Category Archives: DESSERT RECIPES

TRIPLE BOURBON CHOCOLATE BROWNIE ICE CREAM CAKE  

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before the whipped cream is added

after the bourbon whipped cream slathered on top

So, when I heard that it was our good friends Tim and Phyllis’s 20th wedding anniversary the day before they were coming here for dinner along with our other dear friends Jim and Margo, I decided a special dessert was in order. I mean really, an anniversary or celebration of any kind requires cake. And I know, some of you are not cake lovers. To that I say “hurray”, more for me!

Because in my estimation, a truly great cake is a taste treat that few actually experience. And yes, there are bakeries out there that turn out fabulous cakes. But you pay through your teeth for the privilege. That’s why I have always preached -BAKE CAKES AT HOME AND SPARE NO EXPENSE. Use quality ingredients and the cake will still cost you a fourth the price of one that comes from a bakery! And it will make your whole kitchen smell wonderful as it bakes. (OK, I am now stepping down from my high horse!)

Among the purchased cakes that are ridiculously expensive, ice cream cakes come in right at the top. And why I previously never thought to make an ice cream cake is right up there with why I wore a girdle in college when I weighed 128 pounds? (What was that all about?) Apparently, some things take longer than others to garner attention in the critical thinking area of my brain. Or at least that’s how I interpret my “aha moments”. But once a good idea resonates, it’s usually full steam ahead for me. (I did figure out a former politician the first time he appeared in my consciousness. So, I must give myself a pat on the back for intuiting that odious person correctly!) But, back to this recipe.

In all honesty, the ice cream cake I made the other evening was really tasty, but the brownie part was hard as a rock. I had tried a new brownie recipe (that sounded marvelous), but the reality was somewhere between tasty shoe leather and chocolate flavored drywall. (Not that I know anything about how shoe leather or drywall taste. But I have an excellent imagination.) So, I repurposed one of my cake-like brownie recipes to make this ice cream cake 100% fabulous.

So, the next time you need a special dessert, may I recommend this recipe. It does require a few steps, but the result is well worth the effort. And it must be prepared ahead, which is always great, especially when you are entertaining guests.

And you know what – even if you start with a brownie mix and store-bought caramel sauce, the ice cream cake will still be tastier and less expensive than if you bought one from an ice cream shop. Just please consider not using a ready-made whipped topping. One of the most widely used whipped topping is made of water, hydrogenated vegetable oil (including coconut and palm kernel oils), high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, skimmed milk, light cream (less than 2%), sodium caseinate, natural and artificial flavor, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate, sodium polyphosphate, and beta carotene (as a coloring). (Yikes. Now, if that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what would?)  

So, I’ll leave you now to think about the difference between fresh from a cow heavy cream and a product that only resembles real whipped cream in that it is almost the same color.

On that sobering note, peace and love to all. (And I hope you enjoy this recipe.)

BOURBON CHOCOLATE BROWNIES  

1¼ c. granulated sugar   

¾ c.  (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

½ c. cocoa powder

¼ c. bourbon

2 lg. eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. fine sea salt

1/8 tsp. espresso powder, opt.

¾ c. whole milk

Grease and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and enough parchment paper left on both ends of the pan to lift the baked brownie out of the pan.  

In a large glass mixing bowl, heat the sugar, butter, and cocoa powder in your microwave just until the butter melts.

Remove from microwave and whisk in the bourbon, eggs, and vanilla extract.   

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder together.   Add a small amount of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stir to combine, then add a small amount of the milk. Repeat until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 25-35 minutes or just until a wooden pick comes out clean in the center. Do not overbake.

Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes before lifting the brownie out of the pan to a wire rack. (don’t wash the pan.) Let the one big brownie cool completely before slicing it in half lengthwise. (Not easy but if it comes apart, no problem. You can “glue” it back together with ice cream.)

BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE

1 c. packed brown sugar

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

pinch sea salt

½ c. heavy cream

¼ c. bourbon

Whisk butter, brown sugar, and salt together over medium heat in a small heavy saucepan until brown sugar has dissolved completely. (This happens after the mixture comes to a boil and is allowed to burble for a couple of minutes or until it turns kind of shiny. Continue whisking the whole time the mixture is on the heat.) Remove from heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream and bourbon. Allow it to cool completely and store covered in your fridge.  

Can be made ahead and refrigerated.  

BOURBAN WHIPPED CREAM

1 c. heavy cream

1/3rd of the Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Beat cream until stiff peaks form. Add the BCS and whip until well blended. Cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

PUT THE ICE CREAM CAKE TOGETHER

2-3 pints ice cream (I used Häagen-Dazs Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle ice cream)

Place one of the brownie halves back in the pan.  

Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let sit for a few minutes to soften a bit. Then spread as much or as little of the ice cream over the brownie in the pan as desired. Then spread evenly with 2/3rds of the cold Bourbon Caramel Sauce. Then top with the other brownie. Push down gently to “seat” the brownie.

Cover the pan and place in your freezer.

TO SERVE THE ICE CREAM CAKE

Remove the ice cream cake from the freezer. Slather on the Bourbon Whipped Cream and cut into reasonable sized pieces. (This ice cream cake is very rich. Cut accordingly.)

PEANUT BUTTER AND PEANUT M&M BAR COOKIES

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Hear ye, hear ye, all you peanut butter and Peanut M&M lovers out there. This is the bar cookie for you! But let me be perfectly clear about this cookie. If you don’t absolutely love peanut butter and chocolate or are of the persuasion that can take or leave either one, then this is not the cookie for you. Because these babies are super rich and absolutely chock full of chocolatey, peanut butter, and crunchy peanut goodness. So, consider yourself warned.

These cookies are not for wimps or people on a diet. These bar cookies are fattening, sugar laden, nutritionally challenged, decadent bites that should come with a dietary warning label. But good? OMG are they good! And the redeeming feature, if there is such a thing, is that you can’t eat more than one small square before your whole system screams – that’s enough! They are just that rich.

So, next time you get a hankering for a cookie that is easy to make, will feed an entire army of friends and family, and satisfy your peanut butter and chocolate craving for at least a week (or longer), get thee to your kitchen and bake up a pan of these tasty treats.

But please do not blame me if your family and friends keep requesting more, more, more. They are a bit addictive as I can attest to personally. But then, there are worse additions. (At least that is my justification for even passing the recipe on to you.)

But you are all adults and many with years of justifications of your own for eating food with no nutritional value. So, let your conscience be your guide.

And as always, peace and love to all.    

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

2 c. brown sugar

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 lg. eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

1 c. peanut butter (not natural) (I use crunchy, but creamy if fine too)

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

2 c. Peanut M&Ms (10.05 oz. bag)

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (glass is best) with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and peanut butter and mix until thoroughly combined.

Mix in the flour just until smooth and then stir in the Peanut M&M’s.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. (I smooth out the top with a small offset spatula.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Don’t overbake.)

Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares using a sharp knife.  

Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Or freeze and let sit at room temperature for an hour or so before serving.

FRESH PEACH COBBLER  

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OK, you all, it’s fresh peach season. And as the old “Get Happy” song made famous by Judy Garland goes –

Forget your troubles, c’mon get happy, you better chase all your cares away. Shout “hallelujah”, c’mon get happy, it’s peaches in a pan today!

OK, I did change the last line but, I really believe it’s better than “Get ready for the judgement day”! (That’s a little too depressing for me to handle.) But fresh peaches, in a pan covered with tasty biscuits, baked and served with vanilla ice cream! That I can really get excited about. And this recipe (a bit adjusted by me) from sallysbakingaddiction.com is fabulous. So, I am totally thrilled to share it with you. (And BTW, Sally’s site is fantastic. She is the real deal. Check it out.)

Anyway, if you haven’t gathered by now that I am really happy I found this recipe, you are simply not paying attention. Because this is the best peach cobbler I have ever produced. And believe me, I have made a few cobblers in my day. But in my humble opinion, this is a perfect recipe. (Like I know anything about being humble!) Anyway, just make this cobbler. It’s worth every bit of effort.

So, enjoy this wonderful season of fresh fruit and veggies. And please support your local farmers by visiting their stands and putting some money directly into their hands. They work so hard. And you know the produce is going to be better than anything you can buy in a store.

And as always, peace and love to all.    

For the peach filling:

¼ c. brown sugar, packed

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

pinch ground ginger

1/8 tsp. fine sea salt

10 c. peeled* and cut into 1-1½ Inch chunks fresh peaches

Stir the brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the peaches until each piece is coated. Scoop the mixture into a lightly buttered 9×13-inch baking pan. (Glass is best.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the topping.

Remove from oven and set aside. Keep the oven on 350-degrees.

For the buttermilk biscuit topping:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed  

½ c. + 2 T. granulated sugar, divided

1½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. fine sea salt

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

½ c. buttermilk

½ tsp. cinnamon

Place the flour, ½ cup of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until the mixture is well combined. Pour in the buttermilk, and pulse just until dough comes together.

Take handfuls of dough and gently flatten. Place dough all over the top of the warm peach filling until you have covered most of the peaches. Sprinkle with dough with remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar that has been mixed with the ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.

Bake in your already heated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the biscuit topping is golden brown and peach filling is bubbling around the edges. (The top is done when you stick a toothpick into the biscuit topping and if it comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Or serve slightly warmed with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

*Peeling peaches can be a pain in the patootie.

For ripe peaches: I cut the peach in quarters with a pairing knife. Then I separate the sections and remove the pit. Then I start at one end of each piece and peel the skin away.  

For peaches that aren’t quite ripe: Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Carefully add your peaches. (I lower the peaches into boiling water with a slotted spoon.) This technique, officially called blanching, helps to loosen the peach skins so they peel easily using either your fingers or a paring knife. The process is quick (about 30 seconds), so take care not to leave the peaches boiling for too long.

Using the same slotted spoon, remove the peaches into a large bowl filled with ice water. (You should set this up before starting the boiling process.) Shocking the peaches stops the cooking process and allows you to hold the peaches without scalding your hands.  

Once the peaches are cooled, remove the peaches from the ice bath. Using your hands or paring knife, gently peel away the skin. The skin should release from the flesh with minimal effort.

I have found that cutting the peaches by making the initial cut around the middle rather than from stem to stern works best for me when I use this method. And I personally like Clingstone peaches best. But I take what’s available and always remember to say thank you. I love peaches just that much!   

GANACHE FILLED SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES

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So, what do you do with leftover ganache? (Oh, what a horrible problem to have. Not!) After recently making Chocolate Ganache Topped Cream Cheese Danish Pastries, (recipe on site), I had leftover ganache. But what to do with the ganache? Well, why not use it as a filling for a sandwich cookie. But not a chocolate cookie, because ganache is very rich. And although some would argue that there can never be too much chocolate, I felt that a ganache filled chocolate sandwich cookie would be over kill. So then, why not 2 shortbread cookies stuck together with ganache? So, that’s what I came up with. And it worked. Because who doesn’t love shortbread? No one I know, that’s for sure!

So, if you ever find yourself with extra ganache, (lucky you), give this recipe a try. Or just for grins and giggles you could actually make ganache just for this recipe. Because if you look at the recipe for both the cookie part and the ganache, you will find only 6 ingredients listed. (Butter being used twice, so you can call it 7 ingredients if you must.) But regardless, this is a very easy cookie to make. And perfect for chocolate lovers and as one of your afternoon tea or Christmas cookie offerings. Because frankly, these cookies are darling. And who doesn’t love a darling cookie.

Anyway, just make the darn things and be happy.

Well, that’s it for today. As I am writing up this post, our living room is being used as a rehearsal hall. Mr. C. (piano), Mike (guitar), and Brian (fiddle) are preparing for a gig on Lummi Island. So much fun for me to have live music to listen to as I diligently work to bring you one more way to spend your hard-earned money on a food item with no nutritional value. I should legitimately feel guilty for not posting another recipe with quinoa, kale, beets, lentils, or other totally healthy ingredients. But I feel justified because I do post a lot of recipes that include really healthy ingredients like spinach, lemons, garlic, lentils, raspberries, walnuts, avocados, and salmon. But culinary bliss doesn’t come from just eating healthy. At least for me it doesn’t. I need a treat once in a while. And these cookies are really a treat.

So, may everything you feed your family and friends be a perfect balance of mostly healthy, with an occasional not-so-healthy treat to make life worth living. Life is short my friends. And we must remember to live it to the fullest.

On that happy note, and as always – peace and love to all.

For the Shortbread Cookies:

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

½ c. powdered sugar

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

¼ tsp. fine sea salt

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter and powdered sugar until well blended. Add flour and salt and mix until well combined.  

On floured surface, roll dough ¼-inch thick. Cut with 1½-inch to 2-inch round or scalloped cookie cutter.

Place ½-inch apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 14 to 15 minutes or until set. Don’t over bake.

Remove from oven and cool for 1 minute before removing to a cooling rack.

Cool completely before placing about 1½ teaspoons ganache on bottom of half of the baked cookies. Top with remaining cookies bottom sides down.

Store in an airtight container in your fridge.

For the Ganache:

¾ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use mini chocolate chips)

3 T. unsalted butter, room temp. 

¼ c. whole milk 

In a small mixing bowl, combine the chocolate chips and butter.

In a liquid measuring cup, heat the milk in your microwave until the milk begins to bubble.

Pour the very hot milk over the chocolate chips and butter. Allow to sit for about 3 minutes, then use a whisk to stir until smooth and creamy. (It may take a minute or two to come together; it often looks separated at first. There also might be small chunks of chocolate that never melted. That’s just fine.)  

