A homespun dessert is a comforting way to brighten a winter day. These five treats can easily be created with ingredients on hand and will appeal to customers’ comfort food cravings.
Fruit crisps and cobblers make for a warm and comforting winter dessert that require less effort than pies. At Scofflaw restaurant in Chicago, chef Gabriel Freeman chooses fresh blueberries for the fruit filling and sprinkles on a crunchy oat and walnut topping before baking.
Photograph courtesy of California Milk Advisory Board
Dulce de Leche Flan
Flan, a custard-style dessert with Latin roots, falls smack into the comfort food category. At Lolinda’s in San Francisco, chef Morgan gives his flan a sophisticated twist, enriching it with cream cheese, sour cream and dulce de leche.
Brown sugar, gooey chocolate and crunchy walnuts combine to make the buttery blondie a best-loved dessert. These can be quickly baked up and packed for grab-and-go or added to a delivery or takeout order.
Potato Bread Pudding with Mascarpone, White Chocolate and Dried Cherries, and Praline Creme Anglaise
Bread pudding is the ultimate feel-good dessert—warm, creamy and comforting. Chef Todd Downs tweaks the traditional recipe by using potato bread as a base. The addition of sweet mascarpone cheese, white chocolate, dried cherries and cinnamon infuses the pudding with contrasting flavors and colors.
The creamy texture of these individual parfaits comes from silken tofu, making this dessert dairy-free. It makes a sweet treat for vegan customers, but the old-fashioned flavors of molasses, brown sugar and raisins have wide appeal for all dessert lovers.
