If you love dark chocolate, this is the cake for you! This cake is so rich and decadent! We served it at the baby shower so it was only appropriate to write "baby" on it : )
If you love dark chocolate, this is the cake for you! This cake is so rich and decadent! We served it at the baby shower so it was only appropriate to write "baby" on it : )
How do I describe this cake?? Well, there's only one word: YuuuuummmmEEEEE! Rich, chocolatey, dense and silky smooth! I add a minty twist to the crust for a nice flavor kick. It's not like a traditional ricotta cheesecake, it's got more of a mouse like consistency but in a good way. And one of the best parts, it doesn't get baked! Yup, it's a no bake cheesecake : ) If you love chocolate, you are going to LOVE this dessert!
Makes one 9" pie
What you'll need:
14 oz. good chocolate (NO chips! a nice hunk of chocolate. I like valrhona) plus a little for shaving
30 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
9 oz. chocolate wafers (I like the chocolate mint wafers, but if you don't like mint, use regular)
What you'll do:
Line the bottom of a 9" spring form pan with wax paper and spray all around with pam cooking spray. Lay all the chocolate wafers on the bottom of the pan.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. As it's melting beat the ricotta cheese in a food processor until smooth. When the chocolate is melted pour it in with the cheese and blend until smooth and incorporated.
Whip the heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold into the chocolate cheese mixture.
Pour the cheesecake mixture over the cookie crust, cover with foil and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
If you don't have a spring form pan, I've got my favorite one in "things I love"
Enjoy!!
Who doesn't love creamy, delicious, light, fluffy, cheesecake? No one right!? Here is a little creation layered with fresh blueberries! FYI since I used fresh blueberries I hear by declare this dessert healthy ; )
Actually, it's just the result of me craving cheesecake and making it up with what I had in my fridge! And of course I had to serve it in a wine glass. Don't you just love food served in a wine glass?
Makes 2 large portions, or 4 smaller ones
What you'll need:
6 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
a few small handfuls of fresh blueberries (you could really use any fresh fruit)
What you'll do:
In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and set aside. Whip the cream and vanilla until you have a nice whipped cream on the softer side. Pour the whipped cream into the cream cheese bowl and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.
Either eat with a spoon at this point, or layer the cheesecake mix with the fresh fruit in a bowl, ramekin or in this case a wine glass. Serve chilled.
Enjoy!
Yummy in my tummy!! I think I’ve discovered they chewiest, gooiest cookie ever!! I’ve had a minor obsession recently with salted caramel and chocolate. So I decided to create some sort of variation at home.
I know they don’t look like much but trust me, give them a try!
Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies
Makes 4 dozen (if you can keep yourself from eating all the dough)
What you’ll need:
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup butter, room temp. And homemade makes the best cookies! Click here for recipe.
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 12oz. package of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
about 8 soft caramel chews
1 tbsp. milk
What you’ll do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a small pot, place the milk and the unwrapped caramels over low heat. Stir until it’s nice and smooth and remove from heat.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Next add in the vanilla and eggs. Slowly add the flour mixture in batches. When it’s all incorporated, using a rubber scrapper, mix in the chocolate chips and then drizzle in the caramel. You just want to fold the caramel in so there are nice ribbons of it running through the dough.
Scoop 1 inch balls onto a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.
Remove and cool on a cooling rack.
Enjoy!!
This post is my first collaboration! I got together with the best dessert critic I know, Jenny "The Dessert Darling", to create one of the greatest dessert ideas ever, cake truffles (also know as cake balls, but what a terrible name for such a pretty dessert ;)!
Cake truffles are cake mixed with frosting, rolled into a ball and dipped in chocolate! We decided to make a few different kinds. We made red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and white chocolate coating. We also made a banana cake with butterscotch frosting coated in dark chocolate.
For the banana cake, Jenny whipped up her favorite recipe and I made my red velvet cake (recipe here) with my cream cheese frosting.
First we mixed the cake with the frosting and let it cool in the refrigerator for a about an hour. Then we rolled them into balls and placed them back in the fridge for a few minutes. We then melted the chocolate and dipped the balls in. (The best way to do this is to put the ball in the bowl, roll it around in the chocolate then spoon it out and place on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper)
Here is Jenny dipping the truffles in chocolate (and look at her adorable dog Charlie looking on):
We sprinkled some of them with sugars and salts; others we stuck on a stick : )
We made a few mistakes, but overall it was a very successful experiment! Thanks Jenny!
To read the dessert darling's blog check it out here!
Do you love my apron? You can get it here : )
So, I read somewhere in a magazine about a pie made with a sugar cookie crust. . . I decided to use that idea and made a last minute pie for a 4th of July party. Here was the result:
It was a huge success! What a nice warm weather dessert! Super easy too!
Creamy Fruit Pie
What you'll need:
Crust:
Sugar cookie dough. You can cheat here if you want and use pre-made dough, but of course I always suggest you use your own.
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
4 oz. creme fraiche
2 tsp. vanilla extract
a pinch of sugar
Topping:
fresh strawberries and blueberries (or whatever fruit you love)
What you'll do:
Make the cookie dough and press it into a pie pan. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and chill.
In a mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, blend the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour the filling into the center of the crust and top with chopped fruit.
Easy peasy!
BEWARE! This recipe is not for someone who lacks patience. This is a time consuming and precise recipe. That being said, it's probably the most delicious thing you will ever consume! It's got three layers of flavors all melding together! Are you kidding me? Just look at this picture:
I first discovered the Butterscotch Budino at Mario Batali's restaurant Mozza Pizzeria here in Los Angeles. I've been searching for a recipe ever since. I found this one and mixed it up a little. Give it a try if you dare : )
Butterscotch Budino
What you'll need:
For the pudding:
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
5 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/8 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
5 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. dark rum (I use captain morgans)
For the Sauce:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/4 tsp. fleur del sel or kosher salt if you don't have it : )
Whipped Cream:
1/4 heavy cream
3/4 cup creme fraiche (optional if you can't find it, just do 1/2 cup cream instead)
What you'll do:
Ok, for the pudding, combine the cream and milk in a bowl (preferably with a handle) and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the egg, yolks and cornstarch and set aside.
In a medium size pot, combine the brown sugar, salt and 1/2 cup water. Place over medium-high heat and let sit until the edges start to brown. Tilt the pot to swirl the mixture around so it browns evenly. When it's done caramelizing when it's a deep brown, or about 10 minutes.
When it's there, immediately whisk in the cream mixture. (be careful and use one hand to pour (now see why you would want a handle?) and use the other hand to whisk) When combined, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Now, thoroughly whisk about a cup at a time into the egg mixture (make sure to whisk quickly so you don't get scrambled eggs) until about half is incorporated. Remove the pot from the heat and add the egg mix back into the pot and whisk until the custard is very thick. This should take about 2 minutes. When it's thick, whisk in the butter and rum. When incorporated, pass through a mesh strainer and divide among 10 ramekins or 6 bowls. Cover them with plastic wrap and cool in the fridge.
One step down!! Next for the sauce:
Combine 1/2 cup cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium low heat until simmering. Add in the butter, stir and remove from heat. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar and 3 tablespoons of water so you have a sandy mixture. Cook over medium high heat, swirling the pan so it cooks evenly, until it's maple syrup color. Just about 10 minutes exactly. (This is tricky, careful not to over or under do it) Take off the heat and very carefully whisk in the cream mixture. (whisk like crazy) Set aside.
Ok two down! One more!
Whisk 1/4 cup cream in a bowl until it starts to get thick. Add in the creme fraiche and whisk until fluffy.
To serve, sprinkle a pinch of fleur de sel over the pudding. Pour a couple tablespoons of the sauce over the pudding and top with a dollop of cream.
You can cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
I told you that was a lot of work!! Didn't you believe me?? So worth it though!
Enjoy!
This topic came up yesterday when my sister in law was decorating a beautiful cheesecake. Here are three reasons to spruce up your plate by decorating with strawberries a.) tastes delicious, b.) looks beautiful and c.) is really easy!
So, here is how you "spread" a strawberry:
All you need is a strawberry and knife
Next, just slice the strawberry, but leave the stem intact.
Now use your fingers and spread the sections to make a wave.
Super easy right?! Now use can use it to garish almost anything! Check out how I used one to dress up this molten lava chocolate cake:
Ok, these are so good, I had to post the picture first! When making my pizza fritta, I decided to experiment a little too. I decided to roll the pizza dough into balls, fry them and cover them in cinnamon and sugar. The result: an incredibly delicious zeppole like dish. Next time you are making pizza, definitely give these guys a try!!
Leslie’s Italian Doughnuts
What you’ll need:
pizza dough (here’s the link to my homemade dough)
1/4 cup sugar
a few sprinkles of cinnamon
What you’ll do:
Roll the pizza dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter
Fry them in about 1 inch of olive oil in a frying pan. When they turn golden remove and drop straight into the bowl with cinnamon and sugar.
Serve warm immediately! And try not to eat a million at once : )
YUMMY!!! What an incredible summer treat!!
I adore ice cream so much! It was always in our freezer growing up and I have memories from camp making ice cream with rock salt. Even-though today I use my super cool kitchen aid attachment, I still think back to those days. : )
If you don't have a ice cream maker, have no fear, I recommend a couple here.
Ok, so here it is my recipe for light, delicious strawberry ice cream!
Sorry about the picture, I couldn't help myself! I've been playing around a lot with my camera.
Strawberry Ice Cream
What you'll need:
2 cups whole milk
1 cup half and half
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
about 10 (normal size) strawberries, pureed
What you'll do:
In a large mixing bowl add milk, half and half, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Whisk together until well combined. Add in the strawberries and whisk again. Pour into ice cream maker and in about 30 minutes you’ll have delicious ice cream! If you have any left, just place in an airtight container and place in the freezer.