4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
4 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
1 tbs finely chopped green onion
2 lg avocados, halved & pitted
2 tbs mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/4 tsp salt
dash of pepper
combine eggs, bacon, & onion. carefully scoop out avocado halves, leaving shells firm, & brush insides of shells with a little lemon juice. mash avocado & stir in remaining ingredients. add egg mixture & spoon into avocado shells.
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups oil
4 cups grated carrots
1 cup coconut
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups grated apples
4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 tsp cinnamon
4 cups flour
stir all ingredients together. make as many muffins as desired, baking at 375° for 20 minutes.
NOTE: THIS RECIPE MAKES QUITE ALOT OF BATTER. EXTRA BATTER WILL KEEP IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR UP TO 4 WEEKS.
APPLE FRITTERS
2 cups dry pancake mix
1/3 cup oil
1 cup yogurt OR sour milk
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups cut-up apples
prepare batter by mixing together the first five ingredients; stir in the apples. fry on a lightly greased griddle.
serves 4
ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
prepare batter as directed above, omitting apples & salt. grind up 2 or 3 small zucchinis as well as 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese; add to the batter. fry by dropping 1/2 cup batter on a greased griddle. serve hot & eat with syrup.
3/4 cup softened butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, beaten
3 tbs molasses***
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves (see note)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups (packed)flour
***if you spray your tablespoon with pam or other nonstick cooking spray, the molasses will slide right out without sticking.
NOTE: THE GROUND CLOVES CAN BE OMITTED FOR THOSE WHO DON’T LIKE CLOVES.
GLAZE
1 cup 10x sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
preheat oven to 350°, rack in the middle position.
in a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the butter & the sugar. beat the mixture until it’s light & fluffy.
mix in the beaten egg. add the molasses & stir until the mixture is uniform in color.
add the baking soda & the salt & stir well.
sprinkle in the ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves (if using), & ground nutmeg. stir until they’re thoroughly mixed in.
stir in one cup of flour, mix it all up, & then mix in the second cup of flour.
measure out 1/4 cup sugar & place it in a shallow bowl. you’ll use this bowl to coat dough balls with sugar. when the sugar gets low, add more as needed
break off pieces of dough & roll them into 1″ balls. roll the dough balls in the sugar & place them on a cookie sheet that has been greased or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. place the dough balls in four rows with three in each row to make 12 per cookie sheet. press them down slightly so they won’t roll off on the way to the oven.
bake the ginger cookies at 350° for 10 minutes. cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet & then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
when the cookies are cool, make the glaze.
combine the 10x sugar with the lemon juice. if it’s too thick to drizzle, stir in a bit more lemon juice. if it’s too thin, add a bit more 10x sugar. when it’s just right, drizzle the tops of the cooled cookies with the glaze.
let the glaze dry before you store the cookies in a cookie jar. the glaze should be dry in 20-30 minutes.
makes 6-7 dozen cookies, depending on cookie size
3 egg yolks
6 tbs sugar, divided
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 oz white baking chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 tsp vanilla
in a small bowl, whisk egg yolks & 2 tbs sugar; set aside. in a small saucepan, combine the cream, chocolate, & 2 tbs sugar. heat over medium-low heat until chocolate is melted & mixture is smooth, stirring constantly.
remove from the heat. stir in vanilla. stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolk mixture; return all to pan, stirring constantly.
pour into two 10 oz ramekins. place in a baking pan. add 1″ of boiling water to pan. bake, uncovered, at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until center is set. remove from water bath. cool for 10 minutes. refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
if using a creme brulee torch, sprinkle with remaining sugar. heat sugar with torch until caramelized. serve immediately.
if broiling the custard, place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. sprinkle with remaining sugar. broil 8″ from the heat for 4-7 minutes or until sugar is caramelized. refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.
2 servings
1 (7 oz) carton milk chocolate for dipping
4 fresh strawberries
5 (1.55 oz each) milk chocolate candy bars
1/2 cup vanilla OR white chips, melted
1/2 cup cold milk
1/4 cup instant chocolate pudding mix
1 1/4 cups whipped topping
melt dipping chocolate according to package directions; dip strawberries into chocolate and allow excess to drip off. place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet; set aside.
cut candy bars in half widthwise. drizzle with white chocolate; refrigerate until set. dip the short sides of two candy bar halves into melted chocolate; place at right angles to each other on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, forming two walls of a box. dip the short sides of two more candy bar halves; attach at right angles to form a 4-walled box. repeat, forming a second box. refrigerate boxes and strawberries until set, about 10 minutes.
meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set; fold in whipped topping.
place boxes on serving plates. cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert star pastry tip. fill bag with pudding mixture; pipe into boxes.
reheat dipping chocolate if necessary. dip the long sides of remaining candy bar halves into melted chocolate; adhere to a top edge of each box, forming a lid. garnish with strawberries. refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set.
makes 2 boxes (2 servings each)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tbs baking powder
4 lg eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
2 cups heavy cream, divided
3 tbs orange liqueur (recommended grand marnier)
1 tbs 10x sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
preheat the oven to 350°. spray & flour a 10″ cake pan with 2″ high sides and then line with parchment paper. grease the parchment paper.
mix the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. set aside.
in a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until frothy. with the mixer running, gradually add the sugar and beat to stiff peaks. beat in the yolks, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the whole milk in 2 additions.
pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. cool the cake slightly, about 10 minutes, then invert onto a platter with 1″ high sides.
pierce the top of the cake with a thick skewer. mix the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, 1 cup heavy cream and orange liqueur in a medium bowl. pour the mixture over the cake while warm. cover and refrigerate until cold, 3 hours or overnight.
combine the remaining 1 cup heavy cream and 10x sugar in a medium bowl. using an electric mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. spread the whipped cream on top of the cake and sprinkle with the cinnamon.
8-10 servings
9 oz high-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 lg eggs
5 tbs sugar (add an extra tbs if using bitter chocolate)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbs 10x sugar
place the chocolate in a blender. whisk the milk, 1 cup cream, egg yolks, sugar & salt in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat. cook, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula and almost boiling, 5-6 minutes.
immediately pour the milk mixture over the chocolate in the blender. cover and hold the lid with a thick kitchen towel; blend until combined and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. divide the chocolate mixture among ramekins or small cups and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream and the 10x sugar with a mixer or in the blender until soft peaks form. top the chilled pots de creme with whipped cream.
6-8 servings
1 vanilla bean
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half-and-half
8 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 8 tsp superfine sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
prepare the vanilla: halve the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a paring knife. position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°.
infuse the cream: bring the cream, half-and-half & vanilla seeds and pod to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. reduce the heat to low and simmer to infuse the cream with the vanilla, 10-15 minutes. discard the vanilla pod. remove the cream mixture from the heat and cool slightly. meanwhile, bring a kettle of water to a boil.
make the custard: whisk the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and the salt in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is pale yellow and thick; it should leave a trail when you lift the whisk. pour in the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. skim off any foam or bubbles from the surface.
pour into ramekins: arrange eight 6 oz ramekins in a roasting pan and divide the custard evenly among them.
bake in a water bath: pull out of the oven rack slightly, place the roasting pan on it and pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
bake until the custards are just set in the center, 40-45 minutes. carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath and transfer to the refrigerator. chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
prepare the topping: about 30 minutes before serving, sprinkle 1 tsp sugar over each custard. tilt the ramekins to evenly distribute the sugar and tap out any excess.
caramelize the sugar: holding a kitchen torch about 3″ away, burn the sugar until it turns a deep amber. refrigerate the creme brulees just until the crust hardens, 30 minutes to 1 hour, but no longer (the topping may start to soften). serve cold.
8 servings
2 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing the ramekins
4 (3.1 oz) disks mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 tbs (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 lg egg yolks
6 lg egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
preheat the oven to 400°. butter 8 (1/2 cup) ramekins or custard cups with 2 tbs butter. set aside.
for the souffles: stir the chocolate and 6 tbs butter in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the mixture is melted and smooth (mixture will be a little grainy). remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and let cool slightly. whisk the egg yolks and add 2 tbs of the cooled melted chocolate to the yolks, mixing to incorporate. add the rest of the chocolate and mix until nice and smooth. using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy. add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. fold into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions. divide the chocolate batter among the prepared ramekins filling them 3/4 of the way.
bake the souffles until puffed but the centers jiggle slightly, 16-18 minutes. serve immediately.
8 servings
