RSS Feed

Tag Archives: chocolate

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Pie

Posted on September 20, 2010 by amydeline

You may be starting to suspect that I’ve got a little problem with Chocolate and Peanut Butter. First, the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie, then the Funny Bone Cupcakes, and now this; Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Pie. The first step towards recovery is admitting you have a problem, right? So, yeah. Maybe I’ve got a little thing for chocolate and peanut butter. But, cancel the intervention. It’s a lost cause. You’ll never get me to stop combining the two.

For today’s version of this fantastic flavor combination, I’ve made a peanut butter cheesecake, sprinkled with chocolate chips and baked in a chocolate cookie crust. It’s super simple to make and incredibly satisfying.

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 Chocolate Cookie Pie Crust, homemade or store-bought
  • 1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
  • 2 (8-ounce) bars Cream Cheese, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup Peanut Butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter most of the chocolate chips in the bottom of the pie crust, reserving some for the top. Beat together the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla until well combined. Add the eggs and blend for another minute or two until well combined. Spread the batter over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the center appears set. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for about an hour. Then, refrigerate until completely cool.

I should warn you, we took the kids apple picking yesterday. I foresee quite a few apple recipes in the near future.

5 Comments

Posted in Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Funny Bone Cupcakes

Posted on September 2, 2010 by amydeline

I love the feature on my blog stats page which shows me all of the search terms which have led people to my blog. As you might expect, most of the search terms have something to do with food; marinara using fresh tomatoes, best oatmeal cookie, Nick Tahou’s at the New York State Fair. But I also get a fair share of hits from search terms which leave me puzzled, for example, How to Make a Christmas Money Wreath. What’s a Christmas money wreath? I want one of those.

And then today, I awoke to find that someone had been led to my blog by the search term, Irresistible Hot Moms. HAHA! That’s absolutely awesome. I’m pretty sure it led the searcher to my post on Irresistible Spinach Dip with Wonton Pasta Chips, wherein the recipe included details about getting the cooking oil hot. Just a wild guess, but I suspect the searcher wasn’t looking for a spinach dip recipe. Funny stuff.

Speaking of funny stuff… Does it get any better than Funny Bones? You know, those delicious chocolatey-peanut buttery Drake’s cakes. As a child, I’d easily bypass the racks of Twinkies, Devil Dogs, Yodels, or Ding Dongs in search of my all-time favorite snack cake, Funny Bones! I could’ve eaten a whole box in one sitting and wouldn’t have even regretted the resulting bellyache. For some reason, as I grew up, Funny Bones seemed to be in shorter supply. Perhaps they have a limited distribution area and I was moving to all of the wrong places. But one day I woke up and realized I hadn’t seen a Funny Bone in ages. That realization was not so funny at all.

I don’t eat snack cakes very often these days. The deep-fried twinkie, which I recently devoured at the fair, was probably the first snack cake I’ve eaten all year. But, I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic lately, so I’ve decided to build a cupcake inspired by childhood favorite. The only difference is that my cupcake will feature grown-up deep chocolate flavor. Moist, dark chocolate cupcakes, filled with sweet peanut butter filling, and decked with a smooth chocolate ganache. Funny Bones improved.

For the cake, I’m using a recipe I stumbled upon a few months ago while searching for a base for my Baked Alaska endeavor. The recipe for Deep Dark Chocolate Cake, found on the Hershey’s website, is perhaps the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. I’ll never make another chocolate cake recipe. It’s rich, oh so moist, and a cinch to make. For the filling, I’m simply combining creamy peanut butter with confectioners sugar and a bit of cream for a sweet and creamy texture. My favorite simple chocolate ganache will deck the cupcake tops with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts as a finishing touch.

Tomorrow night, my girls are coming over to help me figure out a hairstyle for the big Bertolli Fashion Week event next week. I’m sure they’ll also be willing to help me take care of a few of these cupcakes!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

(Barely adapted from Hershey’s Deep Dark Chocolate Cake recipe)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1-3/4 cups All-purpose Flour
  • 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup Boiling Water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcakes pans with cupcake liners or grease and lightly flour.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat for a couple minutes until well combined. Add the boiling water and stir. The batter will be thinner than you might expect. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pans. *Fill each cupcake about 2/3 full, to avoid overflowing. Bake for  25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting.

Peanut Butter Filling

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1/2 cup Confectioners Sugar
  • 3 Tbsp Heavy Cream

Directions

Warm the peanut butter for a few seconds in the microwave to soften. Add the sugar and stir together until smooth. Add the cream, as necessary, to reach a consistency which is thick, but loose enough to easily squeeze through a pastry tip.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces Semisweet Chocolate
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Directions

Give the chocolate a coarse chop. Place the chocolate pieces in a bowl. Heat the cream, just to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth.

To compose the cupcakes…

Spoon the peanut butter filling into a pastry bag fitted with a small/medium round tip. (You can also use a ziploc bag with the corner cut off and a pastry tip inserted.) Insert the pastry tip into the top of each cupcake and squeeze to fill the cakes with a small amount of peanut butter filling. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to set the filling.

Prepare the ganache. One at a time, hold each cupcake by the base and dip the top into the ganache to evenly coat. Return to the cooling rack. Garnish the cupcakes with a few chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Children will especially enjoy helping out with the dipping and tasting the results!

17 Comments

Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Cooking with Kids, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Posted on August 13, 2010 by amydeline

Like Batman spotting the bat-signal in the starry night sky or Spiderman sensing the tingle of his spidey-sense, I’ve been beckoned to help a family being torn apart by a culinary crisis. The trouble centers around a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie, a current featured dessert from our local grocery store, Wegmans. According to my sister-in-law, several battles have already ensued over the last piece of this dreamy, creamy pie. Even worse, there will come the day when Wegmans switches over to its seasonal pumpkin pie, leaving this poor family sorrowfully crying over the supermarket dessert case. No, no. This will not do. I must devise a suitable recipe to replicate this family’s beloved treat.

First, I need to know what we’re going after. So, I went down to the grocery store to purchase one of these battle-worthy pies. According to my son, who is a master of imagination, the grocery store is ridden with wolves. Luckily his younger brother was around to save his day and we left unharmed with the pie in hand.

Hmmm… Chocolate wafer crust, smooth moussey peanut butter filling, a layer of chocolate pudding (that was a surprise), fluffy whipped cream, peanut butter drizzle, peanut butter cup, chocolate curls…

Better taste it again, to make sure I’m not missing some important detail.

Is that a bit of vanilla? Let me just check…

Alright, I think I’ve got it. Seriously, I deserve some sort of hazard pay for this stuff.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2 cups Chocolate Wafer Cookies, crushed*
  • 1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted

For the Dark Chocolate Pudding

  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 3 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 3 oz Semisweet or Bittersweet Baking Chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Peanut Butter Filling

  • 3/4 cup Peanut Butter
  • 1 8 oz. bar Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup Confectioner’s  Sugar, divided
  • 2 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

For the Peanut Butter Drizzle

  • 1/8 cup Peanut Butter
  • 1/4 cup Corn Syrup

For the Garnish

  • Mini Chocolate Chips
  • Mini Peanut Butter Cups

*The easiest way to crush the cookies is to place them in a ziploc bag and roll a rolling pin over them until they are completely crushed.

Directions

For the Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Press the mixture onto the sides and bottom of a deep pie shell. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

For the Pudding:

In a saucepan, mix together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. Whisk in 1 cup of milk, stirring until combined. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of cream. Continue whisking over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, continue cooking for another minute or two. Be careful to whisk into the corners and along the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Whisk in the chopped chocolate and vanilla, stirring until fully melted. Allow the pudding to cool at room temperature, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming. Meanwhile, prepare the peanut butter filling.

For the Peanut Butter Filling:

In a large bowl over an ice bath, beat 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream with 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar until stiff peaks form. Keep the mixture cool over the ice bath. In a separate bowl, beat together peanut butter, cream cheese, and 2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar until evenly combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of the whipped cream to lighten the mixture. Then, gently fold in another 1/2 cup whipped cream, just until combined. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Keep the remaining whipped cream cool over the ice bath or in the fridge.

