I am so thrilled that my book, “Go… And Find Yourself Some Happiness” is now in reprint. It’s available at amazon and lovelier than ever! #goandfindyourselfsomehappiness
Apr22
Apr17
Sunday Reflections
Have an amazing and blessed Sunday!
Apr13
Chocolate Peanut-Butter Icebox Cake
This crowd-pleasing icebox cake uses already prepared cookies; the only real work is having to wait to eat it while it chills.
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter (not unsalted)
1 box (9 ounces) chocolate wafer cookies
Directions
1. In a large bowl, whip 1 1/2 cups cream with sugar until soft peaks form. In a small bowl, whisk peanut butter until soft and smooth; whisk in 1/2 cup cream until light and fluffy. Fold peanut-butter mixture into whipped cream until incorporated.
2. Dab the bottom of 6 cookies with a very small amount of cream mixture and arrange in a circle on a serving plate; place 1 cookie in the middle of circle. Top with cup cream mixture, spreading outward to cover all but outer edges of cookies. Repeat process 5 more times (staggering the cookie layers), ending with cream. Cut 3 cookies in half; decorate top of cake with cookie halves.
3. Refrigerate cake at least 8 hours (or up to overnight). To serve, cut into wedges with a serrated knife.
Apr5
Dutch Oven Cheesecake
A creamy, delicious marshmallow cheesecake that you can make in a dutch oven! With a fun topping bar including chocolate ganache, Honey Maid Graham Crackers, and more!
Ingredients
10 inch dutch oven
8 inch spring form pan
aluminum foil
2 cups water
30 pieces of charcoal (more may be needed)
Crust
1 cup Honey Maid Graham Crackers
¼ cup butter, melted
2 Tbs sugar
Filling
2- 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup marshmallow fluff
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
1. Start your charcoal. Light it, and get it going so it is hot. Depending on weather conditions, make a foil tent around it to keep it hot.
2. Crush graham crackers
3. Mix with melted butter and sugar to form a crust
4. Press the Honey Maid graham cracker mixture into the bottom of a springform pan
5. Put 2 cups of water in the bottom of a 10 inch dutch oven
6. Place 8 charcoal pieces under the dutch oven, and 12 on the lid, put the lid over the top and start heating the dutch oven and water.
7. While that is heating, mix together the filling. Use a hand mixer, or just mix really well, and mix the cream cheese and sugar, vanilla, marshmallow fluff, and heaving whipping cream.
8. When well mixed, add the eggs, one at a time, and blend until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Pour over crust into springform pan. If your pan is not airtight, put foil around the bottom edge so the water bath does not seep in and ruin your cheesecake.
9. Carefully lift the lid to the dutch oven, and place the springform inside the heated water.
10. Replace lid and let cook for about 1- 1½ hours, until no longer jiggly in center. Replace coals as needed to keep the dutch oven hot and heating evenly.
11. Once cooked, remove from dutch oven, and let cool. Then top as you wish. For me it was chocolate ganache and graham crackers.
Apr4
Chocolate Turtle Bundt Cake
This irresistible chocolate turtle bundt cake is a made-from-scratch chocolate caramel pecan delight. It’s drizzled with a buttery pecan-caramel sauce and a healthy drizzle of silky chocolate ganache. It’s a cake that’s dressed to impress even the pickiest of dessert eaters.
Ingredients
1 recipe Chocolate Buttermilk Cake made in a bundt pan
1 cup roughly chopped pecan pieces, toasted
Caramel-pecan sauce:
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup butter (1/2 stick or 4 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate ganache:
1½ cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
Directions
1. Prepare the chocolate buttermilk cake per the directions. Bake in a buttered and floured bundt pan for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean. Cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
2. Spread the pecan pieces in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast in a 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes Set aside to cool.
4. To make the caramel-pecan sauce: In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat melt together the brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly.
4. Remove the caramel sauce from the heat then add the vanilla and toasted pecans. Stir until the pecans are coated. Set aside to cool slightly.
5. To make the ganache: in a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and heavy cream in 20 second increments stopping to stir each time. Repeat until completely smooth.
6. Place the bundt cake on a cake pedestal or platter. Drizzle with ⅓ of the chocolate ganache and ⅓ of the caramel pecan sauce. Repeat drizzling the cake on all sides until both of the sauces are used.
7. Store chilled bringing to room temperature for serving.
NOTES
The caramel-pecan sauce and chocolate ganache should still be warm but still pourable before drizzling onto the cake.
Apr3
Sunday Reflections
Have a blessed and amazing Sunday!
Mar27
Happy Easter 2016
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Easter Sunday!!
Mar20
Sunday Reflections
Happy Palm Sunday 2016!
Mar18
NYC Spring 2016
I decided to visit one of my favorite places for some much needed artistic and urban flavor. Last night was the first play on Broadway: Forest Whitaker in Hughie by Eugene O’Niell. See it before it closes at the end of this month.
Mar14
Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream Cake
This decadent Springtime treat of rich and chewy nibby brownies are topped with coffee ice cream and a billowy layer of no-churn sweet cream ice cream.
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
NIbby Brownies & Coffee Ice Cream
FOR THE BROWNIE LAYER
8 ounces bitterweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus one tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cacao nibs
FOR THE COFFEE ICE CREAM LAYER
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/4 cup coffee beans, coarsely ground
3/4 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
pinches salt
No-Churn Ice Cream
14 ounces can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons bourbon
pinches salt
Directions
1. FOR THE BROWNIE LAYER: Preheat oven to 350º F. Line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the bottom and sides generously
2. Put the chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted. Let cool.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt until the mixture is lighter in color, about 3 minutes.
4. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and whisk to combine, then fold in the flour and 2 tablespoons of the cacao nibs. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the rest of the nibs.
5. Slide your pan into the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean, 25 to 30 min. Cool completely, then remove the outside of the springform pan and slice the brownie round in half horizontally. I find the brownies are easiest to slice after a few minutes in the refrigerator. Leave the bottom half of the brownies in the pan and put the outside of the springform pan back in place. Break the top layer of brownie into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Then prepare the coffee ice cream.
6. FOR THE COFFEE ICE CREAM LAYER: Heat 1 cup of heavy cream to just below simmering, turn off heat, add the coffee beans, and let steep for 5 minutes. Drain the mixture through a coffee filter and transfer it to a bowl with a strainer set over it.
7. Combine the milk, remaining heavy cream, sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, being careful to not let the mixture boil. Stir often, and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture over the coffee-infused cream and stir to combine. Add in the coffee liqueur if using. Chill over an ice bath (or for a few hours in the fridge).
8. When completely chilled, churn the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spread the soft ice cream mixture over the trimmed brownie layer still in the pan. You want to fill the pan so it is about halfway full, which means you will probably have a bit of extra ice cream leftover; freeze it in an airtight container to enjoy later. Top the coffee ice cream with the broken brownie pieces. Put the pan in the freezer to firm up while you prepare the sweet cream ice cream
9. FOR THE NO-CHURN ICE CREAM LAYER: Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, bourbon, and salt together in a large bowl.
10. In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Then gently fold it into the condensed milk mixture.
11. Top the coffee ice cream and brownies with the sweet cream mixture (you may have a bit leftover) and freeze overnight before slicing. Just before serving, sprinkle with a few teaspoons of cacao nibs and top the slices with chocolate sauce. I like this Magic Shell with a pinch of salt. Enjoy!
Egos & Buffaloes 