Well...guess whose in a sugar kinda mood...LOL!
We've got some pretty terrific recipes here we hope you'll all enjoy. I made a Ricotta Pound Cake with Blueberry Sauce, Cyndy made a Fresh Blueberry Pretzel Dessert and Brownies on Steroids and Carol has some pretty darn good cookies to boot-Cafe Coffee Cookies.
Get yourself a glass of milk...we're sitting down to some sugar!
Bunny made:
Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake with Blueberry Sauce
I'm in love with baking with ricotta cheese. It does amazing things to cake.
This pound cake recipe was originally orange, but I made it lemon. I then went hunting for a blueberry sauce to slather on top of it.
Oh my this was fantastic...the cake is soooooo moist! The blueberry topping is excellent and also a multi-purpose recipe-it would be great over pancakes and waffles and would also make a wonderful cheesecake topping.
I baked this for an hour in my oven, as most of the reviews on the recipe said the 45 minutes wasn't long enough. It was perfect at an hour. Just make sure to test the cake for doneness.
Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake with Blueberry Sauce
Food Network
Giada De Laurentis
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups cake flour
* 3 tsps baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more to grease the baking pan
* 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese ( I used a 15 ounce carton)
* 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
* 3 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon lemon extract
* 1 lemon, zested
* 2 tbls lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, ricotta, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla, orange zest, and Amaretto until combined. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Blueberry Sauce
All Recipes
Ingredients
* 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 cup orange juice
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 cup cold water
* 3 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, orange juice, and sugar. Stir gently, and bring to a boil.
2. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon. Thin sauce with water if it is too thick for your liking.
Cyndy made:
Fresh Blueberry Pretzel Dessert
This recipe came From Susie Ann, a good friend who knows what a good dessert is all about.
If you like textures and sweet & salty, this dessert is something you should try. It's fruity, sweet, creamy, salty and crunchy all in one bite. The flavors play so beautifully together.
I have never tried a pretzel crust, I don't know why. I've heard of them, and I've seen photos of them, but have never made one-until today. Oh, I am so Hooked! This crust is sweet and salty and buttery crisp. All this time I didn't know what I was missing.
I drooled over Carol's photo of the Peach Pretzel Dessert and we even talked about how amazing it is. I wanted something different and I got it. Today the blueberries came out of the refrigerator and they gave their all for this sinful dessert.
Sinful? Oh yeah. you can't stop taking bites every time you open the fridge...it's that good!
That's one of the reasons I decided to make them in muffin cup liners. Two words...Portion Control. I was so bad...I kept pinching a taste of the pretzel mixture.
I made 12 standard sized cups and had ingredients left over. I knew it wouldn't fit in an 8x8-inch pan, so I pulled out my tart pan and all that left over goodness fit in perfectly. I have no idea how many single portions this would make. If I had to hazard a guess? I'd say maybe 16, but that's only a guess.
This is one delicious dessert you won't want to put down.
Thanks Susie Ann & Carol. This is the perfect compliment to any summer meal.
Cyndy
Fresh Blueberry Pretzel Dessert
Adapted from: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Makeover-Strawberry-Pretzel-Dessert
Preheat oven 400 degrees.
2 c. crushed pretzels
1/2 c. melted butter
3 Tbsp. sugar
Mix together pretzels, melted butter and sugar; spread evenly into a 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake 8 minutes; cool completely.
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6 oz.) pkg.blueberry Jell-O
2 c. boiling water
4 c. fresh blueberries, washed and picked over for stems
Beat together cream cheese and sugar (and extract, if using) until well blended; fold in Cool Whip. Spread over cooled pretzel crust.
Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water; allow to cool to room temperature. Stir blueberries into cooled Jell-O. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes, then spoon over cream
cheese mixture. Chill until firm.
Cyndy made:
Brownies On Steroids
I found this recipe on Taste of Home forum, posted by our friend Deb.
The name of this brownie is NOT an exaggeration. One bite and I was in chocolate overload. The brownie bar itself is not huge by any means, and not bulked up. But the taste? Oh yeah baby, it's on steroids alright.
Now don't get me wrong, I mean that in the best way possible.
How can I describe the taste? Big Taste in a small bite...part brownie, part truffle. Crunchy... gooey...perfection.
