They said it couldn't be done...

Italian Rainbow Cookies.

 

I date an Italian boy with a crazy Italian family.  At all of their big family gatherings, one of the cousins brings these interesting and delectable little Italian cookies.  Colors of red and green with flavors of almond, raspberry, and apricot, they are pretty irresistible.  I always thought she made them from scratch and couldn't wait to steal the recipe to try them on my own.  Here's the thing though: she buys them in a store. 

So I pushed a little further, asking a few of the family members if they had a recipe.  Well of course they did but they warned me against making them.  They all said "they're too hard, take too long, too complicated" or "I've tried and they never turn out.. you just can't do it."

 

Challenge Accepted.

With no way to steal one of their recipes, I set out to find my own recipe.  I ended up finding one here. I noticed one major flaw though, where is the raspberry preserves?  Everytime I've eated these cookies I know there has been a hint of raspberry.

 

To me, light and fluffy egg whites are my favorite way to start any recipe.

When I went to spread the dough, I found it a little hard to spread it all the way to the edges of the pans.  As long as you make sure they are even, they don't have to reach each side.

 

WARNING:  While the cakes are cooling, DO NOT STACK THEM, even between the layers of parchment papers.  They will stick.  These aren't regular cookies or cakes, they're sticky.  Don't stack them until the instructions say to.

 

 

When you spread the jam, try to do it evenly but not to the edges.  You'll trim them later and don't want the jam spilling out.  After they're stacked, you have to refridgerate them for at least 8 hours.  I cheated and made these before bed on Friday night, chilled them while I peacefully slept, and finished them on Saturday morning.  No inconvience and no hastle this way.

 

And Voila!  They are beautiful and almost finished.  When you trim the edges be sure to keep them aside.  They are just as amazing as the finished cookie and gives you something to pick on while you melt and chill the chocolate.

I used Ghirardelli Baking Chocolate for the finish, always my favorite.

Once you put the top layer of chocolate on, freeze them for a good 15-20 minutes before trying to flip it over for the second layer.  After the second layer, freeze for 30 minutes to an hour before you even think of cutting them.  With the difference of texture between the cookie and chocolate, it is a mess to cut them.  Freezing them helps the cookie reach the hardness of the chocolate.

 

After that... Enjoy!  Try not to eat them all ;-)  They keep for up to 2 weeks in an air tight container, and even longer in the freezer.

 

Makes about 5 dozen cookies, depending on how you cut them.

Warning:  These are time consuming.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 (8-oz) can almond paste
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
25 drops red food coloring
25 drops green food coloring
6 oz apricot preserves, heated and strained

6 oz raspberry preserves, heated and strained

8 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

Directions:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line bottom with wax paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 ends, then butter paper.

2. Beat whites in mixer fitted with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating at high speed until whites hold stiff, slightly glossy peaks. Transfer to another bowl.

3. Switch to paddle attachment, then beat together almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and almond extract and beat until combined well, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add flour and salt and mix until just combined.

4. Fold half of egg white mixture into almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

5. Divide batter among 3 bowls. Stir red food coloring into one and green food coloring into another, leaving the third batch plain. Set white batter aside. Chill green batter, covered. Pour red batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with offset spatula (layer will be about 1/4 inch thick).

6. Bake red layer 8 to 10 minutes, until just set. (It is important to undercook. They’ll look like they’re not done, but a tester does come out clean.)

7. Using paper overhang, transfer layer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Clean pan, then line with parchment or wax paper and butter paper in same manner as above. Bake white layer in prepared pan until just set. As white layer bakes, bring green batter to room temperature. Transfer white layer to a rack. Prepare pan as above, then bake green layer in same manner as before. Transfer to a rack to cool.

8. When all layers are cool, invert green onto a parchment or wax-paper-lined large baking sheet. Discard paper from layer and spread with half of preserves. Invert white on top of green layer, discarding paper. Spread with remaining preserves. Invert red layer on top of white layer and discard wax or parchment paper.

9. Cover with plastic wrap and weight with a large baking pan. Chill at least 8 hours.

Remove weight and plastic wrap. Bring layers to room temperature. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Keep chocolate over water. (Alternately, you can do what I did: melt the chocolate 3.5 ounces at a time just to make sure it doesn’t seize up between steps, though that shouldn’t be a problem if you only let it set for 15.)

10. Trim edges of assembled layers with a long serrated knife. Quickly spread half of chocolate in a thin layer on top of cake. Chill, uncovered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and place another baking sheet on top, then invert cake onto sheet and remove paper. Quickly spread with remaining chocolate. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

11. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips (I cut them into more, because I wanted them 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, as I remember them). Cut strips crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide cookies.

Mint Chocolate Chip... Cake?

My birthday came around on New Years Day, so I figured, what birthday cake am I going to make myself?  Well it obviously had to be better than anything else that I had made to date, right?  So this is what I decided on: A delicious Mint Chocolate Chip Cake.

 

"Isn't that just an ice-cream flavor?" This is the response I got from almost everyone upon my making it.  But the answer is, of course not!  This cake is almost too goo to believe (mainly because mint chocolate chip is my favorite).  The hard chocolate shell and chips in the icing make it a perfect combination of smooth and crunchy.

 

Did you just die?

First things first, you make this deliciously moist chocolate cake.  Now, here's a little trick that I picked up that may revolutionize your life.  Wilton Bake Even Strips. You wet them, wrap them around the pan, and poof!  The moisture helps the cake to bake even throughout, and more importantly, flat.  This makes stacking cakes so much easier.

 

Now that the cakes are done, it's time for the best part! Mint Chocolate Chip Icing!  It is really a more solid form of the ice cream and is what makes the cake so delicious.

Layer one and this fantastically chunky icing goes on great.  I thought it would be difficult to spread, but have no fear, it's a piece of cake ;-)

 

Then you add layer two and dump the rest of the icing all over this cake!  Try not to eat it all in the proccess.

 

Now melt that delicious mint chocolate and pour it right on top.

 and...... VOILA!  One beautiful and irresistable cake.  Happy Birthday to me!

 

Chocolate Cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
9 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brewed coffee, cooled
1/2 cup milk

Mint Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
8 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup milk plus 2 Tbsp
11 oz mini chocolate chips
1/8 tsp green food coloring gel

For the topping:
1 bag mint chocolate chips

1. In medium bowl, sift cocoa with flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside. In measuring cup, mix coffee and milk together. Set aside.
2. In mixer, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Slowly add in dry ingredients alternating with the coffee/milk blend (about 3 additions of each).
3. Pour cake batter into two prepared pans (two 9inch cake pans lined with parchment paper and then greased and floured). Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool about 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting.
4. For frosting, in food processor, pulse dark chocolate until small bits (not powder)! Set aside.
5. In mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar and milk (slowly add the milk, you may not need it all) for 3-5 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add in extract and food coloring gel. Mix until fully blended. Add more milk if necessary to desired consistency. Fold in chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips.
6. Frost first layer of cake, then top it with second layer. Completely frost sides and top of cake.
7. Melt the bag of mint chocolate chips in the microwave on 30 second intervals on HALF power.  Stir in between each interval and do this until mostly smooth.  (There may be a bump or two but you don't want to burn it.)

Double Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

My favorite and most popular recipe!  The ever amazing Double Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti!

I bake these for the restaurant I work at, and I just can't keep them on the shelves.  They are such a hit for so many reasons.  They are so festive, decorative, and delicious.  They make a good treat, gift, stocking stuffer, anything!  So easy and so gorgeous.

First mix together all of the dry ingredients.  Flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder.

Now, with an electric mixer (don't use a hand mixer, the dough can get too thick and burn it up.) beat the butter until it is smooth, then add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy.  Next add the eggs peppermint extract.

Finally, mix in the dry ingredients until well combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Put the dough into two even sized balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Work the dough until you get two nice logs.  Keep your hands damp, but not soaked, to keep the dough from sticking to your hand and give it a smoother appearance.

Now toss them in the oven at 375 Degrees and bake for about 15 minutes. Take them out when top feels firm.  Let them cool, and then with a serrated knife, cut the logs in half (at a 45 Degree angle) and carefully peel them off of the parchment paper.  If they aren't firm enough to handle, they aren't done yet.

Now cut them at the same 45 Degree angle, about 1/2 an inch to one inch wide.

Place them sideways straight on the tray, put them in at 325 Degree oven for an additional 8 minutes, then flip them and bake for another 8 minutes.

When they feel firm and dry, take them out and let them cool.

Melt the White Chocolate and Sprinkle with Peppermints and you're done!

Bag them up and share them!

 

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp peppermint ex

1-3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

4 oz mini chocolate chips

8 oz white chocolate

crushed peppermint candies

Pre-heat Oven to 375 Degrees F

1) Beat the butter in a mixer until creamy.

2) Beat in sugar, eggs, and peppermint ex until fluffy.

3) In a separate bowl mix the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder.

