holiday recipes - grace grits and gardening

Molten Chocolate Cake. Oh my ganache!

April 24, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

(Eggs for this recipe were provided by Great Day Farms. All opinions are my own.)

This molten chocolate cake recipe comes with a warning: not to be shared with the chocolate lightweight. With one scoop of the spoon, the luscious chocolate center flows like Willie Wonka’s river. Serious chocolate here, people.

This recipe is courtesy of Sur la table cooking school, where I learned to make it (along with creme brûlée—BeStillMyHeart). Here’s my rule about cooking class recipes—if I can successfully repeat it at home, (and by successfully I mean it turns out the same), it’s a keeper. Plus, if the steps are easy and the ingredients basic, I consider it blog-able and too good not to share.

Chocolat-y heaven.

This one passed the test. I think you’ll agree!

Molten Chocolate Cake

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Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter plus melted butter for brushing
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 1 extra tablespoon all-purpose flour divided
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a silicon pastry brush, prepare the inside of four 6-ounce ramekins with melted butter.
In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon of the flour; dust the ramekins with the cocoa mixture, tapping out the excess. Transfer the ramekins to a sturdy baking sheet and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter with the chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar with the eggs and salt at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, 3 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, fold in the melted chocolate until no streaks remain. Fold in the 1/4 cup of flour.
Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins. Bake in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are cracked but the centers are still slightly jiggly. Transfer the ramekins to a cooling rack for 5-8 minutes.
Run the tip of a small knife around each cake to loosen. Invert a small plate over each cake and, using potholders, invert again. Carefully lift off the ramekins. Dust the warm cakes with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately with optional whipped cream or ice cream.

Chocolate Lava….

Grace Grits and Gardening

“I’ve heard tell that what you imagine sometimes comes true.” Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Bone-in Short Ribs. Amazing.

February 4, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Looking for something special to cook that special someone? This recipe for bone-in short ribs made my husband swoon during the Christmas holidays, so it may just work for your romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.

Since I had never made bone-in short ribs, I read various recipes before coming up with my own—not that I thought I could improve upon greatness. I simply wanted to use what I had on hand (like shallots and apples) instead of making another trip to the grocery store for additional ingredients (like pancetta). I’m ~~lazy~~ resourceful that way.

My bone-in-short ribs turned out amazing. Falling-off-the-bone-tender. I’ll be making this again soon!

Bone-in Short Ribs. Amazing.

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Ingredients

8 bone-in short ribs
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or olive oil
3 carrots diced
1/2 medium white onion chopped
2 shallots chopped
2 cloves garlic diced
1/2 Honeycrisp apple diced
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups red wine
2 cups beef broth
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Step 1.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously salt and pepper the ribs. Spray a dutch oven with non-stick spray and heat bacon drippings on high. (You do have bacon drippings, don’t you? If not, fry up a few pieces of bacon or use olive oil…) Brown ribs in hot oil about 2 minutes per side. Brown in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. Remove and set aside.

Step 2

In the same pan with the oil, cook onions, shallots, garlic, apple and carrots on medium-high heat. (I love Honeycrisp apples and happened to have one so I threw it in. It added a nice sweetness to the mix.)

Let the veggies hang out in the pan and caramelize. This step will take a few minutes. Your kitchen will already smell amazing. When the carrot mixture is softened and caramelized, add the fire-roasted tomatoes and cook another few minutes.

Step 3

Add wine and bring to a boil. Let reduce five minutes or so then add broth, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Simmer another 10-15 minutes so all the flavors blend together.

Step 4

Add ribs to the dish and pop it in the oven (covered) for 2-2.5 hours. Turn meat a couple of times during roasting, otherwise leave it in peace to quietly roast.

Reduce heat to 325 degree and cook another 30-45 minutes uncovered to thoroughly brown (almost char).

Step 5

Let the meat rest (covered) 20-30 minutes before serving. This allows all the juices to redistribute back into the meat, otherwise it will spill out onto your plate leaving the meat dry. Spoon the juicy bits on top to serve.

In short, amazingness.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Spread

December 28, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

My husband makes this delectable goat cheese spread for every special occasion. With only four ingredients, the dish is simple and oh so flavorful with sweet and savory sun-dried tomatoes, tangy goat cheese and fresh basil.

Ingredients

Goat Cheese, 8 ounces

1 head of Garlic, top trimmed

5 T Basil, chopped

6 oil packed Sun-Dried Tomatoes, chopped

Note: We are typically heavy handed with herbs and tomatoes—the more the better! Adjust ingredients according to your taste preference.

Method

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place garlic on aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, seal foil and bake one hour. (Quick tip: To save time, use minced garlic and sauté in a skillet…)

When cooled enough to handle, squeeze garlic bulbs into a bowl with sun-dried tomatoes, basil and cheese. Blend well.

Form into a ball or log. Chill in the refrigerator several hours before serving.

Spread over crackers, serve with baguette slices or as a dip with sturdy chips. (Sturdy because the spread is thick…)

Happy New Year!

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.