Sunday Dinner

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Goat Cheese, Garlic, and Herbes de Provence Melba Toast

Roast Chicken

Pommes Anna

Roasted Mushrooms Persillade

Bibb Lettuce Salad with Bacon and Croutons

Chocolate Kahlúa Glazed Chocolate Truffle Tart

After a week of the blahs, I knew I wanted some comfort food for Sunday dinner.  For me, that is roast chicken, potatoes, and something chocolate for dessert-- my three favorite food groups.

Consisting of three layers of chocolate, this dessert will surely satisfy any chocolate craving.  The crust is made from chocolate cookie wafers.  The truffle-like filling is rich and creamy, but not too to heavy.  The shiny chocolate glaze then pushes the whole package into chocolate heaven. 

 I added espresso powder to the filling to enhance the chocolate flavor.  Keeping with the chocolate/coffee combination, I added Kahlúa to the chocolate glaze in lieu of water.  Piped whipped cream rosettes and chocolate covered coffee beans make for a pretty presentation.

Sunday Dinner one year ago

Chocolate and Peppermint Whipped Cream Tart

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Many of us will be celebrating Christmas this weekend.  I will hosting a Christmas Eve dinner in my home as we have done many times in the past, but this time it will be little different.  The crowd will be a little smaller since my parents have gone South this year for the winter.  Normally, I serve the All-American Peppermint Stick Torte with Fudge Sauce, but since there will be fewer mouths at the table, I thought I would change things up with this festive tart.  Yes, another tart. Don't get me wrong, I love my cakes and cookies, but tarts hold a special place in my heart, or should I say, my belly:) 

I found this recipe five years ago in Bon Appétit.  I was smitten with it then and still am today.  I make my favorite tart dough, then fill it with a luscious chocolate filling to which just a touch of espresso powder and peppermint extract are added.  Candy canes are crushed and sprinkled over the top of the chocolate lending a bit of texture and obvious minty flavor.  The original recipe called for 3 1/2 cups of whipping cream for the top!?!  That seemed a little excessive in my opinion.  I reduced it by more than half and there is still plenty of whipped cream for it to hold the title of whipped cream tart.  Top it with a few more crushed candy canes and you just might hear sleigh bells in the distance.

If you are a reader, you know that I enjoy sharing my Sunday dinner menus along with a recipe. Since this Sunday is Christmas, I will be backing away from the computer and camera (o.k. maybe not the camera) to spend quality time with my family and yes, there will be a Sunday dinner with a good recipe or two that I will eventually share.  So, in lieu of a Sunday dinner menu, I will leave you with our Christmas Eve menu.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Hot Onion and Cheese Soufflé Dip with Crostini

Prosciutto Rolls

Aged Top Sirloin Roast with Herb Butter Sauce

Roquefort Potato Gratin

Mushrooms Sautéed with Garlic, Herbs, and Bread Crumbs

Christmas Salad with Red and Green Vinaigrette

Chocolate and Peppermint Whipped Cream Tart

Cranberry Eggnog Tart

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We enjoyed this tart a few Sundays ago.  I used my favorite tart crust and filled it with a lightly flavored eggnog cream cheese mixture. Once baked and cooled, I topped it with a thin, jewel-like layer of cranberry jam.  It is refrigerated until completely chilled, then sliced and served with a generous dollop of  lightly sweetened whipped cream.  The original recipe didn't call for the whipped cream, but in my book it is a must:)

The reviews-- Does the filling taste like eggnog?  A bit.  Can you taste the cranberry jam?  Kinda.  That's two main flavors only somewhat showing up on the palate.  Somehow it still works, leaving me to type one more question into the ether---Is this a festive and downright delicious cream cheese tart to have at your holiday table?  As they say north of the Illinois border, "You betcha"!

Sunday Dinner

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Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Torta

Sunday Sugo and Rigatoni

Country Bread

Green Salad with Red and Green Vinaigrette

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart

Soccer season is over, but basketball season is just beginning.  The first game is today, so I needed a Sunday dinner that could be made in advance.  The good thing is the Sugo we are having has that "next day better" goodness.  The torta and vinaigrette were also made yesterday and the bread baked fresh this morning.  Since the tart was also made and I know how good it is, it is the recipe that I am sharing today.

This tart has the look of a winner.  The sheen of the chocolate ganache catches the eye and hints at the luxurious layer of caramel lurking below.  These two flavors are held in a crust infused with Dutch process cocoa.  That's three levels of dessert enjoyment on one fork.  Sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top to intensify the chocolate and caramel.  

Sunday Dinner one year ago

Browned Butter Pecan Tart

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If you told me years ago that I was going to one day make this tart, enjoy as much as I did, and then share the recipe with others, I would have laughed really hard. This tart (originally a pie) has been on my family's Thanksgiving dessert table for over 25 years and I have never touched it (o.k I tried a bite a few years ago, but-- no thanks at the time). I didn't care for nuts growing up, so this dessert was never for me.  It smelled good when Mom was making it, but I just couldn't enjoy a slice. Fortunately, in recent years my taste buds have changed their mind about nuts and I enjoy them many ways, but still never pecans in the pie.

Not wanting to give up on a dessert loved by my family, I decided to give it another try with a few minor changes. I knew immediately that I wanted it in tart form.  If you are a reader or if you just check out my recipe page under Desserts, you will know that I have an affinity for baking (and eating) sweet tarts. I feel that the crust to filling ratio is better. Don't get me wrong, I love a good pie with its flaky crust where you can finish the fluted edge like a cookie, but a tart is my first choice. The original recipe already called for browned butter (kudos to the recipe creator), so no changes in that department. I did, however, swap out a bit of the sugar for brown sugar for a deeper sugar flavor.  It puffs as it bakes then collapses slightly as it cools. The filling separates into a gooey custard-like base with a thin, nutty, almost meringue-like top.  But, how did it taste to me?

On the first bite, I was in love along with the rest of my family. Taste and texture-- it was all there and more! I said to my husband on Sunday night, "This is one of my top 10 favorite tarts" and I have a lot of tart recipes. So, whether you are a pecan pie lover or not, I urge you to try this tart.  Of course, don't forget the scoop of ice cream:)

*Typo Correction-- I used a 10-inch tart pan with this recipe, not a 9 1/2-inch.  Recipe has been corrected.

Sunday Dinner

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Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

Cassoulet with Toulouse Sausage, Lamb Stew, and Duck Confit

Simple Green Salad

French Baguette

French Pear and Almond Tart

It is another Sunday birthday dinner and this time it is my turn to plan the menu:) Normally, the birthday boy or girl chooses his or her favorites for the Sunday on or before the actual day, but it just so happens that this meal is composed of not just mine, but all of our favorites from beginning to end. I have already shared the appetizer with you and it is linked to where you can find the original post. Usually, I would bake a cake for the occasion, but I knew the tart would pair well with the meal. I'll bake the cake for tomorrow since tomorrow is the big day. One birthday and two desserts, that's o.k. by me:) The tart is already made and I know how good it tastes, so this is the recipe I am sharing today.

The crust is a sweet tart dough made with some ground almonds; then partially baked. The almond cream is simply almonds, butter, and sugar blended until smooth and spread over the crust. The pears are poached in a spiced white wine mixture until tender, then sliced and fanned over the cream. Baked until browned and puffed-- it is just delightful. 

The recipe may seem long and daunting, but all components can be made in advance. The tart dough and almond cream can be made up to 2 months in advance if stored in the freezer, so now would be a good time to get started on those holiday desserts.  

Sunday Dinner one year ago

Sunday Dinner

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Fried Cheese Balls with Chili Mayonnaise

Turkey Meatloaf

Baked Cheese Grits

Southern Green Beans

Raspberry Cream Cheese Tart

Another Sunday and another menu of good comfort food. The featured recipe today is dessert. I have had this recipe for over fourteen years. My first encounter with it was at my bridal shower that was hosted by my then future mother-in-law. I can't remember what else was served on that day, but I have never forgotten about that tart. In fact, I didn't leave the house until I got that recipe.  (I still have it on a blue post-it note with old baking stains).  Not only is it pretty to look at, but it is pretty tasty to eat.  You get all the flavors of a cheese cake without all the heaviness and guilt (o.k., maybe a little).  Topped with fresh raspberries and raspberry jam glaze, the combination is superb!  Trust me-- once you make this tart you will get asked for the recipe just like I asked for it many years ago.

Sunday Dinner

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Goat Cheese Melba Toasts with Garlic and Herbes de Provence

 Roast Chicken
Twice-Baked Potatoes with Herbs and Cream 

Green Salad with Bacon and Croutons

French Rhubarb Tart

This Sunday Dinner is a difficult one for me.  You see, it is a farewell dinner.  Cue the silence...

