The combination of mincemeat with pancakes and orange sauce is typically enjoyed as a festive twist on traditional breakfast fare during the Christmas holidays. The orange flavor is a natural fit, as many modern mincemeat recipes incorporate orange as a key flavor.
Mincemeat originated in medieval England and the Middle East as a method for preserving meat using a mixture of minced meat, suet, fruits, and expensive spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. The spices helped to show off wealth and disguise the flavor of older meat. Over centuries, the meat content in mincemeat gradually decreased, replaced by more fruit and suet. By the end of the 19th century, meat was a rare inclusion, and the dish fully transitioned from a savory main course to the sweet Christmas dessert we know today.
You might wonder what mincemeat is good for besides mince pies (or just eating with a spoon). You can stir it into a cobbler; add a cup to a muffin recipe; heat it up and spread it on your weekend pancakes or waffles; or use it in place of dates in a date square recipe. You could even serve it on a cheese plate as a very seasonal chutney.
I realize mincemeat isn’t for everyone but if you do care for it, these pancakes with orange butter sauce are well worth a try.
Print Recipe
Mincemeat Pancakes w/ Orange Butter Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Orange Butter Sauce
Place the sugar, water & orange zest in a pan & bring to the boil, let it bubble & froth for 1 minute on a medium heat, then turn down the heat to low & stir in the butter until melted. Leave on a very low heat until ready to serve.
Pancakes
Place the milk and mincemeat in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Add flour, baking powder, sugar, egg, vanilla extract & salt. Use a whisk to mix until combined.
Pour ¼ tbsp. oil in a large skillet, then wipe around with a kitchen towel to cover the pan. Heat the pan on a medium heat until hot. Pour in enough mixture to make three pancakes (approx. ¼ cup of mix per pancake). Turn the pancakes over when bubbles form on top & then burst, & the edges start to look firm (about 1-2 minutes). Cook on the other side for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the mixture - oiling the pan each time - until all the pancakes are cooked (keep the pancakes warm in a very low oven while you’re making each batch).
Assembly
Stack 3 pancakes on each plate. Top each stack with orange segments, butter sauce & whipped cream.
Speculoos, also known as speculaas in Dutch, spéculoos in French, and Spekulatius in German, is a type of spiced short crust biscuit.
Speculoos originated from the County of Flanders, which encompasses present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The Dutch crafted speculoos using wheat flour, brown sugar, butter, and traditional speculaas spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and ginger. These spiced biscuits are usually flat and often molded with traditional images, especially around the feast of St. Nicholas (Dutch: Sinterklaas).
While historically associated with holiday treats like Dutch Windmill Cookies, Biscoff Cookies, and German Spekulatius Spice Cookies its versatility extends beyond these traditional uses. There are several ways to incorporate speculoos spice into your culinary creations such as:
- Add a touch of speculoos spice to your classic chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- Toss whole almonds with melted butter, sugar, and a generous sprinkle of speculoos spice then roast them in the oven until golden and fragrant for a tasty snack or edible gift.
- Stir a pinch of speculoos spice into your favorite warm beverages.
- Sprinkle speculoos spice over waffles, pancakes, or French toast.
- Create a no-churn ice cream by infusing your base with speculoos spice. Enjoy it on its own or as a delightful topping for apple pie, crepes, or other seasonal desserts.
In this recipe the rhubarb and nectarine pair wonderfully with the warm, spiced flavors of speculoos creating a decadent tart.
Print Recipe
Rhubarb Speculoos Tarts
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Base
Preheat oven to 320 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the speculoos in the bowl of a food processer & process until finely ground. Add the salt, process once or twice then turn into a medium-sized bowl & mix in the melted butter until you have a sort of dough.
