For all you chocolate lovers, here is a great one to make, eat and groan with pleasure!
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 tbsp. icing sugar
- 1 tbsp. white chocolate Irish Cream (generous, of course)
Cake Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 8 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- 3 egg whites
Brush eight 3/4 cup ramekins with1 tbsp. softened butter and set aside.
In a bowl over a saucepan with simmering water, melt the chocolate with the remaining 1/2 cup butter and let it slightly cool.
In a separate bowl beat the whole eggs with 1/2 of the sugar until pale in colour. Whisk in the chocolate mixture along with the vanilla.
In another bowl (can you believe it?) beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and add the sugar, 2 tbsp. at a time, until glossy peaks form. Fold 1/4 of this into the chocolate and then add the remaining whites.
Spoon evenly into the prepared ramekins. Place on a parchment lined pan and bake for 25-28 minutes until the top is puffed and cracked and the centre still looks moist. Let cool on a rack. Dust with icing sugar.
Now, pour yourself a glass of wine or make a signature drink and say “damn I did that”.
Papaya Scones
When the girls pop over for coffee in the morning or your Mother-in-law shows up for tea in the afternoon, treat them with these.
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup butter (cold, so you can grate it)
- 1/2 cup dried papaya, chopped
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 tsp. grated lime zest
- 1 tbsp. softened butter
- Butter, (you might even want to use a flavoured butter, listed on this site)
- Preserves of your choice
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Pour the buttermilk into a measuring cup and beat in the egg.
In a large bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate the butter into the flour mixture and bring together with your hands.
Add the papaya, raisins, zest and stir to mix. Add the buttermilk all at once and stir until a soft dough forms. At this point, you may have to add up to a 1/4 cup of buttermilk.
Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead 6-7 times until well mixed. Pat out until it is about 1″ thick. Dip the rim of a glass in flour (no bigger than 2″) and cut out the scones. Place them on a parchment lined pan and bake anywhere from 18-20 minutes. Brush the tops with the softened butter and serve warm with fresh butter and preserves.
Of course, this sounds like tea should be served along with them. Your choice.
Victorian Cookies
Why not? They are terrific and you just might cause a renewal of this. Everyone will absolutely love them.
- 3 pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 tsp. grated fresh lime rind
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- Apricot Preserves (try Saskatoon Preserves for a different flavour)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together the cream cheese and butter until very smooth and light. Beat in the lime rind.
Combine the flour and sugar; stir in one half of the flour mixture blending well. Stir in the remaining flour.
Roll dough onto a lightly floured board to about 1/8″ thick (any thicker than this and they will fall apart when baking).
Cut into 2″ rounds and place 1/2 tsp of the preserves in the center of each round. Form into a triangle by folding in 3 sides. Pinch together gently and bake for about 12-14 minutes. Cool the cookies a few minutes before removing them to a rack to cool completely.
If you don’t eat them all, store in a tin.
Crab Toasts
It is always a treat to eat crab…you can even use canned crab if fresh is unavailable.
- 12 oz. of cooked king crab meat
- 3/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 green or red pepper, seeded and chopped fine
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 English muffins, halved
- 6 slices of cheddar cheese
- lightly salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix the crab, celery, peppers and mayonnaise. Set this aside.
Lightly toast the muffin halves. Spread the crab mixture evenly on the halves and top with a slice of cheese. Place these on a parchment covered tray and toast in the oven for about 12 minutes.
I tell you, you will think the Angels are circling…just add a crisp salad and, of course, a glass of crisp, cold white wine.
Tips For Making Perfect Mergingue
It takes a little practice to get it perfect…maybe some of these tips will help you if you have never made them before.
1. Believe it or not, check the weather…you cannot make meringues if it is humid outside. Hopefully you have an air conditioner if it is.
2. Make sure to leave eggs out of the fridge for at least 1/2 hour. Egg whites should be at room temperature.
3. Make sure your equipment is free of grease, and use only glass or metal bowls, not plastic.
4. For a smooth meringue, beat about 2 tbsp. of sugar for each egg white. Beat whites only to soft peaks BEFORE adding sugar. Add the sugar about 2 tbsp. at a time so it will dissolve.
5. To tell if you got it right, rub a little of the foam between your fingers. If it feels a little gritty, keep beating and then re-test.
Making meringues is not a major undertaking, but if you follow these suggestions, they should be perfect.
Raspberry Meringues
I am always looking for different ways to “show off” cookies, cakes, desserts in general, and this one is a goodie.
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- dash of salt
- 3/4 cup berry sugar
- 1/4 cup raspberry jelly
- 4-6 drops of red food colouring
Heat oven to only 225 degrees. Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar, beating until very stiff…..stiffer than that. This should take about ten minutes. Now add the food colouring and jelly. Beat one more minute at the highest speed on your machine.
