Mocha Torte with Hazlenut Ganache

This dessert is so easy to pull together, you can have it in the oven in less than 10 minutes.  It's so rich and decadent that a small piece goes a long way.  Flavor the ganache with your favorite liquor or make it without the liquor for pure chocolate flavor.

photography by Paul Gelsobello Studio

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Cook Time:  25 minutes

Makes: 12 servings

1 can Baker's Joy¨ non-stick spray with flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Frangelica or other hazelnut flavored  liquor

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with Baker's Joy cooking spray.

Melt 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup chocolate chips in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in espresso powder, sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour just until blended. Spread batter into prepared pan.   

Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Do not overbake. Cool 15 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Meanwhile, bring cream just a boil. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips until melted; stir in Frangelico. Let cool, slightly, to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Place rack with cake on waxed paper, then pour ganache in center of cake.  Spread the edge with spatula, allowing some ganache to drip down sides of torte.  Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Garnish with raspberries or chopped hazelnuts, if desired.

food stylist - Catherine Paukner

food stylist assistant - Lauren Dellabella

prop stylist - Heather Bean

recipe developed for Baker's Joy

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Pizza

Grill season is finally upon us and I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for something new to make on the grill. 
You can’t go wrong when you pair two favorites – Eggplant Parmesan and pizza!  Grilling this pizza results in a perfectly crisp crust every time.
 

photography by Paul Gelsobello Studio

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes

6 servings

1 small eggplant, (about 12 oz.), sliced into 1/4 thick slices

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 can (10 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust

flour or cornmeal

3/4 cup prepared pasta sauce

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Spray grill with non-stick grill spray and preheat grill to medium.  Season eggplant with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Grill 4 to 6 minutes turning once, until tender.  Remove eggplant and reduce heat to medium-low.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 15x11-inch rectangle.  Sprinkle flour or cornmeal on baking sheet.  Transfer dough to baking sheet.  Invert baking sheet to place dough on grill.  Grill, covered 3 to 4 minutes or until dough is crisp and lightly browned on bottom.  Using a large spatula, carefully flip crust over.  Spread pasta sauce on crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Quickly top with eggplant slices, cheeses and basil.

Reduce heat to low and grill, covered 6 minutes or until the cheese melts and bottom of crust is golden brown.

food stylist - Catherine Paukner

food stylist assistant - Lauren Dellabella

prop stylist - Heather Bean

recipe developed for Baker's Joy

3 Ingredient Slow Cooked BBQ Beef

Easy as 1-2-3!
3 ingredients, that is, tossed into your slow cooker.  Now that's a recipe for success!
Once your slow cooker does all of the work, this meat is so tender you barely need a fork to shred it.

2-1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

Add all ingredient to slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or high 4 to 6 hours. Break meat up with fork and mix with juices; skim any fat if needed.

Serve on buns with shredded cabbage or slaw if desired.

Also tastes great in tortillas or over rice or polenta.

Chai Spiced Tea Bread

Chai, an aromatic spiced tea, has been the Indian drink of choice for hundreds of years.  It's the perfect blend of freshly ground spices, like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and pepper. The aroma and flavor are almost intoxicating.  I love the exotic flavors in my tea, so why not turn in into something even better.  A moist, rich tea bread with the warming flavors of chai. 

 photography by Paul Gelsobello Studio

Bread:

1can Baker's Joy¨ non-stick spray with flour

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup prepared strong chai or regular tea, cooled

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

5 teaspoons milk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray 9x5-inch loaf pan with Baker's Joy spray.

Combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, ginger and allspice in large bowl.  Cut butter in to flour mixture until mixer resembles coarse crumbs (Can use paddle attachment of stand mixer).  Stir in eggs, tea, milk and vanilla just until moistened.  Pour batter into prepared pan. 

Bake 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.  

