Tag Archives: Sweets

North Pole Cupcakes

Posted on by Laurie

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These festive, chocolatey-peppermint, cheesecake cupcakes are easy to make with a food processor and can be made ahead of time and frozen so that you have them on hand for holiday company or surprise visitors – that is, unless a certain someone in your house likes to sneak into the freezer and eat them as is. You might need to make extras!  Enjoy!

North Pole Cupcakes

An easy to make, festive treat for the winter holiday season!

makes 12

Ingredients

• 12 Mint Oreo cookies (or gluten-free sandwich-style cookies)

• 2/3 c. granulated white sugar

• 16 miniature peppermint candy canes, divided

• 1/4 c. dark chocolate chips

• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 1/4 c. sour cream

• 2 lg. eggs

• 1 T. chocolate liqueur

• 1/2 t. mint extract

• whipped cream for topping (canned is ok)

• shaved chocolate, chocolate sprinkles, sugar pearls, or sugar sprinkles for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin papers. Place one cookie in the center of each muffin paper.  (The cookies will be a little smaller than the bottom of the muffin cups, but the cookies puff out during baking.)

2. Unwrap 4 of the candy canes and break candy into small pieces (should be about 1 T.). Using a large food processor, process sugar and broken candy canes until they are crushed to a fine consistency. Add chocolate chips and process until the chips are finely crushed. Add cream cheese and process until smooth. Scrape down bowl. Add sour cream and process until smooth. Scrape down bowl. Add eggs, chocolate liqueur, and mint extract. Process or beat until well blended and perfectly smooth. Scrape down bowl.

3. Divide cheesecake batter between muffin cups, filling to the top, but not over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheesecake batter is puffy and set in the middle. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. (The cupcakes will sink in the middle as they cool and don’t look very pretty until garnished.)

4. Once completely cool, cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. (Once cooled, muffins can be removed from the baking pan, placed in a plastic container, covered tightly, and frozen until shortly before serving. If no one sneaks into the freezer to eat them, cupcakes should keep for about 1 month.)

5. Serve cold. (If frozen, remove cupcakes from freezer shortly before serving – about 15 minutes. When ready to serve, remove muffin papers. Garnish each cupcake with whipped cream, shaved chocolate or other decorations, and an unwrapped candy cane. Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Variation: Instead of whipped cream, top with chocolate ganache or chocolate buttercream flavored with peppermint.

Fresh Pineapple Cake

Posted on by Laurie

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Fresh Pineapple Cake

This is a very light, moist cake with a coarse crumb that is not overly sweet. Serve for breakfast with fresh fruit and yogurt or for afternoon tea.

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour or white rice flour (for gluten-free)

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. granulated white sugar

2 lg. eggs

1 c. buttermilk or whole milk

3/4 c. fresh pineapple cubes (between the size of raspberries and blueberries)*

confectioner’s sugar for garnish

edible flowers**, herbs, fresh pineapple for garnish, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare an 8″ round cake pan or decorative cake pan with baking spray or with butter and flour. (For gluten-free, use rice flour.)

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, beat butter until it is light and fluffy. Add granulated sugar and continue to beat for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl.

4. Lightly beat in 1/3 of flour mixture, then 1/2 c. of buttermilk or milk. Scrape sides of bowl. Repeat, and then beat in the remaining flour mixture.

5. Fold pineapple into batter. Spoon batter into the prepared cake pan, using the back of the spoon to smooth and level top of batter.

6. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center tests clean.

7. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto cake plate to serve right away or onto wire rack to continue cooling. Dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar before serving. Garnish as desired.

* Canned pineapple tidbits can be substituted in the recipe for fresh pineapple, if well-drained first.

** Daisies and lemon balm leaves are shown here. Daisies are edible and taste similar to parsley. So they are not very dessert-like in flavor, but they are a pretty garnish.

Enjoy!

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Banana Chocolate Crumb Cheesecake

Posted on by Laurie

Happy National Cheesecake Day on July 30th! I decided to mark the occasion by making one of my favorite cheesecakes – Banana Chocolate Crumb Cheesecake!

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 Banana Cheesecake

This is a soft, not-too-sweet, delicately flavored banana cheesecake with a dark chocolate cookie crumb “crust”. The custard recipe comes from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s banana variation of her Cordon Rose Cheesecake in The Cake Bible – a truly excellent cookbook.

Make 1 day ahead

Ingredients (at room temperature)

1 lb. (2 8-oz. pkgs.) cream cheese

1 c. granulated white sugar

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/4 t. salt

2 c. sour cream

2 large, very ripe bananas, enough to make 1 c. mashed

3 T. fresh lemon juice, strained

1 1/4 – 1 1/2 c crushed dark chocolate wafer cookies  (use gluten-free cookies for a gluten-free cheesecake)

Prepare Pan

1. Butter the inside of an 8″ springform pan.  Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the inside of the pan – just smaller than 8″ in diameter. Butter the paper and then place it in pan.

2. Wrap the outside of the pan with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent seepage from the water bath.

3. Have ready a larger baking pan – I use a 9″-square brownie pan – to use as a water bath for baking the cheesecake.

Directions for Making Cheesecake Custard

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Using a mixer or large food processor, beat together cream cheese and sugar until perfectly smooth. Scrape bowl. Beat in vanilla and salt, then sour cream. Scrape bowl.  Mash bananas together with lemon juice. Beat bananas into custard. Scrape bowl.

3. Pour custard into prepared springform pan. Place pan in larger baking pan. Pour in 1″ of very hot water. Bake cheesecake for 45 minutes. Turn oven off, without opening the door, and leave cheesecake in oven for one hour.  Remove cheesecake from oven and from water bath.  Remove foil from pan.  Plan pan on a cooling rack and let cheesecake continue cooling at room temperature for one more hour. Cover  pan with plastic wrap. Chill cheesecake in refrigerator overnight.

Serving

1. The next day, wipe outside of cheesecake pan with a hot, damp towel. Run a thin spatula around the inside of the pan. Release the clasp on the springform pan and remove the outside of pan.  If there is condensation on the cheesecake, lightly pat it dry with a paper towel. Invert cheesecake onto a flat plate or a small cutting board covered with plastic wrap.  Remove parchment paper.

2. Pat cookie crumbs onto bottom and sides of cheesecake. Re-invert onto serving plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving. Garnish and serve.

Suggested Garnishes

• Whipped cream, chocolate shavings and banana and/or strawberry slices.

• Whipped cream and hot fudge.

• Whipped cream and dark cherries.

• For Banana Split Cheesecake, serve with whipped cream, banana slices, strawberry slices, pineapple chunks, chopped walnuts, chocolate sauce, and melted strawberry jam.

Enjoy! Happy National Cheesecake Day!

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White Chocolate Citrus Bars

Posted on by Laurie

I’ve been thinking about Mother’s Day coming up, which made me think of this delicious little confection – probably because it is a perfect sweet treat for a ladies’ tea. Enjoy!

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White Chocolate Citrus Bars

Makes 16 large, or 32 small pieces

 

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, divided

1 c. granulated white sugar, divided

1/3 c. unsalted butter

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 c. (total) fresh squeezed lemon, lime and/or orange juice

1 T. (total) freshly grated lemon, lime and/or orange zest

3.75 oz. chopped real white chocolate or 3/4 c. white chocolate chips

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9” square baking pan. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine 1 c. of the flour and 1/4 c. of the granulated sugar. Cut in butter, using your hands to blend ingredients, until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs. Press mixture onto the bottom of the baking pan. Bake for about 13 to 15 minutes or until the base looks just set. (Do not overbake or the base will dry out.)
  3. While the base is baking, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, citrus juice, citrus zest, remaining 1/4 c. of flour and remaining 3/4 c. of granulated sugar. Set aside.
  4. Once the base is ready, remove baking pan from the oven and sprinkle base evenly with white chocolate. Whisk the lemon mixture again and then spread it evenly over the white chocolate layer.
  5. Bake for another 13 to 15 minutes or until just set. Cool completely before cutting into bars or squares.

Tip: After zesting your lemon, lime or orange, roll it on the counter while pressing down on it with your palm. This will help you get more juice out of the fruit when you squeeze it.

Serving Suggestions: Right before serving sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. For a fancier presentation, press 1 c. of raspberry preserves through a sieve. Spoon preserves over pre-cut bars. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow preserves to firm up. Top cookies with  fresh mint leaves.

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Have a lovely weekend!

 

 

2LC Monthly Cooking Challenge: Mexican Wedding Cookies

Posted on by Laurie

Thank you once again to Bebe and Ridha for hosting this month’s Two Little Chefettes Cooking Challenge. The theme for this month is nuts. I just made a batch of Mexican Wedding Cookies – the pecan version – to put out for our guests. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

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Mexican Wedding Cookies*

Makes about 32

Known by various names, including Russian Tea Cakes, these buttery nut cookies, rolled in confectioner’s sugar, are good for entertaining because you can make them up to a week ahead of time and store them in an airtight container without any loss of quality.

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 T. confectioner’s sugar + about 1/2 c. extra for rolling cookies

1 t. vanilla extract*

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. pecans or walnuts finely chopped or ground to the texture of coarse kosher salt

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 T. of the confectioner’s sugar and the vanilla extract. On lowest speed, beat in flour and then nuts. The mixture will be very crumbly.
  3. Spoon a small about (about 1 heaping teaspoon) of mixture into one of your palms. Squeeze lightly until the mixture holds together then shape into a ball. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture, spacing the balls well apart on the 2 baking sheets.
  4. Bake for about 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned on the bottom. Place baking sheets on wire racks and allow cookies to cool. Once cool, roll the cookies in confectioner’s sugar until well coated. If desired, roll a second time.

* This recipe is from my cookbook, Confectionately Yours: A Collection of Cookies, Candies & Yummy Confections.

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Bumpkins with Pure White Cookie Icing

Posted on by Laurie

These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are absolutely one of my favorite cookies to serve during autumn months. I made them yesterday afternoon for my guests. The recipes are from my cookbook, Confectionately Yours.

Bumpkins

Makes about 34 cookies

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. rolled oats

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. ground mace

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/3 c. granulated white sugar

1/2 c. packed pumpkin puree

1 lg. egg

1 t. vanilla extract

2/3 c. walnuts, finely chopped

2/3 c. baking raisins, sweetened dried cranberries, pitted and chopped fresh dates, and/or chopped prunes, combined

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, mace, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. On lowest speed of mixer, beat in dry ingredients until well combined and then stir in nuts and fruit.
  4. Scoop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets spacing cookies 3” apart.
  5. Bake for about 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are just set and are lightly browned on the bottoms. Place baking sheets on wire racks and allow cookies to cool. Serving suggestions: once cooled drizzle with Pure White Cookie Icing.

Pure White Cookie Icing

This icing will add  just a little sweetness to your baked goods, and will make them see a little moister, but is primarily used for decoration.

 

1 c. confectioner’s sugar

1 T. milk

2 t. light corn syrup

  1. Place confectioner’s sugar in a small bowl. Stir in milk and light corn syrup until perfectly smooth. The mixture will be a little on the thick side, but should pour from a spoon in a slow, smooth stream.
  2. Drizzle or pipe onto cooled baked goods right away. (This is thick enough to pipe thin lines but not thick enough to pipe firm shapes.)