Author: laurielufkin

This gorgeous chocolate dessert is so simple to make and can be made ahead of time—hint hint—maybe the perfect ending to a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner if you are celebrating at home this year?

Let’s face it, it is pudding–a really really rich, delicious, luxurious, creamy, amazing chocolate pudding so don’t be put off by the fancy name.  And the pistachio bark?  It takes longer to shell the pistachios that it does to make the bark!  The recipe is below and here is the link on line to a contest that I have entered it into.

http://www.mixingbowl.com/message/recipe/view.castle?g=1537317&m=9882258

If you are Mixing Bowl member (it is a great recipe site!) you can vote daily until February 23rd.

For the Pots De Crème

6 oz finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
4 oz finely chopped semisweet chocolate
4 oz finely chopped milk chocolate
6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 ¼ cup light cream
2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 teaspoon warm water

For the Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the White and Dark Pistachio Bark

4oz bittersweet chocolate, broken in to squares (I use Ghirardelli)
4oz white chocolate, broken in to squares
¾ cup shelled salted pistachios, roughly chopped

Directions:

For the Pots de Crème:

Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set a fine meshed strainer over the bowl. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla, sugar and salt until completely combined. Whisk in heavy and light cream. Place saucepan on a medium low heat burner and cook mixture until custard thickens and reaches 175 to 180 degrees, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Pour custard over chopped chocolate through the strainer and allow mixture to stand for five minutes undisturbed. Dissolve espresso powder in water and set aside. After 5 minutes, whisk the custard and melted chopped chocolate gently until smooth. Add espresso and water mixture and whisk again to combine. Divide mixture evenly among 6-8 ramekins or dessert dishes and set desserts aside to cool to room temperature.

When cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours. Before serving, allow pots de crème to warm slightly at room temperature. Top with sweetened whipped cream and garnish with white and dark pistachio bark.

For the whipped cream:

In a large bowl beat together cream, sugar and vanilla using a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of a stand mixture until cream has doubled in volume and holds a soft peak.

For the White & Dark Pistachio Bark:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Break chocolate into squares. Arrange the white and dark chocolate squares into a checkerboard pattern on the prepared baking sheet. Place chocolate into preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until chocolate is very soft. With a knife or skewer, swirl the white and dark chocolate together as desired. Sprinkle swirled chocolate with pistachios and allow bark to cool completely at room temperature. When ready to serve pots de crème, break bark into large shards and stand one or two pieces up in the dessert.

No, I was not abducted by aliens or an a Caribbean cruise……………just somehow have not been cooking too much for the last week or so–I won’t let it happen again, I promise!

Here is a delicious spicy apple cake–perfect for a brunch or with coffee–or you can dress it up with some ice cream, caramel sauce or whipped cream for a gorgeous dessert.  The only special equipment needed for this recipe is an 8″ springform pan.  I think you could probably make it in a regular 8″ round cake pan and tip it out after it has cooled a bit.   Don’t run out to buy all of the spices if you don’t already have them on hand.  Use any combination of ginger, cloves, allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg, with the cinnamon being the most prominent, and you will have a delicious cake no matter what.  You can also omit the crystallized ginger if you want to.  And I bet you could use pears instead of apples if that is what you have on hand.  Let me know how it comes out if you try any of the substitutions and as always, comment on this post with questions.

Spiced Ginger Apple Sour Cream Cake

2 sticks plus two tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus two tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1 pound Cortland apples, peeled, cored and cut in to 1/4” dice
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream
¼ raw sugar (or granulated sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and move rack to the center of the oven.  Butter one 8” round spring form pan and set aside.

In a medium skillet, combine two tablespoons butter and two tablespoons brown sugar over medium heat.  Melt butter and bring to a low boil.  Add chopped apples and crystallized ginger and cook for 5 minutes until apples are softened.  Remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool.  If excess liquid has accumulated, lift out apples with a slotted spoon before adding to cake batter.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger and set aside.

In a large bowl with the mixer on high, cream 2 sticks butter and remaining cup of brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Continue to beat for about 5 minutes until mixture becomes lighter in color.  Add egg yolks one at a time and beat in completely before adding the next yolk and add vanilla with the last yolk.  Beat again until mixture is smooth and slightly glossy.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.  Add all of the sour cream and continue mixing until completely incorporated.  Stop the mixture and scrape the edges of the bowl.  Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix just until no flour is visible

With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in cooled apples in the batter.  Scrape batter in to prepared pan and smooth top with a knife.

With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in cooled apples in the batter.  Scrape batter in to prepared pan and smooth top with a knife.

Run a knife through the batter in a circle one inch from the edge of the pan, one inch deep.  This will help the cake rise evenly.  Sprinkle raw sugar over the top of the batter.

Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.  Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.  As you can see, I wasn’t even able to take a picture of it before someone cut themselves a big slice!  Enjoy!

*Thank you Jonathan Phelps from the Gloucester Times for this article last week!

Periwinkles hosts Sarah Lufkin Scholarship benefit tonight

My beautiful sister’s Sarah’s high school photo

The Sarah Lufkin Memorial Scholarship Fund will hold its 11th annual benefit fund-raiser on Jan. 12 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Periwinkles Restaurant on Main Street in Essex.

Tickets are $25 each and will be available at the door.

The recipient of this year’s award will also be announced during an event that will include food, live music, several raffles and a silent auction.

The scholarship was set up shortly after Sarah’s death in 1997 to award money to students who have graduated from Essex Elementary School and who will be studying in a field that has a direct effect on children. The scholarship now includes Manchester’s Memorial Elementary School students, since the two schools became a part of one district.

Sarah was attending Salem State College, studying early childhood education, when she was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia shortly after finishing her freshman year, according to Sarah’s sister, Kim Lufkin.

“We wanted students who would be working with children to benefit from the scholarship, in essence, continuing what she was unable to do,” she said. “Sarah returned to Salem State part time after finishing two years of chemotherapy and made the dean’s list that semester.”

She came out of remission in December 1996 and passed in April 1997.

All food for the evening will be donated by local restaurants and caterers, and the staff at Periwinkles donates their time and energy. Live music will be performed by Joe Militello and there will be a raffle, a silent auction, and a 50/50 raffle.

Kim Lufkin said organizers of the event are always seeking donations for the raffle and silent auction.

If anyone is interested in donating items for raffles or for more information on the event itself, contact Sue Lufkin at 978-768-7122 or 978-768-6833.

Here are some recipes that use Turtle Alley candies–go down and see Hallie and stock up for the holidays!

Decadent Spiced Caramel Brownies

20 Salted Ancho Chipotle Caramels—from Turtle Alley Chocolates—refrigerated and cut into fourths

(if you live far far way and can’t get these, you have two options—Turtle Alley has mail order OR you could use regular caramels and toss them in a tiny tiny bit of chipotle or ancho chili power right when they come out of the fridge)

2 sticks salted butter

4 oz unsweetened chocolate

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch kosher salt

4 large eggs at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a microwave save mixing bowl, melt together butter and chocolate, about 2 ½ minutes.  Stir until smooth and set aside.

Whisk together flour and cinnamon and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together eggs and sugar.  Stir in flour mixture until smooth.  Mix in butter and chocolate mixture and pour in pan.

Drop prepared caramel pieces over brownies and swirl to combine.  Bake 24-26 minutes until center is set.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack.  Allow to cool completely before serving(good luck with that!).  Enjoy

Peanut Butter Kissed Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ cup butter flavored shortening

¼ cup salted butter

1 ¼ cup light brown sugar

1-2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 ¾ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda

15 Turtle Alley Peanut Butter bolster bars, chopped

½ cup milk chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 4 baking sheets with parchment or spray with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream shortening, butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add milk, vanilla and egg and mix until smooth and lighter in color.  Wisk together flour, salt and baking soda and add to sugar mixture.  Mix until well blended.  Add bolster bars and chocolate and mix just until combined.

With a small scoop, dish out 12 cookies per tray.  Bake cookies for 10 minutes, turning once at 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly on pan before moving to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

FIRST–THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ALL!

There are so many people to thank for the success of the First Annual GoodMorningGloucester Holiday Cookie Contest so here we go.

Our judges–thank you to Julie LaFontaine, Jannine Fisk, Bridget Collins, John Savastano and Bob Hastings for their service–it was a tough job tasting 22 cookies and I appreciate them taking time out of their schedules to do it!

The contributors to the prize baskets:

Jannine Fisk and  Sharon Lowe for putting together 95% of the family/youth prize

Cape Ann Lanes for the family bowling certificate

Friendly’s Restaurant for the gift certificate

Kay Ellis of Schooner Lannon for the books

Bob Ryan of Ryan & Wood Distilleries for the spirits

Sue Lufkin of Essex Marina for the tee shirts

Michelle Morrow Curreri (my best friend) for cookbooks and crafty items

Susan Mears of Rockport Publisher for cookbooks

Sharon Lowe for the calendars

Captain Stan and Daisy Nell for the CD

Dr. Lisa Murray for the mugs and toothbrushes (much needed after all of those cookies!)

Essex River Cruises for the passes

And a huge thank you to the ladies from Brown’s Mall who allowed us to hold the event in the foyer and loaned us the chairs and extra tables with the entries kept coming and coming.

