Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
My Old Kentucky Pie
1/07/11: Kentucky Pie
This recipe came from the Holiday Baking 2009 Issue of Cooking with Paula Deen. I, by no means, had the intention of baking this pie when I was browsing the magazine. I was much more interested in the buttermilk pie that was featured on the same page. But it so happened that a) I wanted to bake a pie that day, b) I wanted something chocolate-ly, and c), I wanted something with nuts. So that is how I gravitated towards this pie recipe, which I never heard of before.
Kentucky Pie has a truck load of nuts and chocolate--and then some. I should know about the nuts because me and my sister had to crack all of them by hand. What a job! Pecans are not that easy to crack, there is a required skill for sure. The best way to crack them we found was to crack both the top and the bottom off first, then crack the nut lengthwise. But you need to make sure you crack it BETWEEN the two inner pecan halves. Otherwise, you break the halves into a million and one pieces. :)
As you can see, this pie is not for the faint of heart:
Get a load of all that chocolate! I think I've died and gone to heaven. Here is some more cocoa goodness coming your way:
The Sweet Side of Sour Cream
12/17/10: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting
Recipe details: Cake recipe is pretty typical, but the addition of sour cream and the fact that you do not need to alternate between dry and wet ingredients (like this one), makes it more special and easier to prepare.
Defining moments: This recipe calls for cocoa powder and I went and used the King Arthur Flour's Double Dutch Dark Cocoa Powder for the first time. My parents gave me a gift card to use on kingarthurflour.com so that's how I got my hands on such a delicious sounding ingredient.
Recipe sources: The recipe comes from Hershey's. Find it here.
What I learned: I've made cake before so I didn't learn any new techniques this time. However, I did find that this cake, along with the fudge frosting, is very easy to do. The frosting isn't your normal buttercream, it is richer and not cloyingly sweet. It almost aways seems like the cooked frostings are so much better. Is it just me?
I should note here that I made two types of frostings. One had grocery store cocoa (I think it is from Gordon's?), and the other had King Arthur Flour's dark cocoa.
Any modifications? No, I made no changes.
How did it taste? I thought it was perfect for a lighter cake and I believe everyone agrees with me. I say, "...for a lighter cake," because I LOVE dense cakes. :) Both kinds of frostings were so yummy. But which one was the favorite? Most everyone thought the dark cocoa type was lacking flavor (or maybe not enough contrast to the dark cocoa cake?), so the grocery store variety won this round.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, definitely.
It is self-explanatory but the pan to the left is grocery store cocoa frosting, and the one to the right has the King Arthur Flour's dark cocoa.
I love shots like the one above.
"Orange" You Glad It's Pig? -- Pork Chops Meet Orange Marmalade
5/16/10: Pork Chops with Orange Soy Glaze and Udon Noodles alongside Hoosier Peanut Bars
Meal details: For the main course I seared 1 inch pork loin chops and braised them in a sauce that had orange marmalade, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and chicken stock. And for dessert I made a really intriguing bar that has a cookie-like bottom layer, a chocolate middle, and a meringue and peanut topping. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?
Defining moments: First time using soy sauce for me! Yeah, it looks like I don't usually cook Asian.
Recipe sources: The pork chop recipe comes from Robin Miller, the host of Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller that airs on Food Network. I specifically chose it because I am part of the Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog.
The Hoosier Peanut Bar recipe came from the August 2009 issue of Baker's Sheet, a newsletter written by King Arthur's Flour. Here is the recipe for those who are interested:
Ingredients for Base:
Ingredients for Topping:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch pan, and line it with a sheet of parchment paper that goes down one long side and up the other, with some extra on each side. Fold the paper so it doesn't droop down into the pan.
For the base: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Separate the eggs, putting the whites into another clean mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl; beat in the vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients alternately with the water until the dough is mixed; it will be stiff.
Press the dough into the prepared pan with wet fingers or using a mini pastry roller over a piece of plastic wrap.
For the topping: Spread the chocolate chips over the dough in the pan, pressing them in lightly. Whip the reserved egg whites until they become foamy. Gradually add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is stiff. Spread over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts evenly over the top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and the edges just pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Cut into bars or squares while still warm. Once the bars are cool, you can pull them straight up and out of the pan using the parchment paper on the sides. Yield: 24 bars.
What I learned: The pork chop recipe was really easy to execute and I can't think of any new knowledge gained by doing this recipe. I do have some notes for the peanut bar recipe. When I was beating the egg whites to form the topping, I was uncertain on what was considered "stiff" as was said in the recipe. I know that you can easily over beat egg whites so I was biting my nails as I carefully watched my KitchenAid. I decided to stop the machine when the whites and added sugar started to look white and glossy. I then started beating it by hand to carry it to the final stage, which was, I am guessing, when it resembled marshmallow fluff. I soon found out that I was right in my assumption because the finished bars looked just like the recipe's photo.
Any modifications? I followed the bar recipe exactly but I substituted egg noodles for the udon noodles called for in the pork chop recipe.
How did it taste? The family loved both dishes! The pork chops were flavorful, tender, and paired very well with the egg noodles. My Papa said they needed more marmalade, though, so I will remember to use the whole jar next time. The peanut bars were very delicious and I love the surprise meringue topping. They look like they would be hard and crunchy but they turned out to be soft and chewy. . . Two textures I love when it comes to desserts. :)
How about a 2nd time? Absolutely.
Note: It seems to me that I almost always give a positive answer to the last question. Now that's encouraging!
My goodness! Look at all that peanut goodness!
That Dick Van Dyke Show episode comes to mind right about now. :D
Is it just me, or is my sister's photos getting better each week?
Meal details: For the main course I seared 1 inch pork loin chops and braised them in a sauce that had orange marmalade, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and chicken stock. And for dessert I made a really intriguing bar that has a cookie-like bottom layer, a chocolate middle, and a meringue and peanut topping. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?
Defining moments: First time using soy sauce for me! Yeah, it looks like I don't usually cook Asian.
Recipe sources: The pork chop recipe comes from Robin Miller, the host of Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller that airs on Food Network. I specifically chose it because I am part of the Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog.
The Hoosier Peanut Bar recipe came from the August 2009 issue of Baker's Sheet, a newsletter written by King Arthur's Flour. Here is the recipe for those who are interested:
Hoosier Peanut Bars
Ingredients for Base:
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) cold water
Ingredients for Topping:
- 2 cups (12 ounces) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 large egg whites (from above)
- 1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup (5 ounces) chopped lightly salted peanuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch pan, and line it with a sheet of parchment paper that goes down one long side and up the other, with some extra on each side. Fold the paper so it doesn't droop down into the pan.
For the base: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Separate the eggs, putting the whites into another clean mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl; beat in the vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients alternately with the water until the dough is mixed; it will be stiff.
Press the dough into the prepared pan with wet fingers or using a mini pastry roller over a piece of plastic wrap.
For the topping: Spread the chocolate chips over the dough in the pan, pressing them in lightly. Whip the reserved egg whites until they become foamy. Gradually add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is stiff. Spread over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts evenly over the top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and the edges just pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Cut into bars or squares while still warm. Once the bars are cool, you can pull them straight up and out of the pan using the parchment paper on the sides. Yield: 24 bars.
What I learned: The pork chop recipe was really easy to execute and I can't think of any new knowledge gained by doing this recipe. I do have some notes for the peanut bar recipe. When I was beating the egg whites to form the topping, I was uncertain on what was considered "stiff" as was said in the recipe. I know that you can easily over beat egg whites so I was biting my nails as I carefully watched my KitchenAid. I decided to stop the machine when the whites and added sugar started to look white and glossy. I then started beating it by hand to carry it to the final stage, which was, I am guessing, when it resembled marshmallow fluff. I soon found out that I was right in my assumption because the finished bars looked just like the recipe's photo.
Any modifications? I followed the bar recipe exactly but I substituted egg noodles for the udon noodles called for in the pork chop recipe.
How did it taste? The family loved both dishes! The pork chops were flavorful, tender, and paired very well with the egg noodles. My Papa said they needed more marmalade, though, so I will remember to use the whole jar next time. The peanut bars were very delicious and I love the surprise meringue topping. They look like they would be hard and crunchy but they turned out to be soft and chewy. . . Two textures I love when it comes to desserts. :)
How about a 2nd time? Absolutely.
Note: It seems to me that I almost always give a positive answer to the last question. Now that's encouraging!
My goodness! Look at all that peanut goodness!
That Dick Van Dyke Show episode comes to mind right about now. :D
Is it just me, or is my sister's photos getting better each week?
Sloppy Joe's : The Super Hero of the Culinary World
3/21/10: Super Sloppy Joes with Homemade Hamburger Rolls and Life By Chocolate Cupcakes
Meal details: Annemarie made some crusty hamburger rolls on Saturday for my Super Sloppy Joe's. The Sloppy Joe recipe includes onions, tomato sauce and paste, bell peppers, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, and of course, ground beef. For dessert, I made chocolate cupcakes, each with a Hershey Kiss in the middle. :)
Defining moments: First time using a Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) recipe and making ganache!
