Tag Archives: dessert

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Squares

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Desserts and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Chocolate chip cheesecake squares.

Chocolate chip cheesecake squares.

Did I hear someone say “cheesecake”?.   Oh, that was me!  Yes, well,  I fell off the wagon, and I mean big time!  But you will remember it was my birthday and Mother’s Day all in the same weekend.  So that was my excuse for treating myself and, of course, anyone else who was around to some sinfully rich and oh-so-good chocolate chip cheesecake squares WITH toffee cookie crumb crust.  Try saying that three times fast.  I could eat one faster than I can say it, and I bet you could, too.

An elegant, creamy, smooth dessert.

An elegant, creamy, smooth dessert.

There are so many recipes for cheesecake bars and squares out there, that you could pick any one that you like, but I particularly like this one because it not only includes cream cheese, but also mascarpone.  And when you combine those two you can’t expect anything but perfection.

The most commonly used ingredient for making a crust is graham cracker crumbs,  but Mr. D. has an allergy to graham crackers, so in their place I usually use shortbread cookies crushed into crumbs.  In making these bars I would have done the same except when I was shopping for groceries I spied  these cookies called Toffee Sandies by Keebler.  Since I’ve always loved pecan sandies, I thought these would make an interesting crust instead.

The cookies I used.

The cookies I used.

Cheesecake is a dessert that is very forgiving in that you can add many different flavorings, use all kinds of toppings, change the crust, and bake in a variety of pans.  It still comes out creamy and delicious.  So you really can’t go wrong.  If you need a dessert that everyone will love, give this stellar creation a try.

The hint of orange is such a good companion flavor to chocolate.

The hint of orange is such a good companion flavor to chocolate.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE BARS WITH TOFFEE COOKIE CRUST

Servings:   9

Ingredients:

For the crust

  • 1  1/2 cups toffee sandies—fine crumbs
  • 5 Tablespoons butter, melted

    Cream cheese, mascarpone, chocolate chips and orange zest provide the flavor

    Cream cheese, mascarpone, chocolate chips and orange zest provide the flavor

For the filling:

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened  ( 1/3 less fat variety, OK )
  • 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup semisweet (or your choice) chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs

1.  Place the toffee sandies in a food processor bowl and pulse to fine crumbs;  place in a mixing bowl.

2.  Add melted butter and mix well.

3.  Press crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9 x 9 inch pan.  I made one and a half times the recipe, thus you see a larger pan.

Cookie crumb crust in the pan.

Cookie crumb crust in the pan.

4.  Bake crust for 10 – 12 minutes at 325*F.

5.  Allow to cool while you make the filling.

Filling:

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cheeses, sugar, zest and vanilla until smooth.

2.  Add eggs one at a time, beat on low speed just until combined.

3.  Fold in chocolate chips

4.  Pour over crust and smooth with an offset spatula

Going into the oven.

Going into the oven.

5.  Bake at 325 *F for 35 – 40 minutes or until center is just set and top begins to brown.

Out of the oven--only the edges are browned, but the filling is "set".

Out of the oven–only the edges are browned, but the filling is “set”.

6.  Remove pan from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes

7.  Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen;  cool 1 hour longer then refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.

You will want more than one of these!

You will want more than one of these!

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SOURCE:   adapted from   A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis

Very Berry Strawberry Cookies

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Carolyn's Originals and tagged with , , , , , ,
Very Berry Strawberry Cookies

Very Berry Strawberry Cookies

This is the time of year when strawberries are reappearing at the market and they look so beautiful; red, ripe and juicy.  They never fail to get my creative juices flowing.  The native berries that grow here where I live have not ripened yet  (usually not till the end of May), so until those are available I will use the California-grown berries available at the market.

However, I have found from past experience  that baking with strawberries does not produce a true, vivid strawberry flavor.  They are so much more enjoyable in their natural state, luscious and juicy with just a little sugar on them.  So for baking I have been exploring ways to get a true strawberry flavor.  I think I have found the answer, and it happened quite by accident.  One morning I was eating Special K cereal with Red Berries and was struck by how strong the berry flavor was.  These freeze-dried strawberries had the color and flavor I have been looking for.  So I searched the dried fruits section of the supermarket and there I found bags of freeze-dried strawberries.