Allow to cool for about 45 minutes at room temperature before using as the filling for your sandwich cookies.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE TOPPED CREAM CHEESE DANISH PASTRIES

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So, what happens when you bet your husband “dollars to doughnuts” on some trivial matter that you can’t even remember but you are sure your husband remembers that you lost? Well, I’ll tell you what happens when I lose a bet in this household. Dollars are disregarded, but a nagging reminder is always present that I owe Mr. C. his reward for winning the bet. And because Mr. C. is the wonderful man that he is, he never even mentions, much less demands his reward. Which is good, because in our relationship I would start laughing at any kind of a demand, walk out of the room, and come back in to discuss the matter in an adult fashion when he too stopped laughing.) (We are, after all, adults!)

Anyway, I decided that since Mr. C. is a devout lover of pain au chocolat, which is basically a chocolate filled croissant, I would work up a recipe for a chocolate topped cream cheese Danish as his reward for winning the bet. And the recipe you find below is the result. (And for those of you who know me, working up a new recipe is always a win. So, in this case, our bet, won or lost was in reality a win/win situation.) But enough about our delightful life and on to this recipe.

The basics for this recipe come from my recipe for Individual Jam Filled Cream Cheese Danish Pastries on this site. I just left off the jam part and added a ganache topping. So, if you too are into pastry and chocolate, I recommend you give this recipe a try.

But be warned, this is not a quick pastry to prepare. It’s easy to make, but it does take some time. Most of it simply waiting for the dough to rise. But you still need significant time to dedicate to the whole process. But truly, it is worth the time and effort. And as a special treat, or reward for a bet, there is nothing finer.

Well, that’s it for today. Mr. C. has a gig in the dining room of the Bellwether Hotel this evening. And I am fortunate enough to be joining Karen, the bass player Tom’s wife, for a lovely evening of fabulous conversation, fine dining, and not incidentally, great music. Life just does not get any better. I am one truly lucky lady.

May you too be lucky in love, friendship, and a life filled with fabulous music.

And as always, peace and love to all.  

Pastry Dough:

1 c. lukewarm whole milk

2 tsp. active dried yeast 

⅓ c. granulated sugar

2 T. sour cream

4 egg yolks

¼ tsp. kosher salt

3 oz. (¾ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3½ – 4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

vegetable oil 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the lukewarm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the sour cream, egg yolks, salt, butter, and about 3 cups of flour. Using your dough hook, mix/knead the dough for 6-8 minutes or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and feels slightly tacky to the touch. (You will probably need more flour. And there will still be a bit of dough that wants to stick to the bottom of the bowl when it’s time to stop the machine.)

Pour a bit of veggie oil over the dough, and using your hands and a stiff spatula, roll the dough into a ball. Make sure the entire ball of dough is lightly oiled. (This helps keep the dough from cracking and drying as it rises.)   

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 70-90 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese filling. Once the dough is doubled, punch it down and divide it into 14-16 equal sized pieces.

Shape each piece of dough into a ball by tucking the ends underneath until you get a smooth surface on top. Set the balls on large parchment paper lined baking sheets evenly spaced. Make sure the pastries are at least 3-inches apart.  Let rest for 10 minutes, then dip the bottom of a glass into the middle of each pastry to form an indentation that goes almost to the bottom of the ball.

Using a medium-small sized ice cream scoop, fill each pastry indentation with the cream cheese filling. Smooth out the filling and place in a warm place to allow the pastries to almost double in size, about 45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 19-22 minutes, or until the outside is golden brown. The internal temperature of the pastry should be at least 190-degrees.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, top each Danish with the ganache topping. Then Store in an airtight container on your counter for up to a day. Then move to the refrigerator.

When ready to serve, warm on high for 10 seconds in your microwave. You can also freeze the pastries for up to a month. To thaw, pop them in the oven straight from the freezer for about 5 minutes at 350-degrees.

Cream Cheese Filling:

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temp.

1 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Set aside until needed.

Ganache Topping:

1½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips 

6T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter chopped into small cubes

½ c. whole milk 

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the chocolate chips and butter.

In a liquid measuring cup, heat the milk in your microwave for 1 – 2 minutes, or until the milk begins to bubble.

Pour the hot milk over the chocolate chips and butter (do not stir yet!). Allow to sit for about 3 minutes, then use a whisk to stir until smooth and creamy. (It may take a minute or two to come together; it often looks separated at first.)

Allow to cool for about 30 minutes before topping the Danishes. You will probably have extra ganache. Lucky you!

GF LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS  

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Whenever I know that I will have guests that have gluten restrictions, I try to have enough GF dishes available, so they won’t feel cheated. (That’s all about me, because the family and friends I know would never cause a fuss. They just aren’t that kind of person. In fact, they would be unhappy with me for going to the trouble. But that’s tough! If I know ahead, I try my best to accommodate. Whether they like it or not!) Anyway, I had a recent occasion that warranted 2 desserts. So, I made Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe on site) and these cheesecake bars. And the GF bars were a hit. Never mind the crust was GF. They gobbled these babies up.

But in all honesty, they would have gone over well even if the crust were made of old shoe leather or the bumper off a 57 chevy. I mean really! Lemon cheesecake filling topped with homemade lemon curd whipped cream. Then dolloped and swirled with more lemon curd. What’s not to like?

But, if GF is not a concern, you can always use your favorite Graham Cracker Crust recipe or my recipe for the perfect 9×13-inch graham cracker crust for this recipe. (My recipe below.) Options, baby! That’s what it’s all about!

So, if you are a lemon cheesecake lover like I am, this is the recipe for you.

And for all you people who are truly gluten intolerant, I am sending you my sincere regrets. But luckily you live in an age where there are wonderful GF cookbooks and GF recipes online from which to choose. Also, quality GF flour mixes. (I like Cup 4 Cup.)

BTW, along with GF, I also try to have vegetarian options available for my guests. But vegan, I draw the line. I only have so much energy left in these old bones. And two out of three accommodations ain’t bad!

So, on that happy note, peace and love to all.  

For the GF Crust:

3 c. gluten free oats

½ c. light brown sugar 

2 T. honey

¼ tsp. kosher salt

¼ c. + 1 T. coconut oil, melted

6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter

Mix the oats, brown sugar, honey, salt, and melted coconut oil together in a glass mixing bowl. Spread in an even layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow the oats to cool completely, about 10 to 15 minutes.  (Oats will harden as they cool to a granola-like texture.)

Transfer to a food processor.  Pulse 2 to 3 times to break up any larger pieces, then process on high for 30 to 60 seconds until the oats resemble coarse crumbs.

Meanwhile melt the butter in the same glass mixing bowl. Stir in the coarse oat crumbs. Once all the crumbs are coated with the melted butter, transfer to a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking pan. (Glass is best.)

Using your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and up the sides about a half inch.  Bake at 350-degress for 5-7 minutes or just until set.  

Remove from oven and let cool completely before adding cheesecake batter.

For the Lemon Cheesecake Bars:

3 (8 oz.) packages full-fat cream cheese, room temp. 

1 c. full-fat sour cream, room temp.

1⅓ c. granulated sugar

1 T. lemon zest

3 lg. eggs, room temp.

2 lg. egg yolks, room temp.

⅓ c. heavy cream, room temp.

½ c. fresh lemon juice

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and sour cream together until completely smooth. 

Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. On low speed, add in the whole eggs and egg yolks and beat until just combined. Don’t over mix!

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the heavy cream and the lemon juice, mixing just until combined. 

Spread evenly over partially baked crust.

Place in your pre-heated 350-degree oven and bake for 38 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are set, but the middle is still slightly jiggly. (The cheesecake will firm up as it cools.)

Remove from the oven, and park on a wire rack until both the filling and pan are cool. Then carefully cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, but better yet 1 or two days.

A few hours before you plan to serve, make the Lemon Curd Whipped Cream. Spread on the bars and dot with additional lemon curd and swirl with an offset spatula. Carefully cover and refrigerate again until ready to serve.  

Using a sharp knife, slice the bars into serving sized pieces. 

For the Lemon Curd Whipped Cream:

2 c. (1 pint) heavy whipping cream

lemon curd, homemade (see my recipe below) or purchased

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Whip in lemon curd to taste.

NO FUSS LEMON CURD

1½ c. granulated sugar

4 lg. eggs

2 tsp. lemon zest (from 2 lemons)

½ c. lemon juice (from 3 lemons)

⅛ tsp. salt

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

In a medium (2-quart) saucepan, whisk the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt together. Set the pan over low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened enough to coat a spoon (about 10 minutes). The lemon curd will thicken best just below a simmer.

Remove from heat, add the butter all at once and whisk until melted and evenly incorporated

Cover and refrigerate until cool and thickened, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Lemon curd will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. (Good luck with that!)

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST (for a 9×13-inch pan)

2 c. fine graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full graham cracker sheets)

⅓ c. granulated sugar

7 T. unsalted butter, melted

In a medium bowl, mix the crumbs and sugar together. Pour in the melted butter and stir until fully coated. (The mixture will have a sand like texture.)

Transfer the crumb mixture to an ungreased 9×13 baking pan and use your hands to press it evenly across the bottom and slightly up the sides.  

For baked recipes, pre-bake the crust for about 10 minutes in a pre-heated 350-degree oven. Then proceed as directed above.

SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CHIP AND OAT BAR COOKIES

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OK, you suddenly get an overwhelming desire for a caramel chocolate chip bar cookie. You search the internet and all you find are recipes that either require purchased caramel sauce or even more recipes that call for melting caramels together with evaporated milk or heavy cream. What? Who wants to unwrap a gazillion caramels or go to the grocery store to purchase caramel sauce? Which BTW, is not cheap. When you can bloody well prepare caramel sauce from scratch in about 10 minutes!

OK, granted you must have butter, brown sugar, salt, heavy cream, and vanilla extract on hand. And most of the time I do have all these ingredients safely tucked away in either my pantry or fridge.

So, when I got frustrated by all the recipes I was reviewing, I decided to step up and figure out at least the caramel part on my own. (I was really hoping to find the perfect recipe online so that I didn’t have to think too hard. I told you I was getting lazier and lazier.)

I finally found the “next to perfect” recipe on the melskitchencafe.com site. The crust part I followed to the T. But I didn’t use Mel’s caramel sauce recipe because mine is easier to make and perfect every time. But the crust recipe is Mel’s and absolutely delicious. So, thank you Mel. And I almost forgot, I wanted this to be a salted caramel bar, so I added the final touch. A light sprinkling of flakey sea salt on top.  

Anyway, if you too are a chocoholic who strongly believes that caramel (and especially salted caramel) is God’s gift to humankind, this is the bar cookie for you!

I reverently hope you love this bar cookie as much as I do.

And as always, peace and love to all.  

For the Caramel Sauce:

1 c. packed brown sugar

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

pinch fine sea salt

½ c. heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk butter, brown sugar, and salt together over medium heat in a small heavy saucepan until brown sugar has dissolved completely. (This happens after the mixture comes to a boil and is allowed to burble for a couple of minutes and it turns kind of shiny. Continue whisking the whole time the mixture is on the heat.)

Remove from heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla extract.  

Set aside to cool while you make the crust.

For the Bar Cookies:

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

½ tsp. fine sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1½ c. old-fashioned oats

caramel sauce (from recipe above) or 1 generous c. purchased caramel sauce  

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips (or chips of choice)

flakey sea salt 

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (preferably glass) with cooking spray.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sea salt, and baking soda together. Stir in the old-fashioned oats. Add to the butter mixture and mix just until combined.

Press about 2/3rds of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. (I build up the sides a bit as I am pressing the dough into the pan. This “lip” helps contain the caramel and chocolate chips during the second baking.)

Bake the bottom crust in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 13-14 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden and puffy.

Remove from oven and carefully spread the caramel sauce evenly over the partially cooked crust with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the caramel. Finish by dropping small chunks of the remaining cookie mixture on top.

Bake for another 12-13 minutes or until the edges of the crust are golden and the caramel is bubbling.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

Please note: These bars are addictive. And very, very rich. A small piece is plenty. (You can always have more.) And BTW, my recipe for caramel sauce is great on ice cream. Or any time you need caramel sauce. Just saying!

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE (almost from scratch)  

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This past Sunday, we had our grandson Ivan up for dinner. I asked if there were any special requests. Without hesitation he answered the Chocolate Cherry Cake from my first cookbook. And since he had recently had a birthday, I decided a birthday cake would be absolutely perfect. So, instead of baking this cake in a bundt pan or a 9×13-inch cake pan, I used 2 (8-inch) square pans. One glass and 1 disposable aluminum that I could send home with him.

What a remarkable and wonderful young man he has become. We thoroughly enjoyed his company and can’t wait to spend more time with him. But I had to confess that this was not the original recipe from my cookbook. You can find that recipe using a cake mix under Chocolate Cherry Cake. Oh, and BTW, this recipe makes a much more delicious cake than when a cake mix is used. Go figure!   

Now, having made chocolate cherry cakes using a cake mix for more years than I care to disclose, I decided to go online and see if other bakers more qualified than I am to play mad scientist had come up with an alternative to using a packaged cake mix containing preservatives, artificial flavors, and more sugar than necessary. Another consideration being that some of the leading manufacturers have reduced their cake mixes from around 18 ounces to around 15 ounces. So, using a cake mix at this point is a bit iffy because the proportion of dry ingredients to wet ingredients has now been altered.

Unlike bread dough, where yeast is the leavening agent and you can more easily play fast and loose with additives or deletions, cake batter is a precise combination of ingredients. In fact, a cake recipe is a scientific formula in which the ingredients are combined in a certain way to form the cake’s structure.

So, to the internet I proceeded. And with my guardian angel firmly affixed to my right shoulder, I found this recipe on thesouthernladycooks.com site. Of course, I changed things up a bit, but the main recipe is straight off the site.

The only thing I still want to do is figure out how to make 21 ounces of cherry pie filling from scratch. So, when, and if I succeed, I will add that homemade version to this recipe.

Well, that’s it for today. The morning rain shower has gone elsewhere, and the sun is now shining. There are still clouds in the sky and over the mountains, but Port Susan Bay is blue and calm. The cats are taking their morning siestas, Mr. C. is reading, and I am doing what I love best. Typing up another recipe and sending all of you my best wishes for continued peace and love in your life.

For the cake:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

1½ tsp. baking soda 

½ tsp. sea salt

¾ c. pure cocoa

1¼ c. granulated sugar

2 lg. eggs

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

1 (21-oz.) can cherry pie filling

In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and sugar together. Mix the eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and cherry pie filling together in a separate mixing bowl. (I don’t use a mixer with this recipe.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until all ingredients are wet. 

Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch cake pan. Or prepared bundt pan. Or two 8-inch pans.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 40-50 minutes or until a pick comes out clean. Don’t overbake.  

Remove from oven and let cake cool before frosting.

For the frosting:

¾ c. granulated sugar

¼ c. evaporated milk

3 T. unsalted butter

pinch salt

½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chocolate chips of choice)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine sugar, milk, butter, and salt in pan on top of stove.  Bring to boil and cook for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and vanilla.  Stir with spoon or whisk until chips are melted. Spread with an offset spatula evenly over cooled cake. Don’t doddle. This frosting sets up quickly.

        

EASY CHEESECAKE FRUIT BARS

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I love cheesecake. But in my lazy old age, I prefer not to spend hours in its creation. Unless, of course, it’s a special occasion. Then I will do what needs to be done. But for a quick and easy cheesecake, that takes little effort, with no special ingredients required, this recipe works just fine. In fact, more than just fine. These bars are delicious.

I wrote this recipe up years ago. And while culling my “recipes to be tried” pile (about a foot deep), I found this beauty patiently waiting to be tried. And why I waited several years to make these easy to prepare bars is a puzzle. Of course, I also have other cheesecake bars on this site. And they too are wonderful. (Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars, Tart Cherry Topped Cheesecake Bars, and Lime or Lemon Curd Topped Cheesecake Bars) But this one is just simplicity itself. And you can vary the flavor by whatever jam, jelly, preserves, or curd you happen to have on hand. I used blackberry preserves and they were perfect. A little tart. A little sweet. Terrific!

So, next time you get a hankering to build a cheesecake but would prefer to save most of the fuss and bother for another time, give this recipe a try.

Well, another evening of live music is in store for me tonight. And believe me, I am not complaining. Listening to live music is just one of the best ways I know of to stay connected with good and positive things in today’s complicated world.

There is so much negative happening these days, that for me, clearing my mind by listening to music helps me cope with today’s reality and remain reasonably sane. (I will never be completely sane. Just not in my genes.) But music, along with reading books, cooking, posting recipes, spending time with friends, or just puttering around the house (I am an excellent putterer BTW) keeps me on almost an even keel. Almost!

I hope you too have pleasant ways to deal with some of the harsher realities of life today. Even if hard times don’t hurt you personally, they are still out there affecting masses of humanity. And at least for me, sometimes that’s harder to deal with because nothing I do can help the situation. I simply can’t make things OK. (But I would if I could!)

Peace and love to all.

Crust:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

½ c. brown sugar, packed

½ tsp. kosher salt

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temp., cut into small pieces

1¼ c. jam, jelly, preserves, or curd, divided

Place the flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter in the bowl of your food processor. Whirl until mixture begins to form small lumps. Sprinkle mixture evenly in a 9×13-inch pan. Pat down gently. Just enough to make an even surface. (No need to wash the food processor bowl or chopping blade at this point. Use them again for the filling.)

Bake the crust in a pre-heated 350-degree oven on the middle rack for 15-18 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove from oven but leave the oven at 350-degrees.

Evenly spread the hot crust with 1 cup of the jam. (I use a small offset spatula for this task.)

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.

Filling:

2 (8-oz. pkgs.) (2 cups) cream cheese, room temp.

2 lg. eggs

¾ c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

In the same food processor bowl, whirl the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Whirl until well combined.

Spread the filling evenly over the jam covered crust. (I use the same offset spatula again that I used to spread the jam.) (And yes, I already told you I was lazy!)

Drop small bits of the remaining quarter cup of jam over the cream cheese mixture. Then gently swirl it to make a nice pattern for the top of the bars. Hint: I find it helps to stir the jam a bit before dropping it onto the cream cheese mixture. It loosens the consistency of the jam which then makes it easier to swirl.

