Flourless Chocolate Cake

We attended a Passover seder on Monday night. Our friends Alyssa and Stephen hosted. This was our second year participating. Alyssa asked me to bring a dessert, and to adhere to the dietary rules, she asked it not include flour. I thought of trying macarons again, and instantly dismissed that idea. Too much work, and way too finicky. Flourless chocolate cake appealed to me: 1) lots of chocolate, and 2) relatively easy to throw together.

The seder was fun - we got there late, but just in time for the matzoh ball soup.

The flourless cake was sooo rich - like very fudgy brownies. One guest commented, "I'm not used to using the words Passover, dessert, and delicious in the same sentence."

Flourless Chocolate Cake
from Williams Sonoma, Baking
Chuck Williams, editor

10 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 c unsalted butter, cut into pieces plus extra for greasing
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 c sugar

Glaze:
3 Tbs heavy cream
3 Tbs corn syrup
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Raspberries for garnish


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter. Line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit. Grease the paper and then dust with flour (since it was for Passover, I used matzoh flour.)

Combine the 10 oz of chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan. Heat on low, stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture lightens and triples in volume, about 6 minutes. Pour the chocolate mixture over the egg mixture. Gently fold with a rubber spatula until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until the top forms a crust and a toothpick inserted into the center comes almost clean (some wet batter should come out). Transfer to a wire rack. Run a knife along the side to loosen the cake. It's okay if the top of the cake falls. Let cool.

Release sides of the pan and remove. Trim off any crumbly edges.

For the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and corn syrup. Bring to a simmmer, then reduce heat to low. Add the 4 oz of chocolate and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand for about 10 minutes. The glaze should be thick put still pourable.

Carefully pour the glaze over the top of the cake, smoothing out to the edges in an even layer. Chill until the glaze sets. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff is one of my favorite dishes. Mushrooms, creamy sauce, what's not to like? I've tried a few different recipes, and the meat never turned out quite right. Usually it's tough, chewy, or undercooked. This was the first time the beef came out perfectly cooked. I used thin-cut steak tips, which was what I found at the local supermarket.


Beef Stroganoff
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
March 2010


1 lb sirloin steak tips, trimmed of excess fat and cut into small pieces
2 tsp soy sauce
12 oz mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
2 tsp hot water
1 Tbs dry mustard
1 tsp sugar
Ground black pepper
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
Table salt
2 tsp tomato paste
2 Tbs flour
½ c white wine
1 ½ c beef broth
½ c sour cream
Fresh chopped parsley or dill

Place steak tip pieces and soy sauce in sealable bag and toss to blend. Close bag, and place in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, up to an hour.

Place mushrooms in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on high for 4 minutes. Drain liquid from bowl and set the mushrooms aside. Combine water, mustard, sugar, and ½ tsp pepper in a small bowl to form a paste. Set aside.

Take steak pieces out of bag; Pat dry with paper towels. Season with pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak until browned on all sides, 6-8 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate.

Add mushrooms and onion to skillet. Season with salt. Cook until vegetables begin to brown. Add the tomato paste and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, beef broth and mustard paste and bring to a simmer, scraping loose the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the sauce has reduced and begun to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir the meat and any accumulated juices into the sauce. Remove pan from heat, and stir in the sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley or dill, and serve.

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate-Chip Cookies

The weather has been very crazy the past few months. We are lucky if it breaks into the 70s. (I know, boo-hoo. But we're used to weather in the 80's by now.) Every few weeks we have torrential downpours for two days straight.


I got caught in one of these storms on my way home from work. It poured as I walked from the school to my car. I fought rush hour traffic all the way home, which is always worse when it's raining. It poured as I dashed from my car to the house. By the time I got inside, I was sopping. After a change of clothes, a hot mug of tea, and a few of these cookies, all was well again.


Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Gourmet, January 1990

note: This recipe makes a lot. I would make a half-batch if you don't want a ton of cookies.

3 cups (about a 15 oz box) raisins

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 c packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

2 1/2 c all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

2 c old fashioned rolled oats

2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place the raisins in a medium heat-proof bowl. Pour enough boiling water in the bowl to cover them; soak for 20 minutes, until plumped. Drain water, reserving 1/3 c of liquid.

In a stand up mixer, cream the butter with the brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and clove in a separate bowl. Add the mixture to the butter mixture in batches, alternating with the soaking liquid. Stir in raisins, oats, and chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a very lightly buttered baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until golden. Let the cookies cool for 3 minutes, and transfer to a rack with a spatula. Cool completely.

Chicken Marsala

I had a bunch of marsala wine left over after making this. What better way to use it up than chicken marsala? I chose a recipe that used the most marsala I could find. Somehow, it did not yield much sauce. Most of it was absorbed by the mushrooms, which gave them a fantastic marsala flavor. In hindsight, I would probaby make 1 1/2 of the sauce.


Chicken Marsala
Adapted from an Emeril Lagasse recipe
As seen on foodnetwork.com

½ c flour
1 Tbs creole seasoning
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasets, cut in halves and pounded thin
1 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs butter
3 c sliced mushrooms
1 c Marsala wine
1 c chicken stock

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and creole seasoning and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, add salt and pepper to taste.

Irish Cream Marshmallows, aka Pillows of Heaven

When you were a kid, did you ever look at the puffy, cumulus clouds and imagine what it would be like to live up in them? I did. I dreamed of playing on the cottony surface, sleeping on squishy layers, and eating poofy, soft clouds for meals.

That's how these marshmallows taste.

I have renamed them, "Pillows of Heaven." That's what everyone who has tasted them calls them as well.

I've seen marshmallow recipes popping up on food sites and blogs for well over a year, and now I see what all the hype is about. They are not as labor-intensive as they look. My trusty Chocolate, Chocolate book has quite a few different recipes. I also consulted Ezra Pound Cake's marshmallow tutorial. It took quite a bit of man-handling to get the marshmallow mass out of the baking pan, but no worries because it was amazingly resilient and bounced right back into shape. And the Bailey's flavor added a wonderful flavor - just in time for St. Patrick's Day.


Notes:

If you are going to mix the powdered sugar with a bit of cocoa powder for a slight chocolatey flavor, do not drop the cocoa powder container.


Do not double the recipe. The mixer probably won't hold the fully beaten mixture, and the consistency will change.

Powdered sugar works better than non-stick spray when cutting these marshmallows.


Marshmallows made in a humid climate or on a rainy day will be more dense.

Make sure utensils that come into contact with the pre-set marshmallows are grease-free.

Cleaning up afterwards is a very sticky process. I found that lots of boiling water helped dissolve the sugary remains stuck to the bottom and sides of the pot and bowl.


Irish Cream Marshmallows
adapted from Pillowy, Cocoa-Dusted Vanilla Marshmallows
in Chocolate, Chocolate
by Lisa Yockelson

Powdered sugar for coating pan and spatula
3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
1/3 c plus 3 Tbs cold water
1 1/3 c plus 2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 c plus 2 Tbs light corn syrup
large pinch salt
9 Tbs cold water
1 1/2 Tbs Irish Cream

Prepare an 8x8 inch baking pan by lightly coating with non-stick spray. Sprinkle a thin layer of powdered sugar to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Place gelatin and 1/3 c plus 3 Tbs of cold water in the bowl of a free standing electric mixer. Let stand for 15 minutes. Put whisk attachment in the mixer.

Meanwhile, place granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, 9 Tbs cold water in a medium
heavy-bottomed saucepan (preferably an enamel-coated cast iron pan.) Partially cover and
place over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Uncover, attach a candy thermometer, and turn heat up to high. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook without stirring, until thermometer reaches 250 degrees F. Immediately remove the thermometer. Set the mixer on low to stir up the gelatin.
Slowly pour the syrup into the gelatin mixture. Increase speed to high and mix for 3 minutes.
Reduce speed to low and add the Irish cream. Bring speed back up to high and mix for another
7 minutes. Mixture will turn shiny white and almost triple in volume.

