If you know me, you know I like simple-to-prepare, yet impressive food with chef-worthy results. Sometimes I find inspiration when out to dine. My husband and I recently found a restaurant in Seattle—CRUSH—to add to our list of favorites. It is modern and swank; the food was so divine we couldn’t help but take long pauses where conversation waited while we focused on a bite or sip.

We uncharacteristically started our evening with a cheese plate (off the dessert menu; though I have always loved the attitude of ‘life is short, eat dessert first’). With 5-6 different cheeses, akin to the range on a painter’s palate, these cheeses offered creamy, pungent, firm and fragrant experiences…. with an intelligently paired condiment alongside each. A grapefruit jelly, a quince or fig paste next to blue cheese and to my delight, I had found my next experiment for my kitchen: reduced balsamic syrup. It was next to either a firm goat cheese or Manchego, I cannot remember. What I DO remember is happily filing away the idea of a reduced balsamic paired with cheese for a simple, yet elegant appetizer (or dessert with a little port, for all of us who enjoy dessert first AND last).

Place 1/2 to 2/3 cups balsamic in small saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to simmer, reduce to low—keep it barely bubbling—and swirl/stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn. In about 10 minutes it will reduce and become syrupy. Pour over a wedge of cheese (I used Manchego, a semi-firm sheep cheese); I plated it with some almonds and another cheese pairing. Whether starting a meal or finishing it, this is simple to make and the results far outweigh the efforts.

Other balsamic brilliance:

• Salmon steak with orange balsamic glaze
• from Kalyn’s Kitchen, Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar
• from the Mayo Clinic, Strawberry Balsamic Sorbet
• Habeas Brulee’s Balsamic Fudge drops

My father used to eat, or rather devour, a rum raisin bread pudding that his mother made. When I came across this particular cookie, it spoke of his favorite flavors all folded together with a bit of butter. Who was I not to make it? I am not a hard sell when it comes to new recipes, and this one I adopted from the June 2007 Martha Stewart cookie of the month. The biggest difference? Mine has more rummy raisins and much larger pinches of orange zest. I am by no means a skimper.

So I made it. Actually, I made two ‘logs’ of cookies which for me is an inroads to another make-ahead treat. One log I sliced according to directions, and the other waited in the fridge a few days so I could slice and slide it onto a platter at just the right moment.

Even better? You can make a log to eat, and freeze one for later.

My beloved sister-in-law said she would drive across town for these. I assume she meant her town which is Vancouver B.C., Canada. If she were to drive to my oven door for these it would add another 3 1/2 hours to her trip. Though if she came, I would no doubt have these waiting for her…

Rum Raisin Cookies
1/2 cup dark rum
1 cup dried currants (or raisins)
2 sticks room temperature butter
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 T orange zest, finely grated
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt

Combine rum and currants, cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Drain, reserving 2 T rum. Beat butter, sugar, zest with mixer until smooth, , salt. 2 minutes. Add vanilla and rum; beat to combine. On low speed add flour, coconut, salt. Stir in currants. Form dough into 2 logs, 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in parchment and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 days. Or freeze for a few months. Heat oven to 325; slice dough into 1/4 inch rounds, line on baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until just golden.

This is one of those classic recipes. Not that it has been made numerous times. It is classic in that I ripped it out of a magazine and shoved it into my ‘recipe binder’ and forgot about it.

Have you done that?

I do occasionally make a good effort to organize my binder, to decide which recipes to keep, to paste them nicely onto paper, then slide recipes into slipcovers. I make some progress, but the binder seems to grow and become unwieldy all on its own (I am sure it has nothing to do with me ripping and shoving, ripping and shoving).

Every time I get my paws on a food magazine, I have to rip out recipes to try. Oh that sounds so delicious, I have to try that… Ooooh, that would be a perfect appetizer, and easy besides… my kids would really like this one… I have been wanting a good recipe for that… so that is how to cook that vegetable… and it goes on and on.

I think this simple dessert caught my attention because I adore making my own simple vanilla ice cream, and to dress it up for guests, this seemed the perfect match (and you can make them ahead of time).

You can buy or make your own ice cream. Here is the recipe for the caramel croutons:

Brioche Caramel Croutons
6 T butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 small loaf brioche (4-5 ounces), cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Line baking sheet with parchment (Silpat works great); in saucepan over medium high, combine butter, sugar, water. Stir to dissolve sugar, 2 minutes. Allow to boil, until syrup is medium amber color, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, add cubes to coat. Transfer to baking sheet, spreading so they don’t touch. Let cool. Keeps well sealed for up to a week.

I promised I would make it, photo it and showcase it on my blog: a little, lovely, Italianesque dessert fondly known as Tiramisu. This recipe is borrowed from Barefoot Contessa, in her cookbook Family Style.

I am not trying to be boring, because this dessert is far from that: it is just that it is late in the day on Friday and my brain is on fumes. Or has been fumigated or is fuming. Whatever the case, time to go sneak the last little bites of Tiramisu out of my fridge, maybe pour an iced version of a bailey’s coffee to go with it, throw my feet on the nearest coffee table and call it a week. May your weekend be full of relaxation and fun, grand and inspiring conversation (good for defumigating the brain) and divine desserts such as this one:

Tiramisu
6 extra-large egg yolks, room temp.
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup good dark rum, divided
1 1/2 cups brewed espresso, divided
16 to 17 ounces mascarpone cheese
30 Italian ladyfingers
Bittersweet chocolate, shaved or grated

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until very thick and light yellow. Lower the speed to medium and add 1/4 cup rum, 1/4 cup espresso, and mascarpone. Whisk until smooth. Combine remaining 1/4 cup rum and 1 1/4 cups espresso in a shallow bowl. Dip 1 side of each ladyfinger in the espresso/rum mixture and line the bottom of a 9 by 12 by 2-inch dish. Pour half the espresso cream mixture evenly on top. Dip 1 side of the remaining ladyfingers in the espresso/rum mixture and place them in a second layer in the dish. Pour the rest of the espresso cream over the top. Smooth the top and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, sprinkle the top with shaved chocolate.

Note: To make espresso for this recipe in your electric drip coffee maker, use enough water for 4 cups of coffee plus 1/3 cup of ground espresso.

I promised Myriam over at Once Upon a Tart that I would share a brownie recipe this month (for her browniebabe of the month event). I must say, I don’t have a mile high stack of brownie recipes; though at the end of this month I bet she will! I rarely make brownies, though I am not sure why. Perhaps it is because they seem basic and unassuming; though they have the ability to transport the lucky eater to a place of brownie bliss.

For me, brownie bliss involves a dense, chocolaty, nut-studded, just-out-of-the-oven companion to homemade vanilla ice cream. That sentence is a mouthful, but appropriate since eating bites of brownies and creamy ice cream will be mouthful upon mouthful and no doubt if I tried to have a conversation with you DURING my brownie bliss, well, I would be talking with my mouthful right up to the last morsel (pant, pant). And while I am at it, with brownies and just melting ice cream circling my now twisted tongue, no doubt my focus will be on my mouthful of chocolaty goodness and I might not hear you too well. I am focused and somehow my hearing suffers when I am thus inwardly engaged. Can you just wait… a second… hold that thought… mmmm, that is good. Why is it you can taste better with your eyes closed? Wait—What did you say?

I may not be talking—because my tongue is in a twist—or seeing, since my eyes are closed, and I cannot hear you because I am too busy indulging in a little brownie bliss with some vanilla on top. I will simply leave it up to Myriam to sing the brownie praises, and I will just tuck away into my little blissful bowl of browniebabe goodness.

Thanks Myriam!

Nut Studded Brownie Bars
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts/walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup coconut (optional: I left it out)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 cups flour

Combine above in mixer.

2 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla

Add to mixer, combine. Spread into greased 8×8 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Cut and serve immediately with [homemade] vanilla ice cream.