Pasta and Pie

I know I was completely MIA from the blog world last week. I'll try to make up for it this week. I've had so much going on recently that I need to catch you all up on.

The first big event was a visit from my sister and her girls. They drove up from Florida for a 3 week tour of Illinois and Missouri. They stopped at my Mom's house first and then came up here on Sunday afternoon. We had a nice visit, except for the fact that the two big girls were suffering from the stomach flu the entire time they were here! Both of them took turns rushing to the bathroom with diarrhea and vomiting.

Kinley (center) sharing a hug with her cousins, Gracie (left) and Claire (right)

Luckily between bouts of sickness they felt completely fine and enjoyed playing with the boys. It wasn't one of those illnesses where you just want to lay on the couch all day, thankfully. So even though we were dealing with two sick girls and a busy, busy one year old we managed to do what we always do when we are together....cook.


Yep, we tried two new recipes that I've been saving for a while and both were a great success. First we made Italian Pasta Bake (from Memoirs of a Munchkin Mommy). This is a great layered pasta dish chocked full of vegetables that only Cainan spotted and removed; healthier than lasagna but with a very similar taste. Then we tried Strawberry Banana Cream Pie (from Joy the Baker). This is a great dish to make to use those fresh strawberries. It has a crispy almost sugar cookie tasting crust, a creamy vanilla custard and slices of bananas and strawberries layered in a pie. Both recipes were easy to make and really delicious. I hope you enjoy them.


Italian Pasta Bake


-PAM Original No-stick Cooking Spray
- 2 cups dry rotini pasta, uncooked (I used whole grain)
- 8 oz Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed (If you don't want as much heat just use regular turkey sausage instead)
- 1 med yellow onion, chopped
- 1 med zucchini, quartered lengthwise, sliced
- 1 pkg (8oz each) sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- 1 can (28 oz each) Hunt's Crushed Tomatoes
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese


Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking apart with spoon to crumble.


Add onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and carrot. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and pepper flakes; heat 2 minutes or until bubbling. Add pasta to tomato mixture; stir until pasta is well coated.


Spoon half of a mixture into baking dish. Top with half of the cheese. Repeat layers once more.


Bake 15 minutes or until hot.



Strawberry Banana Cream Pie


Filling:
2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, sliced10 fresh strawberries, sliced



Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Tart crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoons (9 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold or frozen, cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk


To make the tart crust:Put the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a food processor fit the the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the pieces of cold butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in. There will be pieces of butter that are the size of oatmeal flakes and butter the size of peas. Beat the egg yolk with a fork and add a little of the egg yolk at a time to the flour mixture. Pulse for 10 seconds at a time. When the egg is in, process in longer pulses until the dough forms clumps and curds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and the sides of the pan. Press the crust so that the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil and fit the foil, butter side down, tightly against the frozen crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust is puffed, gently press it down with your fingers.Bake the uncovered crust for 8 to 10 more minutes on the baking sheet. Keep an eye on the crust. It will brown quickly.Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling.
To make the filling:Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan. In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt until well blended and thick. Whisking without stopping, drizzle about 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, warming the eggs so they don’t cook and curdle. Still whisking, slowly add the rest of the hot milk in a steady steam.


Place the pan over medium heat and, whisking constantly (make sure to get the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, still whisking for one minute before removing from the pan from the heat. Mixture will be thick and silky. Be warned, once the mixture starts to boil, it will thicken very quickly. Don’t be afraid to remove the pan from the flame to whisk it smooth.
Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes then whisk in the butter, stirring until fully incorporated and the custard is smooth and silky. Transfer custard to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic touches the surface of the custard and refrigerate until cold throughout. Custard can be refrigerated up to three days.


When ready to assemble the pie, slice bananas and strawberries into thin, round slices.Whisk the cold custard to loosen. Add a handful of banana slices. Stir.Arrange a thin layer of banana slices on the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange a thin layer of strawberries atop the bananas. Reserve some strawberries for topping the pie. Top with banana custard. Smooth out a refrigerate while you make the whipped cream.


For the topping:With a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat heave cream until it just starts to thicken. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, spoon whipped cream onto banana cream pie filling. Top with sliced strawberries.


Serve pie immediately or refrigerate for several hours before serving. This pie is best served the day it is made, but also isn’t too shabby the next day for a breakfast treat.


This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

P.S. Despite all the germs floating around my house for 3 days none of us has gotten sick. I've always known we had good immune systems but I didn't think we'd survive this one. :)

Healthy Banana Berry Muffins

Once you taste these moist, sweet, delicious breakfast muffins you'll never believe that they are ultra healthy! They have no refined sugars, almost no fat, and they are packed full of fiber and omega 3s. If you are on the Weight Watchers system you'll be happy to know that these muffins are only 1 pt. each! These muffins were a hit with the ladies in my Bible Study and my kids too.

