Sugar-Crusted Molten Lava Cake

Earlier this summer I invited my children into the kitchen for a "cooking class." I set up a space at the kitchen island with two electric burners that were leftover from a kitchen remodel a couple years ago.  I also gave them each a cutting board and their own knife to practice with.  Together we brainstormed to come up with things that they would like to cook and that were practical for beginners.  We started with the most obvious choice, pancakes.  Then we moved up towards more complex dishes like stir fry, meatloaf, chicken fingers, and pie.  They enjoyed each session and asked for more.  They also showed quite a bit of interest in plating and photographing their creations, so I guided them through an entire blog post from start to finish.  Tonight they made Pretzel-Crusted Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Roast Asparagus, and Sugar-Crusted Molten Lava Cake.  

The kids were engaged throughout the entire process and enjoyed getting a chance to photograph their creations.  My seven year old son really got into setting up the shot and loved taking photos of his creations.  He got pretty crafty and picked out napkins, silverware, and even adjusted the camera angle to get the shot he wanted.  Tonight we are sharing the lava cake recipe and later this week we will be sharing the pork loin recipe.   

Sugar-Crusted Molten Lava Cake

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

10 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup granulated sugar, for dusting custard cups

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Spray 6-6 ounce custard cups with baking spray and then sprinkle in  2 teaspoons granulated sugar, rotate to coat and then tap the excess out.  Cut the butter into pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl.  Add both types of chocolate and microwave for 30 seconds.  Remove and stir.   Heat at 20-second intervals until butter and chocolate chips are melted, the mixture should look like a thick chocolate sauce.  Add remaining ingredients and whisk together until smooth.  Divide equally among custard cups and bake for 14 1/2 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges and invert onto small plates to serve.  Serve with a scoop of ice cream.

Peach Crisp Pie

I couldn't decide whether to make a peach pie or a peach crisp so I ended up making a combination of the two.  I love a good crisp topping full of brown sugar and oatmeal and it goes so well with juicy peaches.  Making these in individual portions made them even more fun to eat!
Peach Crisp Pie

crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup vegetable shortening 
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons ice cold water

Use a pastry cutter to combine flour, salt, and shortening until mixture has pea-sized bits throughout.  Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of water over flour mixture and combine with a fork.  Add additional water until mixture begins to come together.  Gather dough with hands and form into a disc.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.  Flour work surface and place cold dough on top.  Let rest 10 minutes if very cold, and then roll out thinly and line pie pan.  Trim edges and crimp. 

filling:
6-7 peaches
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour

Carefully submerge peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds.  Remove and let cool.  Use you hands to remove the skin.  Roughly slice peaches into eighths and place in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat.  Place in prepared pie pan.

topping:
1/2 cup flour
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oats
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Use a fork to cut butter into flour.  Mix in remaining ingredients and squish together with your fingertips.  Sprinkle over prepared pie.  Bake at 375°F for 60 minutes.  Reduce time if baking individual portions.

Apple Tart

My parents have a small orchard between their house and the barn where they grow a handful of apples in different varieties as well as cherries, peaches, and pears.  This year the apple trees are so overloaded with fruit that the limbs are weighted down so heavily they are beginning to break.  When I took a trip to visit last weekend I brought a load of apples home and made them into apple pie filling that I canned.  A few days later my dad brought another load of apples for me.  So I made half a dozen into applesauce for the base of this tart and sliced four more for the beautiful spiral on top.  I have so many more apples left I'll be looking for recipes to try in the next few weeks.

tart shell:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons ice cold water

Use a pastry cutter to combine flour, salt, and shortening until mixture has pea-sized bits throughout.  Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of water over flour mixture and combine with a fork.  Add additional water until mixture begins to come together.  Gather dough with hands and form into a disc.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.  Flour work surface and place cold dough on top.  Let rest 10 minutes if very cold, and then roll out thinly and line tart pan.  Trim edges.

applesauce:
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (found at williams-sonoma)
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tart apples
1/4 cup water

Peel, core, and roughly chop the apples.  Add all ingredients to a large saucepan and bring up to a boil. Turn to a low simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes or until apples have broken down.  Mash any lumps with your spatula or spoon.  Let cool completely.

To assemble:
4 medium apples, cored and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
butter

Spread applesauce in prepared tart shell.  Smooth out and then arrange apple slices decoratively on top of applesauce.  Sprinkle sugar on top of apples and dab with butter.  Bake in a 350°F oven for 35-40 minutes.  Serve with ice cream.

