Category — Dessert Recipes

[Updated on 3.15.08 - Hi Folks!  I've updated this post to incude pictures, but left the original post the same.  Thanks for reading!]

Happy Pi Day, everyone!  I want to thank Evil Chef Mom for offering to host the Pi Day Event.  It was great fun telling everyone “Happy Pi Day” (and then explaining it to them). 

I wish I could say that I had as much fun making this pie as I did participating in the Pi Day Event and eating it.  But, I’d be lying if I said that.  My pie isn’t really overly difficult to make, but I was having one of those days where if things could go wrong they did.  When I made my crumbs for the crust they looked. like. mud.  I do not know what happened, but I took pictures because I couldn’t believe it. 

Then, I forgot to add the eggs.  Not just one egg, but all of them.  I had to start all over because you can’t just, ya know, pour it back out of the crumb crust.  Doesn’t work so well.  OH, and then, when I pulled it out of the oven, I just, ya know, reached right in and grabbed it.  Sans pot holder.  Um, o.k. Angie.  Are you in there?

Up until about an hour ago I was feeling like today was much better!  But, this recipe is apparently still determined to make my life hell because now it’s time to post the recipe and guess what?  I can’t even find my notes.  I cleaned off my desk today.  Guess I tossed them.  Good thing I have a great memory, right? 

I did get some awesome pictures.  This pie is a complete drop dead knock out blonde (the macadamia nuts make it look like a blondie pecan pie, sorta).  But, now that’s it’s time to upload pictures . . . (I can’t even believe this) I realize that my SD card is in my daughter’s camera and my daughter is at her friend’s house for the night . . . with her camera.  Do you see what I mean?!?  WTF?!?

So, I’m sorry I’m a bit late in the day getting this up, but I did make a Pie for Pi day.  A troubled pie, mind you, a naughty pie, even.  While I don’t have pictures to prove it, I gave half of this naughty pie to my friend Holli this morning in an attempt to banish it (and the problems) from my kitchen.  Holli’s a nursing student and if you know anyone who has ever been a nursing student you know that they appreciate anything you do for them . . . even giving them a slightly rebellious pie. 

At the risk of making my blog crash and bringing down all the internets . . . I will now post the recipe.  And tomorrow I will post some pictures.  If you all are still out there.  I’m almost scared to say this, but this is a damn good pie.  I mean, a killer pie.  But, you’ve been warned, o.k.?

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie

3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup Irish Cream
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

For the crust:
15 chocolate wafers
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
2-3 tablespoons butter

In a food processor pulse chocolate wafers and nuts until finely ground.  Slowly drizzle butter and mix with a fork until you have a mixture that resembles wet sand.

Press crumbs into a 9 inch pie plate.
Refrigerate crust until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 300F degrees.
Using a mixer, blend together eggs, sugar, salt and butter until creamy.
Add the corn syrup and Irish Cream, blending well.
Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts.

Pour into prepared pie pan.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes until top has turned golden brown and is set.
Cool on a wire rack and keep leftovers refrigerated.

It’s been six long days since I’ve blogged.  This has been a busy week for me; filled with doctor appointments, minor life crises, riveting American Idol episodes, and a hair appointment that resulted in somewhat purple hair (love it!).  I’ve been cooking and taking pictures, but haven’t found the time to sit down and share what I’ve been doing with all of you.  Then it dawned on me this morning, I’m missing my blog!  So, here I am!  See my purple hair??

Emiline of Sugar Plum announced on March 1st that she is hosting her first blogging event, which centers around cooking with booze.  Which, I’m all about; I’ll take any opportunity I can get to cook with booze.  Plus, I really like Emiline’s blog.  She’s funny, and I admire how hard she’s been working to save for Culinary School.  (Good luck to her on that!)  So, it seemed only natural that I would whip up something for the occasion.

For Emiline’s Pub Crawl I decided on Double Coffee Tiramisu (Tiramisù),with some adaptations, from Southern Living, one of my favorite magazines.  Hubby and I absolutely love the flavor of this decadent dessert, as we both love coffee.  It has a strong dose of coffee added, and a healthy dose of coffee liqueur.  (I used Kahlua.  Yum.)  It’s super simple to make, it’s gorgeous to serve, and it makes me want to lick my bowl when I’ve spooned up the last little bit.  But, I would never do that.  Really.  But, it’s O.K. if you want to do that, I give you permission.

A thought about cream cheese.  Letting cream cheese soften at room temperature will help avoid lumps.  If you’ve been wondering why you get them sometimes and sometimes you don’t, now you’ll know.  You can nuke it and whip and beat it, but if it hasn’t gradually and evenly obtained the lower temperature, you’re going to end up with lumps.  So, when you’re planning to work with cream cheese - set it on the counter for a couple of hours and let it soften up there.  This is especially important in recipes where you aren’t cooking the cream cheese (like Double Coffee Tiramisu).  While those little tidbits of cream cheese probably taste just fine, it screams “I rushed through this recipe” when you find one on your spoon.  Oh, and when I was in Culinary School, if my chef instructor found cream cheese bits in an otherwise smooth dish, she just got unreasonable!!  She didn’t like it, at all.  Not one eensy-weensy bit.  As a matter of fact, she liked it so little that she might have maybe marked me down on an icing - even when I told her I was going for “an explosion of cream cheese flavor at every corner.“  Yeah, o.k., Angie, sounds good.  Here’s your “C-”.  So don’t do that, o.k., folks?

This recipe can be made ahead, according to the magazine.  Hubby and I ate some the day I made it, and it held up in the fridge for two or three days after that. (I know because I ate some every day until it was gone!)

Double Coffee Tiramisu
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/3 cup coffee liqueur (Kahlua works well)
14 ounces of Margherite Cookies or 6 ounces of ladyfingers
1/2 cup grated semi-sweet or dark chocolate
chocolate curls, if desired

Beat softened cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

Beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

Fold into cream cheese mixture.

Mix hot water and instant coffee until dissolved.  Stir in liqueur.
Arrange cookies in the bottom and around the sides of a 2 quart serving bowl of dish, reserving the crumbles from the cookies. 

Drizzle the coffee mixture over the cookies, reserving about 1 tablespoon.

Spoon or pipe the cream cheese mixture over the cookies.
Sprinkle the crumbled cookies over the cream cheese.
Drizzle the reserved coffee mixture over cookie crumbles.

Sprinkle the grated chocolate over the top and garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.

Chill for 2 hours, covered.

Yesterday I showed you how to keep your cakes and goodies from sticking to your pans.  Today, I’m going to show you how I put my Professional Style Pan Release to good use.

Remember the little glimpse of goodness I gave you yesterday?  Just a little corner of chocolate-y goodness?  Well, so you don’t have to scroll or anything . . . here it is again.

For Christmas this year my Hubby was wonderful enough to get me a one year subscription to Southern Living Magazine.  I truly love this publication.  I’ve made so many recipes from this mag over the years, and I gotta tell you I haven’t found a stinker yet (unlike some other magazines).  Well, in December’s issue there was a beautiful spread on bundt cakes, intended to be used for Christmas.  But, I got all crazy, mixed things up a bit, and decided that this would make a gorgeous cake for Valentine’s Day.  I think I was right.  What do you think?

See, here’s the thing.  I know a lot of people out there think that Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark Holiday.  I know all about SAD and Anti-Valentinism, but I don’t care.  I met Hubby for the very first time on Valentine’s Day.  We were an early (circa 1994) internet couple that met thru the online service, Prodigy.  I answered a personal ad titled “Poet/Philosopher” and the rest is history.  Our very first IRL date was on Valentine’s Day 1995.

So of course, I look forward to Valentine’s Day, since it’s extra special to me.  And, (I’ll let you in on a little secret) I’m about the least romantical-like girl alive, and I feel all dumb and goofy when I try to pretend that I am.  Thankfully, once a year, Valentine’s Day gives me an excuse to be all-a-gush and lovestruck, without feeling too awfully out of my element.   When I bat my eyes and put this cake on the table - well, let’s just say I have a good feeling about it.

Yes, so, back to the cake.  Right.  This chocolate cake uses buttermilk for the fat content, which leaves it dense and chewy - sort of brownie like.  The chocolate is a deep, sinful flavor - using 8 ounces of solid chocolate AND an entire can of chocolate syrup.  To finish this off, I used a simple powdered sugar glaze along with pepermint flavored rock candy and sparkling sugar for the garnish. 

Go make one!  Do it!  And email me afterward with all the details!

Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake
From:  Southern Living, December 2007
(Note:  This uses a 14 cup bundt cake pan, which is larger than a lot of pans out there.  If you have a 12 cup pan, remove 2 cups of batter before filling the pan and make cupcakes for the kids, or a one layer 9″ round.  Bake this for about 25-20 minutes at 325 degrees.)

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 can chocolate syrup (16 oz.)
1 cup butter, soft
2 cups white sugar
4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all- purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt chocolate in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring until smooth.  Mix in chocolate syrup.

Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy.  Continue beating, gradually adding sugar, until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. 

Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.  Stir in vanilla and melted chocolate just until blended.

Don’t forget to lick the spoon.

Pour batter into a 14 cup bundt pan prepared with Professional Style Pan Release .
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.  A long wodden pick inserted in the center should come out clean when it is done. 
Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes, or until completely cool.

Garnish with powdered sugar glaze and crushed rock candy, if desired.

Oh! I almost fahgaht! I wanted to tell you that if you’re trying to figure out what to do with the leftover buttermilk, you could try making a batch of buttermilk biscuits from this post. Buttermilk also makes awesome pancakes!!