Peppermint Brownie Trifle

 

If you’re looking for something both festive and memorable to serve on New Year’s Eve, or New Year’s Day, this very well could be your answer. I made this to serve as dessert on Boxing Day, and people gobbled it up. It’s referred to as a trifle, but my impression was more that it was a layered dessert rather than a trifle, because, in my experience, trifles are more custard-y than this one that has layers of brownies, separated by peppermint cheesecake. It’s unique and showy; and elements can be made ahead of time prior to assembly. I encourage you to make this 2 to 3 days prior to serving.

Peppermint Brownie Trifle

 For the Brownie Layer

1 c. butter

½ c. dark cocoa powder

4 large eggs

2 c. sugar

2 t. vanilla extract

1 t. kosher salt

1½ c. flour

½ t. baking powder

 For the Cheesecake Layer

2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature

½ c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

½ t. peppermint extract

2½ c. Andes Peppermint Crunch Chips, divided

2 t. shortening

3 T. whole milk

2½ c. heavy whipping cream, whipped, divided

 Andes Peppermint Crunch candy bars

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9” x 13” pan with Baker’s Joy.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the cocoa powder. Let cool slightly.

 Beat the eggs until light colored. Add the sugar and extracts and beat again. Stir in ¼ cup of butter/cocoa mixture quickly. Add the rest of the butter mixture and beat again.

 Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly beat into the wet mixture in the bowl. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove and let cool.

 Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and extracts until light and creamy. Set aside.

 Place 1½ cups Andes peppermint chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds. Stir and heat again if needed until creamy. Pour into cream cheese mixture and beat until mixed in. Fold in 1 cup of the whipped cream and ½ cup Andes chips.

 Cut the brownies into 1” squares. Place half the brownies in the bottom of a trifle bowl.

 Top with half of the peppermint cheesecake. Repeat layers. Cover the top with 1 cup of whipped cream and top with more Andes chips.

 Pipe the remaining whipped cream around the edges with a piping bag and icing tip #21. Top with Andes Peppermint Crunch candy bars. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until serving.

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Christmas Pasta

You are going to love this pasta dish! It is perfect for the holidays because it is so colorful, plus it’s made in one pot, and is ready in 30 minutes. It’s meatless, so can be served to your vegetarian friends, and works as either a starter course or a main dish. Honestly, I felt festive just eating it. It’s not often that you can have a dish that is so easy to prepare, doesn’t require a lot of cooking equipment, is tasty, and colorful.Christmas Pasta

 1 T. olive oil
4 oz. thinly sliced mushrooms
1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic
8 oz. linguine
2 T. butter
2 c. homemade chicken stock
1 c. whole milk
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

½ c. chopped Melissa’s roasted red bell peppers

½ 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Toss in mushrooms, stirring until softened, then add garlic, and stir for one minute more. Add pasta, butter, chicken stock, milk, pepper, red peppers, and spinach. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low, put the lid on the pan, and set the timer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes are up, remove the lid, sprinkle Parmesan on top of the pasta and toss until the cheese is melted. Serve.

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Spinach Madeleine

 

Putting a Thanksgiving dinner on the table is a lot of work. When you factor in anxiety based upon trying all new recipes, it doesn’t allow much breathing space to take photos of the food. As a consequence, I’m asking you to forgive the quality of photos here, but this is a recipe I had to share because it was so good.

I decided to have Cajun Thanksgiving this year; my menu was as follows:

 Cup of Gumbo

Cajun Turkey Breast

Dressing

Bourbon, Bacon, Mac & Cheese

Spinach Madeleine

Cajun Deviled Eggs

Spirited Cranberry Sauce

Cornbread

Pecan Cream Pie

 

  It’s not often that I try all new recipes for a meal, but because I was serving a small number of people who are very tolerant of what I do, I decided to go for it. Never before had any of us had mac and cheese as a part of a Thanksgiving dinner, nor had we had deviled eggs. The deviled eggs were so good that they are going to return for Christmas. Everything was a big success, but what we all particularly enjoyed was the spinach. It was so easy to put together, make ahead, and one of those things that sent us back for seconds.

