TwD Chocolate Truffle Tartlets

Yum!

As a child I really didn't like chocolate! I didn't like chocolate ice cream, chocolate candy bars or chocolate cookies! Somewhere along the long road...that changed! I actually have become a choco-holic!!
So, I was really excited when the second recipe picked for Tuesdays with Dorie was Chocolate Truffle Tartlets. I made these for my Bunco group a few weeks ago, knowing we would be traveling toward the end of February, and wanting to have them done before we left. These were a delicious hit with all of my friends.
Making these were pretty easy. I made the crust the night before I planned on baking them. Everything went into the food processor, then into the refrigerator until the next morning. While mixing the pastry it seemed a bit dry so, I added water a tablespoon at a time until it reached the right consistency. The pastry was a lovely, workable dough that was full of chocolate flavor.  The truffle filling was smooth and creamy. I used Amaretti cookies and thought it would add some crunch but, the cookies were hardly noticeable. These decadent, chocolaty tartlets were melt in your mouth delicious. My Bunco ladies really enjoyed these and so did I!
This week's pick for Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Julia was Chocolate Truffle Tartlets. Our hosts are, Spike of Spike Bakes, Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon, Jaime of Good Eats and Sweet Treats, and Jessica of Cookbookhabit. This recipe will be posted on their blogs. 
This post was done in participation with Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Julia.  Check it out to see what other bloggers did.

Dough pressed into tart pans...this dough was a bit too dry so I added a little more water while I was mixing

Mixing the filling

Tarts ready for the oven

Beautiful....just out of the oven

Rich and chocolaty

FFWD Mussels and Chorizo with or without Pasta

Mussels and Chorizo

A rainy day in Florida is so much better than a snowy, cold day in NJ. This week I'm spending French Friday here in the pan handle of Florida. We arrived here Monday night. Tuesday it was raining, so it was the perfect time to get my food shopping done. I decided, since fresh seafood is readily available in this area and since my husband loves mussels, I would treat him to this dish for Valentine's Day! It was definitely a treat!
I have always had an aversion to cooking shell fish. Actually, I don't like cooking shell fish or lobster or anything that starts out alive! I thought of skipping this week, but I thought this was a perfect time to overcome my fear. Mussels are a favorite of my husbands, he usually orders them when we go out.  A few years ago, when we were in Holland, he ordered a huge bucket of mussels, and had no problem finishing them by himself!
My aunt is partly responsible for my phobia. She once told me a story of her first time cooking a lobster. It was not pretty! It had something to do with the live lobster being put into cold water and being brought to a boil! See what I mean....not pretty!
It was time to overcome my fear of shell fish so, while I was shopping, I picked up the mussels and all the other ingredients for the Mussels and Chorizo. I had my husband wash and clean the mussels as I chopped all the veggies. This dish went together so easily! First heating the oil in a large Dutch oven, then adding the bell pepper, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook this for about 5 minutes then add the tomatoes and Chorizo. I used a spiced smoked sausage because I couldn't find Chorizo. Cook for a few more minutes and add the mussels and white wine. Cover and cook for a few more minutes, till the mussels open. Once they open, serve immediately!  I decided to serve this with some crusty bread.  This turned out to be a perfect Valentine's Day meal! We both enjoyed it and I overcame my fear of cooking shell fish.
This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook "Around My French Table". The recipe can also be found here.  To see what other French Friday bloggers are doing check it out here.

Washed mussels

Everything chopped and ready to go

Absolutely delicious!

Such a lovely Valentine's Day dinner

We really enjoyed this dish...it will be making many more appearances on our table

FFWD Nutella Tartine

Nutella Tartine.....my delicious snack

This has to be the easiest French Friday recipe ever! In fact, it has to be the easiest recipe in Dorie's book!  Easy really worked for me this week. We are on the road heading south for a visit with my son's family in Georgia.
I'm not sure I would even consider this a real recipe. It calls for a slice of Brioche or Challah, brushed with melted butter and put under a broiler to toast. You then take the bread and spread it with Orange Marmalade, drizzle on some warmed Nutella and sprinkle with chopped Hazelnuts. That's it!! Done!
So, yesterday while I was busy packing for our trip, washing clothes and emptying my refrigerator, I stopped for a snack of Nutella Tartine. I didn't use Brioche or Challah. I used the delicious white bread I made for TwD. I thought it would be perfect for my French Friday recipe and I was right. This turned out to be a perfect snack to have with my tea. It gave me the energy to move on and finish what I had to do, so that we would be able to leave at 6 am. After a full day of driving I am now sitting in my hotel room trying to write this post, and feeling like I'm not making any sense, because I'm so tired...So Happy Friday everyone!
If you'd like to make this delicious snack it can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook "Around My French Table" or here on NPR where Dorie shared this recipe.

