July 3rd, 2014
Happy 4th of July everyone! This is the dessert that I will be serving to the family for the holiday. It is a trifle of lady fingers, raspberry jam, berries and mascarpone whipped cream. In a traditional tiramisu the lady fingers are soaked in espresso topped with marsala and mascarpone cream. Chocolate is sprinkled on the top. In this lighter version, the lady fingers are soaked in a Grand Marnier raspberry jam and the berries are added instead of chocolate. I even took it a step further by using orange juice instead of Grand Marnier. We have lots of kids at our party and I don’t think they would appreciate the alcohol.
The great thing about this dessert is that has to be made ahead of time. The longer it sits the better it gets. It couldn’t be simpler. Enjoy your holiday.
RASPBERRY AND BLUEBERRY TIRAMISU (Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)
1 12 ounce jar of seedless raspberry jam
6 Tablespoon Grand Marnier or Orange Juice
1 pound Mascarpone Cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
48 soft ladyfingers (2 3-0unce packages) or 40 dry Italian Ladyfingers (2 packages)
3 baskets fresh raspberries (1/2 dry pint, about 3 3/4 cups total)
A handful of blueberries
Stir together the jam and 4 tablespoons of Grand Marnier or orange juice in a small bowl to blend.
Stir together the mascarpone and remaining 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier or orange juice in a large bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Using a large rubber spatula, stir a fourth of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish or other decorative serving dish with a third of the ladyfingers. Spread a third of the jam mixture over the ladyfingers. Spread a third of the mascarpone mixture over the jam mixture, then cover with a third of the fresh raspberries. Repeat layering with the remaining ladyfingers, jam mixture, mascarpone mixture, and raspberries. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours of overnight.
Dust confectioners’ sugar over the top if desired and serve.
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July 17th, 2019
I love financiers. They are little cakes shaped like gold bricks and first sold in the financial district of Paris in patisseries to moneymen with their morning espressos. They are distinctive because of the ingredients; browned butter, almond flour, egg whites and plops of fruit. I have made them with raspberries and even did a savory batch with ground walnuts and sage.
Of course you need special rectangular molds to make them authentic. Here is a source for silicone molds. I was given some tin fluted molds by a friend. I love how pretty the financiers look with the scalloped edges. But you can also make financiers in mini-muffin tins if you don’t want to invest in yet another pan.
The summer has become humid with afternoon thunderstorms in our area. The only time that is pleasant on the porch is early morning before the heat and boat traffic take control. It is a good time for a cup of coffee and one of these small treats.
BLUEBERRY FINANCIERS
6 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
5 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blueberries
Preheat the oven to 400° F and butter the financier molds. Sprinkle the molds with flour, tapping away any excess. Allow the butter to melt on a low heat, wait until it turns a light brown color and begins to release a nutty scent, then remove from the heat. Mix the flour, ground almonds and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg whites and the vanilla extract and combine everything well using a whisk. Add the melted butter and whisk vigorously again. Fill the moulds with the batter and place three berries on each mold. Bake the financiers for 5 minutes before lowering the heat to 350°F and allowing them to bake for another 10 minutes. Transfer the financier moulds to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Makes 18 Financiers.
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April 30th, 2010
I am late with my Barefoot Blogger recipe this month but want to thank Cassandra of Foodie with Little Thyme for choosing this cookie recipe. We have had two cookie recipes this month and I am sure all of those with a sweet tooth are very pleased. But frankly, I hope that we have at least one savory recipe next month so that my scales will stop screaming at me. These cookies were very good and easy to make. For some reason my cookie dough was a little dry, so that the cookies crumbled when I rolled and pressed them. But that did not affect the buttery flavor. The coconut added a nice touch and you can get very creative with the jam that you use. All I had on hand was blueberry and raspberry. If you have apricot jam or orange marmalade it will give you a nice contrast with the raspberry jam if you do half of the cookies with each jam.
JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES ( The Barefoot Contessa )
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.
Here is an update on the community garden with the help of
garden centers. The below picture shows the view we have of Hickory Nut Falls and the mesh enclosure that we put around our plot. We enclosed two plots because we are sharing time and materials with our friend Don.
Everything is in the ground now. Pole beans will climb the
round fence rails. The marked rows contain sugar snap peas, rainbow chard, shallots and green onions. We have two hills of squash and tomato plants, pepper plants and cucumbers.
Hopefully we will be harvesting by July. The Friends of Hickory Nut Gorge Community Gardens have asked all of the participants to donate 10% of the harvest to charity.
January 4th, 2015
We had a busy holiday season with family and friends. We traveled to North Carolina to spend time with family in Cary and Jacksonville and then back to Lake Lure to attend to some Winter tasks. We spent the New Year in Myrtle Beach with old friends, ate well, celebrated joyously and returned to Lake Lure a little heavier and totally worn out. It is cold and dreary here with constant rain and fog and my cooking has been minimal. So before we return to Florida this week, I thought that I would reflect back on some of the dishes that were favorites in 2014. I will begin with January 2014.
I had just discovered Mimi Thorisson’s lovely blog Manger. One of the first dishes I made from her blog was this Pork Tenderloin with Grapes. We loved it and my eyes were opened to the possibility of actually cooking grapes. It was also a pretty dish that tasted heavenly.
February found us in Cary celebrating our Grandson’s third birthday. My DIL Kristen made this warming Tortilla Soup on a snowy day. I could use a bowl of it right now.
We enjoyed these Polynesian Meatballs as the weather was improving.
With Spring in the air and fresh asparagus in the market we indulged in this easy Asparagus Tart.
King Arthur Flour has a wonderful blog called Flourish. This recipe for Triple Cinnamon Scones sounded so good that I purchased their cinnamon chips and cinnamon filling mix to make them. I have been making them ever since. They are the best scones I have ever had.
In June I made this wonderful Blueberry Galette. The rosemary in the crust was an unusual addition and went so well with the blueberries. I will be making this often. The crust also has whole wheat flour in it which I love.
Summer is berry season and I couldn’t resist this lovely Raspberry and Blueberry Tiramisu. Perfect for the 4th of July.
In August our grill was kept busy. This Spicy Glazed Salmon was an easy fix with only three ingredients.
September at the lake is usually still warm. Cool salads are always welcomed. This Israeli Couscous and Arugula Salad from Ina Garten is delicious.
October is apple season in Western North Carolina. This Maple Glazed Acorn Squash with Sausage, Apple and Sage is a perfect Fall dish.
In November, this Leek and Artichoke Bread Pudding was on my Thanksgiving table. The recipe came from Ina Garten’s new book Make it Ahead.
Finally, in honor of family tradition, in December I made my Mother’s delicious Ham Loaf. It brought back memories of Christmases past. 2014 was a very good year. I am looking forward to the year ahead and wish all of you a Happy New Year.
August 30th, 2011
I have been running fast this week in preparation for the annual family Labor Day Weekend at the lake. There were bed linens to wash, beds to be made, the refrigerator cleaned, floors moped and an extra table added to the porch so that we can seat fourteen. I have been doing prep work in the kitchen; things that can be done ahead of time like making glazed pecans for salads, blueberry muffins baked and in the freezer, lemon cake layers made and a raspberry curd whipped up for a special birthday cake. There has been little time to think about what’s for dinner.
I have two special friends in Michigan who have come to the rescue with ideas on crowd friendly recipes. My childhood friend Lyla has emailed me several recipes which I will blog about soon. Also my SIL Barb has sent along some recipes. One of the recipes she emailed me was from her friend Linda who is a great cook and is thinking about starting a blog. It is a recipe for chicken teriyaki that is done in a slow cooker. That is just what I needed yesterday when there was no time to cook.
The smell of the soy infused chicken cooking away while I was making beds and vacuuming was like heaven to my senses. I love it when dinner can cook itself and I need to remember to use my crock pot more often. The results were outstanding. The chicken thighs were meltingly tender and the sauce was delicious over plain white rice. If all of Linda’s recipes are this good, I will become an avid follower of her food blog. Thanks Barb for passing the recipe along.
Now here’s a dirty little confession. I couldn’t sleep last night and got up at 4:00 AM and all I could think about was that chicken. I quietly got out of bed and went to the kitchen, scooped out some of the leftovers, microwaved them and enjoyed a bowl while reading my current novel. It was so good. Think I’ll skip breakfast this morning.
CROCK POT TERIYAKI CHICKEN
12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked long grain rice
Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickend. Serve with chicken and rice.
Note: I halved the recipe and it still worked fine in my crock pot. It might not need the full 4 hours time.
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