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Search Results for: sauce

Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Chip Cookies

by 42 Comments

Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best cookies you will ever make. Perfectly crispy on the edges and chewy in the center, these cookies are bound to become your favorite!

Side shot of chocolate chip cookies stacked on each other, one leaning over a cup.

COOK'S ILLUSTRATED PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the perfect chocolate chip cookie. In flavor, texture and look. The folks at Cook's Illustrated know what they are doing. Their recipes never disappoint me. That's why I was super excited to try this one. It's even called "the perfect chocolate chip cookie"!

These cookies are the most beautiful cookies I have ever made. They have a crunchy ring on the outside and deliciously chewy inside. The outer layer is crunchy too, leading you to the melty gooey center.

[Read more...] about Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Chip Cookies

Black Forest Semifreddo Recipe

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 It's time for our second Blue Ribbon Challenge!!

Are you excited? Did you like the theme?

I sure did! I have to admit, it was my first time making semifreddo. Why, oh why, haven't I made this dessert before? No idea. It's no-bake, so versatile and a real treat in this hot weather. I went with my current theme, Black Forest, which is basically a cherry and chocolate combo. Can't go wrong here, if you ask me. I made my base as you would for a classic semifreddo. Eggs, sugar and cream. I added a layer of my favorite cocoa and Biscoff cookie crust and freshly chopped cherries. And..... I topped it all with my go-to cherry sauce. HEAVEN!

[Read more...] about Black Forest Semifreddo Recipe

Cherry Love and Black Forest Parfait

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Cherry Love and Black Forest Parfait Recipe - a quick and easy no-bake dessert for hot summer days. Cherry sauce and vanilla yogurt make this a healthier dessert idea.

Cherry Love and Black Forest Parfait Recipe - a quick and easy no-bake dessert for hot summer days. Cherry sauce and vanilla yogurt make this a healthier dessert idea.

 First of all, I want to thank all of you who are visiting my new site and leaving comments and subscribing. Thank you so much! It melts my heart to get all the support from all of you during my big move to WordPress! I owe you all plates and plates of cookies! 🙂

My week without the oven continues. And even though I do miss a freshly baked pastry or a cupcake, I am really enjoying rediscovering all of the frozen and no-bake treats and desserts you can make! Like the one, you saw here yesterday. Frozen yogurt anyone?

[Read more...] about Cherry Love and Black Forest Parfait

Brown Butter Brown Sugar Popcorn

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It's time for this month's Improv Challenge! If you are not familiar with this event, all participants get to make a dish including two ingredients the same for everyone. July's ingredints are corn and butter. I almost skipped the challenge this month as moving my blog to WordPress is quite time-consuming. I still have the whole recipe index to move! But this popcorn was worth it!

I have to say, it took me a loooong time to finally settle on the popcorn. I had cookies in mind for a while but this heat wave.... oh, this heat wave... I miss baking but I just can't make myself to turn the oven on! My Hubby is always there to advise me when I feel lost and popcorn was his idea. Frankly speaking, I am not a fan of popcorn. There would be different snacks I would choose before it. But this popcorn is actually pretty good! The nuttiness of brown butter is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of brown sugar. I made a big bowl for us to enjoy while watching the 1st season of Downton Abbey on DVD and it was gone before we knew it!

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Brown Butter Brown Sugar Popcorn

Air popped popcorn with browned butter and brown sugar make for a nutty sweet treat. Perfect for a movie night!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: popcorn
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 145kcal
Author: Anna

Ingredients

  • ¼ c popcorn popped
  • ½ c butter
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Brown the butter in a small saucepan. Cool completely in a small bowl.
  • Add brown sugar and stir until almost dissolved.
  • Pour over your popcorn.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 135mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Calcium: 5mg

I used air-popping machine to make my popcorn. I got a huge bowl full of it. It would be quite difficult for me to tell you how many cups that was, because it was disappearing fast! 🙂

CCC Monday: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

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I do not know what's with this project but I seemed to go from a winner to a flop.
Last week was huge as I shared my very own recipe for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip cookies and they were a success!
This week, I decided that I can be reasonable and comply with the weather and forget the oven. So no-bake route it was.
Most of the no-bake cookies involve oats but I was trying to find a way to enjoy CCC without even slightly feeling like you are having an oatmeal cookie somewhere on the way. I googled the subject out.
POOF, Joy the Baker's site pops out on the list and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls are drawing my attention. No oats, applesauce and dipping in chocolate - I was more and more into the recipe.
Here is the thing, I think I seriously overwhipped the butter and sugar mixture. My dough was so airy and fluffy that I had to refrigerate it in the bowl before scooping out onto a parchment paper-lined sheet. My Girls were super excited to stick the pop sticks into balls of cookie dough! Back to the freezer for the whole night.
The next day, I was looking forward to dipping them in chocolate. It was a mess.... I could feel them melt in my hands as I was peeling the balls of the parchment paper. Still, I dipped the bottoms in the melted chocolate and called it done. I wasn't even in the mood to photograph them.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

