JBug's Kitchen Antics

Not Your Mama's Banana Pudding

What do you make for a guy that's been living off hiking food for 4 days? Anything with calories, lots and lots of calories!

The Big Guy made it back from his Grand Canyon adventure tanned, tired and hungry so other than greeting him at the door with a monster sized martini, I cooked up a whole mess a' beef and mashed potatoes.

We've had the beef before - it's one of my Big Guy's favorites, so I'll send you to the previous version to check it out in all it's beefy bacon beerie filled glory, but here's a picture of the first serving of several. Along with a monster sized salad, my alter ego was happy happy.

For dessert, I had every intention of whipping up a rhubarb strawberry pie but then I had an epiphany of sorts and realized after sweating buckets and buckets, my man likely needed to have his potassium levels re-adjusted. What better excuse to make this fabulous dessert from Paula Deen. 

Loaded with bananas and tons and tons of calories, I changed it up by using some of the leftover lady fingers from Big Guy's birthday tiramisu as well as some vanilla wafers in my favorite round cake pan with a removable bottom instead of putting the whole thing in a 9 by 13 pan. It's a lot prettier that way! Oh I added rum too - a lot of it because I figured Big Guy'd need a little fortifying if you know what I mean. Check out Paula's version by hitting the link here to Food Network and see my version below. 

This is one extremely rich and fabulous calorie laden glory and while it was delicious last night, it's gonna' be stellar today or even tomorrow because it's the kind of thing that just gets better and better with time.  That's providing you ignore the siren call coming from the refrigerator and give it time to ruminate. Truthfully, it's kind of hard to resist. 

JBug’s Version of Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding (adapted from Paula Deen, Foodnetwork.com)

1 package ladyfingers

Approximately 10 to 15 vanilla wafers

1/2 cup white rum

3 large bananas

1-3/4 cups milk

1 – 5 ounce box instant vanilla pudding

1 – 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1  small container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Dip flat side of ladyfingers into rum for approximately 1 second each and line outside of  8 inch round cake pan with removable bottom. Line bottom with vanilla wafer cookies and sprinkle them with rum.

Beat together milk and vanilla pudding mix.  In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and condensed milk together until smooth. Mix pudding into cream cheese mixture and beat until well combined. Fold in whipped topping.

Place one third of cream mixture on top of vanilla wafers. Add banana slices and top with vanilla wafers. Sprinkle vanilla wafers with rum. Repeat layers ending with cream mixture – fold any remaining rum into cream mixture for the top of the cake. Sprinkle top with vanilla wafer crumbs. Refrigerate for minimum 5 hours before serving.  

A year ago - Orange Soy Glazed Ribs 

Two year's ago - Roast Chicken with Pancetta

Strawberries and Cream Tart

Picture a tender shortbread crust with just the right amount of sweetness as the base to a wonderful fresh strawberry tart with a creamy vanilla tinged custard. Well, here you have it.

I'm pretty sure you all knew I wouldn't live on cereal for long while the Big Guy's away and as I figure it, you must have also known that a sweet treat would be one of the first things on my list to make. There's not much better than this, particularly since our local market is loaded with fresh strawberries at the present time.

The crust is a simple combination of flour, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla that's pressed into the bottom of a tart pan and baked until a light golden color. Topped with a couple of cups of sliced strawberries, the whole thing's covered in a creamy custard made from tart vanilla flavored yogurt, sugar and eggs. Poured over the berries, it becomes the base that holds the whole thing together. Sprinkled with some of the same shortbread crumbs, it comes out of the oven begging to be eaten, but wait for a while till it cools a bit first. It'll seem like an eternity, but believe me it'll serve much better when it's barely warm or refrigerate it and serve it iced cold. It's pretty darn delicious that way too.

Give this tart a try and I'm almost one hundred percent positive you won't be sorry you did. Try the same recipe using other fresh berries as they come in season like blackberries, blueberries or even cherries, or how about making it with fresh peaches or apricots too. Consider using some of the rhubarb from your garden, if you're so lucky to have it - what I'm trying to say in such a round about way is that it's fabulous with almost any fruit you can think of and then some! 

You can thank me later. I'm kinda' busy chowing down on a slice right now with my morning coffee. 

Strawberries and Cream Tart (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

This is an old fashioned recipe from my Mother’s repertoire except that she used heavy cream rather than yogurt and rhubarb instead of strawberries. In fact, it’s how she most often made a double crust rhubarb pie, so I just kicked it up a notch by making a shortbread crust and changing a few ingredients. I think she would have loved the result.

Crust:

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup cold butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, sugar and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in vanilla. Reserving 1 cup, press the rest of the crumbs into onto the bottom and sides of a tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is barely golden in color. Cool on wire rack.

Filling:

2 eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup vanilla yogurt

2 tablespoons milk or half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla

16 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

In a small bowl, beat together eggs and sugar. Whisk in yogurt, milk and vanilla. Arrange berries evenly onto bottom of cooled crust. Pour custard over top and sprinkle with reserved shortbread crumbs. Bake in 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes until custard is set and crumbs are golden. Cool to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.

A year ago - Oregon Trail Barbecued Lamb 

Two year's ago - Whoopie Pies

Sweet Treats - Cheesecake in a Jar and More

For those of us with a sweet tooth or several, dessert is the most important part of the meal. Fortunately we don't have it very often or we'd be hard pressed to fit through the door; however, Monday night's party was a great reason to celebrate with more than one sweet ending for the meal.

The first and dare I say most popular dessert choice was an idea borrowed from a favorite Canadian blog I follow called Dinner with Julie. Hit the link and it'll take you directly to her site to see her version of these lovely little cheesecakes in a jar. After seeing it on her site, I did a little exploring and found another version thanks to Martha Stewart Living which showcases a baked cheesecake that turned out to be light and fluffy with a very smooth texture thanks in no small part to the fact it bakes at a fairly low temperature in a water bath.

Topped with cherries and buttered graham wafer crumbs, it tastes like a mini version of the real McCoy only better because it is totally portable.

Second choice was a mini size version of the Pina Colada cupcakes we've enjoyed here before. Loaded with rummy goodness, they're a simple cake made from a mix and jazzed up with booze and butter and cooked up in 24 medium sized muffin cups. After baking they're bathed in a mixture of Coco Lopez cream of coconut and more rum of course, and then "marinate" for a day in the refrigerator. Before serving, top 'em with crushed pineapple, whipped cream and toasted coconut and you'll be sure to impress even the most hard core dessert officiandos. Be sure to limit consumption though or you'll have to send the over imbibers home in a cab (plus you'll want to hide a few to keep for a midnight refrigerator raid).

Last but definitely not least are little chocolate cupcakes we normally make in a large cake pan and call 'em "Sex in a Pan". Once again made from a mix using the same method as with the Pina Colada version above, the still warm cupcakes are filled with an ooey gooey sweet mixture of caramel ice cream topping and sweetened condensed milk before they hit the fridge to ruminate. Best ignored for at least a day, they're topped with freshy whipped cream and pieces of a Heath or Score bar before serving. Suffice to say, they're a chocolate/caramel lover's version of nirvana and just so flippin' easy to make it's ridiculous. 

That's it people. Bet you all thought I really fussed, didn't ya? All the desserts were made the day before the party, decorated long before the guests arrived and kept in the refrigerator until serving time. In case you're wondering, my secret to keeping the whipped cream intact is to freeze the bowl and beater to make sure it's really, really cold before you whip the cream. As well, be sure to use powdered confectioner's sugar (a heaping tablespoon per cup of cream) rather than granulated because the cornstarch in the sugar will help stabilize the cream. 

Pina Colada Cupcakes (adapted from Gulfshore Delights, The Junior League of Ft. Myers) 

1 package yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines ..is there any other kind?)

2/3 cup light rum

3 large eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 – 15 ounce can Coco Lopez (cream of coconut)

1/3 cup light rum

 1 – 8 ounce can crushed pineapple well drained

Whipped Topping or Whipped Cream

1 cup coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with aluminum foil liners and set aside. Using an electric mixer, combine cake mix, rum, eggs and softened butter. Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes. Distribute evenly between muffin cups and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (The cakes may fall but don’t worry – they’ll be fine). Leave cakes in pan and cool on wire rack. Meanwhile combine cream of coconut and rum together. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove a scoop of cake from center of each cupcake, leaving sides and bottom of cake intact. Pour rum/cream of coconut mixture slowly into the hole created in each cake, distributing evenly between the 24 cupcakes. Repeat this several times until all of the mixture has been used. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Before serving, top each cake with a spoonful of crushed pineapple, followed by a mound of whipped cream. Garnish with more toasted coconut. Makes 24 servings.

Note – may be made in a 9 x 13 inch pan (bake for 35 minutes). When cake has cooled slightly poke holes in top with a skewer, then pour cream of coconut rum mixture over top of warm cake, then cover and refrigerate. Top cake with crushed pineapple, followed by whipped topping and garnish with toasted coconut.   Keeps well in refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.

Sex In A Pan (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Best of the Best from Iowa)

1 dark chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)

1 – 12 ounce jar caramel ice cream topping

1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

Whipped cream or whipped topping

2 Heath (or Skor) bars, broken into pieces

Make cake mix according to package directions and bake in 24 aluminum foil lined muffin cups. Cool on wire racks. Meanwhile combine caramel topping and sweetened condensed milk and heat until warm. When cupcakes are still slightly warm, using a melon baller or small spoon, remove a small portion of cake from the center of the cup leaving bottom and sides intact. Pour heated topping into indentation and repeat process several times. There may be some caramel mixture left over but it’s great on ice cream or crepes (or both). Cover and refrigerate cupcakes overnight. Before serving top each cupcake with whipped cream and garnish with a piece of Heath or Skor bar. Makes 24.

A year ago - Pasta with Bacon, Clams and Mushrooms

Two year's ago - Baked Huevos Rancheros

Tiramisu

I truly believe Tiramisu is one of the better desserts (as if there are any bad ones), so I wasn't complaining when Big Guy asked for one instead of his usual birthday pie. Who doesn't enjoy the creamy, boozy, coffee flavored combination in this fabulous Italian dessert?

There's certainly a lot of ways of making a tiramisu, but one thing they all have in common are Italian ladyfingers known as Savoiardi so I'm thinking when we spotted a big display of them at Sprouts last weekend, it might have been the reason for Big Guy's choice. 

This particular version makes use of egg yolks whipped to a lemon colored frothy frenzy along with a fairly small amount of sugar as well as mascarpone and cream cheese. I know a lot of you worry about eating raw eggs because of the threat of samlonella but if you're careful how you handle them including picking the the freshest cleanest highest quality eggs you can find, there shouldn't be a problem. Just remember - throw any cracked or broken eggs out, don't leave the finished cake out of the refrigerator too long and warn anyone with a compromised immune system they  shouldn't be eating it. I figure with the amount of liquor in it, you won't be serving it to children so we don't have to go there. Right?

Incidentally, as you can see tiramisu doesn't have to be relegated to a 9 x 12 pan or made in a trifle bowl. It can be a beautiful cake and stands up perfectly well to being made in a cake pan with a removable bottom or springform pan. As well, you know I'm pretty anal about telling you all the sources of my recipes, but this time I have to admit I'm stumped because it's a compilation of the best of many versions I've made over the years and hand written in the back of one of my oldest cookbooks.

I've always loved it because it's not too sweet, definitely boozy and has just the right hint of coffee/chocolate flavors, at least in my opinion. We should know because we finished the darn thing yesterday and if anything, it gets better with time. What can I say...we're gluttons for the good stuff. 

