Spicy Chocolate Pudding Cake

Have you noticed that it's become trendy recently to mix interesting flavors like chili, lavender, and especially sea salt with chocolate? Normally this isn't my cup of tea, but for Valentine's Day, I wanted to do something extra-special, so I made this chocolatey cake with a kick.



This cake is sinfully good. As it bakes, it separates into 2 layers: one saucy, one fudgy. The rum and spices add a bit of an adult bite that made it more interesting (in a good way) than straight-up chocolate cake. It was definitely Valentine's Day worthy. That Nigella Lawson sure knows what she's doing.

Spicy Chocolate Pudding Cake
Adapted from Nigella Lawson
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe

Butter for greasing pudding dish
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup best-quality cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 8-cup pudding or soufflé dish. Set aside. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, chili, superfine sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. In small bowl, mix milk, vanilla and oil. Pour into flour mixture. Mix by hand for thick smooth batter.

2. Spoon batter into pudding dish, and smooth the top. Pour 3/4 cup water into a small pan. Set over high heat, and bring to boil. In small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup cocoa with brown sugar, making sure there are no lumps. Spread evenly across the batter. Pour boiling water over it, and top with rum.

3. Bake pudding until top is a bubbling sponge and center is wobbly and liquid, about 30 minutes. To serve, spoon out portions that include some of the top and chocolate sauce beneath. If desired, accompany with vanilla ice cream.

Hamantaschen

Hamantaschen are a traditional cookie that is eaten during the Jewish festival of Purim, which is coming up this weekend. They're sweet, triangular, and filled with jam or other fruity goodness.



My husband Andy has been making this recipe since he was little. It was sweet watching his eagerness to show me each little step of his mother's recipe, regressing back to the inner child version of himself. We officially decided that this was our 1st Annual Hamantaschen-Making Party (I wish I could call it Hamantaschenstravaganza or something fun like that, but it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue). I'm excited to make this a yearly tradition!

For more background on Purim and the symbolism of the triangular cookie, head over to my friend Julie's hamataschen post from last year, she summed it up nicely.

We used blueberry and apricot preserves, raspberry jam, and I experimented with nutella and a few that have chocolate and/or peanut butter chips. I'll always like the fruity ones best though. They're traditional, and I think they taste better with the cookie part too.

Does your family have a favorite holiday cookie recipe?

Hamantaschen
Makes about 2 dozen
Printable Recipe

Dough:
2 large eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Juice & grated rind of 1/2 an orange
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Filling:
Jam, preserves, or pie filling of your choice

Egg wash:
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Add dough ingredients in the order above to a large bowl and beat until combined.

2. Optional: wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm it up.

3. Grab a large handful of dough and roll out on a well-floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Use the rim of a drinking glass to cut circles in the dough, and return the scraps to your dough pile.

4. Place 1 tsp. of filling in the center of each circle. Fold sides over 3 times to form a triangle, and press gently to seal. Do not pinch. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

5. Repeat with remaining circles and remaining dough. If dough gets too soft, refrigerate it for 15 minutes. When you have formed all the cookies, beat an egg in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush each cookie lightly with the beaten egg.

6. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely before serving.

Baked Chicken Meatballs

I mention this a lot, but I'm really grateful for the close friends I've made through blogging, most of whom I've bonded with over our common love of (ok, obsession with..) making and eating food.



Three of my best e-buddies and I have recently formed a little secret society-- the Cross-Country Cooking Parade, or CCCP (ha!), and cooking/baking along with my friends has brought me so much joy already. These meatballs were one of the first things we made together.

I've had them on my radar, like most of the recipes from Smitten Kitchen, since Deb posted them last year, and they were an easy meal to throw together on a weeknight. One recommendation: if you make these, make sure that the bread is torn into teeny, tiny pieces before you soak it. I didn't tear mine small enough, so the otherwise delicious meatballs were filled with relatively large chunks of moist bread, which was not ideal.

Also, I omitted the pancetta since we don't eat pork, but next time I'll try crumbling some extra-crisp turkey bacon into the mix; I think that would add excellent flavor.

Baked Chicken Meatballs
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Gourmet
Printable Recipe
Serves 4, or more as appetizers or sliders

3 slices Italian bread, torn into small bits (1 cup)
1/3 cup milk
3 ounces sliced pancetta or Canadian bacon, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 pound ground chicken
2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack the upper thirds. Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about four minutes.

