Summer Peach Cake

When we first started this blog, I said I wasn't into making complicated desserts. I was just a mix and bake kind of a girl. This dessert is making a big fat liar out of me.

Perhaps having a cooking blog has pushed me to try a little harder in the dessert department. Or maybe I just wanted to use my new springform pan. Or maybe I just wanted to make something awesome with summer peaches while they're still here. The thing is, this dessert required way more effort than I'd normally want to expend for one little cake. It's a Cook's Illustrated recipe, so naturally, it has a thousand steps, yet it is also super-delicious. Trade-off.

It's probably not as complicated as making a peach pie, though. If you see me making double-crust pies on here, then you'll know I've officially lost my mind. You have to draw the line somewhere.

We had a little BBQ at our house over Labor Day weekend with John's family (hi Fred!), and this cake followed a pretty serious pulled pork dinner. A slice of this cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was the perfect way to end the meal, and bid a fond farewell to summer.

Summer Peach Cake
from Cook's Illustrated

Note: If using farm-fresh peaches, you should omit the peach Schnapps (I omitted). Also, the addition of Panko breadcrumbs seems weird, but I promise you won't notice them in the cake. They help to absorb the excess juices so your cake won't get soggy.


Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds peaches , pitted and cut into 1/2 inch-thick wedges
5 tablespoons peach schnapps
4 teaspoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, finely crushed

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Gently toss 24 peach wedges with 2 tablespoons schnapps, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in bowl; set aside.

2. Cut remaining peach wedges crosswise into thirds. Gently toss chunks with remaining 3 tablespoons schnapps, remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in bowl. Spread peach chunks in single layer on prepared sheet and bake until exuded juices begin to thicken and caramelize at edges of sheet, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer sheet to wire rack and let peaches cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

3. Spray 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and eggs together in second bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter until combined. Add sour cream, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

4. Transfer half of batter to prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Sprinkle crushed bread crumbs evenly over cooled peach chunks and gently toss to coat. Arrange peach chunks on batter in even layer, gently pressing peaches into batter. Gently spread remaining batter over peach chunks and smooth top. Arrange reserved peach wedges, slightly overlapped, in ring over surface of cake, placing smaller wedges in center. Stir together remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and remaining 1/8 teaspoon almond extract in small bowl until sugar is moistened. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over top of cake.

5. Bake until center of cake is set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool 5 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.


Serves 8 to 10

Download a printable recipe.

Yes, my plate does say, "Hot Mess"

Blueberry Scones

I'm sure I will forever think of these as "hurricane scones." John and I were enjoying a few days at the Jersey Shore this week, and had to end our stay early due to the evacuations. The night before we left, we discussed what we wanted to eat while we were holed up during Irene, and scones seemed like good comfort food. We passed through Hammonton, NJ on our way home, which happens to be the blueberry capital of the world (or so it claims). So, we picked up some fresh blueberries at a farm stand and were ready for some stormy-weather baking.

If you've ever had a true British scone, these are not the same. They are also not the crumbly, dry American version you might pick up at Starbuck's. They are a bit crispy and sweet on the outside, and moist and tender on the inside. I thought they might be nice served with some lemon curd, but I didn't think it was worth going to the grocery store and fighting my way through the pre-storm crowds just to pick up a jar. You should have these with a cup of tea (preferably with milk, if you're going to be all British about it).

One somewhat unusual step in this recipe is to grate the butter. Make sure yours is good and frozen or this won't work so well. The rest of the process is kind of similar to making biscuits: you have to roll and shape the dough without over-working it. You'll definitely need a bench scraper if you're going to attempt this recipe. These are best eaten warm out of the oven, but you can freeze the dough once you've prepared it and heat them up when you're ready to eat them (further directions are below).   

If you subscribe to Cook's Illustrated, you can check out a helpful video of how to make these scones on their website.

Blueberry Scones

from Cook's Illustrated

Note: It is important to work the dough as little as possible—work quickly and knead and fold the dough only the number of times called for. The butter should be frozen solid before grating. In hot or humid environments, chill the flour mixture and workbowls before use. While the recipe calls for 2 whole sticks of butter, only 10 tablespoons are actually used (see step 1). If fresh berries are unavailable, an equal amount of frozen berries (do not defrost) can be substituted. An equal amount of raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries can be used in place of the blueberries. Cut larger berries into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before incorporating. Refrigerate or freeze leftover scones, wrapped in foil, in an airtight container. To serve, remove foil and place scones on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven. Heat until warmed through and recrisped, 8 to 10 minutes if refrigerated, 16 to 20 minutes if frozen. See final step for information on making the scone dough in advance.

