookers, and I was still a bit skeptical that I could really get the right texture in any way other than the “slow and painful way” of baking in a water bath.  Still, when I wound up with too much heavy cream nearing its expiration date one day, I took the plunge and tried creme brulee in the Instant Pot.  And, I have never looked back.  This burnt caramel custard  is basically a creme brulee without the sugary crust.  Instead, the caramelized sugar flavor is infused into the cream before it’s cooked, also giving the custard a light caramel color.

    Place your egg yolks in a bowl with a pinch of salt and whisk them until they’re slightly foamy.  While you’re doing this, infuse your cream with the vanilla bean.  Heat the cream over medium heat with the vanilla bean and seeds.  When it starts to simmer, remove it from the heat and set it aside.  Leave the vanilla bean in there for now so that the cream continues to absorb the flavor.

    While the cream rests, take place your sugar in another small saucepan and heat it over medium heat until it melts and turns deep amber.  Then, remove it from the heat and slowly pour in your cream mixture.  Be careful, because it might splatter, but stir it constantly so that the sugar doesn’t harden before you finish adding the cream.  If some of the sugar does end up hardening, though, just place the pot back on stove on medium-low and stir until all of the sugar has melted.  Then, take your cream mixture and add it to your egg yolks, a little bit at a time.  Once you have incorporated about 1/3 of the mixture into your yolks, you can slowly pour the remaining cream mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking to combine.

    Strain the mixture evenly into 6 custard cups.  Add 1 cup of water to the liner of your pressure cooker.  Cover each custard cup with foil, then place in the liner of your pressure cooker in 2 layers.  Seal, then cook for 1 minute on High Pressure.  When the timer goes off, turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure.  Remove the custards, uncover, and set on a wire rack to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

    After your custards have set in the fridge, they can be served as is directly from the refrigerator.  If you wish, you can also garnish with whipped cream or fresh berries, but it’s delicious on its own.

    If done correctly, any custard (creme caramel, creme brulee, pot de creme) will have a smooth and creamy consistency.  It should not have any lumps or bubbles, or that’s a pretty good indication that your custard is overcooked.

    These can be made up to 2 days before serving, so they are a great make-ahead dessert.  If they last that long, that is.

    Pressure Cooker Burnt Caramel Custard

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 7 tbsp sugar
    • a pinch of salt

    Directions

    In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with a pinch of salt until slightly foamy.  Set aside.

    In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the vanilla bean and seeds over medium heat.  When the mixture starts to simmer, remove from heat and set aside.

    In a separate small saucepan, heat the sugar over medium heat until it melts and turns deep amber.  Remove from heat and, then remove vanilla bean from the hot cream mixture and slowly pour it into the melted sugar, stirring constantly until smooth.  The mixture will bubble vigorously, so be careful.

    Temper your egg yolk mixture by gradually adding in the hot cream mixture, a little bit at a time, whisking constantly.  When about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been incorporated into the yolks, pour the remaining hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture and whisk until smooth.  Strain the mixture evenly among 6 4oz ramekins.

    Pour 1 cup of water into the liner of your electric pressure cooker.  Cover your filled ramekins with foil and arrange in 2 layers on wire racks in the liner.  Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 1 minute.  After the time goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.  Remove the ramekins from the pressure cooker, uncover, and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.  Then, refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

    Makes 6 servings

     

  • Blueberry Panna Cotta

    Blueberry Panna Cotta

    Skip to Recipe
    Panna cotta, Italian for “cooked cream,” is the name of a dessert that is made taking sweetened cream and setting it with gelatin.  It is typically set in a mold that is then inverted before serving, but it can also be served without unmolding in a pretty glass or serving dish.  The beauty of panna cotta is that it tastes fancy without a whole lot of effort or skill required, so it’s a great dessert for hosting nice dinners at home or for a group.  Plus, the base of a panna cotta is just cream, which means it’s a great blank canvas for adding other flavors to it.

    While I was on a rigorous diet over the summer, I bought some frozen blueberries to add to my healthy smoothies in the mornings.  Soon after, I fell off the wagon, and the blueberries sat forgotten in my freezer for weeks.  It wasn’t until I started running out of space in my freezer and started trying to use or purge some of the contents that I found the blueberries in there again, and decided to try to make something with them.  Since the texture of cooked berries is not something that I generally enjoy, I decided to use them to infuse some cream and make blueberry panna cotta.  It was so good that some of my coworkers still talk about it, so I decided to share the recipe.

    You start by macerating the blueberries.  That is, sprinkle some sugar on them and let them soften and release some of their juices.  After that, cook them over medium heat until they just start to simmer, then lower the heat and add the gelatin.  Once the gelatin has dissolved, add half of the cream and stir until the cream is hot.  Don’t let it start to boil or simmer, or the fat in the cream might start to separate and you’ll wind up with an oily film on your finished product.  Just let it get hot, then mash the blueberries a little more to get more of the juice out before passing the mixture through a strainer and into a bowl with the other half of the cream.  Stir in the vanilla extract.

