Coconut Almond Bourbon Blondies - Gluten Free!

Thanks to Kentucky bourbon country, I'm still finding ways to enjoy memories of the trip we made last year. The Woodford Reserve cooking and baking items I picked up at Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville are still finding new uses in my kitchen. 

Blame it on the Strip District and Enrico's, but since wandering into that incredible bakery a couple of weeks ago, I haven't been able to stop thinking about my favorite, fondly remembered, blondies. Why on earth would I tempt myself when all that gluten taunted me? I simply felt the urge to peruse beautiful pastries, biscotti, breads, cakes and cookies...and to inhale deeply. And I did.

Duplicate Enrico's blondies at home? And make them gluten free? Why try to recreate perfection? Why not? I used my basic gluten free blondie recipe, added toasted almonds, coconut shreds, mega chocolate chips, then sanded everything with Bourbon Vanilla Sugar and a sprinkle of Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt - both from Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville. Also from BBF, I incorporated Bourbon - Madagascar Vanilla Extract. The secret ingredient, of course, is a bit of Woodford Reserve Bourbon! 

Kentucky tastes SO GOOD!

Coconut Almond Bourbon Blondies - Gluten Free

• 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 4 T coconut oil
• 1 C light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 2 t Woodford Reserve bourbon - or whatever you have on hand (bet dark rum would be pretty amazing, too)
• 1 t vanilla extract (see above for the brand I used and a link to order your own)
• 1 C Jule's gluten free all purpose flour
• 1/4 t baking soda - be sure it's gluten free
• 1/2 t baking powder - be sure it's gluten free
• 1/2 t fine kosher salt
• 3/4 C chocolate chips - I used Guittard mega chocolate chips
• 1 T Jule's gluten free all purpose flour (for tossing with the chocolate chips to keep them from sinking in the batter)
• 1/2 C toasted almond slices - toast them in a dry skillet until lightly browned and fragrant
• 1/2 C Trader Joe's Roasted Coconut Chips
• 1 T Bourbon Vanilla Sugar
• a large pinch of Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter an 8" X 8" square baking pan. Set aside. Toss chocolate chips with the 1 T flour in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium mixer bowl, add the butter and coconut oil and blend well, then add brown sugar and beat at medium speed until thoroughly blended. Add egg, vanilla and bourbon to the mixture and beat until smooth.

In a small separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. Add this dry mixture to the mixer bowl with the wet ingredients and mix at slow speed until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

Pour the batter into the buttered pan, working it into the corners and smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Scatter the almonds and coconut over the top, sprinkle with bourbon vanilla sugar, and finally with a big pinch of bourbon smoked sea salt.

Bake for 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the pan on a rack and cut into squares or bars to serve. 

Why not make a good cup of coffee (and maybe add just a splash of bourbon?) for quite the enjoyable break...kind of like a mental visit to the Bourbon Trail!

Roasted Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding With Spiced Streusel

Waste not, want not it is said. When it comes to an ingredient that's fairly (to me) expensive, waste is not an option! Silly me, I thought an available-everywhere-this-time-of-year sugar pumpkin would be a reasonably priced ingredient. Not so. Am I the only one that thinks $12 for a small pumpkin is over the top? The good thing is that once purchased (yes, of course I bought one!), I had a lot of it to work with. 

You may remember the Smoky Pumpkin Vegetable Soup With Chorizo I shared with you about a month ago. Since I'd only used half of the roasted pumpkin flesh in the soup, I first made this recipe with part of what was left and froze the rest of the pumpkin. My frugal pumpkin bread pudding hit the spot and I filed the recipe away to use the rest of the pumpkin another day.

You know how sometimes an idea seems to percolate behind the scenes in your brain (is that only me?) until it seems to pop into the forefront of your mind fully formed? That's what happened. Apparently my subconscious was working in the background on pumpkin bread pudding possibilities. It must have gone something like this, "If roasted pumpkin in a bread pudding is completely wonderful, wouldn't toasted pecans make it even better?  Wouldn't streusel send it completely over the top?" I listened to that inner recipe voice and then totally gilded THAT lily with ice cream nestled cheek to cheek with the bread pudding. Nirvana.