Drop meringue into 1″ mounds and bake for about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and when completely cooled, EAT THEM!
Okay, so they go to the hips.; Eat enough to make it even.
Crispy Scallop Sandwiches
If you love scallops as much as I do, you are going to really love this recipe.
- 1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb. small scallops, whole
- 1/2 cup celery, minced
- 1/2 red chili pepper, minced
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 lightly beaten egg
- 2 cups of potato chips, crushed and divided
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- 4 crusty rolls
In a food processor, pulse the shrimp until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the scallops, celery, pepper, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, egg and 1 cup of the potato chips until really well combined.
Spread remaining potato chips on to a pie plate. Make sure they are crushed a bit more so no large chunks are present. Form the seafood mixture into patties and coat with the potato chips.
In a large frypan, heat the oil and cook the patties until the outside is golden and the seafood is opaque, This should take about 4 minutes each side.
Place a pattie on each bun, top with your favourite homemade coleslaw and replace with the top bun half.
This is soooo yummy. The only to make it even better is a patio/deck/beach and a cold glass of white wine. Life is good!
Frozen “Mousse”
What a play on words…being Autumn, and all. This is for all chocolate lovers now and in the future. You can make this forever and never tire of it.
- 1 pkg. Ladyfingers, sliced in half lengthwise
- 6 oz. each bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 5 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups whipped cream
- fresh raspberries or strawberries for garnish
Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with the bottom half of the ladyfingers, cutting to fit, when necessary. Line the sides of the pan with the top half. Place in the freezer.
In a heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the two chocolates together with the butter, stirring all the while ensuring a complete blend. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, using your hand electric mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Place this bowl over a pan of simmering water and on low speed, beat the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove the bowl from heat and beat on high until cooled and volume is increased. Quickly fold the meringue and chocolate mixture. Taste now for temperature. If not cooled down considerably, when adding the whipped cream, it will simply melt and separate. Not wanted, I promise you.
Pour mixture into frozen pan and smooth down the top. Cover with plasic wrap and place in the freezer overnight.
Remove from the pan and serve with a handful of fresh berries.
This is truly a dessert from the angels.
Baked Mushrooms in Cheese Sauce
I love mushrooms ….cooked, raw, baked…it doesn’t matter.
- 8 large white button mushrooms
- 2 slices bacon, diced
- 1 recipe of white sauce
- 1 cup grated Romano cheese
- 1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs
Remove stems and coarsely chop. Fry the bacon until crisp. Remove. Add the chopped mushrooms – cook over medium heat until all the fat has been absorbed.
Combine the white sauce and 3/4 cup of cheese. Stir until melted. Stir in the chopped mushrooms.
Arrange caps in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with the crumbs.
Pour sauce on, sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes until the topping is brown.
**parmesan or any hard cheese can be used.
This will yield 4 servings.
Roasted Swedish Spuds
Potatoes seem to fall into the “same old, same old” way of doing things. Try this and see if it doesn’t wake up the taste buds just a little.
- 6 baking potatoes small enough to fit into a large serving spoon
- 3 tbsp. butter, melted (not margarine)
- grated clove of garlic
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp. panko crumbs
- 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
Peel potatoes and place in cold water. Put potato in a spoon, slice 1/8″ apart, just to edge of spoon -do not cut completely through, return to water. Remove each potato and drain. Pat dry. Put cut side up in baking dish. Baste with the melted butterand garlic.
Cook 30 mins at 425 degrees, baste again. Cook another 15 minutes or until they are golden in colour. Add the cheese and panko crumbs during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
What can I say? YUMMY.
Marinated Veggie Salad
This recipe uses pretty much the same things, but with a twist. It is tasty and it depends how you plate it for a dramatic effect.
- 1/2 lb. broccoli, sliced into little broccoli stalks
- 1 cup cauliflower-ettes
- 1 MILD onion, thinly sliced and in rings
- 1 small green pepper, julienned
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
- 2 stalks of celery, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, all colours if available
- seasoned oil and vinegar dressing (store bought or your own version)
In a large bowl, place all the veggies except the dressing. Drizzle enough dressing to coat all the pieces well. Toss and cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to serve, drain the dressing off and plate attractively.
OMG – September You are kidding.
The summer is officially gone and most families are enjoying the last days of bbq’s, trips to the lake, etc. and just enjoying everything.
We are too as my sister-in-law is here for a nice long visit and we get to catch up on all the stuff we miss during the year. So…let the weekend go and I’ll get back to you all on Tuesday.
Enjoy and be safe.