Healthy Banana Berry Muffins

1¼ cups all-purpose flour*
½ cup oat bran
¼ tsp. salt
2½ tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1½ large bananas
1 egg white
¼ cup honey
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ cup orange juice
¾ cup fresh blueberries
¾ cup fresh raspberries


Directions: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oat bran, salt, milk powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir together with a fork; set aside.


In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mash together the banana and egg white until the mixture is well blended and slightly frothy. Stir in the honey, butter and orange juice, and mix to blend.

Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Gently fold in the fresh berries with a spatula until evenly incorporated.


Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Source: Annie's Eats, adapted from Cooking On the Side

*The white flour is the most unhealthy ingredient in these muffins. Next time I may try using whole wheat flour instead. I think they have enough moisture to handle it.

This post linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Whole Wheat Apple Walnut Bread

As soon as I found this recipe over at Joy the Baker I had to find an excuse to make it. Lucky for me, I hosted my book club last night, which gave me the perfect opportunity to make this delicious bread but not eat the entire loaf myself.

The bread is super moist and sweet with just a little crunch. It has lots of healthy Omega-3s in it from both flax seed and walnuts. It does still contain some butter and brown sugar, but it's now the fatty bread I've ever made...not by a long shot.

Without further ado, Whole Wheat Apple Walnut Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
generous pinch freshly ground nutmeg
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup grated apples
1/2 cup coarsely chopped apples
1 tablespoon flax seeds
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, divided
cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the grated apples, chopped apples flax seeds and half of the chopped walnuts. Fold to incorporate thoroughly.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with granulated sugar, cinnamon and the rest of the walnuts.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool before wrapping.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Double Yum

Last week I had to bring snacks for Sunday School. I couldn't decide what I wanted to make and a single recipe usually isn't enough to feed everyone anyway, so I stopped trying to narrow it down and just went ahead and made two new recipes that I had been wanting to try.

I made Cinnamon Cappuccino Squares, a recipe I found at Brown Eyed Baker, and Pumpkin Ripple Bread, which I found at 17 and Baking. I highly recommend both of these recipes and these blogs.

Brown Eyed Baker is crammed full of wonderful recipes. Bagels, coffee cakes, cookies, muffins, cakes, you name it. If you can bake it you can find a recipe for it (not to mention pretty pictures) at Brown Eyed Baker.

17 and Baking is the amazing blog of a high school senior in Washington state. Not only are her recipes totally delicious, and ambitious for such a young baker, but her photography and especially her writing are totally incredible. You'll be so impressed after just one visit to her blog that you'll be hooked. If you have a teenager you should definitely turn them on to 17 and Baking. Elissa writes so eloquently about the struggles of teenage life and the lessons she's learned about working hard, loving her parents, trying new things and the struggle for independence and the fear of freedom.

Now....on to the recipes. I didn't have time to take any pictures Sunday morning before church so these are from the original posts. Credit has been given to the baker/photographers.

Cinnamon Cappuccino Squares

Photo courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker

For the Cake:
1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus
2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon plus
1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
¾ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or ½ cup mini chocolate chips


For the Frosting:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces


1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Place the pan on a baking sheet and set aside.


2. Stir 2 tablespoons of the sugar, 2½ teaspoons of the cinnamon and 1½ teaspoons of the espresso powder together in a small bowl.


3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1¼ cups sugar, the baking powder, salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of the espresso powder into the milk and warm the milk in a microwave until it is hot enough to dissolve the coffee. Cool the milk. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and gently whisk until you have a homogeneous batter. Now, using the whisk or a rubber spatula, fold in the butter with a light touch, just until the butter is absorbed. You’ll have a smooth, satiny batter.


4. Scrape half of the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the chocolate over the batter and dust with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover with the rest of the batter and smooth the top again.


5. Back for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan; a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for 15 minutes before unmolding it onto another rack. Peel off the paper, invert it onto the first rack, and cool to room temperature right side up.


6. To make the frosting, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and fit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring gently and often, just until they melt. Be careful not to overheat the mixture so much that it things out; the chocolate should be smooth, very shiny, thick and spreadable. 9If it thins, leave the frosting at room temperature for a bit, until it thickens a little.)


7. Using an offset metal icing spatula or a table knife, spread the frosting in generous sweeps and swirls over the top of the cake. Allow the frosting to set at room temperature, then cut the cake into 9 squares, each about 2½ inches on a side. Wrapped in plastic, the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 days.

Pumpkin Ripple Bread

Photo courtesy of 17 and Baking

Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounce package (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour


Pumpkin Bread
1 cup (110 grams) toasted pecans or walnuts [optional, I leave them out]
3 1/2 cups (450 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 – 15 ounce (425 grams) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9″x5″ pans.


