Chocolate Rum Swiss Roll Cake

INGREDIENTS

For cake

• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pan
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for pan
• Pinch of salt
• 3 large whole eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled completely

For filling

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons light rum
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

For decorating

• Unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare oven and baking sheet: Heat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in bottom half. Coat a 12 1/2-by-17 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray. Dust with cocoa powder and tap out excess.
2. Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together cocoa powder, flour, and salt in a bowl.
3. Combine eggs and sugar: Bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over (not in) simmering water, whisk eggs, yolks, and granulated sugar until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Raise speed to high; beat until mixture is pale and thick, about 4 minutes more.
4. Add dry ingredients: Sift cocoa mixture over egg mixture; using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold. When almost incorporated, pour melted butter down side of bowl; gently fold to combine.
5. Bake: Using an offset spatula, spread batter evenly into prepared sheet. Bake cake until golden brown and springy to the touch, 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, dust a clean kitchen towel with cocoa powder. Run a knife around sides of cake. Invert onto prepared towel, and remove parchment.
6. Roll into log and cool: While the sheet cake is still warm, gently roll, starting from one short side, into a log, incorporating the kitchen towel. Let the cake cool completely, rolled. (This will give the cake a "shape memory," so it will be easier to roll again with filling.)
7. Meanwhile, make rum syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add rum, then let cool completely.
8. Fill cake and reroll: Unroll cake. Brush entire surface generously with cooled rum syrup. Whip cream and remaining tablespoon sugar until soft peaks form; spread over cake leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Roll cake to enclose filling (without towel), starting at a short end. Wrap the towel around rolled cake, securing with clips or clothespins to help retain the shape.
9. Chill and serve: Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours). Dust with cocoa powder, cut into slices with a serrated knife, and serve.

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Chicken & Pasta

INGREDIENTS

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 lb chicken tenders

1/4 cup butter, divided

2 cups heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.  Sprinkle over both sides of chicken tenders.
In large saute pan, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat.  Cook the chicken tenders until done, about 8 minutes.
Pour the cream and remaining butter into the skillet.  Lower heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.  Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.

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Pears with Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

For the poached pears
6 pears
2 tablespoon cider spice mix
juice of one lemon

For the chocolate sauce
4 oz semisweet best quality chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon honey

For the ice cream: homemade vanilla bean ice cream

INSTRUCTION
Prepare the pears
Place the pears, spice mix, lemon juice and enough water to cover them in a tall saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat and let them simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pears are just soft (poke with a toothpick to check).
Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and allow to cool on paper towel or baking rack.

Prepare the sauce
Place the chocolate in a non reactive bowl and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan set over medium high heat, bring the cream and honey to a strong simmer. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes then slowly stir until the mixture comes together.

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Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

½ cup milk                              

1 vanilla bean

½ cup sugar

4 egg yolks

Pinch of salt

1 ½ cup heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small saucepan, simmer milk and ¼ cup of sugar over medium low heat. Scrape the vanilla bean and throw everything into the milk. Do NOT boil the milk.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with remaining ¼ cup of sugar until nice and pale. To temper the egg yolk mixture, ladle some warm milk and whisk vigorously as you pour it. Now put the tempered egg yolk mixture back to the remaining milk. Continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour the heavy cream into a medium bowl. Place a sieve over it. Transfer the custard mixture into the heavy cream through the sieve. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the custard. Cool completely.

 Once the custard is cooled, pour it into the prepared ice cream maker and run according to your specific ice cream maker manual.
 Transfer into a bowl, and store in the freezer.

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Puff Pastry Apple Strudel

INGREDIENTS:

3 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced or cubed 

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, plus more for the top

1 egg

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed

Glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons heavy cream or milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss the apples with lemon juice then spirnkle the sugar, flour and cinnamon over them. Toss well. Add the cranberries and walnuts, toss again.
3. Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water in a small bowl.
4. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and unfold the pastry sheet. Flour a rolling pin and roll the puff pastry out to a 16 x 12 -inch rectangle.
5. With the short side facing you spoon the apples onto the bottom half and leave a 1-inch border around the edges.
6. Brush the border all the way around with egg.
7. Roll the puff pastry up and place seam side down on the baking sheet. Press the edges together well and tuck them under.
8. Brush the top with egg and cut slits in it for the steam to escape.
9. Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown all over. Let cool.
10. In a small bowl whisk the confectioners sugar with the heavy cream until smooth. Drizzle over the strudel and sprinkle with a handful of chopped walnuts.
11. Cut into slices or slabs with a serrated knife. Store leftovers tightly covered up to 3 - 4 days.

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Broccoli Soup with Cheese

Serves: 2 big bowls

INGREDIENTS

·         one bunch of fresh broccoli [enough for a few cups of chopped tops]

·         2 cups vegetable [or chicken!] broth

·         ½ cup of sharp cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping [freshly grated]

·         1 heaping cup of regular gouda cheese [freshly grated]

·         1 cup of shredded carrots [or a little extra!]

·         1 small white onion [about ⅔ cup or 1 cup, chopped]

·         2 large cloves of garlic, minced

·         1 cup half and half [or heavy cream], room temperature

·         3 TBSP all purpose flour

·         3 TBSP butter

·         1 bay leaf

·         ¼ tsp garlic powder

·         ⅛ tsp allspice

·         ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

·         ⅛ tsp dried basil

·         ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

·         ⅛ tsp salt [will vary based on salt content of your stock/broth]

·         a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    First the veggies: Chop them! Dice the onions super small, mince the garlic, an shred the carrots if you didn't buy pre-shredded. This can all be done ahead of time and stored in the fridge for later. For the broccoli, chop ⅔ of it into tiny florets [just cut off as much stem as you can and it'll fall apart in the pot] and then take the remaining ⅓ and give it a rough chop so you have a few large pieces to add to the soup. Totally optional!

2.    Add your veggie broth to a pot on medium-high heat, add your ⅔ of your broccoli [about 2 cups of florets] as well as your onion, garlic, carrots, and bay leaf. Simmer on medium, covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

3.    Once the broth is done, start your roux: In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter on medium heat, whisking constantly. Once melted, slowly add 3 tablespoons of flour as you continue to whisk.

4.    For a thicker soup, use an extra tablespoon of each. I skipped it. Remove from heat and slowly pour in the broth from your veggie mixture [its okay if some of the veggies jump in along side it!] and stir to incorporate.

5.    Next pour in the veggies and slowly stir in 1 cup of room temperature half and half.

6.    Return to the burner on very low heat, uncovered.

7.    Spoon out the bay leaf and season with the above herbs and spices, adding a little extra of whichever you like to taste. I personally adore the pinch of nutmeg in this soup but feel free to leave it out if it's just not your cup of tea! The soup is great both ways! Depending on the saltiness of your broth, you might skip the salt entirely or prefer to add a bit more. Taste and tweak as needed after adding your cheese.

8.    Once the soup has warmed back up, stir in the grated cheeses [slowly and in small batches] and remove from heat immediately.

9.    That extra broccoli you left on the side? Blanch in boiling water, steam in your microwave, or basically cook it however you'd like, then stir that green goodness into your completed soup for great texture and an extra burst of broccoli.

10.  Garnish with a little extra grated cheddar and a sprinkle of parsley and even a pinch of spicy red pepper flakes if you'd like! Anything goes!

Enjoy it!

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Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Crisp-tender chicken in the most amazing cream sauce ever. It's so good, you'll want to guzzle down the sauce!

8 servings

INGREDIENTS

·            8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

·            Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

·            3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

·            3 cloves garlic, minced

·            1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more, to taste

·            1 cup chicken broth

·            1/2 cup heavy cream

·            1/3 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained

·            1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

·            1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

·            1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

·            1/4 teaspoon dried basil

·            1/4 cup basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.      Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste.

