Sometimes you feel like a nut....

A few months back I bought these almond joy pieces to one day bake them into some cookie or bar.  They were placed in the freezer until further notice.  Today is their day of notice.  When I was in Italy I had the most amazing gelato, "Bounty" flavour, chocolate and coconut.    It was heaven.  I will attempt to replicate this gelato soon enough,  but to get me through the waiting and wanting I will take my little almond joy pieces and place them into some oatmeal cookies, along with some additional sliced almonds and shredded coconut.

ALMOND JOY OATMEAL COOKIES

(Adapted from Cooks illustrated)

INGREDIENTS :

• 2 cups all purpose flour (about 10 1/2 oz) 
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 3/4 cup (6 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup (7 oz) brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond joy pieces
• 3/4 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1) Heat oven to 325F.  In a mini processor grind 1 cup of the oats.  Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside

  2) In a large bowl or your mixer bowl cream together sugars and butter until smooth. Mix in egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

3)  Add almond joy pieces, almonds and coconut.

4) Using a mini ice cream/cookie scoop,  place them on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies, reversing the sheet half way through,  about 12 min or until edges become golden.

5) Cool cookies on cookie sheet and store in air tight container.


Cooks illustrated you do us right in so many ways.  Due to replacing some of the flour with ground oats (which I loved) and adding some oats they did come out a little different than their traditional chocolate chip cookie but these were still soft, chewy, colourful, nutty and wonderful.

Oh, I love cookies!

MEG's RATING: D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!

Cookie dough ice cream and truffles

I actually made this before I left for Italy.  I made two batches.  I wanted to leave Brad some ice cream to get him through the 10 days I was away and the second batch went to my friend Aine and her husband Rob, who are my most loyal cake customers.  I completed a cake for her son Ronan's first birthday and I wanted them to try one of my blog creations.  Sort of like a buy 5 cakes get a free batch of ice cream. (See cake picture below) .   I saw Paula Dean make cookie dough truffles on her show and was immediately in love.  Who doesn't love to eat raw cookie dough?  Who doesn't love to eat raw cookie dough when you don't have to worry eating raw eggs.    Even better, who doesn't love cookie dough when blended into homemade vanilla ice cream!  

COOKIE DOUGH

Cookie dough secret weapon

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup mini fudge chips
• 1/2 cup skor bits 
• 3/4 cup (4-6 oz) of dark chocolate to coat the truffles

INSTRUCTIONS:

1)  In your mixer bowl or a large bowl, cream the butter, vanilla and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

2) Slowly add flour, alternately with condensed milk, beating well after each addition. Fold in the chocolate chips and skor bits.  Set aside half and form the remaining half into 1 inch balls.

Want to eat the bowl..Go for it. No raw eggs here

3)  In a microwave bowl or using a double boiler melt dark chocolate, 15 second increments in the microwave, stir until smooth. Dip or roll balls in chocolate,  allow excess to drip off; Place on parchment paper-lined baking pans or sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

COOKIE DOUGH ICE CREAM

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 cups half and half (10% cream)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• Cookie dough from above
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Add egg yolk and vanilla paste in a medium bowl and whisk together.   Set aside

  

2) Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a sauce pan and whisk together.

3) Slowly stir in milk and half and half, heat over medium-high heat whisking constantly until milk begins to boil and the liquid begins to thicken.  Remove from heat.

4) Temper in the hot liquid into the yolk/vanilla mixture pouring about 1/2 cup or so in and whisking to combine and not scramble the eggs.   Pour in the remaining liquid and whisk to combine fully.

5) Cover the liquid with saran wrap, placing the saran directly on the liquid to prevent a film from forming.

Let the mixture cool in the fridge for several hours.

6) Place the mixture in your ice cream maker or frozen bowl attachment.   Follow the instructions as provided. Mine is 20-30 min of churning.   

7) In the last 10 minutes, slowly add the cookie dough in teaspoon size pieces so that it is mixed well through out the mixture.

8) Freezer for several hours or overnight.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS

Next time I might add more cookie dough otherwise wonderful.   I could eat a million of those truffles!

Cake for Ronan. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

My friend Kelly has a huge rhubarb plant in her backyard that in the spring flourishes with beautiful red stalks. I showed up at her house on the perfect weekend for picking. She was kind enough to chop off several stalks for me to take home.    The funny things is I hadn't eaten a lot of rhubarb in my lifetime unless it has been hidden in pies.  I am looking forward to this fun experiment.  Look how beautiful it looks.

Adapted from Canadian Living

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter,  softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup chopped Strawberries
1 cup chopped fresh rhubarb
Streusel:
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp icing sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:


1) Make the streusel:  Combine almonds, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

2) Preheat the oven to 350F. In a mixer bowl or large bowl combine the butter and sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time with vanilla.

3) In another bowl combine dry ingredients.  Add dry mixture and yogurt, alternating, splitting the dry ingredients into 3 additions, yogurt into 2.   Fold in half the fruit.
4) Spray a bundt pan with non stick spray. Add 1/3 the mixture into the pan and then add the remaining fruit and streusel mixture.  Add the remaining batter on top.

5)  Bake for 35 min until a wooden skewer comes out clean.   Let cool on rack for 5 minutes and remove from pan.   Wrap with saran wrap to keep fresh.

I don't know why but I love fruit bread and cakes.   This cake was moist, fresh and perfectly sweet.   My first attempt at a rhubarb dessert and I am happy.    Thanks Kel for the rhubarb.   I still have some left in the freezer to bake you something.


MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS!

I finally caved and made the cheesecakes

It's is nice to get back into blogging after my vacation hiatus.  I am also trying to catch up all the wonderful things I missed out there in the blogging world.  I had to go back and make a lot of bookmarks.
Remember when I made the No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake a few weeks back to ward off my friend Jeff and his constant harassment for the mini cheesecakes.  Well,  It didn't work.  He still kept asking and asking and asking.   Since I happen to be such a nice person I didn't want to disappoint him.  I baked them for his birthday last year so I decided I would the same this year.  I am a rather big cheesecake fan myself.  If done well cheesecake is creamy,  silky and smooth with so many possible variations.   I decided to do a blackberry cheesecake and a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.  Both equally tempting and delicious.   To throw him off that morning, we hid the cheesecakes until we all cornered him at his desk and sang Happy Birthday.  A little embarrassment is what you get after months of pestering.    Do you think that will keep him quite for 12 months. Probably not.  :-)

Mini Cheesecakes

INGREDIENTS:

Blackberry Base:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Oreo Base

• 1 1/2 cups Oreo crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Filling:

• 20 oz (2 1/2 packages) cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Extras:

• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 3/4 cup blackberries
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 6 mini peanut butter cups

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F. 

2) Combine the graham crackers, sugar and butter in a bowl with a spatula.  Moistening all the crumbs.  Press 1/4 cup of the mixture into a mini cheesecake pan.   Repeat with the Oreo crumbs in another pan.  You should have 6 of each. 

3) Bake for 10 minutes and let cool. 

4) Melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a small boil over a double boiler.  Set aside to cool. Combine the blackberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat until berries are broken down and thickened. 

5) Put the softened cream cheese into a food processor and run until smooth. 

6) Add sugar, vanilla and eggs, process until creamy, add sour cream and run once more to combine.

7) Separate the mixture into two equal portions.   Add the peanut butter chocolate mixture to one half and half the blackberry mixture to the other portion.   Split the mixture equally between the 12 cups, with the blackberry mixture on the graham crackers and the peanut butter chocolate on the Oreo crumbs.   I added a mini peanut butter cup to the Oreo crust before adding the filling.

8) Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the cheesecakes in the oven and reduce to 300F

9) Bake for 20-22 minutes.  The middle of the cheesecakes will be just set.

These are a great dessert for individuals,  allowing people to have some options.   I increased the recipe slightly for the filling from what I actually used as I found it wasn't quite enough filling.  If you want these even taller, increase to a full 21oz of cream cheese, use 3 eggs and increase sugar to 3/4 cup.

MEG's RATING: D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!

Chocolate peanut butter cheesecakes

Blackberry cheesecakes

Back from Italy....

and FULL!  Italy is a land of beautiful landscapes and buildings, wonderful people and delicious fresh food.  Oh the wonderful food.  I think I had pizza and gelato 5 times in 9 days and I enjoyed every one.

I have over 700 pictures to choose from, not all food of course.  Here is a quick preview of all the wonderful things I saw and ate.   Some edited, some not.

We got this bread on our first lunch in Postiano and we couldn't stop thinking about it.  It was like a thin pizza with just salt, pepper and olive oil.   It was served hot and was so delicious.   I also got an arugula and parmesean salad.   Simple and wonderful.

The main reason we actually went to Italy was for a Wedding for my sister's friend Emily.   Here are a few pictures from the buffets.  I forgot to take pictures of the 6 main courses.  

This was the food line up....

• Antipasta buffet of meats, cheese, bread, calamari, shrimp, vegetables and hors d'oeuvres
• Seafood Antipasta or Smoked Cheese
• Mushroom risotto
• Ravioli
• Salad
• Fish or Beef Wellington
• Fruit
• Dessert buffet and cake

It just didn't stop.  I think I was full after the antipasta buffet but I made sure I tried some of everything.

THE DESSERT BUFFET

The cake was huge! I think each tier was 6 inch tall.  There were also several plates of several pastries and cakes - cannolis, strawberry cake, meringue and other puffed pastry, croissant type desserts. 

INTERESTING ITEMS

These lemons and mushrooms were huge!!  I think that lemon was the size of my nieces head.  There were so many beautiful lemon trees all over the south, I guess this one got away from someone.  Or maybe the tree tumbled over.

These were the best strawberries I think I have ever eaten in my life so fresh and juicy.  Worth a photo!

FOOD I ATE

How did I only take one picture of the many pizzas I ate on this trip.   This was a good one though

Carbonara in Florence

DELECTABLE DESSERTS

Chocolate mousse, waffles, cannolis and brioche croissants with Nutella.  Yummy!

BEST OF ALL : GELATO

Here are two of my five gelatos

Bounty Gelato - I will be making this soon

Blackberry and Cherry 

MY FAVORITE SPOTS

Sorrento in the day

Sorrento at night

Positano

Inside the Colosseum

Me inside one of the bakeries in Pompeii, where the actually found several loaves of bread and some cookies. 

It was a fantastic trip with lots of great laughs and memories.  Thanks to everyone who made it a memorable one.