S'mores Tart

This tart is an elegant take on a fun outdoor dessert.  A buttery graham cracker crust filled with a luscious velvety chocolate truffle filling and topped with a deliciously sweet toasted marshmallow meringue.  An easy no bake  dessert the whole crowd will love!

Ingredients

For the crust...

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

7 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

For the filling...

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces and placed in a heat proof bowl

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

For the marshmallow meringue...

2 egg whites, room temperature 

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup golden syrup or light corn syrup may be used

3 tablespoons water

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

This can be made in a 9 inch round tart pan, I used a 13 1/2 X 4 inch rectangle tart pan.

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Add the melted butter and mix together until the crumbs are moistened and coming together.  Evenly press the crumbs over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan, pressing firmly.  Chill the shell in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

 

Using a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat.  Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.  Stir very gently until chocolate melts completely and mixture is smooth.  

Remove the shell from the refrigerator.  Pour the chocolate through a fine strainer into the tart shell, spread evenly.  Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.

When the chocolate is set, place the egg whites and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Using a whisk attachment, whisk the eggs to a soft peak.

Place the remaining sugar in a medium saucepan and add the water and golden syrup.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat giving a light stir with a wooden spoon to be sure the sugar has melted.  Continue to cook until the syrup reaches 240° or a soft ball stage.  Remove from the heat.

Very carefully stream the syrup into the bowl while the mixer is on low speed. Continue to mix until all the syrup in incorporated.  Add the vanilla and turn up the mixer to high and whip until thick and fluffy. 

You may pipe or swirl the meringue over the tart.  Brown the meringue using a brulee torch or the broiler of your oven, watching carefully, for a few minutes until browned and lightly toasted.  Enjoy!

 

 

                

 

Chocolate Sables

Chocolate Sables are a French shortbread biscuit.  It has a sandy texture and a rich chocolatey explosive flavor due to the dark cocoa powder and the chunks of bittersweet chocolate bits.  Chocolate Sables are a slice and bake cookie that can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to a month.  Just pull out a roll, slice and bake (as long as it's defrosted) and enjoy a luxuriously chocolate sensation anytime!  

Ingedients

Recipe from Standard Baking Company Pastries

by Alison Pray and Tara Smith 

Makes 72 cookies

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon Dutch processed cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/3 cups (2 2/3 sticks) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 2/3 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1.  Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into bowl or onto a piece of parchment paper.

2.  In a mixing bowl, using a paddle attachment at medium speed, cream butter until smooth.  Add the granulated sugar, the dark brown sugar and the vanilla to the butter.  Beat until light and fluffy.

3.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the sifted dry ingredients and beat just until blended completely.  Add the chocolate chips and mix until mixed through, (dough will be loose).  

4.  Transfer the dough to your work table and divide evenly into 6 equal portions.  Gather each portion into a 6 inch log and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the logs for 1 hour until firm or up to 3 days.  At this point you may freeze some or all of your logs for up to a month, frozen logs should be defrosted before slicing.

 5.  Position two baking racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375° F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

6.  Remove two of the logs from the refrigerator and place on a cutting board.  Cut 1/2 inch thick slices with a sharp knife.  Place slices on the parchment lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.  Approximately 12 slices on each sheet pan.

7.  Bake for 8 minutes then rotate pans top to bottom and front to back.  Bake 4 minutes longer until the centers are just firm to the touch.  Remove from the pans to a wire rack and cool completely.                                                 

 

Repeat with the remaining logs using the cooled baking pans, you can reuse the parchment paper.  Enjoy!

 

 

Toasted Coconut Date and Nut Bars

I've been searching for a gluten free, sugar free, good for you snack bar that actually tastes delicious and I've finally found one.  This is my new, go to snack bar that I can feel good about.  I found this recipe on Food 52    This recipe is simple to make with ingredients that include toasted coconut, crunchy cashews, sweet medjool dates, which provide just the right amount of sweetness and coconut butter and coconut oil to bind the ingredients together, making these bars a real delight.  Wrap them individually and store them in the refrigerator.  They're a great grab and go bar for anytime of the day.

Ingredients

Makes 8 bars

recipe by Jennifer Farley 

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 cups unsalted cashews

1 cup medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut butter ++

1 tablespoon coconut oil 

++ It's very easy to make coconut butter at home and it's so much easier on the wallet as well.  To make the amount needed for this recipe, you'll need 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut and a food processor.  Just add the coconut to the food processor and run for about 5 minutes or so or until the coconut breaks down and becomes a smooth puree.  You'll have to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

To make the bars...

1.  Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2.  Spread the coconut across a parchment lined baking sheet and toast the coconut in the oven for 3 minutes.  Stir and toast for another 2-3 minutes, until light golden in color.  Remove the coconut from the parchment paper and dump into a bowl.  Using the same parchment paper, spread the cashews evenly on the pan and toast for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.

3.  Add the toasted coconut and cashews to a food processor along with the dates, cinnamon and salt.  Pulse the ingredients until they are crumb size.

 4.  Add the coconut butter and 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to the food processor and pulse until the crumbs begin to come together.  If the mixture seems dry, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil and pusle in until mixture is slightly moist and clumpy.

5.  Using an 8X8 inch baking pan, line the bottom and 2 sides of the pan allowing for extra paper to hang over the 2 sides of the pan.  Pour the mixture into the pan and spread evenly.  Press the mixture firmly into the pan, using a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper laid over the crumbs, to help flatten the mixture evenly.

6.  Place the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes.  Remove from the freezer and using a sharp knife, loosen the unlined sides of the pan by running the knife between the pan and the bars, then lift, grabbing the over hanging parchment paper, out of the pan and onto a cutting board.  Cut into 8 bars, wrap individually and store in the refrigerator or the freezer.  Enjoy!

 

 

Three Italian Christmas Cookie Recipes in One post!

I really needed to get this out well before Christmas, so that you could give these a try.  I make them well ahead and shape and freeze the dough, then when I need a quick last minute hostess gift, I can pop some shaped cookie dough on my baking sheet and bake fresh.  I love that!  The three cookie variety's I've chosen are delicious and completely different in taste and texture.  They range from extremely simple to make, to a little more involved, but don't let that scare you it just means there's a little chopping action  required.

 

The first of these Italian cookies are "Crumiri" a delicate horseshoe shaped cookie that comes from the Piedmont area.  They are a very tender cookie that get their taste from cornmeal.

  Ingredients for Crumiri

200 g (2 1/2 sticks plus 2 Tbs.) unsalted butter at room temperature

150 g (3/4 cup) sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

240 g (1 3/4 cups) all purpose flour

pinch of salt

120 g (2/3 cup plus 1 Tbs.) fine yellow cornmeal

Preheat oven at 325° F.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

1.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl, until very light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Sift the dry ingredients together twice then add to butter mixture.  Mix together well until dough comes together and there are no longer any dry crumbs left in the bottom of the bowl.  

2.  Using a small scoop or a rounded tablespoon, scoop dough about the size of a walnut.  Roll the dough into about a 4 inch log and bend into a horseshoe shape.  (At this point, you can freeze your horseshoe shaped dough, well covered with plastic wrap in the freezer for up to a month if you like.)  Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.

3.  Bake in the oven about 12 minutes, or until light golden in color.  Cool on wire racks.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 The next cookie is a butter cookie called "Baci di Dama" or Lady's kisses.  They are two button shaped cookies fused together with semi-sweet chocolate from Tortona in Piedmont.  The shape is reminiscent of lady's lips.

  Ingredients for Baci di Dama

125 g (1 cup minus 2 Tbs.) almond meal

125 g (1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs.) sugar

130 g (1 stick plus 1 Tbs.) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoons grated lemon zest

pinch of salt

125 g (scant cup) all purpose flour

115 g (4 oz.) semi sweet chocolate

Makes about 2 dozen cookies  Preheat oven to 350°F.

1.  Mix the almond meal, sugar, butter, vanilla and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and beat until very light and creamy, about 4-5 minutes, stopping to scrap down the bowl occasionally.  Sift the flour and salt together then add to the butter mixture and fold in by hand until well combined.  

