White Chocolate

I am very good 9 out of 10 times I can drive by our local Chocolate shop ,unfortunately its that 10th time that piles on the pounds.

We are lucky to have a wonderful little boutique shop run by a Frenchman and his American wife,it is called Christophe Artisan Chocolates

The other day I remarked to him that his white chocolate was so good,when I was younger white chocolate was one of my favorite indulgences..but over the years I couldnt  find a white chocolate that reminded me of my childhood in England.

He shared his source for white Chocolate ..Guitard Chocolate based in California.

So next time you need white chocolate for a recipe be sure to select Guittard White Chocolate

Almond and Olive Tapenade

Yesterday while browsing the aisle's of Whole Foods for something I have never tried before.I found a Spread/Dip called Scarpetta .Made from olives,almonds and olive oil.It is a rich and nutty flavor and is quite delicious.It is recommended that it is served with cheese and crackers,raw vegetables or on a Tartine. Also can be used as a spreadable condiment for sandwiches and panini.

$5.99 approx 6.3 oz

Always on the lookout to copy it at home I came up with this recipe...Enjoy

Serve this simple but unique spread with zucchini or cucumber rounds or fire-toasted thin baguette slices.

1/2 cup, for 6 appetizer servings
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pitted briny green olives
• 1/4 cup Marcona almonds, or other almonds, toasted (see Ingredient Note and Kitchen Tip)
• 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

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Preparation

1. Combine olives, almonds, tarragon and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add oil in a steady stream and process just until the oil is absorbed. (Alternatively, finely chop the olives, almonds and tarragon by hand and combine with lemon juice and oil in a medium bowl.) The spread should have a coarse but easily spoonable texture. Let stand for about 30 minutes for the flavor to develop.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

• Ingredient note: Spanish Marcona almonds have recently become more popular and more available. They're a little flatter than ordinary almonds, with a richer flavor. Always skinned, most Marcona almonds have already been sautéed in oil and lightly salted when you get them.
• Kitchen Tip: To toast almonds, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 71 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 147 mg sodium; 7 mg potassium.
Exchanges: 1 1/2 fat

Tiramisu Cookies

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Chocolate Caramel Slice

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Christmas Cake in a Hurry...FUNNY!!

I recently found this recipe when going thru old Christmas Decorations!

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Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

1 egg, beaten

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup shortening

2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 2/3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Chocolate frosting:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla

for cookies:

Beat egg and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla, shortening and melted chocolate. Blend well. Combine all dry ingredients into small bowl. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to chocolate mixture. If using, add nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. When the cookies are almost done cooking, remove from oven and place 1/2 of a large marshmallow on top of each cookie. Return to oven for about 1 minute or just until marshmallow puffs. Remove from oven, flatten marshmallow with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Cool completely. Frost with chocolate frosting.

for frosting:

Beat softened butter in bowl. Add vanilla. Slowly beat in cocoa, powdered sugar, milk or half and half. If needed, add more milk, a little at a time.

Roasted Pepper Salami Bites with Chimichurri

• Yield:

  12 servings
  

Times:

Prep

10 min

Inactive Prep

--

Cook

35 min

Total:

45 min

Ingredients

For the Salami Bites:

nocoupons

• 12 slices Genoa salami
• 1 jarred red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 6 ounces queso fresco cheese, crumbled

For the Chimichurri Dressing:

nocoupons

• 3 scallions, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
• 1/4 cup oregano leaves, loosely packed
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place salami slices on a cooling rack set on top of a baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until edges curl up and salami is crispy but not burned. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile make the Chimichurri Dressing: combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.

To assemble Salami Bites, top each salami crisp with a rounded spoonful of chopped peppers and a tablespoon of crumbled queso fresco. Drizzle a tablespoon of Chimichurri Dressing over the top of each and serve.