Category: DESSERTS

Chocolate Cinnamon Coffe Cake

Stop by Comfy Cook for a fabulous giveaway – your choice of 4 gifts. Someone has to win. Why not you?

Coffee Cinnamon Chocolate Squares adapted

Last week, I found a plastic bag, filled with chocolate goodies, brownies, these squares, some cookies. They are odds and ends, leftover from previous times. When I took a bite out of these coffee cinnamon chocolate square, memories came flashing back. I had brought these to my middle son and family’s home. I loved them then and I love them now.
There is something about these bars that makes them better than average. The combination of the coffee, cinnamon and chocolate flavors meshed completely and left with us an aroma and a taste that warms the heart. If you are coffee or tea drinker, sit down with one of these and a cup of java, and enjoy/
This could be my dream cake.
(from Baking: From My Home to Yours) (another Dorie success story)
Cake:
1 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp + 2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee/espresso powder
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 Vanilla Rice Dream
2 egg beaters
1/2 tsp vanilla
10 tbsp margarine, melted and cooled
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Glaze:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons margarine, softened

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray with cooking oil an 8-inch square cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. (I used aluminum foil). I also used a 9 inch square pan and it was too big. My cake would have risen to a more appropriate height with the proper size.
In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon and the espresso powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, the remaining cinnamon and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together Rice Dream, eggs, vanilla and slightly cooled, but melted, margarine. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Evenly sprinkle on sugar/espresso mixture and mini chocolate chips, then top with the remaining batter, spreading it evenly.

Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F, just until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and remove the parchment. Let cool completely before frosting.

Confession 1 – I added more mini chips to the filler.

Glaze:
For the glaze, melt together the chocolate and the margarine in a double boiler and stir until smooth. If it is runny, let it stand for a minute or two, but otherwise the chocolate should be thick, smooth, shiny and spreadable. Spread on the top of the cake (the flat bottom side should be facing up, which makes it easy to frost) and allow the frosting to set up before serving.

CARAMEL PRETZEL CRISPS ~ MOCK TURTLES

These are sooooooooooooooooooo simple and sooooooooooooooooooo good too!
CARAMEL PRETZEL CRISPS ~ MOCK TURTLES
1 bag pretzel crackers (regular pretzels work too)
3 rolls ROLOS
1 bag pecan halfs

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line a cookie sheet with pretzel crackers.
  • Set 2 ROLOs side by side on the crackers.
  • Bake 2-3 minutes, just long enough to soften ROLOs.
  • Press down pecan halves into each ROLO.
  • Cool.
  • Enjoy.




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BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

What makes biscuits rise?
Baking Powder and Baking Soda are both leaveners and when activated create carbon dioxide which produces the rise. Baking Soda aka sodium bicarbonate has been commonly used for 200 years and works by simple chemistry. It’s reaction is immediate, but does not continue once the biscuits are in the oven. Ironically Baking Powder is the main ingredient in Baking Soda, but baking powder also includes an acid or two. Double acting baking powder is the perfect one for biscuits because it has the immediate acting acid as well as the heat activated acid. In order to use baking powder alone you have to use way too much and it dries out the dough. So finding the perfect combination of baking powder and baking soda is the key to tall and fluffy biscuits.

PERFECT TALL & FLUFFY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS  
2 cups flour + 1 cup flour  
1 tablespoon double acting baking powder  
1 tablespoon sugar  
1 teaspoon salt  
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons butter, diced  
2 tablespoons butter, melted  
1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk

  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  • Spray a 9 inch cake pan with PURE.
  • In a food processor pulse dry ingredients several times to combine.
  • Add butter pieces scattered over dry ingredients and pulse until crumbly.
  • Transfer to a medium bowl.
  • Stir in buttermilk. (Dough will be wet and lumpy).
  • Spray a 1/4 cup measure with PURE.
  • In a mixing bowl add the remaining 1 cup flour.
  • Drop the dough 1/4 cup at a time into the flour.
  • Shape into 12 balls. Shaking off excess flour.
  • Arrange balls (9 around the perimeter and 3 in the center) in the pan.
  • Brush tops of dough with melted butter.
  • Bake 5 minutes.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees.
  • Bake another 15 minutes.
  • Cool 2 minutes.
  • Invert biscuits into a clean towel, turn right side up breakaing them apart and cool another 5 minutes.

final blog signature. ♥

Chocolate Snowdrop Cookies – Simple Saturday

Attention chocolate lovers – if you want a delicious, soft, gooey, rich cookie these are for you! They are fancy enough for a holiday cookie tray yet easy enough to make anytime. My kids call them little chocolaty bites of heaven.


Chocolate Snowdrop Cookies
Recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 1 package devil’s food cake mix with pudding
  • 2 1/4 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration



Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Combine cake mix, whipped topping and egg; mix well (mixture will be sticky).
  3. Drop 1 inch sized balls of dough into confectioners’ sugar; roll slightly to form uniform size balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove to racks to cool. Store in tightly covered container.

Can’t get any more simple than this can it? Enjoy!