Recipe sources: The Sloppy Joe recipe is from Rachael Ray and I actually made this before. See my original posts here and here. The chocolate cupcake recipe is from the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen. I just noticed that the Sloppy Joe recipe link on the Food Network website is obsolete. Ugh. How can they delete this recipe from their archive? Oh well, I'll write it out here for you all:
Rachael Ray's Super Sloppy Joe's --
Ingredients
What I learned: Well, because I have done the first recipe before, nothing new there. But the cupcake recipe included a chocolate ganache that you dip the baked and cooled cupcakes in. I've seen it done on t.v. many a time but this is my first on hands approach. It was a lot of fun to make! Especially when pouring the hot cream over the chocolate--boy, did that look delicious!
Any modifications? Yes, I tweaked both recipes slightly. For the sloppy joe's, I didn't use the steak seasoning (don't have any), instead I used pepper. I used ground chuck instead of ground sirloin (cheaper, lol!).
And for Ree Drummond's recipe. . . I didn't add the baking soda to the wet ingredients at the beginning, like the recipe states. I instead, placed the soda in the dry ingredients. I did this because I knew the baking soda would react with the wet ingredients and I didn't want to lose all that leavening power before they are in the oven.
How it tasted? The Sloppy Joe's were as good as ever (especially with those homemade buns), and the cupcakes were VERY good. But then how, I ask you, can a cupcake that has a chocolate batter, a chocolate kiss in the center, and a chocolate ganache on top be bad? Yeah, that doesn't make sense. :D I loved everything about both recipes!
How about a 2nd time? Without a doubt, absolutely, totally, definitely. . . In other words: YES.
Oh yes, a note about the photos. I will begin sharing my photos to you by way of Flickr. So when you click on any one of them, you will be transferred to my Flickr account and have the ability to view them at full scale.
Meal details: Annemarie made some crusty hamburger rolls on Saturday for my Super Sloppy Joe's. The Sloppy Joe recipe includes onions, tomato sauce and paste, bell peppers, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, and of course, ground beef. For dessert, I made chocolate cupcakes, each with a Hershey Kiss in the middle. :)
Defining moments: First time using a Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) recipe and making ganache!
Recipe sources: The Sloppy Joe recipe is from Rachael Ray and I actually made this before. See my original posts here and here. The chocolate cupcake recipe is from the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen. I just noticed that the Sloppy Joe recipe link on the Food Network website is obsolete. Ugh. How can they delete this recipe from their archive? Oh well, I'll write it out here for you all:
Rachael Ray's Super Sloppy Joe's --
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
- 1 1/4 lbs ground sirloin
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons steak seasoning, such as McCormick brand Montreal seasoning
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered
Garnish
- sliced ripe tomato
- pickle
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add oil and meat to the pan.
- Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up.
- Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning.
- Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine.
- When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce and paste to pan.
- Stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer.
- Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops.
- Serve with your favorite sides or sliced tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, dill pickles and Potato Salad.
- We like to put a thick slice of cheddar on top of the meat in the sandwich and broil it for a few minutes to melt. YUM.
What I learned: Well, because I have done the first recipe before, nothing new there. But the cupcake recipe included a chocolate ganache that you dip the baked and cooled cupcakes in. I've seen it done on t.v. many a time but this is my first on hands approach. It was a lot of fun to make! Especially when pouring the hot cream over the chocolate--boy, did that look delicious!
Any modifications? Yes, I tweaked both recipes slightly. For the sloppy joe's, I didn't use the steak seasoning (don't have any), instead I used pepper. I used ground chuck instead of ground sirloin (cheaper, lol!).
And for Ree Drummond's recipe. . . I didn't add the baking soda to the wet ingredients at the beginning, like the recipe states. I instead, placed the soda in the dry ingredients. I did this because I knew the baking soda would react with the wet ingredients and I didn't want to lose all that leavening power before they are in the oven.
How it tasted? The Sloppy Joe's were as good as ever (especially with those homemade buns), and the cupcakes were VERY good. But then how, I ask you, can a cupcake that has a chocolate batter, a chocolate kiss in the center, and a chocolate ganache on top be bad? Yeah, that doesn't make sense. :D I loved everything about both recipes!
How about a 2nd time? Without a doubt, absolutely, totally, definitely. . . In other words: YES.
Oh yes, a note about the photos. I will begin sharing my photos to you by way of Flickr. So when you click on any one of them, you will be transferred to my Flickr account and have the ability to view them at full scale.
News Flash: The Next Food Network Star Winner Wins with Popovers
3/4/10: Chicken Mole and Fool-Proof Popovers
Note: No, I didn't mix up my days of the week! I was under the weather last Sunday so wasn't able to cook until Thursday.
Meal details: For the main course I made Chicken Mole, a Mexican dish that has shredded chicken and a sauce comprised of chilies, onions, chicken stock, and chocolate. And for a side, I made popovers.
Defining moments: This would be my first time making AND tasting mole sauce and popovers. Another amazing moment (and kind of funny, too!) for this time is that I recorded both of these dishes being demonstrated on T.V. That usually doesn't happen!
