Happy Mother's Day

Hans put out all the stops this Mother's day. Culinary stops, that is. This morning he made me a fancy layered strawberry smoothie. For lunch, well I fended for myself, but that's okay. For dinner he made Chicken Cor Don Bleu and for dessert it was Crème brûlée. Oh la la!!! He even fired up the the fancy butane burner to crystallize the sugar on top so that it would look Tres Chic. If that wasn't enough, the Crème brûlée tasted Tres Riche (that's French for "it tasted delicious!") So I wanted to share the recipe Hans used, so that you can wow and woo your hubby for Father's Day, next month.

Crème Brûlée

• 2 cups half-and-half or light cream

• 5 egg yolks, slightly beaten

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  

• 1/3 cup sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degree F.

2. Heat half-and-half or light cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat just until bubbly. Combine slightly beaten egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with a wire whisk or rotary beater just until combined. Slowly whisk or stir the hot cream into the egg mixture.

3. Place four ungreased 4-inch quiche dishes or oval or round tart pans without removable bottoms into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set the pan on an oven rack in the preheated oven. Pour custard mixture evenly into the dishes. Pour very hot water into the baking pan around the dishes until water is halfway up the sides of the baking pan.

4. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center of each dish comes out clean. Remove dishes from pan; let cool about 30 minutes. Cover, chill for 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Before serving, let the custards stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

5. Place 1/3 cup sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat skillet over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt, shaking skillet occasionally to heat sugar evenly. Do not stir. Once sugar starts to melt, reduce heat to low; cook until sugar is completely melted and golden (3 to 5 minutes more), stirring as needed.

6. Spoon melted sugar quickly over custards in a lacy pattern or in a solid piece. If melted sugar starts to harden in pan, return to heat, stirring until it melts. If it starts to form clumps, carefully stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons water. If desired, garnish custards with edible flower petals. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Fyi:
If you have a butane burner, skip steps 5 & 6 and liberally sprinkle (is that an oxymoron?) the top of the custards with granulated or brown sugar. If you're feeling fancy, raw sugar makes it look tres tres magnifique! Melt sugar according to your burners directions. Serve immediately.

P.s.
I really don't think edible flower petals are all that tasty.

Cinco de Mayo

I cannot deny the beautiful buttery taste of the avocado! I love it! I wonder if in Greek mythology, the avocado was the fruit of the gods? Well if not, it should have been, but I digress. When we lived in Guadalajara, we ate at least 1 avocado per day. It was heavenly. Obviously our family doesn't pay any heed to the health related rumors spread by other vegetables. Clearly they are just jealous. So, in Honor of Cinco de Mayo and the avocado, I'm posting a fabulous & simple guacamole recipe that I found on allrecipes.com.Guacamole

• 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced green onions
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

F.y.i.
I love the pinch of cayenne!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

I would love to wear a fancy hat and go to the Kentucky Derby today, but since wonderful student housing brings me back to reality, I'll have to put that dream and my hat on a shelf for another year. In celebration of this old and timeless tradition I'd thought I throw in a fabulously sinful recipe that is reminiscent of Kentucky and her wonderful cooking heritage. The 1st time Hans & I tasted this recipe, we were at the Barhart's home and when we took our first bite, we stopped breathing. (In a good way). It was rich, chewy, full of flavor and loaded with everything that will give anyone with heart problems a heart attack, but pure happiness and smiles at the same time. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

• 1 c light corn syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 (6 -ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 c coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Heat oven to 275. In large mixing bowl, combine corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and salt; beat until blended. Gradually beat in melted chocolate; stir in pecans. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake on lowest oven rack until filling is completely puffed across top and crusted over (55 to 60 minutes). Cool. Pour 1/4 cup chocolate chips In small ziploc bag; seal. Submerge bag in very hot water until chips are melted. Snip off corner bag, making a tiny hole; drizzle melted chocolate evenly over pie and up onto edge of crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

To serve: Garnish pie slice with Whipped Cream mounds and Chocolate Decorations.

Fyi:
To prevent excessive browning on top of pie, cut piece of foil 10 inches long; fold into quarters. Round off outer edge; cut curve in center 3 inches from outer edge. Unfold foil ring and center over edge of pie crust before baking. Remove foil 10 to 15 minutes before end of baking.