This tasty mixed berry crumble is incredibly easy to make and absolutely heavenly topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. It involves few ingredients, it's not too sweet and it's perfect for the spring and summer. I absolutely love desserts that give you a flavor, temperature, or texture contrast and this provides all three as we have the warm tangy berry base topped with the buttery, sweet streusel topping served with cold whipped cream or ice cream. Delish! This dish is perfect if you're looking for a dessert to impress your loved ones without spending all your time in the kitchen. It comes together so quickly and easily.
I couldn't end the summer without at least one more s'more recipe. I can't help it. I'll be on my best behavior and leave out yet another "The Sandlot" reference. You're welcome. Anyway, this pie is very easy to make. Your kids will absolutely love you for it. It's rich, sweet, gooey...it's a s'more supersized. The perfect end to the summer.
Growing up I was a huge fan of the Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. Admittedly, I still am. Cake and cream is a pretty unbeatable combination if you ask me. The chocolate version is heavenly but so is this homemade fruit adaption. With this cake, you get wonderful flavor combinations such as strawberries, cream, vanilla, and lemon. The cake is very spongy, moist, and light. The filling contains real strawberries and cream and adds a wonderful sweetness and tang to the mix. This recipe takes just a bit of prep work, but it's well worth it as this cake roll is an absolute stunner for the summer.
When it comes to pumpkin pie, you're either a fan or a hater. I used to think pumpkin pie was disgusting. But, in all honesty, I thought that prior to even trying it. Then, one magical day in culinary school, we made pumpkin pie and got to eat our assignment at the end. It was then and there I was dead wrong about pumpkin pie all this time. It's filled with the flavor of warm holiday spices and the creamy texture is perfect. This pumpkin pie is not traditional in the sense that it's lighter in texture than a traditional pie. We use both egg whites and whipped heavy cream to lighten this pie up. It's light, creamy and so tasty.
Everyone's grandma has a specialty cake. Like many out there, my grandma's specialty cake came from a box. Her specialty cake was the Betty Crocker marble cake. Yes, it's true. It came straight up from a box. There was no doctored version, it was just the regular recipe made with love. We loved it, of course. Give us a piece of that cake with some ice cold milk and we were happy and quiet for a while. We've spent many Saturdays eating that cake, so when I think of marble cake today, it's really nostalgic for me.
As amazing as that cake was when I was a kid, I think we can do better now. I'm not a huge boxed cake mix fan to be honest. I mean, I'm all for boxed cake in a pinch. I'm no snob here. But, when I have the time and the ingredients, I'd much rather have a made from scratch cake. The challenge is making a good homemade marble cake. Many have tried, but it presents more challenges than you'd think.
There is currently six inches of snow outside. We still have a couple of months of this. I need something bright to remind me of the light of at the end of the tunnel, Spring. That's where these lemon bars come in. Lemon bars are a staple of your local bake sales for good reason. They're incredibly easy to make, tangy, creamy, and chewy. Great flavor and texture, which is what we all really want. Bakery-style bars right from your own home. It doesn't get much better than that!
It's Summer and it's hot out. I really don't do well in this weather. I'm more an Autumn girl. However, since I can't press a fast forward button to the Fall, I'm going to have to tough this heat and humidity out. During the Summer, I want something cool and refreshing daily. These mousse cups check all the boxes. They look impressive. They are easy and quick to make. And man oh man are they good. I'm pretty much a sucker for any raspberry and chocolate combination. Lastly, the best thing is the differing textures. We have the cool creamy mousse, with the dense fudgy chocolate cake and cookie crumbs sprinkled throughout. It really doesn't get much better.
Last week, I promised you another easy recipe using leftover and/or stale bread. Well, here it is!
Bread pudding is a staple comfort dish. It's incredibly easy to make. It's versatile. You can easily transform the basic recipe into chocolate bread puddings or berry bread puddings and much more. They look beautiful and you have so many choices of toppings. If you serve these at your next brunch, your guests will be so impressed. I guarantee it. This is one of my absolute favorite ways to use leftover and stale bread.
For the bread, the key is using stale bread. As long as it's slightly stale, you'll be able to use it. If your bread isn't stale yet, you can freeze it for a few days or bake it at 100°F for a few minutes. Both are great ways to slightly dry out the bread. I love using brioche buns that are typically leftover after using them for burgers. I'd definitely suggest using leftover brioche or croissants. They are great in bread puddings, because they're already sweet and buttery. However, you can use any type of stale bread. I cut two sets of buns into medium sized cubes and set them in a bowl to the side. It comes out to a bit more than a cup and a half. The more the better. You can always freeze any leftovers for next time.
In a separate bowl, pour in the milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and whisk until well combined.
Butter the inside of the ramekins really well. Make sure to get the corners.
Place a large handful of the bread cubes into the ramekin. It should flow over the top of the ramekin. Once you feel satisfied with the amount, you can pour half the custard over the bread. Be careful...it's a messy job! As you pour, make sure to get all the cubes some moisture. Also, as you pour, the cubes will sink, which will allow you to add the extra cubes on hand. Repeat with the second ramekin.
Place the ramekins on a sheet tray to prevent a mess with possible dripping. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. If you poke the custard with a pairing knife or bamboo skewer and it comes out with only a few moist crumbs, you know the custard is cooked perfectly. Not overcooked and dry, but not undercooked.
Let the bread puddings cool for about ten minutes. Serve warm with the topping of your choice! You can serve with ice cream, whipped cream made with Cream chargers at discount prices, cinnamon, powdered sugar or maple syrup. I do a combination of things, because...why not? In just under an hour, you have a delectable brunch dish that was beyond easy to make. Stale bread never tasted so good. Except when they're croutons.
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups stale bread, preferably brioche, but any stale bread will do
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- small pinch of salt
- unsalted butter for buttering the ramekins
Instructions
Dice the bread into medium cubes, set aside in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk until well combined. The custard is now done. Pour this mixture into a measuring cup. Place a handful of bread cubes into a well buttered ramekin. It should come up over the top of the ramekin. Pour half the custard mixture over the bread cubes. You should make sure each cube has a bit of moisture. It will sink slightly and as it does, you can add a few more bread cubes to the top. Pour more custard over those few. Do the same to the second ramekin. Place both ramekins on top of a sheet tray in a preheated 350°F oven, cover with aluminium foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Another way to test doneness is to poke the custard with a bamboo skewer or pairing knife, if it comes out with a few moist crumbs, it's baked perfectly. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack. Let them cool for about ten minutes. Serve warm with the topping you'd like. (maple syrup, ice cream, whipped cream, powdered sugar, cinnamon, etc. all good options)
Notes
Brioche and croissants are great options for bread pudding, but you can use any type of bread, if it's stale. You can dry out bread in a low heat oven for a few minutes or in a freezer for a couple of days. Serve warm. You can freeze the baked mini bread puddings for about a month, wrapped well. Reheat in the oven.
We all love cinnamon, right? If you don't, then I truly pity you. I mean, cinnamon is great on pretty much anything sweet. But, if you've yet to try a cinnamon sugar donut, you have not yet lived. More specifically, if you haven't had a cinnamon sugar brioche donut, then you really need to get going on fixing that. These donuts are out of this world. Out of this universe when eaten fresh out of the fryer. The dough is flavorful. The coating is wonderful. These are just great all the way around. These donuts are a bit denser than traditional donuts since they are brioche donuts. But the texture is still wonderful. The outside is crisp, the inside is fluffy. Being that no one really eats sweets in my house, I had to eat these donuts all myself. Let me tell you, I have absolutely no regrets. Donuts ARE my kryptonite, after all.
Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. Sift the flour into a bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Add in the yeast and mix for about 15 seconds. I just used my hands to give them a quick mix to combine.
Next, add in the salt, sugar, vanilla, eggs, warm whole milk, nutmeg, cinnamon and dry milk powder.
Mix on low for five minutes.
Add in the butter piece by piece while mixing on low. Mix on low for five minutes after adding butter or until dough ball forms onto hook and butter is absorbed.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold either side to the middle, like a letter. Then, turn and do it from top to bottom. Place the dough into a bowl and cover in plastic wrap. Leave out at room temperature for an hour.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold either side to the middle, like a letter. Then, turn and do it from top to bottom. Place back in the bowl and place in the fridge, covered, overnight.
The next day, dump out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out until about ½" thickness.
Cut out with a floured 3" cutter and a pastry tube. I try not to twist as I cut. Biscuits have me paranoid. Use a spatula to move the dough onto a parchment lined, greased and floured baking sheet. Once all the donuts and donut holes are cut and placed onto the baking sheet, place the baking sheet into the oven or next to any warm area. Our oven is off, we're just placing them in there to proof for an hour.
At about the 30-minute mark, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish and set to the side. Also, prep your baking sheet covered with paper towels for draining. Prep your pot with oil. Preheat the oil to 375°F. Your donuts should be noticeably bigger after the hour proofing.
Move one donut into the oil with a spatula. Cook for a few minutes or until it's golden brown. Then, use a chopstick or skewer to flip the donut. Cook for a few more minutes or until golden brown. It's always best to test timing with the first donut. It will truly differ because your oil has to be exactly 375°F (use a thermometer) and the dough should be no thicker than a ½" or it will take longer to fry. Anyway, test with the first donut.
Right out of the fryer, quickly drain onto the paper towels for a few seconds, then move to the cinnamon sugar mixture. Toss the donut into the cinnamon sugar mixture and move it back to the paper towel covered baking sheet.
Enjoy immediately fresh and warm. The exterior should be crisp and the inside fluffy with a slightly dense texture. This is brioche after all.
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 518 grams Pastry Flour (3 ½ cups plus 3 tablespoons)
- 10 grams Instant yeast (dry active yeast) (1 tablespoon)
- 74 grams Granulated sugar (¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 9 grams Salt (1 tablespoon)
- 1.5 grams Nutmeg (¼ teaspoon nutmeg)
- 5.6 grams Cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- 212 grams Warm whole milk (¾ cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons; at about 75°F)
- 111 grams Eggs (¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons; about 2 large eggs)
- 9 grams Vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste (1 ½ teaspoons)
- 10 grams Nonfat dry milk powder (1 tablespoon)
- 55 grams Unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes (2 ounces)
- Canola oil or peanut oil, for frying (enough to fill your Dutch oven or pot 3 inches deep)
- 300 grams granulated sugar or vanilla sugar (1 ½ cups; sugar massaged with leftover vanilla bean pod)
- 10 grams cinnamon (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Spray a medium bowl with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together the flour and yeast for 10 seconds on low. Add the sugar, salt, warmed whole milk, eggs, dry milk powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix on low speed until incorporated about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer running on low, gradually add the butter, a cube at a time, incorporating each cube completely before adding the next. Continue until you’ve added all the butter, scraping down the bowl periodically. Mix for 5 more minutes.
- Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangular shape, using only enough flour so it doesn’t stick to the surface. Stretch and fold the left side of the dough to over ⅔ of the dough, and then stretch the right side and folder over the left (Like you would fold a letter). Repeat again, this time folding the top down and then the bottom up. Place in prepared bowl seam-side down. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean dishtowel and let sit at room temperature for an hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat the dough down pressing large air bubbles to the edge to release. Repeat the stretching and folding process and then return the dough to the bowl, seam-side down, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Roll and Shape
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with non-stick spray, lightly flour and set nearby. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to about 11-inches wide and about 1-inch thick. Working quickly using your doughnut cutter or round cookies cutters, cut rounds from the dough. Dust off excess flour and place onto prepared pan. Place the baking sheet full of donuts and donut holes in an oven that is turned OFF. Allow to proof for about an hour to an hour and a half. If you press into the dough and the imprint is still there, it's ready.
Fry Doughnuts!
- Fill a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot with 3 inches of peanut or canola oil. Fit with your candy thermometer and heat oil to 375°F/177°C. Prepare a baking sheet covered with paper towels for draining. Gently lower 2 to 4 doughnuts (depending on how large your pot is—the doughnuts should be able to float freely) into the oil and fry for 30 seconds, without moving them. Flip doughnuts over with a skewer or chopsticks and fry for 45 seconds. Flip back over once more and fry another 45 seconds, or until they are golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed throughout frying to maintain the temperature. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared baking sheet with paper towels to drain. Instantly move the donut to the cinnamon sugar and toss together. Continue this process.
- The doughnuts are best enjoyed the day they are fried. Especially, fresh out of the fryer and into the sugar. While warm, they are heavenly. They do last another day or two in a covered container but their texture will be much denser and some of the coating will be absorbed.
Notes
I strongly urge you to use pastry flour. I use nothing but pastry flour for pastries like donuts. Makes a huge difference in texture. Also, I strongly urge for ease and accuracy, use a digital scale and scale out the ingredients. In the video, I only fry one at a time, because the pot is small. You can use a bigger pot and fry more at a time. Eat fresh/warm, use the right ingredients, don't overwork the dough and you'll have some great textured, delicious donuts.
Where does my love of chocolate trace back to? Maybe it was all those years of devouring many pounds of chocolate in the form of Halloween candy. Maybe it was my early indoctrination of watching the "Cooking with Randy and Mandy" segment on All That. Who knows? One can't really trace back the roots of my love for chocolate. But, make no mistake about it. My obsession for the stuff only continues to grow. So, when I need my chocolate fix, this is one of my go-to recipes. It's easy, quick and very chocolatey, which hits all the important marks on my checklist. Because the sooner I make it, obviously, the sooner I can enjoy it. If you're obsessed with chocolate like me, then trust me, you'll want to put this recipe in your repertoire.
Combine the room temperature unsalted butter into the bowl of your stand mixer with the brown and white sugar.
Mix with the paddle attachment for about five minutes until light and fluffy.
Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
Sift together the dry ingredients and dump into the bowl.
Add in the chocolate chips. Remove the bowl from the stand and begin folding in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula. Mix until just combined. Don't overmix!
Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate or freeze for 24 hours or you can freeze for two hours and refrigerate for an hour with the dough balls formed on the sheet tray to shorten the wait.
Once the dough is properly refrigerated or frozen, let it thaw and come back to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Use a mini or large ice cream scoop to scoop out dough balls. I used a mini scoop and scooped out three dough balls to form one portion. Scoop out and roll the dough between your palms to form one dough ball portion. Set onto a pre-greased cookie sheet. Place about 1" apart. The cookies will spread a bit. I only baked off six, but it will yield you a few more. I just froze the rest.
Flatten with your palm slightly. Bake off at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Leave the cookies on the sheet for a minute or two.
After a couple of minutes out of the oven, remove the cookies from the baking sheet and move to a wire rack.
Cool slightly. These cookies are phenomenal when eaten warm with some milk. The chocolate is melted and the cookies are super soft. But, they can be eaten at room temp as well.
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 1 cup (145 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (75 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 10 tablespoons (141 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 grams) light or dark brown sugar
- ⅔ cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon light instant coffee granules
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (305 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate discs or chocolate chips
Instructions
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until very light, about 5 minutes.
Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
Take the bowl off the stand mixer and add the dry ingredients.
Fold in the dry ingredients and the chocolate discs or chips and until just combined. Don't overmix!
Press plastic wrap against the dough and chill it for at least 24 hours and up to 36.
As a shortcut, you can also freeze for two hours or refrigerate portioned out for an hour.
Out of the fridge or freezer, let it thaw and come to room temperature.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and optionally, line with parchment or a silicone mat. Portion the dough out into balls slightly larger than golf balls, about 3 ½ ounces each, and transfer six balls to the baking sheet. (They will spread significantly.) Flatten slightly with the palm of your hands.
Bake the cookies until set, being careful to remove cookies from the oven when still soft in the center, about 10 minutes. Leave the cookies to continue baking out of the oven on the sheet for about one or two minutes.
After a couple of minutes, move the cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly.
Serve warm!
Notes
You can use semisweet or bittersweet chips or discs. Best served warm but still very good at room temp. You can freeze for a couple hours and refrigerate for an hour to shorten the chilling time required or if you're patient, you can refrigerate or freeze for 24 hours or up to 36 hours.
Everyone needs this recipe in their repertoire. Here's why. It's delicious...well, duh. That's kind of important. Second, it's versatile. I mean it. This dough is very versatile. I've used it for mini tarts, sugar cookies, pies, etc. This stuff is multi-faceted like crazy. Third, it's easy to make. I know I say this about most of my recipes, but trust me, I'm not BSing you. This dough is really easy to make. I usually whip it up in under ten minutes when the ingredients are at room temperature, which should be a given. There is absolutely no reason to not try this. You will love it. You will be using it a lot and you will be eating the raw dough like nobody's business. That's just how it goes. So better to try it now so you can impress your neighbors with your cool Halloween and Christmas cookies when the time comes.
Place the room temperature butter into the bowl of your stand mixer or into a large bowl. Use some decent quality butter, please.
Mix on medium-low speed until light and fluffy for about five to seven minutes.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Pour in the granulated sugar in a steady stream and mix on medium speed until sugar dissolves and the mixture is fluffy. Should take about four to five minutes.
On medium speed, add in one egg at a time, allowing the egg to absorb before adding the second one. Stop the mixer and scrape.
Add in the zest, vanilla and lemon juice and mix for a minute until combined.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and pour into the dough all at once.
Begin to pulse the dough a few times with the stand mixture until big clumps of dough forms and some of the flour is absorbed. Stop at this point and remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
Use a rubber spatula to mix in the dry ingredients into the dough. This will take time. I use a stabbing motion to mix in the flour. Don't overmix. Some flour will be visible, but the dough will look smoother in texture and slightly darker in color.
Move into a plastic container or form into a round shape and cover in saran wrap. I typically chill in the freezer overnight, which is ideal. You can also chill in the fridge or freezer for a few hours. This allows the dough to relax and absorb the rest of the flour.
When you are ready to use the dough, let it thaw for at least a half hour from the freezer or fridge. It should be somewhat pliable, but still cold. If the dough isn't cold, your shapes won't cut out as nice and the cookies will spread once in the oven. So, it's important that the dough is cold but workable. It will be crumbly, to begin with. Work it and it will become easier to work with, smoother and slightly darker in color.
You can wrap up the unused dough and freeze for later use. Here are some examples of decorated sugar cookies I made with this delicious dough.
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- zest and juice from one large lemon or two medium lemons
Instructions
In the bowl of your Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment or with a bowl and hand mixer, cream the room temperature slightly softened butter at medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about five minutes.
Pour in the sugar and mix for about four to five minutes. Scrape.
Add in the sour cream all at once and mix.
Add in one egg at a time on medium-low speed. Let the egg absorb before adding the next egg. Stop the mixer and scrape.
Add in the lemon zest, juice and vanilla extract. Mix for about a minute on medium speed until combined.
Next sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add it all at once to the creamed mixture. Pulse until big clumps of dough form. Take the bowl off the mixer at this point.
Use your rubber spatula and "stab" in the dry ingredients. It will take a few minutes, so take your time. Don't overmix! Flour will still be visible.
Wrap in plastic container or form into a round and cover with saran wrap.
Chill for at least a couple hours or overnight before using.
Knead in portions until it comes together. It will be crumbly at first. That's normal. Keep working it.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a ½" thickness and cut shapes as desired and bake at 350°F for about 9-11 minutes or until the bottom edge is very lightly golden brown. Note: smaller shapes will bake faster, so if you're baking a variety of shapes, make sure to take the small shapes out of the oven first.
Once the cookies are baked off, leave them on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes. Move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store them in a plastic container covered for about a week.
Notes
You can store the dough in the refrigerator for up to one week and freeze wrapped well for up to three months.
