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PB&J French Toast

Posted on July 23, 2010 by amydeline

In the three years and some odd months that we’ve been parents, we’ve been fortunate that our children have been mostly happy and mostly healthy. But during these past few weeks, our littlest guy has been sick. What started as a typical ear infection, treated with amoxicillin, led to an allergic reaction and two weeks worth of running back and forth between our doctor’s office, multiple emergency rooms, and specialists. As this week progressed, we thought we were through it. No more swelling. Very mild, occasional hives. No fever. No pain. Happy baby. Happy parents.

Until yesterday, when my momentarily healthy baby woke up from his nap with a scalding fever and complaining of pain in his leg; the opposite leg from the one which led us to last week’s all-nighter at the ER. Another visit to the doc revealed an angry red throat, seemingly unrelated to everything else. The poor little guy can’t seem to catch a break. A call to the orthopedist reassured us that the additional leg pain was a normal part of the reaction, if anything about these past few weeks can be called normal.

As I’ve learned during these past few weeks, there is nothing more nerve wracking for a parent than having a sick child. Watching our baby deal with all of the symptoms and the resulting medical tests and treatments has been so heartbreaking. The weight of trying to stay informed and make the best decisions for our baby has been emotionally draining. I wish I could just take the sickness away from him; put it on me instead. I’d do it in a heartbeat if I could.

With everything that’s been going on, I have to admit that I’ve been spoiling both of the kids a bit; a couple extra treats after dinner, little presents from the store, endless hours of snuggles. They need a little extra spoiling and I’m equally compelled to give it.

So, when it came time to make dinner this evening, I wanted to make something a little special for the kids;  a little treat at the end of a long week.  My first thought was breakfast for dinner, which is always a treat in my book. Perhaps some banana-nut pancakes or maybe chocolate chip waffles. Then, I started thinking about my comment yesterday, about my picky eater’s love for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And that is how we ended up eating Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast for dinner.

PB&J French Toast

Ingredients

  • 8 Slice of Thick-Cut Bread (like Texas Toast)
  • 6-8 Tbsp Peanut Butter
  • 4-6 Tbsp Jelly or Preserves
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 2-3 Tbsp Butter, for the pan
  • Syrup and/or Powdered Sugar, if desired

Directions

Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on 4 slices of bread. Spread jelly on the other 4 slices. Put the slices together into 4 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. In a small baking dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt. In a pan, melt some of the butter. Dip both sides of each sandwich in the egg mixture. Cook for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned and the eggs are fully cooked.

*If you’re making a large quantity and want to serve them all at once, heat your oven to about 250 degrees. As you finish cooking each batch, place them on a piece of foil or a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm until you’re ready to serve.

If desired, sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar. You can serve the French Toast with syrup on the side, though it’s honestly sweet enough as is!

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Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Posted on July 17, 2010 by amydeline

What a week this turned out to be! We started the week thinking that our son was almost fully recovered from an allergic reaction to antibiotics. Then, a new symptom suddenly appeared on Wednesday night, which resulted in an all-nighter at the ER. By Thursday, he seemed well again. Then, Friday morning we received a phone call from the ER regarding his blood work, which resulted in more doctor visits and testing. Thankfully, we got positive news today regarding the testing and I think we can rest easy now.

Sweet, sweet relief!

Speaking of sweet relief… I have a real treat for you today. There used to be a really fantastic bar and restaurant in Hoboken, New Jersey called Lady Jane’s. I’m told that it closed a few years ago, which is a shame. The place featured a huge, horseshoe-shaped bar in the front with a few tables and several booths along the walls. In the back, there was a small, elegant dining room. Regardless of where you sat, you could order from the same delicious and creative menu.

During one of our visits to Lady Jane’s I had the most luscious dessert and every so often, I get the itch to recreate it. So, in celebration of my sweet baby boy’s health, we’re having Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie tonight. It’s the perfect combination of chocolatey crust and rich ganache, layered with fresh bananas and vanilla custard. A mound of fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings complete the decadent pie.

