Author Topic: The Recipe Box  (Read 59806 times)

VmSoze

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Re: The Recipe Box
« Reply #10 on: November 21, 2007, 12:24:05 AM »
The chocolate-covered cherries are really great to take to office parties, very transportable. 

Here's a very-very-couldn't-be-easier-or-tastier recipe but it's been around awhile so everyone probably has this one:

Heat the oven to warm (very lo setting; hot air basically).  Lay mini twisted pretzels very close together in a single layer on a pan. I use a pizza pan covered in foil wrap and serve them off that as a tray.  In the center of each pretzel lay one rollo. Set in oven until rollo gets soft (don't let it melt, keep checking it).  Take out of oven and press a walnut half or pecan half into the rollo to squish it down.  Let it cool.  If you let the rollos get too soft in the oven, it's OK to refrigerator the finished candy until ready to use it.   

Note:  Rollos in Aus are chocolate-covered soft caramels.  I think it's the same in the US.  They come in a large package individually wrapped.

we have Rollos here, I was obsessed with them as a child. 

saltine

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Re: The Recipe Box
« Reply #11 on: November 21, 2007, 01:01:13 AM »
Is smoked mozzarella hard to find?  I've never looked for it.  I mean, is it a specialty cheese?
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ses

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Re: The Recipe Box
« Reply #12 on: November 21, 2007, 01:04:52 AM »
Is smoked mozzarella hard to find?  I've never looked for it.  I mean, is it a specialty cheese?

I never found it hard to find, it's usually by the fresh mozzarella, I would probably consider it a specialty cheese.  You can probably use a different smoked cheese like gouda or something, it just really adds to the flavor.  I said it was a must, but the dish would still be good with regular mozzarella.
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VmSoze

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Re: The Recipe Box
« Reply #13 on: November 21, 2007, 10:00:56 AM »
if you have any Italian delis near you, smoked mozz will be a breeze to find.  It's usually readily available at supermarkets too.

ses

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Re: The Recipe Box
« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2007, 12:58:22 AM »
Here's one we will be eating tomorrow...from Emeril Live on the Food Network

Orange-Mashed Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups

3lbs sweet potatoes
4 large oranges
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let rest until just cool enough to handle.
Lower the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make the orange cups by cutting the oranges in half and scooping out the pulp, leaving only the shell. Set aside.

While still somewhat hot, peel the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Discard the skins and tough, stringy fibers. Add the butter, and with an electric mixer, beat out the lumps. Add the sugar, eggs, orange juice, and heavy cream, and mix until smooth. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and mix well. Re-season, to taste.

Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the orange cups, mounding and smoothing the top. Bake until puffed and slightly golden, about 20 minutes.

      
Note: Beware of overfilling the cups because the will spill out.  In my experience the filling is way more than is needed for the orange cups, so we will just bake the extra in a small dish with marshmallows on top.  I prefer the ones in the orange cups because the orange flavor really infuses into the sweet potato mixture.
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oneaprilday

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Re: The Recipe Box
« Reply #15 on: November 22, 2007, 01:34:03 PM »
I just made this cake this week - I only do it once a year for my husband's birthday because it's quite time-consuming, but it's absolutely delicious and totally worth it. If you can, use the highest quality chocolate you can find, it's worth it.

All-Chocolate Blackout Cake

Cake:
1/2 c. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
4-5 T. boiling water
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 c. milk
1 c. unsalted butter, softened slightly
2 c. sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt

Filling:
1 T. plus 1 3/4 t. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 c. boiling water
3/4 c plus 1 T. plus 1/2 t. sugar
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. cold water
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla extract
2 T. unsalted butter

Frosting:
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped (I've used bittersweet for a darker frosting with good results)
12 T. unsalted butter
1/2 c. hot water
1 T. light corn syrup
1 T. vanilla extract

Make the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour 2 8-inch round cake pans (I use parchment paper.)
2. Place cocoa in small bowl and whisk in the boiling water to form a paste.
3. Combine the chocolate and milk in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until chocolate melts, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk a small amount of milk mixture into cocoa paste to warm it. Whisk cocoa mixture into milk mixture. Return pan to medium heat and stir for 1 minute. Remove and set aside to cool until tepid.
4. Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, and add the vanilla. Slowly stir in chocolate mixture
5. Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add flour mixture to chocolate mixture. Fold in just until mixed.
6. In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into the batter. Divide batter between prepared pans.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Start checking cakes at 25 minutes -though total bake time is between 30-35. (Better underdone than overdone!!)
Cool cakes in pans on rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove the cakes from pans and continue to cool.

