by Kathy Douglas | Nov 6, 2017 | Desserts
Our layered dessert starts with a delicious chocolate brownie base, followed by pumpkin pudding and topped with soft whipped cream and caramel pecans. It’s a quick and easy dessert, that’s the perfect finish for any fall dinner or on your Thanksgiving dessert table.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup Pumpkin Puree
½ cup Williams Sonoma Caramel Pumpkin Butter or any high-quality pumpkin butter
Pinch of kosher salt
2 eggs
3 ½ cups milk
1 cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup whipped cream
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
1 cup homemade caramel sauce or any high-quality jarred caramel sauce
12 2” brownies or brownie bites, homemade or high-quality store purchased
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a small sheet tray and toast for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Place a large size bowl over a bigger bowl filled with ice; set aside.
Combine the pumpkin puree with the pumpkin butter and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined; set aside. In a separate medium-size bowl, add the egg and milk together and mix until thoroughly incorporated; set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Slowly add the egg and milk mixture to the sugar/cornstarch mixture, whisking the entire time. Pour into a large saucepan set over medium heat. Continue to whisk while bringing the mix to a boil; then whisk for one minute longer. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Then add the pumpkin mixture to pan, continually whisking, until thoroughly blended. Pour into the bowl set over the ice-filled bowl. When cooled, cover, place in the refrigerator, and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve
Place the cream in a bowl and using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip until very soft peaks form. Sprinkle the confectioner’s sugar over the cream and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Set in the refrigerator to keep cold.
Place the caramel in a small saucepan. Heat on low until softened and smooth. Stir in the toasted pecans and remove from the heat.
Crumble the brownies into small pieces. Fill six 12-ounce serving cups with the brownie pieces, pushing them up on the sides to make an indent in the middle. Divide the pudding between the cups and fill ⅔ full. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and the caramel nuts; serve immediately. Makes six servings.
by Kathy Douglas | Oct 10, 2017 | Desserts
The smell and taste of fall – all in a gingerbread cake topped with fresh apples and caramel. This fantastic upside-down cake makes a great addition to any seasonal table with its tasty gingerbread baked over cinnamon caramel sauce and sweet sautéed apples. Removing the cake from the pan, when turned, allows the apple caramel to coat the sides. Delicious served with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.
INGREDIENTS
Topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
1 cup jarred caramel sauce, high quality such as Williams Sonoma, Trader Joes, Fresh Market or homemade
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 large, firm cooking apples, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith cored, peeled, quartered
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup dark muscovado or dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
⅓ cup molasses
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
Sweeten whipped cream or cinnamon whipped cream for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the apple topping
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9″ round springform pan lined with parchment in the bottom; butter the parchment.
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the caramel sauce. When softened, whisk in the cinnamon and keep warm. Slice each apple quarter into three thin slices. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice and zest.
Place a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter. Cook until the butter has a nutty fragrance, about 4 minutes. Then add the apples and toss gently until well coated. Cook, uncovered, stirring gently until some of the apples begin to brown, and all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Pour the warm cinnamon caramel sauce into the cake pan over the buttered parchment. Starting in the center of the pan, arrange the cooled apple slices on the caramel. Overlap them slightly and keep them close together in tightly packed circles. Set aside.
Make the Cake
Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated. Beat in the molasses. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Starting and ending the dry mixture, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Add ½ the buttermilk, then add the flour in two more batches alternating with the second half of the buttermilk. Mix until the batter is smooth. Carefully pour over the apples. Place the cake on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until center is firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40–45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a paring knife around the sides of cake to loosen, remove the springform sides of the pan. Using another rack, invert cake onto rack. Carefully remove the pan bottom and slowly peel away parchment working cautiously. If some apples stick to the parchment, just peel off and place back on the cake. Cool completely, cut into wedges and serve with sweetened whipped cream.
You can store covered and at room temperature for one day. Makes 8-10 servings.
by Kathy Douglas | Sep 25, 2017 | Desserts
A decadent dark chocolate brownie bottom is layered with a creamy pumpkin cheesecake center and topped with a toasted marshmallow fluff icing. Need we say more? To top it off, we found our cute marshmallow pumpkins at Williams Sonoma. (www.williams-sonoma.com or your local store)
INGREDIENTS
Brownie Layer
6 ounces high-quality bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Cheesecake Layer
2 packages 8-ounce cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup sugar
¾ cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ginger
2 tablespoons flour
Toasted Marshmallow Icing
¾ cup sugar or superfine sugar*
1½ tablespoons light corn syrup
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Marshmallow Pumpkins Decoration – Williams-Sonoma
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350° degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round springform pan.
Brownie Layer
In a double boiler, or using a metal bowl set over simmering water, (the bowl should not touch the water) melt both chocolates and butter over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Remove the pan from heat and cool mixture to lukewarm. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well until mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in salt and flour just until combined. Pour into the springform pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25 -30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven, leaving the oven on, and cool the brownie layer slightly while you make the cream cheese layer.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides often. Add the pumpkin and beat on medium until blended. Reduce to low speed and add the eggs, one at a time. When well mixed, add in the vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and flour, mixing on low, and scraping down the sides, until well combined. Pour the cheesecake filling over baked brownie base and smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the center is set. Set on a rack and cool for 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake and remove the springform. Cool completely.
Toasted Marshmallow Topping
Set a heatproof bowl from an electric mixer over a saucepan of simmering water. Be sure the bowl is not touching the water. Add the sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently until all the sugar has dissolved into the egg, about 2 minutes, and the mixture registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat.
Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on high speed until glossy and voluminous, about 7 minutes. Spread over the center of the cheesecake, leaving a 1” border, and using as much topping as you desire. Pull and swirl the topping with a spoon. Using a kitchen torch, brown the edges of the topping or place under the oven broiler to brown – being careful to avoid over-browning. Decorate with marshmallow pumpkins and serve.
Makes 10-12 servings.
*Superfine sugar dissolves faster. You can find it at specialty grocery stores or make your own by running white sugar in a food processor until ground very fine.
by Kathy Douglas | Jul 31, 2017 | Desserts
Using only five ingredients, create this easy dessert in just minutes. Layers of Phyllo dough are basted with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. The top layer is covered with thinly sliced delicious fresh peaches and sprinkled with more cinnamon and sugar. Serve as is, or sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar, topped with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream. Be sure to use ripe peaches for the best result.
INGREDIENTS
4 large very ripe freestone peaches
12 sheets Phyllo dough
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the peaches in half and remove the pit. Slice each half into very thin slices, set aside. Lightly brush an 8 x 11 (or similar size) removable bottom tart pan with the melted butter. Set aside on a larger sheet tray.
Lay one piece of phyllo on a cutting board and brush with butter. Lay another sheet on top and brush again. Lay a third sheet on top and brush with butter then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon and sugar. Fit into the tart pan. Don’t worry about any pieces of phyllo hanging over. These will be trimmed later. Continue to do this again with three more sheets, and then fit in the pan again. Create another layer of three sheets, however, fit in the pan without sprinkling with the cinnamon and sugar. Neatly arrange the peach slices on the last layer of phyllo dough. Trim the excess phyllo off to even the edge of the tart pan and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon and sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes. Remove the sides, leaving the bottom part of the pan, and set on a cooling rack until completely cooled. Cut into 6 equal pieces and serve alone or topped with confectioners sugar, sweetened whipped cream, or ice cream. Serves 6.
by Kathy Douglas | Jul 7, 2017 | Desserts
No fire needed. Our s’mores are a great way to cool down on a hot night. We sandwiched creamy Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream between two crunchy Chocolate Chip Graham Cracker Cookies. It’s the ultimate summer treat. If you have time, let the cookie dough rest, covered, overnight in the refrigerator and bake the next day. This gives the dough time to develop a more flavorful cookie.
Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS
5 ounces large marshmallows
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups whole milk
½ teaspoon of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill a large bowl with ice. Place a medium metal bowl inside the large bowl over the ice.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the marshmallows on the parchment. Preheat the oven broiler to high. Toast the marshmallows in the oven broiler, turning them every 4-5 seconds, until they are browned on all sides. Watch very carefully so the marshmallows don’t burn. Set them aside to slightly cool.
Combine the cream, milk, and salt in a saucepan and over medium heat bring to a simmer. While simmering, reduce the heat to low and add the toasted marshmallows; stir until completely melted.
Pour the mixture into the metal bowl set over ice and cool the mixture, stirring often. When cooled, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 12 hours or up to overnight.
Pour the cold mixture into an electric ice cream maker and follow according to the manufacturer’s instructions to freeze the ice cream. Transfer to a container and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
Chocolate Chip Graham Cracker Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup white sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips – we like Guittard extra semi sweet chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt; whisk together thoroughly. Using a stand or hand mixer on medium, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and combine until incorporated. Then add the vanilla and mix again. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, then stir in the chocolate chips.
Make 24 dough balls the size of about 3 tablespoons. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. Press to flatten, bake for 14-16 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Place the cookies in the freezer for at least an hour.
INSTRUCTIONS TO ASSEMBLE
Set the ice cream out of the freezer to soften for a few minutes. Place a small scoop of ice cream on the bottom of a frozen cookie. Place another cookie on the other side and very gently press together. Place back in the freezer and re-freeze for at least an hour. If not serving immediately, wrap the frozen treats individually in tight plastic wrap. Makes 12 frozen treats.
by Kathy Douglas | Jun 19, 2017 | Desserts
June’s delicious fruits of strawberry and rhubarb are combined together to make these tasty little treats. Fresh berries and rhubarb sauce are added to puff pastry shells that are baked to a delicious crunch. Simply add some whipped cream, for the perfect summer two-bite treat.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup sugar
1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Cups
8 strawberries, stems removed, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons sugar
Whipped cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Add the rhubarb, sugar, and 2 tablespoons water to a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the rhubarb has softened and broken down to a thick sauce, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Prepare the Puff Pastry shells by following the package directions. While still warm, carefully remove the center pieces out of the baked shells. Cool the shells completely.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the Puff Pastry cups on a baking sheet. Toss the strawberries in the sugar. Add ½ teaspoon of Rhubarb sauce to each Puff Pastry Cup. Top with a strawberry quarter.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes then remove and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, and serve with whipped cream. Makes 8 servings, three tarts per serving.
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