Cheesecake in a Jar with Blueberries, Strawberries, Granola + More! Posted May 24, 2011 | 18 Comments What’s more fun than yummy cheesecake? Cheesecake in a jar, of course! It’s clear that I have a bit of an obsession with anything in a jar these days (such as bubbles, cookies, cherry pie, ice cream + candles to name a few…) and cheesecake is no exception. The best part of cheesecake has to be the fruit pairings. source And, yummy blackberry curd cheesecake in a jar, too - source Don’t forget the custom stamped spoons for added charm!
I’m rich, I’m rich! Thousand Dollar Bars Have you ever baked something that made you do the Daffy Duck? You know, the cartoon scene where Daffy runs about yelling, “I’m rich, I’m rich, whoop, whoop, yippee, I’m rich!” He’s bouncing around on his head, feet, hands, and rump in a spastic outpouring of sheer joy. Not everything we bake here in the kitchen gets us to do the Daffy Duck. On a bad day, we do the wine taster (small taste and a spit) or the Emily Post (napkin over mouth, remove offending food, weak smile). But on a really really good day, we do the Happy Dance (personal taste rules here;mine includes foot stomping and mmm mmm noises); and the Daffy Duck. These Thousand Dollar Bars did just that for us here at KAF. These bars definitely remind people of Twix® bars, both in shape and taste, but OH, so much better when top-end caramel and chocolate is used. So, break out your happy dancin’ shoes, and let’s make Thousand Dollar Bars. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
cake batter blondies. | girl meets life. I don’t say this very often. But this is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. Remember how I made dense, fudgy brownies by using a boxed chocolate cake mix? So, chocolate-lovers, this isn’t entirely for you. cake batter blondies. ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix1/4 cup canola oil1 egg, beaten1/4 – 1/2 cup milk1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional) directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. notes: I should mention that because I don’t have any bakeware yet, I actually baked this batch in a casserole dish (I’m classy like that, what can I say?). **edited to add: I made these again in an 8-inch cake pan, and they came out perfectly! **also edited to add: I made the blondies successfully without using eggs! You might think that it’s not fully done because the center will still be quite gooey upon first exiting the oven – but that’s what you want! After cooling for about 20 minutes, the gooey center is what will lend to the decadent, cake-batter texture.
Chewy and sweet red bean mochi My pantry holds the goods for many recipes I hope to make, some get made while others do not. I bought a box of mochiko (sweet rice flour) and azuki beans (dried red beans) with the intent of making mochi. They’ve sat in my cupboard for some time, just waiting for their day in the spotlight. I fell in love with the texture of mochi several years ago. A sweet filling surrounded in a chewy, soft dough – what’s not to love? The azuki beans (aka adzuki) are small, dark red beans typically made into a paste and sweetened. Drain the beans and place into a blender. Heat a skillet over medium heat with a few tablespoons vegetable oil. You can also buy red bean paste in a can from an asian market. Now for the chewy dough, which has mesmerized me. or glutinous rice flour. Mix 2 cups mochiko with 1 cup sugar, then add 1 3/4 cup warm water. The dough will be a white sticky blob. When the dough has cooled, scoop a golfball sized piece of dough and drop into the cornstarch.
Cake Batter Chocolate Bark I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to share a recipe with you. Or to lick a bowl. The secret ingredient here? You may think I’m crazy… but it’s a spoonful of actual cake mix. All you must do is whisk it well into the melted white chocolate. The truth is, I’ve never been much of a “bark” person. After laying on the couch slurping butter-soaked shrimp scampi, plowing through a bag of m&m’s and watching 7 hours of Lifetime television, I had my answer: cake batter. And I didn’t want to just make white chocolate bark. Did you know I have an obsession with sprinkles? I’d put them on everything if I could. Cake Batter Chocolate Bark 6 ounces high quality dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70%) 12 ounces high quality white chocolate (I used Lindt) 3 teaspoons yellow cake mix sprinkles of your choice (at least 3 tablespoons worth or more) Melt dark chocolate either in the microwave or a double boiler. Melt while chocolate. Once set, break into chunks.
