Christy Cooks!

Teacher Appreciation - Linzer Tarts

christy — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:02:00 GMT

Mini Linzer Tortes

A Linzer Torte is a layer of fruit jam spread on a buttery hazelnut cookie dough tart shell and topped with a lattice crust of the same dough. It is of Austrian and Hungarian decent and is a classic Christmas treat. The dough is a spiced mixture made with ground nuts, typically hazelnut, but in this instance I used almonds. Slightly reminescent of a ginger spice cookie this dessert is usually made in a large tart pan, however, I wanted to make them in smaller portable hand sized versions for Teacher Appreciation week at my children's school. I adapted this version from Zoe Bakes, however I first learned to make them in culinary school where the lattice tops almost made me loose my religion a few times! Give them a try, they make an impressive treat without too much work.

Mini Linzer Tortes:
(makes approximately 18 4-inch tarts)

3 ounces almonds, lightly toasted
2/3 cup sugar
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 ¾ cups cake flour
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
jam for spreading between the cookies (I choose Blackberry and Apricot)To make the dough:I bought sliced almonds and toasted them in a shallow pan. Then in a food processor, grind the nuts and 1/3 cup sugar until they are very fine. Adding some of the sugar keeps the nuts from becoming a paste. Set aside.In a separate bowl whisk together the cake flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set asideIn a stand mixer, beat the butter and other 1/3 cup of sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest; beat until incorporated. Add the flour and mix just until the dough comes together, try not to overmix.Separate the dough into two disks and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for about an hour (or freeze for 15-30 min) before rolling out. This dough can be frozen for up to a month, although you’ll use it all up before then!Preheat the oven to 350°F, with the rack in the middle of the oven.
Use one 9-inch tart pan or 18 mini tart pans that are 4 inches across the bottom. Take one disc of dough out and roll on a well-floured surface to ¼ -inch thick. As the dough gets warm it will get sticky, so be sure to use plenty of flour. (If using a 9-inch pan, carefully lift the round into the tart pan. Press it back together if it cracks.) For the mini tarts, using a 4-inch round cutter, cut the dough into circles. Reroll any scraps. Fit the small rounds into the mini tart pans.Cover the bottom of the tart(s) with jam, leaving a space around the edge so the top will stick. Between two sheets of parchment (I used 1 sheet of plastic wrap and my silpat liner for all the rolling) roll out the other piece of dough approximately 1/8-inch thick. Peel up the plastic and you can cut them into strips to be used as lattice. I didn’t want to mess with that much work so I cut them with the same round cutter I used for the bottoms and then used a small square cutter to cut out several spots to mimic a lattice top. Much easier, a lot less work!Lift the cut out round tops and place over the jam filled bottom layer of dough. Press the edges together gently, so they will bake together into one piece.Bake for 25 to 40 minutes, depending on the size. They should be browned on top, but because the dough is already a brownish color it may be harder to tell, so keep a close eye on them. Once out of the oven, allow them to cool for 3-4 minutes then carefully remove them to a cooling rack. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Thunder Cake

christy — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:37:00 GMT

Recently my 2nd grade child's class was reading "My Grandma's Thunder Cake" in their reading books at school. It's a story about a grandmother trying to distract her granddaughter from the coming storm by having her help bake a cake. I was asked to make the cake in the story but I was apprehensive. Not because I had to make cake, I mean that's the easy part. But because one of the ingredients was pureed tomatoes.

Yes. That's right. I said TOMATOES!
I mean, I know it's technically a fruit but...
Ok, so I had to buck up and bake this sucker and throw caution to the wind.

Suprisingly, it wasn't too bad. I mean I could tell it had tomatoes in it, but I'm not sure if that's because I already knew or because of the taste. But the chocolate ganache frosting and strawberries really made the combo. I mean, who doesn't like strawberries and chocolate? I did make one change however. Not being thrilled with using a whole cup of shortening in a cake recipe, I decided to use half a cup of shortening and half a cup of applesauce.

The kids gobbled it up and never complained about any strange flavors. The story was endearing and the kids all really enjoyed bring the story to life. So give it a try and see if you can tell the difference.

Thunder Cake

1 cup Shortening (I used half shortening, half applesauce)
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, separated
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup dry cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and parchment two 8 inch cake pans.

In a separate bowl sift together the cake flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside

In your mixing bowl cream together the shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and one egg yolk at a time until mixed in. Pour in the water and tomatoes and mix just until combined. Add the sifted ingredients a half cup at a time until completely mixed.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes until cake tests done.

Allow to completely cool.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

16 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped fine
16 oz heavy cream

Heat heavy cream in a bowl or measuring cup in the microwave. Be careful not to overheat it, or it will boil over.
Add chocolate to the bowl; let set for 3-4 minutes. Stir until mixture is smooth and creamy

Let cool to room temperature (approx 2 hours) then whip with a whisk or mixer until light and fluffy, approx 2-3 minutes.

Spread on cake in whatever design you choose. Slice strawberries in half and apply to sides of the cake.

Salted Butterscotch Chocolate Almond Bark

christy — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:54:00 GMT

I'm sorry I've been neglecting you. I haven't felt very inspired for a while now, but I think I am getting my groove back. So here is where I'm at.

Tis the Season!

To make Christmas gifts.

At least that's what we do.

See Christmas is such a busy time of year. There is so much chaos and it is easy to forget the reason for the season - giving from the heart. And in my case that means something from my kitchen.

So every year I start organizing my gift giving recipes in late November just after Thanksgiving. Then in early December I start buying some of the ingredients and the packaging needed to pretty them all up so by the 2nd week of December I am ready to start.

That is where I am this year. Right in that spot where baking/cleaning/packaging meets hurry-up-and-slow-down-to-wait-in-line-at-the-post-office. We adopted some soldiers from Operation Shoebox last month and I sent their package out today. We are really excited and proud to be sharing our lives/care packages with them.

Now I want to share with you one of the treats I made for them. It's the perfect shipping ready gift.

Salted Butterscotch Chocolate Almond Bark

2 cups sliced almonds
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbls water
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/8-1/4 tsp fleur de sel or kosher salt

Toasted Sliced Almonds

First, if you haven't already, toast the almonds. Cover a sheet pan (approx 9x13) with aluminum foil and spray lightly with oil. Place the sliced almonds on the pan in roughly a single layer then toast in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. They will start to smell nutty and be golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Take half of them and roughly chop them then set aside. Spread the rest of them out to the edges to cover the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Have ready a off-set spatula, the baking soda, chocolate and salt.

In a medium sized pan, add both sugars, water and butter. Bring to a boil and cook, not stirring, until it reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Immediately pour over sliced toasted almonds on sheet pan. Spray the back of the off-set spatula with cooking spray then smooth the sugar mixture evenly over the nuts.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot sugar mixture and allow it to set and melt for a few minutes. When it looks glossy, spread over the sugar mixture with the off-set spatula. Sprinkle the remaining chopped nuts over the chocolate followed by the salt.

Place in the refrigerator for about 30-45 minutes or until set.

Break into bite size pieces and enjoy!

Tomatillo Salsa (aka: make ya smack yer momma it's so good salsa)

christy — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:07:00 GMT

Not that I would condone smacking your mother (never momma, promise!), but this salsa is so good my husband declared it the best EVER! Simple to prepare and a great way to use up end of season tomatoes. I even managed to multitask making this with making two other dinners so that I only had to light the coals once. How awesome is that?

My mind is a flutter with all the dishes I can use this with that I am dizzy with anticipation. Now the only problem I can see is how to find green tomatoes in the winter!

