Guacamole Recipe

7 Hass avocados (medium)
4 diced and seeded Roma tomatoes
1 cup fine diced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime
1 ½ tablespoons Lawry’s garlic salt
Dash pepper

Mash avocados in a bowl to desired texture and add red onion and seasonings to taste. Slice tomatoes and remove seeds. Cut into medium size squares. Fold in tomatoes. A little chunky is always good. Serve chilled.

Ratatouille

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups small diced yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups medium diced eggplant, skin on
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup diced green bell peppers
1 cup diced red bell peppers
1 cup diced zucchini squash
1 cup diced yellow squash
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggplant and thyme to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers, zucchini, and squash and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature.

Best-Ever Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

*2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1 teaspoon kosher salt
*2 sticks (16 tablespoons) European-style unsalted butter, room temperature
*1 3/4 cups sugar
*2 eggs
*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*2 cups dark chocolate chunks


In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and mix. On low speed or by hand, stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, mixing until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Using a cookie scoop, ice cream scoop, or two spoons, form dough balls and place on prepared cookie sheets with a few inches of room in between. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 F with rack in the center. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
Bake for 10-13 minutes (depending on the size of your dough balls), until they are golden brown around the edges and puffy in the center. Let cookies cool a few minutes on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

FTD

Apricot White Fudge

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 12 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

• Line a 9-in. square pan with foil and grease with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, sour cream and remaining butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage), about 5-1/2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate until melted. Stir in marshmallow creme until blended. Fold in apricots and walnuts. Pour into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Discard foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Yield: about 2 pounds.

Buttermilk Cornbread

 

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for baking dish
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and fold together until there are no dry spots (the batter will still be lumpy). Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Bake until the top is golden brown and tester inserted into the middle of the corn bread comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Super Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups cooked chicken
• 1 can black beans
• 1 carton or two cans chicken broth
• 1 can roasted tomatoes
• 1 bag frozen corn
• 5 totillas
• cheese

Directions

1. Add broth to a pot and turn on high. Chop chicken into bite sized chunks and add to pot.
2. Add beans and tomatoes (undrained) Add corn
3. Cook until heated through, about ten minutes.
4. Line cookie sheet with tortillas and bake at 325º for 10-15 minutes until crispy. Allow to cool and cut into strips then place in bowl. Ladle soup over tortillas and top with cheese, sour cream or avocado.

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Cool Cakes

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Lemon Tart

Ingredients

Candied Zest:

·         1 cup lemon zest, julienned

·         1 cup sugar

Crust:

·         1 1/2 cups flour

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 cup (1 stick, or 1/4 pound) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

·         1/2 cup sugar

·         1 large egg, beaten

·         1/4 teaspoon almond extract

·         1 Tbsp lemon juice

Lemon curd:

·         1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

·         1/4 cup creme fraiche

·         2 large eggs

·         3 large egg yolks

·         3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

·         3/4 cup sugar

·         1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Equipment needed:

·         10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom

·         Pastry blender or two blunt dinner knives

·         Double boiler and several metal mixing bowls

Method

Candied Citrus Zest

1 Place lemon zest in a saucepan and cover with water by 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, drain the water. Fill up with water again and repeat. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, then drain. Add water again, this time adding the sugar as well. Simmer for 30 minutes, drain.

2 Spread the zest out on a sheet of parchment paper. Let dry overnight at room temperature (do not put in the refrigerator). The next day toss the zest with a little more sugar.

Make the Crust

3 Combine flour, salt, butter, and sugar in a bowl. Use a pastry blender, or two blunt dinner knives, to cut the butter into the flour until the dough forms flaky crumbs and lumps. You can also just mix with your fingers. With a wooden spoon, mix in the egg, almond extract, and lemon juice. Continue to mix until the dough clumps; at first it may seem very dry. Shape into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, refrigerate at least an hour.

