From the category archives:

PRETTY FOOD PICTURES

I found this super easy recipe on Martha Stewart.com. I changed the recipe slightly. Very very yummy.
Go make it.

chocolate_tart

Chocolate Almond Pastry:

Ingredients:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
1 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Best-quality honey, for drizzling
half a bag of sliced almonds, or however much you prefer

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Fold edges to make a 10 inch square.
2. Prick the middle of the dough all over with a fork. Brush edges with an egg wash.
3. Cook for 15 minutes or until done.
4. Meanwhile melt the chocolate using a double boiler.
5. Spread the melted chocolate into the baked pastry tart, sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with honey.

The End.

{ 9 comments }

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Here is an interesting recipe I found on Martha Stewart.com. It has such pretty presentation that I had to try it.

potato_roast

Find the recipe here.
And here:

Crispy Potato Roast
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
Coarse salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
8 sprigs thyme

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with some butter mixture. With a sharp knife or mandoline, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise.

2. Arrange potato slices vertically in dish. Wedge shallots throughout. Sprinkle with salt and red-pepper flakes (if using); brush with remaining butter mixture. Bake 1 1/4 hours. Add thyme and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.

*Please note that the recipe is the photo is doubled.


{ 15 comments }

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I found this recipe from Sunset for an Apple Oven Cake, but I think its more of a dutch baby with apples. Its sooo pretty. The batter is super light and fluffy. This was also the first dutch baby I have made in my new Le Creuset skillet. Yay for that!

apple_baby

Apple Oven Cake or Apple Dutch Baby:
Serves 6

Ingredients:

3  tablespoons  butter
1/4  cup  packed light brown sugar
1/8  teaspoon  cinnamon
1  sweet apple such as Fuji, peeled and sliced
3  large eggs
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/2  cup  flour
1/2  cup  milk
1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
1  tablespoon  powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Melt butter in a 12-in. ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, swirling to combine. Add apple and cook until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes. *note, on medium heat, the brown sugar mixture got too hot and browned a bit too much, so watch it carefully and turn down the heat if necessary.

2. Meanwhile, in a blender, whirl together eggs, salt, flour, and milk. Pour egg mixture into pan and bake until puffed and brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

{ 4 comments }

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crostata

Yay! One of my high school friends from back home moved to LA! We did a bit of a baking marathon. One of things we made was this Crostata, adapted from this Bon Appetit recipe.  Its sooooo pretty!! Here is the recipe:

Filling:
1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 medium peaches cut into slices

2-pints blackberries

1-pint blueberries
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust:
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon (packed) grated orange peel

3/4 teaspoon salt

14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/3 cup (or more) ice water

Directions:

Crust:
Combine first 5 ingredients in processor and blend 5 seconds. Add butter, blend just until butter is reduced to pea-size pieces.  Add 1/3 cup ice water. Blend until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball, flatten into disk. Wrap, chill at least 1 hour.

Roll out dough on lightly floured sheet of parchment paper to 14-inch round, turning dough occasionally to prevent sticking. Transfer dough on parchment to refrigerator. Chill until dough firms slightly, about 30 minutes.

Filling:
Stir sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl to blend. Mix in fruit and vanilla. Let stand until juices are released, stirring fruit occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Transfer baking sheet with dough to work surface. Let stand 8 minutes to allow dough to soften slightly if too firm to fold. Spoon fruit and juices into center of dough. Arrange fruit in even 10-inch-diameter layer in center. Brush 2-inch border of dough with egg glaze. Lift about 2 inches of dough border and pinch to form vertical seam. Continue around tart, pinching seam every 2 inches to form standing border. Fold border down over fruit (center 6 inches of fruit remain uncovered). Brush folded border with egg glaze; sprinkle with raw sugar.

Place baking sheet with tart in oven. Bake until crust is golden brown and fruit filling is bubbling at edges, about 55 minutes. Remove from oven; slide large metal spatula under tart to loosen from parchment. Brush fruit with preserves. Slide tart onto rack. Cool 45 minutes.

{ 6 comments }

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smores_pie

This is my very first shoot with my brand spanking new 5D Mark II and a my 100mm Macro L. I’m so in love!!!

Adapted from this recipe.

Crust:
1 package of graham crackers
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
5 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), melted
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
4 egg whites
Dash of salt
7 oz. jar marshmallow creme

Directions:

For Crust:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir together crumbs, butter, and sugar and press on bottom and up side of a spring form pan. Bake until crisp, about 15 minutes, and cool on a rack.

{ 5 comments }

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crisp

Fresh stawberries and raspberries from the farmers market were so cheap!! That is why I made this crisp. Here is the recipe:

5 cups of strawberries cut into quarters
1 cup of raspberries
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
3/4 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together flour, oats, and baking powder, pinch of salt, then set it aside. Mix room temperature butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until fully combined. Then add the oats and flour mix. Mix with your fingers until its well combined.

2. Mix together the strawberries, raspberries, and 1/2 cup sugar, and cornstarch into a bowl. Then transfer into a square 8 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the oat mixture over the fruit, and bake until the top turns golden brown, about an hour. Let cool then eat!!!!

{ 5 comments }

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Here is another recipe from Jenny Park from out test shoot together. Chilaquilies! Enjoy!

chiliquelies

Chilaquiles
Servings: 3-5

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
½ sweet onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups fresh salsa, divided
5 cups tortilla chips
1 cup queso fresco
½ cup black beans
1 avocado, roughly chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Pour oil into a large skillet and sauté onions and garlic for 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Add chicken stock and a third of the salsa. Stir and bring to a boil.
  4. Once at a boil, turn heat down and begin folding in chips, until all chips are covered in liquid and begin to slightly soften.
  5. Pour remaining salsa over chip mixture and gently stir.
  6. Top chilaquiles with queso fresco and back beans and bake in oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and top with avocado. Serve warm.

Thank you Jenny!!!

{ 6 comments }

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© 2007-2010 Teri Lyn Fisher. Please contact me if you would like to use one of my images. Thank you.