Cravings + Ravings

Chocolate-covered Strawberry Rice Krispy Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Mon, 06 May 2024 21:14:00 +0000

I like to bake for my students - and I don't want to make anyone sick. So at the beginning of each semester, I ask about food allergies. This spring, I had TWO students with celiac disease AND one severe nut allergy. In my quest for a gluten-free treat that would be Valentine's Day festive, I came up with the idea of chocolate-covered strawberry Rice Krispie treats.

First problem: REAL Rice Krispies, the ones from Kellogg's are NOT gluten-free! They contain a barley syrup, which is why they taste different from the copycats. Thankfully, most of those copycats are indeed GF, including the giant bags you can get for pennies on the dollar.

Second problem: Every recipe I looked at uses cake mix to flavor the marshmallow base for the treats. Makes sense and I've done it myself to make a birthday-cake flavored version. But that wouldn't work for my GF students.

Then it hit me: freeze-dried strawberries! I'd added ground, freeze-dried blueberries to a cheesecake crust a few years before, so why not use strawberries in this? It was the perfect answer. The berries added a nice pop of color without any dyes, and the dried fruit gave a bright, authentic flavor that wasn't too sweet since I added no extra sugar.

I added mini chocolate chips once they cooled a little bit. The "cool enough to add the chocolate but warm enough to spread" balance is tricky. A friend suggested freezing the chocolate chips, and that helped.

I've made these a few times now, and they are a HUGE hit every time, especially once people get over their skepticism about using freeze-dried fruit.

I haven't done it yet, but I think freeze-dried blueberries with some lemon zest could be a good use of this method... or maybe a mix of freeze-dried pineapple and some shredded coconut for a pina colada version. Enjoy!

For a 9 x 13 pan:

6 cups crisped rice cereal
1 standard bag mini or regular marshmallows
1/4 cup butter
Good splash vanilla (we don't measure)
1.2 ounce bag freeze-dried strawberries (easily available at Walmart, Aldi or Trader Joe's)
1 cup mini chocolate chips, frozen
3-4 squares baking chocolate - white, dark or some of each
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows and vanilla. Stir well to coat in the melted butter.

While the marshmallows melt, grind the strawberries into powder in a food processor or chopper. I use the mini-chopper that came with my Kitchen-Aid immersion blender. (I don't think mine is even available anymore, but the link is close!)

As you can see, not everything ground completely to powder - that's fine. It's all going to get melted anyway.

Once the marshmallows, better and vanilla are smooth, add the strawberries to the melted mixture. Don't add it all at once. Leave some out so you can adjust if you want more strawberry flavor. It won't all incorporate smoothly right away. You can see from these photos how it looks at first and then after a few minutes of melting and steeping.

Once your strawberries are fully incorporated, taste and add more if you want to! Then mix in your crisped rice cereal, a cup or two at a time. Once it's completely coated in marshmallows, let cool a few minutes. Add your chocolate chips carefully and, using hands sprayed with cooking spray, quickly pat evenly into a 9 x 13 pan. Line the pan with foil or parchment for easier removal and clean up later, if you want.

Once they've cooled, melt your optional baking chocolate with coconut oil and drizzle over the top. I used both white and dark for the first batch of these, then dark only for later ones because I got lazy. Either way, they work!

French Onion Bacon Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 00:29:00 +0000

I wanted to create a special appetizer for Thanksgiving, something other than spinach dip, stuffed mushrooms or a typical cheese ball. As I was talking to a friend, the idea of a savory cheesecake hit me. I've been curious about the idea since reading about Emeril Lagasse's lobster cheesecake with caviar in his first New Orleans Christmas cookbook, literally 25 years ago. (So it took me some time....)

Then the idea of a French onion cheesecake, loaded with caramelized onions and Gruyere, struck me. And of course, bacon makes everything better! Ritz crackers seemed to be a natural for the crust. To make it vegetarian, omit the bacon and use the sauteed onion base instead of beef.

DO NOT RUSH the onions! This is not a "30-minute meals" kind of thing. Caramelizing onions the right way takes TIME!

This is NOT A cheesecake you eat by the slice, except maybe a small slice with a green salad as lunch. Think of it more as a cheese spread with a crust. Serve it with more crackers, pita chips, toast rounds or whatever floats your boat.

If you're used to baking regular sweet cheesecakes, you know the standard formula is 1 egg and 1/4 cup sugar for every 8-ounce block of cream cheese. In this one, we're obviously leaving the sugar out and reducing the eggs to increase the spreadable creaminess of the cheesecake. IF you want to serve it in slices, add that 3rd egg!

As always, the rules for "no crack cheesecakes" apply:

Put a pan of hot water in the oven before baking anything to create steam.
Add a tablespoon of cornstarch for stability.
Let cream cheese and eggs come to room temperature before mixing.
Regrease the ring of the springform pan after baking the crust.
Let the cheesecake cool in the oven with the heat off and the door cracked at least an hour before exposing it to cooler air.

You can serve the cheesecake at any temp you like. Chilling is fine but not remotely required!

INGREDIENTS:

5-6 slices hickory smoked bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

Crust:

1 1/2 cups finely crushed Ritz or Town House crackers
1/4 cup melted butter

Onions:

3 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup water blended with 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillion Beef Base or Sauteed Onion Base
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Filling Base:

3 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese, softened for at least an hour (It's easiest to unwrap them cold and let them soften in the mixer bowl, covered with plastic wrap!)
2 large eggs, at room temp
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese (a blend of the two is less expensive - both Trader Joe's and Aldi sell it in bags, or you can grate your own. Swiss alone is perfectly fine, but I ALWAYS prefer Gruyere if I can get it!)
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided

Cook the bacon, crumble and set aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions to the butter and cook, covered, to let the onions sweat and soften. Stir occasionally. After 10 minutes, remove the lid and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Let cool. You can do this up to three days in advance.

Add thyme and water with BTB base. Continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. You may not want any additional salt at this point. Remember that the bacon, if used, will add more to the finished dish.

For the crust, combine crumbs and butter; press in the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

Beat cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes and then on high for another 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and then add the eggs, one at a time. Don't overbeat the eggs! Stir in cornstarch.

Add the cooled onions, crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup parsley and shredded cheese to the cream cheese base. Mix gently but thoroughly to combine. Pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parsley.

Bake 50 minutes and start checking. You want it to be still a bit jiggly in the middle. When it gets to that stage, turn the oven off and crack the door. Let the cheesecake cool slowly in the oven for at least an hour before removing it. At that point, you can serve it as is, chill it or let it come to room temp. It's good at every temperature!

