Out of a Rut {recipe: chocolate chip cookie dough bon bons}

I have tried to make cake truffles atleast four times. I have failed every time. I don’t know what the deal is, but when I try to roll the cake into balls and it sticks to my hands, and I end up with these dough-ball messes. Then, I try to dunk my messy, sticky globs unto soft, melted, unadultered chocolate coating. I end up with a cake glob mashed with asymmetrical, hardening chocolate. They taste great but look atrocious, so I eat them myself and make something safe to bring.

Well I may suck at the cake truffles, but I totally owned these (the original recipe calls them chocolate chip cookie dough truffles).

From cookie dough truffles

Anyhow, I found some easy truffles. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bon Bons. These are more like cookie dough, and less like truffles. But really, is that a problem for you? It is not a problem for me. 

I know what you are thinking. Cookie dough has raw eggs in it. 

Not this cookie dough. This has some crazy combo that includes sweetened condensed milk. And it is so, so good. And when I think about Bon Bons, I have visions of sitting in on the couch with a good blanket and some junky TV. Thinking of that makes me happy right now.

From cookie dough truffles

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bon Bons

adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1 can  sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chocolate chips

4 oz. meltable chocolate bark

 

Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add salt and vanilla.

With speed on low, slowly add flour, alternating with condensed milk, beating well after each addition.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Refrigerate dough 45 minute-1 hour so that it is not too sticky.

Shape balls into 1-inch balls and place into an air tight container. Store in freezer for at least 3 hours.

From cookie dough truffles

Melt choolate and dip balls in chocolate. Let chocolate harden on wzxed paper and then freeze balls up to 3 weeks.

Original Post: http://saltimbocca.wordpress.com/2009/03/05/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-truffles

Free Cookbooks! {recipe: ben and jerry’s chocolate peanut butter ice cream}

Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a place you could go and just borrow cookbooks? New ones come out all the time, and their crisp pages and glistening pictures lure me in through Amazon and at Barnes & Noble. But at $20+ a hit, cookbooks may be a worse habit than cigarettes. 

Even then, I get a cookbook and make a few recipes, and then it sits on the shelf and collects dust as I become infatuated and adulterous with the next latest book . Flavor of the week, if you will. I eventually go back to my old favorites, but I increasingly think that I could pare down my collection to a few staples. 

Back to the borrowing cookbooks. I found a place where you can just go borrow cookbooks. For free. You can keep them for 3 or 6 weeks and I think you can take up to 20 at a time! 

It’s called the library.

I am pretty sure I have not been to the library since Amelia Bedelia books. Oh, except for that three-year stint in college when I buried myself in the quiet stacks of the Benson studing Spanish poetry or the bustling PCL, coffee in one hand, stack of print Bacon’s books in the other – trying to create (what we thought was a) mock pr/ad campaign for a performing arts center that turned out to be real under a professor who turned out to be in charge of that project. For real. 

Anyhow, I think I heavy college books supressed memories of the endless interesting books I would bring home after trips to the library with my mom. There’s a library by our house and I popped in the other day, and found myself in the cookbook section. Floor to celing cookbooks.

I carefully picked one to start with: Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book. This would surely be a good way to use the whole milk that I accidentally bought.

First I made sweet cream. It was decent, not great. No fault to B&J, I just tried to make a lighter option by using less cream and more milk. 

Then, I made this recipe. It is fantastic. I took no shortcuts and am reaping all of the benefits. It tastes like a creamy, cold reese’s peanut butter cup that melts in your mouth. 

I know, I know, enough with the chocolate, lady. Chocolate’s mainstream, and a usual crowd-pleaser, so try it. Plus, go look in your freezer at your icecream container. It likely lists 30+ ingredients, often artificial, that are putting nothing but fillers and crap in your body. Try out this icecream, 8 fresh ingredients and you can pronounce all of them.

Jerry’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream,

from Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book

note: If you don’t have an icecream freezer, buy this one if you have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer already; if you don’t have a stand mixer, save yourself the expense and another kitchen appliance and follow Dave’s instructions.

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 c. milk

2 eggs

1 c. sugar

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 t. vanilla extract

1 cup peanut buttter

Melt the unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler over hot, not boiling, water. Gradually whisk in the cocoa and heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. (The chocolate may “seize” or clump together. Don’t worry, the milk will dissolve it.) Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, and heat until completely blended. Remove from the heat and let cool. 

