Millions of people watch the Super Bowl each year each year, but some of us aren’t watching for the game alone. There are the commercials, the halftime show and all the social events that surround it. However in my mind the best part is the food. What other event elevates snacking to a whole new gourmet level?
Hands down, my favorite part of the whole snacking celebration is the array of dips that people serve from hummus, guacamole, artichoke, onion, queso…. It’s all so delicious. I know I am not the only one who from time to time would love nothing more than to make a meal out of dip.
This is why I instantly loved Martin Short’s character, in Only Murder’s in the Building. Oliver Putnam is a true crime pod cast obsessed; out of work theater director who proclaims he is on the “dip diet.” Oliver’s love of dips eventually gets him in a bit of trouble when he discovers the owner of his favorite restaurant is suspect in the case he is investigating. It’s a great show and I can’t wait for season three. But until then I like Oliver would love nothing more than to have a good excuse to eat dip for dinner.
Fortunately this creamy avocado dip is on the healthier side. It’s great paired with veggies and sweet potato chips. So if you are looking for a dip to share for the big game or really any night then I have a good recipe for you.
Creamy Avocado Dip
2 Hass avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into quarters
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cracked pepper
Serve with a bag of baby carrots, a sliced cucumber, and sweet potato chips or your favorite combination of veggies
In the large bowl of a food processor add in the avocados, the white wine vinegar, buttermilk, shallots, parsley, garlic and oil. Blend the ingredients together on high speed until creamy. Then season the dip to taste with salt and pepper.
Assemble a platter with all of the veggies and chips. Because this dip is made with avocados it is best when made no more than two hours before serving. If making ahead of time cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Creamy avocado dip would make a delicious addition to any party or dinner. The avocado blended with the shallot and garlic has a great zip to it that would pair well with your favorite vegetables and chips.
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home ” – Edith Sitwell
It’s been snowing all week. Perfect weather for staying in by the fire, while something delicious is cooking in the kitchen. The heavenly smell of this British braised beef the oven makes it a wonderful winter dish.
The pretty snow covered view outside my window.
This white wine braised beef is like one that I saw Mary Berry make on a Christmas cooking program I watched on Brit Box. She was making it for her family on Christmas Eve. It looked so fantastic that I tried to get the recipe online or in one of her books, but alas I couldn’t find it. So, I took good notes and decided that her directions made it simple enough to recreate it on my own.
This is similar to a French boeuf bourguignon, but it uses white wine and it has a distinctly British sauce. The mustard and horseradish give it a little kick that is really delicious. I found it be a little easier to prepare, which I also appreciate.
This is one of those dishes that could easily be made ahead if you are serving guests, but I liked it so much that I created a smaller portion size that is just the right size for a cozy night in with just the four of us.
British Braised Beef – Serves 6 to 8
For a smaller batch that serves 4, I have adjusted the recipe just use the italicized measurements
3 lbs (1 ½ to 2lbs) stewing steak meat, cut into pieces and patted dry with paper towels
2 (1) yellow onions, diced
6 (3) cloves of garlic, sliced into quarters
3 (2) slices of bacon
3 (2) tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1/3 (3 tablespoons) cup of flour
1 ¼ (1) cup white wine, chardonnay or another dry white wine
1 (1/2) cup mini bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
Chopped parsley or chives to garnish (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Place a large Dutch oven or stock pot heat on the stove stop over medium heat. Add one to two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Then add the bacon and let it cook turning occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes until it cooks and renders some fat in the pan. Then set the bacon aside.
Turn the heat up to medium high add the meat and brown it on all sides in two batches. Remove it to a side dish.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the flour and stir for a minute to brown the flour. Then add the white wine slowly as you stir it in. Slowly pour in the beef broth continuing to stir so a sauce begins to form. Stir in the Worchester sauce and the bay leaves. Add the beef and bacon back to the pan.
Place the lid on the pot and put it in the oven. Let it simmer in the oven for 2 hours.
Once the beef has cooked take it out of the oven, remove the lid and place it on a burner over medium low heat. Stir in the Dijon mustard and horseradish. Meanwhile in a medium sized skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter. The sauté the mushrooms stirring so the they brown on both sides. Add the mushrooms to the braised beef.
Serve over mashed potatoes. Add a side of sautéed French green beans and shallots or green peas.
This dish can made ahead of time. Just allow it to cool and place the pan in your fridge. To reheat place it back on the stove top and simmer over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until it is warmed through. Add a little beef broth if needed.
Mashed Potatoes – Serves 4, double if serving more
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup cream or milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
First, place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water about one inch higher than the potatoes. Then bring the potatoes to a boil over medium high heat. Cook the potatoes for 25 minutes until they are soft and break apart with a fork.
Drain the cooked potatoes and then rice them with a potato ricer or mash them in the pot. Add the butter, cream and salt. Then mix them together with a rubber spatula until they are light and creamy.
This is the is the kind of dinner that makes you happy you stayed in for the evening. So plan a winter movie or game night and enjoy something wonderful at home.
The sweet smell of ginger, cinnamon and cloves fills the air as I open our back door. My girls quickly drop their school bags and coats as they scramble in the house. Joyful grins light up their faces as they catch a whiff. The familiar spicy fragrance means something wonderful is coming, gingerbread.
Baking gingerbread cookies with my daughters is one our family’s most beloved holiday traditions. It doesn’t matter how many things I have left to do on my holiday list or how messy my kitchen looks when it’s covered in powdered sugar, when I sit down to decorate cookies it all fades away.
Gathered around our little kitchen table, what would have been an ordinary afternoon is suddenly a cookie party. There is so much excitement as the mixer whirs and whips up the frosting. I spoon the icing into pastry bags as fast as I can. We talk and laugh as we pipe little dots, dashes and swirls of icing. Fueled by secret “quality assurance” taste tests, my cookie artists soon create a trayful of masterpieces.
The story of this gingerbread cookie tradition began when I was in high school. However, now that my daughters love it as much as I do, it has become even more meaningful. Over the years they have helped me bake, taste and create our own ultimate gingerbread cookies recipe. The key I have found is rolling the dough out thick and then being careful to pull them out the oven the moment they begin to show signs of a crinkle on top.
Gingerbread Cookies- Makes about 2 dozen
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup unsulphured molasses
2 tablespoons orange blossom honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
First, in the bowl of a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Next, add in the molasses, honey, vanilla and eggs and beat on medium speed for a minute. Then add in the baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and flour. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
Place half of the dough on a lightly floured surface or silicone baking mat, and using a floured rolling pin roll the dough out till it is 1/3 of an inch thick. Cut with holiday cookie cutters and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Continue until all the dough is used.
Bake for 6 to 7 minutes. Allow cookies to cool before decorating.
Royal Icing
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons meringue powder
7 tablespoons water
In the bowl of the electric mixer mix add in the powdered sugar, meringue powder and water. Mix on medium low for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Place icing into pastry bags fitted with writing tips. Have a small cup of water to dip your finger in to smooth any pointy icing dots or seams. Another tip is when baking with kids, use a rubber band to secure the back of the pastry bag so the icing stays inside.
Note meringue powder can be found online at the King Arthur Baking Company or at a craft store like Michaels or Hobby Lobby.
So, share a little happiness this holiday season with our family’s gingerbread cookies. Baking Christmas cookies makes the world a little sweeter and brighter. One chewy gingery bite and these cookies will have you signing a holiday tune and wanting to host your own cookie party.
My two bakers making cookies for Santa last Christmas.
The holiday season is right around the corner and this time of year, everyone needs a good seasonal casserole. Something that you can make ahead and then all you have to do is put it in the oven to bake. Toss together a quick salad and dinner is ready to go. My favorite is a chicken and wild rice recipe that I clipped from an older reader’s recipe column from Southern Living years ago.
Now I know that canned soup has a reputation that sometimes precedes it, but in this dish I happen to like it. Some nights making a sauce from scratch just isn’t in the cards. No matter how much you like to cook, there are times when you just need something easy. Chicken and wild rice casserole is a crowd pleasing favorite. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal, family gatherings or sharing a meal with a friend in need.
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole (adapted from Southern Living/ Leslie Flemister) Serves 6
Prepare the wild rice according to the package instruction using the seasoning packet.
Next, in a medium sized skillet melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the celery and the onion and cook until tender.
In a large mixing bowl stir together the rice, the cooked celery and onions, the cream of chicken and mushroom soup, sour cream, salt and pepper. Then fold in 1½ cups of the cheddar cheese.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the panko breadcrumbs and stir to coat them in the butter toast them slightly for about 2 minutes.
Now assemble the casserole. Evenly spread the rice mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Next, sprinkle the top with the remaining 1½ cup cheddar cheese and the bread crumbs.
If serving immediately, bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the bread crumbs are a golden brown.
You can refrigerate the casserole and bake it later. Just cover the top with aluminum foil lightly sprayed with cooking spray to keep the cheese from sticking and bake for 40 to 45 minutes removing the foil after the first 20 minutes so the bread crumb topping turns a golden brown.
A delicious dinner made easy with the help of some rotisserie chicken and wild rice. Flexibility is key when it comes to getting dinner on the table. I like that I can make it that same night or make it ahead and bake it the next day.
Call me sentimental, but sometimes there is nothing like the comfort of a creamy rice and cheese casserole. This one just seems to hit all the right notes.
Every year by the end of August it feels like there is an urgency to get to fall. Everyone is decorating and talking about it. However, I for one happen to love late summer and I have no intention of cutting its celebration short. August and early September is when summer produce is at its peak. It’s this magical time in cooking when summer corn, tomatoes, squash, okra and berries are at their sweetest. My garden is currently bursting with tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs. I have now taken to sharing them with friends. We can’t possibly eat it all but that hasn’t stopped me from trying.
Large Greek salads are a mainstay at my house this time of year. So, I thought I would share my recipe for beef and spinach spanakopita. It’s delicious any time of year, but it happens to be a wonderful main dish to serve with all those fabulous late summer salads.
Beef and Spinach Spanakopita -makes 14
1 (10 ounce) container or two small (5oz) bags baby spinach
2 tablespoons butter
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ¼ pounds ground beef or lamb
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (8oz) block of feta cheese, diced
1 large egg
1 package of phyllo dough (12×17 sized), defrosted
10 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
First sauté the fresh spinach. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add about half of the spinach to the pan and then stir and allow it to cook down for a minute or so before adding the rest of the spinach. Cook the spinach for and additional 2 minutes and add in ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Then remove the spinach from the pan and allow it to cool while cooking the meat filling.
Using the same skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Then add the onion and cook it until it just begins to turn translucent. Then add in the garlic and the ground beef. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir and continue to cook until the meat is browned and cooked through. Pour off any grease from the meat filling mixture and place it in a large mixing bowl.
Next, drain the cooled spinach. Place the cooked spinach in a metal strainer and layer several paper towels on top. Press the paper towels down to help squeezed the moisture out of the spinach.
Then add the spinach to the meat filling. Complete the filling by mixing in the Parmesan, feta, nutmeg, and the egg. Mix well to makes sure it is evenly combined.
Now assemble the spanakopita. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a baking mat or clean work surface with the long side facing towards you. Then lightly brush the sheet with butter and sprinkle a pinch of bread crumbs over the top. Then add a second layer and repeat the process of brushing on the butter and crumbs.
Place a final third layer of phyllo on top and the cut the sheet in half lengthwise. Add a rounded 1/3 of a cup of the filling mixture to the top of the two short sides and roll the phyllo over at a diagonal to form a triangle.
Continue to fold back and forth at a diagonal creating a triangle that completely covers the filling inside. Once you reach the bottom brush a little more butter on the last triangle to seal up the pastry.
Place the finished spanakopita on a parchment paper lined baking pan with the seam side down. And brush the top with butter. Then continue this process until all of the filing is used. Bake for 25 minutes until the phyllo is golden brown.
Fourteen pastries may sound like at lot but they are so tasty that they have a way of disappearing quickly. I find that depending on how hungry you are, I would plan for about 2 to 3 spanakopitas per person for a dinner sized portion. These pastries reheat well in the toaster oven. They can also be made in advance. Just skip the final brushing of the melted butter on top until you are ready to bake them and wrap the unbaked pasties in plastic wrap before freezing them.
One bite of these flakey beef and spinach spanakopita and a big greek salad will surly have you hanging on to every last delicious moment of this late summer season.
Gardening at its heart is all about finding beauty in change. Seasons come and go. Some more quickly than others. Unpredictable rain, snow, ice and relentless heat can test even the most experienced gardener. Yet, I have found that there is something about the challenge and those fleeting moments of beauty that keep me planting.
Mid season pink Big Eartha tulips in my back yard. If you look closely you can see the second set of blooms that ensures a longer spring tulip season.
The art of gardening is using that change for good. Every spring I find myself waiting with great anticipation as my yard comes to life with hundreds of tulips blooms. I plant mid and late season tulips in an effort to extend the pink and orange blooms as long as possible.
The same flowerbed two weeks later with a late season French Rose blend in orange pink and apricot.
Then as May comes to a close, I am hard at work again pulling them all out and preparing for summer. My boots and gloves are covered in mud as I pause to reflect and plan. Spring was beautiful but summer has its own sundrenched charm.
The same back patio flowerbed in early summer after the tulips are gone.
The canopy of trees that covers my backyard is beginning to fill in. Now there will be rainbow of hostas, hucheras, and impatients.
Hostas and hucheras fill the shady beds under my trees.
The dahlia tubers are growing in pots and anxiously awaiting their turn. There are tiny wavy zinnia seedlings that will soon be growing to towering heights. One might wonder about my front garden when you see it in late May. However, the end of July brings an abundance of flowers hummingbirds and butterflies.
My dahlias and double zinnias are just beginning to bloom.
All those intricate petals and dazzling layers leave me memorized. Surely there is a touch of the divine in all of those details.
Milena Fleur dahlias on of my favorite summer flowers.
Nestled behind my day lilies lies a small vegetable garden. The cucumbers that my daughter and I planted from seeds are now overflowing with fruit.
The green tomatoes are sunbathing and turning a brilliant red. Our herbs are beginning to overflow their little blue box. August brings an abundance of garden gifts to share as I begin to think ahead and order bulbs for the fall.
No day, season or year is ever the same, but that I have found that is the gift. Because gardening has a way of growing wisdom with time.
Its practice has taught me to give thanks for small joys, to use change for good and to find a peace in the power and rhythm of nature.
Just in time time for Father’s Day, I have the ultimate breakfast grilled cheese sandwich. I discovered this delicious diner style breakfast sandwich by serendipity. My favorite local breakfast spot ran out of what I had originally ordered. So, I had to make a quick new order from the specials board.
As luck would have it my second order was even better than my usual. One bite had me smitten. I was in grilled cheese heaven. Crisp and buttery Texas toast, melted cheese, bacon and then if that wasn’t enough, a fried egg which really put it over the top.
I shared a bite with my husband who I believe had an instant case of order envy because the whole way home he was talking about how I needed to make this one at home. So in honor of my husband, I give you the breakfast grilled cheese sandwich.
Breakfast Grilled Cheese- makes 2 sandwiches
3 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked
4 to 5 tablespoons of butter
4 slices of Texas toast bread (I like the Lewis Bread company)
4 slices of Kraft singles cheddar cheese (for a diner style) or your favorite cheddar cheese
2 eggs
First, cook the bacon and then split each piece in half.
Next, heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the pan and then evenly coat one side of each slice of bread in the melted butter and remove them from the pan.
Now my trick for perfectly golden grilled cheese is the toaster oven. Place your toast pieces buttered side down in the toaster oven then put one slice of cheese on the top of each piece. Toast for a medium setting about 3 minutes until the cheese is melted. This will get the cheese melting ahead of time so you can get the perfect golden crust without having to worry about the cheese.
Meanwhile fry your eggs one at a time. Crack and the egg in the pan and then let it cook until the egg white begins to set and cook through about 2 to 3 minutes. Then flip the egg over with a spatula and cook for another minute or so more. Repeat with the second egg. Move the eggs to a separate plate. Now melt the remaining butter in the pan.
Place a base layer of the toasted bread with cheese in the pan. Then build the sandwich by layering on three bacon pieces, the fried egg and the last slice of bread with the cheese side down.
Finally, grill the sandwiches on both sides until golden brown.
A one skillet breakfast that is as fun to make as it is to eat.
One sandwich is quite the meal, but for a great Father’s Day breakfast I would serve it with a side of fresh summer berries or if want the full diner experience hash browns would wonderful too.
This recipe is fun, quick and most importantly so delicious! As my husband said “It’s everything you want for breakfast in one sandwich.”
Fajitas make any night a celebration. They are hand held happiness. One bite and the world seems like a brighter and better place.
I must admit for most of my life I took for granted the deliciousness that is beef fajitas, because in Texas, where I am from, fajitas are the signature party food. Great fajitas and tacos were easy to find. In the Chicago suburbs there are some good taco spots, but when it comes to fajitas, no one tops my home grilled steak and onions. Add some avocado pico de gallo, shredded cheese and sour cream and you have yourself one amazing bite.
So, with Cinco de Mayo just days away I thought I would share with you my favorite Tex-Mex dish, beef fajitas.
Beef Fajitas- Serves 4 to 6
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ to 2 lbs skirt steak
2 yellow onions, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
12 flour or corn tortillas
Shredded cheddar or monetary jack cheese, for accompaniment
Sour cream, for accompaniment
Avocado Pico de Gallo, for accompaniment
Avocado Pico de Gallo
1 large avocado, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Make the fajita marinade. In a small mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, red wine, Worcestershire, lime juice and vegetable oil. Then place the skirt steak in a large zip top bag. Pour the marinade over the meat and seal the bag. Refrigerate the steak to allow it to marinate for an hour or if you have the time up to eight hours.
Preheat your outdoor grill or indoor grill pan.
Meanwhile slice your onions in half and then into half moon slices. In a medium skillet melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the onion slices and cook stirring occasionally until they just begin to get a hint of caramelization.
Grill the steaks. Once the grill or grill pan is hot, take the steaks out of the marinade and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or to your preference.
Once it has rested for a few minutes, slice the steak thinly on the diagonal against the grain. Place on a platter or skillet with the onions.
Finally, make the avocado pico de gallo. Mix together the avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro lime juice, kosher salt and garlic powder. Then get the tortillas warmed and the topping of cheese, sour cream and pico de gallo ready.
To serve place the platter of beef fajitas out along with small bowls or plates with cheese sour cream and pico de gallo. Then make your own tacos to taste.
The combination of the grilled beef with just a hint of salt, the sweet onions and fresh avocados pico de gallo is sure to make you happy. So cook up a cinco de mayo party in your own kitchen with my beef fajitas.
Dinner in our house is one of the best parts of my day, but sometimes getting it on the table can be tricky. Cajun salmon with three bean salad is a recipe for nights when you need dinner on the table pronto. The key to this recipe is the homemade cajun seasoning.
It’s quick to mix together, but it really makes this dish. Cajun flavors can sometimes be a little spicy for kids so this seasoning mix has all the flavor with a little less heat. The seasoning is wonderful on the fish and it makes an unbelievably good salad dressing mix.
In the twenty minutes it take to get the salmon cooked you can get the bean salad tossed together. Add a side of crusty Italian bread and in no time you have a delicious and healthy weeknight meal. The bean salad is so good that if you are wanting a vegetarian dinner you could easily double the bean salad recipe and have enough for a main dish.
Cajun Salmon-serves 4
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¼ pounds salmon
Three Bean Salad
2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 1½ inch pieces
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup (about 2 small) shallots, sliced into thin rings
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz) can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1½ teaspoons of reserved cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
First mix together the cajun seasoning. In a small bowl combine the salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard and dried oregano. Set seasoning aside to use on the fish and in the salad dressing.
Second prepare the cajun salmon. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the salmon coating the tops evenly. Sprinkle on 2 teaspoons of the cajun seasoning. Place the salmon on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil. Put them in the oven to roast.
I like my salmon cooked through so I cook mine to 135 degrees which is about 22 minutes in my oven. If you like your salmon less firm then you will want to start checking it’s doneness at about 15 minutes. You want salmon to be anywhere between 120 degrees to 140 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
While the salmon is roasting make the three bean salad. Fill a large sauce pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook them for 5 minutes. Once cooked, remove the green beans from the water and allow them to cool. Slice the tomatoes and shallots and rinse and drain the red beans and black-eyed peas.
Next, make the salad dressing. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the mustard, apple cider vinegar and 1½ teaspoons of reserved cajun seasoning. Then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuously whisking the dressing. Continue whisking until the dressing is emulsified into a vinegrette.
Finally mix together the salad. In a large bowl gently mix together the kidney beans, black eyed peas, green beans, shallots and tomatoes. Add salad dressing to taste and stir.
As you finish the salad the salmon should coming out of the oven. Add a side of some crusty Italian bread and you have a delicious dinner.
Cajun salmon with three bean salad is the perfect trifecta that I am looking for in weeknight dinners- quick, healthy and delicious. So if you are wondering what to make for dinner this week then this recipe is for you.
“So often in life things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great good fortune.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
In life I have found that adversity is often an essential ingredient for growth. Experience has taught me to be grateful for all those seemly sour lemons. Because life’s most delicious moments come when you are brave enough to embrace them and whisk in a little sugar.
I began Maison McCauley five years ago as a way to write a new beginning for myself. I had just made a big cross country move, and left my legal career behind and at the time I was feeling a bit lost. However, as I learned it’s never too late to write a new beginning. Looking back, although I was worried about hitting publish on my first post I am so grateful that I did. So to celebrate this occasion, I decided to design and add some new artwork to my blog and writing home.
However, it wouldn’t be a celebration at Maison McCauley if it didn’t include dessert. In honor of the occasion, I created a new recipe in for Lemon Mouse Parfaits. This sweet and incredibly light mousse is paired with buttery shortbread. Its like the best lemon bar you have ever tasted!
So thank you friends because after 283 posts, 133 recipes and over 205,000 words I am grateful that you keep coming back to read more. Writing this blog has been incredible because it took a seemingly hard moment in my life and made it into the best and most delicious journey imaginable.
Lemon Mousse Parfaits -serves 6
Lemon Mousse
3 large eggs
3 large eggs yolks separated (save two of the egg whites)
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large or 4 small lemons)
2 egg whites
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons of sugar
¼ cup lemon curd
¾ cup shortbread cookies, crushed into course crumbs
lemon zest twirls, fresh berries and mint leaves for garnish
Shortbread Cookies
2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature for at least 1 hour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vanilla candy melts or chopped white chocolate (decoration for the cookie garnish)
First make the base for the lemon mousse. Fill a large sauce pot with water and get a double broiler pan or a heat proof bowl ready. Heat the water over medium heat till it comes up to a simmer.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of your stand mixer combine 3 eggs, 3 egg yolks and 1 cup of sugar. Beat them together on low speed. Then slowly drizzle in the lemon juice while continuing to beat the eggs and sugar.
Once the water is at a simmer turn the heat down to medium low and place the bowl or double broiler pan on top. The pour in the egg and lemon juice mixture and whisk it constantly as it cooks over the simmering water. Continue cooking and whisking it for 10 to 12 minutes until it is thick like a pudding or pastry cream.
The egg mixture will begin to thicken in about 3 to 4 minutes keep whisking it as it continues to thicken and cook.
Then remove the bowl from the pan. If using a double broiler place the lemon mousse base a medium sized bowl. Allow it to cool for 15 minutes and then cover it with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate it until it is completely chilled about 1 hour.
Now while the lemon mousse is cooling make the shortbread cookies. If you are running short on time then you could substitute store bought cookies; however there is nothing like homemade shortbread.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In the large bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, sugar and salt. Then cut your butter into small pieces, like you would for pie dough or biscuits. Add the butter into your flour mixture and blend on low.
Then as the butter begins to get cut into the flour increase your mixer speed to medium and add in your vanilla. Continue mixing the dough until it just comes together. This dough will be very crumbly, but the butter will help it all it to be press together.
Roll the dough out to a ¼ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut it into small circles with a 2 inch diameter cookie cutter or something similar.
Bake the cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for 7 to 8 minutes until the very edge of the cookies is a light just barely golden color.
Allow the cookies to cool and if you want a patisserie like finish decorate them with melted white chocolate or candy melts. Place the white chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl. Then microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds. Stir and continue to heat it at 20 second intervals stirring in between until it has just melted.
Place the chocolate into a small pastry bag and cut a small tip off the bottom. Create a lattice like pattern on onside of the cookie by creating three lines on a diagonal and the cross them with three more diagonal lines going the opposite direction. Then smooth the chocolate off the side of the cookies with your finger.
Finally, finish the lemon mousse and assemble the parfait. Place two egg whites and ¼ teaspoon of salt into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the are soft and foamy add in 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat them until the egg whites are slightly shiny and they form stiff peaks.
Carefully fold the egg whites into the cooled lemon mousse base using a rubber spatula or spoon.
Then place 3 cups of heavy whipping cream and 4 tablespoons of sugar into the bowl of the stand mixer. Beat the whipped cream on high until stiff peaks form.
Fold 1 cup of the whipping cream into the lemon mousse and then fold in ¼ cup of lemon curd.
Assemble the parfaits by placing about 2 tablespoons of shortbread cookie crumbs in the bottom of 6 small bowls or dessert cup. Then pipe or carefully spoon about am even amount of mousse into each of the bowls. Then take the remains 2 cups of whipping cream and pipe or spoon a generous swirl on top of each dessert.
Decorate the lemon mousse with a shortbread cookie. If you want to add a festive touch then top it with some blueberries, blackberries, a mint leaf or a lemon twist. Now matter how you serve them these lemon mouse parfaits are wonderful.
Lemon Mousse Parfaits are a wonderfully light and sweet desert. Perfect for holidays like Easter and Passover because the shortbread cookies don’t have any leavening in them. The mousse can be made ahead of time and then decorated with the berries and mint before they are served. Bon appétit! These French lemon mousses make any day you create them celebration and that in my mind is what cooking is all about.
