RECIPE

Mint Crème Anglaise 

Ingredients:

2 c milk
2 c (loosely packed) fresh mint leaves
6 egg yolks
¼ c sugar
2 Tbsp green crème de menthe

Combine the milk and mint leaves in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes. Strain the milk into another saucepan, pressing against the mint leaves to extract as much flavor as possible. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until the mixture is light and thick. Reheat the milk over medium-low heat and gradually add it to the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Return this to the saucepan and cook over low heat until the mixture has thickened slightly and coats the back of a metal spoon. Do not allow it to boil or the sauce will curdle. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the crème de menthe, and transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool to room temperature. 

Lime Curd

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar
¼ lb. butter 
5 T. lime juice
4 T. grated lime rind
3 large or 4 small eggs, beaten 
Mix all together in a heavy bottomed pan and cook over low heat, constantly stirring for 12 minutes. Curd should be very thick.
Cool and chill, covered. This will keep in a glass jar for at least 2 weeks.

This is an old southern favorite used to fill tart shells and meringues. It is delicious drizzled over pound cake, waffles, pancakes or as a spread on muffins. To use as a filling, mix it half and half with whipped cream. Garnish with strawberry or raspberry puree and a sprig of lemon balm or mint

Lavender Shortbread

Ingredients:

Preheat Oven 275º F

8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp Dried cooking lavender buds

In bowl of mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy – about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, salt and flour. Mix. Stir in lavender.
Scoop 1 tablespoon dough onto a cookie sheet. Dip a decorative cookie mold into sugar and press dough to a thickness of 3/8 inch. Bake 25-30 minutes until firm, but not brown. Yields approx. 1 dozen cookies. (depends on the size of the cookie)
(Alternatively, dough can be rolled, cut with a cookie cutter and sprinkled with sugar.)

Dark Chocolate Tart With Gingersnap Crust

Ingredients:

CRUST
8 oz gingersnap cookies (about 32)
1/4 cup butter melted

FILLING
12 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 C whipping cream
2 lg. egg yolks
1 large egg
1/4 C sugar
1 T flour
1/8 t. ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
2 T chopped crystallized ginger

CRUST Preheat oven to 325.
Grind gingersnap cookies in processor.
Add melted butter.
Press into a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom.
Place pan on rimmed baking sheet.

FILLING Combine chocolate and cream in heavy saucepan. Whisk over low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth.
Remove saucepan from heat.
Whisk egg yolks, egg, sugar, flour, pepper, and salt in medium bowl to blend.
Very gradually whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture until smooth and blended.
Pour filling into crust.
...

Easy-Tart Shells

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Pillsbury Refrigerated Ready Made pie crusts
24 small muffin tins

With biscuit cutter, cut out 3 inch circles of pastry dough. Line each muffin form with circle. Pat into shape, trimming edge if needed. Stuff centers with crumbled foil. (Save for future use.) Bake according to pie crust directions. Remove from pans, cool and fill. Shells may be frozen, well wrapped.

Chocolate Squares & Mint Crème Anglaise

Ingredients:

8 oz good-quality semisweet chocolate
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter
5 eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
pinch of salt
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish


1. Break the chocolate into small pieces, and melt them in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
2. Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, and set it aside.
3. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl, and whisk until the mixture is light and falls from the whisk in a ribbon when it is lifted. Set it aside.
4. Beat the egg whites with the salt until they form soft peaks.
5. Stir the melted butter into the chocolate. Then stir in the egg yolk mixture. Add one quarter of the egg whites, and then carefully fold in the remaining whites.
6. Rinse two sma ...

Poached Pears with Cardamom and Saffron

Ingredients:


½ Tbsp cardamom pods 
2 c dry white wine
¾ c sugar
1 ½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp saffron threads
Pinch kosher salt
1 lemon cut in half, squeezed into a medium bowl of water
4 firm pears, preferably with stems 
1 6-ounce container crème fraîche

 
Preparation
• Peel pears with a sharp paring knife, being careful to leave stems intact. Core from the bottom using a small melon-baller, again leaving stems intact. Put in bowl of lemon water to prevent browning. 
• Gently crush cardamom with a rolling pin or the bottom of a skillet to slightly crack open pods without releasing seeds. Combine cardamom, wine, sugar, lemon juice, saffron, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer. Add pears; add water if needed to completely submerge pe ...

Chocolate-Hazelnut Clouds with Cocoa Nibs

Ingredients:

¼ cup hazelnuts
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cornstarch 
1 ½ teaspoons cocoa nibs 
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped 
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
3 large egg whites
1/8 cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and toast for 14 minutes until the skins blister. Transfer the nuts to a kitchen towel and rub together to remove the skins. Coarsely chop and transfer to a bowl. Add the cocoa, cornstarch, nibs, chocolate, and cardamom. Lower the oven to 300 degrees. 
2. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Add the sugar in a thin s ...

Danish Puff Pastry

Ingredients:


1 C flour
½ C butter (1 stick)
2 Tbsp water
Cut butter into flour. Sprinkle with water and mix to form a dough. Divide dough into 2 or 3 portions and place each on a cookie sheet, about 4”x12” (or 4”x8” for 3).
Preheat oven to 350º 
½ C butter (1 stick)
1 C water
1 tsp almond extract
1 C flour
3 eggs
Combine butter and water in saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Add almond extract and remove from heat. Stir in flour and mix to form a dough. Add eggs one at a time mixing well with each addition. Spread over dough strips and bake at 350º about 1 hour until a toothpick comes out dry. When cool, frost with butter frosting and garnish with almonds.

Butter Frosting
2 C confectioners’ sugar
3 Tbsp butter
2-3 Tbsp milk

(an Herb Day 2010 hospitality table r ...

Forgotten Cookies

Ingredients:

2 egg whites
2/3 C sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 C mini chocolate chips


Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat. Add salt and vanilla. Stir in chips. Preheat oven to 350º. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Place cookies in oven and immediately turn off. Leave in closed oven overnight. May add ½ C pecan pieces to mixture before baking.
Yields 48 cookies

(an Herb Day 2010 hospitality table recipe)

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