Vanilla Wafer Cake

I’ve been meaning to write about this interesting and different cake that tastes surprisingly great!

These little cakes (I made 8 smaller cakes in ramekins using half the recipe rather than a whole cake) may not be the prettiest things, but they taste great!  Guess who ate most of them at our house?  Kevin—Mr. Cake Hater himself.  But I’ll note that it’s really frosting he dislikes so much and this cake doesn’t have frosting and doesn’t need it.  Though after being sent the recipe from Lisa (Check out her blog, she's an amazing artist), she told me her husband had the cake at an out of town dinner and raved about it and told her how much he LOVED it (he even asked the people he was having dinner with for the recipe), I decided I needed to try it.  He was given a copy of an old hand written recipe that didn’t have much instruction.  So Lisa and I worked on our version from our two ends of the country and shared our results. 

This cake really is good by itself, but would be great with a  big dollop of whipped cream or maybe some ice cream. 

Here’s the recipe as it was written on the copy Lisa received.

Vanilla Wafer Cake (Gary Ryan) adapted by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 cup butter

2 cups granulated sugar

6 large eggs, beaten

7 to 10 ounces coconut

1—12 ounces box Nilla Wafers, crushed

1/2 cup milk

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and add sugar.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well and pour into greased pan (bundt).  Bake at 325 degrees 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Cool in pan for 2 hours. 

I halved the recipe, but made it as written.  Lisa and I read elsewhere (though there wasn’t too much about the cake elsewhere online, or the few others we found were enough different that we stuck with this one) not to sub any other cookies.  But I know she used Trader Joe’s wafer cookies that are whole wheat.  Lisa also played around with less sugar and using ground flax in place of the eggs.  I made the half recipe in six 6 ounce ramekins and two 4 ounce heart shaped ramekins.  The smaller cakes baked for 39 minutes.  I toasted the pecans and used 8 ounces sweetened shredded coconut.  I also used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter instead of butter.  I ground the cookies (6 ounces) in the food processor.

At the time I made these, I was really watching what I ate, so I really only took a bite of one of these.  The cake almost tastes tropical (if there was pineapple in it it would).  This cake is unique in that there is no added extra flour, just the crushed cookies as well as no added leaveners.  I really enjoy trying new/different recipes, so this was a fun one.  Lisa and I both agreed that somehow incorporating chocolate in these would be good (we’re a lot alike when it comes to chocolate).  ;)  Thanks for sharing, Lisa!

TWD—Cocoa Pecan Powder Puffs

Tia at Buttercream Barbie chose our recipe this week for Tuesdays With Dorie.  She chose Pecan Powder Puffs (page 156) in Baking From My Home to Yours.  In the playing around section, Dorie mentioned making these Mexican wedding cookie cousins with cocoa, so I did!  Hello, chocolate!  Really, I just wanted to try something different, since I already know the regular cookies are one of my favorites.  Dorie’s recipe is a little different from my latest favorite of this type of cookie, called Russian Teacakes.

I loved the addition of cocoa to these and will probably make Dorie’s recipe again and have to make them chocolaty.  I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, so they were extra chocolaty.  These were kind of like a little round snow covered version of Dorie’s World Peace Cookies.  I made these while we had company last week.  They were a hit with everyone who had one or two (or three or more).

Thanks for picking this recipe, Tia.  I had never even noticed it before.  She’ll have the recipe on her blog.  If you’ve never made this kind of cookie with cocoa, you’ve got to try it sometime.  Check out the other Pecan Powder Puffs at TWD Land.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars

Whew!  What a couple weeks it has been.  I spent a week in Kansas.  Had a great time hanging with some friends I dearly miss—my Reality Sistas and seeing lots of other friends, too.  Thanks for letting me go, Kev!

Then the day after I got home, after lots of cleaning!, we had company staying with us all this week.  It was really fun.  But I’m tired. 

Thanks to the Berghouts for coming from Kansas to help Kevin get the fish tank up and running.  We are really excited to have it!  Great to see you guys!

So fun to have my niece and her husband and two cute boys here with us, too! (That’s right, I’m a great aunt, who knew—have been for a long time now.) ;)  Thanks for coming, Saharra!  I stink—and only took a few pictures.  Look at this cute little guy---Gunner is about six months old and crawling already.  It was fun to have a little guy in our house (and to give him to his mom when he’d cry. hehe) Chip (our mini Aussie puppy) sure liked him!  Probably because he could run up and lick all over him and Gunner didn’t (couldn’t) do anything to stop him.  (No, Gunner is not really drinking out of a cup, just loved gnawing it.)

