There's still a lot of zucchini being picked right now and here's another way to use them.  This dish is super simple and you can whip it together in no time.  Grilling the zucchini is the only real cooking you have to do in this dish and the rest is just assembling the ingredients.  The grilled zucchini is topped with creamy, luscious burrata - mozzarella balls stuffed with cream and shreds of mozzarella.  The dish is topped with marinated cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and fresh basil.  It's a beautiful and delicious dish and you can serve it as a side for dinner or as a meal on its own for lunch. 

The zucchini slices are scored lightly with the tip of a very sharp knife.

The scoring allows the seasoning and oil to penetrate the zucchini.  

Grilled Zucchini with Burrata, Tomato & Toasted Pine Nuts

for a printable recipe, click here

serves 4 - 6

4 medium zucchini

4 ounces burrata

about 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3 Tablespoons pine nuts 

a few leaves of fresh basil, julienned or torn into pieces

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Trim the zucchini ends.  Stand the zucchini upright. Using a sharp knife, remove a thin slice of the skin on one side, then you can start making the slices you will use.  Slice the zucchini into 1/4" - 3/8" slices.    You will get 3 slices from each zucchini. Lightly score the zucchini slices in a diagonal pattern on both sides. Brush each side of zucchini with a little olive oil.  Season generously both sides with salt and pepper. 

Place the cherry tomatoes in a small bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts. Shake the pan as you toast them and keep checking until they are golden, about 5 minutes or so.  Be careful - they can go from golden to burnt very quickly.  Set aside in a small bowl to cool. 

toast the pine nuts until golden

Drain the burrata and place in a bowl.  Season with some salt and pepper.  The burrata will be at its best when you add a little salt, so don't skimp on this. 

Heat a stovetop grill or you can cook these outdoors on a grill.  Cook the zucchini slices until there are nice grill marks on each side, about 3 minutes a side over medium high heat. Place the zucchini on a large serving platter, in one layer. 

Assemble the dish by breaking up the burrata over the zucchini and  scattering the tomatoes and pine nuts. If you wanted to add another layer of richness, you can drizzle a little olive oil over the whole thing. Sprinkle the basil pieces over the whole dish.   Taste the burrata and, if needed, add a little more salt. Serve at room temperature. 

Do you know about 'nduja?  If not, keep reading because this special Italian spread has become very popular and with good reason - it makes so many dishes even better.  'Nduja (pronounced "en-DOO-ya") originates out of Calabria, that region in Italy where all things spicy are loved. It is a sort of spreadable paste made out of pork, Calabrian peppers and various spices. You can spread it on bread or add it to sauces.  It adds not only a spicy kick but a terrific layer of flavor that is absolutely delicious. Once you have it in your fridge, you'll be adding it to all kinds of things. We made homemade pizza recently and I made myself a pizza of thinly sliced zucchini, red onion, grated pecorino and then put little dollops of 'nduja on top. It was terrific. My favorite thing is to add it into this pasta sauce recipe.  We love it.

There are several producers now of this spicy spread.  Whole Foods carries a version by La Quercia that contains prosciutto. It's terrific. I always have this in my fridge. Whole Foods stocks this in the cheese department.  I like this particular brand far better than other brands I have tasted. 

In this recipe, I'm combining my love of 'nduja with some wilted kale, tomato paste and crunchy toasted breadcrumbs.  The dish is delicious and easy to make. I hope you give it a try.  At least get some 'nduja and stick it in your fridge - you'll be adding it to things in no time.   

Learn how to make this homemade pasta shape called Garganelli here

Pasta with 'Nduja, Kale and Toasted Breadcrumbs

for a printable recipe, click here

serves 4 

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 small red onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon red hot chili flakes (optional if you want extra spice)

1 cup packed chopped fresh kale

½ cup chicken stock

¼ cup fresh bread crumbs

sea salt

3 ounces 'Nduja (spicy prosciutto spread)

3 heaping Tablespoons tomato paste

12 ounces pasta (any shape you like)

⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a large skillet over medium low heat, heat 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil and add the red onion and fry gently for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and fry a minute more.  Raise the heat a little and add the kale and chicken stock and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid has evaporated (about 6 - 8 minutes or so).  

While the kale is simmering, in a separate small skillet, fry the breadcrumbs in 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil until crispy and golden brown, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add a large pinch of sea salt and blend. Set aside.

In the large skillet, add the 'nduja and tomato paste to the kale mixture and cook until the 'nduja dissolves, stirring frequently. Lower heat and keep warm.  

Meanwhile, cook the pasta just short of al dente.  Remove pasta with a handled strainer and place in the large skillet with the sauce, allowing some pasta water in the skillet.  Turn off heat. Add the bread crumbs and half the cheese and toss well until pasta is coated. Taste and add a little salt if needed.  Add a little more pasta water if the sauce is too thick.  Place in a large serving dish. Serve with the remainder of the cheese. 

These fruit pastries can be a nice little dessert after a meal or a great partner with coffee in the morning. I've been having fun making and sharing these and decided they might be nice for people to make during the holidays.  They are so pretty, especially with raspberry jam.  I've made blackberry and blueberry, too, and they are just as delicious.  The dough is a snap to make in your food processor - it takes just a couple of minutes.

The original recipe for these had been torn out of a magazine somewhere (I wish I knew where so I could reference it) but it called for using active dry yeast and proofing the yeast, a step I have done away with long ago. In my version, I make it easier by using instant yeast and simply adding it to the flour - no proofing required. Also, I use salted butter in my version and skip adding salt to the dough.  

Using the food processor is a must when making this dough - it is so fast that making doughs like this is amazingly easy. You add the dry ingredients to the processor and blend and then add your chilled butter and liquid ingredients and pulse just until everything comes together in a ball. Done. The dough requires two rests in the fridge of about an hour each, so plan accordingly. 

