Archive for the 'Dessert' Category

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies

Published
by
jillian
on March 15, 2010
in Cookies, Dessert and Recipes
. 10 Comments

I wanted to make something simple in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  I had seen Ina Garten make this recipe into shortbread fingers on Barefoot Contessa, and then I was reminded of them when I saw them on Brown Eyed Baker’s blog.   As with any shortbread, this is all about the butter.  I sometimes buy fancy European butters for special baking projects, but I always have Cabot butter on hand.  The quality is great, and I like supporting a co-op.  If you ever have the chance to visit the creamery in Vermont, I recommend it.  We visited on a slow day and our guide shared so much information on the dairy industry and cheese making.

I found this dough to be even more crumbly than I expected.  I added a teaspoon of water and it helped it come together.  This issue had been noted a few times in the comments on the Food Network site.  Due to the richness of this cookie, I decided to roll these a little thinner than the 1/2 recommended.  Mine were closer to 1/4 inch and shaped into large and small rounds.  They were perfectly done in ten to twelve minutes.

Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Ina Garten, My notes are in parentheses

3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
(1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, optional)
(1 teaspoon water, if needed)

6 to 7 ounces very good semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. (OR roll into 1/4 disc and use cookie cutters to shape into circles. Bake for 10-12 minutes)

When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don’t trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it’s completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.

Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Published
by
jillian
on March 7, 2010
in Cookies, Dessert and Recipes
. 4 Comments

These peanut butter cookies were a labor of love.  I like peanut butter and jelly or savory peanut noodles, but peanut butter in candy or baked goods is just not my thing…at all.  Well, J has been asking me to make peanut butter cookies for awhile.   So, I gave in and made a quick batch.  I doubled the amount of peanut butter in the original recipe to prevent cookies from being too dry and to add more peanut flavor.  I used unsweetened natural chunky peanut butter and they were still plenty sweet.  I took half a taste and let me tell you these are hardcore peanut butter cookies.  The flavor is intense and probably best paired with a cold glass of milk. They would probably be good drizzled with melted chocolate for those that like Peanut Butter Cups, but J wanted to keep them simple.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Adapted from SouthernFoodAbout.com

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup salted butter

1 cup chunky unsweetened peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

Sift together flour and baking powder; set aside. Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars; beat in vanilla and egg. Stir in flour mixture, blending well. Shape mixture into 3/4-inch balls; place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten each cookie with the tines of a fork.  Cookies will not spread much so they can be placed fairly close together.
Bake peanut butter cookies at 375° for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published
by
jillian
on March 2, 2010
in Cookies, Dessert and Recipes
. 7 Comments

I think that every baker has a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Most basic recipes are really very similar and pretty simple.  With all simple recipes it comes down to getting the method just right and using the best ingredients (like good chocolate).  My husband is a chocolate chip cookie aficionado, and I make these cookies more than any other.  I like that they can stand up to the addition of whole grain flour.   Of course they are good made with chocolate chips,  but they are even better made with broken up dark chocolate bars.  The chocolate will melt through the cookie as it bakes and really adds to the overall flavor.  I recommend under baking these just slightly so they are a little chewy in the middle and still crisp on the bottom.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Tyler Florence’s Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour (King Arthur brand)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

2 large eggs

1 (8-ounce) block dark semi-sweet chocolate coarsely chopped or 1 scant cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Sift together the flours, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

Place the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer; cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and continue to mix until a smooth batter forms. Turn off the mixer and fold in the chocolate chunks or chips using the spatula.

Use about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie.   Press down the tops of the dough slightly and bake until the cookies are light brown, about 15 minutes.  Watch cookies closely to prevent overcooking.  Remove from pan and allow to cool on a rack.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Published
by
jillian
on February 25, 2010
in Dessert and Recipes
. 4 Comments

I figured I should post these before the season for pumpkin feels like it has passed completely.  Although spring is around the corner today is perfectly wintery.  Pumpkin is one of my absolute favorite flavors, and I use canned pumpkin year round.  This recipe makes one loaf if baked as a quick bread.  I love that it makes moist cupcakes that go amazingly well with cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin Cupcakes
Recipe for Pumpkin Bread from Simply Recipes with adjustments for cupcakes/muffins

1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
Just under of 1/2 cup vegetable oil (safflower or a light olive oil works well)
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
(1 tsp vanilla extract)

Preheat your oven to 350. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, & baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, & spices. Pour into the bowl w/ dry ingredients & mix just until all are combined. Pour into lined muffin tins, this should make 12 muffins. Bake until cake tester comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove from pan, cool on a rack.

I love these with cream cheese frosting: 1 pound confectioners sugar, ½ stick of butter, 6oz pack or cream cheese, 2 tsp. of vanilla. I like to put a few walnuts or pecans on top when I have them.

I happened to have some extra pumpkin and also made a classic pie and tarts with a graham cracker crust.  It was part of a pumpkin dessert feast. :)

Cinnamon Rolls

Published
by
jillian
on October 16, 2009
in Breakfast, Dessert and Recipes
. 6 Comments

I have a stack of magazines and filed recipes that I have every intention of trying one day.  Most have been clipped from Bon Appetit and the now defunct Gourmet magazine.  Even though I have this stack or recipes, I almost always search online before making something I have never made before.  I settled on this recipe for Cinnamon Rolls and realized it was the exact same one from Molly Wizenberg of Orangette that I had in my files.  Let me start by saying that this is a really good recipe.  The steps are simple, but I had to adjust the amount of sugar to keep it from being too sweet for our tastes.  I also didn’t think it needed the cream cheese icing.  I just used a simple vanilla confectioners sugar glaze.  These freeze amazingly well after they are baked and can be defrosted in a minute in the microwave.  I am thinking that these might make nice Christmas Eve gifts.

Cinnamon Rolls
From Bon Appetit by Molly Wizenberg with my notes indicated in parentheses
Ingredients
Dough
1 cup whole milk (I used low-fat)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling:
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

I omitted the Cream Cheese Glaze and instead used a sparing amount of the following: 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tbsp of milk.

For dough:
Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 21/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling:
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl.

Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15×11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).

Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up. (I forgot to do this step the second time I made these and they were still fine.)

Ginger Peach Skillet Pie

Published
by
jillian
on September 5, 2009
in Dessert and Recipes
. 14 Comments

I recently saw a pie baked in a cast iron skillet at the King Arthur Flour Blog.  This sounded like a pretty fantastic idea and I vowed to try it.  The cast iron helped the base layer of the pie bake evenly and warded off any sogginess.  It also looked pretty cool and rustic.  I felt like the edges on this would be pretty likely to burn because this pie bakes at a high temperature.   I just tucked the edges of the top crust under to seal it.  The fresh local peaches that I had ranged from pretty good to lackluster in flavor.  I decided to give them a boost with some fresh ginger and brown sugar.  This pie really needs to sit for a while for the juices to cool before you slice it.  It is best served with vanilla ice cream of course.

Ginger Peach Pie
Ingredients
Pate Brisse divided into 2 crusts ( I replaced 2 tbsp of the butter with shortening because of the high temperature this bakes at)
6-8 peaches peeled and sliced
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar (you may need more if the peaches are especially tart)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 egg, beaten lightly with a tbsp of water for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 425

Roll one half of the dough to fit the pan.  Mix the peaches with the spices, lemon juice and flour and place in the pan.  Roll the other dough to fit the top and seal the sides. Cut steam holes in the top of the pie and brush with  egg wash and top with a sprinkle of sugar.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425 and lower to 350 and bake for about 50 minutes covering the outside crust if necessary.   Allow the pie to cool for several hours at room temperature.

Daring Bakers: Dobos Torte

Published
by
jillian
on August 28, 2009
in Dessert and Recipes
. 22 Comments

The August 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers’ cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

There are many birthdays in our families over the summer, and I decided to make this torte for my Mother and brother in law’s birthday, which happens to be the same day.  I don’t have any photos yet of the cake sliced because the party is tonight,  and I thought they might notice a slice missing :) .   I will add some this weekend. I tried especially hard to get reasonably even layers of cake and frosting.  Hopefully, it worked out.  I can say that I really liked the buttercream frosting.  It was a softer buttercream than I am used to but it was really smooth and creamy.  I thought there was just enough chocolate.  I know that my mother in law isn’t crazy about caramel so I opted not do the traditional top layer.  Instead, I played around with some sugar creations until I made one I liked for the top.

Thanks to Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella and Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar for hosting this month! I was so happy it was a cake!  You can check out the other Daring Bakers’ Dobos Tortes here.

ETA: Here is a photo of the caked sliced.  The cake went over really well at the party. The layers weren’t perfectly even, but I was pretty happy with the result when it was sliced.  Have I mentioned I loved this frosting? :)

Continue reading ‘Daring Bakers: Dobos Torte’

Banana Bread

Published
by
jillian
on July 28, 2009
in Breakfast, Dessert and Recipes
. 28 Comments

This banana bread recipe was one of the first things I learned to bake on my own way back in high school.  My mom kept a yellowed handwritten recipe of my grandmother’s tacked to her bulletin board in the kitchen.  I was instructed not to lose it.  Only later did I realize it was one of the few things she had left in my grandmother’s handwriting.  The original recipe was actually my great grandmother’s.  She wasn’t known for her skills in the kitchen, and this is the only recipe that seems to have been passed down.  It is a simple recipe that just works reliably well. More than a decade later , I still make this it all the time (with my additions of vanilla and cinnamon).  I like that there is no butter in it making it reasonably healthy. This also allows me to justify slathering a slice with butter when it is still warm from the oven.

Banana Bread
Ingredients
3 (over) ripe bananas
1/2- 3/4 cups sugar (the less ripe the bananas, the more sugar you will need)
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour (I often replace one of the cups with whole wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mash the bananas in a large bowl and add the sugar. The sugar will help liquefy the mixture.  Whisk in the eggs, and then sift in the dry ingredients. Still until evenly combined. Bake in a greased a floured loaf pan at 325 for about 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to stand and cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Daring Bakers: Milano Cookies

Published
by
jillian
on July 27, 2009
in Cookies, Dessert and Recipes
. 19 Comments

 

The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

I chose to do just one of the two cookie recipes for this month’s challenge.  I have always wanted to play around with making homemade marshmallow, but it wasn’t meant to be this month.  I did enjoy making the Milans.  They came together very quickly.  These are really my kind of cookies-light and crisp with a hint of lemon.  I found the batches that browned quite a bit around the edges had the best flavor.  I made some bite-sized mini round cookies and a few modeled after the Pepperidge Farm version.

Hopefully, I will get around to making some homemade marshmallow for s’mores before the end of the summer.  All the other Mallows and Milans can be seen here.  Thanks to Nicole for hosting this challenge!

Milan Cookies
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network.

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows
Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested
1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

Plum Cake Tatin

Published
by
jillian
on July 26, 2009
in Dessert and Recipes
. 4 Comments

When I saw Ina Garten on Barefoot Contessa pour molten hot sugar syrup over bubbling plums for this cake, I knew I was going to have to make it.  Keeping a vigilant watch on my candy thermometer while a pot of sugar syrup boils always makes me feel a little like a mad scientist.  I think it helps that I almost always bake late at night.  I did make some changes to the recipe as this is a more sugar heavy dessert that I usually make.  I imagine this would be really good with the traditional apple base.  I used the most tart plums I could find to balance the sweetness of the caramelized sugar.  This cake is best served warm, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream doesn’t hurt.

Plum Cake “Tatin”
Adapted from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten
Ingredients
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the dish
3 plums sliced into ½ inch slices
1 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch glass pie dish and arrange the slices of plums in a circle covering the whole bottom of the dish
Combine 1 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until it turns a warm amber color, about 360 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Swirl the pan but don’t stir. Pour evenly over the plums.
Cream the 6 tablespoons of butter and the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the sour cream, zest, and vanilla and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and, with the mixer on low speed, add it to the butter mixture. Mix only until combined.
Pour the cake batter evenly over the plums and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate. If a plum sticks, ease it out and replace it in the design on top of the cake. Serve warm.