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Come Party With Me: Bridal Brunch - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:50:05 -0700

Since her engagement party was such a hit, Ronda's maid of honor asked me to help plan the bridal shower. The event will be an elegant classic brunch.

Guests are invited to help themselves to slices of baked asparagus and yellow pepper frittata. A smoked salmon platter with cream cheese and toasted bagels is a welcome companion. Those looking for a lighter breakfast can opt for a lemon-cherry yogurt parfait.

These homemade dishes will be supplemented with an assortment of toasts from a local bakery and store bought jams and granola. An easy buffet of make-ahead dishes served at room temperature, this versatile and vegetarian menu also works well for Mother's Day. Get the recipes: read more.

Baked Asparagus and Yellow Pepper Frittata
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 pounds thin asparagus
2 large yellow bell peppers
3 shallots
1 medium zucchini
3 scallions
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
10 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish (3-quart).
Trim asparagus and diagonally cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices. Cut bell peppers into 1/4-inch-wide strips and mince shallots. Halve zucchini lengthwise and diagonally cut both zucchini and scallions into thin slices.
Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water blanch asparagus 1 minute and drain in a colander. Immediately transfer asparagus to ice water to stop cooking. Drain asparagus well in colander and pat dry.
In a large skillet cook bell peppers and shallots in butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until peppers are softened, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl whisk together eggs, cream, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir in asparagus, bell pepper mixture, zucchini, and scallions.
Pour custard into baking dish and bake in middle of oven until golden and set, about 35 minutes. Cool frittata on a rack. Frittata may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring frittata to room temperature before serving. If desired, loosen frittata from edges of pan and slide onto a platter.

Serves 12.

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Smoked Salmon and Whitefish Salad Platter
From Ina Garten

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds smoked whitefish, skinned and boned
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup minced celery
1 cup good mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
6 bagels, sliced in thirds horizontally
1 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
Sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions

Directions

With your hands, flake the whitefish, being careful to discard all the skin and bones.
In a medium bowl, gently combine the whitefish with the red onion, celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Taste for seasoning.
Toast the bagel slices in a toaster.
Arrange a platter with the smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomatoes, and red onions. Serve with the whitefish salad at room temperature.

Serves 6.

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Lemon-Cherry Yogurt Parfait
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 cup 2 percent Greek-style plain yogurt
1/4 cup cherry preserves
1/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Directions

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream at high speed until firm. Add the yogurt and beat just until combined.
Transfer half of the mixture to another bowl and fold in the cherry preserves.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand until softened, about 1 minute. Microwave the gelatin at high power for 5 seconds, just until melted.
Add the gelatin to the plain whipped cream mixture along with the lemon juice, lemon zest and confectioners’ sugar and beat at medium speed just until combined.
Spoon half of the lemon cream into 4 wineglasses and top with half of the cherry cream. Top with the remaining lemon and cherry creams and refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Make ahead: The parfaits can be refrigerated overnight.

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All About Cherries

partysugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 08:21:32 -0700

Like strawberries, cherries are another of my favorite spring/early summer fruits. Since today is National Cherry Cobbler day, I thought I would take the time to let you know all about cherries. Cherries grow on trees and are a member of the stone fruit family - along with plums and peaches. When purchasing cherries avoid those with blemishes, mushy/light skin, or those that are shriveled. Cherries do not ripen after they have been picked, so choose those that appear plump, firm, smooth, dark/brightly colored with their stems pliable and attached (dry stems = old cherries). As they bruise easily, handle with care and thoroughly rinse and wash before consuming. Refrigerate to improve flavor and length of life, yet eat at room temperature for the best taste. Store cherries in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

You should eat them in about three days. Generally speaking darker colored cherries are sweeter making them an excellent dessert. There are a wide variety of cherries on the market from Bing to Ranier to Queen Anne, and the peak cherry season is June/July. A sour variety is best for making pies, jams, and pastries - save the sweet ones for eating alone. To pit, slam with a knife as you would a clove of garlic to remove the skin or use a paper clip to slide in and stab the pit out.

