coffee panna cotta

That coffee post that I mentioned in yesterday’s coffee post? Yeah… this is it. Buckle up, friends… you’re gonna love this one! I found this recipe while surfing the web (which, in spite of my neverending cookbook addiction, is how I stumble onto most of the recipes I try) and I knew… this would be the dessert of the weekend. My husband was pleased with this idea.

I knew that something about this recipe seemed familiar and, after scrolling back up to read the whole post, I realized why… this is an old Daring Bakers Challenge (from just over a year ago). You can see my first take on panna cotta from that same challenge ::here::!

This is a coffee lovers dream. Smooth, creamy and rich… full of coffee flavor and topped with a creamy ganache glaze. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again here… this dessert LOOKS high-maintenance, but it really is VERY easy. The hardest part is waiting for the panna cotta to set up in the fridge!

Coffee Panna Cotta with Mocha Sauce
(recipe from Life’s A Feast)
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups whipping cream (whole fat heavy cream)
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or more to taste

Prepare 6 to 8 ramekins or individual bowls or demitasse cups. If you want to be able to turn the Panna Cotta out of the bowl or ramekin, run the bowl under cold running water, pour and shake the water out but do not dry.

Pour the milk into a medium-sized saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the milk. Whisk quickly and lightly just so it is all wet and then allow to sit for 5 minutes. This softens the gelatin. Place the saucepan over medium heat and, whisking gently, allow the milk to heat until it is hot but not boiling, 5 more minutes. The yellow shiny splotches of gelatin floating on the surface will disappear when the gelatin is completely melted/dissolved.

Add the cream, honey, sugar, pinch of salt and 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder to the hot milk and continue to heat, stirring, until the honey, sugar and espresso have dissolved. Taste and add more espresso powder if you desire a stronger coffee flavor.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool for several minutes. Whisk to combine well before pouring into the glasses, bowls, cups or ramekins. I always find it much easier to pour the liquid into a glass or Pyrex measuring cup with a spout and pour from that instead of directly from the saucepan.

Cover each bowl or ramekin with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or, ideally, overnight.

A half hour or so before serving, prepare the Mocha Sauce. Once the sauce has been made and chilled, serve the panna cotta, each drizzled with the sauce.

Mocha Sauce
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, or more to taste
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup granulated sugar to taste

Coarsely chop the chocolate and place it in a small saucepan with the heavy cream, the espresso powder and 1 tablespoon sugar. Heat very gently over medium-low heat, whisking or stirring, until the chocolate, sugar and espresso have all melted and dissolved. Taste, adding sugar until desired sweetness. Remove from the heat, allow to cool for a few minutes, stir again and pour into a glass measuring cup, bowl or jar and refrigerate until just cool enough to serve over the chilled panna cotta.

it’s a lime double-header!

What to do when you have limes on the brain? Go all in.

First…. make lime sherbet floats. Perfect for the warm days that have been creeping in on the heels of Spring. Seriously…. perfect.

Second… make key lime pie ice cream. Even more perfect than the floats – if a little more labor-intensive. But no cooked bases for this one, so no need to have to plan ahead! Make it at whim (and make it often)!

Mmmmmm. It’s good to have options.

Lime Sherbet Floats
(serves 2)
20 ounces Sprite, 7-Up or other lemon-lime soda of your choice
juice of one lime
2 healthy scoops lime sherbet

Divid all ingredients equally between two glasses. Enjoy!

* * *

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
(recipe from Good Life Eats)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup bottled Key lime juice (such as Nellie and Joe’s)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Dash of salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
6 graham crackers (1 1/2 cookie sheets), coarsely crushed, divided

In a large bowl, combine milk, lime juice, heavy cream, salt and sweetened condensed milk; whisk to combine.

