3 Minute Chocolate “Cup” Cake

OK. I apologize for not posting a picture. I must say that this is such a quick and yummy recipe, I got carried away. Peter and I tore into it warm from the microwave with a bit of fresh whipped cream on top and it was amazing. I saw the recipe on Michael Symon’s Symon’s Suppers on the Cooking Channel and I just had to try it for Valentine’s day. So easy, so simple, so so good.

Total Time: 10 min

Prep:5 min

Cook:5 min

Yield:4 to 6 servings

 

Ingredients

8 ounces room-temperature butter, cubed

8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 pint ice cream, such as salted caramel flavor, for serving

Good quality maraschino cherries, such as Luxardo, for serving

 

Directions

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a glass bowl set over a double boiler, or for 60 seconds in the microwave.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, orange zest, salt and eggs. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Divide the batter among 4 large or 6 medium coffee cups.

Microwave for 50 seconds to 2 minutes on high, depending on the number of cakes, the power of your microwave and how molten you like your cakes. Let cool for 30 seconds. Top with the ice cream and cherries, and serve.

 

Boiled Water

Here is a recipe for the novice who wants to embark on the road to creative cuisine but may think they lack the skills to do so. This is best taken with a grain of salt (or two). Happy Holidays!

Boiling water is essential to many recipes. If you have never cooked before, don’t worry. It is not as difficult as it may appear. This recipe will guide you through the process, even if you have never set foot in a kitchen.

Special equipment: 12-quart stockpot

Ingredients
Water

Procedures
Open your cupboard or wherever it is you store your cookware.

Locate a 12-quart stockpot. If you do not have a 12-quart stockpot, you may use whatever size pot you have; in that event, keep in mind that serving size here is 1 cup and there are 4 cups in a quart. Do the math.

Place your pot in the sink under the tap. If you have never used a sink before, it is the large depression in your counter top. (If you live with someone else, they may have filled it with dirty dishes; in this case, wash them or simply remove them from the sink and place them in the oven — someone else will eventually discover them there and wash them.)

Turn the cold-water knob to the “on” position. Some people (like my dad) prefer to let the water run a little bit. This is optional but encouraged — if it’s a hot day or someone has previously used the “hot” water knob, the warmer water will eventually be replaced by truly cold water.

Fill stockpot to within a couple inches of the rim.

Lift stockpot from sink and transfer to stove. (Although appearances may vary, the stove is the thing with 4 or more circular metal bands on top of it; alternately, it may be a completely flat black glass surface. If you are unsure, ask your family, roommate, or neighbor for guidance.)

Find knob on stove that corresponds to the “burner” you have placed your pot on. In addition to words like “Right Front” or “Left Rear,” there are usually little pictures near the knobs to indicate position.

Turn knob to “High” and wait until water boils. Depending on strength of your stove and amount of water, the boiling time may vary. Note: DO NOT WATCH THE POT; it will never boil in the event that you do.

Boiled water may be used for any number of applications. Serve hot but do not drink. Serves 48, cooking time 5 minutes, total time varies.

Alternate methods
Depending on water application, you may want to salt the water. Do this after the water has come to a boil.

Placing a lid on the pot will help it boil faster, with the additional benefit of blocking water from your line of sight, which, as stated above, inhibits the boiling process.

Pistachio Raspberry Cookies

These cookies are very easy to make and are lovely for holiday entertaining or gift giving. You can make the dough the first day and refrigerate overnight and then bake them the next day. I used semi-sweet chocolate for half of the cookies and white chocolate melts for the other half.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 9 drops green food coloring
• 1 tablespoon 2% milk
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios
• 9 drops red food coloring
• 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry preserves
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, melted
• Additional chopped pistachios, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and extracts. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough in half. Stir green food coloring, milk and nuts into one portion; mix well. Add red food coloring and jam to the other half.
• Between two pieces of waxed paper, shape each portion into an 8-in. x 6-in. rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise. Place one green rectangle on a piece of plastic wrap. Top with one pink rectangle; press together lightly. Repeat, forming a second stack. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove one stack from the refrigerator at a time. Unwrap dough; cut in half lengthwise. Return one portion to the refrigerator. Cut remaining portion into 1/8-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Drizzle cooled cookies with melted chocolate. Sprinkle with additional pistachios if desired. Yield: 6-1/2 dozen.

 

 

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 84 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 12 mg cholesterol, 70 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Beef Braised in Red Wine with Chinese Mushrooms

This is an amazing recipe for use with beef.  It can be sirloin, chuck or rump, as long as the cut is one large piece and not slices.  The dried Chinese mushrooms add umami to the dish and it becomes something incredibly luscious and satisfying. 

I made this on a cold Cleveland evening for dinner and served it with polenta to soak up the wonderful gravy that it makes. You could also use potatoes or rice is that is your preference. This is a dish that is best made on the weekend because it requires marinating in the frig for a couple of hours and then it is cooked low and slow to break it down into meat that nearly melts in the mouth.

About 2 lb. of beef
2 c. red wine
12 large dried Chinese black mushrooms or more if small
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 large or 2 small onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 fresh thyme sprigs
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the beef and the wine in a bowl that will hold them comfortable. Place the mushrooms in a 1 cup measuring cup and fill with boiling water. Allow to steep 10 minutes to rehydrate them. Transfer the mushrooms, along with the mushroom liquid that has be strained, into the bowl with the beef. Stir in the soy sauce. Cover and marinate in the frig for two to three hours.

Heat the oen to 300 degrees. Transfer the meat to several sheets of paper towels and pat it dry. Heat the oil in a cast iron pan on medium-high and lightly brown the beef. Remove and lower the heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Add the thyme, the marinade and the mushrooms and cook on high 8 to 10 minutes until reduced by half. Return the beef to the pan, cover and bake about 2 1/2 hours or until fork-tender.

Remove the beef from the pan. Add the remaining vegetables and broth to a blender and blend until smooth. If it is too thick, add a bit of water to bring it to gravy consistency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Escargot Pops

I was watching an episode of The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Television and saw a truck in San Francisco that did French food. They were offering an escargot pop which was basically a snail wrapped in puff pastry on a stick. This gave me the idea of trying this at home for my friend, Charlotte, who was coming from out of town for a visit.

Since I was offering them as a first course for dinner, I did not put a stick in them but this could easily be done if you want them “to go”.

I like to use puff pastry from Trader Joe’s if I am not taking the time to make it from scratch. I like theirs because it only contains real ingredients that you will recognize.

A hot oven is necessary to get the pastry to really puff up. Gruyère has a lovely nutty flavor and will add a lot to your dish.

To make the snail butter, just add some fresh minced garlic and parsley to softened butter.

If you want them in the form of a pop, then use two sheets of puff pastry and cut into larger squares so you can completely encase the filling so it won’t leak out.

Here is the recipe that I developed to give you the classic flavors of escargot that usually comes swimming in melted garlic butter along with a large chunk of bread for soaking up all the butter, but with a lot fewer calories and fat.

1 sheet of puff pastry
1 can of jumbo snails
2 oz. of Gruyère, cut into small pieces
Small amount of snail butter

Cut the pastry into squares to pair with the number of snails you have.

Place a small piece of Gruyère in the middle of each square and place in a mini muffin tin that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Place a snail on top of Gruyère and then finish with a small amount of the butter.

Pinch the corners of the pastry together just at the tip. They will open and puff up beautifully in the oven and that is what you want.

Bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden and puffed.

Black and Blue Mojito

This is a great drink for a warm summer’s day. I tried it a couple of weeks ago and can’t resist them now. Grab some fresh berries at the farmer’s market and some limes and try it.

4 blueberries plus one for garnish
10 blackberries plus one for garnish
10 mint leaves plus one sprig for garnish
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. rum
Crushed ice

Muddle the berries, mint, lime juice and simple syrup in a rocks or old-fashioned glass.

Add the rum and ice. Stir gently.
Garnish with berries and mint sprig

Basic White Bread

I have been spending the last couple of months baking bread every few days and have gotten quite spoiled by it. The house smells amazing on baking day and you can hardly wait to tear into a fresh loaf.

This is a recipe based on one from James Beard. I have made a couple of changes to suit our tastes. It is great for sandwiches as it has a fine crumb and is very tender.

4 c. all purpose flour
1 T. salt
1 package of dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
10 oz. water

Start by mixing 1/2 c. of warm water, the yeast and sugar together. Let it set in a warm place for about 15 minutes until it is really foamy. This way you know your yeast is active and ready to have fun.

Place about 3 3/4 c. in a bowl and add the bubbly yeast, salt, 3/4 c. of warm water and knead for about 10 minutes. If you have an electric mixer with a dough hook, you can use that instead. Slowly add another 1/4 to 1/2 c. of flour while kneading. Poke it with a finger and see how it depresses and feels to your touch. The dough should be soft but not sticky. It can vary depending on the temperature of the room and the humidity so you have to go by feel. If it is sticky, add a bit more flour and knead a couple of minutes and check again. Roll into a nice round ball.

Spray a bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in it and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap. Let set about 2 hours in a warm place and let rise until double in size.

Check after 1 1/2 hours as sometimes it will rise faster and sometimes slower.

Punch it down. This means to push on dough and it will deflate. Knead a couple of times with your hands and roll into a nice smooth rectangle. Place in a bread pan that has been sprayed with pan spray.

Let rise again until about 1 inch above the pan. This usually takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Brush your bread with cold water and place in oven and bake for 35 minutes or until it reaches about 200 degrees inside with an instant read thermometer. If you want a crisper crust on bottom of loaf, remove from pan and let bake another 5 minutes just sitting on the oven rack.

Remove and place on cake rack to cool. This is really the hardest part because the bread smells so good and you just want to cut into it but waiting is the thing to do.

Parmesan Cake

This cake is more like a cheese bread. It has lots of flavor and stays fresh tasting for several days. It goes together quickly and is quite easy to make.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup semolina flour
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Sift the all-purpose flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the Parmesan cheese, semolina and pepper.

Place in a bowl, making a well in the center. Pour in the butter, egg yolks and milk and mix vigorously.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold in.

Spoon into a greased, round eight-inch cake pan and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until firm and browned. Serve cut into four to six pieces as an hors d’oeuvre with drinks or as a bread with stews to mop up the sauce, or merely toasted.

Jellied Cranberry Nut Candies

I made these for the holidays to offer as a treat. They are a nice jeweled red color which makes them great for Christmas, however they are fabulous anytime. They are so good and embarrassingly simple to make.

1 tsp. butter
1 can (14 oz.) jellied cranberry sauce
1 3/4 c. sugar, divided
3 (3 oz.) packages raspberry gelatin
1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Line an 8 inch square pan with foil, letting about an inch hang over the edge of pan on two sides. Grease the foil with 1 tsp. butter; set aside.

In a large saucepa, combine the cranberry sauce, 1 cup sugar and raspberry gelatin Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in walnuts Pour into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Using foil lift candy out of pan; discard foil. Cut cand into 1 inch sqaures. Roll in remaining sugar Store at room temperature between ayers of wxed paper in an airtight container. The candy is best when stored at least three days before serving.

Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Thyme

This is an amazing recipe for squash guaranteed to please anyone who is tired of the usual sugar or maple syrup filling that most recipes say goes with squash. This recipe is savory but the squash does acquire a sweetness from the browned butter and caramelized squash.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, flesh diced into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon of dried). Fresh is the better choice.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the butter, whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter. Once melted it will foam up a bit, then subside. Honey-colored browned milk solids will begin to form. The butter should have a wonderful nutty aroma. Remove from heat. Add the thyme, whisking
(Note that it doesn’t take much time to go from browned butter to burnt butter. You will want to remove the continuously. If using fresh thyme, the mixture will foam up a bit.

pan from the heat element and place it on a cool surface to help stop the cooking of the butter. If the butter burns, I recommend dumping it and starting over.)

Add the cubed butternut squash pieces to the pan and return the pan to the burner, heating to medium high. Use a wooden or metal spoon to stir the squash pieces so they are all well coated with the butter thyme mixture. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread the squash pieces out in an even layer and let cook, without stirring, so that they brown a bit on one side (several minutes). Stir and spread the pieces out again and let cook without stirring so more sides get browned.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let cook until the squash is tender, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how big you cut the pieces.

Add more salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with a bit more chopped fresh thyme before serving.

Serves 4.