Place six 3-inch (7.5cm) metal rounds on the baking sheet & press equal amounts of the dough into each one, using a metal soup spoon to press them so they are even around the edges. Make a slight indentation in the center. Place in the center of the pre-heated oven & bake about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Rhubarb
Place the water, sugar, ginger, vanilla in a medium saucepan & bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the syrup is boiling, whisking from time to time, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rhubarb, stir gently so it is mixed with the syrup & return the syrup to a low boil. Shake the pan & watch the rhubarb as it cooks & stir if necessary. Depending on its texture, the rhubarb will cook in about 1-1/2 minutes, though it can take up to 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat. With a slotted spoon remove rhubarb carefully to a plate. Whisk in 1 Tbsp of cornstarch . Continue whisking until cornstarch is dissolved & syrup is thickened. Remove from heat & cool for a couple of minutes the gently stir in rhubarb. Allow rhubarb to cool until ready to assemble.
Cream
Whisk the sour cream with the vanilla sugar.
Assemble
Carefully remove tart bases from rings. Lay equal numbers of nectarine slices atop the crust with the skin out to the edge. Top with sour cream/vanilla sugar. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.
To serve, top with rhubarb sauce & serve immediately.
At Christmas time, the clementine is one of the most popular and plentiful varieties, its tight, glossy skin often accompanied by a sprig of zesty leaves. Many of us have fond memories of when they were stuffed into Christmas stockings with other nostalgic treats.
Most people probably don’t know where this clementine tradition comes from, but the mythical story is rather a charming one. It tells how Saint Nicholas, the 4th century Greek bishop upon whom Santa Claus was modelled, one day heard of a poor man who had failed to find suitors for his three daughters, lacking money for their dowries. Nicholas sought out the man’s house and tipped three sacks of gold down the chimney, where the coins happened to land in the girls’ stockings, which were drying beside the fire. The clementines (or oranges) in our modern Christmas stockings are said to be a symbol of the saint’s generosity. Poverty and desire probably also played a role in fostering the custom in times past, oranges were not only an affordable gift, but also a brief taste of exotic, sunnier climes.
As for the clementine itself, its origins are somewhat uncertain. Oranges are like roses, with endless hybrids having been cultivated over the centuries, each with its own particular shape, scent, texture and taste. The clementine is a mixture of a mandarin and a classic sweet orange, and is said to have been discovered by Clement Rodier, a French monk living in 19th century Algeria, who found it growing in the orchard of the orphanage he ran.
It’s that easy peel factor, along with a lack of seeds, that has catapulted the clementine above old-fashioned oranges in popularity.
Print Recipe
Clementine Kiwi Upside Down Puddings
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Topping
-
From parchment paper, cut circles to lay on the bottom of 6 individual custard cups. Divide melted butter between the cups. Sprinkle brown sugar over top the butter. Top with clementine & kiwi slices.
Pudding/Cake
In a small bowl, beat together eggs & sugar until thick; gradually beat in oil. In a small dish, combine flour, baking powder, spices & salt. Stir flour mixture into egg/sugar mixture, then add juice (or milk) & vanilla. Stir ONLY until combined.
Pour batter over fruit in custard cups, dividing it evenly between them. Bake 15-20 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. Allow cakes to cool for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a rack to finish cooling.
Vanilla/Lime Sauce
In a small saucepan, combine sugar & cornstarch. Add water & bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for a few minutes until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat & add vanilla & lime juice. Stir well & set aside to cool.
Assembly
Divide sauce between 6 individual dessert plates & top with a clementine/kiwi cake. Serve warm or cold.
The croquette originated in French cuisine. The word ‘croquette’ is derived from the French verb ‘coquer’, meaning ‘to crunch’.
Croquettes can be served as side dishes, snacks, or fast food as well as a main dish. Typically, small patties, croquettes are made from ingredients like meat, potatoes, or vegetables. While they are traditionally deep-fried, baking them is a healthier alternative that still yields delicious results. Baking versus frying is a common culinary debate, and both methods have their merits. Myself, I’ll always opt for baking. Maybe it has something to do with having worked in the restaurant industry for 35 years of my life. The smell of grease always makes me want to run a mile to get away from it. That being said, I guess it’s whatever you prefer personally that’s important.