½ c ( 1 stick ) unsalted butter, softened
½ c brown sugar
⅓ c granulated sugar
1 c + 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ c applesauce
1 c chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients ( flour, soda, salt, coffee granules ). Set aside.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter and sugars. Whip until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add applesauce and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips.
If the dough is very soft, refrigerate until it hardens.
Scoop the dough onto prepared sheet.
Freeze 3 hours or overnight.
Dip in melted chocolate.
Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

source: slightly adapted from Joy the Baker

       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Come back tomorrow as my new series begins. You won't believe what I have to share with you! See you then! 🙂

xoxo,

post signature

The Best Homemade Pizza Dough (photo tutorial)

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Make the Best Pizza Dough with our photo tutorial packed with tips on making the best pizza at home. A fail-proof and easy recipe that makes the best crust!

You can make 2 regular pizzas or 3 thin-crust pizzas with this recipe. Top it with Homemade Pizza Sauce, pepperoni, cheese and any toppings you like.

Pizza dough on a wooden board.
 
Today we are taking the mystery out of making pizza dough. Trust me when I say, it's easy-peasy.
Or what my Hubby says, because he is going to show you how you can make a pizzeria-style pizza at home!
Are you excited? 🙂 I should warn you though, after trying this pizza - you may never order delivery again.
Take it away, Honey!
[Read more...] about The Best Homemade Pizza Dough (photo tutorial)

Beer Bread with Cheese and Bacon

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            It finnaly happened! My first savory post.

           Two reasons for such an event:

1. Father's Day is this weekend.
2. I was challenged by my Hubby to create a savory dish that I could post on the blog.

           Father's Day and my Little Man's turning one year old and my chocolate and sugar are replaced with bacon and beer. I love challenges like that!

          My Hubby has an amazing palate when it comes to food. He know what goes together very well. He is also a total carnivore that loves typical guy food.

          Enter beer bread with cheese and bacon.

          His eyes lit up! I won his heart yet again. Easy-peasy. 🙂

          And this is what your Man does after you slice your freshly baked beer bread:

Tops it with pizza sauce, pepperoni and more cheese... And under the broiler.

        This bread is seriously delicious! You can actually taste the beer and the bacon adds crunch and smokey flavor to the crust. I am planning to use different types of beer for this recipe and play with other toppings.
I sprinkled the top with coarse sea salt. Just for giggles! 🙂

B@@r Bread with Cheese and Bacon

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
12 oz. ( 1 bottle ) light beer
3 -4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
¾ c grated mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon dry ranch mix
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water for egg wash ( optional )
coarse sea salt for sprinkling ( optional )

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Grease 8" loaf pan and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients ( flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and ranch mix ).
Add cheese and stir with a wooden spoon. Add beer and stir until just combined. It should be thick and lumpy. Do not overmix.
Place the batter in your pan. Sprinkle the bacon on top. Brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cutting board to cool completely.

source: slightly adapted from Farmgirl Fare

 

Fiesta Cake

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After our success with churros, I ended up having leftover chocolate dip.
How that happened, I have no idea but I what I knew, was that it will be used in something.

The whole Sunday, after Cinco de Mayo, I was brain-storming what I could do to use this delicious dip. Enter Pioneer Woman.

Well, not in person of course. Because if she did, I would faint and there would be no fiesta but the ER for me.

Now, I trust Ree when she says it's "the best chocolate cake ever". But because it was a holiday, and because I like to challenge myself, I wanted to jazz it up a bit.
I halved the ingredients to make an 8" x 8" cake, and not a sheet cake on purpose. I wanted to infuse the cake with my mocha dulce de leche.
I am evil like that! Bwuahahahaha!

This cake was named by my oldest daughter.
She is a genius by the way.
And I am her mommy. 🙂
And Mocha Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cake with Mexican Chocolate Ganache is a mouth-full.

So here you have it: chocolate cake, infused with mocha dulce de leche and topped with Mexican chocolate ganache. Fiesta in your mouth, baby!

