The Virtual Goody Plate

Frozen Pistachio Pie

2012-01-31T06:30:00.000-05:00

Here's the "gadget" treat I made for Dessert Club. I had a set of six mini tart pans, so I just adapted it to tarts instead of a big pie. I searched high and low for a recipe that inspired me. I had it narrowed down to these and these (I still want to make both.)

Then I found this one. Ordered myself some pistachio paste. (And a back issue of KAF The Baking Sheet which has more recipes I can make with it.) I just loved the idea of chocolate crust with purely pistachio cream filling. And, ahem, I wasn't the only one who loved them. These were a very closer runner up in the always-competitive Dessert Club vote. Yum!

And a side note: you know I love yellowy-greens - these were such an awesome color!

Frozen Pistachio Pie (print recipe)
Crust:
1 prebaked Chocolate Cookie Crust

Filling:
2 large whole eggs
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
4 ounces (1/2 cup) pistachio paste
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Chopped pistachios, for garnish

1. Make and cool the crust.

2. For the filling, beat the eggs, yolks and confectioners' sugar together in the top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly, until thickened and the temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

3. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the pistachio paste. Set over a pan of ice water to cool, stirring occasionally.

4. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream and then fold it into the cooled egg mixture. Spoon it into the prepared crust, sprinkle with chopped nuts and freeze for at least 6 hours, until firm.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Doughnut Upside Down Cake

2012-01-28T08:34:00.002-05:00

If any of you know my brother, it will not surprise you he had a hand in this. He sent me this recipe from his Google Reader eons ago. It's a special recipe; possibly considered kitschy if not in the right setting, with the right audience. Plus it is like Over-Indulgence Central. But really, when you're in a I-Can-Do-A-Little-Better-Than-7-Eleven treats kind of mood, whip this up. The original author just took a Betty Crocker Pineapple Upside Down cake recipe and substituted "doughnut" for "pineapple" wherever it occurred.

I have to say, that's how cake greatness is born.

Doughnut Upside Down Cake (print recipe)
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
16 mini doughnuts
1 1/3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. In a 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange mini doughnuts over brown sugar in rows.

3. In a medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter gently over doughnuts.

4. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm; this cake is best when served the same day. Store cake loosely covered.

Recipe from Jessie Oleson of Cakespy, via Dave

Dessert Club - "Gadgets"

2012-01-22T21:20:00.002-05:00

Ooh la la! Look at what my new camera can do! And if you can't tell a big difference, I will tell for you: there is one. But I know, you're just here for the food.

It seems like FOREVER since our last Dessert Club!!! This time we met to share all the creations we made with our gadgets from the November white elephant exchange. I have to say, I think this was one of the finest spreads we've ever had.

As we noshed, someone suggested we have all really elevated our desserts over the last year-plus that we've been in Dessert Club. I agree; I think we've mutually upped the ante, and there is only good to be gained from it. After two votes, we did manage to come up with a winner, but with two very close runners-up, and only to the consternation of those that think we should do away with the vote-and-prize, it being so subjective. I shot that down, mostly because I think it's fun to shop for the prize, and also because it makes someone's night special. But I don't know; would Dessert Club be as fun without a vote? We'll have to ponder that; in the meantime, check out what we made!

Frozen Pistachio Tarts (mine)
Gadget: Mini Tart Pans

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Gadget: Salad Shooter (well, she wasn't at the exchange but she got a salad shooter for Christmas so decided to use it)

"Subway Cookies" (you know, the yummy chocolate-white-chocolate-chip ones you get at Subway)
Gadget: Silpat

Orange-Ginger-Carrot Donuts with White Chocolate Icing
Gadget: Donut pan

Chocolate Mint Torte (AMAZING!!!)
Gadget: herb shears (of all the...)

Cranberry Lime Scones (yes, those ones!)
Gadget: zester

Governor's Mansion Cookies
(no gadget - she wasn't at the exchange...all the better because then she could make just whatever she wanted and these cookies were AWESOME!)

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Filling and Fresh Blackberry Frosting
Gadget: cupcake corer & filler

Lace Cookies (one of my favorites!)
Gadget: silpat

And the winner was...
Key Lime Pie Cupcakes!
Gadget(s): cupcake corer and muffin pan sponge

(I gave that gift. I got myself a muffin pan sponge as well, and it is the bomb. Especially in conjunction with the best muffin pan on earth, which I also got myself as a little treat after Christmas. But I need another. I digress.)

I've fallen behind a bit on my posts but you definitely definitely need some, if not all, of these recipes. So I will get on that. It's birthday season around here so I'm just kind of trying to keep up with life right now.

But there's always time...and room...for dessert.

Chocolate Clementine Cake with Hot Chocolate Sauce

2012-01-18T00:30:00.000-05:00

I have had this recipe in my files for years. I've taken it out every winter when clementines come around; I don't know why I'd never tried it. Sometimes you just have to let them season, until the time is right.

We had friends over for dinner the day after Christmas. It was a massive effort to get the house presentable that fast after hurricane Santa had hit. My big contribution to that effort was to collect the clementines everyone had gotten in their stockings and make this cake. I'm such a team player.

It's basically the cake version of everyone's chocolate orange. Except the chocolate is much better. And the sauce is gorgeous and delish. Decadent. Seasonal and special. I even considered granting the "healthy-ish" label, since it has fresh fruit in it, but the seven eggs held me back. Life is full of give and takes like that. It was worth every single bite.

Chocolate Clementine Cake with Hot Chocolate Sauce (print recipe)
Makes 12 to 16 servings

Cake:
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter, cut into pieces
7 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp grated clementine zest (from about 2 clementines)*
2 medium clementines, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 T orange liqueur OR orange juice
1/4 tsp salt
Hot Chocolate Sauce (below) and sweetened whipped cream for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9-inch springform pan; line bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour parchment, tapping out excess flour; set aside.

2. Stir together chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat.

3. Beat egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until pale and thick. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until blended. Add flour, beating until blended, stopping to scrape down sides. Stir in zest, chopped clementines, and orange liqueur/juice.

4. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add salt and remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 T at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; repeat twice. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

5. Bake at 350 for 50 to 55 minutes or until slightly firm to touch. (Cracks will form on top of cake.) Remove cake to a wire rack; run sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool slightly.

6. Remove sides of springform pan. Invert cake onto serving plate, and remove springform bottom and parchment paper. Serve warm with Hot Chocolate Sauce; garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

*After zesting clementines, use a serrated knife to remove remaining peel and white membrane from fruit, then coarsely chop peeled clementines.

Hot Chocolate Sauce:
Makes 1 1/3 cups

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 T light corn syrup
1 1/2 T orange liqueur OR orange juice
1 T butter

Stir together all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium-plow heat for about 5 minutes or until smooth. Serve over Chocolate Clementine Cake. Refrigerate unused sauce and serve over ice cream or waffles or use in milkshakes. Yum!

Recipe from MyRecipes, December 2005

Cranberry Lime Scones

2012-01-15T00:30:00.000-05:00

ZZZZ-I-N-G!

I'm on a scone kick. I went a-hunting on Food Gawker and printed off seven scones I think I can't live without. For starters.

The first one I tried, Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones, was such a resounding success that I just kept on going. These were my second. And I loved them SO MUCH that I made them twice in one week - almost unheard of around here in the land of Nearly No Repeats. I've since made a third from my stack, and it needs some tweaking before I share...watch this space.

But in the meantime, I've been reminded of a few scone basics:

They are SUPER fast and easy!
Handle the dough minimally - that means no more stirring than necessary and definitely no kneading or rolling.
Grate the butter - it's about equally dangerous as cutting cold butter into small pieces, but it gets the pieces more uniform, and thin enough for easy cutting into the dry ingredients. Plus it's super fast. Just grate it at the beginning and place in the freezer until you need it.
Scones can come in any shape - wedge (my preference), square, diamond, round, or really any cookie cutter shape you want to try. But they do puff/spread a bit so keep it simple.

The dough here is sweet enough to handle the zingy cranberry and lime, but I do like the indulgent addition of lime glaze, or at the very least, a sprinkle of coarse sugar. What. A. Treat. The first time we made them, an afterschool snack. The second, New Year's breakfast. I think scones are the new cupcake. You can quote me on that.

Cranberry Lime Scones (print recipe)

Makes 8 to 10

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (plus 3 T additional to toss with cranberries)
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 T unsalted butter, grated and very cold
2 T freshly grated lime zest (about 2 to 3 limes)
1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream

Lime Glaze:
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400F, and grease a large baking sheet. Grate the butter and place in the freezer until ready to use. Zest the limes and set aside. Coarsely chop the cranberries and place in a small bowl with 3 T sugar.

2. In a large bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the lime zest. Stir the cranberries into the flour mixture. Combine the egg, yolk and cream, then add to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

3. On a well-floured surface with floured hands, gently pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter). With a sharp knife or pizza cutter cut the scones into wedges or diamonds as desired. use your hands to gently shape any leftover scraps into scones. Do NOT roll out. Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

4. For Lime Glaze: In a small bowl combine the lime juice, lime zest and enough powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency. Drizzle or brush glaze over warm scones and allow to cool.

Recipe from SprinkledwithFlour.com

Sticky Toffee Pudding

2012-01-12T00:30:00.000-05:00

OK, just a reminder to all us Yanks that Sticky Toffee Pudding is a very popular British dessert, and as such, is not actually pudding. In the UK "pudding" means dessert (as in, "Would you like to see the puddings menu?") And this pudding is actually cake.

