White Chocolate Blondies with Dark Chocolate, Banana & Caramel

White Chocolate Blondies with Dark Chocolate, Banana & Caramel

For the chocolate lovers, these white chocolate Banana Blondies have a flavor kick with both white and dark chocolate. Layered in is a mix of caramel, dark chocolate chips then topped with a smooth layer of dark chocolate ganache. Try them served in a pool of caramel!

INGREDIENTS
12 tablespoons (175g) unsalted butter
¾ cup (125g) white chocolate, chopped
4 ripe medium bananas, (about 400g peeled weight)
3 large eggs, beaten
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (175g) light brown sugar
1-1/2 cups (175g) flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup (85g) large chocolate chunks or chips
¼ cup homemade or quality store-purchased caramel sauce, plus more for serving
Chocolate ganache icing – recipe follows

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line the base and sides of a 8” square pan with parchment paper.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan then let it bubble for a minute or two. Put the white chocolate in a large heatproof mixing bowl and pour in the hot butter over the chocolate to cover it. Rest for about 5 minutes, stir until the chocolate has completely melted then set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mash the bananas to a soft pulp in another bowl. Add in the eggs, vanilla and sugar, mixing until combined.

When the chocolate mixture has cool slightly, slowly add in the banana mixture in three batches. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold together into the banana chocolate mixture until just mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Add the salted caramel in random dollops then gently marble the caramel into the mixture.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until set on top, and a toothpick comes out with a few baked bits stuck to it.
Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. When cooled, make the ganache icing and spread evenly over the top. Cool completely, then refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into squares and serve on a plate with a drizzle of more caramel.

Chocolate Ganache icing
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (255 g) Semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons (29 g) unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS
Place the chocolate in a larger bowl. Add the cream and butter to a small sauce pan and place over medium heat. Whisk until the butter is melted and the mixture is combined and heated through. Pour over the chocolate in the bowl covering it. Rest 5 minutes, then whisk to combine. Let the ganache cool slightly then pour over cooled brownies, smoothing the top. Refrigerate before cutting.

Mango and Passion Fruit Ice Creams with Coconut Clusters in Banana Meringue Shells

Mango and Passion Fruit Ice Creams with Coconut Clusters in Banana Meringue Shells

Chill out with this tropical combination of Mango Ice cream, Passion Fruit Ice Cream, and toasted coconut clusters. We combined these delicious flavors and served them up in a banana meringue shell for the perfect tropical delight.

The day before make the banana meringue shells, candied coconut, fruit pulps, and two plain ice cream bases.

Banana Meringue Shells
INGREDIENTS
4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon banana extract
1-1/2 cup fine* white sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 200˚F. Add one sheet of parchment paper to a baking sheet.
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and banana extract until firm.
Slowly add sugar in a stream while beating into the egg white mixture.
Add the batter to a piping bag, Pipe 4” shells onto the parchment lined sheet tray to make 6-8 shells. Bake for 2 hours. Turn the oven off and leave the shells in the oven to cool, 2 hours or up to overnight, to dry. Makes 6-8 shells.
*process the sugar in a food processor for 1-2 minutes until ground fine.

Candied Coconut
INGREDIENTS
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
¼ cup simple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut flakes on a parchment lined baking sheet in a thin layer and bake in preheated oven. The flakes will toast very quickly so watch carefully. Stir the coconut to help ensure even color. When the flakes just start to brown, remove and add to a bowl. Add ¼ cup simple syrup and toss to evenly coat. Pour back on the parchment lined baking sheet and place back in the oven until the coconut is a browned and slightly sticking together in clusters. Cool completely, then freeze in one layer on a sheet tray.

Mango Pulp
INGREDIENTS
2 Ripe Mangoes

INSTRUCTIONS
Cut off all the fruit flesh around the core and discard the peel, cut the mango into chunks.
Place the mango flesh in a high-speed blender and process to smooth paste. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Passion Fruit Pulp
INGREDIENTS
About 6 passion fruit to make 1/2 cup of pulp
½ cup sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the passion fruit in halves, scape out the pulp and discard the seeds. Measure to ½ cup and place in small sauce pan and add the sugar. Cook over medium heat until the sugar melts and a smooth paste forms. Pour into a bowl, and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate.

