Alfredo's Chocolate Pecan Tart

I just don't know what gets into my husband sometimes.   He has a sweet tooth, thanks to his Southern Mom.  So I am not surprised at all, when he, enthusiastically, wants to take part in cooking a dessert.  
We always had the luxury of the nearest bakery growing up.  Here in the Southern, United States, it's hard to believe, that this concept never caught on.  It's getting harder and harder to find anything fresh out of the kitchen anymore too.  People have gotten so busy, they just can't identify basic ingredients anymore.   If they only knew how easy it is to bake a tart.   They probably have the ingredients right in their own kitchen.  It can be our little secret. 

Ingredients:  2  large eggs or 3 medium
1/3 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
1 cup, plus half cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons  mixing Bourbon.  It does not have to be expensive
4-5 oz of semisweet chocolate/ chopped
2 cups Pecans (halved)
One home made pie crust or store bought pie crust (with sugar added).
One 8 inch tart pan non stick tart pan with removable bottom
One baking sheet / lined with parchment
Preheat your oven to 325/bake/

Roll out your pastry dough and line your pan.  Place in refrigerator to set for up to 2 hours.

In a bowl of an electric mixer on low or just in a bowl with a wooden spoon, combine your eggs, sugar, extract, syrup and Bourbon.   Do not over mix.  You just want it combined.
Chop your chocolate.  Line your chocolate pieces in the bottom of your pie crust.  Carefully poor your mixture over your chocolate pieces.   Carefully place your Pecans  around your tart pan to make a rounded design of our choice.  Do not worry if they sink a little.  They will puff up some while your tart bakes.   As it cools, they will settle and be perfect.

Bake for 45-55 minutes.  Check at the 30 minute mark.  If your Pecans are browning, be sure and loosely cover with foil.  Let cool and carefully remove the ring from the pan.  It may take some work.  I let mine cool to much so I had to use a knife around the tart for some assistance.
Serve with a little Chantilly Bourbon cream
One cup whipping cream/ whipped in a mixer with a pinch of confectioners sugar,  until fluffy.  With the machine on, add a tablespoon of Bourbon.  
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top and a side of Bourbon. heheh
Buon Appetito 

 

 

Fish Salad (Insalata di Pesce)

 This is a fabulous salad to serve at a Summer luncheon or as an evening meal.  I even like to make it Christmas Eve.    Light and delicious, it's hard to resist even leftover the next day.

Serves 8/  You may make it as large and filled with as much variety as you like.  A Summertime favorite around here!

1 cup fresh lemon juice

2 lemons sliced fine

2 pound Cooked jumbo shrimp

3-4 fillets of  boiled  or grilled meaty fish (codfish), cooled and cut up into pieces. 

3 stalks of Celery diced fine

1 fresh white medium onion

1 pound fresh Asparagus, trimmed and blanched.  Ends discarded, diced stems and tops reserved. 

2 - 8oz jars of artichokes under vinegar and oil/ drained

Add some fresh sprigs of parsley right  before servingra

Add a sprinkle of extra Virgin Olive oil right before serving.

One teaspoon of salt

One teaspoon of Pepper

Method:  In a large bowl combine all your ingredients.  Be sure your fish is drained and cooled.  Tails on Shrimp can be trimmed off or served with tails on.  I like to remove mine as it is easier to eat and avoids having to use your hands.  Who could resist?   Add your artichokes and asparagus then lemon juice.  Toss gently and chill for at least 3 hours before serving however It's best if chilled overnight.  Serve in chilled Martini glasses  or just in plates over some garden spring salad.  Its refreshing and delicious.  Buon Appetito!

Special Note:  Use any combination of fresh fish. The more the merrier.   Be sure it's well  chilled before serving!

Biscotti al Cioccolato 1-2-3

I have always had a love/hate relationship with Biscotti.  This is probably why I have always stayed away from making them, leaving it to the professionals.  Until that dreaded day that I bit into one in front of a certain Pastry shop while visiting New York and an hour later was at my parents dentist office.  That Biscotto cost me about $200. 
I had been noticing lately on several blogs some Biscotti recipes popping up.  Feeling a little dangerous, I thought why not finally give it a try to make.  Why not try to make this twice baked cookie something grand myself.  After all, running to the dentist is alot less expensive in Mississippi.    Let me give it a try.  I tested several recipes, all good.   Here is my version, easy and simple.  A philosophy I live by on a daily basis.  Hope you enjoy it. 

I am posting two versions:  Traditionally this Biscotto, or "Twice baked" cookie is made without butter.  The addition of butter gives a softer texture to your end result.  Guess which one wins for me? I liked them both.  The second issue is about the sugar content.  Biscotti should not be sweet.  They are not sugar cookies.  Preheat your oven to 350/bake.
Ingredients: Version number 1
8oz of good quality chocolate.  I use Ghiradelli
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups flour/ unbleached ( a little more for your counter/hands/etc)
3/4 stick butter
a pinch of salt
2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 cup sweetened cocoa powder 
2 eggs gently beaten
2 teaspoons Madagascar vanilla extract
optional 2 teaspoons espresso brewed coffee

In a double boiler, melt your chocolate and butter.  Set aside to cool.  In a large bowl combine your eggs, sugar and vanilla extract.  Beat with your electric mixer until smooth and creamy.  Add your cooled, melted chocolate and combine.  Add your flour/baking powder/cocoa powder and mix until combined.  It will be sticky.  Do not worry.  Rub some flour on your hands and remove your mixture from the bowl to your kitchen counter.   Work to combine.  It will be sticky and this is normal.  Add some additional flour if necessary.  Line to baking sheets with parchment.  Divide your mixture in half.  Add more flour to avoid sticking to your counter.  It will be somewhat messy to combine.   Place your divided mixture onto your baking sheet and form into a long, log form, using the back of your spatula to help shape it.  They should be about 10-12  inches long by 1 inch or so high.  Let rest a few minutes.

(Those are specs of flour you see on top of the logs. They are not nuts.  I am so sorry for the poor quality of this photo).

Place in your oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes. You will notice that your logs have increased in size some and that your crust on top is just beginning to break.  Remove from Oven and let cool 30 minutes loosely covered.  Lower your oven temperature to 300/bake.(If you are dealing with a convection oven, please make your appropriate conversions before baking).
Uncover your logs and begin to cut straight across in pieces, working in a quick manner. Make sure you are working with a sharp knife.  Your cookies should be cut across about 1 inch wide.  You are now shaping your cookie.   Keep them separated on your cookie sheet. 

The next step will give your cookie the twice baked taste and texture.
Place your baking sheet with your cookies spread across the parchment paper, back into your oven.  Set your timer for 10 minutes and  Bake.  You do not have to turn them. It will not hurt them to do so but I find this step unnecessary in my recipe.
Remove from oven and let cool.  They are now ready to serve as they are or you can sprinkle some powdered sugar on them.  Buon Appetito~

2nd Version:
Follow the above steps and  omit the butter. This is the traditional way to bake them.  Your result will be a dry cookie, perfect for dipping into your ice cold glass of milk or cup of coffee~Buon Appetito~