Surprise Your Guests With Unique Desserts

Happy hump day everyone! Did you see the Geiko camel commercial today? Love it! Today I'm bringing you a few ideas that will help you create desserts in new and exciting ways. These recipes will keep curious guests begging for more!

"Carrot Cake" Cream Cheese
Daniel Richardson, Waffle and Wolf, 2011

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup currants or raisins
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups softened cream cheese
• Waffles, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. 
2. Combine the carrots, walnuts, brown sugar, raisins, orange juice, oil, granulated sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl and mix. Spread out into a 6-by-6-inch cake pan or a pan of similar size. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate, stir and then cook for an additional 15 minutes. Let completely cool, and then fully combine with the cream cheese. Refrigerate and use when ready. Spread on your favorite waffle recipe. 
3. This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and may have been scaled down from a bulk recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Melon Carpaccio with Lime

Michael Laiskonis

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 sprigs mint plus small leaves for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon thinly sliced fresh red chile (such as jalapeño or Fresno)
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 5-lb. melon (such as honeydew), peeled, halved, seeded, cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
• Coconut, mango, or lemon sorbet (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest

Directions

1. Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add mint sprigs and chile. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Remove syrup from heat; cover and let steep for 15 minutes for flavors to infuse.
2. Strain syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl; stir in lime juice. Do AHEAD: Syrup can be made 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.
3. Arrange melon slices in a 13x9x2" glass baking dish. Pour syrup over melon in baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.
4. Divide melon slices among plates, over-lapping them decoratively. Pour remaining syrup in dish into a small pitcher. DO AHEAD: Melon carpaccio can be made up to 5 hours ahead. Cover and chill melon and remaining syrup separately.
5. Drizzle some of syrup over melon. Place a scoop of sorbet in center of each plate, if using; garnish with mint leaves and lime zest.

Banana and Blueberry "Ice Cream"

Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 4 firm ripe bananas, cut into chunks, frozen overnight
• 1 cup blueberries
• Pinch of kosher salt

Directions

Purée bananas, blueberries, and salt in a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until smooth and creamy.

DO AHEAD: Ice cream can be made 5 days ahead. Cover and freeze. Let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

Happy baking!

Baby Shower Extravaganza!

Brownies and rainbows

While we wait for the more "professional" pics...here's mine

Lemon tartlets

Happy Monday all! I'm back from a fun long weekend down south for my sister's baby shower! This was a very special event for me as I planned everything - from theme to drinks to desserts. I wanted to share a few pictures with my fellow foodies. Desserts included my world famous brownies (mini-sized of course), mini rainbow cookies, mini lemon tartlets, and mini white cupcakes with strawberry buttercream. It's a fabulous buttercream recipe, using the typical meringue buttercream base, but adding strawberry preserves. I'm putting the recipe here for you. Be sure to mix it in your Cuisinart - don't skip that step! It really smooths it out and adds great texture.

White cupcakes with strawberry buttercream

Strawberry Buttercream
Martha Stewart Show, January 2007

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) strawberry jam, pureed in a food processor

Directions

1. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees).
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. Stir in strawberry jam with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.

Happy baking!

Away for an event...

Hi all! I'm going on vacay for my sister's baby shower...and since I'm planning it, I'm bringing all the desserts! See you Monday with pictures!

Fresh Ricotta Makes the Tart

Hello all! It's Tuesday savory post time (I should really come up with a better phrase than that!). Last night I made one of my favorite brunch-for-dinner items: a ricotta tart, courtesy of Tyler Florence. This one is always a hit with my husband; I think it's best with fresh ricotta if you can get it (I get it from Whole Foods...but if you can't find it, the container from the supermarket works well too!). I also like to use pitted kalamata olives - adds a really yummy, salty kick! This is a great one to impress guests, be set 2 hours aside for this bad boy - there's a lot of resting, baking, and mixing!

Ricotta Tart with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil, and Black Olives
Tyler Florence

Ingredients
Pastry

• 11/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
• 1 egg, separated
• 3 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

Ricotta Filling

• 1 head roasted garlic (see Note)
• 4 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh Tomato Salad

• 4 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/2 cup pitted and sliced kalamata olives
• 5 fresh basil leaves, hand-torn
• Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Tyler's Note: Using a food processor to make dough is a modern timesaver. The downside is that the blade can really overwork the dough; so be sure to use short bursts of power, not long, sustained ones. 