These baked chicken croquettes combine leftover chicken with mashed potatoes and shallots. They are coated with breadcrumbs and baked until crispy. The result is a flavorful and satisfying dish that can be enjoyed as a main course or even as an appetizer.
Print Recipe
Crispy Baked Chicken Croquettes
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
In a bowl place the potatoes, butter, milk, salt, pepper, & 1 teaspoon parsley. Mash to desired consistency as you want some texture. To the potatoes add the chicken & shallots; stir to combine. Next, add in 1 egg & 1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs. Mix to combine. The mixture should be sticky but not runny.
Cover & chill for at least 1-2 hours. You want it to be cold so you can form it.
Preheat the oven to 450 F. with a rack in the middle. Line a baking pan with parchment paper & lightly spray.
In a pie plate beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. In a second pie plate add in the panko & remaining unseasoned bread crumbs & 1 tsp parsley; mix to combine. Make an assembly line starting with the croquette mixture, egg & then breadcrumbs with the baking sheet at the end.
Measure 1/4 cup of the mixture & form into croquettes (long cylinders about 2” or you can make into cone shapes).
Dip, coating all sides, in the egg mixture. Place in the breadcrumbs & coat evenly. Place on the baking sheet & repeat making the rest of the croquettes. Generously spray (or lightly drizzle) olive oil on the croquettes. Do not soak them but you should be able to see the oil glisten on the breadcrumbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
To get super crunchy, place the oven to broil & broil for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the oven & serve with pan gravy from the leftover roasted chicken.
The other day Brion & I were in a ‘Winners’ store and were looking through the gourmet food section. A couple of Pol’s Gourmet Preserves caught our attention. One was the Strawberry Chia Preserve. The preserve combines ripe strawberries with chia seeds, date juice, and lemon juice, cooked in vacuum boilers. It is marketed as a healthy and natural product with a focus on natural flavor and consistency. Pol’s utilizes vacuum technology to maintain the strawberries’ natural qualities during the cooking process. They also emphasize the use of natural base ingredients and the absence of additives beyond the natural components.
We purchased a jar even though I wasn’t sure at the time what I would use it for since neither of us use a lot of preserves on toast. Of course, it didn’t take long to find a way to incorporate it into a recipe.
I have childhood memories of my mother making an orange bread loaf. I always thought it was so unique because it used the fresh orange zest from two whole oranges. The flavor was so distinct along with the bread being wonderfully moist. This recipe was one that has remained with me over the years, long after I had left my parents’ home. I used it numerous times over the years in my food service career in different applications.
Today I decided to swirl some of this interesting preserve into my mother’s orange bread loaf and the flavor was even better than I thought it would be. This orange loaf recipe is perfect for when you need a make-ahead dessert. I like it even more on the second day because the orange aroma (and flavor) becomes even more vibrant.
Print Recipe
Orange Bread w/ Strawberry Chia Preserves
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter or line an 8" x 4" x 3-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Peel oranges thinly & finely chop peel. Boil with sugar & water for 10 minutes: cool. Pour into a large bowl & add egg & butter.
In a small bowl, combine flour, salt & baking powder. Add dry mixture to wet mixture alternately with milk.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Top with dollops of strawberry preserve. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, swirl preserve into batter making sure not to over stir so it creates a marbled effect.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until bread tests done. Remove from oven & cool on wire rack. As I mentioned in the blog, the bread tastes better the second day if you can wait that long to try it.
Many cultures have embraced the apple pie and put their own spin on it, so why is it known as the quintessential American dessert. German immigrants brought over the modern hamburger and Italians were the first to combine cheese with macaroni. Apple pie—a dish that commonly follows the words ‘American as’ —has a reputation for being one of the rare dishes the country can fully claim. But as it turns out, the history of the iconic American dessert isn’t so simple.
