Posted by Trish | Under Dessert, Pastries
Friday Dec 25, 2009
Submitted by Ruth
| 1 bunch rhubarb (~5 stalks) |
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¼ c. brown sugar |
| 2 cinnamon quills |
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1 tsp ground nutmeg |
| 1 star anise |
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1 c. cold water |
| 1 batch sweet shortcrust pastry |
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13.2 oz. (375g) semi-sweet chocolate |
| 1 pkg. custard powder |
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strawberries |
| white sugar |
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1. Slice the rhubarb thinly and put it, the brown sugar, water, & spices in a saucepan on lowest heat for about an hour, with the lid on, until the rhubarb has totally collapsed. Strain the liquid into a bowl or jug. Remove the cinnamon & star anise & then set the rhubarb aside to cool.
2. Create a batch of sweet shortcrust pastry (see link for recipe). Once you’ve mixed it all up, put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
3. Roll out your pastry & place in your tart or pie dish. Cover with parchment paper & fill with rice or baking weights & bake for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool while melting chocolate.
4. Melt 375g (about 13.2 oz) of semi-sweet good quality chocolate. When the chocolate is melted, pour it into the base of the tart. Don’t fill it too much, you want just a thin layer. Refrigerate until chocolate sets.
5. Make custard. You could do this from scratch, or use 1 box of custard powder & make according to the directions on the package.
6. Once your chocolate/pastry has hardened, put a layer of the cooled rhubarb on top of the chocolate. Pour the custard over the rhubarb & put in the refrigerator to set. You need the custard to set to about the firmness of Jell-O before you top with strawberries.
7. Decorate the top with strawberries. It’s hard to say exactly how many you will need, but about three baskets should do it. Once the custard has set, layer the strawberries, halved, on top of the custard in a circle starting from the outer edge until right in the middle. Make a second layer on top to cover any visible gaps where you can see the custard.
8. Sprinkle with fine white sugar & put back in the refrigerator. The strawberries will absorb the sugar & turn into a sort of glaze. If you want to get fancy, you can use a dessert torch to heat the sugar & caramelize it into a nice crust. Serve with vanilla ice cream on the side.
Chef’s Note: You can omit the rhubarb and use more strawberries to turn this into just a strawberry tart.
Posted by Trish | Under Cookies, Dessert
Wednesday Dec 23, 2009
Submitted by Happy13
| ½ c. shortening |
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6 tsp water |
| ½ c. sugar |
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½ c. unsulphered molasses |
| 1 egg yolk |
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2 c. flour |
| 1 tsp ginger |
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1 tsp cinnamon |
| 1 tsp cloves (scant) |
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1 tsp finely ground black pepper |
| ½ tsp nutmeg |
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½ tsp baking powder |
| ½ tsp baking soda |
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½ tsp salt |
| 2 dashes cayenne pepper |
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1. Cream the shortening, water & sugar together until light & fluffy. Add the molasses & egg yolk & mix until well blended.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. If using a stand mixer, use stir. The dough will be sticky. DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR REGARDLESS OF HOW TEMPTED YOU MAY BE!!! Too much flour will make the cookies tough. Form into 2 flat disks & put in the freezer for at least an hour or more.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. When the dough is cold enough to handle, roll it to about ¼” thick between 2 pieces of wax paper (the wax paper keeps you from having to use more flour). I roll mine a little thinner because I like a little crispness on the edges. Gently press together the scraps into another disk & put back in the freezer until ready for use. Bake for 8-10 minutes on parchment lined cookie sheets. Cool on pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.
Chef’s Note: I use shortening instead of butter or margarine because shortening is flavorless and doesn’t impact the spices. I think butter is best served in sugar cookies. If you decide to substitute butter or margarine for the shortening, omit the water from the recipe.
Posted by Trish | Under Confections, Dessert
Monday Oct 12, 2009
Submitted by Trish
Serves 6-8
| 15 oz. solid pumpkin pack |
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12 oz. evaporated milk |
| ¾ c. sugar |
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½ c. Biscuit/Baking mix |
| 2 eggs, beaten |
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2 tbs. butter or margarine, melted |
| 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice |
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2 tsp vanilla extract |
| whipped topping |
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1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the whipped topping. Transfer to a slow cooker coated with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cover & cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a thermometer inserted reads 160°F.
3. Serve in bowls with whipped topping if desired.
Posted by Trish | Under Dinner, News, Pork
Monday Jun 30, 2008
Submitted by Americo
Serves 4-6
| 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped |
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1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped |
| 2 cloves garlic, minced |
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1 tsp kosher salt |
| 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground |
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4-6 pork chops |
| ¼ c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped |
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Onion Marmellata
| ¼ c. olive oil |
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4 large onions, thinly sliced (~3 lbs.) |
| ¼ c. orange marmalade |
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1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped |
| 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped |
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1 tsp kosher salt |
| 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground |
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2 tbsp balsamic vinegar |
| 1 tbsp sugar (to taste) |
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For the onion marmellata, place a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil & the onions. Stir to combine & cook until starting to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot & cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring ever 30 minutes to scrape up any brown bits. The onions should be a soft, jam-like consisitency & a deep mahogany color.
Meanwhile, for the pork chops, combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, & pepper in a small bowl. Using your fingers, work all the ingredients together until well combined. Rub the herb mixture over the pork chops. Cover with plastic wrap & reserve in the refrigerator.
About 20 minutes before the onions are finished, remove the pork chops from the refrigerator. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Grill the pork chops to medium, about 7 minutes a side depending on thickness. To serve, spoon the onion marmellata over the pork chops. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Posted by Trish | Under Dinner, Pork
Friday Jun 27, 2008
Submitted by Americo
Serves 4-6
| ¼ c. low-sodium soy sauce |
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¼ c. oyster sauce |
| 3 tbsp cilantro leaves & stems, finely chopped |
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2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped |
| 2 tbsp sugar |
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1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground |
| 1 ½ lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 16 pieces |
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16 (6″) wooden skewers |
Chile Sauce
| ½ c. fresh lime juice |
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¼ c. fish sauce |
| 1 tbsp soy sauce |
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1 fresh Thai red chilie, finely diced |
| 2 tsp sugar |
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1 shallot, finely diced |
1. Soak the skewers in cold water for 30 minutes prior to use.
2. Whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, cilantro, garlic, sugar, & black pepper in a bowl.
3. Skewer 2 pieces of pork onto 2 skewers so that the meat lies flat. Place the pork skewers in a large baking dish. Pour the marinade over & turn to coat the pork.
4. Cover & refrigerate for at least 1 hour & up to 4 hours.
5. Heat grill to high. Remove the skewers from the marinade & grill the meat on both sides until slightly charred & cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
6. Serve with chili sauce on the side for dipping.
7. To make the chili sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover & let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.