    You mixture might have some flecks from the blueberries.  If you prefer, you can pass the blueberry panna cotta mixture through a finer strainer to get rid of these.

    Otherwise, pour the mixture into your prepared molds or cups.  If you’re planning to unmold the panna cotta, lightly coat the inside of your molds with a neutral oil before filling with the panna cotta mixture.  Then, pop them in the fridge until they are set.  This should take about 3-4 hours.  Panna cotta should be eaten cold, so they should remain in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them.

    If you’re unmolding them, you can do so by running a thin knife along the edge of your mold, then inverting onto a plate.  You might have to shake it out, as they like to stick sometimes.  You can serve with additional fresh berries if you like, but it tastes great on its own as well.  I didn’t have any blueberries, so I served it with blackberries.

    Blueberry Panna Cotta

    So creamy!

    Unlike flan and other custard desserts, panna cotta is best served the same day or not more than a day later.  Otherwise, they start to dry out due to the gelatin.  So, plan accordingly.

    Blueberry Panna Cotta

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups blueberries (can be fresh or frozen)
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 1 tbsp gelatin
    • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

    Directions

    Place the blueberries and  the sugar in a medium saucepan.  Let them sit for at least 10 minutes (but preferably 30), then heat the blueberry/sugar mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is just starting to simmer.

    Reduce heat to medium-low, then sprinkle the gelatin over the mixture.  Let it sit for about a minute, then gently continue heating and stirring the mixture for about 5 minutes or until the gelatin has dissolved.

    Add 1 cup of the cream, and continue stirring until the cream is heated through.  Do not allow the cream to start to simmer or boil.  Gently mash the blueberries in the cream mixture so that they release some additional juice.

    Strain the mixture into a bowl with the other 1 cup of cream, then stir in the vanilla extract.  Divide equally between your serving dishes or molds, then refrigerate until set (about 3-4 hours).  Serve cold.

  • Pressure Cooker Chocolate and Irish Cream Flan

    Pressure Cooker Chocolate and Irish Cream Flan

    Skip to Recipe

    One of my older sisters doesn’t make it a secret that she really doesn’t know how to cook.  It’s not that she is proud of it, but she is just very matter-of-fact about it.  Since getting married, though, she has decided to make more of an effort in learning her way around the kitchen.  So, for last Christmas, she asked for an Instant Pot as a gift, for which the family happily obliged.  She was ecstatic when she received it, and then proceeded to stuff it in her closet, too afraid to use it.

    Fast forward to present-day, and I decided to take advantage of my plans to visit her in Houston to give her a crash course on the Art of the Instant Pot.  Of the many recipes that I think that someone should have up their sleeves, an easy dessert that’s potluck-friendly is one of them.  I told her we were going to make flan, and she didn’t seem all that excited.  So, I decided to sweeten the pot and appeal to her past life as a bartender.  I proposed that we make a chocolate and Irish Cream flan, and that definitely got her attention.  When she sat down and tasted the fruit of our labors, she said that it was the best flan that she has ever had in her life.

    At home, I have a flan pan (flanera) that I use to make flans.  However, my sis doesn’t have one, so we used a glass baking dish.  The flan was a little bit too soft in the middle, so I would add another 2 minutes or so of pressure keeping time if you’re going to use glass to make your flan.  And remember, oven-safe glass only!

    You can omit the cocoa powder to make just an Irish Cream flan, and you can also replace the Irish Cream with additional half-and-half to make this just a chocolate flan.

    Pressure Cooker Chocolate and Irish Cream Flan

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 1/2 cups half and half
    • 1/2 cup Irish Cream
    • 3 eggs
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed if you have it)

    Directions

    In a small saucepan, melt the sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently.  When the sugar has melted and turned amber, remove from heat and add the 2 tbsp of water (careful, it will steam and splatter).  Carefully stir until the sugar and water are combined, then pour into the bottom of a flan pan or round baking dish.  Set aside to cool.

    In a blender, add the remaining ingredients, then blend at medium speed until combined.  Pour over the cooled caramelized sugar in the flan pan or baking dish.

    Pour 1 cup of water into the liner of your pressure cooker.  Cover your flan pan or baking dish, place on a trivet, then lower into the liner of your pressure cooker.  Seal and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 12 minutes (add another 2 minutes or so if using a glass baking dish), then allow the pressure to release naturally for another 12 minutes before removing the the flan from the pressure cooker.  Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

    To serve, run a thin knife along the edge of the flan, then flip the pan over onto a plate, gently shaking the flan loose.

    Makes about 8 servings