Recipes

Fire Inferno Raspberry Spread

½ Cup Raspberry Preserves
1 Can of Chiptole in Adobe Sauce
8 oz. Philad elphia Cream Cheese
Crackers

Mix the preserves and adobe sauce. Pour over cream cheese. Serve with crackers.

Volcanic Vegetable Platter with Dip

8 oz. tub of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (can also use low-fat)
1 cup cucumbers, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1 green onion, chopped
½ clove of garlic, minced ½ teaspoon dill weed
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients and refrig erate. Serve with freshly washed and peeled vegetables (baby carrots, celery, cauliflower, etc.). I also like to include asparagus spears and sugar snap peas.


Monsoon Macaroons

Macroons
3 cups (lightly packed) sweetened shredded coconut
¾ cup sugar
6 egg whites only from large eggs
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
9 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix coconut, sugar and egg whites in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture appears somewhat pasty; stirring constantly, about 12 minutes. Spread coconut mixture on a large baking sheet lined with parchment. Refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line another baking sheet with parchment. Press ¼ cup (use more or less depending on how large you want the macaroons) into a pyramid shape-about 1 ½ inches high and place on prepared sheet. Repeat. Bake 30 minutes or until golden. Let cool.
Mix the chocolate and cream in a very heavy saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Invert cookies and dip in chocolate. Place cookies upright on baking sheet and refrigerate until set.

Variation: You can also drizzle white chocolate over the fi nished macaroons.

Seismographic Chocolate Strawberries

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 oz. white chocolate, chopped
One pound of strawberries, washed and completely dry

Place the semisweet and white chocolate in two separate glass bowls. Fill 2 saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat, set the bowls of chocolate over the water (bowls should not touch the water) and stir until smooth.

Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, stir and heat for another minute of until melted. You may need to add a few drops of vegetable oil to the chocolate.

Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Hold the dried strawberries by the stem and dip into the melted chocolate. Be careful to not get chocolate on the stem or the leaves. (You can use either chocolate first depending on your preference). Dip the fruit into the chocolate and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl.

Place the dipped strawberries on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper. Dip a fork in the other color of melted chocolate and drizzle the chocolate over the dipped strawberries.

Let the strawberries sit for 30 minutes until the chocolate is set. To force the chocolate to set, place in the freezer for no more than three minutes.

Quakin’ Cupcakes

Cupcakes
¾ cup self-rising flour
2/3 cup all purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk

Frosting
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drop red food coloring
3-4 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Cupcakes:
Line 12 mini muffin tins with mini muffin papers. In a small bowl, combine flours. In another bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy . Add eggs and beat well. Add flour mixture a little at a time until you have added half. Then add milk and vanilla, beating all the while. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until fully incorporated. Fill the mini muffin tins ¾ full. Bake 10-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Frosting:
Beat butter , milk, vanilla, food coloring and 2 cups confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Pipe or spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes.