Creme Brulee with Dragon Fruit Pearls

Ingredients

• 1 quart heavy cream
• ½ cup sugar + 4 tbsp
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 2 quarts hot water
• 6 large egg yolks
• 2 dragon fruit
• 2 tbsp confectioners sugar
• mint or basil
• creme fraiche or whipped cream

Instructions

1. In medium sauce pan on medium high, add cream and vanilla bean along with scrapings until it just begins to boil, then turn off heat and cover for about 15 minutes. 
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring to boil 2 qt of hot water in a tea kettle. 
3. In mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and ½ cup of sugar and beat until it is smooth and turns light yellow. Then add your cream and continuously stir. Place your baking pan in the oven and pour the hot water around the ramekins covering about ½ the ramekin. Then pour in the creme brulee mixture and bake until set, about 35 to 40 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 2 to 3 hours. 
5. Using a melon baller, make "pearls" of dragon fruit and chiffonade the mint/basil. When ready to serve, evenly spread a layer of sugar with the remaining 4 tablespoons (use less if desired) over the creme brulee and torch until golden brown. Top the creme brulee with dallop of creme fraiche, dragon fruit pearls, and mints. Sift with a fine layer of confectioners sugar and enjoy.

This article and recipe adapted from this site!

Easy Country Apple Dumplings

Ingredients

• 2 small apples, peeled and cored 
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 8 ounce tube refrigerated Pillsbury crescent roll dough
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup Sprite soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Coat a 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 
2. Cut each apple into 4 wedges. 
3. Separate the crescent dough into 8 triangles. 
4. Place an apple wedge near the small end of the dough triangle, then roll up. Pinch the ends to seal. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. 
5. In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon; stir until combined and smooth. 
6. Drizzle butter mixture over the dough. 
7. Pour the Sprite to the sides of the dumplings (not on top) so a nice crust is formed while baking. 
8. Bake until golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes. 
9. Serve for breakfast or make it a dessert with some vanilla ice cream!

This article and recipe adapted from this site!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Ingredients

• 1 pound sliced bacon ,cut into thirds
• 2 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts ,cut into 1 inch pieces
• ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• salt 

Tools you will need

• toothpicks
• baking sheet
• tinfoil 
• nonstick cooking spray
• cooling rack

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Line a baking sheet pan with foil and place a cooling rack on top. Generously coat the rack with nonstick cooking spray. 
3. In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, brown sugar and cayenne pepper. 
4. Sprinkle the chicken with a little salt to taste; wrap a slice of bacon around each chicken cube and secure with a toothpick. 
5. Dredge the wrapped chicken in the brown sugar mixture. 
6. Place the chicken pieces on the rack and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crisp. 
7. Serve immediately and force yourself to share!

This article and recipe adapted from this site!

Apple Crumb Bread with Maple Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 apples (peeled and chopped medium size)
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup milk
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup butter (salted)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt

CRUMB TOPPING

• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
•  2 tbsp cold butter

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C), grease and flour an 8 inch loaf pan.
• Chop apples and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Keeps the apples from turning brown and set aside.

APPLE BREAD BATTER

• In a medium bowl whisk together the cake flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large bowl on medium speed cream the butter and sugar, approximately 2 to 3 minutes, add the egg and continue beating until fluffy for approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
• Beat the dry ingredients alternately with the milk into the egg mixture. Fold the chopped apples into the batter.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with the crumb topping.  Bake for approximately 40 to 45 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

CRUMB TOPPING

• In a small bowl mix together the cinnamon, sugar and flour, cut in the butter until you have coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on loaf before baking.

This article and recipe adapted from this site!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 oz skinless boneless chicken breast, 4 halves
• 2 medium eggs
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup olive oil
• 4 oz baguette bread crumbed
• 3 oz ham
• 1 tbsp dill, chopped
• 3 oz Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Pound them thin to ¼ inch thick. 
2. Season chicken breast cutlets with ground black pepper, salt, garlic powder and onion powder on both sides, rub them evenly. Let sit for 5 minutes. 
3. Make the rolls: Place each chicken cutlet on a cling film, put successively 2 slices of Swiss cheese and 2 slices of ham on top of the cutlet, roll them up together. Wrap the chicken roll in the plastic wrap tightly, twist the excess plastic on the two sides and tie them together. Repeat with the remaining. Chill the rolls in the fridge for 5 minutes. 
4. Prepare 3 large plates with flour, bread crumbs and beaten eggs. 
5. Dredge the chicken rolls successively in flour, in beaten eggs, and in bread crumbs. Chill in the fridge again for 10 minutes. 
6. On a cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, wait until the oil is sizzling. 
7. Transfer the chicken rolls in and turn down to medium heat. 
8. Fry the chicken rolls for 8 minutes, turn whenever one side is golden brown.
9. Sprinkle chopped dill on top. Serve while still hot.

This article and recipe adapted from this site!

Homemade Filled Chocolates

Ingredients
CHOCOLATE MOLD

• 5 ounces dark chocolate or milk chocolate or half of each

WHITE CHOCOLATE FILLING

• 2½ ounces white chocolate or milk chocolate
• 3½ to 4 tbsp whipped or whole cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions
CHOCOLATE MOLD

1. On low heat place the 5 ounces of dark chocolate in a small-medium bowl over a pot of water (PS: make sure bowl does not touch the water). 
2. Melt until smooth, stirring often with a fork or whisk. Remove from heat, let cool down around 10 to 15 minutes. 
3. Coat the chocolate molds swirling it around and then tip it over to empty out the excess chocolate, place the mold in the freezer for approximately 10 minutes, remove and coat one more time with the melted chocolate. This time refrigerate while making the Chocolate Filling. 

CHOCOLATE FILLING

1. Chop the white chocolate into small pieces, mix together with the powdered sugar, in a small saucepan heat to hot but not boiling the cream, and pour over the white chocolate mixture,  stir until smooth. 
2. Let sit approximately 15 to 20 minutes until cooled and thickened. Remove the mold from the fridge, place the chocolate filling in a pastry bag and fill the molds ¾ full, tap mold down a few times on counter top to remove air bubbles, top with remaining melted dark chocolate and again tap mold lightly on counter top to remove air bubbles remove excess chocolate with a spatula and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour until firm. 
3. Remove chocolates carefully from mold and serve. Enjoy! 
4. Keep stored in cool dry place, in air tight containers. I actually made mine in advance and froze them.

This article and recipe adapted from this site!

Thai Shrimp Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 oz raw shrimp
• 5 oz sweet corn
• 1 medium egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
• 4½ tsp garlic minced
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp less sodium soy sauce
• ½ tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp coriander roots minced
• 1½ cup canola oil for frying

Instructions

1. Blend shrimps, garlic, egg, coriander roots, soy sauce, pepper, oyster sauce in a food processor until smooth. 
2. Dump the mixture into a large bowl, slowly add flour and knead until a dense cake batter is formed. Gently fold in the corn. 
3. Divide the batter into 8 parts. Use cake rings to shape the cakes into rounds. 
4. Prepare frying oil in a pot, on medium-high heat. When it’s ready, fry the cakes until golden on both sides. Serve with sauce of choice. We’re using mayonnaise.

This article and recipe adapted from this site!