Caramel Filled Caramel Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

I had the pleasure of making cupcakes for our friends/neighbor's son's third birthday.  I love when people request cupcakes above and beyond vanilla and chocolate, they're so much fun to make and eat.  I'm all about tasty cupcake fillings, and what better filling for caramel cupcakes than more caramel.  Seriously, can you ever have too much caramel?

I had some trouble finding an actual recipe for caramel cake, most of the cakes just use brown sugar instead of white, or a mixture.  Finally I found this recipe from Shuna fish Lydon which uses a caramel syrup in the batter.  The cake didn't have the strongest caramel flavor and would have been completely overpowered by the chocolate frosting, so the filling definitely added to the caramel deliciousness.  I used a standard chocolate frosting recipe, and it came out nice and fluffy, perfect for piping.  Some colored sprinkles were a must for this sweet boy's birthday celebration!

Caramel Cake
from Shuna fish Lydon
(adapted to make cupcakes)
 
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup caramel syrup (recipe follows)
2  large eggs, room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.  Sift together flour and baking powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth.
Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.  Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl.  Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.

Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time.  Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dries.

Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds. making sure batter is uniform.
Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full.  I actually found the recipe made about 18 cupcakes per batch, but you could probably fill the tins a bit less full and get more.  Bake for approximately 22 minutes.  Let cool for about 5 minutes and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.


Caramel Syrup

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water for "stopping"

In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand.  Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush.  Turn heat on high.  Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.

When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter, it is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and prepared to step back.  Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly (about 5 minutes).

Caramel Sauce for Filling
from Martha Stewart

2 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt (if you like salted caramel increase this to at least 1 1/2 teaspoons)

Heat sugar with the water and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over high, stirring occasionally, until syrup is clear; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan and stop stirring.

Cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed. Boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is caramelized and just reaches 360°F. Remove from heat and slowly pour in cream; stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in sea salt.

Use immediately; if caramel begins to harden reheat gently until pourable.

Chocolate Frosting

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons butter, softened to room temp
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa, and set aside.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with whipping cream. Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 

Assembly

To finish, use a paring knife to cut a cone-shaped piece (about 1/2 inch deep) from the center of each cupcake and throw away the pieces (or eat them). Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons warm Salted Caramel Filling into each hollowed-out cupcake. You will notice the caramel will sink into the cupcake a little, just fill it up a bit more.  Make sure the caramel is completely cool before you pipe over your frosting or it will probably start to melt your frosting.

Use a pastry bag with a medium open-star tip and pipe chocolate frosting onto each cupcake, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Garnish each cupcake with a pinch of sea salt. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are filled and frosted. Store at room temperature in airtight containers - do NOT refrigerate.

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Turtle Layer Cake

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 Sometimes you're just in the mood for cake. Well, I'm always in the mood for cake, but last weekend I was also in the mood for caramel and chocolate. And so I made a turtle cake.

I read on a blog that baking super thin cake layers reduces the dome that often occurs, but that definitely wasn't true for this recipe. Instead of having two domed cakes to trim I had four. Not a huge deal since I snacked on the scraps until dessert, but it took extra time since I only two pans of each size. I also used some leftover salted caramel for the caramel drizzle, which my husband said was a bit much.  I actually liked it but I'm a total salt addict so you may want to adapt according to your taste.  I also used salted pecan pieces so that might have something to do with it.

I was really pleased with the flavor of this cake, the buttercream is like silk but it absolutely must be at room temp when served.  There is a boatload of butter in it (3 sticks!) and if it is even a little cold it hardens up. 

Turtle Layer Cake
Makes 4 layer 6-inch round cake

1 recipe chocolate cake, recipe below
1 recipe caramel buttercream, recipe below
1 recipe salted caramel sauce, recipe below
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans, can be salted or not depending on your preference

For the cake layers:
Chocolate Cake
from allrecipes.com
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup water
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter two 6 inch round pans.  Cut parchment to fit into the bottoms and butter the parchment.  Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream and eggs. Set aside. Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, add the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the egg mixture, mixing until blended.
Pour batter into prepared pans . Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool for about 10-15 minutes and then run a small knife around the side to unmold.  Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.  Once it is cool use a long serrated knife to cut each layer in half, giving you four layers.  If the tops have domed trim them so they are relatively flat.

For the caramel buttercream:
From Martha Stewart

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Bring 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook, undisturbed, until caramel is dark amber. Remove from heat, and slowly add cream, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let cool.
Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Place whites and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat, and attach bowl to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add beaten butter, cup at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla.

Switch to paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, add caramel, and beat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

For the caramel sauce:
From David Lebovitz

Rich Caramel Sauce
slightly adapted from David Lebovitz 

1/2 cup unsalted or salted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel

In a large saucepan or a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to caramelize, then turns dark amber in colour and begins to foam a bit (it should smell and look like it's just on the verge of burning).  Remove from heat and slowly and carefully add in the cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously), whisking constantly until all of the cream is added.

