Chocolate Raspberry Tart with Nut Crust

Nut Crust

·         1 cup pecan pieces

·         1 cup whole natural almonds

·         ½ cup pitted and coarsely chopped dates

Filling

·         1¼ cups heavy cream

·         8 ounces bittersweet (62% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped

·         ½ cup seedless raspberry jam

1.      To make the nut crust: In a food processor, process the pecans, almonds, and dates until the nuts are finely ground and the mixture forms a thick paste.  Press firmly and evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9-by-2-inch deep-dish pie pan.

2.      In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium heat.  Remove from the heat.  Add the chocolate and let stand for 3 minutes to soften.  Whisk until melted and smooth.  Whisk in the jam.  Pour into the prepared tart crust.

3.      Refrigerate, uncovered, until the filling is chilled and set, at least 2 hours, and up to 1 day.

4.      Remove the sides of the pan, cut into wedges, and serve chilled.

      The above recipe is courtesy of Tate's Bake Shop.  Please stop by their website and Facebook page!    

 This tart is a beautiful, almost black, sleek-looking dessert.  The filling is smooth and not too sweet, and it is the perfect finish for a more sophisticated occasion.  Leave it plain, top it with fresh raspberries, or garnish each serving with whipped cream and raspberry coulis.  Do not cover the filling when chilling the tart, as that would mar the beautifully smooth top.

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How to Make Chicks Hatching Deviled Eggs

Peel and wash the hard boiled eggs.  Old eggs are easier to peel than fresh eggs.  Stand the egg up.  If it won't stand, cut a small amount off the bottom so it will.

Cut the top of the egg off.  Remove yolks.

Mix up your favorite Deviled Egg recipe.  Place the Deviled Egg mixture in a Ziploc bag.  Press the air out and close.

Cut a corner edge from the bag, large enough so you can pipe the egg mixture out. 

Fill the bottom egg white until it is overflowing.  

 

Place the top piece that you cut off, back on top of the egg yolk mixture.  

Cut a carrot into small pieces to make the beak.  Cut black olives for the eyes.  Arrange the carrot and black olive pieces into a face on the overflowing egg yolk mixture.  Repeat process with remaining eggs.

These little chicks make a cute and fun addition to your Easter meal! 

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Friday,
for a recipe from the Tate's Bake Shop! 

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Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Deviled Eggs

6 eggs, hard boiled
1/8 teaspoon prepared mustard
3 1/2 tablespoons Miracle Whip
1 teaspoon sugar

Cut hard boiled eggs in halves.  Slip out the yolks, place in small bowl. 

 Mash yolks with fork.  Add mustard, Miracle Whip, and sugar.  

Mix well.  Spoon into egg whites.  

Sprinkle with paprika if desired.  Makes 6servings.

Growing up in the Midwest, Miracle Whip was the condiment pick over mayonnaise.  Whether you were spreading it on a sandwich or adding it to a recipe, it always seemed better when your mom used the sweet creamy goodness of Miracle Whip.

You can find this recipe on page 40 in 

MY KIND OF COOKING COOKBOOK.

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Tuesday,
for my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Hard Boiled Eggs the Easy Way!

Place egg in a large enough pan so they are not too crowded.  Add cold water until the water is 1 inch over the top of the eggs.

Bring to a hard boil uncovered, over high heat. 

Remove the pan from the heat.  Cover with a lid.  Let stand 18 minutes 

Drain the water.  Add cold water, covering the eggs completely.  Let stand about 5 minutes or until the eggs are cool to the touch.

 Peel and eat or use in a recipe.

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Friday,
for my Mom's Deviled Egg recipe! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tate's Bake Shop Irish Soda Bread

 Softened butter for the muffin cups

 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

 ½ teaspoon baking soda

 ½ teaspoon salt

 4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

 ½ cup dried currants (you can substitute raisins for currants)

1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

1 cup buttermilk 

1.      Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.  Butter ten 3-by-1½-inch muffin cups.

2.      In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces.  Add the currants and the caraway, if using, and toss to coat with the flour mixture.  Stir in the buttermilk and mix just until combined into a stiff dough.

3.      Using a ⅓-cup food portion scoop or two spoons, spoon the dough into the muffin cups.  (It is stiff and will not flow like typical muffin batter.)  Using scissors, snip and X in the top of each muffin.  (The X will disappear during baking, but it makes the top craggier and less even.)

4.      Bake until the muffin tops are golden brown and spring back when pressed with a fingertip, 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes.  Serve warm.

      St. Patrick’s Day is always a great excuse to make Irish soda bread.  Most people love it but limit themselves to the holiday only.  Making the soda bread in muffin form makes it more of an everyday treat and the muffins also develop a very tasty, crisp bottom and a nice craggy top, which makes it hard to eat just one.  These are best served the day they are baked.  Since they are so quick, make them for breakfast, or serve them with the traditional St. Patrick’s Day corned beef dinner, right from the oven.

Visit the Tate's Bake Shop website for tasty treats!

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Tuesday,
for my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!