Snippets of Easter 2014

Easter flower centerpiece that Gabriel picked out. He has an eye for beauty.

They (whoever they are) say to never try making anything new during the holidays. We do it all the time and have been successful with the exception of once. The girls knocked themselves out and made two awesome desserts that we will add to our favorites.

Coconut-Key Lime Squares

Crust
6 Tbl. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus more, softened, for pan
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3 Tbl. light-brown sugar
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 c. finely shredded desiccated unsweetened coconut
3 oz. white chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

Filling
3 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 c. granulated sugar
3 Tbl. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. fresh Key lime juice or regular lime juice
1 Tbl. confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom and 2 sides of pan with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang; lightly butter the parchment.
2. Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor, and pulse a few times to combine. Add butter, and pulse until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add coconut and white chocolate, and pulse a few more times, just until mixture holds together. Transfer mixture to pan, and pack down firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake until crust is deep golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven, and reduce heat to 300 degrees.
3. Filling: Whisk together eggs and granulated sugar in a bowl, then whisk in flour. Gently stir in lime juice (do not whisk or stir vigorously or batter will become foamy.)
4. Pour filling over hot crust, and bake until filling is set, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Run the tip of a knife along the 2 sides of the pan not lined with parchment, then remove from pan by lifting with parchment overhang. Transfer to a cutting board, dust with confectioners' sugar, and cut into 1-inch squares. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.

Active time:20 min.
Total time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Makes: 64 Bars

Strawberry Pistachio Semifreddo

1/2 c. unsalted roasted shelled pistachios

8 oz. strawberries, hulled (about 2 cups)

1/2 c. plus 3 tbls. sugar, divided

3 large egg yolks, room temperature

1 1/2 c. cold heavy cream

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. Line a standard 5x9 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Pulse pistachios in a food processor until coarsely chopped (some will break down to a coarse grind). Transfer to a small bowl; do not wipe processor clean. Place strawberries and 3 tbls. sugar in processor; puree until smooth and transfer to a fine sieve set over a bowl. Stir puree, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids (I ate the solids.)

2. Combine egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Beat on high speed (or vigorously by hand) until pale yellow and tripled in volume about 3 minutes.
3. Beat together cream and vanilla in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Whisk 1/3 of whipped cream into egg mixture, whisking until smooth, then fold into remaining cream with a rubber spatula just until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Pour 1/2 of cream mixture into strawberry puree. Gently fold together until thoroughly incorporated, then pour into loaf pan and smooth top. Fold pistachios into remaining cream mixture and pour evenly over strawberry cream; smooth top. Fold plastic wrap over surface and freeze at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. To serve, peel plastic from surface. Invert pan onto a cutting board. Unmold semifreddo, remove plastic, and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices.

Active time: 40 min.
Total time: 12 hr. 40 min.
Serves: 12

Dolmades or Stuffed Grape Leaves (as I remember them as a child)

Next time I will use my mom's recipe. These turned out very good, but not as spectacular as I had hoped. They look pretty though:)

My hammy Godson, Jacob.

The Knight wearing one of his favorite shirts: "Who are all these kids? And why are they calling me Dad?" Lol!

A Blessed Eastertide to all!