Posted by: Megan | July 9, 2009

Rachael Ray’s Chocolate Pudding

As I’ve been cleaning out the last of my magazine stash, two things have happened:

1. I found lots of inspiration for lunch/dinner ideas.

2. My house/kitchen/recipe binders have been looking remarkably clean and organized.

Of course, it helps that I’ve been breaking child labor laws by having the kids help clean. I don’t know what it is about Windex that they love so much, but my windows and glass top tables have never been so sparkly.

In between cleaning, Alexander has been practicing Guitar Hero -  notice his groupie in the lower right corner:

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Anyways, I wanted to make them a little something special, and I haven’t made chocolate pudding in awhile, so I tried this recipe from the Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine.

It’s a lighter version of regular chocolate pudding – and while it wasn’t bad, it definitely won’t go on my top 10 list to make again. It didn’t have much flavor, even with the addition of cocoa powder and regular chocolate. Maybe I should have tried a stronger flavored chocolate – perhaps that would have helped.

Double Chocolate Pudding - Everyday With Rachael Ray

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 pinch salt
3 cups 2 percent milk
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil, stirring, over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Serve warm or chilled.

8 Comments

Posted in Pies

Posted by: Megan | July 6, 2009

TWD – Tribute to KH Brownies

Just in case you’ve never been to my blog before, or you don’t know me very well, I have a thing for brownies.

Click here to see it.

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‘Nuff said.

(PS ** thanks to Lisa from Surviving Oz for an outstanding pick **)

Coming up next week – Brioche Tart – or not.

38 Comments

Posted in Tuesdays With Dorie

Posted by: Megan | July 6, 2009

The Weekly Scoop #9 – Cheesecake Ice Cream

Over the course of the past 9 weeks, I’ve discovered something interesting about my household.

We go through a LOT of ice cream. I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again – Alexander loves ice cream.

Loves it.

Did I mention he loves it? He really loves it.

It’s his favorite dessert, and every evening, after dinner, he walks straight to the freezer and ponders his flavor selection.

It’s become habit, routine, accepted. Sort of like the IRS coming around every April 15. You know it’s coming, so you’d better be prepared.

However, this cheesecake ice cream wasn’t one of his flavor choices. It was mine. And although I made it last summer, I wanted to try it again. But this time, to make it different and shake things up a bit, I added a graham cracker crust.

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Doesn’t it look cute? I thought so.

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It really tastes just like cheesecake – but better. Next time I think I’ll break the crust into chunks, and then add it to the ice cream.

Oh yeah.

Cheesecake Ice Cream - The Perfect Scoop

8 oz cream cheese
1 lemon
1 cup sour cream
½ cup half and half
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt

Cut the cream cheese into small pieces. Zest the lemon directly into a blender or food processor, and add the cream cheese, sour cream, half and half, sugar and salt. Puree until smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

19 Comments

Posted in Ice Cream, The Weekly Scoop

Posted by: Megan | July 5, 2009

SMS – Brown Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream

Good Sunday morning to you! I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July – we sure did, but the kids stayed up waaaaay too late. I don’t think Alexander has ever been up until 11:00 p.m. And unless he sleeps in, it will make for a very long day!

However, you came by for ice cream, so let’s talk about this weeks’ Sweet Melissa Sundays recipe – hand picked by Karen at Karen’s Cookies Cakes and More. She chose Brown Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream with Hot Fudge Sauce. I’ve actually made the hot fudge sauce before – several times, in fact, and I like it because it doesn’t require me to keep heavy cream on hand (like most sauce recipes), and it’s so wonderfully chewy and chocolatey.

The ice cream was something new, though – and I have to admit, the brown sugar gave it a richer flavor than I expected. The kids really liked it – so much, in fact, that I had to snag Alexander’s bowl and take a quick shot before the ice cream was all gone.

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Sprinkles are mandatory in our house.

This was a great choice – one which I’ll definitely be making again. To see how the other SMS bakers fared with their ice cream, click here.

Don’t forget to come by tomorrow for The Weekly Scoop!

17 Comments

Posted in Ice Cream, Sweet Melissa Sundays

Posted by: Megan | July 2, 2009

Campanile Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are like brownies. There are infinite versions of the same basic recipe.

What it really comes down to, though, depends on which side of the fence you reside.

Chewy? Or crispy?

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I live on the chewy side. That, to me, is the ultimate. So when I found this recipe for a chewy chocolate chip cookie, from Campanile Restaurant, I had to try it.

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Fresh from the oven, these were chewy. Once they cooled to room temperature, however, they became crunchy. I may have misjudged the baking time – BUT (and there is always a but), they were great.

Especially since my local market had Guittard chocolate chips on sale – $2.50 per bag. Modesty prevents me from telling you how many bags I bought.

Campanile Restaurant Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies - Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel

8 ounces chocolate, coarsely chopped (Valrhona is best)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Chill chocolate in refrigerator 2 to 3 hours.

Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder into a bowl and mix well.

Using paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat unsalted butter in a mixing bowl at medium speed 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add granulated and brown sugar. Beat until blended.

