Chocolate Trifle

Guest Chef:  Darwin D. Martin

     My father, being diabetic, does not partake in his own baking - yet continues to wow his children with his decadent desserts.  His torte is our favorite at Christmas time, all six of us agree.  You break through the crunchy topping, glide into the creamy whipped topping, skid into the smooth pudding, and enter the delectable cake, only to do it over again - after all, it's a torte, it has layers and layers of angel goodness.  Have coffee on hand, Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1. One pkg. chocolate fudge cake mix
2. 2- 6oz. pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
3. 1/2 cup strong coffee
4. 6 Heath candy bars, crush like the hulk
5. 1- 12oz carton whipped topping, thawed

Preparation:

• Prepare cake; cool.  Prepare pudding; set aside.
• Grab a 5 quart trifle dish, or a decorative glass bowl.  
• Crumble cake, reserving 1/2 cup.
• Place 1/2 of the remaining cake crumbs in the bowl
• Layer with half of the coffee, half of the pudding, half of the whipped topping, and half of the crushed candy bars
• Repeat the layers again.
• Combine the remaining crushed candy bars with the reserved cake crumbs; sprinkle over top.
• Refrigerate 4 hrs. before serving.  Serves 10.

                                                                         

Accompaniment:

Good, strong, heady, coffee.   

Variety is Good:

• Drizzle with Kahlua instead of coffee
• Use a yellow cake instead, drizzle with sherry, use a vanilla pudding
• Use mousse instead of pudding
• brownies instead of cake (I find this too rich)

As for my dad, he makes his cake from scratch, cooked pudding, as well as homemade whipped creme.

Maybe that's his secret.  :)

merry christmas

French Bread Pudding

A baguette stays fresh for exactly one day.  That's just how they are born.  Like many people, they begin soft and warm only to end hard and crusty!  That's a problem, unless you like to throw bread away ... or Grandpa.  I like to make Bread Pudding!                            

I will have warm bread pudding for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee, of course.  Sometimes I'll grab it cold in the middle of the night.  Oftentimes it is made with raisins, but don't limit yourself there!   Mix in Cardamom or Cinnamon. Any fruit will work...peaches, plums, even prunes.  Serve with heavy cream (daddy's way), or with creme anglaise - a delicious custard sauce.  In France this is often used in place of frostings.  Can also be used as a topping for fresh fruit.   Be creative!  Unlike a crusty Grandpa, Bread Pudding is very forgiving.

Ingredients:

• One stale baguette (approx. 10 cups), torn or cut into 1 inch chunks.
• 4 eggs
• 4 cups milk                                                                                     
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 oz. dried apricots
• 1 Tbsp. cognac or other brandy (optional).

Cut each apricot into 4 pieces and soak in a bowl of warm water with the cognac.

Pour the milk into another bowl and add the torn bread.  Push it down in the milk so it can soak well.  Place this in the refrigerator so it can soak for an hour.

In another bowl, whip together the eggs, vanilla, and sugar.  Mix this with the soaked bread.  Drain the water from the apricots and stir them in.  

Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 baking pan, or any attractive baking dish of similar size.  Dot with small pieces of the butter.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden brown and set.  

Serves 8

                                                                            

                                                                                                       

Vanilla Custard Sauce/Creme Anglaise

Caution!  Do Not heat the sauce too much or too quickly!  The egg yolks will cook into little clumps.  We don't like clumps.

You can adjust this recipe for sweetness, adding more sugar if preferred.  I find this to be just right as is.  You can use half and half, or milk, depending on the richness you are after.

Ingredients:

• 5 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream                                                                    
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract                                                                                  

Stir together the egg yolks and sugar with a wooden spoon, being careful not to add a lot of air.  Sugar should be somewhat dissolved.

Put the milk in a sauce pan and heat just below the boiling point (milk will form bubbles around the edges of the pan and become steamy just before boiling).

Remove the pan from the heat, and and stir just a couple Tablespoons of the hot milk into the egg and sugar mixing well the whole time.  Gradually add the rest of the milk - stirring constantly.  Return mixture to the saucepan and place on low heat.

Heat the sauce until it thickens, but do not boil!  The sauce is done when it stays on the spoon without dripping - about 5 minutes.  Do not overheat, or it will curdle!

As soon as the sauce is thickened remove it from the heat.  Stir in the vanilla extract and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to desired serving temperature.  Can serve warm or cold.

Makes 2 cups.

Instead of Vanilla, try your favorite liqueur - cognac, rum, or Grand Mariner

 

Profiter!

Zucchini Custard Pie

Guest Chef:  Michael Orensteen

                                                                                                                                           
Even with it nearing midnight, I am sipping on some hot hot coffee, for I am also savoring a little slice of heaven..  Michael is a man of many aspirations and talents.  A pilot by trade, owner of MinneHaHa's Comedy Club, stand-up comedian, world-renowned fisherman, and now - proud owner of the Top Chef award at work! Following, is the pie that won Michael kudos.  I recently made it and found it to be quick and easy to prepare.  It's nice that the recipe makes two pies - so you can leave one home, and take the pretty one to work!  My daughter, not realizing this, sneaked a piece from the pretty one!  It still went to work and received rave reviews.  It is a rather sweet pie, so make certain you have a nice hot cup of coffee or tea when you partake.  The baking aroma intoxicates the very scent of life. Close your eyes and let the pie melt in your mouth like a delicate snowflake on a child's breath ...

                                                                     

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups zucchini, peeled, seeded, cooked,  drained
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons melted butter                                                          
• 2 cups sugar                                                                                                 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 pie shells (homemade or frozen store bought                          
• 
  

Directions:

1. 
   
   Peel and slice zucchini and place in boiling water. When tender (abt. 5 min.), remove and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking and for easy handling.
2. 2
   Pull out seeds so only the flesh of the zucchini is left. Squeeze out excess water with paper towel.
3. 3
   Put all the ingredients into a large blender.
4. 4
   Blend until well mixed.
5. 5
   Pour into unbaked pie shells.
6. 6
   Sprinkle well with cinnamon and nutmeg.
7. 7
   Bake at 425 degrees for 10minutes then 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
8. 8
   Let cool on the counter for approximately 1 hour.
9. 9
   Refrigerate well and serve.
10. 10
    Its always best topped with whipped cream.
    
    
    
    
    
                                                                     
    
    
    Pie Crust:
    
    
    2 cups all-purpose flour

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    2/3 cup    very cold butter

    

    4 to 5 tablespoons    cold water                                                         Combine flour and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough water with fork just until flour is moistened. Divide dough in half; shape each half into ball. Flatten slightly. Wrap 1 ball in plastic food wrap; refrigerate. 
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Now, if by chance you don't work with people you like and care to break bread with, you may prefer to take part in pie throwing.  Beware though, there is an art to this.  Skill is needed:  Technical prowess verging on art.  There is the crucial secret ingredient:  Too runny and the pies won't fly; too sticky and they won't slide off the victims' faces with sufficiently comic timing. 
    
    
    
                                                                                                     

Don't forget your apron, 

and if it's Friday night -

your heels.






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