Showing posts with label valentine treats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label valentine treats. Show all posts

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Chocolate Devils



Chocolate is such a weakness for so many of us!

This recipe is a delight for the eyes and such a treat for our chocolate cravings.

What a gorgeous presentation and perfect on the dessert table for a party.

Thank you Ree Drummond for another awesome recipe!





Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond
Recipe courtesy Ree Drummond

The Food Network
SHOW: The Pioneer Woman
EPISODE: Sweet Deliveries 

Check out the link for more delicious recipes from this episode.




Ingredients

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake:
    • Baking spray, for spraying parchment
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
    • 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa
    • 1/2 cup buttermilk
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 eggs, beaten

White Frosting:
    • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
    • 1 cup granulated sugar (not powdered sugar!)

Ganache:
    • 3 cups heavy cream
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla
    • 24 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
    • 1 jar maraschino cherries


Directions


Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter and a frosting (piping) bag and tip

For the best chocolate sheet cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use an 18-by-13-inch sheet cake pan. Cut parchment paper to fit the pan and spray each side with baking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa to the butter and stir together. Add 1 cup boiling water to the pan and then allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds. Pour over the flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

Pour the buttermilk into a bowl and add the baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/flour mixture. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 20 minutes. Let the cake cool completely.

Cut the cooled cake into circles with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, and then lay the circles on another sheet pan with a wire rack; set this pan in the fridge to make sure there is no warmth to the cake at all. (The frosting is so light and fluffy, the coolness will help keep it all together.)

For the white frosting: In a small saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick--thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. If in a hurry, place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools. It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in the vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. You don't want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven't beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream. Grab a spoon and taste this wonderful goodness. If there is any left after your taste test, spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.

For the ganache: Heat the cream until very hot. Add the vanilla, and then pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir to completely melt.

To assemble: Place the white frosting into a frosting bag. Squeeze the frosting onto one circle of cake. Press a second circle on top. Using a ladle, pour ganache over the cake, allowing the chocolate to run over the sides. Place 3 cherries on the center. Repeat the process with each cake. Chill the cakes until ready to serve!




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 . . .






Sunday, February 6, 2011

Valentine Treats




Time to start thinking about the sweets
we will be making for our sweeties.

Sweets are my favorite thing to prepare 
. . . and I love to bake.

Bad combination . . . yet good.

At least for Valentine's Day it is a good thing.

Recipes for sweets is something I go out and hunt!

From now until Valentine's Day, I'll be bringing you
recipes from other bloggers and from my collection
that are perfect for the occasion.

Here are some that I've hunted down recently . . .


Click on the photo go to the original website that
includes the post, recipe and instructions.


Krista from While He Was Napping 
found these on Hershey's Website.






Krista from While He Was Napping
whips up some awesome looking
Whoopie Pies!


Red Velvet Covered Cookies

Trisha from 3 Four and Under made these
Red Velvet Cookies using some common ingredients
to make them fast and easy.  Very cute and clever!



Ami from Ali Lilly
made an awesome discover that
makes these sweeties fast and easy.
Cute too!
How about printing out these cupcake holders
 and make these cute little tags to pair up
 with Ami's sweetest cupcakes ever?


Diane has taken care of all the design
work for you . . . just print them out!


Enjoy!






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