Brownie Baked Alaska

This past week we celebrated my hubby's Birthday! Instead of a Birthday cake, Luke always requests Baked Alaska. Before meeting Luke, I had heard of Baked Alaska but I never really knew what it was. Boy, was I missing out!! This version (his favorite) has a brownie base, ice cream center, and a toasted meringue top. The key to this concoction is to seal the ice cream layer with the meringue so that when you bake it, the meringue gets toasted like a marshmallow and  the ice cream stays nice and cold. It is really not a difficult thing to make, just plan ahead so that the layers each have time to set properly. I don't think we'll wait a whole year to make this again! 

Here are a couple of pics we took after our bellies were filled with Baked Alaska!

Brownie Baked Alaska

Ingredients: 

• Brownie mix plus any ingredients needed to prepare batter
• 1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream (preferably block, not bucket)
• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar

Directions: 

Bake brownie mix in pan as directed on package. Bake slightly less than usual. Cool. 

Cut ½ gallon of ice cream into 1"-thick layers and cover the brownie and refreeze.

To make the meringue, turn electric mixer on high speed, beat 6 egg whites (at room temp). Add ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp cream of tartar, and 1 cup sugar, gradually. Beat until stiff peaks form. To test if meringue is done, rub a little between fingers. If it feels grainy, continue beating. Spread meringue over ice cream and brownie, sealing to edges, leaving none of the ice cream exposed (*this is very important!!) and freeze 

To serve: Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Bake 4-5 min until lightly browned. Serve immediately. 

Symphony Bar Brownies

I almost hate to call this a recipe, but I also hate to keep this "recipe" to myself. These brownies are so simple, but oh so delicious! Basically, in the middle of the brownies is a Hershey's Symphony Bar, an almond toffee milk chocolate candy bar. My favorite time to eat them is after they have cooled and the chocolate in the center has hardened, so you have a moist brownie wrapped around a crunchy chocolate center... am I making your mouth water yet?? Good. You could also sub out the Symphony bar for any other flat candy bar. You can also use a homemade brownie batter recipe if you'd like, I just use the box for simplicity!


Annnnnd here's a picture of Abby playing 'cause she's a cutie. 

Symphony Bar Brownies


Ingredients:

• Brownie mix + any ingredients needed to make batter
• 3 Symphony bars

Directions: 

Prepare brownie mix as directed on box. Pour half of the prepared batter into a 9X13 baking dish. Lay Symphony bars flat on top so that most of the brownie batter is covered by chocolate bar. Pour the remaining brownie batter on top of the chocolate bars. Bake as directed on brownie mix box. 

Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauce

So The Hunger Games movie premiered this weekend and, I have to say, it was fantastic! I left the theater feeling like the movie stayed true to the book and did it justice. It was awesome to see the book come to life. I can't wait to see it again! 


But before we saw the movie we made a special premier dinner inspired by The Hunger Games. I follow all of the recipes from the original post, except we nixed the margaritas and decided to make this Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauce rather than the blackberry pie for our "Poison Berry Pie."  And I am glad I did! This pie is so, so, so delicious. It was our favorite thing on the whole menu. That's why I'm sharing it with you all first! Well, that and I am a "dessert first" kinda gal.  


This cheesecake has a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. The lime cheesecake is light and refreshing. The tangy, sweet blackberry sauce on top  compliments it really well. I had some blackberries left over and I like to top my slices with those to give it even more blackberry flavor. This is a perfect summer time cheesecake!


Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauce

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tbsp. sugar
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• For the cheesecake:
• 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• Juice of 2 limes
• Zest of 2 limes

For the blackberry sauce:

• 6 oz. blackberries, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1½ tsp. cornstarch
• 1½ tsp. cold water

Directions:

To make the cheesecake, preheat the oven to 325 ˚F.  


Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl.  Stir together until well combined and moistened.  Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.  Gradually mix in the sugar.  Blend in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the lime juice and lime zest until well combined.  Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust.

To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven during baking.  Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the center is set.  Turn the oven off and prop the door open about 4 inches.  Let the cheesecake stand 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.  Let cool 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the sides of the pan and let cool to room temperature on the rack.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before slicing and serving.

To make the blackberry sauce, combine the blackberries and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release some of their juices and the mixture is simmering.  Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; whisk until smooth.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the blackberries and mix well.  Reduce the heat to medium and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a low boil and thickens slightly.  Remove from the heat and press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.  The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

Drizzle the blackberry sauce over the cheesecake before serving.

Adapted from: http://annies-eats.com/2011/03/09/lime-cheesecake-with-blackberry-sauce/

Strawberry Cool Whip Pie

Happy Pi day!! 3.14! I didn't have a lot of time to spend making a fancy pants pie this week so I made this Strawberry Cool Whip Pie. This pie is so easy to make and tastes delicious. If you want to make it even easier you can buy a pre-made graham cracker pie crust. It was really good made with regular graham crackers, but I think next time I will make it with chocolate graham crackers. I love the combo of chocolate and strawberries! This recipe is also very versatile. You could really use any flavor of Jell-O and have good results. For summer, I might try using lime Jell-O and mix in chopped, fresh strawberries to make sort of a play on a strawberry limeade, one of my moms favorite drinks!  Happy Pi Day, it's been a real slice! 

Strawberry Cool Whip Pie

Ingredients

   Crust

• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 1/4 graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine 

   Filling

• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 1 package (4 serving) strawberry Jell-O
• Ice cube
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 tub (8 oz) lite whipped topping, thawed

Directions

To make the crust, combine the sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and mix. Poor into a pie pan and press against the bottom and up the sides. Refrigerate while you make the filling.  

To make the filling, stir boiling water into dry Jell-O in large bowl for at least 2 minutes, until completely dissolved.

Add enough ice to cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. 

Add whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Refrigerate 15 to 20 min. or until mixture is thick enough to mound.

Spoon into crust.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours or until firm. 

Adapted from: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/cool-n-easy-pie-53370.aspx

PB Chocolate Covered Banana Bites

I made these yummies as a special treat in honor of mine and Luke's 9th month-iversary! I was looking for something quick and delicious, and these seemed perfect! If you like chocolate covered banana, you have to make these. After you try it, you'll ask yourself "why didn't I think of that?" Adding the peanut butter is so simple, yet it takes the chocolate covered banana to a whole new level. This is more of a "how to" rather than a recipe, but hopefully you'll find it helpful! Happy Friday!


PB Chocolate Covered Banana Bites


Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 4 squares of chocolate almond bark (~1 cup)

Directions

Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. 

Cut banana into 1/2" slices.

Smear a dollop of peanut on top of each one.

Next, melt the almond bark according to package directions. 
Place the banana on a fork and drizzle chocolate on top until completely coated. 

Place on lined baking sheet.

 Freeze for at least 3 hours. Remove from baking sheet and serve. 

Adapted from: http://nomnomnomblog.com/2011/05/11/a-taste-of-summer-and-a-new-video/

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

One day, my dear friend Analise brought these cookies to class to share. They are the most delicious oatmeal cookies I've ever had! They're slightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, which adds up to the perfect cookie! They were fast and easy to make too. I love when I already have all the ingredients on hand! If you are a person who likes raisins, I think you could easily sub out the chocolate chips for raisins. But in this house, chocolate could never, ever be replaced by raisins, hehe.

You can check out the original recipe (and many other yummy recipes) at Lady Mix Alot's blog! 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups quick oats
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 In a medium mixing bowl  combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. 

Add in eggs, one at a time, beating after every addition. Mix in vanilla.

Slowly add the flour cup by cup until it is all added.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Form dough into medium size balls, place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

Gee, thanks for the recipe Roomie! Remember in 2nd year when we wore matching outfits and went jumping on a room full of trampolines for hours?? Here's a picture to jog your memory!

Adapted from: http://ladymixalot.blogspot.com/2012/02/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

No Bake Cookies

The other night, after finishing up dinner, Luke asks "So, what's for dessert?" These cookies immediately came to mind because they are super fast to whip up! Plus, I usually have all the ingredients on hand.These are just about the easiest, fasted cookies I know of. They are super peanut buttery, chocolaty, rich, and delicious.  They, however, are lacking in the looks department. They sort of remind me of mini cow patties. But don't let that fool you, these are so yummy! 


No Bake Cookies


Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups oatmeal

Directions

In a heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk to a boil. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and quickly add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls.

Wait about about ten minutes for the cookies to cool and harden. Serve to hungry hubby!

adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cooking-live/chocolate-peanut-butter-no-bake-cookies-recipe/index.html

French Silk Pie

I love chocolate. All kinds. I think my love of chocolate comes from my Grandma Ruth. We would always have frozen chocolate yogurt when I came to visit. Which is a real treat when you live with a house full of vanilla lovers like I did! So of course one of my favorite pies is french silk. This pie was rich but fluffy at the same time. An electric mixer is a must if you want to get this perfect texture. We topped it with fresh, homemade whipped cream. Go make it for the chocolate lover in your life! Happy Friday!




French Silk Pie


Ingredients

• 4 ounces Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
• 1 cup Salted Butter, Softened
• 1 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 whole Eggs 
• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• Whipped cream

Cook the pie crust in a pie plate as directed on package. I put dry beans wrapped in aluminum foil on the bottom to keep it from rising up. 

In small microwave safe bowl melt 4 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate until stirrable. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat 1 cup of regular butter and 1 ½ cups of white sugar until fluffy (about 1 to 2 minutes). When melted chocolate is cooled, drizzle it over the butter/sugar mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined using the whisk attachment.

Turn your mixer to a medium speed and over a period of 15 to 20 minutes add in the four eggs, one at a time, leaving about 5 minutes between each egg addition. Once the pie filling is well mixed, pour it into the baked pie shell, scraping every last speck of it out of the bowl. Smooth out the pie filling and place pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours. Serve with whipped cream.

Adapted from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/02/the_meal_of_love_part_iv_de-licious_chocolate_pie/

Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes are amazingly good. Luke and I both LOVE cream cheese frosting, and I am a huge fan of coconut. These have a subtle coconut flavor and they almost taste like a spiced cake. They are easy and delicious, we have made them several times already! 

Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup coconut rum

Mix flour, soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl, cream brown sugar and butter until fluffy.  Add egg and beat well. Add buttermilk and flour mixture alternately while mixing.  Add rum and mix well. Pour into lined cupcake pan.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting

• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 stick butter, room temp.
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 T coconut rum

Mix together ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.  Frost cupcakes.  Top with coconut shaving if desired.




Adapted from: http://mingmakescupcakes.yolasite.com/text-form.php