Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Layer Cake

This cake was probably one of the most complex cakes that I had ever made, but the end results were fantastic.  It was my boss' birthday and I wanted to make a cake that utilized lots of chocolate and raspberries, her two favorite foods.  This cake definitely requires several hours of work and I really enjoyed every bit of it.  The end result was a beautiful 3 layer cake that impressed all that tried it!

Source:  Annie's Eats, cake adapted from Baking Illustrated, raspberry filling from Wilton, frosting adapted from Martha Stewart, glaze adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

Ingredients:

For the cake:
1½ cups (4½ oz.) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. espresso powder (I omitted)
1½ cups boiling water
¾ cup sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 sticks (12 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (18¼ oz.) sugar
3 large eggs
1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp. (9¼ oz.) all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt

For the raspberry filling:
16 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice

For the ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the raspberry frosting:
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
21 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup strained raspberry puree
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Pink gel icing color (optional)

For the chocolate glaze:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For garnish:
Additional fresh raspberries

Directions:

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour the edges of three 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Combine the cocoa and espresso powder in a small bowl. Add in the boiling water and whisk together until smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the sour cream.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; stir together to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in three additions, alternating with the cocoa-sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans. Bake 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans about 15 minutes, then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the raspberry filling, drain the thawed berries, reserving the juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough water so that the total liquid equals 1¼ cups. Add the liquid to a medium saucepan with the sugar and cornstarch. Heat over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Continue whisking so no lumps form. Once thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Fold in the drained berries with a spatula. Cover and chill until ready to use. (The filling will continue to thicken as it chills.)

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let stand 1-2 minutes, then whisk together until a smooth, thick ganache is formed. Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until completely incorporated. Let the ganache sit to thicken a bit so that it is suitable for spreading and piping. (To speed thickening, place the bowl in the fridge or freezer and whisk every 10 minutes to ensure even cooling until the desired consistency is reached.) Transfer about ½ cup of the thickened ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip about ½-inch in diameter. Reserve another ½ cup of ganache in a small bowl or container. (This can be used later for decorative detailing, if desired.)

To assemble the cake, place one of the cooled cake layers on a cake board or serving platter. Spread ½ cup of the ganache in an even layer over the cake. Using the reserved ganache in the pastry bag, pipe a border around the perimeter of the cake layer. This will act as a well to help hold in the raspberry filling. Spoon some of the raspberry filling inside the ganache border in an even layer. Top with another layer of cake and repeat this process, layering with another ½ cup of ganache and additional raspberry filling. Top with the remaining cake layer.

To make the raspberry frosting, combine the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. (I use my mixer bowl here to dirty one less dish.) Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.) Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!) Blend in the raspberry puree and vanilla until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If desired, tint with pink icing gel to achieve your desired shade.

Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake with the raspberry buttercream, smoothing the surface as much as possible. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Blend in the corn syrup and vanilla. Pour the glaze into a pitcher or measuring cup and let cool for 10 minutes. (Do not let the glaze cool longer or it may become difficult to pour over the cake.) Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, ensuring that the top is covered and the glaze drips over the sides. Let the glaze set about 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the remaining reserved ganache to a consistency for piping. (You can microwave in 5 second intervals on low power – it won’t take long to rewarm. If you overshoot and the ganache becomes too thin, simply chill again in the fridge or freezer until it is thick enough to pipe.) Transfer the ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe swirls of ganache around the edge of the top of the cake and top each swirl with a fresh raspberry. Chill the cake until ready to serve.

Boston Cream Whoopie Pies

This was another dessert that I had made for my work baking contest.  We had never tried whoopie pies before, but I have a feeling that will change.  These were very yummy and there are so many different types of whoopie pie recipes out there and I can't wait to try more!  The cookies came out beautifully although I had a few issues with the pastry cream because I didn't cook it long enough.  In order to save it, I tried reheating it and although the consistency wasn't how I wanted it, the cream was able to set so that I could pipe it on the cookies.  The outcome of the contest?  I lost to my opponent by quite a large margin. Her cookies were delicious and the cream turned out much better than mine did!