The original recipe was just for pinwheels, but I started experimenting with shapes and came up with these little circular pies, which my husband really liked and were actually a bit easier to make than the pinwheels. The recipe also called for Turbinado sugar on top, but I like to use Swedish sugar - so much prettier and crunchy.  

Jam Pastries

for a printable recipe, click here

How many pastries this recipe makes depends on the size and shape you make.  If you make 5" pinwheels, it makes about 16.s

(The dough needs to chill in the fridge twice for about an hour each, so plan accordingly.)

dough:

½ cup milk

¼ cup water

¼ cup sugar

1 egg

2.5 cups (or more) of flour

1.5 teaspoons instant yeast (not active dry)

2 sticks salted butter, cubed and chilled

filling:

1 cup fruit jam

glaze:

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons cream

Swedish sugar or Turbinado sugar

Whisk milk, water and sugar together and warm slightly in the microwave for about 25 seconds or on the stove. (Do not heat over 110°F.  Hot kills yeast).   Add egg and whisk with a fork.  

Pulse the flour and yeast in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until coarsely blended. Add liquid mixture through feed tube and pulse until dough comes together. If the dough is too sticky, add another tablespoon of flour and pulse. Form the dough into a disc and wrap in lightly floured plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into an 18"x10" rectangle about ½" thick. Working from a narrow end, fold dough in thirds like a letter. Repeat rolling and folding twice more; wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.

Make the pastries.  Heat oven to 350°F.  Mix yolk and cream in a bowl and set aside. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

To make pinwheels: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out. If you want to make larger pinwheels, roll the dough out about ¼" thick and cut dough into 5" squares.  If you want to make smaller pinwheels, roll the dough out a little thinner and cut dough into 4" squares.  Transfer squares to parchment lined baking sheets. Brush yolk mixture around outside half of square, all the way around. Place about 1 heaping teaspoon of jam in the middle of each square.  Slice each corner of squares from tip to about halfway toward center of square.  Fold same side of each cut corner up and over jam to make a pinweel shape. (see photos).  Brush yolk mixture on top of pinwheels. Sprinkle with Swedish sugar or Turbinado sugar.  Bake pinwheels until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Use dough scraps by keeping them wrapped in plastic wrap and rerolling.

To make little pies:  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a little less than ¼".  Cut 3" circles. Brush outside of circle with egg wash. Place about a teaspoon of jam in center.  With a fluted pastry cutter, cut 3" strips of dough and lay on top of jam to form a top by weaving the strips.  Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Use dough scraps by keeping them wrapped in plastic wrap and rerolling.

If you are familiar with my recipe for Pie Dough in 60 Seconds, then you will be happy to know that you can do the same thing with pasta dough.  I make this dough in a food processor and it takes about 60 seconds.  I'm going to give you step by step photos to show you how to make a pasta shape called garganelli and even a little video to make it easy (scroll to bottom of post for video).  All you need are two ingredients - flour and eggs.  You could make it today!

Garganelli is a tube shaped pasta and it resembles penne but there are two big differences:  penne is extruded, so there is no seam.  This pasta is rolled and so there is a seam. Also, the ridges in penne run parallel to the length of the pasta and with garganelli, the ridges run perpendicular to the length. This pasta is just a little more rustic. Garganelli is rolled on a gnocchi board, which gives it wonderful ridges for sauce to cling to. You will also need a little dowel - I've used ¼ inch dowel and I like the size pasta that gives me.

You just need flour and eggs to make this easy dough.  I use large or extra large eggs and I use Caputo Italian 00 flour, which is a high protein but finely milled flour. If you don't have it, you can just use regular unbleached All Purpose flour.  

Making the dough is a breeze in your food processor - simply crack the eggs into the bowl of the processor, pulse a couple of times, add about three quarters of your flour, pulse and then keep adding flour until the dough gathers up into a nice ball. That's about 60 seconds. Super fast and my favorite way of making pasta dough. If you prefer to do it on the counter or a bowl or a mixer, you can certainly do that also. 

It just takes 60 seconds in the food processor to make pasta dough 

Homemade Garganelli Pasta

for a printable recipe,click here

You will need a gnocchi board and a small dowel - I used a ¼" dowel.

makes 55 - 60 garganelli, about 12 ounces of pasta (enough for 4 people).  How many you make depends on how thinly you roll out the pasta and how large you make them. 

2 whole large eggs

2 egg yolks

1½ cups of Italian 00 flour (use regular unbleached AP flour if you cannot get this)

My favorite way to make the dough is in a food processor:Place the eggs in a food processor and pulse twice. Add about ¾ of the flour and pulse until blended. Keep adding the rest of the flour until the dough gathers up into a ball.  If the dough is still sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time and pulse, until the dough comes together and gathers up in a ball and is not so sticky. It should be moist but not sticky enough that it comes off on your hands.  Place in a floured piece of plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for at least 20 minutes.  

Flour two rimmed baking sheets and have them ready for the assembled pasta.

Roll the dough out using pasta rollers.  I do mine with my KitchenAid pasta rollers but you can use a hand crank machine also. Roll one sheet out at a time so that the sheets don't dry out. Keep the remaining pasta dough wrapped in plastic. Roll the sheet out, starting at the widest setting. Pass the sheet three times through this widest setting then just once on the other settings.  Keep passing the sheet through and narrowing the rollers every time you pass the sheet through. I rolled my sheets out to the #6 setting on my KitchenAid rollers.  Flour the sheet a little if it sticks to the pasta rollers.  Do not overflour the sheet though and dry it out. 

With a sharp knife, cut the sheets into 2 inch squares.  Keeping the squares under plastic wrap so they don't dry out, take one square and place on your gnocchi board so it lays in a diamond shape.  With the dowel, press on either the bottom or top point of the square and start rolling it around the dowel.  The gnocchi board will press ridges into the pasta.  After the pasta square is completely rolled up, remove from dowel and place on the floured baking sheet.  You do not have to cover the finished garganelli. 

