Recipes

Recipes

Cookies & Cream Puffs

Over the last few months, I’ve been working on expanding my kitchen skills. Because of my busy work and blog schedule, I’ve turned to the internet for options I can do on my own time.

Cookies & Cream Puffs

First up? Salted TV. Salted is a subscription service that offers a wide range of cooking classes that range from how to make the perfect bone marrow, to mastering the croissant and everything in between. I loved this option but there were so many videos I quickly got overwhelmed by the choice, did a little of a bunch of them and then forgot I had subscribed.

Cookies & Cream Puffs

Next up was YouTube. I know, it sounds silly but I’ve actually gotten some great food tips from YouTube. Did you know that you can make fresh pasta dough in a food processor without getting your hands dirty? Neither did I until last week but it worked so well! The videos are free to watch (a nice change) but the downside of course is that anyone can add videos so there’s no telling how qualified your instructor really is.

Cookies & Cream Puffs

Unlike Salted TV, on Craftsy you buy one class at a time but each class is so in depth that it’s worth it. Earlier this month, I took a pâte à choux class. Eclairs have always been my favorite so I thought that if I could master pâte à choux I could make them for myself all the time. Dangerous right?

Cookies & Cream Puffs

As with all things, I started small with cream puffs to get a handle on pâte à choux. Even though they are made from the same dough, in my mind the their smaller shape made them easier to master.

While not overly challenging, pâte à choux was time consuming and took an attention to detail. If your dough gets too wet there’s no fix – you have to toss it and start over.

If you get the cream puffs done and have the energy to make a pastry cream filling, more power to you. I got so antsy to eat these that I went straight for the ice cream in my freezer to use as filling.

Ingredients

  • ¼ Cup (150g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ Cup (125ml) water
  • ½ Cup (125ml) milk
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 Large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 container of cookies and cream ice cream
  • Chocolate sauce

 

Recipe

  • Preheat oven to 375 F
  • Line two sheet pans with a non stick baking sheet and fit a large pastry bag with a large open plain tip and set both aside
  • In a 2-quart, heavy saucepan, combine the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter
  • Stir over low heat until the sugar, salt and butter have completely melted
  • Turn the burner to high and let the mixture briefly come to a rolling boil.
  • Take the pan from the heat and add the flour
  • Using a large wooden spoon, stir the mixture vigorously until smooth and there are no lumps of
Read More
Recipes

Cookie Dough Footballs

You may not love football, but you will definitely love these chocolate-dipped cookie dough footballs.

Cookie Dough Footballs

Growing up abroad, I never really understood the whole football thing. I watched my first Super Bowl my senior year in college, but that was only because my roommates hosted a viewing party. I made it through about the first quarter before I moved to a different room to watch The Proposal with a couple other football novices. Football < Ryan Reynolds

Cookie Dough Footballs

I’ve come a long way since then. In fact, I’ve watched countless football games and even have Red Zone. Sure I didn’t know what it was until Colin insisted we needed it but now that I have it, I make the most of it.

Cookie Dough Footballs

A few years ago, I attempted to make little chocolate cupcakes look like footballs. They failed miserably but I loved the concept. My icing skills haven’t improved much since then but these are much easier – I promise!

Cookie Dough Footballs

If you’re heading to (or hosting!) a Super Bowl party, make these easy mini footballs and impress everyone. People love cookie dough so why not take the eggless version, dip it in chocolate and decorate it on theme!

Ingredients

  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ Cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ Cup (50g) brown sugar
  • ¼ Cup applesauce
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ Cup (218g) flour
  • ½ Teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 Cup mini chocolate chips
  • 12 Ounces of semi sweet chocolate
  • 1 Tube of white decorating icing (I had a 4.2 ounce one on hand but you can definitely get away with a smaller tube)

Recipe

  • Cream together butter, sugars, applesauce and vanilla extract in a large bowl
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt
  • Set mixer to low and mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients
  • Mix in chocolate chips
  • Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball and then use clean hands to form into the shape of a football
  • Refrigerate until the chocolate is ready to dip
  • While the balls are in the fridge, melt the chocolate over a double boiler
  • Place the cookie dough footballs one at a time on a fork and dip in the chocolate before placing back on a cooling rack
  • Once all the footballs are covered in chocolate, return to the fridge until hard, about 30 minutes
  • Cut the tip of your decorating icing tube and add a small piping tip
  • Decorate footballs as you see fit
  • Refrigerate until ready to enjoy
Read More
Recipes

PB & Berry Breakfast Bowl

I’m coming up on my 5 year anniversary of living in Arlington, so I figured I might as well take this opportunity to talk about a few of my favorite neighborhood spots. First up? South Block.

PB & Berry Breakfast Bowl

When it first opened back in 2011, South Block was a burrito and smoothie joint. As the neighborhood shifted and established itself as a health and fitness hub in Arlington, so did South Block’s menu. Today, South Block serves healthy smoothies, acai bowls and wheatgrass shots to its lululemon-clad clientele and its busiest times are when the spin, yoga and barre studios around the block let out classes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely a fan of the shift and have remained a loyal customer over the last four and a half years. I mean, I am a lulu-wearing yoga/spin/barre lover after all.

PB & Berry Breakfast Bowl

One of the upsides of the South Block’s menu being focused on health is that I don’t feel badly about dropping $9 on a bowl of what tastes like a mix between a smoothie and melted ice cream. Well, less badly than when I spend $9 on gelato from Dolcezza when I know I have ice cream at home. I’ll save that story for another time.

PB & Berry Breakfast Bowl

Since my Instagram feed has been littered with beautiful smoothie bowls of late, I thought I would join in and try to recreate one of my favorite South Block creations: the PB&J bowl (formerly known as the purple smile smoothie).

Berries, banana and peanut butter are such classic smoothie ingredients but acai had me a little skeptical. A quick Google search filled me on the basics (South American fruit similar to the baby a grape and blueberry might produce) but the reviews I read online seemed unsure as to whether the health benefits everyone applauds the acai berry for having are actually that incredible. Is it a superfood? Likely. Are there other better superfoods to be had? Maybe. Is it a yummy addition to my morning breakfast bowl that makes me feel good? Absolutely.

Ingredients

  • 1 Banana
  • 1 Cup frozen strawberries
  • ½ Cup blueberries
  • ½ Cup peanut butter
  • ⅓ Cup almond milk
  • 2 Teaspoons freeze dried acai
  • Optional toppings: Banana slices, almond slices, blueberries

Recipe

  • Blend all the smoothie ingredients together until just blended
  • Pour into bowl and top with optional toppings or enjoy as is
Read More
Recipes

Cinnamon Chocolate Truffles

Have you heard that Valentine’s Day is around the corner?

For years, it was always just me, Ben and Jerry on February 14th. And then I realized that this Hallmark holiday is the perfect excuse to eat decadent chocolate and pink treats. I won’t bother filling you in on how that that took because I’m embarrassed by all the years I wasted by not maximizing my chocolate intake.

Cinnamon Chocolate Truffles

This year, I’m excited to share some of my favorite Valentine’s Day treats, starting with these cinnamon chocolate truffles!

Cinnamon Chocolate Truffles

According to Match.com, more than 25% of adults would prefer to eat dinner at home as opposed to going out for Valentine’s Day. I don’t know about your plans but I’m definitely all about making a nice dinner at home. Of course, the best part of Valentine’s Day dinner is dessert.

As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing quite as decadent as chocolate truffles. I like mine small enough to enjoy in one or two bites – just the right amount of chocolate. Side note – I make them small so I can eat more than one and be guilt-free.

Cinnamon Chocolate Truffles
Cinnamon Chocolate Truffles

This recipe is flexible in that, cinnamon lovers can be generous in measuring out the ground cinnamon but people who just want a hint of cinnamon can lower it to 1 tablespoon.

Cinnamon Chocolate Truffles

Truffle Ingredients

  • 10 Ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • ¾ Cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Topping Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 Teaspoon cinnamon
  • Cinnamon Imperials (optional)

Recipe

  • Place chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside (If it is in bar form, break apart with your hands)
  • Heat the heavy cream over medium heat on the stove top until it starts to simmer
  • Pour over chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes
  • Stir chocolate mixture until completely melted
  • Once completely smooth, mix in the ground cinnamon
  • Place in fridge until hard – about 2 hours
  • Once chocolate has hardened, remove from fridge and using a spoon or clean hands, form into 1 inch balls
  • In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients
  • Roll balls in topping and top each with a cinnamon imperial
  • Refrigerate until ready to enjoy
Read More
Recipes

Mary’s Flourless Chocolate Cake

Crowded restaurants, slow service and uncomfortable PDA from the tables on either side of me are not things I enjoy so I’ll do be dinner at home on the 14th. Well, since I’m flying home that afternoon from a weekend trip up north, my dinner will realistically end up being Chinese take out topped off with some version of chocolate for dessert. I’m still finalizing the menu but this cake is definitely on the short list.

Mary’s Flourless Chocolate Cake

I talk a lot about recipes my mother has passed down because that’s the food I enjoyed most during my formative years. It’s only natural then that the flavors my mother cooked for me me have shaped what I like and don’t like about food today.

Mary’s Flourless Chocolate Cake

My mother’s flourless chocolate cake was always a staple for my family. Easy to make, it’s a delectable treat for every occasion ranging from afternoon tea to fancy Valentine’s Day dinner. See what I did there, I made this delicious chocolate dessert from my childhood relevant for next week’s ‘holiday’. You’re welcome.

Mary’s Flourless Chocolate Cake

I can’t say enough good things about this fudgey cake. I like to cover mine with powdered sugar, because why not, but ice cream, fresh whipped cream and berries are also delicious additions.

What are your favorite desserts from your childhood? Do you still make them today?

Ingredients

  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
  • 8 Ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 6 Large eggs, separated
  • 1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Recipe

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the center
  • Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside
  • Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until completely melted, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly
  • Whisk in egg yolks
  • In a large bowl, beat egg whites on high until soft peaks form, about 8 minutes
  • Gradually add granulated sugar, and continue beating until glossy stiff peaks form, about another 4 minutes.Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture; then gently fold in remaining egg whites
  • Pour batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula
  • Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and is set in the center, 45 to 50 minutes
  • Cool completely on a wire rack; remove sides of pan
  • Serve at room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar
Read More
Recipes

Peppermint Red Velvet Kiss Cookies

When it comes to festive baking, there are two trains of thought. One is all about festive flavors: eggnog, peppermint and gingerbread. The other, is all about the colors, baking and icing in shades of green and red. If like me you can’t decide between flavors or colors, rest assured because these cookies utilize both!

 

Last Saturday, I attended a cookie exchange party hosted by my friend Katie. Can you believe that this was my first one? I wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew enough about holiday gatherings to anticipate a lot of sugar cookies and gingerbread. Whatever I was going to make, it was going to have to stand out. I have a baking reputation to uphold so I couldn’t show up with just anything. I was definitely a little nervous showing up with my cookies (as I am anytime I bake something for an event – do other people get that too?) but these kiss cookies were a big hit so I didn’t have much to worry about

 

Peppermint is my go-to holiday flavor and since I had some candy cane kisses lying around I was inspired to go with the red and white theme! Side note: If you haven’t tried candy cane kisses, finish reading this post and then head straight to the nearest CVS to grab a bag of them. You’ll thank me later.

 

I always turn to red velvet around Valentine’s Day (because red, obviously) but they work just as well during the holidays as part of candy cane (ish) cookie! Add a little peppermint extract and voila, you’ve got a festive and delicious treat on your hands.

 

Some of you may be thinking at this point “Charlotte, you’ve been talking a big game about these kisses but we don’t even see them.” Fair point. Let me explain. Over the years, I’ve realized that eating cookies with kiss candies in them is an awkward experience. My solution? Adding the kisses to the cookies while the cookies are still very warm so I can melt them down and make them easier to eat! Genius right? If you want to leave the kisses intact, stick the cookies in the fridge for a few minutes after adding the candies to prevent melting.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (187g) flour
  • 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (150g) brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 tablespoon red food coloring
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3 dozen Hershey’s candy cane Kisses

Recipe (Adapted from a recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction)

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Once lighter in color, mix in the egg, followed by the milk, the peppermint extract and the
Read More
Recipes

RED WINE EGGLESS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Okay wine lovers, let’s talk about the best way to use up the last drop in your red wine bottle: red wine eggless chocolate mousse!

 

It’s no secret that I’m a BIG fan of chocolate mousse. And look, I know that there is debate around whether something this simple is even mousse at all. The purists will insist that it isn’t but honestly, sometimes it’s okay to take a little shortcut when it tastes this good. If you’d be more comfortable calling it a red wine whipped chocolate treat, you do that but I’m gonna categorize this one as an ‘eggless chocolate mousse’.

Red-Wine-Eggless-Chocolate-Mousse

These past few weeks, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time on my couch. This is largely due to the fact that all the Bachelor Nation shows are my guilty pleasure. That being said, even I’m starting to struggle with 2 hours of Arie’s season of the Bachelor on Monday followed by 2 hours on Tuesday and 2 hours on Thursday of Bachelor Winter Games. It’s probably a good thing that all of these shows are wrapping up soon so I can go back to watching re-runs of The Office.

Is there anything more perfect that indulging in chocolate and wine while watching The Bachelor? Nope! I taste-tested a few varieties of this red wine eggless chocolate mousse so that I could have the perfect version ready to go for a week of watching people try to find on love on reality TV. And also the real Olympics. I’ll never be done watching those.

Red-Wine-Eggless-Chocolate-Mousse

I don’t usually drink red wine but I’ll make exceptions if it’s the ‘89 Chateau Margaux that my dad bought to celebrate my birthday, or if it’s in chocolate. We haven’t gotten into the birth wine yet so for now i’ll settle for chocolate! If you’ve got a partial bottle that is open or if you are looking for an excuse to open up a new bottle, this is it. I went with a pinot noir but you can swap in your favorite red as long as it isn’t too sweet!

Red-Wine-Eggless-Chocolate-Mousse

Because this eggless chocolate mousse only has three ingredients, it is super easy to make! Two things you’ll want to think about while making it to ensure a successful mousse:

  • Let the chocolate and wine mixture cool before adding in the whipped cream. If it’s too hot, it will melt the cream and the wonderful, airy whipped cream you just made will fall flat. One of the ways you can cool it down is to transfer it to a bowl that isn’t the metal one you used in the double boiler. Make the whipped cream once the red wine and chocolate mixture is sitting on the counter in the new bowl. That should allow enough time for it to cool.
  • Once you start to fold the heavy cream into the chocolate mixture, start by folding in ¼ of it, then follow with the rest. As you fold, gently form a
Read More
Recipes

CHEESECAKE-STUFFED MINT OREOS

I know I’m supposed to love all of my recipes equally but these cheesecake-stuffed mint Oreos are actually one of my all time favorites.

I flew to New York at 6am last Friday, which completely threw off my daily life (and blog) routine. And y’all know how important my routine is to me. Anyone else have those days where their to-do list is set but when it comes to actually ticking boxes and completing items it seems to only get longer while the days get shorter? Yeah, that was me last Monday – Thursday.

Needless to say this post didn’t go up when it was supposed to but not to worry, these cheesecake-stuffed mint Oreos were at least able to make the trip with me.

I was visiting my youngest brother this past weekend and he LOVES Oreos so I knew that whatever I brought had to be something featuring his favorite cookie. He also loves mint so these were a no-brained.

If the photos aren’t enough of a hint, let me warn you that these stuffed Oreos are huge. I like to store them in the fridge because of the cream cheese but you’ll want to let them soften up a little by taking them out of the fridge before you bite into them. That thick layer of chocolate will be tough to break.

Ready to dig into these sweet and refreshing treats? The crunchy chocolate exterior and extra creamy minty center are the perfect pairing. It’s exactly what your day needed.

CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

1 package of Mint Oreos
4 ounces of cream cheese
1 ½ cups of icing sugar
3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Pulse 5 Oreos in a food processor until fine. Add in the cream cheese, icing sugar and the insides of 10 Oreos (carefully separate the tops from the bottoms, save the cookie parts for later) pulse to combine. Once combined, cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

When ready to stuff the Oreos, take one tablespoon of cream cheese filling and roll it into a ball. Place on one cookie and press second cookie gently on top to secure it. Repeat until all the cookies are filled.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place the semi sweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for about two minutes, or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Dip the now stuffed Oreos into the chocolate to cover the entire cookie in chocolate. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Once done, refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has set.…

Read More
Recipes

Vegan Banana Coconut Semifreddo

Creamy tropical flavors in every bite make this vegan banana coconut semifreddo a must-make for your next gathering!

‘Vegan’ isn’t a word that I often use to describe my recipes. Almost all of my recipes contain eggs, butter or cream so when I found a way to make a banana-based semifreddo instead of custard-based ice cream, I was all about it!

What is semifreddo?

‘Semifreddo’ quite literally translates from Italian to ‘semi-frozen’. It is usually a custard dessert but in our case, we skipped the sugar, eggs and cream without losing that creamy, light texture that semifreddos are known for.

This dessert is great because it freezes well enough to hold it’s distinct shape, but is still creamy enough to slice! Plus I can top it with textured like toasted, crispy coconut flakes. In fact, make that a must. This must be topped with crispy coconut flakes for a maximum play of flavors.

Vegan Banana Coconut Semifreddo

Do you need any special tools?

That’s the best part of this – no special tools needed to make a batch of this vegan banana coconut semifreddo. Use any sort of bread pan, just make sure to line it with plastic wrap so that it’s easy to take out when you are ready to serve it.

 

How to make vegan banana coconut semifreddo?

Slice and freeze bananas a day before you want to start making the semifreddo. This is important because if they aren’t frozen, you won’t get that cold, smooth and creamy texture when you pulse them.
Once frozen, pulse the bananas in a food processor until creamy. Add in the sweetened condensed milk. Transfer to a plastic-wrapped bread pan and freeze until ready to serve.

 

What pairs well with this semifreddo?

I like to top mine with fresh banana slices and large spoonfuls of my favorite magic shell sauce!

 

Nutrition

Calories: 1100 cal
Fat: 11 g
Carbs: 237 g
Protein: 22 g

 

Ingredients:

3 frozen bananas
1 can (7.4oz) sweetened condensed coconut milk
1/4 cup magic shell sauce
1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes

Instructions:

Slice and freeze bananas a day before you want to start making the semifreddo. This is important because if they aren’t frozen, you won’t get that cold, smooth and creamy texture when you pulse them.

Once frozen, pulse the bananas in a food processor until creamy. Add in the sweetened condensed milk. Transfer to a plastic-wrapped bread pan and freeze until ready to serve.…

Read More