DARK CHOCOLATE CINNAMON PECAN COFFEE CAKE

DARK CHOCOLATE-CINNAMON PECAN COFFEE CAKE by NancyCreative, adapted from Bon Appetit

http://nancycreative.com/2014/02/19/dark-chocolate-cinnamon-pecan-coffee-cake/

We all really liked this.  Went great with eggs, fruit and sausage.  The only thing I would like to try is coconut in it.

Makes 9-12 servings in an 8 x 8″ pan

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup (6 ounces) dark chocolate chips (would be good to try rough cut up chocolate too)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided (I used sugar that had been sitting in discarded vanilla beans)
• 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup plain whole Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 8” square baking pan; set aside. (cooked in round stoneware - coated in butter)

Toss pecans, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and ¼ cup of the sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and remaining ¾ cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, add dry flour mixture ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with yogurt in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. You’ll end up with a nice thick batter. 

Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan and smooth top; top with half of the chocolate/pecan mixture. Spoon remaining batter over this and smooth top; top with remaining chocolate/pecan mixture. Bake cake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes (be careful not to overbake, or it will be dry! I recommend checking it after it has baked about 35 to 37 minutes). Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cake cool in pan before cutting into squares, and serve (if you want to eat it warm, let it cool about 10 minutes before cutting). I think this coffee cake tastes best warm myself!

VANILLA BEAN WHILE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CHEESECAKE

Made this for my bday (40th) 2014.  It was so yummy!  We liked how light & cool it tasted.  Jackson mentioned a couple of times how he liked the top layer.  I ordered my vanilla beans from: http://www.olivenation.com/Bourbon-Madagascar-Vanilla-Beans-P84.aspx  They were a good price and arrived quickly.  Didn't think I would like the graham cracker crust, but I LOVED it!  Next time I wouldn't cook as long (this oven cooks really fast). Maybe do 5 minutes.  I did put discarded pods in sugar.  Can't wait to try the vanilla sugar in a recipe.

Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

YIELD: SERVE 8-12

Don't throw away those scraped out vanilla bean pods (you need two vanilla beans for this recipe)! Learned from the almighty Mr. Alton Brown, I throw the empty pods into a cup of granulated sugar, cover, and let sit for a few days. It makes the most delicious vanilla sugar and I use it almost always for creme brulee. I mean, who doesn't need an excuse to make that, right? Also, here is an easy tutorial on scraping out the seeds if you haven't done it before.

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake:
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream (greek yogurt would probably work too)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• vanilla bean seeds, scraped from one pod
White Chocolate Mousse:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces white chocolate baking squares, melted
Sweetened Whipped Cream:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• vanilla bean seeds, scraped from one pod

DIRECTIONS

1. For the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix; then stir in the melted butter. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and just barely up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan (could also use a 10-inch pan although all the layers will be slightly thinner). Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
2. For the cheesecake layer, in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with an electric handheld mixer (or stand mixer) until soft and creamy. Add the sour cream, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Mix in the vanilla bean seeds until evenly mixed. Don't overmix or the cheesecake will have a tendency to crack while baking.
3. Spread the cheesecake over the cooled crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
4. For the white chocolate mousse, in a medium bowl, beat the cream and vanilla with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined and the peaks are slightly stiffer. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the white chocolate and mix until smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the whipped cream, and mix gently with a rubber spatula, lifting and turning the cream, until the mousse is combined and creamy.
5. Spread the white chocolate mousse over the cooled cheesecake.
6. For the sweetened whipped cream, beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar together until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla bean seeds and mix until slightly stiffer peaks form and the vanilla bean seeds are mixed in.
7. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the white chocolate mousse. Refrigerate at least 1-2 hours before serving (or up to overnight).

FIESTA CHILI MAC

FIESTA CHILI MAC by NancyCreative, adapted from Ragù's Family Favorite Chili Mac
http://nancycreative.com/2014/02/17/fiesta-chili-mac/

Everyone really liked this - especially Scott.  I served it with a veggie side (did palatable sweet potatoes) and Fritos.  used mozzarella for half the cheese and plain greek yogurt in place of some of the sour cream.  Used a leek I had from bountiful baskets in place of the onion and green onion.

Makes 6 to 8 servings in a 9" deep dish microwave-safe pie plate (or you can use an 8x8" or 9x9" square microwave-safe baking dish)

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jar (1 lb. 8 oz.) Ragù® Old World Style® Traditional Pasta Sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided (had mozzarella on hand so used 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup cheddar)
1/3 cup sour cream, plus a dollop for the top (didn't have enough sour cream used plain greek yogurt)
2 green onion stems, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped tomato
Optional: 2 to 3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, 2 Tablespoons chopped or sliced black olives (didn't do either of these but would have been good)

Grease or spray a 9" deep dish microwave-safe pie plate (or similar-sized microwave-safe baking dish, like a square 8x8" or 9x9" dish); set aside. Note: It helps if you have all your veggies chopped before you begin cooking! You can cook your macaroni beforehand too, or  cook it while your ground beef is cooking.

Cook ground beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until almost done. Add chopped onion and green bell pepper and cook a few minutes longer until they are slightly tender and ground beef is done.

Stir in pasta sauce and chili powder. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover skillet, and simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in cooked macaroni , blending ingredients well, then add in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, blending cheese evenly into the mixture.

Spoon this mixture into your greased 9" deep dish pie plate (or similar-size baking dish), mounding up mixture toward the center (if you use an 8x8" or 9x9" baking dish, the mixture will be more level). Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese evenly over the mixture (leave the other 1/2 cup cheese for the garnish). It will look like this in a pie plate–quite a hefty mound!

Microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the cheese on top is thoroughly melted.

Remove from microwave and top center area of pie with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup sour cream, chopped green onion, chopped cilantro (optional), chopped tomato, and chopped or sliced olives (optional). Add an extra dollop of sour cream in the center, then serve. Note: You'll want to add your toppings quickly so you can serve this dish while it's nice and hot!

TURTLE CHEESECAKE

TURTLE CHEESECAKE
http://recipesnobs.com/2011/11/28/layered-turtle-cheesecake/
We had a party to celebrate Lisa's b-day (2014).  I asked what kind of cake she wanted and this was her request.  Jason had just made one - he sent me the recipe he made which I would like to try someday.  But when I saw this one I really wanted to try it.  I liked the layer idea and wanted to try the crusts.  It was very yummy!  I made it the day before.  Next time I might try doubling the ganache recipe or maybe not.  Scott said it was good how it was but I just love ganache and it wasn't that thick but it was a pretty sweet cheesecake. I did top with extra caramel and pecans.

I know I say this a lot, but this cheesecake is a 10!! Love all the textures and layers. The perfect combination of cheesecake, pecans, caramel, and chocolate. Actually, I wish I had some leftovers to refresh my memory (or to give myself another excuse to have another piece :). Seriously, this is just flat out amazing! Enjoy!!

Layered Turtle Cheesecake
     1 cup all-purpose flour
     1/3 cup packed brown sugar
     1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
     6 tablespoons cold butter, chopped

Filling
     4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
     1 cup sugar
     1/3 cup packed brown sugar
     1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpase flour, divided
     2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
     1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
     4 eggs, lightly beaten
     1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted and cooled
     1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
     1/3 cup chopped pecans

Ganache
     1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (I did semi-sweet)
     1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
     2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Optional Garnish
     Pecan halves
     Additional caramel ice cream topping

DANISH AEBLESKIEVERS

DANISH AEBLESKIVERS
Judi (Grandma Nelson) got this recipe from someone at the Scandinavian Festival when she bought the aebleskiver pan for us.  It is a really good recipe.  We hadn't made them for a really long time.  We made them and the kids loved them.  Our favorite was with butter and strawberry jam.  Makes about 42 large.

4 eggs, separated
---
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 c buttermilk
---
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cardamom
---
shortening or butter
applesauce

Beat egg yolks.  Add sugar, salt and milk.  Then flour soda, baking powder and cardamom.  Last fol in stiffly beaten egg whites.  Place a small amount of fat in each depression (I used shortening) of Aebleskiver pan and fill 2/3 full of dough (big scoop works well). Place a small teaspoonful of applesauce (optional) on top of dough, then barely cover applesauce with a few drops of dough.  Cook until bubbly.  Turn carefully with darning needle and finish baking on other side.  Serve with butter, maple syrup, jam or brown sugar. 

VALENTINE'S DAY 2014

Made this for Valentine's Day 2014.  The kids liked it.  Had a hard time making it look as good as the picture.  Next time I would let the milk mixture cool a little before adding.  I used 2 strawberry & 2 cherry jello.  Tasted really good.  Made day before.  Would make again.  We also had heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's, stuffed strawberries, beets and Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake for dessert. For breakfast we had Red Velvet Pancakes with cream cheese topping (used left over topping for stuffed strawberries).  Scott and I made a whole bunch of hearts and had them hanging from the ceiling.  The kids really liked it.  Had letter on some of the heart spelling out their present (Frozen movie - will ship when available 3/18/14).

RED VELVET PANCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE TOPPING

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/red-velvet-pancakes-with-cream-cheese-topping/7e08e0aa-1a71-40f7-83fe-420aa03067b5

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Topping

4

oz (half of 8-oz package) cream cheese, softened

1/4

cup butter, softened

3

tablespoons milk

2

cups powdered sugar

Pancakes

2

cups Original Bisquick® mix

1

tablespoon granulated sugar

1

tablespoon unsweetened baking cocoa

1

cup milk

1

to 1 1/2 teaspoons red paste food color*

2

eggs

Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions

• 1In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and 3 tablespoons milk with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until topping is smooth. Cover; set aside.
• 2In large bowl, stir all pancake ingredients except powdered sugar with wire whisk until well blended. Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat (375°F). (To test griddle, sprinkle with a few drops of water. If bubbles jump around, heat is just right.) Brush with vegetable oil if necessary or spray with cooking spray before heating.
• 3For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbles form on top and edges are dry. Turn; cook other side until golden brown.
• 4Spoon cream cheese topping into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag; squeeze bag to drizzle topping over pancakes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

JELLO WITH HEART

Find recipe in blog folder.  Will help if seeing picture.  Couldn't find on-line.

Coat a 9x13 with cooking spray.  Make 4 small boxes of jello according to box.  Let set.  Use a mini heart cutter and cut out hearts.  Wash pan to reuse.  Spray again and arrange hearts, spacing evenly.  Sprinkle 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water.  Let sit for 1 minute, when stir in 1 1/2 cups boiling water and 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (next time let it cool).  Pour into pan but not over hearts.  You might not use the whole mixture.  Put back into fridge until firm.  Or I think next time I might put 9x13 in fridge and then pour milk mixture so I don't have to move pan after poured in mixture.

Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/03/chocolate-mousse-crunch-cake/

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 package Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake

1 recipe (give or take a little) Chocolate Ganache

Crushed Heath bars or a bag of chocolate-covered Heath bits

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1 Tbsp. cold water

2 Tbsp. boiling water (just heat it in a small bowl in your microwave)

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

Bake cake according to cake mix instructions in 2 8″ round pans. Allow to cool and set aside. This can be done several days in advance; just freeze the cakes when you’re done.

In a small bowl, combine gelatin and cold water and allow to stand for about 1 minute. While gelatin is softening, bring 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in the microwave. Whisk into the softened gelatin and allow to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder, whipping cream, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks form. Mix in gelatin mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Prepare ganache (if you haven’t already) according to directions.

With a serrated knife, carefully slice the dome-iest part of each cake layer off so the layers are level. Place one layer on the serving plate and spread about 1/2 of the chocolate mousse over the cake. Sprinkle with Heath bits.

Place second layer on top of Heath bits.

Spoon ganache over the top layer, allowing it to drip down the sides.  Sprinkle with additional Heath bits and refrigerate until ready to serve.

TACO SALAD

TACO SALAD
Probably kinda silly to post a recipe for this, but made it tonight and my family loved it!  Decided to add to blog so I remember to make it more.  Would be a great summer meal.  The recipe calls for fritos.  Instead of adding chips to salad I had a bag of Fritos and Doritos and let each person decide.  I also didn't add the dressing because some wanted Ranch instead.  I added black beans.  I think corn would be good too.  I had turkey on hand so that is what I used.  Didn't use a whole packet of taco.  Tasted great!

http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2014/01/moms-taco-salad/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+30handmadedays+%2830days%29

Mom's Taco Salad

Ingredients

• approx 8 c. of romaine or iceberg lettuce, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey, browned
• package of taco seasoning or less
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 c shredded cheese (more if you want it extra cheesy)
• 2 cups of Fritos, Dritos, tortilla chips
• 1 small can sliced olives (optional)
• 1 small bottle Catalina Dressing
• can of beans, optional

Instructions

• In a skillet, brown beef or turkey and drain. Set aside and cool while preparing the other ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine lettuce, grated cheese, and olives.
• Prior to serving, add cooked ground beef /turkey and corn chips.
• Combine with other ingredients.
• Drizzle salad dressing over salad mix and toss salad until the desired amount of dressing is used.

Notes

Optional add ins - avocado, sour cream, corn, black beans