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Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Posted on December 12, 2010 by amydeline

When I sat down to make my list of cookies to tackle this holiday cookie season, I started with a few of my standard favorites; Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Sand Tarts, Chocolate Covered Spiders, Macaroons, and Nut Lace Cookies with Chocolate. Then, I started thinking outside of my standards. I knew I’d make the Pfeffernüsse for my dad and I’ve been itching to make Rainbow Cookies for a while. After exploring a few other options, I got the idea in my head to make a Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookie; sort of combining the flavors of a peppermint patty with the texture of a chewy chocolate chip cookie.

I go weak in the knees for chocolate, especially rich, dark chocolate. And these cookies are exactly that; rich and chocolatey, with crisp edges and a chewy center. I started with a basic Hershey’s chocolate cookie recipe and proceeded from there. I went heavy on the cocoa, threw in some semi-sweet chocolate chips, and substituted part of the vanilla for a hefty dose of peppermint extract. The resulting cookie exceeded my expectations. I’ve definitely found a new yearly regular for my cookie collection.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Adapted from Hershey’s

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 2 sticks Butter, softened
  • 1 cup White Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 teaspoons Peppermint Extract
  • 1 (12-ounce) package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs and extracts. Beat for another minute or two, until well blended. Gradually blend in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into small balls (about 1″ diameter) and place about 1 1/2″ apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet before moving the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies


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Choco-Cherry-Coconut Bars

Posted on December 10, 2010 by amydeline

We’re still working on building our Christmas cookie collection over here. Shamefully, I think I’m eating as many cookies as I’m saving for cookie platters. I have a sneaking suspicion that my weigh-in at my next prenatal appointment is going to be a shocker. Do you think I can blame it on the baby?? A wild holiday growth spurt, perhaps?

Though I may be taste-testing an excess of these holiday goodies, I’ve got to say they’re being thoroughly enjoyed. And if you’re going to indulge in holiday treats, these next cookies make it worth it! This recipe comes from my mom, whose recipe card notes that it originally came from a package of Durkee coconut. I’m not sure Durkee even makes coconut anymore, but my family has been making these delicious cookie bars for as long as I can remember. How can you go wrong with a mix of chocolate, cherries, and coconut? The best part is that these are cookie bars, which means you just press the dough into a baking dish, bake, and slice. No floured tables, no rolling, no cookie-cutting, no decorating. This is my kind of simple recipe!

I made a few tiny adjustments to the recipe, mostly related to the quantities of the fillings and the baking time. The original recipe also calls for chopped walnuts, which I omitted since one of my cookies recipients is allergic to nuts. If nut-allergies aren’t an issue in your home, go ahead and throw in about a half-cup of chopped walnuts! Finally, I like using a disposable aluminum baking dish for this recipe, since it gives you a little more flexibility in popping out the baked dough for slicing.

Choco-Cherry-Coconut Bars

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 2 sticks Butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups Sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 3/4 cup Chocolate Chips
  • 3/4 cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut
  • 1/2 cup Marashino Cherries, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13×9 inch baking dish with vegetable shortening. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In another bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another minute or two, until well-blended. Gradually blend in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut, and cherries. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the baking dish. Then, carefully invert over a cutting board. Make 4 cuts lengthwise and 8 cuts across to form 32 cookie bars.

Makes 32 Cookie Bars


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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Craisin Cookies

Posted on December 7, 2010 by amydeline

It’s cookie time!

We’re on our fourth consecutive day of non-stop snow around here. They call this Lake Effect Snow, since it results from our proximity to the Great Lakes. It seems to appear without warning and quickly covers the area with mounds of snow, which are practically taller than my children. But, large snowfalls are nothing new to the area, so for the most part, people just move on with their business. Personally, I prefer to hole up in the warmth of my home until the snow stops.

The timing of this particular snow event is perfect though. I had nothing more planned for the week besides baking Christmas cookies. And so, as the snow continues to fall outside, we’re staying warm in the kitchen and beginning this year’s Christmas cookie collection. The tree is lit, the house smells of pine, and we’re well stocked with cocoa and candy canes. It’s time to get our Christmas baking on.

