Category Archives: dessert

Dec 17 2012

Cowboy Cookies

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This week, I’ll be sharing a few cookie recipes. If you haven’t already finished up your holiday baking, these are all great candidates for your list!

I’m starting off with a cookie I didn’t make for the holidays, though. A week after Sandy and still without power, I put up a frustrated note on Facebook: “Taking bets: When will we get power back? Closest guess wins a batch of homemade cookies.”

My friends all responded with guesses along the lines of what the power companies were telling us – it’d be a few more days. My husband admonished them all: “Come on, I want optimism!!” To which one of our friends, Edgar, offered up a guess that the power would come on in the next 45 minutes.

Wouldn’t you know, exactly 45 minutes after Edgar’s comment, our lights popped back on. Color me impressed! These cookies were his delicious prize for guessing right.

Cowboy Cookies
(Laura Bush via Family Circle Magazine, as seen on Lemons and Lima Beans)
Makes about 2 dozen

1 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 c. sweetened coconut flakes
2/3 c. chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
Stir in the flour mixture, blending until just combined. Add the chips, oats, coconut and pecans and stir until fully incorporated.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet, making sure to allow plenty of room between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set and golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.
Dec 7 2012

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie

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This was my contribution for Thanksgiving dessert. I bookmarked the recipe years ago (literally) and have drooled over the pictures repeatedly, so I was super excited to finally make it myself.

There are a lot of steps here. None of it is particularly difficult – it’s just time-consuming. I made this the day before Thanksgiving, with a million other things going on. While cooking, the mail carrier brought some packages and we got our new living room furniture delivered. Everyone asked what I was making and said it smelled awesome.

I think that’s how you know you’ve got a winning recipe – just the smell draws praise. This was a huge hit on Thanksgiving – I just wish I could have shared with all the delivery guys too!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
(from Annie’s Eats)

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
3 T. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
5 1/3 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c. caramel
1 c. chopped pecans
5 T. unsalted butter
1/2 c. light brown sugar, tightly packed
1/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 c. heavy cream
3-4 T. confectioners’ sugar
1/4 c.caramel
Chopped pecans

Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour a layer of caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.
Make the apple filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, until bubbling. Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and pour into the prepared pie shell. Set aside.

Reduce the heat of the oven to 350F degrees.

Make the cheesecake layer: Combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples in the crust. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To serve: Carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overbeat). Spread gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer. Drizzle with caramel. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired.

Nov 2 2012

Buttermilk Custard Apple Pie

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Hello, November! With Halloween now behind us, I’m officially working on Thanksgiving plans. (I’ve been “unofficially working on them for a few weeks, though I don’t want to admit to it!) Mark and I will be hosting both of our families for Thanksgiving Dinner this year. While we’ve hosted other big dinners and other holidays before, our first hosted Thanksgiving feels different. I’m ridiculously excited about it.

When I saw Lindsay make this pie for the latest recipe swap, I knew immediately it was a contender for the Thanksgiving menu. It’s gorgeous and delicious and everything an apple pie should be. The original recipe calls for two green apples and one red – I just used three baking apples (I’m not even sure of the variety – just whatever the orchard had labeled as “baking apples”!) and it came out beautifully.

Buttermilk Custard Apple Pie
(from Life and Kitchen)
Makes 1 - 9″ pie

For the apple filling:
1/4 c. butter
3 baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon

For the buttermilk custard:
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 1/3 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt
2 T. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. buttermilk

For the crumb topping:
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
3 T. butter

1 pie crust (homemade or store bought)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Make the apple filling: Melt the 1/4 c. butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Stir in sugar and cinnamon until all combined and then add the apples.  Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender.  Set aside.

Make the custard: Beat together the softened butter and sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until they are no longer yellow.  Add the vanilla, salt, and flour, and combine well.  Pour in the buttermilk and beat until smooth.  Set aside.

To make the crumb topping: Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl until well combined.  Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.

Put the crust in a pie pan.  Spoon the apple filling into the crust and then pour the custard over the filling.  Top the custard with the crumb topping.

Place the pie in a preheated oven and bake for 70 to 80 minutes, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let it stand for 1 hour before serving warm.

