Chocolate Shortbread Raspberry Bars
Raspberries and chocolate is a wonderful combination. This take on my Orange Essence Bars. It incorporates a chocolate shortbread crust, a sprinkling of bittersweet chocolate, topped with a creamy raspberry layer. It is a divine! Chocolate Raspberry Bars Chocolate Crust: 1/2 cup white sugar 1-1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup cocoa 1 cup butter 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate … Continue reading
Thanksgiving Keepers: Recipes for the Archives
Happy Thanksgiving! Today we had the pleasure of hosting Thanksgiving for the first time. I had a blast in the kitchen. I tried roasting my first turkey without a turkey bag. I was listening to Splendid Table, my favorite nerdy cooking radio show on NPR. They host a call-in show on Thanksgiving and I heard the … Continue reading
Ghirardelli Saves the Brownie
I’ve had the Ghirardelli recipes page in my queue for a while now, and I just needed an opportunity to use it. First on the list: “Ghirardelli Award Winning Brownies.” These are the best brownies to ever come out of this kitchen, thanks to the Ghirardelli Cocoa Powder. It gives such a true chocolate flavor. … Continue reading
A “Cup of Cider” Cake
Apple juice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and a touch of orange zest warmed in a cup is truly one of the comfiest drinks that I know. I love it, but it seems that when it’s served at a gathering, I always have a little left over the next day. I wanted to find a creative way to use … Continue reading
Homemade Marshmallows (by Alton Brown)
I’m not a huge marshmallow fan, unless it’s in a s’more, and then for me it’s more about the chocolate. This summer my sis brought down marshmallows from Jones Brothers. I was shocked at how much better they were than store-bought jet fluff. They are amazing toasted, like crispy, crusty sugar pillows with airy, velvety, … Continue reading
“Superman” Cake: Yellow Cake with Chocolate & Peanut Butter Frosting
The hubs is now home after a month-long deployment. I asked the kids what to make him besides the Welcome Home banner. Their answer: a cake, a Superman cake to be exact. But there wasn’t time for that! Instead I combined two of his favorites: chocolate & peanut butter. I made a boxed yellow cake mix … Continue reading
A Lactose-Free Birthday (Chocolate Hazelnut Tofu Pie)
I’m planning a birthday celebration for a dear one, who has no tolerance for lactose. I combined three recipes to make one decadent dessert, which has an intense chocolate flavor, the consistency of cheesecake, and is, best of all, dairy free. It all started when I found this chocolate-raspberry tofu pie on EatingWell.com. I replaced the raspberries with hazelnuts, one of … Continue reading
Toasted Coconut Chocolate Shortbread
It’s my turn to bring treats this week. Here’s another bake & take…it…away. I found a “Toasted Coconut Shortbread” recipe in Family Circle. I added cocoa to the cookie and topped it with creamy coconut frosting and toasted coconut. It’s such a pretty cookie. The frosting is made with coconut milk, though in a pinch, you … Continue reading
Fresh Cherry Sauce & Very Cherry Tres Leche Cake
Cherries are delightful. This week I found 11 pounds of cherries for $16. I think that I’ve finally figured out how to pit them. I used the tip of the vegetable peeler. Using the sharp-rounded tip to poke through the cherry’s top, then once under the pit gently scoop up to remove it — it’s all … Continue reading
Salted Caramel Tres Leche Cake
Do you ever find a recipe that looks amazing, but you don’t want to make it because it has too many calories? I have a stack of them. I’ve resolved to only make them if the food will be removed from the premises (read: potluck). Here is one such recipe: Tres Leche Cake. Apparently it’s … Continue reading
Slow Berry Cobbler = Genius
We recently attended a potluck barbeque and I wanted something summer-fruity and easy to make. This Slow Berry Cobbler was the answer! This recipe uses Bisquick. (Don’t have Bisquick? You can make your own.) The topping doesn’t turn golden brown because it’s cooked in a slow cooker, I’d recommend a high-quality ice cream or whipping cream to compensate. … Continue reading
Baked Parmesan Chicken Strips & Chocolate Pudding Parfaits
This is a favorite meal of ours. It’s a light version of Parmesan Chicken that I usually prepare as baked chicken strips. The strips are crispy because of pre-toasting panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs. They aren’t as moist as fried strips, so I recommend serving with plenty of dipping sauce, like marinara. The chicken uses four … Continue reading
It’s Crunchy. It’s Sweet. It’s Spicy.
This is a recipe that my mom tore out of a magazine and sent to me. I love getting mail from her. It usually consists of articles about childhood development, healthy lifestyles, and the occasional recipe. This time it was Spicy Brittle. What? It sounded so odd. But it looked delicious. At the top she wrote, “If … Continue reading
The “Mochachino” Cookie, Hold the Foam
I’m a coffee enthusiast, an unintentional coffee snob. In my opinion if you can see though the coffee, it’s probably not strong enough. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy flavoring & cream in my coffee. But I’ve been disappointed with the lack of coffee infused desserts, especially cookies. Well, the day has finally arrived, … Continue reading
Chocolate Orange Essence Bars
This take on lemon bars is a delicious surprise. It incorporates a chocolatey shortbread crust, a sprinkling of bittersweet chocolate, topped with a creamy hint-of-orange layer. Chocolate Orange Essence Bars Chocolate Crust: 1/2 cup white sugar 1-1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup cocoa 1 cup butter 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips plus extra for garnish (like … Continue reading
