White Chocolate Strawberry Tart of Awesomeness

*Note my editor is my wonderful husband, and he simply hasn't had the time to look these over lately, so if you are interested in editing my work let me know. Otherwise enjoy my unedited work until he has time, and keep your editorial comments to yourself.

I stumbled upon this site, which I hope won't get my blog blocked from your work browsers.

They have the most heavenly photos of food, and each image links back to a food blog. The Galley Gourmet was home to this decadent dessert - a White chocolate Strawberry Tart.

Just in time for Mother's Day I had found the perfect recipe for my FIL (who is allergic to chocolate). You see, white chocolate is not really chocolate - check out Winkipedia if you'd like to know more.

I thought my MIL wouldn't mind terribly much if I made a non-chocolate dessert so I got to work.

And, to top it off my mother would just LOVE this desert, since she is not only a strawberry fan but also dessert fan.

The dough recipe made quite a bit extra so I found my mini tart set and filled three mini tart pans. Unfortunately only 2 turned out - I think the third had the last bit of dough and it burnt fairly quickly.

Note: the dough will pull away from the pan a bit as it cooks - and then again when it cools. No worries, the pretty shape seems to hold.

The mousse was fairly straight forward and the filled tarts set beautifully in the fridge.

I had found 2lbs of strawberries on sale at the International Grocery (seriously the best place to shop once you find the things you need) So I had more than enough - but I was puzzled. How in the world do you get them to look THAT good? I used a small knife and started chopping - I didn't use the rounded "first" cuts - but saved those for my favorite on the go dessert. Then, I began to place them tip-out from the outside circle in - and guess what?




It didn't look too shabby!

Notice that as you lay the strawberries on-top of each other they tend to tilt upward ... I guess this is normal.

The final touch was a raspberry-lemon, glaze. which is super easy.. simply warm and then brush on.

The only thing I would change is the size of the tart. The tart crust is pretty difficult to cut but easy to chew. This recipe is probably better suited for mini deserts made in a tiny bite-sized tartlet pan. (which I don't have)

A week in photos! With recipe links to Cook's Illustrated Magazine

So, this month has been a whirlwind - and I have sincerely slacked at posting. It is late, I'm tired, but I wanted to attempt to post SOMETHING this month of value ... so here it goes

Chocolate Mousse

This dish is light, yummy, and has a bit of texture I think is caused by the eggs. But, all around a nice balanced mousse that satisfies that desire for decadent chocolate and rich texture. The recipe link above will make three small Pyrex containers.

Stir-fry Beef with Asparagus & Red-Peppers

We made this for a last minute little dinner party. It fed six, and these were the left overs. We substituted the veggies. It was delicious, cost under $40, could have fed 8, AND took less than an hour to make.

Classic Pound Cake

A dear friend is getting married and as a bridesmaid I thought I'd pitch in and make something for her bridal shower. This is a photo of my cubed pound cake. I made two - and they turned out beautiful - with a nice crust on the top and all. (should have taken a photo) We used the cubes for dipping in a chocolate fountain, at least that was the plan - it turned into a crock pot when the fountain didn't work ;)

Creme Brulee for Two

Half done, the batter tasted AMAZING. I can't wait to top these tomorrow after a LONG week and enjoy them with an amazing friend (and my husband too) The ramekins are a recent purchase using a Crate & Barrel card from another good friend, thank you Ashley - I was able to get all sorts of sizes, jars, etc with your fantastic gift. (hopefully you read this shout out)


Night :)

Mandel Bread / Almond Biscotti

As promised here is the recipe I use to make almond biscotti's a hard cookie perfect for dipping in hot chocolate or coffee.

4 eggs
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
3/4 C oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/8 tsp. almond extract
3 c. flour
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
sliced almonds


Use large aluminum tray. 325 for 35 in. cut & return to oven 250 for 35 min.

* You can also dip them in chocolate or white chocolate for a more refined look.

All Recipes has a pretty close recipe that uses a little less flavoring and a topping of milk/sugar. They also have more specific instructions. http://tiny.cc/biscottis

Flan - Adventures with Sugar, & baking towels ?!