4) Slowly mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.

5) Fold in Chocolate Chips.

6) Shape into 2 small logs. Place on Parchment Paper on a Cookie Sheet.

7) Bake for around 15 minutes (maybe a bit longer, just until the top is firm).

8) Cool and slice diagonally with a serrated knife. Let oven cool to 325 Degrees.

9) Bake on side for about 5 minutes per side or until dry.

10) Melt the chocolate and sprinkle with peppermints!

 

Eggnog Fudge

Tis the Season!

I found this recipe idea on Pinterest and I have not heard one bad word against it.  Even my mom, who hates eggnog cannot get enough of this fudge.

 

After making it, I packaged some up in a cute little bag to send to the owner of a local restaurant that was destroyed by a flood last year.  He is currently rebuilding his bar and someone may have slipped to me that he has a certain soft spot for eggnog.  With my business card conveniently slipped in the bag, let's hope I get some good news soon!

 

Anyways, the recipe I used was your standard from scratch fudge (found here), but I also found an easier one for those who aren't so used to making fudge.  I do recommend always using a candy thermometer though because you can try to time it, but if you don't hit the right temperature, the fudge will be grainy. Most people will still like it (if they're not fudge-fanatics) but to get them to LOVE it, you need the creamy texture.

 

So here is the easy recipe:

2 cups granulated white sugar
1/2 cup salted butter
3/4 cup dairy eggnog
10.5 ounces white chocolate bars, chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus a little more for the top of the fudge
One 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon rum extract

Directions:

1. Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with foil and let it hang over the sides. Butter the foil.

2. In a heavy, 3-quart saucepan combine sugar, butter and eggnog. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat or until a candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

3. Using a wooden spoon, work quickly to stir in chopped white chocolate and nutmeg until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in marshmallow creme and rum extract. Beat until well blended and then pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle a little freshly ground nutmeg on top. Let stand at room temperature until cooled. Refrigerate if you'd like to speed up the process.

4. When completely cool, cut into squares. Store in a covered container.



Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie

My first post, first 'order' and first pie.  Yes, the first pie I have ever attempted to make and I get stuck with a Coconut Cream Pie.  It wasn't a fun night needless to say.  I had to idea where to start, what recipes to go off of, or anything.  I like my cookies and cakes, but pies are not usually my area.  But, I had two orders for the same pie, so I had no other choice and I actually enjoyed it, once I finally got it right.

 

My first attempt was a complete flop.

I followed this recipe and I don't know what went wrong.  I couldn't get the cream to thicken at all after over half of an hour.  I tried turning up the heat, adding more flour, but nothing seemed to work.  They also wanted the traditional version, meaning whipped cream topping and not the meringue, which I ended up putting on too soon and it just completely melted.

 

Obviously I had to try something different.  I figured it was a good solid recipe, but maybe just needed some tweaking.  So I started over.

I started with the easy part.  Toasted some more coconut and baked my pie crust to the perfect shade since it will not need re-baked with the filling.  Now what to do with the cream recipe? 

 

I looked around the internet for a bit to discover some helpful hints.  The biggest one perhaps was cornstarch, not flour.  This would definitely help the cream set up quicker.  I also exchanged 1 1/2 cups of the half and half for Coconut Milk to give it a stronger flavor.

It took a while to set but this was definitely a success.  Since the recipe called for corn starch, don't cook it much longer after it comes to a boil.  The cream may not seem thick enough, but it will set up more in the fridge.  Now all I had to do was stick it in the fridge and let it chill over night.

 

Morning came and I pulled out the pies to finish them off.  I made my favorite batch of whipped cream (1 cup heavy cream, 2 t. vanilla, 2.5 T. powdered sugar) and sprinkled them with some fresh coconut.  You could also use toasted, but I thought the fresh would be a nice contrast.

 

Ingredients:

1 Cup + extra sweetened coconut flakes

1 1/2 Cups Half-and-Half

1 1/2 Cups (About 1 Can) Coconut Milk

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 Cup White Sugar

1/4 Cup Corn Starch

1/4 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

 

1 Blind Baked Pie Crust

(A pre-baked pie crust)

1 Batch of your favorite Whipped Cream

 

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, corn starch and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and the vanilla extract. Reserve the remaining coconut to top the pie.

4. Pour the filling into the pie shell and chill until firm, about 4 hours.

5. Top with your favorite whipped cream and with the reserved coconut.

 

Whipped Cream:

1 Cup Heavy Cream whipped to form soft peaks

Mix in 2t. Vanilla and 2.5T Powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.