Erin's Easy Eats

Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

June 30th, 2008 by Erin

I stole this recipe from Martha Stewart.  I cannot admit to watching her show (her voice drives me up the wall) but these are some damn fine cookies.  You’re supposed to make them with chocolate chunks, but I couldn’t find those and just used chips.  A variation recommended by the website was half butter, half Crisco, to keep the cookies from being flat.  I personally don’t mind a flat cookie as long as it is still delicious.  Mine were not flat at all.  I did have to adapt the recipe quite a bit - not really sure what happened (I’m betting a recipe misprint in the original) but I had to add an additional cup of flour.  It looked like cake batter before!  The recipe below has been modified to include that revision.  You may need to add slightly more/less flour to get the right texture.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until almost melted; do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.
3. Refrigerate dough for about 20 minutes (while your oven preheats.)  This will let them solidify a little bit before you throw them in the oven, and they’ll just be better, trust me.
4. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes; with a thin metal spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

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S’mores Pie

June 9th, 2008 by Erin

I saw something similar to this pie somewhere on the web, and decided to modify it to involve as little cooking as possible, as our heat index here approaches 110. This one only involved toasting the marshmallow under the broiler, which I tried to do with our kitchen torch but had some butane issues. Next time, I might try making the chocolate filling from Pioneer Woman’s Chocolate Pie, and adding some mini chocolate chips. Its still delicious though!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 box graham crackers, crushed (or run through the food processor, about 1 1/2 cups)
• Pinch salt
• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• Instant chocolate pudding (who are we kidding here, now?)
• 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
• 1 jar marshmallow fluff

Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and salt, and press into 9″ pie pan. Make pudding according to package directions, allow to set. Pour into crust and let refrigerate 1 hour. Top with marshmallow fluff (it might be tricky, use your fingers and a wet knife) and set under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned.

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Darth Vader Cupcakes

June 8th, 2008 by Erin

No, I haven’t fallen off the Earth and died. With birthdays, four-day-long school field trips, and a bout of making easy things like sloppy joes and chicken on the grill, I just haven’t had much need for posting. This week, I should have at least a few new recipes, as I attempt to find things to feed us without heating up our kitchen or our bellies.

For my husband’s birthday, I made Darth Vader cupcakes. I cannot admit to thinking of these myself, but they ended up being awesome and much appreciated. That is actually a cupcake I made below. Who knew I had such patience!

I wish I could tell you that I made cupcakes and icing from scratch, but I did not. I didn’t even make my fondant by myself. I even purchased it (dun dun dun…) precolored so I didn’t have to mash it around and make it black. But here’s the process anyway.

1. Make 24 chocolate cupcakes however you like. Make sure not to overfill, you can’t have poofy tops. Ice with chocolate (I used dark chocolate fudge) icing.
2. Gather decorating supplies - black fondant, Twizzler pull and peels, white frosting (you can make royal icing if you have fancy cake decorating supplies, or you can get the stuff in the tube and buy the icing tips like I did), red sprinkles, and a bell shaped fondant cutout from a Wilson’s “Garden Shapes” collection
3. Take your pliers to that bell and make it look like Darthy there.
4. Roll out your fondant on wax paper or parchment paper until very thin (about 1/8″) and then cut out your Darth helmets.
5. If you are me, at this point, and you are attempting to do this in 85 degree heat with no AC, put those little helmets in the fridge for a bit to contemplate life.
6. Take your white icing and pipe little faces onto each one.



7. Pull your Twizzler pull and peels apart, and then cut each piece into thirds. Wrap the bottoms with a little bit of black fondant. (I found it easiest to sort of mash it onto the bottom, and then roll it in between my fingers.



8. Sprinkle red doodads on half of each cupcake.
9. Assemble, and don’t smudge too much stuff with your fingers (especially easy if its warm, I’m telling you!)

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Strawberries (or other fruity things) in the Snow

April 30th, 2008 by Erin

A coworker of mine made this for another co-worker’s birthday. Upon learning just how easy it is, I thought I’d make it, but I swapped cherries for strawberries, but the man likes cherries. Forget about y’all strawberry folk. (Really, I wanted peach because my hormones told me so, but cherry is actually my favorite, especially in canned pie filling land.)

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 small box cheesecake instant pudding mix
• 1/3 c. oil
• 1 c. water
• 4 eggs
• 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 12 oz. cool whip
• 21 oz. can pie filling (whatever flavor you like)

Mix cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water and eggs until well blended. Bake in 13×9 at 350 until done (about 30 minutes, but check it.) Remove from pan and let cool.

Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar and beat until smooth and slightly fluffy.

To assemble cake, slice cake into two thin layers and place one layer back in pan. Top with half of cream cheese mixture and half of cool whip. Place other layer on. Repeat cream cheese/cool whip layering. Top with pie filling. Refrigerate 2 hours or until ready to serve.

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Raspberry Butter Braid

April 28th, 2008 by Erin

I saw this recipe wandering around a few different feeds that I subscribe to. I seem to have tracked its original location to zesteasy.com, which is a fun blog with lots of interesting recipes, photos, and promotions.

I had a little trouble keeping the jam in the bread tube while it was baking. Most of it creeped out through the seams. I think next time I’ll wet with some water and crimp both sides (with a fork) for a pretty braid. The husband rated it “good, not great, with great points deducted” for oozing of jelly onto the baking sheet. He did like the glaze I made up mixed with the jelly though.

I cheated and used the bread machine (mixed all the dough ingredients and set the monster to dough, worked fine for me!) but here is the original recipe, which includes the hand done method (for all of you strong folk.)

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 envelope dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 large egg, beaten to blend, room temperature
4 cups (about) unbleached all-purpose flour (you might need less - I needed all of it because it was so humid yesterday)
3/4 cup raspberry jam (or other filling of your choice)
1 large egg, beaten with 2 tbsp. water

Scald milk in heavy, medium saucepan. Add butter, sugar, and salt. Let stand until butter melts. Pour mixture into large bowl. Cool to 105 to 115 degrees. Sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup warm water in small bowl; stir to dissolve. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature. Add yeast mixture and 1 beaten egg to milk mixture. Here is where I deviated. I scalded the milk, and let it cool, and then dumped everything, through 3 1/2 c. flour, into the bread machine. I had to add another half cup of flour because it was still so runny.

Stir in enough flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form soft, slightly sticky dough. Lightly grease large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Grease two heavy large cookie sheets. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 2 minutes. Divide dough in half. Divide each half into 3 pieces. Roll each piece out between hands and floured surface to 18 inch long rope. Using a rolling pin, roll each rope flat, into about, a 3 inch wide strip.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of jam (or filling of your choice) down the length of each strip. Fold dough over filling to seal in jam in the ropes. You can brush the edges of the dough with a bit of water to help seal the dough.

Arrange 3 ropes side by side on 1 prepared sheet. Braid ropes (it helps to start in the middle and work your way out.) Pinch ends together and tuck under loaf. Repeat process with remaining 3 ropes on second cookie sheet for second loaf. Cover each loaf with kitchen towel and let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush egg wash over loaves. Bake until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 20 - 25 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool.

I glazed mine with a combination of about 2 Tbs melted butter, 1/2 tsp of vanilla, a pinch of salt, about a Tbs of milk, and about 3/4 c. powdered sugar. Mix until it looks like icing and your husband lets you take pictures of him looking like this and does not care.

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Pioneer Woman’s Sheet Cake

April 10th, 2008 by Erin

This cake was waited for all week.  This cake has pieces of it promised to people I work with.  I will have to wrangle it out of my house in the cover of night to let it see the light of day tomorrow.  It will be quickly consumed.  It is that good.  (Even though, for some reason, this batch is sub par.)  When The Pioneer Woman tells you it is the Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. you should believe her, because she it is not lying.

I omitted the nuts from this recipe because my husband hates them. I have never made it with nuts, so I cannot vote either way. My baking soda also seems to have been a bit old, because this batch of cake was not as fluffy as it normally is.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake
Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together.
Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:
Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Stir together.
Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake

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Cinnamon-Orange Crème Brûlée

April 9th, 2008 by Erin

For this dessert, I got to play with blowtorches. How awesome is that? I can think of nothing better. I was going to make a Cooking Light recipe, but then I found this one, which doesn’t have any “lowfat powdered milk” business, just cream, eggs, and sugar, basically. I kept the flavoring from the other one though, because I loved the idea, and that the orange/cinnamon would give the dish an exotic flair (get out your maracas!) If you do all of the cooking the day before, then all you’ll have to do is get out your blowtorch the day of.  When I tasted this the night before, I thought it was way too sweet, but it ended up being just fine.  The cinnamon and orange flavor were very subtle - so subtle in fact that I should have used more or let it steep longer if I really wanted to make that kind of impression.

This was my first time making creme brulee.  It is not photogenic, especially on wood tables.  It looks so yellow!  I was quite impressed with the ease of the blowtorch action, though.  And so much fun!