2.  Breaking off pieces of dough about the size of fat cherries, roll between you hands into nice round balls.  (At this point, you may freeze the dough balls for future use.)  Place the dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Flatten slightly to about 3/8 inch thick.

3.  Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Remove from pan and cool on wire racks. 

4.  When cookies are cooled, melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.  Spread a bit of melted chocolate on the bottom side of a cookie and sandwich a second cookie over that.  

                                 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Last but certainly not least, are Buccellati, these are fig and nut filled cookies from Sicily.  A sort of Fig Newton Sicilian style!

 Ingredients for Buccellati

For the dough...

300 g (2 1/4 cups) all purpose flour

100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

pinch of salt

200 g (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature 

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the filling...

50 g (1/3 cup) finely chopped dried figs

50 g ( scant 1/2 cup) finely chopped walnuts, toasted

50 g (scant 1/2 cup) finely chopped almonds, toasted

1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Grated zest of 1/2 an orange

1/2 cup red wine

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

confectioners sugar

Makes about 16 cookies.  Preheat oven to 350°F

1.  To make the dough, combine the butter, granulated sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl and with a paddle attachment, cream together until pale and creamy.  Add the egg, yolk, vanilla and lemon juice and mix together until combined, scraping down bowl once or twice.  Add the flour and mix until the dough comes together.  Turn out onto a work table and gather together into a ball, then flatten into a disk and wrap in plactic wrap.  Refrigerate until needed.

 3.  To make the filling, combine the walnuts, almonds, figs, orange zest, cocoa, wine, honey and sugar in a sauce pan, stir to combine.  Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat to a dry paste.  Remove from heat and let cool.

4.   Pinch off a piece of dough, about the size of a walnut.  Flatten with your fingers into a circle and place a teaspoon of the filling in the middle of the circle.  Bring the edges up over the filling, enclosing the filling completely.  Roll dough ball between your hands to form a nice round ball.

5.  Place fig and nut balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart and bake for about 25 minutes, turning pan half way through baking time.  Bake until lightly browned.  Remove from oven transfer to a plate and sprinkle with confectioners sugar, place on a wire rack to cool completely.

 Bellissimo!

 

 

 

Apple Cheddar Turnovers

There is nothing like fresh picked apples, cold, crisp and delicious.  Pair those crisp fresh picked apples with a sharp cheddar cheese, makes a nice snack doesn't it?  Well how about wrapping fresh apples in a flaky cheese speckled pie crust, now we're talking heaven!  These easy to make Apple Cheddar Turnovers are a fantastic take with you pie.  Pack them in lunches or serve them warm with a big glass of milk.  Apples and cheddar never tasted so good!

♥♥♥♥♥

 Ingredients

For the crust...

2 cups all purpose flour

6 oz. (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

1/4 teaspoon salt

6-7 tablespoons cold water 

For the filling...

3-4 medium apples, I used northern spy, but any good baking apple will work.  Peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch chunks.

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour   

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg beaten in a bowl.

Makes 6 generous sized turnovers  

1.  To make the crust, combine flour, grated cheese, salt and the cold butter bits in a medium sized bowl.  With a pastry blender or a fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2.  Add the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until mixture starts to come together.  Don't add more water than you need, it's ok to have some loose dry crumbs in your bowl.  Gather together to form a ball.  Divide dough into 6 equal parts, approximately 4 ounces each.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

3.  To make the filling, combine the  apple chunks, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.  Mix to combine well.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 400°.

4.  Remove one dough ball from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured table, roll dough to about a 7 inch circle.  Scoop out about a 1/3-1/2 a cup of apple filling in the lower center of the circle.  With a pastry brush, brush beaten egg around edge of circle.

Fold over top half of pastry to meet the bottom edge of the circle.  Press the edges together and crimp with a fork or your fingers.

Continue on with the remainder of the dough and apple mixture.  Place turnovers on a parchment lined baking pan.  Make 3 small slits in the top of the turnover to vent.

5.  Bake in the preheated oven at 400° for 15 minutes, rotate the pan and turn down the oven to 350° and bake for 20 minutes longer or until nicely golden brown and bubbly.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer with a spatula to a wire rack to cool until desired eating temperature.  Enjoy!