Category: DESSERTS

Try a New Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Try as I may, I just can’t think about December recipes without coming back to cookies. Holiday cookies are the best, and these cookies are our family’s all-time favorites. A classic Martha Stewart recipe, but worth Every Single Masochistic Step. Truthfully, they take some time but it’s not that bad, and you can divide it up and make them in stages if you need to.
Fresh ginger, molasses and high quality chocolate make these cookies spectacular. Please don’t even consider skipping the fresh ginger, or you’ll be sorry.
Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 2 dozen

7
ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2
cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4
teaspoons ground ginger
1
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4
teaspoon ground cloves
1/4
teaspoon ground nutmeg
1
tablespoon cocoa powder
8
tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1
tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2
cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1/2
cup unsulfured molasses
1
teaspoon baking soda
1/4
cup granulated sugar

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.


2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.


3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

4. Heat oven to 325°. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Don’t forget to visit me at The Bad Girl’s Kitchen for more fabulous recipes!

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL COOKIE BARS

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL COOKIE BARS
2 cups flour
1/2 cup self-rising flour
dash salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 + cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar, divided 1/4 + 1/2
2 eggs
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
1 cup Kraft caramels
4 tablespoons milk
7 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup Heath Bar Crunch pieces
PURE

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray 15×10 jelly roll pan with PURE.
  • Cream the butter in electric mixer.
  • Add brown sugar until well blended.
  • Add 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla and eggs, blending again until uniform in consistency.
  • Gradually add the flours, cinnamon and salt until well blended.
  • Press cookie dough into jelly roll pan.
  • In a double boiler melt together the milk, caramels and chocolate until smooth.
  • Spread the caramel chocolate over the cookie layer.
  • Bake 20-25 minutes or until cookie portion is set.

Alexis’ Mini Apple Bundt Cakes

Alexis started a new job at a hospital a few weeks ago and is starting to fit in with her coworkers. You know how it is when you start a new job. You start to figure out who you like and those you realize, “Man, he wasn’t just having a bad day….he’s always an a**hole!”

Anyway, the other day she wanted to surprise them by bringing in a breakfast treat. She took the Zucchini Bread recipe from the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook (10th Ed. 1984) and changed it into something entirely different.

Alexis’ Mini Apple Bundt Cakes
Yields: 4 dozen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon, fresh grated
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg, fresh grated
1 cup sugar
1 cup fuji apple, peeled and finely grated
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp lemon peel

Garnishes: Agave nectar and powdered sugar

Mix the first 6 ingredients together in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix the sugar, apple, oil, egg and lemon peel together.

Mix the two bowls together just long enough to get them combined. Then walk away and let it sit for 10 minutes (The walk away tip courtesy Alton Brown’s waffle recipe).

Preheat your oven to 350f. Using a greased mini bundt pan (or a cup cake tin), fill each cup a little over half full with the batter.

Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until a toothpick/cake tester comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack and let rest for 10 minutes.

Drizzle with agave nectar.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

And then try to hide them from your family until they are cooled because they tend to disappear quickly even if you ARE cooking them for SOMEONE ELSE!

If you follow my blog at Nibble Me This, you know I am NOT a sweets kind of guy. I don’t eat much pie or cake. These little beauties were good and I MIGHT have taken one or four before Alexis started packing them up 🙂 But in my defense, you get to pop a whole (mini) bundt cake into your mouth, how could I resist that?

(Side note: If you have a round grill or know someone who does, enter my cast iron grate giveaway on my blog. It should be delivered by Christmas if you win and makes a ‘GRATE’ gift for the griller in your life. It’s over a $100 value and is one of my favorite grill tools.)

Easy Apple & Blackberry Cake

Easy Apple & Blackberry Cake
1 12 ounce bag blackberries, picked over, halved and rinsed
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1 + 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
2 JUMBO eggs
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and orange zest until well blended.
  • Mix together blackberries, apple pieces, brown sugar mixture and orange juice.
  • Pour into a 13×9 casserole dish or a 10″ pie plate. 
  • Using a mixer, beat eggs for 2 minutes.
  • Add 1 cup sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and sour cream.  Beat until well blended.
  • Add flour and salt.
  • Pour batter over fruit, covering fruit entirely.
  • Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon together; sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the batter.
  • Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.

Save Room for Dessert…Chocolate Pudding Pie

On our Thanksgiving dessert table there was a sweet potato pie, a chocolate cake, a platter of Italian cookies, a tray of pralines, and a chocolate pudding pie, as requested by my husband.  This is an easy pudding recipe, as there are no eggs to temper.  It’s also super creamy, and oh so delicious.  I made my own pie crust, but a frozen crust will work perfectly fine.  My sister requested that I make the pie again for our Christmas dessert table, and as she says, “I don’t even like pie, but this was out of sight!”

