Weekend Round-Up

Chocolate Mousse

Cook's Notes: You don't need a special occasion to serve this decadent chocolate mousse sprinkled with cookie crumbs. Each chocolaty bite is rich, creamy and sooooo good. Serve it in a parfait or wine glass or splurge and use your best china. 

Recipe serves 4 and was adapted from marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs, divided
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 oz. bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 TB. Kahlua 
• 1 tsp. vanilla 
• 1 TB. Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. instant espresso powder    
• Dash of kosher salt
• 1 TB. butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream plus more if adding a whipped cream topping for serving
• 1 tsp. confectioners sugar
• Oreo cookie crumbs    

Directions:

• Whisk together in a heatproof bowl or small saucepan, 2 eggs and sugar. Set bowl or pan over a larger pan of simmering water. Whisk until doubled in volume about 6-8 minutes. 
• Remove small pan add in chopped chocolate, vanilla, Kahlua, cocoa powder, espresso, salt, butter to egg/sugar mixture. Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture thoroughly mixed.  Set aside.  
• In a small bowl whip cream with 1 tsp. confectioners sugar. 
• In another bowl beat 2 large egg whites with  a dash of creme of tartar.
• Fold beaten egg whites into whipped cream and then into chocolate mixture. 
• Sprinkle with cookie crumbs or a dollop of whip cream.
• Refrigerate until serving, cover loosely with a sheet of wax paper. 

Revisiting Puff Pastry Tomato Tarts

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2019/08/puff-pastry-tomato-tarts.html

I made another round of puff pastry tomato tarts because they are so good and makes a great light summer meal. For this go around I added in crumbled Italian sausage to bottom of pastry rounds. I reworked directions to include this addition. Note that when working with dried basil the spice darkens as it cooks. Bu this does not impact the delicious taste. Check the recipe link above.   

Best quotable quote of the week
"Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life." 
Ralph Waldo Emerson

One More Craft Idea

Unfortunately when our crafter group came last week we did not get to Kathy's ceramic photo tile project. But it's an easy inexpensive project that doesn't require much crafty know how. These Coasters make great Christmas gifts, Mother's Day gifts, Shower Gifts.

Watch this DIY Tutorial on how to make photo coasters. Ceramic tiles can be purchased at Home Depot or any other builder supply store. If printing photos from your printer be sure to use photo paper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIcX42rJrBk