What a play on words…being Autumn, and all. This is for all chocolate lovers now and in the future. You can make this forever and never tire of it.
- 1 pkg. Ladyfingers, sliced in half lengthwise
- 6 oz. each bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 5 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups whipped cream
- fresh raspberries or strawberries for garnish
Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with the bottom half of the ladyfingers, cutting to fit, when necessary. Line the sides of the pan with the top half. Place in the freezer.
In a heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the two chocolates together with the butter, stirring all the while ensuring a complete blend. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, using your hand electric mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Place this bowl over a pan of simmering water and on low speed, beat the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove the bowl from heat and beat on high until cooled and volume is increased. Quickly fold the meringue and chocolate mixture. Taste now for temperature. If not cooled down considerably, when adding the whipped cream, it will simply melt and separate. Not wanted, I promise you.
Pour mixture into frozen pan and smooth down the top. Cover with plasic wrap and place in the freezer overnight.
Remove from the pan and serve with a handful of fresh berries.
This is truly a dessert from the angels.
Irish Cream Truffles
Believe it or not, summer is almost over and thoughts sometimes jump ahead. When entertaining, these are to be considered a gift from heaven…..even your hips will agree!
- 8 oz. good quality milk chocolate
- 4 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate
- 1/3 cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup Irish Cream liqueur
- 1 glass for you (just kidding)
- 1/3 cup pure cocoa
- 1/3 cup icing sugar or finely chopped pistachios
Chop the chocolate and put in a food chopper, process until fine.
In a saucepan, combine the cream, salt and butter until boiling. Add the chocolate and stir until combined. Place in a plastic container and cover, putting in the refrigerataor to chill and become firm.
Use a fruit baller or tsp, drop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet, gently roll until completely round and roll in the cocoa or icing sugar or nuts. Yumm.
You can only test 1……okay 2…..quality control calls for 3….get my drift? WOW!
** you can use any yummy liqueur you like – white chocolate, kahlua, whatever you prefer.
Rum Cake-The Best
This is one of my very favourite cakes to make. The flavour is wonderful.
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 pkg yellow cake mix (18 1/2 oz. size)
- 1 pkg Jello Vanilla instant pudding/pie filling
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 1/2 cup amber rum
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Sprinkle the nuts over the bottom of the pan.
Mix all ingredients together. Pour batter over the nuts and bake for 1 hour.
Cool and invert on a serving plate. Prick the top with a fork and drizzle the smooth glaze all over the top. Allow the glaze to be soaked in and repeat until all the glaze is gone.
Glaze
- 1/2 lb. butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup amber rum
Melt butter in a saucepan.Whisk in the water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, constantly stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in the rum.
Serve with great flair and add a dollop of whipped cream…..just ‘cuz.
Coconut Eggnog – Puerto Rico style
This is a great homemade drink to offer guests. The glasses are small and cold when serving and absolutely delicious.
- 4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
- 6 tbsp. sugar
- 8 large egg yolks
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 6-8 tbsp. dark or spiced rum
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Combine the milk and sugar in a saucepan and bring to scalding.
In a medium bowl, beat the yolks with vanilla. beat 1/4 of the milk mixture into the yolks and whisk all the yolk mixture in the milk. Stirring constantly, cook over low heat until it coats the back of a spoon. Do not let this boil.
Strain in to a bowl and stir in the rum. Let stand to cool down to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until completely chilled.
Chill the glasses as well. When serving sprinkle a whisper of nutmeg on top. Enjoy!
What a wonderful way to make friends.
Cookies, Italian and Others
With great anticipation of our grandkids coming for a visit with their Mom in a couple of weeks, other company coming and going to a concert, I thought I would bake a little to get ahead.
Well…..I have been baking almost all day as the recipes I was using will not work in a convection oven. So…..
Don sampled these and proclaimed they are almost as good as my chocolate chip. WOW! That is, indeed, high praise.
Cookies from Italy
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 scant cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup skinned pistachios
- 1/2 cup chopped, dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on your cookie sheets and set aside.
Together in a bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until really light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well mixed. Beat in the ricotta and vanilla (NO, it hasn’t curdled), gently stir in the flour mixture, pistachios and cranberries.
Drop by heaping teaspoons on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake 14 minutes and remove to a cooling rack.
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- zest from 1 large orange
- 3 tbsp. fresh orange juice (from same orange works great)
Stir until smooth and drizzle 1 teaspoon over each cookie. Store in air tight container at room temperature or freeze up to 2 weeks.
These are so darn good…different from the norm…..go ahead, say it…’damn I can do this’….