CHOCOLATE PUDDING PIE
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups half & half
2 cups milk
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pre-baked 9″ pie crust
Whipped cream, for garnish

  • Combine sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan.
  • Over medium heat, whisk in the 2 cups of half & half until the mixture is smooth, then add the 2 cups of milk.
  • Continue stirring mixture over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and thickens; this will take about 10 minutes.
  • Turn off heat, and add chopped semi-sweet chocolate and vanilla, stirring until chocolate melts.
  • Pour the pudding into the prebaked crust and refrigerate until pudding sets, about 2 hours.
  • Slice and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

SALTED CHOCOLATE COOKIE DROPS

This recipe was inspired by my good friend Barbara’s candy recipe for Salted Chocolate over at Kitchen Comforts.
SALTED CHOCOLATE COOKIE DROPS
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (packed) brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 Heath bar, chopped into bits
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 10 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into small chips
  1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugars, salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.
  4. Add the flour mixture and mix just until well blended.
  5. Add chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.
  6. Line baking sheets with silicone mats.
  7. Roll into 1 inch balls.
  8. Press down slightly as you place them on the baking mat about an inch apart.
  9. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
  10. If needed press down slightly with the back of the spatula as you remove them from the oven.
  11. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from mats.
Makes about 4-6 dozen cookies.

Giving Thanks ~ Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing

This week I’m sharing a “new” scratch recipe for my Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing. My brother has been after me for years to always make it the same way (my late father’s recipe) I always have (tradition) and write it down, so this one is for him and to see if he really does read my blog! LOL! We use this recipe for both Thanksgiving and Christmas and I always make enough to freeze for weekday meals too. It’s a great way to use up stale bread. Sometimes I will collect the stale bread into a wrapper in the freezer until I have enough to make a large batch.


Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing
10 slices Brownberry or Oroweat OATNUT bread, cut intobite size chunks
1/2 loaf sourdough French bread, cut into bite size chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
1 small bunch celery (leaves and all), chopped fine
1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped fine
1 box mushrooms, chopped fine
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken base
2 tablespoons Buttery Herb & Garlic Mix (I believe McCormick makes it)
4 teaspoons minced garlic, Jar

  • Cut bread into bite sized chunks and spread out in a thin layer over cookie sheets.
  • Bake at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours until pieces are actually hard.
  • Chop all the vegetables.
  • In a large cast iron pan melt 1/4 cup of the butter.
  • Add the onions and saute until translucent. The add the celery and carrots and continue sauteing until crisp tender. Add the garlic last as it will burn first.
  • Whisk together the water, better than bouillon chicken base and all of the seasonings.
  • Add the melted butter.
  • In a large pan toss the bread slices together.
  • Add the sauteed vegetables and toss again.
  • Add the liquid mixture and toss again until well absorbed.
  • Fold entire mixture into at least a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Bake uncovered 1 hour.
  • At this point I use a small portion for our dinner that night and freeze the rest.
  • When it’s time to cook it again, I defrost it, put it back in the same baking dish and bake it again, but this time covered with foil until the last 15 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. We like it crisp on top so I remove the foil the last 15 minutes.

Giving Thanks ~ Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing

Hi everyone, Tamy here filling in for Chris today.  My recipe is not from the grill, but I thought it was appropriate for so near Thanksgiving.

Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing
1 loaf sourdough French bread, cut into bite size chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
1 small bunch celery (leaves and all), chopped fine
1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped fine
1 box mushrooms, chopped fine
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken base
2 tablespoons Buttery Herb & Garlic Mix (I believe McCormick makes it)
4 cloves garlic, minced

  • Cut bread into bite sized chunks and spread out in a thin layer over cookie sheets.
  • Bake at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours until pieces are actually hard.
  • Chop all the vegetables.
  • In a large cast iron pan melt 1/4 cup of the butter.
  • Add the onions and saute until translucent. The add the celery and carrots and continue sauteing until crisp tender. Add the garlic last as it will burn first.
  • Whisk together the water, better than bouillon chicken base and all of the seasonings.
  • Add the melted butter.
  • In a large pan toss the bread slices together.
  • Add the sauteed vegetables and toss again.
  • Add the liquid mixture and toss again until well absorbed.
  • Fold entire mixture into at least a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Bake uncovered 1 hour.
  • At this point I use a small portion for our dinner that night and freeze the rest.
  • When it’s time to cook it again, I defrost it, put it back in the same baking dish and bake it again, but this time covered with foil until the last 15 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. We like it crisp on top so I remove the foil the last 15 minutes.
You can find me at my home blogs 3 Sides of Crazy. Always Eat On The Good China, on Saturdays at THE Motivation Station on Sundays here at OUR KrAzY kitchen. 

    SALTED CHOCOLATE

    SALTED CHOCOLATE
    16 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
    Sea Salt
    1/2 cup crushed walnuts
    PURE

    • Spray a jelly roll pan with an even coat of PURE.
    • Microwave chocolate in 20 second intervals until melted.
    • Spread chocolate out evenly.
    • Sprinkle sea salt across the entire layer of chocolate.
    • Sprinkle top with crushed walnuts.
    • Gently press nuts into the chocolate.
    • Cool in refrigerator uncovered for 30 minutes until hardened.
    • Break up into pieces and store in cool dark dry place.

    CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

    I found the recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine. This recipe is sooooooooooooooooo simple, but messy! Have fun making them. They are quite rich though – be forewarned!

