Braided Bread with Quiche

I had this at a baby shower over the weekend and it sent me over the moon. I had two helpings and restrained myself from a third.

Ingredients: 8 Rhodes Texas™ Rolls, thawed and risen
8 ounce package cream cheese
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 egg
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups chopped ham
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, beaten
Parmesan cheese, if desired


Directions: Press rolls together and roll out to a 10x13-inch rectangle. Mix cream cheese, spinach, basil, rosemary, egg, Parmesan cheese and ham in bowl. Spread mixture over dough. Sauté mushrooms, onion, garlic, butter, salt and pepper. Spread over cream cheese mixture. Starting with the longest side, roll dough up tightly and place seam side down. Tuck ends under. With a long, serrated knife, cut roll lengthwise in half. Carefully, roll each half so the cut side is facing out. Twist halves together 3 times and then pinch ends together and tuck under. This will form a long twist. Place on a large sprayed baking sheet. Brush with egg and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise until double. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 45 minutes. Do not underbake. Cover with foil the last 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Braiding is optional, but better for presentation!

Tuscan Garlic Chicken Pasta

Here's another winner from Cook's Country magazine. This was in the recipe card section of the April/May 2009 issue. It makes a lot (we had enough for 2 dinners) and reheats nicely. Just a warning: it is very garlicky.

Start heating enough water to boil 1 pound of penne pasta. Mix 6 minced garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil together and heat this mix in the microwave for about a minute, until you can smell the garlic. Dry 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the garlic flavored oil in a large skillet (be careful not to add the garlic pieces or red pepper flakes) and cook chicken until brown and cooked through. Cover the cooked chicken with foil for 5 minutes, then slice into bite size pieces.
Salt the pasta water (about 1 tablespoon salt) and boil the pasta until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water in a measuring cup to thin out the sauce later on. After draining, put the penne back in the pot and add the sliced chicken, 1 (5oz) bag of baby arugula or baby spinach (I used spinach), 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, 6 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and the rest of the garlic oil. Thin with pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Pecan Butter Balls (Mexican Wedding Cookies)

adapted from Cooks Catalog

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•1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
•1/4 granulated cup sugar
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•2 teaspoons vanilla
•2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans or walnuts
•powdered sugar for coating
Cream butter and sugar together. Add salt and vanilla.

Slowly add the flour to the butter/sugar mixture just until it forms a dough. Add the chopped nuts and mix until just combined.

Roll dough into half inch balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheets about an inch apart.

Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

As soon as they come out of the oven, roll them in powdered sugar while the cookies are still hot. Be careful because the cookies are extremely hot and fragile. Place cookies on a cooling rack.

Once cookies have cooled completely, roll them in powdered sugar again.

Makes 60-70 cookies

Mini Cheese Cakes

Williams Sonoma Cheesecake

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Friday, July 29, 2011
Baby Shower: Mini Cheesecakes


This is baby shower recipe #2! I thought twice about sharing this recipe with you guys, not because it wasn't tasty, but because I had a few technical difficulties with it. But I had a few requests from guests as the shower to "please post it on your blog" so here it is. There is nothing majorly wrong with it, I'm just a little OCD and was bothered by it's appearance. You see, my cheesecakes sunk in the middle. Some of them weren't so bad, while others had major craters in them and were just plain ugly. I didn't have the heart to serve those to my guests, so we ate those at home and served the better looking ones at the shower.


This recipe comes off the box of my mini cheesecake pan I got from Williams-Sonoma Outlet last year. They were originally $32 each, but were on sale for $14.99, then were marked down another 50%. So I got two pans for half the price of one- score! I've been waiting for just the right occasion to use them, and my baby shower just happened to be it. Of course, you don't really need a special occasion to enjoy mini cheesecakes.

One of my other issues with this recipe was that it made way more than the recipe stated. Normally that's not an issue, but when you have a specialty pan and way too much batter, how are you supposed to bake them? The recipe was supposed to make 12 cheesecakes, but I could have easily gotten 18 out of them. Unfortunately and fortunately, I doubled the recipe. One batch came out fairly decent, the other sunk horribly and the remaining batter got turned into cookies and cream cheesecakes with a whole Oreo acting as the crust. I made those in cupcake liners, which was far easier than using the pan, only not as pretty. It turned out to be a good thing there was extra batter though, because in the end I still had a substantial amount of cheesecakes to serve at the shower.


