Chocolate Strawberries (and cream)

I've mentioned before how fruit is always a big hit, be in canned or fresh or frozen, made into a sauce, a dessert, atop a salad, or standing alone. We always have tons on hand, in every form, from frozen berries, fresh melons, pineapples, strawberries, grapes and citrus fruits, to a dried assortment and canned cranberries and mandarin orange segments.

I try to incorporate fruit into my desserts and salads as much as possible, and always serve fresh oranges and grapefruit with breakfast. I tend to do the same thing over and over again: spinach salad with halved grapes, sliced strawberries, feta cheese, candied pecans and balsamic vinaigrette. Strawberry shortcake (an all-time favorite), berry crisp, black-bottomed banana cake, lemon bars...

But yesterday we had these gorgeous strawberries, bright red, perfect size, shape, sweet and juicy- I wanted to showcase their beauty and flavor, without serving them naked and alone. I decided to serve them dipped or drizzled with chocolate with some fresh soft whipped cream. So simple, so easy, and I've never gotten so many compliments on a dessert.

When the residents saw "chocolate strawberries" on the menu, a lot of them asked what that meant, or asked "chocolate strawberry what?" Chocolate strawberry nothing. Many noted how beautiful they looked, and all commented on how wonderful they tasted. One resident told me she had heard of covering strawberries with chocolate, but never actually had it- I was shocked to hear that someone had not tried these before, but then I heard it several more times. Even my pickiest resident, who is always telling me how awful food my food was (even when she's the only one that thinks so) went out of her way to tell me the afternoon dessert was lovely. That it was such a simple idea, and yet no one had ever served it before.

So if for some reason, the seniors in your life have not tried chocolate dipped strawberries, please do something about it immediately. Spring is here, berries are starting to pop up (not that you can't get anything, anytime these days), and fresh strawberries covered in chocolate and served with a cool fresh whipped cream, slightly sweetened with sugar and vanilla are a wonderful light (but rich) and elegant dessert.

In case you're not sure how, here are the basics:

Fresh strawberries, washed and dried

Chocolate for melting (such as chocolate chips)

Whipping Cream

Powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup per 2 cups cream)

Vanilla (about 1 teaspoon per 2 cups cream)

Melt your chocolate over a double boiler, you might want to add a little cream for smoothness. Dip your clean dry strawberries in the chocolate, roll around or use a spoon to coat all the way up the the green stem. Place on a baking sheet covered with wax or parchment paper to set. Once all are coated, put in fridge. Whip your cream, sugar and vanilla to very soft peaks. Serve together!

(I often sprinkle the still wet chocolate strawberries with finishing salt, or drizzle with stripes of melted white chocolate for garnish)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Cake

Is there a better combination than banana, chocolate and peanut butter?

I've been craving peanut butter and bananas recently, and I've settled for just smearing fresh bananas with the creamy goodness. But my new job at the bakery has left me wanting to make cake all the time, surprisingly enough. So when I got to work this morning and saw all the bananas, I decided on Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting.

I went to open the fridge and saw a batch of chocolate frosting I had made the previous weekend, and was initially bummed I hadn't yet thought of a way to use it.

While the residents were going over the menu, one mentioned that peanut butter in frosting did not sound good. I told her that I had some extra chocolate and I could frost her piece with that instead, but that peanut butter and bananas are delicious together. She said that was true, and that she'd give it a try.

Once again, my chocolate frosting goes unused. I leave it out at room temperature, just in case.

It was not until the cakes are out of the oven and my peanut butter icing is made that I decide to use the chocolate. I used it as the filling between the two layers of cake, then frosted the outside with the peanut butter, and garnished with chocolate chips to tie it all together.

Yummmmm!

Banana Cake

makes 4 8'' cake rounds, or 2 finished cakes

ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 vegetable oil

1 cup water

2 1/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 plain yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup whole milk (minus 1 1/2 teaspoons- I put the apple cider vinegar in the measuring cup, then fill it up to the 1/2 cup mark with milk)

3 large bananas, pureed in a blender

preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 4 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.

If you haven't already, combine apple cider vinegar, vanilla and milk together to curdle.

Melt butter in small saucepan with oil and water.

Sift and combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in the bowl on an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn on low speed to mix.

Slowly pour melted fat mixture into bowl with paddle running at low speed. Scrape bowl and paddle, mix again briefly.

Combine the curdled milk mixture with the eggs and yogurt, and pour into mixer, running at low speed.

Scrap down sides of bowl, add banana and mix again, just to combine thoroughly. (Do not over-mix- this will form gluten and make your cake tough.)

