Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Cake Success!

2010-08-09T09:28:00.005-06:00

As it was my baby's first birthday, I decided to attempt a multi-layer fondant cake. My only other experience with fondant was for my 3-year-old's birthday, and you may remember that it wasn't pretty.

But, you can't be truly accomplished unless you practice more, and with that in mind, I set out to create a fondant masterpiece.

After getting inspiration from my niece's birthday cake, a couple of online photos, and a few youtube videos, I was ready to get to work. This is what I was able to pull off.
Here's how I did it. Earlier in the week, I baked and froze two box cakes (one white and one chocolate), made marshmallow fondant, and gathered all the materials that I would need. So, when I got to the actual assembling and decorating of this cake, it took almost 3 hours (with clean-up). A waste of time? Maybe, but I chalk it up to acquiring a new skill, making something beautiful with my own hands, and delighting my daughters.

This bottom layer was the Devil's Food cake with chocolate ganache frosting. Must. Have. Chocolate. I cooked it in two 9-inch round pans. After the cake was frosted, I popped it in the fridge to set up while I prepped the fondant. When you make marshmallow fondant, it's just white and very easy to color. I bought actual cake decorator's gel in pink and aqua, not just the little food coloring squeeze tubes. Using a toothpick, you spread small amounts of the colored gel onto the fondant and then knead it to your heart's content. You do need to keep your counter covered with powdered sugar in order to keep the fondant from sticking to it, though.

I used little fondant stamps to make the flowers and then brushed the back of each flower with water for it to stick to the pink layer. When you roll out the fondant, the goal is to keep it 1/8th of an inch thick, but I didn't always get that perfect measurement. Well, I didn't measure; I just eyeballed it.

This middle layer was white cake with almond buttercream. It was cooked in a 6-inch by 3-inch deep pan. Then I just used a cake cutter to cut off the rounded top and then cut it into two layers.

To make the stripes, I used a pizza cutter and did my best to cut straight. You could use a ruler, but I couldn't find mine. I think the lines look straight enough, don't you? Again, I brushed the back of each stripe with water to make it stick like glue. Another tip to get the base layers of fondant to stick to your frosted cake is to use piping gel. I wasn't about to run out and buy some, but I actually had some on hand from my cake decorating class last summer.

For this last layer of cake, I siphoned off about 1/3 of the white cake mix and attempted to make it chocolate by adding cocoa powder, melted unsweetened chocolate, and milk. The batter tasted fine, but the finished cake was a bit...dry. As it was for the baby, I knew she wouldn't know the difference, but I was still sad that it wasn't a perfect cake for her. I actually cooked it in my ceramic butter crock so that it would be the right size to fit on top of the cake. I used a small round cookie cutter to make the circles.

Definitely a success. The cake looked great and tasted great too, even the fondant. Not many people care for commercial fondant, but I think marshmallow fondant is quite tasty, especially when you flavor it with butter and almond flavoring like I did.

Fake Blondes

2010-06-06T19:22:00.005-06:00

No, I'm not talking about my choice in hair color; I'm talking about a new dessert idea that occurred to me today. I give you...fake blondes...or double-decker brownies...or blonde-brownies...whatever you want to call them. Basically, we have a blondie cooked on top of a brownie--a perfect marriage of buttery caramel and fudgy chocolate in a ooey-gooey-chewy, thick cookie bar. I call them fake blondes because at the root of every fake blonde is some brown, or in this case, a brownie.

If I could bake myself into a dessert, this would be it. Two halves of my one self: buttery caramel on one side and rich dark chocolate on the other. This has got to be my favorite flavor combination. You may be a peanut butter/chocolate person or a mint/chocolate person or, heaven forbid, a fruit/chocolate person. (I rarely mix fruit and chocolate; that's like mixing business and pleasure.)

I've baked plenty of blondies before, and I've tried to jazz them up in a lot of ways: adding white chocolate chips or nuts, sandwiching them with chocolate ganache, serving them with ice cream, you get the idea. This is my favorite variation, hands down. These will definitely be a repeat in my house.

All you do is whip up some brownies, top them with blondies, and bake. I used recipes from the Williams-Sonoma Cookie Cookbook, in case you were wondering.

Brownies
1/2 cup butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour, sifted
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the parchment.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and chopped unsweetened chocolate. Heat, stirring often, until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir in the sugar and salt. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until well blended. Sprinkle the sifted flour over the mixture and stir until just blended. Stir in the chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Next, the blondies.

Blondies
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sift the flour and salt together; set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and brown sugar. Heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook about 1 minute longer; the mixture will bubble but not boil. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.

Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the cooled mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Sprinkle the sifted flour and salt over the sugar mixture until just blended.

Pour the batter over the brownie mixture, spreading it evenly. Bake until the center is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool completely.

Run a small knife around the inside of the pan to loosen. Invert onto a rack, lift off the pan, and then carefully peel off the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve with vanilla bean ice cream or not.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2010-04-13T20:25:00.004-06:00

My sister-in-law and I hosted a bridal shower for our sweet sister, and we had a great time putting on a springtime shower. I used a lot of recipes from previous showers, so I'll spare you all the details. I will, however, share one of the newer recipes that I used that has been well-liked.
Savory Ham Cheesecake
3 cups oyster crackers, crushed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups finely chopped fully cooked ham
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup snipped chives
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Assorted crackers

In a bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Set aside 1/4 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. spring form pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined (mixture will be thick). Add the ham, Swiss cheese, chives, basil, salt and pepper; beat just until combined. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 for 60-70 minutes or until filling is almost set. Turn oven off. Leave cheesecake in oven with door ajar for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Serve chilled or at room temperature with crackers. Yield: 24-30 servings.

Baby Shower: Safari Style

2010-03-27T13:23:00.011-06:00

It's that time of year when we do lots of showers. This was the first one of the season, for my good friend who is having a boy. I haven't done a boy baby shower in a long time, so I had to come up with food that was a bit more "manly." Okay, so it's not really man food since all the guests are women, but even still, it was fun to mix it up a bit.

We chose a safari theme, and so we used lots of cute animals (provided by my amazing sis-in-law) as table decor. Of course, we used the kind of animals that babies eat, not the kind that eat babies.Here's a view of the buffet line. Go ahead. Help yourself.Here's a view from the other side. I tried to decorate with baskets and tan/sage green for a color scheme. We served fresh homemade rolls with honey butter or garlic butter,chicken skewers in either a barbecue or Jamaican jerk sauce,a savory ham cheesecake served with crackers, fruit skewers flavored in a simple syrup and lime zest (thanks to another amazing sis-in-law), a fabulous green salad, zebra and tiger brownies, and white chocolate and orange flavored cake balls.