When you unmold it from the ring, you may get some loose crumbs from the crust. Just throw them on top of the cheesecake with the rest of the fresh chopped parsley!

Coconut Cake with Raspberry Jam and Chocolate Ganache

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 20:18:00 +0000

I LOVE Dolly Parton! So I couldn't wait to try her coconut cake mix, even though I'm not the biggest fan of coconut cake (or coconut in general - too sweet for me). Rather than lean into that sweetness as recommended, with buttercream frosting and more sweetened coconut, I combined the coconut cake mix with the brightness of seedless raspberry jam and the bittersweetness of a dark chocolate ganache.

My first pass at this was done as cupcakes for a UM tailgate. I made the cupcakes a little shallow, hoping to keep them on the flatter side. That didn't seem to matter - this is a very light cake. So just make them regular size. Then I used an injector to squirt jam into each cupcake and topped each with chocolate ganache and a few shreds of coconut. They were a hit for the folks who got one before a storm's wind gusts FLIPPED the container and tossed them around inside it.

For the cake version, which was SO much less work, I made the cake in two layers and then leveled them off before layering with the jam and topping with chocolate and coconut.

1 box Dolly Parton's Coconut Cake Mix or other coconut cake mix
4 eggs
1 stick melted butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup milk (preferably whole)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Seedless raspberry jam (I think strawberry would also be good)
8 ounces 60%-65% dark chocolate, chopped, chunks or chips (I love Ghiradelli!)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Heat oven to 325. Prepare two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray and flour or a baker's spray that already has flour in it. Alternatively, line 24 cupcake tins with liners.

Combine cake mix, eggs, melted butter, milk and vanilla in a stand mixer bowl or large bowl. Blend on low speed for a minute, then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Continue mixing on medium for 3 minutes.

Pour cake batter into prepared pans or cupcake liners. Bake 28 minutes for cakes and 18 minutes for cupcakes, checking with a toothpick. If the pick comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool on a wire rack.

Melt cream and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts, whisking well after each one until you have a thick, shiny, smooth ganache. Whisk jam with a fork to soften.

FOR CAKE:

Cupcakes with jam filling

Slice the dome off one layer of the cake and invert onto a serving plate. Flip over. Spread jam across the cut side of the cake.

Cut the dome off the second layer and invert onto the jam so you have a flat top for the cake.

Pour ganache over the top of the cake, spreading evenly and allowing it to run randomly down the sides. Top with shredded coconut. Let set up for at least an hour before serving for flavors to meld.

Finished cupcakes, pre-storm

FOR CUPCAKES:

To fill the cupcakes with jam, either use a pastry tip to inject it in the middle of each cupcake OR cut a small triangle out of the middle, fill the divot with jam and press the cake back in place.

Top each cupcake with a spoonful of ganache and a few shreds of coconut. Let sit at least an hour before serving.

Thai Red Curry Ramen

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 19:35:00 +0000

Inspired by a friend’s FB post, I made a thing. This is as close as I can get to the delicious Thai red curry ramen from Go Bistro in Hollywood, FL. Scallions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, green and yellow peppers, shrimp, lite coconut milk and red curry paste. Next time, I’ll use regular coconut milk - had to add a touch of heavy cream at the end, after the noodles had cooked, to get the right color. And yes, I used the flavor packet from the ramen. Chicken was all Publix had, so that’s what I did. Amazing.

Also, this does NOT hold up for reheating. The noodles became mush. So next time, I’ll make the broth and store it, then cook the noodles and add as needed.

2 pkgs dry instant ramen (use chicken or shrimp to match protein if possible)
3 cups water
1 can coconut milk
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 yellow, orange or red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 small can bamboo shoots, drained (slice into matchsticks if desired)
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
4 green onions, sliced - reserve dark green parts for garnish
1 tablespoon Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined if necessary OR 1 pound diced raw chicken breast
Soft-cooked eggs for serving, if desired (6-minute eggs, as per Kenji Alt-Lopez)

Combine water, seasoning packets from ramen, 1/2 can coconut milk, peppers, bamboo shoots, mushrooms white and light green parts of onions and 2 teaspoons curry paste. If using chicken, add now. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Add shrimp, scallion greens and dried noodles, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.

Stir in the rest of the coconut milk, then and add more curry paste if necessary. I used over a tablespoon but I order my Thai food hot. Garnish with eggs, if desired.

Serves 2-4.

Cauliflower Cheese with Ham

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Sat, 17 Sep 2022 15:20:00 +0000

When I was a kid, mom sometimes made a casserole of au gratin potatoes with ham baked in. Delicious!!!

A few years ago, I discovered the deliciousness that is (properly made) cauliflower cheese, a very Irish-English thing. DIVINE when made with a sauce spiked with white pepper, Strong Irish Mustard and Kerrygold Dubliner cheese.  

So I combined them for a low-carb version of that comfort food classic of cheesy potatoes with ham. Browing the ham and par-cooking the cauliflower minimizes the amount of liquid that will leech into the sauce. The extra thick sauce helps too! 

Ingredients: 
12 ounces cauliflower florets or 1 head cauliflower, stemmed and broken up 
8 ounces ham, cut into roughly 1/2" cubes 
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 
2 cups whole milk 
1 teaspoon ground white pepper 
2-3 teaspoons Strong Irish Mustard or Colman's English Mustard 
8 ounces Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, shredded
3 Tablespoons buttered panko, optional  

Heat the oven to 375F.  

Break up any large florets and microwave the cauliflower 3 to 4 minutes. Let sit so moisture evaporates while you make the rest. Arrange in a large pie plate or 11 x 7 baking dish. 

Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until water cooks out and ham is lightly browned on all sides. 

Remove from pan and add to cauliflower in baking dish, arranging evenly over the vegetables. Reduce heat to low. 

In the same pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over low heat and add flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for three minutes, to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk, mustard and pepper.  Start with 2 teaspoons mustard, and add more to taste.  Raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the sauce is very thick, whisking all the while. 

Stir the cheese into the sauce and melt, one handful at a time. Keep a good handful back. Pour the finished cheese sauce (a Mornay, in classic French terms), over the ham and cauliflower. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and finish with buttered panko if desired. (I didn't use them in the pictured version, only because I, oddly, didn't have any on hand! But I will next time.) 

Bake for 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden. Let sit a few minutes before serving. 

Leave the ham out for a delicious vegetarian main or side dish. You can also make this with any good sharp white cheddar, but I think the Dubliner adds a uniquely nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the ham and strong mustard!  

Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 16:45:00 +0000

One of JC's favorite soups that I make! This makes a huge pot, but all that cheese won't freeze well, so either cut down the recipe or find hungry friends for the leftovers.

5-6 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed well
8 ounces center cut bacon, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 large shallot, diced
1/4 cup dry sherry
7 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
2 cups half & half
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mild shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese
3 green onions or several fresh chives

Cook the bacon, in a large pot over medium high heat, until crispy. Drain off all the fat (but don't scrape the pan!) and let the bacon drain on paper towels. Return the pot to the stove and add the onions and shallots. With a wooden spoon, stir well to remove the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook for two minutes and add sherry. Cook on high until sherry is almost gone.

While the bacon cooks, dice the scrubbed potatoes into bite sized pieces. I cut each potato in half, lengthwise, and then cut each half in three, and slice those into five or six pieces. After the sherry reduces, add the potatoes and broth (or water and stock cubes), thyme and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium high and let cook 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Whisk together the half and half and the cornstarch.

Take the pot off the heat, but keep the burner on at medium. Add the half & half mixture to the pot and stir well. Gradually stir in the sour cream. Return to the burner, and let cook slowly for a few minutes. When slightly thickened, like a light cream sauce, sprinkle in the cheeses and stir like crazy to melt them throughout. Let soup sit over heat, but do NOT let it bubble. While everything heats together, slice green parts of green onions or chives into tiny pieces and sprinkle over pot. Stir well.

If desired, top each bowl with some extra crispy bacon pieces or bacon bits and shredded cheese.

Praline-Crusted Peach Cobbler Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 01:43:00 +0000

My dear friend Lacey is from Georgia, and when she went home recently, she brought me all kinds of goodies: fresh peaches, pecans and peach preserves. Before that trip, she and I had already brainstormed on a cheesecake idea that used both peaches and pecans.... and then it crossed my mind to add the pie crust crumb from the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook, by the incredible Christina Tosi, as a cobbler-type topping to finish the concept. I had made the fantastic Apple Pie Layer Cake from that amazing cookbook a few months earlier, and we all agreed that the pie crust crumb was one of the best elements of it. So the pie crust crumb is taken directly from that, and the rest is from my imagination.

Pralines are candies made of pecans cooked in a heavenly mixture of butter, cream, vanilla, sugar and salt, and then allowed to dry, so I thought that flavor would do well for a cheesecake crust.

If you want to break this into two days, make the pie crust crumb and the crust the day before. The pie crust crumb will keep for several days in a plastic zip-top bag or other sealed container and the crust is fine to keep overnight. They bake at the same temperature and for the same time, making things easier.

Heat oven to 250.

Praline Crust:

8 ounces pecan halves or pieces
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 stick butter, melted

Toast the pecans at 250 for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once cool, grind into fine crumbs in the food processor. Add graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Pulse to combine. Stream in the melted butter, checking after half has been added, and add enough so that you have a fairly wet crumb mixture. Press into the bottom only of a 10 inch springform pan, and wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil. Set aside while you make the pie crust crumb -- they will bake together -- and turn the oven up to 350.

Pie Crust Crumb:

1 1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
8 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 Tablespoons water

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a mixer or another large bowl. With the mixer running, stream in the butter and water. Pulse briefly until the mixture is a coarse, crumbly mixture -- do not overmix. Dump the bowl onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread out evenly, making sure the pieces are random sizes. Bake the pie crust crumb and the praline crust for 25 minutes and let cool. Cover the crust and bag the crumbs, if finishing the next day, or continue while the crust cools.

Cheesecake Filling:

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese (light is fine)
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3 very ripe peaches, pitted, peeled and diced.
2 Tablespoons peach schnapps
2 Tablespoons corn starch

If you're on day 2, heat the oven to 350. Fill a large roasting pan with hot water and set on the lowest possible rack of the oven. Set the other rack in the center.

Peel, pit and chop the peaches. Tip: to peel ripe peaches, cut an X in the bottom of each one and lower it into boiling water for 60 to 90 seconds. The skins will slip right off. If that doesn't work, your peaches aren't ripe enough for this recipe!

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar, adding 1/4 cup sugar after each package of cream cheese. Beat on high until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the bowl occasionally. Reduce the mixer speed to medium, and beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the peach schnapps. Turn the mixer off.

Puree the peaches in a food processor or blender until liquid. Mix into the cream cheese mixer until well-blended. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the top and stir in by hand, mixing gently.

Spray the ring of the cheesecake pan with non-stick spray or rub it with butter. Pour in the cheesecake batter and smooth the top. Tap the sides of the pan to eliminate air bubbles. Bake on the center rack for 65 minutes. Turn the oven off, open the door slightly and leave the cheesecake for at least two hours and up to six hours. Chill thoroughly, at least 12 hours.

Note: Cheesecakes crack -- it's a fact of life. This recipe is written with the tips and tricks that help stop that from happening: greasing the sides of the pan, adding cornstarch to stabilize the batter, not over-beating the eggs and adding a pan of water to the oven. If it still cracks, and it may, that's what topping is for!

Peach Topping:

4 ripe peaches
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel, pit and dice peaches as above. Toss with brown sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate until serving time.

To Serve:
Remove the ring from the springform pan. Spoon peaches over the cheesecake, sprinkle with pie crust crumbs and enjoy!

Chocoholic Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 03:43:00 +0000

For my wonderful friend Margot Winick, the biggest chocoholic I know, I take on the challenge of seeing how much chocolate I can shove into a single dessert for her birthday. Margot likes her chocolate with more chocolate, no mint, no liqueurs, no other flavors. This year, she has taken a new job that will take her to Gainesville, so she won't be here for her birthday in August -- I took the opportunity to make her a chocolate-loaded cheesecake for her last day at UM. A brownie crust, chocolate laden cheesecake studded with mini-Oreos, layers of fudge sauce, and of course, whipped cream!! A few people asked for the recipe, and were surprised when I told them I made it up, so here it is, in writing! Serve SMALL pieces, otherwise insulin shots may be required!

Crust:

1 box brownie mix, for an 8 inch pan
1 stick butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons instant espresso (I use Bustello, of course!)

Filling:

4 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs, at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chips or bars, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon instant espresso
1 bag mini-Oreos

Hot fudge sauce
Whipped cream

Heat oven to 350. In the oven, place a large roasting pan or two loaf pans filled with hot water. Spray a 10 inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Dissolve the espresso powder in the melted butter. Stir in the brownie mix and mix until combined. Press into the bottom of the springform pan and bake 10 minutes. Cool completely and then top with hot fudge sauce, spreading to the edges of the crust. Spray the ring of the springform ring again.

