Category Archives: DESSERT RECIPES

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OK, I know everyone doesn’t have time to whip up a trifle any old time the whim hits. But for a special occasion, this is just about the most elegant and easy way I know to serve what is basically extraordinary berry shortcake. And I know, why not just make life easy and slice up the cake, scoop on the berries, and top with homemade whipped cream? Well it comes down to this – presentation, presentation, presentation! You know what they say about buying or selling a home – it’s all about the location, well this recipe is all about the presentation. But in truth there is a bit more to it than just presentation.

There is a sort of magic that occurs when you allow the cake, berries, and whipped cream to hang out together for a couple of days. At first they just sit there looking lovely. But then after a bit, they start to know each other, and by the end of their cozy time together in the cold and dark refrigerator, they have become the best of buddies. And then they do what all good buddies do after spending quality time together; they complement each other. They become greater than the sum of their parts.

So next time you want the ultimate “shortcake” experience, give your cake, berries, and whipped cream time to form a perfect union. You will not regret your decision. Just don’t rush your ingredients. Just like with any other good friendship, it takes time to develop to its full potential.

½ c. butter, room temperature
4-oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1½ c. + 2 T. sugar, divided
½ tsp. salt
3 lg. eggs, room temperature
2½ tsp. vanilla, divided
1½ c. flour
5 c. mixed fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, marionberries, raspberries, etc.)
2 T. sugar
3 tsp. Chambord or other berry flavored liqueur, divided
1 pint (2 c.) heavy whipping cream
¼ c. powdered sugar
additional fresh berries for garnish, opt.
mint leaves, garnish, opt.

Cream butter and cream cheese together in a large mixing bowl. Add 1½ cups sugar and salt and whip until mixtures is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in 2 teaspoons of the vanilla. Add flour at low speed until well incorporated, but do not overbeat. Lightly butter a glass 8 or 9-inch baking pan. Scoop batter into pan and level the top with an offset spatula. Place pan in cold oven. Set temperature to 200 degrees; bake for 20 minutes. Increase temperature to 250 degrees; bake 20 minutes. Increase to 275; bake for 10 minutes. Increase temperature to 300 degrees and bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a rack before cutting. When cool cut the cake into 1/3-inch slices and then turn the pan 90 degrees and cut into 1/3-inch slices again.

(This picture is a double batch of the cake baked in a 10×16-inch glass pan.)

Meanwhile gently mix the berries, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 teaspoons Chambord together in a small bowl. Let sit until ready to assemble the trifle. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Add powdered sugar, remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla and remaining teaspoon of Chambord. (Do not clean the beaters at this point because you are going to be using them later.)

When ready to assemble, remove 1/3^rd of the cake from the pan and chunk each piece of cake into two and place in the bottom of a medium sized, straight sided glass bowl. (Actually any glass bowl will work, but for the best presentation, a straight sided bowl is best.) Spoon 1/3^rd of the berries plus liquid over the cake cubes. Add 1/3^rd of the whipped cream over the berries. Add another 1/3^rd of the cake, pressing down lightly to remove any air pockets in the layers below. Repeat with another 1/3^rd of the berries and cream. Add the last third of the cake, again pressing down on the cake chunks to compact the dessert. Add the berries, and before you cover the top with the remaining whipped cream, return the bowl to the mixer and whip to stiff peaks. Spread evenly over the last berry layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to two days.

Remove from refrigerator about an hour before serving. Garnish with additional berries* and fresh mint leaves if available.

*I like to make fans out of strawberries to use as part of the garnish. To make a strawberry fan, leave the green leaves on the strawberry. Cut 4-5 slits in the strawberry being careful not to cut through the top. Then gently spread the slices apart.

Note: The cake part of this recipe is half of a Cream Cheese Pound Cake. Recipe posted under Patti Cakes.

FRUIT FILLED OATMEAL BARS

When it comes to baking these days, give me the fast and easy, tried and true, no talent required recipes I have been making for years and years. And this old favorite not only fits all of the above criteria, but is uncommonly delicious too boot!

I received the recipe from my mother-in-law about 20 years ago, and have been making these fruit filled bar cookies ever since. The preparation really only requires a modicum of effort and a few pantry and fridge ingredients. The real effort comes when the bar cookies come out of the oven. It takes Herculean strength of character not to cut into these cookies the moment they are cool and devour the entire pan! (You simply must trust me on this one!)

But then, I’ve always been a sucker for fruit filled desserts. Remember Hostess Fruit Pies? As a kid I thought the cherry filled “pies” were the best food ever. Thankfully as I got a little older (I think about 6^th grade), I stopped liking them (too cloyingly sweet) and transferred my affection to Hostess Cupcakes and Sugar Daddies!