3.      Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.

4.      Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan, thyme, oregano and basil.

5.      Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet.

6.      Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.

7.      Serve immediately, garnished with basil, if desired.

Enjoy!

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Carrot Cake

Ingredients

·         The 9x13 Carrot Cake recipe of your choice, baked and cooled (I used a box mix)

·         14 oz sweetened condensed milk

·         8 oz Cool Whip

·         10.6 oz Cool Whip Vanilla Frosting 

·         6 oz (half a tub) of whipped cream cheese (must be whipped)

·         Approx. 1/2 cup caramel sundae sauce (just pour on as much or as little as you'd like)

·         Approx. 1 cup chopped pecans (sprinkle on as much or as little as you'd like)

Instructions

1.    Leave the cake in the dish it was baked in-- this is not a free standing cake.

2.    Poke approximately 20-25 holes, spread evenly, over the top of the cake with the bottom of a wooden spoon. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over top, trying to fill the holes as much as possible.

3.    In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the cool whip, the cool whip frosting, and the whipped cream cheese until smooth. Spread over top of the cake.

4.    Pour the caramel sauce over top of the cake, and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

5.    Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, really overnight is best.

6.    Cut into 12 squares to serve.

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Homemade Milano Cookies

Ingredients

·         12  tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

·         2 1/2  cups powdered sugar

·         7/8  cup egg whites (from 6-7 eggs)

·         2  tablespoons vanilla extract

·         1 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ unbleached all-purpose flour

·         1/2  cup heavy cream

·         8 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped

·         Zest from 1/4 orange

    Instructions 

1.    Preheat oven to 350°F and line four or more baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper (use as many baking sheets as will fit in your oven).

2.    In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter. Add sugar and mix until combined.

3.    Add egg whites gradually, then mix in the vanilla. Add flour and mix until just combined.

4.    Using a piping bag fitted with a 1/4 plain tip, pipe 2-inch sections of batter onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until edges are a light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely on baking sheet.

5.    To make the filling: In a small saucepan, scald the heavy cream (bring it to about 180°F). Pour scalded cream over chopped chocolate in a large bowl and whisk to melt. Add zest and stir.

6.    Spoon a thin layer of filling on the flat side of half the cookies. Press the flat side of another cookie down lightly on top of the filling. Repeat with remaining cookies. Place cookies in refrigerator for 10 minutes to set filling.

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Super Brownie Cookies

Serves: 24

Ingredients

·         1 box fudge brownie mix (19.5 ounce or family size)

·         ¼ cup butter, melted

·         4 oz. (1/2 block) cream cheese, softened

·         1 egg

·         1 cup powdered sugar

·         1 cup creamy peanut butter

·         4 blocks (about 4 ounces) chocolate Candiquik

Instructions

1.     Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, beat the brownie mix, butter, cream cheese, and egg. The dough will be a little sticky. Scoop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, making about 24 cookies. Smooth the edges of each to form a round cookie.

2.     In a separate bowl, mix the powdered sugar and the peanut butter until it is completely combined. Form the mixture into about 1 inch balls. Make sure you have one ball for each cookie. Set aside.

3.     Bake for the cookie dough 12 minutes, keeping an eye out to make sure the cookies doesn't over cook or undercook.

4.     As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a peanut butter ball lightly into the center of each cookie. The peanut butter mixture will soften slightly, but that is OK. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

5.     Melt the 4 blocks of chocolate in a microwavable bowl for 45 seconds. Stir the chocolate and melt for additional 15 seconds or until the chocolate is completely melted. (Candiquik comes in 16 ounce packages. When you open it, there are 16 blocks. Cut off 4 of these blocks for this recipe.) Spoon about ½ a tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie so it covers the peanut butter ball. Let the chocolate set. Store in an airtight container.

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