cream

Raspberry Pots de Crème

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Raspberry Pots de Crème! A taste of France is knocking on the door, and it arrives at your table in a little porcelain dish. The rich dark chocolate, with a hint of liqueur, satisfies that sweet craving at the end of a meal. Top off each pot de crème with luscious whipped cream, fresh raspberries, and a mint sprig for an extraordinary dessert that is sure to please. 

RASPBERRY POTS DE CRÈME

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, room temperature 

4 tablespoons sugar

Pinch sea salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

4 tablespoons bourbon whiskey or preferred liqueur 

1 1/3 cups half and half

1 pint raspberries, fresh

1/4 cup raspberry jam

Whipped cream

Mint sprigs

Instructions:

In a blender combine eggs, sugar, salt, chocolate chips, and bourbon whiskey. Blend to break up chocolate. In a small saucepan, bring milk to a boil. Do not scorch. Pour milk into blender while it is running. Blend 1 minute to cook eggs and dissolve chocolate. Immediately pour into small coffee cups or porcelain ramekins. Refrigerate 3-4 hours until firm. Warm the raspberry jam for 20 seconds in the microwave oven. Add fresh raspberries to make a sauce. To serve, place a dollop of whipped cream over the chocolate. Spoon raspberry sauce over whipped cream. Garnish with fresh mint sprig.

Nonpareil Thumbprint Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Nonpareil Thumbprint Cookies! Ask my husband what his favorite candy is and without hesitation, he’ll respond “Nonpareils”. Think about it… dark chocolate buttons sprinkled with tiny beads of white candy. And they’re French! With today’s recipe, the nonpareil takes center stage crowned over a dark chocolate thumbprint cookie as rich as a brownie. Dusted in powdered sugar, it’s just the right size for nibbling. 

NONPAREIL THUMBPRINT COOKIES 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon coarse salt

 1 cup butter, softened 

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar for rolling

40 nonpareils

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a small bowl. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Reduce speed to medium, add yolks, cream, and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture just until combined. Roll balls using 1/2 tablespoon sized scoops of dough. Roll each ball in powdered sugar. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Press gently in the center to form an indentation. Bake 10 minutes or until set. Remove from oven. While cookies are warm, place one nonpareil in the middle of each cookie. Let cool before transferring to wire rack. 

Queso Mashed Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Queso Mashed Potatoes. Before you wrinkle your nose and shake your head “no way”, give me a minute to explain. This queso sauce is treated like gravy, rather than mixed together as a single dish. I understand if you’re not a gravy-lover, it won’t sit well no matter how I spin it. However, if you’re an adventurous spirit, read on. The texture is going to be velvety and heavier than the standard brown gravy. The mild poblano heat cuts through the richness leaving it with a hearty foundation. Will you serve it with the Thanksgiving turkey? Probably not. But you do have the rest of the year to be decadent. 

QUESO MASHED POTATOES 

Ingredients: 

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered 

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1/2 cup butter, cut into 8 tablespoon pats

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk, scalded

3/4 cup MontereyJack cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeded, and finely diced

1/2 cup light cream, warmed

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Chopped tomatoes, for garnish

Red pepper flakes, optional 

Instructions: 

Put potatoes in a large pot; add water to cover them; add kosher salt. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until a paring knife can easily pierce them. Meanwhile, warm two tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook one minute. Whisk in the scalded milk, increasing the heat to High. Continue until the milk has thickened, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the Monterey Jack cheese until smooth and melted. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and diced poblano pepper. Set aside. Drain the potatoes well and return them to the pot over low heat to dry. When the potatoes turn white, add the remaining butter and warmed light cream. Mash or whip them until creamy. To serve individual portions, make a well in the middle of the potatoes. Ladle cheese sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped tomatoes, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. Serve immediately. 

Hash Brown Casserole

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Hash Brown Casserole. Restaurants got the hint that customers crave cheesy hash brown casseroles. Logically when dialing back meal portions, it makes sense to offer a form of potato other than the traditional baked potato. Have you seen the size of them? They’re ginormous. Oftentimes, my husband and I can split one baked potato between the two of us. At the risk of dating myself, hash brown casseroles have been around since that first fond memory of “funeral potatoes” appeared. After all, it’s comfort food that can magically “calm the chaos” in a sad situation. Now you can make cheesy hash brown casserole at home. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you already have the recipe in one of those local fundraiser cookbooks. 

HASH BROWN CASSEROLE 

Ingredients: 

32-ounce shredded hash browns, thawed 

16- ounces sour cream 

10.5-ounce can cream of chicken soup 

1/2 cup butter, melted 

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided 

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine thawed hash browns, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, melted butter, diced onions, sea salt, black pepper, and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese. Mix well. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading the potato mixture evenly throughout. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes until bubbly and golden. Serve immediately. 

Granny Smith Apple Crumble

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Granny Smith Apple Crumble. It’s called a crumble because when you combine brown sugar, flour, and butter the end result should look bumpy and crunchy. Streusel comes to mind, in case you wonder why you’re suddenly drooling all over your apron. I like to add another sprinkling of cinnamon over the topping, but my husband reminds me not everyone likes the taste of cinnamon. (Who are these people, I wonder with a shrug and a smile.) 

GRANNY SMITH APPLE CRUMBLE

Ingredients for Crumble:

4-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into slices 

1 tablespoon apple cider bourbon 

1 cup light cream, minus one tablespoon 

3/4 cup sugar 

1/3 cup butter, room temperature 

1 1/4 cup flour 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

I egg

Star anise, for garnish

Fresh sage leaves, for garnish

Ingredients for Crunchy Topping: 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

2 tablespoons flour 

2 tablespoons butter, softened 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and flour a 10” round baking dish or iron skillet. Set aside. Pour the apple cider bourbon into a one-cup measuring cup; fill remaining space with light cream. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Add flour, sea salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. While mixing, gradually add light cream mixture and egg. Blend well. Gently fold in sliced apples. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. To make the crunchy topping, combine brown sugar and flour. Cut butter into mixture until it resembles pea-size crumbs. Spread over apple batter. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Garnish with star anise and fresh sage leaves. Serve warm. 

Dried Beef Cheeseball

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Dried Beef Cheeseball! This is one of those all-time favorite appetizers that are crowd-pleasers. Some refer to it as “chipped” beef; others call it “dried” beef. I guess it depends on where you lived the first time you sampled it at a family friendly gathering. Either way, the umami salty savory concoction tickled your taste buds while tempting you for more. Just one more. In my experience, the firm texture of the spreadable cheeseball will last long after all the crackers and pretzels have vanished. Then there’s no other option but to “sigh” and reach for the celery sticks to finish it up. 

DRIED BEEF CHEESEBALL 

Ingredients: 

16 ounces cream cheese, softened 

4.5 ounces dried beef, chopped and divided 

5 green onions, chopped and divided 

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

Instructions: 

In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and chopped dried beef (reserving about 1/4 cup chopped beef), 3 green chopped onions, shredded cheddar cheese, seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Mix well. Roll into a ball and place in plastic wrap. Chill for one hour, or until firm. Unroll the cheese ball from the plastic wrap. Roll in the reserved chopped beef and remaining chopped onions. Serve with crackers. 

Caramel Apple Rice Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Caramel Apple Rice Cake! Whether you are looking for a light breakfast, midday snack, or energy-booster…..think rice cakes. They offer a satisfying crunch and are easily digestible. Fruit, nuts, seeds, and protein contain vitamins that are justifiable as well. I like the taste. Be forewarned. You may find yourself at the grocery store standing in front of the packaged display highly impressed with all the varieties. Sure, you can eat them plain, but why would you? 

CARAMEL APPLE RICE CAKE 

Instructions: 

1 apple cinnamon rice cake

2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese 

1/2 Gala apple, cored and sliced 

1-2 tablespoons sea salt caramel sauce

2 tablespoons redskin Spanish peanuts 

Instructions: 

Place one rice cake on a plate. Spread whipped cream cheese evenly on the cinnamon rice cake. Arrange apple slices over the top. Drizzle with sea salt caramel sauce. Sprinkle Spanish peanuts over all. 

Artichoke Spinach Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Artichoke Spinach Dip! Some say retro appetizers are making a comeback, while others argue they never really went out of style.  I can see both sides of this coin. And no matter how you flip it, everyone wins. This particular party-perfect 1970’s dip includes a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, which gained popularity in the 1990’s. Before long, this tangy, savory, zesty taste became the star attraction making it a “must have” at every fellowship gathering. WYKYK. 

ARTICHOKE SPINACH DIP

Ingredients: 

1 sweet onion, cut into quarters 

8 cloves garlic 

14-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 

10-ounce frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

8-ounce parmesan cheese, shredded

1.4 ounce package dry vegetable soup mix

8-ounce cream cheese, room temperature 

1 cup mayonnaise 

8-ounces sour cream

Instructions: 

In a food processor, combine chopped onion and garlic cloves. Pulse until finely chopped. Add artichoke hearts; continue chopping. Add spinach, parmesan cheese, and vegetable soup mix. Process until well blended. Transfer mixture to a glass bowl. Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream until smooth. Fold into the artichoke mixture. Cover and refrigerate one hour, or overnight. Serve in a hollowed out pumpernickel bread bowl. Cut the extra bread into chunks for dipping. Enjoy! 

Xenial Spinach Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Xenial Spinach Dip! Take a trip down Memory Lane with this hip 1970s all-star party staple. “I called it!”, shouted my best friend when asked to bring an appetizer to share. Maybe it was the presentation of carrying an artisan bread bowl into the room, or perhaps it was the “healthy” alternative to potato chips and onion dip, or it could have been the standing ovation it got from everyone who tasted it. Think about it….how fun is that to tear off a piece of crusty bread and slather it in creamy spinach mingled with a spicy crunch of water chestnuts. “I called it!”

XENIAL SPINACH DIP

Ingredients:

1 pound artisan bread bowl

1 pint Greek yogurt

3 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

10 ounces mayonnaise 

8 ounce can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 package Swiss vegetable dry soup mix

10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, mix Greek yogurt, Neufchâtel cheese, and mayonnaise. Chill one hour. Add water chestnuts, package of Swiss vegetable dry soup mix, and uncooked spinach. Mix well. Chill one hour longer. Hollow out center of bread bowl. Fill with spinach dip. Serve with raw vegetables.