Yep, a fond farewell to a few of my stalwart kitchen appliances.  For over thirteen years, I have baked, sautéed, fried, reheated, chilled, and frozen with my oven range, my microwave, and my refrigerator.  They have been good friends, but their age is showing and it is time for us to say our good-byes. (Well, the refrigerator is just being moved to the garage for more refrigerator space).  On Monday, we are switching a few things around in our galley kitchen to make space for a new range (five burners and a double oven-- yes!), a convection microwave (for a total of three ovens--yes, yes!), and a french-door refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom (it's a beauty!).

So, to bid my gas and electrical friends a farewell, I am making some of my favorite components to our Sunday dinners for one last go around.  I am baking a fresh loaf of white bread for the melba toasts and croutons.  I am roasting potatoes and a chicken with bacon (o.k. two, one is for leftovers).  Lastly, I have baked a tart using fresh rhubarb from my garden and that is the recipe that I am sharing today.

This tart is perfectly simple.  No frills, no fuss, just rhubarb.  The crust is partially baked and then a mixture of almonds and sugar is scattered over the bottom.  The rhubarb is piled on top and dotted with a bit of butter.   Sliced and served with whipped crème fraîche, whipped cream, or even a little ice cream for a really good pairing, this one is classic art of the tart.

Strawberry and White Chocolate Mousse Tart

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Before I get to some leftover ham and egg recipes, I just had to share this tart.  I made this tart years ago and I knew it was good, but I had forgotten how good.  The lightness of the white chocolate mousse paired with the sweet strawberries is a match made in dessert heaven and that is exactly where you will go after one bite of this luscious tart.  Other than the white chocolate, there is no added sugar in the mousse, so buy quality white chocolate  for the best flavor.  The strawberries are what really make this dessert, so buy, or if it is strawberry season, pick the sweetest strawberries you can find.  


The first time I made this recipe, I prepared it exactly as the recipe stated.  This time around I used my favorite tart crust and I added a bit of gelatin to help stabilize the mousse filling.  These changes made for one spectacular dessert that I will not be waiting years to make again.  

Italian Almond Raspberry Tart

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When planning a menu, I usually don't have a problem coming up with the appetizer, main dishes, sides, or salads.  My dilemma is the dessert.  Not that I can't think of one, but there are just so many that I want to try.  This dessert has been on my radar for quite some time now and it finally worked its way into my kitchen.  My only regret was waiting this long.

Like the Raspberry Crumb Bars, this is a dessert with simple ingredients that produces spectacular results.  One would think that with the almond paste there would be an essence of maraschino cherry or heavy almond extract (both of which I do not care for), but the results yield the contrary.  The almond paste lends a sweet, nutty taste that matches perfectly with the raspberry preserves.  I added of a bit of lemon zest in the filling which makes the tart just sing.  The crisp crust, the jammy preserves, and the cake-like filling all add up to one incredibly delicious package.  You can certainly serve the tart as is, but whipping up a batch of lightly sweetened chantilly cream really adds another texture and flavor. 

I have to be honest, this tart was so good that I even said out loud that if I couldn't have chocolate anymore (scary thought), then I would be o.k. as long as I had this tart.  It would be perfect to serve at any time of year, but I think it would be well received if this tart was on your menu this coming weekend for those spring celebrations.

Sunday Dinner

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Roquefort Brioche

Roast Chicken

with White Wine, Garlic and Herbs

Rice and Onion Soubise

Buttered Sweet Peas

Tiramisù Tart

With two themed Sunday dinners in a row, I was craving comfort food this Sunday.  Sunday dinner comfort food for me is a roast chicken, vegetables or a salad,  and something chocolate for dessert.

As a reminder, I only feature one recipe from our Sunday Dinner Menu.  Today I am sharing the Tiramisù Tart.  It is a semisweet chocolate tart topped with a coffee mascarpone cream.    


I found this recipe in the April 2003 Food & Wine issue.  It was created by pastry chef François Payard.  This is his French nod to the classic Italian dessert.  There were a few changes I made to the original.  First, I used semisweet chocolate instead of bittersweet chocolate.  Then, to give it that tiramisù flavor that I love, I added a touch of Kahlúa to the cream topping.  The crust is cookie crisp, the chocolate filling is silky, and the cream balances the richness of the chocolate, creating one perfect bite of decadence.

