Orange and Chocolate Brownie Bites

Two classic flavors combine in one decadent little bite. These are so delicious and easy to prepare that nobody will know you didn't slave away in the kitchen for hours. These are like the ones you buy at your local store bakery, but so much better!

Orange and Chocolate Brownie Bites

Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 30 minutes
Serves: Makes 24 bites

Bites:

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup flour - rounded
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon orange zest

Frosting:

1 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon orange zest
2 Tablespoons orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 24 mini-muffin cups with paper liners or grease well.
2. Melt chocolate chips and butter together until smooth and let cool to room temperature. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, mix flour and salt together and set aside.
4. Mix eggs and brown sugar together with orange zest.
5. Add chocolate mixture to egg and sugar and stir until well blended.
6. Stir in flour until just combined.
7. Divide evenly into muffin cups and bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are set but the centers are moist and fudgey.
8. Cool for several minutes before frosting.
9. For frosting, blend butter and zest together well. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time and orange juice last. Mix until fluffy.

Lime Angel Food Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Lime Angel Food Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Fluffy Angel Food Cake takes on a new twist with the addition of lime juice and zest. Paired with a simple raspberry sauce, this cake is at once delicate and decadent and altogether perfect for a lighter summertime dessert. The calorie count makes this even more desirable with most slices (one twelfth of a cake) coming it at around 170 calories.

Lime Angel Food Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 60 minutes (including cooling time)
Serves: 12

Ingredients:

10 -12 large egg whites (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon lime zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift together flour and powdered sugar. Set aside.
3. Combine egg whites and lime juice in a large bowl. Beat until soft peaks form.
4. Stir together granulated sugar and lime zest. Add by the tablespoon to egg whites and
continue to beat, adding until all sugar is gone, until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold flour and powdered sugar into stiff-beaten egg whites in four small additions.
6. Turn out into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
7. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly.
8. Turn pan over and cool with cake still inside pan. Cool completely.
9. Remove from pan gently and serve with Raspberry Sauce.





Raspberry Sauce

Hands-On Time: 1 minute
Ready In: 1 minute
Serves: Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups seedless red raspberry preserves
2 Tablespoons lime juice

Directions:

1. Microwave preserves for 30 seconds until warm. This may take more or less time
depending on your
microwave.
2. Stir well until smooth.
3. Add lime juice and stir until well combined.

Meyer Lemon Cake with Chocolate Filling and Lemon Glaze

Meyer Lemon Cake with Chocolate Filling and Lemon Glaze

Yes, I baked again. I feel as though I bake very often - it's what the kids like - but I DO make savory dishes ... I promise. I couldn't help but make this cake. I came across Meyer lemons at Wegmans the other day (so early in the season!) and had to buy them; they're so difficult to find here. Once I had them I honestly had no clue what I was going to do with them.

Then came work. A very dear woman who was working with us for about half a year left us to go home to Florida this week and another worker made her a lemon cake as a sweet send-off. Now, the worker who made it was raised on boxed cake mix and quite honestly doesn't have much time at home to make anything from scratch, so she did her very best, and sweetest, and whipped up that cake for our friend. I then knew what I would be doing with those lemons - making a cake the way I was raised ... from scratch.

The kids were interested in the smooth-skinned specimens and all wanted to try this slightly sweeter lemon. They all liked it and milled about the kitchen as I made the cakes. Once they were baked and cooled and I was making the chocolate filling they were even more interested and the only question on their lips at the sight of the smooth chocolate icing was, "Is that for dessert after dinner?" Though I was done by 1 in the afternoon I had to crush their little hopes and tell them that it was indeed not going to be consumed until later in the day. Poor dears.

Here's the recipe in all its lemony-chocolaty loveliness. Please do let me know if you've made it so we can swap notes.

Beautiful, light and delicious cake!

Meyer Lemon Cake with Chocolate Filling and Lemon Glaze
Makes 1 cake

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon grated Meyer lemon zest
2 sticks unsalted butter cut into cubes
4 1/2  cups cake flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
8 large egg whites

Chocolate Filling*
Lemon Glaze**

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 10-inch round cake pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl pour in sugar and add lemon zest. Work zest into sugar well until fragrant. Add butter and beat until fluffy. Set aside.
3. In another smaller bowl combine flour, salt and baking powder.
4. In a third bowl combine egg whites and buttermilk.
5. Add flour and buttermilk mixture to sugar and butter a little at a time until well combined. This makes a thick batter.
6. Pour evenly into both cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from pans.
7. Cover bottom layer with chocolate on the top only. Add second layer and pour glaze over the top. Serve at once.