Previously posted at Seaside Simplicity

STRAWBERRY KIWI HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK SHORTCAKE

This is even better when you take the time to make fresh whipped cream or homemade vanilla ice cream to go with it.

GLAZE
2 baskets fresh strawberries, sliced
2 kiwis, chopped
1 cup pureed strawberries*
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons KARO light corn syrup
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup water

*I use the less than pretty berries for the puree.

Mix together sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch and water in a 2 quart sauce pan, cover and bring to a slow boil.

When you reach a boil remove the lid. Add the 1 cup pureed strawberries and boil a few minutes more and then chill 10 minutes.

After chilled pour over sliced berries and toss gently.

BUTTERMILK SHORTCAKE
2 cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
4 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup butter, softened, but not melted
¾ cup buttermilk**

Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the milk and butter and mix well into a soft dough. DO NOT over knead – it will become tough.

Grease an 8 inch pie pan really well. Gently arrange dough into an even mound and pre-cut into your serving portions before baking.

Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick done and golden brown.

Slice each shortcake open, bot with a thin layer of honey, arrange on plate and top with a scoop of strawberry kiwi glaze and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

**As a substitute, Buttermilk can be made by adding 2 tablespoons of vinegar to regular milk.

AND MY REVIEW FOR LE CRUSET:

I was recently made aware that there is a wonderful online shopping experience available right from your desk top. Whether you are looking for tv stands, dining room furniture or cookware, they have it all.


Remember all these wish list posts I did about all the wonderful quality kitchen dreams and wishes I have? Well, all the items I’m dreaming about to complete my dream kitchen are available from these sites from CSN stores.

CSN stores sent me this awesome LeCruset Baker to review. I have dreamed of owning one for sooooooo long. I decided in order to review it properly I had to makes lots of great recipes like THE ULTIMATE COMFORT MAC & CHEESE, POT ROAST & ROASTED VEGGIES and RITZY CARROT & BROCCOLI CASSEROLE.


My conclusion: VERY FAVORABLE! Everything cooked up beautifully and the clean up was so easy! This is a beautiful quality piece of cookware. I can’t wait to buy more pieces from CSN stores – their shipping and customer service are well above the norm.

Butterscotch Brownies: Lovin’ From the Oven

Here’s an oldie but goodies from my blog, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Butterscotch Brownies.  My grandmother used to make them for the school children in her town.  She was the head baker for the school district back in the 1970s.  They are full of butter and sugar, so dieters beware!

Butterscotch Brownies: 
2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1 package butterscotch flavored chips
Combine the moist ingredients with a mixer. Sift together the dry ingredients in a bowl and add to the wet. Fold in the chips. Spread in a greased 9 X 13 pan and bake 350 degrees 30 minutes or until done.

STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE




Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker is our Friday baker at OUR KrAzY kitchen. She posted a recipe for Sour cream coffee cake last week that is one that she is trying to duplicate from her SIL. It looked and sounded like my grams old recipe that I told her I’d dig out grams recipe for her and then I decided to go a step further and make it and do a post to highlight the good and yummy flavors. You get a light fluffy cake and ooey gooey streusel – YUMMY!

Grams old recipe calls for Bisquick and I no longer use it for health reasons, but make my own so I will include that recipe too.

STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE
CAKE
2 cups bisquick
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons oil

STREUSEL
1 cup bisquick
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons-2 tablespoons cinnamon(based on flavor preference)
4 tablespoons butter

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Generously spray 9×9 square baking dish with PAM.
  • Mix cake ingredients together until well blended.
  • Spread into baking dish, mixture will be thick.
  • Mix streusel ingredients together until fine crumbles.
  • Spread over the cake. With a knife gently cut a star into the cake to gently press some streusel into the cake.
  • Bake 20-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

HOMEMADE BISQUICK
4 ½ cups sifted flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup powdered milk**

  • Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
  • Sift again 2-3 times in a large bowl.
  • Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is similar to cornmeal.
  • Add dry milk.
  • Use in recipes that call for Bisquick or all-purpose mix.

**you can skip this ingredient if your recipe calls for any kind of milk, not water.
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Chocolate Crunch Mousse Pie

Come visit me at My Sweet and Savory and Comfy Cook. 
Chocolate Crunch Mousse Pie
I was very much looking forward to this pie.  It is one of those delicious items, you simply enjoy, and don’t worry about calories.  It is pure pleasure and fun.  This means, something is going to surprise me, in the recipe.
This mousse did not work out, the way I thought it would. This is one of those mistakes that I love, if it really was a mistake. I was working from memory of a mousse, I made, some time ago. I remembered it had cream cheese, whipped topping and chocolate for the ingredients. It came out creamy chocolate and was in a chocolate crust.
This was right before Passover and it was the last day, I could do anything with prohibited Passover foods.
There was no way I could make a crust without flour or chocolate cookie crumbs so I got a ready made graham cracker crust. I was thinking of pouring some chocolate syrup on the surface of the crust but no chocolate syrup. One has to be very clever or a magician to work when the kitchen is in limbo. I prefer to think that one has to be very clever.
The best part was I got rid of the crust. No, that was the second best part. The first was eating some of the filling. This is the best filling, I can imagine, at the moment. It was a creamy mousse filled with small chunks of chocolate. Where did those chunks come from? Actually, this was a surprise to me. I melted the chocolate chips and they were fully melted into one smooth cream. When, I put them into the mousse mixture, they immediately turned in to chunks. The only rationale, I can find is that the whipped topping had been frozen but sitting out, for an hour. Maybe, it was still cold and when the two met, the lumped together to make these crunchy bites filled with chocolate flavor. I, probably will not be able to recreate this but I hope I can. This is superior to the smooth filling which I also love.
Here is the recipe. If you try it, please tell me what happens to your chocolate.
Ingredients
1 8 ounce container of whipped topping (I used the ready made which is unusual for me.)
1 8 ounce container of Tofutti whipped cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup Tofutti sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract (If I could have located it, I would have used my mocha extract rather than almond.)
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
1 graham cracker crumb crust
Method:
In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Add the sugar, sour cream and almond extract.
Continue to beat with mixer until all the ingredients are well combined.
Add the whipped topping and blend it in, by hand.
Melt chocolate chips in a microwave. If you prefer, use a double boiler to melt them. You know me, I use my microwave, every chance I can.
Add the melted chocolate to the mousse mixture and blend it in. If you are fortunate, you will get those scrumptious chocolate chunks.
Scoop the mixture into the pie crust.
Use a fork, a decorating piece or anything and make ridges in the mousse.
Top with chocolate sprinkles or decoration of choice.
Refrigerate.

Cowboy Cookies

Don’t forget to visit me at The Bad Girl’s Kitchen for more fabulous recipes!
A couple years ago, I was looking for a good new cookie recipe, when this one appeared in my mailbox in an issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. As luck would have it, they have coconut in them, and are appropriately-named for serving on a ranch, or anywhere. Delicious!

Cowboy Cookies
Makes about 5 dozen

The origin and original ingredients of this popular cookie may be unclear, but there’s no doubt it’ll spur a stampede. This version relies on oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate for just the right chewiness and gooeyness.

Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks (1 cup)~I used 1 heaping cup chocolate chips
3 ounces (3/4 cup) pecan halves
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray, line with parchment, and spray parchment. Sift flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl.

2 Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

3. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans and coconut until combined. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days).

4. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a small spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.

5. Bake until edges of cookies begin to brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire rack, and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks. Let cool. (Cookies can be stored up to 3 days)

Sour Cream Coffee Cake: Lovin’ From the Oven

My sister in law makes a killer coffee cake.  It has a ripple of cinnamon through the center.  The cake is buttery and moist.  It’s really wonderful and my husband adores it.  She has never shared the recipe.  I have asked.
So.  I have had to search high and low for something similar.  This is attempt 2,538 in twenty years.  It’s as close as I have ever come to replicating it.  I am not sure I am done trying, but this is a good fall-back.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake: 
Cake

3 cups flour
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugar.  Add the vanilla and eggs.  Alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream. Pour  half of the batter into a greased 9 inch pan.  
Topping:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 stick butter
Combine ingredients in a bowl with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.  Sprinkle half of the topping onto the batter in the pan.  Top with the other half of the batter and then sprinkle on the remaining half of the topping.  Bake 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Tent the cake with foil and bake another 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Flourless Chocolate Cake from King Arthur

For additional Passover Recipes – Sweet and Savory and Comfy Cook….

In the spirit of our ingredient of the month, chocolate and in the spirit of Passover, I want to share a new recipe, I made. This is not the first flourless chocolate cake, I have made, and I am sure, I will try new recipes that come my way. Up until now, I have had only good luck with King Arthur recipes and when I frost this, I hope I will say the same about this one.
I have found flourless recipes to be the best in terms of richness of taste. I guess the lack of flour lends more power to the strength of the chocolate.
Flourless Chocolate Cake from King Arthur’s Flour

oil does not belong in photo

Cake
1 cup (6 ounces) chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons instant coffee
3 large eggs

1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder

Glaze

1 cup (6 ounces) chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips
1/2 cup (4 ounces) heavy cream (non dairy whipped topping, unwhipped)

Topping
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted in a 350°F oven till golden brown, about 10 minutes

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8″ round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan.

To make the cake: Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat till the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. You can also do this over a burner set at very low heat. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl.
Add the sugar, salt, and espresso powder. Espresso enhances chocolate’s flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.

Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust. Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom; that’s fine. Also, the edges will crumble a bit, which is also fine. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.
To prepare the glaze: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat till the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir till the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth.

Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake.

Yield: one 8″ cake, 12 rich servings.

For more flourless recipes and more Passover Recipes, drop by at My Sweet and Savory and Comfy Cook.

RUM RAISIN WALNUT TEACAKE



1 pound (4 sticks) butter
PURE
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup Parrot Bay coconut rum
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • With a mixer, cream butter.
  • Add sugar, a little at a time.
  • Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
  • Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour.
  • Mix in vanilla.
  • Drain any remaining rum from the raisins.
  • Fold in raisins and nuts.
  • Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Even the SIL’s dog liked it. Thank goodness we’d already cut our pieces out!
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