For the Cream Cheese Filling: Beat the cream cheese just until smooth in a stand mixer or food processor. Add the sugar and process just until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing just until incorporated. Do not over process. Stir in the flour. Set aside.


For the Pumpkin Bread: Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs until lightly beaten. Whisk in the sugar and melted butter, then stir in the pumpkin, water, vanilla extract, and (optionally) nuts.


Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture, being careful not to over mix. A few streaks of flour are fine. Divide the batter in half. Take one half and divide it between the two pans. Pour half of the cream cheese filling into each pan, then top with the remaining half of batter. Smooth the tops and bake an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.


Cool pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool loaves to room temperature.


This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table.

Chocolate Praline Dessert

A friend gave me this recipe from Taste of Home recently. It is an absolutely delicious torte/cheesecake dessert with layers of cookies crumbs, cheesecake, pecans, caramel and chocolate ganache. I made it for a dinner party and it was really great! It is a little time consuming to make because each layer has to chill before the next can be added, but it is well worth the wait. Warning: Slice it small because it is extremely rich!

Chocolate Praline Dessert

Crust:

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (i.e. Oreo)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine cookie crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press onto the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with pecans.

Praline:

1 1/2 cups butter, cubed

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 8 minutes or until the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over pecans. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.

NOTE: The first time I made this dish I over cooked the praline layer. It was still delicious but it was extremely hard...too hard to cut through with a fork. It was like a Werther's candy in the middle of a soft and creamy dessert. I never make it now without the candy thermometer and it always turns out fine.

Filling:

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat filling ingredients until smooth. Spread over praline layer. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.

Ganache:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

For ganache, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips with cream; stir until smooth. cool slightly; spread over filling. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Garnish with pecan halves.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Tiramisu

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.

Not only did we have to make our own tiramisu we had to make all of our own components to the dish. That means that I made, from scratch, vanilla pastry cream, zabaglione (egg custard), mascarpone cheese and savoiardi (ladyfingers). None of these things are difficult they are just time consuming. I made all of the components one day and let them chill overnight then I assembled the tiramisu the next day and let it chill overnight.

The flavor of the tiramisu was excellent. My only problem with it was the consistency of the cream layers. Even after chilling overnight it still seemed too mushy to unmold and cut so I stuck it in the freezer for about an hour. That seemed to do the trick, but as soon as we cut into it the whole thing kind of dissolved into a puddle of tiramisu soup. Still delicious but very messy to eat and not very appealing to the eye. I'm not sure what went wrong since each of my components sat up nicely in the fridge individually. My only thought is that the whipping cream was too soft.

Either way it was an adventure to make and a pleasure to eat. If you've got a couple of days you ought to try it. You won't regret it...and you just might learn something in the process, too.

The recipes for all components of the tiramisu are included below:

For the mascarpone cheese:

474ml (approx. 500ml)/

2 cups whipping cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

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. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.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.Vera’s notes: 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.Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

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

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 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

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:

1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)

1/4 cup/55gms sugar

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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. Working 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.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Valentine's Day Yumminess

We do Valentines Day up big at our house. I don't why, but we always have. I always make the kids handcrafted cards and they get a small gift and some candy. (In the case of the boys, they get Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which gives us days of amusement...or disgust depending which flavor you get.) Our menu always consists of heart-shaped pancakes and strawberry milk. Sometimes I add chocolate covered strawberries or homemade truffles as well.

This year Cainan wanted to try making some Jell-O hearts that he saw on the cover of Family Fun magazine. They looked simple enough so I told him we could give it a try.
They were even easier than I had imagined, AND they turned out exactly like the picture on the magazine, AND they tasted really good. A success all around! So I thought I'd share the recipe with all of you that don't subscribe to Family Fun. I know Valentine's Day is over but you can make these in any color and any shape you want and use them for other parties and events.

Layered Jell-O Hearts (Source: Family Fun Magazine)

Ingredients:

3 (3 oz) pkgs. red Jell-O
2 (1/4 oz) envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Dissolve one package red Jell-O in 3/4 cup boiling water. Add 3/4 cup cold water. Pour into a 13x9 pan. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set.

Stir together 1/2 cup boiling water and condensed milk. In a separate bowl, dissolve all the unflavored gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water for 1 to 2 minutes. Thoroughly mix in 3/4 cup boiling water, then combine this mixture with the condensed milk and let it cool at room temperature. Add half the mixture to the pan of red gelatin, pouring it over a spatula to slow the stream, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Repeat to alternate layers, ending with red Jell-O on top, chilling each layer for 20 minutes. (Do not wait much longer than 20 minutes because the condensed milk mixture will start to set up even on the counter top.)

