Piquant

Bread baking: how to make whole wheat bread

Fresh baked bread is tradition in most of the world's cultures. Busy cooks often rely on store-baked goods to fill the gap, but if one is willing to make the effort, home baked is best.

When I was growing up, we rarely had a loaf of bread from the grocery store. Forget Wonder Bread! As a teenager, my Mom taught me to bake yeast breads and it's a skill I am really grateful to have acquired.

Baking bread is not the daunting project many novice cooks expect. Baking successfully does require time, attention to detail, and patience.

This recipe is a favorite from a Better Homes & Gardens cookbook published in 1963 (probably long out of print) which my Mom still uses and I hope to inherit. Today we baked four loaves of whole wheat bread, filling the house with wonderful aromas.

Whole Wheat Bread

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast

1/4 cup water

2 1/2 cups hot water

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons salt

1 stick butter

3 cups stirred whole wheat flower

5 cups sifted all purpose white flour

Preparation

Soften active dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F) or compressed yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water (85 degrees F). Use a cooking thermometer to ensure proper temperature.

Combine in a separate large mixing bowl hot water, sugar, salt and shortening. Allow to cool to lukewarm.

Stir in the whole wheat flour and one cup of the white flour and beat well. Stir in the softened yeast, then add enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. 

Turn out on a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and satiny (10-12 minutes).

Shape dough into a ball, then place in a lightly buttered bowl - turning once to coat the surface. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 1/2 hours).

After the dough has risen, punch down. Then cut into two equal portions, shaping each into a smooth ball.  Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

To shape into loaves, roll out each portion of dough into a rectangle to smooth out air bubbles. Then roll each piece of dough up, pinching slightly while rolling up the loaf.  Pinch the ends under, then place loaves into greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 1 1/4 hours until loaves have doubled.

Bake in a moderate oven (375 degrees F) about 45 minutes, covering with tin foil the last 20 minutes.

Corelle takes on a new look

This is not your mother's Corelle.

In the 70s, this shatter resistant, oven proof and microwave ready tableware was one thing: hideous.  Who can forget the heinous avocado and burnt orange floral crazy daisies adorning dinner plates and coffee cups?

These can't-break-em-with-a-brick dinner sets were the worst, almost as bad as shopping at discount stores.

But suddenly cheap is chic. Being a frugalista is a badge of honor in these recessionary times.

Since discount stores like Target discovered design and designers, Corelle is doing the same.

I love the new look of Corelle for everyday.

The basics of crafting and testing recipes

 

The other night I was faced with a cauliflower, a vegetable I'm deadlocked with in a love-hate relationship. 

When my love affair with this rather bland kin to the cabbage began, we enjoyed an extended honeymoon phase when I was also learning to make curries, for which the cauliflower is well suited.  But once I'd mastered curry, I was bored to tears by cauliflower. 

But since I'm not the only palate to be pleased in my house, a cauliflower pops up in the shopping basket every so often.

Deciding what to do with ingredients on hand is a challenge for both chefs and home cooks.  We don't always get what we want, but we have to make do with what we have.

Invention is a good thing at times like these and if luck (and skill) are with you, then a great dish makes it to the table.

But who among us never fails in the kitchen?  That's how we learn and that's how we become better cooks.

The same is true for crafting and testing a recipe. 

To cook the dreaded cauliflower, I decided to keep the flavor of a curry but add the texture of a gratin.  And it almost worked. 

I got the gratin down perfectly, but I missed the mark on the curry because I didn't have a key ingredient - coconut milk.  I also would have been better off pureeing the vegetable for a silkier, smoother finished dish.

Everyone in my immediate family, but me, enjoyed the curried cauliflower gratin. I was too busy critiquing the lack of flavor and texture. I could take this as a success and move on, but the truth is I'd never serve this curried cauliflower gratin at a party or take it to a potluck as is.

I had to make it work to feel satisfied.

In my beginning writing classes, I usually teach students the technique of process by asking them to write a paper which details the steps of how to do something. Invariably, a few students will choose to write a paper based on a recipe.

It's a good thing we don't actually try to make and eat these recipes! 

My beginning writers leave out key ingredients or steps, assuming their readers know what to do. There is a natural assumption that people have a basic level of understanding when it comes to cooking. However, we shouldn't assume too much because we don't know who will be recreating our recipe.

Anyone who cooks or bakes knows the disasters that can result with a poorly written recipe.

Writing a recipe is craft. Testing a recipe is essential. 

The basics

• Always give estimated times for preparation and cooking.
• Always give temperatures necessary for baking, broiling, frying, etc.
• Provide a range of cooking times where appropriate, ie., Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean..
• Ingredients should be listed in order of use. All listed ingredients should be used.
• Ingredient amounts, types and preparation, ie. minced, grated, etc., should be specific.
• Don't abbreviate  measurements.
  
• Technique should be written in concise, detailed steps in the proper order for preparation.
• Use common cook's measurements such as 1 cup, etc., and give exact pan sizes.
• Don't assume readers understand all cooking terms. Define terms like dredge or reduce.
• if you adapt a recipe from a cookbook or magazine, give credit to your source.

Once a recipe is written, you need to execute the recipe, making note of the overall process as well as the finished result in order to fine tune or revise the original recipe. 

Depending on the complexity of your recipe, this process may take several executions before a final version is achieved. While this step may seem time-consuming, it is crucial to the process.

Video tutorials for Barbecue Roast Pork Buns

If you've ever wanted to try your hand at BBQ Pork Buns, here are three video tutorials to take you through the process, step-by-step.

Hello Sailor cosmetics bag at Flight 001

Flight 001 has the travel gear you need for your next trip - from cheeky accessories to polished carry-ons.

Check out their exclusive SpacePak system that compresses your gear for easier, smarter packing. It's even sorted by dirty & clean items.

The saucy cosmetics bag above by Anne Taintor retails for $20. Features retro image with kitschy one-liner, and detachable wrist strap. Zipper closure. Vinyl.

Measurement: 7.25in X 5in X 2.5in

Take a fish to lunch at The Beach, Florida's best kept secret

October is National Seafood month and what better place is there to enjoy fresh seafood than at The Beach on Northwest Florida’s gulf coast.

Take a fish or shellfish to lunch when you show up at one of the many fall foodie festivals taking place all across the 227-mile coastline of The Beach. Local chefs will be cooking up everything from shrimp to barbecue to German sausages.

The action starts in late September each year and continues through the month of November. Join thousands of visitors who venture to these sugar-sand shores for great food, fine wine and live music.

Here you’ll find fish and shellfish boiled, fried, blackened, sautéed, raw and as the featured item in many original culinary creations.

Check out competitions between the best local cooks, mouth-watering recipes from area restaurants as well as the best vintage wines  and home brews.  The festivals are like one long progressive dinner and everyone’s invited.

Grab a handful of napkins, check out the menu and dig in to fall culinary travel at The Beach.

Here are the appetizers.

32^nd Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival - September 25-27, 2009

Hours: Friday, Sept. 25, Noon – 11 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 27, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Seville Square in downtown Pensacola, 850-433-6512

www.fiestaoffiveflags.org/SeafoodFestival or www.visitpensacola.com

Tthe Pensacola Seafood Festival is one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s “Top 20 Events in the Southeast,” and one of the largest events in Florida, with over 100,000 in attendance.

Area chefs offer selections that include fried grouper, blackened mahi mahi, and Pensacola crab ball, while festival goers enjoy the arts and crafts of over 175 vendors. Live music by a dozen local bands, cooking demonstrations, a 5K walk/run, a Splash Dog competition and children’s activities make this three-day event an area favorite.

Admission is free.

31^st Annual Destin Seafood Festival - October 2-4, 2009

Hours: Friday, Oct. 2, 4 - 10 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 4,

11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

HarborWalk Village on the Destin Harbor, 850-837-2711 www.destinchamber.com/destin/seafoodfestival.asp or www.destin-fwb.com

Also listed in the Southeast Tourism Society’s “Top 20 Events in the Southeast,” the Destin Seafood Festival offers fresh seafood prepared by some of the area’s most popular restaurants, while local bands share the stage with top national music makers.

This year’s headliners are Survivor and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

Children’s activities and arts and crafts booths overlook the Destin Harbor where the month-long Destin Fishing Rodeo takes place each October.

Festival goers can watch the afternoon weigh-ins on the docks as anglers compete for cash and prizes.

Around 36,000 people attend the three-day event.

Admission for all three days is $15, or you may purchase daily admission bands for $5 each for Friday and Sunday and $10 for Saturday.

Oktoberfest – October 2 & 3, 2009

Hours: Friday, Oct. 2, 5 – 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Grace Avenue, downtown Panama City, 850-785-2554

www.visitpanamacitybeach.com or www.panamacity.org

Dig out the lederhosen it’s Oktoberfest time.

Each year downtown Panama City is transformed into a German-style village, with accordion players, carnival rides, sausage eating contests and lots of food and local brews.

Tthis beer and brats fest annually attracts more than 25,000 people.  Family activities include clowns and face painting for the kids, and beer tastings and polka dancing for the grown-ups.

Admission is free.

3rd Annual Blue Jeans & BBQ – October 3, 2009

Hours: Saturday, Oct. 3, 3 – 9 p.m.

Hayes Ranch, 5097 Berryhill Road in Milton, 850-208-7122

http://support.covenanthospice.org/bluejeans/index.html or www.floridabeachestorivers.com

Both a food festival and a bull riding competition, Blue Jeans & BBQ shows off the country side of The Beach and includes arts and crafts vendors and children’s activities.

There are Kiddie Korral games from 3-7 p.m., and the bull riding competition from 7 - 9 p.m., as well as live entertainment, lots of down-home BBQ, and drawings.

Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

Tickets are $10 each prior to the event or $15 at the door. Children 5 and under are free.  All funds raised from the event go to Covenant Hospice.

Festa Italiana – October 9 & 10, 2009

Hours: Friday, Oct. 9, 5-9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Sons of Italy Lodge, 808 South Dr., Fort Walton Beach, 850-651-4008

www.destin-fwb.com

Hosted by the Sons of Italy Lodge #2422, Festa Italiana is an old fashioned street festival with authentic Italian food and live entertainment.

Admission is free.

St. George Island Oyster Spat Festival - October 9 & 10, 2009

Hours: (Eastern Time Zone) events at various times starting at 8 a.m.

St. George Island on the beach, 850-653-8678 (Franklin County TDC)

www.oysterspat.com or www.anaturalescape.com

Oysters reign supreme at this festival on St. George Island that includes a parade, a treasure hunt, live music and a 5K race.

Area residents are proud of their long-standing oystering, fishing and shrimping traditions, and with 90% of Florida oysters coming from the Apalachicola Bay, they have lots of facts about the humble mollusk.

For instance, an oyster spat is a baby oyster that has just passed the larva stage and has attached itself to its home base.  Who knew?

Festival goers can attach themselves to plates of oysters and other seafood at this two-day festival on the beach.

Panama City Beach Seafood, Wine & Music Festival - October 9-11, 2009

Hours: Friday, Oct. 9, 4 - 11 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11,

11 a.m. -11 p.m.

Frank Brown Park on Hwy 98 (Back Beach Road) across from Pier Park, Panama City Beach

www.panamacitybeachfest.com or www.visitpanamacitybeach.com

Combining three ever popular activities into one huge event, the Panama City Beach Seafood, Wine & Music Festival pairs daily wine tastings with celebrity chef exhibitions and nationally known performers in jazz, rock, reggae and country music.

The 2009 stars include Grand Funk Railroad, Julianne Hough, John Anderson, and STYX.

This celebration of seafood and fun also hosts a classic car show, antiques vendors, arts and crafts, and features wine from local and nationally recognized vineyards.

Bring a lawn chair or a blanket for the shows.

Advanced tickets start at $15 per person per day. Children 12 and under are free. Parking is $5 per car per day.

33^rd Annual Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival – October 16–18, 2009

Opening Hours: Friday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 17 at 9 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m.

Mullet Festival Grounds, State Road 85 North at College Blvd., Niceville

http://mulletfestival.com or www.destin-fwb.com

The main attractions for this fishy weekend are mullet and music, especially fried mullet, and country music by this year’s headliners, Blake Shelton, Chuck Wicks and Billy Ray Cyrus.

