Come and get it!

Subscribe to get the scoop on all the latest juicy bits.

The Amiable Cooks

Just another WordPress site

Chocolate Chip Pizza Cookie (aka Pizookie)

by Leave a Comment

chocolate-chip-pizza-cookie-from-above-3

Ahhh, the pizza cookie. Bless the kind soul who invented this dreamy cookie in a skillet. It’s sheer perfection when you consider all that it is: doughy, chocolatey, creamy (ice cream), warm but cold (again, with the ice cream)… are you with us? We used to order pizza cookies to go from a place called Oregano’s. We convinced ourselves that they were impossible to re-create at home to avoid making them seven nights a week and gaining a pound per day. Then we bought these cute little individual skillets and our resolve softened…

chocolate-chip-pizza-cookie-straight-on-1

This chocolate chip cookie recipe is THE perfect one for skillet cookies and “normal” cookies alike. It makes for a thick, soft individual pizza cookies where the middles don’t sink in – they retain their thickness and are just the perfect texture for your gooey enjoyment. Both milk and semisweet chips make for great balance of chocolates.

Tip (unsponsored): We found our mini 6-inch skillets at World Market. At $7.99, they are the cheapest we have found.

chocolate-chip-pizza-cookie-closer-up-2

Let your kids dump cookie dough ingredients into the mixer. There’s nothing like the smell of adding vanilla to a batter that brings back fond (and sweet) memories of baking with those you love! Beware of sneak-thieves:

gigi-eating-batter-out-of-the-mixer-1

We found this recipe titled “Kristi’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies” in an old church cookbook. We have adapted it slightly.

chocolate-chip-pizza-cookies-collage

Chocolate Chip Pizza Cookie (aka Pizookie)
 
Print
Prep time
Active time
Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
  • 2 c butter, at room temperature
  • 2 c lightly packed brown sugar
  • 2 c granulated sugar
  • 5½ c flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 6 oz milk chocolate chips
  • 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for mini skillet cookies and 375 degrees for regular cookies.
  2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk.
  3. Cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla, Beat until incorporated.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix just until combined.
  6. Stir in chocolate chips.
  7. Fill your individual 6-inch skillets three-quarters full of dough and press. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the edges are a light golden.
  8. For cookies, bake at 375 degrees until they are a light golden around the edges - about 10 minutes.

 

 

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats (aka Scotcheroos)

by Leave a Comment

scotcharoos peanut butter rice krispie treats - square, side view-2

Serious question: is there anything better than peanut butter and chocolate? Maybe only these Peanut Butter Rice Krispie treats (aka Scotcheroos. Chances are you’ve had them if you live in the mid-western U.S.). Soft but crisp, sweet but salty – it’s just a chewy square of indulgent perfection is what it is. Have you ever made these and had them come out too dry? It’s not rocket science but does require some attentive direction-following to achieve that chewy softness. We’ve got you covered. Let us help you nail these crowd-pleasing treats and you’ll be the talk of your next get-together (or church function).

scotcharoos peanut butter rice krispie treats - gigi eating, from front-5

You will probably convey your chocolate onto your treats in a more desirable, less glob-y fashion that we did 😉

scotcharoos peanut butter rice krispie treats - in pan-1

Unlike many Scotcheroo recipes, this one doesn’t call for butterscotch chips. We are thankful for this as we feel like butterscotch chips dilute that salty/sweet, peanutty flavor that we regard so highly.

scotcharoos peanut butter rice krispie treats - squares from above-4

Is this something you could sink your teeth into?:

scotcharoos peanut butter rice krispie treats - square, head-on-3

She’s a goofball, but we think she likes them:

scotcharoos peanut butter rice krispie treats - gigi eating, from side-6

Have your kids help drizzle these treats with chocolate.

scotcheroos collage

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats (aka Scotcheroos)
 
Print
Prep time
Active time
Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 12 large squares
Ingredients
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
  • 6 cups crispy rice cereal
  • 2-3 T shortening
  • 1 large Hershey milk chocolate bar, broken into pieces
Instructions
  1. Spray a 9X13 inch pan with cooking spray.
  2. Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until the sugar dissolves and the mixture just begins a soft boil, about 3.5 to 4 minutes (it will depend on your stovetop. Just look for the sugar granules to be mostly dissolved).
  3. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter.
  4. Quickly add the crispy rice cereal and stir. Pour into your prepared dish and let cool about 10 minutes.
  5. Combine the chocolate and shortening in a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat, checking and stirring every 20 seconds or so, until chocolate is melted. Drizzle over treats. Let cool before cutting.

