Life Tastes Good

Desserts

Mini Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups

April 2, 2016

What do you get when you cross a cookie with a hot chocolate? I have no idea, but I’m just going to enjoy these Mini Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups in the meantime! These are out of this world! Let’s get started.

In a mixing bowl add 3 egg whites…

…a pinch of salt…

…and 1 cup sugar.

Whisk for 1 minute.

Add in 1/4 cup melted butter…

…1 tbsp vanilla extract…

…and 1/4 cup AP flour (half at a time) while whisking.

Whisk until the batter is completely lump free, or for about 2 minutes.

After that cover it with plastic and allow is to rest in the fridge for 3-6 hours.

Make a simple stencil (I used a manila folder) for a 3.5” x 8” rectangle. Place it on top of a silpat lined sheet tray.

Once the batter has set up, remove it from the fridge and smear it from edge to edge of the stencil.

After that, gently peel away the stencil being careful not to smear the batter.

Bake at 350F for 7-10 minutes, or until it’s a light golden brown.

Remove from the oven, quickly remove the silpat from the tray (to stop the cooking process), and drizzle melted dark chocolate over half of the cookie.

Quickly roll it all the way around a rolling pin (shot glass thickness)…

…and gently slide it off. Repeat the process until you have about a 1/4 cup of batter left.

On a silpat lined baking sheet, dollop of few circles of the leftover batter onto the silpat. Bake for for about 7 minutes, or until the outer edges are golden brown.

Trim down one edge of each cookie cup so that they stand up straight.

Gently press them into the dollops of baked batter.

Let these cool for about five minutes, and gently trim the excess cookie from the base of the cookie cups.

Pour a little melted chocolate to the bottom of the cookie cups, giving this a few gentle taps to make sure it settles to the bottom of the cup.

Smear the remaining chocolate around the inner walls of the cookie cup to ensure they’re sealed and ready for liquid.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes and they’re ready!

Pour hot chocolate into the cookie cups, drink, and bite in! Enjoy.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:73]

| Top Left: Silpat | Top Middle: Glass Bowl Set | Top Right: Baking Sheets |

| Bottom Left: Boos Cutting Board | Bottom Middle: Rolling Pin | Bottom Right: Pastry Spatula |

Food for Thought

World’s Most Popular Pastas

March 14, 2016

Pasta, pasta, PASTA! I couldn’t live without this Italian staple and the countless ways it can be served up! I decided to serve you up with a little pasta refresher course! As in, what’s the difference between penne, fusilli, and rigatoni?! Have a clue?

If your a pasta aficionado you may know, but for the rest of us…here’s everything you need to know about the different types of pastas being served world wide!

Cannelloni

Photo Credit: Smart-Restaurants.co.uk

Chances are you’ve heard of a stuffed cannelloni. It’s one the most popular dishes on an Italian menu. The noodle itself is called “cannelloni.” It’s a flat pasta that typically gets rolled into tubes, stuffed with various meats and cheeses, topped with sauce, cheese, and gets baked!

Farfalle

Photo Credit: DIY Gourmet

Farfalle pasta is better known as “bow-tie” pasta, and the name is very fitting. Mini bow-ties made from pasta dough. Great for holding sauces and the king of pasta salads! Serve it hot or cold, it’s great!

Fettuccine

Photo Credit: Sbuck119.wordpress.com

Probably one of the more renown pastas, the fettuccine noodle is long, flat, and is great for thinner sauces! Best known for being served Alfredo-style, this is also excellent with a little butter and lemon. DELICIOUS!

Fusilli

Photo Credit: CookingEpisodes.com

This spiral of a noodle was first introduced to me in veggie form. It was tri-colored (beige, green, red) and is still one of my favorite types of fusilli! Whichever way you like it served, the spirals are great for holding thick sauces and ensure that you get an even sauce to pasta ratio in every bite!

Linguine

Photo Credit: FoodNetwork.com

Linguine can be bought dry, or fresh and it’s very similar to the spaghetti noodle, only it’s less rounded and more flat. Best known for being paired with seafood.

