The Chef's Cookbook » Baking

Bananas Foster Tart

TheSaltyChef — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:46:40 +0000

1 refrigerated pie crust dough
2 medium bananas, cut 1/4″ thick slices
4 1/2 teaspoons light rum
OR 1/2 tsp rum extract + 2 tsp water
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2/3 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
vanilla ice cream for serving

Heat oven to 450ºF. Prepare pie crust as directed on package for one crust baked shell using 9″ pie pan. Bake at 450ºF for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned; cool for 5 minutes.

In small bowl, combine bananas and rum, tossing to coat. Sprinkle orange peel evenly in bottom of baked shell. Arrange bananas in single layer over orange peel. Sprinkle with pecans.

In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, whipping cream and butter; cook and stir over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil. Cook an additional 2-4 minutes or until mixture has thickened and is deep golden brown, stirring constantly. remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla. Spoon warm filling over bananas and pecans.

Cool 30 minutes until slightly warm. Serve warm or cool with ice cream. Store in fridge.

Serves 10

Coconut Macaroons

TheSaltyChef — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:46:15 +0000

4 large egg whites
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
8 ounces sweetened coconut, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip egg whites and salt until they become white and begin to stiffen. Add sugar in 3 parts. Continue to whip until the egg whites are very stiff. Using a rubber spatula fold in toasted coconut.

On parchment lined cookie sheets, drop a teaspoon of the mixture leaving 1 to 2 inches around each cookie.

Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The outside should be golden brown but the insides should still be moist.

Yield: about 40 cookies

Christmas Cooking Tips

TheSaltyChef — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:00:59 +0000

YOU made it to the 12th day!!!

This cookie recipe was invented while I was attending culinary school. It was around the holidays and I had a big test in baking class. I wanted to put a holiday spin on an old favorite cookie. I decided to try mixing fresh mint into the peanut cookie batter. To my surprise it tasted so refreshing and pleasant. The mint was just right and not over powering. I received an A+ on my test. The cookies were then served that night at the school restaurant. The customers seemed pleased as several of them raved and requested the recipe. I keep this recipe secret most of the time. I guess it was time to share it with everyone! That is how Honey Mint Peanut Butter cookies were born.

Holiday Honey Mint Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe makes 4 Dozen cookies

1 Cup Unsalted Butter

1 Cup Smooth peanut Butter

2 Cups White sugar

2 Eggs

2 ½ Cups all purpose flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

¼ Tsp Salt

1 ½ Tsp Baking soda

1 Tsp pure Vanilla extract

¼ Tsp ground Nutmeg

2 Tbsp finely chopped Mint leaves

½ Cup Powdered Sugar

½ Cup Honey

¼ Cup Honey

Directions:

1.) Cream together butter, peanut butter, mint leaves, vanilla, ¼ Cup Honey and sugar. Beat in eggs.

2.) In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Mix wet batter with the dry ingredients until well mixed. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

3.) Roll into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheet lined with non stick baking mat. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over bake.

4.) Let cookies cool completely on a cookie cooling rack. After cookies are cool, with a fork drizzle honey over them. Then dust with powdered sugar.

12 Days of Christmas Cooking Tips Day-12

TheSaltyChef — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:00:31 +0000

Measuring Ingredients.

Be sure to measure your ingredients carefully. Use metal or plastic nested cups for dry ingredients like flour and sugar, and graduated glass or plastic cups with spouts for liquids. If you use the liquid measuring cup for flour you may get an extra tablespoon or more per cup, which could make cookies hard and dry. To measure flour, lightly spoon it from the canister into the measuring cup and level it with a straight edge of a spatula or knife. Do not tap or shake the cup to level it. When measuring brown sugar, pack it firmly into the dry measuring cup so that it holds its shape when it is removed.

12 Days Of Cookies, Day 11

TheSaltyChef — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 16:21:48 +0000

Chocolate Zucchini Bars

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour milk
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
Cream margarine, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well.
Mix flour, salt, cocoa, and baking soda together. Add dry ingredients to first mixture alternately with sour milk. Fold in zucchini.
Bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan for 35 minutes or until done. Frost with a chocolate frosting.

12 Days Of Cookies, Day 10

TheSaltyChef — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 16:20:00 +0000

Cookie Frostings

Cookie Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

12 Days Of Cookies, Day 9

TheSaltyChef — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 16:18:09 +0000

Pecan Praline Cookies

Ingredients

35 graham crackers
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Place crackers on ungreased 10 x 15 sheet cake pan, covering bottom.
Bring sugar, margarine and cream of tartar to a boil. Add nuts. Pour mixture oven the top of the crackers.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
Bake for 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, and remove from pan while still warm.

12 Days Of Cookies, Day 8-Chocolate Chip Cookies

TheSaltyChef — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:00:36 +0000

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 eggs 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate
chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Finally, mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Remove from baking sheet to cool on wire racks.

12 days of Cookies, Day 6-Soft Gingerbread Cookies

TheSaltyChef — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:39:29 +0000

3/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
1 In a medium bowl, mix together the molasses, brown
sugar, water and butter until smooth. Combine the flour,
baking soda, allspice, ginger, cloves and cinnamon, stir them
into the wet mixture until all of the dry is absorbed.
Cover the dough and chill for at least 3 hours.

2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a
lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch
thickness. Cut out into desired shapes. Place cookies 1 inch
apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3 Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove
from the cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

12 Days Of Cookies, Day 5-Basic Sugar Cookie

TheSaltyChef — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:49:16 +0000

2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Cream shortening, gradually adding sugar
2. Add egg and vanilla
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt
4. Combine flour mixture to sugar mixture
5. Wrap in plastic wrap, chill at least one hour
6. Roll out dough to 1/4″ thickness, cut cookies
7. Place cookies on lightly greased cookie sheet
8. Bake at 350 F for 12 minutes
9. Cool on sheet for several minutes, than transfer to wire rack
10. When cooled may be iced.