Quad Chocolate Cheesecake

Recipe and photo from Grandbaby Cakes
Ingredients 
For crust 

• 1 9-ounce box chocolate wafer cookies
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling 

• 1 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
•  2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
•  3/4 cup sugar
•  1 tablespoon cornstarch
•  1 cup sour cream
•  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs

For Chocolate glaze  

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

 For White Chocolate glaze

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

Preparation

Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap outside of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with double thickness of foil. Spray bottom of pan with vegetable oil spray. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add butter and process until blended. Press mixture onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling. 

Make filling:
Combine cream and coffee powder in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until coffee powder dissolves. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate; whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool 10 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in cornstarch. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat well. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Whisk 1 cup cheese mixture into chocolate mixture. Return chocolate mixture to remaining cheese mixture; whisk until smooth.

Pour batter into crust. Place springform pan in large baking pan. Add enough hot water to baking pan to cone halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake cheesecake until softly set and slightly puffed around edges, about 1 hour. Turn off oven. Let cake stand in oven 45 minutes. Transfer springform pan t rack and cool. Cover; chill cake overnight. 

Make Chocolate glaze:
Bring cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add 4 ounces chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Pour glaze over top of cake. Using spatula, smooth glaze evenly over top. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Make White Chocolate glaze:

Bring cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add 4 ounces chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Drizzle over set chocolate ganache glaze in pretty pattern.  Refrigerate until both glazes are set, at least 2 hours.  Using knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake.  Remove pan sides.  Cut into wedges and serve. 

Bear with me while I fix my blog!

My apologies. In my attempts to pretty up this page, I appear to have broken it. Now nothing lines up and the pictures are all skewiff.

I will return tomorrow to continue fixing it. For now, bedtime.

Nikki

QUADRUPLE LAYER PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CHEESECAKE!!!!

Recipe and photos from Hugs and Cookies

THE QUADRUPLE LAYER PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CHEESECAKE!!!! 2 CHEESECAKE LAYERS, 2 GF CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS, 2 LAYERS OF THICK HOMEMADE CARAMEL, GANACHE GLAZE, WHIPPED GANACHE FROSTING, PEANUT BUTTER TOPPING FOR DECORATION, REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS AND HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CRAFTED CURLS.

SET ASIDE 2 DAYS MINIMUM AND GET TO WORK. USE ANY CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE OR MIX YOU LIKE.
THIS RECIPE USED BETTER BATTER GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX TO MAKE THIS A GLUTEN FREE RECIPE. THIS CAKE IS WORTH EVERY SINGLE CALORIE!

BAKE BETTER BATTER CAKES IN TWO 9 INCH PANS FOLLOWING BOX MIX.

Crustless Cheesecake portion:

30 mini peanut butter cups, CUT IN FOURTHS

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

4- 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

1- 3 oz. package cook and serve vanilla pudding

4 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9" pans with shortening, line the pans with
parchment and then grease the parchment. Lightly flour the pans and tap out excess
over the sink.

Cream butter and sugar. Add cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except peanut butter cups. Mix again until smooth. Fold in peanut butter cups. Divide batter evenly between 2 pans. Bake 55- 1 hour. Once out of the oven, place immediately in freezer! Cheesecake will deflate forming a nice pocket for the caramel.
Turn out frozen cheesecakes and remove parchment. Reline the pan they
were in with enough parchment to hang over the sides of the pan.
Place the cheesecakes back in the pans and return to freezer.

Make the caramel

TWO -14 ounce cans of Eagle sweetened condensed milk

10 T. butter

80 KRAFT caramels

Make the caramel in 2 batches dividing above ingredients. Put 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 5 tbsp. butter and 40 caramels in a bowl. Microwave about 3 mins. until smooth-stir as you go.

Pour caramel evenly over center of frozen cheesecakes. Return cheesecake layers to freezer.