You read the title right. In good conscience, I couldn't let the chocolate buttercream I made last week go to waste. So I thought, why not take this opportunity to teach you guys how to make these delicious salted caramel chocolate cupcakes? You see how much I care about you guys? I mean sure...you could correctly say that I'm just making more for myself. But, I'd rather have you believe that I'm a caring soul instead of a pig with a sweet tooth. So we're going with the first reason, to make myself feel better.
These cupcakes should be a sin. I mean you have the chocolate cupcake. It has an intense chocolate flavor. It's moist and it's delicious. On top is a light, perfectly sweet, chocolate buttercream. Drizzled on top is salted caramel sauce and it's finally sprinkled with some chocolate shavings. Like I said...SIN. It's so rich, so good and so easy. You won't believe how easy these cupcakes are to make. Your soul will thank you, but your waist won't.
Preheat your oven to 375°F and bring all ingredients to room temperature.
Start by sifting together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda in a large bowl. Fluff together for a few seconds with a fork or whisk.
Combine all the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl and whisk until combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Start slowly mixing with a whisk for a few seconds, before switching to a rubber spatula. Slowly fold in the dry ingredients. Don't overmix!
Use an ice cream scoop to portion out the batter into pre-greased paper cups. Tap the pan against the table on each side to get rid of excess air.
Bake at 350°F for about 12-15 minutes. Check at the 10 minute mark with a wooden skewer. It should come out with a few moist crumbs. They should be very slightly under-baked. It will continue to bake for a bit out of the oven.
Leave the cupcakes in the pan for a couple of minutes before moving to a wire rack for a few minutes.
Immediately move the cupcakes to separate container and cover completely with plastic wrap. Leave alone to cool completely.
Once completely cool, decorate with chocolate buttercream, salted caramel sauce and shaved chocolate shavings.
Chocolate buttercream recipe: Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream
Salted caramel sauce recipe: Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 7 ounces (or 0.8 cup) cake flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 ounces (or 6 tablespoons) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (minus a little bit, like 1/16 of a teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (minus a little bit, lie 1/16 of a teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- ½ cup buttermilk or whole milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ tablespoon sour cream
- 1 extra large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup coffee or boiling water with a pinch of instant light coffee granules
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Line cupcake pan with paper cups and spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Fluff together with a whisk or fork for a few seconds.
In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, egg, oil, vanilla, sugar, coffee and whisk until combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Start with a whisk for a few seconds before moving to a rubber spatula.
Slowly fold in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula. Don't overmix! Go slow and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Use an ice cream scoop to portion out the batter into the 12 cups. Tap against the table to release excess air.
Turn down the oven to 350°F and bake for about 12-15 minutes. Check at the 10 minute mark with a wooden skewer. The cakes should rise well, look slightly underbaked on surface and the skewer should come out with moist crumbs.
Once out of the oven, move from cupcake pan to wire rack for a few minutes. Move from wire rack to separate container and cover completely with plastic wrap. Let it cool that way.
Once completely cooled, you can decorate as you please. If using caramel sauce drizzle, make sure it's cool enough to not melt the buttercream.
Store these in the fridge covered for a few days or in the freezer covered for a week. Make sure it comes back to room temperature before enjoying.
Notes
Make sure ingredients like buttermilk, sour cream, egg are at room temperature. If adding fresh coffee, make sure it's not too bitter. Same goes for the instant coffee. Make sure it's the light version, not too strong. Don't overmix the batter! You want to make sure the batter is very slightly underbaked as it will continue to cook as it cools. This ensures you won't get an overbaked cupcake. Make sure the cupcakes are covered at all times to ensure they don't dry out. If you find the moistness still not too your liking, you can always pour some simple syrup over the cupcakes before icing, as you would a regular cake. Let it absorb, then ice with the buttercream. If you follow the steps I mention though, it should be plenty moist.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Ice cream is an American favorite and with good reason. Creamy, cool and flavorful, what's not to like? Well, summertime is here and it's the perfect time to munch on some ice cream. I can't think of a better type of ice cream to eat than some homemade, eggless strawberry ice cream. Yes, it's homemade. That's a plus. The recipe has no eggs. That's a bonus. And it's strawberry ice cream...which yeah....is kind of amazing. So, kick back, relax and cool down with this great recipe. Oh yeah, did I mention none of those pesky ice crystals? There are two keys to this recipe's success. First, we toss the strawberries in sugar and let the large amounts of liquid in the berries drain. We don't want that water in our ice cream. Secondly, we use milk powder. It's key to absorbing the excess liquid and contributing to a creamy texture. Enough talk, let's get started.
Start by tossing the strawberries in sugar and letting them sit at room temperature covered with plastic wrap for 6-8 hours.
Drain the excess liquid through a colander and place in a bowl.
Pour in the milk, sugar, vanilla, milk powder, salt.
Use a blender or immersion blender to blend the mixture together. You don't want any lumps of powder or berries. It should be a smooth, uniform mixture. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until combined.
Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine until about ½-3/4 full and churn 15-20 minutes or until soft serve consistency.
You can enjoy at this point, but I suggest freezing it from anywhere to a few hours up to overnight. If you choose to freeze, leave out for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1 ¼ cups granulated or cane sugar
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ¾ cup skim milk powder
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Toss the strawberries in ½ cup of the sugar in a bowl and allow to sit out at room temperature covered with plastic wrap for 6-8 hours.
Drain the strawberries in a colander in the sink.
Combine the strawberries, milk, milk powder, vanilla extract, ¾ cup sugar in a bowl and use a blender or immersion blender to puree until smooth. No lumps should remain.
Pour in the heavy cream and stir until uniform in color.
Transfer this ice cream base into the ice cream maker and churn about 15-20 minutes, according to manufacturer's instructions. Make sure you only fill it about ½ way full or ¾ way full when you pour the base in. You'll have two batches of base.
Transfer the finished ice cream to a storage container. Serve immediately or harden in your freezer for 8 hours or up to overnight.
Temper ice cream for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish how you please and enjoy!
Notes
You'll have extra ice cream base. It makes about two batches worth. Don't over churn and leave some space in the ice cream maker so "overrun" can occur.
There are so many national food related holidays that some of them are just not believable. Some of them make sense, while others, I have no idea about. Well, while I was driving home today, I heard it was national "eat what you want" day. Hey, that's my daily existence, but if others need a national holiday to partake, then so be it. I figure since there's a holiday promoting the idea of free eating, there's now an excuse to indulge.
When I was trying to decide what I wanted to indulge in, it was a pretty easy decision. I decided to make brownies, which by themselves may seem harmless. But, you're mistaken. When I do things, I kind of go crazy with it. I decided to make these brownies...triple chocolate fudge brownies. Yes, that's right. Triple chocolate fudge. These are immensely rich, but the government says it's okay to indulge today, so we have no reason to fill guilty.
First, start by melting the butter and chopped chocolate.
Add in the cocoa powder and instant coffee and mix until combined.
Set aside and let the mixture cool. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla and eggs. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Add the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and mix until combined.
Dump in the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to fold until just combined.
Pour your batter into the prepared square pan and spread it into an even layer.
Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
You can optionally top with a ganache glaze. I make mine with half heavy cream, half chocolate, a pinch of salt, a pinch of instant coffee and some vanilla.
Scald the heavy cream and pour over the chocolate. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and let it sit for about five minutes. Stir until combined and pour over the top of the cooled brownies.
Cover and cool in the freezer overnight.
Use a chef's knife and a tall container of hot water, along with a clean towel to cut the edges off, score the bars and cut them.
Enjoy!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- Brownies:
- 5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon instant coffee
- Glaze:
- 7 oz heavy cream
- 7 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
- ¼ teaspoon instant coffee
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Prep your 8" square baking pan and line it with 2 pieces of foil and spray it vegetable spray.
Melt the chocolates and butter over a double boiler or in a microwave, in 30 second intervals. When melted, whisk in the cocoa powder and instant coffee and mix until smooth. Set it aside to let it cool.
In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt and mix until smooth and uniform in color.
Mix in the melted chocolate and mix until uniform in color.
Dump in the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and fold in with a wooden spoon until just combined. Don't overmix.
Transfer this batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Allow the brownies to cool while you work on the glaze.
To make the glaze, pour the chocolates into a bowl. Scald the heavy cream in small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot mixture over the bowl full of chocolates and let it sit. Pour in the vanilla extract and add in the salt and instant coffee. After letting it sit for about five minutes, begin to stir until it thickens slightly. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Once room temp, pour over the brownies and spread evenly. Cover and freeze overnight.
Cut the next day with the method shown in the video and enjoy! Let it come to room temperature before eating.
Notes
You can use all bittersweet, semisweet or a combination of both. The ganache glaze is all about the ratio and scalding the cream to a hot enough temperature for the ganache to eventually thicken. If you freeze overnight, let it come to room temp before enjoying.
We all know the illustrious pineapple upside-down cake. Many love it, but personally, I'm not a pineapple fan. What I am a huge fan of though, is apples. You should know this by now. Apples are definitely on my list of favorite fruits. So, when I want an upside-down, I make this apple upside-down cake. In my opinion, all upside-down cakes should be made with apples. It is truly superior to the pineapple. In my opinion, at least.
Preheat your oven and grease your pan. Cut the apples in half. Then, cut 2 apples into ¼" slices and cut the other two apples into ½" slices. Make sure you place the apple slices to the side in a bowl with a little bit of apple juice. About a tablespoon. Mix. This will prevent the apples from turning brown.
Melt the butter in a 12" skillet with the ½" apple slices over medium-high heat.
Cook the apples for about 4-6 minutes. Add the ¼" apple slices, brown sugar and lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the apples are coated and the sugar dissolves. Only about a minute with this step.
Take this off the heat and transfer the apple mixture to the prepared pan. Lightly press into an even layer and set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside
Whisk together the sugars and eggs until thick and slightly paler in color. Should take about a minute.
Slowly whisk in the butter until combined. Add in the sour cream and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Slowly fold in the dried ingredients until just combined. Don't overmix.
Pour this mixture over the apple mixture in the pan. Spread until even over the top. Lightly tap the pan on the counter top.
Bake for around 30-40 minutes or until golden brown top and a toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs. Make sure you rotate the pan halfway through baking.
Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Run a small knife around the outside and place a rack on top to help flip the cake over.
Lift the cake pan off. Make sure you do this over a baking sheet to catch any drippings. Cool for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Enjoy with a side of ice cream or whipped cream! Enjoy slightly warm.
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- Topping:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 4 Granny Smith, Gala or Fuji apples, peeled & cored
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Cake:
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Butter a 8" or 9" cake pan completely and flour it. Shaking out the excess flour. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Cut two apples in half and then in ½" apple slices. Cut the other two in half and into ¼" slices.
Get started on the topping. Add the butter and ½" slices into a 12" skillet. Cook for about 4-6 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the ¼" apple slices, along with the brown sugar and lemon juice, stirring constantly. Only cook for about a minute more until the sugar dissolves and the apples are coated.
Take the pan off the heat and transfer the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Spread the apple mixture evenly. Press down slightly. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
Whisk together the eggs and sugars until thicker and slightly paler, about a minute.
Slowly pour in melted butter that's been cooled slightly. Whisk until combined. Add in the sour cream and vanilla and mix until fully combined.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Don't overmix.
Pour this batter on top of the apples in the pan and spread evenly until the apples don't show anymore.
Lightly tap the pan on top of a countertop. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 350°F or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Let the pan cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
Run a knife around the sides and use a wire rack to help flip the pan over. Make sure you do this over a baking sheet to catch any drippings.
Once flipped over, lift the pan off slowly. Let it cool for another 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Make sure your sour cream, eggs and butter are room temperature. Don't overmix or overbake. It will result in a dry cake. Don't actually cook the apples fully in the first few steps, you just want to heat them slightly for a few minutes. We'll cook them fully in the oven. Use a wire rack to help invert the cake pan. You can use any good baking apple. I personally love using Granny Smith, but used Gala for this post. All baking apples will work.
Crème Brûlée is a classic dessert from the French. It's a staple that pretty much everyone knows. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like it. Why? Well, what's not to like. You have the nice smooth and creamy custard underneath a surface that you torch into a sugary and crunchy top. It's so good. It's also incredibly easy to make.
Start by pouring your heavy cream into a heavy-bottom saucepan. Pour in your sugar and vanilla bean or extract. Split the bean, if you're using it.
Put on medium heat and whisk to combine. Bring to a scald.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and milk until combined.
Take the scalded cream mixture off the heat and slowly pour it into the egg yolk mixture while whisking.
Once you tempered the mixture, add the yolk/cream mixture back into the saucepan.
Pour the mixture through a sieve into the appropriate vessel. Skim the foam on the surface with a spoon. This foam tends to burn.
Place a baking sheet in the preheated oven. Place the ramekins on top of the sheet. Pour 4-5 cups of warm to hot water to ensure the bottom ¼ of the ramekins is covered in water.
Bake for 20-35 minutes. Outside should be firm, inner center should be slightly jiggly.
Take the ramekins out of the oven and let the custard cool for about 10 minutes. Cover with saran and refrigerate for at least four hours or up to overnight.
