Category: Desserts

Breads · Breakfast · Chocolate · Cookies · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Chocolate Peanut Butter Biscotti

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Rediscovering some of my Christmas with Southern Living books (this one was 2001), I found several recipes which I want to make this season. Since it is so much fun to make biscotti and I have a friend who I will not name (but looks like she stuck her finger in a light socket to style her hair), that continues to ask me to bring her more biscotti every time I see her. So Spikey Hair Lady, will try this recipe to see if get meets your approval.
This is my friend who Randy tells her that he has to sit in front of her at church as he can’t see the preacher if he sits behind her. Of course, after she sees this post, we probably won’t be friends much longer and I will get to keep all the biscotti for myself.

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
3/4 teas baking soda
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts (they tested with cocktail peanuts, I will use my Virginia peanuts I buy at Costco)
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
*I deleted the 1/4 teas salt recipe called for since the peanuts were salted

Ingredients for Dipping Biscotti in
1 cup semisweet chocolate mini chips, divided
1 1/2 tables creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 tables shortening

Beat 1/3 cup peanut butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, beating until blended
Stir together the four, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.(if using salt). Add to peanut butter mixture, beating on low speed until blended. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead in peanuts and 1/2 cup mini chips.

Shape dough into a 13′ x 3″ log on a lightly greased baking sheet (or ungreased parchment lined sheet). Bake at 325 for 40 minutes or until firm. Remove to a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes.
Cut log diagonally into 1/2″ thick slices with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion; place slices on uncreased baking sheets. Bake at 325 for 7 minutes; turn slices over and bake an additional 7 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool.
Combine remaining 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 1/2 tables peanut butter and shortening in a small saucepan. Melt over low heat and stir to mix.
Dip one end of each biscotti in chocolate mixture. Place biscotti on wax paper until chocolate hardens.
Yields about 28 slices

Chocolate · Cookies · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Rodelle Baking Cocoa

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Last year i discovered this wonderful cocoa, so rich and dark in flavor that it has replaced my regular cocoa in almost every recipe!

This year it was at Costco for $6.99 /25 oz bag so i bought enough bags to last me until i go to a nursing home or Jesus returns (personally i pray for that to happen first, maybe I’ll be raptured with a bag of Rodelle in my hand!)

Wanting to make cookies for a car trip to Sedona tomorrow with some friends, i looked up some recipes on my blog of which i hadnt made in a while and wa la….these popped up! So first batch is out and instead of the ganache filling the recipe calls for, i used Hershey kisses for the middle! Using the Thumbie, it is so easy to make perfect indentions for the kisses! Am also making some of these using raspberry jam in the middle! Love the flavor of raspberry and chocolate together! If you dont have Rodelle cocoa, you can use Hershey, they just wont be as chocolatey!

(Dont want go make Hershey people sad because I like Rodelle better, I want them to know NOTHING is better than a Hershey kiss, except a kiss from my hubbie)IMG_1642

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Gingerbread Latte Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting (taken from Southern Living)

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When I said I was going to finally get the chance to sit down by the Christmas Tree and look for recipes in my new magazines, it was so fabulous to see this cake pop off the page. Every year, the anticipation of Starbucks making their gingerbread frappes and lattes,just begin the Christmas season off so tastefully. When I saw this beautiful gingerbread cake recipe, visions of sipping a gingerbread latte while savoring every bite of this cake did me in. Thank you Southern Living for continuing to “wow” us with exciting and luscious recipes.

Cake Layers
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting pans
1/2 cup chopped crystalized ginger
2 teas baking powder
1 teas baking soda
1 teas salt
1 teas ground cinnamon
1/4 teas ground ginger
1/4 teas ground nutmeg
1 cup salted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups hot strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup molasses

Espresso Simple Syrup
3/4 cup hot very strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Vanilla Whipped cream Frosting
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teas vanilla bean paste (or 2 teas vanilla extract)
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Prepare cake layers; preheat oven to 350. Process flour, crystllized ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a food processor util crystalized ginger is finely ground, about 1 minute. Set aside.
Beat salted butter with a electric mixer on medium, until creamy. Gradually add light brown sugar beating unit light and fluffy.
Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir together coffee and molasses in a glass measuring cup. Add flour mixture to the mixture alternately with coffee mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition.

Place egg whites in a glass bowl. Beat with a electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites, in thirds into batter, folding just util incorporated after each addition.

Spoon batter into 3 greased (with vegetable shortening) and floured 9″ round cake pans. Bake in preheated oven until cake tests done in the middle, about 19-22 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the Espresso Syrup. Bring coffee and granulated sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium high. Boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 5-6 minutes.

Remove cakes from oven when done and cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer from pans to wire racks; brush evenly with warm espresso syrup. Cool completely. About 1 hour.

Prepare frosting while cake layers cool.
Beat cream and vanilla bean paste (or extract) with electric mixer on medium high speed until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar beating until stiff peaks form. Do not over beat as it will turn to butter.

Assemble cake by spreading frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Gently press crushed ginger cookies around the bottom of the cake sides, if desired or sprinkle some caused ginger cookies over the top of cake.

Chocolate Magic Pumpkin Cake
Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Chocolate Magic Pumpkin Cake

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Yesterday was the magic day of discovering this delicious cake. I stood at the dessert table at church and ate 3 pieces. As I was standing there trying to figure out how to put another piece of this on my plate without anyone seeing me, I looked behind me to see 3 ladies asking if I had made it and if so they wanted the recipe. We could not find the lady who made it,so a friend of mine(one of the friends who stood there with me dissecting each bite to see if we could figure out what was in it) finally found the recipe on Pinterest and sent it to me (Thanks Debbie for finding it)We all ended up standing there and using our plastic forks, finished off the plate of this amazing dessert. Never had I thought about combining chocolate and pumpkin other than adding chocolate chips to pumpkin cake, but wow, this cake seriously “takes the cake”. Am making it Monday to take to a luncheon, praying that there will be some left for me to “snack” on all afternoon. If not, I guess I will be forced to make another one! Bless My Heart!

Cake
1 box of devils food cake mix baked according to directions on box for making the 9×13″ cake but do not bake yet.

For the Pumpkin Layer
15 oz of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teas pumpkin pie spice

Frosting
1 (4 serving size box french vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup cold milk
8 oz container Cool Whip
4-5 gingersnap cookies, crushed for top, if desired

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare box of cake mix (Duncan Hines is a great chocolate cake mix)according to directions on box and pour into a greased 9×13″ pan. Set aside and do not bake yet.

In another bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the pumpkin layer and stir until smooth. Slowly pour the pumpkin mixture over the chocolate cake batter.

Carefully place cake pan into preheated oven and bake for 50-60 min or until center is no longer jiggly and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely to room temperature.

Frosting
Place the vanilla pudding mix into a large bowl and pour in the cold milk. whisk until combined and starting to thicken. Gently fold in the Cool Whip until completely combined. Spread on top of cooled cake. Sprinkle crushed ginger cookies on top if desired.
Store in Fridge, covered.
*taken from Pinterest I Wash You Dry

Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Almond & Apricot Biscotti

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Have made this twice and each time, it gets great reviews from folks I share it with. Makes great hostess gifts or place in a decorated vase at each end of the dessert table. Great little dessert especially for people who don’t like a lot of sweets, but like just a little something to go with hot tea or coffee.

2 cups flour
4 tables butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teas salt
2 eggs
2 teas baking powder
1 1/2 teas almond extract
1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1 cup sliced (very thin) almonds

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add softened butter,mixing until coarse crumbs form. With mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition; add in almond extract; Stir in apricots and almonds; continue to stir until dough is in ball form, about 1 minute.

On a parchment lined baking sheet, shape dough into two 2″x12″ logs. Bake in preheated oven until dry and set, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire racks. Let cool completely.
Transfer to a cutting board and with a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1/4″ slices. Bake on parchment lined baking sheets until golden, 15-20 minutes, (turn each slice over halfway through baking) and rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on sheets on racks.
Store in air tight container up to 1 week.

I melted vanilla candy melts and drizzled it over each cooled slice.

Breads · Breakfast · Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

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A sweet friend who lives across the street brought some of this amazing coffee cake over Monday night. I wish I would not have scarfed it down before taking a picture, but as soon as we ate one bite…well, lets just say that we didn’t wait until after dinner to eat the whole plate she brought over. Thank you Patty for a new dessert which has put our cholesterol levels in a brand new category.
This coffee cake is almost a cross between a bread pudding and a cake. Peter Pumpkin just stood at the counter and between bites, kept asking me if I would make us a whole pan. It is that good.

Makes 16 servings, yeah right! more like 4 the way we eat.

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temp
1 teas vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teas baking powder
1 cup sour cream

Pumpkin Filling
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1 teas ground cinnamon
1/2 teas salat
1/2 teas ground ginger
1/4 teas ground cloves
2 eggs
1/2 cup half & half or 1/4 cup heavy cream plus 1/4 cup milk

Topping
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teas ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans (very finely chopped)

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9×13″ pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Stir the sour cream and then pour half the batter into the prepared pan.
Stir together the pumpkin, sugar and the spices. Add the eggs and then the cream and stir to combine. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the cake batter and spread across the pan with the back of a spoon. Drop the remaining cake batter over the pumpkin in small spoonfuls and then smooth it across the pumpkin layer. Don’t worry about making it look perfect.
Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle the topping mixture across the top of the cake.
Bake for 50-55 min until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool before cutting.

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Triple Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

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A while back I posted that a precious friend of ours, from California, passed away a couple of years ago. When I was out visiting with his wife, she passed on to me hundreds of Dave’s recipes which he loved. This is one of those recipes. It also gives a little background about McCormick Cinnamon, which is interesting so will share that also.

“One of McCormick’s favorite destinations is Saigon, where they source premium Saigon Cinnamon. The cinnamon forests in this beautiful Vietnamese Countryside yield the most aromatic and flavorful cinnamon, with twice the volatile oils or regular cinnamon. McCormick global journeys allow your palate to experience international flavor adventures. Begin your own flavor adventure with this remarkable recipe.”

Servings: 16
1 package chocolate cake mix, any variety (Duncan Hines is best)
1 package (4 serving size) instant pudding, chocolate flavor
4 eggs
1 TABLESPOON McCormick Gourmet Collection Ground Ginger
1 teas McCormick Gourmet Collection Saigon Cinnamon
1/2 tesas McCormick Gourmet Collection Ground Allspice
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
1 cup mini chocolate chips

White Chocolate Drizzle
1 cup white chocolate chips
4 teas milk
1/2 teas Mccormick Pure Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 10 cup bundt pan with Pam baking spray with flour.
Beat all cake ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until well mixed, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on cake rack for 15 min and then remove from baking pan onto serving platter.If cake sticks to pan, loosen it from side of pan with long skewer or knife. Cool Completely.

Drizzle: Combine white chocolate chips with milk; microwave on medium power 1 minute. Stir. If necessary, repeat microwave process in 10 second intervals until morsels are melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Drizzle over cooled cake. Drizzle will harden, so prepare just before drizzling over cooled cake.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler

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Pumpkins Pumpkins everywhere! Isn’t it grand? In fact, if I’m not careful, I will be able to trick or treat as a pumpkin without putting on a costume. Fall is just the best time of the year. Moods change from wanting to find the nearest pool to wanting to bake. Actually, that is not a true statement for me at all. Because I would be the last person anyone would choose to see in a bathing suit, my comfort zone is always the kitchen. But, if I were rich and could afford an island where NO ONE lived or could see, I would love to swim. So I guess because Moo Moos are my costume of choice (and necessity) I love Fall and baking and eating all the great pumpkin recipes which are posted everywhere. I have never made this, but it sounds delicious, so I just printed it up. Taken from Lauren’s Latest on Pinterest, I think it will be one recipe that I will “fall” in love with.

Ingredients
1 cup plus 3 tables flour
2 teas baking powder
1/2 teas salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas nutmeg
1/2 teas cloves
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 teas vanilla

Topping
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups very hot water

Directions (be sure to read all directions before baking!

Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices. Set aside.
In a smaller bowl, stir pumpkin, milk, melted butter and vanilla together to mix.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix to create a thick batter. Pour into a small 8″ lightly greased casserole dish with high sides. (Place baking dish on a baking sheet in case it bubbles over.)

For topping, in a separate bowl, stir sugar, brown sugar and pecans together. Spread over the top of the batter evenly. Pour hot water over the entire thing. DO NOT STIR! Bake for 40 min or until middle of cobbler is set.

Serve while still warm with more toasted pecans if desired and vanilla ice cream. Of course, I don’t need to tell you that the ice cream needs to be Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, right?

Chocolate · Cookies · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

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Something else to get addicted to, as if I didn’t have enough already. Thank you Patti for sharing with us and for introducing me to something else that I will now have to keep locked up, after making it. This will be so great to have on hand for all the company that will be coming during the Fall. (as if there will be any left when they get here)

Taken from Pinterest (Fivehearthome.com) after finding out that this is a recipe I can’t live without and Patti told me where to find it.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teas baking powder
1/4 teas baking soda
1/4 teas salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teas pure vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a large jellyroll or cookie sheet with butter.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, mix melted butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until incorporated. Slowly stir in flour mixture until blended. Stir in chocolate chips, pecans and coconut. The dough will be crumbly.
Press dough onto prepared pan in an even layer, forming a rough rectangle approximately 10″ wide and 15″ long. Bake for 19 minutes or until the cookie is golden brown and seems crisp. Set pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before breaking slab into irregular pieces. Stop in an airtight container. Would show you a picture of it but I already ate all of what she brought over. You can see Pictures on Pinterest.

Breads · Breakfast · Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Browned Butter Banana Bread

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Is there anything that doesn’t taste better than browned butter? I remember the first time I tasted it. So much added nutty flavor and such an addition to already wonderful butter flavor. The praline frosting that is on the blog, which is made with browned butter is still one of my favorites. So when I saw this in an old magazine from Paula Deen, I instantly knew what I was going to bake next when the new bananas ripened.

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 teas baking powder
1 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
1 1/4 cups mashed banana (about 3 medium)
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teas rum extract (extra, so since I don’t like rum flavor, will use vanilla)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter begins to foam. Continue cooking, without stirring, until butter is golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding any remaining solids. Let cool to room temp, then refrigerate for 30 minutes or until butter has solidified but is not cold.
Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 10×5″ loaf pan with Pam baking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with mixer on medium until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and next 3 ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together banana, buttermilk, and extract. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until combined after each addition. Stir in nuts, if using them. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until bread tests done. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Stor in airtight container for up to 3 days or wrap tightly and place in plastic bag to freeze up to 3 months.