Heavenly-brown-sugar-died-and-gone-to-heaven cake. Buttery and moist with dates (you can't tell they're there, I swear!) and steamed and glazed with nectar-of-the-gods toffee sauce. Which, since we had a little left, we also poured over ice cream, pancakes, scones, and our fingers before licking them obscenely.

I was making this for our family Christmas Eve gathering, so I made it in an 8x8 (see below), but I'm sure they'd be even prettier and more amazing in ramekins. Secondary bonus: my brother and I wouldn't have to fight over whose piece was bigger!

Sticky Toffee Pudding (print recipe)
Cake(s):
8 oz. pitted dates, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (1 1/3 cups)
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
2 large eggs
4 T unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Toffee Sauce:
4 T unsalted butter
1 cup packed (7 ounces) brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 T rum or apple cider
1/2 tsp lemon juice

1. FOR THE CAKES: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour eight 4-ounce ramekins (*see below for large pan instructions.) Set prepared ramekins in large roasting pan lined with clean kitchen towel. Bring kettle of water to boil.

2. Combine half of dates, warm water, and baking soda in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (dates should be submerged) and soak dates for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl.

3. Process remaining dates and brown sugar in food processor until no large date chunks remain and mixture has texture of damp, coarse sand, about 45 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed. Drain soaked dates and add soaking liquid to processor. Add eggs, melted butter and vanilla and process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Transfer mixture to bowl with dry ingredients and sprinkle drained soaked dates on top.

4. With rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold wet mixture into dry mixture until just combined and date pieces are evenly dispersed. Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins (should be two-thirds full). Quickly pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come 1/4 inch up sides of molds. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil, crimping edges to seal. Bake cakes until puffed and surfaces are spongy, firm, and moist to touch, about 40 minutes. Immediately transfer ramekins from water bath to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

5. FOR THE SAUCE: While cakes cool, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and slightly darkened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/3 cup cream and stir until smooth, about 30 seconds. Slowly pour in remaining 2/3 cup cream and rum, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce heat to low and simmer until frothy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

6. Using toothpick, poke 25 holes in top of each cake and spoon 1 Tablespoon toffee sauce over each cake. Let cakes sit until sauce is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Invert each ramekin onto plate or shallow bowl and remove ramekin. Divide remaining toffee sauce evenly among cakes and serve immediately. Makes 8 cakes.

TO MAKE AHEAD: Prepare batter and divide among individual ramekins as directed, then cover and refrigerate, unbaked, for up to 1 day. Bake as directed in step 4. Sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance; microwave on 50% power, stirring often, until hot, about 2 to 3 minutes.

*For a large Sticky Toffee Pudding - Substitute 8-inch baking dish, buttered and floured, for ramekins. Bake cake until outer 2 inches develop small holes and center is puffed and firm to touch, about 40 minutes. Cool as directed. Using toothpick, poke about 100 holes in cake and glaze with 1/2 cup sauce. Let cake sit until sauce is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Cut cake into squares and pour remaining toffee sauce over each square before serving.

Recipe from The New Best Recipe

Parker-Parker House Rolls

2012-01-09T00:30:00.000-05:00

This is going to be a long, long post with lots and lots of pictures, so I will keep my intro brief. Parker House Rolls are super delicious buttery rolls made famous by the Parker House Hotel in Boston. My neighbor Sheri has a great recipe for them, passed down from her grandmother, whose last name happens to be...Parker. For most of her life, Sheri thought "Parker House Rolls" just meant they were her Grandma's special rolls. Imagine the awe at finding out they are mass-produced and the whole world loves them!

Sheri saw my post a few years ago of my first Parker House Roll attempt...and diplomatically offered to show me a much better way. For which I am extremely grateful. I went over a few days after Christmas, with my kids and new camera in tow, and watched/photographed/helped her make a nice big batch while the kids played with new Christmas toys. It was a good, good day and we ate loads of rolls for lunch, all afternoon, and dinner.

Here's the recipe Sheri has from her grandmother. Don't you love it? The reason it can fit on a 3x5 card is because the instructions consist of, "Mix in usual manner." Luckily Grandma Parker taught Sheri well so she knows what that means. For the rest of us, I took lots of notes and pictures.

Parker-Parker House Rolls
2 T yeast proofed in 1/2 cup warm water and a pinch of sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 beaten eggs
3 T sugar
2 tsp salt
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups scalded milk, slightly cooled
Lots of soft butter for spreading (at least 1/2 cup)
Melted butter for the pans (4 to 6 T)

1. Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water (100-110 degrees) and a pinch of sugar. Stir and allow to sit for a few minutes.

2. Using the paddle attachment on an electric mixer, mix the butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and about 3 cups of flour. Slowly pour in the milk while mixing. Switch to the dough hook.

3. Slowly add in 1 1/2 more cups of flour while mixing, then 1/8 cup at a time until the dough is manageable but still sticky and just pulling away from the sides.

4. Transfer dough to a floured surface. Knead in a little flour, but it should still be a little sticky. Roll it out to about 1/4-inch thick or a little thinner.

5. Spread with butter, fold in half, spread with more butter, fold in half again, spread with butter again.

6. Smoosh and knead it all together and roll it out again.

7. Prepare pan(s). This recipe fills an entire jelly roll pan or two 9 x 13 pans. Melt 4 to 6 T butter and pour into the bottom of the pans. Keep them on a slightly warm surface if possible so the butter stays melted. Also stick a lid or knife under one end so they are slightly tilted, thus ensuring enough butter for all the rolls.

8. Using a drinking glass or about 2 1/2 inch cutter, cut circles of dough. Now pay attention to the technique. Pat each round in the melted butter in the pan, then pat it on the top of the previous roll, fold in half, and place it in the pan. This way, every roll has butter on the bottom, in the middle, and on the top.

By keeping the pan at a slight tilt, there is enough butter for the last rolls.

9. Place pan in a warm location free of drafts; cover loosely and allow to rise for about 2 hours (about 2/3 up the side of a 9x13 or about twice as high as the edge of a jelly roll.)

10. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls for about 20 minutes or until delectably golden brown. Amazing!

Thanks so much, Sheri and Grandma Parker. Now we can all feel as special as Parkers.

Crazy Good Cinnamon Quick-ish Bread

2012-01-06T00:30:00.000-05:00

This bread is a cross between a typical baking powder-leavened quick bread, and a yeast bread. It doesn't exactly rise, but it does need to rest an hour before baking.

If you don't have cinnamon chips, or can't find them, I recommend just biting the bullet and ordering a couple bags from King Arthur Flour. You can use them in anything, from cookies to bread to pancakes, and they make everything better. Plus you should always stock up in the winter so they won't melt en route and you don't have to pay the extra freezer-pack shipping; nature pays it for you.

We made these loaves for some old ladies with dental and dietary restrictions that Ed visits. The bread is sweet, but not hard to chew, no chocolate or nuts, and, being partly yeasted, very good toasted, I am told. And cinnamon is always a winning flavor with kids, at least around here.

Cinnamon Bread (print recipe)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 large egg
1 cup cinnamon chips
Cinnamon-sugar, for topping

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, and egg.

3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, beating until smooth.

4. Stir in the cinnamon chips. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour, covered. Towards the end of the rest, preheat the oven to 350.

5. Spoon the batter into a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan (I used three mini loaf pans.) Sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar.

6. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes (25 to 35 for mini loaves), until it tests done.

7. Remove bread from oven, let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Don't slice the bread while it's hot! Allow to cool completely. Makes 1 loaf (or 3 minis).

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Easy Pretzel Fudge

2012-01-03T13:17:00.001-05:00

First of all, Happy New Year!

It's crazy how fast the holiday season went, and now here we are in the stark-mantled, bare-branched, chill-breezed letdown of January. Have some chocolate.

Second, guess if Santa brought me an unexpected-despite-heavy-hints new camera for Christmas? Yes, yes, he did. So my photos may be improving...eventually. First I have to get through the backlog of good things I still want to post but used my old camera on. Then I have to figure out how to use my new awesomeness. Then I should probably take a class or something. Like I said...eventually. But I did photo this easy fudge New Year's morning with it. Perfect morning light always helps.

My sister-in-law loves chocolate covered pretzels, but for some reason can't stand chocolate when she's pregnant. She just had her fourth child in December, so I wanted to give her some chocolate-pretzel-ness to help her start making up for lost time. I may have also eaten my share, though I have no lost time to make up. But it's January, and I'm depressed! Easy fudge definitely helps with that.

Pretzel Fudge (print recipe)
Nonstick cooking spray
2 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 ounces)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp fine salt
2 1/2 cups roughly chopped miniature pretzels
3/4 cups peanuts, optional

1. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

2. Place butter, chocolate chips, condensed milk, vanilla and salt in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until chocolate just melts and mixture is combined and warm but not hot, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups pretzels (and peanuts, if using.) Transfer mixture to pan and smooth top; press 1/2 cup pretzels on top. Refrigerate until set, 2 hours (or up to overnight, wrapped). Using parchment, lift fudge from pan and cut into 36 squares. (Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.) Makes 36

Recipe from Everyday Food, June 2011

VGP Bloopers 2011

2011-12-31T10:42:00.001-05:00

Time for the year-end total-flop report. I keep them all in a folder throughout the year, waiting to be confessed...purged...on December 31 so I can hopefully start a new year with fresh optimism and more realistic ambition. We'll see about that.

As I went through the reject folder, I realized there were actually too many to post - twenty-five, to be exact - so here are just some bad highlights.


Fluffernutter Muffins - I truly wanted to like them, but just...uh-uh.

Skillet apple pie - so pretty, but so overly sweet!

Salted Caramel Brownies...not BAD, just 1) not caramel like the name promised, and 2) not special enough to get posted.

White chocolate apricot muffins...water, water, I need water! Dry and hard.

Orange pecan French toast - I can't remember why this wasn't good, but it was in the folder

Caramel apple muffins...it was a nice idea to put caramel in there...until I had to wrestle them out of the tin - you should have seen the back of this one!

Mini ginger almond cheesecakes. The filling was awesome so I may try these again...but the rock-hard, break-your-teeth crust needs work.

"Fresh Strawberry Bars", or so the recipe said. Really, it's peanut butter bars soaked with drippy strawberry syrup/jam that becomes a soggy mess within 10 minutes. No thanks.

Coca-cola biscuits. I really, really wanted to like these. Even after I made them, I waffled whether to post or file. In the end, they were just too weird and I couldn't stretch my palate to call them "good."

So there's a sampling. Honestly, there's no promise 2012 will be any better. I think my recipe-picking (and execution) skills have improved, but only an increment. However, I have most of the January line-up figured out, so I think we'll be off to a pretty good start! Happy New Year!

BONUS Steamy Sip #8: Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

2011-12-30T00:30:00.000-05:00

I just couldn't leave out this Steamy Sip. It took me four stores to track down dulce de leche, then Christmas happened, but once I finally made this, Ed and I let out audible "aaaah"'s and I HAD to post it.

As you know, salted caramel is all the rage now. Salt brings out the flavor and balances the over-sweetness of caramel. Sometimes, though, salt seems to be just in the name. Not in this Steamy Sip. The salt-to-other-stuff ratio is PERFECT. You can taste it, but it's just right. And lots of caramel and chocolate make it the perfect indulgent sip.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (print recipe)
4 T dulce de leche
1 1/4 cups milk
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp coarse salt
Whipped cream, toffee bits and mini chocolate chips, for garnish

In a small pot over medium heat, warm the dulce de leche. Whisk in the milk, cocoa powder, and salt until smooth. Heat until warmed and serve immediately, topped with whipped cream.

Cranberry Christmas Sandies

2011-12-28T22:20:00.000-05:00

Well I best get these posted tout de suite or else they'll have to wait a year; rolled in Christmas nonpareils, they would just look stupid any other month. I made these for my neighbor goody plates. Which I took pictures of. Which my camera erased. So here's the stock photo off the internet. But mine looked just like these!

Regular sandies are not my #1 favorite cookie - they're so bland and taste like flour. But I was intrigued to find a sandy with lemon and cranberry - that is a crumbly cookie I can get behind! The recipe worked like clockwork, and this time, I didn't mind them melting in my mouth. ZING, wowza! I've got my new Christmas Sandies!

Cranberry Christmas Sandies (print recipe)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
White, red and green nonpareils

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar. Beat until combined, scraping bowl. Beat in vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the cranberries, lemon peel, and any remaining flour.

2. Shape mixture into 1/2-, 3/4-, or 1-inch balls. Roll dough balls in nonpareils. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes for 1/2-inch balls, 13 minutes for 3/4-inch balls, or 15 minutes for 1-inch balls or until bottoms of cookies are light brown. Transfer to wire racks and let cool. Makes about 144 (1/2-inch) cookies, 72 (3/4-inch) cookies, or 36 (1-inch) cookies.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones

2011-12-27T12:11:00.000-05:00

Let me paint you a scene, and I hope my verbal weakness doesn't make it too blurry. It's the setting in which these scones were made, and the mood I was in. Humor me.

Two days before Christmas. Ed took the girls on a surprise outing to the movies after dinner and I had the house to myself. The dishwasher gently churned. The Christmas tree lights burned bright. I donned my apron and set my Christmas music to shuffle on iTunes.

I worked slowly, deliberately, making these scones for breakfast the next morning with the leftover bacon from dinner. Grated my butter. Measured sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg. Worked them together with my pastry cutter. Folded in the buttermilk and bacon. Letting my thoughts wander where they would, mostly touching on old friends I'd recently gotten Christmas cards from, and also those I hadn't. Chris Benson. Melanie Henrich. Jake White. Kat Young. Flipping through good, and sometimes bittersweet, memories. Drinking S. Pellegrino from the bottle.

Then a new song came on, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by Lisa Arrington (you can hear a sample here.) My thoughts turned to Christmas, to my spiritual roots, to my faith in Jesus Christ. I kneaded the dough and patted it into rounds.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God.

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed his precious blood.

Brushed the dough with butter and sprinkled it with turbinado sugar. Cut into wedges, slid the scones into the oven. Let the house fill with tempting scents as I sat in the living room, staring at the lit tree, contemplating the birth, life, and death, that means so much, means everything, to me. That made my life, my family, my friends, everything, possible. The only reason Christmas is important.

I know this is a baking blog, and spiritual sharing is a bit out of the ordinary. But I had a special time making these, and I wanted to write it down.

'Cause you don't really need me to say much about the scones themselves. I mean, look at them. Look at the title. Look at the recipe. Brown sugar, bacon, maple glaze, etc. No more words are needed.

Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones (print recipe)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cups (12 T) cold butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
5 strips cooked bacon, crumbled (plain or Cinnamon Sugared Bacon, recipe below)
Coarse sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 425. Grate the cold butter and replace into fridge and freezer while assembling the other ingredients.

2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry cutter until it forms coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Fold in bacon crumbles. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.

3. Divide in half and pat into 7-inch rounds. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges.

4. Bake at 425 for 12-14 minutes. Top with maple glaze. Makes 12 to 16 scones.

Maple Glaze
1 1/2 T maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 4 T water

Combine syrup, vanilla and powdered sugar and stir until combined. Add 1 T water and stir in. Add more water, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Pour over scones.

Cinnamon Sugared Bacon
5 to 8 slices bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Dredge the bacon in the sugar, both sides, and lay on a wire rack set over a foil-covered baking sheet. Bake the bacon fro 20-25 minutes or until crispy. AMAZING!

Recipe from HowSweetEats.com

Steamy Sip #7: Warm Grapefruit Cider

2011-12-25T00:30:00.000-05:00

First of all, Happy Christmas. That said, I know no one is probably checking blogs today. That's as it should be.

But I hope that doesn't mean this amazing Steamy Sip will be ignored.

I realize this week I'm using terms like "tea", "cappuccino", and now "cider" very loosely. I didn't look them up to ensure proper usage. There just aren't that many terms for warm beverages so I'm just calling them what I want. In this case, "warm juice" neither sounds right nor does this unique spicy nectar justice.

When she saw I was doing Steamy Sips week, my friend Marna sent me this recipe. Here is what she said:

I love this time of year for many reasons. All the yummy citrus is one of the great things. I love grapefruit, but not all of my family does, and I am not one who can eat grapefruit for breakfast day after day. I bought a big bag of Texas grapefruits, because the price was good. I have been wondering how to use them all before they spoil. This warm "tea" was just the answer I was looking for.

Warm Grapefruit Cider (print recipe)
2 cups fresh ruby red grapefruit juice (about 4 medium)
2 to 4 T honey (raw, if you have it)
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp allspice berries

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat; strain and discard solids. Serve with a grapefruit segment or a strip of zest.

Recipe from the Martha Stewart Show, Jan 2008 via my friend Marna

Steamy Sip #6: Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate

2011-12-24T00:30:00.000-05:00

Now, remember, I'm picky about pumpkin. Too much, and I won't consume it. So I was curious to try this, and I am here to tell you, it's just enough, not too much. Delicious, really. Hot, spicy, sweet, very cold-weather-y. Which is ironic and annoying, it being in the 60's just two days before Christmas. But that won't stop me from having some Steamy Sips!

I had a friend and her kids over for dinner. Six hungry kids sat moaning and restless at the table while I quickly took these shots before the whipped cream melted. Just explaining why I didn't get out the photo light and all that. Of course, if I had a good camera, it wouldn't be such an issue. Just saying. A last-ditch hint to Santa. But anyway.

Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate (print recipe)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of ground cloves
2 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish if desired
1/2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of sea salt

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, pumpkin and spices. Cook, stirring constantly, until just simmering. Remove from heat and add chocolate, vanilla and salt. Pour into two mugs. Just before serving, top each mug with a generous amount of whipped cream, a few shavings of white chocolate, and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Steamy Sip #5: Nutella Hot Chocolate

2011-12-23T00:30:00.000-05:00

This one is as easy as, if not easier than, any cocoa-from-a-mix you are used to making. Melt Nutella into hot milk. Done. Very chocolately and Nutella-y. So awesome. And, luckily, brief. Because I don't know about you, but we are in full Christmas-prep gear around here and I don't have time for frivolity. Just good hot chocolate. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I stop capitalizing or punctuating in the next few posts, just to save a little time (and see if you are paying attention.)

Nutella Hot Chocolate (print recipe)
2 cups milk
3 T Nutella

Pour milk and Nutella in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until Nutella and milk are completely blended and begin to boil. Pour into two mugs and garnish with marshmallows or whipped cream. Drink while warm. Makes 2 servings.

Cinnamon Nutella Hot Chocolate: add 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick to milk and Nutella while heating.

As a note, this is also really good with Trader Joe's cocoa-almond spread which is nearly the same as Nutella, just almond instead of hazelnut. Totally good.

Steamy Sip #4: Cranberry Tea

2011-12-22T00:30:00.000-05:00

Just look at that color. That, my friends, is the kind of Steamy Sip you get from fresh cranberries. Dry, tart, and spicy, this is. It was so clean and energizing when we drank it warm. And when I drank it the next morning for breakfast, cold and spicy, it was beyond description. Probably the only Steamy Sip I will promote as even better cold. I just might freeze up some cranberries to make this next summer.

Cranberry Tea (print recipe)
2 cups fresh cranberries
8 cups water
2 T raw honey
1 lemon, juiced
10 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

In a pot, combine water and cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add honey, lemon juice, cloves and cinnamon stick. Turn off heat, cover and steep for 1 hour. Strain out cranberries, cloves and cinnamon stick. Drink right away or store in a pitcher in the fridge for a few days. When serving, add more honey, to taste. Serve hot or cold. Makes 8 cups.

Steamy Sip #3: Almond Capuccino

2011-12-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

Hello, this Steamy Sip is sooo amazing. If you're a regular milk drinker like me, maybe you've never had thought or reason to try almond milk. This is a good one.

Shall I give you my version or Brian's first? Brian is super-gourmet-foodie husband of my friend Juli (the one I went to New York with), and he's the one that first made this for me. It was UH-mazing, so I asked him for the recipe. But I should have known. I should have known it would involve no less than two gadgets and at least two ingredients I didn't have. Even so. I made myself a simpler, "grocery store," version, and it was still warm, flavorful, comforting and delicious. Worthy of Steamy Sips Week. So I'll give you that one first.

Almond Capuccino (print recipe)
2 cups original or vanilla almond milk
2/3 cup cream
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Whipped cream & cinnamon sugar, for garnish

Warm the almond milk, cream and cinnamon in a saucepan until very warm and steamy. If you have an immersion blender, use it to combine well. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar. Allow the cream to melt a bit and stir it into the drink. Serve hot. Makes 2 servings.

You could even make your own whipped cream, with a little almond extract or almond syrup to enhance the flavor.

That said, Brian says the entire secret to this recipe is in the whipped cream. Which he makes himself in a fancy whipper thing like this. So if you happen to have one, here's what you do. Eight ounces heavy cream, 2 ounces amaretto, 1 ounce Torani toasted marshmallow syrup. I know. He says the syrup and amaretto change the cream to make it denser and more foamy, and he serves this in small cups half full of the milk, with the whipped cream filling the cup the rest of the way. Like I said, so amazing. (Brian took the top photo.)

So. If you really like my blog, or are my friend in any way, you will get me one of these whippers for Christmas. Or my birthday is February 2. I can wait.

Steamy Sip #2: Hot Caramel Apple Cider

2011-12-20T00:30:00.000-05:00

There are so many things I already love about Steamy Sips Week. Naturally, one is that it's a bunch of warm delicious beverages I don't normally go out of my way to make for myself. But I should because they're amazing and I deserve it.

But right now, as I squeeze in writing time this busy week before Christmas with all the kids home from school, I love that the recipes are super short and simple, both to make and to write. Small effort, big payoff.

This one, for example - two ingredients. Three or four if you count the whipped cream and cinnamon garnish. But probably all things you have around, or could easily pick up on your next trip.

And. Not that this helps you, but a friend just brought me a jar of homemade cinnamon-toffee sauce for a Christmas gift. I expect Ed and I will be having some hot cinnamon-toffee apple cider soon, maybe even tonight. Mmm, steamy.

Hot Caramel Apple Cider (print recipe)
2 cups apple cider
3 to 4 T caramel ice cream topping
Whipped cream
Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

In a small saucepan, stir together apple cider and caramel ice cream topping. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Remove from heat and pour into heat-proof mugs. Top with whipped cream, a sprinkling of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick for garnish. Makes 2 servings

Steamy Sip #1: Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

2011-12-19T00:30:00.000-05:00

About five years ago, I tried to make hot cocoa mix as my give-away to friends and neighbors. Unfortunately I made it up as I went along, and the result was rather unpalatable. Which I discovered after I'd given it away. So sorry to all those people I gave it to, if you're reading.

Two lessons came out of that experience you only have to learn once: 1) start with some kind of recipe, and 2) taste before you give.

This time I found a great recipe, and I give it to you here, unaltered. We made it, we had some test cups, and it is creamy, flavorful and fabulous. It helps that there is creamer, not just powdered milk, in the mix, and you make it with real milk, not just water. The French vanilla mentioned here is awesome, but you could of course make this with any flavor creamer that suits you - I made a second batch with hazelnut, hello!

Hot Cocoa Mix (print recipe)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup French vanilla coffee creamer (or any flavor you like)
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk

Whisk or sift together the ingredients and package in jars or bags; decorate however you like. Makes 5 cups of mix (about 26 servings)

Instructions for making the cocoa:
Stir together 3 T cocoa mix and 1 T water in a mug. Stir in 1 cup skim milk. Microwave on HIGH for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until hot.

It's Steamy Sips Week!

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

I guess it's kind of a tradition in December, to do some kind of "WEEK" - in 2008 it was surprise fillings - wow, so fun. Last year we did Minty Week and was that ever refreshing! This year I've been enjoying an eclectic variety of mugged drinks and thought I'd share. Don't get me wrong - classic hot cocoa is always right. But for people like me, who don't drink coffee, tea or alcohol, there are still more choices than you might think. It just takes a little thinking outside the box. And usually a generous topping of whipped cream.

But as an intro, I have to give props to my favorite hot chocolate mix of all time: Lake Champlain's Aztec Spicy Hot Chocolate. The ingredients read: sugar, Dutched cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla and cayenne pepper. All my favorite things! It's not that spicy, just wonderfully flavored. Sometimes I can find it at Whole Foods but usually I just order two cans from Lake Champlain each winter and they get me through the whole year.

So if that's my "everyday" cocoa, then Jacques Torres' Classic Hot Chocolate is my special occasion sip. It's more expensive, it's much more intense and rich, and it is...to DIE for. JT does a Wicked hot choc, too, similar to Aztec, but I find it a little too spicy and it overwhelms the chocolate so I prefer his classic. The mix has big chocolate chunks in it and the mixing ratio is 1/4 cup mix to 1/2 cup milk...so like I said, it's intense but sooo delicious and perfect. JT has outrageous shipping but luckily I grabbed a can on my trip to NY in November, phew!

I also love peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks, and I saw McDonald's serves some now too - I haven't tried it but I am dubious.

Have you ever gotten a "steamer" at Starbucks? It's just hot frothy milk with a flavor in it, no chocolate. I love Irish cream - amazing! - and I recently tried gingerbread which was pretty good, too. So comforting and warming. But if that ain't your thing, this is the best time of year for other flavor drinks - case in point, this refrigerator case at Target. There are eggnog, gingerbread, sugar cookie and peppermint creamers. Plus red velvet and chocolate mint flavored milks, and lots of eggnog.

OK so I don't have them all decided yet, but a few sips you have to look forward to this week include: hot caramel apple cider, Nutella hot chocolate, cranberry tea, the best homemade hot cocoa mix I've ever had...and more!

One final note - I only have one kind of clear mug, and like I said many of the drinks have whipped cream on top, so many of them actually look quite similar. Just bear with me and read the recipes; I hope they speak for themselves!

Paula's Dipped Christmas Cookies

2011-12-17T00:30:00.000-05:00

Well, it just ain't real Christmas without a Paula Deen recipe, y'all. A couple weeks ago the girls and I were watching Paula's Best Dishes on a Sunday morning, and she was cookin' a holiday meal with her brother, Bubba, and her nephew, I-forget-his-name. Some kind of crown roast and rich side dish.

And these cookies. They are full of everything delicious and crunchy and sweet, then dipped in white chocolate and candy canes to make them extra crazy Christmas-y. Plus the recipe makes a ton, love that about Paula. So the next week we whipped up a huge batch of these for the church Christmas party. Yee-haw, it's almost Christmas!

Paula's Dipped Christmas Cookies (print recipe)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup puffed rice cereal
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits
White chocolate, for dipping (about 24 ounces)
Hard peppermint candies, crushed, for garnish (most of a 1-pound bag)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.

2. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl and beat in the oil, egg and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 small additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each one. Slowly beat in the rice cereal, coconut and oats. Fold in the toffee bits and refrigerate the dough, covered, for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350.

4. Drop rounded tablespoon of dough on 2 cookie sheets, leaving at least 1 inch of space around each drop. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

5. Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate gently. Dip the front of half of each cookie in the chocolate and roll or sprinkle with crushed peppermint to decorate. Allow to cool and set on waxed paper. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe from Paula Deen's Best Dishes

Grand Prize Coconut-Caramel Bars

2011-12-16T00:30:00.000-05:00

Here is the WINNER of Dessert Club - Cookies and Bars. It's a funny thing because when she brought them, she labeled them "Chewy Coconut-Caramel Bars" or some such, but when she won, she admitted the actual title from KAF was "Grand Prize" bars. She hadn't wanted to seem presumptuous. Which I guess goes to show, modesty has its rewards? Or maybe it just shows coconut, caramel and chocolate are really good together.

Come to think of it, a very similar combination won our Cookies night last year. There must be a lesson in that, one I'll have to remember for next year; caramel and coconut are what people want.

Grand Prize Coconut-Caramel Bars (print recipe)

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter
1 1/2 cups (11 1/4 ounces) brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups (6 ounces) shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened, toasted (1/2 cup reserved for topping)
1 cup (10 ounces) caramel cut from a block (or about 36 individual caramel candies), divided*
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) milk or cream

*Or use 10 ounces of caramel sundae sauce, if you don't want to melt caramel.