Source:  Annie's Eats, adapted from Cate's World Kitchen, originally from King Arthur Flour and The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard; pastry cream from Baking Illustrated

Ingredients:

For the pastry cream:
2 cups half-and-half
½ cup sugar, divided
Pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the cookies:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
½ cup milk

For the ganache:
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
¼ cup heavy cream

Directions:

To make the pastry cream, heat the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

When the half-and-half mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Fit a pastry bag with a wide round tip (I used Ateco 809). Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the bowl, alternating with with the milk, and beating each addition just until incorporated.

Transfer the batter to the piping bag. Pipe 1½-2 inch circles onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing an inch or two apart. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are set (they should not brown.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with any remaining batter as necessary.

Once all the cookies have cooled, match them up in pairs by size. To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate into a small heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in small circular motions until the chocolate is completely blended and the ganache is smooth. Dip the rounded side of one cookie of each pair into the ganache and coat with an even layer. Return to the cooling rack, flat side down, and let the ganache set before proceeding.

Transfer the pastry cream another piping bag fitted with a smaller plain round tip. Pipe a dollop of pastry cream onto the flat side of the plain cookie of each pair. Press the flat side of the other cookie to the pastry cream, sandwiching the two together.

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Blueberry Scones

I can't believe I had never tried making a scone before I tried this recipe.  They are really easy to make and are so light and fluffy for a wonderful breakfast treat.  I made these for a friendly baking contest against a friend at work.  I am happy to report that I won the scone contest by a landslide victory, but I have to admit her scones were pretty yummy, too.

Source:  Annie's Eats, adapted from Entertaining from Cook's Illustrated, Spring 2009

Ingredients:

8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen whole
1½ cups (7½ oz.) fresh blueberries
½ cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
2 cups (10 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425˚ F. Grate the frozen butter on the holes of a large box grater. (I like to use my food processor for this – fast and easy.) Place the blueberries in the freezer until needed.

Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Combine the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until combined. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour, and knead with well floured hands, 6-8 times, just until the dough holds together in a ragged ball. Add small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch square. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter (a dough scraper really helps with these steps). Fold the short ends of the dough into the center in thirds, to form an approximate 4-inch square. Transfer the dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Return the dough to the floured work surface and roll into an approximately 12-inch square again. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the surface of the dough, and gently press down so that they are slightly embedded in the dough surface. Using a dough scraper, roll the dough up to form a tight log. Lay the log seam side down and press the the log into a 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using a sharp, floured knife, cut the rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar. (If freezing ahead of time, flash freeze on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, then wrap individually and store in a freezer bag until needed.) Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Creme Brulee

Once I tried this recipe, I had forgotten how much I loved creme brulee.  I was expecting this recipe to be difficult, but Pioneer Woman makes anything seem like a piece of cake.  I was hosting an Oscar party this year so I really wanted to make a "sophisticated" dessert.  However, I have to admit that I also made this so I could try out my new creme brulee set and kitchen torch.  In the end, it was worth it!

Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

4 cups Heavy Cream
1 whole Vanilla Bean OR 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract OR 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Paste
10 whole Egg Yolks
¾ cups Sugar
6 Tablespoons Superfine (Baker's) Sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pour the cream into the saucepan. Add vanilla (whichever product you’re using) and simmer over medium-low heat.

Whip egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow and thick.

Strain cream using a fine mesh strainer.

Whip yolks while you very slowly drizzle in 1 cup of warm cream. Go slowly so as not to cook the eggs! Once the first cup is added, you can add the rest of the cream slowly.

Place ramekins onto a rimmed baking sheet. Pour custard mixture into ramekins. Pour water in bottom of baking sheet until it comes halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until just set. Do not allow to get brown.

Cool ramekins on countertop, then chill for at least 2-3 hours, covered in plastic wrap.

To serve, sprinkle 1 tablespoon over each ramekin of custard. Use a kitchen torch to quickly (but carefully) brown the sugar. There should be a thin, crisp surface of burned sugar on the top.

Serve immediately!

Molten Chocolate Cakes

I don't eat a lot of chocolate, but as soon as I saw this recipe, I knew this would be a great dessert for Valentine's Day. I ended up using Ghiradelli chocolate and turned out to be a great decision.  I'm not sure what was happening with my camera that day, but please take my word for it that this dessert is incredible and needs to be made right away! 

Source:  Confections of a Foodie Bride, adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients:

8 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, chopped
4 Tbsp butter, room temp
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 6 wells (and the surrounding tops) of your muffin tin with baking spray.

Melt the chocolate and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high together for ~3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add 1 egg at a time, waiting until the egg is incorporated fully before adding the next one. Add vanilla. Switch mixer to lowest setting. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix on low until thoroughly combined.

Fill each muffin tin almost to the top (the cakes will rise, but only very slightly; I left less than 1/4 inch space). Bake for ~10 minutes. The cakes will look done on top and will jiggle if you give the pan a light shake. Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes. Place a plate on top of the muffin tin and invert to remove the cakes. Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream, confectioner’s sugar… or just a fork!

Mixed Berry Cheesecake Dip

I have to apologize for the long absence.  It's been a rough few weeks at work and I havein't had a lot of time to even eat, let alone cook anything new!  I did manage to find a little free time and I made this excellent dip for a holiday party.  It also gave me a chance to use my Kitchen Aid mixer, which works wonderfully, by the way.  This dish was simple and took virtually no effort, but looked beautiful and delicious when it was finished.  I served it with graham crackers and ginger snaps and it turned out to be a fun dessert!

Source:  Pink Parsley, adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

1 pound cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream
2-3 cups mixed berries (diced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc)
1/3 cup red jelly (strawberry, raspberry, currant, etc)

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add the sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla, and heavy cream. Beat until well incorporated, then add more heavy cream if the consistency is too thick. Pour into a 9-inch pie plate and use a spatula to spread and smooth the top.

Place the jam in a medium bowl, and heat in the microwave until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Fold in the berries, and spoon over the cheesecake filling. Chill until ready to serve, and serve with graham crackers or ginger snaps.

St Nick's Dove Sticks

This was another recipe I made for my work's cookie exchange.  I found it on the back of a bag of peanut M&M's and it looked so easy to make that I knew I had to try it.  The recipe lived up to its expectations and it made for a very tasty treat at the exchange.

Source:  M&M's

Ingredients:

1 bag Holiday Chocolate Peanut M&M's
1 bag Dove Milk or Dark Chocolate miniatures
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 sticks butter
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Directions:

Combine the butter, confectioner's sugar, peanut butter, and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 15 x 10 pan.

Melt unwrapped Dove chocolate miniatures in the microwave for 90 seconds or until smooth.  Pour melted chocolate on top of the mixture and smooth with a spatula.

Place red and green Peanut M&M's over the layer of chocolate. 

Refrigerate to set chocolate for approximately a 1/2 hour.  Cut and serve.

Peppermint Brownies

I recently participated in my work's annual cookie exchange and I was looking into making festive brownies.  When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect and knew I needed to make it.  These brownies were delicious, but extremely rich!  I think I cut the brownies into pieces that were too big to finish in one sitting.  They were so consistent with fudge.  The peppermint flavor was perfect and not strong at all.  The girls at my work loved them and you can too!

Source:  Annie's Eats, adapted from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1½ cups unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1½ tsp. peppermint extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate bars, broken into segments
1 bag Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, wrappers removed and coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Combine the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water; heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the chocolate mixture with the sugar and eggs until well blended. Whisk in the peppermint and vanilla extracts and the salt. Whisk in the flour just until incorporated.

Spread half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Layer with the milk chocolate pieces. Spread the remaining batter evenly over the milk chocolate pieces. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Remove the brownies from the oven but maintain the oven temperature. Sprinkle the chopped Candy Cane Kisses over the top of the brownies and return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Chill the brownies until the candy topping has firmed up. Slice and serve.

Dreamy Apple Pie

I know I say this a lot, but this recipe was nothing short of amazing.  I just want to keep making this pie again and again.  It was absolutely incredible and it was devoured by my small family in less than 24 hours.  The texture was perfect and it was soooo creamy.  I was desperately trying to savor every mouthful, I couldn't believe how great it tasted.  This was very similar to Dutch Apple Pie, another recipe that I love.  All I have to say now is....MAKE THIS PIE!!!!

Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust (I used a refrigerated crust)

Filling:
3 whole Large (4 Or 5 Small) Granny Smith Apples, Peeled, Cored, And Sliced Thin
½ cups Brown Sugar
½ cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 cup Heavy Cream
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
⅛ teaspoons Cinnamon

Topping:
7 Tablespoons Butter
¾ cups All-purpose Flour
½ cups Brown Sugar
¼ cups Pecans (more To Taste)
Dash Of Salt

Directions:
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out pie dough and place it in a pie pan. Decorate the edges as desired.