Melt the chocolate and cool slightly, using a double boiler or a glass bowl in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, one package at a time, adding a quarter cup of sugar and one egg, once the cream cheese is fluffy. Incorporate the vanilla and the espresso powder, beating thoroughly. With the mixer running, beat in the chocolate. Stir in the mini-Oreos. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan and bake at 350 for 60 minutes. Turn the oven off, and open the door. Let the cheesecake sit in the open oven for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before chilling overnight. To serve, top with more hot fudge sauce and whipped cream.

Cinnamon Hazelnut Bread Pudding with Granny Smith Apples and Caramel

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 16:47:00 +0000

I literally dreamed this one night but it was a little more of a nightmare - in my dream, the glass pan I baked in exploded in my oven.... no doubt a surfaced memory of when a huge glass bowl of rice pudding did exactly that to my mother! Anyway, I was intrigued by the combination and decided the next day to give it a try, using an aluminum pan for safety!

I considered a few ways to infuse the whole dish with hazelnut flavor, including using a Torani syrup or Frangelico liqueur, but settled on Nestle's Coffee Mate Natural Bliss creamer with Hazelnut as the way to go. It was the perfect amount of hazelnut flavor, and the Natural Bliss line is just milk, cream, sugar and natural flavorings, so none of the artificial stuff in many creamers. I used that as part of the liquid normally included in any bread pudding recipe.

A key component of any bread pudding is, of course, the bread. I recommend using a challah, brioche, or another quality loaf. My Publix was out of challah and brioche, but had a lovely, soft but substantial Colombian bread available -- it was perfect! A single loaf should be about a pound, and I prefer to use unsliced bread and just tear it up roughly before a light toasting, but that's a matter of taste.

1 cup hazelnuts
2 large Granny Smith apples, coarsely chopped
1 loaf bread, preferably challah or brioche, torn in pieces
4 large eggs
1 bottle Nestle Coffee Mate Natural Bliss Creamer with Hazelnut
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
Ground cinnamon
1 bottle Hershey's Caramel Syrup

Heat the oven to 350. Toast the hazelnuts for 7 minutes and let cool. While the hazelnuts cool, toast the bread pieces on a baking sheet until light brown, between 5 and 10 minutes -- start at 5 minutes and check frequently after that. Don't let it get too dark. While all of that is toasting, chop the apples into bite-sized pieces -- don't bother peeling them unless you really want to.

Whisk the eggs and hazelnut creamer together with the butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Mix the toasted bread with the egg mixture, working it well together. Add 1 cup of the half and half, and mix again, working in as much of the second cup of half and half as needed so that the mixture is quite wet. Layer half of it into a greased three quart casserole or 9x13 pan, then layer on half the apples and hazelnuts. Sprinkle the layer well with cinnamon -- as much as you want! Repeat with the rest of the bread, apples and nuts, finishing with the cinnamon. Bake at 350 for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature, drizzling each serving with caramel syrup. Vanilla ice cream wouldn't hurt, of course! It works as dessert or breakfast! Make it ahead and bake in the morning - perfect with coffee.

Chicken in Creamy Rondele Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 02:52:00 +0000

I love Rondele, Boursin, flavored cream cheeses -- anything cheese-based that's spreadable and tastes good, basically. Rondele was on a rare buy-one, get-one deal at Publix yesterday, so I grabbed a couple of containers for our game watch that night. Because I (as usual) made WAY too much food (including my Mediterranean Spinach Dip), they weren't touched. So I decided to use one to make a light, creamy, flavorful sauce for chicken tenders. This is really easy to make - once the chicken is browned, you do nothing for 15 minutes but look at it once in a while to make sure it's not cooking down too much. After that, it's about 3 minutes to done! I served this with brown rice for JC and steamed kale for me. The sauce was delicious with both!

Rondele makes several flavors of spreadable gourmet cheese, including Herb and Garlic, Artichoke and Garlic, Garden Vegetable, Chipotle and Tomato and Roasted Tomato and Basil. I used Herb and Garlic because I thought JC would like it the best, but this is so basic that the cheese really controls the flavor of the dish, so use whatever you like. You can make this regularly, with different flavors of cheese, and it will be a completely different dish each time.

To make 4 servings:

8 chicken tenders
1/2 cup flour
Freshly ground pepper
Sea salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup any flavor Rondele Gourmet Spreadable Cheese
6 green onions, sliced, dark green parts reserved
Rice, noodles, mashed potatoes, gnocchi or steamed greens, to serve

Lay a large sheet of waxed paper on the counter. Lay the chicken tenders on it and sprinkle them generously with pepper and just a touch of salt. Sprinkle with the flour and coat well on both sides.

Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Brown chicken on both sides, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding it in the skillet. Add the white and light green parts of the sliced green onions to the skillet, and pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the level of broth, because the flour on the chicken will make it thicken. Add more if it seems to be cooking down too quickly.

Carefully remove the chicken pieces from the thickened broth and set aside. Stir the Rondele cheese into the broth, letting it melt and blend well. Stir in the reserved dark green parts of the green onions, and add the chicken back into the skillet. Let simmer for a minute and serve immediately.

Bacon-Cheddar-Ranch Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 14:37:00 +0000

These are great for breakfast or brunch, perfect for a tailgate and would make an excellent side dish for pork chops, burgers or BBQ chicken. I came up with these for a tailgate a few weeks ago and they were a huge hit. I made them again, and they disappeared even faster the second time. If -- ESPN forbid -- we have another noon game this year, I'll double or triple the batch! They're THAT good!

1 32 ounce bag southern-style hash browns, thawed
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 tablespoons flour
Large pinch chipotle chile powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
8 ounces sour cream (light or regular)
2 3 ounce pkgs real bacon pieces or 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat and cook the red bell pepper and onion, covered, until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and milk, then the chile powder, garlic powder and pepper. Cook until you have a very thick sauce, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and ranch dressing mix until well-blended.

While the vegetables cook, mix the thawed potatoes, bacon pieces, and 1 1/2 cups of cheese in a large bowl. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and pour over the potatoes. Mix the cooked sauce into the potatoes. Pour into a greased casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the rest of the cheddar over the top and bake another 15 minutes. Stand back to avoid getting trampled once they're out of the oven!

PRO TIP: Skip the onions and peppers, and swap the southern-style hash browns for Ore-Ida Potatoes O'Brien. They include the onions and peppers, saving you a step, and the cubed potatoes hold up better than hash browns if the dish needs to travel or stand for a long while before serving.