 YUM!!

Tuesdays with Dorie... White Loaves

Homemade white bread....what could be better

Tuesdays with Dorie was the group that started it all, for me. I remember reading my first Tuesdays post...it was for "Madelines". My thoughts went immediately to "this is a group I want to be part of... baking my way through a cookbook...what fun". However, this group had met it's quota and it was not to be. I kept reading the posts periodically, and then about a year and half ago I read that they were starting the FFWD group! You know what happened next!
While the Tuesday group continued to bake their way through Dorie Greenspan's book "Baking, From My House to Yours", the Friday group got started cooking their way through..."Around My French Table". It took "Tuesdays" four years, but they finished their baking project and are now starting a new group to bake through "Baking with Julia"! I am finally part of the Tuesday group and am looking forward to the journey!
Our first challenge...White Loaves. My mom was a wonderful bread baker. She was the one who taught me to get to know my dough, knead it...know it's feel.  I have baked bread quite often, and always kneaded by hand. This recipe calls for using your stand mixer to knead the dough. Because, the dough seemed heavy I decided to use the mixer. At one point, I thought the motor on my mixer was going to give out.  The dough finally came together and it made two beautiful loaves of bread. My first loaf was a plain white bread, absolutely delicious! I used it for sandwiches and toast. It was my kind of bread...not at all like the white fluffy bread you buy at the grocery store. Full of flavor and such a nice texture or crumb. For the second loaf, I rolled out the dough and spread it with some softened butter. I then sprinkled on some cinnamon and sugar...the results were very nice. Just a little sweetness for a breakfast loaf. I really loved this recipe and will be making it again. I'm thinking with raisins next time.

If you would like to bake this bread, you can find the recipe in the book "Baking with Julia" by Dorie Greenspan. To see how other bloggers did with this recipe you can find it here. The recipe will be posted by our host this month Someone's In the Kitchen, here.

Dough placed in bowl to rise

Doubled in size

Ready for the oven

Such a gorgeous loaf of bread

Couldn't wait to slice into them...still warm and so delicious

A slice from the cinnamon loaf

Nothing beats a homemade bread just out of the oven!!

French Fridays with Dorie Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche

Gorgonzola Apple Quiche 

Tonight I am hosting my Bunco group and decided to make the Gorgonzola Apple Quiche as part of my menu. We all love good food and this quiche sounds perfect to me. I made mine last night and will heat it for a short while before I serve it. Dorie suggests this if made ahead. I'm hoping it will still be fresh tasting. I usually make my quiches the day I serve them but, I needed photos for this post. I am also making Gerard's Mustard Tart, since I missed it last year when the group made it. That one I will make this afternoon along with a Tomato Tart.
My bunco group has been playing together for about 24 years! Some of the faces have changed through the years, but the group lives on. We always have such a great time together, catching up with each others lives and finding out what's going on in the neighborhood. We do a lot of laughing, eating and gossiping! Not necessarily in that order! And what would bunco be with out a little wine!
This tart was quite easy. I made the dough for my crusts the day before so I just needed to roll it out and pre bake it. I sautéed the onion, sprinkled it over the crust, then added the apple and gorgonzola. I then beat the cream and eggs together and poured it into the tart shell. In the oven it went and what came out was a lovely looking quiche. I didn't get to try it yet, but it smelled and looked delicious! Here's hoping!!

This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook "Around My French Table".  To see what other Doristas have done check it out here!

Sautéing onions

Onions,  apples and gorgonzola

Cream and eggs poured into the tart pan

Here's hoping!!

Gourmets 50 Most Influential Women in Food #33 Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer - Tomato Tart

Tomato Tart..made easy because it call for frozen puff pastry!

This week we are celebrating #33 on Gourmets 50 Most Influential Women in Food list. The duo picked was Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hersheimer.  As I was researching these women I found that they live in one of my favorite places in the NJ/PA area. Lambertville is on the NJ side of the Delaware river and New Hope is on the Pa. side, in famous Bucks County. These are such quaint beautiful towns. The artistic community of New York City has long made this a summer destination. New Hope has hosted the illustrious likes of Barbara Stanwyck, James Taylor, Moss Hart, Robert Redford and Dorthy Parker and members of her "Algonquin Round Table" group. Famous writers, critics, and actors. But I'm getting distracted!! I'm supposed to be talking about two very talented women in the food industry. 

Together this pair had more than 30 years experience working for such magazines as Food and Wine, Metropolitan Home, Cook's Illustrated, and Martha Stewart Living. They also worked on cookbooks by Julia Child, Alice Waters, Mario Batali, Jaques Pepin, and Lidia Bastianich. 

Christopher Hersheimer served as food and design editor for Metropolitan Home Magazine and was one of the founders of Saveur Magazine, where she was executive editor. She is a writer and photographer.

Christopher  resides just across the Delaware River in Erwinna, Pa., with her husband Jim, an antiques dealer. The couple has two grown daughters. Hersheimer grew up in San Francisco, one of five children.  She attended college in the San Francisco Bay area during the 60's and 70's. Where she became involved with the local food scene. She has said, "You could say I ended up in the food world by default." Lucky for the food world.

Melissa Hamilton was co-founder of the restaurant Hamilton's Grill Room in Lambertville, NJ., where she served as the executive chef. She also worked for Martha Stewart Magazine, Cook's Illustrated and was food editor at Saveur. Melissa is the daughter of Jim Hamilton of Hamilton's Grill Room. She is the sister of Gabrielle Hamilton, the highly regarded chef/owner of Prune in Manhattan. She and her architect husband, Michael Hagerty, along with their two daughters live in Stockton, NJ. 

In 2007, these two women decided to start their own magazine/cookbook and self-publish it. The magazine would be published three times a year and they would do it from their studio in Lambertville, NJ. When they tried to get it published; everyone told them it would never work. Against all advise they pushed ahead and eventually, in 2009, issued the first volume of Canal House Cooking, a series of seasonal cookbooks that they self-publish three times a year. 

These are two very determined, talented ladies, who have just published number 7 in their Canal House Cooking series. After reading all the reviews of this series...I stopped by Amazon and bought myself the first 3...I am such a sucker for a good cookbook! 

I made a small one tonight for photos...I will be making the full size version tomorrow for company.

Just out of the oven....this was so flaky and wonderful! You could taste the freshness of the tomatoes in every bite.

Scrumptious!!

tomato tart

serves 4–6

We usually make this simple tart with large ripe tomatoes in season, tuck- ing some halved supersweet cherry tomatoes in between the slabs. But we’ve found that using even those hothouse varieties—a little more acidic and certainly less juicy—can be quite delicious, too. Eat this tart warm or at room temperature, but definitely the same day you make it as the crisp, delicate crust becomes limp if left to sit too long.

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted 

Pepper 

2–3 tomatoes, cored and sliced 

Salt, preferably maldon or other
2–3 branches fresh thyme 

really good extra-virgin olive oil
crunchy sea salt

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lay the sheet of puff pastry out on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Using the tip of a paring knife, lightly score a border about 1⁄2 inch from the edge of the pastry. Prick the dough inside the border all over with the tines of a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much during baking.

Arrange the tomatoes on the pastry in a single layer (crowding or overlap- ping the tomatoes will make the puff pastry soggy). Strip the branches of thyme, scattering the leaves over the tomatoes. Drizzle the tart with some olive oil and season with pepper.

Bake the tart until the pastry is crisp and deeply browned on the bottom and around the edges, 30–40 minutes. Season with salt.


These are the other bloggers that are playing along....make sure you stop by and check them out!
Mary- One Perfect Bite

Val- More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne- Eats Well With Others 
Taryn- Have Kitchen Will Feed
 Susan- The Spice Garden
Heather- girlichef
 Miranda- Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette- Jeanette's Healthy Living
Kathy- Bakeaway with Me
Sue- The View from Great Island
Barbara- Moveable Feasts
Linda- There and Back Again 
Nancy- Picadillo
Mireya- My Healthy Eating Habits
Veronica- My Catholic Kitchen
Annie- Lovely Things
Claudia- Journey of an Italian Cook
Alyce- More Time at the Table
Amrita- Beetle's Kitchen Escapades

Baked Ziti, Sausage in White Cheese Sauce

When it comes to quick, satisfying, comfort food, pasta in any form does it for me. Through the years I have cut out hundreds of pasta recipes with the intention of making them all! I have many cookbooks where I flagged many delicious looking pasta recipes, that I will eventually get to make...maybe years from today but, eventually!!  A fondness for pasta, with creamy white sauces, seems to spell comfort to me. The pasta I'm sharing today is made with a "Bechamel"sauce.  Bechamel is a white sauce that is used in many Italian pasta dishes. The origin of Bechamel, or white sauce, is questionable.  Ranging from Italian origins, brought to the France court by the cooks of Catherina dei Medici, to being the invention of the Marquis of Bechameil. Origin aside, Bechamel or Bechiamella as it is called in Italian, is a white sauce made from butter, flour and milk. It is commonly used in Italian oven baked dishes.
This week has been long and stressful. In my search for something easy, delicious and comforting, I decided on this baked ziti. It has an easy white sauce and a wonderful cheesey layer! A nice big salad, some Italian bread and you have a delicious meal.  Buon Appetito!

The ingredients for the cheese layer

Sausage cooked, cut and ready to be added to the pasta

The creamy pasta layer

This was a delicious creamy pasta dish. When this came out of the oven we were all so hungry we just dug in. Oh nooo.....No pictures!!!

BAKED ZITI, SAUSAGE IN WHITE CHEESE
SAUCE

1 lb. pkg. ziti macaroni
4 tbsp. salad oil
1 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage

SAUCE:

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
4 c. milk
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

CHEESE LAYER:

1 1/2 lbs. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. chopped roasted red pepper
2 eggs
2 tbsp. basil
Salt and pepper
(I added a 1/2 cup of grated Mozzarella cheese to the cheese mixture)

1/2 lb. Mozzarella cheese, grated
Paprika

Cook ziti as directed and drain. In hot oil, saute sausage until lightly browned. Remove from pan and then slice (1/2 inch pieces). To make sauce, melt butter in medium saucepan, remove from heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boiling, stirring. Reduce heat; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. In bowl, combine ziti and sauce.

To make cheese layer; in medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, eggs, basil, salt and pepper; mix well.

In bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking dish, spoon half the ziti sauce mixture. Layer with cheese mixture. Spoon on remaining ziti sauce mixture. Arrange sliced sausage on top. Sprinkle with grated Mozzarella and paprika. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes 10 servings.

Stout Chocolate-Cherry Bread and Award

This bread was delicious with little specks of chocolate and pieces of cherry

Today was very cold and snowy! This will sound strange but, it's about time! With the exception of a freak October snow storm (I was in Florida) we have had unseasonably warm weather here in NJ. We didn't even get a dusting for Christmas.  Our temps have been much warmer than usual...that's not all bad, but I've really been missing the snow.  Well, last night it snowed!  Only 6 inches but, it's snow.  This morning everything has been transformed into a magical white, wonderland.  Crisp and clean. Taking away the winter gloom and filling it with wonder and mystery. So, when I woke and saw this gorgeous white carpet, my first instinct was to bake a bread. Snow does that to me. Filling the kitchen with warmth and the sweet smells of something delicious. I planned for this. When I first heard it was going to snow, I pulled out a recipe that I've been wanting to bake.  I clipped it from Cooking Light Magazine years ago. It has always intrigued me. It's a yeast bread that is first made with a sponge. The sponge is made with yeast, flour and Guinness beer. Sounds intriguing, right!  So the night before the snow I started the sponge. It had to be refrigerated over night. The next morning I took it from the fridge and set it out for an hour and a half. Mixed it up, let it rise and in the end, a beautiful loaf of stout chocolate-cherry bread. This bread was delicious! It will not be the last appearance it makes in our house. 

The recipe calls for stout...I had draught

The next morning just out of the fridge

This was the hardest part...kneading in the cherries and chocolate...be patient! 

Let rise till doubled in size

Then punch down and let rest 5 minutes...then shape into a round loaf and let rise till doubled again

Brush with egg white, sprinkle with sugar and bake

Just out of the oven!

My backyard...covered in a lovely white blanket

Our winter wonderland

Stout Chocolate-Cherry Bread
from Cooking Light

YIELD: 20 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
COURSE: Breads

Ingredients:

4 1/4 cups bread flour, divided
1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness Stout
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pearl sugar (optional)

Preparation:


Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, beer, and yeast in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.


Remove mixture from refrigerator; let stand 1 hour.


Add 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and salt; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky). Knead in cherries and chocolate.


Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press 2 fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)


Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Shape dough into a 9-inch round; place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.


Preheat oven to 350°.


Uncover the dough. Combine water and egg white, stirring with a whisk, and brush over dough. Sprinkle the dough with pearl sugar, if desired. Make a 1/4-inch-deep cut down the center of dough using a sharp knife.


Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bread is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.

I am very late with a big thank you to Susan, of Create Amazing Meals, who picked my blog to receive the "Liebster Blog" award! Susan has a fabulous blog where she really does create amazing meals! Susan and I met as members of French Fridays with Dorie. We have been cooking together for the past year and I am always blown away by her gorgeous food and her beautiful photos. Make sure you stop by and say, "Hello".


Since I started my blog, I have met such wonderful people, who share a like interest and who, have become my blogger friends. The best thing about getting an award like this is to be able to pass it on! So here it goes! These are my five.
One of my favorite blogs to visit is Ryan Bakes! There is always something sweet coming out of Ryan's kitchen. She is very creative and makes the most beautiful desserts! 
A blog that I have recently discovered is The Irish Mother. This is such a lovely blog with lovely photos and great recipes. Looking forward to getting to know her better in 2012.
Elaine of California Living is a fellow Dorista. She always has such artistic and interesting things going on over at her blog. She also participates with Baked Sunday Mornings. I have been cooking with Elaine for the past year and she is always so supportive and generous.
Another Dorista ( A term coined by Trevor of SisBoom) is Rose of OneExpatsLife. I always enjoy reading her blog and getting a glimpse into life in Germany. 
And last but certainly not least is Lola of Lola's Kitchen. Lola is another French Friday Dorista and will soon be baking with the on line group Tuesdays with Dorie.  Her blog is always welcoming and informative.
I hope you check out all of these very talented ladies and their blogs. 
Here are the rules for the awardees:

1.  Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them.

2.  List the top five blogs you love (who have less than 200 followers) and link to them, telling a bit about each one. Leave a comment on their blogs to let them know you've nominated them.

French Fridays with Dorie--Quatre-Quarts

Quatre-quarts 

I can't believe I'm baking a cake so soon after the holidays. I promised myself I would stay away from cakes and cookies, since my husband is on South Beach...AGAIN!!!!  It's French Friday and our mission this week, if we choose to accept it, is to make a Quatre-quarts which literally means "4 fourths". Sounds funny...but it's a cake! A french cake similar to our pound cake. All the ingredients are based on equal measures of the four main ingredients: eggs, flour, sugar and butter. This is a very basic traditional french cake. Popular as a snack cake, it can be dressed up nicely for a lovely dessert by adding some whipped cream and berries. You can also modify it by adding chocolate, or lemon juice for flavor.
This cake was relatively easy to put together; even though there are several steps including beating the egg whites until stiff. My only problem came with the timing of the cake. Dorie suggests 20 to 25 minutes...I needed to leave mine in for about 35 minutes. My oven is pretty accurate, so I was surprised when it was still wet in the middle after 25 minutes. This cake was delicious. A perfect accompaniment with a cup of tea. Sorry to say my husband had to exercise self control. I froze the rest of the cake so that he can have a small piece when he reaches his goal! This was a lovely everyday cake that will definitely be on my "go to" list for quick desserts.
This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook "Around My French Table" and you can also find it here. To see what other Doristas have done check it out here!

I sprinkled my batter with Demerara sugar

After it came out of the oven the sugar caramelized and cracked

I thought it still looked great

And tasted even better

Yum!!