Ice Cream Bombe -- Summer's Easiest Dessert?

I like show-stopping, elaborate desserts as much as the next person, but when a dessert this easy gets the rave reviews this one does, it's hard to ignore! Right now sorbet and ice cream is BOGO at Publix, so if you live locally, you should try it now. It tastes like summer.

I used the flavors Ina Garten suggested in the original recipe (store-bought mango and raspberry sorbet and strawberry ice cream). The combination of tart, sweet, icy, and creamy was fantastic, but I'm sure other combinations would be great. Orange/pineapple/vanilla? Raspberry/chocolate/Cherry Garcia? Pineapple/mango/coconut ice cream? Banana split, with strawberry/pineapple/Chunky Monkey?

All you need is a few hours, a freezer, and an 8-inch metal bowl. I was a little worried about removing the bombe from the bowl, but it was pretty easy. Some ice cream bombe recipes advise beating the ice cream/sorbet with a mixer to make it easier to spread, but I just stirred it a little to make sure I could work with it.

Ice Cream Bombe

2 pts. mango sorbet
1 1/2 pts. raspberry sorbet
1 pt. strawberry ice cream

Put bowl in freezer until cold. Soften mango sorbet for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.  Spread it in an even layer around the bowl. I used Saran-wrapped hands, a rubber spatula, and an off-set metal spatula to do this. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Soften raspberry sorbet and repeat. Freeze for 30 more minutes and fill bowl with strawberry ice cream. Freeze until hard.

Dip bowl up to rim in a sink filled with hot water. Once the outer edge starts to loosen from the bowl, invert into a plate. Freeze until hard.

Cut into wedges and serve.

Whoopie Pies

The whoopie pie - a regional treat beloved of northern New Englanders and the Amish. It's two pieces of soft chocolate cake with marshmallow filling in between. And no, it's not a Moon Pie.

It's disloyal to say so, but I actually prefer Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with cream cheese frosting. But these are very, very good - made better (I think) when I bump up the salt in the filling. Salt cuts the sweetness and makes them irresistible.

Whoopie Pies

1/2 c. shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 c. plus 2 T. Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1 cup milk

Filling (note: I make 1.5 recipes of filling)

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/3 cups (4 oz.) Marshmallow Fluff or marshmallow creme
1/4 t. salt (I round the measurement and add more salt as needed after tasting)
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/3 - 1/2 c. milk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease or line with parchment 2 cookie sheets.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening, brown sugar, and egg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, stir the vanilla into the milk.

3. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the shortening mixture, beating until smooth. Drop the stiff batter by tablespoons on the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. They'll spread a lot while they bake!

4. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until they are firm to the touch. Check them at 6-7 minutes to be sure. Remove from the oven and cool on cooling racks.

5. Mix all filling ingredients together except milk until smooth. Add enough milk to make a smooth frosting consistency. Spread half the cookies with the filling and top with remaining cookies. These are messy, so it's good to wrap them in parchment or Saran wrap individually.

Raspberry Cheesecake

This cheesecake is the best plain cheesecake I've ever made. It's creamy, rich, and not too sweet. The lemon zest gives it tremendous flavor if you don't want to make the sauce.

The original recipe is from Ina Garten, but after making it four times, I've changed it quite a bit. It doesn't matter if you use a 9-inch or 10-inch pan. The baking instructions are great - the cheesecake never cracks and slices beautifully. Make it at least 24 hours in advance.

1 package Oreos
4 T. butter, melted
1 T. sugar
5 packages cream cheese
1 3/4 c. sugar
6 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 c. sour cream
1 T. lemon zest
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. strawberry jelly or seedless raspberry preserves
1 16 oz. package frozen raspberries

1. Process Oreos into crumbs in a food processor. Mix with melted butter and one T. sugar. Press into the bottom of a nine- or ten-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Cool.

2. Mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth - about five minutes - on high speed. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust. Preheat oven to 450.

3. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees F and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4. To make sauce, heat jelly in microwave until melted. Mix in berries. Add sugar if the sauce is too tart. You can cover the top of the cheesecake with raspberry sauce or serve it on the side.

