Crostini Trio

"Crostini" in Italian literally means "little crusts" or "little toasts." The idea for these three crostini recipes comes from this website. I made slight variations to one, using orange marmalade instead of fig jam and Romano instead of Pecorino cheese. These are great appetizers and are very easy to make. I really like the idea of making all three as the tastes are so varied and unique, yet they really compliment each other. And the best part, you can make as many as you want! I usually do at least 36 at a time. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Baguette, cut into 1/2" pieces

Olive Oil

Cherry Jam

Brie

Arugula

Orange Marmalade

Fuji Apple Slices

Romano

Blue Cheese Crumbles

Pecan Pieces

Honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Place baguette pieces on cookie sheet.

2. Drizzle with olive oil.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

4. Place blue cheese crumbles and pecans on 1/3 of the pieces, then place back in the oven to broil for an additional minute.

5. Before serving, drizzle honey on those pieces.

6. On another 1/3 of the pieces, add cherry jam, brie and a piece of arugula.

7. On the last 1/3 of the pieces, add marmalade, apple slices and romano.

8. Serve immediately.

 

Brie en Croute with Raspberry and Pecans

I have been baking this amazing appetizer for nearly 3 years. I first saw this on the Food Network and over the years I've made a few modifications. Brie is one of my favorite kinds of cheese and "en croute" actually means "in crust" in French. This recipe takes a wheel of brie, tops it with jam and toasted pecans and then bakes it in a pastry crust. Your guests will never know how simple this is to make as the flavor combinations give this a very gourmet feel. The recipe below serves about 6. Enjoy!

HELPFUL HINTS
1. Make sure the puff pastry dough is fully thawed but not so thawed that it is too hard to work with. You want it a little bit firm and not overly stretchy. I have found that the best results are to thaw the sheet in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. You can take it directly from the freezer and thaw it at room temperature for 20 minutes but I've found that method to be inconsistent.
2. You can use any kind of jam or nut that you prefer. I've found that raspberry or boysenberry jams are our favorite and we usually stick with pecans. You can use preserves instead of Jam if that's all you have.
3. This can be eaten as is or combined with some of your favorite crackers.

INGREDIENTS
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 Tbs butter
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 8oz wheel of Brie
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Saute nuts in butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.


















4. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Lay puff pastry out on a very lightly floured surface and gently roll it to increase the size of the sheet 1 to 2 inches in each direction.















































6. Move pastry onto cookie sheet lined with non-stick bakeware.

















7. Remove the top rind from the Brie.

















8. Center the wheel of Brie on top of the pastry sheet.

















9. Spread jam evenly on top of Brie.

















10. Place pecans on top of jam in heaping mound.

















11. Bring all four corners of the sheet together above brie and twist slightly to form a bundle.















































12. Tie gathered pastry with kitchen twine, then form hanging pieces into a bow.
































13. Arrange the pastry until you are satisfied with the bundle shape.

















14. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
15. Remove from refrigerator, then brush eggs over the pastry, making sure you also brush underneath the bow.















































16. Bake for approximately 25 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
17. Remove the string by pulling both ends apart from each other. This will tie the middle in a knot, enabling you to pull the string out without pulling the bundle apart.

Roquefort Pear Salad

While visiting my sister in Seattle several months ago, she made a delicious salad with pears and blue cheese and I finally asked her for the recipe. The combination of pears and blue cheese can be combined in so many variations but this is one of my favorites. The recipe originated on allrecipes.com but I made a few slight modifications. The recipe below yields about 8 servings. Enjoy!

HELPFUL HINTS
1. When combining the ingredients for the dressing, shake them together really well in a sealed bowl or use a salad shaker. I have found this is just as easy as using a whisk.
2. I used red wine vinegar but my sister uses apple cider vinegar. Either taste wonderful.
3. If you don't have parchment paper, try waxed although with wax be careful that the paper doesn't peel off with the nuts.

INGREDIENTS
1 head leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
3 pears, peeled and chopped
5 oz Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbs red wine or apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans.

















2. Continue stirring until sugar has melted and the pecans start clumping together.
3. Transfer nuts onto parchment paper.

















4. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.
5. Blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper in a container.
































6. On each plate layer lettuce, pears, blue cheese, avocado, and green onions.
































7. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans, and serve.

Spiced Chocolate Torte Wrapped in Chocolate Ribbons

Happy Valentine's Day! Hold onto your seat for this one. Though this Bon Appétit recipe took about 6 hours to make, the outcome was stunning both in presentation and taste and was part of my present for Jeni. According to the Bon Appétit website, this "Ribbon Cake" was first published in 1984 and is still their most requested recipe. After sampling it ourselves, I can see why. The step by step instructions below are a bit lengthy but they are not overly complicated if you follow them closely and I've tried to include a lot of pictures so you can see what each step should look like along the way. The cake below yields 12-16 servings. Enjoy!

HELPS

1. Where the recipe called for chocolate, I used Guittard brand chocolate chips, semisweet and white and it worked perfectly.

2. I didn't have a fresh nutmeg so I used 1/3 tsp of ground nutmeg.

3. The buttercream calls for 4 jumbo egg yolks which translates into 5 large egg yolks.

4. I don't drink alcohol or coffee, so you'll see my substitutions below which were rum extract instead of actual rum and coffee-flavored powder instead of actual coffee.

5. I was most nervous about the ribbons so I made those first and thankfully they turned out. I then refrigerated them with a piece of saran wrap over the top and they lasted great for several days until I was ready to use them.

6. When working with the chocolate, use latex gloves to avoid thumb-prints.

7. If you don't have a pasta roller, you can roll it out using a rolling pin.

INGREDIENTS
Cake
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
8 eggs, separated, room temperature
10 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), melted, lukewarm
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour, measured then sifted
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cream of tartar

Buttercream
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
4 jumbo egg yolks
1 1/2 cups butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), melted and cooled (but still pourable)
1 Tbs rum extract

Glaze
12 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
2 Tbs honey
3/4 tsp coffee flavored beverage (like Perot or Postum)

Chocolate Ribbons
7 oz high-quality white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup light corn syrup, divided
7 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), broken into pieces

DIRECTIONS
Cake
1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.
2. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 11/2-inch-high sides.
3. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper.
















4. Using stand mixer, cream butter in large bowl.
5. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth.
















6. Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time.
7. Blend in melted chocolate.
















8. Slowly mix in pecans, vanilla, and spices.
















9. Gently fold in flour in 4 batches. Batter will be very thick and dense.
















10. Using stand mixer fitted with a clean dry beater, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar in another large bowl until medium peaks form.
11. Gently fold 1/4 of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites.
















12. Divide batter among prepared pans, spreading evenly.
















13. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
14. Run knife around sides of each cake, then let stand for 10 minutes.
















15. Invert cakes onto racks, then cool to room temperature.
















16. The cakes can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Just wrap each layer tightly and freeze.

Buttercream
1. Stir sugar and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
















2. Increase heat and boil 1 minute.
3. Meanwhile, using stand mixer, beat egg yolks in medium bowl until pale and thick.
















4. Gradually beat in hot sugar syrup and continue beating until mixture is completely cool, 5-10 minutes. You can tell if it's cool by feeling the outside of your bowl.
















5. Beat in butter 1 piece at a time, incorporating each piece completely before adding next. If the butter melts, the mixture is not cool enough.
















6. Blend in melted chocolate, then rum extract.
7. Reserve 1/2 cup buttercream.
8. Set 1 cake layer, flat side up, on rack and spread with half of remaining buttercream.
9. Top with second cake layer and spread with remaining buttercream.
















10. Top with third cake layer, then use reserved 1/2 cup buttercream to fill in the seam where cake layers meet.
















11. Freeze cake until buttercream is firm, at least 2 hours.
12. When removing the cake from the freezer, use your finger to smooth out any rough edges.
















Glaze
1. Stir all ingredients in top of double boiler over gently simmering water until mixture is smooth, then remove from over water.
















2. Stir until glaze is thickened, about 5 minutes, making sure that the glaze does not set.
3. Pour 3/4 of glaze over top of cake.
















4. Carefully and quickly tilt cake back and forth so glaze coats sides; smooth sides with spatula, adding some of remaining glaze where necessary, then chill cake until glaze is set.
















Chocolate Ribbons
1. Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over gently simmering water; stir until smooth.
2. Stir in 1/4 cup corn syrup, then pour onto baking sheet and chill until firm, at least 30 to 40 minutes.































3. Transfer white chocolate to work surface and knead several minutes.
4. Shape white chocolate dough into ball then wrap in plastic.
















5. Let white chocolate dough stand at room temperature 1 hour.
6. Repeat with bittersweet chocolate and remaining 1/4 cup corn syrup.
















7. Cut white chocolate dough into 4 pieces, then flatten 1 piece into a rectangle.
8. Turn pasta machine to widest setting. Run chocolate through 3 times, folding into thirds before each run.
















9. Adjust machine to next narrower setting. Run chocolate through machine without folding. If chocolate is more than 1/16 inch thick, run through next narrower setting.
10. Lay chocolate piece on rimless baking sheet.
11. Repeat flattening, folding, and rolling with remaining chocolate pieces.
12. Repeat process with bittersweet chocolate dough.
13. From rolled white dough, cut four 8x1-inch strips, ten 6 ½ x1 inch strips and one 3x1-inch strip.

14. From rolled chocolate dough, cut four 8 x ½ inch strips, ten 6 ½ x ½ inch strips. And one 3 x ½ inch strip.
15. Center bittersweet chocolate strips atop white chocolate strips to form four 8-inch strips, ten 6 ½-inch strips and one 3 inch strip.

16. Cut ends off two of the 6 ½-inch strips ribbons on diagonal.
17. Fold the 3 inch ribbon into a small round.
18. Fold remaining eight 6 ½ inch ribbons in half, layered side out, then cut end into V shapes and lay sideways on your sheet pan to retain their shape.

Assembly
1. Run one of the 8 inch strips from base of cake to center. Arrange remaining 3 chocolate ribbons equidistant from each other in same fashion so ribbons meet in center.
















2. Starting at center, drape two of the 6 ½ inch ribbons over top and sides of cake to form trailers.
















3. Arrange ribbon halves with V shapes at center of cake to form bow.
















4. Place 3 inch ribbon in center of bow.
















5. Carefully transfer cake to serving platter or cake stand.
6. Cover and refrigerate.
7. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.