GNO! Girls Night Out! But sometimes, GNI, Girls Night In can be so much more fun! Especially when one of your girlfriends has a backyard that whisks you away to paradise just like in the Calgon bubble bath commercial and everyone’s a foodie so you know you’ll probably discover a new taste treat. Pair this with conversations that make you think and laugh and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect evening! It’s relaxing and satisfying. Conversations float on peaceful breezes with the “If you could…have any job, live anywhere in the world, live in any time in history….what would you pick” woven into them. Sometimes you need to kick up your heels and get out on the town. Then there’s those times when you crave the intimate conversations which can only be had in the company of your girlfriends. So next time you plan a get together with the girls, why not plan a GNI instead?!
Last Friday we did just that! We decided to hang out at home. So, we divvy up the duties to make it easy on everyone. Chrissy, with the spectacular home and resort like backyard, would provide the perfect venue for relaxation, tasting and sipping. Always the consumate hostess, she offered to make a cheese platter for us to share. Much to my delight, Chrissy has a cheese wheel curler and she included this wonderful device for slicing cheese. You turn the crank to transform a wheel of semi-soft cheese into beautiful rosettes of cheese. This little marvel, and party talk instigator, is always a hit at any gathering.
Heidi jumped in and offered to bring slices of fresh fruit. Apples, pears, raspberries and kiwi along with dried mandarin orange segments. Now, if you have never tried these little jewels, you’re missing out on a sweet, tart little treat with a huge burst of flavor. At this point I ask, “What should I bring?” and Heidi says, “Nuts! You can bring a variety of nuts.” Our friend Amanda bursts out laughing and says to Heidi, “Are you nuts?” “Think about who you are talking to!” We all laugh, because my friends know I never miss an opportunity to use them as guinea pigs and try out a new recipe!
What would a girls night in be without some wine? Amanda steps up and offers the wine. I know this is going to be wine worth savoring because Amanda has become quite the wine lover and collector over the years. And she doesn’t disappoint. We start out with Muralia Babone Maremma Toscana, a Sangiovese Blend from the Tuscany region of Italy. Very nice, easy to drink wine. Next we move on to our favorite wine of the night. Conte Calevi Campania Aglianico made from the Aglianico grape from the Campania region of Italy. A full bodied, fruit forward wine that is right in my wine wheel house! The Aglianico vine originated in Greece and was brought to the south of Italy by Greek settlers. No wonder this wine spoke to Heidi with her Greek heritage!
With all of our bases covered, the only thing we needed was dessert. Since we were having red wine it made sense that the dessert should be something with chocolate in it. Even if we weren’t having wine, which I can’t imagine that either, chocolate would be an essential. Oh, what to make……Amanda and I are chocolate lovers but Heidi loves citrus. When posed with a question of one or the other, I always ask, why not both? My contribution for the evening was a decadent dark chocolate cup filled with an orange cheesecake mousse topped with a triple berry compote. This should satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth!
Orange Cheesecake Mousse in Chocolate Dessert Cups
Shave the chocolate from the bar with a serrated knife. The smaller the pieces the faster it will melt so it’s worth a little time up front to shave thinly. Cutting the chocolate on an angle makes it easier to shave into thin pieces.
Bring water to a low simmer in a small pot. Place a glass or metal bowl on top of the pot. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. Add the shaved chocolate and slowly stir with a rubber spatula until melted and smooth. Completely melted, no lumps or you will have lumpy hearts!
Pour about 2 tablespoons of the melted chocolate into the bottom of the silicon heart mold.
Starting at the “v”, roll the chocolate around to the point and up the other side until the chocolate has coated the bottom and the sides.
If you use the Wilton Silicon Heart Baking Cups, there is a line inside the mold that is the perfect height for the chocolate. Leave enough room at the top of each mold to grip the inside of the liner when it comes time to remove the mold.
Repeat this step with each silicon heart mold.
Place the coated silicone heart molds in the refrigerator and chill to set, about 5-10 minutes.