Bake the bars, still on the middle rack, for 28-30 minutes or until slightly puffed. Remove from oven, cool completely, and refrigerate until ready to serve.    

  

JAM TARTS

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Jam Tarts just out of the oven.

Jam Tarts with whipped cream and other yummies.

Leftover Jam Tarts. Yeah!

Yesterday I had this overwhelming desire to make quiche. Which happened. But after I had rolled out the crust for the quiche, I was left with a few pie crust scraps. Not enough to make another quiche or even a small pie. So, what to do with the bits that were left? I could always make Pie Crust Cookies. (See how-to below.) Then, I remembered that I owned at least 10 small tart pans. (I used to make mini quiches and tiny pecan tarts fairly frequently for parties or special events.) So, since we were having company for dinner, why not make some sweet, small, one bite tarts for dessert? But what to use as the filling that didn’t require more time in the kitchen? Plus, I didn’t have much dough to work with. So, even if I did have the time to make a filling, I would probably then have left over filling. Sometimes you just can’t win. But as it turns out, I did win. (This time!)

As I was debating what to use as a filling in these tart shells, I thought about using a bit of jam or jelly. But I had never actually used jam or jelly as a filling for small tarts. Or was there even such a thing as a jam tart?

Well, boy howdy, after searching the internet for jam tart recipes, I realized mini jam tarts were very popular. (About 16,200,000 results.) So, that’s just what I did. My only dilemma at this point was which jam to use. Since I had my own freezer rhubarb jam and gifted homemade strawberry jam already open in our fridge, I decided on the strawberry jam. And these little dessert bites turned out to be very delicious. Who knew?

I plated them along with a few other miniature sweet bites of this and that left over from Christmas. And this became a very nice way to end a meal.

So, if you too ever find yourself with leftover pie crust dough, consider making some tiny jam tarts. They are just so cute. And they taste good too.

Well, it’s sunny here on Camano Island today. But cold. Very cold. So, we are hunkering down for the day. Mr. C. is writing out band charts for a local singer (our dear friend Joan), and I am trying to decide whether to prepare Pasta with Arrabiata Sauce or Puttanesca for dinner. (Both recipes on this site.) Darn hard choice because we both adore these dishes equally.

May you too only be burdened with choices like my simple quandary described above. The world would be in such a better place if people everywhere had nothing of greater significance to contemplate than what to serve for dinner. Which gave me pause to reflect on how very lucky I am. And to give thanks to whichever deity happened to be listening for my wonderful life. I am well and truly blessed. Which is always my hope for each of you too.

Peace and love to all.  

JAM TARTS

leftover pie crust (find my favorite recipe for pie crust below)

jam, jelly, or curd

Roll out the pie crust. (Not too thin.) Using a 2½-inch round cutter, make as many circles as possible. Carefully transfer the circles to an ungreased tart pan. Place about 1 teaspoon of jelly, jam, or curd in each pastry cup. Don’t overfill, or the jam, jelly, or curd will leak out of its confines and possibly burn.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and using a small offset spatula or table knife, carefully transfer the tarts to a cooling rack.

To decorate, you can dollop with a bit of whipped cream or shake a bit of powdered sugar over each one. But really, these babies are just wonderful ungarnished.

PIE CRUST

¼ c. very cold water

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

1 tsp. kosher salt

heaping 2/3 c. Crisco

Step 1 – Pour cold water into a small bowl. 

Step 2 – Measure flour and salt into a mixing bowl. 

Step 3 – Take 1/3 cup of the flour back out of the mixing bowl and stir it into the water. Make a paste. Set aside. 

Step 4 – Add the Crisco (heaping 2/3 cup) to the flour and salt mixture. Mix together. (I use my KitchenAid mixer.) 

Step 5 – Add the water/flour paste to the flour/shortening bowl and mix just until blended. Do not over-mix. Roll out dough and place on a pie plate. This recipe makes enough dough for a double crust pie, if using a regular sized pie plate, or one large bottom crust with a little left over for pie crust cookies or small tarts like the one shown below.

Helpful hint: Use a pastry cloth to roll out your pie crust. It really makes a difference. You can find pastry cloth in almost any kitchen wares shop. Well worth the $10 or so.

PIE CRUST COOKIES

leftover pie crust

cinnamon

granulated sugar

Roll out your leftover dough. Cut into fancy shapes if you must. But really, just cut into pieces large enough to handle. Transfer to a baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. (You decide how much.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 9-11 minutes or just until beginning to turn a light golden brown.  

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Then prepare to enjoy one of the most delicious treats you will ever put in your mouth.