Every few weeks we have group of sales reps in for training. The first group had mentioned biscotti's one day and I got this ... itch to make my Grandmother's delicious Mandel bread (Almond Biscotti). Then a few weeks later, we were overwhelmed with the vast number of tomatoes that were ripening in our garden. A few days later another training group came to the office and I brought in one of the many jars of salsa I had made.

Today, I brought in both Flan and Custard Pie. Somehow we started hording eggs and I have been looking for a way to use 3 dozen organic farm fresh eggs. Last night I used about a dozen.

The Flan was a new one for me -- caramelizing sugar was a chore (a quick chore) the first batch I swirled the pan a bit too feverishly and it crystallized. Scraping that concoction out of my pan wasn't much fun either. (Steel wool, hot water, and a wooden spoon work well)

The second batch went a bit better - and flowed into the pan fairly well. But seconds later was hard as a rock. Now, I have to admit I have never eaten Flan, but I have seen it and I have read the description and what I had was a bit lighter than mahogany, and hard like glass. But, I took a chance and finished the custard/pudding filling and stuck it in the oven. Another adventure. The recipe says to put a kitchen towel in the bottom of a large pan or roasting pan -- the only pan I had that would fit my 9-inch cake pan was the turkey roasting pan Jordan got me last year. And, a towel?! I figured there was something missing -- but I went with it.

After mixing the ingredients for the custard esc filling - I filled the cake pan and placed it in the oven. But, I wasn't finished I had to fill the roasting pan with boiling water half way up the cake pan. I used a ladle and it went pretty well -

After cooling I placed in the refrigerator and prayed it worked out ok... This morning when I got to the office I flipped the Flan onto a serving dish and gave it a try - (had my friend Sara try it first - just to be safe) the hard caramelized sugar had turned to a sugary syrup and it tasted delicious.

Tips:

• Make sure you really let the caramel turn to a dark brown - you need the color in the end to make it LOOK like caramel. 
• The towel allows the water you pour into the baking dish to flow under the cake pan.
• Don't use a hot pink towel it bleeds in the water -- harmless but could stain if spilled. 

Prep Time: 5 mins
Wait Time: 2 hrs to cool, 2-24 to refrigerate
Cook Time: 40 - 50 min (15 on the stove, 30 ish in the oven)

Flan - http://tiny.cc/lemonflan

On the Road Again ....homemade dessert in a hotel?

Have you ever spent a week in a hotel for work? I have… in fact over the last four years, I have spent what amounts to an entire year living “on the road”. And, I've learned a few things. For example....

1) Chicago hotels: the Conrad isn't that great, actually. The Hampton Inn & Suites has a larger suite for half the cost. (The Conrad bathroom is still pretty amazing, though)

2) Orlando transportation: DO NOT TAKE A CAB. Call a car service.

3) New York food: the gyro vendor outside of the Javits is the BEST $5 you will ever spend. Don't forget your Dr. Brown Dark Cherry Cola.

4) Dallas safety: even though you might be staying at a 5-star hotel (the Adolphus) where several Presidents, Queens, and Dignitaries have laid their head, DO NOT go to the 7-eleven across the street. But do check out the amazing Mexican food place around the corner :)

5) Vegas: THE HOTEL (at Mandalay Bay) is amazing! Seriously, do not bother to stay anywhere else. EVER. Ok, maybe the Venetian if you really want to be in the middle of everything. Be sure to grab a crepe in Mandalay Bay, and a moijto in Caesars. Stay away from the blackjack table and play the penny slots. --Editor’s note: Looking for that killer mojito in Caesar’s? It’s tucked away in a corner of the Forum Shops at a little place called Casa Fuente, which is owned by world’s most famous cigar family/empire. Ps… they have a world-class cigar selection locked away there as well—so, don’t skip this if you are at all interested in cigars.

Finally, I have learned how to make an amazingly refreshing dessert in my room. This dessert requires a quick visit to a grocery/convenience store for a half-pint of fresh blue berries, package of strawberries, and Cool Whip Original (my latest obsession). You must then rummage around the hotel for a knife, fork/spoon/spork and a glass of some sort. If you are really desperate you can always use the cups provided in the room ... but after watching that documentary on 60 mins a few years ago I won't touch those things.

Rinse the berries in the sink, cut the strawberries up a bit, fill your glass with the fruit, and then top with the Cool Whip – and dig in!