Notes: Meyer lemons are very hard to zest - I removed the skin and scraped the pith before mincing with a knife. When using zest, always rub it together with the sugar for the very best fragrance and flavor.


*Chocolate Filling:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
2 Tablespoons butter
1 - 2 cups confectioner's sugar
Milk as needed

Melt together chips and butter. Add in confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time until smooth and spreadable. Add milk if needed to thin as you go.


**Lemon Glaze:

3 cups confectioner's sugar
2 Tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
Milk as needed

Combine sugar and juice. Stir well and add milk as needed to thin into a drizzling consistency.

German Chocolate Icing

German Chocolate Icing on Gooey Brownies

My oldest daughter is very fond of coconut and loves German Chocolate Cake. This year for her birthday I did a riff on that and topped a gooey brownie with German Chocolate Nut and Coconut Icing. The result was to-die-for!

Choose any brownie you like or use this to ice a full two-layer cake. That means this covers a 9 x 13 pan of brownies with a little left over. I also think this would be just right for Valentine's Day.

German Chocolate Icing
Printable Recipe
Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs, beaten well
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds - traditional is pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat then add sugar, evaporated milk and eggs.

2. Whisk together and cook and stir constantly until thickened. This can take 10 minutes to achieve. You must keep stirring so the eggs don't become scrambled eggs rather than a thickener.

3. Remove from heat and stir in nuts, coconut and vanilla until well blended. Cool for 30 minutes before adding to cooled cake or brownies.

Raspberry Chocolate Cannoli

Raspberry Chocolate Cannoli

Last night we had a fabulous dinner. Really. I didn't realize just how fabulous until my social media outlets were all abuzz about it. I made braciole and homemade ravioli with my near-famous marinara. The kids loved it and so did the man. I only took phone photos (and it was rainy and yucky here so none were very good) and put them together so you can glimpse what was going on in my kitchen yesterday.

Braciole with filling, rolled and tied, browned, covered in sauce, eggs and flour, pasta dough and machine, "candy wrapper ravioli (filled with Asiago and ricotta) and the finished dinner: Braciole sliced and ravioli cooked al dente before frying in butter.

The only thing that would have made this meal better would be these (or any!) cannoli. Italian cannoli can seem fancy and difficult to make, but with pre-made shells they're a breeze to do. Once finished they can be served with a special dinner or a simple dessert that kids love. Usually made with cinnamon, it's been swapped out here for raspberry extract.

Raspberry Chocolate Cannoli
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 15 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6 ready-made cannoli shells
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon raspberry extract
1 -2 Tablespoons heavy cream - as needed
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Fresh raspberries - optional

Directions:

1. Whisk together ricotta cheese, confectioner's sugar and raspberry extract until smooth. Add heavy cream if needed. The mixture should be thick enough to pipe and hold its shape.
2. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
3. Transfer filling into a large pastry bag fitted with no tip and a large opening or a large round tip.
4. Pipe filling into each prepared shell, filling each in the center and out to the open ends.
5. Serve immediately with fresh raspberries if desired.

Simple Strawberry Cake

Strawberry Cake

I feel I need to begin this post with a disclaimer, so I will. This cake is made with a boxed mix AND a boxed gelatin mix. So, there. If you have any arguments, feel free to dial up Tyler Florence who shared a recipe using a boxed mix in his book, Family Meal. Not only was that cake fabulous, but easy to make, and thus, more likely to be made.

This was made by request as a birthday cake, and perfect for this time of year. Because it's so easy to make but so pretty in presentation it's good for every day or to serve to company. This would also be a beautiful addition to any Mother's Day table.

Any boxed yellow cake will do and any brand of gelatin, as well. Just use the sizes recommended for best results.