Make the Ice Cream Bases:
INSTRUCTIONS
Make two of your favorite plain ice cream bases and chill each base separately overnight.

Finish the Ice Cream:
The next day:
Whisk each pulp separately into the two bases to make two single flavored ice creams. Process the ice cream following the instructions on your ice cream machine. Place the first finished fruit ice cream in a bowl in the freezer while you process the second fruit ice cream.
After the second fruit ice cream is finished processing, remove the first fruit ice cream from freezer and layer the two ice creams together with the candied coconut in a large container, making about ¾ gallon. Place in the freezer and freeze for 4-6 hours.

To Assemble
INGREDIENTS
Toasted Coconut Chips

INSTRUCTIONS
Scoop the ice cream into big scoops and place in the banana meringue shells and serve topped with the toasted coconut chips.. Make 6-8 servings with ice cream leftover.

Team USA Hand Pies

Team USA Hand Pies

Perfect for a Team USA Olympic watch party! No fork needed, these little hand pies are filled with either blueberries or cherries and topped with white icing for a festive red, white, and blue theme.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups fresh or frozen cherries or blueberries, stemmed and pitted, fresh cherries cut in half
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoons cornstarch
Pie dough – recipe follows
Flour, for rolling the dough
1 egg white
2 tablespoons turbinado or raw sugar
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
The day prior, combine the fresh fruit with the sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring, until the juices are released, and the fruit collapses, about 20 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl to blend thoroughly. Add cornstarch mixture, continuing to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Working with one disk at a time, roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife, dough cutter, or pizza cutter, cut and reroll the scraps of dough for both disks until you have eight 10×3″ rectangles. Whisk the egg white and 1 teaspoon water in another small bowl to make an egg wash.
Working with one 10×3” shape at a time, place on a work surface and brush edges with egg wash. Cut a star shape out of one side. Scoop 2-3 tablespoons fruit mixture on the other side then fold the star side of the dough over filling to form a 5×3″ packet. Crimp all edges with a fork to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Brush tops with egg wash, then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Place back in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°. Bake the hand pies until tops and bottoms are golden browns, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Whisk the confectioner’s sugar with vanilla and 1 tablespoon water. Add more water or sugar to reach the desired consistency for icing. Drizzle over the hand pies and let the icing set for 15-20 minutes before serving. Make 8 hand pies.

Pie dough
INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
8-10 tablespoons cold water

INSTRUCTIONS
Add the flour, salt, and sugar in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse to mix thoroughly.
Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. With the food processor running, add the water then pulse until the dough comes together.
Dump out onto a floured surface and using your hands gather together to form a large disk. Cut in half and place each half in two floured plastic bags. Form and flatten into a disk in the bag.
Refrigerate over-night.

Team USA Cherry Tart

Team USA Cherry Tart

Enjoy the Olympics while snacking on our favorite tart! We love cherry season for the delicious sweet and tart flavor of this pie. Topped with stars, it celebrates Team USA in the summer games!

INGREDIENTS
For the Filling:
4 cups pitted tart red cherries
1 cup white sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
For the Crust:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons water
1 large egg

INSTRUCTIONS
Make the filling:
Place cherries into a medium saucepan over medium heat; cover the pan. Cook the cherries until they release their juice and come to a simmer, 10 to 15 minutes, Stirring often.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the sugar with cornstarch until smooth; pour the mixture into the hot cherries and juice, and stir to combine completely. Return to low heat, bring to a simmer, and cook until the filling has thickened, about 2 minutes; remove from heat, and let cool completely then refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the crust:
In a food processor fitted with a blade combine the flour, sugar, and salt, pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. With the processor running, add the 2 tablespoons water and; continue pulsing until the dough clumps together, about 45 seconds. If the dough remains too dry and crumbly to form a cohesive mass, add a bit more water. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic, pressing on the plastic to flatten the dough into a disk. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 1/8-inch thick circle, about 11 inches across.
Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan and trim the edges to the top of the tart pan. Roll out the remaining dough again to 1/8” and cut as many stars as possible. Roll and cut stars until you run out of dough. Place the stars on a parchment lined sheet tray and refrigerate the stars and pie dough for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the cooled cherry filling into the cold crust, then top filling with the stars. Bake for 1 hour-1 hour 15 minutes or until the filling is very bubbly and the stars are slightly golden brown.

Mississippi Mud Brownies

Mississippi Mud Brownies

These rich, chewy Mississippi Mud Brownies are sure to be your new favorite. Yummy deep chocolate brownies with homemade marshmallow and topped with creamy chocolate icing and toasted pecan halves.

Brownie Layer
INGREDIENTS

Baking spray release
6 ounces or 1 cup Semi-Sweet chocolate baking bars, chopped or broken into small pieces
11 tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder
3 whole eggs, plus one egg yolk, room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line an 8 x 8” square pan with parchment paper, leaving one side with some extra overhang of the parchment. Lightly spray with baking spray release.

Place a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the
bowl. Cut the butter into tablespoons size pieces and add to the bowl. Melt the chocolate and butter gently; blending together. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour with the cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder.

Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whip on high speed until light in color, about 5 minutes. Turn the mixer down to stir, and slowly add one-third of the chocolate into the egg mixture. When combined add the balance of the chocolate, scraping down the sides of the bowls as needed. Then add the flour/cocoa powder mixture until just combined scraping down the bowl as needed. Pour into the pan and spread evenly.

Place in the oven and bake 38-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few bits on it. Set on a rack and cool completely.

Marshmallow Layer
INGREDIENTS

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3 cups granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
Soften gelatin in ¾ cup water, set aside. In a small saucepan combine ¾ cup water with sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and cook to  252˚F on a candy thermometer to make a hot syrup.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the gelatin mixture on high while slowly streaming in the hot syrup into the bowl with the gelatin. Then add the salt and extract and beat until stiff peaks form about 15 -20 minutes. Using a greased spatula, spread the marshmallow over the cooled brownies. Cool for 1 hour.

Chocolate Icing
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
3 tablespoons milk
8-oz.powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped pecans

INSTRUCTIONS
Stir together the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread over marshmallow, top with pecans. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. To serve, cut into 18 squares.

Lemon Curd and Summer Fruit Meringues

Lemon Curd and Summer Fruit Meringues

These sweet shells combined with seasonal fruits make a yummy dessert. Egg white and vanilla meringue shells are perfect for holding homemade lemon curd topped with summer fruits.

Lemon Curd
INGREDIENTS
1 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Zest of two lemons, about 2 tablespoons
¾ cup sugar
12 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks

INSTRUCTIONS
Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl. In a medium saucepan heat the lemon juice, zest, sugar, butter, eggs, and egg yolks.

Stir until the butter is melted, then whisk the mixture continuously until the mixture thickens and holds its shape when dropped back down over the rest of the mixture in the saucepan. Pour the warm lemon curd through a strainer into a bowl and cool slightly. Then cover with plastic wrap pressing on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate overnight to cool completely.

 

Meringues Shells
INGREDIENTS
4 large egg whites, room temperature
Kosher salt
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, plus more
I cup cubed strawberries ad blueberries
Mint sprigs

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 250˚F. Trace six 3 ½ inch circles on each of 1 sheet of parchment paper. Transfer the sheet of paper to a baking sheet, tracing-side down.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt on medium-high speed until soft, glossy peaks form. With the mixer running, add granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat meringue on high until stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes more. Sprinkle in cornstarch and vanilla,  gently fold to combine.

Add to a large piping bag fitted with a tip. Pipe the meringue in the center of each of the circles, making a shell shape. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake until firm and dry to the touch but not browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and let meringues cool for 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, place the meringue shells on a plate. Fill with the lemon curd and top with the fruit and top with a mint sprig.