Caramel Cheesecake with Pecans
These are the kinds of desserts I like…to make….to eat…whatever.
- 2 pkgs. cream cheese
- 1/2 cup berry sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 24 caramels
- 2 tbsp. milk
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 graham cracker crust…store bought will do nicely.
In your electric mixer, cream the cheese, sugar and vanilla until well blended (no lumps). Add the eggs and again beat until smooth.
Melt the caramels in the milk, stirring until completely smooth and pour over the crust.
Top the cream cheese mixture over the pie and bake in a 350 oven for 35-40 minutes until almost set. Cool and refrigerate overnight.
OMG this is good. Wow! Now, where did I hide the ice wine?…later
Coq Au Vin
Serves 6
A classy way to say chicken stew
It is best to read this through first so you can see the steps
To make it is so worth it!
MARINADE
- 1 750 ml bottle of Pinot Noir Red Wine
- 1 onion (here you must) sliced
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 1 large red sweet pepper, sliced
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and sliced
- 1 tsp of black pepper and salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1-6 lb roasting chicken (backbone removed) and
- Cut into 8 pieces-2 drumsticks, 2 wings, 2 breasts
Combine first six ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes. Cool completely and mix in the oil. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the wine mixture over the chicken, cover and refrigerate at least twenty-four hours.
COOKING THE CHICKEN
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 6 slices of thick bacon, cut into strips
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp. dried parsley sprigs
- 2 small bay leaves
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1 pound of fresh crimini and button mushrooms
- About 20 pearl onions, peeled
Use tongs to remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade keeping liquid and vegetables separate.
Heat oil in a very large pot (so that all eight pieces of the chicken can lay flat ) over a medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl, add the chicken, skin side down in the bacon drippings and saute until brown (about eight-nine minutes) per side. Transfer chicken to a large bowl.
Add vegetables from the marinade to the pot, saute for about ten minutes until brown. Mix in the flour and stir for two minutes. Slowly whisk in the liquid marinade. Bring to a boil, whisking often. Cook until the sauce thickens (about two minutes). Mix in the shallots, garlic, herbs, bay leaves and broth. Return chicken to the pot, skin side up and simmer for another thirty minutes. Use tongs to turn the chicken over and cover, cooking another fifteen minutes.
Now, melt three tbsp butter in large fry pan over medium heat. Add mushroom and saute until tender. Remove to a plate. Add one tbsp butter and saute the onions until brown (about eight minutes) transfer onions to the mushrooms, saving the fry pan.
Use tongs and transfer chicken to a plate. Strain sauce from pot into saved fry pan, pressing all the liquid from the vegetables. Discard vegetables. Bring sauce to boil, scraping all the good brown bits. Return sauce to the pot add onions and simmer over medium heat until onions are tender and sauce has reduced (about twelve minutes). Tilt pot and spoon off excess fat. Return chicken to the pot. This should be made a day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep in fridge. Re-warm over low heat.
This is one dish that you should be place on a platter and arrange steamed garden vegetables around the chicken. Spoon sauce over the chicken and present at the table.
Although this one takes a while to make, I promise you the flavours of this dish will make your mouth water when remembering the wonderful dinner you prepared and you will want to do it again soon.
Note: If you can’t cut up the chicken yourself, ask your butcher to do it for you. You will make this more than once I am sure. It is sooooo tasty. You will hope there are leftovers for tomorrow. (yes, you will).
Hot Spinach/Artichoke Dip
This recipe is so good you will make it one of your favourites.
- 10 oz. Package of frozen spinach, chopped
- 1-3 3/4 oz. can artichoke hearts
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup Asiago cheese
- garlic clove, roasted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a casserole dish with butter or use a nonstick spray.
Heat the spinach in microwave for about five minutes on high. Squeeze dry (when cool to handle). Drain the hearts and coarsely chop. Combine all the ingredients except the Asiago cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole dish adding the Asiago cheese on top. Keep warm and serve with bagel chips or crackers.
You can also prepare this if you are watching a football game or tennis match or even a great movie. It is just like what the restaurants are serving, and it is very tasty.
Pumpkin Turtle Pie
This pie is soooooo delicious, even by using packaged pudding mixes it’s
still from scratch.
- 1 graham pie crust (ready made)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. caramel ice cream topping
- very generous 1/2 cup pecan pieces, divided
- 1 cup cold milk
- 2 pkgs each (3/4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
- 1 cup pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups sweetened whipped cream
- Chocolate, shaved (optional)
Pour one-quarter cup of caramel topping on the pie crust bottom and sprinkle one-half cup chopped pecans on top.
