Recipes Discovered – Recipes

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and still warm
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Have six ramekins or pudding cups, each holding 4 to 6 ounces (1/2 to 3/4 cup), at hand.

Bring 2 cups of the milk and 3 tablespoons of the sugar to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan.

While the milk is heating, put the cocoa, cornstarch and salt into a food processor and whir to blend.  Turn them out onto a piece of wax paper, put the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, the egg and egg yolks into the processor and blend for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup milk and pulse just to mix, then add the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to blend.

With the machine running, very slowly pour in the hot milk mixture.  Process for a few seconds, then put everything back into the saucepan.  Whisk without stopping over medium heat – making sure to get into the edges of the pan – until the pudding thickens and a couple of bubbles burble up to the surface and pop (about 2 minutes).  You want the pudding to thicken, but you don’t want it to boil, so lower the heat if necessary.

Scrape the pudding back into the processor (if there’s a scorched spot, avoid it as you scrape) and pulse a couple of times.  Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla and pulse until everything is evenly blended.

Pour the pudding into ramekins.  If you don’t want a skin to form (some people think the skin is the best part), press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of each pudding to create an airtight seal.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I used semi sweet chocolate chips, which I forgot to melt. Oops!

Recipe courtesy of Dorie Greenspan.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 6 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped or good quality
  semisweet chocolate chips (use 70% bittersweet if you want more of a
  dark chocolate kick)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double
boiler. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a
heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over gently
simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides.
Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15 to 20
minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the
spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes,
or until the pudding is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and
stir in the vanilla.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (or skip this step if you’re
a slacker like me who is absolutely certain that there is nary a lump
her pudding) into a serving bowl or into a large measuring cup with a
spout and pour into individual serving dishes.

If you like pudding skin, pull plastic wrap over the top of the
serving dish(es) before refrigerating. If you dislike pudding skin,
place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against
the surface before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
and up to 3 days.

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces  cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 package Oreos (18 ounces)
• Gummy worms, for decoration (optional)

Directions:

Divide cookies in half. Roughly chop half of the cookies; set aside. Place the remaining cookies in a food processor and process until very fine; set aside.

In a bowl, blend the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. In another bowl, mix the pudding and milk with a hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the Cool Whip and then combine with the cream cheese mixture. Add the chopped Oreos.

Transfer to a serving bowl and top with Oreo crumbs. Decorate with gummy worms.

Serves 12.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Alternatively, all the Oreos can be turned into crumbs and you can layer the cream cheese pudding mixture with Oreo crumbles, similar to a trifle.

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces popped popcorn, approximately 3 quarts
• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, 1 stick
• 16 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 2 cups
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Spray a sheet pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray as well and set aside.

Combine the popcorn and peanuts in a large mixing bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla and stir until combined. Heat the mixture until it reaches 250 degrees F, approximately 10 minutes.

Pour the syrup over the popcorn and stir to combine. You will need to work quickly because the syrup hardens rapidly. Spread the mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Cool completely.

Break into pieces and serve immediately or store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (if using salted butter, cut down to 1 teaspoon)
• 1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam
• 2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 9 x 13 x 2-inch cake pan with parchment paper or grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula (batter is very thick and will probably need to be pressed lightly into the pan). Spread the jam evenly over the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch gap between the sides of the pan. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don’t worry if all the jam isn’t covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

Makes 24 squares.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I used strawberry jam.

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons shortening

Directions:

Line a 9-in. square baking pan with foil and grease the foil. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour over crust.
Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until chilled. Freeze 4 hours or overnight.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Cool slightly. Using foil, lift cheesecake out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut into 24 squares. Remove a few pieces at a time for dipping; keep remaining squares refrigerated until ready to dip.
Using a toothpick, completely dip squares, one at a time, in melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets; spoon about 1 teaspoon chocolate over each. (Reheat chocolate if needed to finish dipping.) Let stand for 20 minutes or until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Makes 24 squares.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

If you want a crust, mix 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, 1/4 cup melted butter together and press into the bottom of the lined baking dish. Continue recipe as stated.

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 large, not too ripe pears
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• 4 tablespoons sweetened cocoa powder or grated bittersweet chocolate
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 ounces sliced pumpernickel
• 4 ounces stale brown or wheat bread
• 4 tablespoons sweetened cocoa powder or grated bittersweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Set a baking sheet on the middle rack to heat.

Peel, core, and chop pears. Place in a baking dish, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with sugar, cocoa, and lemon juice. Mix well to coat the pears. Cover and set aside.
Tear up the breads and put in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for about a minute until very roughly crumbled. Add cocoa, butter, and sugar. Pulse for about a minute until finer crumbs form. Do not overblend. Topping may be chilled in refrigerator until ready to use.

Sprinkle pears evenly with topping mixture. Place baking dish on the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Pears should be tender and the topping crisp.

Serve warm, preferably with ice cream.

Makes about four servings.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I used unsweeted cocoa powder and added an extra tablespoon of sugar to the pears and the topping. I had a lot of topping compared to the amount of pears – I think you could half the topping or double the pears.

Recipe courtesy of Bake or Break.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (two sleeves)
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
• 24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 15 ounces pureed pumpkin
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine the graham crackers, butter, and cinnamon in a bowl. Press into the bottom and part way up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and salt until smooth. Stir in the pecans and then pour into the graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the filling is slightly firm. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined. Pour on top of the pecan filling. Spread out evenly and place oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 200 degrees. Bake for 2 hours or until the filling is almost set (the center may still jiggle). Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 2 hours before cooling completely at room temperature. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I will bake the crust for 10 minutes or so next time to prevent the pecan layer from soaking in. I would also prefer the cheesecake layer with just cinnamon, instead of the other spices, but Seth enjoyed it as is. I baked the cheesecake for 2 1/2 hours before turning the oven off.

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen and friends.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 brownie mix (family size, 13×9), baked according to directions
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/3 cups light corn syrup
• 2/3 cup butter melted
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups chopped pecans
• 8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 small package butterscotch pudding, prepared with 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 cups toasted whole pecans

Directions:

Crumble brownies; set aside

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, butter and eggs. Stir in salt, vanilla, and chopped pecans. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool completely.

Mix together the cool whip and pudding.

In a trifle dish, layer brownies, pecan mixture, pudding mixture, and toasted pecans as desired. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Avoid brownie mixes with caramel in them – the caramel hardens when refrigerated!

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 pounds powdered sugar
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 7 tablespoons marshmallow creme
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 ounces dark chocolate
• 3 cups chopped peanuts

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix the powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, and vanilla by hand. It takes a little work to get it mixed together, but make sure it’s smooth. Roll into balls and refrigerate overnight. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Dip the balls into the chocolate and then roll in the peanuts. Transfer to wax paper until the chocolate hardens.

Makes about 10 dozen balls.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

We had a hard time getting the balls coated in the chocolate until we added a little wax to the chocolate.

Recipe courtesy of Theresa Quinn.