White Russian Tiramisu

This came from the website www.myrecipes.com I had bought some ladyfingers at an Italian shop awhile ago and wanted to use them, hence the tiramisu recipe! I actually it a light recipe. Each serving is 134 calories and 4.5 fat grams. It calls for Kahlua, a coffee liquor, but I wasn't able to find it unfortunately. I think it would've added even more flavor to it, but w/o it it's still really amazing! Personally it tastes exactly like the kind you buy at the Italian restaurants. 

Ingredients:

1 cup ground coffee beans

2 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup Kahlua (coffee-flavored liquer), divided (I used a sugarfree vanilla syrup instead)

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) mascarpone cheese

1 (8 ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

24 ladyfingers (2 3-ounce packages)

2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa, divided

Directions:

Assemble drip coffee maker according to manufacturer's directions. Place the ground coffee in the coffee filter or filter basket. Add cold water to coffee maker and brew. Combine the brewed coffee and 2 tbsp. Kahlua in a shallow dish, and cool.

Combine cheeses in a large bowl. Beat at a high speed of a mixer until smooth. Add sugars and 2 tbsp. Kahlua, and beat until well blended.

Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise.

Quickly dip 24 ladyfinger halves, flat sides down, into coffee mixture; place, dipped sides down, in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish, slightly overlapping landyfinger halves. Spread half of cheese mixture over ladyfingers; sprinkle with 1 tsp. cocoa. Repeat procedure with remaining ladyfinger halves, coffee mixture, cheese mixture, and 1 tsp. cocoa.

Place 1 toothpick in each corner and 1 in the center of tiramisu (to prevent plastic wrap from sticking to cheese mixture); cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars

Thank you all for your kind words wishing me to get well. Unfortunately I'm still not 100% better, but hey...as long as I'm not nauseous and throwing up I'm good. I found this recipe again off Anna's website cookiemadness.net 

This didn't turn out like I had hoped it would, but I was also in a hurry because I was doing my friend's hair and makeup for a wedding she was in. I wanted to make a smaller batch in a 8 x 8 inch pan, so I halfed the recipe and tried it. Not everything got done, but after a setting up for an hour or so in the refrigerator they were great. 

The bottom is essentially a cookie crust with the chocolate in the middle layer, topped with a brown sugar meringue. I felt better after reading in some of the comments that other people had trouble making them as well. Eh...I've had my share of undercooked bars so I know all the tricks, but the refrigerator sets them up very nicely. 

The end result tastes like a chocolate pecan pie, but that probably isn't how they're supposed to taste. I put the original recipe here (not like I halfed it) so if you want to try and half it...good luck. 

On a sugary note, my cake decorating class is on Monday so you'll soon be seeing a pretty rainbow cake! I'm putting my sister Andrea's cake on here too for a compare and contrast, so I expect everyone of you to say that my cake looks better. :)

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, divided use

1 tbsp. milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 egg whites 

2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper. 

In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat in milk, vanilla, and egg yolk--reserve white.

Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir into butter mixture. Press into baking pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of batter.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar to whites and continue beating for another 30 seconds or so. If you add an extra egg white, use an additional 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Spread the egg white mixture over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle chopped pecans over top and bake for 28-30 min. or until edges are golden brown and pull away from side of the pan.

Let bars cool slightly, then lift from pan and score while still warm. Allow bars to cool completely or chill if desired. 

Chocolate Blood Orange Bars

Well, you  win some and you lose some. I almost didn't put this recipe on here, but it was just b/c the form wasn't what I wanted...but they taste so good I had to. Last night I had the idea to make an orange bar instead of lemon bars. Rather than use a graham cracker crust, I made a chocolate graham cracker crust. Sounds pretty good right? It does taste good...really good, but let's just say it's a mystery how it turned out. 

I've always been fascinated with blood oranges. One b/c they're oddly a dark red, and two b/c the name kind of scares me. Well the name might have put a curse on these bars, but you'll have to find out for yourselves. 

This was my crust; it was absolutely perfect.

My added ingredients.

The finished product! It looks pretty doesn't it...just wait until it's cut open.

Here's a square.

...and the inside. 

Now if you recall, I used a chocolate crust...and the crust/bottom of this is clearly not chocolate. What happened? Who knows...it's a mystery, but I think it's kind of cool actually. The only bad thing about these bars was that they are very goey, but all you have to do is chill them overnight and they set up perfectly. This could be for a number of reasons: I would add more flour than just the 1/4 cup I got from one recipe, the glass pan wasn't the best choice to cook them in, and they needed to set in the refrigerator longer. B/c I  got impatient and wanted to see what they looked like, I only let them chill for 30 min. 

I'm hoping that by tom. they'll set up some more, but oh my goodness they taste so good. It's like eating an orange truffle in a gooey mess of goodness. If any of you have any suggestions for this, let me know. They are definitely best served cold and chilled.

Ok so confession time: I have to come out of the closet and admit that I like my brownies and bars a little gooey...a lot gooey, so of course I loved these when they first came out. Then the next day I loved them even more when when were cold and had hardened a bit. The orange and chocolate are completely blended together--one doesn't overpower the other. Feel free to leave any comments on my creative endeavor. But point being: if you like your bars on the fudgier side, follow my instructions and let them chill. If you like them to be a little cakier, add more flour and reduce the amount of eggs. Either way they definitely are a must to make.

Ingredients

Crust

1 & 1/2 cups chocolate graham crackers, crushed finely

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa, sifted

5 tbsp. butter, melted

Combine all ingredients and press firmly into a 9 x 11 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 min.

Filling

4 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup blood orange juice (about 3 medium-sized oranges)

1 & 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. orange extract (optional)

1 tsp. orange rind

1/2 bar of dark chocolate, broken into little pieces (optional)

Combine beaten eggs and sugar until smooth. Add orange juice until well blended; add orange extract and orange rind. Add in dark chocolate pieces and pour over graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. Chill in refrigerator or let set and serve at room temperature.

Cocoa Butterscotch Krispies

  

In my defense, I really had no plans on baking anything today. After finishing reading for one 

of my literature classes, I decided to go get some popcorn or something to equip for my next book I have to start for another literature class (such is the life of an English Lit. major). So as I'm glancing over our pantry, I see a box of Cocoa Krispies that in a week or so will go bad...and I felt sorry for them. So then I look up and see an opened bag of mini marshmallows that will also go bad in a week or so. Then something inside me took over and the next thing I know I'm whipping up a batch of cocoa krispies! I swear it was an out of body experience. 

I didn't want just a boring cocoa krispie though, so again a light shines upon a half leftover bag of butterscotch chips screaming at me to be used. So I decide to add a middle layer of butterscotch and M & M's (for a little crunch and rainbow :))

10 minutes later out come probably one of the best rice krispies I've ever had. They are sweet, but sooo good. The butterscotch really marries the marshmallow and chocolate flavor together wonderfully. I highly recommend these if you love rice krispies. These are also great b/c they're made in a smaller pan, thus they're bigger. I hope you enjoy my sweet creation. :)

Ingredients

3/4 bag of mini marshmallows

5-6 cups Cocoa Krispies

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/2 bag of butterscotch chips (about 1 & 1/4)

3/4 cup M & M's

Directions

Lightly butter an 8 x 11-inch pan with butter or margarine (I used butter flavored cooking spray b/c I was lazy). Melt butter or margarine with marshmallows in the microwave; add Cocoa Krispies. Add half of mixture into prepared pan. Melt butterscotch chips in microwave for about 1 & 1/2 min. Spread over Cocoa Krispies and add 1/2 cup M & M's. Add remaining Cocoa Krispie mixture on top. Top with remaining M & M's. Let set until firm or set in the refrigerator for a few min. 

Neapolitan Rice Krispie Treats

I found this recipe on a website called cookiemadness.net If you haven't figured it out by now, I love cooking with cereal. These are just a change from the regular Rice Krispie treats. The bottom layer has strawberry NesQuick in it, which I personally wouldn't drink on my own, but it gives the bottom layer a nice hint of strawberry. The second layer has Cocoa Krispies with a little bit of chocolate chips, and the last layer is just the plain Rice Krispies. I added a little more butter, marshmallows, and Cocoa Krispies to mine b/c I of course wanted the chocolate layer to be the largest. 

Ingredients:

Layer 1:

1 1/2 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1 3/4 tsp. strawberry Quik

2-3 drops red food coloring

2 1/4 cups Rice Krispies

Layer 2:

1 1/2 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

2 1/4 cups Cocoa Krispies

Small handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Layer 3:

1 1/2 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

2 1/4 cups Rice Krispies

Directions:

Line a 9x5 inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper on non-stick foil (I used a glass pan with aluminum  foil).

Melt butter in a bowl. Stir in Strawberry Quik and food coloring into melted butter, getting a dark pink hue. Add the marshmallows and stir to coat with pink butter. Microwave marshmallows for 30 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. Add cereal and stir to coat. Empty into loaf pan and press down well.

Rise out bowl and repeat melting procedure with Layer 2--add Cocoa Krispies to melted marshmallows, then stir in chocolate chips. Empty onto strawberry layer and press down as neatly as possible.

Repeat melting procedure with Layer 3. Add Rice Krispies, stir to coat, then layer on top of the chocolate layer. Press flat. At this point, your bars should be at the very top of the loaf pan. 

Let sit for a least 1 hour. 

Lift from pan and set on a big cutting board. Slice a thin layer off each end of the loaf to trim. Slice lengthwise down the center, making to long sections, then slice the loaf cross-wise to make 6 big squares.

Corn Flake Bars

This came from one of my favorite blog spots, bakeorbreak.  http://www.bakeorbreak.com/recipes/2007/12/15/corn-flake-bars/

These combine my favorites: cereal and peanut butter. They're a quick dessert if you need something in a hurry.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups crushed corn flakes

Directions:

Combine the brown sugar and corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter.  Fold in corn flakes until well mixed.  Spread into a 9x13 inch pan.  Chill until set and cut into squares. 

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Squares

I got this recipe from a website called Bake or Break, a wonderful blog of delicious food. Here is the original website: http://www.bakeorbreak.com/recipes/2008/10/24/peanut-butter-candy-bar-squares/  These bars are like a nostalgic visit of all your childhood favorites: Nutter Butters, Reeses cups, and Butterfingeres. These are super simple and are a crowd pleaser of any age!

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce package Nutter Butter cookies, crushed

1/2 cup butter, melted

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

7 & 1/2 ounces Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (about 25 miniature cups), coarsely chopped

4 ounces Butterfinger candy bars (about 7 small candy bars or 2 regular size ones)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 in. pan with aluminum foil, allowing it to extend over edges of pa. Grease/spray foil. Combine crushed cookies and butter. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 6-8 min. Combine condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Set aside. Sprinkle chopped candy bars, chocolate morsels, and peanuts over crust. Drizzle condensed milk mixture over toppings. Bake for 25-27 min. or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. Using foil, lift out of pan. Peel foil away and cut into bars. Makes 28 small or 18 large bars. 

Chocolate Scotchies

 

                         

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups Rice Krispy cereal

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and corn syrup and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and rice cereal. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. In a microwavable bowl melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips until well smooth and blended. Spread over the top of the bars. Chill until set and then cut into bars.

Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars

Imagine a light chocolate cake with a marshmallow creme filling, topped with crunchy chocolate-peanut buttery rice cereal. These base of these bars isn't too heavy so it keeps these from being overpowered by chocolate. The reason the ingredient amounts are so weird is that I adjusted the serving size from 36 to 22, which is enough to fit in a 12 X 8 pan (a little small than the usual cake pan, though the original recipe calls for a 15 x 10 x 1).

Ingredients:

1/3 cup + 2 tbsp. margarine or  butter, softened

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. & 2 tsp. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup + 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. + 2 and 1/2 tsp. baking cocoa (I added a little more, plus a little bit of Hershey's syrup b/c I  didn't think it tasted chocolatey enough)

2 and 1/3 cups + 2 tbsp. mini marshmallows

Topping:

3/4 cup + 1 tbsp. semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp. + 2 and 1/2 tsp. butter or margarine

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. +2 tsp. peanut butter

1 and 1/4 cups crisp rice cereal

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa; add to creamed mixture. Spread in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x -in. pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 min. (Mine took an extra 10 min.) Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over cake; return to oven for 2 to 3 min. Using a knife dipped in water, spread the melted marshmallows even only the cake. Cool. For topping, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and well blended. Remove from heat; stir in cereal. Spread over bars immediately. Chill. 

Snickers Candy Bar

This recipe actually came from a diet recipe blog. Each bar/serving has 200 calories just in case you wanted to know, but you'd think it had so much more. These literally taste like a cold Snickers candy bar.

Snickers Candy Bar

Ingredients:

3/4 cup crunchy of creamy peanut butter (I used crunchy)

2 cups milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme

1/4 cup butter

1 (14 ounce) package caramels

1 1/2 cups salted or unsalted peanuts, chopped

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Melt together 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/4 cup butterscotch chips, and 1/4 cup peanut butter. Spread this mixture on the bottom of a 9  x 13 cake pan and put in the refrigerator or freezer to set up while the next layer is prepared.

Boil together the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk for about 5 min. Take off the stove add the marshmallow creme, 1/4 cup peanut butter, vanilla, and peanuts. Pour over the first layer that was chilling, then place back in the freezer.

Melt the caramels with the whipping cream until smooth, then pour over the second layer that is chilling; place back in the freezer. 

Melt together the remaining peanut butter, milk chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips, then spread on the top of the third layer in the pan. Return to chill until set up. Refrigerator them after.