To remove the cups from the molds, carefully peel back each mold until the cup pops out. Start at the “v” of the heart (not the point) and peel back the mold. Make sure to roll all the sides down so they don’t snap back or the sides of the cup will crack.
Use the silicon liner to place the chocolate heart cup on the tray so your warm fingers don’t melt the chocolate. Chill in an airtight container until ready to fill. When you add the filling, it should also be chilled so it doesn’t melt the chocolate cups. Place the filled cups back in the refrigerator and keep chilled until ready to serve.
Orange Cheesecake Mousse
Zest the orange. Cara Cara oranges have a wonderful intense flavor, if you can find them. If not, any juicy, ripe orange will do the trick.
Combine powdered sugar, orange juice, and cream cheese in a food processor and process until smooth. Or blend in a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add yogurt, vanilla and orange zest and process until mixture is light and fluffy.
Pipe in to chocolate cups. Chill for at least 1-2 hours for creamy filling. Filling will firm up to a more cheesecake like texture the longer it chills; 4-6 hours.
Top with berry compote.
Triple Berry Compote
In a medium saucepan, add the triple berry mixture, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. The berries look like the frozen jewels!
Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and is syrupy about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a small bowl and let cool slightly. Add raspberries and stir to coat berries. Chill compote in the refrigerator until ready to use.
*I use Trader Joe’s chocolate. I recommend using a good quality semi-sweet chocolate that melts well. You can also use chocolate chips and add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.
Life is sweetest when shared! Remember to Live every Moment, Laugh every Day and Love beyond Words!
- 6 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I use Trader Joe’s 72% chocolate bar)
- 8 ounces Neufchatel (1/3 less fat) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 5.3 ounce container of Chobani Vanilla Greek yogurt
- Zest of orange
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 cups frozen mixed berries (I used Trader Joe’s Triple Berry Mix)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
- Chocolate Cups: Shave the chocolate from the bar with a serrated knife. The smaller the pieces the faster it will melt so it’s worth a little time up front to shave thinly. Cutting the chocolate on an angle makes it easier to shave into thin pieces.
- Bring water to a low simmer in a small pot. Place a glass or metal bowl on top of the pot. Don’t let the bowl touch the water.
- Add the shaved chocolate and slowly stir with a rubber spatula until melted and smooth. No lumps.
- Pour about 2 tablespoons of the melted chocolate into the bottom of the silicon heart mold. Starting at the “v”, roll the chocolate around to the point and up the other side until the chocolate has coated the bottom and the sides. If you use the Wilton heart molds, there is a line inside the mold that is the perfect height for the chocolate. Leave enough room at the top of each mold to grip the inside of the liner when it comes time to remove the mold.
- Repeat this step with each silicon mold.
- Place the coated silicone molds in the refrigerator and chill to set, about 5-10 minutes.
- To remove the cups from the molds, carefully peel back each mold until the cup pops out. Start at the “v” of the heart (not the point) and peel back the mold. Make sure to roll all the sides down so they don’t snap back or the sides of the cup will crack.
- Use the silicon liner to place the chocolate heart cup on the tray so your warm fingers don't melt the chocolate. Chill in an airtight container until ready to fill. When you add the filling, it should also be chilled so it doesn't melt the chocolate cups. Place the filled cups back in the refrigerator and keep chilled until ready to serve.
- Orange Cheesecake Mousse: Combine powdered sugar, orange juice, and cream cheese in a food processor and process until smooth. Or blend in a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add yogurt, vanilla and orange zest and process until mixture is light and fluffy.
- Pipe in to chocolate cups. Chill for at least 1-2 hours for creamy filling. Filling will firm up to a more cheesecake like texture the longer it chills; 4-6 hours.
- Top with berry compote.
- Triple Berry Compote: In a medium saucepan, add the triple berry mixture, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and is syrupy about 10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool slightly. Add raspberries and stir to coat berries. Chill compote in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- I use Trader Joe’s chocolate. I recommend using a good quality semi-sweet chocolate that melts well. You can also use chocolate chips and add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.
Wow! My mouth is watering just reading the menu. Your dessert sounds fabulous.
Menu sounds like the perfect night in!