Coconut Meringues

I felt like making cookies the other day and remembered that Cooking Light's December issue had tons of cookie recipes. I finally decided on this Coconut Meringue recipe. Though they take a while to bake, they are quick to throw together and don't require much in the way of ingredients. Also, what is better than a cookie with 0 grams of fat. We really loved the taste, however mine never did get that nice crunch typical of the perfect meringue. It wasn't humid when I made them so the only thing I can think is that I should have left them in the oven a bit longer and maybe even let them dry out in the oven after I turned it off.

Coconut Meringue
Source: Cooking Light, December 2007

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

Preheat oven to 250°.

Combine cream of tartar, salt, and egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. Add extracts; beat just until blended (do not overbeat). Gently fold in coconut. Drop by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto 2 baking sheets covered with parchment paper. Bake at 250° for 1 hour until very lightly browned and almost crisp, switching baking sheets and rotating front to back halfway through baking time. Remove from oven. Cool for 25 minutes (meringues will crisp as they cool). Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon cocoa.

31 meringues (serving size: 1 meringue)

CALORIES 25(14% from fat); FAT 0.4g (sat 0.4g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g); PROTEIN 0.4g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 1mg; SODIUM 13mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.1g

Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

Since the weather here has turned chilly, I have been in the mood to make comfort food. I found this menu from a past issue of Every Day Food. I'm very picky about macaroni and cheese, however, I thought this recipe comes close to a perfect 10. I loved the mix of cheeses and the fact that it was really creamy. I would probably double the sauce next time to make it even creamier. I made the two suggested side dishes of garlic roasted tomatoes and sauteed green beans and mushrooms. Both were superb. The roast tomatoes were very easy and will become a regular side dish on our dinner menus as will the green beans. I had not yet found a green bean recipe that I loved until I tried this one. Next time I make this meal, I will try the apple cinnamon upside down cake which was the recommended dessert.

Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
Source: Everyday Food, September 2007

Serves 8.

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound medium pasta shells
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 4 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
• 4 ounces Havarti cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
• 4 ounces Muenster cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 6 slices white sandwich bread

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Butter a shallow 4-quart baking dish (oval or 9-by-13-inch rectangle); set aside.
2. Generously salt boiling water; add pasta. Cook, according to package instructions, until 2 minutes short of al dente. Drain pasta, and return to pot.
3. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium. Transfer 2 tablespoons melted butter to a small bowl; set aside for topping. Add flour and mustard powder to remaining butter in saucepan. Cook, whisking, 1 minute (do not let flour darken). Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until sauce is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Remove sauce from heat. Gradually whisk in cheeses; add Worcestershire sauce, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add sauce to pasta, and toss to combine; transfer to prepared baking dish.
5. Place bread in food processor; pulse until very coarse crumbs form (you should have about 3 cups). Add reserved melted butter, and pulse just to moisten. Scatter crumbs over pasta in baking dish. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.)
6. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. (If refrigerated, bake for 30 to 35 minutes.) Cool 5 minutes before serving

Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms
Source: Everyday Food, September 2007

Serves 8

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 pounds green beans (stem ends removed), halved crosswise
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound button mushrooms, stems trimmed, halved
• 2 shallots, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings

1. Fill a large skillet with 1/2 inch water; bring to a boil, and salt generously. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
2. Add green beans to skillet; cover, and steam until crisp-tender, 5 to 10 minutes (time will depend on size and freshness of green beans). Transfer to ice water to cool; drain and pat dry (if making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day). Wipe skillet dry.
3. In same skillet, heat butter over medium-high. Add mushrooms and shallots; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned, 8 to 12 minutes more.
4. Add green beans; cook just to heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Garlic-Roasted Tomatoes
Source: Everyday Food, September 2007

4 large beef-steak tomatoes (about 3 lbs), cored and halved crosswise
2 tbsp butter cut into 8 thin slices
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
course salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Place tomato halves, cut side up on a large rimmed baking sheet. Dividing evenly top with garlic and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Bake tomatoes until tender about 40-45 minutes.

Larger Than Life Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

I couldn't imagine a better excuse than a holiday to try another one of the amazing desserts from my Pastry Queen Cookbook. This cheesecake was really delicious. Unlike other pumpkin cheesecakes I have had this had a very strong pumpkin spice flavor to it. The praline topping was so delicious. It would be great on many other things. Overall, another hit from my favorite cookbook.

"This is a big, gorgeous cheesecake perfect for the most glamorous holiday feast. The spiced pumpkin-cream filling is topped with a deep brown blanket of praline sauce, and underneath lies a buttery gingersnap crust. Remember to make this dessert in advance. It needs to chill in the refrigerator for several hours before serving." Rebecca Rather, from The Pastry Queen.

Larger Than Life Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake
Recipe: The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

Ginger Crust

• 2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (about 40 cookies)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Pumpkin Filling

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Praline Topping

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Crust: Line bottom of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray or Baker's Joy. In a large bowl, stir together the crushed gingersnaps with the melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Filling: Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl on medium-high speed about 1 minute,until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the eggs,one at a time, beating on medium-high for 20 seconds after each addition. Add the vanilla, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; beat on medium speed about 1 minute,until incorporated.

Pour the filling over the crust. Put the springform pan into a larger baking pan and set it on the center rack of the oven. Pour enough boiling water into the larger pan to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake about 1 hour, until the filling is set and golden brown on top. Cool the cheesecake on a rack about 30 minutes, then chill for several hours or overnight. Remove cheesecake from springform pan and set on a serving dish.

Topping: Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Coarsely chop the nuts.

Stir together brown sugar, cream and butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. Boil mixture for about 1 1/2 minutes, adjusting the heat to make sure it does not boil over. Do not stir. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, and pecans. Cool topping at least 15 minutes before pouring over the top of the chilled cheesecake. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. The cheesecake will keep, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Yield:14 to 16 servings

Chocolate Pecan Tart

This is another wonderful recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food. It presents beautifully on a holiday table and was delicious as well. Sorry no pictures of my Thanksgiving desserts but I was so focused on getting everything out of the house that I forgot.

Chocolate Pecan Tart

Serves 8

• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 teaspoons, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
• 1 1/3 cups pecan halves
• 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
• 1 store-bought refrigerated pie crust (not in a pie plate)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pie dough to a 12-inch round, about an inch thick. Wrap dough around rolling pin, and unwrap over a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pan; trim edge of dough.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, light corn syrup, 4 teaspoons melted unsalted butter, and the vanilla. Scatter chocolate evenly over tart shell. Pour filling over chocolate. Arrange pecans on top, as desired. Dot with 2 teaspoons chilled butter.
3. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling is set, 45 to 60 minutes. If pecans are browning too quickly, tent pan with foil. Remove from oven; while still hot, drizzle with bourbon, if desired. Let tart cool completely before serving.

Poblano Chicken Chowder

One of my favorite things to eat is homemade soup. This Paula Deen recipe was a little time consuming but turned out fantastic. It is a hearty soup and makes a meal all on its own. It pairs nicely with corn bread. In true Paula Deen spirit it does have a stick of butter! The only changes I made were I used jalapenos instead of poblanos as I could not find the poblanos. I also seeded my jalapenos to remove most of the heat. I also omitted the hot sauce because I don't like my dishes too spicy. The soup had a kick as it was from the jalapenos. I've never used chicken bouillon before and when I investigated the ingredients I couldn't find one that I was willing to put in my soup. I finally found one in the organic section of my grocery store. Its called Not-Chick'n. It has no MSG and contains only a few ingredients all of which are organic and natural. I did use heavy cream this time but next time I would probably use half and half to cut the calories a little. I happened to have heavy cream in the house for some holiday baking I am doing. This soup makes a lot. I have two extra containers frozen now. This would be the perfect snow day soup.

Poblano Chicken Chowder

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Yield: 12 to16 servings 1/4 cup olive oil 3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice 2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice 5 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/8 cup minced garlic 2 to 3 small poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules 3 quarts chicken broth 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced 3 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste 1 cup heavy creamHeat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cilantro, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through. Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly. When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the hot sauce, then the cream, and serve.

Cranberry Banana Oat Bread

I decided to try this recipe because I loved the idea of combining cranberries in banana bread and I had several bananas I needed to use. The texture of this bread was really nice, it released from the pan perfectly. My only complaint about this recipe is that it was not very sweet. Normally, I am not apt to add sugar to a recipe but this one needed a little more. I'm not sure if the addition of some brown sugar or honey would do the trick.

Cranberry Banana Oat Bread

Source: Whole Foods

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup quick oats 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups ripe mashed banana pulp (about 3 bananas) 2 large eggs 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy margarine, melted, cooled 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Ingredient Option: replace the margarine with canola oil, if desired. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with a small amount of margarine. Combine the flour, oats, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix together with a whisk and set aside. Whisk the bananas, eggs and margarine together in a bowl. Add the sugar, cranberries, and lemon juice; mix until blended. Gently stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over mix the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until lightly browned, 45 to 50 minutes. Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. Turn the bread out onto a cutting board and, using a serrated bread knife slice the bread into 3/4-inch thick pieces. Arrange on a platter and serve.

Nutrition Info

Per Serving (94g-wt.): 250 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 5g protein, 42g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 20g sugar), 45mg cholesterol, 380mg sodium

Pumpkin Roll

I'm pretty adventuresome in the kitchen and feel like I can conquer most projects. However, for some reason the roll cake has always intimidated me. I tried to make one several years ago and it completely fell apart. I had some leftover pumpkin from the pumpkin waffles so I thought I would try the traditional Libby pumpkin roll cake. I'm proud to say my pumpkin roll was a success! It came out absolutely perfect and was delicious as well. I now look forward to conquering the pumpkin roll cake in my Pastry Queen Cookbook and maybe even a Buche de Noel for Christmas.

Libby's Pumpkin Roll Cake
Source: verybestbaking.com

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions:
FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

COOKING TIP:
Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.