They actually sunk a lot more than that after they cooled!
As I've mentioned, oh I don't know about 500 times already, my cheesecakes sunk in the middle. Note To Self: I think a way to combat the "souffle" action of the cheesecakes would be to not overbeat the batter and to bake them at a lower temperature for longer. To make up for this, I decided to dollop a little lemon curd in the center and top with fresh berries. No one was the wiser and the little divot actually created a little cup to hold all the toppings in. The Oreo ones were topped with a little sweetened whipped cream. The ones topped with berries disappeared rather quickly so I didn't get to taste those, but the cookies and cream version was creamy and tasty. The sunken ones we had at home were eaten plain, but would have been great with a little pie filling. I also turned a few stragglers into a cheesecake milkshake. Yes, it was good!



Mini Cheesecakes adapted from Williams-Sonoma

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Crusts:
•1 cup chocolate cookie, vanilla wafer or graham cracker crumbs
•2 tablespoons sugar
•pinch salt
•3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling:

•16 ounces cream cheese
•2 eggs
•1/4 cup heavy cream
•1/2 cup sugar
•pinch salt
Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat cups of 12-cup mini cheesecake pan* with nonstick cooking spray.

To make crusts: In a small bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Divide the mixture among the cups and, using your fingertips, press it evenly into the bottom. Bake until the crusts are set, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Reduce the heat to 300’.

To make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cream and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and salt and beat until incorporated, about 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the crusts, dividing it evenly among the cups. Bake until the cheesecakes are set, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before unmolding.

To unmold, insert the dowel into the hole in the bottom of each cup. Gently push up to remove the cheesecake from the cup. Use a small spatula or butter knife to remove the cake from the metal bottom. If the cheesecakes are sticking to the pan, gently run a toothpick around each cheesecake to loosen it before pushing it out of the cup. Makes 12 mini cheesecakes.

NOTE: This recipe makes more than it states. It should make 12 mini cheesecakes, but I got about 18. So plan accordingly.

*If you want to make these but don't have a mini cheesecake pan, line a standard size muffin tin with paper liners. Proceed with recipe as written above, but bake for 30 minutes or until set. Allow cheesecakes to cool completely in the pan before refrigerating for at least 2 hours or overnight. Served chilled or at room temperature. Makes 12-18 mini cheesecakes.

For Oreo Cheesecakes: Line a standard size muffin tin with paper liners. Place a whole Oreo cookie on the bottom to act as the crust. Pour cheesecake batter over the top of the cookie. Top each (unbaked) cheesecake with about a half teaspoon of crushed cookie crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Allow cheesecakes to cool completely in the pan before refrigerating for at least 2 hours or overnight. Served chilled or at room temperature. Makes 12-18 mini cheesecakes.

Meyer Lemon Lime Bars by Ina Garten

Meyer Lemon-Lime Bars adapted from Ina Garten and girlichef

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For the crust:

•3/4 lb. unsalted butter, at room temperature
•3/4 cup granulated sugar
•3 cup flour
•1/4 tsp. kosher salt
For the filling:

•6 large eggs, at room temperature
•3 cups granulated sugar
•1 Tbsp. finely grated Meyer lemon zest
•1 Tbsp. finely grated lime zest
•1 cup freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice (I used 6 small Meyer lemons and 2 limes)
•1 cup flour
•Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Butter a 9 x 13 x 2" baking pan, then line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper. This is optional but will make removing the bars from the pan, much simpler.

For the crust: Cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter mixture until just mixed.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into the bottom of prepared pan.

Chill the pan while the oven preheats to 350° F.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling: Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon and lime zest, lemon and lime juice, and flour.

Pour over the crust and bake for 35-45 minutes, until filling is set.

Let cool to room temperature. Cut into squares or triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Makes about 24 squares.

Chocolate Cream Cupcakes

Chocolate Cream Cupcakes

Cupcake
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream,
1/2 cup vegetable oil,
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour,
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teapoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup cocoa powder (I used dutch-processed),
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

Cream filling
3 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups marshmallow creme

Ganache
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Heat the oven to 325-degrees and put cucpcake liners in a standard muffin tin (or you can grease and flour the tin). Combine 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teapoon salt in a bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup boiling water, 1/3 cup cocoa powder (I used dutch-processed), 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli), and 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix until combined. Whisk in the flour mixture until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups and bake 18 to 22 minutes (check doneness with toothpick). Cool them in the tin for 10 minutes and on a wire rack until completely cooled.


2. For the cream filling, combine 3 tablespoons water and 3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in a large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to let the gelatin soften. Microwave until the mixture bubbles around the edges and the gelatin is dissolved, about 30 seconds. Stir in 4 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter (cut into small pieces), 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt until combined and the butter is melted. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in 1 1/4 cups marshmallow creme until smooth (be gentle and patient, the creme will eventually loosen up and smooth out). Refrigerate the mixture until set, about 30 minutes. Place about 1/3 cup of the filling into a pastry bag with a small, round tip to use for piping the swirls on top of the cupcakes.


3. When you are ready to assemble the cupcakes, microwave 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips with 3 tablespoons unsalted butter until you can stir it smooth. Cool the glaze to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Cut a cone out of the top of each cupcake with a sharp knife (this is easier if the cupcakes have been partially frozen for about 30 minutes first) and then cut off all but the top 1/4-inch of the cone (this will be placed back over the filling). Fill each indentation with 1 tablespoon of the filling and replace tops. Spread 2 teaspoons of cooled glaze over the tops and let set for 10 minutes. Use the reserved filling in the pastry bag to pipe curlicues across the tops.

Red Pepper Cheesecake

•1/2 cup ricotta cheese (4 ounces)
•1/2 cup cream cheese (4 ounces)
•1/4 cup goat cheese (2 ounces)
•1 tablespoon sugar
•1 egg
•Pinch kosher salt
•1/2 cup thin strips roasted red bell peppers
•4 pitas
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1/4 cup apricot jam
•1 to 2 teaspoons hot water
•
•Special equipment: 1 (4 1/2-inch diameter) springform (cheesecake) pan
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Wrap the outside of the cheesecake pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Place the ricotta, cream cheese, and goat cheese in a food processor. Pulse to mix. Add the sugar, egg, and salt and pulse a few times until well mixed. Stir in the red pepper strips.


Pour the cheese mixture into the cheesecake pan. Place the cheesecake pan in a roasting pan. Pour enough hot water in the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden at the edges and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold.)


Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.


To make the pita chips, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Cut the pitas into 8 triangles each (like a pie). Drizzle the pita with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until crisp and golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.


To serve, combine the jam and the water in a small bowl and stir until the jam is liquefied. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Place on a serving plate. Drizzle the jam mixture over the top of the cheesecake. Serve with the pita chips alongside.

.

Raspberry Ricotta Mousse

Giada's

Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup fresh raspberries
Directions
In a food processor, blend the ricotta cheese until light and fluffy, about 20 seconds. Add the jam and pulse until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.


In a separate bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream until thick. Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. Working in batches, carefully fold the cream mixture into the ricotta mixture. Spoon the mousse into serving bowls and refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve.

Chocolate Gelato Lady Fingers

Ingredients
2 cups chocolate gelato or ice cream
16 store-bought sponge ladyfingers
1/2 cup nutella
10 strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
32 fresh mint leaves
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Using a melon baller, scoop the gelato into 48 (1-inch) balls. Transfer the balls of gelato to a small tray and keep the gelato in the freezer until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, cut the ladyfingers in half lengthwise. Spread the nutella on both sides of the split ladyfingers. Place 3 scoops of gelato on the bottom half of the ladyfinger. Top with slices of strawberry and mint leaves. Place the top ladyfinger over to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately

Crustless Spinach Cheese Quiche

Paula Deen's Crustless Spinach Cheese Quiche

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated Cheddar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Unwrap the spinach and put it, box and all, on a plate. Microwave and cook on high power for 4 minutes. Allow it to cool and remove it from the box. Squeeze out all of the liquid out of the spinach and put it into a medium bowl.

Combine the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan, flour, salt, and pepper, in a medium bowl. Stir together, or blend in food processor until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the spinach. Add the Cheddar and blend with a spoon until well mixed. Pour the spinach mixture into the baking dish and smooth out the top.

Bake until set, about 45 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven. It will be puffed up, but will fall slightly as it cools. Allow it to cool, then, refrigerate. Cut it into squares and serve

Giada's Farro With Pesto

Ingredients
8 cups chicken broth
1 pound farro
2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pecorino cheese wedge, for garnish
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Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the farro and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the farro, covered, until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain farro and set aside in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a food processor combine the parsley, basil, thyme, and garlic. Pulse until the herbs are roughly chopped. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pulse again until the herbs make a coarse mixture.

Toss the warm farro with the coarse pesto. Transfer to a serving bowl. Using a vegetable peeler on the cheese wedge to make about 1/2 cup of cheese shavings. Top the farro with the cheese shavings and serve.

