Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/3 cups water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside.
In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder; set aside. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Beat in mayonnaise at low speed until blended. Alternately beat in flour mixture with water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on wire racks. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Frost, if desired, or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Source: Courtesy of Hellman’s Mayonnaise

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/chow-town/article61643617.html#storylink=cpy

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

6 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 TB grated lemon zest
2 TB lemon juice
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and 1/2 cup sugar until very stiff.  In a separate bowl, cream butter with remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks, one at a time.  Beat in zest and juice.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a smaller bowl.  Add alternately with sour cream to butter mixture.  Stir until smooth and creamy.  Thoroughly fold beaten egg whites into batter.

Bake in greased and floured 10 or 12 cup tube pan at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until cake tests as done.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes; invert on wire rack or serving platter to complete cooling.

Make a glaze with powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice, and glaze cake liberally.

This is really wonderful!

Cappuccino Chip Cookies

The combination of espresso, chocolate, cinnamon and white chocolate in this cookie is very reminiscent of a great cup of cappuccino. I made these for Faraday's Coffee Fest in October, 2013 and they were a huge hit!

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, very soft
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 cups mini chocolate chips
1 cup cinnamon mini-chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Place the very soft butter into a medium-large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla, and stir well. Add the egg and stir until well blended. Add the baking soda and flour, mixing until blended. Stir in the chips and chunks. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto lightly greased, light-colored (or parchment-lined) baking sheets.

Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 10 to 14 minutes, until their bottoms and edges are lightly browned; the tops shouldn't darken. Remove them from the oven, let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then slide them onto a rack to cool completely. Yield: 45 cookies.

Note: For the cinnamon chips, I used King Arthur's Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites.  Contrary to their instructions, I did NOTsoak them before using- I tried this and they turned to mush.

This recipe adapted from the Baker's Catalog, Spring, 2005.

Anise Biscotti

These are wonderful, especially with tea.  Adapted from a recipe in "Reader's Digest Cookies".

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2-2 tsp anise extract
2/3 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
grated zest of 2 lemons (use a Microplane for very fine zest)
3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set out a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking liner.  Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat the sugar and butter in the bowl of a mixer at high speed until creamy.  Add lemon zest, eggs and anise extract, beating until just blended.  Mix in the dry ingredients to form a stiff dough.

Divide the dough in half and form into two loafs, about 11" long, 3" wide and 1 1/2" high.  Place the loafs three inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until firm to the touch.  (Loafs should be completely cooked in the center for best results.)  Transfer to a cutting board to cool for 15 minutes.  

Cut on the diagonal into 1" slices. Arrange the slices cut-side-up on two cookie sheets and bake for 5-7 minutes more, until golden and toasted.  Transfer to racks to cool. 

Makes 25-30 cookies.  These keep well in a sealed container for up to 7 days.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 cup sour cream
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar and 1 T cinnamon mixed together for rolling*

1.Cream the butter and sugar until soft about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until each is incorporated.

2.In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar and nutmeg.

3.Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture in the additions. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally.

4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar. Place muffin into muffin tin. Depending on the size of your tins, you should get about 12 to 14 muffins. Bake them for approx. 20-22 minutes in a 350F oven or until they are golden brown.

 

NOTE:  I have no idea how this will turn out, but the thought of rolling blobs of muffin batter in cinnamon sugar delights me, for some reason.  As always, I'll update when I try making them. 

Homemade Brownie Mix

Never buy boxed brownie mix again! Follow the recipe below and make brownies for approximately .30 a mix!

So simple, so easy. Not just frugal, but cuts out the unknown ingredients.

1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Powder.

Put mix in plastic bags or mason jars.  Mark with the date, and use within 6 months- or store in the freezer for a longer shelf life.

When you're ready to bake, add:

2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla.

Mix until combined- may still be a little lumpy.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.

This is a Pampered Chef recipe.  I haven't tried it yet, but love the idea- I'll update with comments when I give it a whirl.

Best Ever Light and Fluffy Dinner Rolls

A cousin posted this recipe on Facebook.  It sounded like a simple recipe, so I gave it a whirl... and they were SPECTACULAR.  Huge, light, sweet and fluffy... they really deserve the term "Best Ever". 

4-5 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 pkg dry yeast (I had it in a jar, and used a scant tablespoon.)
1 1/2 cups hot tap water
1 egg
1/3 cup softened butter

Sift together two cups of flour with the sugar, and stir in the yeast.  With mixer on low speed, blend butter into the flour mixture.  Add the hot water, as hot as it will come from the faucet, all at once with the mixer running.  Add the egg and continue mixing. 

Add in the remaining flour to make a soft dough.  The recipe calls for 4 cups, but I added nearly 5 before my dough was the proper consistency. 

Change the mixer beaters for dough hooks, and let the mixer knead the dough for 10 minutes.  Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place into an oiled bowl to rise.  Make sure there's oil spread completely over the dough so it won't dry out while rising.  Cover with damp towel, And let rise in a warm spot until doubled. 

When doubled, punch the dough down.  Pinch off chunks and shape into rolls, placing them loosely into a pan.  Let rise again until they fill the pan. 

Bake at 375° in a greased pan until lightly browned.  After removed from the oven, brush with melted butter to keep soft. 

These may be frozen after baking and reheated to serve.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Makes approximately 4 dozen.

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 3/4 c. sugar, divided
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
2 T. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1½ cups sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin puree and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Chill for two hours or overnight.

Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon for rolling in a shallow bowl. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball, roll the ball in the sugar mixture, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and just beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 5 minutes; using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of the York County (Maine) Coast Star.

Pita Bread

1 tablespoon yeast
1 ¼ cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3- 3 ½ cups flour

Dissolve yeast in water for about 5 minutes in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add salt and 1 ½ cups flour and with the dough hook, beat to make a batter. Add additional flour until a rough, shaggy mass is formed. Knead 8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into six pieces for large pitas or ten for smaller. Form dough into balls, then flatten with a rolling pin into ¼ inch thick discs. Try and keep an even thickness as this is what helps them ‘puff’.  Let rest on the floured surface 30-40 minutes until slightly puffed.

Preheat oven to 425F.
With a large spatula, flip the rounds of dough upside down on to a baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until light golden. Stick around for the first five minutes of baking when the pitas perform their magic and puff up from flat pancakes to proud, four inch high pitas.

These store for up to two days well wrapped or frozen for three weeks.
from underthehighchair.com

Pizza Hut Style Pizza Crust

1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp cornmeal
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Add ingredients to bread machine, according to manufacturer’s settings, and run dough setting. After the machine beeps, roll out the dough. You can roll the dough into two 9×13″ pizzas (great for kid’s lunches!) or into two medium pizzas or a large pizza and an order of breadsticks (as instructed above). Parbake the crust with a drizzle of olive oil on it at 450 degrees for ten minutes. Remove the crust and add sauce and toppings. If making breadsticks, add your breadsticks at this time. Place into the oven for another ten to fifteen minutes or until golden and bubbly. Enjoy!

I believe it originated here.

I don't have a bread machine, so I tried doing it by hand/stand mixer.  I kneaded it for about 5-7 minutes and let rise for an hour, and then punched it down.

NOTE:  Okay, I tried it.  It was... pretty good.  Not great.  I didn't have onion powder, and maybe that lack made it a little underseasoned.  Husband liked it, however, so I'll give it another try soon.  The texture was very good.

Indian Flat Bread

Faraday's runs a Kid's Chef Camp every summer. Today, the kids made this bread, and I couldn't stop eating it, so I had to get the recipe from Food.com... It's REALLY good!

Ingredients
5 cups all-purpose flour ( white or whole wheat)
 2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt 2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 teaspoons herbes de provence (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
olive oil, for frying the bread

Directions
In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir all the ingredients together, making sure that the baking powder is well distributed throughout the flour. Pour the flour mixture into your mixing bowl and slowly add milk to the flour and melted butter, while kneading the dough. You should end up with stiff workable dough that is not sticky. If you end up with wet sticky dough you need to add more flour. If the dough will not hold together then you need more milk.

If you have never made dough before you may find the process of kneading a little daunting. I would suggest trying this at home a few times until you get the hang of it. 