Whisk egg and vanilla in a bowl until blended. Add egg mixture to creamed mixture and beat until blended, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Add 1/2 of flour mixture and beat until blended. Add remaining flour mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in walnuts and chocolate. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, 2 hours or until firm.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and arrange ball 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Press each ball lightly with palm of your hand.

Bake in preheated 325 degree F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies have risen and cracked; do not overbake. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies.

16 Comments

Posted in Cookies

Posted by: Megan | July 1, 2009

Scenes from Disneyland and a boat trip

Now that we’ve returned from our whirlwind vacation, I have unpacked, finished the laundry,  uploaded my pictures and I’m ready to go.

But before we get started, I just want to know one thing – how come one of my dogs gets sick every time I go away? They stayed at the vet’s office, for crying out loud, so why is it that one of them always comes home with a bad tummy? Why do they need to go back to the vet’s after they’ve been boarded at the vet’s?

I may never get this question answered, so let’s move on.

Me and my crew – right before we got soaked from the fountain behind us.

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The crew – ready to party:

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Alexander and I waiting in line at Space Mountain. There was a 10 minute wait for this ride, so it was the first one we went on. Sabrina didn’t want to go on it, so I grabbed Alexander and made a beeline for the entrance.

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Sabrina waiting for her car at Autopia – I think this was her favorite ride:

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And just think…… in 4 years she’ll be driving:

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Alexander – pretending his car was a Lamborghini:

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While the boys rode Big Thunder Railroad, Sabrina and I went on It’s A Small World. The ride recently underwent a major overhaul, and I have to say it’s still really cute. Yes, the music gets annoying, but the changes they made brought the ride into modern times.

At least this time the it didn’t break down – two years ago, we got stuck in the ride for over 45 minutes.

I almost lost my mind.

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Since Sabrina really dislikes (ok, she HATES) rollercoasters, David and I alternated taking Alexander on Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Railroad, and the Matterhorn. Sabrina liked the Haunted Mansion, though, and I coerced her (more like forced her) into riding Splash Mountain – and while she wouldn’t say she liked it, she overcame her fear enough to conquer it.

And was proud of herself at the end of the day.

While we were strolling through the park, guess who we bumped into?

My brother and his wife, Paula!

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It’s a Small World After All, eh?

*yeah, yeah, my next show starts in an hour**

But, that leads into our next story – the boat ride. My brother recently purchased a boat. Which I still cannot get over. I mean, I’ve known him for a looooong time, and NEVER would have figured him to become Thurston Howell III.

He’s even got the accent down.

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He invited us all down, and the kids were so excited – I think they enjoyed this more than Disneyland:

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I was surprised at how much Sabrina liked it – she’s not really the adventurous type, especially when it comes to the ocean:

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But this guy, well, he’s in his element where water is involved. And sometimes I’m concerned about the fact that he might be part dolphin:

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And while we didn’t see any dolphins, we did see flying fish (really, they jump out of the water), and several sea lions taking an afternoon siesta on the boat dock:

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My brother even let the kids drive the boat. Is that correct boat-o-logy? Do you drive a boat? Steer a boat? Pilot a boat? Anyone? Can I make a phone call here?

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Alexander was trying to keep a straight face and focus while driving – and I wasn’t helping by being a pesky paparazzi:

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But I let him get revenge and take a photo of me and David:

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We had such a great time, and the kids have been asking repeatedly when we can go back.

Forget Disneyland – the boat is the place to be.

And just because – I have to share one last photo -

Alexander in the gift shop:

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Nice hat, buddy. It’s just the right size.

11 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: Megan | June 29, 2009

TWD – Perfect Party Cupcakes

Super short post  – because just in case you haven’t heard, I am in Disneyland all day today!

This weeks’ recipe for TWD, chosen from Carol at mix mix, stir, stir, was Perfect Party Cake. Which I’m sure would have been perfect for a party – assuming the recipients like coconut, raspberries and lemon. However, I had both kids’ birthdays back-to-back earlier in the month, so I took the easy route on this one.

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I quartered the recipe, and made cupcakes. Which were great – lightly lemon flavored, and not dry at all, which was a comment I heard many times in the P&Q’s – in fact, one of my baking heroes, Nick Malgieri, gave Dorie a  “tip sheet” on how to make the cake come out perfect. You can find that here.

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However, the cake was the only part of the recipe I followed. I skipped everything else – simply icing them with chocolate and calling it a day.

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Which isn’t to say they weren’t good – they were great. Alexander inhaled two before I stopped him from going for a third. These were a fantastic choice, and perhaps someday I’ll actually make the cake as it was originally intended.

That’s all for now – I’ll be catching up with everyone later!

Coming up next week: Katherine Hepburn’s Brownies. You know I’m loving this one!

33 Comments

Posted in Cakes, Tuesdays With Dorie

Posted by: Megan | June 29, 2009

The Weekly Scoop #8 – Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

Wow – have I really been making ice cream for 8 weeks already? I can’t believe it – but it’s Monday, and therefore time for The Weekly Scoop.

As you read this, I am on my way to California headed to the magical land of Disney. Yahoo! I’ll post some pictures of our road trip later, but for now, let’s talk ice cream.

With the abundance of fruit that I’ve recently purchased at Costco (I really should have my membership revoked), it was time to incorporate some of it into ice cream. Sabrina actually picked this one – Raspberry Swirl – which is a ribbon of lightly crushed raspberries running through vanilla ice cream.

The raspberries are mixed with bit of sugar and a little vodka, which prevents the fruit from freezing into icy bits:

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And then layered with vanilla custard:

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My swirl-a-bility needs some practice, but you get the idea here.

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I thought it was fabulous, David proclaimed it the best so far, but Sabrina didn’t like it at all. I guess she’s still a fruit purist.

No matter – this is a flavor I will definitely be repeating over the summer. And I even have several pints of raspberries tucked into the back of the freezer for the occasion!

Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream - The Perfect Scoop

1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
½ tsp vanilla extract

Raspberry swirl:
1 ½ cups fresh raspberries
3 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. vodka

To make the ice cream, warm the milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Pour the cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Add the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
An hour or so before churning the ice cream, make the raspberry swirl by mashing the raspberries together with the sugar and vodka using a fork, until they’re juicy but with nice sized chunks of raspberries remaining. Chill until ready to use.

Freeze the ice cream according to the manufacturers instructions. As you remove it from the machine, layer it in the container with spoonfuls of the chilled raspberry swirl mixture.

13 Comments

Posted in Ice Cream, The Weekly Scoop

Posted by: Megan | June 27, 2009

SMS – Double Dark Chocolate Cookies

Guess where I’m going in 2 days -

Go ahead, guess – I’ll wait.

DISNEYLAND!

Ok, so I’m probably a little old to be so excited about this, but really, I like an escape from reality. And where else can you get a more surreal experience than the Magic Kingdom?

Besides, eating your way through the park is always fun! :)

I’m also excited because after we arrive into Anaheim on Monday, we are headed to my brothers house – and then he is taking us out on his boat – which will be a total blast!

So amidst laundry, packing, and getting the dogs ready for the kennel, today is also the day I got to choose the recipe for Sweet Melissa Sundays! Woo-hoo!

When Lorelei asked me for my selection, it didn’t take me long to decide on chocolate cookies. I didn’t want something lengthy or complicated. And, as everyone knows, I am a certified, card carrying chocoholic.

These cookies did not disappoint. Chewy chocolatey bliss.

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I did leave out the cherries – because believe it or not, I don’t like fruit and chocolate together. But that’s the beauty of cookie dough – mix, match, add in or leave out. The only other change was not to take the slice-and-bake route described in the recipe. I used my medium cookie scoop, placed the dough on the baking sheets, and chilled them until I was ready to bake – which was several hours later, so the dough was nice and firm.

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I hope everyone enjoyed them as much as I did!

Double Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies – Sweet Melissa Patisserie

1 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp kosher salt
8 tbs. unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried sour cherries
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, mixing well. Stir in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour in three batches, mixing just until incorporated after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and cherries. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Refrigerate the dough for a few hours until firm. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it in half. Roll out into 2 uniform logs about 12 inches long. Refrigerate it until firm enough to slice, about 1 hour.

Position a rack in the top and bottom thirds of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Cut the logs into 1 inch slices and place 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the dough looks just baked. The cookies should be tender, so do not overbake.

34 Comments

Posted in Cookies, Sweet Melissa Sundays

Posted by: Megan | June 27, 2009

Chocolate Doughnuts for Katrina

Earlier this week, (insert tongue-in-cheek here) I inadvertently offended  Katrina, from Baking and Boys. You can read the original story here, but the condensed version is this: I posted a short list of blogging friends’ likes and posted only her dislike. It wasn’t intentional, obviously, but my brain works in strange and mysterious ways…….

She was quick to send me an email reminding me that she likes many things, most notably chocolate.

So to make it up to her, I am offering her these:

68 001Chocolate Doughnuts!

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They aren’t doughnuts in the deep fried sense, but doughnuts that are baked, ergo much healthier.

And yes, I’m sticking to my claim that chocolate doughnuts are healthy.

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I got the recipe from Tracey, from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures - but it came from “The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread”, which I actually have a copy of.

How is it that I missed this recipe?

One note: I followed the recipe as is (I know, a rarity for me), but I did quarter it and still came out with a stampede of mini muffins – but they freeze well – and that makes the kids very, very happy.

Chocolate Doughnuts – The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/8 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate, grated
3/4 cup very hot water
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 2 mini bundt pans (each with a 6-cup capacity) (I used a mini muffin pan) with nonstick spray and coat with superfine sugar, if available; otherwise, use regular granulated sugar.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a second medium bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder and grated chocolate. Pour in the water and whisk until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate has melted completely. Add the butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and stir until moistened. Distribute the batter evenly among the 12 prepared mini bundt pans. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center of a doughnut comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn the doughnuts out onto a rack to cool.

12 Comments

Posted in Breakfast

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