Fiesta Cake

for the cake:
1 c all-purpose flour
¾ c granulated sugar
a dash of salt
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
½ c ( 1 stick ) butter
½ c boiling water
¼ c buttermilk ( or sour milk - see note below )
1 large egg, beaten
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add cocoa. Whisk until combined.
Add boiling water and cook it all for about 30 seconds.
Pour the chocolate mixture over your dry ingredients and fold it in with wooden spoon or spatula.
In a small mixing bowl, combine buttermilk or sour milk, egg, soda and vanilla.
Add it to your chocolate mixture. Stir it in until all is smooth and combined.
Pour into prepared baking pan.
Bake 30 - 35 minutes, or until the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

source: Pioneer Woman

for the Mocha Dulce de Leche:

1 c freshly brewed coffee
½ whipping cream
½ c granulated sugar

In a medium saucepan, bring the coffee to a boil.
Add the sugar and whisk until dissolved.
Cook for 15 minutes on medium-low heat, until it becomes syrupy.
Add the cream and whisk until smooth.
The mixture will be very thin but it will thicken up as it cools.
Transfer into a jar and refrigerate 12 hrs or overnight.

makes: about ¾ cup

for the Mexican chocolate ganache:

1 egg yolk, beaten
¼ c heavy cream
¼ c milk
¾ c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place the chocolate chips into a small bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the yolk and cream. Heat to boiling, whisking constantly. Immediately pour over the chocolate chips. Let stand for 3 - 5 minutes.
Heat the milk in the same saucepan and add to chocolate cream mixture.
Whisk together until smooth.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and whisk again.
Refrigerate for 1 hr, until thicker.
Pour over warm cake. It will thicken up as you let the cake cool.

makes: about ¾ cup

Assembly:
While the cake is still warm, poke the top with a toothpick. You need holes to infuse the cake with dulce de leche. Pour the mocha dulce de leche over the cake, spreading gently with spatula.
Let it sit for 10 - 15 minutes.
Pour the chocolate ganache over the top. It will melt but that is ok. It will thicken up again while the cake cools.
Cool the cake completely. If you can wait that is! I cut out a piece after just few minutes. Are you surprised? 🙂 The cake was tricky to cut, because the toppings were not set yet, but the warm cake with dulce de leche and the ganache was so incredibly good!! Still, wait until it cools or you will burn your mouth.
Note on sour milk:
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, pour ¼ cup of milk into a measuring cup and take away 1 teaspoon. Now, replace that teaspoon of milk with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Stir. Let sit for a couple of minutes and you have sour milk you can use in place of buttermilk. I do it all the time and it always works. Always.

Mocha Dulce de Leche

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I was flipping through pages of Southern Living magazine from last year, when I stumbled upon a suspiciously easy recipe for Dulce de Leche. It was made of sweet tea.

I didn't have sweet tea.

I had coffee.

I always have coffee. That's what wakes me and my Hubby up in the morning.

Except Sundays. That's when our kids wake us up jumping into our bed!

Aaaaaanyways, adventurous baker that I am - I decided to use coffee in the recipe.

Enter Mocha Dulce de Leche.

May I just say: this stuff is gooooood!!

I decided to use it in my next baking project that I will share on Wednesday, but this stuff deserves a post of it's own.

One thing you should know before making this: letting it cool for at least 12 hours in your fridge ( overnight is the best ) will make it very thick, like the real Dulce de Leche.

Mocha Dulce de Leche

1 c freshly brewed coffee
½ whipping cream
½ c granulated sugar

In a medium saucepan, bring the coffee to a boil.
Add the sugar and whisk until dissolved.
Cook for 15 minutes on medium-low heat, until it becomes syrupy.
Add the cream and whisk until smooth.
The mixture will be very thin but it will thicken up as it cools.
Transfer into a jar and refrigerate 12 hrs or overnight.

makes: about ¾ cup

source: Southern Living May 2011

Come back on Wednesday to see what I used it in! 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

Churros with Mexican Chocolate Dip

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 Because it's Cinco de Mayo and because I believe that every celebration goes hand-in-hand with a dessert....

I made churros! 🙂

I mean I made the batter, my Hubby fried the churros, I made the dip, we all devoured the crunchy sticks, licked the dip bowl and then licked our fingers.

Lip-smacking good!

What is a churro:
A crunchy, fried-pastry snack, coated with cinnamon sugar and dipped in chocolate. Golden on the outside and cake-like on the inside. Also called Spanish or Mexican doughnuts. What's not to like?

Few notes on the recipe:
I tried several recipes, that would differ in the amount of eggs you add to the batter. The one that worked the best, uses only one.
Traditionally, churros are made by piping the dough through churrera, but I used my trusty 1M tip, gently opened to make a large open star tip.
When frying churros, use fork and very gently turn them to fry evenly. You do not want to disturb their shape.

 Churros
source: BHG
¾ c water
¼ c milk
2 tablespoon brown sugar
⅓ c butter ( if using salted butter, skip the additional salt )
½ teaspoon of salt ( I skipped this because I used salted butter )
1 c all-purpose flour
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Combine water, milk, brown sugar and water in a medium saucepan.
Heat to boiling.

Add the flour and whisk.

The dough should start to come together.

Switch to a wooden spoon and stir until the dough forms a ball and comes off the sides of the saucepan. It can take 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the dough into a mixing bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes.
Then add egg and vanilla extract.

