I am obsessed with Pharrell Williams’ Oscar nominated song “Happy” and I decided to post the variety of ways that the world is putting that uplifting groove to good use! #musicfriendsofTenaciousM enjoy!
Mar4
Tag Archives: Love
Mar2
Sunday Reflections
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Mar1
Dream Treat!
Chocolate Decadence Cake
This rich and indulgent chocolate dessert is sure to satisfy the craziest of chocoholics. #chocolatefriendsofTenaciousM will love this!
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
8 teaspoons semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly coat 4 (2-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon sugar into each of the ramekins, shaking and turning to coat. Set prepared ramekins aside.
Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, milk, and cocoa in a small saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the butter and 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool chocolate mixture 10 minutes.
Add flour, vanilla, salt, and egg white to chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk just until blended. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture into each prepared ramekin, and top each with 2 teaspoons chocolate chips. Divide the remaining chocolate mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover the chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until barely set. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates. Garnish as with fruit or white chocolate shavings. Serve warm.
Feb27
Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches
There’s always room for dessert, especially for this sweet treat; it’s delicious and takes almost no time to prepare.
PREP: 15 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 15 MINS
SERVINGS:4
INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
4 large slices challah or Italian Bread, (cut 3/4 inch thick)
4 ounces thin semisweet chocolate bar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1
In a large, shallow dish, whisk together eggs and milk; set aside.
STEP 2
Form two sandwiches with the bread and chocolate (break chocolate as necessary to cover bread without extending over edges); dip both sides of sandwiches in egg mixture to coat.
STEP 3
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat; transfer sandwiches to skillet. Cook, pressing occasionally with a spatula, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Cut in half, and dust with confectioners’; sugar before serving.
Feb26
WORD JONES
Most writers will relate to the compulsion that can occur when you are writing. It can be ceaseless, day or night, you think of a line and have to write it down before the idea escapes you. It’s our addiction of sorts…
Word Jones
Nose open inhaling time
Your head and hands make contact and
Ignite the smoking mind
With a need
You deal a line to whomever wants a hit
Waking words inject rhyme
Trip in waiting rooms where
Junkies have no sleep lines to trace
Thoughts will always find you-
They clasp creative veins and constrict
Normal flow outside the high place
Feb24
Tadashi Shoji Fall 2014 Collection
Amazing dresses from Tadashi Shoji’s fall 2014 collection. The colors, silhouettes and fluidity are perfect. Enjoy!
Style Pantry
Feb23
No Bake Oreo Ice Cream Cake
My weekend/Sunday has been extra crazy! So how does TenaciousM give stress an uppercut? You guessed it! Chocolate! Here’s an all-time favorite. #chocolatefriendsofTenaciousM enjoy!
Ingredients
1/2cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
16 OREO Cookies, chopped (about 2 cups), divided
12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches
Directions
WHISK fudge topping and 1 cup COOL WHIP in medium bowl until blended. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. Stir in 1 cup cookies.
ARRANGE 4 ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; cover with half the COOL WHIP mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sandwiches. Frost with remaining COOL WHIP; press remaining cookies into top and sides of dessert. Wrap loosely with foil.
FREEZE 4 hours.
Feb22
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
This is a very rich pie, but oh-so wonderful. If you like chocolate and peanut butter, you’ll like this!
For the crust:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick), unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until well blended. Press the mixture into the sides and bottom of a nine-inch deep dish pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely.
For the filling:
14 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Beat cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.
Beat in the melted butter gradually. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
Gently fold the cream into the peanut butter mixture using a spatula. Do not over beat.
Pour into the prepared, cool crust and refrigerate for several hours until set.
For the Ganache:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate finely chopped (high-quality such as Ghiradelli – not chocolate chips).
Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over the chocolate in a bowl. Stir gently to melt the chocolate and mix well. Cool slightly and spread evenly over the pie. Chill until served. Cut with a knife that has been heated under hot water and wiped dry between each slice.
Feb21
Chocolate-Whiskey Soufflé Tarts
There’s just a wee bit of the favorite Irish spirit in these treats. Enjoy!
Serves 8
Ingredients
For crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon (scant) salt
For filling
10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
Pinch of salt
4 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
Sweetened whipped cream
Chocolate shavings (optional)
Preparation
Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend all ingredients in processor just until dough gathers together. Shape dough into log. Cut into 8 equal rounds. Press 1 round over bottom and up sides of each of eight 4 1/2 x 3/4-inch tartlet pans with removable bottom. Pierce crusts with fork. Bake crusts until pale golden, about 18 minutes. Cool in pans on rack.
Make filling:
Set aside generous 1/3 cup chopped chocolate. Place remaining chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water); stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk in whiskey, vanilla, coffee and salt, then yolks. Beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold half of whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in reserved 1/3 cup chopped chocolate, then remaining whites. Divide mixture among crusts. Freeze at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and keep frozen.)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Push bottom of frozen tartlets up to release from pan sides. Arrange tartlets on pan bottoms on baking sheet. Bake until filling puffs and begins to crack, about 20 minutes. Place tartlets on plates. Spoon whipped cream alongside. Top with chocolate shavings, if desired.
Feb19
Baileys Chocolate Pudding Parfaits with Oatmeal-Walnut Crunch
The oatmeal and nut mixture in this dessert is usually baked on fruit. Here, it is cooked on its own, then layered with currants and a pudding made with Baileys Original Irish Cream topped off with chocolate shavings. Delicious!
Serves 6
Ingredients
For crunch
1 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup dark chocolate shavings
For pudding
1 1/4 cups chilled whipping cream
12 tablespoons Baileys Original Irish Cream
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
6 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 tablespoons dried currants
Preparation
Make crunch:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture forms moist clumps. Mix in walnuts. Sprinkle mixture onto rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, occasionally stirring gently and leaving mixture in clumps, about 35 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight.)
Make pudding:
Combine 3/4 cup cream, 6 tablespoons Baileys liqueur, sugar, yolks and nutmeg in large metal bowl. Place over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Using electric mixer, beat until custard thickens and thermometer registers 160°F, about 8 minutes. Remove from over water and beat until cool, about 8 minutes. Mix in remaining 6 tablespoons liqueur. Beat remaining 1/2 cup cream in medium bowl to medium peaks. Fold into custard. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Layer 1/4 cup pudding, 1 tablespoon currants and 3 tablespoons crunch in each of six 12-ounce goblets; repeat layering 1 more time. Top with chocolate shavings. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour.
Egos & Buffaloes 