Braided Easter Bread With Eggs

This is a reposting of an Easter dessert. It would also make a wonderful bread to serve with tea or coffee on a spring afternoon. This braided bread is a classic. It's easy to create and has a simple attractive appeal. So if you are the kind of person that likes to plan ahead for a big holiday dinner. Then add this to your menu.

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 to 2 & 1/2 cups flour
3/4 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
4 whole uncooked eggs, plain or colored for Easter

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, add remaining water and 1 cup flour. Using an electric mixer, mix in yeast until well blended and smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and place in a warm place to rise, 1 to 2 hours. This mixture should double in bulk.

3. In an electric mixer, cream butter. Gradually add sugar and beat until light. Add lemon juice and rind and salt. Add egg.

4. Add raised yeast mixture and mix well.

5. With a wooden spoon, stir in about 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups of flour. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead to form a soft non-sticky dough. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

6. Punch down the dough with your fist. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a long cylinder about 1 & 1/2 inches thick.

7. Loosely twist two pieces of dough together to form a loose braid. Form the braid into a ring shape and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Place uncooked eggs into spaces in braid. Cover with plastic wrap and towel and let rise until doubled in a warm spot, about 40 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and towel.

8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

10. Remove from the oven. Cool bread in a pan on wire rack. Serve warm or cold. When cool, if desired, frost top of loaf with confectioners' frosting.

Layered Chicken Salad

With a lunch like this, can spring be far behind. I would love to say that Pap and I dined al fresco in the southern sunshine? But I don't think the temperature even reached 50 degrees today. And although we did have blue skies, a chilly wind was blowing. My teeth were chattering as I snapped picture after picture. Then I hauled everything back into the warm kitchen to enjoy this spring-like meal.

Ingredients for Couscous:
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup couscous
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Ingredients for Chicken Salad:
16 ounces cooked chicken breast, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
avocado slices, optional

Directions:
1. In 1-quart saucepan, heat broth to boiling over high heat. Stir in couscous; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Uncover; fluff couscous with fork. Cool slightly.

2. Remove both ends from an empty food can (about 3 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall) to make a hollow cylinder. Wash and dry can thoroughly.

3. In bowl, combine couscous, tomato, and parsley; set aside.

4. In another bowl, mix chicken, onions, cucumber, mayonnaise, and seasoning. Place can on plate; spoon in one-fourth of couscous mixture. Gently press with back of spoon.

5. Top couscous with one-fourth of chicken salad mixture, pressing with spoon, slowly lift off can. Repeat with remaining 3 salads. Serve with fresh fruit.

Chocolate Mint Parfait Bars

How about a chocolaty-minty treat? Pull up a chair and sit a spell (that's southern slang for take a load off). You won't mind if I crochet while we talk, I'm starting a mint colored place mat. Maybe, if I'm fast, I'll have a set of four done by Easter.... we'll see.

"Do you like the parfait bar?"

"Yeah, it's very rich so cut the bars small if you decide to make them. Do you like the subtle minty taste?"

"Me too. If you use to much mint extract it will taste like toothpaste.... ugh!"

"Would you like the recipe?"

"Great, here it is."

Ingredients for Base:
1 package chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg

Ingredients for Filling:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup boiling water
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 3 drops green food coloring

Ingredients for Frosting:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. In large bowl, combine all base ingredients at low speed until crumble. Press in bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees. fro 10 minutes. Cool.

2. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; cool. In large bowl, combine softened gelatin, 2 cups of powdered sugar, butter, shortening, peppermint extract and food coloring; beat 1 minutes at medium speed or until smooth and creamy. Blend in remaining 2 cups powdered sugar until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled crust. In small saucepan, blend chocolate chips and margarine over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring constantly. Spoon evenly over filling, spread frosting. Chill until firm; cut into 48 bars.

Curried Cornish Hens With Coconut Cilantro Couscous

Is it any wonder that Pap treats me like his Goddess Divine. What other man gets this served to him on a Tuesday for lunch? Not many I'll bet.