Peppermint Cheesecake

Here's a cheesecake I came up with to take to our faculty Christmas party. The peppermint is quite subtle: I wanted to use Peppermint Oreos, but couldn't find them, so I substituted red Oreos with peppermint extract. It's delicious, creamy, and very festive for this time of year!

White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

1 package peppermint Oreos (can substitute regular or red with 1/2 t. peppermint extract added)
3 T. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar

Process the Oreos into crumbs in a food processor or with a rolling pin and a plastic bag. Mix the crumbs withe melted butter and sugar, as well as the peppermint extract if using. Press into a 9-inch springform pan, on the bottom and up the sides. Set aside.

1 package Candy Cane Hershey's kisses, unwrapped
1/4 c. white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half and half
3 packages cream cheese
3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2-1 teaspoon peppermint extract, depending on how peppermint-y you want it
red food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.

You'll want 2 cups of white chocolate, so measure the Hershey's kisses and add some white chocolate chips to make up the difference. Put in a microwave safe bowl with half and half and melt at 50% power. Stir after each minute - it will take about three minutes. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition. Mix in melted white chocolate , vanilla, peppermint extract, and a few drops of red food coloring if desired.

Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan.

Toffee Crunch Caramel Cheesecake

This is the cheesecake I made for the teacher appreciation luncheon at Ben's school. I had a hard time choosing a dessert, but I thought that cheesecake and chocolate would be a safe bet. Several people said this was an all-time favorite, so I highly recommend it for when you want a dessert to impress.

The original recipe from Epicurious had a gingersnap crust, but I replaced it with a chocolate graham cracker crust. The caramel sauce from the original recipe looked awfully fussy, so I used a fantastic one from Kittencal, a prolific poster on Food.com - I only changed it by adding a pinch of salt. The caramel sauce would be excellent on ice cream or apple crisp. It does get a little grainy when chilled, so let the cheesecake come to room temperature or heat the sauce if you are using it separately.

The cheesecake itself is not very sweet - I wouldn't serve it alone - but it's a good foil for the very sweet topping. The instructions call for a water bath, but I didn't use one. I just put a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven.

Toffee Crunch Caramel Cheesecake

Crust

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups ground chocolate graham crackers or chocolate wafer cookies (about 7 1/4 ounces)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Combine ground chocolate graham crackers in a bowl with melted butter and brown sugar. Combine until crumbs are moistened. Press into the bottom of springform pan and bake for 12-14 minutes, until crust is slightly darkened. Cool.

Cheesecake

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in butter, then eggs, 1 at a time, until just blended. Beat in vanilla.

Wrap outside of pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Pour batter over crust in pan. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake cake uncovered until filling is puffed around edges and moves slightly in center when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove pan from water; remove foil. Place hot cheesecake uncovered in refrigerator overnight.

Topping

4 1.4 oz. Heath bars chopped

For caramel:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan melt butter.
2. Add the brown sugar; whisk until combined and thickened (about 2 minutes).
3. Whisk in the whipping cream, until thoroughly blended (2 more minutes).
4. Mix in vanilla (if using) until combined.
5. NOTE: this sauce will thicken up more when refrigerated.

Let caramel come to room temperature. Spoon caramel over top of cake just to edges (do not allow to drip down sides). Garnish top edges with chopped Heath bars. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides.

Thanksgiving's Greatest Hits - S'more Pie

I really wish I took a picture of my pie rather than using the one from Epicurious, because it definitely looked prettier. This pie was a hit, especially with the three men at my house. I personally don't love s'mores, but they do and went nuts. It's not a hard pie to make despite the three steps. It will definitely be part of our Thanksgiving menu next year, but I'm sure I'll be asked to make it before that!

S'more Pie (from Gourmet)

For crust
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for greasing
1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs (10 graham crackers, about 6 oz)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

For chocolate cream filling
7 ounces chocolate chips, plus an extra 1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg, at room temperature for 30 minutes

For marshmallow topping
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-ounce package)
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Vegetable oil for greasing

Make graham cracker crust:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter pie plate.
Stir together all ingredients in a bowl and press evenly on bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes, then cool on a rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

Make chocolate cream filling:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put 7 oz. chocolate in a large bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, then pour hot cream over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then gently whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Gently whisk in egg and a pinch of salt until combined and pour into graham cracker crumb crust (crust will be about half full).

