Don't call me "Fruit Cake"!

This cake is a winner and an ultimate must have for any culinary diva's arsenal of "va-va vavoom" desserts because you can make this one 2-3 days in advance----the longer it sits in it's fragrant rum bath the cheekier, and more scrumptious it becomes on that first bite!  What a zinger!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dried raisins (golden ones will work too)
1 1/2 tablespoon of your favorite dark rum
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1 package yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 2/3 cup flour
Pinch of salt

Rum Syrup:
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup plus 3tablespoons good dark rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or one vanilla bean
**Bring sugar and water to quick boil, take off heat and allow to cool momentarily, then add rum and vanilla and set aside.

Apricot Preserve Wash:
1/2 cup Apricot preserves
1/2 tablespoon water
**heat preserves and water together gently just until runny, use immediately.

Whipped Cream:
1pint cold heavy cream
3 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix raisins of your choice and the tablespoon and half of rum in bowl, set aside to marinate and get tipsy. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush every nook and cranny of a 6"x3" inch bunt or tube pan, this is vital so when it comes time to flip the cake out, this task then becomes effortless.

Heat the milk just to above luke warm ( you don't want it too hot, or it will kill the yeast), then pour it in a bowl of your electric mixer, continue to stir in yeast and sugar----set a aside for 5-7 minutes (you want to see foamy little bubbles during this time, this indicates that the yeast is active and alive). 

Start the mixer on the lowest setting ( unless you want to look like the ghost from Christmas Past), add eggs one at a time, then the flour (slowly in portions), salt, and remaining 5 pats of butter.  Now raise the speed on the mixer to medium-high for 5-6 minutes, turn off the mixer, scrape the batter down, and cover with a damp towel and let it,ahhhhhhh, rest for about 1hr--it will have doubled in size that point.

At this time, drain your tipsy raisins, and fold them into the batter evenly (this is not a souffle, so don't sweat the folding--be a little aggressive with it), then pour-spoon into your prepared pan.  Wet your fingertips and smooth out the top of the batter, cover again with a damp towel and lit it rest for 1hr.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees, bake cake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean if poked close to the center of the cake.  During this time while the cake is baking, make your rum syrup.

When cake is done, let it cool for about 15 minutes, or until it is warm to the touch, run a knife along the top edge of cake and flip onto a cake rack over a cookies sheet pan. Pour or brush on slowly all of rum syrup onto cake, don't waste one delicious drop.

Following the rum syrup, warm your Apricot Preserve mixture, and brush onto the cake (this will give it that beautiful sheen and glow about it).

Finally, dollop on as much whip cream as you can handle and have at it with a great cup of espresso or
Cafe' Au la it.

Can you feel the love on this one?!

TIP: you can make this 2-3 days in advance, cover in plastic wrap or air tight container and store in your fridge.  When you are ready to serve make the whip cream at that time.

Porkchops and Spuds....a hug on a plate.

Did you a have rough day? Feeling cold, tired, and just plain unloved? Well try this little comforting beauty on for size, guaranteed to put a smile back on your face and sass in your step!

Ingredients:

4  One inch thick pork chops or loin.
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder ( not garlic salt)
1 cup Black Berries ( or whatever other berry you like, frozen works fine too, if that is what you have)
1 lemon
1cup white wine, or broth ( if you want to omit the alcohol)
1-2tsp of honey or brown sugar

4 Large Russet potatoes cut into large even cubes
1/4 cup Peas
1/4 cup diced Carrots
1 Tbl minced Garlic
1 cup Whole Milk
2 Tbl Butter
Salt
Pepper

Grab a pot (big enough to fit all the potatoes) fill it with enough water to cover the potatoes. Place on stove, bring to a boil, then crank the heat down to medium high, drop carrots and peas in boiling water with potatoes and cook until,  mainly potatoes are tender enough to mash, about 15 minutes.

While potatoes and vegetables are cooking, clean and marinate your pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and let it sit on the counter to rest for minimum of 15 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

When potatoes and veggies are tender, drain water leaving behind potatoes and veggies remaining in pot.  Immediately sprinkle salt and pepper, then add butter, milk, and garlic. Mash mixture to the consistency you like ( I love mine lumpy and rustic looking!). Cover the pot to keep warm, and set aside.

Heat a large skillet, coat bottom of pan with olive oil.  When the pan begins to smoke ever so slightly, lay all your pork chops down.  Cook each side about 6-8 minutes on each side. Place cooked chops to rest on a plate.

