Tag Archives: dessert

Labor Day Treats: Smore’s Chocolate Delight

5 Sep

Recently I came across a really neat show on Hulu called Kid in A Candy Store.  After watching Episode 2, I was inspired to make my own Smore’s creation (though my husband told me whatever I did I couldn’t have a blow torch; you just got to watch the show).

So this past weekend I tried out a recipe that included graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows – all the things that make a great Smore.

My first taste of it was yummy but I felt I hadn’t quite captured the “Smore” taste.  However, my taste testers (Chasity, Tracy, Mariah, Amy, Sarah, Vikki and Ben) all seemed to like it though.  And while I didn’t feel I had quite captured the “Smore” taste, Ben, who is 4, commented upon tasting it (without being told its inspiration) that it was like a Smore and then proceeded to explain what was in a Smore.  So I am hoping that if our 4 year old connoisseur can appreciate this little treat others will as well.

I am calling them Smore’s Chocolate Delight because of the chocolate muffin and because today I created another Smore’s dessert which with both its taste and whimsical look captures the traditional Smore a bit more (which shall be revealed tomorrow on Tasty Tuesdays).

So without further ado …

To make this recipe I combined the crust (with a minor change) from the cheesecake recipe from my favorite cookbook and this chocolate cupcake recipe from JoyofBaking.com.

This recipe made 6 jumbo muffins and 6 regular size muffins which I simply melted some semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter, poured over cupcakes and topped with marshmallow and graham cracker crumble for the kids to enjoy today while the adults mashed down on the yummilicous mega muffins.

Graham Cracker Crust Bottom Ingredients

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (approximately 1 package of graham crackers from a box)
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Chocolate Cupcake
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
Marshmallow Filling
  • 1 cup marshmallows (approximate)
  • 1 tbsp butter (approximate)
Kitchen Tools
  • 3 mixing bowls
  • Mixer
  • 2 Wooden or Plastic Spoon
  • Muffin pan
  • Baking/cooking spray
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Small Saucepan

Baking Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Grease muffin pan lightly.  (I like to make jumbo muffins so this is what I used.)
  3. Crush graham crackers.
  4. Add sugar and cinnamon and mix.
  5. Add in butter and stir until mutter and graham crackers are mixed well.
  6. Pour about 2/3 of mix into muffin pans.  Use your fingers to make sure the crust is pushed evenly down and has about the same thickness all around.  As you push down onto the bottom of each muffin pan a little will move up the sides.  This is okay.
  7. Place in oven and cook for 3-4 minutes.  This helps set the bottoms.
  8. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl.
  9. In another bowl, cut up butter (butter should ideally be at room temperature, but you can put butter in microwave for 20-25 seconds to soften) and sugar.  Blend until light and fluffy.
  10. Add in 1 egg at a time and then vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Do not over-beat.
  11. Add in the flour mixture until flour is mixed in.  Do not over-beat.
  12. Heat 1 cup of water till just starting to boil.
  13. Add in cocoa.  Stir until smooth and remove from heat.
  14. Add into  dough mixture.  You can use mixer but recommended  method is to stir with wooden or plastic spoon.
  15. Pour into muffin pans evenly.  Fill muffins pans about 2/3 full.
  16. Bake for 15-18 minutes.  Check by inserting toothpick into middle of muffin; when it is done the toothpick will come out clean.
  17. Cool for 5 minutes (ideally on wire rack).
  18. Using knife, gently insert along side of muffin and remove and let cool for 2-3 minutes longer.
  19. Once cool, cut out center using serrated knife.  You only go about halfway down the muffin.
  20. While the muffins are cooling, melt about 1 cup of marshmallows and bout 1 tbsp of butter.  Stir continiously until all the marshmallows are melted.
  21. Using spoon, spoon marshmallow into muffin holes.  Drizzle a little on top of muffin.
  22. Crumble the extra muffin that was cut out over the top of each muffin.
  23. Use the left over graham cracker crumble and sprinkle all over top of muffins.
  24. Enjoy!

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Catering Around Town: Momma’s Bread Pudding

31 Aug

Last Friday I got the chance to “cater” my first event.  I volunteered to fix all of the desserts for my church campus’ Children’s Ministry Volunteer Appreciation Night.  I was pretty proud of myself.  I spent approximately $140 and fed approximately 100 people.  I do believe the treats were quite yummy.

I thought I’d share some of the treats that I made.  Per the little poll I did, it was a toss-up between the Banana Nut Crunch Muffins and Momma’s Bread Pudding.

So I got to pick and here it is …

Momma’s Bread Pudding

 

I had never made bread pudding before, but a few years ago my momma was missing her momma.  Grandma used to make bread pudding so I decided to give my try at it.  I searched the internet and checked out the recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks.  Using their recipe as a base I made a couple changes as I got inspired by the way different recipes on the internet added fruit.

I chose peaches as my fruit as it is my momma’s favorite fruit.  And I use a Vanilla Sauce which came about because I did not have the ingredients required for the Caramel or Bourbon Sauce that was recommended and had already put the pudding into bake.  I’ve found using the Vanilla Sauce makes the bread pudding a little different and get lots of compliments on it.

Bread Pudding Ingredients

  • 4 beaten eggs
  • 2 1/4 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups dry bread (french or italian or sourdough bread, 6 to 7 slices or 2 medium loaves)
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 4-6 fresh peaches or 2 cans of peaches (no sugar added) or 1 bag of frozen peaches (listed in order of how I would choose)
Sauce Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Dash of salt
Kitchen Tool
  • 13x9x2 pan
  • 1 sauce pans (1 small/1 medium)
  • large wooden or plastic spoon
  • large mixing bowl
  • whisk or large knife
  • pairing knife if using fresh peaches
  • knife if using fresh peaches
Baking Directions
  1. The night before (or morning of) break up/tear up the bread into small pieces and place in 13x9x2.  The goal is to let the bread get a little stale/hard.  (You do not have to do this and the harder the type of bread you choose the less time you need to “air out” the bread.  However, you will be putting peaches with juices and sauce over the bread so letting the bread get a little stale helps prevents an overly soggy bread pudding.)
  2. Leave out over night unwrapped or leave unwrapped for most of the day.
  3. If using frozen peaches, set out to thaw.  (They do not have to be completely thawed out but should be close.)
  4. If using fresh peaches, peel skins off and cut into slices.  You can also dice, but I like the slice look and getting a full slice when I serve/eat it.
  5. If using canned peaches, drain both cans.  You want to get 90% of the juice out; a little juice left is okay and encouraged.
  6. In large mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
  7. Pour peaches over bread and mix up.
  8. Pour raisins evenly over peach/bread mixture.
  9. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread/peach/raisin mixture.
  10. Using the top of a large spoon, press the mixture down lightly.
  11. Bake, uncovered, in oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
  12. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center bread comes out clean.
  13. Cool.  (How long you let cool is up to you.  It tastes best served warm.)
**Sauce Directions
  1. Boil 1 cup water in small saucepan.
  2. While water is warming up, mix cornstarch and sugar in medium saucepan.
  3. Slowly add water.
  4. Cook over medium heat until sugar-water starts to come to a gentle boil
  5. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sauce should start to thicken up.
  6. Remove from heat and add in butter, vanilla, and salt.  Mix well.
  7. Pour over cooled/warm bread pudding.  Be sure to pour evenly.
  8. Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

I have to say that I have never been a big fan of bread pudding.  But even I enjoy this little treat.

And since it was made for my Momma and with her in mind, I call it Momma’s Bread Pudding.

Here is Momma and her two granddaughters, just a few years apart.  lol :)

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Tasty Tuesdays: Bango Muffins

24 Aug

I’m so excited to be posting my very first post.  The writer in me wants to give you some great paragraph full of witty, creative sentences that inspire you to go out and create deliciousness.  But I’m so excited about my first post and my first step to someday owning my own baking business that I’m going to just dive on in and give you this amazing recipe for my Bango Muffins (plus I figure you can go read my About page if you are looking for some deep, spiritual pining about food and baking) :)

I got brave and created these after baking a few muffins following different recipes and looking over a few different recipes in my cookbooks and online. This is what I have created with their guidance and some of my own originality.

Muffin Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cup of flower
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1 1/3 cup mango pureed
  • 1 med-large banana pureed
Topping Ingredients 
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp cold butter, divided
  • 1/4 macadamia nuts
  • Shredded Coconut
Kitchen Tools
  • Three bowls
  • 1 Wooden Spoon
  • Pastry Blender
  • Muffin Pan
  • Butter or Baking Spray or Paper Muffin Cups
Baking Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease muffin pan or line pan with muffin cups and set aside.
  3. Mix dry ingredients (first 5 ingredients) in bowl.
  4. Make well/hole in center of flour mixture and set aside.
  5. Break eggs in bowl and beat lightly.
  6. Add in milk, oil, lime juice and pureed mango and banana.  Mix together.
  7. Pour egg mixture into center of flour mixture all at once.
  8. Stir with wooden spoon until moistened.  Be sure to not over beat/mix.
  9. Spoon into prepared muffin pan or cups.
  10. Add Muffin Topping** evenly on top of batter.
  11. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
  12. Place on wire rack for 5 minutes to cool.
  13. Take out of wire rack and cool for 2-3 more minutes.
**Muffin Topping Directions
  1. Mix all dry ingredients (not nuts).
  2. Cut butter into small slices.
  3. Using pastry blender, cut into mixture until it looks like little crumbles.
  4. Add in nuts and mix some more using pastry blender.
  5. You can add coconut now or wait and add after they come out of the oven while they are still warm which is what I did.
Makes 6 Jumbo Muffins or 12 Regular Muffins
I got to share these with some pretty cool people today.  But the coolest person of all (who I thought might just like these with me) was my dad who was celebrating his 71st birthday today.
Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Shout Outs to:  www.allrecipes.com and this amazing cookbook 

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