Tag Archives: dessert

Blueberry Pie Bars

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Need a summery dessert for a party/picnic? In my mind, anything with blueberries is a sure bet. The Hubs happened to mention he just came across this recipe earlier in the day and thought it might be just the dessert I was looking for to bring to a garden luncheon. Indeed it was!

“At first glance, these bars may look like every other fruit crumble bar you’ve had, but they have a secret. Between the jammy fruit and buttery shortbread is a bonus layer of sweetened cream cheese you never knew you needed until now.”

Did you know wild blueberries are less watery than conventional blueberries and have a more concentrated blueberry flavor? They are available frozen and need not be thawed before using, but you can use whichever variety you find. These bars will be delicious no matter what. For a bright note, I incorporated fresh zest from half of a large lemon into the cream cheese filling.

There are so many store-bought shortbread cookie varieties to choose from, and they make the recipe easier than making shortbread from scratch. But if that’s your thing, by all means, go for it. You’ll need about 1 pound total of shortbread cookies such as Lorna Doone, Walkers, Kirkland brand, Trader Joe’s Vanilla Wafers, etc.

I let them cool completely on the rack (about 3-4 hours). Then I wrapped the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerated the pan overnight before slicing the 2 edges along the glass with a knife to loosen, lifting them out with the parchment overhang, then cutting into 16 even squares.

Blueberry Pie Bars

  • Servings: 16 squares
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 10 ⅔ oz. shortbread cookies (2, 5.3-oz packages)
  • 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (½ stick), melted

For the Fillings:

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • ¼ cup plus ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups (12 oz.) wild blueberries, fresh or frozen, but not thawed
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • Pinch of kosher salt

For the Topping:

  • 5 ⅓ oz. shortbread cookies (1, 5.3-oz. package)
  • 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. In a food processor, combine shortbread cookies, sugar, flour and salt and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Add butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened. Transfer mixture into the prepared pan and press down into an even layer. Bake until fragrant and a shade darker, about 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare filling: In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, lemon zest, ¼ cup of sugar and 1 egg and mix until smooth. In a separate medium bowl, add blueberries, remaining ⅓ cup sugar, cornstarch and salt, and toss to combine.
  3. Prepare topping: In a food processor, combine shortbread, flour, salt, baking powder and sugar and pulse to combine. Add butter and egg yolk, and pulse until the mixture is evenly moistened.
  4. Remove crust from oven and top it evenly with cream cheese mixture and then blueberry mixture. Sprinkle topping over blueberry layer, squeezing to make some larger clumps. Bake until filling is set and no longer jiggly, 35 to 40 minutes. (It took 50 minutes for ours to gel.) Transfer to a rack to cool completely then chill (another 3 to 4 hours), then in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
  5. To serve, use a sharp knife to release edges. Using parchment overhang, lift and transfer to a cutting board and cut into 16 squares.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Samantha Seneviratne for NYTimes Cooking

Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cake

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This Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake is definitely labor-intensive, but is a truly decadent dessert, and OH SO WORTH IT! It is bakery-quality and has that wow factor that will have your guests talking about it for years to come!

Here, America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) set out to tweak this showy confection. By finessing one layer at a time, starting with the dark chocolate base and building to the top white chocolate tier, ATK aimed to create a triple-decker that was incrementally lighter in texture than normal—and richness.

For simplicity’s sake, ATK decided to build the whole dessert, layer by layer, in the same springform pan. For a base layer that had the heft to support the upper two tiers, flourless chocolate cake was chosen instead of the typical mousse. Folding egg whites into the batter helped lighten the cake without affecting its structural integrity.

For the middle layer, the eggs were removed and the chocolate was cut back a bit—this resulted in a lighter, creamier layer. And for the crowning layer to the cake, ATK made an easy white chocolate mousse by folding whipped cream into melted white chocolate—and to prevent the soft mousse from oozing during slicing, a little gelatin was added to the mix.

This recipe requires a springform pan at least 3 inches high. It is imperative that each layer is made in sequential order. Cool the base completely before topping it with the middle layer. For best results, chill the mixer bowl before whipping the heavy cream. The entire cake can be made through step 8 and refrigerated up to a day in advance; leave it out at room temperature for up to 45 minutes before releasing it from the cake pan and serving. For neater slices, use a cheese wire or dip your knife in hot water before cutting each slice.

Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cake

  • Servings: 10-14
  • Difficulty: moderately difficult
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Ingredients

Bottom Layer

  • 6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing pan
  • 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note)
  • ¾ teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • Pinch table salt
  • ⅓ cup packed (about 2 1/2 oz.) light brown sugar, crumbled with fingers to remove lumps

Middle Layer

  • 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
  • 5 Tbsp. hot water
  • 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note)
  • 1 ½ cups cold heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • ⅛ tsp. table salt

Top Layer

  • ¾ tsp. powdered gelatin
  • 1 Tbsp. water
  • 6 oz. white chocolate chips (see note)
  • 1 ½ cups cold heavy cream
  • Shaved chocolate or cocoa powder for serving, optional (see note)

Directions

  1. FOR THE BOTTOM LAYER: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of 91/2-inch springform pan. Melt butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool mixture slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and egg yolks; set aside.
  2. In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add half of brown sugar and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Add remaining brown sugar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute longer, scraping down sides halfway through. Using whisk, fold one-third of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain. Carefully transfer batter to prepared springform pan, gently smoothing top with offset spatula.
  3. Bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, and center has just set but is still soft (center of cake will spring back after pressing gently with finger), 13 to 18 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. (Cake will collapse as it cools.) Do not remove cake from pan.
  4. FOR THE MIDDLE LAYER: Combine cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes.
  5. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, granulated sugar, and salt at medium speed until mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.
  6. Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until smooth. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into springform pan over cooled cake and gently tap pan on counter 3 times to remove any large air bubbles; gently smooth top with offset spatula. Wipe inside edge of pan with damp cloth to remove any drips. Refrigerate cake at least 15 minutes while preparing top layer.
  7. FOR THE TOP LAYER: In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand at least 5 minutes. Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Bring ½ cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over white chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly).
  8. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip remaining cup cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Spoon white chocolate mousse into pan over middle layer. Smooth top with offset spatula. Return cake to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2½ hours.
  9. TO SERVE: If using, garnish top of cake with chocolate curls or dust with cocoa. Run thin knife between cake and side of springform pan; remove side of pan. Run cleaned knife along outside of cake to smooth sides. Cut into slices and serve.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen

Lemon Mint Panna Cotta

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Lemon Panna Cotta: This is a deliciously silky, sweet, and slightly tart dessert that will definitely make your mouth water. Panna cotta, or cooked cream, is an old treat from the mountains of northern Italy, where the cream is so spectacular it’s been eaten as a dessert all by itself for generations. This lemon version is super tangy with the zest and juice of 2 lemons.

It’s similar to a custard (without the eggs) but with a creamier, lighter texture. This is the type of dessert that is perfect for dinner parties (can be prepared ahead) and is a refreshing end to a big meal … it leaves you sweetly satisfied!

Lemon Mint Panna Cotta

  • Servings: 5
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 8 oz. whole milk
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 oz. fresh mint
  • 2 large lemons, 1 zested, both squeezed to get 1/4 cup of juice
  • 2 tsp. gelatin powder
  • Optional: garnish with lemon zest, mint spring, blueberry compote; and serve with a butter cookie

Directions

  1. Wash the mint and remove leaves, throwing out stems
  2. Finely chop the mint leaves, or grind in a mini food processor, then put bowl together with the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until the sugar takes on a green tone.
  3. Warm the cream and milk in a sauce pan, adding sugar, zest, and herb mixture. Turn off the flame as soon as the cream boils.
  4. Add gelatin to the lemon juice and stir to dissolve, then add it to the still-warm cream mixture and stir until completely dissolved and well-blended; let cool.
  5. Grease the ramekins or other molds with a paper napkin soaked with a neutral vegetable oil.
  6. Strain the cream mixture, stir to blend well, and divide among 5 ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least 8 hours.
  7. To unmold the panna cotta, run a fine knife around the inside edge of the ramekin to loosen the panna cotta. Flip the ramekin over above the intended serving plate and allow gravity to do it’s work.
  8. Garnish with more a mint leaf, lemon zest, and/or blueberry compote, if desired.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Spanish version for El Pais by Ana Vega

Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies

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Let’s talk trash. Not very appealing subject matter for a food blog is it? But here, Santa’s trash is another man’s treasure. More specifically, yours.

