Tag Archives: Love

Dream Treat!

Standard

Chocolate Chunk-Mocha Cookies

Amazing cookies, filled with chunks of chocolate and covered in mocha frosting. #chocolatefriendsofTenaciousM enjoy!!

Chocolate Chunk-Mocha Cookies

Yield: Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 (11.5-oz.) package semisweet chocolate chunks
Mocha Frosting
Powdered sugar (optional)

Mocha Frosting Ingredients

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup hot strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Mocha Frosting Preparation

1. Stir together first 4 ingredients until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring until creamy.

Cookies Preparation

1. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a bowl.

2. Beat butter and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in chocolate chunks.

3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

4. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until puffy. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes; remove to wire racks, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool. Spread cookies with Mocha Frosting. Dust evenly with powdered sugar, if desired.

Note: Dough may be frozen up to 1 month or refrigerated up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature before baking as directed.

No Strings Attached

Image

No Strings Attached

Rise & Shine!

Standard

Happy Monday! Go do your thing!!

Life is a beautiful struggle

Kindness Is Beautiful!

Image

The World Is Full Of Nice People

White Chocolate Praline Ice Cream Terrine with Blackberry-Raspberry Sauce

Standard

Just in time for your fabulous weekend… an elegant terrine with pretty layers of walnut praline and homemade white chocolate ice cream. Do-aheads: praline, 3 days; sauce, 1 day; entire terrine, 3 days.

White Chocolate Praline
Ingredients

Praline
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/3 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Terrine
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
8 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blackberry-Raspberry Sauce

Preparation

For Praline:
Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Stir sugar, 1/2 cup water, and cream of tartar in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is pale amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 5 minutes. Add nuts; stir with wooden spoon until coated with syrup. Continue to cook until syrup is deep amber color, gently pushing nuts into syrup, about 3 minutes longer. Immediately scrape mixture out onto prepared baking sheet, spreading as thinly as possible with metal spatula. Let praline stand until cool and firm, about 1 hour. Break praline into irregular pieces. Set aside a few pieces for garnish. Coarsely chop remaining praline. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

For Terrine:
Whisk yolks in bowl to blend. Bring cream, milk, and sugar to simmer in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk cream mixture into yolks; return to saucepan and stir constantly until mixture thickens slightly and instant-read thermometer inserted into mixture registers 170°F, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Transfer custard to 4-cup measuring cup; cool slightly.

Place white chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water; stir just until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Gradually whisk warm custard into melted chocolate. Mix in vanilla. Cover and chill custard at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Process custard in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to container; cover and freeze at least 6 hours or overnight.

Line 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with double layer of plastic wrap, leaving 4-inch overhang. Spread 1/3 of ice cream over bottom of prepared loaf pan; sprinkle with half of chopped praline. Spread half of remaining ice cream over; sprinkle with remaining chopped praline. Spread remaining ice cream over. Fold plastic wrap over to cover. Freeze overnight. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

Invert terrine onto platter; remove plastic wrap. Serve terrine with sauce and garnish with reserved praline pieces.

Over The Hump Old School Sound Check – The Whispers

Standard

Happy Thursday #musicfriendsofTenaciousM! I hope it’s lovely where you are today.

The Whispers is a group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s. The Whispers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003, and were winners of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s prestigious Pioneer Award in 2008. By popular vote, the group was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall Of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012. Credit: Wikipedia

The group scored many hits on the R&B and Billboard Hot 100 charts throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they hit #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1980 with “And the Beat Goes On / “Can You Do the Boogie” / “Out the Box”. In 1987, they enjoyed a brief tenure in the Top 40 when “Rock Steady” became their first Top 10 success on the Hot 100, reaching #7, while also capturing the #1 spot on the R&B chart. Credit: Wikipedia

Bird Watching

Standard

Bird Watching

I stood
in a good place
to watch this small bird struggle

She had fallen
To the ground
From a nest on a limb
I could not see

I wanted to help
But figured one like her
Might come along
And so I waited
And waited
And none came

She was broken
But brave in her pain
This little bird
Didn’t flinch when I picked her up
And brought her inside
Where she stayed with me
Long after she flew away

Weird Is Good

Image

Blessed Are The Weird People

Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pan Cookie

Standard

When the world hands you a day you’d rather forget, treat yourself to some much needed dark chocolate comfort. This pan cookie recipe calls for chunky peanut butter and dark chocolate morsels– a winning combination!

~ps269.tmp

Ingredients

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose baking mix (Bisquick)
1 (12-ounce) package dark chocolate morsels, divided (Hershey’s Special Dark Chips)

Preparation

Stir together peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl.

Stir in brown sugar until combined. Add baking mix and 3/4 cup dark chocolate morsels, stirring just until moistened. Spread mixture in a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.

Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate morsels; let stand 5 minutes or until chocolate melts. Spread melted chocolate evenly over top. Cut into triangles, bars, or squares.

Happy Easter 2014!

Standard

Happy Easter all! I hope that you feel the Son on the inside and outside of your hearts today.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Happy Easter 2014 2