Image: “Mostly Martha”

O.k..catchy title, huh? I was relaxing this evening after a long day at the VA with Marc…(o.k..it wasn’t so bad, he had alot of long tests and stuff and I read almost a whole book for FUN…) and I was relaxing and surfing..and I came across this article from Men’s Health. No, I don;t usually read Men’s Health but I was intrigued. The premise was that a man could seduce a woman with a fancy meal. I believe that baby spinach salad with goat cheese and toasted pistachios was mentioned.

Maybe I am too old…Maybe I have been married too long…the idea of a guy presenting me with that salad would not seduce me…it would make me crack up. The scene in Mostly Martha where the sous chef is feeding her soup and she is blindfolded trying to guess ingredients….and then he licks the spoon and kisses her? Hot. Baby spinach salad with pistachios? Not.

Doing the dishes is hot. Putting the toilet seat down is hot. Trust me on this.

Chocolate is always hot. Always. Not like a Hershey bar though…Godiva is good…

Believe it or not the recipe that follows is so simple that novice cooks can easily make it but it looks complicated. I would have had a picture of it….IF I had remembered to take it before everyone devoured it.

Guys..this dessert is hot. It is European. It is pastry. It is filled with chocolate. It doesn’t leave green strings between your teeth…..

A pithivier is a french pastry created in Pithiviers, France. It is commonly made from puff pastry and an almond filling, often with chocolate grated over the filling. I made it a bit different and was really happy with the results. Not traditional, but awesome good. If you don’t like pecans then please, by all means use almonds. Homemade puff pastry is better but frozen works just fine.

The pecans and brown sugar give it a praline taste. There is no way around this…it is impressive, easy and really, really good.

Pithivier

1 box frozen puff pastry sheets (2 sheets to a box), thawed as directed.

1/2 c brown sugar

1/3 c unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 Tbs flour

3/4 c finely chopped pecans

3 ozs chopped bittersweet chocolate

Roll first puff pastry sheet out and cut into a 9″ circle. Do not roll it too thin. And once it is rolled you can’t mash it up and start over.

Beat sugar, flour, and butter in mixer until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Stir in nuts.

Spread mixture on pastry circle, sprinkle with chocolate and chill ( the pastry, not you) for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile roll the other puff pastry sheet out and cut into a slightly larger circle. Make vent holes with a knife in a decorative manner.

Beat one egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush it around the edges of the first pastry. Lay the second pastry over top and press edges to seal. Crimp edges by rolling upwards and pinching to seal even more. Brush top with egg/water mixture. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven. Let cool a few minutes.

Make glaze.

Bring 1/4 c cream to a boil. Remove from heat and melt 1/2 c chopped bittersweet chocolate in the cream, stirring until smooth. Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the pithivier. The easiest way to do this is to dip a fork in the chocolate and move it back and forth over the surface letting the chocolate drizzle until you like how it looks.

About 8 servings.

Post from: Baking Delights

My dad was a banana addict. He was born in 1917 and grew up during those hard years which culminated in WW2. As you can imagine, living in a rural area in Michigan he didn’t have many bananas. Well he made up for it when he became an adult. The man had at least one banana every day of his life that I can remember and passed his banana infatuation on to his grandchildren, who can make a case of bananas disappear in one day.

These are excellent. I used a recipe from That’s My Home and made a few small changes. I am not totally happy with the texture, to me it is too cakey for what I am looking for. Next time I am going to leave out the leavening and see what happens- if I get a chewier result. In any case these disappeared rapidly.

Use ripe but firm bananas in this. You don’t want the overripe mush that is perfect for good banana bread. The banana needs to be deliciously ripe yet still hold it’s shape in a small dice.

1-1/2 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. baking powder (I am going to omit this next time for a chewier brownie)
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c unsalted butter

1-3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1 tbs. vanilla
3 eggs
1-1/4 C.Heath toffee bits or 6 chopped heath bars
1-1/4 C chopped pecans
1 C. finely diced banana (1/4-inch cubes)
1/2 c milk chocolate chips for drizzling.
Line a 13×9″ pan with parchment or waxed paper. Grease and flour paper and sides of pan.
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla. Beat in eggs briefly, one at a time, until blended.

Add flour mixture a little at a time, beating on low speed just until blended. By hand, stir in 1 cup toffee bits, 1 c pecans, and banana.

Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 350° F. for 30 minutes .

Make Praline Glaze:

melt 1/4 c unsalted butter in a sauce pan and stir in 1/4 c brown sugar, whisking until it loses it’s graininess and thickens. Spread over Blondies, then sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 c toffee bits and 1′4 c chopped pecans. Melt 1/2 c milk chocolate chips and drizzle over all.

Post from: Baking Delights

Post from: Baking Delights

I love the challenges set forth on the different blogs. Challenges..well..challenge me! I find I am challenged to try new things and to stretch in my cooking skills..to think outside the box. This weekend was no exception.

  You can find the information at

and the deadline is tomorrow so if you are really quick you can enter it!

  The subject was cornmeal. How mediocre, how boring..how challenging and intriguing! I collect vintage and antique cookbooks so I was determined to find something there.

In the pages of my 1940’s copy of Ida Baily Allen’s Money Saving Cookbook-Cooking For Vicory I found what I was going to base my recipe on.. Sweet potato corn bread.

 I tweaked it to make it less dense, a litle sweeter and more a breakfast/brunch offerning than a lunch or dinner one. I added a praline topping..It is unique and delicious with a faint taste of sweetpotato.  I hope you enjoy it.

1 egg

1 1/2 c mashed sweet potato (don’t whip, this was from the 40’s so be authentic and ue a masher)

3/4 c milk

4 Tbs melted unsalted butter

3/4 c corn meal

3/4 c flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

 Topping

1/4 c unsalted butter melted in the bottom of a 9″ round cake pan

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c chopped pecans

Melt butter in pan as you are preheating oven o 375. Do not let brown. Remove from oven. Sprinkle brown sugar over melted butter and mix, then mix in pecans so the are coated with the brown sugar butter mixture. Spread evenly over bottom of the pan.

beat the egg in a bowl. Add the sweet potato, milk, sugar, and butter.  Stir in flour, corn meal and baking powder.

Spoon batter over the praline in pan and bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool slightly and invert pan on plate.

Post from: Baking Delights

I looked through my files..thought I had a picture of this and didn’t…aww…gee, I suppose that means that I am going to have to actually force myself to make it so I can get a picture in the next few days..I know, it’s tough, but someone has to do it, right?

  This is an absolutely delightful blend of flavors. A layer of buttery rich praline coats the flakey crust and then a thick layer of coconut cream, all snugly covered with a thick whipped cream.

 Coconut praline pie is a perfect finish to a typically southern meal, or will be a nice ending to anything spicy/tropical/exotic.  be sure and use the canned, evaporated milk. You will rarely hear me say that, I much prefer cream, half and half or raw goat milk, however the texture of the custard is dependant on the canned milk. Go figure!

1 baked 9″ pie crust

Praline layer:

1/2 c dark brown sugar

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter

  melt together, stirring constantly, until sugar loses it’s graininess. Quickly pour into the bottom of the prepared crust, spreading to cover.  Sprinkle with 1 1/2 c chopped pecans. Set aside.

Coconut Layer:

1c sugar

3 tbs flour

2 egg yolks

2  14 oz cans evaporated milk

pinch salt

 Whisk together until well mixed and add:

1 c coconut

Microwave for 9 minutes or so, stirring about every minute, until mixture coats a spoon. You can also use a double boiler.

  Let cool for a bit and stir in 2 tsp mexican vanilla (if it is available to you or regular vanilla if not) and 2 TBS butter. Pour over cooled praline layer and chill with a layer of greased plastic wrap over the surface.

  Just before serving whip a pint of cream with sugar to your taste and place a thick layer over top of the pie.  Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Serves 8

  I like to plate this on a dessert plate drizzled with some of the praline syrup.  and then dusted with confectioner’s sugar. It just seems to jazz it up a little and make things looks special.

  Picture coming soon..I promise!

Post from: Baking Delights