This is a recipe that ‘cheats’ but don’t tell anyone….they will never know.
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tbsp. rum
- 2 tbsp. chocolate sauce
- 1/3 of fresh pineapple, cored and peeled
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- Vanilla, coffee or coconut ice cream
- 1/4 cup sweetened, flaked coconut, toasted
Cut the pineapple in 12 wedges. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the pineapple and brown sugar, stir frequently, cooking only until the pineapple has softened and has turned a deep golden brown (3-5 minutes). Leave in the pan.
Drizzle the chocolate sauce in a zig zag pattern on each plate. Arrange the wedges so they are just slightly stacked. Scoop ice cream and place near the pineapple and sprinkle with the coconut.
This will serve 4 people….you may have to tell them NOT to lick their plates. HA!
Yummy!
Dark Cherry Flan
What a way to add sparkle to a dinner party. Easy, delicious and requests for “more, please” will be heard.
- 2 white cake mixes
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. almond flavouring
- 1 14 oz. can dark cherries, pitted and drained
- 3 tbsp. white rum
- 2/3 cup Nutriwhip, unwhipped
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- icing sugar for garnish
- Grated lime zest
In a large bowl, stir together the cake mixes and eggs with a fork, until crumbly. With floured fingers, press the mixture over the bottom and up the sides of a 10 inch springform cake pan.
Arrange the cherries over the base of the pan and sprinkle with the white rum.
In a bowl beat the Nutriwhip, eggs and cornstarch until completely smooth and thickened. Pour this over the cherries and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for one hour until golden brown in colour.
Let cool to room temperature before releasing the sides of the pan.
When serving, slice in wedges, dust with icing sugar and sprinkle with the lime zest.
This is truly a delight to make and devour….yes, I did say devour.
Tropical Hawaii Martini
Okay,with115 more sleeps to go, my mind sorta wandered to Hawaii…again! Such fun..try this one and see if you don’t smile a lot. It takes only 4 items and you could swear you are already there once you consume it.
- 3 parts Grey Goose Vodka
- 3 parts white rum
- 1 part Bols Coconut Liqueur
- 1 part Bols Banana Liqueur
In a shaker filled with cracked ice, shake all the ingredients well and strain into chilled martini glasses. Put on your bikini, flip-flops and dream…..
If you need a garnish (forget the umbrellas) add a slice of banana that you have dipped in lemon juice so it won’t turn brown . I, on the other hand, would prefer to dip it in the vodka.
Enjoy!
Cherry Flambe
This is the dessert Chef Justin prepared for us On Monday night. Believe me, this was fabulous. Everyone was all but licking the bowl. As we are fast approaching cherry season here in the Valley, get ready.
- 2 cups fresh cherries (yes, they were the first ones this year)
- 3 oz. rum
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar
Pit and halve the cherries. Pour 2 oz. of the rum over the cherries and allow to marinate for 1 hour, at least.
Melt the butter and sugar on high heat and cook to the caramel stage. Add the cherries to one side of the pan and remaining rum to the other side of the pan and ignite. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, remove from heat and serve.
Vanilla Pudding
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 vanilla bean, slice lengthwise and scrape out the seeds,
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tbsp. butter
Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pot in order of the recipe except for the butter. Place on medium heat, stirring c onstantly until the mixture becomes thick.
Stir in the butter and serve chilled with the cherries.
Wow!!
* Note…save the vanilla beans in a tight container and when you have enough, put into a bottle of vodka to age. Voila! Vanilla vodka.
Avocado and Pomegranate Salad
Now THIS is different. With the use of dark rum and fig balsamic vinegar, it is refreshing and really neat – both in ingredients and flavours.
- 2 navel oranges
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. fig balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp. dark rum (in the salad, not you)
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6 oz. argula, washed and dried
- 1 oz. cilantro leaves, washed and dried
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced, brushed with some lime juice so they don’t turn brown.
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Use a sharp knife to remove the skin and white pith from the oranges. Over a small bowl to catch the juices, slice the oranges in 1/8 inch rounds.
In a small bowl combine 1 tbsp. of the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and rum. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the arugula and cilantro, toss with about half of the dressing. Arrange the orange rounds and avocado slices on top of the greens, and lightly drizzle the remaining dressing over the orange slices. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the salad. Serve.
Voila! Again, you gave a spectacular presentation to the lowly salad and came away looking like a rock star. Good for you.
Yummy.
Shrimp With Cilantro And Lime
My husband is such a great cook that, when we are in a restaurant and order a shrimp dish, we are at times disappointed. Some Chefs cook them too long and then they become like rubber.
Take a moment, think about the timing, then try this dish, and you can enjoy perfectly cooked shrimp.
- 1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails left on.
- 1 tsp. rum
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup mild curry powder
- 3 tbsp. peanut oil or a really good olive oil
- sprigs of cilantro
- 2 limes, cut in wedges.
