Peachy Cream Cobbler

This is my absolute favorite cobbler recipe. Peaches baked with cream cheese, cake and heavy cream - what could be better on a cold winter night.

Ingredients

2 large cans sliced peaches (or approx 5 cups of your own home-canned peaches)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 8oz package cream cheese

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

Directions

Pre-Heat oven to 350 F.

Spray a 9x11 glass casserole dish with non stick spray.

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until fully combined

Drain the peaches and pour them into the bottom of the greased dish.

Using a spoon dollop the cream cheese across the peaches.

Pour the cake mix evenly over the top of the peaches and cream cheese. This will completely cover the peaches.

Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly across the cake mix.

Slice the butter into chunks distribute them on top of the cake mix.

pour over the heavy cream.

Place in the oven and cook for 40-60 minutes. Until golden brown on top and cake has cooked.

After removing from the oven allow the cobbler to "set-up" for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve warm with Vanilla icecream.

Aussie Trifle Twist

This is a recipe based on the traditional Australian trifle. Growing up trifle always consisted of Fresh whipped (unsweetened) cream, canned fruit salad, and sponge cake. This adaption is a little more elegant looking than the version I had as a child and tastes super fresh. (no canned fruit!)

So far this recipe has been a big hit.

Sorry there is no picture, I will post one when I make this again

Ingredients

approx 3 Butter/pound cake cut into large cubes

(sponge cake if you can get your hands on it)

For Berry Layer

1 punnet blackberries

1 punnet raspberries

2 large (or 4 small) punnets of Strawberries

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

For Cream Layers

2 8oz packages cream cheese softened

1 1/2 cups milk

1 pckg cheesecake flavored jello instant pudding

2 Pints Heavy Whipping Cream (1 of those big

1 cup white sugar

Directions

Prepare your berries the night before you want to put this dessert together.

Slice strawberries thinly, place all the berries in a large container, mixing evenly. Sprinkle half the sugar over the top of the berries, mix through.  Pour in 2 cups of cold water or approximately enough to have them almost submerged. Mix gently .  Pour the other half of sugar over the berries and once again mix. You want to make sure every berry recieve the sugary moisture.

Refridgerate overnight, stirring a couple times to keep covering the berries in the sauce you are creating.

For the cream layers you are going to be creating 2 different mixtures. One is just a plain whipped cream (for that good old fashioned traditional trifle flavor) and the other is a cheesecake flavored cream to kick it up a bit.

Split the whipping cream into two seperate bowls. Beat them both until they are completely whipped. Add vanilla into one of the bowls.

In a large mixing bowl combine the pudding and milk.  Beat in the softened cream cheese into the pudding mixture.  Quickly fold it into the cream with no vanilla, until it is completely incorporated.

In your trifle dish (this is usually just a very large circular glass bowl) layer the bottom of your dish with cake. The put a layer of berries, spooning on some of the juices to help moisten the cake. (just be sure to save enough juices for the other layers)

Smooth on a generous layer of cream cheese/pudding mixture.

Put a layer of cake.  Berries & Juice, and then a layer of the plain whipped cream. Another layer of Cake, Berries, continue in this pattern until you reach the top of your bowl.

Place remaining cream cheese mixture into a zip lock back. Cut the end to form a circular shape for piping.

Pipe large circular dobs of the mixture edge to edge around the outer rim of your bowl working your way gradually in until the entire top of the bowl is covered.

Set in the fridge for 2 hours before serving. The pudding in the cream will make this very firm once it settles in the fridge.

Enjoy.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

I love my homemade oreos to be moist and cakey! Cream cheese frosting inside seperates the bikkie slices. YUM YUM.

The great part is for the most part all the ingredients are already in your pantry.

Cookie Ingredients

2 Pkgs Devils Food Cake Mix (if you don't have that any moist chocolate cake mix will do)

1 cup crisco (translation for aussies.. a kind of vegtable oil)

4 Beaten Eggs

Filling Ingredients

8 0z Cream Cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 tsp Vanilla

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F.

Combine all the cookie ingredients in a bowl.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Take a small piece of the dough and roll it into a ball. It should be the size of a dime - or $1.00 Aussie dollar.

Do a test batch placing 1 or two balls on the tray. Cook for approximately 10 minutes. Dough should flatten out and deflat upon removing from teh oven as well. Use this time to exactly measure how long your oven requires to cook these cookies.

Place balls on tray and space approximately 2-3 inches apart.

Remove  from oven once cooked and allow them to sit and cool before removing from the tray.

Allow cookies to completely cool before adding filling.

Filling Directions

Soften cream cheese and butter.  With an electric mixer whip the cream and butter together, add in Vanilla essence, slowly add the powdered sugar.

Place in fridge while you wait for your cokoies to cook and cool.

To Fill: Take 2 evenly sized cookies, gently spread your preferred amount of filling on one side, and press the top cookie.

whualla. Done.

I really like ALOT of cream cheese filling in my cookies but feel free to add more or less to your taste. Cookies will soften with the filling in them giving them moisture.

Leftover Alfredo Pastries

Using leftovers from the "Perfect Alfredo" recipe, and some sheets of puff pastries in my freezer I concocted this little meal for my family. It was a hit so I am posting it, try it and see what you think too!

Ingredients

Left over Perfect Alfredo - refridgerated until solid

5 slices plain thick cut bacon, fat removed

1 or 2 sheets puff pastry depending on how much leftovers you have.

Directions

Heat oven to 400. F

Cut bacon into small pieces and cook in a pan to your preferred crispy stage.

Allow your puff pastry to defrost, and on lightly floured surface roll it out a bit. 

With a knife cut your solid alfredo leftovers into a square or rectangle shape. (see picture)

Cut out desired size of pastry, enough to wrap around teh entire piece of alfredo.

Place alfredo and wrap pastry around it. tucking and squishing in corners and edges, so that when cooking there are no holes for the creamy alfredo sauce to come out.

Whisk an egg and a tsp of milk together and lightly brush over your pastry.

Repeat for all leftovers.- I made mini pastries for my kids so feel free to do what you like size wise.

Put foil on top of a cookie sheet and bend up the edges to catch any juices that may escape while cooking so it won't make your oven dirty.

Allow to cook for approximately 20 minutes, until pastry is cooked and the inside is bubbling. It's easy to tell this by the steam and bubbles moving the pastry. Your pastry should be dark golden brown.

Like I said this is largely dependant on how many leftovers you have.

 

Perfect Alfredo

This is based on a recipe by Giada DeLaurantis, with some helpful hints from my sister in law Melinda.  In this particular instance I used chicken, but feel free to use this base and add in your preference, shrimp, scallops, mushrooms would all be scrumptous.

Sorry I have no picture for this one.... we ate it too fast to catch it on the camera!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of heavy cream
12 TBSP butter
2 cups grated parmagiana reggiono cheese
salt and pepper
2 chicken breasts (sliced into bite size pieces)
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp butter
1 lb Mostaccioli pasta ( or whatever your preference, make sure it's a firm pasta that won't turn to mush)

Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm to the bite (aldente). Drain.
Heat the 2 tsp butter and garlic in a skillet on low until melted and starting to heat the garlic (without burning it) add in chicken and allow it to grill and reduce butter to create a nice browning on each side of the chicken pieces.
Rinse the large pot you used to boil the pasta and dry. Stir 2 cups of the cream, add the butter (12 tbsp) and cook over medium heat until butter is melted. 
Add the pasta and toss through the cream mixture. Add cheese, mix through, add remaining 1/2 cup of cream. Season with salt and pepper. Toss over low heat until mixture starts to thicken slightly (it will thicken upon cooling as well with the cheese in there)
Add in chicken, mix throughout - serve hot.

Risotto with Mixed Seafood:Risotto alla Chiogiotta

Easily Serves 4

Based on recipe by Mario Batali

Ingredients
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped, plus 1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
5 Lobster Tails
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (Vialone Nano brand preferred)
1 cup dry white wine
Approximately 2 cups large shrimp
6 Large (the ones that are about 2 1/2 inches across) - cut in half
1 cup small bay scallops
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup

Directions
Bring 3 quarts water to boil with the coarsely chopped onion, carrot, and bay leaf. Prepare the ice bath. Plunge the lobsters into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove with tongs and submerge in ice water 1 minute. Drain and set aside.


In a 12 to 14-inch frying pan with 3-inch sides, heat the olive oil and onion and tomato paste over medium heat until softened but not brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the rice and, stirring constantly, cook until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine, then the lobster cooking liquid, ladle by ladle, until the rice is covered. Turn the heat to high and, stirring constantly, continue to cook, maintaining the level of liquid just above the level of rice, for 10 minutes (keep ladleing the lobster broth to maintain the liquid level. Continue cooking 5 minutes.

Taste to make sure the rice is nearly aldente before the next step adding more liquid if needed.
Remove the lobsters from their shells, chop the meat into 1-inch pieces, and toss into rice, along with the shrimp and scallops. Continue cooking until rice is soft but still al dente and seafood is completely cooked (do not overcook it or it will be rubbery) Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and stir in butter and parsley. Serve immediately.

Pine Nut Cheese Crisps

These tasty crisps were the perfect addition to my salad. Either crumble them on top or let them sit elegantly on some crisp romaine. Super tasty, easy and they look like you are a magician in the kitchen.

Based on Food Network Magazine Recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Parmesan Reggiano cheese grated
3 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
4 tbsp chopped pine nuts

Pre-heat oven to 425 F.  Place parchment paper on a cookie tray. Mix pine nuts and sage together.  Place 9 tablespoon-size mounds of cheese on cookie sheet.  sprinkle each mound with pinenut sage mixture. Bake at 425 until teh cheese is golden and the edges are slightly crisp. approx 8-10 minutes.  Allow them to cool slightly so you can touch them.  Remove each crisp with a thin spatula and carefully wrap them around a rolling pin handle to give them a curve shape. Allow them to cool completely.
Repeat until mixture is done.