Delightful. Delectable. Delicious. Oh, how I love baby showers and all the yummy food. These showers are a lot of work, and yes, I probably should just buy everything ready-made at Costco. But, I love trying new recipes, and I hope these recipes are new for the guests as well.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2010-03-01T13:09:00.005-07:00

You may remember that I took a cake decorating class a little while back. The sole purpose of this class was to learn how to make cute cakes for my children's birthday parties.

Sadly, I must report that one class was not enough, because my most recent cakes so did not turn out as I expected. Then again, maybe the problem is that the creative genius in my head far outpaces what my hands can actually create. I have grand visions of how I think my cake might turnout, and it comes out mediocre at best. Oh well, at least my little girl liked her birthday cakes.

The Good
First, I made a cake for my sister's birthday. This one actually turned out quite well, if I do say so myself. She requested Better-Than-Whatever-Cake. (Yes, this cake has other names.) I myself call it Skor Cake since I don't think it even tastes all that great. Chocolate. Love it! Caramel. Love it! There must just be something about the caramel. It tastes like can, and I just can't get past that.

Since I had instructions to make this cake, I figured I might as well play with it a bit. Instead of a boring old 9x13 flat cake, I baked it in two 8-inch round pans. (Thanks, Audrey, for the inspiration on that one.)

I mixed the sweetened condensed milk and caramel like the recipe instructed, but I halved the milk, hoping it would taste less like can. I also let the caramel sit with the cake overnight, still in the cake pans.

When it came to get the cake out, it was a cinch since I used parchment paper to line the bottom of the pans. So, I had two perfectly round, rich, and caramel-soaked layers. That wasn't enough. I cut each layer in two, width-wise, making four total layers. The inside layers of the cake were put together with a whipped chocolate ganache, and then the whole cake was covered with whipped topping.

I only put the crushed Skor bars on the sides of the cake for visual effect, and then I used some melted chocolate chips and butter to write the words on the cake.

The Bad
For my daughter's birthday, I knew one cake wouldn't be enough. Chocolate was of course the answer, and I can usually turn out a pretty good cake. Too bad it was dry! I don't even know what happened. I tried to salvage it with lots of ganache, but even that turned out a little off. I was left with a slightly misshapen, dry, unexciting cake.

As a last ditch effort, I used the white chocolate to make it look like a spider's web. At least the focus shifted to the spider and not the actual cake.

Don't worry, I still helped myself to this bad cake.

The Ugly
This cake was supposed to be the big deal--the themed cake for the party. Somehow, I hoped it would turn out better.

First off, I tried to color the fondant using food coloring. I was going for brown, but what I got was peach. I knew it would be tricky to get the color just right, but I didn't want to buy the actual brown color. (Hello. If I want something to look brown, I'll just use chocolate, thank you very much.)

So, I ended up with the peach fondant, but luckily it was mostly covered by the crushed graham cracker crumbs. I had trouble getting it to stick to the fondant, even though I brushed the whole cake with sticky sugar water. The first layer of crumbs looked great, but I tried to add another layer. Not great.

Finally, after being a bit discouraged about how it turned out. I let it sit overnight without getting a picture of it. The next morning, I came down to find that my daughter had already been downstairs and left her mark on the cake--a series of finger poke holes in the side. Gah! It was already ugly enough.

Surprisingly, a lot of people liked this cake. The inside was a funfetti cake with rainbow chip frosting (a yummy alternative to chocolate). I thought everyone would just peel off the fondant layer with the crumbs in it, but I think most people ate it. (Yes, it is edible. The fondant is just marshmallows.) I guess it must have been a good flavor combination.

In summary, I have a lot more learning to do. Maybe I'll get it down by the time the kids are grown. At least it always turns out better than store-bought cake (unless we're talking about Costco's American Chocolate Cake.)

Deluxe Triple-Chocolate Cookies

2010-01-27T19:45:00.006-07:00

I stumbled across this recipe from the Pillsbury Bake-Off Finalist Recipes (yes, I submitted a recipe, but no, it wasn't chosen). Since I had everything on hand, I decided to give them a try, and I was not disappointed. The original recipe called for peanut butter in addition to the hazelnut spread, but I just doubled the hazelnut spread and omitted the peanut butter. (My husband is not a big fan of peanut butter and chocolate.)

The only sad thing is that these cookies can dry out rather quickly, so you must also eat them quickly. Please eat them. Do not let these wonderful cookies go the way of the trash can if they turn out like hockey pucks. For this reason, I only made a half batch, and yes, we did eat them quickly. Cookies don't last more than a day or two at our place.

Deluxe Triple-Chocolate Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup hazelnut spread with cocoa (Nutella)
1 cup milk chocolate instant hot cocoa mix (dry)
2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. On low speed, beat in hazelnut spread and dry cocoa mix until well blended. Stir in flour, oats, salt, and baking soda until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.Using a small cookie scoop, drop 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. Bake 9-12 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 3 minutes; remove to cooling racks. Store tightly covered.

Oooh, Aahh, Rugelach!

2009-12-17T19:52:00.008-07:00

I definitely did my share of holiday baking this year, what with three kinds of candies, three kinds of cookies, and dinner rolls. It's been a busy time in the kitchen, but oh so fun.

Usually, the big focus is on all the chocolate candies that we turn out: toffee, turtles, and fudge. We do some cookies, like Mexican wedding cookies or snickerdoodles, but we're never as excited about them as the candy. Maybe that's just because we all love chocolate so much.

For the past couple of years, I've been wanting to try rugelach (pronounced rug-a-lock), a kosher Eastern European treat, not that I'm Jewish or Eastern European. If I wanted to stick with cultural tradition, I'd limit myself to stroofils (an Italian dessert of deep fried dough balls covered in honey, walnuts, and sprinkles). And then again, I only eat stroofils because they are cultural tradition. I don't actually crave them or think about them at any time other than Christmas. (I'm still trying to figure out the best way to incorporate chocolate into them. Chocolate sauce instead of honey? Chocolate sprinkles instead of colored ones?)

In any case, I stumbled upon rugelach in my cookie bible--a beautiful full-color cookbook made up of just cookie recipes. Did I mention that cookies are my favorite dessert? Sorry, I digress. This year, I finally decided to give it a go, especially since I was cooking for my Christmas party.

Albeit, there is absolutely no chocolate in these cookies, I thought they were wonderful. The cookie itself is made using cream cheese, and the filling can be made with anything from jam to nuts. Mine called for honey, walnuts, and lemon zest--not that I can get excited about any of these ingredients, but the combination was fabulous.

Rugelach
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, divided
1 cup ground toasted walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
powdered sugar

Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. Beat butter, cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest in a large bowl about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well blended.

Form dough into three 5-inch discs; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets; set aside.

