Mince-Nut Tarts au Chocolat

I had a package of mincemeat left over from the holidays and remembered this recipe that I had developed in 1986 for a magazine contest.  It didn’t win, but it’s a delicious little tart.

I used a portion of mincemeat that I made from this condensed package (mixed with water) that makes 1-¾ cups.  I used one cup for this recipe.

Mincemeat made from his package is comparable in taste and consistency to the prepared mincemeat in jars.

• Servings: 6
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• 3 Tblsp.condensed milk
• ¼ cup + 2 Tblsp. chocolate chips
• 1 cup prepared mincemeat
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 6 pastry tart shells (3-½ in. diameter (across top) x ¾ in. deep

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

In small saucepan combine condensed milk and chocolate chips.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted.

Spread chocolate mixture over bottom surface of tart shells (about 2 Tblsp. per pan).

Divide mincemeat among pans and spread over chocolate mixture.

Sprinkle the top of each tart with chopped pecans.

Bake at 375 degrees F approximately 20 minutes until crust and walnuts are golden brown.

Let cool in pans on a wire rack.

6 servings

My Black Forest Crinkle Cookies

My blogger friend, Susan at Desert Sky Quilts, posted the original recipe for these cookies here.  The cookies sounded so good and I had never used dried cherries before.  I made a couple of changes.  The original dough had to be chilled before forming into balls, so I omitted the 2 Tblsp. of water to avoid this waiting period and to make the dough very easy to handle.  Also, the original recipe called for rolling the cookies in the powdered sugar twice.  I wanted to cut down on the extra sugar and my version calls for less powdered sugar and just one rolling.

These are really delicious cookies – crisp on the outside and fudgy inside with an occasional flavor jolt of the tart cherries.  The yield is small – about 14 cookies, which is probably just as well – they’re just too hard to resist.

BLACK FOREST CRINKLE COOKIES

• Servings: 14 cookies
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• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup dried tart cherries (1.5 ounces)
• ¼ cup plus 2 Tblsp. sifted powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl – set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and cocoa until cocoa is dissolved.  Stir in egg and vanilla until well blended.  Stir chocolate mixture into flour mixture just until combined, then add chocolate chips and cherries into the dough until evenly distributed.  Use your hands to completely mix dough and form into a ball.

Pinch off pieces of dough and form into 1-½ inch balls.

Roll balls in powdered sugar,

…then arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake for approximately 14 minutes or until cookies are cracked, yet still soft – do not overbake.

Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

Yield:  14 cookies 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Coookies

I was looking for a quick, easy cookie to bake for lunch and came across this one on Annie’s Eats.

The cookies sounded interesting, but I didn’t want such a large batch.  I cut the ingredients in half and compensated for the whole egg by omitting the milk.  I also reduced the amount of peanut butter cups to keep them at a reasonable nutritional count.  I made the cookies smaller and four cookies made a nice, satisfying serving.  My two daughters and I loved the cookies with all of the peanut butter flavor and didn’t feel too  guilty about eating them.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

• Servings: 30 small cookies
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¾ cup all-purpose flour
3 Tblsp. cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tblsp. butter, at room temperature
3 Tblsp. creamy peanut butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup coarsely chopped peanut butter cups* (about 8 pieces)

*For easier handling in unwrapping and chopping, freeze wrapped peanut butter cups for 30 minutes before preparing.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla extract.  Blend until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add in 1/2 cup of chopped peanut butter cups and fold in gently with a spatula.

Form dough into one-inch balls and place on baking sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake approximately 9 minutes until tops of cookies begin to crack.  Don’t over-bake.  Place cookies on a rack to cool.

Yield:  30 small cookies 

Blueberry Chocolate Mousse

I got the idea for this dessert from a recipe on the Blueberry Council web site.  I changed it to suit my taste, ingredients and the way I wanted to serve it.

The mousse alone would be very good but the addition of the cookie adds a bit more richness and flavor.  My daughters and I really enjoyed it.

• Servings: 4
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• 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk, divided
• 1-¼ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
•  ½ cup milk chocolate chips (Ghirardelli)
•  4 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo)
•  ½ cup fresh blueberries

In a medium microwaveable bowl, place 1/3-cup evaporated milk.  Sprinkle gelatin over and stir to mix
Set aside to allow gelatin to soften for 5 minutes

Microwave on high until bubbles appear, 30 to 60 seconds
Add chocolate chips and stir until smooth then stir in remaining evaporated milk

Cover and refrigerate until the mixture starts to set.
Meanwhile, crumble half of a chocolate sandwich cookie into each of 4 dessert dishes

Set aside

Remove bowl of chocolate chip mixture from refrigerator and stir until smooth.   Fold blueberries into mousse.

Spoon mousse mixture into the four dessert dishes.  Crumble half of a chocolate sandwich cookie over the top of each dish of mousse.

Cover loosely and chill until firm, about 2 hours

4 servings 

Chocolate Almond Roca Cookies

I made these rich candy-like cookies last year on a sunny Sunday before Christmas.  My daughters and grandchildren were here for lunch and I was looking for something to serve that would be “holly jolly”.   This delicious confection adapted from a recipe on Mennonite Girls Can Cook was perfect.

