Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 tsp vanilla extract

3.3 cups flour

pinch of salt

Chocolate chips to melt for topping

Directions:

• In stand mixer with paddle, mix butter and sugar until just combined, then add vanilla
• Sift flour and salt into mixture, mix on low speed until dough comes together
• Dump on lightly floured surface, shape into disk, wrap in plastic and chill for min. 30 minutes
• Roll dough out into .5 inches, cut with cookie cutters
• Put on cookie sheet with parchment
• Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes when edges are just browning
• Once cooled, melt chocolate in 30-second increments in microwave, then drizzle onto cookies

Tomatillo Sauce, Mango Salsa, Guacamole

TOMATILLO SALSA

Ingredients:

• 12 tomatillos - remove husks, rinse
• 1 to 2 medium jalapeños, stemmed 
• ½ medium onion
• small handful cilantro leaves
• a couple limes, juiced
• salt to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the broiler with a rack near top, put tomatillos and jalapenos on baking pan with tin foil, broil until blackened (5 min?) then flip and broil another 5 min
• Food processor: chop onion, cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt. 
• Add tomatillos and jalapenos to food processor, blend until smooth
• Leave in fridge a few hours to thicken 

MANGO SALSA

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 small mangoes
• 1 red pepper
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 1 jalapeño seeded 
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• salt to taste

Directions:

• All of this can be done in the food processor: first process onion, pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno
• Add remaining ingredients and pulse until coarsely blended
• Let stand about 30 min before serving

GUACAMOLE

Ingredients: 

• 5 ripe avocados
• 1 tsp salt
• A couple limes, juiced
• 1/2 red or yellow onion, diced
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro (leaves and tender stems), finely chopped
• A dash of freshly grated black pepper
• 1 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Directions:

• Chop onion, jalapenos, cilantro, and tomato in food processor
• Remove to bowl, add in avocado, lime juice, salt/pepper and mix gently until desired consistency 

Passion Fruit Mousse

Passion Fruit Mousse

1 1/4 cups defrosted passion fruit pulp
4 cups heavy cream
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Whisk condensed milk into passion fruit pulp

Separately, whip heavy cream into stiff peaks

Slowly fold whipped cream into passion fruit mixture

Set for an hour or two in the fridge

Optional: top with passion fruit syrup or coconut, or include vanilla wafers

Passion Fruit Pie

Passion Fruit Pie - Filling

4 eggs, separated
1/2 C fresh passionfruit pulp or puree
1 C granulated sugar, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp granulated gelatin
4 Tbsp cold water
optional: some grated lemon rind

• Set a pan of water over medium high heat and bring to a steady simmer. Make sure the water level is low enough that a bowl set on top wont touch it. Lower the heat slightly and keep simmering.
• In a small bowl add the 4 tablespoons of cold water and sprinkle the gelatin over to soften.
• In a bowl (one that will fit over the pan of simmering water), whisk the egg yolks until thickened and lighter in color, add in passion fruit pulp and juice ( or puree), ½ C of sugar and salt. 
• Set over the pan of simmering water and whisk until thickened. About 8-10 minutes. Being careful to stir constantly so the egg doesn’t scramble. 
• Add in the softened gelatin and stir until melted. 
• Remove from heat and cool until thickened and slightly congealed on top.
• Whip the egg whites until foamy, slowly add in the remaining sugar and then whip until stiff peaks are formed and the meringue is glossy. Fold into the passion fruit mixture and stir until fully combined. Fill the pie crust with the mixture and chill at least 4 hours up to overnight.

Stabilized Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup whipping cream
and 1 tsp gelatin
plus 1 tbsp cold water
3 tbsp caster sugar or fine grain sugar or powder sugar
and 1 tsp vanilla or extract of your choice.

• Place the gelatin and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Let stand for two minutes.
• The gelatin will bloom and become soft.
• Place gelatin in a double boiler or microwave for 10 sec interval until all the gelatin granules are dissolved.
• Set aside to cool but not set. This is very important.
• Pour the whipped cream into a mixer bowl.
• Turn the mixer on medium.
• After a minute – slowly add in the sugar.
• Once the cream has reached between soft and stiff peaks – add a tablespoon or two of whipped cream to the gelatin to equalize the temperature.
• Now pour the gelatin mixture into the mixer bowl and continue to whip
• Add the vanilla
• Do not over beat at this point. You will see the cream will hold stiff peaks.
• This whipped cream can be used immediately.
• You can spread it over a cake or pipe as needed.

Mini Cheesecakes

Makes 18 mini cheesecakes

Prep ROOM TEMP ingredients: cream cheese, 2 eggs

1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese - ROOM TEMP
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs - ROOM TEMP
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional toppings/flavors

Ganache: cream and chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Line one and a half muffin tins (aka about 18 muffins) with paper liners

Crush nilla wafers in food processor

Add a tablespoon of nilla wafer crumbs to each liner

In stand mixer beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. 

*If adding, stir in syrup flavors, chocolate chips, etc.

Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Cool in fridge for a few hours.

Top cheesecakes with ganache: boil cream and pour over chocolate chips, whisk until smooth