1. To toast coconut, spread it in a 9" x 13" pan, and bake it in a preheated 300°F oven for 18 to 22 minutes, stirring it halfway through, or until it’s a light golden brown. Watch it very closely towards the end, as it’ll go from golden to dark brown very quickly.Increase the oven heat to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg. Mix in the flour, salt, baking powder, and 1 1/2 cups of the toasted coconut.

2. Spread the mixture in an ungreased 9" x 13" pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Just before the 15 minutes is up, melt half the caramel (1/2 cup); a VERY brief burst in the microwave makes this easy (probably 15 seconds or so). Drizzle the melted caramel (or caramel sauce) over the crust and return it to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes; when done it'll be medium-brown and the caramel will be bubbly.

3. Remove the crust from the oven and, working quickly, use a heatproof plastic knife (plastic reduces the drag in sticky baked goods), or a bench knife, to loosen the edges of the crust from the pan, and to cut 2 dozen bars, leaving them right in the pan. It’s easier to cut these bars while they’re warm. Sprinkle the bars with the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to soften for about 5 minutes, then spread it evenly atop the bars. Set aside to cool completely.

4. Loosen the bars from the edge of the pan again, and use a flexible spatula to lift them out and set them on a rack. Combine the remaining caramel with 1 tablespoon milk or cream, and heat until the caramel is pourable. Stir to combine with the cream, and drizzle over the bars. (Or drizzle bars with caramel sauce, if desired.) Garnish with the reserved toasted coconut. Yield: 24 bars.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour
Cookies made by Dessert Club member J.B.

Snowy Lemon Balls

2011-12-15T00:30:00.000-05:00

I think every holiday goody plate should have something citrusy; it just adds balance. Plus it is so delicious, and offers a flavorful relief from some of the heavier treats of the season.

I also love that sandy-melt-in-your-mouth texture of shortbread. But let's be honest; a lot of those sandy texture cookies, not so big on flavor. Which is why I offer you these. With almonds and crushed lemon drops, these are big on flavor, to match their wonderful texture and gorgeous wintery facade.

This is the time of month when you just might be looking for that one more thing to add to your goody plates. This is just what you need.

Snowy Lemon Balls (print recipe)
2 cups finely crushed shortbread cookies (7 ounces)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and finely chopped
1/2 cup finely crushed lemon drop candies
2 T light-colored corn syrup
2 T milk
2 T butter, melted
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Finely crushed lemon drop candies, for garnish

1. In a large bowl stir together the crushed cookies, the 1 cup powdered sugar, the almonds and the 1/2 cup crushed candies. In a small bowl stir together the corn syrup, milk and melted butter. Stir the corn syrup mixture into the cookie mixture until well combined.

2. Shape cookie mixture into 1-inch balls. Place the 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Roll balls in the powdered sugar. Place balls on a large cookie sheet.

3. Cover and chill balls on baking sheet for at least 2 hours. Roll balls again in powdered sugar just before serving. If desired, garnish with finely crushed lemon candies. Makes about 36 cookies

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, 2011
Cookies made by my friend Shanna

Peppermint Brownie Pie

2011-12-14T00:30:00.000-05:00

That's right. It's brownie-in-a-pie. When I came across this recipe, it called to me. I was like, "I KNOW I'm making that this month." It was the other pie I made for Lefse Day. And I loooved it.

What is not to like? Delicious dark chocolate homemade brownie. In a great pie crust. And there are a couple ways to make it pepperminty. If you can find mint chocolate chips, it's a great way to go. I've seen them around, especially this time of year. Also I saw at Target Andes makes Andes mints baking squares, basically chopped up Andes mints. Another great option. If you can't find anything like that, it will taste the same if you use regular chocolate chips and peppermint extract. And definitely don't forget to garnish with whipped cream and crushed candy canes - just the perfect minty crunch to top these off. And if you really want over-the-top - I mean, it is indulgence season - use this pie as a base for an awesome sundae. Peppermint ice cream, hot fudge, chopped Candy Cane Joe-Joe's, etc. You get the idea.

Peppermint Brownie Pie (print recipe)
1/2 cup butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mint-flavor semisweet chocolate pieces - OR - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
Whipped cream, for serving
Crushed candy canes, for serving

1. In a small saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. Cook and stir over low heat until melted; cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. Prepare pastry for a single-crust pie in a 9-inch pie dish.

3. For filling, in a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir in melted chocolate and the chocolate pieces (and pepper mint extract if substituting.) Pour filling into the pastry-lined pie plate.

4. Bake in the preheated oven about 55 minutes or until filling is evenly puffed and edge of filling is slightly cracked. Cool on a wire rack about 20 minutes or until slightly warm (center will sink slightly as pie cools.) Top each serving with whipped cream and, if desired, garnish with a mini candy cane or crushed candy canes. Makes 8 servings.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2010

Cherry Tart Cookies

2011-12-13T00:30:00.000-05:00

I say this every year, but I LOVE getting the December issue of Cook's Country because it always has the winners of their Christmas cookie contest. Which means new, and usually quite unique, fare for my holiday baking. This year was no exception. The $1,000 Grand Prize went to the maker of these adorable, delicious, nice-and-big filled cookies. The crust is a soft almond sugar cookie, the filling is cherry preserves - get the best you can find - and on top of it all is a crispy thin vanilla glaze that reminds me of Hostess pies. But of course these are a million times better. They were easy peasy to make, and a huge hit with Dessert Club, and, I later heard, the take-home-leftovers husband crowd as well. Yum yum. Yum.

Yum.

Cherry Tart Cookies (print recipe)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 T unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk, divided
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
1 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup cherry preserves
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in bowl.

2. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and granulated sugar on med-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 2 T milk, whole egg, and almond extract and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in 3 additions and mix until just combined, scraping down bowl as needed.

3. Lightly beat egg white in bowl. Working on lightly floured counter, divide dough in half and form each into 4-inch disk. Roll each disk into 1/4-inch-thick circle. Using 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out rounds, gathering and rerolling dough as necessary. Transfer half of rounds to prepared sheets, 1 inch apart. Place heaping teaspoon of preserves in center of each round. Top with remaining rounds and crimp with fork. Brush filled rounds with beaten egg white and cut 1/2-inch X into center of each.

4. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 1hour. Whisk confectioners' sugar, remaining 2 T milk, and vanilla in bowl until smooth. Brush cookies with glaze and let sit for 30 minutes. Serve. Makes about 18 large cookies.

Recipe from Sara Cowley of Winamac, IN - 2011 Cook's Country Christmas cookies contest Grand Prize Winner

Goat Cheese Brownies with Honey

2011-12-12T00:30:00.000-05:00

Wow, these are amazing. A real contender at Dessert Club, but really a stand-alone winner in my book. For those of you who are only used to chevre on a salad or a cracker, don't write this off until you try it. Goat cheese goes surprisingly well with chocolate, and that honey cream cheese frosting only helps matters.

In addition to all the amazing flavors, one of my favorite things about this treat is the texture and subtle flavor added by sliced almonds. All-around a unique and fabulous addition to the repertoire!

Goat Cheese Brownies with Honey (print recipe)
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 T butter
6 ounces goat cheese (chevre), softened
2 T butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 T honey
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped almonds, toasted
Honey and Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Grease foil; set pan aside. In a medium heavy saucepan heat and stir chocolate and the 3 T butter over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Cool; set aside.

2. For filling, in a medium bowl combine goat cheese and the 2 T butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/4 cup sugar; beat until fluffy. Add the 1/4 cup flour, honey, and one of the eggs; beat well. Set aside. Wash and dry beaters thoroughly.

3. For batter, in a large bowl beat the two remaining eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add the 1 1/4 cups sugar, the water, and vanilla; beat well. Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture. Stir in the 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Stir in nuts. Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan.

4. Spread goat cheese filling evenly over chocolate batter in pan. Spoon the remaining chocolate batter in small mounds over the goat cheese filling. Drag a thin metal spatula or table knife through chocolate batter mounds to marble the mixture.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

6. If desired (it is!), frost brownies with Honey and Cream Cheese Frosting. Using the edges of the foil, lift uncut brownies out of pan. Cut into bars. Makes 32 brownies.

Honey and Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl combine 4 ounces softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar and 2 T honey; beat until combined. Add another 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 T milk, beating until smooth.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, 2011
Brownies made by my friend Shanna

Toffee-Pumpkin Pie Bars

2011-12-11T00:30:00.000-05:00

I have found another great pumpkin recipe, LAAAA! Ginger cookie crust, pumpkin filling, hello toffee-and-pecan topping, and a drizzle of caramel sauce. I quote Billy Ocean: "She's simply...awesome."

(That's right, this one's a short post!)

Toffee-Pumpkin Pie Bars (print recipe)
Ginger Crumb Crust:
2 cups crushed gingersnaps (about 35 cookies)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or light cream

Topping:
1/2 cup toffee pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Caramel-flavor ice cream topping

1. Make the crust: in a medium bowl, combine crushed gingersnaps, sugar and flour. Add melted butter; stir until combined.

2. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Lightly grease foil. Press the Ginger Crumb Crust evenly and firmly onto the bottom of prepared pan; set aside.

3. For filling, in a large bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves. Add eggs; beat lightly with a fork until combined. Gradually add half-and-half; stir just until combined. Pour filling over crust.

4. Using the edges of the foil, life the baked mixture out of the pan. Cut into bars. Cover and chill within 2 hours. If desired, drizzle with caramel topping just before serving. Makes 32 bars.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, December 2010

Cashew Caramel Cookies

2011-12-10T00:30:00.000-05:00

My Dad loves cashews. Whereas my Mom had chocolate stashes all over the house, my Dad usually had an enormous can of cashews somewhere in the couch/TV vicinity. Unfortunately, I inherited both their loves. A happy Christmas was when I got my OWN can of cashews in my stocking. Then I'd stop sneaking Dad's for a week or two.

