Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Tarts

I know that's a long name, but I think that's best because it describes what these are. The chocolate is raspberry flavored and dense like a truffle. I made these one day when I realized I had forgotten to make something sweet for the happy hour I was hosting that evening. I'm a savory kind of girl, so sweets aren't always on my mind, but I knew my friends would not feel the same way about not having anything sweet. I did NOT want to go back to the grocery store, so I did a quick reconnaissance of my kitchen to see what I could come up with. I keep these phyllo cups in my freezer for just such an occasion. They are so cute and can be filled with something sweet or savory and make anything look like you went to a lot more trouble than you actually did. The baking chocolate is always in the pantry too. Here's what you'll need:

8 one ounce squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate
3 one ounce squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips plus a few extra to stuff the raspberries
3 oz raspberry wine vinegar
4 oz half and half
fresh raspberries

Start by melting the 3 kinds of chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and glossy. Add in the raspberry vinegar and stir. Initially, the chocolate will start to seize up, but just keep stirring and it will smooth out. Then add the half and half and stir until smooth.

While the chocolate is melting, stuff each of the raspberries with a chocolate chip by putting the pointed side into the belly button of the berry. I'm not sure that is actually called the belly button, but you know what I'm talking about.

Once the chocolate is completely smooth, spoon some into a pastry cup, filling about 3/4 of the way. Place one of the stuffed raspberries on top, pressing it in until it is almost flush with the chocolate. Repeat until all 15 cups are filled.

Now refrigerate them to help the chocolate to set. Before you are ready to serve, take them out of the refrigerator because they are best served at room temperature. If you have any left over, store them in the refrigerator so the raspberries will stay fresh. Aren't these cute? I served them on a rustic wood tray that my mom and dad made for me. They were a big hit!

I made 15 of these and had enough chocolate left over to dip 2 dozen strawberries and make 12 raspberry truffles. You could easily make 30 of the tarts if you need that many, just keep in mind that they won't last long because of the fresh raspberries.

So, I ended up with 3 different treats all from the same base. I love it when that happens!

Enjoy!

Lynn

Cutest Appetizer Ever!

This is the cutest appetizer I've ever made. It's just dips and veggies that have been wrapped into a cute package. It's more of an assembly process than a recipe. Here's what you'll need:

several different baguettes
assorted vegetables, cut into match stick size pieces
dips of your choice

Start by cutting the ends off of the baguettes. Then cut a diagonal slice about about 3" from the end, then a straight slice 3" from the first cut. Keep repeating the diagonal the straight cuts until the whole loaf has been sliced. You will end up with pieces that have one straight side and one diagonal side.

Take one piece and scoop out most of the bread from the diagonal end, being careful to leave some in the bottom. Spoon some dip into the cavity that is left, then stick in a few of the vegetables. Stand it up on the flat end.

The baguettes I used were multigrain and seeded. I used a spinach and vegetable dip and a roasted red pepper hummus. The veggies I used were cucumber, carrot, red bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper. I stood them up and arranged them on a wooden tray. What a great way to serve a simple appetizer!

Enjoy!

Lynn

Shrimp and Andouille Skewers

This is a super simple and delicious appetizer that looks very impressive. You could also serve them as a main dish if you made enough of them. All you need is 2 ingredients and a grill. That's right. just some peeled jumbo shrimp and some andouille sausage.

Start by soaking your skewers in some water so they won't scorch on the grill. Light the grill and heat it to about 459 degrees. When the grill is hot, cook the sausage. The sausage needs to cook first because it takes a lot longer than the shrimp. Once the sausage is almost cooked, remove it from the grill and slice it into 1" pieces. Take one shrimp and curl it around one piece of sausage then skewer them together. Repeat until all are assembled.