Mix until the egg is well incorporated.

This is just an example of how the churros will look like piped, when your batter is the right consistency. There are recipes that use 3 or even 4 eggs, but you can end up with a runny mess that will just pour out of your piping bag. You want the batter to be thick enough to pipe churros with distinctive ridges.

To fry churros:

Pour enough oil into a pot, that it comes to 2,5 to 3" up the sides.
Heat it until it reaches 300 degrees.
Pipe the churros straight into the hot oil. Be careful not to burn yourself!
Gently turn with a fork to brown evenly.
Transfer onto a paper towel-lined plate.
Roll churro in cinnamon sugar.
Serve warm, dipped in chocolate.

Mexican Chocolate Dip

1 egg yolk, beaten
¼ c heavy cream
¼ c milk
¾ c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place the chocolate chips into a small bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the yolk and cream. Heat to boiling, whisking constantly. Immediately pour over the chocolate chips. Let stand for 3 - 5 minutes.
Heat the milk in the same saucepan and add to chocolate cream mixture.
Whisk together until smooth.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and whisk again.
Let cool. Serve with churros.
The dip will thicken as it cools.

I hope you will have a fabulous weekend, filled with delicious Mexican dishes and desserts.
Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Strawberries and Cheesecake Chocolate Bars

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April showers bring May flowers. Or so they say.

For me they brought mud.

Highly attractive to kids.

I know, because it is ALL OVER THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE!

Yep, the back of the house has artistic splatters of mud on it.

Authors: my two daughters.

Effect: pissed off mom, laughing Husband and happy kids.

I was never a play-in-the-mud child.

I saw this as a virtue of sorts. Or maybe it was my fear of bugs and all creepy-crawlies that live in the ground.
I do not fancy these, you know. 🙂

But apparently, mud is fun! It makes you "cool" to have it all over your feet and hands. It has this magical abillity to attach to surfaces it is thrown onto.

So I made something pretty. In my kitchen. With strawberries and cheesecake.
Maybe not artistic and original, but delicious!

The chocolate layer is rich and muddy fudgy, not cakey at all. A perfect base for a creamy cheesecake layer topped with sweet strawberry conserve.

 

Strawberry Conserve

16 - 20 medium size strawberries, cleaned, hulled and chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 tablespoon water

Combine the strawberries with water in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle with sugar.
Cook until berries are soft and release juice.
Cook 15 minutes on medium-low.
Cool completely. Drop by tablespoon over the cheesecake layer. Gently spread with the back of your spoon but do not cover the cheesecake layer completely.

source: Bon Appetit Magazine June 2011

Chocolate Layer

1 ½ c all-purpose flour
1 c granulated sugar
¾ c packed brown sugar
¾ c unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ c unsalted butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lightly grease or spray with cooking oil a 13" x 9" baking dish. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients ( flour, sugars, cocoa powder, soda and salt ).
Add butter, egg and vanilla and mix with a wooden spoon, until it all comes together and forms a dough.
Pat the dough onto the bottom of your baking dish.

Make cheesecake layer.

Cheesecake layer

1 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoon powdered sugar
4 tablespoon coffee creamer
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoon milk

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and creamer and beat for 30 seconds. Add vanilla and yolks, beat until smooth. Add milk and beat until combined.
Spread over the chocolate layer.

Bake in 350 degrees oven for 30-35 minutes, until the cheesecake layer appears set and is light brown.

I recommend making more of the strawberry conserve to enjoy on toast. It is much easier and faster to make than a jam.

Kitchen Know-How: The Fluffiest Rice Ever

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How to make the perfect fluffy rice without the rice cooker! It's so easy!!

Side shot of cooked rice in a gray bowl.

How many times you have you cooked rice to find that it was still crunchy? I have been there...
There is nothing worse than crunchy rice. If you don't have a rice cooker, you can still make the best fluffy rice in a saucepan right on your stove. This simple method ensures the best results. It also works in the Instant Pot!

THE FLUFFIEST RICE EVER

Toasting the rice before adding water and cooking on a low-temperature setting is my secret to making the best rice every single time. I use this rice with so many dishes, like the Quick and Easy Teriyaki Chicken, other Asian dishes as well as my Mexican Casserole.

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Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

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Before each family event or a holiday, I spend a lot of time planning the meal. I want everything to be special, yet not too time-consuming.

When it comes to a dessert, the pressure is greater.

I always look for something I haven't made before. Be it a new recipe or a new way to decorate.

I want a show-stopper... a jaw-dropper... a give-me-a-slice-right-now! look. 🙂

My Hubby gave me all of these when I presented him this cake.

Mission: accomplished!