Beat milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with mixer on low just until well blended, gently fold in one cup of whipped cream and spread into crust.
Refrigerate at least one hour.
Yummy, yummy, yummy……ooohhhhhh, another slice? I couldn’t….well, okay.
Just before serving top with remaining whipped cream, sprinkle remaining
pecans, chopped fine, and drizzle some of the caramel topping across the
top. You can also sprinkle with shaved chocolate if you wish.
OMG…this is like the ‘silk’ pies served in the restaurants and charged big bucks
for. Enjoy!
Lemon and Crab Risotto
I really love Risotto and this is a super entertaining fare for guests and family alike.
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter (2 tbsp. each lot)
- 2 leeks, sliced fine (white section only)
- 3/4 cup Chardonnay white wine
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 6 cups homemade hot fish stock (see below)
- 1 fresh lemon
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Asiago Cheese
- 1/2 lb Crabmeat (Dungeness if you can get it, never canned crabmeat)
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
- lemon wedges for presentation
- 1 tsp chopped tarragon
Broth Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 1 large crab
- 1 tsp. white peppercorns (crushed)
- 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and cut in 4
- 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley
- 1 lb bones and trimmings from a white fish (cod, halibut etc.)
Add water to a large saucepan (enough to cover a large crab by a couple of inches. Add salt and bring to a boil. When boiling, plunge crab into water and cook for ten-twelve minutes. Remove from the water and drain well. Reserve the water. Immerse crab in cold water to cool and when cool enough to handle then crack and remove all crab meat , cover with plastic and place in fridge.
(In a large saucepan add four cups of the strained cooking liquid from crab, two cups cold water, peppercorns, fennel, parsley and bones. Bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for ten minutes. Strain and taste to correct the seasoning if required. Measure four cups of broth and reheat. You keep this hot all the while making the risotto.
Place egg yolks, stock, dried tarragon, lemon juice in a double boiler. Whisk until it begins to thicken. Still whisking, add butter is small bits, allowing to completely melt before adding any more. When done, remove from heat and add the fresh tarragon. Do not boil or it will separate and become fodder for the garbage.
The risotto should be tender, glossy and very rich and moist. Grate the lemon peel and add the peel and the juice of the lemon to the risotto. Add remaining butter, cheese and crabmeat. The claw meat should be reheated separately and placed on top of each serving. Sprinkle with paprika (if using) and garnish the plate with lemon wedges.
Note: It looks daunting but it isn’t. It is simply one of the most elegant side dishes you can serve anyone at any time. Be sure it is a special occasion prepared for people who enjoy trying new things and will, of course, praise your cooking to the sky. I would never lie to you. You may find they will never want to leave.
My Mom’s Ribs
Truly a great dish and was one of my mom’s favourite meals. She would give you her recipe provided you didn’t change the ingredients and kept it as she gave it to you. Like most Moms.
Serves 4
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup chopped and peeled celery
- Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 lbs pork spareribs
Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl except for the meat. Cut the ribs into three rib sections, making sure any tough membranes are removed and place in a roasting pan. Cover with the sauce and bake covered for two hours. Remove the cover and bake another fifteen minutes until the sauce thickens up a bit and the meat is almost falling off the bone..
Serve with the Goat Cheese Potatoes and you have a wonderful meal.
Pecan Crust Fruit Tart
If you follow this site and baked from the Holiday Section, you have the pecan shortbread recipe. If and I mean a big IF you had any left over, you can use them here. Now you can bake some up and use about 12-14 of them to crush.
- 12 pecan shortbread cookies (it should equal a tad more than 1 1/3 cups of crumbs)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 8z. light Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup caramel topping
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored, cut into wedges
- 2 red skinned Pears, cored and cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 2-3 tbsp. caramel topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, crush the cookies and add the flour and melted butter and pat into a 10 inch tube pan and up the sides.
In your mixer, cream the cheese on high for about 30 seconds and add the egg and the caramel sauce and beat until super smooth. Spread on the bottom of the crust. Bake for about 10 minutes until the center looks set. Cool on a rack and then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
In a skillet, cook the pears and apples in 2 tbsp. of butter until tender (about 8-10 minutes). Stir occasionally and add the lemon juice, stirring to blend.
Spoon the mixture on top of the chilled tart and drizzle the remaining caramel topping.
Wonderful on a beautiful, warm Spring day on the deck or at least in the kitchen with all the windowns open and breathe in the fresh air after a long winter of stuffy house.
Yummy!