Dessert

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CUPCAKES 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup almond flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch of cayenne 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1 large egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract FOR THE FROSTING 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Pinch of salt 1 cup confectioners’ sugar Ground cinnamon and grated chocolate, for topping INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Mix both flours, the cinnamon, cayenne, baking soda and salt with a whisk in a medium bowl. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Put the cocoa powder in a large bowl, pour in the hot milk and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when pressed gently, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven with oven mitts. Let the cupcakes cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and let cool completely on a rack. Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar on medium low until smooth, then beat on medium high until thick and fluffy, 1 to 2 more minutes. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes (or spread the frosting on top). Sprinkle with cinnamon and grated chocolate.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 egg 2 tablespoons milk 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets. Combine sugar, melted butter, egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat or stir until smooth. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and beat or stir until combined. Drop teaspoons of dough onto a cookie sheet, and press each cookie down with the bottom of a glass or the palm of your hand. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 375 degrees, until the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets, then transfer to cooling racks. Makes about 3 dozen cookies ...

INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoon unsalted butter 2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream 1/2 cup light corn syrup, golden syrup, or honey 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon fine or table sea salt 6 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup semi or bittersweet chocolate chips 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract INSTRUCTIONS Combine the butter, cream, sweeteners, cocoa, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low, stirring, for 3 to 5 more minutes after everything has melted. Remove from heat Stir in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Stir in vanilla. Hot fudge sauce keeps chilled in the fridge at least a month and often two. ...

INGREDIENTS 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust 5 large Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Arrange pastry in the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Place apples in crust. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon together in a bowl; pour over apples in crust. Sprinkle lemon juice on top. To make the crumble topping: Place 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl. Cut in cold butter with 2 knives or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle crumble mixture evenly over apples. (Or you could just melt the butter and stir it all together which I do most of the time) Take two 15-inch pieces of parchment paper and enclose pie; fold edges up 3 times. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven, without opening the parchment, for 1 hour. Remove from oven, split parchment open, and cool pie on a wire rack. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup Arborio rice 1 1/2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups whole milk, divided* 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract INSTRUCTIONS In pressure cooking pot, combine rice, water, and salt. Lock the lid in place and select High Pressure and 3 minutes cook time. When beep sounds turn off pressure cooker and use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, release any remaining pressure with a quick pressure release. Add 1 1/2 cups milk and sugar to rice in pressure cooking pot; stir to combine. In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs with remaining 1/2 cup milk and vanilla. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into pressure cooking pot. Select sauté and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil. Turn off pressure cooker. Remove pot from the pressure cooker. Stir in raisins. Pudding will thicken as it cools. Serve warm or pour into serving dishes and chill. Served topped with whipped cream, and a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired. NOTES The rice will continue to absorb liquid as it cools. Stir in additional milk or cream until your desired consistency is achieved. ...

INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb or frozen rhubarb, thawed 2 cups sliced peeled apples or sliced strawberries 1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Vanilla ice cream, optional INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add rhubarb and apples or strawberries; toss to coat. Spoon into an 8-in. cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet. In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, butter, flour and cinnamon until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 350° until crisp is bubbly and fruit is tender, about 45 minutes. If desired, serve warm with ice cream.

INGREDIENTS 2/3 cup salted butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/4 cup brandy 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 eggs 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon table salt Coarse sea salt, to taste INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 325 degrees In a saucepan, bring the butter, sugar and brandy to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir (with a wooden spoon) in 2 cups of chocolate chips until melted. Cool mixture slightly. Stir in vanilla. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually add the chocolate mixture and mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, then gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Stir in any remaining chocolate chips. Spread into a greased baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean. Careful not to burn your balls! Let cool just enough that it won’t burn your hands. Meanwhile set up a small plate or cutting board with some of the sea salt on it. Scrape up the brownie mix, working around the edges. You don’t want to use the hard edges for the balls. Begin shaping 1″ balls out of the mix, give or take in size. Roll the balls in the salt. Do this very lightly, a little sea salt goes a very long way. If you do happen to oversalt, just brush the excess salt crystals off. Too much salt is bad, mmmkay?

INGREDIENTS cooking spray Filling 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup white sugar 3 cups chopped rhubarb Topping 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 teaspoons pure maple syrup, room temperature 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted Crust 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons unsweetened cashew milk, room temperature 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 tablespoons white sugar INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat an 8x4-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix water and sugar in a deep saucepan, making sure sugar is completely mixed in. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Stir in rhubarb and let simmer, uncovered, until rhubarb becomes mushy, about 10 minutes. Add a couple tablespoons water if needed to help soften. Remove from heat and set rhubarb aside in a bowl. Stir oats, whole wheat flour, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the oat mixture. Pour in maple syrup and butter; stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Set topping aside. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt for crust together in a small bowl. Whisk cashew milk, butter, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Stir in sugar. Pour into crust flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Press crust into the bottom of the prepared pan using a spatula; wet your spatula with water to prevent sticking. Spread rhubarb filling evenly over the crust. Sprinkle oat topping mixture on top of rhubarb. Bake in the preheated oven until juices are bubbling and crust is golden, 15 to 19 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature in the pan. Let bars rest for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. Cook’s Notes You can use millet flour instead of whole wheat flour, coconut oil instead of butter, and gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose, if you’d like. ...

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FROSTING: 3/4 cup/180 milliliters heavy cream 2 teaspoons loose Earl Grey tea 1/4 cup/30 grams confectioners’ sugar 1/2 cup/115 grams mascarpone or softened cream cheese (see Tip) FOR THE CAKE: 1/2 cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan 1 1/2 cups/190 grams all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon loose Earl Grey tea 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (from 1 large orange) 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1/2 cup/120 milliliters whole milk, at room temperature 1/4 cup/45 grams chopped dark chocolate INSTRUCTIONS Prepare the frosting: In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup/120 milliliters heavy cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the tea, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and chill the remaining cream until completely cold, at least 1 hour. Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, tea, baking powder and salt. In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the flour mixture on low, until just combined, then beat in the milk. (Don’t overmix.) Add the chocolate and fold it in using a spatula. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake just until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then tip the cake out onto the rack to cool completely. To finish the frosting, add the remaining 1/4 cup/60 milliliters cream and the confectioners’ sugar to the tea cream. With an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream mixture until medium-stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mascarpone and beat just until stiff peaks form. (Do not overmix.) Top the cake with the frosting to serve. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; let come to room temperature before serving. Tip If using cream cheese instead of mascarpone, because it has a thicker consistency, whip the cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar first, then add the whipped tea cream. ...

INGREDIENTS For the cake 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini 1 1/4 cups sugar 5 eggs 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 cup sour cream 1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting) 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt For the frosting 3/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature 2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream Fruit for the cake 1 pint strawberries, cleaned, stemmed and sliced 4 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced 2 mangoes, peeled and sliced 1 pint blueberries (Or whatever you like and is in season) INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 350.° Grease and flour a 10-inch round cake pan. In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat together shredded zucchini, eggs, sugar, oil, sour cream and 1/2 tablespoon vanilla. Combine all dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture. Continue to beat until well-combined. The batter should be fairly wet and easy to pour. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 50 to 70 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely for a few hours. While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. While continuing to beat, gradually add the powdered sugar. Keep mixing until it’s all incorporated and smooth. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold cream and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla into frosting. Be careful not to over mix. Cut the cooled cake, making either two or three layers. Spread a layer of frosting over each inner layer. Then add a layer of fruit on top of the frosting. Stack the layers of cake together. Evenly frost the top of the cake (traditionally, the sides are not frosted). Arrange the fruit in circles all over the top of the cake.