Valencia Mocha Tiramisu

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Just days before this challenge was posted I was telling a friend that I had never had tiramisu.  I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t enjoy the soggy biscuits or the strong coffee flavour.  Even with these doubts I was excited to try my hand at making it.

My Valencia Mocha Tiramisu is inspired by my husband who I think is one of the few people who ever got a valencia mocha at Starbucks.  He loves the flavour combination of chocolate and orange but I am not a huge fan of chocolate and orange.  Because I love him (and I need him to help me eat it) I decided to go with chocolate and orange.

The first element of this challenge was making our own mascarpone choose.  I was happy that I had made cheese before so that it wasn’t a completely new task, although mascarpone is different than the paneer that I made before.  After a bit of struggle getting the milk to heat up I finally decided it was close enough and added the lemon juice to have it start thickening up.  After straining in the fridge overnight I was left with my first batch of home made mascarpone cheese.

While the mascarpone was in the fridge straining I made the zabaglione.  Zabaglione is something I have heard is easy to make but have never actually given it a try.  I decided to make the zabaglione citrus flavour by adding fresh squeezed orange juice instead of the wine or coffee.

For the mocha part of my Valencia Mocha Tiramisu I made chocolate pastry cream.  By adding some cocoa powder and chopped semi sweet chocolate it gave the pastry cream a nice rich flavour.

While all of the elements that needed to be cooled were in the fridge I went to making the savoiardi biscuits.  Having only worked with whipped egg whites on a few occasions I was a bit nervous about folding in flour for fear of over mixing.  The end result were pretty tasting an overall relatively easy.  If I was to make a tiramisu again I would probably make my own biscuits again.

I was a bit worried with the chocolate pastry cream when it was all chilled, because it was very rich but when it was mixed with the zabaglione and the whipping cream it toned down the flavour quite a bit and you were left with a wonderful orange chocolate flavour.

I was pretty happy with this months challenge.  I actually completed the challenge at the beginning of the month but didn’t end up actually blogging about it today, hence the very last blog post in the day.  I look forward to trying different combinations of flavours for future tiramisu in the future.

Mascarpone Cheese

2 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.

It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl.

Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.

Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

Zabaglione

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.

In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the orange juice, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.

Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.

Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

Pastry Cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup whole milk

Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.

Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

Whipping Cream

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

Assembling your Tiramisu

Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8″ by 8″ should do) or one of your choice.
Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.

Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.

Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.

To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

Every month the newest issue of Cooking Light comes out I get very excited.  As I have mentioned before my issue gets delivered to my mom’s house in the states so I can only get it when I go down for a visit.  I have a ritual when I comes to reading this magazine which entails flipping through the magazine quickly glancing at all the recipes and articles.  The second time through the magazine I look at all of the recipes and starting thinking about the ones I want to make.  My third pass through the magazine involves reading all of the articles that I previously skipped over. 

My favourite part about this magazine is that after I have made my three passes through the magazine and decided the ones I am going to make the upcoming week I put it on the shelf with the rest of them and wait for the day I come back to it for inspiration.  Some weeks I don’t make anything from Cooking Light and other weeks I am a crazy person and make 2 or 3 recipes.

The recipe I was inspired by this time was for Shrimp and Pine Nut Pasta from the October 09 issues.  I am always looking for recipes that have protein besides chicken and beef.  Growing up in the Pacific Northwest and than moving to the West Coast of Canada I have always lived near the sea and therefore have grown to love seafood.  This dish caught my attention because of it’s simplicity, I could just tell it was going to be a wonderful dish.

This dish will not disappoint you and I really recommend trying it out.  I look forward to taking this dish and added a bit of myself to it.

Shrimp and Pine Nut Pasta

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti

12 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 cup skim milk, divided

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta; cook 7 minutes. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done and pasta is al dente. Drain; keep warm.

While pasta cooks, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine 1/2 cup milk and flour in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Place pan over medium heat; gradually stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk. Stir in mustard and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Stir in salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add drained pasta mixture, cheese, and chopped basil, tossing gently to combine. Sprinkle with nuts and torn basil.

Many of you might have noticed that I have been missing lately.  I have been simply posting blogs for my Daring Baker’s but not really taking the time to post anything else.  I am having one of those times where I am just not inspired to blog.  I am not sure if it is that I have other things going on that take my attention or whether I was just tired of it all for a bit.

I am happy to say that I am back at it and looking forward to updating everyone on the happenings in my kitchen over the last few months.  I have been improving my picture taking skills with each new picture taken and trying new and different things in the kitchen.

I hope you all forgive me for being absent and continue to follow the adventures of The Reluctant Chef.

Nanaimo Bars

As a resident of British Columbia Canada I was excited to see a dessert that is not only a Canadian favourite but also a very BC oriented dessert.  Nanaimo bars are not something that I had heard of prior to moving to Canada, and even the first time I tried them I wasn’t all that impressed.

Not only was I new to nanaimo bars but also to gluten free baking, something that was a great element to this months challenge.  Lauren did a great job of finding a recipe that would challenge many of us to try a form of baking we hadn’t tried before.