We’re starting with a personal favorite; oatmeal chocolate chip. This is a small variation on a recipe I’ve shared before, which is a slight adaptation of the recipe you can find on the inside cover of a barrel of Quaker Oats. In my opinion, these are truly the best oatmeal cookies ever. They’re perfectly sweet and buttery, with crisp edges and a slightly chewy center. I almost always add chocolate chips and typically some chopped dried apricot when I make these cookies. With the holidays approaching, dried cranberries felt a bit more festive, so we’re swapping the apricots for craisins.

Stay tuned during the next two weeks for more cookie recipes!

Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Craisin 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
  • 3/4 cup Dried Cranberries

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 14-15 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*

*It’s actually more like 4 dozen, if you count the taste-testing cookies, that is… I’m firmly committed to quality control, you know.


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Lemon-Ginger Sugar Cookies

Posted on November 24, 2010 by amydeline

Earlier this month, we cooked up a full Thanksgiving feast, complete with all of the fixings. Then, we lived on various incarnations of the leftovers for three days straight. Interestingly enough, I won’t be cooking a single thing on Thanksgiving day. My family and I will be celebrating the day at my Grammy and Poppa’s house, along with my parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. My Grammy’s Thanksgiving day feast is always a bountiful spread to be thankful for, so I’m certain we’ll leave with happy bellies.

For as long as I know, it’s been my Grammy’s tradition to prepare the entire feast, from the antipasto platter to the baked pasta dish to the turkey with all its fixings, right down to the dessert buffet. It’s her holiday. But, recently, my Grammy had surgery on her hand which has made normal day-to-day tasks a challenge. So, a couple weeks ago, I called my Grammy and offered her some Thanksgiving help. I offered to make the stuffing or the mashed potatoes or the sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, or veggies. Whatever she needed, I’d make it all. But, my offer was politely refused. She’d already made her plans.

After a bit of insisting and offering to bring every dish I could think of, my Grammy finally had a request. How about you make the turkey cutout cookies, she said. They are a tradition and I’m not sure my hand is up to rolling out the dough. I paused. It was a long pause. And then I reluctantly agreed. How could I say no?

But the truth is that I loath making cutout cookies. Yes, my feelings about cutout cookies are that strong. I derive no joy from the process of flouring and rolling and cutting and baking, repeating this process again and again until all of the dough is used. Don’t get me wrong… I love baking. And cookies are no exception. But cutout cookies do nothing for me. I find the labor involved to be tedious and the result surprisingly underwhelming.

The decorating process provides no more satisfaction to me than the baking. In another life, I’d probably relish in the decorating, give my crafty side free reign to play and enjoy creating intricate designs with royal icing. But my current circumstances, constantly flocked by two busy little boys, makes tending to the details of decorating a challenge. Most activities are a rush against the clock, racing between naps, tantrums, short attention spans and doctor’s appointments. Time for attention to detail is not currently a part of my life. But that’s a tiny price to pay for the great joys of my little family.

Making cutout cookies was not exactly on the top of the list of ways I would have liked to help. But, how could I say no to this one simple request? And so I agreed. I love cooking with the kids and this task was right up their alley, so we turned it into a family affair. They were more than happy to help with the mixing, rolling, and cutting. We started with a basic recipe for sugar cookies from Martha Stewart and jazzed it up with a bit of lemon and ginger. My little quality control experts certainly approved.

Just as Christmas isn’t really about the gifts, Thanksgiving is not truly about the food. It’s a joy to be able to contribute a small, traditional part of our Thanksgiving feast. But, the day isn’t about turkey cookies, stuffing, or pies. It’s about family, friends, and love. It’s about good health, a warm house, and the ability to spend the day with loved ones. It’s about the love which exponentially multiplies as our family grows. We have so much to be thankful for.