Add apple slices to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together cream, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over apples. Pour apples into pie shell.

In the bowl of a food processor (or you can mix by hand) combine butter, flour, sugar, pecans (chop if you’re not using a food processor), and salt. Mix until everything comes together in clumps. Pour topping over apples.

Attach foil to the edges and lay a piece of flat foil loosely over the top of the pie. Place pie pan on top of a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for one hour. At the end, remove foil and allow to finish baking and browning. Can bake for up to 15 or 20 minutes more if necessary.

Remove from oven when pie is bubbly and golden brown.

Serve warm with hard sauce, whipped cream, or ice cream.

Pumpkin Pie

This was a really simple pie to make, and perfect for a Thanksgiving dessert.  I must admit, I really don't care for pumpkin pie so I didn't try it, but my Dad and husband said they both liked it and would eat it again.  Therefore, if you're looking for a simple pumpkin pie recipe, this is definitely a good one to try.

Source:  Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

Pat-in-the-Pan Pastry:
1 1/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

Sweetened Whipped Cream
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 425°F. In medium bowl, mix flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the oil with fork until all flour is moistened. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all water is absorbed. Shape pastry into a ball. Press in bottom and up side of 9-inch glass pie plate.

In large bowl, beat eggs slightly with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar, the cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, ginger, cloves, pumpkin and milk.

To prevent spilling, place pastry-lined pie plate on oven rack before adding filling. Carefully pour pumpkin filling into pie plate. Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake about 45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Place pie on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Serve pie with whipped cream. Store in refrigerator.

Strawberry and Banana Mold

Have you ever tried making a Jell-o mold?  It is so easy, but looks like it takes effort so I knew I wanted to make this for Thanksgiving,  But, c'mon,  let's face it.  Everyone loves Jell-o!  The hardest part is unmolding it, but as long as you dip it in warm water for a few seconds, it shouldn't be a problem!

Source:  Kraft Foods

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups boiling water

1 pkg.  (8-serving size) JELL-O Strawberry or Strawberry-Banana Flavor Sugar Free Gelatin

2 cups cold water

1 cup  chopped strawberries

1 banana, sliced

Directions:

Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate about 1-1/2 hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression).

Stir in strawberries and banana. Pour into 5-cup mold sprayed with cooking spray.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Unmold. Store leftover gelatin mold in refrigerator.

How To Unmold Gelatin

Dip mold in warm water for about 15 seconds. Gently pull gelatin from around edges with moist fingers. Place moistened serving plate on top of mold. Invert mold and plate; holding mold and plate together, shake slightly to loosen. Gently remove mold and center gelatin on plate.

Tres Leches Cake

God, I love Tres Leches cake.  It is so sweet and creamy that I savor each and every single bite as I eat it.  I first tried this cake for the first time in 2004 when I spent a summer in Ecuador.  My host family made this often and it was soooo yummy that I try it on a menu whenever I see it at a restaurant.  Oddly enough, I had never made it on my own before.  I was participating in a baking contest with another girl from work last week and we decided to try making a Tres Leches cake, since neither of us had ever made it before.  We each tried different recipes and they were both outstanding.  We both had problems with using a spring-form pan because the cake kept leaking in the oven.  Eventually, I gave up and made it in a 9 x 13 cake pan and it turned out beautifully.

Source:  Joelen's Culinary Adventures, from Alton Brown

Ingredients:

Cake:
Cooking spray to grease cake pans
6 3/4 ounces cake flour, plus extra for pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces sugar
5 whole eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup half-and-half

Topping:
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lb strawberries

Directions:
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 10-inch metal springform pan and set aside.

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.

Do not remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.

For the glaze:
Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half in a 1-quart measuring cup. Once combined, pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight.

For the topping:
Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, chop up the strawberries and place in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Toss to combine and set aside until ready to serve.

To serve:
Place the cake on a serving platter. Carefully remove the ring from the springform pan. Slice the cake to serve and garnish with a spoonful of strawberries.

Chocolate Cobbler

I love making (and eating!) fruit cobblers, but when I found this chocolate recipe, I knew I needed to try it!  This was pretty tasty and paired with the vanilla ice cream, it was like eating a combination of a fudge brownie and a chocolate lava cake.  Make sure you eat it while it is warm!