Now that my taste buds have matured, I can’t imagine putting some of the things in my mouth that I found irresistible as a child. Luckily, I grew out of my childhood food passions, with only a few lingering effects. Fruit filled desserts are still among my favorite taste treats.

So, if you too enjoy the subtle combination of a buttery crunchy crust and cooked sweetened fruit, give this recipe a try. I promise you will not regret the time spent baking a batch of these people pleasers. You might regret the calories consumed, but never the time spent. Enjoy.

1½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1½ c. old-fashioned oats
¾ c. (1½ sticks) cold butter
10-oz. jam, jelly, or preserves (I like marionberry or blackberry jam/jelly and cherry preserves the best)

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixer bowl. Add the brown sugar and mix until well blended. Add the oats and cold butter and beat until medium sized bits start sticking together. Press half of the mixture into a well buttered 8×8-inch baking pan. (Glass is best.) Spread jam evenly over the bottom crust.

Sprinkle remaining oat mixture evenly over the jam.

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the top crust is a nice golden brown.

(You might want to check after 25 minutes or so to make sure the top is not getting too brown. If so, cover with aluminum foil for the last few minutes.) Do not over-bake. Let cool completely before cutting.

Note: if using a metal pan set your oven to 350 degrees and check after 20 minutes.

The picture above represents a double batch baked in a 10×16-inch glass pan.

PEANUT BUTTER, OATMEAL, AND CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

So, there are just those days when you need a sweet for your family or to take along to say a Saturday morning rehearsal of the BlueStreet Jazz Voices, and you have neither the desire or the strength to prepare a goodie that will take longer than 10 minutes to throw together. That’s how I came to make one of our favorite bar cookies for yesterday’s rehearsal. (I always like to bring a little something along to help the singers stay motivated when their sugar levels get into the dangerously low zone.) And not being the kind of person for whom sunrises are a “must see”, I always have to prepare treats the day before. Don’t get me wrong, I like sunrises as much as the next person. But at this time of year they come just a little too early for my liking! Plus, rehearsals start at the ungodly hour of 9:30am in Seattle, and I would have to get up at oh dark thirty in order to get treats prepared, baked, and cooled before leaving the house. Simply not going to happen! (BTW, I do my best work at about 4:30 in the afternoon, just when normal people are starting to wind down. Go figure!)

So Friday afternoon when I went in search of a little “something” to bake for Saturday morning, I found this old favorite in my second cookbook. And literally, these cookies take absolutely no time to concoct. Before you even realize you’re standing in front of your mixer, the dough is ready to plop in the pan. Then using the magic creating by turning the dial on your oven to the proper temperature and placing the filled baking dish in said hot oven, you have bar cookies that everyone will enjoy in under 45 minutes. Of course, you still have the tedious task of mixing three ingredients together to prepare the icing, but that can be done while the bar cookies are in the oven.

Of course, all this ease of preparation is predicated upon having all the necessary ingredients on hand. Duh! But being the kind of person I am, I practically get hives if all these staples are not in their proper place in my pantry or freezer at all times. (It’s called RSS – Replacement Shopper Syndrome.)

So next time you need a quick and easy cookie, give this recipe a try. But, I am not going to lie to you. These cookies are not really what would be considered good for you. But good, oh yah!

½ c. butter (1 stick), room temperature
½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg, room temperature
1/3 c. + 2 T. peanut butter, divided
1 c. flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. chocolate chips
½ c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk

Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add egg and the 1/3^rd cup peanut butter and mix well. Whisk together the flour, soda, and salt and add to sugar mixture. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips. Press mixture into a lightly buttered 9×13-inch baking pan. (Glass is best.) Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the dough is just set and the top is a lovely golden brown. (350 degrees for 20-25 minutes if using a metal pan.) Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk. When the bars come out of the oven, drizzle with the powdered sugar mixture/icing.

Cool completely and cut into squares.

MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES

So, who out there has never tasted a Russian Tea Cake, Swedish Tea Cake, Snowball, Butterball, Mexican Wedding Cookie or whatever name you use to identify these little 5 ingredient wonders? Probably no one, right? But on the off chance that you are among the half dozen or so people left in the United States that have not partaken of one of these incredibly tasty and easy to prepare cookies, I am going to provide you with this recipe so you too can come aboard the happy mouth train.

These cookies literally melt in your mouth. And cute? Who in their right mind could say no to such a darling little round ball liberally covered with powdered sugar? They look like little mini round pillows. (I’d have provided a picture but the cookies disappeared before I could get my camera out of the closet.) Now granted, they are not the least expensive cookie to produce. But truly, you would have to be related to $crooge McDuck not to spend the money to make these little babies at least once a year.

Now some recipes I have made call for more flour, or less flour, or ground walnuts or almonds instead of pecans. But the 5 basic ingredients (butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, and nuts) remain the same in every recipe I have ever seen. Warning: don’t even think of using margarine or vegetable shortening instead of butter. You might find culinary experts from every country that has a version of this cookie appearing on your door step with strong words of displeasure at your disrespectful action. (We who are connoisseurs of these cookies take our use of the proper ingredients quite seriously.)

So next time you host an occasion that warrants a rich little dessert cookie (Christmas, wedding or baby shower, Monday night football, etc.) bake a batch of these cookies for your family and friends. I’m told they are the perfect end to any meal be it chicken cordon bleu or corn dogs and chips.

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
½ c. powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. finely chopped pecans

Beat butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the flour and pecans and beat until thoroughly combined. Shape dough into balls with small ice cream scoop or by hand. Place 1-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 14-15 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are light brown. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Roll cookies in powdered sugar until evenly coated. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

MEXICAN BROWNIES

This wonderful brownie recipe comes from Aaron Sanchez. And unlike many of the recipes that I feature on this site, I have not changed one single solitary ingredient or amount in Aaron’s recipe. No need! However, I did change the assembly instructions a bit. I added the step of sieving the dry ingredients together to eliminate any possibility of lumps in the final product. This is not a difficult or very time consuming process, but one that guarantees that all your careful preparation work will not have been in vain. (No one appreciates biting into a lovely goody like this brownie and finding a small lump of cocoa or a wee chunk of cayenne, for example.) Not a pleasant surprise. And dried ingredients are notorious for wanting to stick together. (And yes I know what you are thinking when it comes to dried spices. Fresh spices don’t clump together.)

But let’s be realistic here. Most of us who cook and bake a lot buy our spices in bulk. And regardless of what the experts say about only using fresh spices (they all work for large import companies, BTW), a dried spice older than 6 months is just as worthy of your regard as the fresh faced newcomer in your spice rack! Just because older spices have a little longevity going for them does not mean that they should be cast away like last year’s half jar of Aunt Sarah’s homemade bread and butter pickles! (Note to self: clean the refrigerator!) Older spices just need to be understood.

So if using a sieve to break up little clumps of spice caused by repeated and infinitesimal exposure to moisture that robs the spice of essential oils, so be it. Beats the heck out of becoming “spice poor” or worse yet, “old spice phobic”! Just treat your older herbs and spices with the same kind of loving respect you afford your older loved ones. Visit them often, tell them how wonderful they are each time you reach for them, and treat them special. Nothing could be easier.

1 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks), plus more for greasing
2 c. sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. baking powder

Place the butter in a large glass bowl and microwave at a low heat just until melted. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla; stir until well combined.

In a separate bowl sieve the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and baking powder together to eliminate any lumps. Add to the butter mixture and stir until smooth. Spread the batter in a lightly buttered glass 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven (350 if you are using a metal pan) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

(And sorry about no picture of the brownies. They were gone before I could even think about reaching for my camera.)

CHOCOLATE AND PECAN TOFFEE BARS

Mr. C. recently celebrated his birthday. We were scheduled to perform on the actual day, so I asked him ahead of time if he would like to go out to dinner the day after his birthday or would he like me to prepare some of his favorite dishes in the comfort of our own home? He chose to stay home, which was just fine with me. (We tend to stay so busy that an evening at home is a treat!) I asked him what he would like me to prepare, and he provided me with the following list: Gruyere Soup, steak (because we hardly ever eat steak any more), White Cheddar Cheese Grits, buttered fresh green beans, and some kind of a caramel and chocolate bar cookie. He told me he didn’t really care how I prepared the steak or what I served for appetizers he just really wanted the 5 items listed above.

Sounded good to me, so I chose to make him Steak au Poivre (recipe to follow later this week) and try out a slightly modified version of a bar cookie recipe I found on the “taste and tell blog” web site. And then of course, why not invite our good buddies Jim and Margo over for the celebration – voilà – a dinner party.

So for appetizers I served crackers with a small piece of smoked salmon, soft cream cheese spread with ginger jam, and a small bowl of castelvetrano olives. First course was the Gruyere soup, followed by the steak, grits, and the fresh green beans. For dessert, coffee, liqueurs of choice, and some of these incredible toffee bars. They were just amazing and exactly what the birthday boy wanted. (Love it when a plan comes together.)

So next time you want to make an incredibly tasty and ever so easy (you don’t even need to dirty your mixer) bar cookie, bake up a pan of these little darlings. You will not believe how incredible just 6 ingredients can taste. And making your own caramel for this recipe – a snap! And perfect to serve at Christmas time – oh yah! There is just nothing about these cookies that isn’t OK. Well, maybe the number of calories. But let’s just not count those nasty little calories this time, alright. In fact, I’m going to park these babies in a “calorie free zone” and leave them there in perpetuity. Now doesn’t that make you feel better? I am nothing if not on your side!

2 c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. packed brown sugar, divided
pinch of salt
½ c. + 2/3 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ c. chopped pecans, divided
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix together the flour, 1 cup brown sugar, and pinch of salt. Using your fingers or a table fork, massage in the ½ cup butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in 1 cup of the chopped pecans. Press into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish, preferably glass. (Although I don’t really grease the pan, I do use the butter wrappers to kind of leave a mere trace of butter on the pan before I scoop in the flour mixture.)

In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 2/3 cup butter and the remaining ½ cup brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a full boil, stirring constantly. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and carefully pour evenly over the crust. Smooth out the caramel with an offset spatula. (The tool pictured above.)

Bake the bars in a pre-heated 325 degree oven (350 if you are not using a glass pan) for 20-22 minutes, or until the caramel is bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Allow to set for about 4 minutes while the chocolate melts. Spread the chocolate into a thin layer over the top of the bar cookie (again using your offset spatula) and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup chopped pecans. Gently press the pecans into the soft chocolate with one of your fingers. (If you happen to get a little chocolate on your finger as you are securing the pecans to the chocolate, you can treat yourself to a little taste before the bars are cool. I call this – quality control!) Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into fairly small pieces. These are very rich (really almost a candy), and oh so yum.

Note: This is one bar cookie that actually improves with age. Mr. C. said they were better the second day. (Haven’t reached the third day yet, so can’t advise you if they just keep getting better. And at the rate they are disappearing from the pan, I may never have that answer to share with you!)

2^nd Note: Offset spatulas are one tool that isn’t used every day, but when it comes time to spread something (like frosting or as in this case, hot caramel) on to something else there is not a better tool for the job. They are fairly inexpensive, so treat yourself next time you are in a store that sells cooking equipment.

FROSTED IRISH CREAM BROWNIES

You’re right. There is no picture attached. That’s because I served these for the first time this past Sunday to our JazzVox* guests, and before I could fetch my camera from the hall closet, half of the brownies were gone! You’d think I had starved our guests to this point, that I hadn’t already served them Spicy Baked Corn Beef with Mustard Sauce, Beer Braised Bangers (Sausages) with Onion Gravy, mashed potatoes, Braised Green Cabbage, fennel and apple slaw, Bread and Butter Pickles, and Light Rye Bread. (BTW, all the dishes underlined are already posted on this site and perfect to serve for St. Patrick’s Day. And yes, St. Paddy’s Day is just around the corner!)

So, for whatever reason, these brownies and the 50 or so White Chocolate Dipped Coffee Bean Shortbread I served during the concert intermission were gone before I could blink an eye, much less take a picture. And if I am to be completely truthful about these brownies, neither Mr. C. nor I even got a taste. (And yes, you’re right. I said I would NEVER post a recipe I had not tasted.) But who am I to argue with 30 guests and 2 performers who all proclaimed the brownies amazing! I’m not that wretched as to dishonor these intelligent jazz lovers by discrediting their comments. How rude would that be? So take the word of some of the savviest people I know, and give these brownies a try.

And if you are a purest and only make your brownies from scratch, I sincerely offer my apologies. But there are just times when the cost factor outweighs the need to build something from scratch. And when I buy a big old 6 batch box of Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate brownie mix from Costco, I feel good about using our monetary resources judiciously. It’s simply the economically prudent thing to do under certain circumstances. (Not to mention, that even undoctored, the mix brownies are absolutely delicious!)

*for more information on JazzVox home concerts, visit our website www.jazzvox.com

4 T. Irish cream liqueur, divided (I use Bailey’s)
water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg, room temperature
1½ tsp. instant espresso coffee, divided (I use Medaglia D’oro) plus more for dusting
1 pkg. chocolate brownie mix (I use Ghirardelli)
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1¾ c. powdered sugar, plus more as needed
pinch of salt

Pour 3 tablespoon of the Irish cream into a 1/3 cup measuring cup. Add water until measuring cup is full. Pour into a medium sized bowl and whisk together with the vegetable oil, egg, and 1 teaspoon of the espresso powder. Add the dry brownie mix and stir until fully mixed. Pour into a lightly greased 9×13-inch pan. Glass pan if you have one. (Even if the mix instructions say to bake in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan use a 9×13.) Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Do not over-bake. Fresh baked brownies appear under baked but cool to doneness. Meanwhile, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. (Will be a very dry mixture at this point.) In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, remaining 1 tablespoon of Irish cream, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of instant coffee. Add the cream mixture to the butter/powdered sugar mixture. Beat until very creamy and smooth. Add additional powdered sugar as needed. Spread evenly over cooled brownies. Sprinkle lightly with instant coffee. Chill until just before ready to cut and serve.

CHEZ CARR CUISINE

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Category Archives: DESSERT RECIPES

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CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

MIXED BERRY TRIFLE