Yummy Homemade Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut Cream Pie by little blue hen @ flickr


From Denny: When it comes to holidays, new Spring weather and the coming summer, Southern cooks in my area often turn to making coconut cream pie. It's a real crowd pleaser and great for school functions, family gatherings and holidays.

If you don't have the time to make your own pie crust just purchase one from the refrigerated section of your grocery store as many of them are quite good. If you never have made your own, take the challenge and enjoy the fun of "making it from scratch" as the old cooks used to say.

If you don't like meringue to top the pie you can always use a whipped cream topping, preferably the real thing and not the imitation. Also, if you get in a hurry and forget to place the coconut on the topping to toast as it bakes just add toasted coconut later to each individual piece as you serve!





Coconut Cream Pie

From: Food writer Corinne Cook @ 2TheAdvocate

Makes: 1 ( 9-inch) pie

Ingredients:

1 (9-inch) pie crust, baked

Coconut Cream (or Custard) Filling:

2/3 cup sugar
3 tbls. cornstarch OR 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Small pinch of salt
2 cups milk
3 large eggs, (separate whites from yolks and place in separate bowls)
1-1/2 tbls. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup grated coconut
1/2 cup grated coconut for topping

Meringue:

3 egg whites at room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
6 tbls. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Coconut Cream (or Custard) Filling:

1. Prepare pie crust and bake. Allow to cool completely.

2. In medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch or flour and salt.

3. Gradually stir in the milk and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil for about 1-1/2 minutes more, then remove from heat.

4. Beat egg yolks with a fork until they’re well blended. While stirring, slowly stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks; then add it back to the hot mixture. Cook, while constantly stirring, another 1 or 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.

5. Stir in the butter, vanilla and 3/4 cup grated coconut. Pour into baked pie shell which has cooled completely.


Directions for Meringue:

1. Using a mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until frothy. Gradually start adding sugar a little bit at a time. Beat until stiff and glossy and sugar is dissolved. Beat in vanilla.

2. Drop spoonfuls onto hot custard in pie shell and spread meringue to meet edges of crust to prevent shrinking and weeping. Make swirls or dab spoon on top of meringue to make points. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut.

3. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven until lightly browned, about 7 to 9 minutes.


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Chef Rocco Dispiritos Cheap Yet Healthy Comfort Food

From Denny: The Early Show on CBS runs this segment called "Chef on a Shoestring" where the challenge is to prepare a three course meal for four people that costs under $40.

Celebrity Chef Dispirito has appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" TV show and has a new best-selling cookbook called "Now Eat This: 150 of America's Favorite Comfort Foods, All under 350 Calories." When we think of comfort food we usually don't think of the word "healthy." Well, Chef Dispirito will prove comfort food can be healthy with fewer calories and a lot less expensive! His cookbook is already topping the New York Times sales charts.

Recipes featured from his cookbook:

Wedge of Lettuce with Bacon and Blue Cheese
Charred Beef Burgers with Baba Ghanoush
Sweet Potato Fries
Peach and Blueberry Cobbler With Ginger And Cinnamon







Discounted over at my Amazon book store - Now Eat This: 150 of America's Favorite Comfort Foods, All under 350 Calories by Chef Rocco Dispirito



Watch CBS News Videos Online



Food Facts from Epicurious.com:


Baba Ghanoush: A Middle Eastern puree of eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. It's garnished with pomegranate seeds, chopped mint or minced pistachios and used as a spread or dip for or Middle Eastern Flat Bread.

Blue Cheese: This genre of cheese has been treated with molds that form blue or green veins throughout and give the cheese its characteristic flavor. Some of the more popular of the blues include dana-blu , gorgonzola, roquefort and stilton. Blue cheeses tend to be strong in flavor and aroma, both of which intensify with aging.

Heirloom seeds (heirloom tomato): The advent of mega-agriculture in America has seen the gradual depletion of ancient varieties of native non-hybrid plants. Unfortunately for those who appreciate full-flavored fruits and vegetables, produce-seed conglomerates focus only on those strains that have mass-market appeal - which means they're beautiful and hardy, but not necessarily the best-tasting.

Fortunately, about 25 years ago some dedicated individuals began saving what they could of the remaining open-pollinated (without human intervention) seed varieties, which have become known as "heirloom seeds." Among the many heirloom fruits and vegetables grown today are beets, carrots, corn, dried beans, lettuce, potatoes and tomatoes. As the public becomes more aware of these wonderful alternatives, farmers are also becoming more interested. Heirloom produce can be found in some specialty produce markets and farmer's markets.





