Tuesdays With Dorie – Coffee-Break Muffins

I had it all planned out. When I found out that this week’s recipe was a coffee-based muffin, I knew I’d be adding chocolate to this muffin batter. Coffee + chocolate? Of course! But guess what, I totally left it out. Completely forgot to put it in. Must of been because of the lack of caffeine I’d had that day.

The batter came together quickly and easily, leaving the kitchen smelling fabulous. With all that caffeine floating in the air from the brewing coffee and espresso powder, I was definitely getting my fix! And within 15 minutes, the muffins were ready to devour. So quick and easy!

Thank you to Rhiani of Chocoholic Anonymous for this wonderful pick! She’s featuring the recipe on her blog, so click the link above to get it! And don’t forget about those other TWD bakers listed here!

Coffee-Break Muffins (pg. 15)
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

Tuesdays With Dorie – Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

These are seriously, seriously good cookies. I took them to work on Friday as a treat for the ‘going-away’ spread we were having for one of our customer service reps and they were gone within 20 minutes. See what I mean? Just pair them with a good, hot cup of java and you’re good to go.

You can prepare the dough up to two days in advance, then cut ’em up and pop ’em in the oven whenever you’re ready – so easy it’s not funny. 🙂

A big ‘thank you’ to Donna of Life’s Too Short Not to Eat Dessert First for this week’s pick – they were amazing!! The recipe is on Donna’s blog (make these TODAY!) and the other TWD bakers hang out here – check ’em out!

Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies (pg. 125)
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

Tuesdays With Dorie – Mocha-Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake

It seems that apologies are in order, since for the last two weeks, all I’ve posted are TWD recipes. Don’t get me wrong… I love my TWD time, but I’ve got so many other things that are just begging to be made (and posted!). However, C’s here for about a week and I find that whenever he’s in town, my baking tends to lag. We’re always spending time with friends, having dinner with the parents or frequenting our favorite local haunt, City Limits. I guess that’s okay, though, seeing as how he lives 1,300 miles away and I see him MAYBE once a month (if I’m lucky!).

I did have an hour or two last night to make this week’s choice, Dorie’s Mocha-Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake. It was an excellent little dessert to follow the burgers that C grilled for us. And it would’ve been perfect (just like Ms. Greenspan suggests) with a scoop of ice cream, which unfortunately, I didn’t have on hand. I think I hear a ‘stop at the store on the way home’ calling me… 😉

This week’s recipe is actually Coconut-Tea Cake, but since it seems like such a perfect Easter dessert, some of us have switched up weeks. Erin of When in Doubt…Leave it at 350 should have the Bundt cake recipe on her site next Tuesday (if not today)!

Mocha-Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake (pgs. 180-181)
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

POM Iced Coffee

It seems forever ago that the lovely folks at POM sent samples of these freakin’ awesome drinks to my door… and I feel like such a heel that it took me so long to post a glowing review. Once the package arrived, though, four lovely little bottles stared up at me and just begged to be opened. Café au Lait, Vanilla and my personal favorite (surprise, surprise), Chocolate. As they say, “It’s a quintessential coffee experience with an indulgence of antioxidants.” Chocolate contains 0 grams of fat and only 190 calories… WAY better for you than the addicting drinks at my fave coffee shop (and I think we all know which one I’m talking about). 🙂 These were perfect for the morning drive in to work – portable, good for you and most of all, super yummy. Each flavor is now available in stores and you can find out more by going to POM’s website or clicking here (p.s. I’m in love with the sheep on the website – I giggle each time I visit!).

 

Tuesdays With Dorie – Espresso Cheesecake Brownies

Good thing that the word ‘swirled’ isn’t in the title of these brownies… it’s pretty apparent that mine didn’t “swirl”. Instead they “marbled”. Either way, they were pretty good. Probably not ones that I’d make again, though… I continue to have bad luck with Dorie’s brownie batter. I’m guessing it’s just me! 🙂

Thanks to Melissa of Life in a Peanut Shell for this week’s choice – you can find the recipe on her blog and don’t forget to check out the other TWD bakers here!

Espresso Cheesecake Brownies (pg. 104-105)
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

p.s. ‘Happy Birthday’ to my grandfather, Moe, who passed away in 2000… he would have been 92 this year! I miss you, Moe!!