Paula Deen's Never Fail Pound Cake

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups cake flour
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons lemon extract
Vanilla ice cream
Berries, for garnish

Special equipment: a 10-inch bundt pan, greased and floured
Directions
In a large bowl, using a mixer, combine the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the lemon extract. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Place the pan in a cold oven and set the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake cake for 1 hour. Increase the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes more.

*Cook's Note: Do not open the oven door while baking.

Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Mozzarrella Pillows

1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 slices prosciutto, finely chopped
4 storebought 9-inch pie crusts
2 eggs, beaten, for egg wash
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
Special equipment: scalloped ravioli cutter


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.


Place the marinara sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until reduced to a thick, jam-like consistency, about 30 minutes. There should be 1 1/2 to 2 cups of reduced sauce. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Stir in the mozzarella cheese and prosciutto.


Meanwhile, place 1 piece of dough on a work surface. Roll the dough out gently until you can cut an 8 1/2 by 9 1/2-inch rectangle. Press the scraps into a small rectangle and roll it out to the same thickness as the other rectangle. Cut 3 rectangles from the large rectangle and 1 rectangle from the small rectangle. Each should measure 8 1/2 by 3 inches. Continue rolling and cutting the remaining pie dough.


To form the tarts, place the rectangles on a work surface. Brush each rectangle with egg wash. Place a large spoonful of the marinara mixture in the middle of the bottom half of the rectangle. Fold the dough in half over the marinara mixture to make a 3 by 4-inch rectangle. Press the edges to seal. Using a scalloped ravioli cutter, trim the rectangles to make a decorative edge. Place the tarts on the baking sheets. Brush with egg wash and generously sprinkle with cheese. Bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes

Lindy's Cheesecake

Lindy's Cheesecake Ingredients
-- Crust --
2 1/2 lbs Cream cheese softened
1 2" vanilla bean halved
1 1/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Flour
3 tablespoon Flour
1/4 cup Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Orange zest
1 teaspoon Lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon Lemon zest
8 tablespoon Butter cut into 1/4" cubes
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Salt 5 large Egg
1 large Egg yolk 2 large Egg yolk
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Heavy cream
-- Filling --

Instructions for Lindy's Cheesecake
1. For the crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrape vanilla seeds into a medium bowl; discard pod. Add flour, sugar, and zest and mix with your fingers to break up seeds. Add butter, salt, and yolk and work mixture with your fingers to form a rough dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to combine. Form dough into 2 rounds and wrap each in wax paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Remove outer ring of a 9 springform pan. Grease bottom of pan with half the oil. Using floured hands, press 1 dough round onto bottom of pan to cover it. Bake until light golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool slightly; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Grease inside of outer ring with remaining oil; attach to bottom of pan. Using floured hands, pull off pieces from remaining dough; press them around sides of pan to cover. Press inside edge of dough against bottom crust to seal. Set aside.
3. For the filling: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Beat cheese, sugar, flour, zests, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time; beat after each addition. Stir in cream. Pour filling into pan; smooth top with spatula. Bake on a baking sheet until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour more. Let cool (in the pan) on a rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove cake from pan. Let warm slightly at room temperature for 1 hour. Cut cake into slices and serve.

Spinach Chicken & Pasta Salad

Spinach Chicken & Pasta Salad

Dressing:
I c vegetable oil
2/3 c terriyaki sauce
2/3 cup white wine vinegar
6 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

16 oz pasta
1/2 c parsley
1 bunch green onions
1/4 c sesame seeds toasted
6 oz. honey roasted peanuts
2 cups chicken
1 10 oz bag spinach
1 bag craisin
3 cans mandarin oranges
2 cans chestnuts diced

Mix pasta and dressing and marinate 2 hours. Add other ingredients and toss.

Gianduja Brownies

4 brownies (about 2 by 3-inches)
1/4 cup nutella
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (try a mix of white, semisweet, and milk chocolate)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread each of the brownies with 1 tablespoon of nutella. Sprinkle each of the brownies with 1 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts. Top the nuts with 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips. Place the brownies on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the chocolate is starting to melt. Transfer the brownies to the refrigerator and let cool until the chocolate hardens, about one hour

Crepes with Nutella and Bananas

Cooks Illustrated, May 2011

Crêpes will give off steam as they cook, but if at any point the skillet begins to smoke, remove it from the heat immediately and turn down the heat. Stacking the crêpes on a wire rack allows excess steam to escape so they won’t stick together. To allow for practice, the recipe yields 10 crêpes; only eight are needed for the filling.