Create individual servings with a cookie cutter.
This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Moist and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

These are the absolute BEST peanut butter cookies I have ever eaten. They are very moist and chewy and not excessively peanut buttery. I made them for my LOST party, froze them for two days, let them thaw on the 900 mile trip cross country, and served them from a suitcase and they were still super delicious. They also looked spectacular.For years I have heard that you should scoop your cookies with an ice cream scoop to make them all look uniform like professionally manufactured cookies, but I had never really tried it. First of all, I've never cared much about what my cookies looked like and secondly who wants people to confuse your homemade goodness for some preservative laden store bought cookie?

But since it was for a party I decided to try the cookie scoop thing. It was wonderful. Every yummy cookie was a feast for the eyes. Perfectly round and sized exactly like his neighbors. I'm not saying I'll give up the two spoon scrape off method just yet but I'll definitely use the cookie scoop again. Especially if I really need to impress someone. :)

Peanut Butter Cookies (Source: King Arthur Flour Blog)

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter

1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup (4 3/4 ounces) peanut butter, creamy or chunky

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream the butter until it's light and fluffy. Add the sugar, salt and egg, and beat until fluffy. Add the peanut butter, butter-vanilla and baking soda, and beat until well-blended. Stir in the flour, mixing slowly until the dough is cohesive.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheets; flatten the balls slightly. Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes; the cookies will be soft, but will become chewy as they cool. Be careful not to overbake them; they burn easily. Remove the cookies from the oven, and allow them to cool on a rack.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Pizza Sfincione

Have I mentioned I LOVE King Arthur Flour Baker's Banter Blog? There are sooooo many good recipes on that site and the writers/bakers are so talented and entertaining. Every recipe comes with very detailed instructions, pictures and tips for successful baking.

Most recently I wanted to try a new pizza recipe I found on the blog. It was for Pizza Sfincione, a traditional Sicilian pizza commonly served on New Year's Day, and also throughout the year in little roadside carts. It has a spongy chewy crust, a layer of yummy cheeses, a layer of tomato-ey toppings and then a layer of crispy breadcrumbs. Yum! Yum! It was as scrumptious as I had imagined.

If you are looking for a break from traditional wedges of thin crust pepperoni this is the pizza recipe you should try. The big beafy squares will satisfy your pizza cravings and give you a traditional taste of Sicily.

Picture courtesy of KAF Baker's Banter

Pizza Sfincione (Source: KAF Baker's Banter)

Crust
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons to 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water*

*Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Topping
2 large sweet onions
28-ounce can chopped or diced tomatoes
1 large green pepper, diced (optional)
1/2 pound sausage, browned (optional)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
4 ounces provolone, shredded
3/4 to 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
3 cups coarse dried bread crumbs, such as Panko
6 tablespoons olive oil

Directions
1) To make the crust: Combine all of the ingredients and mix and knead to make a smooth, soft dough, using a stand mixer, bread machine, or your hands.

2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large 8-cup measure (or leave it in the bread machine), and let it rise till it's very puffy, about 90 minutes.

3) While the dough is rising, prepare the toppings. Start by peeling and slicing the onions and peppers, and frying them with a bit of olive oil till they're golden brown. This will take about 20 minutes. Midway through, add salt and sugar to taste, if desired; about 1 tablespoon sugar will heighten their flavor.

4) Add the tomatoes to the fried onions. Simmer and stir for a couple of minutes. If the sauce seems overly liquid, continue to cook till it's firmed up a bit. You don't want it totally dry, like scrambled eggs, but neither do you want it swimming in liquid. Use your judgment. Turn off the heat, mix in the browned sausage, and let the mixture cool while the dough rises.

5) Stir together the bread crumbs and oil. Set it aside.

6) Spray a large rimmed baking sheet (a 13" x 18" half sheet pan is perfect) with non-stick vegetable oil spray. Drizzle it with olive oil, tilting the pan so the oil spreads out a bit.

7) Gently deflate the risen dough, and stretch it into an oval in your hands. Plop the oval onto the baking sheet, and press it towards the edges. When it starts to fight back, walk away for 15 minutes. When you return, you should be able to press it to the edges and nearly into the corners. If you can't, give it another short rest, and try again. You want the dough to cover as much of the pan's bottom as possible (without making yourself too crazy about it).

8) Cover the dough, and let it rise till puffy, about 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F. (Don't expect much rising here. A few bubbles was all I got.)

9) Uncover the dough, and sprinkle it with the shredded mozzarella and provolone. Then spread the tomato/onion sauce over the cheese.

10) Top with the Parmesan, then the bread crumbs.

