Chocolate Dessert Lasagna

Cook time: 40 minutes        Yields: 9 servings

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles

2 pounds ricotta cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

1 orange, zested

1/2 cup roasted pistachios

4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely grated

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook noodles for 1 minute. Drain, put into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain again, lay on paper towels to dry.

Whisk together ricotta, sugar, cocoa powder, and eggs on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and orange zest. Spread 1/4 of cheese mixture into the bottom of an 8"x8" baking dish. Sprinkle some of the pistachios over the top, press on a layer of noodles. Repeat, ending with ricotta mixture and pistachios. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until lasagna has risen. Remove pan from oven, sprinkle white chocolate evenly over it. Let cool, cut, serve.

Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Cook time: 65 minutes Yields: 8-10 servings

 

Ingredients

1 head garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

Salt

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature

Freshly ground black pepper

Snipped fresh rosemary, optional (for garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut top off garlic, wrap head in foil leaving top cut edge exposed. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes or until garlic is soft and caramelized. Set aside to cool. 

In medium pan, cover potatoes with water, add a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium and simmer about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain well. 

While potatoes are cooking, warm cream and rosemary in small pan over low heat. Strain out rosemary.

Put hot potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl. Squeeze in roasted garlic and add some of the warm cream. Mix well. Add butter, mix again. Add more cream if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, garnish with snipped rosemary. Serve immediately.

Raspberry and Hazelnut Salad with Chocolate Ganache

For those who like a nice fresh salad with their soup!

Cook time: 10 minutes Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup raspberry liqueur (Framboise)

1/2 pint raspberries

2 tablespoons hazelnuts, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon fresh mint, thinly sliced

Small pinch salt

2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (Framboise)

4 ounces (1/2 cup) sweetened whipped cream (for garnish)

Small piece bittersweet chocolate to shave (for garnish)

Directions

In small saucepan, bring cream, butter, and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in chopped chocolate so that it melts completely. Stir in raspberry liqueur. Let ganache cool to room temperature.

Gently combine raspberries, hazelnuts, mint, small pinch of salt, and raspberry liqueur. 

In wide, shallow soup bowl, pour about 3 ounces of room temperature ganache to fill shallow pool in the bottom of the bowl, about 1/8" deep. Place a nice spoonful of raspberry/hazelnut salad in centre, garnish with a small spoonful of whipped cream and shaved bittersweet chocolate. Top with chopped hazelnuts, if desired.

Baked Brie with Roasted Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Bake time: 63 minutes        Yields: 24 servings

Ingredients

1 whole head garlic

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 (12 ounce) round of brie cheese

3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and cut into thin strips

1/3 cup pine nuts

3 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil

Crostini* or apple slices

Sprigs of fresh basil or rosemary, green and black olives, optional (for garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Cut off 1/4" of pointed end of head of garlic. (Save small pieces for another recipe.) Place cut side up in a piece of aluminum foil. Place rosemary on top. Bring sides of foil up to make a deep bowl, but do not enclose garlic completely. Pour olive oil over top of garlic. Bake 40-45 minuntes in preheated oven. Cool

Squeeze garlic so that the cloves pop out of their papery jackets. They should be creamy. Smash them and spread on top of brie (including some of the rosemary). Place brie in ovenproof dish. Top with tomatoes and pine nuts. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

Bake brie until warm and softened, 13-18 minutes. If topping is getting too browned, cover loosely with aluminum foil during last portion of baking.

Sprinkle slivers of fresh basil on top. Surround with crostini and/or apple slices. Garnish with sprigs of fresh herbs and, if using, drained olives. Provide a spreading knife.

*Crostini - toasted slices of good bread that have been brushed with a little olive oil before toasting.

Note: If you can only find small, 4-ounce disks of brie, push 3 small wheels next to one another.

Advance Preparation: Garlic can be roasted several days in advance and stored, airtight, in the refrigerator. You can assemble the brie with the garlic, tomatoes, and pine nuts a day in advance and store, airtight, in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Soup

Now, I'm normally not a fan of soup, but I have to say this one grabbed me and haunts my dreams!

Cook time: 15 minutes Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

5 tablespoons cornstarch

5 tablespoons cold water

Mini chocolate biscotti (for garnish)

Fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Fresh mint leaves (for garnish)

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla bean. Bring almost to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, let steep for 20 minutes. Strain and return to the pan. (Rinse and dry the vanilla bean and save it for another use.)

Put the pan on low heat, add the chocolate, whisk until chocolate melts. Combine cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Add the slurry a little at a time, whisking constantly, until soup is thick and smooth. You will know it is ready when the bubbles are gone and the chocolate has thickened, about 5-7 minutes. 

Pour soup into bowls and garnish with biscotti, raspberries, and mint leaves. 

Microwave Aromatherapy Hot Towels

For a hot towel like you might be given in a fancy-ish restaurant.

 

"Cook" time: 5 minutes        Yields: 4 washcloths

Ingredients

4 sprigs rosemary

4 white washcloths

Water

Directions

Put the rosemary sprigs into a large microwave safe bowl, fill it about 3/4 full of water. Microwave on high, 3-4 minutes or until water is very hot. Remove bowl from microwave, add washcloths. Let them soak for a few minutes. Carefully (they will be hot) remove from water, wring them out. Fold washcloths in half, place 1 sprig of rosemary on each cloth and roll up like a cigar. Put onto microwave safe plate, heat on low for 1 minute. Give one to each guest when they sit down at the table.

Poppy Seed Cake with Orange Glaze

Bake time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Cake:

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1 1/8 cups vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup poppy seeds

1 1/2 cups milk

Glaze:

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup sugar

Directions

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients well. Pour into greased pan(s) - either 2 loaf pans or a 9"x13" cake pan. Bake 1 hour. Glaze while hot.

Glaze:

Boil ingredients together. Pour over cake after using handle of wooden spoon, fork, toothpick, etc to poke holes in cake.

This is also really good with lemon juice instead of orange.