Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

     1      package Oreos

            stick  (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (melted)

For the Peanut Butter Filling

1 block of regular cream cheese (8 ounces, softened)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 heaping cup of creamy peanut butter

1 tub of cool whip (8 ounce tub)

For the topping

chocolate syrup

caramel syrup

Instructions

You can either prepare this pie in a 9 inch pie dish or a 9 inch spring-form pan. If using a pie dish spray the bottom of the dish lightly with some cooking spray and set aside. If using a 9 inch spring-form pan, you can either spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray or you can cut a circle cut out of parchment paper and line the bottom on the spring-form pan with that so when it's time to serve you can easily transfer the whole pie to a serving plate.To make the crust, pulse cookies (use the entire package) in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Place the cookie crumbs in a medium sized bowl and melt the butter in the microwave. Pour melted butter over the cookie crumbs and mix together until all the crumbs are evenly coated and moist. Pour crumbs into the bottom of the pie dish of spring-form pan and press them down with the back of a spoon forming a crust. Make sure the crust is even, smooth and packed tightly. In a large bowl combine cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix with an electric mixer on low speed for about a minute and then work your way up to medium speed. Add in the vanilla extract and peanut butter. Continue mixing. You may have to stop and scrap down the sides of the bowl. Slowly add in the cool whip and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. Mixture will be fluffy, thick and resemble a pale peanut butter color. Pour peanut butter mixture into the pie dish and smooth it out over the pie crust. Chill pie for at least one hour before serving.

                                                                           Enjoy it!

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Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

1 cup self raising flour
⅓ cup castor sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
 ½ cup milk
 40g butter, melted
 1 free range egg, lightly beaten
 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla essence
  1 cup brown sugar
 2 tablespoons cocoa (extra)

 1 cup boiling water
  Cream, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180˚C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 4 cup ovenproof dish. Sift flour, sugar and cocoa into a mixing bowl. Combine milk, butter, egg and vanilla in a jug and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined. Pour into the prepared ovenproof dish. Combine brown sugar, extra cocoa and boiling water into another jug, mix well. Gently pour the sauce mixture into dish and bake for 20-25. Serve warm with cream.

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Cinnamon Puff Pastry

Ingredients

1 8 1/2-oz sheet puff pastry dough
3 tbsp softened butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 oz chocolate candy coating
Crushed nuts for decorating,optional

Instruction

You need to start with puff pastry dough that is thawed but still cool, so take it out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you’re going to need it. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust your work surface with flour, then roll out the sheet of puff pastry until it is about 14 inches long by 10 inches tall. Cut the sheet in half lengthwise, so you’re left with two long rectangles. Spread the butter on one half of the pastry. Mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon, and sprinkle it generously on the buttered dough. Spread the chocolate chips evenly on top of the cinnamon. Brush the second pastry half with the beaten egg. Carefully lift the dough and place it, egg side down, on top of the chocolate chips. Press along the edges, then lightly run a rolling pin on top of the dough to seal them together. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough crosswise into 24 strips that are each about 1/2-inch wide. Gently twist the strips several times, then set them on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Press the ends down so they stay flat on the sheet. Repeat until all of the dough is formed into twists. Brush the twists with the beaten egg, and sprinkle them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until they’re puffed and golden brown throughout. Rotate the trays halfway through baking so they bake evenly. Let the twists cool completely at room temperature. Melt the chocolate candy coating, then dip each end in the coating. If you want to add chopped nuts, sprinkle them on top of the coating while it’s still wet. 

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Chocolate Rum Swiss Roll Cake

INGREDIENTS

For cake

• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pan
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for pan
• Pinch of salt
• 3 large whole eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled completely

For filling

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons light rum
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

For decorating

• Unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare oven and baking sheet: Heat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in bottom half. Coat a 12 1/2-by-17 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray. Dust with cocoa powder and tap out excess.
2. Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together cocoa powder, flour, and salt in a bowl.
3. Combine eggs and sugar: Bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over (not in) simmering water, whisk eggs, yolks, and granulated sugar until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Raise speed to high; beat until mixture is pale and thick, about 4 minutes more.
4. Add dry ingredients: Sift cocoa mixture over egg mixture; using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold. When almost incorporated, pour melted butter down side of bowl; gently fold to combine.
5. Bake: Using an offset spatula, spread batter evenly into prepared sheet. Bake cake until golden brown and springy to the touch, 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, dust a clean kitchen towel with cocoa powder. Run a knife around sides of cake. Invert onto prepared towel, and remove parchment.
6. Roll into log and cool: While the sheet cake is still warm, gently roll, starting from one short side, into a log, incorporating the kitchen towel. Let the cake cool completely, rolled. (This will give the cake a "shape memory," so it will be easier to roll again with filling.)
7. Meanwhile, make rum syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add rum, then let cool completely.
8. Fill cake and reroll: Unroll cake. Brush entire surface generously with cooled rum syrup. Whip cream and remaining tablespoon sugar until soft peaks form; spread over cake leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Roll cake to enclose filling (without towel), starting at a short end. Wrap the towel around rolled cake, securing with clips or clothespins to help retain the shape.
9. Chill and serve: Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours). Dust with cocoa powder, cut into slices with a serrated knife, and serve.

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Coffee Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

Ingredients:

Streusel
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Cake
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugr
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream

Brown butter glaze
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk, if needed
pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10-inch bundt cake pan and set aside. Butter and flour is key. Don't use cooking spray.

Streusel
Whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, cocoa and salt. Add the butter pieces and using your hands, mix together the flour and butter until the flour is incorporated and in tiny pieces. It's okay if the mixture looks like sand.

Cake
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, then add the sugar and beat for 4 to 5 minutes on medium speed until fluffy, scraping down the sides if needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well for a minute or so after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat well. Beat in the sour cream, again scraping down the sides if needed.

Gradually add the dry ingredients with the mix on low speed. But until they are just incorporated. Spoon half of the batter into the greased bundt pan, then sprinkle with two thirds of the streusel. Add the remaining batter on top then finish off with the remaining streusel and swirl it into the batter with a knife. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. My cake needed the full 55 and it was perfect. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Invert the pan on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool completely. Don't attempt to move it or it will break apart.

Brown butter glaze
Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the butter begins to bubble and as soon as brown bits start to appear in the bottom of the pan, remove it from the heat. This will take about 5 minutes. Add the brown butter to a bowl and whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract. If the mixture is too thick to drizzle, whisk in the milk if needed. Pour over the cake once it has cooled and serve!

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Bourbon Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 8 eggs, separated
• 3 cups sugar, divided
• 2 cups butter, softened (4 sticks)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• powdered sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan and sprinkle chopped pecans in pan.

Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add 1 cup of sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form (about 2-4 minutes). Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Slowly add remaining 2 cups of sugar. Continue beating at medium speed for 5 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until yellow disappears.

Add flour to butter mixture alternating with bourbon, beginning and ending with flour. Mix at low speed just until blended after each addition of flour. Stir in vanilla and almond extract.

Fold egg white mixture to batter. Spoon mixture into prepared bundt pan.

Bake 60-70 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

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French Crullers

Ingredients

For the French Crullers

1. 1 cup water
2. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3. 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
5. 1 cup all-purpose flour
6. 3 large eggs
7. 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
8. canola oil for frying

For the Glaze

1. 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3. 2-3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1.  In a saucepan, stir together water, butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a rapid boil and stir in all of the flour. Continue cooking over medium-high heat and keep stirring. Mixture will be ready once a thin film starts to form over the bottom of the pan. The longer you can cook the mixture, the lighter your crullers will be. Just be careful not to burn the dough.
2. Transfer the dough to the bowl of your electric mixer and with the paddle attachment, stir it for a minute or two. Add first egg and stir until completely incorporated. Repeat with second and third egg. Finally, stir in egg whites and mix to combine. Dough should be smooth and glossy.
3. Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan until it reaches 370 degrees F or preheat your oven to 450 degrees F (if baking). Cut out 12 parchment paper squares (about 3x3 inches) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
4. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with the dough. Pipe a ring of dough onto each individual square or onto the lined baking sheet.
5. For those that are baking these crullers, place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 15 minutes or until crullers are golden. Turn off heat, open the oven door and let crullers sit for 5 minutes before removing and glazing. For those that are frying these, line a plate with paper towels and place next to the saucepan containing the oil. Place one or two crullers at a time into the oil, paper side up. Remove parchment paper from the hot oil using kitchen tongs. Fry crullers two minute per side, remove from the oil and place onto prepared paper towel-lined plate to get rid of excess oil. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool. Repeat with remaining crullers.
6. While the crullers are cooling, prepare the glaze. Combine all of the ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Drizzle glaze over crullers while still slightly warm.
   
      Enjoy!

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Sangria Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

         1 & 1/2 cups flour

         1 tsp baking powder

         1/2 tsp baking soda

        1/4 tsp salt

       3/4 cup sugar

       2 eggs

       1 stick butter, melted

         1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla

         1/2 cup sour cream

        1/2 cup chopped strawberries

         zest of 1 orange

         1/4 cup blueberries or diced apples

To top the cupcakes

           Orange slices, strawberry slices and blueberries.

Buttercream

        1 stick butter, room temperature

        1/2 cup vegetable shortening

        2-2.5 cups powdered sugar

      1/2 tsp vanilla

    2 cups red wine 

   1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Whisk and set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and sour cream until combined.

Slowly add half of the flour mixture to the liquid, stirring to combine. Repeat with the rest of the flour mixture. Add in the chopped strawberries, orange zest, and blueberries or chopped apples. Stir to mix.

Divide the batter among a muffin pan lined with muffin liners, fill the muffin cups to be about a little more than 1/2 full.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Red Wine Syrup

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the red wine and sugar to a boil. Once the wine starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, you still want to see the wine boiling, just not a rigorous boil. Allow the wine to thicken and reduce, about 20-30 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool at remove temperature. This is where the wine will begin to thicken. Once the wine has cooled to room temperature, you can place the saucepan in the fridge to help speed on the cooling process.

Buttercream

In a mixing bowl, combine the room temperature butter and shortening, beat using an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Add 1/4 cup of the red wine syrup and mix. You can add more later, but you do not let the buttercream to become too wet.

Begin to add in the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Slowly beat the mixture until the powered sugar is incorporated. Continue this process, adding enough powdered sugar to make sure the frosting isn't too wet. You can add more red wine syrup at this time if you’d like the flavor to be stronger. You may have to add more powdered sugar too.

Transfer a portion of the frosting to a large ziploc bag or piping bag fit with a piping tip. Push or squeeze the frosting down, getting rid of any air pockets. If using a ziploc bag, cut half one corner, making a hole between the size of a dime and a penny.

Begin to pipe the frosting onto a cupcake, starting with the outside edge and working your way into the center of the cupcake, progressively stacking the frosting as you go around in circles.

Top each cupcake with a small orange slice, strawberry slice and one blueberry.

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Pickled Onions

Ingredients
1 firm red onion, about 5 ounces
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup rice vinegar, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Flavorings (optional):
1 small clove of garlic, halved
5 black peppercorns
5 allspice berries
3 small springs of thyme
1 small dried chili

Instructions

Slice the onions.Start 2 or 3 cups of water on to boil in a kettle.  Peel and thinly slice the onion into approximately 1/4" moons.  Peel and cut the garlic clove in half. Dissolve the sugar and salt: In the container you will be using to store the onions, add the sugar, salt, vinegar and flavorings.  Stir to dissolve. Place the onions in the sieve and place the sieve in the sink.  Slowly pour the boiling water over the onions and let them drain. Add the onions to the jar: Add the onions to the jar and stir gently to evenly distribute the flavorings.The onions will be ready in about 30 minutes, but are better after a few hours.  Store in the refrigerator.  They will keep for several weeks but are best in the first week.

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Blackberries Sangria

INGREDIENTS

(makes 6 small snow cones)

1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup pomegranate juice

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
10 blackberries (more for garnishing)

2 cinnamon sticks (more for garnishing)
2 cups  Dark Wine

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot, combine the sugar and water and heat on low until melted.

Add in the pomegranate juice, orange juice blackberries and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a slight boil, then simmer on low for 15 mins. Let all of the ingredients infuse together until the blackberries lose their color.

Remove the blackberries, pour in the wine and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Remove the cinnamon sticks.

Pour into a deep container, such as a metal loaf pan.

Freeze overnight.

Use a fork to shave the sangria.

Serve in a snow cone cup with a blackberry and cinnamon stick.

                                                                    Enjoy it!

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Cinnamon Bread

Ingredients

Dough

3/4 cup whole milk

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 tbs granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-4 tbs cream

Instructions

Heat milk until it reaches 105 degrees either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Stir in yeast packet and sugar and let it sit until the top becomes thick and frothy, about 3 minutes. Pour mixture into bowl of stand mixer and add melted butter, beaten egg and salt. Mix until combined. Add half of the flour and mix on low speed. Once combined, add the rest 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is sticky but workable and doesn't get stuck on your hands. Once dough is together, knead for another 5 minutes on low speed.

Work dough with your hands to form a ball. Grease a large bowl, or use the same bowl, and place dough in. Cover and set dough in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. I like to turn my oven on to 200 degrees, turn it off and place the bowl in there.

Once doubled in size, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle shape. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Brush on melted butter and cover in cinnamon sugar mixture. Cut dough length-wise into 5 long strips. Stack them on top of each other. Cut 6-7 sections across your stacks.

Grease a 9x5" loaf pan and loosely stagger your stacks in the pan. If they aren't snug to the edges of the pan, don't worry about it. It will bake up fine. If there is extra cinnamon sugar that spilled off while transferring the stacks into the pan, don't waste it! Sprinkle it on top of the dough in the pan. Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 45 minutes to an hour until it doubles again in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 22-27 minutes or until very lightly browned on top. Remove from oven, run a knife around the edges and allow to cool in pan for 20 minutes. During this time, whisk glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside (add more cream/milk for desired consistency). Flip pan over and very carefully remove loaf and set on a large plate or platter. Drizzle glaze on top and serve!

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Strawberry Nutella Tart

  INGREDIENTS

       1 puff pastry, thawed

         8-10 strawberries, thinly sliced

         8 tablespoons Nutella

       powder sugar, to sprinkle (optional)

INSTRUCTION

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Roll the thawed puff pastry using your rolling pin till it's nice and thin. Prick all over using a fork so that it doesn't puff up too much during baking. Cut it into 4 equal rectangles and put them on parchment lined baking sheet. Place 2 tablespoons of Nutella in the center of each rectangle, leaving space on the edges. Spread strawberries over the Nutella and bake until edges of pastry are puffed and golden brown, around 15 minutes. Dust with powder sugar (optional) and enjoy this easy strawberry Nutella tart!

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Chocolate Croissant

Ingredients

·      2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

·      3/4 cup lukewarm milk

·      1 envelope (7 grams) active dry yeast

·      1 teaspoon salt

·      1/4 cup (45 grams) butter, melted and cooled

·      1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar

·      1 pound (450 grams) baking chocolate, chopped

·      1/2 cup butter, room temperature

·      1 egg, lightly beaten (optional, to brush the croissants for a shiny crust)

·      2 oz (55 grams) chocolate, melted (optional to drizzle over the croissants once baked)

 Instructions

In a mixing bowl, add the flour. Make a well in the middle and pour the lukewarm milk. Sprinkle the dry yeast over the milk, give it a little stir with a fork and let the yeast proof. Soon bubbles will appear and the yeast will foam and double in size.

Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook. Turn it on to the lower speed.

Add the melted butter, sugar and with the dough hook on, knead the dough until it cleans itself from the sides of the bowl.

Place the dough in a buttered dish, cover with a tea towel or a plastic wrap and let sit until doubled in size. This should take about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 (almost) equal pieces.

I found the dough works best if it’s chilled, so place the pieces of dough in the fridge and cover them loosely. Take out only one piece at a time.

Fit your pasta sheet roller to the stand mixer and set it to #1 setting. Flatten one piece of dough, flour it lightly and shape it into a rectangle.

Turn on the mixer to the lowest speed. Pass the dough through the pasta sheet roller. Flour and fold the dough in half. Pass it again through the pasta attachment, still on setting #1. For best results, fold the dough and pass it through the pasta attachment for a total of 2 times. Change the setting to your pasta roller to #2. Pass the dough sheet 2 times through it.

 Change the pasta roller setting to #3. Pass the dough sheet 1 time.

If needed lightly flour the pastry sheet.

Change the pasta roller setting to #4. Pass the pastry sheet 1 time.

Do the same with setting #5, #6 and for the flakiest croissants #7 and #8.

Lightly flour the pastry sheet if needed as you thin it out.

Once the pastry sheet is rolled out, brush it with softened butter. For me it was easier to spread a thin layer of butter using a small spatula vs using a pastry brush.

Place chopped chocolate at one end, and with your fingers roll the pastry sheet. Place the rolled chocolate croissant in the fridge, on a baking sheet until all croissants are done.

At this point, you can place the croissants in the freezer and take them out when needed (make sure they are in a freezer safe bag or container) or, you can bake them all at once like I did.

Take the rolled croissants out of the fridge and leave them at room temperature for a couple of hours until almost double in size. Like I said, I have made this recipe 3 times so far and noticed that if I let them rise in the afternoon, it takes about 3 to 4 hours.

Alternately, you can leave the croissants rest overnight on the counter. At night, my kitchen is not as hot as in the afternoon, so the croissants needed 7 to 8 hours to double in size.

It’s totally up to you and how pressed you’re with time. If you have frozen croissants, you may have to leave them longer to rest on the counter, maybe 9-10 hours.

Just before baking, brush the croissants with a beaten egg. This step is optional, but I love the shiny brown crust it gives to the croissants.

Heat the oven to 400F. Bake the croissants in the hot oven for about 25 minutes or until brown (at golden brown the croissants are not fully baked).

Drizzle some melted chocolate over the warm croissants and serve warm, preferably.

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