Child's Play - A Greek Yogurt, Lime and Honey Pie the Kids Can Make for Father's Day

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... The most treasured of my gifts are those that have been made especially for me. I hope that mine are not singular treasures and that you, too, appreciate gifts that speak of thoughtful time and care. I know that many of you will be hosting gatherings next Sunday and I thought it would be nice to share a recipe that the kids can make for Father's Day. This simple dish is truly child's play, and as long as it is allowed to chill for several hours it can't go wrong - unless, of course, it's dropped on the floor. If the kids are going to make the pie, you'll want to provide some type of pre-baked pie shell, and if your assistants are very young, you'll want to oversee the transfer of boiling water from pot to pan. They really can make this pie themselves, so, while you'll want to keep the eyes in the back of your head focused, let them have at it. It won't look as pretty as yours, but I guarantee that Dad will think it's beautiful. Here is how this light and airy dessert is made.

Summer Skies, Fireflies and Olden-Golden Desserts

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I saw a glow worm tonight, my first sighting of the year, and for a minute, a split second really, I was again six and on the hunt for the first firefly of summer. A certain cachet was attached to that first capture, and as soon as school ended, mason jars with punctured lids were set aside for the nightly search for Tinkerbell and members of her crew. The ragamuffins with whom I ran took the hunt seriously, and night after night, with not even a flicker of ennui, we swarmed alleyways and backyards, jars in hand, looking for Peter's accomplice and her friends. When the streetlight's came on, the rules of the game demanded the fireflies be released, lest we actually had Tinkerbell in one of those jars. We all were very young, easily amused and it was a much simpler time. Meals were uncomplicated and the handful of desserts that we were regularly served included a pudding quite similar to the one I'm featuring tonight. I haven't had banana pudding in years, but when I saw this version in Bon Appetit magazine, I knew I had to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. The Silver Fox has a demanding sweet tooth and he loved the pudding and the memories it brought back for him. If you are looking for a nostalgic dessert for your next barbecue, do give this one a try. I suggest you make the pudding, sans the meringue, a full day before you plan to serve it. This will give the banana flavor a chance to permeate the pudding. However, I suggest browning the meringue just before the pudding is served. Here is how it is made.

Rocky Mountain Cake - An Old-Fashioned Treat for Your Sweet Things

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While chiffon cakes were extremely popular in the 50's and the 60's, they seem to have fallen out of favor and are rarely seen these days. A proper chiffon cake is similar in appearance to an angel food cake, but these foam cakes are leavened with baking powder and egg whites and also contain oil and egg yolks which you'll never find in an angel food cake. The cake is moist, soft and tender, and it is an excellent keeper that lends itself to a variety of flavors. The one I'm featuring tonight is a spice cake whose flavor is heightened by the addition of crushed caraway seeds. I must warn those of you who prefer barely sweet, European style tortes, that this cake is treacly and just might send you into sugar shock. It is, however, a delicious cake and I suspect it will appeal to those of you who have a demanding sweet tooth. The recipe is straight forward, and while there are several steps involved in its assembly, the cake is not difficult to make. If your family enjoys sweet desserts I urge you to give this cake a try. You won't be sorry. Here is how it's made.

