TIA GFY Recipe blog

This stuff is my take on a Ina Garten recipe, and it tastes good on everything! Cupcakes, ‘Nilla wafers, pretzels, fingers… (Not that I would know… *cough*)

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

12 ounces semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup egg whites (4 to 5 extra-large eggs), at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (if you don’t have cream of tartar, try substituting some lemon juice)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 teaspoons instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons water
3 tablespoons dark rum, optional (I usually skip this)

Melt the chocolate–either in microwave or with double boiler.

Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Return the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak. (If this process isn’t feasible, it will still turn out great if you skip it.)

Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, vanilla, espresso, and rum, if using, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again.

This makes A LOT of frosting, and you can chill and reuse. When it chills, it will stiffen. To reuse, just let it sit at room temperature until it regains the right texture.

I can’t guarantee that she “created” this recipe, but that’s how it’s always referred to, and her house is the only place I ever had it. My mom makes it now, and I made it for the first time this past week. Yum.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box lemon instant pudding
4 eggs
1/2 vegetable oil
1 cup water

Mix all ingredients together (you don’t have to use a mixer, but I do to avoid lumps). Bake in greased 9×13 pan at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and poke a bunch of holes into it with a fork. Drizzle topping over cake while it is still warm.

Topping:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 T water
2 T butter

Melt butter in saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

An apple and dried apricot pie is a great winter pie!

• 1.5 cups diced dried apricots
• 2 cups apple or apricot juice (apricot will make it more apricoty, apple – appley)
• 2 or 3 slices of lemon
• 5 cups peeled, cored and sliced tart apple (Granny Smith)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1.5 cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

I used a basic butter crust, but the original recipe actually called for a cream cheese pastry. Make sure the oven rack is in the center. Preheat to 400 degrees.

Poach apricots in juice with lemon (remember to use nonreactive saucepan). Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cover. 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the apricots, reserving the liquid. Return the liquid to saucepan. Remove lemon from apricots and discard the lemon.

In large bowl combine apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice and cinnamon – toss well. Stir in apricots. Let stand for 15 minutes.

While fruit sits, reduce apricot juice liquid. Bring to boil until down to 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Pour over apple mixture and toss. Pour into chilled pie shell. Dot with butter (I forgot to do this, so it’s not absolutely critical). Put top crust on.

Place pie on center rack and bake for 25 minutes. I usually use a pie edge guard to prevent premature browning on the edges. You can also wrap aluminum foil around it. After 25 minutes, reduce temp to 375, remove guard and rotate the pie 180 to promote even browning. Bake 25 more minutes, and don’t forget the drip pan underneath.

Cool on wire rack for at least one hour before serving. If you cut into it immediately, the juices will be too runny and you’ll lose inner goodness. WAIT!

1 box chocolate cake mix
1/2 c carmel (you can the stuff made for on top of ice cream or my favorite is the tastefully simple stuff)
1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 bag of chopped heath
1 container of cool whip

Make the cake mix as directed by the box. Bake, let cool completely and poke holes in the top of the cake. (I use a kabob stick or a butter knife, this isn’t exact science). Heat the carmel and the sweetened condensed milk together on the stove until they are mixed well. Pour over cake slowly so it soaks into the holes. Let cool for about 3 minutes, then sprinkle the heath over the carmel mixture. Save some Heath to garnish the top with. Once that has cooled completely, spread the cool whip over the top. I normally garnish the top with heath, and zig zag lines of carmel and chocolate.

• 1 TBS cold unsalted butter
• 1.5 cups heavy cream
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 oz unsweetened chopped chocolate
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In saucepan over medium-low bring cream, sugar, chocolate, corn syrup and salt to melted evenness. Turn up to medium and boil, washing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Continue to cook without stirring until 238 degrees, 10-15 minutes.

Immediately pour into bowl with the butter in it. This bowl should be on a wire rack. Let sit undisturbed to 110 degrees, about 1.5-2 hours. *Using a wooden spoon, begin to gently stir mixture*. Continue to stir, gradually increasing speed until mixture thickens, lightens in color, and loses its sheen, 4-5 minutes.

Pour into 8 inch square baking pan that has been lined with parchment or wax paper. Use small offset spatula to smooth. Let cool on wire rack 1 hour, then cover with plastic and refrigerate 8 hours.

(*this is where you can do add ins, like 1 teaspoon mint extract)

1 3/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. evap milk
2 T BUTTER
dash of salt
1 1/2 c. choc chips
22 lrg marshmallows, quartered
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Combine first 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chips and marshmallows and stir until melted together. Add nuts and vanilla.
Pour into a sprayed 9×9 pan and let firm up at room temperature and then move to fridge.