Pour mixture into your ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Stir 1/3 cup graham crackers into ice cream. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze for 1 hour or until firm. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon reserved graham crackers.

cheery cherries

I’d fully intended to get this post up BEFORE Valentine’s Day, but… hey… life happens, right? So, consider this your post-Valentine’s Day/Valentine’s Week treat! (And I hope yours was fille with lots of LOVE!)

These cherry-cheesecake brownies are utterly decadent and a bite or two goes a long, long way. They’re melt-in-your mouth fudgy and OH so good. I’ve mixed them up a bit by incorporating a bit of goat cheese into the cheesecake topping – leaving just a little tang to offset the sweet of the cherries and the richness of the brownie base. If goat cheese isn’t your thing, sub in some more cream cheese for the goat cheese for a more classic flavor.

Cherry Cheesecake Brownies
(adapted from Just Best Recipes)
Cheesecake Topping
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling
Brownie Base
1 cup unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 350°. Line a 13 x 9″ baking pan with foil, letting ends extend a bit over sides. Lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare the topping by beating together all topping ingredients except pie filling in a medium mixing bowl until blended and smooth. Set aside.

In a large microwavable mixing bowl, melt butter and chocolate on medium power for about 2 minutes, stopping to stir every 45 seconds. Heat until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt into melted chocolate mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring briskly after each egg until well-blended. Stir in flour until evenly incorporated.

Spoon brownie mixture into prepared baking pan and smooth out using a knife of offset spatula. Scatter alternating heaping tablespoons of cheesecake topping mixture and cherry pie filling on top of brownie batter. Run the tip of a clean knife through topping and pie filling to create a marbelized look.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until brownie edges begin to pull away from sides and edges of cream cheese are slightly brown. Note: the center will still “jiggle” when shaken even when the brownies are done.

Cool brownies in pan on wire rack. When cooled, chill for at least 4 hours before cutting.

After chilling, lift brownies from pan using the foil that lines the pan. Place on cutting board and cut into squares.

World Nutella Day – 5 ingredient Nutella Brownies

Oh, by the way… Happy World Nutella Day! It’s late, and there are brownies to eat, but I wanted to be sure that I shared these with you… five little ingredients that magically transform into yummy Nutella goodness. Just be sure not to overcook them or they’ll dry out!

5 Ingredient Nutella Brownies
(adapted from Desserts 4 Today by way of Wenderly)
1/2 cup Nutella spread
1 large egg
5 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º

In a medium bowl, whisk Nutella and egg until smooth. Add flour and whisk until completely incorporated.

Spoon batter into a mini muffin tin lined with paper or foil liners, fill about 3/4 full. Sprinkle each generously with chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips.

Bake for 11 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist/wet crumbs stuck to it (you’ll want these nice and fudgy). Cool completely on cooling rack. Serve immediately or store for up to 3 days in a sealed container at room temperature.

pineapple bliss cupcakes with whipped cream cheese frosting

I’m all about cooking and baking from scratch but, sometimes, you just can’t beat a quick recipe that takes advantage of the convenience of pre-made or pre-packaged ingredients.  Point in case… boxed cake mix.

We had a busy weekend on tap and, in the midst of working, cleaning, catching up on projects, etc. I had to find some time to throw together dinner and dessert for a friend and co-worker visiting from out of town. True to my usual M.O., I either overestimated how much I had to do or underestimated how long it all would take… but either way… my plan to make a pineapple upside-down cake was thwarted by the clock. So, I went with the next best thing – two-ingredient pineapple bliss cupcakes!

You read that right – two ingredient cupcakes (five if you count the frosting). Talk about a lifesaver! Take a box of yellow cake mix and a can of undrained, crushed pineapple… combine… mix… and bake! You don’t add any of the usual ingredients required by the box mix – it’s literally just the cake mix and the pineapple. They’ll bake up into a lovely, slightly dense, wonderfully moist cupcake with little bits of pineapple in each bite. They’re like a mixed-up pineapple upside down cake! Frost them with a nice, light cream cheese frosting and you’re good to go!