• Servings: Depends on size of bars
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•     12 long graham crackers
•     1-1/2 cups sliced almonds
•     1 cup butter (not margarine)
•     1 cup dark brown sugar
•     1-1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (Ghirardelli)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Line an 11×16 inch jelly roll pan (with lips to catch spills) with parchment paper.  Lay the graham crackers in the pan to fit snugly.  Sprinkle with almonds and set aside.

Place the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Bring to a full rolling boil – bubbles across the top surface of the mixture.  Pour hot mixture carefully over the almond/graham cracker base, spreading to cover all of the crackers and nuts.

Place in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until bubbly all over.  Remove from oven and sprinkle even with chocolate chips. Let cookies stand for a minute to melt the chocolate, then use a spatula to spread the chocolate in a thin layer.

Cool in the pan on a rack to room temperature.  Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden chocolate topping.

Using the spatula, lift and break the cookies in random size pieces.

This makes a large batch of delicious, rich cookies. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Dessert

I developed this recipe using bits and pieces from other dishes.  The topping is Stabilized Whipped Cream from Veronica’s Cornucopia.

There are several steps, but easy ones, and this dessert goes together very quickly.  It is simply delicious – rich, cool, satisfying.

• Servings: 6
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Topping (PREPARE THE NIGHT BEFORE SERVING)

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 24 miniature marshmallows
• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Crust:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup butter, cut in small cubes
• ½ cup salted peanuts, chopped

Filling:

• 4 serving pkg. Jello instant chocolate pudding
• 1-½ cups milk
• ¾ cup peanut butter

• 1 Dove Pleasure Or Hershey Nugget for grating

To make topping:
The night before serving, in a medium bowl mix the cream cheese with a fork until smooth.  Gradually add the cream, stirring until blended.  Stir in the marshmallows and sugar.

Place bowl in the refrigerator (do not cover the bowl).  Place the beaters in the freezer to chill overnight.

In the morning, place the cream mixture in a mixer bowl and beat with the chilled beaters until marshmallows have dissolved and stiff peaks form.

To make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, place flour and butter cubes.

Mix the butter into the flour with your fingertips.  Add the peanuts and mix into the dough.  Place dough in the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch baking dish.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack.

To make the filling:
Place instant pudding mix in a medium bowl and whisk in the milk for one minute.  Add peanut butter and continue whisking until smooth.

Pour pudding on top of cooled crust.

Spoon topping on top of the chocolate mixture.

Grate the chocolate candy over the top of the dessert.

Cover and chill for at least two hours.

Servings:  6 

I made an extra batch of the stabilized whipped cream to see how long it would hold up after being made.  Refrigerated, it will remain stable for 5 days.  It is also possible to freeze and thaw the cream with good results. It’s nice to make in advance and have on hand for when you are pressed for time.   Of course, you could also substitute regular whipped cream or a frozen whipped topping (thawed) in this dish.

Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake – a 1940s Recipe

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a small 4-½ x 6 inch leather bound book engraved “Cooking Recipes”, purchased at an antique mall in Sugar Creek, Ohio.  The pages are edged in gold and there are 10 index tabs for food categories.  

The real gold in this book, though, is the collection of handwritten recipes.  There aren’t a lot of recipes – just 25, 22 of which are desserts.  The book itself could have been from the 1930s, but I believe the recipes are from the 1945-1950 era.  This is based on a lot of recipes calling for shortening, for using the word “oleo” rather than margarine in most recipes and the attention given to oven temperatures.  I believe it’s post-World War II because of all of the sugar-laden desserts.

The handwriting is clear and ingredients are listed correctly, although most of the recipes give no idea of how the item is to be prepared, what kind of pan to use or how long to bake.  That’s why I’ve decided to make each of the recipes, using the products specified, and adding my own instructions.  I like to think that the woman from the 1940s kitchen (who would have been about my mother’s age) would enjoy having someone fuss around with these recipes again and turn out some delicious food for the family.

This is a good, family-style cake – soft and moist, but not too rich.  Normally, I use a reduced-fat, olive oil based mayonnaise but since the mayonnaise is replacing eggs and shortening in this recipe, I went with the full-fat version (Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise).

MAYONNAISE CHOCOLATE CAKE

• Servings: 9
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• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup regular mayonnaise (not low fat)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F for a glass pan, 350 degrees F for a metal pan
Grease and flour a 9 inch baking pan

In the large bowl of a mixer, beat together the sugar, water and mayonnaise.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cocoa.

Add the dry ingredients to the mayonnaise mixture and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into prepared pan …

…and bake in preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes or until cake tests done when a tester is inserted in the center of the cake.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Keep cake in pan and when cool, frost with:

VINTAGE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

• 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3-4 Tblsp. cream (or evaporated milk)

Place 1 cup of powdered sugar, cocoa, salt, butter and vanilla in mixer bowl.  Beat for one minute.  Gradually add remaining cup of powdered sugar alternately with cream until of desired consistency.

Frost top of cake.

