Chocolate Salami - Salame al Cioccolato

Ingredients

8oz. dark chocolate, 60% cacao or more, chopped
2T cocoa powder, sifted
7T butter, softened
2/3 cup super-fine granulated sugar
3 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
7 oz. tea biscuits, digestive cookies, or Marie biscuits
¾ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
¾ cup raw almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
3T Confectioners’ sugar

1. Place the chocolate in a medium-size, heatproof bowl and set the bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. Turn the heat off. Stir until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Add the cocoa powder.

2. Place the cookies/biscuits in a bowl or plastic bag and break into small pieces, about the size of a dime.

3. In a medium bowl of you mixer (or by hand), beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Note: the mixture will look broken.

4. Stir the vanilla, and cooled chocolate; mix until combined.

5. Fold in the broken cookies and nuts and mix well.

6. On your counter, tear off a large piece of plastic wrap, or parchment paper about 15 inches long, place half the batter down the middle of the plastic in a log shape. Roll the plastic up around the batter and, using your hands, roll it back and forth then twist the end closed. Now using your hands roll it back in forth to create a smooth cylinder similar to salami. Repeat with remaining batter.

7. Place the chocolate salami in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

8. Once the salami is set, place on a clean piece parchment paper on your counter. Unwrap the salami and place onto the paper; dust the salami with Confectioner’s sugar. Reroll in the parchment and place back into the refrigerator.

9. When ready to serve, unwrap, slice to desired thickness, and place onto a platter.

TIPS & TRICKS

• Super-fine sugar, also called baking sugar, can be made at home. Just place granulated sugar in a food processor and process until the sugar is as fine as sand. Voilà!! Super-fine sugar!!
• You can use any cookie, tea biscuit, or vanilla wafer-style cookie. I like the Marie biscuits because they are crunchy and just slightly sweet.
• To toast nuts, place them on a baking sheet in a 350° F oven for 5 minutes. Give the pan a shake and toast for an additional 3 minutes until slightly brown. Be careful: they burn easily! Chop as desired.
• You can use any nuts: hazelnuts, macadamia or walnut; all substitute very nicely.
• You could also substitute one of the nuts for dried fruits, figs, candies orange peel, or cranberries. All are delicious additions.
• I roll the salami into 2 logs, but you could roll it into 1 large one and slice it and serve it on a plate with a fork for dessert.
• Since this cookie has raw eggs, it is best enjoyed within a few days.

Pimento Cheese Ball with Crostini

Ingredients

½ cup mayonnaise (store bought or homemade(homemade recipe below)
1 4 oz. jar diced pimentos, drained
1 clove garlic, crushed
2T yellow onion, grated
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. salt
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup chopped nuts, walnuts, pecans, or almonds
1 T chopped parsley

Crostini:
1 baguette loaf, cut on diagonal into 24 thin slices
¼ cup olive oil

1. In a medium-size bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pimentos, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir in the cheese. Add more salt or cayenne, if necessary.

2. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap. Place the cheese mixture in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 3 hour.

3. When ready to serve place the nuts and parsley in a medium size bowl, stir until combined. Unwrap the cheese and place in the bowl. Press the nut/ parsley mixture into the cheese.

4. Place the cheese ball on to a platter with crostini. Cheese is best when served room temperature.

Crostini Prep:
1. Preheat the oven to 400º F.

2. Place the sliced bread onto a baking sheet. Brush each slice with a little olive oil. Bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.

Homemade Mayonnaise Prep:
3 egg yolk
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1T vinegar
1 tsp. salt & pepper
1 ½ cup vegetable or corn oil

Preparation:
1. In your food processor, combine the egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Pulse until combined. Slowly, in a steady stream, add the oil. Whisk until the mixture becomes emulsified. Makes 1 1/2cups

TIPS & TRICKS

• The cheese spread can be made a week in advance.

• If you wish you can make 2 smaller cheese balls. I leave my cheese ball flat on the bottom so it doesn’t roll off the platter.

• The spread can also be served in a small tureen or bowl instead of shaping into ball.

• Crostini can be cut, or complete cooked and stored in airtight container until ready to serve. Spread is also fantastic with pita chips, crackers, vegetables, or as a sandwich lie they serve at the master golf tournament!

Classic Sautéed Spinach

Ingredients

3T olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 lbs. spinach (12 cups); washed and drained
salt & pepper
10 large or 20 medium mushrooms (baby bella/cremini, or portabello)
2T chopped toasted almonds

1. Pre-heat oven to 375° F.

2. Line a colander with a damp, ugly kitchen towel. Set aside.

3. Spinach: In a large pot, with a lid, over medium heat, add the olive oil; when warm, add the shallots and sauté 3-4 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the spinach, toss well, and cover with the lid. Cook about 2-3 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and turn the heat to medium-high. Toss the spinach for another 1-2 minutes until the greens are wilted. Season with salt and 4-5 twists of pepper. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and place in the towel-lined colander. Let the spinach cool.

6. Once the spinach is cooled, squeeze all the extra water out of it.

7. Place the spinach on your cutting board and rough chop it. Set aside.

8. With a mushroom brush or damp towel, wipe any dirt from the mushrooms.

9. Using a melon baller or spoon, remove the stem and remove a little of the interior of the mushroom to create a larger opening, if needed.

10. Fill the mushrooms with the spinach and place on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet pan.

11. Bake at 375° F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until mushrooms are slightly softened and hot.

12. Transfer to a platter or plates. Topped with chopped nuts and serve immediately.

• Nuts: To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F. Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Shake the pan and continue baking until nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes more. Let them cool. The roasted nuts can be store in an airtight container for weeks.

TIPS & TRICKS

• This is the best way to cook spinach so that all the water cooks out but is doesn’t get mushy or slimy. Serve it as a the perfect side, by doing recipe to step #5. Once cooked place the spinach in a serving dish and enjoy.

• I use a large pot , like the type you would cook pasta in and two wooden spoons to “toss” the spinach as you would pasta so that it wilts evenly.

• Spinach can be prepared the day ahead. Then fill the mushrooms before cooking.

• You can also fill tomatoes instead of mushrooms. You can also fill tomatoes instead of mushrooms.

Amaretto, Almonds & Pear Trifle

Ingredients

Custard:
2½ cups cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
6 egg yolks
3T cornstarch
½ cup sugar
pinch of salt
1T vanilla paste or extract
1T butter, cold

Trifle:
2 cups pears, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes (about 2-3 pears). Use Bartlett, Anjou, or Comic
1 cup frozen raspberries, defrosted
1 cup sliced almonds toasted
½ cup toasted, shredded coconut
1pkg ladyfinger biscuits/cookie, (24 biscuits)
1 cup apricot jam
½ cup Amaretto liquor
1 cup heavy whipped cream
3T confectioner’s sugar
12 half pint jars with lids

1. Custard: In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat the milk, cream until hot, but not boiling.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk together until light in color and well blended. Add a cup of the hot milk to the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Now pour the warmed egg mixture into the hot milk, whisking constantly.

3. Return the pan to the stove and stir until mixture thickens, about 6-8 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and pass through a fine strainer. Stir in the butter and let cool completely. Place a piece of parchment or plastic wrap directly on top of the custard so that it doesn’t form a skin.

5. In a small bowl, combine the pears and raspberries. Mix until combined. Set aside.

6. In a small bowl, combine the toasted nuts and coconut. Mix until combined and set aside.

7. In a bowl with a whisk/beater, whip the heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks are formed. Set aside.

8. Place the ladyfinger biscuits on a baking sheet pan and spread each one with jam. Sprinkle the amaretto on top of the biscuits.

9. Break a biscuit in half and place the pieces, jam side up on the bottom of a jar, pushing them down.

10. Add a tablespoon of the custard, then a tablespoon of the pear-berry mixture.

11. Sprinkle some of the nut-coconut mixture on top.

12. Repeat with another layer of biscuit, custard, and fruit.

13. Top with the whipped cream. Decorate the top with nut-coconut mixture. Cover with lid. Repeat with the remaining jars.

