Easy Hot Chocolate

24 oz whole milk

3 T cocoa powder

2 T sugar

Begin frothing milk.

(Can use some water in place of milk to lighten).

In a microwavable bowl, combine cocoa and sugar.

Drizzle in just enough water to make a paste.

Stir well with a small silicone spatula.

Microwave for 20 seconds.

Stir in a little more water until chocolate is pourable.

Once pourable, add to frothing milk.

Add vanilla and/or liquor as desired.

LTK

Quiche

pie crust dough

cooked and dry fillings
5 eggs

2/3 C cream

1/2 C milk

3/4 t salt

Shape and partially blind bake crust.

Preheat oven to 400.

Place fillings in crust.

Beat eggs until whites and yolks are well mixed.

Add cream and whisk until uniform.

Add milk and salt.

Pour over fillings.

Bake at 400 for 15 mins.

Tent with foil and turn heat down to 350.

Bake 50 mins or until center is puffy and golden near edges.

Let cool 20-30 mins before serving.

Will keep 4 days, covered, in the fridge.

Adapted from "Pie for Everyone," courtesy of Petra Paredez

Frozen Hot Chocolate

4 oz chocolate (I use 10 blocks from the TJ pound plus bar)

1 1/2 C milk

2 1/2 T sugar

1 1/2 T cocoa powder

1/8 t salt

Ice

Cacao nibs

Melt chocolate for 50 secs or just until no longer solid.

Separately, blend milk, sugar, cocoa, and salt.

Blender should read about 24 oz.

Add chocolate.

Add ice to 40 oz mark.

Blend again.

Serve immediately.

Garnish with cacao nibs.

Yields 3 reasonable glasses.

Based on
tastesbetterfromscratch

Notes:

It's possible to scald chocolate if you're not careful!

My microwave is gentle and my chocolate pieces are fat, so I'm okay.

This recipe makes a fairly homogenous frozen hot chocolate.

If you prefer frozen bits of chocolate,

    stir melted chocolate with some of the cold milk

    to shock it before blending.

If you prefer grainy frozen bits of chocolate,

    stir sugar and cocoa into melted chocolate.

Poured Fondant

500 g sugar

1/2 C water

1/4 C corn syrup

food coloring, optional

2 t clear extract (clear vanilla, almond, lemon, etc.)

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, and syrup.

Stir well, insert candy thermometer, and heat on medium high.

Cook to 238° F.

Pour into food processor.

Transfer candy thermometer to food processor.

Let cool to 150° F.

Add food coloring and extracts.

Process 2-3 mins or until mixture is opaque.

Transfer to a large microwave safe bowl.

Use immediately; hardens very quickly.

Can reheat in the microwave to loosen.

Fondant will dry completely.

(All those white chocolate poured fondant recipes are fakes!)

sprinklebakes

Anise Cornmeal Biscotti

3/4 C or 4.5 oz hazelnuts or almonds

4 T butter, cold (original uses salted butter)

125 g sugar

1 egg, cold

1 1/2 t anisette liqueur

156 g flour

2 T fine cornmeal

1 t baking powder

3/4 t salt (original uses 1/2 t salt)

1 1/2 t anise seeds

Preheat oven to 325.

On a lined baking sheet, lightly roast nuts 15 mins or until fragrant.

Remove nuts and set baking sheet aside for biscotti.

If using hazelnuts, rub paper skin off with a kitchen towel.

Coarsely chop nuts.

Remove 3/4 largest pieces of nuts and finely chop remaining 1/4.

In a stand mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar just until uniform.

Beat in egg and anisette.

Separately, combine nuts, flour, cornmeal, powder, salt, and anise.

On low speed, incorporate drys into butter just until uniform.

Dough should be cold and not too sticky.

Using additional flour as necessary, roll into two logs, 1" in diameter.

Space them several inches apart on baking sheet.

Bake 15-20 mins or until slightly brown and firm on the surface.

Dough should still yield to light pressure.

Transfer cookie logs to a cutting board.

Slice on an angle 1/2 - 3/4" thick.

Will yield 24 large or 36 small cookies.

Place cut side down on baking sheet and bake an additional 5 mins.

Best if aged a few days.

Phara,
zunicafecookbook

Swiss Roll

Vanilla Roulade

4 eggs, cold

200 g sugar

3/4 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

85 g pistachio oil or roasted hazelnut oil

1 T vanilla
125 g flour, sifted

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat to 350.

Line baking pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray.
In a stand mixer bowl, combine eggs, sugar, powder, soda, and salt.

Mix on medium low 3 mins or until sugar has dissolved.

Mixture should be smooth and runny with fine bubbles.
Increase speed to medium 5 mins or until pale yellow and thick.

Increase speed to high 5 mins or until thicker and doubled in volume.
Reduce speed to medium high and add oil and vanilla in a steady stream.

Reduce speed to medium low and add flour all at once.
Once nearly incorporated, fold by hand.

Scrape into prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.

Bake 12 mins or until puffy and soft.

Should retain a shallow impression when gently poked.
Immediately after removing the cake, cover with 2 strips of foil.

Crimp around the edges of a pan with a kitchen towel.

Allow cake to steam and cool to nearly room temp.

Cooling too little will melt the filling.

Cooling too much will cause the cake to crack.
Loosen edges of cake and fill with whatever you like.

This cake is very spongy and can/will absorb fillings that aren't stiff.

Roll long side, peeling parchment as you go.

Serve immediately or cover with plastic.

Can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

If refrigerated, let come to room temp before serving.

seriouseats

Chocolate Roulade

70 g pistachio oil or roasted hazelnut oil

2.5 oz dark chocolate (85-100%), finely chopped

    (Stella says this should be very good chocolate)

1 T vanilla

5 eggs, cold

165 g sugar

1 T instant espresso

3/4 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

35 g water

106 g bread flour, sifted

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat to 350.

Line baking pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray.

Melt together oil, chocolate, and vanilla, and set aside.

It should be pourable but not hot when incorporated.

In a stand mixer bowl, combine eggs and sugar.

Add espresso, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Mix on medium low 3 mins or until sugar has dissolved.

Mixture should be smooth and runny with fine bubbles.
Increase speed to medium 5 mins or until dark tan and thick.

Increase speed to high 8 mins or until thicker and doubled in volume.
Reduce speed to medium high.

Add water and chocolate in a steady stream.

Reduce speed to medium low and add flour all at once.
Once nearly incorporated, fold by hand.

Scrape into prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.

Bake 12 mins or until puffy and soft.

Should retain a shallow impression when gently poked.
Immediately after removing the cake, cover with 2 strips of foil.

Crimp around the edges of a pan with a kitchen towel.

Allow cake to steam and cool to nearly room temp.

Cooling too little will melt the filling.

Cooling too much will cause the cake to crack.
Loosen edges of cake and fill with whatever you like.

This cake is very spongy and can/will absorb fillings that aren't stiff.

Roll long side, peeling parchment as you go.

Serve immediately or cover with plastic.

Can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

If refrigerated, let come to room temp before serving.

seriouseats

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey

3 onions, finely chopped

1 1/2 t salt

1/4 t cinnamon

4 T white or red wine

3 oz tomato paste

16 oz Greek macaroni (looks like spaghetti-length ziti!)

4 C shredded cheddar

4 C grated parmesan or romano
4 eggs, divided

12 T butter

188 g flour

6 C whole milk

Olive oil

Italian bread crumbs

1/2 t nutmeg

The day before, make meat filling.

Sauté meat and strain.

Sauté onions.

Add meat, salt, and cinnamon.

Add wine and tomato paste.

Cover and let steam on low heat for a short time.

Scrape sides of pan and store overnight.

Boil pasta until al dente.

In a large bowl, combine about 2 1/2 C each cheddar and parm.

Mix with pasta and egg whites; set aside.

In a saucepan, cook water out of butter.

Add flour and cook roux for 2 mins.

Whisk in milk, cook until uniform, and turn off heat.

Whisk in remaining cheese.

Beat yolks and temper with a little bechamel.

Pour yolks back into the rest of the bechamel.

Immersion blend.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large deep dish lasagne pan, brush with olive oil.

Line with Italian breadcrumbs.

Loosely arrange pasta lengthwise.

Spread meat over top of pasta.

Spread bechamel over meat.

Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bake, uncovered, 1 hour or until bechamel begins to brown.

Let cool 1 hour before cutting.

Christina Sutherland