Sawmill Toffee

Today there is a cool breeze outside and the temperature is much cooler than what Texas normally has in August. Even though the temperature may switch back to 100 degrees and hotter in a few days, the thoughts of autumn and winter are on my mind.

Pumpkin, gingerbread and spices are definitely the foods for the cooler weather. Along with that are the special holiday treats that only seem to appear once a year. One of those treats is homemade fudge. My mother used to make fudge around the Christmas holidays. I recall my sister and I having to take turns to beat the fudge until it reaches the correct consistency. At the time, it seemed like it took an eternity for it to get to that point-especially when both of us were ready to eat when we were recruited for the task!

Unlike many fudge recipes, this one is quick and easy. You will not have to experience the task of "beating until it reaches the correct consistency". Instead, butter is creamed with sugar and the rest is simply mixed in.

Needless to say, the name of this recipe is very misleading. It should be named fudge instead of toffee. When served from a frozen state, it has that same silky texture that we expect when indulging in a piece of fudge. In addition, each piece has an occasional crunch from the pecans. Also, when flipped out of the pan, you have a thick dusting of graham cracker crumbs on top. Like most fudge, each bite packs in the big flavor we all love- rich, sweet chocolate.

Sawmill Toffee
adapted from Bon Appetit-Favorite Restaurant Recipes

Ingredients
2-3 tbs butter (melted)
3 eggs
1 tbs orange liqueur
8 oz unsweetened chocolate (melted/cooled)
1 1/4 cups or 2 1/2 sticks butter (room temp)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 lb powdered sugar
Whipped cream (optional for serving)

Start by preparing a 10X15X1 inch pan by buttering the interior. Then take out a bowl and whisk together the melted butter and the graham cracker crumbs. Once all the crumbs have been damped by the butter, empty contents into pan. Press the mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan, using the back of a spoon or small spatula. Cover pan with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to cool for at least an hour.

Take out another bowl and fill with only 1 cup or 2 sticks of butter (kept at room temperature). Beat the butter until it is smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. This should take about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Using a sieve or sifter, empty the powdered sugar into a large bowl. Then add 1 cup of the sifted sugar to the butter mixture and beat on low. Once no more dry streaks remain, beat for about 30 seconds on medium speed. Repeat this process until all the powdered sugar has been incorporated into the butter. Set aside.

Then fill a saucepan with the remaining 1/4 cup of butter and place over medium heat. Once melted, pour in the pecan pieces. Stir the mixture until the pecans release a butter-nut aroma, indicating that they are completely toasted. This should take up to 5 minutes. Once toasted, empty the nuts into a small bowl to cool.

Go back to the butter/sugar mixture and add one egg. Beat for 30 seconds. Continue adding and beating each egg into the batter, one at a time. Pour in the melted chocolate and whisk or stir until it is completely distributed throughout the mixture. Lastly, fold in the toasted pecans.

Remove the graham cracker lined pan from the refrigerator. Also, fill a small bowl with some cold water. Using a large ladle, scoop out chocolate fudge and drop into top right section of the pan. Continue with large scoops until all the fudge is in the pan. Then smooth out the fudge evenly by dipping a spatula or knife into the water and sliding over the surface.

To complete the process, take a pastry brush and dip it in the orange liqueur and brush over the surface. Then take a knife and make cuts in the surface to mix in the orange liqueur. Lastly, smooth out the surface again. Cover and place in freezer for about 3 hours to set.

Once set, it is ready to cut, flip and serve. Prior to serving you can top with a scoop of whipped cream if desired.

Tips and Notes:
1.The graham coating is very loose and powdery. In order to remedy that, add some additional melted butter until it clumps into a more solid mass. However, remember that this is to be more of a dusting and not a baked hard crust, like you would have with a cheesecake.

2. I am big on crunchy pecans, so if I was to make this again I would increase the amount used in this recipe.

3. The original recipe states to chill the fudge. Tasting the consistency of it chilled in the refrigerator vs chilled in the freezer, I much preferred the freezer. The refrigerator did not get the mixture to set up as firm as fudge.

4. The brushing of the liqueur on top did not lend any flavor to the fudge. Should you want to experience the taste of it in the fudge, try increasing the quantity and experimenting with mixing it in the batter. You can also separate the batter in half, making one layer and brushing it with the liqueur. Then cut it in with the knife, as instructed in the original recipe. Top with a second layer of fudge and follow the same instructions.

5. Bear in mind that the pieces of fudge are between 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick, they are not like the 1 inch cube size of most fudge pieces.


                                   **LAST YEAR:Polish Poundcake**

Boston Cream Pie Cookies

Today I am thinking about the subject of opinions. Opinions can be requested as needed and they can be constructive at times. However, we all have to deal with the unwanted and the overload. There is a percentage of people that abuse the use of opinions. These are the people that want to control you, believe they know what you want and believe they know what is best. In the company of these people, bear in mind that you are the only person that has to be with you for the rest of your life, so do and think what you want. Also, be confident that as you do that, these people are continuing to use their time in futility trying to control you.

The control factor also can be linked to the practice of following recipes. You can move forward and make the exact recipe and be content with the instructions or you can alter them a bit as you see fit. Altering them can turn out to be a good thing or a bad thing, but you run the same risk with following a recipe. I have made some desserts I have been unhappy with and followed the recipe to a "T".

This recipe makes a little over 1 dz sandwich cookies and contain all the great flavors of the traditional Boston Cream Pie. The cookies strongly resemble the flavor of "Nilla" wafer cookies and while they bake up crisp, sandwiching them with the vanilla custard tends to soften them up as time goes by. Below is the recipe for the cookies I baked, in the tips and notes you will find further information for creating the original recipe.

Boston Cream Pie Cookies
adapted from Rosie's Bakery Cookie Book

Ingredients/Vanilla Custard
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk
3 tbs cornstarch
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs sugar

Ingredients/Cookies
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup or 1 stick plus 1 tbs of butter
1 cup plus 1 tbs sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup plus 2 tbs cake flour
3/4 tsp baking soda

Ingredients/Chocolate Glaze
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbs and 1 tsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs confectioners sugar

Start by making the filling. Pour 1/2 cup plus 1 tbs milk into a medium sized saucepan. Add the cream and stir. Measure out the sugar and mix into the milk mixture. Place saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Then heat until it reaches a boiling point and remove. Set aside.

Take out a small bowl and whisk together the remaining milk and cornstarch. Once the cornstarch is blended into the milk and no lumps remain, add the egg yolk. Whisk until incorporated into the liquid. Pour this mixture in a steady stream into the saucepan with the sugar/milk blend, stirring as you pour. Then place saucepan over medium heat again and let filling cook, stirring constantly until it reaches the consistency of pudding. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.

Lastly, pour the filling into a heat proof bowl and cover the surface with wax paper or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for approx 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the bowl.

You can make the cookies while the filling is setting up in the refrigerator. Start by taking out a mixer, preferably a stand mixer, and a large bowl. Fill the bowl with the butter, sugar, orange zest and vanilla extract. Cream the ingredients together with the mixer at medium speed, stopping at intervals to scrape down the sides of the bowl. This process should take 3 minutes. Then add each egg yolk, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Lastly, whisk in the whole egg and set the mixture aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

Using a medium size bowl, sift together both types of flour and baking soda. Then fold into butter/sugar batter. Once there are no more streaks of flour in the batter, take out a scoop or a spoon and place rounded tablespoons of dough on the baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Place pan in preheated oven and let bake for 10-11 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.  Let cookies cool on pan for about 2 minutes, then transfer to rack to completely cool.

Then take out your filling from the refrigerator when the chilling time is completed. Stir to make sure mixture is spreadable. Using a rounded tablespoon, scoop up some filling and smooth evenly on the flat side of one cookie. Then top with another cookie and press down lightly, making sure that the size pairing is the same. Continue with this process until all cookies are now sandwiched together with the filling.

The final component will be the chocolate topping. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Then add the chocolate, breaking or chopping into chunks. Take out a small saucepan and fill with the cream and heat until it just comes to a simmer. Remove and pour the hot cream over the chocolate butter mixture. Let set for 2 minutes then whisk until all the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and stir, creating a smooth, shiny chocolate coating.

At this time, you can dip the sandwich cookie in the chocolate or drizzle it on top. Once all the cookies are coated, place on wax paper lined baking sheets and put in refrigerator for chocolate to set. These can be kept in the refrigerator for storage, but should be served at room temperature.

Tips and Notes:
1. I rarely use salt in recipes, but the original has 1/4 tsp which is added to the cornstarch/milk mixture and the cookies have 1/2 tsp of salt sifted with the flour and baking soda.

2. I used orange zest, but the original recommends lemon zest.

3. Should you want these to be more like whoopie pies, follow the original instructions that include incorporating 1/2 cup and 2 tbs of buttermilk prior to adding the sifted ingredients. This should create a cake-like texture, while making the cookies thinner with the additional liquid.

4. If you like the idea of banana pudding, try using banana custard instead of vanilla.
                                  **LAST YEAR: Sierra Nugget Cookies**

Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies

Sometimes when you look into how things started in comparison to where they stand today, it can get a little mind boggling. Some of the most successful people today started out as a failure or they were warned of future failure. I read where one of the best comedians were booed off the stage the first time they did stand up- Eddie Murphy. Also, Clint Eastwood was advised that no one would have the slightest interest in spaghetti westerns. I am not sure how much truth this information has, but it does make you think about the beginning versus the end result.

In regards to this recipe, the reason behind the creation of peanut butter is quite different than we would think. Most people view peanut butter as a good protein for sandwiches to pack for children's lunches to bring to school. However, back in the day it was created, the sole purpose was to provide protein to those people that did not have any teeth.

Since most of us have teeth, that does not mean that we cannot enjoy the great taste of peanut butter. What is even better is having that flavor enveloped in some rich chocolate. This recipe brings the two together, creating a moist fudgey brownie with a rich peanut filling in the center.

So forget about how many teeth you have and forget about your age, this classic combo is something that can be enjoyed by all. This recipe makes 1 to 1 1/2 brownies using a pan with square shapes, but a muffin or cupcake pan with circular shapes can be used.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies
adapted from Pennlive.com and Southern Living

Ingredients/ Peanut butter filling
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs creamy peanut butter
3 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
3 tbs whipping cream
1 egg

Ingredients/Chocolate Brownies
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup melted butter
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
4 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup flour

Ingredients/Ganache Topping
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or dark)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Prepare a 12 cavity pan (round or square cavity) by lining with cupcake papers.

The first component to make is the filling. Blend the cream cheese with the peanut butter using a mixer on medium speed. Once completely mixed together, beat in the sugar and whipping cream. Then whisk the egg in a small bowl and pour into the peanut butter mixture. Beat at medium speed until mixture is smooth, the consistency should be like a cake batter. Cover the top and place in freezer to chill for about 30 minutes so it can be scooped like ice cream.

While the peanut butter filling is chilling, start on the brownies. Prepare a double boiler and heat until pot with water comes to a simmer. Maintaining the same heat, place butter and chocolate in top pot to melt. Stir in intervals until all is completely melted together. Remove top pot and stir in sugar. Let the mixture cool for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Once cooled, add one egg and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Repeat this process with each egg until all are incorporated into the batter. Stir in the vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon mix the flour into the batter in 1/4 cup increments.

Using a squirt bottle or spoon, create a 1/4-1/2 inch a layer of chocolate batter in the bottom of each cavity, smoothing until even. Then pull out to chilled peanut butter filling. Add one heaping teaspoon of filling to each batter lined cavity, being sure that the filling is centered and does not touch the sides. Then spoon more chocolate filling into the cavity, until each is 3/4 full.

Place in oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until tester indicates brownies are done baking. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Prepare the ganache topping by pouring the chocolate chips into a shallow bowl (like a pasta bowl). Spread the chips out evenly into the bottom of the bowl. Take out a small microwave bowl and fill with whipping cream. Place in microwave and heat for 30-45 seconds, just so cream is simmering.
Pour hot cream over the chocolate chips and let mixture rest without stirring for about 5 minutes and then stir. Stir until all chocolate chips are melted and cream is blended.

Using a spoon or knife smooth some ganache onto the cooled brownies, being careful not to get any chocolate on the paper liners. Before serving, make sure the ganache is set on the brownies.

Tips and Notes:
1. For a better appearance, try greasing the interior of the pans instead of using cupcake papers. Also, cupcake papers, when pulled off the brownies, do stick a bit. If I was to make these again, I would not use the papers.

2. Make sure that the peanut butter filling is thick but not rock hard. If too frozen it will cause brownie to expand and then sink in the middle. There will be some sinking even with the correct temperature, but not enough to be noticeable when coated with ganache.

3. You can use crunchy peanut butter if you want a little crunch added to the texture.

4. The brownies are middle of the road when it comes to texture. They are not extra fudgey nor are they light and cakey.

5. The peanut butter filling came from a Southern Living recipe. The Pennlive site recipe included a different blend for the filling- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup peanut butter and 1 tsp vanilla. A double boiler should be used to melt the first two ingredients together and once melted the vanilla is stirred in. The mixture is then cooled and shaped into balls and used to fill the pan cavities in the same manner as instructed above. I declined from this recipe due to one comment stating that the mixture was hard to work with. However, the blend seems to be more of a candy type filling for the brownies, if you are interested in this option.
                                                                                                                                                                                              
                                   **LAST YEAR:Peach Upside Down Rum Cake**

Choco Berry Ice Cream Pie

The Texas heat has really kicked in due to the arrival of August. Most of us watch the temperature gauge and sit in the air conditioning when time permits, however, there are the few that live for the outdoors when the sun is at the hottest.

The real test for toleration comes either when there is no heat in the winter or no air in the summer. This weekend was the test for me since the air conditioning went out. Luckily, there was another place where I could stay with air conditioning, but it did not have all the amenities of the house.

I still intended to create a delicious dessert, but with the kitchen being 93 degrees, my creativity was a bit limited. It did not take much time for me to decide on making some ice cream. Not just ice cream, but something a little more challenging and unique. So the ice cream idea evolved into and ice cream pie. This recipe has been created by adapting and combining several component recipes together.

This ice cream pie has a tasty combination of strawberries and chocolate. A pie with an oreo cookie crust filled with sweet strawberry ice cream would have been quite satisfying at the end of a meal. As a food blogger, I could not resist on taking this recipe to another level by adding more cookies and chunks of dark chocolate candy loaded with almonds to the ice cream.

So if you are looking for a delicious way to beat the heat, head for the kitchen and pull out the ice cream maker-this recipe is well worth the time and effort. Be sure to review the tips at the end of this recipe that will help you have more success in creating this dessert.


Choco Berry Ice Cream Pie
by Flourtrader

Ingredients/Crust
3 tbs melted butter
18 crushed oreos

Ingredients/Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cups half and half
1/3 cup water
1 pint hulled and sliced strawberries
8 oreo cookies, broken into chunks
3/4 cup chopped chocolate almond candy (milk or dark)
1/4 cup chopped chocolate almond candy (for topping)
2 eggs
2 tbs lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon squeezed)
3/4 and 1/3 cup sugar (divided)

The first step is to create the strawberry blend for the ice cream. Fill a bowl with the lemon juice and whisk in 1/3 cup sugar. Add the sliced strawberries and stir, making sure all the slices are coated with the sugar mixture. Cover the bowl and place in refrigerator for about an hour, allowing the strawberries to sweeten in the sugar mixture.

After about 30 minutes, start on the cream mixture. Whisk the eggs together for about 2 minutes in a medium size bowl until frothy. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and whisk again. Continue adding the sugar and blending in 1/4 cup increments. As you whisk the mixture, it will thicken and become less grainy.

Using another bowl, mix the water, half & half and heavy cream together. Then pour into the egg mixture and stir until blended. Then take out the strawberry mixture from the refrigerator. Before mixing the strawberries with the cream, you can decide on a few options. For a less chunky and more strawberry flavor you can choose to mash the strawberries in the juices. Another choice is to drain off as much of the liquid from the mixture as desired and leave the slices of strawberries in tact. Bear in mind, however, that the bigger the chunks of strawberries more ice will form with the berries.

Once blended, fill ice cream maker and follow instructions that came with it. As the ice cream is thickening, start on the crust.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, blend the crushed oreos with the butter. Empty mixture into a 9 inch pie pan and press evenly up the interior sides and bottom to form a crust. Place in oven and let bake for about 10 minutes. Then place on rack to completely cool. 

Using a small bowl, mix together the oreo cookie chunks and 3/4 cup of chopped candy. This blend should be mixed into the cream component only when you have completed the instructions given with the ice cream maker. This is when the cream has been converted into a thick ice cream.

Then fill the prepared crust with the ice cream mixture and smooth the top. Freeze for a minimum of  four hours or overnight, depending on how solid you want the filling in the pie. Prior to serving, sprinkle the remaining (1/4 cup) rest of the chopped candy on the surface of the pie.

Tips and Notes:
1. Consider adding about 1 tbs of invert sugar in order to keep the filling from being too icy, recipe can be found here.

2. Feel free to play around with the dairy products by using goat's milk or almond milk in place of the half and half and water. I have yet to do this, so I cannot comment on the results.

3. Also, you might want to change the crust to an almond/graham blend instead of crushed oreos.

4. For the strawberry blend, I crushed the strawberries in the mixture with a large fork. I wanted a more strawberry flavor throughout the ice cream, than strawberries with cream filling.
                                       **LAST YEAR: Breakfast Muffins**

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Sometimes it is just the look of desserts that make you think of an expensive, lavish place where reservations are made six months in advance in anticipation of being at the same place as the famous and well to do.

At this place there are no pretzels or gatorade, just a fountain of champagne and the best caviar that money can buy. Also, the desserts are just heavenly concoctions of cream, chocolate and butter. All to be eaten in moderation. Even though there are wonderful entrees, we reserve a good amount space from our daily intake requirements in order to experience the last course-dessert.

So in order to be a part of all the above and have this wonderful cheesecake, follow the recipe below and click your heels together twice and say there is no place like an expensive sioree!

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
adapted from Cakes

1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 tsp gnd nutmeg
2 tbs brown sugar
2 eggs
2-8 oz packages of cream cheese
4 oz chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbs confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cups cherry pie filling

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, stir together melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, nutmeg and sugar. Butter the interior of a 9 inch springform pan and press the mixture of the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Crust should be lightly browned when done. Remove pan and place over cooling rack.

To create the filling, set up a double boiler and place the chocolate in the top pot. Let the chocolate melt while the water is simmering. Once melted, remove top pot and let cool.

Fill the bowl of a stand mixer with sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. Beat for about 3 minutes on medium speed, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mixture should end up smooth and creamy. Add one egg and beat for 30 seconds. Continue to add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Keep the mixer running and switch to low speed and stream in the chocolate until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Place pan in the oven and bake for about 35-45 minutes. Cheesecake is done when surface is no longer shiny and center is no longer jiggly. Remove pan and let cool completely on a rack.Then transfer to refrigerator to cool until set, this should take about 6 hours.

Once the cooling interval is over, start on the topping. Place cream, vanilla and confectioner's sugar in a medium bowl and beat until thick and fluffy. Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator and take off the outer ring of the spring form pan. Using a spatula or knife cover with the cherry pie filling. Then pipe on the whipped cream topping as desired.
                                             **LAST YEAR:Chestnut Cake**