STRAWBERRY LEMON CURD TART

Meyer Lemon and Strawberry Tart

Serves 6 to 8

Meyer Lemon Curd
8 eggs
2 cups sugar
12 ounces lemon juice
1 pound, 5 ounces butter, cubWisk together eggs, sugar and juice. Place over double boiler, over medium heat. (Do not allow water to boil). Whisk until thickened and ribbons form. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until incorporated. Chill.
Microwave Lemon Curd

I have made the British teatime favorite, lemon curd, in the microwave for years. The trick is to follow the directions. Do not skip stirring at one-minute intervals, and you must use fresh juice and real butter. In the unlikely possibility that you don't use it all immediately, it will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. Makes about 2...

Tart Dough
1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ounces cold butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tablespoon ice cold water
1 pint strawberries

Put flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in food processor. Pulse dry ingredients until resembles texture of corn meal. Whisk egg and water together. Slowly pulse in egg mixture to dry ingredients until it forms a ball.

Wrap dough ball in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Dust work surface with flour. Roll out chilled dough to 1/8-inch thick. Mold dough to your tart dish. Chill for additional 30 minutes. Prick dough with fork. Fill tart dish with parchment and pie weights. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove weights and parchment and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until no longer tacky.Allow to cool. Add lemon curd. Top with fresh strawberries. Serve with a scoop of Louisiana strawberry sorbet. (see recipe below)

Louisiana Strawberry Sorbet Makes 2 cups
2 cups strained pureed strawberrie1 cup extra thick simple syrup (1 part sugar to 1/4 part water)

Process strawberry mixture in ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's instructions.

LEMON GARLIC MAYONNAISE

INGREDIENTS
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oil-packed anchovies, minced (optional)
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutritional Information





PREPARATION
In small food processor or container of an immersion blender, combine garlic, anchovies, egg yolk and mustard. With machine running, slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons olive oil and process until mixture is smooth and starts to thicken, about 2 minutes.
With machine still running, slowly add remaining olive oil, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon very hot water. (A small splash from the kettle or tap is the right amount.) Process just until mixture reaches a loose mayonnaise consistency. If it curdles or becomes too thick, mix in more hot water a little at a time, pulsing machine so as not to overmix. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, salt or pepper. Serve immediately, using a spoon to drizzle over salad, or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Best served fresh, but keeps 2 days.

DUCK CONFIT

Perfect Duck Confit



Ingredients
4 duck legs (or 2 duck legs & 2 duck breasts)
2 cups duck fat (*optional. See note in the instructions)
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced
½ tsp Oregano
1 tsp Thyme

Instructions
Score the skin of the duck with a sharp knife, taking care not to go through the meat.
Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme and either dry or minced garlic. Place in a ziplock bag, add sliced onions and shake. Let sit in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
Preheat oven to 375F. Shake off excess seasoning and onion.
Place into an ovenproof baking dish, small enough to snuggly fit the amount of duck you have.
Pour the 2 cups of duck fat on top (*optional. similarly good results can be achieved without the fat)
Place in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes.
Lower temperature to 275F – 290F, cover with foil and roast for another 2+ hours. Check to make sure that it’s soft enough to fall off the bone.
Remove foil, increase temperature to 375F and crisp up top of the skin, about 20-30 minutes.
Copyright © 2016 Let The Baking Begin

MUFFALETTA PINWHEELS

Ingredients

1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
1 cup drained giardiniera
1/4 cup mayonnaise
18 thin slices packaged white bread, crusts removed
1/2 pound sliced mortadella
1/3 pound sliced salami
1/4 pound sliced provolone
Directions

Pulse the olives in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a small bowl (be sure to scrape out every last bit). Wipe out the food processor bowl. Pulse the giardiniera in the processor until finely chopped; transfer to a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise and stir to combine.
Put an 18-inch-long piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Arrange 9 slices of the bread on the plastic in a 3-piece-by-3-piece square, overlapping the pieces by 1/4 inch. Press the overlapping parts together firmly with your fingers so thxey stick together. Cover the bread with another 18-inch-long piece of plastic wrap, and roll over the bread several times with a rolling pin, pressing to adhere and flatten the bread. Remove the top piece of plastic, and spread half the giardinera mayonnaise over the bread in an even layer.
Fold half the mortadella slices in half, and place them on the bottom third of the bread square. Place half the salami slices on the mortadella, then add half the provolone slices (overlap the slices in each row). Spread half the chopped olives evenly over the cheese.
Tightly roll up the bread and filling, starting at the bottom, using the plastic wrap to keep it together and tucking the filling in tightly as you go. Tighten the plastic wrap at the ends and pinch the ends together until you have made a very tight roll. Repeat with the remaining 9 slices of bread and fillings. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours up to overnight.
Unwrap the logs, and slice each into twelve 3/4-inch slices.

