Dessert First

FIRST: Could you please head over to this website (http://www.pomwonderful.com/cupcakecontest/) and vote for my Pink Velvet POM Cupcake & I would love if you’d spread the word via your blog, Facebook, etc!

 

I wish I could send you all cupcakes at this point! I so appreciated and enjoyed reading through all of your thoughtful comments and I am equally excited that all of you will be following along! :-) And speaking of cupcakes, here are two new flavor additions to the menu.

Another cupcake to be added to the Candy Bar line…

Reeses Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Chocolicious Peanut Butter Swirl Cake
Topped with 1 Layer of Whipped Chocolate Frosting
& 1 Layer of Whipped Peanut Butter Frosting
Garnished with a Mini Peanut Butter Cup

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And another addition to the Girl Scout Cookie  line…

Samoas Cupcake
Coconut Graham Cracker Bottom below our Chocolicious Cake
Topped with a Whipped Coconut Frosting
Garnished with a drizzle of both Caramel and Chocolate and finished with half a Samoa Cookie

So hopefully today you brought your sweet tooth, because it’s a recap on my cooking class (if you missed recaps of my other classes, see them here and here) that I taught this past Friday called Dessert First. The description in the community catalog stated:

“Dessert first might not always be appropriate, but in this class it's required. Learn to make semi-homemade desserts that look like they've taken hours to prepare.  Cheesecake, trifles, and more.  This class is guaranteed to be sweet!”

I look forward to my classes more and more each month because each time the attendance gets bigger and bigger. I am already starting to plan next fall’s class line-up!

So like the description stated, this class was all about the sweet stuff. I tried my best to pick out recipes that I thought would be new to people and please a variety of taste palates. After all my researching, it was a success—no one had tried the recipes before, and everyone loved them once they did! So take a few minutes and attend my “virtual” Dessert First class!

--Class Intros--

--Giving away prizes; a free 1/2 dozen of my Cupcakes —

--Explaining the first recipe, Peanut Butter Cup Trifle--

--Assembling in progress--

--The finished dessert--

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

Ingredients:

·         9x13 pan of brownies, cut into 1 inch pieces

·         5.1 oz instant vanilla pudding

·         3 cups milk

·         ½ cup creamy peanut butter

·         2 tsp vanilla

·         8 oz container thawed whipped topping, divided

·         14 peanut butter cups, crumbled (Not the minis)

·         10 mini peanut butter cups to garnish (cut in half)

Directions:

·         Combine pudding and milk. Beat for 2 minutes.

·         Add peanut butter and vanilla, beat until smooth. Gently fold in 2 cups whipped topping.

·         In a trifle dish, layer ½ the brownies, ½ the crumbled peanut butter cups, ½ the pudding mixture. Repeat.

·          Top with cool whip and peanut butter cups.

·         Chill until serving.

                                           Serves: 12-15 (Varies)

--Explaining the versatility of  phyllo tarts--

Warm Mini Apple Pies

Ingredients:

·         1 peeled, cored and finely chopped Granny Smith apple

·         1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

·         2 tablespoons raisins

·         1/4 cup brown sugar

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

·         15 Mini Phyllo Shells (1 box)

·         1/4 cup thawed whipped topping, for garnish

 

Directions:

·         In a medium skillet, sauté apples, walnuts, raisins, brown sugar and butter over low heat until apples are tender, stirring frequently.

·         Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon.

·         Cool slightly and spoon 1 tablespoon of apple mixture into each phyllo Shell. Garnish with whipped topping. Serve immediately.

 

--Prepping the next dessert--

--Cherry Cheesecake Cookie Cups--

Cherry Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Ingredients:

·         1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

·         2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature

·         1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

·         2 large eggs

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

Directions:

·         Preheat oven to 325° F. Paper-line 24 muffin cups. Place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup.

·         Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup.

·         Beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and vanilla extract in medium bowl until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup.

·         Bake for additional 15 to 18 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Top each with level tablespoon of pie filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

--Saving the best dessert for last!--

--Mini Molten Chocolate Cakes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream--

Mini Molten Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

·         4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

·         1/2 cup  butter

·         1 cup powdered sugar

·         2 whole  eggs

·         2 egg yolks

·         6 Tbsp.  flour

·         Ice cream for serving, if desired

 

Directions:

·         Heat oven to 425°F.