Working quickly, pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking pan. Coat a silicone spatula with powdered sugar and use to scrape the bowl. Spread the mixture into an even layer. Sprinkle a small amount of powdered sugar along the edges, where the marshmallow meets the sides of the pan.

Let the pan cool, uncovered, at room temperature for 8 hours. Coat a knife with powdered
sugar, and run it along the sides of the pan to loosen the mixture. Sprinkle a flat working surface with powdered sugar, and pull the marshmallow out of the pan. It will take some wrestling, but the marshmallow will spring back into shape. Cut into squares, and dust the sides with a thin coat of powdered sugar.

Corn Casserole

This is not the type of dish I usually make. I like to make dishes with at least one or two fresh ingredients. And I haven't had creamed corn in a good 15 years.

But, a friend brought this to a potluck we had with our friends, and it disappeared within minutes. The casserole dish was scraped clean. And I found myself craving some corn casserole about a week later. So I called up my friend to get the ingredient list.

I've seen a few versions of this recipe. This version has a little less butter, in an effort to cut back the amount of fat.

Corn Casserole

1 box corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)

1 15 oz can creamed corn

1 15 oz can kernel corn, drained

1 c sour cream

4 oz (half a stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer to a 2-qt casserole dish. Bake, covered for about 30 minutes, until casserole is set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Carrot Cake Bars

My sister has a killer carrot cake recipe, and I always forget to find out where she got it from. She attributes its super-moistness to the copious amount of vegetable oil that the recipe calls for. This recipe has a small amount of oil, but still came out very moist. I made this for a party a few months ago (okay, it was a Christmas party.) Cutting them into bite-sized squares made them convenient for our friends to eat.


Carrot Cake Bars
adapted from Cuisine at Home, Holiday Cookies

2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c canola oil
2 c grated carrots
1/2 c sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c golden raisins
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 stick butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 c powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 baking pan with nonstick spray.

Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom together in a bowl; set aside. Beat eggs in a second bowl with a mixer. Add both sugars and blend until dissolved, then add the oil and beat until the texture
becomes smooth and thick.

Stir carrots, coconut, raisins, and vanilla into the egg mixture. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix well to incorporate the flour, but do not overmix.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Cool bars completely before frosting.

Blend butter and cream cheese together in a bowl with a mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Spread frosting over cooled bars using an off-set spatula. Cut into bars.

Linguini with Broccoli Rabe-Walnut Pesto

So, this morning I was just about to change the squirt's diaper, and I commented that it had been a while since I had gotten peed on. Jinx! 5 minutes later, my arm was thoroughly soaked by the fountain. *Sigh* That's my life. Wouldn't trade it for anything.


Now, onto the pasta. This is a cool take on pesto, with broccoli rabe in place of the basil and walnuts instead of pine nuts. I love how this side dish sneaks the veggies in. Sort of like those "Deceptively Delicious" books. Blanching the broccoli rabe takes some of the bitterness out of it.


Linguine with Broccoli Rabe-Walnut Pesto
Adapted from Food and Wine
January 2010

½ c plus 3 Tbs walnuts
½ lb broccoli rabe, trimmed
1 garlic clove
½ c extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch crushed red pepper
½ c grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb linguine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Let cool. Chop 3 Tbs of the walnuts.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the broccoli rabe until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and let cool under cold water. Squeeze the excess water and coarsely chop.

In a food processor, mince the garlic and walnuts; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the broccoli rabe, olive oil, and crushed red pepper. Process until the broccoli rabe is very finely chopped. Add the ½ c of parmesan cheese and pulse until just combined. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape the pesto into a large bowl.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the linguine until al dente. Drain, reserving 2/3 c of the cooking water. Add the linguini to the pesto sauce, then stir in the reserved cooking water and toss until the pasta is well coated with the sauce. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped walnuts and serve.