Chocolate-Dipped Frozen Fruit
Total Time:1 hr 40 min
Prep: 30 min
Inactive: 1 hr 0 min
Cook: 10 min
Ingredients
- Bananas / Kiwis / Strawberries / Pineapple etc. peeled and split into proper bites.
Example: split banana in 4 / Cut Kiwi in 1,5 cm thick slices / Pineapple 1.5 cm thick slices - Wooden popsicle sticks
- Waxed Paper / baking paper
- 32 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or chips
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Line a sheet pan with waxed paper /Baking paper.
Cut the fruit in suitably sized pieces and insert a popsicle stick into the fruit, pushing the stick halfway in.
Place the fruit on the baking paper or waxed paper. Freeze for 1 hour.
—-
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally.
Dipping decorations: granola, chopped nuts, sprinkles, jimmies, crushed cookies, and toasted coconut
Arrange the dipping decorations on several flat plates. Working with 1 banana at a time, dip it in the chocolate and turn to completely coat (spoon some on, if needed). Roll the dipped Dipping decorations: granola, chopped nuts, sprinkles, jimmies, crushed cookies, and toasted coconutbanana in the desired decorations, transfer to the sheet pan, and return to the freezer if not to be eaten right away.
Once frozen, store the bananas in an airtight container.
Serving suggestion: To serve at a kid’s party, paint a hunk of styrofoam and stick the banana handles in the top, so they stand upright.
These are so colorful and festive looking it makes you feel like it’s a party when you look at an assortment of them. And they couldn’t be easier to make, even your kids could do it. You can use white chocolate too, for a more wintry or icy look.
Moussaka – Classic Greek Moussaka with Eggplant
Moussaka is a casserole made by layering eggplant with a spiced meat filling then topping it off with a creamy bechamel sauce that is baked to golden perfection.
It is perhaps the most widely recognized of all Greek dishes and was made famous by the legendary Greek chef, Nicholas Tselementes.
This eggplant version is the traditional rendition, however you can also layer in potatoes, zucchini, or whatever vegetables you prefer. It’s hearty and filling so you won’t need many side dishes.
While it can be time consuming to prepare, I think you will find that once complete it is a very worthwhile endeavor.
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3-4 eggplants, about 4 lbs. total
- 2 lb. potatoes
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (or lamb)
- 2 large onions, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1 cup tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes)
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups plain breadcrumbs
- 8 egg whites, lightly beaten (reserve yolks for bechamel)
- 1 cup grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese
- Bechamel Sauce:
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup flour
- 4 cups milk, warmed
- 8 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
Preparation:
Prep the Vegetables:
Using a sharp peeler, partially peel the eggplants, leaving strips of peel about 1 inch wide around the eggplant. Slice the eggplant in to 1/2 inch slices.
Place the eggplant slices in a colander and salt them liberally. The salt also helps to remove some of the bitterness of the eggplant.
Cover them with an inverted plate that is weighted down by a heavy can or jar.
Place the colander in the sink so that excess moisture can be drawn out.
They will need to sit for at least 15-20 minutes, preferably an hour.
Peel the potatoes and boil them whole until they are just done. They should not get too soft, just cooked enough so that they no longer crunch.
Drain, cool and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Add a splash of water to the egg whites and beat them lightly with a fork. Add breadcrumbs to a flat plate.
Rinse the eggplant slices and dry with paper towels. Dip the eggplant slices in the beaten egg whites and then dredge them in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Place breaded eggplant slices on baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees for 1/2 an hour, turning them over once during cooking.
When eggplant is finished cooking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Make the Meat Filling:
In a large sauté pan, brown the ground beef (or lamb) until the pink color disappears. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add wine to pan and allow it to simmer and reduce a bit before adding cinnamon, allspice, parsley, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and sugar. It should be a drier, chunkier, tomato sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes so that excess liquid can evaporate.
Make the Béchamel Sauce:
Melt butter over low heat. Using a whisk, add flour to melted butter whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Allow the flour to cook for a minute but do not allow it to brown.
Add warmed milk to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.
Simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit but does not boil.
Remove from heat, and stir in beaten egg yolks and pinch of nutmeg. Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens.
Assemble the Moussaka:
Lightly grease a large deep baking pan (lasagna pan). Sprinkle the bottom of pan with breadcrumbs. Leaving a 1/4 inch space around the edges of the pan, place a layer of potatoes on the bottom.
Top with a layer of eggplant slices.
Add meat sauce on top of eggplant layer and sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese.
Top with another layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle once again with 1/4 of the grated cheese.
Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant and be sure to allow sauce to fill the sides and corners of the pan. Smooth the béchamel on top with a spatula and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until béchamel sauce is a nice golden brown color.
Allow to cool for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
You can make this dish ahead up until the béchamel sauce and refrigerate. Make the béchamel sauce right before you intend to bake it.
I originally found this recipe at About.com Greek Food.