Tiramisu from JBug’s Kitchen

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

8 ounces mascarpone

8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large package ladyfingers, approximately 30

3 tablespoons extra dark cocoa powder

3 teaspoons Espresso powder

1/2 cup hot water

1/3 cup dark rum

 

2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks (optional)

Cocoa powder or chocolate shavings as garnish

In a small bowl, mix espresso powder with hot water, stirring until granules are dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Add rum and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and light lemon in color – about 5 minutes. Mix in mascarpone, cream cheese, heavy cream and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy.

One at a time, quickly dip both sides of ladyfingers into coffee/rum mixture and arrange on bottom of a spring form pan or cake pan with removable bottom. I used an 8 inch cake pan with 2.5 inch sides and a removable bottom. For outside of pan, cut off bottom tip of ladyfingers and dip flat side only of ladyfingers. Stand them up around the pan, with the flat side facing inward. Pour half the filling over the bottom layer of ladyfingers, spreading evenly in pan. Place cocoa powder into small mesh sieve and tap to sprinkle cocoa evenly on top of filling. Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers, dipping both sides quickly into coffee/run mixture. Finish with remaining filling, spreading evenly to cover ladyfinger layer. Sprinkle with remaining cocoa powder. Cover well and refrigerate for a minimum 8 hours, or preferably overnight.

To serve, remove tiramisu from cake pan and place onto serving plate. Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly.

A year ago - Chocolate Banana Cake 

Two year's ago - Short Ribs Provencal

Orange Push-Up Creamsicle Pie

When I come across a recipe that intrigues me, I put it on a "really must try that" list filed in the steel trap commonly known as my brain. Now that same steel trap can forget a lot of things, like making or keeping appointments, or people's names, or birthdays but it never forgets a recipe or where that particular recipe resides, whether it be in a cookbook, magazine or on-line. Imagine being so lucky as to have such a selective photographic memory? 

We were all thanking our lucky stars that I didn't forget about making this pie because Tuesday night a taste of it had our guests' eyeballs rolling back in their heads. A dead ringer for orange push-ups, or the orange creamsicles we enjoyed as kids in the land of my birth, the flavors are bound to make your taste buds wake up and say "howdy...where the heck have you been all my life!"

It is so simple to make and so incredibly rewarding, I just can't tell you - but I will, if I must. Merely made from combining cream cheese, instant vanilla pudding, orange geletin, non-fat dry milk, fresh orange juice, and a touch of Cool Whip, the fabulous filling is loaded into a purchased shortbread crust and hits the fridge for a good chill. That's it, that's all people. Now aren't you upset that you didn't think of it yourself? I sure am.

Sliced and topped with another dollop of fake cream, it is absolutely blissful - calorically challenged, but blissful; however, if you can't abide the thought of so many calories ending up on your plate, for heaven's sake use low fat cream cheese and sugarless pudding and geletin mixes. I didn't but I could have and when I make this beauty again, surely to goodness I'll have a fully operating kitchen so I can make the crust from scratch. 

I'm also considering making it into mini version and hiding them in the freezer instead of the refrigerator. I bet they'd be awesome too, although it's kind of hard to improve on perfection. 

Orange Push-Up Creamsicle Pie from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from The Best of the Best from Iowa Cookbook)

2 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened (full fat or fat free)

1 – 4 serving package vanilla instant pudding mix (sugar free is fine)

1 – 4 serving package orange gelatin (sugar free is fine)

2/3 cup non-fat dry milk powder

1 cup unsweetened orange juice

1 small carton Cool Whip (divided)

1 prepared shortbread pie crust

Place softened cream cheese in bowl of food processor and pulse until soft and fluffy. Add vanilla instant pudding, orange gelatin, milk powder and orange juice and process until well mixed, scraping down sides of processor as necessary. Add 1/3 cup cool whip and pulse just until mixed.  Scrape mixture into prepared pie crust and refrigerate covered for a minimum 2 hours. Slice and serve garnished with Cool Whip.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

A year ago - Linguini with Sundried Tomatoes and Clams 

Two year's ago - Sweet and Spicy Country Style Ribs and Beans

Old Fashioned Apple Cake

It's a pretty rare day that you won't find apples in the fruit drawer of our refrigerator. They're one of the favorites around here as they're not limited to snacks, but great in salads, or panini's, or rice pilaf like we had the other night, never mind some pretty awesome sweet treats.

This old fashioned apple dessert has a moist cake like base that gets its leavening from beaten eggs, and shines with apples decorating the top in a pinwheel shape. Finished with cinnamon sugar, it comes out of the oven 40 minutes later looking like something straight out of Granny's kitchen. 

Not super sweet, it's darn near perfect served warm from the oven with a scoop of ice cream, or a chunk of sharp cheddar cheese or both and deserves a place on the list along with some of our other favorite apple desserts.

Shredded Apple Pie   Dorie's Apple Cake   Rhubarb Apple Diddle Dumplings    

      

Apple Fritters            Apple Pear Cake      Apple Dumplings 

      
Old Fashioned Apple Cake (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from The Wall Drug Cookbook, 2^nd Edition)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges (I used 1 Granny Smith and 1 Golden Delicious)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. Grease an 8 inch cake pan with removable bottom and line bottom with parchment. Set aside. In bowl of electric mixer, beat together butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fully. Add eggs and beat until light and a pale lemon color (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add vanilla and flour and mix just until combined. Place in bottom of prepared pan and layer apple pieces on top in a pinwheel fashion. Mix together cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top of apples. Bake at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes or until tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool briefly, and then remove cake from pan and place on a serving plate. Serve warm with whipped or ice cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

A year ago - Cheater Lasagne 

Two year's ago - Corn Meal Pancakes

 

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Personally I think dessert is the most important course of any meal mostly because ending dinner with a sweet thing isn't something we do on an ordinary basis around here. Too much of a good thing gets blamed for expanding hips, dunlap disease (as in the stomach done lap over da' belt), and muffin top too, but it doesn't have to be that way at least not always.

For example, in addition to making something relatively healthy for our dessert Monday night, the challenge was on to produce something that our dinner guests could enjoy as well. For health reasons they're unable to eat anything with gluten, refined sugar or any dairy products which when you think about it takes most desserts right out of the equation. Just think about never being able to eat a chunk of chocolate cake, or a huge slice of apple pie, or hit the freezer for a scoop of ice cream. That would hurt, wouldn't it?

JBug's Kitchen is all about never say never so we did some research and adapted this recipe from wholefoodsmarket.com to meet the requirements. Simply a custard based ice cream made from coconut milk, eggs and vanilla, we substituted honey for the sugar and came up with this rich, creamy concoction. 

It went very well sitting on top of a glass full of sliced fresh fruit including strawberries and blackberries.  Personally I thought it needed more honey as it wasn't sweet enough, so I'd be inclined to add more to the mix next time I make it. The Big Guy had the idea of topping his serving with some fresh basil which went surprisingly well with it too. 

I think the sky's the limit with this particular concoction, so I'll be trying it again with some extra toasted coconut, or papaya, mango or pineapple too. Just remember, for the best flavor and texture, serve it slightly soft.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from wholefoodsmarket.com)

4 egg yolks or equivalent egg substitute

1/2 cup honey (more if you want a sweeter ice cream)

1 can light coconut milk (13.5 oz can)

1 can regular full fat coconut milk (13.5 oz can)

2 teaspoons vanilla

In a medium pot, whisk together egg yolks and honey. Whisk in coconut milk then heat slowly, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon – about 10 minutes. Do not let mixture boil. Remove from heat, cool slightly and add vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cold.

Process mixture in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s directions, then transfer to a sealed container and freeze for 1-1/2 hours. Serve slightly softened for best texture and flavor. Note - I used all light coconut milk, but for a creamier product use 1 can of light and 1 of full fat coconut milk.

A year ago - Ginger Mint Lamb Chops and Cauliflower with Raisins and Pine nuts

Two year's ago - White Bean and Asparagus Salad

 

 

 

Burgundy Mushrooms, Prime and Chocolate

What do you make for dinner for a guy who darn near worships the rib eye of a bovine? Why have some prime along with burgundy braised mushrooms and a blue cheese butter, bring out the candles, showcase the beautiful roses he brought ya' and say happy day my Valentine.

Pioneer Woman cooked up yummy looking mushrooms on her show at Christmas and I realized I'd been looking at a version of them in my favorite Idaho a la CArte cookbook for eons. It seemed like a great idea to put 'em on the stove to brew yesterday particularly since we had a storm move through that brought freezing temperatures and even some snow of all things.

I have to admit these beauties smell blissful when they're cooking so be forewarned. Picture a bubbling cauldron full of butter and burgundy seasoned with worcestershire sauce, dill seeds, garlic, pepper and a couple of Knorr beef cubes all loaded up with pounds of mushrooms and simmering for a total of 9 hours - well you can just imagine the aroma from that! Then serve up the delicious flavorful little sponges on a gargantuan sized rib eye steak the Big Guy cooked himself to a perfect blue rare then topped with a compound butter made of blue cheese and coarse ground black pepper ...the old taste buds were humming, believe me!  

Add chocolate and we had the perfect romantic Valentine's dinner right here at home without having to deal with hoards of people, grumpy waiters and mediocre food. Enough bragging you say! Hey, I'm not done yet. Now, about the chocolate! 

If you've never tried a Chocolate Bread Pudding before you'd best put this one on your list PDQ because it is absolutely heavenly. I used the recipe from the King Arthur Flour website but changed it up a notch by using some chopped up dark chocolate instead of semi sweet chips as well as some Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder instead the regular kind. I also added cinnamon for a little Mexican twist and extra vanilla because I make my own and there's nothing like it - all this and cubed up slices of Texas toast with the crusts removed, a little milk, some eggs and time were the only other requirements.

The result - rich, creamy, oozey chocolaty incredibly sumptuous custardy bread pudding that honestly, if I didn't know better, I'd be hard pressed to say there was even bread in it. Unbelievable. 

Gold Rush Burgundy Mushrooms (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Idaho a la Carte cookbook)

I cut the original recipe in half because 4 pounds of mushrooms seemed a little excessive for just 2 people so feel free to double this if you’re feeding a crowd.

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2 cups good red wine, preferably burgundy

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dill seeds

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup boiling water

1-1/2 cubes beef bouillon cubes (I used Knorr)

2 pounds medium to large button mushrooms, well washed and dried

Place butter, wine, Worcestershire sauce, spices, water and bouillon cubes into a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms, lower heat, cover and simmer over very low heat for 5 hours. Remove cover and simmer for 4 hours longer or until liquid barely covers mushrooms. Serves 4 to 6.

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with a Mexican Twist (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from King Arthur Flour)

5 slices Texas Toast, crusts removed

3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup dark cocoa (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)

1-1/2 cups whole milk, divided

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Whipped cream for garnish

Butter 4 -  8 ounce ramekins. Cut bread into half inch cubes and divide evenly among ramekins. Sprinkle ramekins with half of the chopped dark chocolate. Set aside. Place remaining chopped chocolate, sugar, and cocoa into a small sauce pan and whisk together to combine. Whisk in 3/4 cup of milk and place pot over low heat. Heat, whisking constantly until mixture chocolate is melted and mixture thickens. Remove from heat a cool slightly.

Meanwhile in another bowl beat together eggs, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and remaining 3/4 cup milk. Slowly whisk in chocolate mixture. Pour mixture over bread cubes and chocolate pieces in ramekins, dividing liquid evenly between the ramekins. Place ramekins into a large pan with 2 inch sides and allow to sit at room temperature for a minimum 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325. Pour boiling water into pan to a level half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted into center of ramekin comes out clean. Puddings will be slightly “jiggly”. Remove ramekins to a wire rack and cool. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Rack of Lamb with Marionberry Hazelnut Crust 

Two year's ago - Beef Wellington

Pudding Chomeur is a Maple Syrup Lovers Delight

The English translation for this French Canadian classic is actually "poor man's pudding" and believe me, it is the ultimate in maple goodness and there's nuthin' poor about it either.

Normally tooth shatteringly sweet, I was inspired to make this less sweet and more cakey version when I saw it featured in House & Home Magazine. My sister gifted me with a subscription for this fabulous Canadian magazine many moons ago and not only is it chock a block full of great decorating ideas, it always features recipes guaranteed to take me back to my Canadian roots and make me homesick too.

Loaded with a bunch of good stuff including butter, sugar, cream and of course maple syrup, similar to some of the other classic old fashioned puddings on this site the cake rises to the top and the bottom of the ramekin becomes a puddle of gooey sweet syrupy goodness. Of course I couldn't leave it alone and took the liberty of including a couple of pears too, just to add another je ne sais quoi, but you could certainly make it without and it would be fabulous.

It's great in it's naked state but I have to tell you it is over the top served warm with a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream - I just didn't happen to have any hanging around.  By the way, no substitutions for the maple syrup you hear? You've got to use the real thing in this pudding so leave the Mrs. Butterworth's to your morning pancakes and indulge in some real Nature's joy juice.

Oh and one more thing, don't forget to place the ramekins on a foil lined sheet pan because they do bubble over when they're cooking and you don't want a sugar fire in the bottom of your oven, now do you?

Pudding Chomeur aka Poor Man’s Pudding (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from House & Home Magazine)

3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup real maple syrup

1 cup whipping cream

Pinch of kosher salt

2 pears, peeled cored and sliced (optional)

In bowl of electric mixer, combine butter and sugars and blend until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, beating very well. Add flour and baking powder and mix just until incorporated. Do not over mix. Dough will be very thick and almost pastry like. Cover bowl and refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour.

Meanwhile in a large saucepan combine syrup and cream (use a large pan because this will boil up and could bubble over if you don’t use a big enough pot). Bring syrup and cream to a boil stirring constantly. As soon as it reaches the boiling point, remove from heat and stir in salt. Cool and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place 6 oven proof ramekins onto pan. Spray ramekins with cooking spray, and then spoon a few tablespoons of maple/cream mixture into bottom of each ramekin. Arrange sliced pears onto bottom of ramekins. Split refrigerated dough evenly between the ramekins, loosely packing the dough on top of the pears. Slowly pour the remaining maple mixture over the dough, allowing it to run through the holes in the dough. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve with ice cream. Makes 6 servings.

Other saucey pudds:

Country Spice Pudding Cake   

Magic Banana Caramel Pudding 

 

 

Cinnamon Pear Walnut Cake with Toffee Sauce

Are you wondering what to do with 3 very ripe pears in your fruit drawer that you hate to part with? Well that's what moved me to bake this cake and it's a real keeper. 

Adapted from Southern Living via myrecipes.com, I used my big beautiful soft juicy and somewhat over-ripe pears and changed up the recipe by exchanging walnuts for pecans (have you seen the price of pecans lately?) and added some cinnamon to the mix. The cake also took considerably longer to bake than they indicated and I've adjusted my version to reflect the additional time. Also, if you're really smart (I wasn't), give your pan a good coating with shortening and flour it well too. I have a fluted "non-stick" bundt pan that's usually fine with a good shot of cooking spray but unfortunately it really wanted to hold onto half the cake so next time I may even use a parchment lined spring form pan to bake this one up. 

Also, while Southern Living recommended a caramel glaze in their recipe, I just happened to have some toffee sauce on hand from making Sticky Toffee Puddings for my great white hunters, so I warmed a little of it in the microwave and drizzled it on top of the cake. It really doesn't need a darn thing to make it delicious but I have to admit, the sauce kind of puts it over the top.

It's a very moist dense cake that just gets better and better with time. Served with a cup of Twining's finest, it makes for a grand afternoon pick me up, if you can wait that long!

Cinnamon Pear Walnut Cake with Toffee Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from myrecipes.com)

3 cups peeled and diced very ripe pears (I used 3 Riviera pears)

1 tablespoon sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1-1/4 cups vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Combine pears with 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl and toss well. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and set aside. Grease and flour a Bundt pan very well and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

In bowl of stand mixer, beat together eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until lightly colored and well mixed. At low speed, add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Fold in pears and walnuts. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check with a toothpick and cake is done when toothpick comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on the amount of moisture in the pears so start checking cake after 1 hour.

Remove from pan and cool. Serve with sauce drizzled over top.

Toffee Sauce:

3/4 cup butter

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir well to combine. Add cream. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cool slightly and stir in vanilla. Serve warm. Store leftovers in refrigerator and reheat as needed in the microwave. 

A year ago - Sticky Chicky     Two year's ago - Coquille St Jacques

 

Buttered Rum and Raisin Rice Pudding

Our sweet treat of the week is inspired by a recipe in a very old cookbook (Purity) and brings with it memories of my Mother's version - without the rum of course. Mom would make it for me whenever I visited because she knew it was a favorite, although she cooked her pudding in a little double boiler and it seemed to take hours and hours.

This version is much quicker and without need for any special equipment but it doesn't suffer in any way shape or form for its simplicity. I used some cooked rice leftover from another meal earlier in the week Big Guy saved with a hint that it would be great in a pudding.

Mixed with a custard of sugar, whole milk and eggs, this stove top version of rice pudding makes for an extremely creamy result. Loaded with plump juicy raisins that have been soaked in rum for an hour or so and finished with a pat of butter, it's barely sweet, definitely delicious and gets better and better with time in the refrigerator - that is if it lasts long enough for you to be able to tell such a thing. If you prefer a sweeter pudding, feel free to increase the amount of sugar accordingly.

Alas, it wasn't our only sweet treat of the week although it really deserved to receive top billing. I made a meyer lemon version of the flourless kumquat cake.  I merely cut back on the cooking time of the fruit to 30 minutes because the lemons cooked a lot faster than the kumquats, but otherwise followed the same method and it was absolutely sublime. Notice the past tense? Yup - it's all gone too.

Creamy Buttered Rum & Raisin Rice Pudding (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Purity Cookbook)

1/2 cup seedless raisins

2 tablespoons dark rum

1/2 cup sugar (increase to 3/4 cup if you prefer a sweeter pudding)

Pinch salt

1-1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups cooked long grain or Arborio rice

2 eggs

1 tablespoon corn starch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Mix raisins and rum together in a small bowl and soak for minimum half an hour. Combine sugar, salt, milk and pre-cooked rice in a small pot. Place over medium heat and warm, stirring occasionally until hot – do not allow to boil. Meanwhile in a small bowl beat together eggs and cornstarch. When milk/rice mixture is hot, carefully and slowly whisk a third of it into the beaten egg mixture to temper the eggs, and then add the mixture back to the pot. Cook, stirring constantly over medium low heat until mixture is thickened and bubbles “blurp” on the surface. Remove from heat and stir in butter and reserved soaked rum and raisin mixture. Remove to a bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto surface of pudding. Cool. Serve either warm or chilled with or without cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

By the way, in case you're wondering we had cheddar bacon burgers last night with a second batch of the homemade sandwich rolls I made the other day. Yup - I just HAD to do it all again because there's really no excuse. The rolls take limited time to prep and the payoff is incredible. Just ask the neighbors salivating on the sidewalk outside the kitchen window!

A year ago - Lemon Risotto    Two year's ago - Shrimp and Andouille on Grits

Flourless Kumquat Cake

I know this site is all about every day cooking and every day for some of you means gluten free. I've been thinking about the people close to my heart that have had to drop gluten from their diets so Linda, Lea, Whitney, Scott and Susan this creation's for you!

I think most of us of are aware of flourless chocolate cake as a pretty good candidate for a gluten free diet, but with mountains of kumquats to deal with and limited shelf space for marmalade I've been on the lookout for something different to make. I found this on the Joy of Baking so hit the link and go there to see the original. 

Their version makes use of clementines rather than the little citrus gems I have available by the boatload so some changes were necessary. No matter - I simply cut a pound of kumquats in half, seeded and covered them in water and simmered for 45 minutes until they were tender and the peels transparent. Drained and cooled, they hit a food processor along with eggs before mixing with the dry ingredients. After it baked, I brushed the cake with triple sec as it cooled to give the end result a healthy glow - oh I do mean the cake, ya' know. 

By the way, be sure to check the label of your baking powder to make sure it's gluten free but if you'd rather make it yourself, you can find the recipe on this link. Also, in case you're wondering almond meal is simply ground up almonds, with or without the skins and it's perfect for baking cookies, cakes or muffins.  If you can't find it on the shelf, you can always make it yourself by grinding almonds in a food processor or blender but be careful because if you're over eager, you'll have butter instead of "flour". 

We had our cake with a yogurt mascarpone cream mixed with some kumquat marmalade because heaven knows we needed a little more calories - just kidding, but honestly the cake would be fine simply dusted with a little confectioners sugar. It has a fine light crumb and intensely orange almond flavor. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy the intensified flavors and moist dense texture after it sits for a few days - if you can hold off that is. We couldn't.

Flourless Kumquat Cake (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Joy of Baking)

1 pound fresh kumquats

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2-3/4 cups almond meal

2 ounces triple sec or other orange flavored liqueur (optional)

Wash kumquats well then cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place into a medium sized pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes or until kumquats are tender and peel is becoming transparent. Drain in a colander and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 375. Spray an 8 inch pan with removable bottom with cooking spray and line bottom and sides with parchment. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and almond meal. Place cooked kumquats into a food processor and pulse until ground up. Add eggs and vanilla and pulse processor until mixture is fairly smooth – about 30 seconds. Pour egg/kumquat mixture into dry ingredients and whisk together until mixed. Move to prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tester inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. When cool enough to handle, remove cake from pan. Brush with triple sec as cake is cooling.

Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. Flavor intensifies as cake sits, but it is still delicious served on the day it is baked.  Serve with whipped cream or equal parts of mascarpone and yogurt mixed together and sweetened with sugar or orange marmalade.

Oh, in case you're wondering what we had for dinner before our fabulously delicious dessert, I pulled another recipe out of the archives from 2010 and honestly, I'm not quite sure why we don't include this one in a regular rotation. Spicy, sweet roasted manchurian cauliflower on a bed of crunchy chicken fillets - well, it's about the best way to cook cauliflower there is! Honest! Hit the link and check it out for yourself. You won't be sorry - not one bit!

Notes To Myself about Christmas

So here we are, the day after the day that warrants all the hype ... the day that makes sane people crazy and crazy people certifiable. The day of "good cheer", gifts that some people don't want and others can't afford to give anyway and the day that this foodie spent hours and hours preparing for, only to have it gone in a couple of 20 minute intervals. Gone, except for the fridge full of leftovers that is and the tell tale signs of disaster.

In case you're wondering, I hate the day after Christmas so it's a really good thing the guys left the house at 5:30 this morning to go bird hunting, although it's beyond me what kind of birds they expect to see when it's pitch dark outside until at least 7 bells. But good for them. By the time they roll up the garage door at 6:00 tonight, the Christmas mess will be cleaned up, all signs of the fire I had in the oven yesterday will be removed,the loads of laundry will be done and the floors washed. Does it sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself?

Well, since this is a food blog after all and not my journal, I'd best get on with telling you about at least a few of the things we ate yesterday and the grade they earned for all the effort. Course on the other hand if I'd waited until tomorrow when my sense of humor has been restored, I may not have been as harsh a critic.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cherry Muffins - a delicious combination, I might add. Lovely melted dark chocolate chips and sweet/sour dried cherries hiding in a moist cakey buttermilk battered vanilla kissed muffin. MAKE AGAIN - you betcha. These guys get an A plus. Download Chocolate Chip Sour Cherry Muffins

Bacon, Beer and Cheddar Soup - while we normally have a large breakfast on Christmas day then wing it through lunch and wait for the main event in the evening, with the Big Guy's huntin' partner arriving around noon, we thought lunch would be more appropriate.
This soup is courtesy of Food & Wine magazine and admittedly it is a manly kind of nosh. Loaded with some of our special homemade bacon, spiced with jalapeno and pilsner along with sharp cheddar and smoked gruyere, it's a heavy stick to your ribs kind of soup, that along with a loaf of sourdough bread kept the guys out of the kitchen for most of the afternoon. Personally, I didn't like it much but the Big Guy had 3 bowls and John had 2 which kind of tells you something. MAKE AGAIN: Not necessarily. I give it a C minus.

Sticky Toffee Pudding - Of course we had to have dessert at lunch, after all it's Christmas. We've made this one before and really, it is just an excuse to enjoy a moist, heavy, date filled, taste sensation of a sweet pudding slathered in a rich warm toffee sauce. I love the things - in fact there's one left hiding in the freezer for nuking at about 11:00 am. I'm gonna' call it lunch today! Sticky Toffee Pudding excels in the sweet department and definitely earns a superior in my books. MAKE AGAIN - ya man! Grade - A plus, plus. Download Sticky Toffee Pudding .

Because the soup filled the gap, I was unable to entice anyone to eat one bit of any of the appetizers we'd whipped up to pick at during the afternoon, so they've lived for me to tell you about them another day.

Our dinner menu included the following:

Riviera Pear Salad with Rogue River Blue Cheese, Toasted Pecans and Shallot Vinaigrette - The pears and cheese are courtesy of John and his Oregon home and honestly, there's nothing can compare with either. Juicy, perfectly ripe, incredibly sweet pears and a blue cheese that is creamy, sharp but easy on the palate - all on a bed of mache lettuce in a tangy shallot vinaigrette. I could easily call this salad dinner. MAKE AGAIN - Absolutely. Grade A plus plus. Download Pear-and-gorgonzola-salad-with-shallot-vinaigrette

Mustard Seed Crusted Prime Rib Roast with Roasted Balsamic Onions, and a Creamy Horseradish Sauce - this one's courtesy of Epicurious.com, normally a source I find to be quite reliable, especially if you study the comments about what people really think. They all passed this one with flying colors but I beg to differ. While the crust on the roast is lovely and flavorful, it's really hard to mess up a great prime rib roast. On the other hand, I give the onions a definite failing grade as a perfect waste of time. I mean whatever did roasted onions and shallots do to you that you'd treat them with such disrespect? Definitely disappointing, in my opinion they did absolutely NOTHING for the jus either. The real keeper is the horseradish sauce made with heavy cream, creme fraiche, horseradish and dijon mustard. It gets an A, while the roast gets a B but the onions are a definite, unequivocal F. MAKE AGAIN - uh NO.

Elsie's Make Ahead Potato Casserole - a perfect make ahead failure proof method of making mashed potatoes, and courtesy of the Best of Bridge series cookbooks, this casserole has been around for at least 30 years. Potatoes cooked and mashed with sour cream, cream cheese and butter, it goes with just about anything. MAKE AGAIN - Absolutely. Grade A.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts - our favorite green veg, we have and enjoy them often. It's not fair to name something as perfect, especially brussels sprouts, so we'll leave this one out of the grading scheme. Suffice to say if you're a regular visitor, you'll have noticed they're frequently shown on our plates.

Yorkshire Pudding - ah, the bane of my existence. As much as I love these things, they made a real mess of the oven and more importantly it's gonna' take me days to wash the smoke and soot off the ceilings in the house and get the smell outa' the curtains. Here's the link for the perfect method of making these beauties, but for heaven's sake be forewarned. While they rise to great heights every time, too much grease in the muffin pan can mean a smoky fire in the bottom of your oven so plan accordingly. I NEVER learn to put the muffin pan on a rack with a sheet pan below to catch the drips! Give the recipe an A plus, plus but give the cook an F for this one. MAKE AGAIN - yes, likely just so I can spend days cleaning up the mess.

Chocolate Caramel Tart - if I can say there was a perfect thing about yesterday's dinner, it would have to be this tart. A chocolate shortbread crust makes a crisp and tender base for a layer of rich, buttery caramel that is covered by a layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache. The key to this one other than making it all in advance, is to bring the tart to room temperature before serving for two reasons; you have to be able to cut the darn thing without having to use a hammer and chisel and you really want the caramel to string off your fork and land half way down your chin, just so you can dip into it later. It is really delicious. Don't forget the sea salt - we did when we took the picture, but it really adds a lot to the flavor of the tart. We have Saveur to thank for the recipe and Alexandra Guarnaschelli from Food Network for my inspiration to make it in the first place.  MAKE AGAIN - Without question. It gets an A plus, plus. 

So that's it people. I've provided the links for the recipes if you're so inclined and certainly if you've any questions or comments, don't be afraid to leave a note. Otherwise I'm off to wallow in my misery and no, this would not be a good day to pop in uninvited for drop of Christmas cheer. It's unlikely you'll find any cheer here, although there is something worth celebrating today. This is the 1,000 post on JBug's Kitchen Antics! Is that amazing or what?

 

Steamed Apple Maple Pudding

Home again, home again ...yes the man of the house finally made it home and seeing as he'd been eating in fancy restaurants for the past week (2 actually, but who's counting), I thought I'd welcome him with something simple but delicious for dinner.

We've had this Cheesy Cauliflower Soup before so I'll point you in that direction for the recipe but before you go, here's the goods. Surprise, surprise there's not a spec of meat in it and although it might benefit from a crispy bacon garnish, it really doesn't need a thing. Loaded with onion, celery, carrots and cauliflower cooked in chicken stock them made creamy with milk and cheese, it's a spicy cheesy blend of stick to your ribs warm comfort. Garnished with a touch of Matouk's hot sauce, totally optional of course, it's great grub for a cold winter's evening.

Of course a dinner consisting of a simple bowl of soup and crackers deserves a sweet finish, so I whipped up a steamed pudding that's a perfect showcase for maple syrup and crisp apples. The British wrote the book on steamed puddings and to be honest I think they're responsible for cooking up some of the most amazing simple old fashioned delicious desserts. We have them to thank for all kinds of glorious things like Summer Pudding, Trifles and Sticky Toffee Pudding and we can thank them for the inspiration for this lovely concoction.

Simply chopped apples cooked briefly in butter and maple syrup and topped with a cake like pudding, it steams in a pudding mold then gets flipped out and looks like this. Perfect served with a thin custard sauce (creme Anglaise), we had the warm cakey goodness with plain old vanilla ice cream because I was too lazy to make the custard.

I have to admit that I had some fun converting the measurements from grams, so it may require a little more tweaking to make it perfect but it's still a lovely dessert. Definitely not overpoweringly sweet, the next time I give it a go I'll use a sweeter apple instead of my favorite Granny Smith's and caramelize the apples more before they hit the pudding mold. Also the original recipe from bbcgoodfood.com calls for golden syrup rather than the maple I substituted and I have a feeling the end result would be quite different but no more delicious I'm sure. I mean you really can't beat the flavor of maple never mind the bourbon I added to the mix ...don't worry Big Guy - I used the cheaper stuff and saved the Knob Creek for sippin'. By the way you could substitute pears for the apples if you wish.

Steamed Apple and Maple Pudding (Inspired by bbcgoodfood.com)

4 tart apples (I used Granny Smith)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon butter

Cake:

1/3 cup butter (room temperature)

2/3 cup brown sugar (do not pack)

2 eggs

1/4 cup bourbon, rum or milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 cup self-rising flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Spray a pudding mold with cooking spray, coat with flour shaking off excess, and then set aside.

Peel and core apples and cut into small quarter inch cubes. Heat butter and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until bubbling. Add apples and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until slightly browned. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, bourbon, and maple syrup and beat well to combine. Add flour and salt and mix until combined. Place apples on the bottom of the prepared pudding mold and add batter over top, smoothing top to even out. Spray lid of pudding mold with cooking spray, then cover and lock clips of mold. Place into a steamer or large pot with water half way up sides of pudding. Bring water to a simmer, cover pot and cook for 1-1/2 hours or until skewer inserted into pudding comes out clean. Remove from pot and cool briefly, then carefully flip onto serving plate. Scoop any apple that remains in pudding mold into center of pudding. Serve with thin custard or ice cream. Serves 4 to 6.

Shredded Apple Pie

Remember a while ago I said I'd never try another apple pie recipe because I'd found the perfect one. Well, that was for a double crust pie, loaded with fruit and a lattice top. There's another one too with pears and apples and a cinnamon caramel that's over the top, but if you're looking for a quick, every day make your loved ones happy kind of pie, here's another keeper. I whipped it up to go with our Ribs and Beans dinner the other night before the Big Guy left town.

A single crust pie, it consists of three tart Granny Smith's, peeled and grated into a custardy buttery sugary filling kissed with cinnamon and lots of lovely vanilla. It bakes until its all puffy and golden and comes out of the oven looking like this!

Cooled to room temperature it's lovely and unless you live in a house with a purist that likes his pie sans the a la' mode, it would be fabulous with a scoop of vanilla or some homemade cinnamon ice cream resting on top. Bonus - unlike some pastry creations, this version is really the bomb right from the refrigerator too because the pastry gets extra crisp and the filling is all soft and gooey and buttery and wonderful.

How do I know this? I just this second finished a piece along with a cup of coffee. Not bad for 6:00 am on a Sunday morning. So much for singing...hurray, hurray the diet starts today!

Shredded Apple Pie (Adapted from Taste of the Territory)

Pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs

2 cups shredded tart apples (I used 3 medium Granny Smiths)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry and flute the edges. In a large bowl, combine together sugar, flour, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon until well mixed. Beat in eggs and mix well. Add shredded apples and combine well. Pour into pastry lined pie plate and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until pastry is browned and filling is puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

Other variations of apple pie:

 Cinnamon Caramel      Grandma's Apple    Crumble Pie

Perfect Pear Puddin'

Is this a cobbler? Is it a cake? How about a torte? Does it look like a souffle? Yesterday's sweet treat for the week creation defies description so I'll take a page from our British friends and call it a pudding. It may be hard to name but believe me it's not difficult to eat. It's a keeper!

You all must know by now that when the Big Guy's away, I don't spend a heck of a lot of time in the kitchen. Hey cooking for one is a real drag so last night's dinner was a very healthy hardly flavorful tiny excuse for a TV dinner of the lean variety. What can I say except sriracha and hoisin come in real handy sometimes.

But don't feel sorry for me because I knew I had to give you something to gnaw on today and what's better than a sweet treat for the week. I had to make up the caloric deficit somehow, didn't I?

I mixed up a little shortbread crumble and sprinkled it on the bottom of a 10 ounce ramekin, then  peeled a pear, leaving the stem on. Hollowing out the blossom end with a melon baller to get to the core, I filled the hole with a glug of pure maple syrup and placed the pear stem end up onto the bed of shortbread crumbs. I snuggled a rich sour cream, brown sugar and vanilla flavored egg custard around the pear, sprinkled the top with a few more shortbread crumbs and the whole shebang hit the oven for 30 minutes.

The result ...blissful! Thanks to the moisture from the custard, the shortbread crumbs form a cake on the bottom, maple flavored of course due to the pool of syrup. The crumbs on top are slightly crisp and the pear is perfectly sweet and wonderfully cooked. It just goes to show ya' that a little imagination in the kitchen goes a long way. The proof is in the pudding.

Maple Pear Pudding (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Dash of salt

6 tablespoons cold butter

4 ripe pears

4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 4 – 10 ounce ramekins with cooking spray and set on a baking sheet to collect any spills. Combine flour, sugar and salt together in a small bowl. Cut cold butter into mixture using a pastry blender until mixture resembles small crumbs. Set aside.  Peel pears, leaving them whole with stem intact. Using a small melon baller or sharp measuring spoon, hollow out the blossom end of the pear to remove the core.  Place 2 heaping tablespoons of flour/butter mixture into bottom of each ramekin. Pour 1 tablespoon of maple syrup into hollow of each pear and then place hollow side down/stem up on top of shortbread mixture in ramekins.

 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons half and half

2 teaspoons vanilla

Whisk together brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, half and half and vanilla. Pour mixture around pears in  ramekin, dividing evenly between the 4 ramekins. Sprinkle remaining shortbread crumbs on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted into custard comes out clean and pears are tender. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold. Makes 4.

A year ago - Eggs in Purgatory

Blueberry Lemon Bread Pudding

Big Guy took me out for dinner last night because I didn't feel like cooking so the dogs and I talked him into it. Now this morning has flown by on wings as we set the stage for my S.O.'s departure for most of the week. Man, I hate packing his suitcases, I love unpacking 'em and I really hate when my guy is away from home! Not much I can do about it though and I have to admit time apart just makes for sweet reunions, right?

Speaking of sweet, here's a little inspiration for some sweet and delicious lemon kissed blueberry bread puddings. I made these a little while ago as our sweet "muse" of the week and neglected to tell you about them. It's old news that JBug loves her puddin' and if you add bread to the mixture, well ...you'll get the picture when you see the number of variations there are on this blog.

Pineapple Rum         Creole with Bourbon     Butterscotch Pecan

White Chocolate     Choco Sour Cherry      Pumpkin and Caramel

   

This one combines 2 of my favorite flavors - Meyer lemon from our lovely tree in the yard, and tiny little wild blueberries from Trader Joe's freezer. Put them together with 4 slices of texas toast, crusts removed and innards cubed along with a couple of eggs, some moo juice and a hit of limoncello and you've got a couple of glorious servings of down home country style perfection.

Lemon Blueberry Bread Pudding (adapted from myrecipes.com)

2 cups half inch fresh bread cubes, no crusts

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Rind of one half a lemon

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon Limóncello liquor (optional)

1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries

Combine granulated sugar, lemon rind, beaten eggs, milk and Limóncello and whisk together well. Fold in bread cubes and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray and place in a casserole dish or baking pan with 2 inch high sides. Divide half the bread mixture between the four ramekins. Divide the blueberries evenly between the ramekins and finish with the rest of the bread mixture. Cover each ramekin with a piece of aluminum foil. Fill baking plan with boiling water so it is about 1 inch up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully move pan into oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil from ramekins and continue baking for 15 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from water bath and place on a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate when cool. Serve warm or cold, dusted with powdered sugar or with whipped cream. Drizzle on a little more Limóncello if you'd like a little more kick! Makes 4 servings.  

A year ago - Pasta with Duck and Cranberries

Turkey Day Revisited

I think we're all intimately acquainted with the difficult part of holiday meals. You know - the days and days of planning; the work of preparation; the mad rush getting everything on the table at the same time; the worry about whether the hot dishes are hot enough and the cold stuff cold and stays cold so there's not a bathroom stampede or run on TP later; setting the table; picking just the right flowers; chilling the wine; making sure Auntie Jo who absolutely hates her brother John's wife is sitting no where near her so another family war is averted and then it's all over in about 20 minutes flat, except for the clean up that is. Now where's the justice in that?

We didn't have to deal with any of that this year because glory be - it was just the two of us. Our juicy little Cider and Maple Brined Turkey courtesy of November's Cooking Light, came off the Weber rotisserie after 3 short hours a mahogany colored perfectly cooked wonder of talent and ingenuity. The sides were perfect, the gravy hot and bubbly and the apple cranberry compote a perfect jewel toned addition to the loaded plate.You're looking at the Big Guy's - mine was just a trifle smaller.

Clean up was accomplished in record time, leftovers stowed for enough meals to last most of the weekend and a bottle of lovely Pinot Noir savored to the last drop before we tucked into the creamy, rich and gingery creme brulee. Gosh darn it, I think we might be on to something!

Ginger Crème Brulee (adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine)

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Dash salt

5 egg yolks

Granulated sugar for garnish

Heat cream, ginger and 2 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Do not boil. Cover pot and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 and boil kettle full of water. Arrange 4 ramekins in a pan with 2 inch sides. With a whisk, beat egg yolks with remaining quarter cup of sugar until yolks are light in color. Gradually add cream to egg yolks, whisking lightly to combine. Put mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher or 4 cup measure, and then pour evenly into ramekins. Fill baking dish with water half way up sides of ramekins and carefully move pan to oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until custards are cooked but still “jiggle” in the center. When cooked immediately remove from water bath and place on wire racks to cool. When room temperature cover and refrigerate until very cold (can be prepared several days in advance). Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of each ramekin and using a kitchen torch, brulee until caramelized. Serves 4. Download Ginger Creme Brulee

 

 

Desserts for Dietary Restrictions

Seems like a bit of an oxymoron using the words dessert and dietary restrictions in the same breath, but in this day and age it happens. More and more people are realizing they've developed an intolerance to various substances that many of us don't even think twice about but maybe we should. I for one feel the effects every time I indulge in an oversized ice cream cone and a caesar salad's absolutely guaranteed to get my attention.

Wheat, dairy and refined sugars were off the list for our dinner guests on Saturday night (Sunday's post), and while coming up with a main course that didn't include any of these items was pretty easy with Coconut Lime Shrimp and a Soba Noodle Salad, coming up with a dessert that suited the occasion took a little more thought.

One of my favorite "go to desserts" is a quick chocolate mousse that includes very few ingredients and provides a lot of decadence in a small serving, so I picked up a rich dark high cocoa content bittersweet chocolate that was marked gluten free and merely substituted unsweetened coconut milk for the usual half and half. Talk about a quirk of fate - the end result is a mousse that tastes exactly like a mounds bar, only it's smooth, creamy and rich. I for one don't think I'll ever make it the old way again.

Our second dessert choice was inspired by a recipe on simplygluten-free.com for Pear Cranberry Almond Crumble. I admit I changed the recipe somewhat and sliced assorted pears mixed with apple cider, lemon juice, cornstarch and a touch of vanilla as well as a handful of sundried cranberries and topped it all off with a crumble made from almond meal, rolled oats, almonds, vanilla, and canola oil and sweetened with real maple syrup, although honey or agave syrup may have been a better choice. Served warm and bubbly it was a nutty perfectly sweet end to our meal.

Just one word though, since I'm honest to a fault. While delicious on its own, I couldn't help but crave a scoop of ice cream on top, so I'll be experimenting on that PDQ. 

Dairy Free Rich Chocolate Mousse (a creation from JBug’s Kitchen)

1 – 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (do not use lite)

10 ounces high quality extra dark bittersweet chocolate (dairy free)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 large egg (or equivalent egg substitute)

Heat unsweetened coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium low heat until hot but not boiling. Whisk constantly and be careful not to bring it to a boil or it will curdle. Shave or grate chocolate. In a blender combine grated chocolate, vanilla and egg. With motor running, add hot coconut milk and blend until mixture is smooth. Pour into 6 small ramekins or espresso cups. Refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours). Makes 6 servings. 

Gluten, Dairy and Sugar Free Cranberry Almond Crumble (adapted from simplygluten-free.com)

7 medium assorted pears, cored, peeled and thinly sliced

3/4 cup apple cider or unsweetened natural apple juice

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 10 inch gratin dish or casserole with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine sliced pears, cider, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt and cranberries. Move to prepared gratin dish and top with crumble mixture. Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until topping is golden brown and pears are soft. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Crumble:

1-1/2 cups almond meal

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup canola oil

1/3 cup maple syrup, honey or agave syrup

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.

Holiday Desserts

The Big Guy took me out on a date last night so I thought this would be a great time to talk about some holiday dessert ideas. Not to scare the pants off ya, but you do know that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, right?

 

I know we talked about this quite recently, but Pumpkin Pie Creme Brulee is a perfect choice because not only does it taste just like pumpkin pie, but it holds much better in the refrigerator. The big bonus to a busy cook is you can make it a couple of days in advance and brulee the sugar just before serving.

 

 

 

This Pumpkin Charlotte from last year's menu has been getting a lot of hits and for very good reason. Loaded with bourbon soaked lady fingers and a pumpkin mousse made with whipped cream, mascarpone cheese and the requisite pumpkin and spices, it is a light creamy concoction and fitting end to your holiday feast. It's cool to the palate, suitably rich and rather refined, if I may say.

 

 

Cinnamon Caramel Apple Pear Pie is about as good as it gets. It holds the best of the harvest season with 3 kinds of apples including Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Rome Beauty as well as a couple of Bosc pears. Topped with a buttery cinnamon caramel kissed with a touch of cognac, it is without question the most incredibly sublime work of pastry art ever to depart our oven and more than worthy of a spot on your holiday table.

 

Apple Cranberry Raspberry Pie . The raspberries and apples are certainly front and center in this pie and the cranberries create a mysterious flavor that kind of hangs back waiting to tease your palate. You'll have your family clamoring to know what the mystery is but keep 'em in suspense and serve 'em another piece before you spill the beans. Great by itself, it's superlative topped with vanilla ice cream.

 

 

If cake is your preference and cheesecake better yet, then this Cranberry Cheesecake is definitely the ultimate. Starting with a dried cranberry and almond flavored shortbread crust, the light and sturdy base provides a perfect foil for the rich creamy utterly delightful cheesecake with a double layer of cranberry compote - one in the middle and the other on top. Add some candied cranberries and you've a winner for sure.

 

 

A White Chocolate Carosel Cake is not only beautiful, it's delicious too.Kind of a glorified strawberry shortcake, it has a very finely textured pound cake on the bottom topped with strawberries and a rich creamy white chocolate mousse. The fact that it has to be made in advance and refrigerated overnight makes it a hostess' delight never mind it's pretty much failure proof.

 

 

Speaking of wowing your company, these Chocolate Lava Cakes have to be prepped in advance. Full of unsweetened as well as semi sweet chocolate plus cocoa powder along with a touch of espresso which just seems to accentuate the chocolate flavor all that much more, they languish uncooked in your freezer for just the right moment in time. Pop 'em into your oven for exactly 18 minutes and out they come all rich and gooey, with a soft rich chocolate river running all over the plate.

 

Whatever you decide, whether to go with a traditional family favorite or try something new just remember that Thanksgiving is the time to count your blessings rather than your calories. That of course is my opinion and I'm stickin' to it. 

 

New England Style Clam Chowder and a Caramelized Pear Gingerbread Upsidedown Cake

Sorry I'm  late this morning! It's raining here ...finally, a beautiful steady downpour on a very cool autumn Tucson day. It is without question a perfect Monday and to take advantage of it, I just had to go run with the dogs in the back yard and catch raindrops. Needless to say we were all soaked to the skin and cold so it took us a little longer to dry off and warm up than anticipated but boy did we have fun!

Not only that, I had to make a quick run to the Veterinarian for some medication for Finnigan. You see not only did he come to us with a smashing personality and a cute face but he also arrived with coccidia, a parasite that is incurable and rears its ugly head from time to time especially when he gets over excited. We took the boys to the dog park yesterday and he had a blast trying to "make love" to a rather large golden retriever. Talk about huge aspirations - I mean there's only about a 60 pound difference in their weights. To appease his little neutered ego he tried the same trick on the cat later in the afternoon. It wasn't pretty!

Last night's Sunday Soup Supper was my version of a New England Clam Chowder and actually the first recipe I ever posted way back in April 2009. I've certainly made it many times since and haven't changed it a bit which is a miracle around here.We've created quite the selection of chowder's on this site, but this one remains one of our favorites, likely due to the fact that it is loaded with some of our homemade maple smoked bacon and includes clams the Big Guy harvested from Waldport Bay in Oregon.

The recipe may be a little different than the one you make, and likely different from one a tried and true born and bred New Englander would make but isn't that what cookin's all about. Different doesn't make it wrong - just different and this version involves making a buttery golden flour roux to enhance the flavors and thicken the chowder because we prefer it that way.

To top off our comforting Sunday dinner and celebrate a perfect autumn day in Tucson, I whipped up a tasty caramelized pear gingerbread upside down cake. Created from perfectly ripe but firm Bosc pears, peeled, sliced and placed atop a buttery sugary caramel in my favorite cast iron pan and topped with an old fashioned spicy sour milk gingerbread it smelled glorious as it was baking and tasted even better with a touch of Bourbon flavored whipped cream.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret - because we're into extra flavor around here, I added cinnamon, cloves and allspice to the gingerbread and dusted the top of the pears with some coarse ground black pepper as well. Pepper goes very well with gingerbread and the added flavor is very subtle but incredibly delicious.

By the way, if you're in need of a little edumacatin' on the different types of pears and what's best for baking, head on over to Epicurious' Visual Guide to Pears.

Clam Chowder – New England Style (a JBug’s Kitchen original inspired by the New Basics Cookbook)

2 cups steamed, prepared clam meat coarsely chopped *

1/2 lb. bacon, cut into small dice

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups chopped onion (1/4” dice)

3/4 cup flour

4 cups red potatoes, peeled & cut into ½” dice

2 Tablespoons old bay seasoning

1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

2 bottles clam juice, or reserved juice from cooked clams

2 cups whole milk (or more depending on how thick you like your chowder)

2 cups heavy cream (didn’t say it was diet chowder)

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

 (20 cockles, or 2-1/2 dozen cherry stone clams, scrubbed & steamed in 2 cups of water. Reserve juice & strain. Discard any clams that do not open. Clean & chop meat.)  Cook bacon over low heat, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned. Remove from pan.Add butter to fat remaining in pan. Add flour. Cook & stir until roux becomes a light yellow color – approximately 10 minutes. Add chopped onion. Cook until onion is transparent (approx. 10 minutes). Add seasonings & cook for 2 minutes before adding potatoes and clam juice. Cook stirring often until potatoes are al dente’ (approx. 12-15 minutes). Mixture will be very thick!  Add milk and cream. Cook until potatoes are completely cooked through & soup is smooth & thick. Do not let boil.  Add clams & heat for 5 more minutes.  Check for seasonings.Garnish with parsley, & serve with oyster crackers.  Makes 10 to 12 portions. Download Clam Chowder - New England Style

Caramelized Pear Gingerbread Upside Down Cake  (inspired by Purity Cookbook)

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 firm but ripe pears, peeled cored and sliced

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 cup shortening

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup sour milk or buttermilk

Using a 9 inch cast iron pan, melt butter over low heat. Add sugar and cook, stirring occasionally until sugar melts and turns golden in color – 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Carefully place pear slices on top of caramelized sugar/butter mixture. Sprinkle with coarse ground black pepper and set aside. Preheat oven to 325.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices until well combined. Using a medium bowl and electric mixer, cream shortening and brown sugar until light. Add egg and molasses, mixing until well combined and light in texture. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix only until combined. Pour on top of pears in prepared pan and spread to level. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and rest for a few minutes, then carefully flip upside down onto a plate. Remove cast iron pan. Serve gingerbread with sweetened whipped cream. Download Caramelized Pear Gingerbread Upside Down Cake

A year ago -  Lemon Chicken Wings

Salm 'n' Clam Chowder and Shaker Lemon Pie

We work on real time here so what you see is what we actually had for dinner last night. That leaves little if any room for error so when I scope out a recipe to make, I have to trust my instincts and experience that it will be a good one. Unfortunately, every once in a while the old instinct fails, at least that's what my opinion is of last night's chowder. The other member of our little family thought it was quite good, but I found it rather fishy if you know what I mean.

It's got good bones though - no pun intended. Bacon, chopped onions, celery and garlic make up some of the flavor base along with sweet potatoes which I thought would go very well with the clams and salmon in a broth made creamy with the addition of creamed corn along with the usual half and half. Sounds alright doesn't it?

If you enjoy a strong fishy flavor in your chowder, then this would be the one for you but personally I think there's several other great chowders on this blog that you may want to give a go before you make this one.

Fortunately dessert made up for any foibles of the main course. First introduced to this exceptional pie by Tom at Tall Clover Farm, we've made it several times in the past because our Meyer Lemon has been prolific to say the least. I had put aside some of the pie base in the freezer (lemon slices macerated in sugar) and this is the last of it. Boo hoo, because last winter's exceptional cold snap really took our citrus crop out of the picture for this year and we'll be lucky if we get a dozen total out of our 4 trees (lemon, grapefruit, tangerine and lime).

As you can see, this version of lemon pie is a double crusted wonder filled with the tart marmalade like flavor of whole meyer lemons with just enough sugar to take the edge off. It has serious lemon flavor so if you're a fan, then this is the one for you. It is without question, one of our favorites. 

Salm ‘n’ Clam Chowder (Adapted from Food Network Canada)

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 slices bacon, finely chopped

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups peeled, cubed sweet potato

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1 – 14 ounce can creamed corn

1-1/2 cups chopped uncooked clams plus juice or 2 cans baby clams, undrained

8 ounces boneless skinless salmon fillet, cut into chunks (I used Coho)

1-1/2 cups half and half

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add oil and bacon. When bacon starts to crisp, add onions, celery and garlic. Cook until vegetables are softened – about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and thyme and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and Old Bay seasoning, bring to a simmer and cover pot. Cook for 10 minutes or until potato is cooked. Stir in creamed corn. Whisk together half and half with flour until smooth. Add to soup along with salmon and clams. Cook, stirring often until fish is done and soup thickens – about 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Makes 8 servings. Download Salm 'n' Clam Chowder

Shaker Lemon Pie (Adapted from Saveur)

Note – start the preparation of this pie 24 hours in advance because the lemons have to macerate in sugar for at least that long.

Pastry:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 ounces cold butter cut into pieces

4 ounces cold vegetable shortening cut into pieces

6 tablespoons ice cold water or more as needed

Place flour, sugar and salt into a medium sized bowl and whisk together to combine. Using a pastry blender cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Using a fork, mix in water a tablespoon at a time, tossing liquid into flour mixture just until mixture holds together. Remove dough to a board and knead slightly just until it holds together. Divide in two and flatten to discs. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.

Filling:

2 large lemons (I used Meyer lemons)

1-1/2 cups sugar (if using another type of lemon increase sugar to 2 cups)

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream & Sugar for garnish

Wash lemons well using soap, rinse and dry. Grate lemon zest into a bowl, and then slice whole lemons very thin. Remove seeds and discard. Add lemon slices and any accumulated juice to sugar and salt in a medium sized bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours.

To make pie preheat oven to 425. Roll one disc of pastry out and place in bottom of 9 inch pie pan. Place in freezer to chill briefly while you make the pie filling. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter and flour. Add eggs and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth. Stir in macerated lemon/sugar mixture. Fill pie. Roll second disc of pastry out and top filled pie. Fold edges under and crimp. Decorate top as desired, then brush with heavy cream and dust with sugar. Bake pie for 25 minutes or until golden brown, then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 30 minutes. Cool and serve at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers. Download Shaker Lemon Pie

A year ago - Bacon and Tomato Risotto

A Perfect Menu for Entertaining

We love to entertain although I admit we're a tad out of practice because we just don't do it often enough. If you find yourself in the same boat, the wisest thing you can do is to "go with what you know". That's what we did last night. Dinner included:

• Sundried Tomato and Spinach Parmieres (served with pre-dinner drinks)

• Asian Glazed Sockeye Salmon

• Soba Noodle Salad with Fresh Vegetables

• Vegetarian Pot Stickers with Sweet Chile Sauce

• Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

Our menu was made up of some tried and true favorites, but as usual, we neglected to take pictures of everything so I'll tell you about what I can show you, but I'll have to tell you about the parmieres some other time. Too bad, because they're really easy to make and rather impressive too. Sorry about that!

As for the main course, we've had the Asian glaze before on steelhead, but this time I used sockeye salmon. I prepped the glaze in advance so I wouldn't have to worry about it after our guest arrived which made cooking the main course a breeze. I can say that because the Big Guy grilled the salmon which took a grand total of about 6 minutes from start to finish - just enough time for me to cook up some purchased pot stickers and put the finishing touches on our soba noodle salad.

The salad's a breeze to throw together with julienned red pepper, grated carrot and sliced green onions along with lovely Japanese buckwheat noodles (soba) in a sweet spicy Asian vinaigrette. Although the whole thing can be put together in advance, yesterday afternoon I prepped the ingredients separately and had 'em all ready to toss together at the last minute so the vegetables would maintain their color. The salad is an interesting and fresh tasting accompaniment to any grilled entree, but particularly delicious with salmon.

It's hard to come up with an Asian style dessert so I went a different route and picked an autumny one instead. Dorie Greenspan's version of an Apple Cake is absolutely without question the best cake you'll ever make. It's rummy flavor really showcases the apple in all its glory. This time I used 3 different kinds of apples (Granny Smith, Red Rome, Gala) and served the cake with a homemade caramel sauce at the Big Guy's request. He can take some bows for his ingenuity because it tasted just like a caramel apple only much, much better.

Asian Glazed Salmon with Soba Noodle Salad

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 Tablespoons peeled and minced ginger

1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic

Dried red pepper flakes

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

 

1-1/2 pounds sockeye salmon, (skin on) cut into serving pieces

Place sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and lime juice in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 9 minutes, or until sauce forms a glaze. Watch closely to prevent burning.

Clean salmon well under running water and pat dry. Leave skin on but check fish for pin bones and remove as needed. Dry fillet well. Baste with some of the glaze and let sit for 15 minutes.  Grill for 6 minutes or until cooked through. Baste once more with glaze before serving.

Soba Noodle Salad:

 4 ounces soba noodles cooked per package directions and well drained

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 small zucchini, cut into julienne strips

2 green onions, sliced

Combine ingredients below in a screw top jar and shake until well mixed.

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1-1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (sambel olek) optional

Toss soba and vegetables together with dressing and serve.  Serves 4 Download Asian Glazed Salmon with Soba Noodle Salad

 

Apple Cake (adapted from Dorie Greenspan) 

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 Granny Smith apples

1 Red Rome apple

1 Gala apple

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8 inch spring form pan with cooking spray and line sides and  bottom with parchment. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Peel and core apples and cut into one inch chunk. Set aside.

In medium sized bowl whisk eggs until light and frothy. Add sugar and whisk for 1 minute until well combined. Add rum and vanilla and mix well to combine. Stir in half the dry ingredients then add half the melted butter. Mix until combined, then finish with remaining flour and butter. Fold in apple pieces until they’re well coated with batter and turn into prepared pan. Level top with spatula. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown on top and knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Turn onto serving plate when cool enough to handle and remove parchment. Serve with caramel sauce. (Store cake at room temperature, lightly covered).

Caramel Sauce:

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons water

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Place sugar in a medium sized saucepan with a wide heavy bottom. Add water but do not mix together. Place pot on medium high heat and cook without moving or stirring until sugar is amber colored. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn and it is important not to move the pot. When sugar is caramelized and amber, carefully stir in butter (it will foam up, so be careful). Stir until butter is melted, then remove pot from heat. Carefully stir in heavy cream. When mixture stops foaming, add vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Download Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

 

Pumpkin Pie Creme Brule

Just because we didn't celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with turkey and all the trimmings this year didn't mean we couldn't have a pie for dessert. Believe you me, this creme brule is every bit as good as a tradititional pumpkin pie, maybe even better!

I happen to love pumpkin pie but I don't necessarily like how soggy the crust gets the day after the night before. While the pie's flavor improves with refrigeration, often the crust doesn't follow suit. This particular creme brule has all the flavor of pumpkin pie along with a rich creamy decadent texture of the best creme brule you'll ever make. It even has a crust but it is far from a soggy one. Yup, you heard right - a crust.

I used a Guy Fieri recipe from Food Network and if you hit the link it'll take you there; however, I took the liberty of changing it up a bit and cut the whole thing in half. It still resulted in 6 four ounce dessert sized ramekins of pure pumpkin delightfulness. 

Guy suggested using Ritz crackers, pecans, butter and brown sugar for the crust but instead I made use of vanilla wafers along with walnuts rather than pecans just because I had them on hand, and butter to hold it together. I left out the sugar because the wafers are plenty sweet enough. Packed into the bottom of ramekins, I shoved them in the freezer while I prepped the filling and that way eliminated any "floaters" in the creme brule because the crust is hard when the filling is poured on top.

As for the filling, I split the liquid equally between heavy cream and half and half, used brandy extract rather than vanilla but basically kept the rest the same as Guy's. After the pumpkin was whisked into the liquid, I pressed the whole thing through a sieve to remove the fibrous bits of pumpkin which made for a tremendously creamy end product. We used plain old white sugar to brule the top and the Big Guy manned our industrial strength blow torch for a perfect crispy crunchy coating on top.

Creme brule is definitely toward the top of our list of favorite desserts and while the sky's darn near the limit as far as flavoring goes, I am confident saying this is absolutely one of the best. I'll be putting it on our holiday dinner menu and you might want to do the same.

Pumpkin Pie Crème Brule (adapted from Guy Fieri, Food Network)

Place 6 four ounce ramekins into a deep roasting pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 300. Place kettle of water on stove and bring to a boil.

Crust:

12 vanilla wafer cookies

1/4 cup walnuts

2-1/2 Tablespoons melted butter

Place wafer cookies and walnuts into food processor and pulse until crumbs form. Add melted butter and pulse briefly until butter is incorporated into crumbs. Place 2 tablespoons of crumb mixture into bottom of ramekins and pat down firmly. Place ramekins in freezer to harden crust.

Filling:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Dash salt

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon brandy extract

1 cup half and half

1 cup pumpkin puree (drained of any liquid)

2 to 3 tablespoons white sugar

In a small saucepan, heat cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt to boiling, whisking to blend. Remove from heat and allow to infuse for 15 minutes. Meanwhile beat together egg yolks, sugar and brandy extract. Slowly pour heavy cream/spice mixture into egg/sugar mixture. Whisk in half and half and pumpkin puree. Pour mixture through a fine mess sieve and use a spoon to press pumpkin through sieve. Discard any fibrous bits that remain and scrape pumpkin mixture off underside of sieve into liquid. Whisk together to combine well. Pour over hardened crust into ramekins. Place ramekins in preheated oven and carefully pour boiling water around ramekins so it comes half way up sides. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until custard is almost set. It should be still slightly “jiggly” when removed from the oven. Remove ramekins from hot water bath and set on wire racks to cool. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving (or overnight). Just before serving sprinkle tops of Brule with sugar and using a torch, heat until sugar is melted and a caramel color. Serves 6. Download Pumpkin Pie Creme Brule

A year ago - Cider Brined Pork Chops on Leeks

Pumpkin Cake with Rummy Cream Cheese Frosting

Well here we are at the crack before dawn and I can honestly say I cooked not one thing yesterday. That's 2 days off from the kitchen. What do I think this is - a vacation?

The Big Guy's off in Phoenix at a convention so I took the opportunity to take it easy. It's not that I've entirely forsaken all of you - I'm still working on that index I promised everyone although goodness knows it would have been a lot easier had I started it 900 odd posts ago. Anyway to reward myself for all my hard labor I was able to enjoy a piece of this fabulous pumpkin cake I've hiding in the freezer. After all it is the time of year we celebrate the great pumpkin and buy up every tin of the stuff we can get our hands on.

As you can see, I wasn't sure whether to call it a cake with cream cheese frosting or a rummy frosting with a touch of pumpkin cake. For certain this dense, extremely moist cake could have definitely stood on its own without the excesses on top, in fact it would have been better, but this after all is a sweet treat for the week. Right?

From Pioneer Woman, I took the liberty of changing her recipe up a tad by reducing the amount of booze soaking the raisins (they were very fresh and really didn't need it anyway) and I upped the spice quotient by adding more cinnamon and nutmeg in addition to ginger and a touch of cloves. It's a wonderful cake and freezes beautifully, frosting and all. Hit this link to check out Ree's recipe right from the source and give either version a try if you've a minute.

Pumpkin Cake with Rummy Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:  (adapted from Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond)

1 cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons dark rum

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons dried ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1-1/4 cups plain unflavored yogurt

1 cup pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Combine raisins with rum in a small bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves until well combined. Set aside.

Using electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer running, add eggs one at a time, followed by yogurt and pumpkin puree. Add flour mixture in thirds, mixing until just combined. Do not over mix. Fold in raisins. Pour into prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Cool of a wire rack.

Rummy Cream Cheese Frosting: (from JBug’s Kitchen)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 – 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound powdered sugar (or more as needed)

Ground Cinnamon as garnish

Using electric mixer beat together butter and cream cheese until light. Beat in rum and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until light, fluffy and of spreading consistency. May need to add more sugar to achieve desired consistency. Spread on top of cooled cake and sprinkle with ground cinnamon if desired.  Makes 12 servings (freezes very well). Download Pumpkin Cake with Rummy Cream Cheese Frosting

Oh, here's a few other ways to use up your pumpkin stash so you can hit the stores for more.

 Pumpkin Charlotte                               Pumpkin Bread Pudding 

 

 Pumpkin Pie Cake                    A year ago - Brats with Apples, Onion et al

 

Ina's Plum Cake Tatin

I saw Ina bake this on television a couple of weeks ago and just knew it was going to be in our future and obviously it didn't take long to become part of our past either. We all know that Ina's dishes are inevitably fabulous and this cake from her book, Barefoot in Paris is absolutely sublime.

This incredible tatin is a take on apple tart tatin only made with plums and without the usual pastry but a light and moist cake instead. With blue plums holding court on the bottom of a pie dish, a simple caramel  poured over top, when baked becomes the top of the dessert in the usual upside down cake manner. After the cake cools a tad and is flipped over, the caramel saturates the cake and hardens too which presents you with a cake soaked in tart plum juices and sweet caramel with delicious crunchy edges. It is very simple to make and absolutely stellar.

It would be wonderful made with any stone fruit including apricots, nectarines or peaches and even apples or pears too, although you'd need to give the apples and pears a quick saute to partially cook them before placing them in the bottom of the pan. Oh by the way, when you've started your sugar and water caramelizing, don't stir it or move the pot and give it time to percolate. You'll have absolutely no problem with crystallization and you won't have to bother with washing the sides of the pot down as its cooking because you haven't disturbed the granules of sugar. So there!

Enjoy people. This is one dessert really worth making again and again!

Ina’s Plum Cake Tatin (adapted from Barefoot in Paris)

Caramel:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup water

Cake:

8 blue plums, cut in half and pits removed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

1/3 cup sour cream

Rind of half a lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place a medium saucepan on stove burner and put sugar and water into pot. Cook over medium high heat without stirring or moving pot until caramel reaches an amber color. Meanwhile grease a 9 inch glass pie pan liberally with butter and place on a sheet pan to catch any drips. Place plums, cut side down into pie pan crowding them in so they’ll fit. When caramel is an amber color, immediately pour over plums in dish. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Using an electric mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time followed by sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with a spatula to make sure ingredients are evenly mixed. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and add to butter mixture, mixing briefly just until flour is barely incorporated into butter mixture. Do not over mix. Remove bowl from mixer and finish mixing batter together using a spatula. Pour over plums and spread evenly. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until cake is done. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack then invert carefully onto a plate. Serve warm or cold.

A year ago - Sole Almondine

Pina Colada Cupcakes

I swear by the time dessert time rolled around last night I was plum happy to bury my face in this little coconut pineapple rum ball and I enjoyed every alcoholic crumb full of it too. In fact eating more than one at a sitting might nix driving or operating any kind of machinery because for certain you'll blow more than a point 08. Geez, may I shoulda' had 2 and it would have got me out of operating the dishwasher. LOL

For someone who cooks as much as I do and who's spent the better part of her life in the kitchen, failures still occur from time to time and they're not taken lightly. I mean, you'd think someone that's been cooking in some form or another since she could reach the kitchen counter with the help of a chair would know a thing or two about what's going to be good and what isn't. I love trying new recipes and since yesterday was our anniversary, I planned something that I thought we'd enjoy and was original to both of us. Of course I had every intention of posting it and can give you a preview of the plate, but you'll not be finding the recipe on this site anytime soon.

Described as one of the national dishes of Germany, Sauerbraten is a roast marinated in a mixture of wine, vinegar, onions, herbs and spices for 3 whole days, before it hits a braising pot. After braising in the same mixture for many hours, the tender rump roast is removed and ginger snaps, and more sugar added to the marinade as it is made into a thick rich gravy. Sounds kinda' good right? Ya, that's what I thought too but alas I hated the taste.

The Big Guy, however, will eat anything but peas so he gamely had 2 helpings and made the rest of it into 2 crammed full containers for his lunch the next couple of days. What can I say, but this is the lovely man I married who also enjoys a big bowl of menudo every Saturday morning for breakfast as well as beef cheeks, heart, tongue and liver of any kind. Baaaahhh.

Now, if you're still with me, I mentioned way back at the start of this post the saving grace of our celebratory dinner was this wonderfully easy to prepare and incredibly tasty take on Pina Colada cake; however, instead of making one large cake, I constructed 12 individual taste bombs instead. 

The cake is a mere mix that uses light rum instead of water as the liquid. Baked in jumbo muffin pans or in my case individual 8 ounce aluminum foil cups, when the cakes have cooled they remain in the pans and are soaked in a mixture of rum and Coco Lopez cream of coconut. Refrigerated for several hours or even overnight, they're removed from their pans, rolled in toasted coconut then each topped with a spoonful of crushed pineapple and crowned with whipped cream garnished with a touch more toasted coconut.

They're mind blowing incredibly delicious rummy yummies for your tummy and certainly saved my bacon. Oh, speaking of saving bacon, a person who shall remain nameless forgot about said 11th anniversary but redeemed himself big time last night. He came home with not one, but two lovely little boxes of truffles, that's a whole dozen of 'em people, along with a gushy card and 2 tickets for an upcoming KD Lang concert at the University. Sweet eh?

Pina Colada Cupcakes (adapted from Gulfshore Delights, The Junior League of Ft. Myers)

1 package yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines ..is there any other kind?)

2/3 cup light rum

3 large eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 – 15 ounce can Coco Lopez (cream of coconut)

1/3 cup light rum

 1 – 8 ounce can crushed pineapple well drained

Whipped Topping or Whipped Cream

1 cup coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 12 jumbo muffin cups with cooking spray and set aside. Using an electric mixer, combine cake mix, rum, eggs and softened butter. Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes. Distribute evenly between muffin cups and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (The cakes may fall but don’t worry – they’ll be fine). Leave cakes in pan and cool on wire rack. Meanwhile combine cream of coconut and rum together. Poke a few small holes into each cake with a skewer, then pour rum/cream of coconut mixture slowly on top of each cake, distributing evenly between the 12 cupcakes. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Before serving, carefully remove chilled cakes from muffin tins and roll sides of cupcakes into toasted coconut. Top each cake with a spoonful of crushed pineapple, followed by a mound of whipped cream. Garnish with more toasted coconut. Makes 12 servings.

Note – may be made in a 9 x 13 inch pan (bake for 35 minutes). When cake has cooled slightly poke holes in top with a skewer, then pour cream of coconut rum mixture over top of warm cake, then cover and refrigerate. Top cake with crushed pineapple, followed by whipped topping and garnish with toasted coconut.   Keeps well in refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. Download Pina Colada Cupcakes

Cinnamon Caramel Apple Pear Pie

There are pies and then there are capital "P" pies. Suffice to say, this beauty belongs to the capital variety.

I'm not sure if you remember, but some time ago I made an apple pie and swore I'd never use another recipe as long as I lived.I followed the recipe of that previous pie and upped it a notch or 10.

Old fashioned in the extreme, this version's loaded with 3 kinds of apples including Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Rome Beauty as well as a couple of Bosc pears. Topped with a buttery cinnamon caramel kissed with some of that fabulous Meukow Cognac we discovered while we were on vacation, it is without question, the most incredibly sublime work of pastry art ever to depart our oven. Using a variety of apples means some remain crisp while others cook to a creamy consistency; the sugary crust is crisp and delicious and the cinnamon caramel well let's just say it's really good...GOOD being the understatement of the century.

Oh in case you're wondering, this wasn't what we had for dinner last night but it is for certain our sweet treat for the week.  Last night we were guests of some members of the Mountain Oyster Club here in Tucson for a soiree of epic proportions so JBug's Kitchen was dark last night.

Cinnamon Caramel Apple Pear Pie (Adapted from allrecipes.com)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Dash salt

1 tablespoon Meukow Cognac

Melt butter in a small pot over medium low heat. Add flour and cook, stirring to form a paste. Quickly mix cinnamon together with sugars and add to pot along with water and salt. Bring to a boil whisking constantly, then lower heat and simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cognac.  

 Your favorite recipe for a double crust pie

 3 Granny Smith apples

2 Golden Delicious apples

1 Rome Beauty Apple

2 Bosc Pears

Preheat oven to 425. Peel, core and thinly slice apples and pears. Line pie pan with bottom crust and top with apples and pears, mounding them up in the center. Top with lattice crust and crimp edges. Gently pour sugar/butter mixture over the crust, pouring very slowly so it doesn’t run off. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and bake for 55 minutes or until apples are tender. Cool to room temperature before cutting.

A year ago - Blackberry Pie Bars

Black Plum Cobbler - A New Invention

Stone fruit season is upon us and I couldn't resist buying some plums last week. Of course, I had every intention of putting them "au naturel" into the Big Guy's lunch box but somehow the thought of a warm from the oven cobbler seemed far more attractive.

Without a recipe in sight, I simply whipped up a shortbread crumble and sprinkled some into the bottom of a couple of 10 ounce ramekins. Topped off with a sliced plum and a half each, the little beauties were dressed with a mixture of egg, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla before a dusting with the rest of the crumbs. A half hour later, a the golden ramekins emerged from the oven oozing fruity goodness to a symphony of rattling spoons and groans of ectasy. Dee-ricious. So good in fact, they needed not one speck of icecream or whipped cream of any kind, and you all know how I love me some cream!

Black Plum Cobbler (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

Dash of salt

6 Tablespoons cold butter

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a small bowl. With a pastry blender, cut butter into dry ingredients until small crumbs. Set aside.

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon half and half

2 teaspoons vanilla

Dash of salt

3 black plums, stoned and sliced into wedges

In a small bowl whisk together sugar, eggs, sour cream, half and half, vanilla and salt until well combined. Spray 2 – 10 ounce ramekins with cooking spray and place on a sheet pan to catch any drips. Sprinkle one quarter of the dry ingredients into the bottom of each ramekin and top with black plum wedges. Pour sugar/egg/cream mixture over top of plums, splitting the liquid between the two ramekins. Top with remainder of the crumbs. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden, filling is set and bubbling. Serve warm.  Serves 2 Download Black Plum Cobbler

By the way, if you're wondering what we had for dinner last night, the Big Guy grilled some baby back ribs on the barbecue and I whipped up a potato salad. See it and weep! Sorry there will be no recipes. The Big Guy doesn't share his secrets and as for the potato salad, I didn't write one single solitary thing down.

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie

Step aside for the accolades because this is the kind of thing that makes your significant other and your dinner guests think you walk on water. Never mind because they'll think you really fussed too. Well, I'm going to let you in on a big secret, so hunker down with your morning coffee and give a listen.

I first told you all about this Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie way back in May of 2009 and at that time I followed the recipe religiously. A pecan crust topped with a layer of vanilla ice cream followed by tart and creamy scratch made lemon curd; topped with another layer of ice cream and some gorgeous fluffy meringue - the whole thing holds beautifully in the freezer until it hits a hot oven for its golden cap. It's impressive, incredibly delicious and palate cooling too - a perfect summer dessert.

It seemed like just the ticket for dessert on Saturday night when we had Stan and Donna over for dinner; however, our favorite local market wanted the ghastly sum of $12.99 a pound for pecans which would have made the darn pie about the most expensive thing since a krugerrand. I'm nothing if not resourceful.

Here's the re-write on the recipe and if you're in shock and awe that I'd admit to such shortcuts then you don't know me very well! Right from the get go I promised I'd be totally honest with all of you and heck, I even bragged to our guests that I'd spent a grand total of 15 minutes whipping it up, excluding freezer time!

You'd best put this one on your Labor Day Weekend menu because believe me, your popularity is going to soar. I mean really - try to imagine being loved for more than your pretty face and sparkling personality!

Tastes Like You Fussed Frozen Lemon Meringue Pie (inspired by Bon Appetit, April 2007)

1 prepared shortbread or graham cracker pie crust (I used Keebler)

1.5 quarts good quality vanilla ice cream (I used Breyers)

1 – 10.5 ounce jar prepared Lemon Curd (I used Trader Joe’s)

4 egg whites, room temperature

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 tablespoons white sugar

Soften ice cream slightly to make it easy to spread. Place half the container in the bottom of the pie crust and spread evenly. Top with entire jar of lemon curd, spreading to the edges of the crust. Return ice cream to freezer. Freeze pie for 1 hour. Remove pie from freezer and top with the rest of the carton of ice cream, piling it up to a dome in the center. Return pie to the freezer for a minimum 2 hours.

Using electric mixer and very clean bowl and beaters, beat egg whites until frothy. Beat in cream of tartar, then with mixer running, slowly add sugar about a half tablespoon at a time. Beat until meringue is very stiff. Pile onto frozen ice cream pie, making sure to spread to the crust and seal the edges. May be returned to the freezer at this point and frozen. Just before serving, using a kitchen torch, toast meringue until golden brown, or place pie in a preheated 500 F oven until meringue is golden brown. Cut pie into wedges and serve immediately. Return any remaining pie to the freezer. May be made a day or two in advance  Download Taste Like You Fussed Frozen Lemon Meringue Pie

A year ago - Mango Chutney

Legal Sea Foods' Spicy Crabcakes and a Peach Pie

Five years ago the Big Guy made a trip to Boston and as per his habit, brought back the Legal Sea Foods Cookbook to add to our collection. Last night's dinner of spicy crab cakes on a crunchy salad's adapted from the book and it made for a perfect hot summer night celebration. It was even more perfect after a piece of warm from the oven peach pie.

The great thing about making crab cakes for dinner is they really do need some time to mellow in the refrigerator before hitting the fry pan or oven. It means you can get your dinner darn near totally prepped in advance and sit back and relax with an iced tea until it's time to eat.

These particular crab cakes are the Balitmore version and include worcestershire sauce and Old Bay seasoning along with mayo, mustard, and hot pepper sauce. While the recipe calls for crushed saltines, I used panko instead along with an egg to bind them all together and fried them rather than putting them in the oven. Along with tartar sauce, they made for a quick tasty and light dinner which was great because we needed to keep room for the pie.

An old fashioned peach pie, this one's nothing unusual with brown sugar, cornstarch for thickening, lemon juice for a touch of the tart, along with little cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla just because. I was going to add some raspberries just because I love a peach and raspberry pie but we'll save that for later because I'm pretty darn positive that once we get through this pie, we'll be wanting another one.

Course we also WANT to be skinny which means no pie, and heck while we're at it we WANT to win the lottery too. We all know there's a snowball's chance in hell of either thing happening. After all, this is JBug's Kitchen so I gotta' cook and as for the lottery, you have to buy the darn tickets first. Oh well!

Spicy Crab Cakes (adapted from Legal Sea Foods Cookbook by Roger Berkowitz and Jane Doerfer)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Few drops hot pepper sauce

Dash Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 large egg beaten

1/2 cup finely crushed saltines (or panko)

1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, dry mustard, Dijon, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire, Old Bay and egg and beat well. Add crumbs and mix to combine. Fold in crab. Form crab 6 large cakes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for minimum 1 hour. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 or fry in a nonstick pan with 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Serve immediately. Serves 4. Download Spicy Crab Cakes

Old Fashioned Peach Pie (adapted from Purity Cookbook)

7 large peaches, skin removed

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pastry for a double crust pie

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Granulated sugar

 

Preheat oven to 400. Cut peaches into wedges and place into a large bowl. Add lemon juice and vanilla and toss to coat. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over peaches and toss to combine. Line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry. Add prepared peaches, top with butter and finish with top crust. Seal edges well and flute. Brush crust with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.  Place on a rack over a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and bake for addition 45 minutes or until juices run clear. Cool before slicing. Download Old Fashioned Peach Pie

A year ago - Asian Pork Salad