Continue until all the garganelli are made.   The pasta can sit on the baking sheets until you are ready to cook them.  All you need to do is boil them in salted water for a couple of minutes - taste one and see if the tenderness is to your liking.  Serve with sauce of your choice.

I'm going to be doing a whole series of pasta recipes this fall and winter.  It's so fun to make homemade pasta and I hope if you've never tried before that maybe you will give it a go this year.  This recipe is for agnolotti, a stuffed pasta that is easy and fast to make.  I'm giving you step by step photos plus a little video to give you the confidence to try. 

This agnolotti is made with a swiss chard and cheese filling.  This filling isn't hard to make at all - the chard is simply chopped a little and then cooked down over the stove in a bit of water.  If you have a food processor, you can process the filling in a snap.  

Assembling the agnolotti is very easy - the filling is just piped onto a sheet of the pasta, the pasta is folded over, pressed and pinched at regular intervals and then cut apart with a pastry wheel.  You can really get quite fast at doing them once you get the hang of it.  Try different sizes - you can make very tiny agnolotti, too, with just a little filling inside each one.  

This pasta is simply dressed - no fancy sauces here.  You don't want to detract from the filling so I am using a simple Brown Butter sauce, cracked black pepper and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  Making Brown Butter only takes a few minutes and is worth the extra step.  

Swiss Chard Agnolotti with Brown Butter

for a printable recipe click here

You will need pasta rollers (unless you like to roll the pasta out with a rolling pin), a pastry cutter wheel, a pastry bag with a round piping tip and a small pastry brush.  If you don't have a bag with a piping tip, you can use a large ziploc bag. 

Makes about 125 agnolotti, depending on how big you make your agnolotti.  They freeze beautifully, so as long as you are making them, you might as well make a lot! Retain how many you want to serve the day you are making them and then freeze the rest by placing them on sheet pans in the freezer until they are hard and put them in freezer plastic bags.  

*I give two ways to make the pasta  - the second way involves using some semolina flour, which will give the pasta a little more "tooth".  It is a little more dense and will require one more egg.  It is my preferred way to make pasta.  If you don't want to mix the two flours, you can do what I do and  buy this wonderful flour from Hayden Mills*, which is already mixed AP flour and semolina flour.  The amount of flour for either way will vary slightly depending on the kind of eggs you have, the humidity in your kitchen, etc.  The flour is added gradually to allow for these variables. 

for the pasta:
2¼ cups AP or Italian 00 flour (approximately)
3 eggs

or

1½ cups AP or Italian 00 flour (approximately)
¾ cups semolina flour*
4 eggs 

for the filling:
2 bunches of Swiss Chard, chopped, stems removed (about 6 cups, packed)
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1½ cups ricotta cheese
¼ teaspoon black pepper (finely ground)
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt 

for the Brown Butter:
½ cup salted butter (this will dress enough pasta for 2 - 3 servings)

to finish the dish:
½ Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to serve 

Make the pasta (choose your method):

Food processor method:  Place the eggs in a food processor and pulse twice.  Add about ¾ of the flour and pulse until blended.  Keep adding the rest of the flour until the dough gathers up into a ball.  If the dough is still sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time and pulse, until the dough comes together and gathers up in a ball and is not so sticky. Remove dough and place on counter.  Knead until the dough is still moist but does not come off on your hands. If it does, add a dusting of flour until it doesn't stick to your hands. Place in a floured piece of plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for at least 20 minutes.  

Automatic Mixer method: Place the eggs in the bowl of an automatic mixer and blend with a fork. Attach the dough hook attachment to the mixer and add 1½ cups of the flour. Mix with the dough hook until blended. Keep adding the rest of the flour until the dough gathers up into a ball. If the dough is still sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough is not so sticky. Remove dough and place on counter. Knead until the dough is still moist but does not come off on your hands. If it does, add a dusting of flour until it doesn't stick to your hands.  Place in a floured piece of plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for at least 20 minutes.   

Hand method:  Place the eggs in a medium bowl and blend with a fork. Add the flour, a cup at a time, and keep blending until the dough gathers together.  Keep adding the rest of the flour until the dough gathers up into a ball. If the dough is still sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough is not so sticky and pulls away from the bowl. Remove dough and place on counter. Knead until the dough is still moist but does not come off on your hands. If it does, add a dusting of flour until it doesn't stick to your hands. Place in a floured piece of plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for at least 20 minutes.  

Make the filling:  Place the chopped swiss chard in a large pot with just about an inch of water. Cover and steam for about 8 minutes, until the chard is nicely wilted and tender. Drain. Squeeze in a towel until most of the moisture is gone. Remove any little remaining stems. Place in a food processor and pulse until chopped finely (if you don't have a food processor, you'll have to chop finely by hand). Add the cheeses, salt and pepper and pulse again until blended.  Taste and add more salt if you like. 

Place half the filling in a pastry bag with a round piping tip (I use a ¾" tip  - Ateco #804).  If you don't have a piping tip, put the filling in a large ziploc bag and cut off a small corner.  If you want to make smaller agnolotti, use a smaller tip. 

Fill a little dish with water and have a small pastry brush ready.

Assemble agnolotti:
Cut off a small piece of pasta dough. Keep remaining pasta wrapped in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. Run the pasta dough through the pasta rollers at the widest setting about three times (or roll out by hand with a rolling pin).  The pasta should become soft and velvety.  Narrow the rollers and continue to run the dough through the rollers until it is about 1/8" thick. On my KitchenAid rollers, I do not go beyond either 4 or 5. You don't want the dough so thin for a stuffed pasta that it can burst when it cooks. Roll just one sheet at a time because you don't want the pasta to dry out.  