 

 

Frozen Lemonade Pie

by Leave a Comment

frozen lemonade pie - single pie on blue pedestal-3

frozen lemonade pie - multiple on pedestal-5

We don’t love lemonade. The only way we can tolerate it is in it’s diet form and severely diluted with water/ice. It’s usually just too sweet and, often, we feel like it must taste how lemon-scented cleaning product smell. However, we have a weakness for creamy textures and natural lemon flavor, so (years ago) we figured we’d give this Frozen Lemonade Pie recipe a chance. Let us tell you that the texture is absolute perfection – so, so creamy and never icy – and the flavor is just as praiseworthy: the lemon presence is just right and balanced by heavy cream, rendering it not too tart and not too sweet. It feels light and is just gorgeous in contrast to it’s bright berry topping. Can you tell how creamy this thing is?:

frozen lemonade pie - eaten-6

This is a delicious and vibrant way to use up some of your imperfect summer berries.

frozen lemonade pie - sugared berries-2

Hopefully your graham cracker crumb mixture makes into your pie pan, because ours barely does. When we arrive in heaven (fingers crossed), we fully expect to behold a huge tureen full of graham cracker crumb mixture on the banquet table. It smells irresistible and tastes even better – that grainy texture that’s soft at the same time because of the warm butter?! Sheesh!

juel about to eat graham cracker crumbs-1

You can make a regular-size pie or 6 individual tarts, like we did. You will even have extra filling leftover – perfect for scooping up with graham crackers.

frozen lemonade pie - juel making-1

This dessert screams “patriotic” and would be a gorgeous addition to your Independence Day feast.

frozen lemonade pie - juel spooning berries-4

As you enjoy this dessert with those you love, teach them a couple things about berries:

  • Raspberries have a flavonoid that can help you have a good memory.
  • Blueberries are wonderful for a healthy heart, thanks to their potassium and fiber contents. They also help to regulate the sugars in your blood so they stay at a healthy level.
  • Lemons have tons of vitamin C, which may make it harder to develop asthma.

 

frozen lemonade pie collage

From: Frozen Lemonade Pie

Frozen Lemonade Pie
 
Print
Prep time
Active time
Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • For the Crust:
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • For the Filling:
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 14 -ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
  • 1 6 -ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate (do not thaw) *TAC note: we've only ever come across 12 -ounce cans of lemonade so we cut the can in half using a knife while it's frozen and use half.
  • For the Topping:
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
  1. *This recipe requires over-night freezing.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes; cool completely.
  3. Make the filling: In a cold medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, stir together the condensed milk and frozen lemonade. Gently fold the lemonade mixture into the whipped cream. Pour the filling into the crust; freeze overnight.
  4. About an hour before you serve the pie, make the topping: Toss the berries in a medium bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve.
  5. Let the pie come to room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Top each slice with berries.

 

 

Blueberry Dumplings

by Leave a Comment

blueberry dumplings - eating-6

We have an affinity for warm desserts with vanilla ice cream. This love runs very deeply. In the winter, it manifests itself in (mostly) chocolate and (sometimes) apples. In the summer, warm berry desserts, such as pie, are our obsession. The best part of a pie, for us, is the crust, and – more specifically – the part where the crust meets the fruit filling. You know – not the crisp part that touches the pie pan, but the soft, and – for lack of a better-liked word – moist part. The thing with these Blueberry Dumplings is that it’s a whole lot of the best parts of a pie: soft dough (that isn’s too sweet) cooked in vibrant, fresh blueberries and their sweet juices, enjoyed warm with vanilla ice cream. With so many so-called blueberry desserts, you only get a faint hint of blueberry flavor. These dumplings are literally swimming in simmering blueberries, which you proceed to ladle into your bowl along with the dumplings afterwards.

blueberry dumplings - blueberries in pot-1

Have your kids help you mix ingredients. As you enjoy this dessert with those you love, teach them a few things about blueberries:

  • Blueberries are wonderful for a healthy heart, thanks to their potassium and fiber contents.
  • They also help to regulate the sugars in your blood so they stay at a healthy level.
  • Blueberries provide your body with unique antioxidants that it needs to keep from getting sick.

blueberry dumplings - blueberries boiling-3

The dough is the epitome of simple, but the result is incredible.

blueberry dumplings - mixing dough with pastry cutter-2

blueberry dumplings - spooning dough into boiling blueberries-4

blueberry dumplings - scooping ice cream -5

When you can’t wait another minute to try it (shoulda had him wash all the sunscreen off his face):

blueberry dumplings - dad feeding asher a bite-7

blueberry dumplings collage

From: Blueberry Dumplings

Blueberry Dumplings
 
Print
Prep time
Active time
Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, plus 1½ cups
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 quart fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 2 cups water
  • Vanilla ice cream or fresh cream, for serving
Instructions
  1. Stir flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
  2. Cut butter into dry ingredients, using a pastry cutter or fork. Add milk to form dough. Set dumpling dough aside.
  3. In a large saucepan, combine berries, 1½ cups sugar, and water and bring to a boil.
  4. Drop dumplings into hot boiling berries by the tablespoonful. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not remove the lid before 20 minutes has passed, and do not stir dumplings.
  5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh cream.

 

Ice Cream Profiteroles (aka Easiest “Fancy Dessert” Ever)

by Leave a Comment

profiteroles using puff pastry, plated, diagonal view-2

Flaky pastry, creamy vanilla bean ice cream, and melty dark chocolate is a very French-feeling combination, and these bite-size Ice Cream Profiteroles are easy as can be while possessing a truly fancy-feel. Using Puff Pastry is the big short-cut here (honestly, what did we do before we could open the refrigerated case at Walmart and grab a box of Puff Pastry?). These petite morsels are perfect for serving guests for dessert: you can have the pastry baked and ready to fill with ice cream. The chocolate can quickly be melted while guests chat or reheated come serving time. The soft pastry, cold ice cream, and bittersweetness of the chocolate really is a marriage of flavors and textures made in pastry heaven.

profiteroles using puff pastry, plated, arial view-3

Your bigger kids can totally make this dessert on their own (with your supervision at the stove). All they need to do is roll out the Puff Pastry sheet and cut out 2-inch rounds (we used a jar that had an approximate 2-inch mouth). They’ll brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar:

profiteroles using puff pastry, juel brushing with egg wash-1

profiteroles using puff pastry, juel sprinkling with sugar-2

Then into the oven they’ll go. The dough will puff and look like this:

profiteroles using puff pastry, after baking dough-3

They’ll then split each round in half horizontally. Many of the balls will tear naturally to create a separate top and bottom half. They’ll melt some chopped bittersweet chocolate with a little cream in a double-boiler (which is a fancy term for a bowl over a pot of simmering water), then dip the top pastry halves in the chocolate. Fill with a tiny scoop of ice cream and voila! The cutest little desserts you’ve ever seen.

profiteroles using puff pastry, plated, horizontal view-1

Tip: you can fill these with real whipped cream as well, or any flavor of ice cream that you prefer. Mint or cherry ice cream would be delicious and beautiful.

Clearly a French-inspired dessert, let’s learn a few things about France and it’s people:

  • Most kids in France go to school from 8am-4pm and get 2 hours for lunch.
  • Kids usually have Wednesdays off of school but they have a half-day on Saturdays.
  • Kids play a game like hopscotch but it is in the swirly shape of snail and they only use one foot.

Ice Cream Profiteroles Collage

From: 50 Puff Pastry Treats , #50

Ice Cream Profiteroles (aka Easiest "Fancy Dessert" Ever)
 
Print
Prep time
Active time
Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 25 mini profiteroles
Ingredients
  • 1 puff pastry sheet
  • Egg wash (whisk 1 egg with 2 tsp water)
  • Sugar, for sprinkling
  • 4 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 25 tiny scoops of ice cream
Instructions
  1. Roll out the puff pastry sheet into a 10-inch square; cut out 2-inch rounds (25 total).
  2. Brush the rounds with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
  3. Bake at 400 degrees F until golden, 14 minutes. Let cool.
  4. Melt the chocolate with the heavy cream in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring.
  5. Split the profiteroles and sandwich with small scoops of ice cream; top with the chocolate sauce.

 

Strawberry Crumble Pie

by Leave a Comment

 

strawberry crumble pie- finished, half shot-6

Warm pie is heaven. Warm fruit crisp is heaven. Put them together and this Strawberry Crumble Pie is the comforting, all-American result. There are some noteworthy and marvelous flavors and textures that go on here: you’ve got this tart/sweet/spicy thing going on – the product of fresh strawberries, lime juice, and cardamom. Allspice and ginger in the crumble topping also lend a bit of spice, which crisps up a bit, resulting in crunchy clusters of sweet, oat-y goodness. The pie crust remains (pleasantly) on the softer side, which is perfect for enjoying with some cold vanilla bean ice cream.

strawberry crumble pie- half shot, verticle-4

Tips: See all that juiciness at the bottom of that bowl of strawberries? This pie really is more like a crisp and won’t yield perfect slices of pie when cut into. It will come out more saucy and is heaven eaten with vanilla ice cream, like a crisp or cobbler. To make it less saucy, try using a slotted spoon to convey the strawberry mixture into the pie shell. Let it cool for 6 hours and then even refrigerate overnight to get more of a pie-like texture. Also, the cardamom presence isn’t super subtle in this pie. We feel like it makes the pie more interesting and unique. If you aren’t crazy about cardamom, we suggest adding half the amount called for. This recipe calls for instant tapioca, which we find at Walmart (unsponsored).

strawberry crumble pie- ingredients-1

We cheated and used store-bought pie crust. We find that it gets the job done just fine when you want to skip this step.

strawberry crumble pie- half shot, horizontal-3

Our pie turned out a bit more brown than is photogenic, but it sure tasted fantastic.

strawberry crumble pie- finished, full shot-5

What is cardamom, anyway? It is a seed that comes from a plant, related to ginger, that grows in Southeast Asia. It is really aromatic and totally exotic. It is a good source of iron, which helps to oxygenate your tissues.

Strawberry crumble pie collage

 

Adapted slightly from: Strawberry Crumble Pie

Strawberry Crumble Pie
 
Print
Prep time
Active time
Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
  • For the crust:
  • 1 storebought pie crust OR:
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup cold vegetable shortening
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 tablespoons ice water
  • 2 tablespoons vodka or apple cider vinegar
  • For the topping:
  • ¾ cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • For the filling:
  • 2 pounds strawberries, hulled and halved
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons instant tapioca
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (or ¼ tsp if you're not too hip on this spice)
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • Vanilla bean ice cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
  1. Make the crust: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the shortening and pulse a few times until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the butter and pulse a few times until it is in pea-size pieces. Add the ice water and vodka; pulse a few times until the dough starts coming together but is still crumbly. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
  2. Meanwhile, make the topping: Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, allspice and ginger in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work the butter into the mixture until clumpy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Put a baking sheet in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 400 degrees F. Make the filling: Combine the strawberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar, tapioca, lime juice, cardamom and salt in a large bowl. Stir until the sugar and tapioca are dissolved and the strawberries are evenly coated. Set aside.
  4. Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Refrigerate until firm, at least 15 minutes. Spread the strawberry filling in the crust and sprinkle evenly with the crumble topping. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling around the edge, start checking at 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely, at least 4 hours.

 

 

Peanut Butter S’mores Bars

by Leave a Comment

peanut butter smores bars, close-up-1

IT’S SUMMER!!! Summer means a few things, but – most importantly – S’MORES. We replace the Hershey Bar for a Reese’s Cup in our favorite s’more. And the only thing better than a s’more made the old fashioned way with graham crackers is a s’more made with a soft graham cracker crumb dough and a peanut butter layer. The result is a gooey, rich bar of summer fun. It’s true that you won’t get that toasty marshmallow heaven with this version, but if you don’t have a camp fire handy, it’s the next-best thing. Grab some milk and sink your teeth into the delicious layers of this fun cookie bar.

peanut butter smores bars, from above-1

We used those huge, thick Hershey bars but the chocolate layer was a little too thick for our liking. We suggest using bars that are the same thickness as the regular size Hershey bar.

peanut butter smores bars, asher placing chocolate atop-1

We used natural peanut butter, but any peanut butter will work.

peanut butter smores bars, asher smoothing peanut butter atop-1

A jar of marshmallow Fluff is the perfect amount for this square pan of treats.

peanut butter smores bars, asher smoothing fluff atop-1

Put your kids to work. This is an easy and fun recipe! At the very least, let them place Hershey bars on the bottom cookie layer.

peanut butter smores bars, asher cooking-1

Don’t worry if your top layer isn’t perfect. It doesn’t have to be!

peanut butter smores bars, pre-baked-1

We first spied these on Pinterest and decided to try Lindsay’s version from Pinch of Yum and they didn’t disappoint. We will refer you to her blog post for the recipe. Thanks for the great recipe, Lindsay!

peanut butter smores bars, from the side-1

smores bars collage

 

Twix Bars (aka Softest, Most Perfect Twix Bars)

by Leave a Comment

twix bars close-up-1

You see them all over Pinterest: soft-looking cookie bars with three tantalizing layers of some of your very favorite things: soft shortbread, soft caramel, and milk chocolate.

twix bars, asher taking a bite-1

Problem is, many of these recipes don’t come out very soft at all… the shortbread is too dry and the caramel is brittle. Not cool. Our first go at a homemade Twix bar was with a Six Sister’s recipe. No offense, Six Sisters, but your recipe wasn’t very helpful. Caramel can be temperamental – it can potentially come out with a texture more like toffee or a sloppy mess. Those of us who haven’t made caramel before need a little more guidance. We followed the recipe to the “T” and found ourselves chipping away at rock-hard caramel with a knife whilst wallowing in our self-loathing for not being able to achieve the desired result (it is a possibility that we are the only ones). The next recipe we tried was from Lauren over at Tastes Better From Scratch. It was a complete success, thanks to her more detailed explanation of the caramel-making process. And, to further dispel any mystery surrounding the issue, we felt like you deserved a video to help you see what the caramel should look like when it’s ready. We know you’ll enjoy this super-soft version of one of America’s favorite candy bars.

twix bars from above-1

Be sure not to over-cook your shortbread layer. We actually baked ours for 25 minutes (5 minutes less than the recipe instructs). It should be barely golden around the edges, like this:

twix bars, shortbread layer-1

We think this beautiful boy of ours enjoyed them…

twix bars, asher enjoying-1

Have your kids help you dump ingredients. If they’re little, have them count chocolate chips while they’re at it.

P.S. We ended up drizzling some natural peanut butter over a couple of these. They were AWESOME because the saltiness tamed the sweetness just a bit. Just a thought 😉

We’re going to refer you to TBFS for this recipe. Just be sure that you don’t start your timer on the caramel until it begins a real, ROLLING boil (none if this fake, almost-rolling-boil nonsense). Once it looks furious, start your timer for 6 minutes (5 1/2 if you’re worried about it) and then check a glob of it with the softball method shown in the video. Thanks for the great recipe, Lauren!

Homemade Twix Bars

twix bars collage

Easy Strawberry Tart

by Leave a Comment

strawberry tart-1

We recently shared a super simple yet beautiful Spring Tart recipe using Puff Pastry. This Strawberry Tart is the perfect sweet counterpart to serve at a brunch or baby/bridal shower. We’re literally talking about 15 minutes of active time here, then into the oven it goes. It’s so easy, your ten-year-old could do it. Ours did…

Begin by scoring the edge of the Puff Pastry (simply cut half-way deep into the dough 1 inch from the edges. The dough will rise around the strawberries and create a pretty, raised border):

strawberry tart, scoring the pastry-1

Then you’ll brush the dough with melted butter:

strawberry tart, juel eggwashing the pastry-1

And sprinkle generously with sugar:

strawberry tart, juel sprinkling the pastry with sugar-1

Arrange strawberry slices any way you think is pretty. We went with the photo that Food Network Magazine provided and alternated the way the strawberries pointed by rows:

strawberry tart, juel laying strawberries-1

Sprinkle with more sugar, bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, and viola!

strawberry tart close up-1

We like to sprinkle everything we possibly can with powdered sugar, so we did so here:

strawberry tart close up from side-1

The really nice thing about this tart is that it isn’t overly sweet. Some might even claim that it isn’t sweet enough. We think that’s a good sign that you’re justified in serving this to guests as a non-dessert item – you don’t always want a sickly-sweet dessert just because it involves strawberries. Here, the strawberries shine and aren’t overpowered by a high-fructose-corn-syrup-y glaze. Whip up a couple of these pretty, subtle tarts the next time you need to bring something bright and easy to a get-together.

Depending on their age, your kids can make this entire thing themselves! At least let them sprinkle sugar and arrange strawberry slices (you can fix them when they’re not looking). As you prepare and enjoy this with those you love, teach them a few things about strawberries:

  • Strawberries are bright red because they contain anthocyanidin, which helps to protect your heart from disease.
  • Strawberries also provide you with manganese, which is great for kids whose bones are growing.
  • Strawberries give you vitamin K for proper blood clotting, and you can only get it through your diet.

 

strawberry tart collage

From: Strawberry Tart, #47

Easy Strawberry Tart
 
Print
Prep time
Active time
Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 9 squares
Ingredients
  • 1 puff pastry sheet
  • melted butter
  • granulated sugar
  • sliced fresh strawberries
Instructions
  1. Roll out the puff pastry sheet into a 10-inch square.
  2. Score a 1-inch border around the edges with a knife.
  3. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
  4. Arrange sliced strawberries inside the border; sprinkle with more sugar.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees F until golden, 30 minutes.

 

Espresso Brownies

by Leave a Comment

espresso brownies, one with bite-1

We have a major weakness for brownies, especially extra-soft, fudgy ones. A few of us also have a weakness for the rich, “roasty” flavor of coffee. These Espresso Brownies by Giada De Laurentiis are beyond easy and deliver an intense chocolatey-ness as well as a strong espresso presence. It’s commonly agreed upon that a bit of coffee or espresso enhances the flavor of chocolate, lending even more richness, and this recipe proves that. Giada cuts corners here with a boxed brownie mix, and, if that offends you, then go ahead and make your own brownie batter from scratch and continue on with the recipe from there.

espresso brownies, single with bite-1

We don’t drink coffee ’round these parts, so if you’re worried about any caffeine effect these might have on you, consider this: if I drink a diet coke within 3 hours of bedtime, I’m up half the night… that’s how sensitive I am to caffeine. I had a few of these puppies 2 hours before bed and slept like a baby. But, if you have any qualms about using coffee for baking, go ahead and skip this recipe.

espresso brownies from above-1

Tip (unsponsored): We have found that espresso powder isn’t necessarily easy to find, at least for us non-coffee drinkers. We have found it before at TJ Maxx, but not consistently. My dear friend and neighbor, Dusty, recently ordered me some from William Sonoma and (coming in a jar just larger than your typical spice jar) it’s just the perfect size for those of us who only use it for baking. It should be good for about a year and half.

IMG_3594

If you can’t find espresso powder and don’t care to order some, regular coffee grounds should work just fine. You may need to add more than the recipe calls for as espresso powder is more concentrated in coffee flavor than regular grounds. Grinding it with your spice grinder may eliminate any potential grittiness you might get using grounds as opposed to the powder.

Have your kids help you dump and mix ingredients. In fact, your kids age 8 and older would be great at doing most of the work themselves!

From: Espresso Brownies

Espresso Brownies
 
Print
Prep time
Active time
Total time
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 9 X 13 pan
Ingredients
  • Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
  • ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons espresso powder
  • 1 (19.8-ounce) box brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines)
  • ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk ⅓ cup of water, oil, eggs, and 2 tablespoons espresso powder in a large bowl to blend. Add the brownie mix. Stir until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely.
  3. Meanwhile, dissolve the remaining 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar and butter and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze over the brownies. Refrigerate until the glaze is set. Cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange the brownies on a platter and serve.

 

espresso brownies collage

Newsletter

subscribe for email updates!

STAY CONNECTED