The phrase ‘as American as apple pie’ emerged in the early 20th century. It gained widespread popularity during World War II, when soldiers were asked what they were fighting for. The response often included apple pie, alongside other symbols of American life like mom and baseball. This association cemented apple pie’s status as a quintessential American food.
For some cooks, grated apple pie was a practical alternative to the traditional sliced version. Grating or shredding the apples creates a pie with a tender, uniform, and almost custard-like filling, unlike the chunkier texture of a standard pie. Shredding the fruit reduces the cooking time required to soften the apples, which was an advantage for home bakers. As shown in some historic recipes, eggs and melted butter were often mixed into the grated apples, creating a richer filling.
This pie reminds me of an experience I had that seems quite comical when I think of it now. Before I had ever studied in the commercial food industry or made any number of pies, a friend gave me a recipe for a ‘Swiss’ apple pie. Her instructions were to place the shredded apple in a pastry lined pie pan. Next, pour vanilla pudding over the apples and bake. It sounded great! I purchased a box of Jell-O brand vanilla pudding & pie filling, made a crust and filled it with shredded apples. I assumed you were supposed to cook the pudding before covering the apples with it for some reason. Wrong!! What resulted was apples baked in a pastry shell with a ‘rubber top’. I guess we all have to start somewhere, right?!
Today, I wanted to revisit the grated apple pie idea being fall with all the wonderful apples that are in season right now.
Print Recipe
Grated Apple Pie w/ Salted Carmel Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Pastry
Sift flour, sugar & baking powder into a bowl. Add salt & rub butter into flour with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar & water. Sprinkle the egg/water mixture over the flour mixture & combine ONLY until dough comes together. DO NOT OVERMIX. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap & refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Apple Pie
-
Grate apples & combine with lemon juice.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with chilled pastry. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Sprinkle 3 Tbsp evenly in the bottom of the crust & set the rest aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the remaining sugar mixture & beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla & eggs. Beat until mixed well & the mixture turns lighter. Stir in the apples.
Pour the filling mixture into the crust & spread out evenly. Place a pie ring or one made out of aluminum foil around the edges of the crust.
Bake at 450 F. for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 F. & bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. If the crust is not brown enough, remove the pie ring for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Place the sugar & water into a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook, stirring, over a low heat until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat & bring to a boil for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a deep amber color.
Remove from heat & immediately add the heavy cream & stir. Be careful as it will bubble up quite a lot. Once the caramel has dissolved into the cream, add the butter & salt. Place in a small blender & blend for a few seconds until mixture comes together nicely. Place into a small container & cool.
Finish
Once pie is at room temperature, brush or drizzle sauce over the apple filling. Chill further & serve.
Recipe Notes
The purpose of putting some of the sugar mixture into the bottom of the pie crust is to absorb some of the liquid that forms when sugar & fruit are mixed together.
If the apples produce a lot of juice, drain them BEFORE adding them to the batter. If you pour off the juice after adding the apples to the batter, you will lose a lot of the spice flavor.
Using a deep dish will help avoid it from running over in the oven.
Oktoberfest is an annual festival which began in Munich. It actually begins in September, ending on the first Sunday in October.
The festival originated on October 12, 1810, in celebration of the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria, who later became King Louis I, to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
Of course, as with any celebration, there are many foods associated with the occasion, ‘spätzle’ being one of them. The first name that comes to the mind when one thinks of pasta is Italy, however, the Germans too love pastas. Spätzle is a cross between pasta, an egg noodle and a dumpling, a kind of ‘German mac & cheese,’. It originates from the Baden-Württemberg region of southwest Germany and is a common dish at any beer hall or beer tent during Oktoberfest.
Celebrating Oktoberfest doesn’t have to be all about the German beer. So I thought, why not take the spätzle idea one step further and make it into lasagna?! Classic German staples come together in this lasagna to make a very unique version of the classic dish.