Recipe sources: The mole sauce is a recipe created by Marcela Valladolid, the host of the new Food Network show, Mexican Made Easy. The mole sauce was meant to be used for enchiladas, but I decided to just use it as a sauce over chicken. Easier and faster to do!
The popover recipe is from Melissa d'Arabian, the host of Ten Dollar Dinners on Food Network. I made sure I did this recipe because I am part of the Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog.
What I learned: I learned from doing this popover recipe that I don't need a special popover pan. All I need is a muffin pan and those I have! The finished popover may not look as nice but my family is OK with a rustic looking popover.
When I was making the popovers I ran into a scary moment. I had to brush the muffin pans with a bit of melted butter and preheat the pans in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. When I took out the hot pans to pour the batter in, I found the butter to be dark brown and even black in some spots!
"That isn't how it looked on T.V.," I thought. I knew there was nothing I could do at that point so I just decided to go for it. I'm glad I did because the dark butter color didn't interfere with the rising or taste of the popovers. They turned out just fine. Whew! I'm glad they did.
Oh, another little tip. Fill the muffin holes 2/3 way with batter, that's just the right amount.
I also learned about a new cheese I haven't had before. On top of the mole chicken I placed some Asiago cheese slices. Asiago cheese is made from cow's milk and can come in both fresh and aged forms; I used the fresh which melts quickly and is smooth. The fresh Asiago taste somewhat mozzarella, but a mozzarella with a bit of sharpness.
Any modifications? Yes, I made some to the chicken mole recipe.
1. First I changed the whole idea of the recipe. Instead of enchiladas I simply combined shredded chicken and mole sauce.
2. I used frozen Ancho peppers (from my family's farm) instead of dried Ancho chilies.
4. I used less peanut butter, about half the amount. I did this because when I first tasted it, I thought it was becoming too strong.
5. I used Asiago cheese on top.
6. And finally, I used a combination of semi-sweet chocolate, cinnamon, and almond extract in replace of the Mexican chocolate.
I have to point out here that I was very glad to see all the substitution suggestions Marcela has on the bottom of her recipes. It really shows that she is aware of the fact that not all grocery stores carry these over-the-border ingredients. It comes in real handy for those people (like moi) who can't find anything where I live!
How it tasted? Well, let me first begin with the good news. The popovers were GREAT. Everyone loved them. Now, about the mole sauce. Well. . . (said in an Ethel Mertz sort of way) I didn't like it much. Too extraño for me and most of the family; I sort of saw that one coming, to tell you the truth! I'm glad I tried it out and who knows maybe I will find a better recipe for mole sauce, I never had it before so I'm not sure what it is suppose to be like.
How about a 2nd time? I will certainly do the popovers again, I was very pleased with them. The mole will probably not be seeing the light of day soon. ;)
You wouldn't believe the joy on my face when I turned on the oven light and saw these through the glass window. I kept on thinking, "They worked, they worked!"
Note: No, I didn't mix up my days of the week! I was under the weather last Sunday so wasn't able to cook until Thursday.
Meal details: For the main course I made Chicken Mole, a Mexican dish that has shredded chicken and a sauce comprised of chilies, onions, chicken stock, and chocolate. And for a side, I made popovers.
Defining moments: This would be my first time making AND tasting mole sauce and popovers. Another amazing moment (and kind of funny, too!) for this time is that I recorded both of these dishes being demonstrated on T.V. That usually doesn't happen!
Recipe sources: The mole sauce is a recipe created by Marcela Valladolid, the host of the new Food Network show, Mexican Made Easy. The mole sauce was meant to be used for enchiladas, but I decided to just use it as a sauce over chicken. Easier and faster to do!
The popover recipe is from Melissa d'Arabian, the host of Ten Dollar Dinners on Food Network. I made sure I did this recipe because I am part of the Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog.
What I learned: I learned from doing this popover recipe that I don't need a special popover pan. All I need is a muffin pan and those I have! The finished popover may not look as nice but my family is OK with a rustic looking popover.
When I was making the popovers I ran into a scary moment. I had to brush the muffin pans with a bit of melted butter and preheat the pans in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. When I took out the hot pans to pour the batter in, I found the butter to be dark brown and even black in some spots!
"That isn't how it looked on T.V.," I thought. I knew there was nothing I could do at that point so I just decided to go for it. I'm glad I did because the dark butter color didn't interfere with the rising or taste of the popovers. They turned out just fine. Whew! I'm glad they did.
Oh, another little tip. Fill the muffin holes 2/3 way with batter, that's just the right amount.
I also learned about a new cheese I haven't had before. On top of the mole chicken I placed some Asiago cheese slices. Asiago cheese is made from cow's milk and can come in both fresh and aged forms; I used the fresh which melts quickly and is smooth. The fresh Asiago taste somewhat mozzarella, but a mozzarella with a bit of sharpness.