2. Cook pancetta, onion, and garlic in one tablespoon oil with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Cool slightly.

3. Squeeze bread to remove excess milk, then discard milk. Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then combine with chicken, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, pancetta mixture, bread, and parsley. Form 12 meatballs and arrange in 4-sided sheet pan.

4. Stir together remaining tablespoons of tomato paste and oil and brush over meatballs (the paste/oil does not mix in any cohesive manner, but just smoosh it on and run with it) , then bake in upper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.

#400 and a Giveaway!

Post #400? Already? Wow. Instead of writing a whole new sentimental post, I'm going to invite you to travel back in time to Post #300. It's still my favorite post of all time, and it still completely expresses how I feel about this whole blogging thing.



Now on to more practical matters! You might recall that a few months ago, I received a generous gift of a giant box of cookbooks from a relative who had no need for them. A few of them were duplicates of books that were already on my shelf, so I decided to share them with you. First I gave away The Joy of Cooking, and made an awesome new blog friend in the winner. Hi Grace!

This week's giveaway is for the classic Silver Palate Cookbook. This particular version is a first edition and is about the same age as I am, but it's like new. The pages are crisp and it may never even have been opened before I flipped through to check its condition. I can't wait to pass this along to one of you!



To enter: Leave a comment on this post by noon Pacific Time on Monday, March 1st.

You can say anything, tell me who you are, where you're from, what you like to cook, how you found Playing House, share your favorite recipe, or just say hi! I'll choose the winner Monday afternoon using a random number generator.

Thanks for reading!

Hugs,
Amy I.

Perfect Pound Cake

This Perfect Pound Cake recipe comes straight from my Foodie To-Do list (my collection on the sidebar ----> of links to recipes from other food blogs that I can't wait to make).



In addition to giving me an excuse to practice my cake-removal-from-bundt-pan technique, this recipe gave me a chance to break out my secret butter extract. Yes, it has 3 sticks of butter AND some butter extract. That's the one and only Pioneer Woman for ya!

I know you're dying to know how I came to have a secret bottle of butter extract. It came inside the big supply kit I bought for my cake decorating class, and I hid it in a bag on an out-of-the-way top shelf, never thinking I'd have a use for it. Oh, the stigma of butter extract. Glad I finally had a chance to let it see the light of day.

This cake was indeed perfect, although next time I'll grate in some lemon zest. I brought it to a dinner party and it was devoured with the highest praise. A really simple, classy dessert that's perfect for a rustic picnic or elegant high tea. I love that kind of versatility.

Perfect Pound Cake
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Printable Recipe

3 sticks Butter, room temperature
3 cups Sugar
5 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon butter extract/flavoring
2 teaspoons lemon extract/flavoring
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 cup Sprite, 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), cream butter until smooth. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter and lemon extracts and mix well.

3. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.

4. Pour into a well-greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly.

5. Remove cake from oven. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Invert pan onto cake stand or serving dish until cake drops out.

Baklava

To cap off the February Daring Cooks challenge, I made Baklava. I can't think of an easier or more fun way to wow your dinner guests than to make a big batch of this sweet, flaky, nutty Greek dessert.



I enjoyed the process of making this so much because I found the layering and brushing and more layering really hypnotic and meditative. But I tend to zone out when I'm in the kitchen anyways. Now that I think about it, for this recipe, it actually helps to pay close attention since you have to keep track of how many layers you've made!



The end result of this recipe (from fun new-to-me food blog Elly Says Opa!) was out of this world. The ease of preparation-to-impressiveness ratio of this recipe was especially high. This one has already been added into my regular rotation, and I can't wait to make it again!

Baklava
Adapted from Elly Says Opa!
Printable Recipe
Makes approximately 24 pieces

Pastry
1 lb. walnuts (replace 1/4 of the walnuts with shelled unsalted pistachios if desired)
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 16 oz. package phyllo dough, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1. Toast the walnuts, either in a dry skillet or a 300 degree oven, until fragrant. In a food processor, combine walnuts, cinnamon, and cloves, until walnuts are finely chopped. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Grease a 9×13 pan. Line the bottom of the pan with one layer of phyllo dough. Using a pastry brush, coat the phyllo with melted butter. Add another layer of phyllo, and brush with more butter. Continue this process until you have layered 7 sheets of phyllo.