Penne

Photo Credit: FoodieCrush.com

Penne vodka is definitely a favorite of mine! It’s a creamy tomato and vodka based sauce that finds it’s way into the center of each and every piece of penne pasta it comes in contact with! Penne is a small tube like noodle that is best served a bit al dente and is ideal for sopping up every last drop of sauce! Probably one of the biggest crowd pleasers—and great in pasta salad.

Rigatoni

Photo Credit: Saveur.com

A larger and thicker version of the penne is rigatoni. It comes with with long grooves around the outer skin that are perfect for scooping up sauce—in addition to the large tubes that hold sauce like no other! It’s a very hearty noodle that is perfect for baked dishes, like casseroles.

Shells

Photo Credit: TheNewGoodLife.wordpress.com

Shells come in a variety of sizes. The smaller versions are great or for thinner sauces, as they scoop up and retain liquid quite well. The larger ones are great stuffed with mixed cheese and fresh herbs. Ideal for baking as they can stand up to the heat and heavy fillings.

Spaghetti

Photo Credit: GreenValleyKitchen.com

The hands down most popular pasta is SPAGHETTI! It’s the star of Disney’s Lady and the Tramp and by far the biggest crowd pleaser. Whether or not you’ve experienced the pure ecstasy of spaghetti and meat balls, you’re well acquainted with the long, round, uniform noodles. Served 101+ ways, this is the ideal pasta for keeping around the house when the carb cravings begin! VERY versatile.

Tortellini

Photo Credit: Communitytable.parade.com

Last, but not least, the Tortellini. Small pasta dumplings that are typically stuffed with meat or cheese and formed into small “U” shapes. The rich fillings are perfectly paired with a mild sauce as the tortellini should always be star of the show!

With all of that said, what is your go-to pasta

Main Course

Crispy Ravioli

March 14, 2016

BEWARE! These are very delicious and can lead to a constant desire to repeat this recipe over, and over, and OVER again! They’re seriously that good! Not sure how I’ll be able to top this for the remainder of #PastaWeek, but I will definitely try! In the mean time, ENJOY.

Chop up 1 tbsp Italian Parsley, 1 tbsp Basil, and 1 tsp Thyme.

Add the chopped herbs to a medium mixing bowl along with 1 whole egg.

Add in 3-4 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan…

…1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella…

…1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese…

…and a pinch of Salt…

…and Black Pepper.

Give this a good mix and refrigerate until needed.

Take your pasta dough (use the same pasta recipe described here HERE), and roll it out into a long rectangle.

Run the dough through a pasta maker—first on the thickest setting and then running in through several more times, slowly working your way through the lower settings until you’ve reach your desired pasta thickness (I used a “3”).

Next cut the long piece of pasta dough in half. Cover one half in plastic to avoid it drying out.

On the other half of dough begin placing dollops of the cheese filling several inches apart until the raviolis are evening portioned out.

Brush a little bit of egg wash (two mixed eggs) in between each dollop of cheese…

…and gently cover it with the other sheet of pasta.

Carefully crimp the pasta dough in between each edge of the raviolis—trying to avoid air pockets.

Once sealed cut the raviolis into squares using a knife or fluted pastry cutter.

Finish off any uneven edges with a another round of cutting.

Dust in semolina flour…

…dip in a little egg wash…

…and generously coat in bread crumbs.

In a medium sauce pan, fry filled halfway with canola oil heated to 350ºF….

…fry the raviolis until they turn a deep golden brown and begin to puff up in the middle.

Remove them from the oil and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel to soak up excess oil.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and begin plating!

I whipped up a quick lemon parmesan cream sauce, but these would also go great with a simple marinara.

Drizzle the sauce of your choice over the plated raviolis.

Finish it off with a little parmesan cheese…

…and a couple of crispy basil leaves for garnish. All that’s left to do is enjoy!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:72]

| Top Left: Boos Walnut Cutting Board | Top Middle: Sauce Pan | Top Right: Pasta Maker |

| Bottom Left: Fry Pan | Middle Right: Chef’s Knife | Bottom Right: Tweezer Tongs |

Main Course

Fetucelle Pasta

March 7, 2016

There’s nothing quite like making a meal from the ground up, especially when part of the process is making a sultry pasta dough that ties everything together in a way that’s not only memorable, but delicious and fun as well! #PastaWeek

Start with the roasted tomatoes. Quarter four vine ripened tomatoes and place them on a baking sheet with a wire rack insert.

Drizzle them with a generous amount of olive oil…

…and season them with thyme…

…sea salt, and pepper.

Bake for 2 hours in a 350°F oven.

While those roast, begin making the pasta. Pour 1 1/2 cups of bread flour onto your clean work surface and create a well in the center of the dough.

Add 4 egg yolks…

…and 1/4 cup of water into the flour well.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt…

…and slowly begin mixing in the flour and the ingredients without breaking the flour well wall.

Once a thick paste begins to form you can break the wall and mix in the rest of the flour until you have a solid ball of dough.

After the dough is formed kneed it for 5-7 minutes…

…wrap it in plastic, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Once rested, remove the dough from the plastic, sprinkle it with flour…

…and roll it into an a long oval shape.

Run the dough through the a pasta maker—first on the thickest setting and then running in through several more times, slowly working your way through the lower settings until you’ve reach your desired pasta thickness.

Cut the pasta sheets into long even rectangles.

Sprinkle the sheets with flour and stack them.

Gently roll the sheets together…

…and thinly slice into noodles.

Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven and quarter them.

Add them to a medium sauté pan on high heat with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes and then turn the heat to low.

Add the pasta to a pot of boiling salted water.

Cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until it’s reached the desired bite.

Drain the pasta, toss them in little bit of olive oil…

…and then add them to the sauté pan.

Throw in a handful of fresh arugula…

…salt to taste, and give it all a good toss!

The pasta is ready to plate!

Add some fresh herbs…

…3 tbsp of parmesan cheese…

…fresh cracked pepper…

…and enjoy!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:71]

| Top Left: Pasta Maker | Top Middle: All-Clad Saute Pan | Right: Shun Kaji Chef’s Knife |

| Bottom Left: Boos Cutting Board | Bottom Middle: All-Clad Sauce Pan | Right: Tweezer Tongs |

Desserts

Chocolate Mousse & Crispy Peanut Butter

February 19, 2016

I’m wrapping up #ChocolateWeek with one decadent piece of art! This Chocolate Mousse topped with Crispy Peanut Butter Bits was simply sensational! Something you need to make, taste, and enjoy to truly experience—so let’s get started!

Start by adding 3 egg yolks to a small metal mixing bowl…

…followed by a 1/2 cup sugar…

…and a pinch of salt.

Give this a good whisk for two minutes.

Using the double boiler method, transfer the bowl on top of a small sauce pan of boiling water. Continue whisking the egg mixture, moving the bowl off the heat occasionally to avoid scorching the eggs, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 150-160ºF.

Once the temperature is reached, add 1 cup of dark chocolate chips to the mixture.

Thoroughly combined until melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, whip 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream to medium-stiff peaks.

Gently fold in the warm chocolate custard.

Once thoroughly combined, transfer the mousse to the refrigerator and allow it to cool for about 2 hours.

While that cools, in a small pot add 1/2 cup sugar…

…and a splash of water.

Heat to 230ºF and the add 2 tbsp peanut butter…

…1/2 cup puffed rice, and a pinch of salt.

Give this a quick mix…

…and then transfer to a silpat to cool and set up.

Once the mousse is finished setting up, add a smear of whipped cream to the walls of a bowl…

…pipe in a generous helping of the chocolate mousse…

…I added some chocolate cake crumbles (optional)…

…and top the whole thing off with a few pieces of the crispy peanut butter. All that’s left to do is enjoy!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:70]

| Top Left: Boos Cutting Board | Top Middle: Mini Carafe | Top Right: Glass Bowl Set |

| Bottom Left: Small Silpat | Bottom Middle: Metal Bowl Set | Bottom Right: All-Clad Sauce Pan |

Desserts

S’more Lava Cake

February 15, 2016

I had to wrap up #ChocolateWeek with a BANG, and this is just the ticket! This molten S’mores Lava Cake filled with ooey gooey marshmallow goodness, is on a level all it’s own…be prepared to have you world rocked! That’s all I’m saying.