Freeze dried strawberries can be pulverized into powder.

Freeze dried strawberries can be pulverized into powder.

Bingo!  I was on to something.  Reasoning that if I could crush or pulverize those freeze dried berries and mix the powder into the dough,  I could get the strong flavor I wanted.    I love to experiment,  so I was excited to give this a try.  The results, I’m happy to tell you, were quite good.   Using a recipe I had for a basic sugar cookie that also uses some cream cheese, and adding the strawberry powder to the dough,  I got a tender cookie with a pretty pink color and real strawberry flavor.  They are just great on their own, but you know what?   You can also mix this strawberry powder into cream cheese frosting and make sandwich cookies for a double-whammy of strawberry goodness.  (Notice that I’m not mentioning calories here!)    Ok, Ok, let’s be reasonable.  Let’s enjoy these cookies with a dish of strawberry ice cream instead!!!

The perfect accompaniment to Very Strawberry ice cream.

The perfect accompaniment to Very Strawberry ice cream.

VERY BERRY STRAWBERRY  COOKIES

Yield:   Makes about 4 1/2 dozen 2″ cookies, or 27 sandwich cookies

For the Cookies:

  •  1 cup  ( 2 sticks) butter
  • 1/2 cup  ( 4 ounces) cream cheese at room temperature.  Reduced fat version is OK.
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 cup strawberry powder
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups flour,  I used half white whole wheat flour;

For the Filling:

  • 1/2 cup cream cheese  (4-ounces)
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons strawberry powder
  • 1 Tablespoon strawberry jam
  • milk or cream as needed for spreading consistency

To make the cookies:

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

2.  Begin by crushing the dry strawberries.  I used a mortar and pestle and was able to get a fine powder with little or no lumps.  If you have difficulty getting it smooth, you can always sift the powder to remove any lumps.   Measure 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons if making the filling.

3.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, salt and baking powder, strawberry powder and sugars.

Mixing up the cream cheese, butter, sugars and strawberry powder.

Mixing up the cream cheese, butter, sugars and strawberry powder.

4.  Once the mixture is nice and light and fluffy, beat in the egg and then mix in the flour.

5.  Scoop by the tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheets.  Flatten each cookie into a 2″ circle with the bottom of a glass dipped into sugar.

Drop by tablespoon onto baking sheet and flatten into 2-inch circles.

Drop by tablespoon onto baking sheet and flatten into 2-inch circles.

Bake for 14 – 16 minutes, until barely golden around the edges.  Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.  Makes about 54 cookies.

To make the filling:

1.  Beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy.  Add the strawberry jam, and blend into the cream cheese.  Add the sugar and strawberry powder gradually  along with small amounts of milk or cream to achieve a spreading consistency.

2.  Generously frost the bottom side of one cookie and top with another to make a tasty sandwich.  Makes about 27 sandwich cookies.

These are not going to last long.

These are not going to last long.

You can never have too much of a very good thing!

You can never have too much of a very good thing!

SOURCE;  a Carolyn Original based on a modified recipe for sugar cookies from Taste of Home

Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts and tagged with , , , , , ,
Lemon panna cotta.

Lemon panna cotta.

Panna Cotta is a dessert that I’ve been wanting to make for such a long time, but just never seemed to get around to it.  I have collected several recipes for making it, all just a little different from each other.

Panna Cotta, which means “cooked cream” is Italian in origin, and can be made with milk, cream, half and half, buttermilk, or any combination of these.   I also have a recipe  using yogurt.  Panna cotta is a cool, silky, creamy dessert that is often served with fruit or caramel sauce.  The higher the fat content of your base liquid, the richer the dessert will be, and of course, more calorie laden.

A light refreshing dessert.

A light refreshing dessert.

Happily this is a dessert that can be adjusted in terms of calories and fat content.  The recipe I’m offering here is a lighter version that makes good use of lemon for flavoring and still produces the silky texture of the classic with a pleasing hit of sweet and tang.  Meyer lemon–a lemon-orange hybrid–is sweeter than conventional lemon.  If you don’t have access to Meyer lemons, you can use a regular lemon and enjoy a dessert that’s a bit less sweet.  I used a regular lemon in my panna cotta and it had a nice mild lemon flavor, and was neither tart nor overly sweet,—-just right!

Silky, smooth, creamy and cool.

Silky, smooth, creamy and cool.

I also sliced some strawberries, added about 2 Tablespoons of sugar and 1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar to them, and then served a few spooned over the panna cotta for a very pretty presentation.

MEYER LEMON PANNA COTTA

Servings   4

Requires just a few ingredients.

Requires just a few ingredients.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Meyer  or regular lemon
  • 1/2 cup  plus 3 Tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
  • 1/2 cup half and half  ( I used light cream)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1  3/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin, ( 1 envelope)
  • 1  1/2 cups reduced-fat buttermilk
  • cooking spray
  • Mint leaves and lemon rind strips (optional)

Directions:

1.  Remove rind from lemon using a vegetable peeler, avoiding white pith.  Squeeze 3 Tablespoons juice from the lemon and save.

Peel the lemon very thinly to flavor the milk and squeeze the lemon for juice.

Peel the lemon very thinly to flavor the milk and squeeze the lemon for juice.

2.  Combine lemon rind, 1/2 cup milk, half and half, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan;  bring to a simmer over medium heat ( do not boil).  Remove pan from heat;  cover and let stand 20 minutes.   Discard lemon rind.

Heating the milk mixture with the lemon peel.

Heating the milk mixture with the lemon peel.

3.  Sprinkle gelatin over remaining 3 tablespoons milk in a small bowl, and let stand at least 10 minutes.

4.  Return half and half mixture to medium heat; cook for 1 minute or until very hot.  Add the gelatin mixture, stirring with a whisk until dissolved (about 1 minute).  Stir in buttermilk and 3 Tablespoons lemon juice.

5.  Lightly spray  4 ( 6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups.  Divide the lemon mixture among the cups.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

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6.  To serve:  run a knife around outside edges of panna cotta.  Place a plate upside down on top of each cup; invert onto plate.  Garnish with mint and lemon rind, if desired.    Or you may wish to serve with a fruit sauce or sliced fruit as I did.

Panna cotta served with sliced strawberries.

Panna cotta served with sliced strawberries.

Nutritional Profile:    Calories  185;   Fat  6.3 g.;  Protein  7 g.;  Carb  26 g.;  Sodium 258 mg.

SOURCE:   Cooking Light

Lemon Tassies

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Carolyn's Originals, Desserts and tagged with , , , , ,
Lemon Tassies

Lemon Tassies

A “tassie” is a small cup-shaped cookie or tart, and comes from the Scottish word tass + ie. which means small cup.  Taking this idea to its simplest form I made the lemon tassies from supplies that I had on hand.  They were extremely easy to make and insanely good to eat.

I started with a package of refrigerated sugar cookie dough,  the kind that comes in a block and can be separated into 24 “squares”,  one for each cookie.  Using two mini-muffin pans,  I placed a block of cookie dough into each well, and with my fingers pressed it to cover the bottom, and up the sides of the muffin cups.  Then I baked them.  After baking, there was a depression in the center of each one where I spooned about 1 teaspoon of lemon curd.

IMG_3663

The heat from the still warm cookies, softened the curd so that it spread and filled the depression.  After they were completely cool, I put a dab of white frosting on each one.  (Frosting was left over from a previous baking project.)  If I didn’t already have the frosting, I would have dusted them with confectioners’ sugar, because I thought they needed something white on them for garnish.  For a special occasion a candied flower, like a violet, would be a lovely garnish.

IMG_3665

When first made the cookie part was crisp, but I kept them in a covered container, and the next day the cookie had softened and become chewy.  That seemed to fit the smooth, lemony filling better and we liked them better that way.

For some reason I always seem to want something lemon in spring time, and I already had a small amount of lemon curd that I had made, so that’s how I came up with this idea.  I think these little finger cookies ( or tarts) would be great served at a tea, a Mother’s Day Brunch,  a shower, or any other springtime occasion.

A few simple supplies are all you need:

  • mini-muffin pans, for a total of 24 cookies
  • 1 package of preformed , refrigerated sugar cookie dough, 24/pkg.
  • 1 jar lemon curd, or your own homemade.**
  • a small amount of vanilla frosting, or other garnish

Spray the muffin cups with non-stick spray.  Preheat the oven as the cookie package suggests.

Place one block of cookie dough in each of the muffin cups; with your fingers press to cover the bottom and up the sides to form a shell.

Press dough into the wells of a mini-muffin pan.

Press dough into the wells of a mini-muffin pan.

Bake for the recommended time on the cookie package, starting to check on them early, so they don’t get too brown.  Remove from the oven, and while still warm, spoon about 1 teaspoon of the lemon curd into the depression of each cookie.

After baking the shells, fill depressions with lemon curd.

After baking the shells, fill depressions with lemon curd.

Allow to cool completely on a wire rack,  loosening the cookies so they don’t stick.

Garnish the top of each cookie with your choice of frosting or other decorative garnish.

IMG_3667

**If lemon curd is not available, any flavor of jam would be a nice substitute.

SOURCE:  A Carolyn Original

Black and White Bars

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Desserts, Snacks and tagged with , , , , ,
Black and White Bars

Black and White Bars

Black and white, the classic color combination;  found in so many places.  In the fashion world with black and white you can’t go wrong.  I always feel as though I am well put-together when I wear it.  Any season, any reason it’s always right.  Think of a piano keyboard, another perfect example of this combination, and nothing can improve upon it.   Well, in this recipe for black and white bars, the same is true.  White chocolate with bittersweet dark chocolate make beautiful music together.  I can’t think of one thing to make them better.

So good!

So good!

They are pretty simple to make requiring one large bowl, a smaller one, and a hand mixer.  The recipe calls for baking them in a 9 – inch square pan, but I made a mistake and used an 8 – inch pan.  They came out quite thick, but for me, thicker is better, and more chewy.  So use what you have, remembering that if you use a smaller pan you need to bake them at least 5 minutes longer.  (test with a toothpick). You will not be disappointed in these bars, except maybe at how fast they disappear.  Be sure to get yours before they’re all gone!

BLACK AND WHITE BARS

YIELD:  16 squares

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup chopped white chocolate, or white chipsIMG_3617
  • 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick ) butter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1  1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup bittersweet chunks or large chips

1.  Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Lightly grease a 9 – inch square pan

2.  Place the white chocolate, butter, and sugar in a heatproof bowl.  Heat at low power in the microwave for 1 minute intervals, or over simmering water, until the chocolate softens.  White chocolate is sensitive to to scorching, so watch carefully.

Melting the white chocolate, sugar and butter over simmering water.

Melting the white chocolate, sugar and butter over simmering water.

3.  When the butter is melted and the white chocolate looks soft, stir in the vanilla, nutmeg and salt.  Let the mixture cool to lukewarm,  then beat in the eggs.

Beating in the eggs.

Beating in the eggs.

4.  In a separate medium bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder; stir into the egg mixture.

Stir in the flour and baking powder.

Stir in the flour and baking powder.

Stir in 3/4 cup of the dark chocolate chunks.

Stir in the dark chocolate chunks or chips.

Stir in the dark chocolate chunks or chips.

Spoon the batter into a greased 9″ square pan, and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chunks over the top.

In the pan, ready for the oven.

In the pan, ready for the oven.

5.  Bake the squares for 25 minutes,  ( 30 minutes for a smaller pan), until light golden brown and the edges pull just slightly away from the pan.  Remove from the oven and cool before cutting.

It was hard to wait for them to cool.