Oct 31 2012

Chocolate Sour Cream Doughnuts

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Happy Halloween!
After taking such a hard hit from Sandy, it looks like Halloween will be quiet around here but I couldn’t let the day pass without a little bit of fun. These were such a fun little treat – and a great excuse to break out my Halloween sprinkles.
I feel a little silly tagging these as a “breakfast” because they’re really more of a dessert – but hey, it’s Halloween, right?
Chocolate Sour Cream Doughnuts
(from Love from the Oven)
Makes 6
For the doughnuts:

1 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
1 t. vanilla

For glaze:

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4-1/2 c. milk
1 t. Vanilla

For the frosting:

2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4-1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
Food coloring

Preheat Oven to 325 Degrees F.

Combine dry ingredients for the doughnuts in medium bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and mix well to combine. Add dry ingredient into wet ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated – be careful not to over-mix.

Using a pastry bag, pipe the patter into a doughnut pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in donut comes out clean and they spring back when lightly touched. Remove the doughnuts to a cooling rack.

While the doughnuts are baking, combine glaze ingredients in a bowl and beat to combine.  It should be pourable - not like a thick frosting – so you’ll need to add enough milk to reach this consistency.  Spoon glaze over the donuts – the doughnuts will absorb the glaze to keep them moist.   Allow to cool completely.

Once donuts have cooled, combine the frosting ingredients, minus the food coloring, and mix well.  Once again, you’ll want to add only enough milk to get the desired consistency – thicker than the glaze, but still thin enough to drizzle over the doughnuts. Divide the frosting into separate bowls and add food coloring.   Spoon over the doughnuts and decorate with sprinkles.

Oct 24 2012

Fudgy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

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I always get excited about the opportunity to make a cake. A whole cake is too much for just Mark and me – so when a cake-making occasion comes up, I like to jump at the chance. I made this one to celebrate a friend’s birthday over the weekend. It takes a little bit of work, but it’s absolutely awesome.

Layers of fudgy cake, covered with creamy peanut butter frosting and topped off with a chocolate-peanut butter ganache. So amazing – and obviously a crowd pleaser.

Happy Birthday, Drew! Hope you’re enjoying the leftovers!

Fudgy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
(from Smells Like Home)

For the cake:

2 c. flour
2 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. water
2 T. distilled white vinegar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 eggs

For the frosting:

2 c. creamy peanut butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1 c. + 2 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 T. plus 1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
3/4 t. salt
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

For the ganache:

8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
3 T. smooth peanut butter
2 T. light corn syrup
1/2 c. half and half

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease three 8″ round pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Whisk to make sure they’re well combined. Whisk in the vegetable oil and sour cream. Slowly beat in the water. Stir in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter between the three prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, on the same oven rack if possible - without the pans touching. Let the cakes cool for 20 minutes before removing to cooling racks to cool completely.

Once the cakes are cool, make the frosting: in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the peanut butter and butter. Sift the sugar into the bowl, then add the vanilla and salt.  Starting on low, beat together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides as needed. Beat in the heavy cream.

Place one layer, flat side up, on a serving plate. Spread 2/3 c. of the frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and crumb coat the top and sides. Refrigerate the cake for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remaining frosting to make a final coating. Let chill again until firm.

Once the frosting is firm, make the ganache: In a double boiler, combine the chocolate, peanut butter and corn syrup. Whisk continuously until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the half and half, beating until smooth.

Poor the ganache over the top of the cake, letting it spread evenly over the top and just beginning to drip down the sides. Refrigerated, uncovered, until the ganache has set – at least 30 minutes.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to let ganache soften for cutting.

Linked up with Ingredient Spotlight: Chocolate at Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

Oct 3 2012

Cannoli Cupcakes

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I was recently cleaning up the folder I keep blog pictures in, and ran across this one and realized I’d never blogged it! I’m sorry guys – I’ve been holding out on you.

I whipped these up a while ago for an event at my husband’s office. They were having a potluck, International lunch. You remember in elementary school when they would have heritage day and everyone would bring a dish from their culture to share? It was pretty much that, with adults.

Hubs had originally asked me to make black forest cupcakes, which I’d made before, but my reaction was, “You’re not German!” He is, a little bit. But, he’s more than half Italian so I thought honoring that would be more applicable. These cupcakes were the compromise.

And, they were fantastic. He brought home an empty platter after the lunch – that’s what I call a successful potluck dish!

Cannoli Cupcakes
(from Sugarcrafter)
Makes 2 dozen

For the cake:
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 T. Marsala wine
1 c. milk
1 c. ricotta cheese
1 t. orange zest
2 T. powdered sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

For the frosting:
1 and 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 c. shortening
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
6 c. powdered sugar
3 T. milk

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line two cupcake pans with liners.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

In a large bowl, mix together the butter, eggs, vanilla, Marsala wine and milk. Once well blended stir in the ricotta cheese, orange zest, and
powdered sugar.

Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter and bake 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes are cool, cream together the butter and shortening in a stand mixer. Add in the vanilla. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, beating until mixture becomes light and fluffy. Mix in the milk to reach desired consistency.
vanilla bean.

Frost cooled cupcakes and top with additional chocolate chips.

Linked up with Finding Joy in My Kitchen’s Ingredient Spotlight: Cottage Cheese/Ricotta Cheese

Sep 28 2012

Black Forest Desert Sauce

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I did a bunch of canning earlier this summer and nearly every project I tackled came out of the Put ‘em Up! cookbook. Since I bought it last year, it’s easily become one of my most-used and most-trusted resources.

One of the things I like about the book is that not everything is canned – she includes plenty of recipes for drying, freezing, infusing and some that are just stored in the fridge. This simple recipe is one of the latter. It’s basically a gooey, chocolate-y sauce with cherries and it’s amazing on pound cake and ice cream.

As an aside , the Kindle version of Put ‘em Up! is currently (as I’m typing this), on sale for just $2.51 on Amazon. I can’t say enough good things about this book – definitely worth picking up, especially at such a great price! (And no, I won’t get any sort of compensation from this – just passing along a great deal!)

Black Forest Dessert Sauce
(from Put ‘em Up!)
Makes about 1 quart

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 lb. sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted

In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the cocoa powder.

Add in the cherries and simmer until they yield their juice and the whole mixture becomes thick and syrupy. (It should be about 20 minutes.)

Ladle into a jar. Cool, cover and refrigerate. It will last several weeks.

Sep 24 2012

Fruit Cookie Pie

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I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I love fall. I can’t wait to dive into apple season. I can’t wait to start planning my Halloween costume. I can’t wait to change all my decorations into pumpkins and leaves.

But, the weather would have you believe it’s still mid-summer. So all of those perfectly fall desserts that I’ve been drooling over don’t seem appropriate yet.

This pie is ridiculously easy. It’s your standard fruit pizza, made into a pie (because, really, who eats it like pizza anyway? I always end up busting out a fork). You can use any in-season fruit for this. I chose the very last of the summer berries.

1 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough
8 oz. light cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. strawberries, sliced
1/4 c. blueberries
1/2 c. apple jelly

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Grease a pie pan very well and then press sugar cookie dough in as evenly as possible to create a crust. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Let cool completely.

Beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Spread over cookie crust. Top with fruit. Stir jelly until smooth. Brush over fruit.

Refrigerate until chilled.
Sep 21 2012

Granola Cookie Bites

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Happy Recipe Swap Day! The theme of this swap was Blogger’s Choice and I was introduced to Delicious Meliscious. Delicious is right! I was drooling looking through her pictures and couldn’t narrow down my choices at all so I bookmarked her blog for when I had more time to dive in.

And then the next day, we had a cookie emergency. I went to pull out a cookie to have with my lunch and realized we were all out. Oh no! (Please tell me I’m not the only one this happens to!) I immediately thought of the granola bites Melissa made and called just as good as an oatmeal cookie. Since they’re no-bake, they would rectify the cookie emergency quickly.

I was really happy with how these came out. They’re the perfect little grab-and-go sweet and require minimal effort.

Granola Cookie Bites
(from Sally’s Baking Addiction, as seen on Delicious Melisicious)
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen

2 1/4 c. old fashioned oats
1/2 c. yellow cake mix
1/2 c. light corn syrup (or honey)
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mix together oats, cake mix, corn syrup and vanilla until all of the oats are well coated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Refrigerate for two hours or until mixture is stiff and sticks together easily. Roll into balls.

Return to fridge until ready to serve.

Sep 19 2012

Peanut Butter Kisses

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Every year during awards season, I set up pick ‘em games for my girlfriends and offer up baked goods as prizes. And then, every year after the winners are picked, I end up taking months to get them their prizes.

These cookies were for Sarah, and the last of this year’s promised prizes. They also happen to my a favorite of my husband’s and he was bummed when I wouldn’t let him have more than one. I guess I’ll be making another batch soon!

Peanut Butter Kisses
(from Bakerella)

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter, slightly softened
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2 t. vanilla
Hershey’s Kisses

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Combine flour, soda and salt with a wire whisk and set aside.

Beat butter and peanut butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and combine.

Roll dough into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls and then roll the balls in sugar to coat. Place rolled balls on parchment paper covered baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and press an unwrapped Hershey’s Kisses candy into the center of each cookie.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.