~*~ Happy Veteran's Day ~*~

~ Chef ~

~*~ Mini-Bundt Cakes ~*~

Another party planning idea for you ... mini-bundt cakes ... the possibilities are endless. Lemon, Orange, Strawberry, Cherry, Coffee, and of course Chocolate! Use your imagination. For icing you can use a simple syrup or if you are artistic get out your decorating tools. The center of the bundt cake is a treasure trove. You can place a strawberry or cherry in the center. Or something as simple as whip topping. Here is a recipe for chocolate, of course. This recipe is for a 12-serving mini-bundt cake pan.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups + 1 Tablespoon brewed coffee
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups + 1 Tablespoon buttermilk
1 cup + 2 Tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups, + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
For the Glaze:
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled
Directions: Place oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Grease your bundt pan with non-stick spray and set aside. (For the cake batter) Put brewed coffee and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat and let come to room temperature. In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment, mix together sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs and egg yolk on low speed for about 1 minute. Add the buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract and mix on low again for another minute. Add the flour and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the cooled cocoa mixture and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. The batter will be very loose. Pour into the prepared cake pans 3/4 of the way and bake for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack.
(To make the icing) Chop the chocolate into small pieces, put them in a heatproof bowl (or a double boiler) and set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Be sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the boiling water. Remove the bowl from the heat when all of the chocolate bits have melted. Melt the butter in a separate pan or in the microwave. Whisk the melted butter into the melted chocolate until thoroughly incorporated. Sift in half of the powdered sugar. Add the sour cream and whisk to combine. Sift in the remaining powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick and shiny. Lastly, add the coffee and whisk to create a glossy glaze. Pour the glaze over the bundt cakes, covering them completely. Leave at room temperature until ready to serve. ~ Chef ~

~*~ Coffee Pecan Tarts ~*~

Moving on to dessert ideas for your party planning today I'm posting a finger-food dessert. For this recipe you can either use bought ready-to-use tart shells or make your own pastry dough and use one of the mini-tart pans (pictured here).
Ingredients:
¾ cup of coffee (your choice of brand)
1 cup of brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup of unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
pinch of salt
2 cups of pecan halves, toasted (if you are making mini-tarts you will need to crush the pecans into smaller pieces)
24 3-inch tart shells (or make your own)
Directions:
In a clean frying pan, sprinkle the pecans and toast lightly over medium heat. Nuts burn easily so do not walk away. Remove from heat and cool. If you are using bought ready-made tart shells arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet. If you are making your own mini-tarts have them already prepared at this point. In a large bowl, gently mix together the coffee, brown sugar, butter, eggs and salt until smooth and incorporated. Pour filling into the tart shells. If preparing mini-tarts spoon in the mixture. Sprinkle with the toasted pecans. Bake at 375º F for approximately 15-18 minutes for 3-inch tarts. If you are preparing mini-tarts bake for 10-12 minutes. The filling should jiggle very slightly in the center when done. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve with a freshly brewed cup of Coffee. Enjoy! ~ Chef ~

~ Chicken Pot Pie Cups ~

Ingredients: 1 can of refrigerated biscuits (10 count) * 1 c. cooked chicken breast, diced * 1 (10.5 ounce) can of cream of chicken soup * 2/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese * 1 c. of frozen mixed veggies (corn, peas, carrots, etc.) * 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes * 1 tsp. of onion powder * 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Separate biscuits and place each biscuit in a cup of a lightly greased muffin pan, pressing dough up sides to edge of cup. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, chicken soup, veggies, cheddar cheese, parsley flakes and black pepper. Mix well to combine. Evenly spoon chicken mixture into prepared biscuit cups. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Place muffin pan on a wire rack and let set for 2-3 minutes. Serve at once. ~ Chef ~

~*~ Party Pleasers ~*~

Holiday party planning is approaching so I thought I would feature a few recipes that will make you the party everyone wants to get invited to. This first recipe can be used for either Taco Cups, BBQ Cups or Sloppy Joe Cups. An important thing to remember is make sure the meat mixture is thicker than you would usually serve it to avoid a soggy appetizer.

