Key Lime Parfaits

This particular recipe requires special equipment as well as special ingredients.  The recipe comes from a pastry chef and was quite challenging.  However, this does prove that with the proper instructions from a book, a person without any culinary training can create an incredible dessert.

This dessert is a very special spin on key lime pie.  The base is a graham cookie that is crispy and subtly sweet. That frozen layer is a mixture of dairy and tart key lime juice.  It is also garnished with sliced plums and surrounded with a unique sauce flavored with ginger, lime leaves and lemongrass.

This serves ten and requires that you have 10 ring molds, measuring 2X2.  Also, a scale is required to measure out the italian meringue.  Items with an asterisk are linked back to another post, which is the detail of dessert components that need to be created in advance of preparing this recipe.

I did find that the cookie stayed crisp as expected.  The custard topping really does have that unmistakable tart flavor of key lime that citrus lovers look for in a lime dessert.  It also has a silky smooth mouth feel, so I would say that the invert sugar ingredient was an asset.  The juicy plum slices on top compliment the custard nicely with their fleshy sweet interior and tart skin.  Also, I really liked the flavor notes in the sauce, so I am storing it for future use on fruit desserts.

Key Lime Parfait
adapted from Dessert Fourplay by Johnny Iuzzini

Ingredients/Italian Meringue
pinch of cream of tartar
2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbs water

Take 1 tsp of sugar out of the 1/4 cup and put into bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the 2 egg whites and beat at low speed.

In a small saucepan, add the water and the rest of the sugar.  Mix until all there is no dry sugar.  Place over medium high heat until the syrup reaches 250 degrees.  I used a microwave and checked the temperature after 30 second intervals.  It took about a minute and 1/2 to reach the temperature.

Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat until the consistency barely makes soft peaks.  Then, continue to beat and pour the water/sugar mixture into the egg whites.  Try to avoid getting it on the inside edge of the bowl and on the beater.  Turn the speed up to high and continue beating.  Once the outside of the bowl has cooled, the meringue has reached the correct consistency.  Set aside. There will be some excess left over after completing recipe.

Ingredients/Lime Parfait
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
2/3 cup fresh key lime juice
1 split/scraped vanilla bean or 1 tbs vanilla extract or paste
1 cup milk
9 egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 3 tbs sugar
1 tbs invert sugar*

Place 10 ring molds (2X2) on top of a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.  Put baking sheet in freezer.  Prepare a double boiler by filling bottom with water and heating until water comes to a simmer.  Also, fill a big bowl with ice and some water for a water bath to cool the parfait mixture after it cooks.

Fill the top of the double boiler with key lime juice, milk, vanilla, granulated sugar,yolks and invert sugar and mix together until all is blended.  Place over the bottom of the double boiler with simmering water.  Let the mixture cook, stirring and scraping sides occasionally.  Mixture will need to thicken and cook up to a temperature of 181 degrees.  Once it reaches that point, transfer the saucepan to water bath to cool off.  Mix often to help cool down to lukewarm then transfer to a large bowl.

At the lukewarm state, take out another bowl and fill with the whipped cream. Beat cream until it reaches the soft peak stage. Set aside.

Go back to the Italian meringue and measure out 50 grams and fold it into the lime custard.  Then add all of the whipped cream and gently fold it into the batter until no streaks remain.

Take the baking sheet of molds out of the freezer.  Using an ice cream scoop or pastry bag without a tip, fill the molds.  Cover the molds with plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 3 days.

Ingredients/Sauce
1/2 ounce chopped lime leaves
1 lemongrass stalk crushed and chopped
1/2 oz or 1 tbs fresh ginger (peeled and sliced)
1 1/4 cup simple syrup*
1/2 cup verjus

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Continue to cook for 25 minutes or until mixture is reduced by 1/2. I measured 2 cups initially and cooked down to 1 cup.  Pour mixture into a strainer set over a heatproof bowl.  Let cool for 15 minutes and cover with plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of one hour or maximum of 3 days.

Ingredients/Assembly layers
3 or 4 ripe plums
10 graham cracker cookies*
 
Split plums and remove pits. Cut each half into thin slices and put on a plate. The task of cutting takes a very sharp knife and some dexterity.  Also, the ripeness of the plums will be a factor as well.

To assemble, place 1 graham cracker cookie on each serving plate. Remove baking sheet of frozen ring molds.  Using your hands, rub around the outside ring to help warm the interior.  Push the inner parfait out on top of the center of the graham cracker cookie.  Arrange the plum slices in a circle, starting with the outside going in.  Then drizzle a little of the sauce around the dessert.  Enjoy!
                            **LAST YEAR: Sweet Lemon Nut Bread**

Dessert Components

This particular post is the recipe for several components used in a recipe that I will be posting tomorrow.  The recipes have been halved from the original since they make an excess of what is called for.  Even when halving and I still had some inverse sugar left overs.  This component does come in handy when making other things, so I am sure there will not be any waste. These recipes hail from Johnny Iuzzini, a famous four star pastry chef.

The first is the cookies.  These cookies are good for use as a garnish for frozen treats and a base for sorbet, uncooked cheesecake, whipped cream with fruit-and the list goes on.  In using this dough, I found it to be very sticky.  Instead of cutting out the dough and placing it, I had to improvise.  Below are the instructions on how I handled the process.  I used this recipe to make 10 cookies, 2 1/2 inches in diameter, even though the stated amount should have been 8, according to halving exactly.

Graham Cracker Sable Cookies
adapted from Dessert Fourplay

Ingredients
3 tbs flour
1 beaten egg
3 tbs butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 3 tbs plus 1 1/2 tsp graham cracker crumbs
2 tbs sugar

Mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and sugar until even distributed and crumbly. Stir in the eggs until blended.  Lastly, fold in the flour, making sure no dry streaks remain.  Place on a floured surface and shape into a brick.  Then wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Once the dough has chilled properly, remove and shape into 10 equal and round balls.  Place one ball on the parchment lined baking sheet and place a 5 inch square of parchment paper over the ball.  Using a small pastry roller, roll the ball out into a circle, about 1/8 inch thick.  Then remove the top parchment sheet and place your cutter over the surface.  Press down and remove excess from around the cutter.  Continue
with the process until all cookies are formed.

Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove and let cookies cool on pan for about 3 minutes then transfer to rack to finish cooling.

The second is the simple syrup.  This is a great item to dip fruits in when you want an extra sweetness without impacting the texture and the freshness of the fruit. Also, this syrup does have a long life if kept covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator. The recipe below makes 1 1/4 cups.

Simple Syrup
adapted from Dessert Fourplay

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Combine both ingredients in a saucepan and place over medium heat.  Let come to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool completely before using.

The third is the invert sugar, which is actually a homemade version of invertase. Invertase is used commercially in the creation of frozen desserts.  At one time, I had posted a note that all homemade ice cream does have a tendency to get icy after a few days in the freezer.  This recipe states that this ingredient is the key to creating a smoother texture in frozen desserts as well as keeping water crystals from forming.  In the recipes I have seen, it does not require very much.  I saw 4 teaspoons or 1 tablespoon per quart of ice cream on a few ice cream recipes.  The recipe below makes a little under 1/2 cup.

Invert Sugar 
adapted from Dessert Fourplay
(below is 1/4 of original recipe measurements)

Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 1 tbs sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil.  Then turn down the heat and let the mixture actively simmer for about 30 minutes.  This cook time should rid the sugar of any acid taste from the lemon.  You can attempt to taste, but it is very hot.  Let cool for 15 minutes and then taste.  If still acidic, place back on stove and let simmer 5-10 more minutes.  Remove and pour into a heatproof bowl or container.  Let cool completely before using.

Come back tomorrow to see what I make from these components.

Fuyu Persimmon Cake

Well I have decided to cut back on blogging and make some changes to embark on some new interests in my life.  It has been a wonderful ride, but this blog will become more of a personal diary than a public feed.  In review I would say that blogging does have a way of enriching your life but it can take over your life as well.  I will be posting quite a bit less and will not be visiting blogs anymore.  I will miss some of it, but I am sure my next endeavor will be just as rewarding.
 
This particular recipe has floated around to many places through the years, but it still remains an unique recipe in my book.

Since it is heavy on the spices, it is considered a winter cake.  However, since I did spy persimmons at the market, I could not pass them up.  Apparently there are two types, the Hachiya and the Fuyu.  This particular cake is made with the harder persimmons, the Fuyu.

I found it reminiscent of almost a gingerbread cake.  It was very moist with chunks of persimmons and walnuts throughout. Then it was all topped with a maple glaze.  Definitely something that will get you started thinking about the fall holidays and spicy treats.

Fuyu Persimmon Bundt Cake
adapted from Sunset Magazine, 1978

Ingredients/Cake
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup raisins (I omitted)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups flour
3 cups peeled and chopped fuyu persimmons
2 tsp baking soda
1 2/3 cup sugar

Ingredients/Glaze
adapted from Food Librarian

1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tbs maple syrup

Prepare a 10 cup bundt pan by coating all the insides with butter.  Then dust with flour, tapping out excess.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl and set aside.

Then beat together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time beating after each addition. Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla and beat until fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix the baking soda with the persimmons and then fold them into the egg/butter/sugar batter.

Fold the sifted mixture into the batter until no dry streaks remain.  Then stir in the walnuts.  Spoon the batter evenly into the cake pan and smooth the top.  Bake for about 55-60 minutes until tester comes out clean.

Let cool for about 20 minutes and then run a knife around the top edge and invert to finish cooling.
Mix together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over cooled cake.
                               **LAST YEAR: Shrimp Po' Boys**

Persephone's Winter Cake

There is a myth surrounding how wintertime actually came about.  Apparently Hades, God of the Underworld, stole someone's daughter named Persephone to keep her and make her marry him.  Her mother was Demeter, goddess of the harvest.

Once Demeter heard about her daughters fate, plants stopped growing.  The lack of food did take its toll on several people as well as animals.  Then her husband Zeus advised that as long as Persephone had not eaten any food in the underworld, she could go free.  Based on this, Persephone was released back to her family.

However it did not take long for a servant of Hades to arrive and advise the parents that Persephone did in fact eat.  It was only 7 pomegranate seeds, but it still was food.  The family was devastated, so much so that it was finally ruled that Persephone could stay with her parents 9 months out of the year. The other 3 months she would have to stay in the underworld.  As a result, plants would die during the 3 months, hence the season was to be called winter.  This cake does have some summer flavors, but the name reflects the tie in to the myth.

This particular cake has is a unique flavor combination, pomegranate and white wine. It came out very moist with a subtle tartness from the pomegranate.  The layers are filled with lime curd and the cake is frosted with sweetened whipped cream.  The curd really does give an extra pop of flavor against the subtle flavor of the cake. Also the whipped cream just pulls it all together in one tasty bite.  

Persephone's Winter Cake
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Lime Curd
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tbs lime zest
1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter, 1/4- 1/2 inch cubes


Ingredients/Cake
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup & 2 tbs white wine
1/4 cup & 2 tbs  pomegranate juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
red food coloring (optional)
2 tbs freeze dried pomegranate
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs baking powder
2/3 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
8 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Ingredients/Whipping Cream
1/2 tsp whipping cream stabilizer (I used Whip it brand)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
8 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla

For the lime curd, beat together eggs, lime juice, lime zest and sugar.  Pour into small saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and lightly coats the back of a spoon.  It should reach a temperature of about 160 degrees.  Then add about 3-4 cubes of butter and stir until it melts.  Continue with this process until all butter has been melted and mixed in.  Remove from heat.  Place a sieve over a heat proof bowl and pour the curd into it.  Make sure all curd is pushed through strainer, leaving the zest behind.  Let cool for about 5 minutes, then cover the surface with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Prepare two 9 inch cake pans by greasing the interior with melted butter.  Then line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper and butter the surface.  Dust bottom and sides with flour.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Sift together 2/3 cup of sugar, flour, baking powder,freeze dried pomegranate and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together yolks, water, oil, vanilla and lemon zest.  Stir in the wine and pomegranate juice.  Add the optional food coloring, being aware that the egg whites will lighten the batter color.  Mix until blended evenly.

Take out a mixer bowl and fill with eggs whites and cream of tartar.  Beat until it turns into soft peaks.  Then add 1/4 cup of sugar and beat for 1 minute and add another 1/4 and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  Fold the egg white mixture into the pomegranate batter.

Pour the batter into the two cake pans, making sure each is filled evenly.  Put each pan in the oven, one on the top left and one on the bottom left.  Baked until tester comes out clean, which is about 25 minutes.  Remove pans and run a knife around the edges.  Place pans on rack and let cool for 10 minutes.  Then invert and peel off parchment and let cakes cool completely.

Once the cakes are cool, place in fridge for 15 minutes.  Then remove and trim domed tops to make each cake even and flat on top.  Then with cut dome side up, smooth the lime curd on top evenly.  Then top with other cake layer.

To make the whipped cream, place all ingredients in a small bowl and beat until soft peaks form.  Be careful not to over beat, you do not want it stiff, just thick.  Frost the top and sides of cake and pipe a border if desired.  Store in fridge until ready to serve.

Tips and notes:
1. deflating the whites when folding in can make for a dense cake, so take care in this process
2. Straining out the zest in the curd is optional, you can leave it in for extra tartness.
3. The stabilizer does help whipped cream from being runny at room temperature for extended times. If you do not have stabilizer, it is best to use a version with gelatin but it will give it a more spongy texture.
4.  This is another one in which I did not like the taste of the cake the first day but on the second day the flavors had developed into something very tasty.
                   **LAST YEAR: Maple Pumpkin Bars**

M & R Pie

Well I have been looking all over the net concerning pies trying to come up with a name for this one.   Interestingly enough, I came across a site called Pies Across America.  It is actually a program set up by two people, Micah and Rick with the idea of sending pies out to people that are in need of some uplifting, such as those affected by natural disasters.  Their base site is in Facebook which I am not a member of, so I am not sure how active the site is.

I have really been on a peach kick lately, I think it was all started with a mixed drink called a Peach Freeze.  Frozen pureed peaches was the base of the drink and it was heavenly.  This particular pie is full of spices and sliced ripe peaches.  In addition, for a little extra zing, I have added some peach schnapps as well.  Also, pecan pieces were lightly pressed into the bottom of the pie crust before filling.  One slice topped with a scoop of vanilla really makes for a great summer dessert.

M&R Pie
by flourtrader

Ingredients
Pie crust for 9 inch double crust pie
1/4 cup chopped pecans
8-10 peaches, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 tbs peach schnapps
3 tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
sugar for sprinkling

Prepare pie crust dough as directed and cover and place dough disks in the fridge to chill prior to rolling.  Place a sheet of wax paper on a flat surface and lightly dust with flour.  Using a rolling pin, roll dough out to a 13 inch circle.  Then invert and center dough over pie pan and peel off wax paper and tuck the pastry into the pan.  Do not stretch the pastry, but flatten against the pan.  Then lightly press the pecan pieces into the bottom of the dough.  Leave overhang and place back in fridge for 15 minutes.

Then fold the peaches, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sugar and flour together in a separate bowl.  Stir in the peach schnapps.  Take the pie pan out of the fridge and fill the pie pan with the mixture, making sure it is all even.  Then drop the small pieces of butter in places on top of the filling.

Take out the the second piece of dough and place on floured wax paper. Roll into an 11 inch circle.  Moisten the top edge of the dough in the pie pan and invert 2 piece of dough over the top.  Press to seal.  Make a decorative top edge according to your personal preference.

Sprinkle sugar over the top of the dough.  Then make steam vents in the top of the pie with a paring knife.  Place in oven and let bake for 30 minutes.  Then lower heat to 350 degrees and rotate pie 180 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove and place on rack to completely cool.
                       
Tips and Notes:
1. amount of filling will vary, depending on the size of your peaches.  Mine were fairly small
2. Peach flavors develop more within time, so waiting a day before serving would be better
                        **LAST YEAR: Aztec Treasure Cookies**
 

German Carmelite Sister Cookies

These particular cookies get their name from 2 Carmelite sisters or nuns that were in hiding during the French revolution.  They actually made these cookies for money to support themselves.  In time, these women were called the "Macaroon sisters" and then later on the recipe was passed onto the Jewish community.

These particular cookies are a macaroon base, however, they have a twist that is reminiscent of the frosting on a German chocolate cake.  They have a chewy pecan filling and are dipped in German chocolate.  They are quite moist and remind me more of a candy than the typical dry macaroons that you often find at the store.  With the humid weather in Texas, I found them to be particularly tasty after refrigeration or even freezing.

If you are like me and love the icing on German chocolate cake, then you will enjoy these.  This recipe makes about 1 1/2 dz macaroons about 2 inches in width.

German Carmelite Sister Cookies
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Filling
2 tbs butter
1 tbs bourbon
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 egg
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients/Cookies
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Ingredients/Topping
1 cup chopped German chocolate
4 tsp butter

To make the filling, melt butter in a small saucepan on medium heat.  Then stir in corn syrup and
sugar.  Cook the mixture, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved.  There will no longer be a grittiness at the bottom of the pan when scraped with a spoon.  Remove from heat and let cool for about 15 minutes or to lukewarm temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Fill a bowl with egg and beat it with a fork.  Stir in the vanilla extract and bourbon.  Then mix in the pecans and corn syrup mixture.

Line the bottom of a pie pan or 9 inch cake pan with parchment.  Pour pecan batter into pan and place in the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes.  Mixture is done when it has turned foamy on top, much like the top of a pecan pie.  The mixture should be able to be scooped up with a spoon and fairly solid. Set aside and let cool.

To make macaroon batter, turn the oven down to 325 degrees.  Line two baking pans with silpat liners.  Beat together egg whites until foamy.  Sprinkle in the cream of tartar and beat again until soft peaks form.  Continue to beat and add one tablespoon of sugar.  Continue with this process until all sugar has been incorporated into batter.  Beat until mixture is shiny and very stiff.

Then carefully fold the vanilla and coconut into the batter, making sure that the egg whites keep their consistency.

Pipe or spoon the coconut mixture into mounds on the silpat.  Then place about 1/2 tsp of pecan mixture on the center of each mound.  Pipe or spoon more of the coconut batter on top of the mound, smoothing to make sure that the pecan center is completely covered.

Bake macaroons for 18-22 minutes, keeping a careful eye out during the time beyond 18 minutes.  You want them to be golden brown but not over baked.  Remove pan and let cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to finish cooling.

For the topping, melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler.  Lay out 2 sheets of wax paper.  Dip cooled cookies halfway into chocolate and then place on wax paper and let set.

Tips and Notes
1. I used parchment as well as a silpat and found that the silpat worked better.  If you have the patience for peeling these carefully off the parchment, it will work.
2. Make sure that your coconut mound is at least 1/2 inch high before adding the filling because the pecan mixture does sink.
3.  You will have some excess of the filling, but you can always top ice cream with it or double the macaroon cookie recipe.
                          **LAST YEAR: Alpine Easter Bread**

Michel's Spa Muffins

Well its finally Friday and today I am off to Dallas for some appointments as well as visits to a few specialty stores.  After that indulgence on Wednesday, I decided I would turn to something a bit more on the healthy side.

The particular recipe comes from a chef at spa located north of San Diego called Cal-a-Vie and found in the RSVP section of Bon Appetit.  The muffins are a good example of some of the healthy cuisine that this place has.  I have been looking around at the spa's website.

If you glance at the ingredient list below, you will realize that they are packed with all that a person needs to get going in the morning and to stay satisfied until lunch.  The muffins really do have some great textures and flavors.   A few things that you really will not miss with these is the butter, eggs and sugar.

I am particular about "healthy" muffins and too much grain or bran can really be a turn off.  However, this muffin does have a good balance, so it will be added to the healthy favorites here.  Also, they are a cinch to make, which is even more of a motivator to pull this recipe out.  This recipe makes about 14-16 muffins.

Michel's Spa Muffins
adapted from Bon Appetit, prior to 2005

Ingredients
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs vegetable oil
2/3 cup plain non fat yogurt
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 tbs lemon zest
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 cup shredded bran cereal (I used all bran)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare your pans according to your preference.  You can grease the top edges and line, grease the whole cavity or use a non stick pan.

Boil about 1 1/2 cups of water and place raisins or dried cranberries in a bowl and pour over the top.  Let sit to soften for about 15 minutes.  Then drain and use a paper towel to pat dry.  Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Stir in the bran and sesame seeds.  Form a well in the middle of the dry mixture.

Then take out a smaller bowl and mix together the first eight ingredients listed above.  Pour this mixture into the well of the dry mix.  Fold together until no more dry streaks remain.

Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, fill muffin cavities with batter.  Place pan in oven and bake until tester comes out clean.  Baking time is about 18-20 minutes.  Remove and let cool for one minute then transfer to rack to finish cooling.  These can be served warm or at room temperature.

Tips and Notes:
1.  I found that these do stick to the liners, so when baking you may want to opt not to use liners.
2. The batter does not rise like cake batter would, so you can fill the cavities full.
3. I mashed my banana but I think it would be better distributed throughout the muffins if the banana was pureed.
                         **LAST YEAR: Amaretto Choc Chip Bundt Cake**

Cherry Surprise Cupcakes-Delicious Recall #2

If you have been following my blog, you know that I do like cherries and chocolate.  When I came across this recipe several years ago, I saved it but have never made it until now.  I guess that is one of the reasons why I came up with this series.

These particular cupcakes are really rich in flavor.  The cake part is made with cherry brandy, cocoa and chocolate chips.  Also, they are doused with chocolate liqueur.  These elements really do make for a tasty combo.  In fact, the cake part was so delicious on its own, I opted not to fill these with the cherry and whipped cream.  I just topped them with a butter cream frosting that has cherry juice and brandy in it. I have included the instructions for the filling below as in the original recipe.

This recipe hails from a blog called The Cheeky Kitchen hosted by Brooke.  This was a recipe that came from a baking challenge between her and a friend that owns a cupcake shop.   This recipe makes about 15 cupcakes.  Make sure you read this whole recipe before proceeding, especially the tips at the end.

Cherry Surprise Cupcakes
adapted from The Cheeky Kitchen

Ingredients/Cake
1 tsp cherry brandy
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup self rising flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate liqueur
1/2 semi sweet chocolate chips

Ingredients/Filling
2 cups pitted cherries
1/4 cup cherry brandy
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbs vanilla extract

Ingredients/Cherry Buttercream
3 tbs and 1 tsp reserved cherry juice
1/4 tsp cherry extract (optional)
1/2 cup butter
2 tbs vegetable shortening
5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
15-18 whole cherries with stems (optional)

If you are going to fill the cupcakes, the prep work will need to be done first.  Fill a bowl with the cherries and pour in the brandy.  Cover and place in fridge until all cupcakes have been baked.

To make the cake part of the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the upper edge of the cupcake cavities and fill with paper liners.

Sift together the cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.  In another bowl cream together both sugars and butter.  Beat in the egg, cherry brandy and vanilla extract.

Fold in 1/2 of the sifted ingredients into the batter.  Then add the milk, stirring until blended.  Fold in the last of the sifted ingredients until no dry streaks remain.  Mix in the chocolate chips.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each lined cavity about 2/3 full.  You should have about 15 cupcakes.  Put pans in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until tester comes out clean.  Remove pans and poke holes in the top of the cupcakes.  Then brush chocolate liqueur over the top.  Let set in pans for an additional 10 minutes and then transfer to rack to cool.

While they are cooling, the filling can be made.  Take out the bowl of cherries with brandy. Reserve the juice in a separate bowl and chop the cherries into 1/4 inch pieces and place back in fridge.

In another bowl, whisk the cream until it becomes a little bit thicker than its original state.  Add the sugar and the extract, then beat until the cream reaches a soft peak stage.  Take the chopped cherries out of fridge and fold into whipped cream.  Cover and refrigerate.

Once the cupcakes are cool, take and core out a center piece about 1/2  to 3/4 inch wide and 1 1/2 inch deep.  Then fill the hole with the whipped cream mixture.

For the buttercream, beat butter and vegetable shortening together until smooth.  Then add one cup of powdered sugar, mixing at medium speed.  In one cup increments add the sugar and beat after each addition.  Lastly, add the cherry juice, cherry extract (optional) and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy.

Fill piping bag with tip and decorate to your preference.  You can place a whole cherry on top or place a chocolate dipped cherry on top, if you desire.

Tips and Notes:
1. If you do not do the filling, the reserved juice will not be available. Maraschino juice can be used in its place with the cherry extract for your buttercream frosting..
2. These cupcakes are very delicate because of the liqueur brushed on top.  Based on that it is important that you do not overfill and that the top edges of your muffin cavities are well greased.  Original instructions said fill cavities 3/4 full, which was too much due to the rise factor.
3. I found the buttercream to be too thick.  You can add more cherry or maraschino juice until you reach the right consistency.
4. Taste your frosting before adding the cherry extract, to make sure you want to add any more flavor.  The longer the cherries sit in the kirsch, the stronger the flavor of the juice.
                         **LAST YEAR: Italian Dippers**

Orange Crisps

I made about 14 dozen of these cookies.  One thing about making something in such large quantity, is that your kitchen equipment really does get a workout. Also, since these were spritz cookies and my press is not electric-my left hand has a much stronger grip now!  The press I was using had plastic templates.  Needless to say two split.

This particular recipe is a recipe specifically made for a press, so obviously this press is fine if you want to make a few dozen cookies for a brunch with a few friends.  Not for cranking out several dozen.  I am now wondering why I did not get a press with metal templates.  Anyhow, this recipe did have one obvious error, it advised to use parchment paper.  The dough did not stick to the paper, but remained on the press.  They did fine on an un-greased baking sheet.

The cookies are pretty much your standard spritz with an orange flavor.  They were some of the ones I made for a grand opening for a new hospital at Ft Hood Army Base.  I had to consider something that would present well and would hold up to Texas heat since these cookies were being transported.  However, if I was in Alaska, I would not have hesitated to dip these in chocolate!

I had some taste testers in house this weekend that really did like them, so I am confident that these will go over well.

Orange Crisps
by Recipelink.com   (recipe makes 6-7 dz)

Ingredients
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbs orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup shortening

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium size bowl.  Set aside.

In another bowl, beat together both sugars and shortening until smooth.  Then add egg, zest and orange juice.  Mix ingredients until all is evenly distributed.  Then fold in the sifted ingredients.

Fill cookie press and form cookies on baking sheet according to press manufacturer's directions.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Transfer to rack and let cool.

Tips and Notes:
1. no matter how long it takes to form and bake these cookies, do not refrigerate the dough.
2. To make sure that dough continues to stick to the baking sheet and come off the press, wipe off the grease from the baking sheet between uses.
                           **LAST YEAR: S'more Ice Cream**

Ginny Bee Breakfast Cake

Well I am sure one thing that comes to mind is who is Ginny Bee?  Ginny Bee is actually the creation of  John Edwards.  Ginny is a citrus picker, mostly used for oranges.  Before Johns invention, there were other pickers on the market but they were plagued with the problem of  causing tree damage when harvesting. However, in 1976, John came up with a well functioning machine that did not damage any part of the tree or limbs.  With the tree damage not being an issue, his machine was found to be quite handy to have in the groves.  It could pick a 90 lb box of oranges in one minute, which was a real time saver.

This particular recipe is basically an orange breakfast cake.  The cake part has a citrus tang and is moist, having both sour cream and yogurt as ingredients.  Also, there is no skimping on the streusel-it is thick crunchy and has a drizzle of orange glaze.  Since we all seem to enjoy orange juice in the morning, I thought that orange in a breakfast cake would be a good way to start the day.

Ginny Bee Breakfast Cake
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Streusel
1 cup or 2 sticks melted butter
1 tbs plus 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour

Ingredients/Cake
2/3 cup orange yogurt
2/3 cup sour cream
4 tbs orange zest
1 tsp orange extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks of butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Ingredients/Drizzle
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbs orange juice

To make streusel, stir together the cinnamon, both sugars and salt.  Then pour in the melted butter and mix until all is blended.  Then blend in the flour until no dry streaks remain and the mixture clumps together.  Set aside.

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degress.  Butter the inside of a 9X13 baking dish.  Then line the bottom and along 2 sides with overhang.  Butter the face up side of the parchment.

Beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy.  Add the sugar, beating again until mixture is completely blended.  Add one egg and blend, running mixer for about 30 seconds.  Repeat the process with the other egg.

Put the sour cream, yogurt, orange zest and orange extract into the batter and blend until all is smooth.  Set aside.

In a different bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Then, in increments of 1/3, fold the ingredients into the wet batter.  Mix until no dry streaks remain.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth with spatula so bottom of pan is evenly covered.  Take some streusel into your hand and clump together, then sprinkle on batter.  Continue with the clumping and sprinkling until all the batter is covered.

Place in oven and bake for about 1 hour or when tester comes out clean.  Streusel should be a deep brown and be crisp.  Let cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes.

While cooling, you can prepared the drizzle.  Beat the ingredients together until the texture becomes a smooth glaze.  You can add more of either ingredient until you reach the desired consistency.

After the cake has cooled for 30 minutes, drizzle glaze on top.  Cake is tasty served warm as well as cold.  Use parchment handles to lift out of pan and cut into squares.

Tips and Notes:
1. I like streusel and the recipe here probably yields over 4 cups, so if you are not that big on this topping, you can cut down the recipe.
2. You can add nuts to the streusel if you want.
3. The topping is very crumbly, so it will be hard to get a clean cut..
4. Bake time is for a glass pan, other pans may have some variance in the baking time.
                     **LAST YEAR: Jamaican Coin Cookies**

Cherry Sachet Cookies

 Today sachets are known for just making things smell sweet. Basically like a bag of potpourri to place in your drawer. Now they are not only for that, but there are several different type of fillings as well.  The variety has most likely come about with potpourri being introduced into the market.

Early on, they were considered a love token.  Then with the medievil era, they were considered "plague bags" to ward off insect and disease.  In the 19th century, Prince Albert had some which were filled with hops and used them to help induce him to sleep.

These particular cookies are like a filled pouch,  much like a sachet. Also, the filling does have its own special aroma when cooking-however the alcohol fumes can be overwhelming!

The outside cookie is made with cream cheese and cooks up very crisp.  Inside is a chewy mixture of cherries and almonds.  The cherries are cooked in a blend of creme de cacao and creme de noyaux.  This is kind of like a fig newton with its own unique filling and a crisper cookie shell.

Before we get to the recipe I have a few bloggers to thank:

CJ at Food Stories: She was so nice to award me with not just one but three awards!  CJ started her blog in January and has really bounded onto the scene.  She has a great angle of creating something with the same ingredient as called for on that particular national food day.  Also, she created her own special award for bloggers.  A few of my food pics from her site are the deep dish chocolate chip cookies and cauliflower rice.

Ambreen at Simply Sweet and Savory:She passed the Versatile blogger award to me. Her blog does showcase her skill for both sides of the fence.  With stunning photos, you will be enticed by a number of her posts.  Not only can you find delicious recipes, but a lot of them you cannot find anywhere else.

Stop in and say hi, you will be glad you did.

Cherry Sachet Cookies  -makes about 2 dozen cookies
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Filling
3/4 cup creme de cacao
3/4 cup creme de noyaux or amaretto (almond liqueur)
2/3 cups of  chopped dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup sugar

Ingredients/Cookie
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup or 1/2 stick of butter
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

To make the filling, pour liquid filing ingredients into saucepan and add sugar.  Place over medium high heat and stir until sugar has dissolved.  Then add the cherries.  Let simmer and come to a low boil, stirring occasionally.  Cook for 15-20 minutes.  You want that the mixture to become syrupy and most of the liquid to evaporate.  Remove from heat and stir in chopped almonds.  Let cool to room temperature.

The cookie batter can be made while the filling is cooling.  Beat together the cream cheese, butter  and flavor extracts until light and fluffy.  Add the sugar and the egg and mix until completely blended.  Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Then fold into cream cheese batter until no dry streaks remain.  Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter the inside of one baking sheet.

Once the dough has chilled, roll it out on a floured surface  about 16 x 5 inches and 1/4 inch in height. Then cut in half, making 2 rectangles 8X5.  Then spoon filling down the length of the bottom half of each rectangle, leaving a 1/4 inch border on the right/left and bottom. Use a knife to smooth it out evenly.  Fold dough over and seal edges.  Then push bottom length and folded edge closer together so there are no air pockets and fold sealed edges under.

Place each on a baking sheet about 3-4 inches apart.  Then bake until the edges become crispy, about 25-30 minutes.  Remove and quickly slice into pieces and place on rack to finish cooling.

Tips and Notes:
1. When chopping, use your judgment on size of pieces.  The smaller the pieces are the more of a clean cut you will get.
2. You want to make sure that the filling is distributed evenly, so you do not have a big chunk of cookie without filling.
3. Feel free to use cherry juice or other liquids if you want this to be non-alcoholic.
                         **LAST YEAR:Passion Fruit Cupcakes**
 

Elixir Wage Cake

Back in the 15th Century in Britain the labor force was under a truck system. The truck system was a manner in which payment was made for services in the form of commodities.  This in turn meant that those commodities had to be exchanged for the actual true needs of the laborer.  Also, the place of exchange would be a company owned store that controlled the value.

However, when it came to farm workers and cider, the average wage was 4-5 pints a day.  This system soon was became a way to rate a laborer. The more a man could drink, the more valuable he became. So a man that put away 2 gallons a day was considered a great worker.  Then in 1887 came the Truck Act which put a stop to payment in commodities and the drink fest came to a close.

Perhaps payment in the form of hard cider was a bad thing, but I decided that this particular cake would make for a nice company bonus!  This spicy cake takes a whopping 1 1/2 cups of hard cider.  Along with that, you include dark brown sugar and some apple juice.  The rich moist crumb of the cake is delicious enough on its own, but I couldn't just leave it at that.  Hard cider does deserve an apple chaser, so I included a tunnel of apples as well.

Elixir Wage Cake
by flourtrader

Ingredients/apple tunnel
1 cup dried apple pieces, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Ingredients/Cake Batter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups hard cider (open can or bottle and leave sit overnight, covered, to get flat)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks of butter
3 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

To make the filling, fill a saucepan with the apples, water, orange juice and apple juice in a medium size saucepan and place over medium heat and stir.  Let mixture come to a simmer and then cover and let cook for about 10 minutes.  You want the apples to become very soft and a lot of the liquid to be absorbed.  Then add the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Simmer uncovered, stirring constantly for about 5-8 minutes, the water should now be very thick and syrupy.  Remove and set aside to cool to room temperature.  After it reaches room temperature, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease the inside of a 10 cup bundt pan.  Then dust with flour.   Sift together baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and flour and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Then beat in vanilla extract and salt.  Add one egg and beat for 30 seconds and then do the same with the second egg.  Using a wooden spoon, fold 1/3 of the sifted ingredients into the batter.  Then add 1/2 cup apple juice and 1/2 cup hard cider, stir until blended.  Add 1/2 of the remaining flour mixture and blend with wooden spoon.  Pour the last of the hard cider (1 cup) into the bowl and mix.  Follow with the rest of the sifted ingredients and blend until no dry streaks remain.

Now, to fill the cake pan.  I used 3 cups for the first layer, but you can see how much sinking the apples did.  I would say put 5 or 6 cups of batter into the pan.  Then take out the apple mixture and spoon it around in a circle in the center of the batter, making sure none touches the edges.  Spoon the rest of the cake batter on top and smooth out evenly.

Place pan in oven and bake for about 55 minutes or until tester comes out clean.  Place pan on a rack and let cool for 20 minutes.  Then invert and let completely cool before slicing.

Tips and Notes:
1.  Cake is better the next day because the spice flavor develops more.  I liked mine served slightly warm.
2.  The sinking factor is unpredictable,  but the apples may land dead center even if you place them on top of all the batter before baking-the process does need some experimenting for placement..
3.  Caramel sauce would be a great accompaniment.
                         **LAST YEAR: Triple Quake Bars**
                                 

Pecan Chocolate Squares

Well since it is Friday, I wanted to make something that was tasty but not too difficult.  Something that would be good as an afternoon snack.  I started looking at the recipes for squares and bars.  Most of them I had already seen or tasted before.  That is until I landed on this one.

It was fairly easy to prepare, with a cookie base and a pie top.  Also, the squares do have a special twist of the cinnamon in the base with a thin layer of chocolate, which brings you back to the thought of Mexican chocolate.  The pie topping is made with dark brown sugar and toasted pecans.  Actually, 3 cups of pecans and the pan is only 9 inches square.  No skimping in that respect!

These are great served with coffee as well as tea.  Also, if you find yourself lacking in calcium, a dollop of whipped cream on top would also be good!

Pecan Chocolate Squares
adapted from Fine Cooking Cookies

Ingredients/Cookie Base
2 cups flour
2 oz grated bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold butter cut into cubes

Ingredients/Pecan Topping
1/3 cup honey
2 tbs heavy cream
1/2 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 cups toasted chopped pecans
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Fill food processor bowl with all the cookie base ingredients except chocolate.  Pulse about 15-20 times until mixture becomes crumbly. Empty food processor bowl into 9 inch square pan.  Press crumbs into pan, forming an even crust over the inside.

Place pan in the oven and bake about 25 minutes.  Crust should be firm and golden when done.  Remove pan and place on rack.  Then evenly sprinkle the grated chocolate all over the top of the crust.  Set aside.

For the pecan topping, fill a saucepan with butter  and place over medium heat, stirring until melted.   Add heavy cream, salt, brown sugar and honey.  Mix together as it cooks, letting it come to a simmer.  Then cook for and additional minute, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and fold  in the pecans.  

Pour pecan mixture over the chocolate coated crust.  Smooth out so layer is even.  Place in oven and bake about 16-18 minutes.  It is done when you open the oven and see all the topping bubbling-not just the edges.  Place pan on rack and let cool completely before cutting and serving.
Enjoy!

Tips and Notes:
The method of sprinkling the grated chocolate is not good enough for even distribution, I took a spatula and smoothed it out after it melted a little.

                           **LAST YEAR: Cajun Chicken Carter** 

Balinese Double Six Sundaes

The island of Bali has become a very popular tourist place in the last 15 years, however, there has been quite a bit of struggle through the years. Yet, the beauty of Bali still remains.  So much so that tourists say that it is hard to believe that it has suffered through so many struggles.  Between the white as well as black sand beaches, rugged coastlines and volcanic hillsides it may as well be paradise on earth.  One of the beaches I came across was Double Six Beach.  In addition to that, this country does produce pineapples.  They are small, unlike the ones we are used to seeing but is very rich in juice.