It was hard to wait for them to cool.

I cheated a little and cut them before they were completely cool, so the chocolate is still warm and melty-like—nothing wrong with that–except you don’t get a nice clean cut.  Who cares when they taste this good!

SOURCE:  King Arthur Flour.com/recipes/bars

Tiramisu, a Lightened-up Version

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts and tagged with , , , , , ,

Today marks the beginning of my second year writing this blog, and I wanted to share with you something fabulous.  I think this recipe is certainly that.  Rich, indulgent and just plain delicious!

Tiramisu, with less calories and fat but still rich and delicious.

Tiramisu, with less calories and fat but still rich and delicious.

Most likely you have had tiramisu at one time or another.   You know, the elegant, espresso-soaked sponge cake dessert, which is characterized by its rich layers of buttery mascarpone cheese and sweetened whipped cream, topped off with shaved chocolate.  If you have never had it, then I suggest you try this lightened up version for a treat that still delivers the flavor of the original without all the fat and calories.

Tiramisu, an elegant dessert.

Tiramisu, an elegant dessert.

The classic recipe packs a wallop;  a day’s worth of fat and almost 600 calories.  Mascarpone is Italy’s version of a dessert butter;  delicious to be sure, but you don’t need so much to make a dessert which is still rich tasting.  To lighten it , this recipe subs in 1/3 less fat cream cheese, with still a bit of mascarpone for richness, and mixes it into a lightly sweetened egg custard.  Egg whites are whipped, then folded into the custard, eliminating the need for whipped cream.  Crisp lady-fingers get dipped into Kahlua-spiked coffee and are then layered with the creamy custard-like filling.  A dusting of bittersweet chocolate adds one more layer of flavor for an indulgent treat that will truly be a pick-me-up, for that’s what “tiramisu” means.

Two layers of sweet, creamy indulgence.

Two layers of sweet, creamy indulgence.

We were guests at my  sister-in-law’s home for Easter dinner, and this is what I brought for dessert.  Everyone thought it was divine.  I needn’t have  worried that they would detect it wasn’t the original version. It disappeared so fast no one even questioned it.

TIRAMISU

SERVINGS:    10

INGREDIENTS

Ladyfingers, 2 kinds of cheese, Kahlua, and eggs.

Ladyfingers, 2 kinds of cheese, Kahlua, and eggs.

  • 1  1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup ground dark roast coffee
  • 1/2 cup sugar, divided
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 Tablespoons Kahlua  (coffee-flavored liqueur), divided
  • 5 large egg whites
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 8  ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
  • 2  ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
  • 24 crisp savoiardi ladyfingers  ( 1  [ 7oz.] pkg.)
  • 3/4  ounce bittersweet chocolate, finely grated

1.  Bring 1  1/2 cups water to a boil, and remove from heat.  Add coffee; cover and let stand for 10 minutes.  Strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a medium bowl; discard grounds.  Cover and refrigerate until needed.  I brewed extra coffee in the morning, then into 1 1/2 cups coffee I added 1 Tablespoon espresso  powder; heated up the mixture to dissolve the espresso, then chilled it.

Espresso mixed with brewed coffee for a strong coffee flavor.

Espresso mixed with brewed coffee for a strong coffee flavor.

2.  Combine  1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and 1 Tablespoon Kahlua in the top of a double boiler, stirring well with a whisk.  Cook over simmering water, whisking constantly, until thick and candy thermometer registers 160* (about 9 minutes).  Remove from heat; refrigerate 10 minutes.

Cooking the egg yolks with sugar and Kaluha.

Cooking the egg yolks with sugar and Kaluha.

3.  Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until medium peaks form.  Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil.   Cook, without stirring, until the candy thermometer registers 250*.  With mixer at low speed,  carefully pour hot syrup over egg whites.  Gradually increase speed to high; beat for 2 minutes or until stiff peaks form  (do not over mix )

4.  Combine egg yolk mixture, cream cheese, and mascarpone cheese in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

Egg yolk mixture beaten with cream cheese and mascarpone.