And so tomorrow, as I sit down with my loved ones, to stuff myself with Thanksgiving goodies, I will pause for a moment and raise my glass of sparkling grape juice in thanks for all of my blessings; for my loving husband, precious children, and the new life growing inside me; for a comfortable home with a big, full fridge, our over-sized yellow lab, and the most comfortable bed I can imagine; for my siblings and sibling-in-laws, my friends, and all of my family; for my collection of reliable cookware and the ability to use it; and for chocolate, cheese, and spicy food. For all of these things and more, I am infinitely thankful.

Lemon Ginger Sugar Cookies

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s recipe for Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 4 cups Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Ginger
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder

Directions

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat for another minute or two, until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, ginger, salt, and baking powder. Gradually incorporate the dry mixture into the wet mixture until a thick dough forms. Split the dough in half and form to balls. Flatten into disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Once the dough is chilled, use a rolling pin to roll it out onto a well floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. The dough may need a couple minutes to warm up to a rollable consistency. Use a cookie cutter to cut, as desired. The remaining scraps can be formed into a ball and rolled out again, until all of the dough has been used. Place the cut cookies onto a baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

Decorating the Cookies with Royal Icing

I’d be lying if I claimed to be any sort of royal icing expert. Truth is that, prior to today, I’ve probably only used it one or two other times; certainly not enough to lay out any expert guides for you. Fortunately, there are some wonderful existing guides to making and decorating with royal icing. My favorite step by step guide comes from Annie’s Eats. She lays out a clear visual for preparing and using royal icing. Click here for Annie’s guide to royal icing.

The royal icing recipe calls for Meringue Powder. If you are unable to find this ingredient in your grocery store, check the baking section of your local craft store. Allow yourself a big block of time and multiple Oops cookies. And don’t worry… the messy looking cookies taste just as good. Decorating with royal icing takes a little time, but it’s easy to get pleasing results, even for a harried royal icing novice such as myself.

Wishing you all a most Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for you!

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Chocolate Pecan Pie and a Few Other Tasty Thanksgiving Ideas

Posted on November 13, 2010 by amydeline

Nine times out of ten, if you set me before a dessert buffet, I’m going to pick the chocolate option. I can’t help it. No matter how delicious the other options appear, chocolate almost always wins. It’s how my brain is wired, I guess. So, on Thanksgiving, when the table is abound with tempting dessert options of every kind imaginable, it’s a tough call for me. On any other day, I’d have a slice of each. But, on Thanksgiving, my stomach has usually reached full capacity by this point. Do I bypass those beautiful, seasonal pies to get a bit of my dearest chocolate? There was a day when I needed to make that tough decision, but not any more. Now, I have my seasonal pie and my chocolate too.

A few years ago, I discovered the magic of Chocolate Pecan Pie. It was an Emeril Lagasse recipe which originally won my heart. Such an ingenious idea; rich pecan pie coupled with bits of semi-sweet chocolate, melted and married to the pecans in pure Thanksgiving harmony. I’ve haven’t made a plain pecan pie since. Here’s my little twist on a chocolicious pecan pie.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 9″ Pie Shell (frozen or homemade)
  • 1 cup Chocolate Chips
  • 1 1/2 cup Pecan Halves (slightly broken)
  • 3/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
  • 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 cup White Sugar
  • 2 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 3 Eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pie shell onto a foil lined baking sheet, to prevent oven spill-over. Scatter the chocolate chips on the bottom of the pie shell. Scatter the pecan pieces over the chocolate. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour the mixture over the pecans and chocolate. Bake for about 55 minutes, until set. Cool before serving.

And now, a few other delicious dessert ideas for your Thanksgiving table…

Fresh Pumpkin Coconut Pie

Caramel Apple Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Pie

Apple Walnut Crisp

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie


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Fresh Pumpkin Coconut Pie

Posted on November 12, 2010 by amydeline

Yesterday, we hacked our way into a pumpkin to prepare fresh pumpkin puree, with the promise of a fresh pumpkin coconut pie. Today, we eat pie. This is my mom’s recipe for fresh pumpkin pie. It is the pumpkin pie I grew up with. It is the pumpkin pie to which I compare all other pumpkin pies. That’s just how things are when you’ve grown up with them, sort of how I’m a loyal Crest toothpaste girl and shiver at the thought of any mayonnaise other than Hellman’s.