Glaze:   In small bowl, combine all ingredients.  Stir until smooth.  Drizzle evenly over cooled bread.  Let stand 15 minutes or until glaze hardens.

food stylist - Catherine Paukner

food stylist assistant - Lauren Dellabella

prop stylist - Heather Bean

recipe developed for Baker's Joy

 

Polenta Squares with Roasted Tomato & White Bean Bruschetta

The perfect recipe for entertaining.  Not only can you make it ahead of time, but it's actually better if you do!  Serve as a first course, side dish or double the beans for a meatless main dish.

 photography by Paul Gelsobello Studio

olive oil

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 large tomatoes, diced (about 4 cups)

1/2 cup small white beans

1/3 cup chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Lightly oil a 9 x 9 inch baking dish. 

Polenta: In a large saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil and slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir with wire whisk for 5 minutes or until polenta is thickened and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan. Stir in cheese. Pour into prepared pan.   Cool and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 450˚F.  Flip polenta out of dish and cut into 9 squares.  Lightly oil baking sheet.  Arrange polenta squares on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes or until hot and lightly browned. 

Bruschetta:

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Lightly oil baking pan. Spread chopped tomatoes evenly on baking pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 30 to 40 minutes or until tomatoes are very soft and beginning to brown.
Combine tomatoes with beans, onion, garlic, basil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made one day ahead.

 

To serve, spoon bruschetta over polenta squares.

food stylist - Catherine Paukner

food stylist assistant - Lauren Dellabella

prop stylist - Heather Bean

recipe developed for Baker's Joy

Classic Hummus

This healthy dip is readily available in the supermarket these days, so why make your own?  Well, prepackaged hummus can be pricey and contain ingredients that you don't want.  And, I'll let you in on a little secret ~ it's incredibly easy to make it yourself.  Just dump your ingredients in the bowl of your food processor, push a button and let the processor do all the work.  Voila, home made hummus in no time flat, and at a fraction of the cost! 

I always keep some on hand for a quick snack or lunch.  Dipping crunchy veggies or spreading on a whole grain wrap are healthy options when hunger sets in.  I always include hummus on my party menu as well so I can enjoy some guilt free munching! 

1 can (29 oz) chick peas, drained and reserve liquid
4 to 5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water or chick pea liquid
 

Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor bowl and process until smooth.  For thinner consistency, add more water or chick pea liquid.

Serve with veggies, pitas or your favorite dippers.  Spread on a pita or whole grain wrap and add salad greens to for a delicious sandwich.

You can experiment by adding ingredients for different flavor profiles.  Try pitted calamata olives, or sun dried tomatoes, or canned pumpkin.

Autumn Cabbage and Apples

Crisp, cool air; vibrant red, gold and orange leaves; the smell of fireplaces; apple cider that tastes like liquid apple. Yes.. Fall is in the air. 

I love it because it's a time to get back to our routine, to get warm and cozy, to watch football (sometimes!) and most of all...to get back into the kitchen. It's all about comfort food, baking, roasting...and yes, the Farmers' Market.


I've always thought of Farmers' Markets as a summer thing, but have found this year, that I'm even more enamored with the Markets in fall.  Gone are the berries and peaches and plums, replaced by bushels of apples, brussel sprouts so fresh they barely need to be cooked, bouquets of stunning greens, pumpkins and squash of all shapes and sizes, and the biggest heads of cabbage I've ever seen!

Inspired by these fresh new ingredients, I can't wait to get them back to my kitchen. 

I spent a beautiful fall Sunday peeling and chopping and  roasting and sauteing. 

Kinda gives new meaning to the words "Veg out."

Autumn Cabbage and Apples

 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 large onion, sliced
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large apple, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch wide strips
8 to 10 cups sliced cabbage
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Caraway seeds



Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and salt and cook for about 6 minutes or until very tender and beginning to caramelize, stirring occasionally.  Add apple and cook for 1 minute.  Add cabbage and cook about 8 minutes or until cabbage is tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.

Combine brown sugar, cider vinegar and Dijon mustard and add to cabbage mixture.  Cook, stirring frequently about 3 minutes or until cabbage is desired tenderness.  Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, until melted, and caraway seeds.