Brighter Days: Caramelized Banana Cream Pie

Hello friends, I am just popping in here for a quick hello, and to tell you about this luscious pie I concocted recently. Dixon and I devoured slices while watching Meghan and Harry spill all of the tea during their interview with Oprah. Holy cow! There is so much to unpack there, but two things stuck with me: 1) I am so glad they got out and 2) Oprah is the queen when it comes to interviewing. Her questions were spot-on, and their answers more than a little shocking. So much drama there! While there is no drama over, there most certainly is pie. I wonder if Meghan and Harry bake pies?

Fall Flavours: Spiced Apple Pie with Lattice Crust

I was asked by Carusele to participate in this campaign, sponsored by Splenda Stevia Canada. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.

There are still a few days *officially left in summer, but I'm crushing on fall super hard already. The leaves are turning gorgeous yellows and oranges, and on my morning walk today I even kicked up a few just because I can. I love the smell of fall: earthy and melancholic. Summer had its time to shine, and now it's all about getting ready for the stillness of the colder months. And with the colder months, it means my oven is on all the time, full of roast chickens and vegetables, stews and braises, and pies, oh the pies! First one out of the gate is a special pie, made with Splenda® Stevia No Calorie Sweetener.

Someone close to me is majorly cutting back their sugar intake and has requested that I bake them something that they can indulge in at all the fall festivities, like Thanksgiving. Perhaps you're in the same boat too, where someone special who'll be sitting at your dining table this fall can't eat as much sugar as the rest of us, but doesn't want to feel left out or excluded by a sugary sweet dessert. As a host, and a professional baker, I feel it's important to meet people where they're at on the sugar scale, and if this means I forgo sugar and bake with Splenda Stevia once in awhile, I'm totally okay with that. 

Splenda Stevia gets its sweetness from the stevia leaf and is sourced from the sweeter, cleaner-tasting part of the stevia leaf so there is no bitter aftertaste. Combined with apples freshly picked from my friend Kim's tree, and loads of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom, the pie tasted super good, like all of my other pies. Seeing the smile on my loved one's face as they savoured a slice meant the world to me. Splenda Stevia really is a sweet way to reduce sugar in your favourite foods without sacrificing taste. 

For the apple pie filling, instead of sugar I used Splenda Stevia Sweetener, Granulated, a new product recently released. It's cool in that you can use it cup-for-cup with sugar. So, I usually add about 1/2 cup sugar into my apple pie filling, and for this recipe I used 1/2 cup Splenda Stevia Sweetener, Granulated instead. Kim's apples were on the tart side, and overall I was really happy with the sweetness here. If you like a sweeter pie, you could add up to 2/3 cup of Splenda Stevia. 

Baking a pie doesn’t have to be perfect. Once you take the pressure off yourself, it’s amazing what can happen. Also, don’t be intimidated by the lattice crust. It’s just pieces of pastry woven together, like a basket. If you go under instead of over, don’t fret. You’ve made a pie! I love how the bottom crust is folded over the lattice edges to give a rustic look. It also traps the juices, keeping all that loveliness inside the pie instead of on the bottom of your oven, which we don't want. 

As the apple pie baked away in the afternoon, my house smelled amazing. As I pulled the apple pie from my oven I breathed in the scent, and was so happy to see the juices bubbling and the lattice crust golden brown and glorious. The hardest part was waiting for the pie to cool so we could taste a slice, but the wait was worth it. Full of spiced apple flavour, with a hint of vanilla and lemon, the pie pleasantly tasted of fall, with no bitter aftertaste usually associated with stevia.  As the days get cooler and cozier, I know there'll be more pies and other baked goods coming out of my oven. It's good to know that if I have to bake for someone who doesn't eat that much sugar, I have an excellent ingredient such as Splenda Stevia to rely on. Happy fall baking, all! 