Makes 9 servings

Cherry Fudge Mousse

I wanted to make a dessert that would use up some leftover frozen tart cherries and a carton of Greek yogurt.  I thought about how much we like a Cherry Fudge Pie I make and translated it into this dessert.  It is easy to put together, can be made ahead of time, and is really delicious.  Using 2% milk and lite Cool Whip, a serving is 250 calories.

• Servings: 6
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• 1-½ cups frozen tart cherries, thawed, with juice
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. quick cooking tapioca
• Pinch of salt
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract
• ½ cup chocolate chips (Ghirardelli milk chocolate)
• 4-serving package of instant French Vanilla pudding
• 1 cup milk
• 5.3 oz. container of Greek yogurt (Dannon)
• 1 cup Cool Whip frozen topping, thawed

To make the Cherry Fudge Sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, mix the cherries, juice, sugar, tapioca and salt.  Cook until mixture begins to boil, stirring occasionally.  Boil for another minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in almond extract and chocolate chips.  Let cool to room temperature.

To make the mousse:

In a medium bowl, place the instant pudding and milk – whisk until smooth and starting to thicken.  Whisk in the yogurt and then the Cool Whip topping.

Spoon into six small serving dishes.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Spoon the cooled Cherry Fudge Sauce over the chilled moose and serve immediately or cover and return to the refrigerator.  Further chilling will thicken the sauce.  Can be kept refrigerated for several days.

Yield:  6 servings.

You might also like this Cherry Fudge Pie

https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/presidents-day-and-cherry-fudge-pie/

Chocolate Drop Cookies – a 1940s Recipe

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a small 4-½ x 6 inch leather bound book engraved “Cooking Recipes”, purchased at an antique mall in Sugar Creek, Ohio.  The pages are edged in gold and there are 10 index tabs for food categories.  

The real gold in this book, though, is the collection of handwritten recipes.  There aren’t a lot of recipes – just 25, 22 of which are desserts.  The book itself could have been from the 1930s, but I believe the recipes are from the 1945-1950 era.  This is based on a lot of recipes calling for shortening, for using the word “oleo” rather than margarine in most recipes and the attention given to oven temperatures.  I believe it’s post-World War II because of all of the sugar-laden desserts.  

The handwriting is clear and ingredients are listed correctly, although most of the recipes give no idea of how the item is to be prepared, what kind of pan to use or how long to bake.  That’s why I’ve decided to make each of the recipes, using the products specified, and adding my own instructions.  I like to think that the woman from the 1940s kitchen (who would have been about my mother’s age) would enjoy having someone fuss around with these recipes again and turn out some delicious food for the family.

These Chocolate Drop Cookies are a very simple little cookie, soft on the inside and slightly crunchy outside.

CHOCOLATE DROP COOKIES

• Servings: Approx. 54 small cookies
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• ¼ cup butter or oleo (margarine)
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup shortening
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• Two one-oz squares of semi-sweet chocolate, melted
• ½ tsp. soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1-¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease cookie sheets.

Cream together the butter/margarine, egg, shortening and sugar.  Add the melted chocolate to the creamed mixture.  Stir the soda, salt and flour into the creamed mixture.  Add milk and vanilla.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies.

Bake @ 400 degrees F for approximately 8 minutes.  Remove to a rack to cool.

Makes about 54 small cookies. 

What better way to serve these cookies than on a vintage EAPG dessert plate.  I have a fair-sized collection of EAPG but recently found the 6-1/2 inch diameter dessert plates which I did not have yet.  They were 50 cents each for 9 plates at the local Goodwill thrift shop.

I baked some of the cookies with an almond pressed in the top and some with a piece of pitted date.

This cookie jar looks vintage but was a Christmas gift this year picked out for me by my 12-year-old grandson.  He knows what I like.

Mom’s Bourbon Pecan Fudge

My youngest daughter loved the bourbon fudge she had ordered online and I put together this recipe to try to duplicate it.  It’s not exactly the same, but very good and very easy to make.  This is an adult candy but the bourbon flavor is not too strong.  It just adds a nice mellow taste to a creamy, rich fudge.

• Servings: Depends on size of squares
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4 cups Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips (two 11.5 oz. packages)*
14-oz can Eagle Brand condensed milk
Dash of salt
¼ cup bourbon
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

* You could use any kind of chocolate chips – our family is partial to both milk chocolate and Ghirardelli chips.

• Line an 8-inch pan with foil and butter the foil.
• In a large heavy saucepan, place chocolate chips, condensed milk and salt.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until chips are melted.
• Remove from heat.  Stir in bourbon gradually, stirring until smooth.  Stir in chopped pecans.

• Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate for 4-5 hours until fudge is set and completely cool – the top should feel solid.

• Remove candy from pan by lifting foil.  Peel foil from bottom of fudge and place on a cutting board.  Score the fudge into the size pieces you prefer.  The eight-inch pan will hold fudge that is about one-inch thick.  Cut the fudge into squares.**

Store in a tightly covered container.  Once the fudge is set, refrigeration is not needed – store at room temperature.

**Makes 16 two-inch squares of fudge.  Note that these are BIG pieces of fudge.  You could also use a nine-inch pan and cut the candy into smaller squares.