Category: Desserts

Cakes · Desserts

Pineapple Cheesecake Pies

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This recipe is from my neighbor who was from NYC and who cooked some of the best desserts and Italian food ever. She shared each and every recipe I requested back in the 70’s and 80’s and this recipe was just one of her best. It is so good to serve at dinner parties, as it makes 2 9″ pies and very easy and quick.

Crusts:
1 pack (6 oz Zweiback cookies ground into crumbs (I use Keebler Sandies (the ones without pecans)Cookies to equal 6 oz. (about 1 cup crushed cookies)
2 tables sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
Mix crumbs, sugar and melted butter until blended. Using back of spoon, pat mixture into 2 deep pyrex pie plates, covering bottom bottom and sides. Drain a #303 can of crushed pineapple. Carefully put half of pineapple in each pie plate, covering bottom crust.
Filling
1/2 cup sugar
2 tables flour
1/4 teas slt
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup small-curd cottage cheese (or another 8 oz cream cheese)
1 teas vanilla
4 egg yolks, separated from whites
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 cup whipping cream or undiluted evaporated milk
Beat egg whites until stiff; set aside. Mix cream cheese an cottage cheese until well blended. Add sugar, flour, salt and vanilla. Add egg yolks, one at a time beating well after each addition. Add milk or whipping cream and blend well. Fold in beaten egg whites. carefully pour mixture into pie plates, dividing evenly between the two plates. Bake at 350 about 35 min until knife inserted comes out clean. Store in Fridge until ready to serve. Top with whipping cream or Cool Whip….makes 2 pies

Desserts

Ginger-Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfaits

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Straight out of a Paula Deen Magazine, this recipe combines the wonderful flavor of pumpkin, ginger and cream cheese. Use decorative glasses to serve your family and guests this gorgeous and flavorful dessert.
3 tables butter
1/2 of a 1-lb box gingersnap cookies, coarsely crushed (1/2 of the box, crushed)
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup pump0kin puree (you can use canned if you desire to do so, but the fresh is definately worth the trouble)
1/2 cup plus 2 tables sugar, divided
2 teas pumpkin pie spice
1 teas vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Gingersnap cookies
In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add crushed gingersnap and cook, stirring constantly for 2 min or until ilghtly toasted. Remove from skillet immediately and cool.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese at medium speed with a mixer until smooth; add pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla, beating just until combined. In parfait glasses, layer crushed gingersnaps and cream cheese mixture as desired, starting with gingersnaps. Cover and chill for a least 1 hr.
In a small bowl, beat whipping cream and remaining 2 tables sugar at medium-high speed with mixer until soft peaks form. Dollop cream over parfaits. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice, if desired. Cover with plastic until ready to serve and then top with a gingersnap cooking sticking out of parfait, right before serving.

Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit

Persimmon Cake

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

When we moved in to our new place here in California, our neighbor brought over a Persimmon cake to us. It was so moist and so tasty that I immediately went to every store and every farmers market to find these little gems so I could make one myself. I learned that they were not in season until Oct. When I asked Claudette, who made the cake, she told me that she had used the persimmons that she had put away last year when they were in season. I have been waiting until Oct to buy some and make this cake. It is so good and so different. It is almost like a pudding cake. In fact, Claudette using Nancy Reagan’s recipe for her persimmon cake. But the one below has already been converted from metric to our regular measurments so am posting this one. Last night, Randy (or Peter, if you are in the Pumpkin mood already) brought home a huge sack of persimmons from a lady at the office who had talked to me and knew that I was waiting for these little gems to get to the stores. Her husband is in produce delivery and so she sent me a sack full and just told me to allow them to ripen for a few days in the brown sack. So they are sitting there waiting to ripen. I have been told that in another 2 weeks they will be in the stores. It will be fruit freezing time at our house in a few weeks. I don’t want to have to wait again like the last few months before I can have them to make a cake any time I want. If you see them in the store, buy them and try this cake. It is just so good and so perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The recipes I am finding have it with cream cheese frosting, but Claudette only sprinkled powdered sugar over the cake….which is how I will serve mine….

2 cups sugar

1 cup light vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon each, salt, allspice and cinnamon

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup persimmon pulp

1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or hickory nuts

In a large bowl use an electric mixer to combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

Sift together the flour, salt and spices. Combine the buttermilk and baking soda. Add the sifted ingredients to the first mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Add the persimmon pulp and mix well. Stir in the chopped nuts. Pour the batter into a greased and floured tube pan and bake at 300 degrees F for 75 minutes. Cool and frost with buttermilk frosting (recipe below). Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Chocolate · Desserts

Brownie Chocolate Cheesecake

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Oh my, am going to make this tomorrow. It is just one of those recipes that you can tell the minute you read it, it will be a favorite. Can’t wait to bite into the first bite. It was on the Just A Pinch web site.

1 bx brownie mixed and baked according to directions
CHOCOLATE CRUST
1 1/2 c crushed vanilla wafer(about 45 cookies)
6 Tbsp powdered sugar
6 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 stk butter melted
CHEESECAKE
4(8oz) pkg cream cheese, room temperature
1 c sugar
4 eggs
choclate sundae syrups in a bottle..or any kind
1 tsp pure vanilla
Mix crust ingredients..press mixture into a 9 inch springform pan. bake 8 min and allow to cool slightly 3Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Gradually add eggs one at a time. Pour batter into crust. 4Cube up about half the pan of brownies. sprinkle the pieces into the batter and push them down. Drizzle chocolate sundae syrup on top and with a butter knife swirl gently to give it the marble effect. 5Bake 50-55 min 6Lossen from pan after cooled. Cover and refrigerate.
Better served cold.

Cakes · Desserts

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Browned Butter Frosting

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This time of year gives us Gingerbread lattes at Starbucks and Pumpkin Spice Frappachino’s and what better treat to go along with these wonderful cups of smooth Fall flavors than a gingerbread cupcake. I found this recipe in a Food Newwork magazine and they are so good. They had them frosted with Caramelized Mango buttercream which I will also share with you but I liked them with the browned butter frosting, so thought I would give you both recipes and let you choose which one you liked.
Before you start making the cupcakes, make the ginger syrup so it can be cooling while preparing the cupcake batter.
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 2″ piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
To make the syrup combine the granulated sugar, fresh ginger and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 min. Remove from the heat and leet infuse for 30 min. Strain the syrup before using.
Cupcake batter:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tables baking powder
3/4 teas baking soda
1/4 teas salt
1 tables ground ginger
2 teas ground cinnammon
1/4 teas ground cloves
3 tables unsalted butter, melted
3 tables vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
6 tables molasses
3/4 cup water
Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners and spray the liners with cooking spray.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnammon and cloves into a medium bowl.
Whisk the melted butter, oil, brown sugar, eggs, molasses and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.
Fill each paper liner with 1/3 cup batter, about 1/4 ” below the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a tooghpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. (about 12-15 min)
Remove from oven and brush the tops liberally with the ginger syrup. Let sit in the pan for 5 min before removing. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Mango Buttercream
2 cups (4 sticks) plus 2 tables slightly cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 small or 2 large ripe mangoes, coarsely chopped
6 large egg yolks
Cooking spray
34 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tables vanilla extract
1/4 cup finely diced candied ginger, for garnish

Heat 2 tables butter in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the mangoes and cook until caramelized and soft, about 10 min. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Pass the mixture through a medium mesh strainer into a bowl. Discard the solids.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (If you don’t have one, just use your hand mixer, it will take a little more energy, as you will have to stand there and mix it), fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks on high speed until creamy and pale yellow, about 5 min.
Spray a heatproof measuring cup with cooking spray. Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a full rolling boil over medium -high heat. Cook without stirring until the syrup reaches the soft-boiled stage (238-242 degrees) on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour the syrup into the measuring cup to halt the cooking. Add a small amount of the sugar syrup to the beaten egg yolks. Turn the mixer on to high speed and bat for about 5 sec. Continue stopping the mixer adding syrup and bating until all the syrup is incorporated. Beat the mixture until it is completely cool.Add the remaining 2 cups butter a few pieces at a time, beating until mixed before adding more. When all the butter has been blended in add the vanilla and the mango puree and beat until combined. Frost the top of each cupcake liberally with the mango buttercream and garnish wih the candied giner.

Browned Butter frosting:

1 cup butter

1 16 oz box of powdered sugar

1/4 to 1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 min or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately, and pour butter into a small bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify. Beat butter at medium speed with mixer until fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with sugar. Beat mixture at low speed until well blended after each addition and stir in vanilla. Spread over cooled cake. Sprinkle pecans over top..Store covered in fridge but take out about an hour before serving, or leave at room temp if serving same day…

Desserts

Chocolate Tuxedo Cake

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

I have tried for 3 days to post this recipe plus including a picture of the cake, but at this point, all you will get is the recipe as I cannot figure out how to upload the pic from my phone. This cake is absolutly one of the pretties cakes I have made and it is equally delish! It is so worth the little extra time and will make you so proud to have it as a centerpiece for your dessert table or even at your dinner table.
Bake 1 Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix according to the directions on the box, making 2-9″ layers. Set aside to cool.
Then bake:
1 Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix
1 small (4 oz) size of french vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cup water
4 eggs
Combine all ingredients for the Devils food cake mix and bake in 3-9″ layers. When cake is done, turn out ea layer onto waxed paper to cool.
While cake is cooling, make frosting:
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup of Crisco shortening
1 stick (1/2 cup) of softened unsalted butter
1 tables almond extract
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk, or whipping cream
Mix all ingredients for frosting, adding enough milk or whipping cream to get to spreading consistency. (Begin with the 1/4 cup and add more by the tables, to ensure that you don’t get to thin)
Place one chocolate layer on serving plate. Frost top with about 1/2 cup of the frosting. Place one of the vanilla layers on top and frost it with another 1/2 cup of frosting. Repeat with another chocolate layer, frosting only the top. Finish with one more chocolate layer and frost sides and top of cake. Set aside while making the ganache topping.

In small saucepan, pour 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream with 2 tables granulated sugar, 2 tables unsalted butter and bring to a boil. When mixture is boiling, pour over 4 (1 oz) squares of semi-sweet chocolate which you have broken up into smaller pieces. Place a plate over bowl of chocolate mixture, which keeps the heat in, for about 5 min. Remove plate and stir until chocolate is finished melting and mixture is smooth of any chocolate pieces. Stir for a couple of min to cool down mixture. Using a tablespoon, begin to spoon chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, allowing the chocolate to drizzle down sides of cake, but totally covering the top of the cake. This makes a dramatic effect of all chocolate top with it drizzled down the sides of the vanilla frosted cake. Store in fridge until about 2 hours before serving time. Take out and let sit at room temp so chocolate is easy to slice.

Chocolate · Desserts

German Chocolate Cake Truffles

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These will be a hit at any gathering. Just perfect for popping into your mouth. Perfect for grabbing the whole tray of them and going over to a corner and just savoring each and every one. After all, there will be enough people to “mingle” with the other guests while you sit back and enjoy these delectable little bites of heaven. This recipe comes from the Southern Living Christmas 2011 Edition.

1 (18.25 oz) package German chocolate cake mix
1 (16 oz) container milk chocolate ready to spread frosting
2 cups toasted coconut, divided
1 3/4 cups toasted finely chopped pecans, divided
Wax Paper
4 (7 oz) containers milk chocolate dipping chocolate
Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directons in a lightly greased 13 x 9 pan. Let cool completely in pan (about 30 min)
Crumble cake into a large bowl. Scoop frosting by spoonfuls over cake crumbs. Sprinkle with 1 cup each coconut and pecans; stir gently just until thoroughly blended. Using a cookie scoop, scoop cake mixture into 1 1/4 ” balls and roll in hands making them round. Place balls on wax paper lined baking sheets. Cover and chill 1 to 2 hrs.
Meanwhile, combine remaining 1 cup coconut and 3/4 cup pecans; stir well. Melt dipping chocolate, 1 container at a time, according to package directioins; dip chilled balls in melted chocolate, using candy dipping fork or if you don’t have one use a fork with a toothpick to secure ball to fork. Allow excess chocolate to drip off. Place coated truffles on wax paper lined baking sheets. Sprinkle tops with coconut pecan mixture and chill 30 min or until set. Place truffles in small baking cups to serve or a platter.
*I used Duncan Hines German Chocolate Cake mix, Betty Croker Frosting and Bakers Real Milk Chocolate Dipping Chocolate

Desserts

Pecan Pie Cobbler

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Doesn’t the title even make you just stand up and say, “YUM”? When I read this new recipe in a new Christmas Book that I received, I just knew it was going to be one of my favorites for 2012…..there is nothing better than hot cobbler with ice cream, and to have it with the gooey pecan filling, well, it just combines two of the most yummy desserts. Hope your Thanksgiving orChristmas menu will include this at least once..I think you will add it to your favorites also.
2 1/2 cups light corn syrup
2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tble vanilla
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 (14.1 oz) package refrigerated piecrusts (or make your own)
Pam cooking spray (preferably butter flavored)
2 cups pecan halves
Honey or Cinnamon Ice cream
Preheat oven to 425. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in coarsely chopped pecans.
Unroll 1 piecrust. Roll into a 13 x 9 in baking dish. Spoon half of filling mixture into pastry. Unroll remaining piecrust. Roll into a 13×9 in rectangle. Trim sides to fit pan. Place over filling in pan. Coat with cooking spray.
Bake at 425 for 14-16 min or until browned. Reduce oven temperature to 350.
Carefully spoon remaining filling over baked pastry; arrange pecan halves on top in a decorative fashion. Bake at 350 for 30 min or until set. Cool 20 min on a wire rack; serve warm with ice cream. *If you are a chocoholic, you could add 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips to the filling before pouring over the crust, giving you ANOTHER favorite, chocolate with pecan pie filling.

Desserts

Brown Sugar Shortbreads

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These seriously melt in your mouth. I know that right now, with the heat it is a little hard to think about “fall” but in a few short weeks, a cool breeze will blow through and you will be searching for just the perfect cookie to sit down and munch on while you sip a mug of coffee, while leafing through your new October issue of Southern Living Magazine.
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teas apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teas salt
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
Nonsitck cooking spray
Granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium to high for 30 sec. Add brown sugar, apple pie spice and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour.
Shape dough into 1 in balls. Place balls 2 in apart on prepared cookie sheet. Coat bottom of a glass or cookie stamp with cooking spray and dip in granulated sugar. Flatten each cookie with the glass or stamp, imprinting the pattern.
Bake for 12-15 min or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Makes about 36 cookies.
Layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container and cover. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Chocolate · Desserts

Magic In The Middle Chocolate Cookie

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This recipe is from Just A Pinch Recipe Club and it is so awesome. It just hits the spot when you are wanting to sit down with a cup of coffee or Coke and bite into something ooyie gooie with a special treat of combined chocolate/peanut butter taste. Worth the little extra time it takes to make them.

Ingredients
– 1 1/2 c all purpose flour
– 1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1/2 tsp baking soda
– 1/4 tsp salt
– 1/2 c granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
– 1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
– 1 stk butter, softened – 1/4 c smooth peanut butter
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 lg whole egg
– 1 lg egg yolk
– 3/4 c smooth peanut butter
– 3/4 c confectioners’ sugar

Directions
1. DOUGH: Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well

2. FILLING: In a small bowl, stir together the 3/4 cup of peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth.

3. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.

4. FORM COOKIES: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough. Make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out into ball. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

5. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

6. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.

7. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they’re set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.