Cheese Cake (King Cake) Éclairs (Serves 12)

A colleague at work got to sample these after our Mardi Gras dinner and she seems to have taken a liking to them. She has asked that I post the recipe, and while these didn't get Star Recipe Status owing to the pate choux coming out too dense, I have agreed to put it out there. Perhaps she can improve on the pastry dough or the technique? Perhaps you can too?

-Chez


Software for éclair pate choux:

• 1 cup plus 1 teaspoon whole milk
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably freshly grated
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 to 6 large eggs (dough)
• 1 egg (wash)
  

Software for cream cheese pastry cream:

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

Software for tangerine glaze and assembly:

• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed tangerine juice
• 1 teaspoon tangerine zest
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
• Cake decorating gel or paste (Mardi Gras colors - optional)
  

Hardware:

• large pastry bag, 1/2-inch-tip, and 1/4-inch tip

Instructions

Make éclairs:

· Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
· In medium saucepan, combine 1 cup milk, butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
· Bring to boil over moderate heat, stirring with wooden spoon until butter is melted.
· Add flour all at once and cook, beating constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from sides of pan and forms ball, about 15 seconds.
· Transfer dough to bowl of standing electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
· Beat in 5 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Check consistency by lifting spoonful of dough; dough should form soft peaks and fall from spoon in slow, bending hook. If dough is too stiff, beat in 6th egg.
· Spoon batter into large pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch tip. Pipe 5-inch-long, 1-inch-wide logs onto baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each log.
· In small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 teaspoon milk to make egg wash. Brush each éclair with egg wash and bake 15 minutes, switching position of sheets halfway through baking. Lower oven temperature to 325°F and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 10 more minutes.
· Remove éclairs and turn off oven. Using small, sharp knife cut small slit in 1 long side of each éclair. Return éclairs to oven, propping door slightly open, for 5 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to rack to cool.

Make pastry cream:

· Have ready large bowl half full of ice water.
· In medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. In heavy medium saucepan over moderate heat, bring cream to boil.
· In stream, pour ½ of hot cream into egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Whisk mixture into remaining cream in saucepan and place over medium heat.
· Cook, stirring constantly with wooden spoon to prevent boiling, until pastry cream thickens enough to coat back of spoon, about 3 to 4 minutes.
· Remove pan from heat and set in bowl filled with ice water. Cool pastry cream, stirring occasionally, until thick and cool, about 30 minutes.
· In large mixing bowl, whisk together cream cheese and cooled pastry cream. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch-tip and set aside.

Make glaze:

· In medium bowl, combine tangerine juice and zest. Slowly whisk in confectioner's sugar until thoroughly combined.

Assemble: Pipe pastry cream into éclairs through slits in sides. Using small pastry brush spread glaze over top of each éclair and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Decorate with gel or paste as you wish and return to refrigerator

NOTE: Bring to room temperature before serving.

Lentil Soup (Serves 8)

Soup is a staple in the cold, dreary months of winter here in Illinois, so it should take no one by surprise that this little lovely won Star Status on 2/22, during our "Mardi Gras" Theme Day.

The soup was excellent but the balsamic vinegar cream (reduction) was a very good 'optional' and I strongly recommend you drizzle it on to the soup right before you serve. It brings a whole new dimension to this hearty soup. Serve it with a hearty, crusty bread and you have a meal good for any wintery day.

- Chez

Software

• 3 tablespoons extra–virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery stalks plus chopped celery leaves for garnish
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed, drained
• 1 14 1/2–ounce can diced tomatoes in juice


• Balsamic vinegar cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium–high heat.


2. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes.


3. Add 4 cups broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium–low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.


4. Transfer 2 cups soup (mostly solids) to blender and puree until smooth.


5. Return puree to soup in pan; thin soup with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if too thick.


6. Season with salt, pepper.


7. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with celery leaves and drizzle balsamic vinegar cream to taste.

Bitter Chocolate Soufflé Cake (Makes 8-6 oz servings)

If you are a fan of dark chocolate but not a big lover of the super-sweet concoctions that some chocolate desserts become then this one is for you. The words that best describe the light texture and airiness of this dessert is “chocolate air”.

We tried this one on 2/15 and my wife (who never picks the dessert as her favorite) broke with tradition and opted to choose this as her Star Recipe of the Day. I hope that you like it as much as we did.

