Chocolate Chip Cookies. For five years I’ve been using a chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tweaked and tested so many times that it has become my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe. If I ever needed to make chocolate chip cookies I would never look elsewhere. I had tried too many recipes and I knew the pain that I’d gone through to find that one reliable recipe. I happily kept baking the same chocolate chip cookies. This was until today. After my first successful Dorie Greenspan recipe I was all geared up to step out of my comfort zone and try her chocolate chip cookies. I halved the recipe and skipped the walnuts. I used the huge Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips.
Chocolate Chip Cookies Adapted from: Baking From My Home to Yours (excellent baking book!) 1 cup flour ½ tsp salt ½ tsp baking soda 4 oz/100g/1 stick butter ½ cup sugar 1/3rd cup light brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg 1 cup chocolate chip Sieve the flour, salt and baking soda together. These cookies turned out to be absolutely delightful. Coconut Tres Leches Cake. Every dish that I make (and that subsequently appears on this here blog) is tried and tested by my toughest critic and ally: my husband, Brian. He is very, very honest in his reviews, which is a good thing but he isn’t necessarily eloquent in his replies.
It usually comes down to: a) not good (which translates into please don’t make it again…ever…again) b) fairly decent (which means he’d eat it again in a pinch but it’s definitely not blog-worthy) c) seriously awesome (which is food-talk for seriously awesome and the recipe is given the thumbs up to appear here) When it came to this coconut tres leches cake (made with the ingenious make-ahead yellow cake mix), I didn’t even have time to ask Brian what he thought because he seriously took one bite, looked at me and said, “Wow, this is seriously awesome.” From the man of few words, this was shocking. And so I must say to you: this dessert is seriously awesome. Seriously awesome, people. Note: the recipe calls for Cream of Coconut. Cake: Scrumptious Photography. I was very excited this week because the TWD recipe, chosen by Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook, called for raisins flamed in rum.
I figured that there would be some huge fireball in my kitchen, curling and rising and almost singeing the ceiling. As it turns out, the flame was tiny and blue and you couldn't see it unless you were looking straight down into the pan. Still kinda cool, but not nearly as dramatic as I'd imagined ;) Anyway, the rest of the recipe was pretty straightforward. I thought the cinnamon was a nice addition and gave the chocolate a little something to play against. Even with just eggs to give it a rise, the result was definitely cakier than A. and I would have liked (see this post for A.'s favorite brownie texture... basically goo). As for the raisins, I normally don't like 'em in desserts at ALL, but I think they were a welcome addition here. --recipe--French Chocolate Brownies makes 16 browniesAdapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Easter Cupcakes Baked in Real Egg Shells.
I watched my Grandmother’s face when she realized that I hadn’t handed her a hard boiled egg but rather a cake baked inside a real egg shell. Her eyes were filled with wonder and I could envision what she must have looked like as a tyke the very first time she saw a red balloon float across the sky or the the trunk of a giant elephant spewing a stream of water. “Crack it on the table,” I told her. Eggs were cracked, cupcakes were eaten, and I was perceived as a cupcake Houdini. Update 3/19/2012: For the basic instructions on these Easter cupcakes, keep reading. I modeled my cupcakes in egg shells after Nicky’s egg shell cupcakes from Delicious Days. Yield: 10 large egg cupcakes What you’ll need: 9 large eggs (Only one will get used in the cake. To prepare the eggs: Carefully poke a small hole in the top of each egg. Once you have poked a tiny hole, peel back the edges of the hole to expand it a bit. Turn the egg upside-down and dump out the contents.
Bake the eggs at 350 F for 23 minutes. Chocolate Mousse Cake | Sugar Duchess. There is a time for choosing the easy road. There is a time for taking the shortcut and doing things the fast way. But there is also a time for setting aside several hours to tackle something that will make you look back at all the dirtied mixing bowls in your sink, and chocolate shavings and splattered cream on your counter, and say, “That was totally worth it.” I can’t remember the last time something this rich and decadent came out of my kitchen. That one cheesecake (oh heavens) comes close, but I really think this puppy wins the prize. That bottom layer of flourless chocolate cake ought to tell you enough. And when you add layers of dark chocolate and white chocolate mousse . . . well . . . As much as I would love to tell you to drop everything and make this right now, this isn’t a dessert to make on a whim.
This isn’t difficult to make, but (as the recipe book points out) the hardest part is making sure the ingredients are at the right temperature. For the cake: 1/3 cup sugar top layer: One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes For Two. Let’s face it: sometimes we all need a dessert that only makes two servings. Sometimes we just can’t handle 12 servings. Sometimes we eat them all by ourselves. Sometimes we eat them all by ourselves in two hours. Sometimes we eat them all by ourselves in a matter of minutes. Sometimes it’s the best thing ever. FYI: I have no idea what that is like. Haven’t you always wished you could make just enough dessert for yourself? Or… just yourself? Me too. But more often than not, I’ve found it to be a hassle to drag out the mixer, cream the sugar and butter, sift the dry ingredients and all that fun stuff for a measly two cupcakes.
What can I say? Well, I was lazy. It is definitely your typical white cake; fluffy and soft, full of vanilla flavor, and the perfect vehicle for some fluffy white frosting. And it only takes one bowl! I think what I love most about these cupcakes is their customizability. [print_this] One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes for Two serves 2 1 egg white 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup flour. Red Velvet Crêpes. I rolled my eyes at the red velvet cake trend, but now I can’t get enough. I’ll make any excuse to have ‘cake’ for breakfast– here’s my take on a classic. Red Velvet Crepes (Makes about 24, 8″ crepes) Ingredients: – 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - 1 teaspoon baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 3 tablespoons sugar - 2 cups butter milk - 1 1/4 cup whole or lowfat milk - 1 large egg - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted - 1 tablespoon red food color gel - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted + 2 tablespoons cooking oil (for pan) *Update: Because the buttermilk lends to the acidity of this batter, do not substitute the baking soda for extra baking powder.
If you add more baking powder, and omit the baking soda, you’ll end up with a heavy and dense crepe. Chocolate Ganache Topping- 75 gr bittersweet chocolate - 75 mL heavy cream - 1 tablespoon sugar Directions: For the Mascarpone Filling:1. For Chocolate Ganche Sauce1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.