Egg yolk mixture beaten with cream cheese and mascarpone.

Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into cream cheese mixture;  gently fold remaining egg white mixture into cream cheese mixture.

Fold egg whites into egg/ cheese mixture.

Fold egg whites into egg/ cheese mixture.

5.  Add remaining 1 Tablespoon Kahlua to coffee.  Quickly dip 12 ladyfingers into coffee mixture; arrange in the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.  Note:  I used an 8″ x 12″ pan and 15 ladyfingers, without changing anything else, and there was enough coffee and custard to cover adequately.

Ladyfingers dipped and placed into bottom of baking dish.

Ladyfingers dipped and placed into bottom of baking dish.

Spread half of cream cheese mixture over ladyfingers.

Spread with half the cream cheese mixture.

Spread with half the cream cheese mixture.

Sprinkle with half of the chocolate.

Sprinkle with half the chocolate.

Sprinkle with half the chocolate.

Repeat procedure with the remaining ladyfingers, coffee mixture, and cream cheese mixture .  Sprinkle with remaining chocolate.  Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

This makes a full pan.

This makes a full pan.

Cut into squares and remove with a spatula.

Cut into squares and remove with a spatula.

Try it. I'm sure you will love it!

Try it. I’m sure you will love it!

SOURCE:  Cooking Light

Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Desserts, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , ,
Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies?   If a vote were taken for favorite cookie they would probably win by a landslide, and it seems as though every cook has their favorite recipe for making them.   Mine would have to be the traditional Toll-House cookie, so I don’t usually look at other recipes for chocolate chippers.   But you know how popular the addition of salt has become in the dessert world, so when I happened on this recipe for Salted Chocolate Chip cookies, I was curious what they would be like and had to try them.

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A sprinkle of salt on the cookies before baking is the finishing touch that brings out the chocolate flavor and tones down the sweetness, creating the ultimate sweet and salty snack.  We found these cookies to have a very nice taste, but they do flatten out quite a bit as they bake.  I normally like a thick, chunky cookie with lots of depth to bite into, and these were not that, but I did enjoy that hit of salt against the sweetness of the chocolate.  These cookies are crisp on the outside but chewy on the inside; a nice contrast in textures.  We both liked them enough for me to make them again, so I would recommend you try them especially if you would like to experience that sweet and salty combination.

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After baking the first sheet of cookies and seeing how they turned out, I put the remaining two sheets in the refrigerator to chill the dough and firm up the butter, before they hit the heat of the oven.  It’s important also be keep your oven at 375*F  throughout the baking time. For best results  bake only one sheet of cookies at a time, instead of two and rotating them, as the recipe suggests.

When using salt on your desserts, a sprinkle of one of the following will get the job done—just don’t use table salt.   Kosher salt, large crystals, dissolve quickly;   flaky sea salt,  light, crunchy texture, provides ideal finishing touch on cookies, etc.;  coarse sea salt,  grains are crunchy, but don’t dissolve as quickly, good with assertive flavors and textures.

SALTED CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

YIELD:   makes about 30 cookies

INGREDIENTSIMG_3423

  • 1  1/2  cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 cup  ( 1 stick ) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup ( packed ) light brown sugar
  • 1/2 granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
  • flaky sea salt

1.  Preheat oven to 375*F.  Prepare baking sheets with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.

2.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

3.  Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until mixture is pale and fluffy,  4-5 minutes.  Reduce mixer speed to low; slowly add dry ingredients, mixing just to blend.  Using a spatula, fold in chocolate.

4.  Spoon rounded tablespoons full of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 1″ apart.  Sprinkle cookies with sea salt.

5.  Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until just golden brown around the edges, 10 – 12 minutes.  Cookies will firm up as they cool.  Let cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks;  let cool completely.   Store airtight at room temperature.

