Red isn't just a fabulous dress color!

Happy Monday my loyal friends! Today I was getting a bottle of red wine from my local wine shop and it turned into quite an adventure. I'm making fish, but my recipe calls for red wine instead of white! With the help of my trustworthy wine guy, I think I've got a great, inexpensive bottle. This got me thinking about red wines for cooking...which OF COURSE led me to think about baking with red wine! You know my favorite desserts are those with a lot of depth, so today's recipes are all about finding that richness with the help of glorious reds!

Chocolate-Red Wine Cake
Food & Wine, September 2009
by Kristin Donnelly

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups dry red wine
• Confectioner's sugar, for dusting
• Whipped cream, for serving (look back in my blog for ways to spice up your whipped cream!)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes longer. Working in two batches, alternately fold in the dry ingredients and the wine, until just incorporated.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack; let cool completely. Dust the cake with confectioner's sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Strawberry Granita with Beaujolais

Bon Appetit, June 2010

Ingredients:

Granita:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 pounds (8 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled, halved
• 1 cup Beaujolais or other fruity dry red wine

Garnishes:

• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries plus 8 large whole berries for garnish
• 1/4 cup Beaujolais or other fruity dry red wine
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Granita: 

1. Stir 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Cool syrup.
2. Place halved strawberries, red wine, and cooled sugar syrup in processor and puree until smooth. Strain strawberry puree into 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal pan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard strawberry solids in strainer. Cover puree and freeze 1 hour.
3. Using fork, stir granita, mashing any solid parts with back of fork. Freeze until firm, scraping mixture with fork every 30 minutes to form icy crystals. DO AHEAD: Granita can be made 3 days ahead. Keep covered and frozen.

Garnishes: 

1. Mix sliced berries, wine, and sugar in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature until sugar dissolves and juices form, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Divide sliced strawberry mixture among 8 wineglasses. Scrape granita with fork to loosen ice crystals. Divide granita among glasses. 
2. Garnish edge of each glass with 1 whole strawberry and serve.

Happy baking!