Pineapple Bliss Cupcakes
(cupcake recipe courtesy of Gina @ Skinnytaste)
18.25 oz box yellow cake mix
20 oz can crushed pineapple in juice (do not drain)

Combine cake mix and undrained crushed pineapple in a large bowl. Mix on medium speed with electric mixer until combined.

Pour into lined cupcake tins about 2/3 full. Bake according to directions on the back of the cake mix box or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Cool completely and frost with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows).

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. Cupcakes will keep nicely tightly covered in the fridge for a few days.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
1 box of regular or 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
10 ounces regular or lite Cool Whip

Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth and well-combined. Fold in whipped cream until combined.

culinary capers – cranberries

I love the holidays. I (somehow and once again) managed to bring my annual Holibaking adventures right down to the wire (making it quite challenging to ship halfway across the US!). And THEN… I piled on the need to make a cake for Christmas Eve dessert. You’d think I’d learn!

This cake is GORGEOUS. And moist. And… well… in a word… WONDERFUL. It’s been far, far too long since I’ve made an upside-down cake of any sort and this one has re-lit my fire.

The perfect blend of tart and sweet, there’s no leveling, filling, stacking, or frosting involved. Simply whip it up, bake it, and flip it. Perfect for the busiest of holiday schedules (so consider making this for your New Year’s Eve gathering or… well… any time!). Just be sure to watch it closely toward the end of the baking time and pull it from the oven as soon as your toothpick comes out clean – if you overbake, this cake will dry out rather quickly.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
(adapted from Cooking Light)
Topping:
Cooking spray
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
8-10 ounces fresh or frozen, thawed, cranberries
Cake:
6 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup 1% or skim low-fat milk
2 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare topping, lightly coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Heat brown sugar and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes or until butter melts and sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Pour sugar mixture into prepared cake pan, tilting pan to coat bottom evenly. Arrange cranberries evenly over sugar mixture, pressing them in to form a solid layer.

To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Beat the egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form using clean, dry beaters. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Spoon the batter over the cranberries, spreading evenly. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean (monitor closely so as not to overbake). Cool in pan 15 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Place a serving plate upside down on top of cake, and invert the cake pan onto the plate. Let stand 5 minutes, and remove the pan. Serve warm.

culinary capers – cream (part 2)

We started this week’s Culinary Capers challenge with breakfast (cream biscuits) and we’re ending with dessert! That’s the sign of a good challenge, eh?

This was actually my first idea when it came to using cream in a recipe… I mean, how can you think cream and not go straight to creme brulee? Or maybe that’s just me?

Rather than stick with a classic version (which I love), I decided to strike out and give a little nod to Autumn (which, after poking its head in for a few days, seems to have disappeared again). And that’s how these pumpkin spice creme brulees came to be. I could go on and on, but… simply… YUM.

Pumpkin Spice Creme Brulee
(adapted ever so slightly from White on Rice Couple)
15 oz pumpkin puree
3/4 cup brown sugar
5 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups heavy whipping cream
8 teaspoons granulated sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

In a medium saucepan, heat whipping cream just to a boil. While cream heats, also begin heating a teapot full of water to use in the bain marie for baking the crème brûlées. Gradually whisk hot cream into pumpkin puree mix.

Place 8 – 5″ diameter x 1″ deep ramekins into 2 large roasting pans. Carefully divide mixture evenly between the ramekins. Gently pour enough water into the roasting pans to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully place roasting pans in oven.

Bake until custards are just set (edges will be set but the center will still have a little wiggle when gently shaken), about 35 minutes. (If you over bake the custards they will get tough and loose their smoothness, and if you under bake they will be a little runny.)

Carefully remove custards from oven, then using a spatula, remove ramekins from water bath and place on a towel. Cool slightly at room temperature, then refrigerate custards until cold.

