Food Club... French & Swiss Theme

We joined a food club in our neighborhood, we thought it would be a great opportunity to get to know other adults and find good recipes. We rotate houses and choose a new theme each month. This first months theme is French and Swiss. There was fondue, quiches, desserts, drinks, and wine for those that drink wines. I am going to list the recipes I made...

Fruit Tartlets  (Tartelettes de Framboises au Mascarpone)

I started with a recipe, but varied because I didn't like the original taste. I also change the size since I don't have tart pans and made then in cupcake pans, but I didn't like them as much that way so I bought some mini pie dishes that are 4 in diameter, one batch will make 8-10. We cut it into halves or 4 smaller pieces to eat. They worked perfect! 

Crust: 

2/3 cup powder sugar

1/4 cup ground almonds

1 7/8 cups flour

1/2 cup butter unsalted softened (I rarely use salted butter anymore)

1 egg

1. Sift dry ingredients, add butter, egg, and then use a pastry cutter to make dough smooth and pliable. 

2. Make into ball and place in freezer 15 minutes.

3. Roll out crust about the same as a pie crust thickness then cut out circle to fit pie pans. Do not make an edge like pies just cut it to the pan, any extra thickness doesn't taste great. 

4. Cover the pastry with wax paper and  fill with beans to keep crust flat. 

5. Bake at  350 degrees F (175C) until just lightly golden brown 15-20 minutes. remove wax paper and cook just 2 minutes more so that the bottom is completely cooked. If you cook it too long the shell get tough. 

Filling:

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1/4 cup+ powder sugar (to taste)

1 vanilla bean slit lengthwise seeds scraped in

8 oz mascarpone cheese. 

1 tsp. extract (vanilla, almond, etc...)

6. Mix well and add to cooled shells then top with fresh fruit. Traditionally it’s not slice, but I like to cut it up and mix it so you get a wide variety in each bite add a little sugar to make the juices a little thicker. 

7. Cool at least 15 minutes and dust with powder sugar before serving.

Printable Recipe here: French Fruit Tarts 

French Macarons w/ganache 

I had never eaten these before or made them so this was a whole new game. I didn't like them that much, but others loved them. A couple things I learned: space them apart since they do raise a bit, use lots of coloring or they are not colored at all, and lastly watch them closely they overbake easily, in fact after I got home from cooking club I realized all mine where overbaked! All in all they were actually pretty simple to make if you follow the instructions from the Joy of baking (also her recipe). I also watched quite a few videos on Youtube of how to mix it correctly. They are fairly simple to make but it is a process to figure out the right way to make them.

I used a new chocolate ganache recipe and I didn't like it as much so I am going to post one I  have used before that is much better and sets up to the right consistency. It will vary with the chocolate you use so always use good quality. For those of you who may not know ganache is the center for truffles, so it will set up once it cools.

12oz chocolate chips 

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp extract
Heat your heavy cream just till it boils and pour over chocolate. Cover lightly and let stand for a couple minutes then stir, repeat. If not completely melted you may need to heat just a small bit more. Add you extract to the smooth mixture and allow to cool. Store in the fridge.

Garlic Gruyere fondue

2 garlic cloves- finely minced
Gruyere cheese
Kirsch - 2 TB
Cornstarch - 1.5 TB
White wine - 2 glasses
Dry mustard - 1-2 TB

Mix wine and garlic together and warm it up (do not boil). Add in cheese and melt. Once melted make a roux of the cornstarch and kirsch and add to cheese mixture. As the fondue thickens, add the dry mustard and whisk till smooth. Transfer to a fondue pot and enjoy!

Chocolate fondue

One package of milk chocolate chips (Ghirardelli)
Heavy cream

Whisk the chocolate and heavy cream together till smooth and enjoy!

Contributed & Made by: Shaswati Cates

From: fondue cookbook

Printable Recipe: Garlic Gruyere fondue & Chocolat Fondue

Breakfast Quiche Gluten Free

Ingredients:
24 ozs potatoes (frozen hash brown)
13 cup melted butter
1 cup ham (cooked diced) **I used bacon**
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Squeeze any excess moisture from the potatoes and combine them with the melted butter or margarine in a small bowl. Press this mixture into the bottom and sides of an ungreased 10 inch pie pan.
Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 25 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and arrange the ham and cheese evenly over the potatoes. In a separate small bowl, beat together the eggs and the cream. Pour this over the ham and cheese.
Return pan to oven and bake for 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until the custard has completely set.
{**I think a little less cooking time might be better? Or add one more egg**}

Contributed by: Ashley Baker
Reciepe From with a printable version:
Yummly: Breakfast Quiche Gluten Free