Chocolate Raspberry Crème Brûlée Tart

Warning: this is not a quick and easy dessert, but it is well worth the effort. You will probably want to make the no bake Crème Brûlée a day early and let it chill overnight. The photos below show a step by step process for making this yummy dessert:


No Bake Crème Brûlée

3 cups heavy whipping cream
3-4 vanilla beans
1/2 cup super fine baking sugar
8 egg yolks

1. Measure 3 cups heavy cream into a saucepan. Split the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out the seeds using the dull edge of a knife. Toss the seeds and the vanilla beans into the heavy cream. In dire circumstances, you could use pure vanilla extract instead, but honestly, if you're going to the trouble of making this dessert, you really should have vanilla bean speckles in it, right?
2. Bring the cream and vanilla to a light simmer, not to a boil, just so that some bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Remove from heat and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Separate 8 egg yolks into the metal bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1/2 cup sugar and blend on high until the egg mixture is pale yellow and fluffy (see image above).
4. Strain the cream mixture to remove all the vanilla beans and floaters. Turn the mixer mixing the egg yolks on to low and slowly pour about 1 cup of the of the cream into the egg mix. This will temper the yolk mixture and allow to adjust to the heat of the cream without cooking the eggs and giving you a scrambled egg mixture. After a minute of mixing, go ahead and pour the rest of the cream into the egg mixture and blend on low so the cream and eggs are mixed well.
5. Making sure your combined egg/cream mix is in a metal or glass bowl, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making your own double boiler. Let the mix cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently. It's kind of tricky to know when the custard mix is done, but it needs to be pretty thick, so that when you dip a spoon in there, the mix should cling to it and coat the spoon well. The mixture will set up when it's chilled, but make sure it's got a good custard consistency to it.
6. Strain the mixture again to eliminate any lumps (heaven forbid).
7. Cover the custard with some plastic wrap, but put the plastic wrap directly on the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for 6 hours or overnight.

Tart Crust

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 stick of butter, chilled, cut in slices
1/4 cup sugar
dash of salt
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. In a food processor, blend the flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and blend until the flour mixture is lumpy and the butter is all chopped up in small pieces.
2. Mix the egg yolk, water and vanilla in a small bowl. Turn the food processor on and add the liquid. Blend until a ball of dough forms.
3. The dough will be easier to work with if it is chilled, so you should throw it in the fridge before you start rolling it out.
4. Grab a tart pan (which is one of the coolest inventions ever) and get a rolling pin and roll-pat or pastry cloth. Roll out the crust and transfer it to the tart pan. Mold into place by hand.
   
5. With a fork, prick the bottom of the tart crust as shown above.
   
6. Put a piece of parchment paper over the crust and add some pie weights (pennies or uncooked pinto beans work great as well). Cook crust for 15-18 minutes, then remove the parchment and pie weights and cook for 5-6 more minutes so the crust will brown.
   

Chocolate Layer

1 cup heavy cream
6 oz semi sweet chocolate, roughly chopped

1. Bring the cream to a boil. Remove from heat.
2. Add chopped chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes.
   
3. As soon as the chocolate is melted, stir vigorously until you have a nice creamy chocolate mix.
   

Assembly

1. Spread the chocolate mixture in the bottom of the baked tart crust.
2. Cover the chocolate layer with fresh raspberries.
3. Top the fresh raspberries with the chilled Crème Brûlée custard. Chill until you are ready to serve.
4. When you are ready to serve, cut a slice and place it on a heat proof plate (no Styrofoam please!)
5. Sprinkle a little super fine sugar over the top of the slice of tart.
   
6. Grab your kitchen torch! Now the fun begins...
7. Light up the torch and hold the flame to the sugar on top until it turns brown and caramelizes. Serve immediately.
   

Great Appetizer Idea for New Year's Eve - Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa

For the holidays this year, I wanted to share some of my favorite appetizers and snacks that make great party food, and nothing says "party" like a good batch of homemade salsa. This is a video I filmed last summer, but this recipe is every bit as good in the winter, just try to get vine ripened Roma tomatoes if possible. Here's what you'll need:

Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa Recipe Ingredients:

2 lbs Roma tomatoes, washed, cored, and cut in half
7-8 cloves garlic, peeled
2 chipotle peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (use more if you love cilantro)

Broil the tomatoes and garlic as shown, blend all ingredients in a food processor, enjoy with corn tortilla chips. This salsa is best when it has chilled for a few hours.

Hot Mulled Apple Cider for Christmas

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is enjoying a peaceful and happy day with your families. John and I spent a wonderful two days with both of our families and ate lots of good food along the way. I wanted to share a delicious family recipe that we have had every year at almost every Christmas Eve or Day, including this one. It's also almost always present on New Year's Eve. Here's our recipe for a delicious Hot Mulled Apple Cider:

2 quarts apple cider (this year I bought a gallon of fresh cider, but you can use any kind you like)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1/8 tsp plus a pinch of ground ginger
1 Tablespoon whole cloves
1 orange, clementine or tangerine, washed but not peeled

Pour the cider into a large sauce pan, or a slow cooker. I almost always go with the slow cooker because you can leave the cider to warm all day, and the ingredients really start to meld the longer they cook. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon sticks and ginger. Cut the washed orange into 4 or 5 slices and insert whole cloves into the segments of the orange slices. Add the cloved orange slices to the cider, cover and cook on low for several hours. Serve piping hot with an extra cinnamon stick.

Enjoy and have a very Merry Christmas!

National Cookie Day

When I woke up this morning, I did not realize what a special day it is. Luckily, my good friend Brittany let me know immediately that today is National Cookie Day, and she wondered what I was going to do about it. I actually thought she was making up some bogus holiday just to get food but I Googled it and sure enough, it's an actual holiday, albeit a weak one. Regardless, I celebrated National Cookie Day by baking some of my favorite cookies for Brittany and her co-workers, who are also good friends of mine. I made two of Brittany's favorites, chocolate chip and sugar cookies, then threw in one of John's favorites: The Zebra Cookie. I'm including the recipe for that one below. Happy National Cookie Day!

Chocolate "Zebra" Cookies

Ingredients:
4 oz unsweetened Hershey's baking chocolate
2 cups super fine Bakers sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup light olive oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a metal bowl, melt the chocolate over boiling water and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, olive oil and vanilla, mix well. Add eggs, flour, baking powder and salt until everything is incorporated. Chill mixture for about an hour. After the dough is pretty solid, roll it into 1 inch balls and drop the dough balls into the powdered sugar, place 12 powdered balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees and then cool on a wire rack. Enjoy your zebra cookies and share some with a friend.

Fine Cooking Holiday 2007 Appetizer Issue

Like many women in America, I spent the majority of the Thanksgiving break cooking. However, it wasn't just the traditional Turkey feast that occupied my time (although I did spend my fair share of time wrestling with an almost-thawed 14 lb bird on Thursday). I also spent a good amount of time getting to know my latest culinary purchase--the Fine Cooking Holiday 2007 Appetizer issue. If you're looking for some fun new recipes to try, you simply must go pick this little treasure up. I'm a loyal subscriber to FC, but this issue doesn't come with the subscription, so you'll have to buy it at your local grocery or book store. I've tried three new recipes from this issue since I bought it last week, and all three have been winners. The potstickers from page 74 were hands down the best I've had, although John made his own version of a dipping sauce that included fresh grated ginger and freshly squeezed orange juice. He also thought they could have used a pinch of white pepper in the meat mixture and I agree. Another big hit was the mini savory clafoutis, or crustless quiches baked in muffin tins from page 67. We made these Thanksgiving morning with Gruyère cheese, crisp Pancetta and fresh basil. I also topped these with a little extra Gruyère at the end and let them get a little brown and crisp. We also tried the Crisp Parmesan Chicken Fingers with Marinara Dipping Sauce (pg 21). To be honest, the sauce needed a little kick, so I would plan on adding some chili sauce or some extra red pepper flakes, and I mixed in some Italian seasoning into the breadcrumb mix on this one. If you're hosting a dinner party or just having a few friends over anytime over the holidays, grab this little FC book and give some of these recipes a whirl. Your friends and family will be so happy you did!