Lay the sheet on a lightly floured counter so that it doesn't stick. Pipe a line of filling across the length of the pasta sheet. Dip the pastry brush in the water and wet the pasta just above the filling. Fold the pasta sheet over, onto the wet part, making sure any air isn't trapped. Seal the pasta by pressing down on the wet part and running your finger all along the pasta sheet. Pinch and seal the filling at 1" intervals, lifting up a bit on the pasta as you go. With a pastry cutter wheel, cut the pasta about an inch above the filling, all the way down the length of the sheet. (see photos) Then cut the pasta where you sealed it with your fingers, cutting from the bottom toward the top of the pasta sheet, forming the agnolotti.  If the pastry cutter sticks at any time, dust the pasta lightly with the flour.

Place the agnolotti on a floured rimmed baking sheet.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook. Continue with the remaining filling and pasta. After cutting agnolotti, gather up scraps and knead a little and use them to make more agnolotti.  Freeze remaining agnolotti and store in plastic bags for later use.

Make Brown Butter:  
In a small saucepan, bring the butter to a simmer.  Cook the butter over medium heat for a couple of minutes. The water in the butter will cook off and then it will all at once begin to foam.  You can smell the butter turning toasty at this point.  Watch carefully and simmer until the butter is just a golden brown color - this part will go quite quickly and you don't want to burn the butter.  Transfer the butter to a heatproof small bowl or a glass Pyrex.  The butter will quickly separate - you will see the brown milk solids at the bottom.  Strain the butter to remove the brown particles.

To serve:
Fill a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Have a  medium sized bowl and a serving platter ready for the pasta.  Place the agnolotti in the boiling water but do not return it to a boil - you don't want to burst the pasta. (If you are cooking a lot of agnolotti, you should do it in a couple of batches so as to not crowd the pot. If you are making enough for just two or three people, it won't matter).  Bring the water back to a simmer and cook the agnolotti gently for a few minutes until they are done.  This is a matter of preference in how tender or toothy you want the pasta - either way, cook until the raw flour taste is gone and the pasta is as tender as you like it.  Remove the agnolotti with a handled strainer and place in the bowl. Drizzle the butter over the pasta, toss, grind a good amount of pepper and sprinkle the cheese over the pasta and gently toss.  Pour out onto the serving platter and sprinkle with additional cheese if you like.  

It's summertime and everyone should know how to make a classic fruit crisp dessert.  They are easy to make and you can make them with so many different fruits.  I'm making this one with blackberries, but you can add blueberries and raspberries for nice mixed berry crisp.  And leftovers are great the next day or even as a sweet treat for breakfast with your coffee.  

Making the filling is basically just gently tossing the berries in a big bowl with the other filling ingredients. Making the topping is a cinch if you have a food processor - just place everything in the bowl and pulse. Assemble and bake. Couldn't be easier.  

Blackberry Crisp

for a printable recipe click here

(I don't like fruit desserts too sweet - if you like them sweeter, bump up the sugar in the fruit mixture to ½ cup or more.)

serves 6

Fruit Mixture:
8 cups fresh blackberries (about six 6-ounce containers) or whatever mix of berries you like
⅓ cup sugar  
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
1½ Tablespoons cornstarch

Topping:
1 cup rolled oats (I use regular but you can use quick-cooking if you want)
⅓ cup brown sugar
½ cup whole wheat flour  (I prefer whole wheat for a richer taste, but you can use regular AP flour)
½ cup butter (1 whole stick), cut into slices

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Make the fruit mixture:
Place the berries in a large bowl.  Add the sugar, lemon zest, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and toss gently.  Place the cornstarch and lemon juice in a small jar with a lid and shake well.  Pour over the berry mixture and gently toss again until coated. 

Spray an 8x8 glass baking dish with cooking spray and add the berry mixture.  

Make the crisp topping:
In a food processor, add the oatmeal, sugar and flour and pulse until blended.  Add the sliced butter and pulse until the mixture is well blended.  (If you don't have a food processor, you will have to do this in a bowl and use two knifes, cutting the butter into the oatmeal mixture until it is well blended.)

Assemble and bake:
Scatter the topping over the fruit.  Bake for about 45 - 50 minutes, until the topping is crisp and brown and the fruit is bubbling.  Remove from oven to let cool and set up a bit until just warm.  Serve with vanilla ice cream on top.  

Why have I never written about these before in a post?  These are a family favorite as an appetizer and are a snap to make.  They are also - bonus - something you can make when you need an appetizer and have nothing available.  Because if you always keep frozen puff pastry sheets in your freezer (you should) and you always have a hard grating cheese in your fridge (I bet you do), you can totally make these in about an hour and a half from start to finish.   You can also make these ahead of time and stick them in the fridge before baking.  They hold all day in the fridge until you're ready to pop them in the oven. 

You can use a hard cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano.  I also like Pecorino Romano for its sharpness and saltiness, so sometimes I will blend the two cheeses.  Make sure you grate the cheese finely because it will adhere better to the puff pastry.  You can grate this on a box grater, but I like to use a food processor because it's faster. And for such a small amount of cheese, I especially like to use my immersion blender - it has a small bowl attachment with a sharp blade to grind cheeses and nuts and it's perfect for small jobs when my big food processor would be overkill:

There's many different ways people make these, but I like to lay down some cheese on the counter, place the puff pastry sheet on top, lay some more cheese on the puff pastry and then fold the sheet in half.  I lay more cheese on top of that and press it all together with a rolling pin.  Then I just cut into strips with a sharp knife, twist the strips and bake.  If you want to double this recipe, you defrost two sheets instead of one and just lay one sheet on top of the other and follow the same method.  

Hope you enjoy these. 

Thanks for dropping by!
Elaine
 

ceramic plate from Fifty One and a Half

Parmesan Garlic Cheese Straws

for a printable recipe, click here

Makes about 14 - 16 cheese straws, depending on how wide you cut them

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (sometimes I use half Parm and half Pecorino cheese for a sharper taste)
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
1 large pinch of fine sea salt

Remove wrapping from the puff pastry sheet and lay out on the counter for about 30 minutes to defrost, until you can open the pastry sheet easily.

