Light Tiramisu

Having a group of ladies coming over today, I opted for something light but sophisticated to serve.

For a delicious dessert that is perfect for an adult get together-this is it.

Light Tiramisu                                               Makes 6 servings

1/2 c espresso, room temp
2 tbl rum
1 tbl brandy
2 eggs, room temp
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c mascarpone cheese
8 oz Cool Whip Topping
12-3 inch lady-finger cookies
1 oz bitter-sweet chocolate
unsweetened cocoa (for dusting)
12-3 in lady-finger cookies (Optional)


1. Mix together espresso, rum and brandy, set aside.

2. Separate the eggs. In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft curls form. Beat in 4 tbl of sugar, until egg whites form stiff peaks. Scrape the whites into a small bowl. Wash the mixer and beaters.

3. Beat the egg yolks with 3 tbl of sugar until they stiff and light colored. On low, mix in the mascarpone until mixture is lump free. Mix in Cool Whip, then the egg whites until fully incorporated.

4. In your individual serving dishes, scoop a heaping soup spoonful of the mascarpone cream into the bottom of each dish (using only half of the total mixture).

5. Take your lady fingers, two at a time, and submerge them into the espresso mixture for 5 seconds or until soaked. Squeeze them slightly until they stop dripping and lay over the cream.

6. Shave the bitter-sweet chocolate over the cookies until they are moderately covered. Spoon the remaining cream over the cookies in each serving dish.

7. Top with remaining lady finger cookies, or simply finish each dish with a light dusting of cocoa powder.

Calories calculated using SparkRecipes Calculator: 290 calories per serving.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I really should call this recipe, my "2^5th Power Peanut Cookies."

The other day I felt like baking and was taking requests, someone in my family asked me for peanut butter cookies AGAIN. I love that my family love my baking and wants them again and I admit, peanut butter cookies are great, but I really dislike making the same thing over and over again.

So, with permission for creative license, I decided to make gluten free peanut butter cookies with ganache toppings.

Yum!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies                 Makes 24
adapted from Women's Day

2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups packed light-brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
2 tablespoons peanuts, coarsely chopped

Ganache
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1 cup bittersweet
chocolate chips
Garnish: chopped peanuts



1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Beat peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs and baking soda in large bowl until smooth and blended. Stir in chopped peanuts.

2. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. use the back of your spoon to slightly press cookies down. Bake, one sheet at a time, 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and slightly golden. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

3. Microwave cream in glass bowl on high 1 minute or until it just begins to simmer. Add chocolate chips; let stand 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth; spread over half of cookie top and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Or fill a squeezable bottle with ganache and drizzle, sprinkle with peanuts, then drizzle again.

Note: If ganache begins to firm up, microwave a few seconds at a time until easy to spread. Let set at room temperature. Ganache will take a few hours to set up. It's best to let them sit for 4+ hours then serve.

Calories calculated using Sparkrecipes Calculator: 237 calories per cookie

Hazelnut Spread

Today was a party! Any excuse to make something new and delicious is OK by me. This time I wanted something simple and easy, something people can nibble...fresh strawberries, apple slices, an assortment of Pepperidge Farm and homemade cookies, all served with my cool creamy hazelnut dip.

Everyone enjoyed it (except my sister, she said it was too sweet for her, but 7 out of 8 people 'aint bad!)

This is a definite crowd pleaser. Make ahead and make plenty of it, I know guests will be asking about it and going back for more. This mousse-like mix is a wonderful and rich way to enjoy your favorite fruit and cookies that are usually dipped in chocolate.

yumm

Creamy Hazelnut Spread      Yields: 3cups
                                                                           Total Time: 15mins

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 c chocolate hazelnut spread (Justin's Hazelnut butter or Nutella)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream (or 1 cup whipped topping)
2 tbl sugar
1/2 c chopped hazelnuts

Fresh hauled strawberries, biscotti, Milano cookies to dip

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, chocolate hazelnut spread, and 1 tsp vanilla until smooth.
2. In another bowl whip heavy cream on high with sugar and remaining extract until soft peaks form.
3. Fold in whipped cream and 2/3rds of the hazelnuts. Place in serving dish, surround with goodies to be dipped.
4. Garnish with remaining hazelnuts right before serving.
5. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Crazy- Persimmon-Pumpkin Cookies

Headed out to our local fruit stand yesterday and everything just looked so good! See for yourself...

I love this place. They had farm fresh fruits and vegetables. Almonds, walnuts, chestnuts! Gourds and pumpkins galore! We had a lot of fun, we came home with bags of goodies and only spent $10!

As soon as we came home, I knew I wanted to make cookies. Persimmon cookies. But, not just persimmon cookies, PERSIMMON-PUMPKIN :) Persimmons already have a mild cinnamon flavor to them so pairing with pumpkin seemed ideal.

These cookies are absolutely delicious! I was really concerned the pumpkin would be overwhelming to the persimmon, but the proportions are just right to make a really mature flavor.

Persimmon-Pumpkin Cookies

4 persimmons
1 small baking pumpkin or 1/2 c of canned pumpkin
3 tsp baking soda
4 c flour
1 tsp (each) cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and salt
2 eggs
2 c sugar
1 c butter
2 c raisins
2 c finely chopped walnuts (optional of course)

1. Pour your raisins into a small pot and just cover with water, give it a quick stir with a spoon to break the raisins apart. Turn to med heat, cover and simmer raisins for 25 min. Turn off the heat and add 1 tsp of baking soda to the water-raisins (adding the soda will make the mixture foam, this is a good sign. The baking soda/cooking helps to re-plump up the raisins for a softer cookie). Stir and let sit until somewhat cooled (approx 1 hour). 
2. Meanwhile, quarter persimmons and puree until smooth and thick. If using canned pumpkin skip to step 3. If using fresh pumpkin, cut in half, remove seeds (keep seeds to roast!) and lay the pumpkin on a cookie sheet (cut side up). Bake at 350F for 40 min or until tender when touched with a fork. Remove roasted pumpkin from the oven and carefully scoop the pulp away from the skin. Place into a bowl and mash with a potato masher. 
3. Mix persimmon puree with pumpkin puree (it's OK if fresh pumpkin is still warm), add remaining baking soda and let sit.
4. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in purees. 
5. Most recipes have you sift, but instead I alternate when adding dry ingredients: 1 c flour, 1 tsp cloves, 1 c flour, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 c flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 c flour, 1 tsp salt. Works for me, do whatever you are comfortable doing in you're own kitchen.
6. Drain raisins really well and stir into dough. Stir in nuts.
7. Drop by rounded teaspoons (the rounder the top, smoother looking the cookie) onto un-greased cookie sheets for 15-17mins or until edges are slightly brown. Let sit 5 min and cool completely on wire racks.

Makes 36 cookies. 

Remember to get creative with your pumpkins this week!

Spice Shortbread Sticks (try saying that 5x fast!)

I found the recipe for these cookies in an old Pillsbury Cookies and Bars book I found at my moms. I thought I would try them out, I haven't made these before and look yummy. I was in an Autumn type of mood and wanted something warm and "dunkable" for my morning coffee or apple cider.

I don't post everything I make, especially if I didn't make it up, but these were so darn good and easy I had to share. They are really like a comfort food to me, I eat one bite and I feel all warm and cozy.

These are great mailed Christmas cookies

Sugar and Spice Shortbread Sticks

This recipe has been modified to suit my baking process

Cookies
3/4c brown sugar
1 c unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 3/4 c all purpose flour
3/4 tsp apple pie spice (OR 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/8 tsp each of ground cloves and nutmeg)

Haha, looks professional and wasn't even staged!

1. In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter, cream. Add vanilla and the egg, mix until light and fluffy. Add flour and spices, mix until a dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about an hour.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Take a piece of wax paper and lay on a flat surface, lightly flour. Cut dough in half and roll out on half to a 12x6- inch rectangle. Use a 1-inch ruler, and rock slightly to the right to make impressions in the dough all the way across. Cut the dough down the impression lines with the back of a knife. (Cut the cookies in half lengthwise to get 3-inch cookies instead of 6-inches if you'd like) 
3. For a well shaped stick, use the flat side of the ruler to straighten the sides of the dough. Use it as a guide to cut the rectangle neatly, in half, or to make sharp edges. Dip a spatula in flour and carefully place sticks 1/2 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 12-15 mins or until edges or slightly light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks completely. 

Glaze
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/16 both cloves and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp chai vanilla spice (optional)
3 tbl apple juice or water

1. When cookies are completely cooled. Blend all glaze ingredients together until smooth and you reach a desired glaze consistency (runny, think like molasses). Spread glaze on tops of cookies. Let glaze stand and set before storing.

This is cleaned out candle jar

Zebra Butter Cookies

I wanted to make a new kind of cookie the other night.

I wanted one that would be 1) eye catching, 2) one I have never made before and 3) familiar enough that people wouldn't be afraid to eat it!

I decided I wanted something rich and easy, Butter Cookies!

But with a twist, or should I say a stripe :)

These cookies looked great, although I messed up a lot making them! The stripes should have been straight etc...anyways! They taste so delicious I had to put them in the freezer so I would stop eating them!

If your willing to put in the work, they are so worth it :)

Striped Butter Cookies

1 1/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar
2/3 c powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c cocoa

Can you see where I marked my paper?

1. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add in flour and salt until combined.
2. Divide dough in half, roll one half between 2 pieces of wax paper, approx 1/4"x10"x10" and refrigerate. Add cocoa to other half and mix well. Roll between wax paper and refrigerate. Let dough chill overnight or at least half an hour. 
3. Take both doughs out and stack on top of one another (I doubled the recipe in this pic, you should have just two doughs). Keep your wax paper!



stacked dough

4. I started with one cookie cutter, but changed my mind later so ignore the imprint. Cut your dough in half so you have two "halfs" 3 inches long. Then measure your dough, 1/2-1 inch at a time and cut so have many stripes 3"x1"

Cut dough and measured at 1/2 inch

Should look something like this

5. Lay out your wax paper again. Pick up stripes and turn onto their sides to see the stripes to be: cocoa, vanilla, cocoa, vanilla etc.., slightly press together. Cover with wax paper again and chill for another half hour. This give the dough time to firm up before cutting.

Side-by-side stripes

6. Pre-heat the oven to 375F. Remove the top portion of the wax paper and scoop out a 1/4 c of flour for dipping cutters into. Dip and cut, shapes. This would be really cute cookie if I had a horse cookie cutter to make zebras! Make the most of your space cause you can't rework the dough and have it be the same again. Get out small and large cutters, I used medium stars and small circles.

7. Left over scraps I piled up gently and placed a wax sheet on top. I rolled out the dough again with minimal movements as possible. The more you work the dough, the less vanilla color you'll have, the cocoa incorporates it. This step makes a cool marble effect, so you still get a beautiful cookie!

Don't you just love those stripes? Very cool.

7. Bake 375F for 7-9 minutes, or just until edges are lightly golden. These cookies can easily over bake so watch them carefully, you want them to be chewy yet firm. Let stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack.

I doubled this recipe and made A LOT, so I cut it down for you. This recipe (depending on your cookie cutters) will make approximately 1 1/2 dozen medium cookies, and 1 dozen tiny cookies on top of that!

Over cooked cookies top left, perfect cookies bottom right

So there you have it, zebra striped cookies that are buttery delicious and beautiful to look at.

Fig Bars- Fig Newtons

I have been experimenting a lot with foods I never used before. Earlier this week I used vanilla bean, and then semolina flour, and yesterday I wanted to do something with figs. I have always loved figs. I used to eat them from my neighbor lady's tree all the time when I was little.

They are also great for Halloween because they look like brains when you cut into them! These bars are great too, because they have a purple-y center and you don't see many purple desserts :)

I bought two pounds of figs and decided to try to make a copycat version of fig newtons. Soft buttery cookie with a chewy (and healthy) center.

This recipe couldn't be easier to make, I just pulled some of my old stand by cookie recipes out and decided the best way to keep the chewy and moist center was to turn my fresh figs into a jelly. I hope you enjoy it. I think the jelly recipe was a little too bland and needed more sugar, but I took some over to my family to "test" them, and I came home with an empty plate...so you be the judge.

Fig Bars

Filling

2 lbs fresh figs

1 c sugar

1/2 water

Cookie

1/2 c butter room temp
1 c sugar
1 egg

1 tbl milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

1 3/4 c all purpose flour

1. Dice figs and soak in water in a saucepan for an hour. Add sugar and cook medium high heat, mashing figs and stirring until a thin jam consistency. Remove from heat and let cool for an hour.  
2. Cream butter, sugar until smooth. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
3. Remove dough and form a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Take half of dough and on a lightly floured surface, roll out into a rectangle shape to fit into a lightly greased (ideally) 13"x 9" pan. I used my 11"x7"x1" pan and the cookie was thicker but still good. Lay into the pan and gently press down, just to smooth.
5. Top bottom cookie layer with fig filling. Doesn't have to be pretty :)
6. Roll remaining dough and cover figs.
7. Bake for 30 mins or until lightly brown.
8. Cool and cut into squares.

Makes approximately 30 cookies.

I want S'more Cookies!

My mom asked me to make a dessert for her co-workers BBQ tomorrow.

Me: "What should I make?"

Mom: "Make chocolate chip cookies or something."

Well, if you know me, I can't bake something just simply. I need to step it up just a bit to make it interesting (but still simple!) So I looked around at what I had on hand and what did I find?

My husbands stash of marshmallows, *ding!*

S'more Cookies!

Super easy and gooey (and impressive enough to be served to my mom's co-workers). I have a good feeling about these cookies since just posted a picture of my creation on Facebook and within an hour I had comments from tons of cookie monsters!
For the chocolate chip cookies, I never stray from the Nestle recipe on the bag. I have tried about 10-20 different recipes of people trying to improve on this classic cookie. And, for some reason this recipe is just easy, never fails, and always tastes amazing.

For this recipe you'll need:

• chocolate chip cookies (see recipe below)
• large (or jumbo) marshmallows (1-2 per cookie)
• scissors
• 8 oz chocolate chips
• 2 tbl shortening
  

Nestle Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies (straight off the bag)

• 1 c unsalted butter
• 3/4 c sugar
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/4 c flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 c semi- sweet chocolate chips
  

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Cream butter, sugars and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gradually mix in dry ingredients.
3. Add chips, mix well
4. Drop by tablespoon onto wax lined cookie sheets, cook 9-11 mins until edges are light brown.
   
5. While cookies are baking cut your marshmallows in half (or if using jumbos 3rds) crosswise.
   
6. Remove partially baked cookies and immediately place marshmallows on top of hot cookies, cut side down.
7. Return to the oven for 1-2 mins until marshmallows begin to puff up. Take cookies out of the oven and let cool 2 mins, then press down slightly to flatten marshmallows. *If you cut your marshmallows into 3rds and you have an open cut that is tacky to the touch, spray the back of a rubber spatula with Pam and use that to press the marshmallows down.
8. Cool on cookie sheet, then move to a paper towel lined wire rack to cool completely.
9. Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler or microwave, stirring occasionally. Spoon a teaspoon of melted chocolate over the top of the cookie or drizzle with a squeeze bottle.
10. Let chocolate candy set 30 mins.
    
11. If there are any left over and you want to store them away, I would recommend you place wax paper between cookies because these are so gooey :)

I hope you enjoy the cookies. Fun spin on the classic s'mores and the unfailing chocolate chip cookie.

Maybe next time a smear of peanut butter somewhere?