Any modifications? Yes, I made some to the chicken mole recipe.
1. First I changed the whole idea of the recipe. Instead of enchiladas I simply combined shredded chicken and mole sauce.
2. I used frozen Ancho peppers (from my family's farm) instead of dried Ancho chilies.
4. I used less peanut butter, about half the amount. I did this because when I first tasted it, I thought it was becoming too strong.
5. I used Asiago cheese on top.
6. And finally, I used a combination of semi-sweet chocolate, cinnamon, and almond extract in replace of the Mexican chocolate.
I have to point out here that I was very glad to see all the substitution suggestions Marcela has on the bottom of her recipes. It really shows that she is aware of the fact that not all grocery stores carry these over-the-border ingredients. It comes in real handy for those people (like moi) who can't find anything where I live!
How it tasted? Well, let me first begin with the good news. The popovers were GREAT. Everyone loved them. Now, about the mole sauce. Well. . . (said in an Ethel Mertz sort of way) I didn't like it much. Too extraño for me and most of the family; I sort of saw that one coming, to tell you the truth! I'm glad I tried it out and who knows maybe I will find a better recipe for mole sauce, I never had it before so I'm not sure what it is suppose to be like.
How about a 2nd time? I will certainly do the popovers again, I was very pleased with them. The mole will probably not be seeing the light of day soon. ;)
You wouldn't believe the joy on my face when I turned on the oven light and saw these through the glass window. I kept on thinking, "They worked, they worked!"
Project Cookie
12/17/09 to 12/20/09: Christmas Cookies Galore
During the four days (from the 17th to the 20th) my sister Catherine and I baked our way through our list of Christmas cookies. At first it seemed like mission impossible, but because we both have black belts in the world of cookie baking, we dropped, rolled, and powdered sugar our way to mission success. :) A high five to ya sis! Couldn't have done it without you!
Here is all of the cookies we baked along with a description, recipe source, and picture of each:
Cookie Dough Truffles
Description: A soft dough made of brown sugar, condensed milk, flour, and more is chilled, rolled into balls, then dipped into chocolate coating. This is my favorite cookie!
Recipe source: Recipe has been passed down and I've forgotten where this came from. But here is the recipe anyway:
Ingredients:
Melt candy coating in double boiler. Shape into 1 inch balls and dip into candy coating; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
Notes for Rebekah: We did 1 and 1/2 times the recipe and it made 1 large tin.
Rocky Road Fudge
Description: A very easy and fast fudge to make that has a slightly chewy, yet soft texture.
Recipe Source: Came from Betty Crocker. Click here to view recipe.
Notes for Rebekah: Did one recipe. Used Baker's Semisweet Chocolate--very good choice.
Kolache
Description: A Czech pastry that is typically topped with cheese filling or fruit preserves.
Recipe Source: Came from allrecipes.com. See here for dough recipe and here for cheese filling.
Notes to Rebekah: Made 1 recipe. Was able to fill 1 large and 1 small tin. One cheese filling recipe makes the perfect amount of filling.
During the four days (from the 17th to the 20th) my sister Catherine and I baked our way through our list of Christmas cookies. At first it seemed like mission impossible, but because we both have black belts in the world of cookie baking, we dropped, rolled, and powdered sugar our way to mission success. :) A high five to ya sis! Couldn't have done it without you!
The Fruits of Our Labor:
Here is all of the cookies we baked along with a description, recipe source, and picture of each:
Cookie Dough Truffles
Description: A soft dough made of brown sugar, condensed milk, flour, and more is chilled, rolled into balls, then dipped into chocolate coating. This is my favorite cookie!
Recipe source: Recipe has been passed down and I've forgotten where this came from. But here is the recipe anyway:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- 1 1/2 lbs semisweet chocolate candy coating, chopped (also goes by the name of almond bark)
Melt candy coating in double boiler. Shape into 1 inch balls and dip into candy coating; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
Notes for Rebekah: We did 1 and 1/2 times the recipe and it made 1 large tin.
Peanut Butter Squares
Description: A soft bar that has intense peanut butter and chocolate flavor.
Recipe source: Click here for the recipe.
Notes for Rebekah: Made one 13x9 pan. Filled one large tin.
Recipe source: Click here for the recipe.
Notes for Rebekah: Made one 13x9 pan. Filled one large tin.
Rocky Road Fudge
Description: A very easy and fast fudge to make that has a slightly chewy, yet soft texture.
Recipe Source: Came from Betty Crocker. Click here to view recipe.
Notes for Rebekah: Did one recipe. Used Baker's Semisweet Chocolate--very good choice.
Description: A Czech pastry that is typically topped with cheese filling or fruit preserves.