While the puff pastry is defrosting, prepare the cheese filling.  You can grate the cheese on the file holes of a hand grater, but I like to do mine in either the food processor or, for such a small amount of cheese, I use my grinder attachment on my immersion blender.  Grind cheese until very fine.  Add the garlic and onion powders and grind until blended.

Line two rimmed baking sheets with baking parchment.  

Sprinkle a third of the cheese mixture on the counter.  Lay the pastry sheet on top.  Sprinkle another third of the cheese on top of the pastry sheet.  Fold the pastry sheet in half, top with the rest of the cheese and press the cheese into the sheet with a rolling pin.  This will also enlarge the pastry size.  

With a very sharp knife, cut the pastry sheet in half vertically and then cut each half into ½ inch strips horizontally.  Twist each strip, rolling in the cheese as you go, and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cheese.  (Save any leftover cheese for another use.)

Refrigerate the pastry for about 30 minutes (puff pastry rises better when cold).  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.  (You can also keep these in the fridge all day until you are ready to bake.  Cover lightly with plastic wrap so they don't dry out.)

Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve immediately.  

The last time I hosted Easter at my house, I made these cute little bunnies out of napkins and put one at each place setting.   Especially if you have children in your home, you may want to try these this Easter.  They are simple to do and you get better after each one!  Thinner napkins work a little better, if you have a choice.  

Also, this is the time to start thinking of making Italian Easter Bread.  If you have never made this delicious bread, give it a go this year.  It is slightly sweet and a real treat. If you are looking for additional Easter recipes, you can try my Pesto Stuffed Eggs, which are so pretty at Easter.  You can also try these pretty Edible Easter Egg Nests, which I have made and placed on the table for dinner.   Enjoy!

Having trouble with the final tuck?  I made a little video on Instagram to help with that. 

There are a handful of classic Roman pasta dishes that you will find in almost every good trattoria in Rome: Cacio e Pepe, Bucatini all' Amatriciana and Pasta alla Gricia. These dishes are what I like the best - simple to make and with just a few ingredients that you already have in your pantry and can make at the last minute. No fancy recipes here - these recipes are all about technique.  This delicious pasta has just four ingredients, but it's essential to prepare it properly. 

In Rome, this dish will be made with guanciale, an Italian bacon that is made from the pig's jowl, or cheek.  It's an ingredient that most of us will not be able to find, so substituting pancetta, which is Italian bacon made from the pig's belly, is fine.  They are very similiar and some people will say they can't tell much of a difference. 

The other major ingredient is Pecorino Romano, which is a sheep's milk cheese.  It's a hard cheese, with a bold salty taste and easy to grate.  If you have a Whole Foods near you or a good cheese shop, you should be able to buy it.  Pecorino and pancetta together make an amazing taste combination. 

This dish requires that you do not overcook the pasta.  In Rome, this dish will be very al dente - to many people, pasta in Rome is firmer than any pasta they've ever had.  You should learn to cook it this way, also.  Err on the side of cooking it less, not more.  For the kind of pasta to use for this dish, use whatever you like, long or short. I used mezzi rigatoni, which is a short rigatoni and one of my very favorite pastas.

The secret to this dish - like so many pasta dishes - is the pasta water.  You cannot make this properly if you drain the pasta and simply toss it with the cheese.  The hot pasta water is added to the fat from frying the pancetta and creates a sauce.  When the cheese is added, you whisk vigorously to make a creamy sauce and add more hot pasta water if you need it.  This dish is not saucy, but somewhat dry.  The pasta water simply enables you to make a sauce from the cheese that will cling to the pasta.  Don't worry if you don't get it perfectly the first time!  Make this dish once a week until you get it right - it's one of the best things you will ever eat. 

Pasta alla Gricia

for a printable recipe, click here

serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish

Because of the saltiness of the meat and the cheese, it is not recommended to salt the water for the pasta.  

5 ounces guanciale or pancetta, cubed 

1½ teaspoons coarsely ground pepper, divided

6 ounces pasta (I used mezzi rigatoni)

¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided, about 2½ ounces (and more for passing)

Start a large pot of water on the stove to boil.   At the same time, fry the diced meat in a large fry pan over medium heat until the edges are a bit crispy.  Remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Do not wipe out pan.  

After the water has come to a boil, cook the pasta until about halfway done - you want the pasta to still be firm (the pasta will continue to cook later in the recipe).  If you are using spaghetti, for instance, this will only take a couple of minutes.  Add about ¾ cup of the pasta water and the ground pepper to the skillet with the fat from the meat and cook over medium high heat, whisking, to thicken, for about a minute.  Remove pasta with a spider, tongs or some other kind of strainer and place in the skillet.  Vigorously stir the pasta with the sauce and add more pasta water if it's too dry.  Add ½ cup of the cheese and stir, over the medium heat.  The cheese will melt into the sauce - add more hot pasta water if you have to. Keep cooking and stirring until the sauce is creamy and the pasta is cooked, but still al dente. Add the guanciale or pancetta and stir to blend.  

Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with more cheese (and more pepper if you like) and serve.  The pasta should be well coated with cheese and pepper, but there shouldn't be a liquid sauce to this dish - if there is, you used too much pasta water.  

The holidays are upon us and for many people, this is the one time they fix a whole beef tenderloin.  Roasting a whole tenderloin is super simple to do, but most people skip the actual preparation of trimming the tenderloin, which they leave to their butcher.  This usually makes the tenderloin more expensive to buy. Learning to trim it properly yourself can be a big savings and is easy to do.  I'm going to give you step-by-step photos to show you how. 

I bought this beef tenderloin at Sam's Club for $11.58 per pound. I checked some prices this week - my local Meijer sells them for $24.99/pound, another local small butcher is selling them for $19.99 per pound and my local Whole Foods is selling them for $29.99.  My local Kroger has them for $18.99 per pound.  And it's common for them to be even cheaper, on sale, at this time of year. Most places will charge extra for trimming and some grocers won't trim them at all.  Of course, the quality of beef is going to differ, but I've bought whole beef tenderloins from Sam's Club and they have been delicious.  