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2 cups Chocolate Wafer Cookies, crushed
  • 1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted

For the Ganache

  • 4 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate (4 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream

For the Filling

  • 3 cups Whole Milk
  • 1/3 cup Cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 Vanilla Bean, split in half lengthwise, seeds scraped
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 3 Egg Yolks
  • 2-3 Bananas, sliced

For the Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar

Directions

For the Filling

Combine the sugar, salt and half of the cornstarch in a sauce pan. Pour in the milk and vanilla extract. Add the vanilla bean and seeds to the mixture. Stir. Cook over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes until the mixture just comes to a boil and the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. In a bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks with the remaining cornstarch. Slowly add about 1/4 cup of the hot milk to the eggs and whisk to combine. Add another 1/4 cup of the hot milk and whisk to combine. (This slow addition of the hot liquid tempers the egg yolks and prevents them from scrambling when added to the hot liquid.) Pour the egg mixture into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove the vanilla bean. Pour the filling into a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly against the filling. Refrigerate for about an hour to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the crust.

For the Crust

Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Press the mixture onto the sides and bottom of a pie shell. Refrigerate.

For the Ganache

Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream, until it just begins to boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate completely melts. Pour the warm ganache into the pie crust.

Arrange banana slices in the ganache. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Pour about half of the filling on top of the ganache and banana slices. Arrange another even layer of banana slices on top of the filling.

Cover the banana slices with the remaining filling. Refrigerate until thoroughly cooled.

Beat the heavy cream with the sugar until thick.

Top the pie with the whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

**Tip** Banana slices which are exposed to air will begin to turn brown. If you want to decorate the pie with banana slices, either wait until the last minute or toss the banana slices in a bit of lemon juice to slow the browning.



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Cheddar and Garlic Biscuits

Posted on July 15, 2010 by amydeline

Even the best laid plans can go wildly awry. The plan for last night was so simple. The kids and I had eaten dinner, my husband’s plate was ready to be reheated, and my running sneaks were awaiting my feet. In a couple hours, I would put the kids to bed, slip on my shoes for a run, then settle in on the couch with a couple glasses of champagne, and listen to an audio book with my hubby. A great, simple plan. And then my baby started favoring his left leg. Favoring became limping, which quickly turned into a complete refusal to bear any weight on his left leg. We ended up leaving our three-year-old at home with my sister and heading to the emergency room at what should have been my baby’s bedtime. Almost 10 hours later, we arrived home, exhausted from the harrowing ER experience. His pain was most likely the result of swollen joints related to the allergic reaction he’s still recovering from. Thankfully, he’s back on his little feet today and everyone is happy, albeit completely exhausted.

Tonight, an easy meal of leftovers is in order. The originally planned Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches will have to wait. I was about to plead exhaustion and forgo posting anything today. But I had a craving and it was nagging at me. The kids were playing outside with my husband, which gave me a little window of time to bring my craving to fruition. Think Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, fresh from your oven. You know the biscuits I’m talking about…the biscuits that are in and of themselves worthy of a trip to Red Lobster. In fact, I may skip the leftovers and just eat biscuits for dinner.

I searched around for an authentic recipe for Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits. There are numerous copycat recipes out there, but they almost all call for Bisquick. I was intent on baking from scratch, so I read innumerable biscuit recipes and recipe reviews, put together my own version, and hoped they’d work out. They came out fantastic! If you love Red Lobster’s biscuits as much as I do, these are definitely worth a try!

Cheddar and Garlic Biscuits

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 3 Tbsp Salted Butter, cold, cut into small pieces
  • 3 Tbsp Vegetable Shortening, cold
  • 1 cup Buttermilk
  • 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

To brush on the biscuits:

  • 3 Tbsp Salted Butter
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Parsley Flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat baking sheets with cooking spray. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Add the 3 tablespoons of cold butter and 3 tablespoons shortening to the flour mixture. Use a dough cutter or fork to blend the butter and shortening with the flour. Pea-sized bits of flour-coated butter and shortening should be dispersed throughout the mixture.

Stir in the buttermilk and cheese. Do not overmix. Use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to drop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 3 Tbsp butter in a small pan. Stir in the garlic powder and parsley flakes. Allow the mixture to cook for a minute. Brush over the baked biscuits.

Makes 10-12 Biscuits


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I’m Baaaack!

Posted on July 13, 2010 by amydeline

So nice to see you again! You’ve been missed.

We were away for a long weekend on Long Island to celebrate the wedding of a wonderful friend.

Our weekend had a rocky start. We ended up in the Emergency Room on Saturday morning with my littlest guy, whose allergic reaction to amoxicillin was worsening. My sweet little baby awoke covered in angry looking hives with swollen hands and feet and bright red swollen ears which protruded from his head. He was less than pleased with the visit to the ER, but the docs took good care of him and we headed back to my parents’ house with our puffy baby. A few doses of steroids, lots of extra snuggles, and an early bedtime brought the smile back to his precious face.

Snuggling my sick little guy

That evening, we enjoyed a delicious dinner with my parents and brother; grilled marinated chicken and hanger steak, corn on the cob, potato salad, and garlic bread.

Fresh herbs from the neighbor's garden, which were put to good use in the marinades and potato salad.

Sizzling chicken

Grilled hanger steak, garlic bread, corn on the cob, and potato salad

On Sunday, we attended a beautiful wedding for a beautiful globe-trotting couple. It took place on a riverboat!

The Lauren Kristy Riverboat

Bacon-wrapped pineapple - Bacon makes everything better, doesn't it??

Wedding Cupcakes!

The wedding was full of thoughtful little touches, laughter, and love. It’s evident how perfectly matched the bride and groom are. We wish them a lifetime of love and happiness.

Before we started for home on Monday morning, we met up with my Grandma for breakfast at her regular spot. I order my usual corned beef hash with two eggs over-well and rye toast. It’s always the perfect way to fill my belly for the ride home!

Now we’re back home and I’m ready to cook!

Check back later for something tasty…

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Brunch to BBQ – Meal #2

Posted on June 27, 2010 by amydeline

The brunch was a fantastic success, but I must admit that there was a point just post-brunch, when I seriously questioned my grand plan of throwing a party consisting of two separate meals. I mean, after the brunch, I didn’t think any of us would ever be hungry again. Half of us lay paralyzed in a food coma, while the kids climbed all over us and added props to our slumber. The other half was entranced by the steady hum of vuvuzelas while watching the world cup game.

My sister, in a post-brunch food coma

But we managed to peel ourselves off the floor and head outside to play a few games and enjoy the post-rain cool temperature. Eventually, there came a time where we could see another meal in our future.

The weather forecast had been predicting scattered storms throughout the day, so I planned to make sausages with roasted peppers and onions, figuring that if the weather were nice, we’d fire up the grill for the sausages and if it rained, I’d roast them in the oven. Around the time we were ready to eat, the weather was holding steady and dry. But out of sheer laziness, we decided to roast them in the oven anyway. Our menu consisted of the Roasted Sausage, Peppers, and Onions on rolls with provolone cheese, corn on the cob, and a pasta salad courtesy of my sis.

Here are the details and a few recipes from our Brunch to BBQ Meal #2…

Roasted Sausage, Peppers, and Onions


Ingredients

  • 6 Italian Sausages, hot or mild
  • 3 Bell Peppers, sliced
  • 2  Onions, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 1-2 Hot Cherry Peppers, chopped
  • 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut each sausage in half. (This will allow the sausages to release some of their yummy juices into the pepper and onion mix.) Combine sausages, sliced bell peppers and onions, chopped cherry peppers, and garlic in a baking dish.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Toss to combine. Bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes, until the sausages are fully cooked and lightly browned. The peppers and onions should be soft, but not mushy. Toss the mixture every 10-15 minutes to ensure that the sausages brown on all sides.

Enjoy on a roll with a slice of provolone cheese.

Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad

My sister brought along a Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad. The recipe comes from the Food and Wine section of the NBC Today show’s website. You can find the recipe for Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad by clicking here. My sister added slices of turkey pepperoni, which were a nice touch. This pasta salad can be served chilled or at room temperature, which makes it a perfect party dish!

Steamy corn on the cob...for 25 cents a cob, you can't beat it!

Round 2 Results: The Food - 0 The Gourmand Mom - 2

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Brunch – It’s the meal that comes with a Mimosa

Posted on June 27, 2010 by amydeline

There’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And then there’s BRUNCH, the meal that comes with a Mimosa. Sign me up for that one! I do love a good, hearty brunch! Aside from enjoying my darling breakfast at lunch time, brunch usually means good times with good friends and family.

Yesterday, we hosted our first Brunch to BBQ party. And it was a fantastic success, though we never actually fired up the grill. We started with a wonderful brunch and several Mimosas. Then, we lied around on the living room floor until we felt like we could move again, watched a bit of the World Cup and then headed outside for a few games of Polish Horseshoes. My sister whipped up a batch of margaritas and the festivities continued. Later in the day, we enjoyed dinner and then relaxed in the backyard until it was time to sleep. A great day!

Here are a few details on the brunch…

Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict

Ingredients

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Toast English muffins in a toaster. Place on a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm while you assemble the other components. In a skillet over medium high heat, cook each slice of Canadian Bacon for a minute or two on each side, until it is hot and slightly browned. Place one slice on each English muffin in the oven to keep warm. Poach the eggs, according to the procedure shown here. Hold the eggs in the cold water bath while you prepare the hollandaise sauce (Recipe here). Prepare the hollandaise sauce and keep it warm above a bowl of warm water. Reheat the eggs by gently placing them in a pot of barely simmering water for about a minute. Remove the eggs and dry on a paper towel. Place one egg on each English Muffin. Top with a spoonful of hollandaise sauce. Serve immediately.  Serves 4


*As a little variation, use smoked salmon in place of the Canadian Bacon. Just don’t cook the salmon or put it in the oven!

Salmon Eggs Benedict

Brunchy Beverages

Brunch and Mimosas go hand in hand. Bellinis are another brunchilicious option. Both Mimosas and Bellinis are champagne cocktails. Mimosas mix orange juice with champagne while Bellinis traditionally combine champagne with peach nectar. About 2 ounces of fruit to 4 ounces of champagne should do the trick. Substitute other fruit nectars to make your own variation. For a non-alcoholic option, use ginger ale or sparking cider instead of champagne.

Mango Bellini

Homemade Cream Cheese with Bagels

Make your own flavored cream cheese by softening cream cheese and adding your own flavors. For today’s brunch, I made scallion cream cheese by mixing in a bunch of chopped green onions and an olive cream cheese using a mix of chopped olives. Sliced Spanish olives with pimento would work great too! After you stir in your flavoring, put the cream cheese back in the refrigerator to cool before serving. A few other ideas for homemade cream cheese flavors: Smoked Salmon, Strawberry, Veggie, Blueberry, Honey-Nut, Roasted Garlic, Sun-dried Tomato, Maple, Cinnamon Apple, Cherry Almond, Spicy Pepper.

Homemade Cream Cheese

Breakfast Pizza

Breakfast Pizza

My sister treated us to her breakfast pizza, which as she explains, is based off of a breakfast pizza she saw offered at a Hess gas station. Imagine my surprise! Basing a dish off of something you saw at a gas station?? I suppose food inspiration can come from anywhere! I may base my next Beef Wellington off of Hess’ food offerings. All kidding aside, this pizza is delicious. It’s easy to put together and makes a great dish for guests.

Ingredients

  • 1 Prepared Pizza Crust (my sister uses a whole wheat crust)
  • 1/2 pound Bacon
  • 1 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
  • 6 Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Milk
  • 1/4 cup Cheddar, shredded
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Allow bacon to drain. Then, crumble it into small pieces. Reserve bacon grease. Whisk the eggs together with the milk. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and then cook in a pan until scrambled. Set aside. Brush the pizza crust with a bit of the bacon grease. Sprinkle about a cup of the mozzarella cheese over the crust. Top with the scrambled eggs and bacon. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the cheddar cheese on top. Season with a bit of pepper. Bake for about 8-10 minutes.

Breakfast Casserole

Sarah's Breakfast Casserole

A good friend brought along a breakfast casserole, a delicious mix of eggs, cheese, bread, and sausage. She explained that ever since she enjoyed this dish at a friend’s house, it’s been her go-to breakfast recipe. It’s a great all-in-one breakfast dish that’s perfect for a crowd. My mother in law makes a similar casserole, but she uses peppers and onions too. They’re both delicious. I’ll have to get the recipes to share with you soon!

Part 1 of our day was perfect!  The food, the drinks, and the company were all amazing.

Round 1 Results: Food - 0 The Gourmand Mom - 1

To be continued…

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Father’s Day Breakfast in Bed: Strawberry Stuffed French Toast and Bacon

Posted on June 20, 2010 by amydeline

Are there ways of knowing whether a man will make a good father? Some sort of definitive predictors? Perhaps a checklist or a DNA test? If there were such a thing, what characteristics would they test for? What factors determine whether a man will become a great father?

My husband and I met in college. We certainly weren’t thinking of kids at the time. We were just kids ourselves. Some of our earliest memories involve pitching hot dogs out of his dorm room window to watch them explode. Our attraction had more to do with each other’s beer pong skills than it did with future parenting abilities. Could I have known at the time that he would someday make at great dad? At what point in our relationship did it start mattering? Could I have been certain, even as we said our wedding vows, that he’d be as excellent a father as he was a husband?

I’m not sure it’s possible to be absolutely positive that someone will make a good dad before they actually are one. Parenthood is such a life-changing experience.  It requires more of you than you’ve ever given; parts of you that you may not have known were there. Fourteen years ago, I couldn’t have known whether my husband would make a good father. But over the years, we got to know and love each other. We grew and matured together. And, in the way that he treated me, I came to know a good man; a selfless, considerate, gentle, and kind man.

So, I suspected. In fact, I would have bet money on it. But, it wasn’t until I saw the look on his face, in the moment our first son was born, that I knew for sure. He was a father and a dad all at once, in that instant. And, as I recovered from the birth and a debilitating spinal headache, he cared for our newborn baby with apparent ease. When I was nervous and uncertain, he was a natural; calm and confident. And, since those very first moments in the hospital, he has been a loving, selfless, and devoted father to our boys. The good man, who has loved me for all of these years, turned out to be the most wonderful father.

Did I luck out or were there clues in those early days? Probably a little bit of both. Come to think of it, it probably won’t be too long before he’s hanging out the window with our kids, throwing hot dogs onto the pavement, as they all laugh along. I’ll probably join in.

So, this morning we celebrated my husband, the wonderful father, with breakfast in bed. If I were cooking for my own amazing father this morning, there’d be corned beef hash, an egg over-easy, and well-done rye toast on the menu; a man after my own heart or more likely, I after his! (Love you, Daddy!!) But, my husband’s more of a strawberry-stuffed french toast kind of guy with applewood-smoked bacon on the side.

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients

  • 8 slices Challah Bread
  • 1 package Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 8-10 Strawberries, sliced
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Cream
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Butter, for pan
  • Powdered Sugar, for garnish
  • Maple Syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a baking sheet in the oven. In a bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto each slice of bread. Place sliced strawberries on four of the slices.  Use the other four slices of bread to create cream cheese-strawberry sandwiches. In a small baking dish, beat together eggs, cream, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.  In a pan, heat a little butter. One at a time, dip each sandwich into the egg mixture, so that it lightly coats both pieces of bread. Cook in the pan, flipping once until both sides are lightly browned.  Then, place it on the baking sheet in the oven.  Repeat until each sandwich has been cooked.  Allow the sandwiches to cook for 5-10 minutes in the oven to ensure that they are fully cooked.  The cream cheese will be melty and the strawberries slightly softened. Cut each sandwich into two pieces and sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Serves 4

Happy Father’s Day to my husband, my Daddy, and all of the wonderful fathers out there!

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Amy vs. Baked Alaska – The Showdown

Posted on June 9, 2010 by amydeline

A tumbleweed rolls across my kitchen floor. A strange man sits at the table, whistling ominously on a stout brown jug. I step into the room, spurs glimmering. A pair of wooden saloon doors swing closed behind me with a screech. (Funny…I don’t remember installing those doors.) I tip my hat and glare at my adversary.