Now that you have read the background to the title, on to the real reason you are here reading-the recipe.  The base of the dessert is 2 layers of shortbread crust with macadamia butter in the middle.  On top, there is a scoop of vanilla ice cream surrounded by broiled pineapple slices coated with brown sugar.  Then comes a coconut vodka caramel sauce and a topping of toasted coconut.

Before we get on with the details, I do have some fellow bloggers to thank for awards:

Heather Lynne at Hezzi D's Books and Cooks
She passed along the Versatile Blogger Award. This blogger does have her hand in making anything and everything, hitting the mark of deliciousness everytime.  Her search labels is the longest I have ever seen, which is an indicator that there is something there for everyone.  My picks from her blog were Pizza stuffed soft pretzels and Individual Pineapple upside down cakes.

Stephanie Carlson at Its Not Just About the Recipe
She was so kind and passed along two awards, The Versatile Blogger and The Sunshine Award. This blogger is involved in a lot of link parties and themes, so clearly she is enjoying her time in the blogging sphere!  With that enjoyment, I would say success is naturally a part of that.  With a fun, upbeat attitude and great food-people just are drawn to her blog. She shares not only her recipes but the recipes of others and is always extending an invite to a link party or bake along.

If you have yet to meet these ladies, you are missing out so stop in a say hi!


Balinese Double Six Sundaes
by Flourtrader
Ingredients/Base    -Makes 24 pieces about 2 inches by 2 inches
1 cup of macadamia butter
2 cups regular butter
1 cup sugar
4 cups and 2 tbs flour

Cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in 1 cup of flour at a time, ending with the last cup and 2 tablespoons.  Making sure that no dry streaks remain after each interval.

Prepare one jelly roll pan or baking sheet (11.5 X 16.5 with 1 inch depth) by lining with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two smaller sides.

Separate the dough into two balls and place one on a square piece of paper and the other put back in the fridge.  Place another sheet of wax paper over the top of the dough and roll out close to the size of the baking sheet.  Uncover the dough and flip it into the prepared baking sheet.  Make sure all the bottom is covered with the dough evenly.  You may have to roll it out more or patch some areas.  Then place in fridge.  Roll out the other piece of dough in the same manner. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Remove the dough pan from the fridge.  Then empty the cup of macadamia butter onto the dough and use a large spatula to smooth it out evenly, leaving about 1/4 inch border on all sides.  Then flip the other piece of dough on top.  Pat down dough, making sure it covers from edge to edge and that there are no air bubbles in between. Then, using a fork, poke several holes in the dough to insure that no bubbles are created when baking.

Place pan in oven and bake for 1 hr and 15 minutes.  Remove the pan and cut into squares and then place the pan back in the oven and turn the oven off.  Shortbread is done when oven and pan is completely cool. Then cover and place in fridge until ready to use.

Ingredients/Roasted Pineapple- Makes 28 pieces about 2 1/2 inches long
22 oz of pineapple spears
2/3 cup packed brown sugar

Line a baking sheet with a piece of foil.  Cut pineapple spears once horizontally and once vertically.  Lay all pieces on the baking sheet on with the long flat side facing up.  Then using a spoon, scoop out some brown sugar and place on each piece.  Use the backside of the spoon to smooth and flatten the sugar onto each piece.  Place pan of pineapple under a broiler on high heat for about 5 minutes.  Watch carefully, for it goes from done to burnt fast..  Brown sugar should bubble and turn amber in color when pineapple is done.

Ingredients/ Coconut Caramel- makes enough sauce for about 4 servings
2 tbs butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut vodka
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and stir together, letting mixture come to a boil.  Once the sugar
dissolves, stop stirring and let boil for 1-2 minutes until mixture is thickened.  Then remove from heat and turn burner down to low.  Once burner has cooled down to low, place saucepan back on heat to keep warm.

Other Components
1 pint of ice cream (4-5 servings)
1/4 cup toasted coconut

Place shortbread square on plate, then a scoop of ice cream.  Lay pineapple pieces vertically around the scoop and drizzle caramel over the dessert and top with a sprinkle of toasted coconut.
                     **LAST YEAR: Romany Cream Cookies**

Mixed Berry Tiramisu

With all the berries that have come into season, I could not resist this particular tiramisu recipe when I came across it. I had never made any type of tiramisu before, so I thought this would be a fun project.  As I followed the process, I came to a point where I started questioning the outcome.  I had a watery liquid in my pan. Even though it is not your standard recipe, one thing I did know was it was not supposed to be watery.

I had envisioned it to be served on a plate.  However, now I started to notice the manner of serving that the recipe suggested-a bowl. Then, I sighed as I placed it in the fridge for the last chilling time, calculating just how much this watery mess cost me to make with all the fresh berries.

After 8 hours, to my surprise it all solidified, no runny mess! Also, unlike what the recipe said, it could be served on a plate!  What I had ended up with was a delicious final dessert-crunchy lady fingers covered in a bed of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries with a touch of lime.  Then, to top it all off, is tart mixture of marscapone and lime curd.  In the end, I decided it was perhaps one of the tastiest ways to enjoy a good dose of ice cold berries this season!

Please note that this particular recipe has several components that have to chill for many hours, so read thoroughly before planning to make this.

Mixed Berry Tiramisu with Lime Curd
adapted from Bon Appetit/June 2009

Ingredients/Lime Curd 
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tbs lime peel
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted, remove from heat.  Then stir in lime juice, lime peel, sugar and salt.   In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together.  Pour the egg yolks into the saucepan with the butter and lime.  Place over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until curd thickens and leaves a path on the back of a spoon.  A thermometer should register 165 degrees and cook time is about 10-15 minutes.

Place a mesh strainer over a heat proof bowl and pour curd into bowl.  Then place plastic wrap all over the surface of the curd.  Place in the refrigerator and chill overnight.

Ingredients/Filling and Base
1/2 cup water (for berries)
1/3 cup water (for syrup)
3 tbs lime juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
3- 1 1/2 inch lime peel strips
1 cup thinly sliced strawberries
3 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 7oz package of ladyfingers ( or make your own, as I did, recipe here  )

For the berry mixture, stir together powdered sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan.  Then fill with  blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.  Place over medium high heat and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Turn down heat to medium and let cook for 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.  After cooked, berries will be soft but still intact. Mix in the lime juice.  Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Once it reaches room temperature, fold in strawberries.  Cover and chill for 4 hours.

For the syrup, place 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar and lime peel strips in a saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Remove and let cool to room temperature and discard lime peel.  Then brush the syrup all over the ladyfingers, the top as well as the bottom.  Place in a 9X13 inch glass baking dish.  Make sure cookies cover the whole bottom of the pan, you may need to cut them to fit.  Then pour the chilled berry mixture over the top, smoothing so all ladyfingers are covered. Set aside.

Ingredients/ Top Layer
2 1/2- 8 oz containers or 20 oz of mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 recipe lime curd (above)

Beat together mascarpone and whipping cream until thickened and blended.  Then beat in the lime curd.   Using a large spoon drop dollups of the topping onto the cold berries.  Then smooth the top, making sure that all the berries are covered.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours.
After eight hours, cut and serve.

Tips and Notes:
1. To make sure that your dish will be ready by lunch, you will need to prepare the lime curd, berry mixture and (if you make them) lady fingers 2 days in advance and compile the dessert and chill one day in advance.
2. Pan does not need greasing, dessert comes cleanly and easily out of pan.
3. I used only 16 oz of mascarpone and 1/4 cup and 2 tbs of whipping cream with the lime curd and it was enough to cover.  How much you use or how thick you want the topping is at your discretion.
4. When beating marscarpone and whipped cream, do not over do it for it may curdle.
                      **LAST YEAR: 50/50 Biscuits**

 

Raspberry Tea and Chambord Brownies

Well today would have been one of my own creations but I have had to hold off until next week.  Apparently the arrival my ordered ingredients is coming via horseback, but I am told also that it has to be made first!  Anyhow, since I have things planned out for several weeks, it did not really put me in a bind.