There are six main ingredients in this recipe. The first is spätzle. The second is onion. By caramelizing the diced pieces you turn it into little velvety pieces of heaven that add incredible depth and sweetness to the dish. Third is Bratwurst, a fresh link sausage characterized by its many different spices and seasonings. Fourth is sauerkraut, bratwurst’s classic sidekick. Fifth is bacon and the crowning touch and grand finale is the Emmentaler cheese.
Compared to traditional pasta dough, spätzle is softer and quite moist. The dough is quite basic, made from flour, eggs, water and salt. Although these little ‘dumplings’ can be eaten with almost anything, I thought they added something real special to this German lasagna.
Print Recipe
Oktoberfest German Spätzle Lasagna
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Spätzle
1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with salt & make a well in the center. Add eggs to the well & whisk the flour into the eggs. Gradually whisk in the water until a very thick batter forms. Cover with a damp cloth & allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place spätzle dough maker above the pot with the water. Load with dough & slide back & forth or press to squeeze the dough through & form the spätzle noodles.
Once the spätzle begins to float to the surface, scoop with a large, slotted spoon & transfer to a colander placed inside a bowl for the drained water to collect. Continue the process until all of the dough is used.
Caramelized Onions
Heat oil in saucepan, add onion & sprinkle with salt. Cook & stir about 15 minutes or until moisture is evaporated & onion is soft. Reduce heat, sprinkle with cider vinegar. Cook & stir until golden. Stir in brown sugar; cook & stir until caramel brown in color. Set it aside.
Sauce
In the saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, bouillon, garlic powder & salt until smooth. Gradually stir in milk & broth. Bring to a boil; cook & stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat to a bowl & set aside.
In the saucepan, cook bacon (not too crisp); remove to a cutting board to coarsely chop. Add bratwurst sausage meat (which has been removed from casings) to saucepan & scramble fry until cooked. Drain on paper towel. Add chopped bacon, bratwurst & caramelized onions to your prepared sauce.
Cotage Cheese & Other Ingredients
In a small bowl, beat eggs; add cottage cheese & pepper. Set aside. Drain sauerkraut & rinse. Squeeze dry. Grate cheese
Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Spread 1 cup sauce mixture over bottom of pan. Layer with 1/3 of the spätzle noodles, 1/3 of sauce mixture, 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 of the sauerkraut & 3/4 cup grated cheese. Repeat layers (spätzle, sauce, cottage cheese, sauerkraut, spätzle, sauce). Save grated cheese for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Cover & bake for 50-60 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining GRATED CHEESE; bake 5 minutes longer until cheese is melted. Allow to stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Notes
- If you do not have a spätzle dough maker, just drop spoonsful of dough into the boiling water to form spätzle noodles. Dip your spoon into water to prevent it from sticking on the spoon.
Porcupine meatballs are an North American casserole dish of ground beef and rice meatballs cooked in tomato sauce. This recipe, that appealed to cooks in the 1930s, appears to have been developed during World War I when rice was affordable and readily available, but meat was pricey. The recipe appeared as ‘rice meat balls’ in the 1918 cookbook ‘Conservation Recipes’, a clear forerunner of the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (1939). The name comes from the appearance of the meatballs, which appear prickly when the rice pokes out of them as they cook, resembling a porcupine.
Meat, even something as mundane as ground beef, was expensive and home cooks used innovation and imaginative ways to make a small amount of protein stretch to feed a large and hungry family. Porcupine meatballs were one of the answers to the problem. It’s great that generations later we are still enjoying them!
Of course, this simple recipe is very customizable. Other ingredients could be added to the meatballs like green pepper, mustard, celery, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, or other seasonings. The simple tomato sauce made with canned soup could be enriched with molasses and seasoned with chili powder and cumin. A later recipe from 1969 for ‘porcupine meatballs paprika’ replaces tomato soup with cream of mushroom, and adds other ingredients like mustard, or sour cream and paprika. ‘Porcupine meatballs Chinois’ was a variation influenced by Chinese cooking techniques and ingredients. Served with peach sauce, the Chinois meatballs are made with ground pork, shrimp, rice and green onion, seasoned with soy sauce and sherry, and steamed instead of being cooked in sauce.
Ground turkey can also be substituted for the ground beef, just add 1/4 cup oatmeal to the mix to compensate for the extra moisture in the turkey.
I recall my mother making these meatballs numerous times when I was growing up. They tasted great then and still do today. I decided to make some with the tomato sauce and some with mushroom sauce since Brion was not familiar with this meal. I think he will enjoy them.
Print Recipe
Retro Porcupine Meatballs
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Ingredients
Alternative Brown Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
Alternative Brown Mushroom Sauce
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Meatballs/Sauce
-
In a medium bowl, lightly mix together all meatball ingredients. Form mixture into 12 meatballs & place in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients; pour over meatballs. Cover & bake 1 1/4 hours or until rice is tender.
These meatballs are nice served over rice, egg noodles, mashed or baked potatoes. Simple but tasty!
Alternative Tomato Sauce
In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion until tender crisp. Add crushed tomatoes & simmer for about 5 minutes. Add seasoning to taste & sour cream; combine then whisk in chicken broth. Pour over meatballs & bake.
Alternative Brown Mushroom Sauce
In a skillet, heat oil & sauté onion & mushrooms. Add beef base, pepper, garlic powder & 2 cups of the water. Bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch with remaining 1/2 cup water. Gradually add cornstarch mixture to pan & stir as you are pouring. Cook, stirring often, until thoroughly mixed. Pour over meatballs & bake.
Recipe Notes
- The advertisement picture on the blog was from life magazine in 1948.
July in Canada is the ‘everything goes better with corn’ season, and that includes seafood.
Scallops, those sweet and tender ocean gems, have a flavor profile that’s both briny and subtly sweet but never too fishy. Then there’s corn, that sunny yellow kernel-packed treasure. It’s like summer in vegetable form, with a satisfying crunch and natural sweetness.
This is an easy summer dish, perfect for any night of the week, but make no mistake, it’s also worthy of a weekend dinner with friends. Pair it with some small, boiled new potatoes tossed in parsley and butter. Yum!
Brion & I love both seafood and corn, so this kind of meal certainly works for us.
Print Recipe
Baked Scallops w/ Creamy Corn, Tomatoes & Chives
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Corn, Tomatoes & Chives
In a large skillet, heat oil. Add corn kernels & season with 1/4 tsp salt. Cook until just about tender, 2-3 minutes. Add Boursin cheese & water; cook 1-2 minutes more while stirring. Remove from heat, stir in the halved tomatoes. Keep warm while scallops are baking.
Scallops
-
Pour melted butter into an 11 X 7-inch baking dish; add scallops & spread to form an even layer. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, onion powder, paprika & dried parsley. Sprinkle over scallops. Bake scallops about 15-20 minutes.
Serving
Divide corn/tomato mixture on 4 serving plates. Top with scallops & fresh chives or green onions for garnish.
Today we are celebrating my husband Brion’s birthday. Family birthdays forever bring me back to my childhood days. My mother always made the birthday person’s favorite meal on their day along with a cake. Although she excelled at cooking in general, her creative talent was put to good use when she decorated our birthday cakes. As I follow her tradition, I wanted to bake something that was unique for Brion’s birthday.
One of the easiest ways to dress up a basic roll cake is with a design. This technique is one that originated in Japan. The cake rolls are also known as ‘deco rolls’, as the cake rolls are decorated with patterns and baked. Rather than decorating the cake after it’s been baked, this technique pipes it directly onto the cake with batter.
In Japan, the roll cake tradition has continued, with unique flavors like matcha (green tea) and various cream fillings. The use of ‘inlay’ design creates an artistic presentation. The incorporation of unique flavors and decorative techniques continues to evolve and expands the appeal of this iconic dessert.