Wedge of Lettuce With Bacon and Blue Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

1 small head iceberg lettuce
1 small red onion, sliced very thin
1 large heirloom tomato, cut into large dice
3/4 cup of 3-Grams-of-Fat Blue Cheese Dressing or Bolthouse Farms Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing
6 tablespoons crumbled reduced- fat blue cheese, such as Treasure Cove
6 tablespoons real bacon bits, such as Hormel Real Bacon Bits
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


DIRECTIONS:

Cut the iceberg lettuce into 4 wedges. Place 1 wedge on each of 4 salad plates, and top each wedge with some red onion and tomato. Drizzle each wedge with blue cheese dressing, and top it with crumbled blue cheese and bacon.

Season the salads with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.





Charred Beef Burgers with Baba Ghanoush

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium eggplant
2 tablespoons 5% Greek yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole-Grain Flourless Burger Buns
Nonfat cooking spray
12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef, formed into 4 patties
1/2 cup "Russian Island" Dressing or store bought reduced-fat Russian dressing
4 slices heirloom tomato
4 slices red onion
4 leaves romaine lettuce, broken in half


DIRECTIONS:

Char the eggplant over an open flame, rotating it often to cook evenly, about 20 minutes. The skin should be completely blackened and the flesh should be cooked through.

Place the eggplant in a bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap (to steam off the skin), and set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Then remove the charred skin with a paper towel, leaving the flesh behind.

Chop the eggplant with a knife until it is a thick and chunky puree. Mix the eggplant and the yogurt together in a bowl, and season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat.

Split the buns in half, and spray the split surfaces lightly with cooking spray. Season the burger patties with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the buns, cut sides down, and the burgers on the grill. Allow the buns to char slightly, and then transfer them to a platter. Cook the burgers for about 2-1/2 minutes per side for rare.

To assemble the burgers, spread the bottom buns with some of the eggplant mixture. Place the burgers on top, and then top each burger with some of the Russian dressing. Pile the tomato, onion, and lettuce on the burgers, and set the bun tops in place. Serve.





Sweet Potato Fries

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
Salt
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Sweet paprika
Cayenne pepper


DIRECTIONS:

Slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut the slices into 1/4-inch-wide sticks. Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Let stand for about 20 minutes to release some of their moisture.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet, and set it aside.

Spread the potatoes out on paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. Then place them in a large bowl, and spray them with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the thyme and salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne to taste. Spread the potatoes out on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the fries until they are golden and tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately.





Peach and Blueberry Cobbler With Ginger and Cinnamon

INGREDIENTS:

Nonstick cooking spray
4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated Splenda
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart baking mix
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar, such as Sugar In The Raw


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Spray a 7 X 11-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray, and set it aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the peaches, blueberries, the 1/4 cup Splenda, and the 1 tablespoon baking mix. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons Splenda, the remaining 3/4 cup Bisquick, and the ginger, cinnamon, and milk. Stir until the mixture forms a soft dough. Drop spoonfuls of the dough evenly over the fruit mixture. Sprinkle the sugar over the dough.

Bake the cobbler until the fruit is tender and the biscuit topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.





Breaking down the cost of the meal:

Steakhouse Salad

iceberg lettuce $1.99
red onion $.80
blue cheese dressing $1.49
blue cheese $2.99
bacon bits $1.99
total $9.26

Beef Burgers & Fries

eggplant $1.69
Greek yogurt $1.33
burger buns $3.19
ground beef $2.49
russian dressing $1.00
heirloom tomato $2.99
red onion $.80
romaine lettuce $1.49
sweet potatoes $1.49
thyme leaves $1.29
total $17.76

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler

peaches $2.24
blueberries $2.50
splenda $3.29
Bisquick baking mix $1.19
ginger $.25
turbinado sugar $2.49
total $11.96

His grand total: $38.98







Discounted over at my Amazon book store - Now Eat This: 150 of America's Favorite Comfort Foods, All under 350 Calories by Chef Rocco Dispirito


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Warm Soups 4 Cold Rainy or Snowy Days

From Denny: It's been raining all day and cold, cold, cold - and we have it good in south Louisiana! My relatives in the Northeast have just received another late winter's gift of a new blanket of deep snow. I've been chilly all day.

The pilot light on the hot water heater went out late last night so we woke up to cold water. Not to fear; McGiver was here. I just so happened to remember those electric teapots from my time in Europe, so picked one up here. Not a bad fix in an unexpected emergency. During the hurricane season when we lost power for days, our neighbors figured out we had coffee and started knocking on the door in the morning. Yep, we have a low tech mechanical French Press. I try to always have a back up plan.

While I was exploring the CBS site most of the afternoon today I found these good - no awesome! - soup recipes. I'm a huge fan of really good quality substantial soups and stews so these caught my eye. Katie Lee is also a friendly person who just chats you right up through the camera, bringing these recipes up off the page and practically into your mouth to taste! :) What is great about her too is that she is always thinking of ways to update traditional recipes with an interesting flavorful twist. Now she's speaking my name!



Watch CBS News Videos Online




Roasted Tomato Soup

From Katie Lee: Tomato soup is a classic, but it's difficult to get good tomatoes in the winter to make this soup homemade. We are going to roast our tomatoes first to bring out all of their natural sweetness and make them more flavorful, which will give us that luxurious, "right off the vine" tomato taste in soup. We put it in a pot and add chicken broth to it and season and then you puree it with the immersion blender.

We will puree this soup by using the immersion blender (a hand blender). You eyeball it and it should take about 5 minutes.

Cook Time: 3 hours
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in half, seeded, and cored
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into eight equal slices
2 garlic cloves
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Directions:

From Katie Lee: I used to always buy canned tomato soup, figuring that making homemade took too much time and effort. Then, my mom passed on this recipe to me. Not only is making homemade tomato soup easy, but it tastes worlds better than its processed counterpart. Roasting the tomatoes makes them even sweeter. If you like your tomato soup creamy, add the heavy cream, or if you are a purist just leave it out.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and thyme on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast in oven for two hours.

Let tomatoes cool to touch. Remove peels, tear into bite-size pieces, and transfer to a stockpot with roasted onion, garlic, and thyme. Add chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pot and stir in heavy cream. Simmer for 10 more minutes and serve.





Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

From Katie Lee: While on a girls’ trip on my friend Wendi’s boat, I had an Asian-style chicken noodle soup. I came home and tried to copy it, but I couldn't quite get the flavors right. After a few attempts, I finally mastered it and came up with this recipe. I like it spicy, so I serve extra chili sauce on the side.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
6 cups chicken broth
3 stalks lemongrass, the bottom 3 inches only, each stalk cut into three 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon chili sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 chicken breasts, pounded and thinly sliced
2 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 3- to 4-ounce pack rice noodles, prepared to package instructions
Cilantro, mint, scallions, bean sprouts, for garnish

Directions:

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat oil and add onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute until onions are translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add chicken broth, lemongrass, chili sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Increase heat to a low boil, add chicken breasts and cook about 5 minutes. Add cabbage, carrots, and red pepper and simmer an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Divide rice noodles among bowls and ladle chicken soup into each bowl. Garnish with cilantro, mint, scallions, and bean sprouts and serve with additional chili sauce, if desired.





Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup

From Katie Lee: High in antioxidants and vitamin A, this tasty and healthy soup is a standby at my house. Roast the carrots first to make them really sweet, then puree with ginger and stock. This soup freezes really well, so you can make a big batch and enjoy leftovers another night.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 cups carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut in large dice
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
2 bay leaves
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Fresh parsley, minced, for garnish

Directions:

Roasting carrots brings out all of their sweetness. For this soup, I added some ginger for a spicy contrast and the bay leaves and worcestshire sauce makes a rich backdrop of flavor. By using plain yogurt instead of heavy cream, it still has a creamy texture without all of the fat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the carrots with the one tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining one tablespoon olive oil and butter over medium-high heat and sauté onions, ginger, and bay leaves until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper and bring to a low boil. Add carrots, reduce to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and blend in batches until creamy. Add yogurt and blend to combine. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.





Wild Mushroom Soup

From Katie Lee: If you love creamy soups, this will be your favorite. Choose your favorite assortment of wild mushrooms to customize to your own taste. Super easy and incredibly rich in flavor. I also like serving this soup as an hors d'oeuvre at parties by spooning it into an espresso cup and topping it with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of chives.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Serves: 12 - 14

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
3 cups finely diced mixed wild mushrooms
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
Crème fraîche and minced flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender and any moisture has evaporated.

Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring often. Serve in espresso cups garnished with crème fraîche and parsley.





Grilled Chipotle Three-Cheese Sandwich

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 to 8 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 7-ounce jar chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I like La Costena brand.)
1/4 cup olive oil
12 slices of Monterey Jack cheese
12 slices of Swiss cheese
12 slices of cheddar cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
12 slices of sourdough bread (thickly sliced if possible)
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

Directions:

From Katie Lee: When I was in college, I worked in a great little restaurant called Kona Bistro. Employees ate for free and after a long shift, I always had this sandwich. Be careful, the chipotle puree is spicy!

