Easy Lemon Curd Parfaits

This will make about 4-5 depending on the size of your glass jars or parfait glasses. I used 5 oz. repurposed yogurt jars that I had saved for small desserts.

Anyone from my pastry school days will remember me as a bit of a lemon head. I love love love anything lemon. I would always pick the lemon option when our instructor was passing out assignments. Recently the fine folks at www.Paradisefruitco.com sent me some complimentary candied lemon peel! and kindly asked me to come up a dessert or two and this is number 1 of a few that I’ll be posting, so come back in the near future for a couple more. Lemon lovers will love this super easy parfait that ticks all the boxes; tangy, sweet, crunchy and did I say super easy? You don’t even have to turn on the oven. If you’re not up to making lemon curd you can always purchase store bought curd.

*For this recipe you’ll need store bought lemon sandwich cookies. I purchased “thin” version lemon sandwich cookies (since they had less of a sweet filling , crushed to a coarse crumb in a food processor. (If you can’t find those you can use any other type of crisp lemon cookies, ginger snaps or any crisp type of cookie that you like.

Easy Microwave Lemon Curd

1 Cup Fresh lemon juice (not Meyer Lemon)

zest of one medium lemon

1 Cup castor sugar

1/2 Cup melted butter

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp. softened butter

In a 8 cup capacity measuring cup or bowl (such a Pyrex), place all of the ingredients (except the extra 2 tablespoons of soft butter) and heat on high in one minute increments; stopping each minute to whisk mixture. Continue heating until mixture coats the back of a heat proof spatula and registers at least 185 degrees F. (This will take about 7-10 minutes). Note: Do NOT place in a 4 cup measuring cup; the curd will expand around the 6 minute mark and you’ll end with it overflowing. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to catch any bits of egg material and also the zest (zest is just there for flavor). Whisk in the 2 tablespoons of soft butter and then place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and chill until ready to assemble.

Cream Cheese “Fluff”

4 oz. Cream cheese, cold , cut into 1 inch cubes

1 Cup heavy cream, very cold

1 1/2 Tbsp. Non-fat dry milk powder

1/2 Cup Confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or 1/2 tsp. vanilla is fine also

In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese until it is a spreadable consistency and free of lumps. Set aside.

In a stand mixer bowl or large bowl place the cold heavy cream, the non fat milk powder, confectioners sugar, and vanilla bean paste. With the whisk attachment beat until stiff peaks. Add the cream cheese and gently beat until combined; avoiding overbeating. Keep cold until ready to use.

To assemble the parfaits:

In the bottom of your dishes place a layer of crushed cookies, followed by some lemon curd, followed by some cream cheese “fluff”, followed by some bits of the chopped candied lemon peel over the fluff. Repeat once more with cookie crumbs, then curd and ending with the cream cheese fluff. For the last layer of fluff pipe a decorative swirl with a piping tip or simply a dollop, and top with a few more bits of the candied lemon. Keep cold until ready to serve.

Gingerbread ~ Cinnamon Chip Biscotti

Gingerbread Cinnamon Chip Biscotti:

(yield ~ 2 dozen) depending on size)

1 stick (1/2 Cup) unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 Cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1/2 Cup unsulphured molasses (such as Grandmas)

2 large eggs

3 1/4 Cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp. mini cinnamon chips (you can find them online from King Arthur or sometimes in baking shops) If you can’t find them; you can leave them out.

Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy; about 3-4 minutes. Add in the molasses and mix til combined. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix on medium low speed until combined. In a separate medium bowl combine all the dry; from flour on down the rest of the list. Add in the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time until combined; taking care not to over mix. Stir in the cinnamon chips.

Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees. Divide the dough into thirds or half depending on how big you like your biscotti.

I did mine into small-medium form size and shaped a long rectangular shape into a parchment lined baking sheet into a 2 inch wide x 10 inch long shaped strip; the dough will spread (width wise) to about double once baked. Bake your cookie “slab” at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let sit on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Decrease the oven to 300 degrees.

Cut the slab into diagonal 3/4 inch slices. Set onto a clean parchment paper lined sheet spaced apart and bake for another 10 minutes (stopping half way to turn over each cookie) or until firm. The cookies will firm up further once cool. Repeat with your other portioned out dough to bake off the rest or shape larger if you like.