    1 cup butter, melted
    1 can sweetened condensed milk
    3 pounds confectioners sugar (about 8 cups)
    3-10 ounce jars maraschino cherries(about 120 cherries), really well drained
    1-2 pounds milk chocolate candy coating, chopped (I used almond bark)

    • Combine butter and milk until smooth.
    • Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar until a soft dough forms.
    • Roll into 1 inch balls and flatten into 2 inch circles.
    • Place a cherry in the center of each one.
    • Wrap sides around cherry until cherry is completely covered and roll into a smooth ball.
    • Melt chocolate until smooth and dip each ball into the chocolate.
    • Place on wax paper until cool and sprinkle with sprinkles.
    • Cool well. 

    Important NOTE:  After about 2-3 days the white centers turn to liquid just like the Queen Annes – YUMMY!

    Honey Wheat Sunflower Dinner Rolls

    Hi everyone!

    This is Alexis from NibbleMeThis. I’m posting for Fire Day Friday this week because Chris is tied up moving one of his out of town offices this week.

    Ya’ll probably know I got my own Big Green Egg a while back and this is one of my favorite rolls I have made on it. I used this recipe for Honey Wheat Sunflower Bread but only made one loaf and it is a wonderful bread recipe.


    But I used the other half of the dough to make dinner rolls. I knew I was going to love it but was surprised how much Chris and the boys liked it because they are “white bread” kind of dudes. The rolls had a bit of sweet to them and the sunflower seed kernels added a nice texture.

    Oh yeah, this was funny. One of our older son’s friends was eating one when I mentioned they had sunflower seeds and he about choked, asking, “Am I supposed to be spitting the shells out?” because he thought the sunflower seeds were in the shells.


    Honey Wheat Sunflower Dinner Rolls
    adapted from Lillian Wittler’s Honey-Wheat Sunflower Bread

    2 cups warm water (120-130f)
    2 3/4 cups bread flour
    2 packages active dry yeast (quarter oz each)
    1 Tbsp white sugar
    2 cups whole wheat flour
    1 cup quick oats
    1/3 cup instant dry buttermilk powder
    1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
    1/4 cup creamed honey (you can use regular but I like creamed better)
    2 tsp salt
    1 cup sunflower kernels (unsalted)
    2 Tbsp agave nectar
    2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

    I use a Thermapen instant read thermometer to make sure my water is the right temp.

    Mix the warm water, 2 cups of the bread flour (not the whole 2 3/4 cups), yeast and sugar in your mixer bowl. Beat for 3 minutes on low (Speed 2 on my Kitchenaide).

    Cover with a tea towel and let it rise until it has doubled. The recipe said 30 minutes but mine took more like an hour.

    Fold in the wheat flour, oats, dry milk, butter, creamed honey, and salt.

    Stir in the sunflower kernels and as much of the remaining bread flour to get a good consistency. I ended up only using maybe 1/2 cup.

    Put on the dough hook and kneaded it until it all held together and pulled cleanly from the sides of the bowl, about 6-8 minutes.

    Take out of the mixing bowl and put it into another greased bowl then turn once. Cover and let rise until doubled, about another 30-45 minutes.

    Punch down and divide into two.

    I shaped one half for the bread loaf plan. The other half I made into equal golf ball sized balls. I put them in a greased, stone ware pie pan and let it rise until doubled again (about 30 minutes).

    When that is happening, I started my Big Green Egg and set it up for baking at 375f but you could do it in your oven.

    Place in your oven or Egg and cook for 20 minutes uncovered. Then cover it with foil and go another 15 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

    Brush with a 50/50 mix of Agave nectar and melted butter.

    Remove from the grill/oven and cool on a rack.

    This one is tasty and would be a great way to serve something different than the same old dinner roll this Thanksgiving.

    PARMESAN CHEESE BREAD/ROLLS

    PARMESAN CHEESE BREAD
    3 1/4 cups unbleached flour
    1 tablespoon active dry yeast
    2 teaspoons sea salt
    1 1/3 cup warm water
    1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago Parmesan Cheese
    extra-extra virgin olive oil

    • Sift together the four, yeast and salt.
    • Stir in the water until dough forms.
    • Sprinkle with 1/2 the cheese.
    • Transfer to a well floured surface.
    • Knead until soft, elastic and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes). Add flour as necessary to reduce stickiness.
    • Knead the dough until it remains rounded and doesn’t flatten out when left to sit for a few minutes.
    • Arrange into a round.
    • Brush the surface with olive oil.
    • Cover loosely with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 2 hours).
    • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
    • Brush a 9 inch round pan with olive oil.
    • Put remaining cheese on a plate.
    • Punch down the dough and knead a few more times with fresh flour.
    • For rolls – divide dough into12 pieces.
    • Roll each piece into a ball.
    • Roll each ball in the cheese and then place in pan with the edges touching. 9 balls around the outside, 3 balls in the center.
    • Cover with a flour sack towel and allow to rise again.
    • Cut a small slash in the top of each ball.
    • Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.
    • Bake for 10 minutes and the reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until golden and crispy, about 20-30 minutes more.
    • Serve hot or transfer to a wire rack and cool and then slice.