Chardonnay Shrimp Pasta

Chardonnay Shrimp Pasta

I have to come clean. I love pasta - Big Time! And I do not discriminate, I love all pasta equally.

I love the taste, texture and how it is soaking up sauce. I do crave pasta.

When we have pasta for dinner, I have to plate it up in serving sizes, no family style pasta in my house. 

We went to BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse as one of the first places when we just moved to the US. And I fell in love with their chardonnay shrimp pasta. And whenever we went back there this was my go-to meal. But at one point BJ's discontinued this yummy pasta dish, and I had to try to make my own version. 

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 2-3 servings spaghetti, boiled al dente

• 1 shallot, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 4 slices bacon, diced

• 12-16 shrimps, peeled and deveined

• 1 cup (2.4 dl) chardonnay (I used a Picchetti 2014)

• 1 cup (2.4 dl) heavy whipping cream

• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

• 2 tomatoes, deseeded and diced

• a little handful chopped parsley

• 1 lime, the juice from

• ½ cup (1.2 dl) grated parmesan cheese

• a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, optional

Directions

Cook the spaghetti.

Cook the bacon. I cooked it almost crispy in the microwave oven, and then diced it. Set aside, letting it drain on a paper towel lined plate.
Melt butter and a splash of olive oil in a sauté pan, sauté the shallot until translucent. Add garlic and shrimp and sauté until the shrimp start to take color. Add wine, cream, rosemary, bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes till the shrimp is tender.
Add cooked spaghetti, diced tomatoes, parmesan, lime juice and parsley, and let it heat through for about a minute. 
Serve immediately sprinkled with some parsley and red pepper flakes.
Enjoy!

Walesstang - Choux Pastry Cake

Walesstang - Choux Pastry Cake

Danes like their sweets and their cakes. All baker's shops in Denmark have cream and custard filled cakes (like medaljer), usually placed in a chilled rack in their window. The walesstang/choux pastry cake were one of the cakes you would find there.

I can't remember getting this kind of cake growing up, but during my time working at a baker's shop, I sold a lot of them. 

Makes 3-4 cakes.

Ingredients:

Vanilla custard:

• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2½ dl (little over 1 cup) milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• heavy whipping cream, whipped

Cream puff (choux pastry):

• 600 ml water
• 200 g butter, salted
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
• 6-7 eggs

Toppings:

• vanilla custard
• whipped cream
• blackcurrant jelly (or another jelly)
• fresh fruit
• chocolate shavings

Directions:

Vanilla custard:

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale in color. Whisk in the cornstarch and vanilla paste.

Heat the milk to a slow boil, set aside. 

While whisking vigorously drizzle the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture, just a tiny bit at a time at first. Once you’ve added about ¼ of the milk, you can add the rest in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly.

Pour the mixture back in the saucepan and reheat it over medium heat. Whisk constantly until it starts to boil and is thickened. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.  Sprinkle with sugar or press some plastic wrap against the custard so it won't form a pudding skin. Chill the custard completely in the refrigerator.

When the custard is cold, whip the heavy whipping cream. Fold the whipped cream in the custard a little at a time till you get the desired taste and texture. 

Cream puff (choux pastry):

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Put water and butter in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. In a bowl sift flour, baking powder and salt. When the butter is all melted add all the flour at once, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat and keep stirring until a dough is formed and it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly shiny. 

Keep beating the dough with the wooden spoon until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes.  

Beat all the eggs in a bowl. Add a little of the beaten eggs, incorporating it thoroughly before adding more. Add the egg in small amounts until you have a thick paste but not runny at all.

Choux pastry raw.

Using a star tip pipe 3-4 zigzag 2-inch log,  like you see on the right, onto the parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake the puffs for 25-30 minutes, until they are puffed up and golden brown.

DO NOT open the oven while baking the choux pastry, it will cause them to deflate.

Let the puffs cool completely on a wire rack

Decorate the pastry with custard, whipped cream, jelly, fruit and chocolate. 

Serve a slice of the walesstang with a cup of tea or coffee.

Enjoy!

Coffee Baileys Float

Coffee Baileys Float

Having made the Cupid Float the other day, I needed a not so sweet option, a more adult option. I do love coffee and Baileys. So why not combine the two into a cold coffee Baileys with some ice cream or a cold affogato. 
So if you need an easy dessert, not having to slave in the kitchen, this is the perfect option. If you do not like coffee, you can substitute the coffee with your favorite chocolate milk, and even switch out the Baileys with a splash of cognac. The possibilities are endless. 

Adult floats makes great desserts.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 scoops vanilla ice cream 
• 2 espresso, cold, or strong brewed coffee
• Baileys Irish cream, just a little splash
• whipped cream
• chocolate sprinkles

Directions:

Scoop ice cream into a tall glass, pour the cold espresso over the ice cream, add a splash of Baileys. Top the drink with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Cupid Float

Cupid Floats

Floats are a big thing here in the US. We had floats in Denmark too. I remember having raspberry soda floats at birthday parties, growing up. We might not have had a name for it, but they were a part of our life.

We rarely celebrate Valentines Day, because my husbands birthday is the day before, and how much celebration can one muster 😉 

Ingredients:

• Vanilla ice cream
• Cherry 7-Up
• Whipped cream
• Sprinkles

Directions:

Scoop the ice cream into a tall glass, slowly pour 7-Up over ice cream and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.
Enjoy the cupid float with your special somebody!

Mazarin Cupcakes

Mazarin Cupcakes

Mazarin cake is yet another Danish classic. I made a similar cake before, but this ones is a quick take on the Mazarin Cake. Instead of making one big cake, I opted for the smaller cupcake, in perfect serving size.
A classic Mazarin cake is covered in chocolate. By icing the small cupcakes with a ganache, I didn't have to temper the chocolate, and I got a bolder chocolate flavor, and a delicious creaminess. 

Makes 10-12.

Ingredients:

• 150 g butter, salted and room temperature
• 150 g sugar
• 150 marzipan, grated
• 2 eggs
• 75 g all-purpose flour

Ganache:

• 150 g dark chocolate (I used Valrhona)
• 150 ml heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven for 355℉ (180℃). 

Butter a cupcake pan. Line the bottom with some parchment paper, this will prevent the cupcakes from sticking. You can also use parchment paper cups. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until very light and fluffy, mix in the grated marzipan, making sure the mixture again gets light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix just until fully incorporated. 

Sift flour and baking powder into the mixture, and gently fold it in.

Fill the the cups ¾ and bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ganache:

Chop the chocolate finely, and put in a medium bowl. Bring the heavy whipping cream to a boil, and pour the hot cream into the center of the bowl with thew chocolate. Whisk vigorously until the mixture become cohesive and shinny. Let the ganache chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. 

Transfer the ganache to a piping bag with a large star tip. Pipe good amount on top of each cupcake, and add sprinkle.

Enjoy!