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. Mascarpone Cream Filling- 500 mL heavy cream - 300 gr mascarpone cheese - 1/2 cup icing sugar - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - zest of 1 orange (optional, but adds nice tang) + 1/2 cup raspberry jam (optional, for filling crepes) Directions: For the Mascarpone Filling:1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
8 essentials for authentic red velvet cake - Food on Shine A couple of weeks ago, my friend Nicole Taylor did a segment on real Southern red velvet cake on her foodie radio show, Hot Grease. Nicole is a Southern girl, born and raised in Georgia, and she has some pretty strong opinions about authentic red velvet cake. She searched for the real thing in New York City and came to the stunning conclusion that red velvet here is just wrong, wrong, wrong! Well, if the culinary capital of the nation can't get it right, does anyone north of the Mason-Dixon get it right? Although red velvet cake has a mild chocolate flavor, it is not, by definition, a chocolate cake. Some bakers out there seem to think all they need is red batter and white frosting to make red velvet cake. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. I've looked around for a recipe and was thrilled to discover this one, which incorporates all eight essentials for the perfect red velvet cake. Paula Deen's Red Velvet Cupcakes from Food Network Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the Cream Cheese Frosting
Salted Chocolate We’re watching our friend’s cat right now, and it’s a lot of fun. Kramer and I want to get a pet so badly, but I just don’t think that I have the time, energy, or, frankly, money, to take care of an animal the way I would like to. For now, though, it’s just fun to pretend to have a pet for a week. His name is Eddie and he’s pretty funny. These bars really do taste like Twix, and I’m not even exaggerating. Your ingredients. Combine your flour, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Cut your cold butter into cubes and add to the flour. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until a course mixture forms. Mix in the water and the egg yolk until combined. Using your hands, spread the dough into a greased 9×13 pan. Combine the condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla in a sauce pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir for 5 minutes straight to prevent burning. Spread the caramel over the baked shortbread crust. Salted Chocolate “Twix” Bars Cook time:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles I’ve never liked chocolate chip cookies. Go ahead and throw tomatoes at me if you’d like, but I don’t like ’em. They’re just a plain old cookie, after all, with a few studs of chocolate chips in them. They’re nothing special to me, unless you get some cookie dough-action before it meets its fate in the oven. I know there are plenty of cookie-dough-nay-sayers out there… you know, the salmonella scare and all . Chilled dough is rolled into 1-inch balls. Those chilled dough balls are dipped in chocolate and then placed onto waxed paper to set. I dipped a few in Ghirardelli White Chocolate Bark and a few in the Chocolate version too. Oh yeah! Yield: 3 to 4 dozen truffles Prep Time: 45 min + chilling time Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles Best served cold, these treats are for cookie-dough lovers. Ingredients: Directions: 1. 2. 3. Tips: *I used the Ghirardelli Candy Making Dipping Bar- both Double Chocolate and White flavors. *Have your own favorite cookie dough recipe?
Easter Cupcakes Baked in Real Egg Shells ~ Cupcake Project 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.
Delicious Meliscious - a cooking blog by Melissa: Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries Not being a fan of chocolate covered strawberries, I was happy to find these CHEESECAKE stuffed strawberries on The Novice Chef. You only need a few ingredients to put these together and they turn out to be quite impressive. Try them - you won't be disappointed! Ingredients:2 quarts of fresh Strawberries1 box Jello No Bake Cheesecake (I used this box mix and it came with the graham cracker crumbs. Directions:Wash the berries and hollow out the centers.
Kiss Pies Only 5 days before Christmas! Woohoo, is everyone ready? What a great time of year. This really is the best…..even if I feel like I’ve gained 50 lbs the last month! I’ve got such a fun little pie to share with you today that really couldn’t get any easier. I decided to use the rest of my Mint truffle Kisses, but ANY Hershey kiss will work beautifully here. Hope you enjoy! Here you have it, some refrigerated pie crust and any Hershey Kisses I used these bad boys! Unroll your pie crust after it’s been thawed and place the first group your kisses around like so. You’ll cut a 2 1/2- 3 inch circle for each kiss. You’ll brush a light egg wash over each little pie…. ….and sprinkle with sugar. Trying to do this with one hand while taking the photo=dumping of sugar, lol! Here they are, I seriously love these! Awhhhh, look at these little Kiss Pies Little cuties. One of my readers who lives in China sent me these adorable mini forks! 1. 2. about 14 little pies. Other recipes you may enjoy...
Caramel Tart-Caramel Tarts-Chocolate Tart-Chocolate Tarts-Pasta Frolla Posted by Grace Massa Langlois on Friday, 8th July 2011 When I finally decided on Lemon Meringue Tarts for the holiday weekend I knew I would have to offer another choice because not everyone in my family is a fan of citrus desserts. It didn’t take me too long to decide on the other option because everyone in my family loves chocolate. I present to you pure indulgence, Chocolate-Caramel Tart – crispy, hazelnut sweet short pastry with four layers of goodness – caramel, toasted hazelnuts, dark and milk chocolate ganache, and milk chocolate glaze. I could have stopped with the dark and milk chocolate ganache layer but the chocolate lover in me took over. Wow! The classical pairing of chocolate and caramel is one of my favourites but adding toasted nuts brings any dessert to another level for me. I wish the kids enjoyed the pairing as much as I do. Looking back I probably should’ve made some with and without; they were received so well and it would have been nice to have a few more on hand.
single ingredient ice cream recipe Recipe: single-ingredient ice cream Administrative news: The amount of spam accumulating in my filter is increasing and the amount of time I have to glance through and fish out the occasional legitimate comment is all but nil at this point. From now on, I’m deleting the hundreds of spam caught each day without a second glance. I’ve been doing a massive purge of my second office, recycling old notes and literature that I no longer need. Needless to say, I kept that little gem. Summer for some of my friends (those with school-age children) is coming to an end. please please please clouds, take a break? So what’s this ice cream for breakfast ridiculousness? bananas i prefer them just spotted I try, I really try to love bananas. and there she is slice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch disks This ice cream recipe is super simple. sliced frozen This is where the fun begins. frozen banana gravel whipped goodness (really, it’s good for you!) The transformation was a surprise, but a nice one at that.