It was fun to have Zane, Gunner’s 7 year old brother here, too.  I didn’t take this one—Saharra does photography.  Here’s Zane.  I’d put one of her pictures of herself and her husband on here, too, but then she’d be annoyed with me. ;)  (So this photo is courtesy of Saharra.)

The boys had a blast!

Saharra even managed to take some pictures of Scottie (in other words—he let her).  He purposely missed school pictures this year.  Great photos, Sahare!

So again, it was fun to have company here.  I enjoyed making food that was enjoyed by people (instead of for my boys who generally don’t like anything).  One day last week I made some Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars that Amanda at Amanda's Cookin' recently posted.  Besides these turning out perfect and tasting great, these could not have been more simple.  They made for a great treat while our company was here this past week.  You can get the recipe on the link at Amanda’s blog.  My only change to the recipe was in place of the 3/4 cup butter, I used Bestlife Buttery Baking Sticks.  I have used these in a couple of recipes now and really like it.  This alternative to butter has no partially hydrogenated oil, no trans fats and 50% less saturated fat than butter.  Give it a try sometime.  I found it available at Walmart.

Lining the baking pan with foil makes it so easy to remove the bars and slice them on a cutting board.  I always do that for any kind of bars or brownies.  These baked for 22 minutes and cooled for a couple hours.  They slice perfectly.  The peanut butter added to the bar cookie is great and makes for a great texture to these and what could be better than peanut butter and chocolate.  Give them a try.  Everyone here loved them and I’m sure I’ll be making them again!  Thanks, Amanda!

TWD—Honey Nut Brownies and Orange Berry Muffins

This week the Tuesdays With Dorie group made Honey Nut Brownies chosen by Suzy of Suzy Homemaker.

I made a half recipe of the brownies in a 9x5 loaf pan.  Yay me, I followed the recipe as written.  For fun, I used pistachios.  While I think they add nice shape and color, I think for flavor pecans or walnuts would be better.  Because of the honey, these are cakey, but I knew they would be.  So I just wouldn’t call it brownies, I’d call it snack cake. ;)  Glad I put the frosting on top.  It was the star of the show. 

You can get the recipe for these on Suzy’s blog.  As always, you can also see other baker’s creations on the TWD website.

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We have company staying with us this week.  On Sunday I decided to make muffins to go with breakfast.  I made Dorie’s Orange Berry Muffins.  I used some frozen blueberries.  These muffins are great.  (I've had them before.)  This time, I didn’t even taste them.  I think Kevin ate most of them as well as our company.  The muffins got rave reviews!  I was just “being good” and not having a muffin for breakfast, but granola and yogurt instead.

 

You can get the recipe for these muffins here.

I still need to get with it and post pictures of Sam’s birthday that was last week.  My baby is four!

Caramel Filled Milk Chocolate Studded Brownies

Today was National Chocolate Caramel Day and just for fun when I saw that I thought it would be fun to try to make something with chocolate and caramel.  These brownies with Dove Milk Chocolates with Caramel were born.

I opened my baking stash cupboard and saw a bag of Dove chocolates that I’d bought for something else and ended up not needing.  I immediately started whipping up my favorite brownie recipe and put the unwrapped chocolates on the top of half the batter, then covered them with the rest of the batter.  After they baked, cooled, then chilled in the refrigerator for a few hours, they were sliced and perfect.

Caramel Filled Milk Chocolate Studded Brownies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup natural cocoa powder

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 package unwrapped caramel filled milk chocolates

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch pan with non-stick foil (or just grease well).  Lightly spray the foiled lined pan with cooking spray. 

In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter with the cocoa powder over medium heat.  Whisk together as it melts.  Once it is melted and combined together, remove from heat.  Let it sit for five minutes to cool slightly.  Whisk in the eggs until well combined.  Continue by whisking in the sugar and the vanilla.  Finally stir in the flour and salt just until the flour disappears into the batter.  Pour about half the batter into the prepared pan.  Line the batter with the chocolates.  Put the remaining batter in a zip top plastic bag and snip off about a 1/4 inch corner.  Drizzle the remaining batter evenly over the chocolates.  (I just do this as it makes the top batter much more evenly distributed than just trying to spread it across the chocolates.)

Bake for 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let the brownies cool on a wire rack until room temperature.  Chill in refrigerator for a couple hours.  Remove from pan using the foil edges.  Peel the foil off the bottom of the brownies.  Place on a cutting board and cut into 16 pieces.  You can let them come to room temperature to get a more gooey caramel.