Southwestern Tilapia Wraps

Southwestern Tilapia Wraps Recipe Ingredients:
8 tilapia filets
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
6 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of 3 limes
three quarter cups olive oil
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the Sauce:
1 1-2 cups grapeseed Vegenaise (or Mayonnaise if preferred)
1 half a jalapeno, seeded
1 handful fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
Puree with immersion blender until smooth and creamy

Toppings:
Avocados
Cilantro
Black beans
Corn
Rice (I like a flavored rice mix, like Targets Archer Farms Cilantro Lime Rice)
Shredded cheese (Cheddar, Colby jack, Monterey Jack, or your favorite)
Roma tomatoes
You will also need uncooked flour tortillas

Marzipan Swirled Brownies

Brownie Recipe:
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanillla extract
4 eggs
1 cup flour

Marzipan Swirl Recipe:
1 7 oz tube Odense Almond Paste
1 egg

Melt chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over bowling water. When melted, add two cups sugar and let cool. Add vanilla extract and beat as you add eggs one at a time. Add 1 cup flour and beat just until mixed. Spray a 9x13 cake pan with non-stick spray and transfer brownie batter to pan.

In food processor, mix almond paste and 1 egg. Assemble as shown in video. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!

Fast Italian Spaghetti with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil

Find more videos like this on Flavorshare

Spaghetti with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil - Recipe Ingredients:
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1 jar of store-bought spaghetti sauce
Olive Oil (and a good bit of it)
5 fresh roma tomatoes (chopped)
2 carrots (grated)
3 stalks of celery (grated)
4 shallots (chopped)
3 cloves of fresh garlic (pressed)
1 small bunch of fresh basil leaves
1 small bunch of fresh oregano leaves
1/4 bunch Italian parsley
fresh ground black pepper
2 pinches ground white pepper
red pepper flakes
1.5 tablespoons sea salt
1 box whole wheat blend pasta
fresh mozzarella balls (small size)

To see parts 2 and 3, go to www.flavorshare.com and search for "jazz". They are worth watching!

Chipotle Garlic Cheese Toast

Chipotle Garlic Cheese Toast Recipe Ingredients:

Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
2 or 3 seeded chipotle peppers, minced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 stick of real butter
1 loaf french bread

Plank Grilled Salmon with Mashed Potatoes and Wilted Spinach

For the Salmon, you will need:
1 filet of salmon, skinless and boneless
1 cedar plank, soaked in water for 30 minutes
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tsp corn starch
3-4 tsp water

For the mashed potatoes:
3-4 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled
approx 1 cup whipped cream
1 Tbsp butter
Salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste

For the Spinach:
Fresh washed spinach
Water

Tomato, Basil, Chicken, Coconut Curry

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Tomato, Basil, Chicken, Coconut Curry Recipe Ingredients:

3 Chicken Breasts Sliced Thin
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1.5 Tablespoons Garam Masala
3 Tablespoons Indian Curry Powder
6 Shallots
5 Roma Tomatoes Diced
10 Fresh Basil Leaves and Blossoms
1.5 8oz.Cans Coconut Cream (Not Coconut Milk)
1.5 Tablespoons Sea Salt
3/4 Cup Organic Evaporated Cane Juice or Organic Sugar

Phyllo Wrapped Brie Bites with Spiced Blackberry Sauce

Phyllo Wrapped Brie Bites with Spiced Blackberry Sauce Recipe Ingredients:

1 15 oz round of Brie
1 half tsp ground ginger
1 half tsp ground cinnamon
1 quarter cup sugar
1 Tbsp butter
2 cups fresh blackberries
1 quarter cup raspberry syrup
1 package Athens brand phyllo dough

Triple Coconut Sorbet

This is one of my favorite homemade sorbets ever. The coconut flavor is really strong, and you can really taste all the different layers. I actually like to add little mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to this sometimes. Oh, there are SO many variations you could do with this one. The possibilities are endless!

Tomato, Basil & Goat Cheese Tarts

This is one of my favorite appetizers, mostly because it is so stinkin' easy to make. I file this recipe under the"Puff Pastry is My Friend" section, and let's be honest, I keep a LOT of recipes in that section. The only challenge to making this is finding perfect fresh basil year round, but with a little perseverance, you can do it. If you can't, I highly recommend that you invest in an AeroGarden, which I'll talk more about later.

Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese Tarts Recipe Ingredients:

1 Sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
4 oz. goat cheese, softened
2 or 3 Roma tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste