Hush Puppies
Great served with fried fish!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Cornmeal
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Sugar
¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Beaten Egg
½ Cup Sour Milk or Buttermilk
¼ Cup Sliced Green Onion
Cooking Oil For Deep Fat Frying
In a medium bowl stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside. In a separate medium bowl combine the egg, sour milk or butter milk and green onion. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened and make sure not to over-mix. The batter should be lumpy. Drop the batter by tablespoons into the deep hot oil. The oil should be at least 375° F. Fry for 3 minutes until golden brown and turn once. Drain on paper towels and serve warm. Makes 15 Hush Puppies
Mini Blueberry Breads
INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Beaten Eggs
¾ Cup Butter Milk or Sour Milk
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Blueberries
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease 6 mini bread pans and set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside. In another bowl combine the eggs, milk and olive oil. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. The batter should be lumpy. Add the blueberries until combined. Fill each mini bread pan two thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and serve warm. Makes 6 mini breads
Chunky Guacamole
Don’t buy that horrible premade guacamole that you find expiring in the grocer’s refrigerated section. It’s easy to make your own and so much better. The secret to what makes my Chunky Guacamole so good is the lime juice. Lemons and limes are kitchen essentials.
INGREDIENTS
2 Medium Chopped Roma Tomatoes
1/4 Finely Chopped Red Onion
3 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Seeded & Chopped Jalapeno Chile
1 Tablespoon Sour Cream
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Clove Minced Garlic
2 Ripe Mashed Avocados
Tortilla Chips
In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, jalapeno and sour cream. Gently stir in the mashed avocados. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 2 cups
Rainbow Cookies
These cookies are also called Venetians because the colors remind people of Venetian glass. Some call them Neopolitans. I love these Italian cookies! They are full of almond flavor and surprisingly easy to make.
INGREDIENTS
One 8 Ounce Can Almond Paste
¾ Pound Unsalted Butter That Has Been Cut Into Small Pieces
1 Cup Sugar
4 Large Eggs Separated
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
6 Drops Red Food Coloring
6 Drops Green Food Coloring
1 Cup Seedless Raspberry Jam
8 ounces Semisweet Chopped Chocolate
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line three 13x9x2 inch baking pans with parchment paper. Crumble the almond paste into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, ½ cup of sugar, the egg yolks and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour just until blended. In another large mixing bowl (with clean beaters), beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually beat in the remaining ½ cup sugar and beat on high until the egg whites foam soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. With a rubber spatula, fold one third of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Gradually fold in the remaining whites. Scoop out on third of the batter and spread it evenly in one of the pans. It will be about ¼ inch thick. Bake for 10 minutes until the cake is just set and very lightly colored around the edges.
Next, scoop half of the remaining batter into another bowl. Fold the red food coloring into one bowl of batter and the green into the other. Spread the batter in the two remaining pans and bake as for the first layer. Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 5 minutes.
Transfer the cake layers to cooling racks, leaving the parchment paper attached. Let cool completely. Using the parchment paper to lift it, place the green layer paper side up on a tray. Carefully peel off the paper. Spread the cake with half of the jam. Place the white layer paper side up on top of the first. Peel off the paper and spread the cake with the remaining jam. Place the red layer paper side up on top. Peel off the paper. Wrap the cake in foil or plastic wrap. Place a weight such as a cutting board on top to compact the layers. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a small heatproof bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water and let stand, uncovered, until the chocolate is softened. Stir until smooth and then remove from the heat. Remove the weight and unwrap the cake. Pour the melted chocolate onto the cake and spread it smoothly over the top with a spatula, leaving the side uncovered. Refrigerate 30 minutes until the chocolate is lightly set. Using a ruler as a guide, cut the cake into 1 ½ x 1 inch rectangles. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Makes 6 dozen cookies
Gelato Affogato
Gelato Affogato means “drowned” gelato in Italian. A coffee based dessert that consists of a scoop of vanilla gelato topped with a shot of hot espresso. Some people also include a shot of Amaretto or dark rum.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pints Vanilla Gelato (or Ice Cream)
1 Cup Hot Espresso
3 Tablespoons of Amaretto or Dark Rum
Scoop the gelato or ice cream into six small goblets. Stir together the hot coffee and liqueur. Slowly pour the coffee over the gelato and serve immediately. Serves 6
Bechamel Sauce
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Milk
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
Pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
Salt & Freshly Ground White Pepper To Taste
Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until small bubbles form around the edges. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Add the flour and stir well. Cook stirring for 2 minutes. Very slowly begin adding the hot milk in a thin stream. Whisk constantly. The sauce will look lumpy at first, but it will smooth out as you continue to add the milk. When all of the milk has been added, stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Turn up the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Use immediately, or place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill. The sauce can be made up to 24 hours before using. Makes 4 cups
Victoria’s Chocolate Chip Bars
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Softened Butter
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 ¼ Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
12 Ounces Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Combine the flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the softened butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Next, add the vanilla and chocolate chips. With your hands knead until smooth and place in an ungreased 8 inch glass baking dish. Pat the dough down so that it is even. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut dough into bars while still warm. Let cool another 10 minutes and remove from baking dish to a serving plate. Makes 15
Peach Melba
A classic dessert invented in the late 1800’s by French chef, Auguste Escoffier, at the Savoy Hotel in London. Chef Escoffier invented Peach Melba to honor the Australian soprano, Nellie Melba, who was performing in Wagner’s opera Lohengrin at Covent Garden. Peach Melba combines the two favorite summer fruits peaches and raspberries (raspberry sauce) and is serves with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
Poached Peaches:
3 Cups Water
½ Cup Sugar
Peel of 1 Lemon Removed In Strips
1 Vanilla Bean Split Lengthwise
½ Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Peach Schnapps
4 Just Ripe (Not Overly Ripe) Peaches
Raspberry Sauce:
2 ½ Pints Fresh Raspberries
½ Cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Vanilla Ice Cream
Nuts Or Fresh Mint Leaves For Garnish (Optional)
For poaching the peaches combine the water, sugar, lemon peel and vanilla bean in a saucepan that is just large enough to hold the peaches with the liquid barely covering them. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and add ½ cup of the peach schnapps and the peaches. Cover the pan and cook at a very low simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the peaches are tender when pierced. Remove the peaches from the poaching liquid and place them on a plate to cool. The peaches can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before serving, cut the peaches in half and remove the pit and carefully peel off the skin and throw away the peach skin. Remove the lemon peels and vanilla bean from the poaching liquid. Throw away the peel and vanilla bean. Place the pan over high heat and reduce the liquid to about ¾ cup to concentrate the flavors. Cool to room temperature and then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of peach schnapps. Store the syrup, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week. For the raspberry sauce, rinse the berries and place them in a small saucepan with the sugar. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes until the berries are softened and begin to break apart. Force the berry mixture through a fine mesh sieve and throw away the seeds. Add the lemon juice to the sauce and refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days. To assemble the Peach Melba dessert, place a scoop of ice cream in a bowl or large goblet. Top with 2 poached peach halves or sliced peaches. Spoon some of the poaching syrup over the ice cream. Next drizzle raspberry sauce over the peaches. Garnish with either chopped nuts or mint leaves. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Chipotle Dressing
INGREDIENTS
¼ Cup Olive Oil
¼ Cup Fresh Lime Juice
¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 Large Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
7 Ounces Chipotles In Adobo (7 Ounce Can)
In a blender, pulse the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper until mixed. Drain the canned chipotles, pouring all of the adobo sauce into the blender. Add the chipotles to taste and puree the dressing. One will give the dressing some heat and two or three will produce a medium hot dressing. Four or more will make a hot, hot, hot dressing. Chop any remaining chipotles and serve them on the side if you wish. Serves 6
Old Fashioned Peppermint Ice Cream
In 1810 Peppermint Schnaps was invented by Paris candy maker, Francois Nicolas, to put on ice cream. Apparently, Napolean’s wife, Austrian Marie Louise Duchess of Parma, took the recipe back to Austria where it became popular as an ice cream dessert as well as a drink.
INGREDIENTS
4 Egg Yolks
1 ½ Cups Half & Half
1 Cups Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 cups Whipping Cream
4 ½ Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Good Quality Crushed Peppermint Candy Pieces
In a heavy saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, half & half, sugar and salt. Cook and stir over a low heat until the mixture reaches 160° F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat and place the pan in a bowl of ice water. Stir for 2 minutes. Next, stir in the whipping cream and the vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. If you have time let it refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator and fill the cylinder of the ice cream freezer 2/3 full. Make sure to refrigerate any of the remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Stir in the peppermint candy pieces. Pour into a storage container and place in the freezer 2 to 4 hours before serving. Serves 8