Ingredients
1/2teaspoon vegetable oil 1cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour 1teaspoon sugar 1/4teaspoon table salt 1 1/2cups whole milk 3large eggs 2tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled
8teaspoons Nutella spread 4 bananas , cut into eight to ten 1/4-inch-thick slices
Instructions
1. Place oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat over low heat for at least 10 minutes.

2. While skillet is heating, whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt in medium bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Add half of milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add butter and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth.

3. Using paper towel, wipe out skillet, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides. Increase heat to medium and let skillet heat for 1 minute. After 1 minute, test heat of skillet by placing 1 teaspoon batter in center and cook for 20 seconds. If mini crêpe is golden brown on bottom, skillet is properly heated; if it is too light or too dark, adjust heat accordingly and retest.

4. Pour ¼ cup batter into far side of pan and tilt and shake gently until batter evenly covers bottom of pan. Cook crêpe without moving it until top surface is dry and crêpe starts to brown at edges, loosening crêpe from side of pan with rubber spatula, about 25 seconds. Gently slide spatula underneath edge of crêpe, grasp edge with fingertips, and flip crêpe. Cook until second side is lightly spotted, about 20 seconds. Transfer cooked crêpe to wire rack, inverting so spotted side is facing up. Return pan to heat and heat for 10 seconds before repeating with remaining batter. As crêpes are done, stack on wire rack.

5. Transfer stack of crêpes to large microwave-safe plate and invert second plate over crêpes. Microwave on high power until crêpes are warm, 30 to 45 seconds (45 to 60 seconds if crêpes have cooled completely). Remove top plate and wipe dry with paper towel. Spread 2 teaspoons Nutella over top half of each crêpe followed by eight to ten banana slices. Fold crêpes into quarters. Serve immediately.

Technique
Whisk Away

Most recipes for traditional American pancakes caution against overmixing the batter; doing so activates the formation of gluten and will render the results tough and dense. In theory, the same logic would apply to crêpes, but our mixing tests showed that all that worry was for naught. Why? It all comes down to the liquid-to-flour ratio. The high proportion of liquid in crêpe batter makes it so dilute that gluten development—that is, the network of proteins that give baked goods their chew—is not actually a factor. This also means that you can use anything from low-protein cake flour to high-protein bread flour and get a similarly tender crêpe.

Technique
Is the Pan Ready?

Here's a test to make sure that the pan is hot enough: Drop a teaspoon of batter into its center. If this mini crêpe is golden brown on the bottom after 20 seconds, the pan is ready. If it's blond—or burned—adjust the heat accordingly.

Baked Raspberry Tart

Published May 1, 2005. Cooks Illustrated


Why this recipe works:To perfect our baked berry tart recipe—using a prebaked tart shell loaded with raspberries and topped with a simple butter, egg, sugar, and flour batter before baking—we focused on the filling, since we were already happy with our classic pâte sucrée crust. We heightened the filling’s flavor by browning the butter instead of simply melting it and substituted Wondra flour for all-purpose flour in our berry tart filling recipe, for a smooth and silky (rather than starchy and coarse) texture. (less)

To perfect our baked berry tart recipe—using a prebaked tart shell loaded with raspberries and topped with a simple butter, egg, sugar, and flour batter before baking—we focused on the filling, since we were already happy with our classic pâte...(more)

Makes one 9-inch tart, serving 8 to 10
To minimize waste, reserve the egg white left from making the tart pastry for use in the filling. If your raspberries are either very tart or very sweet, adjust the amount of sugar in the filling by about a tablespoon or so. Wondra flour is sold in small canisters in the baking aisle alongside all-purpose flour. All-purpose can be used in place of Wondra, but it will give the filling a slightly starchy, gritty feel. The tart is best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers, however, should be refrigerated and brought to room temperature before serving (unfortunately, the crust will be soggy, but the flavor of the tart will be almost as good as when eaten fresh).

