Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts

Movie on the Plane and Chocolate Mousse


It started out as an innocent dinner conversation. We were talking about bear maulings and the Montana man who got mauled and then walked 3 miles and then posted on Facebook, because he really wasn't in a hurry to get to the hospital for the 8 hours of stitches he needed...

Then it moved to the movie The Revenant and the bear mauling in that movie. I said I never saw it, it was too gory and sad and I wasn't allowed.

Dave said, "You saw it because I saw it and I don't go to the movie with anyone but you."
"Nope, " I corrected him, "I never saw it."
"You did too see it, we even sat at the very top in the middle."
"Dave," I replied, "We always sit at the very top in the middle.  I didn't see the movie."

Now that would have been fine, him thinking I saw it and me knowing I didn't, but then he had to throw in, "It was last December, and you were so drugged up from your hip surgery you just don't remember."

That got me to second guessing myself. Well crap, maybe I did see it and I just forgot. Could it be? No, I remember movies and I would have remembered that movie. And, if it was so close to my surgery that I was that drugged, Dave wouldn't have taken me to the movie or let me walk up all the stairs to the very top....still...

I sat through the rest of the meal wondering if I had indeed forgotten the whole movie.

And then it hit me.

"You saw it on the airplane." I stated.

The look on his face was priceless. I was right and he knew it, and he knew he had gone just a little too far with the "your were so drugged" comments.

So, while I won't rub his face in it forever, I will for a while. I was right, he was wrong (one in a row) and I didn't see the movie. And I will celebrate with chocolate!

Orange Chocolate Mousse
adapted from Eating Well Jan/Feb 2017

1 Tbsp. Grand Mariner or Triple Sec
1 Tbsp. low fat milk
3/4 tsp. gelatin
3 oz good bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs, separated
4 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Whipped cream and chocolate shavings for garnish, optional

Combine Grand Mariner and milk in a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin on top and let stand to soften.

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on hight for 1 minutes.  Stir well, then continue to  heat in 30 second increments on hight until tow-thirds of the chocolate has melted, stirring well after each burst.

Bring 1 inch water to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan.  combine egg yolks, 3 tbsp. sugar and salt in a metal bowl large enough to rest in the pan without touching the water.  Set the bowl over the water and whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the gelatin mixture and whisk until it dissolves, about 1 minutes.  Remove from heat; whisk in the chocolate and vanilla.  

Beat egg whites in a clean large bowl with and electric mixer on high until soft peaks form  Add the last 1 Tbsp. sugar and continue beating until the mixture holds stiff shiny peaks.

Whisk on-fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until smooth.  With a rubber spatula, gently fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture just until incorporated.  Divide among 8 dessert dishes (about 1/2 cup each).

Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.  Serve garnished with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired.

(about 115 cals. each)


January 4, 2017  Sunrise 10:49 am  Sunset 3:03 pm  Temp H 17/ L 6˚F







Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes with Pirouettes - Progressive Dinner



Welcome! Today we are so excited to be joining four other bloggers for something completely different - a progressive dinner - five bloggers, five homes, five courses!

First, here is the menu:


Didn't the main course over at Kelley Nan's look delicious?!?  Now it's time for dessert in our home. Come on in and make yourself comfortable. We are serving Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes with Pirouettes.




You can make them in a mini bundt pan like we did for this one:

Or in just a regular cupcake pan and then place them in some cute little wrappers or cups. We love the  flavor the hazelnut frosting adds and the pirouettes are a fun little touch that make a basic cupcake seem a little more "fancy". 







Personally, I love water with my dessert, by my husband often drinks coffee with his so we had both water goblets (with a pitcher of water on the side table next to the sofa) as well as coffee. 









Here is the recipe. It is nice and easy! 

Cupcakes:

For the cupcake just use your favorite cupcake mix and follow the directions. Once the cupcakes have cooled it's time for the frosting.

Frosting:

1 cup of butter, softened by not melted
1 cup hazelnut spread 
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tsp. heavy cream (if you don't have any you can use milk)

First beat the butter and hazelnut spread together then add vanilla. After that mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time. Add cream as necessary until you get the right consistency. Then we scooped the frosting into a pastry bag and starting frosting each cupcake. This is an old photo from a rosette cake post we did almost four years ago (ahhh - that seems crazy!) but we still use these exact same tools (although we've gone through several packages of pastry bags in the last several years and I have a couple of different tips I play around with). 


You can find the Tip Coupler here, the #1M tip here and the disposable bags here. 

Then just frost each cupcake. We added a few sprinkles. I used these Williams-Sonoma sprinkles that I just use when I am making stuff for special occasions. We have lots of other fun and more colorful (and much less expensive - ha!) sprinkles that the girls use when they are baking. 

Then we just topped them off with some of these hazelnut pirouettes to dress them up just a bit more. I cut each one in half and just used a half of one per cupcake.



And that's it! Nice and Easy!


Thank you so much for joining us! Now it is time to head on over for the last course - after dinner drinks on Sarah, from Our Vintage Farmhouse's, gorgeous porch! 


And if you missed any of the courses be sure to check them all out:

Dessert  with Dear Lillie (Us)


And here is the Source List for our room:

Wall Color - Midsummer Night in Matte by Benjamin Moore
Trim Color - Simply White in Semi-Gloss by Benjamin Moore
Door Color - Mopboard Black in Semi-Gloss by Benjamin Moore
Pillows on Sofa - HomeGoods
Chocolate Pillow on Chair - HomeGoods
Knit Pillow on Chair - Soft Surroundings
Ottoman - We Made It Using the Same Method as Here
Plaid Throw - HomeGoods
Gold Mirrored Tray - HomeGoods
Books Stacked Next to Chairs - Gifts from Family Members 
Mirror and demilune painting above Fireplace - passed down from family members
Grand Plaza Print - Arhaus
Gold Side Table - HomeGoods
Wood Side Table - Joss and Main
Books on Table - miscellaneous gifts
Trophy Urns - The Arrow's Nest
Little Tiny Vase on Table  - Was a candle from Target that we now use as a vase
Lamp on Table - HomeGoods
Golfer - HomeGoods
Gold Frame - Gift 
Standing Lamp - Consignment Shop Find years ago
Rug - Joss and Main/Wayfair
Drapery Panels - Ritva Panels from IKEA
Frames and Mirror on Gallery Wall - Michael's
Books on Shelves - Passed on down or gifted from family members
Large White Book - Blurb photo albums
Small White Books - Chatbook photo albums
Dog Bookends - Birch Lane
Airplane - Gift years ago 

And Source List for the Serving Pieces:
Chocolate Cups and Saucers - L.A. Burdick Chocolates








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Espresso Caviar with Chocolate Mousse


If you are a food snob, quit reading right now.  I am not a food snob, there are certain "good" foods I just haven't developed a taste for, and that is just alright with me.  One of them is caviar.  I have had the good stuff, not my favorite, and I have had the not so good stuff, REALLY not my favorite.

In 1990 I spend several weeks in Magadan, Russia on an exchange with the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.  Six of us went over, stayed with different host families, took Russian Language classes in the mornings and cultural activities in the afternoons.  I stayed with a young woman named Irena.  One of the professors at the Magadan Institute was from Alaska, and a good friend with Irena.  I got to go on a couple of extra excursions.  Some very pleasant; a cook-out to the beach, a trip to a small holiday town,  a remote reindeer herding village, and one very moving; a trip to an abandoned concentration camp from Stalin's days.

Where ever we went, the Russian people would offer their best, as we were the first Americans in that part of the country (remember this was about 24 years ago).  And everyone had home-made salmon egg caviar they were so proud to share.  Now, I don't care for the little tiny black caviar, let alone the salmon egg sized caviar.  It was always served on thick slices of bread with a 1/2 inch layer of butter and then lots of red, salty caviar.  I'm sure it was delicious, if you liked caviar, but I do not.  And, you had to eat it, it would be a huge insult if you didn't.  I learned not to eat it fast to get it down because then you would get another piece, I would take a bite and leave it on my plate for last.  After a few house visits, Irena would quietly take the bread off my plate and eat it.  I was so relieved she liked it and felt like it was almost a favor that she got an extra serving...that is until I thanked her and mentioned how much she must like it.
"No, I don't like it either," she told me.  "I just saw how hard it was for you to get it down.  It was less hard for me to swallow it."  
I owe her big time for that.

I saw this caviar recipe and thought it might be a kind I would like.  It is a fun twist on caviar, and looks fancy on top of the Chocolate Mousse.  I'm going to try it with cranberry juice next...or not, it might remind me too much of the color of salmon caviar, and I won't be able to get it down.
Here's to Irena.

Espresso Caviar
from Sprinkle Bakes

Use this caviar as a topping or garnish to impart flavor and texture to desserts (good for savory applications too!)  Be sure to plan ahead.  Chilling the oil overnight is an important step and should not be skipped.

Special equipment:
Plastic squeeze bottle, unused medicine dropper or culinary syringe
Mesh sieve or slotted spoon

Ingredients:
2-3 cups vegetable oil
1 1/4 oz. packages powdered gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
3 fluid oz. hot liquid, hot coffee, hot chocolate
Ice
1/4 cup salt for water bath

1.  Place oil in a 9x13 inch metal pan and store in refrigerator overnight.  The oil must be very cold for the gelatin to set properly.

2.  In a medium bowl, mix the gelatin and water until thoroughly combined and no lumps of gelatin remain.  Let stand while you prepare the hot liquid.

3.  Warm 3 oz. liquid on the stove or in a microwave until very hot but not boiling.  Pour liquid over set gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin is melted.  This make take a few minutes and you can break up the gelatin with a spoon for quicker dissolve.