Sunday Dinner

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Stuffed Peppadew Peppers

Cheddar Cumin Coins

Ginger Braised Spareribs

Cilantro scented Red Beans

Lime and Macadamia Nut Tart 

served with Papaya Coulis and whipped cream

I'd like to say that the macadamia nuts and the papaya in this tart are somehow magically transporting me and my snow-addled mind (yes, it is snowing again) to Hawaii or at least to a time in my life where I lived on Oahu and I was able to step outside my backyard and pick a papaya right off the tree (yes, that is actually true). Well this time, that just ain't happenin', but this dessert is really good.


This tart is a simple lime custard with the lovely addition of ground macadamia nuts.  As wonderful as it is with just a dollop of whipped cream, the papaya coulis really makes it sing.  Lime and papaya--a match made in tropical heaven. 

Buttermilk Tart

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I know many of you are looking for savory dishes for Thanksgiving, but since I am new to blogging, I don't have the dishes made with photos.  Don't worry, we have next year to look forward to!  Fortunately, I do have another sweet tart to share because my little one is having a Thanksgiving feast at school today and I was asked to bring in a pie/tart.  She requested this one.

I have had this recipe since 1993 back when I didn't have my own kitchen.  Heck, I was still in high school!  No teen magazines for me-- just cookbooks (and maybe a few Martha Stewart magazines).  That will give you some insight into my long love affair with food. 


This is a Buttermilk Pie recipe from Lee Baily.  It is a year round favorite in our house.  In the Spring/Summer, I serve it with a dollop of whipped cream, berries, or both.  In the Fall/Winter, I serve it with just a dollop of whipped cream and pinch of cinnamon or all by its delicious self.  Whenever I serve this tart to friends or family, I am always asked for the recipe.

In recent years, it has become a staple on our Thanksgiving dessert table.  Don't get me wrong,  we love our pumpkin pie, deep-dish apple pie, and pecan pie, but after a big heavy meal those desserts are just too filling.  This tart is simple, light and oh, so tasty!  It really satisfies that post meal sweet tooth without it being too much.  My children were just asking the other week, "Mom, are you going to make The Buttermilk Tart this year!" Yes, yes I am:)  

From the original recipe, I reduced the amount of ingredients so the filling wouldn't over flow.  The other changes I made  are the pastry dough and the pie plate.  I love my tart crust and I love tarts.  So for me, it is a Buttermilk Tart!


Update:
When there are several 6 years olds that dig into the slice of buttermilk pie before the chocolate pie...that certainly has to tell you something!  

Cutest pilgrim ever!

Sunday Dinner

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Chicken Liver Pâté

Porc Sylvie and a Dijon Cream Sauce

(Pork Loin stuffed with Gruyère cheese)

Braised Red Cabbage

Spätzle

Apple Galette

served with a Salted Caramel Coulis and lightly sweetened Cinnamon Crème Fraiche

I am usually silent on Sundays, but I thought I would speak up today.  For 2 months now, I have been sharing with you our actual Sunday dinner menus.   We sit down at the dinner table together just about every night of the week, but it is our Sunday dinners that we really look forward to.  A tradition that we have been enjoying for many years.

Sundays are when the tablecloth and the linen napkins come out and the table is set ahead of time.  At 5 o'clock the appetizer is served with a sparkling beverage for the children and a cocktail or glass of wine for the adults.  The candles are lit and dinner is served between 6:30-7:00.  Then dessert is devoured:P It is a wonderful way to end the week behind and start the week ahead! 

Although I have been sharing only the dessert recipe of our menus, I will be sharing all of the recipes with you in the future.  


This Sunday we are enjoying this  Apple Galette.  I have been making this ever since it was published in Cooks Illustrated more than 3 years ago. I love the simplicity of the taste and the rustic look to this tart.  The only change I have made is to toss the apples slices with a little bit of lemon juice to prevent browning.  Served with a salted caramel coulis and lightly sweetened cinnamon crème fraiche...it is just delicious!  I do hope you'll give it a try!

Sunday Dinner

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Caramelized Onions and Baked  Brie

Coq au Vin

Parslied Potatoes

Country Bread

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

served with lightly sweetened whipped cream

Sunday Dinner

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Shrimp and Sherry Spread
with crackers

Roast Chicken with Brown Mustard Sauce

Potato and Cheese Puree with Horseradish Cream

Glazed Carrots

Cranberry and Caramel Walnut Tart

Sunday Dinner

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Mini Apple, Goat Cheese and Walnut Pastries

Carbonnades à la Flamande

(Beef and Onions Braised in Beer)

Parslied Potatoes

 Green Salad

Pear Tart 

served with a whipped cinnamon crème fraîche