Tiramisu

Yay! I did it. After many months of wanting to join, I finally joined Daring Bakers.  The February 2010 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking.  They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month.  Their challenge recipe is based on the recipe from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Wow. This was really an amazing experience for me. The challenge called for participants to make from scratch, mascarpone cheese, Savoiardi or ladyfingers, vanilla pastry cream,and zabaglione. After reading through the recipes many times, I though what have I gotten myself into?  Seriously!  Yikes.  Then I made the ridiculous decision to serve it at a dinner party.  Okay, so now lets see, I'm making the most complicated dessert I've ever made, and I'm going to serve it to my friends without trying it first.  You betcha!  What the heck.  Whenever I serve something I've never tried before to my friend it drives my hubby absolutely crazy!  Probably because, being the high strung person I am, I start to worry (totally freak) about the outcome.  Well, in this case, there was absolutely no need for worry.  This ended up being the best, bar none, tiramisu I've ever tasted.  I've made many tiramisu before.  All were delicious but these one truly brought this dessert to a new level of delicious for me.  While there were many components, none were difficult to make.  Planning ahead and making each component with enough time for necessary chilling is important.  I suggest that you begin 2 full days before you wish to serve it.  Day one, make components.  Day two, assemble.  Day three, serve and swoon!

As you look over this recipe you will notice it is quite lengthy.  Remember that each component on its own is pretty easy to make.  Just make sure you make this when you can devote the necessary time.  Next time I make this, and believe me, there will be a next time, probably very soon, I more than likely wont make the mascarpone from scratch.  It's not that it was hard to make ( it was actually very easy ) it's just that I didn't think the homemade version had a better flavor.  The ladyfingers, on the other hand, were far superior to any I have been able to purchase.  They are definitely worth the time it takes to make them from scratch.  The zabaglione and the vanilla pastry cream must be made from scratch.  I promise you, even though this is a bit of a time commitment, will be very happy with the results of this incredible dessert!

Tiramisu(Recipe source: Carminantonio's Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007 )

This recipe makes 6 servings 

Ingredients:

For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup Marsala wine (or port or coffee)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup whole milk

For the whipped cream:
1 cup chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


To assemble the tiramisu:
2 cups brewed espresso, warmed
1 teaspoon rum extract (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

For the zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.
In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.
Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.
Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

To assemble the tiramisu:
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.
Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.
Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.
Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.
Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.
To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.
  
LADYFINGERS/ SAVOIARDI BISCUITS
(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home) This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2" to 3" long) ladyfingers.

Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons  granulated sugar
3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner's sugar


Method: 
 Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.
Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.
Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.
Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.
Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.
Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.
Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.
Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.


Mascarpone

Recipe adapted from Addicted Sweet Tooth

 Ingredients:1 litre cream (I used 25% low fat cream;you can use 36% whipping cream)
2 tbsp fresh lime/lemon juice ( juice of 1 ½ limes approx)

Method:Heat the cream over a waterbath/double boiler until it reaches 180ºF/82ºC
Stir in the lime/lemon juice and keep at this temperature for a few moments longer until it starts to thicken.
Remove from heat, cover, and let sit at room temperature until it is cooled down a bit.
Refrigerate over night. The next day it will have thickened further.
Pour it in a strainer lined with multiple layers of cheesecloth or clean towel. Refrigerate for about 24 hours to let the whey drain

Avalanche Bars

It feels like I have been away from the blogosphere forever!!! Oh, how I've missed it. I've also been out of my kitchen for far to long. So I'm coming back with a wonderful bar cookie recipe that both of my kids went
absolutely crazy for. Since both of my kiddos are away at college, I'm happy that this cookie ships so well. This is also probably the easiest cookie I've ever made.  Win Win Win!!!   I found this recipe on a great blog called Cookies and Cups.  Check it out I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do!

Avalanche Bars:

12 oz bag of White Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups Rice Krispies, 

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips + 2 Tbsp for garnish.

Directions:

1. Lightly grease a 9x9 pan (or 8x8 if you prefer thicker bars)

2. In microwave-safe bowl dump in white chips and heat on med power for 1 minute. Stir
and continue in 30 second increments until chips are melted.  Add the peanut butter to the melted chocolate and stir to combine.
3. Add the krispies
4. Let cool approx 15 - 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes or so to help cool.
5. Add the marshmallows and the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.
6. Dump mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly, pressing lightly with the back of
a spoon, but do not compact too much, otherwise they will get hard.
7. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the top for garnish.
8. When the bars are completely cooled cut into squares. Enjoy!

Coconut White Chocolate Cookies

Warning! Take it from me friends. This is honestly a recipe you should probably not try. Yes, I'm being serious. Why in the heck am I posting it, did I hear you ask? Well, because it just might be the best cookie I've ever eaten. I've heard from more than one person who's had these that they are on the sweet side so they can only eat one.  Seriously? I mean, are they kidding me. Why don't you try eating at least half the batch and then come talk to me about them being sweet. These are not the kind of cookies that I, personally, can have in the house. When they are here, I swear to heaven, they call to me, in their little coconut voices...."We're here....You know we're here....No one's gonna know if you eat the second half of the batch......No your butt doesn't look any bigger.....At least not to us.....Just a few more....".  You get the picture.  My butt does look bigger after baking (eating ) a few batches btw.  I found this recipe on my blogger friend Mari's blog, Once Upon a Plate.  She has an incredible blog with fabulous recipes and photos that look like they should grace the pages of Veranda or Southern Living. She has been a great inspiration to me and a comforting voice when I've wanted to pull my hair out over my struggles with Food Gawker. Check out here blog and immerse yourself in Mari's beautiful world,

Coconut White Chocolate Cookies adapted from Donna Hays

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup self-rising flour*
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened)
⅔ cups white chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Add the plain and self-rising flours and coconut and mix well. Add the chocolate.

With  a large oxo cookie/ice cream scoop parcel out dough and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper or silpat silicone liner. Leave 1" space between each cookie to allow for cookies to spread. , leaving room to spread. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool on trays.

Donna's notes: To check if the cookies are done, look at the bottom not the top. If you wait until the top looks right you risk overcooking them. To check, lift a cookie with a spatula so you can see underneath. The bottom should be deep golden. Cool on trays as the cookies will continue to cook after you've removed them from the oven.

Sake Halibut

                                                                                                    Photo by Steven

 This is a recipe from my friend Debbie S.  She is a great cook and does wonderful things with  fish.  I've been trying to incorporate more fish into my diet for all the great health benefits.  Last night was my friend Big Mikes birthday.  Hubby and I went over to help celebrate and lil Jacq and I made this halibut for everyone.  We served it with Thai coconut rice, lemon broccoli, and butternut squash.   We took the marinade and boiled it for 5minutes and served it over the fish as a sauce.  It was a delicious meal!

Sake Halibut

4 Halibut Steaks

Marinade:
1/4 cup sake
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger-grated
2-3 tablespoons parsley-finely chopped
several dashes hot sauce

Directions:

1. Mix all marinade ingredients in a ziplock and add fish.  Marinade fish for 1 hour.

2. Broil fish on oiled rack, brushing with marinade.

3. In a small pan, bring marinade to a roiling boil for 5 minutes, and use as a sauce over fish and rice.

Goat Cheese Enchiladas

 I think Bobby Flay is amazing.  His food is always an incredible fusion of rich cultures and wonderful flavors. You know when you try one of his recipes you are in for a rockin' ride on a flavor roller coaster.  So strap on your safety belt and climb on board because this enchilada recipe is definitely a tasty thrill ride.  Before you take off, there are a few things I need to mention. One, this is a wee bit time consuming to make.  It's not a quick fix midweek meal.  I found  it to be well worth my time investment.  Second, even though this fills a 9x13 pan, it only feeds four people. Third, I liked to microwave the corn tortillas before dipping them in the sauce to make them more pliable.  The trick with doing this, for this particular recipe, is to not get them too hot. Nuke them for only about 20 seconds wrapped in a damp dish towel.  If they are too hot the filling sort of starts to ooze before you can get them in the pan.  That's all folks.  Enjoy your ride!

Goat Cheese Enchiladas-by Bobby Flay

Ingredients:

• 12 blue corn tortillas
• Red Chile-Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
• Goat Cheese Filling, recipe follows
• 8 ounces Monterey jack, grated
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Chopped green onions, for garnish

Red Chile-Tomato Sauce:

3 ancho chiles (These are dried. If you can't find them locally you can order from Penzeys.)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano

1 cup dry white wine

2 (16-ounce) cans plum tomatoes, pureed

3 cups homemade chicken or vegetable stock

 2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 black pepper

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add chiles, remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove stems and seeds, then place in food processor with 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid and puree until smooth.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add ancho puree and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine, pureed tomatoes, and stock and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season with honey, salt, and pepper, to taste. For a chunkier sauce, leave as is. For a smoother sauce, puree with an immersion blender, or puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Keep warm until ready to serve.

 Filling:

 
1 1/2 lb. goat cheese

3 cloves garlic-roughly chopped

1/4 cup freshly grated cotija cheese

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

Place goat cheese, garlic, cotija, and lime juice in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the cilantro.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Dip tortillas in chile sauce to lightly coat both sides. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the goat cheese filling on each tortilla and roll up. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato-chile sauce into a medium, deep casserole dish. Arrange rolled tortillas in the casserole so they fit snugly. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the enchiladas and top with the grated cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the enchiladas are heated through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Garnish with sour cream and green onions.

Scotcharoos

If you grew up in the 60's or 70's then you have to know what a Scotcharoo is.  They were my all time favorite cookie in the whole wide world!  I remember my cousins aunt Clarissa would bring them to extended family gatherings and I would swoon.  I would sit by her and ask her every time how she made them and what the ingredients were.  I don't know why it never occurred to me to write down the recipe, but I thought with the information so very valuable, I would never possibly forget.  I, of course, forgot every time, so every time I saw her, we would start this whole cycle over again. About five years ago, I was reading a recipe website and saw a recipe for my beloved Scotcharoo cookie.  I made a batch that day and of course my kids went crazy.  They have become a whole family favorite.  If you don't already have these in your cookie repertoire, give them a try.

Scotcharoos: from Rice Krispies

Ingredients:

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
6 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Generously butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, mix together corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring until peanut butter melts. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in crisp rice cereal.
3. Transfer mixture into a well buttered 9x13 inch pan. With your hands well buttered, pat it down into pan.
4. In a medium saucepan, over medium low heat, melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until smooth. Spread over top of bars and let bars cool. Cut into squares.

Mama's Old Fashion Chili

Chili is one of those dishes that I adore. You add all these ingredients into a single pot, simmer for a while and something truly magical happens. The flavor of the chili transcends its humble, individual ingredients. This is a recipe I have developed over the years. It's a bit unusual, in that, in the beginning it's a bit soupy.  I like to add a lot of very flavorful liquid early on and let them reduce and thicken as the chili simmers away. I think it makes a lot more sense than thinning a chili with water ( not any flavor ) at the end. Don't be afraid to use the coffee it you happen to be one of those people who don't like coffee. There's absolutely no coffee flavor in the chili. Btw there's no taste of beer in the end product either. I guess its part of that magic thing that happens with chili. You can adjust the heat in the chili by adding more or less jalapenos. As written, this has just a wee bit of heat to my taste. I am kind of wimpy though to be honest. This chili will make a perfect game day meal. I hope you give it a try. Enjoy!

Mama's Old Fashion Chili:       

Ingredients:

2-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
1 1/2 large onion-diced
2 red pepper-diced
2 jalapeno-seeded, ribs removed, finely diced
10 cloves garlic-minced
1/2 tablespoon salt

2 bottles of dark beer
2 cup strong coffee

4 cans pinto beans-drained a bit
2-14.5 ounces petite-cut tomatoes
1-12 tomato paste
1- 4 ounce fire roasted Ortega chiles
3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef in dutch oven in 1 tablespoon olive oil until most of pink is gone; remove to plate and set aside.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pan and saute onion for about  minutes.  Add red peppers and continue to cook until soft.  Add jalapeno and garlic and saute about 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 tablespoon of salt and cooked beef to pan and heat through.

3. Add beer and coffee and stir up any brown bits on bottom and sides of pan.

4. Add all the rest of the ingredients to pan and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours or until chili is at desired thickness.  Cool and refrigerate overnight.  Bring chili to simmer and serve. Yum!