Pillsbury Bake-Off: Savory Crescent Chicken Squares

My sister wasn't as enamored of cooking as I was at a young age.  She got the rudiments from my mother, as we all did, but it just didn't interest her.  However, at some point she decided that cooking was mildly interesting, and she started looking at recipes and playing around with some basic ideas.  And one of the first things I remember her picking out and making on her own were chicken packets.

Her recipe was pretty simple: chicken with some cream cheese and butter in a crescent roll.  I'm not sure where she originally found it, but it was pretty decent.  I always thought it was missing something though.  It was kind of one note.  Then I started crawling around the internet looking for the original source, and I found a much more interesting recipe with everything I was missing.  This one had flavor and color and interest.  I'm not sure if my sister left out the pimentos and chives and things because as children that was too foreign, but this "adult" version is delicious and easy for a weeknight dinner.  I added Creole seasoning because...well, I don't like boring.

Savory Crescent Chicken Squares

Adapted from the Pillsbury Bake-Off

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons milk or cream

1 tablespoon chopped pimentos

¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning

1 (8-ounce) can Pillsbury crescent rolls

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup Progresso Italian style breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and softened butter; beat until smooth.  Add chicken, chives, salt, pepper, milk, pimentos, and Creole seasoning; mix well.

Separate dough into 4 rectangles.  Firmly press the perforations to seal.  Spoon ¼ of the chicken mixture onto the center of each rectangle.  Pull the 4 corners of the dough to the center of the chicken mixture, seal firmly.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Brush the tops of the squares with the melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake 16 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 4 servings

Ina Garten: Shrimp Salad

They have this amazing shrimp salad at Central Market that I just fawn over.  Notice I said fawn, and not eat.  Why?  The stuff is something like $17 a pound!  That is some gold-plated shrimp if I ever saw some.  So I figured if I could get some Gulf shrimp on sale for $8 a pound, I was most of the way to a bowl of amazing tender bites of shrimp salad for half the cost.  Done, and done.

Shrimp Salad
Adapted from Ina Garten

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 lemon cut into quarters
4 pounds large shrimp in the shell (16 to 20 shrimp per pound)
2 cups good mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 cup minced red onion (1 onion)
3 cups minced celery (6 stalks)

Bring 5 quarts of water, 3 tablespoons salt, Old Bay seasoning, and the lemon to a boil in a large saucepan. Add half the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered for only 3 minutes or until the shrimp are barely cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water. Bring the water back to a boil and repeat with the remaining shrimp. Let cool; then peel, and devein the shrimp.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, wine or vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and dill. Combine with the peeled shrimp. Add the red onion and celery and check the seasonings. Serve or cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

Makes 12 servings

Heston Blumenthal at Home: Cheese Fondue with Sherry and Cloves

So, up there with warm chocolate chip cookies in my mind is...melted cheese.  Nothing says comfort and a warm feeling right through your middle like a bowl of puddled oozing cheese.  And even better if you can dip a great rustic bread cube right in the middle.  And even better than that if Heston Blumenthal, current god of all things culinary, can give you a recipe for said goodness.

This gooey concoction was really easy to pull together, and the taste is FABULOUS.  Make sure and invite people over so that you don't eat the whole shebang.  Or, if you have some sense of control, put the remainder in the fridge and slice it the next day to make the best cheese toastie (grilled cheese) you will ever eat.  You're welcome.

Cheese Fondue with Sherry and Cloves
From Heston Blumenthal at Home

450g Gruyére cheese, grated
450g Comté cheese, grated
15g cornflour (cornstarch)
30g Manzanilla sherry
2 sprigs of thyme
3 cloves of garlic
500g dry white wine
20g lemon juice
5g English mustard powder
Pinch of ground cloves

In a bowl, mix the grated cheeses with the cornflour.

Bring the sherry to a simmer in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat.  Add the thyme and garlic, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.  Strain and allow to cool.

Bring the wine and lemon juice to the boil together in a medium saucepan, and add the cheese, a handful at a time, whisking continuously until smooth and creamy.