Spiced Apple Pie with Lattice Crust

3 pounds baking apples, peeled and cored

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup - 2/3 cup Splenda Stevia Sweetener, Granulated 

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp each ground cloves, nutmeg and cardamom

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 discs of pastry, enough for a deep-dish pie 

1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water

1. Toss together the sliced apples, lemon juice, Splenda Stevia, flour, spices and vanilla in a large bowl. 

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disc of pastry into a 13-inch circle, or thereabouts. Place it in the bottom of a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate, with the pastry overhanging the edges of the pie plate. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry in another 14-inch circle for the top crust. Use a ruler to guide you when cutting the pastry into 8-9 long strips to keep the edges straight. Save the 2 end pieces in case you need to do any patching. I like wide strips, but if you like a thinner look, feel free to cut thin strips of pastry. Weave the pastry strips, going over and under, making sure they connect with the edges of the pie crust, which I've moistened with egg wash. Fold over the edges of the bottom crust, tucking in the lattice ends. This will help to trap the juices and give a rustic look.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake it for about 90 minutes, until it’s golden brown and bubbling. Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.

Creamy Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Glaze

It's mid-November, and I know many of us have been playing with pumpkin for a couple of months now, so I understand if you're feeling a little squashed out. It happens. And I blame Starbucks. But, I'm popping in quickly to say how yum this pie is I made the other day. It's got a creamy, cream cheesy filling, with those warming spices we all love this time of year. The chocolate cookie crust is so easy, even a novice baker could do it. No rolling of pie dough with this recipe! There is a rich chocolate glaze poured over top, which really does make the pie even more fantastic. With a dollop of whipped cream, this is a tasty addition to any winter supper or Thanksgiving for my American pals.

Everything Good To Eat: Apricot Pie

"Summer was everything good to eat; 

it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape." 

~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

This is the point of summer when I'm savouring every detail, every day. The way the warm breeze flows into the house at night, moving the curtains just so. I know the cool nights are coming, but I'm not quite ready for them. I'm thoroughly enjoying ice cream on the patio, as the dragonflies swoop under the trees, which are beginning to change, but I pretend I don't see the yellowing of leaves. Whenever I put on a pretty summer dress, I feel the fabric and admire the way it swirls about my hips, all the while thinking that this could be the last time I wear it this year. End of August always has me feeling a little choked up, like I'm saying goodbye to a lover, forever. I savour every moment we have together, whether it's driving out on country roads to look at the stars, or one last dip of the toes in the lake. Late August has me feeling like this Cat Stevens song and I'm not sorry.

Catching Up: Sour Cherry & Plum Jelly; Other News

Plum & Nectarine Hazelnut Galette

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."  ~ Lucy Maude Montgomery

With Canadian Thanksgiving just around the bend, I feel like I should be thrown into food blogger jail for not posting something pumpkin.  Please forgive?  However if you do a search on my blog for lovely pumpkin confections, you'll find tiramisu, and pumpkin roll, and even waffles.  So there you go. And. And!  Near the end of this week I will be posting something Thanksgiving related, so hold on to your hats for that.  There will be pumpkin!  But first things first, there are nectarines and plums.

Streusel-Topped Strawberry Balsamic Galette

 

I'm kind of at that place in my head (scary stuff) where I need to use all of the most amazing in-season fruit, right.  now.  before, it goes away again til next summer.  There are peaches on my counter crying to be put in a buttermilk cake, and cherries that absolutely must be combined with chocolate in any way, shape or form.  Plus apples, just picked last week that might make a mighty fine pie.  Not too mention that the nectarines have failed to make it home from the market, but I'm hoping to remedy that soon.  Too much fruit!  Too little time!