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This is my favorite go-to brownie recipe and I use it for any add-ins to my brownie creations.

A Great Blog to Check Out—A Cooking Life, by Chef Paige

Photo courtesy of Paige Vandegrift, check out the link to her post for more photos!

I’ve had the pleasure (Thanks a million, Kevin!) of being in Kansas this week, just as a little getaway without the family (because I believe every mom should get to do this).  I’m visiting friends that I’ve dearly missed since we moved last summer and one of the highlights of the trip has been taking another cooking class from the wonderful, Chef Paige.  Six friends and I were able to make it to the class (missed you, Ellen!) and it was a joy to be there with so many and to enjoy Paige and her expertise and delicious food once again.  How I’ve missed that!

Today happens to mark one year since Paige started a blog.  She posted a yummy looking cake today made with ground pistachios with a chocolate frosting on top.  It looks really good and perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, since it’s green from the pistachios.  Check out her post and her blog.  It is always a pleasure to read her posts, especially since I don’t live in Kansas anymore and don’t get to go to her classes.  She mentions in her post thanks to me for encouraging her to start her blog and whether I really feel like I did anything or not, I’m really glad she did and can’t wait to keep reading along.  Thanks, Paige.  I’ve learned more than you know from your classes, your blog, and you!

TWD—Citrus Pecan Sunshine Muffins and Dutch Apple Pie for Pi Day

This week’s recipe for Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins was chosen by Lauryn of Bella Baker.  Right off, I didn’t use currants.  I used pecans instead.  Right now, I’m out of town—visiting friends in Kansas and I forgot to bring the recipe noting the other changes I made.  I know for sure that I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of all purpose flour, but that is all I can remember.  The muffins are okay.   I always love mixing zest into sugar with my fingers.

I really liked the pecan crunch in these.  I sprinkled them with turbinado sugar before baking them and that made for a nice sweet crunch on top.

Monday (3-14) was International Pi Day and while it doesn’t really mean anything to me by way of math, it was definitely an excuse to make a pie! ;)  I’m staying with my friend, Mindy, here in Kansas and for fun asked her what her favorite kind of pie is and she said it was Dutch apple pie.  So I googled it and found one that Amy at Baking and Mistaking just posted for Pi Day that look really good.

Amy used a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book.  I followed Amy’s recipe, which is different in that the apples are cooked on the stove and the crust is prebaked.  After cooking the apples, they had a good cup or more of liquid that I really wasn’t sure was supposed to go in the pie shell.  So I scooped the apples out and put them in the pie shell, but left out the liquid.  I really didn’t want a soggy crust.  After putting the huge mound of crumble topping over the apples, I was a little worried the crumble wouldn’t be moist enough……..it wasn’t. 

But the pie was still good!  I like that the apples are well cooked.  I don’t like apple pie when some of the apples are still just a tad too crunchy.

Too many crumbs.  A little vanilla ice cream helped with that.

TWD—Citrus Pecan Sunshine Muffins and Dutch Apple Pie for Pi Day

This week’s recipe for Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins was chosen by Lauryn of Bella Baker.  Right off, I didn’t use currants.  I used pecans instead.  Right now, I’m out of town—visiting friends in Kansas and I forgot to bring the recipe noting the other changes I made.  I know for sure that I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of all purpose flour, but that is all I can remember.  The muffins are okay.   I always love mixing zest into sugar with my fingers.

I really liked the pecan crunch in these.  I sprinkled them with turbinado sugar before baking them and that made for a nice sweet crunch on top.

Monday (3-14) was International Pi Day and while it doesn’t really mean anything to me by way of math, it was definitely an excuse to make a pie! ;)  I’m staying with my friend, Mindy, here in Kansas and for fun asked her what her favorite kind of pie is and she said it was Dutch apple pie.  So I googled it and found one that Amy at Baking and Mistaking just posted for Pi Day that look really good.

Amy used a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book.  I followed Amy’s recipe, which is different in that the apples are cooked on the stove and the crust is prebaked.  After cooking the apples, they had a good cup or more of liquid that I really wasn’t sure was supposed to go in the pie shell.  So I scooped the apples out and put them in the pie shell, but left out the liquid.  I really didn’t want a soggy crust.  After putting the huge mound of crumble topping over the apples, I was a little worried the crumble wouldn’t be moist enough……..it wasn’t. 

