Chocolate‑Toffee Bark via America's Test Kitchen

This was a big hit this Christmas, so thought I'd better post it! 

Source: America’s Test Kitchen

Time: 1½ hours
Yield: About 1½ pounds (Serves 24)

Ingredients

Toffee Base

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup (7 oz / 198 g) sugar
• 3 tablespoons corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped (divided)

Chocolate Coating

• 8 ounces (227 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped fine (divided)

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Before You Begin

• You’ll need a thermometer capable of reading high temperatures.
• A greased aluminum‑foil sling is essential for removing the sticky toffee from the pan.

Instructions

1. Prepare the Pan

• Create a foil sling using two sheets of foil, 13 and 9 inches wide
• Make a sling, spray with vegetable oil spray.

2. Cook the Toffee

1. Heat butter and water in a medium saucepan over medium‑high until melted.
2. Add sugar, corn syrup, and salt.
3. Bring to a boil and cook without stirring until sugar dissolves and syrup turns faintly golden (10–14 minutes).
4. Reduce heat to medium‑low; cook, swirling gently, until amber and 310–320°F* (2–4 minutes).
5. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup nuts (or more!).
6. Pour into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
7. Cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes).

3. Coat the First Side with Chocolate

1. Microwave 3 oz chocolate at 50% power, stirring often, until two‑thirds melted (1–2 minutes).
2. Add 1 oz chocolate and stir until fully melted (microwave in 5‑second bursts only if needed).
3. Spread over cooled toffee.
4. Sprinkle with ½ cup nuts and press lightly.
5. Refrigerate uncovered until set (about 15 minutes).

4. Flip and Coat the Second Side

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Lift toffee from pan using foil sling; invert onto sheet and remove foil.
3. Repeat chocolate‑melting process with remaining 4 oz chocolate.
4. Spread over toffee; top with remaining ½ cup nuts.
5. Refrigerate uncovered until set (about 15 minutes).

5. Finish

• Break into rough squares and serve.
• Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

*Original recipe says 350-360, but the consensus is that is too high, though Lan Lam sticks by 350 - 360! I pulled it when it turned medium - dark amber. It was great.

Cod-Potato Fritters

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
• Some form of cod (See note)
• 1 small onion, very finely minced
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 2–3 tbsp (or more!) chopped parsley (or chives)
• 2–4 tbsp all-purpose flour (as needed to bind - optional)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional, for extra lightness)
• Salt and black pepper
• Neutral oil for shallow or deep frying
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Prep the potato and cod

• Peel, dice and boil potatoes in well-salted water until very tender, 12–15 minutes. Drain, then return to the hot pot a minute to steam off excess moisture.
• At the same time, open the cod tin or jar. (Or poach the cod if using fresh) (I reserved the cod EVOO and used it to sauté the onion and garlic, and saved the rest for a dog food enhancement!)
• Drain cod well, and flake finely with a fork, removing any stray bones.

Make the fritter mixture

• In a pan, sauté the minced onion and garlic in a little (cod) oil over medium heat until soft and just starting to color; cool slightly.
• Mash potatoes until smooth (a few small lumps are fine).
• In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, flaked cod, sautéed onion/garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Add eggs and mix until evenly combined.
• Sprinkle in 2 tbsp flour and baking powder; mix. If the mixture feels too soft to hold a loose ball or quenelle, add more flour a tablespoon at a time until it holds but is still soft and moist.

Fry the fritters

• Heat thin layer of oil (I used avocado, but could use EVOO) in a heavy pan on medium heat.
• Using two spoons or a small scoop, hand form portions (I went football shaped), and gently lower into the oil, not crowding the pan.
• Fry 3–5 minutes on one side, then flip and smash down a bit with a spatula. Get both sides deep golden brown and crisp. You’ll likely need to replenish the frying oil.
• Transfer to paper towels and lightly salt while hot.
• You can then put these into a baking dish to reheat or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Theoretically, you could make these a day before and reheat in the oven.

Note

We had a tin of fancy cod in EVOO and garlic via Meredith and a small jar of cod in EVOO (Callipo brand from PennMac). We thought this worked out great and saved us from buying a massive slab of salted baccala and soaking it for 3 days! Some recipes do use baccala, of course or even fresh cod can work.