Road Trippin': Pecan Caramel Fudge Pie

I feel like I've been gone from these pages for eons!  Okay, it's only been 10 days but feels like forever. I've missed you guys!  In case you missed it earlier, last weekend I was hired by Tourism Saskatchewan to be the chef for a group of travel writers and Tourism Sask staff, while we explored the Grasslands National Park area of southern Saskatchewan.  Two RVs were to be our home base for the four days while we were trippin the roads down south.  I knew it was going to be an adventure, because seven women traversing the prairie is always an adventure, but I had no idea it would be as adventurous as it was.  So let me get the dirty deets out of the way first.  The rental RVs we were travelling in were completely dilapidated and pieces of crap from the good old days of 1986.  I'm still in awe that we actually didn't break down on the side of the road somewhere.  One of them, we found out the first morning, did not have a working refrigerator, so most of my dairy and some meat was ruined. Boo to that.  But the biggest, baddest let down was having no running water the whole entire trip.  I'm not a camping girl, nor do I have any experience with RVs but I just assumed they came jam packed with water.  Not ours.  So we had to haul it and boil it for food prep.  I felt a little like Laura Ingalls Wilder, minus the petticoat and bonnet.  Needless to say, this threw a huge wrench into food prep, making cooking for seven take much much longer than it normally does.  But in the end, the food was made and was very warmly received and no one got sick (my biggest concern the whole trip) and I have an arsenal of stories I can whip out during a lull at dinner parties.  We all need those, don't we?

Smell This: Peach Tart With Dulce de Leche

The people at the fruit stand are starting to know me by name.  Seems like I'm there a couple of times a week, getting my fair share of cherries, plums, and by far my favourite - peaches.  There's only a short window to get really really good peaches here in Sask.  They're trucked in from BC, but better that than some warehouse in California, arriving under ripe, sprayed with God knows what and tasting like cardboard.  No, this is the only time of year I eat fresh peaches, and I'm savouring every last drop of juice running down my chin.

Biting into a perfectly ripe peach is one of my favourite summertime activities.  First I pick it up and hold it to my nose, for longer than is probably normal.  Just inhaling.  And inhaling again. Sometimes I'll eat one peach right after the other just because I can and no one is looking.  The cats don't judge me, that's for sure.  Well at least not on my copious peach consumption.

Have I ever told you about my Mom's peach pie?  She makes all kinds of delicious pies, but whenever a slice of her peach pie was placed before me, it was truly an experience:  buttery crust, warm and sweet peachy filling with hits of cinnamon.  Lord knows I harass her every summer to make some, but she hasn't obliged in awhile (what's up with that, Mother dear?). So. It's time I take my peach pie cravings into my own hands.

These hands could have made a perfectly fine double crust peach pie, with fluted edges and the whole bit, but I wanted my peach pie without all of the drama, so I opted for more of a free form tart. (Truth:  it was a Sunday and I was lazy and it was hot and I just wanted to curl up in my hammock with Rob Lowe's memoir.)  Luckily I had some frozen pie dough from when I made that glorious rhubarb pie a short time ago (that was really smart of me!), so most of the work was already done.  Sliced up some ripe and oh so fragrant peaches, tossed them with a little bit of sugar, bundled them up in the pastry and poured over a little dulce de leche, just because I had some in the fridge, and seriously, what could go wrong with that combo? Besides, Emily put some in her peach tart and it looks magnificent. 

I purposefully stayed in my kitchen cleaning up the dishes while the tart was baking, just so I could bask in the beautiful smell seeping out of my oven.  Took me back to being a kid and asking my Mom when the pie was going to be ready.  Just 35 minutes is all it took.  I ate a substantial slice warm, without ice cream, just because I couldn't wait (patience is not one of my virtues), but do indulge with vanilla ice cream.  A short while later, for the sake of "recipe research" I had a smaller slice this time, but with a good size scoop of ice cream, and yes, it does taste as delicious as it sounds. Be sure to get your peaches before they're gone.  Tell them Renee sent you.

Peach Tart with Dulce de Leche

Pastry for the tart can be found here.  Roll out as you would for the bottom of a pie.  Place the pastry on a parchment lined cookie sheet. 

The filling is very simple.  4 peaches, peeled and sliced, tossed with 1 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon.  Place this filling in the middle of your rolled out pastry.  Gently fold in the sides.  That's the great bit about it being "rustic".  Anything goes.  Meanwhile melt 2 heaping tbsp of Dulce de Leche, with 1 tsp of butter and pour this over the top of the peaches.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven, and bake for about 35 minutes until golden.  Serve warm as is or with ice cream.  Serves 4-6.

Sour Cream Rhubarb Oatmeal Streusel Pie

 

Rhubarb.  It's the gift that keeps on giving this Summer.  I've made it into tarts, cakes, and tiramisu; slathered it on grilled salmon, and who can forget those gorgeous Foxy Ladies?!!!

This time around though, it's all about pie.  And rightly so because it's been ages since I've built a pie.  Remember the chocolate peanut butter birthday pie?  That was utterly dreamy.  And this rhubarb pie is too.  Creamy, almost custard like filling, not too sweet, balanced between a tender buttery crust and a brown sugar buttery oatmeal streusel topping.  Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and well, it's Summer dessert perfection.

You may have guessed by now that I love feeding people.  Be it a hungry brunch crowd, or leisurely afternoon lunches on the patio with the ladies, or just my mom and I gathered 'round my small dining table.  On this occasion I gathered together some of my friends I hadn't seen all Summer, and we sat in the shade of my tall, tall trees eating glorious pie and ice cream.  What better way to spend a Summer afternoon? 

I've declared before that one of my goals is to make really good pie crust.  Some people want to go to the moon or become President.  But I want to make really good pie crust.  And I'm off to a good start.  I think the trick is to add a little more ice water than the recipe tells you, so the dough is quite soft.  And make sure every thing is cold, from the butter and shortening, to the egg and water.  And don't over handle the dough.  Chilling it for an hour or so before rolling it out seems to help too.  This pastry turned out well, no cracks to be found!  And I have more pie dough in the freezer awaiting my next pie concoction.  I've been dreaming of peaches....

The question remains on what to do with the rest of the 'barb that keeps growing in the garden.  You're probably getting tired of blog posts about rhubarb, even if they are of pie!  You want chocolate, don't you?  Well, I've got something up my sleeve for that, don't worry.  In the meantime I guess I will freeze the rest of the rhubarb for days in mid Winter, when I'd dreaming of eating pie and ice cream, under the shade of my tall, tall trees.

Sour Cream Rhubarb Oatmeal Streusel Pie

For the pastry:
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup cold shortening
2 tsp vinegar
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

For the filling:
2 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped
1/2 Gala apple, peeled and diced
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

For the streusel;
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3/4 - 1 cup large flake oatmeal

To make the pastry, in the bowl of a food processor, add the flour and salt and fats.  Pulse until the dough is crumbly.  In a 1/2 cup measure, add the egg and vinegar and enough cold water to fill. With the motor running, add the liquid to the flour mixture.  Then add a teeny bit more cold water.  The dough should come together and be soft, not crumbly at all.  On a floured surface, divide the dough into 3 and form each into a disc.  Put one in the fridge for an hour or so, and put the other two in the freezer for later use.  Alternatively, you can leave the dough in the fridge overnight, and remove 30 minutes before you want to roll your pastry out.  When ready, roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface, drape over your pie plate, and pinch the edges and trim excess dough.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
For the filling, combine the ingredients in a large bowl and pour into the prepared pie shell. Bake 25 minutes and remove from oven.  Combine the streusel ingredients in a large bowl.  You want it to be quite buttery and crumbly.  If too buttery add more oatmeal.  Sprinkle the streusel on top of the pie and return to oven to bake for 25 minutes longer, until golden and gorgeous.  May be a good idea to line the bottom of your oven with foil in case it runs over like mine did.  Let pie cool before cutting into wedges.  Absolutely serve with vanilla ice cream.  Serves 6-8.

Cooking On The Farm, Part Two: The Desserts!

It's been well documented here that I love love love my sweets, so it's no surprise that the best part of the cooking cousins weekend was the desserts.  Yeah, everything we made here was super super awesome, but the desserts were the standouts.  Oooooohed and awwwwed over.  Eyes-rolled-back-in-the-head they were that good.  Some even cooed.  Ok, I cooed, but couldn't help it.  I was eating a strawberry chocolate springroll.  You would coo too!!!

When Leanne and I were texting back and forth over the menu, as soon as she said, "I'm going to make chocolate springrolls", I thought, holy smoke, this is going to be one helluva weekend!  I COULD NOT WAIT to see how these were made.  Leanne and Brian, like many of you I'm sure, religiously watch The Food Network (I don't have cable, so I almost never see it.  If I did have The Food Network I'm not sure I would ever leave my house.) and some dude was making these springrolls, and well, they were hooked.  Simple process really, make a chocolate and strawberry filling, add some nuts, if you like, freeze it.  Then chop the frozen filling into bar shapes, wrap in egg roll wrappers, and deep fry.  Heavens, yes.  We served them with Leanne's homemade chocolate sauce, and if you like caramel, try this amazing sauce to go with the springrolls too.  Delicious. 

Leanne's Strawberry Chocolate Springrolls

Melt:  3 100g Dark Chocolate Bars (Lindt 85% Cocoa was used in the recipe) plus
          4   1 oz. semi-sweet baking squares.

To this melted chocolate, add 2 cups sliced strawberries and a handful of nuts.  Leanne used peanuts, but use whatever you like.  Press in a parchment lined 9x13 baking dish, and freeze.  Great to make a day or two ahead.  While it's frozen, chop into bar-shaped chunks. 
Using egg roll wrappers, (Leanne used 1.5 packages), place one chunk in the middle of the wrapper. Dampen the edges, and fold corners in around the chocolate.  Set aside.  When all are wrapped, heat vegetable oil in a large pot on stove.  I'm not very scientific about deep frying, so I'm just going to tell you that when the oil is hot, start deep frying a few at a time, until golden.  Set aside, and keep frying until all are done.  Serve with chocolate and caramel sauces, and why not add some whipped cream too?  But I say that about almost all the desserts! 


Lately I'm all about the rhubarb.  There are so many great recipes abounding, I have to try them all!  Well not quite, but I'm trying.  I made this cake here, and I'm brainstorming another incredible rhubarb dessert to serve this weekend, but you have to hang onto your hat for that one.  This Rhubarb Tart with Brown Butter Streusel was no slouch either.  The Epicurious people described it as "a country tart meets city topping..."  and me being a city girl heading to the country for the weekend, well it seemed somehow apropos.  I'm a farm girl at heart, after all. 

When you make the streusel with brown butter, you'll wonder why you haven't done it sooner!  It adds a lovely nutty flavour to an already buttery, crumbly almond topping.  The crust is one of those straightforward shortbread types you press into your tart pan, and par bake.  (Can I just give a shout out to IKEA, and how much I loved baking this tart in their $6.95 tart pan?  Deal of the day!) And the fresh rhubarb shines through all of the butter and sugar, more and more delicious with every bite.  Again, a side of whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream would put this over the edge.  There were leftovers in the fridge and I almost snuck down from my attic guest room to have a slice in the middle of the night. But I didn't want to be rude because I'm hoping for another invitation to their wonderful farm. Maybe I'll even get a chance to drive a tractor!

Rhubarb Tart With Brown Butter Streusel

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
4 tbsp chilled whipping cream

Streusel:
9 tbsp (135g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup all purpose flour

Filling:
5 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp grated lemon peel

To make the crust:  In a food processor, or with a pastry blender, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and cut in the butter until coarse meal forms.  Add egg yolk, and 3 tbsp of cream.  Blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream if dough is dry.  Gather dough into a ball, and press it into a 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom, to make 1/4 inch crust.  Pierce crust all over with fork, and chill for at least 2 hours. 
To make streusel:  Cook butter in large skillet over medium heat, until golden, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, add nuts, sugar and cinnamon.   Add flour and stir until moist clumps form.  Cool completely.  (Crust and streusel can be made one day ahead.)
For filling:  Preheat oven to 375*F.  Toss all filling ingredients in a bowl, let stand until filling looks moist, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.  Bake cold crust until golden, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven, reduce oven temp to 350*F.
Spoon filling into warm crust.  Crumble streusel over filling.  Bake until filling is bubbling and streusel is crisp and brown, about 1 hour.  Cool tart on rack for 30 minutes.  Serve warm, or room temp.  Serves 8-10.  Adapted from Bon Appetit.

I slept like a baby in the cozy attic, not even banging my head once!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie! Oh My!

Seeing as this is the eve of the Royal Wedding, I suppose my post should be about that.  But it's not.  However, I will be among the millions waking before the crack of dawn to watch Will and Kate tie the knot, and more importantly all of my questions about "the dress"  will be answered.  I'm a sucker for weddings, and seeing as I'm sacrificing a few hours of sleep to watch this spectacle, it better be amazing! 

The "wedding" isn't the only big event this week.  It was also my birthday.  You may recall how my mom made me the most amazing Orange Chiffon Cake on Sunday for the family celebration.  THAT was a cake.  For festivities on my actual birthday, I decided to make a chocolate peanut butter pie.  You know the rule right?  That all calories count for nothing on your birthday, so go ahead and dig into whatever catches your fancy.  That's my rule, anyway.  And I like it!

A few friends gathered, and we went out for some Korean food.  (A review will follow in a week or so.) With our belly's full of bulgogi and bibambab we retired back to my house for another bottle of wine, and this amazing chocolate peanut butter pie.  My sister was in town visiting, and she managed a short escape from her wee ones, just in time for wine and pie!  We talked about mothers, and crying at concerts, and whether I should I go to my 20th High School Reunion.  Good times.  Last night was one of those nights you want to savour every second of.  It was a really really good birthday. 

Now about the pie.  I used to make CPBP lots when I worked in Edmonton, but do you think I could find the recipe in the vortex of my recipe cupboard?  Hells no.  Some online investigating turned up a quite similar recipe from Martha Stewart.  And it's really good....but I would change a few things (I know, I just called Martha out on a recipe!  How dare I?)  I would add more peanut butter.  We agreed that it needed more peanut butter punch.  And I would have a ganache topping instead of a chocolate and peanut butter drizzle like she calls for.  Why drizzle when you can ganache?  The method is incredibly simple, and I love how you can make it ahead and keep in the freezer.  Just be sure to allow time for it to thaw so you can cut it.  Yes, my birthday pie rocked.  So good I'd even offer a slice to William and Kate if they ever wanted to visit. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Crust:
1 3/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (Oreo)
6 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp brown sugar
dash of salt

Filling:
6 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (not the natural or crunchy king).  I would increase this by 1/2 cup if I were to make it again. 
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 ounces semi sweet or dark chocolate chopped


To make the crust:  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Combine crust ingredients in a bowl, and press into a 9 inch glass pie plate.  Bake for 9 minutes.  Remove and cool completely. 

Filling: In a mixer, beat 2 cups of the heavy cream until thick.  Remove to a bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, cream the cream cheese and icing sugar.  Add the salt and peanut butter and vanilla. Mix well.
Gently fold in one third of the whipped cream.  Fold in the remaining two thirds, very gently until no white streaks remain. Smooth into the cool pie shell.  Freeze for one hour.   

Ganache:  Heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream until boiling.  Pour over the chopped chocolate.  Stir well until completely smooth.  Spread onto the pie.  Freeze again, for at least 3 hours, or overnight.  If leaving overnight, thaw a few hours before cutting.  This is rich stuff and a little goes a long way.  Serve 10-12.  Adapted from Martha Stewart Living.