Seven Layer Bars

 

2011 is not over just yet which means I still have time to cross things off my 2011 To-Bake List. I recently accomplished one of those feats by making seven layer bars, which happens to be number one on my list. I have been wanting to make these bars forever but because I know it is so simple, I always push it aside to bake something else. During this time of the year, I have many engagements to attend so I end up baking up the wazoo. Unfortunately, I only have so much  time to dedicate for baking so I began thinking about simple, quick, yet satisfying baked goods. This is when I decided to give the seven layer bars a try because I knew it was simple, quick, and satisfying for the taste buds.

Seven layer bars is very descriptive to what this baked good is - layers of ingredients, seven to be exact. While this recipe does not looking amazing and enticing on paper, it is probably be one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. Additionally, seven layer bars is a popular dessert around the holidays. The condensed milk gets browned in the oven and it adds another layer of flavor which makes these bars addicting, seriously addicting. Sometimes the best things are the simple things. Remember that this holiday season! Peace.

Peppermint Chocolate Chewies

I have truly enjoyed the holiday season this year. For the first time, I'm making the holidays to be less about me and more about the people I love and people in need. I have spent countless hours and dollars to make a difference and I have absolutely loved every minute and penny I donated.

 

While the holiday season is about giving, I had to do a little something for myself so I co-hosted my first cookie exchange which turned out to be a complete success. I have been to many cookie exchanges in my life where I usually make a cookie I have never made or have made a thousand times before. Being in a festive mood this year, I wanted to make a cookie that reflected the holidays. After blog browsing, I decided to make a variation of a recipe I found where Oreos are dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy. From this inspiration, I came up with the Chocolate Peppermint Chewies.

Chocolate Perppermint Chewies are a chewy chocolate cookie dipped in white chocolate and topped with crushed peppermint. The chocolate cookie base is relatively healthy without compromising the taste of a delectable cookie. Don't get me wrong, these are not "healthy" cookies because of the high sugar content but is healthier than most cookies found during this time of the year. The cookie looks like a complex cookie but is fairly simple to make. In the end, I had a festive holiday cookie that was popular amongst the cookie eaters. Baking adventure = success. If you want a festive holiday cookie, give this cookie recipe a try! Something to try next time: place a peppermint Hersheys kiss in the center...oh that would be good!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Torte

The name of this recipe makes it seem fancier than it really is. While it is entitled torte, it is essentially a chocolate chip cookie in the shape of cake. Don't get me wrong though, this cookie torte is more than just your standard chocolate chip cookie. Because of its shape, the cookie has the taste of a perfectly golden brown chocolate cookie that is crunchy on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside. That's my idea of perfect chocolate chip cookie!

The torte recipe is slightly different from most chocolate chip cookie recipes because instead of a 2:1 flour to butter ratio, it is 1:1. This means there is a higher proportion of butter in this recipe but that just means a tastier cookie! While the torte is elegant and tasty, it is super easy to make. The preparation of the dough took me no more than ten minutes because it just required mixing all the ingredients in a food processor. It seriously couldn't be any simpler! After mixing all the ingredients, I flatten the dough in a 8 inch round cake pan, threw it in the oven, and waited for my nose to tell me when the torte was ready.

This is a great homemade dessert to make on a weeknight. After a long day of work, the last thing we want to tackle is a homemade dessert for dinner. Now you have a go to recipe. Why is it good? The food processor does all the work, the butter doesn't need to be at room temperature (no advance preparation needed), and there's no need to shape the dough. Top a slice of torte with some vanilla ice cream and you have rewarded yourself with a delicious dessert after a long day of work!

Skinny Chocolate Cupcakes with Pumpkin

 

Yes, it’s that time of year again: pumpkin season! With the holidays right around the corner, we are bound to see pumpkin recipe after pumpkin recipe. That’s all fine and dandy for the pumpkin lovers out there but for people like myself, it gets a little boring. Lately, I’ve been intrigued by this orange ingredient (I don’t know why) and even contemplated making pumpkin spice muffins. As I was browsing for pumpkin recipe, I found one for chocolate cupcakes that substitutes pumpkin puree in place of oil and eggs from Gina's Skinny Recipes. The best part of the recipe is that I shouldn’t be able to taste the pumpkin. This was quite intriguing, especially to someone like me so I had to try it. So, if you are looking for a pumpkin flavored recipe, this is not the recipe to try! However, if you're like for a simple chocolate cupcake that is lighter in fat and calories without compromising flavor or texture, you are at the right place!

When I bought the pumpkin puree, I checked out the nutrition label to find pumpkin to be nutritional and healthy. It has no fat, few calories, and a significant amount of fiber. I was beginning to like pumpkin more by the second.

I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of this recipe. The cupcakes were indeed moist, delicious, and chocolately. As much as I tried to taste the pumpkin, I could not. My family were even surprised about how well the cupcakes turned out. They were hesitant at first to try the cupcakes because they saw the can of pumpkin puree but were caught off guard by the fact it tasted like a chocolate cupcake. I made the cupcakes into with the mini cupcake tins instead of the standard size which made it okay for me to eat 2...or 3...or 4...

With the holiday season coming up, this is a great recipe to spare ya some holiday calories...and it's festive because of the addition of pumpkin. Of course, no one has to know that except for us! Check out the nutrition facts:

Servings: 24 • Serving Size: 1 cupcake • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 2 pts
Calories: 93.8 • Fat: 2.3 g • Protein: 1.1 g • Carb: 17.5 g • Fiber: 1.4 g • Sugar: 9.9
Sodium: 281.8
(from skinnytaste.com)

Dirt 'n Worm Cupcakes

Jesus - I dedicate this post to you! I know how much you like pudding :)

Here is another cute cupcake for you! I'm sure we can all reminisce on a favorite childhood dessert: dirt and worms. This traditional dessert is made with chocolate pudding with a layer of crushed chocolate cookies (I used Oreos) and a gummy worm. The result? A worm playing in the dirt! Sounds disgusting but luckily it tastes nowhere close to dirt (not that I would know).

Now, we all know how much I love cupcakes so I pondered how I can turn this childhood memory into a cupcake. Originally, I thought of making standard yellow cupcakes, topped with chocolate frosting, crushed chocolate cookies, and a gummy worm. While this cupcake would still do its name justice, the cupcake was missing a crucial element...the pudding! Then it hit me faster than a ball out a ballpark, I should add a pudding filling to the cupcakes! Something like this:

 

Yep, the cupcakes tasted just as good or better than the pictures. Learn how to make these cupcakes! 

Chocolate Pot de Creme

I was inspired to make pot de creme at lunch one day with a friend. We opted to share a dessert and decided on pot de creme - the only option I've never tried. I've heard of it but was curious about the big fuss. I'd say it was one of the best decision I've made in my life. As we dissected the dessert, I determined  it tasted like a cross between an airy cake and a pudding. It was delicious and I quickly went home to begin researching how to make my own pot de creme!




Pot de creme is a French dessert that translate to pot of cream. It is a simple dessert, yet appears to be fancy. I like to make pot de creme seem like one of those desserts that took lots of work to make but really, it's easier than making cake. You will fool whoever you make this for but as long as they think you put a lot of time into it, that's all that really matters. We'll keep it between us - I won't tell if you won't!

If you have never heard of pot de creme, think of it as a hybrid of a pudding and custard. Yes, here's another hybrid recipe for you. Check out a hybrid of a flourless chocolate cake and a chocolate souffle with my Skinny Fallen Chocolate Mousse Cake. Pudding is typically made over the stove top and thickened with cornstarch. Pot de creme is richer than pudding because it only uses the egg yolks but the end product has the texture comparable to pudding. Pot de creme is similar to custard because the way it is cooked - in ramekins and in water bath to ensure a smooth textured dessert. I am not too fond of pudding or custard but when create a baby amongst the two, you get the best of both worlds. Here's to having it all!

Skinny Fallen Chocolate Mousse Cake

 

Yes, I said skinny! I might be a bit of a health freak but I didn't name the cake, Mrs. Field did! I've mentioned this in a previous post  but Mrs. Field's cookbook is one of my prized possession and was the greatest find at a thrift shop ever. I can guarantee a quality baked good every time I follow one of her recipes and this was no exceptions. My dad's birthday was coming up and I decided to make him a chocolate cake because he loves chocolate. However, this was not an easy task considering my dad likes to eat healthy as well - now you know where I get my health obsession from! He was the one who always tried to make me cut the fat and sugar in my baked goods. I typically rolled me eyes and shook my head like I was seriously considering his request but never took him seriously...until I started doing it on my own. It's funny how we end up more like our parents as we get older. Now he thoroughly enjoys everything I make which makes me happy. We are both the crazy health nuts in our family!

I have always been scared and frustrated with recipes that requires whipped egg whites but practice makes perfect, right? I have recently gotten this technique down and noticed that I only make cakes with whipped egg whites. Forgot those dense, butter-latent cakes! The body of this cake comes from the egg whites to give the cake volume, similar to a souffle. This recipe uses minimal flour and uses almonds to replace some of the flour that would typically be used in a cake recipe. Most of the chocolate flavor comes from the unsweetened cocoa so the amount of sugar is lower than other chocolate cake recipes. When it comes to the "sweet chocolate" this recipe called for, it really doesn't matter what type of chocolate you use. If you want a sweeter cake, milk chocolate and semisweet are good. If you like a richer, less sweet cake, dark chocolate (anything 60% and higher) are good choices.

So what is a fallen chocolate mousse cake exactly? I'm still trying to figure this out myself but I have my own theory. It's a cross between a souffle and a flourless chocolate cake. Other blogs call this hybrid a fallen souffle but I'm sticking with fallen mousse cake. Like I said earlier, the egg whites create volume in the cake like a souffle but this cake is intended to completely cool before serving, causing it to fall, like a flourless chocolate cake. When this happens, the cake condenses and the texture of the cake is comparable to a mousse, hence the name. So while this taste like a delicious chocolate cake, it is moist and reminiscent of a mousse. Although this chocolate cake requires more work than your typical one bowl chocolate cake, it is most definitely worth it!

Oops, only one bite left!