Cover edge of pie with a pie shield or foil and bake until filling is softly set and trembles slightly in center when gently shaken, about 25 minutes. Remove pie from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Cool pie to room temperature on a rack (filling will firm as it cools), about 1 hour.

Make marshmallow topping:
Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water in a large deep heatproof bowl and let stand until softened, about 1 minute.

Stir together sugar, corn syrup, a pinch of salt, and remaining 1/4 cup water in cleaned 1- to 1 1/4-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil until thermometer registers 260°F, about 6 minutes.

Begin beating water and gelatin mixture with an electric mixer at medium speed, then carefully pour in hot syrup in a slow stream, beating (avoid beaters and side of bowl). When all of syrup is added, increase speed to high and continue beating until mixture is tripled in volume and very thick, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until combined, then immediately spoon topping onto center of pie filling; it will slowly spread to cover top of pie. Chill, uncovered, 1 hour, then cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap (oiled side down) and chill 3 hours more.


Brown topping:
Preheat broiler.

Transfer pie to a baking sheet. Cover edge of pie with pie shield or foil and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, rotating pie as necessary, until marshmallow topping is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cool pie on a rack 10 minutes. Slice pie with a large heavy knife dipped in hot water and then dried with a towel before cutting each slice.

Two Bobby Flay Thanksgiving Recipes

I watched the Thanksgiving Throwdown that Bobby Flay did with the Pioneer Woman. She won, but I was intrigued by two of Bobby's recipes. I made them for our meal, and they were both very good. I'm not sure I'd make them every year, but they were unique and delicious.

Bobby's Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Apple Sauce and Creme Anglaise is excellent - I consider it restaurant quality because of all the flavors, textures, and temperatures. The downside is the recipe is really made of four different recipes plus whipped cream, and each recipe is a different classic dessert preparation: cooked caramel, Creme Anglaise, and custard. That doesn't even factor in the problem I had with the caramel - I took my eyes off it; it burnt to a nasty black tar-like appearance; and my inadequate disposal methods meant I was scraping burnt caramel off the cupboards at midnight. It is amazing, though, and I could make the caramel apple sauce as a cheesecake or spice cake topping. If you want the recipe, click here.

The next recipe is Cranberry Blackberry Sauce. When we saw it on the show, Bobby mentioned jalapenos, so I diced one and added it with the onion since it's not mentioned in the recipe. I liked it, but lots of people really liked it. I did love the blackberries. Here's that link.

Soft Serve Banana "Ice Cream"

Growing up in New Hampshire, we had a soft-serve ice cream shop named King Kone. King Kone had never more than six flavors: usually chocolate, vanilla, twist, banana, black raspberry, and bananaberry. Their soft serve was excellent and the cones were huge, and if you ever visit Merrimack, NH in the summer, be sure to check it out.

This recipe doesn't really have anything to do with commercial soft serve, but it sure is good. And healthy!

Take three bananas (overripe or ripe) and cut them into pieces, then freeze. To make the ice cream, take the bananas out of the freezer and let them soften for a minute or two.

Put the banana pieces in a food processor and blend until the ice cream is light and airy. It will take about 2-3 minutes; scrape down the bananas as needed.

The boys love this - the first time I made it, I told them they were having ice cream for breakfast. It's amazing how creamy, rich, and smooth the bananas become, truly mimicking the texture and flavor of soft serve.

Mint Oreo Truffles

Here's another quick St. Patrick's Day dessert - if you have time to run to the store, you can make them today!

Oreo Truffles have become very popular since Kraft published the recipe a few years ago. I have not made them until now, but they have a lot of potential! I made these with the Cool Mint flavor Oreos that are out right now, and I'm thinking the peppermint oreos with crushed candy canes on top would be great at Christmas. Or . . . what about the white chocolate ones decorated as snowman heads? I could even use a mini Oreo for his top hat!