For the Peanut Butter drizzle:

Combine peanut butter and corn syrup. Mix to combine.

To Assemble the Pie:

Spoon the peanut butter filling into the cooled pie crust. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to set the mixture. Pour the cooled pudding over the peanut butter filling. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to set the pudding. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top of the pudding. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Drizzle with the peanut butter mixture. Garnish with a mini peanut butter cup. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the pie to cool completely.

Now, I have to be honest with you. There’s a reason why there’s not a lovely picture of a perfect slice of peanut butter heaven. When I cut the pie and tried to plate a pretty slice, it became a peanut butter, pudding, and cream mess. The pudding was the real issue. I substituted 2% milk instead of whole and as a result of a minor toddler crisis, I didn’t cook it as long as it should have cooked to properly thicken. If you follow the recipe as written, you shouldn’t have this problem. This is the same pudding recipe I wrote for the Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Squares a month or so ago. Cooked as written, it’s a thick, dark chocolate pudding, firm enough to stand up to slicing. So, do I as say, not as I did, and you should be golden.

Hey sis… You know where to find your pie! Better hurry!

Edited to add: After having that first tricky piece of pie removed and a few more hours of chilling in the fridge, it was much easier to slice and serve. Here is a pic of the chocolate-peanut-buttery treat…


14 Comments

Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Oreo Ice Cream

Posted on August 9, 2010 by amydeline

Gotta show the ice cream maker a little love. We don’t want it to become angry again.

I asked my visiting niece what her favorite ice cream flavor was. Mint Chocolate Chip was her reply. For good measure, we decided to throw in some crumbled Oreo cookies too. Hard to go wrong with that combination!

All of the kids enjoyed mixing up this tasty batch of homemade ice cream. My niece was especially intrigued. She intently watched the ice cream churn for several minutes before finally asking when it would turn green. She was visibly disappointed when I explained that it would not be turning green. So, we added a few drops of food coloring. The ice cream turned a lovely pale green, which delighted my niece. The color was lost after we added the cookies, but by that point, the color didn’t seem to matter as much.

All of the kids enjoyed taste testing the ice cream. They were also quite willing to take care of the extra cookies. Our labrosaurus rex would’ve helped too, if given the chance.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Oreo Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup Milk
  • 1 1/2 cup Light Cream
  • 2/3 cup Sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract
  • 1/2 cup Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 10 Oreo Cookies, crushed

Directions

Combine milk and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add cream and peppermint extract. Stir. Pour into your frozen ice cream bowl and freeze according to your machine’s directions. Once the ice cream begins to thicken, add the chocolate chips and cookies. Allow the ice cream to continue mixing in the ice cream maker until the chocolate and cookies are well blended and the ice cream is thick.

5 Comments

Posted in Chocolate, Cooking with Kids, Desserts, Food, Ice Cream, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Posted on July 17, 2010 by amydeline

What a week this turned out to be! We started the week thinking that our son was almost fully recovered from an allergic reaction to antibiotics. Then, a new symptom suddenly appeared on Wednesday night, which resulted in an all-nighter at the ER. By Thursday, he seemed well again. Then, Friday morning we received a phone call from the ER regarding his blood work, which resulted in more doctor visits and testing. Thankfully, we got positive news today regarding the testing and I think we can rest easy now.

Sweet, sweet relief!

Speaking of sweet relief… I have a real treat for you today. There used to be a really fantastic bar and restaurant in Hoboken, New Jersey called Lady Jane’s. I’m told that it closed a few years ago, which is a shame. The place featured a huge, horseshoe-shaped bar in the front with a few tables and several booths along the walls. In the back, there was a small, elegant dining room. Regardless of where you sat, you could order from the same delicious and creative menu.

During one of our visits to Lady Jane’s I had the most luscious dessert and every so often, I get the itch to recreate it. So, in celebration of my sweet baby boy’s health, we’re having Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie tonight. It’s the perfect combination of chocolatey crust and rich ganache, layered with fresh bananas and vanilla custard. A mound of fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings complete the decadent pie.