If you want to make it really easy, feel free to use butternut squash in place of pumpkin and roast it...it would be less expensive than a fresh pumpkin, for sure. Or maybe you'd prefer it with roasted apples or pears. Those would work beautifully, too.

Looking for a homey Thanksgiving dessert? You may just have found it right here. 

Roasted Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding 

With Spiced Streusel

• 2-3 C roasted pumpkin cubes, cooled (spray pumpkin cubes with coconut oil and roast on a baking sheet at 425 degrees until the pumpkin is caramelized and soft)
• 5-6 C stale bread, cubed (I use the crust and all) - challah or a sturdy bread work nicely (I use Whole Foods Gluten Free Light White bread to make this GF)
• 2/3 C toasted pecans, chopped coarsely
• 4 T butter, melted
• 3/4 C heavy cream
• 1/2 C buttermilk
• 1/4 C demerara sugar (or light brown sugar if you can't find the demerara - Giant Eagle carries it)
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1 t pumpkin spice
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 3 T dark rum

Streusel

• 1/3 C toasted pecans, chopped coarsely
• 1/3 C dark brown sugar
• 1/3 C flour (I used gluten free flour to make this GF)
• 1/4 C oats (I used certified gluten free oats to make this GF)
• 1 t pumpkin spice
• 1/4 t kosher salt
• 3 T melted butter

Mix all the streusel ingredients together until all is wet and crumbly. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes and melted butter. Fold in roasted pumpkin and pecans and gently combine.

In a separate bowl, beat well the cream, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, salt, rum, pumpkin spice and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread mixture and gently combine.

Pour the mixture into an UNGREASED 9" X 5" loaf pan or 8" X 8" square pan - both with high sides. Sprinkle the streusel over the top evenly.

I used a loaf pan and baked mine for an hour and 15 minutes. If you use a square pan, the time may be less. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick or wooden pick into the center and when it comes out clean, that's it!

Serve with ice cream. YUM!

Hot from the oven!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Apple Crisp

It has been QUITE a while since there's been a quickie on Dinner Plan-it. It's time!

What's even better than Apple Crisp? A crisp with oatmeal raisin cookie dough baked onto the top. Here's how to make what amounts to an oatmeal cookie apple pie ala mode dessert that's sure to be a family favorite.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Apple Crisp

• 6 C apples, peeled, cored, sliced approx. 1/4" thick
• 1/2 lemon 

• 1/2 C flour (I use a good gluten-free all purpose flour to make this GF)
• 1 t cinnamon 
• 1/8 t nutmeg
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/3 C butter, softened
• 1/2 C oats (I use certified gluten-free oats to make this GF)
• 1/3 C raisins
• 1/4 C pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter a shallow casserole dish (I used the 2 1/2 quart size French White Corningware oval casserole dish (approx. 8 1/2" X 11") - it's the perfect size!) and scatter the apple slices evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the juice of the lemon over the apples to keep them from turning brown while you make the topping.

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugars with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine thoroughly with the fork - I've been known to just use my fingers (clean, of course!) and work the mixture until it's crumbly and combined.

Crumble the oatmeal cookie dough over the apples. Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking another 20 minutes or so until the apples are bubbly throughout and the cookie topping is beautifully browned. 

Cool about half an hour and serve warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream. 

NOTE: I like to use a nice tart apple that doesn't cook down to mush. You want an apple pie type apple, not an applesauce type apple. Try Granny Smiths, McIntosh or (my favorite) Stayman Winesaps. 

Chocolate Candied Orange Cannoli Jars With Drunken Cherries - Gluten Free Version

Remember my last post about the "classy" Steel City Roller Derby tailgate with 101 Achievements bloggers, Jenn and Michael? Jenn asked for the recipe for the dessert I brought along - Chocolate Candied Orange Cannoli Jars With Drunken Cherries. Glad to oblige, Jenn! 

Besides being an easy riff on cannolis, what I love about this super simple recipe is that it travels beautifully for picnics and tailgates. Screw the lid on the jar and go...unscrew the lid and enjoy! The other thing I love is that I get the taste and spirit of a cannoli without the gluten or bother of making cannoli shells!

There are lots of Steelers, college and high school football games coming up...maybe a new dessert for your very own tailgate this fall? Here ya go, Jenn!

Chocolate Candied Orange Cannoli Jars

with Drunken Cherries - Gluten Free Version

• 7 Pamela's Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies for the gluten free version (or another similar gluten FULL cookie, if gluten isn't an issue) - crumble 1 into dust and reserve to garnish the tops - you may need a few extra to accommodate for snacking
• 8 oz ricotta cheese 
• 8 oz mascarpone
• 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract - the REAL stuff, not that imitation crap
• 1/2 t cinnamon - I use Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzey's...love this kind
• 1/3 C mini chocolate chips
• 3 - 3" X 1" strips of candied orange peel, finely diced (see method below)
• 24 Luxardo or Amarena cherries or homemade boozy cherries, drain well & patted dry - leave 6 whole and cut the rest in half (I use Fabbri Amarena cherries that I order from Amazon - keep these on hand for Manhattans, etc....or midnight snacking!)
• 6 1/2 pint jelly jars

In a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips and candied orange peel.

Assembly: In the bottom of each jelly jar crumble 1/2 a cookie, then a heaping tablespoon of cannoli filling, 3 cherry halves, then crumble the other 1/2 of the cookie, another heaping tablespoon of cannoli filling, then sprinkle lightly with cookie dust and press the whole cherry into the top firmly, but perkily standing out. Screw on the tops and pop into the fridge overnight. Serve the next day straight out of the jar!

Candied orange peel: First use your harp style veggie peeler to make 4 strips (3" x 1" approx - or the equivalent) from an orange - the orange part only, no white. Set aside. Then make a simple syrup of 1/2 C sugar and 1/2 C water. Bring to boil, stir to dissolve the sugar and reduce heat to a simmer. Add the orange peel and simmer several minutes. Turn off heat and let cool. Use the peel for the above recipe and use the orange simple syrup that's left for a cocktail!

Gingerbread Figgy Pudding and Dark Rum Trifle

This is a first for Dinner Plan-it...the very first time a recipe is being repeated. Why?

Because it's so freaking GOOD! And, it's one of the best holiday-appropriate desserts I've posted. AND...because the Post-Gazette PG-Plate blog includes Dinner Plan-it on it's Blog Roll, I especially want my PG followers to have access to this gingery, figgy, boozy take on a traditional, very Merry Olde England-ish and positively Dickensian plum pudding.

Without further adieu, my very first rerun:

There are flavors that send me time traveling back to the Christmases of my childhood. Christmas dinners back then always started with orange sherbet in gingerale (fancy!) and ended with traditional desserts - usually more than one. 

Aunt Anna and Uncle Bert, PapPap, the cousins, my sister, mom and dad were all seated around the big old dining room table swapping jokes (occasionally even a slightly naughty one!) and telling stories long into the night. Sometimes we'd play cards around the same old table...Flinch, 500 Rummy, Canasta...good old-fashioned games those were. 

It's the nose-tingling scent of warm spices in the air - ginger, clove, allspice, cinnamon - that I think triggers those wonderful memories.  We always had a mincemeat pie or a plum pudding with those very same Dickensian notes - rum or brandy, dried fruits and spices. I was on a quest to recreate the flavors of Christmases of old. But with a twist. What to do, what to do.

So I decided a trifle would lighten up somewhat heavy flavors with a fluffy vanilla cream.  Fresh pears came to mind to add a little crunch and brightness. Thus the dessert came together. 

It was beautiful! Even better, it was just what I had in mind.  Gingery, spicy goodness all together with creamy mousse and lovely dark rum...and just a glimmering of zesty orange. 

Maybe it wasn't the simple, easy days of the 1950's again, but that's okay.  Back then we didn't have our kids and grandkids to make brand new memories together and to share some of the old stories with.  You know, that's what special family dinners are all about...remembering the past and making memories for the future. 

