Frozen Margarita Pie
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup finely crushed pretzels (or chopped in a food processor)
¼ cup sugar
Filling:
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
⅓ cup frozen Bacardi Margarita Mix, thawed
2 tablespoons tequila
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
green food coloring, as needed (optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons Bacardi Margarita Mix, thawed
1 tablespoon tequila

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix crushed pretzels and sugar together in a bowl, stir in butter until evenly incorporated. Spoon mixture into a 9-inch pie plate, press into bottom and up sides of plate to form a firm, even crust.

Bake curst in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Mix sweetened condensed milk, Bacardi mix, tequila, orange liqueur, and food coloring in a large bowl.

Using a hand or stand mixer, beat cream, 2 tablespoons Bacardi mix and 1 tablespoon of tequila, until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream mixture into sweetened condensed milk mixture. When crust is cooled, spoon filling into crust.

Cover pie with plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 4 hours.

3 Irish Men Cupcakes
adapted by pinch.my.salt originally adapted by David Leberman

Cupcake Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
½ cup sour cream, or yogurt
6 ounces Guiness Beer
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Ganache:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons Jameson Whisky
2 tablespoons butter

Frosting:
1 stick of butter, soften
3 cups confectionary sugar
4 ounces softened cream cheese
4 tablespoons Bailey’s

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with liners and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix eggs and sugar until creamy. Add melted butter, sour cream, beer and vanilla. Mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl, add flour, cocoa, baking powder, and soda, whisk until combined. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mix until smooth, about 2 minutes at medium speed.

Fill cupcake liners ¾ of the way full. Bake about 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out dry.

Let cupcakes cool, about 10 minutes, before transferring to a cooking rack.

While cupcakes are cooking, in a small sauce pan heat cream over medium high heat until its warm, but not boiling. Chop chocolate into small chunks and place in a medium sized bowl. Add butter (in small chunks) to chocolate and butter. Stir until it melts and becomes cool. Add in your whiskey and set aside to firm up a bit, about 10-15 minutes.

While the ganache is cooling, use a small circular cookie cutter, or melon baller, and remove a small portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill the center with ganache using a small scoop or piping bag.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time. Once the sugar is incorporated and the frosting is smooth, add in the baileys, mix until completely smooth. Place the frosting into a piping bag or zip lock bag (cutting a small edge) and frost the cupcakes.

Cucumber Vodka Watermelon Jello Shooters
Ingredients:

1 12–16 pound watermelon
4 cups cucumber vodka
4 3-ounce boxes Jolly Rancher Watermelon Jell-O mix
2 1-ounce boxes unflavored gelatin

Preparation:

1. Using a large chef’s knife, cut the watermelon into two equal halves, lengthwise.

2. Use your knife to slice all the way around the perimeter of the watermelon flesh, about an inch from the rind. Be careful not to pierce through the skin, as this will lead to your Jell-O leaking out. Then use a kitchen spoon to scrape out the rest and create a smooth bowl with roughly 1/2-inch red watermelon flesh left on the rind.

3. Line two small, rimmed baking sheets with paper towels in a way that creates a bed for your watermelon bowls. The idea is to create enough support to keep the watermelon bowls from rolling at all while they’re in the fridge. Put one bowl in the center of each tray and set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Jell-O mix and the unflavored gelatin. Add 4 cups of boiling water and whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the vodka all at once and whisk just to combine.

5. Pour the Jell-O mixture into the watermelon bowls, dividing evenly. Carefully place the Jell-O filled watermelon bowls in the fridge, and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

6. When Jell-O is set, cut each half into 1-inch slices, crosswise, then cut each slice into 2–3 wedges, and serve.

Happy Friday and Bon Appetito!

Must Have Boozy Desserts for Any Party


For those of you who purchased my calendar, here is the one I know you have been waiting for….the perfect cheesecake.  Enjoy!!!

Bailey's Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
2.25 ounces toasted pecan pieces
1 16 ounce package Oreo cookies
1 stick butter, melted

In a skillet over medium high heat, toast pecans until slightly golden, about 2-3 minutes. Place Oreo’s in a food processor and process until finely crumbled. Add toasted pecan pieces and process for a few seconds. Combine melted butter and Oreo mixture. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9” spring form pan. Bake in a preheated 325° oven for 7 minutes.

4 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup Bailey’s Coffee Liquor
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add Bailey’s and mix untiled blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add sour cream, vanilla and flour and mix until smooth.

2 oz. semi sweet chocolate, melted

Pour 1/2 of the cheesecake mixture into the prepared pan. Drizzle 1/2 of the melted chocolate over the cheesecake. Using a knife, swirl the chocolate over the top. Repeat with the remaining cheesecake mixture and melted chocolate.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour 20 minutes. Let cake cool in the oven for one hour with the door closed to prevent cracking. Refrigerate overnight…best made one or two days before serving.

Buon Appetito!!!

Bailey’s Marbled Cheesecake


What a great way to begin 2015, bananas and chocolate, perhaps a little Mimosa or a Bloody Mary to go along with this New Year’s Breakfast?  This quick and easy dish is certainly to be a favorite amongst any household members.

Banana French Toast

Banana Chocolate French Toast

Yield: 4-6 Servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5-10 minutes
12 slices of your favorite bread
1¼ cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella)
1 banana, sliced thinly
1-2 teaspoons Canola Oil
Powdered sugar, maple syrup & butter, for garnish, if desired
Combine milk and eggs in a shallow dish.

Top 6 slices of bread with one tablespoon chocolate spread; arrange banana slices on top of chocolate. Top sandwiches with remaining 6 bread slices.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Working with one sandwich at a time, place sandwich into milk mixture, turning gently to coat both sides. Place coated sandwiches into pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Buon Appetito and Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! What’s for breakfast? How about Banana Chocolate French Toast!


Thank you all for supporting my blog…2014 in review. 2015 will be even bigger and better!

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.



2015 Galena’s Cucina Calendars

Just in time for the holidays, the perfect gift for that “foodie” in your life.  Monthly recipes along with beautiful photos.  Now available for ordering, first 25 orders will receive a free recipe collection. Special price of $12.95 plus shipping and handling.

Deliveries will be available after November 20, 2014.  Click on the “Order Form” to place your order.

Order Form

Galena's Cucina 2015 Calendars

Galena’s Cucina 2015 Calendars




Godiva Cream Filled Strawberries

Once a week I have the opportunity to teach an hour long “spin” class at Lifetime Fitness.  Our members are very loyal to attending our classes.  As a little “perk” once and a while I will bring them a “treat” to eat after class is over.  This past Saturday we celebrated a 2 hour special Valentine cycle (spin) class.  As a little healthy and fruity (did I say delicious) treat I decided to make them filled strawberries.  There are a few recipes for this on the internet, however I wanted to put my take on the original.  What goes better with strawberries than chocolate (and of course some champagne, but I can’t bring that to class).  Hope you enjoy my version!

1 quart fresh strawberries
1 package cream cheese, room temperature (you can also use fat free)
1/3 cup confectioners’ powder sugar
1-2 tablespoons Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

Cut a very thin slice from the top of the strawberries and stand upright on the cut side.  Make a criss-cross cut on the opposite side of the berry cutting down almost to the bottom.  Gently with your fingertip, spread each strawberry apart to make “pedals”, or room for the filling.

Cut an X almost to the bottom of the berry

Cut an X almost to the bottom of the berry after slicing top off

Beat together the cream cheese, powder sugar and liqueur until smooth in a mixer or a food processor.  Place filling into a piping bag with a star tip.  Pipe filling into each strawberry and arrange on a serving platter.

Optional:  Garnish with fresh mint, shaved chocolate, blueberries or powdered sugar.

Note:  You can also use 8 ounces mascarpone cheese and different flavors of liqueur.

Healthy post exercise  treat

Healthy post exercise treat

I also added “Chocolate Dipped Orange Segments” topped with sea salt….Enjoy!!!