Few notes about the cake:

The original recipe from Cook's Country calls for cake flour to achieve a velvety texture.
I used AP flour simply because I didn't have the cake flour. I usually don't.
To substitute AP flour for the cake flour, simply subtract 2 tablespoon of flour per cup. For example: I needed 3 cups of cake flour, so I measured out 3 cups of all-purpose flour and took away 6 tablespoon from it.
I decreased the sugar amount because of the addition of the frosting.
I left the amount of butter called for because it was a holiday cake after all. 🙂
The cake is dense. You can definitely taste the cream cheese in it.
It's not overly sweet. You can pair it with a fruit compote, like the magazine suggested.
One word to sum it up:
SCRUMPTIOUS!

Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

2,5 c all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, room temperature
2 egg yolks, room temperature
¼ c milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¾ c granulated sugar
3 sticks butter, softened
6 oz. cream cheese, softened

Grease and flour your Bundt pan. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients ( flour and salt ). Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, milk and vanilla.Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese for about 1 minute. Slowly add the sugar.
Beat for 3 minutes until fluffy.
Slowly add the egg mixture and beat until just incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients, 1 cup at a time.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread evenly.
Bake 90 minutes, or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I suggest rotating the pan after the 45th minute.
Cool the cake in the pan for few minutes. My cake started to pull from the sides while cooling so I ran a toothpick around the top edge so it won't rip as much. Cool additional 10 minutes.
Invert the cake onto a wire rack or straight onto your serving plate.
Cool completely before frosting.

source: Cook's Country April/May 2012 Issue

Few notes about the frosting:

It's nothing you tasted before. Seriously! It's amazingly delicious - but be warned, it is addicting! YUM!
So make it.
For me.
Pretty please? 🙂
Yes, I know: "the physical appearance of the "please" makes no difference..." I dare you to guess what movie this sentence comes from! lol 🙂 ).

Brown butter frosting

1 stick unsalted butter
2,5 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 - 4 tablespoon milk

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, 6 - 10 minutes, until it's brown and has nutty fragrance.
One way to know when your butter is almost done, is to wait until it stops sizzling in the pan. If you don't hear it, that means that the butter will start browning and at this point you want to keep a close eye on it. It will brown fast.
Pour it into a heat proof bowl, add sugar and vanilla. Stir until smooth. It should be quite thick, but for this cake we want it to be a drizzling consistency so we can pour it onto the cake. So add the milk and stir again, until it reaches the drizzling consistency. Pour over the cooled cake. Refrigerate immediately so the frosting will set.

That's my piece 😀

 

Kiwi Jam ( Fridge Style )

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My dear Readers,

You may think I fell of the face of the Earth, disappeared or buried myself in frosting so much that I can't reach my computer. 🙂
The truth is, we have our family staying with us for a month and my camera is filled with pictures of our kids with their grandparents, rather than my baked goods.
I miss posting on a regular basis and interacting with all of you.
To see that new comments on the old posts and the number of followers to rise despite my absence - makes my heart melt. THANK YOU.
Thank you for all the wishes for my daughter! It made her and me dance from joy to see all of your comments about the cake and the love you sent our way.
Soon, I will be back to posting 3 times a week and I have a sweet giveaway planned. So please, bare with me.

Here is my little bribe 🙂 - kiwi jam.

Made specially for you.

~ ~ ~ ~

It's St. Patrick's Day week and the web is full of tempting Irish recipes. I bookmarked so many of them that now I am stressing out I won't be able to try them all!

As Crunchy Creamy Sweet is a baking blog, naturally I was considering making green frosting cupcakes or Irish cream cheesecake. But they are already live in the blogland and they are gorgeous.

But I was feeling lucky in the kitchen.

And kiwi caught my eye in the store.

Besides, it's green, Springy and delicious!

Did you know that kiwi has more Vitamin C than an orange and the same amount of potassium as a banana?
It is a great source of Vitamin E, antioxidants and high in fiber.

Simply put - it's a super fruit!

My kids love it!

I decided to make the kiwi jam. It exceeded my expectations.

It is perfectly balanced in flavor.Not too sweet, with the kiwi really coming through.

I altered my cranberry jam recipe for this one.

Kiwi Jam ( Fridge Style )

5 kiwi
2 teaspoon lemon juice
¾ c granulated sugar
1 c water
3 teaspoon cornstarch mixed in ¼ c water or 2 teaspoon fruit pectin, freezer jam kind

makes enough to fill 12oz. jar up to a rim

Cut each kiwi in half and scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon.
Place all in a medium saucepan.

Gorgeous green kiwi 🙂

Add lemon juice, sugar and water.
Cook on medium heat until it boils.

The kiwi will cook soft and break up into smaller pieces.

Add the cornstarch mix and stir. Cook 2 min.
Take of the heat and cool in the saucepan for 10 minutes.
Pour into a jar, put the lid on and place in the fridge.
It will thicken up as it cools.

       

Chocolate and Berries Blondies

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Today's recipe is an easy but a delicious one.