3 Desserts in 1: Chocolate Cherry Trifle

YumSugar — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:42:11 -0800

This three-in-one dessert integrates cake, fruit and custard into one triumphant trifle. Chocolate and cherry are a flawless couple whose flavors meld to make this both delicious and festive. This marvelous recipe combines ready-made ingredients (store bought chocolate pound cake and cherry jam) with homemade elements (chocolate custard and whipped cream) to create a luscious dessert that is genuinely yours and worth every gooey spoonful. To make this to die for dish read more

Chocolate Cherry Trifle
From Nigella Lawson

2 (approximately 12 ounces each) chocolate pound cakes
1/2 cup black cherry jam
1/2 cup cherry brandy
2 cups drained bottled sour cherries (recommended: Morello)
Custard:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, minimum 70 percent cocoa solids, chopped
1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon milk
1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
Topping:
3 cups heavy cream
1-ounce bittersweet chocolate
Special Equipment: Large wide trifle bowl [or any large bowl - preferably clear so that you can see the layers]

Slice the chocolate pound cake and make jam sandwiches with the cherry jam, and layer the bottom of a large wide trifle bowl. Pour over the cherry brandy so that the cake soaks it up, and then top with the drained cherries. Cover with cling wrap and leave to soften while you make the custard.

Melt the chocolate on low to medium heat in the microwave, checking after 2 minutes, though it will probably need 4 minutes. Once the chocolate is melted, set aside while you get on with the custard.

In a saucepan warm the milk and cream.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cocoa in a large bowl.

Pour the warm milk and cream into the bowl whisking it into the yolks and sugar mixture.

Stir in the melted chocolate, scraping the sides well with a rubber spatula to get all of it in, and pour the custard back into the rinsed saucepan.

Cook over a medium heat until the custard thickens, stirring all the time. Make sure it doesn't boil, as it will split and curdle. (Keep a sink full of cold water so that if you get scared you can plunge the bottom of the custard pan into the cold water and
whisk like mad, which will avert possible crisis.) The custard will get darker as it cooks and the flecks of chocolate will melt once the custard has thickened. And you do need this thick, so don't panic so much that you stop cooking while it is still runny. Admittedly, it continues to thicken as it cools and also when it's chilling in the refrigerator.

Once it is ready, pour into a bowl to cool and cover the top of the custard with cling wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

When the custard is cold, pour and spread it over the chocolate cake layer in the trifle bowl, and leave in the refrigerator to set, covered in cling wrap overnight.

When you are ready to decorate, softly whip the cream for the topping [if you don't have an electric mixer, this could take a while] and spread it gently over the layer of custard. Grate the chocolate over the top.

Serves 16.

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I recently made this delectable dessert and posted the step by step photo instructions in the Kitchen Goddess group on TeamSugar.

Cherry Cobbler Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:30:05 -0700

To me, one of the sweetest rewards of waiting all year long for warm weather is the sweet-tart, firm, ink-red cherries that flourish for a short season. After ogling Party's cherry pie, I decided it was high time I make my own pastry with this beloved stone fruit. Nothing's more summery than a fruit cobbler, still piping hot from the oven and covered with moist biscuit dough. I'm torn, however, between two different versions: a quickie that calls for frozen dark cherries (so I can save my fresh ones for eating out of hand), and a slightly more laborious (yet equally rewarding) adaptation that takes advantage of juicy, just-pitted fresh fruit. Which one should I make? See both when you read more

Easy as Cherry Pie

partysugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:30:00 -0700

Hurry, you're running out of time. If you haven't taken advantage of the season's cherries you better do so soon before they're no longer at the markets. Once you have a bag, immediately go home and make this cherry pie. Seriously, it's the best cherry pie you'll ever have. A hint of vanilla enhances the sweetness of the berries. As the pie bakes, the miniature stone fruits turn a dark color and release their juices - the sugar caramelizing. It's absolutely divine, pie heaven. Take care when pitting the cherries, the juice gets everywhere and it stains easily. To impress your family with this all-American Summer favorite, read more.

Cherry Pie
From Bon Appétit

Make this pie several hours in advance to allow plenty of time to cool. The filling will set and it will be easier to slice.

Ingredients

pie crust
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups whole pitted sour cherries or dark sweet cherries (about 2 pounds whole unpitted cherries)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (if using sour cherries) or 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (if using dark sweet cherries)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon (about) milk
Vanilla ice cream

Directions

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F.
Whisk 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir in cherries, lemon juice, and vanilla; set aside.
Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch.
Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Using large knife or pastry wheel with fluted edge, cut ten 3/4-inch-wide strips from dough round.
Transfer filling to dough-lined dish, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter.
Arrange dough strips atop filling, forming lattice; trim dough strip overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold bottom crust up over ends of strips and crimp edges to seal. Brush lattice crust (not edges) with milk. Sprinkle lattice with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake pie until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, covering edges with foil collar if browning too quickly, about 1 hour longer. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Serves 8-10.