Recipe Source: Came from allrecipes.com. See here for dough recipe and here for cheese filling.
Notes to Rebekah: Made 1 recipe. Was able to fill 1 large and 1 small tin. One cheese filling recipe makes the perfect amount of filling.
Cherry Surprise Balls
Description: A shortbread-like cookie that has a maraschino cherry inside. It is also dusted with powdered sugar for additional sweetness.
Recipe Source: Came from an old church newspaper. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar; gradually add flour. Chill dough for one hour. Shape a tablespoon of dough around each cherry, forming a ball. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325F for 18-20 minutes or until the bottoms are browned. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Cool on wire racks. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.
Notes for Rebekah: Took longer to bake than expected. Took about 28 minutes. Did 1-1/2 times the recipe and made enough for 2/3 of a large tin.
Description: A shortbread-like cookie that has a maraschino cherry inside. It is also dusted with powdered sugar for additional sweetness.
Recipe Source: Came from an old church newspaper. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup shortening, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 jar (16 oz.) maraschino cherries without stems, drained and halved
- Additional powdered sugar
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar; gradually add flour. Chill dough for one hour. Shape a tablespoon of dough around each cherry, forming a ball. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325F for 18-20 minutes or until the bottoms are browned. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Cool on wire racks. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.
Notes for Rebekah: Took longer to bake than expected. Took about 28 minutes. Did 1-1/2 times the recipe and made enough for 2/3 of a large tin.
Holiday Snowball Cookies
Description: A shortbread-like cookie with mini chocolate chips and a sprinkling of powdered sugar to create that "snowball" appearance.
Recipe Source: Not sure where this came from. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Beat butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour; stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Shape level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Sift powdered sugar over hot cookies on baking sheets. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle additional powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes for Rebekah: Will spread in oven if left at room temperature for too long. Made 1 1/2 times the recipe. Made about 1 large tin.
Description: A shortbread-like cookie with mini chocolate chips and a sprinkling of powdered sugar to create that "snowball" appearance.
Recipe Source: Not sure where this came from. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups (10 oz.) of mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)
- 1 sprinkle of powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 375F.
Beat butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour; stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Shape level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Sift powdered sugar over hot cookies on baking sheets. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle additional powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes for Rebekah: Will spread in oven if left at room temperature for too long. Made 1 1/2 times the recipe. Made about 1 large tin.
Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies + M&M's!
Description: Made two types of oatmeal cookies -- one with raisins, the other with one of my favorite candies: M&M's. I got a whole bag of these for Christmas, Santa knows me well!
Recipe sources: This is the famous Quaker Oats recipe, you can always find this recipe on the back of the lid of a Quaker container. If you don't have it on hand, click here to view the recipe.
Notes for Rebekah: Did three times the recipe. Made enough for 1 large and 1 small tin.
Description: Made two types of oatmeal cookies -- one with raisins, the other with one of my favorite candies: M&M's. I got a whole bag of these for Christmas, Santa knows me well!
Recipe sources: This is the famous Quaker Oats recipe, you can always find this recipe on the back of the lid of a Quaker container. If you don't have it on hand, click here to view the recipe.
Notes for Rebekah: Did three times the recipe. Made enough for 1 large and 1 small tin.
Lemon Snowdrops
Description: A delightful light flavored cookie with lemony goodness.
Recipe source: Came from Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, copyright 1950. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
Mix together shortening, butter, egg, lemon juice, and water. In separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir into wet ingredients. Mix in grated lemon rind. Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls and bake at 400F for 12 to 15 minutes. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Notes for Rebekah: Did 1 1/2 times the recipe and filled one small tin.
Description: A delightful light flavored cookie with lemony goodness.
Recipe source: Came from Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, copyright 1950. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. water
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 4 tsp. grated lemon rind
- Powdered sugar
Mix together shortening, butter, egg, lemon juice, and water. In separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir into wet ingredients. Mix in grated lemon rind. Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls and bake at 400F for 12 to 15 minutes. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Notes for Rebekah: Did 1 1/2 times the recipe and filled one small tin.
Gingerbread Men
Description: Slightly spicy and crunchy. Not overly crunchy like some gingerbread recipes, though!
Recipe source: This recipe is kind of special because these cookies who pictured on the front page of Family Circle Magazine, November 2009. Click here to view the cookie recipe. See below for the royal icing recipe:
Royal Icing
Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered egg white (or meringue powder)
Directions:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine powdered sugar, powdered egg whites and 3 tablespoons water. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute to blend, then increase speed to high and beat 5 minutes until thick and shiny. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, or a resealable plastic bag; snip small corner off bag. Pipe icing over cookies. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Notes for Rebekah: 1 recipe makes 1 large tin.
Description: Slightly spicy and crunchy. Not overly crunchy like some gingerbread recipes, though!
Recipe source: This recipe is kind of special because these cookies who pictured on the front page of Family Circle Magazine, November 2009. Click here to view the cookie recipe. See below for the royal icing recipe:
Royal Icing
Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered egg white (or meringue powder)
Directions:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine powdered sugar, powdered egg whites and 3 tablespoons water. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute to blend, then increase speed to high and beat 5 minutes until thick and shiny. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, or a resealable plastic bag; snip small corner off bag. Pipe icing over cookies. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Notes for Rebekah: 1 recipe makes 1 large tin.
Rum Balls
Description: These cookies are soft and have a flavor punch! They should be stored at room temperature and shouldn't be eaten until they have aged for one week. The rum needs some time for itself, ya know!
Recipe source: Came from Cooks.com. See here for the recipe.
Notes to Rebekah: 1 recipe makes 1 small tin.
Description: These cookies are soft and have a flavor punch! They should be stored at room temperature and shouldn't be eaten until they have aged for one week. The rum needs some time for itself, ya know!
Recipe source: Came from Cooks.com. See here for the recipe.
Notes to Rebekah: 1 recipe makes 1 small tin.
Glazed Butter Cookies
Description: My sister and I made rolled sugar cookies before years ago and we had a crumbly mess! So when we decided on a roll-out cookie for this year we said a little prayer before we tied on our aprons. Our angel cookie cutter must have sent our message because these turned out beautifully! They were not hard to roll out and they were tender and sweet. Very delicious!
Recipe source: Found this recipe on a blog but the author adapted it from Cook's Illustrated. See here for the recipe.
Notes for Rebekah: 2 1/2 times the recipe makes 1 large and 1 small tin. Added water to dough to make it roll out easier.
Description: My sister and I made rolled sugar cookies before years ago and we had a crumbly mess! So when we decided on a roll-out cookie for this year we said a little prayer before we tied on our aprons. Our angel cookie cutter must have sent our message because these turned out beautifully! They were not hard to roll out and they were tender and sweet. Very delicious!
Recipe source: Found this recipe on a blog but the author adapted it from Cook's Illustrated. See here for the recipe.
Notes for Rebekah: 2 1/2 times the recipe makes 1 large and 1 small tin. Added water to dough to make it roll out easier.
Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (aka O' Faithful)
Description: My sister and I tried many Chocolate Chip Cookies (CCC) in our time and it is funny to note that during the past 2 or 3 years, we've been returning to this recipe again and again. We consider it thee best chocolate chip and this is a great example of the old proverb, "If it ain't broke, don't fix."
You may notice that one of the cookies in the photo has chocolate stripes. My sister wanted to have some fun and stir in chocolate shavings rather than chips into the dough. The cookie turned out to be chocolatier (is that a word?) and delicious!
Recipe source: Back of any Nestle chip package. Also found here.
Notes for Rebekah: Made 2 times the recipe. Yield: 1 large tin.
Description: My sister and I tried many Chocolate Chip Cookies (CCC) in our time and it is funny to note that during the past 2 or 3 years, we've been returning to this recipe again and again. We consider it thee best chocolate chip and this is a great example of the old proverb, "If it ain't broke, don't fix."
You may notice that one of the cookies in the photo has chocolate stripes. My sister wanted to have some fun and stir in chocolate shavings rather than chips into the dough. The cookie turned out to be chocolatier (is that a word?) and delicious!
Recipe source: Back of any Nestle chip package. Also found here.
Notes for Rebekah: Made 2 times the recipe. Yield: 1 large tin.
Alexandra--Queen of "Tortes"
9/27/09: "Express" Dobosch Torte
Meal Details: For the main course I heated up some sweet and sour meatballs and tacos that we had in the freezer. For dessert, I made the Dobosch Torte.
Defining moments: This is my third recipe in the Food Network Challenge, hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. See here for more info. This is my first attempt at making a torte. But what is the definition of a torte? It is a round cake with multiple layers (with lots of frosting between), lots of eggs, and frosting on the top and sides. And where does the word Dobosch come from? It is the last name of the man who created a famous Hungarian torte in 1884. The original Dobosch torte (aka Dobos torte) had many more layers and used much more intense techniques; that is why the recipe I used has the word "express" in the title. You can call the express Dobosch, the beginner's Dobosch.
Recipe sources: The torte recipe came from the Food Network chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, and can be found here.
What I learned: Because of this torte I can honestly say that I learned my lesson. I was very much upset over a frosting episode that came up during the afternoon hours on Sunday. The frosting for the torte was not coming together for me; it just continued to be a soupy mess. I thought it was all going to go to waste and when I feel that I will have to throw money out the window, well, that's hard to cope with. But Annemarie told me to keep the leftover in the refrigerator (for ice cream and whatnot), and after I looked at the refrigerated bowl of frosting in an hour's time I found it to be the perfect consistency. :) I was very happy over that! I do regret, however, having this set back ruffle my feathers like it did. I will really try to remember that even if a recipe mistake will result in a garbage toss, I shouldn't lose my patience or peace of mind.