I love recipes that are easy adaptable to one person's likings.

In this  one, I used cranberries :), but you can choose raspberries, strawberries, any berries you like or have on hand.

Same goes for the chocolate, choose what you want. I thought that the white chocolate will complement the cranberries well.

I love burst berries in baked goods!

These blondies are incredibly fast to put together. I recommend letting them cool though. They are easier to cut and chewier than when warm. But hey, if you can't stop yourself - I say go for it! I did 🙂

Chocolate and Berries Blondies
adapted from All You magazine, August 2011

1 c all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ c butter, ( 1 stick )
1 c brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ c fresh or frozen berries ( I used frozen cranberries )
½ c chocolate chips ( I used white chocolate )

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Let the egg and butter sit on the counter top while you get everything else ready.
Grease with shortening or line with parchment paper 8" square pan. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients ( flour, baking powder and salt ). Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add the brown sugar. Stir in with a wooden spoon, add the egg and vanilla extract. Stir.
Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
Pour the batter into your pan. Sprinkle the berries and chocolate on top. You can use the spoon to distribute them into the batter.
Bake 30 minutes. Cool after baking.

 

Sweet Valentine Brownies

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I promised to share tips and ideas for your Valentine's Day desserts.

This is one of them.

This dessert is ahh-mazing! You get your favorite brownie, frosted and drizzled with caramel sauce. Read that again. 🙂

Talk about a perfect way to dress up a brownie for your Sweetheart!

 

Brownie kiss 🙂

 Tip:
Start with your favorite brownie recipe. We all have one, right? You want to make this dessert perfect!
I used a heart shaped baking pan for whoopie pies. If you do so, adjust the baking time, to 10 - 13 minutes. You do not want to over bake your brownies.
After they cool, frost them and drizzle the caramel sauce over the top.

I used this frosting recipe.
I also have a caramel sauce recipe here, on the blog, but I may have just found my new favorite one! My Hubby had 3 teaspoons when taste-testing and declared it "sooooo good". 🙂
Caramel sauce that is man-approved? Score!!

Caramel Sauce:

1 c granulated sugar
6 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
⅔ c heavy cream, room temperature

Place the sugar in a medium saucepan. Place on medium heat and whisk. Eventually, it will start to melt and clump up. Just keep whisking. It will melt and turn caramel color.
When all the sugar is melted, remove from heat and add all the butter. Keep whisking until smooth.
Add the cream, pouring slowly. Whisk until all combined and smooth. Pour into a jar and let sit for 10 - 15 minutes on a counter. Place in the refrigerator while you make the brownies and frosting. It should keep well for 2 weeks in the fridge, but I won't swear by it because mine disappeared the next day. 😀
It will turn cloudy while it cools.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Anna

 

Yogurt Muffins with Lime Glaze

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It's the last day of January! Tomorrow I get a free pass to indulge in chocolate! I already teased you with the Triple Chocolate Bread here, but I have some amazing recipes coming up for you! 🙂

My mission: to provide you with ideas, tips and recipes involving chocolate. Let's make this coming month a sweet one! 🙂

See, that's how excited I am about it. 😀

To say good-bye to January, I made yogurt muffins with glaze. Feel free to use any fruit yogurt you like, not necessarily key lime, and pair it with the same fruit glaze. I was so distracted while making those ( dreaming of chocolate and more chocolate... ) that I cut the limes to juice them and then realized I didn't grate the zest. Bummer! It would give them a deeper flavor. Still, the muffins turned out great!

Yogurt Muffins with Lime Glaze

for the muffins:
5 oz. key lime yogurt ( or any other flavor yogurt )
½ c sugar
2 limes
5 tablespoon butter
2 c all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¾ c milk

for the glaze:
½ c powdered sugar
2 tablespoon lime juice

Fill your muffin tins with liners or grease them. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Grate the zest of both limes and then juice one of them.
In a small saucepan, mix together ¼ cup of sugar, lime zest and 2 tablespoon of lime juice. Heat to boil. Remove from heat and add butter. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients ( flour, baking powder, soda and salt ).
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, eggs with milk. Add to butter mixture. Mix well.
Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Divide batter among the muffin tins, filling ¾ full.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pans for 2 minutes, then place on a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
Prepare glaze by whisking together powdered sugar and lime juice. Glaze the muffins.

Enjoy!

What is your favorite kind of chocolate? 
What do you like to pair it with?

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Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Brown-Butter Icing and Cinnamon Sugar Sprinkles

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Quite a title, no? Just wanted to make sure you know what we are dealing with here.

Snickerdoodles are my Husband's favorite cookies. I caught those cupcakes floating on the web and knew immediately  that I wanted to make them. For my Hubby. 🙂

The original recipe calls for the seven-minute frosting. That's when I wrinkled my nose. I made this type of frosting once and didn't really like it. Besides, the idea of adding a frosting to snickerdoodle, even if it's a cupcake, wasn't really in my plan. I wanted to keep the sugar-y cinnamon-y coating from the cookie.