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Celebrate Chocolate-Covered Cherries in a Cookie

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:18:31 -0800

Like so many bizarre food holidays, I'm not sure we really need a National Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day. But that day is today, and I can't argue that chocolate-covered cherries are worth celebrating. I used to be a big fan of syrupy chocolate-cherry candies like Cella's, but as I've gotten older, I gravitate toward more sophisticated and less artificial cherry flavors.

For an adult take on this sweet candy treat, I recently found a tremendous recipe for Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies; this dessert blends bittersweet and semisweet chocolate with dried cherries for a bold, decadent flavor. The consistency falls somewhere between a cookie and a fudgy brownie, and the flavor is more reminiscent of candy. To celebrate this weird food holiday, get the recipe, just read more.

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies
From the San Francisco Chronicle

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°.
In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until mixture is thick and fluffy (ribbon consistency). Remove bowl from mixer, add cooled chocolate and vanilla, and stir the mixture by hand to incorporate.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the mixture, and stir until just combined. Fold in the semisweet chocolate chunks and cherries.
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets lined with parchment, and bake for 8-10 minutes, until tops are shiny and cracked.

Per serving: 70 calories, 1 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 16 mg cholesterol, 18 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

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Happy Hour: Bing Cherry Margarita

partysugar — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 13:13:38 -0700

Last week Yum and I found ourselves enjoying pizza, cocktails, and the Argentina vs. Mexico soccer game. The pizza was a little too soft for our liking, but both the game and the cocktails went above and beyond our expectations. I had spent the day thinking about cherries and was delighted to see one of the seasonal specialty cocktails was a cherry margarita! Cherries muddled with tequila and lime juice served on the rocks with a lime zest salted rim sounded like heaven. It was slightly disappointing when the finished drink was made with a pureed cherry syrup rather than muddled cherries, but it was still cool, refreshing, and delicious. The lime zest really added a tasty zing to the salted rim, and if you love tequila you will definitely delight in this cocktail. Give this drink a whirl when you get bored with the regular old lemon-lime margs. To get the recipe, read more

Cherry Margarita
Modified from Patron
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1/2 cup cherries pitted and mashed or 2 oz Fresh cherry puree
1 oz Simple syrup
1 oz Fresh lime juice
3/4 oz cointreau
1 1/2 oz tequila
Lime wedge for garnish

Combine all ingredients into an ice filled mixing tin. Shake and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Combine the zest of one lime with several teaspoons of rock salt.
Rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glass. Dip into the zest salt mixture.
Fill the glass with ice.
In a cocktail shaker mash the cherries with the simple syrup and lime juice. Add the other ingredients and shake to combine. If using the puree shake to combine.
Pour into prepared glass and and garnish with a lime wedge.

Serves 1.

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Cherry Pie Two Ways - Beginner & Expert

partysugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:38:39 -0700

Just as I have to have pumpkin pie in winter, no summer can pass without a delicious cherry pie. With the help of canned cherries and premade pie crust, a simple pie can be assembled in a matter of minutes. If you aren't much of a baker, serve guests this beginner's pie and tell them you made everything homemade. Trust me no one will know the difference! If you are like me, an experienced baker with many a scrumptious pies under her apron's tightly knotted belt, make a flaky pastry dough and release some stress pitting fresh cherries. Whatever your cooking level, every home cook can wow guests with one of these amazing cherry pie recipes. This fruity dessert is divine after a barbeque and pairs perfectly with a cold glass of champy. Tempted? Wait till you see the recipes: read more

Beginner Cherry Pie
From Sandra Lee

1 can cherry pie filling
12 ounces frozen mixed berries, drained
1 tablespoon Kirsch
1 box ready made pie crust
Flour, for dusting
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine cherry pie filling, mixed berries and Kirsch. Set aside.
Gently unfold bottom crust onto floured pie dish. Pour berry filling into unbaked crust.
Using a pie pan as a guide, cut a circle for the top crust from a sheet of pie crust. Top pie with dough, slice wholes in the top, and flute the edge of the pie with a fork.
Brush top crust with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling appears in the middle of pie. Cover pie with aluminum foil halfway through baking.
Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