Easy Strawberry Sauce

Mmmmm, strawberry sauce, I love it on almost anything.  Just give me a second to think of all the ways I love me some of that sweet oozy sauce...on waffles, ice cream, crepes, angel food cake, biscuits, pancakes, english muffins, cheesecake...oh the list could go on.   This recipe couldn't be easier so get to it already!

Easy Strawberry Sauce

1 quart hulled strawberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Whisk 1/2 cup sugar and corn starch together in a small pot.  Quarter strawberries into pot and then mix thoroughly and then add water.  Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until  sauce has thickened and strawberries begin to soften and break down a bit.  Taste sauce and add sugar if needed, it will depend on how sweet your strawberries were to begin with.  Remove from heat and add a generous squeeze of lemon, stir and serve.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

The title should really be Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread That Tastes Like Cake, but I thought that was a bit much.  This banana bread had rich Ghirardelli Cocoa as well as chocolate chips in it to make a deliciously flavorful and moist banana bread that is tender and cakey.  This was a great alternative to our regular banana bread recipe and it can double as a dessert.  It also freezes extremely well so you can slice it into single servings and pace yourself!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
adapted from a recipe my sister in law received from a friend

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup Ghirardelli cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. fresh nutmeg
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3 large ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare a bundt pan.  (2 loaf pans or muffin tins work as well)  In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment whip eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla until light yellow.  In a separate bowl whisk dry ingredients together and then add to wet ingredients.  Mix until just incorporated.  Add mashed banana and chocolate chips.  Mix for 30 seconds.  Remove paddle attachment and fold batter with a spatula a few times and then transfer to the pan of your choice.
Bundt pan: start checking at the 45 minute mark by inserting a toothpick, cake is ready when it comes out clean.   Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes before turning out on a cooling rack.

Sugar Cookies

We had a bit of house drama from mid-November thru New Year's which rendered our beautiful kitchen, not to mention our entire main level, uninhabitable.  After a few weeks of constant construction crews coming in and out of our house we were able to get it put back together during the month of January. The thing I was most sad about besides the incredible mess and huge amount of work, was missing out on so many holiday traditions that take place in our kitchen during November and December.  Making cut out cookies was among the the list of things we missed out on so I was determined to make them for the next holiday.  So thank you February for bringing us Valentine's Day because it is definitely a holiday that deserves a good sugar cookie decorated with pink frosting and a few sprinkles.

Sugar Cookies

3 1/2 cups flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon making soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup plain yogurt, (I used Mountain High brand)
1 teaspoon almond extract

Whisk 2 cups flour and remaining dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  Cream sugar and butter in a stand mixer with paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.  Add yogurt and almond extract, mixing well.  Add flour mixture and mix until incorporated, scraping down bowl as needed.  Continue adding flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough reaches a thick consistency and is not too sticky.  It will be soft and it should take about 1 cup but not more than 1 1/2 cups.  Place on parchment paper and flatten into a disc.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.  Take 1/4 of the dough and roll out on a generously floured work surface.  Cut into shapes and transfer to pans.  Bake for about 6 1/2 minutes.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Makes about 3-4 dozen cookies depending on size of cut outs.

Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is a great way to use up leftover white rice.  We make a quick batch of this in the morning and eat it for breakfast in place of oatmeal or Cream of Wheat.  The kids love this with lots of cinnamon and no raisins, so I always add the raisins to the top of mine instead of cooking them in the whole dish.  

Rice Pudding
1 1/2  cups leftover cooked white rice
2 cups milk
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar (adjust for your taste- I do 1/4 cup and then do a light sprinkling on the top before serving)
1 egg
1 T butter
2/3 cup raisins
1 tsp. vanilla extract
salt

Add 1 1/2 cups milk, cooked rice, sugar, and a 1/2 tsp. salt to a medium pot and bring to a boil.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, and cook until thick and creamy.  In a small measuring cup add 1/2 cup milk and 1 egg, beat thoroughly.  Stir into rice mixture and add raisins (if using) and cook 2 more minutes then remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.  Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.

Molasses Cookies

These molasses cookies turned out deliciously spicy, chewy, and moist.  They were the perfect cookie to make on a crisp day and were enjoyed with a cup of tea after our dinner.  I made them rather petite, using my small ice cream scoop, and we had over 60 cookies from this recipe.  Quick tip, they freeze beautifully and can be defrosted by leaving at room temperature for an hour or two before serving.

