Ingredients
1 boxed chocolate cake mix (including ingredients called for by mix)
1/2 cup whipping cream
4 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Fresh berries, mint leaves and confectioners’ sugar for garnish, optional
To make
01. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan; line bottom with waxed paper; grease and flour paper.
02. Prepare cake mix as package directs; pour into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and place on rack. Carefully removed waxed paper; letcake cool completely.
03. Bring cream to a boil in a small pan over medium heat. Add chocolate; remove from heat. Cover; let stand 10 minutes. Whisk until thick. Let icing cool 15 minutes.
04. Place waxed paper under rack. Pour icing over cake; spread to cover. Let cool until set. If desired, top with fresh berries and mint and then dust top with confectioners’ sugar.
Perfect partner: Grand Marnier Sauce
Blend 1 cup melted vanilla ice cream and 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier liqueur or 1 teaspoon orange flavoring. Spoon over slices.
Cooking secret: To make truffles, chill cooled icing until set; roll into bite-size balls and dredge in cocoa. Chill until firm.
Sangria is traditionally made with robust red table wine; for this chilled dessert soup, use a light, fruity red, such as a Beaujolais or a Valpolicella.
Ingredients
3 cups 2-inch watermelon chunks (about 2 pounds with rind), seeds and rind removed
1/4 cup light, fruity red wine
1 tablespoon cranberry juice
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 honeydew melon, rind and seeds removed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1/4 cantaloupe, rind and seeds removed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
To make
01. Place 2 cups of watermelon chunks in a medium bowl. Add wine, cranberry juice, lime juice, sugar, and honey; let stand 15 minutes.
02. Cut remaining watermelon chunks into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.
03. Transfer watermelon-and-wine mixture to a food processor and pulse until almost smooth, about 30 seconds. Return to bowl; add honeydew, cantaloupe, reserved watermelon, and mint leaves. Stir well, chill, and serve cold.
8 oz can pineapple chunks
2 bananas
1 papaya
1 cup milk
Blend until smooth and serve.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lb (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup ice water
1. Place flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and process a few seconds to combine. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.
2. Add ice water in a slow steady stream through the feed tube with machine running, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds.
3. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a circle. Wrap and chill for at least one hour.
makes 2 pieces
Ingredients
Cookies
2 pkgs Devil’s food cake mix
4 large eggs
1 cup oil
Frosting
1 pkg soft cream cheese (about 1 cup)
1 cup icing sugar/powdered sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Mix and roll cookie ingredients into balls the size of a quarter. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes. They burn easily so, if anything, undercook.
Mix frosting ingredients and slather on cookies. Keep refrigerated!
Ingredients
1/2 recipe Pate Brisee, chilled
6 firm, tart apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1. Heat oven to 425 F. On a slightly floured surface, roll dough into a 14″ circle; move to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix apples, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. mound mixture into center of pastry. Pull pastry up around mound, leaving a small circle (about 3″ in diameter) at top. Fold edges against each otehr, and press slightly into the apples.
3. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and apples are fork tender. Let cool slightly before serving.
Ingredients
3 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups strawberry slices or assorted fruit
1. Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Do not over beat after adding eggs. Spray 9 inch pie plate with no stick cooking spray; sprinkle bottom wtih crumbs.
2. Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared pie plate.
3. Bake at 325 F for 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Top with fruit.
Ingredients
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (1/2 stick) butter flavor crisco shortening
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1. Heat oven to 375 F. Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.
2. Combine peanut butter, crisco, light brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended.
3. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Drop by heaping teaspoonful 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in crisscross patten with tines of fork.
4. Bake at 375 F for 7-8 minutes, or until set and just beginnning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.
Ingredients
Butter, melted, for custard cups
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
3 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup dark chocolate shavings (about 1 oz)
1. Place a roasting pan three-quarters full of hot water in a 300 F oven. Brush four 6 oz custard cups with butter and set aside.
2. Combine cream, milk, and espresso in a small saucepan and scald.
3. Whisk together egg yolks, egg, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Add a little of the hot millk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk well. Add remaining milk mixture and whisk again to combine well. Strain mixture through a sieve.
4. Pour into the custard cups and place in water bath in oven, making sure that the water comes 3/4 of the way up sides of cups. Bake until the custard is set, about 35 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and water bath and cool for about 20 minutes. Loosen custards with a knifef and invert onto serving dishes; sprinkle with chocolate. Alternatively, refrigerate and turn out when needed.
