Chocolate Pie Crust with Chocolate Mousse and Mascarpone Whipped Cream

If the title sounds good, I wish you could have tasted the actual pie. If you like chocolate, this is most certainly the pie for you. While I am not crazy-fond of chocolate, having it sometimes is nice. Our friend Rich is a real chocoholic, and this pie was created with him in mind as he and his significant other, Heidi, were here over the Fourth of July. The Chocolate Pie Pastry just makes the whole thing come together, though any good pie pastry will do just fine. 
 

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Chocolate Pie Pastry

Chocolate Pie Pastry Blind Baked

For one 9-inch pie shell
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup shortening or lard
2 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons ice cold vodka

For one 10-inch pie shell:

1½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup shortening or lard
4 tablespoons ice water
4 tablespoons ice cold vodka (or use all water)

Stir flour, salt, brown sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening or lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add most of the water or water/vodka and toss with a fork until all flour mixture is moistened and starts to form a ball. If necessary, add remaining liquid to the crumbs in bottom of the bowl. Gather the dough in your hands and gently shape into a ball, then flatten. Chill for 1 hour before using.

To blind bake this crust, preheat oven to 375 degrees, or 350 on Convection Baking. Partially freeze the formed shell, then line it with foil and pie weights. Bake the partially frozen shell for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil and pie weights and prick the crust all over with the tip of a knife. Place in oven for 13 to 15 minutes more, until the crust is well set.  

The Chocolate Mousse recipe is fantastic and would likely serve 8 as individual servings; here the amount makes enough to fill the pie. I used Mascarpone Whipped Cream for this recipe because it holds up perfectly, even over days, without oozing any liquid. It has a wonderful flavor and a heartier texture than plain whipped cream, though plain whipped cream would also work on this pie if it will all be eaten at once. Using this whole recipe as I made it would easily allow making it the day ahead without affecting its freshness. The crust can be made 2 days in advance and covered tightly. This is important with time crunches in holiday food planning.

Chocolate Mocha Mousse

This Chocolate Mousse recipe is so exceedingly simple that it almost seems it couldn't work. There is no cooking involved. The use of unflavored gelatin helps the mousse set up quickly. The only thing needed is a small electric hand mixer, or even an old-fashioned egg-beater if you have a strong enough arm. The mixture is perfect for any time you might need a mousse that works in piping bags as easily as just pouring into a bowl. The texture is creamy and smooth and unctuously rich. 

Pie Shell unbaked left                    |                    Pie Shell baked right

I made the chocolate pie pastry recipe a few days in advance, placing it into a zip-top bag in the refrigerator. The day before making the pie, I rolled out the pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate and crimped the edges high onto the rim. The oven was set to 375 to blind bake the shell. I first set the pie plate with pastry into the freezer for about ½ hour. Taking it from the freezer, I lined it with foil, carefully fitting the foil right up and almost over the crimped edges. I have a heavy "Pie Chain" from King Arthur Flour, so I used that set into the bottom of the foil in the pan. If you do not have a pie chain, use dried beans to weight the bottom. I baked the crust this way for 12 minutes, then removed the foil and weights and pricked little holes all over the crust with the tip of a knife and set it back in the oven for 13 to 15 minutes more, or until the crust is well set. In this case, one cannot tell if the crust is "golden," as it is too dark chocolate colored to know. Remove from oven and allow the crust to cool completely before filling. Once cooled, it can be covered tightly and stored for one or two days before filling, if needed.

Chocolate Mousse for Pie

Makes enough for one 9-inch pie

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
¼ cup boiling water
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand for a few minutes to soften. Add the boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Set aside.

Pie filled and smoothed, left |  topped with Mascarpone Whipped Cream, right

In a larger mixing bowl combine the sugar and the cocoa, whisking to combine. Add in the whipping cream and vanilla and beat the mixture with an electric mixer or rotary beater until the cream holds soft peaks. Add in the dissolved gelatin and beat again to distribute evenly.

Pour this mixture into the baked and cooled Chocolate Pie Pastry shell, using a knife or offset spatula to smooth the top and press into the edges of the pastry. Store this pie in the refrigerator once filled.

