Did someone say cake? Where there’s a cake, there is bound to be a party, right? So, what is a King’s Cake and why do we eat it? Sometime between January 6th, King’s Day or the Twelfth Night of Christmas, and Lent (a time of abstinence, penance and self-control) we have the most outrageous party of all, Mardi Gras. And what is a party without a luscious cake? But this isn’t just any old cake. The King’s Cake is rich in tradition and folklore.
Author: Rosemarie's Kitchen
I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and avid home cook.I believe in eating healthy whenever possible, while still managing to indulge in life's pleasures.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles
Hey, did you think we could leave National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day with just one delicious recipe for candy featuring peanut butter? No way! One of my all-time favorite candies has to be truffles. I like things that are creamy, and nothing is more creamy than a good truffle. The first time I made truffles, I was so thrilled that they looked “professional”. The key to truffles has to be chill, chill and more chill. The colder the center, the easier it is to get the outside coating over a well-shaped ball. If things happen to go sideways, just stick the candy back into the refrigerator or freezer, and chill again.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles
3 tablespoon Butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy Peanut Butter
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
1 1/4 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1 tablespoon Shortening
1/4 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 teaspoon Shortening
Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and peanut butter until smooth and well combined.
Sift powdered sugar, incorporate into the peanut butter mixture. Mix until a smooth dough forms in the bowl. Form the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls. Place the peanut butter ball on the prepared baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until chilled through, about 30 minutes.
While the peanut butter balls are chilling, melt the sem-sweet chocolate with 1 tablespoon shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 25 second intervals, stirring between, until chocolate is fully melted.
Remove the peanut butter balls from the refrigerator. Dunk the balls, one at a time, into the melted chocolate using a fork to roll the balls in the chocolate to fully coat. Let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place the coated peanut butter balls back on the baking sheet and repeat until all the balls have been coated.
Place chocolate covered balls back into the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.
While the candy is chilling, melt the milk chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of shortening in the same way the semi-sweet chocolate was melted.
Remove the truffles from the refrigerator. Usint a fork dipped in the milk chocolate, drizzle over the truffles for an attractive presentation.
Truffles are best when chilled and should not sit out more than 10 minutes before serving.
Valerie’s Crunchy Toffee-Peanut Butter Buckeyes
Did you know that today is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day? I suppose the correct way to observe this day would be to talk about how to make your own Peanut Butter. I’m sure there are recipes out there and that making your own Peanut Butter isn’t all that complicated. You can bet your bottom dollar it’s a heck of a lot healthier, too. I’m just not that into Peanut Butter, except maybe slathered over my pancakes with a good helping of maple syrup. And, yeah I like Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, too. But where I really like Peanut Butter is in candies.
One of my favorite cooking shows has to be Valerie Bartinelli’s gig on Food Network. While I like to watch shows with “real” chefs to help fine-tune my culinary skills, it’s the shows that feature non-professional chefs that are the best for recipes. I adore escargot, but really how often are you going to serve up some snails? However, some melt in your mouth Buckeyes and the whole family is clamoring from more.
Valerie’s Crunchy Toffee Buckeyes
Buckeyes
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch kosher salt
1 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
3/4 cup Heath Chips (or 3 candy bars, chopped)
12 ounces Semi-sweet Chocolate, chopped
Special Equipment
Wooden Toothpicks
Combine the peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer, adding about 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar at a time, until all the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is stiff and dry to the touch. Mix the toffee by hand.
Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (about 32) and place on plates. Insert a toothpick into the center of each ball and freeze until firm, 1 hour.
Once the balls are frozen, put the chopped chocolate in a small, heat-safe bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with 1/2 inch of barely simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water) and heat, stirring, until melted.
Remove the balls from the freezer and, one at a time, dip them in the chocolate, leaving a small round of peanut butter still visible. Let the excess chocolate drip off before returning the balls to the plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove the toothpick before serving.
Chocolate Soufflé with Crème Anglaise
Crème Anglaise is French for “English Cream”, a light pouring custard served as a dessert cream or dessert sauce. It’s delicate vanilla flavor compliments the deep rich chocolate of the soufflé so well. One of the things I look for when trying a new recipe for soufflés is a sauce. I have never been served a soufflé that did not include a lovely sauce. Some of my favorites are a Vanilla Sauce, a White Chocolate Sauce or a Grand Marnier Chocolate Sauce. Sometimes I’ll make a Chocolate Soufflé and serve it with a scoop of softened Vanilla Bean Ice Cream if I’m not in the mood to make a nice sauce.
National Chili Day with Phyllis Diller’s Famous Chili Recipe
Just look at that hair – those eyes – that contagious laugh of hers. Phyllis Diller was one wild character. You can bet, her chili was just as wildly delicious.
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Retro Monterey Soufflé Salad
Today is National Retro Day. What does that mean exactly? Hermelinda Aguilar, Robert Duran and Tina Duran founded National Retro Day as a day set aside to look back on how life was before social media, the internet and the Smartphone ruled our lives. The point of today is to pick a time before the disconnect, a time when people talked face to face rather than text to text, when families gathered around the dinner table and children were entertained with games that did not require an internet connection. Celebrate the activities of that time. Turn off the electronic if you can.
A Mardi Gras Feast Fit for a King
Some believe that Mardi Gras can trace its roots to Roman times. The Romans held a festival in mid-February to honor their god of fertility and agriculture, Lepercus. The Lupercalia Festival of Rome held some definite Mardi Gras-like qualities such as drinking, feasting and indulging in pleasures of the flesh. During the Crusades, the carnival-like Lupercalia Festival was adopted as a Christian “last fling” of indulgence before the Lenten period of penitence and sacrifice.
Lemon Pistachio Truffles for National Pistachio Day
Since the good folks at the National Day Calendar were kind enough to recommend we observe National Pistachio Day with some lovely little Lemon-Pistachio Truffles, I thought I’d take a moment to share one delicious recipe with you.
During the holidays, Hubby and I stopped in at a Edwards Cake and Candy Supplies, an awesome shop near our home. I get excited every time we go there because it’s the kind of place that sells you everything you need to bake and get creative. There are pans, and pastry bags and tips and molds and just about everything you can imagine. They even have classes! Best of all, they have huge blocks of chocolate. Good chocolate, for those of us who like to make our own candies or need more than just a candy bar to create curls for our cakes. The candies I made over the holidays were a huge hit. Needless to say, I can’t wait to get back in there. And here’s the perfect recipe . . .
Lemon Pistachio Truffles
For the Ganache Filling
12 oz Good Quality White Chocolate (must contain cocoa butter)
½ cup Heavy Cream
1 tablespoon grated Myers Lemon Zest
For the Coating
8 oz good quality Bittersweet Chocolate
¼ cup Pistachios, chopped
To make the ganache heat white chocolate, cream, and lemon zest in a double boiler over medium heat. I place a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water as I do not have a double boiler, this also eliminates having to transfer the mixture to another bowl. Stir often until chocolate has melted. Pour into a bowl and cover. Chill overnight.
Remove bowl from fridge and scoop out teaspoon sized balls of ganache. I find it easiest to portion out all of the ganache and then use my hands to roll them into balls. Place balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for two hours.
Melt bittersweet chocolate in double boiler. Once completely smooth remove ganache from freezer. Carefully slide the parchment with ganache off the baking sheet and place a clean sheet of parchment on the baking sheet. One at a time dip the ganache into bittersweet chocolate and coat completely. Place on frozen parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Repeat until all pieces have been coated and return the sheet to the freezer for one hour.
Once firm, place truffles in mini cupcake papers and put in covered container to store. Keep in refrigerator for up to one week.
Original Recipe: Arctic Garden Studio
Celebrating National Pistachio Day with Pistachio Salmon
So today is National Pistachio Day. According to the National Day Calendar website, one way to observe this day would be with by eating a bunch of Pistachios or trying new recipes such as Lemon-Pistachio Truffles. Oh yeah, I love Truffles. And doesn’t a Lemon-Pistachio Truffle sound lovely?
Continue reading “Celebrating National Pistachio Day with Pistachio Salmon”Slow-Cooker Garlic Bulb Chicken
How many slow-cookers is too many? The reason I ask is because I’ve just shared with you an awesomely sinful recipe to honor National Chocolate Nut Day that utilizes a slow cooker, and that got me in a “slow-cooker” frame of mind. Which is fine, if you happen to have more than one slow-cooker.
Slow-Cooker Triple Chocolate-Covered Nut Clusters
On the National Stage, today is both National Clam Chowder Day and National Chocolate Nut Day. The clam chowder thing, I can see. It’s February, and for those of us in the northern hemisphere, it’s cold outside. Big bowls of rich, creamy soup is what the body wants. I just couldn’t bring myself to post another recipe for clam chowder just yet. Don’t get me wrong, a good clam chowder is one of my favorites. So much so that I’ve shared two recipes thus far – Cheater’s Clam Chowder and Smokey Clam Chowder.
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Easy Chicken Nachos To Top National Tortilla Chip Day
Today is National Tortilla Chip Day. I’ve already given you easy homemade chips. Now we need something to top them with. I can think of some wonderful recipes we’ve shared together in the past such as Marinated Flank Steak Nachos and Super Nachos for Supper, but let’s go with something simple. With premade salsa, Cheddar Cheese Soup and canned meats, these yummy Nachos are as easy to make as they are to eat. Yum!
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National Tortilla Chip Day calls for Homemade Tortilla Chips
I sure am glad we have all these National Whatever Days. It helps give me ideas when I find myself staring at a blank screen. Take today. Yeah, I can work with Tortilla Day. First thoughts were of dips to serve with a giant bag of store-bought chips. One of my favorites for Tortilla Chips has to be my American Flag Bean Dip. But what in the world are we doing with an American Flag in the middle of February? And then there’s my Taco Bean Dip, but we just did that during Foot Ball Season. And what’s that fun?
Continue reading “National Tortilla Chip Day calls for Homemade Tortilla Chips”
Egg-In-A-Hole Avocado Toast for National Toast Day
Today is National Toast Day. Just how creative can you get with toast? As a fan of Avocados, I for one was glad to see the Avocado Toast craze we enjoyed a while back. It was amazing to see all the different ways there were to spread avocados on toasted bread.
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Buttermilk Biscuits with Sawmill Gravy
Today is National Toast Day. I think Joan Rivers said it all with her recipe for toast, so I thought we’d talk about my favorite breakfast, Biscuits and Gravy.
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