[mini] Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cakes

This week's SMS challenge was chosen by Sarah of Blue Ridge Baker. The Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake is a decadent and rich dessert. I decided to half the recipe and then make (4) minis. I am so glad that I did that because a full cake would have been overkill for me. My husband was out of town, so I had to pawn 3 of the minis off! My friends were happy to help out!!

Although I did have ice cream and chocolate sauce with one of them, I thought that they were better with a just little powdered sugar. I ended up cooking the minis for 25 minutes and they were slightly crisp on the outside with a soft souffle center.

Clowning Around with Dirty Worms

Hold on to your spatulas my foodie friends... None of the materials for these cupcakes were made from scratch. Boo, hiss... I know, I know. The made-from-scratch baking took a backseat to decorating this time.

My girlfriend asked me to make some sweet treats for her son's 3rd birthday party. She said he loves balloons, bugs and animals... so this is what I came up with. Clowns and worms! Both cupcakes were a hit, but the children really seemed to love the clowns. Especially the sprinkley hats!

These did take a bit of time, but I loved every moment of it. The decorating became even more fun with a couple glasses of wine ;)

Clown Cupcakes

Materials needed:

24 yellow cupcakes (I used Duncan Hines)

2 tubs vanilla frosting (I used Duncan Hines)

1 large container of sprinkle dots

48 miniature chocolate chips

24 red peanut M&Ms

2 Twizzlers shoe string ropes

1 tube red CakeMate decorating icing

1 tube yellow CakeMate decorating icing

1 tube blue CakeMate decorating icing

24 sugar ice cream cones

1 CakeMate tip kit

Assembly:

*I made the 'cone hats' one day before I decorated the cupcakes. This gave the sprinkles and icing plenty of time to set.

Cones

-Cut the cones 2 inches from the bottom with a serrated knife.

*Once the cones were cut, I worked with each one individually.

-With a knife, cover each cone with icing. (I dyed one of the tubs of icing with red food coloring. That is optional.)

-Pour sprinkle dots onto a plate and roll each cone until completely covered.

-Set cones on a parchment lined cookie sheet to dry.

Cupcakes

*Again, I worked with each cupcake individually so that the icing would not start to dry.

-Spread vanilla icing on each cupcake.

-Place a decorated cone toward the 'back' of the face.

-Center 2 miniature chocolate chips for the eyes.

-Place the M&M nose under the eyes.

-With kitchen scissors, cut the Twizzler rope into 1 inch pieces. Untwist the strands. I then cut the 1 inch pieces in half and placed 4 on each side of the cone for the hair.

-Attach the smallest CakeMate tip to the red icing tube and draw the mouth.

-Attach the star shaped CakeMate tip to the yellow or blue tube to pipe the ruffle around the edge of the cupcake. (One tube will last for 12 cupcakes.)

Dirty Worm Cupcakes

Materials needed:

24 chocolate cupcakes (I used Duncan Hines)

1 tub chocolate icing (I used Duncan HInes)

1 tube CakeMate green icing

1 package Oreo cookies, filling removed and crushed

2 packages gummie worms, cut 12 worms in half

Assembly:

*Work with each cupcake individually to get the best result.

-Frost each cupcake.

-Place one whole worm into frosting. Take one of the 'half worms' and place it in the icing so that it looks like it is coming out of the ground.

-Pipe the 'grass' around the cupcake. (I only did this for half of them. I couldn't decide which I liked better :)

-Spoon the crushed cookies on top for the dirt.

my little Snickerdoodle

My little Snickerdoodle, Punkin', Boo... all names I use when sweetly referring to my 10 month old son. Why? Who knows. When I think about it they seem like cheesy and embarrassing names... but seem to be excused when cuddling a baby.

Keegan was my taste tester for this week's SMS recipe, Snickerdoodles! What a simple and yummy treat. It is not loaded with chocolate chips, nuts or other additives that a baby is not ready to eat yet. Just plain good. Baby tested... and approved!

Our host for this week is Spike of Spike Bakes. Click here for the recipe :)

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

This week's SMS was hosted by Stephanie of Ice Cream Before Dinner. Check her blog for the recipe :) If you like peanut butter cookies, give this one a try. They are deliciously chewy. It is my new go-to for the famously crisscrossed cookie!

*My cookies crackled a bit on top.. I think I may have included too much baking soda. Regardless, they were still tasty!

