Supper Club First Course - Mojito Jello Shots, Apples w/Truffle Honey, Cheesy Prosciutto Puff Pastry
Here are the recipes for the first course of the Supper Club meal we hosted on Saturday.
Mojito Jello Shots
Serves Six
3 oz. package lime Jell-O
8 oz. (1 cup) Boiling water
6 oz. white rum
2 oz. cold water
Mint leaves, chopped and crushed
[1] Make jello per package directions.
[2] Add in rum.
[3] Pour into cups. Add mint leaves. Refrigerate.
[4] An hour after refrigerating, stir so that mint is spread through glass. If you don't, they will all float to the top.
This was our grown up version of, well, jello. We made three batches, mostly with alcohol and a few without. We bought reasonably large plastic cups, roughly the size of a brandy glass, and stuck them in the fridge. This was the only part of the meal that was made prior to the day of the event.
The final verdict? Jello is good, and they had a pleasant little kick to start the meal, but the rum was powerful enough that the mint flavor was drowned out. The non-alcoholic ones were actually more flavorful. The leftovers ended up at Ferrett & Gini's Oscar Party the next day.
xhollydayx found this recipe at a site with the intriguing name of My Science Project. Let's hear it for science.
Apples w/Truffle Honey
Apples. In this case, big juicy Mutsu apples grown in Ohio.
Truffle Honey. Or more accurately, Acacia Honey laced with bits of truffle.
[1] Slice the apples thinly.
[2] Lay them on the plate.
[3] Spread honey over them.
Clearly we like to challenge ourselves with difficult to make cuisine ;-) We got the truffle honey at The Cheese Shop. It cost 19.95 for a small bottle (think Dijon Mustard sized), which means that this course alone was 1/9 of our total costs. This was also by far the part of the meal with the best plate appeal.
Truffle honey has a flavor that is best described as interesting. We all agreed that it was different and worth trying, but there from there we differed. On the one extreme, indy_was_here licked off his plate and quite likely would have spooned it out of the jar directly into his mouth if the opportunity had arisen. On the other extreme, I don't think I'd personally eat it again. It's not quite sweet; it's certainly not sour. Sharp, maybe? I'm not sure how to describe it. In any event, there was general approval of the opportunity to try it, so I am quite glad that xhollydayx suggested it.
Cheesy Prosciutto Puff Pastry Rounds
Serves Eight
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
1/2 cup Dijon honey mustard
8 ounces sliced prosciutto
3 Tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water (egg wash)
15 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook.
[1] Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
[2] Lightly flour the puff pastry and roll out to a rectangle measuring 9 x 11 inches.
[3] Spread Dijon honey mustard over the puff pastry.
[4] Place prosciutto in an even layer over the mustard.
[5] Combine cream cheese, onion powder, and Parmesan cheese, mixing until well-combined. Spread on top of prosciutto layer.
[6] Roll puff puff pastry lengthwise in a jelly roll fashion, pressing to seal the edge. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Brush with egg wash.
[7] Bake about 20 minutes, until lightly golden.
[8] Let rest 10 minutes, then slice into 1/2-inch rounds and serve.
This is our grown up version of Pigs in a Blanket, and it was a big hit with everyone present. We made two rolls, and both were completely gone before the next course came out. It was very flavorful. Two rolls should have accounted for a full pound of prosciutto, but for some reason we had at least 1/3 of a pound left. I'm not sure if we didn't roll the puff pastry out enough, or if the prosciutto was sliced too thin, or if we should have made a double layer of prosciutto. Aside from the mishap, all went well. gieves cut up the rolls and they were quickly devoured.
I found this recipe on About.com. This was not that much more expensive than the chorizo puffs we made last time, and it took a lot less effort because we did not need to cut up the puff pastry. If xhollydayx liked prosciutto I'd make it all the time; as it stands, I will probably break it out for a party in the future.
Tomorrow: Baked Chicken Strips, Thick and Velvety Spicy Tomato Soup, Crostini
Mojito Jello Shots
Serves Six
3 oz. package lime Jell-O
8 oz. (1 cup) Boiling water
6 oz. white rum
2 oz. cold water
Mint leaves, chopped and crushed
[1] Make jello per package directions.
[2] Add in rum.
[3] Pour into cups. Add mint leaves. Refrigerate.
[4] An hour after refrigerating, stir so that mint is spread through glass. If you don't, they will all float to the top.
This was our grown up version of, well, jello. We made three batches, mostly with alcohol and a few without. We bought reasonably large plastic cups, roughly the size of a brandy glass, and stuck them in the fridge. This was the only part of the meal that was made prior to the day of the event.
The final verdict? Jello is good, and they had a pleasant little kick to start the meal, but the rum was powerful enough that the mint flavor was drowned out. The non-alcoholic ones were actually more flavorful. The leftovers ended up at Ferrett & Gini's Oscar Party the next day.
xhollydayx found this recipe at a site with the intriguing name of My Science Project. Let's hear it for science.
Apples w/Truffle Honey
Apples. In this case, big juicy Mutsu apples grown in Ohio.
Truffle Honey. Or more accurately, Acacia Honey laced with bits of truffle.
[1] Slice the apples thinly.
[2] Lay them on the plate.
[3] Spread honey over them.
Clearly we like to challenge ourselves with difficult to make cuisine ;-) We got the truffle honey at The Cheese Shop. It cost 19.95 for a small bottle (think Dijon Mustard sized), which means that this course alone was 1/9 of our total costs. This was also by far the part of the meal with the best plate appeal.
Truffle honey has a flavor that is best described as interesting. We all agreed that it was different and worth trying, but there from there we differed. On the one extreme, indy_was_here licked off his plate and quite likely would have spooned it out of the jar directly into his mouth if the opportunity had arisen. On the other extreme, I don't think I'd personally eat it again. It's not quite sweet; it's certainly not sour. Sharp, maybe? I'm not sure how to describe it. In any event, there was general approval of the opportunity to try it, so I am quite glad that xhollydayx suggested it.
Cheesy Prosciutto Puff Pastry Rounds
Serves Eight
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
1/2 cup Dijon honey mustard
8 ounces sliced prosciutto
3 Tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water (egg wash)
15 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook.
[1] Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
[2] Lightly flour the puff pastry and roll out to a rectangle measuring 9 x 11 inches.
[3] Spread Dijon honey mustard over the puff pastry.
[4] Place prosciutto in an even layer over the mustard.
[5] Combine cream cheese, onion powder, and Parmesan cheese, mixing until well-combined. Spread on top of prosciutto layer.
[6] Roll puff puff pastry lengthwise in a jelly roll fashion, pressing to seal the edge. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Brush with egg wash.
[7] Bake about 20 minutes, until lightly golden.
[8] Let rest 10 minutes, then slice into 1/2-inch rounds and serve.
This is our grown up version of Pigs in a Blanket, and it was a big hit with everyone present. We made two rolls, and both were completely gone before the next course came out. It was very flavorful. Two rolls should have accounted for a full pound of prosciutto, but for some reason we had at least 1/3 of a pound left. I'm not sure if we didn't roll the puff pastry out enough, or if the prosciutto was sliced too thin, or if we should have made a double layer of prosciutto. Aside from the mishap, all went well. gieves cut up the rolls and they were quickly devoured.
I found this recipe on About.com. This was not that much more expensive than the chorizo puffs we made last time, and it took a lot less effort because we did not need to cut up the puff pastry. If xhollydayx liked prosciutto I'd make it all the time; as it stands, I will probably break it out for a party in the future.
Tomorrow: Baked Chicken Strips, Thick and Velvety Spicy Tomato Soup, Crostini