3. Spoon 1/4 of the nut mixture evenly over the top. Repeat the process of the phyllo/butter layering again, but this time use 5 sheets of phyllo. Continue the layering of the 5 sheets of phyllo and 1/4 of the mixture of walnuts. Finish off with 7 layers of buttered phyllo, and brush the top with butter. Using a sharp knife, cut your baklava into triangles.

4. Bake for about 50 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

5. To make your syrup, combine all the ingredients and bring to a low boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Pour the hot syrup over the cooled baklava. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Spinach & Feta Borekas

Borekas (also known as burek, borek, and a handful of other spellings/ pronunciations) are a Mediterranean hand-held snack made from puff pastry or phyllo wrapped around a filling of cheese and meat or veggies.



This recipe is a mother-in-law original (hi Ma!), and was my husband Andy's contribution to our Mezze dinner party for the February Daring Cooks Challenge. This particular version is just like a hand-held version of spanakopita.

I'm going to let Andy explain why this is more of a method than a precise recipe:

Although my mom is pretty modest, and would never claim this in public, she's actually the BEST COOK IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD (Amy comes in a close second.) Every now and then I'll call her up and ask for a recipe for one of my childhood favorites, like these borekas.

Now, as a computer programmer and general mad scientist, I like things to be pretty precise. My mom, however, cooks entirely by look and feel. We always joke about how this makes communicating recipes difficult:

ANDY: So how much filling do you put in each one?

MOM: Oh, you put in a little spoonful...not too little, not too much.

ANDY: Okay, and then how long do you cook them for? How hot should the oven be?

MOM: Well, you put them in for a while, and then you look, and then when they're done, you take them out.

So, in the interest of being as precise as possible, I use exactly 1.5 tablespoons of filling, and bake until the top of the Boreka reaches approximately Pantone 132 PC. Much better.

Have fun playing around with the fillings. This version is Andy's favorite, but I prefer broccoli and feta or potato and cheddar!

Borekas
Printable Recipe

1 10-ounce package frozen spinach
1 package crumbled feta
Your favorite spices & seasonings. Garlic salt is our favorite.
1 package square puff pastry (we've had the best luck finding these at ethnic markets- latino or mediterranean).

1. Place spinach in a colander in the sink to thaw. As it thaws, squeeze as much moisture out of it as possible, about once every 15 minutes for an hour until very little moisture remains. Combine spinach with feta and seasonings in a medium bowl.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Place a scant spoonful of the spinach feta mixture in the center of a puff pastry sheet, and fold the sheet diagonally in half. If you can't fold it all the way, remove a bit of the filling. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining puff pastry sheets and filling.

3. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Place borekas on the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Muhammara

Some people like their food dry, but I'm all about complementing the flavor and texture with dips and sauces. I especially like trying and making new ones, and muhammara is my new favorite.



I've been wanting to make this tangy blend of red peppers and walnuts for a long time, and was so excited to have the opportunity during the February Daring Cooks challenge. Use pomegranate molasses unless you absolutely can't find it; that's the key to authenticity here. This dip was definitely the hit of the party, and couldn't be easier to make. You literally throw all of the ingredients in the food processor, give it a whirl, and you're done.

What's your favorite dip or sauce?

Muhammara
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Printable Recipe

1 12-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
1 cup walnuts
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses or fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pita chips, warm pita bread, or veggies for serving

1. Blend all ingredients except pita chips in processor until coarse puree forms. Season with salt.

2. Transfer to bowl; serve with chips, pita, or veggies.

Daring Cooks: Mezze

The 2010 February Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.

Mezze is the Mediterranean version of a small plates meal. I love meals like this: dim sum, tapas, etc. I adore being able to have smaller portions of a wide variety of foods, especially when it involves any combination of bread, cheese, fruit & veggies. I've actually made a mezze spread before (check it out), but have definitely never made pita, so that was the most exciting part for me!

Michele asked us to make pita and hummus from scratch, and then to go nuts with the rest of the meal, giving us complete creative freedom. Thanks, Michele!

On the menu:
Fresh pita


Lemon hummus


Muhammara (roasted red pepper, walnut, and pomegranate dip)


Assorted veggies, cheese, crackers, nuts, and olives

Borekas


Baklava


For the pita and hummus recipes, and to see what my fellow Daring Cooks came up with this month, head over to the Daring Kitchen.