Strawberry Cake
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour 45 minutes (includes cooling time)
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

1 quart ripe strawberries, washed and hulled - leaving one with the stem and leaves
One yellow cake mix (18.25 ounces)
One strawberry gelatin mix (3 ounces)
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Slice all but one strawberry thinly and set aside. Slice one strawberry from end to stem being careful not to cut all the way through. Leaving stem attached, fan out berry and set aside.
2. Blend cake mix as directed on box and place half of batter in another bowl. Mix gelatin into one half of batter.
3. Pour plain batter evenly into two 9-inch round cake pans. Add strawberry batter to top and swirl with a spoon or fork. Bake as directed on box.
4. Cool cakes completely once baked and remove from pans.
5. Add powdered sugar to heavy cream and beat until fluffy.
6. Set one cake on a plate and top with half the whipped cream and half the strawberries.
7. Add second cake layer and whipped cream. Arrange strawberries in concentric circles from center out. Add berry with leaves to the center.

Peanut Butter Torte

Peanut Butter Torte

I'm really using the term "torte" loosely here; there is no layering of this cake, but there's so little flour that it can nearly be classified as torte, which as a rule breaker, is good enough for me.

I've been making a cake similar to this for years and years (see that here) and I had a bag of peanut butter baking chips sitting around for some time that I wasn't finding a good use for. I had a moment of clarity and this cake was the result.

Top it with chocolate, of course, for a rich and delicious after-dinner or just with coffee, dessert.

Peanut Butter Torte
Printable Recipe

Makes One 8 or 9 - inch cake

Melt together until smooth:

1 (10 ounces) bag of peanut butter baking chips
6 Tablespoons butter

Allow to cool for 10 minutes

Blend together:

5 egg yolks (set aside whites)
1Tablespoon all purpose flour
1Tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add peanut butter mixture to egg mixture and blend until smooth.

Beat until stiff:

5 egg whites

Gently fold egg whites into peanut butter/egg yolk mixture until well blended.
Do NOT overbeat!

Pour into a greased 8 or 9 -inch spring form pan and bake 425 degrees F for 12 minutes or until center is slightly moving, but not jiggly. If you over bake this is will be dry.The center will set as it cools.

Cut into slices when cooled and served with your favorite chocolate sauce - we like hot fudge.

Easy Decoration and Yummy Cake

It's no secret around here that my cake decoration skills are sub-par. Actually, they're flat out bad. So, any chance for me to make a cake look good without too much effort is perfect for me - and for those being subjected to my "skills". The kids always love cakes made by mom, but even they have to admit to them being not exactly nice to look at.

This cake topping is not only so very pretty, but also so very easy. Start with any type of berry you like (save the strawberries for a large sheet cake) and add fresh mint leaves. That's it. A white background makes it more dramatic, but I imagine any lighter colored icing would do.

Arrange them first on a surface the same size as your finished cake so you can rearrange as needed to get the right look. Dusting with powdered sugar adds a nice touch, as well. I like the contrast of dark berries and green leaves, but red berries would be equally pretty.

Now, to this cake. This one is simple to throw together, dense and moist in texture and not too sweet. It reminds me of a pound cake and, as such, goes well with a variety of toppings, but I find the lighter frosting I've included to be the perfect complement to heavier icings.

Sour Cream Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes one 8x8 square cake
Printable Recipe

1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and add parchment paper to an 8x8 square baking pan. Set aside.

Cut butter into small pieces and combine with sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until light. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in sour cream. Add flour, salt, soda and powder. Blend well until smooth. Batter will be thick.

Smooth batter into pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely and turn out onto a serving platter, bottom side up.

Mix frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar

(Note: if you like you can use non-dairy whipped topping in lieu of the cream and sugar.)

Soften cream cheese and beat until smooth. Beat heavy cream with powdered sugar until cream forms stiff peaks. Fold into cream cheese until smooth. Spread on cooled cake and add berries and mint in desired pattern.

Peanut Butter Munchies

Peanut Butter Munchies

Today in the Lehigh Valley we started out hot and humid, but after a much-needed thunderstorm, things cooled off quite nicely to a very comfortable 70 degrees and for me that means cooking. More specifically today, it was baking.

On our last trip to Philadelphia, I came across a Better Homes and Gardens magazine in the waiting room of a doctor's office. With the only other choices being The Economist and Field & Stream, I chose wisely and read it through twice during the 3 hour waiting time.