Make the filling:
While the cake is baking, combine the cocoa and boiling water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar and chocolate. Add the dissolved cornstarch paste and salt to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in vanilla and butter. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cool.
(Note: This makes very runny filling that seeps into the cake - if you like a thicker filling, add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch.)

Make the frosting:
1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water, stirring until smooth. Remove the top of hte double boiler from heat and whisk in the butter, 1 T. at a time. Return the top to the heat, if necessary to melt the butter.
2. Whisk in hot water all at once and whisk until smooth. Whisk in corn syrup and vanill. Cover and refrigerat for up to 15 minutes prior to using.

Assemble the cake:
1. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice each cake layer horizontally in half to form 4 layers. Set 1 layer aside. Place 1 layer on a cake round or plate. Generously swath the layer with 1/3 of the filling. Add the second layer and repeat. Set the third layer on top. Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and the sides of the cake. Refrigerate cake for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, crumble the remaing cake layer. Apply the remaining frosting to the cake. Sprinkle the cake liberally with cake crumbs. Serve the cake within 24 hours. Store in a cool place.

lise

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Re: The Recipe Box
« Reply #16 on: November 22, 2007, 07:21:11 PM »
sounds like I may have another chocolate cake to make. :)
Strikeouts are boring - besides that, they're fascist.  Throw some ground balls.  More democratic.

skjerva

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Re: The Recipe Box
« Reply #17 on: December 04, 2007, 09:54:11 PM »
Darn there are some great looking recipes here.  Here is the recipe Lara uses for Egg Nog:

12 Separated eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1 c burbon
1 c Cognac
1/2 tsp salt
3 pint heavy cream
Grated Nutmeg

Beat yolks until light in color
slowly add sugar, bourbon and cognac while beating at slow speed
Chill 3 hours

Add salt to whites and beat to peaks
whip cream until stiff
fold whipped cream into yolk mixture then fold in beaten egg whites
Chill 1 hour

Serve with nutmeg sprinkled on top (and yes, buy whole nutmeg and grate it fresh, don't use it from a can)
« Last Edit: December 04, 2007, 10:53:35 PM by skjerva »
But I wish the public could, in the midst of its pleasures, see how blatantly it is being spoon-fed, and ask for slightly better dreams. 
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oneaprilday

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Re: The Recipe Box
« Reply #18 on: December 04, 2007, 10:31:26 PM »
Darn there are some great looking recipes here.  Here is the recipe Lara uses for Egg Nog:

12 Separated eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1 c burbon
1 c Cognac
1/2 tsp salt
3 pint heavy cream
Grated Nutmeg

Beat yolks until light in color
slowly add bourbon and cognac while beating at slow speed
Chill 3 hours

Add salt to whites and beat to peaks
whip cream until stiff
fold whipped cream into yolk mixture then fold in beaten egg whites
Chill 1 hour

Serve with nutmeg sprinkled on top (and yes, buy whole nutmeg and grate it fresh, don't use it from a can)

This looks so great! I know what I'm bringing to our family Christmas party . . .  :)

skjerva

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Re: The Recipe Box
« Reply #19 on: December 04, 2007, 10:54:37 PM »
Darn there are some great looking recipes here.  Here is the recipe Lara uses for Egg Nog:

12 Separated eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1 c burbon
1 c Cognac
1/2 tsp salt
3 pint heavy cream
Grated Nutmeg

Beat yolks until light in color
slowly add bourbon and cognac while beating at slow speed
Chill 3 hours

Add salt to whites and beat to peaks
whip cream until stiff
fold whipped cream into yolk mixture then fold in beaten egg whites
Chill 1 hour

Serve with nutmeg sprinkled on top (and yes, buy whole nutmeg and grate it fresh, don't use it from a can)

This looks so great! I know what I'm bringing to our family Christmas party . . .  :)

Rereading your post I noticed I didn't add the sugar, it should go in with the burbon and cognac.
But I wish the public could, in the midst of its pleasures, see how blatantly it is being spoon-fed, and ask for slightly better dreams. 
                        - Iris Barry from "The Public's Pleasure" (1926)