Feast of the Seven Fishes, 2025 Edition

 

This year's line up:

1. Smoked Trout Dip

2. Smoked Salmon Crostini with Ricotta Herb Spread

3. Cod-Potato Fritters

3. Caesar Salad with anchovy Caesar dressing

4. Pasta with Karen's Tuna Sauce

5. Shrimp Fra Diavolo

6. Crab Cakes

7 Izzie's Fried Flounder

Smoked Trout Dip / Potted Smoked Trout (le Budget le Gourmet)

 via (RecipeTin Eats) (with slight modifications)

Ingredients

• 1 stick / 4 oz / 120 g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
• 1 eschallot (golden shallot), finely diced (Note 1)(We used regular old shallots)
• 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
• Rind of 1 lemon, very finely grated (yellow part only)
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 lb / 500 g (we used about 8 oz) whole smoked trout
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 4 oz / 120 g crème fraîche (or full‑fat sour cream — Note 2)
• 1 tbsp cream (full‑fat, not whipped)
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp chives, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. CLEAN THE TROUT: remove as many bones as possible!
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted. Pour 2/3 into a bowl and set aside.
3. Add shallot, garlic, and lemon rind to the pan. Cook gently for 3–5 minutes until soft and translucent (do not brown).
4. Remove the skin from the trout and discard. Remove the flesh, avoiding bones, and place in a bowl. Flake with a fork and discard bones.
5. Pour the shallot‑butter mixture over the trout.
6. Add lemon juice, cayenne pepper, crème fraîche, cream, and herbs. Stir gently to combine.
7. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed (trout is often salty already).
8. Spoon into jars or ramekins (1 large, 2 medium, or 4 small). Smooth the surface.
9. Pour the reserved butter over the top to cover.
10. Refrigerate to set. (Original recipe suggested freezing 5–10 minutes, but this caused cracking.)
11. Serve the same day or make up to one week in advance. Serve with fresh or toasted bread.

Notes

1. Shallots: Golden/french shallots look like small, pointy onions. Scallions, spring onions, or regular onions can be substituted — use about 2 tbsp very finely diced.
2. Crème fraîche substitute: Full‑fat sour cream is a very close substitute. Do not use low‑fat.
3. Butter seal: The butter layer seals the spread and keeps it fresh for up to a week.
4. Make ahead: Best made at least a day ahead; flavor improves with time.

Karen’s and Karen’s Mom’s Tuna Sauce

 Ingredients

2 or 3 cans of good tuna in oil, preferable Italian (We use Genova brand Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Costco) Drain the oil off the tuna and set aside to sauté the veg.

1 small to medium sized carrot, finely diced

1 medium sized onion, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

Salt

2 - 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced

Crushed red pepper, to taste

1 large or 2 small bay leaves

1 - 2 tbls chopped capers

Tomatoes: 

1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes (like La Valle brand from PennMac)

1 bottle passata (like Mutti or La Valle)

OR for faster prep, shorter simmer time:

2 (28 oz.) cans Hunt’s Tomato Sauce (not puree)

Procedure
1. Heat the reserved tuna oil in a 2- to 3-quart nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, and some salt, and cook until carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Add crushed red pepper, bay leaf and garlic, sauté 2 minutes or so and then quickly add…

2. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and passata into the pot. Crush tomatoes with a potato masher or by hand. Bring to a simmer, and season lightly with more salt to taste. After 15 minutes, add the tuna and capers. Lower the heat so sauce is at a lively simmer, and cook until somewhat thick, about 30 minutes. (We like more cooked flavor, but if you like it less cooked, cook it less).

3. Taste sauce, and season with salt and red pepper if necessary. Serve over pasta of choice.

Meatless Lasagna

 This meatless lasagna recipe adapts from several recipes, linked at the bottom and adds corn starch to the cheese mixture for extra creaminess, courtesy Cook's Illustrated Vegetable Lasagna recipe.

Note: could layer in sauteed spinach or mushrooms or both in here as well.

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 5–6 cups marinara sauce (store‑bought or homemade)

For the Cheese Filling

• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 15 oz cottage cheese (full‑fat recommended)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp corn starch
• Salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg to taste

For the Béchamel

• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp all‑purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk, warmed
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Assembly

• 12 lasagna noodles (uncooked)
• 3–4 cups shredded fresh mozzarella cheese³⁴

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Béchamel Instructions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1–2 minutes to form a roux without browning. Slowly pour in warm milk while whisking constantly until the sauce thickens, about 5–7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.²

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Cheese Filling Instructions

In a bowl, combine ricotta, cottage cheese, egg, parsley, Parmesan, corn starch, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth and well blended for optimal creaminess.¹

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Assembly and Baking

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 cup marinara in a 9×13‑inch baking dish. Layer 4–6 uncooked noodles, 1 cup marinara, one‑third of the cheese filling, one‑third of the béchamel, and 1 cup mozzarella.

Repeat layers twice more, topping the final layer with remaining marinara, béchamel, and mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 30–40 minutes until golden and bubbly. Let rest 15–20 minutes before serving.³²

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Citations

1. Ricotta Cheese Lasagna with Marinara Sauce — Familystyle Food
   https://familystylefood.com/ricotta-cheese-lasagna/
2. Homemade Lasagna with Bechamel + Video — Kevin is Cooking
   https://keviniscooking.com/best-lasagna-recipe-bechamel/
3. Easy Lasagna Recipe (with VIDEO) — Natasha’s Kitchen
   https://natashaskitchen.com/lasagna-recipe/
4. Mom's Cottage Cheese Lasagna — NeighborFood
   https://neighborfoodblog.com/cottage-cheese-lasagna/