TWD-Creamy Dark Chocolate Sorbet

Happy late-Pioneer Day! Every July 24th, we commemorate the arrival of Brigham Young and the first Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley. It's a big deal here. Parade. Rodeo. Fireworks. Family. Friends. Food. It gives us a reason to celebrate on a hot summer night! Last night we had a lovely evening with neighbors, eating this delicious sorbet and lighting fireworks.

Dorie's Creamy Dark Chocolate Sorbet was the perfect cool dessert on a warm summer night. I actually made the sorbet on Sunday. It came together in a snap and I was able to get it in the fridge before we went to church. Later in the evening I put it in the ice cream maker and then into the freezer. 

I served the sorbet with a Chocolate Crinkle Cookie and fresh strawberries. It was divine. Deep, dark, creamy chocolate. We loved this recipe and I will definitely put it in the keepers along with many other Dorie recipes!

Should you care to give this a try on a hot Summer day (which I'm sure you do), head on over for the recipe at A Whisk and a Spoon. 

TWD: Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Muffins

My kids say "a muffin is just an ugly cupcake", but I disagree!! A muffin is so much more... THIS muffin is so much more!! Its rich and dense and chocolatey. Because it isn't so sweet, you can really taste and appreciate the bittersweet chocolate. The flavor is SOOOOO spectacular. I think it really pays to use a high-quality chocolate. Plus, any time you can eat chocolate for breakfast, I'm in!! What? Its legit. Muffins are a breakfast food. They are.

My sweet boy was being so patient waiting for his muffin. We all agreed, it was worth the wait!! It didn't take long though, these came together in a snap!! Next time I may let the kids make them. Thanks Bridget at "The Way The Cookie Crumbles" for this weeks choice!! If you would like to give it a try (and I'm sure you do) click here. :)

TWD- Midnight Crackle Cookies

For the 3rd Anniversary of Tuedsays With Dorie, Laurie (who started this all), picked Midnight Crackle Cookies. These were wonderful little cookies! They came together in a snap and were enjoyed warm, out of the oven with a tall glass of cold milk. A little crispy on the outside and nice and chewy on the inside. I will definitely make these again and want to try the variation with ginger. Thank you Laurie for the great pick and for starting this great group. We started about 9 months into the group and have loved baking along every month and look forward to finishing this great book.
Happy Baking!!

TWD-Dressy Chocolate Loafcake

This weeks TWD recipe was for Dressy Chocolate Loaf Cake. When I read the recipe I knew this was going to be a winner and it did not disappoint. This simple recipe was rich and moist and just an all-around wonderful cake. The sour cream in the cake makes it moist and in the frosting makes the chocolate a bit tangy. It was a great combination.

Our friends came over for Sunday night dessert and they couldn't stop talking about how good it was and I have to agree. This is a definite keeper. For the full recipe, which you won't want to pass up, head on over to Amy Ruth Bakes.

Happy Baking!

TWD: Rick Katz's Brownies for Julia

Well, I am down to 2 1/2 weeks until baby makes her arrival. Right now I am in full nesting mode which means I am doing a ton, probably too much on some days. On top of the nesting frenzy, I have done a lot of baking over the past week. After the success of our last family TWD night, April and I decided it would be fun to do it again. She took the cookies and I took the brownies.

When I first read the recipe I thought to myself, this is a lot of work for brownies so they had sure better be good. I have a recipe that I love and use often enough that I have it memorized. These brownies were more labor intensive than I prefer brownie recipes to be. When they came out of the oven they were still quite gooey so I put them in for an extra 5 minutes. Even at that point they still seemed a bit gooey but I figured that the recipe said they should be fudgy so hopefully when they cooled, they would be more fudge-like and less runny.

Saturday I spent the day cleaning the house with my sister and mom to make room changes for the baby's arrival. I made the brownies in the morning and by the time it came to go to the TWD night, I was exhausted and couldn't walk. My hips were killing me so Josh was nice enough to take the brownies, and the kids, to a family evening while I stayed home and enjoyed the quiet and a bath. It was heavenly.

I actually never got to taste the finished product, or take a picture of it. I sent a plate with Josh and kept a few for photos but didn't take pictures quickly enough as the rest of the brownies were eaten by my dad and my hubby on Sunday. Oops! Josh came home and said that the brownies were a huge hit. As he finished off the last one he told me they were addicting, so much so that he said he had been thinking about them all day. So having never tasted them, I'll have to take the word of family that these were good brownies.

Even with the good review though, I still don't know that I will make them again because of the extra work involved. I know it's not huge, but I think brownies should be a one bowl dessert. Josh loved them though, so maybe he could persuade me to make them again at some point. For the full recipe and great photos, head on over to Chocolate Chic.

Until next time, happy baking!

TWD:Cocoa-Nana Bread

Things have changed a bit around here so we won't be posting every week. With the New Year there are always resolutions to eat better, and these recipes certainly don't help that at all. :) Two of us are having babies, one within days and myself in about a month, so it seemed that right now was the time to slow it down a bit. That said, there is no way we could completely abandon Dorie and her fabulous recipes!

For January, we decided it would be fun to have a TWD Dessert night. We met the first Saturday evening of January at April's house and it was great! Fun for the cousins to get together and play, and fun for the adults to get to taste all of the great treats. Lizzie made the Cocoa-Buttermilk Birthday Cake, April made the Chocolate-Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars, and I made the Cocoa-Nana Bread. Lots and lots of chocolate!

So, onto the recipe. The Cocoa-Nana Bread came together easily, and came out of the oven looking, and smelling divine. When it came time to slice it to serve, it fell apart. I was disappointed with the final product. It was dry and crumbly and not the best banana bread I have ever had. Of the three treats that night, April's definitely took the prize.

If you want to give it a try check out Obsessed With Baking for the full recipe, or find it on page 46 in Baking From My Home to Yours.

TWD: Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart

DELICIOUS!!!

That could pretty much sum up this divine rich desert. Similar to many of Dorie's recipes this delightful dish was a very detailed treat to make. Luckily I had an extra baker this time to help and a much more adept baker at that. Thanks Lizzie (sister and TWD baker as well) for helping out and thanks Mike for studying ALL night so I could borrow your wife!

For the first time I did not change a thing...I think.
Here is the run down:

The crust was a short bread crust. It was very buttery and delicious. It was slightly time consuming so next time I may use a faster recipe...Liz has a no roll nut crust that is similar. Maybe she will post it sometime.


I turned the caramel responsibilities over to Liz. She is the family caramel expert (at least that is what I think). This caramel used a very unique technique done in a skillet with heating just the sugar first. She did a fabulous job. After the caramel has cooled the recipe called for honey roasted peanuts, which I thought were super fun in the desert.


The ganache. Wow!!! This stuff was rich. This wasn't too hard to make. I think this is the best ganache I have ever made. I used ghiradeli bittersweet chocolate and it was crazy rich. If I were serving it to guest I may tone it down a little and use at least semisweet or maybe milk. Although the caramel is so sweet you have to be careful with the balance. It was good!


The finished product. Oh so good. When we sat down to eat (at 11pm) my husband said he didn't think he could eat the whole thing because it was so rich. Oh he totally finished it. It is too good pass up. All of the flavors worked well together without one over powering the other. If you are interested in giving it a try you can hop on over to Chocolate Moosey for the recipe.

TWD-Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies

With Rach moving, she has decided to take a break from TWD until they have a house and are somewhat settled in their new place. I kindly offered to take her recipe this month so that she didn't have to worry about it. Who wouldn't want to try a new brownie recipe?

I loved the story behind these brownies. Who would have thought that Katherine Hepburn had a fabulous brownie recipe! I also loved the fact that this entire recipe was assembled in one pan and didn't require the use of a mixer. The less mess the better! I have never made brownies in this method before. Adding all the ingredients to the melted butter pan was new to me.

I made mine minus the coffee for religious reasons. There are some times I will purchase decaf for recipes like this but I didn't have it on hand so I just made do with what I had. When they were finished baking and I took them out of the oven, I could tell they were very soft. I let them rest for the time recommended but they still fell apart when I took them out of the pan. No harm done, they still tasted fabulous. They were rich and fudge-like and required a tall glass of milk. The cinnamon was a subtle, but nice addition to the brownies and you got little chunks of gooey chocolate in every bite.

These are a definite keeper and are a recipe I will make again. Thanks to Lisa at Surviving Oz for the pick this week. Head on over to her site for the full recipe.

Happy Baking!

Ooooops La La

So, I made a delicious baking mistake a few weeks ago. My family is just waiting for me to make this mistake again.

I wanted to make a quick batch of chocolate chip cookies...I expanded on the recipe and accidently made it even more delicious. Okay so I decided to add some toasted almonds and coconut. And of course I toasted them myself and in my haste get these cookies in the oven and in our mouths faster I added the warm toasted almonds and coconut right on top of the chocolate chips (instead of allowing time for the nuts and coconut to cool). As I stirred the chocolate chips melted into the cookie dough making the most amazing chocolate dough. Once the dough had cooled a bit I added more chocolate chips to make the cookies a deep chocolate chocolate chip cookie. The dough was AMAZING and the cookies could not have been more perfect. Yummers!! I really need to make these again. I think they rivaled The World Peace Cookies.



Double Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ toated almonds and coconut

Dorie's Best Chocolate Chip Cookie
2 c. flour
1 tsp salt (1 1/4tsp if you really like salt)
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 sticks butter, at room temp.
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. (packed) light brown sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 2 c. store bought chocolate chips
My Additions
1 c. chopped almonds
1 c. coconut
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1. Center rack in oven and preheat to 375
2. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda
3. Beat butter on medium speed for 1 min, until smooth. Add sugar and beat for another 2 min or so, until well blended. Beat in vanilla.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 min after each egg.
5. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add dry ingredients in three portions making sure dry ingredients are incorporated each time (I added a little bit more flour, a few Tablespoons).
April's Additions
6. Pour 2 c. chocolate chips over dough, set dough aside.
7. Put coconut and chopped almonds in dry frying pan on low stiring constantly. Cook until coconut and nuts are toasted (coconut will be just starting to turn golden, but the majority will be white...it will smell really good).
8. Pour warm nuts and coconut on top of chocolate chips and stir into dough. Keep stiring until chocolate is melted into the dough and nuts and coconut are incorporated. Let dough cool for a few minutes. Stir in 2 more cups of chocolate chips (these ones should not melt).
9.(Dorie again) Spoon dough by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls. Bake cookies one sheet at a tiem rotating the sheet at the midway point for 10-12 min. They may still be a little soft in the middle and that's fine. Pull from oven and allow to rest for 1 min, then transfer to cookie rack and cool.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe was taken from Dorie Greenspan's book...Baking from My Home to Yours on page 68.

TWD - Chipster-Topped Brownies

Brace yourselves people this Tuesdays With Dorie has a high dosage of chocolate. It was pure heaven. I went from no baking at all to this beauty. Hallelujah!!!! Chipster-Topped Brownies are basically a thick layer of the richest chocolaty brownie ever with a layer of chocolate chip cookie spread on top. Here is the run down.

THE MAKING - I felt like this was an easy make simply because both brownies and cookies are such common treats around here that I didn't need to be paranoid about how it was supposed to look during the process. I used the Ikea dark chocolate bars for the bittersweet chocolate in the brownie portion of the treat. It did the job superbly. For the cookie part of the treat I felt like there was A LOT of butter. The batter tasted like butter to me, but in the end it cooked up nicely so maybe you need all that butter. The recipe calls for bittersweet chocolate chips, but it also says you can change it up according desire. I ended up using peanut butter chips in combination with an Ikea milk chocolate bar. The peanut butter cookie and deep chocolate brownie complimented each other nicely.




THE EATING -
Like I said these were heaven. You must be a chocolate person to truly appreciate them. Miriam (my chocolate obsessed 3 yr.old) quickly gobbled them down wanting more. Rebekah (my chocolate obsessed want-a-be but truly a lightweight, 5yrs) ate half a one and then gave the rest to Daddy who inhaled it quickly. Glenn and I both loved them and ate way too many. I made the whole 9x13, but I was glad I did. The day I made them we had play dates in and out of our house. So we sent treats home with two different families who all came back raving saying that they ate them all quickly and even began hoarding and hiding what was left. This recipe is definitely a keeper.


I LOVE the Ikea chocolate bars. This was the first time I used the dark chocolate bar in baking and it was just as fantastic. My chocolate bars usually do not make it into my baking because I eat them soon after making it home from shopping (sometimes before). Yum!

If you want to give it a try you can go visit Beth at Suppilicious for the recipe.

Crunchy Munchy Bumpy Cookies

Funny name...I know. This recipe is one of my childhood favorites. I have fond memories of eating them on long road trips and making them on Sunday afternoons. They are a funny combination of ingredients. People often times ask what's in them because they can't quite figure it out. I think the "surprise" ingredient is rice krispies cereal. They give the cookies a soft crunch and make them irresistible. Because they have carrots in them my 10-year-old told my younger kids that they were healthy. Ha! Healthy they are not, but tasty they are. 

It has been a while since I last made them so yesterday, the girlies and I made them together. They had a great time as did I. When we frosted them I told the girls that one of my favorite parts of making Crunchy Munchy Bumpy Cookies was eating the icing that had dripped off of the cookies and onto the wax paper underneath. They loved that idea and immediately started tasting. 

Crunchy Munchy Bumpy Cookies

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup OJ
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 c grated carrots
1 12-oz package chocolate chips
2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups rice krispies
1/2 cup raisins

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar together.   Add egg, juice and vanilla.   Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/sugar mixture.   Add carrots, chocolate chips, oats, rice krispies and raisins.   Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.   Cool some and then frost with thick glaze made from powdered sugar and orange juice.

Happy Baking and Eating!

Magnificent Mint Brownies

I have always been on the hunt for a fabulous mint brownie recipe. Growing up I looked forward to attending any BYU event that might have BYU Mint Brownies as the dessert. They were the best! 

Well, my search for the best mint brownies ended when we attended a baptism a number of years ago. After the baptism there were mint brownies as part of the refreshments and after taking one bite I was sold. I had to have the recipe! Apparently this recipe comes from an elderly lady who was a neighbor of our friends, the Andersons. The elderly neighbor always included these brownies as part of her Christmas goodie plate that she gave to neighbors. Jane was kind enough to share the recipe with me and it has been a favorite ever since. In fact, I have taken them to events and introduced them as, "Brownies that are as good as BYU Mint Brownies" and have been told that they are better than BYU Mint Brownies. In my book, that is the ultimate compliment! 

Magnificent Mint Brownies

4 cups sugar
4 cups flour
8 eggs
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups butter

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar together.   Add eggs one at a time.   Add flour, cocoa powder and salt.  Mix to combine. Add chocolate chips. 

Spray baking sheet pan with cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes.  

Cool brownies. When completely cool, frost with mint frosting. Place pan in freezer until frosting has set . Remove from freezer and spread glaze on top. Freeze again until glaze is solid.

Mint Frosting

3/4 cup butter

6 T evaporated milk

6 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp peppermint or mint extract

Food coloring (green or pink) optional

Mix all together until smooth and creamy.

Chocolate Glaze

3/4 cup butter

4 tsp vanilla

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine butter and chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl. Melt on low heat in microwave stirring frequently until smooth. Add vanilla and stir to combine. 

p.s. You can cut the recipe in half and bake it in a 9x13 pan. 

TWD: World Peace Cookies

If everyone in the world could eat these cookies, we would most definitely have world peace! This is positively my favorite TWD recipe so far! Thank you Jessica of Cookbookhabit (check out Jessica's blog for the complete recipe)!!

I knew this recipe would be a hit when I realized it was of the shortbread family! What's better than a cookie with so much butter?

The secret ingredient to these cookies is supposedly sea salt; however, I had a quiet moment Sunday afternoon and decided to make them without the sea salt (I hadn't gone grocery shopping yet!). I loved the cookies, but will definitely make them again using the secret ingredient!

In the P&Q's many people commented they had problems with their dough being crumbly, but I didn't find this to be problematic at all. The dough is definitely a different texture than the average cookie, but it rolled up just fine, sliced well, and baked perfectly. The only problem I had with my cookies...I ate too many of them! What does everyone say they want in life? World peace...cookies!

TWD: Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

To me, baking is about making a huge mess in the kitchen and creating a masterpiece for those you love.  I have started doing "cooking school" with the kids so they can learn this great art.  I'm teaching them things like how to crack an egg and dig out the shells and following directions in recipes.  They love it!  I love it!  It only takes twice as long to make things and its at least twice as fun!

Its been quite chilly by Florida standards (25 to 50 degrees) so this chocolatey gingerbread was warmly received in our home.

I love kids in the kitchen.  She's helping Jesse see our masterpiece in the Kitchen Aid.  Its so fun to see the look of anticipation on his face!

This rich, dark chocolate was the perfect addition to the traditional gingerbread.

Into the pan and into the oven...

I have seen a few other people's and they look so perfect.  My baking is definitely a little more "rustic".  I think its fine for gingerbread to be rustic.  The icing on the top was AMAZING!!!  We are not coffee people for religious reasons and I don't really enjoy coffee-flavored things, so I substituted the coffee with Ghirardelli Premium chocolate hazelnut hot cocoa mix.  It was so perfect!!!   
I served it up to my family, then caught Hannah LICKING HER PLATE.  Not something we condone at our house, but I took it as a compliment, and asked her to refrain in the future.  Elle and I were officially the most popular people at our house that night.

I actually thought the cake was a bit dry, but apparently nobody else thought it was a problem because they gobbled it up like Hansel and Gretel eating the cottage in the woods.  A lot of bakers mentioned that this is tastier on the 2nd day, but ours didn't have a chance at lasting that long.  If I were to make it again (and I probably will), I would add another 1/2 c buttermilk and bake it in a 9x13 for less time.  For the complete recipe and instructions, you can visit Sherry Trifle.