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Advanced Cherry Pie
From Epicurious

For dough
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
5 to 7 tablespoons ice water
For cherry filling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries (about 3 1/2 pints fresh, picked over)
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
Optional accompaniment: vanilla ice cream

Make dough: cut butter into pieces.
In a bowl with a pastry blender or in a food processor blend or pulse together flour, salt, butter, and shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 5 tablespoons ice water and toss or pulse just until mixture forms a dough, adding additional ice water, a little at a time, if dough is too dry. Divide dough in half and flatten each piece into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
Make filling:
in a small bowl stir together sugar, tapioca, salt, and cinnamon.
In a large heavy skillet cook fresh or frozen cherries over moderately high heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer cherries to a heatproof bowl. Add sugar mixture to cherry juices in skillet and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir cherry sauce and vanilla into cherries and cool.
Line lower rack of oven with foil and preheat oven to 400° F.
On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out 1 piece dough into an 11-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Fit dough into a 9-inch (1-quart) pie plate, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Pour filling into shell and chill, loosely covered with plastic wrap.
On a lightly floured surface roll out remaining dough into an 11-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and with a sharp knife or fluted pastry wheel cut into 1-inch-wide strips.
Working on a sheet of wax paper set on a baking sheet, weave pastry strips in a close lattice pattern. Chill or freeze lattice on wax paper on a flat surface 20 minutes, or until firm.
Brush edge of filled shell with cold water and slide lattice off wax paper and onto pie.
Let lattice stand 10 minutes to soften.
Trim edges flush with rim of pie plate and crimp decoratively. Gently brush lattice top with cold water and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake pie in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden and filling just begins to bubble, and transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve pie warm with ice cream.

Makes 1 pie.

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In Season: Cherries

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:50:02 -0700

Watermelon, strawberries, peaches - there are so many fruits that get me jazzed for Summer, but the cherry is my all-time favorite. Whether it's the mild, yellow rainier or the ultrasweet bing, there's something magical about the sensation of biting through the cherry's taut, shiny skin and getting a burst of sweet, slightly tart, juicy flesh. Take advantage of cherries now, because they have a short Summer season that lasts through July. Find out how to best choose - and use - these miniature stone fruits when you read more.

When picking cherries, select fruits that are firm, plump, and without blemishes. Cherries are among the fruits that don't ripen once they've been picked, so choose the darkest ones for the sweetest taste. Don't discount those bright red cherries, however: they make a wonderful tart addition to pies, jams, and drinks.

Admittedly, my favorite way to eat cherries is out of my hand, but nonetheless, I also enjoy making them a regular part of my Summer kitchen in a multitude of ways:

Serve sweet cherries alongside mint, grapes, and peaches in a Summer fruit salad.
Whip up a fast cherry pan sauce for lamb rib chops.
Make cherries the life of the bar with a cherry mojito or a bing cherry margarita.
Transport yourself to the French countryside by baking a classic cherry clafouti.
Cool down for dessert with ice cream sandwiches made with cherry chocolate ice cream and puff pastry.

What are your favorite tips for preparing cherries? Please share them with me below!

Happy Hour: Cherry Mojito

partysugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:00:09 -0700

Inspired by the success of YumSugar's mango mojito, I decided to experiment with my own cherry variation. It was wonderfully delicious and everything you expect a good mojito to be: refreshing, light, and not to sweet. The key is to use fresh squeezed lime juice and perfectly ripe berries. The recipe makes enough for a crowd, so this cocktail is excellent for Summer entertaining. I highly recommend that you take a look at the recipe, please read more.

Cherry Mojitos
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups fresh lime juice (about 9 limes)
3 pounds dark cherries, such as Bing or Burlat, pitted
2 1/4 cups best-quality black cherry or plain vodka*
1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling water

Directions

Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. (Makes about 2 cups syrup.) Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.
Put lime juice into a medium nonreactive bowl. Halve 2/3 of the cherries; add all cherries to lime juice. Stir in syrup. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
Stir cherry mixture and vodka in a large serving bowl.
Fill 12 glasses with ice. Spoon 1/2 cup cherry-vodka mixture into each glass.
Top with sparkling water; serve immediately.

Serves 12.

*I used plain vodka.

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