Big Rockin’ Candy Mountain aka David Lebovitz
Anyone who’s spent anytime around me over the last couple of years knows I’m already a huge fan of David Lebovitz’s chocolate almond buttercrunch toffee. And when I make it, anyone who’s around me is too. Making it is very easy and very impressive. Anytime you can take a very short list of very simple ingredients – sugar, butter, vanilla, chocolate, and almonds in this case – and turn them into something truly delicious and beautiful, I think it’s as close as it gets to performing magic in the kitchen.
Mr. Lebovitz used to be the pastry chef for Chez Panisse, and he’s been writing some excellent cookbooks as well (don’t have one of them yet, but I will soon, promise!). He has a lot of great recipes on his excellent blog, which is where I got the one for his toffee. I have to give most of it away immediately or I will eat every single morsel, and then eat the toasted almonds left over, and then lick the cookie sheet. Well, not that last part, but I have polished off a 2 pound batch all by myself in a couple of days. Yes, yes, I know, terrible of me. But who hasn’t eaten their fair share of cookie dough?
So when I saw his recipe for Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream yesterday, I pulled a grocery list together today and am going to make it tonight. I don’t have an ice cream maker, but he gives directions for doing it without one.
And then I saw his recipe for Vietnamese Coffee Popsicles. Ok, gotta try that one for the restaurant. And then I saw his White Chocolate and Fresh Ginger Ice Cream with Nectarines and Cherries. Jeez, I just need to stop browsing his site long enough to actually start making something! I’ll probably hold off on the berries, which he uses as a topping, and instead pour a warm lemon sauce over it, almost like lemon curd. Or the berries might be appropriate, whatever is best for us.
So it looks like we might have to put his name on our dessert menu, but I’m ok with that.
