Madeleines (Lemon Tea Cakes)

1¼ cups flour      ½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt      3 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla      2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp. grated lemon rind

¾ cup melted, cooled butter

1 T. lemon juice (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and

salt; set aside. Beat eggs until light and lemon colored. Add vanilla extract to eggs.

Gradually beat sugar into egg mixture and continue beating until four times original

volume. Fold in lemon rinds and flour mixture. Stir in cooled, melted butter.

Brush Madeleine pans (or small muffin tins) with additional melted butter. Fill each

shell 2/3 full. Bake 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out

clean. Remove the cakes from the pan with a knife and cool on racks. Dust the tops

with sifted powdered sugar.

Comment: Madeleine pans look like shells and produce very pretty little tea cakes.

Don’t forget to butter the tins between batches. If you make several tins you will

want to wash the crumbs out once or twice.

For more lemon taste, add 1 T. lemon juice.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken Pasta

6 cloves garlic, minced      ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

6 T. olive oil      5 boneless chicken breasts

1 pkg. grape tomatoes      1 lb. penne pasta

1 pkg. baby spinach      ½ cup chopped fresh basil

6 T. lemon juice      1 cup grated Parmesan

Directions: Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot. Meanwhile, combine garlic,

pepper flakes, and oil in bowl and microwave until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 1

minute.

Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1T. or so of seasoned oil to a

large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook

until well browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting

board and tent with foil. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice thin and set aside. Add grape

tomatoes to skillet to sear.

Add 1 T. salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of

cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in sliced chicken, tomatoes, spinach,

basil, lemon juice, Parmesan, and remaining garlic oil mixture, adding reserved pasta

water as needed. Season with salt and pepper, serve.

Comment: Start the pasta boiling just before the chicken finishes cooking. This helps

with timing. I like to put the pasta back in the chicken skillet to finish in order to pick

up all the little bits left in the frying pan.

Also, you can put the Parmesan on the side and allow people to add their individual

desired amount.

Puff-Pastry Wrapped Salmon

2 T. olive oil      2 shallots

9 oz. mushrooms      5 oz. baby spinach leaves

Kosher salt Pepper

Flour to roll out pastry      1 large egg

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 lb. salmon fillet, skinless

Dill Sauce

2/3 cup clam juice      ¾ cup Mexican crema

½ cup heavy cream      2 tsp. flour

3 T. minced fresh dill      Kosher Salt & Pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray

with cooking spray. Heat oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots

and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid

evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach; it will wilt quickly. Season the

mixture with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Dust a flat working surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out puff pastry sheets

in to ¼” thickness (approximately 12” x 12”). Place the pastry sheets side-by- side,

overlapping a strip. Brush with beaten egg to stick both sheets together at the strip

and seal with a fork. Transfer pastry to prepared baking sheet.

Spoon the cooled mushroom-spinach mixture over one side of the pastry rectangle.

Place the salmon fillet over the mixture. Season the salmon heavily with salt and

pepper. Fold the other side of the rectangle over the filling and seal by brushing the

edge with egg wash and crimping as you would a pie crust. Fold the remaining two

edges of pastry under the salmon. Brush everything with egg wash. Bake 25

minutes or until golden in color. Let stand for about 8 minutes.

Dill Sauce: Put the clam juice in a heavy saucepot and bring to a boil. Lower to a

simmer. Add Mexican crema and heavy cream and reduce to 1 cup. Add the flour

and whisk while boiling until thickened. Add the dill; season with salt and pepper.

Slice the salmon into 1 ½” slices. Serve with the dill sauce.

Comment: Very good. Looks fancy. Dill sauce is good!

Green Mountain Salmon

¼ cup maple syrup      1 T. lemon juice

2 T. soy sauce      1 tsp. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. minced garlic      1 ¼ lb. salmon fillets

2 T. thinly sliced scallions

Directions: Mix all ingredients except salmon and scallions. Reserve ¼ cup

marinade. Place salmon in shallow dish. Pour remaining sauce over salmon and

marinade in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place fish in greased baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, basting

occasionally until desired doneness. To serve, drizzle reserved marinade over fish;

top with scallions.

Comment:

German Sweet Chocolate Cake

1 pkg. German Sweet Chocolate

½ cup boiling water      1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar      4 egg yolks, unbeaten

1 tsp. vanilla      2 ½ cups cake flour

½ tsp. salt      1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions: Melt chocolate in water and cool. Cream butter and sugar until light

and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time. Add vanilla and chocolate and mix until

blended. Add flour, soda, salt, and milk. Fold in egg whites. Pour into three,

greased and floured 9” cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until

toothpick comes out clean.

Comment: