Grasshopper Pie

http://kokocooks.com/2011/09/grasshopper-pie/


 I once made this pie using double stuff Oreos. Big mistake. All the extra “cream” melted when the crust baked, forming greasy pools on the surface. That’s why I stick to reduced fat cookies.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

grasshopper pie

ingredients

Crust

6 Tbs butter, melted, plus extra for the pie plate

¾ c sweetened shredded coconut

1 ½ c crushed chocolate wafer sandwich cookies (reduced fat Oreos work great)

Filling

½ c sugar

2 c heavy cream

3 Tbs green crème de menthe (or clear, with 4 drops of food coloring)

1 envelope (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin

5 large egg yolks

½ tsp peppermint extract

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate. Whisk together the coconut, cookie crumbs, and ¼ c of the sugar. Add melted butter and stir well until combined. Press mixture into the pie plate. Bake until just set, 10-12 minutes. Cool completely.
2. Prepare an ice water bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice cubes. Pour enough cold water in to fill to the top of the ice. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, beat ½ c whipped cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Place crème de menthe (and food coloring) in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over it. Set aside. Beat egg yolks and remaining ¼ c sugar in a medium heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
4. Heat the other 1 ½ c cream and peppermint extract over medium heat until warm. Add gelatin mixture and whisk until gelatin is melted. Temper the egg yolks by slowly drizzling about ½ c of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour egg mixture back into the pan of remaining cream. Heat until cream mixture reaches 150ºF, stirring constantly.
5. Transfer the pan to the ice water bath. Whisk until the mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the bath. Gently fold in the chilled whipped cream with a rubber spatula until well combined.
6. Spoon mixture into the pie crust. Chill until set.

Homemade LIKE Klondike Bars

http://kokocooks.com/2013/05/homemade-klondike-bars/

I found the recipe for the chocolate shell at Mind Over Batter, who has a great tutorial.  There are lots of tips in the comments section.   Here are a few of my own:

1) Freeze the baking sheets before placing the ice cream on them.  This will help prevent melting.

2) Always place the ice cream squares on a clean sheet of waxed paper.  Things work much easier when the waxed paper isn't lifting off the pan because the ice cream is sticking to it.

3) Definitely double dip the ice cream.  This produces a higher shell-to-ice cream ratio, and who wouldn't love that? Don’t wait too long for the second dipping.  I did mine on separate days, which is why you can see two distinct layers of chocolate (see below picture.)  Double dipping also smooths out the surface.

4) Between dips, patch up any leaks with more chocolate.  I left out this crucial step once, and the second dipping did not seal up the leaks.  I was left with an irreparable (albeit delicious) mess in the freezer.

ice cream adapted from Ben and Jerry’s

shell adapted from Mind Over Batter

homemade klondike bars

Note: For better results, freeze the baking sheets before placing ice cream squares on them. Always transfer ice cream to clean waxed paper. To avoid drips on the squares, place them on the waxed paper furthest from you first.

ingredients

Ice cream

1 c milk

¾ c sugar

2 eggs

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out

2 c heavy cream

Shell

6 oz milk chocolate, roughly chopped

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate (or bittersweet), roughly chopped

1 c coconut oil

instructions

1. For the ice cream: Warm up milk in a saucepan to 170 degrees, stirring occasionally. Do not let milk boil. While the milk heats up, whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla bean seeds in a medium bowl. Very gradually drizzle milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously. You do not want the egg to start cooking when the milk gets mixed in. Whisk in the heavy cream. Chill for an hour, or until cool to the touch.
2. Line a 9x9” baking pan with waxed paper, making sure the waxed paper goes up the sides of the pan by about 1½ inches. Pour cream mixture into an ice cream mixer and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Scoop ice cream into lined baking pan, spreading evenly and smoothing out the top. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
3. Lift ice cream out of the baking pan and cut into 3” squares. Place ice cream squares on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Place back in the freezer.
4. For the shell: Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until completely melted. Stir in the coconut oil. Pour into a deep, bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Line a second baking sheet with waxed paper. Dip ice cream squares in chocolate and place on clean waxed paper. Freeze for 20 minutes. With a spoon or a knife, patch up any leeks in the bars with more chocolate. Return bars to freezer for another 10 minutes.
5. Dip ice cream squares again, making sure to cover the entire surface. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with clean waxed paper. Freeze until solid.

Boston Cream Pie Donuts

http://kokocooks.com/2013/06/boston-cream-pie-donuts/

adapted from Mini Donuts, by Jessica Segarra of The Novice Chef and

America’s Test Kitchen

http://kokocooks.com/2013/06/boston-cream-pie-donuts/

boston cream pie donuts

Yield: about 1 dozen donuts

Make pastry cream the day before to allow enough time for the it to set.

ingredients

Pastry Cream

1 c half-and-half

3 large egg yolks

¼ c sugar

Pinch salt

2 Tbs all-purpose flour

2 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into a few pieces

¾ tsp vanilla extract (or the seeds from half of a vanilla bean)

Donuts

2 Tbs warm water

1 envelope (¼ oz) quick rise yeast

¾ c whole milk, warmed

¼ c sugar

½ tsp salt

1 large egg

3 Tbs butter, softened

2 ½ c all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil for frying

Glaze

3 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped

⅓ c heavy cream

2 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs butter

instructions

1. For the pastry cream: Heat half-and-half in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a separate bowl. Whisk in the flour.
2. Very slowly, add about ¼ c of the half-and-half to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Start whisking remaining half-and-half, then slowly add the egg mixture to that.
3. Return to heat and cook until pastry cream starts to thicken. Reduce heat to low and cook for 8 minutes, whisking constantly. Bring heat back up to medium, and cook until bubbles start to break the surface, about 1-2 minutes more (keep whisking).
4. Remove pan from heat, and add butter and vanilla. Whisk until butter has melted. Pour pastry cream to a heat-proof bowl, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours (overnight for best results).
5. For the donuts: In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together the water and the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.
6. Add milk, sugar, salt, egg, butter, and 1 c of the flour. Mix on medium-low until flour is mixed in.
7. Switch to a dough hook attachment. Turn mixer to low and slowly add the remaining flour. Turn speed up to medium, high, and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 3-4 minutes. If dough continues to stick to the bowl, add a little more flour (reduce speed) until it does.
8. Transfer dough to a greased bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel, and place in a warm spot for about an hour. Dough should double in size.
9. Transfer dough to a floured surface, and dust top with flour. Dough will be soft and sticky. Pat dough down to a ½ inch thickness. Dip a round cutter in flour and cut donuts about 2 inches in diameter.
10. Place donuts on a lightly floured baking sheet. Cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm area. Let rise for 30 minutes. Donuts should nearly double in size.
11. Pour enough oil into a fryer (or Dutch oven) to fill a 2-inch depth. Heat to 350°F. Fry donuts a few at a time (4-5), until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, place donuts on a rack lined with paper towels. Repeat until all donuts have been fried. Let donuts come to room temperature before filling and glazing.
12. For the glaze: Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a saucepan, mix together the cream, sugar, and butter. Heat over medium-high until the cream just starts to boil. Stir once more to make sure all the sugar has melted. Pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes. Then, carefully stir to incorporate the chocolate into the cream mixture.
13. Let cool until glaze has reached a thick sauce consistency. (You can chill in the fridge if you watch the glaze carefully. Stir after every 2 minutes until glaze has reached desired consistency.)
14. To assemble the donuts: Place pastry cream in a piping bag with a tip that has a wide opening. Poke a hole in the side of each donut (I used a chopstick). Pipe about 1½ Tbs filling into each donut. Do not overfill. Dip the top of each donut in the chocolate glaze.

Mango Mousse Cake

photo credit: lifemadesweeter.com


http://lifemadesweeter.com/?p=2675

MAKE THE SHORTBREAD CAKE OR PURCHASE A SPONGE CAKE, LIKE THIS BLOGGER DID......

This mango mousse cake definitely hit the spot. It is light and fruity but instead of a sponge cake, I made this with a tender almond shortbread crust with a soft crunch to contrast from the fruity pillowy clouds of mousse filling.

The mousse is just cream, mangoes and sugar but utterly delicious. I used fresh mangoes but frozen would work just as well.

I also garnished this with piped almond meringues for an extra crunch.

Mango Mousse Cakelette

Makes a 6-8″ inch cake (I actually used a 4″ pan and had plenty left over)

Ingredients

Crust

• 1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Mousse

• 1 cup of mango puree (I made my own puree with fresh mangoes but you can use frozen)
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons of gelatin powder
• 1/4 cup Cold water

**reserve 1/3 of the mango gelatin mixture for the Mango Jelly topping

• 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks

Optional Almond Meringues

• 1/2 cup finely ground almonds
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 large egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Method

Crust

1. Grease and line bottom of 6-8 inch spring form cake pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325°F
2. Grind almonds and granulated sugar in food processor. Blend until ground finely.
3. Add flour, powdered sugar and salt.
4. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms.
5. Press dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.
6. Bake crust uncovered for about 25-30 minutes or until slightly brown and set (rotating pan halfway through).

Mango Mousse

1. In a small bowl, pour gelatin into 1/4 cup of cold water and let sit for 5 minutes until gelatin sets.
2. In a small saucepan on medium, heat mango puree and sugar until sugar dissolves and is warm.
3. Add the gelatin and mix well, till it is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. Reserve 1/3 of this mixture for the Mango Jelly topping.
4. With a hand mixer, whip the whipping cream till stiff peaks form.
5. Gently fold the 2/3 of the cooled mango puree into the whipped cream.

Almond Meringues

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a food processor finely grind the slivered almonds. Place ground almonds lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Place in a small bowl, toss in the cornstarch, and set aside to cool.
3. Using a hand or stand mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites and pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Fold in ground almonds until incorporated.
5. Transfer meringue to a Ziploc or pastry bag and pipe onto baking sheet.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave meringues in the oven until they’re completely dry. When cool, remove meringues from the baking sheet and enjoy.

Assembling

1. After the crust has baked, pour the prepared mango mousse over the crust. Let it set in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Pour the reserved mango jelly on top of the mousse. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3. Gently remove cake from spring form pan.
4. Decorate and serve chilled.

 http://lifemadesweeter.com/?p=2675

Adapted from Canadian Living and Joy the Baker

S'Mores Trifle

http://www.momendeavors.com/2013/06/brownie-smores-trifle-dessert.html

Ingre­di­ents

• 1 box brownie mix (or your favorite from scratch recipe)
• 1 large box or 2 small of instant choco­late pud­ding (approx. 4 cups)
• 1 sleeve of gra­ham crack­ers, bro­ken (about 9 crackers)
• 1 tub of whipped topping
• 1 small jar of Marsh­mal­low Creme
• 1 C mini marshmallows
• optional: 1 Hershey’s Bar

Direc­tions:

1. Start by bak­ing a 9x13 pan of brown­ies accord­ing to the pack­age direc­tions. Once done, allow to cool and cut up into chunks. No need to be exact with any of it!  While that bakes & cools, you can mix up the pud­ding and chop up your gra­ham crackers.

2. In a tri­fle dish add a layer of brownie pieces (for me, this was a lit­tle less than half the pan). Then, top the brownie pieces with about half of the pud­ding.3. On top of the choco­late pud­ding, add a layer of bro­ken gra­ham crack­ers. I just broke them up in a bag­gie. I wanted small pieces, but not just crumbs. Make sure the choco­late pud­ding is cov­ered well with the gra­ham cracker.

4. Take half of the whipped top­ping from the tub and mix it in a bowl with half of the marsh­mal­low creme. It will prob­a­bly lumpy and that’s totally ok. Spread that mix­ture over the gra­ham cracker layer. 5. Repeat all the lay­ers again. You’ll end with the whipped top­ping mixture…

…but I decided that the top should look a lit­tle extra fancy! And, truly, the topmade the dish! Seri­ously, SO good! The key is “roast­ing” the marsh­mal­lows! No camp­fire nec­es­sary though!  You just need to broil them.…for only a few sec­onds! Just put about a cup (I just grabbed two hand­fuls) of mini-marshmallows onto a bak­ing sheet and put them in the oven under the broiler. You can­NOT walk away…in fact, don’t even look away. I didn’t even close the oven door. I stood there watch­ing for about 10–15 sec­onds. The moment they start look­ing a lit­tle golden, take them out. Oth­er­wise you might have a charred, gooey mess!http://www.momendeavors.com/2013/06/brownie-smores-trifle-dessert.html

Crescent Roll Apple Pie Bites

APPLE PIE BITES

1 tube Crescent rolls
1 Slice apple per triangle
Sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar
Roll up & Bake for 11-13 minutes at 350 degrees.

Caramel Popcorn Soft

Soft Caramel for Popcorn: 

1c brown sugar 
1    stick butter 
1 cup karo syrup
1 can condensed milk

Heat until mixed the pour over popcorn

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies

http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/smart-sweets-no-bake-chocolate-chip-cookies/


Posted by Jamie Schneider on October 21st, 2012
You've been healthy all week. You've juiced every morning, had salads for lunch and maybe even added another juice with your veggie dinner. Then the weekend – the notorious “diet” ruiner – comes along and all you want to do is dive into something sweet. Well at Reboot, we do, too! BUT we know we have to be smart about it to keep our bodies happy, healthy and full of vital nutrients.

Our cure? Smart Sweets.  They're our answer to sweet-tooth satisfaction without feeling guilty.  Enjoy our first ‘Smart Sweet’ of the week without even turning on your oven!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 20

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:Cookie dough:
1 3/4 cups ground raw cashews
3/4 cup ground raw oats
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

No bake chocolate chips:
2 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup carob powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the Dough:
1.) Grind up raw cashews and raw oats in a food processor or blender.

2.) Place all cookie dough ingredients into a large bowl and mix with a spoon.

3.) Mix until a dough forms and refrigerate dough while you make the chocolate chips.

*For the Chocolate Chips:
4.) Mix all chocolate chip ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

5.) Roll the dough out onto parchment paper and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

6.) When chocolate is frozen, cut into chips.

7.) Mix chips into dough and form into mini cookie shapes, or small balls.

8.) Sprinkle a little Himalayan salt on each cookie and enjoy!

*Tip: You can use store bought vegan chocolate chips (or standard dark chocolate) if you don’t want to make the chocolate chips. Just chop them up in a blender to make the pieces smaller.

*Tip: Store leftover cookies in the refrigerator