Simple Chocolate Ice Cream

Since spring has sprung here in Toronto (though it's currently being diluted with rain), I pulled out the ice cream maker I got for Christmas, from the depths of our storage locker. Admittedly, when I opened said Christmas present, I was a little disappointed since I'm not a huge ice cream eater. I like the odd cone once in a while, but had never considered making my own to satisfy those fleeting cravings. T had been challenging me to use the machine for a few months though, since space in our condo is at a premium, every kitchen appliance must be essential, so I finally cracked the box open and pulled out the recipe book.

I was immediately impressed by the variety of recipes -- coffee butter almond ice cream, pumpkin pie ice cream, mango gelato, cranberry sorbet -- but I always like to start simple so I opted for the Simple Chocolate Ice Cream. 

As I've mentioned, one of the things I love most about cooking is knowing and controlling what's going into my food. Though sometimes I prefer to be in denial. If knowing that ice cream is made solely from cream and sugar will cause you to faint, do not read any further. But with good quality and simple ingredients, you get a good quality dessert and this ice cream was nothing short of that. It literally melts on your tongue and it's so rich (not surprisingly) that you really only need a small serving to satisfy that sweet tooth craving. 

So, I am sure the ice cream maker sees a number of recipes this summer. In fact, the bowl is in the freezer right now just waiting to be used, so please, if you have a good recipe I should try, let me know! For now, here's a delicious one to kick off your summer.

Simple Chocolate Ice Cream

Makes 14 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

• Place the cocoa and sugars in a medium bowl and stir to combine. 
• Add the whole milk and use a hand mixer on low speed to combine until the cocoa and sugars are dissolved. 
• Stir in the heavy cream and the vanilla.
• Turn machine on and pour mixture into freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 25 to 35 minutes. 
• If you want a firmer consistency, place in an airtight container for about two hours. 

Peanut Butter Brownies

Some things just go together. Frauline Maria and Captain Von Trapp. Crossword puzzles and pencils. Puggles and vacuums. Chocolate and peanut butter.

Last night I was craving something sweet, but being in a minor food rut, I didn't have too much in my cupboards to draw from. So I turned to Martha Stewart and her many brownie options and found just one where I had everything. And this, is how peanut butter brownies came to be.

Now, I'll tell you, there is a lot of peanut butter in these. I would argue, they are 40% peanut butter and 60% brownie, so you have to be committed to this flavour combination. I wholeheartedly am, so I proceeded and didn't look back. The result is a rich and very sweet treat, to be enjoyed with a tall glass of milk or a steaming hot cup of tea. It hit the sweet spot and then some. Even my peanut-butter loving puggle wanted some. Sorry Cooper, these are just for mom. And dad. And any guests. But not for puggles.

Peanut Butter Brownies
Makes one 9x9 pan
Printable Recipe


Ingredients


Batter

• 8 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces 
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Filling

• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9x9 square pan with parchment paper, allowing two inches to hang over the sides. 
• Make the batter: Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.
• Whisk the granulated sugar into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture stirring well until incorporated.
• Make the filling: Stir together the butter, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, salt and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
• Pour one-third of the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Place dollops of filling on top of the batter. Drizzle the remaining batter on top and gently spread to fill the pan. Place dollops of remaining filling on top.
• With a butter knife, gently swirl the filling into the batter running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through the layers. 
• Bake about 45 minutes; until a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet.
• Let cool slightly in the pan. Lift out brownies and let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Recipe from Martha Stewart: The New Classics

Decadent Chocolate Pudding

Two years ago, before I started really cooking, I would have been completely satisfied ripping open a package of Jello powdered pudding, adding some milk and calling it dessert. 

Now, I'm much more interested in what I'm eating. I'm finding the more I cook, the less interested I am in pre-packaged foods. Without even thinking, I've stopped eating Kraft Dinner (which I honestly used to love), canned soup, salad dressing, pre-made oatmeal -- all in favour of making these foods myself. I enjoy knowing what's going into my food and trying to make it as fresh as possible. 

One more step in that was making this decadent chocolate pudding. Making it from scratch can't even compare to a package. The flavour is richer and more choclatey, the texture is thicker and dense. And, most surprisingly, I felt much more satisfied after a single serving than I would have with a whole box of packaged stuff (not that I ever ate a whole box...). So I'm finding that I'm not only enjoying the process of cooking more, but I am certainly enjoying the results!

