Famous Chocolate Sauce

This is the Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce from the cookbook California Heritage Continues, by the Junior League of Pasadena.

1/2 cup heavy cream, plain yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 oz semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla (at least)
1-2 tsp dark rum (optional)
1-2 tsp amaretto

In a heavy saucepan, combine the cream or yogurt and sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar has completely dissolved, stirring constantly. Add the butter and both kinds of chocolate. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring, until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks with a fork. Stir in enough spoonfuls of the hot chocolate mixture to heat the egg yolks from cold to warm, so they will not cook when you pour them into the saucepan. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture gradually, stirring constantly. Cook gently over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat.

Stir in vanilla and the rum and amaretto until well blended. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Chocolate Tortillas

This is something I remember from my childhood: Mom's chocolate tortillas! This is a layered dessert that is sweet, but also bitter and a little tart because of the dark chocolate and the sour cream. It's sooo delicious and you'll be glad you tried it!

6 oz semisweet chocolate
2 c sour cream
3 T confectioners' sugar
4 8-inch flour tortillas
Shaved chocolate

In the top of a double boiler add the chocolate, 1 c of the sour cream and 1 T sugar.

Set the pan over simmering water and stir until the chocolate is melted and the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Remove from heat and place pan into a bowl of cold water to cool mixture. On a serving plate place 1 tortilla. Frost the top of the tortilla with 1/3 of the chocolate mixture, making sure chocolate mixture is spread very evenly. Place second tortilla on top of chocolate mixture and frost evenly with second 1/3 of chocolate mixture. Repeat layering and frosting procedure once more ending with tortilla on top.

In a small bowl, blend the remaining 1 cup sour cream and remaining 2 T powdered sugar. Frost the top and sides of the tortilla stack with this mixture. Cover the completed tortilla stack with an inverted bowl large enough to cover the stack without touching the top or the sides. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Garnish the top of the stack with shaved chocolate and serve.

Epic Chocolate Pillow Cookies

So today I wanted to make cookies. Specifically, chocolate filled sugar cookies sounded good. I found a recipe, thought the proportions looked off, and tried it anyway. They were off. I salvaged it. I might advocate messing with the proportions a little bit more, but I think this is a good start. Basically, watch the texture and see if you think these will hold together in order to stay together when you roll them out.

Cookies:
3/4 c butter (I used goat's milk butter. It added a delicious complexity, since it has a slight chevre flavor)
1 c powdered sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 c flour

Ganache Filling:
4 oz good chocolate, chopped (I used Scharffen Berger 62% Cacao)
4 oz heavy cream

Cream the butter and sugar. I like to cut the butter into small pieces and beat the sugars in when it is still cold. Add the vanilla and egg yolks and beat until fluffy. Gradually add the flour. Roll into a ball and chill for at least 1 hour.

Make the filling by chopping the chocolate and putting it in a stainless steel bowl. Scald the cream and then pour it onto the chocolate. Let stand for 5 min. Using a whisk, stir the ganache until blended. Set aside and let cool to room temp, or place in the refrigerator for 30 min or so. Too long and it will take on truffle consistency and be harder to put in the cookies.

Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and roll it out with a rolling pin on a floured surface. Use a drinking glass to cut out circles. Place circles on a cookie sheet covered in parchment or foil. Drop about a teaspoon of ganache into the center of each circle. Cover each with another circle of dough, and seal the edges by pressing a fork all around the very edge so that it looks like a pie crust.

Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Eat one and marvel at the richness!

Northwest Frozen Blackberry Pie

A Bainbridge Island favorite from Marina!
Pie Crust:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup vegetable oil
2 Tbs milk
Mix flour and salt in a nine-inch pie pan, stirring with a fork. Combine oil and milk, blending well. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in liquid. Mix all ingredients with a fork. Evenly pat dough to edges of pie pan.

Filling:
2 Bags (16 to 20 inches) Frozen Blackberries
6 Tbs tapioca
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 Tbs butter

Gently warm berries, sugar, salt, and tapioca in a saucepan for a couple of minutes, just to dissolve the sugar. Then pour into pie pan and place slices of butter on top. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, and at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool. For best results, serve w/ ice cream.

Mom's first post!

First Entry from Jessica:

Olivia has always had a talent for finding good recipes. This one came out of California Heritage Continues Cookbook which along with its predecessor, California Heritage Cookbook (both by the Junior League of Pasadena), contains many family favorites. While she and Bryan and Alex visited in September, she whipped up this sauce and I realized, I had better get back to using my cookbooks for inspiration and enjoyment. Here is to you Olivia.

Olivia's Favorite Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

1/2 c heavy cream

1 c sugar

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 oz Swiss semisweet chocolate

1/2 c unsalted butter

2 large egg yolks

1 t vanilla

1-2 T dark rum

1-2 T almond liqueur

In a heavy saucepan, combine the cream and sugar. cook over medium heat, stirring just until the mixture starts to simmer. Add the chocolates and butter. cook over low heat, stirring until smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Stir in a few spoonfuls of the hot chocolate mixtures. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate in the saucepan, stirring constantly, cook gently over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. remove from the heat.

Stir in the vanilla, rum, and almond liqueur until well blended. Store in the refrigertor. Reheat when ready to serve Makes about 2 cups.

Lemon Bars

This recipe is a good one from Barefoot Contessa. I add a little more zest than called for and a little bacon grease to the pastry to make it flaky. It also has a yummy, interesting flavor.

For the crust:

nocoupons

• 1 c minus 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
• 2 tbsp bacon grease, cold.
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

nocoupons

• 6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup flour
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cut the bacon grease and butter into the flour and sugar, until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.