Source:  Pioneer Woman, A Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 cup All-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ teaspoons Salt
7 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder, Divided
1-¼ cup Sugar, Divided
½ cups Milk
⅓ cups Melted Butter
1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed
1-½ cup Hot Tap Water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, and 3/4 cup of the white sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.

Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish. I prefer my small oval Corning Ware glass dish.

In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (it should be 1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.

Pour the hot tap water over all. DO NOT STIR!

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the center is set.

Let stand for a few minutes if you can hold yourself back. Serve with homemade ice cream using the gooey sauce to spoon over all.

Raspberry Cream Pie

I have to admit, if I had to choose between a chocolate or fruit dessert, I would most likely choose a fruit one.  Most of my friends would have to disagree with me on that one, but I'm still a sucker for fruit.  When Pioneer Woman posted this recipe, I knew I had to try it.  It was so easy!  From start to finish, the recipe took a total of 20 minutes and the results were incredible.  I brought the pie to work and people were cutting pieces before I could even take a picture!

Source:  Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

25 whole Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
1 cup (generous) Raspberries
3 Tablespoons Sugar
2 containers (6 Ounce Each) Raspberry Yogurt
1 package (3.4 Ounch) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Extra Raspberries For Garnish

Directions:

To make the crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crust cookies in a food processor (or smash in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin). Stir in melted butter until all combined. Pour into a regular pie pan and press crumbs all over the pan and up the sides. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes—just long enough for it to set. Cool crust completely.

Place raspberries on a plate or in an empty pan. Smash them with a fork, then sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of sugar. Stir together and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine raspberry yogurt with the instant vanilla pudding mix (just the powder itself.) Beat on low until combined, about 1 minute. Pour in heavy cream and whip on low for 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Turn mixer on medium-high speed and beat for two minutes, or until mixture is thick.

Turn off mixer, then fold in raspberries until just combined. Pour into cooled pie pan and spread evenly. Freeze for two hours, or until very firm. Cut into slices and top each slice with cookie crumbs, dollops of whipped cream, and extra raspberries. Keep in freezer, allowing time to thaw before serving.

Blueberry Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Our refrigerator always has a large amount of blueberries.  We eat some everyday for on our cereal, or for just a snack every now and then.  I'm a big fan of fruit cakes so as soon as I found this recipe, I knew I had to try it.  The lemon flavor was divine!!  It matched the sweetness of the blueberries perfectly.  If I can get my husband to make me a cake for my birthday this year, I definitely will have to have him make this!  Also, I had a little kitchen mishap where I dropped one of the three cakes on the floor so this cake turned out to be two layers.  Don't be confused when you see you have enough batter for three cakes.  I am just a little klutzy at times!

Source:  Bakin and Eggs, adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

FOR THE CAKE
2 cups plus 6 tablespoons cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (double for a more pronounced lemon flavor)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs

FOR THE FROSTING
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar (I used 3 1/4 c)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (I added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for more lemon flavor)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

FOR THE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8- or 9-inch diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper and butter paper. Dust pans with flour and set aside.

Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Transfer 1 tablespoon flour mixture to separate bowl and add fresh blueberries. Toss with flour to coat and set and blueberries and remaining flour mixture aside.

Stir together whole milk, vanilla extract and grated lemon peel in small bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using electric mixer, beat butter in until light and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. (Flour, milk, flour, milk, flour.) Gently fold in blueberries with a spatula. Divide batter equally among pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 23-25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks for 10 minutes and then run knife around pan sides to loosen. Turn cakes out onto racks to cool completely. Peel off parchment paper.

FOR THE FROSTING
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar (tasting as you go – you might not want all four cups of powdered sugar due to sweetness). Beat in lemon peel, juice if using and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until just firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE CAKE
Transfer one cake layer to platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over cake layer. Top with another cake layer; spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. (Cake can be prepared up to one day ahead of time, covered and refrigerated. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.) Decorate cake as desired and serve.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies

What is better than warm brownies fresh out of the oven?  It has been a long time since I made brownies so I never had a saved reciped.  It was my husband's birthday and he requested a warm brownie with ice cream as his birthday cake.  I found this fabulous recipe that incorporated a lot of different types of chocolate.  The brownies came out perfectly moist and chewy.  A wonderful treat to make again soon!