Combine walnuts that have been toasted and ground in a food processor with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Combine honey, remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl; set aside.

Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 10-inch circle. Keep remaining dough refrigerated. Brush with 1/3 of honey mixture. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup nut mixture. Lightly press nut mixture into dough.
Cut circle into 12 triangles with pizza cutter. Roll up, jelly-roll fashion. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with 2 remaining dough pieces and filling ingredients.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cookies stand 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store tightly covered.

A party is a party, but a Christmas Party....

2009-12-17T19:36:00.007-07:00

I just recently hosted a Christmas party and was asked by my mother to share some pictures. It was a yummy buffet of hors d'ouvres and desserts, so what could be better? The pictures don't really do it justice, so as to the menu:

Hors d'ouvres
Little smokies in barbecue sauce
Meatballs in a sweet and savory sauce
Homemade dinner rolls
Cheeseball and crackers
Jalapeno poppers
Artichoke dip and crackers
Crudites with ranch and onion dips
Tangerines
Christmas punch with cranberry juice, lemon juice, orange juice, and ginger ale

Desserts:
Peppermint pinwheel cookies
Eggnog snickerdoodles
Rugelach
Peppermint fudge
Walnut fudge
English toffee with almonds
Chocolate pecan turtles

As always, it was a lot of work, and I even vowed that I would just get everything from Costco with all the business going on. In the end, the only things that were ready-made were the jalapeno poppers and the meats that I still made sauces for. Oh, and I guess the tangerines, too. We definitely had plenty of rich, yummy food, and it was a delightful party with lots of dear friends.

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

2009-10-12T13:22:00.002-06:00

As promised, here is one of my favorite fall treats. There's nothing special about this recipe; you may have one just like it. Even still, if you don't have a good pumpkin bread recipe, I suggest you try this one. I think the original recipe called for nuts and raisins instead of chocolate chips, but can anyone honestly get excited about nuts and raisins?

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

2/3 cup shortening
2 2/3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 pound can of pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs, pumpkin puree, and water. Combine dry ingredients and beat into pumpkin mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, as many as you want.

The recipe suggests baking these in two greased 9x5x3-inch pans, but that takes at least 60 minutes. I'm usually too impatient for that, so I cook mine in mini loaf pans for 20 minutes. Of course, that means you need at least 9 mini loaf pans for this whole recipe, but you could bake in shifts, if you need to.

The best way to eat this bread is after it has cooled and sat wrapped up overnight or all day. It's much more moist that way. My husband likes to heat it slightly at this point and then eat it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Yummy.

Dark Chocolate Fondant

2009-10-12T10:45:00.004-06:00

My mom has requested this recipe, so I thought I'd post it. The name of this recipe may be misleading; this is really just a molten chocolate cake. I know I've already posted a molten chocolate cake recipe, but this one is better, trust me.

Again, the quality of your finished product will depend on the quality of the chocolate that you use. It is a very simple recipe, so all of that great flavor and rich chocolate taste come directly from the chocolate. I used the Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips, as mentioned in the previous post, but I also really like using Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate when I have it.

Dark Chocolate Fondant
7 oz. dark chocolate (at least 52%)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 eggs
3/4 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour six ramekins. Break up the chocolate and melt with the butter in a double boiler or in a microwave. If you don't have unsalted butter, just use salted butter but omit the salt at the end. Beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl with a whisk. Add the flour while continuing to beat, then add a pinch of salt and the melted chocolate-butter mix. Blend well.

Pour into the prepared ramekins, put in the oven, and bake for 13-15 minutes. You want the little cakes mostly set with a little bit of jiggling in the middle. You may need to increase your baking time 2-3 minutes, depending on your oven. It also helps to make these ahead of time and then keep them in the refrigerator until you are almost ready to serve them. When the batter is chilled, it helps with the temperature gradient that produces a baked outer cake with the molten center.

Remove from the oven; wait 5 minutes before turning onto plates. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Mmmmm...Chocolate!

2009-10-07T13:20:00.002-06:00

Since I haven't posted in a quite a while, I figured I'd better post something. My baking and experimenting have slowed a little with the new baby and the move, but rest assured, I am still at it.

I just thought I'd tell you about my new favorite bag of chocolate chips. For the longest time, I have been an ardent enjoyer of Guittard's semisweet chocolate chips. (I judge the quality of chocolate chips for my cookies based on my desire to snack on the said chips. I won't touch store brand, and even Nestle and Hershey present no temptation.) There are many nights when I just need a little chocolate after dinner, and Guittard has always satisfied my palate.

Much to my dismay when we moved, I had to start grocery shopping at a store that doesn't carry my beloved Guittard semisweet chocolate chips. Every time I passed the baking aisle, I silently cursed the store for my misfortune, until I discovered Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips. Oh yeah. I haven't been much of a fan of the regular Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips, but one handful of the bittersweet variety, and I was hooked. Especially wonderful is that these chips are a bit bigger than regular chips, so you get more chocolate flavor in each bite of cookie. I still love my Guittard, but these chips have been a wonderful find. Keep in mind, that this is all just the grocery store variety. If you can get Scharffen Berger, by all means, do it!

Bottom line: If you want to make exceptional cookies, you have to use exceptional chocolate chips. It is definitely worth it.

And coming soon is one of my favorite fall desserts: pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, and plenty of them. I'm even more excited to make it this year because I know the bittersweet chocolate chips will make it even better.

Cake Decorating 101

2009-05-27T15:34:00.009-06:00

Now that all the baby showers are out of the way, I've been trying my hand at cake decorating.
I took Wilton Course 1 through the local Michael's, and I'm really glad I did. Granted, I've tasted more super-sweet buttercream than I've ever wanted, but I've also learned a little bit about piping and creating flowers with the pretty stiff frosting stuff. I don't think I'll be giving up ganache anytime soon, but at least I've got something else in my repertoire.This is the first cake that I did. We had to practice the star piping technique, so that was the point of this cake.This is the second cake I did, and I opted for using the ganache to ice the cake. There isn't much exciting about eating a white cake with white buttercream frosting. The cake is a bit busy, but at least I was practicing some new techniques.The point of this cake was to make roses. I had grand ideas of filling my cake with a rose spray, but in the end, my frosting was a bit dry, so this was as good as I could do. I'm pretty proud of myself, considering, but I don't think I'll be signing up for the next class.

An Easter Baby Shower

2009-04-29T12:53:00.007-06:00

I know, I know; another baby shower. It has been the season. We hosted this one the day before Easter, so that seemed like a fitting theme. We decided to use purple instead of pink this time, purely based on the fact that the store was out of pink plates. Even still, it was nice to switch up the colors a little bit. Our main course was ham and cheese sandwiches on fresh, homemade rolls. If you want the roll recipe, it's my mother-in-laws, and it is a fabulous recipe.For side dishes, we had a veggie tray, pasta salad, and deviled eggs. Yum!And for dessert, we served fruit pizza and little brownie bites made into edible Easter baskets. Too bad the licorice was so soft; the basket handles just kept falling over.

A Springtime Baby Shower

2009-04-11T18:41:00.008-06:00

There's something about spring and babies. This is the second shower of three that I have hosted thus far. We used a pink/green color scheme, but I was a little bummed that I couldn't get pink tulips.We served chicken salad in pastry cups as the main course, though these don't quite look like main course. The pastry shrank while it baked, so the cups were a little smaller than desired.This is a vegetable pizza, but you don't actually cook it. The crust is crescent rolls; the spread is a savory ranch; the toppings are broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, tomatoes, green onions, and cheese.I tried my hand at a fruit bouquet this time. It turned out cute enough, if you ignore all the skewers.These are turtle brownies, a combination of my favorite ingredients: chocolate, caramel, and pecans. There must always be a chocolate dessert.And finally, these are mini cheesecakes, some with strawberries and some without. I just bought ready-made crusts, and that made all the difference.

The Cake Lady Strikes Again!

2009-03-31T20:28:00.002-06:00

I did this cake for a girly get-together. Again, nothing too fancy here, but it was a cute idea that I found online. All you need are two 8-inch or 9-inch rounds, some buttercream (homemade or otherwise), some licorice, and jelly beans. Saw off the bottom of each of the rounds, frost, and decorate!

An Elementary Birthday Cake

2009-03-08T15:09:00.007-06:00

Since my daughter loves school buses, I thought I'd get creative for her 2nd birthday and make a school bus cake. I just used an idea from a cake decorating book since I have absolutely no great experience with cake decorating, and I'm really not creative enough to cook up a scheme like this. It was so easy--elementary even.

Start with a cake mix. I used Pillsbury Funfetti since the kids seem to like it, and it's a little jazzier than just plain white. Bake the cake as a directed in a square 9x9-inch pan. Only fill the pan two-thirds full and use any leftovers for cupcakes. Let it cool completely and then remove from the pan. Sometimes heating just the bottom of the pan on a burner helps to loosen it a bit. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half; it doesn't matter if you go length-wise or width-wise since it's a square. It helps to freeze the cake for a half hour before cutting to minimize crumbs.For the frosting, you can use store-bought, but I like a simple, homemade buttercream. Whip together 6 tablespoons of butter or margarine, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 5-6 cups of powdered sugar, and 4-5 tablespoons of evaporated milk to the desired consistency. Use food coloring to reach the right color. Spread between the two layers of cake and place one on top of the other. A twinkie can be used for front of the bus or just use some of the extra cake/cupcakes.Cover the entire cake with frosting and then gather the following items: 4 Oreos for wheels, 2 round chocolate-filled cookies or 2 long Tootsie Rolls for bumpers, 2 white Lifesavers for headlights, 2 red Lifesavers for taillights, Tic Tacs or jelly beans for turn lights, 5-6 pieces of white Wrigley's gum, and 1 vanilla wafer cookie. Decorate. Enjoy!

A Lovely Shower

2009-03-07T14:44:00.007-07:00

I love baby showers; I love bridal showers. I love getting together with girlfriends to eat cute and yummy food. I especially love giving showers. I gave a baby shower for a friend just recently, and because of the proximity to Valentine's Day, we decided to let that be our theme.
This is our buffet line. We had sandwiches, salads, fruit, desserts, and punch. The punch was fabulous. A friend made it from raspberries, grapefruit soda, raspberry Crystal Light, cranberry juice concentrate, and pineapple juice.
Chocolate dipped strawberries are always fun, and both chocolate and strawberries seem popular around Valentine's Day. We did tea sandwiches in three different varieties: egg salad, cucumber and herbed cheese, and BLT chopped salad. Each sandwich was on a different kind of bread, and we used a cookie cutter to make them heart-shaped. Cute!
One of our desserts were strawberry tartlets. I used heart-shaped pans to make them even more cute, but anything dainty and a little different is always a good idea for a shower.
Our second dessert were these chocolate heart cookies. They're just a basic butter cookie with cocoa powder, dipped in white chocolate, and drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate. So easy and so pretty.

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf

2009-02-18T14:29:00.004-07:00

Sometimes a fresh-baked loaf of sweet bread just really hits the spot. I definitely have a soft spot for bakeries and their wide variety of breads and pastries, but I have a hard time buying things that I know I could and should make myself. So, I decided to make my first cinnamon swirl bread. It turned out great, so great that I was too impatient to wait for it to cool. As a result, my bread separated from the cinnamon swirl just a little bit since it was still too hot. Oh well, it tasted great!

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
7 to 7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Confectioners' icing

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan, heat milk, 1/2 cup sugar, shortening, and salt just till warm (115-120 degrees), stirring constantly to melt shortening. Add to dry mixture in mixing bowl; add eggs. Beat at low speed with a mixer for 1/2 minute. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. By hand, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead till smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball. Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.

Cover; let rise in warm place till double (about 1 hour). Punch dough down; turn out on lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Roll each half into a 15x7-inch rectangle. Brush entire surface with water.

Combine the 1/2 cup sugar and ground cinnamon. Spread each rectangle with half of the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Roll dough up as for jelly roll, beginning with narrow side. Seal long edge and ends. Place, sealed edge down, in 2 greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise until almost double (35-45 minutes). Bake at 375 till done, 35-40 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks. Drizzle with Confectioners' Icing.

Chocolate Souffle

2009-02-18T14:11:00.005-07:00

Understanding that a souffle is a work of art, I set about to try my hand at this art. Souffle is not my favorite thing to eat (it's not rich and dense enough), but it is still a yummy dessert. I would say that my first attempt was a success as far as preparation and taste goes. However, the souffle dish was filled a little too full, and thus, my souffle puffed up so nice and high that it spilled over the sides of the dish. So, I don't have a picture of the finished product, but be assured that it was fabulous.

Chocolate Souffle
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar
Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2-quart souffle dish and dust it with sugar. Have a 9x13-inch baking pan ready and put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1 1/2 inches of simmering water, whisking until smooth. My first choice for chocolate is Scharffen Berger, but if you can't find it, Guittard makes an excellent semisweet morsel that can be found in most grocery stores. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks and butter until well blended.

Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the whites form soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Beat in the sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted.

With a whisk or a rubber spatula, fold one-quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly, and pour the mixture into the souffle dish. Place the dish in the baking pan, place it in the oven, and add enough boiling water to the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the souffle dish. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the souffle is set but the center is still jiggly and soft.

Serve immediately, with the whipped cream, if using. I highly recommend using the whipped cream to complement the chocolate.

A Gingerbread House....well, sort of

2008-12-14T19:20:00.004-07:00

So, this year, I decided to finally do my first gingerbread house. The stores sell all sorts of kits, but I thought, "why pay for something when I can do it myself." This probably wasn't the best decision, since I have no experience in either cake decorating or gingerbread house construction. Even still, I had all these grandiose ideas of how cool I was going to make my little house, and how perfect it would be. This is the creation I envisioned...
...and this is the house I created.
You could call it a tragedy. You could call it an embarrassment. I call it 'the reason I'm buying a kit next year.' A lot of things went wrong, so here's the list.

1. I rolled out the dough into a jelly roll pan, so I couldn't tell how thick it was. I thought it was only 1/4th-inch thick, but clearly, it is over 1/2-inch thick--definitely more cake than cookie.

2. I wasn't too careful when I was cutting out the pieces, so many of them don't have straight lines, and the house isn't true as a result.

3. I didn't have enough powdered sugar for the royal icing. I thought I would just make less frosting, but as you can see, I ran out and couldn't even put half the candy on the house.

4. Related to number three above, the icing that I did make was too runny. I didn't have any more sugar to thicken it up, and I have no experience with icing of this variety. All the candy started dripping off the house, and I wasn't sure that the house would even hold together. Luckily, it is still standing--a sad testament to my poor attempt.

Hopefully, you'll learn from me and either buy a kit or skip it all together. :)

Oreo Cream Fudge Brownies

2008-11-15T18:14:00.003-07:00

I am really proud of this recipe because it is all mine. Well, I combined elements from three different recipes, but the inspiration and end-result were my original idea. These brownies are extremely rich and chocolatey, so if you're not a hard-core chocoholic, you may want to stick to regular brownies. :)

Fudge Brownies
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup cake or all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and chopped chocolate. Heat until melted, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and salt. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until well blended. Sprinkle the sifted flour over the mixture and stir until just blended. You don't really need to use the cake flour since these are dense brownies, but if you want them to be a little lighter and fluffier, go ahead. Stir in chips. You'll notice that there is no chemical leavening in this recipe. That's what makes these more dense and fudgy instead of light and cakey.

Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch square, preferably glass. Bake 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out almost clean. Do not overbake. Cool completely.

Oreo Cream
1/2 package cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 cups thawed whipped topping
6 Oreos, crushed

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping and crushed cookies. Spread over cooled brownies. You can add as much or as little as you want. The brownies are a very dark chocolate, almost bitter, so the sweetness of the Oreo cream is a great complement.

Chocolate Ganache
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Heat cream in microwave or in saucepan until small bubbles start to form. Stir in chocolate until melted. Let cool slightly. Spread over Oreo cream and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Caramel Apples

2008-11-02T18:54:00.003-07:00

If you've ever had a caramel apple at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, you know there's a lot more to these apples than just caramel. I am always dazzled by all the different topping choices, but my favorite is caramel, chocolate, and pecans. Even with all the fabulous toppings, this dessert is still an apple to the core, which makes it healthy, right? With fall in the air and apples on sale, I decided to try my hand at making my own caramel apples. They turned out great, thanks to this great caramel recipe from my sister-in-law Chelsey.
Caramel Apples
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
apples for dipping (Granny Smith are perfect for this)

Melt the butter and add the rest to a deep, heavy saucepan. You want a deep pot rather than a wide one to make it easier for dipping and coating the apples. Stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reaches 250 degrees. (Make sure to calibrate your thermometer!) Remove from heat and add vanilla. Dip apples immediately into hot caramel; then dip immediately into toppings (nuts, chocolate, cookie crumbs, etc.). Place on parchment or wax paper to cool.

Struesel Cake

2008-10-05T12:39:00.003-06:00

I have to give credit to Emily Johansson for this recipe. She prepared this cake for us on Conference Sunday when we were freshman roommates. Our family has since adopted this tradition, and my husband always looks forward to warm struesel cake for General Conference.
Struesel Cake
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Struesel
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons melted butter

Beat sugar and shortening. Add beaten egg. Stir in milk; then add flour, powder, and salt. Put half of the batter in a greased 9 x 9 pan, cover with half of the struesel topping, and then repeat. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Classic Birthday Cake

2008-10-05T12:25:00.003-06:00

So, here's my first real attempt at cake decorating. Ganache I can do, but frosting can be tricky. The whole idea of making something look presentable with frosting is even trickier. This cake looks plain, but don't let it fool you. It is exceedingly rich, and while it isn't chocolate, it still has taste. Cake mixes may be cheap and tasty, but give the good, old-fashioned, homemade cake a try.
Classic Birthday Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

Grease two 8- or 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Lightly grease the paper and sides of the pan with butter and dust with flour. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat butter until smooth. Slowly add the sugar to the butter and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, until just blended. Add the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, ending with the flour mixture. Pour into pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes and then remove from pans to cool completely.

Vanilla Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Beat ingredients together. Add food coloring if desired. Frost cake.

Creme Brulee--Fancy Word for 'Not Chocolate'

2008-07-27T20:22:00.004-06:00

Generally, I'm not a fan of creme brulee as it divides my attention from true dessert: chocolate. But, I find that perhaps I need to adopt a more sophisticated approach to dessert and allow for all types, including custards, bread puddings, fruit tarts, and so on. In truth, I never stray from a decadent chocolate cake or fudgy brownie when I peruse any dessert menu, but I am slowly beginning to appreciate dessert in another medium.

That is why I'm posting this recipe. Not only did I once believe that creme brulee was a fancy word for 'not chocolate', I also didn't think it was anything special. Yet, I found myself positively enjoying this wonderful custard with the burnt sugar on top. I hope you will too.

Creme Brulee
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons fine sugar

Preheat oven to 300F. Have a pot of boiling water ready. Add the cream to a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Warm the cream until bubbles start to form around the edges of the pan and steam begins to rise from the surface. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla extract, and set aside to steep, about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt and the 1/4 cup sugar until smooth and blended. Gradually add the cream to the egg mixture, whisking until blended. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Divide the custard among four 5- or 6-oz. ramekins and place the ramekins in a baking pan. Add boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake until the custard is just set around the edges, 35 to 40 minutes.
Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

Just before serving, sprinkle 1 Tbs. of the sugar evenly over each custard. Using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar. Serve immediately.

Vienna Waits for You!

2008-07-27T15:23:00.005-06:00

The first Saturday I spent in Vienna, I made a wonderful discovery. Our program director took us to the Naschmarkt, which was essentially a large, semi-permanent farmers' market. Among all the purveyors of stinky, foreign cheeses and pungent, marinated olives, I found a treasure: the Doner kebab. Greatly influenced by Turkish flavors and cultures, Austria is certainly the place for such a meal. But in America, you probably only find them in New York.
You may have heard of kabobs, but these are nothing like that. First off, they're pronounced 'kay-bop', but I don't know if that was the German or the Turkish talking. Second, the meat is cooked on a skewer, but it isn't served that way at all. The meat is cooked on a rotating spit (which is where American gyro comes from), and then it is shaved off and paired with lettuce, tomato, onions, and a fabulous sauce in pita bread. Yum!
Sounds pretty standard, but if I only could describe to you how far from prosaic this sandwich actually is. The meat is generally lamb, but for us Americans, chicken is often substituted. The meat alone is fabulous, which its rich and juicy flavor. Skipping past the vegetables, the sauce is fabulous. I believe it is a type of tzatziki sauce, but I've never been able to replicate it. Finally, the bread they stuffed this into was unlike any pita bread I've ever had. It seemed a lot closer to focaccia bread, which I also discovered for the first time at the Naschmarkt.

I recently tried to recreate this wonder in my own kitchen, but I failed to do it justice. Maybe one day I'll visit my beloved Vienna once more and reunite with my friends at the Naschmarkt.
Kebabs
grilled or pan fried meat, sliced
shredded lettuce
sliced tomato
sliced onion
pita bread
tzatsiki sauce

Sauce:
1 8 oz. container plain yogurt
1 cucumber; peeled, seeded, and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
1 1/2 cloves garlic, peeled

In a food processor or blender, combine yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic. Process until well-combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.

Stay tuned for some true Viennese cuisine: Wiener schnitzel, apfelstrudel, and Sachertorte!

Strawberry Cream Cookies

2008-07-22T18:05:00.004-06:00

While strawberries are in season, this is a great way to use them. The creamy filling is refreshing, and the cookies themselves are sweet and snappy. These are small cookies, so don't be fooled by the picture.

Strawberry Cream cookies
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam
1/4 cup cool whip

Batter:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup chopped strawberries

For filling, in a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and jam until blended. Fold in cool whip. Chill.

In a bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, egg whites, vanilla and salt until smooth. Whisk in butter until blended. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Preparing four cookies at a time, drop batter by 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls 4 in. apart onto prepared pan. Bake at 400 for 5-8 minutes or until edges are browned.

Immediately remove one cookie at a time from parchment and form into a tube around a greased clean round wooden clothespin. Press lightly to seal; hold until set, about 20 seconds. Remove cookie from clothespin; place on waxed paper to cool. Continue with remaining cookies.
Just before serving, pipe or spoon filling into cookie shells. Dip end of each cookie into strawberries.

Dairy Products: Make Your Own!

2008-07-08T21:42:00.004-06:00

As much as I love store-bought ice cream (especially the loaded Coldstone variety), there's nothing more simple and tasty as homemade ice cream. With a basic ice cream maker (hand-crank or electric) and a few simple ingredients, you're on your way to a fabulously, easy dessert on a hot summer day. That's what made my 4th of July!
I could focus on that, but I think you've been there and done that. So, how about homemade yogurt! All you have to do is grow your own bacteria culture using the live cultures in store-bought yogurt. The trick is to keep the culture in a warm, dark environment so that it will grow. (Much like yeast.) A yogurt maker would probably be easiest, but let's face it--we're not all going to go buy yet another single-use, low frequency appliance.
Homemade Yogurt

1 quart whole or 2 percent milk
1-2 tablespoons yogurt as a starter

Warm up the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbles appear round the edge and steam rises from the surface. Pour the warm milk into a large bowl to cool until the temperature reaches 110 to 115 degrees.

Put the starter in a small bowl, add some of the heated milk, and stir until well blended. Return the mixture to the large bowl, a third at a time, making sure to stir and blend well after each addition. Cover with a heavy towel and keep in a warm place 6 to 8 hours or overnight. You could put it in the oven with a saucepan of hot water to help raise the temperature.

When set, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours before serving. If thicker yogurt is desired, empty chilled yogurt in a muslin bag or cheesecloth, suspend over a bowl, and drain.

Yes, it really is that simple. You could (and should) add fresh fruit, jam, granola, honey, wheat germ, you name it! This is a fabulously simple and healthy snack, and real yogurt with live cultures works wonders on your digestive tract. Plus, you can make it without all the extra sugars and preservatives that come with store-bought yogurt.

Tres Leches Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream

2008-06-29T18:42:00.003-06:00

Can you believe that I'm posting a dessert that isn't chocolate? What is that about? Well, it's a fabulous dessert! These dainty cakes are sweet and moist, and the buttercream is caramel perfection.
Tres Leches
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup coconut milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, butter, and sugar. Add egg yolks 1 at a time. Add the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cake batter. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. While cupcakes are still warm, stir together the three milks. Poke holes into the cakes and pour milk mixture over each cupcake, filling each hole. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove from pans.

Buttercream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar

For the buttercream: Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a glass pie plate and cover with foil. Place in a larger roasting pan and fill the pan with hot water, to a depth of about halfway of the pie plate. Place in the oven and bake at 425 for 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Stir until smooth.

Place the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. Stir the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a small, heavy saucepan. Whisk in the water first, then the dulce de leche and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk the dulce de leche mixture into the 2 egg yolks. Stir in the vanilla. Strain through a wire mesh strainer into a small bowl. Cool completely.

Beat the butter on high until light and fluffy. Beat in the cooled dulce de leche mixture. Beat in the 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes liberally.

A Fabulous Sunday Dinner

2008-06-23T11:26:00.004-06:00

I thought I'd try to dress up Sunday dinner, so we had a full three course meal.

First course - homemade brioche and a blue cheese, candied walnut, and craisin spring salad
Second course - roast pork wrapped in pancetta and served with creamed corn and tomato relish
Third course - molten chocolate cake

Everything was fabulous, but to save you all the details, we'll just focus on the oh-so-rich molten chocolate cakes.

Molten Chocolate Cake

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup cake flour, sifted
pinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup cold ganache, plus more for serving (see below)
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat the interiors of four 4-ounce ramekins with nonstick spray. Set aside on a baking pan. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and 1/4 cup water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the chocolate, stirring to blend.

Place the eggs, yolk, and the remaining teaspoon of sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment or use a handheld electric beater. Beat on medium-high speed until the eggs are thick and yellow. Add the melted chocolate and continue to whip until thoroughly blended. Add the flour and salt, beating to incorporate. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes or ideally up to overnight.