Add the sherry, mustard powder, and ground cloves to the cheese and wine, and continue to stir until the fondue thickens.

Transfer to a fondue pot and serve with cornichons, cubes of sourdough bread, and crudites.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

A New Turn in the South: Lemonade with Vanilla, Mint, and Rosemary

For something as simple as lemonade, I have been completely incapable of making it taste good.  I'm not sure why that is.  I mean, it's just lemon juice and simple syrup, right?  It just never worked for me.

When I saw this fancy lemonade recipe in my new cookbook, I immediately wanted to try it, but then I started to doubt myself.  Would it just turn out gross like the others I had made?  Would it be super sour?  I decided to trust Chef Acheson and see what happened.

The lemonade is very good, but very fancy.  People who are scared of new flavors probably wouldn't like it. There's a lot going on.  But it's a good lot.  It's incredibly refreshing and interesting.  And I think you could probably leave out the mint, vanilla bean, and rosemary if you wanted something simple and good.

Lemonade with Vanilla, Mint, and Rosemary
From A New Turn in the South by Hugh Acheson

8 cups (2 quarts) cold water
8 large lemons
1 cup granulated sugar
10 sprigs fresh mint
½ vanilla bean, scraped seeds and pod
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Pour the water in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil.  While the water is coming to a boil, halve the lemons and juice them thoroughly.  Place the juice and the juiced lemon halves in a large heat-proof nonreactive pot.  Add the sugar, 2 sprigs of mint, the vanilla seeds and pod, and the rosemary.

Pour the boiling water over the mixture.  Stir carefully and let sit for 20 minutes.  Stir well again and strain out the solids, then discard them and pour the lemonade into Mason jars or a large pitcher and keep refrigerated until people get thirsty.

To serve, pour the lemonade over ice in tall glasses, garnish each with a mint leaf, and sit on a porch.

Makes 2 quarts; or serves 8

Bon Appétit: White Chocolate Espresso Torte with Hazelnut Praline

If you're ever really, really bored, and you want a project that will take days to bring together, you might want to consider this cake.  Or, you can decide to make it for a family get-together, and somehow put everything together in the few hours you have after work before you totally collapse from exhaustion.  I of course picked the latter.

This cake is a lot of work.  And it requires some more advanced techniques.  I saw a lot of complaining in the comments section for this recipe, but I can confirm, it DOES work.  If you know what you're doing.  And it's absolutely amazing, like a giant tiramisu cake.  And the look on my sister's face when I brought this bad boy out of the kitchen was worth every miserable moment I spent piecing it together when all I really wanted was my bed.

White Chocolate Espresso Torte with Hazelnut Praline
From Bon Appétit magazine, December 2010

Praline and Chocolate Curls:
⅔ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked
1 (6- to 8-ounce) block high-quality white chocolate (1 to 1½ inches thick, for chocolate curls)

Mousse:
12 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped
5 tablespoons water
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
2½ teaspoons instant espresso powder

Soaking Syrup and Ganache:
⅔ cup Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cocoa), chopped
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
¾ cup heavy whipping cream

Cake:
4 large eggs, at room temperature
⅔ cup granulated sugar
3½ teaspoons instant espresso powder, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
6 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided

Praline and Chocolate Curls

Place sheet of foil on work surface. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush and swirling occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes. Mix in espresso powder, then nuts. Scrape the mixture onto the foil; quickly spread out. Cool completely. Chop praline into small pieces.

Microwave white chocolate block at 50% power in 10-second intervals until the chocolate feels just slightly warm and is just beginning to soften (if too soft, let stand until firm enough to shave). Using a vegetable peeler, shave a 1- to 1½-inch wide ribbon, about 4 to 5 inches long, from the block. Gently roll the ribbon into a loose curl. Repeat, making 20 to 24 curls. (DO AHEAD: Praline and chocolate curls can be made 2 days ahead. Chill separately in airtight containers.)

Mousse

Stir chocolate and water in a metal bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water until the chocolate is smooth. Remove the bowl from over the water. Cool the chocolate to lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually pour the lukewarm chocolate over the cream, folding to blend well. Transfer 2½ cups of the mousse to another medium bowl; gently fold in the espresso powder. Cover and chill both bowls of mousse until firm, at least 6 hours. (DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

Soaking Syrup and Ganache

Stir liqueur and espresso powder in a small bowl until the espresso powder dissolves. Place the chocolate and corn syrup in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan; pour over the chocolate and corn syrup. Stir until melted and smooth. (DO AHEAD: Soaking syrup and ganache can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and store at room temperature.)

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 15x10-inch sheet of parchment paper with nonstick spray. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet with the prepared parchment (sides of baking sheet should not be coated).

Combine eggs, sugar, 2 teaspoons espresso powder, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until the egg mixture is thick and fluffy and falls in ribbons when the beater is lifted, 6 to 7 minutes. Sift the flour over in 3 additions, folding gently just to incorporate after each addition. Transfer 1 cup of batter to a small bowl; fold in butter. Fold the batter from the small bowl back into the batter in the large bowl just until combined; spread evenly on the baking sheet.

Bake the cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from the pan, about 18 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes.

Sift 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar over the cake. Cut around the pan sides. Slide a spatula under the parchment to loosen from the pan and invert the cake onto a work surface. Peel off parchment. Cut the cake crosswise into 4 rectangles, each about 10x3½ inches.

Place 1 cake rectangle on a platter. Brush 2 tablespoons of soaking syrup over. Spread 3 tablespoons of ganache over, then ⅓ of espresso mousse (about ¾ cup). Repeat 2 more times with cake, syrup, ganache, and mousse. Top with fourth cake layer; press lightly to adhere. Spread ⅔ cup plain mousse thinly over the top and sides of the torte to seal, then spread remaining mousse over top and sides. (DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Tent loosely with foil and chill.)

Before serving, press praline pieces into the mousse on all side of the torte. Mound white chocolate curls on the top. Mix 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1½ teaspoons espresso powder in a small bowl. Sift over top of the torte.

Williams-Sonoma Collection: Hors D'oeuvre: Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

You know how they say that sometimes the simplest things are the best?  Well, I'm inclined to agree with them.  Especially when we're talking about bruschetta.  Now, I've seen every topping under the sun for these little toasts, but I just can't get over the amazing flavor of a ripe summer tomato and some fresh plucked basil leaves.  And when you add in some expensive fruity Spanish olive oil, you'll find yourself licking your plate and planning the next batch.

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection: Hors D'oeuvre by Brigit Binns and Noel Barnhurst

8 small, ripe tomatoes, about 1½ pounds, peeled if desired and cored

2 small or 1 large clove garlic, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

10 fresh basil leaves

24 thin baguette slices

Butter for frying

Halve the tomatoes crosswise and gently squeeze out the seeds.  Use a small spoon to scoop out any stubborn remaining seeds.  Cut the tomato flesh into ¼-inch dice, discarding any tough, pale flesh near the core end.  In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, ¾ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and olive oil.  Toss to coat evenly, adding a little more olive oil if the mixture appears dry.  Taste for seasoning and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, to allow the flavors to marry.

Stack the basil leaves in a neat pile and roll the pile into a cigar shape.  Thinly slice the “cigar” crosswise.  Add the basil to the tomato mixture and toss to combine.

In a medium frying pan, heat some butter until melted and foamy.  Add baguette slices and fry on both sides until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Top each slice with 1 tablespoon of the tomato mixture.  Serve at once.

Makes 24 slices

Hershey's: Microwave Chocolate Cake

I remember when I was young, there was this whole craze with making cakes in the microwave.  All the major brands had their own mixes out on the market, and they even came with new-fangled plastic pans to cook in.  Now of course the servings are much smaller, for only one or two, but back then it was whole cakes.  With icing.

Thank goodness my mom saved some of those plastic microwave cake pans, because that's what I use to make a cake that doesn't seem possible.  It's rich and chocolatey and amazing, but it's....made in the microwave.  Yeah, I don't understand it either.  But whenever I need something super fast for dessert, I turn this thing out in no time flat.  Oh, and if you use really good ingredients, like Valrhona cocoa, and you throw in the seeds from a vanilla bean instead of using vanilla extract, it takes it up a whole 'nother level.

Microwave Chocolate Cake
From Hershey's

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

⅔ cup water, divided

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

Dash salt

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting

Grease and line a round 7- or 8-inch microwavable cake pan with plastic wrap.  Combine the cocoa and ⅓ cup water in a small bowl.  Microwave on HIGH for 50 seconds.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Add the oil, egg, vanilla, and remaining ⅓ cup of water.  Stir to combine.  Stir the cocoa mixture and add it to the cake batter.  Mix well to combine.

Pour the batter into the dish.  Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes (7 minutes for a low-powered oven).  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Turn out onto a plate and remove the dish and plastic wrap.  Let cool.  Frost with Chocolate Frosting.

Makes 8 servings

Chocolate Frosting

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1⅓ cups powdered sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix together the butter, vanilla, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth.  Add cocoa powder and enough milk to make the frosting spreadable.

Allrecipes: Indian-Spiced Okra

I didn't learn to love okra until I was in my late twenties.  My mother always tried to ply me with baked fried okra that came from a freezer bag, but I was having none of it.  I mean, they're slimy inside.  Eww.  That is a texture that no food should have.  Ever.

I didn't start to love okra until I found myself eating them at an Indian restaurant.  The pods were sliced in half lengthwise, and they were tossed with spices and cooked with caramelized onions.  They were fabulous.  Unfortunately, I had no idea how to make them at home.  I found a couple of recipes and pre-measured mixes, but it never really came together for me.  But then I happened across a brief suggestion on Pinterest about how to bake okra, and I was off running.

You really need to follow the instructions about washing the okra and then making sure it's completely dry.  Any wetness on the pods will just increase the slime exponentially.  And we don't like slime.

Indian-Spiced Okra
Loosely adapted from Allrecipes

1 pound okra, washed and dried, capped, and halved lengthwise

½ small onion, sliced thinly

1½ teaspoons garam masala

½ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Wash the okra at least an hour before cooking it.  Any water that remains on the okra will make it slimy.  When it is dry, cut the cap off and halve each pod lengthwise.

In a medium bowl, toss the okra with the remaining ingredients.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the okra and onions are tender.

Makes 4 servings

Frijoles Refritos (Refried Beans)

Whenever I visit a Tex-Mex restaurant, I always frown at the pile of sludge on my plate that is supposed to be refried beans.  I'm not entirely sure why they even bother most of the time, since the beans always seem to be absolutely tasteless with a texture like paste.  Every once in a while you'll get some with some black pepper to spice them up or a pile of cheese to give them some interest, but on the whole they're unappealing.

Then I tried the refried beans my Mexican friend at work makes.  They had so much flavor I had to do a double take to make sure I was eating what I thought I was.  They're silky and spicy with a deep flavor, and honestly, I could eat a whole bowl full, alone.  Okay, maybe with some cheese on top.  But they're still really really good plain.  I only had to beg for a partial recipe and then make specific adjustments as I went, but I'm sure you all appreciate my efforts.

Frijoles Refritos (Refried Beans)

1 pound dried pinto beans

6 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons bacon fat, lard, or unsalted butter

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ medium onion, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon Knorr chicken and tomato soup powder OR ½ Maggi chicken and tomato bouillon cube

Place the pinto beans in a slow cooker and cover with the water.  Set the cooker on low and cook for about 4½ hours, or until the beans are soft.  Salt the beans after they are finished cooking, but are still in the water.  Drain the beans, reserving the remaining cooking liquid.

Heat the bacon fat in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and crack the pepper into the hot fat.  Add the garlic and onion, and cook until translucent.  Add the beans, and immediately start mashing them into the fat and aromatics.  Add the bean cooking liquid a little at a time until the beans are the correct consistency.   Add the paprika and the chicken seasoning.  Correct the seasoning as necessary with additional salt and pepper.

