Pink Contessas Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, shallots and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the shallots are beginning to turn golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the chile flakes and cook an additional 2 minutes.
• Add the ravioletti to the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes, or 2 minutes less than package instructions.
• Meanwhile, add the wine to the pan with the shallot mixture and reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and cream and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the ravioletti from the water and add them straight to the skillet. Before stirring, sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Stir the ravioletti into the sauce.
• Top with the basil and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan before serving.

Steps:

• If you like a salt rim on the glasses, rub the lime around the edge of the glass and then dip the rim of each glass lightly in a plate of kosher salt. Set aside to dry.
• Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange liqueur, and ice in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a large pitcher and stir in the tequila. If youre not serving the margaritas in salted glasses, stir 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the pitcher of margaritas. Believe me, it will make a difference!
• Serve ice cold.

Steps:

• Place the lemon juice, sugar, ice, water, and grenadine in a blender and process until completely smooth. Place a cherry in the bottom of 6 glasses and pour the lemon juice mixture in the glass. Serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan, a 6-inch cake pan, and a 3-inch cake pan.
• To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until smooth. Finish mixing by hand to be sure the batter is well mixed. Proportionately divide the batter between the 3 cake pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula, and bake as follows: the 9-inch pan for 45 minutes, the 6-inch pan for 35 to 40 minutes and the 3-inch pan for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean in each cake. Cool in the pans to room temperature.
• For the frosting, cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Add the food coloring and turn the mixer off. Using a spatula, fully incorporate the color into the frosting.
• Frost each cake separately, saving some frosting for decoration. Chill the cakes before stacking.
• Place the 9-inch cake on a plate. Center the 6-inch cake on top of the 9-inch cake. Center the 3-inch cake on top of the 6-inch cake.
• For the decoration, pipe or spoon the remaining frosting around the base of each cake and around the top edge of the 3-inch cake. Finish decorating with the pieces of candy.

Steps:

• Fill 4 martini glasses with ginger ale.
• Add a splash of maraschino cherry juice to each glass.
• Garnish each drink with 2 maraschino cherries.