Blackberry & Marshmallow Semifreddo

make the marshmallow

Put the gelatin in a small bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of cold water. Let the gelatin sit until it becomes spongy.

In a small saucepan stir together the sugar, 1/4 cup of corn syrup and 1⁄4 cup of water. Don’t begin heating, just set aside. In a medium bowl add the rest of the corn syrup. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, begin to whisk the syrup on low speed.

Heat the gelatin in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Stir the gelatin to ensure it is completely melted. Then slowly add the gelatin to the corn syrup mixture. Keep mixer on low speed.

Begin to heat the sugar mixture on the stovetop on medium to high heat. Stir continuously. Use a candy thermometer to watch the temperature. When the thermometer reaches 235 degrees F, remove the saucepan from the heat.

The corn syrup mixture will be thick by this time. Turn the mixer up to medium for one minute, and then slowly add the sugar mixture. Begin mixing on medium-high for 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt. Mix on high for one minute. The mixture will be very fluffy. Set the marshmallow aside.

make the semifreddo and sauce

Prepare a 5×9 loaf pan with parchment paper. Cut two pieces of parchment paper, each wide enough to cover the bottom of the pan and extended over the sides vertically and horizontally. Ultimately you will use the parchment paper to lift the semifreddo from the loaf pan. Alternatively, you could serve the semifreddo in individual dishes. In that case, no additional preparation of those dishes in necessary.

Puree the blackberries in a food processor, blender or, my favorite, the Magic Bullet. Pour the puree into a mesh sieve and using the back of a spoon or ladle push it through the sieve, separating the juice from the seeds. Divide the juice evenly in two bowls.

In one bowl, make the sauce by adding 2 tablespoons of sugar. Juice the lemon and stir in 1 teaspoon of juice. Cover and chill.

In the second bowl of blackberry puree, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.

In a small saucepan, add about an inch of water and heat to simmer.

Using an electric mixer beat the eggs, salt and 1/3 cup of sugar on medium to high speed for 5 to 8 minutes. The mixture will turn a pale yellow and will double in size.

Place the bowl over the simmering saucepan and insert a candy thermometer into the mixture. Beat with a handheld mixer or whisk vigorously until the thermometer reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from heat and chill mixture until it is cool. Softly, add in the blackberry puree. Mix until blended.

Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Be careful not to over beat. Softly, fold the cream into the blackberry mixture. Once well combined, carefully add three to four spoonfuls of marshmallow to the mixture. You can add more or less marshmallow according to your preference. Stir just until the marshmallow is distributed fairly evenly.

Pour the semifreddo into the prepared loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer. It will be ready to serve in two hours. Serve within two days.

When semifreddo is frozen (it will still be a bit soft) and you are ready to serve, run a butter knife between the loaf pan and the parchment paper to loosen the semifreddo. Using the edges of the parchment paper, lift the semifreddo from the pan and transfer to a plate to remove the parchment. Serve with the blackberry sauce on a platter cut in slices or on individual plates.

Toasted Coconut Custard Tart

make the crust

Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan. Then line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Butter and flour the parchment.

Mix the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the pieces of butter and pulse the ingredients using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. The flour should combine with the butter and begin forming small balls. In a bowl break up the egg yolk then add it in increments, mixing in pulses after each addition. Keep pulsing for 10 second each until the ingredients begin to mix. Mix until the ingredients could be formed into a ball of dough. Don’t over mix.

Using a floured surface, carefully knead the dough just enough to get all of the extra dry ingredients combined. Evenly, lightly press the dough into the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Reserve a small amount of the dough to repair cracks in the crust after baking. Freeze the crust for 30 minutes. Refrigerate the extra dough. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter the shiny side of aluminum foil and press the buttered side down against the crust. Bake on a baking sheet for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and press down the crust. Fill any cracks or thin spots with the extra dough. Bake for 8 more minutes until the crust is lightly brown. Let cool. Cover until ready to use.

