Orange Mocha Brownies #4

                                                          Tulips from Matt


                                                               Orange Mocha Brownies  (pg 162)

       Ingredients:

      8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter         5 large eggs
      1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour                   2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
      4 ounces unsweetened chocolate           1 Tbsp. coffee extract      
      4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate     Dash of salt
      2 cups sugar                                       1 1/2 cups chopped pecans(opt)
                                                              1 Tbsp. grated orange zest

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 X 13 inch baking pan.

 1. Melt butter and chocolate over hot water or in a microwave. Set aside.

2. Beat sugar and eggs thoroughly until creamy, then stir in cooled chocolate mixture.3. Stir in flour, Grand Marnier, coffee extract, orange zest, salt and optional pecans. 4. Spoon batter in the pan and bake 20-25 minutes. A cake tester inserted in the center,should not come out perfectly clean. Let cool, and refrigerate for as long as 3 days, or freeze for a couple of weeks.

To serve, defrost if frozen, or return refrigerated brownies to room temperature. 

Cut into squares or rectangles. Makes 24 to 30 large brownies, or 48 to 60 small brownies.

   Step # 1    Melt butter and chocolate. Set aside.

  Step #2  Beat sugar and eggs until creamy.

    Step #3  Stir cooled chocolate mixture into the sugar/egg mixture.

  Step #4  Spoon into 9 X 13 floured pan and bake 20-25 minutes.

* These two slides are out of order!*

  Perfect for Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!!

       In honor of all mothers everywhere in the world. This is me with my mother
    celebrating her 83rd birthday in February! I owe my life to her (and my
    wonderful father!). They taught me so much about life, and about the joys
    of cooking.
              
    If your mother is still alive, be sure to appreciate her on Mother's Day, and   
    always.

Blueberry Kuchen #3

                                           This is a yeast cake studded with fresh blueberries. It is a sweet                       

                                            coffeecake that could also be served for dessert.




  Mix 2 1/2 cups flour with 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup milk and 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, and place over low heat until milk is lukewarm.

Pour into a bowl and add two eggs, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, and finely grated zest of one orange; mix until blended.

Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients to make a soft dough, adding more flour if necessary.

Knead dough till smooth and springy. Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour. (Or let rise in refrigerator overnight, returning to room temperature before proceeding.)

Punch down dough. Butter a shallow 12-by-8 baking pan, and press dough into pan. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave to rise in a warm place 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a glaze by mixing together one egg and 1 Tbsp. orange juice until blended. paint glaze over dough. Spread blueberries on dough in a single layer. Mix 1/2 cup pecans, almonds or walnuts with 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the blueberries.

Place in 400 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes. reduce heat to 350 and bake until dough is risen and brown at edges, about 15 minutes more. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 9 servings.

History behind Tarte Tatin...

      This bird nest was a recent find in our backyard. It was lying on the ground near an Italian cypress.

      The Tarte Tatin was made in honor of my father. He had a deep passion for cooking, and he loved making (and eating) Tarte Tatin. My family gobbled it up last night! Many of them said it tasted more delicious than apple pie.

     The recipe for the Tarte Tatin originated in the late 1800's, so the story goes. It was created out of necessity-which is the mother of invention(as they say). The crust goes over the top of the apples, is baked and then flipped.

   The typical crust for this tarte is a shortcrust pastry. The NY Times Dessert Cookbook called for frozen puff pastry...so that is what I used. I have a food critic reading this blog, so from now on I will be fully disclosing about technique, ingredients, or any changes to the recipe that wasn't intended by the authors.

For those recipe purists out there, here is the recipe for shortcrust pastry:


2 cups flour
pinch of salt
4 ounces butter
1 egg
1/4 cup water


Sift flour on to a cold surface. Make a well in the center and add the salt, sliced butter (room temperature), egg and water. With your fingertips, work the butter, egg and water together, gradually blending in the flour. Knead lightly until smooth. Cover with aluminum foil or wax paper, and put in a cool place for 30 minutes. This is enough dough for a 10 to 11 inch pie shell.


*Recipe for pastry from Karen Brown's European Country Cuisine Romantic Inns and Recipes. Travel Press/ Macmillan Publishing Company.1987.

Official Tarte Tatin/Tarte Des Demoiselles Tatin #2

Butter and 1 cup sugar melting in pan.

Tarte Tatin  (page 269)

Spread 8 Tbsp. butter evenly in 10-inch oven skillet. Spread 1 cup sugar as evenly as possible on sides and bottom of pan. Beginning at edge of pan, arrange apples in concentric circles, fitting apples closely together.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pan with apples(6-8 medium) over high heat and cook without stirring until sugar caramelizes, and turns dark golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, and cover with puff pastry, tucking the edges inside the rim of the pan.Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

(Tarte baking)

                                             Remove tarte from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
                                             Cover pan with a large plate, and quickly invert tarte; remove pan.
                                             Serve hot or warm with a dollop of whipped cream.

Lemon Meringue Tartlets #1

                                                                 Lemon Meringue Tartlets  (page 303)  4 servings

                                                 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
                                                  3/4 cup sugar
                                                  8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
                                                  4 large eggs, separated
                                                  1/4 cup lemon juice

                            Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

                          Mix the graham cracker crumbs with 2 Tbsp. sugar and 5 Tbsp. melted butter. 

                         Press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of 4 ramekins. 
                         Place in the oven and bake   15 minutes. Remove from oven.

                        Beat the egg yolks and 2 of the whites with 6 Tbsp. of the remaining sugar and the       lemon juice. Stir in the remaining melted butter (3 Tbsp.). Pour this mixture into the graham
cracker filled ramekins, place in the oven and bake about 20 minutes, until set. Adjust the oven
rack to the highest position.

                         Beat the 2 remaining egg whites until softly peaked. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining sugar (approx. 1/4 cup), and beat until stiff.

                         Mound this meringue on the top of each tart. 

                        Return to the oven and bake 10- 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Watch carefully!
                        You want the meringue to be golden. Cool before serving.

     
                                                Voila!  An individual lemon meringue pie!

Nurses Day!

                                                   In honor of Nurses Day! Kathy and her husband
                                                   and son at the Nurses Memorial in D.C.
                                                           


                                                     Nurses dedicate themselves to the care of others...
                                                     from the constant attention to patient needs, to the
                                                     sensitivity of the human spirit.