Alton Brown’s Crème Brulée

Alton Brown’s Crème Brulée
 
Ingredients:


1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh berries. Yields six servings.

Mini Cheddar and Bacon Frittatas

Mini Cheddar and Bacon Frittatas

Ingredients:


4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parmasan cheese
3 strips cooked bacon, chopped


Directions:

1. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients.
2. Grease a mini muffin tin. Fill cups with egg mixture until almost to the rim. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until centers are set. makes 8 mini frittatas

Olive Cheese Bread

Olive Cheese Bread

Ingredients:

French bread
6oz can green olives
6oz can black olives
2 green onions
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 lb grated Monterey Jack Cheese.


Directions:

Rough chop black and green olives. Slice two green onions into thin pieces, then rough chop. Place 1 stick softened (room temperature) butter into a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise. Add 3/4 pound grated Monterey Jack cheese. Add the olives and green onions, stir until thoroughly combined.
Use immediately or refrigerate mixture up to two days before using. Slice the loaf of French bread lengthwise.
Spread the mixture evenly onto both halves of the bread. Place one half of the loaf on a cookie sheet and bake it when you need it: 325 degrees for 25 minutes, or until cheese is totally melted and the top is beginning to turn light brown.

Crash Hot Potatoes

Crash Hot Potatoes

Ingredients:

New Potatoes
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Rosemary.

Directions:

Begin by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil.

Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make, and cook them until they’re fork-tender. Next, generously drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan. When the potatoes are tender, place them on the cookie sheet. Next, grab your potato masher and gently press down on the potato until it slightly mashes. Then rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening it. Repeat until all are flattened. Brush the tops rather generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Bake on the top rack of a very hot (450-degree) oven, and cook them for 20-25 minutes or until they’re golden and crispy and sizzling.

Cilantro and Lime Sour Cream

Cilantro and Lime Sour Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 tbsp sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of half a lime
1/2 clove of garlic, minced
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste


Directions:

Place the meat and sauce inside a warmed flour or corn tortilla then add a bit of cojita cheese. Roll into a burrito or taco, cover with more verde sauce.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Gorgonzola and Pecans

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Gorgonzola and Pecans
 
Ingredients:

mixed greens
gorgonzola cheese crumbles
pecans
roasted butternut squash, cut into bite sized pieces
1 bottle champagne vinaigrette dressing by Gerards

Directions:

Peel and slice the butternut squash into thin strips. layout on a sprayed cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. place in the oven on broil until it is soft enough that you can cut through with a fork and the edges are a little brown. [turn once]

Place pecans in a small skillet over medium heat. toast pecans for about 10 minutes.
arrange salad putting down mixed greens, roasted squash, gorgonzola crumbles, toasted pecans, and some champagne vinaigrette.

Peppermint Patties

Peppermint Patties
 
Ingredients:

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon peppermint extract
6 cups powdered sugar
24-32 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Combine the sweetened condensed milk and peppermint extract. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat. Knead on a surface sprinkled with more sugar until dough is stiff. (The stiffer the better when it come to the dipping part!) Add more sugar while kneading if the dough is sticky. Roll 1/4 inch thick. Cut into approximately 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch circles. If they are much bigger than that they fall apart when you dip them. My girlfriend said she uses a screw-off wine bottle cap! Let the cut patties dry for at least 2 hours on *each* side. They need to be really dry.

Melt chocolate & shortening it a double boiler; stirring constantly until smooth. Using 1 Tbls of shortening for every 6 oz. of chocolate. Keep chocolate hot for dipping. Dip patties in melted chocolate. The method my friend has found to work best: she places them on a long 3-tined fork, puts them in the chocolate (it should be no more than 1 1/2 inches deep), flips them over to coat the other side, lifts them out again with the fork underneath the patty, shakes the fork to shake off the excess chocolate & then places the patty on waxed paper to harden.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate


Ingredients:

3 ounces (tablet or cone) Mexican chocolate or bittersweet chocolate
3 cups milk (whole is best!)
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt
Miniature marshmallows, for serving
6 cinnamon sticks (preferably Mexican canela), for serving

Directions:

Using a sharp knife, break up the chocolate into smaller pieces. In a saucepan, combine the chopped chocolate, milk, sugar, and salt over medium-low flame. Heat and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and milk is very hot, but not boiling, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and froth the chocolate milk with a mini whisk. Divide the hot chocolate among big mugs, top each with a few marshmallows, and serve with the cinnamon sticks as stirrers. Yield: 6 servings

Quadruple Chocolate Mousse

Quadruple Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

Cookie Layer:

1 1/4 cups Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookie crumbs

3 Tablespoons melted butter

Dark Chocolate Layer:

1/2 cup melted butter

7 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces (do not use chocolate chips)

4 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon sugar

Milk Chocolate Layer:

10.5 ounces milk chocolate, broken into pieces (do not use milk chocolate chips)

1/4 cup coffee

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

White Chocolate Layer:

10.5 ounces white chocolate, broken into pieces (do not use white chocolate chips)

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

Directions:

Mix crumbs and butter together and press into the bottom of a 9-inch cheesecake pan (not springform).

For the Dark Chocolate Layer, melt the butter and chocolate together in a glass bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and combined with the butter. Using a whisk, whisk in the vanilla extract and egg yolks.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold stiff egg white mixture into the dark chocolate mixture until well combined.  Spread the dark chocolate mixture evenly over the Cookie Layer and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the Milk Chocolate Layer, melt the milk chocolate and coffee together in a glass bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and combined with the coffee. In a separate bowl, whip 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. (Do not overbeat).  Gently fold whipped cream into the milk chocolate mixture until well combined.  Spread the milk chocolate mixture evenly over Dark Chocolate Layer and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
 

For the White Chocolate Layer, melt the white chocolate and water together in a glass bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and combined with the water.   In a separate bowl, whip 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. (Do not overbeat).  Gently fold whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture until well combined.  Spread the white chocolate mixture evenly over Milk Chocolate Layer and refrigerate overnight.  To serve, push bottom of the cheesecake pan up and out of the pan and slice.  Store in the refrigerator.

For an easier option, add each layer as described above evenly amongst small bowls or cups for individual servings:

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar, plus two tsp for blueberries
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
3 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 egg lightly beaten
2 cups blueberries
Extra butter for coating griddle
Maple Syrup
(Makes about 16)

Directions:

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
Whisk together buttermilk, milk, butter and egg in medium bowl.
Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk together just until combined.

Toss blueberries in a small bowl with 2 tsp sugar.
Heat a griddle over medium heat. Take extra butter and run over surface of griddle. Repeat as necessary throughout process.

Pour batter on griddle 1/4 cup at a time.
Add some of the sugared blueberries to each pancake.
Cook for about 3-4 minutes.
Flip and cook the other side for about 2 minutes.