Tuesdays With Dorie - Honey Mango Ice Cream

I have a confession - I hate honey. I've been in denial for quite some time. How can I hate something that looks and sounds so sweet, yet the smell and taste just make me unsatisfied? I've tried so hard. I bought honey to make honey sesame chicken. The taste just wasn't there for me. I've ordered a honey latte from Starbucks once because the picture of the honey just made it irresistible. I took one sip and wanted to know what I was thinking. Then one morning, I was craving it, so I put honey in my coffee. However, I love, love, love baklava. WTF honey? I also enjoy Honey Nut Cheerios and Honey Bunches of Oats, but err do those really count? It makes me wonder since there are so many types of honey, maybe I just don't like whatever I have? The bottle says Clover Grade A Golden Honey.

Anyway, that bottle of honey I bought sat in my cupboard for awhile, probably six months I'm guessing. It solidified and insteading of throwing it away, I decided to warm it up in the microwave and stir like crazy. It somewhat worked. However, the smell made me want to gag a little.

As for Dorie's recipe, I have been waiting to make this ice cream ever since I saw the picture. I was going to, but then winter soon rolled around and said ok maybe in the spring. It was actually going to be my pick when it was my turn for TwD (only a few more months!), but somebody beat me to it. Oh well. The original recipe called for peaches, but since I had mangoes in the fridge, I used those instead.

I can't really say if the mangoes worked because the honey really put me off. I couldn't really eat more that a bite. Everyone else seemed to enjoy it, so IDK.




Thanks Tommi of Brown Interior for picking this recipe! You can find the recipe on page 437 of Baking: From My Home To Yours or on Tommi's blog.

Picking Precious Strawberries

Before I share my tart, I would like to ask my readers if they could please vote for me to win coffee beans. I didn't realize the giveaway was a popularity contest *grumblegrumble* I deserve to win because I freshly grind coffee beans and use my espresso machine every morning. I spent $199 on my machine (which was on sale!) and $100 on my grinder (not on sale). Because fresh beans are important, I make sure to buy freshly roasted beans online, roughly $10 for an order. I need a break in my budget because I'm a recent graduate who lives near a city with a not-so-hot video market. I can babble on about beans or different coffee drinks.

ANYWAY

It's finally here - strawberry season! I discovered last year there is a farm about 45 minutes away where I can pick my own strawberries. It seems like the last few things I have made are strawberry-related: strawberry tart, strawberry ice cream, strawberry curd, strawberry jam, strawberry parfaits. Not to mention sneaking a snack here and there.



Although I have recipes to post for all those foods I listed, today I'm bringing you the tart. Now, most strawberry tart recipes were the same - tart crust, pastry cream, strawberries. Then I found a recipe that didn't use a ton of egg yolks or milk. I did have to do a quick run to the store for cream cheese.



The original recipe called for chocolate drizzle on top but also suggested dipping each strawberry tip into chocolate. I probably would have dipped the strawberries, half the tart in white with the other half being dark, but I wanted to cut back on the sugar a little. Besides, it was fine without it.

Strawberries and Cream Tart



1 9-inch pie crust
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
4 cups strawberries, washed and hulled
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 Tbsp shortening

1. Bake pie crust fully according to your crust directions (whether on package or in recipe). Let cool before filling.

2. Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Beat cream cheese until fluffy (try to get excess cream off beaters but don't worry about them being clean). Add sugar and extract. Beat well. Fold in cream. Spoon into cooled pie crust.

3. If you want to dip strawberries, melt together chocolate and shortening. Dip each strawberry tip. Arrange strawberries pointed side up over filling. Chill until set. If you want to add a chocolate drizzle, chill the tart for 30 min. Melt chocolate and shortening then drizzle onto tart. Chill again until chocolate has hardened. Store in the fridge.

Makes 10-12 servings

Source: Pillsbury's Four Seasons of Pie Baking, 1988 p. 31

Dorie's Soft Chocolate and Berry Tart

Did anybody else watch The Next Food Network Star premiere last night? I'm excited for a new season! I don't have a favorite yet, but I think Brett looks a lot like Adam from last season. While watching the promos, I did favor Michael, but I'm not too sure after hearing him talk. It does give him lots of character, but I'm not sure if I could watch a whole show with him. Melissa looks like she is going to explode with energy.

Also, I saw promos for Dinner: Impossible with Robert hosting again. I must admit, I enjoy Robert as the host much better than Michael Symon, although I'm really surprised they are letting him come back after he supposedly lied about his credentials.



Enough about tv. Time for dessert! I recently received a tart pan for my birthday a few weeks ago. I was originally going to do Dorie's Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart on page 355, but I also saw the Soft Chocolate and Raspberry Tart on adjacent page. Since I had a container of blackberries to eat, I decided to make the berry tart. Now, the recipe calls for a 9-inch tart pan. Mine is 11 inches. The crust recipe provided does make enough to cover my pan, but the berries definitely did not. I'll have to make sure to buy two containers next time. I would've had enough if mold didn't exist. Grr.



I don't want to post the recipe because although this isn't a Tuesdays With Dorie pick, I still want to support Dorie and her publishing company. Besides, you really should buy this book. For those of you who do own this book, you can find the tart recipe on page 354 of Baking: From My Home To Yours.

Win a Wii

What are the chances that I'll actually win a Wii? Very, very slim but if I do, I'm having a Wii party.

Who's giving away the Wii, you ask? Christian PF. Head on over to their blog for a chance to win!

Baked Coconut Shrimp

I love fried food. Who doesn't? Unfortunately, I eat a lot of it, especially when I eat out. Onion rings, fried zucchini, cheese sticks, fried chicken, fried shrimp, fried fish, the list goes on. What's one way to enjoy fried food without frying? Baking. Sure, baking might not give you the exact crispiness that frying does, but adjusting the batter still makes it tasty (and healthier).

Take these coconut shrimp. Normally, you order them at a restaurant and get fried shrimp. I found a nice recipe for coconut shrimp that cuts out the fat. I have made this recipe multiple times, and there is one thing I learned - they stick ridiculously to the foil. Spray the foil, and when you think you have enough, spray again.

I think they are tasty enough to be eaten alone, but feel free to make sweet and sour sauce for dipping.


Oven-Baked Coconut Shrimp



26 shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails intact
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with cooking spray. Don't hold back - if you think you have enough, spray some more.

2. Rinse shrimp under water and pat dry. Make sure they are deveined (even if the bag says though. Machines usually miss one or two).

3. Beat egg whites on high speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. In another bowl, combine cornstarch, salt, and pepper. In a third bowl, place coconut.

4. Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge in cornstarch, then egg, then coconut. Place on baking sheets until all shrimp are dipped.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, flip each shrimp over, then bake another 15 minutes or until coconut is toasted.

Source: Recipe Zaar

Serves 3-4

Oops

So apparently I forgot to blog about Chocolate Moosey's second year anniversary, which was April 28. It's not that I forgot. If you were to ask me, hey when was CM created? I would say April 28, 2007. I was majorly homesick in Ireland and started blogging (now I'm homesick for Ireland, heh). This year, I had no power April 27 and 28, so that's probably why I didn't think about it. That and finals week.

I have nothing special to blog about - no anniversary cakes, no giveaways. Maybe once I get a job I will finally have money to do my own giveaway. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions on what you would like to see on CM or have general comments or questions, let me know.

Keep on baking.