Quick and Easy Tiramisu

Tags

coffee, dessert, food, recipe, recipes, sweets, tiramisu, treats

I always thought tiramisu was an elaborate and complicated dessert to make. I thought it took hours of hands-on work, using coffee liqueur and high-end marscapone cheese. And I thought you had to make your own angel food cake to assemble the fancy feast.

It always seemed daunting to me, and I always thought to myself that I’d leave that dainty little dessert to the pros. But when Chris told me his favorite dessert was tiramisu, I was inspired to give it a go.

And not only is tiramisu very simple to make, it took almost no time at all.

Best part? Chris said it tasted better than most tiramisu he’s had in restaurants.

*pats back*

Quick and Easy Tiramisu (From Kraft Foods)
>> Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp instant coffee
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 packages (4 oz each) ladyfingers
• 2 packages (8 oz each) reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups Light Cool Whip, thawed
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Bring a tea kettle full of water to a boil. Pour one cup over the instant coffee and 1 tbsp of sugar. Stir to dissolve the coffee and sugar. Set aside.
2. Split the ladyfingers in half (they should come pre-cut, but if not, slice them horizontally with a serrated knife). Arrange one package of the ladyfingers on the bottom of a 13×9 dish. Spoon 1/2 cup of the coffee over the ladyfingers.
3. Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer until creamy. Add the 1/2 cup of sugar and beat well. Then whisk in the Cool Whip.
4. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the ladyfingers in the dish. Then arrange the other package of ladyfingers over the cream cheese. Spoon the other 1/2 cup of coffee over the second layer of ladyfingers and then top with the remaining cream cheese.
5. Dust the top evenly with the cocoa powder. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

My Two Cents: This tiramisu got really good reviews on the Kraft website — a big reason why I chose it. (The other of course was because it had the word “Easy” in the title.) I was a bit worried that because I was using just cream cheese, it wouldn’t taste like authentic tiramisu, but I was quite wrong. I thought it tasted like the real thing, as did Chris and a number of my friends I served this to (one being a big tiramisu fan).

The instant coffee saved me here. I don’t drink coffee, so I don’t own a coffee pot (please not everyone faint at these words all at once — caffeine and I don’t mix well –) But I love coffee flavor, so I have instant coffee around for baking.

Even if you are a coffee addict and own a coffee pot, brewing coffee to make tiramisu sounds too tedious and time consuming. Go for the instant.

Enjoy! This is a crowd pleaser!

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Tags

bananas, chocolate, dessert, food, ice cream, recipe, treats

I eat this ice cream a few times a week.

The best part(s)? There’s absolutely no cream in it!

AND. You don’t need a fancy pants ice cream maker.

AND. You won’t feel guilty after you eat it.

AND.

AND.

It’s the best gosh darn soft served ice cream I’ve ever had.

So what’s the secret? Partially frozen bananas, peanut butter, and cocoa powder.

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream (From Use Real Butter)
>> Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp peanut butter

Directions:

1. Slice the bananas into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place in a sandwich bag or container and freeze for 2 hours.
2. Process the partially frozen bananas in a food processor until it reaches a creamy consistency. This will take about 30 – 45 seconds.
3. Add in the cocoa powder and peanut butter. Process until well blended.
4. Serve immediately. Will serve two — if you can restrain yourself….

My Two Cents: I’m not exaggerating when I say I’m completely obsessed with this recipe. It’s a genius way to use up the last few rotting bananas on the counter. PLUS I get my daily dose of potassium in a new and fun way.

You don’t have to make this the same day you freeze the bananas, either. Freeze bananas in slices as they become rotten. Then when you’re in the mood for ice cream, simply leave on the counter for a half hour before processing in the food processor.

Freeze any leftovers you have — though it will get very hard overnight (like a rock hard). But you can defrost it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds — it’ll soften up to soft-serve consistency perfectly.

If you’re making this for many people, use 1 banana per person.

Add in anything you desire. I’m thinking Nutella next time?

ENJOY! I hope you are as breathlessly head over heels in love with this recipe as I am.

P.S. A very Happy Birthday to my first reader and number one fan of this blog, my Mom!

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Tags

baking, cream cheese, cupcakes, dessert, food, lemon, recipes

Cupcakes are little bundles of happiness.

And lemon cream cheese frosting is quite literally the icing on the cake.

My best friends (my bridesmaids) (my old, lovely college roommates) were turning the big 2-5 this past weekend. As is my tradition (and duty) as best friend/food blogger/lover of cake and cupcakes, I volunteered to host the party and provide the treats.

Lemon desserts are a favorite of one of my friends, so I had the idea of pairing lemon with chocolate. After taking a survey of my fridge and cabinets, I found 1 lemon, 1 package of cream cheese, lots of sugar, and 1 package of cake mix.

And, as I often say on this blog, magic happened.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting (Adapted from Real Simple)
Frosts 12 cupcakes
>> Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

Directions:

1. Beat the cream cheese in an electric mixer until the cream cheese is soft.
2. Slowly add the sugar, zest, and juice and beat until creamy, about 3 minutes.

My Two Cents: Look at those sparkles of lemon zest in the frosting That’s real lemon flavor right there.

Everyone at the party was raving about these cupcakes. The lemon in the frosting wasn’t overpowering, and wasn’t too subtle. It was pure perfection.

I used a box chocolate cake mix for this recipe, and there’s no shame in that — especially if you have a killer frosting to go on top. This frosting would also be perfect with vanilla cupcakes or lemon cupcakes.

If your cream cheese is not at room temp when you want to make this, you can defrost it in the microwave for 15 second intervals until it is soft enough to beat.

Beware, though. The frosting only makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes. So double it if you have 24 or if you’re planning on frosting a cake.

Might I also suggest investing in silicone cupcake wrappers? They’re cute, reusable, green, and you’ll never have to buy cupcake wrappers ever again.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

Tags

Cookies, delicious, dessert, food, recipe, treats, whoopie pies

Um.

Hello gorgeous.

I saw these on Pinterest the other day (if you haven’t checked out my Baking board, you should — and then proceed to drool–) and wanted to make them as soon as possible.

Luckily I was hosting a swap at my apartment yesterday (a bunch of my friends came over with things they don’t use or wear anymore — clothes, jewelry, books, DVDs, CDs,, etc.—you should have one, too, they’re amazing! We all walked away with so many new clothes — for free!), and thought these would be perfect for the occasion.

And they were a huge hit.

I mean, there’s not really any way you can resist two large chocolate cookies that hold hunks of sugary peanut butter betwixt them.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies (From Created by Diane)

Makes 12 whoopie pies

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cookies:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 eggs

Peanut Butter Filling:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp milk

Directions:

1. Mix the cookie ingredients together in a large bowl. Roll the dough into 24 balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (12 on each sheet). Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 10-15 minutes until they are set and firm to the touch. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
2. Meanwhile, make the peanut butter filling. Beat the peanut butter and butter together, then add the powdered sugar and milk — beat until creamy.
3. Fill a plastic bag with the filling, snip off a corner of the bag, then pipe the filling onto a cookie and close with another. Or, spread generously onto the cookies with a knife.

My Two Cents: If you haven’t jumped on the cake/brownie-mix-in-cookie-form wagon yet, get on here.

Besides tasting wonderful (like you’re just eating giant bites of your favorite childhood birthday cake — with uh, peanut butter frosting — so really, better), these are incredibly easy to make. So few ingredients, so little mixing, no hassle — yet yields amazing results.

Plus, what a show-stopper! I’m definitely going to make these again and again

Enjoy!

America’s Test Kitchen’s Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Tags

baking, chocolate, Cookies, dessert, food, oatmeal, oatmeal cookies, recipe, recipes

I’m on vacation.

And I’m loving every second of it.

The lack of posts and my absence from the Twitter convo this week is due to the fact that I’m sitting around in my pajamas until 11 or 12 every day, then doing some me shopping, then watching some corny 2-star movies, then most recently, playing with the new Wii.

So blogging has been pushed aside a bit, but I thought I would pop in before you all head out to your New Year’s Eve parties and give you an easy and delicious cookie recipe you can bring to ooo and ahhh your friends.

I found this recipe for chocolate oatmeal cookies in the America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies magazine. (They sent me this as a Christmas gift, which makes me love them even more, which before then I was sure wasn’t possible.)

And besides being beautiful, these cookies taste better than any other oatmeal cookie I’ve conjured up. Here’s the secret: blending the oats into a flour-like powder instead of leaving them in their full form. B.r.i.l.l.i.a.n.t.

Try them. You’ll see what I mean.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (Slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen)

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 oz milk chocolate, melted and cooled (the bars or chips will work)
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup pecans or walnuts)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Process the oats in a blender or food processor until finely ground (should have the consistency of flour.) Transfer to a bowl and stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth, 1 minute. Add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate and beat until combined.
3. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Then stir in the chocolate chips (and nuts if desired).
4. Roll 2 tbsp of dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the cookies are cracked and set on top but look moist within the cracks, about 14-18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

My Two Cents: Most oatmeal cookies that I make do not get rave reviews. They get OK reviews. I think the chunks of oatmeal turn some people off to oatmeal cookies. Too much texture. However, with this recipe, you get the oatmeal taste without the oatmeal texture—a win-win. The original recipe stated to keep 3/4 cup of the oats in their full oat form, but I processed the whole bunch. The results were still phenomenal.

The melted chocolate added another element of pure yum to this recipe. I don’t usually melt chocolate and add them to any cookie I make—it never occurred to me to even do that. But trust me, it turns “chocolate chip” into “chocolate divine”.

The overall cookie was crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside. How that’s not a perfect cookie is beyond me.

Enjoy! And Happy New Year! Can’t wait to make more recipes for all of you in 2012

Twix Cookies

Tags

baking, Candy, Cookies, dessert, food, recipes, secret recipe club, sweets, twix

When in doubt, put hunks of candy in your cookies.

For this month’s Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned Fantastical Sharing of Recipes, and she has a fantastic dessert section on her blog. After browsing around for a while, I settled on the Twix Cookies because: a.) Cookies will forever have a soft spot in my heart. and b.) Candy.

If you’re looking for a simple cookie to whip up for a gathering, or just to hog for yourself, these’ll do just fine

Twix Cookies (From Fantastical Sharing of Recipes)

Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chopped Twix bars

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.
4. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until combined.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well combined.
6. Stir in the Twix bars. Roll dough into balls or drop dough by tablespoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are light brown. Let cool for 5 minutes on pan. Then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

My Two Cents: Replacing chocolate chips with Twix bars for cookies may be one of the better ideas in the baking world. The caramel and chocolate melt and ooze into rivers of wonderful—something you don’t want to miss out on.

My cookies spread out more than I wanted them to, though. Cookies are funny like that. Sometimes they puff up beautifully and are especially cake-like. Sometimes they’re flat and crispy. But to me, it’s all good I think I may have left the cookies in too long. My suggestion is to take them out when they’re just starting to brown and look underdone. They’ll firm up when they’re out of the oven. Also make sure not to melt your butter, but that it’s at room temp. Cookie batter goes pancake-wild in the oven when the butter is in its liquid form.

The original recipe called for only 1 cup of Twix, but I threw in more, and honestly, if I made this again I would bump it up to 2 cups. The more candy the merrier. I use the same motto for chocolate chips

Not into Twix? Try a different candy–like Snickers or Baby Ruth. It’s a great twist to the traditional chocolate chip!

Enjoy! Check out Fantastical Sharing of Recipes for some more treats—And come back next month for the next Secret Recipe Club recipe

Click the image below to see ALL of the recipes in today’s Secret Recipe Club reveal day.