Tag: dessert

Apple Jelly Cake

INGREDIENTS

  • Any moist and delicious yellow cake baked into 2 rounds
  • 1 large jar of apple jelly (18 oz)
  • 2/3 cup sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Once your yellow cake is prepared and cooled enough to handle (but still warm), prepare your “icing” by combining one large jar of apple jelly (18 ounces) with 2/3 cup sugar. Mix until combined.
  • Poke holes in the tops of both layers of cake.
  • Place one layer of the cake onto your serving plate. Slather top with jelly icing, making sure to get into the holes of the cake before frosting sides.
  • Place the top layer of the cake on previous layer and slather the top with jelly icing as well, making sure to get into the holes of the cake before frosting sides. There should be enough jelly mixture to be really generous but reserve enough of the jelly icing for a second coat.
  • Allow cake to completely cool and add the remaining jelly onto the top of the cake, focusing on filling the holes as much as possible.
  • Enjoy!

NOTES

This is an old-fashioned cake that a co-worker used to talk about with fondness. I made it one day, and it become one of our favorites. Zach has requested this cake often for his birthdays instead of a traditional cake with buttercream icing. We have also tried this same method with different cakes and jellies, namely a white cake with blackberry. It was also delicious!

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Waitress’s In-the-Dark Dark Chocolate Pie

Original recipe: Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Pie — The BEST Chocolate Pie Ever!!

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

  • 1 package (about 36) whole Oreos
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter (*will need additional butter for the filling)

Caramel filling:

  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (*will need additional cream for ganache)

Ganache topping:

  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • 1 (12 oz) bag dark chocolate chips
  • Flaky salt like kosher salt or fleur de sel

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Finely crush the Oreos with a food processor or blender. Stir crumbs together with 8 tablespoons melted butter until well combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. Freeze crust for 10 minutes until set.
  • Combine remaining 8 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream until smooth. Cool caramel about 15 minutes. Pour the caramel over the Oreo crust, then return to freezer for about 30-45 minutes until just chilled and set. (You don’t want the caramel to fully freeze.)
  • Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup heavy whipping cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth. Pour the chocolate over the caramel and freeze for a final 30 minutes, until just chilled and set. OR refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. Before serving, sprinkle the top with a flaky sea salt like kosher salt or Fleur De Sel.

NOTES

I first tasted this delectable pie at a national tour of the Broadway musical Waitress in St. Louis. They were selling small jars of various pies prior to the show. The layers of caramel and ganache with a hint of salt made my toes curl. It has been a family favorite for special events ever since!

Feel free to bypass a step and buy a store-bought chocolate crust, if needed. However, you will really be missing out as the homemade Oreo crust really adds heft and structure to this amazing pie.

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Pecan Pie Bars

Original recipe: Pecan Pie Bars Recipe – Preppy Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons of butter (170 g), browned

Filling

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1½ cups dark or light corn syrup (360mL)
  • ⅔ cup packed brown sugar (140g)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40g)
  • 2 cups pecans roughly chopped (240g)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray then line it with parchment paper or foil.
  • Brown the butter for your crust.
  • In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, sugar and salt. Drizzle in the browned butter and stir together with a fork. Use clean hands to mix and knead the dough together (it will be crumbly) then place it in the prepared baking dish. Press it into a thin, even layer.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden.
  • While the shortbread crust bakes, in a large bowl, whisk to combine the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Sift in the ⅓ cup flour and whisk to combine. Add the chopped pecans and mix once more.
  • When the crust comes out of the oven, pour the pecan pie topping over it and smooth out any piles of pecans. Return it to the oven for about 30 minutes or until the topping is puffed and dry.
  • Allow to cool completely and then chill slightly before cutting, in order to get nice clean pieces.

NOTES

This is it. The best of the best. Move over pecan pie, this is the one thing that my kids have decided they must have every Thanksgiving and Christmas. The rich shortbread crust and the luscious filling are absolutely to die for!

Please check out the original recipe linked above. For a step-by-step walk through, check out the embedded video below.

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Zach’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 3/4 cups (248g) all-purpose flour, scoop and level to measure
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 12 Tbsp (170g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
  • 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or mix-ins of your choice – see notes)
  • Maldon sea salt flakes to sprinkle on top, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place butter into cast iron skillet and put into oven as it preheats. Once melted, leave about 1 tbsp of butter in pan and put the remaining melted butter into a large mixing bowl. Allow the melted butter to cool down a little bit before slightly adding additional ingredients.
  • Once cooled, add the following to the bowl with the melted butter: brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt.
  • Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla and stir until combined.
  • Sift in flour and baking soda, then stir until combined.
  • Mix in chocolate chips.
  • Scoop dough out into prepared skillet and spread into an even layer.
  • Sprinkle with Maldon flaked sea salt, if desired.
  • Bake in preheated oven until cook appears slightly under-baked in center, it will continue to cook from the residual heat of the pan for a few minutes once removed from the oven, about 18 to 20 minutes.
  • Spoon out and serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired or let cool at least 30 minutes to cut into slices.

NOTES

The above recipe is a template. Feel free to add in any number of mix-ins. One of our favorites is the addition of marshmallows (that have been halved and pressed into dough), white chocolate chips, and graham cracker pieces. I like to press in additional chocolate chips on top for decoration purposes. Not to mention topping with flaked sea salt!

Enjoy!

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Countdown to Christmas: 25 Days of Baking Traditions

When my children were growing up, Christmas was always the time of year that my love language of baking went into overdrive! I miss the days of multiple Christmas trees and outdoor decorations, but one of the things I refuse to give up as my children get older is showering them with baked goods during the holidays. For me, straight from my kitchen is straight from my heart!

And this year? Well, it was time to document family favorites so that my children can start their own traditions with their own families when the time comes.

♫ It’s tiiiIIIiiiime! ♫

Hopefully you can bring a little bit of childhood nostalgia into your own home this holiday season and for many years to come.

Merry Christmas, kiddos! I love you so much.

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Grandma Marilyn’s Caramel Corn

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 quarts of popped popcorn (2/3 cups of unpopped popcorn, prepared OR 3 bags of popped microwave popcorn)
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup light Karo corn syrup
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla (my addition)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Place popped popcorn in large roasting pan (or aluminum pan)
  • Combine the butter, sugar, Kara, and salt into a medium saucepan. It needs to be enough for the caramel to expand once additional ingredients are added. On medium-high heat, bring ingredients to a boil, and once bubbly, boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. This will expand and become foamy.
  • Add in vanilla, if desired.
  • Pour ingredients over the popcorn and stir to evenly coat. It is okay if it does not cover all the popcorn at this time.
  • Put in a 200 degree oven for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. The caramel will loosen and cover more popcorn with each stir.
  • While waiting, line counter with parchment paper.
  • Once your hour in the oven is complete, pour cooked caramel corn onto parchment paper and allow to cool.

NOTES

This is your grandmother’s version (see below from the compilation cookbook that was put together after your grandmother’s passing), and it is very similar to the Amish Caramel Corn recipe I always made when you were growing up. I have added a note to add vanilla to make this closer to that recipe. Enjoy!

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Ina Garten’s Brownie Pudding

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
  • 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup good cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
  • Vanilla ice cream, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.
  • When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.
  • Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.
  • Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

NOTES

This is AMAZING! It walks a thin line between molten lava cake and brownie. Make sure you commit to the bit and cream the specified mixture a full 10 minutes as instructed as it does something magical to this decadent dessert. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

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Audrey’s Favorite Cake Pops

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 freshly baked cake from this recipe (Preppy Kitchen’s Hot Milk Cake) or any box cake mix, if desired
  • 1 package almond bark
  • toppings (sprinkles, etc.)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Bake this recipe (Preppy Kitchen’s Hot Milk Cake) as instructed. Do not add powdered sugar topping.
  • While still hot, put the insides of the cake into the stand mixer, leaving the very edges that are crispy and brown in pan to snack on later. The tasty edges are the best part anyway!
  • Mix the cake at a low speed until the desired texture is reached.
  • Using a small cookie scoop, form dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
  • Once all dough balls are formed, allow to cool completely.
  • Place cooled cake balls into the fridge while melting your almond bark and gathering toppings.
  • If you have a plastic fork available, remove all but the center tine. This will be used to spear each cake ball for dipping.
  • In a ceramic mug, melt a few almond bark squares at a time in the microwave. Start off with 30 seconds before stirring, and follow up every 10 seconds of microwave time between stirs until the almond bark is melted.
  • Using the single tine on your plastic fork, spear your cold cake ball and dip into melted almond bark to completely cover. Allow excess to drip back into the cup and then place covered cake ball onto prepared baking sheet.
  • Dip the tine back into the almond bark and place a small amount to cover the hole left behind by the fork’s tine. Swirl remaining almond bark on tine to decorate as desired.
  • Immediately use your sprinkles or other toppings to decorate your cake ball as the almond bark will harden quickly.
  • Continue to repeat process until all cake balls are covered.
  • Place covered cake balls into fridge to completely set.
  • Enjoy!

NOTES

I do not use a popsicle stick as with traditional cake pops. We just pop them in our mouths! Just a reminder to make sure that you allow excess almond bark to drip off of cake pops while coating to ensure that the coating is thin or it will be a struggle to eat them. Feel free to use a box cake, if desired. Do note that you may have to use a few spoons full of a complimentary cake icing into batter when using some boxed mixes as they tend to be drier than the homemade cake recommended above. Either way, they will be delicious, I’m sure!

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Hot Milk Cake

Original recipe: Hot Milk Cake – Preppy Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup whole milk (240mL)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with baking spray.
  • Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, just until bubbling and butter is melted, about 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar and eggs on medium-high until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just incorporated. With the mixer running on low, gradually pour in the hot milk mixture. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Dust the cake with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.

NOTES

Please go to the linked original recipe or watch the embedded video below for detailed instructions regarding this amazing cake. I am copy/pasting for posterity’s sake, but the step-by-step instructions are recipe specific details provided in the original recipe are so important to understanding the magic of this recipe.

According to Zach, this is his favorite cake. It is also the cake that I use to make my cake pops. It is a great way to use up milk that is going to expire soon. There’s something so perfect about the crumb and the outer edges of this cake … and so simple with its coating of powdered sugar instead of icing. I will never tire of it!

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Audrey’s Favorite Oreo Truffles

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 package of mint Oreos
  • 4 ounces of cream cheese (1/2 block)
  • 1 package of white almond bark
  • Sprinkles or additional crushed oreos
  • Plastic fork

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Add 1 package of mint Oreos to a stand mixer.
  • Starting off slowly, crush Oreos until it forms a paste. Some pieces will still be larger and crunchy.
  • Add in 4 ounces of cream cheese and mix until combined. If needed, add additional cream cheese from remaining block until it reaches desired consistency. I like to use as little as possible to ensure that the tartness of the cream cheese does not overpower the mint Oreo flavor.
  • Using a small cookie scoop, form balls and place onto lined cookie sheet.
  • Please dough balls into freezer for about 15 minutes while you prepare almond bark.
  • In a ceramic mug, place a few cubes of the almond bark to melt in microwave.
  • Microwave for 30 seconds and then stir, if needed. Continue to microwave in 10 second increments until bark is fully melted.
  • Take your plastic fork and remove all the tines except the middle one.
  • Once dough is chilled and bark is melted, begin coating your Oreo balls by spearing each ball with the single tine of your plastic fork. Lower the cold dough ball into the melted bark.
  • Once coated, place the truffle onto your prepared lined baking sheet. Use a small bit of bark on to cover the hole left behind by the fork tine and swirl to decorate, if desired. The coating should immediately begin to harden so any sprinkles or toppings should be added at this time.
  • Repeat process until all truffles are coated.

NOTES

Get creative! Feel free to use any flavor of Oreos and know that your decorative topping choices are unlimited! I have always wanted to use the Golden Oreos and top with pink almond bark & crushed freeze-dried strawberries for a Spring version, for example. Enjoy!

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