Tag Archive for: dessert

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

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We have survived the first week back to school- it actually was relatively easy.  Walker came home the first day saying that he had the best group of teachers which is always good, and more importantly, he has not had too much trouble waking up in the morning.  The main change in school this year according to Walker is that they redid the lunch room and got a new lunch service company.  He is very impressed.  Gone are the days of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day which is what I had for lunch long long ago in my school days.  I really do love a good peanut butter sandwich, but of course better than that is a peanut butter cookie.  I saw these very fun cookies on Martha Stewart.com and thought they were a perfect “back to school” treat.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat peanut butter and butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugars, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients, and mix until combined.

Scoop level tablespoons of dough, and form into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake until cookies are puffy, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and make indentations in centers by pressing with the handle end of a wooden spoon. Return to oven, and bake until edges are golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks, and let cool completely.

Heat jam in a small saucepan, stirring, until loosened, about 30 seconds. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon into each indentation. Cookies can be stored in a single layer for up to 1 week.

Lemonade Stands and Lemon Trifle

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Walker and his two friends have spent a lot of time this past spring working on a pushable lemonade cart so they can better sell lemonade to the masses in Charleston.  Since they have all been gone all summer, yesterday was the first day they were able to try it out.  They went down to White Point Gardens with their stand and a cooler of lemonade and several hours and a Brazilian couple who had never seen a lemonade stand before, they concluded it was a success.  In honor of their lemonade success, I made a lemon trifle for dessert last night.  I love this recipe because it is simple, sweet and delicious.

Lemon Trifle

Ingredients:
1 package angel food cake mix – prepared according to instructions on package
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1 cup lemon juice – with zest
12 ounces whipped topping

Directions:

Prepare the angel food cake mix as instructed on the package. Allow it to cool completely.
Combine the sugar, cornstarch, water, and salt in a saucepan and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
Cook these ingredients over medium heat until the mixture is clear and has thickened. Cook it until it just comes to a boil.
Remove from the heat and add the butter; stir until melted.
Pour in the lemon juice and stir until completely mixed.
Allow it to cool and then refrigerate the mixture so that it thickens a little more. It should be about the consistency of pudding.
Remove the lemon mixture from the refrigerator and begin to layer all the ingredients. Begin by putting a layer of torn pieces of cake on the bottom of a trifle bowl. Use a little less than half the cake.
Spread half the lemon mixture over the cake and then sprinkle this with coconut.
Add half of the whipped topping and spread out evenly.
Repeat the layers of cake and lemon mixture. You will probably end up with a little of the cake leftover.
Next add the rest of the whipped topping and spread out so that it covers the entire top except for about an inch around the outer edge.
Sprinkle coconut over the entire top of the trifle.
Serve the trifle immediately or it can be refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Carrot Cake Doughnuts

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This past weekend we spent Friday night out at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island- a “staycation” if you will.  It was absolutely wonderful.  I felt like I had been on vacation for a week and we weren’t even there 24 hours.  We arrived on Friday afternoon.  It had been raining the whole day in Charleston, but just 45 minutes away, it had not rained at all.  We sat by the pool for a cocktail and then met some friends on the beach.  After that, we had drinks in the lobby bar with some other friends we ran into who were doing the same thing.  We then walked up  to The Ocean Room, sat at the bar and had a fabulous dinner.  Corby got the steak and I had the pesto gnocchi- delicious!  We were then “talked” into getting dessert.  It was going to be a very tough decision but fortunately they had a dessert trio which included the two things I wanted to try- the carrot cake doughnuts and the chocolate and malt. I can’t remember what the third was but I am sure I enjoyed it.  However, I do remember the carrot cake doughnuts very well.  Amazing.  They were served with cream cheese ice cream and a caramel sauce.  And of course since it was a carrot cake doughnut, that means it was healthy because of the carrot- right?  Either way, they were really special.  The next morning we went for a long walk on the beach and then sat at the pool for many hours until it was time to go home and pick up the dog.  It really was a phenomenal night/day/vacation.  Now, Walker is finally home after two and a half months of being away and school starts tomorrow- how has the summer gone by so quickly?  I dug around this morning to find a recipe for the carrot cake doughnuts that might make the first morning of school a little more bearable.

