Chipster-Topped Brownies (TWD)

I have been eyeing these brownies since I first got Dorie’s book.  I am a major dough eater, and there is nothing better than dough from chocolate cookie dough.  I am also a huge fan of any kind of brownie.  And now you’re telling me that there’s a dessert where I can have both?  Count me in!

I can’t believe I waited this long to make these brownies.  I have evjoyed almost all of the desserts I’ve made for TWD, but I have to say that Dorie knows how to make a brownie.  The Quintuple Chocolate Brownies and the French Chocolate Brownies have both been amazing, and these Chipster-Topped Brownies are no exception.  I’ve even made the Classic Chocolate and the Peanuttiest Blondies (not quite a brownie, but close enough :)), and they have been delicious as well.  The only tricky part about making these brownies was putting the cookie dough layer on top.  I dolloped the dough in many places over the brownies so that I would have less to spread out, and spread it with my knife carefully.  I didn’t have any problems with it, and had a nice cookie dough layer over the brownies.  They were done in just the amount of time called for, and I couldn’t wait to jump in and try one.  The cookie dough layer was more of a golden crust topping over the brownie, and it was nothing short of amazingly delicious.  The brownies were perfectly fudgy and had a great chocolate flavor.  I made them gluten free by using millet flour and a teaspon of xanthan gum.  You can view the recipe on Beth’s site and visit the TWD blog to see more delicious creations.

Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

I had an intense craving for Butterfinger candy, but didn’t want to just eat them straight.  I thought about this Milk Chocolate Ice cream, and decided this was the perfect use for Butterfingers.  Sometimes chocolate lovers tend to stay away from milk chocolate, but I am an equal-opportunity chocolate eater.  I eat it all- milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, all the way up to the most intense dark chocolates.  Milk chocolate has the perfect amount of sweetness that I was looking for when I made this.  The chopped butterfingers were a great add-in and satisfied my candy craving.  This ice cream had a great texture.  It was nice and creamy, and I loved the chocolate flavor in it.  At the last minute, I decided to add some M&Ms into the ice cream, which made this a sugar-filled, candy-laden treat, but it was definitely worth it!  I am hoping that I’ll be able to find cocoa nibs soon and try this again using them.

Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

8 ounces milk chocolate with at least 30 percent cocoa solids, finely chopped

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 ½ cups whole milk

¾ cup sugar

Big pinch of salt

4 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons Cognac

¾ cocoa nibs or semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)

Combine the milk chocolate and cream in a large, heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.  Stir until the chocolate is melted, then remove the bowl from the saucepan.  Set is aside with a mesh strainer over the top.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as your stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk chocolate mixture, add the Cognac, and mix together.  Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  During the last few minutes of churning, add the cocoa nibs, if using.

Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Strawberry Sorbet

I love when strawberries first start to appear at the grocery stores.  This year I was looking forward to making strawberry sorbet.  I snached up some strawberries as soon as I could and made this.  It was incredibly easy to make, and the flavor was great.  It was perfectly sweet, and the strawberry flavor came out just as I hoped it would.  Sorbets are the perfect warm-weather treat.  They taste light and will satisfy your sweet tooth- they are the perfect end to a meal.  I didn’t strain the seeds because, honestly, I was lazy and wanted the sorbet sooner.  It didn’t make a difference to me, so this step is definitely up to personal preference.  This recipe doesn’t make much, so if you want more or are making this for a group of people, you might want to double it.  I can’t wait for more fresh fruits to come out so I can make even more sorbets!

Strawberry Sorbet

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon kirch (optional)

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Slice the strawberries and toss them in a medium bowl with the sugar and kirch, if using, stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve.  Cover and let stand for 1 hour, stirring every so often.

Puree the strawberries and their liquid with the lemon juice and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Press the mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds if you wish.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Mango Bread (TWD)

My husband was excited when I told him I was making Mango Bread this week.  I knew it would be a good treat for him to take to work and have for a mid-morning snack.  Since he would be the only one eating it, I made half the recipe and baked it in two 4.5-inch springform pans.  This was a pretty standard quick bread, but I was surprised at how thick the batter was.  Dorie said to keep mixing, and it did eventually come together.  I baked these for 45 minutes, and they came out nice and moist.  David said it was delicious.  I cut back on the ginger a little bit, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly.  You can view the recipe on Kelly’s blog, and see the other Mango Bread variations on the TWD blog.

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

We had some good friends stay over not too long ago, and I wanted to make some muffins for breakfast in the morning.  I had some very ripe bananas on hand, so I thought some type of banana muffin would be perfect.  I looked through some of my cookbooks on Saturday afternoon to find a recipe where I had all the ingredients on hand.  When I asked them how Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins sounded, I got a very enthusiastic response, so I knew these were the ones to make!

These muffins were incredibly easy to make.  I used Hershey’s Special Dark Chips and everyone agreed that they added tons of flavor, so I would recommend using these if you have them.  There was not much coffee, and I worried that they flavor wouldn’t be as strong, but it was just the right amount- subtle and noticeable, but not too strong.  I’m glad I didn’t increase the amount.  Even though the recipe said it yielded 12 muffins, I got 15 out of it.  Only 7 actually made it to Sunday morning!  Even David, who I didn’t think would even like these, polished off several muffins and has even requested that I make them again.

