Strawberry Bomb Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup strawberry jam

• 1/2 cup warm water

• 1/3 cup orange juice.

• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier, plus one tablespoon extra

• 1-1/4 pounds mascarpone, at room temperature

• 1-1/3 cups whipping cream (35%)

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ladyfingers or Savoiardi (you’ll need about 50)

• 1-1/2 to 2 pounds strawberries, washed, dried and sliced

• 2 tablespoons lemon zest

 Directions

    In a bowl, combine the jam, water, orange juice and half of the Grand Marnier. Mix well. The mixture should be liquidy. Set aside
    In a bowl, combine the mascarpone and the remaining Grand Marnier. Mix well. Set aside.
    In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream with the sugar, vanilla extract and remaining 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier. Beat until stiff peaks form.
    Take a quarter of the whipped cream mixture and stir into the mascarpone to lighten the mascarpone. Then add the remaining whipped cream mixture and fold gently into the mascarpone mixture. Set aside.
    Spread 1/2 of the jam mixture in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. The mixture will be very liquidy but don’t worry about it. The ladyfingers will absorb the liquid.
    Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest over the jam mixture.
    Line the bottom of the dish with ladyfingers, making sure to fill in every spot. If you have to snap the ladyfingers into smaller pieces in order to make them fit.
    Spread half of the mascarpone mixture evenly over the ladyfingers.
    Layer half of the sliced strawberries over the mascarpone.
    Spread the remaining jam mixture over the strawberries.
    Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon zest over the strawberries and jam.
    Create a second layer of ladyfingers over the strawberries and jam. Again be sure to completely fill in the layer.
    Spread the remaining mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers.
    Layer the remaining strawberries on top.
    Chill for at least 12 hours before serving.

Source : creampuffsinvenice.ca

Broccoli and Bow Ties

Ingredients

Kosher salt

8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)

1/2 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 lemon, zested

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts

Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions



Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.
Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pignolis and cheese, if using, and serve.
To toast pignolis, place them in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, for about 5 minutes, until light brown.
2002 Barefoot Contessa Family Style


Article source: www.foodnetwork.com/