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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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).
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
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!
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.
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