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and vanilla and whisk to blend. 

Pour the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture and blend. Blend in the peanut butter until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on your refrigerator. 

Transfer the chocolate mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions (see note, above).

Original Post: http://saltimbocca.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/ben-and-jerrys…butter-iceream/

It’s That Time Again {recipe: flourless chocolate cake with chocolate ganache}

 

From flourless chocolate decadence

It’s Trisha’s Birthday! Again, this year, I will reiterate that Trisha makes delicious birthday cakes for everyone else’s birthdays. Her cakes involce iceream and whipped cream, candy car bits and pretty much anything you want. So, I always love to take the opportunity to make her cake for her birthday. 

I know, I know. We’ve got a spate of New Year’s Resolutions and fashionable(?) leggings, and long, tight sweaters a la 1980 dissuading us from desserts – and this cake is no  friend to lycra. But, it is delicious and it’s for a birthday so who cares. And it’s so rich you just want a little piece anyway. 

{also, check out today’s guest post on HilStreet}

From flourless chocolate decadence

 

Flourless Chocolate Decadence, adapted from The Joy Of Cooking

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Grease a 9 inch round springform pan  and line bottom with wax or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 F.

In a large, heatproof bowl, combine:
24 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
15 tbs. butter, unsalted, cut into ten pieces

Set the bowl in a large skillet of barely simmering water and stir often until the chocolate and butter are warm, melted, and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in:

8 egg yolks

In another large bowl, beat on medium speed until soft peaks form:
8 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Gradually add, beating on high speed:
2 Tbs. sugar

Beat until the whites are stiff, but not dry (they should have a shiny, glossy look to them and look thick and rich but not choppy). Use a rubber spatula to fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Set the pan in a large, shallow baking dish or roasting pan, set the pan in the oven, and pour enough boiling water (use the water you boiled to melt the chocolate) into it to reach halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for exactly 40 minutes. The top should have a thin crust and the interior will still be gooey. Set the cake pan on a rack to cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled, or overnight. To unmold, run a thin bladed knife around the interior edge of the cake pan, set a plate on top, and invert. Peel off the paper, and then reinvert the cake onto another plate.

Then, make chocolate ganache and pour over cold cake. refrigerate atleast until set, about one hour. 

 

Chocolate Ganache, also from The Joy Of Cooking

3/4 c. heavy cream

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

Heat cream in saucepan until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Stir until smooth, let stand 20 minutes at room temperature, and use.

From flourless chocolate decadence

Vote for the Chocolate Mousse!

Look at the chocolate mousse below, doesn’t it look great?

You should try it, too! So elegant and satiable.

Now vote for it:

Chocolate Mousse

This Chocolate Mousse is rich in flavour and light in texture, it only has a few ingredients, and you probably have them all on hand! Ready, set, go!

(put any dessert or appetizer in a martini glass and it looks 1,000 times more chic)

Chocolate Mousse with Fresh Whipped

serves 8. 

3/4 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced

2 tablespoons espresso or very strong coffee or vanilla

1 cup cold heavy cream

3 large eggs, separated

2 tablespoons sugar

(Optional) extra whipped cream (if you want whipped cream, whip 1 cup heavy cream to soft peaks, then add 1/3 c sugar and whip to stiff peaks)
Whip 1 cup cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate.

Combine chocolate, butter, and espresso in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave 40 seconds on med. power, stir, repeat until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than room temperature.

While chocolate is cooling, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold shape.

Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.

Stir the yolks into the chocolate mixture. Gently stir in half of the whipped cream. Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, fold in the rest of the whites followed by the rest of the whipped cream.

Happy Birthday, Trisha!

Yesterday was Trisha’s birthday. On everyone else’s birthday, Trisha makes fabulous cakes. Enter icecream, brownie, whipped cream, sprinkles and chocolate fudge. Into your mouth. All in one bite. Yes, Trisha’s cakes are fantastic. But yesterday was Trisha’s own birthday and so I took the liberty of giving her a day off of cake-baking and made one myself.

Chocolate Cake with Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting
Deeply Dark Devil’s Food Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
11 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups warm water

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease two 9 inch cake rounds and dust with flour.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix to incorporate.

Beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat on high speed for about 3 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additons alternating with the warm water in two additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix at low speed for 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake cake for 25-40 mintues. Cool cake for 20 minutes after baking.
5. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely before frosting.

Source: The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting

3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
½ cup water
2 cups sugar
3 cups of butter, at room temperature
½ tsp salt
4 TBSP Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream

store-bought caramel sauce

Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs and yolks in a large bowl on high speed for about 5 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar; simmer until it reaches the soft ball stage, registering between 234 and 240F on a candy thermometer. Immediately transfer the syrup to a large heatproof liquid measuring cup. In a slow, thin stream, add the sugar mixture to the egg mixture., mixing on low speed the entire time. Increase the speed to medium and beat about 7 minutes, until the syrup has cooled. Add the butter, half a stick at a time, beating on medium after each addition. Once all of the butter has been added, beat on medium speed until the frosting thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt and Irish Cream.

Spread the frosting between the cake layers and then cover the cake with frosting. To make the star design on top, I cut a star out of construction paper and placed it carefully on top of the frosted cake. I then poured cocoa into a mesh strainer while holding the strainer over the sink, then held the strainer over the cake and lightly tapped it, to cover the top of the cake lightly with cocoa. Then I pulled off the star to reveal the unadultered frosting in a star design beneath it. I then drizzled store-bought caramel sauce over the top. Refrigerate the cake until ready to eat.

Source: Cake adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. Ganache adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman

Smores’ Bars End Blogger Haitus

My haitus was caused by both professional and personal overload.

We just finished our annual geekfest user conference which reached its pinnacle last Thursday after sleeping very little – the little sleep that I did get filled with nightmares of entering presentation rooms to find them filled floor to ceiling with stacks of paper covered in VHDL code (VHDL code? who am I?), stuffing press kits in a hotel lobby, entering the Austin Convention Center before dawn and exiting after dusk, watching a ten-year-old boy-genius and leaving my feet in a permanent state I call “Barbie Feet” (Feet get stuck in position that is a variation of pointing toes due to too many 18-hour days in heels. This position is similar to that of Barbie’s feet, ergonomically designed so that heels slide with ease on and off of her feet). To further complicate matters, the week before the user conference was prefaced with nasty strep throat and an ear infection.

On a personal note, we are purchasing a house – it is absolutely perfect and we cannot wait to get in!

As for today, we have some Smores’ Bars. It is worth getting back into the habit of posting to share these, they have gone over really well in the office. In the summer we don’t have fires over which to roast some gooey marshmallows, so this is a nice alternative (in Texas we really never have those fires regardless of the time of year). The key is the graham cracker crumbs in the dough.

Smores’ Bars (photos to come)

makes 16 bars.

1 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs or 14 sheets of graham crackers, whirled in the food processor until fine

2 tsp baking powder

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 cups marshmallow creme (not melted marshmallows)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease a 9×13 baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar.

Add egg and vanilla and mix well.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, and baking powder.

Add to butter mixture and mix.

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.

Place chocolate chips in one layer over dough.

Spread marshmallow creme on top of chocolate.

lace remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening small handfuls of dough at a time and laying them together).

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned.

Cool completely before cutting into bars or else they are very very gooey. When cool, cut with a pizza cutter.

Triple Chocolate Toffee Cookies

These are very good. I am going to credit their level of mouth-watering, rich, chocolately tastiness to the large amounts of real chocolate (rather than cocoa powder) in the cookies as well as the (almost) absence of flour.

Triple Chocolate Toffee Cookies

makes 32 cookies.

adapted from The Pastry Queen, Rebecca Rather.

2 cups heath toffee bits (found near chocolate chips)

6 TBSP unsalted butter

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 TBSP vanilla extract

1/3 cup all purpose flour

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ cups white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Grease baking pan generously with butter or cooking spray.

Melt butter, bittersweet chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally, watching carefully to make sure chocolate does not burn. Remove the pan from the heat to cool.
Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy.

Add vanilla and melted chocolate. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes, until dough is thick and glossy.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt to chocolate mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Stir in toffee pieces and white chocolate chips.

Let dough rest for 20 minutes (this will make it easier to scoop).

Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough on prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 1 ½ inches apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until the tops begin to crack and look glossy. Cool cookies 10 minutes before removing them from the baking sheets.