Makes 12 servings

Paula Deen: Corn Casserole

Everyone seems to love the corn casserole that Paula Deen has floating around the internet.  Even my sister claims to love it.  And I....have never had it.  I'm not sure how I missed out on this experience that everyone is raving about.  So I decided I would just have to make it and see what's what.

And then I saw the recipe.  A box of cornbread mix.  A tub of sour cream.  A bag of cheese.  Enough butter to choke a fat man.  I'm starting to understand why everyone loves the darn thing.  How could you not with all of that?  Butter will fix a great many sins, and that much butter will pretty much cover up everything else.  Well, I certainly couldn't rationalize making something so over-the-top, so I did some fiddling and tweaking, and I got a homemade version with less fat that still tastes AMAZING.  People weren't kidding, this thing is good.

Corn Casserole
Adapted from Paula Deen

⅔ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 (15¼-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14¾-ounce) can cream-style corn

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add the two cans of corn, sour cream, butter, and cheese.  Pour the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let stand at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

A New Turn in the South: Squash Casserole

I have my usual squash casserole standby, and I like it just fine.  It's traditional...cracker crumbs and boiled squash and cheese.  The whole shebang.  But what if it could be fancier?  What if I could add some oomph to the old standby?  What if it doesn't end up cooking through in the time the recipe says it should?  This one is definitely delish with the leek crema, but keep a look out for the squash taking quite a bit longer than 35 minutes to get soft.  Unless you like raw squash, of course.

Squash Casserole
From A New Turn in the South by Hugh Acheson

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
3 pounds summer squash sliced lengthwise to 1/4-inch thick slices on a mandoline or with a knife
2 cups Leek Crema
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
½ cup freshly made bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Coat an 8x10-inch casserole dish with the butter by rubbing it as if you were waxing a car.  Arrange the squash in a single layer in the dish.  It's all right if you shingle and overlap edges minimally.  We are making a six-layer casserole, so think about that in the next few steps.  We need to allocate the ingredients accordingly.

Evenly coat the first level of squash with a ladle of crema, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, a bit of thyme, a sixth of the bread crumbs, and a sixth of the Parmigiano.  Repeat these steps five more times, and then cover the casserole with a fitted lid or foil.  Bake for 25 minutes covered and 10 minutes more uncovered, or until the top becomes nice and golden brown.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings

Leek Crema
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and minced
Pinch of kosher salt
2 cups heavy cream

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the leek and 2 tablespoons water.  Cover and cook, steaming the leek for about 5 minutes, until very tender.  Add the salt and cream and warm through.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, puree the mixture in a blender, and strain through a fine strainer.

Makes 3 cups

No. 2 Pencil: Microwave Chocolate Chip Cookie

If you're like me, you truly believe that the art of baking reaches it's highest and most heavenly form in the chocolate chip cookie.  Yep, I said it.  You can bring me the most amazing, detailed, labor-heavy cake in the world, with the most luxurious fillings, and I would probably still choose the chocolate chip cookie.  Warm from the oven and gooey in the middle, it's perfect.

Well, not everyone has time to whip up an entire batch of chocolate chip cookies, and when you're living alone, it seems a little like...overkill.  You can only eat so many before your stomach starts to hurt and you get a sugar rush that just won't go away.  Not that that's bad, it just makes sleeping difficult.  The perfect solution?  A one-serving deep dish chocolate chip cookie that pops in the microwave and comes out a minute later ready for consumption.  Now, I normally don't like cooking in the microwave, but if it's going to get my cookie to my face faster, I'm all for it.

Microwave Chocolate Chip Cookie
From No. 2 Pencil blog

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
3 drops of vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 large egg yolk
Scant ¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 heaping tablespoons chocolate chips

Combine butter, sugars, and vanilla.  Mix in egg yolk.  Add flour, and mix well.  Add chocolate chips.  Microwave in a small ramekin for 40 to 60 seconds on HIGH.