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and then sprinkle them with the rum, toss and let stand for about 20 minutes. then pat dry again.
Sprinkle the shrimp evenly with the salt and sugar. Dust each shrimp wtih the curry powder to form a light coating and shake off any excess.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. of oil and heat for about 25 seconds. Add enough shrimp to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer. Cook until shrimp are brown and crisp, about 1- 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a warm plate and repeat with remaining shrimp.
Arrange the shrimp on a large plate or individual plates and sprinkle a bit of cilantro over the shrimp and add a couple of lime wedges.
This makes a terrific appetizer to any meal. Enjoy, ‘cuz it really is yummy!
* Note: use more curry if you are a real fan.
Burnt Sugar/Pecan Rum Sauce
Summer is here and that means ice cream. This is a luscious sauce to use. The ice ceam consumers will love this one. It is easy to make and brings the simple dessert up a notch or two.
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. rum
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
Cook the sugar over medium heat in a heavy saucepan , do not stir, until it starts to melt. Now, with a fork, continue stirring until the sugar becomes a deep golden caramel colour.
Tilt the pan and CAREFULLY, pour in the water, then add the cream and rum. (this will bubble and steam vigorously).
Cook slowly over a low heat until the caramel has dissolved. Stir in the pecans and serve warm over vanilla ice cream.
Add a pecan shortbread cookie or two and enjoy.
Banoffi Tart
This is, originally, an English dessert but we will add just one thing to add a French influence. Banoffi means “can’t take it off” and the English establishment couldn’t take it off their menu it was sooooo good.
Try it. Seeing as how salted caramel is the latest rage, it might hit the top of the list for you too.
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp. cold water
Pulse the flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it becomes a coarse texture. Mix 2 tbsp. water, vinegar and egg yolk together to combine and add to the flour mixture while still pulsing. If the dough doesn’t come together in about 5 pulses, add the remaining tbsp. of water. Shape into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-2 1/2 hours.
Filling
- 2 tins sweetened condensed milk
- pinch of Fleur de sel
For filling, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrape condensed milk into a 9 inch pie plate and stir in the fleur de sel. Cover with foil and place inside a larger pan with at least 1 inch of water in the bottom.Bake for about 2 hours, without stirring. Be sure to top up the water in the outer pan throughout the cooking process. Uncover, let sit to cool for about 20-25 minutes. Then scrape into a bowl, whisking until smooth and now chill until read to use.
While the filling is cooking in the oven, roll out the pastry disc to about 1/3 inch thick and place in a 9 inch fluted tart pan with removable botttom.
Prick with a fork and chill for half an hour.
Reduce oven to 375 degrees.
Assembly
- 2 large bananas, sliced
- 2 tbsp. white rum
- 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. fleur de sel
- 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
- toasted almonds and chocolate shavings for garnish
Line the pastry disc with foil and fill with dried beans. Set pan on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature now to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes more. Remove the foil and bake a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Mix 1 tsp. vanilla and rum together and toss the banana slices gently to coat. Spread into a single layer on the crust. Now carefully spread the toffee on top, covering the bananas and sprinkle with the fleur de sel.
Whip the cream to soft peaks, add the sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Spread this over the entire pie and garnish with the toasted, sliced almonds. Chill until ready to serve.
This can be made the day ahead but keep refrigerated.
,
Celebration Rum Cake
I had this for the very first time at Michelle’s (Don’s niece) many years ago and, believe me, you will want to devour it all at once. It actually starts with a cake mix, but don’t tell and no one will know.
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 yellow cake mix
- 1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup each of cold water, Crisco oil and light rum
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan or large Bundt pan.
Sprinkle the bottom with the chopped pecans. Mix the remaining ingredients together and beat on medium for about 3 minutes. Pour the batter over the nuts and bake for one hour.
Cool and invert on to a pretty serving plate. With a fork, prick the surface all over.
Rum Glaze
- 1/2 lb. butter (do not use margarine)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light rum
Melt butter in saucepan and stir in the water and sugar. Boil for a full 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and VERY CAREFULLY add the rum. Now carefully drizzle the glaze over the top and down the sides. This will take a little time but repeat until ALL the glaze is used up.
I promise you, add a dollop of whipped cream and this will become your very favourite birthday cake, or anniversary, or Sunday evening dinner or OMG breakfast….get the idea?
Puerto Rican Flan
This makes a nice light dessert (is there really such a thing?)
- 3/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 large egg yolks, also at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp. white rum
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups canned coconut milk, scalded
Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a nonstick frypan toast the shredded coconut until golden in colour. This takes about 4 minutes. Set aside.
Reduce the temperataure to 300 degrees.
Prepare 4 custard cups with buttering the sides. In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water to a boil. Cook over medium heat WITHOUT stirring until colour is dark brown. This will take about 10 minutes. Immediately pour 1 tbsp. of the caramel into each dish, coating the bottom. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, salt, rum and vanilla. Slowly whisk in the scalded milk. Strain the mixture into each of the dishes. Put the dishes in a deep sided pan and fill with boiling water about halfway up the sides of the dishes.
Bake about 50 minutes in the oven. Remove from the water bath and cool thoroughly. To unmold, run a knife around the edges and turn out on plates. Garnish with whipping cream and sprinkle with the toasted coconut and serve to 4 adoring guests.
Yum!
Harvest Trifle
It is called “Harvest” due to the fact that pumpkin is used. I would also be tempted to use it a Christmas. It looks lengthy but is more than delicious. I have been tasting as we go. On Saturday, we will take pictures of the finished product to add to this site.
Pour yourself a coffee, sit down and read this through. Take a deep breath and say “damn I can do this” and go for it. Not hard to do.
Vanilla Rum Custard
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. rum, or to taste
Whisk the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of the milk together in a medium bowl. Add the sugar, egg yolks and salt. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.
In a saucepan bring the remaining milk and cream to a simmer. Remove 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture, whisking it vigorously into the yolk mixture until well blended. Gradually whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring for about 2 minutes (to a boil) and then another 30 seconds more. Pour into a clean bowl and add the vanilla and rum, stirring to incorporate well. Cover the surface with plastic to avoid a skin forming. Let cool to room temperature and place in the refrigerator. (can be made 2 days ahead). You are not done yet….
Pumpkin Caramel Sauce
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin
Melt the butter in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook until mixture become a deep amber colour, stirring constantly – about 8 minutes. Now don’t get scared here. SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY, add the cream, whisking as you pour. It will seize up like a newly washed girdle that got stuck in the drye,r but keep whisking. (I kid you not). It will take up to 5 minutes for the caramel to dissolve and become smooth again. Add the pumpkin and salt and stir until completely blended.
Cover with plastic and when room temperature, place in the refrigerator. Nope..still not done. (Can be done 2 days in advance as well)
Roasted Fruit
- 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 large firm Bosc pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. grated lime zest
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. ground mace
- 2 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the fruit in a large bowl with all the juice, sugar and spices to cover all the pieces. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, spread out the fruit in a single layer. Dot with butter and place in the oven. Every 15 minutes turn the fruit with a spatula for a total of 45 minutes. Really watch the last 15 minutes so the fruit doesn’t burn. Cool the fruit on the pan.
Pound Cake and Gingerbread Cookies
Bake your own, but it can be already made and packaged – either one is okay
- 20 gingerbread cookies are needed
- 6 tbsp. a favourite liqueur (almost anything will do)
Wait until you read the full assembly instructions before doing anything here. This is just a heads up.
You have a choice here. Either make one large trifle or individual servings. In the case of the latter, just divide the ingredients equally in your prettiest dishes.
Line each dessert dish with cake cubes. Crumble the gingersnaps and use half to layer the cake pieces. Drizzle half of the liqueur over this. Drizzle enough of the caramel sauce to cover the cake. Spoon some of the roasted fuit into the dishes
Cover this layer with more cake and cookies, drizzle the remainder of the liqueur over, layer with sauce and add more fruit. You will not use up all the cake and cookies so just set it aside for the moment.
Now, cover all the dishes with plastic and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Topping
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- 1 tbsp. rum
- sprinkling of gingersnaps
When ready to serve, place a large dollop of whipping cream on top of each dish, add a drizzle more of the caramel sauce and add a sprinkle of gingersnaps. Whew!
There, I told you you to do it. Now, I need a martini…….
Starting Ahead of Baking Time
With so much over-whelming news about the east coast weather and on the west coast…two earthquakes in three days…I decidedI needed a pick-me-up. I made the dough for my cheese shortbread and put it in the freezer and I now have the Gumdrop Christmas Cake in the oven.
The dishwasher is going and when my cake comes out of the oven, I will make lunch and then clean my oven. Next week it will be running for hours on end and it needs to be sparkling clean before we start.
THEN I have to make a list of things to be done in order be ready for the dinner next Saturday. This may sound crazy, but when I do this (for me it works), I don’t have any last minute panics. Things like cleaning the silverware, lining up what we are serving, making sure the grocery list is completed, table setting ideas…..
Darn good thing I did…the dessert I am making will take about three days prepping. Day 1 I will make the pound cake and then on day 2, I will make the pumpkin/rum/lime custard….did I get your attention?
Day 3 – I will complete the dessert. The dessert is a pumpkin-rum trifle and is truly amazing. It is one of those recipes that says to you “damn I can do this”. I did.
Wow! I may have to have a martini later….haha
We did a ton of shopping last weekend but it had to cover the baking we do on November 11th.