Black Walnut Cake with Sea Foam Icing

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had a special celebration in our house this weekend. The Silver Fox turned 75, and while that's a big number, I'm happy to report he is much younger than those years might suggest. Our youngest, who shares his sense of humor, sent him a card that might have upset a more timid soul. The gist of the message suggested that should he see a bright light, he might want to avoid it. That sent him into gales of laughter, so I think it's fair to assume that age has not diminished his rather wild sense of humor. He had some special requests for his birthday dinner. One of them was for this very old-fashioned black walnut cake. This cake was once popular in areas of the Midwest and it was a late summer and early fall favorite, despite problems associated with harvesting the nuts. The black walnut has a much stronger flavor than the more common English walnut. The nutmeats provide a robust, distinctive, earthy flavor that also adds texture to food. I suggest you forget the harvest and purchase chopped black walnuts online. While the nutmeats are extremely flavorful, cracking their shells is a Herculean task best left to those who have the equipment needed to do it. I also suggest you use only black walnuts to make this cake. Their English counterpart simply doesn't have the flavor needed to pull this cake off. At some point, the 7 minute boiled icing used to frost this cake was renamed and called Sea Foam icing. I guess if you close your eyes and concentrate, the myriad peaks and color of this icing might resemble foamy sea waves, but you'll really have to concentrate to see that. I'm always humbled when I make a boiled icing. It's work to make with an electric mixer, and it is amazing to think that homemakers once stood at the stove with a rotary mixer and made this icing by hand. If you wish, and you have the time, you can make a chocolate mousse filling for the cake, rather than use packaged pudding mix. This is a lovely cake that you might want to keep in mind for really special occasions. It's a lot of work and costly to make, but the end result is a grand combination of flavors and textures that I know you will enjoy. Here is how the cake is made.

Yellow Layer Cake with Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This week belongs to Mom, yours and mine. I thought the days leading up to Mother's Day would be a great time to experiment with some new desserts and resurrect a few from my childhood that you have not yet seen. The first feature this week is a yellow layer cake that appeared in Bon Appetit magazine several years ago. It is a large, almost obscene tower that uses cake layers to hold a sinful amount of chocolate frosting. You will love it, especially if you have a gang to feed on Mother's Day. The cake is not difficult to make, but frosting it can be a problem if you do not let the icing sit until it is spreadable. You will need more time than is suggested in the recipe for it to reach that point. I also had to sacrifice the sixth layer of my cake. The cake was so tall that it started to lean like the Tower of Pisa and common sense dictated it be staked or sacrificed. I chose the later. If you decide to make this cake, use the best bittersweet chocolate you can get your hands on. The frosting is the star here and it makes no sense to stint on it. Later this week, I'll be featuring a really old-fashioned version of this cake that is less voluptuous and more budget oriented. If, however, you are looking for a basic yellow cake that can be made special by using a delicious frosting, you'll love this one. Here is how it is made.

German Chocolate Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had our second Easter dinner tonight. The first, which also happened to be our 51st wedding anniversary, was a bit of a disaster. Truth be told, I nearly cremated a leg of lamb that I thought was safely spinning on the spit of our new grill. Like Enrico, the troubadour in Il Trovatore, I was distracted and in my haste to start, finish and prioritize chores, I left both burners, as well as the rotisserie element of the grill on high. Within 40 minutes there was an inch of char covering my gorgeous, and I might add pricey, leg of lamb. Needless-to-say, we had pizza, as well as some interesting side dishes, for dinner Sunday night. Determined to do better, and to prove to myself that some kitchen witch had not stolen my culinary prowess, I recreated our Easter dinner tonight. I'm happy to report I still have game. The Silver Fox loved the brownies I made for dessert, so I thought I'd share them with you. I know you already have a gazillion recipes for brownies, but these German chocolate bars are so nice that I thought they might entice you to add just one more recipe to your collection. The recipe is based on one that first appeared in Cook's Country magazine, so rest assured, the brownies are worth your time, effort and dinero. I know you will enjoy them. Here is how they are made.

Lamb and Accompaniments for Easter Sunday

I usually post my menu for the coming week on Saturday. I'm going to beg off this week, because I know it will be a week of carry-out and sandwiches for us, and I suspect my brown bag choices won't be of interest to you. While I haven't honed in on my final choices I have, however, been giving some thought to what  I'll serve for dinner on Easter Sunday. Lamb will most certainly be our main course and I'll make my final choice from the options I'm sharing below. I'm also including some of the side dishes that will likely share the table with the lamb.  

Cherry Berry Buckle

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While many folks save warm berry desserts for the dead of winter, I tend to serve them whenever our favorite fruits appear in the market. More often than not, I'll make a crisp or crumble, but every so often I'll break ranks and make a buckle. A buckle layers a more traditional, cakey batter underneath the fruit rather than on top of it. As the dessert cooks, the cake rises around the fruit, which tries its best to sink to the bottom, making the whole thing buckle inwards. When it's served warm with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of cream, it is a memorable, if simple dessert. Although they were not grown locally, I saw some gorgeous sweet cherries in our market and couldn't resist buying them. In truth, this dessert could be made with any combination of fruit, but it is especially good when made with the cherries. The only trick to making this buckle is to keep the quantity of fruit used to 3 cups. If you go too much over that quantity, the cake will be damp and soggy and you'll be disappointed with the result and unhappy with me. I found the recipe for the buckle in Eating Well magazine, and if you skin through the ingredient list, you'll see it is marginally better for you than others of its ilk. I hope you'll keep this recipe in mind when local berries hit the market. The buckle is a lovely old-fashioned dessert that I know your family will enjoy. Here is how it's made.

Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Don't let the speed and ease with which these cookies come together fool you. They are wonderfully rich and delicious and they'll be gone long before they ever have a chance to stale. The recipe is straight forward and easy to follow, and the only way you can spoil a batch of these cookies is to overbake them. Chocolate lovers can't keep their hands off these rich and moist morsels that are enriched with white and semi-sweet chocolate chips. If you don't care for white chocolate, double the amount of semi-sweet chips you use, or add a cup of toasted pecans to the mix. Do try this recipe the next time you need to make a batch of cookies. I know you'll like them on many levels. Here is how they are made.

Mary Todd Lincoln's Courting Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know, I know! I'm a few days late, but my intentions were good. I had planned to feature this recipe on Lincoln's birthday, but things around here are moving at a dervish pace and, despite a background in logistics, I am, for the moment anyway, at the mercy of my environment. We have sold and bought a house and are in the throws of sorting and packing items that will work in quarters smaller than I have seen since I was a bride. While we are not yet members of the small house movement, we are about to shed 1,000 square feet and I feel positively heroic as we undertake this endeavor. It's a good thing that the Silver Fox and I like each other, though that may change when he learns that some of his favorite, carefully collected ceramic hippos may have to be sacrificed to fit the confines of a much smaller place and simpler lifestyle we have chosen. To ease the pain, I made this cake for him tonight and I am happy to report it ain't half bad. The recipe comes from the Lincoln National Historic Site and they believe it is much like the one that Mary used to make the cake she served to Abe when he came a-courtin'. The realist in me wants to point out that Bundt pans are not part of our culinary history, but I guess all good stories need a bit of embroidery, so I'll be standing down and just report that this is a nice cake. It is a cross between a sponge and pound cake and it develops a lovely flavor as it sits. I'll probably be making this again, but next time I think I'll replace vanilla with almond extract to intensify the almond flavor of the cake. Make sure you coat your pan well, as this cake doesn't want to leave the pan. I think those of you who try the Courting Cake will be pleased. It is easy to make and very flavorful. Here is how it is made.

Hot Milk Sponge Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is such a lovely cake that it is a shame it is not made more often. It is the easiest of all the sponge cakes to make and the addition of baking powder and milk guarantee a tightly crumbed cake that will also be light and moist. There are, however, a few tricks that will assure the cake is all it was meant to be. Success will be guaranteed if the eggs warm are warm and whipped to the proper consistency. They are properly whipped when they become a very pale yellow and thicken like a softly beaten cream. At that point, they should form a ribbon when the batter falls back on itself. The beaters and bowl in which the eggs are beaten should also be warm. Years ago, good cooks took it a step further and placed the primary mixing bowl inside another that was larger and filled with several inches of hot tap water. They would stir the eggs until they were warm to the touch before proceeding to beat them. While I have nothing but admiration for those women, I do not do that. I'm happy if my eggs are at room temperature and the bowl and beaters are warm. The cake is sweet and really does not need a frosting, but when the spirit moves me, I'll ice it with a milk chocolate butter cream. Actually, I think the cake is best when eaten out of hand or accompanied with a serving of macerated berries. If you have never made this cake I hope you will give this recipe a try. It makes a really nice cake. Here is how its made. 

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been busy baking cookies for a realtor open house we'll be having week after next. While I prefer freshly baked cookies, the cookie I'm featuring tonight is earmarked for the freezer. My left eye has stabilized, so we can finally proceed with the transplant for the right eye. I'll be out of commission for a while, so I'm trying to get my house in order, cookies and all, before the "thou shalt nots" kick in. Obviously, one limitation will be the amount of time I can devote to the blog. Using a combination of old and new, I hope to schedule posts for the days I can't access the computer. That, anyway, is the plan. Should I miss a day or two, I hope you'll understand. I want to share these delicious molasses cookies with you, as well as the realtors, because they are so simple to make. They require no special equipment, save for a bowl and wooden spoon, and while the cookies look crisp, they are actually soft, chewy and undeniably delicious. My only caution is a reminder not to over-bake them. I pulled the cookies in these photos after they had been in the oven for 8 minutes. I let them cool on the baking pans for about 10 minutes more before I transferred them to cooling racks. At that point,  you should be able to move and lift the cookies without them bending. The recipe for these gems comes from Bon Appetit magazine. If you are looking for an easy cookie recipe, I hope you'll give this one a try. Here is how the cookies are made.

An Easy Lazy Day Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a split personality when it comes to cooking. Unlike a true foodie, I don't believe every morsel that I make for my family and friends has to take hours prepare or be made with only the finest and freshest of ingredients. I love to cook for those I love, and while I often spend hours in the kitchen, I don't feel that exhaustion is a measure of my affection for the folks who gather at my table. I guess that's how it happens that a kitchen that produces Veal Prince Orloff and has pressed a duck or two is also known for its Chili Mac. The recipe I'm featuring tonight is for a simple, old-fashioned snack cake that's topped with a coconut glaze. It is not meant for foodies. It's a lovely little cake that is inexpensive and almost effortless to make, but I must warn those of you who favor barely sweet desserts, that this one will send you into sugar shock. It really is meant for those who have a sweet tooth, a really sweet tooth. The are no tricks to making this cake, but I do want to remind you that this type of topping can burn in an instant, so please keep your eye on the cake when you put it under the broiler. I'm told that the cake is a good keeper, but I can;t speak to that as I've never had leftovers to deal with. I do hope that those of you who like sweet desserts you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the cake is made. 

Simple Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If your cookie jar is empty, you might want to give this recipe a try. My family loves ginger cookies regardless of their country of origin. This is one of our favorites and the recipe I'm featuring is for an all-American version that produces large, nicely spiced cookies that remain soft and chewy as they bake. I use light molasses to make ours, but any type of molasses, save blackstrap or sorghum, can be used. These ginger cookies are simple to make and they are good keepers. I do hope you'll give the recipe a try. These cookies are great for school lunches and those occasions that don't require finesse. Here is how they are made.

Simply Scrumptious Blueberry and Almond Cheese Puff

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely tart is a scrumptious treat that's as easy to make as it is to eat. Commercially prepared puff pastry is perfectly acceptable to use in its preparation, and its use certainly makes assembly of the tart nearly effortless. There is also a bit of room to play with this recipe. You can swap raspberries for blueberries and mascarpone can, of course, replace the cream cheese that serves as the base of the tart filling. I do, however, strongly suggest you serve the tart the same day it is made. You'll find it loses its shard-like crispness and appeal if it sits around too long. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. I know those of you who do will love this crisp tart. Here is how it's made.