11) Bake the pizza for 35 minutes, or until the crust and crumbs are brown. Remove it from the oven, and serve it hot or warm. Hint: to prevent a soggy bottom crust, cut the pizza in half crosswise, then lift each half onto a cooling rack. Cut individual slices with a pair of scissors.

For more great recipes head over to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays or Tuesdays at the Table. And if you're really hungry take a look at King Arthur Flour's blog too.

Black Beans and Rice

In an effort to drop a dress size by Easter I am back to my dieting ways. All of my exercising allows me to eat pretty much whatever I want and maintain my weight but I can't lose any weight (or inches) just by exercising. So it's back to counting points (Weight Watchers) and avoiding carbs....for the most part.

With this in mind I am posting one of my favorite Weight Watchers meals today: Black Beans and Rice. It is really delicious, easy to make and only 9 points per serving. That's pretty good for an entire meal.

Black Beans and Rice (Source: Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook)

4 tsp. olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 c. water
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups cooked brown rice

In a medium nonstick pan, heat the oil. Saute the bell pepper, onion and garlic until very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, oregano, pepper sauce and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.

Stir in cilantro and season with the salt and pepper; discard the bay leaf. Serve over the rice.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table. Check there for more great recipes.

Rollo Cookies

I had some of these cookies at a Christmas party this year and had to find the recipe. They are a soft chewy chocolate cookie with a caramel center and a coating of sugar on the outside. The only thing I had to go on was a little girl saying, "My mommy made those. They have Rollos in the middle."



A short Google search revealed two basic recipes; one with peanut butter and one without. I made the plain chocolate cookie dough because my husband does not like peanut butter and my nephew is allergic. They were delicious and very easy. My kids did all of the Rollo unwrapping and cookie rolling too.



Rollo Cookies



3 cups flour, enough so dough is not sticky
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
48 rollo chewy carmels

additional sugar

Beat sugars and margarine until fluffy, add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, cocoa and baking soda and blend well. Cover and cool dough in fridge for about 1/2 hour.

Shape into1" ball around Rollo, covering it completely. Roll each ball in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on a cookies sheet. They will flatten and spread as they bake. Bake 8 minutes at 350*, DO NOT OVER BAKE, they will look quite soft. Cool in pan slightly then move to a piece of waxed paper. Cool completely. You can melt white chocolate and drizzle over top or eat as is.

For more great recipes check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Cinnamon Crackles

At 7 pm on Christmas Eve, after all the stores were closed, I realized that I didn't have any chocolate chips. This year Santa was just going to have to branch out and try a new cookie at our house.



I chose Cinnamon Crackles because they look so perfect. They all come out nice and round and perfectly cracked.....plus I had all of the ingredients. Lucky for Santa they were delicious too. These are a crispy cookie instead of a chewy cookie, which I usually prefer, but they have lots of great spicy flavor. They remind me of gingersnaps but without the strong molasses flavor.



Cinnamon Crackles (Source: Taste of Home)


1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. almond extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 T. cinnamon

2 t. baking soda

2 t. cream of tartar

2 t. nutmeg

2 t. grated orange peel

1 t. grated lemon peel

1/2 t. salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars. Add the egg and extracts; mix well. Combine the next eight ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Shape into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: about 6 doz.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Pumpkin Scones

I had friends over for breakfast one morning last week and needed something quick, easy and delicious to serve. I decided to try Annie's recipe for Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze. They were delicious if I do say so myself. The original recipe called for butterscotch chips but I had cinnamon chips and put those in instead. Yummy!

Unlike most scones I have tried, these were very moist...and they stayed that way the next day too. The pumpkin adds just a little bit of flavor and a whole lot of moisture and the cinnamon chips and the spiced glaze add just the right zip to the recipe. I rate these scones a 10 out of 10...and I think my guests would agree.

Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze (source: Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:
For the scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3-½ cup cinnamon chips
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
2 tbsp. milk

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk just to combine. Add the cold butter chunks to the bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the largest butter pieces are no bigger than peas. Mix in the cinnamon chips. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir together gently just until the dough comes together. If necessary, knead a bit with your hands, but be careful not to overwork the dough or you will end up with a tough scone.

Transfer the sticky mass of dough to the prepared baking sheet. Pat the dough into a 8 or 9-inch round. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Slice the dough round into 7 or 8 wedges.

To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and spices in a small bowl. Add the milk and whisk to combine, until a thick glaze is formed. (If necessary, add a bit more milk to achieve a consistency good for drizzling the glaze.) Use a whisk to drizzle the glaze over the finished scones.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Pumpkin Muffins Two Ways

Recently I had to take breakfast for our MOPS meeting. I was also in charge of the snack for the 3 year old MOPPETS class. So I checked out the "muffins" section of my favorites list and found two recipes I had bookmarked to try.

For the adults I made Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (a pumpkin muffin with a cream cheese filling and streusel on top) and for the kids I made much healthier Whole Wheat Pumpkin Mini Muffins. Both of them turned out well and went quickly at the meeting.

Here are both recipes for you to try:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (from Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

3 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

For the streusel topping:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup and 1 tsp. flour
4 tbsp. butter, cubed
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until smooth. Form into a log on plastic wrap or foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours.

To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well halfway with batter. Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices. Place a slice in each muffin well. Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Mini Muffins (from AllRecipes.com)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center, and put in eggs, pumpkin, oil and honey. Mix just until the dry ingredients are absorbed. Spoon into muffin cups so they are about 2/3 full.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan before removing from cups.

These recipes are linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table. Head over there to find hundreds of other great recipes.

Four Grain Batter Bread

If you've read this blog for more than one week you know that I love to bake and that bread is one of my favorite treats. Not sweet breads or fruit breads, just plain old yeast breads. That said, they do take quite a bit of time and little know-how to make correctly so I don't make them every day, or even every week. But now I've found a recipe that is so easy and DELICIOUS that I could make it every single week.....if not for the fact that I would eat it all and gain 200 pounds.

I first tried Four Grain Batter Bread at my sister's house in Florida this fall. She made it for our dinner one night. It was so moist and tender and scrumptious that I asked her for the recipe. I think it came from The New Betty Crocker Cookbook, but I'm not sure. So here it is reprinted for you: (Sorry no pics this time....we ate it too fast.)


Four Grain Batter Bread

4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cups all purpose or bread flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup quick cooking oats

Grease bottom and sides of two loaf pans with shortening and sprinkle with cornmeal.

Mix 3 1/2 cups bread flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and yeast in a large bowl. Heat milk and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warm (120-130 degrees). Pour over flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat 3 additional minutes on medium speed.

Stir in whole wheat flour, wheat germ, oats and enough remaining bread flour to create a stiff batter. Divide batter between two pans. Pat tops of bread smooth with floured hands. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place until the batter is one inch below the rim of the pan.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes or until tops are browned. Remove from pans to wire rack to cool.

EAT!!!

For a yummy white batter bread check out my post on Sally Lunn Batter Bread.

This recipe has been linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table. Head over there for more great recipes.

Giant Ice Cream Sandwich

Ryker's birthday was this weekend. (I can't believe he is 10 already.) And as always, we can't just have cake. We have to have some kind of fabulously indulgent dessert. This year Ryker chose "Mom's Special Occasion Ice Cream Cookie Dessert", which I prefer to call "The World's Biggest Ice Cream Sandwich".

It is basically an ice cream sandwich made in a 10 inch springform pan. You layer chocolate chip cookies, walnuts, homemade chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream to make a very scrumptious...and very rich dessert.

All of our guest loved it and several asked for the recipe. More importantly Ryker loved it. So I give you, "The World's Largest Ice Cream Sandwich".....

Ingredients:

1 batch of chocolate chip cookies, baked according to pkg directions for bar cookies
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 T. melted butter
1 T. brown sugar
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup semi sweet morsels
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate baking bar
2 T. butter
1 T. vanilla extract
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

1. Bake cookies and let cool completely.

2. Chop cooled cookies into small pieces.

3. Combine walnuts, melted butter and brown sugar in an 8 x 8 square pan. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Stir well. Cool completely.

4. In a medium saucepan, combine evaporated milk, chocolate morsels, confectioners sugar, baking bar and butter. Cook over med-low heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted. Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool completely.

5. Spread one third of cookie crumbs onto bottom of 10 inch springform pan. Top with 1/2 of the ice cream and half of the chocolate sauce.

6. Combine remaining cookies with walnuts. Spread half of cookie/walnut mixture over chocolate sauce in pan. Top with remaining ice cream.

7. Reserve two tablespoons chocolate sauce. Pour remaining sauce over ice cream layer. Top with remaining cookie/walnut mixture.

8. Drizzle with reserved chocolate sauce.

Keep frozen.

This recipe is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Mousseline Au Chocolat

Sadly this is my final Julia Child recipe. I've already renewed the cookbook once and now it is overdue again. I guess it is time to let someone else try it out for awhile. I couldn't take my foray into French cooking without trying a chocolate mousse though.

The recipe wasn't much different from the base for the bavarian cream but for some reason it didn't work this time. I experienced my first Julia failure! I was able to beat the egg yolks and sugar until they "formed the ribbon" but when it was time to cook them over the double boiler I think I left them on too long.