These particular brownies are really rich.  One small piece does go a long way.  The brownies, since they have no baking soda or powder are very dense, but the texture is not chewy. The decadent dark chocolate is paired up with Chambord (raspberry liqueur) and raspberry tea.  The recipe states you can use whatever fruit tea and matching liqueur flavor you want, but I chose this one. I particularly favor raspberry and dark chocolate, however I am sure there are lots more of delicious combinations that can be done.

These brownies will be packed up for donation and quickly transported in a cooler. I have deemed these to be something for a special occasions due to their richness. Valentine's does come to mind due to the flavor combo. The recipe states that these are to be cut into 36 squares, so that means 1X1 inch.  Even though small, the rich depth of flavor does linger.

 Raspberry Tea and Chambord Brownies
adapted from Glorious Liqueurs

Ingredients
4 oz of bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
2 oz of unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
3/4 cup of water
3 tbs raspberry liquor (Chambord)
1/4 cup raspberry preserves
3/4 sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp raspberry tea leaves

Prepare a 8 inch square baking pan by buttering the inside and lining the bottom with parchment paper and also buttering the face up side of the parchment.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take the 3/4 cup of water and put in a heat proof mug.  Cover and place in microwave and heat until boiling.  Mine took about 2 minutes. Then stir in 2 tsp of the tea leaves and let steep for 5 minutes.  Place a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter over the top of another heat proof mug. Pour the tea into the strainer or filter.  After the liquid has gone through, discard filter or rinse out and clean strainer.

Place a small saucepan over low heat and fill with unsweetened chocolate and butter.  Stir occasionally until all is melted and blended.  Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

While this is cooling, sift together the flour and the salt.  Set aside.  Then fill a medium size mixing bowl with the eggs and beat until frothy.  Add the sugar and beat again until mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.

Add to the egg mixture the cooled chocolate, 2 tbs of the strained tea and 1 tbs of the raspberry liqueur.  Beat until all is blended, about 1 minute.  Then, using a wooden spoon, fold in the sifted ingredients until no dry streaks remain.  Pour mixture into cake pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until done.  Brownies will be done when they pull slightly from the edge of the pan and batter is firm. Remove pan and place on rack to cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes invert brownies and remove from pan.  Peel off parchment and then carefully turn back over and let rest on rack.

During the cooling time, mix together one tablespoon of the strained tea and 2 tablespoons of the raspberry liqueur.   After the 10 minutes cooling time of the brownies has passed, brush this mixture  over the top until all has been completely used up.

Place a small saucepan over medium heat and fill with the preserves.  Stir and cook until it has melted into a liquid.  Place a mesh strainer over a heat proof bowl and pour the melted preserves into the strainer.  After straining, brush melted preserves over top of the brownie.

Clean both the sauce pan and the strainer, for you need them again for the chocolate topping.  Fill the saucepan with heavy cream and let come to a boil.  Remove from and mix in the remaining 2 tsp of raspberry tea leaves.  Let sit 5 minutes.  Then pour into a strainer placed over the bowl of chopped chocolate.  Let sit one minute.  Stir until all the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Spread the chocolate ganache over the brownies.  Then place in fridge for about 20 minutes partially and then mark or score your cutting lines with a knife. Then refrigerate another 10 minutes and then remove  Let come to room temperature, cut and serve.  To store, lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Tips and notes:
1. The tea I used worked out to being 1 tsp of leaves per bag.
2. The ganache will crack if you cut when cold, so it is best to wait for room temperature when cutting.
3. The paper coffee filter only worked with me on the water/tea leaves, the cream/tea leaves and preserves were too heavy to strain through paper.
2. Act fast on brushing the melted preserves, mine sat up back to a thick state in no time.
                        **LAST YEAR: Coconut Banana Coffeecake** 

Monticello Pride Tart

One of our famous presidents, Thomas Jefferson, had an estate in Monticello.  This estate had a South orchard that contained about 38 different varieties of peach trees.  Most of us are familiar with the story about him fleeing the estate on horseback during the war. After that he was labeled as being a coward.

In reading some more history, I found out that he had long since made a choice between the strong, corrupt politics and the more honest, smaller group of politicians.  Having chosen to be a part of the smaller group led to issues of not having a very effective army and questionable leadership skills.  On top of these issues, his estate was very costly to maintain.  Costly enough to where the financial burden was not only felt by him but also the rest of the family.  However, this financial struggle was something he willingly dealt with instead of relinquishing the estate.  In the long run, I do believe that keeping the estate was a matter of pride.

Now you know how the name came about, so on with the explanation of this dessert!  The pastry crust is made with ground almonds which gives it a rich flavor.  In addition, the filling is unlike the standard.  Instead of being heavy with cream it only has 1/4 cup, which is much lighter.  You will also find ground almonds and almond extract in it. To offset this nutty tart, fresh sliced peaches are cooked on top of the filling.  After baking, warm peach preserves are brushed on top.

We normally go with peaches and cream, but the nutty base does compliment the flavor of the peaches.  As you take a bite, you land on the flaky nutty pastry, then the filling with a little crunch and finally, the sweet juicy peach.  As far as I am concerned peach and almond never tasted so good!

Also, before we move on, I wanted to thank a blogger for a recent award. I know I usually do two, but I think this one, due to the uniqueness, needs to stand alone.

Javelin Warrior at Cooking With Luv
He gave me the Happy Blogger award.  Javelin has a very unique blog that focuses on
promoting food bloggers..  He has such themes as "made with love Mondays" and "Tuesday Tutor".  The first is a weekly link up of recipes from various blogs.  The links have to be made from scratch recipes that are void of any artificial colors or ingredients.  The second theme is a post where he makes a recipe from a fellow blogger and interviews them as well.  We all know there are thousands of food blogs, so his themes are helping shed some limelight on some great talent that you might not have been aware of. I admire his selflessness in blogging as well as his dedication to natural nutrition.

If you have not met Javelin, you are missing the benefits of having this unique blogger in your circle, so drop in for a visit.  Now for the recipe!

Monticello Pride Tart
by flourtrader

Ingredients/ Almond Filling
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup of almond flour or meal (I ground my own)

Ingredients/Nut Pastry Crust
1/3 cup whole almonds
6 tbs butter ( cold and cubed)
1 tbs cold shortening (cold and cubed)
2 tbs water
3/4 tbs sugar
1 1/4 cups of flour
1/8 tsp salt

Ingredients/ Topping
4 peeled and sliced peaches
1/2 cup peach preserves
3 tbs water

To make the filling, whisk the egg and almond extract together.  Then, in a separate bowl, mix the sugar and almond flour together.  Take half of the almond sugar mixture and stir into the egg batter.  Add the whipping cream, mixing until well blended.  Add the rest of the almond sugar mixture and stir.  After everything is blended, place a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the batter and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours.

After about 2 1/2  hours of chilling time, start on the crust.  Place the nuts and sugar in a food processor and pulse several times.  The consistency should be fine once pulsed, almost flour fine.  Go through the blend and make sure there are no more large chunks of nuts.  If so remove them or chop them down with a knife.

Then add the flour and salt, pulsing in intervals until well blended.  Open the lid of the processor and toss in the butter cubes. Replace the lid and pulse about 6 times.  Open again,fluff dough with
a fork and drop in shortening cubes.  Then pulse for 6 times and then open and fluff the dough.  Lastly, add the water and pulse until the mixture forms clumps.

Empty the contents of the processor on top of a sheet of wax paper.  Form the dough into a ball and then knead a few times and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill in fridge for 45 minutes.

Take out disk and place on lightly floured surface. Roll into a 9X12 rectangle.  Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and then unroll it over the 7X10 inch tart pan.  Press evenly into bottom of pan and up the sides. Then place pan in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the proper chilling time has expired, remove the tart  pan from the freezer and the filling from the refrigerator.  Uncover filling and fill tart pan, smoothing the top to insure even coverage to all corners.

