49th Dessert Exchange, 4 PM January 18, 2015 Highland Park

Winter is ideal for hosting when there are no issues for parking. If we do have a snowy day, I will talk to church at the end of my street to allow parking.

If we have the major league snowstorm, I offer a snow date of January 18th.

I will make more Russian fare: this time I will feature Siberian meat dumplings called Pelmeni. If any vegetarians attend, I will make a mushroom variant. I have read accounts during Czarist Russia, people would gather to compete on how many could be eaten in one sitting. In Siberia, these dumplings are made in quantities, then stored in sacks outside in winter. While they are a bit of handwork to make, they are fast to prepare: Melt snow (though water from Lake Michigan is quite ok), bring to a boil, then toss in the Pelmeni. Many will sip the broth they were cooked in.

Those living in Moscow ate their Pelmeni with sour cream and butter. In the Ukraine, people may eat them with a fresh relish of tomatoes, onions and seasonings. Where there was less abundance, Pelmeni might be dressed with vinegar and butter.

Bring one dessert, no doubling required. All levels of dessert experience are welcome, because often participants bring desserts made for the first time. We are the best audience for trying out something new. If it failed in your opinion, bring it anyway because we can learn from your experience and maybe it is not as bad as you think.

Bring containers to take your share home

I am in Highland Park. I am short walking distance from the Highland Park Metra station. I am close to US-41/94 and practically a direct shot from US-294 as well.

Warning: I do have a cat. It may happen we have visiting dogs, too.

Who's Coming & What Are They Bringing?:
1. Cathy2 - Italian hot chocolate
2. Helen
3. Pie Lady - Meyer Lemon Cheesecake
4. pairs4life - French Apple Cake
5. Kristen - chocolate cranberry tart
6. irisarbor - tres leches rice pudding from the Smitten kitchen book
7. toria - a surprise!
8. ms. ingie - White Chocolate and Matcha Tea Marbled Cake
9. justjoan
10. izzy2
11. razbry - black walnut squares
12. Reserved

Put me down, please!

I am in plus my friend Kristen will join. Dessert to be determined.

Put me down, but I am iffy due to life and possible travel the week before if life is good-
but if I can I'll make something yummy and easy

I am in.

I will attend as well. I shall make something hearty and homey, befitting of the season.

hi , please add me to the list. joan

OK...I'll make the drive...because this is going to be GREAT.

I will be there. Unless weather is impossible.
Sounds wonderful.

I hope to bring Meyer lemon cheesecake.

I take it Izzy2 is on the wait list, unless you opened up for one more.

I think I will be making White Chocolate and Matcha Tea Marbled Cake.

I have a new cookbook for Christmas that is packed full of desserts made with grains other than flour. I think I am going to experiment and bring something from that.

if izzy is on the waitlist , someone needs to let her know that, as she isn't likely to be following this thread.

Hi,

As far as I am concerned, she can come. Plus one person already cancelled and two others were invited off-board: one can come and the other is a solid maybe.

I will straighten out the reservation list later today. I have to come down from the holiday spin, because I have lots of little things to resolve. [Edit - I have updated the original post to reflect current attendance and desserts. Anyone else who may wish to attend will be waitlisted.]

See you next year!

Regards,

I am, as usual, a TBD for my offering but Kristen is bringing a chocolate cranberry tart.

Okay it is a new year. Rarely, if ever to the best of my memory, have two folks brought the same thing to the exchange. So in recognition that the worse tht could go wrong is 1) the dessert sucks, 2) Someone else brings the same thing, 3) I could still change my mind and bring something completely diffrent, I am going to take a deep breath and say I am going to bring French Apple Cake.

There, phew, not so bad at all!

Cheers,

Yes, we have had the same dessert brought to an exchange at least one time. I find it interesting to compare and contrast. We've also had Gooey Butter Cake at three different exchanges, each slightly different. There are a million different recipes for chocolate cake and 95% of them are good, and so it is with most other desserts. So relax and know that if itks sweet, we'll eat it.

Ms. Ingie wrote:Yes, we have had the same dessert brought to an exchange at least one time. I find it interesting to compare and contrast. We've also had Gooey Butter Cake at three different exchanges, each slightly different. There are a million different recipes for chocolate cake and 95% of them are good, and so it is with most other desserts. So relax and know that if itks sweet, we'll eat it.

I think I just haven't attended the exchanges where the same dessert was on offer but thanks for the reassurance.

Hi,

At least two Gooey cakes arrived to an exchange purposefully to try their differences.

I have long hoped several of us would tackle the very same recipe to see the influences made by ingredient choices, ovens, skill and recipe interpretation. How much they are the same or vary would be interesting. You see this in home ec classes, though it has been a long time I was in any home ec class.

Something to ponder!

Regards,

I never know until a few days before what I will bring. I hate to say because I may change my mind. I do have a long list of things I want to bring but its secret. Ha ha. Mine will be a surprise, but its nothing that anyone mentioned.

toria wrote:I never know until a few days before what I will bring. I hate to say because I may change my mind. I do have a long list of things I want to bring but its secret. Ha ha. Mine will be a surprise, but its nothing that anyone mentioned.

I have certainly changed direction on the day-of, so a surprise it will be.

I will make Italian hot chocolate as my contribution.

Regards,

Ooo, nice!
Is it still next Sunday, or should we wait til we get closer for confirmation?

Pie Lady wrote:Ooo, nice!
Is it still next Sunday, or should we wait til we get closer for confirmation?

Presently next Sunday is supposed to have 10% chance of precipitation with a high of 27 and low of 14. Unless something exciting develops with the weather, I expect to see everyone next Sunday.

Regards,

I am coming, and thinking about the tres leches rice pudding from the Smitten kitchen book

cathy, don't forget to PM driving directions to your house. thanks,

Hi,

I sent everyone instructions via PM.

Regards,

i've been asked by izzy to send her regrets. she won't be able to join us tomorrow.

now it's looking like a snow fall of unknown proportions will be hitting us just in time for the dessert exchange. any thoughts on possibly postponing? i'll admit to being a total wimp when it comes to driving during a snowstorm. i've done my share of it, but never by choice. it's not the snow, per se, that's the problem: i have all wheel drive and never get stuck. but it's other drivers' behavior that makes me want to stay off the roads....

Hi,

I checked the hourly weather for Oak Brook, North side of Chicago 60618 and Highland Park:

Oak Brook's chances of snow begin at 3 pm (35%) by 5 pm (65%).
Chicago is 4 pm (40%) by 6 pm (70-80%)
Highland Park is 4 pm (20%) by 7 pm (70%)

Last night, any indications of snow was expected later in the evening.

What I made is done and in the freezer waiting for a pot of boiling water. This could be next week just as easily.

...ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
TONIGHT...
SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ACROSS THE AREA
BY THIS AFTERNOON. PERIODS OF SNOW ARE THEN EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT...BEFORE GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF FROM
NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING. GENERALLY...IT
APPEARS THAT TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 3
INCHES...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM OHARE AIRPORT TO
NEAR AMBOY ILLINOIS...WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS NORTH OF THIS LINE.
HOWEVER...THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR SOME HEAVIER BANDS OF
SNOW...WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOCALLY HIGHER SNOW AMOUNTS UP TO
AROUND 4 INCHES. AS A RESULT...TRAVEL COULD BECOME HAZARDOUS
ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND SNOW COVERED ROADS.

So are we pushing back a week?