KITCHEN HACK: HOW TO RIPEN OR SOFTEN AN AVOCADO QUICKLY

Did you know that we Americans will consume more than eight million pounds of guacamole on Super Bowl Sunday? Wow---That is a lot guac!

Many of you use store-bought guacamole but there is no need--guacamole is one of the easiest recipes to master and tweak to your own taste. All guacamole recipes begin with ripe avocados and therefore requires some planning. Get my CREAMY PARTY GUACAMOLE RECIPE...

If you are making the guacamole that day, you will need to purchase ripe avocados which are that dark purple-black color, are somewhat firm but the skin yields to gentle pressure. Avoid over soft or blemished fruit.

Store not quite ripe avocados in a brown paper bag for 2-5 days before you use them to insure they are ripe. Refrigerate already ripe avocados- this will prolong their life by a day or two.

There are two hacks you can use to ripen avocado at home: 

BROWN BAG METHOD

Since avocados release a natural ethylene gas, storing them in a paper bag will promote the ripening process. Adding whole apples or kiwi to the bag will actually speed up the process. The more apples or kiwi you add to the bag, the faster the avocado will ripen. Check the avocado daily and move to the refrigerator if they begin to ripen too quickly.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

The first two avocados are hard and bright green. To ripen, simply put them into a clean brown paper bag along with a whole apple or kiwi. Seal the bag and store for 24 hours in a warm, dry spot. You should find the avocados perfectly ripened when you open the bag. To cut the avocados, use a sharp knife and cut lengthwise to the pit on both sides. Twist the two halves away from each other and they will separate. Use your tap the pit with your knife and it will come out easily.

OVEN-FOIL METHOD

Here is another hack you can use to quickly soften a hard avocado. (Note: The flavor and the consistency of a softened avocado will not be the same as a ripe avocado.) To quickly soften a hard avocado, wrap it tightly in foil (trapping the ethylene gas) and place in a 200° Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes. Check the avocado like you would a baked potato; prick the surface with a knife or fork to check it and return it to the oven if it hasn’t softened sufficiently. Depending on the size of the avocado, this may take up to 45 minutes. Allow it to cool completely before cutting.

RECIPE: SUPER CREAMY GUACAMOLE

Guacamole is one of those recipes that is perfect for just about any get-together because it is easy to make, avocados are readily available year ‘round, you can make it on the fly as your guests watch (it is always fun when restaurants make guacamole tableside), and best of all, everyone loves it! My version includes a bit of cayenne and a little cream cheese which gives it a slightly smoother consistency and a bit of a Southern flair. You can most certainly omit the cream cheese for a healthier option.

You might notice I kept the outer peel of the avocados intact and spooned the guacamole into them so that each guest has their own individual serving-- that way, there's no hovering over a shared bowl and little risk of double dipping!

Since guacamole requires ripened avocados, you will need to plan your shopping trip a few days prior to making the recipe since you can never find a ripe avocado in the store when you need one!

Learn how to ripen or soften an avocado quickly using one of these easy methods...

PERFECT PARTY GUACAMOLE

INGREDIENTS

4 large ripe Haas avocados, peeled, seed removed, and cubed

2 limes, juiced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch cayenne pepper

Pinch granulated sugar

4 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

2 medium Roma tomatoes, diced fine

1 medium white onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ of a small Serrano pepper, seeded and minced (a Jalapeno pepper can be substituted)

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (optional) 

DIRECTIONS:

Toss the avocado with the lime juice. Drain the lime juice, reserving 2 tablespoons. In a large bowl, add 1 avocado, the cream cheese and the salt, pepper, cumin, sugar, and cayenne plus 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice and blend together so the cream cheese is not visible. Add the remaining avocado and 1 more tablespoon of the lime juice and coarsely mash with a fork or potato masher. Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine.

Serve immediately with warm tortilla chips or toasted pita bread wedges.

RECIPE: MY CHOCOLATE ROULAGE (ROULADE) FROM FOOD NETWORK STAR

For my niece Sarah, who loves this roulage and asks me to make it for her for every holiday.

Back many years ago, there was a Birmingham restaurant called Cobb Lane located on a quaint cobblestone alley. Owned and operated by a woman named Virginia Cobb and featuring Southern specialties like Chicken Supreme, Chicken Divan, She-Crab soup, and homemade yeast rolls,  many of us celebrated our special occasions there. Birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers and most often, bridal showers and bridesmaids luncheons were held there and always ended with Mrs. Cobb's famous Chocolate Roulage. My own bridesmaids' luncheon was there, and of course, we had Roulage for dessert.

I have made this recipe for years so when I was tossed a curveball on Food Network Star and found no ice cream freezer on set that day, I made the roulage instead of the chocolate cake and ice cream I originally intended to make for the judges. Happily, it won rave reviews and with a little help from my teammate Justin Warner, I got it onto the plates in the nick of time. Be sure to chill it properly before slicing so it holds together.

Make this roulage for Christmas Eve and it will become one of your family traditions. PS-I normally omit the bourbon when I make this recipe for the family.

CHOCOLATE ROULAGE

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes plus 30 minutes cool time and chill 2 hours before serving

INGREDIENTS

Softened unsalted butter, for greasing baking sheet and parchment paper

5 egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon espresso or strong, black coffee

5 egg whites

1 cup cocoa powder

2 cups heavy cream

 2 teaspoons Confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup bourbon (optional)

seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean

1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Farenheit. Trim a sheet of parchment paper to fit a half-sheet pan or baking sheet. Make sure there is at least 1" excess all the way around after you fit it to the pan.

FOR THE CAKE: Butter the baking sheet, including the sides and corners. Line with the parchment paper and smooth it with your hands. Pull the paper up and flip it so both sides are now buttered.  

Fit a stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium speed until fluffy and the sugar is not gritty, about 10-12 minutes.

While the eggs are beating, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl and melt it over a double boiler. When chocolate is melted, remove from heat, let it cool a bit. Sit the bowl in some cool water for a few minutes, if necessary.

Incorporate the egg mixture into the slightly warm chocolate by adding a little at a time to temper the mixture, so you don't cook the eggs. Add vanilla and espresso.

In a clean bowl, and using a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Incorporate 1/4 of egg whites into the chocolate mixture by carefully folding the whites into the chocolate, taking care not to deflate the whites. Fold the remaining whites into the chocolate but make sure not to have any white streaks in the batter nor deflate the whites.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan bake at 325° for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread a dampened tea towel or several dampened paper towels over the top of the cake and let it sit for 30 minutes. Change out the towels if they dry out.

FOR THE FILLING: While the cake is cooling, whip the cream in a clean bowl using the whip attachment. Whip the cream, Confectioners’ sugar, bourbon, vanilla bean and vanilla on medium speed until stiff peaks form. (Bourbon and vanilla bean is optional)

TO ASSEMBLE: Use the parchment paper to help you roll the cake. Using a fine sieve or sifter, sprinkle ½ cup of cocoa powder over the top of the cake. Spread the whipped cream mixture over the top, leaving 1 inch on each side. Rolling lengthwise, use the edge of the parchment paper, carefully roll the cake creating a jellyroll effect, tuck and roll as you go, peeling back the paper along the way. Put the rolled cake seam side down and very lightly dust the whole cake with the remaining cocoa powder. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. You might even put the cake in the freezer for an hour before serving so it is easy to slice.

To serve, slice cake with a serrated knife and place on chilled plates. Garnish with a light dusting of cocoa powder and fresh berries.

Yield: 1 roulage, about 8 slices