Place the chipotle peppers and the sauce in a food processor or a blender and puree until smooth. With the machine running slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Place the chipotle puree in a small bowl and set aside.
Preheat a large, heavy fry pan, grill pan, or griddle to medium heat.

Place the bread slices on a work surface and spread each slice with 1 tablespoon chipotle puree. Layer half the bread slices with two slices of each cheese and a few slices of the tomatoes and onions. Top with the remaining slices of bread, chipotle side down. Spread the top and bottom of each sandwich with the butter.

Grill each sandwich for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the cheese is completely melted and the bread is golden brown. Slice the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.


*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Valentines Day, Mardi Gras: 7 Yummy Snack Recipes

From Denny: During any holiday we can get rushed and need recipes that are easy to do and soul satisfying, especially during winter holidays like Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras season. What I like about these recipes is that you could plate them as small meals when you are on the go or as appetizers for a large gathering.



Carol Poche and her husband Gerry owned and managed Mamacita’s Restaurant and Cantina for 16 years, closing in 2001. Carol is now a real estate agent, mailing out her newly tested recipes every month to friends and business associates. She was featured in our local newspaper food section this week at 2theadvocate.com.

The Advocate archives the recipes and food articles within a week and they are no longer available unless purchased. So, I try to park the best ones over here on this blog. It's still a delight to visit their food section as many times it's a wonderful selection, everything from busy moms on the go, kid friendly recipes and lots of comfort food and slow cooker recipes.

There are three savory recipes from Carol and four chocolate recipes from cake to fudge to enjoy during the holidays.

Recipes Featured:

Artichoke Cheesecake
Braised Sirloin Tips
Corn and Crab Bisque
Starlight Double-Delight Cake
Hershey's Mocha Glazed Brownie Cups
Chocolate Sweetheart Cakes for Two
Here's my Heart Fudge

Photos from 2theadvocate.com and Hersheys.com.



Artichoke Cheesecake

From: Carol Poché

Makes: 20 squares

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
2 tbls. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
1 cup feta, crumbled
3 large eggs
1 (8-oz.) carton sour cream
1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
3/4 cup chopped red pepper
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp. dried basil

Directions:

1. Generously grease a (9x11-inch) baking dish.
2. Mix bread crumbs, Italian seasoning and Parmesan. Coat bottom of pan with mixture.
3. Process cream cheese in food processor until smooth. Add feta, eggs, and sour cream. Process until smooth.
4. Add chopped artichoke hearts, peppers, onions, garlic, tarragon and basil. Stir well and pour into pan.
5. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely, then chill for 2 hours. Slice and serve.







Braised Sirloin Tips

From: Carol Poché, adapted from a recipe from her mother, the late Hazel Walters

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh mushrooms (my mother used canned)
1/4 cup butter, divided
Meat tenderizer
1 tbl. vegetable oil
1 (3-lb.) sirloin tip, cut in 1-inch cubes (my mother used stew meat)
3/4 cup plus 1/3 cup beef broth, divided
3/4 cup red wine
2 tbls. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced (my mother used garlic powder)
1 onion, chopped
2 tbls. cornstarch
1/2 (10-1/2-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup (my mother used the whole can)
Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Sauté mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter and spoon into a (3-quart) ungreased casserole. Season meat with meat tenderizer.
2. Add remaining butter and oil to skillet. Add meat and just brown. Do not cook completely. Spoon over mushrooms.
3. Combine 3/4 cup broth, wine, soy sauce, garlic and onions. Add to skillet, scraping bottom often.
4. Blend cornstarch with remaining 1/3 cup of broth and stir into wine mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick. Spoon over meat, stirring to blend.
5. Cover and bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour.
6. Add mushroom soup and season with salt, if needed. Serve over noodles or rice.






Corn and Crab Bisque

From: Carol Poché

Serves: about 8. This is a family favorite requested each Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
2 tbls. flour
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 lb. white crabmeat (I use lump)
1 qt. whole milk
1 (15-oz.) can cream-style corn (white or golden)
1 (15-oz.) can white corn
1 (10-1/2–oz.) can cream of potato soup
1/2 tsp. Accent
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Pinch mace
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Tony Chachere’s Original Seasoning, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Melt butter. Add flour and blend thoroughly. Add onions and cook slowly for 10 minutes until onions soften.
2. Add crabmeat, milk, corn, soup, Accent, Worcestershire, mace and Tabasco. Cook slowly for 15-20 minutes.
3. Add Tony’s. Just before serving, garnish with cheese, parsley and green onions.