4.  When gelatin is completely melted, transfer liquid to a squeeze bottle.  You can also leave the mixture in the bowl and use a medicine dropper or syringe to draw the liquid for dropping.

5.  Let he mixture stand for a few minutes, if it is too hot the gelatin will not set properly and the caviar will be misshapen.  It should be just barely warm - almost room temperature.

6.  While you wait for your mixture to cool, prepare the oil for the ice bath.  Transfer chilled oil to a 1 quart container (preferably metal because it will aid cooling, but glass will work too.)  Prepare the ice bath.  Make sure the bowl you are using for the ice bath is larger than the container holding the oil.  Fill bowl with ice and then add water until the bowl is two-thirds filled.  Add 1/4 cup salt and stir until mixed.  Rest the container of oil inside the water bath.

7.  Begin dropping gelatin mixture into the cold oil, 1-3 drips at a time.  The amount of drips will vary according to the viscosity of the oil and type of dropper you use.  It took me about 3 drips for one caviar pearl to form.  You will know the correct amount when the mixture forms a ball that rests on the surface for a moment then sinks to the bottom.



8.  When half the mixture has been used, wait for 3-5 minutes then scoop the caviar into a mesh sieve or slotted spoon to drain.  Place caviar in an air-tight container or a canning jar with a screw-tight lid.  Resume dropping the gelatin mixture into the cold oil until all of the mixture is used.

9.  When finished, place caviar in a canning jar or in an air-tight container with a little of the oil poured over the top.  This keeps the caviar moist for up to a week.  Rinse with very cold water before use.


Chocolate Mousse
serves 12

2 cups whipping cream
16 oz. dark chocolate (65-70%)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
sweetened whipped cream, optional topping

Melt chocolate over double boiler until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Pour whipping cream and vanilla into a cold bowl, whip at high speed until medium soft peaks form.  Pour melted chocolate into whipping cream, all at once and mix quickly.  Mix with a rubber spatula until completely combined and no white streaks remain.  Dish into individual glasses or bowls.  Serve immediately or chill until ready to use.  Before serving, bring to room temperature by setting mousse out of the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.  Top with sweetened whipped cream and espresso caviar.


1 year ago:  Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili and Eating Soap
2 years ago:  Sun Dried Tomato and Blue Cheese Torte
3 years ago:  Aztec Chocolate Cakes and De-Santatizing the House


January 2, 2015   Sunrise 10:53 am  Sunset 2:57 pm  Temp. H -1/ L -8°F




No time to blog~

I'm working hard in the kitchen on this Thanksgiving Eve.
The last of the cornbread is in the oven for the southern cornbread dressing. I'm using sourdough cornbread this year, I am hoping it doesn't make the dressing to sweet. You know family~ they will let me know!

After the oven is emptied the pies go in. I may sneak in a bourbon pecan pie this year and of course a pumpkin pie... As I'm searching my own blog for the pumpkin pie recipe, I realize that I have never posted it. Now I am going to have to dig through my recipe box to find it, goshdarnit.

Pumpkin Pie
1 can pure pumpkin
1/4 cup cream
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp each salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice
1/2 tsp lemon & vanilla extract
1/2 tsp melted butter.
Pre-heat oven to 425°

Mix pumpkin, cream, and eggs until smooth, add spices and blend. Mix in extracts. Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake for 10 minutes. Then lower heat to 350° and bake for another 40-45 minutes. Use a pie crust shield to keep the crust from burning. (sorry for the picture of the pecan pie with a shield~ I'm sposed to be baking not blogging!)
I will sometimes use our WhistleStop Apple Crisp on the top... but tomorrow, I think I will leave it off. I have cinnamon ice cream or a little whipped cream (from Costco) to go along with the pies.
No one is going hungry!!
Y'all enjoy a Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Sandi

Easy as Pie

I needed something warm to go with my Rum Raisin Ice Cream. How about a warm apple galette? If you've never made it before, a galette is kind of like an apple pie~ without the pie plate. I have talked about my bad habit of cheatin' in the kitchen. That little tip makes this 'easy as pie'.

I have some Macadamia Nut Liqueur that a friend brought me back from Hawaii. I'll use that in place of the rum~ bet it will be just as yummy.

Apple Galette
5 tart apples, sliced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs butter
1 egg
Crust for a 9 inch pie

Soak the raisins in the liqueur (or in rum). Slice the apples and cover with brown sugar. Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the apples and sugar until thickened. Drain the alcohol off the raisins and add them to the apples. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Roll out the pie crust into a circle (or use a pre-made crust). Spoon the apples into the center of the dough. Fold up the edges of the crust around the apples. Brush with the beaten egg. Bake in a 375° oven for 10-12 minutes.
These can also easily be made into individual servings with smaller rounds of dough. With a scoop of it is the perfect dessert.
Y'all enjoy,
Sandi