- Chez

Software –

• 6 1/2 ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)
• Dark chocolate fudge (optional)
• Chocolate ice cream topping ‘shell’ (optional)

Hardware –

• 8 6oz ramekins
• Parchment paper
• Metal baking sheet
• 1 Hot pad
• 1 Large metal bowl
• 2 Small metal bowl
• Electric mixer
• Wire cooling rack

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place a piece of parchment paper on the metal baking sheet and place in freezer for 10 minutes. (optional-garnish)
3. Remove sheet and drizzle a small ‘doo-dad’ of ice cream topping ‘shell’ on the paper, one for each ramekin, for a total of 8. Place back in freezer to harden. (optional – garnish)
4. Place dessert plates in freezer.
5. Place hot pad inside large metal bowl and place one of the small metal bowls on top of it. Turn on pad to medium/high.
6. Place the chocolate and all of the butter in the small bowl apparatus and heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has melted but is not too hot (DO NOT EXCEED 100 F).
7. Stir until smooth.
8. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar together until thickened slightly and lighter in color.
9. Whisk in the flour and then add the chocolate mixture.
10. Place the egg whites in the second small metal bowl and place on the hot pad until warmed slightly.
11. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and whip with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 1/2 tablespoons more sugar. Turn the speed to high and add the last 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, whipping the whites to firm peaks.
12. Stir a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
13. Fold in the remaining whites, in two separate additions, ensuring that you ARE folding and NOT MIXING! 10 swirls only… “Walk away, just walk away!”
14. Divide the batter among the ramekins.
15. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the tops are puffed and feel firm to the touch, about 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 3 minutes.
16. Meanwhile, if you are going to use the optional presentation pictured above, remove dessert plates from freezer and smear a dollop of chocolate fudge on the plate and add a single scoop of ice cream. Return plates to freezer.
17. After the cakes are cool, drizzle a very small amount of the ‘shell’ topping onto them.
18. Remove plates from freezer and set ramekins on them.
19. With a clean knife, make a slash into the ice cream ball and insert the doo-dad.
20. Serve immediately or your doo-dad will melt!

CHICKEN NUGGETS WITH HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE

Our second Star from 2/8 Brunch was the chicken nuggets with its honey mustard dipping sauce accompaniment. The chicken is good all by itself, but add the honey-mustard and it goes over the top.

Bon Appétit!





Software-Chicken:

• 2 cup crushed sour-cream-and-onion-flavored potato chips
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 4 chicken breast fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
  

Software-Honey Mustard:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or juice from 1/2 lemon
• Horseradish, to taste

Preparation-

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingregients to the honey mustard sauce.

Cover and chill for at least 3 hours before use.

Spread the crushed potato chips in a shallow dish.

Beat together the egg and milk in a shallow bowl.

Dip the chicken cubes into the egg mixture and then dredge them in the chips.

Place the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Bee Kiss (Makes 2 servings)

2/8/09 Brunch was themed around honey, a first for Chez… but it was also a first in that all of the meal items; the drink, the main item and the supporting items of the meal, scored 10 out of 10. We were hard pressed to bring you a single item as a Star Recipe, so we didn’t… we gave you two. The Bee Kiss is the first offering and if you are a fan of creamy honey, this one is for you.

Bon Appétit!

Software:

• 3 ounces light rum
• 2 ounce honey
• 3 ounces heavy cream
• Small edible flowers (optional)
  

Hardware:

• Cocktail shaker
• Martini glasses
  

Preparation:

1. Warm honey in microwave – but do not boil!
2. Combine rum and honey in shaker, stir well, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
3. Prior to serving, add heavy cream to shaker and sir to combine.
4. Pour into glasses and garnish with edible flower.
   

NOTE: Do not add ice to the mixture! If you do, the honey will collect and harden around the ice and will no longer be part of the drink.

Polamalu Punch (Makes 10 servings)

It can go by any name you like, but since this one was created for the Super Bowl we have called it 'Polamalu Punch'. Take heed however... it is deceptively good but go slow. Like its namesake it will knock you on your butt if you are not on guard.

Bon Appétit!

Software:

• 3 cups Hawaiian Punch


• 2 cups apple juice


• 1 cup cranberry juice


• 2 cups ginger ale


• 1 cup Berry vodka


• 1 cup Triple Sec
  
  

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl or pitcher


2. Add ice and stir


3. Ladle and serve

Pecorino Romano Toast with Apples and Fig Jam

Here is a real winner. The taste and texture is to die for and this one is a lot better than either of us had expected. Sweet and savory, salty and tangy... crunch and smooth, this one is a super winner and you should give it a try...honest!

Ingredients:

6 dried figs, halved
1/2 cup simple syrup, recipe follows
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
24 baguette slices
Olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 large apple (Granny Smith or Braeburn), thinly sliced into 24 slices
1/4 pound chunk Pecorino Romano, for shaving 24 pieces

Directions -

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.


2. Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the figs, simple syrup, and brandy. Bring the mixture up to a simmer.


3. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.


4. Place the fig mixture and the hazelnuts in a food processor and blend, pulsing a few times, until pureed. Set aside.


5. Place the baguette slices on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon grated Pecorino Romano.


6. Bake until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted and golden, about 7 minutes.


7. Top each slice of toast with 2 teaspoons of fig jam, a slice of apple and a piece of shaved Pecorino Romano.


8. Transfer the toasts to a serving platter and serve.
   

Simple syrup:

1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar

In a saucepan combine water and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Take pan off heat and cool the syrup. Any extra cooled syrup can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Presentation: A few slices of heirloom tomato and a sprig of Italian parsley... nothing fancy here, just let the taste speak for itself.

Pan de Papa (Makes 4 Small Loaves)

Today’s pick is Peruvian potato bread. The choice for today's Star Recipe was Sheb’s since I was unconvinced that we had a “Star Recipe”... but she insisted that we did indeed have one and that this was it.

Well, I’ll have to put my trust in someone out there and have you make this, evaluate it and than report back.

Bon Appétit!

Software:

• 1 large potato
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry instant yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup of milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 large egg
• 3 1/4 cups bread flour
  

Hardware:

• Stand mixer with dough hook
• Tea towel
  

Preparation

1 - Peel potato and cut into 4 pieces. Boil until tender, then mash thoroughly. Let cool.
2 - Bring milk to a boil and remove from heat. Add butter and salt to hot milk. Let cool until just a little warmer than room temperature.
3 - In the bowl of a standing mixer, dissolve yeast and sugar in 3/4 cup warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes.
4 - Add egg, potato, half of the flour, and half of the cooled milk mixture to mixer bowl, and knead with dough hook on low speed.
5 - Gradually add remaining flour and continue to knead for 5 to 10 minutes. The dough should remain fairly soft, and if it seems to be getting stiff, slowly add remaining milk, as necessary. (The dough should be smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky after kneading. If dough seems too wet, add a little more flour.)
6 - Turn dough out into oiled bowl, cover with tea towel and let rise in a warm place until double in size (3 hours) or if you have time… in refrigerator overnight.
7 - Punch down dough and cut into pieces the size of a grapefruit. Roll pieces into a ball shape on a floured surface and place on a greased cookie sheet, about an inch apart. Make a one inch slash in the tops of the rolls with a sharp knife.
8 - Preheat oven to 425. Let rolls rise until almost double in bulk.
9 - Bake for 5 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more. Rolls should have light golden brown color when ready. Cool 10 minutes and serve.

Russian Teacakes - Irene Romanowski's recipe (makes 3-4 dozen)

A few weeks ago Sheb and I had a Russian-themed meal set and for the brunch, I tried my hand at Russian Teacakes. They were okay but I felt that they were too dense (hard?) for my liking. I brought some to work and my colleague (Susan Lambert) agreed that they were not ‘right’ and she suggested that I had perhaps overworked the dough. She also suggested that I try her mother’s recipe. As a bit of incentive, today she supplied me a few of these tasty morsels and I must agree that her mother’s recipe is far superior to mine… so in the spirit of Universal Harmony and Altruism I offer it up to you.

(By the way, you can tell that Susan is a ‘numbers-oriented’ kinda gal. Check out her measurements. I am surprised they are not in metric!)

Bon Appétit!

Software:
· 1 cup butter (I have always used a high quality margarine and so did my mother)
· 2.25 cup flour
· 1 tsp vanilla extract
· 0.25 tsp salt
· 0.5 cup powdered sugar (in the dough) + extra powdered sugar to roll the finished cookies in
· 0.75 cup chopped pecans

Preparation –
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed and uniform cohesive dough. (If you like the pecans coarsely chopped, you may want to hold them out until the other ingredients have come together. We had a nut grinder at home and the pieces were all less than 1/4" in size.)

3. Shape into 1" balls by rolling between your palms.

4. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 8-12 minutes. (Check bottom of cookies to determine when done - top of cookie should not be brown).

5. Roll the hot cookies in powdered sugar, cool and roll them in powdered sugar again.

Red Pea Bisque Flambé (Serves 4)

Today’s little treat (and my first attempt at a flambé) is unexpectedly tasty, even when one considers how little it has in the way of ingredients. Heck, there isn’t even any salt and pepper in this gem, yet beyond the obvious “Hollywood” quality of this flambé-style meal, this dish has a taste that is earthy, down-home and downright pleasing.

Take your time, exercise care in the flambé process (lest you burn your house down) but do try this one. It is exceptional!

Bon Appétit!

Software:
1/2 stick butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 small shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (plus 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth)
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/4 cups dried kidney beans
1 tablespoon dry Sherry
1/2 cup whole milk (or heavy cream if you prefer)
6 tablespoons high-quality white (Platinum recommended) rum
4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Hardware:
Fire stick or long kitchen match

Preparation –

1. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat.


2. Add onion, shallot, garlic, and thyme; sauté until onion is soft, about 8 minutes.


3. Add 4 cups broth, coconut milk, and beans; bring to boil.


4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours.


5. Remove thyme sprigs.


6. Remove and set aside 1 cup of beans from your preparation.


7. Working in batches, purée remaining mixture in blender until smooth. (Mixture will significantly thicken as it cools.)


8. Return soup to same pot; add reserved beans and Sherry.


9. Up to this point, everything can be done 1 day ahead. If this is the route you choose, cover and chill until ready to serve.


10. When it’s time to eat, bring bisque to simmer over low heat, stirring to prevent bottom from sticking and burning.


11. Once warmed, add whole milk or heavy cream, thinning with the extra broth if desired; cover and keep warm.


12. Place rum in heavy small skillet, bring to simmer (do not boil) and remove from flame. (BE CAREFUL!)


13. Plate soup in individual bowls, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of chives per bowl and drizzle heated rum onto bisque.


14. Move to table and carefully ignite rum. When flames subside, dive in!