Vox’s posts tagged dessert

Cater to me

nobody@vox.com(JSki) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:55:45 +0000

Its so funny being semi-single. Its sort of the best of both worlds except that you know it can't last forever. You have one guy that you talk to, you know wants to be with you, would do anything for you, yet you haven't yet committed to him so you feel free to date and see as many other people as you want. For instance, Santa and I have been seeing a lot of one another and we talk pretty much every day but he's not my boyfriend. I still talk to and go out with other guys. We've never had the talk and I am almost dreading the day it comes up as I'm not sure I'm ready for anymore than what we are right now.

I'm still having fun doing what I'm doing. Last night, for example, The Caterer took me to dinner. He owed me dinner since I hooked him up with a sweet job. We went to Cafe Maritime on Lombard - which is crazily close to my house - and pretty impressive given its weird location and almost weirder invisibleness. The Caterer is cute - dark hair and eyes - cooks, dresses well, intelligent, and nice - but I knew that nothing more would come of it but dinner and possibly friendship. First of all, for me, he comes off a little gay - he was dressed better than me and ordered a "white out" as his first drink which was basically a cosmo with lime juice. Haha. Second, he is nervous and had this weird habit of turning 180 degrees in his chair and looking in the other direction like he was trying to avoid eye contact. I didn't find it offensive, just funny since I could tell it was out of nerves rather than him trying to be rude. Anyway, dinner was nice - crab cake, ahi tuna, and then bread pudding (not my favorite but I'm not big on dessert anyway) - oh, and of course (for me at least) a few glasses of wine. After dinner, we parted ways - quick hug goodbye - and I called Santa.

Santa came over kind of late night. We spent the first few hours talking and cuddling. He is always so tender with me - like rubbing my back, kissing me on the cheek, and holding me. There aren't very many men (or at least I haven't met many) who will be that attentive to you so its really nice. Anyway, after awhile we started fooling around. It was nice - he is amazing at getting me off. I pretty much always start to lose control. However, the sex was a little weird last night. I'm not sure if its because I was SUPER tired or what, but it was odd. I can't put my finger on exactly what it was. I wish I could.

Anyway, I'm not sure how long I can continue to have my cake and eat it too. For now, I'll just enjoy the ride....:)

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mint & chocolate "cupcakes"

nobody@vox.com(METHOD) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:43:01 +0000

mint & chocolate "cupcakes"

More like cup-pies!

And these vegan treats require no bake time -- just a few flicks of the whisk, then a pour, some cooling action, and you're done. OK, there's a bit more involved, but -- come on! Very easy. I picked up some mint extract at the store a few weeks ago and had been trying to figure out the best way to use it. So, I thought back to my childhood days . . . when one of my favorite desserts was worms 'n dirt . . . this recipe just poured out of me.

At heart, this "cupcake" is really just worms 'n dirt all grown up -- & vegan-style!

Also, before the recipe -- I wanted to say thanks to all of you who have posted such wonderful comments. I've been trying to reply to all of them, but work and life (yeah, life) gets in the way. I'm loving that you're all loving the recipes & photos. As well, those of you who are trying vegan for the first time, being inspired, etc., etc., etc. I LOVE IT <3

Let's get to it . . .

MINT & CHOCOLATE "CUPCAKES"

What you'll need . . .

. . . for the crust part:

1-1/2 cups coarsely crushed Newman O's (vegan Oreo's -- R.I.P., Paul Newman) WITH the cream filling left IN
3 tablespoons vegan butter substitute (like Earth Balance)

. . . for the pudding part:

2 cups soy milk
3 tablespoons cocoa
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup natural sugar (like Sugar in the Raw)
1 teaspoon mint extract

mint & chocolate "cupcakes"

Method . . .

Line a cupcake pan with aluminum liners.
Heat butter substitute for the crust in a small saucepan on medium heat.
Turn off heat when melted and add coarsely crushed Newman O's. Mix until all parts are thinly coated.
Transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse fine (see photo above for texture). You may need to add more butter -- but I didn't have to. Just make sure the crusty stuff sticks together when pressed.
Spoon out equal portions of crust mixture into each cupcake liner. Press around the sides and the bottom to create a thin crust cup. Crust, crust, crust. Sorry.
Now for the pudding: Put ALL pudding ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and whisk together until fully incorporated.
Put the pan on medium-high heat and continue to mix-whisk rapidly (to avoid cornstarch lumps) until the pudding becomes very thick. This took much longer than I thought it would. More than five minutes. You'll know when you're "done" because it will reach that pudding-like consistency.
Then, after the pudding has cooled slightly, spoon into the crusts and spread so it settles evenly on top.
Put cupcake pan in the fridge and cool for at least one hour.
Top with mint sprigs (if you're fancy, like me), and enjoy!

You'll most likely need to use a fork to eat these. Unless you want to get all those crumbs on the floor. Not that I have experience with that. No. Not me. (Fine! I got these ALL over myself at one point. Keep a vacuum cleaner handy.)

VeganMoFo

Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe to my RSS feed -- pretty please!). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.

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My First Iron Cupcake Challenge

nobody@vox.com(METHOD) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:04:33 +0000

iron cupcake

I came across the whole Iron Cupcake phenomenon on Flickr . . . and, I must say, what an awesome group! Using my baking skills to make treats using strange and -- as with last month's choice of basil -- unusual ingredients is not only fun, but also challenging (that's the idea, I suppose).

This month's ingredient is cheese . . . which definitely goes against VeganMoFo (sorry, folks! I have a great vegan lasagne & apple pie coming later in the week!). ADDED 10/14: Come of think of it, the cupcake part IS vegan . . . and the frosting CAN easily be vegan. So, MoFo-ers, check it out!

Anyway, I tried inventing a weird, but yummy combination using feta & vanilla, or cheddar (with this chocolate my husband found with hot peppers in it), etc . . . but when I thought about what I'd most like to eat, brie came to mind. It may be playing it safe, I'm not entirely sure.

I just like brie. Plain and simple.

Luckily, my mother-in-law was in town visiting this weekend, and she helped create the rest of the recipe. Originally we planned to use zucchini. But the grocery store was out for some odd reason, so yellow squash made a great substitute. Then, we thought pumpkin might be nice (it's autumn, after all) . . . and cider . . . the list grew and grew with all those favorite fall staples.

So here are our Autumn Harvest Cupcakes -- to be eaten with or without the dark chocolate frosting.

Enjoy!

iron cupcake

AUTUMN HARVEST CUPCAKES

What you’ll need . . .

. . . for the cake part:

1/2 cup canola oil
1-1/3 cups natural sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1/2 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour (unbleached)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups shredded yellow squash

. . . for the cheese part:

2 rounds of brie (16 ounces in all)
2 tablespoons honey (we're talking HEAPING tablespoons, here!)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (or however much you’d like to add, depending on your love of chocolate)

iron cupcake

Method . . .

. . . for the cake part:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, cider, one teaspoon baking powder, and vanilla extract. Beat well with an electric mixer or in a stand mixer.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
Fold the yellow squash into the batter.
Fill the cupcake liners half full – no more, as you’ll need room for the cheese, as well as extra batter to top it with.
Make the cheese mixture (please see below).

. . . for the cheese part:

Cut off the top (rind) of the cheese rounds and scoop the soft cheese out into a medium-sized bowl.
Add the honey and mix the two together using a fork (until nice and soft).
Feel free to add more honey (or use less) to taste.
Add the chocolate chips.
Drop a teaspoon-ish amount into each cup. I found that once I was finished, I would have liked more cheese in mine, so you may also do the first 12 with 2 teaspoon-ish amounts of cheese, and the next batch without cheese. It’s up to you!
Top each cup with a bit of the remaining batter – until cup is three-quarters full.
Bake for approximately 23 minutes (or between 20-25). Let cool. And eat plain (my husband and his father preferred them this way) or frost with the following . . .

iron cupcake

DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

What you’ll need . . .

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (or butter substitute, whichever you prefer)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup Hershey’s “special dark” cocoa (or whatever dark cocoa you like)
½ cup milk (or soy milk -- even when I don't bake vegan, I tend to make it as non-dairy, etc., as possible)

Method . . .

Cream the butter and vanilla together with an electric mixer on low to medium speed.
In a separate bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture until fully integrated. Slowly add the milk to the frosting until you have reached your desired consistency. (You may very well not use all the milk.)

iron cupcake

ICEarth_badge

The recipe makes 24 cupcakes . . . enough to eat yourself and to share with friends & family. Back to the whole Iron Cupcake thing -- if you, too, want to join in on the fun, visit Iron Cupcake: Earth!

Did I mention there are prizes??? This month's include:

Etsy artist Art On The Menu (cute cardboard cupcake sculptures)
Etsy artist Lots Of Sprinkles with a pair of cupcake earrings.
Bakelove Bakeware super cute t-shirt (I’ve been wanting one of these for months!)
“Head Chefs” by Fiesta Products
The book Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson
Jessie Steele aprons
The Cupcake Courier
Taste of Home books
Iron Cupcake: Earth is also sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers.com

x.o.x.o.

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Cheesecake

nobody@vox.com(Yeehaw Murghi) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:20:36 +0000

Cheesecake

I'm proud of my cheesecake. Very proud. I've spent the better part of a year trying to get it "just so," and by some strange and mystical, mysterious coincidence, I've actually gotten it just so... It's very, very light, and also very, very tasty. Commercial cheesecakes — even the ones from the Cheesecake Factory — are just too damn dense, and far too rich; they sit like a brick in your stomach, and that's just not a sensible way to finish a good meal.

Just like making Naan, I try to learn how to do the "standard," "plain vanilla" version, before I start trying to improvise and come up with variations of my own (you gotta learn how to walk, before you can run, as they say). Well, I've done that... So now I'm starting with some little variations of my own...

The single most overlooked aspect of a cheesecake is the crust. Seriously. You try taste the crust on an almighty Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, and you'll see what I mean: their crust has no flavor at all.

Normally, I flavor the crust with cinnamon, but in this case I used some butterscotch chocolate instead. It turned out to be a good idea: it made the cake taste rich, without actually being rich. Still, since butterscotch is such a potent flavor, I was a little timid about using it. And I think I used too little of it, because you couldn't really taste the actual butterscotch flavor. Having said that, it obviously is far, far better to use too little than too much, because a cheesecake with butterscotch as a dominant flavor wouldn't be very nice, I think.

Now,, no matter how satisfied, proud — or downright arrogant — I am about the result, there's always room for improvement. And room for making mistakes, hehehe. I bake my cheesecakes for two whole hours at 200° F, but no two ovens are equal. And this was the first time I've done a cheesecake in this one. So at the end, the surface of the cake hadn't taken on the typical coloration, so I turned on the broiler... Well, a cheesecake is a fragile thing, and I turned my back for about 10 seconds, and my poor cheesecake ended up with a slightly charred top. It didn't affect the taste, but it didn't look good. Thus, I removed the top (a really time-consuming, and annoying thing to do, mind you), and created a glaze, from a wonderful, old-fashioned plum jam that the grandmother of a friend of mine made, years ago.

I'm very happy about this thing. I'm thinking about making a strawberry or blueberry glaze, next. Not to actually adorn the cake with it — I'm thinking about serving it on the side, along with it (since the next time I make this, I will never ever, ever let the top of the cake get too browned, or make any other form of mistake whatsoever, har har).

Since the cake was so fluffy and light, it was impossible to cut it in a clean way. Every piece I cut ended up with a lot of miscellaneous debris, even if I used a really thin and sharp knife, and heated the blade under very hot water. So it doesn't present anywhere near as well as it tastes. But you know, what's that quote, "It's better to look good, than to feel good" — well screw that! Obviously, I'd rather my food look and taste good — but if I have to make a choice between the two, I will always pick taste over appearances.

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Dessert of the Week: Apple Beignets

nobody@vox.com(Inspirational Place) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:08:59 +0000

Dessert of the Week
Apple Cider Beignets

Apple Cider Beignets

A delicious Fall dessert,
Dripping with a tasty Butter-Rum Caramel Sauce
just waiting for you to sink your teeth in.
Life just doesn't get much better than this..

Check out the recipe at:
gourmet.com

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Recipe: Grandma's Chocolate Pie (Homesick Texan)

nobody@vox.com(sarea) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:51:04 +0000

Grandma's Chocolate Pie (Homesick Texan)

Photo and recipe originally found at Homesick Texan

Filling ingredients:

4 tablespoons of cocoa or 1 1/2 squares of baking chocolate
3/4 cups of sugar
5 tablespoons of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 egg yolks, beaten slightly
1 tablespoon of butter

Meringue ingredients:

2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons of sugar

Pie crust ingredients (2 crusts):

2 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup milk

Method:

To make the crust: Mix flour and salt. Mix oil and milk. Pour oil and milk into flour and salt and stir until combined into a dough. Can add more milk if dry. Separate into two balls (save one ball for another pie). Roll crust out between two sheets of wax paper, line a buttered pie pan with crust.
Poke holes into the pie crust with a fork and bake it at 350 until it’s brown, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, flour, salt, cocoa, eggs and milk (all except vanilla and butter) with a whisk.
Cook while stirring on medium until it bubbles and thickens, about five to 10 minutes. If it becomes lumpy, just beat out the lumps.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.
Beat the egg whites with salt and when they start to get fluffy add the sugar. (Add 2 T of sugar for every egg white.)
Pour the chocolate custard into the baked pie shell and top with the beaten egg whites.
Bake it until it the peaks on the meringue are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

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Recipe: Mini Snickerdoodles

nobody@vox.com(sarea) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:22:56 +0000

Mini Snickerdoodles

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coating:

1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.
Shape the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) round balls.
Coating: In a large shallow bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
Roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar and place on the prepared pan, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Then, using the bottom of a glass, gently flatten each cookie to about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick.
Bake the cookies for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until they are light golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Can store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for about 10 - 14 days.

Originally found at http://community.livejournal.com/food_porn/4904697.html?#cutid1

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Recipe: White Chocolate Pudding

nobody@vox.com(sarea) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:19:57 +0000

White Chocolate Pudding

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups milk, divided
Pinch salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz (1/2 cup) white chocolate chips or chopped
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds or raspberries

Method

Heat 2 cups of milk, but do not boil.
In a bowl, whisk the sugar and the egg yolks together until pale.
In a separate dish, dissolve the cornstarch with the remaining 1/2 cup milk. Add to the egg yolks mixture and mix well.
When the milk is hot,slowly pour it over the eggs,a little it at a time so the eggs don't start curdling.
Return the whole thing to the stove and cook on medium low heat until it starts to thicken. Add the white chocolate and stir until it is completely smooth. Strain if necessary.
Pour the mixture into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, covered with plastic wrap punctured with small holes so the pudding does not form a skin while cooling.
Pour into dishes and decorate with the pomegranate seeds or eat it straight from the bowl.

Originally found at http://tartelette.blogspot.com/2007/12/white-chocolate-pudding-sugar-high.html

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Recipe: Cinnamon-Bacon Rolls

nobody@vox.com(sarea) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:30:59 +0000

Cinnamon-Bacon Rolls

Ingredients

For the rolls

6-1/4 to 6-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs

For the filling

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped nuts, semisweet chocolate pieces, or raisins (optional)

For the topping

2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Method

In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of the flour and the yeast.
In a saucepan heat the 1-1/2 cups milk, the 1/2 cup butter, the 1/2 cup sugar, and salt just until warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F) and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. Add to flour mixture.
Add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly.
Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).
For filling, in a small bowl combine the 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup margarine or butter, cinnamon or orange peel, and the 2 teaspoons flour; set aside.
Punch dough down; divide in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface roll each half of the dough into a 12-inch square.
Spread half of the filling over each dough square. At this point, lay out the bacon on the rolled out dough, making sure that each potential bun gets a slice. Roll each square up into a spiral; pinch edges to seal. Slice each roll into 8 pieces.
Place 8 pieces in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining pieces using another 13x9x2-inch pan or a 12-inch pizza pan. (I baked mine in a 9" Spring-form pan, which I think worked out really well.)
Cover loosely with clear plastic wrap, leaving room for rolls to rise. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours. Uncover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Or, don't chill dough. Instead, cover loosely; let rise in a warm place until nearly double, about 45 minutes). Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick.
Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool slightly on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk to make of drizzling consistency. Spread over rolls. Makes 16 servings.

Originally found at http://community.livejournal.com/food_porn/4905678.html?view=55010254#t55010254

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Dessert of the Week: Blondie Squares

nobody@vox.com(Inspirational Place) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:41:28 +0000

Dessert of the Week
Blondie Squares

Blondie Squares

Just in time for Fall,
these almond-filled chocolate squares will
satisfy your taste for something sweet.

Check out the recipe at:
Gourmet.com

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Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Banana-Coconut Frosting

nobody@vox.com(METHOD) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:53:27 +0000

cupcakes

In place of this Saturday's weekly rewind, I'm going to give you all my BEST recipe of the week! I'm a bit obsessed with coconut milk in baked goods -- it makes them moist, but not too moist. Dense, but not too dense. And the flavor is light, but noticeable.

As well, those of you who read regularly may notice that I use alcohol in my cooking and baking rather frequently. This recipe is no exception. The mocha sauce topping has Kahlua in it. Of course, if you'd like to omit this part, go right ahead.

OK. I must admit. I just spent a good chunk of an hour writing this post . . . and then I LOST ALL OF IT!!! So, this is the down 'n dirty version. I'll save my witty comments for another day.

ENJOY! And if you haven't already, check out this week's recipes on the rest of METHOD.

cupcakes

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

What you'll need . . .

6 tablespoons applesauce
2 and 1/4 cups coconut milk (or soy milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 and 1/2 cups oat flour
1 cup coconut flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups unbleached cane sugar (Sugar in the Raw)
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

Method . . .

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (or 190 degrees C). Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, coconut milk, vanilla, and vinegar.
Ina separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture, and beat well.
Fill cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes (mine took 21), or until a toothpick in the center of cupcakes comes out clean.
Cool.

cupcakes

BANANA COCONUT FROSTING

What you'll need . . .

5 and 1/2 tablespoons butter substitute (Earth Balance)
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup mashed bananas
1 teaspoon lemon juice
8 cups vegan confectioners' sugar
Soy milk (to add if the frosting is too dry)

Method . . .

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter substitute in a large skillet. Stir in coconut. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat (until coconut is golden brown -- about 6 minutes).
In a small bowl, combine the bananas and lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, cream the remaining butter with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the sugar, then the banana mixture, and blend well.
Add the coconut and mix well.

cupcake macro

KAHLUA-MOCHA SAUCE

What you'll need . . .

8 ounces dark chocolate chips or chunks
3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup Kahlua
1/2 cup brewed coffee (the stronger the better)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method . . .

Place chocolate in a bowl.
In a small saucepan bring the soy milk, Kahlua, and coffee to a boil (over medium-high heat).
Pour mixture over the chocolate and gently whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
Stir in the vanilla.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Once cupcakes have cooled completely -- gently frost them. Gently is key, as my frosting turned our rather sticky, and you don't want to break the tops of the cupcakes.
Store the mocha sauce separately (this is probably a no-brainer, but I thought I'd mention it). We put ours in a syrup container. Heat it up and top cupcakes as desired.

These recipes are pretty heavily adapted from several found in my favorite cupcake cookbook: Crazy About Cupcakes.

VeganMoFo

As well, today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe to the RSS feed). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.

x.o.x.o.

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Recipe: Fudgy, Frosted Brownies

nobody@vox.com(sarea) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:20:06 +0000

Fudgy, Frosted Brownies

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for the pan
8 oz. 70-percent bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Method

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Cut an 8-by-16-inch piece of parchment paper. Lightly butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch pan and line it with the parchment, allowing it to extend evenly over the opposite sides. Butter the parchment, including the paper on the sides of the pan.
Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
With a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat the sugar and salt into the chocolate mixture. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour and mix vigorously until the batter is very glossy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan bottom on the counter top to level the batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out moist but clean.
Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove the brownies from the pan using the parchment “handles,” and cool completely on the rack before cutting.
Frost when completely cooled if desired.

Chocolate Chip Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips. About 2 cups frosting.

Originally found at http://community.livejournal.com/food_porn/4901357.html

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Falling

nobody@vox.com(tabicakes) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:25:28 +0000

Pumpkin bars

Fall is here. I'm a summer lover, so I'm not too excited about it. Although, I am ready for soups and warm cozy dishes.

Of course, the last few weeks I've noticed the obvious changes of leaves turning, colder nights, men going crazy for football, etc. However, fall really sank in yesterday at the DMV. It was the end of the month, so it was the last day for everyone to renew their tags. I went late in the day, and it was overflowing with people. I ~~sat on the floor~~ waited in line for two hours, so I had plenty of time to notice that every other woman has already changed out her summer purse for her fall purse. Am I the only woman in America still carrying her basket summer purse? I was just getting used to its size. I've got to remedy this, but I'm just not ready.

Pumpkins, a real sign of fall. Husband needed a side dish for a work party, so I thought I'd try these pumpkin bars from Paula Deen. Delicious! Like the other Paula Deen recipe I've tried, they're loaded with fat and sugar. Loaded. Don't eat these on a empty stomach...instant sugar coma. If I was making these for just husband and me, I probably would have lightened them up a bit, but for others not a chance.

Perfect for your next fall party!