This particular tenderloin was 8 pounds, untrimmed.  The trimmings I threw away weighed just a little over a pound.  So when calculating how much meat to buy, you need to take this into consideration.

The tenderloin is covered with fat and silver skin, both of which need to be removed. There is also a "chain" of meat that runs down one side and is easily removed.  This chain contains a lot of fat but also has some good meat.  I usually remove as much fat as I can from the chain and keep that meat for ground meat or kabobs.  It freezes well.

The fat on the tenderloin is easily removed with your fingers and a knife.  The silver skin is the part that takes the most time in removing.  It encases the meat and has to be removed with a very sharp knife, removing as little meat as you can.  Some people do not bother to remove this silver skin, but I think the meat is nicer without it. 

The tenderloin has a thick end (the head or "butt" end) and then a tapered end that is much thinner.  If you want all the meat to be medium rare when cooked, tuck this thin end underneath to try to even out the width. I don't do this because there is a person in our family (who shall go unnamed) who prefers more well done meat. When I cook the whole tenderloin laid out, I get a variety of rare, medium rare and more well done pieces, all for the same cooking time. I slice the tenderloin and  lay out all the pieces and people can choose what they like. It works out well.

The large "butt" end of the tenderloin has a piece that you can either leave attached (see photos) or cutt off and freeze for another use.  Depending on the size of your tenderloin, this piece usually is around a pound of meat.  So if you don't need that much meat, it's a great piece to freeze for later for two people.  

Some people will tie up the tenderloin before roasting. I don't bother.  You can certainly tie it up with kitchen twine if you like, to even out the roast.  You can also cut the tenderloin into separate steaks to roast or grill. 

Roasting a beef tenderloin is a breeze.  You can marinate the meat or not (this is my marinade) but either way, you need to at least season the meat with pepper or Montreal steak seasoning and plenty of sea salt.  Then just place in a large roasting pan with a rack or, if you don't have that, line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil, set a rack on that and place the tenderloin on the rack.  There are a number of ways to roast it - you can sear it first in a pan and then pop it in the oven or just roast it completely in the oven.  You can roast it on high heat for a short period of time like Ina Garten does (500 degrees F. about 25 minutes) or you can roast it on lower heat for a longer period of time (like I do).  I roast mine about 375 degrees for around 30 - 35 minutes (depending on the size of the tenderloin) until the meat is about 125 degrees.  Then I remove from the oven and let it rest, uncovered, for a few minutes before slicing.  The internal temperature will continue to rise a little.  Medium rare is 130 - 135 degrees F. Serving it with some horseradish sauce is nice. 

I hope these step-by-step photos are helpful to you and that you see how simple a process this is and have the confidence to try it yourself!

Have a great holiday, everyone and see you in 2017!

Thanks for stopping by,
Elaine 

Sometimes serving individual little cheesecakes is just a little more special than slicing servings from a large cheesecake.  If you're having a small dinner with just a few people, mini cheesecakes are a fun option.  I have two ways to make mini cheesecakes, which are easy and work well - one is inidividual mini cheesecake pans and the other is this Norpro mini cheesecake pan.  But what if you don't have these pans and don't want to invest in something like this when you're only going to use them once in a blue moon?  You can bake a whole cheesecake in a 9x13 pan and just cut out individual cheesecakes with a cutter.  

Mini cheesecake pans and Norpro Small Cheesecake Pan

The cheesecake needs ample time to chill before cutting, so making it the day before you plan to serve works out well.  It can chill all night in the fridge and be all ready the next day for cutting. You can also make the cranberry orange topping the day before.  

Using individual little cheesecake pans works the best and this method of cutting them out with a round cutter works well, but it does take a little fiddling - the cheesecake is very sticky and you will have to wash the cutter out between each cutting.  You also will have a lot of cheesecake "trimmings" but hey - they're still great the next day!   But this is a method for you to use if you don't have a specialty pan. 

The crust is made from chocolate graham crackers and the topping is an orange infused cranberry sauce.  The combination of chocolate with the orange and cranberry is, I think, a great holiday flavor and looks so pretty!

Mini Cheesecakes with Cranberry Topping & Chocolate Crust

for a printable recipe, click here

makes about 8 mini cheesecakes, depending on the size you cut them.  You can also just serve this in the pan, and just cut them into bars.  You can also make this recipe in a regular 10" springform pan.

This cheesecake needs ample time to chill in the refrigerator before cutting. You can make this the day before and let it cool overnight in the refrigerator.

You will need about a 3" round cutter

Crust

1½ cups ground chocolate graham crackers (about 12 whole sheets)

⅓ cup sugar

¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter, melted 

Filling

5 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

3 Tablespoons flour

1 8-ounce container sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons orange liqueur, like Cointreau or Triple Sec

Topping

¾ cup sugar

4 Tablespoons water

2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tablespoons water

1 bag fresh cranberries (12 ounce bag)

2 oranges to zest (for the topping) and peel (for garnish)

Make crust:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Grind the chocolate crackers and the sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until blended.   Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray (I use nonstick foil so I don't have to do this).  Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan, using a flat cup of some kind. Bake for about 10 minutes to set crust.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Make the filling:

Lower the oven heat to 325°.  Beat the cream cheese in an electric mixer until soft. Add the sugar and blend well. Add the flour and then the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg well before adding the next.  Add the sour cream and the vanilla extract and orange liqueur.  Blend.  

Pour the mixture on top of the crust in the pan.  Flatten with a spatula.  Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, just until set.  Remove from oven and allow to cool and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.  

Make the topping:

Stir sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.  Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a simmer.  Add the cranberries and cook until they begin to pop, about 3 or 4 minutes.  Stir in the zest of one orange.  Remove  from heat, place in a bowl and cool completely in the refrigerator.  

Assemble cheesecakes:

Spray a 3" round cutter with cooking spray or run under water.  Cut out a cheesecake, making sure to press cutter all the way down through the crust. With a spatula, remove the cheesecake.  Wet a spoon with water and remove the cheesecake from the cutter by gently pressing with the wet spoon.  The cheesecake comes out better if you press it out from the crust side.  This is a very sticky process and you may need to take the wet spoon and fix any damage to the crust.  Turn the cheesecake right side up on your serving plate.  Fix any ragged edges.  Clean the cutter and cut the rest of the cheesecakes.  

When all the cheesecakes are cut out, top with the cranberry sauce and garnish with fresh orange peel.  

(Save all the "trimmings" for future snacking - they keep well in the fridge for several days.) 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Elaine 

Make Ahead Buffet Mashed Potatoes 

Worried about having the time or energy to make mashed potatoes while you're juggling the turkey, side dishes and all your relatives?  You can make this dish the day before Thanksgiving and have it all ready to pop in the oven on Thanksgiving Day or even the week before Thanksgiving and freeze it.  It's delicious. 

Classic Pumpkin Roll

Want something a little different than plain old Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream?  This classic Pumpkin Roll will be just different enough to tempt your family.  

Rolled Turkey Breast Stuffed with Cranberries, Apples, Walnuts

So you don't want to cook a whole turkey but just a whole turkey breast is so boring? This version can add a lot of gourmet flair to your turkey.  It's a whole turkey breast that's deboned (with step by step photos) and stuffed with a delicious stuffing of fruit and nuts.  Check it out. 

How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock

You use the pan drippings and some chicken stock to make gravy, right?  But what if you had a super rich, homemade reduced and concentrated stock to add to the gravy?  It's just a little addition that makes a big difference.  You can make it the week before. 

Silky Chestnut Soup

I bet your guests have never had Chestnut Soup.  And this recipe comes from Thomas Keller - it's a winner and delicious. 

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

A beautiful, delicious special dessert that is easy that comes from Chez Panisse.  If you want something different for dessert for Thanksgiving, this is it.

Pumpkin Cake with Salted Caramel Mousse

Here's another dessert that might give you something different to serve but still has a Thanksgiving flair. And the caramel mousse is crazy delicious.  

It's that time of year again when the cherry tomatoes are overflowing in your garden and the Farmer's Markets. We love eating them raw in salads, of course, but how about roasting them until they are soft and sweet and serve them over pasta?  This simple dish is a snap to make and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand anyway. 

This dish is not about the pasta being overly dressed - remember, the sauce on pasta should just complement the pasta, not drown it.  Garlic is sauteed in a little good olive oil and then a spash of white wine and chicken broth are added with some seasoning.  There's a hint of tomato sauce, but not much.  The star of the show here is the roasted cherry tomatoes, so we let them shine with just a light sauce underneath them.

ceramic plates from Fifty One and a Half

pure white ricotta salata cheese

I used ricotta salata, a salty cheese I like but you can use Parmigiano Reggiano cheese instead.  Whole Foods carries ricotta salata and any specialty Italian deli will have it.  It's a salted, dried version of ricotta that grates easily and is just barely moist.  It's delicious - please try it if you are able to find it. 

Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta

serves 4

for a printable recipe, click here

22 ounces cherry tomatoes

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

¼ cup dry white wine

½ cup chicken broth

¼ cup of tomato sauce

few grinds of black pepper

¼ teaspoon onion powder

8 ounces of thin spaghetti (or any other pasta you like)

ricotta salata or any other cheese you like for grating

fresh basil leaves, sliced

Heat oven to 425° F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Place the tomatoes, whole on the baking sheet and roast for about 15 - 20 minutes, until they collapse a little and are soft.  Remove from oven and let rest.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil and garlic together until the garlic is soft - don't burn it! Add the white wine, chicken broth, tomato sauce, pepper and onion powder.  Simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered and then turn off heat and cover with a lid. 

Boil the pasta until very al dente - you should take the pasta out before you think it is done. It will continue to cook after you remove it from the pot.  Remove the spaghetti with tongs and place right into the skillet with the sauce, allowing a little of the pasta water clinging to the pasta to go into the skillet.  The starchy pasta water will help in making the sauce.  Toss the pasta in the sauce until well coated.  Pour the pasta into a large serving bowl and grate the cheese over the pasta.  Toss again. Grate more cheese.   Sprinkle the sliced basil leaves over the pasta and place the roasted cherry tomatoes on top.  Enjoy! (Be careful cutting the tomatoes - they squirt!)

This is one of my favorite summer salads.  With sweet corn coming into season and tomatoes and peppers just around the corner, this is a great Farmer's Market dish. The dressing that I make for this makes the salad bright and crisp. It's easy to feed a crowd with this.

I like to grill the corn first in its husks and then char it.  I leave the corn in its husks and soak it in water for about 30 minutes.  This allows the corn to steam on the grill first before pulling back the husks and giving the corn a final char.  

For the sweet peppers, you can use any sweet pepper you like but I am really loving the mini sweet peppers right now for raw dishes - you can slice them into such nice little rings.  

Tweak this recipe any way you like - if you want more tomatoes and not so many peppers, just adjust the amounts.  Use any cheese you like - I'm using feta in this version, but I've used other cheeses, including goat cheese and ricotta salata or even asiago cheese.

The dressing uses white balsamic vinegar, which just has such a nice bright acidity to it and doesn't darken the salad like a regular balsamic.  I hope you give it a try.  

ceramic plates from Fifty One and a Half

Charred Corn Summer Salad

for a printable recipe, click here

serves 8

salad:

4 ears of sweet corn, with husks still on

½ cup diced red onion (about ½ of a medium onion)

2 cups of sliced sweet peppers (I like the mini peppers, sliced into rings)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup feta cheese (you can use goat cheese, ricotta salata, etc. or any tangy cheese)

2 cups fresh arugula 

dressing:

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoons Montreal Steak Seasoning (use can just use pepper, but I like to use this because of its robust flavor)

¼ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

Soak corn, in the husks, in water for about 30 minutes.  

