Spoil Your Mom, Spoil Yourself – Chocolate Black Cherry Gelatin

Written by Natalie -

Are you looking for a fantastic dessert to spoil mom this Mother’s Day? Look no further than this Chocolate Black Cherry Gelatin. It’s incredibly easy to make with only four ingredients! The cute presentation makes them seem way more complicated than they are. There is not even any cooking involved! But it’s really the deliciously rich chocolate flavor combined with black cherry that makes this seem so very gourmet. Your mom will know how much you love her because she will think you slaved over this fancy dessert. Hopefully she’ll spoil you back by sharing her special treat with the rest of the family.

Chocolate Black Cherry Gelatin

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 1 package (6 ounces) black cherry flavored gelatin
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
• 1/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 12 foil baking cups
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

COMBINE gelatin and water in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.

MICROWAVE evaporated milk and morsels in a small, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100% power for 3 minutes or until chocolate is melted; stir to combine. Pour milk mixture into gelatin; whisk until well blended.

SPRAY baking cups with nonstick cooking spray. Pour gelatin into prepared baking cups. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until gelatin is set.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Drizzle with NESTLÉ ABUELITA Chocolate Syrup or NESTLÉ NESQUIK Chocolate Flavor Syrup

Related Recipes:

Chewy Cherry Chocolate Cookies	Chocolaty Cherry Biscotti

Easy-to-Follow Tres Leches Cupcakes Recipe

Written by Chris -

Tres Leches Cake is a sponge cake soaked with a mixture of three milks: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. You can vary the creams. I like to use lite coconut milk in place of the heavy cream, but you could also use whole milk. Whipped cream is traditionally used as the topping.

In this new recipe, the traditional Latin Tres Leches cake is transformed into delicious cupcakes. I was looking through our cupcake collection on meals.com and couldn’t believe we didn’t have a tres leches cupcake. How could that be? I have a huge, HUGE crush on traditional tres leches cake, and I’ll be the first to admit that I always go back for seconds, or take a piece far too big. Or scrape off the top of the cake with a spoon.

Seeing that I obviously lack self control when it comes to tres leches cake, I thought that making cupcakes out of this Latin cake would provide guidance of what a serving size looks like. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. Kidding aside, one sweet milk-filled cupcake will completely satisfy your cravings!

If you happen to be planning your Cinco de Mayo menu or thinking about a summer barbecue (not too far off!), this Tres Leches Cupcake recipe will make a great addition! They are perfect for bridal and baby showers, too!

Tres Leches Cupcakes

Ingredients for 32 cupcakes:

CUPCAKES

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

TRES LECHES SAUCE

• 1 can (14 ounces) NESTLÉ CARNATION Sweetened Condensed Milk or NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Fat Free Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2/3 cup (5 fluid-ounce can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk (fat free evaporated milk works, too!)
• 1 cup lite coconut milk (you can use whipping cream or whole milk if you don’t like coconut milk)

TOPPING

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Line cupcake tins with 32 paper or foil liners.

FOR CUPCAKES:
SIFT flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.

BEAT egg whites in large mixer bowl until soft peaks form. With mixer on, gradually beat in sugar. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately beat in flour mixture with milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat in vanilla extract.

SPOON batter into prepared cupcake tins, filling only 1/2 full (be sure to not overfill or the tres leches sauce will overflow).

BAKE for 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. While cupcakes are cooling, make tres leches sauce.

FOR TRES LECHES SAUCE:

WHISK together all but 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (the 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk will be used in the topping to sweeten up the whipped cream), evaporated milk and coconut milk in a large glass measuring cup.

POKE holes in the cupcakes using a wooden pick, skewer or fork, penetrating to the bottom of the liner (but don’t poke through it).

SPOON tres leches sauce over each cupcake one tablespoon at a time. After it soaks in, add a little more. Each cupcake should hold about 3 tablespoons of sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Cupcakes can be refrigerated overnight if you plan to serve these the next day.

FOR TOPPING:
BEAT cream in small mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in remaining 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk. Right before serving the cupcakes, add a dollop of whipped cream over each cupcake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. (Toasting coconut is simple! Just add coconut to a skillet and cook it over medium heat, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally, until it starts to turn golden.)

I wanted to share the picture above with you. I made these cupcakes the other day but only had 2 muffin tins on hand. So I improvised and used a mini Bundt pan as well (the pan held 6 mini Bundt cakes). Obviously cupcake liners won’t work here, so I sprayed the pan with coconut oil, and proceeded with the recipe following the same directions as stated above. To remove from the pan, I placed a rimmed baking sheet over the Bundt pan and inverted it, shaking the pan to loosen the cakes. I needed to loosen each Bundt cake a little with a knife, but after that, they plopped right out. So if you get into a pinch like I did, don’t be afraid to improvise.

Related recipes:

Coconut-Lime Tres Leches Cake	Clásico Three Milk Cake

No Ham Left Behind

Written by Nick -

I bet you get just as excited as I do during the holidays when you’re tasked with preparing the biggest, juiciest and most delicious ham. But now that Easter’s over and you’ve had about all the leftover ham sandwiches you can imagine… what are you going to do with all that delicious ham?

One of the great things about a baked ham, is it can be a welcome addition to all sorts of dishes. It’s a great way to add some meat to an omelet or quiche. The flavor mixes well with all kinds of pasta. I’ve even used it in potato croquettes.

If you’re looking for some inspiration, here are a few of our favorite ways to make leftover ham the centerpiece of a new and exciting meal.

Ham-It-Up White Bean Soup

Soup is a classic way to eat up all your leftovers and this Ham-It-Up White Bean Soup will steal the show with all its delicious flavor. Easter is over, but for a lot of people, spring still feels a long way away, so why not warm up with a hot bowl of soup.

Hawaiian Pasta Salad

If you are in the tropical spirit, this Hawaiian Pasta Salad is perfect for lunch or even a light dinner. It’s also a great side with a Ham and Cheese sandwich.

Hash Brown Casserole

This is a great dish to feed a few straggling family members who might have overstayed their holiday welcome. The recipe calls for bacon, but sub in your leftover ham and you’ll be more than satisfied. Casseroles are excellent for their quick and easy one-dish preparation.

Fettuccine with Portabellos, Ham and Asparagus

I’ve already mentioned ham is great in pasta. Pairing it with mushrooms and asparagus is too good to pass up. This dish will give your leftovers a fresh new beginning!

Head to Meals.com for even more recipe ideas. Have your own favorite leftover ham recipe? Share it with us in the comments below.

Easter Sweets: Butterfinger Panna Cotta with Easter Egg Nests

Written by Liz -

Panna Cotta, or Italian ”cooked cream,” is an eggless custard that is silky-smooth and so easy to make. In fact, David Lebovitz writes that if it takes you more than 5 minutes to put it together, you’re doing something wrong. If you haven’t yet tried to make custard, crème brulée or flan, panna cotta is the recipe to try first.

Our easy version for Easter, Butterfinger Panna Cotta Nests, uses items you already have in your pantry, since it replaces the cream with evaporated milk. That also lowers the fat and increases the nutrients! This dish has to be made in advance so it can set in the refrigerator, leaving you free on the day of the meal to entertain or cook other dishes. Putting the ingredients together and warming them in a pan are a snap, and the shredded coconut egg nests on top are perfect for a pretty Easter table.

Panna cotta is also an extremely versatile recipe. You can experiment and make your own version by adding lemon or orange zest, almond extract or even spices like saffron, pepper or rosemary. Here are some panna cotta recipes we love using chocolate and amaretto, as well as pumpkin spice and chocolate pistachio.

Happy Easter!

Butterfinger Panna Cotta Nests

Ingredients for 4 servings:

PANNA COTTA

• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 envelope (7 grams) unflavored gelatin
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup crushed NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER BITES Candy

NESTS

• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 4 drops green liquid food coloring
• 2 drops yellow liquid food coloring
• NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER NestEggs

Directions:

FOR PANNA COTTA:
GREASE four 6-ounce or six 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups.

PLACE water in a small bowl; add gelatin and let stand to soften.

PLACE evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat. Add gelatin mixture; stir gently to dissolve gelatin.

POUR into prepared ramekins; sprinkle with crushed Butterfinger.

REFRIGERATE for 2 hours or until panna cottas are firm.

FOR NESTS:
PLACE coconut in a resealable bag. Add green and yellow food coloring; seal bag and shake to thoroughly mix. If necessary, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of water to help color mix.

TOP panna cottas with coconut “grass”; top with 1 to 2 unwrapped Nestlé NestEggs.

Links:

• Butterfinger Panna Cotta Nests
• Chocolate Amaretto Panna Cotta
• Get a Carnation coupon

More panna cotta recipes:

Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta with Pistachio Sauce

Pumpkin Spice Panna Cotta

Easter Brunch: Mushroom Quiche with Quinoa Crust

Written by Chris -

Savory and full of flavor, this quiche makes a great meal any time of year, especially Easter Sunday. Serve with fresh fruit for brunch or a simple salad for dinner. If you enjoy wine, pinot noir or even chardonnay pairs well with this quiche. It can be made a day in advance and reheated the day of so that you can truly enjoy all that the day has to offer.

A year or two ago I made chef Thomas Keller’s Over-The-Top Mushroom Quiche – well, not exactly. I made the filling according to his recipe, but used a premade crust (no judging, I’m a busy lady!). It was so incredibly good! I wanted to make it again, but wanted to lighten it up a bit.

The crust is made with quinoa – any color quinoa works. Carnation Evaporated Fat Free Milk is used in the filling, providing enough creaminess that heavy cream is not needed. It’s loaded with mushrooms – I used a combination of oyster, white button and cremini, but you can use whatever you have laying around. Fresh thyme adds such a nice fresh element of flavor but you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried thyme if needed. Gruyère cheese and Fontina cheese are equally good so use the cheese you prefer.

A quick tip about springform pans and this recipe. You must line the bottom of the pan with foil or parchment paper otherwise the filling will leak out. Trust me on this. I purchased new springform pans for a recipe shoot we had at the White on Rice Studio. I proceeded to make the quiche in their studio and it leaked all over. I found it so odd because it didn’t do this with the springform pan I used to develop the recipe. Sweet Todd ran out and purchased two more pans and those leaked as well. I was so embarrassed! I had to think fast so I ended up lining the bottom of the pan with foil, and then secured the rim. This did the trick. The foil made for very easy clean up too!

Mushroom Quiche with Quinoa Crust

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup red or ivory quinoa, pulsed in blender until close to flour consistency
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sliced mushrooms (mixture of oyster, white button and baby bella/baby portobello/ cremini)
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped (1/2 to 3/4 cup total)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cans (12 fluid ounces each) NESTLÉ CARNATION Evaporated Fat Free or Lowfat 2% Milk
• 1 (4 ounces) cup shredded Gruyère cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line the bottom of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with foil or parchment paper (for visual reference, the quiche at the top of this post used a 10-inch pan, and the quiche the very bottom used a 9-inch pan). It’s best to use two sheets, crisscrossing the sheets. Place the side of the springform pan over the foil and close the latch. If using foil, fold the foil overhang up over the base of the pan. Spray inside of pan with cooking spray.

Combine quinoa, butter, water and baking powder in medium bowl; stir well. Press firmly into bottom of prepared pan.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Reduce heat to medium; stir in shallots and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Whisk eggs in large bowl; gradually whisk in evaporated milk. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle half of the cheese over the crust.

Top with mushroom mixture.

Add egg mixture and remaining cheese.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

To serve, carefully loosen and lift side of springform pan. Gently peel away foil. If desired, transfer to serving plate using a spatula (it transfers easily!). Cut into wedges and serve.

Happy Easter, my friends!