Starlight Double-Delight Cake

From: Mrs. Samuel P. Weston

Ingredients:

Makes 1 (9-inch) layer cake. Recipe by Mrs. Samuel P. Weston, of La Jolla, Calif., is from “Pillsbury’s Best 1,000 Recipes Best of the Bake-Off Collection.” The recipe was the grand prize winner in the Third Grand National Bake-Off, 1951. A bit of mint flavor is carried into this beautifully moist, fine chocolate cake from the frosting mixture. There are those recipes that stand the test of time - like the chocolate chip cookie recipe!

For Chocolate Frosting:

2 (3-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. mint flavoring
6 cups (1-1/2 lbs.) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 cup hot water
4 (1-oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

For Chocolate Cake:

2-1/4 cups sifted Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose Flour
1-1/2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups Chocolate Frosting
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. To make frosting, cream 6 ounces cream cheese with 1/2 cup shortening, vanilla and mint flavoring; blend well.

2. Add sifted confectioners’ sugar alternately with hot water to cream cheese mixture. Blend in melted unsweetened chocolate.

3. To make cake, sift together all-purpose flour, soda and salt. Set aside.

4. Combine 1/4 cup shortening and 2 cups of Chocolate Frosting; cream well. Blend in eggs one at a time, beating well after each.

5. Add the dry ingredients alternately with milk. Blend well after each addition.

6. Turn into two (9-inch) round layer cake pans, well on the bottoms. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool; frost with remaining Chocolate Frosting (thin with a few drops cream if necessary.

Note: If using self-rising flour, omit soda and salt.







Hershey's Mocha Glazed Brownie Cups

Makes: 24 brownie cups

Ingredients:

1/4 c. butter or margarine
2 egg whites or 1/3 c. liquid eggs
1 egg
3/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. flour
1/3 c. Hershey's cocoa
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

MOCHA GLAZE

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line small muffin cups (1 3/4" diameter) with paper bake cups or spray with oil.

Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat; cool slightly.

Beat egg whites and egg in a small bowl on medium speed of mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar until slightly thickened and light in color. Stir together cocoa, sugar, salt and baking powder gradually adding to egg mixture, beating until blended. Gradually add melted butter, beating just til blended. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Prepare Mocha Glaze; drizzle over tops of brownie cups. Let stand until glaze is set. Store, covered, at room temperature.

Mocha Glaze

Ingredients:

1/4 c. powdered sugar
3/4 t. Hershey's cocoa
1/4 t. powdered instant coffee
2 t. hot water
1/4 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

Stir together powdered sugar and cocoa in small bowl. Dissolve instant coffee in water; gradually add to sugar mixture, stirring until well blended. Stir in vanilla.

70 calories each with 2.5 g of fat.






Chocolate Sweetheart Cakes for Two

From: Hershey's Cocoa

Prep Time: 17 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Skill Level: Beginner

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 8-inch square baking pan.

2. Stir together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; beat with whisk or spoon until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Transfer to cutting board. Using 3-1/4 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut cake into 4 hearts. Spread CHOCOLATE FROSTING on top of two hearts; place remaining two hearts on top. 2 small cakes.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2 to 3 teaspoons milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Place butter in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 20 seconds or until butter is melted. Stir together powdered sugar and cocoa; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating with spoon or whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. About 1/3 cup frosting.





Here's my Heart Fudge

Skill Level: Intermediate

Ingredients:

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Premier White Chips, divided
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4-1/2 cups sugar
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
1-1/2 cups (12-oz. can) evaporated milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 cup candied red cherries, quartered
Few drops red food color(optional)

Directions:

1. Line 13x9x2-inch pan with foil.

2. Place 1 cup white chips and almond extract in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together cocoa, 1/4 cup melted butter and vanilla extract until mixture is smooth; add remaining 1 cup white chips (chips do not need to melt).

3. Combine sugar, marshmallow creme, evaporated milk and 1/4 cup butter in heavy 4-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil (bubbles can't be stirred down); continue boiling and stirring 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately add half of hot mixture to bowl with white chips only. Pour remainder into cocoa mixture; stir to blend.

4. Beat white chip mixture until chips are completely melted; stir in cherries. Add red food color, if desired. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Beat cocoa mixture until chips are melted and mixture thickens slightly. Spread evenly over top of white chip layer.

5. Cover; refrigerate until firm. Remove from pan; peel off foil. Cut with heart-shaped cookie cutters or cut into squares. Cover; store in refrigerator. About 8 dozen squares.

NOTE: For best results, do not double this recipe.

*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to leave comments, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers, have a fabulous holiday and festival season - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!

