Dessert : Weeknight Gourmet

Category : Dessert

What's been cookin' in the Weeknight Gourmet's kitchen?

July 22 2010 | Leave a Comment

I haven’t gotten into the rhythm of posting since Charlotte was born but don’t think that means I haven’t been in the kitchen! I have been cooking. Weekly Fresh Direct deliveries, augmented by the occasional trip to Chelsea Market, have allowed me to have food on hand to prepare simple meals during the week.

I haven’t tried a ton of new recipes recently. Instead I have been going back to recipes that I have made in the past that I can either prepare ahead of time or are very quick and easy to make.

Here are a few examples of meals I have made recently:

Lemon Spaghetti: I could eat this dish everyday! So delicious — fresh and flavorful. And, it only requires a few ingredients and virtually no chopping.

Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Coleslaw: I prepped this ahead of time. I was hoping there would be leftovers for lunch but it was all gone. The coleslaw was a new recipe. But, again, super simple and I was able to use the leftover soy glaze for another meal.

RIBS: This weekend we had Tim’s brother and his family up to the Berkshires. I made my famous ribs, grilled corn, tomato and mozzarella, and shaved zucchini salad. Instead of making the rub and sauce, I bought a store-made rub at Guido’s and used Bone Suckin’ Sauce. The only side that really required any prep was the zucchini salad but it only took about 10 minutes.

Key Lime Pie: I made the easiest Key Lime Pie ever this weekend. Judging by the fact four people finished it in two sittings, I think it was a hit!

Whole Wheat Penne with Eggplant and Mozzarella: I made myself some comfort food while Tim was traveling this week. I bought some of my favorite eggplant cutlets from Trader Joe’s and cut them into bite-sized pieces. I mixed the eggplant with whole wheat pasta, jarred tomato sauce, and diced fresh mozzarella. Delish!

While I have been able to cook, our time around the dinner table has certainly changed since Charlotte was born. She has uncanny timing — quiet as a mouse as I prepare dinner but then as soon as the meal hits the table the crying starts. Tim and I sit together at the table and take turn eating and passing our gorgeous little girl back and forth. I guess Charlotte already knows how important family dinners are and she doesn’t want to be left out.

And don’t worry — Angus has not allowed all the changes to affect his dinnertime behavior. Our loving pooch sits at our feet desperately hoping for a scrap and being on the lookout for some dropped food.

Our little round kitchen table is getting more crowded and I couldn’t be happier.

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Categories : Barbecue, Dessert, Pie, Poultry, Salads, Vegetarian entree

Spring is for Rhubarb: Wine-Roasted Rhubarb

May 22 2010 | Leave a Comment

by Weeknight Gourmet Guest Blogger Elizabeth Terry

Spring is for rhubarb!!!

A few years ago, my sister Meghan discovered a love for strawberry-rhubarb pie. I’m not sure I was aware of rhubarb before that, but I certainly am now. We’re definitely in rhubarb season on the East Coast now, and here’s a recipe that is delicious and easier than pie.

I get rhubarb from my CSA in the spring, and if you’re not up for making a pie or cake, the easiest thing to do with it is to stew or roast it with some liquid and sweetener. You can then eat the resulting compote with yogurt or ice cream or all on its own. Last year, I usually put it in the oven with some orange juice and sugar or honey and let it get nice and soft. But this year I came across another recipe, and people, THIS is the way to do rhubarb in 2010.

I found it on the blog Orangette by Molly Wizenberg, which is a charming food blog, somewhat too-too but the recipes are always spot-on. I just bought her book “A Homemade Life” – I’m a sucker for a memoir with recipes. Molly and her husband have a pizzeria in Seattle which sounds pretty nice, and in the recipe she mentions that she used “our house white… Château de Pellehaut Harmonie de Gascogne, a blend of Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Gros Manseng, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc” for cooking the rhubarb. I can tell you that I used the house white from Target, an actually halfway decent Pinot Grigio in a Tetra-Pak (think juice box) and was delighted with the results. I also used vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, and scaled the ingredients up a tad as I like having lots of beautiful magenta syrup.

Molly adapted the recipe from one of the Canal House cookbooks, which I haven’t seen yet but everyone raves about.

Wine-Roasted Rhubarb
Adapted from Orangette, which adapted it from Canal House Cooking, Volume 3

2 lbs rhubarb, cut in 3” lengths
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup white wine
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients in a deep oven-safe pot.

Place pot in oven, uncovered, and cook, stirring every 10 minutes, until the rhubarb is very soft and some of the pieces are falling apart a bit and the wine, sugar, vanilla and rhubarb juices have made a hot-pink, sweet-tart syrup.

Chill and serve over yogurt or vanilla ice cream, with a plain buttery cake or just eat with a spoon.