The original recipe calls for you to reserve some crushed Oreos to roll the dipped truffles in, but I skipped that step and just added some green sprinkles.

Mint Oreo Truffles

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 package (1.1 lbs.) Cool Mint Oreos

1 package (16 oz.) white chocolate or chocolate almond bark or white CandiQuik, etc.

Green sprinkles (optional)

Remove seven Oreos. Save them for the kids or for a late-night snack. Finely crush the rest of the Oreos in the food processor or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Mix them into the cream cheese - I used my stand mixer, but you can use a hand mixer or even a spoon if the cream cheese is soft enough.

Roll the truffles into one-inch balls and place on a waxed paper-covered cookie sheet. Freeze for one hour (or overnight). The colder they are, the easier they are to dip.

Melt chocolate in the microwave according to package instructions. Dip truffles using a fork or a toothpick, and tap the excess of on the side of the bowl. Place the truffle on the waxed paper-covered sheet. Tip: if the chocolate puddles at the bottom of the truffle, score around it with a toothpick - you'll be able to remove the excess easily.

Quickly add sprinkles, if using. The truffles will set up very quickly and should be stored in the refrigerator.

Makes about 30 truffles.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake

Stop eating those Girl Scout Thin Mints! Here's a great use for them and an excellent dessert for St. Patrick's Day. It's delicious and incredibly easy.

If you don't have Thin Mints, you can use Keebler Grasshopper cookies. And I should have used green mint chocolate chip ice cream to be festive, but Breyers was on sale this week.
Note: if you don't have a springform pan, you can use a pie pan. In that case you would need fewer cookies and less ice cream.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake
1 1/2 boxes Thin Mints
4 T. melted butter
2 1.75 qt containers of mint chocolate ice cream
6 oz. heavy cream
3/4 c. chocolate chips
Crush Thin Mints in a food processor or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Pour them into a bowl, and mix in the melted butter. Press the crumbs into the sides and bottom of a 9- or 1o-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Take out ice cream to soften.
When crust is cooled, add softened ice cream and spread to smooth the top. Return to freezer.
Take cake out about 30 minutes before serving. Remove sides from springform pan (and bottom if you wish). Combine heavy cream and chocolate chips over low heat and stir until smooth and glossy. You can pour it over the entire ice cream cake or drizzle it over each slice.

Valentine Ice Cream Sandwiches

I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of these! I brought heart-shaped ice cream sandwiches to Ben's preschool Valentine's Party. This picture shows the ice cream sandwich, deconstructed. I made strawberry and vanilla ones, but the strawberry ones were particularly good.

The idea and recipe is from Martha Stewart. You can find a better picture here.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

I made these for Valentine's Day, so they were heart-shaped, but you could use any shaped cookie cutter - dinosaurs, flowers, etc. - for any occasion.

Makes 24.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon milk
2 cartons strawberry ice cream, slightly softened (I had some left over)

Directions:

1.In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs and milk, and mix until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula at least once. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

2.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on a floured surface; use an offset spatula to unstick the dough every few turns of the rolling pin. Roll dough to an 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough using cookie cutters from 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, making sure there is a top and bottom cookie for each sandwich. Use a fork to prick holes all over the surface of the cookies. Bake until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3.Using half the cookies, spoon softened strawberry ice cream about 1/2 inch thick on each underside. Place matching cookie on top of ice cream, top-side facing out. Transfer immediately to freezer to harden; repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve directly from the freezer. Sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 days.

Have a Monstrously Fun Halloween!

The boys and I made these little brownie bite monsters as an adaptation of Bakerella's spider bites. Why can I not find shoestring licorice? Anyway, we bought the raspberry gumdrops for eyes but improvised with other candy we had in the pantry. They were really fun to make, and we had fun coming up with their goofy faces!

Apple Crisp

We went to the apple orchard last week with Jack's class - we've gone probably every year since he was three. I bought Mutsu, Gala, and Honeycrisps.

Have you tried Honeycrisps? They are by far my favorite apples, though they are not available year-round in the grocery store and are wicked expensive when they are. At the apple orchard they are a great deal, and I bought a 1/2 bushel for $13. They are sweet, juicy, and crisp.