But don't think that we will be eating a large meal for dinner. No, we've cut back on the portion sizes and also when we eat our bigger meal of the day. We have discovered that early in the afternoon is the best time for us to eat most of our calories for the day. Then usually, while we're watching television in the evening, we might have a small bowl of soup or even a bowl of cereal. And speaking of TV..... Lost is on tonight. I'm an addict of that show.

Ingredients for Hen:
2 Rock Cornish hens (about 1-1/2 pounds each)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Couscous:
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons butter
3/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions for Hen:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush hens with oil. Mix curry powder, ground cumin, cumin seed, turmeric and salt. Rub curry mixture on hens. Place hens, breast sides up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone.

2. Bake uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 180 degrees and juice of hens is no longer pink when center of thigh is cut.

Directions for Couscous:
Heat broth and butter to boiling in 1-1/2-quart saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 45 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Grand Marnier Creme Brulee

This is a reposting of a delicious little dessert. The Grand Marnier Creme Brulee is divine but the real wow factor is in its presentation. I know it's early to start thinking about Easter but it will take a little while to save enough egg shells to have on hand for this recipe.

http://tartelette.blogspot.com/ has absolutely the most divine food blog. What I wouldn't give to spend a weekend with her and experience the baking, presentation, and the photography. She is in a class above and beyond so many food blogs. How jealous am I?

Even though I can't compete with Tartelette, I knew when I saw these Creme Brulees presented in an egg shell, I would have to give them a try. They are absolutely delicious. But I did have to bake them about 15 minutes longer than her recipe directed. I don't know what I had done wrong, but no worry, the end result was perfect. In addition this recipe makes much more than 8 filled egg shells. So start saving your egg shells well in advance of preparing this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup Grand Marnier

Directions:
Prepare the shells: break the eggs you will need for the recipe very carefully. Separate the yolks and whites. Rinse the shells under cold water and leave to dry. (I carefully washed mine in soapy hot water because I'm paranoid)

Prepare your pan: take a muffin pan and put a small piece of sandwich bread in the bottom of each cavity and make an indention with your fingers to create a nest for the egg shells. Make sure your pan will fit in a large roasting pan.

In a bowl, whip the egg yolks and sugar until very pale. Heat the cream almost to boiling point. Slowly whisk the cream into the yolks, stirring constantly. Let cool 10 minutes and park in the fridge until completely cold. Pour the batter through a sieve to eliminate foam. Divide among the shells. Put hot water in the bottom of your roasting pan and bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.

For the burnt sugar tops; mix equal parts of brown sugar and white sugar. Sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoon on top of each shell. Put under the broiler until nicely browned.

Polish Poppy Seed Swirl Loaf - Retro 1980

This wonderful looking bread was an entry in the 1980 Pillsbury Bake Off. I don't know if the person who entered the contest won anything. But thirty years later, I thought it looked good enough to bake and present on my blog.

Holy crow's feet, where did the years go? Thirty years ago I was in the prime of my life. I was skinny, my muscles were toned from exercising, my boobs were perky and my butt looked great in a bikini.

If only I could turn back the hands of time. Wait a second, I can with my handy dandy little "Time Turner Necklace" (only Harry Potter fans will know what that is). Let's go back to the year 1980, Queen is singing "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." And the six o'clock news was shaking up the world with reports of John Lennon's assassination.

Wait a second, is that what I think it is? It is! Get a load of my BOOBS... these puppies are stunning! It's any wonder Pap couldn't keep his hands off of them.

Okay, all you food bloggers can read on. I'm going to stay here in 1980 and spend some quality time with Pap.

Ingredients:
1 package Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs, reserving 1 egg white

Ingredients for Filling:
3/4 cup poppy seed, ground
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg white, slightly beaten

Ingredients for Frosting:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon slivered almonds

Directions:
1. Grease 9x5-inch loaf pan. In large bowl, dissolve yeast from hot roll mix in water. Stir in sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and eggs. Add flour from hot roll mix; blend well. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees) until light and doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.

2. In medium saucepan, combine poppy seed, sugar and milk. Cook over medium heat until thick and milk is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool to lukewarm; add vanilla, almond extract and beaten egg white. On floured surface, knead dough until no longer sticky, about 1 to 2 minutes. Roll out dough into 18x12-inch rectangle; spread with cooled filling. Starting with longer side, roll up jelly-roll fashion; pinch edges and ends to seal. Fold roll in half, seam-side-down. Place halves side-by-side in prepared pan. Cover; let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.