One slice of Chocolate Mousse Pie

Mascarpone Whipped Cream Topping

Makes about 1½cups

½ cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
4 ounces mascarpone cheese

Have all utensils very cold by placing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator before use. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. Add in the confectioner's sugar and beat again until the cream holds stiff peaks. Add int he mascarpone cheese and beat again only until well combined. Beating too long after adding the mascarpone will make the mixture look curdled.

Spoon or pipe decoratively on top of the pie as desired. It can be dolloped onto the edges and using a spoon, make pretty dips and peaks. I topped each of the piped stars with one chocolate chip.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Two Quick and Simple Potato Side Dishes

My husband is a staunch "meat and potatoes" Midwesterner. I love my meat and potatoes too of course (I am also a midwesterner by birth), though I am very happy with many dishes my husband won't touch. Potatoes, being a part of that wonderful duo, play a large part in our meals. My husband has most fond food memories of his Dad preparing potatoes in a pan to accompany burgers on a Saturday night. I never ate my father-in-law's potatoes, but judging from descriptions and demonstrations, I get the sense that he cut the potatoes in large slices and cooked them in fat of some kind with a lid on for part of the time at least, and adding water to help them steam. My husband has prepared these in the past to show me how, and he would use the spatula, while turning browned sides upwards, to chop, chop away, so the potatoes end up as a sort of hash. As a matter of fact, his idea of hash is cutting up leftover meat and adding it to the cooked potatoes to heat through. No gravy, no anything at all to give flavor - except ketchup smothering the whole meal on his dish.

15-Minute Pan Potatoes

Over time, while I have tried to make his potatoes, I don't like to have to stand at the stove with thickly sliced potatoes, trying to get them cooked through. My method differs a bit in that I prefer to slice the potatoes quite thinly, and in smaller, quarter rounds, so they cook quickly and evenly. This also means I don't need to chop, chop away to get them smaller as they cook. My method takes about 15 minutes of cooking, total. He accepts my version gladly enough, so I see no reason to make something that takes up more time and attention. I would prefer to leave the skins on, but he will not tolerate potato skins, so, alas, they are skinless. Here is my Pan Potatoes recipe:

Sliced thinly in quarter rounds

Pan Potatoes

Serves 2 - 4

1¾ to 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
3 tablespoons oil or bacon grease
1 teaspoon salt

After about half the total cooking time

Once potatoes are peeled, begin heating a large skillet, preferably nonstick on medium or medium-high. Have a lid handy that will fit the pan. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Lay one half flat side down and slice it again lengthwise. Leave the two strips together and slice across, thinly. Repeat with all the potatoes. Place the oil or grease into the hot skillet,coating the pan evenly, and place all the potatoes into the pan. With a spatula, toss the potatoes well to coat them all with some of the oil. Cover the pan. Leave the heat on medium or medium high and cook for about two minutes. Uncover and toss the potatoes, so that much of the brown is now upwards. Cover and repeat at 2 - 3 minute intervals, tossing briefly each time to scrape up and expose the browned parts. The potatoes are cooked through at about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and toss well.

Another type of potatoes I have been making for years and years - again, which could be made with skins on if desired - are Oven Steak Fries. As mentioned, my husband loves potatoes, and aside from his Dad's Pan Potatoes, Steak Fries have always been a hit. I make my steak fries in the oven, and while they are not fat free, I feel they are less fatty than deep fried potatoes. These come together in under an hour, with only one interruption in the middle to turn them over. Get them going while your main dish is being prepared and you're all set.

Oven Steak Fries

Oven Steak Fries

Serves 2

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil (I use olive oil)
salt as desired, to taste

In the baggie with butter and oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (375 on Convection). Melt the butter; I do this in a zip top bag in the microwave on very short bursts of 10 seconds or so. Add the oil to the bag and have it handy. Slice the peeled potatoes about 1/2 to 5/8-inch thick. End pieces can be left whole. Others, slice in half, or thirds lengthwise to make them about 1-inch wide. Place all the sliced potatoes into the zip top bag and seal. Move the potatoes around in the bag until all the potatoes are well coated. Have ready a large baking sheet with rim. Pour out the potatoes onto the baking sheet and arrange them so none are overlapping. Squeeze out the oil & butter mixture remaining in the bag over the potatoes. Bake them for about 20 minutes. They should have begun to brown. Remove the pan from the oven and turn all the potatoes over so the browned side is up. Return to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are nicely golden and cooked through. Sprinkle with salt before serving.

Potatoes on the pan in the oven

I hope these two methods for potatoes will help someone to get a meal on the table in a timely manner with minimal fuss. We both eat these potatoes very often, so I have perfected the methods for them for over 20 years. Neither method takes much time to prepare. One requires supervision for 15 minutes, the other only once in the middle of the approximately 40 minute baking time. Other spices could be used - just not for my husband's version! I have sometimes sneaked in a little shallot with the pan potatoes, but not often. Enjoy these methods at your leisure and season them to fit your needs.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

More Savory Little Appetizers

Porcini Rubbed Steak on Gorgonzola Spread

The creation of the little appetizers for the upcoming Winefest Renaissance continues. Time is now getting short and I am trying to accomplish as much ahead of time as possible. Regardless, there will be a huge rush to the finish once Saturday rolls around. Besides the 6 appetizer pairings of my own, I was asked to make a couple of appetizers to pair with the "special wine tasting", open to only 25 select people. These wines will all be rated 90 or above. Most of them are red wines (and mostly Italian), so the flavors should require nice hearty flavors in a food pairing. In my blog of March 19th I already wrote about the trial run of the Porcini & Coffee Rubbed Flank Steak, which was to be topped with garlic mashed potatoes. The way I tried these the first time just flat-out didn't work. I tried stacking the layers differently and this was better, as seen at right. However, the subject of the Garlic Mashed Potatoes still had been bugging me.

The reason being that the first time I made the potatoes they were far too runny. Using russets the second time, I did everything possible to ensure that the mixture stayed dry enough. The only problem was it was so dry it would barely go through the piping bag. Making a fair lot of these, this could be very tiring on the hands, and these are not the only part of the overall food pairings that require piping. The more I thought about it, the more I went with the idea that maybe tried and true would be best in this instance. So, instead of the mashed potatoes I made my Gorgonzola Walnut Spread that was such a hit with the flank steak last year. The flavors are bold and it should work well.

Using pestle to form the tart shells

Anyway, the other appetizer I am making for that special wine tasting section of the event is Hazelnut Blue Cheese Tartlets with Savory Bean Filling. I had made a really delicious bean filling some years back, but made it on the fly. I never wrote down what I did, and had tried to make it again - twice now - and it just was not what my palate remembered. The Hazelnut Blue Cheese Tartlets are a variation of my Savory Blue Cheese Coins, but switching out the cheese and nuts. Making these as little coins and topping them with the Bean Spread would probably also work well, but the little tartlet shells are too cute a presentation to resist. Anyway, for whatever reason, I tried the Bean Filling again and it turned out just perfect, and just as I remembered. It is not an identical recipe, but close enough, and maybe even more tasty.

For the tart shells, if you make the recipe for the savory coins and slice the little chilled log of dough, you just set one little slice into each tart cup and I find a perfect instrument to form the shell is the little marble pestle from my mortar and pestle set. The thick end presses the dough into the well, then the narrow end can be used to press it into the corners. Fingers could be used also! Here is my recipe.

Hazelnut Blue Cheese Tart Shells

Tartlet Shells, baked

Makes about 85 mini-tart shells

½ cup hazelnuts
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¾ cup blue cheese crumbles
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, in small cubes
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water

In this recipe, first toast the hazelnuts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Set the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet with rim. Roast them for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, pour them onto a kitchen towel and fold the towel around the nuts for a few minutes to cool slightly. Rub the nuts inside the towel very vigorously to remove as much of the dark skin as possible. Once cooled, place the toasted nuts into the food processor and process until well broken. Add in the flour, the two cheeses and the salt and process to combine. Add in the cubes of butter and process in short bursts until the mixture makes crumbs. In a small cup, combine the egg yolk and water, then add this to the food processor and pulse again, until the mixture starts to stick together. Turn out onto a surface (no extra flour is needed) and with the palm of the hand, smear the dough mixture in one long movement. Use a bench scraper to gather the dough and fold it onto itself then smear again. Fold the dough and turn and repeat this process until the dough has come together completely. Divide into 2 or 3 long, thin rolls about 1-inch in diameter. Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

When ready to work with the dough, preheat oven to 375 degrees. If forming simple "coin" shapes, slice the cold log into thin (⅜ or ¼-inch thick) slices. Set them on a baking sheet to bake. If making tartlet shells, slice the discs into slightly thicker slices. Set one slice into each well of the mini-tart pan and press into a tart shell shape. Bake the little shells for about 15 minutes, until golden. Cool. These can be made ahead and frozen for up to a month. 

Hazelnut Blue Cheese Tartlets with Savory Bean Filling

I erred on the high side when making the bean filling. Since everything used can easily be cut in half, feel free to halve the recipe if desired. It is highly tasty and equally good used as a dip for sturdy chips or crackers, or spread or piped onto crackers.

Savory Bean Filling / Dip / Spread

Makes about 3½ cups of bean filling - halve recipe if desired

2 (15.5 ounce) cans white beans

Hazelnut Blue Cheese Tartlets
with Savory Bean Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained well
2 cloves roasted garlic, or fresh if desired
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
4 scallions, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil

Drain the cans of beans in a colander and run copious quantities of cold water over them until any foaming has stopped. Place them in a food processor with all the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil. Process for 2 - 3 minutes, adding in the olive oil 1 teaspoon at a time if needed for a good consistency, or if the processor is straining.

The Savory Bean Filling/Dip/Spread can be made up to three days in advance, if time is pressing. It is best if the filling is piped into the tartlet shells. If you are not proficient with a piping bag and tips, use a heavier "freezer" type zip-top bag and cut a hole in one corner, making a diameter of about 1/2-inch. If you know your way around a piping bag and tips, use a large open star tip to fill the tarts.  Anything small will clog with the bits of rosemary, scallion or anything else that hasn't gotten completely pureed smooth.  



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

An Appetizer to Pair with Prosecco

That little dark green spot - Prosecco area

One of the wines I chose to use in the upcoming Winefest Renaissance wine tasting event (for the benefit of the Boys and Girls Club of Aberdeen) is Mionetto Il Prosecco. I had the very great pleasure some years back to actually meet Mr. and Mrs. Sergio Mionetto at a Mionetto luncheon wine tasting. Three Mionetto Proseccos and a Moscato were served with small portions of foods created to set off the flavors of each wine. It was an amazing experience, though I am not truly fond of any sparkling wine. "What!?" you might say? "You don't like sparkling wines?" Nope. It's the fizz I object to, which is the whole point of a sparkling wine, I realize. I cannot deal with the fizz in any beverage, so I completely left off drinking any soft drinks a very long, long time ago. 

Still. I know that sparkling wines are high on most peoples' lists, and so I am pleased to serve a Prosecco in my part of the wine and food pairing. Prosecco is a grape grown in  the hills north of Venice and Treviso, where the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene mark the limits of the Prosecco area. The "Il Prosecco" line covers the lower end wines of Mionetto, though they are still a pleasure with their fresh, crisp, fruity flavors, and easy to open little bottle caps. At the Mionetto Prosecco tasting luncheon, each Prosecco was served with seafood; shellfish in particular. I love seafood, and shellfish in particular, though I have a slight allergy. If I am willing to swell up for a few days, I can eat it. My husband, however, dislikes any seafood, and shellfish in particular. If a very white fish has enough breading and is smothered with enough tartar sauce and ketchup, he will usually tolerate it. Shellfish however, he will not even try. Needless to say, we left that luncheon and he got a burger. I ate everything on my plates and some of his! 

Green Pea Pancakes with Smoked Salmon Mousse

Anyway, back to the wine event. I am planning to pair the Il Prosecco with Green Pea Pancakes with Smoked Salmon Mousse. I have not tasted them paired with the wine myself, but I must say, the little appetizers are amazingly good. The crispness and fruitiness of the wine should pair well the Green Pea Pancakes, as well as the Mousse. I had originally planned to make little cheese wafers to hold the mousse, but then saw a recipe in the latest Food and Wine Magazine for Green Pea Pancakes (page 52) and got an idea. The recipe in the magazine is a thinner batter, meant to be made as small pancakes in a pan. I wanted the pancakes to be a little thicker, easier to pick up, and more uniform. 

Green Pea Pancakes

I racked my brain overnight and came up with the idea to make them in the bottom of muffin tins! I added to the batter such things as capers and fresh dill and more flour than called for and spooned the batter into buttered muffin cups. They came out so pretty. Perfectly round and a bright, beautiful green. The lovely soft pink of the Smoked Salmon Mousse makes a great combination of colors that are very eye-catching. They are very easy to make too, which is always a plus. The pancakes can be made in advance and frozen, which is what I am doing. I made a first batch and we ate over half of them in taste testing! I made a second batch yesterday and those are all neatly frozen. They will remain frozen until the day of the event, and then brought to room temperature.