This recipe was in there, and as I had extra time on my hands, I copied it down. I made them this evening, in honor of the cooler weather, and the kids are devouring them as I write. Oh, and the storage instructions at the bottom are clearly for people not living on this planet - there's not going to be anything to store in this house.

Peanut Butter Munchies

Makes: 32 cookies
Printable Recipe

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the 1/4 cup peanut butter with an electric mixer until combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Beat in as much of the dry ingredients as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining dry ingredients by hand with a wooden spoon. Form chocolate dough into 32 balls about 1-1/4 inches in diameter. Set aside.

3. For peanut butter filling, in a medium mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter until smooth. Shape mixture into 32 (3/4-inch) balls.

4. On a work surface, slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter ball. Shape the chocolate dough over the peanut butter filling, completely covering the filling. Roll dough into a ball. Repeat with the remaining chocolate dough and peanut butter filling balls.

5. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. [NOTE: I rolled mine in powdered sugar before flattening slightly]

6. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until they're just set and surface is slightly cracked. Let cookies stand for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. Makes 32 cookies.

To Store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Georgia Cheesecake Pie

Georgia Cheesecake Pie

Somewhere about 20 years ago I had a bunch of very ripe peaches that needed to be used up and I wasn't sure what to do with them. Thinking along the lines of peaches and cream that my Grandma Foster served, I found them to be too ripe for that, but perfect to put into the bottom of a cheesecake.

I added a regular pie crust and dubbed it 'Georgia Cheesecake Pie'. We've loved it ever since. This recipe first appeared on my Family Favorites page and I've revamped it since then to use egg whites and more cream cheese. The egg whites make the cheesecake nice and fluffy. Please don't use canned peaches, part of the flavor of this comes from the fresh peaches cooking as the pie bakes and infusing the cheesecake layer with peachy goodness.


Georgia Cheesecake Pie
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

1 9-inch single crust pie crust-unbaked
5 large very-ripe peaches, pitted and sliced thinly - peeling is optional
1 pound cream cheese - softened
1 c granulated sugar
3 egg whites
1 t. vanilla
2 T. flour

Flour bottom of unbaked pie crust with 2T. flour.
Add peaches to crust.
Mix remaining ingredients and pour over peaches.
Bake at 350 degrees F until top is set and partially browned ~ about 35 min.
This is absolutely delicious served warm or cold.

Favorite Summertime Meal

Someone elsewhere on the web today asked what my favorite Summertime meal was and this was my answer.

Anne's Lime Ranch Chicken
Pasta Salad or Grill Roasted Herbed Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Sliced ripe tomatoes
Sliced cucumbers
No-Bake Cheesecake (I forgot to add this there! Can't forget dessert.)
Anne's Favorite Lemonade


Anne's Lime Ranch Chicken

Per pound of chicken mix 1 packet of ranch salad
dressing powder and 1/4 c lime juice. Smear on chicken
pieces and let stand several hours. Broil, grill, bake,
or saute as desired.

Tastes very close to Tostitos Hint of Lime tortilla
chips.
That was the catalyst for my coming up with this.


Grill Roasted Herbed Potatoes

I don't have a clear-cut recipe for this but this is close.

Wash several pounds of red bliss potatoes (about 20 for my family) and cut each into
quarters.

Combine 1/4 c olive oil, 1 minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon or so of fresh chopped rosemary. Pour over the potatoes and toss well to coat evenly. You can also set a fresh sprig of rosemary on top of the potatoes instead of using the chopped.

Lay out a large square of heavy duty tin foil and mound the potatoes in the center. Fold up on all sides and pinch closed well.

Lay on the grill and roast for 35-45 minutes until done-turning once during grilling time.


No-Bake Cheesecake

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed
1 prepared graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz.)

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk or electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spoon into crust.
Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Garnish as desired.


I saw a photo in a magazine about 12 years ago with what looked like this mixture in it. It was such a pretty picture and the drink looked so refreshing I had to come up with my own.

Anne's Favorite Lemonade

1 gallon lemonade (any brand)
2 kiwi peeled and sliced thickly
6 ripe strawberries hulled and cut in half
1 lemon sliced
1 lime sliced
3 or 4 fresh mint leaves

Combine all and let stand refrigerated for 24 hours
before serving. Serve in tall clear glasses with lots of
ice and let the fruit fall in also. Very pretty and
VERY yummy!