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
Source: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

1 ½ cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)

½ cup sugar

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup whole milk

1 large egg

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill each cup about three-quarters full.  Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted of a muffin comes out clean.

Move the muffin pan to a cooling rack, and let cool for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the cooling rack.

Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Chocolate Ice Cream (Philadelphia Style)

I am a huge fan of chocolate ice cream and after making my first chocolate ice cream using the French-style or custard method, I wanted to try this Philadelphia style ice cream to see how the two recipes compared.  To be honest, I can’t say that one is better than the other.  The French-style ice cream is a little creamier, but I think this one has a more intense chocolate flavor.  The main advantage to the Philadelphia style ice cream is that it is easier and less time-consuming to make, and you don’t have to mess with using egg yolks.  This was a great recipe to make on a night when I badly wanted to make ice cream but was pressed for time.  I let it chill overnight, and the next day I made some chocolate truffles to add in it.  The truffles were amazing and definitely intensified the chocolate flavor.  My only complaint is that they sank to the bottom of the ice cream mixture, so they weren’t mixed in as well.  I think this problem could be solved by freezing the truffles longer, so they are firmer.  It didn’t seem to affect the ice cream all that much, though, and it was still delicious.  I will definitely make this again, and will try some different mix-ins, because there are so many good ones I want to try!

Chocolate Ice Cream (Philadelphia Style)

2 ¼ cups heavy cream

6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan.  Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up).  Remove from the heat and whisk un the chocolate until it’s completely melted, then whisk in the milk and vanilla.  Pour the mixture into a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until very smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon Cognac, rum or other liquor or liqueur

Heat the cream with the corn syrup in a small saucepan until it just begins to boil.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until it’s melted and the mixture is smooth.  Mix in the Cognac.  Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Line a dinner plate with plastic wrap.  Form little ½-inch truffles using two small spoons.  Scoop up a teaspoonful of truffle mixture, then scrape it off with the other spoon onto the dinner plate.  Repeat, using all the truffle mix.  Freeze the truffles until ready to mix in.

Makes 40 (1/2-inch) truffles

Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Vanilla Ice Cream

I have always been a chocolate person and I rarely eat vanilla.  I’ve heard good things about David Lebovitz’s vanilla ice cream, though, and wanted to try it.  My father-in-law is an ice cream fanatic, although he tends to stick to plain vanilla ice cream.  My in-laws visited us recently, and I thought it was the perfect occasion to try this ice cream.  Even though I don’t usually eat vanilla ice cream, I thoroughly enjoyed this version.  Unlike store brand vanilla ice creams, it was rich, creamy, and full of vanilla flavor.  My father-in-law really loved it, and ate all but a few tiny spoonfuls, which were shared among the rest of us.  He didn’t get that you usually take a “little bit goes a long way” with premium ice cream such as this, but I was glad that it was such a success.  True to my tastes, I made the Classic Hot Fudge to go with it.  Even though I didn’t get a picture of the ice cream with the hot fudge on it, I can assure you that it was delicious.  It will be my standard hot fudge recipe!  And it was tons better than the Hershey’s Syrup that my father-in-law usually puts on his ice cream 🙂  Even though I am not a vanilla ice cream, I enjoyed this and will make it again.  With hot fudge of course 🙂

Vanilla Ice Cream (French-Style)

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

Pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise (or 1 tablespoon vanilla)

6 large egg yolks

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup of the cream, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the warm milk and add the bean as well.  Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as your stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream.  Put the vanilla bean into the custard, add the vanilla extract, and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.  When ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean, rinsing and reserving it for another use, and then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Classic Hot Fudge

¾ cup heavy cream

¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

½ cup light corn syrup

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the cream, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and corn syrup in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds.

Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and butter, stirring until melted and smooth.  Stir in the vanilla.  Serve warm.

Storage: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat.

Makes 2 cups

Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Raspberry Strusel Bars

I love raspberries.  It’s one of my favorite fruits to have in a dessert.  I know a lot of people who enjoy fruity desserts, especially my husband.  I knew that he would be a huge fan of these, and I knew they would be a big hit with everyone else I made these for.  I’ve never had experience making raspberry bars before, but I knew this would be a good recipe.

It started with a shortbread crust, which was baked while I made the filling.  I love how the filling contained both raspberry jam and real raspberries.  It made for such a rich, full raspberry flavor.  After the crust was prebaked, I added the filling and topped it with the strusel.  The combination of the shortbread, raspberry filling, and strusel topping went together so well and made for the perfect dessert.  These were a big hit and were gone very quickly!

Raspberry Streusel Bars (from Cooks Illustrated September 2005, as seen on The Way the Cookie Crumbles)

Makes twenty-four 2-inch squares

CI note: This recipe can be made in a standing mixer or a food processor. Frozen raspberries can be substituted for fresh; be sure to defrost them before combining with the raspberry preserves. If your fresh raspberries are very tart, add only 1 or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to the filling. The bars are best eaten the day they are baked but can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days (the crust and streusel will soften slightly with storage).