The Smoked Salmon Mousse is a simple enough recipe. It should not be made more than a couple of days in advance as the fishiness factor rises with time. Here are my recipes:

Green Pea Pancakes

Makes 24 to 34, depending on the measure

Showing the size

1½ cups frozen peas
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons capers
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup loosely packed fresh dill
½ cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 on Convection). Butter the lower half of the muffin tin cups, or use a cooking spray. Set aside. 

Set the frozen peas in a colander and run hot water over for a few seconds to soften. Place the drained peas in a food processor. Add the salt, capers, egg and yolk, lemon zest, dill and cream and process until fine. Add the flour and pulse to combine. I find it easier to pour the batter out into a measuring cup before dropping by tablespoon into the muffin cups. Use a tablespoon measure or a small cookie scoop measuring approximately 1 tablespoon. Depending on your measuring, you may get up to 35 pancakes, or as little as 24. 

Bake the pancakes for about 8 minutes, or until set and dry, but not browned. Allow the pancakes to cool for about a minute before gently running a small spatula or table knife around the edges to loosen. Turn out onto waxed paper, top sides down, to allow them to cool and dry enough not to stick to each other. 

Make Ahead: Set them in a single layer on a tray or baking sheet and freeze solid before stacking them in a well sealed container or freezer zip-top baggies for up to a month. 

Green Pea Pancakes with Smoked Salmon Mousse

Smoked Salmon Mousse

Ateco extra-large open star tip #829

Makes enough to top about 24 Green Pea Pancakes

1 (4.5 ounce) chunk smoked salmon
8 ounces cream cheese
4 scallions
2 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Remove any skin from the salmon, break the fish into chunks and place in a food processor with the cream cheese, scallion (white and light green parts, roughly chopped; reserve the dark green tops to garnish), lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of the juice. Process until very fine. Taste and add more lemon juice if needed. Use a small spoon to place portions of the mouse onto the little green pea pancakes, or if you are adept with an icing bag and tip, use those for a lovely presentation. Garnish the appetizers with thinly sliced dark green scallion tops.

I find that using a piping bag with a large open star tip makes for a beautiful presentation. I love Ateco extra-large open star tip # 829 for this purpose, as well as many other beautiful applications like one giant shell shape of icing atop a cake slice. If you do not have a large icing tip, or know how to use an icing bag, just use a spoon to place a small amount of the mousse on the little green pea pancakes.  


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Hummus and Cheesecake

Hummus and Cheesecake don't sound all that good when placed together like that, but it happens to be what I was working on today. 

Separately. 

Dulce de Leche

The cheesecake is an idea I have had for more than a month, but with all the holiday baking and other holiday foods, there just wasn't time to get to this - or even any desire to have yet another sweet around the house. While I still don't need another sweet around the house, I did want to make this and see how it comes out, so it is being created for our New Year's Day Feast.

It all started with making dulce de leche, back that month-and-more ago. I had seen so very many ways to make it with sweetened condensed milk, and wanted to try at least one. The safest way, in my mind was in the crock pot, since once it is made, it does not have to be opened right away, which is a really good thing. So, I took the labels off of two cans of sweetened condensed milk and set them in my crock pot, covered with water. I put the lid on and waited until I was ready for bed and turned on the crock pot to Low. I had read that 8 hours in the crock pot gives a lighter colored dulce de leche and 9 hours gives a darker result. I left it in for 8½ hours, splitting the difference.

In case you are unfamiliar with dulce de leche, it just means (in Spanish) "a sweet made from milk". The Spanish culture, along with others like Indian seem to use milk for a lot of their sweet treats. When I lived in Guatemala there were at least 3 or more different "typical" candies made with milk, and I loved them all. I am not completely positive, but I believe that dulce de leche is from Spain originally, but it took off and has become known most everywhere now. The husband of my best friend in Guatemala was from northern Spain, and she made him this treat regularly; unopened cans in the pressure cooker for 1 hour, which just gives me the willies, still.