CHICKEN THIGH CONFIT

Chicken Thigh Confit


2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)
2 to 2½ t salt
1 large bay leaf (or 2-3 small)
1 t peppercorns
3-4 C canola oil

Note: this recipe is prepared over 3-4 days. It’s worth the wait.
Day One (evening)
Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt, using most of it on the skin side. Place thighs in a shallow bowl or container, add the bay leaf and peppercorns, cover, and refrigerate for 12 hours (overnight).
Day Two (morning)
Rinse both sides of the chicken well and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the thighs in a slow cooker/crockpot and pour in the oil: use enough to completely cover the thighs. Cook on low heat for 3 hours, then increase to high heat for 1½ to 2 hours. Allow to cool to room temperature, and then store the chicken in the oil, covered, in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Day Three
Leave the chicken chilling in the refrigerator. Follow the Day Four instructions to serve on Day Three, if desired.
Day Four
Take the container with the chicken out of the refrigerator and pour off most of the oil. Allow the chicken and remaining oil to come to room temperature while the oven preheats. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Carefully remove the thighs (they may stick a bit) and gently shake off any excess oil. Place on a baking sheet, skin side up, and bake 15-20 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and browned. Serve thighs whole or pull the meat off the bone and plate it.

Step by Step Details
Day One (evening)
You don’t really have to start this in the evening, but it works out easiest if you do. After the initial 12 hours, the chicken will need to cook for 5 hours, and then be cooled before refrigerating. Go ahead and start it in the morning if you don’t mind staying up late.
The first day, all you do is salt the thighs. Pat them dry with paper towels first.


The original recipe called for 1 T of salt, but I found that too salty, so I scaled that back. Use most of the salt on the skin side.


Next, place thighs in a shallow bowl or container. If you have enough room in your refrigerator, just use the crockpot or the slow cooker insert, since the chicken will end up in there anyway. Smaller thighs should all fit in one layer. These were large thighs, so I first put four in the bottom and added the bay leaves and peppercorns so they touched all the pieces, then placed the other two on top of those.


Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours (overnight).

Day Two (morning)
Measure out about 3 C of oil. You may need a little more, but start with 3 C.
Rinse both sides of each thigh very well. Don’t worry about washing all the salt and flavor away: it was all magically absorbed overnight. It’s not going anywhere. Just be sure to rinse off any that’s still remaining.



Dry the thighs with paper towels and place them (back) in the slow cooker/crockpot. Pour in the oil, making sure to use enough to completely cover the thighs.


Cook on LOW heat for 3 hours, then increase to HIGH heat for 1½ to 2 hours. Allow to cool to room temperature, and then store the chicken in the oil, covered, in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Again, it’s easiest to just keep it all in the crockpot/slow cooker insert, but if you don’t have refrigerator space for that, use a big enough container with a lid orcover that will hold the chicken with all the oil.


After cooking for so long, most of the fat in the chicken will have melted into the canola oil, so the oil will appear a little cloudy, yellow, and will be very aromatic. Yes, it will smell very strongly of chicken. Keeping the chicken in the oil keeps the flavors in contact with the meat and also acts as a preservative.


Day Three
Leave the chicken chilling in the refrigerator. Go out to eat or make something else for dinner. I have lots of dinner ideas here on my blog! (If you really want to serve the chicken on Day Three, you can.)
Day Four
Remove the container from the refrigerator and pour off most of the oil. If you want to save the oil for another batch of confit, use it in the next day or so.


Allow the chicken and any remaining oil to come to room temperature while the oven preheats. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Carefully remove the thighs (they may stick a bit) and gently shake off any excess oil.
Place thighs on a baking sheet, skin side up.


Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and browned.


Place each thigh carefully on a dinner plate and serve whole. Be careful lifting and transporting them, as the skin and meat will literally fall off the bone.


The skin can be easily removed first, if desired, by simply lifting it off with tongs. Another way to serve the chicken – either for the meal or for using up the leftovers – is to take all the meat off the bone before serving. Use tongs and press down lightly on each thigh to slide the meat off the bone. Be sure to dig out the little gristly bits, too.

Leftovers can further be pulled/shredded and used in pastas, tacos, salads, soups, stews, etc. Enjoy!

MILLION DOLLAR POUND CAKE

Million Dollar Pound Cake
Serves: 1 Cake

4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 pound salted butter, softened (4 sticks)
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
¾ cup whole milk OR buttermilk


Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Butter and flour an angel food/tube pan with a removable bottom. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment whisk together the butter, vanilla and almond extracts. Whip for 5 minutes on medium-high.
Switch to the paddle attachment Add the sugar gradually beating on medium until light yellow in color. (Around 5 minutes)
Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
Lower the speed of the mixer and add the flour alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
After all has been added, beat for 1-2 minutes until the flour has fully incorporated.
Spread evenly into the pan and bounce on the counter, if needed to settle.
Place into the oven and bake for 1 hr 30-45 minutes OR until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes back clean.
Cool for 15 minutes, then remove the outer ring.
Cool completely on a cooling rack.


Notes


This cake may be made in a tube pan without a removable bottom.

Stain remover

Ok ,I have had a few requests to share this again. Please share it to your time-line because I may not find it the next time.

Works on every stain I've tried it on !!!

The ultimate stain remover that actually works on a seriously set in stain! Never buy oxyclean again!
The mixture is:

1 tsp. Dawn dishwashing detergent
3-4 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide
couple tablespoons of baking soda.
Scrub on with a scrubbing brush

FRUIT INFUSED VODKA

How To Make Fruit-Infused Vodka
Makes about 3 cups vodka

2 cups chopped fruit, a single fruit or a mix of fruits

2 to 3 cups 80-proof or 100-proof vodka (see Recipe Note)

Optional extras: citrus peels, minced ginger, fresh herbs, split vanilla beans, whole cloves, whole star anise, whole cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and other whole spices.


Equipment

Chopping board

Knife

1-quart canning jar or other container with lid

Strainer

Cheesecloth (optional)

4-cup measuring cup

Small funnel (optional)

Glass bottles with caps — empty liquor bottles, swing-top bottles, cleaned glass soda bottles, or canning jars
Instructions
Prepare the fruit: Wash and pat the fruit dry. Chop the fruit into small pieces, trimming away any stems, cores, seeds, or blemishes. Peels can be left on or peeled off — I like the extra flavor and richer color that peels add, but leaving them off gives a sweeter, purer fruit flavor. Berries and other very small fruits can be left whole.
Transfer the fruit to the canning jar: Transfer all the fruit to the canning jar, along with any extra herbs or spices you'd like to use. Pour any juice from the cutting board into the jar. If you're using berries, muddle them with a wooden spoon to break them up and release their juices.
Cover the fruit with vodka: Pour the vodka over the fruit. Use enough to completely cover the fruit and fill the jar, about 2 to 3 cups in a 1-quart jar. Seal the jar tightly and put it somewhere out of direct sunlight.
Infuse for 3 to 5 days: Shake the jar of fruit and vodka daily. You'll see the vodka gradually take on the color of the fruit. Taste it after 3 days and continue infusing to your liking. Most fruit vodkas are finished in 3 to 5 days, but you can continue infusing the vodka for longer.
Strain the fruit vodka: When the vodka has been infused, separate the fruit and the vodka by straining it into a measuring cup. If your fruit had a lot of seeds or sediment, line the strainer with cheesecloth before straining. Discard the fruit after straining.
Transfer the fruit vodka to bottles: Pour the vodka into clean glass bottles — a small funnel helps with this step. The bottles don't necessarily need to be completely filled, but they do need to be able to be sealed or the vodka will evaporate. Store the vodka out of direct sunlight; it will keep indefinitely.
Recipe Notes
80- vs. 100-proof vodka: Either 80-proof or 100-proof vodka can be used in this recipe. I find 80-proof to be more drinkable on its own and in cocktails. 100-proof will extract better fruit flavor, but can taste a bit "hot" and raw in drinks — you can cut the liquor with water or a simple syrup to taste.
Sweet fruit liqueur: To make a sweet liqueur, similar to limoncello, mix the strained vodka to taste with simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar, simmered until sugar is dissolved).

BLACKEYED PEA JAMBALAYA

Black Eyed Pea Jambalaya
Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus overnight to soak the peas
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours
Yield: 10 to 12 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces tasso sausage, diced into small pieces
1/2 pound chorizo sausage, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into1/4-inch pieces
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cups chopped yellow onions (1 large onion)
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 bay leaves
5 sprigs fresh thyme
8 cups chicken stock
1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight
2 cups long grain rice
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
Essence to season
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped flatleaf parsley
Directions



In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the tasso, chorizo and sausage, and render for 5 minutes. Stir in the onions, bell pepper, salt, cayenne, black pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Saute for 5 minutes, or until the onions are wilted. Stir in the chicken stock and the peas. Bring the liquid up to a brisk simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and cook partially covered just until the peas are nearly tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the rice, bring the liquid to an intense boil, stir, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover the pot, stir the rice and peas again to evenly distribute the rice, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook, undisturbed, until the rice has absorbed the liquid, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.


Sprinkle the shrimp with Essence to season. Using a large fork, gently fluff the rice and toss the shrimp, green onions, and parsley into the rice. Return the cover and allow to steam (undisturbed), for an additional 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm.