Chocolately Goodness, Choco-Hoto-Pots

         Lisa's Dinnertime Dish has moved.  Please visit me at my new and improved blog site!  The new address is http://lisasdinnertimedish.com.  I look forward to seeing you at the new site!!


     Since Alex's birthday was yesterday, I thought it would be nice if I made a special dessert for him.  It took me about two seconds to figure out what sweet treat I should make.  It had to be choco-hoto-pots.  It's kind of a goofy name, but it is a very decadent and delicious chocolate treat.

     I have been making this dessert for quite a few years.  My sister-in-law, Cady was actually the one who found the recipe.  It's a Nigella Lawson recipe that she found on Oprah.com.  I love this recipe because it is truly easy to make.  I make it quite often when we entertain because you can make the batter ahead of time, fill the ramekins and refrigerate.  Then when you're ready, you just pop them into the oven and in 20 minutes they're done.

     The other thing I love about this recipe is how you can change up the flavor.  The original recipe has you fold white chocolate chips into the batter.  I often substitute them for different flavored chips.  For Christmas I have used Andes Mint Chips.  I've also used semi-sweet chocolate chips and this time I used Heath Toffee Bits.  Really you could use whatever flavor chips or bits that you like.

Choco-Hoto-Pots



• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup Heath Toffee Bits (or whatever flavor chips you like)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter four 6 oz ramekins and set aside.
Using a microwave or double boiler, melt together the semi-sweet chocolate and the butter.  Set aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine sugar, eggs and flour.

Add cooled chocolate mixture and mix until blended.

Fold in Heath Bits.

Divide mixture evenly among ramekins and place on baking sheet.  Bake until tops are shiny and cracked and chocolate beneath is hot and gooey, about 20 minutes.

 Place each ramekin on a small plate with a teaspoon and serve hot.

ENJOY!


Shared at Mandy's Recipe Box on 11/15/11
Shared at This Chick Cooks on 11/16/11
Shared at Everday Mom's Meals 11/20/11
Shared at Gooseberry Patch Bog on 11/30/11

A Sweet Treat, Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze

     Lisa's Dinnertime Dish has moved.  Please visit me at my new and improved blog site!  The new address is http://lisasdinnertimedish.com.  I look forward to seeing you at the new site!! 


     It seems like this time of year it is all about the pumpkin...pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cheesecake...and that's just the sweet pumpkin!  But hey, pumpkin is good and it's good for you (ok, maybe not so much after you've added lots of sugar and butter, but whatever).  So in keeping with what seems to be a bit of a theme this time of year, I decided that I needed to make pumpkin bread.  And of course, pumpkin is best when it has some form of cream cheese with it, so it would need to be topped by a cream cheese glaze.

     I came up with this recipe by adapting a basic banana bread recipe.  I substituted pureed pumpkin for the bananas and I changed up the flavorings to make it more of a spice bread.  To make the glaze, I beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar and then added milk, little by little, until it was the right consistancy.

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 2 loaves

      

     

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 4 eggs
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat 2 loaf pans with cooking spray.

Add sugars and butter to a mixing bowl and cream together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed and add eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined.

Add pumpkin puree, mixing until well combined.

Add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, mixing until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add to pumpkin mixture, mixing on low until just combined.

Divide batter between the two loaf pans.

Place pans in preheated oven.  Set timer for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until the tops no longer look moist and the sides are pulling away from the pan.

Let rest for 10 minutes ontop of a wire rack.  Then run a knife along the edges and invert loaves on to the rack to cool completely.

While bread bakes, prepare the glaze.

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp milk

In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy.

Add powdered sugar and beat until well combined.

Beat in the milk, one tablespoon at a time until it is a consistancy that you can drizzle over the bread.

Drizzle over bread with a spoon.

ENJOY!


Shared at Everyday Mom's Meals on 11/6/11
Shared at Deelicious Sweets on 11/6/11

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, a Personal Challenge Conquered

       Lisa's Dinnertime Dish has moved.  Please visit me at my new and improved blog site!  The new address is http://lisasdinnertimedish.com.  I look forward to seeing you at the new site!!


       I have decided that becoming an accomplished baker is a goal that I need to achieve.  I don't know why...sometimes I just get crazy ideas in my head.  For years, I've been content with leaving the baking to others.  Picking something up from the bakery was perfectly acceptable.  But I've been challenging myself to bake more often and I'm finding that I actually kind of enjoy it.  Especially if I'm the only one home and I can turn whatever music I like up as loud as I like and sing along as loud as I like (of course).  It's kind of relaxing. 
    
     The unfortunate thing is that there are only three of us in the house (my daughters are off at college) and I am the biggest sweet eater in the house which is not so friendly to the figure.  So to fix that problem, after the three of us who are at home have all had a taste of whatever I've baked, I send it off to Nicole and Kelly's sorority house where I know it will be eaten (thankfully, Steve is going to be on campus today, because I have a LOT of cupcakes to send their way!).

