by Kathy Douglas | Nov 3, 2020 | Desserts
Pumpkin Cheesecake and rich Chocolate Brownie make a delicious combination. Baking these together in a brownie bite pan allows everyone to have that favorite crunchy-edge end piece.
For the brownie
2 eggs
¾ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
¾ cup all-purpose flour
For the pumpkin layer
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Orange Food Coloring*
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 12 square brownie bite pans.
To make the brownie – In a large bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Beat for about 4 minutes.
Melt the butter with the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and becomes shiny. Add the sugar/butter mixture to the cocoa mixture and mix well. Fold in the flour and semisweet chocolate and mix until evenly combined. Add the batter evenly into the prepared brownie bite pans.
To make the pumpkin – mix all the ingredients together and whisk until thoroughly combined. *If desired, add a drop or two of orange food coloring and mix to an orange color.
Spoon the pumpkin mixture over the brownie layer. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center has a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a cooling rack.
by Kathy Douglas | Oct 26, 2020 | Desserts, Holiday
A delicious combination of sweet, salty, nutty, and crunchy in one easy to make treat. These seasonal popcorn balls are a perfect snack for celebrating Halloween.
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering hands
1 package miniature marshmallows (10 ounces)
¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
12 cups popped popcorn, we use Skinny Pop Popcorn
½ cup candy corn
½ cup salted roasted cashews
½ cup Halloween caviar sprinkles, spread out on a plate
Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over low heat. Add marshmallows and brown sugar and stir until completely melted and combined. Add the popcorn, candy corn, and cashews into a large bowl, mix well. Remove the marshmallow mixture from the heat and pour over the popcorn mixture and toss well to combine. With buttered hands, shape into 2 ½ inch balls and then immediately roll in Halloween caviar sprinkles. Set on parchment lined baking sheet to dry slightly, then serve.
by Kathy Douglas | Sep 21, 2020 | Desserts
This easy fall Apple Tart uses only five ingredients and is as pretty as it is delicious. Thinly sliced apple halves arranged over tasty caramel are then topped with cinnamon sugar in crunch puff pastry tart shell.
INGREDIENTS
One Sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
¼ cup homemade caramel sauce, or high-quality store purchased
4 large apples Granny Smith, peeled, cored, halved, and sliced very thinly sliced
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
For serving:
Freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat to 400°F. Roll the puff party to 12”x12” inch square. Transfer to a 10” square tart pan and gently ease into the pan and up the sides to make a pastry shell. Trim off any extra pastry. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator and pour the caramel into the pastry shell. Spread evenly across the bottom of the pan. Peel the apples, slice in half and remove the seeds with a melon baller. Thinly slice the apple keeping together in haves. Arrange apple slices in the caramel in halves, separating the slices slightly when set. Combine the sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle evenly over the slices.
Place in the oven and bake the tart until the crust and edges of the apples are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Cut into pieces and serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 31, 2020 | Desserts
Our delicious Ice Cream recipe will be perfect for cooling off on Derby Day. Tasty vanilla and bourbon ice cream filled with toasted pecans and mini bourbon ball candies. It’s the perfect dessert for a late summer Derby Day.
Make the Bourbon Balls
INGREDIENTS
3 ounces Nilla Wafers cookies
1 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, plus more for coating
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 tablespoons bourbon
INSTRUCTIONS
In a food processor, grind the Nilla wafers to fine crumbs and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan set over simmering hot water. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup, and bourbon. Add this mixture to the crumb mixture. Stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about two-three hours.
Form into half- inch size balls then roll the balls in a bowl of powdered sugar to coat. Transfer to a parchment lined sheet tray, arranging the balls in a single layer. Freeze for two hour or until frozen solid then remove and cut each ball in half. Place back in the freezer in a freezer safe container until ready to use.
Make the Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
⅔ cup sugar
2 tablespoons Bourbon
1 tablespoon Vanilla
½ cup chopped pecans, frozen
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill a very large mixing bowl with ice and add a smaller metal bowl into the center.
Combine the milk and cream in a medium saucepan, cooking over medium-low heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar whisking until the yolks become pale yellow.
Slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Start by adding small amounts to temper the eggs. When mixed together, pour back into the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard lightly coats the back of the spoon, about 10 minutes.
Strain the custard through a sieve into the bowl that is in the center of the ice. Stir occasionally to cool. When cooled add the bourbon and vanilla, whisk to combine, then refrigerate overnight.
Process in an ice cream maker, then fold in the recipe of halved frozen bourbon balls plus the frozen toasted pecans pieces. Freeze for two-four hours before serving.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 24, 2020 | Desserts
Using only five ingredients, this easy dessert is created 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, or topped with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.
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 | Aug 17, 2020 | Desserts
A delicious light and refreshing dessert for a hot summer evening – Individual Pavlovas. Easy to make, vanilla meringue shell bases are filled with sweet whipped cream and topped with seasonal fresh raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries.
INGREDIENTS
4 large egg whites, room temperature
Kosher salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, plus more
2 cups of strawberries sliced in half, raspberries, or blackberries
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 250˚F . Trace six 3” circles on each of 2 sheets of parchment paper. Transfer each 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 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 oven and bake until firm and dry to the touch but not browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off oven and let meringues cool for 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Using a hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream and confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. Top each meringue with a dollop of whipped cream and a spoonful of berries. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve immediately.
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