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.
by Kathy Douglas | Jun 1, 2017 | Desserts
Quick to prepare, these cookies are a combination of almond flour, butter, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and blood orange zest. Sweetened with a bit of blood orange marmalade filling, you’d never know our crunchy picnic cookies are gluten free. If you can’t find blood oranges, just substitute tangerine or orange for the zest and marmalade. Make your dessert the complete Italian indulgence – serve with a Hard Italian Soda by Bravazzi!
INGREDIENTS
Cookies
2 cups almond flour, quality brands such as Bob’s or King Arthur
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon blood orange zest
2 tablespoons plus two teaspoons Blood Orange Marmalade
Icing
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon almond extract
INSTRUCTIONS
To Make the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl until dough forms.
Scoop 1 ½ ” balls of dough onto a parchment lined the pan. Using your thumb or a spoon, press an indentation into the center of each ball of dough. Scoop and press all the dough then place in the refrigerator to chill for one hour. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the balls of dough about 1 ½ ” to 2″ apart. Fill each impression with about ¼ teaspoon of marmalade. Be careful, don’t overfill or your filling could boil out during baking.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until they start to turn light golden brown on top. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them on the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a rack to cool completely before icing. Makes about 20-24 cookies.
To Make the Icing
In a small bowl, stir together confectioner’s sugar and milk until smooth. Add in corn syrup and almond extract, beating until icing is smooth and glossy. If frosting is too thick, add a little more milk. Drizzle over the cooled cookies.
We adapted this recipe from the fabulous bakers at King Arthur Flour.
by Kathy Douglas | May 15, 2017 | Breakfast, Desserts
Perfect for a spring breakfast, brunch, or dessert, our Sour Cream and Cardamom Quick Bread is swirled inside and topped with a delicious Walnut Streusel. Moist and delicious, you can also bake the bread in cute mini loaf pans to give as gifts.
Remember to avoid over mixing the batter; combine until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Be sure to bake in the center of a preheated oven and test for doneness by inserting a wooden pick into the center of the loaf. This quick bread freezes well, so you can bake ahead and wrap tightly in foil before freezing.
INGREDIENTS
For the Cake
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the loaf pan
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup sour cream
1¼ cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Streusel
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
¾ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
For the Icing
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon egg white powder
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup milk
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8″x4″ loaf pan with softened butter. Then line the bottom and 8″ sides with one long piece of parchment paper. Be sure to have the paper long enough to hanging over the edges to help remove the loaf from the pan. Grease the parchment then flour the inside of the pan.
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and all the sugar has dissolved into the butter. Add the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cardamom, baking soda, and salt. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture to the batter, mixing until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir the batter once or twice with a spatula to assure all ingredients are combined.
To make the cardamom streusel, in another bowl, add the brown sugar, flour, cardamom, salt, and butter. Using your fingers, cut in the butter until it forms a crumble. Insert the walnuts and combine.
Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it evenly again, and add the remaining streusel on top. Place in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let cool on a wire rack for at 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides without parchment and using the excess parchment, carefully lift the cake out. Remove all the parchment paper and cool completely on a rack. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and egg white powder. Add the vanilla and milk together, then whisk in the sugar/ egg white powder to make a thick icing. Using a fork, drizzle over the loaf. Let the icing set and serve.
by Kathy Douglas | May 8, 2017 | Desserts
This rich and decadent dessert is the perfect gift for Mom on Mother’s Day. A sweet and thick Grand Marnier custard is poured over layers of cubed Brioche bread, then baked in the oven and topped with a warm Orange and Grand Marnier Sauce making it truly a comfort dessert.
For the Bread Pudding
4 large eggs
3 cups Half and Half
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
4 cups 1” cubed brioche bread, day old preferred.
For the Sauce
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, strained
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
Zest of one orange
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes and slightly softened
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier liqueur
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Bread Pudding
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and Half and Half until thoroughly combined. Add the sugar, Grand Marnier, cinnamon, and vanilla. Whisk again until combined. Fill four 12-ounce soufflé or custard dishes with the bread, evenly divided. Pour the mixture over to cover. Rest for five minutes and add any extra liquid over the bread. Let stand, pressing down on the bread occasionally, until it is evenly soaked, about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set the dishes in a large, shallow roasting pan. Add very hot tap water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake the pudding until a knife inserted near the center comes out almost clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with the sauce.
For the Sauce
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the strained orange juice, sugar, and finely grated orange zest, stirring often until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the mixture becomes syrupy.
Add the butter cubes to the saucepan, a few at a time, while whisking constantly. When thoroughly blended, remove from heat and whisk in the Grand Marnier. Serve poured over the bread pudding.
by Kathy Douglas | Apr 21, 2017 | Desserts
Looking for something new this Derby? Skip the pie and try this tasty treat! We make our tart with a ground pecan crust filled with bourbon chocolate ganache. Topped with a dollop of fresh cream, it’s perfect for your Derby Day Festivities. This tart is all about the chocolate, so be sure to buy a high-quality chocolate. If you’re using bourbon in the whipped cream, any bourbon will do; however, we prefer Makers Mark for its sweet flavor.
INGREDIENTS
Crust
1 cup pecans
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
6 tablespoons sugar
Filling
8 ounces fine chocolate, like Scharffen Berger or Ghirardelli
1 cup cream
6 tablespoons of softened butter
2 tablespoons bourbon
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Bourbon Tart
INSTRUCTIONS
Butter a 9” square or round tart pan with fluted sides and a removable bottom. Place on a baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a baking tray and toast the pecans for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Place in a food processor or mini chopper and grind until fine ground.
In a large bowl, combine the ground, cooled nuts, flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside. In a separate bowl add the butter and sugar. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together, mixing for about 3-4 minutes on medium speed, scraping the bowl down as needed. Add the egg and water and beat for another minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Add the dough to the buttered tart pan and press to fit the bottom and all the way up the sides. Cover with plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the tart pan with buttered foil (butter side down on the dough) and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and the weights. Return the crust to the oven and bake 10 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
In a bowl, add the chopped chocolate. In a small saucepan, heat the cream to very hot. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and stir to melt the chocolate completely. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, melting completely before adding the next tablespoon. Stir in the bourbon. Pour the chocolate ganache into the tart shell and smooth the surface. Chill until set. Remove and bring to room temperature before cutting.
Fresh Whipped Cream
INSTRUCTIONS
In the refrigerator, chill a medium metal bowl and the beaters to an electric mixer for 20 minutes. Add the cold cream to the bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Add bourbon (if using) and vanilla and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Serve with the tart.
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