Donna Marie Lahouchuc
Spinach Artichoke Cups
(1st place, Family Friendly Food Contest, Allentown Fair)
1 pack wonton wrappers (refrigerated in produce section of most grocery stores)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 (10 oz.) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (15 or 16 oz.) can artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
1 finely minced fresh garlic clove
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 heaping tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese, divided into 1-1/2 cups and 1/2 cup
Special Equipment: mini muffin tins
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Gently press and fold individual wonton wrappers into each tin to form a “cup”. When tin is full, spray wonton tips lightly with nonstick spray. Bake approximately 10-15 minutes until cups hold their shape and are lightly browned. (They will brown more when baked with filling. Filling will fill at least 30 cups so repeat process accordingly.)
Mix mayonnaise and sour cream in medium bowl. Add dry Hidden Valley Ranch mix and mix well. Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of thawed spinach. Add to bowl, and then add chopped artichoke hearts and minced garlic, mixing well. Add grated parmesan and 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese to mixture. (At this point, you can place cooled wonton cups in a covered container at room temperature and refrigerate spinach-artichoke mixture for several hours.)
When ready to sere, place wonton cups on a baking sheet. Place a heaping tablespoon of spinach-artichoke mixture in each cup, then sprinkle on a few pieces of remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees until cups are browned around edges and cheese is melted.
Makes 36 – 42 individual cups.
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Heidi Neidlinger of Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County
Mocha-Almond-Coconut Chocolate Tart
(3rd place, Chocolate Championship, Allentown Fair)
Crust:
1-1/2 cups macaroon cookies, crumbled
1/2 cup finely ground toasted almonds
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
Filling:
2 oz. Ghirardelli Chocolate, unsweetened, chopped
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons custard powder
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
Topping:
4 oz. Ghirardelli Chocolate, semi-sweet, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Garnish:
Whipped cream (using left over whipping cream) Almonds (sliced or whole) Shaved Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate
1. Crust: In a food processor pulse cookie crumbs and almonds until
combined. Add butter, pulsing until dough just comes together. Press dough into bottom of 8-inch greased spring form pan. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes until lightly golden brown, and let cool completely.
2. Filling: In a microwave safe bowl, combine unsweetened
Ghirardelli Chocolate and cream, microwave uncovered on medium for one minute stirring every 30 seconds or until smooth.
3. In small bowl, whisk coffee liqueur, add to chocolate mixture,
whisking well. Whisk in sugar, butter and custard powder until smooth.
In another bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, mix all mixtures together and spread it over cooled crust. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
4. Topping: In a small microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and
butter. Microwave, uncovered on medium for one minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread over filling in pan. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm. When ready to serve remove ring from spring form pan and garnish with whipped cream and shaved Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate and almonds (optional).
Serves 8
