Dessert Is Always a Guest-Favorite at Buckhorn Inn

Guests tell us that dessert is a highlight of any Buckhorn Inn dinner.  And why not!  With such delights as coconut cream pie, apple-cranberry crisp, and our special “that” chocolate cake, all dinners end on a sweet note.  But have you ever wondered about the history of dessert?

How Dessert Came to Be

Ancient peoples enjoyed dried fruits and nuts candied with honey.  However it was not until the production of sugar that sweet dishes became popular parts of a meal.   Sugar was expensive, so sweet treats were reserved, for the most part, for the wealthy and special occasions.  

In Medieval Europe, sweet and savory dishes were served alongside each other.  It was not until the 1600’s that service a la francaise (serving all dishes at once) became replaced with service a la russe (serving one course after another) and sweets claimed their place as the final course of a meal.

It was at that time that the word “dessert” came into popular use.  The word comes from the French word “dessirvir” which means “to clear the table”.  In other words, desserts were served after the table was cleared of main dishes.  For more information on some of your favorite meal-enders, visit http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/category/desserts

The recipe for one of our guest-favorites appears below.  Enjoy!

Brown Butter Almond Torte with Sour Cherry Sauce

Torte

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup blanched almonds

1/2 cup AP flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

6 large egg whites

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Butter and flour a 9″ round cake pan.  Melt butter over moderately low heat.  Continue to cook until golden brown with a nutlike fragrance.  Cool and then stir in vanilla.  In a food processor finely grind blanched almonds with flour, 2/3 c. sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt.  With an electric mixer beat egg whites and remaining 1/4 tsp salt until they hold soft peaks.  Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until meringue holds stiff peaks.  Fold in almond mixture.  Then fold in butter mixture.  Batter will deflate.  Spread batter into cake pan and top with sliced almonds.  Bake 35-40 minutes until tester comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a rack 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely.

Sour Cherry Sauce

3 cups sour cherries, pitted.  (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tsp cornstarch

Bring cherries, sugar and water to a boil.  In a cup stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water until dissolved.  Stir into cherry mixture.  Simmer sauce 2 minutes and cool to room temperature.  This recipe makes 6-8 servings.