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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

nobody@vox.com(startatmillbrook) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:34:39 +0000

This was from a few months ago, back when strawberries and rhubarb were in season. I used this recipe, with some editing: I used equal shortening and butter for the crust (and left out the salt.)

strawberry rhubarb pie

lazy lattice crust

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Recipe: White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

nobody@vox.com(sarea) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:07:10 +0000

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Recipe and photo from Happy Love Strawberry

Serves 12

Ingredients

For the base:

85g (3oz) digestive biscuits, crushed (Americans: graham crackers. I usually use 100g of each for the base cause I like a little bit more)
85g (30z) ginger nut biscuits, crushed
85g (3oz) butter, melted

For the filling:

500g (1lb 2oz) white chocolate, broken into pieces
50g (2oz) butter
1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthways
500g (1lb 2oz) full fat soft cheese
50g caster sugar
175ml whipping cream
225g punnet fresh raspberries, plus extra to decorate

Method

For the base, combine biscuits & butter, then press into the base of a 23cm (9.5") springform tin.
For the filling, put the chocolate, butter and vanilla pod in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 20-second bursts to melt it. Allow to cool slightly.
In another bowl, mix the soft cheese, sugar and whipping cream til smooth.
Remove the vanilla pod from the chocolate mixture and stir the chocolate into the cream. Gently stir in raspberries with a spatula, then spoon on top of the base, smooth carefully, and leave in the fridge to set (8-24 hours).
Remove from tin and decorate with raspberries to serve.

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Recipe: Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies

nobody@vox.com(sarea) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:14:44 +0000

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies

Yield: 24 brownies

Ingredients

Pumpkin Batter

1 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
1 Tbs all-purpose flour

Chocolate Batter

5½ ounces best-quality semisweet- chocolate, finely chopped
1¼ sticks (5 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 13x9-inch baking dish.
Prepare pumpkin batter: In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter with cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar, scraping bowl occasionally. Bet in egg, then add pumpkin puree, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger. Stir in flour.
Prepare chocolate batter: Combine semisweet chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Set bowl over saucepan with 1-inch of simmering water and stir occasionally until melted. Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, combine eggs with sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat at low speed until light and fluffy- about 4 minutes. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in melted chocolate. Sift flour over the batter and fold it in just until combined.
Spread chocolate batter evenly in prepared pan. Using a Tablespoon, drop dollops of the pumpkin batter all over the top. Using the back of a butter knife, swirl the pumpkin batter slightly into the chocolate.
Bake for 30-40 minutes (starting checking on brownies at 30 minutes to see if they're done- a toothpick inserted into center should come out clean).
Let brownies cool completely before cutting.

Originally found at: http://www.recipegirl.com/Desserts%20Bars%20&%20Cookies/Desserts%20Bars%20&%20Cookies%20Recipes/Chocolate-%20Pumpkin%20Brownies.htm#top%20of%20page

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Sweet Bling

nobody@vox.com(suganspice) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:39:13 +0000

Q-pot is a range of scrumptious jewellery by Japanese designer Tadaaki Wakamatsu. Made from lovely gems, rubber and acrylic, the ever expanding delicious range includes sweet macaroons, choc dipped bananas and creamy ice-cream. It will definitely make you drool! The hard part is that they look so real that you'll have to stop yourself from trying to eat them! For more deliciousness head over to the Q-pot site.

Banana Choco

Sweet Gift Box

Chou A La Creme

Strawberry Whipped Cream

Macaroon

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Stawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

nobody@vox.com(Phisch) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:39:52 +0000

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Originally uploaded by Phisch

May I just say, strawberry and rhubarb make quite a lovely combo of fruit and veggie (?!) in a cobbler. I used the same recipe as last time only substituted the blueberries.

The fruit was frozen and I used 16 oz. bags. I let them thaw on the counter with some sugar, about 3/4 cup of brown because I thought I’d run out of refined.

Very yummy! J likes it, too. He didn’t like the blueberry kind.

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Mini Pavlovas with Honeyed Yogurt & Peaches

nobody@vox.com(julie) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:23:43 +0000

peaches

When recipes of egg noodles leave me with a surplus of egg whites, I take it as the perfect opportunity to whip up a little dessert. Who needs another egg white omelette when you can have crisp pavlovas with soft, marshmallowy centers? Instead of whipped cream I topped these with a yogurt mixed with buckwheat honey and fresh, end of the season peaches. What do you do with your extra egg whites?

Peach_pavlovas

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