Top 2 Tuesdays

Taylor at Jimmy Choos & A Baby Too has started a new Tuesday tradition - Top 2 Tuesdays.  Each week she'll ask what your "Top 2 favorite _____ are".  This week, it's recipes.  Since the only thing I like better than cooking & baking is eating, I thought I'd play along.  I'm far too indecisive to choose my favorite anything, but here are two recipes I really like:

Tomato Basil Tart

Ingredients:

1/2 of a 15-ounce package refrigerated piecrust (1 crust)

1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

5 Roma tomatoes

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Unfold piecrust according to package directions. (I suppose you could make your own crust. If you have no job, a clean house, an empty Tivo, no books to read or stores to shop and you drank all the wine in the house yesterday, sure - go ahead and make the crust from scratch. But if you have absolutely anything better to do with your time, the ready made crust will do just fine.) Place the pie crust in a 9-inch quiche dish or glass pie plate. Flute the edge (or press with the tines of a fork).  Line the shell with a double-thickness of foil. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 4 to 5 minutes more or until set and dry. Remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 375 degree F. Sprinkle crust with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Cool slightly. Cut tomatoes into slices; drain on paper towels.

Arrange tomato slices atop cheese in the pie shell.

In a food processor bowl combine basil and garlic; cover and process till coarsely chopped. Sprinkle over tomatoes. In a medium mixing bowl combine remaining mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, and pepper. Spoon cheese mixture over basil mixture, spreading to evenly cover the top.  Bake in a 375 degree F. oven for 35 to 40 minutes or till top is golden and bubbly. Serve warm. If desired, garnish with basil leaves.

This is great as a main dish served with a salad or as an appetizer.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

I got this recipe from the mother of an ex-boyfriend.  This dessert was definitely the best thing to come out of that relationship!

1 box graham crackers

2 small boxes of french vanilla pudding

3 c. cold milk

8 oz. Cool Whip

For frosting:

3 T. cold milk

3 squares unsweet or semi-sweet chocolate

2 tsp. light corn syrup

2 tsp. real vanilla extract

3 T. butter

1 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar

Butter a 9x13 pan and line with graham crackers.  Combine pudding with 3 cups of cold milk and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Spread half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers.  Top with another layer of graham crackers and then the remaining pudding mixture.  Top with a third layer of graham crackers.

For frosting - Melt the chocolate squares and butter.  Combine with corn syrup, vanilla and milk.  Stir in confectioner's sugar and beat in stand mixer or with hand mixer until smooth.  Spread over the top layer of graham crackers.  Refridgerate for at least 4 hours, but best overnight.

This is sooo yummy. It gets better the longer it sits in the fridge as the graham crackers soften.  When my mom makes this, she doubles the frosting so that it's extra chocolate-y.  I think it's great as is, but if you're a choc-o-holic, you might want to double it.

Hope you enjoy the recipes!  If you want a few more ideas for dinner this week, head over to Jimmy Choos & A Baby Too and check out everyone else's Top 2 favorites.