Oven Pancakes - Apple Dutch Baby

 Put an 8x8 glass dish* in the center of the oven and preheat 450 degrees.

1 thinly sliced apple (any kind, a mandolin makes easy work of this)

2 Tablespoons butter

In a skillet, sauté apples and butter over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

While the apples are cooking, blend the following:

4 eggs**

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons melted butter

Remove the 8x8 glass dish from the oven. Pour in apple mixture. Stir letting the butter coat the pan, then distribute apples evenly. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Using oven mitts (remember the dish is hot!), place the dish into center of the oven and cook for 15 minutes. The Dutch Baby will come out puffy, then slump. Let cool a few minutes before serving.***

*If you have an appropriate sized cast iron skillet, you can just use that to sauté the apples, then pour the egg mixture over the apples and put the cast iron skillet directly in the oven.

**If you only have 3 eggs, make it anyway. It's still good.

***I think this is delicious as is. If it is not sweet enough for you, sprinkle with powdered sugar (this makes for a beautiful presentation as well), and add syrup if desired.

Rhubarb Cheese Galette

Rhubarb Cheese Galette

Half a batch of this pie crust dough

Poached rhubarb 

-6-8 stick of rhubarb, chopped 

-1/3 cup of granulated sugar 

-1 cup of water

Cream cheese filling 

-8oz (aka 1cup or one pack) of room temperature full fat cream cheese 

-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar 

-the zest of 1/2 lemon

Egg wash
-1 egg
-splash of milk

Turbinado sugar

Make the dough and let chill for a couple of hours or overnight.

Place rhubarb in a single layer in an oven-proof skillet. Add sugar and water. Bring it to a simmer. Cover and put in a 325 degree oven for 8 minutes. (You could cook it on the stove, but it cooks more evenly in the oven). Pour into a jar and let it sit for several hours or overnight.

Combine all cream cheese filling ingredients in a bowl. You can make this ahead of time, but you will want it at room temperature when it is time for assembly for easy spreading.

Preheat oven and cookie sheet at 400 degrees. Have another cookie sheet covered with parchment paper ready. Drain your rhubarb. (The syrup can be added to soda water for a nice drink.)

For assembly, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Place on the cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread cream cheese filling leaving a 2 inch border. Cover filling with rhubarb. Fold edges of dough in. Cover dough with egg wash. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Remove cookie sheet from oven. transfer parchment paper and galette to heated cookie sheet. Cook for 30 minutes.  Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgW8_plxnEQ&t=305s

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

3 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 Tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups croissants, preferable stale, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, lightly pressed into measuring cup

Heat half-and-half, chocolate, sugar and salt in a sauce pan over low heat, stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat. Whisk in eggs briskly (or temper first, then mix).

In a large bowl, combine croissants and chocolate mixture. Let cool, then refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-8 cup soufflé dish (round white Corningware). Pour pudding into dish and bake 40 minutes. Cover with foil and bake another 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Can be served warm (but still let it cool slightly). Refrigerate leftovers. Tastes better the next day. Delicious with diced fresh peaches on top.

Note: Sometime try replacing the chocolate chips with cocoa.
(1 T cocoa + 2 t fat + 3 1/2 t sugar = 1 oz semi-sweet chocolate is equivalent on Hershey's box)

Ice Cream in a Bag

 Ice Cream in a Bag

1 cup half-and-half
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups ice
1/3 cup kosher salt

In a sandwich size ziplock, combine half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Remove air and seal. Place in another ziplock for safety (remove air).

Into a gallon ziplock, combine ice and salt. Place small bags inside the bigger bag and shake vigorously for 7-10 minutes until ice cream has hardened. Enjoy!

Sam's New Chocolate Cake

Dry Ingredients

3 cups flour (431 g)
1 1/3 cups white sugar (284 g)
1/3 cup cocoa powder (35 g)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips (286 g)

West Ingredients

3 large eggs, beaten (159 g)
1 1/2 cups milk (370 g)
1 1/2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (24 g)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (116 g)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Butter and flour two round cake pans.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients, then add to dry ingredients.  Mix.

Pour into 2 round cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Check for doneness--a toothpick in the center should come out clean.

After cooling in pans for 10 minutes, dump onto cooling rack.  Frost when cool, or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Sam's New Chocolate Cake

Double Chocolate Almond Brownies

Double Chocolate Almond Brownies are gluten-free. 

Recipe came from the Blue Diamond Almond Flour Bag.

1/2 cup butter
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate*
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups Blue Diamond Almond Flour
2/3 cup chocolate chips**
1/2 cup chopped almonds**

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly butter an 8-inch baking pan (square/glass).
2. Melt butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over very low heat.
3. Stir in sugars and vanilla; set aside to cool.
4. Add eggs and beat well to incorporate. Stir in almond flour and mix well. Then stir in chocolate chips and almonds.
5. Spread evenly in prepared pan; bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

*or:
        8 teaspoons butter (2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons or 2 2/3 Tablespoons)
        4 Tablespoons cocoa 
        14 teaspoons sugar (4 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons)

        Melt all the butter and stir in cocoa and sugar.

**or:
        2/3 cup Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
        1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Rhubarb Lassi

For the Rhubarb Sauce:

2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
pinch salt

In a pot, bring rhubarb and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in zest, juice and salt. Let the mixture cool for awhile, then blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze. This will make 14 ice cubes for our tray. 

To make the Rhubarb Lassi:

In a blender, put:

7 iced rhubarb sauce cubes

1 cup plain full fat yogurt (Greek yogurt will make this a little thicker)

1/2 cup milk

4 teaspoons honey

Blend and enjoy!

This also makes a good fruit dip. Dad's tried watermelon. I think it would be good with strawberries. :)