With the Winter Holidays fast approaching, I needed to start compiling the annual homemade cookie list. I like to include not only the tried-and-true favorites, but to introduce a new recipe or three. I asked the (now adult) kids what their “must haves” were, and one of them requested these Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies.

Now the name is certainly NOT the most appetizing, but since it was requested, I felt they should definitely be part of the mix. And they seemed to have a quick turn-around time compared to my decorated sugar cookies, which literally take days.

Verdict? Trash never tasted so good!  A sweet and salty cookie recipe is a perfect match and always has you coming back for more. Imagine biting into soft, chewy cookies smooshed with loads of mini white and chocolate chips, Reese cups, M&Ms, pretzels, peanuts, sea salt and festive sprinkles! 

Seriously, you get the best of both worlds with epic sweet and salty yumminess in these holiday ‘junk food’ cookies! Be forewarned, they are addictive…

NOTES: Can add more potato or pretzels (up to ⅔ cup of each, if you wish for more saltiness). Feel free to modify any candies with whatever candies you prefer.

Santa's Christmas Trash Cookies

  • Servings: 16 cookies
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 14 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda make sure it’s not expired
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ⅓ cup crushed potato chips; or cocktail peanuts, chopped
  • ⅓ cup crushed pretzels
  • ½ cup mini white chocolate Reese cups
  • ½ cup mini chocolate reese cups
  • ⅓ cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup M&M’s, red and green
  • ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup sprinkles of choice
  • Sprinkles of flaky sea salt for tops of cookies

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º and line two baking sheets with parchment.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until combined, set aside.
  3. Using a mixer on, in a large bowl cream together butter and sugars for 1-3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Once the mixture turns pale yellow in color and has a light and fluffy texture, you’re done. Do not over-cream mixture.
  4. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
  5. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until together until combined. (Dough will be very thick.)
  6. Add in potato chips or peanuts, pretzels, M&M’s, Reese cups, chocolate chips, and sprinkles and fold in with spatula. (Using mixer would crush them.)
  7. Using a medium sized scoop, scoop onto parchment paper and slightly press them down onto baking sheets and sprinkle with sea salt. Add additional pretzels, chips, candies and sprinkles to tops of cookies for decorative touches. If you want the cookies thick, don’t press down as much, you can control how thick you want them. Sprinkle with some sea salt if you wish.Can also chill dough until ready to use, scoop the dough balls and store them in fridge until ready to bake.
  8. Bake until edges are just starting to get golden, 7 to 8 minutes.
  9. Remove from oven and let cool 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by the bakingchocolatess.com

Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Bars

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Feeling a little decadent? Or need to create something out-of-the-ordinary for an open house or bake sale? Or just for you? In the Fall, pumpkin reigns king, so why not add a surprise companion with some dark chocolate?

While most pumpkin cookies skew cakey, these bars are as rich and chewy as the center of a chocolate chip cookie. And who doesn’t love those? To counteract the added moisture from the pumpkin purée, this recipe has a few tricks up its sleeve: For starters, it completely ditches the eggs.

Browning the butter does double duty, removing water while also giving the dough a deeper flavor with nutty notes. Baking the bars at a low temperature keeps the edges soft, resulting in an impossibly chewy cookie texture with a warm pumpkin spice flavor and pockets of molten chocolate.

The chocolate pieces take several hours to harden, so you may not want to package them until several hours go by, But in the meantime, go ahead and nosh on a few while they are still warm and gooey.

Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Bars

  • Servings: 24 bars
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter (1½ sticks)
  • Nonstick cooking spray or neutral oil
  • 1¾ cups packed light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 10 oz. bag of dark chocolate chips, save about a 1/2 cup for the topping

Directions

  1. In a small (preferably light-colored) saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring constantly to prevent the milk solids from burning, until the butter foams, darkens into a light amber color and becomes fragrant and nutty, about 3 to 4 minutes more. (Watch closely to make sure the butter doesn’t burn.) Immediately pour the butter along with any of the browned milk solids into a large heatproof mixing bowl. Let cool for 20 minutes until warm but no longer hot.
  2. While the butter cools, heat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch metal or glass baking pan with cooking spray or oil and line with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the two long sides to create a sling.
  3. Add the brown sugar, pumpkin purée and vanilla extract to the cooled butter and whisk until smooth and glossy. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cloves and nutmeg and stir with a spatula just until a soft dough forms with no pockets of unincorporated flour. (Try not to overmix.) Add most of the chocolate chips and stir to evenly distribute throughout the dough.
  4. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press into an even layer using a spatula. Sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips, pressing them in slightly so they stick.
  5. Bake until the bars are puffed, the top is lightly browned and a skewer or knife inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached or with smudges of melted chocolate, 30 to 45 minutes. (Mine took the full 45 minutes.)
  6. Let the bars cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. (Even after cooling for over 2 hours, the chocolate pieces were still too soft to package.) Using the parchment paper, lift the bars out of the pan and cut into 24 squares. The cookie bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Jesse Szewczyk for NYTimes Cooking

Orange and Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

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You will adore the richness of this olive oil cake—the delicate savory undertones pair so elegantly with the herbaceous rosemary and zesty citrus. Olive oil cakes are so moist which renders them appropriate for rainbow layer cakes, sturdy for decorating, and excellent for freezing. Or simply, just a dusting of powdered sugar and you’re good to go!

Top it with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar using a pattern or paper doily to make it more festive—I used two star-shaped cookie cutters. It’s best to shake on your design just before serving as the cake is very moist and the confectioners’ sugar will melt into it. If desired, serve with a dollop of good French vanilla ice cream to take it over the top.

Orange and Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 small oranges, zested and juiced
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped rosemary leaves
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. table salt
  • Confectioners’ sugar, to dust

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 ˚F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
  2. Add the sugar, orange zest, and rosemary to a bowl and, using your fingertips, rub everything together until the sugar is fragrant and damp. Add the eggs and whisk until pale and thick. Beat in the yogurt and orange juice, then gradually whisk in the olive oil.
  3. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl until aerated. Slowly pour in the wet ingredients and, using a large spoon or spatula, gently fold everything together until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
  4. Bake for 45-50 minutes (ours took a total of 60), until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely.
  5. When cool and ready to eat, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Hetty McKinon

Bête Noire

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A dessert to die for. Bête Noire is a flourless chocolate cake that gets its silky, ultrasmooth, almost custard-like texture from the sugar syrup in the base, as well as from gentle baking. This version brings a uniquely complex flavor by caramelizing sugar with black peppercorns before dissolving the caramel with orange juice and bourbon.

A combination of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate yields a rounder, richer finish than just one type of chocolate, while Angostura bitters lends a spiciness and depth that balances the sweetness of the dessert.

Milk Street did away with the classic ganache coating and opted to use quickly candied orange zest for a garnish that adds contrasting color and texture. Though the cake requires at least 4 hours of chilling to fully set, it’s best served at room temperature, so don’t forget to remove the cake from the refrigerator at least two hours before serving. For neat slices, dip the knife in hot water, then wipe it dry before each cut.

Don’t use a whisk to combine the ingredients for the batter; a large silicone spatula is better. A whisk incorporates air, which leads to bubbles rising to the surface during baking and marring the smooth, shiny surface. Also, don’t forget to run a knife around the edges of the cake the moment it comes out of the oven; loosening the edges from the sides of the pan prevents the cake from cracking as it cools. Finally, don’t cover the cake before refrigerating, as a cover may trap condensation that can drip onto the cake.

Bête Noire

  • Servings: 10-12
  • Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients

  • 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) salted butter, cut into 16 pieces, plus more for the pan
  • 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 large navel orange
  • ¾ cup + ⅓ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup bourbon
  • 3 Tbsp. black peppercorns
  • 2 Tbsp. Angostura bitters
  • 6 large eggs, beaten
  • Whole-milk Greek yogurt, to serve

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 275°F with a rack in the middle position. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with butter. Line the bottom of the pan with kitchen parchment, then butter the parchment. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolates and the butter; set a fine mesh strainer across the bowl, then set aside.
  2. Using a vegetable peeler, remove just the outer zest of the orange, not the white pith just beneath, in long strips; set the strips aside. Halve the orange and juice into a liquid measuring cup. Measure 3 tablespoons of the juice into a medium saucepan. Add the bourbon to the remaining juice in the measuring cup, then add enough water to equal 1 cup total liquid; set aside.
  3. Add the ¾ cup sugar to the juice in the saucepan, then add the zest strips and peppercorns. Set over medium-high and cook, without stirring but occasionally swirling the pan, until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling the pan often, until the sugar caramelizes to deep mahogany brown and the peppercorns begin to pop, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the orange juice–bourbon mixture; the caramel will bubble up and harden. Set the pan over medium, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the caramel has dissolved and the peppercorns no longer stick together, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bitters.
  4. Immediately pour the hot sugar syrup through the strainer into the chocolate-butter mixture; reserve the strained solids. Jostle the bowl to ensure the chocolate and butter are fully covered with syrup, then let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, gently stir until the mixture is well combined and completely smooth; it should be barely warm.
  5. Add the beaten eggs to the chocolate mixture and stir with the spatula until homogenous and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into the prepared springform pan. Gently tap the sides of the pan to remove any air bubbles, then use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Set the pan on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the cake barely jiggles when the pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and immediately run a thin, sharp knife around the edges to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. Cool to room temperature in the pan, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
  7. While the cake cools transfer the zest strips from the strainer to a small, shallow bowl, removing and discarding any peppercorns stuck to them. Sprinkle the strips with ⅓ cup sugar, then toss until the strips are completely coated. Cover loosely and store at room temperature until ready to serve.
  8. About 2 hours before serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator. Remove the zest strips from the sugar and shake off excess sugar; reserve the sugar for another use. Cut the strips lengthwise into thin strips. Remove the sides of the springform pan. Arrange the zest slivers on the cake around the edges. Slice the cake and serve with small spoonfuls of yogurt.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Wes Martin for Milk Street

M&M Christmas Cookies

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Thick and chewy M&M Christmas cookies with crispy edges, a soft center and bursting with chocolate flavor. Who can resist? The pops of red and green color from the M&M’s make them the perfect dessert to add to your holiday cookie platter. And the double shot of chocolate with both M&Ms and semi-sweet chocolate chips, well, just see for yourself…

For the dough, start by creaming the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until creamy and fluffy. Then mix in the eggs and vanilla just until combined. Mix in the dry ingredients, then fold in the chocolate. Chill the dough for 30 minutes if you have the time.

Bake at 375°F for about 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be barely golden brown when you remove them. Let set on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. When cooled completely, indulge!

Another much-beloved cookie recipe: Many folks were asking me about the recipe for the Olive Oil Sugar Cookies with Pistachios and Lemon Glaze. You can find the post at this kink.

M&M Christmas Cookies

  • Servings: Yield: 2 dozen
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. fine sea salt
  • ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (more if desired)
  • 1 cup Christmas M&M’s (more for tops if desired)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with beaters. Mix for 1-2 minutes, or until creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix just until combined.
  2. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and M&M’s. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes if time allows.
  3. Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons), scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Place any extra chocolate chips or M&M’s on the top of the cookies if desired.
  4. Bake for 10-12 minutes (longer if necessary), or until the edges are barely golden brown. Allow cookies to set on pan for 2-3 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Jamilyn Nye

Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies

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A favorite combination for many with a sweet tooth: chocolate and peanut butter. Here, the famous duo meld together seamlessly with a chocolate cookie base that replaces one quarter of the butter with a 1/2 cup of smooth-style peanut butter mixed into the dough.

Another twist in the recipe, was the inclusion of some semi-sweet chocolate chips in addition to the peanut butter chips. Then, as if that isn’t enough, even more peanut butter chips were added atop the dropped raw cookie dough before going into the oven.

The double batch recipe shown below yielded 4 dozen cookies.

Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies

  • Servings: Yield: 4 dozen
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups white sugar
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup smooth-style peanut butter
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 4 cups peanut butter chips (more for topping)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease 2 cookie sheets.
  2. Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat first egg into butter mixture. Beat in second egg along with vanilla extract.
  3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; stir into creamed mixture until just combined. Fold in peanut butter and semisweet chips. Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Add 2 or 3 chips to the tops of each cookie mound.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven until edges are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Adapted from a recipe by Michelle Laverdiere for AllRecipes

Gingerbread Latte Cookies

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Spiced cookies are a favorite of The Hubs. So when he spotted this recipe on The NYTimes Cooking site, he immediately sent me a link… of course we had to try them. In fact, I made a double batch, one for an Art Opening we were attending, and one for the house.

“Biting into one of these cookies is like taking the first sip of a festive beverage, and their spiced coffee fragrance gives your kitchen cozy holiday vibes. A combination of fresh and ground ginger adds an extra note of warmth that accentuates the coffee flavor and other spices, while the espresso-sugar coating creates crisp edges that yield to pillowy-soft interiors. Pair it with your milk of choice and you have a gingerbread latte in a single bite.”

My double batch, rolled into 1 1⁄2 inch balls (smaller than the 2″ suggested size) yielded 58 cookies, nearly 5 dozen. After 2 hours refrigeration time, the dough was easily workable. Even though my finished cookies were smaller—2 1⁄2 to 3 inches in diameter—they still took the full 10 minutes to bake, turning the baking sheet halfway through.

NOTE: If you are using a scale to measure amounts, the original recipe called for ¼ cup/158 grams unsulphured molasses. The quarter cup measurement is correct, but the 158 grams is too much and should be 85 grams.

Tip: Portioned dough can be frozen in balls, then coated and baked for about 13 minutes.

Gingerbread Latte Cookies

  • Servings: Yield: 20 cookies
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

Cookie Dough

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup espresso powder
  • 1 Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. ground clove
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

Sugar Topping

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. espresso powder
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger

Directions

  1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium. When it begins to bubble and get foamy, remove from the heat and whisk in the espresso powder, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Scrape the butter mixture into a medium mixing bowl and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the sugars, molasses and salt to the bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. Add the egg, vanilla and baking soda and continue whisking until the mixture appears smooth and it’s the consistency of thin pancake batter, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix until evenly incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before baking.
  3. Heat oven to 375 degrees, with racks on the lower and upper thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare the coating by combining the granulated sugar, espresso powder and ground ginger in a small bowl.
  4. Using a 2-tablespoon (1 ounce) scoop, scoop the dough and, using your hands, roll into walnut-size balls. (Alternatively, for each cookie, use a tablespoon measure to scoop 2 tablespoons dough and roll them into a ball.) Toss in the sugar mixture to coat.
  5. Place the portioned dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake, rotating the sheets on the racks halfway through, until the cookies have spread slightly and appear craggy on the surface, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (The cookies will flatten once cooled.) These cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.

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Recipe by Vaughn Vreeland for NYTimes Cooking

Dark Chocolate and Pecan Cookies

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Some times you feel like a nut, some times you don’t. In this case, we are talking pecans—not loosing your marbles. With the dark chocolate morsels, they elevate flavor another notch above your typical chocolate chip cookie.

I like to add a whole pecan on top of each cookie after you drop them onto the cookie sheet and before they go into the oven. This takes the guess work out of wondering if they contain nuts for those who deal with nut allergies; or for those who have an aversion to particular nuts, such as walnuts (ahem, my other half).

Make sure your butter is softened, otherwise you won’t obtain a creamy base with which to start.

Dark Chocolate and Pecan Cookies

  • Servings: Yields 3 1⁄2 to 4 dozen
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup granulated whit sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 10 oz. dark chocolate morsels, more for topping
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, more for topping

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. In a small bowl, combine flour baking soda and salt.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  5. Beat in flour mixture gradually. Hand stir in nuts and chocolate morsels.
  6. Drop onto ungreased baking sheets by rounded tablespoon. Top with a whole pecan.
  7. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Switch and turn each cookie sheet after 6 minutes, continue baking.
  8. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

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I made another batch a few weeks later and packaged them up for a bake sale.

Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate

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Healthy-ish. A closer look at the ingredients of whole wheat flour, ripe bananas, fresh blueberries, dark chocolate and 2% Greek yogurt, you can’t help but feel a bit smug when eating something so decadent. No butter, honey instead of refined sugar, and you are patting yourself on the back.

This combines parts of two previous banana bread recipes I’ve made in the past. And it is a treat anytime of day—for breakfast with more fresh fruit, a snack in the afternoon, or dessert in the evening with perhaps a dollop of good French vanilla ice cream. OK, so maybe the ice cream isn’t in keeping with the healthy factor, but sometimes you just need some self-love, right?

No mix master needed. Simply get a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas, add the other ingredients and then pour batter into your prepared loaf pan. Top with a smattering of additional blueberries and chocolate pieces, pop in the preheated oven for an hour. Voila, masterpiece accomplished!

A popular item to share at a Sunday brunch. If it is not all eaten right away, wrap in plastic wrap followed by a layer of tinfoil and keep in the refrigerator, or freeze.

Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate

  • Servings: 8-10 slices
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3 very ripe bananas, peeled and broken into large chunks
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup fresh blueberries, plus about 20 more for topping
  • ½ cup dark chocolate pieces, plus about 20 more for topping

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
  • In a medium bowl, mash bananas. Mix eggs, yogurt, honey, vanilla extract, and baking soda into mixture.
  • Add flour and mix.
  • Gently fold in blueberries and chocolate chips into mixture. Save about 20 blueberries and chocolate pieces for the top.
  • Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Press in parchment that slings over the sides for easier removal. Pour the batter into the pan. Top with the saved berries and chocolate.
  • Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle of the bread.
  • Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan. Lift out of pan using the parchment sling and cool another 15 minutes or so before serving.

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Blueberry Galette Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This

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In my mind, blueberries are synonymous with late summer. Growing up in Michigan, August was the best time to harvest the sweet blue globes, gobbling them up as we picked the fruit from the bushes. Then of course, whatever was left by the time we got home, Mom would add them to muffins, bread, fruit salad, and an array of desserts. If by chance there were still leftovers, they were frozen for another time.

This classic Blueberry Galette is the perfect easy treat to whip up using all those fresh blueberries. This rustic version is basically a lazy girl’s blueberry pie, way easier to make than a homemade pie and every bit as tasty. All you have to do is place the blueberries on top of the dough, and fold the dough however you want. Serve à la mode with a dollop of good French vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summer dessert!

Top the crust with sugar — This is a nonnegotiable step. Topping the crust with sugar will give your pie crust a beautiful golden brown, sweet, crunchy finish that is both beautiful and delicious!

The Best Blueberry Galette

  • Servings: 6-8 slices
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

For The Pie Crust*

  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
  • 2 – 3 Tbsp. ice cold vodka or water
  • 1 egg, for egg wash
  • coarse sugar, such as demerara

For The Blueberry Filling

  • 4 cups blueberries, washed
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. corn starch
  • Pinch of salt

Directions

  1. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter to the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand and no large chunks of butter remain.
  2. Add in the vodka (or water), one tablespoon at a time. If your dough has come together, don’t add any more vodka. You want just enough to bind the dough into a ball.
  3. Turn the dough out of the food processor and form into a flat oval disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes, but up to 3 days.
  4. Once your dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  5. Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Roll your dough out into a 12-inch circle. Place dough onto prepared baking tray. Place a 9-inch cake pan in the center of the circle and press down ever so slightly. This will create an indentation to show exactly how far out to place your filling!
  6. In a large bowl combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the berries evenly.
  7. Place the blueberry mixture in the center of the pie crust into an even layer. Lift the edges of the pie dough in towards the center, folding every 3-4 inches as you go around.
  8. Mix egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush over crust. Top with coarse sugar if desired. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the blueberry filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

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Original recipe from Broma Bakery

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

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According to Milk Street, good olive oil is the secret to this rich, moist chocolate cake. Chocolate and olive oil might seem an unlikely pair, but in the Mediterranean, they are soul mates. And while the combination shows up in numerous desserts—from cookies to gelato—nowhere is this affinity more apparent than in the deliciously moist olive oil-based chocolate cakes made across Spain, Italy and Greece.