Bridget note: I prefer walnuts in this recipe.

2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12½ ounces)
2/3 cup granulated sugar (about 4¾ ounces)
½ teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons, cut into ½-inch pieces and softened to cool room temperature
¼ cup packed brown sugar (1¾ ounces), light or dark
½ cup rolled oats (1½ ounces), old-fashioned
½ cup pecans (2 ounces), chopped fine
¾ cup rasberry preserves (8½ ounces)
¾ cup fresh raspberries (3½ ounces)
1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. (If using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width.) Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, granulated sugar, and salt at low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine on low, add 16 tablespoons butter one piece at a time; then continue mixing on low until mixture resembles damp sand, 1 to 1½ minutes. (If using food processor, process flour, granulated sugar, and salt until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter 16 tablespoons butter pieces over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles damp sand, about twenty 1-second pulses.)

3. Measure 1 ¼ cups flour mixture into medium bowl and set aside; distribute remaining flour mixture evenly in bottom of prepared baking pan. Using hands or flat-bottomed measuring cup, firmly press mixture into even layer to form bottom crust. Bake until edges begin to brown, 14 to 18 minutes.

4. While crust is baking, add brown sugar, oats, and nuts to reserved flour mixture; toss to combine. Work in remaining 2 tablespoons butter by rubbing mixture between fingers until butter is fully incorporated. Pinch mixture with fingers to create hazelnut-sized clumps; set streusel aside.

5. Combine preserves, raspberries, and lemon juice in small bowl; mash with fork until combined but some berry pieces remain.

6. Spread filling evenly over hot crust; sprinkle streusel topping evenly over filling (do not press streusel into filling). Return pan to oven and bake until topping is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature on wire rack, 1 to 2 hours; remove from baking pan by lifting foil extensions. Using chef’s knife, cut into squares and serve.

Tiramisu Cake (TWD)

It’s so funny that this recipe was chosen this week, because I just recently made Tiramisu last week for a friend Kyle’s birthday.  My close friends are all huge Tiramisu fans and request it all the time.  I thought about making this Tiramisu Cake for his birthday, but ended up going with plain old Tiramisu.  Luckily, I got my chance to make this cake very soon afterwards, so it was like a bonus cake 🙂

This recipe had elements very similar to classic Tiramisu.  The cake was soaked in a coffee-flavored syrup, just like the ladyfingers.  The frosting was delicious and tasted much like the one in the classic dessert.  I loved the way Dorie made this into a cake.  It still had the elements of tiramisu, but was combined into this cake, perfect for a celebratory occasion.  Maybe for the next birthday I’ll make this cake again!  I was anxious to find out how my Tiramisu-loving friends would like this cake.  I was so happy to see that they really loved it, and even though we had a small crowd, this cake disappeared quickly.  You can view the recipe on Megan’s site, and view the other creations on the TWD blog.

Chewy Chocolate-White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I love chocolate cookies, and I was in the mood to bake some.  I was looking at chocolate cookies I had bookmarked, and I remembered this one from Confections of a Foodie Bride.  She talked about how she was obsessed with a particular cookie from the food court, and I happen to agree that food court cookies can often be the best kind.  I also love the combination of chocolate and white chocolate.

I brought these cookies to our February birthday celebration at school.  We try to do something once a month to celebrate that month’s birthdays.  I always vlunteer to bring a dessert, and we try to make things that can be picked up easily, such as cookies and brownies.  I thought these would be rich enough for a celebration!  These cookies were nice and chewy and full of chocolate flavor.  The white chocolate also provided a nice contrast.  I think these definitely go to the top of the list as far as chocolate cookies are concerned!

Chewy Chocolate-White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup dutch-process cocoa*
1/2 cup butter, cubed and room temp
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chopped white chocolate

*Don’t substitute with natural cocoa. The Oreo-like flavor comes from the richer dutch-processed cocoa. I used Hershey Special Dark Dutch-Process but I’ve used their dutch/natural blend in this recipe in a pinch. It yields a lighter-colored and slightly less Oreo-like cookie.

Preheat oven to 325 and place oven racks in the upper and lower middle position.

Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa, and set aside. Beat the butter on medium-high until light and add sugars, creaming well. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternately with the milk in one batch, mixing well. Chill dough for 15 minutes.

Scoop the dough onto a parchment- or silpat-lined cookie sheet (however you bake your cookies) and bake (see note below). Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet and store in an air-tight container.

Here’s a tip from Shawnda:

Let’s talk about the size of of this cookie. I use a No 12 scoop to drop a well rounded scoop of chilled cookie dough (a little less than 1/2 cup of cookie dough) onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 24 minutes. I get 8 or 9 cookies with a diameter of 6 inches using the No 12 scoop. Perfect if you’re going for the “real bakery” look, perhaps less-than-perfect if it’s just you and 8 of your new chocolatey friends over a weekend. If you scoop a more normal sized cookie, I’d estimate 12-16 minutes in the oven.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride