Food Art Friday for August 7th

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Submit your food art or found food art photos to info@foodaskew.net!

Hamantaschen

Submitted by JamiSings

Dough Ingredients

3 c. flour ½ c. almonds, finely ground
1½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt
½ c. sugar Zest of one lemon
½ lb. unsalted butter or margarine 1 egg
2 tbsp cold water 1 tbsp lemon juice
1 egg white, beaten

Poppy Seed Filling Ingredients

4 oz. poppy seeds ½ c. milk
1 tbs unsalted butter or margarine ¼ c. seedless raisins, plumped
¼ c. toasted walnuts, pecans, or almonds 1 tbsp honey
½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl & blend thoroughly. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl combine the flour, almonds, baking powder, salt, sugar, & lemon zest. Blend or cut in the butter until the mixture resembles very fine crumbs.
  4.  In a small bowl beat the egg, water, & lemon juice until well blended. Add to the flour mixture & beat until completely blended & the mixture begins to form a dough. Do not overmix.
  5. Transfer to a floured board & knead the dough into a ball. Divide the ball into 6 or 7 equal portions for easier handling. Flatten each portion with the palms of your hands & roll it out to ¼” thick. With a scalloped cookie cutter, cut into 3½” rounds.
  6. Place 1 heaping tsp of filling in the center of each round. Fold the edges of the dough toward the center to form a triangle, leaving a bit of the filling visible in the center. Pinch the edges to seal them.
  7. Place the hamantaschen on a lightly greased foil-like baking sheet & brush with the egg white. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to racks to cool.

White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake

White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake

Submitted by jen LUVS REVIEWS

Crust Ingredients

18 vanilla wafer cookies 1 c. almonds, toasted
4 ½ tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling Ingredients

4 oz. imported white chocolate, chopped 1 8oz. packages of cream cheese, room temp
2/3 c. sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp grated lemon peel 2 large eggs
¾ c. fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened, thawed, drained

Topping Ingredients

1 8oz. container sour cream 3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract 2½ pint baskets raspberries
½ c. seedless raspberry jam

Crust Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place large piece of foil on heavy large baking sheet. 
  2. Set 8″x2″ bottomless heart-shaped cake pan atop foil. (If unavailable, use 8″ spring form pan; omit foil.) 
  3. Wrap foil around outside & 1″ up sides of pan. Butter foil & pan. Finely grind cookies & almonds in processor. 
  4. Add butter & blend until mixture forms very moist crumbs. Using plastic wrap as aid, press crumbs firmly onto bottom & 2″ up sides of pan. 
  5. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. 
  6. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

Filling Directions

  1. Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth, stirring often. Remove from over water. 
  2. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla & peel in large bowl until smooth. 
  3. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined. Beat in white chocolate. 
  4. Spoon half of batter into crust. Top with ¾ c. berries. Spoon remaining batter over. 
  5. Bake until edges of cake are set but center 3″ still moves when cake is shaken, about 45 minutes. 
  6. Cool 20 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. 
  7. Using fingertips, press down gently on edges of cheesecake to flatten slightly.

Topping Directions

  1. Whisk sour cream, sugar & vanilla in bowl. Spoon over cake, spreading to edge of pan. 
  2. Bake 5 minutes. Transfer cake in pan to rack. 
  3. Run small knife around sides of cake. Cool completely. 
  4. Chill cake overnight. Fold down foil along sides of pan. 
  5. Lift cake pan off cheesecake. Transfer cheesecake to platter, discarding foil. 
  6. Cover cake with berries. 
  7. Bring jam to simmer in small saucepan, stirring often. 
  8. Gently brush jam over berries. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead; chill.)

Espresso Chocolate Cake with Kahlua Cream

Submitted by Ruth

Cake Ingredients

¼ c. good instant coffee 5½ oz. unsalted butter
¾ c. soft dark brown sugar 2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 c. ground almonds 1½ c. self-rising flour
¼ unsweetened cocoa powder ¾ c. water

Kahlua Cream Ingredients

2 tsp espresso coffee powder 2 tbsp super fine (castor) sugar
¼ c. Kahlua (recipe calls for ½, I use ¾) 10½ fl oz. cream, lightly whipped

Cake Directions

  1. Combine coffee & water in a small heatproof bowl (or mug). Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat over to 350°F. Lightly grease a deep 8″ round cake pan.
  3. Beat butter & sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer until light & creamy. add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each.
  4. Add the ground almonds. Using a metal spoon, fold in the sifted flour & cocoa alternately with the coffee mix. Stir until just combined & the mixture is smooth.
  5. Carefully spoon the mixture into the cake pan & smooth the surface.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Leave in pan for 15 minutes to cool before turning onto a wire rack.

Filling Directions

  1. Cream the butter, mix the powdered sugar & crushed mints together, add to butter. Add milk & Rumpleminz. Beat until fluffy. If frosting is too thick you can add more milk or Rumple.
  2. When cake is done, put filling between the two layers.

Kahlua Cream Directions

  1. Combine everything in a small saucepan & stir over low heat until coffee dissolves.
  2. Serve cake warm covered with Kahlua cream.

Moroccan Lamb & Fruit Stew

Submitted by serenityn0w
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

1-2 tsp crushed dried red pepper ¾ tsp ground turmeric
¾ tsp ground ginger ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ c. tsp salt 2 lbs. well trimmed, boneless leg of lamb, cut into
2 tbsp olive oil or cooking oil 1″-1½” pieces
2 large onions, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 oz. can beef broth 1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water 1 c. pitted dates
1 c. dried apricots Hot cooked couscous or rice
¼ c. toasted slivered almonds Orange peel curl (optional)

Directions

  1. In a shallow mixing bowl combine crushed red pepper, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, & salt. Coat meat with seasoning mixture. 
  2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown meat, one-third at a time, in the hot oil. Transfer meat to a 3½ or 4 qt. electric slow cooker. Add onions & garlic; stir to combine. Pour beef broth over all.
  3. Cover & cook on low-heat setting for 7-9 hours or on high-heat setting for 3½-4½ hours or until meat is tender. 
  4. Skim fat from the surface of the juices in the slow cooker. Stir cornstarch into the cold water; stir into crockery cooker.
  5. Add dates & apricots; stir to combine. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Cover & cook for 30 minutes more or until mixture is slightly thickened & bubbly.
  6. To serve, spoon stew atop hot couscous or rice. Top with almonds. If desired, garnish with orange peel curls.