make the custard

Bring the milk to a soft boil. In a large saucepan whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and salt until well combined. While constantly whisking, pour 1/3 of the milk into the egg mixture. Continuing to whisk, slowly pour the remaining milk into the eggs. While still whisking, heat the mixture over medium heat until it begins to boil; let boil for up to 2 minutes, until it thickens. Mix in the rum and vanilla. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Then add the bits of butter. This should make the custard very smooth. Stir in the toasted coconut. Cover with plastic wrap pressed against the custard and cool in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. You can also store the custard overnight until ready to use.

make the topping

With a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium peaks. Add the powdered sugar and mix until firm peaks are formed, but be careful not to over mix. Fold in the rum and vanilla. If you like a lighter rum flavor, I would omit it from the whipped topping.

To put it all together, lightly whisk the cooled custard and pour it into the crust. Spoon the whipped cream all over the tart and spread evenly to the edges. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top of the whipped cream.

Cherry-Berry Pecan Granola Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan. Then line it with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper.

Combine the oats, pecans and coconut and spread evenly on a cookie sheet. Toast (mix once during toasting) until lightly browned, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mix-in the wheat germ, cardamom and cinnamon.

Reduce heat in the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Upon boiling, cook for one minute. Pour the heated mixture over the oat mixture. Add the cherries, blueberries and cocoa nibs. Mix until the dry ingredients are well coated.

Pour the mixture into the pan and spread evenly in the pan. Use the back of a wooden spoon or wet your fingers and press the mixture firmly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Don’t overcook or the bars will be too hard. Cool for 2 to 3 hours. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

make the crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Cut two pieces of parchment paper in rectangles long enough to extend up the sides of the pan (so later you can use them as tabs to pull out the finished cheesecake bars). Place the parchment paper in the buttered pan cross-wise and press it into the corners.

In a plastic bag, crush up the graham crackers in to dime size pieces or smaller crumbs. In a bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers. Add the melted butter and mix until the butter is incorporated. Pour the mixture into the baking pan and evenly press it into the bottom of the pan and about a 1/4 inch on the sides. Use a glass or another smooth surface to disperse the graham cracker mixture. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Cool crust.

make the filling

Before you begin, ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature. This will make your bars more creamy. In a bowl with an electric mixer, add the cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar. Mix until the ingredients are creamy and the cream cheese is fully incorporated. Pour into the pan with the cooled crust. Then evenly distribute the blueberries.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cheesecake comes out mostly clean. Only allow the top to get a hint of brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into 9 bars and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Opera Cake

make the cake layers

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Cut out wax paper the size of three 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Line the pans with the wax paper and butter and flour the bottom and sides of the pan. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and mix together. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.

In a large bowl, beat eggs on medium speed with an electric mixer (use paddle attachment if you have the option). Slowly add the oil, milk and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Then add dry ingredients and bean on medium just until combined. Add boiling water and stir by hand until combined. Divide the batter between the three cake pans. The pans won’t appear very full but the cakes will rise in the oven. Bake cakes for 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. Try to pull the cakes from the oven before the toothpick comes out clean, a few crumbs on the toothpick are good. Cool cakes on rack. Once completely cooled, run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out on to cooling racks.

make the coffee buttercream

While the cakes are baking, you can make the buttercream. In a medium bowl, mix the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of sugar with an electric mixer until thick and pale. This will take about 5 minutes or more. In a small saucepan, bring the milk just to a boil. Stir in the rest of the sugar, the coffee and instant espresso or instant coffee. While constantly whisking the yolks, pour in 1/3 of the hot milk mixture. Then pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly and cook on medium until you seem small bubbles. Remove from heat and pour into a clean mixing bowl and bean on medium to high until the mixture thickens and doubles in size, about 5-6 minutes. Beat in butter one tablespoon at a time until the mixture turns white and fluffy.

make the chocolate charlotte

Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments; set aside. Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until it holds soft-medium peaks.

Place the eggs yolks in a double boiler with water in the bottom pan. Heat yolks over low to medium heat, keeping an eye that they don’t get to hot and scramble. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Whisking yolks constantly, stir in the sugar syrup. Continue whisking quickly until the mixture thickens. Pour mixture into a medium bowl and mix on medium until it cools to room temperature. Beat in melted chocolate until it is very well combined. Then, using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream until the charlotte is all the same color. Chill until ready to use.

make the coffee sauce

In a small bowl, combine the coffee and coffee liqueur. Set aside.

make the chocolate ganache

In the microwave, melt the chocolate in 30 second increments. Add the butter and stir until well combined. Whisk in the corn syrup and liqueur. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before using.

assemble the cake

The easiest way to assemble is by using a spring-form pan lined with plastic wrap. Place one layer of the cake in the spring-form pan. Liberally brush on the coffee sauce. Top evenly with one cup of the mousse. Place the second cake layer on top of the charlotte. Liberally brush the top of the cake with the coffee sauce. Top with 1 to 1-1/2 cups of the buttercream. Stack the third cake layer on the buttercream and liberally brush the cake with the coffee sauce. Chill the cake for 10-15 minutes.

Once the cake is chilled, turn the cake over onto a plate. Pour the ganache over the cake starting in the middle and spreading it out over the cake and down the sides. Spread the ganache evenly on the sides of the cake. Sprinkle the sides and/or top of the cake with roasted cocoa nibs. Chill the cake for at least four hours or overnight. Before serving, brink cake to room temperature. Store the cake in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Pignoli Cookies

In a small bowl, using an electric mixer break up almond paste. On low to medium speed, beat in egg whites until mostly smooth.

In a separate bowl, sift together confectioner’s sugar and granulated sugar. Beat into almond mixture. Then add flour and salt and mix until well combined.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pine nuts in a shallow bowl.

Using parchment paper, cover a cookie sheet. With wet fingers (this prevents the dough from sticking to your hands), roll dough into small balls, about 3/4 inch in diameter. Then roll the top and sides of the balls in the pine nuts. Place balls on a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 17-19 minutes. Do not brown. Cookies should be pale on top and barely brown on the bottom. The centers should be soft.

Mint Infused Strawberry Ice Cream

make the custard

Rinse and dry the mint leaves. Remove the stems. In a large saucepan mix 1 cup of whole milk, 1 cup of cream and the mint leaves. Heat until the mixture begins to steam. Remove it from heat, cover and let it stand for 30 minutes. Reheat the mixture to a steam, remove from heat and let it stand for 15 more minutes. The mint is infusing the cream mixture. Using a small bowl, strain the mint infused cream mixture. Press the mint leaves against the strainer to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Reserve the mint leaves. Return the mint infused cream mixture to the saucepan and add 2/3 cup of sugar and salt. Heat on low medium until the mixture is steaming and the sugar is dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

In a large bowl, fill it 1/3 full with ice water. Place a medium size bowl in the ice bath and add the rest of the cream to the bowl.

In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks. Pour in half of the mint infused cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking while pouring so that the eggs are tempered. Pour in the remaining mint infused cream. Then pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan. Add the reserved mint leaves.

Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Heat for about 10 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 degrees on a candy thermometer. The custard should coat the back of the spoon.

Immediately remove the saucepan from heat and pour the custard through a strainer into the cold cream. Stir until combined. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 2 hours.

make the strawberries

Slice the strawberries in quarters. In a medium skillet heat 1/3 cup of sugar and the strawberries over medium. The sugar should melt into syrup. Stir over heat for about 5 minutes. Let cool. Puree half of the strawberry mixture.

freeze the custard

Using an ice cream maker such as a Kitchen Aid attachment, freeze the custard. In the last five minutes, add the strawberry mixture sauce and rum. The rum will keep the ice cream from freezing so hard once stored in the freezer.

Remove the ice cream from the maker and store in Tupperware and place in the freezer. Remove ice cream from freezer 5 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Chip Variation: If you would like, you can chop 3 ounces of dark chocolate and add the pieces when the strawberries are added.

Tiramisu

In a large bowl, using a mixer, combine the egg yolks and sugar until the yolks lighten, about 5 minutes. Then add the mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth, maybe a minute or two. Add 1 tablespoon of the espresso and mix until the espresso is blended well.

In a small bowl, combine the rest of the espresso and rum. The next step will require a 9 x 13 inch pan. Begin to dip the ladyfingers in the espresso and rum mixture, dipping each side for 1-2 seconds. The ladyfingers won’t seem tender immediately but will soak up the liquid within a few minutes. Place the ladyfingers in the 9 x 13 inch pan vertical with the pan, covering the bottom. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers. Then place another layer of ladyfingers over the cheese. Spread the remaining cheese mixture topping the ladyfingers.

Cover the tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Chop or shave 1/2 cup of dark chocolate. I chopped mine in my Magic Bullet. Before serving, generously shake or sprinkle the chocolate on the top of the tiramisu. Serve chilled. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Orange Marmalade Rolls

make the rolls

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a saucepan over medium to high heat. Heat until just before boiling. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 hour until the mixture is warm. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the active dry yeast and let it sit for a few minutes. In increments, mix in 8 cups of flour. Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Mix 1 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix with risen dough. If desired, cover dough and refrigerate until you are ready to make the rolls.

Butter two 9-inch pans. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Divide the dough in two. On a large, floured surface, begin to roll out half the dough in a long rectangle. Dough should be rolled out about 1/4 inch thick. Then, leaving about 1/2 inch on the edge, spread half of the marmalade on the dough. Using a brush, add half the butter. Then sprinkle the dough with half the brown sugar. You could also add pecan pieces at this point.

Begin to roll the dough toward you on the long side in a long cylinder shape. Roll tightly, tucking the dough as you go. Once the dough is rolled, cut it in rolls about 1-inch thick. Place in a buttered pan leaving room for the rolls to expand. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 30 minutes. Sometimes I put them under a lamp to help them along. Bake the rolls for 20-24 minutes until they are golden.

make the glaze

Make the glaze by mixing all of the ingredients. The glaze won’t have a strong orange flavor but it will be a bit sweet.

Once the rolls are done baking. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes. Then add the glaze to the tops of the rolls.

Peppermint Marshmallows

Using vegetable shortening, grease a 9×13 inch pan. Put the gelatin in a small bowl. Add 7 tablespoons of cold water. Let the gelatin sit until it becomes spongy.

In a medium saucepan stir together the sugar, 1/2 cup of corn syrup and 1/2 cup of water. Set aside.

In a large bowl add the rest of the corn syrup. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, begin to whisk the syrup on low speed. Heat the gelatin in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Stir the gelatin to ensure it is completely melted. Then slowly add the gelatin to the corn syrup mixture. Keep mixer on low speed.

Begin to heat the sugar mixture on the stovetop on medium-high heat. Stir until it begins to boil. Use a candy thermometer to watch the temperature. When the thermometer reaches 235 to 240 degrees F, remove the saucepan from the heat. Turn the mixer up to medium for one minute, then slowly add the sugar mixture. Begin mixing on medium-high for 5 minutes. Add the peppermint extract and salt. Mix on high for one minute. The mixture will be very fluffy.

Crush the peppermint candy canes, to create peppermint dust. Set aside in a small bowl.

Transfer the marshmallows to the 9×13 pan using a spatula. The mixture will be sticky and stringy. Spread the marshmallow mixture evenly in the pan. Then sprinkle the top with peppermint dust. Let it sit for 6 hours or more.

Sprinkle a countertop surface with a 1/4 of the peppermint dust. Loosen the marshmallows from the pan using a knife or spatula. Grab a corner of the marshmallows with your hands and slowly remove the marshmallow sheet out of the pan and place on the dusted surface. Using a large knife dusted with peppermint dust or confectioners’ sugar, cut the marshmallows in a 6-by-8 grid (or smaller if you prefer). Roll each marshmallow in peppermint dust. Then enjoy!

I also made some additional flavors. For vanilla marshmallows, use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract instead of 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Use confectioners’ sugar to dust the tops and to roll the marshmallows. For chocolate marshmallows melt 3 ounces of dark chocolate and stir in 2-1/2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Reduce the vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon. Fold in the chocolate after the marshmallow has been mixed before spreading in pan.