Archive for the ‘Dessert’ Category

Mint Bars

Mar 14th, 10 / 4 Comments

I have always disliked mint, I just don’t like it peppermint, ice cream, anything. Well lately I have noticed I am liking more and more mint, I have eaten my far share of thin mints this year, and have been enjoying mint flavoring in things. When I saw these were the cookie carnival recipe of the month I decided although I normally turn my head at mint I would give it a try.

Sure enough I liked these… not only liked them LOVED them, there are excellent. I want to try it with different flavoring as I think they would be just as good.

I am not a nut person and were bringing these to work and was unsure of allergies so I left out the walnuts and just used an almost full box of nilla wafers, I took about 5 out, as of course I had to make sure they were edible. Everyone at work enjoyed these as well and Adam and I fought over who would get the last one.

These would be the perfect dessert for St. Pattys day this week.

Walnut Mint Bars (From: Hersheys)

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick)plus 2 tablespoons margarine, divided
  • 1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 wafers, crushed)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
  • 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract OR 1 tablespoon green creme de menthe
  • Green food color(optional)
  • Chocolate Drizzle (recipe to follow)

Heat oven to 350°F. Melt 1/2 cup margarine in medium saucepan; stir in crumbs, walnuts, sugar and cocoa. Press firmly on bottom of ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Beat cream cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons margarine and cornstarch in small bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk then egg, peppermint extract and food color, if desired. Pour evenly into prepared pan.

Bake 25 minutes or until center is set. Cool. Drizzle chocolate drizzle over top. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator. 24 to 36 bars. bars.

Chocolate Drizzle: Melt 1 cup Chocolate Chips with 1-1/2 teaspoons shortening (do not use butter, margarine or oil).

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Peanut Butter Truffle Tart

Jan 22nd, 10 / 2 Comments

I needed another dessert to take to my family get together. I have had my on this tart forever and have had a tart pan sitting in the cupboard for years and have never used it.

I am SOOO glad I made this, it was easy, delicious and everyone raved about it.

Peanut Butter Truffle Tart (From: Pillsbury Best of the Bake-off Winners)

  • 1 roll (16.5 oz) refrigerated peanut butter cookies
  • 6 peanut butter crunchy granola bars (crushed 1 heaping cup)
  • 2 bags semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup chopped peanuts (I used honey roasted)

Heat oven to 350. In large bowl, break up cooking down stir or kneat in crushed granola bars until well mixed. Press dough in bottom and up side of ungreased 10inch tart pan with removable bottom. Baked 12 to 17 minutes or untli light golden brown.

With back of spoon, press down crust on bottom and side; bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until deep golden brown. Press down crust again with a spoon.

Meanwhile, in large microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and whipping cream on High 1 minute. Stir; microwave 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring every 30 seconds to prevent chocolate from buring, until completely melted and smooth. In small microwavable bowl, microwave peanut butter on high 1 minute or until melted.

Spread warm peanut butter in bottom of crust. Pour chocolate mixture over peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle peanuts evenly over the top. Refrigerate atleast 2 hours or until serving time. For easier cutting, let tart stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Store in refrigerator.

Almond Triangles

Dec 18th, 09 / 5 Comments

My mom and aunt found this recipe on the Star Tribune website. I was a little unsure as I am not a big nut person, but I figured I could gift them out… well unless I make another batch there wont be any gifted. Yes they were that good. These are WONDERFUL!

I want to try them with different kind of nuts. Try these as soon as you get time.

Almond Triangles (From: Star Tribune)Almond Triangles

  • 2 c. (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
  • 3/4 c. granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2-3/4 c. flour
  • 1 c. packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 c. honey
  • 1/4 c. heavy cream at room temperature
  • 1 lb (about 5-1/4 c.) sliced almonds

Use a 10×15 inch jellyroll pan.

In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 2 sticks butter until creamy (about 1 min).  Gradually add 1/2 c. granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2 min).  Add egg, almond extract and salt, and beat until thoroughly combined.  Reduce speed to low, add flour and mix until just incorporated.  Press dough evenly into pan and push dough up the sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Note:  the directions say to line the pan with heavy-duty foil, shiny side up; we used a non-stick pan without lining it with foil and had no problems removing it from the pan.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Use a fork to prick dough in 24 places all across and bake 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, honey, remaining 2 sticks butter and remaining 1/4 c. granulated sugar.  Cook, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.

Increase heat to medium-high, bring mixture to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes without stirring.  Remove from heat and stir in cream, then stir in almonds.

Spread almond mixture evenly over the crust.  Return pan to oven and bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  While bars are still slightly warm, cut into triangles.  Note:  we slid the bars onto a large cutting board before cutting.

Makes 6 dozen.

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M&M Pumpkin Cake

Nov 1st, 09 / 9 Comments

While standing at the checkout line of a store a few weeks ago, I saw a Family Circle magazine, I loved the pumpkin looking thing on the front cover. I pulled out the magazine to see what it was… to my surprise it was a cake. I had to buy the magazine because I had to make the cake. Although we are spending Halloween with my dad and there will only be the three of us I knew I had to make this cake.

A little secret from my kitchen, I ALWAYS use salted butter in my recipes, and always omit the salt. The only time I add salt to a recipe is if it has no butter in it.

Because I woke up at 4am thanks to pregnancy induced insomnia and decided to make this cake, I read it as 1 cup of pumpkin instead of one can. This still tasted good, but I bet it would be a little more moist with the full amount of pumpkin. But how can you beat the cuteness?

M&M’s Pumpkin Cake (From: Family Circle Nov, 2009)

Pumpkin Cake

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 5eggs
  • 1 can vanilla frosting
  • Orange gel food coloring
  • 2 cups orange M&M’s
  • 34 yellow or brown M&M’s
  • 1 chocolate-covered candy bar

Heat oven to 350. Coat two 1.5 liter Pyrex bowls with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix the pumpkin, milk and vanilla in a small bowl to blend.

Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the pumpkin mixture, ending with the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared bowls. Bake at 350 in the center of the oven for 55 to 65 minutes or until and a toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean. Transfer bowls to wire rack and cool 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks and remove bowls; cool completely.

Trim the top of the cakes with a serrated knife to make level. Tint the frosting orange with the food coloring. Place One cake later cut side up on the serving platter. Spread the cure side with 1/2 cup of frosting. Place the other cake layer on top, cut-side down. Trim any excess to make round.

Spread a thin layer of frosting on  the cake, put brown or yellow M&M’ for the face, and then cover the rest of the pumpkin with orange M&M’s.

Cut the candy bar in half crosswise on the diagonal to fashion a stem. Make a small hole in the top of the cake and press the candy bar half, cut-side down, into the top of the cake for the stem. Refrigerate to firm frosting.

Cookie Bouquets

Oct 12th, 09 / 8 Comments

Cookie Bouquets

I knew I wanted to make something special for my SIL’s for hosting my baby shower, I had saw cookie bouquets long time ago and decided it was time to give it ago. And I am happy to report that for the most part they turned out excellent!!!!!

Me being me had to ofcourse try a new sugar cookie recipes, I wasn’t very impressed with these and thought them to be a little bland and next time will use this recipe which has proven to be my favorite. In the end I had LOTS of fun with this project and can’t wait to have a reason to make them again.

Sugar Cookies (Found On: Ambers Delectable Delights, Orginally From: Annie’s Eats)

Cookie Bouquet

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ t. almond extract
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1 t. salt
  • 2 ½ c. sifted flour

Cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Blend in egg, almond extract, vanilla, salt and flour. Chill dough until firm.

Roll to ¼” thickness on well-floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 min.

Cookies should not brown. Frost and decorate when cool.

Yields ~40 cookies.

Royal Icing (From: Wilton)

  • 3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
  • 4 cups (about 1 lb.) confectioners’ sugar
  • 6 tablespoons warm water

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).

Cookie Bouquets

To make the cookies I rolled out the dough as instructed and then pushed a cookie stick into the back of it and baked it as stated. Only about 1/2 my sticks stuck the rest fell out but I was able to get them back in with frosting. I am not sure how to do it so they would bake completely in.

I let the cookies cool completely over night before frosting, I frosted as wanted with royal icing and let icing harden.

In my tins (bought from Target) I bought styrofoam to hold the cookies in place.

Once cookies are set wrap in baggies and twist tie to keep freshness, place in foam in tin, wrap tissue paper around sticks to cover up the foam.

**Make sure you put the sticks in the foam BEFORE putting the tissue paper in, I tried to push the stick through the paper and that did NOT work.

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