The recipe, as far as I know, first appeared in a 1959 Junior League Cookbook, River Road Recipes: The Textbook of Louisiana Cuisine. It is now prepared at The Gregory Restaurant in Baton Rouge as a part of their Cajun Thanksgiving menu. The only thing I changed here was to use Panko instead of breadcrumbs, and we all loved the added crunch.

Spinach Madeleine

 2 10-oz. pkg. frozen, chopped spinach

4 T. butter

½ c. evaporated milk

3 T. flour

½ c. reserved spinach liquid

2 T. chopped Melissa’s shallot

1 t. Melissa’s minced garlic

6 oz. jalapeno jack cheese

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

½ t. garlic powder

Salt to taste

½ c. Panko breadcrumbs

¼ c. melted butter

 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 1½-quart casserole with PAM; set aside.

 Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain the cooking liquid off the spinach, and reserve.

 In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. When butter has melted add the flour, stirring the mixture until it is blended and smooth without being brown. Stir in the shallots, and cook them just until soft. Pour in the evaporated milk and the ½ cup reserved spinach liquid, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring the mixture until it is smooth and thick.

 Add the cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and all the seasonings to the mix. Continue stirring until the cheese is completely melted; stir in spinach. Pour the mixture into prepared baking dish. (At this point, you can put the mixture into the refrigerator if you make it ahead of time. When you’re ready to bake it, bring the casserole to room temperature beforehand.) Combine the breadcrumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Pop the dish into the oven just long enough to make it bubbly and golden.

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Fireball Eggnog

I’m not a fan of grocery shopping, but when I go, I find the liquor department irresistible. There is something about all of those little bottles, some of them uniquely shaped, the colors, the labels, I love it. As a consequence, I tend to come home with bottles of various things that I have no clue as to what to do with. Such was the case last fall when I came home with a bottle of Fireball whiskey. Fortunately, I recently found this recipe. Trust me when I tell you I already had the whipped cream vodka, who knows why. I’m not an eggnog person either, but I bought it specifically to make this recipe, and boy is it good! If you’re looking for a festive and tasty winter warmer, look no further, this is it!

Fireball Eggnog

3 oz. good quality eggnog
2 oz. Fireball whiskey
1 oz. whipped cream vodka
Cinnamon sugar

Rim cocktail glass of choice with cinnamon sugar mixture. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add eggnog, whiskey, and vodka to cocktail shaker and shake vigorously; strain into cinnamon sugar-rimmed glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serve immediately.

Makes one cocktail.

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Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

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I have a friend who, like me, doesn’t like to bake. As a consequence, we torment each other with various delicious looking recipes for baked goods. When she sent me the recipe for this orange cranberry cake, featuring this beautiful Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt pan, I couldn’t resist. Not only did I buy the pan and the release spray, I also made the cake. I sent her pictures along the way, because she was as curious as I was as to whether or not this pan, like so many others have failed to do, would release the cake in one piece, to be consumed in all its elegant glory, instead of finding itself as a layer in a trifle.

As you can see from the pictures, happily it did come out just beautifully. But, I’m not going to lie, this cake was a lot of work! Because baking gets on my nerves, I did it in stages throughout the day. Measuring dry ingredients and setting them aside, getting out wet ingredients, setting them aside, making the cranberries, making the orange sugar, you get the picture.

It was worth every ounce of energy that I put into it. Not only am I extremely proud of my efforts, but my friend deemed it as “fabulous” as it is beautiful. It is loaded with flavor (I must confess that I replaced the orange juice in the glaze in the original recipe found here, with orange liquor, because I can never leave well enough alone) — sweet, tart, refreshing, complex, and certainly elegant enough to serve for company. Make it if you dare!

Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

From Laura | Tutti Dolci

Cake

2½ c. flour

¾ t. baking powder

¼ t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 1/3 c. sugar

2 T. fresh orange zest

10 T. unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 c. low-fat buttermilk, room temperature

¼ c. cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 t. vanilla extract

1¼ c. fresh cranberries, chopped

Sugared Cranberries

2 T. sugar

2 T. water

½ c. fresh cranberries

¼ c. sugar

Glaze

2/3 c. powdered sugar

1/8 t. salt

1½ T. fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 10-cup Bundt pan generously with nonstick spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; reserve one tablespoon flour mixture to toss with cranberries.

Combine sugar and orange zest in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute; combine with butter in a large mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time. Combine buttermilk, orange juice, and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture (begin and end with flour mixture), just until incorporated. Toss cranberries with reserved flour mixture and gently fold into batter.

Spoon batter into prepared Bundt pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Tap pan sharply to reduce air bubbles. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until cake is golden, springs back to the touch, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; carefully invert onto rack and cool completely.

While the cake bakes, make the sugared cranberries. Place a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add cranberries to the saucepan and coat completely in the simple syrup. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cranberries to the wire rack. Separate the cranberries into a single layer, spaced 1-inch apart. Let dry for 1 hour, then roll the cranberries in sugar to coat. Transfer to a clean baking sheet and let dry for 1 hour before using.

For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, salt, and orange juice in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and let set before topping with sugared cranberries and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole

After the exhaustion that was Thanksgiving — cleaning (Egad!), cooking, setting the table, driving 40 minutes one way to get Dad, then those 40 minutes back, serving a hungry horde, then repeating the process with dad, I realized, at my age (factoring in that I’m not getting any younger) that something different needed to be done. I talked this over with number two son, and, as usual, he had a good idea. He said, “I think what we need to do mom, is, instead of bringing Mohamed to the mountain, we need to bring the mountain to Mohamed.” That turned out to please everyone at Christmas, particularly Dad, who was so happy to have, as he put it, “Christmas back in the house.”

 
Late in the game I decided that I would make a brunch (like my mother used to do) and take it out to my dad Christmas Eve morning, and meet up with other members of the family. To cut to the chase, let me just say that it worked out beautifully, and everyone enjoyed it. Backing up a bit, I realized I could have planned this a little bit better, and started earlier. My mother used to put on quite a lavish display Christmas morning with her brunches that were known far and wide. What I didn’t take into consideration when I started cooking (the day before!), was that she worked on her brunch for weeks, preparing and freezing some of the casseroles ahead of time. Nope, not me, I decided to do all of the work the day before. I ordered a Honey Baked Ham (that was the easy part), then made French Rustic Potatoes, Cheese Peta, Eggsquisite Egg Casserole, New Jersey Coffee Cake, and, because I couldn’t find my mother’s recipe for cheese blintzes topped with blueberry sauce, came up with this rendition in the form of a French toast casserole, combining a number of recipes. It was a huge hit! More so than I ever imagined. Don’t get me wrong, everyone loved the brunch, but this was the one dish that drew the most comments.

Don’t wait until Christmas to try it; you might consider cutting the recipe in half and serving your Valentine a special breakfast, or including it in Easter brunch. At any rate, it’s make ahead, it’s delicious, and what a crowd-pleaser!

 Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole

6 1”-thick slices French bread, cut into cubes
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 ½ (12 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon almond extract
6 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup maple syrup

For sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tablespoon butter

Spray a 9” x 9” baking dish with Pam; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, and almond extract until smooth and creamy. Place half of the bread cubes into the bottom of the dish, and dollop the cream cheese mixture all over the top. Sprinkle blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.

In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes, pressing down lightly to make certain all cubes are soaked. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Remove from refrigerator, leave it covered, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 20 to 25 minutes longer until center is firm and top is lightly browned.

While French toast is baking, make the blueberry sauce. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in blueberries. Reduce heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until the blueberries burst and the mixture thickens. Stir in the butter and lemon juice. Pour over baked French toast. Serve warm.

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If you prefer something simpler, but still blueberry-licious, try these Blueberry Pancakes with Warm Blueberry Sauce.