Return the pan to med-low heat and stir until the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute.(this took about 5 minutes for me).  Then stir in vanilla and salt. 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then taste, and add more salt, if desired.

Assemble the Cake:
Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake round.  Place pieces of parchment underneath the cake so when you're frosting you don't have to worry about getting the plate covered in frosting, just pull out the parchment when you're done.

Put about 1/4 cup frosting on the first cake layer and smooth with an offset spatula.  Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of chopped toasted pecans over the layer.  Then drizzle with caramel sauce.  Repeat for the next two layers.  Once you've put the last layer on top, do a crumb coating if you have time.  This is basically putting a very thin layer of frosting on to seal in any stray crumbs from your final buttercream coating.  With buttercream frosting I like to stick the cake in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour to firm up the crumb coat.  Then slather on the rest of the frosting.  I bought a frosting smoother from Ateco, you just dip it in hot water, shake off the excess, and it smooths the frosting quite nicely.  A bench scraper also works.

Top with more pecans and a final drizzle of caramel sauce.  Enjoy!!

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Texas Sheet Cake

While chocolate is one of my favorite things in the world, for some reason I'm not much of a chocolate cake and frosting fan.  That was until I made this glorious Texas sheet cake.  The cake is super moist and light, and the frosting is fudgy and decadent.  The kind of frosting that crystallizes and gets all crunchy on top.   Oh.  So.  Good.

I made this cake for my supper club and it was a hit.  The best thing is this cake is super easy and quick to make.  I actually did it in a 9X13" pan since I didn't have a jelly roll pan (is it still a sheet cake then?  I guess not), if you decide to do this you just need to add about 10 to 15  minutes onto the baking time, but keep a close eye on it.  No need to wait for the cake is cool to frost, the frosting is runny and you just pour it on.   I left out the walnuts but I'm sure they would add a delicious crunch.

Texas Sheet Cake 
from allrecipes.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup water
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

6 tablespoons milk
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15 inch pan.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream and eggs. Set aside. Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, add the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the egg mixture, mixing until blended.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For the icing: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, then fold in the nuts, mixing until blended. Spread frosting over warm cake.

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Ultra Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why do I keep trying chocolate chip cookie recipes.  This one from America's Test Kitchen is by far my favorite though.  It's made with brown butter which give it a deep rich flavor, and they're super chewy.  Mmmm, I want to make more just thinking about them.

I've made these a couple of times now, once I added raisins and toasted pecans along with the chocoalte chips which were and amazing combination.  I think next time I might also throw in some toffee pieces as well.  The recipe is very specific, it calls for whisking part of the batter several times for 30 seconds with a three minute rest period in between whiskings.  I don't know what the reasoning behind it is, but when cookies turn out this delicious why mess with the technique?

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie
adapted slightly from America's Test Kitchen


1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (or substitute 1/2 cup raisins for chocolate chips)
3/4 cup chopped pecans


Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12- inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

 Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

Using a small ice cream scoop, place cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets approximately 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking seet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

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Whole Grain Caramel Rum Bars

I knew these would be trouble.  I bought a bag of caramel pieces with no recipe in particular in mind.  I started hunting through my many cookbooks and found this recipe in King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book.  Unfortunately the recipe used less than half of the bag so I ended up eating the rest which wasn't what I had in mind when I bought them.  Oops?  

Back to the recipe!  I loved these bars.  They were very easy to make, and the rum flavor was heavenly.  I would add more chocolate chips next time since they seemed a little sparse, but otherwise these were fantastic.

Whole Grain Caramel Rum Bars
from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking

Crust

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

2/3 cup caramel (from a block) or 21 individual candies
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp rum
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Topping

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan.

To prepare the crust: Whisk the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add in the orange juice and melted butter, stirring till thoroughly combined.

Measure out 1 3/4 cups of the crust mixture and spread it in the prepared pan, gently patting it down. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool while preparing the filling.

To prepare the filling: Melt the caramel, milk and rum in a small saucepan, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour the thinned caramel mixture evenly over the baked crust. Sprinkle with the almonds, then spread the remaining crust mixture over the almonds.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle them with the chocolate chips. Let cool until chocolate has solidified before cutting.

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Milky Way Tart

Yum.  Way better than a milky way chocolate bar for sure.  I would liken this more to a coffee crisp bar minus the wafers since I don't think there is any coffee in a Milky Way, but it's a lovely name don't you think?  I got this recipe from my Flour cookbook, and it is simply heavenly.

This tart is fairly simple to make, just know that most of the components require quite a bit of resting time in the fridge, so this really isn't something you can throw together in a couple hours.  The tart starts with a Pâte Sucrée tart shell, which is crisp, slightly sweet, and thoroughly delicious.  Top that with rich caramel sauce, then comes the glorious milk chocolate coffee whipped cream,  then more caramel and finally milk chocolate shavings.  Mmmmm.

These pictures were taken only moments before I dropped the leftovers all over my chair.  Tragic, but lesson learned: tarts belong on plates, not cake pedestals.

 

Milky Way Tart
from Flour

Ingredients

For the milk chocolate mousse

5 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

 

For the caramel filling

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the tart

1 baked and cooled 10-inch Pâte Sucrée tart shell
3- to 4-inch slab milk chocolate, at warm room temperature, for decorating

Pâte Sucrée Recipe

1/2 cup (1 stick/114 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (140 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until pale and light. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the flour mixes with the butter-sugar mixture. The mixture will look like wet sand. Add the egg yolk and continue to mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the dough comes together.

  Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. (At this point, the dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using.)

If making a pie shell, have ready a 9-inch pie pan dish. If making a tart shell, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a 10-inch tart ring on top. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let soften at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Using a rolling pin, bang and flatten the dough into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Flour the work surface, and then sprinkle the dough disk with a little flour. Roll out the dough into a circle 10 to 11 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick for a 9-inch pie shell, or about 12 inches in diameter and just under 1/4 inch thick for a 10-inch tart shell. Make sure the work surface is well floured so the dough doesn’t stick to it, and make sure the disk itself is floured well enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking to it. Roll from the center of the disk outward, and gently rotate the disk a quarter turn after each roll to ensure the disk is evenly stretched into a nice circle. Don’t worry if the dough breaks a bit, especially toward the edges. You can easily patch any tears once you have lined the pan.

Roll the dough circle around the pin and then unfurl it on top of the 9-inch pie pan or the 10-inch tart ring. Press the dough well into the bottom and sides of the pan or ring, and use any scraps or odd pieces to patch up any tears or missing bits. Make sure the entire interior is well covered with dough, and then press one last time all the way around to ensure any holes have been patched. Trim the edge of the dough so it is even with the rim of the pan or ring.

Refrigerate the pastry shell for at least 30 minutes. The gluten needs a little time to relax so the pastry doesn’t shrink in the oven. (The pastry shell can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 2 weeks. Bake directly from the refrigerator or freezer.)

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack. If you are making a tart shell, remove the tart ring. Proceed as directed in individual recipes.

Make the mousse

Place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and instant coffee powder and heat over medium-high heat until the mixture is scalded, which means when bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan but the cream is not boiling.

Immediately pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let stand for about 1 minute. Then whisk gently until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small container, stir in the salt, cover tightly, and refrigerate until it is absolutely, completely chilled, at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. A few hours is not enough. (Because the cream has been heated, it will not whip properly unless it is very cold.)

Make the caramel filling

Place the sugar in the bottom of a medium saucepan and slowly pour in the water. Stir gently to moisten the sugar. If any sugar crystals are clinging to the sides of the pan, brush them down with a pastry brush dipped in water. Place the pan over medium-high heat and leave it undisturbed until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. (You want to avoid crystallization of the syrup, which can happen if the pan is disturbed before the sugar starts to color.) Then continue to boil rapidly without moving the pan until the sugar syrup starts to caramelize. This will take 3 to 4 minutes: the sugar syrup will boil furiously; then as it thickens, it will boil more languidly; and then you will see some of the syrup starting to color and darken around the edge of the pan.

When you see color in the pan, gently swirl it in a circular motion so the sugar caramelizes evenly. The syrup will start to turn golden brown, and then as you swirl the pan, the syrup will continue to get a bit darker and then darker still. To check the true color of the caramel, tilt the pan so you can see the syrup covering the bottom. This is the actual color of the caramel, and you want to keep cooking the caramel until this layer is a deep amber-brown. It takes just seconds for caramel to go from great to burnt, so be sure to tilt and check constantly.

As soon as the caramel is ready, slowly add the cream and then reduce the heat to low. Be careful. The steam that rises when the cream hits the caramel is extremely hot. Let the caramel and cream sputter for a few seconds until the mixture settles down, and then whisk to mix in the cream. Turn the heat up to medium and whisk together the caramel and cream (the mixture will have hardened a bit) for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they come together. Whisk in the butter, salt, and vanilla. Remove from the heat, pour into an airtight heatproof container, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 1 week.

Assemble the tart

 Place the tart shell on a flat plate. Spread about three-fourths of the caramel filling evenly in the bottom of the tart shell. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment or a hand-held mixer or a whisk, whip the mousse on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. Mound the mousse in the tart shell, and spread it evenly over the caramel filling. Drizzle the remaining one-fourth caramel filling in a crisscross pattern on top of the mousse. Using the back of a small knife or a vegetable peeler, shave curls from the milk chocolate slab. (Make sure the chocolate is slightly warm, or you will get splinters instead of curls.) Decorate the tart with the curls. Refrigerate the tart for at least 30 minutes before serving. (The tart can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.)

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Rocky Road Bars

This recipe was easy and deeeelicious.  I really should be banned from making them again.  When I first made them I had a bite after about 1 hour of refrigeration, and I thought, hmmm not bad.  I had them again a few hours later and somehow they had changed from not bad to irresistible.

The fudgey chocolate, silky smooth marshmallow, toasted almonds, and crunchy graham cracker crust were too much for me to resist.  In a matter of about three days I almost singlehandedly polished off an entire 9X13 pan full.  My husband stared at me in disbelief when I told him there were only a few squares left.  Ooops?

Fudgy Rocky Road Bars
from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

8 graham crackers
1 1/2 cups natural almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup marshmallow topping
1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 ounces) condensed milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with graham crackers, breaking them to fit if necessary. Bake until crackers are lightly toasted and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds and dollop with marshmallow topping.

In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, combine chocolate chips and condensed milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Pour chocolate mixture over marshmallow topping; working quickly, swirl together with a thin-bladed knife. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Cut into 18 squares.

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Turtle Bars

I wanted to make something a little more for the adults at my son's recent 3rd birthday party.  I had been eyeing the heartland turtle bars recipe in my Baked Explorations book, and thought they sounded like the perfect thing to make.  I have made turtle squares in the past with a recipe using boxed cake mix and caramel candies, and it always has gotten rave reviews so I thought I would try this from scratch recipe which also has the added heartiness of an oatmeal crust.

These were pretty delicious, although my one complaint is definitely not enough caramel.  I found the caramel to be quite runny and just sort of mixed in with the crust.  Great flavor but not that shot of pure caramel delight I was hoping for.  Next time I will use my favorite caramel recipe instead, it's a bit thicker and quite salty.  Otherwise I loved the buttery oatmeal crust and the rich chocolate center.  I must sound like a broken record, but use good quality chocolate chips, it makes a huge difference in the taste!

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Heartland Turtle Squares
from Baked Explorations


For the Oatmeal Base and Topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 3/4 cup rolled oats
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Caramel Filling:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Make the Bar Topping and Base:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch glass or lightly colored metal baking dish. Line pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs the pan on two sides.  Butter the parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.   Use your hands to rub in the brown sugar.  Stir in the oats until evenly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the melted butter, stirring until combined. Lightly press about 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven to cool on a wire rack for a bit, leaving the oven on. Sprinkle the chopped pecans and chocolate chips over the cooled crust.

Make the Caramel Filling:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and light brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to boil for one minute, stirring constantly. After 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and quickly whisk in the cream, then pour the caramel evenly over the pecans and chocolate chips.  Use an offset spatula to evenly distribute the caramel.  Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture over the top and bake for 10-12 minutes further or until the top is golden brown.

Let bars cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then place the pan in the fridge and chill for 1 hour to firm up.  Cut and serve.

These bars will keep, covered tightly, at room temperature, for about 3 days.

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Chocolate Cake Pops

In my first attempt at making cake pops, I made a yellow cake from scratch and a vanilla Swiss meringue frosting, dipped in melted chocolate.  I had big expectations for them and was a little dissapointed.  They had an odd texture and were way to sweet.  But for my little boy's 3rd birthday I wanted to give them another try.  I mean, cake pops are too cute and perfect for a party.  I went with a chocolate cake mix, prepared cream cheese frosting, and candy melts.  Damn were they good!  I guess cake mixes and canned frosting have their place after all.

Liam's birthday colors were green and blue (yes, I'm a matchy matchy nut when it comes to parties), so I did a few different decorations, all of which I thought turned out pretty cute.  They were a big hit with kids and adults alike.  I can't wait for an excuse to make them again!

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Cake Pops
from Bakerella 

1 box chocolate cake mix, I prefer the super moist with pudding in the mix
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz)
candy melts, for a full batch you will probably need about two of the Wilton-sized bags

Lollipop sticks (you can find these at Michael's)

Decorations (I used sanding sugar, nonpariels, and star sprinkles)

1. Bake the cake according to instructions.
2. When the cake has cooled completely, crumble it into pieces with your hands, the crumbs should be pea-sized or smaller.  Mix the frosting and cake together in a large bowl until the cake is moist.  Start with about 1 cup of frosting and try rolling it into a ball about the size of a quarter.  If the ball falls apart add 1/4 cup more frosting and try again.  I ended up using about 3/4 of the can of frosting.  Yup, ate the rest with a spoon.
3. Form the cake and frosting mixture into balls with the hands and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
4. Melt a small amount of candy melts in a double boiler or in the microwave and dip each stick about 1/2-inch into the melted chocolate, then stick about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through the cake ball.  If it starts to crumble just reshape.
5. Place the finished balls onto a sheet of parchment paper and put in the freezer for about 30 minutes or longer.
6. Melt chocolate in a double boiler in the microwave.
7. Remove the cake pops one at a time from the refrigerator and dip them into the melted candy. Rotate them as the candy drips off to thoroughly coat. 
8. If you're using decorations that stick on do this before the chocolate dries, so pretty much right away.
9. Place the finished pops on parchment paper until thoroughly cool.

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Banana Crunch Cake

For some reason we always have over ripe bananas in our kitchen, and I'm getting sick of making banana bread so I thought I would try something a little different.  This recipe is the first I tried out of my King Arthur Flour's Whole Grains book, and it's perfect for a tasty little afternoon (or midnight) snack.

The recipe uses oat flour and white whole wheat but doesn't taste that grainy which is nice.  The crunch topping is salty and sweet and delicious.  And the added chocolate chips are heavenly and a total must if you ask me.  I will definitely make this one again, it's nice to have a bit of variety when it comes to using up your bananas!

Banana Crunch Cake
from King Arthur Flour

Cake batter
1 cup (120g) oat flour (or ground oats)
1 cup (120g) whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
2/3 cup (132g) packed light or dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 cup (225g) mashed banana (2 large or 3 medium), the riper the better
1/2 cup (109g) plain yogurt, non-fat to full-fat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup (168g) chocolate or toffee chips (optional, but awesome)

Crunch topping
3/4 cup (60g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup (66g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup (30g) chopped pecans or walnuts

Grease and flour an 8-inch-square pan. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Whisk the flours, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions.

Mix in half the dry ingredients until moistened, then mix int the bananas, yogurt and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the remaining dry ingredients and the nuts and chocolate chips, if using, mixing until evenly moistened.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Make the topping. Combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small mixing bowl until well blended. Stir in the melted butter until the moisture forms large crumbs; stir in the chopped nuts. Sprinkle the topping over the batter in the pan.

Bake unit the edges pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 20 minutes before serving warm, with ice cream, or cool completely before eating.



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Buttermilk Sour Cream Doughnuts

I have been craving doughnuts for weeks, but I can't find a good doughnut shop where I live.  They all have that greasy taste, you know like when they've been using the same oil for months.  I've wanted to try making my own but I'm really nervous around hot oil, I don't think I've literally ever fried anything, and I like fried things.  Luckily my Mom is in town, so she took over frying duties and I was able to keep a safe distance.

These doughnuts are delightful.  Super crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside.  They're not too sweet, and the cinnamon and nutmeg add a delicious flavor.  The chocolate topping is glorious, not sweet but intensely chocolate.  I don't know that I would make these too often since we got about 15 large doughnuts out of the recipe plus the doughnut holes which is a lot of doughnuts to eat, even for four doughnut lovers.  But if you've got a hungry crew who likes doughnuts, this is a great recipe to try!

Farm Stand Buttermilk Doughnuts
from Baked Explorations

The Doughnuts

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2-teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking power
1-teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1-teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
3/4-cup buttermilk
1/4-cup sour cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly browned and cooled
Vegetable oil for frying

Chocolate Dip

4 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60-70%), coarsely chopped
1/2-cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sprinkles to decorate


Make the Doughnuts

Line one baking sheet with parchment paper and another baking sheet with two layers on paper towels.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream until combined. Add the melted, cooled butter and whisk again.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the liquid ingredients into the well. With a rubber spatula, slowly fold the flour into the liquid center until the mixture form a sticky dough.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface slightly dusted with flour. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and pat it out until it is about 1/2 inch thick.

Use two round cutters (3 1/2 inch and 1 1/2 inch for large doughnuts; 2 1/2 inch and 1 inch for smaller doughnuts). Dip the large cutter in flour and press out the rounds.

Dip the smaller cutter in the flour and cut out the center of ach dough round. Arrange both doughnuts and doughnut holes on the parchment-lined baking sheet, pat the dough scraps back together, and use them to make as many more doughnuts and doughnut holes as possible. Chill the dough while you heat the oil.

Pour enough oil into a deep skillet to make layer approximately 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches deep. Slowly heat the oil over medium-high heat until it id 365 to 370 degrees F.

While you are waiting for the oil to reach temperature, make the toppings.

Make the Chocolate Dip

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium wide-mouthed bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it is about to boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate ad wait a minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter. Keep the mixture warm.

Fry the Doughnuts

Once the oil reaches temperature, gently lift the large doughnuts off the baking sheet and place them in the hot oil. Do not crowd the skillet – make no more than 3 doughnuts at a time. Once they have browned on one side (this takes 2-3 minutes), turn them over with tongs or a slotted spoon and continue to cook for another minute or just until browned (they can overcook or burn rather quickly). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to the paper towel- lined baking sheet and continue o fry the rest of the dough until finished. The doughnut holes will cook faster and can be made in two or three batches after the doughnuts are done.

Assemble the Doughnuts

Once you have finished frying, work quickly to dip the doughnuts in the chocolate with sprinkles. Serve immediately.

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Sweet and Salty Brownies

These might just be the best brownies I have ever eaten.  They are intensely chocolatey, super gooey, and have glorious salty caramel baked into the center.  If you like sweet and salty you must make these.  Seriously.  They were very good a little warm from the oven (you're supposed to wait until they're completely cool before serving, but come on), they were delightful the next day when they became even more chewy, and they were simply heavenly cooled in the fridge a few days later, rich and fudgy.

These made a rather huge batch of brownies, a 9 X 13 pan is needed.  I thought I would send these to my husband's work or share with the neighbors but I can't stop eating these and I want them all to myself (ok, I did end up sharing a few).  These probably have about 1000 calories per bite, but when something tastes this good who cares.

I used David Lebovitz's caramel sauce (slightly adapted with more salt) since I had some in the fridge, but otherwise made the recipe as is.  I know I sound like a broken record, but make sure you use good quality dark chocolate, it makes all the difference!

Sweet & Salty Brownie
from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented

Rich Caramel Sauce
slightly adapted from David Lebovitz 

1/2 cup unsalted or salted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel

In a large saucepan or a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to caramelize, then turns dark amber in colour and begins to foam a bit (it should smell and look like it's just on the verge of burning).  Remove from heat and slowly and carefully add in the cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously), whisking constantly until all of the cream is added.

Return the pan to med-low heat and stir until the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute.(this took about 5 minutes for me).  Then stir in vanilla and salt. 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then taste, and add more salt, if desired.

Brownie:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
11 oz. quality dark chocolate (60-72%), coarsely chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:
1 and 1/2 tsp fleur de sel
1 tsp coarse sugar

For the brownie, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal 9 x 13 inch pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa powder.
Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl of the double boiler set over a pan of simmering water, and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler, and add both sugars. Whisk until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be at room temperature at this point.
Add three eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining two eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage, or your brownies will be cakey.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there is a just a trace amount of the flour mixture visible.
To assemble the brownie, pour half of the brownie mixture into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Drizzle about 3/4 cup of the caramel sauce over the brownie layer in a zigzag pattern, taking care to make sure the caramel does not come in contact with the edges of the pan or it will burn. Use your offset spatula to spread the caramel evenly across the brownie layer. In heaping spoonfuls, scoop the rest of the brownie batter over the caramel layer. Smooth the brownie batter gently to cover the caramel layer.
Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle with an extra 1 1/2 teaspoons Fleur de Sel and 1 teaspoon coarse sugar.
Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving. Store wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 4 days.

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Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies

Let me start by saying you must be a true chocolate lover to make these cookies.  These are the most intense rich chocolate cookies I have ever eaten.  They are pure chocolaty heaven.  If you do decide to make these cookies, you need to use good quality chocolate.  I used Guittard for the bittersweet and Sharfenberger for the cocoa powder.  Yes it may be more difficult to find and more expensive, but I assure you it's worth it.

This recipe comes out of my Tartine cookbook.  Tartine is a glorious bakery in the Mission district of San Francisco, if you ever come to the Bay Area I highly suggest making at least one visit to Tartine, the line up is totally worth it.  I have made a few things out of their cookbook, all are completely delicious and this cookie recipe is no exception.

I did one batch just dropping the dough by tablespoon-full onto the cookie sheet but found the resulting cookie kind of visually unappealing.  The rest I rolled into 1.5 inch balls (by all means make them bigger, I probably will next time).  Et voila!

Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies

from Tartine
 
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons  cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a stainless steel bowl set over simmering water. Ensure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. When the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat.
Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set aside. Using a standard mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Slowly add the sugar and mix until the mixture is completely smooth and soft. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the salt and the vanilla, and then add the melted chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Add the milk and beat until combined. Finally, add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated.
Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake the cookies until they are just barely firm on top when lightly touched but are still very soft underneath, about 7 minutes. They will get firmer as they cool. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

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Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just wanted to say thanks to my dear sister for her lovely post on French Apple Cake while I was away in Maui for the week with my family.  We had a wonderful time, it was our first visit to Maui and certainly won't be our last.  What a gorgeous place.

Back to baking:

Why do I keep making chocolate chip cookies when I have two perfect go-to recipes?  One is super chewy, the other buttery, crispy on the edges and chewy on the inside.  But when I found this recipe for famed master pastry chef Jacques Torres' chocolate chip cookies I just couldn't resist.  I was totally intrigued by the use of cake flour and bread flour.  I used The Cilantropist's version of the cookie since she did an amazing job of perfectly halving this originally enormous recipes. 

If you're thinking of making this recipe, be aware that you must, and I mean MUST, leave it in the fridge or freezer for at least 24 hours.  I actually do this with all drop cookies now.  It allows the gluten to relax giving you a chewier cookie.  I divided the recipe in two, did the 24 hour refrigeration with half and froze then second half for a week.  The frozen cookie dough was so much chewier then the first.  I highly recommend freezing the dough for at least 24 hours rather than refrigerating it.

I used a new type of chocolate chip from my favourite chocolate company, Guittard.  These are their Super Cookie Chocolate Chips, and holy moly they are perfection!  Seriously, they have done something to make these meltier for longer, which in addition to being some of the best chocolate ever makes these chocolate chips straight from heaven.  They are hard to find, but you can buy them online.

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Jacques Torres,  recipe used from The Cilantropist 

1 cup cake flour, OR add 2 tbsp cornstarch to the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill to the top with all-purpose flour

3/4 cup bread flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 1/4 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix first five ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.  In a mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla together until creamy, about 5 minutes.  Add egg and mix, then add dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until everything is well incorporated.  Add chocolate chips and mix by hand to distribute.  Form the dough into a compact ball in the bowl, and press plastic wrap directly against the dough.  Refrigerate or freeze dough for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours. 

To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop out dough and form into balls that are approximately 1 3/4-2 inches in diameter.  Place on prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart.  Bake until golden brown; about 15-17 minutes, depending on how soft you want the center of your cookies.  Cool baking sheet on a wire rack, then transfer cookies to the rack to cool completely.  This recipe will make about 18-20 cookies that are 3-3 1/2 inch in diameter.     

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Orange Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Limoncello Gelee and Chocolate Florentines

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

This was my first challenge with the Daring Bakers, I am so excited to participate!  I have only ever had panna cotta from Trader Joe's and I loved it, so I couldn't wait to give this a try.  Panna cotta is ridiculously easy to make.  It's like making jello but with cream.  I actually did two recipes though, the first was David Lebovitz's Buttermilk Panna Cotta.  It was a bit watery and not what I had expected so I thought I would try again. 

I wanted to make a gelee to go with the panna cotta, and I found a great recipe for Limoncello gelee and thought an orange vanilla panna cotta would go nicely.  The panna cotta was easy peasy as was the gelee.  However.  Do not, I repeat, do not, try and pour the gelee onto the panna cotta while it is still piping hot.  A more experienced baker (or someone with a little common sense) would not do this, but I did and completely ruined one of the desserts since the panna cotta literally collapsed under the gelee.  Oops?  I then waited until the gelee was almost room temp and even then poured it in over a spoon.  All was well.

This was delicious.  Super creamy with so much vanilla flavour.  I have never baked with vanilla beans before but they are so much more intense then extract.  The gelee was also delightful, great lemon flavour with plenty of booziness.  I would totally make this again, maybe I'll even successfully unmold it from a ramekin next time.

Onto the Florentines.  These are a pain in the arse to make.  Well, the recipe I went with anyways, which was Martha's chocolate Florentines.  No doubt they look lovely when done, but you have to time it just right and be quick about it to get the cookie off the pan and onto the rolling pin to shape it.  Too early and you ruin it's circular shape (if it had that to begin with, mine quite often turned into odd flying saucer like shapes), too late and it cracks.

I liked these cookies, but not enough for the amount of time involved.  What can I say, I'm lazy and if I put this much time into something it should be spectacular.  That said, the lovely dessert I came up with using the Florentines which worked was delightful.  Behold: chocolate Florentines with coffee liqueur whipped cream drizzled in salted caramel sauce.  Yum!

I also served the (many) broken pieces of Florentine on vanilla ice cream also topped with salted caramel sauce.  This might be my favourite sundae topping ever.



Orange Panna Cotta
from FoodNetwork.com

1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
3 tablespoons water
4 cups heavy cream, or a combination of cream with milk or buttermilk
3/4 cup sugar
6 wide strips fresh orange peel (orange part only-no white pith)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let soak 10 minutes (do not stir).
Meanwhile, heat the cream, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to dissolve the sugar. As soon as it simmers, turn off the heat and add the gelatin mixture, stirring to dissolve the gelatin. (If the gelatin doesn’t completely dissolve in 3 minutes, return to the heat and warm gently until dissolved.)
Strain the mixture into a pitcher to remove the vanilla bean and orange rind. Pour the mixture into 6 to 8 ramekins or dessert cups, or into 1 larger dish. Chill, uncovered, at least 3 hours.
To unmold, dip the cups in hot water for 10 seconds, then turn the panna cottas out onto dessert plates (or, simply serve in the cups or by the spoonful).

Limoncello Gelee
from Martha Stewart
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon (from two 1/4-ounce envelopes) unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
3/4 cup Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine)
3/4 cup limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur)
1/2 cup sparkling water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small bowl. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Heat Prosecco, limoncello, sparkling water, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and softened gelatin, and whisk until gelatin dissolves. Pour mixture over panna cotta and refrigerate until set, at least 45 minutes.

Chocolate Florentines
from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Makes 5 dozen (in a perfect world)

1 3/4 cups (about 5 ounces) sliced almonds
3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper, set aside.  Spread almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until lightly golden and fragrant, about 10 min.  Transfer to a clean work surface.  While the nuts are still warm, roll a rolling pin back and forth over nuts to finely crush them.  Let cool completely, then place in a bowl.  Add cocoa, and whisk to combine; set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine milk, sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, and cook until mixture registers 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.  Add reserved salmond0cooa mixture, and stir to combine.  Transfer mixture to a medium bowl to cool slightly.

Drop batter by rounded teaspoons, about 3 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets.  Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are fragrant and small, tight bubbles emerge from the center, 15 to 20 min.  Have a rolling pin ready.  As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use an offset spatula to lift cookies, one at a time, and drape them over the rolling pin.  Let stand until set.  Repeat with the remaining batter. 

Chocolate Wafer Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla and Chocolate Filling

I made these tasty little sandwich cookies with the February Dessert Wars challenge in mind.  The theme was dark chocolate and hearts, and I thought these cookies would work nicely.  The wafers are quite crisp, which I normally don't care for, but with the soft sweet cream filling the combination is perfect.  I did hearts for the chocolate cream filling and circles for the vanilla cream.

If you want perfectly round and heart shaped (or whatever shape you're using) wafers, you need to follow Martha's very anal instructions of chill, roll, chill, cut, chill, bake.  This ensures the dough will for the most part keep it's shape during the baking.  Both fillings were delicious, I was a little dubious of the vanilla since it uses vegetable shortening, which for some reason skeeves me out, but it was excellent, but I did prefer it chilled in the fridge so it didn't all squish out of the cookie after taking a bite.  The chocolate cream filling is simply heavenly.

Chocolate Wafer Sandwich Cookies
from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

Makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies

1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium sped until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla; beat to combine. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and divide in half. With floured hands, shape each piece into a flattened rectangle, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Place one rectangle of dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough to a scant 1/8-inch thickness, stopping every so often to release the dough by running an offset spatula underneath. You should end up with a rectangle that’s about 14 by 11 inches. Transfer dough to a prepared baking sheet, and freeze until very firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place one rectangle of dough on a clean work surface. Working quickly, cut out rounds using a 2-inch cookie cutter. (If the dough begins to soften too much, return to the freezer for a few minutes.) Using a wide metal spatula, transfer rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheets, about 1½ inches apart. Gather together remaining scraps, reroll, and cut out more rounds. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining rectangle of dough.
Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until the centers of the cookies feel firm when lightly pressed, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Using an offset spatula, spread 1 tablespoon desired filling onto the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping the flat sides down. Unfilled cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Once filled, cookies are best eaten the day they are made, but they can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Vanilla Cream Filling
Makes enough to fill 2 dozen sandwich cookies

1 1/3 (5 1/3 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all ingredients. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and light, 3 to 4 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Let soften at room temperature before using.

Chocolate Cream Filling
4 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (1 cup)
3/4 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (half of one 14-ounce can) sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Melt chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, stirring occasionally.  Add condensed milk, butter, and extract; stir to combine.  Continue to stir over simmering water until all ingredients are smooth, 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, and set aside to cool slightly.

The February Dessert Wars Prize Package Includes:

Whisk  and cupcake necklace from Moon & Star Designs

The Smartshopper Electronic Grocery List Organizer

Beanilla  Sampler Pack of Vanilla Beans

Lenox Personalized Musical Cupcake

1,000 ideas for Decorating Cupcakes, Cookies & Cakes

Endless Vanilla and Cinnamon Extract

Unlimited Layers: A Recipe for Turning Your Passion into Profits

Organic Valley $50 Gift Certificate

Organic Prairie $50 Gift Certificate

Theme Kitchen $50 Gift Certificate

BEKA Cookware Crepe Pan 

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