Named after the mullet, a fish found in abundance in the local waters, the Boggy Bayou Mullet festival features an arts and crafts show, a juried art show and handmade and decorated clothing in the Boutique area.

Additionally, more than 40,000 hungry mullet fans will consume up to 10 tons of this humble fish during the three-day festival along with seafood, international foods, Cajun and country cooking.

Admission is $10 per person and includes all entertainment. Children 11 and under are free.

11th Annual Mexico Beach Art & Wine Festival – October 17, 2009

Hours: Saturday, Oct. 17, 2 – 10 p.m.

Driftwood Inn, 2105 Highway 98, Mexico Beach, 850-648-8196

www.mexicobeach.com or www.visitgulf.com

The sleepy gulf coast town of Mexico Beach comes alive with fine artists and fine wine at the annual Mexico Beach Art & Wine Festival.

Over 30 artists from across the country display their artwork and vie for over $2,000 in prize money.

Patrons enjoy live entertainment while they peruse the artists’ works, sipping great wines and sampling great food from local restaurants.

Tickets are $10 per person and all proceeds go to Special Events of Mexico Beach.

Taste of The Beach - November 5-8, 2009

Hours: Events at various times and locations over four days

www.tasteofthebeachfla.com

The newest of the Northwest Florida food festivals, Taste of The Beach is like a progressive dinner, stretching through three gulf coast counties over a four day period.

Southern Wine & Spirits is the exclusive distributor for Taste of The Beach. They and their suppliers provide the wine for this culinary and cultural charity fund raiser which offers wine dinners and walk-about food events in various locations.

It all starts on Thursday, November 5 with Taste of The Destin Harbor, located at the Emerald Grande overlooking East Pass and the harbor in Destin.

From there progress to Taste of Bay at Pier Park in Panama City Beach, Seeing Red Wine Festival in Seaside, and Taste of The Beach & Charity Auction at the Hilton Sandestin Beach in Miramar Beach. Also included is the Telluride MountainFilm on Tour festival at Watercolor.

Ticket prices vary by event and proceeds benefit regional children’s advocacy and medical foundations.

46^th Annual Florida Seafood Festival - November 6 & 7, 2009

Hours: (Eastern Time Zone) Friday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Battery Park, downtown Apalachicola, 888-653-8011

www.floridaseafoodfestival.com or www.anaturalescape.com

Florida’s first and oldest seafood festival, established in 1963, the Florida Seafood Festival takes place in downtown historic Apalachicola at the mouth of the Apalachicola River.

The highlight of the two-day event is the Oyster Shucking Contest followed by the Oyster Eating Contest. Some participants have been known to eat as many as 300 oysters in the allotted 15 minutes of time.

Mounds of seafood prepared by local residents, arts and crafts, live music, blue crab races, a parade, the blessing of the fleet, and the crowning of Miss Florida Seafood Festival, make this piece of forgotten Florida a don’t-miss event.

Fall festival time in the Southeast

With the temperate Indian Summer days ahead of us, it's time for fall festivals and fairs.

The days are warm and pleasant, the nights have a crisp cool air, and the leaves are beginning to turn burnished gold, red and orange.

There is nothing as lovely (except perhaps the natural splendor of the countryside) as an afternoon taking in the food, the arts and crafts, and live entertainment at fall festivals and the Southeast has aplenty.

Whether you're a foodie or an arts enthusiast, there is really something for everyone - with festivals ranging in size from the downright homey crowds in the hundreds to the megascenes mobbed in the thousands.

Below is a list of only a very few from which to choose.

Get ready for your next roadtrip here.

Virginia

October 03, 2009

Vienna Oktoberfest

Vienna, Virginia

Live music, food, beer garden, free children's activities, children's entertainment stage, and marketplace

Contact for more information: 703-281-1333

October 10 -October 11, 2009   

Italian Festival

Williamsburg, Virginia

7th Annual Italian food specialties, wine tasting, Virginia wineries, arts & crafts, Kids Zone, Entertainment.

Contact for more information: 757-253-1396

October 10, 2009    

Oyster Festival

Chincoteague Island, Virginia

38th annual, All you can eat oysters, crabs, clams and more. Live entertainment, contests, lots of fun.

