Since having visited Levain Bakery in New York City, we were on a mission to find a recipe that came somewhat close to what the master bakers at Levain whip up. It’s plump, soft and delicious! Try it for yourself!
Tag: Dessert
Apple Upside-Down Cake
Forget the pineapple and hello apple season! T.W.O. decided to mix up the traditional Pineapple Upside-Down cake and make an Apple Upside-Down cake. It’s literally a burst of Fall in your mouth! Caramelized apples, cinnamon and nutmeg….what is more Fall than that? (Well maybe pumpkin!) Continue reading “Apple Upside-Down Cake”
Guinness Affogato
Since St. Patty’s Day is tomorrow, T.W.O. decided to start the party early by making this Guinness Affogato. Its the perfect adult dessert that is rich and creamy and will have you satisfied (and maybe up) all night long! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
– Vanilla Ice Cream
– 2 ounces expresso*
– 12 ounces Guinness Beer
* If you don’t have an expresso maker, you can use instant expresso.
Directions:
1. Put 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream in a large glass or bowl.
2. Pour the espresso over the top of the ice cream, followed by the Guinness.
3. Stir and enjoy.
Cranberry Orange Bread
This past weekend was filled with baking and holiday cheer! One of the items we baked was Cranberry Orange bread. It is an easy recipe that will have your guests in awe and wanting more. The orange zest and juice gives this bread a moist texture as well as a refreshing flavor. Its the perfect holiday gift or treat this season!
Cranberry Orange Bread
Ingredients
-2 cups flour
-1 cup sugar
-1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
– 1 teaspoon salt
– ½ teaspoon baking soda
– ¾ cup orange juice
– 1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
– 2 Tablespoons shortening
– 1 egg,
– 1 ½ cups fresh Cranberries, coarsely chopped
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Mix together orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg using a KitchenAid mixer or handmixer. Mix well. Stir flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan. (T.W.O. used a food processor to chop the cranberries.)
3. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely.
Classic Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ice Cream. The perfect sweet tooth craving for after dinner. It’s light, refreshing and soothes the palette without making you feel too full. Ice Cream has always been one of our favorite desserts and this past summer we have been obsessed with our new ice cream maker! Why buy ice cream when you can make it? Check out this simple recipe for Classic Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
– 2 cups 2% milk
– 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
– 3 Tablespoons cream cheese, softened
– 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
– 2/3 cup granulated sugar
– 2 Tablespoons vanilla
– 2-3 cups chocolate chips
Directions:
1.Combine 2 tbsp. of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. In a medium bowl, stir together the softened cream cheese until smooth. Combine the remaining milk, cream, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla.
2.Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to the heat, bring back to a boil, and stir with a spatula until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
3.Whisk the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese until smooth. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator to chill thoroughly before churning.
4. Freeze the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. With about 5 minutes left, add the chocolate chips. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
T.W.O. Three Berry Pie with Flaky Crust
Berry Pie is a great dessert for those warm summer nights, cold winter evenings or even for breakfast. Pretty much anytime. T.W.O. decided to make a three berry pie for our girls night with our mom. We had so much fun in the kitchen prepping this creation. We perfected a crust that we will be using for years and years to come! Happy Baking!
Ingredients:
Pie Crust:
– 2½ cups flour
– 1 tablespoon sugar
– 1 cup unsalted European butter, cubed (you can use regular butter too)
– 5-6 tablespoons ice water
– 1 egg, beaten for pie crust top
– 1 tablespoon sugar to sprinkle on top of crust
Filling:
– 2 cups blueberries
– 2-3 cups blackberries
– 2-3 cups raspberries
– 1½ cups sugar
– ⅓ cup cornstarch
– 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions:
For the crust:
1. Combine flour, sugar, and in a large bowl. Add cubed butter till mixture is sandy.
2. Add water by the tablespoon, stirring with a fork after each addition. Make sure not to add too much water – you don’t want the dough become too wet.
3. Form dough into two discs, wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
For the filling:
4. Combine the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon then toss with the berries. Make sure to not over mix – you don’t want the berries to break.
To assemble:
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Roll one disc to an 11″ round. Lay in the bottom of a 9″ pie pan and crimp the edges. If your filling is liquidy, add some cornstarch to the bottom. Pour filling over.
7. Roll out the other disc till it is even. Cut long strips to make the lattice. Carefully place on the pie top, weaving the strips in and out.
8. Brush top with an egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
9. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake 45 minutes to an hour or till pie is golden and bubbly. Watch carefully and if the edges are turning brown, cover with foil.
10. Let cool well before cutting.
Cheers,
Cherry Crisp Streusel Ice Cream
Have you ever had a frozen cherry pie? …….I didn’t think so! Well lets change that by making Cherry Crisp Streusel Ice Cream. It tastes exactly like a pie, but it’s frozen! Grab your pitted cherries and ice cream maker and lets start cooking!
Cherry Crisp Streusel Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the crisp:
– 3/4 cup all purpose unbleached flour
– 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon nutmeg
– 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
– 3/4 cup old fashion rolled oats
For the cherries:
– 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
– 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
For the ice cream:
– 2 cups 2% milk
– 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
– 3 Tablespoons cream cheese, softened
– 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
– 2/3 cup granulated sugar
– 2 Tablespoons vanilla
Directions:
Crisp:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add butter cubes and use your fingers or a pastry blender to mix the dry ingredients into the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
2. Stir in the oats. Spread the mixture in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Break into small clumps and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is brown and crisp. Let cool on the baking sheet and then freeze until ready to use. (Note – you will have extra crisp to top sprinkle on each serving of ice cream.)
Cherries:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the cherries and sugar in a bowl and toss well to combine. Place the cherries on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cherries cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Ice Cream:
1.Combine 2 tbsp. of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. In a medium bowl, stir together the softened cream cheese until smooth. Combine the remaining milk, cream, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla.
2.Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to the heat, bring back to a boil, and stir with a spatula until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
3.Whisk the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese until smooth. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator to chill thoroughly before churning.
4. Freeze the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Layer the ice cream into a storage container with the cherries and a generous amount of the crisp streusel. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
Ice Cream Fudge Sandwich Bars
I scream, you scream – – – we all scream for ice cream!!!! We know for a fact you will be shouting at the top of your lungs for this recipe. The are a delicious summer time dessert to serve at your next bbq or pool party!
Ice Cream Fudge Sandwich Bars
Ingredients:
– 1 batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (Recipe HERE)
– 2 pints chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, softened slightly
– 1/4 cup hot fudge sauce, warmed
– Seran wrap
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Set the cookie dough in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Place a sheet of s warn wrap on top and evenly press or roll the cookie dough to fill the pan.
- Remove the saran wrap and bake the cookie for 14 minutes, until lightly browned. Let the cookie cool completely in the baking pan.
- Invert the cookie onto a work surface and slide it back into the baking pan, bottom side up. Trim the edges if necessary. Scoop the ice cream over the cookie in large dollops.
- Place a sheet of saran wrap on top and press or roll the ice cream into an even layer. Freeze for 1 hour, until the ice cream is just firm.
- Remove the saran wrap. Drizzle the warm chocolate sauce all over the ice cream. Freeze for 1 hour longer, until firm.
- Invert the baking pan onto a cutting board and tap gently to release the cookie bar. Flip the cookie bar over so it is ice cream side up.
- Using a sharp, heavy knife, cut the bar in half crosswise, forming two 9-by-6 1/2-inch rectangles. Sandwich the cookie bar rectangles together and press hard to seal. Wrap in plastic and freeze for at least 1 hour, until firm.
- Cut the sandwhiches into bars and serve or freeze up to 2 weeks in a airtight container.
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Coffee Gelato
Envision this….you are walking down the streets in Firenze towards the Duomo and you want to satisfy your sweet tooth – no problem. Turn the corner past The Oil Shoppe and there is a gelateria. Only 2 euros for two scoops – perfect…thats change right!? What flavors shall you pick? In this post, T.W.O. recreates the authentic Italian coffee gelato. It’s very similar minus the cobble stone streets and the outstanding architecture. Thats amore – lets travel to ITALIA!
Coffee Gelato
Ingredients:
– 5 egg yolks
– 1 cup sugar
– 1 1/2 cups whole milk
– 2 Tablespoon vanilla
– 1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
Directions:
1. Whisk yolks in a large bowl until blended and fluffy.
2. Bring milk to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture; then whisk in espresso mixture and vanilla.
3. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 8 minutes (Be careful not to boil).
4. Refrigerate the custard until cold, about 3 hours.
5. Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Freeze in covered container. For best results let is freeze for 24 hours.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes
Cupcakes have been trendy for the last five years. Everyone has an opinion about each place – the cake part is too dry, the frosting is too much, it needs more sugar, there is too much butter, etc. Well T.W.O. can ensure you with this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcake recipe you won’t be disappointed. A glass of milk is required to complete this dessert!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients:
– 1 devil food cake mix
– eggs
– vegetable oil
– 2 teaspoons vanilla
– 1 stick butter, softened
– 1 cup creamy peanut butter + 1 Tablespoon
– 2 tablespoons milk
– 1 tablespoon vanilla creamer
– 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
– 3 teaspoons vanilla
– mini peanut butter cups
Directions:
1. Make cupcakes as stated on the box. Add vanilla to the mix. Beat well.
2. Place in muffin tins lined with cupcake holders. Place the batter in the cups. Add a mini peanut butter cup to each muffin tin. Cook as required.
3. While the cupcakes are cooking, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the peanut butter, milk, and creamer. Slowly add in the confectioners sugar and vanilla. Mix until all ingredients make a nice frosting.
4. Once the cupcakes are finished baking and cooled, its time to decorate.
Happy Baking,
T.W.O. 