Carrot Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 whole egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained, reserve 4 tablespoons juice for the frosting
2/3 cup finely shredded carrots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease the doughnut pan; set aside.
In a medium sized mixing bowl sift together the flour, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter, light brown sugar, and salt. Add egg, vanilla, and yogurt; beat until smooth. Add flour mixutre. Stir in pineapple and carrots.
Spoon the mixture into a ziploc bag and pipe batter into prepared pan, filling only 1/2 way up the doughnut cavities.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Cool doughnuts in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack.

Double Coffee Tiramisu

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We are finally home in Charleston, and while we had a great time, it is so good to be back.  The last week we spent up in Linville, NC, getting ready for the Fancy Dress Ball.  This year, instead of family with us, we had some of our closest friends up to participate in the fun.  We all had a great time, and Walker was quite the motivator as Saturday wore on, and we had no plan for what to do.  We ended up coming up with a very funny and very short skit that my brother, who was up with us, MC’d wonderfully.  While we didn’t take home first prize, we did take home 4th, which for the amount of effort we put in (minimal), we were all incredibly happy.  Saturday evening turned into very early Sunday morning quickly, and by the time we all went to bed, we knew the rest of Sunday was going to be a bit rough.  I don’t drink coffee, which is a problem on these mornings, and I was trying to find something that would help me on our long drive home.  I did not find this recipe until today, but I think if I had had the forethought to make this on Saturday in anticipation of Sunday, this would have been a nice little breakfast treat!

Double Coffee Tiramisu

Ingredients:

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
2 (3-oz.) packages ladyfingers
1/2 cup grated semisweet or dark chocolate

Directions:

Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture.
Stir together 1/2 cup hot water and coffee granules until dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup liqueur.
Arrange ladyfingers evenly around sides of 8 (6-oz.) coffee cups or ramekins. Drizzle ladyfingers with coffee mixture. Spoon or pipe cream cheese mixture into center of ramekins. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Cover and chill 2 hours.
Note: To serve the tiramisù in a single dish, prepare recipe as directed through Step 3. Arrange half of ladyfingers in bottom and up sides of a 2-qt. serving bowl. Drizzle evenly with half of coffee mixture. Top with half of cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers once. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Cover and chill 2 hours.

The Best Ginger Snaps

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The temperature has dropped to a very lovely 68 degrees, and I went for a great ten-mile hike this morning.  Well, it was only supposed to be about 6 miles, but I got lost, and I saw a bear, so it ended up being about 10 miles.  The bear didn’t have anything to do with getting lost; it was just kind of exciting. When I finally got to where I wanted to go in the first place, the view was so magnificent that the extra 4 miles were worth it.  Here is the view. Also, in the last couple of weeks, we have gone to breakfast at a wonderful spot down in Phoenicia called Sweet Sue’s.  I am having a hard time thinking of a breakfast that I have enjoyed more.  But, by far and away, the ginger snap cookie we had as an appetizer (yes, we had a cookie as an appetizer before breakfast) was ridiculous.  I could eat a lot of those cookies. A whole lot of them.  While I can’t quite recreate it, here is the recipe that comes closest.

Ginger Snap Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup margarine, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

 

What to do in a heat wave?

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The entire East Coast seems to be in a massive heat wave, and Twilight is no exception.  Clearly, it is not as bad up here as it is in New York City, where the temperature is currently 99 degrees with a “real feel” of 107.  That is not a lot of fun.  So, we have been spending a lot of time at the pool keeping cool, and I took Walker and his friend Jake to Zoom Flume yesterday.  It is a water park in East Durham, NY.  It is a pretty drive to get there and funny too, because you are driving along through very rural residential neighborhoods, and all of a sudden, there is a big water park.  The boys found a nice lounge chair and then ran off to the new wave pool.  We all had a blast- I finished my book in the shade, and they rode all the water rides and had funnel cakes.  Zoom Flume is a great way to beat the heat, but since we can’t do that every day, we rely on the pool and ice cream sandwiches of course.  Here is a great recipe for Grasshopper Ice Cream Sandwiches.  They are even better if someone else makes them and you can just enjoy!

Grasshopper Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 to 5 drops green food coloring (optional)
1 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

For the mint chocolate chip ice cream:

Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice cubes and 1 to 2 cups of water. Place a medium bowl fitted with a fine strainer inside the ice bath.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Set over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is warm and begins to steam, about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Carefully whisk half of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, one ladleful at a time, until the egg mixture is warmed. Whisk the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and registers around 175°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to boil the mixture.
Immediately strain the mixture through the fine strainer into the prepared ice bath. Stir in the extracts and food coloring, if using. Cool the custard in the ice bath until it reaches room temperature, stirring often. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the custard and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours or up to 1 day.
Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Add the chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes of churning. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container, press plastic wrap against the ice cream surface, and freeze until the ice cream is firm and the flavor is ripened, at least 2 hours.
For the chocolate sugar cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until combined.
Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow dish. Roll the dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls, then roll in the sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets and flatten with the bottom of a measuring cup to a 2-inch diameter.
Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Freeze the cookies until firm, at least 1 hour. The cookies can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 1 month.
For assembly:
Top one cookie with a scoop of ice cream. Place another cookie on top of the ice cream and gently press down to form a sandwich. Immediately place the sandwich in the freezer. Repeat for the remaining cookies. Freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.

Brownie Dessert

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Pinterest always makes me hungry.  I love looking at the wonderful food photography, and all of the recipes are great.  I did read a really funny quote from DJ Joe Kelly about all of the food photography that is constantly on Facebook and Pinterest.  He said:

“Remember the old days…when you used to have dinner…then grab the camera, focus it, and take a picture of your food? You’d then take the roll out of the camera, drop it off at the Fotomat place, and you’d pick it up a few days later…. Then, you’d pick out the best photo of your food, go back to the Fotomat, drop off the negative, get copies of the photo made….then, pick them up a few days later. You would then take the photos, put them in envelopes, add stamps, then run down to the post office and mail the pictures of your dinner to all your friends. Remember all that?

Of course not! You didn’t use to take photos of your food – why are you doing it now?

Studies show Facebook would be much less traveled if people just stopped taking pictures of their food!

Apparently, your friends onhttps://thesouthwillrise.com/wp-admin/post-new.php Facebook aren’t the only ones tired of this practice.Some restaurants are now banning picture taking in their dining rooms since all the camera flashes are disrupting the ambiance and disturbing other diners.

If you eat a nice meal and don’t take a photo, did it really happen?”

I thought it was pretty funny, but despite that, I do love this new trend.  Here is a fantastic Dessert Brownie recipe I found on pinterest via Luscious Food Recipes for the Soul while drooling on my desk.

Brownie Dessert

Ingredients:

2 brownie mixes
1 extra large egg
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (8 oz.) containers whipped topping
1 (3 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding
1 (3 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 Hershey candy bar or chocolate syrup

Directions:

Mix brownie mixes according to directions. Add egg. Bake in 9×13 inch greased and floured cake pan. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 container whipped topping. Put this mix on top of the cooled brownies. Blend puddings and milk together and put on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with another layer of whipped topping. Put chocolate shavings or chocolate syrup on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris

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Tomorrow is Walker’s last day of 4th grade.  He keeps saying he can’t believe how quickly the year went by. I can’t believe how quickly the year went by.  The years somehow keep getting faster.  Fortunately, while summer does seem to disappear on me too quickly as well, I am looking forward to enjoying the long lazy days ahead.  Walker heads to camp for three weeks next week, and everyone keeps asking what I am going to do- the answer is nothing.  I am pretty excited about it.  Well, nothing is a relative term because I do plan on making strawberry daiquiris and sitting on my porch.  Here is my favorite daiquiri recipe- hope you enjoy it as much as I plan to.

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris

Ingredients:

3 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup white rum
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 (12-ounce) can limeade concentrate, thawed and undiluted
1 cup crushed ice
6 lime slices (optional)

Directions:

Place the first 4 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Add ice; process until smooth. Serve immediately; garnish with lime slices, if desired.

Delicious Cream Puffs

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Happy Memorial Day!  We spent a wonderful weekend out on boats and at the beach.  The weather could not have been more perfect, and I am now convinced that every tourist who is currently in Charleston wants to move here, so I should probably get my real estate license as opposed to my continuous attempts at baking.  However, baking is clearly more fun.  We are grilling out tonight, and I am going to make cream puffs for dessert.  I am pretty excited about it.  I know that most people just cut the puffs open and fill with pudding or custard that way, but I am going to try to fill them without cutting them in half- it will probably be a huge mess but should be fun.  Because I love vanilla custard, that is with what they will be filled.  I might make chocolate custard as well, but we will see how it goes.

Cream Puffs

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the butter.  When the butter has melted, add the flour mixture all at once and stir vigorously.  Cook and stir until the mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate.
Remove from the heat and cool slightly (about 1 minute).  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each one until the dough is smooth.
Drop heaping tablespoons of dough about 2-inches apart onto a greased baking sheet.  Or transfer the batter to a pastry bag with a round tip and pipe circles about 2-inches in diameter and about 1-inch apart onto greased baking sheets.  Bake the puffs for about 30 minutes until they are golden brown and puffy.  If the puffs are medium-size, bake for about 22 — 25 minutes, and if the puffs are mini-size, bake for about 17 — 20 minutes.  Remove the cream puffs from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.

Vanilla Custard Filling

Ingredients:

2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks or 2 whole eggs
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

On a piece of plastic wrap, or in a small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. In a saucepan, combine and whisk together the egg yolks and milk, or whole eggs if you are using them.

Gather the corners of the plastic wrap, or the bowl and pick up the starch mixture, pour it on top of the eggs and milk and whisk well to be sure that all of the cornstarch and flour are dissolved. Add the vanilla bean. (if using the extract, add it at the end of the recipe.

Set the pan over moderate heat and cook the custard for about 12 minutes, until thickened and brought to a boil. To do this, stir on and off for the first 5 minutes, then stir constantly for 7 minutes longer until the cream really thickens and reaches a boil.

Remove pan from the heat. The cream is done when smooth and thick enough to leave a clearly defined line when you draw your finger through the cream coating the back of the spoon.

Remove the vanilla bean, rinse it, and set it aside to reuse. If you are using extract instead of the bean, add it now. Add the butter and whisk until melted and blended in.

Pour the cream through a sieve into a bowl. Stir in any additional flavoring if using it. To prevent a film from forming on top of the cream, press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface. Cool cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Beignets and a Fun Wedding

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We went to a friend’s wedding in Wilmington, NC this past weekend.  I have never been to Wilmington, and it was awesome!  We got into town on Thursday and walked down to a restaurant on the river.  The city is so beautiful and strolling along the streets, the historic homes were so much fun to look at.  We stayed for the weekend out at Wrightsville Beach which is a 20 minute drive from downtown Wilmington.  I had been to Wrightsville once before as a child, but I did not remember what a wonderful, quaint beach town it was.  It was a perfect weekend with amazing weather, beautiful morning runs on the beach, fun boat outings in the afternoons, and the most fun wedding activities at night.  The rehearsal dinner was in Wilmington at the City Club.  The terraced garden leading up to the house was spectacular.  Here is a picture.  The atmosphere was so fun and lively and the food was delicious.  As the groom had spent a lot of time in Louisiana, there was a Cajun theme to the event, and so for dessert, they served a King cake and beignets.  I could not eat enough of these.  They were really really good.  And fortunately, I have a deep fryer, so guess what I am making this weekend!  Here is the recipe I am trying from www.food.com.  I will let you know how it turns out.

Beignets

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pinch nutmeg
4 -6 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Combine the water, milk and egg in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and the sugar and mix until the batter is smooth.
Pour the oil into a large, deep pot or a deep fryer and heat to 360ºF.
Drop the batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil and fry, turning two or three times, until they are golden brown and puffy.
Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.