Last of Summer Tomato-Fontina Torte

Tomato-Fontina Torte with crispy Prosciutto

When I was at the farmer's market last week, I noticed bins overflowing with the end of summer tomatoes.  They were not going to win any beauty contests but they were ripe and they smelled really good.  I knew I wanted to cook with them but they were too nice to just make a sauce.  This torte is rich and delicious.  With a salad, it is the perfect dinner.

The dough needs to chill so make it first.  It is more like shortbread than traditional pie crust--the best part is that you don't have to roll it out.  Once all the ingredients are combined, you knead the dough until it is pliable then press it onto the bottom and 3/4 up the sides of 9" springform pan.  Chill for at least an hour or even overnight.

While the dough is chilling, slice the tomatoes  into 1/4" slices--or thicker if you want a more rustic torte.  Lay the slices on paper towel covered cooking sheets.  Sprinkle with salt.  This will cause them to release some of their juices so the torte is not runny.  After 30 minutes press a paper towel on the top of the slices to get them fairly dry.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of toasted panko in the bottom of the crust. Top with 1/3 of the tomato slices.  Scatter half of the crisp Prosciutto and half the Fontina-Romano cheese mixture.  Repeat with remaining 3 Tablespoons of panko, another 1/3 tomatoes, and the remaining prosciutto and cheese mixture.  Top with final layer of tomatoes and 1 tablespoon panko.  Sprinkle top with 1/4 cup Romano cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bake on a baking sheet until crust is golden and cheese is melted.  About 45 minutes.  Cool for one hour before removing the springform ring.  Can be served cold or at room temperature.

My Birthday Cake!!

Vanilla bean cake with salted caramel mascarpone filling with chocolate ganache

I began researching and experimenting with this recipe about one month ago.  I knew I wanted a cake that had a pronounced vanilla taste and enough structure to hold up the dense mascarpone cream filling. The cake in this recipe is absolutely great and can be used as the base for many desserts.  This cake fed 12 people with a large wedge of leftover deliciousness that we ate for breakfast for many days--I'm pretty sure that birthday cake does not have any calories for the birthday girl!

The most important ingredient in the cake is the vanilla.  Make sure you use a fresh vanilla

bean. Carefully open the pod with a sharp knife and scrape out all of the paste.  To begin making the cake, cream the butter and sugar on high until very light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla then alternate the wet and dry ingredients beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Divide the batter between two 8" layer pans that have been lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes in pans then turn out onto a wire rack.  Once cakes are completely cool, slice each cake in half using a long serrated knife.  Spread 1/8 cup salted caramel on the cut side of each layer.

The filling and frosting combine whipped mascarpone, salted caramel, and heavy cream.   In a large bowl, combine mascarpone and 1/2 cup salted caramel, 2 tbs sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of flaked sea salt. Beat on high until very fluffy.  In a separate bowl, whip the cream

until it begins to thicken.  Fold the two mixtures together and keep whipping on high until it is very thick.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

The ganache is very easy to make.  Don't make it until you are ready to assemble cake so it will be pourable. Heat heavy cream until it is scalded but not boiling. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate.  Stir until chocolate is melted and glossy.  It should be slightly warm when you pour it over the layers and top.  If it is too warm it will slide off.  Use an offset spatula to smooth out the chocolate between the layers and on top of the cake.  The cake should be refrigerated overnight so the layers can set up.

Crab Cakes with Corn Tomato Salsa and Remoulade

Crab Cakes on Grilled Bread with Salsa and
Remoulade

Rich, fresh, briny crab lightly coated with panko and sauted in olive oil...perfect snack, lunch or dinner!

When I started making these on a Saturday afternoon, I had every intention of taking pictures and blogging about the recipe.  As got got into the work, I realized that there are many steps and ingredients that most people don't have in the pantry so I decided to not break down the steps and take pictures for my blog.  I posted the final product on my Facebook page and figured that would be the end of it.  However, more than a few of my friends asked for the recipe so here I am blogging about them--without all the pictures I usually post.  If you have any question or comments please just send me a message and I will hopefully be able to help you!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusel Muffins

Streusel topped pumpkin muffins

It's officially fall and nothing is more representative of the season than pumpkin. I wish you were in my kitchen right now to so you could smell these amazing muffins cooking away in the oven.  The aroma is sure to get everyone out of bed and headed to the kitchen for a warm, delicious treat!

The muffins have three parts: streusel, the cheesecake filling, and the moist pumpkin muffin.  Make the topping first, then the filling and make the muffins mixture last.