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

We were able to choose between the recipes, or do both. I have had a very busy month including a visit from my sister and a 2 week vacation to Lisbon! So.... I chose the marshmallow cookies. My house smelled like freshly made waffle cones and toasted marshmallows for hours. It was fantastic!

These were tasty little things, but they were sooooo messy! The messy part being the chocolate, of course. For whatever reason, my chocolate would not firm up... after hours and hours. I ended up putting them in the fridge to expedite the hardening process. It worked, but as soon as they were subjected to room temperature, the chocolate became gooey again. I followed the recipe exactly, so if anyone has any tips, please let me know! I would love to make them again... if I didn't have chocolate fingers every time I ate one!!

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.
4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.
8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping. *I cheated and cut pre-made marshmallows :)

Homemade marshmallows:
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 egg whites , room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.
4. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.
5. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
6. Transfer to a pastry bag.

Chocolate glaze:
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil

1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

Festive Apple Dip

This is my friend Elizabeth's recipe. It is a yummy, peanut-buttery, chocolaty, carmel apple tasting dip. Soooo good!

FESTIVE APPLE DIP

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 jar hot fudge ice cream topping

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

* mix first two ingredients until smooth; add the brown sugar and vanilla and stir until thoroughly mixed;

*layer 1/2 of the mixture in a bowl and add 1/2 hot fudge and 1/2 chopped peanuts on top; repeat this step

* refrigerate before serving and serve with apples, graham crackers, animal crackers, or whatever you wish

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with Cornmeal Crumble Crust

This week's SMS was chosen by Eliana of A Chica Bakes. You can check her blog for the recipe.

The filling for this cheesecake was so delicious. The hint of lemon paired with the fresh blueberries was perfect.

The crust was quite different from what I am used to with a cheesecake. The cornmeal allowed the cheesecake to shine, not taking away from the flavor. However, the next time I make this I will make it with a graham cracker crust. After polling several taste testers :P, they would have preferred a more traditional crust as well.

If you are a cheesecake lover, give this recipe a try. You won't be sorry!

Double Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

This week's Sweet Melissa Sundays challenge was hosted by Megan of My Baking Adventures. Check her blog for the recipe!

When I made this recipe I split the batch in half and froze one log for future use. The first time I made the cookies, I was disappointed in the crunchiness. The instructions say to bake for 15 minutes... I thought that was too long. Especially since Melissa recommends that the cookies be soft.

Today I thawed my reserve cookie log and tried again, making sure to only bake for 10 minutes this time. What a difference! I actually love the cookies now. They are so soft and yummy! The combination of gooey chocolate and dried cherries was delicious. We are fighting over the last cookie now!

Bear's Peach Cobbler

This week's Sweet Melissa Sundays was hosted by Andrea of Nummy Kitchen. You can check her blog for the recipe!

I have never made peach cobbler... or eaten it! I usually stick with apple. I did enjoy this though! The fresh peaches were so good... a bit of work to peel and slice over 3 lbs., but worth it. I was a little worried that the cobbler would be too tart with so much fresh squeezed lemon. It turned out to be lightly sweet. It was delicious when paired with a dollop of cool whip!

Strawberry Vanilla Cake with Limoncello Frosting

I have to start off by saying that I have made this cake 5 times in one month. FIVE! This cake won over many people, including me. It is sooooooooo good! The cake is moist, light and fluffy. The icing is to die for... I also used it as a fruit dip for extra strawberries and grapes. Give this recipe a try. You will not be sorry!!! *For those who do not have limoncello readily available, you might be able to substitute lemonade (though I have not tried that).

Tip: make the icing first and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

Cake:
1 box of your favorite Vanilla Cake Mix
(plus ingredients listed on box to complete recipe)
2 tablespoons Limoncello

Frosting:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1–1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Limoncello
Fresh strawberries (as many as you like), hulled and chopped

Cake:
Mix cake mix and other ingredients listed on box together with the Limoncello. Pour into 2 well–greased 9 inch pans and bake according to directions on box.

Remove baked (and cooled) cakes from pans and place one on a serving platter. Frost the top of the bottom layer.

Layer desired amount of chopped strawberries onto the frosted layer. Place the other cake layer (bottom side down) on top of the strawberries. (I also frost the bottom of the top layer before placing it.)

Continue frosting the entire cake. Add a strawberry fan on top for decoration and you’re done!

