Peach Cobbler

The other day I came home with a ton of peaches and was seriously craving some peach cobbler. I know we're moving past peach season, but for any of you with a few peaches hanging around - don't miss this recipe! I am not going to record here how fast I ate it (by myself) - no, not even as an anonymous blogger, it was that embarrassing (and delicious). Trust me, though, it was good.

I typically use my great-grandma's recipe for cobblers (it's unbelievable, I'll post it one day). But I always make it with berries and since I had a new fruit on my hands I felt adventurous and wanted to try a new recipe. I was not disappointed. This is irresistible! I chose it from among many because, well, first of all it said it was "easy", but second because in the ingredients section it mentioned that it tasted like cobbler that the author's grandmother made - perfect! Lastly, I liked that it was basic. Not basic as in "easy", since that was my first reason for making this cobbler, but basic as in it didn't have a bunch of extra mumbo jumbo in there to jazz it up. I was looking for something that stood on its own without extra creams or spices or seasoning, just a delicious buttery, custardy breading that showcased the already perfect fruit: the peach. Just what I was looking for.

Please, enjoy.

5 stars.

Recipe found here and below.

Easy Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 cups fresh peach slices
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Preparation

Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).

Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler warm or cool.

Southern Living, JUNE 1997

Junior's Chocolate Candy Bar Explosion Cheesecake

Or, in a word: HEAVEN.
A few years ago, while living in New York City, I had the pleasure of tasting the world's best cheesecake: Junior's Cheesecake. It began a love affair with cheesecakes that has culminated in me baking (and sometimes eating) an average of a cheesecake a month for years now. Especially when Juniors' came out with their cookbook which I have been slowly making my way through over the years. After that many cheesecakes, I've learned a thing or two that have helped demystify the cheesecake-making process. I know this might seem long, but it's very straight forward and I'd love to answer any questions that anyone has! SO, get out your mixer (or wooden spoon, whichever suites your fancy), break out that full-fat cream cheese and let's get started!
I do need to let you know beforehand what you are getting into. Once you have this cheesecake all other desserts will pale in comparison. You will find yourself nibbling on a delicate creme brulee while pining for this most amazing cheesecake. Better Than Sex Cake has NOTHING on this. And for what it's worth, my husband doesn't like cheesecake. Like, at all (weird). And he goes back for seconds when I make this. I'm just sayin'...

SO, how do you make the perfect cheesecake? People think it's so intimidating. In reality, the ingredients are simple enough and it's a very simple process, so chances are you have been scared of making them unnecessarily. All you need is to be educated on some simple steps to avoid cracking and to make sure it cooks properly and you will be the envy of everyone at your next party! And let's be honest here, this recipe has so many topping that really, who cares if it cracks a little - you can always cover it up!

While these steps seem long, they really serve just a couple of purposes which, if you can remember those purposes, the following steps will all fall into place without you having to think about them. You are simply trying to:
*Minimize quick temperature changes
*Not over-beat or over-bake the cheesecake
*Create a moist environment in which the cheesecake can cook

That's it! Once you know how to do that, making a cheesecake is a cinch!So, let's expand on that. The following steps will help avoid the dreaded cracking:
1) Try to bring your ingredients to room temperature first, or at least as much as possible. Cheesecakes don't like a lot of quick temperature changes and the blending will happen better if you have room temperature eggs, cream, and cream cheese (although my cream cheese is always a little bit cold, I never remember to let it sit out for a full hour or anything).
2) DON'T OVERBEAT the INGREDIENTS. This seems to be the biggest problem. The more you whip the cream cheese, eggs, and cream, the more air pockets you will get in your batter. When you cook your cheese cake those air pockets will rise and you will get cracking. You will. Inevitably. So just get it to a creamy, combined texture and call it good.
3) When you add the cream, just stir it in by hand until it's combined instead of using a mixer. This really helps prevent cracking.
4) Use a water bath. It's really easy. You just lay some foil down in a "+" shape like this: and then wrap it tightly around the springform pan, with the tops coming up higher than the springform pan, like this:Voila.
Drop it on a cookie sheet or roasting pan and fill the water in the pan up to halfway up the springform pan like this:And you will prevent all sortsa problems.
5) I find that if I put my cheesecake in my oven uncovered for the entire time it gets really brown on the top. Well, remember how I said to have the foil come up higher than the springform pan in tip #4? Well, I place a piece of foil over the top of the cheesecake for the first 30 minutes and then take it off and let it bake normally for the rest of the tim (see picture above). Having the foil come up higher than the springform pan makes it so the foil never touches the cheesecake.6) Don't check it too often. Cheesecakes don't like changes in temperature too much, so the more you check it, the more likely it is to fall or crack. If you do check it, try to let at least 10 minutes go in between the next check so that your oven temperature can get back up to where it needs to be.
7) Once you take the cheesecake out and have it on the cooling rack, take a greased knife, the thinnest one you have, and run it around the edge of the springform pan, so that the sides of the cake separate from the pan. As the cheesecake cools, it will shrink, and if some of the sides are still stuck to the pan, well, you'll get cracking!
8)Then, walk away. Leave the cheesecake alone for 2 hours before putting it in the refrigerator so the temperature can slowly cool before being put in the refrigerator.
Right, it sounds complex, but again, most of it revolves around just keeping a constant temperature and not over-beating or over-baking the cheesecake. If you can just remember those things, all the individual steps become second-nature.

I've heard all kinds of tips for knowing how long to cook the cheesecake. I've found that the best way is to tap the side of the springform pan and if the center 1/3 of the cake looks wobbly, it's not ready. You want the center 1/3 to be just a little jiggly - like jello and then it's ready to pull out. By center 1/3 I mean this:In the end, it might take a couple of cheesecakes to get to know your oven. My old oven took much longer to cook, while my new oven is right on the minute with the recipe. Placing the foil over the top of the cheesecake can help if you need added cooking time but don't want the top to burn.

Now, this particular recipe is a little time intensive because of the ganache. But it's definitely a show-stopper. If you want an easier, but still delicious cheesecake, you could leave off the ganache and just do a dollop of whipping cream or a berry sauce on top.

If you go all the way, be prepared. The cream cheese is just a little tart; the toffee is just a little salty; mix that with the chocolate bar and a creamy ganache on top...and you have, quite possibly, the perfect dessert.

Recipe Below.
Junior's recommends a sponge cake crust, but for this recipe, I use a graham cracker crust, usually this one.

Chocolate Candy Bar Explosion Cheesecake

Ingredients:
For Crust:
10 graham crackers
1 Tablespoon sugar6 Tablespoons butter, melted(I like to add 10-12 Ritz crackers to add a salty flavor. Some people add nuts, just do what you like, just increase the butter slightly to compensate for moisture)
3 1.4-oz Heath milk chocolate English toffee candy bars

For the Cheesecake:
8 oz Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar(s)
4 8-oz packages cream cheese (full fat) at room temperature
1 2/3 Cups sugar
1/3 Cup corn starch
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large or extra-large eggs3/4 Cup heavy or whipping cream

For the Top Decoration:
1/3 Cup sugar
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Cup cold heavy or whipping cream1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 1.4-oz Heath milk chocolate English toffee candy bars
Assorted chocolate candies, for example:
chocolate chips, Hershey's Hugs, Reese's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures, York Peppermint Patties, Kit Kat pieces, Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Nuggets, candy that has caramel in it, white chocolate chunks, Twix Bars, etc...

Directions:
1) While you prepare the crust, remove all the ingredients for the cheesecake so they can come to room temperature.Preheat the oven to 350 F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the oustide with aluminum foil (like we talked about). To make the crust, crush the graham crackers by placing them in a plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. Combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

While the crust cools, chop the 3 Heath bars into small pieces and sprinkle over the cooled crust. Like so (this is one of the best parts about this cheesecake!):2) Melt the 8-oz chocolate bar in the microwave carefully, so as not to burn it (15-20 seconds at a time). Set it aside to cool. Place the first package of cream cheese along with 1/3 cup of sugar and all the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat on low with an electric mixer until creamy - about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheeses. Beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time until combined completely. Beat in the melted chocolate until combined. Blend in the cream, stirring it by hand, until just completely blended. Don't over-mix! Gently spoon the batter over the crust.

3) Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges look baked and the center appears set, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and run a greased knife around the sides of the cheesecake to separate it from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 2 hours (just walk away - don't move it). Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, prefereably overnight or at least 4 hours.
4) At some point during this process, make the ganache by whipping the cream with an electric mixer on high until the cream thickens and soft peaks just begin to form. Add the sugar and cocoa, then the vanilla. Continue beating until the cream turns a light-chocolate color and stiff peaks form. Don't over-beat it. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to one day.

5) Release and remove the sides of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the ganache with a metal spatula. Press the candy crumbs into the sides and arrange the chocolates on the top. Use lots of chocolates, so you completely cover the top of the cake! Refrigerate until ready to serve (do not cover at this stage). Slice with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any left-over cake and refrigerate or freeze up to 1 month.
Recipe originally found in Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook. Graham cracker crust originally from Ina Garten's Mixed Berry Cheesecake Recipe.

Enjoy!
6 stars. =) Ok, technically I have to give it 5, but really, it's just so amazing.

My favorite chocolate chip cookies

These cookies don't really need a lot of explanation. I just absolutely love them. Every time I make them I get asked for the recipe - which I think says a lot for a food that we all already have a favorite recipe for. Butter is key. Brown sugar is key. I like it with unsalted butter and then adding a little kosher salt on the top of each cookie just before popping them in the oven, but salted butter works just fine as well.

So, the real debate is semi-sweet, or milk chocolate? I go back and forth, depending on my mood. Sometimes I just crave them with Hershey's Mini-Kisses and other times I just want that little bite that semi-sweet offers. Whatever mood you're in, or whatever your taste is - these will satisfy it. They're sweet enough to handle the semi, but they're rich enough that sweet tastes good with them as well.

Enough talk.
Recipe:

BEST-EVER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes about 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on your cookie dough rationing

INGREDIENTS:

1 C butter or margarine, softened

3/4 C white sugar

1 C brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 C flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 (12 ounce) bag chocolate chips (if you're into milk chocolate, I've found that Hershey's mini kisses chocolate chips really make this recipe)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto greased cookie sheet by heaping tablespoons. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned (they will continue to cook a little when you take them out, so this step is critical for these cookies...). Enjoy!

Recipe originally found in “The Essential Mormon Cookbook”

5 stars.

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Squares

Oh. My. Goodness. I saw these on Epicurious a couple of weeks before Valentine's Day and just knew I had to make them. I mean, chocolate, carmel, and shortbread? Can you think of anything more divine? Plus it had 4 forks, and you know it's gotta be good if it has 4 forks on Epicurious. As it turned out, I couldn't even wait until Valentine's Day and I made them almost immediately. And they were gone just as fast. I brought them to a party and they were devoured. In fact, there is a distinct possibility that the plate may have been licked clean. =) Smooth as silk and so good.

They were gone so fast, in fact, that I have no pictures of them. ("Aha!", you are thinking, "I knew that top picture was much prettier than her normal ones!" Yes, you are correct, that is not mine. =)I do have pictures of my pretty chopped chocolate and my creamy dulce de leche while cooking, but nothing else. So, I've taken a picture from the website. I made mine into small bite-sized squares because I thought they were pretty rich, that's really the only difference.I do think that if I make them again I will use a 50% or even 40% Cacao chocolate. I mean, I love my bittersweet chocolate, but in this particular dish I thought the bitter overpowered the caramel flavor of the dulce de leche flavor a little bit.I also finally broke down and bought a candy thermometer. They are really very inexpensive and easy to use. Just make sure you have which side is Fahrenheit and which side is Celsius straight before you start or it might cause a moment of panic while you are cooking (not that I'm speaking from experience or anything... ;)

I made my Dulce de Leche the cheater way. Have you ever heard of this? I mean, you can slave away at making everything perfectly, or you can just stick a can of sweetened condensed milk in a boiling pot of water for about 3 hours and then take it out with tongs and let it cool for awhile and then when you open your can it will have magically changed to the perfect thickness of dulce de leche! Of course, you need to watch the pot to ensure that the can of milk is always completely submerged: or it may explode. Other than that, just let it boil away and work its magic and you will get a no-fail, delicious, perfect textured dulce de leche. And you might as well boil 2 or 3 cans while you're at it and use it to dip apples in when you have company unexpectedly! Here's a tutorial if you want more information. I don't ever poke holes in my cans like they say to, but it might be a good idea.

So, with that in mind, here is the recipe. So, so very good.
Oh, and do let them sit at room temperature for a bit before you serve them, maybe 20 minutes, I found the texture and flavors were just perfection at that point.
They also say they can be stored for up to one day, but I found them still delicious 2 days later.

Recipe here and below.

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Squares

Yield: Makes 24 bars

Active Time: 30 min

Total Time: 3 1/4 hr

Ingredients:

For shortbread crust:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

For chocolate dulce de leche:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup dulce de leche
• 4 large egg yolks
• 5 ounces 60%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (preferably in a food processor) (I did 6 oz. and, again, would probably do 40-50% cacao)

Make shortbread crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a shallow 9- to 9 1/2-inch square baking pan (1 to 1 1/2 inches deep). Line bottom and 2 sides with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Butter parchment.

Blend together butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with a fork. Sift in flour and blend with fork until a soft dough forms.

Spread dough evenly in baking pan using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, then prick all over with fork.

Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes.

Make chocolate dulce de leche:

Bring cream and dulce de leche to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon until dulce de leche has dissolved.

Whisk together yolks in a bowl, then slowly whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pan is visible in tracks of spoon and mixture registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until melted.

Make bars:
Pour chocolate mixture over cooled shortbread and chill, uncovered, until cold and set, about 2 hours.

Run a small knife around edges to loosen, then transfer to a cutting board using parchment. Cut with a hot clean knife (dip in hot water and wipe clean between cuts) into 24 bars. Chill until ready to serve.

Cooks' note: Chocolate dulce de leche bars can be chilled in an airtight container up to 1 day.

Nutella Frosting

If there's one thing Alicia and I share (besides genetics), it's a love for Nutella. For a while now I've been wondering if there's more to eating Nutella than standing in my kitchen with a big spoon and a guilty- but heavenly- feeling. Which, don't get me wrong, is more than enough for me. But I got to thinking about making cupcakes one day, and well, one thing led to another. I found a recipe for Nutella frosting online, and the rest is history.

Nutella Frosting

3/4 c. butter, softened

3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. Nutella

Here's the thing. It was a bit runny for my liking. It tasted divine. But next time, I would either add the milk one tablespoon at a time until I reach the consistency I want, or add a bit more powdered sugar. Just something to keep in mind!

Enjoy!

Guest Blogger: Summer of Pie

Hello, my name is Stacie and I'm addicted to dessert.

This summer, I've unintentionally found myself hooked on pies. I've done fruit, and I've done chocolate. But for my husband's birthday a few weeks ago, I knew I had to make his favorite- banana cream- and I wasn't looking forward to it. No matter how I try, I just don't like bananas. Mash 'em and bake 'em up in bread, and I can't stop eating them. But just a slice of banana? No thanks.

Enter the perfect solution to banana cream pie: chocolate. Also goes by Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie. Have you seen her? The perfect marriage of fruit and chocolate. So good, I didn't even pick the bananas out. That's saying something.

Black Bottom
Banana Cream
Pie

Oreos
3 1/2 tbsp. butter, divided
1 1/2 c. whipping cream, divided
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tsp. vanilla, divided
1 1/2 c. half & half
1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. flour
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
Chocolate curls
Bananas

Crust: Spray a 9-inch pie plate with Pam. Mix 2 1/2 c. crushed oreos with 2 1/2 tbsp. melted butter. (I just used one bag of the mini oreos and it was perfect- and cheaper than a full package.) Press into bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Chill for 30 minutes.

Ganache: In a saucepan, heat 1/2 c. whipping cream with 1 tbsp. butter. Heat until it's hot but not boiling. Add 1/2 c. semi-sweet chips and 1 tsp. good vanilla. Stir till smooth. Pour into crust and chill for 30 minutes.

Arrange thin slices of banana on the ganache, top with 1/2 the vanilla pastry cream, arrange more thin slices of banana on top, and spread remaining vanilla pastry cream over top.

Vanilla Pastry Cream: In a saucepan, heat 1 1/2 c. half & half until it's simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 c. sugar, 2 tbsp. flour, 2 eggs, and 1 egg yolk. Gradually whisk into hot half & half. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 2 tsp. vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool in fridge at least 2 hours.

Vanilla Whipped Cream: Beat 1 c. whipped cream, 2 tbsp. powdered sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla until stiff. Once vanilla pastry cream and bananas are on pie, spread vanilla whipped cream on top and save some to spoon mounds around the edge. Top with chocolate curls and enjoy!

Not sure how to make chocolate curls? I followed this tutorial and loved how they turned out. I used about 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips because I didn't have any Baker's on hand.

Tip: since this pie is step-intensive, I suggest making the vanilla pastry cream first, since it has to chill for a few hours. You can also make the oreo crust at that point and let it start chilling as well. From there it shouldn't be too bad.

See you in a few weeks with another dessert!