Peanut Butter ~ Salted Pretzel Balls

This is seriously the easiest treat to whip together. Plop yourself in front of the tv with a friend and commence to rolling out the balls. Take advantage of your little gremlins to help get all the balls rolled and then you can get to the dippin. I like the crunch of the Himalayan salt on top-don’t skip that part; it helps make them extra special. The salt I had was a little coarse so I bashed it (yes that’s a cooking technical term) in my mortar and pestle until it was a wee bit finer in texture. With all the other time sensitive treats you may be whipping up these don’t take much time to crank out.

Happy Holidays!

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter ~ Salted Pretzel Balls

1 stick (1/2 Cup) unsalted butter, room temp

3/4 Cup smooth peanut butter; such as Jif (not natural style)

pinch of kosher salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 Cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1/2 Cup salted pretzel thin sticks (cut into small pieces)

10 oz. bag Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers

pink Himalayan salt for garnish

Cream the butter, peanut butter, and salt together until smooth. Switch to the whisk attachment and blend in the sugar a cup at a time until combined. Add in the pretzel pieces and stir until combined. Using about a tablespoon roll into balls. Place the balls onto a parchment lined tray and chill until firm; about 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate wafers in the microwave in 30 second increments; taking out to stir and keeping close watch so the chocolate does not burn. Once melted dip the balls using either a fork or a chocolate dipping loop and place onto the tray and immediately sprinkle with the pink salt. Once all the balls have been dipped place in the fridge to set up completely. Let come to room temperature to serve.

Chocolate Kahlua Mousse Pie

Okay, I cannot tell you how much I love this pie. It is insanely good, like seriously no joke. If you can stir- you can make this pie. Its stupid easy. I don’t want to hear any excuses. I mean it- I’m not kidding. Can you press a crumb crust into a pie-shell? Check. Whip some cream? Check. Melt some chocolate? Check. See- you can make this pie. Okay, now my picture doesn’t really do it justice how high this sucker really is, (cuz I hastily snapped a pic before running out the door to my neighbors with it) but trust me its like 4-5 inches high. People will ooh and ahhh when you bring it out. I used the trick of adding in non fat milk powder into the whipping cream which will hold the cream without weeping for days in the fridge- not that it will last that long, because as soon as people taste it they’re gonna go gaga over it, and it will be gone in 2 seconds. Girls! This is proposal worthy!!! Make it- report back to me haha!

_{Chocolate Kahlua Mousse Pie}

(recipe adapted adapted slightly from Serious Eats)

Chocolate press in crust:

Chocolate wafers; process to fine crumbs to equal 8 oz (this is 36 cookies if using Famous Nabisco brand). I reserve the remaining 8 cookies to crush coarsely (this is 3 oz. if measuring). (I used Nabisco brand-you can use Oreo if you like)

*Note; if you use Oreo-discard the filling and only use the cookie part

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted

2 tsp. sugar

pinch of salt

1 tsp. water

Place 8 oz. of the crumbs in a large bowl and stir in melted butter, 2 tsp. sugar, pinch of salt, and one 1 tsp. of water; the mixture will be very moist; but this is intentional since it’s no bake; it needs to be this wet. Trust me. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate and chill until firm.

Chocolate Kahlua Mousse filling:

8 oz. Bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped fine ( I used Trader Joes Dark Chocolate- the one in the Pound Plus brown wrapper)

3/4 tsp. powdered un-flavored gelatin

1 Tbsp. water

6 Tbsp. Kahlua liquor

3 1/3 Cups heavy cream, very cold, divided

Place 1 Tbsp. of water in a small microwave proof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over and let sit for 5 minutes to bloom. In a medium heat proof bowl place the chocolate and melt over a pot of simmer water until melted.

Heat the gelatin mixture for 10-15 seconds in the microwave to melt.

Into the melted chocolate whisk in 6 tablespoons Kahlua until combined. Whisk in the melted gelatin.

Whip 2 1/3 cups of the remaining heavy whipping cream along with 1 tablespoon of sugar to medium peaks. Fold the cream into the chocolate in 3 batches until combined. Fold in the remaining 3 oz. of coarsely crushed cookies. Pour into the chilled crust and let the pie chill until completely set; about 3-4 hours.

Stabilized whipped cream

1 Cup cold heavy cream

1 Tablespoon confectioners sugar

1 Tablespoon non-fat milk powder

Place the cold heavy cream in a mixer bowl and ad in the milk powder and confectioners sugar and beat until firm peaks. Place on top of the pie (use a piping nozzle if you like to add a decorative touch) and decorate as desired with any chocolate pearls or chocolate shavings or chocolate sprinkles. I used Valrhona chocolate crunchy pearls which adds a nice contrasting crunch.