2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup Sour Cream 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest 2 large eggs 2 tsp poppy seeds

Ingredients For the Cookie Dough 1 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 3/4 cups flour 1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie chunks 1 cup dark chocolate chips For the Cheesecake 1 package cream cheese, softened (8 oz.) 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla For the Topping 1/4 cup white chocolate chips 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips 1 teaspoon shortening, divided 1/4 cup Oreo cookie crumbs

With Outrageously Rich Chocolate Indulgence Frosting.The Mega. Extreme. Chocolate. Overdose. Cupcake.To all the chocolate lovers in the house… This is for you.

1 (18.25 oz) box devil’s food cake mix 1 (3.9 oz) pkg Jello instant chocolate fudge pudding mix 1 cup sour cream 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup milk 2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

BROWNIE BATTER 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk 1/3 cup milk 1 (18.25 oz) box devil’s food cake mix Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 mins until well combined. Using a small scoop (about 1.5 tbsp) drop batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze overnight

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 mins until well combined. Using a small scoop (about 1.5 tbsp) drop batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze overnight.

CUPCAKES 1 (18.25 oz) box devil’s food cake mix 1 (3.9 oz) pkg Jello instant chocolate fudge pudding mix 1 cup sour cream 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup milk 2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and line with cupcake liners. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips into a very large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 mins until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a large scoop (about 3 tbsp) drop batter into the cupcake liners, filling about 2/3rds full. Remove brownie batter from freezer and press into the cupcake batter. Bake for 22-28 mins. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING

5 sticks butter, softened
8 oz powdered sugar
1.5 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)
a pinch of table salt
1.5 cups light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
16 oz milk chocolate chips

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring well every 30 seconds. Allow to cool for 5-10 mins. Combine butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a food processor and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined, about 5-10 seconds. Scrape the bowl again, then add the melted chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, about 10-15 seconds. You can use a mixer for this too, if you don’t have a food processor, just don’t whip the butter too much! :) Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.

Start by securing some of that pastry stuff. A pound will make between six and eight vols-au-vent depending on the size. You can make one big one if you wish. I happen to think individual ones are both more fun and more impressive. You can even make teeny tiny ones if you want for appetizers (bouchées I believe they’re called) the process is more or less the same. Roll your pastry out to somewhere between a third and half an inch in thickness. About like so:

You can use fluted cutters or plain cutters if you wish. This one is at 3 1/2″ fluted model. Dip it in a little vegetable oil to lubricate it for the cuts. You don’t want to crush the layers of the pastry more than you must.

Press straight down, no twisting.

Once you’ve cut about six of those, cut out the centers. This is a 2″ circular cutter. Dip that.

Cut as close to the center as you can……and you’re done with that step.Put the rings in the refrigerator to rest while you work on the bases and tops.Assemble all your scraps, mash them together and roll them out into a very thin sheet. I’m sorry Joe, did you say mash them up? I did. The reason is because you don’t want the bases and tops to rise especially much. I realize it may pain you to destroy all those layers you worked so hard to create. All I can say is that sometimes one must suffer for one’s art. Man up and do it. Roll the pastry out very thin, about 1/8″. Using the same fluted cutter, cutter out six bases.Cut out some tops as well, but make them bigger than these. My first batch was too small. You want the tops extremely thin and quite wide to allow for oven shrinkage. Use the 2 3/4″ cutter from your set.Now dock the bases with a fork to discourage puffing. Do it I tell you —do it! Then paint it with egg wash and drop and give me twenty!

Lay the rings down on the egg wash-painted bases, being careful to line up the flutes so they match. Here I should insert that if you don’t have a fluted cutter and don’t want to buy one, you can simply use a round cutter for both the tops and bottoms. Once the vols are put together you can make indentations in the edges with the back of a knife as you do with a galette des rois.

Now very daintily — because you don’t want to stick your precious layers together — brush the top lip with egg wash. Use very short strokes, going from the inner rim outward. It takes a very liquid wash to pull this off without dripping strings of egg white down the side, so spend a good 60 seconds scrambling that raw egg with a fork. It should flow like water. Paint the tops with egg wash as well, then rest everything in the refrigerator for an hour. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Or, you can refrigerate them for up to several days (covered) or freeze them for up to several months (thaw in the fridge overnight before baking).So OK, next you need some, er…items. These are pastry rings about two inches high. They are going to help me make my mold so that the volsdon’t tip as they bake. I’ll show you what I mean. Oh, and see those tops down there below? That’s the size and thinness you want.Place one…whatever….as long as it’s two inches high or so and can take the heat of an oven, in each corner.Lay on an inverted cooling rack that’s been lightly oiled.Place the whole contraption in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. At that point the vols will have risen to touch the rack and the tops will be done. Remove the tops to a plate, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and return the pan to the heat. When the tops are cool split them so you have a flat bottom, like so:Fifteen or so minutes more baking and the vols themselves will be nicely browned (check the oven after ten…and take care not to burn the bottoms).

And that’s pretty much it! Cool them, fill them with whatever you want and eat! These are a knockout with savory foods but can also hold sweet fillings. Here I have a fairly conventional chicken salad (I didn’t have time to do anything too creative — I’m a working man!): diced leftover chicken with some red grape halves, slivered almonds, tarragon and salt and pepper. Still not a half-bad lunch, friends.

Ingredients

14 ounces, weight Sweetened Shredded Coconut

⅔ cups Granulated Sugar

3  Large Egg Whites

¼ teaspoons Sea Salt

1 cup Fresh Strawberries, Hulled, Sliced In Half Lengthwise

 

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, blend the coconut for 1 minute.
3. Add the sugar and blend for another minute.
4. Add the egg whites and sea salt and blend for another minute.
5. Pulse in the strawberries until they are largely but not fully broken down. Some of the batter will be white, and other parts will be red. Resist stirring them together.
6. Using a melon ball scooper, or a tablespoon, scoop batter into 1-inch mounds, place on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes (time will vary with different ovens; I clocked mine at about 32 minutes), or until slightly golden on top.
8. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving. They will firm up as they cool, but will remain soft and gooey on the inside, crispy on the outside.

Recipe slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

* 400 g puff pastry dough
* 3 apples
* 6 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons cinnamon
* Juice of half lemon

Method:

Cut apples into quarters, remove coatoarele, then cut into thin slices.

Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and lemon juice and put to boil. When it starts to boil longer give two boil and set aside.

Remove the apple slices on absorbent towel and let cool.

Stretched sheet of pastry dough, sprinkle remaining sugar (amount of sugar can increase or decrease, if you prefer) and cinnamon.

Pastry dough is not completely thawed, it works easier.
Then cut strips of dough 1.5 cm on each strip put apple slices, slightly overlapping.
Then run as closely as possible. After you sprinkle sugar on the sheet of dough with rolling pin move 2 times over the sheet. Sugar will stick better and will not spread to run.

Each roll is placed in a tray lined with baking paper and give the hot oven, over medium heat until crisp.

Under the tray bake roses put a pot / pan with water to avoid to burn the "sole"

Powdered sugar after they have cooled.

Ingredients:
Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups graham crumbs (2 sleeves)


• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

Layers:

• 2 cups of powdered sugar, sifted


• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened


• 4 oz cream cheese, softened


• 8 oz container Cool Whip


• 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained well

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.


2. Melt butter in the microwave and allow to cool. Combine the crumbs and butter and toss together until incorporated. Press 2 cups of the crumb mixture firmly into an 9×9 square pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.


3. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Turn the mixer down to low and add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until incorporated. Turn up and beat well for a minute or so. Add a heaping tablespoon of the drained pineapple and stir in with a rubber spatula. Spread the cream cheese and pineapple mixture over the crust.


4. Fold the remaining pineapple into the Cool Whip and spread on top of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker crumb mixture on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

 

Strawberry shortcake was a plated dessert in America before Americans even knew what plated desserts were. Here I’m continuing in that tradition, though I respect the single “big biscuit” approach that grannies all over North America have been employing for generations. You can adapt this recipe to make a single, large shortcake if you wish, just bake up the biscuit dough in an 8″ or 9″ round cake pan.

Begin your shortcake by preheating your oven to 500 and arranging a rack on the very top shelf. Combine your flour and leavening and sifting it together over a bowl.

Press your cooked egg yolks through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl……and add your sugar and salt.

Add your cold butter pieces……and work the mixture until it’s about this consistency:Now pour in the buttermilk……and gently bring the mixture together with a scraper or spoon. You’ll want to knead it a bit by hand to form the final dough.

Pat the dough down into a mass about 3/4″ high……and using a large, 2 3/4″ cutter, cut out some nice, large biscuits.

Place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan, brush them with melted butter……and sprinkle them with sugar.

While the biscuits are baking, sprinkle your sliced strawberries with sugar (this is obviously a very small quantity, since I was just making shortcake for myself on Sunday) and set them aside. Some people like to mash half the berries to create more of a sauce. Feel free to do that if you wish. A squeeze of lemon can be nice here, or a jot of some sort of liqueur. It’s completely up to you.

When the biscuits are nicely browned, remove them from the oven. As they’re cooling, whip up your Chantilly cream.When they’ve cooled completely, split them in half.Lay the bottom half down on a plate and spread on a layer of cream. I like mine firmer rather than soupier, so the cake layers don’t slide apart. If you like you can pipe the cream on for a more refined appearance.Spoon on some macerated berries, which will have created their own “sauce” by now. I should add here that if you’re the type of person that likes a sauce-soaked shortcake, you can reverse the order of the layers. Since I like all my layers distinct, I lay down the cream first to prevent the syrup from soaking in.Apply the top of the biscuit……and another layer of cream, plus more berries. Top with a final dollop of Chantilly cream if you’d like.

 

Ingredients 1-½ cup Water

¾ cups Sugar

4 whole Eggs

¼ cups Evaporated Milk

½ teaspoons Vanilla

24 whole 3-inch Prepared Tart Shells

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and set it aside to cool.

Next beat the eggs in a large bowl and add the evaporated milk. Pour in the sugar water and mix thoroughly. Finally, mix in the vanilla.

Place the tart shells on a baking sheet. Pour the custard through a sieve into the shells.

Bake the tarts at 425ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the egg mixture has risen and the crust is golden brown.

Ingredients:

• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored


• 2 (8 each) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough


• 2 sticks of butter


• 1 1/2 cups white sugar


• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract


• 1 can of Mountain Dew

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F


2. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.


3. Peal and core 2 apples into 8 wedges.


4. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles.


5. Begin by rolling each apple piece in the crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end towards the largest end.


6. Pinch the sides of the crescent roll to seal in a dumpling shape and place in the dish.


7. Melt two sticks of butter in a small saucepan.


8. Stir in the sugar until dissolved then add the cinnamon. Once combined, add the vanilla extract.


9. Pour the sweet mixture over the apple dumplings.


10. Next, open the Mountain Dew and poor over the dumplings.


11. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top has browned.


12.  Serve with ice cream and enjoy!

 

For the dough (détrempe):

5.5 ounces (2/3 cup) milk
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) sugar
1 ½ teaspoons (6 grams) instant yeast
10 ounces (2 cups) all-purpose (AP) flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg

Begin by rolling about a pound and a half of Danish doughout into a square about 1/4-inch thick.

Trim up the sides a little to square it off, the spread a thin layer of vanilla buttercream frosting (I always make a point to stash leftover buttercream from other projects in the freezer) on the half of the pastry sheet closest to you.

Fold the top half down to enclosed the buttercream…

Then cut the dough into roughly 1/2-inch thick strips. (Actually, I should have rolled the dough out a little more first to make the strips longer, but I forgot. Oh, what my former pastry task master Fanuel would say!)

Now then, grasping the strip on each end, stretch the dough strip out, flipping it back and forth like you’re trying to dry the ink on a check.

When it’s long enough (and ideally, this strip should be about half again as long…) press one end down onto the board with you index finger……then use the palm of the other hand to roll the strip toward you. What you get, as you see, is an attractive twist.

Now, still holding one end of the dough strip down, drape the strip down and around the center point in a curlicue.

Bring it around and around……tuck the last half inch underneath so the pastry doesn’t unravel in the oven……and — ta da! You’re done. A nice little heap of clothes, as my former boss used to say. Again, a longer strip gives you more of a swirl…but heck, it’s close enough for blogging, am I right?

Put them on a parchment-lined sheet pan, six per sheet. At this point you can start proofing the pastries in anticipation of baking right away, or put them in the fridge overnight (you can even freeze them if you wish, for up to three months). If you don’t have a proof box, don’t worry about it. Just give them a spritz of water to keep the outer skin moist……then cover them with lightly oiled plastic wrap (or you can drape the plastic over upturned shot glasses to keep it from touching…which is what I like to do). You’ll want to give them a light spritz with water every 45 minutes or so to keep them supple.

 

Ingredients

1 cup Unsalted Slivered Or Sliced Almonds

1 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut ½ cups Plus

3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa

3 cups Powdered Sugar

½ teaspoons Kosher Salt

4 whole Egg Whites, At Room Temperature

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

¾ cups Mini Chocolate Chips

 

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread almond slivers and shredded coconut evenly on a large rimmed baking pan. Place in the oven and toast for about 7-8 minutes, turning/tossing once halfway through, until golden brown and fragrant. Reduce heat to 325ºF.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together cocoa (1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons total), powdered sugar, and salt. Continue whisking while adding egg whites and vanilla extract, mixing until just moistened. Don’t overwhisk or the eggs will stiffen. Stir in almonds, coconut, and chocolate chips.

3. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. (I highly suggest using parchment paper. I had one cookie that wouldn’t fit and baked straight on the pan and I couldn’t get it off later!) Spoon batter by the tablespoon onto the baking sheet (this makes 24) or by heaping tablespoons (this makes 18 large cookies).

4. Bake for 14-16 minutes, turning pans and shifting the top to bottom rack halfway through. Cookies are finished when tops are shiny and cracked. Slide the cookies off the pans and allow to cool completely before removing.

Hot Buttered Pumpkin Rum

2 tablespoons Pumpkin puree (canned is fine)
1 teaspoon Brown sugar
1 teaspoon Ginger
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Allspice
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 tablespoon Butter
2 ounces rum
Hot water (enough to fill the mug)
Cinnamon stick for garnish

Combine the pumpkin and spices in a mug and mix thoroughly so that they are completely integrated. Add the rum. Put the butter on top so it is floating in the rum. Carefully pour hot water over the drink. Stir with a cinnamon stick or spoon.

 

Ingredients:

• 12 3.5 oz. ice cream sandwiches


• 3-4 medium bananas


• 1/2-1 c. hot fudge sauce


• 1/2-1 c. caramel sauce


• 1 c. chopped maraschino cherries or sliced strawberries (more or less depending on personal taste)


• 8 oz. frozen whipped topping (like Cool Whip), thawed


• 1 small can crushed pineapple, undrained


• 2 Butterfinger bars, crushed (or 1/2 c. chocolate-covered toffee bits, nuts, etc.)

Instructions:

Line the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish with the ice cream sandwiches, cutting them to fit as necessary. Slice the bananas into pieces about 1/4″ thick and arrange over the sandwiches. Spread the hot fudge and caramel sauces over the bananas. Sprinkle with cherries or strawberries (or both, if desired). Combine the thawed frozen whipped topping with the can ofundrained pineapple and spread over everything. Sprinkle with crushed candy bars and freeze for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, cut into 12 pieces and serve immediately, freezing any leftovers.

 

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

• 36 OREO cookies, divided


• 1/4 cup butter, melted


• 4 packages ( 8 ounces, each) cream cheese, room temperature


• 1 cup granulated sugar


• 1 cup sour cream


• 1 teaspoon vanilla


• 4 large eggs


• Chocolate candy coating ( I used 4 ounces each of white, orange and brown candy coating)

 

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9×13 glass baking pan with foil, with ends extending over sides.

Finely crush 24 of the Oreo cookies. I used my food processor and crushed them pretty fine. Stir the melted butter into the crumbs. Press mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until combined and creamy. Add sour cream and vanilla. Mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Chop the remaining oreo cookies and then gently stir into the batter. Pour batter on top of the crust. Spreading out evenly.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until sides are set and center is almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack in the pan.

When the cheesecake is cooled, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours. Once chilled, remove the cheesecake using the foil overhangs and cut into bite-sized squares.

Melt the candy coating according to package directions in the microwave. Drizzle over the cut cheesecake bites. (An easy and neat way to do this is pouring the melted coating in a small sandwich baggie. Snip one corner then squeeze and drizzle over the cheesecake bites.)

Yields: 32 bites (more or less depending on how you cut them)

Ingredients:

• 6 sugar ice cream cones


• Vegetable cooking spray


• All-purpose flour


• 1 sheet (1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package) frozen puff pastry, thawed


• Sanding sugar (optional)


• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk


• 1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix


• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin


• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• 1/2 cup cold heavy cream


• 1/2 cup caramel topping, warmed


• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Wrap each cone tightly in aluminum foil, covering it completely and tucking any excess foil into the cone cavity. Spray the foil cones with the cooking spray. Set aside.

Lightly flour your work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet onto the work surface. Cut the pastry sheet to form 3 rectangles then cut each rectangle lengthwise into 4 strips, making 12 strips total.

Press the ends of 2 pastry strips together. Starting at the pointed end of the cone, wind the pastry strip around 1 cone, slightly overlapping the edges of the pastry (the strip will not reach the bottom of the cone). Spray the pastry cone with the cooking spray and sprinkle with the sanding sugar (optional). Place the pastry cone on its side, with the end of the strip facing down, onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining pastry strips.

Bake the puff pastry cornucopias for 15 minutes, or until the pastries are golden brown. Let the pastries cool completely on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Carefully remove the foil cones.

Beat the coconut milk, pudding mix, pumpkin and cinnamon in a medium bowl with a whisk until the mixture is thickened.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture then spoon or pipe the mixture into the pastry cones.

Place the pastries onto serving plates. Drizzle the pastries with the caramel and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Ingredients:

• 1 Box of White Cake Mix


• 2 Fluffy White containers of Frosting


• 1/2 a cup of hot Fudge Sauce


• 3-4 Chopped up Snicker’s Bars


• 1 Cup Heavy Cream


• 2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips


• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract


• 2-9″ cake pans

 

For the pastry
250 gr flour 00
150 g cold butter
100g caster sugar
1 pinch of salt
lemon or vanilla to taste
1 egg

 

when planning our cupcake party, i thought of this quick diy craft that would be fun to share. if your cake decorating skills are as "awesome" as ours - slap icing messily onto cupcake, i have this cute and simple tutorial. welcome little cupcake flags!!