Puerto Rican Eggnog

A friend in England just asked me for a recipe for eggnog being a dutiful friend I passed along a family recipe made with ice cream...Enjoying this beverage at the holiday seasons reminded me of a shop long gone on Kings Street in Charleston...they served this delicious Puerto Rican Punch over the holidays

Coquito is a traditional punch served at Christmas and New Years celebrations. The drink is similar to eggnog with rum. This particular recipe does not call for raw eggs. Nor does it call for you to crack open a fresh coconut. It's a very simple mixed drink.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 15-ounce cans cream of coconut
• 2 14-ounce cans condensed milk
• 6 ounces white rum (use less if you like)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon coconut (or vanilla) extract

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender. 2. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. Serve cold.
Serves: This recipe makes about 36 ounces.

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Truffles

Click on Image to Enlarge

Avocado Soup

Soup

1 1/2 avocados, peeled and seeded
2 Tablespoons unpasturized miso, brown or white( I used one packet Edwards and Sons Vegetable Miso Cup)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups filtered water
1 lime’s juice
3/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/3 teaspoon chipotle( I skipped this)

Toppings

1/4 cup tomatoes, diced

Nanaimo Bars

Dessert history from Vancouver Island may be lost amid chocolate, sugar, butter


BY JUDY HEVRDEJS

Chicago Tribune

This is the story of a legend­ary food. And as with all legendary foods, there are tall tales, controversies and, at least with Nanaimo bars, the discreet mention of sex.

The layered cookies get their name from a town called Nanaimo (pronounced nuh­NIGH-moe) on Vancouver Island, a bay away from the Winter Olympics 2010. They are a sweet pleasure with a base of crushed graham crackers, nuts and coconut topped with a buttery middle layer, then finished with glossy semisweet chocolate.

There are variations on this theme, of course. Some reci­pes use Bird’s Custard Powder in the filling, others peanut butter.

By most accounts, the recipe traces its roots to the church ladies of Nanaimo. Some say the treats were originally called Mabel bars.

The biggest dispute? That the bars really were created thousands of miles away and are called “New York Slices.”

For insight, we tracked down a University of Victoria English professor and fifth­generation Nanaimo native named Kim Blank.

When he wasn’t writing about Wordsworth and Shel­ley, Blank wrote the humor book “Sex, Life Itself and the Original Nanaimo Bar Recipe.”

“Nanaimo bars always have been famous around here as having mythological origins,” he told us. “However, no one has been able to claim to have found the origins of the recipe, except my dear old mum.” Mum it turns out, had a beat-up recipe book from the Women’s Association at Brechin Church dating to the early 1950s. “As far as I was concerned, being a literary scholar, now I had textual evidence.”

He also stuck the recipe in the back of his “Sex” book.

“How could you go wrong with sex and food?”

Can’t argue with that.

Canadian Living magazine has run numerous recipes for these bars, including this basic version.

Nanaimo Bars

Makes: 48 bars 2 eggs, lightly beaten 11⁄3cups melted butter, divid­ed for use, plus 2 tablespoons unmelted 2⁄3cup cocoa ½ cup granulated sugar 3 cups graham cracker crumbs 2 cups shredded coconut 1 cup finely chopped wal­nuts ¼ cup milk 2 teaspoons vanilla 4 cups confectioners’ sugar 8 ounces semisweet choco-l­ate, chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 13-by-9-inch cake pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving 1-inch extend­ing over long edges; set aside.

Whisk together eggs, 1 cup of the melted butter, cocoa and sugar in large bowl; stir in crumbs, coconut and walnuts. Press evenly into prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

Stir together remaining ⅓ cup of the melted butter, milk and vanilla in medium bowl; beat in confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled base. Re­frigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.

Place chocolate in a micro­wave- safe bowl with remain­ing 2 tablespoons of the but­ter. Heat 1 minute; stir. Heat 30 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. Spread evenly over filling. Score the sur­face into serving size pieces.

Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

Use parchment paper to lift bars from pan; peel off paper.

Cut into bars.

Per bar: 184 calories, 50 percent of calories from fat, 11g fat, 6g saturated fat, 24mg cholesterol, 22g carbohy­drates, 2g protein, 47mg so­dium, 1g fiber.

An Additional Recipe and more info is at this link  http://www.joyofbaking.com/NanaimoBars.html

Nutella Pudding

Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups whole milk
4 eggs
6 yolks
2/3 cup sugar
2.5 ounces 70% dark chocolate
12 ounces nutella

METHOD:

Bring milk to a boil.

Remove from the heat, add nutella and dark chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes, and then blend together with a hand blender or whisk.

In a separate bowl, whip eggs, yolks and sugar together by hand until well blended. Temper hot milk mixture slowly into egg mixture while whisking. Make sure to add egg mixture slowly so they do not scramble.

Strain the mixture through a sieve and pour into ramekins and place them on a baking dish.

Create a water bath by filling a baking dish with hot water, half way up the side of the ramekins.

Cover the whole pan with aluminum foil; bake at 325°F for approximately 30-40 minutes or until just set.

Remove from the oven and let cool 30 minutes before refrigerating them.

Cucumber Water

My newest gotta have product is Sparkling Cucumber water...awhile back at the hairdresser my stylist recommended that I try Water laced with Cut up Cucumber.She had tried it while having a massage at the local spa...Being busy I never got round to trying it!

Whole Foods last night came to my taste buds rescue..they were sampling Knudson Sparkling Cucumber Essence Water and Now I am addicted...Try and you will be too! It is also available in Mint,Lemon and Blueberry.

"The subtle essence of fresh cucumber flavor meets the tingling sensation of effervescent spring water.  This light and refreshing organic sparkling beverage offers pure spring water infused with organic lemon and organic cucumber extract to create a spa-like experience, but without any calories, added sugar, or artificial ingredients.Just pure refreshment."

Available Size(s): 10.5 oz

Nutrition Facts Contains 0% Juice Serving Size: 1 can Calories: 0 Calories from fat: 0 % Daily Value* Total Fat 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 0mg 0% Potassium 0mg 0% Carbohydrate 0g 0% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 0g Protein 0g Not a significant source of other nutirents. *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. INGREDIENTS: CARBONATED SPRING WATER, ORGANIC BREWED LEMON EXTRACT, ORGANIC NATURAL CUCUMBER EXTRACT, ORGANIC LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE

Limoncello and Lemon Cream Fruit Tart

Limoncello and Lemon Cream Fruit Tart

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

hr min

Cook Time:

hr min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 servings

Ingredients

1 store-bought sponge cake tart shell, 12-inch diameter, available in produce or
bakery departments
2 ounces chilled limoncello liqueur
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup lemon curd
1/2 pint raspberries
1/2 pint blackberries
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons very thinly sliced mint leaves

Directions

Remove the tart cake from the
packaging, put it on a cake plate and douse with the liqueur. In a small bowl whisk or beat the cream,
mascarpone cheese and lemon curd to combine. Fill the tart with the cheese mixture and top with the berries,
lemon zest and mint.

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