Suggestion: After the dough is ready flatten into rectangular shape and sprinkle some garlic powder and aprox 3 teaspoons herbs de province then rework the dough to incorporate the herbs and spice to the dough.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest 8 hours or overnight. (Hint the longer the dough rest the more the herbs and spice infuse the dough with flavor.).

 Now that your dough is made, you're ready to fry some Indian flat bread.

Take your dough and divide it into small balls. The size of the balls is up to you. Next take the balls and flatten them out into patties.

Try to flatten them so that they are about 1/8 inch thick or like a thick tortilla. This will make the bread cook fast and evenly.

 Heat up some oil in a frying pan and cook them for a few minutes on each side until they turn golden brown and puff up like pancakes.

Don't try to fry bread with margarine or butter because it will burn in the frying pan. I top it with butter while still hot, right out of the pan and sprinkle a little kosher salt and garlic powder on top and eat.  Yuh-hum!

Coconut Praline Cake

My own creation, based on a yellow cake. This came out REALLY well. I used a 9 x 13 pan, but you could easily make this a layer cake.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
4 oz coconut flakes, untoasted (toast the rest of the coconut for topping).

Grease and lightly flour two 8" or 9" round pans or 1 9x13 pan and set aside. Stir together flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl, set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat butter on medium to high speed until well combined. Add sugar and coconut extract; beat until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined. Pour batter into pan(s).

Bake in 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes and then remove from pans and continue to cool thoroughly on wire racks. Cool 9 x 13 cake in pan on wire rack; do not remove from pan.

Frost with:

1/2 cup butter, heated in pan until medium golden brown
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coconut extract

Whip in mixer, adding sugar gradually until texture is right. Frost cake, and then top with toasted coconut.

Mocha Streusel Coffee Cake

Mocha Streusel

2/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

Coffee Cake

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or try coffee extract!)
3 eggs
1 (8 ounce) containers sour cream

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix all streusel ingredients; set aside.

In another small bowl, mix 2 3/4 cups flour, the baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar and butter with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl constantly, until light and fluffy. Beat in almond extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat in sour cream until well blended. Beat in remaining flour mixture.

Spoon half of the batter into pan; spread evenly. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Top with remaining batter and streusel. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool upright in pan on cooling rack 1 hour. Remove cake from pan.

from recipezaar.com

Orange Streusel Coffee Cake

Cake

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup plain yogurt
Streusel Topping

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 orange, zested
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack positioned in the center. Grease an angel food or 9″ cake pan.

2.In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3.In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, incorporating well after each addition. Stir in the orange zest, juice and vanilla extract.

4.Mix the yogurt into the dry goods, then fold the remaining wet goods into the batter.

5.Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and butter to make a crumbly mixture. Pour the batter into the cake pan and top with this mixture.

6.Bake the cake until it has risen, turned golden brown and a toothpick can be inserted into it and come out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before running a knife along the edges and turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Optional: juice the remaining zested orange and mix with confectioner’s sugar to form an icing of pourable consistency. When the cake is cooled, pour over top and allow to harden into a glaze.

Recipe from www.afoodyear.com

Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks, melted)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 beaten eggs
2 1/2 cups flour, not sifted
2 cups crushed cornflakes (just crushed by hand- no need to process)
1 to 2 cups chocolate chips

Melt butter; add the sugars and stir. Add soda, salt, vanilla and beaten eggs. Mix well, then add flour and mix. Add cornflakes and chocolate chips; mix thoroughly.

Form dough into walnut-sized balls with fingers and placed on greased cookie sheet. Press down slightly with a floured or greased spatula.

Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. The rack is important- it makes them crisp.

Yields 6-8 dozen, depending on size.

This recipe was in a book I read recently- a mystery by Joanne Fluke. Fun books, and the recipes look great.

Hermits

After searching all my New England cookbooks, I found this in a 20-year old Ogunquit Women's Club book. If this isn't authentic, I don't know what is. I'm going to try it and will post an update when I do.

2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups less 2 rounded tablespoons sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
(or substitute 1/2 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger)
1 cup raisins

Beat eggs. Add oil, molasses and sugar; beat well. Sift flour with soda, salt and spices. Gradually stir into molasses mixture. Stir in raisins. Spread this stiff batter onto a greased 17 x 11 baking pan with 1/2" rim. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into squares while warm. Makes about 3 dozen.

Spring Biscotti

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 egg white
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4 cups pistachio nuts

In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, orange zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually blend into the creamed mixture using a wooden spoon. Stir in the white chocolate, dried cranberries, and pistachios. Cover, and chill for 30 minutes, or until dough is no longer sticky.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface, and divide into halves. Form each half into a flattish log about 12 inches long by 3 inches wide. Arrange logs at least 3 inches apart on baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until pale gold. Allow logs to cool on the baking sheet until cool enough to handle. On a cutting board, cut logs crosswise on a diagonal into 1 inch thick slices. Arrange on baking sheet.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until golden. Transfer biscotti to wire racks, and cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

from allrecipes.com

America's Test Kitchen Whoopie Pies

(serves 12, if you make big whoopie pies.) (Trying so hard not to make a "Make Big Whoopie" joke.)

Cookies:

4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa (preferably Dutch processed)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 sticks butter, softened but still cool
2 large eggs, room temp
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups buttermilk

Filling:

3 sticks butter, softened but still cool
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
5 cups marshmallow creme


Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer...about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Pour some of it into the butter/sugar mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Drop the batter onto sheet pans covered in parchment paper or with a silpat. Give the cookies plenty of room to spread. You may want to flatten them slightly so you don't end up with "whoopie balls".

Bake for about 7 minutes, rotate the pan in the oven and bake for 7 minutes more OR until the cookies "spring bag" when lightly pressed with your finger.


For the filling, beat the softened butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and salt. Beat in the marshmallow creme. Mix well. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Dollop on a cookie, take another cookie on top and press together until the filling spreads to the edges. Eat!

Try to match up the cookies for size so you have less "leakage" of the filling around the edges. Using a cookie scoop will help you get equal portions.

New Orleans Bourbon Bread Pudding

Made this for Jeff and Tara's CajunFest. I made it the day before and let it set in the refrigerator overnight. I didn't whip the cream until it was stiff; rather, I made it more like a sauce and added a little bourbon for flavor and a dash of salt. It was really good!

1 teaspoon unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup bourbon
2 cups half-and-half
8 slices day-old French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 recipe Spiced Cream, recipe follows
Sprigs fresh mint
Shaker confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 6-cup (9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 3/4-inch) loaf pan with butter. Whisk the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and bourbon together in a large mixing bowl until very smooth. Add the half-and-half and mix well. Add the bread and raisins, and let the mixture sit for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until the pudding is set in the center, about 55 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. To serve, cut the pudding into 1-inch thick slices. Lay each slice in the center of each serving plate. Spoon some of the Bourbon Sauce over the pudding. Top with the spiced cream. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and confectioners' sugar.


Spiced Cream:

1 quart heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
A good glug of bourbon
Dash of salt

Beat the cream with an electric mixer on high speed in a large mixing bowl for about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and beat again until the mixture thickens and forms stiff peaks, another 1 to 2 minutes. (Note: like I said above, I only lightly whipped the cream.)

Recipe adapted from Emeril's Creole Christmas Cookbook

Thin Mints

Not quite Girl Scout, but close enough!

From the Consumerist.

1/2 cup of butter (softened)
1/4 tsp of salt
1 cup of white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp of mint extract
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

3 squares of semisweet chocolate (chopped)
1/4 cup of butter

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the sugar and softened butter until the mixture is creamy, then beat in the egg and add the mint extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.

Refrigerate the dough for about five hours. Roll out the dough until it's 1/4 of an inch thick. Use a round cookie-cutter to form the cookies, then toss them in the oven for about 12 minutes. When the cookies are baked, melt 1/4 of a cup of butter (or about half of a stick) together with the chocolate in the microwave or on the stovetop. Dip the cookies in the melted mixture and set them on wax paper until the chocolate hardens.

This recipe makes about four dozen cookies.