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2 cups Chocolate Wafer Cookies, crushed
  • 1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted

For the Ganache

  • 4 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate (4 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream

For the Filling

  • 3 cups Whole Milk
  • 1/3 cup Cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 Vanilla Bean, split in half lengthwise, seeds scraped
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 3 Egg Yolks
  • 2-3 Bananas, sliced

For the Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar

Directions

For the Filling

Combine the sugar, salt and half of the cornstarch in a sauce pan. Pour in the milk and vanilla extract. Add the vanilla bean and seeds to the mixture. Stir. Cook over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes until the mixture just comes to a boil and the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. In a bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks with the remaining cornstarch. Slowly add about 1/4 cup of the hot milk to the eggs and whisk to combine. Add another 1/4 cup of the hot milk and whisk to combine. (This slow addition of the hot liquid tempers the egg yolks and prevents them from scrambling when added to the hot liquid.) Pour the egg mixture into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove the vanilla bean. Pour the filling into a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly against the filling. Refrigerate for about an hour to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the crust.

For the Crust

Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Press the mixture onto the sides and bottom of a pie shell. Refrigerate.

For the Ganache

Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream, until it just begins to boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate completely melts. Pour the warm ganache into the pie crust.

Arrange banana slices in the ganache. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Pour about half of the filling on top of the ganache and banana slices. Arrange another even layer of banana slices on top of the filling.

Cover the banana slices with the remaining filling. Refrigerate until thoroughly cooled.

Beat the heavy cream with the sugar until thick.

Top the pie with the whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

**Tip** Banana slices which are exposed to air will begin to turn brown. If you want to decorate the pie with banana slices, either wait until the last minute or toss the banana slices in a bit of lemon juice to slow the browning.



4 Comments

Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

The Best Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on July 9, 2010 by amydeline

One of my best friends in the whole world is getting married this weekend. I am bursting out of my skin with excitement. We met at our college orientation and became instant friends. Many memories later, I am so excited to be celebrating this happy occasion with her! It is certain to be a blast.

Her special day will bring me home to Long Island for the weekend. Bagel sandwiches, here I come! I’ve decided to bring some cookies home with me. Everyone loves to receive cookies, especially my grandparents, and I’m happy to bake them. I’m making one of my favorite cookies recipes. I could easily devour an entire batch of these and wouldn’t even regret the resulting bellyache. To me, they’re the perfect oatmeal cookie; crunchy on the edges, chewy in the center, with just a hint of noticeable saltiness. Throw out the typical raisins in exchange for chocolate chips and dried apricot and you’ve got yourself a fantastic oatmeal cookie. I’ve made these cookies many times and people are always asking for the recipe. So, here you go!

This recipe is basically an adaptation of the Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe found on the inside cover of a canister of Quaker Oats. Specifically, I increase the vanilla and cinnamon, omit the raisins, and add chocolate chips and dried apricot. I also eliminate the margarine alternative, because frankly, I don’t really understand what margarine is and it freaks me out a little. But, if you’re a fan of margarine, it is listed as an alternative in the original recipe. So, go ahead and use it. I promise I won’t judge!

Don’t feel too guilty eating all these cookies. Oats are good for you, right?? It says so on the canister.

Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Apricot Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 2 sticks Salted Butter, softened
  • 1 cup Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/2 cup White Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
  • 3 cups Quaker Oats
  • 1 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 cup Dried Apricots, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture. Blend until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the bowl and blend. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, and apricots. Form into small balls, about 1 inch diameter, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for about 14 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and the center appears cooked. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen


Recipe adapted from the Quaker Oats recipe for Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

8 Comments

Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Something for the Kids – Independence Day Pretzel Sparklers

Posted on July 2, 2010 by amydeline

Independence Day Pretzel Sparklers

Here’s a little something for kids of all ages, inspired by Martha Stewart. I’ve made Magic Pretzel Wands before, but never Independence Day Pretzel Sparklers!! There’s a difference, you know!

This is a great little activity for kids. They’ll practice following directions and sequencing steps. Painting and rolling the pretzels builds important motor skills. And, it’s a great opportunity to learn about sanitary practices in the kitchen. (My little guy must have washed his hands 10 times over the course of the activity, since the chocolate on his fingers was way too irresistible not to lick.) Best of all…engaging your kids in something hands-on and memorable such as this, is a perfect opportunity to talk about why we celebrate the 4th of July.

To make the pretzel sparklers, simply unwrap the chocolates. (We used semi-sweet, but you can use white chocolate or milk chocolate too.)  Melt the chocolate slowly and gently in a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Melting the chocolate in a double boiler set-up will help to ensure a smooth result. Stir the chocolate as it melts. (Grown-ups or older kids should handle the melting.) Then, use a pastry brush to paint one end of a pretzel rod with the melted chocolate. Finally, roll the pretzel in patriotic sprinkles and refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened.

My little guy will show you how it’s done…

Unwrap the chocolates.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.

Paint the pretzel rods with chocolate.

C

Roll the pretzel in sprinkles.

Keep the pretzels away from the dog.

Bucket o' Pretzel Sparklers

9 Comments

Posted in Chocolate, Cooking with Kids, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Squares

Posted on June 17, 2010 by amydeline

I was planning to wait until next week to make these.  But, I’m way too excited!

Remember earlier in the week, when I drenched 4 cups of fresh-picked strawberries in jello?  Remember how sorry I was? Poor little strawberries, still helplessly preserved in a gelatin coating in my fridge. Anyway, that Strawberry Pretzel Square recipe, may well reap an even tastier reward. As I was eating one of those bars, and ruminating about the genius pretzel crust, it occurred to me that the one thing which would make the pretzel crust even tastier was, of course, chocolate! And then the idea started to take shape. Yes! I’d make a pretzel crust. Then, I’d skip the Cool Whip and top it with a layer of chocolate ganache instead. You picking up what I’m putting down? In place of jello, I’d make a homemade dark chocolate pudding. Oh, yes!! That’s the ticket! Cut it into little squares and you’ve got Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Squares! I’m sure you can understand why I couldn’t wait until next week.

I did a little searching around online to see if I could find any other recipe similar to this. I didn’t find a single one! So, I’m declaring this a Gourmand Mom original creation!!

Chocolate-Covered Pretzels Squares

Ingredients

For the Pretzel Crust:

  • 2 cups Pretzel Crumbs
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Butter, melted

For the Ganache:

  • 4 ounces Semisweet Baking Chocolate (4 squares), chopped
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream

For the Pudding:

  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 3 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 3 oz Semisweet or Bittersweet Baking Chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions

For the Pretzel Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 baking dish with butter. In a bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs and sugar.  Pour melted butter over the crumbs and mix to combine.  Press the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

For the Ganache:

While the pretzel crust is cooling, heat cream in the microwave until it just begins to boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate completely melts and the mixture is smooth.  Pour over the pretzel crust. Use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate.

For the Pudding:

In a saucepan, mix together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. Whisk in 1 cup of milk, stirring until combined. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of cream. Continue whisking over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, continue cooking for another minute or two. Be careful to whisk into the corners and along the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Whisk in the chopped chocolate and vanilla, stirring until fully melted. Allow the pudding to cool at room temperature, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming. Once pudding is no longer hot, pour it on top of the cooled ganache (which should be firm by this time) and spread into an even layer. Refrigerate for a few hours until pudding is completely cool and set.

Let your kids clean the saucepan.  Then, clean your kids.

Cut into small squares and enjoy!

You’re welcome, world.  You’re welcome.

3 Comments

Posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Breakfast for Dinner – Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes

Posted on June 11, 2010 by amydeline

They say that breakfast is the most important meal. I say that it’s also the yummiest. Given the choice, I’d eat breakfast all day long every day. I could just kiss the genius who invented brunch, giving the world a valid excuse for eating breakfast at lunchtime (and drinking champagne along with it). And, some times it just feels right to have breakfast for dinner. As kids, some of our favorite nights were the ones when our mom cooked up Chocolate Chip Coconut Pancakes for dinner. We seriously felt like we’d hit the dinner jackpot.