1. Pulse the flour, salt, and sugar together in a food processor. Put in the chunks of butter, a little at a time, and pulse just until the dough resembles cornmeal. Add the egg yolk and the ice water; pulse again for a second just to pull the dough together. Lightly dust the counter with flour. Dump the dough out and briefly knead it by hand into a ball. Again, do not overwork the dough or it will become as tough as shoe leather. Wrap it tightly in plastic and let it rest and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or even overnight. This lets the protein in the flour relax and also firms up the butter particles.
2. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin (this may take a little practice) and lay it inside a 101/2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the edges into the sides of the pan. It is important to press the dough evenly into every nook and corner of the ring, especially the scalloped edges. Fold the excess dough inside to reinforce the rim. Put the tart in the fridge for 15 minutes to relax.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prick the bottom of the shell with a fork. Lay a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of the tart shell and fill it with 1 cup of dried beans. The weight of the beans will keep the pie dough flat so it doesn’t bubble when hit with the initial heat. Bake for 30 minutes. Lift out the beans in the foil, return the tart shell to the oven, and bake for another 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.
4. Beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the bottom and sides of the pastry with the egg glaze to seal any tiny holes; it also gives the tart a nice sheen. Your tart shell is ready for filling.
5. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins into a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and ricotta and Parmigiano cheeses; season with salt and pepper. Place the tart shell on a cookie sheet. Pour the egg mixture into the shell, filling it three-quarters of the way. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for  30 minutes. The tart should still jiggle slightly in the center; it will set up as it cools.
6. Mix the tomato slices with the olives, basil, and orange zest. Drizzle with a 2-count of oil; season with salt and pepper and fold everything together.
7. Carefully lift the tart out of the ring and slide the tart off the base and onto a plate. Let the tart cool to room temperature. Cut it into wedges and drizzle with a little olive oil and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Spoon some of the tomato salad onto each plate and put a slice of tart on top.
8. Note: To roast the garlic, bang the garlic head on the counter to loosen the cloves. Put the separated cloves in a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and close up the pouch. Bake for 30 minutes (you can bake them with the tart shell). The garlic should be soft.

Cookie Secrets From Your Favorite Cookie Stand

Happy Monday! Well...not really secrets, since they printed a cookbook. Mrs. Fields; Great American Cookie Company - they make deliciously soft cookies at the malls around America (though I fear what happens behind the scenes). The other day, on a shopping trip with my mom, we stopped for an M&M cookie, one of my childhood faves. I began to reminisce about the yummy cookies of yester-year, and I remembered that I'd inherited a Mrs. Fields Cookie Book years ago! That book brought back memories of my childhood, memories of when baking started coursing through my veins. So as a tribute to my childhood happiness, here are a few recipes from that cookbook!

Debbi's drop cookies...
Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 C dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 C white sugar
• 1 C salted butter, softened (Lizzy Bee's Note: Knowadays, most recipes call for unsalted - that's fine too! Salted butter, plus salt in the recipe, is a lot of salt!)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 C (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F).
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt. Mix well with a whisk. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix at medium speed until just blended. Do not overmix.
4. Add flour and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 22-24 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface with a spatula. 

Debbi's fancy cookies...

Brown Sugar Shortbread

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen 

Ingredients

Shortbread:

• 1 C salted butter, softened
• 3/4 C light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 C AP flour

Topping:

• 1 T salted butter
• 1 C (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 C (4 oz) pecans, finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed. Scrape down sides of bowl. Then add vanilla and flour, and blend thoroughly on low speed.
3. Shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-in balls, then form into logs 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Place on ungreased baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
4. Bake 17-19 minutes, or until cookies spread and turn a light golden brown. Transfer to a cool, flat surface. 

To make topping:

1. Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler over hot (not boiling...Lizzy Bee's Note: Simmering) water or in a microwave oven on high power. Stir chocolate every 30 seconds until melted.
2. Dip top of each cooled shortbread cookie into melted chocolate, then into chopped pecans. Place cookies on waxed paper and refrigerate to set.

Happy baking!

When a Brownie Isn't Just a Brownie

Hello all! So today I want to talk brownies. If you haven't tried Lizzy Bee's Bakery's world famous brownies, you're missing out! You should order them ASAP (shameless plug finished). But in the meantime, here are a few different brownie recipes to delight the taste buds.

White Chocolate Brownies
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan - one of my faves!!

Ingredients
For the brownies:

• 2/3 C AP flour
• 1/2 C finely ground almonds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick (8T) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 4 oz premium-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 C sugar
• 2 tsp grated orange zest
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 C fresh raspberries

For the meringue:

• 3 large egg whites, room temp.
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 C sugar

• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325. Butter a 9x13 inch pan, line bottom with parchment, butter the paper and dust the bottom and sides with flour; tap out excess. Put the pan on baking sheet.
2. Whisk together flour, almonds, and salt. 
3. Set heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Put the butter in the bowl, top with the chopped chocolate and stir frequently until the ingredients are melted - you don't want them to get so hot that the butter or white chocolate separates. Remove bowl from pan of water. 
4. Working in the bowl of a stand mixer or in another large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the eggs and, with the paddle or whisk attachment, or hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, or until pale and foamy. Beat in vanilla.
5. Reduce mixer speed to low and blend in melted butter/chocolate. Still working on low, mix in dry ingredients, stirring only until they disappear in batter.
6. Scrape the batter into prepared pan, sprinkle raspberries evenly over batter. Set aside while you make meringue.
7. In clean mixer bowl with the clean whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the salt on medium speed until they are foamy and just turn opaque. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and add sugar in a slow, steady stream. Whip whites until they form firm but glossy peaks.
8. Gently spread meringue over brownie batter.
9. Bake 30-35 min or until meringue is browned and crackly and the brownies pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer pan to a rack and cool to room temp.
10. Cover a cooling rack with parchment, dust the mat with confectioners' sugar and very gently, so you don't squish the meringue, turn the brownies out onto the rack. Peel away parchment lining and carefully invert brownies onto cutting board. Cut into 32 bars. 

Nick Malgieri's Supernatural Brownies

I believe he created these for Green and Black Organic Chocolate...but use whatever you want. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 8 oz Green and Black bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/4 in pieces
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 C granulated sugar
• 1 C dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 C AP flour

Directions

1. Butter and line with parchment one 13x9 in pan. Set rack in middle level of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. 
2. Bring a saucepan of water to boil and turn off heat. Combine butter and chocolate in heatproof bowl and set over pan of water. Stir occasionally until melted.
3. Whisk eggs together in large bowl then whisk in salt, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate mixture, then fold in flour. 
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 40-45 min, until top has formed shiny crust and batter is moderately firm. Cool in pan on rack. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep at room temp/refrigerate until next day to make cutting easier.
5. To cut: Unmold onto a cutting board, remove paper, and replace with another cutting board. Turn right side up. Cut into 2 in squares.

Variations: Add 2 C walnut or pecan pieces

Happy baking!

Healthy and Well-Balanced for Summer!

Happy Wednesday! I didn't get a chance to post my savory dish last night, blame it on the "summer vacation" daze. Last night I made a really delicious, colorful dinner from the latest edition of Bon Appetit. The meal called for harissa paste, which I shockingly couldn't find. Instead I substituted lemongrass paste for an interesting, refreshing twist. Enjoy!

Grilled Harissa Shrimp
Rebecca Jurkevich

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, tails intact, deveined
• 2–3 tablespoons harissa paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 4 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Combine shrimp, harissa, and oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and toss to coat.
2. Grill shrimp until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
3. Toss shrimp, radishes, basil, and cilantro in another medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.

DO AHEAD: Shrimp can be grilled 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Lizzy Bee's note: I couldn't grill last night - there was lightening in the sky! So I seared my shrimp in a pan...still delicious! I also used a packet of lemongrass paste (I found it in Whole Foods, but it's also online) in replace of the harissa paste.

Herbed Green Beans with Feta

Rebecca Jurkevich

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons torn fresh mint leaves, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
• 2 tablespoons matchstick-size strips lemon zest, divided
• 2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice
• 2 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Working in two batches, cook beans in a large pot of boiling, generously salted water just until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a colander set in a bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain well, then pat dry with paper towels.
2. Toss beans, oil, 2 tablespoons mint, 1 tablespoon dill, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and half of feta in a large bowl; season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
3. Serve beans topped with remaining feta, 2 tablespoons mint, 1 tablespoon dill, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.

DO AHEAD: Beans can be cooked 1 day ahead. Wrap in a paper towel, place in a resealable plastic bag, and chill.

Quinoa Salad with Peaches and Pickled Onions

Rebecca Jurkevich

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa (any color) rinsed well
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt plus more
• 1 medium red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large ripe firm peaches, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 bunch arugula, thick stems trimmed, leaves torn (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups small cherry tomatoes (about 1 pint), halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup 1/2-inch pieces chives, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Bring quinoa and 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Season with salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender, 8–10 minutes. Drain, return quinoa to pan, and cover. Remove from heat and let sit 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet; let cool.
2. Meanwhile, place onion in a small bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, and 4 tsp. salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over onion and let stand 20 minutes. Drain, reserving pickling liquid.
3. Toss pickled onion, peaches, arugula, tomatoes, oil, 1/4 cup chives, and 3 tablespoons reserved pickling liquid in a large bowl; season with salt, pepper, and more pickling liquid, if desired. Fold in quinoa.
4. Serve salad topped with remaining 1/4 cup chives.

DO AHEAD: Quinoa salad can be made 6 hours ahead (do not add arugula and chives). Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and toss in arugula and chives just before serving.

Lizzy Bee's note: I chose not to pickle the onions for the sake of both time and I'm not the biggest fan of pickled veggies. I chose to saute the onions until very soft and yummy. Still delicious!