Serves at least 4 as a dessert, keeps well for several days for those of us who like to pull the container out of the fridge at all hours of the day and help ourselves.

Elizabeth Terry is a freelance editor and writer based in Washington, DC. She used to be a picky eater but now is up for just about anything.

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Categories : Dessert, Fruit

Easter Dessert: Lemon Upside-Down Cake

April 5 2010 | Leave a Comment

This is the perfect spring dessert! The cake is so fluffy and moist — thanks to the milk and whipped egg whites. And, it is filled with wonderful sweetness from the brown sugar and some tartness from the lemon.

Not many suggestions to improve this recipe! I did have to cook the cake for a full 10 minutes longer than the recipe called for but I made no other changes. And, I used regular lemons because the store didn’t have Meyer lemons. Meyer lemons would be a bit sweeter.

When you are whipping the egg whites, make sure to use a clean stainless steel bowl. Any grease in the bowl can impact forming the stiff peaks. Also, use room temperature egg whites. Cream of tartar, as called for in the recipe, provides some acidity and ensures that the egg whites bind together.

You can use the cake recipe as a base and substitute your favorite fruit. Next time I might try pineapple! Judging from how many slices Tim had, I think he’d be excited to try another flavor!

Lemon Upside-Down Cake
Food & Wine

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 thin-skinned lemons, sliced paper-thin crosswise, seeds discarded
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°. Set a 9-inch nonstick cake pan over moderate heat. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and when it is melted, stir in the brown sugar until dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Arrange the lemon slices in the melted brown sugar.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the egg yolks, one at a time. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with the milk.

In a stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar at high speed until firm peaks form. Fold one-third of the beaten whites into the batter, then fold in the rest. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

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Categories : Cake, Dessert

Celebrating Tim's birthday with Holy Cow Cake!

March 11 2010 | Leave a Comment

Yesterday was Tim’s birthday!

To celebrate, I made a cake that I brought into the office. This was no ordinary cake — it was Holy Cow Cake (as coined by the Cake Mix Doctor). This is not the cake to bake if you are looking for something elegant or pretty. It’s an ooey gooey messy cake. But it feeds a crowd and is packed with all sorts of sweet goodness!

Here is an overview of the cake:

1) Bake a basic devil’s food cake from a mix.

2) Poke holes in the warm cake after it comes out of the oven. A drinking straw will do the trick.

3) Pour a caramel sauce – sweetened condensed milk combination over the cake.

4) Sprinkle 2 crushed Butterfingers candy bars over caramel combo.

5) Make frosting with Cool Whip and Cream Cheese. Spread over cake.

6) Sprinkle 2 more crushed Butterfingers over the cake and refrigerate.

Make sure to buy the right size Cool Whip container. That was my only issue. I had to add some confectioners sugar to the frosting to make a bit sweeter.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy the Holy Cow Cake! There is some leftover and I intend to have another piece as a Friday afternoon treat!

Holy Cow Cake
The Cake Mix Doctor

Cake

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil’s food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean, or sunflower
3 large eggs

Topping

1 jar (8 ounces) caramel topping
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4 Butterfinger candy bars (2.1 ounces each), crushed
1 container (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

3. Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 35 to 38 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Immediately poke holes in the top of the cake with a drinking straw or chopstick.

4. Prepare the topping. Place the caramel topping and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spoon this mixture over the warm cake so that it can seep down into the holes. Measure out half of the crushed candy bars and sprinkle the pieces over the cake.

5. Place the whipped topping and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and combined, 1 minute. Spread the mixture over the top of the candy. Sprinkle the remaining candy pieces on top.

6. Place the pan, uncovered, in the refrigerator to chill the cake for about 20 minutes before cutting it into squares and serving.

Store this cake, covered in waxed paper, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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Categories : Cake, Dessert

Super Bowl Cake 2010: Bourbon Praline Cake

February 7 2010 | Leave a Comment

I first wrote about, and resumed, my family’s Super Bowl cake tradition last year. This year I decided to bake a cake inspired by New Orleans since I was rooting for the Saints.

A few notes on this delicious cake…

Definitely follow the instructions to use parchment paper on the bottom of the pan AND the sides. I only used parchment on the bottom and the cake did not smoothly come out of the springform pan. In fact, the cake really wasn’t very pretty but Tim didn’t mind since it was so tasty. I also had to substitute buttermilk since my grocery store was all out. You can use equal parts milk and plain yogurt or add some lemon juice to milk as a substitute. I used the yogurt – milk combo.

Overall the cake was moist and wonderfully sweet from the pralines. I served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Delicious!

Bourbon Praline Cake
Food Network Magazine

For the Praline Layer:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups pecans, toasted

For the Cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper and butter the paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with foil.

Make the praline layer: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar, corn syrup, kosher salt and vanilla. Spread in the prepared pan and scatter the pecans on top; set aside.

Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda, nutmeg and fine salt in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and bourbon in another bowl.

Beat the butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 10 minutes. With the mixer on low, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with flour. Fold in the pecans.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a rack, 30 minutes. Remove the springform ring, invert the cake onto a plate and remove the paper. Serve with ice cream.

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Categories : Cake, Dessert

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

December 30 2009 | Leave a Comment

Here’s a delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. I made these today to bring up to Vermont where we are spending New Year’s with Tim’s brother, his wife, and baby girl. The cookies are chewy and packed with lots of chocolaty and oat goodness.

The reviews of the recipe suggested reducing the sugars to 1/3 of a cup each since the recipe also calls for maple syrup. I followed this tip and think the cookies are perfectly sweet.

Hope you enjoy the twist on your basic chocolate chip cookies.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Wayne Harley Brachman

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled (old-fashioned) oats
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Set 2 racks in the middle and upper thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, and pecans together with a whisk or fork.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 30 seconds until blended. Beat in the egg until smooth and barely fluffy. With mixer running on medium high, drizzle in the maple syrup, and vanilla until incorporated. Turn the mixer down to its lowest setting and gradually add the flour-oatmeal mixture. Blend just to combine, then mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop walnut-sized balls of dough onto a nonstick or parchment-lined cookie sheet at 3-inch intervals. With moistened fingers, flatten and round out the cookies a little. Bake for 9 minutes, turning the pan once for even baking. The cookies are done when they are lightly browned on top. Set the cookie sheets on a rack to cool.

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Categories : Cookies, Dessert

Christmas Cookies: Classic Sugar Cookies

December 24 2009 | Leave a Comment

Here is a delicious sugar cookie recipe.

I don’t think the cookies needed 15 to 20 minutes. Check on them at 12 minutes. I decorated the cookies with red sugar and red and green M&Ms to make them festive!

Enjoy! Merry Christmas!

Classic Sugar Cookies
Food Network Magazine

2 sticks butter
1/2 granulated sugar
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter, granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the butter mixture, then chill 30 minutes.

Roll tablespoonfuls into balls and flatten; sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake 15 to 20 minutes.

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Categories : Cookies, Dessert

Christmas Cookies: Thumbprint Cookies

| Leave a Comment

Merry Christmas to all the Weeknight Gourmet readers! I was baking this morning so I figured I would share a couple of last minute cookie recipes.

I made a couple of modifications to the thumbprint cookie recipe below. Instead of lemon juice and zest, I used orange juice and zest. I also substituted Grand Marnier for Chambord because that’s what I had. Lastly, I didn’t think the cookies needed a full 20 minutes. Check on them at 15 minutes.

So delicious!

Raspberry-Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Emeril Lagasse

1/2 cup raspberry jam or jelly
1 tablespoon Chambord or kirsch
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets.
In a small bowl, combine the jam and Chambord. Stir to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together into a ball.

Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

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Categories : Cookies, Dessert

Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Crinkles

December 19 2009 | Leave a Comment

Here is a delicious chocolaty cookie for the holidays! They are so chewy and rich! I had splurged and bought some Scharffen Berger Cocoa Powder which gave these cookies an amazing flavor.

Next time I might try rolling half in regular sugar and the other half in confectioners sugar.

Chocolate Crinkles
Real Simple

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.

Form the dough into balls (each equal to 1 level tablespoon). Roll the balls in the confectioners’ sugar and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.

Bake until the cookies are firm and the tops crack, 13 to 15 minutes.Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 36 cookies.

4 Comments

Categories : Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert

Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

December 15 2009 | Leave a Comment

Here’s a delicious Christmas cookie recipe that my friend Julia introduced me to — two cake-y chocolate cookies with peppermint flavored buttercream sandwiched between! DELISH! The filling gets its flavor from peppermint extract, which you can find in most gourmet grocery stores.

We brought the cookies to the two holiday parties — one Christmas party and one Hanukkah party — we attended over the weekend. I rolled half of the cookies in crushed candy canes and the other half in blue sugar crystals. Both looked very festive!

The only note I would make is that the recipe only produced about 10 to 11 sandwich cookies not 18 as the recipe states.

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Bon Appetit

Cookies

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg

Filling

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops (or more) red food coloring

1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)

For cookies:
Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not overbake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of 1 cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.

Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling). (Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

4 Comments

Categories : Cookies, Dessert

Category : Dessert

What's been cookin' in the Weeknight Gourmet's kitchen?

Spring is for Rhubarb: Wine-Roasted Rhubarb

Easter Dessert: Lemon Upside-Down Cake

Celebrating Tim's birthday with Holy Cow Cake!

Super Bowl Cake 2010: Bourbon Praline Cake

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Christmas Cookies: Classic Sugar Cookies

Christmas Cookies: Thumbprint Cookies

Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Crinkles

Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

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