**Flashback twenty or so years.** A gawky teenager, dressed in leggings with slouch socks and gleaming white faux-Keds, moves easily about the kitchen. Her side-pony sways with every movement. A well worn Better Homes and Gardens Dessert cookbook, circa 1973, sits open on the counter. Bolstered with confidence after the roaring success of the previous week’s Lemon Meringue Pie, she is busy preparing Baked Alaska, never pausing for a moment to consider what lie ahead.

My adversary stands before me, dressed in gleaming white. It snickers, taunting me. I stick my tongue out and make a sour face. My weapon is drawn.

Cyndi Lauder blares in the background as the eager teen approaches the open oven, her fluffy, white creation in hand. She pops it in the oven and dances awkwardly about the kitchen for a few minutes.  The timer beeps. She bounces over to the oven, opens the door, and shrieks. Her siblings come running into the kitchen.

I belt out my battle cry and approach the snickering adversary. I take it in my hands and approach the piping hot oven. Not this time!  Not this time! I place it in the oven and close the door.

The teen and her siblings stare in horror at the tray of melted ice cream. It looks nothing like the picture in the cookbook. A single tear falls from the teen’s hazel eyes.

After five eternal minutes, I open the oven and…

My Baked Alaska

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska

Here’s how it’s done…

The Cake

You can use just about any flavor or type of cake for the base of the Baked Alaska. A giant cookie or brownie base would probably work nicely too!  I went searching for a dark chocolate cake recipe for my Baked Alaska. I landed upon a truly fantastic recipe from Hershey’s for Deep Dark Chocolate Cake.  This is probably the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. I will definitely be using this cake recipe for future birthday cakes! I made one 9 inch round cake for my base and several cupcakes for the kids to make their own mini Baked Alaskas.

Mise en place - Everything in its place

Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Chocolatey Cake and Cupcakes

The Ice Cream

You can use any flavor(s) of ice cream in your Baked Alaska.  To prepare the ice cream, spray the inside of a bowl with Pam or lightly coat with vegetable oil. Then, line the bowl with plastic wrap.  This step will make it easier to remove the ice cream dome. Allow the ice cream to soften slightly.  Then, spread the ice cream in an even layer on the bottom of the bowl, being certain to fill all gaps.  Place the bowl in the freezer until the ice cream has refrozen. If using more than one flavor, freeze each layer before adding the next flavor. I layered dark chocolate ice cream with fresh raspberries, raspberry sorbet, and milk chocolate ice cream.

Raspberry Sorbet Layer

Waiting for the ice cream

The Meringue

Meringue is a mixture of egg whites and sugar, beaten until thick and glossy. Cream of tartar is frequently added as a stabilizer, but is not absolutely necessary. Egg whites should be beaten to soft peaks before incorporating the sugar.

A few tips for a successful meringue:

  • Bowl and whisk should be pristinely clean as even the slightest bit of residual fat can prevent the whites from developing.
  • Stainless steel, glass, or ceramic bowls will all work well.
  • Make sure that no trace of yolk enters the mix. Crack each egg into a ramekin or small bowl first, so if a yolk breaks, you won’t waste the whole batch.
  • Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature before beating.
  • Before beating, add 1/8 tsp of Cream of Tartar per egg white to help stabilize the whipped whites.
  • Beat the egg whites until soft peaks begin to form.
  • Use about (but no less than) 2 Tbsp of sugar per egg white.
  • If possible, use superfine sugar as it will dissolve more easily into the egg whites.
  • Gradually add sugar a spoonful at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks will hold their shape. The meringue should be smooth and glossy.

Soft Peaks

Stiff Peaks

** I used 8 whites, 1 tsp cream of tartar, and 16 Tbsp sugar, which made enough meringue to thoroughly cover my large Baked Alaska and two of the kids’ Baked Alaska cupcakes.

The Assembly

Once the cake is baked and the ice cream is thoroughly frozen, carefully turn the bowl over and lower the ice cream dome on top of the cake. I scooped out a shallow bed for the ice cream dome to sit in, in the hopes that it would provide a better insulating seal for the meringue. This step may not be necessary, but it worked! Once the ice cream cake is assembled, allow it to freeze until very firm. I left mine in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare the meringue.  Working quickly, coat the ice cream and the cake thoroughly in meringue, being careful to spread the meringue to every edge. You can use a knife or the back of a spoon to create decorative designs in your meringue.

Cake with a shallow bed for the ice cream

Cake with Ice Cream

The Final Baking

Bake on the lower rack of a 450 degree oven for 5-6 minutes until the exterior begins to brown.

Serve immediately or freeze until ready to serve. It holds well in the freezer.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska with Raspberry Coulis

A few other notes and tips…

  • Make sure your meringue thoroughly coats the ice cream and cake.  This is the most important part (and probably the aspect which caused my failure so many years ago). The meringue is what insulates the ice cream from the heat.
  • Make your ice cream dome with a smaller diameter than your cake.  Most recipes don’t mention this, but I think it helps to prevent melting.
  • Inspired by this link, shared by a friend, my kids made their own mini Baked Alaskas.  I used extra batter from the cake to make a few cupcakes.  Then, we scooped out the center and filled it with softened Raspberry Sorbet.  They coated their Alaskas with the extra meringue.  Then, I put them in the oven for 5 minutes at 450 degrees.  Worked out great, just make sure you help your kids thoroughly cover the entire cupcake.
  • I served my Baked Alaska with a Raspberry Coulis.  A coulis, (pronounced koo-LEE) is simply a sauce made by pureeing fruit or vegetables and straining.  For my sauce, I pureed a handful of raspberries with a Tbps of sugar. Then, I strained the puree and discarded the seeds.

Don't mess with this cowboy!

So, did anyone else try your own Baked Alaska??  I know at least one of you did and with grand success! Anyone else?  Tell us how it went!

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Fresh-squeezed Ginger Lemonade

Posted on June 8, 2010 by amydeline

As I was out for my run last weekend, my route brought me past a garage sale. Not so unusual on a Saturday afternoon. But, the thing which caught my attention was the young girl, sitting at the foot of the driveway, selling lemonade. It brought me back to my childhood, sitting with my sisters by the side of the road, selling our wares. We sold just about anything we could think of…painted rocks, watercolor “art”, baked goods (usually cookies from a tube), and of course, lemonade. My sister assures me that there was minimal interest in our painted rocks and that we forced to lower our prices to meet the demand, which inevitably left us standing at the foot of our yard yelling, Rocks!  Get your free rocks here!! Ok, so maybe the rocks didn’t sell so well, but we did sell a glass or two of lemonade. We made our lemonade fresh from a bulk-size tub of powdered Country Time Lemonade (which, incidentally, does not list lemons amongst its ingredients).  We probably shouldn’t have advertised it as “fresh”. But, people would stop as they drove past and buy our lemonade (and get a free rock). Good people. Good memories. I need to remember to keep a quarter in my shoe when I run, in case I pass another lemonade stand.

So, I’ve had lemonade on my mind. But no more tubs of powdered sugar and ‘Yellow 5 Lake’ coloring  for me. Today, we’re making lemonade, fresh squeezed from a bowl full of lemons.  And, I can’t resist the urge to infuse it with a bit of ginger root. (I’ve got a tiny, little addiction to ginger tea.) This recipe is refreshing and not too sweet.  Perfect for a picnic on a hot day!

Fresh-squeezed Ginger Lemonade

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 inch piece of ginger root
  • 1 cup of lemon juice (juice of about 8-10 lemons)
  • 5 cups of cold water

Directions

Peel and thinly slice the ginger root. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water with sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.  Add the slices of ginger root. Bring to a boil. Simmer for a minute or so. Remove the pan from the heat.  Allow the ginger to steep in the liquid for about an hour.  Strain the mixture. In a pitcher, combine the ginger syrup with the lemon juice and cold water. Refrigerate and enjoy!

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Woolverton Inn Lemon-Almond Biscotti

Posted on May 26, 2010 by amydeline

I can’t remember how I fell upon the Woolverton Inn.  It may have been during my online search for a wedding venue. I’m not exactly sure, but I do know that I fell in love with it instantly. A wedding at the Woolverton would have been beyond-words lovely.  Though we chose to have our wedding at a beautiful historic house closer to our home, I never forgot about the Woolverton Inn. Many times, I visited their website and daydreamed about spending some time there. We finally had the opportunity in September, 2006. It was our first wedding anniversary. I was newly pregnant with our first son.  We had just announced our pregnancy at a surprise birthday party for my father. We had so much to celebrate. And the Woolverton Inn couldn’t have been a more perfect place to celebrate.

The Woolverton Inn in Stockton, NJ

Set in the midst of rolling hills, along the Delaware River, the Woolverton Inn was a tranquil escape from the rush of day to day life. The main building is a beautiful 1792 stone manor house, comfortably situated on 10 acres of land. A handful of private cottages are steps away. The grounds are peppered with beautiful gardens, frog filled ponds, and large open pastures with grazing sheep.

Tranquility

We stayed in one of the cottages, the Sojourn Loft, which featured a fireplace and a second level with jacuzzi tub and hammock. The featherbed on the mattress was so amazingly comfortable, that my husband later contacted the inn to order me one as a birthday gift.  My husband got an in-room massage on the first day and we spent another day strolling around nearby New Hope.  The surrounding area is full of interesting things to do, including wine tours, antiquing, hiking, and hot-air ballooning.  The inn even offers a package, which includes a bike rental and gourmet picnic lunch. There are many wonderful dining options in the surrounding towns and breakfast at the inn is indescribable. Seriously, you have to visit this place! I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Upstairs in the Sojourn Loft

I have so many wonderful memories from our short stay at the Woolverton. But one of the things which left an indelible impression on me was the biscotti! To be honest, I have no memories of tasting biscotti before the Woolverton.  I’m not certain if it’s that I never had it before then or whether their biscotti was just so delicious that it erased any other memory. (I’m inclined to believe it is the latter.) They kept a jar full of the fresh, sweet treat in the dining room at all times. I lost count on the number of biscotti I consumed during our time there. I apologize to the other guests for taking more than my fair share. I couldn’t help it.

As I was watching my son eat a biscotti the other day, I was instantly drawn back to the Woolverton Inn. I thought about the biscotti for a few days. Then, I started looking up biscotti recipes. Finally, I decided to send the inn a message to see if they’d be willing to share their recipe with me.  And, they were!! I am very delighted to share this wonderful recipe with you!

Lemon Almond Biscotti

The Woolverton Inn’s Lemon-Almond Biscotti

  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½  teaspoons lemon extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup whole blanched almonds

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to blend.

Add the flour and almonds and stir until a dough forms.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead a few times; dough will be soft.

Divide in two and roll each into a log about 2 inches in diameter.

Transfer logs to sheet pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes.

Carefully cut into 1/2 inch slices with a serrated knife.

Place slices on pan and bake again for another 20 minutes.

These keep nicely in a cookie jar.

Biscotti Dough

Rolled Biscotti Log

Biscotti after first baking

Sliced biscotti

Biscotti after second baking

Watch out for sneaky babies.

A note about blanched almonds…

This recipe calls for 1 cup of whole blanched almonds. Blanched almonds are simply almonds with the skin removed. I searched online and found the same procedure for blanching almonds outlined in several places. Place shelled almonds in a bowl. Pour boiling water over the almonds.  Allow them to sit for a minute. Drain.  Rinse. Pinch the skins off with your fingers. Sounded easy enough. In actuality, it was a much more time-consuming process than I’d anticipated.  On my first attempt, the skins did not slip off at all.  I repeated the process, allowing them to sit in boiling water for another minute.  This time, some of the skins slipped off easily, others came off with a little effort, and some skins remained stubbornly in place.  I am not sure if the freshness of the shelled almonds has anything to do with it. For curiosity’s sake, I’ll probably try blanching almonds again to experiment with freshly shelled almonds and alternate procedures. But, in the mean time, most grocery stores carry blanched almonds slivers, which will work wonderfully for this recipe!

Enjoy!

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