Chocolate Raspberry Mini Desserts

Chocolate and raspberries are a favorite of mine.  I also love serving mini desserts.  I've combined a few recipes to come up with this relatively easy dessert. 

Chocolate Raspberry Mini Desserts

For the Mousse layer:
5 ounces chocolate, I used Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
dash of salt
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 Tablespoons hot water

For the Whipped cream layer:
 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (Knox)
4 teaspoons cold water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Raspberry layer:
Any good quality raspberry jam, can use seeded or seedless
Fresh raspberries

To make the mousse layer:

Mix the cocoa powder and hot water, let cool while making the mousse.

Melt the 5 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler then cool for 5 minutes.

Combine the whipping cream, sugar and salt and, using an electric mixer, mix about 30 seconds.  Turn mixer to high and mix until stiff peaks form.

Whisk the cocoa mixture into the melted chocolate until smooth.

Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, then add remaining whipped cream and fold until there are no white streaks.  Set the mousse aside.

To make the whipped cream layer:

Place cold water in small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it, let sit for 5 minutes.
Once gelatin is set, place bowl in microwave and heat about 10 seconds, until gelatin turns to liquid.
Combine heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer.
Begin beating cream mixture on high for about a minute, slowly pour the melted gelatin into the cream in a steady stream.
Continue beating the cream until you have medium stiff peaks.

To assemble:
Melt about 1/4 cup raspberry jam in the microwave. (You may need more).
Place a tablespoon or so in the bottom of your serving dish.
Ladle or pipe a portion of whipped cream on top of the jam and push 4-5 fresh raspberries into the cream.
Ladle or pipe a portion of the mousse mixture on top of the cream.
Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a raspberry.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.  These keep well, refrigerated, for several days.

You should get 4-6 desserts, depending on the size of your dessert dish.

Shortbread-Candied Ginger Cookies

 I love both shortbread and ginger.  This recipe is perfect to go along with tea or coffee.  They have just the right amount of sweetness and the ginger bits are delicious!  I'm a huge fan of using parchment paper to both roll out my cookies as well as bake on the parchment.  It just makes baking easier!  Enjoy.

Shortbread-Candied Ginger Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 275 F.

Beat softened butter until creamy, gradually adding the sugar, beat well then stir in vanilla.

Stir together the flour, ginger and salt and gradually add to the butter mixture.  Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.

Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper and place dough on the surface (dough will be quite soft).  Roll out to 1/4"thick (I use parchment on top, too).  Cut out with a square 2" cookie cutter, placing each cut side by side.  Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment.  Re-roll scraps. 

Bake for 40 minutes until lightly browned on bottom.  Cool on cookie rack.  You should refrigerate 2nd batch until ready to bake. 
Makes 2 - 2 1/2 dozen cookies.  They freeze well.

Apple Noodle Salad

So got inspired to use my spiralizer for a salad of a different kind after my daughter Jessica said she really wasn't into lettuce these days, just didn't have the palate for them. One of my favorite snacks is an apple with peanut butter and other toppings, I thought why not a salad..... so here it is

1 apple spiraled

1 tbsp peanut butter

juice of half a lime

water to thin out the peanut butter and lime juice

unsweetened flaked coconut

chopped nuts

chopped dark chocolate
a few dried cranberries

 just mix the lime juice and peanut butter together and thin to make pourable,,, assemble salad and enjoy :)
I happened to have lime juice on hand, you could mix the peanut butter with apple juice, lemon juice, or just water. 

Rose Gold & Ellen Gold Maine's Brown Sugar Spritz Cookies

Brown Sugar Spritz Cookies

My sister-in-law, Ellen and her Mom, Rose have made these cookies since Ellen was a child.  She and I made them last year while she and my brother Tom were visiting in Florida.  This year, El brought them along when she and Tom came for their annual visit, hooray!  They are delicious with tea or coffee, some of us have even been known to have them for breakfast!  Enjoy.

2 cups brown sugar
1 pound Crisco
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
4 - 4 3/4 cups of flour (amount varies with climate!)

Mix first 6 ingredients until well blended.  Add in flour until dough ball pulls away from sides of bowl (or it doesn't stick to your fingers).

Use cookie press to distribute cookies evenly on un-greased cookie sheet.

Bake cookies at 350 degrees until golden brown.  Makes:  12 dozen

WINTRY WHITE CAKE

This recipe came from Southern Living December 2012...I made it for Christmas Dinner Dessert....it turned out really good...nice and moist and has lasted several days since the first cutting.  Next year I would like to try a fondant decoration as shown in the magazine..this year edible silver sprinkles and light blue sugar were the decorations...thanks to my sister Janet who supplied me with those!  Enjoy!

Mrs Billett's White Cake

Makes 10-12 Servings;  Hands on Time: 40 mins;  Total Time:  2 hrs (including frosting)

Use a heavy-duty electric stand mixer for best results.  Also, lining the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper ensures that the layers come out of the pans with ease.

Parchment paper

1 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 cups cake flour

1 TBsp baking powder

5 egg whites

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 3 (8-in) round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper, grease and flour parchment paper; tamp.

2.  Stir together milk and vanilla.

3.  Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light & fluffy  Sift together flour and baking powder; add to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning ending with flour mixture.  Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.

 4.  Beat egg whites at medium speed until stiff peaks form; gently fold into batter.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans to wire rack; discard parchment paper.  Cool completely (about 40 minutes)  I cooled, left the parchment paper on the cake and froze the cakes so I could frost at a different time.

6.  When frosting, spread vanilla butter cream frosting between layers (about 1 cup per layer) and on top and sides of cake. 

VANILLA BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

Makes 4 1/2 cups;  Hands-on time:  10 min; Total Time:  10 min.

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 tsp salt

1 (32 oz) package powdered sugar (I sifted the whole pkg and used that)

6-7 TBSP milk

1 TBSP vanilla extract

Beat butter & salt at medium speed with an electric mixer 1-2 minutes or until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 6 TBsp milk, beating at low seed until blended and smooth after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  If desired, beat in remaining 1 TBsp milt, 1 tsp at a time, until frosting reaches desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free!)

This cake was my first attempt to bake something that is gluten free. It turned out beautifully and I've make it many times since that initial attempt. It is like eating chocolate velvet! You'll love it whether you're gluten free or not. Slice a small piece, it's very rich. I found it on the allrecipes website, one of my favorites.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
18 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% chips)
1 cup unsalted butter
6 eggs

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease one 10 inch round cake or springform pan. Set aside.

In saucepan over medium heat combine water, salt & sugar. Stir until completely dissolved & set aside. In double boiler, melt bittersweet chocolate & pour into the bowl of an electric mixer.
Cut the butter in pieces & beat into the chocolate, a piece at a time. Beat in the hot sugar-water. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Pour batter into the pan. Use a large roasting pan, place the cake pan into the roaster & then fill the roaster with boiling water halfway up the side of the cake pan.
Bake the cake in the water bath for 45 minutes. The center will still look wet. Chill the cake overnight in the pan. To unmold, release the springform or, if using a regular pan, dip the bottom of the cake pan in hot water for a few seconds & then invert onto a serving plate. I've made smaller cakes by dividing the batter into several pans & then baking for a shorter period of time. Enjoy!

Apple Cake

September is the beginning of apple season and this apple cake is a great way to utilize some of that bounty! This recipe was given to me many years ago and it's definitely a keeper! It's moist, keeps well and is perfect for a snack or as a dessert.

2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups oil
3 cups flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups peeled/diced cooking apples
1 cup walnuts

Mix sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Set aside 1/2 cup of the flour. Mix rest of flour with baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to sugar mixture; mix well. Combine apples & nuts with remaining 1/2 cup of flour & add to batter.

Pour into greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour & 20-30 minutes. This cake freezes well.

Mexican Wedding Cakes & Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes

Boy, does time fly! Here it is the end of the month & I haven't posted yet! Here goes: another 2-fer! We hosted a Mexican themed gathering this month and the food (and drinks) were outstanding! I'm posting 2 desserts: Mexican Wedding Cakes, an old favorite and Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes with Cinnamon buttercream frosting. I made the wedding cakes & my friend, Judy made the cupcakes. My daughter, Carrie found the original cupcake recipe (very vegan friendly) and Judy modified it to what she had in her cupboard!

Mexican Wedding Cakes:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Confectioner's sugar

Cream sugar, butter; add flour, vanilla, pecans. Roll in small balls. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven, roll in confectioner's sugar while still warm.

Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes:

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups water
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons white vinegar

In large bowl, mox flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon & cayenne pepper. Add the oil, water, vanilla & vinegar to the dry ingredients & stir. Don't over mix, a few clumps are fine. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Makes 24 regular sized cupcakes. Cool then frost.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (approx) of heavy cream

In a medium bowl, mix the cinnamon & powdered sugar. Add the butter, vanilla & cream, beating until fluffy & the consistency you like. Pipe onto cupcakes.

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Puree

I've had this mousse recipe for years, it's smooth, creamy and just right for special occasions!

2 cups whipping cream, divided
8 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 package frozen raspberries (10-12 ounces), thawed
sugar (to taste)
1-2 tsp. lemon juice

Line a 9x5 inch loafpan (or 3 mini loafpans) with plastic wrap, extending edges of plastic wrap over the sides of the pan; set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup whipping cream, chocolate chips, corn syrup, & butter in a saucepan; cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until chocolate melts. Cool to room temperature.

Beat 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, confectioner's sugar & vanilla at high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form; fold into the cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan(s) and chill at least 8 hours.

Process thawed raspberries in a blender until smooth, add lemon juice & sugar. Strain mixture to remove seeds, place in saucepan & cook down.

Invert mousse onto a serving platter & remove plastic wrap. Slice & serve with raspberry puree. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired.

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake

This cupcake was from Cooks Illustrated magaine. I made this for Janet and Nancy who retired in June. It has a ganache filling dropped into it just before baking and the frosting tastes like french silk pie. It was the May June issue if anyone is interested in making these. They were very good .

Mom's "Good" Sugar Cookies

My sister, Bonnie, and I were discussing our sugar cookie recipe the other day & I commented that mine was called Mom's "Good" sugar cookies. She said hers was called the same thing. We wondered if this was opposed to our Mom's "lousy" sugar cookie recipe! When we asked Mom, she said she labeled it "Good" because it WAS good as opposed to the other recipes she'd tried that weren't so good! Bonnie has made this one with all butter and used 2 tsp. orange extract and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. She said they were a bit richer tasting than the original and that the orange extract added a "brightness" to the cookie. I'm sticking with it made my way! Either is great! The frosting is a wonderful buttercream, great on cakes and cupcakes as well as cookies. I keep leftover frosting in the refrigerator, it keeps well.

Cookie Dough:

1 cup shortening

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon milk

Cream the above & add:

3 - 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Mix well. Pat into a ball & chill at least an hour. Roll out & cut with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet & bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Cool & frost. Makes about 4-5 dozen, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.

Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks butter, softened

4 cups confectioner's sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon milk

pinch of salt

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, milk & salt in electric mixer until moistened. Increase speed & beat until creamy & fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes; scrape bow a few times. Frost & decorate cookies as desired.