Ingredients
Tart Pastry (Pâte Sucrée)
1 large egg yolk 1tablespoon heavy cream 1/2teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/4cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
2/3cup confectioners' sugar (about 2 3/4 ounces)
1/4teaspoon table salt 8tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), very cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Filling
6tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large egg plus 1 egg white
1/2cup sugar , plus 1 tablespoon
1/4teaspoon table salt 1teaspoon vanilla extract 1teaspoon Kirsch or framboise, optional
1/4teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 1/2teaspoons lemon juice 2tablespoons Wondra flour 2tablespoons heavy cream 2half-pint containers fresh raspberries (about 10 ounces total), picked over
Instructions
1. For the tart pastry: Whisk together yolk, cream, and vanilla in small bowl. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor with four 1-second pulses. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal, about twenty 1-second pulses. With machine running, add egg mixture and process until dough comes together, about 12 seconds. Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

2. Remove dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Unwrap and roll out between lightly floured large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 11-inch round. (If dough becomes soft and sticky, slip onto baking sheet and refrigerate until workable.) Transfer dough to tart pan by rolling dough loosely over rolling pin and unrolling over 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Working around circumference of pan, ease dough into pan by gently lifting dough with one hand while pressing dough into corners and sides of pan with other hand. Press dough into fluted sides of pan, patching breaks or cracks if necessary. (If some edges are too thin, reinforce sides by folding excess dough back on itself.) Run rolling pin over top of tart pan to remove excess dough. Set dough-lined tart pan on baking sheet or large plate and freeze 30 minutes. (Frozen dough-lined tart pan can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen up to 1 month.)

3. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Set dough-lined tart pan on baking sheet; lightly spray one side of 18-inch square heavy-duty extra-wide foil with nonstick cooking spray. Press foil greased side down inside frozen tart shell, folding excess foil over edge of pan; fill with metal or ceramic pie weights. Bake until pastry appears dry and pale gold under foil and edges have just begun to color, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Remove from oven and carefully remove foil and weights by gathering edges of foil and pulling up and out. Return baking sheet with tart shell to oven and bake until sides are medium golden brown, about 5 minutes; set on wire rack to cool.

4. For the filling: While tart shell is cooling, heat butter in small saucepan with light-colored interior over medium heat; cook, swirling or stirring occasionally, until butter smells nutty and milk solids at bottom are golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer butter to small heatproof bowl to stop cooking; cool butter until just warm to touch. Whisk egg and egg white in medium bowl until combined; add sugar and salt whisk vigorously until light colored, about 1 minute. Whisk in warm browned butter until combined; then whisk in vanilla, framboise, and lemon zest and juice. Whisk in Wondra flour, then whisk in cream until combined.

5. Add berries and bake: Distribute raspberries in single tightly packed layer in bottom of cooled tart shell. Pour filling mixture evenly over raspberries. Place tart on baking sheet in oven. Bake until fragrant and filling is set (does not jiggle when shaken), bubbling lightly around edges, and surface is puffed and deep golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating sheet pan after about 20 minutes for even browning. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, at least 1 1/2 or up to 6 hours. Remove tart pan ring; slide thin-bladed spatula between tart pan bottom and crust to loosen, then slide tart onto serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

Truffle Brownie Cups

Truffle Brownie Cups
1 2/3 c chocolate chips morsels, divided
2 Tbsp. butter (do not use margarine)
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
2/3 c all purpose flour
3/4 c heavy whipping cream


Assorted garnishes such as orange zext, maraschino cherries, toasted almond slices and whipped topping.


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprays wells of mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Place 2/3 c of chocolate chips and butter into a batter bowl. Microwave on high 40-60 seconds or until smooth, stirring after each 20 second interval. Add sugar and egg to batter bowl; mix until blended using a scraper. Add flour; mix just until flour is incorporated. Using two teaspoons, divide batter evenly among wells, filling wells about two-thirds full. Using a tart shaper (or the bottom of a measuring sppon), gently tap batter to create level tops. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are set. Do not overbake


Pour Cream into a measuring cup and microwave on high 1-2 minutes or until hot. Pour crfeam into clean batter bowl with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips; whisk until smooth. Place batter bowl into freezer 10-12 minutes or until mixture is cool and starting to thicken, stirring after each 5 minute interval. Spoon ganache into resealable plastic bag.


Remove pan from oven onto a cooling rack: cool 2 minutes. Press tops of brownies with a tart shaper (or bottom of measuring spoon) to make indentations. Cool in pan 3 minutes. Carefully remove brownies from pan. Trim corner of bag to allow the ganache to flow through. Pipe ganache evenly into brownie cups. Garnish as desired.

Pasta Chicken Salad

5-6 stalks celery (chopped)
1 can crushed pineapple (drained)
½ c craisins
2 cans chicken all white meat
2 boxes bow-tie or farfalle pasta (cooked and drained)
Red grapes (bunch)
cashews (optional)

Dressing:
1 bottle Kraft cole slaw dressing
1 c mayonnaise
Mix until combined and pour over salad and serve immediately