Pasta and cherry tomatoes in a Boursin cream sauce

Recipe;

I halved the below Boursin cheese recipe .

Cook about 3/4 lb. Pasta until au dente. Drain making sure to reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

In a deep saucepan place about 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter.  Add minced garlic.  Sauté slowly until you smell the aroma of the garlic.  Add cherry tomatoes and toss to coat.

Add cheese mixture and cooked pasta.  (Reserve some pasta water to thin cheese mixture if necessary). Add a few dashes of red pepper to top pasta.

Boursin cheese copycat recipe.

• 2 8-ounce bricks of cream cheese, at room temperature so it's softened 
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) salted (or unsalted) butter, at room temperature so it's softened 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves (1 tablespoon) garlic, minced or pressed 
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1. Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Take a silicone, rubber or wooden mixing spoon or spatula and mix together, folding it over until well combined with even seasoning distribution. (NOTE: You can also use a hand mixer if that's easier but I find that familiar consistency is best achieved when mixed by hand.)
2. Once done, you can either serve immediately with crackers or in a recipe or store for later. If storing for later, keep the cheese in the large mixing bowl with a lid on top or divide into 4-5 small ramekins for pre-measured portions (each ramekin will be equivalent to about one 5.2-ounce package of Boursin).
3. 
   
4.  Cover with plastic wrap if placing in the fridge where it will last up to a month or the freezer for several months!

Enjoy!

Adapted from Pressure Luck

Fruit Bundt cake

This was my first attempt at making a fruit cake.

It’s delicious but….my pan wasn’t greased and floured enough so 1/2 of the top stuck. Uggh so make sure you grease and flour it heavy.

I thought I was using the right amount of fruit but it appears this particular fruit mix was chopped so fine you can barely see the fruit. Uggh

Please go to bottom of recipe for my notes.

Here’s the recipe:

8 oz. Extra fancy fruit cake mix

1cup Butter softened

2cups granulated sugar

2 tsp. Baking powder

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 1/4 tsp. Salt

4 large eggs

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1cup cranberry juice

4 oz. Red glacé cherries

4 oz. glacé cherries

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°

Generously Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan.

Combine extra fancy fruit cake mix with 1/2 cup water. Microwave one minute. Set aside.

Beat butter and softened sugar in a stand mixer until smooth.  If you don’t have one use what you have. I’m sure it will come out fine.

Beat baking powder, vanilla extract and salt

Best in eggs one at a time scraping side of bowl. Slowly beat in flour and cranberry juice a little at a time.

Stir in fruit mix and its liquid and the cherries .

Transfer batter to well greased Bundt pan.

Bake 80 to 90 minutes rotating pan half way through baking time.

Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan 15 minutes. Loosen edges and reverse pan onto cooling rack.  Sprinkle with powered sugar once cake is completely cooled.

****Notes

I did some substitutions in this recipe.

I used pineapple juice instead of cranberry.

My fruit and cherry mix were a little under 16 oz.

I cut sugar back to 1 1/2 cups.

I cut salt back to 1 tsp.

 I used a dark Bundt pan so decreased baking time to 80 minutes.  Watch your oven.  Everyone’s is different.

Since I didn’t gave cranberry juice I used pineapple juice so my cake is much lighter in color.

Enjoy!  It’s a very good cake with a nice texture.  I served it tonight with coffee and conversations with a friend.

Ps.  I managed to patch it up so I was able to hide the top that was pieced . 

My Santa collection

Thanksgiving 2023

Another wonderful thanksgiving with our son and his family which includes his wives family too!

Marshmallow sweet potatoes ⬆️

Bulgar salad⬆️

Cappelletti ⬆️

My plate ⬆️

Al and our son ⬆️

Our son and us⬆️

Our granddaughter Zoe and me ⬆️

Zoe and her two grandmothers 

Desserts ⬆️

I baked Cookies⬆️

K

Brioche French toast casserole my way

We had our grandson and his fiancé for brunch today and last night I decided to make my  French toast casserole recipe after viewing several online.

This came together very easy .  I bought my Brioche bread at Aldi as well as all Ingredients.

I had the strawberries, bacon and sausage so an easy meal with absolutely no stress allowing us to have a wonderful visit.

Absolutely delicious!!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1-14-16 oz. loaf brioche bread cut in slices then cubes.
• 2 ½ cup Whole milk
• 6 eggs
• 1-8oz. Softened cream cheese
• 4 Tablespoons confectionery sugar
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place cream cheese ,confectionery  sugar and vanilla in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer. Set aside.

1. Slice brioche bread into 1” slices and then cut those into 1” cubes.
2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and coat it well.
3. Layer bread into a greased baking dish.
4. On top of bread place heaping teaspoons of cream cheese mixture in several places.
5. In a medium bowl whisk together milk, eggs, maple syrup , and vanilla and pour evenly over the bread.
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon 
7. Cover tightly and allow this to sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and if possible, overnight.

1. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
2. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve with fresh fruit, bacon or breakfast sausage or both.