Posted on

Toffee Poke Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size)
  • 1 jar (17 ounces) butterscotch-caramel ice cream topping
  • 1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 3 Heath candy bars (1.4 ounces each), chopped

Directions
1. Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a greased 13×9-in. baking pan. Cool on a wire rack.
2. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in cake. Pour 3/4 cup caramel topping into holes. Spoon remaining caramel over cake. Top with whipped topping. Sprinkle with candy. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Yield: 15 servings.

Posted on

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Ingredients

  • 2-1/2 cups 2% milk
  • 1 cup butter, cubed
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

FILLING:

  • 6 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions
1. In a large saucepan, cook the milk, butter and chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla; stir in chocolate mixture until smooth. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture and mix well (batter will be thin).
3. Transfer to three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
4. For filling, in a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Stir in confectioners’ sugar and cream until smooth.
5. For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache reaches a spreading consistency.
6. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings.

Posted on

Chocolate chip coffee muffins

Ingredients
2/3 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.
4. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until done. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.

Posted on

Peanut butter banana bread

Ingredients
Bread:
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana,1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter,3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs,1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar,6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed,3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt,1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Cooking spray

Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.2. To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.

Posted on

Tuscan Lemon Muffin

Ingredients
7.9 ounces all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt); make a well in center. Combine ricotta and next 5 ingredients (through egg). Add ricotta mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
3. Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups; coat with cooking spray. Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over batter. Bake at 375° for 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Posted on

Salted Caramel Banana Bread pudding

Ingredients

  • Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups caramel sauce, store-bought or homemade
  • 8 thin slices slightly stale or very lightly toasted firm white sandwich bread (such as Pepperidge Farm or Oroweat/Arnold’s Country Buttermilk or Country Potato Bread)
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • For the custard:
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted

Procedures
1.Stir the salt into the caramel sauce. Butter the ramekins and spoon a generous tablespoon of the caramel into the bottom of each one. Spread a tablespoon of the remaining sauce on one side of each bread slice.
2.Cut the bananas on a slight angle into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut 1 slice of bread lengthwise in half and then crosswise into thirds, to make 6 pieces. Place a slice of banana on each piece of bread. Stack 4 pieces of the banana-topped bread, turn the stack on its side, and place it in a ramekin. Put the 2 remaining pieces of bread, banana side inward, on either side of the stack. Repeat to fill the remaining ramekins.
3.To make the custard: Whisk the eggs, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl just until blended but not foamy. Whisk in the half-and-half and milk. Fill each ramekin with the egg mixture, reserving any left over. Let stand until the bread is saturated, 20 to 30 minutes, topping off the puddings with the remaining egg mixture as necessary.
4.Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Put a kettle of water on to boil. Brush or drizzle the exposed edges of the bread with the melted butter, then sprinkle the buttered edges with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, using a generous teaspoon per pudding.
5.Wipe any smudges off the ramekins and set them in the baking pan. Put the pan in the oven. Pull out the oven rack and pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the edges of the bread are golden brown and a knife inserted in the puddings comes out mostly clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the water bath, then remove with tongs. If not serving within 2 hours, cover and refrigerate.
6.Serve the puddings in their cups, warm, at room temperature, or cold, or reheated individually for a few seconds in the microwave. Or unmold them: slide a thin knife around the inside of each ramekin to detach the pudding, tip the ramekin on a dessert dish, and slide the pudding out, letting the sauce flow around it. Scrape the extra sauce from the cup around it or drizzle on top.

Posted on

Banana Bread

Ingredients (2 loaves)

  • 2 cups very ripe pureed bananas (approx. 6 bananas)
  • 2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup oil (if your prefer, you may sub. melted, unsalted butter)
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup Coca-Cola
  • 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2.Spray two 9 X 5 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
3.Using your food processor, puree the bananas, then remove the puree to another bowl and set aside.
4.No need to clean the work bowl of your food processor, just add together and blend well the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla.
5.Measure and mix together, in a separate bowl, all the dry ingredients except the nuts.
6.Return banana puree to processor work bowl.
7.Add dry ingredients and blend, pouring in the coca cola as mixture is blending together.
8.Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.Blend in nuts by hand.
9.Divide mixture between the two loaf pans.Place loaf pans on a baking sheet in the oven.
10.Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes OR until loaves test done in the middle with a toothpick.
11.Let cool about 10-15 minutes then turn loaves out of pans to finish cooling.These loaves keep well or can be frozen.

Posted on

Vanilla Ice Cream and Ginger Molasses Cookie Sandwiches

ingredients
Cookies

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
  • 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup unsulfured (light) molasses
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
  • Sugar

Sandwiches

  • 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened slightly
  • 1/2 cup chopped drained stem ginger in syrup
  • Fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced

preparation
For Cookies: Sift first 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Combine butter, shortening and brown sugar in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter mixture until fluffy. Add egg, molasses and peel; beat until blended. Add dry ingredients; mix just until incorporated. Cover; chill 1 hour.Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 baking sheets. Place sugar in small bowl. Using wet hands, form dough into 12 equal pieces; shape pieces into balls. Roll in sugar to coat. Transfer to prepared sheets, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are pale golden and cracked on top but still soft, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Transfer to racks; cool completely.
For Sandwiches: Place ice cream in medium bowl. Stir in ginger. Freeze until almost firm, about 30 minutes.Place 6 cookies on work surface, flat side up. Top each with 1/3 cup ice cream. Spread to 1/4 inch from edge of cookies. Top each with second cookie. Press to adhere. Place in freezer. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly; keep frozen.)Arrange sandwiches on plates. Garnish with berries and serve.

Posted on

Salted Caramel Ice cream

ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
  • 2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • Equipment: an ice cream maker

preparation
Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

nutrition information
per serving (4 servings)

  • Calories796
  • Carbohydrates69 g (23%)
  • Fat55 g (85%)
  • Protein9 g (19%)
  • Saturated Fat33 g (166%)
  • Sodium422 mg (18%)
  • Polyunsaturated Fat3 g
  • Monounsaturated Fat16 g
  • Cholesterol329 mg (110%)
Posted on

Chocolate cinnamon gelato with toffee bits

ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups whole milk, divided
  • 5 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream,1/3 cup coarsely crushed toffee candy (such as Skor, Heath bar, or Almond Roca)

preparation
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt in heavy medium saucepan until blended. Gradually add 1/4 cup milk, whisking until cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk in remaining 1 3/4 cups milk. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook 1 minute longer, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until melted and smooth.Transfer gelato base to medium bowl. Mix in cream. Place bowl over large bowl filled with ice and water and cool, stirring often, about 30 minutes.Process gelato base in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, adding toffee during last minute of churning. Transfer to container; cover. Freeze at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. 4 servings