Berry Tart

If you want a super showy and super delicious dessert and don't have a lot of time to spend, this is the dessert for you.  Any berry will work, or for that matter, any soft summer fruit.  Make this when the fruit is at it's peak!

This starts off with an easy shortbread crust, the same one that you would use for shortbread cookies:

10 tablespoons softened butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a mixer bowl beat butter and sugar, salt and vanilla until fluffy.  Mix in flour.  Press into a buttered and floured 8" round cake tin or 8" sq. pan (I use a tart pan with removable bottom) and sprinkle with additional 2 tablespoons sugar.  Cut into wedges or squares and pierce with fork tines. Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes or until lightly browned.  While it is still warm,  re-cut the wedges or squares along the scoured lines.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. - See more at: http://knitionaryrecipes.blogspot.ca/search/label/cookies#sthash.vKum1jiO.dpuf

10 tablespoons softened butter, softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a mixer bowl beat butter and sugar, salt and vanilla until fluffy.  Mix in flour.  Divide dough in half and press into two buttered and floured 8" round tart pans with removable bottom, but a cake pan will work just as well.  Press the pastry up the sides and sprinkle with additional 2 tablespoons sugar.  Cut into wedges and pierce with fork tines. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  While it is still warm,  re-cut the wedges along the scoured lines.  Cool for 15 minutes.

Pastry Cream:  

8 oz. mascarpone cheese (ok to sub. with fresh cream cheese, but try not to use the "block" kind if you can help it)

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat the above ingredients together until well mixed and fluffy, one minute at the most.  Spread in cooled crusts.  Top with berries, it will take about 2 cups fruit per tart.

Glaze:  

1/3 cup berry jam

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or orange juice

Heat the two ingredients in saucepan until just melted.  Sieve out any seeds and cool slightly.  Gently spoon glaze over the tarts and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

 

10 tablespoons softened butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a mixer bowl beat butter and sugar, salt and vanilla until fluffy.  Mix in flour.  Press into a buttered and floured 8" round cake tin or 8" sq. pan (I use a tart pan with removable bottom) and sprinkle with additional 2 tablespoons sugar.  Cut into wedges or squares and pierce with fork tines. Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes or until lightly browned.  While it is still warm,  re-cut the wedges or squares along the scoured lines.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. - See more at: http://knitionaryrecipes.blogspot.ca/search/label/cookies#sthash.vKum1jiO.dpuf

10 tablespoons softened butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a mixer bowl beat butter and sugar, salt and vanilla until fluffy.  Mix in flour.  Press into a buttered and floured 8" round cake tin or 8" sq. pan (I use a tart pan with removable bottom) and sprinkle with additional 2 tablespoons sugar.  Cut into wedges or squares and pierce with fork tines. Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes or until lightly browned.  While it is still warm,  re-cut the wedges or squares along the scoured lines.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. - See more at: http://knitionaryrecipes.blogspot.ca/search/label/cookies#sthash.vKum1jiO.dpuf

Flash freezing berries

Flash freezing berries is easy.  DON'T wash them!  Simply lay them out on a baking tray and place in the freezer uncovered for an hour or two until frozen solid.  When you take the tray out, give it a sharp tap and the berries will loosen.  Put them in a freezer bag and squeeze out the air and put them in another bag so they are double bagged.  Wash them just before you want to use them.  These will last up to a year if you double bag.

Maple Baked Bacon (AKA Stupid Good Bacon)

You won't believe HOW GOOD THIS IS!  

It's so easy to make and makes the most decadent and delicious appetizer

and of course it's good for breakfast too! 

Ingredients:

thick, meaty, bacon

pure maple syrup

Line a lipped baking sheet with foil and pre-heat oven to 375 deg. F.  Fill a shallow bowl with an inch of syrup and dip both sides of the bacon into the syrup and place on the foil wrapped pan.  Bake in oven for 15 minutes, turn bacon and bake another 10-15 minutes or until good and brown.  Drain briefly and serve immediately. The house will smell great and your guests will kiss you.

When I first served this to my son-in-law, he said, "This is stupid good", thus the name.  Lately we've been cutting the bacon in half before preparing and prefer it that way.

 

Make sure you line the pan with foil to ease clean up!

Country Brunch

Country Brunch

12 eggs, beaten

9 slices bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2 inch squares

4 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes

2 1/2 cups milk

6 scallions, chopped, including green tops

1/2 bell pepper, chopped fine

2 pounds pork sausage, browned, drained and crumbled

2 C grated sharp Cheddar cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Combine above ingredients and pour into a buttered 9x13" casserole dish.   Refrigerate covered overnight.  In the morning, bake uncovered at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Leftovers are great reheated!

This is our traditional family breakfast every Thanksgiving morning and Christmas morning.  With all the hustle and bustle going on for the holiday meal, it's nice to have at least breakfast done in advance!

Pavlova

Pavlova

Individual meringues with whipped cream and berry sauce

for meringues:

4 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat egg whites with electric beater until foamy.  Add cream of tartar and vanilla and continue beating until doubled in volume.  Add sugar a spoon at a time until stiff and glossy.  On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet form 6-8 meringue"nests".  With a wet spoon make a depression in the center of each.  Bake at 250 F for 1 1/2 hours.  We like our meringues crispy, but the original recipe is to serve these soft and you would bake them less if you like them that way.  Cool. These store well in an airtight container.

for berry sauce:

2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed in 1 tbsp. water
2/3 c. sugar
2 cups fresh or frozen berries ( I used some of my frozen ollalieberries)
2 tbsp. citrus juice, freshly squeezed

Wash berries and place in saucepan with sugar and juice.  Cook over medium flame for 1 or 2 minutes.  Add cornstarch mixture and cook on medium/high flame to boiling.  Boil for 30 seconds.  Refrigerate.

To assemble:

Place on plate, spoon berry sauce over and top with slightly sweetened softly whipped cream. 

Serves 6-8

While this originated in either New Zealand or Australia, it's named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, and fitted perfectly into my Sochi Inspired Dinner.  Pavlova is more typically served as a magnificent meringue cake and cut or spooned into wedge servings.  I like making individual servings.

Borscht

 
Borscht
 Without a doubt, the queen of beautiful soups!

1 onion, finely chopped
2 T. butter
1 T. olive oil

2 carrots, shredded
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced

6-8 cups good quality beef stock

4 large or 6 medium red beets, roasted, cooled, skins removed and shredded
1 small head cabbage, core removed and cut into fine julienne 
1 can seasoned white beans, undrained

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
fresh snipped dill
sour cream

Put first 3 ingredients in large saucepan and saute onion until translucent.  Add next three ingredients and cook another 5 minutes.  Add beef stock.  Heat to boiling and simmer until potatoes are barely tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Add next 3 ingredients and cook another 20 minutes or until cabbage is cooked.  Add vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve hot garnished with a good dollop of sour cream and lots of fresh chopped dill.  Freezes well.

6-8 servings

Nana's Beau Monde Dip

Beau Monde Dip

My Nana made this often.  It's great as a dip for chips and veggies.

As a kid, it was the only way I would eat a vegetable! 

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1-2 teaspoons Beau Monde seasoning, or more or less to taste.  (it's salty!)

2-3 tablespoons finely grated onion

1/4 cup fresh chopped dill or 1-2 tablespoons dried dill

Mix together and serve with chips or raw veggies.