We asked our resident cooking experts Chef Lynn Michelle, the East Coast Chef, and Cassandra Shultz, owner of Cassandra’s Kitchen store in The Promenade in Bluffton, to send us a few of their favorite recipes for our Love Affair with Food Issue. Thankfully, one went healthy and one went, well, maybe not super healthy. – but absolutely delectable! Read on and save these for the next time you are hosting a dinner party. We present a perfect salad starter and a delicious dessert to end the evening.
French Silk Chocolate Pie Courtesy Chef Lynn Michelle
Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup fine sugar
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 pasteurized eggs
In a large bowl, mix softened butter, sugar, vanilla and
melted chocolate. When adding pasteurized eggs, add
one at a time and beat each egg into mixture for 5 minutes,
for a total of 10 minutes.
Pour chocolate mixture into baked phyllo dough crust
and place into the refrigerator for 2 hours. Top with fresh whipped cream.
Fresh Whipped Cream
1 pint of heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix
on high until stiff peaks appear in the mixture.
Phyllo Dough Crust
10-12 sheets of phyllo dough
Butter, melted
1/4 cup Grand Marnier (optional), add to melted butter
if desired
Needed: Pastry brush, Pie pan
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Brush the bottom and side of the pie pan with the butter mixture using the pastry brush.
Place one sheet of phyllo dough over the pan and brush with butter. Place another sheet of phyllo dough in the alternate direction and brush with butter.
Repeat this method with the phyllo dough sheets and butter until the 10-12 sheets are completed.
Using clean scissors, cut the phyllo dough sheets that hang over the outside of the pie pan. Follow the pie pan around while cutting the phyllo dough away.
Top with more butter mixture.
Place the pie pan into the preheated oven until golden brown, around 10-12 minutes. The dough might puff
up a bit.
Let the pie crust cool completely and then fill with chocolate filling and refrigerate.
“This is one of my favorite desserts to make – and my clients absolutely love a good French Silk Chocolate pie. I find that substituing a regular crust for phyllo makes it easier to make and even more delicious.” – Chef Lynn Michelle
Bibb Salad with Basil Green Goddess Dressing Courtesy Ina Garten and Cassandra’s Kitchen Store, Bluffton
This salad is so simple and delicious, you’ll be craving it all year long. It’s up there with one of the easiest things to make and you will look like a star – everyone will be begging for the recipe. Bibb lettuce, tomatoes and a delicious dressing are all you need.
I love serving salads in Sancerre bowls – they’re the perfect size for this salad and they give it an elegant look. Hopefully you’ll have lots of leftover dressing to make it all week long!
Ingredients
1 cup good mayonnaise
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 to 7 scallions)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream
3 heads Bibb lettuce
2 to 3 tomatoes
Directions
Place the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until blended. (If not using immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve.)
Cut each head of lettuce into quarters, remove some of the cores, and arrange on six salad plates. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add to the plates.
Pour on the dressing and serve.