·         Butter 4 small custard cups; place on baking sheet.

·         Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted; whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar.

·          Add whole eggs and egg yolks; mix well. Stir in flour. Spoon into prepared cups.

·         Bake 13 to 14 min. or until sides of desserts are firm but centers are still soft. Let stand 1 min. then carefully run small spatula or knife around cakes to loosen; invert into dessert plates. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream.

What dessert would you want to try first?

Buon Natale! Christmas Italy Inspired

“The essence of Christmas Day in Italy is family, love and food, la famiglia, l'amore e il cibo.”

Hey all! How’s your week treating you? Can you believe it’s the last week of the year? I am still working on coming up with a New Year’s Resolution, so I’ll be sure to share it when I do!

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If you’ve been reading the blog for awhile, you know my family is mostly all Italian. My grandma’s parents came straight from Italy, and I still have relatives over there. (A good excuse to visit I'd say!) I’ve always been a big lover of all things Italian, especially the food! I am still deciding if Italian or Mexican cuisine is my favorite, but I am leaning towards the Italian side. I mean really, who can pass up baked ziti, fresh baked breadsticks, and all other things smothered in homemade marinara sauce? I didn’t think you’d argue! :-)

So when coming up with a menu for this Christmas back in November, somehow all the recipes I had in a folder were Italian-inspired. So I thought, “Hey, why not have an official Italian themed Christmas dinner?” Nobody obliged, so that was that, and our Italian meal was planned, prepped, cooked, and eaten(the best part obviously)and enjoyed by everyone!

The meal was compliments of the two family chefs:

Grandpa and myself

My grandpa prepared the roasted chicken cattiatore & the wild rice stuffing.

I prepared everything else! To say my Christmas day was spent cooking and baking would be an understatement! ;-)

Tossed Italian Salad—mixed greens, sliced cucumber, fresh basil, diced tomatoes, Italian dressing. Toss & enjoy!

Roasted Chicken Cattiatore

6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken (6-8 lbs)
• 1/2 c fresh chopped basil leaves
• 4 garlic gloves, peeled
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 jar roasted red bell peppers
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
• 1 c chicken broth

Directions:

• Remove giblets from chicken and reserve for other uses.
  Pull off and discard lumps of fat.

• Rinse bird well inside and out; pat dry.

• If desired, fold wing tips under first joint.

• Set bird breast up on a V-shaped rack in an 11- by 17-inch pan.

• Push 1/3 of the basil  under skin and spread evenly over breast.

• Place  garlic cloves  in body cavity.

• Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper.

• Distribute peppers, and tomatoes around chicken in pan; spread level.

• Roast in a 425 degree regular or convection oven until vegetables begin to brown and a thermometer inserted through thickest part of breast to bone reaches 170 degrees, or 180 degrees through thickest part of thigh at joint, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours.

• Insert a carving fork into chicken cavity, piercing carcass.

• Lift bird and tilt to drain juices into pan.

• Set chicken on a rimmed platter; let rest in a warm place about 15 minutes.

• With a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a shallow bowl;  keep warm.

• Skim and discard fat from pan; add vinegar,  broth, and remaining herbs.

• Stir often over high heat, scraping browned bits free, until reduced to 3/4 cup, 6 to 8 minutes.

• Pour through a fine strainer into a small pitcher or bowl.

• Carve chicken and serve with vegetables.

• Add pan juices and salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe courtesy of my grandpa

Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots

Serves 6 (1/2 c)

Ingredients:

• 2  tablespoons  plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3/4  cup  thinly sliced shallots (about 2 large)
• 2  teaspoons  brown sugar
• 2  pounds  sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1  tablespoon  finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2  teaspoon  coarse sea salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add shallots to pan, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with sugar; cook 20 minutes or until shallots are golden, stirring occasionally.

2. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place potatoes in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add rosemary, salt, and pepper; beat until blended. Spoon into a bowl; top with shallots, and drizzle with remaining 2 teaspoons oil.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples

Ingredients:

• 1/2  cup  diced apple
• 8  ounces  Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
• 2  tablespoons  apple cider
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  minced fresh thyme
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine apple and Brussels sprouts in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish. Add apple cider, olive oil, minced fresh thyme, salt, and freshly ground black pepper; toss well. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until sprouts are tender.

Roasted Baby Red Potatoes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potatoes, oil, and rosemary on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread out potatoes in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring once halfway through cooking, until potatoes are golden brown and crisp outside and tender inside, about 30 minutes.

Italian Focaccia Bread

Serves: 16

Ingredients:

1 cup water (70° to 80°)

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

TOPPING:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

• In bread machine pan, place the first 11 ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).
• When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a greased baking sheet and punch down (dough will be sticky). With lightly oiled hands, pat dough into a 9-in. circle. Brush with oil; sprinkle with the cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into wedges; serve warm. Yield: 1 loaf (1-1/2 pounds, 16 slices).

Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

Serves: 14-16 servings

Ingredients:

• 12  ounces  creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, broken into pieces
• 3  tablespoons  melted butter
• 3-8 oz  pounds  cream cheese, at room temperature (I used 1 fat free, 1 reduced-fat, and one regular)
• 3/4  cup  sugar
• 1/3  cup  sour cream (fat-free works fine)
• 4  eggs
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla
• 1/2  teaspoon  peppermint extract
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1 bag Hershey’s peppermint kisses
• 1 tub of Cool Whip

Directions:

1. Place cookies in a heavy zip-lock plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pour into a buttered 9-inch round springform pan and pour melted butter over crumbs; mix to coat, then press evenly over bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides of pan. Bake in a 300° oven until crust is slightly darker and looks a bit dry, about 10 minutes (leave oven on).

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Beat in sour cream. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in flour, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture into pan over baked crust.

3. Bake until edges are just golden and center jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. Run a knife around edge of pan rim. Place pan on a wire rack and cool cheesecake completely in pan. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Run a knife around rim again, then release rim. If any liquid has pooled on surface of cheesecake, blot dry gently with a paper towel.

4. Decorate top of cake with candy cane kisses and dollops of Cool Whip—I piped it using a Wilton pastry bag/tip.

Recipe by me

What was your favorite dish you ate or made this Christmas?

Grilling—The Good, Bad, and Ugly

Happy Thursday all—the week is rolling to an end!

The temps here have still been on the up and up which means it’s time to pull out the grill! We’ve actually been grilling for a good three weeks or so now—nothing better than a that tantalizing grilled flavor you just can’t get any other way! However, grilling is not all about just firing it up, closing the lid, and getting a good meal when you open it…there is a lot more it ensues, and safety is a big one.  Normally you don’t think about the downside of cooking—burnt food, fires, anything gone awry, but this past week our town experienced one of the biggest fires they have had since the 60’s and low and behold it started due to a grill out on a patio.

Thankfully no one was hurt, but the whole apartment building is no longer livable. So just let it serve as a reminder to brush up on your grilling safety tips…

Gas grill safety tips
When cooking outdoors with a gas grill, check the air tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders or food grease, and follow these tips to reduce the risk of fire or explosion:

• Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing.
• Move gas hoses as far away as possible from hot surfaces and dripping hot grease.
• Always keep propane gas containers upright.
• Never store a spare gas container under or near the grill or indoors.
• Never store or use flammable liquids, like gasoline, near the grill.
• Never keep a filled container in a hot car or car trunk. Heat will cause the gas pressure to increase, which may open the relief valve and allow gas to escape.
  Charcoal grill safety tips
  Charcoal produces carbon monoxide (CO) when it is burned. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can accumulate to toxic levels in closed environments. To reduce the risk of CO poisoning:
• Never burn charcoal inside of homes, vehicles, tents or campers.
• Charcoal should never be used indoors, even if ventilation is provided.
• Since charcoal produces CO fumes until the charcoal is completely extinguished, do not store the grill indoors with freshly used coals.

