Sweet twists on s'mores and more
By ELLEN FOLKMAN
Published March 21, 2007
TITLE: S'mores: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion by Lisa Adams (Gibbs Smith, $16.95; 128 pages)
GENERALLY SPEAKING: Everyone knows the traditional s'more is a roasted marshmallow and piece of milk chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers. S'mores: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion takes this camp-out favorite to a whole new level. How about s'mores with pound cake, chocolate chip cookies, Andes mints, Junior mints or brownies? These recipes may inspire you to create other concoctions.
SAMPLE RECIPES: Smashing pumpkins, the patriot, coffee toffee, minty brownie, cookie dough, the Fluffernutter and bananas foster.
FOR: S'mores lovers. Author Lisa Adams puts such a creative twist on her recipe variations that even traditionalists are sure to find a new favorite.
SKILL LEVEL: Novice to expert. Good tips for mastering perfectly roasted marshmallows.
HARD TO FIND: Some ingredients may be difficult to find, among them Pims biscuits, orange-flavored chocolate, coffee-flavored chocolate or lime chocolate. Fortunately, the author lists mail order resources if these items are hard to find locally.
TITLE: Kabobs by Sally Sampson (John Wiley & Sons Inc., $16.95; 98 pages)
GENERALLY SPEAKING: Kabobs are an easy meal to pull together; they provide a lot of recipes for meat, seafood or poultry.
SAMPLE RECIPES: Chicken marbella, scallops with citrus and fennel, horseradish beef, spicy buffalo chicken, salmon with garlic herbs and pepper flakes and Greek chicken kebobs.
FOR: Busy, but organized, people. Many recipes require marinating. If you marinate in the morning, your ingredients will be ready to skewer for dinner.
BAD NEWS: The instructions for grilling are for charcoal grills only. If you're a seasoned griller, though, you'll know what to do. You might try using an indoor grill pan.
TITLE: Good Housekeeping: Best-Loved Desserts (Hearst books, $29.95; 381 pages)
GENERALLY SPEAKING: Good Housekeeping's reputation assures you that the recipes in Best-Loved Desserts will be great. If you're looking for something new, there is plenty to choose from. And the book is a great gift to accompany baking items such as Bundt pans, cookie sheets, whisks or other equipment. There is certainly something for everyone, whether your favorite desserts are chocolate, fruits, pies or cakes.
FOR: People who love desserts and want lots of variety.
SAMPLE RECIPES: Lemon upside down cake, applesauce spice cake, strawberry angel food layer cake, brownie pudding cake, cranberry pear pie, blueberry lemon tiramisu and sticky toffee pudding.
SKILL LEVEL: Some recipes require more skill or knowledge than others. This cookbook is definitely suited to a variety of skill levels. Many dishes require recipes from other parts of the book to be prepared as ingredients.
Dessert
Emma's Pound Cake Spectacular
2 slices pound cake, about 1/2 inch thick
Nutella (Chocolate hazelnut spread)
Sliced strawberries
1 marshmallow
- Generously cover one side of each pound cake slice with Nutella. Arrange strawberries over Nutella on one slice. Roast the marshmallow, then place it atop the strawberries. Top with second pound cake slice, Nutella side down.
Makes 1.
Source: Smore's: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion by Lisa Adams (Gibbs Smith, $16.95)
Entree
Scallops with Citrus and Fennel
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried fennel seed, chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
36 large scallops, about 3 pounds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Chives, coarsely chopped
1 orange, cut into 6 wedges
- To make the marinade: Place the orange juice, olive oil, garlic, fennel seed, orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a nonreactive 3- to 4-quart bowl and mix until all ingredients are combined.
- Add the scallops to the bowl and mix until completely immersed in the marinade. Cover or transfer the mixture to a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.
Prepare a grill: When the coals are a glowing red, after 15 to 20 minutes, cover with the grate. After 5 minutes, use a wire brush to thoroughly clean the grate. When the coals are covered with a pale gray ash and you can leave your hand 5 inches above the fire for 2 to 3 seconds, the coals are ready.
To cook, remove as much marinade as possible from the scallops. Thread the scallops on skewers and sprinkle all sides with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Place the kabobs on the grate and grill, turning once, until golden brown and firm, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the chives and serve immediately with the orange wedges.
Serves 6.
Source: Kabobs by Sally Sampson (John Wiley & Sons Inc., $16.95)
Dessert
Vanilla Chiffon Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 large eggs, separated
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center; add cold water, oil, egg yolks and vanilla to well. With whisk, stir until smooth.
- In separate large bowl, with mixer at high, beat the seven egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted. Sprinkle in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until sugar has dissolved and egg whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks when beaters are lifted.
- With rubber spatula, fold one-third of beaten egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture, then fold in remaining egg whites until blended.
- Scrape batter into ungreased 9- or 10-inch tube pan; spread evenly. Bake until cake springs back when lightly pressed, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Invert cake onto large metal funnel or bottle; cool completely in pan. Run tip of thin knife around edges to loosen cake from side and center tube of pan; lift tube to separate from pan side. Invert cake onto plate; slide knife under cake to separate from bottom of pan. Remove from pan and place on serving plate.
Garnish with fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Makes 16 servings.
Source: Good Housekeeping: Best-Loved Desserts (Hearst books, $29.95)