Killer Berry Brownies

Killer Berry Brownies

Brownie Batter:

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

3 oz. semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup, chopped toasted pecans

1 cup white chocolate chips

Filling:

1 – 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup mixed berry pie filling or any berry filling

Ganache:

16 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Garnish:

1/4 cup white chocolate, melted

fresh berries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment and grease entire pan.

Batter:

Melt the chocolates with the butter; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugars and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the chocolate mixture . In a separate bowl , whisk the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in the nuts and white chocolate chips. Set aside.

Filling:

Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and sugar and blend well. Add the eggs and mix well.

Assembly:

In the prepared pan pour half the brownie batter and smooth out evenly. Top with the fillinf batter and smooth out evenly. Drop by spoonful the berry pie filling all over the top in the filling. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the top and smooth over top the best you can but don’t over work it. You will see all the layers. It’s just more important that it’s level.

Using a knife swirl it through the batter creating a marbling effect. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Once the brownies are cool, make the ganache. In a small saucepan heat the heavy creamm and sugar to boil. Pour the hot cream mixture over the finely chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Pour over the top of the cooled brownies and spread out evenly quickly. Quickly place berries in position over the brownies according to the number of brownies you will be cutting. The recipe can make 12 -24, so for example 12-24 berries placed accordingly. Place the melted white chocolate into a piping bag and drizzle over the top of the top. Refrigerate until set . Cut and serve.

 

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2 1/2 Cups quick cooking oats

2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons baking powder

1 Tablespoon baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

2 1/2 cups macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl add the remaining dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Add to the butter mixture and combine until blended. Stir in the chocolate and nuts until combined.

Using a small ice cream/ disher, scoop the dough onto the lined baking sheets. Bake for about 13 minutes until just set and edges are just barely beginning to turn brown. Remove the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets.

 

Pumpkin White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Pumpkin White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

2 cups white chocolate chips

2 cups coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line baking pans with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugars together until well combined. Beat in the eggs ,vanilla then pumpkin puree. Combine until blended.

Add the remaining dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add to butter mixture and blend well. Stir in the chocolate and nuts.

Using a small ice cream scoop/disher  scoop out the dough about 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. Bake for about 12 -15 minutes until just set and edges are barely brown. Remove baking pan from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheets before removing.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Tiramisu

9 inch spring form pan lined with a parchment collar

1 vanilla pound cake

1 pumpkin pound cake

4 cups heavy cream

1 -8oz. mascarpone , room temperature

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

4 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

1/3 cup prepared pumpkin butter

1/2 to 3/4 cup apple cider or Calvados

Beat cream cheese until smooth;add the sugar and vanilla. In a separate bowl whip 3 cups of the  heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold in the cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combine. Divide mixture in half. To one half fold in the melted chocolate until well blended; set aside. To the other half fold in the pumpkin butter until well blended; set aside.

Line the bottom of the pan with sliced pumpkin pound cake about 1/2 inch thick; filling any open spaces with small pieces of pumpkin pound cake. Don’t concern yourself with the looks.

Brush cake with apple cider or Calvados and cover with a layer of white chocolate filling.

Arrange the vanilla pound cake in the same manner as the pumpkin and top with some pumpkin filling.

Repeat until pan is full and top is finished off with the pumpkin filling.

Cover top with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the plastic wrap. Whip the reserved 1 cup of heavy cream, sweetened  with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Spread on top or pipe on top decoratively.

Sprinkle top with cinnamon.  Store in refrigerator. Allow to set at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

Belgian White Chocolate Brownies

Brownie:

1 lb. quality Belgian White Chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup plus 6 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups super fine sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, scraped of seeds

1 3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Ganache:

1 lb. quality Belgian White Chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

Grease and line with parchment a 12x8x2 inch pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put the chocolate in a large bowl. Melt the butter until it just begin to boil. Pour melted butter over finely chopped chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Put the eggs , sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds in a bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk into the melted chocolate until combined. Fold in the flour and salt. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until top is golden brown. The center will still be gooey. Remove from oven and allow to set on rack for 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the white chocolate ganache.

For the ganache, warm the heavy cream just until it begins to boil. Pour over finely chopped chocolate and stir until well combined and all the chocolate is melted. Pour over warm brownies. Place in refrigerator until firm. 3 hours to overnight. Cut into 12 pieces.

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Lemon White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting are out of this world.

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Lemon White Chocolate Cream Cheese

Frosting

Cupcakes:

2 1/3 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, room temperature

zest of 3 lemons

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cups milk

Lemon Curd:

1 cup lemon juice

zest from 2 lemons

2 1/2 cups sugar

8 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup butter

Lemon White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled

1/4 cup butter

1 (8oz. ) package cream cheese, room temperature

zest of 2 lemons

2-3 tsp. lemon juice

10-12 cups powdered sugar

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place liners in 24 cup muffin pans.

Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl, whisk until combined well. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the butter, sugar and zest and cream until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Blend well between each addition. In a liquid measuring cup combine the milk and vanilla. Add the flour alternately with the milk mixture until just combine. Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans 5 minutes and then remove from tins and transfer to rack to cool completely.

Lemon Curd:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a heat proof bowl and whisk to combine. Place bowl over saucepan with simmering water. Do not allow water to touch bottom of bowl . Stir until mixture is thick , remove from heat and stir in butter which has been cut into pieces. Allow to cool and store refrigerated in airtight container.

Lemon White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

Combine the butter, cooled chocolate and cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Add the lemon juice and enough powdered sugar to achieve the correct consistency.

Using an apple corer, core out the center of each cooled cupcake. Filled the centers with lemon curd  using a pastry bag.  Fill another pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with frosting and pipe on top of cupcakes. Using a small spoon make a divot in the center of each frosted cupcake and spoon a small amount of lemon curd in it.

Celebrate the warm sunny days with this Strawberry Lime Tart.

Strawberry Lime Tart

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks

1/2 tsp. salt

about 1/3 cup ice water

 

Lime Filling:

3/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 lb. cream cheese, room temperature

1 can sweetened condensed milk

zest from 2 limes, divided

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 quarts strawberries, hulled

Seedless raspberry jam

1/4 cup chopped white chocolate

 

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade add the flour, salt and pulse a couple of times to combine. Add the cold butter chunks and pulse again until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pulse in ice water and continue to pulse until dough begins to form. Remove dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minute. Remove from refrigerator and roll out to fit a 10×2 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Place back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove once again from the refrigerator and prick the bottom and sides and blind bake the crust until golden. Remove from oven; sprinkle with chopped white chocolate. Using a pastry brush , spread the chocolate evenly on the sides and bottom of crust. Allow to cool completely.

Filling:

Reserve enough whole strawberries to completely cover the top of the finished tart. Slice the remaining strawberries and evenly cover the bottom of the cool chocolate covered tart shell. Set aside.

In a bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade add the condensed milk, lime juice, room temperature cream cheese and zest from 1 lime. Process until smooth. Pour into crust with strawberries and spread evenly. In a small bowl combine the sour cream and powdered sugar; spread evenly over the top of the lime filling. Place in refrigerator to firm up slightly.

Place the whole strawberries over the top of the tart. Place a small amount of seedless raspberry jam in a small bowl; add a touch of water and heat in microwave enough to create a syrup. Using a pastry brush , gently brush the syrup on each of the strawberries to create the glaze. Sprinkle lime zest over the top. Refrigerate until firm. Remove from tart pan and slice when firm.