Using the skillet that was used to cook the pork chops, you are going to create one easy fabulous sauce.  Heat the skillet on medium, de-glaze by adding berries, wine (if using wine, remove skillet for a second from flame, until wine is added, then place skillet back on burner), and juice of one lemon.  With a wooden spoon, stir and scrape all those delectable little bits of flavor up from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce reduce by a 1/4 (should have a consistency of warm runny maple syrup).  At this point take a small taste of the sauce, if it is slightly to tangy for your, add pinches of brown sugar, stir and taste to your preference.

Enjoy your hug on a plate!

Great Gran's Chicken Pot Pie.....but faster

This recipe is a pleaser with anyone big or small, the best part is it looks very gourmet and home spun at the end. I took short cuts to bring this recipe together, but you can always go the extra mile by chopping your own veggies and making your own sauce......at least that is what you can tell your friends!

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts *you will only need to prepare the chicken in step 1 if you are doing it from scratch (does not matter what part of the bird you use, whatever you have on hand is fine; store bought rotisserie works well too.)

1/2 cup Yellow onion diced
1/2 cup Carrots diced
1/2 cup Peas
1/2 cup Potato diced to 1/2" cubes
1/2 TBL Poultry Seasoning ( if you don't have this, just put in 1/2 tsp of the following: Rosemary, Thyme, Sage)
1/2 Tsp of Nutmeg
Salt
Black Pepper
Olive Oil
2 TBL Butter
1 can (non-fat, low fat,etc. your choice) Cream of Chicken Soup
1cup Chicken Broth
1Egg beaten with 4 Tbl spoon water-----Egg wash
1 box Puff Pastry ( found in frozen section, usually by pie crusts and desserts at your local grocery store)

Yields about 6 pies


Preheat oven to 425degrees
Prepare 1 Sheet Pan with parchment paper or coat lightly with cooking oil
Defrost Puff Pastry (if taken out of freezer) onto kitchen counter just soft enough to roll out, if too soft place back in fridge to help maintain a good firm texture.

Filling:

1) Take your chicken breasts, salt and pepper one side, set aside.  Meanwhile take a large deep skillet, heat and drizzle in a good helping of olive oil until the bottom of pan is well coated.  When pan and oil is hot (starts to smoke ever so slightly) put in your chicken breasts seasoned side down. After about a minute or so, turn heat down to medium high, then season the other side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper ( don't be too heavy handed as salt and pepper will be layered thru out dish).  Flip breasts at this point and continue cooking for another 6 minutes or so, then remove breasts and let rest on plate to cool and all the yummy juices return for about 10 minutes.

2) Shred chicken coarsely and set aside.

3) Using same skillet, turn on heat to med-high, add 1Tbl spoon olive oil, and then add the 2 Tbl spoon of butter.  Once butter is melted add onions, carrots, and potatoes, saute until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes, salt and pepper lightly. Add peas, stir for a minute or so, then turn down heat to medium, pour chicken stock in, stir-scrape vigorously to de-glaze pan, cover with a lid for a couple minutes to cook down chicken stock. Remove lid add 1 can of creamed chicken soup, stir until heated and combined (at this point, if the consistency is not like a slightly runny gravy, add 1/4 cup of water at a time to gain this consistency).

4) Add, poultry seasoning (or other herbs noted above if you do not have poultry seasoning) and nutmeg, and stir to combine. Finally turn off heat, and add shredded chicken and stir to combine. Set aside.

5) Take the defrosted puff pastry, cut one sheet into three strips using the fold lines as guides. Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface. dust a strip of your puff pastry with a litte flour and rolling pin too, so nothing sticks.  Roll out your puff pastry so that it can fit about 1 cup of filling, leaving about a 1" border to fold.

6) Scoop about 1/2 cup of filling and place onto one side of the puff pastry strip, then wet the edges slightly all the way around with a a brush dipped in egg wash. Flip the other side of the puff pastry over the filling, seal, then crimp edges (picture how a calzone looks like).

7) Set on sheet pan lined with parchment paper or sprayed lightly with a cooking oil.  Take a pointed knife and cut a small hole in each pie to allow the steam to pass thru, then take the egg wash and brush each pie lightly with it.

8) Place in pre-heated oven at 425 for about 30 minutes or until the puff pastry is puffed and golden brown. (Temperature and time may vary slightly depending on your oven also if pastry has become too soft, I strongly advise to use the tip below for beautiful results.)

****GREAT TIP: for a really CRISP pie, before putting them into the oven place the pies on the sheet pan in the freezer for 20 minutes or so allowing puff pastry to harden, then pull it out and place in oven right away.
Also you can make these in advance, freeze and store them for a month, and just heat them when you like.

Enjoy it!