3. Heat oven tot 350 degrees. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until deep golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pan immediately. In small bowl, blend all frosting ingredients except almonds. Spread over warm loaf; sprinkle with almonds.

Brownie Trifle

I'm sure most of you have made this ooey gooey trifle at one time. Kids love it, adults love it, crazy old men love it (Pap). The ingredients are simple and you can have this ready in just a couple hours.

Most times I make this the simple way:
1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 jar caramel topping
2 packages instant chocolate mousse mix
1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed

Bake brownies according to directions on the box in a 13 x 9 inch pan. Prepare mousse mix according to package directions. do not chill. After brownies have cooled, cut or crumble up into small 2 inch pieces. Place half the brownies in trifle dish. Top with half the mousse, half the caramel topping and half the whipped topping. Repeat layers, ending with Cool Whip. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired. Chill 8 hours. Serves 16 to 18.

Call me crazy, but today I made this trifle the hard way. The brownies were made from scratch. The mousse was made from scratch. And I used real whipped cream. Will anyone notice my efforts? Probably not.

Curried Beef Potpie In Parsley Pastry Crust

Before I begin telling you about today's wonderful recipe, I need to vent my frustration. First of all, does anyone else have a love-hate relationship with their food blog?

For me, there are days that I absolutely love doing it and then there are the days that feel like it's a job that is rewarding me with only stress. And not low level stress. Hell no, this is the kind of stress that three fingers of scotch is needed to help take the edge off. And not even the scotch will keep my left eye from twitching. And this is not a normal twitch mind you. This is the kind that people gawk and stare at while you're in line at the grocery store.

The twitching bloodshot eye is bad enough. But usually I'm also mumbling to myself about creating something alluring to the eye and dazzling to the palate. And I don't even notice the bag boy take a few steps back in fear while asking, "Are you okay, lady?" But there's no way in hell I could hear him because the voices in my head were all talking at the same time. "Quit being a wuss," I hear them say. "You're just one step away from being a domestic goddess."

What? Did the voices say domestic goddess? Does a fabulous inner sanctum come with that? Why I'm being to feel much better already. The twitching has nearly stopped and the voices have moved to a far back section of my brain that I rarely use. Okay... let's get cooking.

Ingredients for Filling:
1 pound lean boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 beef flavored bouillon cube
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas

Ingredients for Parsley Pie Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup shortening
5 to 6 tablespoons cold water

Directions for Filling:
1. Pat beef dry with paper towels. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat; add beef and cook until browned on all sides. Stir in garlic and curry powder; cook 1 minute longer. With slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to bowl. In same skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil; add carrots and onion and cook 10 minutes, or until browned.

2. Add beef, bouillon, salt, and 1-1/4 cups water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes. In cup, mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; gradually add to skillet. Cook over high heat stirring, until mixture thickens; boil 1 minute. Stir in peas; remove from heat.

3. Prepare parsley Crust. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in 3/4 cup shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 5 to 6 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with fork after each addition, until dough just holds together. Divide dough in half; shape each into a ball.

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll half of dough into round 1-1/2 inches larger all around than inverted 9-inch pie plate. Ease round into pie plate. Spoon filling into crust. Trim pastry edge, leaving 1-inch overhang.

5. Roll remaining dough into 10-inch round; cut into 1-2-inch wide strips. Place half of strip about 3/4 inch apart across pie; do not seal ends. Fold every other strip back halfway from center.

5. Place center cross strip on pie; replace folded part of strips. Fold back alternate strips; add second cross strip. Repeat to weave strips into lattice. Seal ends. Fold overhang under; make fluted edge. Bake on cookie sheet 35 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

Beautiful looking, isn't it?

Slamming-Rich Sheet Brownies

No one is on a diet right? Whew, I was worried for a second. Just remember, everything in moderation. First of all, let me just say, I love brownies. Love them. I can't think of a better snack to quickly mix together. When I saw this recipe, I started shaking and knew I had to bake some ASAP. I did, and all is now fine in my universe.

