Showing posts with label Valentines Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentines Day. Show all posts

Friday, May 16, 2014

Chocolate Lava Pie



When I saw this pie on The Chew the other day, I have had a craving for it that is unbelievable!  

It is a program I don't often watch out of protest for taking the place of my beloved soap opera All My Children cancelled by ABC, but I happened to be at my mom's house and she watches it religiously.  This pie may have broken the ice for me . . .

The pie reminds me of one of my all time favorite pound cakes that I will have to dig through my personal collection of recipes to find . . . it is called Tunnel of Fudge Cake.  It is part brownie, part pound cake with a fudgy center. Different type of texture than this pie, but the concept is very similar.  I promise to share the pound cake recipe soon!

The only thing missing in that photo is a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Recipes for pie crust and salted caramel sauce listed separately.








ingredients


    • 1 disc of Perfect Pie Crust
    • 12 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate
    • 1 cup Butter
    • 5 large Eggs (room temperature)
    • 1 cup Sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
    • 1/3 cup Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1/2 cup Semi- Sweet Chocolate Chunks
    • 1/2 cup Chopped Nuts (pecans & walnuts; toasted)
    • Salted Caramel Sauce (to drizzle)



directions

Preheat oven 350°F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8" thickness. Place inside a pie dish and line with parchment and baking beans or weights. Blind bake for 8 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and beans and bake for 4 additional minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a small, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt Chocolate and Butter over low heat. Let Chocolate mixture cool. (Alternatively, Chocolate and Butter may be melted in the microwave. Be careful not to overheat and burn it.)

Using a mixer, whisk Eggs and Sugar until thickened and lemon-colored; blend in Vanilla. Sift Flour and Salt together and fold in; blend in the Chocolate mixture on low speed until thoroughly blended. Fold in the Chocolate chunks.

Pour into the pie crust and bake for 20-25 minutes or until slightly dry on top and slightly jiggly in the center.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Garnish with toasted nuts and a drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce (click for recipe) to serve.





Helpful Tips:

1. Blind bake the crust. Blind baking is baking the crust once without the filling. Use wax paper with beans on top to keep the crust from bubbling.

2. Whisk the chocolate together until the butter is fully incorporated.

3. Let the pie rest for 10 minutes and then serve. If making this pie ahead of time, re-warm in the oven or microwave.






Saturday, February 22, 2014

Red Velvet Mini Cheesecakes


Seems like Red Velvet Cakes, Cupcakes and Cookies
 have been all the rage lately.

Here are two recipes with a twist to the Red Velvet craze . . . 
mini cheesecakes from Betty Crocker and Sally's Baking Addiction.





Ingredients

Crust

36
chocolate wafer cookies, crushed (about 1 3/4 cups)
4 1/2
tablespoons butter, melted
1
teaspoon corn syrup or honey

Filling

2
packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4
cup granulated sugar
2
teaspoons vanilla
2
tablespoons red food color
2
eggs
1/4
cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2
cup Original Bisquick® mix
3/4
cup milk

Toppings

2
cups whipping cream
2
tablespoons powdered sugar
Chocolate shavings, if desired

Directions
 
In small bowl, mix Crust ingredients. Divide crumb mixture among cups. Using fingertips, firmly press in bottom of each cup, making sure crumbs are firmly packed.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and food color. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until well blended. Add cocoa and Bisquick mix, and beat until there are no more streaks and batter looks chocolaty. Pour in milk, and beat until smooth and creamy. Divide batter evenly among cups (cups will be almost full).
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until centers are firm. Cool 15 minutes (cheesecake centers will sink while cooling). Refrigerate in pan at least 45 minutes. In chilled small bowl, beat whipping cream on medium speed 30 seconds; gradually increase speed to high, and beat until stiff peaks form. During last minute, beat in powdered sugar.
Remove cheesecakes from refrigerator and, using butter knife, gently pop them out of pan. Carefully remove wrappers, and top each chilled cheesecake with large dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings. Serve chilled.
The cheesecakes can be made and frozen ahead of time. Leave cheesecakes in their paper baking cups, and wrap well with plastic wrap. Freeze in airtight container. To thaw, let cakes stand in refrigerator about 2 hours or until ready to eat; top as directed.

Photo and Recipe Source




Click here for another version

of the Red Velvet Mini Cheesecake

from Sally's Baking Addiction!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Chocolate Indulgence for Valentine's Day!




Molten Chocolate Cake

Have you ever had Chili's Molten Chocolate Cake?  

It is one of my favorite desserts from Chili's!  Pure chocolate indulgence :)

The Food Network Kitchens has come up with their version . . . 
impress your sweetie with this restaurant-style dessert!  




New York Style Chocolate Cheesecake

Cooking Channel TV has the recipe!  Emeril never lets me down!  
I can't wait to make this New York Style Chocolate Cheesecake :)  
How about adding some glazed strawberries on top
to make it extra special for Valentine's Day?





Design Sponge has a recipe with photo instructions
 on how to make one of my favorite candies!  
Surprise your sweetie by making a batch of these
 homemade chocolate peanut butter cups . . . 





Karen at Mommy's Moments has an awesome recipe for
 Fudge Lovers Cream Cheese Cake that gets my vote.  
This is what I'm making for my sweetie . . .





Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries Recipe

Chocolate Covered Strawberries . . . it is as easy as melting
 chocolate chips of your choice in a double boiler and
 dipping the strawberries in the melting chocolate.  
Click here for an article with variation ideas.





White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake recipe
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake from Fine Cooking
I seriously want to try to this recipe!  My sweetie may get two sweet treats . . .






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