Another thing I learned is that a semi wet cake pan that is sprayed with vegetable spray will result in hard-to-remove-cake. I unfortunately found it out the hard way. But my Papa came to the rescue with a heavy rolling pin and a strong arm. With a few taps--or should I say hammer whacks--from the rolling pin the cakes slipped right out. A bit rattled, but they still came out! I will remember the drying step next time!
One of the most interesting parts of this torte are the eggs that I used. They weren't your typical eggs, they came from the Easter Egg chicken. No, I'm not kidding. They are also known as Araucanas. These special chickens are rightly named because they lay blue eggs. Read all about them here. A friend of ours stopped at my family's farm and gave us a dozen of her eggs that were laid by her five Easter Egg chickens, six of which made their way into my cake batter.
Any modifications? Yes. The recipe told me to make two cakes, cut them in half horizontally, and stack them on top of each other to form four layers. I didn't feel like fiddling around with cutting my cakes so I divided the cake batter into four separate cake pans. This modification also cut the baking time in half. The cakes only took 20 minutes to bake.
I also didn't use cream but half-and-half for the frosting, it's a cheaper alternative and it gave good results.
Lastly, I decided to skip the caramel top mainly because I thought there was enough sugar on this cake already!
How it tasted? It was DIVINE! I love chocolate so I was very satisfied with the frosting choice. The cake was moist and I liked the interesting lemon flavor that was added. It tasted even more delicious the second day when it was thoroughly chilled.
How about a 2nd time? I would love to make it again!
Meal Details: For the main course I heated up some sweet and sour meatballs and tacos that we had in the freezer. For dessert, I made the Dobosch Torte.
Defining moments: This is my third recipe in the Food Network Challenge, hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. See here for more info. This is my first attempt at making a torte. But what is the definition of a torte? It is a round cake with multiple layers (with lots of frosting between), lots of eggs, and frosting on the top and sides. And where does the word Dobosch come from? It is the last name of the man who created a famous Hungarian torte in 1884. The original Dobosch torte (aka Dobos torte) had many more layers and used much more intense techniques; that is why the recipe I used has the word "express" in the title. You can call the express Dobosch, the beginner's Dobosch.
Recipe sources: The torte recipe came from the Food Network chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, and can be found here.
What I learned: Because of this torte I can honestly say that I learned my lesson. I was very much upset over a frosting episode that came up during the afternoon hours on Sunday. The frosting for the torte was not coming together for me; it just continued to be a soupy mess. I thought it was all going to go to waste and when I feel that I will have to throw money out the window, well, that's hard to cope with. But Annemarie told me to keep the leftover in the refrigerator (for ice cream and whatnot), and after I looked at the refrigerated bowl of frosting in an hour's time I found it to be the perfect consistency. :) I was very happy over that! I do regret, however, having this set back ruffle my feathers like it did. I will really try to remember that even if a recipe mistake will result in a garbage toss, I shouldn't lose my patience or peace of mind.
Another thing I learned is that a semi wet cake pan that is sprayed with vegetable spray will result in hard-to-remove-cake. I unfortunately found it out the hard way. But my Papa came to the rescue with a heavy rolling pin and a strong arm. With a few taps--or should I say hammer whacks--from the rolling pin the cakes slipped right out. A bit rattled, but they still came out! I will remember the drying step next time!
One of the most interesting parts of this torte are the eggs that I used. They weren't your typical eggs, they came from the Easter Egg chicken. No, I'm not kidding. They are also known as Araucanas. These special chickens are rightly named because they lay blue eggs. Read all about them here. A friend of ours stopped at my family's farm and gave us a dozen of her eggs that were laid by her five Easter Egg chickens, six of which made their way into my cake batter.
Any modifications? Yes. The recipe told me to make two cakes, cut them in half horizontally, and stack them on top of each other to form four layers. I didn't feel like fiddling around with cutting my cakes so I divided the cake batter into four separate cake pans. This modification also cut the baking time in half. The cakes only took 20 minutes to bake.
I also didn't use cream but half-and-half for the frosting, it's a cheaper alternative and it gave good results.
Lastly, I decided to skip the caramel top mainly because I thought there was enough sugar on this cake already!
How it tasted? It was DIVINE! I love chocolate so I was very satisfied with the frosting choice. The cake was moist and I liked the interesting lemon flavor that was added. It tasted even more delicious the second day when it was thoroughly chilled.
How about a 2nd time? I would love to make it again!
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