Layer cakes: chocolate, cheesecake and repeat

Frosting Recipe
1 2/3 cup Nestle chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 T. light Karo corn syrup

Put chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat cream in microwave. Pour hot cream over chips and stir. Remove 2/3 cup chocolate mixture into a bowl and add corn syrup to it. Pour this over top of cake for a shiny look. Return cake to freezer.

Pour rest of the ganache into the mixer bowl and whip on high for about 8 mins. until fluffy!! Frost sides of cake with this!

Peanut Butter decorations:
2/3 c. Skippy peanut butter-creamy!
8 T. soft butter
1 c. powdered sugar
Beat pb and butter and slowly add sugar. Beat till smooth. Pipe onto cake using pastry bag or ziploc bag with cut corner.

For Chocolate curls, I melted chocolate onto a cookie sheet and scraped it up when cool using a bench craper. You tube has great videos for technique!

ADAPTED FROMhttp://www.sprinklebakes.com/2011/03/peanut-butter-cup-chocolate-cake.html

Jack Daniels Cupcakes

Recipe and photo from Hugs and Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
3 eggs
¾ cup whole milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

BEAT BUTTER AND SUGAR. ADD EGGS ONE AT A TIME. ADD VANILLA. COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS AND ADD, ALTERNATING WITH THE MILK. DIVIDE IN MUFFIN TINS AND BAKE AT 350 20-23 MINS 

UNTIL TESTER COMES OUT CLEAN. COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE FROSTING.

FROSTING!!!!!
ELECTRIC MIX ALL UNTIL FLUFFY...

3 STICKS SOFT BUTTER3 3/4C POWDERED SUGAR

9T. COCOA POWDER
6T. MILK
SPLASH OF VANILLA

6 TSP. JACK DANIELS

White Chocolate Key Lime Pie

Recipe and photo from Kitchen Simplicity

You can use key limes or regular limes for this pie.

Biscuit Crust

• 2 Packs Malt Biscuit (or similar) crumbs 
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix ingredients together in a 9-inch pie plate until evenly combined. Press evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before filling.

Pie Filling

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 11 oz. white chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• Garnish: lime slices and chopped white chocolate

Melt together cream and chocolate chips in a small saucepan set over low heat. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream, lime zest and juice. Pour into prepared pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.

Garnish with limes slices and chopped chocolate if desired.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Recipe and Picture from Paula Deen

Ingredients 

1   8-inch prebaked pie shell or crumb crust
3   egg yolks
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice
1   14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Directions

In medium bowl, combine milk, lemon juice, and zest; blend in egg yolks.  Pour into cooled crust.

Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream or tartar
1/4 cup sugar

In medium bowl, combine milk, lemon juice, and zest; blend in egg yolks. Pour into cooled crust.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat egg whites with cream of tarter until soft peaks from.  Gradually beat in the sugar until stiff.  Spread over filling; seal to edge of crust.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.

Truffle Pie

Recipe and picture from Paula Deen

Ingredients:

Garnish: 
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Whipped Cream Topping: 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
6 ounce bittersweet chocolate chips

Whipped Chocolate Filling: 
1   (9-inch) prepared graham cracker crust
6 ounce bittersweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream

Truffle Filling: 
1 1/2 ounce milk chocolate
1 1/2 ounce white chocolate
1 1/2 ounce semisweet or dark chocolate

Directions

For the truffle filling, in a saucepan, bring 2/3 cup cream to a simmer. Place the 6 ounces chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then gently whisk until smooth. Spread truffle filling over the bottom of the prepared piecrust. Freeze for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the whipped chocolate filling, in a double boiler or a microwave set on low power, heat the 6 ounces chocolate chips with 1/2 cup of the cream until the chocolate is just melted, stirring often. Let cool to room temperature. In a chilled bowl, beat the chocolate mixture, remainint 1 cup of cream and the vanilla until soft peaks form (tips curl). Spread the whipped chocolate mixture over the truffle filling in the crust. Refrigerate overnight.

