by Kathy Douglas | Sep 21, 2020 | Desserts
This easy fall Apple Tart uses only five ingredients and is as pretty as it is delicious. Thinly sliced apple halves arranged over tasty caramel are then topped with cinnamon sugar in crunch puff pastry tart shell.
INGREDIENTS
One Sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
¼ cup homemade caramel sauce, or high-quality store purchased
4 large apples Granny Smith, peeled, cored, halved, and sliced very thinly sliced
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
For serving:
Freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat to 400°F. Roll the puff party to 12”x12” inch square. Transfer to a 10” square tart pan and gently ease into the pan and up the sides to make a pastry shell. Trim off any extra pastry. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator and pour the caramel into the pastry shell. Spread evenly across the bottom of the pan. Peel the apples, slice in half and remove the seeds with a melon baller. Thinly slice the apple keeping together in haves. Arrange apple slices in the caramel in halves, separating the slices slightly when set. Combine the sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle evenly over the slices.
Place in the oven and bake the tart until the crust and edges of the apples are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Cut into pieces and serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
by Kathy Douglas | Sep 14, 2020 | Appetizers
A perfect end-of-summer grilled appetizer for dinner or a football watch party, our salt and pepper peel-and-eat shrimp with spicy gochujang is guaranteed to disappear fast.
Gochujang Dipping Sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Gochujang2 Tablespoons White vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoons Honey
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk together and set aside.
Salt Grilled Shrimp
INGREDIENTS
16 Jumbo shrimp in shell
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup of Kosher salt
Skewers
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a BBQ grill to hot. Devein the shrimp by making a ¼-inch deep slit down the backs of the shrimp and remove the vein but not the shells.
Add the shrimp in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil to coat lightly all over. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the shrimp and toss to even distribute the salt over the shrimp so they are coated in a crust of salt.
Skewer the shrimp and place the shrimp in the center of the grill grate. Cooke for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until the shrimp is pink and the flesh is opaque (white).
Serve immediately with dipping sauce on the side to peel and eat.
by Kathy Douglas | Sep 7, 2020 | Appetizers
These later summer veggie appetizers will keep you coming back for more. Pan-fried eggplant slices topped with a delicious, spicy tomato jam then mozzarella, baked, and topped with a fresh basil leaf.
Ginger Tomato Jam
INGREDIENTS
1 pound fresh or canned Roma tomatoes peeled, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 Anaheim pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has the consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Can be made a week ahead. Keep refrigerate, bring to room temperature when ready to use.
Eggplant Rounds
INGREDIENTS
2 long thin Japanese eggplant cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Kosher salt
⅓ cup cornstarch
1 large egg
½ teaspoon coarse salt plus additional for sprinkling the eggplant
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Grapeseed or Canola oil for deep-frying
INSTRUCTIONS
Place a cooling rack inside a sheet tray.
Lightly sprinkle salt over the eggplant slices and place salt side down on paper towels to remove excess water. Sprinkle salt over the top and cover with paper towels pressing lightly to remove excess water.
Add into three separate shallow dishes: the cornstarch mixed with ⅛ teaspoon salt, the egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, and the panko bread crumbs mixed with ½ teaspoon of salt. Dredge each eggplant slice in the cornstarch, coating it thoroughly and shaking off the excess. Next, coat it with the egg mixture and then dredge it in the breadcrumbs, pressing on the crumbs to make them adhere. Transfer the eggplant on to the cooling rack that is over the sheet tray and let it dry slightly. In a deep heavy skillet, heat ½ inch of oil until shimmering and 375°F.
Sauté the eggplant slices in batches in the oil for 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain any excess oil. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and move the eggplant over to the parchment paper. Make about 18-24 slices.
To assemble
INGREDIENTS
½ pound of fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced and cut to fit the top of the eggplant slices
18-24 fresh basil leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the broiler on high. Place the eggplant rounds on a parchment-lined sheet tray. Top with 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons of tomato jam, and a thin slice of mozzarella cheese. Place under the broiler to just melt the cheese. Remove and top immediately with a basil leaf and serve.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 31, 2020 | Desserts
Our delicious Ice Cream recipe will be perfect for cooling off on Derby Day. Tasty vanilla and bourbon ice cream filled with toasted pecans and mini bourbon ball candies. It’s the perfect dessert for a late summer Derby Day.
Make the Bourbon Balls
INGREDIENTS
3 ounces Nilla Wafers cookies
1 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, plus more for coating
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 tablespoons bourbon
INSTRUCTIONS
In a food processor, grind the Nilla wafers to fine crumbs and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan set over simmering hot water. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup, and bourbon. Add this mixture to the crumb mixture. Stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about two-three hours.
Form into half- inch size balls then roll the balls in a bowl of powdered sugar to coat. Transfer to a parchment lined sheet tray, arranging the balls in a single layer. Freeze for two hour or until frozen solid then remove and cut each ball in half. Place back in the freezer in a freezer safe container until ready to use.
Make the Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
⅔ cup sugar
2 tablespoons Bourbon
1 tablespoon Vanilla
½ cup chopped pecans, frozen
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill a very large mixing bowl with ice and add a smaller metal bowl into the center.
Combine the milk and cream in a medium saucepan, cooking over medium-low heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar whisking until the yolks become pale yellow.
Slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Start by adding small amounts to temper the eggs. When mixed together, pour back into the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard lightly coats the back of the spoon, about 10 minutes.
Strain the custard through a sieve into the bowl that is in the center of the ice. Stir occasionally to cool. When cooled add the bourbon and vanilla, whisk to combine, then refrigerate overnight.
Process in an ice cream maker, then fold in the recipe of halved frozen bourbon balls plus the frozen toasted pecans pieces. Freeze for two-four hours before serving.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 24, 2020 | Desserts
Using only five ingredients, this easy dessert is created in just minutes. Layers of Phyllo dough are basted with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. The top layer is covered with thinly sliced delicious fresh peaches and sprinkled with more cinnamon and sugar. Serve as is, or sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar, or topped with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
4 large very ripe freestone peaches
12 sheets Phyllo dough
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the peaches in half and remove the pit. Slice each half into very thin slices, set aside. Lightly brush an 8 x 11 (or similar size) removable bottom tart pan with the melted butter. Set aside on a larger sheet tray.
Lay one piece of phyllo on a cutting board and brush with butter. Lay another sheet on top and brush again. Lay a third sheet on top and brush with butter then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon and sugar. Fit into the tart pan. Don’t worry about any pieces of phyllo hanging over. These will be trimmed later. Continue to do this again with three more sheets, and then fit in the pan again. Create another layer of three sheets, however, fit in the pan without sprinkling with the cinnamon and sugar. Neatly arrange the peach slices on the last layer of phyllo dough. Trim the excess phyllo off to even the edge of the tart pan and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon and sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes.
Remove to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes. Remove the sides, leaving the bottom part of the pan, and set on a cooling rack until completely cooled. Cut into 6 equal pieces and serve alone or topped with confectioners sugar, sweetened whipped cream, or ice cream. Serves 6
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