Orange-Chicken Risotto

Orange-Chicken Risotto
By: Patricia Rains

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups chicken broth
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 Tablespoons butter
½ cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon drained capers
1 cup drained artichoke hearts (6.5oz marinated), cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add rice and stir for 1 minute. Add chicken broth; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, 25 minutes or until rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy.

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. In a large frying pan over medium-heat, melt butter. Add chicken. Sauté until chicken is fully cooked and tender. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.

Increase heat to high; add orange juice to frying pan. Simmer until liquid is reduced to ½ its volume and it becomes thickened (a couple of minutes). Add capers and simmer for 2 minutes. Add artichoke hearts, chicken, salt and pepper; stir and simmer until thoroughly heated.

Remove from heat and pour over cooked rice; stir just until blended. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Boston Cream Cupcakes

Boston Cream Cupcakes
By: Gale Gand with Lisa Weiss

For the cupcakes:
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
Éclair custard filling (recipe below)

For the chocolate glaze:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to whip. Add the vanilla and gradually mix in the eggs, one by one, until well combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk and ending with the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, filling each slot three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cupcakes are puffed, firm in the center, and light golden brown on top. Let cool in the pan on the cooling rack.

To fill the cupcakes, use a small paring knife to remove a plug of cake from the top center of each cake and set the plugs aside. With the pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe or spoon the custard into the cavities. Trim each plug so that is a flat coin. Top the filled cupcake cavities with the coins and chill for 30 minutes while you make the glaze.

To make the chocolate glaze, heat the cream in a saucepan or in the microwave until almost boiling. Meanwhile place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and whisk until melted.

Dip the chilled cupcakes in the warm chocolate glaze to coat the top. Refrigerate until serving.

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes

Éclair custard filling:
2 cups whole milk
½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cold

Bring the milk and vanilla bean almost to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat and let steep for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until they’re light and fluffy. Vigorously whisk in the cornstarch until no lumps remain. Whisk in ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture until it’s incorporated. Gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles. Cook and whisk for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Scrape into a bowl and press with plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for at least 2 hours before filling and serving.

Lemon-vanilla Pound Cake

Lemon-vanilla Pound Cake
By: Gale Gand with Lisa Weiss

12 Tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
2 ¼ cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Juice of 1 lemon

Melt 4 Tablespoons of the butter. Generously brush a 10-inch tube pan or decorative Bundt pan with the melted butter and refrigerate it for a few minutes. Once the butter has hardened, brush it again to cover any spots you missed the first time. Set the pan aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring the milk and remaining 8 Tablespoons of butter just to a boil in a medium saucepan. Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and stir in 2 cups of the sugar, the vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest. On low speed, gradually mix in the flour. Pour the hot milk mixture, then add the baking powder, and stir until the batter is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the buttered pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, blend the lemon juice with the remaining ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Place the rack over a rimmed baking sheet and brush the warm cake all over with the lemon syrup, letting the syrup soak in as you go. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and set at room temperature until ready to serve.

8-10 servings

Macadamia Key Lime Pie

Macadamia Key Lime Pie
By: Doris Christopher

Crust:
½ package (15oz) refrigerated pie crust (1 crust)
½ cup plus 1 Tablespoon macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped, divided

Filling:
4 large limes
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
3-4 drops each green and yellow food coloring (optional)
1 container (12oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
Additional lime slices, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

For crust, let pie crust stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Gently unfold onto lightly floured surface. Roll to 11 ½ inch circle using rolling pin. Place crust in deep dish pie plate, pressing dough into bottom and up sides. Prick bottom and sides with fork.

Coarsely chop nuts. Sprinkle ½ cup of the nuts over the bottom of pie crust. Bake 10-11 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool completely.

For filling, zest limes to measure 3 teaspoons zest. Juice limes to measure ½ cup juice. Combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in an electric mixer. Mix until smooth. Stir in zest, juice and food coloring into cream cheese mixture, mix well. Fold in 2 cups of the whipped topping using a spatula. Pour mixture into crust. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

In small sauté pan toast remaining 1 Tablespoon nuts over medium heat until light golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove nuts from pan and cool completely. Garnish top of pie with remaining whipped topping and lime slices, if desired. Sprinkle with nuts. Cut into wedges and serve.

Yield 8