Dessert, Appetizer and Snacks

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GRONKACAMOLE

My son is one of the contributing editors, among other things, for Patriots Life, Celtics Life, RedSox Life and more. He was looking for some tongue and cheek recipes for patriot’s life, how I could resist.

Gronkowski was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.  He set an NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end in a single season with 1,327.

Preparation: 30-45 min

Smaller portions will take about 10 minutes to completion

Serves: 61

Hey you got to feed the team and the coaches right!

 

Ingredients – like Gronk something a little different.

■ 23 ripe, Fresh California Avocados, seeded and peeled

■ 23 tsp. fresh lemon juice

■ 5 3/4 tsp. fresh dill, chopped

■ 2 7/8 Tbsp. garlic salt

■ 17 1⁄4 Tbsp. medium-hot salsa

■ 5 3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

How

In a large bowl, coarsely mash avocados, leaving some chunks.

Add remaining ingredients and mix to blend.

Serving Suggestions: Serve with chips.

Beverage Pairings: Beer what else?

Note: Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

Recipe influenced  By the California Avocado Commission

 

Almond-Oat Strawberry Shortcakes
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Almond-Oat Strawberry Shortcakes

I love cooking but I love it even more when Lyn and I are both cooking together doesn’t matter the same dish or different, cooking in the kitchen with my honey is one of my favorite things to do.

Lyn and I are big on good quality meats and organic fruits and vegetables, usually it pays off with taste but the other day we got some organic strawberries that just were not that sweet. Not sure if it was a bad batch or just the end of the season but there we were with a huge pile of strawberries. Normally we grab a bowl full and munch on for a satisfying desert or snack, Lyn makes smoothies too much air in that for my liking you know what air in the belly gives you. Anyway what to do?

We divided in half and I was given the task of maceration, as Lyn called it. She had bought a new fancy dancy potato masher Fancy Dancy Potato Masher(I can hear Laurel in my mind oooohhhhhh, she just loves cooking stuff) but it was not working on the strawberries. I grabbed the old faithful and squashed, as I call it, away. Meanwhile Lyn went to work on the shortcakes. Soon the smell filled the house and the tummies were grumbling.

Influenced by Bon Appétit

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • Substitute with gluten-free flour and it’s a gluten-free desert, just a little more crumbly!
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple sugar, divided.
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1 cup chilled butter milk, divided, plus more for brushing
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (optional)

How

Shortcakes

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse flour, oats, almonds, 1/3 cup maple sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter; pulse until only pea-size pieces remain. Add 1/2 cup butter milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla; pulse until large moist clumps form. Transfer to a work surface.

Knead until dough comes together, about 4 turns. Pat into a 4×6″ rectangle. Halve lengthwise, then crosswise into thirds. Round each biscuit if you want and arrange on prepared baking sheet. Brush with butter milk; sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon maple sugar.

Bake, rotating sheet halfway through cooking, until golden brown around edges and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Set biscuits on a wire rack; let cool.

Strawberries

Meanwhile, combine strawberries (my job), 1 tablespoon maple sugar, and Grand Marnier, if using, in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Let strawberries sit, tossing often, until juices release.

Whipped Cream

Whisk 1/2 cup Cool Whip or Cool Whip lite, 1/2 tablespoon maple sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl until peaks form.

Place shortcake on plates. Divide Cool Whip mixture and strawberries over. You could probably cut the shortcake in half, build as above and then top with top of shortcake and a dollop of strawberry and cream.

Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownies
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Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownies

Jen and Josh were coming and we were excited not just about getting to see them it was the bundle that they were bringing. Actually a double bundle, the twins and just over 7 months old. So why not greet them with a double bundle of our own Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie with chocolate chips. One of the best darn brownies I have ever eaten, soft and chewy just like they claim. Although these days, we don’t make these that often but we thought that this would be perfect for their visit. Something to keep them busy while we played with the babies.  It worked!

Blend a moist, rich brownie with Ghirardelli chocolate chips and the result is a brownie that’s twice as moist…and rich– and twice as delicious!

The luxuriously deep flavor and smooth texture of Ghirardelli Premium Chocolate is the secret to pure brownie perfection. Indulge in this ultra rich, moist and chewy brownie, and experience moments of timeless pleasure with Ghirardelli. IF this sounds like a commercial, it is I took it from their site.

How:

Buy the box and follow the instructions!

Cut them up!    Serve, Yum!

I just have to show you what Lyn and I were excited about

 

You say Charoset, I say Haroset
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You say Charoset, I say Haroset

For some reason my nice gentile wife was craving a good Passover dinner so she made the charoset and I made the matzo ball soup and brisket. I had to run to Ace hardware to get a clothes dryer vent hose and half way there was a call. Picture this she was on the phone batting her eyes asking me to stop and get some matzo. Don’t know what it is but it works every time, those eyes I tell you, I stopped at Shaws grabbed a box and headed home with a hose and matzo.

Not sure about you but the taste always brings me back to when I was a kid, the wooden bowl, curved red handle metal chopper and the job of making the charoset. I felt so important and then there was the taste testing.

Charoset for Passover

Ingredients

  • 3 honey crisp apples
  • ½ cup chopped pecans
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 Tbsp. sweet wine
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 188/2 cup raisins

How

Place the apples and walnuts into a large bowl. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over the apples. Stir in the honey and sweet wine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving.

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The Best Damn Meyer Lemon Cake

This recipe was sent to me by my sister, I think it was when she heard of my wife’s love of Myer lemons.  I usually don’t like baking, that Lyn’s job, it is to precise with measurements for me. Anyway the title fits I mean really fits made it last night and she wanted some for breakfast this AM. It comes from a site called Saveur. We both thought the almonds flour was a nice touch.

SERVES 8 – 10

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tbsp. butter, plus 8 tbsp. melted
  • 2 tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup whole blanched almonds
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. fine salt
  • 1 1/3 cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp. lemon extract
  • Zest and juice of 2 Meyer lemons

 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan measuring 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 3/4″ with 1 tbsp. of the butter and dust it with the bread crumbs. Invert and tap out excess crumbs; set aside. In a food processor, grind the almonds until very fine, about 1 minute; set aside. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

2. Put the remaining butter into a large bowl and add 1 cup of the sugar. Mix with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just long enough to incorporate, about 30 seconds. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until mixed after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, about 3 minutes total. Mix in the lemon extract. With the spatula, fold in the lemon zest and ground almonds. (The mixture will be thin.) Turn batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and dry, about 65 minutes.

3. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Prepare the glaze: Combine remaining sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. (Do not boil.) Brush the glaze over the hot cake. (The excess liquid may pool along the sides of the pan; it will absorb completely as it sits.) Once the cake has absorbed all the liquid, turn it out of the pan and allow it to cool upright on a rack. Once it’s cool, wrap the cake with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours before serving.

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The Ultimate Yummy

My brother was a recipient of that chain email I talked even though he did not join he did send me a recipe. He was an inspiration to me working at Danny Kay’s that small Italian restaurant in Falmouth long since gone, making sauces and other delights. I remember walking in when I moved back to the cape from Chicago (at least 3 years had passed) and Paula Rose asked me if I wanted my usual Veal parmesan.  It was the kind of place that you could share stories and sometimes food with people sitting next to you at least my Dad did. I think that is why I can make new friends in a line.

Anyway Mike sent this

Sorry, but I am not into the mass recipe things. But I would like to share this wonderful treat. The problem is that it is really not very good for those on a diet. But it is unbelievably yummy. Once made, it can be frozen and saved for a special day. Nancy’s daughter-in-law made it. It lasted just a few days in our freezer!

Call it what you want. We just call it “The Ultimate Yummy!”

Enjoy!

Nancy and Mike

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips (doesn’t say how much) I prob use about 1/2 a bag
  • Saltine crackers

How:

Preheat oven to 350

Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil

Grease foil and line with saltines

Melt butter and brown sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Boil for exactly 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Pour mixture over saltines and spread evenly. Bake for 5 minutes

Remove from oven and put chocolate chips on top. Allow chips to melt and spread evenly

Refrigerate to set. Break up crackers and remove aluminum foil from bottom of the cookies

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve

Here are some tweaks I might try.

Use light brown sugar and no salt butter, use dark chocolate and maybe melts some white chocolate and drizzle on top.  Chopped golden raisins and or nuts pecan or walnuts mmm?  But like I say, try it the cooks way first you should taste what they created.

PS I did a quick Google search on the ingredients and found that this is similar to Saltine Butter/Cracker/nut Toffee so I admit it I grabbed a picture, this is something that I have to stay away from but it sounds soooooo good.