Pecan Crust with melty chocolate chips

Anyway, I made my dulce de leche, allowed it to cool, then stored it in my pantry, until today. Wanting to get a jump on things, I set today as my cheesecake-making day. I had created a recipe - on paper only - of what I wanted to do. My idea was a "Turtle Cheesecake" but using the DdL instead of any other caramel. Pecans are a must for anything Turtle, as is chocolate and the caramel. I made the crust with pecans, sugar, vanilla and butter - so this cheesecake will be completely Gluten-Free. I baked the crust, then straight from the oven I tossed in 1/2 teaspoon of Fleur de Sel (coarse sea salt) and 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips. As I proceeded with  making the filling for the cheesecake, the chocolate chips softened, and I spread the chocolate over the crust.

Just Baked Cheesecake

The filling is a mixture of cream cheese, DdL, sour cream, brown sugar, vanilla bean, coarse salt and eggs. The batter tasted heavenly and the cheesecake smelled fantastic during the baking process. So far so good. It looks perfect. I intend to top the cheesecake with toasted pecan halves, then drizzle with some reserved DdL and then some melted chocolate. 

Meanwhile, for Christmas Eve and for New Year's Eve I always make lots of little appetizers and snack things; no meal. One of the things I haven't made in a while is hummus, so I really wanted to make that. My husband loves hummus too, and we both prefer it with roasted red pepper in it. I made an addition of caramelized onion, because I  had already made some last week for another application. The caramelized onion is completely optional. In fact, I wouldn't really recommend it unless you already have some made (never a bad idea, but it takes the better part of an hour to make). This was the first time I made hummus with the caramelized onion, and it is excellent, but it was just fine without it, so you decide.

Making caramelized onion was something I did last week, figuring I would make plenty so I had leftovers. I thinly sliced and then rough-chopped 3 large onions. I heated a large skillet with some butter and added in the onions, along with a good pinch of salt and another good pinch of sugar. On medium low, I let the onions cook, stirring occasionally at first, then more often as the onions began to color. It took about 50 minutes before the onions were a beautiful deep caramel color - not burnt. My hummus recipe is as follows:

Red Pepper Hummus with Caramelized Onion

1 can (15 ounce) garbanzo beans / chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 small jar (4 ounces) red pepper / pimiento, drained

Red Pepper Hummus with Caramelized Onion

1 large onion, caramelized (about 3 tablespoons)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
3 - 4 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
a few grinds of pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
Place all the ingredients except the olive oil into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. With the processor running, pour in the olive oil until it is all incorporated.

A trick I learned a long time ago from a friend; if raw onion or garlic do not agree with you, simply place them in a small bowl to soak for 10 minutes in vinegar. Drain and use for any application. I love garlic and onion, but not raw, so for this recipe I did soak the garlic in white vinegar while prepping the rest of the ingredients. It makes the whole thing far more easily digested and therefore enjoyable. Cheers!


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Appetizers and Wine at Open House

Millard's Artichoke Mini-Quiches and 
Rosemary and Pepper Cheese Coins

Yesterday I attended an Open House held by a Broker Associate for Re/Max in Aberdeen, SD. She had asked me to make some appetizers to serve and advise on some wines to have on hand. It is the first of this sort of open house in this area, and she hopes to hold many more like this. The idea is to invite people in to see some of the nicer homes and the food and wine help make the experience memorable.

We decided on three easy savory appetizer recipes for this event, plus mini chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream icing. The savory appetizers chosen were Millard's Artichoke Mini-Quiches, Flank Steak Rolls with Gorgonzola Walnut Spread and Savory Blue Cheese Coins with Apricot Jam. While making these last, I decided to make a few more than what I had and made a half recipe using all cheddar cheese and adding in chopped fresh rosemary and fresh ground black pepper.  

Millard's Artichoke Mini-Quiches

Millard's Artichoke Mini-Quiches

Makes 6 muffin-sized quiches or 35 mini tart-sized quiches

1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 eggs
6 saltine crackers, optional
3 scallions, chopped, optional
Dash of hot sauce, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients. Divide into 6 greased muffin cups or into greased mini-muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden. If using mini tart pans (size as in the photo), bake for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Savory Blue Cheese Coins with Apricot Jam

Savory Blue Cheese Coins with Apricot Jam

Makes about 90 to 100, depending on size

1½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
¾ cup blue cheese crumbles (Gorgonzola, Bleu, etc.)
½ cup walnuts
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold, unsalted butter cut into ½-inch cubes
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water

½ cup apricot jam (or use fig jam, peach jam.

In a food processor, combine the first 5 ingredients an process briefly to blend. Add in the cold butter cubes and process until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the egg yolk with the water and mix well, then add to the food processor. Process until the dough forms moist crumbs.

Turn dough out onto a surface, preferably marble or granite. Smear the dough with the hands and use a pastry scraper to bring the dough together, fold it over, turn and repeat: smear, scrape, turn - about 4 times. Divide dough in halves. Roll each half into an 18-inch long log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 2 or 3 days.

When ready to make the coins, remove the log from its wrapper and slice thinly, about ¼-inch thick or less. Set these little rounds ½-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Use a ¼-teaspoon measure and make an indentation in the center of each little coin. Insert a tiny 1/8-teaspoon dollop of jam into the well. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from pan immediately, using a thin spatula. 

The little cupcakes were made with my Chocolate Cake recipe and topped with Chocolate Buttercream Icing.

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Mini cupcakes with
Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Makes two 8-inch cake layers

2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup water
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment and grease or spray the parchment as well.

Measure the flour, soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and whisk to blend; set aside. In a standing electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy, then add in the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix. Combine the buttermilk and water. Add the dry ingredients, alternately with the liquid ingredients, until completely mixed.

Pour evenly into prepared pans. Tap pans once or twice sharply on counter top, to release air bubbles. 

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

NOTES: If making mini cupcakes, use mini cupcake papers and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Will frost top and sides of an 8-inch cake

½ cup shortening
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch salt
1 pound confectioners' sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons vanilla
¼ - ½ cup water or milk

In one bowl sift together the cocoa with one cup of confectioners' sugar and set aside. Into another bowl, sift the rest of the confectioners sugar with the pinch of salt and set aside.

In a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter and shortening. This step can be just until combined, or may be beaten for about 5 or 6 minutes for a lighter and creamier outcome. Add in the confectioners' sugar and on low speed, combine the ingredients. Beat for 3 to 5 minutes to achieve a lighter texture. Add in the vanilla and ¼ cup of water or milk (or see notes for other ideas).

Add in the confectioners' sugar and cocoa mixture and on low speed, combine well. This is where the difference between a dark chocolate color and pale chocolate color is a choice. Longer beating will lighten color. Add in up to ¼ cup more liquid if the buttercream is not of spreading consistency.

NOTES: This icing can be flavored many ways. Use ¼ cup of a liqueur to flavor, such as Chambord for a raspberry flavor or Grand Marnier for orange flavor, as long as it is not meant for children. Add in some espresso for a mocha flavor or almond extract. The choices are almost limitless.

 

Flank Steak Rolls and Savory Blue Cheese Coins

The Broker Associate wanted some easy-to-drink wines that most people might like, so we settled on Velvet Crush Pinot Noir and Folie-a-Deux Merlot for the reds, and Menage a Trois White blend and Massimo Sauvignon Blanc for the whites. The mini-quiches and the Savory Blue Cheese Coins went exceptionally well with the white wines and the altered version of the blue cheese coins with rosemary and pepper, along with the flank steak rolls went very well with the red wines.

There was a steady stream of attendees for the open house from 2 to 4 PM. Tetiana was kept busy showing the lovely, large home. When the attendees wandered to the kitchen, my husband and I served them wine and appetizers, which were well received. We also handed out wine rating sheets to the guests. This may seem an odd thing to do at a realtor's open house, but as we were serving wines, and since so many people buy wines "by guess and by golly," rating wines for oneself is a marvelous way to become accustomed to the terms associated with a wine that one enjoys. This allows finding other wines with similar attributes at later dates. It becomes easier to understand what it is about any particular wine that really appeals or what does not.

I feel strongly that anyone interested in drinking wine should expand their palate and try new wines, new styles and alternate grape varieties, avoiding falling into the rut of consistently ordering or choosing the same thing over and over, based on being "safe" with one particular type or flavor. There is too much wonderful wine at really affordable prices these days to not take advantage and try them out.

This concept of serving appetizers (with or without wine) for open houses can be a wonderful way for a realtor or homeowner holding open houses to expand a quick run-through for attendees to a more leisurely and pleasurable event. If you are looking for a house or property in the Aberdeen area, check out Re/Max Preferred Choice.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.