Contact for more information:   757-336-6161

North Carolina

October 03, 2009

Fall Festival & Chili Cook Off

Asheville, North Carolina

Historic McCormick Field is hosting the 1st Annual Fall Festival and Chili Cookoff!! live music, food 

Contact for more information: 828-258-2428

October 09 -October 10, 2009

Rowan Blues and Jazz Festival

Salisbury, North Carolina

Blues and Jazz performed by internationally and nationally renowned musicians and variety of vendors

Contact for more information:   704-636-2811

October 15-25

NC State Fair

Raleigh, NC

150th annual state fair, Midway rides, livestock and agriculture exhibits, horse show' live music, food & more.

Contact for more information: http://www.ncstatefair.org/2009/

South Carolina

October 03, 2009

Oktoberfest

Newberry, South Carolina

Food court, live entertainment, arts & crafts, free Kids Zone, & free parking

Contact for more information:  803-321-1015

October 10 -October 11, 2009

Art in the Park

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

37th annual arts festival in a park near the ocean.

Contact for more information: 843-448-7690

November 06 -November 07, 2009    

Collard Festival

Gaston, South Carolina

BBQ, entertainment, rides, dunking booth, auction, fireworks, antique cars

Contact for more information: 803-796-7725

Georgia

Oct 02 -Oct 04, 2009

Autumn Leaf Festival

Maysville, Georgia

Third largest festival in Georgia with entertainment all weekend and activities for all.

Contact for more information:  706-708-6409

Oct 03, 2009

Fiddles & Vittles

Warrenton, Georgia

Live country and bluegrass plus food vendors featuring preserves, honey, fresh produce, and made-to-order

Contact for more information:  706-465-9604

Oct 10 -Oct 11, 2009    

Taste of Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia

Tastes from over 70 restaurants, celebrity chef demos, VIP wine experience, kid's avenue and more

Contact for more information: 404-875-4434

Low Country Boil highlight of Eagle Island Getaway

It's officially autumn, but the Southeast is the perfect place to head when you just have to squeeze in one last getaway before the weather turns cold and recalcitrant.

If you've only experienced Hilton Head or Kiawah Island off the South Carolina coast, look a little deeper South for an experience more rustic, more authentic and definitely more relaxed - the Private Islands of Georgia's Eagle Island.

Whether you're looking to disappear with someone special or with a group of friends, this secluded 10-acre getaway is a find. Getaways can be customized.

Accessible only by boat, guests enjoy the spectacular Georgia salt marsh eco system, offshore/inshore fishing, blue crabbing, coastal cruises or full moon weekends in complete privacy. A 10-foot wraparound screened porch with hot tub and an outdoor fire pit are perfect for idling.

For those who can't leave their technology behind, there is WiFi and Direct TV. Rates start at $400 per couple per night. Round-trip boat transportation is provided with each visit.

Get owner Capt. Andy Hill to put on a low country boil for the end to a long and perfect autumn day on the coast. Wild Georgia shrimp, Andouille sausage, carrots, potatoes and corn make for some good Southern eating. Serve with deep dish corn bread and a few cold bottles of Reisling.

Low Country Boil

You don't have to be in the low country to enjoy this seasonal Southern shore specialty.

Note - outdoor gas cookers are typically used. A large pot on the range can also be used when outdoor gas cookers are not available. 

Fill a large pot with water. Leave enough room in the pot to accommodate the food in order to prevent over boiling. Bring water to a boil.

Next, prepare the Private Islands of Georgia Seasoning Blend (recipe below) and add to boiling water.

Note - Old Bay Seasoning can be substituted for the Private Islands of Georgia Seasoning Blend if desired

Private Islands of Georgia SPECIAL Seasoning Blend

Ingredients

2 sticks butter

1 cup black pepper

1/2 cup red pepper

1 cup garlic salt

1/2 cup seasoning salt

1/2 cup celery salt

10 lemons, halved and juiced

10 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

Melt butter in large sauce pan on low to medium heat.

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir with wire whisk. Pour contents of mixing bowl into melted butter and stir with wire whisk until well blended.

