by Kathy Douglas | Jan 10, 2017 | Breakfast, Entrees
These winter veggies are a delight for your palate – roasted to perfection, then combined with a Fontina cheese filling, and surrounded by a crunchy parmesan cheese crust. Served slightly warm with a side salad, this Quiche makes a comforting winter dinner.
INGREDIENTS
Crust
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
¾ cup cold (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
¼ to ½ cup ice water
Filling
10 large Brussels sprouts
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, cut into ½ ” pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed, cut into ½ ” pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 ½ cups grated fontina or mozzarella cheese
2 large eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup Crème Fraîche or Sour Cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Pulse flour, cheese, sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk and pulse until just combined. With processor running, drizzle in ¼ cup ice water, then pulse until dough just comes together. If the dough is too crumbly add up to 1/4 cup more water adding only 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together. Dump the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, bring it together and shape into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 15″ round. Transfer to 9″ spring form pan, easing the sides down into the pan so you don’t stretch the dough. Press onto bottom and up sides of springform pan, then trim the dough even with the top, freeze for 15 minutes.
Line the center with non-stick foil or parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the foil/parchment and pie weights. Return the crust to oven and bake for 25 minutes longer or until browned. Let crust cool while you make the filling. Increase the oven to 425 degrees.
Remove as many outer leaves as possible of the Brussels sprouts and add to a large bowl. Quarter the remaining centers and add to the bowl as well. Add the peppers, onions, and cauliflower florets to the bowl then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss to mix well. Pour out onto two sheet pans and roast, switching the pans in the oven halfway through, until the vegetables are cooked through and their edges are browned, about 25-30 minutes.
Reduce the oven back to 350 degrees. Scatter ½ the roasted vegetables over bottom of tart crust. Scatter 1 teaspoon of thyme over the vegetables and top with ½ the grated cheese. Add the balance of the roasted vegetables and cheese. Whisk eggs, Crème Fraîche and cream in a small bowl. Slowly pour egg mixture over vegetables. Scatter remaining thyme on top.
Bake until the filling is set, about 60 minutes. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Remove the springform and serve warm or at room temperature. Make 8 servings.
by Kathy Douglas | Jan 4, 2017 | Entrees
Crispy, sweet and nutty – a delectable combination for chicken cutlets. Our recipe coats chicken in ground pecans, Parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs then sautés them to perfection. For a delicious contrast, the savory sauce combines honey, lemon, and bourbon. Add some extra flavor with roasted apples and sweet potatoes – lightly tossed in the sauce right before serving.
INGREDIENTS
Honey Bourbon Sauce
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons bourbon
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Kosher salt
Chicken Cutlets
4 chicken cutlets (or 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more if needed
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 large eggs
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup toasted and finely ground pecans
½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3-cup grape seed or any other neutral flavored oil, plus more if needed
Sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the sauce, combine the lemon juice, brown sugar, honey, butter, bourbon, cinnamon, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt in a saucepan, heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Turn the heat to very low, cover and keep warm.
Place plastic wrap over the chicken cutlets and pound them to 1/4″ thick. Set up a three tray breading station: in the first tray combine the flour with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper, in the second tray add the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water and whisk until combined, in the last tray combine the panko bread crumbs, pecans, and Parmesan with a pinch of salt.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add 1/3 cup of neutral flavored oil and heat until shimmering. Dip the cutlets in the flour, coat well, then shake off any extra before you move to the egg. Dip in the egg, shaking off any extra before adding to the panko, pecan and Parmesan mixture. Coat well, shake off extra and add to the oil. Sauté for 1-2 minutes per side until browned and the chicken is cooked through. Continue with all the cutlets, adding any extra oil if needed. Place the cooked cutlets on paper towels for 2-3 minutes, then move to a platter. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt and serve with the sauce.
For an added treat, roast some diced apples and sweet potatoes. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Cube two green apples and one sweet potato. Toss in one tablespoon of neutral flavored oil and one teaspoon of salt. Place the sweet potatoes and apples on a sheet tray covered with parchment paper and roast 25-30 minutes until tender. While warm, toss them in a small amount of the sauce and serve with chicken and extra sauce on the side.
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 19, 2016 | Desserts
Holiday candy meets easy dessert in a two-bite treat! Our Peppermint Bark Mousse Cups are the tasty combination of cool peppermint and white chocolate mousse inside a dark chocolate dessert cup. Peppermint Bark Lovers will rejoice with this luscious sensation of a favorite holiday delicacy. Perfect for holiday parties and celebrations, and very simple to create, our two-bite dessert is sure to be a crowd pleaser for everyone. ChocoMaker Dark Chocolate Dessert Cups are available at Walmart Grocery.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup heavy cream
1 egg white
4 ounces white chocolate melted
24 ChocoMaker Dark Chocolate Dessert Cups or any store bought mini dark chocolate cups
2 tablespoons crushed peppermint
1 teaspoon cocoa powder for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS
Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Beat the egg white until it holds soft peaks. Fold the white chocolate into the beaten egg white, then into the whipped cream. Spoon into the chocolate cups and refrigerate until the mousse sets – at least 1 hour. Dust with the cocoa powder and garnish with crushed peppermint.