Bananabread with Dark Chocolate
Ingredients (5 persons)
100 g room tempered butter
1 dl white sugar
2 room tempered egg
2 riped bananas
4 dl all purpose flour
0.75 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanillasugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
200 grams dark chocolate 70%
Directions:
1. Whip tempered butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix well. Whip one and one egg into the buttercream.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a different bowl. Blend carefully the dry ingredients into the buttercream. Mash the bananas with a fork or a mixer depending on texture. Add banana and nicely chopped chocolate into the dough with a spatula.
3. Bake the cake on lower level of the oven for 180 Celcius degrees for 50-60 minutter. Cake will be a bit soft when warm, it has to cool to set. This bananacake will stay fresh for many days if you wrap it well and keep in fridge.
White Chocolate Cherry Fudge & Marshmellow Fluff
Ingredients & Directions
Recipe from Thelittlethings.com
Put
- 1 large jar of marshmellow fluff (213 grams / 7.5 Oz) or homemade (see recipe below)
- 2,5 cups of white chocolate chips
in a large bowl
In a medium pan over medium heat
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Bring to boil over medium heat stirring often
Once it comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of cherry flavoured gelatine or yello.
Stirr around and bring to a nice rollign boil. Allow to boild for a full 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes poor it into the bowl with white chocolate and marshmellow fluff.
Quickly stirr the mix until chocolate melts and the dough is a lovely fluffy mix
- Stirr inn 1/2 cup of dried cherries, chopped to small pieces.
Poor into a 8×8 or 8×10 inch baking dish, lined with aluminum foil or baking paper.
Spread it out smoothly and allow to cool in the fridge for 2-3 hours before cutting small shapes or rectangulars.
Decorate with melted chocolate and sprinkles
Store in refrigerator
Homemade Marshmallow Fluff Recipe:
Yields: makes a large quantity
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients:
3 egg whites, room temperature
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation:
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt.
Using your electric mixer on high speed, mix for approximately 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and volume has almost doubled.
Reduce your mixer to low speed, add powdered sugar and mix until well blended. Add vanilla extract, mixing just until well blended.
Your homemade marshmallow fluff/cream is now ready to use in your recipes. Use immediately, or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.
Makes a large quantity.
Christmas Traditions: Krumkaker
Krumkake is one of the original traditional 7 Christmas cookies to be served for Christmas each year in Norway.
They are baked in a special decorative two-sided iron griddle, similar to a waffle iron. While hot, the 13–20 cm krumkake are rolled into small cones around a wooden or plastic cone form. Krumkake can be eaten plain or filled with whipped cream (often Cloudberry Cream) or other fillings.
If you are allergic to chicken eggs, you can use egg-replacer or try duck eggs. I have tried that with success several times.
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs (or equivalent of Egg-replacer)
- 250 grams of sugar (2 cups)
- 250 grams of melted butter
- 250 grams of all purpose flour
- 125 grams of potaoflour (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
- 3 dl heavy cream / Whipping cream / milk or water (water makes the cookies extra crunchy)
- 2 teaspoons of vanillasugar
Directions:
Whip egg and sugar until light yellow and fluffy
Add melted butter (cooled down), cream / milk or water.
Use 1 tablespoon dough in the middle of the iron griddle and cook until golden.
Immediately roll onto a Krumkake-roller and form before cooling down.
Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Maple Glazed Sweet potatoes
Makes: 12 servings, about 1/2 cup each
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 kgs / 3,5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 10 cups)
- 1 can pure maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Flaked coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Slice each sweet potato in half lengthwise, and slice each half crosswise into 1-inch-thick half-moons.
- Melt butter in a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet over medium heat.
- Add sweet potatoes; toss to coat evenly.
- Add maple syrup; toss potatoes to coat, and bring to a boil.
- Use non-aerosol non stick spray to grease a 8×8 inch baking pan.
- Arrange sweet potatoes in an even layer in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter, syrup, lemon, sugar and coconut together over a low heat.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle mixture over sweet potatoes.
- Cover and bake the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes.
- Uncover, stir and cook, stirring every 15 minutes, until tender and starting to brown, 45 to 50 minutes more.
- Transfer skillet to oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are golden, well glazed, and tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm. Top mixture with pecans.
Tips & Notes
- Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Just before serving, reheat at 350°F until hot, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Per serving: 96 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 118 mg sodium; 189 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (230% daily value), Vitamin C (15% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1 1/2
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat
Other recommended sweet potato recipes
Roasted sweet potato and pinapple
Traditional Sweet potatoe casserole
Caramelized sweet potato wedges
Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy
Holiday Gravy
50 grams of Butter
2 table spoons of All Purpose Flour (Wheat or Glutenfree as suits you best)
1 table spoon Maizena (Corn Starch) mixed with water until a smooth blend
Bullion
Broth (from the Greasy water below the Turkey)
Turkey Broth
Heavy Cream
How to Do
Melt the Butter and add the Flour. Stirr until it thickens.
Add the Maizena / Water mix.
Gravy: two TBSP white all purpose flour two TBSP butter. (Warm stock is added until you have the consistency you like.) In a large skillet, put the flour over a medium low heat and whisk until just turning brown. Add butter and continue to whisk the butter and flour together. Slowly add a 1/2 cup at a time of your warm stock. Continue to whisk. Keep adding stock a little at a time until you have reached desired consistency. At the end add a drop or two sherry. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper
Thanksgiving Best Turkey Stuffing Ever
For this Thanksgiving I decided to try a new and more interesting stuffing with a home invented recipe. The good thing is that it turned out to be the best Turkey stuffing ever.