To me, this is pumpkin pie the way is should be. It’s light, fresh, and sweet. My mom always uses fresh pumpkin, but I wouldn’t fault you for substituting canned. It will still be quite delicious. The recipe works well with or without the coconut. I’m a coconut girl, through and through. It gives the pie a sort of half pumpkin, half coconut custard sort of feel. Spectacular!

And now, the pumpkin pie recipe you’ve been waiting for…

Fresh Pumpkin Coconut Pie

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Pumpkin Puree (fresh or canned)*
  • 1 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (1 12-ounce can)
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup White Sugar**
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Ginger
  • 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
  • 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup Shredded, Sweetened Coconut (optional)
  • 1 9″ Deep-Dish Pie Shell (homemade or frozen)

* Click here for my photo guide on preparing fresh pumpkin puree.

**My mom’s recipe calls for 1 cup sugar, which produces an extremely sweet pie. I cut the white sugar to 1/2 cup, which still produces a deliciously sweetened pie.

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Stir in the coconut, if desired. Place the pie shell on a foil lined baking sheet, to prevent oven spill-over. Pour the mixture into the pie shell.*  Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Lower the heat to 350 degrees. Continue cooking for 45-55 minutes, until the tip of a knife, inserted about an inch from the edge, comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool for about an hour. Then refrigerate to completely cool. Serve with whipped cream.

*You will probably have some leftover filling. Use it in individual pie shells to make mini pies or simply pour it in a ramekin or small baking dish and bake, for a little crustless pie.

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How to Prepare Fresh Pumpkin Puree

Posted on November 11, 2010 by amydeline

When it comes to Thanksgiving desserts, does it get any more classic than pumpkin pie?? Pumpkin is the bright orange star of autumn produce. They play a leading role in Halloween celebrations and an even tastier role at Thanksgiving. As far as I’m concerned, serve whatever other desserts you’d like on Thanksgiving, as long as there’s at least one pumpkin pie. So, in honor of our Thanksgiving Week here at The Gourmand Mom, we’ll be making a pumpkin pie, using my mom’s tasty recipe for Fresh Pumpkin Coconut Pie.

Like many families, we purchased several pumpkins to adorn our front steps throughout October. They lasted out there for a month, until one afternoon, we opened the door to find the remnants of what used to be the Frankenstein pumpkin. We were all a bit flummoxed upon finding the remains. The boys were devastated. What horrific event could have caused the brutal destruction of our little pumpkin; so thoroughly ravaged on our front steps. We all felt a bit violated. But, my husband dutifully cleaned up the remains and we did our best to put the past behind us. And then, the very next day, the vicious pumpkin villian returned.

Let’s just call him Squirrely. Squirrely stood there on our front steps, staring at me with his beady little eyes, looking all cute with his fluffy tail. And then he strutted himself over to the next largest pumpkin, and shamelessly went to work. So strong was his passion for pumpkin, that he worked diligently at his task for at least an hour, as we all stood staring in awe. Squirrely was clearly a master of pumpkin. To his credit, he waited a month before devouring our decor.

Clearly, I wouldn’t be using any of those pumpkins to make my pumpkin pie. Luckily, our grocery store is well-stocked with pumpkins. For the purpose of making pumpkin puree for pies or other pumpkin desserts, your best bet is to pick up a Pie Pumpkin or Sugar Pumpkin. They are smaller and will produce a less watery, more flavorful result. When my mom prepares the pumpkin for her pies, she typically prepares the puree in a similar fashion to mashed potatoes. She cuts the pumpkin into chunks, removes the skin, boils, then mashes. It’s a technique which has always worked well for her. However, an easier alternative to chopping a hard pumpkin into pieces and removing all of the skin is to roast the pumpkins. Once roasted, the tender insides will scoop out with ease. Here is a step by step guide on how to prepare fresh pumpkin puree by roasting.

1. Thoroughly rinse the pumpkins.

2. Ideally, cut the pumpkins in half, from the stem to the base. However, if you happened to purchase the world’s hardest pumpkins or perhaps left your pumpkins in the freezing car overnight, you may have to settle for simply sawing and prying off the top. After trying every one of my very sharp knives on my stubborn pumpkins, I considered inviting Squirrely inside to help. (He clearly knows how to get inside a pumpkin.) Seriously, a hacksaw wouldn’t have cut through my pumpkins. But, eventually I managed to wrestle the tops off. Don’t worry, if you can not manage to cut your pumpkins in half, rest assured that the  pumpkins will roast just as well with only the tops removed.

3. Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to remove all of the seeds and stringy parts from the pumpkin. Save the seeds for roasting.

4. Place the pumpkin upside down on a baking sheet (cut sides down, if you were able to cut your pumpkin in half). Fill the bottom of the baking sheet with a thin (1/4 inch) layer of water.

5. Roast at 375 degrees for about 90 minutes. Test by inserting a fork into the inside of the pumpkin. It should be quite tender. Allow to cool.

6. Scoop out the tender insides.

7. Use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

** Two small Pie Pumpkins should produce about 3-4 cups pumpkin puree.

If you’re preparing fresh pumpkin puree, be sure to roast the seeds separately for a tasty snack. I seriously ate so many pumpkin seeds yesterday that I’m beginning to suspect I may be sprouting a pumpkin in my belly. They are a delicious and highly nutritious snack.

To roast the pumpkin seeds: Rinse the seeds and separate from the stringy pumpkin pieces. Discard the stringy pieces. Lay the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a paper towel to dry. Spread the seeds onto a baking sheet. Toss with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Bake in a 375 degrees oven for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for the recipe for Fresh Pumpkin Coconut Pie, coming up next!

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World’s Simplest Homemade Fudgey Brownies

Posted on November 5, 2010 by amydeline

Without question, the worst part of baking is the mess. I love to bake, but I can’t stand the mound of dirty mixing bowls, measuring cups, spatulas, pans, and measuring spoons that it results in. For me, simple recipes which utilize minimal ingredients and one-bowl preparation are always attractive. Don’t get me wrong. Quality and taste will always be my top priorities, but there’s nothing wrong with trying to achieve those ideals in the simplest way possible.

Last week, I got the idea in my head to make brownies. When it comes to brownies, I like them dense, chewy and super fudgey. After reviewing the ingredients in several fudgey brownie recipes, it occurred to me that I could probably make the world’s simplest fudgey brownie recipe; so simple that you’ll probably never need to read this recipe again; so simple that using a boxed brownie mix will start to seem like hard work. So, last week, I tested my idea. And, it worked. It worked perfectly. Gooey, fudgey brownies that were easier than a piece of cake to make.

Here’s the deal… 1 stick Butter + 1 cup Chocolate Chips + 1 cup Sugar + 1 cup Flour + 2 Eggs, mixed in 1 Saucepan and baked in 1 Baking Dish = 1 Delicious Batch of Brownies. Five ingredients total; one of each, except the eggs. You’ve got to use two eggs. It’s simple. It’s memorizable. It’s totally chocolicious.

Once you’ve got the basics down, you’ve got a few options. You can add a little salt (up to 1 teaspoon), if you’re like me and like that touch of salty flavor to your baked goods. A tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder will deepen the chocolate flavor; another plus in my book. Then, throw in whatever little add-ins you like; chocolate chips, nuts, shredded coconut, candied citrus peel, etc. Go wild. This time, I threw in some chopped up pieces of leftover Halloween candy! And next time, I’m thinking about making Monkey Brownies with peanuts and bits of fresh banana!