This recipe makes 15 muffins.  I had the brilliant idea to only make 12 muffins so they would be nice and big--BAD IDEA!  They overflowed all over the oven!  When you are assembling the ingredients, it may look skimpy in the muffin cup but they really rise a lot in the oven!

If you have read any f the recent recipes on my blog, you will notice that I am a bit obsessed with browned butter.  It makes everything taste very warm and nutty.  I browned one stick on butter until it was a deep chestnut color.  I used half for the topping and half in the muffin batter.

To make the cheesecake filling, beat the marscapone, egg yolk and vanilla.  The muffin batter is made by mixing all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another.  Combine them using a wooden spoon or spatula so it does not get over mixed.

In a regular sized muffin tin, layer the batter, cheesecake and streusel.  Use 1 tablespoon of batter, 1 tablespoon of cheesecake filling, one more tablespoon of batter and a generous amount of topping.  Bake the muffins in hot oven (425) for 5 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350 and continue baking for 15 more minutes.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusel Muffins

yield: ~15 muffins prep time: ~30 minutes  cook time: ~20 -25 minutes 
difficulty: Easy Oven temp: 425/350 degrees F

CRUMB TOPPING

• 1/4 cup  brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup  all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup browned butter
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
• pinch of salt

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

• 1 and 3/4 cups  all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup  vegetable oil 
• 1/4 cup browned butter
• 1/3 cup  milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CHEESECAKE FILLING

• 6 ounces  Marscapone,
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 Tablespoons (36g) granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Line two muffin sheets with 15  liners or spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Make the crumb-topping first: Add the brown sugar, flour, nuts ,and cinnamon to a small bowl and mix until combined. Add the browned butter and mix until crumbs form. Set aside.

Make the pumpkin muffins: In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do NOT overmix the batter.

Make the cheesecake filling: In a medium bowl, beat the Marscapone cheese with an electric handheld (or stand) mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and sugar. Beat until combined.

Spoon 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin muffin batter into the muffin cups. Layer with about 1 spoonful (not quite a full Tablespoon) of cheesecake filling, then another Tablespoon of muffin batter (or however much batter is needed to fill the cups all the way to the top). Yes, you will fill the muffin cups to the very top. Some cheesecake filling may poke out of the top or on the sides. Sprinkle each muffin evenly with crumb topping and press the topping down into the muffin so it sticks.

Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425F degrees. Keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the temperature down to 350F and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Try not to overbake. Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool until ready to eat.

The basic recipe comes from the blog,  Sally's Baking Addiction.  I have made few modifications.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

Delicious chocolate chip cookies with a salty crunch

These are the most delicious chocolate chip cookie you will ever eat!  The secret ingredients are  the browned butter and the sea salt. These two ingredients transform the cookies into a treat like you have never eaten before.  I added roasted almonds to the cookies for a crunchy, nutty extra.  You need time when you want to make these cookies because you need to make the browned butter and then let it cool before making the dough.  Then, you need to chill the dough for two hours.  You can't skip this step or your cookies will be flat and visually unappealing.

To make the browned butter, place one cup of butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Watch it and stir it until it turns a deep chestnut color and it smells very nutty.  Immediately remove it from the heat and transfer to another bowl so it does not burn.  Let it cool for at least 15 minutes.

Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugars until this mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the egg, egg yolk, yogurt, and vanilla.  Beat until well combined.  Add the flour mixture but do not over beat.  Add the chips and nuts.  Put the whole bowl into the refrigerator for 2 hours.  The dough needs to be very cold before baking.

Scoop the dough using a small ice cream scoop onto an un-greased cookie sheet.  Leave a generous space between cookies. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a generous pinch of flaked sea salt.  I use Maldon sea salt because the flakes are big and add a nice crunch to finished cookie.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes.  The edges should be golden brown and the middle should look slightly under cooked. Let the cookies stay on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to wire rack.

Sit yourself down with a cold glass of milk and get ready to indulge in one of the most perfect treats you can imagine!

