Category: Dessert

Brownies and Salted Caramel Sauce

I found this recipe on Bon Appetit via Twitter. It is very rich but these are the first homemade brownies I made that didn’t taste like chocolate cake. I loved it but my daughter felt the bittersweet chocolate makes it taste like dark chocolate brownies, so beware if you dislike dark chocolate flavor. The caramel sauce was easy to make and very yummy.

Brownies

Ingredients:

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 1 tablespoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder plus more for pan
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Caramel Sauce

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • Gray sea salt or flaky sea salt (such as Maldon; for serving)

Directions:

Brownies

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Place butter, unsweetened chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring occasionally, until melted. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk flour, espresso powder, kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder in another medium bowl; set aside.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick, about 2 minutes; beat in vanilla. Fold in warm chocolate mixture, then dry ingredients, just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
Bake brownies until a tester inserted into the center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, 20-25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let brownies cool in pan. Cut brownies into 16 squares.

Caramel Sauce and Assembly

Bring sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until sugar is a deep amber color, 5-8 minutes. Remove caramel from heat.
Add cream and butter (mixture will bubble vigorously) and whisk to combine. Let cool slightly in pan.
Drizzle caramel sauce over brownies and sprinkle with sea salt. DO AHEAD: Brownies can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep at room temp-erature. Caramel sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool. Cover and chill. Reheat before using.

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

 

 

Merry Christmas! Christmas would not be complete without making gingerbread people. This recipe was found on simplyrecipes.com and is easy with tasty results.

Ingredients;

  • 1/2 cup un-sulfured molasses
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 Tbs ground ginger
  • 1 Tbs ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1  large egg, beaten
  • 3 1/4 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose four
    Directions;

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and spices, set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in eggs and molasses. Gradually add the flour on low speed. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. Before rolling out, let sit at room temp for 5-10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set out 3 sheets of lightly floured parchment paper. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick and place on parchment paper. Refrigerate again for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut out cookies. Cut dough into shapes and transfer to baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until firm to touch.

Chocolate Mousse Dessert Cake

Julia-Child_Julia-tasting-BW_s4x3_lg

This is a classic recipe from Julia Child. A rich delicious chocolate cake that does not need frosting. I watched her make this one on her show and she made it look so simple, as she often does. However, there are many steps and it can be a little tricky with the water baths but worth the effort and a great treat for the holidays.

Ingredients;

  • 6 whole eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 pound of chocolate (14 oz semi-sweet, 2 oz unsweetened)
  • 1/4 cup dark Jamaican rum
  • 1/4 cup strong coffee
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (chilled)
  • 1 TBS vanilla

Directions;
Butter and flour a 10 cup cake pan, have a piece of wax paper buttered as well and place on bottom of cake pan.
Whip eggs and sugar.
Melt chocolate, rum, and coffee in water bath and add vanilla to chocolate mixture.
Whip heavy cream into soft whip cream.
Fold chocolate into beaten eggs and sugar then fold whip cream into mixture, pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees in water bath for 1 hour. Leave in pan of water, oven off for 30 minutes.
Remove carefully from pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Sweet Potato Puree with Brown Sugar and Sherry

This is an intriguing recipe I found in my epicurious app and adapted a bit with marshmallows. The thing I absolutely loved about this dish is the hint of sherry. This is the second sweet potato dish I have placed on the website. You might be able to tell, I love sweet potatoes. If you don’t use 4 pounds of potatoes, reduce the amount of Sherry.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds medium-sized red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
  • 2 pounds medium-sized tan-skinned sweet potatoes
  • 10 TBS (1 1/4 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 5 TBS dry Sherry
  • 1 bag mini marshmallows
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce all sweet potatoes with fork and bake until tender, about 55 minutes. Cool slightly. Using spoon, scoop potato pulp into large bowl. Add butter and brown sugar, using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Beat in Sherry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking pan and cover with one layer mini marshmallows. Bake for 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees or until marshmallows are tanned.

Mom’s Apple Pie

 

My mom makes the best apple pie. I always try to produce a pie worthy of her but it has been a difficult road. I am not giving up because my mom’s apple pie is my all-time favorite food. It is not the same without mom’s pastry recipe that has been passed down throughout the generations in her family. You have to make this pastry the day before.

Mom’s Pastry

Ingredients;

  • 5 cups flour
  • 1 pound lard
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp baking powder

Directions;

Mix the above 4 ingredients together in a large bowl, use fork to start than by hand (I use my Cuisinart mixer for the entire recipe and it does a fabulous job).

  • Beat 1 egg in a measuring cup
  • Add 2 tsp white vinegar
  • Then add water to make ¾ cup

Add to flour mixture and mix. Mix until lard is almost absorbed. Mixture will be very sticky. Roll into log and cut into 6 even pieces. Wrap in tin foil and freeze for at least 1 day. Thaw and roll out with lots of flour.

Mom’s Apple Pie

Ingredients;

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Dash of salt
  • 8 cups thinly sliced apples, I use granny smith for their tartness but you can use whatever you like. (About 8 medium)
  • 2 TBS butter

Directions;

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the apples. Turn into pastry lined plate. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust and cut slits in top. Seal and flute edges. Cover edges with 3 inch flute of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Bake 40-50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits.

 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

IMG_6591

Thanksgiving is almost here, that means feasting on holiday food, one of my favorite things. This is a recipe I found in a Halloween themed magazine years ago. I don’t remember the name. I made this for a family gathering and it was very popular. It is a super easy recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups canned pumpkin
  • 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into two greased 8 inch x 4 inch x 2 inch loaf pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wires racks.

Sugar Cookie

Sugar Cookie's

Looking for a sugar cookie for the holidays and inundated by how many recipes there are online? Well look no further. Here is a recipe from the bf that is easy to make and delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 5 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions:

Mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Chill for 1 hour at least, roll out and make those cookies in any shape desired.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.

Let cool and decorate.

Merry Christmas!

Sweet Potato Puree with Streusel

This recipe, found on epicurious.com, is the sweet potato dish I have been making with my Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for the past couple of years. It is delicious and very sweet, if you add marshmallows on top of the streusel. Look out sugar rush.

Ingredients:

  • 5 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, such as Louisiana, jewel, or garnet yams
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup plus 1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
  • 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Butter 9- by 13-inch baking dish or 2-quart casserole. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Pierce each potato with fork and transfer to baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 50 minutes. Cool until easy to handle.

Meanwhile, make streusel: In medium bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 stick butter. Rub mixture between fingertips until blended and crumbly. Set aside.

Halve potatoes lengthwise and scoop out flesh into large bowl. Add remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar and 3/4 stick butter and mash with potato masher or, for a smoother purée, handheld electric mixer. Spread mixture in prepared dish and cool completely. (Streusel and purée can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, separately, covered.)

Sprinkle streusel over potatoes. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. (Completed dish can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before reheating and let come to room temperature. Bake, loosely covered with foil, until heated through, about 25 minutes.)

Variation:
Sweet potato purée with marshmallows: Omit streusel. Spread purée in baking dish, cover with foil, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle top with 3 cups miniature marshmallows and broil until marshmallows are lightly browned, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Ardenwood Oatmeal Crispie’s

Ardenwood Oatmeal Crispie's

This is the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever tasted. Many years ago, I went to Ardenwood Farms in Union City, California, to watch a civil war re-enactment. Everyone was dressed up from the civil war era, it was quite amusing. They had many recipes sitting out and this is the one that peaked my interest. I have since made them many times for my family and while stationed at the fire station. Everyone loves them. They are my children’s favorite.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups white flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups oatmeal

1 package chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream together the butter and the sugars. Mix in the eggs and then vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, oatmeal and chocolate chips. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.