Wishing you all nothing but the sweetest of your own warm remembrances...and to making some of the best stories ever!
 

Gingerbread Figgy Pudding and Dark Rum Trifle

• 2/3 of an 8"X8" pan of gingerbread, cubed - I used the recipe from "The Cake Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free" by Ann Byrn using a Hodgson Mills Yellow cake mix.  (If you are using a normal, NON-gluten-free mix, make an 8"X8" pan and make cupcakes out of the rest of the batter.) Snack on the 1/3 that's left!

• 2 oranges, Cut the peel off with a sharp knife and make strips 3" X 1/8".  Cut the oranges in half and juice.  Reserve.
• 1 cup dried Black Mission figs, diced
• 1/2 cup dark rum, or more if needed, I used Kraken
• 2 Bosc pears, cored and diced

• 1 package French vanilla mousse mix, prepared. I used Dr. Oetker brand - gluten-free
• 8 ounces Cool Whip Lite®, thawed

• candied orange peel, see recipe below - use peel from above

Bake an 8" X 8" pan of gingerbread a couple of days ahead of when you want to serve the trifle. 
 
You're going to make the trifle the day ahead of when you want to serve it - quite nice for a more relaxed party, yes?  The morning you're making the trifle, put the diced figs into a 2 cup measuring cup.  Add the reserved orange juice and the rum.  If the rum doesn't cover the figs completely, add more until it does.  Set aside for several hours before making the trifle.
 
Later in the day, make the French vanilla mousse according to package directions.  Let sit for a few minutes and then gently fold the Cool Whip into the mousse.  Set aside.
 
Assembly:  To the bottom of a nice trifle dish or other tall, pretty bowl, make a layer of 1/2 the gingerbread cubes.  Strain the liquid from the figs - RESERVE!  Scatter half the figs over the gingerbread, drizzle half the reserved OJ and rum over the that, layer half the mousse mixture over top and repeat layers ending with mousse.  Refrigerate overnight loosely covered with foil.
 
Before serving, decorate the top with candied orange peel and serve in beautiful goblets.

Candied Orange Peel:

• the orange strips from above

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the orange strips, bring to boil again.  Boil gently 15 minutes.  Pour through a strainer and rinse while gently stirring the strips to rinse thoroughly. Set aside.

In the same pot, bring 

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups water

to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes to an hour.  Let cool.

Pour the orange strips through a strainer and collect the liquid in a large container.  THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL ORANGE SIMPLE SYRUP!  It would be a shame to waste it.  Use it for cocktails or to drizzle over yellow cakes or...well, just use your imagination.  Refrigerate it.

Okay, back to the candied orange peel....now spread 

• 1 cup of sugar 

on a baking sheet.  Toss the orange peel with it until the strips are totally coated with sugar.  Let sit like that overnight. 

Use what you want for garnishing the trifle and save the rest for something else.  Wouldn't the orange simple syrup and candied orange peel make a lovely Christmas morning Bellini?  Maybe with a little cranberry juice for color?  

Red Plum Blueberry Streusel Cutie Pies

Have you seen the recent spate of jar pies on recipe sites around the internet lately? Not only the internet features these adorable little individual desserts, Meat & Potatoes in downtown Pittsburgh always has at least one on their daily menu. They are SO easy to make and with it just being the two of us at home now, individual pies make much more sense that a big one. I'm tired of throwing out what we can't eat!

Our 4th of July picnic-for-two seemed just the right time to whip up a batch of these little cutie pies (yes, pun intended). I had a red, white and blue dessert in mind AND just happened to have blueberries and red plums on hand to suit the color theme of the day. Because gluten-free pie dough is such a pain to work with - although I could have just crumbled it and layered it into the bottoms of the jars and blind baked them first - I decided to do a streusel topping for the white section of the patriotic colors.

Each jar contained a layer of big, juicy blueberries, a layer of jewel-toned sliced red plums and a topping of buttery cinnamon-y oatmeal streusel crunchy goodness. They were popped into the oven on a rimmed cookie sheet to corral the jars for ease in getting them into and out of the oven...and to catch any bubble-overs that might mess the oven otherwise. The technique worked beautifully!