Fudgey Brownies

Ingredients

  • 1 stick of Butter
  • 1 cup Chocolate Chips
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (optional, for a darker chocolate flavor)
  • Up to 1 tsp Salt (optional)
  • Optional Add-ins (Nuts, Coconuts, Candy, Candied Citrus Peel)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate chips and butter until smooth, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat. Add in the salt and cocoa powder, if desired. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Stir in the flour. Add the eggs and stir until well blended. If desired, stir in extra add-ins. Bake for about 35 minutes. Cool before cutting.

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Dark Chocolate Orange Cake with Cannoli Filling

Posted on October 28, 2010 by amydeline

Early each morning, sometime before the sun rises, our three year old crawls out of his bed and taps his tiny bare feet along the hardwood floors as he finds his way into our bedroom. He climbs into bed between me and my husband, snuggles up under the heavy down comforter, and quietly falls back to sleep. This has been his routine for most of his perfect little life.

As such, on the day of my birthday, he made his way to his space in the bed and snuggled up with his head nuzzled into my back. With his tiny hand, he touched my cheek for just a moment. And then he whispered, Mommy? Is today the day of your birthday? I replied affirmatively. He continued, Mommy? What sweetie? Happy Birthday Mommy. Thank you baby. Go to sleep now. Mommy? What is it buddy? I’m going to make you delicious treats for your birthday. I can’t wait, sweetie. Now, go to sleep.

Then we went back to sleep, at least until my other little guy came charging into the room. He doesn’t tap across the floor; he charges. And he doesn’t snuggle up and go back to sleep; he pounces, giggles, and makes animal noises. But, by this time, the sun had risen and it was time for our day of delicious treats to begin.

If you ask my kids, no birthday of delicious treats is complete without cake. And I have absolutely no problem with baking myself a cake on my birthday. The best part is being able to custom design the cake of your birthday dreams! And on my special day, I decided to make a moist dark chocolate cake, accented with fresh orange zest, filled with chocolate-chip cannoli cream, and smothered with chocolate ganache. Doesn’t that sound dreamy?

I went back to my favorite chocolate cake recipe, which you’ve seen here before. It’s truly fantastic; moist, rich, and delicious. With a few little modifications, I incorporated a hint of orange flavor. The orange in the cake is intended to complement the sweet, delicious candied orange peel I’ll be mixing into the cannoli filling. You can skip the orange completely, in the cake and filling, but it really does add an interesting depth of flavor.

Candied Orange Peel is a cinch to make and stores well at room temperature, in the fridge or freezer. So, make a big batch and save the extras for throwing in brownies, cookies, and breads or simply dipping in dark chocolate for a decadent treat.

Dark Chocolate Orange Cake

(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
  • Zest of 1 Orange
  • Juice of 1 Orange (about 1/4 cup)*
  • Boiling Water (about 3/4)*

*The combined total of juice and water should be 1 cup.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour two round cake pans.

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. Stir in the orange zest. Add the boiling water, orange juice and stir. The batter will be thinner than you might expect. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting.

Cannoli Filling

Ingredients

  • 1 15 ounce container Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, strained*
  • 3/4 cup Confectioners Sugar
  • Dash of Cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
  • 2-3 Tbsp Candied Orange Peel, finely diced

* If the ricotta cheese seems even a bit runny, strain it by placing it over a piece of cheesecloth, in a colander set over a bowl, for a few hours in the fridge to remove the excess liquid. This will ensure a thick cannoli filling.

Directions

Beat together the ricotta and sugar until smooth. Stir in the cinnamon, chocolate chips and candied orange peel.

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.

 

Candied Orange Peel

Ingredients

  • 4 Navel Oranges
  • 3 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1/2 cup Sugar for rolling (optional)

Directions

Clean the oranges. Cut off the tops and bottoms of the oranges. Use a knife to remove the orange peel and pith in large chunks. Set the oranges aside for another use. Slice the orange peel into thin strips.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the orange peel and boil for about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Bring a fresh pot of water to a boil. Add the orange peel again. Cook for another 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Combine the 3 cups Sugar with 1 cup Water in a saucepan. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Add the orange peel. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the peels are tender and slightly translucent. Strain. *If desired, you can keep the orange accented syrup for another use.

