Thanksgiving Day Recipe Round-Up

This post is for those of you out there who are procrastinating, are too busy or just don't want to make the same old thing for Thanksgiving.  I sifted through my blog and found that I have enough fall inspired side dishes, cocktails and desserts to keep everyone happy, full and "slightly" buzzed.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

1.  Roasted Cauliflower and Leeks Soup
2.  Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Coconut Sage Dressing
3.  Pumpkin Pie Cocktail
4.  Roasted Garlic Browned Butter Mashed Parsnips and Potatoes

5.  Almond Blueberry Super Green Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing
6.  Orange Rosemary Bourbon Cocktail
7.  White Wine Compound Butter with Dill and Shallots
8.  Pumpkin Spiced Whoppie Pies
9.  Roasted Beets and Fresh Green Bean Salad with Creamy Creme Fraiche Dressing

    10.  Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup with Crispy Chorizo
    11.  Spicy Bloody Mary
    12.  Peanut Butter S'mores Cheesecake
    13.  How To Make Pumpkin Puree 

Two Ingredient Ice Cream

OK I'm going to complain again for only one second that I can't turn on my oven during the day because of the weather.  Ugh!!  I have so many wonderful fall recipes that I'm hoping to share soon, before it turns winter!  So for now I will be doing some simple and fun recipes that doesn't require the oven.

I don't know if you've been to Trader Joe's lately and discovered that they have now made an ice cream with their super addicting Speculoos Cookie Butter.  Well unfortunately and fortunately I have.  I'm a sucker for trying out all of their new products and this one without a doubt jumped into my already overflowing grocery cart.  

My husband and I at first went slow and savored each bite of a small bowl declaring it is the best ice cream we've had in a while.  Then we decided it needed to be made into a pumpkin beer float, which was of course, incredible.  Then we found ourselves sneaking spoonfuls from the freezer and by the end of the week we were scraping the bottom of the carton not to leave any ounce of cookie butter behind.  Indulgent?  Maybe.  Feeling a bit guilty?  Yes.

To calm my guilty feelings and cookie butter cravings I decided to make my own version with just two  ingredients.  Yes, TWO ingredients!!  All you need is frozen bananas, cookie butter and a food processor to blend it until it makes that creamy delicious ice cream.  I admit it's not quite the same but it's definitely pretty darn good!  

Banana Cookie Butter Ice Cream

Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas, chopped and frozen 
1/4 cup Speculoos Cookie Butter, creamy or crunchy (substitutes: peanut butter, Nutella, chocolate fudge)

Place the frozen bananas into a food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Add the cookie butter and pulse until combined.  The texture will be creamy like soft serve ice cream.  You can enjoy immediately or place into an airtight container and place into the freezer for about 20-30 minutes until frozen.  Store in the freezer for up to 1 month.  Makes 2 cups.

Me, my sister and Ina

I've been trying to get this recipe out and perfected for a while.  After many attempts to make the perfect looking cake I realized it's not always about the way it looks but really about the way it taste.  Right? I can't say how many times I've put a disclaimer on my baking.  Ok, I'm not the worst baker, (actually my dance students think I'm pretty amazing) and I can follow a good recipe.  However, my sister the baker would never call me to decorate or ice a cake and maybe not even a cookie for that matter.  So with a little help from my sister sharing her dark chocolate ganache recipe and one of our favorite chefs, Ina Garten's amazing chocolate cake, I was able to put my savory-sweet tooth balsamic strawberry compote recipe to good use.

Now, like I said I tried really hard to make this recipe look good so please don't judge my photos in this post.  I know my sister will be making this for Mother's Day so I'll be sure to post her masterpiece on my Instagram!

There are three different ways this dessert can be made; an 8-inch round layered cake, 4-inch round mini cakes or my favorite, layered parfaits.  I wish you luck and enjoy!

Dark Chocolate and Balsamic Strawberry Compote Cake


Chocolate Cake
Follow Ina's famous recipe here for the cake.

Balsamic Strawberry Compote

Ingredients
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons high quality balsamic vinegar
Dash of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium high-heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring.  The compote should be syrup like.  Transfer the compote to a bowl and allow to cool. Refrigerate and store for up to two weeks.  Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

Dark Chocolate Ganache 

Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 teaspoons light corn syrup
1-1/3 cups dark chocolate chips

Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk until the chocolate chips are melted and the heavy cream is mixed in.  Pour over the dessert immediately.

Assembling 8-inch Round Layered Cake

Ingredients
Ina's Chocolate Cake
Balsamic Strawberry Compote
Dark Chocolate Ganache
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

Follow Ina's directions for baking the cake mixture into two 8-inch round cakes.  Once the cakes are cooled place one cake onto a pedestal.  Carefully slice off the top part of the cake to make it level if needed.  Spread the fresh strawberries on top of the cake.  Pour the balsamic strawberry compote on top and spread evenly.  Place the second 8-inch round cake on top.  Pour the dark chocolate ganache over the cake.  Using a spatula spread the ganache evenly making sure to cover the sides.  Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes allowing the ganache to set.  Makes about 8-10 servings.

Assembling 4-inch Round Mini Cakes

Ingredients
Ina's Chocolate Cake
Balsamic Strawberry Compote
Dark Chocolate Ganache
1-2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Bake the chocolate cake in an 11x15 inch baking pan.  Allow the cake to cool completely.  

Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out about 6 round mini cakes.  Place the excess cake into a container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze and store for up to 3 months if desired.

Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the mini cakes in half horizontally, creating a top and bottom.  Line each bottom half with fresh strawberries.  Spoon about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the balsamic strawberry compote on top and spread evenly.  Place the top half of the mini cakes on top.  Trim any excess cake along the sides to make the cakes more round if necessary.  Carefully pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the dark chocolate ganache over each mini cake.  Using a small spatula spread the ganache evenly over each cake making sure to cover the sides.  Place the cakes in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes allowing the ganache to set.  Each mini cake serves 2.

Assembling the Parfaits

Ingredients
Ina's Chocolate Cake
Balsamic Strawberry Compote, double recipe
Dark Chocolate Ganache, double recipe 
2-3 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Bake the chocolate cake in an 11x15 inch baking pan.  Allow the cake to cool completely.  Once cooled cut the cake into small 1-1/2 inch cubes.  

Using 6 ounce jars, place 3-4 cubes of cake into the bottom of each jar.  Next pour in 1 tablespoon of the balsamic strawberry compote.  Place about 1 tablespoon of fresh strawberries on top of the compote.  Drizzle in 1-1/2 teaspoons of the dark chocolate ganache.  Repeat with all 4 layers.   Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.  Makes 20-24 parfaits.

Cooking With The Ones You Love Part 2: Dessert and Cocktail

My sweet tooth sister joined me this week to create the perfect Valentine's Day or Love Day as we call it, dessert and cocktail.  Melissa and I have been cooking together ever since we learned how to use the microwave and old enough to use the oven.  As kids our summer days were often spent just the two of us while our parents were working.  This gave us time to "bond" and be creative with our lunches.  Fortunately for us and everyone else we have come a long way from microwaving hot dogs, frozen chicken nuggets and using unnecessary amounts of mayonnaise as the "glue" to our sandwiches.  

With an extra special love for sweets my sister has become an amazing baker.  She is known for her incredible Christmas cookies, delicious pies, and beautifully decorated cakes.  Her endless creativity in her baking helped her create the perfect dessert for me.  Knowing that she had to satisfy my savory side as well, she mixed just the right amount of sweet and salt to make this Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce.  Oh, and don't worry we created a Chocolate Infused Bourbon Cocktail to compliment this delectable dessert.

Although we live 3,000 miles away from each other, our countless phone calls, FaceTime chats and emails keep us close and give us this opportunity to share our love with you.  Happy Love Day!

Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup pretzels, crushed
1 cup pecans, crushed
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon raw sugar
Course sea salt to taste
16 ounces Baker's semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1-10 ounce jar caramel sauce (I use Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the pretzels, pecans, melted butter and raw sugar in a medium mixing bowl.  Press the pretzel mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the crust.

In a medium saucepan, cook the chocolate and heavy whipping cream on low heat until the chocolate has melted, constantly stirring.  Set aside to cool.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, flour and granulated sugar for about 5 minutes until thick and lemon colored.  Slowly beat in the chocolate mixture to combine.

Pour batter onto the prepared pretzel crust.  Bake for 40-45 minutes until the center is almost set.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack.  Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes then carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen.  Cool for 1 hour more on the wire rack and then refrigerate overnight in the springform pan.  

Remove the cake from the springform pan and serve with 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce per slice covering the cake. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and enjoy!

Chocolate Infused Bourbon Cocktail

Chocolate Infused Bourbon
6 ounces bourbon
6 squares of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Candy Bar

Place the chocolate and bourbon into an airtight container.  Allow to infuse for 3-6 days.




Cocktail
2 ounces Chocolate Infused Bourbon
1/2 ounce Frangelico
1 square Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Candy Bar

In a rocks glass pour the Chocolate Infused Bourbon and Frangelico over ice.  Stir to combine and garnish with dark chocolate square.

Antioxidant Blueberry Sunday

Blueberries, rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, make this small powerful fruit a great immune booster. While some of us may be fighting this seasons flu, I thought this Blueberry-Ginger Snap Cookie Crumble would be the perfect dessert to end this month's detoxing theme.  

Speaking of desserts it was brought to my attention that I haven't really posted any.  I have to admit I am the savory type.  Those who know me best, know that I am more likely to grab a bag of chips over chocolate as a treat.  However, I do crave sweets from time to time and per a request from one of my students (I'm a dance teacher) and her mother I have whipped up this scrumptious dessert.  

But before giving you the recipe, I have to thank my student Michelle and her mom, who made this request, for their never ending support and love for my desserts.  I think they'll find this funny, but I often find their praise surprising because I really never thought of myself as a great or even good baker (that's my husband's forte).   So here goes.  I hope you all enjoy!

Blueberry-Ginger Snap Cookie Crumble

Ingredients
2 pints fresh blueberries, washed
1 tablespoon turbinado or raw sugar
1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil, in liquid form (see notes)
1-1/4 cup ginger snap cookies, crushed (I use Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Snap Cookies)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

First rub the inside of a 9-inch baking dish with the 1 teaspoon of coconut oil.  In a medium bowl, place the blueberries and turbinado sugar and toss to coat.  Pour them into the prepared baking dish.

In a separate medium bowl, place the ginger snap cookies, flour and brown sugar.  Pour in the 1/2 cup the coconut oil and stir until well combined.  Sprinkle the topping over the blueberries and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Blueberries should be bubbling a bit and the topping should be browned.  Remove the crumble from the oven and allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes.  Serve on its own or with vanilla or coconut ice cream.  Makes about 6 servings.

This wonderful dessert can be made into individual servings.  Simply distribute the blueberries and cookie mixture evenly into smaller ramekins.

Notes:  Virgin coconut oil will solidify in cooler temperatures.  To liquefy either place the jar in a bowl of hot water or warm the oil in a small sauce pan on the stove on low heat until it becomes liquid.