Over here, we find plenty of excuses to host Sunday brunch, be we don’t have dinner for breakfast nearly as often as I’d like. (My hubby’s just not as enthusiastic about it as I am.) But, tonight, there’s a frozen pizza in the freezer for Mr. Anti-breakfast-for-dinner and I’m making Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes for myself and the kids! (Sorry, hubby.) And, yes, I said Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes. It’s like eating a chocolate covered pretzel, only meatier. Clearly, this isn’t the kind of dinner you’d make often, but it’s a fun treat every once in a while. Tonight feels like that kind of night.

The following recipe is a basic buttermilk pancake recipe.  You can substitute the chocolate and bacon with just about anything that strikes your fancy. So, if the idea of chocolate and bacon, married in perfect pancake harmony, doesn’t float your boat, try cherries with a bit of vanilla, or bananas and pecans, or blueberries.

Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes

Buttermilk Pancakes with Chocolate Chips and Bacon

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of Flour
  • 2 cups of Buttermilk
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar
  • 2 Tbps of Butter, melted
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 cup Bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

Directions

In a bowl, combine the buttermilk with the melted butter and beaten eggs. Slowly blend in the dry ingredients and stir until large lumps disappear. Stir in bacon and chocolate chips (or your filling of choice). Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease with a little butter. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake and cook until small bubbles start to appear on the top and the edges are cooked. Flip and cook for a couple more minutes, until cooked through. **As you complete each batch, you can place the pancakes in a 200 degrees oven, to keep warm until all the batter has been cooked.

1 Comment

Posted in Breakfast, Chocolate, Food, Main Course, Recipes and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Amy vs. Baked Alaska – The Showdown

Posted on June 9, 2010 by amydeline

A tumbleweed rolls across my kitchen floor. A strange man sits at the table, whistling ominously on a stout brown jug. I step into the room, spurs glimmering. A pair of wooden saloon doors swing closed behind me with a screech. (Funny…I don’t remember installing those doors.) I tip my hat and glare at my adversary.

**Flashback twenty or so years.** A gawky teenager, dressed in leggings with slouch socks and gleaming white faux-Keds, moves easily about the kitchen. Her side-pony sways with every movement. A well worn Better Homes and Gardens Dessert cookbook, circa 1973, sits open on the counter. Bolstered with confidence after the roaring success of the previous week’s Lemon Meringue Pie, she is busy preparing Baked Alaska, never pausing for a moment to consider what lie ahead.

My adversary stands before me, dressed in gleaming white. It snickers, taunting me. I stick my tongue out and make a sour face. My weapon is drawn.

Cyndi Lauder blares in the background as the eager teen approaches the open oven, her fluffy, white creation in hand. She pops it in the oven and dances awkwardly about the kitchen for a few minutes.  The timer beeps. She bounces over to the oven, opens the door, and shrieks. Her siblings come running into the kitchen.

I belt out my battle cry and approach the snickering adversary. I take it in my hands and approach the piping hot oven. Not this time!  Not this time! I place it in the oven and close the door.

The teen and her siblings stare in horror at the tray of melted ice cream. It looks nothing like the picture in the cookbook. A single tear falls from the teen’s hazel eyes.

After five eternal minutes, I open the oven and…

My Baked Alaska

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska

Here’s how it’s done…

The Cake

You can use just about any flavor or type of cake for the base of the Baked Alaska. A giant cookie or brownie base would probably work nicely too!  I went searching for a dark chocolate cake recipe for my Baked Alaska. I landed upon a truly fantastic recipe from Hershey’s for Deep Dark Chocolate Cake.  This is probably the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. I will definitely be using this cake recipe for future birthday cakes! I made one 9 inch round cake for my base and several cupcakes for the kids to make their own mini Baked Alaskas.