Because this challenge had so many unique elements to it, I have a series of posts planned this week with more detailed photos and recipes. Stay tuned!

Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

While visiting my best friend in St. Louis last month, I was introduced to Gooey Butter Cake, a local specialty. Even though I didn't get to try it when I was there, I came home with an insatiable curiosity. It sounded over-the-top sweet (hello cake mix, butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar!), but I couldn't resist the urge to make it.



When I tried the cake fresh out of the oven, it was too sweet for my tastes (and I enjoy a good dose of tooth-achingly sweet). But like many baked goods, an overnight rest in the refrigerator did a world of good. The sweetness mellowed out, the texture firmed up, and while it was still a once-in-a-lifetime kind of rich, it was actually enjoyable. My addition of blueberries to the bottom layer made all the difference.

If you've been reading for a while, you know that my one of my favorite things to do with my baked goods is feed them to Andy's coworkers. This one got rave reviews. Here's the email he sent out the morning it arrived at his office. Isn't my husband witty?

From: Andy I.
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 9:11 AM
To: --- Everyone
Subject: FAQ about the cake in the kitchen

Q: Gooey what now?
A: Gooey Butter Cake. Apparently it’s big in St. Louis

Q: Is it for the faint of heart?
A: NO! This cake is intense. Really intense. It’s good, but for the love of lemonade, be careful!

Q: Is my wife an evil genius?
A: Most definitely.

Q: Is it healthy?
A: Yes. It has blueberries.

Enjoy!
--Andy

Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake
Printable Recipe

Bottom layer:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (8 tbsp), softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries, not thawed

Top layer:
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1 lb powdered sugar (~3 1/2 cups)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Prehead oven to 350.

2. Using a stand or hand-held mixer, combine all ingredients for bottom layer except blueberries. Once combined, gently stir in berries.

3. Grease a 9x13 baking pan well. Spread bottom batter in the bottom. It will be thick and difficult to spread.

4. Wash and dry your mixing bowl. Using a stand or hand-held mixer, combine all ingredients for top layer and spread on top of the bottom layer.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. Cool completely before serving. Optional: chill overnight before serving.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Sweet Chili Sauce

My cookbook collection has swelled to enormous proportions recently, almost outgrowing its home. Poring through my books to find just the right recipe to suit my mood is one of my greatest pleasures, but often time just doesn't allow that. On weeknights, I've been grabbing the Steamy Kitchen Cookbook more and more.



Every recipe I've made so far from Jaden's book has been exceptional. This one was perfectly simple for a weeknight, and felt light and healthy too. Serve it over steamed rice for a one-bowl meal.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Sweet Chili Sauce
Adapted from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook
Printable Recipe

Cornstarch Slurry: 2 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin, pinky-sized pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c sweet chili sauce
1 small handful basil leaves (Thai or sweet Italian), about 1/4 c

1. In a large bowl, make the cornstarch slurry by stirring together 2 tsp soy sauce and cornstarch until the cornstarch has dissolved. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. Marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.

2. Set a wok or large frying pan over high heat. When a bead of water sizzles and evaporates upon contact, add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the chicken slices in 1 layer and cook for 2 minutes, flipping halfway. Remove chicken from the wok, keeping as much oil in the pan as possible. The interior of the chicken will still be raw, it will get added back to the wok soon to finish cooking.

3. Lower heat to medium and add shallots and garlic to the pan. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add bell peppers and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute, until peppers are softened but still have a nice crunch to them. Pour in the fish sauce, soy sauce, and chili sauce and stir well. Add the chicken back into the pan and let the entire thing simmer for 2 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through (cut into a piece to check) and the sauce should be glossy and thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh basil leaves.

Orange Blueberry Muffins

I have a newfound appreciation for oranges. Citrus fruit is at its peak here in the wintertime, but in the past I've always shunned oranges in favor of my beloved lemons.



Recently I've been buying a lot more fruit, and as I've been looking around grocery stores for the best-looking produce, I've given oranges another try. I'm happily realizing that there's such a huge variety of types (shapes, sizes, and colors) to play with. I'm sure my little orange friends will keep me entertained until spring rolls around.