~ SLOPPY JOE CUPS ~

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 can of Manwich
1 (12 ounce - 10 count) can of refrigerated biscuits
1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
Direction: In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce or Manwich a little at a time. The mixture should be firm. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until heated completely. Set aside. Now press the biscuits into the bottom and up the sides of small greased muffin cups. Spoon the meat mixture into the center of each cup (level with the top). Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese (optional); bake an additional 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
~ TACO CUPS ~

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 package of Taco Seasoning
1 (12 ounce - 10 count) can of refrigerated biscuits
Shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and sour cream (for topping)
Direction: In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the taco seasoning as directed on the package. The mixture should be firm. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until heated completely. Set aside. Now press the biscuits into the bottom and up the sides of small greased muffin cups. Spoon the meat mixture into the center of each cup (level with the top). Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Before serving place shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and cheddar cheese on top of each.
~ BBQ CUPS ~
These are as simple as taking shredded BBQ and placing them inside the biscuit cups as prepared above and baking at 375 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Top with shredded cheese if you like. If it is a Breakfast Event you are planning give this recipe a try.
~ BACON QUICHE CUPS ~
Ingredients:
5 slices of bacon
1 (8-oz.) pkg. of cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons of milk
2 large eggs
2 oz. (1/2 cup) of shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons of chopped green onions
1 (12 ounce - 10 count) can of refrigerated biscuits
Directions: Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 10 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon; set aside. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in small bowl until smooth. Gradually add milk and eggs, beating at low speed until smooth. Stir in Swiss cheese and onions. Set aside. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Press or roll each to form 5-inch round. Place 1 biscuit round in each sprayed muffin cup; firmly press in bottom and up sides, forming 1/4-inch rim. Place half of bacon in bottom of dough-lined muffin cups. Spoon cheese mixture evenly into cups. Bake at 375°F. for 21 to 26 minutes or until filling is set and edges of biscuit cups are golden brown. Sprinkle each with the remaining bacon pressing it into the filling. Remove the biscuit cups from the pan and serve immediately.

These should get your Party Menus started. I will add more over the next few weeks. ~ Chef ~

<<<->>> Pumpkin Fudge <<<->>>

Ingredients:
3 cups granulated white sugar * 3/4 cup melted salted butter * 2/3 cup evaporated milk * ½ cup canned pure (unsweetened) pumpkin * 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup * 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice * One 12-ounce package white chocolate morsels (chips) * One (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème * 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional) * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions: Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick spray. Stir together first 6 ingredients in a 3 1/2- quart saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft ball stage) or for about 12 minutes. Once mixture reaches 234°, remove from heat and quickly stir in the white chocolate, marshmallow creme, pecans (if using) and vanilla until well blended. Pour into the prepared pan. Let stand 2 hours or until completely cool; cut fudge into squares. Yields: 3 pounds ~ Chef ~

~*~ Indian Pudding ~*~

Indian pudding dates back to colonial New England. Despite its name, Indian pudding did not originate with Native Americans, but with the colonists themselves who used the Native American ingredient of cornmeal to stand in for wheat flour as they attempted to produce a dessert similar to the English puddings of their home country. The original British version of hasty pudding was available in printed form as early as the 1600s. The first mention of Indian pudding in an American cookbook occurred around 1796. Indian pudding combined the old version of hasty pudding with the products and spices available to the colonists.
Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk
½ cup cornmeal
2 Tbsp. butter
½ cup molasses
½ cup maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
Pinch of nutmeg
2 large eggs, well beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. In a medium pot, bring milk to a gentle simmer. Very slowly whisk in cornmeal briskly to prevent clumping. Cook for 20 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain a gentle simmer, until mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon well. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter, molasses, maple syrup, salt and spices until well blended. Temper the eggs (meaning slowly whisk in about ¼ cup of the hot pudding mixture to the beaten eggs), then return tempered mixture to the pot. This prevents the eggs from scrambling. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and bake about 1½ hours, until center is set (the center will still be soft, but you don’t want it to look liquidy). Let the pudding sit for at least 20 minutes. Then serve warm topped with vanilla bean ice cream. ~ Chef ~