Fill the prepared ramekins halfway with the batter. Place a tablespoon of ganache in the center. Pour in enough cake batter to cover the ganache and fill to 3/4 full. Bake until the sides are set and the tops are puffed but still soft, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the ramekins for 2 minutes before inverting onto 4 dessert plates.

Ganache:
4 ounces white or dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup nutella, peanut butter, or malted milk powder

Place the chocolate in a mixing bowl. Combine the cream and nutella (or other flavoring) in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until bubbles just begin to form around the edges. Remove from heat and immediately pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate in a steady stream. Let it sit for a few seconds to begin to melt. As soon as the chocolate begins to melt, using a whisk or rubber spatula, stir in a circular motion until the chocolate is completely smooth.

The great thing about the ganache is that you can change the flavor by substituting white for dark chocolate or peanut butter for the nutella. Any way you try it, it makes a fabulous cake. It was so rich, it was impossible even for me to finish!

Bajio's Sweet Rice

2008-06-01T21:53:00.004-06:00

No more need to cook that horrible Spanish rice from the box! This recipe is sweet and savory and complements any type of Mexican food. It's so tasty, that after our first sampling, I promptly got rid of the boxed junk that I'd previously been using. It's a very easy recipe, and is just as convenient as using the boxed mixes.

Bajio's Sweet Rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 of a white onion, chopped
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro
2/3 cups long grain white rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup sugar

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the chopped cilantro and saute a minute more. Add the rice, cooking until light brown. Combine the chicken broth and sugar and let the sugar dissolve. Stir chicken broth mixture into the rice until combined. Bring to a boil Cover and let cook on low until the rice is done, about 25-30 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Feel free to swap out some of the sugar for lime juice, if you prefer that flavor. Browning of the rice is also important, as it helps the rice from losing too much starch and getting too sticky.

Chunky Avocado Salad

2008-05-28T12:14:00.003-06:00

Actually buying a California avocado in California is wonderful. They are so much bigger, meatier, and riper. I mean, we get California avocados in Utah, but they just aren't the same. This recipe is really a guacamole recipe, but I like to just eat it as a side dish, especially when the avocados are perfect. Serve it chilled and chunky as a perfect complement to any Mexican entree.

Chunky Avocado Salad

2 large ripe avocados, in large chunks
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup finely diced onions
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
juice of 1 lime
garlic salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Incorporate all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. The avocado should still be in chunks, but a little mashed avocado should cover all the other vegetables. Spoon into empty avocado peels. Enjoy!

Mother's Little Helper

2008-05-11T20:34:00.002-06:00

Growing up, my mother always had a jar full of hot fudge sauce in the fridge. She called it 'Mother's Little Helper', and anytime she needed a chocolate hit, she'd take a spoonful of cold fudge, stick a few nuts or chocolate chips in it, and enjoy a little mom time. As children, we were forbidden from eating any of her fudge sauce. She told us that it would stunt our growth or that we had to be 18 to eat any.

Now that I'm a mom, and well past 18, I frequently indulge in hot fudge sauce, cold and straight from the fridge. I like mine so stiff and chewy that I often put it in the freezer. It's the perfect shot of chocolate after dinner.

Mother's Little Helper

1 1/2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

3 Tbsp. butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate, butter, sugar, and corn syrup together very slowly, stirring occasionally. Heat until almost bubbly. Remove from heat. Add milk and vanilla. Refrigerate until firm or enjoy it hot over ice cream and brownies.

Whole Wheat Bread

2008-04-19T19:33:00.003-06:00

Nothing beats fresh, homemade bread! I was lucky enough to enjoy such a treat every week growing up; mom always had fresh bread and homemade strawberry jam, and it is still one of my favorite snacks.

I love making bread now, though I'm not so sure I've got it perfected the way I want. It took me years to perfect my mother-in-laws dinner rolls, so maybe it will still take years for me to perfect my mother's wheat bread. I've only just started to make it since I now have my own flour mill and can grind my own wheat. Fresh wheat flour is so much better than store-bought and makes the bread all that much better.
Whole Wheat Bread
1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 cups warm water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
4 cups wheat flour
3-4 cups white flour

Mix 1/4 cup warm water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Allow the yeast mixture to rise and double in size. In a large mixing bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups warm water, sugar, oil, and salt. Add yeast mixture once it has proofed. Add wheat flour and mix. Switch beaters to dough hooks on your mixer. Add enough white flour so that dough begins to form a ball, but not a stiff ball. Knead the dough by hand or with dough hooks for 10 minutes. (I just use my Bosch) Put dough in a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise until double. (1 1/2 hours)

Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes. Grease three 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 loaf pans. Divide the dough into three balls. Roll each into a loaf and place in prepared pans, seam side down. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes or until loaf reaches the top of the pan. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes. Remove from pans, brush tops with melted butter, and let cool on a wire rack.

Truffles!

2008-04-06T08:04:00.003-06:00

It's candy time. Generally, I save candy making for Christmas, but who says you can't make it all year round? I made two kinds this week: walnut truffles (right) and chocolate marzipan truffles (left). The walnut truffles are fabulous, and you could substitute any kind of nuts. The recipe actually calls for pistachios, but I don' t generally buy unsalted pistachios. The salted ones are just so much better for snacking.

Walnut Truffles
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp. sour cream
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup medium-fine chopped walnuts

In a double boiler, combine the chopped chocolate and cream. Set over barely simmering water and melt the chocolate, then whisk until the mixture is glossy and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter pieces, stirring until smooth and well blended. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and salt and stir until blended. Let cool, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Fill the pastry bag with the chocolate mixture and pipe into 1-inch mounds onto baking sheet. Freeze the truffles until very firm. Roll each truffle in the nuts, pressing to coat. The truffles should be served slightly chilled. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Marzipan Truffles
3 cups blanched almonds
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 tsp. almond extract
Dipping chocolate

Combine blanched almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor and process until the nuts are very finely ground. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy saucepan. Stir over low heat with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved. Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in warm water. Increase the heat to medium, place a warmed candy thermometer in the pan, and cook, without stirring, until it reaches 244F, firm ball. Remove from the heat, turn on the food processor, and immediately pour the sugar syrup through the feed tube in to the almond mixture. Grind to a fine paste and then add almond extract.

Lightly coat a medium bowl with spray and remove the paste to the bowl. Place a damp towel over the top and let cool. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with tempered dipping chocolate and allow to set on the baking sheet.

Make sure to calibrate your thermometer. I calibrated mine, but I still ended up overcooking the sugar syrup. I thought it would be done at 238F, but I guess it was too long and my marzipan didn't turn out perfectly. It still tastes fine, but it was a little stiffer and drier than it should have been. All in all, both truffles make great little treats right from the freezer.

