cream

Pina Colada Pie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Pina Colada Pie! Sometimes it’s necessary to serve your guests a dessert low in sugar. This one is perfect because it boasts tropical flavor with enough fruity sweetness to satisfy that sugar craving which follows at the end of a meal. Please note you may substitute a sugar-free graham cracker crust for the homemade cookie crust. 

PINA COLADA PIE

Ingredients for Homemade Cookie Crust:

2 cups Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies, crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix crushed shortbread cookies and melted butter. Press crumb mixture into a pie plate sprayed with nonstick oil. Bake 10 minutes. Cool before filling. 

Ingredients for Filling:

2 8-ounce blocks of Neufchâtel cheese

1 small box Sugar Free/Fat Free Lemon Jello

1 small box Sugar Free/Fat Free Vanilla Instant Pudding 

4-ounce of Lite Cool Whip

1 8-ounce can crushed Pineapple in Natural Juices, do not drain

1 teaspoon Coconut flavor

Instructions:

Soften Neufchâtel cheese and add other ingredients. Stir until well blended. Pour into pie crust and chill for several hours or overnight. 

*Garnish: Toast 1/2 cup flake coconut in 350° oven for 4 minutes. Watch! Set aside to cool. Fresh strawberries also make an appealing garnish. 

Ice Cream Sandwiches

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Ice Cream Sandwiches!  Oh sure, it would be way easier to open a box of treats from your freezer, but once you take the time to bake this cookie crust and fill it with gourmet ice cream, you’ll fill your freezer with this old-fashioned classic instead!

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES 

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground 

1 teaspoon cloves, ground 

1 teaspoon ginger, ground 

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups butter, softened 

2 cups sugar plus 1/2 cup

1/2 cup molasses 

2 eggs

Vanilla Bean Gourmet Ice Cream 

Instructions for Cookie Crust:

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line baking sheet with a silicone baking mat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and 2 cups sugar until combined. Add in the molasses and eggs and mix well. Slowly add the flour mixture to the ingredients of the stand mixer and mix until all is combined. Fill a small bowl with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Form teaspoon-size dough into balls then gently roll them in the granulated sugar. Place onto baking sheet, two inches apart. Repeat until all the cookie dough has been used. Bake only 10 minutes for soft and chewy results. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Instructions for Ice Cream Sandwiches:

Spread the softened ice cream evenly over one cookie into a layer one inch thick. Top with a second cookie. Press down gently. Place in a ziplock sandwich bag and freeze until hard, about 5 hours. Repeat with remaining cookies. 

Delectable Derby Pie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Delectable Derby Pie!  The race may be over, but this slice of pie is a champion all year long. The spirit is kept alive in a southern tradition of semi-sweet chocolate, Kentucky bourbon, and crunchy pecans.  Top it off with a dollop of whipped cream and you can find yourself cheering for this triple crown winner. 

DELECTABLE DERBY PIE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter 

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup white Karo syrup 

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 10″ unbaked deep dish pie shell

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter while gradually adding sugar. Add beaten eggs, Karo syrup, salt, flour, and vanilla. Add chocolate chips, nuts, and bourbon. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until set. Serve warm garnished with whipped cream. 

*TIP: Do not overfill pie crust. Extra filling may be baked in a ramekin for sampling later. 

Au Gratin Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Au Gratin Potatoes! How’s this for comfort food?  Butter, cream, and cheese……with potatoes thrown in. Can you say creamy and luscious three times very fast???

AU GRATIN POTATOES 

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes 

1 clove garlic 

1 sweet onion, sliced thin

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup half & half cream

2 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese* 

Sea salt and pepper to taste. 

* Gruyere or Provolone or all three may be combined. 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly rub garlic all over a 9×13 baking dish. Butter dish then set aside unused portion of butter. Peel and slice potatoes. Hold in a bowl of cold water until ready to use. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until cooked. Divide drained potatoes, cooked onion, and shredded cheese into three layers in baking dish, reserving last third of cheese until the final 5 minutes of baking. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat remaining butter with cream until the butter is melted and the cream is hot. Pour evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is browned, the cream has been absorbed, and the potatoes are soft. 

Orange-Pineapple-Banana Ice Cream

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Orange, Pineapple, Banana Ice Cream!  And, before you ask…..No, you do not need an ice cream maker. What I love the most about this refreshing recipe is that any fresh fruit can be used for a mélange of flavor choices, depending on the season.

ORANGE-PINEAPPLE-BANANA ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

1/3 cup mandarin oranges, frozen

1/3 cup pineapple chunks, frozen

1 banana, frozen

1/4 cup powdered sugar 

1/2 cup heavy cream, very icy cold

Directions:

Combine the frozen fruit and sugar in a food processor or blender. Process on “Pulse” until the fruit is roughly chopped. With the processor running, slowly add the heavy cream until fully mixed. Transfer fruit ice cream to a plastic storage container with lid. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until firm. To serve, use a melon ball scoop to form bite-size portions. Garnish with dried fruit and shredded coconut. 

Dutch Chocolate Profiteroles

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Dutch Chocolate Profiteroles!  These yummy tender confections have a chocolate filling that will satisfy any sweet tooth.  Once the shells are made, you can utilize a time-saving option.  Simply change the filling to Breyers Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream and sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Your friends will think you spent hours in the kitchen. 

DUTCH CHOCOLATE PROFITEROLES

Cream Puffs:

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 whole eggs

Heat oven to 400°.  Heat water and butter to rolling boil in saucepan. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about I minute; remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at once, continue beating until smooth. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until puffed and golden, 35-40 minutes. Cool away from draft. Cut off tops; pull out any filaments of soft dough. Fill puffs with chilled cream filling. Replace tops; dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate until serving time.  Yield: 6 cream puffs. 

Cream Filling:

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons cornstarch 

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups half-and-half

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

Garnish:

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/4 c semi-sweet mini chocolate morsels 

Mix sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in half-and-half gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg yolks. Blend into hot mixture. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla; cool. 

Tangy Ranch Dressing

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Symphony of Flavors: Tangy Ranch Dressing! Who likes ranch dressing? I do, I do! My love of this stuff has broadened my horizons in all sorts of ways. Did you know ranch dressing can be used for more than a salad topping? Honestly, I have used it in place of pizza sauce when I make a “white pizza”. I’ve also used it on Mexican food when I want to drizzle the specialty dish for presentation, instead a dollop of sour cream. I’ve made appetizer dips by combining ranch dressing with cream cheese and shredded cheeses. I’ve also used it as a dip for french fries and tator tots. It makes a nice condiment for sandwich wraps and subs, too. You can see where this is going. Better make a double portion. It’ll be gone before you can blink an eye. 

TANGY RANCH DRESSING

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise 

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup buttermilk 

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh dill, stems removed

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, stems removed 

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/4 teaspoon onion powder 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Instructions:

Using a food processor, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, minced garlic, fresh dill, and Italian parsley. Pulse for one minute. Remove the lid and add lemon juice and zest, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Process just until combined. Transfer to a jar; cover; refrigerate one hour before serving. 

Crab Shrimp Bisque

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Symphony of Flavors: Crab Shrimp Bisque! Seafood fans usually perk up anytime an item such as this one is listed on a restaurant menu. It can fall into the same category as French Onion Soup simply when chosen as a meal, by the bowl. Otherwise, it’s a good idea to offer a smaller serving in a cup, especially when more courses are forthcoming as the star attraction. While traveling years ago, a restaurant owner boasted of his “famous” New England clam chowder. He was sworn to secrecy in revealing its time-honored family tradition of ingredients. When he offered me a taste, I smacked my lips, rolled my eyes and whispered “white wine and butter”. The shock on his face said it all as he turned on his heel and scurried back to the kitchen. Moments later, he returned and ceremoniously presented me with a complimentary decadent dessert. Some secrets are meant to be kept. 

CRAB SHRIMP BISQUE

Ingredients:

10.5-ounce can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 

10.5-ounce can cream of asparagus soup, undiluted 

1 3/4 cups milk

1 cup light cream

7 1/2-ounce can crab meat, flaked and cartilage removed

6-ounce can tiny shrimp, drained

1/4 cup dry white wine

Pat of butter, per serving

Fresh dill, for garnish

Seasoned oyster crackers*

Instructions:

In a 2-quart pan over medium heat, blend cream of mushroom soup and cream of asparagus soup. Add milk and light cream. Mix well. Heat just to boiling, then lower heat to simmer. Add crabmeat and tiny shrimp. Heat through. Stir in white wine just before serving. Ladle bisque into bowls, float a pat of butter atop. Garnish with fresh dill. Serve with seasoned oyster crackers. 

*Oyster Snack Cracker recipe, post number two. 

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Raspberry Nut Granola Bars

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Raspberry Nut Granola Bars! The jury is still out on whether this fruit crumble can be eaten for breakfast, dessert, or late-night snack. I can attest to the deliciousness of it with my morning cuppa joe. The espresso bitterness balances out the sweetness with perfection. And overnight guests definitely gave it a stamp of approval with a scoop of ice cream on top, making it almost cobbler-like in the dessert category. Giving it a quick zap in the microwave warmed it up as well. My third category, the late-night snack,  must also be true. When I arose the next morning, I noticed there was one less serving under the cake dome than when I turned in the night before. Huh. Must’ve been the family dog. After all, we know they watch TV.

RASPBERRY NUT GRANOLA BARS

Ingredients for Bars:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup butter, unsalted

1 cup raspberry preserves

3/4 cup fresh raspberries 

2 teaspoons lemon juice 

3 tablespoons brown sugar 

1/3 cup cinnamon almond granola

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9”x13” glass baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. Using a mixer, combine flour, sugar, and sea salt for about 10 seconds. Slowly add butter, one tablespoon at a time, on low speed until all the butter has been used. In a couple minutes the dough will pull away from the side of the bowl. Reserve a quarter of the mixture; set aside. Transfer the remaining 3/4 dough mixture to the prepared pan, pressing it create a single layer of crust. For the raspberry filling, combine the raspberry preserves, fresh raspberries, and lemon juice. Lightly mash the larger pieces of fruit, yet allowing a chunky appearance. Pour the raspberry filling over the crust, spreading the filling into an even layer. Crumble the remaining dough mixture over the filling. Cover the top with brown sugar. Finish with a layer of cinnamon almond granola. Bake 20-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly. The topping will be golden brown. Allow the bars to cool slightly before cutting into squares.