Making our own graham crackers but gluten free was my favourite part of this months challenge.  I was happy to find all of the flours needed and was pleasantly surprised to find that the graham crackers were sooo yummy.  Gluten free baking tastes just as great, if not better, than regular baking.  After making the graham crackers I found myself sneaking bites because they were seriously that good.

Who knew?!?

As I was putting together the custard middle layer I thought I would try and make it even more ‘Canadian’ by making the middle layer a maple custard.  Something I have learned since moving to Canada is that people here are serious about their maple syrup.  And rightly so, it is really rather good.

This was truly a challenge this month as half way through the custard layer I realized that I was out of powdered sugar.  After a bit of researching on the internet I found that I could simply put regular sugar in my cuisinart and pulse it until it became powder.  How exciting!  If I was do make my own powdered sugar again I would make sure to pulse it longer as my sugar was still a bit granular.

A big thank you to Lauren for creating such a great challenge I really felt like my baking was challenged this month.  For the first month since starting Daring Baker’s I made them within the first week of the challenged being posted.  I was just so excited to try something new and exciting.

Gluten Free Graham Crackers

1 cup Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)

3/4 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour

1/2 cup Sorghum Flour

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed

1 teaspoon Baking soda

3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

7 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)

1/3 cup Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.

5 tablespoons Whole Milk

2 tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.

Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.

Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.

Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.  Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.

When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

Nanaimo Bars

Bottom Layer

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter

1/4 cup Granulated Sugar

5 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa

1 Large Egg, Beaten

1 1/4 cups Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)

1/2 cup Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)

1 cup Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

Middle Layer

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons Heavy Cream

2 tablespoons Vanilla Custard Powder

2 cups Icing Sugar

Top Layer

4 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate

2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.

For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.

For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

When planning out my meals every week I like to ask my husband if there is anthing he would like to eat that week.  He is a very easy going guy especially when it comes to food so it definitely makes my job that much easier.

Most of the time he will throw out a few different ideas off the top of his head or even go as far as to do a little looking on the internet for inspiration.  The one dish that I can confidently say is one of his favourites is steak and mushrooms.  Whenever it gets suggested I am all for it because you really can’t go wrong with steak and mushrooms. 

So here is one of our favourite meals complete with my absolute favourite vegetable, brussel sprouts.  Add a glass of wine are your evening is complete.

Auntie Dort is a sort of adopted Grandma who has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  As my grandparents friend she has always been around for all of lifes big events.  Since my grandparents have passed away she has continued to be the grandma in our lives.

Every year Auntie Dort makes her famous almond roca and peanut butter fudge which are both amazing.  We try and visit her around the holidays and she always has a plate of fresh peanut butter fudge waiting for us.  My older sister is convinced that the fudge is for her, but I know that regardless of who she is making it for I will eat it until my stomach hurts.

So this year I decided that I was going to try my hand at making her peanut butter fudge.  Come to find out that it is actually very easy.  All these years I had this idea about her fudge being only something she could make with all of her baking experience.  Now I know that I can make it and it tastes just as wonderful as hers.

It is always nice to learn new things in the kitchen especially when for years you thought you couldn’t do it.  My skills continue to expand and thanks to encouragement from my family and friends I slowly becoming a more confident cook.

Peanut Butter Fudge

3 cups sugar

3 tablespoons White Corn Syrup

1 cup milk

1 cup chunky peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cube butter

Mix together sugar, syrup and milk.  Cook over medium heat without stirring except once around the edge with a wooden spoon.  Cook to soft ball stage,235 degrees, and remove for the heat.  Add the peanut butter, vanilla and butter and cool to luke warm.  Beat until creamy and put in a pan to cool.  Cut and serve.

Every week my husband and I pick meals we want to eat for the following week, this way we can do all the grocery shopping we need to during the weekend and not have to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work throughout the week.  This last week my husband searched my cookbooks to find some new things.  The Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps were one of the recipes, but he also picked out a Rustic Potato Soup.  Given the time of the year, I love to eat soup, when there are potatoes in it, it makes me so happy!  I am a carb lover.  This recipe did not disappoint.  The leeks and the kale made it so filling and added wonderful flavor to the soup.  It is very much like a family favorite Zuppa Toscana, like Olive Gardens.  I will definitely be making this again, especially since it is so fast and easy.

Rustic Potato Soup

courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen Fast & Fresh Recipe Card Collection

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound kielbasa, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced thin crosswise

1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips (about 4 packed cups)

Pepper

1. Bring broth, potatoes, and bay leaf to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.  Using potato masher, coarsely break up potatoes, leaving some large chunks.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Cook kielbasa, stirring frequently, until lightly browned in spots, about 4 minutes.  Add leeks and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.

3. Add potato mixture and kale to Dutch oven and simmer until kale is tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with pepper and serve.

Tonight I made Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps from the America’s Test Kitchen Fast & Fresh Recipe Card Collections.  This is a book I have had for 3 years and I have never gotten to this recipe.  My husband and I are always up for trying new recipes and eating anything Asian.  If you came to our house you would find us eating asian food 5+ times a week.  We LOVE it.  This recipe did not upset.  We have had many varieties of lettuce wraps in the past, though this is nothing like the restaurant lettuce wraps we have had before, this was a sweet alternative to an all-time favorite.

As a side dish to this meal I decided a pork egg roll and edamame would be delicious.  I just buy frozen edamame and cook it and top it with sea salt.  This is a favorite as a quick vegetable to add to any of our asian inspired meals throughout the week.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Fast & Fresh Recipe Collection

1 head iceberg lettuce

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sambal oelek, chile garlic sauce

2 tablespoons water

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetableoil

1 pound ground chicken

salt and pepper

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 (8oz) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped fine

5 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup grated carrot

1. Remove 8 large, bowl-shaped leaves from head of lettuce; reserve remaining lettuce for another use.  Whisk hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sambal oelek and water together in measuring cup.  Combine garlic, ginger and 2 teaspoons of oil in small bowl.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Cook chicken, stirring to break up clumps, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and transfer into bowl.

3. Chop vegetables while the chicken is cooking.

4. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and heat until just smoking.  Add bell pepper, water chestnuts, scallions, and carrots and cook pepper until softens,a bout 3 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add chicken and sauce and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds.  Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and serve.

Last night for dinner I tried Cooking Light’s ( December 2009) Antipasto Penne and Steamed Broccoli.  It was a quick and easy recipe and had lots of goodies in it.  My husband doesn’t really like store bought pesto and thought that overpowered the other ingredients.  You really have to be a pesto lover to like this one.  There are a few changes I would make next time – toss pasta in olive oil and basil instead of pesto, find sundried tomatoes that are just packed in olive oil and rinse them really well before putting in and make bigger chunks of the prosciutto. I will definitely make this again.  It would be a great potluck dish.

Antipasto Penne

Courtesy of Cooking Light

1  medium red bell pepper

1/2  cup  pitted kalamata olives, chopped

1/3  cup  refrigerated pesto

3  ounces  prosciutto, chopped

1  (7-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained and chopped

1  (6-ounce) jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

8  ounces  uncooked penne pasta (about 2 cups)

1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

1/4  cup  pine nuts, toasted

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel and chop bell pepper; place in a large bowl. Stir in olives, pesto, prosciutto, tomatoes, and artichokes.

3. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Add cooked pasta and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to bell pepper mixture, and toss gently to combine. Spoon about 1 cup pasta mixture into each of 6 bowls, and sprinkle each serving with 2 teaspoons remaining cheese and 2 teaspoons pine nuts.

Steamed Broccoli

Courtesy of Jennifer Hefford-Anderson

Steam one pound of broccoli and toss in lemon juice, olive oil and cracked black pepper

]]> http://www.seanandkimberlypayne.com/thereluctantchef/2009/12/28/antipasto-penne/feed/ 2 http://www.seanandkimberlypayne.com/thereluctantchef/2009/12/27/baileys-vanilla-bean-fudge/ http://www.seanandkimberlypayne.com/thereluctantchef/2009/12/27/baileys-vanilla-bean-fudge/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:53:09 +0000 Kimberly Payne http://www.seanandkimberlypayne.com/thereluctantchef/?p=455 Kimberly and her husband are on their way to sunny Hawaii for a holiday/vacation this week.  While she is gone she asked me to do a couple of guest posts on her blog.  So here we go.

I am Jennifer, Kimberly’s older sister.  I am a stay at home mom in Seattle of two lovely little boys and enjoy baking and cooking as much as I can (which with 2 little ones isn’t as often as I would like to).  This is my first attempt at food photography and food blogging, but hey you have to try everything once.

The inspiration for this recipe came from my sister in law’s love of fudge. I thought for Christmas that I would make her a few types of fudge.  So I set out on my search for some good recipes.  In my search through tastespotting.com I came across Not So Humble Pie.  She had some amazing fudge recipes so I decided to try them.  My favorite was the Bailey’s Vanilla Bean Fudge.  The result was a creamy and smooth vanilla fudge with a hint of Bailey’s.  This has become a new holiday favorite of ours – our entire family loved it.  Enjoy!

Bailey’s Vanilla Bean Fudge

Courtesy of Not So Humble Pie

2 cups granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream (40% milk fat)
1/2 cup plus one tablespoon Baileys Irish cream
2 cups good quality white chocolate chips
1/2 vanilla bean scraped, reserving seeds
7 ounce jar marshmallow creme

Line a 9×9 inch pan with foil and coat with a little butter or nonstick spray.

Combine sugar, butter, heavy cream and Irish creme into a heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, attach a candy thermometer and reduce the heat to a hair above medium low and cook for 7-10 minutes until your thermometer reads 234°F , stirring constantly.

Once your mixture hits the appropriate temperature, remove from heat and add the white chocolate chips, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla bean and marshmallow creme and mix until well blended.

Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and allow to cool on a wire rack until room temperature.