Use a broiler, hand torch or blow torch to brulee or torch the top. The best tool to use for this is a blow torch, because it's very easy to control the flame power and placement of the flame. Cover the top with sugar in an even layer. Not too much, because sugar burns, but not too little, because the custard can burn. Once done torching, top with fruit or whipped cream optionally. Enjoy immediately after torching!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 15 egg yolks
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise if using.
In a thick bottom sauce pan, combine the vanilla bean, sugar and heavy cream.
Scald the mixture and remove from heat. Gently scrape out the vanilla bean.
In a separate moon bowl, combine the yolks and milk. Whisk until smooth and slightly paler in color.
Temper the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture.
Return the tempered mixture back into the hot cream, slowly and whisk as you add.
Remove the foam from the surface of the creme brulee, using a spoon.
Place the mixture into the appropriate cooking vessels, such as the ramekins.
Place the ramekins in a 2" full pan and place into the preheated oven. Pour 2 cups of hot water into the sheet pan until just covering the bottom of the ramekins.
Cover the sheet pan with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20-35 minutes or until outside is set but inside is slightly jiggly.
Remove pan from oven carefully or take out the ramekins one by one. Whatever you think is easier for you.
Cool for about 10 minutes and then cover with saran and refrigerate to cool at least four hours or up to overnight.
When ready to torch, just spread sugar evenly over the surface. Make sure to not put too little as this will cause the cream to burn. Don't put too much either. Don't spread it to the outside area, just the inner circle. Torch and enjoy!
Cinnamon rolls are without a doubt firmly placed in my top three favorite food groups. They have so much to offer. How can anyone deny the greatness of a warm, fluffy roll filled with cinnamon sugar and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting? Give me a cinnamon roll, a good show and I'm a happy girl. I'd also have absolutely no reason to be productive at that point, but still, happy nonetheless.
Even though I love treating myself every now and then by making cinnamon rolls, I have to admit it can be a hassle. Making yeast raised rolls is no easy task and doing it everyday is out of the question. I really have to be in the mood to make rolls. I have to be feeling good and adventurous and it has to be early enough in the day to start. So all self-imposed conditions must be met and even then, I'll probably be more inclined to chill on the couch for the day.
So, how do I resolve my need for cinnamon rolls and my rampant laziness?
In comes, cinnamon roll blondies. This dessert is so easy to make. Way easier than yeast risen rolls. They taste great. They're full of cinnamon flavor and the texture is a cross between a fudgy brownie and a cookie. Trust me on this one, you'll get your cinnamon roll fix with way less work. Give it a try.
First, you want to melt down your butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.
Then, you'll want to whisk in the brown sugar and whisk until combined.
Next, whisk in your eggs, one at a time. Wait until the first one is absorbed before adding the next one. Add in the vanilla extract and the cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Whisk until combined.
Next, fold in the flour with a rubber spatula. Don't over mix, but ensure no flour pockets are there.
Pour out the cinnamon mixture into a pregreased 9x13" pan.
Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Let it cool for about 20 minutes until warm or room temp. In the meantime, prepare the icing. Combine the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and mix until uniform in color.
Add in the vanilla and mix. Add in the confectioners' sugar in two additions and mix until thoroughly combined. Scrape. Thin it down with some heavy cream if necessary.
Pour the icing on top of the baked cinnamon mixture and spread into an even layer.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.
Let it come to room temperature before attempting to cut into squares. You need the butter in the mixture to heat back up so it won't stick to the pan. So let it sit for about an hour at room temp. You can also speed up the process and use a blow torch to help.
Enjoy what you'd like and keep the rest, covered in the fridge!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- Blondies:
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- Frosting:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 2 to 3 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spray a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in the brown sugar until combined.
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to absorb before adding the next one.
Whisk in the vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
Fold in the flour until no big flour pockets remain. Don't over mix.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Allow to cool for about 20-30 minutes or until it's warm.
Prepare the icing by combining the butter and cream cheese and beating until thoroughly combined. Add in the vanilla and mix. Scrape. Add in the confectioners' sugar in two additions and beat until combined. Add some milk or heavy cream if needed to thin it down to spreadable consistency.
Once the icing is finished, spread the icing evenly over the cinnamon mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.
Make sure you let it come back to room temperature before cutting it, so it'll be easier, especially if you refrigerated overnight.
I hate hyperbole. You'll never see me claim that any of my recipes are the best of anything. Why? Well, I'm a firm believer that there are so many great recipes out there and so many improvements and variations that can be made. Because of that, it's really hard to claim anything is the best anything. Bloggers and YouTubers only claim the best this and the best that for clicks. That's the secret everyone is in on. So, instead, I'll say that this is my favorite pumpkin roll recipe. It's the Libby's pumpkin roll recipe. The one you see everywhere. There is a very good reason why this recipe is so popular. It produces an uber moist fluffy roll cake. It's easy to execute and the taste is so great. It's really a no-fail recipe. So, while I would claim this is most likely the best pumpkin roll recipe, my self-imposed rules, will only allow me to claim this as my favorite pumpkin roll recipe.
So it's important that we prep our baking sheets first. One of the baking sheets, we'll line with parchment, grease with cooking spray and dust with some flour. The second baking sheet, we'll invert and place a piece of parchment on top. We'll dust generously with some powdered sugar. Some people prefer the towel method, so if you're used to doing it that way, go ahead. But, I prefer just using another piece of parchment to roll the cake in.
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Begin by beating the eggs and sugar until it becomes paler in color and thicker. About five minutes.
Add in the pumpkin and mix until combined.
Add in the vanilla and spices and mix until combined.
Dump in the dry ingredients and food them in until just combined. Don't overdo it, but make sure the flour is absorbed.
Pour the batter into the greased and floured baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to spread evenly.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
Once out of the oven, loose the sides with an offset and turn over on the inverted baking sheet with the parchment dusted in the powdered sugar. Carefully peel off the parchment on top.
Use the parchment on the bottom and roll slowly and tightly on the narrow side. Let it cool until completely cool.
Make your filling by combining your filling ingredients and beating until combined.
Use the parchment to unroll slowly. Spread the filling evenly. Make sure you get to the edges too.
Reroll using the parchment. Cover with saran wrap and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Just cut the roll in half and dust with confectioners sugar. Enjoy!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- Cake:
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle onto parchment or towel)
- 1 tablespoon flour (to sprinkle on the other piece of parchment paper)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
- Filling:
- 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted (add more to adjust sweetness)
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest from 1 orange or 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (add more to adjust consistency)
Instructions
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper or parchment paper. Grease with cooking spray and dust the paper with the flour. If you're using a towel, dust the towel with the powdered sugar. Or invert a baking sheet and cover with a piece of parchment on top and dust with the powdered sugar. Set to the side.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in a large mixer bowl until thick and paler in color. Beat in pumpkin. Dump in the flour mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula until just combined, but most of the flour is absorbed.
Spread evenly into prepared pan with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with nuts if you're including nuts.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel or the inverted sheet of parchment. Carefully peel off paper on top. Using the towel or piece of parchment slowly begin to roll up cake tightly, but gently starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack until completely cool.
For the filling:
Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add in the sifted confectioner's sugar, spices and vanilla and beat until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake using the parchment paper or towel to help you along. Wrap in plastic wrap, set on a baking sheet and refrigerate at least one hour. Make sure the seam side is down!
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Notes
Will keep in the freezer for about a month or the fridge for about a week. Use as much powdered sugar as needed to ensure the cake won't stick.
Like many of you, I am also a peanut butter junkie. While some like it crunchy, I'm team smooth all the way. I love making recipes with peanut butter so that I can get my fix in. Candies with peanut butter? Yes, please! I'm also addicted to America's favorite peanut butter cups. Like, my trash can is usually filled to the brim with those distinct orange wrappers. My name is Fatima and I have a problem. We all know my m.o. when it comes to recipes. They have to be delicious and they have to be easy. I mean, every now and then I like to experiment with the more intricate recipes. For the most part though, I prefer the quick and easy recipes. So combining that philosophy with my love of peanut butter, this recipe hits all the marks. The filling is rich, creamy and perfectly peanut buttery. I absolutely love it. It's quick to put together and you can keep it frozen or refrigerated until you want to eat it. It really doesn't get easier than this.
This recipe is originally intended for two 8 or 9" pies. Well, since I'm typically eating these alone, I decided to make a mega pie instead of two. Same amount of course, but the eye test will fool my mind. Anyways, grease your pan or pans with some cooking spray.
We'll need some softened cream cheese.
Some milk.
Some vanilla.
Some confectioner's sugar.
Some peanut butter. I'm using smooth, but you can use chunky.
Lastly, some whipped cream. For a lighter option, use some whipped topping like Cool Whip.
To make the crust, combine all the ingredients including the butter and mix with your hands until it clumps together. This pie is great with both the cookie crumb crust and the graham cracker crust. Use whichever one you please.
Pour the crust into the pie pan or pans and flatten with the bottom of a measuring cup or pie pan.
Begin mixing the cream cheese until fluffy for about five minutes. Add in the confectioner's sugar slowly and let it absorb before adding more, mix until combined.
Add in the peanut butter and mix until smooth. It will thicken up on you. Make sure to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula when you're done mixing.
Drizzle in the milk slowly and mix until combined.
Mix in the whipped cream or whipped topping until uniform in color and creamy in texture.
Scrape down the sides again. Add in the pinch of salt. Taste to determine if the mixture needs slightly more salt or vanilla.
Pour the filling into the crust and flatten the top with an offset spatula.
Wrap in saran and freeze for a few hours or refrigerate for a few hours, depending on what texture you prefer.
Now, have some fun. Decorate as you please. I chose some rosettes.
I drizzled some chocolate, as well.
I quartered some peanut butter cups and placed them on top, because why not more peanut butter?
That's it! Super easy, looks great and tastes better. Yum!!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- Filling:
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 16 oz whipped cream or whipped topping
- pinch of salt
- Crust:
- 12 oz graham cracker or cookie crumbs
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (if using graham crackers)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 oz sugar
- 2 oz melted butter, leave some more out if needed.
Instructions
Combine all the crust ingredients and mix together until it clumps in your hands like wet sand.
Prepare your pie pan by greasing it with cooking spray.
Beat your cream cheese for about five minutes until fluffy.
Add in the confectioner's sugar a little bit at a time, until fully absorbed by the mixture. Mix for a couple of minutes.
Scrape the sides, then add in the peanut butter and extracts and mix until uniform in color and thicker.
Drizzle in the milk slowly until fully combined and mix.
Scrape the sides again and add whipped cream or whipped topping and mix until uniform in color and it becomes creamy.
Add the pinch of salt and fold it in. Taste and decide if it needs more salt or vanilla.
Pour the filling onto the pie crust and flatten the top with the offset spatula.
Wrap in saran and freeze or refrigerate for at least three hours.
Notes
You can use graham cracker or cookie crust. You can use smooth or chunky peanut butter. Decorate as you please! For a firmer texture, freeze for a few hours, then leave out for about 20 minutes, before you eat it. If you refrigerate, you'll have a softer texture, so there's no need to let it sit out for more than five minutes before eating. Whipped topping like cool whip can be used for a lighter option.
Lemon, vanilla and berries. You can't really do any wrong with these flavor combinations. The Italians get that. Many of their desserts are small-form, light and not too sweet. And many of their desserts involve these great flavor combinations. They really have nailed the formula for guilt-free desserts. One of the many Italian sweets that is well-known to everybody is panna cotta. In case you have to brush up on your Italian, panna cotta translates to "cooked cream." And guess what, that's exactly what panna cotta is. It's just cooked cream, milk and some other goodies. Very simple and very delicious. Now, one of the key ingredients in panna cotta is gelatin. You need the gelatin to help set the cream. Many of you may not be able to use gelatin, due to it not being available or maybe religious/moral reasons. Well, luckily for you, there are other options. They do sell halal beef powdered gelatin for all the Muslims out there. You can also use agar agar. This is a natural vegetable counterpart. It will help firm up and set the panna cotta, but you don't have to worry about it coming from an animal. As you see, there are many options when it comes to gelatin and gelatin substitutes. So, don't let that stop you from making this very easy and tasty dessert. Great for a rewarding sweet for yourself or for entertaining guests.
We'll need granulated sugar and gelatin.
Lemon and vanilla.
Milk.
Lastly, heavy cream.
Start by sprinkling the gelatin over the top of the cold milk. Make sure all the gelatin is coated in milk and let it sit and bloom for about five minutes.
Next, combine the sugar, heavy cream and vanilla in a sauce pan that has a thick bottom.
Scald mixture. Don't boil! Whisk until combined. Take it off the heat and add in the bloomed gelatin and whisk until dissolved. Also, add in the lemon juice and whisk to combine.
Pour into containers and let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes. Wrap in saran and refrigerate and chill for four hours to overnight.
After they're set, unmold by placing the container in a bowl of very hot water for a minute or two. Go around the sides with an off-set spatula and use a blow torch if needed. Give it a shake or two on the plate and that should help unmold it as well.
Serve with some berries and sauce and enjoy!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 1 ½ C heavy cream
- 2.5 oz granulated sugar
- ½ t vanilla extract or paste
- 7.5 grams gelatin or agar agar
- ½ c milk
- 2.5 oz lemon juice
Instructions
Bloom the gelatin in the cold milk.
In a thick bottom pot, scald the cream, sugar and vanilla. Don't boil!
Remove from heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin.
Stir in lemon juice.
Pour into molds or containers and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
Refrigerate and chill until set. Anywhere from four hours to overnight.
So, I was sitting there on my lunchtime, at work and I noticed that this Wednesday was national sponge cake day. Yes, there is such a thing. In fact, there are many national food "holidays." Who knew? Not wanting to be a Grinch, I decided to go with it. So to honor the holidays, I thought, I'd share a great chiffon recipe, I received from our C.M.P.C (Certified Master Pastry Chef) at school. Chiffon sponge cakes are known for being less sweet than the butter based cakes. They are also, of course, spongier and lighter. This is due to having a meringue incorporated into the batter. Fruit and whipped cream are the perfect complements for this light and fluffy cake and though it is a little bit of extra work, it's well worth it. Taste it and you'll agree.
We will be making a meringue, so it's important to have room temperature eggs.
Start out with some hot water. Sift in some good cocoa powder. The cocoa is the only thing that will provide the chocolate flavor in this cake, so use good quality cocoa, because you will be able to taste it. Whisk in the cocoa until well combined.
Add in the egg yolks and oil and whisk well. Add in the vanilla and whisk well.
Sift together your dry ingredients, including the sugar. Dump it into the wet ingredients and fold in carefully.
Whisk for a smooth batter.
With your mixer and whip attachment, begin whipping the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until tracks begin to form. Gradually add in the sugar and turn it up to high until stiff, moist peaks form.
Gently fold in the meringue all at once.
Wipe the cake pans with a very damp towel. You should see the water streaks on the pan clearly. Pour in the batter in the pans. Spin the pans to let the air out.
Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Once out of the oven, flip the pans on a sheet pan and cool upside down until completely cooled.
If you're making a whipped cream and fruit layer cake, prepare your whipped cream and fruit while the cakes are cooling. Unmold by running a sharp paring knife around the edges and tapping the pan on the counter hard.
Top with whipped cream and fruit or any way you'd like and enjoy!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- ½ cup very hot water
- 10 oz cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup vegetable or salad oil
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ egg yolks
- 4 oz cake flour
- 6 oz granulated sugar
- 10.63 grams baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- ¾ cup egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 oz granulate sugar
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a large moon bowl, sieve the sifted cocoa into the very hot water.
Add the rest of the wet ingredients from the second set of ingredients.
Whisk until smooth.
Sift together the dry ingredients from the third set of ingredients and add them to the wet ingredients in the bowl. Fold in until mostly absorbed, then switch to whisk for a smooth batter.
Begin whipping the whites and cream of tartar in an 8 quart mixer, ideally, on medium speed. When you see tracks form and the whites are ¾ whipped, add the granulated sugar gradually.
Finish whipping the whites on high speed until you get firm, moist peaks.
Fold the meringue all at once into the batter until a uniform color is achieved. Take your time and be gentle not to deflate the meringue.
Pour the batter equally into two 8" cake pans that have been wiped out with a very damp cloth. Wet streaks should be visible.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Immediately out of the oven, turn the pans upside down on a sheet pan and let them cool completely that way.
Un-mold and enjoy!
If you know me, you know that I appreciate all things Italian. The culture, the country, the language and of course the food. The Italians are well-known for taking simple ingredients and making them shine. Simplicity is the key in Italian food and I really appreciate that. They somehow carry that mentality to desserts as well, which is hard to imagine. While many want to overcomplicate desserts, the Italians say "no way!" They want simple ingredients to shine. They want smaller portions and lighter desserts. Semifreddo is a great example of that. Semifreddo literally translates to "semi-frozen." That's what semifreddo is. It's a half-frozen mousse. Much lighter than ice cream, but with the same creaminess. It's very easy to make and very versatile. You can flavor a semifreddo pretty much anyway you'd like. You can also serve it anyway you'd like. Me, I decided to not overcomplicate it. I made a vanilla semifreddo and served it with strawberry sauce and a few fresh strawberries. The next day, I made a fresh strawberry compote. I served it slightly warm and oh my gosh was it delicious. The cold and warm contrast in desserts always works best. What I'm saying is, flavor and serve as you please! Learn the technique and have some fun with it.
I've professed my love of donuts, in an earlier post. I go crazy for donuts. But, I go easily as crazy for ice cream. That stereotype of girls watching their soaps while eating ice cream is no stereotype with me. That's considered a good day for me. I do admit though, I've become a slight ice cream snob. Ice cream is fine if you buy it from your local supermarket. It's divine if you make it yourself. Homemade ice cream has converted me and I'm sticking with it for the long haul. One of my absolute favorite ice cream recipes is known as Moose Tracks. I'm sure these are available all over the country. It's vanilla ice cream with fudge swirls and peanut butter cups. YUM! You can't go wrong with these flavor combinations. So since I usually make ice cream at home, I decided to try to replicate the famous Moose Tracks ice cream. It was so good. I was in peanut butter and chocolate heaven. I'll say this...it's the quickest I've finished my quart of ice cream.
Ice cream is not rocket science. There are basically two forms of ice cream. One is the French style. This is the typical ice cream made from a custard base, which of course, has eggs in it. The other is called the Philly style. This one has no custard base, which of course, means no eggs in it. I'll admit I was leary of this method, because I was used to the French style, which I've been using for many years. When I finally tried it, I was hooked. Specifically, I tried Jeni's Ice Cream's recipe. She uses cream cheese in her recipe. At first, this put me off, but then I thought about it. Heavy cream in America is typically around 36% butterfat. The higher the butterfat, the creamier the ice cream. Cream and Milk are mostly water, so to make up for this deficiency, we need to add milk solids. Many people add milk powder, but cream cheese does the job fabulously as well.
I seriously have an obsession with apples. Okay, the word "obsession" is a little strong. But, they're by far my favorite fruit. I'm constantly munching on them whenever I'm watching TV. Apple pie, apple tarts, apple ice cream, apple crumble and so on and so on. They're all so delicious! My brother constantly makes fun of me for incorporating apples in desserts. I'll be eating something with butter or sugar in it, but if it has a little bit of fruit in it, I'll claim it to being healthy. Hey, technically it is! He just laughs and walks away when I try to convince him. I may not be doing such a good job at convincing you either, so let's move on.
Apple dumplings are a staple in the south. But, this Midwestern girl, likes them just fine. This recipe yields about five or six 7" dumplings. The apples were tender, the crust was flaky and the acidic glaze perfectly complimented the apples inside.