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 12, 2016 | Appetizers
Super easy, super fast and super tasty. These appetizers will be the hit of the party and they are made with just five ingredients. Using store bought Filo dough shells, tasty Brie, toasted almonds, fruit preserves, and baby mint leaves, you can bake up this dish in less than 15 minutes. So take the pressure off and remove some stress from the Holidays, while enjoying this delicious combination of savory and sweet.
For the best flavor match with Brie – choose one of these tasty jam preserves, marmalade or fruit butter: strawberry, cherry, apricot, fig, orange marmalade or apple butter. Or be creative and use a combination.
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup thinly sliced almonds
4 ounces of brie cheese, rind removed, cut into 30 cubes- ¾” x ¾” x 3/8”
30 mini Filo shells
5 tablespoons of jam preserves, marmalade or fruit butter: strawberry, cherry, apricot, or fig, orange marmalade or apple butter
30 baby mint leaves (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the almonds on a sheet tray and toast for 6 minutes until light brown; remove and cool. Move the oven temperature up to 375 degrees and preheat.
Place one cube of brie into each Filo shell. Bake the shells for 5 minutes or until the brie has melted into the bottom of the shell. Spoon ½ teaspoon of preserves over the melted brie. Place back in the oven and bake 2-4 minutes more minutes or until the preserves have slightly melted.
Remove from oven and immediately garnish each shell with toasted almonds. Cool slightly and add the baby mint leaves (if using). Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 30 Appetizers.
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 5, 2016 | Desserts
Shortbread dough is so flexible and perfect when you want to make an assortment of holiday baked goods using only one batch of dough. With this recipe, you can also customize your treats to suit your taste. We used holiday cookie decorations, but finely chopped nuts will be perfect as well. Get creative with cookie decorations such as colored sugar, jimmies, sprinkles, luminous candy pearls or sparkling dragees. Butter is such a critical ingredient in these treats, so we recommend using a top-quality butter, such as Cabot, Plugra or Kerrygold.
Shortbread Dough
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature, use high quality such as Cabot, Plugra or Kerrygold
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
INSTRUCTIONS
In an electric mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until fluffy, then beat in the flour ½ cup at a time. The dough may seem a little dry but keep beating till it comes together. If it won’t come together, drizzle in 1 teaspoon of water at a time up to 3 teaspoons until it does. You are creating a stiff dough, so only add as much water as necessary.
Divide the dough in half, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until use.
Chocolate Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
INGREDIENTS
½ batch shortbread dough
1 cup chocolate chips
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
½ cup crushed candy canes
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using butter, lightly grease one square 9″ cake pan. Place parchment in the bottom and lightly grease the parchment.
Press the dough into a prepared pan, smoothing the surface with you fingers. Chill the dough in the pan for 30 minutes.
Use a fork to prick the dough all over in an even pattern; this allows any steam to escape. Bake the shortbread until it’s a light golden brown across the top surface, and a deeper golden brown around the edges, about 25 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Handling the baked dough carefully, immediately turn the shortbread out onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares. Be sure to do this while the shortbread is still warm; it won’t cut easily if it cools. Transfer the shortbread squares to a rack to cool.
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power in 45-second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until melted completed. Spread the chocolate in a pattern on half of each cookie then set on parchment to cool. Sprinkle with crushed candy cane, or any decorations you choose, and refrigerate until the chocolate sets. Makes 16 cookies.
Mini Holiday Cinnamon Cheesecakes
INGREDIENTS
1/2 batch shortbread dough
One 8-ounce package cream cheese at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 large egg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
¼ cup white chocolate chips
holiday sprinkles or dragees
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using butter, lightly grease a 12-cup mini cheesecake pan or muffin pan. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and place in the pan’s cups. Press firmly to the bottoms and up the sides. Use a fork to prick the dough all over; this allows any steam to escape. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until set and just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
To make the cheesecake batter, in an electric mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the cream, egg, cinnamon and vanilla; mixing well. Spoon the batter into the cooled crusts, using between one to two tablespoons in each.
Bake the cheesecakes for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20-30 minutes. Use a knife to gently loosen the edges, then carefully remove the cheesecakes from the pan. Chill for 30 minutes. Place the cheesecakes on a parchment lined sheet pan.
Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power in 45-second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until melted completed. Using a fork, drizzle the white chocolate over the top of the cheesecakes and immediately add holiday sprinkles, candy pearls or dragees. Chill until the chocolate is set and keep cool until ready to serve. Makes 12 mini cheesecakes.
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