But the pie was still good!  I like that the apples are well cooked.  I don’t like apple pie when some of the apples are still just a tad too crunchy.

Too many crumbs.  A little vanilla ice cream helped with that.

Lower Fat Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Peas

I hate to say it, but I’m the type who HAS to eat lower fat, healther foods in order to stay at the weight I’m at, and/or keep on exercising like crazy to maintain or lose weight.  Oh how I wish I was the type that could just eat whatever I want whenever I want.  Sigh.  (I know, there are many others just like me.)  I know it’s good for me to watch what I eat, and I know that by doing so there are times when I can splurge.  So as much as you would look at my blog at all the things I post here and think what an unhealthy household we have, that isn’t really the case.  I cook mostly healthy food and am always happy when I take a recipe that looks so good and make some healthier adaptations to it and it still turns out great.  So I had to share this recipe with you today.

The recipe  I used was recently posted by my friend, Amanda, on her blog, Amanda's Cookin'.  She adapted a recipe she’d found on Allrecipes.com.  When I saw her post, it really made me want some good ol’ mac-n-cheese.  I made a few changes and still came out with a creamy, cheesy comfort food dish that has been great to eat all week!

Lower Fat Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Peas, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Amanda’s Cookin’

13.25 ounce box of whole wheat macaroni pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

10 ounces cooked ham, diced into about 1/4-1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup water (chicken stock or dry wine would work, too)

1  1/2 cups frozen peas

4 tablespoons Best Life Buttery Baking Sticks (or any other butter substitute)

4 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground dry mustard

2 cups fat free (skim) milk

1 cup shredded 75% reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded smoked gouda

1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese (any kind of cheese would really work, it’s the smoked gouda that is the winner here, you could probably just use 1 cup all gouda)

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Light spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Once it’s boiling, cook the pasta until al dente according to package direction.  While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet with at least 2 inch sides.  Add chopped ham and saute until meat begins to brown, about 2 minutes.  Add water and simmer until liquid is almost evaporated.  Add peas and cook another 2 minutes. 

Remove the ham and peas from the skillet and set aside.  Heat the butter (substitute) in the skillet until it has melted and stopped sizzling.  Combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika and dry mustard in a small bowl.  Add the flour mixture to the butter and use a whisk to combine the butter and flour together to make a roux, whisk for a good minute or two to cook out the raw flour taste.  While slowly adding the milk, continue whisking to combine.  Turn the heat up slightly and whisk often until the milk thickens.  Do not let it come to a boil, just heat enough to thicken.  When thickened, remove the skillet from the heat and add the shredded cheeses.  Whisk until combined and melted. 

Drain the macaroni and place in the skillet, along with the ham and peas, with the cheese sauce and stir until well combined.  Pour into the 9x13 inch pan and top with the panko bread crumbs.  Bake for 20 minutes.

 

The only thing I would do different next time is only cook about 10 ounces of pasta so there is a little more cheese mixture ratio to the pasta.    This is great with the bites of ham and peas and makes for an easy dinner.

TWD—Corniest Corn Muffins

This week for Tuesdays With Dorie, we made the Corniest Corn Muffins (page 4), chosen by Jill of My Next Life.  (She’ll have the recipe on her blog.)

My muffins didn’t rise up as much as the ones in the book, but they still tasted good. 

I made a few changes (can’t help it!).  I used whole wheat pastry flour and homemade buttermilk with fat free milk (I can’t seem to remember to get some buttermilk in the fridge).  I also used canola oil, not corn oil.  And I left out the corn kernels.  I’ve had other cornbread before with corn in it and didn’t really care for the bits of corn.  I thought about grinding it up in the food processor, but just decided to omit it. 

So the muffins aren’t bad.  I think they could have been a little more moist, but maybe that is because of some of my changes.  I did have a muffin or two my favorite way—with butter (Smart Balance) and honey.

There will be lots of other corniest corn muffins over at TWD.

Spicy Peanut Butter Ice Cream (Vegan) and Peanut Butter Shortbread with Chocolate (Peanut Butter Expedition Recipe Contest Winners)

Check out the blog post Nick (The Peanut Butter Boy) has done for the Peanut Butter Exhibition #10--Things Are Heating Up!  He has posted the three winners and links to all the recipes that were entered.  As one of the judges, it was really hard to pick a top three because there were so many great recipes.  Coming in with the highest score from all the judges combined scores was this Spicy Peanut Butter Ice Cream made by Shannon at Tri to Cook.

  

Something about that (maybe it’s because I love ice cream!?) just kept me thinking I had to make it.  The ice cream (it’s really vegan as it’s made with coconut milk—no dairy) is simple to make but definitely has that kicked up flavor as the peanut butter has some spice to it—a little cayenne, a little chili powder, some paprika.  It’s well heated up.  I’m kind of wimpy, so I didn’t add quite as much spice as suggested (the spicy peanut butter recipe came from Nick himself, but he did mention you didn’t have to add as much as he suggested).  I ended up just doing a few shakes of this and that and it was still plenty warm.

I like that this was also different because it has no dairy in it (or eggs), so it’s vegan—not that I am, but I like trying different things like that.  The main ingredient, besides peanut butter is coconut milk and I just happened to have a can, which is not usually something I keep in my pantry.  After reserving a little of the milk to add to some cornstarch, the lite coconut milk, spicy peanut butter, a little brown sugar, and some cinnamon are brought an almost-boil.  The cornstarch/milk mixture is then whisked into it and it thickens.  Remove it from the heat and add some vanilla.   Pour the mixture into a blender (be careful, it’s hot) and blend for 30 seconds or so.  Chill the mixture until cold.  I always put it in a bowl and set it in an ice bath—it literally only takes less than a half hour to become cold and I stir it from time to time.  Or you could just refrigerate it in a covered container until it’s cold.   Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Put in a covered container in the freezer for a few hours (though it’s great as soft serve!).  Serve it with peanut butter shortbread cookies.

You may be wondering what those brown specks in it are?  Guess.  Of course, you’re right if you guess chocolate!  I decided to drizzle in some melted dark chocolate as the ice cream was almost done churning.   Great idea, I’d have to say.  This is one of the most creamy ice creams I’ve ever made, which I was actually kind of surprised about as I thought it would be kind of icy.

Spicy Peanut Butter Ice Cream, adapted from Shannon at Tri to Cook by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 can lite coconut milk (2 tablespoons reserved)

1/3 cup spicy peanut butter **see recipe below

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1  1/2 ounces good dark chocolate, melted

Pour all of the coconut milk, except the 2 reserved tablespoons, into a medium saucepan.  Add the peanut butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and whisk it all together.  Over medium low heat, bring it almost to a boil.  In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of coconut milk and the cornstarch until there are no lumps.  Just as the mixture in the saucepan are almost to a boil, stir in the cornstarch mixture.  As it thickens slightly, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.

Carefully pour the mixture into a blender and with the lid secure, blend for about 30 seconds.  (You need to be careful with hot liquids in a blender, but mine was fine.)  Pour into a medium sized bowl and set that bowl in a bigger bowl filled with ice and water to cool it.  Str from time to time.  In less than 30 minutes, the mixture will be cold and can then be churned in an ice cream maker.   Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.  During the last few minutes of churning, drizzle in melted chocolate.  Put in a covered container in the freezer for a few hours—or serve it soft serve!  Serve with a sweet cookie—like Peanut Butter with Chocolate Shortbread.

**Spicy Peanut Butter--

1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter

a few shakes or big pinches of chili powder, cayenne powder, ground red pepper (or flakes) and paprika—to taste

Stir all together in a medium sized bowl until well combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings if you’d like it spicier.

Peanut Butter with Chocolate Shortbread, adapted from Land O Lakes, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I used organic, natural pb)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups (240 grams) flour

3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, chopped (or mini chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9x13 pan (or 10x15 jelly roll pan) with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and peanut butter, add the sugar and vanilla and blend until well combined, about 2 minutes.  Scrape sides of bowl.  Add the flour and mix just until flour disappears.  Stir in the chocolate.

Spread dough evenly in pan and bake for 12-15 minutes (mine took 14 minutes).  Remove from oven to a cooling rack and score bars immediately in to 24 bars.  Be careful as they are soft and cutting them may cause them to crumble.  Don’t push the knife all the way to the bottom of the pan.  Let the bars cool completely, then cut all the way once they have hardened. 

You can also dip one end of each bar in some melted chocolate (but I didn’t do that). 

Love these sandy, buttery, peanut butter and chocolate bars.

Congratulations to the Peanut Butter Exhibition Winners—it was really fun to be part of the judging!  (Thanks, Nick!)

Spicy Peanut Butter Ice Cream by Shannon at Tri to Cook  1st place  Love it, Shannon!

Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Entremet 2nd place by Lisa, at Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives.  Check out this fantastic, gorgeous, delicious looking cake!