My in-laws were coming over tonight, and I decided to make an apple crisp using a mixture of all the apples. (By the way, many recipes recommend Granny Smiths for baking, but I think they are too tart.) I figured Ina Garten would have a great crisp recipe, and she sure did. The orange and apple zest adds a brightness to the flavor. I doubt I'll ever make another version after trying hers!

Apple Crisp

Ingredients
•5 pounds apples
•Grated zest of 1 orange
•Grated zest of 1 lemon
•2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
•2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
•1/2 cup granulated sugar
•2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
•1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:
•1 1/2 cups flour
•3/4 cup granulated sugar
•3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•1 cup oatmeal
•2 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish.

Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Update: I made these for Treat the Troops and subbed a large 19-oz. package of M&Ms since chocolate chips melt in transit.

I can't say how many different versions of chocolate chip cookies I've made, but I'd guess it's probably 20 or so. I don't think I've ever had a truly bad CCC, but I have an ideal: crispy outside, chewy inside, balance of salt and sweet. This recipe is the best yet. When you bite into the cookie, it has a shatteringly crisp crust, but the cookie stays chewy and doesn't deflate or turn hard. The light sprinkle of sea salt on top balances the sweetness of the cookie.

I've been storing the dough in the refrigerator and making a sheet of cookies as needed, so I haven't seen one older than a day, but it was still soft and fresh tasting. Don't skip chilling, because the butter in the dough stays cold longer in the oven and your cookies won't spread and flatten. Four hours is probably the minimum chilling time.

I've adapted the recipe (mainly in size of cookies) from Jacques Torres in the NYT. Unfortunately, it's one of those fussy recipes that calls for two specialty flours: cake and bread. Cake has a low protein count and bread has a higher one, so I'm not sure why all-purpose wouldn't be a good halfway point. I'm almost afraid to try the substitution because they were so good as written. Don't miss the five minute butter/sugar creaming; that incorporates air into the dough.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Jacques Torres)

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 pound chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate bar cut into chunks (note: I've reduced the amount of chocolate from the earlier version for a chewier cookie.)
Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 4 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or just use an ungreased sheet. Set aside.

4. Scoop 1 1/2 inch balls of dough and place on sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 10-12 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

Reese's Sundae

The only time I waitressed was for one summer in college at Friendly's. Friendly's is a family restaurant/ice cream parlor in the eastern part of the US - though not in Georgia! I'm not sure why I worked there: the tips were pretty awful, since 15% of a $1.75 ice cream is . . . not very much. But I did learn that if the sundaes I made for my customers were generous, the tips were better. Here's my version of the best sundae we made - minus the marshmallow sauce, because I don't like it.

Reese's Sundae

Vanilla ice cream
Peanut butter
Hot fudge sauce
Whipped cream
Reese's Pieces or chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Maraschino cherries

Heat the hot fudge according to instructions on the jar (you can use homemade, of course!). Put a few scoops of peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds or until melted. Drizzle a little hot fudge and melted peanut butter in the bottom of the sundae dish and add a few Reese's Pieces. Scoop in ice cream, then pour more hot fudge and peanut butter sauce on top. Sprinkle more Reese's Pieces over the top of the sundae. Top with whipped cream and finish with a few more Reese's and a cherry on top.

Father's Day Cupcakes

The cupcake craze continues! I have three cupcake cookbooks, and the boys love to look at them, begging me to make the puppy ones and the werewolf ones and the basketball ones and on and on. I've seen a lot of cute ideas for Father's Day, so I thought I'd collect some of them here.

"Want Some Mower" is from Family Fun. I give it a B+ for cuteness and a B for easiness. You're going to make chocolate cupcakes and frost them with chocolate frosting; tint coconut green; and construct a lawnmower out of readily-available candy. It wouldn't be hard, but it would take a little while.









Can't you tell these "Tee-Time" cupcakes are from Martha? Spare, cute without being cutesy, colors from a Martha Stewart paint palette? I give these an A- for cuteness and a D+ for easiness. Ask yourself if you are the type of person who isn't frightened by a cupcake recipe that calls for grosgrain ribbon and a glue gun.














Wilton created this "Snack with Sizzle" grill/mini cake for two reasons: 1. maximum cuteness and 2. maximum need for Wilton products. I love it, though it's so far removed from food . . . or cupcakes . . . I just don't know. I give it an A for cuteness and an F for easiness.

Golden Cinnamon-Pumpkin Bars - Whole Grain

Yes, I cut these bars awfully unevenly! But don't let that or the half-eaten pan dissuade you: these bars are really good. Their consistency is like brownies, but with pumpkin flavor.

The bars are adapted from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook. The philosophy of King Arthur was that the recipes in the cookbook would be great on their own merit, not just "good - for whole grain." By using various kinds of whole-grain flours, mixing whole grains with all-purpose flour, letting batters "rest" overnight in the refrigerator, and yes, using butter freely, I think they accomplished this goal.

The large amount of butter in this recipe works out to 1/2 T. per bar if you cut them into 24 pieces, which is not unreasonable. You could replace 1/4 cup of butter with applesauce, and they'd still be great.

Variation idea: swap chocolate chips and raisins or Craisins for the cinnamon chips and apples

Golden Cinnamon-Pumpkin Bars

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 t. ground cinnamon
3/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground allspice
1 large egg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup cinnamon chips
1 cup diced unpeeled apple

*************************
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan

Melt butter in a medium microwave-safe bolw or in a saucepan set over low heat, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the microwave briefly, until it's hot and starting to bubble (1-2 minutes -check midway). Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and allow it to cool until you can comfortably test it with your finger.

Beat in the vanilla, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin, flour, chips, and apple. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake the bars until a sharp knife inserted into the center reveals moist crumbs, 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.

What We're Eating - 3/16/09

Monday

homemade macaroni and cheese

Tuesday

We're moving St. Patrick's Day to Wednesday because there is too much going on on Tuesday.

Spinach Lasagna - I made it a few weeks ago and froze half. We'll have garlic bread, too.

Wednesday

Corned beef and cabbage, of course! I also have my Girl Scout Thin Mints that I saved. I'm going to make them into crumbs in the food processor and mix them with 2-3 T. melted butter. I'll press it into a spring form pan and bake for 10 minutes. When cool, I'll fill the crust with mint chocolate chip ice cream and serve with this hot fudge on the side:

Hot Fudge


6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
5 ounces imported bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons whipping cream


Melt butter with corn syrup in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add chocolate, sugar and cream. Whisk until chocolate melts and sugar dissolves. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover; chill.)

Thursday

Sriracha-Glazed Chicken and Onions over Rice
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1041921

Friday

New York Strip steak on grill
Grilled Vegetables

Teacher Cake

Jack's teacher's birthday was yesterday, and we had a little party for her in the classroom. The children were so excited to give her the cards and gifts they made for her!

I got the idea for the cake from one I saw on a website. This was my first time making homemade fondant, and it was really fun! I'd like to cover a layer cake with it next.

The chocolate cake was a Texas sheet cake, but it wasn't as good as the one I made last year for a beach cake. When I tasted it, I didn't think it had enough salt, and sure enough, it only has 1/4 t. vs. the 1/2 teaspoon in the beach cake. Here's the one I'd recommend:

http://diningwell.blogspot.com/2008/05/beach-cake.html

Clark Bars

Why Clark Bars? Why now? Well, the Super Bowl is on Sunday, and I usually like to make something in homage to the two teams playing. A few years ago when Pittsburgh was in the Super Bowl, I had a hard time thinking of what to make. I found out that Clark Bars are made there; searched for a recipe; and came up with this one. They are very easy and good; when you see the ingredient list it's not hard to understand why.

By the way, a friend of mine told me that Pittsburgh is famous for serving french fries on top of everything: even salad!

Clark Bars

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package graham crackers,
crumbled
1 cup melted butter
2 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Press the mixture into the prepared pan.

In a small pot melt chocolate chips and condensed milk together over a low heat. Stir until well mixed. Spread the chocolate mixture over the peanut butter mixture. Chill the cookie-bars for 4 hours. Cut and serve.