I've already confessed my weakness for tweaking a recipe, and this recipe is no exception. Nutmeg is a spice I use often in baking. I thought the base of this bar needed a boost-while it was nice, it needed something more. I pinched a taste....mmmmm-good, but it's still missing something. I looked at all my spices and thought, no, nothing here that would add the flavor that is missing. Then I saw it....the bottle I picked up the other day at the market. It intrigued me when I read the label-Cocoa Chile Powder. It's one of McCormick's new gourmet line of spices. Oh yeah, a pinch of this would do...a very nice pinch...a whole BIG pinch. I took a small spoon and tasted the crust mixture....I liked what I tasted.
While the crust was baking, I started on the filling. It came together quickly and easily and it spread on the crust like a sinewy glossy ganache. I almost hated to cover it with the toppings, but I did. This time, I used the pecans but next time, I'll change them out for Macadamia nuts.
The chocolate texture and taste of the filling was almost truffle-like, and the crust a moist, yet firm, scrumptious base. I baked my crust for only 8 minutes and it was perfect.
When all was cooled and cut, we each took a bite. You can't taste the cocoa chile powder but you can feel it...a nice warmth that combines well with the chocolate, pecans and coconut.
This is a chocolate dessert so rich and delicious you need a BIG glass of milk.
Thank You Deb and thank you Lisa.... this is one treat that satisfies my craving for chocolate!
Cyndy
Brownies on Steroids
Adapted from: The cutting edge of ordinary
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and cocoa (add Chocolate Chipotle powder and nutmeg, if using); add the butter and pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Press into the bottom of a well-greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Bake on center rack at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (this took 15 minutes in my oven, so check, mine was a little wet in the middle at the 10 minutes mark).
While crust is baking, combine condensed milk, vanilla extract and 1 cup of chocolate chips in heavy-bottomed saucepan; cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth.
When crust has cooked for 10 minutes, remove from oven and pour chocolate mixture directly over crust, spreading gently with a spatula if necessary.
Sprinkle the top with coconut, nuts, toffee bits and remaining chocolate chips. Press down to set; return brownies to oven to continue baking at 350 for 18-20 minutes.
Remove from oven, allow to cool, and cut into squares of desired size.
Carol made:
CAFE COFFEE COOKIES
I was in a cookie baking frenzy Saturday morning but wanted to try some new recipes...not the same ole, same ole. Besides......I have ALL of these cookbooks and cooking magazines here waiting to be opened up and looked at and USED.......Saturday was the day!
The photo of these cookies in the magazine hooked me right away..... it has a list of simple ingredients that I had right at my fingertips.....no more excuses.....time to BAKE!
What a wonderful twist on a basic chocolate chip cookie these are. The cookies are crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside-the perfect combination in my book. The coffee flavor is subtle, yet it adds a nice dimension of flavor. Since we're coffee lovers here, I'm going to use a heaping tablespoon of coffee in these the next time-I wanted to do what the recipe suggested the first time just in case the amount was the right one for us.
I wasn't sure about glazing them but then decided it might add a nice finishing touch-it sure did. Once again-the coffee doesn't overpower the glaze, but it does add a little more flavor to an already wonderful cookie. They're PERFECT with a cup of coffee and would be equally good with a nice cold glass of milk.
I'm so glad I dog-eared this page of the magazine-onto my favorites list this one goes!
Carol
CAFE COFFEE COOKIES
(Source: adapted from Betty Crocker's Supermoist Cakes magazine)
COOKIES:
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. instant coffee or instant espresso coffee granules or crystals
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips (I think milk chocolate chips would be wonderful in these cookies too)
COFFEE DRIZZLE:
1/2 tsp. instant coffee or instant espressp coffee granules or crystals
1 Tbsp. hot water
1/2-3/4 c. confectioners' sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat sugars, butter, egg and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
On low speed, beat in flour, 1 Tbsp. coffee granules, baking soda and salt. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake @ 350 degrees 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and edges are set. Cool on pan for 2-4 minutes; remove cookies from pans to wire racks and cool completely.
For the glaze, in a small bowl, dissolve 1/2 tsp. instant coffee in hot water. Stir in 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar, adding more confectioners' sugar, if necessary, to reach desired drizzling consistency.
Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Allow glaze to set before storing cookies in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper, plastic wrap or foil.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