14. Refrigerate 3 hours (or overnight is better) before serving.

15. To serve, tie a bow around each jar, place on dessert plate and serve.

Notes:

• Nuts: To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F. Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Shake the pan and continue baking until nuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes more. Let them cool. The roasted nuts can be store in an airtight container for weeks.

• Coconut: To toast coconut: preheat oven 350º F. Place coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until coconut is slightly brown (not all the coconut will become brown).

TIPS & TRICKS

• Trick to test if custard is cooked enough: stir the custard with a wooden spoon. It should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, and when you draw a line with your finger, it holds. Custard can be made 2 days ahead.

• In the winter months, I like to use a combination of pears and frozen berries, or you can use just the frozen berries. In the summer months, I use fresh berries and stone fruits or a combination of both. This is just the best dessert for a crowd!

• Chopped walnuts, pecans, also work well too!

• You can use pound cake instead of ladyfinger biscuits.

• Change the jam to match your fruit. Strawberry and raspberry work as well.

• As you change the fruit and jams, you can change the liquor. Traditionally trifle is made with sherry, but you could also use Cointreau, cassis, or Bourbon.

• The trifle is traditionally served in a trifle bowl. I thought it would be fun and festive to have each guest have his or her own little dessert to resemble a present. You can also make the trifle in a large glass bowl. You might not need to break the biscuit into pieces if the container you are using is larger than the jars.

• The trifle cans be assemble 2 days ahead.

Date Rumaki

Ingredients

1-pound dates (about 24)
6 oz. goat cheese, room temperature
½ cup roasted almonds
1-pound (12 slices) prosciutto

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on top of the baking pan.

2. Place the dates on a cutting board. Using a paring knife, make a slit on the side of each date and remove the pit.

3. Using a spoon or your fingers, stuff about a teaspoon of goat cheese into the date. Top the cheese with an almond or two. Pinch the date closed.

4. Place a piece of the prosciutto on the cutting board and cut it in half, lengthwise (only cut 1 piece at a time, so it doesn’t dry out). Wrap the date in a ½ piece of the prosciutto and secure it with a toothpick.

5. Place on the rack of the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dates. Leave a little space between each date as you place them on the baking sheet.

6. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 6-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip over. Bake for an additional 6-7 minutes until crispy and brown.

7. Let cool slightly. Place on serving platter. Serve warm.

TIPS & TRICKS

• I like to use Medjool dates. They are a nice big size and have a soft, chewy texture and are so sweet!

• You can substitute the goat cheese with blue cheese and use toasted pecans or walnuts instead of almonds.

• The dates can be stuffed 2 days in advance. Just cover them well with plastic film so they don’t dry out.

Peach Clafouti

Ingredients

1 tsp. butter room temperature

3-4 yellow or white peaches

3 large eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

2T Amaretto Liqueur

¼ cup heavy or whipping cream

½ cup milk

2T butter, melted

½ cup sliced almonds

Confectioner’s sugar

1. Heat oven to 350º F.

2. Using a paper towel, smear the butter all over the inside of a 4-6 cup baking dish.

3. Place enough water to cover the peaches in a saucepan. Then set on high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn off the heat.

4. Place the peaches in the water for 2-3 minutes; remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice. Toss the peaches around until slightly cooled.

5. Using a paring knife, peel the peaches. Remove the pit and cut into medium dice pieces so that you have about 4 cups of fruit. Place in the buttered dish.

6. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until lightly frothy and the sugar is dissolved.

7. Add the flour, vanilla, and Amaretto. Whisk until smooth.

8. Whisk in the milk, heavy cream, and melted butter.

9. Pour the batter on top of the fruit.

10. Sprinkle the almonds on top.

11. Bake until puffed and brown and skewer comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

12. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. Serve warm.

TIPS & TRICKS

• Depending on the size of your peaches, you might only need 3; but I always buy an extra one in case one is mealy or there is a surprise inside. Yellow peaches have the classic peach, slightly acidy tart taste, while the white ones are very floral and sweet. Both are delicious!

• As the seasons change you can use pears, berries, nectarines, plums, or cherries which are the classic fruit used in the clafouti.  I invite you to try them all.

• Use can also change up the liqueur to match the fruits. A little brandy pairs perfectly with the pears or plums, while Cointreau or Grand Marnier works lovely with the nectarines and berries.

• If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use ¾ cup of milk. I use whole milk.

Apricot Galette

Ingredients

Pastry
1½ cup all purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. granulated sugar
1 stick, 8T butter, cut into cubes and cold
8T ice cold water

Filling:
1½ pounds apricots
3T ground raw almonds
5T granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten

1.    Pastry: In a food processor, add the flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse a few times until combined. Add the butter and then pulse until the mixture has bits of butter the size of peas.  

2.    Add the cold water and pulse just until the mixture starts to come together. It will look shaggy.

3.    Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic film. Use the plastic to bring the dough together.  Flatten the dough into a disk and chill for at least 1 hour.

4.    Preheat oven to 400° F. If you have a pizza stone, place it on a rack in the middle of the oven.

5.    On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a circle about 14 inches diameter. Then transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet pan. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes. 

6.    Fruit: Cut the apricots in half and remove the pit. (If they are large, cut into quarters).

7.    Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Sprinkle the ground almonds onto the dough, leaving a 2-inch border.  

8.    Place the apricots skin-side up on top of the almonds, fitting them closely against each other. Sprinkle the 3tablespoons of sugar over the apricots.

9.    Fold the dough border over the fruit, forming pleats and making sure that there are no holes. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

10.    Place the tart into the 400° F oven onto the pizza stone for 40-45 minutes, until brown and bubbling.

11.    Remove the tart from the baking sheet by pulling on the parchment paper and sliding the paper and the tart onto a cooling rack. Cool for 20-30 minutes until the fruit juices have set.  

12.    When cool, cut into slices. It’s even better served with whipped cream or ice cream.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    I make several recipes of the pastry dough, wrap them in the plastic film, and then place them in a freezer zip lock bag. They will last in your freezer for six months. When ready to use, remove one from the freezer and allow to defrost in the refrigerator. Then follow the recipe from step #4.
•    You can substitute the apricots with other stone fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, or plums. 
•    You can buy ground almonds or just take a ¼ cup of whole raw almond and “grind” them in your food processor. The nuts add a little texture to the crust and help absorb some of the fruit juice.
•    You can substitute turbinado sugar for the granulated sugar for a little extra crunch.
•    Cooking the galette on the pizza stone helps makes the crust very crisp.
•    Sliding the galette on to the cooling rack helps keep the crust from getting soggy while it cools.
•    Galette is best severed warm to room temperature. 

Peaches with Honey and Almonds

Ingredients

3T unsalted butter
6T honey
½ cup Moscato wine
4 peaches pitted and sliced into ½” thick slices, about 3 cups.
½ cup sliced almonds
1 quart vanilla ice cream

1.    In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter, stir in t honey 

2.    Add the Moscato and stir until blended. Bring to a boil.

3.    Add the peaches; stir until well coated with the sauce. 

4.    Lower the heat to medium-high and cook until sauce thickens and peaches become soft, about 15-20 minutes.

5.    Pre heat the oven to 350° F. Place almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes until lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

6.    Scoop the ice cream into bowls. Spoon the peaches and sauce on top, sprinkle almonds on top. Serve immediately. 

TIPS & TRICKS

•    You can use any sweet dessert wine or sparkling wine in place of the Moscato.
•    You can use yellow or white fresh peaches. I leave the skin on, but you can peel if you like. This dish also works very well with frozen peaches.
•    You can substitute apricots or nectarines for the peaches.
•    You can substitute the almonds with almost any nut. I really like walnuts and macadamia nuts.