What do you make from scratch that you used to buy pre-made?

Decadent Chocolate Pudding

Serves 6

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

• In a medium bowl, sift together the cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the sugar. Add the egg yolks and pour in 1/2 cup of milk. Whisk until combined.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining two cups of mils and the heavy cream over medium heat until the mixture just comes to a boil. Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the cocoa mixture.
• Rinse out the saucepan (but don't dry to avoid scorching) and return custard mixture to the saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the vanilla. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, cook until the custard has thickened slightly (Martha said until about the consistency of mayonnaise, but mine never got that thick and turned out great). Do not let it boil and don't worry if lumps form.
• Pour the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Add the chopped chocolate in two batches, stirring until thoroughly melted after each addition.
• Divide the pudding among six ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and chill at least four hours or overnight before serving. 
• Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

Recipe from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics

Carrot Cupcakes

It has been one busy couple of weeks! I feel like I have had absolutely no time to sit down, let alone cook and blog. I got into a bit of a food rut too -- I have been eating a lot of cereal and scrambled eggs. Yikes. I think I had a bit of February blues, but these carrot cupcakes were just what the doctor ordered.

I needed something that would get me back in the kitchen, that was sweet and satisfying, that was relaxing and easy to make. These hit all the marks. I can't even begin to tell you how delicious the icing is, too. It's a thick cream cheese icing and it's so amazing. The best part? The recipe makes lots so you can slather it on thick and still have enough to lick off the back of your spoon. After all, that's the best part, no?

Carrot Cupcakes

Serves 12

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Icing

• 1/2 pkg (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tbsp heavy cream

Cupcake

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put cupcake liners in 12 muffin cups.
• In a bowl, beat together the eggs, white sugar and brown sugar and mix in the oil and vanilla. Fold in the carrots. 
• In a separate bowl, mix in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. 
• Mix the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until evenly moist. Fold in 1/2 cup of walnuts. 
• Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in vanilla and gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Mix in heavy cream. 
• Ice each cupcake and sprinkle with remaining walnuts.

Recipe adapted from All Recipes

Crunchy Baked Apple Stacks

I have been craving sweets a lot lately. But I have been resisting the urge to make things because for two people, it's just so much quantity to make a cake or a batch of cookies. But now that I have found these lovelies, I am really in trouble. This was a marriage of two recipes: one from Martha and one from Donna Hay, two kitchen geniuses so it was bound to be delicious. (Does that make me a super-genius for this recipe?)

Warm, sweet, easy and pretty. It doesn't get any better than this!

Crunchy Baked Apple Stacks

Serves 2

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 red apples, cored and thickly sliced
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

• Preheat oven to 355 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, mix together oats, sugar, butter, cinnamon and vanilla.
• Place the bottom slice of each apple on the tray and top each slice with a spoonful of the oat mixture. Repeat with remaining oat mixture and apple slices.
• Bake stacks for 25-30 minutes or until apple is just soft.
• Serve with whipped or ice cream, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Donna Hay, No Time to Cook and Martha Stewart, The New Classics

Salted Caramel Bars and a Lesson About Making Caramel

Sometimes I just jump into a recipe without thinking. You'd think I'd learn by now, but apparently I haven't. Making caramel though was a bit of a wake up call. 

Now, I will say up front, I don't believe making caramel is hard. I think, with the right information (which clearly I didn't have), that even a novice can make this. 

That being said, I'm still not exactly sure why I thought making caramel would just be throwing some stuff in a pot and boiling it until I thought it was done. I mean, there is a candy thermometer for a reason! It's clearly much more scientific and tempermental than I thought.

The caramel in these bars was supposed to be soft and chewy. Mine could have cracked your tooth. See the jagged edges of the crust? That's because I had to take a giant knife pointing directly down into the bars to crack them apart because they wouldn't cut. 

Now that I have lived and learned -- and now researched -- I have a few important tips that I think will help your caramel making journey be much more successful than mine.

1. You need a candy thermometer. This will help you identify the exact right stage to remove your caramel from the heat to get the desired consistency.
2. You should insert the candy thermometer into your pot at the beginning of the cooking process so you can see it climb (not after when you've already passed the point of no return).
3. Slowly, slowly, slowly bring it to a slow boil.
4. Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring.
5. Monitor the candy thermometer very closely. Caramel will get hot quickly so it doesn't take long to get to the stage (soft, hard, hard crack) you want, so don't go anywhere!

Whew, I feel better. Now, go and make these delicious bars (carefully!)!


Salted Caramel Bars
Printable Recipe
Serves 9-12


Ingredients


Shortbread:

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg yolk, whisked
• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

Caramel Topping:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 12 tsp vanilla extract

Plus a few pinches of sea salt flakes for sprinkling

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper with the edges hanging over the side (this will allow you to lift it up to remove and cut nicer bars)
• In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar and salt with a fork. Add the yolk and combine. Add the flour and combine until the dough is flakey. Pour dough into lined pan and press down making it level. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Once chilled, bake for 25-27 minutes until lightly browned.
• Once baked, set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile in a pot, combine the topping ingredients: butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, sugar and cream. Insert candy thermometer into pot (it should have a ball or clip so it doesn't slip in). Slowly bring to a boil and make sure all sugar is dissolved. Stir for about 5 minutes until it is thick and bubbly. Once the thermometer reads 230 degrees, remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour on top of shortbread.
• Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Then sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Recipe from What's Gaby Cooking

Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake

There are two rules I have about cheesecake: 

1. You need to have at least 10 hungry adults to make making this worthwhile.
2. You should always make a cheesecake that has a topping to hide any unsightly cracks and, more importantly, to help you not care about any unsightly cracks.

For us, we were hosting Christmas Eve (11 adults, check). And this cheesecake was covered with a thick layer of whipped cream (check). And, on another plus side, cheesecakes need a lot of time to chill (usually overnight), so a make-ahead dessert was a bonus.

Made in a springform pan, this one is visually impressive too with the three layers, but it's super rich and decadent so don't cut those pieces too big! 

Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake

Serves 12-14

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Crust Layer

• 2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 4 tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Layer

• 3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs, room temp
• 8 (1 oz) squares semisweet chocolate
• 2 tbsp whipping cream, room temp
• 1 cup sour cream, room temp
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsps instant coffee granules dissolved into 1/4 hot water
• 1/4 cup coffee flavoured liqueur 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Top Layer

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp confectioners' sugar
• 2 tbsp coffee flavoured liqueur

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter one 9 or 10" springform pan.
• Combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter, white sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and press mixture into springform pan. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup white sugar, mixing until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on low speed until very smooth.
• Melt the 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate with two tablespoons of whipping cream in a pan or bowl over boiling water, stir until smooth.
• Add the chocolate mixture to the cream cheese mixture and blend well. Stir in sour cream, salt, coffee, coffee liqueur and vanilla and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan over crust.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 45-50 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cake in oven with the door ajar for another 45 minutes.
• Chill cake for at least 12 hours.
• Combine whipping cream, confectioners' sugar and coffee liqueur and beat until soft peaks form. Spread whipping cream layer over top of cheesecake prior to serving.
• Garnish with chocolate shavings if desired.

Recipe adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Cappuccino-Cheesecake/Detail.aspx

Kahlua Creme Brulee

I got ramekins for Christmas and was desperate to do something with them, when this recipe for Kahlua Creme Brulee crossed my path. (actually, it was irish cream, but I had Kahlua and it was yummy, too).

Since we only had one other couple over for New Year's dinner, I thought it was nice to make individual desserts, which also kept me from making a full pie or cake, where more than half of it would be wasted (yes mom, I know, I know, freeze it and you'll have it later...). 

It was easy to make and mostly make-ahead (always a winner in my books!). The only thing was that I read that if you didn't have a torch you could caramelize it under the broiler, but mine seemed to take an awful long time and heated the custard more than it should have. Any tips?

Overall though, an excellent and fairly simple dessert. I think I might invest in a torch because I think I'll be making this one often!

Kahlua Creme Brulee

Serves 6

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp Kahlua
• 6 tsp superfine sugar 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place six ramekins on a dish towel set in a roasting pan at least 3 inches deep (the towel keeps them from moving around).
• Stir together cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until very hot, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• In another bowl (a standmixer with whisk attachment is best), whisk together egg yolks, vanilla and Kahlua until combined. While still whisking, slowly add 1/3 of the cream mixture 2 tbsp at a time (slowly so you temper the eggs). Once you have incorporated 1/3 of the cream, you can stir in the remaining hot cream without it curdling.
• Pour custard through a sieve and then pour evenly into the ramekins. Then fill the roasting pan with boiling hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake in preheated oven until set 35-45 minutes -- custard should be set around edges but slightly jiggly like Jello in the centre.
• Allow custards to cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about an hour, before covering and refrigerating until cold, another four hours.
• When ready to serve, unwrap custards and sprinkle 1 tsp superfine sugar on each to coat top. Melt sugar either using a hand torch or directly under a broiler until sugar has melted. The cold custard underneath will help harden the sugar into a crispy crust.

Adapted from http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/irish-cream-creme-brulee/Detail.aspx

Truffle Brownies

I am always quick to offer to make dessert for any occasion. So when my sister invited my husband and me over to celebrate the arrival of her new dining room chairs, I knew I had to make something special! 

One of the challenges I find with making desserts for small groups of four or five people, is that a whole cake is simply too much food. I was gravitating towards brownies for this dinner party, but brownies didn't seem special enough; we were after all, celebrating some pretty nice chairs. But when I found this recipe from Martha where you make brownies in a springform pan, I knew these were the ones for me. What I loved about them was that immediately the presentation factor was up five notches, while you could eat a larger slice than say, a cheesecake, so the left-over factor went down five notches. How could I go wrong? 

These brownies were rich and dense with a smooth, creamy, truffle-y ganache on top. I was amazed how smooth and thick the topping got too. A nice change to traditional brownies and perfect for a dinner party.

Truffle Brownies
Printable Recipe
Serves 8-10

Ingredients


For the batter:

• 4 tbsp butter, plus more for the pan
• 3 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, and set aside.
• Make the batter: put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl and set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, put the sugar and the eggs and beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment until pale and fluffy, about four minutes. Add the chocolate mixture, milk and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture; beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl until well incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester into the brownies (avoid centre and edges) comes out with a few crumbs, but is not wet, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.
• Make the topping when the brownies are cool. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan on medium-high heat until just simmering. Pour over the chocolate; let stand five minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool, stirring every 10 minutes until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Pour the ganache over the cooled brownies in the pan, let set about 20 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, 30 minutes to an hour. Let brownies stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes before serving. 
• Cut the brownies into wedges, wiping the knife with a hot damp cloth between each cut.

Recipe from the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics

Peppermint Chocolate Bark

Chocolate and mint are one of my favourite flavour combinations. After-eights. The new 3 Musketeers dark mint. Andes. And now, peppermint chocolate bark. The flavour in this festive treat was delicious, easy to make, attractive to wrap (I love my new twine!) and fun and festive to give. But next year, I'll know to start looking for white chocolate earlier in December as going to eight grocery stores on December 22 was not fun (though funny when on my fifth store, I met someone else also on a mission for white chocolate, so we compared notes to avoid stores either of us had already been to!), but in the end, with chocolate in hand, this bark was certainly worth it! 

Peppermint Chocolate Bark

Serves 4-6

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 8 ounces good quality white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/3 cup candy canes, chopped

Directions

• Line a 9 x 13 cookie sheet with parchment paper
• In a double boiler over low-medium heat, slowly melt the white chocolate, stirring occasionally. Once melted, pour over the parchment paper using a spatula to spread it out evenly (it's ok if the edges are rough and messy). Put in fridge while making the milk/dark chocolate layer.
• Using a clean bowl, melt the milk/dark chocolate in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Once melted, add the peppermint extract, mixing in well. Pour chocolate over the cooled white chocolate, using a spatula to spread evenly over the white chocolate. 
• While chocolate is still warm, sprinkle the candy cane over top. The candy will naturally go red/green side down, so you may want to be careful how you place larger pieces to ensure a nice finish.
• Leave in fridge for 3-4 hours, until chocolate is completely set. Use a knife to roughly break all pieces. Share and enjoy!

Blueberry Sour Cream Cake

I don't know what's taken me so long to blog about this one; I make it all the time. This is one of the easiest dessert recipes I make, and is one of most well received desserts. It's also very light so it's good to serve after a heavy meal. 

What more can I say? It's delicious and you must try it.

Blueberry Sour Cream Cake

Serves 8-10

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 box frozen blueberries (about two cups)
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 egg yolks (yes, more eggs, but this time, yolks)
• 1/2 cup sugar (yes, more sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla (yes, more vanilla)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter 9" or 10" springform pan.
• Beat sugar and butter until soft. Add the whole egg and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir baking powder into flour and gradually add to creamed mixture. Turn into prepared pan.
• Sprinkle blueberries on top to cover. If using frozen berries, no need to defrost.
• In another bowl, combine sour cream, yolks, sugar and vanilla and blend well. Pour over berries.
• Bake for 1 hour or until edges of custard are lightly brown.
• Let cool before removing sides of pans.