Thai Chicken Peanut Panini, 3rd place by Natalie at The Sweet’s Life.  I will be making this soon and can’t wait!

Really, check out all the entries for the exhibition on Nick’s blog, you’ll want to try them all, too!

Dark Chocolate Meringue Cookies

I am in love with a healthy treat and can’t wait any longer to share them with you.  Okay, I’m guessing you’ve heard of and probably tasted meringue cookies.  I made these recently when I had one little egg white that I didn’t want to waste.  I did a quick ingredient search on Allrecipes and found these cookies.

These are a perfect little touch of chocolate, sweet and protein as I’m trying to be careful with the things I eat right now.  There is no fat (okay, a little tiny bit in the chocolate coating—but it’s good, dark bittersweet chocolate, so it’s not bad!).  These have just a little sugar and protein from egg whites.  That’s it.  But they make for the perfect bite of crunch with a little chew and CHOCOLATE!  I would make these for any other occasion, not just because they are healthy.  They are great plain and/or dipped in chocolate.  I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa, which I also think added to the extra chocolaty goodness.

Dark Chocolate Meringue Cookies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! (adapted from Allrecipes)

1 egg white

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon dark cocoa

1 ounce dark chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon shortening

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Sift the cocoa in a small fine mesh sieve so it has no lumps.  Set aside.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

With an electric hand mixer, beat egg white and vanilla until soft peaks form (1 egg is not enough for a stand mixer to work—but this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled and then a stand mixer would be great!).  Gradually add the sugar while beating the egg white until stiff peaks form.   Fold in the cocoa until thoroughly combined.  Put the mixture in a piping bag (or even just drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the baking sheet), and pipe onto the baking sheet, using the star tip.  Make the cookies only about 1 inch in diameter.  They can be spaced pretty close together as they don’t spread. 

Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and leave cookies on sheet to cool.  Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave safe dish in 15 second intervals.  When melted, stir in the shortening.  Dip half of each cookie in the chocolate and set on a wax paper lined plate.  Chill until chocolate is hardened.  Try not to eat them all in one sitting. ;) This small batch makes about 18.

  

Plain—good!  I plan to even make some that are just vanilla, and maybe even with other flavorings and colors.  How fun would a plateful be with some pink, blue, green, white, chocolate, etc.  I am in love with these.  Just making sure I got that point across. ;)

TWD—Chocolate Pots de Creme

Christine at Black Cat Cooking chose our Tuesdays With Dorie recipe for this week—Chocolate Pots de Creme.  She’ll have Dorie’s recipe on her blog.

I have kind of a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad confession to make (okay, it probably really isn’t THAT bad)—I didn’t exactly follow Dorie’s recipe, which I suppose isn’t the best thing to do with a TWD recipe.  I combined Dorie’s recipe with the recipe I got from one of Paige’s classes I took in Kansas.  Paige blogged about her Chocolate Pot de Creme last September on her blog, A Cooking Life.  So you can look up hers and compare and they are actually both very similar.  I just liked the directions for Paige’s recipe better, so I went with that.

I cut Dorie’s recipe down to one quarter and it was very close to the recipe Paige gave in her class that was about recipes for a small household and was the same (almost) as 1/4 of Dorie’s recipe.   The difference in the two recipes were that Dorie’s has a pinch of salt, so I did add that.  She has egg and egg yolks in her recipe and Paige’s just has an egg yolk.  So I went with that—just one yolk for the 1/4 recipe.  Paige has a little vanilla in her recipe, so I did add vanilla.  And the other differences were just in the directions for the method of baking.  I used three small ramekins and sat them in a cake pan that was then filled about half way with water.   I skimmed bubbles off the top of each, but still feel like they had a little around the edges.  That didn’t stop these from tasting great.  While they baked, I covered them loosely with aluminum foil.

The only other ingredient change I made from both recipes was that I didn’t have any whole milk, so I used 2% milk instead.  These are a really great, indulgent, smooth, creamy, chocolate treat that I think you should try.  The name seems so “scary”, but it really is easy to do.  For Paige’s recipe, you just heat the cream, milk and sugar to barely a simmer and add the chopped chocolate.  Then you whisk it until smooth.  After that, just slowly pour it into the whisked egg yolk and combine.  Pour into each of the ramekins.  Simple goodness.  Give it a try. 

You can get Paige’s recipe on the link as well as Dorie’s over at Christine’s blog.  Want to see more TWD Chocolate Pots de Creme?  I plan to check them out!  Thanks Christine.