Molasses Cookies

4 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. espresso powder (optional)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, espresso powder, and cinnamon; set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the butter, shortening, and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in the molasses and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Slowly add the flour mixture until combined and no flour remains.  In a small bowl add 1/2 cup sugar and form dough into 1 inch balls (I use a small ice cream scoop) and roll in the sugar.  Place on trays leaving 2 inches between cookies.  Bake for 12 1/2 minutes.  Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

We love a good chocolate chip cookie and these definitely hit the spot the other day.  These cookies are chuck full of chocolate chips and I wouldn't think twice about adding a cup of chopped walnuts the next time I make a big batch of them.  They hold up well to dunking as well, so say the kids (wink, wink)!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 T vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a couple of baking sheet with parchment paper.  Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.  In a stand mixer, cream the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until blended.
Beat in the vanilla and eggs until light and creamy.  Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.  Stir the chocolate chips into the mixture using a wooden spoon.  Drop the cookie dough a tablespoon at a time (I use a small ice cream scoop) onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks.  Use two pans and make sure each pan cools between batches or do what I do and use a third sheetpan and just transfer the parchment paper to reduce waste.

Mario Cupcakes

My son turned 7 earlier this month and he requested Mario cupcakes so I tried my best to deliver.  I used marshmallow fondant because it is so easy to work with.  One word of caution, wear rubber gloves when kneading the red food gel into the frosting otherwise you will be walking around with red hands for three days.  I am speaking from experience.

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes
(best served room temperature)

1 box devil's food cake mix
1 (4 oz) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cake mix, pudding mix and chocolate chips.  Mix wet ingredients in another bowl.  Add egg mixture to dry mixture and mix on medium until blended.  Pour into cupcake liners and bake 20-24 minutes.  Cool completely before frosting.

I frosted cupcakes with canned frosting before adding the fondant decorations.


Marshmallow Fondant
adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

16 oz. bag small plain marshmallows
2 Tbsp water
vegetable shortening
1 tsp vanilla
2 lb. confectioner's sugar, reserve 1 cup
pinch of salt

Grease a microwave safe bowl, a spoon, the dough hook, and the bowl of your stand mixer with vegetable shortening or spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Dump the marshmallows into the bowl and microwave for 60 seconds.  Stir marshmallows with the greased soon.  If all of the marshmallows have not melted, microwave for 30 more seconds.  Stir in the flavoring.  Places confectioner's sugar and salt in the stand mixer, reserving 1 cup, and make a well in the center.  Pour marshmallow mix in and turn the mixer on the lowest setting.  When it sounds strained, increase the speed up one setting.  Turn off the mixer once the sugar has been incorporated.  If the fondant is sticky, add the reserved confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup at a time.  Transfer the fondant onto plastic wrap.  Rub a bit of shortening onto the outside of the ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Roll out on a greased surface or parchment paper to the desired thickness.  If fondant is sticky then sprinkle powdered sugar on the counter, fondant, and rolling pin.
To color the fondant break off desired amount and add gel food coloring and knead ball with your hands until color is disbursed.

German Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

This German Apple Cake turned out moist and delicious. We ate it plain for breakfast over the weekend and we also served it to friends as a dessert with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and caramel sauce. It was a hit and it will definitely be added to our favorite list of baked goods.

German Apple Cake

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 cups apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9x13 inch cake pan with cooking spray or by buttering and dusting with sugar. In a mixing bowl; beat oil and eggs with a mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well. Combine the flour salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Once cake is cool serve with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and following caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cream

Bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Let cool slightly before serving with warm cake.

Whoppie Pies

I have two different version of the "Whoppie Pie" to share today. The popular chocolate and marshmallow filling variety and a seasonal Pumpkin Pie variety. They are both very good and were definitely a hit in our home. We only made half a batch of each, which honestly is more than we need to have lying around! It is hard to walk past them without taking a nibble! The batter is quite different so we ended up with about 7 huge-yet thin-chocolate whoppie pies and about 20 smaller, more dome-ish pumpkin whoppie pies.

Chocolate Whoppie Pies
adapted from gourmet.com

2 cups flour
1/2 natural cocoa powder (or dutch-process)
1 1/4 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 t vanilla
1 stick butter, room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg

filling
1 stick butter, room temp
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 t vanilla
(Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in small bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar for 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Alternating between the two, add dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry.
Drop 1/4 cup batter on parchment-lined trays and bake for about 11 minutes or until puffed and springy. Cool on a wire rack and then place filling on bottom of cookie and top with second cookie.
Pumpkin Whoppie Pies
adapted from marthastweart.com

3 cups flour
1 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 T cinnamon
1 T ground ginger
1 T ground cloves
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups canned pumpkin-chilled
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla

filling
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 stick butter, room temp
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 t vanilla
(Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. In a stand mixer, beat brown sugar and oil until combined. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add flour mixer at once and mix until fully incorporated.
Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough (I used a small ice cream scoop) on parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are firm to the touch and springy, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Spread filling on bottom on cooled cookie and top with second cookie. Refrigerate cookies to firm up, although I preferred them freshly made.

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie is one of my very favorite desserts. I love it, but it is so much better with a big swirl of raspberry sauce served on the side. Divine! So anytime I make key lime pie I have to make a raspberry sauce to go along with it. It is a good thing I have a great raspberry supplier (thanks AnnaLee)! My aunt picked an entire flat of raspberries for me the last time I went to visit and I made it into all things raspberry...jam, sauce, pie, etc.
I also took some of the sauce to serve alongside this key lime pie last week when we went to a friends' house for a fish fry. It was delicious!

Key Lime Pie
1 10-inch graham cracker crust (I used premade)
3 cups sweetened condensed milk (a little over 2 cans)
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup key lime juice (about 20 limes)
1 T lime zest (zest from about 3-4 regular limes)
whipped cream
raspberries, lime, or mint for garnish

Combine milk, sour cream, lime juice, and zest. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let cool. Refrigerate until chilled. Top entire pie with whipped cream and garnish with raspberries, lime slices, or a sprig of mint. Serve with raspberry sauce.

Raspberry Sauce
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
2 T lemon juice
1 cup water

Heat pot or medium heat. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add raspberries to the pot and pour sugar mixture over. Stir in the lemon juice juice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Once mixture is cooled, but not cold, strain it through a fine sieve. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or you can freeze it.

Candy Bar Trifle

This dessert has been a family favorite for years and years. I've made so many variations of it over the years and it is always a favorite wherever I take it. Really, who wouldn't like all of that chocolate?? It is also the simplest dessert I know of, but it looks party-worthy when you bring it to the table.

Our exchange student enjoyed making these with me.

It makes for the perfect dessert to make with your kids. With simple ingredients like a boxed cake mix, instant pudding, whipped cream, and candy bars the kids can easily assemble everything themselves.
You can let them fancy it up and decorate it with shaved chocolate, fruit, a drizzle of chocolate, or throw on lots and lots of candy bar chunks. They will surely have fun making it and eating it!1 boxed cake mix, baked and cooled
2 boxes instant chocolate pudding, made per box directions
1 large tub cool whip
3-4 large candy bars of your choice (our favorites are reese's peanut butter cups, snickers, heath, and butterfinger)
Cut cake into 1 inch pieces. Layer them in your bowl or cup. Spread enough pudding on to make a thick layer. Spread an equal amount of cool whip on top. Make sure you spread it out carefully so as not to let the pudding show through. Sprinkle with cut-up chunks of candy bar. Put a little more than you might think, it is the best part and adds a lot of texture to an otherwise soft dessert. Repeat as necessary.

No Bake Cherry Cheesecake

This delicious no bake cheesecake was my favorite dessert as a kid. We had it every Christmas at my aunt's house. She alternated between cherry topping and blueberry, either way I always loved it and couldn't wait for a slice.

No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
This is not a thick and dense cheesecake...it is fluffy and cloud-like with a graham cracker crust.

1 cup crushed graham crackers
8 T melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 pouches Dream Whip
1 cup milk
2 8 oz packages cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix graham crackers and sugar in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and mix with a fork until combined. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes. Cool completely.
In a mixer, using paddle attachment, whip cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar. In a separate bowl whip dream whip and milk until stiff. Fold dream whip mixture into cream cheese mixture. Spread evenly onto cooled crust.
Top with cherry filling. Enjoy!

Mini Baked Alaska-ish Dessert

Today is our 8th anniversary and I wanted to make a fun individual dessert so I came up with these mini baked Alaska desserts. I decided to go with a brownie bottom (chocolate cake would be terrific also) topped with vanilla ice cream. Then I added meringue and toasted it under the broiler. It was delicious!

For the brownie:
Suzanne's Best Brownies Recipe
adapted from simplyrecipes.com

Ingredients
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325°F with rack positioned in the lower third of the oven. Line the bottom and the sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides to make it easier to lift the brownies out of the pan when they are done.
Combine the butter, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Set the bowl in a wide saucepan of barely simmering water. Whisk the butter cocoa mixture until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring quickly after each one. When the batter looks shiny, thick, and well mixed, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon. Spread the batter evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out just slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely on a rack. Lift up the ends of the parchment paper liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares.

Meringue:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
4 egg whites

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup granulated sugar with ¼ cup water and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Boil until sugar is dissolved about 3 minutes. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, drizzle in the sugar syrup, then beat on high speed until the egg whites are stiff and glossy, about 8 minutes.

To assemble

Take one completely cooled brownie square and add one small scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Cover entire surface with meringue. You may freeze for up to an hour...much longer and the brownie will become hard. Preheat the broiler. Broil the cakes until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Watermelon Cake

Super cute and fun watermelon cake!!

I made this watermelon cake for a playgroup that I am hosting today. It turned out so cute...a little different than the cover of Womansday magazine, but cute nontheless. It was fun to make and Gabe even took a shot at decorating his own piece. It would be perfect for a summer get together.

It is pretty simple. You bake two 9-inch round cakes and cute them in half. Then layer three halves to make the big watermelon. Then slice the remaining half into three small pieces. Frost one laying flat, refrigerate until set, then stand on end and frost the last side.

Use the extra pieces to decorate with little ones around the house like I did or eat them up before the party begins!!! Enjoying fun projects with my children can be so fun and rewarding! See his little smile!!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

I've always liked rhubarb. Growing up my mom had a few plants at the far end of the garden and we would always pick a few stalks, take them into the kitchen, sprinkle each bite with sugar and gobble them up like a stalks of celery. We also made lots of pies and crisps...strawberry rhubarb was my favorite.

I planted rhubarb in my own garden last year and waited a whole year before being able to pick any. Today was my first taste. I only had to use two stalks for the small crisp I made for dessert. It tasted every bit as good as the ones we used to make...maybe even just a bit sweeter since I grew it myself and got to enjoy it with my own children! The only thing better would have been if mom was able to make it with me. Maybe next time!

No real recipe. I just eyeball it each time. Here is a guide for a small one like I made here.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

2 stalks of rhubarb

1 cup or so of strawberries

1-2 T sugar

3-4 T flour

3 T butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 rolled oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

salt

Chop rhubarb into 1 inch cubes and quarter the strawberries. Toss with sugar and 1 tablespoon of the flour. Add to baking dish. In a small bowl combine remaining flour and butter. Use a fork or your fingers to combine until you see pieces the size of peas. Add the remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly. Sprinkle on top of rhubarb mixture. Bake at 350 until browned and bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size.

Best Cookies Ever...Really

I must confess that I'm really skeptical when I try new chocolate chip cookie recipes. They all claim to be the best and often they are not. They don't live up to expectations...so we were thrilled when we took our first bites of these tasty cookies. They were big and beautiful. They looked like bakery cookies. They tasted better than bakery cookies. Between bites I heard "Best cookies ever." You should run into the kitchen and make these right now. Seriously!!!

Make sure you follow the directions as printed...it is really important.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Source: Baking Illustrated, page 434) as posted by brown eyed baker
Makes about 18 large cookies.

These oversized cookies are chewy and thick, like many of the chocolate chip cookies sold in gourmet shops and cookie stores. They rely on melted butter and an extra egg yolk to keep their texture soft. These cookies are best served warm from the oven but will retain their texture even when cooled. To ensure the proper texture, cool the cookies on the baking sheet. Oversized baking sheets allow you to get all the dough into the oven at one time. If you’re using smaller baking sheets, put fewer cookies on each sheet and bake them in batches.

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.
4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.
5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.

Raspberry Tart

The three little raspberry "roots" that we planted two years ago exploded this summer. Now we have a deck surrounded by brambles...but we love it. We don't love the amount of bees that like to hang around the deck now, but I guess we'll deal with them if it means we get raspberries like this. It has been wonderful this year. The kids love, I mean love, to pick the berries. It is hard to save any to cook with since they just eat them hand over fist.

We have had enough to to make a few smoothies, a few to top pancakes or waffles, and some to dip in nutella. Yum. That got me thinking and I swiped a few berries while the kids were sleeping to make this beauty. Delicious! Super easy...bake an empty pie crust...I just pricked it lightly with a fork. Spread nutella all over the bottom of the cooled crust. Decorate with berries and drizzle with raspberry sauce or warmed jam/jelly. Eat it with ice cream and you'll be super happy!

Raspberry Tart
1 prebaked pie crust
nutella
raspberries
raspberry jam/jelly

Spread nutella on the bottom of a pre baked pie shell.  Arrange raspberries on top of nutella.  Drizzle or burst on warm raspberry jam or jelly on top of tart.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.