Now onto the good side of grilling..the food!

((Steaks))

((Boneless Pork Chops))

We wanted to test two new sauces for marinating the pork..

The lovely people at Tribal Moose sent their unique Cranberry BBQ Sauce to accompany our grilling escapades. We didn’t know how well a cranberry flavor would meld with a BBQ sauce, but it was surprisingly a great combo!  We both agreed the sauce is on the spicy side, so you just need a little to achieve a great flavor punch. It also held up really well when used as a marinade and stays on once grilled.

And the next sauce was one I picked up when I was out in Boston a few weeks ago..The Iron Chef Thai Sweet Pepper and Garlic sauce. You could smell this through the top of the bottle before you even open it, so you know it’s not going to be lacking in the flavor department. It’s more like a jelly consistency, so perfect for spreading on as a marinade, however it didn’t stay on too well during the grilling stage and we had a hard time finding the flavor on the one pork chop we used it on. I am sure I can find other uses for it, so no biggie!

 

*Back left is marinated with Sweet Pepper sauce, front left is Cranberry BBQ sauce and two on the right are just plain*

((Apples and Onions))

When grilling, you can still fit in your 5-a-day!

• 1 apple
• 1/2 red onion, sliced,
• few sprays of cooking spray
• tinfoil
• dash of pepper

Simple steps: Make a tinfoil pack and spray the inside. Add in apples, onions and pepper. Fold up leaving a vent for steam on the top. Place on low on grill and keep checking for doneness every few minutes..apples will be fork tender.

I tried some new springtime frozen steam veggies from Target..

Thumbs up—you get a lot in a package for the price and the citrus sauce complements grilled meats very well!

What are your favorite grilled meals to make/eat?

Ending the Week Sweet

I lucked out with a 4 day weekend this week. I always have Thursdays off and then all of my classes got cancelled on Friday, but I’m not complaining. :-)

A lot of you have been asking what I have been up to lately, so I figured other than just sharing the recipes and meals I’ve been making/eating, I’d share a few pictures of what’s been consuming my time lately.

• A lot of studying—with mid-terms next week things get pretty busy as in reading, reading, reading, and memorizing.

• Packing for spring break—I’m taking a trip out to Boston starting next weekend for a few days to visit family. Any blogger’s in the area?—shoot me an email!

• Reviewing ALOT of great products I can’t wait to share!

• Enjoying the outdoors—I’ve been doing a lot of snowmobiling and four wheeling.

• Hanging out with my main squeeze and flying in his airplane. We flew up North to my hometown last weekend which was a lot of fun.

• And of course I couldn’t have a post without a new and sweet recipe right?! This cake is infused with a blend of aromatic spices, a fruit, AND a veggie! What a way to get five a day!!

Spiced Apple Carrot Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1  cups  flour

1/2 + 1/4  cups Splenda (what I used) or  granulated sugar

1 1/8  teaspoons  baking soda

1/2 + 1/4 teaspoons  baking powder

1/2+ 1/4  teaspoons  cinnamon

1/8  teaspoon  ground cloves

1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg

1  teaspoons  unsweetened cocoa powder

  pinch of  freshly ground black pepper

1/8  teaspoon  salt

1/2  cup  unsweetened applesauce

1/2 c egg beaters

1/2 + 1/4  cups  packed coarsely grated carrots (about 3 medium)

1/2 + 1/4  cups  packed coarsely grated tart apples, such as Granny Smith (about 2 medium)

Frosting:

4 oz fat free cream cheese

1/4 c powdered sugar

1 tsp  coconut extract

2/3 c Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 8 inch square pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, splenda or sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices, cocoa, pepper, and salt. Whisk to combine, then stir in applesauce and eggbeaters. Stir in carrots and apples.

2. Pour into pan and bake until cakes pull away from pan sides and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 minutes. Transfer cakes to cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and let cool completely.

3. Beat cream cheese, cool whip,  and extract until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until combined.

4. Once cake is cool, cut in half and cut each half in half horizontally. Spread some frosting over it, then top with second layer. Generously frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Cut into 8 double-layer slices.

 

Anything new and exciting you’ve been up to?