For the topping, just before serving, beat 1 cup cream on medium speed of an electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners’ sugar and whip until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie. Using a grater or vegetable peeler, make pieces or shavings of milk chocolate, white chocolate, and semisweet or dark chocolate. Garnish pie with chocolate pieces. Serve immediately.

Rocky Road Cupcakes

Recipe and photo from: Paula Deen

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
½ cup mini marshmallows
½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup almonds, loosely chopped

For the Chocolate Meringue Frosting:
2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
18 almonds, mini marshmallows, and chocolate pieces for decoration

Directions

For the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a medium-sized bowl.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and milk until blended.
Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
Fold in marshmallows, chocolate chips, and almonds.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
Bake for twenty-five minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

For the Chocolate Meringue Frosting:
Combine the egg whites and sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
Set mixing bowl on top of a pot of boiling water.
Whisk until sugar has reached 110 F on a candy thermometer.
Remove mixing bowl from the pot and place on mixer.
Whisk for 10 minutes on medium speed using the whisk attachment.
Whisk on high speed for another five minutes (you should see stiff glossy peaks).
Whisk in cocoa powder until just integrated.
Spoon onto cupcakes.
Top each cupcake with an almond, marshmallow, and piece of chocolate.
Toast the meringue and marshmallow using a culinary torch or placing under your oven broiler for just a quick second. Make sure to not walk away as these will toast fast.

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe seen on Baking Serendipity

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
original recipe from How Sweet It Is

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp red food coloring
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well. Beat in food coloring.

Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Let cool slightly before transferring to wire racks.

Most Amazing Carrot Cake

Recipe from Cooking the Amazing

Ingredients:

(Cream Cheese Icing ingredients and instructions at bottom of page)

2 c   All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 c   Sugar

1/4 c   Brown Sugar, packed (dark or light)

1  1/2 t   Baking Soda

1 t   Baking Powder

1 t  Salt

4 t  Cinnamon

1/4 t  Nutmeg

1/8 t  Ground Cloves 

1/4 t  Ground Ginger

2 c  Finely Grated Peeled Carrot, packed

1 c  Coconut Flakes, sweetened

1 c  Raisins (Optional)

1 can 8 oz  Crushed Pineapple, drained

       (reserve 1 T of drained Pineapple juice)

1 1/2 c  Walnuts or Pecans, chopped small pieces

1 c  Vegetable Oil

2 t  Vanilla Extract
1 T  Finely Grated Fresh Orange Peel 
3  Eggs, extra large

Pam non stick Cooking Spray

Total Prep and cooking time approx. 1 1/4 hr.

Total Cooling and Icing time approx. 2 1/2 hrs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare two 9 inch cake pans by spraying with Vegetable non-stick spray (like Pam Spray) and line with a parchment paper round on the bottom then spray the top of the parchment.  Or spray a 9 X 13 baking pan with Vegetable non stick spray (like Pam Spray) or use 20 jumbo Cupcake liners in a Muffin tin without using Pam spray.
3. In a large bowl whisk well:  Flour, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt, all Spices.
4. Peel then Grate approx 5-6 medium Carrots to yield 2 cups packed.  Grate Carrots finely to no more than 1/4 inch pieces.  Or process in a food processor until finely grated but not mush.  It isimportant that you peel the Carrots before grating.  You do not want the tough skins in your cake.
5. In a medium bowl or KitchenAid bowl add Carrots, Grated Fresh Orange Peel, Drained Pineapple, Raisins (optional), Coconut Flakes, Walnuts or Pecans and mix well with a big spoon.
6. To this mixture add the Vegetable Oil, Vanilla Extract and Eggs one at a time mixing in well then add 1 T of the reserved Pineapple juice and mix well.  Scrape down bowl often.
7. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid for  about 1 minute until well mixed.  Do not over mix.
8. Pour divided into prepared (as above) 9 inch cake pans, or 9 X 13 pan, or approximately 20 Cupcake liners filled 3/4 full or a 9 X 13 baking sheet sprayed with Pam but no parchment paper needed. 
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 mins for Cupcakes,  35-40 minutes for 9 inch layer cakes and 45-50 mins for 9 X 13 in the center of the oven.  Half way through cooking rotate the pans for even cooking.  A toothpick will come out clean when done.  All ovens vary in timing so check at lowest time first and if not done put back in oven and recheck in 2- 3 minutes.
10. Allow to cool completely in pan for 1-2 hrs. before removing to ice with Cream Cheese Icing.  Recipe below.  Place 1/4 of icing between the two layers and when placing the top cake layer on, put the flat side of the cake (the bottom when it was in the cake pan) facing up for a flat top which makes a more attractive cake and easier to ice.

This cake is super moist and fragile so handle with care when removing from pans and icing.  If it breaks the icing will hide any imperfections.

TIP:  Add 1 cup of golden raisins or chopped dried cherries or apricots for a twist on tradition.

TIP:  Black Walnuts will give this cake the most flavor.  Sprinkle the top of the cake with Walnuts or Pecans as a tasty garnish.

CREAM CHEESE ICING

Ingredients:
2 sticks Butter, unsalted, softened
16 oz. Cream Cheese, softened (2 bars)
3 c Powdered Sugar
4 t Vanilla Extract
1/4 t Almond Extract
1 small pinch Salt (very small pinch)


Total Prep Time: 7 minutes (except time to soften butter and cream cheese.)

Instructions:

1. Allow Butter and Cream Cheese to sit out until at room temperature and softened.
2. In a large bowl, place the softened Butter.
3. Cream the Butter with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Then add the Cream Cheese and cream for 2 minutes or so more until well mixed.
4. 1 cup at a time, add the Powdered Sugar and blend well.
5. Add Salt, Vanilla and Almond Extracts and mix well.  Taste and add more Powdered Sugar to be mnore sweet or more Cream Cheese to suit your taste.
6. Keep Cream Cheese Icing at room temperature for the best consistency to ice Cakes.
7. Refrigerate unused icing. To use again, bring to room temperature then mix with a hand mixer for about 1 minute before using.
8. OPTION: For those that like a very strong Cream Cheese taste add another 4 oz. of Cream Cheese for a more intense flavor.

Ultimate Chocolate Mint Brownies

Recipe from A Cooks Quest

Brownie Base
**You can use a brownie mix if you want.  I used  the brownie recipe from the Andes Mint Brownies because it is simple and delicious and omitted the Andes mints. I also cut it half and below are the measurements I used for this recipe:

1 stick of butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X9-inch pan with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, stirring well to combine. Whisk in the vanilla and then the eggs. Blend well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the brownies are set in the middle but not over baked. Cool Completely

Filling
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 T butter, softened
3 T heavy whipping cream
2 oz cream cheese
1/8 -1/4 tsp mint extract
2-4 drops green food coloring if desired

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and whip until everything is well incorporated.  Continue mixing on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Spread on cooled brownies, refrigerate 1 hour or until set.

Ganache
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/3 cups (8 oz) good quality semi sweet chocolate
1/3 cup butter

Heat ganache ingredients over medium heat stirring constantly.  When chocolate is melted and everything is combined, set aside to cool about 10 minutes.  When still slightly warm, pour over the cooled filling spreading evenly.  Return the pan to the refrigerator.

To serve allow to sit at room temperature about 10-15 minutes.  Cut into bars and Enjoy!

Chocolate Wasted Cake

Recipe From: Art of Dessert

Ingredients:Cake: 
3 cups all-purpose flour 
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk*
1 cup butter, melted*
4 tsp. honey*
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips*

Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/3-1/2 cup whole milk (start out with 1/3 cup of milk and add more milk to your desired consistency)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

liqueur for drizzling on the cake layers (i.e. chocolate, coffee or almond)

melted chocolate for drizzling, :
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips*
2-3 Tbs. heavy cream or vegetable oil
semi-sweet chocolate chips for the sides of the cake 
assorted chocolate candies for the top of the cake*

Instructions: 
(Note: Instead of milk, you can replace it with water or cooled brewed coffee. Instead of butter, you can use vegetable oil. Instead of honey, you can use corn syrup or agave nectar. Instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips. For allergen-free alternatives for the candies, you can try Enjoy Life chocolate chips, bars or cookies)

Preheat oven to 325 350 F degrees. Grease and dust two to three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans with cocoa powder or flour. Set aside.

Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine milk, butter, honey and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the milk/butter mixture. Mix until combined.  Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour in the batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and wait for about 10 minutes to remove from cake pans and place on a cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before decorating.

To make the frosting:

Note: instead of butter, you can use any allowed margarine, Spectrum organic vegetable shortening, or coconut oil.  Instead of milk, you can use rice milk or soy milk.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the butter, milk and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, slowly mix together at a low speed. Once all the ingredients are combined, increase the speed and beat till fluffy. 

To assemble the cake:

Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake circle.  Lightly drizzle with liqueur.  Spread an even layer of frosting. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Lightly drizzle with liqueur. Cover the sides and top of the cake with frosting.  Cover the sides of the cake with semi-sweet chocolate chips and cover the top with assorted chocolate candies. Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides of the cake.

Neenish Tarts

Recipe from www.taste.com.au

Ingredients

Pastry Cases

• 225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 120g butter, chilled, cubed
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbs iced water
• Plain flour, to dust
• 315g (1 cup) raspberry jam
• 
  
• Mock cream
• 80g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
• 1 tbs milk
• 1 tbs cold water
• 1 tbs boiling water
• 1/2 tsp powdered gelatine
• 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• Icing

• 230g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar mixture
• 2 tbs milk
• 1 1/2 tbs cocoa powder
• 1 tsp milk, extra

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place the flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and iced water, and process until the mixture just comes together.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Divide into 2 equal portions. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out 1 portion to 3mm thick. Use an 8cm-diameter round pastry cutter to cut out 6 discs. Line six 80ml (1/3-cup) capacity muffin pans with pastry. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.
3. Meanwhile, to make the mock cream, combine sugar, milk and cold water in a saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Place boiling water in a heatproof jug, sprinkle over gelatine and whisk with a fork until dissolved. Add gelatine mixture to the sugar mixture and stir to combine. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Use an electric beater to beat butter and vanilla in a bowl until white and creamy. Add the sugar mixture in a thin steady stream and beat until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until required.
4. Remove muffin pans from the fridge. Use a fork to prick bases of pastry cases. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack for 15 minutes to cool.
5. Place jam in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the jam melts. Strain the jam into a heatproof jug and pour into pastry cases. Set aside for 5 minutes to set.
6. Spoon mock cream evenly among pastry cases and smooth the surface.
7. To make the icing, combine the icing sugar and milk in a medium heatproof bowl. Place half the icing in another heatproof bowl. Add the cocoa and extra milk and stir until combined. Place the bowl containing the white icing over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until runny. Spread the white icing over the cream on half of each tart and smooth the surface. Set aside for 5 minutes to set. Repeat with the chocolate icing and set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Makes 12

Dark Chocolate Blueberry Truffles

Recipe From: Erica Sweet Tooth

Ingredients:

8 oz good quality dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream

3/4 cup dried blueberries, chopped finely

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature for rolling

Instructions:

- Chop the chocolate as finely as possible and place in a medium bowl.

- In a blender, blend together the cream, dried blueberries, and honey to get the blueberries chopped as finely as possible.  Transfer mixer to a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.

- Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and stir gently until the mixture is smooth and all the chocolate melted. Whisk in the butter until well incorporated.

- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.  

- When the chocolate mixture is set, use a small cookie scoop to get even-sized truffles and roll each portion in the palms of your hand to make a ball.  It doesn't have to be perfect, imperfection with truffles is charming and reminds people they're homemade!  Transfer balls to a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet and place in the fridge once completed for another 15-20 minutes.

- Fill a shallow pan or pie plate with cocoa powder and toss each truffle in the powder so they are each well coated.  Shake off the excess cocoa powder.  Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Recipe from: Erica Sweet Tooth

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1-1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

12 oz carrots, peeled. (Or 1lb if you like more carrots in your cake!)

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

4 large eggs

1-1/2 cups canola or vegetable oil

For the cream cheese frosting:

12 oz cream cheese, cold

6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

Shredded coconut, if desired

Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin pan with liners.

- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

- In a food processor fitted with a shredding disk (I broke out mine for the first time, it's awesomeeeee) and shred the carrots. Transfer the carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients and set aside.

- Rinse out the bowl of the food processor and fit with the metal blade.

- Process the sugars and eggs until frothy and combined, about 20 seconds. With the machine running, add the oil into the feed tube and continue to process until mixture is light in color and combined.

- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the carrots and dry ingredients until completely incorporated.

- Divide the batter among muffin cups and bake 20-24 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

- Cool cupcakes in muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

- For the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and gradually add the powdered sugar until well-combined. Beat until smooth for about 2 minutes.

- Load frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and decorate as desired.

- For the coconut topping, add coconut to a dry saucepan over medium heat and stir until coconut is fragrant and slightly browned. Keep an eye on it because it can burn quickly!

Recipe yields 24 cupcakes.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

Recipe from: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 large box (5.1 ounces) vanilla instant pudding
3 cups milk
1 8 oz. container cool whip (just enough for a thin layer. I don't use the whole container) or one batch of homemade whipped cream
chocolate syrup or homemade chocolate sauce

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9"X13" glass baking pan.

Eclair Crust: In a medium saucepan, melt butter in water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Mix in one egg at a time, mixing completely before adding another egg. Spread mixture into pan, covering the bottom and sides evenly. *If the sides of your pan are too greased you won't be able to get the mixture to stay up the sides so make sure to just lightly grease.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown (Mine only took 25 minutes.) You may want to check it occasionally-you don't want to overcook the crust, it will ruin the cake! Remove from oven and let cool (don't touch or push bubbles down).

Filling: Whip cream cheese in a medium bowl. In separate bowl make vanilla pudding. Make sure pudding is thick before mixing in with cream cheese. Slowly add pudding to cream cheese, mixing until there are no lumps. Let cool in fridge.When the crust is completely cooled, pour filling in. Top with layer of cool whip however thick you want it and serve with chocolate syrup. *If you want to make this even better use homemade whipped cream.

Mint Chocolate Truffles

Original Post from High Tea with Dragons

Ingredients

• 2 packets Mint Slice biscuits
• 1 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 200g (approx) milk or dark chocolate
• Scoop of icing sugar to decorate

Method

1. Place Mint Slice biscuits in food processor and grind until a fine crumb.
2. Remove half mixture from processor and set aside.
3. Cut cream cheese in half, cube and place in food processor with remaining crumb. Process and until well combined and smooth.
4. Place cream cheese mixture in bowl and set aside. Repeat the above step with remaining crumb and cream cheese.
5. Roll mixture into bitesized balls (approx. one teaspoon each) and place on lined baking tray. Chill in fridge for 20 minutes or until firm.
6. Melt chocolate and dip each ball into chocolate using a skewer. Place on lined baking tray to set.
7. While chocolate sets, mix together icing sugar and small amount of hot water to make basic icing. Add food colouring if desired.
8. Place in decorating bag, snip the corner and pipe icing over the top of each truffle.
9. Set in fridge for around 10 minutes. Store in fridge.