Several generations of family looking on as I prepare to shove some brownies in my mouth.

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups walnuts
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 10-by-15-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Lightly butter the foil.

2. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, 8-10 minutes. Pour onto a plate to cool and then chop coarsely. Leave the oven on.

3. Place the chocolate and butter in the top pan of a double boiler and set over (but not touching) barely simmering water in the bottom pan. As they melt, stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. When fully melted, stir to blend and then remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

4. In a bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, using a wire whisk or an electric mixer on high speed, beat the eggs until light pale yellow. Add the sugar and vanilla and heat until well combined. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture and the flour mixture. Add ¾ cup of the walnuts and stir to distribute evenly. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking pan. Finely chop the remaining nuts and sprinkle them evenly over the top.

5. Bake just until barely set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with crumbs clinging to it, 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Invert the pan onto the rack,, lift off the pan, and peel off the foil. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 2 ½-inch squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Makes 24 brownies

Thank you Williams-Sonoma for this wonderful recipe.

My new Shape-Up Skechers to help melt all those brownies off my hips, thighs, and butt.

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

These moist, dense morsels will earn you bragging rights! So bake up a batch for your chocolate craving family. An interesting note about this fudgy treat, you spread the frosting on the cookie before baking. I know, how crazy is that! Just be sure to use real chocolate (not imitation) because a not-so-real product won't bake properly.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

48 undrained maraschino cherries (about one 10-ounce jar)

1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate pieces

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl combine flour and cocoa; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or till softened. Add sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat till well combined. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on ungreased baking sheet. Press down center of each ball with thumb. Drain maraschino cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie. In a small saucepan combine the chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk; heat till chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of the reserved cherry juice.

3. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry. (Frosting may be thinned with additional cherry juice, if necessary.)

4. Bake in 350 degree oven about 10 minutes or till done. Remove to wire rack; cool. Makes 48 cookies.

Valentine Brunch For An Unruly Bunch

Menu

Pink Champagne
Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Your The Bomb Sipping Chocolate

Savory Ham And Swiss Quiche

Potato-Onion Frittata

Candied Bacon

Strawberry Cream Puffs

I used this opportunity to use and show off my new All-Clad Chaffing Dish.

Curried Fruit

Ingredients:

1 (15 & 1/2 oz.) can pear halves

1 (15 & 1/2 oz.) can peach halves

1 (15 & 1/2 oz.) can apricot halves

1 (15 & 1/2 oz.) can pineapple rings

1 (4 oz.) jar maraschino cherries

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons sherry

Directions:

Drain fruit well and arrange in 9x13 inch pan. Melt butter, add brown sugar, curry powder, cornstarch and sherry. Pour over fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Strawberry Cream Puffs

(recipe posted yesterday)

The Candied Bacon looks a little well down on one side. I have a very good excuse for the charred meat. Our next door neighbor fell in his drive way. And Pap and I were drawn away from the kitchen to help. He broke his leg and was unable to move. So we called 911, wrapped him in a blanket and waited till the paramedics arrived.

Unfortunately, my bacon could not be resuscitated. It was pronounced burned beyond recovery at the scene of the accident.

Ingredients:

6 slices thick-cut bacon

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

1 - 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the bacon slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle both sides with the maple syrup and then sprinkle both sides evenly with the sugar. Bake until crowned and crisp. Rotating halfway between baking time of 20 to 22 minutes.

Potato-Onion Frittata

This recipe was supposed to be made in a frittata pan. Instead, I used individual casserole dishes.

Ingredients:
1 pound (about 8) small new potatoes (I used Green Giant's Klondike Petite Purple Idaho Potatoes)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ounce sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
10 large eggs, whisked

Directions:
1. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain; let cool. Peel, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in an ovenproof 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions until just translucent, about 2 minutes. Add potatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions and potatoes are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Mix together cheddar and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Pour egg mixture into skillet. Cook until edge is set, about 2 minutes. Carefully transfer skillet to oven, and bake until eggs are completely set, 10 to 12 minutes. Invert frittata onto a plate. Let cool slightly.

You're Nothing But A Cream Puff

There is nothing worse than a soggy cream puff. Trust me I know because I made them all the time. Thankfully, Pap didn't know or care. He just shoved them into his mouth and mumbled through the sodden egg goop, "Delicious... honey." But I knew and I hid my shame for years.

But now I have a personal reason to achieve the perfect pate a choux. I recently found out that I have French blood flowing through my shriveled old veins. Pap has been doing research on our genealogy and discovered that my great great grandmother was French. I guess that explains why I'm such a good kisser. But why the lack of good cream puff making skills?

Well, no more tears in my ears from crying in my sleep because of soggy cream puffs. I've finally found the perfect recipe and it creates the perfect puff. My French granny can now rest in peace.

Ingredients:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bring 1-1/2 cups water, the butter, sugar and salt to a simmer in a saucepan, over medium heat, stirring to melt the butter.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Return to the the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste is shiny and pulls away from the pan, 6 to 7 minutes. Cool slightly.

3. Transfer the paste to a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed to cool, 1 minute. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Transfer the dough to a large pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or foil. (If you use parchment paper, dab a bit of dough under the corners to keep the paper in place.) Pipe 1-1/2-inch balls of dough onto the paper (about 48 total).

5. Smooth the dough peaks with a wet finger. Bake until puffed, 15 to 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake until golden, 15 minutes. Turn off the oven; keep the puffs inside 10 minutes to dry out. Pierce each puff with a dry piping tip; transfer to a rack to cool.

Fill with your custard, ice cream, whipped cream, etc. Recipe from Food Network.

We Have A Winner!!

Brindusa was the first to respond with the correct answer. Congratulations.

I'm going to do another giveaway next month. So stay tuned for all the thrilling details. This time it will not be trivia.

Brindusa said...
1.Lunar Cheesecake2. 19493. August 15, 1912
February 13, 2010 8:04 AM

Mags said...
Lunar Cheesecake19498/15/1912Dang it... not first
February 13, 2010 8:10 AM

Victoria said...
Lunar Cheesecake (yum....but what about valley forge fudge? YUMMM) 1949 (now only bianually??what?)

Let the Game Begin

Have some of you been sitting nervously looking at your clock? I would be if I were you. Free stuff always gets me excited.

Okay, speed is of the essence with this giveaway. So limber up your fingers with a little bit of stretching.

1... 2... 3... Let the game begin.

1. What flaver of ice cream did Baskin-Robbins introduce to commemorate America's landing on the moon on July 20, 1969?

2. What was the first year of the Pillsbury Bake Off?

3. When was Julia Child born?

Anyone Interested In A Giveaway?

Several weeks ago I said that I was going to have another giveaway. This time I decided to do something a little more fun and interactive. So tomorrow, February 13 at 11:00 a.m. eastern standard time USA, I will be asking 3 trivia questions. In order to win you must be signed up as a follower on my blog page and be the first to answer the 3 questions correctly. On Sunday I will review comments and hopefully we will have a winner to the trivia questions.

Package of 100 Brownie Pop Sticks
Box of Ghirardelli Brownie Mix

Wilton Brownie Pops Silicone Mold

A Tribute to Leonardo Da Vinci

Yesterday, Pap and I went to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. The main exhibit was works of Leonardo Da Vinci. It was fabulous and I urge you to go see this exhibit if it comes to your town.

Today, I thought about Leonardo and his great accomplishments. What could I make that might impress this great artist? Well, it just so happened that I was looking at MixingBowl.com and came across the Bird's Nest Marinara. Perfect! And I think Leonardo would have been thrilled to taste this wonderful twist on the old standard spaghetti.

If you want to impress..... then this is the recipe. And the best part, it is super easy.

Bird's Nest Marinara

Ingredients:
1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
1 package Nidi capellini nest (store-bought dried capellini, shaped like little nest in the package)
1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
1 container fresh marinated mozzarella balls
Fresh shredded basil

Directions:
Brown Italian sausage in skillet. Boil capellini nests according to directions. Meanwhile, combine sausage with marinara in saucepan; heat while boiling capellini. Once meat sauce is hot, spread onto flour plates to cover. Place cooked nest on top of sauce. Add one dollop of sauce into middle of each nest. Add one to three mozzarella balls into each nest. If desire, garnish with basil.