And a final thank you to the competitors.  You really came through–and I was prepared to call it a success if we even got 12 entries the first time out but you kept coming and coming and I am grateful and thrilled with the turnout.   What I was most impressed with was the time, care and attention to detail that your entries displayed.  And by making a donation of food and money to The Open Door, you are all winners in my eyes!
And now, without further delay, the second and third place winning recipes!

in third place, from Terri Krause of Rockport:

CHOCOLATE NUT BISCOTTI

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons instant coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup almonds, chopped*

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped*

Preheat oven to 325.  Lightly butter a large baking sheet.

Mix eggs, instant coffee and vanilla together until well blended.  Set aside.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg mixture.  Gradually add flour mixture, beating well after each addition.  Stir in nuts and chocolate.

Divide dough in half.  On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into two logs (each 12″ long by 1 1/2″ wide) and place on baking sheet.**

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Set baking sheet on cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Using a serrated knife cut each log diagonally into 3/4″ slices.  Place slices upright on baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cool completely and store in a tightly covered container.

*I place almonds and chocolate in my food processor for a course chop.

**Dough will be soft and sticky which is normal

Recipe source: Ghirardelli Chocolate

and in second place Christina Sohl from Gloucester:

CREAM CHEESE WREATHS (an old family recipe)

2 1/2 cups butter

8 oz cream cheese

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups flour

Blend wet ingredients and then mix in the flour.  Fill a cookie press and shape the wreaths on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees until just starting to brown.  Decorate.

Thank you everyone!

I just got the official announcement from Pillsbury that my Tuscan Splendor Spinach Braid is the winner of the November Bake-Off Challenge.

Thank you all so much that voted–your support means the world to me!

COME TO ESSEX THIS SATURDAY FOR A GREAT DAY OF LOCAL SHOPPING ALL OVER TOWN!

Shop locally during Essex’s 1st Holiday Shopping Day. Dozens of participating businesses will be offering everything from free food and drink, discounts and sales to complimentary gift wrapping. There will be raffle prizes and silent auction items to bid on, storytelling and caroling.

Click here for more information:

http://www.visitessexma.com/essex_ma_pg/holiday2009.html

Please be sure to visit me selling my “I’d Rather Be Down River” Essex gear at the Silly Goose Toy Store at 166 Main Street all day on Saturday!  We will have cookies……………….lots of cookies……and NO!  they are not leftovers from last night’s contest!

More details on that later……………

Here are the prize baskets with what I have gathered so far.  There will be multiple additions to each basket by the time I get to Brown’s Mall this afternoon.   Cookie Drop Off begins at 4:30!

YOUTH AND FAMILY ENTRY WINNING PRIZE

*NOTE THE ADDITION OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY SESAME STREET BOOK WITH DVD

THIRD PLACE:

SECOND PLACE:

FIRST PLACE!

It was nearly impossible to photograph all of the items in each basket but here is a partial list.  This list does not include the donations I am adding this afternoon on my way and once I get to Gloucester…………if you are still on the fence—JUMP INTO THE CONTEST and start baking!

3rd place

5 lb flour
Knockabout gin
Baking soda
Ghirardelli cocoa
Snowball candle
Seahorse hat
Cookbooks: Cooking for two, Betty Crocker Slow Cooker, Party Drinks, Cooking with Wine,
50 Ways to Celebrate your Best Life Card Deck
Snowman Tealight holder
Essex Marina Tee Shirt
Dr. Lisa Murray mug, toothbrush and more
And more……………………….

2nd place

Silicone muffin/cupcake pan
Cool notepad
Cookbooks:  500 Cookies, bars and Squares, Paula Deen’s Recipe Journal, Cooking with Beer, Pampered Chef Salad Recipe Cards
Oneida Candle holder and candles
Cheese board and implements
Wine stopper candles
5 lb flour, 5 lb sugar, baking soda
Mini note pads
Leaf pancake molds
Essex “I’d Rather Be Down River” shirt
Cape Ann By The Sea from Captain Stan & Daisy Nell
Mini note cards
Tropical Drink Deck
Butterscotch baking chips
And more!

1st place

5 lb flour, 5 lb sugar, baking soda,
Designer placements
Ceramic candy making bowls
Betty Crocker Cookbook, the Localvore cookbook, The joy of vegan baking,  Katie Lee Joel cookbook,
Beauport Vodka
Candy
Easy scrapbook kit
Mini journals
5 uncirculated State quareter set
One Yard Wonders sewing project book
Love Hotels book
Pretty Pantry Gifts Pack
Sweetened dried cranberries
Gift Certificate for a Heritage Swatch book
And more!