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SOURCE:   adapted from Bon Appetit,  January, 2013

Bread Pudding with Irish Cream Sauce

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts, Dressings, Sauces and tagged with , , , ,
Bread Pudding with Irish Cream Sauce

Bread Pudding with Irish Cream Sauce

Bread pudding!  An old-fashioned dessert that many of us grew up with.  A way to use up bread going stale.  Break or cut the bread up, pour a warm custardy mixture over it and bake till brown and fragrant.  Served warm with a little cream poured over it,  it became comfort food in a bowl.

So why haven’t I made it in such a long time?  Maybe because other more flashy desserts got my attention. What ever the reason I was reminded of bread pudding just recently when I was looking through a magazine in a waiting room  (dentist appointment, Ugh).   Coincidentally I had a large French baguette that I wanted to use.  The light bulb went on and when I got home, I started in making this version of  bread pudding.  When my mother made bread pudding she often made a lemon sauce to pour over it,  but I decided to make a sauce using some of the Irish Cream that I wrote about here.  To make the sauce compatible with the pudding, I used some sliced almonds in the pudding along with some raisins, since there is almond flavoring in the Irish Cream.  A match made in heaven,  thank-you very much!

Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding

Please note in the photos you see here, I made half the recipe by cutting all ingredients in half, except I used 3 eggs; and I baked mine in an 8-inch round cake pan, overlapping the top slices of bread for a “shingled” effect.

BREAD PUDDING WITH IRISH CREAM SAUCE 

SERVINGS:    9

For the Pudding

  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2  2/3 cups  2% milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 long French baguette,  dark crusts removed, sliced about 1/2-inch thick
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 2 Tablespoons raw sugar (demerera sugar)
  • cooking spray

For the Sauce:

  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup  2% milk
  • 1 Tablespoon Irish Cream Liqueur

1.  To prepare the pudding:  Combine 2/3 cup sugar and eggs in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Heat   2 2/3 cups milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around edge–do not boil!

2.  Gradually add hot milk mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Return milk mixture to pan;  cook over low heat 6 minutes or until mixture coats the back of a spoon.   Remove from heat.

3.  Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.  Cover bottom of pan with bread slices, fitting them close together.

Fit bread slices snugly for a bottom layer.

Fit bread slices snugly for a bottom layer.

Sprinkle on half the raisins and half the sliced almonds.  Repeat the layers again:  as much bread as you can fit, raisins, and almonds.

Add almonds and raisins.

Add almonds and raisins.

4.  Pour milk mixture over the bread and allow the bread to absorb some of the milk.  Wait about an hour before baking.  Before baking sprinkle top of pudding with the 2 Tablespoons raw sugar.

repeat layers and pour egg-milk mixture over the top.

repeat layers and pour egg-milk mixture over the top.

5.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Place baking dish in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan;  add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch.***  Bake, covered, at 350* for 20 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking an additional 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Bread Pudding, warm and custardy.

Bread Pudding, warm and custardy.

***Cooking the pudding in a water bath ensures creamy results.

6.  To prepare the sauce:  Combine 2 Tablespoons sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl,  stirring with a whisk.  Heat 1/2 cup milk in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges—do not boil.

7.  Gradually  add hot milk to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Place milk mixture in pan; cook over low heat 6 minutes or until mixture coats back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the liqueur.   Allow sauce to cool to room temperature.  This may be hastened by placing the pan in an ice-filled bowl and stirring constantly.

8.  To serve, cut pudding into  9 squares, and serve with sauce over warm pudding.

Bread Pudding with Irish Cream Sauce

Bread Pudding with Irish Cream Sauce

SOURCE:  Cooking Light Annual, 2007

Brown Sugar Broiled Grapefruit

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts and tagged with , , , , ,
Brown Sugar Broiled Grapefruit

Brown Sugar Broiled Grapefruit

Staying with the subject of citrus fruits I thought I would include this simple little recipe–which hardly needs a recipe at all to make, but maybe some of you have never given a thought to heating up or broiling grapefruit.  When my children were small I would cut grapefruits in half, section them, sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar, and place under the broiler until the sugar melted and became a little browned.  Before serving I would place a whole maraschino cherry in the center.  They loved it.  We had it for breakfast, but who’s to say you couldn’t have it as a dessert as well.