Source:  Annie's Eats, adapted from Baking Illustrated

Ingredients:

5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1¼ cups (8¾ oz.) sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
1 cup (5 oz.) all-purpose flour

Directions:

Place an oven rack in lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt; whisk until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the warm chocolate mixture until incorporated. Then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined. (It took me a while to get the flour evenly incorporated and I was worried it would affect the texture of the brownies, but they turned out fabulously – no need to worry.) Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula to make an even layer. Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares as desired. Store in an air-tight container.

Fruity Italian Ice

This is probably one of the simplest recipes I have put on my blog.  You only need one ingredient!!  This was such a healthy, cool, and refreshing dish that you won't be able to resist making it just once!

Source:  Stephanie Cooks, from Loser for Life

Ingredients:

Fresh, chopped, frozen fruit (watermelon or pineapple works best)

Directions:

Place the frozen fruit pieces in a food processor.

If you want it to be choppy, like slushy ice, hit pulse a few times until the fruit it chopped up and resembles Italian ice.

If you prefer it more smooth, let the food processor run for about 2-3 minutes or until smooth like soft ice cream.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I love bringing in desserts to my job, whether it be for someone's birthday or just because I feel like baking.  It's also a good thing because then I don't have to eat those delicious, yet fattening desserts by myself.  I recently bought a new stand mixer so I thought I'd try making a delicious cheesecake with plenty of chocolate.  This cheesecake couldn't have turned out any better.  It was so rich and creamy and perfect.  The girls at work raved about it as soon as they had the first bite.  Since the cake turned out so well, I am definitely motivated to try making more cheesecakes in the near future.

Source:  Annie's Eats, originally from Ghirardelli

Ingredients:

2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
6 tbsp. butter, melted
24 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup powdered sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

For the crust, crumble the sandwich cookies into a food processor or blender. Grind into fine crumbs. In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs and melted butter. Mix well with a fork. Spoon the mixture into a 10-inch springform pan. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, pat the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Freeze prepared crust 15-30 minutes while preparing cheesecake filling.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°. Blend cream cheese and sugar 3 minutes on medium-high speed. Turn mixer down to lowest speed; add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each. Scrape sides of bowl. Add whipping cream and vanilla; beat on medium-high for 3 minutes. Pour ¾ of the cream cheese filling into crust. Sprinkle chocolate chips over batter, then pour remaining cream cheese filling over chips.

Bake cheesecake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325°. Turn off oven; leave cake in oven with door closed for 1 ½ hours. Refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cake

Yum! This was great!  I really had no reason to make this other than the fact that I was bored and I felt like cooking up a storm tonight since the house was so quiet.  As I was mixing all of the ingredients and I began to add the sour cream, I began to have second thoughts.  The recipe used the ENTIRE tub of sour cream and it looked like a gloppy mess as I stirred the batter in the mixing bowl.  However, once I layered the cake with the sugar/cinnamon combo and it came out of the oven, I would never have known there was sour cream in if I didn't know about it.  This cake was so wonderful and the bits of cinnamon and the cinnamon crust balanced all of the tastes together perfectly.

Source:  Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
16 ounces sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
12 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar, then mix in the egg yolks and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder together into a separate bowl. Alternately add sour cream and then dry ingredients into butter mixture. Beat eggs whites until stiff, then fold into batter. Mix last 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a separate, small dish.

In a greased 9″x13″ pan, pour in half of the cake batter. Sprinkle the top with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and half of the chocolate chips. Pour remaining batter on top, sprinkling the top with the remaining cinnamon-sugar and chocolate chips. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Red Velvet Rich and Creamy Cookies

This past weekend, my husband and I went to Iowa to visit my brother and sister-in-law.  While the boys were out golfing, us girls decided to make something that was really easy, but different than just a regular cookie.  I love red velvet and I don't make it very often because my husband doesn't have much of a sweet tooth.  However, I was extremely happy to not have to share these cookies with him.  They were delicious and turned out perfect.

Source:  Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon red food color
1 egg
3/4 to 1 cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, cocoa, butter, sour cream, food color and egg until soft dough forms.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Frost cooled cookies with frosting. Sprinkle with nuts. Store tightly covered at room temperature.