Strawberry Bavarian Cream Cake with Strawberry Mirror

I loved the look of this dessert when I came across it on Dessert Magazine.com. And although rather time consuming to make with its zillion steps, it was worth it because it tasted light and divinely fresh with all the strawberry puree. But there are ways you could possibly change the recipe to get the same results but with less effort. First, bake a white cake in the appropriate size pan. Second, for the strawberry mirror, I think strawberry gelatin might work just as well. But if you make these changes, remember that I have not used the short cut method and am not sure of the results you will get.

Ingredients for Cake:
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons strawberry liqueur

Directions for Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter and flour the sides of an 11-by-17 inch jelly roll pan (rimmed baking sheet). Line bottom of pan with a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit bottom pan exactly.

2. Beat eggs, egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar together in a medium bowl until thick and light. Beat in the vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar and beat until whites begin to form peaks. Add the 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks (do not over beat).

4. Sift flour over the egg yolk mixture and fold in. Stir in in one fourth of the whites. Then carefully fold in the remaining whites.

5. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake until light brown and springy to touch (7 to 10 minutes). Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run a knife along edge to loosen. Invert cake tin to cut out 8-1/4-inch circles of cake. Wrap the cake layers, separated with waxed paper, and set aside. Cake may be frozen at this point.

6. To make soaking syrup: Combine 1/2 cup water and the 1/3 cup sugar in saucepan; bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Cool to room temperature; flavor with liqueur. Set aside until ready to use.
To Assemble Cake:
1. Brush sides of 10-inch springform pan lightly with flavorless salad oil. Cut out a cardboard circle that is exactly the same size as the bottom inside of the pan; cover cardboard with aluminum foil and fit into bottom of pan. Center one layer of the cake bottom on pan. Brush the cake with some of the soaking syrup to just moisten; set aside.

2. Prepare strawberry Bavarian Cream. Immediately pour about half of the Bavarian Cream over the first layer of cake in the pan. Set the next layer of cake on top of the cream. Pour remaining Bavarian Cream over cake and smooth top of the cream with spatula. Refrigerate until the cream sets, about 1 to 2 hours.

3. Prepare the Mirror.

To Serve:
Wrap a hot towel around outside of sprinform pan for a few minutes. Run a small sharp knife tip around the edge of the Strawberry Mirror to separate if from the sides of pan. Mirror will tear when sides are unlatched if it is stuck at any point. Slowly unlatch the pan and slide it off the cake. Slice cake in wedges and serve in upright slices.

Ingredients for Strawberry Bavarian Cream:
2-1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1-1/2 cups strained strawberry puree
5 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
several drops of red food coloring
1-3/4 cups whipping cream

Directions for Strawberry Bavarian Cream:
1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the strawberry puree in a small bowl and set aside until spongy.

2. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, beat until light. Bring milk to a boil in sauce pan. Pour hot milk into yolk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon.

3. Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat,stirring constantly, until your finger leaves a clear trail in sauce when drawn across the back of the spoon. (Do not boil or mixture will curdle.) Immediately remove from heat and stir in softened gelatin mixture. Pour into a stainless steel bowl placed over a bowl of ice water. Stir in lemon juice and a few drops of red food coloring. Cool over ice water, stirring occasionally, until mixture thicken to the consistency of softly whipped cream.

4. While gelatin mixture is cooling, whip the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. When the gelatin mixture resemble softly whipped cream, fold the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture.
Ingredients for Strawberry Mirror:
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon strawberry liqueur
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
few drops of red food coloring

Directions for Strawberry Mirror:
1. Prepare strawberry juice.

Ingredients for Strawberry Juice:
1-1/2 pints of strawberries
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

1. Wash and hull strawberries; coarsely chop. Place strawberries in saucepan, crush to start juices flowing. Place over low heat; add sugar and water; simmer slowly 10 minutes. Push juice and pulp through damp jelly bag or cheesecloth-lined colander and drain into a bowl for 15 minutes.

2. Place lemon juice, liqueur and water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over this mixture; set aside until spongy and soft.

3. Measure 1-1/2 cups strawberry juice into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer; pour over gelatin mixture and stir to dissolve gelatin. Tint to desired color with red food coloring. Place bowl over bowl of ice water and stir occasionally until the mixture is ssyrupy and just begins to thicken; remove from ice water.

4. When mixture is syrup, pour a 1/16-inch layer over the top of cake. Refrigerate until set.

As you can see, I only made a one layer cake.

Road-Kill Cupcakes

The world was shocked and saddened to hear the news that Punxsutawney Phil, the beloved American icon, was deliberately lured from his den. And then repeatedly run over by a brown Jeep.

An anonymous onlooker reported that a lone woman, carrying a carrot, enticed Phil from his warm home. He followed her to the road where her car sat, idling. The crazed suspect, in her early 50's, was heard referring to herself in the third person. "Sandy can't take this damn weather anymore." Then she climbed into her car and without a second thought, ran over the innocent little animal.

The onlooker said that Phil's body was smashed into a bloody pulp. And the woman was laughing hysterically as she fled the scene.

Officials believe she was suffering with "cabin fever" and went berserk after the 26-inch snowfall Friday night. The tire tracks were made by The Classic Michelin "X" tire. From that, they were able to follow her to the Latrobe, Pennsylvania area. At this time she has not been apprehended. And it is advised to take extreme caution approaching her because she may be dangerous.

Police would not allow crime scene photos to be taken by any of the public that gathered to pay respects to the beloved animal. But a local baker, reenacted the tragic killing in the form of a cupcake.

Mardi Gras King Cake

King Cake, is a confection as rich in history as it is in flavor. The cake's origins date back to the Feast of the Epiphany or Twelfth Night, which honors the three kings present at the Christ child's birth. Which is, I assume, where the custom of hiding a tiny baby doll in the cake, started.

In today's Mardi Gras celebration, tradition calls for the person who gets the "lucky" piece of cake with the baby doll inside, to throw the next party -- or on a simpler note, buy or make the next King Cake. You can pick up the tiny plastic dolls at any cake decorating or novelty supply, just be sure to warn your guests of what to expect as you don't want anyone choking!

The cake, which more closely resembles a rich, sweet bread than cake, is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors: green, representing faith, gold symbolizing power, and purple denoting justice.

Ingredients:
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 to 6 & 1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Creamy Glaze
Purple, green, and gold-tinted sparkling sugar

Directions:

1. Cook first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Set aside, and cool mixture to 100 to 110 degrees.

2. Stir together yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.

3. Beat sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until smooth. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add enough remaining flour (4 to 4 & 1/2 cups) until a soft dough forms.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top.

5. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk.

6. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Roll each portion into a 22- x 12-inch rectangle. Beat 3/4 cup sugar, cream cheese, 1 egg, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on each dough rectangle, leaving 1-inch borders.

7. Roll up each dough rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side. Place one dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends of roll together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with second dough roll.

8. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

9. Bake at 375 degrees for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden. Slightly cool cakes on pans on wire racks (about 10 minutes). Drizzle Creamy Glaze evenly over warm cakes; sprinkle with colored sugars, alternating colors and forming bands. Let cool completely.

Creamy Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Colored Sugar:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Yellow, green, red, and blue food coloring

Directions to make the Creamy Glaze:
Combine the sugar and milk in a small dish and whisk until smooth. If the mixture seems too thin, add a little more sugar. If it won't drizzle, add a little more milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time.

Directions to make the colored sugar:
Place 1/4 cup sugar in each of three custard cups. Put 1 drop of yellow food coloring into one, then, using your fingers, grind the color into the sugar until all of the granules are colored. Do the same using green food coloring, and in the third cup, blend 1 drop of red coloring and 1 drop of blue coloring to make purple.

Your The Bomb!

I love hot chocolate like most people love coffee. A vast number of recipes are available using exotic ingredients. But I am a purest when it comes to my favorite indulging beverage. So while scanning the recipes of Dede Wilson's cook book Unforgettable Desserts, my heart skipped a beat when I saw the Hot Chocolate Truffle Bombs. And the best part for me, I already had on the ingredients in my kitchen.

I couldn't resist.... I just had to include a photo of my reaction after my first sip.

Here is the slang meaning of bomb:
adjective - very good, excellent, the best; COOL, AWESOME

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
19 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup sifted Dutch-processed cocoa
A healthy splash of Baileys

Directions:
1. Put the cream in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and immediately sprinkle the chocolate into the cream. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. The heat of the cream should melt the chocolate. Gently stir the ganache until smooth. If the chocolate is not melting, place over very low heat, stirring often, until melted, taking care not to scorch the chocolate. Scrape into an airtight container and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

2. Put the cocoa in a shallow dish, such as pie plate. Have a clean shallow dish on the side. Using a cereal size spoon, make about 4 bombs at a time and deposit them on top of the cocoa. You are aiming to make bombs that are about 1-1/4 inches across and round. Roll bombs in cocoa and plate on clean plate. Repeat with remaining ganache. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Chocolate Ganache Tartlets

A few weeks ago, when I stood in the magazine aisle of my favorite grocery store. I let out a deep lustful moan that would have curled Pap's toes. But my attention was not focused on any movie star baring his perfect muscled chest on the cover of People Magazine. Nope, it was the issue of Martha Stewart Living, the one with the Chocolate Heart Shaped Tartletts on the cover. You know the one, the one with the beautiful colored heart-shaped meringues adorning the tarts.

I have to confess, that while looking at the cover, I drooled like a baby cutting teeth. Enough so, that a little puddle formed at my feet. "Clean-up on aisle 12," I shouted, as I snatched the magazine from the shelf.

So today, I decided to make the piped heart-shaped meringues. I figured if they looked decent enough, then I would then continue on with the rest of the dessert. Three hours later, they barely passed my inspection by not living up to the perfection of the magazine cover. I have a big problem with perfection! I decided to continue on though, because I really... really wanted to sink my teeth into one of those chocolate tarts. Besides, I could always close my eyes while eating and not even look at my deformed meringue hearts.

I am so glad I did...... because these little tarts tasted like heaven.

Ingredients for Crust:
Vegetable oil cooking spray, for pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredients for Ganache Filling:
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Meringue Hearts (recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Make the tart shells; Coat five 5-inch heart-shaped tart pans with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt.

2. Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add vanilla and flour mixture, and mix until dough just begins to hold together, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn out dough onto plastic wrap, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 5 equal pieces, and press into bottom and up sides of prepared tart pans. Using a sharp paring knife, trim excess dough flush with edges of pans. Patch any tears. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4. Bake tart shells on a rimmed baking sheet until firm, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks.

5. Make the ganache filling: Place chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream and milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until almost boiling; pour over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk until smooth. Let stand 10 minutes more. Stir in egg. Return tart shells to baking sheet, and pour in filling. Bake until just set, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from pans. Decorate with meringue hearts.

Ingredients for Meringue Hearts:
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of cream of tartar
food coloring, in assorted colors

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees.

2. Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heat-proof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mixer, and beat with mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes.

3. Divide meringue into batches, and tint each with food coloring as desired. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with medium open tar tips. Pipe heart (1/2 to 1-inch each) onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off oven, and let meringues stand in oven for 8 hours (or overnight).

Strawberry Souffle

Oh so pretty. Oh so yummy. Oh so easy. And oh so all mine (and Pap's).

An air of mystery wafts around souffles, the simplest of desserts. They are light, yet satisfying. But have no fear, you to can be a kitchen goddess.

Ingredients:
8-20 large fresh strawberries
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs, separated

For Garnish:
whipped cream

Directions:
1. Take the strawberries, leaving 4 aside, chop them and make a strawberry puree by slowly heating them with the cane sugar and lemon juice, until they are soft, set them aside.

2. Slice the remaining 4 berries into thin slices, 4 slices per berry.

3. Butter 4 small ramekins and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

4. Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until combined. Sift in flour. Stir in the milk, egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the strawberry mixture.

5. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold in gently into the batter.

6. Place the 4 strawberry slices on the sides of the butter ramekins. Then pour the batter, billing them up to 2/3 height, leaving some room to allow the souffle to expand. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the top is light golden brown and the souffle separates from the sides.

7. Allow the ramekins to cool down. Gently invert each ramekin over a a dessert plate. Top with whipped cream and remaining strawberry mixture.