Oatmeal Carmelitas

Oatmeal Carmelita_from book_2Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
12 1/2 ounces caramel ice cream topping
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350°.  Grease a 13×9-inch pan.

Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup and level off.  In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly.  Reserve half of the crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping.  Press the remaining crumb mixture in the bottom of the greased pan.  Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the caramel topping and 3 tablespoons of flour; blend well.

Remove partially baked crust from the oven.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts.  Drizzle evenly with the caramel mixture and sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture.

Return pan to the oven.  Bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.  Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set. Cut into bars.

Blood Orange Sorbet

IMG_2979Ingredients

1 tablespoon grated blood orange zest
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups fresh blood orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Mash the blood orange zest with one teaspoon of the sugar to release its oil.  Stir the remaining sugar into the blood orange juice and let it stand until dissolved;  Stir in the zest and the lemon juice.  Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Or, to freeze without the ice cream maker, pour the mixture into an 8- or 9-inch metal pan or a half-gallon plastic container.  Cover and freeze until firm, about three hours.  Transfer to an electric mixer or food processor and beat until light and fluffy.  Transfer to a container, cover, and freeze until firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Serve garnished with mint leaves.

Crepes Suzette Cups

 

Ingredients

Orange Sauce:
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 T butter, melted
1/8 tsp grated orange rind
1 T Grand Marnier or orange-flavored liqueur

Crepes:
4 T sifted cake flour
3 1/2 T sifted bread flour
2 T sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup warm milk
2 T butter, melted
2 tsp brandy

Instructions

For sauce, cook sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and golden, stirring constantly.  Stir in orange juice; mix until well blended.  Stir in butter and orange rind; boil 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir in Grand Marnier.  Keep warm.

Sift together cake flour, bread flour, sugar and salt; set aside.  In medium bowl, wisk egg and egg yolk until well blended.  Stir in milk, butter and brandy; wisk until well blended.  Slowly wisk in flour mixture until smooth.  Do not wisk to excess or batter will be bubbly and crepes may have holes.

Heat 5-inch nonstick crepe pan over high heat for 2 minutes; reduce heat to medium.  Brush pan with melted butter; spoon 1 1/2 T batter into pan.  Tilt pan and swirl batter until batter covers bottom of pan.  Cook crepe until light brown on both sides, turning once.  Remove from pan and place briefly on waxed paper to cool.  (Note: Crepes may be made in advance and refrigerated for up to three days.  Allow crepes to warm to to room temperature before serving).

Fold each crepe in half and then roll into a loose cone.  Place two rolled crepes into individual glass cups and spoon a generous portion of warm orange sauce over top.  Garnish with orange sections and mint leaves, if desired.  Serves 8.

Chocolate Hazelnut Puffs

Ingredients

2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
Sifted powdered sugar

Directions

For filling, beat together cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Gradually beat in chocolate-hazelnut spread and the whipping cream. Stir in nuts. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill up to 2 hours.

For puffs, stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, the flour, and cocoa powder; set aside. Combine water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to boiling. Add flour mixture all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition until smooth.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons into 24 mounds 1 inch apart on a greased extra-large baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool.

Cut tops from puffs; remove soft dough from inside. Fill with cream mixture up to 2 hours before serving. Chill until serving time. Makes 24 (12 servings).