Baby Nite

In celebration of April’s baby, due in late July, we chose “Baby” theme, which is open to various interpretations. Stephanie’s first question was, “Babies are short, aren’t they?” April’s baby whale was so super cute, and would be adorable at a baby shower or kid’s birthday party. And Robyn thought her search for an alternative to the chicken nugget for a toddler was close enough. Everything was incredible – we didn’t expect to be blown away at “Baby Nite”, but all 3 recipes are must do AGAIN’s!

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey, Mint and Lime syrup
From April, courteous Epicurious.com


A refreshing salad on its own or spooned over vanilla ice cream for dessert. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Servings: Serves 8


Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice1/4 cup honey1/4 cup chopped fresh mintStrawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Watermelon
Kiwi

Whisk lime juice, honey and mint in large bowl to blend. Add all fruit to syrup in bowl; toss to combine. Let stand 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Spoon fruit into goblets or into Watermelon Whale. Template for tail below.

Crunchy Chicken Tenders with Apricot Dipping Sauce
From Robyn, courteous Family Fun magazine

Ingredients:
Chicken
2 pounds chicken tenders, or breasts sliced into strips
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup light mayonnaise
6 cups cornflakes

Sauce
¾ cup apricot preserves
3 Tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 ½ Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

Directions…
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. IN a large bowl, toss together the chicken, salt, pepper, mustard and mayonnaise. To make the coating, pulse the cornflakes in a food processor about 10 times, or place the flakes in a sealed bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Transfer the crushed flakes to a large, shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken in the cornflakes and arrange the pieces on a rack over a baking sheet. Be sure to space the pieces an inch or so apart for even cooking and browning. Bake the chicken for 15 minutes or until the tenders are cooked through and crispy on the outside (they will crisp up even more as they cool). Let them cool on the rack before packing them for travel. For the sauce, combine the preserves, mayo, Dijon and vinegar in a small bowl. Serve it with the chicken. Serves 8 to 10.

Strawberry Shortcakes with White Chocolate Mousse
From Steph, courteous Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
Shortcakes
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon chilled buttermilk
3 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Topping
2 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled, quartered
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (we left it out)

White chocolate mousse
8 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker’s), finely chopped
1 2/3 cups chilled whipping cream

Directions…

For shortcakes:Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Blend flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in processor. Add butter and process using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk and process just until moist clumps form. Blend in chopped chocolate using on/off turns. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Dust lightly with flour. Gently press dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using 3 1/4-inch cutter, cut out shortcakes. Gather dough scraps and press to 1/2-inch thickness; cut out additional shortcakes for a total of 6. Transfer shortcakes to prepared baking sheet. Brush shortcakes with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.Bake shortcakes until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) For topping: Toss strawberries, sugar and liqueur in large bowl. Let stand at room temperature until juices form, tossing occasionally, about 1 hour.Cut shortcakes horizontally in half. Place 1 shortcake bottom on each of 6 plates. Spoon 1/3 cup White Chocolate Mousse over each. Spoon some of strawberry topping over each. Cover each with shortcake top. Top each with spoonful of mousse, then more strawberry topping and serve.

For white chocolate mousse:
Stir white chocolate and 2/3 cup cream in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until chocolate is melted. Transfer chocolate mixture to large bowl. Let stand until mixture is cool and just beginning to thicken, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Beat remaining 1 cup cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into cool chocolate mixture in 2 additions. Cover; chill mousse at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)