Tomatillo Salsa
adapted from The Best of Southern Living Cookbook
Makes approx. 5 cups

1 1/2 lbs fresh tomatillos, husks removed
3 medium sized green tomatoes, stems removed
1 jalapeno pepper
1/2 medium-size red onion, sliced (I used yellow sweet)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 garlic clove
2 Tblsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/4 tsp salt

Spray cold grill cooking grate wtih cookin spray; place grate on grill over high heat. Place tomatillos, tomatoes, jalapeno and onion on cooking grate; grill, covered with grill lid, 10-15 minutes or untill the tomatillos look charred and are softened, turning often. Remove tomatillos and jalapeno pepper. Grill tomatoes and onion 5 more minutes or until tomatoes look charred and are softened. Cool 10 minutes. Slice jalapeno; discard seeds, if desired (they add more heat).

Combine all ingredients in food processor 10 seconds or until mixture is coarsely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides. Remove to a bowl, cover and chill at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld.

Serve with tortilla chips and lime wedges.

Size Matters! And a winner!

christy — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:22:00 GMT

First things first. Since there were soooo many responses to my last giveaway it was really hard to pick a winner. My hand started cramping from writing down all the names and tossing them in the hat.

**Silence**

Hello! Anyone there? Tap tap. This thing on?

Alright, all kidding aside.

The winner of the Moss's mix is.......

Drumroll please!

Angela Mason!
She wrote:
"Hey Christy! Loved the cornbread stuffing recipe, and if I win this giveaway, I will have to try it (even if I don't I will try it! LOL, I will also make hush puppies, because face it, wat's better than hus puppies? And lastly, some breaded salmon. YUMMMMMMY!"

So congrats girl. I will be contacting you soon to get the stuff to you.

Jenn K. Sorry girl, but stay tuned, there will be more giveaways!

So on to the topic of this post.

Have you heard of Bento Boxes?

One of my favorites

It is the Japanese version of a brown bag lunch. In use since the early 12th century, the original container was just a bag but in the mid 16th century they started producing beautiful wooden lacquered boxes with dividers in them.

The boxes would be filled with shaped,stuffed rice balls wrapped in bamboo leaves (now, nori is used) called onigiri. As well as fish or meat and cooked or pickled vegetables. They would be packed lovingly for children, a spouse or for themselves by caring family members spending lengthy periods of time and energy to make them enticing to look at and then eat.

Over the past several centuries these boxed lunches have been adopted by many countries including the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, India, Hawaii and, most recently, the US.
And by recently I mean since about the 1970's. Okinawa was occupied by the United States military until the mid 1970's and when all those boys came home they brought new foods, flavors and ideas back with them.

Which is great for us! At least, in this case, it is good for me

You see, in a perfect world, kids would eat anything you gave them and not complain about vegetables or grains. But that isn't my world. I have one picky eater who doesn't like to anything green or not fried. Ok, maybe that's a little extreme, but she does have her favorites and doesn't like to mess it up with things that are good for her, like vegetables.

However, she does like things that are "cute". So I've taken to packing her lunches for school in a makeshift Bento box. I found a rectangle container at my local dollar store and fill it with small goodies she likes and some that she hasn't tried before. By cutting them into cute shapes she has become more interested in trying something new. I have silicone cupcake wrappers that I put moist ingredients into and fill the rest up with sandwiches, chips, pretzels, or anything else I want to get her to try.

So far it's been a success. Both children love taking their boxes to the lunch room, opening them up and seeing what surprises await them. One of my sons' friends told him "your mom must be a food artist"! Which made him feel special and more interested in trying something new as well.

Here is a picture of their lunches from one day last week.

Using plain old cookie cutters to shape food and arranging it in a cool way is fun (at least for me) but challenging. It may seem like a lot of work for just a kids lunch, but it really only took me about 10 minutes to do both boxes at once. And it is worth it if they come home and tell you how much they liked the celery sticks which they might not ever had tried before that day.

There are many choices out there for Bento boxes (expensive too). But you can make your own out of plastic containers and some silicone cupcake wrappers (which help keep moist foods from coming in contact with dryer ones that you don't want to get soggy). So get yourself down to your local dollar store and pick ya up some containers and see what you come up with.

Please post your pictures along with a comment telling me how much you, or your child, enjoyed their boxed lunch that day!

Cornbread Dressing and a Giveaway!

christy — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:01:00 GMT

I've never been a big bread dressing fan. There are bags and bags of the stuff that sell like hotcakes near Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But I'm a purist when it comes to that kind of thing. I like made from scratch cornbread dressing.

That bagged stuff is too over seasoned and oily. This moist delicious dressing is just perfect.

The right balance between dry and wet. And just the right amount of seasoning to remind you of baked turkey and cranberry sauce!

I made it with White Fine Ground Cornmeal that I got from Buffaloe Milling Co. They were kind enough to send me a whole box of goodies to replace a defective bag that I had bought earlier at my local store.

So today I am giving away 3 bags of mix from Moss' of Buffaloe Milling Co. to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post about what you would make if you won and received these mixes'.

Only one entry per person please. Deadline to enter is Friday August 20th at midnight.

The bags up for giveaway is 1-Fine Ground Cornmeal, 1-Seafood Breader Mix, and 1-Light n' sweet Hushpuppy mix.

Winners will be chosen at random with some sort of name-in-a-hat gig that I let the kids pick from.

Good luck everyone!

Cornbread Dressing

Adapted from Southern Living

1/2 cup butter, divided
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbls sugar
1 Tbls baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Baking soda
3 large eggs, divided (I used 1 large and 1 small egg for each part)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs
1 cup diced onions
1 1/2 cups celery diced
1/2 Tbls dried sage
10 oz chicken broth
1/2 Tbls Pepper

Place 1/4 cups butter in 8x8 pan and heat in 425 degree oven for 4 min.
Combine cornmeal and next 5 ingredients; whisk in 1 large and 1 small egg and buttermilk.
Pour hot butter into batter, stirring until blended. Pour batter into pan.
Bake at 425 for 30 min or until golden brown. Cool.
Crumble cornbread into a large bowl; stir in breadcrumbs, set aside.
Melt remainging 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onions and celery, and saute until tender. Stir in sage, and saute 1 more minute.
Stir vegetables, remaining 1 large and 1 small egg, chicken broth, and pepper into cornbread mixture; pour evenly into 1 lightly greased pan. (They advise you to chill overnight, but I just went ahead and baked mine.)

Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Grown-up Goulash

christy — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:27:00 GMT

If you've ever had goulash as a kid you probably remember the ground beef, tomato sauce and elbow noodles that are the basics of this dish. It was one of my favorite recipes and one of the easiest one for my mom to prepare. This version is updated for more grown-up tastebuds but my son likes it too. It includes diced onions, carrots, zuchini and peppers. Simmered in a red wine and tomato sauce then topped with creamy melted cheese. Try this with a slice of Easy French Bread, a side salad and you've got yourself a meal!

Grown-up Goulash

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium zuchini, diced
1 small pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup red wine
8 oz elbow noodles (approx 1 1/2 cups)
1 (26 oz) can of your favorite tomato sauce (I used a plain sauce and added 1/2 tsp oregano, basil and garlic powder)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of Mozzarella, divided
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Fry beef in a large hot pan (large enough to hold all the ingredients). When most the beef is browned, drain off the grease and add all the vegetables. Continue to cook, stirring often, for about 3-5 minutes. Add the water and red wine and bring to a boil. Add the noodles, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid, check to make sure most of the liquid was absorbed, then add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Stir to combine. Top mixture with the rest of the cheese, cover and continue to cook on low for 15 more minutes.

Moss' mixes

christy — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:48:00 GMT

Recently I purchased some Water Ground Plain White Fine Ground Corn Meal made by Buffaloe Milling Co. Inc in Kittrell, Nc.

Unbeknownst (who talks like that anymore?) to me, it had some........passengers taging along inside the bag. I'm sure they were picked up in the storage facility of Walmart somewhere along the way because when I called the milling company, they stated that the lot number was one of the latest batches.

I spoke to a very friendly gentleman who appologized for the....extra's I had gotten and would be sending me a replacement along with some of their other products to try. I was pleasantly surprised but explained that I just wanted to inform them that this was my experience and to give them a heads up of the situation.

Still they sent the package and I received it yesterday.

Look at what I got!

The box has been sitting on my counter all day and I keep smelling this enticing spice that had me quizically searching out the aroma. I found it in the bag marked "Hot N' Spicey Breader Mix". Now I sooo gotta find something to use it on! My head has been spinning at the thought, and the smell!

I will keep you posted on what I use all of these for/on. Let me know if you have ever used Moss' Mixes and feel free to share your great recipes!

Easy French Bread

christy — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:57:00 GMT

4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (2 whole packets)
2 tsp sugar
2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 tbls olive oil
2 Tblsp salt
3-5 cups Bread Flour

Pour yeast, sugar and warm water in mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Allow to sit and bloom for 5 minutes.
Add Olive oil, salt and 3 cups of bread flour and mix on low speed till combined. Add another cup of flour and mix till the dough starts to pull away from the sides.
Keep mixing for 1 minute to see if the bread pulls up from the bottom of the bowl. If it doesn't, add 1/4 cup flour at a time until it does. Not adding more than 1 cup.
When all the flour is incorporated, turn the speed up to 6 on your mixer and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
When it is done, it should be soft and smooth.
Mold into a ball shape and put in a large greased bowl big enough to let the dough expand to twice it's size. Cover with oil sprayed plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft free place to rise for about 45 minutes.
When dough has doubled in size, gently deflate it and turn out onto a lightly floured counter. Working from the center out, flatten with your hands to approximately a 18 inch rectangle.
Start from the top of the long side and pull the dough over toward you and pinch it with your fingers into the bottom layer of dough. Like rolling up a cinnamon roll.
Gently roll to secure seam and place on a cookie sheet that's been sprinkled with cornmeal.
Turn oven to 400 degrees while the dough rises.
Spray dough with olive oil spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise till doubled and oven is heated.

When dough is risen (doubled in size), remove plastic wrap and with a VERY sharp knife slice 4 angled cuts aross the bread to help with expansion as it bakes. Spray with olive oil.
Bake dough for 25-30 minutes. Dough should be golden brown and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

Place the finished bread on a rack to cool so that the bottom doesn't become soggy while cooling on the pan. Serve with lots of butter and homemade strawberry perservers. Or make a toasted tomato sandwich. Or you can make Turkey, avocado and sharp cheddar cheese sandwich. The possibilities are endless.

From start to finish this bread takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to prepare. Not bad for homemade goodness. An added bonus is that it makes your house smell like a bakery and your family think your awesome!

Go forth and bake!

DB Challenge July 2010 - Swiss Roll Ice Cream Bombe

christy — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:12:00 GMT

I am such a slacker.

I look forward to the 1st of every month just to see what the Daring Bakers challenge is going to be for that month. Then I keep putting off making it until I have a reason to do it. In other words, someone to give it to.

You see usually the recipe makes so much and there is no point in making it without someone to share it with. This month was no different. However, even though I waited till the last week to make this Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake, I still forgot to set my blog to post on time! Doh!

I promise to do better in the future.

At least, I promise to try....

Blog checking lines- The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake

The Swiss rolls:
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 10 - 12 minutes
Rolling and cooling time: at least 30 minutes
Filling: 5 - 8 minutes
Filling and rolling: 5 - 10 minutes

Ingredients:
6 medium sized eggs
1 C / 225 grams caster sugar /8 oz + extra for rolling
6 TBS. / 45 grams/ a pinch over 1.5 oz of all purpose (plain) flour
5 TBS. /40 gram / a pinch under 1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted together
2 TBS. /30 ml / 1 fl oz of boiling water
a little oil for brushing the pans

For the filling:
2 C / 500 mls/ 16 fl oz of whipping cream
1 vanilla pod, cut into small pieces of about ½ cm (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
5 TBS. / 70 grams / 2.5oz of caster sugar

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven at 200 deg C /400 deg F approximately. Brush the baking pans (11 inches by 9 inches) with a little oil and line with greaseproof baking paper. If you have just one pan, bake one cake and then let the pan cool completely before using it for the next cake.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar and beat till very thick; when the beaters are lifted, it should leave a trail on the surface for at least 10 seconds.

3. Add the flour mixture, in three batches and fold in
gently with a spatula. Fold in the water.

4. Divide the mixture among the two baking pans and
spread it out evenly, into the corners of the pans.

5. Place a pan in the center of the pre-heated oven and
bake for about 10-12 minutes or till the center is
springy to the touch.

6. Spread a kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle a
little caster sugar over it.

7. Turn the cake on to the towel and peel away the
baking paper. Trim any crisp edges.

8. Starting from one of the shorter sides, start to make a
roll with the towel going inside. Cool the wrapped
roll on a rack, seam side down.

9. Repeat the same for the next cake as well.

10. Grind together the vanilla pieces and sugar in a food
processer till nicely mixed together. If you are using
vanilla extract, just grind the sugar on its own and
then add the sugar and extract to the cream.

11. In a large bowl, add the cream and vanilla-sugar
mixture and beat till very thick.

12. Divide the cream mixture between the
completely cooled cakes.

13. Open the rolls and spread the cream
mixture, making sure it does not go right to
the edges (a border of ½ an inch should be
fine).

14. Roll the cakes up again, this time without the towel.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge till needed,
seam side down.

Vanilla Ice Cream
Vanilla Ice Cream
Preparation time: 5 minutes + freezing

Ingredients
2 and ½ C / 625 ml / 20 fl oz of whipping cream
1 vanilla bean, minced or 1 tsp/ 5 ml/ .15 fl oz vanilla extract
½ C / 115grams/ 4 oz of granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Grind together the sugar and vanilla in a food processor. In a mixing bowl, add the cream and vanilla –sugar mixture and whisk lightly till everything is mixed together. If you are using the vanilla extract, grind the sugar on its own and then and the sugar along with the vanilla extract to the cream.

2. Pour into a freezer friendly container and freeze till firm around the edges. Remove from the freezer, beat till smooth and return to the freezer. Do this 3-4 times and then set completely.

Hot Fudge Sauce
Preparation time: 2 minutes

Cooking time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:
1 C / 230 grams / 8 oz of caster sugar
3 TBS. / 24 grams /1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2 TBS. /15 grams / 1 oz of corn flour/cornstarch
1 ½ C / 355 ml /12 fl oz of water
1 TBS. /14 grams/ 1 oz butter
1 tsp/ 5 ml / .15 fl oz vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar,
cocoa powder, corn flour and water.

2. Place the pan over heat, and stir constantly, till it begins to
thicken and is smooth (for about 2 minutes).

3. Remove from heat and mix in the butter and vanilla. Keep
aside to cool.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Preparation time: 5 minutes + freezing

Ingredients:
2 C / 500 ml whipping cream
1 C / 230 grams / 8 oz caster sugar
3 TBS. / 24 grams / 1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Grind together the sugar and the cocoa powder in a food processor.

2. In a saucepan, add all the ingredients and whisk lightly.

3. Place the pan over heat and keep stirring till it begins to bubble around the edges.

4. Remove from heat and cool completely before transferring to a freezer friendly container till firm around the edges. If you are using an ice cream maker, churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instruction, after the mixture has cooled completely.

5. Remove from the freezer, beat till smooth and return to the freezer. Do this 3-4 times and then set completely.

Assembly:
1. Cut the Swiss rolls into 20 equal slices
(approximately 2 cms each).

2. Cover the bottom and sides of the bowl in
which you are going to set the dessert with
cling film/plastic wrap.

3. Arrange two slices at the bottom of the pan,
with their seam sides facing each other.
Arrange the Swiss roll slices up the bowl,
with the seam sides facing away from the
bottom, to cover the sides of the bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and
freeze till the slices are firm (at least 30
minutes).

4. Soften the vanilla ice cream. Take the bowl out
of the freezer, remove the cling film cover
and add the ice cream on top of the cake slices. Spread it out to cover the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze till firm (at least 1 hour)

5. Add the fudge sauce over the vanilla ice
cream, cover and freeze till firm. (at least an
hour)

6. Soften the chocolate ice cream and spread it
over the fudge sauce. Cover with plastic wrap
and freeze for at least 4-5 hours till completely
set.

7. Remove the plastic cover, and place the
serving plate on top of the bowl. Turn it
upside down and remove the bowl and the
plastic lining. If the bowl does not come
away easily, wipe the outsides of the bowl
with a kitchen towel dampened with hot
water. The bowl will come away easily.

8. Keep the cake out of the freezer for at least
10 minutes before slicing, depending on
how hot your region is. Slice with a sharp
knife, dipped in hot water.

Serve to someone you care about. Or maybe just someone you kinda care about. Or it could be someone you just met and don't really know. Whatever floats your boat.

Ciao!

Chicken Chili with Cheddar Cornbread Croutons

christy — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:01:00 GMT

Ok, so I know that having chili in the middle of summer is like having Christmas in July. But there are times when the hankerin hits and you just gotta have it. Like having roasted turkey in May. An uncontrollable urge that has to be satiated.

So on a recent cool snap here in Virginia I wanted chili. But not the good ol' standby with beef. I wanted chicken chili!

And what do you HAVE to have with chili? Well, cornbread of course! Only, I was feeling picky. So I didn't want squares of plain cornbread. I wanted crunchy, sweet and cheesy cubes of cornbread. And I have a confession to make. I used a box cornbread mix. I can't help it. I have always liked Jiffy cornbread mix. I spruce it up a bit with some extra's but it's real good in my humble opinion.

So here is what I came up with.

Chicken Chili

1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes (optional if you want it spicy)
1/2 can of Green Tomatillo Salsa (found in the Mexican Foods Isle of your grocery store)
4 cups chicken broth
4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
1 can Great Northern Beans, drained

Saute onion and bell pepper in oil in a stock pot until soft. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the next 7 ingredients, stir until combined and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add chicken and beans and cook till reduced to desired consistency.

Serve with Cheesy Cornbread Croutons (see below) and whatever other accompaniments you like with your chili.

Cheesy Cornbread Croutons

1 box Jiffy Cornbread mix
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
3 tsp Splenda (or sugar)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together and pour in a greased 8x8 pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done.
Remove from the oven and allow to sit and cool for 10-15 minutes. Then invert pan onto a cutting board to release bread. Cut cornbread into cubes then place on a sheet pan and spray with olive oil. Make sure the cubes aren't stacked on top of each other, give them space. Place pan in oven and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until browned.
Remove from oven and serve with Chicken Chili.

*Note: The croutons will crisp up more when allowed to cool.

Daring Bakers Challenge-May 2010 Piece Montee

christy — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:55:00 GMT

Piece Montée, which literally means “mounted piece” is the traditional wedding cake in France. It is a dessert piece made out of Pate a Choux, filled, dipped in chocolate, stacked then bound and decorated using threads of caramel. It is usually attached to a conical structure but it can be formed into many different shapes. There are three components, first the pate a choux, the crème patissiere, and the glaze used to mount/decorate it.

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

Ok, so here we go.

For the Vanilla Crème Patissiere (Half Batch)
1 cup (225 ml.) whole milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
6 Tbsp. (100 g.) sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp. (30 g.) unsalted butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla

Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.

Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.

Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking.

Continue whisking (this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.

Pour cream into a stainless steel/ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.

For Chocolate Pastry Cream (Half Batch Recipe):
Bring ¼ cup (about 50 cl.) milk to a boil in a small pan; remove from heat and add in 3 ounces (about 80 g.) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, and mix until smooth. Whisk into pastry cream when you add the butter and vanilla.

For Coffee Pastry Cream (Half Batch recipe)
Dissolve 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder in 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water. Whisk into pastry cream with butter and vanilla.

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 28)
¾ cup (175 ml.) water
6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter
¼ Tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preparing batter:
Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.

Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.

Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.

As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.

It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.

Piping:
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.

Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.

Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).

Baking:
Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.

Finishing your dessert.
Filling:
When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.

Use one of these to top your choux and assemble your piece montée.

Chocolate Glaze:
8 ounces/200 g. finely chopped chocolate (use the finest quality you can afford as the taste will be quite pronounced; I recommend semi-sweet)

Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burning. Use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Use immediately.

Hard Caramel Glaze:
1 cup (225 g.) sugar
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a metal kitchen spoon stirring until the sugar resembles wet sand. Place on medium heat; heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pan and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the sugar is a clear, amber color. Remove from heat immediately; place bottom of pan in ice water to stop the cooking. Use immediately.

Assembly of your Piece Montée:
You may want to lay out your unfilled, unglazed choux in a practice design to get a feel for how to assemble the final dessert. For example, if making a conical shape, trace a circle (no bigger than 8 inches) on a piece of parchment to use as a pattern. Then take some of the larger choux and assemble them in the circle for the bottom layer. Practice seeing which pieces fit together best.

Once you are ready to assemble your piece montée, dip the top of each choux in your glaze (careful it may be still hot!), and start assembling on your cake board/plate/sheet. Continue dipping and adding choux in levels using the glaze to hold them together as you build up. (You may want to use toothpicks to hold them in place).

Chipotle-Lime Chicken Tacos with Avocado Salsa

christy — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:44:00 GMT

When I got my May issue of Food and Wine magazine this month I knew I had to make the Grilled Chicken Tacos. The picture of them was so enticing, as were many others, that I turned to find the recipe immediately. I was also excited to see that I already had most of the ingredients on hand. I substitued chicken breast for the thighs because that's what I had in the fridge.

I put the marinade together in minutes and put it in the fridge just before lunch. By dinner it was ready to pull out and pop on the grill pan. A whiz in the mini prep food processor and the Avocado Salsa was done! I added Pico de Gallo to tie in with the marinade flavor. Then some crunch with shredded cabbage and topped it with mozzarella cheese. Other than the marinating time, this dinner came together in around 30 minutes. Which, in my busy mom opinon, is a great thing!

Give this a go and try not to be impressed. Then go get ya a subscription to Food and Wine magazine for more of their great, and delicious, ideas.

Chicken Tacos

TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN Plus 6 hr marinating
SERVINGS: Makes 12 tacos

Ingredients
3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup water
1/2 tsp Chipotle powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used 3 breasts)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley
12 corn tortillas, warmed
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions
1.In a blender, puree the tomatoes with the lime juice, water and salt. Transfer the puree to a large resealable plastic bag and add the chicken thighs. Seal the bag, pressing out the air. Refrigerate the chicken for 6 hours or overnight.

2.Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and pat them dry. Brush with the oil and sprinkle with the paprika and parsley. Grill over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until the chicken is lightly charred and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a work surface and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken thighs into strips and serve with the warmed tortillas, cheese, avocado salsa, pico de gallo and shredded cabbage.

Make Ahead
The grilled chicken can be refrigerated overnight.

Avocado Salsa
SERVINGS: Makes about 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients
1 Hass avocado, cut into chunks
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt

Directions
1.In a blender, combine the avocado with the water, cilantro and lime juice and season with salt. Blend until smooth.

Make Ahead
The avocado salsa can be refrigerated overnight. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the salsa.

Arancini di Riso

christy — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:02:00 GMT

Arancini di Riso

Sounds exotic and flavorful doesn't it? It loosely means fried rice balls. The name comes from the Italian word for orange (arancia) which is roughly the color and shape of these delicious goodies. (Thank you Wikipedia) Well you won't be disappointed in this recipe. Who doesn't like creamy risotto? And who doesn't like creamy risotto with bacon and parmesan cheese? And who wouldn't like all of that wrapped around a piece of mozzarella cheese and then deep fried? I tell you people, there aren't many of them out there, if any.

This is a great appetizer for your next party. The risotto can be leftovers from the night before or made fresh the day you need it. Take that and mix it with simple ingredients and before you know it you are ~~devouring~~ enjoying these delicious morsels one right after the other.

And just in case you didn't already know it, Risotto is made from Arborio rice. It's an Italian-style rice. Don't do what I did the first time and go looking for Risotto rice. Duh!

I adapted this recipe from Giada De Laurentis. Her's uses mushroom and pea risotto but I decided bacon and onion sounded better to me. I think these would be great served with an aioli dip. I might try that next time.

Right now I've got chickens outta their pen and kids chasing them in a battery powered jeep.

Till next time...

Creamy Bacon Risotto
2 Tbls olive oil
2 Tbls butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a saute pan with olive oil. Add the onion and cook till softened. Add the bacon and rice,stir to coat the rice then cook for 2 minutes. Add the white wine and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Continue cooking, stirring often until all liquid is absorbed. Add remaining broth 1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until all liquid is aborbed before adding the next cup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow rice to cool for Arancini di Riso.

Arancini di Riso
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
4 large eggs, beaten slightly
4 cups Creamy Bacon Risotto
1 cup grated Parmesan
3 cups dried Italian-style bread crumbs
2 oz mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used the pre-made balls found in the deli section of my grocery store)
Salt

Pour the oil into a deep heavy saucepan to the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees.

Combine eggs, risotto, parmesan and 1 cup bread crumbs in a large bowl. Place the remaining bread crumbs in a shallow dish and set aside. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture, flatten and place a piece of mozzarella in the center. Wrap the risotto around and enclose the cheese. Roll the ball in the bread crumbs and set on a pan till the rest are completed.

Working in batches, add the rice balls to the oil and cook, turning as necessary, until they are brown and heated through, approximately 3-4 minutes. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined plate and allow to drain. Season immediately with salt.

Let them rest and cool for a few minutes before you taste, lest your ravage the inside of your mouth with piping hot melted cheese!
Serve with ranch dressing, aioli or just eat them plain.

Enjoy! And share with someone you love.

If you can bring yourself to!

Pear and Blackberry Pie in a Cheddar Crust

christy — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:53:00 GMT

There is a pie contest coming up here in my small town. I harbor no illusions that I am a great pie afficionado. Pie crust has always been the bain of my baking experience. Too dry. Too tough. Too hard to work with. Yada yada yada.

However, I recently bought a great book called "Great Pies and Tarts" by Carole Walter. It has a plethora of great crust recipes and tips as well as ones for tarts and hand pies. I am a huge cooked-fruit lover and jumped at the chance to make a delicious pie.

I was also nervous about attempting to make crust again. But with Carole's gentle and knowledgeable help I decided it was worth the frustration. And a bit frustrating it was! But in the end I learned a few things and feel really comfortable about trying it again.

I chose pears and blackberries, but feel free to change the fruit's based on your taste. And don't skimp on the crust. The cheddar gives it such a unique taste and texture that would be great with just about any fruit you'd pair it with.

I plan on making it again and pair it with apples, walnuts and caramel in some sort. I'll let you know how that goes at some point.

Happy Pie Baking!

Cheddar Pastry
from Carole Walter of Great Pies and Tarts
Makes 1 double crust for a 9- or 10-inch pie

2 1/3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup partially frozen unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 in cubes
1/2 cup partially frozen vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
2/3 to 3/4 cup lightly packed grated Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
4 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed

1. Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 5 seconds to blend.
2. Add half the butter and shortening and all the cheese. Toss with a spatula to coat with flour. Pulse 4 or 5 times, then process for 5 seconds. Add the remaining fats, pulse again 4 or 5 times, then process about 5 seconds. The mixture should have the texture of coarse meal and still contain some larger pieces of fat.
3. Empty the mixture into a large bowl. Pass the crumbs through your fingers to break up any very large clumps. Add the ice water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, tossing the crumbs with a fork between each addition. Take a handful of crumbs and squeeze gently to see if they will stick together. If not, add additional ice water as needed.
4. Form into two 4- to 5- inch disks by pressing the mixture against the side of the bowl. All of the crumbs should adhere and clean the bowl. If not, add a few more drops of water. Dust the disks generously with flour and cover with pastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer before rolling.

On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 disk of pastry into a circle measuring approx 13 inches. Fit loosely into the pie plate. Trim the edges with scissors, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang. Beat the egg white and water with a fork. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and reserve the remainder for glazing the top of the pie.

Place crust back in the fridge if you haven't made the filling yet.

Autumn Pear and Grape Pie (I used blackberries instead of grapes)
from Carole Walter of Great Pies and Tarts

Serves 8 to 10
9-in ovenproof glass dish

1 recipe Cheddar Pastry (from above)
1 large egg white
1 tsp water
1 tsp sugar, for garnish

Filling
3 pound firm pears (about 7), peeled, cored, and cut lengthwise into sixths
1/2 pound black raspberries, washed and dried (or whatever small berry you choose)
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbls instant tapioca (I used flour)
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbls cornstarch
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves (optional)
2 Tbls unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Butter a 9-inch ovenproof glass pie plate

Combine the pears and grapes (or blackberries) in a large bowl. Sprinkle the fruit with lemon juice and tapioca (remember, I used flour).Gently toss the fruit to distribute. Let stand 15 minutes.

Blend the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, giner, and cloves in a small bowl. Just before filling the shell, combine the dry ingredients with the fruits and gently toss to distribute them well.
Empty the fruit into the shell, mounding the fruit in the center and making sure that there are no empty spaces. Dot the top of the filling with butter.

Roll the second disk of dough into a 13- inch circle. Gently lift and place the dough on top of the filling. With your hands, push the dough bently toward the center to prevent it from stretching during baking. Trim excess with scissors, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the top edge of the dough under the bottom crust, pressing the 2 layers together to form a wall. Crimp or flute the edge. Make steam vents on top of the pastry. Brush the top with the remaining egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.

To prevent the edges from brning, make aluminum foil bands. Cut two 3-inch-wide strips of 18 inch heavy-duty alminum foil. Fold 1 inch of each strip to the center, making a double thickness of boil. Mold the foil arond the edge of the pie keeping the double fold on top of the dough. Be careful not to crush the edge of the pastry. Secure the bands with tape.

Lay a sheet of foil in a sheet pan and place pie plate on top to catch any drips.

Bake the pie for 55-60 minutes. Remove the foil bands the last 5-20 minutes of baking. The pie is done when the top and bottom crusts are golden brown and the juices begin to bubble. Cool on a wire rack for at least 5 hours before serving.

Storage: Cover any leftover pie with a sheet of waxed paper and then loosely cover with aluminum foil for 1 day at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature or reheat before serving.

This pie can be frozen.

Fight for Allergy Relief!

christy — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:39:00 GMT

As everyone in this country knows, the pollen levels have been off the charts. Here in Central Virginia a high pollen count is, like 250-500 per cubic meter. On April 7th it was 3,780! Just a leeetttle high. Which would explain why everyone in my family is suffering.

My poor baby boy has woken up the past couple days with swollen eyes and (excuse me) yellow gunk coming out them. The congestion is heavy and productive to the point of (forgive me again, please) vomiting. He is very restless at night which means I hardly get any sleep as well.

My baby girl has some pretty bad congestion as well, coughing and gagging most the day. It breaks my heart when they are feeling so bad. And with the beautiful weather we've been having (which is part of the cause of all this yellow rain) it is hard to explain to them why they can't go outside to play.

We've up'd the meds they are taking, washed the bedding, given nightly baths and bought and installed air purifiers for their rooms. I'm hoping that all these measures are helping to alleviate some of the worst of these symptoms. But I'm fairly sure that no matter what steps we take, with the high pollen count, there is only so much we can do.

Wish us luck at the doctor's office this morning and I hope that you all are fairing better than we are.

Treats for your sweet for Easter.

christy — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:42:00 GMT

So what do you get when you take this...

...and mix it with this?

You get, well, this. Chocolate Rice Krispies.

Now there are many things you can do with this mixture. But taking my cue from Mowielicious I made bird nests out of them.

I added a few of these homemade peeps

and some candy coated chocolate eggs and BOO-YAH

Sooooooo, whadda ya think? Are they cute, or what?

Little mother hens sitting on their pretty colored eggs.

Watching.

Waiting.

Protecting them from curious fingers and hungry mouths.

She better keep an extra eye out. I know where she lives and I'm feeling ravenous for sugar coated marshmallows. Dun. Dun. Dun....

Here's the recipes.

Chocolate Rice Krispy Nests
adapted from Kellogg's recipe
Makes approx 12-14 (3 inch) nests

4 Tbls butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
4 cups mini marshmallows
4 cups Cocoa Krispies
2 cups Rice Krispies

Melt butter and chocolate chips in a large pot over medium low heat. Add marshmallow's and mix till melted and smooth. Add the cocoa and rice krispies and mix till coated. Hand form large scoops of the mixture into nest shapes or form in 3 inch tart molds (which is what I did). Let them set up for about 10 min then unmold and put on squares of wax paper and set in large muffin papers.

Marshmallow Peeps
From Martha Stewart

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 packet unflavored gelatin (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1/3 cup cold water, for gelatin, plus 1/4 cup for syrup
1 cup sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Allow gelatin to soften while cooking the sugar syrup. In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water and sugar, and stir over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring, and place a candy thermometer into sugar water. Boil sugar until temperature reaches the soft-ball stage (238 degrees). Remove syrup from heat; add to softened gelatin. Place bowl on the mixer stand and stir on low for a few minutes to cool. Beat on medium high with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form and the marshmallow mixture holds shape, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer marshmallow mixture to a large (14-inch) pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (No. 11 Ateco) tip, and use immediately.

Here's instructions on how to pipe the chick's from Martha's website.

1. Pipe an oval shape onto sugar, about 1 inch wide, tapering the end and pulling upward to finish with the tail.

2. For the head, pipe a mound on the end opposite the tail, about the width of the body, pushing toward the tail and up. Pull away from the head to form the beak.

3. Immediately sprinkle sugar over the entire surface of the chick. Allow a few minutes for the shape to set.

4. Pipe on royal-icing eyes with a #1 Ateco icing tip; lift chick out of sugar with a spoon or small offset spatula. Place in a parchment-lined airtight container until ready to serve, or for up to 2 weeks.

Daring Bakers Challenge for March-Orange Tian

christy — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 20:55:00 GMT

This has been another busy month. Something every weekend. But I was happy to take the time to make this months challenge. It had a refreshing citrus flavor and interesting textures. And all, but one, of the components can be made ahead of time so you're just left with the assembly. This seems like it would be a great surprise for guest that come to visit. It does require some time to plan, but it definitely has that WOW factor. And it was delicious to boot.

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.

Pate Sablee
2 egg yolks, medium, room temperature
6 Tbls + 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 3 Tbls ice cold butter, cubed
1/3 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cup + 2 Tbls All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp baking powder

Directions:
Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

In a separate bowl, add the eggs yolks, vanilla extract and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Pour the egg mixture in the food processor.

Process until the dough just comes together. If you find that the dough is still a little too crumbly to come together, add a couple drops of water and process again to form a homogenous ball of dough. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a ¼ inch thick circle.

Orange Caramel
1 cup (200g) Granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbls (400g) Orange juice

Place the sugar in a pan on medium heat and begin heating it.

Once the sugar starts to bubble and foam, slowly add the orange juice. As soon as the mixture starts boiling, remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture over the orange segments.

Reserve the other half of the caramel mixture in a small bowl — you will use this later to spoon over the finished dessert. When the dessert is assembled and setting in the freezer, heat the kept caramel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until it thickens and just coats the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes). You can then spoon it over the orange tians.

[Tip: Be very careful when making the caramel — if you have never made caramel before, I would suggest making this step while you don’t have to worry about anything else. Bubbling sugar is extremely, extremely hot, so make sure you have a bowl of ice cold water in the kitchen in case anyone gets burnt!

Orange Marmalade
¼ cup + 3 tablespoons 100 g) Freshly pressed orange juice
1 large orange used to make orange slices
cold water to cook the orange slices
5 grams pectin
granulated sugar: use the same weight as the weight of orange slices once they are cooked

Finely slice the orange. Place the orange slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.

Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices.

Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.

Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them (using a knife or a food processor).

Weigh the slices and use the same amount of granulated sugar . If you don’t have a scale, you can place the slices in a cup measurer and use the same amount of sugar.

In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes).

Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

Orange Segments
8 oranges.

Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.

Whipped Cream
1 cup (200 g) heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons of hot water
1 tsp Gelatine
1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar
orange marmalade (see recipe above) 1 tablespoon

In a small bowl, add the gelatine and hot water, stirring well until the gelatine dissolves. Let the gelatine cool to room temperature while you make the whipped cream. Combine the cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute. Add the confectioner sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip the cream until the beaters leave visible (but not lasting) trails in the cream, then add the cooled gelatine slowly while beating continuously. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.
[Tip: Use an ice cold bowl to make the whipped cream in. You can do this by putting your mixing bowl, cream and beater in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to whipping the cream.]

Assembling the Dessert:

Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer.

Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone.

Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel.

Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use.

Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter. Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps. Make sure they fit snuggly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart.

Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of whipped cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so there is room for dough circle.

Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough.

Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream). Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact.

Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.

Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately.

SimpleHuman-Simply frustrating

christy — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:25:00 GMT

Have you ever seen one of these?

It is a refillable motion sensor soap pump. And I have one. It sets on the counter at the back of my kitchen sink and I use it, like, a bazillion times a day. It's sold by a company called Simplehuman.

My loving husband bought it for me last year knowing how much I like gifts I can use. Not that I don't appreciate the occasional BLING, it's just I like gifts that do more than just sparkle. Not that this baby doesn't sparkle, cause let me tell you....ok, it doesn't really sparkle. But it's brushed chrome finish does kinda gleam.

Recently, however, it stopped working. After a quick call to customer service I learned the pump mechanism on this model was bad and had been replaced by a newer one that they would send to me! KEWL. And since they had a 2 year warranty, all I had to do was take a pic or two of mine and email it along with my personal information. Which I did that very day on January 22nd, 2010.

I went about my day happy to know I would be getting a replacement dispenser soon. I was expecting a follow up email telling me they were processing my request and a date of delivery. After five days of waiting, however, nothing had transpired. So I sent another email and waited. After another five days on January 28th I finally recieved an email from the company telling me they had in fact received my initial email and my request was being processed and expect a delivery in 7-10 business days. That was February 2nd.

Whoooo hooo! It wouldn't be long now.

Is it weird that I get excited over a simple soap dispenser? No? Ok, good.

So according to the calendar, I should be receiving my package by February 16th at the latest.

Well, guess what? That's right, I didn't. I gave customer service a call and spoke to another very nice lady that said, although she didn't see my order "give it another day". Being up to my elbows in work to do, I agreed and waited two days!

I called back, left two messages in two days. Having had enough of that crap, I called and spoke to a different person. She advised me that she didn't see anything but my intial email. Nothing of the second email. Nothing of the confirmation email they sent me. Nothing of a replacement ordering having been sent. GREAT!

She apologized and finally processed the order and said to expect it in, you guessed it, 7-10 days. By now it has been 25 days since my first phone call and email. Unbelievable!

I'm really missing my soap pump! I've already gone through two bottles of the regular manual hand pump variety and am frustrated.

While I am waiting on that delivery, my Graviti Battery-Operated Pepper Mill stops working (I know, I'm spoiled). But this thing is awesome too. I mean look at it!

Sleek. Efficient. And fun too. All one has to do is turn it upside down and it quickly grinds peppercorns into fresh pepper. Freshly ground seasonings is always the best way to get the most flavor out of them. I use this almost just as much as the soap pump.

So when it died, I thought, what else? I was worried it would take another month to get this replaced. But you know what? I called them and within 4 days I had the replacement battery pack! I didn't even have to send them a picture or make any follow-up phone calls! And I still received it BEFORE the pump!

By now I bet you're wondering if I am EVER going to come to the end of this story. Well, yes I am. But at least now you can understand a little of my frustration on this thing dragging on!

I finally did get the newer pump on Monday March 1st! That is 26 business days since my first phone call. I don't think I am being too picky in expecting better customer service than that.

Even though I've had trouble with getting this new one, I am still very happy with the product itself. I never have to touch it after cutting up chicken, dicing sticky fruit or sprinkling streusel over a coffee cake. Simply run your hand over the sensor and it automatically dispenses a pre-set amount of liquid soap into your hand. Perfect. Now all I need is the hands-free faucet and I'm all set!

If you wanted to get either one of these beauties for yourself or as a gift for a friend, try Amazon or Williams Sonoma.

Now, go forth and buy something!

Daring Bakers Challenge/February-Tiramisu

christy — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:20:00 GMT

The Italian translation of Tiramisu is "pick me up". I can certainly understand why. With all the sugar and caffeine this dessert has it certainly packs a punch.

I actually finished this months challenge early. I did it two weeks before it's scheduled post date. Trust me, no one is as surprised as I am. As complex as it is it wasn't hard. There were lots of steps and hours of waiting for refrigeration. But once all that was done, putting it together as really easy. If you really like Tiramisu then give this a try. Having it homemade is so much different then the store bought version.

Although there's a recipe for making your own Mascarpone Cheese and Ladyfingers, you can certanly substitute store bought for both. However, they were very easy to make and didn't take long at all. So give it a go at least once.

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Mascarpone Cheese
from Baking Obsession

Makes about 12 oz

Ingredients:

500 ml whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.

The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.

Ladyfingers/Savoiardi Biscuits
(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)
This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2" to 3" long) ladyfingers.

Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar
3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner's sugar, Method: Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.
Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.
Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.
Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.
Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.
Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.
Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.
Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

Tiramisu

Ingredients:
For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar/50gms
1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)
1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup/175ml whole milk

For the whipped cream:
1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

To assemble the tiramisu:
2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed
1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)
1/2 cup/110gms sugar
1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)
2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:
For the zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.
In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.
Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.
Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

To assemble the tiramisu:
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.
Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.
Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.
Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.
To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

Valentine Cookies - Better late than never

christy — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:30:00 GMT

Valentine Sugar Cookies

I'm late posting this cookie recipe.

I know it.

I can't help it.

There was a whole plethora of things going on this past week.

A planned cake that got rescheduled.

Snow.

The laundry needed done.

The house needed cleaned. No seriously. The dust bunnies were laughing at me from their little hiding spots in all the nooks and crannies. I could hear them!

My hair was a mess.

And there wasn't enough caffeine in my system.

But I managed to buckle down anyways and churn out these pretty darn cute cookies, if I do say so myself. And I do.

Oh, and there was this too.....

I wasn't sure my son was going to school last week at all. Due to wintery conditions he has been out of school for 2 weeks. So when they called Thursday evening telling us they would be going on Friday with a two hour delay I wasn't able to get anything done that night. So we worked on it over the weekend and finally finished on Sunday night.

I packaged them all up and got them tucked securely in his backpack for the morning trek through the snow, up hill, both ways....barefoot! Ok, so he's only got about 40 yards to walk to the bus stop, it's even terrain and he has boots. But I've gotta make him feel guilty for something, otherwise what kind of mother would I be?

Hopefully he'll make a Valentine or two tomorrow. Knowing him, he'll come home with a pocket full of cards!

Sugar Cookie Dough

1 1/2 stick butter - room temp.
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla or other flavoring
2 c. flour
1/4 t. salt

In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Add in flour and salt and mix untill a ball forms. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.
Roll between plastic wrap to about 1/4 of an inch then cut with cutters. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. You should be able to get 8 (4 inch) cookies per sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Thicker cookies may take longer so watch them carefully.
Cool for a few minutes then remove from baking sheet to cooling rack.

Decorate as desired.

Royal Icing
Adapted from Bridget350 on Tasty Kitchen

4 Tbsp Meringue Powder
1/2 cup water
1 lb powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp clear extract (vanilla or almond)

Mix together the meringue powder and water in a mixer until foamy. With mixer on low speed add the powdered sugar in batches of three, mixing well after each addition. Add the extract. Raise speed to high and beat until glossy and thick. The icing should stand at a peak. Divide into bowls and tint, if desired.

This icing is thick and is generally used for piping and detailing. However, if you want to use it for flood icing, add water by the teaspoon full until it is the consistancy of thick syrup.

What's beyond salt?

christy — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:01:00 GMT

Beyond the Shaker is what! They are a premium gourmet salt purveyor who's mineral concoctions will tantalize your tastebuds and tease your senses. There as many different blends as there are stars in the sky. Or at least it seems that way.

From the complex Cyprus Black Lava to the simple Sel Gris and all the myriad of flavors inbetween you will never be at a loss to properly season your dishes. They create incredible depth of flavor and a subtle nuance that will take your food to the next level.

I found these great salts through a fellow blogger over at The Novice Chef Blog. I was blessed, to ask for and receive a box containing not less than 22 of their uniquely seasoned sample packets. I was so overwhelmed when I opened it up and saw all of them spilt out on my counter. I had no idea where to start or what to do with some of them. So I did what all of us should do, I consulted their Salt Guide. It is a comprehensive guide on all things salt related. From Harvested vs. Mined salt to Unrefined and Kosher salts. If you have questions, they have answers.

I haven't yet made it through all the sample packs they graciously sent me, however I have managed to whittle it down quite a bit! My favorite so far is.....well, uh....I don't have a favorite yet. I must say I am anxious to try the Truffle Wet Salt and the Fumee De Sel. I have acquired a taste for mushrooms, after abstinence from them as a child, and they are popping up in a lot of my dishes as of late. I have heard great things about Truffles and (knowing I can't afford them) this will probably be the closest I come to their mysterious flavor.

So please, hope on over to Beyond the Shaker and load up on a few ~~dozen~~ of their most popular varieties. You won't be sorry you did! I know I'm not.

Thanks again to Tyler and all those at Beyond the Shaker!

Chorizo Meatloaf with Tomato Balsamic Chutney

christy — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:30:00 GMT

I know you probably tuned in here to see a beautiful picture of a slice or two of meatloaf artfully arranged on a plate. In all honesty I realllly wanted to take one and give it too you. However, fading daylight (read NONE) and the inability to make a lump of cooked meat look appetizing meant I wasn't getting a favorable picture tonight. I promise to make this again real soon and work at getting a suitable photography. I promise.

Until then. Here is the recipe.

Chorizo Meatloaf with Tomato Balsamic Chutney

3 slices of bread
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 lb ground beef
2 links chorizo (I use Johnsonville), casing removed
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup pepper, diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbls worcestershire sauce
3 Tbls fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp Lawson seasoning salt
2 tsp Emeril original seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Chutney
6 roma tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbls onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbls Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a loaf pan with non-stick foil. Set aside.

In a small bowl, crumble slices of bread.. Pour the cream and milk over the bread crumbs and mix to make them all moist. Set aside.

Mix the beef and chorizo gently in a large bowl. Add onion, pepper, egg, ketchup, worcestershire, parlsey and seasonings. Mix to combine, try not to overmix as this will make the meatloaf tough. Scoop loaf mixture into the lined pan and smooth down the top. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until an internal temperature reaches 185 degrees.

When the meatloaf is done, take out and allow to start to cool. While cooling, make the chutney.

In a saute pan in 2 teaspoons olive oil, add tomatoes, onions, garlic and vinegar. Cook on medium heat until the tomatoes start to break down and the onions and garlic are soft. Approximately 5-7 minutes.

When the chutney is down, remove the meatloaf from the pan using the foil to help pull it out. Cut into slices, lay on plate and top with chutney. Serve with mashed potatoes, corn, steamed carrots, or any other vegetable you like.

Graham Crackers and Nanimo Bars - Daring Bakers Challenge January 2010

christy — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:56:00 GMT

Have you ever thought about making your own graham crackers? Well neither have I.

I mean, why go through all the trouble when the store bought ones are just about as good as it gets?

Well, I'll tell you why. Because they are soooo much better when you make them yourself. You can control the quality of ingredients, the toppings and have the added benefit of making them gluten free, if need be. I however, do not. So this months Daring Bakers Challenge was time consuming, but cool at the same time. And it was a two-fer! We had to make our own graham crackers and then use them to make Nanimo Bars. Check this out.

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanimo.ca.

First came the graham crackers. Oh. My. Goodness. These are some sticky suckers! I ended up having to heavily flour the board to get them rolled out and to keep them from sticking. By the time I realized that, the dough was too soft and I had to put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. After I got in the groove of dusting, rolling and cutting all the dough it was time to put it back in the fridge to chill before baking. Gratefully they turned out real well. And my oldest son and my mother loved them! I think they would be good crumbled on yogurt, ice cream or sandwiched with chocolate and marshmallows!

Now that they were finished it was time to move on to the Nanimo Bars. Which essentially was 3 recipes put together to make one, in my opinon. The graham crackers were crushed, mixed with coconut, nuts and chocolate and then pressed into a pan.

A custard filling was whipped up and spread on top.

Then more chocolate was melted and smoothed over the custard. The whole thing goes in the fridge to set up.

The next day I took them out and they cut into perfect little squares!

Now if you wanted to make them gluten free you would use a different mix of flours, that recipe is below. I know these recipes have quite a few ingredients. Try not to let that deter you from trying them. Having homemade graham crackers calling to you from the cookie jar is worth the effort.

Gluten-Free Graham Wafers
Based on recipes from 101 Cookbooks
Ingredients
1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.
2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.
4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.
7. *** the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.
9. When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

Graham Crackers (non gluten free)
From 101 Cookbooks

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup mild-flavored honey, such as clover
5 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

To prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.

Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more flour and roll out the dough to get about two or three more crackers.

Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough. Using a toothpick or skewer, *** the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.

Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the tough, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

Yield: 10 large crackers

Nanimo Bars

Bottom Layer
½ cup unsalted butter (European style cultured)
¼ cup sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs
½ c. finely chopped almonds
1 cup coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.

Second Layer
½ cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar

Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Third Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter overlow heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.

National Pie Day-January 23, 2009

christy — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:59:00 GMT

I first caught eye of this "holiday" last week and thought "why don't we get this day off from work?". Of course, being a stay-at-home mom, I don't get ANY day off but it would still be nice for those out there who do have "jobs" to go to everyday. It's NATIONAL PIE DAY for goodness sake! Well, it was actually yesterday. Oh wait, it was Saturday, so most everyone had this day off anyway. Well that blows my campaign to make it a required day off work outta the water. Guess I'll have to find another cause to champion.

Maybe tomorrow. I'm too distraught right now.

So for today will just show you what I did yesterday for the (whisper) "Holiday".

Chocolate Cream Pie. My husbands favorite. I have failed so many times before making a chocolate pie that doesn't.....ooze. Not the best of words used to describe food.

Weep. No

Exude. Eh.....probably not.

Leak. Definitely not!

Flow. Yes. That'll do.

I've struggled to make a cream pie that didn't flow. You know what I mean. When you cut into it, remove a piece and the filling starts to flow out into the hole you made. So while "window" shopping at another of my favorite sites I came across this recipe that guaranteed this pie to set up. I pounced!

So while simmering chili, baking bread bowls and watching 5 kids I decided it was as good a time as any to get started on this recipe!

It was fairly simple. Although I would use this pie crust recipe next time because the one assigned to this pie didn't work for me. And possibly will try a chocolate crust recipe next time. That would work too.

DH thought the filling needed to be sweeter. So next time I will use all milk chocolate and possibly up the sugar a bit. Despite these changes it was a pretty good pie. And holding true to their guarantee, it held up just fine. No flow.

So if you have a loved one that would like this, try making it for them soon. They will feel all warm, fuzzy and loved. And might just leak, exude or weep tears of joy.

At least, for your sake, I hope it's tears.

Chocolate Cream Pie
adapted from King Arthur Flour

Crust

1 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter
1/8 to 1/4 cup ice water

Filling

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream, divided
2 cups milk

Topping

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Crust
1) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, and salt.

2) Cut in the shortening until it's in lumps the size of small peas

3) Dice the butter into 1/2-inch pieces, and cut into the mixture until you have flakes of butter the size of your fingernail.

4) Add the water, two tablespoons at a time, mixing with a fork as you sprinkle the water into the dough

5) When the dough is moist enough to hold together when you squeeze it, transfer it to a piece of wax or parchment paper. It's ok if there are dry spots in the pile. Use a spray bottle of water to lightly spritz these places; that way you'll add just enough water to bring the dough together without adding too much or creating a wet spot

6) Fold it over on itself three or four times to bring it together, then pat it into a disk 3/4-inch thick

7) Roll the disk on its edge, like a wheel, to smooth out the edges. This step will ensure your dough will roll out evenly, without a lot of cracks and splits at the edges later. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling

8) To blind bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan that's at least 2 inches deep. This will make serving the pie easier after it's finished.

9) Roll out the pastry for the pie to a 13-inch circle. Transfer it to the prepared pan, and trim the edges so they overlap the edge by an inch all the way around. Tuck the edges up and under, and flute them. Put the lined pie pan in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.

10) Line the crust with foil or parchment paper, and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and gently remove foil or parchment with the weights or beans. Return the crust to the oven for 10 more minutes, until it's golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Filling
1) Place the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract in a 2-quart mixing bowl; set aside.

2) In a medium saucepan away from heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt. Whisk in 1/4 cup of cold heavy cream until the mixture is smooth, with no lumps. Repeat with another 1/4 cup of the cream. Whisk in the egg yolks

3) Place the saucepan over medium heat, and gradually whisk in the remaining cream and milk.

4) Bring to a boil, whisking constantly as the mixture thickens; boil for 1 minute

5) Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the reserved chocolate and butter.

6) Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

7) Pass the filling through a strainer into a bowl to remove any lumps.

8. Place plastic wrap or buttered parchment paper on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill thoroughly.

Topping
1) Place the heavy cream in a chilled mixing bowl.

2) Whip until the whisk begins to leave tracks in the bowl.

3) Add the sugar and vanilla and whip until the cream holds a medium peak.

Assembly
1) Transfer the cooled filling to the cooled, baked pie crust. Level the top with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.

2) Spoon or pipe the whipped cream on top.

3) Chill the pie until ready to serve.