FBF: Sundae Smoothie

FLASH-BACK FRIDAY

SUNDAE SMOOTHIE

click on image to see full post from 3/26/12

Elegant Holiday: Cherry-Pecan Brie

For the Introduction to this series of recipes, click HERE

CHERRY-PECAN BRIE

1/3 cup cherry preserves
1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 (16oz) warm Brie round with rind removed from top
Garnish: toasted pecans
Assorted crackers

• Stir together cherry preserves, balsamic vinegar, pepper and salt in a bowl. Drizzle over Brie. Top with chopped toasted pecans. Serve with crackers.

"An Elegant Holiday Dinner"

from Southern Living's 

"Cooking for Christmas"
Cherry-Pecan Brie
Tossed Greens-and-Grapes Salad
Easy Asiago-Olive Rolls
Pancetta-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Whipped Horseradish Cream
Crispy Potatoes with Fennel
Lemon-Garlic Green Beans
Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

FBF: Cherry Limeade

FLASH-BACK FRIDAY

CHERRY LIMEADE

click on image to see full post from 8/11/11

#4 Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

CHERRY CHEESECAKE COOKIES

1 6-oz jar maraschino cherries
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 3-oz package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
red food coloring
milk

• Drain cherries, reserving juice. Pat cherries dry. Finely chop cherries; measure 1/3 cup. Spread cherries on paper towels, pat dry.
• In a large bowl combine butter, shortening, and cream cheese. Beat with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and salt. Beat until combined. Beat in egg and extract until combined. Gradually add flour, beating until combined.
• Divide dough into 3 portions. Leave one portion plain. Into another dough portion, knead 1/2 tsp of the reserved cherry juice and enough red food coloring to make the dough light pink. Knead chopped cherries into remaining dough portion. Wrap each dough portion with plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours.
• Lightly flour three pieces of parchment paper. On each piece, roll a dough portion into a 6-inch square. Cover each portion with plastic wrap and freeze for about 30 minutes.
• Place plain dough square on work surface; brush top with milk. Place pink square on top of plain square. Turn over and brush other side of plain square with milk; place chopped cherry square on top of that one. Evenly trim the edges and cut stack into 3 even portions; freeze for about 30 more minutes.
• Preheat oven 275 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cut each block crosswise into 12 slices. Place slices on sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly brown. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

The recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest magazine Dec 2011 edition

#1 Cherry Thumbprint

So I'm trying this little segment out, but its a dooooozy. "25 days of Christmas Sweets." Originally it was "Christmas Cookies" but then I expanded my recipes to cover a bigger range. Yes, I will diet AFTER Christmas, but before then...enjoy! A new sweet will be posted EVERY DAY until Christmas (hopefully!!)!

Thumbprints are a new adventure for me. I don't know why I've never made them before of wanted to make before--they are actually really EASY and quite delicious!

CHERRY THUMBPRINTS

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup slivered almonds, chopped finely
1 can cherry pie filling

• In a large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until combined. Then beat in egg yolks, vanilla and extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer, then mix in the remaining by hand. 
• Cover and chill for about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Grease cookie sheets. 
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll ball in beaten egg white and then roll in chopped almonds.
• Place balls 1-inch apart on cookie sheets. Using your thumb, make indentation in each dough ball.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are brown. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
• Fill each thumbprint with cherry pie filling and a cherry. Serve immediately.

If saving for later use, store cookie without the filling in the middle stacked in an air-tight container with wax paper between layers.

The recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest magazine Dec 2011 edition

Camembert with Lambic-Peach-Cherry Chutney

This is the perfect entertaining plate that goes great with any setting. The cheese can get expensive (it cost me about $11 for the round) so keep that in mind. But its totally worth it!

PLANK-SMOKED CAMEMBERT 

WITH LAMBIC-PEACH-CHERRY CHUTNEY

2/3 cup lambic beer or hard cider
1/2 cup sugar
1 large peach, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup dried (tart or sweet) cherries
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
dash salt
1 piece cherrywood or cedar grill plank
8oz baguette-style french bread, cut diagonally into 1/2-in slices
1 8oz round Camembert cheese

For chutney, in a small saucepan, combine beer and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Stir in peach, dried cherries, ginger, emon peel and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Transfer to a small bowl. cover and chill for at least 4 hours (it will thicken as it chills).

For at least 1 hour before grilling, soak grill plank in enough water to cover. Drain plank before using.

For charcoal grill, place the plank on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 3 to 5 minutes or until it starts to char and pop. while plank is heating, add bread slices to grill. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes or until toasted, turning once halfway through grilling. Turn plank over. Place cheese on charred side of plank. Cover and grill for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is softened and side is starting to droop.

Place cheese on plank; spoon some chutney on top. Serve with the bread and remaining chutney. Makes 6 to 8 appetizer serving.

recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens "grill it" special addition, July 2011

Still time to enter this giveaway!

Cherry Limeade

Everyone's favorite drink from a certain fast-food joint can be yours anytime time you want!

CHERRY LIMEADE

1 carton Limeade (like the carton of OJ, in same area at grocery stores)
10 oz jar of maraschino cherries
1/4 cup sugar
limes for decor

Mix all the ingredients together in large pitcher and serve over ice! Try shaved/crushed ice too. I left out the sugar one time, and it was still amazing--just not as sweet.

I saw this on one of the blog I follow and forgot to bookmark it for reference! I apologize, so if this was you, let me know so I can give you credit! Or if you know which blog it is, let me know. =)

Grilled Lamb Chops with Wine Sauce

This isn't the BEST lamb recipe, but its still really good! Be careful not to over cook the tomatoes, like I did. And having an instant read thermometer is really helpful on getting the lamb to the right doneness. If you like lamb, also try my Wine & Mint Lamb Chops, Lamb & Olive Pasta and my "How to use a guy in 10 day" Rack of Lamb!

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS WITH WINE SAUCE

Click HERE for printable recipe

2 Tbsp finely chopped sweet onion
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup dry red wine
\1 tsp butter
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 cup cherry tomatoes
6 whole unpeeled garlic cloves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 lamb rib or loin chops (6oz each)

Directions:
In a small saucepan, saute onion in 1 tsp oil until tender; add the wine. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons. Stir in butter and thyme. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Place tomatoes on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle with 1 tsp oil. Fold foil around tomatoes and seal tightly; set aside. Repeat with whole garlic cloves and remaining oil. Grill garlic, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the minced garlic, salt and pepper; rub over chops. Grill lamb and tomato packet, covered, over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until lamb reaches desired doneness.

[medium-rare 145 F, medium 160 F, well done 170 F]

Open tomato packet carefully to allow steam to escape; place tomatoes in small bowl. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze softened garlic over tomatoes; toss to coat. Serve the lamb with tomatoes and wine sauce.

Click HERE for printable recipe

Pina Colada Upside-Down Cake

Today is the official PINA COLADA Day! No, really--it IS! So in honor of that, here is my....

PINA COLADA UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 medium pineapple
1/2 cup maraschino cherries
1pkg yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp rum extract
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat (do NOT use stainless cookware!). Brush sides of skillet with butter with a basting brush. Remove from heat; sprinkle brown sugar over butter and set aside. [I used my skillet with "straight up" sides (technical word...?) and the cake wanted to fall apart and I filled in the cracks with more coconut flakes. So make sure you use the skillet with the "curved" sides! I know, I'm really technical. But hey, I'm learning.]

Carefully, slice pineapple into rings; and then cut ring in half. Arrange slices around the outer edge of skillet; place two slices in center, creating a ring. Place one cherry in center and additional cherries around outside of ring.

Combine cake mix, eggs, coconut milk and rum extract in large bowl. Whisk until well blended. Carefully pour batter over pineapple in skillet.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes on wire rack.

Toast coconut in small skillet until lightly browned.

Invert cake on cake stand or platter and lightly press toasted coconut flakes around top edge and sides of cake.

Happy Pina Colada Day!

Crock-pot: BBQ Pork Ribs

This is a delicious crock-pot recipe that fills your house with a sweet BBQ smell. I love the ingredients, but the best part is that you use your own BBQ sauce..and then add a bit more. Make sure you cook it for NO MORE than 8 hours. Too much is dissolved if cooked much longer. Anyway, here it is!...

BBQ PORK RIBS

2 racks pork baby back ribs (about 4 1/2lbs)
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
2 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
3/4 cup cherry preserves (A MUST!)

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced

Cut ribs into serving-size pieces; sprinkle with pepper. Place in a crock-pot.

Combine remaining ingredients; pour over meat.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.

Serve with the same flavor BBQ sauce you used to cook with. Enjoy!

"How to loose a guy in 10 Days" Rack Lamb with Cherries Recipe

One of my "All time favorite" movies is "How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days," with Kate Hudson. Even if you haven't seen the movie, you KNOW the seen where Matthew Mcconaughy cooks Kate dinner, Lamb with a cherry sauce, while the TV is showing Basketball game..and she looks at him with a fake "sad" face and starts singing "Mary had a little lamb...." HAHA I still laugh every time!

Anyway--has anyone been curious about the meal itself? I HAVE! I found this good recipe, and changes just a few things--whether its because I'm not a professional chef and probably doing something wrong...or just because of things I prefer. So, here it is!

RACK OF LAMB WITH MERLOT GLAZE & CHERRY SAUCE

2 cups merlot 
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted
2 cloves garlic, chopped 
1 shallot, chopped
4 cups lamb stock (or chicken stock, which I used)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt & fresh ground pepper 


1 bottle  merlot (750 ml)
1 1/2 cups good quality balsamic vinegar
1 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped


4 lamb racks, excess fat trimmed
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
rosemary springs, for garnish

To prepare the sauce, combine wine, cherries, garlic and shallot in saucepan over high heat and reduce until the mixture is almost dry, about 10 minutes.

Add the stock, decrease the heat to medium and reduce until the sauce is think and coats the spoon [about 10 to 15 minutes]

Add butter and stir until melted. Season with s&p to taste.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

To prepare glaze, combine the wine, vinegar, shallot and garlic in saucepan over medium heat and reduce until about 1/2 cup liquid remains, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

To prepare lamb, season well with s&p.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat until smoking hot. Add as many racks as will fit, meat side down, and sear well [3 to 4 minutes]. Transfer to sheet pan. Continue searing racks.

Baste the racks well with the glaze. Set the pan in the oven and roast, basting every 5 minutes, until the meat reaches 135 degrees F internally. About 20 minutes for med-rare doneness.

Remove racks from oven and let sit for 5 minutes, then slice. [mine were too rare at this point, so I sliced them all individually, then seared them again on each side, which gave a better doneness for my taste]

Place on platter to serve and drizzle the some of the sauce. Garnish with rosemary springs and serve warm, with extra sauce on side.

**This was absolutly FABULOUS! Must try! Start the sauces all at the same time, it will help save time. Also plan a little more time for cooking, just incase the degree of doneness is to your liking.

**I also couldn't find fresh cherries that week, so I used a canned kind. Then I waited to add the cherry until the very end of making the sauce, so just enough time to soften them and heat them through.