When the orange peel is cool enough to handle, take a few pieces at a time and roll in sugar to coat. Then, arrange the orange peel onto a drying rack to dry for one to two hours. *If desired, you can skip the sugar-rolling step and simply arrange the peel on the drying rack.

The same procedure can be applied to lemon and lime peel. Dried candied orange peel can be store in an air-tight container at room temperature, refrigerated or frozen.

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The Gourmand Mom has a Bun in the Oven

Posted on October 25, 2010 by amydeline

You know how real estate agents recommend throwing a batch of cookies in the oven just before an open house to fill the house with a warm, welcoming scent? Well, they should scratch that idea and throw these in the oven instead. Perspective buyers will be practically licking the walls.

I’d originally planned on making apple cinnamon buns. Then, I ran across a recipe for pumpkin buns and the idea of an autumn harvest bun came to mind. I made a few adaptations to the pumpkin bun recipe, then whipped up a little apple, pear, and walnut filling; similar to a thickened pie filling. Next, I rolled the sweet pumpkin dough with the apple, pear, and walnut filling, baked them, and drizzled the whole batch with a sugary glaze.

The entire process takes a little time, but the result is well worth it. You’re not going to get buns like this out of any can. And just wait until your home is filled with the aroma of warm cinnamon, pumpkin, and apples. Who needs seasonal scented candles anyway??

These buns are moist, doughy, and bursting with fall flavors; an autumn harvest, indeed! The best part is that the reheat really well the next day. So, make them a day ahead of time and reheat in the morning for a special breakfast treat! A few seconds in the microwave should do the trick.

Autumn Harvest Buns

Ingredients

For the Buns:

  • 1 packet Dry Active Yeast
  • 1/2 cup Warm Water (about 110 degrees)
  • 3 3/4 cups Flour (plus additional flour)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 1/2 stick Butter, melted
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree

For the Filling:

  • 3/4 cup Water
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 large Granny Smith Apple, diced
  • 1 Pear, diced
  • 3 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup Walnuts, chopped

For the Icing:

  • 3/4 cup Confectioner’s Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Water, plus more if needed
  • 1/4 tsp Vanilla

Directions

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to combine. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the milk, butter, egg, and yeast mixture. Add the pumpkin puree. Stir until well combined. The dough should be sticky, but manageable.

Place the dough onto a generously floured surface. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, gradually incorporating more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic. Periodically, add more flour to your work surface, as necessary, to prevent the dough from sticking.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place the kneaded dough into the bowl. Cover with a towel and allow it to rest at room temperature for about an hour, until the dough has double in size.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Combine the water and lemon juice. As you dice the apple and pear, place the pieces into the water mixture. Add the cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss to combine. Place the mixture in a pan over medium/medium-low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the liquid thickens and the fruit becomes tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the walnuts. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a small baking sheet with cooking spray.

After the dough has risen, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a well-floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 10″x12″. Spread the fruit mixture over the dough.

Then, starting with the long end, tightly roll the dough. Cut the dough into 1″ slices. Place the slices onto the prepared baking sheet. Pack them in, if necessary. Let the buns rest for another 20 minutes before baking.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

As they cool, prepare the glaze. Combine the confectioners sugar with the water and vanilla extract. Add additional water, a few drops at a time, until the glaze has the consistency of a syrup. After the buns have cooled for about 10 minutes, drizzle with the glaze. Serve warm.

**The dough portion of the recipe is adapted from the Cooking Light recipe for Pumpkin-Cinnamon Streusel Buns, found here.

One more little thing… I’ve been keeping a teeny-tiny secret from you all. I’m extremely delighted to announce that I’ve got a bun of a different sort baking in the oven. Our third baby is due to arrive early May 2011!

Coming in May 2011!

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The Gourmand Mom

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