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Winter Brain Food: Parmigiano Pasta with Mushrooms

From Denny: Winter just goes together with pasta and fresh pasta is one of those dishes you enjoy making on a chilly day. Making bread or pasta by hand and from scratch is very relaxing and a great way to stress down from a work week when the slower weekend time comes. Even if you don't have the time or the desire for making the pasta yourself, you can still make this dish with fresh pasta from the store which is easy to find.

Mushrooms are the ultimate "brain food" and we love mushrooms at our house. A mushroom cheese pasta, well, there is nothing more comforting on a cold day! This is such an easy sauce to make with aromatic rosemary and tasty white wine to sweeten it.

Sometimes, when I run out of olive oil - or just want a different taste - I use well browned clarified butter run through a fine mesh sieve to collect the browned bits to deliver a clear dark golden oil. Butter this way acquires a wonderful deep buttery flavor with nutty overtones that goes well with herbs and pasta.

Take a look at this soul-satisfying and easy to make rich-tasting Italian comfort food: Pasta with mushrooms and rosemary

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Stracchi con funghi
(Pasta “rags” with mushrooms, rosemary and Parmigiano-Reggiano)

From: Chef Missy Robbins, executive chef at A Voce restaurant

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

For the fresh pasta

• 4 cups “00” flour (a type of flour available in Italian markets)
• 16 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1/3 of cup water

For the completed dish

• 32 pc. stracchi
• 3 TBS. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. oyster mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 cup veal stock (can substitute chicken broth if veal stock is difficult to find)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 TBS butter
• 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped fine
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

For the fresh pasta: Make a well with the flour and place the egg and water in the center of the well. With a fork gradually begin to incorporate the flour into the egg and mix until a ball of dough forms.

Knead the dough for a few minutes by hand until it is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minutes.

Using a pasta machine or KitchenAid pasta attachment, roll out the pasta into thin sheet and cut into squares approximately 4 inches by 4 inches.

For the completed dish: Heat a large pot of water until it boils. Add salt to taste. Heat a large saute pan to high and add the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and saute on high heat until the mushrooms are golden in color. Add the white wine to deglaze pan, and then add the veal stock.

Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the butter and mix until emulsified into the sauce. Set aside. Place the pasta in the boiling water and cook until tender (it will only take about a minute).

Add the pasta to the saute pan with the mushrooms and add a touch of the pasta cooking liquid. Finish cooking the pasta in the mushroom sauce for another minute or so until the sauce and pasta are married together.

Add the rosemary and finish with 1/2 the Parmigiano-Reggiano and divide amongst 4 plates. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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Easy Winter Comfort Food: Beef Burgundy

From Denny: This past week all across America has been in the deep freeze weather wise, brrrrr! Even I finally turned on the house heat - when it dipped below 25 degrees F. So, I was looking around the TV networks to see what they were offering as warm comfort foods to ward off the cold. The recipe of Beef Burgundy harkens back to the French culture that built Louisiana, so how fitting is this? :)

The good news is that this recipe of long cultural tradition has been examined and tweaked by none other than the esteemed cooking magazine, Cook's Illustrated. The magazine took an easy slow cooked recipe and turned it into an easy recipe step by step. The editor, Chris Kimball, is featured in the video, suggesting we let a slow cooker do all our work though the recipe is for the oven. This is a perfect relaxing kind of meal to make on the weekend when you have some time. Of course, you could just as easily make this in the slow cooker on Sunday night, refrigerate it, and then start cooking it in a slow cooker as you go off to work on Monday morning. After the busy holiday season we all need down time to relax and make our lives simpler. What could be more soul satisfying than a recipe like this?

This recipe is all about marinating the beef in red wine and aromatic winter vegetables. Take a look:

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Beef Burgundy

From: Editor Chris Kimball

A few cooking notes and observations from Kimball if you choose to use a slow cooker:

Long hours in a slow cooker turn the foundation of beef burgundy — red wine — sour. We solved the problem by reducing the wine separately before adding it to the slow cooker, a step that mellows the harshness and acidity of the alcohol. And since slow cookers have a tendency to wash out the flavor of stew, we added a lot of garlic and thyme, a half a can of tomato paste for sweetness, and a hit of soy sauce to boost flavor and color.