Complimentary salad recipes:

Walnut Caesar Salad	Fresh Fruit Salad

How to Roast a Rack of Lamb: Roasted Rack of Lamb with Mint-Basil Pesto

Written by Chris -

Easter is right around the corner, so I thought I’d share my favorite spring lamb recipe! If you are having a few people over, this recipe is for you!

When it comes to recipes, I don’t “do” complicated. I just don’t. Perhaps when my kids are grown, I will change my tune. But, for now, I like keeping it simple, delicious and nutritious.

Take this recipe, for example. I am using a rack of lamb – not a crown roast or leg of lamb. All taste delicious, but a rack of lamb is hands down the easiest to prepare.

In the spirit of keeping it simple, I took a couple shortcuts with this recipe. I purchased the rack of lamb already frenched (more on that term later). I also used premade Buitoni pesto. Buitoni All Natural Pesto is really good, friends! There’s no need to make pesto from scratch – let Buitoni do the work for you. I did add a little fresh mint and lemon juice to the pesto – mint pairs so well with lamb and lemon adds a nice zing!

Back to the term “frenched”… this just means that the rib bones are exposed (see picture below). Most racks are packaged frenched. If they aren’t, you can ask your butcher to french them for you.

I usually buy Australian or New Zealand lamb from Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or Costco – it’s a bit leaner and less expensive. One rack typically has 7 to 8 ribs, and this will feed 2 to 3 people. I’ve finally graduated to two racks for my family of five. (I was really taken back by how much my boys like lamb – very nice surprise!)

The cooking time depends on how big your rack of lamb is (most are packaged at 1 ½ pounds), and how rare you want it cooked. Rack of lamb should be cooked rare, or at most medium rare. The instructions I’ve provided are for two 1 1/2 pound racks (roast time is the same for one rack). Be sure to use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. I prefer it to register between 125-130° F which is on the rare side. Once it’s pulled out of the oven, as it rests, the temperature will continue to climb a few degrees.

If you have a large oven-proof skillet, it will work great with this recipe! If you don’t own one or are unsure if it’s oven-proof, simply sear the racks in the skillet you have, and then transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet that’s been lined with foil. The foil isn’t required, but it sure makes for easy clean up!

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Mint-Basil Pesto

Ingredients for 6 servings (2-3 chops per serving):

• 2 (1 ½ pounds each) frenched racks of lamb (about 8 ribs each)
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 container (9 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated All Natural Refrigerated Pesto with Basil, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

TRIM excess fat from the lamb.

ALLOW lamb to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting. When it’s at room temperature, it will cook evenly. Season the lamb on all sides with salt and pepper.

PREHEAT oven to 400° F.

HEAT the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb racks, fat-side-down, in skillet; sear until browned (this should only take a few minutes – you just want them browned). Turn racks over and sear other side. At this point, I like to drain the oil from the skillet so it doesn’t spatter in the oven. Turn racks meat-side up; place skillet in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until thermometer placed in thickest portion registers 125-130° F (medium-rare). It’s best to check it at 15 minutes, especially if your oven runs hot.

TRANSFER lamb racks to a work surface and cover loosely with foil; let them rest for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this step – this is what makes the lamb so tender and juicy! Now is a good time to prepare the pesto sauce since it takes only a few minutes to put together.

COMBINE pesto, mint and water in medium bowl; stir well to combine. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add 1 more tablespoon if you prefer more tang. You might question why I added water to the mixture. I wanted it to be a little thinner in consistency – it’s just a matter of preference. I love the tang the lemon juice provides, but didn’t want to add too much. I could have also added more oil, but I didn’t want to add the calories. So water it was!

Cut the lamb between the bones into single chops. The chops above are too done for my taste, but they are cooked to perfection for my kids. They like their lamb medium, and this was their rack. The lamb in the image below was cooked rare to medium-rare. Just the way I like it!

Arrange chops on plates; drizzle with pesto. That’s it! This is truly one of the easiest recipes to prepare. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Related recipes:

Marinated Leg of Lamb	Baked Cola-Brined Fresh Ham