Leek & Goat Cheese Tart

INGREDIENTS

 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. white wine

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1 leek

1/4 cup butter

2 Tbsp. water

1/2 tsp. salt

FOR THE CRUST

 1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp. salt

9 Tbsp. butter, slightly softened

4 Tbsp. ice water

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

To prepare the crust, mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in the water & vinegar and lightly knead until a dough forms. Flatten into a thick disc and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Prepare a leek confit by melting the 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan. Chop the leek (yes, even the dark green bits) thinly and toss with the melted butter in the saucepan. Add the 2 Tbsp. water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat together the egg, yolk, milk, cream, white wine, & salt. Roll out the crust and fit into a tart pan (or if, like me, you don't have a tart pan, a springform cheesecake pan will work). 

Crumble 1/2 cup goat cheese into the bottom of the unbaked crust. Spread the leek confit over the top. Crumble the remaining goat cheese over the leeks and pour the cream mixture over the top.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes or until crust is light brown and the filling is puffy and completely set.

Original Recipe Here.

Rhubarb Desserts

INGREDIENTS

 1 recipe for your favorite pie crust

4 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1/2" chunks

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 egg, beaten

FOR THE MERINGUE

4 egg whites

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 pinch cream of tartar

Mix together the rhubarb, sugar, corn starch, and egg until thoroughly combined. Pour into pie crust.

Bake at 450 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until stiff. Mix in the sugar and cream of tartar.

Top the pie with the meringue, shaping into swirls and peaks. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. and bake for another 15 minutes or until meringue is golden and set.

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INGREDIENTS

  1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup sour milk (1 cup milk + 1 Tbsp. vinegar)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups diced rhubarb

FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING

 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Sugar & water mixed together with a little molasses
 Cream cheese frosting (optional)

Cream together the shortening, egg, & brown sugar.

Add the sour milk and mix. In another bowl, sift together the baking soda, salt, and flour. Add to the wet ingredients and mix.

Add the almond extract, vanilla, and rhubarb and mix until all the rhubarb is incorporated.

Pour into two greased round cake pans (or one large baking pan). Mix together the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the tops of the cakes. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 35-45 minutes.

If you are baking the cake in round pans, prepare your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe. When the cakes have cooled, place one on a cake stand, spread the top with the frosting, and top with the second cake. Pour sugar water over the crumble topping to give the cake a nice crunchy contrast.

Florida Food Porn

 

After ten days and one freak memory card reformat, here is the best of the Florida Food Cavalcade.

Breakfast pastry at Tween Waters Inn on Captiva Island

Fish & chips at the Mucky Duck on Captiva Island

Mango Cheesecake at the Mucky Duck on Captiva Island

Bubble bread at the Bubble Room on Captiva Island

Cake selection at the Bubble Room on Captiva Island

Conch fritters at the Lazy Flamingo on Sanibel Island

Grouper sandwich at the Lazy Flamingo on Sanibel Island

Crab bisque (otherwise known as THE BEST DAMN FOOD EVER TO GRAZE THE UNDESERVING TASTE BUDS OF US MERE MORTALS) at Matzaluna on Sanibel Island

Key lime pie at Matzaluna on Sanibel Island

Bagels & Lox at the Island Cow on Sanibel Island

King crab legs at Village Fish Market in Punta Gorda

Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS

 1 recipe for your favorite pie crust - doubled

1/2 cup butter

3 Tbsp. Flour

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

5 cups peeled & sliced baking apples

Roll out 1/2 the crust and fit into a greased pie pan. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Add the water and sugars and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to low to keep the mixture hot.

 Mound the apples into the pie crust. Roll out the remaining dough and slice into 1/2" strips. Weave over the apples to form a lattice crust: How To Weave A Lattice Crust.

Carefully & evenly pour the caramel sauce over the crust, letting it sink in between the apple slices.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees F and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until crust is nicely browned and a knife inserted into the apples does not make them crunch.

Original recipe can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-pie-by-grandma-ople/

Chocolate Emergency Cookies

INGREDIENTS

 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

1 stick butter, softened

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

FOR THE ICING

 4 Tbsp. butter, softened

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar

Melt together the chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently.

Stir in 4 Tbsp. butter. Cool briefly.

In a large bowl, beat together the remaining 4 Tbsp. butter with the sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the chocolate until well combined. 

Mix together the flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. Stir into the chocolate mixture until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 25 minutes. Roll into balls and bake at 350 degrees F.

To make the frosting, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the cream and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat well. Spread a generous layer onto each COOLED cookie.

Original recipe can be found in Diane Mott Davidson's book Sticks & Scones

Easter Dinner

Amidst the droves of Robin's Egg Whoppers and limited edition Lindt truffles, we managed to squeeze in some actual real live human foodstuffs. Here is the cavalcade of my Easter cooking crusade.

Eastah Bacon!

 

Spuds ready to be cooked in butter and cream for Delmonico Potatoes

Fat Cat eyeballing the Easter Chicken

Glaze cooking for the chicken

Perky Easter chicken getting ready for glaze

Asparagus Porn pt.1

Asparagus Porn pt.2

Asparagus Porn pt.3

Gougeres

Delmonico Potatoes. Otherwise known as How to Gain 20 lbs in Three Bites. Otherwise known as pure heaven.

Asparagus with garlic, red pepper, and lemon

Glazed Easter Chicken

Apples Flambé-ing

Apples Foster

Digesting