I went ahead and baked the cupcakes. Oh, yum! They were good. Just like the cookies! I brushed them with melted butter and dipped in sugar and cinnamon sprinkles. Even better! After few more bites... Darn it! It needs some creaminess. Yeah, It's a cupcake after all...

But I still wasn't making the seven-minute fluff. I knew I had to find something else. Long story short, I came across the delicious brown-butter icing recipe and it is perfect for my Snickerdoodle Cupcakes. 🙂
I iced the cupcakes, sprinkled with the cinnamon-sugar mix and was finally happy with them.

Then came the moment of truth. What will the snickerdoodle fan say? I was walking back and forth in my kitchen waiting for the verdict. ( Ok, maybe I was just staring into his face awaiting the opinion ).

He loved it! My Hubby said they taste just like the cookies and the icing is great!

😀 That's me. Grinning.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart

makes 28 cupcakes

1 ½ c all-purpose flour
1 ½ c cake flour ( see tip if you don't have cake flour on hand )
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 sticks ( 1 cup ) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ c sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ c milk

Note: The recipe calls for cake flour. You can imagine I didn't have any on New Year's Day, so I used a little trick: measure out as much flour as the recipe calls for and take out 1 tablespoon of flour per cup needed. Meaning, I needed 1 ½ cups of cake flour, so I measure out 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and took out 1 and ½ tablespoons from it.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the cupcake pans with liners and set aside.
Whisk together dry ingredients ( flour/s, baking powder, salt and cinnamon ).
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Add vanilla. Beat again.
Add the dry ingredients, alternating with milk. Make sure you start and finish with dry mix. ( 3 additions of dry, 2 of wet ). Beat after each addition. Make sure everything is combined.
Fill each liner ¾ full.
Bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.

Brown-Butter Icing

½ stick unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, 6 - 10 minutes, until it's brown and has nutty fragrance.
Pour it into a heat proof bowl, add sugar and vanilla. Stir until smooth. It should be quite thick, so add the milk and stir again, until it reaches icing consistency. It should not be too runny. Glaze cupcakes and use a spoon to scrape the bowl and fill your mouth with this creamy, buttery goodness.
The icing will set as it stands. Sprinkle the cupcakes ( see below ) right after glazing.

Cinnamon Sugar Sprinkles
To maintain the coating of a real snickerdoodle cookie, I mixed 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in a small bowl. After you glaze the cupcakes, add a little magic with this sprinkle mix. 🙂

 

2011 Recap and a Happy New Year!

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My Dear Blog Friends,

The year nears it's end and it is common for the food bloggers to make a top list of their favorite post of the year.

Crunchy Creamy Sweet's first post was up in August - which is pretty late in a year, too late in my opinion to make a list of my top recipes. Don't get me wrong, I could go on and on about my favorite cookies, this amazing jam, or this divine sauce. 🙂

I decided to focus on what new this year brought me. It's a lot of it and it's amazing!

In June of this year, we welcomed our Baby Boy into the Family. He is so precious! Loves to giggle watching his Big Sisters making silly faces. 🙂 It finally allowed my Amazing Hubby to get some boy's stuff ( think cars and bikes 🙂 ) and me to add blue to our favorite colors!

We celebrated our oldest Daughter's birthday with a big bash this year. A lot of the treats I made for the party ended up being my first posts on this blog. I still kick myself for not taking the picture of the cake, which was Rapunzel's tower from "Tangled" and it looked amazing!

I started Crunchy Creamy Sweet shortly after and what a great experience that's been! I am very grateful for all of you who read it. You might think that triple digit number would be something to brag about, but for me every Follower / Fan is special and I thank you today for clicking the "Like" or "Follow" buttons. I notice each and every one of you. I try to respond to every comment you post. You encourage me to bake more and share it here, in my little sweet piece of the blogosphere.

Thank you to all the readers via e-mail!

And those who just happen to stumble upon my blog!

I hope you will have a wonderful time tomorrow, wherever you are, clinking the glasses toasting the New Year. May the New Year bring happiness and joy to your life! And lots and lots of sweetness! ( I will try to take care of that anyways 🙂 ).

Happy New Year!

Cranberry Jam - Fridge Style

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Easy Cranberry Jam (fridge style) made in under half an hour! No pectin needed!

Cranberry Jam Fridge Style No pectin

About this time of year, we envy our neighbors across the street for having this tree growing right in front of their house. Can  you imagine waking up to a glow like this? It is the prettiest in the morning, when sun hits it in a particular angle to create a beautiful glow right underneath it.