My recipe today is very similar to that described above, with just a few more ingredients.   These grapefruit halves are topped with a spiced brown sugar, caramelized under the broiler then topped with a dollop of vanilla infused whipped cream.  It seems more appropriate as a dessert because of the cream on it;  but there’s no right or wrong way to have it.  What’s important is that you get as much citrus as you can  into your diet while it’s so plentiful.  It is one of the best sources of Vitamin C. and also a good source of Vitamin A.

These grapefruit were so juicy, and sweet.  I used cardamom as the spice mixed with the brown sugar and it gave an interesting flavor to the grapefruit.  I made enough of the cream/yogurt mixture to keep some in the refrigerator so that I can make these quickly whenever we want them.  I think they would be great served for  brunch, too.

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BROWN SUGAR BROILED GRAPEFRUIT

SERVINGS    4

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 red or pink grapefruit
  • 8 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons melted butter
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 Tablespoons nonfat or low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Position oven rack about 3 inches below the heat source;  preheat broiler.  Line a rimmed baking pan with foil.

2.  Cut each grapefruit in half, then trim a thin slice off the bottom so it sits level.  With a paring knife, or grapefruit knife, cut around each segment, remove any seeds.  Place the grapefruit halves in the prepared pan.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon (or cardamom) in a small bowl.  Brush each half with melted butter, then sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons of the sugar mixture.

Brushed with butter and sprinkled with brown sugar.

Brushed with butter and sprinkled with brown sugar.

3.  Broil the grapefruit, watching carefully and rotating the pan once halfway through, until the tops are bubbling and golden brown, 7 to 12 minutes.

After broiling.

After broiling.

4.  Meanwhile beat the cream in a small bowl until stiff.  Beat in yogurt, granulated sugar and vanilla just until combined.  Serve each grapefruit topped with a heaping tablespoon of the vanilla cream.

Top grapefruit with vanilla cream.

Top grapefruit with vanilla cream.

SOURCE:   EatingWell.com

A Breath of Sunshine

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Desserts, Snacks and tagged with , , , , ,

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We are growing tired of winter winds whipping, snow piled up in hugh mountains, and very little green(ery) to be seen.  So along comes a breath of sunshine in the form of citrus fruits to remind us of warm weather and sunnier times.  The bright colors of oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits, are so cheerful, and they show up in the produce isles just when we need them most.  I don’t know about you, but I am ready for a little warm weather fling.

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Citrus fruits are an equal opportunity ingredient, happy in either savory dishes or sweet.  For example, I use orange segments in green salad to brighten it up and give the salad a little interest and of course I bake with citrus, especially lemons. This post is not going to be using words like zippy, zingy, tangy and tart to describe the flavors of citrus.   You don’t need me to tell you what a lemon tastes like, or how frequently a recipe calls for lemon juice.  In fact I don’t know of a cuisine that does not use citrus in one way or another.  It’s the citric acid that brightens food and makes it come alive.  Often its there,  you don’t know it, but it provides balance.

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One of my favorite uses for lemons is to make lemon squares.  With the abundance of  all this citrus, I decided to indulge myself and make a batch.   This recipe uses oatmeal as one of the ingredients in the cookie base and the topping, so you get a nice little crunch in every bite.  Paired with the smooth creaminess of the lemon filling, this makes a very satisfying dessert or snack.

LEMON CREME SQUARES

YIELD:   12 squaresIMG_3154

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  •  zest of 1 lemon

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F,  and lightly grease a 9″ x 9″ pan

2.  In a large bowl cut butter into brown sugar until they are well combined.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.  Add this mixture and the oats to the butter mixture and mix to combine.  This will be quite dry and crumbly.

4.  Press half the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, and press down lightly.

5.   In a small bowl mix together the condensed milk, lemon juice and zest.

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Spread evenly on top of the oat mixture in the pan.  Top with the remaining oat mixture.

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6.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Let cool and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.  Cut into bars and store in the refrigerator.

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SOURCE:   TASTE OF HOME BAKING