Tex-Mex Bean Salad with Creamy Salsa Dressing

serves 4
1/3 cup fat-free salsa, medium or spicy
3 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed (about two 15.5 oz cans)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup canned yellow corn or fresh cooked kernels
1/2 cup diced avocado
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or less to taste)
6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 oz pepper jack cheese, cubed or shredded
24 baked low-fat tortilla chips

In a large bowl, stir together salsa, sour cream and vinegar until blended. Add beans, tomatoes, corn, avocado, scallions and cilantro; toss to mix and coat.

Place 1 1/2 cups of lettuce on each of 4 serving plates; top each with 1 1/2 cups of bean mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons of cheese; arrange 6 chips around edge of each plate. Yields 1 salad per serving.

Cynthia's French Toast

1 9x13

1/2 loaf 24oz. pre-sliced bite size stiff dense sourdough (exposed overnight to dry)

Mix:
1/2 cube melted butter

6 eggs
1/2 c. sugar

5 cups half and half

1 t. vanilla

Pour over bread

Cover and bake at 350 for 25-30 min until golden on top

Syrup:
In a saucepan on the stove:

1 box brown sugar

2 cubes butter
Cook 7-10 min set off to side. After cooking, let cool, then add 1/2 cup cream.

Chocolate Fondue

12 oz of dark chocolate (chips or roughly chopped if from a block)
8 oz of heavy cream
a pinch of salt
Dippables such as strawberries, banana pieces cut into 1 inch chucks, dried apricots, candied ginger, apple pieces

Method

1. Warm the cream over moderate heat until tiny bubbles show and begins to lightly and slowly boil. Add the chocolate and whisk until smooth and full incorporated.
2. Immediately transfer to a fondue pot heated at low or with a low flame, or serve straight from the pot.
3. Arrange the dippables on a platter or plates around the chocolate pot. Use a fondue fork, bamboo skewer, seafood fork, or salad fork to dip the fruit pieces and other diappables into the hot melted cream chocolate mixture. Eat immediately.

If the fondue begins to feel a little stiff, add a tablespoon of heavy cream and stir. It will help it go a little longer. Eventually, it will cook down though and you may need to start a new pot.

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 Cups all purpose four
1/4 Tsp. salt
1 Tsp. baking soda
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 1/2 Cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 Tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tsp. cream of tartar
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until smooth (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough. If the dough is soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to roll into balls (one hour).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape the dough into 1 inch round balls.
Coating: In a large shallow bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
Roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar and place on the prepared pan, spacing about 2 inches apart. Then, using the bottom of a glass gently flatten each cookie to about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes, or until they are light golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Can store in a airtight container, at room temperature, for about 10-14 days.
Makes about 6 doz.

La Bete Noire Cake

Cake
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
9 tbl (1 stick plus 1 tbl) unsalted butter, diced
18 oz bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 large eggs
Ganache
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 oz bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semi sweet chocolate, chopped

Lightly sweetened whipped cream

For cake: Preheat oven to 350 degree
Butter 10 inch diameter spring form pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim. Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.

Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.

Ganache: Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours.

Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

6 lg dark orange sweet potatoes (probably labeled as yams; 5 1/2 lbs), scrubbed
3/4 c milk
1/2 c unsalted butter
3 lg eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 c packed brown sugar

Topping
3 T unsalted butter
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 c heavy (whipping) cream
1 1/2 c pecans, coarsely chopped
2 t vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pierce each potato several times with a fork and place in baking pan. Bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

In small saucepan, heat milk and butter until butter has melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling. Cut potatoes in half, and scoop the flesh into a lg bowl, discarding the skins. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Stir milk mixture into potatoes. Whisk in the eggs and continue to whisking until well combined with potato mixture. Add the brown sugar and stir until thoroughly blended. Butter a 9x13 dish, spread the sweet potato mixture evenly in dish. Set aside while making topping. Increase oven temp to 375 degrees.

Melt butter in 2 quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream and pecans. Heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. If the mixture begins to boil and splatter turn down the heat to maintain a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the topping evenly over the sweet potatoes, spreading it with a rubber spatula.

Bake casserole until topping is slightly crusty and set; about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.