How to Make Puff Pastry

Puff pastry is delicious and is such a popular pastry, everyone loves it! Yet it is also the pastry most people are afraid to make at home. When you have made your puff pastry this way you will never want to buy it again! It is quite easy, needs a little time but if you make it ahead you will have the best and tastiest pastry you have ever tasted.

It can be used for desserts or savoury dishes, so is very versatile. Especially good for vol-au-vents cases!

To begin with make a small amount and see how much this will make for you. You can always increase your ingredients and make as much as you want.

Ingredients

• 8oz, 230g, plain all purpose flour

• 8oz, 230g, unsalted butter (slightly softened)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup water, 4fl oz, 240ml

Method

• Sieve the flour and salt into a large baking bowl

• Add the water and mix to a dough.

• Leave to rest for about 15 minutes

• Roll the dough into a square about 8 inches and place the butter in the centre

• Now fold the edges of the pastry over the butter covering it completely.

• Leave to rest for ten minutes then roll into an oblong shape

• Fold in three then roll again

• Leave the pastry to rest again

• Repeat the above another three times and rest the dough in the refrigerator for ten minutes or until you need to use it. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator or can be put in the freezer until you need it.

Note

Basically rolling the pastry will distribute the butter throughout it. The butter must be softened just enough to allow you to roll it in the dough. If taken out of the refrigerator for a short time before use it will be just right.


Article Source: Ezine Articles

Valentine's Day Recipes

Pamper your sweetheart with your own hand-baked Valentine cookie pops or make him/ her some delicate Valentine muffins or may be a sweet Sweetheart Cake can do the magic. You can cook up little surprises for the young ones too. Get them some yummy heart-shaped cookies or a couple of Rosey Posey cupcakes and you're all set to wallow in their unadulterated excitement. You can prepare sweet candy hugs for mom and dad, or you can make some chocolatey kisses for your gramps.

The idea behind Valentine's Day recipes and these delicacies is to sweeten up the senses of all those you hold close to your heart and make them feel on top of the world. And if you sit and think, you'll actually be surprised to see as to how much you can do to the Valentine's Day menu or how many recipe ideas strike you for the day. So prepare or get the best for your loved ones this Valentine's Day and tickle their sweet tooth with the top-notch Valentine's Day recipes that are rich in the X's and O's ! Listed below is a list of not-so-common, yet-so-yummy Valentine's Day recipes for you to romance up the day !




Valentine Raspberry Chocolate Fudge Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

1 (18 1.4 ounce) box red velvet cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) box instant chocolate fudge pudding and pie filling mix
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup cr me de cocoa or raspberry liqueur or brandy
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 jumbo or extra-large eggs (at room temperature)
1 (12 ounce) jar seedless raspberry jam
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, Old-fashioned 7-Minute
 Icing or Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Procedure 

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, cr me de cocoa or raspberry liqueur or brandy and oil; add eggs and beat at medium speed of an electric mixer for 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Fold in pecans. Spoon into two wax paper-lined greased 9-inch wide heart-shaped layer pans or one greased and floured 10-inch Bundt or tube pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (heart-shape layer pans) or 45 minutes (tube or Bundt pan) or until a cake tester inserted into the cake layers or cake comes out clean.

Let cake or cake layers cool for 10 minutes in pan(s), top side up for tube cake and upside down for Bundt cake. Turn out onto wire rack(s) to finish cooling.

For heart-shaped cake, arrange one layer on a cake serving plate. Evenly spread raspberry jam over cake layer. Top with second layer. Evenly spread top and sides with frosting of choice. For tube or Bundt, spread frosting of choice over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle decorative confectioners' red sugar over cake as desired. 

Passionate Pasta

Ingredients

6 oz fettuccini pasta

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 tbsp chopped shallots

3 cups fresh mushrooms (chopped and sliced)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 tbsp butter

3 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tbsp cornstarch

7 oz red bell peppers (roasted)

1 tbsp drained capers

Procedure

Marinate the shrimp with olive oil and Cajun seasoning and set aside for fifteen minutes. Boil the pasta in salt water. Then drain and keep aside. Next, in a separate pot, sauté the mushrooms and shallots in butter until tender. Remove. Now add the shrimps in the remaining butter and cook for a few minutes till the shrimps turn pink. Remove from the pan and add 2/3 cup of chicken broth into the pan. Wait till the broth reduces to about 1/4 cup. In a separate bowl, mix the sour cream and corn starch before adding it to the boiling broth. Cook for about a minute till the sauce gets thick. Now add the shrimps, mushroom mixture, roasted red peppers, and the capers. Heat thoroughly and season to taste. Pour it over the pasta. That's it ! Now savor the flavor of this Passionate Pasta in all the Valentine's Day hoopla

Oyster Delight

Ingredients

2 cups of fresh and large oysters

2 tbsp chopped parsley

10 slices of bacon

A pinch of paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Sprinkle the seasoning and parsley on the fresh oysters. Wrap the oysters in the bacon and button up with toothpicks. Place them in a shallow baking dish and bake in 450 degrees F for about ten-fifteen minutes till the bacon is crisp. This is one great Valentine's Day recipe idea that would neither take you long to make, nor would it take your guests to polish off. 

Brownie Love

 
Ingredients

4 bars of unsweetened chocolate

8 oz whipped cream

3/ 4 cup margarine

3 eggs

1 cup flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped, assorted nuts

3 cups strawberries

Procedure

Melt the chocolate and margarine together. Keep stirring till the chocolate melts completely. Add the sugar and mix well. Now add the flour, eggs and nuts and mix till it forms a smooth paste. Bake it in a pre-heated oven of 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. After it cools, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Take out and cut into heart shapes with the help of a cookie-cutter. Spread the brownies on a plate, place the strawberries on them and top with the whipped cream to make the dish look as yummy as any other of the day. Have a bellyful fun on Valentine's Day with all.

So try these Valentine's Day recipes this February 14 along with your heart-shaped cakes. you'll have the perfect fill if you go for the oysters on Valentine's Day along with the Passionate Pasta ! Try the absolutely delicious brownies for dessert and wrap up a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner. But you can always keep adding to your menu and come up with more innovative Valentine's Day recipes. The day is all yours to enjoy with love, luck and laughter.

Article Source: Ezine Article

Top 10 Best Milkshake Recipes

Is there any drink more fun and refreshing than an ice cold milkshake? I don't think so. Milkshakes are a part of American food culture and have spread all over the world. Here's my list of the best milkshake recipe you can find anywhere.

Classic Vanilla Milkshake Made with vanilla ice cream and vanilla extract. The original plain milkshake is still a crowd pleasing favorite. Adding a maraschino cherry on top makes it a little more special.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Milkshake Made with chocolate or vanilla ice cream (depends on how intense you want the chocolate flavor), milk and chocolate syrup. This is always the second most favorite milkshake flavor. It's so easy to make and delicious to drink!

I Love Strawberries Milkshake Made with strawberry ice cream, milk, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Yum! Makes me ravenous for one just thinking about it.

Purple Cow Milkshake Made with grape juice, banana and milk. Purple cows are cool (and very rare). This milkshake is a real treat for kids and kids at heart.

Chunky Monkey Milkshake Made with vanilla ice cream, chocolate chips, banana and instant coffee. This milkshake may cause you to spontaneously get up and do the chunky monkey dance.

Cherry Vanilla Milkshake Made with vanilla ice cream, maraschino cherries, milk and chocolate syrup. A chocolate covered cherry in your glass.

Shamrock Milkshake Made with vanilla ice cream, low fat milk, mint extract and green food coloring. Pretty simple milkshake that you can enjoy at home, even though a certain well-known burger place doesn't make them any more.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake Made with creamy peanut butter, milk and chocolate syrup. A nice alternative to a peanut butter sandwich.

Caramel Latte Milkshake Made with coffee ice cream, milk and caramel syrup. Just as good or better than any drink at your local coffee or donut shop, plus, you can make this at home anytime you're in the mood to treat yourself with something extra special.

Whoppers Malt Milkshake Made with vanilla ice cream, chocolate malt syrup and whipped topping. This is the easiest way to make a milkshake that has that old fashioned malt taste.

Article Source: article snatch

Spicy Cheesy Burgers - The Best Burger You Will Ever Make

Fast food restaurants are taking over our way of life. They advertise high calorie, high fat food to us through television and everywhere we look twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. All these burgers are packed with unhealthy fats, sugars and excess sodium, making them a really bad addition to your daily diet. It's time to recognize our burger appreciation with a great recipe to compete with all those other unhealthy variations out there. This guide will tell you all you need to know to create a fantastic burger, without even leaving the comfort of your own back yard!

The first step is to gather all your necessary ingredients. There may be a few on this list that are not just sitting around your house, but it is well worth picking them up on your next trip to the grocery store: nothing is too fancy or expensive.

Ingredients are as follows: Lean ground beef from the meat section. Look for something with less than ten percent fat content: it will just taste better. You will also need some chili powder, a little bit of hot sauce, and some shredded cheese. The best varieties are sharp cheddars, or spicier Monterey jack. These added ingredients will give your burger just the extra kick you need.

Get out a big mixing bowl. Combine all ingredients inside and begin to mix it all around with CLEAN hands. For each three pounds of ground beef, you should use a half-cup of shredded cheese, one tablespoon of hot sauce, and two teaspoons of chili powder. Make sure that you get everything combined evenly...The surprise of a pocket of spicy hot sauce inside a burger can be slightly overwhelming to some!

Once you have your freshly prepared burger meat, shape it into grill-able patties. Make them a little thicker than usual, since some of the fat will melt out on the grill and they will slim down.

Spark up the grill or wait for the charcoals to be ready, if you are not using one of those newfangled propane monsters. Cook the patties through, flipping them every few minutes until they stop dripping. For those who like their meat a little more rare, check the inside sooner for that delicious pink tinge.

One you are finished, slap on a fresh slice of quality cheese to make your burger even more mouthwatering. Provolone or Swiss are great choices, since their strong flavor will complement the spiciness of your patty. This recipe is guaranteed to be more satisfying than any fast food chain you could ever find, and one mere burger will fill you up right. No need to supersize that!


Source: Ezine Article

16 Different Ways to Prepare Eggs

The most used ingredient in our home has to be the egg. Thank goodness these things are considered good for you otherwise we would be in a heap of trouble. I am going to list some of the ways we use eggs in our every day meal plan.

1.    Fried sunny side up. If I ever break a yolk when making eggs this way, I end up eating them, over easy to keep the disappointment to a minimum.
2.    Fried over easy or hard. I have learned to like my eggs this way from breaking egg yolks. My kids like their yolks hard.
3.    Stir fried. They don't know it but I put eggs right into my Asian stir fry.
4.    Scrambled whites mixed with baking powder. We did this when we were on the low carb diet.
5.    Scrambled with milk. You can not beat milk if you are adding cheese to your eggs. I like to use 1oz per egg.
6.    Scrambled with sour cream. I saw this on a food show and had to try it.
7.    Poached soft and hard the adults like the eggs poached soft, the kids like the yolk hard.
8.    Hard boiled for salads. When I want protein in my salad I use hard boiled eggs that I slice thin.
9.    Hard boiled and deviled. Once a year they get deviled.
10.    Hard Boils for egg salad. I could eat egg salad sandwiches every day.
11.    Yokes for Caesar salad dressing. The best dressing does not come in a jar. You know what I mean if you make your own already.
12.    Pancakes, My daughter likes her pancakes with double eggs so that is how we all eat them.
13.    Waffles, no point messing with success so we use a lot of eggs in waffles too.
14.    Meat loaf, all great meat loaf has egg in it.
15.    Hamburger patties. I was once told that if you use bread crumbs to keep your hamburger patties together then it is meat loaf. Egg is a great binding agent to keep it all together.
16.    Baked in a quiche. A baked quiche full of meat is an awesome way to start the day or end a day!

Some of the ways we use eggs comes from not wanting to waste anything. When I learned how to make Caesar Salad I had to do something with the egg whites. Adding the to scrambled was a great way to use them, so was putting the into a stir fry. This list is the top 16 ways we use eggs in our house, I am sure you list is different from mine.

Source: Ezine Articles

6 Helpful Tips on Finding the Right Method for Cooking Your Food

Sometimes you see a new recipe you would like to try but the cooking method is something you either haven't tried or seen before. Here are 6 of the most common methods of getting the best from the food you prepare for your family to share.

[1] Stewing: This the most economical method of cooking cheaper and tougher cuts of meats. This method consists in cooking the food a long time in sufficient water or broth to cover it, at a temperature slightly below the boiling point. Don't forget to add your spices and/or vegetables to enhance the meat's flavors.

[2] Braising: In this method of cooking, you add vegetable oil or bacon grease by placing 3-5 slices of bacon in the bottom of the pot then adding a layer of mixed root vegetables, [carrots, onions, celery, etc.]. The meat being cooked is placed on the bed of vegetables. Add salt, pepper and [broth or water], enough liquid to cover the vegetables and touch the bottom of the meat, then covered and cooked until tender at a low temperature. The last half hour of cooking, the cover is removed, so that the meat may brown and the excess moisture can evaporate.

[3] Water or liquid boiling: Placing your food in a liquid bath, then heat to the boiling point. Remember slowly boiling has the same effect as boiling rapidly, and will do just the same amount of work. Therefore, do not be wasting fuel by keeping the water at a rapid boil. Once the temperature has been reached, turn the heat down and place a lid on the pot to keep an even soft boil.

[4] Sautéing: This is practically the same as pan-broiling, except that the fat is allowed to remain in the skillet. The food is cooked in a small amount of fat, browning the food on one side and then turning and browning on the other side until it is cooked all the way through. The secret to cooking in this manner is to keep the food moving until it's done.

[5] Frying: While this term is sometimes used in pan frying, it usually consists of cooking by means of immersion in deep, hot fat. When frying meats or fish it is best to let them come to room temperature before cooking, then wipe, to remove as much moisture as possible before placing them in the hot fat. As soon as the food has finished cooking, it should be carefully removed from the fat and drained on a paper towel or brown paper.

[6] Broiling or grilling: You will want to first sear the meat surface all over as quickly as possible, to retain the rich juices, then turning 1-2 times until the food is cooked to the doneness of your choice. Pan-broiling, is cooking the food article in a greased, hissing-hot, cast-iron skillet or other heavy bottomed pan, turning 1 to 2 times to achieve an even browning or strips on the meat. When you start to turn the meat and you feel a resistance, stop, the meat will release from the pan when it has been completely seared. Pulling at the meat will only rip it open and you will loose the juices that make it moist and tender.

Choose the right method to cook the food you have chosen for your family and you are on your way to a delightful evening of food and fun with your family.

Source: Ezine Articles

Italian Recipes for Delicious Desserts

When thinking of Italy, it conjures up the image of all kinds of delicious food. Pizza, pasta, coffee -- the Italian style of eating is luxurious and indulgent, made with the best ingredients, from the first starter to the main courses through to a delicious dessert. If you've had several courses of a great meal, then it's only right that the final course be just as fine as the previous courses. So here we're going to look at how you can make authentic Italian styled desserts in your own kitchen, starting with real Italian cream.

Italian Cream Recipe
Ingredients
1 quart of milk; whole or 2%
5 egg yolks
5 tbsp of flour
5 tbsp of sugar

Start by whisking the eggs with the sugar until you're made a soft cream. Next add the flour carefully, but by bit to avoid the formation of lumps. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring the whole time to keep the lumps away. Per your own preference, you can add lemon rind or vanilla essence to the mixture for an additional kick.
Next, heat the mixture over a low flame, and keep mixing until you have achieved a smooth consistency. Now it's ready to go in another dessert or served alongside or on top of other delicious snacks.

Italian Chocolate Cream Recipe

Ingredients:
2.5 tbsp of flour
2.5 tbsp of sugar
1.5 tbsp of bitter cocoa

Mix your flour, sugar and cocoa together in a saucepan. Heat at a low flame; you can add milk and mix continually or you can just use the cream made above instead!

Orange Dessert Recipe

Ingredients:
9 oz of flour
15 oz of sugar
4.5 oz of butter
3 yolks
3 egg whites
6 oranges
Milk
Dessert yeast

Start by heating the butter in a saucepan, dissolve the yeast in a little milk and grate the rind of a pair of oranges. Then whisk the egg whites and yolks in separate containers.

Add the yolks, 9 ounces of the sugar, the flour, butter, yeast and rind from 2 more oranges, plus whisked egg whites and knead it all together, then bake for 30 minutes. In the meantime, mix the juice of the remaining oranges with 5 ounces of sugar. When the dessert is cold, make a series of holes on top to pour in the orange juice to infuse the flavour. Serve cold, with a side serving of the cream described above, and enjoy!

Source: Ezine Articles