Ooohhhh! This is so yummy, you won’t believe it.
Cake
- 1 tbsp. lime zest
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square cake pan and line with parchment paper before setting aside.
In a bowl, using your fingers, rub together the lime zest and sugar. Add the lime juice, buttermilk, eggs and oil and whisk together until well combined.
In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture and beat in your electric mixer for 2 minutes until smooth. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 35-45 minutes until tested in the middle and is done. Cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes. Turn out to cool to room temperature.
Cake Filling
- 2 cups white chocolate melting discs
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. Bailey’s liqueur
- pinch of salt
In a heat proof bowl, add the chocolate wafers. Set aside. In a small saucepan, add the whipping cream and butter and warm up, stirring constantly until it reaches a simmer. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for about 4 minutes.. Add the liqueur and salt and stir with a rubber spatula until completely combined and smooth as silk. Let this sit until room temperature.
Carefully trim the edges of the cake and cut in half. Spread a generous layer of the filling on the bottom cake and then top with the other half. Reserve any remaining filling for another use (filling cookies?). Refrigerate the cake for about an hour. This should allow the filling to harden up.
Run a sharp knife under hot water and then slice the cake into 36 squares. Make sure you constantly run the knife in hot water and then dry with a paper towel. Return these back to the refrigerator.
Glaze
- 1 cup white chocolate melting discs
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. Bailey’s liqueur
- pinch of salt
- Flaked sea salt for garnish
Repeat the steps for melting the chocolate as noted above and then allow this to cool to room temperature but still pourable. Take the chilled cake squares out of the refrigerator and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Pour the warm glaze over the top of each cake and let it run down the sides. Sprinkle a few flakes of the salt over the top. Let this set for 30 minutes, place on a pretty plate and serve.
YUM.
Peanut Butter Tart
This is soooo simple and yet I am unable to make it for my friend and granddaughter. Sorry guys but it IS good.
- 10 graham crackers, broken
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 3 oz. best quality milk chocolate, plus more for chocolate curls
- 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
In food processor, place the graham crackers and pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium sized bowl and add the melted butter. With a fork fluff these until thoroughly combined.
Place the crumbs in a tart pan with a removable bottom and press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (hence, the tart form). Place this is the refrigerator while you make the filling.
Fill a large bowl with ice water. Finely chop the chocolate and place in a medium sized bowl. Place 1/2 cup cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate and set aside for 5 minutes to yield a chocolate ganache.
Whisk together to combine. Set the bowl in the ice bath and whisk until cool. Once cool, remove from the ice bath and whisk the ganache until it is just thick enough to hold its shape (do not over whisk). Spread this in the bottom of the prepared crumb shell, using an off-set spatula. Return to the refrigerator until set.
Combine the peanut butter, cream cheese and condensed milk in a food processor and process until completely smooth. Transfer this to a mixing bowl.
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the cream to the peanut butter mixture and whisk to combine. Spoon mixture into the prepared crust and return to the refrigerator for 2 hours or, better yet, overnight.
To serve, remove from the refrigerator and transfer to a platter 10 minutes before serving. Top the tart with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate curls you can make with a vegetable pepper.
Quick And Easy Ice Cream Cake
Quick and Easy Ice Cream Cake – what a delightful desert on a hot summer day. Make it up the day before and you are all set to impress one and all alike.
Crust
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
- 3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (or vanilla)
Flip the base of a 9 inch springform pan upside down. Line the base with foil and wrap side band with plastic wrap. Re-assemble pan.
Stir 1/3 cup cream with the condensed milk together in a bowl and stir in the crumbs until well combined but still crumbly. Press this mixture on the bottom of the prepared and midway up the sides.
Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tbsp. instant espresso powder
Combine the ingredients and using an electric mixer, whip until soft peaks form. This should now be fluffy and very light. Scoop this into the pan and smooth the surface. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight. Wait…not done yet.
Next morning make your topping.
Ganache
- 2/3 cup unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 pkg. Malteser candies
Over a pot of simmering water, place the chocolate and cream in a metal bowl and place over the pan. Just don’t let the water touch the bowl. With a spatula, stir constantly until the chocolate has melted and completely smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup condensed milk until there are no streaks.
Pour this over the frozen cake and smooth the top. Arrange the candies about a 1/4 inch apart around the outer edge of the cake. Freeze for about 15 minutes or until the ganache is firm.
Release the cake from the pan, transfer to a pretty platter and slice away.
This will and should feed 12 people. Okay, you want larger servings and licking the plate is not an option. It is a must. I am kidding of course.
Mushroom Bisque With Spicy Croutons
I love bisques and chowders more than any other soup and this one is at the top of my list. Can you guess I LOVE mushrooms done any way.
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup dried mushrooms
- 2 lbs. fresh crimini, white, and portabello mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, chopped coarsely
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 leek, white part only, rinsed extremely well, chopped coarsely
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- sea salt and white pepper
- 1 stalk celery, ribs removed, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 cup chicken stalk
- 1/4 cup sweet sherry (Marsala)
- 1 Yukon gold potato, peeled, diced in 1/2 inch cubes
- pinch of fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Spiced Croutons (recipe below)
Bring the water to a boil. In a bowl, place the dried mushrooms, add the boiling water over and set aside.
Clean and trim the mushrooms, chop coarsely and set aside. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add the leek, shallots, pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for about 5-6 minutes until the shallots begin to brown. Add the celery and rosemary and continue to cook for two minutes.
Add the fresh mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, stirring often for about 5 minutes, until they cook down to half their volume. Using a slotted spoon, add the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and add to the pot. Increase the heat to high and cook for 60 seconds.
Slowly pour the reserved liquid into the pot, making sure no sediment gets into the pot. Now add the stock, sherry and potatoes. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 12-13 minutes or until they are tender. Turn the heat off and let the soup sit for about 9 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If using a blender, puree in small batches or use a hand held immersion blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a clean pot and add the thyme and whipping cream, Stir well. If too thick, simply add more whipping cream (of course). Simmer for 5 minutes and ladle into warm soup bowls and top with the spicy croutons.
Spicy Croutons
- 1/4 tsp. of each of the following: dried basil, white pepper, oregano, thyme, dried dill, garlic powder and ground celery seeds
- 1/4 cup butter
- 9-10 slices of baguette, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything together in a small bowl. In a small saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Add the spices and salt to taste.
Pour over the bread cubes to coat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for about 15 minutes until golden.
Stir just once during the baking time. Let cool down and top each bowl of soup with this delectable tidbit.
Spicy Mussel Chowder
This is quite similar to clam chowder but has been spiced up with a Thai curry.
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 lbs. mussels
- 1 tbsp. Crisco oil
- 1 cup diced red potatoes
- 1 cup diced fennel
- 1 cup sliced leeks (cut in half horizontally first and rinse well)
- 1/2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
Bring the stock to a boil and add the mussels. Shake pan and cover until the mussels open up. Discard any that do NOT open. Remove the mussels from the shell and reserve. Reserve the broth in a separate bowl.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the potatoes, fennel and leeks and saute for 2 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook a further minute. Pour in the mussel cooking broth and bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 14-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Add the mussels and cream to the pot and simmer for about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and ladle into soup bowls. Top with the chopped parsley.
Oh, be sure to have a chilled bottle of Riesling on hand. Perfect together.
Warm Chocolate Truffle Tarts With Hazelnuts
This will make even a person who doesn’t care for chocolate, melt! Oh my, is there such a person? Nah!
Tart Shells
- 1 1/3 cup flour
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. baking chocolate powder (unsweetened)
- 1/3 cup cold and cubed butter
- 1/4 cup 35-36% whipping cream
In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and chocolate powder and sprinkle the cubed butter in. Pulse until it becomes fine crumbs and drizzle in the whipping cream until it all comes together. Squeeze tablespoons of dough into a ball and press into 1 1/4 inch mini tart pans. Prick dough with a toothpick and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Filling
- 1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, divided
- 2/3 cup whipping cream
- 1 egg
- 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tsp. vanilla
In a small saucepan heat the cream until just steaming. In a bowl, whisk the egg and gradually pour in half of the cream whisking constantly. Whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Making sure to continue stirring, cook until slightly thickened and almost to the boil. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate and vanilla. Stir until well blended and smooth.
Bake tart shells for 12-14 minutes or until firm. Let cool in the pan until firm enough to handle. Remove from pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of the nuts in the bottom of the tarts and spoon in the chocolate mixture. Finish off with the remaining nuts and serve warm.
One bite and you will be hooked and will not want to share……but you must. These are heaven sent!
White Chocolate Creme Brulee
We tasted quite a few Creme Brulee desserts while away last month, but if this sounds mighty delicious when you read it….then you should taste it…..ummmmm, probably the best one yet.
- 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 5 oz. white chocolate, chopped ( I prefer the melting discs for smoothness)
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 oz. white chocolate, melted
Rinse out a heavy saucepan with cold water and shake out any excess moisture. Set the pan over a medium heat and stir in the cream and sugar, heating until bubbles appear around the edge. Add the white chocolate and stir until completely smooth. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and vanilla until well blended and whisk into the chocolate mixture, whisking to incorporate so the eggs don’t ‘curdle’.
Pour into 8 custard or ramekin cups and place in a baking pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come up halfway on the sides of the ramekins.
Bake at 300 degrees for 35 minutes until set on the edges but soft in the centre. Remove the ramekins and refrigerate for about 6 hours, until well chilled.
Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave, carefully, and then spoon over the tops of the white chocolate, right to the edges with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
Drizzle the melted white chocolate in a pretty design over the tops and serve to 8 delightful guests.
* decorate with a few berries on the side for a real wow factor
Pork Tenderloin With Mustard Crust
There are never any leftovers with pork tenderloin and with the mustard crust and the Rye-based cream sauce, this is a meal for company.
Depending on the size of the tenderloins, it will serve 4-8 people.
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 4 tbsp. whole grain mustard, divided
- 2 medium pork tenderloins
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Rye whiskey
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, room temperature
Mix together in a small bowl the butter and mustard. Set aside.
Cut the silver skin off the tenderloin, any excess fat and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a roast pan over medium high heat and add the oil. When that is hot, add the tenderloin and sear all sides, browning as you go, Now reduce the heat. While still in the pan, brush the tops of the tenderloin with the mustard butter combination. Cover and cook but when the temperature of the meat reaches 145F (63C), remove from the pan, tent with foil and let rest.
Increase the temperature to high and add the shallots, cooking until softened. Now add the rye, cooking until it has been reduced to a glaze. Reduce the temperature to medium and stir in the mustard and cream and any juices from pork cooking until it coats the back of a spoon .
Slice the pork and arrange on a platter, spooning the sauce over the top. Let the guests help themselves OR you can plate in the kitchen and bring to the table.
Mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli, chilled salad and there you go.
Darn – I almost forgot…..bring on the wine as well. A beautiful Chardonnay would be perfect.
Blackberry Crumble Bars
The fact we can still buy fresh berries at the stores is a wonderful way to carry ‘summer’ through the Fall season as well. This is really yummy. You can also change the berry to any one that is your favourite.
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 cups flour, sifted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 10-12 ounces of berries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 inch baking dish with parchment paper leaving at least 1 inch overhang on two sides.
In a large bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, cornmeal, flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and stir together until evenly moistened. Press 2/3 of the dough into the baking dish and sprinkle the berries over the top.
Crumble the remaining dough over the top and bake 38-40 minutes until golden.
Serve warm with sweetened almond flavoured whipping cream.
Yummy…
Lime Cream Tart For Late Summer Eves
I was looking at the calendar and yikes! summer is waning. This desset will bring back all the fond memories of your summer while you enjoy this tart. It is not a baked tart so that is even easier. Light some candles, pour a glass of wine or, if you prefer, a cup of rich, freshly perked coffee.
Serves 6-8
- 10 tbsp. butter, unsalted
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 7 whole graham crackers, finely crushed
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup melted chocolate pieces (milk or dark-your choice)
- 1 tsp. unflavoured gelatin
- 1 cup, plus 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp. grated lime peel
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 1 tsp. coconut flavouring
Mix 6 tbsp. of the butter in a skillet ov er medium heat. When melted, whisk in the brown sugar until it bubbles and stir for a few minutes. Now mix in the cracker crumbs and mix for a minute. In a tart pan with removable bottom, press the warm mixture over the bottom and up the side with the back of a spoon.
Pour the milk in a small custard cup and add the gelatin. Let stand for about 15 minutes. Whisk together 1 cup sugar, lime juice and peel in a saucepan to blend well. Whisk in the eggs, remaining butter and whisk until it thickens and just begins to boil. Remove immediately and whisk in the gelatin until it completely dissolves. Set it aside until it begins to set.
In the meantime, spread the melted chocolate on the crumb base. When cooled down, pour in the lime custard and top with the whipped cream, flavoured with a tsp. of coconut flavouring.
Sprinkle some extra lime zest over the top. Oh, yeah, you did it again!
Wasn’t summer absolutely wonderful?
Fruit-Dulce de Leche Napoleons
What an easy dessert to make…part of it can be made the day ahead and then you are off the hook, time-wise. Use any combination of fruit – ones you like best…could be strawberries and chocolate, bananas and the dulce de leche sauce, peaches with raspberries sauce…on and on.
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed and cut in 6 rectangles
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp. icing sugar
- 2 bananas (your choice of fruit), cut on the diagonal
- 1/2 cup dulce de leche (your choice as above)
- 1/2 cup sweetened coconut, toasted OR finely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden and puffed. This should take 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Beat the whipping cream and icing sugar until stiff peaks form. With a serrated knife, cut the pastry lengthwise in half. Reserve 4 tops.
Divide the bananas on 4 pastry bottoms, drizzle the caramel sauce over them. Use 2 tops and 2 bottoms and make the middle layer. Top this layer with whipped cream and coconut and top with the remaining pastry tops.
If you want to take it one step further, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately. These look like they came from the Bakery not your kitchen.
Hurray for you, you did it again!
Blueberry Biscuits With Blueberry Sauce
The big secret with super good biscuits is having a light touch. You can’t mess this one up. No rolling – no blending butter. Try it and you will love this one forever. Besides, blueberries are a super food.
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, stir the dry ingredients together. Toss the blueberries in the flour mixture and stir the cream into the flour until JUST moistened.
Turn the dough out on a floured surface. Gently lift and fold dough about five times. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and form the dough into a 8 inch circle about 1 inch thick.
Using a floured pizza cutter, cut 12-14 biscuits leaving the biscuits intact. Bake in the upper half of the oven for 18-20 minutes until golden. Cut or pull apart when ready to serve with the Blueberry Sauce (recipe follows).
Blueberry Sauce
- 2 cups blueberries, divided
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. vanilla
In a saucepan combine the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook and stir the berries until the berries pop and becomes thickened.
Remove from the heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla and the remaining berries. Serve warm.
Invite a few friends over, make a fresh pot of coffee/tea and enjoy.