INGREDIENTS

Aromatic bouquet

• 4 ounces salt pork, cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
• 10 sprigs fresh parsley, torn into pieces
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 medium onions, chopped coarse
• 2 medium carrots, chopped coarse
• 1 medium head garlic, cloves separated and crushed
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed

Stew

• 1 (31/2- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck eye roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
• 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (750-ml) bottle red Burgundy or Pinot Noir
• 11/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 11/4 cups low-sodium beef broth

Garnish

• 7 ounces frozen pearl onions
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pound white mushrooms, wiped clean and halved if small or quartered if large
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• Ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

For the bouquet: Cook the salt pork in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned and crisp, about 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the salt pork to a plate. Pour off and reserve the fat. Following the illustrations on page 102 - from the featured new cookbook "The Best Slow and Easy Recipes" - assemble the salt pork and remaining bouquet ingredients into a double-layer cheesecloth pouch and tie securely with kitchen twine.

For the stew: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the rendered pork fat in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 7 to 10 minutes, reducing the heat if the pot begins to scorch. Transfer the browned beef to a medium bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon more rendered pork fat and the remaining beef; transfer to the bowl.

3. Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in all but 2 tablespoons of the wine, scraping up any browned bits. Gradually whisk in the broths until smooth and bring to a simmer.

4. Stir in the browned meat with any accumulated juices, submerge the aromatic bouquet in the liquid, and bring to a simmer. Cover, place the pot in the oven, and cook until the meat is tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

5. For the garnish: Bring the pearl onions, water, butter, and sugar to a boil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the onions are fully thawed and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook until all the liquid evaporates, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are browned and glazed, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6. Remove the stew from the oven and remove the aromatic bouquet. Stir in the mushroom and onion garnish, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons wine, brandy, and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

*** THANKS for visiting, come back often for a great recipe, huge hug to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog - please subscribe in a reader or by email!

Winter Brunch: Norweigan Potato Pancake with Bacon, Swiss Cheese Sauce

From Denny: A simple hearty easy-to-do meal to get you through a cold rainy day or snowy day on the ski slopes! It's also yet another clever - and tasty - way to use up those leftover mashed potatoes.

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Norwegian potato pancake with poached eggs, Jalrsberg cheese sauce, and cranberry relish



From: Chef Zane Holmquist



Serves: 6-8 portions



INGREDIENTS



Norwegian potato pancake



• 4 Idaho potatoes (par-boiled, peeled and grated)

• 1/2 small yellow onion

• 4 bacon strips (cooked and diced)

• 1 egg white

• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon fresh chives (chopped)

• 1 teaspoon fresh Italian parsley (chopped)

• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground fresh black pepper



Jarlsberg cheese sauce



• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 cup whole milk

• 2 teaspoon corn starch

• 4 teaspoon cold water

• 2 cups Jarlsberg cheese (grated)

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

• 1 pinch ground nutmeg



Cranberry relish



• 1 1/2 cups whole fresh cranberries

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• Zest of 1/2 orange

• 1 pinch kosher salt



Poached eggs



• One egg per person

• 2 quarts water

• 2 tablespoons vinegar



DIRECTIONS



Norwegian potato pancake



1. Boil potatoes in salted water for 12 minutes; cool to room temperature, peel and grate.



2. Peel and dice onion.



3. Cook bacon and dice. Onions and bacon should be diced to equal sizes.



4. Combine potatoes, onion and bacon.



5. Whip egg whites until foamy; fold into potato mixture.



6. Mix flour, chives, parsley, salt and pepper into potato combination. Be sure not to overwork; the potatoes should keep their grated texture.



7. Scoop potato mixture onto lightly oiled pancake griddle with 2 ounce ice cream scoop and cook until lightly browned on both sides; approximately 3-4 minutes per side.







Jarlsberg cheese sauce



1. Bring cream and milk to a simmer.



2. Mix corn starch and water together to make a slurry.



3. Add corn starch slurry to simmering milk and cream. (You must bring the cream to a boil, to activate the corn starch.)



4. Slowly add in grated Jarlsberg cheese, continually stirring until a smooth sauce-like consistency. (Use caution; the cheese sauce can burn easily)



5. Add salt, white pepper and nutmeg.



6. Keep sauce warm until ready to serve.







Cranberry relish



1. Mix cranberries, sugar, orange zest and salt together in a bowl.



2. Place in a thick-bottom saucepan; bring to a low simmer.



3. Stirring occasionally, cook for 12 minutes, or until the mixture is a jam-like consistency.







Poached eggs



Poach one egg per person in 2 quarts of water with 2 tablespoons of vinegar, until desired doneness. Place poached egg on potato pancake. Add 2-3 tablespoons of cheese sauce over the egg.



Garnish plate with 1 large tablespoon of cranberry relish. Finish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. The tart cranberry relish lightens the intense flavor of the Jarlsberg cheese. The dish’s primary component is the potato cake. This is a perfect Sunday brunch dish.







*** For more about Norweigan-American culture, check out one of my friend's articles at HubPages: Rolling lefse for the holidays where she talks about what the holidays were like at her house.



*** Thanks for visiting! For more recipes check out Comfort Food From Louisiana!

Winter Comfort Food from Chef Tyler Florence

From Denny: OK, I'm salivating if only a little... just finished watching this episode of Tyler's Ultimate for winter comfort food. Tyler's food is easy to do, simple and full of fresh flavors. He also has a knack for knowing what regular people want to enjoy on their plate!







This is a wonderful traditional recipe made with both pork and beef. The milk proteins help to break down and tenderize the meat.

Tagliatelle Bolognese

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, wiped of grit
1/4 pound pancetta or slab bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs rosemary
1 1/2 pound ground pork
1 1/2 pound ground beef
2 cups milk
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups dry red wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dry tagiatelle pasta
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
1 handful fresh basil leaves
Fresh ricotta cheese

Directions:

Reconstitute the mushrooms in boiling water for 20 minutes until tender, drain and coarsely chop.

Puree the mushrooms, pancetta, onion, celery stalks, carrots, garlic, together in a blender.

In a heavy-bottomed pot add olive oil, bay leaves, herbs and cook gently until fragrant, then add vegetable puree and continue to cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes.

Raise the heat a bit and add the ground pork and beef; brown until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up the clumps with a wooden spoon. Add the milk and simmer until the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Carefully pour in the tomatoes, and wine and season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Slowly simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring now and then, until the sauce is very thick. Taste again for salt and pepper.

When you are ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian "al dente"). Drain the pasta well and toss with the Bolognese sauce.

Serve with a good scoop of fresh ricotta cheese and garnish with some shredded basil, grated Parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil.







I was well impressed with this intriguing new twist for a beets recipe. Beets are wonderful roasted and roasting is just too easy and low maintenance in the oven while you are busy with the rest of the meal. What really appealed to me was the salad dressing he made for it with honey to bind the oil and balsamic vinegar. Then he added lemon and orange juices to sweeten and kick up the flavors. He even made his own croutons - a man after my own heart! :)

Winter Panzanella

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 bunches mixture red and gold baby beets
3 shallots
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 sprigs marjoram, thyme, and oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices pancetta, sliced into small pieces
1 log goat cheese, refrigerated
1 loaf Italian bread, cut into crouton-sized pieces
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 orange, juiced
1 handful dates
1 large handful arugula lettuce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Take baby beets and cut them in half. Place on a long sheet of aluminum foil. Split shallots lengthwise, leaving them unpeeled, and add to foil. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, marjoram, thyme, and oregano leaves and season with salt and pepper. Fold foil into a packet and roast in oven until fork tender and nicely caramelized, about 30 minutes.

In saute pan, cook pancetta until crisp.

Meanwhile refrigerate goat cheese so it is easier to break up over the salad later.

Toss the bread chunks with 1⁄4 cup oil until the bread is wet with the oil. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake until the bread begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

While the bread is going, make the dressing. In a large mixing bowl, add the honey, lemon juice, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons oil, salt, pepper, and stir together. Add all the remaining ingredients except arugula and gently stir. Taste for seasoning. Remove beets and bread from oven, peel shallots, and add to bowl. Stir together and season with salt and pepper. Add pancetta and arugula.







OK, this one struck me right immediately. While I love pears poached in red wine it's often a hassle to find the perfect pears. What is always in our local grocery stores is the common green Bartlett pear. Little did I know you could cook with this juicy pear as I've always eaten it fresh.

This recipe is just too simple and packed with brown sugar flavor! He adds the fresh cranberries for color and taste which is great if you have a few left over from the holidays chilling in the freezer and trying to figure out how to use just a little bit in a recipe. Usually, I'm lukewarm on stewed fruit but a baked cobbler with this topping has me sold! :) This little gem of a recipe would be great for guests or a winter brunch too.

Pear Cobbler with Cranberry Streusel

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 Bartlett pears
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup whipping cream, beaten to soft peaks
Unsalted butter, at room temperature, granulated and sugar, for the baking dish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel the pears and cut them in 1/2 through the stem end. Use a melon baller to scoop out the cores. Put the pear halves in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the vanilla; toss. Then sprinkle over the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and toss to coat the pears with the flavorings. Line the pears up in a buttered, sugared baking dish, rounded sides up.

In the same bowl, mash together the butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt with your hands for the topping. Toss in the cranberries. Crumble the topping mixture over the pears in the baking dish and bake until the topping is crunchy and browned and the pears are very tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

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