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Browned Butter Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

yield: ~3 dozen  prep time: ~2 1/2 hours cook time: ~9 - 11 minutes per batch  
difficulty: Moderate  Oven temp: 350 degrees F

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of flaked sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped roasted almonds

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Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. 
3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
4. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and roasted almonds.
5. Chill your dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or place in freezer for 30 minutes if   you are super eager.
6. Once dough is chilled scoop the dough into a ball. It doesn't have to be perfectly rolled. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and sprinkle each dough ball with a little bit of sea salt.
7. Bake the cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Cool the cookies on the sheets and sprinkle with a little extra sea salt if desired. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Buffalo Chicken Bites: A Perfect Football Game Snack

Delicious Buffalo Chicken inside a pastry crust

Last weekend I had a conversation with my brother about my blog. He recommended that I post some delicious football game day snacks.  I wanted to create something that could be eaten hot or cold and it would not make a huge mess on the couch!  I know everyone in my family loves spicy buffalo wings with blue cheese so I worked on finding a way to make them an easy finger food.  For this recipe, I made everything from scratch.  However, there are several shortcuts if you want to save time.  First, feel free to use packaged pie crust (found in the refrigerator section at the grocery store).  Second, there are plenty of delicious Blue Cheese Dressings out there and you don't have to make your own.

The key to making really excellent pie crust is the butter.  You need to use all butter to make it, let it chill for at least a hour, and roll it out on a silicone mat sprinkled lightly with flour.  I used a small biscuit cutter to make the top and bottom crust.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders--Can be eaten just like this!

The chicken should be cut from boneless breasts into long strips.  Roll them in flour/cornstarch/chili powder, then dip in egg, then back into the flour. Let the chicken rest on a rack in the refrigerator for 20 minutes until the coating is very set.  Pan fry in about one inch of canola oil until golden brown.  Once all the chicken is cooked, coat very well with buffalo sauce.  Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, assemble the chicken and blue cheese crumbles on one dough round then top with another.  Use a fork to seal the edge.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  The crust should golden brown and you should see a bit of the cheese oozing out the edges.

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Boneless Buffalo Chicken Bites

yield: ~1 dozen prep time: ~45 minutes  cook time: ~25 minutes per batch  difficulty:  a bit complicated if you make everything from scratch...easy if you don't Oven temp: 350

Ingredients:

Flour Coating

1 Lb boneless chicken breasts

2 Cups flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 Tbs chili powder

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Egg mix

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp hot sauce

a few drops water to loosen everything

salt and pepper to taste

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Buffalo Sauce:  1 Bottle Franks Red Hot Sauce combined with 2 Tbs butter and 1/4 cup white wine.  Bring to boil and cook until thickened

Instructions:

1.  Cut chicken into strips

2.  Roll in flour mixture, dip in egg mix, roll in flour again

3.  Set all chicken on a rack and chill for 20 minutes

4.  Heat canola oil in heavy, large skillet

5.  Fry in batches until golden brown

6.  Coat with hot sauce (reserve 1/3 for dipping)

7.  Cut into bite sized pieces

Assembly:

1.  Roll out pie crust and cut out 3" rounds of dough using cookie cutter or biscuit cutter

2.  Place several chunks of chicken in the center of a dough round 

3.  Add a generous amount of blue cheese crumbles 

4.  Add a few shakes of hot sauce if desired

5. Top with another dough round and seal edges with a fork.

6.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

7.  Serve with Blue Cheese dressing and more of the Buffalo Sauce for dipping

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

The best chocolate cookies I have ever made!

I was VERY skeptical about these cookies.  How good could something be that didn't have any butter or flour? I figured I would make one batch and toss them out if I didn't like them.  The recipe was super easy with very few ingredients.  As I read over the instructions I was seriously confused. The recipe calls for 4 egg whites...but it never said anything about beating them until they were stiff.  That seemed wrong!  So, I read through all the comments and all the variations of this recipe that I could find.  A few recipes were very specific--DO NOT WHIP THE EGG WHITES!  So, I didn't.  The final product is absolutely amazing.  They have a  a rich, dark,  chocolate taste and crispy shell with a slightly gooey middle. They are positively addictive...and because they don't have butter or flour, they are like the salad of chocolate cookies.  Make these and everyone will think you are a genius!

The basic recipe comes from Martha Stewart.

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Flourless Chocolate Cookies

yield: ~2 dozen large cookies prep time: ~15 minutes   cook time: ~25 minutes per batch  difficulty: Super Easy  Oven temp: 325

Ingredients:

        3 cups confectioners' sugar

• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted pecans (or other type of nut)
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 Tsp Vanilla

Instructions:

1. Mix together the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, salt, chocolate and nuts.

2. Slightly beat the egg whites

3.  Mix egg white and vanilla into dry ingredients.

Drop hefty scoop of dough onto parchment covered cookie sheet.  Leave 3" between cookies.  Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes.  I switched sheets around half way through.

Cool COMPLETELY on wire racks.

Enjoy with an icy cold glass of milk!

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