Although I lost my distinct definition of red and blue layers - they kind of melded into blue only, the results were just what I'd hoped. The piled-high fruit that went into the oven cooked down leaving space at the top of the jar for a good scoop of ice cream. Jar pies ala mode! Perfect.

Since I'd made four pies for the two of us, I simply screwed the tops and lids onto the cooled extras to store in the fridge for the next night (or maybe a midnight craving). I can't wait to experiment some more. I'm thinking individual cheesecakes or pumpkin pies or even going the savory route with chicken or turkey pot pies or shepherds pies. And wouldn't one of the savory pies travel to work for lunch with ease? Screw on lids are ideal for this!

Any short, squat, small Mason-type or Ball-type canning jar will work. Be sure to check each jar for cracks or chips first to prevent breakage in the oven. Hmmm...I just realized these make for an automatic portion control, too...well, unless more than one can't be resisted. Not that I'd know anything about that. Really!

Red Plum and Blueberry Streusel Cutie Pies

• 2 cups blueberries
• 3 plums, red or purple, stones removed & sliced
• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup oats, gluten-free to make these GF, regular oats if gluten isn't an issue
• 1/3 cup flour, again, gluten-free to make these GF, regular all-purpose flour if gluten isn't an issue
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 
In 4 clean, short, wide Mason or Ball-type canning jars, layer 1/2 cup of blueberries, then 1/4 of the plum slices and press down gently, but firmly. Sprinkle each fruit filled jar with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Set aside.

 


To make streusel: In a small bowl, use a fork to mix the brown sugar, oats, flour, butter and cinnamon together until all is incorporated and crumbly. Sprinkle the streusel evenly on the tops of the fruit filled jars.
 
Place the jars on a rimmed cookie sheet to catch any spills and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.
 
To serve, top with scoops of ice cream right in the jar!

German Apple Cake

Mieke's birthday was last weekend, so you KNOW I packed up some goodies - including a homemade, from-scratch, German Apple Cake - and headed north to Michigan for the celebration. What a weekend for a birthday and a party by the pool! Good food, good friends and grandkids always make for great times and memories. 
 
The cake? Right up front, this is NOT a gluten-free recipe. But. It is one that has been one of Mieke's favorite desserts forever...well, just about forever anyway...okay, since the early 70's. It is one of the moistest, most down-home delicious cakes you will ever have the pleasure to eat. This is another one of those recipes that comes chock full of Maryland memories and of Peg, the woman who baked it.

Peg was a kind, loving and gentle woman with an enormous heart and sense of humor. Over our Maryland years, Mark, Mieke and I spent many hours around her kitchen table sharing lots of stories, lots of laughs and cracking more than a few crabs together with both of our families. Peg was every bit as sweet as her cakes.

And what a cake this German Apple Cake is! With layers of moist, lightly orange-kissed cake, freshly sliced and tender apples, warmly spicy cinnamon sugar, this is one cake that's as good for breakfast as it is for dessert. Trust me, many breakfasts back in Maryland - and right here in Pittsburgh - were made of leftover German Apple Cake the next day!
 
This is an easy cake to make. The only tedious part is peeling, coring and slicing the apples. BUT, if you enlist the help of a few apple peelers/corers/slicers, it would definitely streamline the process. Many hands make light work for a German Apple Cake!

From Maryland to Michigan, somehow it seemed only fitting to make one of Peg's German Apple Cakes for Mieke's birthday...and to start making sweet German Apple memories in Michigan. And we did. Happy birthday, Mieke!

Peg's German Apple Cake

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons sugar

• 4 cups apples, peeled, sliced
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350.Grease and flour bundt or tube pan.  

First, mix cinnamon and 5 tablespoons of sugar together and set aside.

Mix cake ingredients for 4 minutes using mixer.  Pour a layer of batter, then a layer of apples - sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Alternate layers, ending with a layer of batter 2 more times.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours.


NOTE: When peaches are in season, try using slightly underripe peaches instead of apples...wonderful!


 

Fellow Food Bloggers and Cocktail Cohorts - The Brunch

Occasionally - not always - some of the best plans are hatched among friends around the bar. As I recall, the idea arose around a discussion of tiki drinks, which led to building the perfect pina colada, which led to the question, "Have you ever had a grilled pina colada?" Which naturally then led to the next question, "When are you going to have US over for brunch?!" Thus the plan AND the brunch was born.

Bloody Mary Bar - Just the beginning!                 Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

 
Dessert was already set...grilled pina coladas, of course. And Bloody Marys because, in my humble opinion, there is no brunch without bloodies. Two kinds actually - a standard one for non-adventurers, and a not-for-the-faint-of-heart version kicked up with reconstituted dried guajillo peppers and chile de arbol peppers, fresh garlic and jalapenos, mesquite smoked salt and some other fun stuff thrown in for good measure. Okay...drinks and dessert are set, what else? (Imagine the thrumming of fingertips on tabletop while pondering the question....) 

Smoked Pork Belly on the left, Grilled Paiche on the right - both with ALL the fixings!                Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Breakfast tacos! (NO! I just realized I forgot to make dippy eggs! Drat.) Sans the dippy eggs, we managed to make do with roasted mojo pork, grilled paiche fish (the fishmongers behind the glass at Whole Foods assured me it was a mild, sweet and delicious pick - and it was on sale!) and smoked pork belly that I'd rubbed the night before. Mark got up early to get it on the smoker by 6:00 a.m.! 

With breakfast tacos, naturally there were black beans, jalapeno coleslaw, cilantro lime crema and pickled red onions as traditional accompaniments. A huge coconut rum fruit salad filled in the holes...oh, and a batch of key lime coconut bars, too.  
 

Sure food is important at a brunch, but with the cocktail geeks and bartenders in attendance, there must be fabulous cocktails! And there were. Each guest was requested to bring the requirements for his or her favorite or signature cocktail. Boy oh BOY, did they come through! 

Michael with Blackberry Mezcal Julep   Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Jenn and Michael (of the blog 101 Achievements fame) made a variation on a julep...made with mezcal (instead of bourbon) and blackberries along with the required julep ingredient, mint. Smoky, sweet and minty with a kick. Marvelous.

Tiki Max in the midst of the 1934 Zombie creative process!   
Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Max and Chip (of RhoMania) brought some amazing rums and homemade syrups they magically turned into classic tiki drinks. Max's authentic tiki mugs were the icing on the cake...or the lime in the coconut? Max made not just any old Zombie, but the original 1934 Zombie recipe using hand-cranked crushed ice, no less. Next up was the 151 Swizzle!

Dave and Gail discussing proper Mai Tai preparation.   Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto  

One beautifully garnished Mai Tai Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

 


That wasn't the end of the tiki drinks, folks. Fellow former mixology classmates, Gail and Dave, created Mai Tais that were simply out of this world. The making of the tiki drink for them was just a warm up for their tropical themed wedding in LESS THAN A MONTH. Awwwwww. Mark and I already have our tropical attire ready to dance at their wedding.

Marie, Gail, Dave - Where was Brian?!
Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

What did our Acacia bartender guests, Marie and Brian, make? Absolutely nothing. On their day off, we guaranteed them they wouldn't be making drinks for anyone, it was their turn to be served! Maybe the drinks made for them weren't as wonderful as what they normally make for us, but we tried our darndest. If nothing else, a good time was had by all in the sunshine and the breezes under the big umbrella with full bellies and drinks in each of our hands. 

Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Grilled Pina Colada

Makes 4

• 1 fresh pineapple, outside removed, cored and cut into 3/4" slices
• 1 cup coconut flakes, toasted
• 1 cup caramel topping, good quality (I prefer Richardson's)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup rum, Meyers dark rum, coconut rum, whatever kind you prefer - I used Kraken spiced rum this time!
• 4 scoops ice cream, Talenti's coconut gelato
• fresh whipped cream

Melt together caramel topping, butter and rum in a small saucepan until well combined.  Set aside.
 
Grill pineapple slices on both sides until caramelized and have nice grill marks. 
 
On a pretty plate, place a slice of pineapple, scoop gelato into center of ring, top with whipped cream, drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with toasted coconut.  AWESOME!

Spicy Szechuan Smoked Pork Belly

• 1 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
• 2 small green cardamom pods - find these at Penzey's in the Strip District
•  1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 3 pound VERY lean pork belly (yes, I know this is an oxymoron)

Put the black and Szechuan peppercorns and the cardamom pods in a small coffee or spice grinder - or just crush them with a mortar & pestle. Remove to a small bowl, add the salt & sugar and mix well. Set aside.

Score both sides of the pork belly in a diamond pattern. Rub the peppercorn mixture evenly onto both sides of the meat. Use ALL of the rub. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. An hour before you're ready to smoke, take the meat out of the fridge to bring to room temp.

Prepare smoker as you normally would and soak smoker chips for at least an hour in water (wouldn't sake be nice instead of water?!) - I like hickory for this dish.

Once the smoker is ready to roll, unwrap the pork belly and place it on the smoker. We smoked this for about 4-5 hours - how long yours takes depends on you and your smoker.

Remove from heat when done, let rest 15 minutes and slice against the grain.

Serve on tacos or just by itself. Serve for breakfast or dinner. 
You will LOVE this one!

Gluten-Free Blood Orange Meyer Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Lemon Meringue pie! The craving hit like a bolt of tart, sweet, luscious lightening! Right then and there, it was decided what the weekend's dessert would be.

As days counted down to Saturday (and the available time to make the pie), I realized a gluten-free pastry crust just didn't measure up to the good old Crisco gluten-FULL crust of my memory. Hmmmm. Okay, instead of a disappointing GF crust, how about a cupcake to cradle the citrusy, lemony curd? Done.

That lemon curd I'd been craving all week? Blood oranges and Meyer lemons seemingly beckoned from the fridge. Suddenly the lemon meringue craving turned into something just a little more exotic, more exciting.

Saturday came...finally. While the cupcakes baked, the curd came together in a jiffy and when the adorable cakes emerged from the oven, the curd was already quick-chilling.  

Once all the parts were ready to roll, the little cakes were hollowed out and filled with the orange-y, lemon-y custard. Meringue was whipped into sweet, white clouds while filled cupcakes chilled in the fridge. Last of all, the meringue fluff was piled on top and popped into the oven to brown. Gorgeous!

I'm not gonna lie...it was a lot of effort, but SO worth it! Hmmmm....I'm just thinking about maybe a coconut cupcake filled with key lime curd, crowned with a browned, coconut kissed meringue. I'm also thinking that might possibly be this year's Parrothead cupcake for the Buffet concert...WITH a Margarita, of course!

 Gluten-Free Blood Orange Meyer Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Makes 12

 

• 1 package yellow cake mix, Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free
• 1/2 package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice (or 2 T. lemon juice AND 2 T. orange juice)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup fresh blood orange juice (or regular fresh o.j.)
• 1/3 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)
• 6 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 T. grated orange zest
• 1 stick butter, room temp

• 4 egg whites
• 3 T. sugar

     
Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners into 12 cupcake pan holes.
   
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, mix the cake mix, dry instant pudding, buttermilk, juices, oil and eggs until everything is mixed, scrape down sides of bowl and mix on medium another minute until well incorporated.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.

Bake approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Don't overbake. Cool completely on racks. Once they are completely cool, hollow out the centers with about a 1" hole - do NOT go all the way to the bottom. Set aside.

Curd: In the top of a double boiler (or a heat-proof bowl over simmering water in a pot), mix sugar, juices, eggs and yolks, zest and salt. Whisk the mixtures constantly until it becomes very thick and silky. Do NOT let it come to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. (I quick cooled the curd in the freezer, stirring often so it didn't freeze. Once the mixture is chilled completely, move to the fridge until you're ready to fill the cupcakes.)

Assembly: Fill the hollows of the cupcakes with the curd. Chill again while making the meringue.

Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites to a froth. Add the sugar gradually, continuing to whip until they come to a stiff peak. Top each filled cupcake with meringue. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven until the peaks of the meringue are beautifully browned. Remove from oven. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.