Dinner Party: Dessert

Rockabilly woman love pretty things. Anything from shoes and dresses to hair bows and necklaces. But one thing that is often very pretty and doesn’t get enough attention for being pretty  is food! So for my dinner party, I made sure I made my guests something very pretty to finish off their meal with. An all-American pastry cup with something salty and sweet paired with something dark and pink – what a fashion combo! For my guests, I made my Strawberry Margarita Mousse tarts! Long name, short life span – they’re gone in two seconds!

What you’ll need:

8 oz strawberry cream cheese
1 pint heavy cream for whipping (kept very cold)
2 tbs sweetened lime juice
1/4 cup strawberry tequila
2 tbs sugar
1 box easy pie crust (or any pie dough)
chocolate dessert shells
8-10 strawberries
1 bunch fresh mint
optional lime zest for garnishing

Also, make sure you have:

muffin tin
round cookie cutter
pastry cutter with decorative ends

Directions:

1. Add lime juice, sugar, and tequila to cream cheese and whip until soft. Set aside.

2. In a clean bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Carefully, fold into cream cheese mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and keep very cold.

3. Bake pie dough in muffin tins according to directions. Using a fork, generously poke air holes so the pastry doesn’t over puff (like mine did). I used a rotary cutter to give the crust some pretty flair.  When they’re done, set aside to cool.

5. Wash strawberries and cut for presentation. Using a paring knife, you can make different incisions to create different decorations. For the baked pastry cup, I used half a strawberry and made 3 vertical incisions making sure not to cut all the way through to the top. Spread the strawberry apart to make it look like a neat little fan. For the chocolate cup, I just took a sliver of strawberry and placed it neatly upside down with a mint leaf peaking out from behind the strawberry. Place your strawberries in their appropriate cups before the mousse.

4. Place your cold mousse into a pastry bag with a decorative tip. It’s easiest to do when the bag is sitting in a tall cup and the sides are folded down. This way, you don’t get too messy! Although, as you can see, I somehow still managed to do so. Squeeze mousse into cups so that the base is full but the cup isn’t over flowing. Garnish with some lime zest for color and a bit more of lime flavor.

Now you can enjoy this beautiful, tart and sweet treat with your friends! This is something different and creative they’ll be sure to love! If there are children around, watch they don’t have too many. Remember, these do have liquor in them!

Dinner Party: Chicken Sausage and Corn Chutney Tacos

San Francisco Chicken Tamale | Vintagepostcards.org

Mexican food has come a long way in America since the early 1900’s. No longer are we canning tamales or referring to Taco Bell as the ultimate ethnic experience. Since my dinner party will be Mexican/Spanish/Hispanic themed or inspired, I’ve decided to make my guests another appetizer that’s a little more familiar but with a “gourmet” twist: chicken sausage and corn chutney taquitos.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

2-3 links Jalapeno sausage
1/8 cup Valentina hot sauce
3 tbs orange marmalade
1/2 cup Mexican style corn
1/8 cup chopped Nopalitos
3 small flour tortillas
3 tbs shredded munster cheese
3 cups vegetable oil for frying
optional:  orange peel and lime zest for garnishing

Directions:

1. Dice chicken sausage and brown. Move to paper towel to dry off excess oil. Set aside.
(My sausage browned a little more than I planned. It all worked out fine, but you might want yours a little less burnt!)

2. Mix corn, Valentina hot sauce, orange marmalade and rough chopped nopalitos.

3. Add sausage and cheese to corn mixture. Allow flavors to bind.

4. Cut tortillas in half. Roll into a cone shape and secure inside “flap” with tooth pick. (I used a snow cone cup to help shape mine.)

5. Lightly fry tortilla cones using tongs to ensure center doesn’t over puff.

6. Dry on plate lined with paper towel.

7. Carefully fill the crispy tortilla cones with the mixture and top with an orange peel. I added a drizzle of the Valentina and lime zest for added pzazz!

If your guests like the heat, put out a bit of the Valentina sauce for dipping! It’s a great, tangy sauce that’s used in the Southwest  for similar hand and street foods. You might even find yourself using it in other recipes where you want a zing but not quite the heat of a chile. So put down the fork and knife, and grab a napkin, you’re having Mexican street food… with a twist!

Happy eating!

BLT-licious!

It’s a staple in American culture that was packed in your lunch box, made as an after school snack or served for dinner when mom and pop were on their way out for a night on the town. So it …