I made these muffins with one of my new favorites, cara cara oranges. They're delicate, thin-skinned, and resemble pink grapefruit on the inside. I also used the blueberries we picked last summer, which is always a special treat. These muffins are incredibly light; the texture was among the best of any muffin I've made. Also, like many of Dorie Greenspan's recipes, they're really versatile, so feel free to play with your fruit.

Orange Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours
Makes 12 muffins
Printable Recipe

Grated zest and juice of one orange
About 3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons honey
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking power
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
Turbinado sugar, for topping (optional)

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400F. Grease a regular 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick baking spray or line with paper liners. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

2. Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey, and melted butter.

3. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange is strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough. The batter will be lumpy and bubbly. Stir in the blueberries, and divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes. If you want to top the muffins with turbinado sugar, sprinkle on after the muffins have baked for 10 minutes. When fully baked, the muffins will be golden and springy to the touch and a tester inserted into the center will come out clean. Allow to cool on a rack for 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the pan.

E-Book for Haiti

My friend Lauren over at Celiac Teen has done something incredible, and I want to make sure you all know about it. Lauren has gathered recipes from over 70 food bloggers (including me!) around the theme of "home" and compiled them into an e-book to benefit earthquake-ravaged Haiti. All proceeds will go straight to the Canadian Red Cross, who will distribute them appropriately where needed.


Source: Celiac Teen

I'll let Lauren do most of the explaining, but please consider purchasing the book (it's downloadable, in pdf format). To get more information, to purchase the e-book, or just to tell Lauren how awesome she is, head over to Celiac Teen.

Green Papaya Salad

When I was planning my most recent Daring Cooks challenge, this salad immediately popped into my head to serve on the side.

It's another one of our favorite Thai dishes, but I feared that it would be time-consuming and high maintenance. Happily, I was wrong! The biggest time saver was the pre-shredded green papaya and carrot mixture that I bought at our local Asian market. Since the manual labor was already done for me, this came together in literally 2 minutes.

If you've never had this delightful salad before, it's tangy, spicy, and radiates freshness. I wasn't familiar with palm sugar before I made this salad. I found it in a heavy solid round block at my Asian market, and found that the best way to handle it was to grate it with my Microplane.

Do you know any other interesting recipes that use palm sugar?

Green Papaya Salad

Adapted from thaitable.com

Serves 2

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 tablespoons palm sugar

Juice of 1 lime

2 cups green papaya, shredded

10 green beans, halved

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce for a vegetarian version)

2 chile peppers

5 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons peanuts, crushed

1. Crush garlic, tomatoes, green beans, and chiles with the back of a spoon in a large bowl just enough to bruise.

2. Whisk together fish or soy sauce, lime juice and palm sugar, and add to the bowl.

3. Add green papaya and toss well. Top with crushed peanuts.

Lemon-Almond Meringue Tart

While poking around my mom's [drool-worthy walk-in] pantry on a recent visit home, I spotted a torn-out magazine page peeking out between 2 cookbooks on a shelf. I felt like I was in some kind of slow-motion, magical movie scene where time stands still and I find the most perfect recipe ever.

Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but I grabbed the Cooking Light page with the lemon meringue tart recipe and tucked it in my Oregon-bound suitcase. With my mom's permission, of course; I could never do anything sneaky or subversive in her house. Or anywhere. Yeah.

This tart wasn't quite as lemony as the lemon tart I made last year. Although the lemon was indeed more subtle, the unique crust and the light-as-air meringue made up for that missing tang, and the 3 layers played well together. If you like lemon meringue, but don't want the heavy pie crust overload, you'll love this tart.

I had the best time baking this tart with my friend Michelle in her newly renovated kitchen. Thanks, M! Can't wait to do it again.

Lemon-Almond Meringue Tart

Adapted from Cooking Light

Printable Recipe

1/2 cup blanched almonds

3 tablespoons brown sugar

36 vanilla wafers

1/4 cup butter, melted

Cooking spray

1 (10-ounce) jar lemon curd

3 large egg whites

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a food processor; process until finely ground. With motor on, drizzle butter through food chute; process until blended. Press about crumbs into the bottom and up sides of a 9-inch tart pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes or until toasted. Cool.

3. Preheat broiler.

4. Spread curd evenly onto crust. Place egg whites and salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Combine granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a thermometer registers 250°. Pour hot syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread egg white mixture over tart. If desired, use your spatula to make small decorative peaks. Broil 30 seconds or until lightly browned.