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Sausage and Chestnut Dressing

​ It’s hard to get creative with Thanksgiving food, because so much of it is traditional. I have also come to learn that people want what people want, and I am determined to give it to them. This year, I did mix things up a bit by making a new kind of dressing. I read a lot of recipes, investigated a variety of techniques, and ended up with this one. It was unique in that the vegetables are puréed and sautéed before being mixed in with the other ingredients. For that, I give a nod to Tyler Florence, as that was part of his recipe. For the rest, I wandered off on my own, using components from my mother’s dressing, and tossing in some chestnuts on my own. The result was such that this is going to be my "go to" dressing for the future. It’s also nice because it can be made the day prior, and baked the day of, during those 30 minutes or so when the turkey has just come out of the oven, and is settling itself prior to carving.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of friends, fun, and good food, and that you didn’t exhaust yourself on Black Friday. Here’s my recipe, yes after the fact, but this goes equally well, deliciously so, with roast chicken. So make meals fancy by making dressing all year long, don’t just save it for Thanksgiving.

Sausage and Chestnut Dressing

1 medium carrot, peeled and quartered

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

2 stalks celery, quartered

1 small bunch fresh sage (about 1/3 c. chopped)

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound sausage (I used Bob Evans)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 cups cubed (or torn, I tear) rustic bread

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

½ cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)

1 6.5-oz. pkg. Melissa’s Organic Peeled & Steamed Chestnuts*

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

¾ cup heavy cream

1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with PAM; set aside.

In a food processor, puree the carrot, onion, celery, and sage until you have a fine pulp. Place a 10” skillet over medium-high heat and cook the sausage, until done but not dark brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to allow it to drain; place in a large mixing bowl. Add the vegetable pulp to the pan in which you had cooked the sausage, and sauté until most of the moisture has evaporated; season with salt and pepper. Add to the mixing bowl with the sausage. Add bread cubes, parsley, scallions, and chestnuts; toss to mix.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together chicken stock, cream, and egg. Pour this wet mixture over the dressing mix. Season again, if needed, and fold everything together. Turn out into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on the top (if it gets too brown before the 30 minutes is up, tent with foil).

*Next year I will use more

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If you’re new to chestnuts, and would like to try something simpler, you will love these Haricots Verts with Bacon & Chestnuts.

 

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Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon-Parsley Dressing

I’m sure that when I say the word cauliflower it doesn’t get you very excited. Honestly, I have been a cauliflower fan for as long as I can remember, so I don't quite get your lack of glee. Largely, I eat it raw in salads, or on a crudités tray with dip. Today, testing a number of side dishes for Thanksgiving, I roasted it and tossed with a lemon parsley sauce. Oh, my! It was so good that I ate it for lunch! I actually made yummy sounds while I was eating it. This is an easy, fool-proof, delicious dish that everyone is going to enjoy, whether they are a fan of this cruciferous vegetable or not.

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon-Parsley Dressing

From epicurious.com

1 head Melissa's cauliflower, cut into florets

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

½  teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower and 4 tablespoons oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 25–30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pulse parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor until very finely chopped; season with salt and pepper. Toss cauliflower with lemon-parsley mixture and top with lemon zest.

DO AHEAD: Lemon-parsley mixture can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Yep, it was that good.

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If you prefer your cauliflower in a smoother form, My Mother’s Cauliflower Soup is "soup"er good!

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This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Smells Good Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Full Plate Thursday

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Hot Jalapeño and Hearts of Palm Dip

National Dip Day isn’t until March 23rd, and there isn’t a National Hot Dip Day (Can you imagine?!), but I couldn’t wait to share this delicious hot dip with you. Perfect for the current tailgate season, and upcoming holiday season, it is flavorful, and spicy, and cheesy, and so delicious. It contains two of my new favorite ingredients, pickled jalapeños and hearts of palm, and works equally well as a hot dip with chips or crackers, as it does atop little rye rounds and run under the broiler. You have the option of making it as spicy or mild as you like by either removing the seeds and veins from the jalapeños, or just going crazy and leaving them in. My guess is that this isn’t a wildly used combination, so when you make this you will be unique among your friends. You must give this one a try.

Hot Jalapeño and Hearts of Palm Dip

1 14.5-oz. jar Melissa‘s Hearts of Palm
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup minced Melissa’s Pickled Jalapeños
½ cup chopped scallions
¼ cup sour cream
¾ cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9” pie or quiche/tart pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT parsley in a medium mixing bowl until creamy. Turn into prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Need another hot dip to try? This Superior Pecan Spread has been a crowd-pleasing family favorite for decades. Even the kids love it!

This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Over the Moon

Smells Good Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Celebrate Your Story

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