Chocolate Pecan Tartlets

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salted butter
2 large egg yolks
2-3 Tbsp ice water

Filling

1/2 cup salted butter
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
2 large eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups pecans, chopped

Topping

24 pecan halves
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Prepare pastry. In medium bowl combine flour and butter with pastry cutter until dough resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks and water, then mix with a fork just until dough can be shaped into a ball.
2. Gather dough into a ball. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Refrigerate until firm—about 1 hour.
3. Pepare filling. In a 2-quart saucepan combine butter and chocolate, stirring constantly over low heat. Transfer to medium bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
4. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs into chocolate mixture. Add sugar, corn syrup and vanilla, and blend on low speed until smooth. Fold in pecans.
5. Preheat oven to 350° F.
6. Assemble tartlets. On lightly floured counter or board, use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 2-1/2-inch fluted tartlet pan as a guide, cut dough 1/4 inch around entire edge. Repeat with remaining dough. Lay dough rounds in tartlet pans and press in firmly.
7. Fill pans two-thirds full of chocolate pecan filling. Place on baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until filling is set and does not look wet.
8. While still warm, place one pecan half in center of each tartlet.
9. Chill mixing bowl and beaters in freezer.
10. Prepare topping. In a medium bowl with electric mixer set on high, beat cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat. Transfer the whipped topping to a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip, and pipe decorative topping onto each tartlet.

Makes 24 (2-1/2-inch) tartlets.

Source: Mrs. Fields Cookie Book

---

Today’s Comic

 

 

 

Advertisement

Bread Biscuits with Soft-boiled Eggs

Ingredients

2 cups plain/all purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
l/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold lard (or vegetable shortening), cubed, plus extra, melted, to glaze
3/4 cup buttermilk, (or sour milk, or 50% plain yogurt and 50% whole milk)
10 soft-boiled eggs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F).
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the lard (or vegetable shortening) and gradually rub between fingertips to the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add the buttermilk (or sour milk, or yogurt-milk) and mix quickly with a fork until the mixture is just blended.
4. Pull the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly just to incorporate all the ingredients.
5. Gently roll out to a thickness of 2 inches. Stamp out rounds with the cookie cutter, dipping the cutter in flour between each cut and making sure not to twist the cutter when you push it in or pull it out. Re-roll the off-cuts of dough and stamp out more rounds.
6. Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and glaze the tops with melted lard (or vegetable shortening) for an even more savoury flavour.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until golden on the outside and fluffy and soft on the inside. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. Serve 2-3 biscuits with each egg.

Makes 30 biscuits.

Source: 100 Ways with Eggs

---

Today’s Comic

 

 

 

Rich Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Chocolate-Marshmallow Frosting

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3-3/4 cups powdered sugar
4 cups miniature marshmallows

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13″ x 9″ baking pan.
2. In a large saucepan, combine chocolate and butter. Heat over low heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt until thoroughly blended.
4. Stir in flour, blending well. Spread evenly in bottom of greased baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Brownies should be moist. Do not overbake. Cool in pan.
5. Make the frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate and butter. Heat over low heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove from heat. Add eggs, vanilla and powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Stir in marshmallows.
7. While frosting is slightly warm, spread brownies with Chocolate-Marshmallow Frosting. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Cut chilled cookies into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Makes 40 (1-3/4″ x 1-1/2″) brownies.

Source: Cookies

---

Today’s Comic

 

 

 

Asparagus Flan

Ingredients

18 oz asparagus
salt
2 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon sugar
2-1/4 cups béchamel sauce (ready-made product)
3-1/2 oz curd cheese
yolks of 2 eggs
3-1/2 oz celeriac
2-3 teaspoons dill
freshly ground white pepper
11 oz puff pastry, frozen
flour for the work surface

Method

1. Peel the asparagus, remove the woody ends and cut the asparagus stalks (stems) into pieces 3/4-inch long.
2. Heat water in a large saucepan. As soon as the water boils, add the salt, butter and sugar. Add the asparagus and cook for about 10 minutes until done. Pour away the water and drain well.
3. Mix the béchamel sauce, curd cheese and egg yolk in a bowl and stir until the mixture is creamy.
4. Grate the cheese and add to the béchamel sauce together with the chopped dill. Stir well and season with white pepper.
5. Rinse the flan tin in cold water and drain.
6. Place the defrosted puff pastry on a floured work surface and roll out to the size of the flan tin. Line the flan tin with the dough and press the dough into along the edges. If necessary, cut off the excess dough with a flat knife. Pour the béchamel sauce into the flan tin and add the asparagus pieces, making sure that they are all covered by the sauce.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes in the oven pre-heated to 200°C (400°F).

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Cooking with Asparagus

---

Today’s Comic

 

 

 

Pink Grapefruit Soufflés

Ingredients

1/3 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup plain flour
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon finely grated pink grapefruit rind
1/4 cup pink grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon grenadine
40 g low-fat dairy-free spread
3 egg yolks
5 egg whites

Method

1. Preheat oven to hot.
2. Lightly grease six 3/4-cup ovenproof dishes. Sprinkle bases and sides of dishes with a little of the sugar.
3. Combine remaining sugar with flour in medium saucepan; gradually whisk in milk. Cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Whisk in rind, juice, grenadine and dairy-free spread. Remove from heat.
4. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Whisk in egg yolks, one at a time.
5. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold a quarter of the egg white mixture into grapefruit mixture; fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon into prepared dishes on oven tray.
6. Cook, uncovered, in hot oven about 15 minutes or until tops are brown.
7. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Low Fat Feast

---

Today’s Comic