French Chocolate Macaroons

2008-03-30T12:38:00.002-06:00

This recipe is courtesy Luscious Chocolate Desserts, and yes, all of the desserts have indeed been luscious. Generally, you think of macaroons as having coconut, but traditionally, they were done with almonds. These almond macaroons were fabulous and very well received. If you don't normally stock blanched almonds, just blanch your own. It's very easy to do; just plunge them in to hot water, boil for 1 minute, then plunge them in to cold water, peel off the skins, and let them dry on paper towels.

Macaroons
1/2 cup blanched whole almonds
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
2 tsp. granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Pulse the almonds with 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add the cocoa powder and the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and pulse until well blended. Beat the egg whites with the salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the whites form soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Add the granulated sugar and beat just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. With a whisk or a rubber spatula, gently fold in the almond mixture.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe out 1-inch-diameter mounds about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the tops are cracked and appear dry but the macaroons are still slightly soft to the touch. Transfer the cookies, still on the parchment paper, to barely dampened kitchen towels and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully peel the paper off the macaroons and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Filling
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

Bring the cream just to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder. Add the chocolate and butter and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes, or until the filling is firm enough to hold its shape when spread. Spread generously on the flat side of half of the macaroons. Top with the remaining macaroons, flat side down, pressing together gently to form sandwiches. Makes about 20 sandwich cookies.

Onion Tarts with Mixed Greens

2008-03-28T14:55:00.005-06:00

Here's a new twist on salad, courtesy Williams-Sonoma. This recipe pairs a lightly tossed salad on a flaky, baked onion tart and really is more tart than salad. It's great with lean, grilled meat or just by itself for a light meal. I'm not a fan of goat cheese, so I used blue cheese instead.

Savory Tart Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
12 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 to 7 Tbs. ice water

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until pea-size crumbs form. Add the water 1 Tbs. at a time and mix with your hands, adding more water as needed until the dough comes together. It should be moist but not sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, divide into 2 balls and shape each into a 5-inch disk. Cover separately with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough disk into a 12-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Using a small knife, trim the uneven edges. Transfer each round to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Onion Tarts with Mixed Greens
2 rolled-out rounds savory tart dough, each 12" in diameter
5 Tbs. olive oil
4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 oz. mixed salad greens
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400F. In saute pan over medium-high heat, warm 3 Tbs. oil. Add onions, salt, and pepper; cook 15-20 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add thyme, parsley, and 2 tsp. vinegar; cook 2 minutes. Let cool. Spread half of onion mixture on each dough round, leaving 1" border. Fold dough up; pinch together at 2" intervals. Brush dough with beaten egg. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

In bowl, whisk 2 tsp. vinegar, 2 Tbs. oil, salt, and pepper. Toss half of vinaigrette with greens; place rest in a mister. Top tarts with salad; sprinkle with cheese. Mist salads with vinaigrette. Serves 8.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-03-25T15:06:00.004-06:00

This should have been my first post to explain the name of this blog, but I've finally gotten around to taking pictures of my cookies. Sure, I've made plenty of cookies over the past few months, but I always forget to take pictures before they get eaten. They don't last more than a day at our house. I played with this recipe for months, and to you, it may look just like any other recipe. However, I've learned how to get the dough to turn out just right to make the perfect cookie.

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
3(+/-) c. flour
3/4 c. Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. butterscotch or white chips

Cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and soda. Add enough flour so that the dough is firm but slightly wet, but not too sticky or too stiff. Stir in desired chocolate chips. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop onto aluminum air bake pans. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. (If using other pans, decrease baking time by 2-3 minutes). Cookies should be set and just starting to brown. Let rest for 2-3 minutes. Remove to racks to cool. Makes 18 large cookies.
For a chewier cookie, swap out one of the egg whites for 2 T. of milk and increase the ratio of brown to white sugar. For a flatter, more buttery cookie, decrease the flour by 1/4 - 1/2 c. You can also make these cookies much smaller if you prefer, but the man of the house likes a cookie of substance. I increased the salt and vanilla amounts because it adds more flavor to the dough. Also, you could try using shortening or margarine instead of butter. I find that it makes a fluffier cookie, but it just doesn't have as good of flavor. I used to make these cookies half butter, half shortening, but in the end, all butter is better.

The Luck of the Irish!

2008-03-18T14:22:00.004-06:00

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I made the "traditional" Irish meal: corned beef and cabbage, boiled potatoes and carrots, Irish soda bread, and shamrock shortbread cookies for dessert. The meal turned out great, but I remember my mom's corned beef tasting better. She cooks it in the pressure cooker, and I just simmered mine in the crock pot. Maybe that had something to do with it....In any case, we ate our meal in remembrance of the day, though we
can't tell you the reason why we celebrate the day or eat the "traditional" meal. We aren't Irish, but it is still fun to try new cuisine and learn something about other cultures.

Pots de Creme

2008-03-14T14:42:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm finally posting again, but I've done plenty of baking and cooking even though I haven't posted. Our recent favorites include fabulous chocolate-caramel-pecan cookies, kahlua pork, southwestern nacho bake, and ham-and-swiss stromboli. Maybe I'll actually get around to taking pictures and putting up recipes, especially for how to make the best chocolate chip cookies.

These pots de creme were very good; pretty much a glorified chocolate pudding, but much, much richer. Oh how I do love chocolate. If it ain't chocolate, it ain't dessert. At least, that's my motto, and I've converted Barrett. He used to live a life of savory and salty, but with me, it's all about the sweet.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2007-10-30T12:35:00.000-06:00

I actually made my own vanilla extract, and for those of you who know extracts, they're all alcohol. Which means, that yes, I used alcohol to make this. It was quite the experience--going down to the liquor store and all, but I went with a buddy. We bought 100 proof vodka and madagascar vanilla beans, and we were all set. Now we just have to let it sit for a few months. They waiting is the hardest part, though I suppose it will force me to use up what's left of my store bought junk before I can use the really good stuff. I'm excited to use it, but I can wait.

The First Cooking Challenge

2007-10-30T09:32:00.000-06:00

I actually completed the challenge quite a few weeks ago, but I'm a little slow in updating the blog. This flourless chocolate torte was fabulous, though my husband thought it too rich for his taste. Too bad for him! I can definitely hold my own with the richest and darkest of all chocolate. Hey, if it's not chocolate, it's not dessert!

Welcome to my blog!

2007-10-08T10:09:00.000-06:00

I'm now officially on the blog bandwagon! I've started this blog as a way to record my cooking triumphs and tragedies, as suggested by the Gutsy Gourmets. I enjoy cooking and baking, but I still have so much to learn. My only real cooking goal is to have children that think their mom is a good cook. That shouldn't be too hard.

I absolutely love cookie dough....maybe even more than I love baking. Sometimes the dough is better than the cookie.