Tag Archives: Food

Apr25

Chocolate Matzo Madness Toffee

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Take a crack at this Southern spin on a traditional Passover treat. But it’s not only relegated to the holiday. In fact, you can make this sweet snack year-round using saltine crackers for a crispy, salty base that makes the chocolate and pecans pop in your mouth. So do yourself a favor and indulge!

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Ingredients

1 cup (8 oz.) salted butter, plus butter to grease pan
4 to 5 sheets lightly salted matzos
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/4 teaspoon Maldon sea salt, if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 18- x 12-inch rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Grease foil with butter. Arrange matzos in prepared pan, breaking as necessary to fit and completely cover bottom.

2. Bring 1 cup butter and brown sugar to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium, whisking occasionally. Boil, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Carefully pour mixture over matzos; spread over matzos.

3. Bake in preheated oven until bubbly all over, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove baking sheet from oven to a wire rack. Let stand 1 minute. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top; let stand until chips soften, about 2 minutes. Spread chocolate over brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle with pecans; sprinkle with salt, if desired. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Chill toffee until firm, about 30 minutes. Break or cut into about 36 pieces. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week in refrigerator.

Apr13

Chocolate Peanut-Butter Icebox Cake

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This crowd-pleasing icebox cake uses already prepared cookies; the only real work is having to wait to eat it while it chills.

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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

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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!

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

Mar14

Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream Cake

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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.

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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!

Mar1

Reese’s Peanut Butter Brownies

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Ok, these brownies I’m sharing today are the REAL deal friends! Holy cow! Whip up a batch of brownies and add some Reese’s peanut butter cups in the batter to sweeten things up. Make a cheesecake frosting, and that’s it. These Reese’s peanut butter brownies are dangerously delicious! WOW! You must try them!

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Ingredients

Refrigerated
3 Eggs
Baking & Spices
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 cup Cocoa powder, unsweetened
5 1/2 cups Flour
2 tsp Vanilla
1 12 oz pkg White chocolate reese’s peanut butter cups milk chocolate is yummy too, mini
2 cups White sugar

Dairy
1 cup Butter, salted
1 cube Cream cheese
1/2 cup Eaglebrand sweet condensed milk

Directions

1. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add one egg in at a time. Mix in cocoa, flour and baking powder. Beat until smooth. Split the bag of reeses in half. You will use half the bag in the brownie batter and half the bag for the frosting. Cut the reeses into four pieces and mix into the batter.

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes in a 9 x 13 inch greased pan. Do NOT over bake.

3. Allow brownies to cool for one hour.

4. For the frosting beat together the cream cheese, sweet condensed milk and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes. Spread on top of the brownies. Sprinkle the remaining reese’s on top and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

Feb23

Milk-Chocolate Tart with Pretzel Crust

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This dessert is a tribute to the chocolate-covered pretzel and hits just the right salty-sweet note. Mix crushed pretzels with flour, butter, sugar and egg to make a crunchy crust. Pours in a luxurious milk-chocolate filling, then sprinkle on more crushed pretzels as a garnish. Delish!

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Ingredients

CRUST
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups coarsely crushed thin pretzels (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
FILLING
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 pound milk chocolate, chopped
Maldon sea salt, crushed pretzels and crème fraîche, for serving

Directions

1. In a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with 3/4 cup of the pretzels and the confectioners’ sugar at low speed until creamy. Beat in the flour and egg. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of pretzels, being sure to leave some pretzel pieces intact. Flatten the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll out the dough between the sheets of plastic wrap to a 12-inch round. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough over a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the corners and patch any tears. Trim the overhanging dough and refrigerate the shell for 30 minutes or until firm.

3. Line the shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for about 30 minutes, until nearly set. Remove the parchment and weights and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the tart shell is firm; cover the edge with foil if it darkens too much. Let the shell cool completely. Brush the melted chocolate over the bottom and up the side and refrigerate for 10 minutes, until set.

4. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Off the heat, add the milk chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Transfer the filling to a bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

5. Pour the filling into the shell and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and crushed pretzels. Cut into wedges, top with crème fraîche; serve.

Feb18

Dark Chocolate-Bourbon Torte

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This torte infuses luscious dark chocolate with a splash of bourbon. It’s an elegant, Southern-style treat to die for!

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Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup dark chocolate morsels
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup thawed reduced-fat whipped topping
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Coat bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

2. Microwave chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) for 1 minute or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.

3. Beat butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla and egg; beat 1 minute. Add milk and, if desired, bourbon; beat 1 minute. (Mixture will look curdled.) Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended. Gradually add cocoa and flour, beating at low speed just until blended.

4. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold one-fourth of egg white mixture into batter; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

5. Bake at 300° for 45 minutes or until set. (A wooden pick inserted in center will come out with just a few crumbs on it.) Remove torte from oven; immediately run tip of a small knife around edge of torte. Let cool on wire rack 30 minutes. (Torte will rise to top of pan while baking but will sink while it cools.) Remove sides of springform pan.

6. Spoon whipped topping into a zip-top plastic freezer bag. (Do not seal.) Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe dollops of whipped topping around base of torte. Sprinkle torte with powdered sugar and cocoa.

Feb9

Chocolate S’mores Cake

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Ingredients

CAKE
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

TOPPING
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3 large egg whites
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
6 whole graham crackers, broken
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter two 8-inch square baking pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the 2 cups of flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk with the vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and whisk just until smooth.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with a few crumbs attached. Let cool in the pans on a wire rack, then turn out to cool completely. Peel off the parchment. Turn the cakes right side up onto 2 baking sheets.

4. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes.

5. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with the corn syrup and stir over moderate heat until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved. Bring the corn syrup mixture to a boil, wiping down any sugar crystals that may form on the side of the pan with a moistened pastry brush. Cook over moderate heat, without stirring, until the corn syrup mixture reaches 250° on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the softened gelatin; the mixture will foam up.

6. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg whites and vanilla seeds at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well between additions. Beat until the whites are stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes.

7. With the mixer at medium speed, carefully pour the hot corn syrup mixture in a thin stream into the egg whites, aiming for the area between the whisk and side of the bowl. Beat the topping until very thick and opaque, about 8 minutes.

8. Preheat the broiler and position a rack 8 inches from the heat. Using an offset spatula, spread the marshmallow topping over the tops of the cakes. Let stand for about 1 minute, until slightly set. Broil the cakes one at a time, shifting the pan as necessary for even browning, about 5 minutes. Insert the broken graham crackers into the marshmallow and drizzle with the melted chocolate. Serve while the marshmallow is still warm.

Feb2

Chocolate Dipped Bacon Shot Glasses

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While the shot glasses are a little time intensive to make, they actually seem pretty simple. All you need to do is create your molds, wrap bacon around them, and then bake. Once your bacon shot glasses are out of the oven, you simply dip them in chocolate – the chocolate being delicious as well as functionary, sealing any holes to allow the bacon shot to actually hold your preferred spirit. After that, the sky’s the limit as to what you choose to fill your glasses with. Enjoy!

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