     I decided to make these pumpkin cupcakes for two reasons.  One, we're having company for dinner on Saturday night and I need dessert.  I think they will be delicious served with some cinnamon ice cream.  Two, I need to bring a baked good to church on Sunday.

     So having said all that, I think these cupcakes are pretty darn tasty,  as well as the cream cheese frosting (I LOVE cream cheese frosting).  I hope you try them yourself!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting



• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup  unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

Cream sugars and butter together until fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Add pumpkin and beat in.

Add vanilla and spice and beat in .

Add one third of the flour mixture and beat in.

Then add half of the milk and beat in .

Add another third of the flour mixture and beat in.

Add the rest of the milk and beat in.

Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat in.

Divide batter between 18 muffin cups lined with muffin cups. (I find that an ice cream scoop works great for this.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

While cupcakes bake, prepare cream cheese frosting.
Cream together 1 cup (2 sticks) butter with 4 ounces cream cheese.

Beat in 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time.
Beat in 1 tsp vanilla.

Once cupcakes have cooled completely, frost.  If you want to get fancy and pipe the frosting on, take a ziploc bag and cut a very small hole in the bottom corner.  Then take a plastic piping piece and push through.  Then spoon in the frosting and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

This is Alex doing "research" for me!

ENJOY!


Shared at Shared at Everyday Mom's Meals on 10/17/11

Shared at Everyday Sisters on 10/17/11
Shared at Deelicious Sweets on 11/14/11

Adventures in Baking: White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

    Lisa's Dinnertime Dish has moved.  Please visit me at my new and improved blog site!  The new address is http://lisasdinnertimedish.com.  I look forward to seeing you at the new site!!


     I am very excited about today's post, but there has been some adventure along the way (I will get to that later).  The reason I'm excited is because...well...it's about cheesecake!  I love cheesecake!!  The other thing that is exciting for me is that I was able to use eggs that came straight from the farm.  I know for some of you that may not be a big deal, but my eggs always come to me from the grocery store, with no idea of where they actually came from.

     So...you may be wondering how I happened upon these truly farm fresh eggs.  Here's the story...stay with me.  My daughter, Kelly, has a boyfriend, Graham.  Graham's grandparents have a farm in Wisconsin and last weekend, he and Kelly went to visit them.  His grandma has chickens and they also have miniature ponies, along with giant Clydesdales, a peacock, their own rooster and a neighbor's rooster that they are fostering (and apparently roosters are territorial and they weren't playing nice).  So visiting the farm is quite an adventure for Kelly, who is very much a "city girl".  On this visit, Graham's grandma was kind enough to send home a dozen of her straight from the chicken, eggs.

My truly farm fresh eggs.  Don't worry, I washed them before I used them!

     Now...back to cheesecake.  This is where the adventure comes in.  First of all, let me just say, before you make something, make sure you have carefully read the recipe, including the amount of each ingredient needed.  Let's just say I didn't do that, on two counts.  My first mistake was that I changed the crust and didn't do a very good job of calculating what amount of chocolate cookies I would need in place of the graham crackers and almonds that were in the original.  So when I put the crust mixture into the pan, I quickly realized I didn't have enough.....So I had to grind up more cookies and mix in, crisis averted.

     My second mistake was that I only had half as much white chocolate as I needed.  The only thing I could do about that was to make the cheesecake with half as much white chocolate.  I think it will be fine, but I definitely recommend putting in the full 8 ounces of white chocolate.

     My third mistake was, I didn't bake it quite long enough.  At 38 minutes, it really looked like it was done, so I took it out because I didn't want it to get dry.  Well, when I cut into it I discovered it was a little too soft in the center.  But the good news is, it still tastes great!

     Finally, before I get to the recipe, if you're going to try this, PLEASE learn from my mistakes and it will turn out perfectly for you !!
    

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Adapted from the Food Network

• 3 cups chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 8 oz white chocolate
• 4 -8oz packages cream cheese, softened (I used 2 regular and 2 reduced fat)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 4 whole large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups raspberries (I used a 12 oz bag of frozen)

Make crust:  Place cookies in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.  Then add butter and blend until combined.

Place in a 10-inch springform pan and press over the bottom and part-way up the side of the pan.

Make filling:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, and remove from heat.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy.

Add sugar and beat in.

Add whole eggs and yolks, 1 at a time, beating well at low speed and scraping down the bowl after each addition.

Beat in the flour and vanilla until just combined.

Add melted chocolate beating until well combined.

If using frozen raspberries, make sure they are well drained.  Arrange berries in 1 layer over crust and pour filling into crust.

Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake in the middle of the oven until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly when pan is gently shaken, 45-55 minutes.

Run a thin knife around the edge of cake to loosen, then coll completely in pan on a rack (cake will continue to set as it cools.  Serve at room temperature or chilled
May be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered

ENJOY!