The directions say to cook them for 3 to 4 minutes or until they are too hot for your finger. They never got very hot at all so I just kept cooking and cooking....for maybe 5 to 7 minutes. They didn't appear any different than when I started but I took them off the heat and started beating them to cool them off. As they cooled they got more and more stiff and instead of a ribbon I had egg concrete. It was awful. I had to throw the whole thing away and start over.

The second time I just cooked it over the heat for 3 to 4 minutes as directed and it worked fine. I ended up with a beautiful, light and fluffy mousse. We ate it just plain and I also used it as a filling for my Vols-au-Vent. Another success.....on the second try.

Chocolate Mousse

4 egg yolks

3/4 very fine sugar

1/4 orange liqueur (or pulp free orange juice)



Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is thick, pale yellow, and falls back up on itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon. Beat in the orange juice (I used almond extract, but only a tsp. of it). Set mixing bowl over a pot of not-quite simmering water and continue beating for 3 to 4 minutes or until the mixture is foamy and too hot for your finger. Then beat over a bowl of cold water for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is cool and again forms the ribbon. It will have the consistency of mayonnaise.



6 oz. semisweet chocolate

4 Tbsp. strong coffee

1 1/2 sticks softened unsalted butter



Melt the chocolate with coffee over hot water. Remove from heat and beat in the butter a bit at a time, to make a smooth cream. Beat the chocolate into the egg yolks and sugar.



4 egg whites

pinch of salt

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar



Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Stir one fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the rest.



Turn into a serving dish, dessert cups or petits pots. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

S'mores Cupcakes

For my friend's birthday I made a batch of these cupcakes that I found over at Proceed With Caution.

They have a graham cracker crust, a layer of gooey chocolate, chocolate cake and then marshmallow icing.

They were really good....and messy. I stuck to the recipe exactly for the cupcakes but I did change the frosting.

Instead of making a marshmallow buttercream I just made homemade marshmallows and piped those on top of the cupcakes. I also felt like it needed a little dressing up so I added the piece of chocolate on the top.

They were a hit with the crowd. A couple of people thought the marshmallow on top should have been toasted to give it a really authentic s'more taste. I may try that next time. I can never pass up the opportunity to use my little creme brulee blow torch.

S’mores Cupcakes

Yields 30 cupcakes

For the graham crust:

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 - 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

For the cupcakes:

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper liners.

2. Combine 1/4 cup sugar,graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Spoon 1 tablespoon of graham cracker mix into the bottom of each muffin cup. Press crumbs firmly, using the bottom of a small glass. Save the remaining mixture for topping. Top graham cracker mix with several bittersweet chocolate chips.

3. Bake graham mixture for about five minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

4. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.

5. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir until well blended.

6. Add flour mixture to large bowl and beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full with batter (about 1/4 cup). Sprinkle batter with small amount of remaining graham cracker mixture.

7. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely, then frost.

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 container (16 oz.) Marshmallow Fluff

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, plus additional sugar, if necessary

Directions:

1. Spoon the Marshmallow Fluff into a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low.

2. Gradually add the butter pieces, beating well after each addition, until smooth.

3. Add the vanilla extract and the confectioner's sugar. Scrape the bowl well to incorporate. Add more confectioner's sugar, if necessary, to adjust the texture.

This recipe is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Poulet en Cocotte Bonne Femme

Casserole-roasted Chicken with Bacon, Onion, and Potatoes


I admit I did not follow this recipe EXACTLY, as I have the other ones. I mean, it's chicken, onions and potatoes, how can you mess that up? So I modified a few things.....namely, I didn't do all of the pre-cooking on the potatoes and onions. See, I was planning to use a crockpot (*gasp*) because (WARNING: SHAMELESS CHRISTMAS GIFT HINT #1) I don't have a casserole dish big enough to hold a whole chicken, let alone the accouterments. So I knew from experience that none of the veggies needed to be pre-cooked for use in a crockpot. However, (WARNING: SHAMELESS CHRISTMAS GIFT HINT #2) my crockpot was too small to hold everything and I ended up putting it all in a 13 x 9 pan and pretending it is a casserole dish.


So when it comes to the recipe, I'll give you Julia's way and my way and you can decide what you would like to do.



Of course this recipe begins with a whole chicken. I often buy them frozen at Aldi. Just clean out all of the "guts" and rinse it off before starting. I'm sure Julia makes something delicious with the neck and organs of the chicken but I just can't. I get rid of them. I waste perfectly good food. Well, it isn't a complete waste. My dog enjoys them very much.

In the meantime Julia says to boil 1/2 a pound of bacon for 10 minutes and then pat it dry and saute it in 2 T. butter until lightly browned.

Julia Child fries her bacon in BUTTER!

I just fried my bacon the old fashioned way. I can't even fathom boiling bacon in water. Gross!

So then you are supposed to truss and butter the whole chicken and brown it in the bacon grease.

Turning and browning a whole chicken (untrussed, another direction I ignored) is not easy. Julia recommends using 2 wooden spoons and a towel. I tried the 5 fingers and a pie server method and, surprisingly, had a little trouble. But eventually I got it all brown and yummy looking.

Next Julia says it is time to boil the potatoes in salty water for 5 minutes. The recipe calls for fingerling potatoes "trimmed to perfect ovals" and pearl onions. Well I have a garden full of potatoes so we will be eating very imperfect triangle-ish potatoes and random hunks of onions with our poulet.


I did not boil the potatoes. Once again I thought that they would get plenty soft enough cooking in the chicken juices for over an hour. I did follow Julia's next step and I learned a neat potato trick. If you cook the potatoes in hot butter (or bacon grease) briefly (2 mins) before putting them in the casserole this will evaporate their moisture and keep them from sticking to the dish.

Now it's time to put it all together. Of course, first of all we will need more butter. Of course. Melt a couple of tablespoons in the bottom of the casserole dish and then put in the potatoes. Push them to the edges and set the chicken in the middle, breast up. Place the bacon and onions over the potatoes and add the herb bouquet.

I skipped the herb bouquet because I didn't have any of the herbs on hand. If you want to do it Julia's way you can make a little sachet of parsley, bay leaf and thyme and throw it in. Then cover the chicken in aluminum foil and put the lid on the casserole. This is what mine looked like before I baked it.

Your poulet should bake at 325 for one hour and 10 or 20 minutes, basting 2 or 3 times with the juices from the pan. I wasn't able to baste anything because there wasn't even enough room in my pan for a spoon. It seemed to maintain it's moisture anyway. Here is the final product.

This is the only savory Julia Child recipe I've made and it got rave reviews. Brian loved it. The flavor was excellent and it was really easy to make. I will definitely make it again.

To find more great recipes check out Tuesdays at the Table and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. And by the way, Cole at TATT is giving away some great kitchen gadgets this week. Link up and get entered in the drawing....and help fight breast cancer too.

Souffle a la Vanille

When I decided to start making a few of the dishes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking I knew souffle would be high on my list. I've always thought it would be fun to try, and who better to teach me how to make one than Julia.

I'd heard horror stories about fallen souffles and souffles that won't puff, etc, so I was scared to try it. (I don't like failure.) So I travelled all the way to Florida with my parents and roped my sister into making a souffle with me (and spent a week visiting and painting and hanging curtain rods). She's always ready for a challenge and she bolstered my courage. We chose to make the basic vanilla souffle. Our only obstacle....the kitchen.

My sister's kitchen wasn't just a space for making food, it was also the headquarters for the myriad of home improvement projects we were doing around her house. So we had to make a souffle in a kitchen that looked like this.

But make it we did. And here is the recipe (once again without all of the crazy cross-referencing that Julia always includes):

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter the entire surface of your mold (we used a small round casserole dish) then coat it with a thin layer of granulated sugar.

Measure our 3/4 cup milk. In a saucepan, beat 3 T. of all purpose flour with a bit of the milk until well blended. Mix in the rest of the milk and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Stir over moderately high heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil, stirring, for 30 seconds. Sauce will be very thick. Remove from heat and beat for 2 minutes to cool slightly.

Separate on egg, dropping the white into the bowl, and the yolk into the center of the sauce. At once beat the yolk into the sauce with the wire whip. Continue with 3 more eggs, one by one.

Beat in 1 T. softened butter. Clean sauce off sides of pan with rubber scraper. Dot top of sauce with 1 T. butter to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.

Beat 5 egg whites and a pinch of salt together until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle on 1 T. of granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.

Beat 2 T. vanilla extract into the sauce base. Stir in 1/4 of the beaten egg whites. Delicately fold in the rest. (This is what the sauce looks like after the egg whites are folded in. It looks a little lumpy but that is just the air from the egg whites. It's good.)

Pour the souffle into the prepared mold leaving at least 1/4 inch between the top of the souffle and the rim of the mold.

Place the mold in the middle level of the preheated oven, and immediately turn down to 375 degrees. In 20 minutes, when the souffle has begun to puff and brown, quickly sprinkle the top with powdered sugar from a shaker. After a total of 30-35 minutes of baking, the top of hte souffle should be nicely browned, and a long thin knife plunged into the souffle center should come out clean.

Serve immediately.

I will say that it was a delicious, warm dessert. It tasted exactly like a custard pie only warm and soft and airy instead of cold and wet and slimy. I liked it, but I'm not sure why it is considered the pinnacle of dessert cooking. It wasn't that hard to make and it was the type of food you'd walk over burning coals for, but it was good.

Success!

This recipe is being linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table.