The sweetest day of February is just around the corner! There is no better way to celebrate it with anyone special in your life than with some new recopies! These sharable dishes are nothing short of delicious and flavorful that anyone can enjoy. Check out these award-winning recipes from our Creative Arts cooking contests and expand your culinary skills this Valentines Day.
ORZO AND GARBANZO BEAN SALAD WITH BLUSH WINE VINAIGRETTE
Lynda Sanders
Trophy Club, TX
3rd Place–Speedy Dishes
Ingredients:
4 c. water
1 ½ c. orzo pasta
1 can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
1 can sweet white & yellow corn, drained
1 ½ c. mixed red & yellow and orange teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved or cut up
¼ c. fresh basil, chopped or 1/8 c. fresh mint, chopped (your choice)
½ c. Blush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing (I like Brianna’s)
Salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
Bring water to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over high heat. Stir in orzo. Cover partially and cook, stirring frequently until orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, about 7-8 minutes, or to tenderness you like. Drain and transfer to a large wide bowl and toss until orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely. Toss orzo with beans, corn, tomatoes and basil and enough Blush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing to coat. Do not overdress. Season salad with salt and pepper to taste. This may be served chilled or at room temperature. Serves 4-6.
DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY CHEESECAKE
Judy Spencer-Creed
Euless. TX
Best of Show–Cooking with Cheese
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 c. chocolate cookle crumbs
3 T. melted butter
Heat oven to 325°. In a medium bowl, combine chocolate cookie crumbs and butter; mix well. Press in bottom and up one inch of the sides of 10-inch springform pan. Set aside.
Filling:
2 (15-oz.) cans dark cherries in heavy syrup
3 T. Instant Clear Jel purchased through King Arthur flour
4(8-oz.) pkgs. softened cream cheese
3 lg. eggs
¾ c. sugar
¼ tsp. almond extract
½ c. whipping cream
Fill a 9 x 13-inch pan half full of water on the bottom rack and place second rack in middle of oven. In a medium pan, drain juice of both cans of cherries. Stir in instant Clear Jel and mix until it is set. Fold in cherries and set aside. In large bowl of your stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sugar and almond extract until smooth. Add ½ cup whipping cream and blend well. Spoon ½ of cream cheese mixture into springform pan, then spoon on half of dark cherry mixture, topped with remaining cream cheese mixture. Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on a rack at least 1 hour.
Glaze:
½ c. whipping cream
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate dipped dark cherries, for garnish
Heat cup whipping cream and 1 cup chocolate chips in microwave on half power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool until cake is cold. Remove side of the springform pan and spread chocolate glaze over top of cheesecake and occasionally drip some of chocolate down sides. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Spread remaining cherries over top. Garnish with chocolate dipped cherries, If
GET OVER HIM FUDGE
Sara Smith
Arlington, TX
3rd Place-Candy
Ingredients:
Caramel Center Layer:
½ c. packed brown sugar
¼ c. sugar
5/8 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. unsalted butter
¼ c. light corn syrup
2 T. bourbon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan put sugars, cream, butter, corn syrup and bourbon. Attach a candy thermometer to the edge of pot with tip touching ingredients, then place over medium heat. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer until it reaches 248°. Take off heat and stir in vanilla. Meanwhile, line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Once 248°, pour into prepared pans and cool completely. Put in refrigerator an hour.
Caramel Center Layer:
3 c. sugar
¾ c. butter
5/8 c. evaporated milk
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1(7-oz.) jar marshmallow fluff
1 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. espresso powder
¾ c. pecans, chopped & toasted
Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. In medium saucepan put sugar, butter and evaporated milk over medium heat. Cook until boiling, stirring often. While cooking in large heatproof bowl add chocolates (broken up), marshmallow fluff, vanilla, salt, espresso powder. Once sugar mixture has boiled and is dissolved, pour over chocolate mixture in bowl. Stir until smooth. Fold in pecans.
Assemble Fudge:
Pour half of fudge mixture into prepared pan. Take out caramel from refrigerator and take out of pan and place on top of fudge in the new pan. Pour the other half of the fudge over top of the caramel. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours until set. Take out and cut.
STICKY PIGS IN A BLANKET
Renee English
Arlington, TX
1st Place–Speedy Dishes
Ingredients:
8 oz. tube refrigerated crescent
1 (13-oz.) pkg. Little Smokies
1 c. Texas pecan pieces
½ c. + 1 T. butter, divided rolls
6 T. dark brown sugar
6 T. Firebee cinnamon honey
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Unroll crescent rolls; separate into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle lengthwise into 3 narrow triangles. Place sausage on the wide side of each triangle. Roll up and place in prepared dish, 24 rolls total.
Bake rolls for 10 minutes. While baking, spread pecans out in a single layer onto a baking sheet, pour 1 tablespoon melted butter over the top and sprinkle with salt. Place in oven and toast 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, in small saucepan combine remaining ½ cup of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon honey. Cook until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved but do not let it boil. Pour over pigs in a blanket.
Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown, sprinkling with toasted pecans near the end.
SWEETHEARTS
Josephine Van Kirk
Cedar Park, TX
3rd Place-Youth Cooking, Children
Ingredients:
Cookies:
1 c. butter, room temp.
½ c. powdered sugar
½ c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, baking powder and salt. On low speed, add flour until combined. Split dough in half and refrigerate in disks for 30 minutes. Between 2 sheets of parchment or Silpats, roll dough to ¼-inch thickness. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Use cookie cutters to cut out dough and place on prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool.
Cherry Jam:
1 Ib. frozen cherries
¼ c. + 2 T. sugar
½ tsp. lemon zest
1 T. lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Pulse cherries in food processor blender until partially chopped. Heat cherries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and pinch of salt in a nonreactive pan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer until jam is thickened, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Assembly: Spread jam over half of cookies. Top with remaining cookies. Dust with powdered sugar.