Alright, so what can we say that hasn’t been said about this pandemic already by everyone else?  We can gripe and whine about how bad it really is (and for real, it’s BAAAAD), but let’s try to look at the positive outcomes of this Covid-19 pandemic:

For starters, we are working from the comfort of our homes, where sweatpants are the new business casual attire.  Also for most of us, we are spending more time than ever with our loved ones.  And where are my deadass NY’ers at?! – do ya’ll miss that soul crushing morning commute to work Monday-Friday, with rush hour traffic and crowds? … mmhmm, me either.

For the sake of this post though, since being quarantined, most of us learned a new skill or found a new hobby. For many, that new-found talent is channeling our inner Gordon Ramsey, and throwin’ it down in the kitchen [minus the yelling and patronizing aspects].

Some of the folks a Pulse Creative wanted to share their go-to foodie recipes, whether it was something they just learned, or a meal they always cooked.  We’re hoping some of ya out there try these out and let us know if these recipes are worthy of a chef’s kiss. 

Monica’s Magical Chocolate Pie

“I’m a baker by nature.  Cakes have always been my thing.  Pies though are a new adventure I never tried until now.  Covid-19 had me stir crazy like most of ya, so I learned to bake some new things.  And I can honestly say, this came out waaaay better than I expected.”

Prep Time

3 hours

Cook Time

6 hours 55 minutes

Servings

One 9-inch pie

Ingredients: 

• Crust:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup and 3 tablespoons shortening
  • 2-¼teaspoons white sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ egg
  • 2 tablespoons water

• Filling:
  • ¼ cup (4 Tbsp; 60g) unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces (56g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons (16g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk

Directions: 

Crust:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.
2. In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours
3. Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out the chilled dough. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely thick edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. Brush edges with egg wash/egg white. Carefully line the inside of the pie with two pieces of parchment paper, then pour in pie weights. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Chill the dough in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 minutes– this helps prevent the crust from shrinking.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
5. Partially blind bake the crust: Bake the cold pie crust (with weights) for 15 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick holes all around the bottom crust with a fork. Return the pie crust to the oven and bake for 8 minutes to help set the bottom. Remove from the oven and set aside until step 7. You can pre-bake the crust up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover and store in the refrigerator (without weights) until ready to use.
6. Reduce oven to 325°F (163°C).

Filling:

1. Cut the butter into pieces so it melts evenly. Place in a large heat-proof bowl. Add chopped chocolate. Melt in 20 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Set aside and let cool for 2-3 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt together until combined. Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla, 2 eggs, and 1 egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the cooled butter/chocolate.
2. Bake: Pour filling into pre-baked pie crust (crust can still be warm). Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly. It can still be a little sticky in the very center on top, just as long as it no longer jiggles when you lightly tap the pan. During bake time, if you find the edges of the pie crust are browning too quickly, apply a pie crust shield or a ring of aluminum foil to protect it.
3. Remove finished pie from the oven. Place on a wire rack to cool completely or for at least 2 hours. The pie filling will sink and set as it cools.
4. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.
5. Cover and store leftover pie at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

If this pie made you feel magical in your tummy, please share with your would-be chef friends!

Kelly-Ann’s Creamy Mashed Potatoes

“I’ve always been a huge fan of mashed potatoes, but never liked it when it’d sometimes be too dry or lumpy. So I guess I took it upon myself to create the perfect balance of creamy, flavorful and fluffy mashed potatoes.

Also, as a lover of everything cheese – this started out as “Cheesy Mashed Potatoes” at first to be honest, but over some time, I would add or substitute different ingredients to get the right flavor and landed on this.

I promise it’s lick-the-bowl worthy!”

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings

4

Ingredients: 

• 2 lb russet potatoes peeled & cut into small chunks
• ½ cup milk
• 2 ½ tablespoon butter
• ⅓ cup finely grated fresh parmesan cheese (2 oz.)
• ⅓ cup sour cream 1/4 cup freshly chopped chives
• 1 ¼ tablespoon of puree garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions: 

1. Add peeled and diced potatoes to a large sauté pan/skillet and add water until it reaches about 1 inch above the potatoes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt.
2. Cover sauté pan/skillet, and bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until very tender when pierced with a fork; drain VERY WELL.
3. Add potatoes in a bowl. While potatoes are boiling, puree the cloves of garlic in a food processor or blender on low speed until very fine.
4. Heat butter and milk for about 1 minute. Slowly stream heated butter/cream mixture into potatoes while mashing until combined.
5. Add in parmesan, sour cream, chives, salt, pepper and garlic puree and mash until fully combined and potatoes look fluffy.
6. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with additional chives.

If these potatoes left you in a food coma that kept you knocked out for hours, let other amateur WFH chefs know where the recipe came from!