Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Yes, another pumpkin recipe.  But, oh boy, are these delicious!  A very nice friend said these are "Starbucks-worthy" if that gives you any clue about how amazing they are!

Ingredients
1 1/2c packed brown sugar
1 stick butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c pumpkin puree
3c flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2c chocolate chips
1c semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a baking sheet.  Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Mix in vanilla and pumpkin puree.  Add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.  Fold in both types of chocolate chips.  Your dough will look and feel like chocolate chip cookie dough - fairly sticky.  Shape into 3 log-looking shapes on the baking sheet.  (These will not expand too much, so try to get them the width you would like your biscotti to be).  Bake for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for 30 minutes more.  Remove from oven and slice into biscotti.  Return the slices to the baking sheet and bake 10 more minutes.  Let cool before serving.  Enjoy!

Source
The Entertaining Kitchen

Lemon White Chocolate Mousse Berry Parfait

I made this in July for our Independence Day themed cooking club and boy was it delicious! I realize that summer is quickly coming to a close but if you have a little bit of warm weather for a BBQ left in your neck of the woods, this is the perfect light dessert. You are basically layering a lemon mousse and a white chocolate mousse with berries.

Ingredients

5 large egg yolks

1/2 c sugar

juice from 1 lemon

zest from 1 lemon

pinch of salt

1/4 c + 2 2/3 c heavy whipping cream divided

3.5 ounce white chocolate chips, or bars finely chopped

4-5 c assorted berries (I used raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries)

Directions

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice & zest, and salt constantly in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to thicken. It should read about 170 on an instant read thermometer. Place in a separate bowl to cool to room temperature, covering with plastic wrap that touches the surface so that a skin doesn't form. Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate and 1/4 c heavy cream together until incorporated, and remove to a separate bowl to cool to room temperature.

When both mixtures have cooled, whip the remaining whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks and divide between the two bowls. Fold until well incorporated in each. Layer the lemon mousse, berries, and white chocolate mousse in your serving containers and serve immediately, or refrigerated until ready to serve.

Source: Minimally adapted from Annies Eats

Blackberry & Strawberry Cobbler

I had my sister over for dinner last week and had wanted to make an apple pie or cobbler for dessert. I didn't have any apples and didn't have time to go to the store so I used the fruit I already had in my refrigerator. I topped it off with homemade whipped cream, but this would be great with ice cream too. This was super quick to make and so amazingly delicious! I ended up taking the leftovers to my Picnic themed Cooking Club the next day, otherwise I knew I would have finished off the whole thing myself!

Ingredients

1 c flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 c sugar

1 c milk

1 stick butter (1/2 c)

1 c blackberries

1 c strawberries, sliced

Directions

Put the stick of butter in a 8x8 baking dish or a 10 inch pie plate. Put the dish in a 350 degree oven until melted. Meanwhile mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and milk to create a slightly lumpy batter. Pour the batter over the melted butter and top with berries. Return dish to oven and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the top is browned and the edges are started to pull away from the dish.

Source

Adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

Strawberry Nutella Crepe Stackers

I had never had Nutella until about a year ago. Some good friends invited us over for dinner and dessert was warm french bread spread with some Nutella. I was instantly smitten. In fact I may have consumed an entire jar and loaf of french bread the following week. I've learned to temper my addiction since then, but there is always a jar in my pantry, and when I see a Nutella inspired recipe my heart beats just a little bit faster.

This was my dish for this month's cooking club. The theme this month was strawberries, and this was a real winner! I wanted something that was small enough to eat without utensils, and while this was good, I think next time I might try to bake the cooked crepes in a muffin tin to make sturdy little cups. I also think that I would toast the hazelnut before grinding next time so that it brings out the flavor a little more.

Strawberry Nutella Crepes

1/2 c flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon ground hazelnuts (use a food processor)

1 tablespoon pureed strawberries

1 egg

3/4 c milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Mix everything together & pour batter in small 1 inch rounds on a skillet heated on medium. Cook on both sides until lightly browned.

Strawberry sauce

1 c strawberries

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon orange juice

1/2 teaspoon corn starch

Puree everything together in a small food processor. Pour into a small saucepan and cook on medium heat until sauce is bubbling and has thickened.

Strawberry Nutella Crepe Stackers

Strawberry Nutella Crepes

Strawberry sauce

sliced strawberries

Nutella

ground hazelnuts

Place a strawberry slice on each crepe. Top with a dollop of Nutella. Pour a bit of strawberry sauce over it. Top with a tiny sprinkle of ground hazelnuts.

Source

Inspired by Closet Cooking

Strawberry Mousse

Strawberries were on sale for .97/lb last week, so I've been on a pretty big strawberry kick. This was the perfect light dessert and tasted great served with graham crackers for dipping. I think this would be yummy atop pound cake too.

Ingredients

1lb strawberries, rinsed & hulled

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c whipping cream

4 egg whites

pinch of salt

Directions

Puree strawberries, lemon juice & sugar. In a seperate bowl whip cream until stiff, then mix gently with strawberry mixture. Beat egg whites and salt until stiff in a seperate bowl. Fold gently into berry mixture. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Source

Easy French Food

Black Tie Mousse Cake

Along with the breadsticks and Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden, this is my most ordered and most looked-forward-to part of my meal. When I heard that this month's Cooking Club theme with my MOMS Club was Chocolate Iron Chef, I knew that this dessert would be my dish. This is so good it's not even funny. I try to ignore the fact that one slice is an entire daily allowance of fat.

If you're looking for an easy recipe, this is the wrong one for you. This is a 4 layer cake and takes quite a bit of work. If you are willing to put in 4 or 5 hours, this is so so worth it!

Ingredients

Cake layer

1 box deviled food cake mix

Mousse layer

1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp boiling water
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips
4oz cream cheese, cubed
3/4 c heavy cream
1/2 tsp sugar

Custard layer
3 egg yolks
1/4 c sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing layer
1 1/2 c heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
18 oz semisweet chocolate chips


Directions
Cake layer
Prepare cake according to package directions. Let cool and cut in half. Press into the bottom of a springform pan.

Mousse layer
Melt chocolate and cream cheese together, then let cool. Add cold water to gelatin and let sit for 1 minute before adding boiling water. Stir until dissolved and clear, the let cool. Whip cream and sugar together. Once the cream starts to thicken, add the gelatin and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Add 1/4 of the cream to the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly. Fold in the remaining cream, spread over the cake layer, and put in the freezer to set while you prepare the custard layer.

Custard layer
Beat egg yolks until pale. Beat in sugar, flour and gelatin until well mixed. Bring cream and vanilla extract to a boil. (Be careful not to burn!) Slowly add cream mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour entire mixture through a strainer back into the pan and cook until custard begins to thicken. Cool slightly, pour over the mousse layer, and return to freezer to set while you prepare the icing layer.

Icing layer
Bring butter and cream to a boil, pour over chocolate, and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth, and let cool and harden a bit. Remove the cake from the freezer, and remove the collar from the springform pan. Cover top & sides with icing and sprinkle the top with extra chocolate chips. Refrigerate until set and then serve. Enjoy!

Notes

• Eat this responsibly. Friends don't let friends eat half a cake in less than a week!

Source
RecipeZaar

Thin Mint Cupcakes

I have an unhealthy obsession with Girl Scout cookies. Given the chance, I would eat en entire box of Thin Mints in one sitting. I can eat half a container of Samoa ice cream before I finally force myself to stop and save some for later. So you can see how when I saw this recipe for Thin Mint cupcakes, I had no chance. I had to make them. These were quite good. I made the mistake of forgetting to add the crumbled cookies to the batter until it was already in the cupcake liners. I did my best adding them in, but I think this would have a much more consistent taste if I had done it from the beginning.

Ingredients

3/4 unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 teaspoon warm water

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons safflower oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 sleeve Thin Mint cookies or 1/2 package Keebler Grasshopper cookies, crushed

Directions

Sift together dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix together until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the crushed cookies and scrape down the sides of the bowl until all batter is well mixed. Fill lined muffin cups 2/3 full and bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until tops spring back when touched. Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Makes 20-26.

Notes

• In the original post, there is a recipe for mint frosting. I just used half a container of store-bought cream cheese frosting and added 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract.
• I think you could achieve a similar taste by adding crushed Thin Mints to a boxed chocolate cake mix.

*Sorry for the previous messed up entries in your feed reader. Blogger was freaking out on me!

Mardi Gras Meal - Turkey Jambalaya & Cranberries Jubilee

In college, Philip and I went to a church on campus that used to feed the students dinner after every Sunday evening Mass. Every year on the Sunday before Lent began, a certain parishioner used to make a delicious Mardi Gras dinner complete with Jambalaya and flaming Cherries Jubilee. This was one of Philip's favorite meals of the year, so since I happened to have turkey tenders and sausage in the freezer this year, I decided I would attempt to recreate that meal. The recipes these are based on can be found here and here. I didn't have cherries but I did have cranberries. I figured it was similar enough so I used those instead. I also tried to whip up some ice cream with Michaela using these instructions, but it didn't really turn out. There were some small chunk of ice cream, so I think it would have if we had shaken longer. Oh well, we enjoyed our ice cream soup! Also, since Michaela is not a huge fan of soups, I shredded some of the chicken and turkey and put it in a tortilla, along with some of the rice and some shredded cheese. She loved her jambalaya quesadilla!


Turkey Jambalaya
Ingredients
1/2 onion, diced finely
1 lb Turkey tenders, diced
1lb turkey sausage, diced and casings removed
1/2 red, yellow, and green bell pepper each, finely diced
1 jar salsa
1 can tomatoes, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 c rice


Directions


Saute onions in a bit of olive oil until translucent. Add chicken to the pan and brown. Add sausage and cook thoroughly. Add bell peppers, salsa, tomatoes, chicken broth & spices and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions. When cooked, add rice to the turkey mixture and serve.


Cranberries Jubilee
Ingredients
1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup juice from jar of maraschino cherries
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 cup brandy
vanilla ice cream

Directions
Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add water and juice a little at a time and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add cranberries and cook 3-5 more minutes or until soft, stirring constantly. Pour into a flame-proof dish. Add brandy to the top and set on fire. Before serving, blow out the flames and pour over vanilla ice cream.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

If you've never heard of or tasted Bakerella's cake balls, boy oh boy are you missing out! I first made these a couple of years ago for my birthday party and have been addicted ever since. Here's the thing, these are very addicting and this recipe makes A LOT! So make sure that you make these only when you plan on having lots of company, otherwise you will end up eating them all by yourself.

Ingredients
1 box red velvet cake mix
1 can crean cheese frosting
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
wax paper

Directions
Prepare the red velvet cake according to package instructions. After it has cooled, crumble it into little pieces and mix the cream cheese frosting well into it. Roll the mix into small balls and place on wax paper on a cookie sheet. Cool in the freezer for 2-4 hours or until balls are hard. Melt the semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave. Dip the balls into the chocolate and return to wax paper covered cookie sheet. Freeze for another couple of hours or until the chocolate has hardened.

Notes

• Red velvet is messy! Be prepared for red all over the place!


• Melt the chocolate chips a little bit at a time, otherwise they will harden and cool. Also, don't use a plastic bowl to melt them in, because the bowl will melt. Not that any of us would ever do that or anything. ;P

Fruit & Yogurt Salad

This is more a snack idea than a recipe, inspired by two different blogs. I've been wanting to make this ambrosia salad for awhile, but never think about it till I really want it, so I never have the ingredients on hand. The other day I had a plate full of fruit so I decided to make a fruit compote and added some yogurt to make it creamy like the ambrosia salad. This is delicious! I used this as a side for our dinner (egg mcmuffins), but this would also be perfect as a light breakfast, healthy snack, or even as a dessert!

Ingredients

Fruit, cut up

vanilla yogurt, enough to cover the fruit

wheat germ

ground flax seed

Directions

Combine and serve!

Notes

• I used bananas, kiwi, nectarine and apple.
• This is a great base recipe, use whatever you have on hand to create a flavor you like!

Date Snacks

With only a handful of ingredients and no cooking or baking, these are quick, easy, healthy, and super delicious! They are based off a recipe for homemade Lara Bars that I found while looking for healthy snack ideas for Michaela & me. While these are perfect for a carb boost before or after working out, or even as a quick afternoon pick-me-up, I think these are definitely dessert worthy and significantly healthier than that candy bar you buy everytime you're in the checkout lane at the grocery store. (You thought no one knew did you?) :)

Ingredients

1 c dates

1 c dried cherries (or other dried fruit)

1 1/3 c chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Pulse dates & cherries in a food processor until it forms a thick paste. Put mixture in a seperate bowl. Then chop your nuts finely in the same processor. Add the nuts and cinnamon to the fruit paste and knead until everything is well combined. At this point, I just rolled the mixture into several small truffle shaped balls and placed them in an airtight plastic container. The original directions call for them to be shaped into protein bar type rectangles, but I figured Michaela would be more likely to eat them if they were bite sized.

Notes:

• If you don't have a food processor, a blender, magic bullet or pampered chef style food chopper will work just fine. In fact, the dates are so sticky that if you don't have any of those and wanted to use a knife and a bit of elbow grease, you would be fine.
• The originaly directions say to store these in the refrigerator to maintain their freshness but none of the ingredients are perishable and I prefer my snacks to be room temperature so they are sitting on my kitchen counter. Plus these things are so delicious, I don't think they're going to be around long enough for me to worry about maintaining their freshness!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we have! Be sure to check out the original post for variation ideas and to read about the nutritional benefits of dates!