Chewy M&M Cookies

If there are any cookies I like after chocolate-flavored ones, it has to be the classic fat and thick M&M Cookies. They taste lovely, and yet cater to the child within you because of the colorful use of M&M's! I first saw these cookies on Delish, which are adapted from the recipe in the beautiful cookbook called The Cookie Bible, with M&M's and ground pecans, but I'm sure you could easily use chocolate-chips or other nuts. Its a great way to bake goodies with kids or have some fun family time together. With hardly any special ingredients needed, these fat and chewy M&M Cookies will surely leave you mentally and gastronomically happy!

Ingredients
Yields about 3 dozen cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup M&M’s, divided
1 cup chopped pecans - coarsely grounded in mixer

Method
Heat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and keep ready.

Stir together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.

Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in 3/4 cup M&Ms and all the chopped nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet, leaving enough space in between to let them expand. Press 5-6 of remaining M&Ms on each cookie before baking.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly, then remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool completely on the wire rack. Eat a few immediately, storing others in air-tight containers for later:) This is a great alternative to brownies, as a picnic dessert too!

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Chocolate-Dipped Madeleines
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

5 Basic Frosting Recipes

As all of you start preparing for Christmas, cookies, cakes and holiday treats become common in every kitchen, and what makes most of these foods really attractive is the icing or frosting that goes on these cakes and cookies to deck them up! I'm not so much of a Frosting person, as I find it really sweet, but festive times call for festive efforts, and I give myself some leeway to dabble with some frosting recipes, trying to create artwork on my holiday desserts! So, to add more color and sweet flavor to your holiday cooking, I thought I'd share with you some Basic Frosting recipes that can be easily modified to suit your style!

Pictured above is one of my first fully-frosted cakes that I decorated in my cake-decorating class. As you can see, it is pretty primitive - it uses Buttercream Frosting in different consistencies. This works best for cakes, along with Chocolate frosting. The Cream cheese frosting is greta for cheese-cakes, cupcakes or smaller desserts, while the Royal icing is preferred for decorating cookies. And now, off to the Frosting Recipes!

Buttercream Frosting
(recipe source - Wilton; Yield - 3 cups)
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

Chocolate Frosting (Eggless)
(recipe source - Epicurious; Yield - 2 cups)
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a work bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter. Sift the sugar and cocoa powder together and gradually add to the butter, beating well after each addition. Add the cream and vanilla and beat until well blended and fluffy.

Cream Cheese Frosting
(recipe source - Kraft Foods; Yield - 2-1/2 cups)
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups (about 16 oz.) powdered sugar, sifted

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sugar gradually, beating until well blended after each addition. Adjust sugar quantity to your liking, and beat until light and fluffy.

Royal Icing
(recipe source - Joy of Baking; Yield - 3 cups)
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.
Note: This is the best icing for decorating cookies

Vegan Chocolate Frosting
(recipe source - About.com; Yield - 2 cups)
2 cups organic powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) dairy-free soy margarine, softened
1/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk or soymilk
3/4 cup unsweetened pure cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium-large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream the powdered sugar with the soy margarine until mixture is thick but well combined. Add the almond milk, cocoa powder and vanilla, and continue to mix until smooth.

These basic frosting recipes can be modified to suit your style and flavor - most of them can be adapted to incorporate your choice of flavor by adding a teaspoonful of essence - coconut, orange, mint, almond are a few nice suggestions, but you can customize these recipes as you choose. Add a tinge of food coloring to make colored frosting, and celebrate the festive holiday season in style! For more tips, here's an article on How to Frost a Cake in 5 Easy Steps!

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Layered Chocolate Cake with Fluffy White Frosting

When it comes to Layered Cakes, a beautiful layered Chocolate Cake enhanced with fluffy white frosting, and drizzled with some chocolate shavings on the top will never go out of style! Though I love original chocolate cakes with deep dark chocolate buttercream frosting, the white and brown in this recipe creates a wonderful contrast, both, in looks and in flavor. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, or a special occasion, Layered Cakes are the best ones ever! Showing off my recent coursework from my cake decoration class, here's a delicious and moist 3-Layered Chocolate Cake with luscious and fluffy White Cream Frosting.

You can use regular White Buttercream Frosting too, but I found this really nice fluffy frosting recipe from a friend that works much better, as it stays soft and fluffy. It compliments the chocolate cake quite well, which is a recipe I adapted from Martha Stewart Living. By using sour cream and hot water, you end up getting a really moist cake with firm texture. This goes to Lorraine for her Best Chocolate Cake challenge!

Ingredients
Good for 3 individual 9" cake layers

For the Cake
16 tbsp (2 sticks) butter , softened
3 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup cocoa powder , sifted
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising flour)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups hot water

For the Fluffy White Icing
5 large egg whites
2 cups icing sugar
2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup packed chocolate shavings - to garnish the top

Method

Making the Cake
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans with butter; line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the paper.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar on medium speed, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and vanilla; add to brown sugar mixture in two batches, mixing on medium speed until incorporated. Scrape bowl thoroughly; beat 1 minute on high speed.

Sift together cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; add to brown sugar mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

Sift flour. Add 1 cup to batter and beat on low speed until just combined. Add 3/4 cup sour cream to batter; beat on low speed until just combined. Alternate adding flour and sour cream to batter until there's none left. With mixer still running on low, slowly add hot water, beating until just combined.

Scrape bowl thoroughly; beat batter on low speed about 20 seconds. Scrape bowl thoroughly once more, then divide batter evenly among the three pans, about 3 cups per pan. Bake 30 to 33 minutes, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan. Remove from oven. Cool layers in pans about 30 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to one night before assembling.

Make the Frosting
In large deep bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, water, and cream of tartar. With hand-held mixer, beat until foamy at low speed, about 1 minute. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that bottom of bowl does not touch the water. Beat constantly at low speed until mixture reaches 160F, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat, add vanilla, and beat frosting at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.

Assembling the Layered Chocolate Cake
To assemble the cake, level each cake layer by slicing off their tops. Place bottom layer on a serving platter cut side up. Spread 1/2 cup filling on top. Place middle layer cut side down on top of bottom layer. Spread remaining filling on top. Place top layer cut side down on top of middle layer. Spread top and sides of cake with frosting. Top with a few chocolate shavings, reserving half for later. You can even plaster some crushed peanuts or almonds to the side of the cake as I did. Allow to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the frosting sets well.

Transfer the layered Chocolate Cake onto a serving platter, then garnish with the reserved chocolate curls or shavings. Then just grab a fork, dig into the cake, pop it into your mouth, close your eyes and experience a taste of sensuous happiness that very few other things can provide!!:)

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How to Frost a Cake in 5 Easy Steps
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Raspberry Jelly (Swiss) Roll Cake

I have had a fascination for anything sweet, and especially cakes right from when I was a kid! And I had this extra-special affection for swiss rolls, those colorful, spiral cakes that tasted like heaven, and even with the minimal frosting and decoration, they always attracted the attention of dessert-lovers, including me!! I harbor this fascination even today, and the first thing I notice in a pastry shop has to be a swiss roll cake (my hubby can vouch for it:)) Swiss roll is a type of sponge cake baked in a very shallow rectangular baking tray, and then filled, rolled up, and served in circular slices. So did these beauties originate from Swiss?? Not really; although the origins of this cake are unclear, wikipedia says that these are certainly not widely eaten in Switzerland, where they are known as "Biscuitrolle" or "Roulade" . Every country has it's own version, and it is popular in US as the Jelly Roll. It finds a place at many christmas dinner tables shaped like a Yule Log, but for me, it will always be my favorite kind of cake. Here's a simple Raspberry Swiss Roll recipe, but you can use a lot of variations for the filling.

This cake is not too much about the recipe as it is about the technique. Some people think it is really hard to make, but on the contrary, I'd like to say that though it looks tough, and does need a little more work than just popping your cake into the oven, it's simpler and more fun, especially as you can allow your kids to do the filling; and as it's almost always covered with frosting or sugar dusting, the flaws are easy to hide:) If you are still nervous, these two videos at Epicurious and About could prove helpful. I followed the recipe and technique on About, as it was more simple, and easier to roll out too. The only change I did was that I refrigerated the rolled cake (before the filling) for an hour. This gave it a firmer texture so it was easier to spread the filling and cut into pieces while serving.

Recipe Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tspn vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose
1 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
Powdered Confectioner's sugar - for dusting
2/3 cup spreadable raspberry jelly/jam (or any other filling of your choice)

Method
Heat oven to 375 deg F. Line a baking pan, preferably (15 × 10 × 1) inches, with cooking parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Beat eggs in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes or until very thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Beat in water and vanilla on low speed. Finally add the flour, baking powder and salt, beating just until batter is smooth. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading out well to form a thin even layer.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (NOT MORE) until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Spread a clean kitchen towel on the platform and sprinkle some powdered sugar on it. Now loosen the edges of the cake, then turn the whole pan upside down upon the towel. Carefully remove the paper from the top. Trim off the hard edges of the cake, and while its hot, carefully roll cake lengthwise from one end to the other. Keep the roll as tight as possible, but apply very little pressure so as not to crack the cake a lot. A few cracks are normal, so don't worry. it is going to be covered with frosting later! Now refrigerate the rolled cake for 40 mins to an hour. (This was the only change I made from the About recipe video)

Remove the cake from fridge and unroll it gently and remove the towel. Beat the raspberry jelly/jam slightly to soften; it's better to use a spreadable jelly. Now spread it evenly over the cake. Do NOT use a lot of jelly as it would ooze out of the cake once you finish rolling it up again.

Now again roll up the cake, which should be fairly easier this time. If you are not ready to serve, place it in the fridge again, so it becomes a bit harder and easier to slice. When ready to serve, place it on a serving dish, with the seams facing down. Sprinkle generously with confectioners sugar, making sure you cover all the flaked ends or cracks and edges that you incurred while rolling it up. You can even cover the whole cake with chocolate icing or any other frosting. Gently slice at a 30deg angle to form beautiful raspberry swiss rolls.

These are my favorites, and I hope you enjoy these delicious dessert cakes too!

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Mixed Berry and White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, and enjoyed it with their friends and family. But the holidays are still on in full swing, and so is the cooking and baking spree. After taking a 3-day well-deserved skiing break, I got back to my oven to make this Mixed Berry and White Chocolate Bread pudding. Lots of desserts and delicacies fall under the "Pudding" umbrella, like gellos, panna cotta, mousse, gooey cakes and more. But the most widely-known form of pudding is the bread pudding. As the name suggests, you make layers of milk or cream-soaked bread and top it with fruits, nuts, chocolate or anything that your heart desires:) freeze it for some hours, then toss it in the oven to make it warm and gooey, and relish it with your favorite toppings. An exquisite dessert that can range from simple to elaborate and classic. There are tonnes of ways to experiment with this, but here's my version full of berries, raisins, chocolate and bread!

I'm not a huge fan of white chocolate, and don't generally use it in my cooking, with white chocolate mocha and white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies being exceptions. Somehow, it feels just right in this pudding recipe. It does help bring out the color and flavor of the mixed berries. But if you want, you can use regular chocolate too.

Ingredients
1 cup mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup sugar (or less, if using sweet condensed milk)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded white chocolate (or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
8-9 large slices of thick white bread (not too soft, toast for 1 minute if too soft)
1 cup condensed milk

Method
Spray an 8-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line the sprayed pan with plastic wrap, pressing it against the edges and allow some of the wrap to overhang on all sides.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the mixed berries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, The salt and lemon will urge them to give up some of their juice, and that's when you know the berries are cooked, about 10 minutes. Add the raisins and continue cooking until all the berries are soft and have well-cooked, forming a sauce. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Remove the edges of the bread slices. Cut each slice into 4 pieces. Arrange one layer of bread slices, pour 1/2 of the berry sauce over them; add the white chocolate, then repeat with another layer of same ingredients.

Gently pour the milk evenly over the layers so it trickles down. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours.

Remove the pudding and carefully peel off the plastic. Now preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and bake the pudding for about 15-20 mins, just until the pudding is warm in the center and a bit of golden on the top. Remove and cut into huge chunks and serve the Bread Pudding immediately!

Tip: The pudding may be made 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated. This can be served with chocolate sauce, or ice cream or even whipped cream. Just remember that the pudding tastes best when it's warm and gooey.

Similar Recipes:
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Chocolate-Dipped Orange Madeleines (French Cake-like Cookies)

"Madeleines" are a famous bunch of french cookies, that have spread their magic around the world. The French are known for their love of food, exquisite desserts, their romanticism, and their perfumes. They tend to be exotic in whatever they do, and so there's no doubt you'll see a similar touch in their cuisine too!! "Madeleine" is a french name for Magdalen (Mary Magdalen - The Holy Grail from the Da Vinci Code, ring any bells??) There are several legends attached to these delicious cookies with a unique shape and taste, one of them being that Madeleines come from the little French town of Commercy, whose bakers were said to have once, long ago (18th century), paid a "very large sum" for the recipe of these little cakes which became a specialty in the area. Commercy once had a convent dedicated to St. Mary Magdelen, and the nuns there supported themselves and their schools by making and selling cake-like cookies, and historians believe that when all the convents and monasteries of France were abolished during the French Revolution, they were forced to sell their recipe to the bakers. There have been several other stories, but whatever may the truth be, aren't we all glad to have been blessed with these delicious beauties that add so much sweetness to our lives?? So here's to the famous French Madeleine Cookies, and my recipe only make them better by adding a touch of orange flavor and chocolate!!

Ingredients
Makes 24 cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tspn baking powder
A pinch of salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp grated orange zest
2 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate - coarsely chopped
Madeleine Pans (you can buy one online here)

Method
Heat butter in small heavy saucepan over medium heat just until very light golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl with a hand blender until tripled in volume. Lower speed to medium and beat in the vanilla, orange juice and orange zest. Fold in flour mixture a little (1/3rd) at a time. Finally fold in the cooled butter. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until slightly firm.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Apply butter or non-stick cooking spray to two 12-mold madeleine pans and dust them with flour. Drop a generous spoonful or two of batter into center of each prepared mold, leaving the batter mounded in the center. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown and centers spring back when lightly touched.

Remove the pans from oven and tap them sharply against a countertop to release the madeleines, then leave them to cool on wire racks.

Place chocolate in small microwave-safe cup. Microwave on medium (50% power) for 1 minute or a little more, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate has almost melted. Whisk a little to make it smooth. Do NOT overheat.

Dip each madeleine into melted chocolate, coating bottom third part of the cookie. Shake off excess chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat for all the cookies and leave at room temperature for 1 hour or until chocolate is set.

This is the perfect recipe for Chocolate-covered Madeleines, and beleive me, they are so great you are sure to get addicted to them. Enjoy these as simple desserts, but they are great with tea or coffee too.

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chocolate, desserts, brownies, cookies