Triple Play Roundup

Okay, so when I posted this event I said that the roundup would be posted as near to the beginning of the month as feasible. Well, er, this is what was feasible. Sorry. Sometimes Life intrudes, you know? Anyway, I do apologize to our entrants for the delay in posting this roundup. We got three entries (not including my own) and all of them were beautiful examples of what can be done with three basic ingredients. Without further ado, here we go:

Entry 1: Persian Love Cakes from Couture Cupcakes

http://ecupcake.blogspot.com/2008/05/triple-play-persian-love-cake.html

Jess' Comments:

This recipe takes the three ingredients and basically layers them, creating a stack-o-goodness that gets my mouth watering. And here's the stunner: the frosting is essentially whipped cream with rosewater. Rosewater whipped cream. Wow. Can you say, "Died and went to heaven?" It just doesn't get better than that! I haven't tried to make these yet, but when I do I know that it will be absolutely fantastic.

Laura's Comments:

Persian love cups. I didn't even need to get to the pictures or recipe to know that I wanted to make and consume these. These look marvelous. I am impressed by the effort that went into the presentation of these little cakes (the rose petal on top is a lovely touch). I also appreciate that the recipe is straightforward and doesn't call for any fussy techniques.

Entry 2: PCR with Yogurt Cupcakes

http://choosandchews.blogspot.com/2008/05/one-for-girls.html

Jess' Comments:

I can't tell which are more beautiful: the cupcakes or the photography of the cupcakes. (Really - food porn lovers, this one is for you!) When I first looked at the recipe, I panicked. "It's too long and complicated!" I wailed, startling the cat. Once I calmed down, though, I realized how silly that was. Yes, the recipe is long, but that's because Dee breaks it down into discrete steps for you. It's not that complicated, not so much so that you should be too intimidated to make them. The rose syrup really helps to keep the cakes moist. I do want to point out that while she tried to keep the cardamom flavor subtle, she also offered an option that throws subtlety to the winds. Guess which option I'd pick?

Laura's Comments:

These cupcakes look marvelous too. This recipe is a bit more involved than the Persian Love Cups and probably more daunting to cake-baking novices. Kudos to Dee for making her own rose syrup. And for the butter cream frosting. Anything that calls for that much butter has to be tasty. I found it interesting to compare this recipe to the one for the Persian Love Cups--same primary flavors, similar end product, but a good deal of difference in technique, ingredients, and how the primary flavors are integrated into the cakes. I look forward to trying this recipe and comparing the end product with the love cups. Not as much as I look forward to eating them though.

Entry 3: Spiced Pistachio Frozen Yogurt

http://browninterior.blogspot.com/2008/05/spiced-pistachio-frozen-yogurt...

Jess' Comments:

This one is even healthy, but don't let it stop you. Think of it more as a recipe that proves that food that is good for you doesn't have to taste like old gym socks. It's very impressive that the author actually peeled and shelled all of her own pistachios for this recipe. She probably gets better-quality nuts that way. Personally I am not that meticulous. I buy them in the store already peeled and shelled and everything. This probably makes me a bad person.

If you decide to try making this yourself, a word of advice: take the time to do it right. I decided to try to make it myself one afternoon, mostly because I was having a sugar craving and had all the ingredients on hand. (This is my event, after all, and it is my favorite combination of flavors!) Anyway, I did not take the time to strain my yogurt, and it froze into a little solid and icky ball. When I do this again, though, I'll use Greek yogurt instead of fat-free American yogurt. The honey was an extra-nice touch.

Laura's Comments:

I love the simplicity of this recipe--just five ingredients. I imagine this frozen yogurt tasting very light: sweet, but no so much that the tang of the yogurt is lost, with subtle flavors of rose and cardamom. And pistachios . . . I'm impressed that Rainbowbrown shelled, blanched, and peeled the pistachios herself. I'm curious as to how much of a difference in the quality of pistachios processing one's own nuts makes.

Entry 4: Pistachio Pie

http://www.fearlesskitchen.com/2008/05/recipe-pistachi.html

Jess' Comments:

I can't comment on my own entry. I mean, really, I made a whole blog post of comments about it. That said, it was fun to make, and it went over well. Actually, it went over a little too well, because we only got to eat half the pie. I'm not the biggest fan of pie - I like chocolate pie, the way my grandma makes it, and that's about all I'd go out of my way for. That said, I'll probably make this again for another group gathering.

Laura's Comments:

This I actually got to eat. It was tasty. Like pecan pie, but for me, better. With the sweetness of the shortbread crust and honey it was evocative of baklava. I wouldn't have minded tasting a bit more of the rosewater, but then again, when it comes to rosewater I know no moderation.

Thanks again to everyone who entered!

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