*Note: This cake should be refrigerated (due to the cream cheese in the frosting). I also refrigerate the cake for about an hour before serving it.

Frosting:
Beat the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer until softened. Add the sugar (one cup at a time), zest, juice and Limoncello and continue beating until creamy, about 3 minutes.

Apple Strudel

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

I made this month's challenge while visiting my family in the U.S. (hence the poor picture quality!). I chose to modify the recipe by using Paula Deen's Apple Strudel recipe for the mixture. The ingredients were more to my liking. And... I <3>

I ended up having enough ingredients to make two strudels. I served this ultra sweet dessert with vanilla bean ice cream. Yum!

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Apple Strudel:

• 1/4 cup bourbon or apple juice
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 to 3 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound), peeled, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup crushed shortbread cookies
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 10 sheets phyllo dough
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing phyllo sheets, plus more if needed
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Confectioners' sugar
• Caramel sauce, purchased

Glaze:

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons milk

For the Strudel:

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, pour the bourbon or apple juice over the raisins and microwave on high for 45 seconds. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Combine the raisins, apples, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, brown sugar, cookie crumbs, pecans, and butter in a large bowl.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo on the work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with the remaining sheets, brushing each with melted butter, stacking when done, being sure to keep the unbuttered phyllo covered.

Place the apple mixture on the nearest third of the phyllo stack, being sure to leave a 2-inch border. Gently lift the bottom edge of the phyllo stack to cover the filling and fold the side edges over. Continue to roll the stack away from you until the filling is completely sealed in and the seam is on the bottom. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Pour over the glaze and sprinkle with cinnamon and confectioners' sugar. Pass warm caramel sauce, to drizzle over the strudel.

For the Glaze:

Mix ingredients thoroughly.

***Tip for cutting the strudel: After you have it rolled on the baking sheet, cut slits in the dough where you want the slices to be cut. (This prevents a messy/flaky cut when you are serving!!)

Sour Cherry Pie with Pistachio Crumble

Ahhh, back to posting! My posts have been absent due to my trip home to the U.S. I am actually writing this on the eve of my return to Italy (for tomorrow's Sweet Melissa Sundays reveal). Dedication!

This recipe was hosted by Michelle of Flourchild. Check out her blog for the full recipe.

I made 2 of these pies to bring to my Grandma's house. My family had a party for me so that everyone could visit at the same time. The reviews were excellent. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the unique taste. The review was: slightly tart with a hint of nuttiness due to the pistachios. A bit of sweet and savory for the start of summer desserts!

I will say that I had trouble finding fresh sour cherries or frozen (as did everyone else in the group)... but I googled sour cherries and found out that that frozen "pie cherries" are just another name for sour cherries. I too could not find shelled unsalted pistachios. I had to shell the nuts myself and I ended up soaking them in water to remove some of the saltiness. Also, I did not add quite as much salt as the recipe called for in the crumble.

Chocolate Mint Cheesecake

This month's Daring Baker's challenge forced me to make cheesecake. I can appreciate that it tastes good, but it is definitely not my go-to dessert. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to make it though. My friends/taste testers were thrilled that I made this!


Our host this month gave us the freedom to choose the flavor. My choice was chocolate...and mint! I adapted the recipe from the host and from Paula Deen. Below I will include the original cheesecake recipe as well as the adapted one!


The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

Chocolate Mint Cheesecake

crust:
2 cups graham crackers
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup better, melted
1/2 Tsp peppermint extract

filling:
30 york peppermint patties
1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chips
1/2 cup butter
4 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs
1 Tsp peppermint extract
1 (16 oz) container sour cream

prepare crust:
-Combine cracker crumbs and sugar in bowl. Add melted butter and peppermint extract. Press mixture in bottom and 1 inch up sides of 10 inch springform pan. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

prepare filling:
-Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
-Place peppermint patties evenly over crust. Set aside.
-In another bowl combine chocolate chips and butter. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
-In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and cocoa. Beat until creamy. Add eggs. Beat in extract. Add chocolate mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in sour cream. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn oven off. Leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 4 hours. Remove from oven. Let cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake: (Original)

crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.
2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.
3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.
5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Toasted Almond Lemon Bars

I'm not the biggest fan of lemon bars, but I sent this month's Cookie Carnival challenge into work with my husband. Everyone really liked them. They were big fans of the almonds in the crust!

Toasted Almond Lemon Bars

From The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy
Makes 1 dozen bars

For the Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 Tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

For the Lemon Filling:
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 7 lemons)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

To Toast the Almonds:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden and you can smell them. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Before You Start:
Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Make a parchment "sling" by cutting two pieces of parchment paper, measuring 16 1/2 inches long by 12 inches wide (you can also use aluminum foil). Place one piece across the length, and the other across the width of the pan, with the excess hanging over the edges. You will use this sling later to lift the finished bar from the pan. Spray the sling with the cooking spray.

To Make the Crust:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, almonds, and salt to combine. Add the cold butter in pieces and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball.
2. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom and 1 1/4 inches up the sides. (This crust, once it is baked, needs to act as a liner in which to pour the liquidy lemon filling. So be sure to do a good job of pressing the dough up the sides - no cracks!). Cover the dough with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights ( you can use dried beans or uncooked rice as pie weights as well). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Carefully remove the pie weights and the liner and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the whole crust is golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

To Make the Filling:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Add the almond extract and flour, and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon juice, and whisk to combine.

To Complete the Bars:
1. Pour the lemon filling into the prepared crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is firm and lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
2. When cool use the parchment sling to lift the entire bar from the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice into twelve 3 x 3 1/2 - inch bars. Remove from the pan and, using a small sifter, dust with the confectioners' sugar.

The bars keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Do not unwrap before defrosting. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Raspberry filled cupcakes with Almondcello Icing

These cupcakes were a hit at my friend's party. They are a butter-chocolate cake filled with a raspberry mousse...topped with almondcello icing! Perfect for spring.

Chocolate Butter Cake: 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup boiling water 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 2 Tsp baking powder 1 Tsp baking soda 1/4 Tsp salt 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 cups granulated white sugar 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In a stainless steel or heatproof bowl place the chopped unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate and cocoa powder and stir until they have melted. Set aside to cool while you make the batter. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy (this will take about 3-5 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate mixture and beat to combine. Add the milk and flour mixtures in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat only until the ingredients are incorporated. Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, fill with mousse and frost with icing.

Mousse

1 (8oz) container frozen cool whip, thawed 3oz cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves 1/2 cup powdered sugar Beat cool whip and cream cheese until smooth. Add preserves and beat until smooth. Gradually add in powdered sugar. Spoon mixture into a piping bag or squeeze bottle. ONCE CUPCAKES ARE COOL, insert tip into the top of each cupcake and squeeze about 1 Tsp filling.

Almondcello Icing

1/2 cup butter, softened 1 (7oz) jar marshmallow creme 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar 2 Tbsp almondcello *you can use almond extract if you want, or any flavor liqueur.

Beat butter and marshmallow creme until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Add almondcello, beating until smooth. Top cupcakes with icing. **Keep cupcakes stored in refrigerator until ready to eat. Let stand 30 minutes before serving.

Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies

My first Cookie Carnival recipe! These cookies were very good. They remind me of those Little Debbie oatmeal creme pies... but fresh, fluffy, from scratch, and carrot cake flavor. I liked them best when they were stored in the refrigerator and eaten cold.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)
1 scant cup walnuts (3 ounces), chopped
1/2 cup raisins (2 1/2 ounces)
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup honey

PREPARATION
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter 2 baking sheets. (I put parchment on cookie sheets)
Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Mix in carrots, nuts, and raisins at low speed, then add flour mixture and beat until just combined.
Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are lightly browned and springy to the touch, 12 to 16 minutes total.

Cool cookies on sheets on racks 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
While cookies are baking, blend cream cheese and honey in a food processor until smooth.
Sandwich flat sides of cookies together with a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling in between.

Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownies

There is something to be said about the boxed brownie. I like them just as well, dare I say more than homemade mixes. I have made many different 'from scratch' recipes and have never found one that I love. For a quick fix I know I can always rely on the box. It doesn't matter if it is the best quality brand or the generic... what is really in those boxes anyway? Why can't that taste be duplicated?

I recently bought the Ghirardelli Double Chocolate mix because it was on sale at the grocery. Can I just say h-e-l-l-o!!! The taste is so good it's reeediculous! If you want a quick fix for your craving, give them a try!

pre-Easter Hi-Hat Cupcakes

When I saw the original recipe for these cupcakes I had to give them a try. Since I will not be in town for Easter, I told myself that I should go ahead and make them now!

This is a recipe with an exception... I used a boxed cake mix (shhhhh!). After I saw the spring funfetti mix for 99 cents, I was swept back to childhood and had to find a reason to use it. You can't go wrong with funfetti!!

I chose to make my own buttercream frosting and then dip the cupcakes into both white and semi-sweet chocolate.

Here are a couple of tips if you give this recipe a try. Let the icing set for about 30 minutes before you dip. After making the chocolate dip, let it cool completely! I got anxious after 15 minutes, went to dip and lost the icing on my first try. When the cupcakes are dipped, place them in the refrigerator to harden the chocolate (just take them out about 30 minutes before you want to eat them!)

If you want to look at the original recipe, look here: How To Eat A Cupcake

My version:

Cupcake

Spring Funfetti Mix

Buttercream Frosting

2 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whipping cream

-Mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.
-Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more.

-Add food coloring if you want.

Chocolate Dip

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I also did a dip with white chocolate)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Put the chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is just melted. Scrape it into a deep cup or bowl and cool.

a Whopper of a cupcake

I saw these cupcakes over at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody and I thought I would give them a try. I am a huge fan of chocolate... and Whoppers!! To be honest, they were not my favorite, or the favorite of my taste testers, but still good. My favorite aspect was the icing. It has a very light and whippy feel and tasted like a malted milk ball! The cake was a little to dense for my liking. I think if I ever tried these again, I would pair the icing with another type of cake. If you want to give them a try, click the link above and take a look!

Valentino and Ice Cream

My first Daring Bakers challenge!

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

The Valentino cakes ended up being a perfect dessert for Valentine's Day. I chose to make mini cakes in mini heart-shaped pans (the shape of a heart is the traditional way to serve the cake). I also made a chocolate raspberry sauce to drizzle over the Valentinos. This is a very dense and decadent treat!

We were able to choose the flavor of ice cream we made, so I picked cookies and cream... yum! I do not have an ice cream maker, so I followed a recipe that allowed me to make it without the machine. Also, I added more oreos than the recipe called for--- love the chunks!

Valentino

16 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped *you can use any chocolate you want

½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.

2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.

3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.

4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).

5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.

6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.

7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.

8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C

9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C. Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.

10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold

*I used mini pans and baked for 15 minutes

Chocolate Raspberry Sauce

1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

In a saucepan over low heat, combine milk and chocolate; stir until smooth. Add in butter and jam; stir until smooth. Serve hot and leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup half and half
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups chilled whipping cream
2 cups oreos *I used more :)

1.Break cookies into small bite size pieces. Place the pieces in a bowl or measuring cup and set aside until needed.

2.Pour the milk into a heavy saucepan. Over medium heat bring the milk to a gentle simmer (approximately 175°F) or until it begins to bubble around the edges. Remove from the heat.

3.After removing from the heat, add the sugar and salt to the scalded milk.

4.Stir the scalded milk until sugar and salt are completely dissolved.

5.Add half and half, vanilla, and whipping cream. Stir until well blended.

6.Pour into a bowl and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

**Speed cooling process by placing the bowl in an ice water bath.

7.Once the mixture has cooled, cover with plastic wrap and allow the mixture to age in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. This aging process will give the mixture better whipping qualities and produce ice cream with more body and a smoother texture.

8.After aging (chilling) the mixture, remove from the refrigerator and stir the mixture. The ice cream is now ready for the freezing process.

9.Transfer the ice cream mixture to a freezer safe bowl or container if not already in an appropriate one. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, foil or an airtight cover.

10.Place the container in the freezer and allow the mixture to freeze for 2 hours.

11.Remove from the freezer and beat with a hand mixer to break up ice crystals that are beginning to form. Cover and place back in the freezer.

12.Freeze for 2 more hours and then remove from the freezer and beat again with the hand mixer. The ice cream should be thick but to soft to scoop. If it is not thick enough, return it to the freezer for additional freezing time. Beat again before adding cookie chunks.

13.If ice cream has thickened properly, stir in the cookie chunks until well distributed throughout the ice cream. Do not beat with the hand mixer after the cookie chunks have been added. Beating would break the cookies into crumbs and tiny pieces.

14.Pour into a plastic airtight freezer container. Pack the ice cream in the container. Be sure to leave at least 1/2 inch head space for expansion.

15.Cover and place the container in the freezer and allow the ice cream to freeze until firm.