Easy Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Chicken Sausage

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 23:03:00 +0000

Tortellini soup (tortellini in brodo, in Italian) is one of my favorite comfort foods, and today, I came up with the easiest version I've ever had -- and the most delicious! This is entirely made from stuff in boxes and bags and jars; there is NO difficult prep work involved, and only a tiny amount of chopping! It took a whole 20 minutes to put together, and although I didn't plan to write about it, it was too good not to share. (You'll thank me later!)

Sooooo here we go:

1 32 oz. box Progresso Tuscany Broth
1 32 oz. box beef broth
1 bag baby spinach
1 pkg. al Fresco Chicken Sausage with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Basil, sliced
1 bag frozen cheese tortellini
1/3 cup of prepared pesto (or more to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Pour both containers of broth into a large pot. Bring to a boil.

While the broth heats up, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the sausage. Once the broth is boiling, add the frozen tortellini. After 5 minutes, add the spinach. Once the tortellini is cooked, which means you will see it floating to the top, stir in the pesto and the browned sausage, with the olive oil it cooked in.

When serving, sprinkle some grated Parmesan on each bowl.

Oreo-Crusted Hot Fudge Caramel Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 02:21:00 +0000

Oreo-Crusted Hot Fudge Caramel Brownies

Proof that you CANNOT shove too much goodness in one pan!!! These brownies have a slightly crunchy Oreo crumb crust, topped with a layer of hot fudge and hot caramel, then a brownie that is just heaven on its own. The real kicker is that they are incredibly easy to make, because an inexpensive boxed brownie mix is the base, dressed up with some pantry staple goodies! I came up with these for tailgating, looking for something sweet and decadent that didn't require bank-breaking specialty ingredients. They really couldn't be easier, especially if you use the baking parchment, then use the parchment to lift the cooled brownies out and cut them into SMALL pieces with a pizza cutter!

Crust:

1 pkg Oreos
1 stick butter
1/2 cup Smuckers Hot Fudge Topping
1/2 cup Smuckers Hot Caramel Topping (OR use 1 cup of either one instead of half of each!)

Brownies:

1 9x13 size Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix (Save the Box Tops for your local school!)
2 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons instant espresso
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup chocolate syrup
2 cups chocolate chips

Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper, long enough to overhang the sides after it's pushed tightly into the corners.

Melt the butter in a large glass bowl. Pulse the Oreos into fine crumbs and mix into the butter. Pat into the pan, using the weight of the crumb crust to hold the paper down and pushing it into the corners. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes.

While the crust chills, heat the oven to 325.

Mix the eggs, oil, water, instant coffee, chocolate syrup and vanilla until well combined and the espresso is dissolved. Stir in the brownie mix and chocolate chips. Set aside.

Take the chilled crust out of the fridge and spread evenly with half a cup each of hot fudge and hot caramel sauces, or a full cup of one alone. (If using the plastic squeeze bottles, you will need to heat it up to get the sauce you need!)

Top the sauce layer with the brownie mix. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes and then check every 5 minutes until done. A tester inserted in the middle should be a little sticky when removed. Cool completely before lifting out of the pan and cutting.

HINTS: Try other flavors of Oreos for a twist! Mint? Peanut Butter? You could mix in different chips for other flavors too!

Red Velvet Cheesecake-Swirled "Brownies"

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 01:35:00 +0000

Red Velvet Cheesecake-Swirled "Brownies"

I wanted something special for the first football game of the year, and since it was also meant to celebrate a few special birthdays, I thought "red velvet." Pretty much everyone likes it, but it looks impressive, and it's easy. That said, layered cake with creamy cheese frosting is not going to hold up well to September's heat and humidity in Miami! So I did some research, and of course, found some "red velvet brownie" recipes. I wanted the cheesecake component, and none of the recipes I found had what I wanted as a balance of simplicity and impressiveness, so I cobbled a couple of recipes together. This is the result!

Brownie base:

1 Box Duncan Hines Red Velvet Supreme Cake Mix
3/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 standard bag)

Cheesecake layer:

2 8-ounce pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat the oven to 325. Mix the cake mix, melted butter, vanilla, water and egg until thoroughly combined and there are no dry lumps of cake mix left, about 3 minutes. Take 1/2 cup batter out of the bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and spread evenly into a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth and beat in the sugar and then the eggs, one at a time. Stir in

vanilla. Pour over the brownie layer. Drop the reserved 1/2 cup batter on top of the cheesecake layer in random small spoonfuls, then swirl with the tip of a sharp knife until well-marbled.

Bake on the center rack at 325 for 40 minutes and check doneness. They may need up to 55 minutes to bake. Cool completely before cutting, and refrigerate if desired, up to a day ahead, before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Roasted Green Beans and Hazelnuts

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 00:30:00 +0000

If you've known me in the last 18 months or so, on social or IRL, you know that I LOVE, love, love the Pacific Northwest. It's beautiful and majestic, and the restaurants there excel at making the most of local, seasonal food. Hazelnuts, marionberries and asparagus are just a few things I got to enjoy during our last two trips, both of which were in May.

For some reason, the last time I bought fresh green beans, it hit me that green beans are also big in Oregon, because I am also addicted to the epic Aaron Sorkin series "The West Wing." In the second season, the press secretary worries about losing votes in Oregon because President Bartlett doesn't like green beans.

My foodie mind went to the idea that local foods often work well together, so I had the idea of roasting hazelnuts and green beans together in olive oil, seasoned simply. It was an incredible combination. So I did it again and documented it. I made my Chicken with Shallot Cream Sauce, and instead of the long grain and wild rice mix I made for JC, I had it with the green beans and hazelnuts.

I bought fresh green beans at Publix yesterday, and I was honestly disappointed with the quality once I opened the bag, but even discarding a lot more than I expected, I still had more than enough for the recipe. So here's what to do.

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
3/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped -- don't worry if some stay whole
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Sea salt
Garlic Powder (I use powder instead of fresh so it won't burn and turn bitter, but a few cloves of fresh work too; just watch it carefully in the oven.)

Heat the oven to 400. Wash and trim the green beans. Chop the hazelnuts. Spread the olive oil on a large, rimmed baking sheet. (I line mine with foil because I hate to scrub pans.) Add the hazelnuts and green beans. Sprinkle with pepper, salt and garlic powder to taste, and mix well with your hands so that everything is evenly coated with olive oil, then spread the green beans out as evenly as possible. Roast at 400 for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.