Divide evenly amongst your 4 pans, place in pre-heated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near middle comes out clean.

When cool, un-mold and place one round on a plate, slather with chocolate frosting and stack on the next layer. Frost the entire cake with peanut butter frosting, decorate as you wish. Repeat with second cake.

 Frostings

I didn't follow a recipe or write one down for the frosting. They are easy to make up as you go.

For peanut butter, I used equal parts butter and peanut butter (about 1 cup each), and mixed until smooth, then added a teaspoon of vanilla, and powdered sugar until the desired consistency and flavor was reached.

For chocolate- same thing, just no peanut butter, add about 1/2 cocoa powder, and a few teaspoons of milk

Lemon Prune Tart

I was in search of a delicious dessert using prunes- because old folks eat them all the time, and we always have tons in the dried fruit box. I came across a recipe for a lemon prune tart- sounded yummy, so I put it on the menu. When the time came to put it together, I realized how odd the recipe was, that I didn't have the time or the resources to make it, and so I came up with my own.

I used the custard from the "Fresh Lemon Bar" recipe in Cookies at the Academy (only the best cookie cookbook ever!), with a different crust, adapted it into pie form and added prunes. It turned out really good, and because it's such a good lemon bar recipe, you could make it with or without the prunes, or use another fruit instead.

Lemon Prune Tart
Makes 4 pies

Crust:
4 1/2 cups flour
2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/4 cups butter

Custard:
16 eggs
8 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
zest of 4 lemons
dried prunes

confectioners' sugar for topping pies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine ingredients for crust in an electric mixer bowl and mix until a soft dough forms. Divide evenly between pie pans and press onto bottom and sides. Bake at 370 degrees for about 20 minutes, until golden browned. Cool.

Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees

While crust bakes, combine eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest and gently stir to blend all ingredients, do not beat.

 

Place prunes in cooled tart crusts, about 10-15 per pan,

and pour lemon custard over top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18-22 minutes, until custard is set and lightly browned.

Sift confectioners' sugar over top and cut when cooled. Serve cool, or room temperature.

Enjoy your healthy-digestion dessert!

Apple Crisp

 

 My extremely sweet boyfriend bought these cute little foil baking cups shaped like hearts for me at Target (as well as a cute pair of knee socks)  so I could bake up little treats for my residents (and stylishly keep my feet warm) for Valentines' Day.

I choose to make apple crisps, one- because we had lots of apples to use,  two- because the other chef called cupcakes for the next day, and I didn't want to step on her toes, and three- I've been baking a lot of crisps at my new (other) job at a local bakery. And because I know everyone loves a fruit crisp.

I just kind of made-up the apple part, because you can do that, and used a topping recipe from an older version of the Joy of Cooking. And I remembered to take pictures all along the way with my iPhone- so they are not of great quality, and now my phone is all crusty. Totally worth it!

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

9 apples

zest and juice of 2 small lemons

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups oats

1 cup flour

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, cold and cut into small peices

cinnamon and other warm spices, if desired

Preperation:

 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and ready you're baking vessel- I used individual foil heart cups, but you can do a giant one in a baking dish of some sort, or individual cermaic bowls, or whatever you like. Just grease the heck out of anything you are going to have to wash, and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil to catch the juices that bubble over and make your clean-up eaiser.

 Peel, core and slice your apples and cut into little chucks that will cook quickly and be easy to eat.

 

After you have the size you like, toss with lemon juice and zest, first cinnamon, nutmeg and the 1/2 cup brown sugar. 

Let the apples marinade in the juices while you prepare the topping.

I used my food processor, but you can easily do this by hand:

Combine the 2 cups brown sugar, oats, flour and any spices you are using, and pulse quickly in a processor to mix, but not to chop the oats smaller.

Add your little butter pieces, and pulse to combine, once it looks like a crumbly texture- stop.

Divide your apple mixture evenly amongst you little foil cups or in your prepared baking dish, dividing the juices evenly as well.

Evenly distribute the crisp topping over each serving, packing down to keep in place.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until topping looks golden brown, crispy and juices are bubbling out.

Cool before topping with whipped cream (highly recommended) and serving.

Happy Valentines' Day!!!

Fig Cookies

When I went to my grandparent's house as a young kid, I remember them often having fig newtons and school boy cookies, and those became things I associated with my grandparents, and therefore, old people. So when I found figs this morning at work (in the dried fruit box, of course), I decided to attempt to make fig cookies, be they newtons or not

I used my nifty iPhone to google some recipes real quick, and settled on the third one that came up- a simple drop cookie, rather than the first two that looked more complicated and time consuming, though maybe more attractive and tastier (though I don't know how). I guess we'll find out next time.

The Fig Drop Cookies were extremely easy to make, and absolutely delicious! The figs fell apart during the short cooking time, and the seeds ended up dispersed throughout the cookie dough, so the amazingly soft finished product had a little fig crackle in every bite.

Fig Drop Cookies
(Original Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried figs, chopped into little pieces
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. In a small sauce pan, heat the water and figs to reconstitute and break down fruit. (Cool before adding to cookies.)
2. Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer's bowl with the paddle attachment. Blend in egg and vanilla.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture until incorporated.
4. Mix in figs.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a prepared cookie sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
6. Cool on wire racks, store in air-tight containers.

Makes about 30  1-1/2 inch cookies

Date Topped Brownies

Now, this making two daily desserts business is not an easy feat. I have to be creative and try new ideas (that don't always work) and keep coming up with new ones. I don't like to do the same dessert twice, even if they love it. I will eventually, but I don't want to get stuck in a rut where I keep baking the same things from my little stockpile of pastries. So I am building a binder, my pastry arts binder, meticulously organized, of all desserts I have tried and that were successes. There are recipes from culinary school, from my grandma, things I've tried at home, and every recipe that has won a victory at work. So onto to the successful experiment of date brownies- who just made it into my binder.

I found dates at work in the dried fruit box. I had already used the dried cranberries, raisins, cherries... So I tasted a date. I'm not sure if I had ever had one before, but this blew my mind. It was a heavenly shriveled up lump of sweetness, and I had to use it.

I usually would use my little iPhone screen to look up recipes, but I didn't have time. It was already 7:00 AM, and the menu goes out by 7:30- and I had breakfast items to prepare. I quickly searched around, saw the cocoa powder, remembered there was some left-over chocolate frosting I was suppose to use, and decided on brownies. At that point I had not decided whether I was going to put them inside or just on top- but I had something to put on the menu.

I would have called these "date brownies," but then the assumption might have been that they are a healthier brownie version- made with "date sugar," and they are not. I'm sure that would be great though, and there are many diabetics amongst the elderly, so I will try (someday) and get back to you with that recipe as well.

Date Topped Brownies

brownies:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
(1/2 cups chopped dates)
frosting:
2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
5 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dates for topping (1 per brownie)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
Mix together oil, sugar and vanilla, then beat in the eggs.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, then stir into sugar mixture.
Stir in chopped dates, if using.
Spread into prepared pan, and bake 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting:
Mix together the cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar.
Cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth, then gradually add sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk.
Add vanilla, then beat until light and fluffy. Consistency may be adjusted with more milk or sugar.

When brownies are cooled, cut into squares, frost and top each with a whole date.

Enjoy with your favorite seniors!

24-Hour Salad

This is my grandmother's recipe; Grandma Joan makes 24-hour salad for every special occasion, and always has. I think it is just the most awful creation ever (except maybe for a similar version my father's wife's grandmother makes- with peas!) It's one of those things I would put on my plate at Christmas and scoot under the other left-overs to make it look like I had eaten it. Everyone from my parents generation and younger feels the same way. I never would have imagined in a million years that I'd be asking for the recipe.

With that being said...

I work with old people. And I worked this Christmas, and I wanted to make a special meal. So I called up my grandma and asked her for this recipe. Boy did they love it! I had compliments left and right, "I haven't had this salad for years!" and "I wish we had things like this more often!"

So here it is, Grandma Joan's 24-Hour Salad...

(I never use the almonds, and neither does grandma, but when she passed on the recipe, it was in there. I've also had a hard time finding white cherries, so I use red, which are prettier anyways)


24-Hour Salad
Courtesy of Grandma Joan


ingredients:
2 cups white cherries (Royal-Ann, pitted & halved )
2 cups diced pineapple
2 cups quartered orange sections
2 cups quartered marshmallows (or mini)
1/4 lb. almonds, blanched and chopped (optional)
2 eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup light cream
2 Tbsp lemon juice    
1 cup heavy cream, whipped   
1 tsp gelatin

procedure: 

Combine well-drained fruit, marshmallows and nuts if using.

Soften 1 tsp gelatin in small amount of the fruit juice, set aside. 

Beat eggs until light; gradually add sugar, cream and lemon juice.  Mix thoroughly and cook over a double boiler until smooth and thick, stirring constantly. Mix in gelatin. Cool, then fold in whipped cream.  Pour over fruit mixture and mix lightly.   

Chill for 24 hours.