Pour fresh squeezed lemon juice into pan and stir. Add jalapeno pepper slices and stir. Add mixture to boiling water.

Low Country Boil  Ingredients

Note - other ingredients that can be added to personal taste are rutabagas, sweet potatoes, crabs, crawfish or the 'kitchen sink' - whatever textures and flavors you love

4 pounds shrimp

2 packages Andouille sausage cut into 1" slices - or substitute your favorite brand

8 onions, peeled and halved

16 new potatoes

4 ears of corn, halved

small bag of baby carrots

After adding the Private Islands of Georgia Seasoning Blend to the boiling water, you are now ready to add the remaining ingredients.

The food items are added in order of longest to shortest to cook.

First, add the potatoes and boil 10 minutes. Next, add the carrots, sausage and whole onions. Return to boil. Add corn and return to boil. Then, add the shrimp last. Cook until shrimp are pink in color, approximately 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp.

Have on hand extras like cocktail sauce, lemon wedges and don't forget plenty of napkins.

$20 gets $40 Groupon at Velvet Cigar Lounge

You can’t puff on planes and you can’t light up in the library—today’s Groupon is your last chance to save the rarefied preserve of the endangered cigar consumer.

Velvet Cigar Lounge is one of the few remaining smoking sanctuaries where these gentlemanly creatures can enjoy delicious hand-rolled tubes of tobacco goodness in unharried comfort.

Save the species by taking advantage of today’s deal: $20 gets you $40 worth of the Velvet Cigar Line of Cuban-seeded joy.

As always read the fine print.

Triple chocolate-cookie trifle cake easy to make

There is nothing I like better than a delicious dessert which looks fabulous and makes me look like a kitchen genie. 

I don't know about you, but I love looking like I slaved over a dessert when really I barely spent an hour mixing and stirring and molding. 

This is that cake.  It's gorgeous. Anyone - no matter your expertise in the kitchen - can make this creamy, dreamy dessert.

The Triple Chocolate-Cookie Trifle Cake is a keeper.

Adapted from a recipe in Southern Living.

Yield Makes 10 to 12 servings

Triple Chocolate-Cookie Trifle Cake

Ingredients

* 4 cups heavy cream, divided

* 1 1/2 (4-oz) bittersweet chocolate baking bars, chopped

* 1 (4-oz) white chocolate baking bar, chopped

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 (12.5-oz) package assorted Pepperidge Farm cookies

* 1 (18-oz) package Oreo cookies

* 2 tablespoons Kahlua  (optional)

* 1 (6-oz) container fresh raspberries

Preparation

Let cream come to room temperature before preparing the cake's filling.

Microwave 1/2 cup cream at HIGH 30 seconds to 1 minute or until hot (do not boil). Place bittersweet chocolate in a large bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate, and stir until smooth.

Repeat procedure with 1/4 cup cream and white chocolate.

If chocolate does not melt completely after stirring, microwave at HIGH for 10-second intervals until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Stir 1/2 tsp. vanilla into each chocolate mixture until well blended. 

Beat remaining cream at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until medium peaks form. Gently fold one-half of whipped cream into cool bittersweet chocolate mixture. Fold remaining whipped cream into cool white chocolate mixture.

In food processor, crush half the package of Oreos. Sprinkle crushed cookies on the bottom of a lightly greased 9-inch springform pan, then spread half of bittersweet chocolate mixture over the crushed cookies. Arrange Pepperidge Farm cookies around sides of pan (about 19 cookies). Note: You might wish to buy an extra package of cookies in case of damage or breakage. 

Process the remaining Oreos and spread over the bittersweet chocolate, then spread the white chocolate

mixture over this layer. Drizzle with liqueur, if desired.

Spread the remaining bittersweet chocolate mixture over the crushed cookies.Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.

Remove sides from pan. Mound raspberries in center of trifle. Raspberries may be brushed with a glaze.

Raspberry Glaze: Combine 3 Tbsp. seedless raspberry jam and 2 tsp. water in a small glass bowl. Microwave at HIGH 10 to 15 seconds or until smooth.

Layering the chocolate cream filling.

Ready to chill for 8-24 hours.

Finished Triple Chocolate Cookie Trifle Cake