Here's my new invention on a stay-inside Saturday afternoon - dessert pesto. This is not much more than a blended version of the chocolate clusters I recently made, with a bit of cream cheese to bind it together in a spreadable consistency. It's not quite as chocolatey as it looks: the blended dried cherries also added a rich dark taste, texture and colour. I spread it on plain dry (but slightly sweet) biscuits and was in afternoon tea heaven. It was really just an experimental attempt at using up my last small portions of pistachios and dried cherries, but I can see myself pushing this idea further with other fruit and nut combinations: dried apricot and almond, maybe, or dried apple and cashew with white chocolate...?
Dessert pesto
Throw about 2 dessertspoon-fulls of dried cherries in a blender and pulse until mushy. Add an equal volume of pistachios and pulse briefly to break them up a bit. Next add about 20g of dark cooking chocolate and pulse again. Finally, add 1 dessertspoon-full of cream cheese and pulse until just combined. Transfer to a small serving dish and enjoy with plain biscuits.
I just made the chocolate clusters to take to work as a birthday treat for a colleague who is vegan. I put in roasted cashews instead of the pistachios and a smidge of Cointreau instead of the rosewater. I can't wait to try one. The left over bits in the bowl were very yum. Its a great recipe. And I'm sure the left over dried cherries should last about 1 day in the pantry.... Plan to make pesto as a desert over weekend.
ReplyDeleteMary, it should come as no surprise that I LOVE cashews and Cointreau (though I've never tried them together). Your choccies must have been delicious!
ReplyDeleteGreat extension of the cluster idea - just the kind of casual sweet thing I adore!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lucy. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe choc clusters were gone in about half an hour at my work :) Lots of 'mmmmm's' and 'can you make some more?' I only got to have one delicious morsel - those ladies at my work are quick... Thankfully, I had left over dried cherries and cashews awaiting me at home for my after dinner treat. Happiness.
ReplyDeleteGlad to know they were so well enjoyed, Mary! I actually made a second batch about a week later so that Michael could try them... oh OK, and so that I could have a few more. ;-)
ReplyDeleteCindy this looks delicious... I'm imagining putting biscuits smothered with it under the grill to heat up a little... or making a dessert pesto risotto... yum! I will have to try this one for sure...
ReplyDeleteDessert pesto risotto?! I like the way you think Tara! Your idea has me picturing a very non-traditional rice pudding - that could actually work... just skip the parmesan on top, OK? :-P
ReplyDeleteWhere do you get your dried cherries from? I used to be able to get them from Safeway but they seem to have stopped stocking them..
ReplyDeleteI bought them from Safeway once too, but I originally discovered them at the Queen Vic markets. Check out the stall full of nuts and dried fruit in the produce area!
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