Blueberry Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Ingredients for muffins:
3 cups minus 2 T flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
big pinch of salt
dash of nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 generous cup plain, unflavored yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

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Ingredients for streusel:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened and cubed
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon


Preparing the muffins:
Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line muffin tin with liners. Prepare streusel.

In a large bowl sift flour, baking soda, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In another large bowl whisk together sugar, oil, vanilla, egg, and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients and stir to a count of 10.

Add blueberries to mixture and stir 3 times, being careful not to overmix.

Press 1 tablespoon of streusel into the bottom of the liner. Scoop the batter into the baking cups, leaving room for streusal. Sprinkle streusel on top of batter, gently pressing into batter.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the streusel has browned.

Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

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Preparing the streusel:
Place all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Work the ingredients together until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the butter.

Makes 2 dozen muffins

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Nutella Toasts

Ingredient:
1/4 cup Nutella
4 slices brioche bread or challah, or good cinnamon raisin bread
1 1/2 T unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup bitter orange marmalade
fleur de sel, or any coarse salt
coarsely chopped toasted blanched hazelnuts, for topping

Preparing the toasts:
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet or the broiler pan with aluminum foil.

Put the Nutella in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and heat, stirring frequently, just until it is softened and warm.

Brush one side of each slice of bread with melted butter, and put the bread, buttered side up, on the baking sheet. Run the bread under the broiler; pull it out when the slices are golden. Spread the marmalade over the hot bread and then, using the tines of a fork, generously drizzle each tartine with some warm Nutella. Top with a few grains of fleur de sel and some chopped hazelnuts.

Serves 4

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Nutella Buns

Ingredients:
3 sheets store-bought puff pastry (each strip/sheet approximately 2 1/2- by 12- inches)
3/4 cup Nutella
1/4 teaspoon orange extract or 1/2 T orange blossom water
3/4 cup lightly toasted nuts, chopped into small pieces (hazelnut, walnut, almond, or your choice)
melted butter, as needed
sugar, for lightly rolling the swirls

Preparing the buns:
Thaw the frozen puff pastry sheets for 30 to 40 minutes at room temperature. The sheets should be slightly stiff, but soft and pliable enough to fold/bend without tearing.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the Nutella in a heat-proof bowl and heat in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Add the orange extract/orange blossom water and whisk it until smooth and silky.

Take 1 pastry sheet, and spread one third of the Nutella on it, leaving a little bit of space on the edges, so the Nutella does not ooze out when rolled and baked.

Sprinkle one third of the toasted nuts evenly over the Nutella. Hold the 2 ends of the shorter side of the strip and tightly roll the strip into a cylinder. Seal the end/edges with a wet finger; press it down well so it does not come apart while baking.

Brush the pastry roll with melted butter. With a very sharp knife, slice each roll horizontally into 3 to 4 swirls.

Repeat with the other 2 pastry sheets.

Roll all of the swirls in sugar and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Remember that dark baking trays will bake the pastry faster, so keep an eye on them while they are baking.

Remove from the oven, cool for about 10 minutes and serve.

Makes 12 buns

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Nutella Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Nutella

Preparing the ice cream:
Place the milk, cream, sugar and espresso in a saucepan. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it starts to boil. Turn off heat and immediately add the salt, vanilla and Nutella.

Whisk until the Nutella is fully melted. Chill the mixture in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until it is cold.

Process in an ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's instructions. Store the ice cream in the freezer.

Makes 3/4 quart

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Nutella Stuffed Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 T Nutella
water, as needed
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Preparing the cookies:

In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together until light and creamy. Add the flour slowly until the dough forms. Do not overmix. Shape the dough into a ball and cover. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch fluted biscuit cutter, cut out as many circles as you can. Form the scraps into a ball and reroll to make more circles.

Fill each dough circle with a small spoonful of Nutella. Dip your finger in tap water and spread on the edge of half the circle to help create a seal. Fold the dough over to create a crescent. Crimp the edge with a fork. Place the cookie on the baking sheet.

Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool, then sift the confectioners' sugar on top and serve.

Makes 32 cookies

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Vanilla Almonds

Ingredients:
1 egg white, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups whole almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparing the vanilla almonds:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Beat the egg white with the vanilla extract, add the almonds and stir to coat. Combine the sugar, salt, and cinnamon and combine with mixture. Place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove and cool on wax paper and break into clusters.

Makes 4 cups

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Cherry Pie In A Jar

Ingredients for the cherry filling:
5 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup sugar
3 T cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract

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Ingredients for the crust:
pie crust recipe making 1 (9-inch) pie crust or use a store-bought variety
4 T cold butter, cubed
melted butter, for topping
sugar, for topping

4 1/2-pint oven-safe glass jars (Ball)

Preparing the cherry filling:
In a heavy-bottomed skillet cook fresh or frozen cherries and lemon juice over medium-high heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat, stir the almond extract into the cherries and cool.

* * * * * *

Preparing the pies:
Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface. Using the ring from the lid of the jar, cut out 4 circles of dough, that will be the tops of your pies. With the remaining dough, use a 6-inch inverted pie plate to cut 4 circles that will line the inside of each 1/2 pint glass oven-safe jar. Working with the dough as little as possible, make sure that the dough covers the surface area inside the jar with the exception of a 1/2-inch at the top.

Once each jar is lined with pie dough, fill each with 1/2 a cup of cherry pie filling. Place a small pat of butter on top of each pie, and top with the pie dough circles or make a lattice pattern. Make sure you vent the top of the crust by creating a slit so that the steam can escape. Using your finger or a fork, press the 2 pieces of dough together around the perimeter.

Brush each pie crust with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Seal each jar with its metal lid and place in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

Baking the pies:
If baking pies fresh, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. If baking pies straight from the freezer, increase the baking time by 5 to 10 minutes.

Makes 4 pies

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Mushroom Tart

Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds cleaned, mixed mushrooms, (sliced or quartered depending on variety)
gray salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T butter, divided
2 to 3 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 T freshly chopped thyme leaves
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 egg, well beaten
2 T freshly minced parsley leaves
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
flour, for dusting work surface
8 ounces bleu cheese, crumbled
Preparing the tart:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 2 large saute pans over high heat. Working in batches divide the olive oil between the 2 pans. When the oil is hot but not quite smoking, add the mushrooms, season with gray salt and pepper, add the butter to each pan and allow to caramelize. Once mushrooms have cooked down to half their volume, transfer all mushrooms to 1 pan. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until the light brown and fragrant. Add the thyme until it crackles. Add the cream and bring up to a simmer. Reduce the cream by about half and stir in the grated parmesan, and the lemon juice. Shut off the flame and quickly stir in the beaten egg. Remove from the stove and let cool to room temperature. Add parsley and stir.

While mushroom mixture is cooling, roll out the pastry dough on a floured surface. Roll the dough out so that it will line a 10-inch removable bottom tart pan. Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with the dry beans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Remove beans and paper.

Lower oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

When both the filling and shell have cooled to room temperature fill the shell with the mushroom mixture and top with the crumbled blue cheese. Arrange the tart mold on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Slice in wedges and serve.

Serves 8 to 10

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Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients for the crust:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 to 3 T ice-cold water

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Ingredients for the filling:
1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
1 envelope (about 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin powder
1 (13 1/2-ounce) can pure coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 large whole egg
2 T butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 (15-ounce) can cream of coconut
2 cups shredded, flaked coconut

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the topping:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 T powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded, flaked coconut, toasted or not

Preparing the crust:
In a large bowl, combine flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the vinegar and 2 tablespoons water, until the mixture forms a ball, adding more water if necessary. Pat into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll the dough out to an 11-inch circle to fit a 9 1/2-inch glass pie plate. Place the crust in pie plate and trim and crimp edges. Place the dish on a baking sheet for easier handling. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust well with a fork. Line the inside of the crust with a piece of foil or parchment, allowing edges to extend several inches beyond the perimeter. Place 2 cups of dried beans in the crust to weight it down during baking and prevent shrinkage. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is no longer raw on the bottom. Remove the foil and beans by carefully lifting the foil out by the overhang. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Ideally, chill the crust for about 4 hours before proceeding.

* * * * * *

Preparing the filling:
Place 1/2 cup cold milk in a medium-size mixing bowl (preferably with a pouring spout) and sprinkle the gelatin over top. Set aside to soften, about 5 minutes.

Bring the remaining milk and coconut milk to nearly a boil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.

When the gelatin is soft, add the sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and egg and whisk until very well blended. Gradually whisk about a 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture into the gelatin mixture; repeat this process once or twice using about 3/4 cup of the hot milk mixture. Pour the warmed gelatin mixture into the saucepan with the hot milk and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly . Cook for about 3 more minutes or until the mixture is very thick.

Strain the pastry cream through a fine wire strainer into a large clean bowl; whisk in the butter, coconut extract, and cream of coconut until smooth. Stir in 2 cups shredded coconut.

Pour into the cooled pie shell and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

* * * * * *

Preparing the topping:
Beat the heavy cream in a large bowl on high speed until foamy. Add the powdered sugar, and vanilla, and beat until soft to medium stiff peaks form. Spread over the pie. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Chill for at least 8 hours and keep any leftovers refrigerated.

Serves 8 to 10

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Roquefort, Shallot & Walnut Salad

Ingredients:
shallots, thinly sliced
good quality vinegar, champagne perhaps
romaine leaves
mixed greens
dandelion leaves
toasted walnuts
roquefort or stilton cheese crumbled
plain yogurt
extra virgin olive oil
chive blossoms

Preparing the salad:
Sprinkle salt over the sliced scallions and a cover with vinegar. Let marinate for about 5 minutes.

Mix a couple of tablespoons of vinegar into the yogurt along with about 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste for proportions.

Lay out romaine leaves on platter. Spread mixed greens and dandelion greens over the top. Squeeze out the shallots that have been macerating in the vinegar (discard vinegar) and sprinkle the shallots over the top of the lettuces. Sprinkle the crumbled cheese over the top. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top. Drizzle the dressing over the top and spread the chive blossoms (pinch off the backs) around the platter.

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