Ingredients

 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole (see note above)

 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 7 1/2 ounces), picked over (see note)
 1/2 cup whole milk
 1/2 cup sour cream
 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus additional for work surface
 1/2cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces), plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon table salt
 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Instructions
 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Score and remove half of wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Following photo at left, grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place blueberries in freezer until needed.

 2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
 

4. Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.
 

5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.
 

To Make Ahead:  

After placing the scones on the baking sheet, either refrigerate them overnight or freeze. When ready to bake, for refrigerated scones, heat oven to 425 degrees and follow directions in step 6. For frozen scones, heat oven to 375 degrees, follow directions in step 6, and extend cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 8 scones

Download a printable recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

If Anthony Bourdain were judging these bars on Top Chef, I'm pretty sure he'd call them "perfect stoner food." Because these are basically Rice Krispie treats on crack. The bottom layer is Rice Krispies, pretzels, and marshmallow, topped with a peanut butter layer, then topped with a chocolate layer. And see all that crushed goodness on top? Crushed peanuts and pretzels. Awesome.

I've made these twice since John's sister-in-law, Brooke, posted these on her blog a few weeks ago.  These are so good that John, myself, and two of our friends managed to take down a whole pan in one sitting. Just try to resist the salty, sweet, chewy, crunchy, peanutty goodness and eat only one. It cannot be done.  

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

adapted from Pampered Chef, as seen on ...And a Cookie for Dessert

Ingredients:

1/4  cup dry-roasted peanuts
3 cups mini pretzel twists (about 1 2/3 cups coarsely crushed), divided
3 cups crisp rice cereal
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), divided       
1 bag (10.5 oz) miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup light corn syrup, divided
1 bag (10 oz)  peanut butter morsels
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions:
 

1. Coarsely chop peanuts; set aside. Place pretzels into large resealable plastic bag; coarsely crush using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Set aside 1/3 cup of the pretzels. Place remaining pretzels and cereal in a large mixing bowl.

2. Place 6 tbsp of the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 60-90 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows; microwave on HIGH 60-90 seconds. Stir until marshmallows are completely melted. Immediately add marshmallow mixture to mixing bowl; mix well. Spread crust evenly in a 13"x9" pan; firmly press into pan.

3. Combine 2 tbsp of the butter and half of the corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 60-90 seconds or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter morsels; mix until melted (mixture will be stiff). Spread peanut butter mixture over crust using an offset spatula.

4. For ganache, place remaining butter and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 60-90 seconds or until melted. Stir in chocolate morsels; mix until smooth. Spread ganache evenly over peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts and reserved pretzels. Place in freezer 5-10 minutes or until ganache is set. Cut into 24 squares; cut squares in half.

Yield: 24 servings

Download a printable recipe.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

This year I had intended to make chai-spiced sugar cookies for my friends' annual holiday cookie swap. Then I changed my mind when I got to the grocery store and realized that the spices I needed were going to cost me $20. We've been trying to stick to a grocery budget since we bought our house, and somehow it didn't seem fair to purchase expensive spices when I won't let John buy his $4-per-can San Marzano tomatoes anymore (o, the sacrifices we've made). Luckily, I had just about everything I needed for these cookies already in my pantry.

Mexican hot chocolate has cinnamon in it, and often some chile pepper to add an extra kick. The chile powder is optional in this recipe, but if you do want to add some heat, make sure you're using chile (with an "e") and not chili (with an "i") powder. It's an important distinction. I omitted the chile powder, but I thought the cinnamon added nice warmth to these cookies without being overpowering. They're basically chocolate snickerdoodles.

Give these a try--they'll make a nice addition to your holiday cookie plate. If you're looking for other cookie recipes, check out last year's Christmas cookie posts:

Holiday Cookie Madness
Cookie Dough Truffles


Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
from MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chile powder (optional)

   
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down side of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.

2. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and chile powder (if using). Using heaping tablespoons, form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place, about 3 inches apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. (Store in an airtight container, up to 1 week.)

Makes 32 cookies

Download a printable recipe.
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M&M Blondies

I wanted to bake some blondies to bring to a coworker's baby shower, so I set about looking for an easy recipe. My first stop was, of course, my Cook's Illustrated bible (aka, The New Best Recipe). The recipe was indeed pretty simple, but it called for walnuts and white chocolate chips. Those ingredients are all well and good in other applications, but I feel like when it comes to most baked goods, they are wasting valuable real estate that could be taken up by chocolatier things. So I did what any chocolate-candy lover would do and swapped them out for M&M's. And the results were kind of amazing.

Note that the second step of the recipe asks you to fit your baking pan with foil. This is a nice technique to get the blondies out of the pan easily, but if it seems like too much work for you then please butter and flour as per usual.

M&M Blondies
adapted from The New Best Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2  teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter ( 1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup M&M's

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

4. Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate and M&M's and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.

5. Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Makes 36

Download a printable recipe.
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Salted Caramel Ice Cream

It was 104 degrees earlier this week. What other option did I have?

This honestly wasn't the easiest ice cream I've ever made, but it was definitely best. There were lots of mixing bowls involved. It required making both a custard and caramel on the stove top. It took forever to chill the mixture before I could put it in the ice cream maker. But I'd do it all over again-this was crazy delicious.

Here's a tip for you other caramel-making novices: when you add the cream to the sugar, keep the heat at medium. It bubbles like crazy, so I made the mistake of turning the heat down a little bit, and the caramel siezed up. I almost cried got a little worried, but turning the heat back up fixed the problem. It took a little while to melt it all down, but no harm was done.

We just ate this by itself, but I think it would be amazing scooped on a brownie or alongside some apple pie.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream
from Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs

Directions:

1. Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.

2. Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.

4. Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.

5. Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

Yield: Makes about 1 quart

Download a printable recipe.

Strawberry Almond Cream Tart

I immediately flagged this recipe when I saw it in Cooking Light last month, knowing that I'd be able to get fresh strawberries soon. After picking up a bunch at our farmer's market, I decided to whip this up since we had the rest of the ingredients at home. The end result was a light, delicious dessert with all of the flavors of a strawberry cheesecake (just with more strawberry and less cheesecake).

I made a few changes: I used a mix of regular and cinnamon graham crackers for the crust, and added a splash of Amaretto instead of the almond extract. I also used more strawberry glaze than I was supposed to (a tasty mistake, mind you). For some reason the original recipe instructs you to make the glaze, and then tells you to use half of it on your tart and save the rest for another use. Since I can't read, I just dumped most of the glaze on the tart before I realized I wasn't supposed to. No one complained. So, use as much as you like. If you have any leftover, try it on pancakes or ice cream.

The only problem I had with this was that I wasn't able to cut a nice-looking (ie., triangular) slice. The middle of my crust was too soft, so I probably needed to bake it a little bit longer. It may also have helped if I used a tart pan rather than a pie plate, but we don't seem to own a tart pan.

John and I just polished off the last two slices in order to fill the void in our hearts from the end of our favorite tv series, Lost. I think I'm going to need to make more...

Strawberry Almond Cream Tart
adapted from Cooking Light

Crust:
36 honey and/or cinnamon graham crackers (9 sheets)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 teaspoons water
Cooking spray

Filling:
2/3 cup (about 5 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond liqueur

Topping:
5 cups small fresh strawberries, hulled and divided
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare crust, place crackers in a food processor; process until crumbly. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, butter, and 4 teaspoons water; pulse just until moist. Place cracker mixture in a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan lightly coated with cooking spray, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan to 3/4 inch. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.

3. To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla extract and almond liqueur in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over bottom of tart shell.

4. To prepare topping, place 2 cups strawberries in food processor, and process until smooth. Combine strawberry puree, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute. Remove glaze from heat. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

5. Combine the remaining 4 cups strawberries and juice; toss to coat. Arrange berries, bottoms up, in a circular pattern over filling. Spoon half of glaze evenly over berries (reserve remaining glaze for another use). Sprinkle nuts around edge. Cover and chill 3 hours.

Yield:  10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Download a printable recipe.
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Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last month, John and I spent a relaxing weekend in Lancaster County, PA (also known as "Amish Country"). In addition to horse-drawn buggies, bonnets, and towns with oddly suggestive names (Intercourse and Blue Ball.... haha), Lancaster County is also home to the Wilbur Chocolate Factory. It was at this wonderful place that I picked up two beautiful bags of chocolate chips. One bag of chips ended up in my Samoa Bars, and the other sat in the pantry, waiting for their higher calling. That calling came on Saturday when I clicked over to the Cook's Illustrated website, where these Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies were a featured recipe.

The cool thing about this recipe is that you melt the butter, so you don't have to wait around for your butter to come to room temperature like with most cookie recipes. You actually have to melt it and cook it until it's just brown... then you whisk it with sugar to form a delightful caramel-y base for your cookies. 

 While calling them "perfect" might be overstating things a bit (I still have yet to find the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie), I would say that these cookies are pretty fantastic. Thick, chewy, and a little crispy around the edges... how can you go wrong?

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14  tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)

1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

3/4 cup chopped pecan or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Instructions 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
   

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
 
4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Makes 16 Cookies.

Download a printable recipe.

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Tiramisu

 

America's Test Kitchen has a standard approach to all of their recipes: they find common problems with traditional recipes and then they test a billion different versions until they arrive at the "perfect" one (and they do usually come up with awesome, fool-proof recipes). Sometimes I think the problems they make up for recipes are a little exaggerated, but I completely agreed with their assessment of the most common tiramisu fail: too soggy. And, as usual, their recipe solves the problem... you can see in the picture above that the ladyfingers are still cakey, and not overly saturated with coffee. It's all about quickly dipping them in coffee, rather than letting them soak. Since the rest of the tiramisu is basically just a creamy custard, you need the texture of the ladyfingers to hold up so that you're not eating a big pile of mush.

This was fun to make, and it doesn't require baking; however, you need to refrigerate it for at least 6 hours before serving (we let ours set overnight). Also, John and I could not find the espresso powder called for in the recipe, so we left it out. I'm sure it would have a stronger coffee flavor if we used it, but I don't think the dish suffered without it.

Lest you think we ate the whole pan of tiramisu ourselves, I should tell you that we made the tiramisu for John's mom's birthday dinner. We had a delicious Italian feast: John made his homemade ravioli and meatballs, and his sister-in-law, Brooke, made a tasty caprese salad... yet somehow everyone managed to save room for dessert. Well, everyone except for John's nephew, Charlie, who could not have been less interested in the tiramisu:

Oh well, I guess he's not old enough for rum-laden desserts yet...

Tiramisu

from America's Test Kitchen: Best of 2009

Note: Brandy and even whiskey can stand in for the dark rum. The test kitchen prefers a tiramisù with a pronounced rum flavor; for a less potent rum flavor, halve the amount of rum added to the coffee mixture in step 1. Do not allow the mascarpone to warm to room temperature before using it; it has a tendency to break if allowed to do so. Be certain to use hard, not soft ladyfingers.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups strong black coffee , room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
9 tablespoons dark rum
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 pounds mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream (cold)
14 ounces ladyfingers (42 to 60, depending on size)
3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa , preferably Dutch-processed
1/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate , grated (optional)

Instructions:
1. Stir coffee, espresso, and 5 tablespoons rum in wide bowl or baking dish until espresso dissolves; set aside.

 2. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat yolks at low speed until just combined. Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once or twice. Add remaining 4 tablespoons rum and beat at medium speed until just combined, 20 to 30 seconds; scrape bowl. Add mascarpone and beat at medium speed until no lumps remain, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down bowl once or twice. Transfer mixture to large bowl and set aside.

3. In now-empty mixer bowl (no need to clean bowl), beat cream at medium speed until frothy, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer. Using rubber spatula, fold one-third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Set mascarpone mixture aside.

4. Working one at a time, drop half of ladyfingers into coffee mixture, roll, remove, and transfer to 13 by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. (Do not submerge ladyfingers in coffee mixture; entire process should take no longer than 2 to 3 seconds for each cookie.) Arrange soaked cookies in single layer in baking dish, breaking or trimming ladyfingers as needed to fit neatly into dish.

5. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers; use rubber spatula to spread mixture to sides and into corners of dish and smooth surface. Place 2 tablespoons cocoa in fine-mesh strainer and dust cocoa over mascarpone.

6. Repeat dipping and arrangement of ladyfingers; spread remaining mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers and dust with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa. Wipe edges of dish with dry paper towel. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 to 24 hours. Sprinkle with grated chocolate, if using; cut into pieces and serve chilled.

Download a printable recipe.

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Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies

 

Mmm... don't you just want to stuff one in your face RIGHT NOW?? That's what I'd be doing if I wasn't saving these for a Valentine's Day chocolate pot luck at work tomorrow (my job does have its perks). Of course I sampled a few, and can tell you that these are so rich and moist, with just enough raspberry flavor (there's a little bit of jam in the brownie batter, plus more swirled into the cream cheese layer). For those of you who were wondering, the texture is more on the "cakey" side than the "fudgey" side.

I don't think I have ever made brownies from scratch since I'm totally content with whipping up a batch of Duncan Hines (or Ghiradelli, if I'm feelin' fancy). However, I saw these brownies in the August/September issue of Cook's Country and immediately flagged them for the Valentine's pot luck (I struggle planning meals for a week, yet somehow can plan desserts months in advance). Despite the layering involved, these came together a lot quicker than I expected. This recipe is definitely worth trading in the box for.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies

adapted from Cook's Country

Filling:

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownies:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup raspberry jam

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 inch square baking dish with foil, allowing excess to hang over pan edges. Grease foil. Process cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, and egg yolk in a food processor until smooth.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, microwave the butter until melted, about 1 minute. Whisk in 1/4 cup of jam and let it cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla to the chocolate mixture, stirring until combined. Whisk in the flour mixture until incorporated.

Microwave the remaining jam until warm, about 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Dollop filling over batter and spread into an even layer. Dollop warm jam over filling, and, using the tip of a knife, swirl the jam through the filling. Spread remaining batter evenly over the filling.

 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few dry crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. Using the foil overhang, lift brownies from the pan, and cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Serve (brownies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days).

Download a printable recipe.
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Samoa Bars

 

Still waiting for your Girl Scout Cookie order to come in? I'm all for supporting the Girl Scouts (I used to be one!), but sometimes I need more immediate cookie gratification. I spied this recipe on another cooking blog, and was pretty excited to try making my own version of Samoas (sometimes they're also called Caramel DeLites). Samoas are little round cookies topped with toasted coconut and caramel, then drizzled with chocolate.

While these aren't difficult to make, they do take a lot of time due to all of the steps involved (luckily there have been a lot of snowy days spent indoors lately). You have to make each layer of these bars separately, so most of the prep time is spent waiting for things to set, cool, etc. These bars replicate the flavors of the Samoas really well. The one change I would make next time is to use a little less of the cookie crust. I felt that these needed a higher caramel to cookie crust ratio in order to be perfect. I'm posting the original recipe, but play around with the amounts as you like. Also, the recipe calls for "good" caramels... the only ones I could find were made by Kraft. They melted nicely and tasted awesome, so I'm going to say that they easily qualify as "good". Don't knock yourself out looking for anything fancy.

Samoa Bars

spotted on Joelen's Culinary Adventures, originally from Baking Bites

Cookie Base:

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

First, make the crust.

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.

When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.

Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 30 bar cookies.


Download a printable recipe.
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Crepes!

I'm not sure exactly what prompted me to make crepes the other night. Perhaps it was the lonely jar of Nutella in the pantry, calling out for some attention. Maybe I felt like reminiscing about my travels in Paris by recreating one of my favorite French treats.  Or maybe I was craving something sweet but wasn't up for baking anything. Whatever the reason, it was definitely the best idea I had all weekend. I was literally dancing around the kitchen with glee while eating these (those photos have been conveniently left out of this post).

These are easy to make once you get the hang of flipping them (you'll inevitably ruin a few while you figure it out-don't worry, you'll still have plenty of batter left for the good ones). We filled ours with Nutella and strawberry jam, but use whatever you like. Hmm... I think I still have some batter left in the fridge...

Sweet Crepes
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
2       large eggs
1     cup milk
6     tablespoons water
1     cup bleached all-purpose flour
1/4     teaspoon table salt
2     tablespoons granulated sugar
1     teaspoon vanilla
3     tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, plus extra for brushing pan

Instructions:
  
1. Mix all ingredients (except extra melted butter) in food processor or blender until smooth batter is formed, 3 to 4 seconds. Transfer batter to covered container; refrigerate at least 2 hours or, if desired, up to 2 days.

 2. Gently stir batter if ingredients have separated. Heat 6- to 7-inch crepe pan or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brush pan bottom and sides very lightly with butter, which should sizzle when it hits pan. When butter stops sizzling, pour 2 1/2 tablespoons (you may have to adjust this depending on how big your pan is) batter into pan. Swirl the batter until it coats the bottom of your pan.

3. Cook until mottled brown on bottom, loosening crepe from pan side with table knife or metal icing spatula to check doneness, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip loosened crepe quickly with fingertips or spatula; cook until spotty brown on other side, about 30 seconds longer.

4. Place cooked crepe on plate and repeat cooking process with remaining batter, brushing pan as necessary, every two to three crepes. (Crepes can be double-wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.) Spread on your favorite fillings, fold it up (I prefer folding into quarters) and enjoy!!

Download a printable recipe.
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Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

Happy New Year! I thought I'd get in an indulgent recipe before I go on my upcoming Cooking Light blogging streak.

I finally got my dream appliance, a Kitchen Aid mixer, for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad!). So now I have no excuse to not make decadent baked goods, right? I found the recipe for these cupcakes in another one of my Christmas gifts: a Barefoot Contessa Cookbook from John's mom (Ina Garten's cookbooks are so beautiful, by the way... I want to try just about every recipe in them).

The only change I made was making mini cupcakes instead of regular-sized ones. I served them up at our New Year's party last night, so I wanted them to be bite-sized. If you go the mini cupcake route, try baking them for 12-15 minutes (and it will make about 4 dozen of them!).

The results? Everyone loved these. Personally, I thought the cake part was perfectly good, but the real star here was the peanut butter frosting. Luckily, when I was done frosting all of my cupcakes, I had plenty left over to pipe straight into my face. Don't judge, you know you'd do it too.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing
from Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients:
    12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
     2/3 cup granulated sugar
     2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
     2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
     2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
     1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
     1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
     2 tablespoons brewed coffee
     1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
     1 cup good cocoa powder
     1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
     Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing, recipe follows
     Chopped salted peanuts, to decorate, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.

Makes 16 cupcakes.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:

     1 cup confectioners' sugar
     1 cup creamy peanut butter
     5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
     3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
     1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
     1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Isn't she beautiful??

Download a printable recipe.
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Cookie Dough Truffles

Who even needs to bake cookies when you can just take chocolate chip cookie dough and dip it in chocolate?  And there are no eggs in the dough, so you can eat as much as you want without worry (I say this as if the presence of raw eggs has ever stopped me from stuffing my face with gobs of cookie dough). I made these for my friends' holiday cookie swap later today, so I think they'll be a nice variation from the peanut butter blossoms that I usually make.

These are easy to do, if a little time-consuming. I refrigerated my dough overnight, which made it much easier to work with the next day (it was too sticky right after making it). I used my fondue pot to melt the chocolate, which worked out nicely since I don't own the double-boiler that the recipe calls for. Trader Joe's was out of their mega-bars of milk chocolate, so I coated these in dark chocolate. I also toasted my pecans to give them a little bit of extra flavor.

Cookie Dough Truffles
Recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 lbs. chocolate, melted

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and add milk. Add chocolate morsels and pecans, mixing well. Chill dough at least 2 hours.

Shape chilled dough into 1-inch balls, placing them on waxed paper or a silicone baking mat. If the dough is sticky, dip your fingers in a little bit of flour.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler (or fondue pot!). Using 2 forks, dip the cookie balls into the chocolate to cover. Place on waxed paper and chill to set, at least one hour.

This makes about 5 dozen truffles, so make sure you clear out some room in your fridge!

Download printable recipe.

Christmas Cookie Madness

You can't even fathom the amount of cookies my mom and I baked yesterday. I was visiting my parents for the weekend, and mom enlisted my help in making cookies to give away as Christmas gifts. I think my mom just wanted to practice being an amazing cookie-baking grandma for my niece, Laura, who was born the morning after our baking fiesta. :)

Just how many cookies did we make? Well, mom has a double oven, which really increased our cookie-producing power. After about 7 hours and 15 sticks of butter (top that, Paula Deen!), we'd created eight different kinds of cookies.

For your Christmas cookie-making enjoyment, six of those recipes are included in this post:

    * Peanut Butter Blossoms
    * Cream Cheese Cookies
    * Chocolate Mint Cookies
    * Bethal Bars
    * Holiday Thumbprint Cookies
    * Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies

First up, Peanut Butter Blossoms (from hersheys.com). These are my favorite cookies of all time. It's very simple: they are peanut butter cookies. With a Hershey's kiss in them. No holiday cookie plate is complete without them. What else do you need to know?

Ingredients:
48 Hershey's Kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Download printable recipe.

My mom had a great recipe for these Cream Cheese Cookies. They're basically a sugar cookie, but the cream cheese gives them a hint of tanginess. They are light, flaky little cookies that make a great canvas for decorating any way you see fit... our batch was topped with a buttercream frosting and sprinkles.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


Directions:
1.Cream butter and gradually add sugar and cream cheese. Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour.

2. Make cookies with cookie press, or chill dough and roll out to use with cookie cutters.

3. Bake for 8-9 minutes at 375°F.

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies

Download printable recipe.

I tend to prefer cookies that have chocolate in them in some shape or form. I already made cookies with my favorite chocolate companion: peanut butter. So, I thought I'd go for my second favorite flavor combination with these Chocolate Mint Cookies (from Allrecipes.com). These rich, fudgy cookies are topped with an Andes mint immediately after coming out of the oven. Once the candy melts, you spread it around to make a minty frosting. Festive sprinkles encouraged.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 chocolate mint wafer candies (Andes)

Directions:
1. In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly. 

2. At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.

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

4. Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!

Makes a lot of frickin' cookies. At least 5 dozen... I stopped after 4 dozen and froze the rest of the dough.

Download printable recipe.

Bethal Bars are the next creation. I have no idea where the name comes from, but I can tell you that they are pretty much just like a Magic Cookie Bar, but with the addition of butterscotch chips. Yum. The coolest thing about these is that you don't even need a mixing bowl.... you assemble the whole thing in a baking pan (which is handy when you're making seven other kinds of cookies and have already used up every bowl in your kitchen).

Ingredients:
1/4 lb. of butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
6 oz. chocolate chips
6 oz. butterscotch chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped nuts (we used walnuts)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a 13x9 inch pan (you can do this in the oven, since it's on anyways). Add the graham cracker crumbs and distribute evenly across bottom of pan. Sprinkle on the coconut, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the top, then sprinkle on the nuts. Bake for 30 minutes; cool before cutting.

Makes about 25 bars.

Download printable recipe.

These Holiday Thumbprints were an elegant addition to the cookie spread.  The dough is coated in crushed pecans, and then the thumbprint hollows are filled with jam. We used raspberry jam for the filling, but use your favorite flavor (ok, maybe not grape..).

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. water
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
3 Tbs. jam of your choosing

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Combine butter, sugar, and egg yolks until light and fluffy. Add flour and beat at low speed until a soft dough forms.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites and water until foamy.

4. Form dough into 1-inch balls and dip into egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place each ball 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Indent the top of each with your thumb.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool for a minute, then indent again (with the back of a spoon this time-they're hot!). Spoon 1/4 tsp. of jam into each cookie, and cool on wire racks. Do not stack these cookies!


Makes about 3 dozen.

Download printable recipe.

The masterpieces of our cookie adventure were these Caramel-filled Chocolate Cookies (from Allrecipes.com). That name seemed much too simple and plain for these little treasures, and I now refer to them as "Million Dollar Cookies." There is just layer after layer of amazing-ness here. You have a decadent chocolate cookie with caramel filling. Topped with crushed pecans! Drizzled with white chocolate! Bliss.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
17 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans, divided
1 (13 ounce) package Rolo candies
4 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, melted


Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.

2. Shape a tablespoonful of dough around each candy, forming a ball. In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar and pecans; dip each cookie halfway. Place nut side up 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.

3. Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-10 minutes or until tops are slightly cracked. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Download printable recipe. 
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