                     This year, I managed to take a picture of this stunning tree. It was early in the morning when I sneaked in and snapped a few photos.

                     Today I am sharing them with you for two reasons. One - it's simply beautiful. Two - it is losing it's leaves as I type this. Soon it will be bare and we will have to wait till next Fall to see it again.

fall tree photo

 

              The colors of the leaves reminded me of cranberries. I love it's deep orange and fire red.

              I was inspired.

              We still have over a week until Thanksgiving dinner, so to enjoy cranberries before that I decided to turn them into a jam we can have on a freshly baked bread every morning till then.

   ( Have you ever tried a raw cranberry? If not, you might want to. Just to know what it tastes like. )

Fresh Cranberry Jam made without pectin

        No need to play the canning game here. It is a very easy recipe and you are just moments away from enjoying a tarty-sweet preserve yourself.

               This jam is on the tarty side. You could add more sugar, but I just love the combo of  flavors in this one.

As soon as the success on making the jam was declared, I knew what I wanted to reserve part of it for. Did I get you curious? Good. Then you will have to come back to see what I whipped up with my cranberry jam. 🙂

Cranberry Jam Fridge Style No pectin
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Cranberry Jam ( Fridge Style )

Cranberry Jam - easy to prepare and delicious to enjoy during the holidays! Made in under half an hour! No pectin needed.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberries, jam
Servings: 1 cups
Calories: 740kcal
Author: Anna

Ingredients

  • 12 oz pkg frozen cranberries
  • ¾ c sugar
  • ¾ c water
  • 3 teaspoon lemon juice
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium sauce pan, combine the rest of cranberries, sugar, water and lemon juice.
  • Cook over medium heat until it boils. The cranberries will pop.
  • Turn the heat down to a low setting and simmer the cranberries until the jam thickens. If you run a wooden spoon across the pot and you can see the bottom for at least 2 seconds, the jam is ready. It will thicken even more as it cools.
  • Cool and pour into a jar.
  • Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

This jam is chunky, but if you prefer it smoother, you can place the cooled jam in a blender or a food processor and process until smooth.
The calorie amount is for the whole jar of jam. 

Nutrition

Calories: 740kcal | Carbohydrates: 192g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 289mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 163g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 51.1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.8mg

 

 

Emperor's Apple Pancakes

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This is what we had for breakfast today. 🙂

                Our Girls loved it! And if your kids say: " You are the best, Mom!" and your husband gives you a big smooch and says: "Every breakfast is like a Sunday breakfast in this kitchen." - you are bound to have a great day. 🙂

               We have a little tradition in our family - we make waffles and pancakes for breakfast on every Sunday morning. Yes, it's Wednesday, but I had this recipe following me for a while now and today was the day to try it. So worth it!

              The recipe I used comes from Rose Marie Donhauser's book "Apples & Pears Favorite Recipes". I changed it slightly. Instead of a wok, I used a medium size saucepan. Also, I didn't add melted butter to the pancake batter.

 Emperor's Apple Pancakes
adapted from Rose Marie Donhauser's "Apples & Pears Favorite Recipes" ( I didn't find it available on Amazon )

3 eggs
⅔ cup of all-purpose flour
7 oz milk
4 ¼ tablespoon butter
2 apples
2 tablespoon sugar + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ( mixed together in a small bowl )

makes 4 medium size puffed pancakes

Separate the eggs.
Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Add flour and milk. Beat together until combined.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the yolks mixture.
Peel apples, cut into quarters and then slice thinly.
In a medium saucepan melt butter. Add the apples. Let cook for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Stir. Let caramelize. Pour into a bowl.
In the same saucepan, place ¼ of your caramelized apples. Top with ¼ of the pancake batter. Cook on medium heat, until the edges start to brown and when you shake the saucepan gently - the pancake slides easily. Flip gently to cook the other side. Repeat to make 4 pancakes.
Serve warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

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Marshmallow Crispy Brownie Bars

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              If you are craving brownies but want to take them to another level - try this recipe. This treat is super easy and so delicious! Make your favorite brownies ( from scratch or a box ) and add toppings. Pop into the refrigerator to cool. Cut into squares and enjoy!

             Marshmallow Crispy Brownie Bars
adapted from Duncan Hines

1 pan of ready baked brownies
2 cups of mini marshmallows
1 cup of chocolate chips ( your choice )
½ cup of creamy peanut butter
1 cup or crisp rice cereal
½ cup of sweetened flaked coconut
½ cup of white chocolate chips

                       After baking your brownies, remove from oven and sprinkle with the marshmallows. Return to the oven for about 3 minutes. Melt your chocolate chips and peanut butter in a saucepan. Stir until smooth. Add crisp rice cereal. Mix all together. Spread over the marshmallow layer. Sprinkle with coconut and then with white chocolate chips. Refrigerate to chill. Cut into squares and enjoy!