Then place the peach slices in rows, either vertically or horizontally, on top of the filling.  Then place in oven and bake about 40 minutes.  When done, the cream should be set and the crust toasty. Remove and place tart on a rack.

While the tart is baking, place peach preserves and water in a small saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir and let mixture come to a simmer.  Pour mixture into a sieve placed over a heat proof bowl.  Discard any lumps left in sieve and then brush the strained preserves over the peaches.

To serve, cut tart into pieces with a sharp knife.  Tart can be served warm or at room temperature.

Notes and Tips:
1. the pastry crust is easy to work with so if your transfer of the dough to the tart is not perfect you can patch it in place.
2. To insure that the pastry holds its shape all freezing time and chilling time is required.
3. How many peaches you use is personal preference on how much fruit you want to overlap on top.
4. The texture of the filling will vary depending on which type you use-almond flour, almond meal or grinding your own.  The almond flour will give you the smoothest "mouth feel".
                                **LAST YEAR: Foggy City Meatloaf**

Florida Cottontails

When I think of cottontails, I usually think of a more central or northern rabbit.  However, there is a rabbit which inhabits some areas of Florida.  They are called marsh rabbits.  They look like most cottontails that you see in other areas, except they are a little more reddish instead of brown.

Since Florida is a large producer of lemons and these cakes do look like a big fluffy cottontail, that is how I came up for a name for these cakes.

The flavor idea came to me when I saw those pink Hostess cakes called "snowballs".  For those that are unfamiliar with the "snowballs" they are chocolate cakes shaped like a dome that are filled and coated with marshmallow fluff and then sprinkled with pink coconut. 

Instead of that combination, I thought that lemon,coconut and meringue would go well together.   These lemony cakes are filled, as well as topped, with meringue then have a final coating of sweet coconut.  Outside of their great taste, they have a bright lemon yellow color which conjures up the lazy days of summer and outdoor picnics.  However, be aware that these yellow gems do entice little kids into grabbing and eating them with their hands-so be sure to have plenty of napkins around when serving!

This recipe makes 8 cakes and requires 2 domed cupcake pans with 1/2 cup cavities that are 3.5 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches deep.

Florida Cottontails
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Cake
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tbs lemon zest
2/3 cup of lemonade (I used Simply Lemonade brand)
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients/Filling and Frosting
3 egg whites, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
2 cups sweetened coconut
6 drops liquid or 1/4 tsp powdered yellow food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the top edges and interior of 8 cavities of your dome pans.  Then dust with flour.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.  Then sprinkle in the zest and stir, distributing evenly.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar.  Once it becomes light and fluffy, add one egg and beat for 30 seconds.  Then add the additional egg and vegetable oil, beating again to blend.  Using a wooden spoon, fold in 1/3 of the sifted ingredients.  Then mix in 1/3 cup of lemonade and lemon juice.  Repeat this process and then add the final amount of the dry ingredients.

Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, fill each cavity 2/3 full with cake batter.  Place in oven and bake 15-25 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Rotate baking pans halfway into the baking time.  Mine took a total of 18 minutes to fully bake.  Remove pans and let rest for 3-5 minutes, then invert cakes onto rack to finish cooling.  Flip cakes so dome is facing up.

Once cool, take a serrated edge knife and cut off 1/3 of the top of the dome on each cake.  Then scoop out 1 1/2 tbs of cake from the center of the bottom piece.

To create filling and frosting, fill a sauce pan with the water and sugar and place over medium heat.  Let come to a boil and cover.  Set timer for 3 minutes. During this time, prewarm your thermometer in a glass of warm water.  Once the timer goes off, uncover and place thermometer in syrup and let mixture heat up until it registers between 235-240 degrees.  Once it reaches that stage, remove pan from heat and place thermometer back in the glass of warm water.

With a large stand mixer,  beat the egg whites until foamy.  Sprinkle in the pinch of salt and beat for 30 seconds.  Continue to beat until soft peaks form.  While still running the mixer at high speed, pour in the syrup in a thin stream, letting it glide down the inside edge of the bowl.  Continue to beat the mixture for 10 minutes longer to let cool down.  Then beat in the vanilla extract.  Take 1 cup of the meringue out and place in another bowl, setting aside.  Add 3 drops or 1/8 tsp of the food coloring to the larger amount of the meringue in the stand mixer bowl and beat until it becomes an even color of yellow.  You can add additional food coloring should you want a deeper color.

Then fill a small food processor bowl with the coconut and the remaining food coloring and blend until coconut has turned a lemony yellow.  Set aside.

Take the white meringue and fill the hole in the bottom of the cakes.  Then put the top back on the cakes.  Then thickly cover each cake with the colored meringue.  Generously sprinkle the cakes with the coconut, covering all areas.  Press gently to maintain dome like shape and to get the coconut to adhere. Then they are ready to serve!

Tips and notes:
1. you can change up the extract flavoring in the meringue according to your tastes.
2. I used powdered food coloring.  My liquid food coloring may have been too old, but it gave the meringue an orange tinge, instead of yellow.
3. The meringue gets foamy if it sits, but you can beat it back into its silky consistency.  The silkier, the better you can work with it.
                         **LAST YEAR: Armenian Dinner Rolls**

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies/ Delicious Recall #1

I have started a new monthly series.  This series will feature a bloggers recipe that I have saved from 2011 or older.  I think that the best form of flattery to a food blogger is to actually have someone make and enjoy their recipes.  With my core group of followers being food bloggers themselves, most are busy creating their own recipes rather than making other people's recipes. I have fallen into that group as well but have decided this theme is in order.

The recipe may or may not be a blogger that follows my blog, for the choice is strictly based on my pick of things I have seen across the net.

This first recipe is from Bakers Royale , a blog in which I was lurking on way before I even started a blog.  With most of the recipes falling into the cakes or cookies category,  I found myself saving a lot of recipes from Naomi's site.

This particular cookie recipe intrigued me and it did not disappoint.  It is oatey with a subtle flavor of pumpkin and spices.   I took her suggestion and added mini chocolate chips and toffee bits. The batter is a great base that you can customize with add ins according to taste.  With the pumpkin and grains, they are a little bit on the healthier side when it comes to cookies, which is a good thing. Also the texture of the cookies were chewy, which can be attributed to all the oats in the recipe. I would say that they are very close to the same as a chewy granola bar.

This is a great cookie to eat on the run and put in the lunchbox as well.  Very filling and satisfying.  I am glad I kept this one from the past. This recipe makes about 3 1/2-4 dz cookies, depending on the size of your batter scoops.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from  Bakers Royale

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
1 egg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup quick oats
3/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
Add ins: (optional) 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
                                3/4 cup toasted nuts
                                1/2 cup toffee bits

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

Take a small saucepan and place over medium heat.  Whisk as the butter melts and then cooks.  The butter will foam up once melted and then the foam will subside.  Watch for little brown specks to form in the bottom and look for the color change from yellow to golden.  Watch carefully because it can go from brown to burnt quickly.  Once golden, remove from heat and let cool.

In a medium bowl, mix together both kinds of oats and and the flour until all is evenly distributed.  Set aside.

Fill a large mixer bowl with both sugars, egg, pumpkin puree, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Beat for about 30 seconds until smooth.  Then, using a wooden spoon, stir in the brown butter until incorporated and then add the baking soda and mix again.  Fold in the oat/flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. Should you opt for the add ins, fold them in at this time.

Using a tablespoon or a melon baller, scoop out batter and place on cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes.  They should have a golden hue when done.  Remove baking sheet and place on rack. Let cookies cool on sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to rack to finish cooling.

Tips and Notes:
1.  These cookies will brown but be a bit glossy when done, which may make you think they are undercooked.  They will set up when they cool.  Browning on the bottom is the true indicator of doneness.
2. If you want the pumpkin flavor to be more prominent, then use no add ins or less flavorful ones like nuts instead of chocolate.
                       **LAST YEAR: Espresso Cream Cake**