Puxtawany Phil

Nathan wanted to make this after seeing it in the family fun magazine. It's a bit past Groundhogs day but we are still talking about that strange tradition. I made homemade chocolate pudding. It was really thick and rich and I'd like to try something a little lighter in taste and texture so I will be on the lookout for another Chocolate pudding recipe, from scratch of course.

Post Script

I just ate some leftover pudding this morning.  I take it back about being too heavy. It was delicious!! I guess it all depends on the mood, but around 11 am is a perfect time for a few bites of rich pudding.  Still, I think I will try a few recipes to see if I might find a less dense and rich pudding just to change things up.  Here's the recipe I followed for very rich and chocolaty pudding:

2 1/2 cups milk

4 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 Tbs. cornstarch

4 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, (scant 1 cup)  (I used 1 cup of Kirklands semisweet chocolate chips)

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream, whipped for topping 

Pour all but 2 Tbs of the milk into a saucepan and warm gently over medium heat until small bubbles begin to appear at the pans edges.

Meanwhile, combined the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a bowl.  Stir in the remaining 2 Tbs milk to form a paste.  Using a whisk, vigorously stir the hot milk into the egg mixture.  Then pour the mixture back into the pan.  Place over medium-low heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  When the mixture reaches a boil, continue whisking constantly for 1 full minute.

Remove from heat and add chocolates and vanilla extract.  Whisk until smooth. 

Pour into dishes and let cool.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Top with whipped cream before serving if desired.  Or make a fun pudding cup treat with your kids :)  

Ultra rich hot cocoa

Some like it rich!!  I tried this recipe from Bon Appetit and it was delicious!

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream, divided
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large pinch of kosher salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 72% cacao), chopped
• 1/3 cup (loosely packed) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 pints peppermint or mint chip ice cream

Preparation

• Combine milk, 1/2 cup cream, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup water in a large heavy saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add chocolate and cocoa powder; whisk until chocolate melts and mixture just comes to a boil. 
• Whisk remaining 1/2 cup cream in a small bowl until firm peaks form.
• Remove vanilla bean from hot cocoa; discard. Transfer cocoa to a blender and purée until thick and foamy, about 2 minutes.
• Scoop ice cream into teacups; pour hot cocoa into cups, dividing evenly. Top each with a small dollop of whipped cream. 

whoopie pies vs. macaroons

Bon Appetit featured an article on the next cupcake: whoopies pies or French macaroons

I used their recipe for the French Macaroon with raspberry buttercream and a Family Fun recipe for the whoopie pie. My vote was for the whoopie pie, but I would like to make macaroons again to see if I can get them better. Mine spread thin instead of up.

My friend and I made the whoopie pies together for a church event. They were a hit. We quadrupled the cake recipe and more than quadrupled the filling. I like lots of filling!

Whoopie Pies: (From family Fun Magazine)

Ingredients

• CAKES
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup softened butter

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• FILLING
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1½ cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup marshmallow crème
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Red food coloring (optional)

Click Here for the macaroon recipe

Creamy Caesar Dressing

I found this recipe from Weber's Real Grilling (an awesome cookbook) and I love it!


1 medium garlic clove
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise (Like Hellman's)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground black papper

Roughly chop the garlic, and then sprinkle the salt on top. Using both the sharp edge and the flat side of the knife blade, crush the garlic and salt together to create a paste. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and add the remaining dressing ingredients. Mix well. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Always a favorite in the fall! I made this the other day for a postpartum visit. Along with the risotto I made a cesaser salad and apple cake.
This take a lot of time so I only make it once a year!

Ingredients:

• 7 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh sage
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 cups butternut squash puree (I just cook a squash in the oven and make my own)
  
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2/3 cup caramelized onions
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 Tbs. of the butter. Add 1 Tbs. of the sage and heat until the butter browns. Strain the butter into a small bowl and discard the sage. Cover the bowl to keep the butter warm.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the stock and squash puree. Bring just to a simmer, 8 to 10 minutes; maintain over low heat.

In a large saucepan or risotto pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the caramelized onions and rice and stir until the grains are well coated with the oil and are nearly translucent with a white dot in the center, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. sage and the rosemary. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed.

Add the simmering stock mixture a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding more.

When the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy, after about 30 minutes, stir in the remaining 3 Tbs. butter, the cheese, salt and pepper. Add more stock if needed so the rice is thick and creamy. Let stand for 2 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sage butter and serve immediately. Serves 6.

From Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Blueberry and wild rice salad

My mom used to make a fantastic blueberry and wild rice salad that we would often have on picnics. Her picnics were fabulous, with several different salads, cheese and fruit, and a wonderful dessert. I don't think we still have her recipe for her salad but I found one online that was similar. I served it with some salmon and it made a delicious supper!
1 cup wild rice
2 cups nonfat chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. grated lime peel
6 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup blueberries
8 oz mixed greens

recipe directions
Wash the wild rice. Combine the rice with chicken broth and enough water to cover by 1 inch in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 40 min. Drain and cool. Stir in hazelnuts, cranberries, apricots and red onion.

Prepare dressing: In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, honey, grated ginger lime and lemon peel. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour over the rice and mix well. Gently fold in the blueberries. Arrange greens on a platter and mound rice on top.

Classic vanilla cake with mascarpone frosting and raspberries--Jason's birthday cake

I've been making this for Jason's birthday for several years now. It is heavenly!
Ingredients:
1 C. unsalted butter, softened
3 C. cake flour
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 C. granulated sugar
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, or tsp. pure vanilla extract (*I always use the vanilla bean)
1 C. whole milk
6 large egg whites, at room temperature

Frosting:
1 lb Mascarpone cheese, at room temp
2 C. heavey cream
2/3 C. granulated sugar
seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla (The vanilla bean really makes it pretty with the little flecks of vanilla)
pinch table salt

Fresh Rasberries



Directions:
For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of two 9 inch round cake pans. LIne the bottoms with parchement and lightly flour the sides. (I didn't do this because I have good, non stick pans).
Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add 1 1/2 C. of the sugar and teh vanilla. Continue beating until combined and fluffy. On low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients at a time, alternating with 1/2 cup of the milkat a time, beginning and ending with the flour.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add remaning 1/4 C. sugar. Continue beating until the whites from medium firm peaks. Scoop about 1/4 of the whites and stir them gently into the cake batter to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whites until just blended.
Scrape the batter into prepared pans. Bake until top are light brown and cakes are done, about 30 minutes. Set pans on rack and let cool 15 minutes. Invert the layers onto the rack. Let cool completely.

Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone, cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed until almost smooth about 30-60 seconds. Bet on medium high speed until the mixture is thick and holds firm peaks, another 30-60 seconds. Try not to overbeat or it will look grainy (I did this)

Assemble cake by putting one layer on a cake plate. You probably will need to take a bread knife and slice off the top to make it flat (a yummy treat for the cook). Spread about 2 C. of teh frosting over this layer. Arrange half the berries on it. Put the second layer on. Apply a very thin layer of frosting to seal in crumbs. chill for 5 minutes. Spread the remaning frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Top with rasberries. Refrigerate cake for 4 hours or up to 2 days. Bring it out about a half hour or hour before serving it to get it to room temperature. Enjoy.


Number Of Servings:12