Mise en place - Everything in its place

Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Chocolatey Cake and Cupcakes

The Ice Cream

You can use any flavor(s) of ice cream in your Baked Alaska.  To prepare the ice cream, spray the inside of a bowl with Pam or lightly coat with vegetable oil. Then, line the bowl with plastic wrap.  This step will make it easier to remove the ice cream dome. Allow the ice cream to soften slightly.  Then, spread the ice cream in an even layer on the bottom of the bowl, being certain to fill all gaps.  Place the bowl in the freezer until the ice cream has refrozen. If using more than one flavor, freeze each layer before adding the next flavor. I layered dark chocolate ice cream with fresh raspberries, raspberry sorbet, and milk chocolate ice cream.

Raspberry Sorbet Layer

Waiting for the ice cream

The Meringue

Meringue is a mixture of egg whites and sugar, beaten until thick and glossy. Cream of tartar is frequently added as a stabilizer, but is not absolutely necessary. Egg whites should be beaten to soft peaks before incorporating the sugar.

A few tips for a successful meringue:

  • Bowl and whisk should be pristinely clean as even the slightest bit of residual fat can prevent the whites from developing.
  • Stainless steel, glass, or ceramic bowls will all work well.
  • Make sure that no trace of yolk enters the mix. Crack each egg into a ramekin or small bowl first, so if a yolk breaks, you won’t waste the whole batch.
  • Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature before beating.
  • Before beating, add 1/8 tsp of Cream of Tartar per egg white to help stabilize the whipped whites.
  • Beat the egg whites until soft peaks begin to form.
  • Use about (but no less than) 2 Tbsp of sugar per egg white.
  • If possible, use superfine sugar as it will dissolve more easily into the egg whites.
  • Gradually add sugar a spoonful at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks will hold their shape. The meringue should be smooth and glossy.

Soft Peaks

Stiff Peaks

** I used 8 whites, 1 tsp cream of tartar, and 16 Tbsp sugar, which made enough meringue to thoroughly cover my large Baked Alaska and two of the kids’ Baked Alaska cupcakes.

The Assembly

Once the cake is baked and the ice cream is thoroughly frozen, carefully turn the bowl over and lower the ice cream dome on top of the cake. I scooped out a shallow bed for the ice cream dome to sit in, in the hopes that it would provide a better insulating seal for the meringue. This step may not be necessary, but it worked! Once the ice cream cake is assembled, allow it to freeze until very firm. I left mine in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare the meringue.  Working quickly, coat the ice cream and the cake thoroughly in meringue, being careful to spread the meringue to every edge. You can use a knife or the back of a spoon to create decorative designs in your meringue.

Cake with a shallow bed for the ice cream

Cake with Ice Cream

The Final Baking

Bake on the lower rack of a 450 degree oven for 5-6 minutes until the exterior begins to brown.

Serve immediately or freeze until ready to serve. It holds well in the freezer.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska with Raspberry Coulis

A few other notes and tips…

  • Make sure your meringue thoroughly coats the ice cream and cake.  This is the most important part (and probably the aspect which caused my failure so many years ago). The meringue is what insulates the ice cream from the heat.
  • Make your ice cream dome with a smaller diameter than your cake.  Most recipes don’t mention this, but I think it helps to prevent melting.
  • Inspired by this link, shared by a friend, my kids made their own mini Baked Alaskas.  I used extra batter from the cake to make a few cupcakes.  Then, we scooped out the center and filled it with softened Raspberry Sorbet.  They coated their Alaskas with the extra meringue.  Then, I put them in the oven for 5 minutes at 450 degrees.  Worked out great, just make sure you help your kids thoroughly cover the entire cupcake.
  • I served my Baked Alaska with a Raspberry Coulis.  A coulis, (pronounced koo-LEE) is simply a sauce made by pureeing fruit or vegetables and straining.  For my sauce, I pureed a handful of raspberries with a Tbps of sugar. Then, I strained the puree and discarded the seeds.

Don't mess with this cowboy!

So, did anyone else try your own Baked Alaska??  I know at least one of you did and with grand success! Anyone else?  Tell us how it went!

11 Comments

Posted in Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Cooking with Kids, Culinary Techniques, Desserts, Food, Fruit, General Rambling and Such, Ice Cream, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →
Look, Feel, Live Beautiful

Beauty Awaits

The Gourmand Mom

Good food, seasoned with a dash of life