4 Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

5 Let the dough sit at temperature for at least 10-15 minutes before attempting to work with it. Allow the dough to relax enough to become somewhat pliable before rolling out. Roll out the disk between two sheets of parchment paper (or wax paper), to a circle 2 inches larger in diameter than your tart pan (about a 12-inch round).

6 Press the dough into the tart pan. Use your rolling pin to level the dough along the edges of the pan. Place aluminum foil over the foil and gently mold it to the dough in the pan. Add pie weights (dried beans work well, though after you use them once for pie weights, keep them as your pie weight beans and don't try to cook with them.) Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. 

Lemon Curd

7 Melt butter and creme fraiche together over a double boiler, stirring to combine. (If you don't have a double boiler, bring a couple inches of water to simmer in a saucepan, place a stainless steel bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the simmering water.) Remove top pan from heat and set aside.

8 In a bowl over a double boiler, whisk the eggs and egg yolks just long enough to warm them. Remove from heat and beat in the butter mixture, then the lemon juice. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl and place over the simmering water. Add the sugar and zest and whisk until warm to touch, about 4 minutes. 

Assemble the Tart

9 Pour the lemon curd into the crust and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until set in the middle. Let cool on a rack. Chill in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, top the tart with candied lemon zest. Garnish with fresh mint.

Banana Nut Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup water
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• FROSTING:
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

• In a small saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil. Remove from the heat; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the sugars, bananas, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until blended. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to sugar mixture. Beat in butter mixture until blended. Stir in nuts.
• Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
• For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 dozen.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

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Ingredients

Crust

·         1 cup pecans

·         1/2 cup all-purpose flour

·         1/2 cup brown sugar

·         1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 4 graham crackers)

·         2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

·         1 egg yolk

Filling

·         4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

·         2 cups (1 pound) brown sugar

·         5 large eggs

·         3 tablespoons all purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

·         1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

·         1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         2 tablespoons vanilla extract

·         2 15-ounce cans pumpkin puree*

·         2 tablespoons bourbon or other whiskey

Pan

·         1 9-inch diameter, 3-inch tall springform pan

* You can make your own pumpkin purée by cutting a sugar pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds, placing the pumpkin halves cut-side down in a roasting pan with a 1/4 inch of water in it, and cooking it in a 350°F oven for an hour, until soft. Scoop out the flesh and purée it in a blender or food processor. Strain out excess water.

Method

1 Pulse pecans, flour, sugar, and crumbs in a food processor. Add butter and egg yolk. Pulse until mixture is homogenous. Press into bottom of 9” springform pan and bake for 10 minutes at 375°F. Remove from oven and let cool.

2 Drain or strain any liquid from pumpkin purée. Take pumpkin purée and place on several layers of paper towels. Cover with several layers of paper towels and use your hands to gently squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the purée. Not that you will probably go through a lot of paper towels (can use tea towels too). Two 15-ounce cans of puréed pumpkin should yield a little more than 2 cups of purée, with the excess moisture removed. You want exactly 2 cups of the purée.

3 Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, grated nutmeg, and allspice in a medium bowl. With a wooden spoon (no need for a mixer for this step), mix in the salt, pumpkin purée, vanilla, and bourbon. Beat in the eggs.

4 In a large bowl, (helps to use a mixer for this step) combine the cream cheese and the brown sugar until fully creamed and smooth (no lumps). Gradually add the pumpkin mixture until fully incorporated. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.

5 Place crust-baked springform pan in the middle of two layers of large sheets of aluminum foil (to help prevent water-bath moisture from leaking into the pan). Fold the aluminum foil up the sides of the pan and trim. Place the aluminum wrapped pan in a large roasting pan (large enough so that there is room on all sides). Pour the pumpkin cream cheese mixture into the springform pan.

6 Place the roasting pan containing the springform pan in a 325°F oven on the middle rack. Pour boiling water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the side of the springform pan. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven heat and prop the oven door open. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven, cooling for another hour. Then remove from oven and let come to room temperature. Once it has cooled down, chill for several hours in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.

Serve cheesecake with caramel sauce, candied pecans, and whipped cream.

Makes 16 servings.