As I got older, my nut interests moved on, to peanuts, then pistachios, and most recently smoked almonds. But biting into these sweet & nutty cookies from Dessert Club member C.D. hurtled me back to Christmases of my childhood, when a little candy and my own cashews were all it took to feel the joy of the season.

Didn't hurt that she also served them with a huge bowl of extra caramel sauce, for dipping. You should have seen me, I had caramel all over the place. Luckily, we don't take pictures of faces at Dessert Club. What happens at Dessert Club usually stays at Dessert Club.

Cashew Caramel Cookies (print recipe)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups roasted salted cashews
2 T plus 1 tsp canola oil
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
24 cubes soft caramel candy (7 ounces)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour and salt together. Coarsely chop 1 cup cashews; set aside. Process remaining 1 1/2 cups cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour in oil. Process until mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes.
Put cashew mixture, butter, and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture. Mix in reserved chopped cashews.
Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; space 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 6 minutes; gently flatten with a spatula. Bake until bottoms are just golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
Melt caramels with cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring. Let cool. Using a spoon, drizzle caramel over cookies; let set. Store airtight in single layers. Serve with extra caramel sauce, if there is any.

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Cranberry-Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

2011-12-09T00:30:00.000-05:00

Our family has a tradition that every day-after-Thanksgiving we gather at my aunt & uncle's house for "Lefse Day." They make lefse (a Norwegian flatbread) from leftover mashed potatoes and we all bring our leftover pies, and we eat turkey, stuffing and whatever else wraps in lefse and then eat a bunch of desserts. It's a hard life.

I took the opportunity to try two new dessert recipes, both of which were awesome, and both of which we obviously needed because we only had this many pies:

Like I said, it's a hard life. This year it was also like the christening of my aunt & uncle's amazing new kitchen renovation/addition that they need and deserve, as their ELEVEN kids are mostly adults and many now bringing two and three children in tow when they visit. It's so fun to see all the next generation playing together. While I sit and eat lots of pie. And trade funny insults with my brother. Who I am SO glad is back from England. We also cooked up - and executed - a pretty good practical joke. Which I cannot confess to on this public forum. I digress.

One that I made is this chocolate-crusted, chocolate-cranberry-swirled round of creamy nirvana. Definitely one of my favorite cheesecakes I've made. I'm really into cranberries this season, too. Oh, and did you see the cranberry cream pie in the pic above? One of my cousins made it. I was super flattered.

Cranberry-Chocolate Cheesecake (print recipe)
2 cups fresh cranberries, picked over
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2/3 cup cranberry or orange juice
1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies
3 T all-purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1. Prepare cranberry sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, 3/4 cup sugar, and cranberry or orange juice. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally. Cool to room temperature. (Makes 1 3/4 cups.)

2. Preheat oven to 375. For crust, in a medium bowl, combine crushed chocolate cookies and 1 T flour; stir in melted butter. Press mixture evenly onto the bottom and 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the side of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

3. For filling, in a large bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and the remaining 2 T flour. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add eggs and milk; beat just until combined. Divide filling in half.

4. Stir 3/4 cup of the cranberry sauce into melted chocolate; stir chocolate mixture into half of the filling. Pour chocolate filling into crust-lined pan, spreading evenly. Spoon plain filling over chocolate filling; swirl gently to marble.

5. Place springform pan in a shallow baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a 2 1/2-inch area around the outside edge appears set when gently shaken.

6. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a small knife, loosen crust from side of pan; cool for 30 minutes. Remove side of pan; cool cheesecake completely on rack. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Serve with remaining cranberry sauce. Makes 12 servings.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2010

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Kisses

2011-12-08T00:30:00.000-05:00

I had never made meringues. Still haven't; these came from Dessert Club member J.B., who is notorious for successful experimentation. I love the minty essence and rich chocolate chips that stud these extremely easy but really fun cookies.

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Kisses (print recipe)
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg chocolate chips
1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Beat egg whites til foamy, then add salt and cream of tartar and continue beating until whites are stiff enough to hold up in peaks (but not dry). Add sugar, two Tbsp. at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips and peppermint, and drop from tsp onto cookie sheets lined with heavy paper. Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly brown -- just barely visible. Remove from paper while cookies are slightly warm. Makes about three dozen.

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars

2011-12-07T00:30:00.000-05:00

I'm not going in any order, but these were one of my favorite treats from Dessert Club. Awfully genius, combining dulce de leche with chocolate, you know? And then putting it on a shortbread crust. Nothing wrong, and everything right, with that. They are simple, but really, really perfect in their simplicity. I just love them.

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars (print recipe)
Shortbread Crust:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Chocolate Dulce de Leche:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup dulce de leche
4 large egg yolks
5 ounces 60%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Make shortbread crust:
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Line bottom and 2 sides with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Butter parchment.

Blend together butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with a fork. Sift in flour and blend with fork until a soft dough forms.

Spread dough evenly in baking pan using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, then prick all over with fork.
Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes.

Make chocolate dulce de leche:
Bring cream and dulce de lecheto a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon until dulce de leche has dissolved.

Whisk together yolks in a bowl, then slowly whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pan is visible in tracks of spoon and mixture registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until melted.

Make bars:
Pour chocolate mixture over cooled shortbread and chill, uncovered, until cold and set, about 2 hours.

Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

Dessert Club - Cookies and Bars

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

Just 15 months old, and Dessert Club already has some holiday traditions. Like doing cookies in December - don't we all need some new cookies to try? Always. Dessert Club is the perfect test-drive for new recipes, which is especially important for holiday cookies, before you make a triple batch of something you've never tried before. The spread was amazing and I think we all learned a few things as well. Here is what we made:

1. Mint Chocolate Kisses
2. Browned Butter Shorties
3. Chewy Caramel & Coconut Cookies (the winner)
4. Cashew Caramel Cookies
5. Toffee Apple Bars
6. Chai Spice Snickerdoodles
7. Cinnamon Swirl Cookies
8. Goat Cheese Brownies with Honey
9. Hot Chocolate Cookies
10. Cherry Tart Cookies (mine)
11. Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars
12. Raspberry Lemon Shortbread
13. Peanut Butter & Chocolate Brownies

Impressive, right? I loved the variety. And the reason I'm not posting individual pictures is because a lot of these will get their own posts in the coming days and weeks, so stay tuned.

Another holiday tradition for Dessert Club, started last year by my Mom, is an annual Dessert Club ornament. Guess if I had fun hunting down the perfect thing.

I meant to give everyone their DC ornament at our meeting but there was so much going on, I forgot! I was ticked because I put a lot of time into finding them and painting our initials on the bottom.

But everyone lives pretty close so I am hand-delivering them instead. I got these at World Market; I couldn't decide which I liked better so I got half brown and half pink. Love Dessert Club!

The final tradition, that we started this year, is a white elephant gadget exchange - everyone brought a kitchen tool/gadget (<$20) wrapped up, then we drew numbers and took turns opening/stealing gifts. It was an awesome idea, but to be honest, I was disappointed in my own showing as well as some of the results. There were a lot of duplicates, which isn't anyone's fault; it just means we all like the same things and/or think along the same lines. I couldn't even count the number of zesters and microplanes. Next year I plan to think much further outside the box. Hopefully. But I was very happy with my results - I scored a set of six tartlet pans made in France, ooh la la! And the kicker is that "Gadget" is our theme for January - we all have to use what we got in the exchange. I am already collecting tart recipes to try - twist my arm!

Gingerbread with Lemon-Butter Sauce

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

For many years in my youth, our traditional Christmas Eve dessert, served on our Christmas dessert plates with a cat curled up by a fireplace, was my Grandma Younce's bread pudding with lemon sauce. But the bread pudding was made from very torn up soft bread, and tasted more like a ginger spoon bread, and with warm lemon sauce and fresh whipped cream, was like heaven in my mouth. It was a lovely tradition.

Then my sister Tona, who usually made it, went off to college and got married and that was that.

I've never tried to make my Grandma's recipe; I should dig it up and give it a whirl. But in the meantime, this delicious cake reminded me so much of it, I felt 13 again.

I shared it with a friend, and she was confused because in her mind gingerbread is hard, like The Gingerbread Man and gingerbread houses. I was appalled because you can't really eat that stuff; it's never good. How could someone not know about soft, edible, cakey gingerbread? Oh, she was happy to be educated.

Gingerbread with Lemon-Butter Sauce (print recipe)
Gingerbread
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1/4 cup finely snipped crystallized ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour a 2-quart square baking dish (8 x 8 inches.) Set aside

2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and allspice. Add shortening, molasses, the water and egg. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in crystallized ginger. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

4. Serve warm with Lemon-Butter Sauce. If desired, garnish with Candied Lemon Slices. Makes 9 servings.

Lemon-Butter Sauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 T cornstarch
3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 T butter
1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
3 T lemon juice
2 T finely snipped crystallized ginger

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in half-and-half and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice and ginger. Serve warm.

Candied Lemon Slices
Cut 2 small lemons into thin slices; discard seeds. In a large skillet, bring 1 cup light-color corn syrup to boiling over medium heat. Stir in lemon slices. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, just until lemons are tender, turning occasionally. Cool.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2010

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites

2011-12-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, you know I love a surprise in the middle! In fact, I recently saw this pan in the Sur La Table catalog and I'm trying to figure out how to justify getting it:

See what they're doing there? There's a little spike in the middle that HOLDS your surprise filling in place (in this case, COOKIE DOUGH, so thrilling!) so it stays right where it should and doesn't sink. I love how this designer thinks.