When ready to serve, spread each dish with an even thin, layer of granulated sugar. Using a torch (or under the broiler), melt and caramelize sugar. Allow to cool to set sugar, then serve.

culinary capers – honey

I love honey. On white toast with butter when I’m feeling under the weather. Over Greek yogurt and granola for breakfast. And, if we’re being honest, straight off the spoon… just because.

And now… I have a new way to love honey. In a honey cake. Sort of reminiscent of spice cake, this one is just wonderful with a nice strong cup of coffee.

Not only is this just generally a lovely cake… making it was a nice lesson in Jewish culture. You see, honey cakes are often made for Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah – which just happens to be next week. Whether you make it for Rosh Hashanah or just because… make this cake. You won’t regret it!

Honey Cake
(adapted from A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground vanilla bean (optional)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup warm coffee
1/2 cup whiskey (see Note)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)
6 teaspoons turbinado sugar

This cake can be made in a 9-inch angel food cake pan, a 10-inch tube or bundt cake pan, a 9 by 13-inch sheetpan, or three 8 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the pan(s). For tube and angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Make a well in the center and add the oil, honey, sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee, whiskey and orange juice.

Using a strong wire whisk or an electric mixer on slow speed, combine the ingredients well to make a thick batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom of the bowl.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s) and sprinkle the top of the cake(s) evenly with the sugar and, if using, the almonds. Place the cake pan(s) on 2 baking sheets stacked together and bake until the cake springs back when you touch it gently in the center. For angel and tube cake pans, bake for 60 to 70 minutes; loaf cakes, 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet-style cakes, the baking time is 40 to 45 minutes. This is a liquidy batter and, depending on your oven, it may need extra time. Cake should spring back when gently pressed.

Let the cake stand for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: If you prefer not to use the whiskey, replace it with orange juice or coffee.

Big Birthday Month 2011 – and so it begins…

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but September is a HUGE birthday month among my family and friends…

We kicked it off right with my husband’s birthday… a giant Better-Than-Hostess Cupcake.

This one started out as kind of a lark. I asked David what kind of birthday cake he wanted and he – somewhat jokingly – said “I want a giant Hostess Cupcake.”

Always be careful of what you ask for in this house. It was, in a word, ah-mazing!

Better-Than-Hostess Cupcake Cake
(modified ever so slightly from this recipe by Deb @ Smitten Kitchen)
Chocolate Cake Layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms of 3 9-inch round cake pans with wax paper and grease paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.

Divide batter evenly between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. (Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.)

Marshmallow Frosting
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. Use frosting the day it is made.

Ganache Frosting
1/2 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter

Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency). I found that stirring this over a bowl of ice water did a great job of cooling it off quickly and evenly.

Assembly
Place the first cake layer onto a cake plate. Place the second cake layer on top of the first and carefully cut a large hole out of the center of the second layer only, about 6-inches across — remove and save for a snack later. Fill the entire cut-out area with frosting, leaving a half cup aside if you wish to pipe the signature loops or a message across the top. Lay the third layer on top of this, sealing the filling in. Spread a fairly thin coating of the ganache coating over top and sides of cake. Place the cake in the fridge to chill for a few minutes, then use the remaining ganache to create a thicker layer only on the top of the cake to replicate the chocolate frosting on the top of the cupcake. Return the cake to the fridge to firm up completely (approximately 30 minutes). Once ganache is firm and chilled, decorate with the signature swirly pattern (use a piping bag or a makeshift one, a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off).

lemon bundt cake

I always forget how much I like lemon cake. I’m usually a chocolate girl when left to my own devices, but am so often pleasantly surprised to remember how refreshing a good lemon cake is.

Mother’s Day was the perfect reason to whip up a cake and lemon was the order of the day. Not only did this one come together easily, it was absolutely lovely. It would be wonderful with a lemon glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar, but was fabulous all on its own.

Lemon Bundt Cake
(adapted slightly from AllRecipes)
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.

Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack. Cool completely before serving.