Melt in Your Mouth Lemon Bars

 photo: justapinch.com

Melt in Your Mouth Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

CRUST:

• 2 c    all purpose flour
• 1 c    butter softened (no substituting)
• 1/2 c    powdered sugar

FILLING:

• 4    eggs (slightly beaten)
• 2 c    sugar
• 4 Tbsp    flour
• 6 Tbsp    lemon juice (i use bottled)

FROSTING:

• 1/2 c    butter (softened)1 c    powdered sugar
• 1 tsp    milk
• 2 Tbsp    cold water

Instructions:

1. MIX CRUST INGRED. WITH FORK AS YOU WOULD FOR A PIE CRUST. PAT INTO A 9X13 PAN WHICH HAS BEEN GREASED AND FLOURED. BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 15 MINUTES.
2. AS CRUST IS BAKING. MIX FILLING. AFTER CRUST HAS BAKED 15 MINUTES, POUR FILLING OVER CRUST AND CONTINUE BAKING FOR 25 MINUTES. COOL BARS COMPLETELY
3. MAKE FROSTING BY BEATING BUTTER,POWDERED SUGAR AND MILK FOR 6 TO 8 MINUTES ON HIGH SPEED. THEN ADD 2 TBLSP. COLD WATER ONE AT A TIME. BEAT UNTIL SMOOTH. SPREAD OVER COOLED BARS.

Source: http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/cookies/melt-in-your-mouth-lemon-bars-3.html

Overnight Apple Oatmeal

 photo: grouprecipes.com

Overnight Apple Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 2 sliced apples shopping list
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 cups oats(I use Quaker old fashioned oats)
• 4 cups water

Instructions:

Throw 2 sliced apples, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour 2 cups of oatmeal(I use Old Fashioned Quaker Oats) and 4 cups of water on top. Do NOT stir. Cook overnight for 8 - 9 hours on low.


Source: http://www.grouprecipes.com/135352/overnight-apple-oatmeal.html

Brownie Refrigerator Cake

 photo: hpj.com

Brownie Refrigerator Cake


Ingredients:

• 2 brownie mixes
• 1 extra large egg
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 (8 oz.) containers whipped topping
• 1 (3 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding
• 1 (3 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1 Hershey candy bar or chocolate syrup

Instructions:

Mix brownie mixes according to directions. Add egg. Bake in 9x13 inch greased and floured cake pan. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 container whipped topping. Put this mix on top of the cooled brownies. Blend puddings and milk together and put on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with another layer of whipped topping. Put chocolate shavings or chocolate syrup on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.



Source: http://www.hpj.com/HomeCookin/RecordView.cfm?RecordID=811

Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream Cake

photo: suburbangrandma.com

Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream Cake


Cake Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt (the original recipe called for 3/4 tsp)
• 11 Tbs unsalted butter, softened (I used 3/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I used Hershey Unsweetened Cocoa powder)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (I also added 1 tsp Bailey’s Irish Cream)
• 1 1/3 cups warm water

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Grease two 9 inch round cake pans, and dust with flour (see TIP).
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Mix, to incorporate.
5. In a large bowl, mix the butter until creamy, add sugar, and beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
6. Add cocoa powder, and beat for 1 minute, scraping down the sides to incorporate all into the mixture.
7. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
8. Beat in the vanilla and Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream.
9. Mixing at low speed, gradually add in the flour, in 3 portions, alternating it with the warm water, in two portions.
10. Scrape down the sides, mix for 30 seconds.
11. Pour batter into prepared pans.
12. Bake cakes for 50 minutes, on the middle oven rack.
13. Remove cake  from the oven, and cool in pans,  rested on a trivet or wire rack, for 20 minutes.
14. Remove cake from pans, set it on wire rack and let it cool completely.

Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 cups butter (1 1/2 lbs), at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 Tbs Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream

Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk at high speed, the egg yolks and egg whites, for 5 minutes, until thick and creamy.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar.
3. Bring it to boil, and simmer until your candy thermometer reaches 234 -240F.  DO NOT go over 240F, because your “liquid” sugar will turn into a “ROCK” sugar.  I would suggest to stop cooking at 235F. ( I cooked my first batch  to 245 F, waiting for the “soft ball stage” mentioned in the original recipe, which never happened,but rather it kept on being a saucepan of foamy mixture, then before I could start adding it into the egg mixture it totally crystallized into a sugar rock, so I had to start all over again)
4. Immediately transfer the syrup to a large heatproof liquid measuring cup, and start adding slowly in a thin stream, into the creamy egg mixture, while continuing mixing on a low speed.
5. Once all the sugar syrup has been incorporated into the eggs mixture, beat on medium speed for another 7 minutes, or until the mixture has cooled.
6. In a separate bowl, mix the butter to a creamy mixture (it is easier this way, so that the butter blend better into the frosting, without leaving small butter lumps).
7. Gradually add the soft butter, by couple of tablespoon at a time, into the egg mixture, beating at medium speed after each addition.
8. Once all the butter has been added in, beat at medium speed until the frosting thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
9. Stir in the salt, and the Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream, and incorporate evenly.

Chocolate – Caramel Ganache Ingredients:

• 10 oz  semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream for whipping
• 10 caramel candies, unwrapped (I also cut them up to smaller pieces)

Chocolate – Caramel Ganache Directions:

1. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.
2. Heat the cream and caramels over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramels have melted completely.
3. Pour the hot caramel cream over the chopped chocolate, and stir until all the chocolate melts into a smooth paste.

Cake Assembly Directions:

1. I prepared this cake with 3 layers of filling, as you can see in the above picture, with the ganache in the middle and the Irish cream in the lower and upper layer.
2. Cut each cake horizontally in half,  into two even rounds, thus a total of 4 cake rounds.
3. Place the bottom round on a cake plate (I place two pieces of wax paper, on the cake plate, so they meet in the middle of the plate, and can be pulled out from both sides from under the completed cake, so your cake plate stays nice and clean after frosting. I also mixed 1 Tbs of Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream liquor  with 1/2 cup of water, and lightly sprinkled each cake layer before the filling).
4. Spread a nice, thick layer of Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream frosting on top.
5. Cover with second cake layer. Sprinkle with the above water mixture.
6. Spread the ganache over this layer.  (I saved 1/4 cup of the chocolate-caramel ganache for decorating the top of my cake).
7. Top with another cake layer, and repeat the water sprinkling.
8. Spread another layer of the Baily’s Caramel Irish Cream filling.
9. Top off with the last round of the cake.  Place the cut part down, and the nice even cake bottom to the top, for easy frosting.
10. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream frosting.
11. Decorate per your own imagination.  (I drizzled store bought caramel ice cream syrup over the plates before serving).
12. Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve.

TIP: I always dust my cake pans before pouring in the cake batter, to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan, hence easier cake removal after baking.

To dust your cake pan, grease your pan, sprinkle about 1 Tbs of flour over the bottom of the pan,  lift the pan with two hands, and move it around in a way that the flour spreads evenly over the bottom and sides of the whole pan. Gently shake out any remaining flour.

Source: http://suburbangrandma.com/recipes/baileys-caramel-irish-cream-cake-recipe/

Sunburst Lemon Bars

photo: sohowsittaste.com

Sunburst Lemon Bars


Ingredients:

Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel

Filling:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Note: You'll need about two lemons for the juice/peel in this recipe. If you don't have enough lemon juice left for the glaze, add water until you get the right consistency.


Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat flour, sugar, butter, and peel on low speed until crumbly. Press mixture evenly in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl with wire whisk, lightly beat eggs. Beat in remaining filling ingredients except lemon juice and lemon peel until well blended. Beat in 1/4 cup lemon juice and peel.

3. Remove partially baked base from oven. Pour filling evenly over warm base.

4. Return to oven; bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until top is light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

5. In small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and enough lemon juice for desired spreading consistency until smooth. Spread glaze over cooled bars. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator, but allow bars to come to almost room temperature before serving.

Source: http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2012/03/sunburst-lemon-bars.html

Triple Chocolate Tiramisu

 photo: bhg.com

Triple Chocolate Tiramisu


Ingredients:

• 2 3 ounce package ladyfingers, split
• 1/4 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
• 1 8 ounce carton mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup chocolate liqueur
• 1 ounce white chocolate baking squares or white baking bars, grated
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, grated
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Chopped chocolate-covered coffee beans (optional)

Instructions:

1. Line the bottom of an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with some of the ladyfingers, cutting to fit as necessary. Drizzle half of the espresso over ladyfingers; set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the mascarpone cheese, whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer just until stiff peaks form. Beat in the chocolate liqueur until just combined. Spoon half of the mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, spreading evenly. Sprinkle white chocolate and bittersweet chocolate over the mascarpone mixture. Top with another layer of ladyfingers (reserve any remaining ladyfingers for another use). Layer with remaining espresso and mascarpone cheese mixture.

3. Cover and chill for 6 to 24 hours. Sift cocoa powder over top of dessert. If desired, garnish with cocoa beans.

4. Makes 12 squares.



Source: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chocolate/triple-chocolate-tiramisu/

Banana Peanut Butter Choc Chip Coconut Cookies

 photo: blogs.babble.com

Banana Peanut Butter Choc Chip Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 large, very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, preferably all-natural (just peanuts), or almond butter
• 1/4 cup canola or olive oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups old-fashioned (large flake) or quick oats
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut (optional)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 – 1 cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In a large bowl mash the bananas with the peanut butter, oil and vanilla. In another bowl stir together the oats, coconut, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients along with the chocolate and stir until combined.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, or one that is sprayed with nonstick spray, and bake for 12-14 minutes, until just set. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Source: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/05/18/gluten-free-peanut-butter-banana-chocolate-chunk-cookies/