• 5 large egg yolks
• 6 Tbs sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1″ square piece of orange rind
• 1″ long cinnamon stick
• 6 tsp. granulated sugar for caramelizing
• 1 1/2 c. whipping cream

Heat cream over medium heat until small bubbles form at edges but DO NOT BOIL. (Steam!) Add orange rind and cinnamon stick, cover, and let steep 10 minutes. Remove orange and cinnamon. Let cool to room temperature. Add vanilla and egg yolks, whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in sugar. Pour into custard cups or ramekins (divide among 6.) Place into 13×9 pan, and fill halfway with water. Bake 35-40 minutes at 325, until custard is set. Remove custards from pan, and allow to cool to room temp before putting into the fridge. Chill overnight. Sprinkle with remaining sugar (1 tsp each,) blast with blowtorch

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Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

April 8th, 2008 by Erin

I was going to make a plain mascarpone mousse (is there such a thing?) but the majority of the recipes I stumbled across had ricotta, which I detest the texture of unless it’s hidden under layers of cheese and tomato sauce. In my searches, I found this, which sounded wonderful, and went very well with some early strawberries.  The original recipe didn’t call for the folding in of whipped cream, but I found it too dense (very early on in the taste testing) and so I added it before chilling overnight.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. sifted unsweetened cocoa (this is regular Hershey’s cocoa, btw)
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tsp. espresso powder dissolved in 2 tsp cold water (or 3 tsp REALLY strong coffee, since I’m too cheap to spring for espresso powder)
• 1 Tbs rum
• 8 oz. mascarpone
• 1/2 c. whipping cream

Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt. In another bowl, combine coffee, rum, and marscapone. Slowly beat in sugar mixture first on low, then on medium, scraping down sides, until mixture is very smooth. Set aside.  Whip cream until stiff peaks (turn it into whipped cream, but not butter!) Fold in gently but thoroughly.  Chill at least three hours.

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Raspberry Pear Buckle

March 10th, 2008 by Erin

Every month, our school has data days. (Ugh.) In order to make this torture somewhat more bearable, they’ve started having people bring in desserts to share. It makes it better, because we get food. Teachers love food. Everyone was bringing “chocolate something” so I made this instead. It is essentially a “dump cake” because really you just put everything in it and then dump it in a pan and you’re done. Lovely!

• 1 can sliced pears in syrup (15oz)
• 1 box yellow cake mix (18.25 oz)
• 1 box vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix (3.4 oz)
• 1 container plain yogurt (8oz )
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 package frozen raspberries (10 oz) dry pack without syrup
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar - packed
• 1/2 cup walnuts -chopped
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 13×9x2 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Drain canned pears, reserving about 2 tablespoons syrup. Cut pear slices crosswise in half.

In large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, yogurt, eggs and oil. With mixer on low speed, beat 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl, until blended. On high speed, beat 2 minutes. Fold in pears and raspberries. Turn batter into prepared pan (distribute batter evenly, but do not flatten top as bumps of fruit and batter will create “buckle”). Sprinkle top with brown sugar and walnuts.

Bake in 350 degree F. oven 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove to wire rack; let cool.

In small bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and 2 teaspoons reserved pear syrup until smooth. Add additional pear syrup, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to make pourable icing. Place icing in small plastic food-storage bag; snip off tiny end of one corner. Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Cut into squares.

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Peach Pie

March 10th, 2008 by Erin

Sorry for the relative lack of updates, folks. I promise a deluge in the next few days (really!) We’ll start things off with one of the two desserts I’ve made recently. I had a bag of frozen peaches from the fall. A woman at my school always sells flats of peaches and I couldn’t use them all before they started to go icky. So I peeled them, quartered them, and froze them (wow, that sounds like a medieval torture technique) and then the other day, they turned into a wonderful peach pie! I used the Perfect Pie Crust from the Pioneer Woman, and it really was a great pie crust recipe. I may try it with butter flavored Crisco (that sounds icky too, but really, shortening crust is superior to any other) the next time. The husband complained about the box of tapioca upon purchase but didn’t even notice it in the pie. It provides a nice thickening without being sweet or requiring lots of cooking with flour or the temperamental cornstarch.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup quick tapioca
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• double pie crust of your choice
• 1 Tbs milk + 2 Tbs sugar for top
  

Mix it all together and let sit 15 minutes. Fill unbaked crust with peach mixture, top with remaining crust. Flute edges (or squish with a fork if you’re fluting stupid, like me) and cut steam holes. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Cover edges of crust with foil. Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove foil, continue baking 20-25 minutes.

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