Beer Cheese Soup #9

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 00:04:00 +0000

JC, who has "endured" my various attempts at beer cheese soup, with and without ham, and loves my Loaded Baked Potato soup, thinks this is the best one yet. Thankfully, I wrote down what I did before I forgot! This really is a potato soup, with a bit of ham for flavor, and the beer and cheese. It's broth-based, so not as heavy as a lot of versions. I used Magic Hat #9, which is a "not quite pale ale," according to the company website, and it was wonderful with this soup. Moving on to the recipe.....

1 stick butter
8 ounces finely diced ham
2 carrots
1/2 medium sweet onion
1 large shallot
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup flour
12 ounce bottle good beer (something with a little body, not Coors Light or Bud, please!)
4 cups chicken broth
4 envelopes Goya Ham Stock, dissolved in 2 1/2 cups water (If you can't find it, use 6 1/2 cups chicken broth)
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
5 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed and diced small
2 cups grated white cheddar
2 cups grated Swiss or Gruyere

Melt the butter over medium-high heat and add the ham. Brown the ham lightly, and while it's cooking, pulse the carrot, onion, shallot and garlic in a food processor or chop them very finely. Add the vegetables to the ham and stir well. Cook, covered, over medium heat, for five minutes, stirring twice. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and stir well. Cook, stirring constantly, for three minutes. Add the bottle of beer and mix well to combine. Let simmer a minute or two.

Slowly stir in the chicken broth and ham stock/water, plus the bay leaves and pepper. Add the potatoes. Raise the heat to high and boil 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 10 minutes. Slowly stir in the grated cheeses until melted and remove from the heat. Top each serving with crisp, crumbled bacon if desired.

Mediterranean Spinach Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 22:34:00 +0000

Hot, cheesy spinach dip -- with or without artichokes -- has become a staple on almost every chain restaurant menu in the US. I've even written a recipe for it. It's good stuff! But a change can do you good.

Years and years ago, I had a wonderful cold Mediterranean spinach dip with feta cheese at the now-defunct Cafe Tu Tu Tango in Miami's (Coconut Grove. It closed several years ago, but there's still one in Orlando.) The concept was all tapas and small plates -- before anyone else was doing it.

The Mediterranean spinach dip, served with roasted red peppers on top and pita chips on the side, was my favorite item on their menu. I liked it enough to make my own version. Rather than topping it with a couple of rolled up roasted peppers like they did at the restaurant, I diced them and threw them in. Otherwise, I think it's pretty close! This dip was created long before the Greek yogurt craze hit, so I use sour cream to make it, but if you prefer Greek yogurt, do it!

Makes a small vat, perfect for a summer party or BBQ.

24 ounces sour cream, regular or light, or plain Greek yogurt -- or a combination
1/2 cup mayonnaise -- I only use Hellman's
1 container herb and garlic seasoned feta cheese
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced thinly
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon each dried dill and oregano
Several grinds fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
16 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained REALLY well
1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers (add more to taste if you want!)

Thaw the spinach and drain it.The best way I have found to do this is to put the spinach in a plastic strainer, set over a bowl, and microwave it for a couple of minutes to thaw quickly, then use a spatula to press the liquid out into the bowl.

Mix sour cream or yogurt with mayonnaise and feta in a large bowl. Stir in onions, garlic and seasonings. Fold in roasted red peppers and drained spinach. Let chill for several hours or overnight before serving for flavors to blend.

Rockin' Red Velvet Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 01:18:00 +0000

Crosscut view of cheesecake

My good friend and colleague Rosa is that strangest of people: she doesn't love chocolate. I mean really, not at all. So when her birthday rolled around, I took that on as a creative challenge -- to make something incredible and decadent for her that didn't include chocolate (for the most part, anyway!). I did know, however, that she likes Red Velvet Cake.

Red Velvet Cake is REALLY popular in the south, especially with cream cheese frosting, which has always perplexed me, given its legendary Yankee origin story: the famed Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, looking to make a spectacular dessert during the chocolate shortages of World War II, used a tiny bit of cocoa and a ton of red food coloring to create the Red Velvet Cake. Lore has it that there was a food company that made its name by creating and selling red food coloring, with an attached recipe for Red Velvet Cake. It originally was frosted with "a French-style butter roux icing (also called ermine icing)," according to Wikipedia, but I think that the cream cheese frosting it's usually found with now is the ideal accompaniment.

Cheesecake before frosting

So how to turn this decadence into a cheesecake? Cream cheese is already an element of Red Velvet Cake, but just coloring a cheesecake seemed a touch lazy. Instead, I returned to the successful technique I used in the orange Creamsicle Cheesecake, and bought a Duncan Hines Signature Red Velvet Cake Mix. That became the crust, topped with rich vanilla cheesecake, sweetened only with white sugar instead of brown for less of a caramel flavor, and then topped with cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of red sugar. It was inhaled!

I usually make a 9" inch cheesecake, but this one is proportioned for a 10" pan. To cut it to fit a 9" pan, remove 1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, 1 egg and 1/4 cup sugar.

Crust:

1 Duncan Hines Signature Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 stick butter, melted

Filling:

4.5 8 ounce packages softened cream cheese
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
2 tablespoons corn starch

Frosting:

4 ounces softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch sea salt
1 tablespoon half and half

Topping: Red sugar sprinkles or 2 tablespoons granulated sugar blended with a few drops red food coloring

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Mix cake mix with melted butter. Pat into bottom only of a 10" springform pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray (butter flavored or plain!). Bake for 5 minutes and set aside. Fill a 9 x 13 pan with boiling water and set on the bottom oven rack.

While the crust bakes, beat cream cheese, sugar and eggs, one block of cream cheese at a time. Beat the cream cheese until starting to get fluffy, add in sugar and then egg. Continue that process until all the cream cheese is incorporated. Stir in vanilla and cornstarch.

Spray the sides of the springform pan with more cooking spray or brush with melted butter. Pour batter on top of crust, spreading it evenly to cover. Tap the sides of the pan to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Let cool at room temperature for at least an hour before frosting.

For frosting, beat butter, cream cheese, salt, sugar and vanilla until blended. Add half and half until the frosting is smooth and spreadable, 1 teaspoon at a time. It may need more than 1 tablespoon.

Once frosted, chill the cheesecake at least 12 hours. Before serving, sprinkle with red sugar.

Portland Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Sat, 31 May 2014 16:26:00 +0000

I love Portland. It's a great city with lots to see and do, and most importantly, the food is incredible! There's a real emphasis on local and seasonal foods there, and the local restaurants, including the range of awesome brewpubs, are creative with it. JC and I were there for 12 days, and since it was May, asparagus was everywhere. Even the regional burger chain, Burgerville, offered fried asparagus spears (think tempura!) with a garlic aioli on the menu!

One day for lunch, we went to BridgePort Brewing Company. Their daily pasta was penne with bacon, mushrooms and asparagus in a Marsala sauce and it was incredible! It was so good that I haven't stopped thinking about it since and I tried to replicate it at home last night. The results were fantastic, even if it wasn't exactly like the dish I had at the restaurant -- their sauce was thicker than mine, despite what should have been plenty of time for it to reduce, but once the pasta was added, that was irrelevant. This is really easy to make too -- always a bonus!

For four dinner entree servings:

1 pound short pasta -- I use Barilla Plus and I used farfalle instead of penne
8 ounces diced bacon -- the restaurant used slab bacon, but I couldn't find it; regular bacon is fine!
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 medium size shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch long pieces
1 cup Marsala
3 cups beef broth -- I used College Inn
1 stick cold butter

Bring a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook pasta until desired doneness and drain it. Set aside.

While the pasta cooks, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Discard all but two tablespoons of the drippings. Add the onion, shallot and garlic to the bacon fat and saute over medium heat until softened. Add the mushrooms and stir well. Cook covered for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend and the mushrooms to start softening.

Add the Marsala and beef broth, plus several grinds of fresh pepper. Raise the heat to high and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the liquids to reduce. Add the asparagus, except for the tips, and cook for five minutes. Add the tips and reserved bacon pieces and cook another 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the cold butter in pieces, whisking them in one by one. Once the butter has been incorporated, add the pasta and mix well. Serve with more fresh pepper and a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan if desired.

Creamsicle Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 00:48:00 +0000

So..... it's been a WHILE -- more than a year since I last posted, because I was working so much. But this one made me decide to start up again.

My mother is a fantastic cake decorator, and she has ALWAYS sworn by Duncan Hines cake mixes as the most reliable, never fail, never fall cake mix on the market. Her wedding cakes weren't just beautiful -- they were moist and flavorful too, in an era where most resembled sawdust under the frosting. (Sorry, but I don't have pictures!) Yesterday, we were talking on the phone about a cake she'd made recently that almost been a disaster (not her fault!) and she mentioned that the cake she'd made that got the most raves was a Duncan Hines Orange Supreme cake with cream cheese frosting.... and that got my wheels turning.

On my way home, I bought an Orange Supreme cake mix at Publix (BOGO - next up is Red Velvet!) and mixed it with a stick of melted butter, then patted into a 9" springform pan, topped with a filling flavored with the zest of a large orange and LOTS of vanilla, plus a good handful of white chocolate chips. I didn't know how it turned out until I took it to the office this morning, to rave reviews -- "It really does taste like a Creamsicle!" I have to say, it was pretty darn good. So here it is:

For the crust:
1 box Duncan Hines Orange Supreme cake mix
1 stick melted butter

For the filling:
3 8 ounce packages cream cheese: regular, light or a blend (I used 2 light and 1 regular)
3 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla (or more to taste!)
Grated zest of 1 large navel orange
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Place the top rack of the oven in the middle, and the lower rack far enough below it to accommodate a 9x13 baking pan. Fill the baking pan halfway full of water and let it heat in the oven while you make the cheesecake.

Mix the butter and cake mix. Spray a 9" springform pan with no-stick cooking spray, or rub the sides of the ring mold with butter. Press the paste of butter and cake mix in the bottom only of the pan, making it as even as possible. Bake at 350 for 6 minutes -- it will NOT be done!

While the crust is baking, beat the cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer. I like to do one block of cream cheese at a time, followed by 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg and splash of vanilla. It's just easier to beat the cream cheese smoothly that way. Sprinkle the corn starch and orange zest over the batter and stir in by hand; follow with the white chocolate chips.

Spray or butter the sides of the springform pan again. Pour the batter in, smoothing it over with a spatula. Tap the sides of the pan to help eliminate air bubbles -- if your pan is still hot from the oven, use a wooden spoon to do this. Bake for 40 minutes before checking it. The cheesecake should still wobble a little in the middle -- you're really just baking it to cook the eggs. Let it cool at room temperature for at least an hour, then chill for at least 8 hours before serving.

For a beautiful presentation (which I didn't do!), top it with canned whipped cream and a little pile of curls of orange peel in the middle.

Peppermint Mocha Latte Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Peppermint Mocha Latte Brownies

I was desperate to come up something to bake at the last minute for an office birthday and was inspired by a McDonald's billboard advertising lattes.... that got me thinking about holiday flavors like peppermint and chocolate combined. Sooooo we have peppermint and coffee-spiked brownies with a layer of fudge on them, topped with whipped cream, crushed candy canes and a drizzle of chocolate syrup, just like your favorite holiday latte. With a fantastic Ghiradelli mix as the base, these couldn't be easier to put together!

2 boxes Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate brownie mix
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons instant coffee or instant espresso
1 tablespoon peppermint extract
1 jar Smucker's Hot Fudge topping
4 candy canes or a handful of peppermint hard candies, crushed
3 cups whipped cream (homemade is best but I used canned for easier transport - almost 2 cans)
Hershey's syrup or other chocolate syrup, for drizzling

Heat the oven to 325. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with no-stick spray. Mix eggs, oil, water, coffee, peppermint extract and brownie mix until well blended. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes, checking after 40 minutes.

Let brownies cool for 30 minutes and spread softened hot fudge topping over the brownies. Let cool completely.

To serve, cover brownies with whipped cream, sprinkle with crushed candies and then drizzle a little chocolate syrup over the whipped cream, just like a latte!

Savory Savoy Cabbage and Spinach

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:34:00 +0000

I bought a small head of savoy cabbage a few days ago and wasn't sure exactly what to do with it. I also had some fresh spinach that needed to be used up, so I combined them with some sliced sweet onions, garlic, ginger, hot pepper flakes and, of course, bacon. The combination was really good - the hint of ginger really makes a nice flavor addition without being overwhelming.

It's really easy to make too, just make sure that the knife you use to slice the cabbage is sharp! Mine wasn't and it slipped and nicked my finger! If you don't have a fine grater for the ginger, just mince it as finely as you can. If you can't find savoy cabbage, regular will be fine!

4-6 ounces center cut bacon, diced
1 small head savoy cabbage
1/2 small sweet onion, sliced thinly
6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
Generous pinch of dried chile flakes
Kosher salt to taste

Cook bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Discard all but two tablespoons of the drippings from the pan. While the bacon cooks, discard the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut the it in quarters. Cut the core from each quarter. Add the onions and cabbage to the skillet, stirring the break the cabbage into shreds. Cover and let cook for five minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for two minutes. Add the ginger and then the spinach and cook for another few minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Taste and salt if needed. (You may not need any, depending on how salty your bacon drippings are.) Add the cooked bacon pieces back into the greens just before serving. This can be eaten as a side dish or a main dish.

Of course, this is a snap to make completely vegetarian. Omit the bacon and use two tablespoons olive oil or other oil instead of the bacon drippings.

Turtle Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 01:44:00 +0000

A colleague requested a cheesecake with caramel, chocolate and pecans for her birthday. After reading at least a dozen recipes, I liked none of them, so I came up with my own way to do this - a graham cracker crust made with brown sugar for extra caramel flavor, layers of caramel, chocolate and toasted pecans both top and bottom, and a rich, vanilla cheesecake layer.

It's easier than it sounds, thanks to Smucker's Hot Fudge and Hot Caramel sauces. A lot of the recipes I read called for unwrapping Kraft caramels and melting them in evaporated milk - why do all that work when Smucker's has already done it? (Especially when caramels are hard to find in some areas when it's not Halloween!)

So here it is - my version of Turtle Cheesecake. Remember there are secrets to helping a cheesecake turn out smoothly, without cracking - greasing the sides of the pan, adding cornstarch to stabilize the batter, not over-beating the eggs and adding a pan of water to the oven. If it still cracks, and it may, that's what whipped cream is for. You also won't be using the entirety of either jar of sauce - they will be useful if the cheesecake cracks despite your best efforts!

Tip: Toast pecans while the cheesecake crust bakes!

2 cups graham cracker crumbs or Oreo crumbs
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter or margarine

Heat oven to 350. Melt butter and stir in vanilla. With a fork, mix crumbs and brown sugar, being careful to eliminate any lumps. Combine butter and crumb mixtures. Press into the bottom only of a 9 inch springform pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool.

1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted at 350 for 8-10 minutes and chopped coarsely
4 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 jar Smucker's Hot Fudge ice cream topping, at room temperature
1 jar Smucker's Hot Caramel ice cream topping, at room temperature

Dollop spoonfuls of the hot fudge and hot caramel onto the cooled crust. Swirl with a spatula and sprinkle with half the chopped toasted pecans.

In a large mixing bowl at high speed, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugars until well mixed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well mixed. Mix in the vanilla. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the batter and stir in by hand. Mix at high speed for 30 seconds.

Spray the ring of the cheesecake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter into pan. Drop more spoonfuls of the chocolate and caramel toppings onto the batter and swirl with a sharp-edged knife. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans.

While you make the cheesecake batter, heat the oven to 350 again if you turned it off. Put a 9x13 baking pan or roasting pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Bring at least 4 cups of water to a boil and pour into the pan BEFORE putting the cheesecake in the oven. Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes and take out of the oven when it is just set in the middle. Let cool completely, at least two hours, and then refrigerate at least hours before serving.

Tzatziki Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:01:00 +0000

No matter how you spell it, this Greek sauce is amazing. Bursting with fresh flavor, creamy and a little spicy at the same time, it's great with grilled chicken or lamb, with Zucchini Bites (as pictured) or just with pita bread/chips or fresh veggies for dipping. Of course, it's also the classic topping for gyros. My version is easy - the hardest part is letting it sit while you wait for the flavors to blend!

1 large cucumber
8 ounces plain Greek yogurt
16 ounces fat-free sour cream
3-4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried dill or 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon dried mint or 1 tablespoon, fresh mint, chopped
Kosher salt

Shred cucumber with a food processor or box grater. Place in a strainer and sprinkle with one tablespoon kosher salt, tossing with a fork to distribute the salt. Let drain for an hour.

After the cucumber is well-drained, put in a bowl with the sour cream and yogurt. Mince garlic VERY finely and add to the bowl, along with the olive oil, vinegar, dill and mint, plus a few grinds of pepper. Mix well. Taste before adding any salt! The amount of salt already in the cucumber will vary, so taste the mixture and then add salt to taste, if any at all. Once the mixture is stirred together and salted correctly, cover and refrigerate at least an hour for the flavors to blend.

Note: As part of my goal to make recipes as accessible as possible, I've mixed sour cream and Greek yogurt - feel free to use all of one or the other. Greek yogurt costs a good bit more than sour cream, which is why I mixed them, and also why I am not a purist when it comes to fresh herbs. If you can't grow your own, they are often a waste of money because they are sold in such big bunches that they rot before they can be used. Dried is fine, especially in this recipe - just make sure to check them and toss when they lose their fragrance.

Zucchini Bites

noreply@blogger.com (Annette Gallagher) — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:01:00 +0000

I read through literally a dozen recipes for zucchini cakes and zucchini fritters, trying to find one that I liked. No luck, so I'm calling this one mine - it has elements of several, like the lemon zest in the Martha Stewart recipe, but I used bread crumbs instead of flour, so that they will have a little more texture. I didn't really want a pancake-y kind of thing, but more like a little appetizer/finger food "bite." I added green onions, lots of herbs and garlic and kept the fat for frying to a minimum. Serve with Tzatziki Sauce for dipping!

4 cups shredded zucchini, with as much liquid pressed out as possible
2 large eggs
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
6 green onions, white and green parts sliced thinly
5 cloves garlic, finely minched
To taste, dried or fresh: dill, thyme, mint, oregano
Salt and pepper
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Olive oil for frying

Heat oven to 400. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Whisk eggs, herbs to taste and 1 teaspoon salt and pepper together. In a large bowl, toss together shredded zucchini, lemon zest and juice, green onions and garlic. Stir in eggs. Mix in half of the bread crumbs. You may need the rest after cooking the test cake.

Heat a film of olive oil in a large skillet until it shimmers. Drop a small spoonful of the zucchini mixture into the olive oil and cook until golden brown on both sides. Use that to taste the mixture for seasoning and correct if needed. Because zucchini varies in its moisture content, the mixture may need additional bread crumbs. Cook the mixture in spoonfuls, transferring to the baking sheet when golden brown. When the baking sheet is full, bake 5 minutes in the oven to finish cooking. Continue frying and baking until the mixture is gone. Serve immediately.

Note: if you make larger patties, cook them for up to 10 minutes to make sure they are cooked through.