Your mouth watering yet? “Of all the ingredients that go into a cake, fat is one of the most important. Fat coats flour, which limits gluten formation to help cakes bake up fluffy, not chewy. Oil is particularly good at this, creating a plusher mouthfeel and softer crumb than butter because it is liquid at room temperature. Butter solidifies as it cools, resulting in a tougher texture.” So there you have it!

Double down by using both bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder. Then enhance those flavors even further with two of chocolate’s other surprising bedfellows: espresso and lemon. Use espresso powder to amplify chocolate, as its roasty depth underscores the chocolate’s pleasant astringency. And lemon juice balances both with a shot of citrusy brightness.

Please don’t overbake the cake. Be sure to test it by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs attached, as if baking brownies. Don’t be alarmed when the center of the cake deflates as it cools; this is normal. We brought it to a party and the guests gushed, giving it rave reviews. So friggin’ fudge-alicious that we made it a few weeks later for another party!

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

  • Servings: 10-12
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. table salt
  • 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed, plus more to serve (optional)
  • 1 tsp. instant espresso powder
  • 1 cup white sugar, divided
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Mist a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium, bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer. Put the chocolate in a heatproof large bowl and set the bowl on top of the saucepan; be sure the bottom does not touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl from the pan. Add the oil, cocoa, espresso powder and 107 grams (½ cup) sugar; whisk until well combined. Add the egg yolks and lemon juice; whisk until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and gently whisk until fully incorporated.
  3. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium-high until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining 107 grams (½ cup) of the sugar, then beat until the whites hold soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Add about one-third of the whipped whites to the yolk-chocolate mixture and fold with a silicone spatula to lighten and loosen the base. Scrape in the remaining whites and gently fold in until well combined and no white streaks remain; the batter will be light and airy.
  4. Gently pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake until well risen, the surface is crusty and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes; do not overbake.
  5. Set the pan on a wire rack and immediately run a narrow-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to loosen the sides. Cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before serving; the cake will deflate as it cools. When ready to serve, remove the pan sides and, if desired, dust with cocoa.

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Recipe by Rose Hattabaugh for Milk Street

Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Here’s another cookie without eggs as an ingredient. And you might be a bit confused because they get baked in muffin tins. Chef/author Dorie Greenspan claims, the purpose of which helps to caramelize the bottoms—thus the name. However, I think that’s stretching the truth a bit. The butter in the tin cups does make them easy to remove but doesn’t necessarily give them a noticeable caramelized bottom—but by no means takes away from the wonderful flavor of the cookie.

Once the dough has been refrigerated, it’s just a matter of cutting the logs into 1/2-inch slices, popping them into the muffin cups, and baking. Dorie says “You might be tempted to use a baking sheet, but I hope you won’t—the texture is really best in the muffin tins.” Seeing as how they disappeared quickly after baking them, I’d say they were a hit!

Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies

  • Servings: Yields about 2 dozen
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, (8 oz.) cut into chunks, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 heaping cup of chunks of dark chocolate, or large chips

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter, both sugars, and the salt together on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour all at once. Pulse a few times, just until the risk of flying flour has passed, and then beat on low speed until the flour is almost completely incorporated. Don’t beat too much—you want the mixture to be more clumpy than smooth.
  2. Add the chocolate and fold in with a flexible spatula.
  3. Knead the dough if necessary so it comes together. Divide it in half, and shape each hunk into a 6-inch-long log; they will be a scant 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. (The logs can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 2 months.)
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a muffin tin—two if you have them. Mark one log at ½-inch intervals, then cut into rounds with a chef’s knife, cutting hard through the chips. Place each puck in a muffin cup. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the cookies are browned around the edges and slightly soft in the center.
  5. Let the cookies rest for 3 minutes, then gently pry each one out with the tip of a table knife and let cool on a rack. Let the pan cool, then repeat with the remaining log. Serve the cookies warm or at room temperature.

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Adapted from a recipe by Dorie Greenspan