But back to my brownie bites. These were done in mini muffin pans so I couldn't have used the fancy pan anyway. But you could use a mini cheesecake or bouchon mold and they would be even prettier than mine. I just don't have either of those...yet!

Regardless, these bites are festive, easy, and crowd-pleasing (which around here means kid-pleasing, especially since they got to help.) And while I'm generally a from-scratch kind of girl, sometimes it's great to just use a mix.

OK, one last note. Have you tried candy cane kisses yet? Of course you have, because you bought them to make last year's Peppermint Kiss Cookies. Well I really like them, but just one complaint. They claim to have "candy cane pieces" in them, which you would believe if you never looked closely. But what they have are stripes, mint flavor, and red-and-white nonpariels inside for the pretend-candy-cane crunch. C'mon, just be accurate.

And on that note, here's a great recipe!

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites (print recipe)
1 brownie mix (9 x 13 size)
24 Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 T heavy cream
3 candy canes, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and scoop into a mini cheesecake pan or mini muffin tin pan that has been generously sprayed with cooking spray, about 3/4 way full. Press kisses into center of brownie batter, do not push all the way to bottom, some of the tip should stick out the top.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely.

2. Melt chocolate chips and cream in microwave 30 second intervals until smooth and melted. Stir until silky smooth. You can place back in microwave for 10 seconds to smooth more if needed. Dip tops of brownies into melted chocolate, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Serve with a tall glass of milk.

Recipe from http://picky-palate.com/

Toffee Crunchers

2011-12-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

These cookies are just plain crispy fun! You know how toffee is buttery, and crunchy, and chewy all at the same time? So are these cookies. The toffee flavor and chewiness comes from the toffee bits and brown sugar. But the crispy crunch comes from some super star players that are rarely found on the VGP: Rice Krispies and potato chips. I know, it sounds gimmicky, but they are the perfect crispy addition, and also keep the cookies from being too unilaterally sweet. These were made for milk dunking, but would also be great with ice cream!

Toffee Crunchers (print recipe)
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups (5 3/4 ounces) lightly crushed plain salted potato chips
2 cups (1 3/4 ounces) Rice Krispies
1 1/3 cups (6 3/4 ounces) toffee bits

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease or line with parchment two baking sheets.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, baking soda and baking powder. Mix in the flour, then gently stir in the potato chips, rice cereal and toffee bits.

3. Drop the dough by tablespoon fun onto prepared baking sheets. If dough is very crumbly, form tight balls by hand, and slightly flatten, like a patty. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

VARIATIONS:

Substitute 2/3 cup butterscotch chips and 2/3 cup chopped pecans for the toffee bits.
Substitute 2 cups gently crushed cornflakes for the rice cereal.

Recipe from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

Chocolate Cookie Cupcakes with Raspberry Fluff Frosting

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

The picture of this cupcake really speaks for itself. It also says, "Kari can't lay an Oreo straight." But it's artistic. And my 4-year-old was helping.

But LOOK at this! A chocolate cupcake with a whole Oreo inside? I am embarrassed I had to see this in a Martha Stewart magazine. I don't experiment with recipes very often but I should have been able to come up with this one. Either way, we all have it now, and it is AWESOME (sung in falsetto voice.)

Kids love it, and they love to help make them. This is on my birthday party short list. So fun.

Now shall we talk about the frosting? Butter, raspberry jam, and marshmallow cream. So fluffy. More AWESOMENESS (falsetto again.) I shared with friends and the reports came back the kids loved the frosting, too.

But. You can do almost any frosting here, you know. Anything goes with Oreos! Maybe a cookies & cream frosting? I made these a second time and experimented with an Irish cream frosting; I loved it. I didn't write the recipe, but it was roughly - 6 T soft butter, beaten with about 2-3 T Irish cream creamer (the liquid kind, like you pour in coffee or, in my case, warm milk) and about 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, adding more sugar or creamer as need to get the right consistency. Delicious.

Chocolate Cookie Cupcakes with Raspberry Fluff Frosting (print recipe)
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
12 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
3 T seedless raspberry jam
3 cups marshmallow topping
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Melt 2 T butter; let cool. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Lightly beat egg and egg yolk and add, along with melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla and 1/2 cup hot water; whisk until smooth. Spoon 1 T batter into each muffin cup and top with a cookie.

2. Top each with 1 T batter. Bake until cupcakes are puffed and set, 15 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cupcakes cool in pan on a wire rack.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and raspberry jam on medium-high until smooth. Add marshmallow topping and confectioners' sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth, 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a pastry bag with a 1/4" tip or a quart-size zip-top bag; with scissors, snip a small hole in one corner. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and serve immediately.

Recipe from Everyday Food

It. Is. December.

2011-12-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's the busiest month since October. It also feels like the most important month. With the most things to fit in. And the least daylight, making it feel like the month with the least time. And the best movies. I digress.

December is also an important month on the VGP because that's how it got started 3 years ago. In 2008 I got the harebrained idea to make 31 kinds of cookies and post one a day on my blog in December. It was a whirlwind, and highly successful, if I do say so myself.

I liked doing it so much, I started this crazy baking blog, and here we are. I have kept up the goody-a-day tradition in December for the last few years, with some help from guest bakers.

So I'm just writing to tell you I'm not sure how this month this year will go. I think there may be close to one post a day. I have armed my bedside table with all the current holiday baking mags. I have plans for a themed week sometime in December. And of course there will be the results from our holiday Dessert Club - "Cookies & Bars", what could be better? I also have an overwhelming backlog of recipes from the last few months, so I'm just going to write them up and post them as quick as I can, in an attempt to keep 2011's baking in 2011. Wish me luck.

And seriously. If you make something amazing and would like to guest post it, the floor is yours. Take a picture (in natural light if possible but I'm not that picky), and send me an email with the recipe, and telling me a little about it. Of if you're local, give me a copy and I'll type it up. I don't know why I think people will do this, but sometimes a recipe is so good you just want to share it. This is a good month for that. And of course you will get all the props.

So here I go, stocking up on parchment, butter, eggs and sugar. Rolling up my sleeves. Putting aprons on myself and the kids. No matter what happens, I'm determined to have a great December!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes, yes, it's another banana recipe. You know I can't get enough of them. But it has been awhile since I posted one.

My kids love chocolate chips thrown into most muffins and breads. And I am happy to oblige. Why not? Especially with these - hello, whole wheat flour! Whole wheat flour, and cinnamon chips (optional but amazing!), and chocolate chips and either rum or coconut extract?! So awesome. Either one adds a very subtle but yummo flavor everyone you know will love.

Put these in your "no fail" folder, your "crowd pleaser" bookmark. Always, always, always a hit. Perfect in any season, for any occasion. So delicious. And that's all I have to say about that.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (print recipe)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup mashed bananas, about 2 medium
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 to 1/4 butter rum or coconut flavor, optional
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, optional
1 cup cinnamon chips, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease 12 to 14 standard muffin cups.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the banana, then the egg, flavorings, and milk. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and flours, stirring until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, nuts and cinnamon chips.

3. Heap the thick batter into the prepared muffin cups, mounding them quite full; you'll make 14 muffins if you've used all three add-ins. Bake the muffins 20 to 23 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Makes 12 to 14 muffins.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Grapefruit Meringue Pie

2011-11-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

This was the final pie I made for Dessert Club. I just love grapefruit! (If you haven't tried my pink grapefruit sandwich cookies you are LAME!) I also love lemon meringue pie - my all-time favorite from all pie occasions growing up, and into college, when the roommates were out on dates and my Saturday nights consisted of a trip to Frontier Pies and a date with the remote.

So I thought, why not grapefruit meringue? Especially since I recently discovered a more mature way to make meringue, so it is more marshmallowy and less foamy (this recipe is done that way.) So I Googled it, and naturally someone out there beat me to it - thanks to BakingBites for her awesome recipe contribution.

I loved this pie. My brother Dave was slightly appalled that it wasn't more pink-grapefruit-colored. But those in the know understand that lemon pie filling is not yellow from lemons; it's yellow from egg yolks. And since this filling is made the same way, with the substitution of grapefruit juice for lemon juice, it, too, is yellow from egg yolks. With an ever-so-slightly peachy tinge. But if you add a drop or two of red food coloring, I bet you'd get it just the right pink...if you're into that kind of artificiality.

One last comment - as I got out the torch to toast this baby down, I told Dave I'd do half and he could do the other. He shrugged and said he didn't need to. Then he watched as I fired it up and gently browned it over. I asked if he'd changed his mind. He said (of the torch), "It's like a gun! And fire! And pie! All together!" Turns out he did want a turn, imagine that.

Grapefruit Meringue Pie (print recipe)

1 9-inch pie crust, prebaked (recipe here)

Filling:
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp ap flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 tbsp grapefruit zest
3 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
2 tbsp butter, room temperature

Meringue:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, flour, salt and water. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring with a whisk, for 3 minutes, until quite thick. In a small bowl, combine egg yolks with grapefruit juice and zest.

2. Gradually temper eggs with about 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, drizzling in the hot mixture very slowly. Return saucepan to the heat and, whisking continuously, stream in grapefruit mixture. Add in butter and cook over medium-high heat for another 3 minutes. Pour into prepared crust. Allow to cool to room temperature.

3. Once filling is cooled, preheat oven to 350F. (Note: browning the meringue can be done with a kitchen torch, instead of putting the pie in the oven.)

4. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil and turn heat to low. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Beat in cream of tartar and beat at high speed until egg whites reach soft peaks. Carefully and very slowly, with the mixer turned to medium, stream in sugar syrup and beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Spoon meringue onto pie filling and make sure to completely seal the edges or the meringue with the crust, leaving no filling exposed.

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until meringue is lightly browned. (Or brown with a kitchen torch.) Makes 1 pie

Recipe adapted from BakingBites.com

Blackberry French Toast Casserole

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I made "Breakfast for Dinner" for my Dinner Swap meal. So the weekend before, I tried two different baked French toast recipes to see which to use. They were both actually good, but I found this one easier to multiply. And I used my FAVORITE blackberry jam, which really makes the dish. Little bursts of creamy cream cheese, good French bread, a little nutmeg and cinnamon all come together to make a mouthwatering breakfast...any time of day.

Blackberry French Toast Casserole (print recipe)
1 cup blackberry jam
1 (12-oz.) French bread loaf, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 (8-oz.) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Whipped cream for serving, optional

1. Cook jam in a small saucepan over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.

2. Place half of bread cubes in bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with cream cheese cubes, and drizzle with melted jam. Top with remaining bread cubes.

3. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Pour over bread mixture, pressing slightly to get each bread cube soaked. Sprinkle brown sugar over top. Cover tightly and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until bread is golden brown and mixture is set. Serve warm alone or with whipped cream.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, November 2009

Derby Pie

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

This was my personal FAVORITE pie from Pies & Tarts night, and not just because I made it! I talked to Dave the morning of Dessert Club and told him the pies I was making. He had made his pear-raspberry pie the night before and had it with him at work, but he wished he had had time to make this Derby Pie as well. I told him to send me the recipe; if I had all the ingredients I could make a crust ahead of time and we could make the pie together when he came over after work, a few hours before Dessert Club.

Here's the story of how Dave got the recipe, in his own words:

So my friend John Alexander has been searching lo these many years for the perfect pecan pie. He has tried many recipes, but none quite measured up to what he wanted the pie to taste like. One day the story of his pie quest came up within hearing of Anne. Now Anne is Kentucky born and raised, and she came into his office and said to John "Have you tried Derby Pie"? John's eyebrows raised, and he picked up his phone and called me into his office. Upon hearing that it was not only a pecan pie but a Chocolate pecan pie, together we pressured Anne into agreeing to make us a Derby Pie, which she did, and John's long search for the perfect pecan-based pie was over. Of course, the week following Anne's pie, we pressured John into making it and so got to enjoy it all over again. A few months later John was on vacation in Utah (from England - backwards, right?) and emailed me in desperation - "Do you have the Derby Pie recipe? I really want to make it but I don't have it on my email that I can get to from here!" - I put him in touch with Anne's husband on Facebook so John could introduce Derby Pie into his native Utah. My price for hooking him up in his hour of need? You guessed it - my own copy of the Derby Pie recipe. That's the story of our pie. I'm sure Anne could tell you a better story about its Kentucky heritage or whatever, but that's how it came to me.

Luckily, VGP and Dessert Club are non-profit situations, or else we could get sued for using the name, "Derby Pie." Apparently it is a registered trademark of Kern's Kitchen in Prospect, Kentucky, and they have sued to protect its copyright at least 25 times since 1968. See here.

I think it's a catchy name but I don't really care what we call it. "Slice of Heaven" works for me. It smells like chocolate chip cookies while baking, probably because it has all the best ingredients from those - brown sugar, chocolate, nuts and vanilla. I never cared for pecan pie when I was younger. Then I went to Canada and discovered sugar pie and butter tarts, which are basically pecan pie without pecans. Then my palate matured and I started to like pecans. And of course chocolate makes everything better. I don't know about you folks, but thanks to Kern's Kitchen and Dave's friends Anne and John, I have now got a new Thanksgiving tradition.

Derby Pie (print recipe)
One unbaked 9-inch pie shell
4 eggs1 stick melted butter
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white corn syrup (Karo)1 cup pecans
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs. In a small bowl or pan (whatever you melted the butter in), mix the flour and melted butter with a fork until there are no lumps.

2. Into the whisked eggs, stir in sugars, vanilla, syrup, and butter-flour mixture. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour the mixture into an uncooked 9" pie crust. Try to spread the chocolate chips evenly around the pie; the pecans will take care of themselves. Once they float to the top, if it looks like there are lots of empty spots, you could add more pecans so the top is covered well. Just make sure you get the pecans completely coated with the filling mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour to an hour and 20 minutes, or until the pie doesn't jiggle like jello when you shake it.

Recipe from Anne from Kentucky

Blueberry-Cherry Pie

2011-11-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Just LOOK at this gorgeous flaky perfect crust (in such a cute pan!) with just a hint of deep purple goodness dribbling out. And inside was, well, just see for yourself at the end. Everything the perfect presentation promised. If you've got cherry pie lovers coming for Thanksgiving, why not throw them a curve ball? Sometimes purists need to chill. This pie is sooo good they might not even notice!

Blueberry-Cherry Pie (print recipe)
1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts OR one recipe all-butter crust (below)
1/2 cup plus 2 T granulated sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 T lemon juice
1 (21-ounce) can "Lite" cherry pie filling (if you use regular, decrease sugar slightly)
4 cups frozen blueberries
1 1/2 T butter, shaved
1 egg white
1 tsp water
2 tsp sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Press one of the pie crusts into a 9-inch pie plate. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Stir in the lemon juice, cherry pie filling and blueberries. Spoon into the pie crust. Top with shaved butter and then the second pie crust. Press the edges to seal. Flute the edges or press with the tines of a fork.

2. In a cup, whisk together the egg white and water with a fork. Brush over the top of the pie, then sprinkle with 2 tsp sugar. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crust is golden brown. Cover the edges with aluminum foil if they appear to be getting too dark. Cool for at least 2 hours.

Butter Flaky Pie Crust
Makes ONE 9-inch crust (so double it for a double crust pie like above)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup ice water

1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

2. Roll dough out to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Recipes adapted from Allrecipes.com via Dessert Club member J.M.

Cranberry Cream Pie

2011-11-03T06:00:00.001-04:00

Here's one of the pies I made for Dessert Club. In choosing my pies, rather than browsing recipes like I usually do, I thought first, "What kind of pie do I want to eat?" Then went looking for a recipe.

I already have a great crust from Baking Illustrated, so check. Then I remembered a disappointing pear-cranberry pie I made last year and I thought, yeah, I still really want a great cranberry pie for my repertoire. (I knew Dave was making pear raspberry so pear was covered.) I didn't want cranberry-sauce-in-a-crust, but I still wanted cranberry. I mentioned this to Dave in one of our pie powow sessions and he said he just happened to have the thing. One of his cookbooks that they have liked had a Cranberry Cream Pie, and in Cider Beans, Wild Greens and Dandelion Jelly, Joan Aller said this was a standout star on her Thanksgiving table.

I loved the beautiful simplicity of it - cranberries, sugar, and a little white custard. Not only is it holiday-gorgeous (and I love that little sugary crust on top), but it is just-tart-just-sweet enough, a little creamy, and Dave liked that the cranberries remain mostly whole, so you can create your own perfect bite (with a little extra whipped cream if you need it.) So whether it's Thanksgiving, Lefse Day (a post-Thanksgiving tradition in our family), St. Lucia Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's, the Super Bowl or even Groundhog's Day, you have plenty of chances to thrill your friends and family with this out-of-the-ordinary holiday pie.

Cranberry Cream Pie (print recipe)

One unbaked 9-inch single pie crust
Fresh or frozen cranberries (about one 12-ounce bag, rinsed and picked over)
1 cup sugar, DIVIDED
1 heaping Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 egg white
1 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spread a thick layer of cranberries in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. This comes to about a handful less than a full 12-ounce bag. Cover the cranberries with 1/3 cup sugar. (Or use all the cranberries and a little more sugar.)

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the flour. In another medium bowl, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form, then fold it into the sugar mixture. Slowly stir in the cream until fully incorporated.

3. Pour the cream mixture over the cranberries (they will float to the top.) Bake the pie at 425 for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for about 40 minutes more until the custard is set. Let cool on a wire rack.

Recipe from Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly: Recipes from Southern Appalachia by Joan E. Aller

Dessert Club: Pies & Tarts

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

We were really on the ball this year and decided October Dessert Club would be our chance to test drive all our new Thanksgiving pie ideas. I especially appreciated it because last year I put a lot of work into two pies and neither of them turned out well. NOT THIS YEAR!!!

It also won't surprise you, especially after looking at the picture, that my brother Dave was a special guest at this meeting. Dave LOVES pie and we spent at least three late-night facetime convos this month discussing and poring over recipes in preparation for this night.

We had an amazing spread. Dave was in heaven, calling it "the best Thanksgiving EVER" (who needs all that turkey stuff?). And while there was a winner, there were at least 4 runners-up so it was very close. I will be posting the winning recipe, the ones I made, and maybe some others so let me know if you want one in particular. November is the month to get your pie game ON!

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart

Garden Apple-Raspberry Pie with Gruyere Cheese Crust

Chocolate-Cashew-Pecan Pie

Lemon Cream Cheese Tart

Caramel Apple Pie with Praline Crunch

Grapefruit Meringue Pie

(mine)

Cranberry Cream Pie

(mine)

Derby Pie

(a Kari & Dave collaboration and my favorite of the evening)

Raspberry-Pear Pie

(Dave's)

....and the winner of the evening....

BLUEBERRY-CHERRY PIE

(just look at that crust!)