Chocolate Cream Pie

We never used to eat dessert. Until I started baking. Now, every night, T says, "What's for dessert?" And if we don't have something, he suggests that I whip something up. Truthfully, I don't know how other food bloggers -- especially baking ones -- stay thin. Especially when there are decadent recipes like this chocolate cream pie out there. 

I had never had one, but recently rewatching Julie&Julia, I was inspired to make one as I am now constantly looking for recipes to expand my waistline repertoire. 

Chocolate cream pie is like the richest, most decadent pudding you've ever had, in a perfectly flakey pie crust and topped off with real whipped cream. Every, perfectly smooth bite just melts in your mouth. 

Chocolate Cream Pie

Serves 8

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 flakey pie crust, baked
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3 squares unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Directions

• Combine sugar, flour, milk and chocolate in saucepan, stirring constantly until mixture begins to bubble. Continue stirring for two minutes.
• Temper the eggs by mixing a little of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, beating rapidly to avoid cooking the yolks. Stir the warm yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
• Pour filling into baked pie shell and chill until set. 
• Spread whipped cream over top or serve each piece with a dollop of whipped cream.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Pecan Pie Bars

A dessert has never disappeared so quickly in my house -- and there's just two of us. After the success of the pecan pie, which I left at our host's house, I wanted to make something T and I could enjoy. And boy, did we enjoy it.


The shortbread crust on these bars is light and crumbly. The centre is dense enough not ooze out yet is still gooey. And the pecans add the perfect amount of crunch and by mixing them in with the filling, they are fully coated with sweetness.


These lasted a full four days in our house, and I believe they got better each day. Try them and see how long they last in your house!


Pecan Pie Bars
Printable Recipe


Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Cut in one cup of butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over a 10x15 pan and press in firmly.
• Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, corn syrup, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 tbsp butter and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans. 
• Spread the filling over the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
• Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until set. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into bars.

** I made these in a 9x13 pan and easily divided each ingredient into 2/3 (with the exception of the eggs where I still used 3)

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Cake Mix Cookies

Looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth the other day, I turned to the internet and typed in chocolate chips -- the base ingredient I was hoping to use. Of course, thousands of responses came back, and with them, a recipe for Cake Mix cookies. 


I had never heard of these before, but the basis is that it uses a boxed cake mix as the main ingredient. I whipped these up in about five minutes and 20 minutes later, I was enjoying them while watching What Not to Wear. 


You'd be right in thinking that their consistency is not quite cookie like, and definitely not cake like. But they were easy and the possibilities of flavour combinations are endless -- white cake mix with chocolate chips, chocolate mix with white chocolate chips, chocolate mix with mint/butterscotch/peanut butter chocolate chips! Not bad for a five minute mix.


Ingredients

• 1 package of dry chocolate cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, butter, eggs, oil and vanilla and mix until smooth and well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Be sure to put them far apart as they get really big.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes. 
• Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

Pecan Pie

We were recently invited to a friends' house for dinner and I jumped at the chance to bring a pecan pie for dessert. 

This is one of those classic desserts that my mom has been making for years. It is a super sweet dessert and best served with a dollop of fresh whipped cream to help cut the sweetness. It's pretty easy to make, but if you spend a couple of extra minutes putting your pecans in a simple design on the top (yes, you need to comb through your bag of pecans for whole ones!), then it takes the pie to a whole new level and looks like you put a tonne of effort into it.

Pecan Pie

Serves 8-10

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 flakey pastry pie shell
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups dark corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup pecan halves
• whipped cream

Directions

• In a medium bowl, beat eggs slightly before adding sugar, salt, corn syrup and vanilla. Stir in flour.
• Roll out pastry and drape into tart pan (I used a quiche pan). Press down to fill out the pan.
• Pour liquid mixture into pastry shell.
• Arrange pecan halves into a pattern on the top. I did multiple circles, starting on the outside.
• Using a paring knife, slowly "dunk" each pecan into the liquid mixture to coat; they will pop back up.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Filling will set as it cools.
• Cool on wire rack and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.