With summer in full swing, our backyard is bursting with all its glorious flowers and foliage and even though he would rather I didn’t add his picture to my blog today, I wanted to share this garden view with you. I think it’s a great backdrop for a birthday picture, right!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY LOVE … YOU’RE THE BEST
Print Recipe
Chocolate Blueberry/Lemon Inlay Roll Cake
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Ingredients
Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Lemon Curd
Combine sugar & lemon zest in a saucepan. Either with the back of a spoon or your finger tips rub the zest into the sugar. This will coat the sugar crystals with fragrant oils from the lemon peel, adding a whole new dimension of intense lemon flavor to the curd.
Add the whole egg & extra egg yolks to the saucepan with the lemony sugar & whisk until smooth. Mix in lemon juice.
Add butter then place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk gently & continuously for 6-9 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not walk away because it will transform very quickly. Once you see a bubble emerge from the surface, this indicates that it is thick enough. Do not let it boil.
Immediately pour the hot curd through a fine mesh sieve to remove any pieces of lemon zest or cooked egg white into a dish. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly in contact with the surface & refrigerate until thoroughly chilled & ready to use.
Blueberry Filling
Place all blueberry filling ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat on medium high until blueberries soften & mixture thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat & allow to cool for 5 minutes or so then place in a blender & puree until smooth. This makes it easier when slicing the cake roll. Place in a small dish & cool until ready to use.
Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
For best results, place bowl of the electric mixer & whisks in the freezer for a few minutes to make them real cold. When chilled, place cream cheese & powdered sugar in the bowl & beat together until smooth. Scrape down the bowl as needed. With mixer running on low, add the vanilla & stream in the whipping cream. Turn the speed up & whip until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Roll Cake Pattern
Cream together butter, flour, sugar & egg white with a whisk until smooth. Place batter into a piping bag. Trace or free hand your pattern onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want a specific part of the image to appear on the top of the roll cake, place that part of your pattern about 3/4 of the way down the paper.
Before putting the template onto a 10" x 15" jelly roll pan , using a pastry brush (or your fingers), grease the bottom (but not the sides) with vegetable oil. Line the bottom of the greased pan with the template, pressing down to remove any air bubbles. Set aside. By NOT greasing or covering the sides of the pan, the cake sticks to the sides of the pan, helping the cake to rise while baking.
Pipe out your design, keeping in mind that the cake will be viewed in reverse. Place the pan in the freezer until the batter is frozen solid, for about 20 minutes.
Chocolate Cake
-
In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder & salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, whip egg whites until foamy, gradually adding HALF of the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. In a third large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick. Add remaining sugar, vanilla & water; beat until very thick. Gradually fold in flour mixture then egg whites gently folding JUST until fully incorporated so as not to deflate the eggs.
Remove the jelly roll pan from the freezer & pour the cake batter over the frozen design. Gently tap the sheet against the counter to make sure that the batter gets down into all the little nooks & crannies of your design.
Bake in the center of the oven until cake for about 15 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick. Loosen edges & immediately turn cake onto a piece of parchment paper. REMOVE the parchment that was on the bottom of the cake (while it was baking). Starting at the narrow end, roll up cake in the parchment (you just turned the cake out on to) & cool completely.
Assembling the Cake Roll
Once fully cooled, gently unroll the cake & separate it from the parchment paper.
Spread an even layer of lemon curd onto the cake, leaving about an inch of space around the edges so the filling doesn't ooze out. Next, drizzle a wavy line of blueberry filling over the lemon curd. Then lastly, pipe some of the cream cheese filling in between your blueberry lines. Try to not OVERFILL the cake roll BUT giving it as generous amount of filling as possible.
Very gently roll the cake back into its spiral shape. Set the cake on a platter with your design on top. Cover with plastic wrap & chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or longer.
-