In a large bowl, mix the onions, sweet peppers and tomatoes together. 

Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing in a measuring cup and set aside. 

Light a grill and set it to medium high heat.  When the grill is hot, place the soaked corn on the grill.  The husks will keep the corn moist and steam the corn.  Grill the corn for about 12  - 15 minutes, rotating the ears every few minutes with tongs.   The husks will become charred - that's okay.  

Remove the cooked corn from the grill.  Keep the grill lit.  Wearing a grill or oven mitt, hold each ear and carefully pull back the husks with a pair of tongs.  The silk of the corn should just slide off, also.  Pull the husks back to create a "handle".  Place the corn back on the grill and cook until the corn is nicely charred, using the husks to turn the ears over.  

pull back the husks after you have grilled the corn . . .

and place them back on the grill until they are nicely charred

Remove the corn from the grill and with a sharp knife, cut off the kernels.  Add these to the other vegetables in the bowl.  Add the feta and the dressing and toss.  Add the arugula right before serving and toss again.  Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.  Serve at room temperature. 

"Crostata" is a term used for an Italian tart. This dessert is a chocolate lover's dream and comes from Katherine Thompson, the pastry chef at several top NYC restaurants, including L'Artusi in the West Village and L'Apicio in the East Village. The recipe is from a book called "Women Chefs of New York", which features great women like Sara Jenkins, April Bloomfield and (my favorite) Gabrielle Hamilton. My future daughter-in-law, Robyn, gave me this terrific book for Christmas and as soon as I saw this recipe, I wanted to make it.   

The recipe looks extensive, but one thing to note is that once the tart crust is baked, there is no more baking required. The filling is just poured into the tart shell and refrigerated until set. The crust is not difficult to make and can just be pressed into the tart pan, if you don't want to try to roll it.  The Mascarpone Mousse is like whipped cream, but more luscious and denser and is a breeze to whip up - it only has three ingredients. The tart crust dough scraps are baked until crispy and sprinkled on the dessert for a nice little crunchy texture.  It's an awesome dessert - don't be afraid to give it a try!

Chocolate Crostata with Mascarpone Mousse

for a printable recipe, click here

makes one 9½-inch tart, about 10 servings

Notes:  For the crust, I just used regular salted butter and omitted the salt.

Equipment needed:  9½" tart pan and a piping bag with medium to large tip

For the chocolate crust:

7 Tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

5/8 cup sifted confectioners' sugar (odd amount, I know - so just measure a ½ cup and add another ⅛ cup)

1 large egg yolk

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

4½ Tablespoons cocoa powder (I used less - about 3 Tablespoons)

¼ teaspoon kosher salt 

For the chocolate filling:

2 Tablespoons cold water

1 envelope (2¼ teaspoons) powdered gelatin

1 cup heavy cream

¾ cup whole milk

4 Tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

6 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate 

2 Tablespoons coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua (optional)

¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Mascarpone Mousse:

(makes 3 cups)

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

¾ cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar 

Make the Chocolate Crust:

Place the butter and confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together, on medium speed, until thoroughly combined and light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Next add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients and just absorbed to form a dough. Do not overmix. Turn out onto a clean surface and form into a disc.  Wrap the dough in floured plastic wrap and chill for 1-2 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F and insert 2 racks. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

Dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll out the dough until it is ⅛ inch thick. Roll the dough loosely around the floured rolling pin, then unroll it onto the tart pan.  Gently ease the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan.  If there are any holes in the tart shell, patch them with pieces of dough torn from the rough edges.  (Note:  when I made this, I really couldn't get a whole nice round dough rolled out, like I can with pie dough.  This can be pretty common with tart dough. If you're having trouble, don't worry about rolling out a perfect round of dough - just press the dough into the pan and up the sides. It's fine). Trim off any remaining excess dough by running the rolling pin over the edges of the pan. Place these dough trimmings on the parchment-lined sheet tray. 

Next line the tart shell with a generous piece of parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place the sheet tray with the dough scraps on the lower rack in the oven and the tart shell on the upper rack.

Bake the dough scraps for 12 minutes; remove from the oven and let cool.  Bake the tart shell for another 15 minutes.  Remove the parchment paper and pie weights from the shell, then return the tart shell to the oven and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes, or until the bottom is firm and dry to the touch. Leave to cool on a rack until room temperature, about 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Break off a small piece of a cooled scrap - it should break easily. If the dough seems too soft, return the scraps to the oven for another 3-5 minutes. Once the scraps are cooked sufficiently, break them by hand into crumbs of roughly varied sizes. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature until ready to serve the tart. 

Make the Chocolate Filling:

Place the cold water in a very small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin onto the water. If there are any undissolved clumps of gelatin, use a fork or tiny whisk to break them up. Let the soaking gelatin sit at room temperature while preparing the rest of the ingredients for the filling.  

Place the heavy cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, then add the soaked (or "bloomed") gelatin to the dairy mixture and whisk to combine. Next add the chocolate to the pan and whisk until completely melted and incorporated. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and whisk in the coffee liqueur and vanilla extract. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell. 

Chill uncovered in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight until the filling has set completely.

Make the Mascarpone Mousse:

Using a stand mixer with a wire whisk attachment or a handheld electric mixer, combine the mascarpone, heavy cream and sugar and beat on medium speed until the mixture holds medium to stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to over-whip the mixture or it will quickly turn to butter. Use immediately; or you can store it in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 1 day.  (Mine was fine for 3 days in the fridge.) 

To serve, place a slice of the chilled tart on a plate, pipe a generous amount of the mascarpone mousse on top and sprinkle with the tart shell crumbs.