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April in Plano…not quite as nostalgic as April in Paris.

Or is it? The trees are budding, the birds are singing – flying about happily chirping to one another – and the weather is in that rare zone of not-too-cold yet not-too-hot. Sitting on the patio with a cup of coffee in the morning is actually enjoyable. And equally enjoyable is sitting outside at the end of the day as the sun slips lower into the sky, perhaps with a chilled glass of wine (me, not the sun)…or maybe even a delicious Pineapple Margarita…

Yesterday, I came upon the most beautiful pineapples – fresh, organic, and wonderfully sweet! It was the aroma that first alerted me to their presence. Following my nose I soon found the sizable display around the corner. Pineapple after pineapple, piled one upon the other…a treasure trove just waiting for me to find ‘The Chosen One’. I will opt for the golden flesh of a perfectly ripe, juicy, sweet pineapple over 24K gold any day. Yes, I am that much of a food geek!

I instantly knew what I would create with my treasure.

My mind flashed back to last year at this time when I first bought my Vitamix. Pineapples were abundant then as well. Experimenting with the myriad ways I could use it, I discovered how well it purees even the toughest of fruits and vegetables.

I cut up my golden beauty and placed her glorious chunks into my Vitamix, added lime juice, tequila, Grand Marnier and ice…and with but a few pulses – voila! – my Pineapple Margarita was born!! A waiting margarita glass – with salted rim, of course – was soon filled, leaving just enough room for a fresh pineapple garnish. Mmmm….

Yesterday’s margarita was similar, only upon rummaging in my liquor cabinet I discovered a lack of the ‘cheap’ tequila I reserve for margaritas (how did I let that happen?)…so I pulled out the ‘good stuff’ – which happens to be a bottle of Manik Anejo 100% Agave. I proceeded to chop my pineapple and squeeze the limes and carefully [ahem] measure my tequila and Grand Marnier. My favorite margarita glass – you know, the one with the man sleeping under his sombrero at the base of the glass – was prepared and waiting for this special ‘nectar of the gods’ I was creating. A few passes in the Vitamix was all it took and my glass was soon full.

I’d like to leave you with this image: it’s a warm spring day in Texas, a soft breeze gently kisses your skin and the sun’s rays warm you to your very soul…you are soaking up every bit of it, all the while luxuriously sipping on a fresh Pineapple Margarita. Yes, Virginia, there is a Heaven…

The tiramisu cake was a huge success!

My son requested this for his birthday, specifying the cake be ‘very buttery’…he wanted cake in place of the lady fingers traditionally used in tiramisu.

I made the All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake from The Cake Bible* as the base, and my soaking liquid was espresso mixed with sugar and scotch (another change requested to replace the Marsala). For the filling I used a recipe I have made many times for a traditional tiramisu. It had eggs, mascarpone cheese, sugar and scotch (again, a change from the Marsala); however, it was not firm enough, and I was afraid the cake would slide apart if used ‘as is’.

It was quite the dilemma.

I decided I needed to wrap the cake with a sheet of chocolate to make sure it stayed together. So in a desperate late-night attempt to finish the cake before my son returned from college, I quickly melted some dark chocolate and spread it on my liner. I wrapped the inside of the cake pan (chocolate side facing in so I could peel the liner away later), then proceeded to layer in the cake components: 1st soaked cake layer, then some of the mascarpone filling, followed by a sprinkling of dark chocolate shavings; 2nd cake layer, more filling, more chocolate shavings.

At that point it went into the fridge where it sat overnight to set up and let the flavors come together. The next morning I removed the cake from the pan and unwrapped the form, revealing an ever-so-thin sheet of chocolate surrounding the cake and holding it all together.

The final result was delicious…I was worried that I should have used a more firm cake base to stand up to the soaking, but the taste and texture really worked. My son said it was his favorite of all the cakes I had made.

*the link to the recipe for the All-Occasion Downy Yellow Cake is http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/All-Occasion-Downy-Yellow-Butter-Cake-102289

 

Yesterday I was finally able to make a cracker recipe I have been sitting on for a few weeks. I saw it posted on the Nourished Kitchen site, but before I had a chance to make it my floors were being refinished and all of my kitchen cabinets, appliances, etc were covered in plastic. I was so excited when I got my kitchen back…it was finally time to make the crackers!! The recipe can be found at: http://nourishedkitchen.com/homemade-crackers/#comment-14285. It is very easy, and the only time consuming part involves a long wait (12-24 hours) once you have mixed the dough. I was surprised how quickly it all came together, and the results were tasty. It is a very good thing they did not come out of the oven until late last night or they would be gone by now. As it stands, I keep wandering over to grab ‘just one more’. Crackers in a box will never be the same for me…

My current plan is to make some to have over the holidays, but I don’t know how long they will last – both in keeping ability and the ability for all of us not to eat them at one sitting! I will be experimenting with how well they store, as well as with adding other flavors (ie herbs and spices, cheese, etc) to them for new taste combos. I think some fresh herbs added to the dough would be a nice touch or maybe a little a little pepper for a slight kick. Good thing I don’t have a lot going on in the kitchen for the upcoming holidays so I can try out all these ideas! 😉