Best Turkey Stuffing Ever
- 200 grams of fresh baked white bread in crumbs
- 150 grams of dried mango
- 150 grams of stick celery
- 1 red onion
- 1 single clove garlic
- Fresh Basil, Oregano and Cilantro (about one loose handful of each)
- 200 grams of melted butter Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 small can (1,5 dl) of coconut milk
Follow these steps:
- Chop the stick celery, the mango, and the onion in small pieces.
- Melt the butter and add the vegetables in a casserole.
- Chop the bread in small square pieces.
- Chop the fresh spices.
- Add all to the butter and the vegetables.
- Add the coconut milk
Let it all Cook until the bread is completely soaked and all the ingredients are well blended. 
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Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These lovely chocolate chip cookies are crispy and very tasty.
They are made with Sweetened Condensed milk which works as an egg replacer in this recipe.
Yields: 30 cookies
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooks: 15-20 minutes (depending on your oven – Mine were done after 17 minutes)
Ingredients:
1 Cup Butter (Softened to room temperature)
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk (1 Can)
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1.5 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips/Chunks (I Used White Chocolate Chips)
Optional Nuts (I Used Chopped Walnuts For 1 Batch)
Procedure:
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) for 15 minutes.
- Grease baking sheets or line it with parchment paper.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy (for 5 minutes).
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder and combine well.
- Pour in the condensed milk, vanilla extract and beat to combine.
- Stir dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then add the chocolate chips and nuts (if using).
- Combine it well using a spatula. Don’t beat it.
- Take a tablespoonful of dough, roll it and flatten it using your fingers.
- Grease the tablespoon, so that the dough will fall off easily.
- Bake it for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. (The color check can be done if using all purpose flour only. Mine were done at 17 minutes).
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes in the baking sheet itself. Don’t try to remove it. It may look unbaked but it will become hard on the baking sheet itself.
- After 5-10 minutes, using a spatula transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
- If you are using a dark (black) color non stick baking sheet, reduce the baking time by 1 or 2 minutes, so that the bottom does not get burnt.
- The cookies were crispy, not chewy. So if you want a chewy chocolate chip cookie, I think decreasing the quantity of butter or increasing the all purpose flour would be helpful.
The original recipe was found at www.egglesscooking.com
Saffron Buns – Lussekatter
A few weeks back I was in Sweden celebrating the start of advent with friends and the party hosts had made Saffron Buns (the Swedish Lussekatter).
In Norway according to the tradition Lussekatter are served on the 13th december for Saint Lucy’s day, an old church tradition where in the traditional celebrations, Saint Lucy comes as a young woman with lights and sweets. It is one of the few saint days observed in Scandinavia.
According to the Norwegian tradition there is a female procession headed by one girl/woman wearing a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head (The candles symbolize the fire that refused to take St. Lucia’s life when she was sentenced to be burned). The women sing a Lucia song while entering the room, to the melody of the traditional Neapolitan song Santa Lucia; the Scandinavian lyrics are describing the light with which Lucia overcomes the darkness., while the others in the procession hold only a single candle each. After finishing this song, the procession sings Christmas carols or more songs about Lucia.
However, although in Norway Lussekatter is commonly served on Saint Lucy’s day, they are also common for the rest of the advent period. A yummy treat on those cold and dark december nights.
To make them – follow this recipy:
They take about 2 hours to make and make 50 buns.
Ingredients:
- 50 grams of bakers yeast (fresh yeast or dry yeast – I prefer fresh)
- 150 grams of butter
- 5 dl of milk
- 3 dl Kesam (Quark Cheese / Curd Cheese)
- 1 gram of saffron
- A pinch of salt
- 1.5-3 dl granulated sugar
- ca 17 dl wheat flour
Brushing:
- Butter (or egg if you are not allergic to eggs :D )
Decorations
- Raisins (about 100)
What to do:
- If you chose fresh bakers yeast tear it apart and into a bowl. If you chose dry yeast poor it into a bowl.
- Melt the butter in a casserole. Poor the milk into the butter and stirr until it reaches body temperature (37C / 104F).
- Poor some of the warm butter/milk over the yeast and stirr until the yeast has dissipated into the warm mixture.
- Add the rest of the mixture, the Kesam (Quark / Curd), saffron, sugar and salt. Work the flour into the wet mix until the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl or your fingers any more.
- Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to let the yeast work.
- Split into 50 small pieces and roll each of them into 20 cm long rolls. Form into the traditional Lussekatt by curling each end of the roll in the opposite direction from eachother.
- Put on baking plates and garnish with raisins. One in each curls. Cover with a cloth.
- Leave to yeast for 30 minutes
- Brush the buns with melted butter (or 1 whipped egg for those that can have that).
- Bake the Lussekatts in the middle of the oven at 225 °C for about 8-10 minuter until done.
- Cool Off – EAT and Enjoy.
- Freeze the rest to enjoy later !
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