Posts tagged Recipes

This is a perfect dessert for a summer bridal shower.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups crushed Oreos
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4-1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream, slightly softened
• 1/4-1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
• 8 ounces Cool Whip

Hot Fudge Sauce:

• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 12 ounce can evaporated milk
• 1 stick margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Combine 2 cups Oreos with margarine and sugar.

Press into 9×13 pan.

Freeze 15 minutes.

Spread layer of each ice cream on top and freeze for 3 hours.

Combine first 4 hot fudge sauce ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil for 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Cool to room temperature.

Spoon sauce on ice cream and freeze until firm.

Spread Cool Whip on top and sprinkle with Oreo crumbs.

Freeze 3 hours.

These cookies would be great for a bridal shower.

Shortbread  Recipe:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup  powdered (confectioners) sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup  powdered (confectioners) sugar, sifted

Directions :
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

When dough is firm, form into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 12 - 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, line another baking pan or tray with parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle about half of the confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar onto the bottom of the pan and then place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Put the remaining sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and then sprinkle the tops of the cookies (or you can just roll the cookies in the sugar).

These cookies store very well. Place in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper and they will keep a couple of weeks.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

*Photo Credit: YummyCorner

Baked Alaska is a layered dessert consisting of cake, ice cream and sweet meringue, so it wasn’t terribly difficult to translate into cupcake form. To begin, you’ll need a “naked” cupcake - no wrappers!  They’d catch fire, and we certainly don’t want burning paper on our delicious treat.

You have two options to obtain your “naked” cupcakes: 1.) Bake cupcakes without liners in a greased and floured cupcake pan.  2.) For easy clean-up, use your least cutesy cupcake papers and just peel them away before you begin assembling the cakes. I’m all for the latter - one less pan to wash.  Inexpensive parchment paper liners will do just fine.

To make the blue-flame magic happen, turn down the lights and sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of warmed brandy over each meringue-coated cupcake. Ignite with a grill lighter or a long fireplace match.  

Flaming Baked Alaska Cupcakes:

Yield: 10-12 cupcakes&

Cake/Ice cream:
Use your favorite cupcake recipe, or the Basic Vanilla Cupcake recipe (below)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons milk

2 cups of your favorite ice cream for filling cupcakes

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.  

* This recipe can be found in one of my favorite cookbooks:

                       

SprinkleBakes: Dessert Recipes to Inspire Your Inner Artist

In the century since William Entenmann opened his first bakery in Brooklyn, the Entenmann’s Bakery brand has burgeoned to the point that it’s the top selling sweet baked goods brand at supermarkets nationwide. For the first time translating some of that best-selling-baked-goods mojo into a recipe book for use at home, Entenmann’s has come out with Entenmann’s Big Book of Baking. I like the fact that there is a whole chapter on crumb cakes. This Blueberry Crumb Cake is my favorite.

Cake Batter Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp fresh-grated nutmeg
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 3 cups fresh blueberries

Crumb Topping Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Note: These amounts are an adaptation: I doubled the crumb recipe to put more crumbs on the cake

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2.  Butter, or spray with cooking spray, a 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan and line with parchment paper. (Note: this will allow you to lift the cake from the pan after baking for very-easy slicing and clean-up)

3.  Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

4.  Using two knives, or lightly with your fingertips, cut butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and there are no chunks of butter left. Set aside.

5.  In a separate bowl, whisk egg, sour cream, milk and vanilla and add to flour mixture, stirring until combined.

6.  Fold blueberries and lemon extract into the batter. Pour batter into the pan, smoothing to reach corners.

7.  Make crumb topping: blend butter with flour until crumbly. Add sugar. Spoon over the batter mix.

8.  Bake until the cake is golden; 40 minutes. Cool cake for 20 minutes before serving.

* Recipe Credit: Entenmann’s Big Book of Baking

(Source: zazzle.com)

These chocolate classics would make cute wedding favors.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Peanut Butter Buttercream
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.

2. Add butter, shortening, and sugars to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla; beat until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture. Beat together, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

3. Drop 12 slightly rounded tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on each baking sheet. Bake the cookies in the upper and lower thirds of oven, 10 minutes; switch the positions of the baking sheets, and rotate each one. Continue baking until the cookies spring back to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes more.

4. Remove from oven; let cookies cool on baking sheets, 10 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a wire rack; let cool completely. Meanwhile, line a cooled baking sheet with a new piece of parchment; repeat process with remaining batter.

5. Spread 1 scant tablespoon buttercream on flat sides of half the cookies. Top each with one of the remaining cookies, flat side down, and gently press together. Transfer pies to a tray.

6. Melt half the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; add remaining chocolate, and stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip (Ateco #2 or #3) or a small parchment cone. Pipe chocolate in a spiral pattern on top of each pie. Let chocolate set before serving, about 1 hour.

Is there anything more comforting than the perfect hot cocoa recipe in the winter? Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate

• 1 1/4 cup full fat milk 
• 2 ounces good quality dark chocolate 
• 1 teaspoon sugar, or more to taste 
• whipped cream to serve 

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan.

2. Melt the chocolate in the milk.

3. Add the sugar and whisk until dissolved.                     

Yield: Makes 84 one-ounce servings  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for ramekin
• 6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts trimmed, torn into cubes
• 5 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked 2 to 3 minutes less than package directions

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 84 one-ounce ramekins. In a small pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter; toss with bread in a medium bowl.

Heat milk over medium heat until just steaming. Melt remaining butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, stir in flour; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in hot milk, bring to a boil, and cook until thick enough to coat back of spoon.

Remove from heat. Stir in nutmeg, cayenne, 3 cups cheddar, 1 1/2 cups Gruyere, salt, and pepper. Stir in macaroni.

Pour into ramekins. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and breadcrumbs. Bake until browned, about 30 minutes.

I love a good gingerbread house but I thought it would be fun to do do a modern one instead of the old traditional type. Here are instructions how we made this little modern house that any design lover could get excited about. There is a free template below that makes this project super easy. Click through for the full photos and instructions.

Materials Needed:

• Ingredients for Gingerbread this recipe
• Icing -  royal icing
• Candy for decoration
• This free template (Download)
• Frosting bag and tip

Step 1: Make your gingerbread dough. We used this recipe and one batch was the perfect amount for this house.

Step 2: Roll the dough out until it is about 18″ x 18″ and 1/4″ thick.

Step 3: Lay out the template pieces on the dough before you begin cutting to make sure you’ll have enough dough. If necessary, roll the dough out just a bit thinner so all the pieces fit.

Step 4: Cut along the lines of the template.

Step 5: Carefully transfer the pieces to two parchment lined baking sheets. Bake according to your recipe and allow to cool.

Step 6: Once your pieces are cool, if they puffed while baking, you can use a serrated knife or a fine grater to straighten the edges.

Step 7: Mix up a recipe of royal icing. Reserve a few tablespoons of icing in a small bowl, and fill a piping bag fitting with a coupler and a small round tip with the rest.

Step 8: Add a spoonful of water to the small bowl of icing and stir to thin. Spoon over the four windows and use a knife to spread to the edges and allow to flow over. Set the windows aside to dry.

Step 9: Prep a surface for your gingerbread house. We used a cutting board wrapped in parchment, but a piece of cardboard would also work. Lay out the walls of your house and mark the spot on the board where you want your house to sit.

Step 10: Starting with a side wall, pipe a line of icing along the bottom edge. Stick the wall down along the line you marked and prop the wall up. (We used spice jars.)

Step 11: Repeat with the next wall and stick into place. On the back side of the joint, pipe another line of icing and smooth onto the inside of the walls. Keep putting up your walls, propping them up as necessary until all six walls are in place. Allow the icing to set for a bit.

Step 12: Pipe a line of icing along the top edges of the walls on one side of the house, and put the roof in place. Repeat on the other side of the house. Allow to set up for a bit longer.

Step 13: Once your windows are dry, switch to a thin round tip and decorate the windows.

Step 14: Use icing to glue the porch, front door and windows to the house.

Step 15: Decorate the house with any more icing details, like christmas lights and a door knob, then decorate with candy, using icing to stick in place.

Photo Credits: Alexis Birkmeyer 

Notes:

Today I’m going to show you How to Make Your Very Own Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, in the comfort of your own home… without waiting in long lines or shelling out a gazillion pennies. We’re going to make a “tall” latte, as they say in the coffee world. You’ll be able to get two regular coffee-cup sized lattes out of this method if you’re willing to share the goods with someone else.

Anyway, here’s how you make this…

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Yield: 1 drink

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 4 min

(Source: zazzle.com)

These cookies are so cute! They make quick and easy last minute Halloween treats

Ingredients

• 32 Hershey’s Kisses milk chocolates, unwrapped
•  1  Package (11 1/2 ounces) fudge-striped shortbread cookies (32)
•  1  Tube (4.25 ounces) orange or red decorating icing

Instructions

Attach 1 chocolate candy to chocolate bottom of each cookie, using decorating icing.

Pipe decorating icing around base of milk chocolate candy.

* Original Recipe can be found at Betty Crocker

These cookies really are just a couple of bites of apple pie, complete with real pie crust. So cute too. Imagine eating a piece of apple pie. If you think about the last inch or so of pie, where the ratio of filling to crust shifts so that you’re eating slightly more crust than filling, that’s what these cookies taste like. To me, that’s the sweet spot of the pie.

The cookies taste best when they’re fresh, but just like an apple pie, they still taste great a day later.

 

Apple Pie Cookies

Yield: about 20 cookies

To assemble:

Ingredients:

- Hershey Kisses
- Mini chocolate chip morsels
- Nutter Butter Cookies (bite size)

    

Directions:

- Melt about 1 C of mini chocolate chips (about half of the bag) in the microwave or over the stove top.

           

*Never add water. I learned this the hard way once while making chocolate covered strawberries.

- Carefully dip the flat end of a Hershey Kiss into the melted chocolate and bind it to a Nutter Butter. Do the same with a mini chocolate chip (see the picture).

- Repeat as many times as you like. Careful leaving these lying around, though! Many of mine kept mysteriously disappearing and I would have to make more. 

(Source: zazzle.com)

1 can (15oz) pure pumpkin puree

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup apple sauce

4 eggs

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 pkg (8oz each) cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cup powdered sugar

3 Tbsp heavy cream

3 Tbsp walnuts, chopped

1 Tbsp caramel sauce (Hershey’s caramel ice cream topping)

Instructions:

For the Cheesecake Layer

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
• 1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces

Directions