dessert

Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle

December 14, 2015December 17, 2015 RefreshHer2 Comments

Last Friday was a big baking day with my girls. The day before we got together, I made up three kinds of Christmas cookie dough. A couple of the recipes called for egg yolks, so when I finished, I was left with five egg whites. With eggs the price they are, I had to put them to good use, so I flipped through my Cooking Light Cookbook and found a recipe for Double Chocolate Souffles that you could whip together, then freeze until needed! I knew I needed a dessert for Sunday’s dinner, so it was a blessing to have a dessert that was prepared ahead of time, then all I’d need to do is bake them on Sunday!

These would be a great dessert for a special Christmas dinner. With the ease of preparing them ahead of time, it will make having company a cinch!

Double Chocolate Souffles with Warm Fudge Sauce

SOUFFLE:

Cooking spray

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups fat-free milk

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

6 large egg whites

SAUCE:

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation

Position oven rack to the lowest setting, and remove middle rack. Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare the soufflés, lightly coat 6 (8-ounce) soufflé dishes with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk; remove from heat. Add 3 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla and egg yolk.

Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; beat at high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently fold one-fourth of egg whites into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on a baking sheet; place baking sheet on the bottom rack of 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove soufflés from oven). Bake 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the side of soufflé comes out clean.

To prepare sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 tablespoon flour; stir well with a whisk. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring well with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add 1/2 ounce chocolate, stirring until smooth. Serve warm with soufflés.

My souffles didn’t puff up as high as the picture in my cookbook, so I may have beaten the egg whites a little too long, but they still tasted wonderful, and that’s the whole point!

Don’t let the word souffle frighten you away – these are really not hard to make, The ease of freezing the batter and popping them in the oven makes them a great do-ahead dessert! They’re delicious!

Anyone else make souffle?

With love from my country kitchen,

8E63C63AC0BC189BF1C68B03C74DBB5F

All Things Sweet

July 29, 2015August 25, 2015 RefreshHer4 Comments

This week seemed to have a theme…it’s called sweet. Come take a peek from my porch to see why I say that…

A couple of friends shared delicious, peaches from their peach trees. Wasn’t that sweet of them? And oh my! They were sweet and yummy!

They were delicious in our morning yogurt, and on ice cream, but my favorite way to use them was to put them IN ice cream! I found a recipe on Cooking Light for Homemade Peach Ice Cream just before the peaches were brought to our door. As Rachel Lynde from Anne of Green Gables would say, it was “Simply providential!” So after a little bit of mixing and freezing this was the result…

This made for a sweet treat on a hot July day!

Then, on Thursday, it was Free Tea Day at McAlister’s Deli. They have really good Sweet Tea, and we had to indulge! We went to Sonic Drive-in (because it was also national Hot Dog Day) and had our lunch for a whopping $2! Gotta love cheap dates!

While I was praying one morning, Liza Jane came and pushed her way between my arm and the chair and then put her paw up on my face!
How sweet is that?!

I have to wonder sometimes if she isn’t an tool of the devil rather than a little angel; she can be very demanding while I’m trying to pray!

I got to spend Monday early afternoon at the beautiful spa in Johnson City, thanks to a bunch of sweet friends who gave me a gift card! The massage was so wonderful! The pedicure afterwards was a lovely indulgence as well!

Before I went to the spa my husband sent me to have lunch at Wellington’s so that “this day could be all mine.” Again, his love and sweet gestures are over the top and I know I am spoiled far more than my furry feline friend!

The restaurant is so beautiful and the food was great! It got me all ready for a couple hours of spa treatment!

On Friday Alli and I worked on painting her kitchen chairs. They were old library chairs that needed a little spritzing up, and she chose a pretty yellow that will add lots of warmth to her kitchen. Thankfully we got more paint on the chairs than we did ourselves, but we were pretty covered in white primer and yellow paint!

Time with my girls is always a sweet blessing! We laughed, talked, ate lunch and got lots of paint on those chairs (and everywhere else!)!

So that was a good bit of the sweetness I enjoyed since last Wednesday! How would you describe your week in one word?

With love from my country porch,

dessert

Cooking Up Fresh Cherry Dessert in the Country

July 6, 2015July 9, 2015 RefreshHer1 Comment

Last Friday I shared about buying fresh cherries recently. I wanted to bake them up into something yummy and I came across this recipe on the Internet…

It turned out to be a not-too-sweet dessert, but a really delicious one. It took me longer to pit the cherries than it did to assemble the crumble. It made six small servings; perfect after dinner with a scoop of ice cream on it!

I found Rainier cherries that look like this…

They have a yellow/red skin and are mild flavored. They were developed in Washington state and are named after Mount Rainier. They are considered to be a premium cherry. This yellowish colored fruit doesn’t stain your fingers when you’re working with them! I loved them. They’re pretty, and tasty and perfect for this dessert of Cherry Crumble! Here’s how it was made:

Fresh Cherry Crumble/Crisp Recipe

makes 6 small servings
For cherry mixture

2 cups pitted, fresh cherries
2 tbsp sugar (this will produce a mildly sweet crumble. add more sugar if you like)
4 tbsp water
1 tsp corn starch

Cherry Crumble — Click on picture to enlarge

For streusel or crumb topping
3/4 cup flour
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp white sugar
a pinch of ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted plus more to butter baking dish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place the pitted cherries and sugar in a saucepan. Cook on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes or untill the cherries are lightly softened. Mix together the corn starch and water and add it to the cherries. Cook for about 1 minute or till the mixture thickens.

To make the streusel or crumb topping, combine the flour, brown and white sugars, cinnamon and salt together. Mix well. Then pour in the melted butter. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it forms a crumbly mixture.

Lightly butter a baking dish (I used 6 individual sized creme brulee dishes). Divide the cherry mixture among the dishes. Place the crumb topping on top and bake for 15 minutes or till the topping has lightly browned.

Who could resist this:

Have you ever used Rainier Cherries? What did you make? This dessert is fancy enough for a special occasion, but simple enough for a weeknight. Good stuff!

With love from my country kitchen,

dessert

What’s Cookin’ in the Country?

June 15, 2015June 11, 2015 RefreshHer5 Comments

A couple weekends ago I had eight people for dinner after church on Sunday. I needed a dessert that was quick and wouldn’t heat up the house because it was a hot day! I immediately thought about a Frozen Peanut Butter Pie that I’ve made lots of times from Southern Living. I knew I had all the ingredients except one on hand, so one dessert was checked off in my mind. That’s a great feeling!

The next pie recipe I went looking for was something with strawberries. I stumbled across a recipe for a Strawberry Mousse Pie that sounded really refreshing for a June day. I also had all the ingredients for that yummy dessert in my freezer and pantry! Bingo! Here are the results:

I decided to make a Chocolate Graham cracker crust for both pies. Why? Because I love both chocolate covered strawberries and Peanut Butter cups! The crust was a cinch to make! Here’s my recipe:

Chocolate Graham Cracker Pie Crust Recipe
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

Place all ingredients in a bowl, and mix until combined. Press the mixture into one regular sized pie tin. Chill while preparing the filling. I really even found that it’s best to freeze it so it won’t crumble.

Ingredients

1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored Jell-O®
2/3 cup boiling water
3 cubes ice
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced (I used frozen, sliced berries)
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Directions: In a medium bowl, combine gelatin and boiling water. Stir 3 minutes, or until gelatin is dissolved. Add ice and stir until gelatin thickens and cools. Fold in the whipped topping and strawberries. Chill until mixture will mound, then spoon into crust. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Now for the Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients
1 cup whipping cream (or use Cool Whip!)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9-inch) prepared chocolate pie crust

Preparation

1. Beat whipping cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

2. Combine cream cheese and next 3 ingredients; beat until creamy, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon cream cheese mixture into piecrust. Freeze 1 hour.

This is also super yummy with a small peanut butter cup as a garnish. Or I’ve also sprinkled the crust with peanuts before adding the filling. Aaaaand, if you double the recipe, you can fill three crusts!!!!

These are great do-ahead desserts. You could keep both pies in the freezer until needed and then whip them out to look like the hostess with the mostess!

Anything special being baked up in your kitchen this week?

With love from my country kitchen,

dessert · Side dish

What’s Cookin’ in the Country?

April 13, 2015April 12, 2015 RefreshHer2 Comments

What did you bring (to the potluck)?

Ever get asked that when you go to a family or church gathering? I think it’s the most popular question! Who cares where you went on vacation or how you’re feeling after having the flu for two weeks? We want to know what you brought that was yummy for us to eat! (Just kidding!)

A great to-go recipe is sometimes just a simple something like an old recipe. That’s what I took to our church’s Friend Day picnic yesterday. I made a salad that I’ve been making for close to thirty years. Sometimes I forget to go back to those old tried and true recipes! What was I thinking for leaving this recipe in the dust? It’s so delicious, so pretty, and it is made the night before!

What is it? It’s the trusty Seven-Layer Salad. Have you ever made it? Has it been in your recipe box forgotten and tucked away? Why not make it for your next gathering or for your dinner one night this week? You can vary the ingredients you add, making it just what you and your family love. I like it, too, because it takes common foods that I usually have on hand. It stays fresh and crispy with the dressing on top. Put it in a clear bowl so each layer will show off its colors!

Seven Layer Salad – Original recipe – Serves 12

1 pound bacon
1 large head iceberg lettuce – rinsed, dried, and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white sugar
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and set aside.
In a large flat bowl, place the chopped lettuce and top with a layer of onion, peas, shredded cheese, cauliflower and bacon.
Prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, sugar and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle over salad and refrigerate until chilled.

I did try a new dessert for the picnic…Butterscotch Blondies! I found these in my Cooking Light Baking Cookbook. I seriously don’t miss any of the fat in the “normal” recipe! This is another recipe that has common ingredients .No tofu or agave needed – just less of the normal baking supplies! I love that! These are rich and gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside! All they need is a cold glass of milk!

Butterscotch Blondies

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 Egg whites
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, firmly packed light brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Place butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook 6 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Pour into a small bowl, and cool 10 minutes.

Combine butter and egg whites, stirring with a whisk. Pour butter mixture over flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray; smooth top with spatula. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 24 squares.

Those blonde brownies are a yummy treat! Don’t wait for a special potluck to make them. You need these this week!

Have you made any of your old recipes recently? What was it?

With love from my country kitchen,