 

Tuesdays With Dorie – Tribute to Katharine Hepburn Brownies

I started to get major migraines during the last few months of my senior year at TCU. So with a little help from a family friend (who just happens to be a top doc at Johns Hopkins), I got the right meds and was advised to ween myself off of caffeine. If you know me at all, you’ll know that it wasn’t easy. See, I’m a Starbucks junkie… literally, I’m in there EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I walk in and they’re already making my drink (which is now a decaf grande Americano with room, thankyouverymuch). I’m friends with most of the baristas, we trade book recs and even hang out away from the ‘Bucks (gasp!). Even though I function pretty well without it, I miss the caffeine. I’m sure it’s just my imagination, though. 😉

So when I read over the recipe for these Hepburn brownies, I did a happy dance and knew exactly how I was going to change ’em up. Since I’ve kicked the good stuff (read: caffeine), I decided to go all out with a little jolt… dark chocolate cocoa powder, chopped dark chocolate and espresso powder. Talk about caffeine overload. YUM!!

A big caffeine-induced “thank you” to Lisa of Surviving Oz (the creator of our fab new logo!) for this week’s pick!

Tribute to Katharine Hepburn Brownies (pg. 96-97)
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

Tuesdays With Dorie – Tiramisu Cake

I was invited to a Silpada party last Thursday… and the Tiramisu cake just happened to make it over there with me. Needless to say, there were a lot of happy ladies who ended up asking for the recipe. Putting the cake together took no time at all and the next thing I realized, I was shopping the catalog a little early… 😉

Many thanks to Megan of My Baking Adventures for this week’s yummy choice! Head on over to Megan’s blog for the recipe and check out TWD for all my fab fellow bakers!

Tiramisu Cake (pg. 266-268)
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

Tuesdays With Dorie – Chocolate-Banded Ice Cream Torte

Since it was just little ol’ me around the house this week, I didn’t want to make a huge torte and let it go to waste. Thus, you see my little tortelette… I made two. 🙂 And, instead of raspberry ice cream, I used Java Chip! It was soooo yummy, too!! This is definitely a must-try… tasty and easy-peasy!! Looks like a giant Reese’s PB Cup, huh??

Chosen by Amy of Food, Family and Fun, I give you the Chocolate-Banded Ice Cream Torte…

Chocolate-Banded Ice Cream Torte (pg. 288-89)
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Absolutely perfect… in every way. 🙂 Chocolate x 3 in a soft, chewy, almost-brownie-like form. What could be better on a breezy Sunday afternoon??

Triple Chocolate Cookies
Source: Cook’s Country Magazine * June/July 2005

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1-1/2 c bittersweet chocolate chips
7 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tsp instant coffee
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 c sugar
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

Melt unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chips and butter in a heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water, stirring frequently, until completely smooth and glossy. Remove bowl from pan and set aside to cool slightly.

Stir coffee grounds and vanilla extract together in small bowl until dissolved. Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium-high speed until very thick and pale, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla-coffee mixture and beat until incorporated, 20 seconds. Reduce speed to low, add chocolate mixture, and mix thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in medium bowl. Using large rubber spatula, fold flour mixture and semisweet chips into batter.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes until batter firms up (it will more closely resemble thick brownie batter than cookie dough). Meanwhile, adjust two oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 1 heaping tablespoon batter per cookie, place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are shiny and cracked on top, 11 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking time. Transfer baking sheets to racks and cool cookies completely, on baking sheets, before serving.

 

Tuesdays With Dorie – Peanut Butter Torte

This was amazing… almost as good as my mom’s famous Peanut Butter Pie, but not quite. 🙂

Thanks to Elizabeth from Ugg Smell Food for choosing this incredibly yummy dessert!! You know the drill… check out all of the other entries here!!

Peanut Butter Torte
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

1-1/4 c finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping)
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I omitted, since I was out of it!)
1/2 c mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semisweet chocolate)
24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt
2-1/2 c heavy cream
1-1/4 c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1-1/2 c salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural; Dorie uses Skippy) (I used Peter Pan)
2 tbsp whole milk (Skim for me!)
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Getting ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9″ Springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Toss 1/2 cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the Springform pan (they should go up about 2″ on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.
Working with a stand mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment) or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in 1/4 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment (if you have one), or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, 1/4 cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.
Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.
Scrape the mousse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

To Finish The Torte:
Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan (I heated my chocolate in the microwave in 30 sec. intervals).
Bring the remaining 1/2 cup of cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and, working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.
Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup of peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.
When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Springform pan. It’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel dampened with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.