German Chocolate Brownies (from Bon Appetit Magazine) Brownies: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder 2 1/2 cups sugar 2 cups solid vegetable shortening 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. salt 6 large eggs Topping: 1 1/2 cups half and half 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes 6 large egg yolks 1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract 24 ounces sweetened flaked coconut 2 cups chopped pecans Brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 17x11x1-inch rimmed baking sheet. Whisk flour and cocoa in medium bowl.
Using mixer, beat sugar and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Beat in eggs.
Add flour mixture and beat just to blend. Spread to edges on prepared baking sheet.
Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean...about 23 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet on rack. Topping: Stir half and half, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla in large saucepan over medium heat until mixture thickens and thermometer reads 180 degrees, stirring constantly...about 15 minutes (do not allow mixture to boil). Fold coconut and pecans into topping. Chill for 1 hour. Spread topping over brownies.
Tarte Aux Fraises-Fresh Strawberry Tart (from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child) 10-inch fully baked sweet pastry crust 1 1/3 cups flour 3-7 Tbsp. granulated sugar 1/8 tsp. double-acting baking powder 7 Tbsp. fat: 5 Tbsp. chilled butter and 2 Tbsp. chilled vegetable shortening 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract Place the flour, sugar, butter, vegetable shortening, and baking powder in mixing bowl. Rub the fat and dry ingredients together rapidly with the tips of your fingers until the fat is broken into bits the size of small oatmeal flakes. Blend in the egg and vanilla, and knead the dough rapidly into a ball. Place on a board, and with the heel of your hand gently knead the dough together. The dough will be very sticky if you have used the full amount of sugar. Form into a ball, wrap in waxed paper, and chill for several hours until firm.
Roll out, and fit into 10-inch springform pan. Bake in preheated 375 degree ovenfor 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden.
1 cup red currant jelly Boil the currant jelly and sugar in a small saucepan until the candy thermometer registers 228 degrees. 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar Paint the interior of the pastry shell with currant glaze. Let the glaze set for 5 minutes. This will give the shell a light waterproofing. Reserve the rest of the glaze for the strawberries.
1 1/2 to 2 cups chilled custard filling: Creme Patissiere Makes about 2 1/2 cups 1 cup granulated sugar Gradually beat the sugar into egg yolks and continue beating for 2-3 minutes until the mixture 5 egg yolks is pale yellow and forms a ribbon (the mixture will thicken enough so that when some is lifted with a spoon and allowed to fall off the spoon, it forms a slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface of the mixture.
1/2 cup flour Beat in the flour. 2 cups boiling milk Beating the yolk mixture, gradually pour on the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets.
Pour into saucepan and set over moderately high heat. Stir with a wire whip constantly, making sure to adjust the heat so the bottom of the custard doesn't burn or stick.As sauce comes to a boil it will get lumpy, but will smooth out as you beat it. When boil is reached, beat over moderately low heat for 2-3 minutes to cook the flour.Be careful not to scorch custard in bottom of pan.
1Tbsp. butter Remove from heat and beat in the butter and 2 tsp. vanilla extract flavorings. If not used immediately, dot with 3 Tbsp. rum butter to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. This can keep for a week in the refrigerator, or it may be frozen.
To put together the strawberry tart: Spread 1/2 inch layer of custard in the bottom of the pastry shell. Arrange a design of strawberries over the cream. Cover each berry with a thin coat of currant glaze. Serves 8.
Baking with Julia Child O.K., let's get this cleared up...I don't mean baking with the Julia Child, as sadly, she passed away in 2004. What I mean is baking Julia's dessert recipes from her Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Yesterday as I looked through the dessert recipes in this masterpiece cookbook, I thought to myself- I can do this! This confident thought was most likely influenced by my recent rereading of Julia's My Life in France, and furthered along by watching the film Julie and Julia for the fifth time. I love that movie! So, I will begin this challenge by making Tarte Aux Fraises ( Fresh strawberry tart), using Julia's recipe. This will force me to use more recipes in this expensive cookbook, given to me by one of our sons (Matt), for Christmas in 2009. Stay tuned! Bon Appetit! ~Kathy~
Key Lime Pie (from The Cracker Kitchen Cookbook) 1/2 cup fresh Key Lime juice 4 tsp. grated lime zest 2 large egg yolks 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk graham cracker crust whipped topping (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. In a mixing bowl, beat the lime juice, lime zest and egg yolks together until smooth. add the condensed milk and beat until thickened.
3. Fill the crust with the lime mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, till the center is set.
4. Let cool, then refrigerate until cold. Top with whipped cream if desired. Serves 6.
