Mousse au Chocolat

This recipe was pretty easy and tastes great. It is a simple mousse with just the right consistency. This recipe calls for uncooked eggs, which can contain salmonella. So, be aware of this and consider egg replacement options. I used Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1/2 cup) for the mousse and grated some for the topping. I just used regular spray whipped cream for the topping.

Safety note: Studies have shown that there are possible health risks to using raw eggs. Instead, substitute a pasteurized egg product.

Mousse au Chocolat

4 oz. semisweet chocolate
4 T unsalted butter
4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
1/8 t. cream of tartar
1/2 c. heavy cream, whipped, for garnish
chocolate filigree for garnish

1. Heat chocolate and butter, stirring frequently, in top of double boiler over simmering water until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks until blended. Immediately transfer to mixing bowl.
2. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in second mixing bowl until very stiff. Using wire whisk, fold half the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Beat remaining whites quickly to make sure they are smooth and fold into chocolate mixture with rubber spatula.
3. Transfer mousse to serving bowl or individual stemmed glasses. Refrigerate covered until set, about 3 hours. Serve cold, garnished with whipped cream and chocolate filigree. Serves 6.

George's Shortbread Cookies

This family recipe can be traced back to a family friend of my grandparents' named George Jones, she gave the recipe to my grandmother and we have been making them ever since. These shortbread cookies are quite versatile. My mother always colored half of the batter red and made little red & white worms to twist into candy cane cookies. People LOVE this recipe, the cookie melts in your mouth. I like them because they taste great, they store well, and you can make them into a log to cut into cookies. This is what I did this time around, it is nice an quick. This recipe made two long logs, but I could have made three smaller ones and gotten more cookies. Logs are great because you can roll them in the appropriate color sugar for the event. On Valentine's day you can use pink or red, Independence Day you can use red, white, and blue sprinkles, etc. I tried stirring in some mini chocolate chips the last time I baked these cookies and they turned out great. This is a large recipe, simply cut in half if you don't need so many cookies.

George's Shortbread Cookies

2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
4 c. flour
food coloring (optional)

1. Cream butter with sugar.
2. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, blending well. (If you are coloring the dough add the food coloring now)
3. Cover with plastic wrap (or make into logs) and refrigerate at least 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
5. Prepare cookies in desired manner (slice logs, make candy canes, etc.) and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
6. Leave cookies on the pan for a little bit before transferring them to a wire rack. Be careful when removing from cookie sheet.
7. Store in airtight container.

Spritz Cookies

This recipe has been in my family since at least my grandmother, perhaps longer. We always do these at Christmas time, and I did my batch today. You will need a cookie gun for these, and some almond extract.

Spritz Cookies

1 c. butter, room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
3 egg yolks
1 t. almond extract
dash salt
2 1/4 c. flour

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until creamy.
3. Add egg yolks, almond extract, and salt. Blend well.
4. Add flour in three installments, incorporating between each addition.
5. Using a cookie press, make desired shapes and sprinkle with colored sugar. For our Christmas shapes we use the small star to pipe out candy canes and wreaths. I did poinsettias (with a red-hot in the middle), a Christmas ornament, and the old stand-by, the long strip, which is cut with the spatula when still on the pan for smaller sized cookies.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown edges. Leave cookies on the pan for a little bit before transferring them to a wire rack. Be careful when removing from the cookie sheet.
7. Store in airtight container.

Gourmet Potatoes

These potatoes were yummy. The only thing I would do differently is to add less salt and cook the potatoes a bit longer. I used medium cheddar cheese and Yukon Gold potatoes.

Gourmet Potatoes

6 medium potatoes
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Longhorn cheese
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. (12 oz.) sour cream
1/2 c. chopped green onions
2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 T butter

1. Wash the potatoes. Boil or bake in skins until tender. Peel and shred coarsely or put through a ricer.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, combine cheese and 1/4 cup butter. Cook until the cheese is almost melted. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream, onions, salt, and pepper. Fold in the potatoes. Put in a greased 2-quart casserole. Dot the top with an additional 2 Tablespoons butter. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes.

Lemon Chicken

This is another lemon chicken recipe, but it is not the Asian style type of dish. I used a boneless double breast for this recipe, and dried dill weed. I liked this recipe, the only thing I would do differently is to pound down the thickest portion of the breast so it would cook evenly. I had to put the breasts into the oven to get them cooked through.

Lemon Chicken

8 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 large egg
2/3 c. unsifted all-purpose flour
2/3 c. packaged unseasoned bread crumbs
1 T grated lemon rind
2 t. chopped fresh dill, or 1/4 t. dried dill weed
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 T butter
2 T olive oil

1. In 13" x 9" nonmetal baking dish, arrange chicken, flesh side down. Add lemon juice. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour to marinade.
2. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve marinade.
3. In a pie plate, beat egg with 1/4 cup of the reserved lemon juice marinade. In plastic food-storage bag, combine flour, bread crumbs, lemon rind, dill, salt, and pepper.
4. Dip each piece of chicken breast in egg mixture and then shake in the crumb mixture. In a large heavy skillet, heat half of the butter and half of the oil. Add chicken breasts and cook over medium heat until golden, about 8-10 minutes. Turn the chicken and add remaining butter and oil. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 13-15 minutes longer. Serves 6.