Tiramisu Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These moist, sweet and fudgy bars were developed for Taste of Home magazine where they are called Tiramisu Brownies. I'm not sure why. While the bars are worth a king's ransom in chocolate, Mascarpone cheese and espresso powder, their flavor doesn't quite reach the heights of the Italian classic dessert. I'd be happier if they had called them Mocha and Mascarpone brownies, so I could have set my sights lower. Please don't get me wrong. The bars are delicious, but they are not what I had expected, nor are they as trouble-free to make as I had anticipated. Fortunately, I read the comments associated with the recipe before I started to work on it. That saved me from an expensive disaster. The recipe was not well-reviewed, and a common problem appeared to be that the layers were not in sync with each other and required different baking times to  cook. To their credit, someone at Taste of Home read the reviews and came back with a revision that takes care of the problem. Unfortunately, the correction does not appear in the body of the recipe itself, so I've changed the recipe instructions to include the revisions for you. Now, if I haven't scared you off, I think you'll find the recipe works quite well. The brownies are nice and I think those of you who like really sweet desserts will love them. Here is how they are made.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Cream Puffs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Cream puffs, in one form or another, have always been part of our holiday tradition. This year, rather than stress over a Paris Brest or Croquembouche, I decided to serve them in their simplest form along with a lovely mascarpone and Nutella filling, that while nearly effortless to make, was delicious and made the puffs worthy of a high tea or holiday table. While the puffs can be made well ahead of time, fill them just before serving to prevent them from becoming soggy. The recipe comes from Taste of Home magazine and I think you and your family will enjoy this new take on an old-fashioned treat. I do hope you'll give the recipe a try. Here is how the cream puffs are made.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Cream Puffs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
Filling
6 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup chocolate hazelnut Spread (i.e. Nutella)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans, toasted
Cream Puffs
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
Confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2) To make filling: Beat cheese and sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Gradually add hazelnut spread and heavy cream and beat until smooth. Stir in hazelnuts. Cover and refrigerate.
3) To make cream puffs: Combine flour, cocoa and sugar in another bowl. Set aside. Add water, butter and salt to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. When butter melts, add flour mixture all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.
4) To bake and fill: Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto lined baking sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set and browned. Remove to wire racks. Immediately split puffs open; remove and discard soft dough from inside. Cool completely. Spoon filling into cream puffs. Replace tops. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2 dozen cream puffs.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

       One Year Ago Today:                                                                  Two Years Ago Today:

             Croquembouche                                                                       Onion Parmesan Toast

                 Three Years Ago Today:                                              Four Years Ago Today: 

                     Cranberry Trifle                                                        Spiced and Pickled Shrimp

Frozen Whiskey Cream - A Frozen Custard

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While I hate to see the holidays come to an end, I must admit that the finery that comes with them is starting to look worn and tired, a bit like an old woman whose makeup is too thickly applied.  The poinsettias seem glaringly bright, while the ivy garlands, no longer quite so jolly, are fading to a  khaki green, and destroying any sense of the yin and yang that greeted their arrival. I spent some time this morning removing the worst offenders, but even though I should,  I'm not quite ready to erase all traces of the season. The same thing is happening in my kitchen. Fortunately, the cookies are finally gone, and while there is still some fruit cake, the holiday cupboard is looking mighty bare. I still, however,  need some quick and easy desserts to see the season out, and I've found this one will do nicely. I think you'll also enjoy this whiskey flavored frozen custard. While it needs at least six hours to chill, it is simple to make and it is a stressless way to end a meal.  This is a very rich dessert, so you'll want to keep serving sizes small.  The custard will keep for several days in the freezer, so it is a perfect make ahead for New Year's Eve celebration. Do try it.  Here is how it is made.

Frozen Whiskey Cream...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Southern Living magazine

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup whiskey or brandy
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamont
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, freshly grated nutmeg, chopped candied nuts

Directions:
1. Pour water to depth of 1 inch into bottom of a double boiler over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer. Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and next 4 ingredients in top of double boiler over simmering water, and cook, stirring constantly, 8 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; cool completely, stirring often.

2. Meanwhile, beat cream at high speed with an electric mixer 3 minutes or until soft peaks form. Stir one-third whipped cream into cooled egg mixture until blended. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Spoon mixture into 8 (8-oz.) cups or glasses, filling half full; cover with plastic wrap. Freeze 6 hours to 2 days.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

                 One Year Ago Today:                                                   Two Years Ago Today:

    Asian-Style Sea Bass with Ponzu Sauce                                               French Toast

                 Three Years Ago Today:                                              Four Years Ago Today: 

                     French Dip Sandwich                                            Chunky Clam and Bacon Dip

Countdown to Christmas - Orange Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I suspect your children are much like mine. While surround by confections from around the world, their clear favorites were gingerbread men and frosted sugar cookies. Some of you may even have a spouse like mine. Now, my intent here is not to waken sleeping dogs, or open doors that should remain forever closed, but the Silver Fox and others like him, have a serious problem. Their mother's loved them more than we do. These women, to hear it told, dropped everything to bake their son's favorite cookie, no matter what else might be going on. In the midst of cooking dinner for 30, favorite cookies would miraculously appear to please,or as the case may be, appease, the Little Prince. The Little Prince was known to his sisters by a name that cannot be mentioned here, and only age has closed the breech caused by the special treatment he received. He, unfortunately, neglected to include the cookie clause in his marriage contract, so I can honestly say I have never dropped anything to make him cookies on a whim. This year, however, I had some extra time and included his favorite chocolate chips in my Christmas cookie mix. There are hundreds of recipes for CCCs floating through cyberspace, and the only thing that sets his apart from any of the others, is a bit of cinnamon and some orange zest. I must admit they add a great deal to the standard cookie. I found the recipe in Taste of Home magazine and I haven't strayed much from the original instructions, save for increasing the amount of cinnamon and changing the way the cookies are shaped. I found the rolling and cutting tedious, so using about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, I created balls which I flattened to a half inch in thickness and made quick work of the chore. I think you will enjoy these cookies as much as the No-Longer-Little Price does. Here is how they are made.

Orange Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tablespoon orange zest, minced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips ( 2 cups)
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
2) Beat in eggs, orange zest and vanilla.
3) In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, then gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chips and walnuts, then cover and chill 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease several cookie sheets.
5) When dough has chilled, on a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/2-inch thick. Cut with lightly floured 3-inch round cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire rack to cool. Yield: 3 dozen cookie.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

               One Year Ago Today:                                                                 Two Years Ago Today:

          Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake                                                        Brioche Sandwich Loaf

                 Three Years Ago Today:                                                           Four Years Ago Today: 

          Snap Pea and Edamame Salad                                                   Savory Mushroom Puff

Countdown to Christmas - Chocolate Shells with Eggnog Cheesecake Mousse

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a bit fussier than most of the desserts I've been experimenting with this holiday season, but it's really not that all hard to do. Making the chocolate shells can be off-putting to some, and while they are a bit messy to prepare, wikihow has a marvelous tutorial that will walk you through the steps needed to get them to your table. You'll find them much easier to make if you use parchment liners for your muffin cups. They make for a smooth release, and while standard liners work, these make the job much easier. If they are not available in your area, parchment liners can be ordered, here. Once you've made the shells they must be kept cold to prevent unwarranted melting,so it is best to fill them just before serving. I've filled mine with a mousse-like, eggnog flavored cheesecake that is delicious and almost effortless to make. This filling is versatile and can also be served in small pudding cups or used to fill cream puffs. This is a nice holiday dessert and it might work well for those of you who are looking for something a bit different to serve your guests. The dessert works best if it is assembled just before serving, but all of the components can be prepared well ahead of time. If you have time. I hope you'll give the shells a try. I think you will be quite pleased. Here is how the shells and filling are made.

Chocolate Shells with Eggnog Cheesecake Mousse...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 package (8 ounce) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cups cold eggnog
2/3 cups cold whole milk
1 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 teaspoon rum extract
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided use

Directions:
1) To make chocolate cups: Melt chocolate over a double boiler until smooth. Line a 12-cup cupcake tray with silicone (parchment) paper liners and scoop approximately 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each cup. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat each cupcake liner and paint chocolate up the sides of each liner, stopping about 1/2-inch from the top. Freeze tray for several hours or overnight. Peel off cupcake liners and store the chocolate cups in the freezer.
2) To make eggnog mousse: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the eggnog, milk, dry pudding mixes, extract and nutmeg until smooth. Whip 1/2 cup cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into pudding mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
3) Just before serving, whip remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Spoon eggnog mixture into chocolate cups. Top each filled chocolate shell with whipped cream. Yield: 12 servings.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

             One Year Ago Today:                                                                  Two Years Ago Today:

             Jansens Temptation                                                                               Peanut Brittle

                 Three Years Ago Today:                                                           Four Years Ago Today: 

                  Quick Bread Round-Up                                                          Moravian Spice Cookies