Chocolate Dipped Almond Sandwich Cookies

Buttery almond cookies, sandwiched with apricot preserve and dipped in sinfully creamy chocolate. 
Not only delicious but super easy to make - no rolling pin or cookie cutter required

What more could you want in a cookie? 

And so it begins! Summer with the kids. No school and NO summer camps. Yes, you heard me!
No. Summer. Camps.
Some of my friends think I'm crazy spending the whole day, every single day for the next two months with the kids. But I love it! I really enjoy spending  time with them, and I should really savor these moments, now that they are young ... and still like to spend time with me :)
You might ask, what's the secret to keep my sanity for the rest of the summer? Easy, outdoor spaces. Yes, I don't (and cannot!) stay in the house for too long. Outdoor activities are a must, at least with the amount of energy of my boys. I have the beach at my door steps... well, not really, but it's pretty close. I have the pool. Great weather (for the most part). And lots of friends to spend time with.
And for those few occasions, like the other day when it rained,  and we were stuck at home, we bake!
Baking or cooking with the kids can be a lot of fun. And the cookies that I made this week are perfect. Made from scratch, but quite easy to do. No rolling pin or cookie cutters required. Just mix the ingredients, roll the dough with your hands and bake. As soon as the cookies cool off a bit, spread with preserve, and dip in melted chocolate. Maybe this last part might need some supervision, or those little fingers might get burned.

Once the chocolate cools down and hardens a bit, these cookies are ready to be devoured. And make sure to enjoy every single crumb. Soooo buttery, nutty, fruity and chocolaty. What more could you want in a cookie?!?

Ingredients to make 24 sandwich cookies:                                            PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup (150 gr) of sugar
• 6 oz (170 gr) of salted butter*, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups (150 gr) of almond meal
• 2 cups (250 gr) of all-purpose flour
• about 1/2 cup of apricot preserve, (or also raspberry, plum, peach or orange)
• 1 cup (150 gr) of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) of heavy whipping cream 

* If  using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt

Preparation time: About one  hour

Directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). In a large bowl combine the egg and two egg yolks with the sugar and mix well, with a blender or food processor if you like, until light and fluffy.

Step 2: Add the butter (soften at room temperature), vanilla extract and salt (if using unsalted butter). Mix well again.

 Step 3: Add the almond meal and about half of the all-purpose flour. Blend

Step 4: Add the remaining flour, while mixing. Check the consistency of the dough. It needs to be slightly soft and a bit sticky. Add a little more flour if too soft.

Step 5: Line with parchment paper a baking sheet (or more than 1 if you have them, so you don't need to wait for the first batch to cook!). Roll small balls of dough in your hands. Try to make them all about the same size. Flatten them out with your palm or fingers. You should be able to make about 48 cookies.

Step 6: Bake in the middle of the oven at 350° F (175° C) for 15-18 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. If you are baking two cookie sheets in the oven at the same time, make sure to switch position at about half time, so both batches cook evenly. You might need to add one extra minute to compensate for the crowded oven.

Step 6: Let the cookies cool down for a few minutes. Spread the apricot preserve on half the cookies, and make sandwiches.

Step 7: Boil one inch of water in a medium size sauce pan. In an oven-safe bowl, add the chocolate and place the bowl in the hot water. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add the whipping cream, and stir well, until the chocolate is all melted. Turn off the heat, but leave the bowl in the hot water so the chocolate stays warms and melted. Dip each cookie halfway in the chocolate. Place it again on the parchment paper to cool off and until the chocolate hardens.

 Enjoy :)

CARAMEL STICKY BUNS

If you have a sweet tooth, or if you want to really impress your breakfast guests (or potluck friends), this is the recipe for you. It is completely decadent and one of those recipes that you will find yourself going back to again and again.

 

BUNS
3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 envelopes dry yeast (I use 2 scant tablespoons)
1 cup very warm milk (not hot)
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1 egg

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and yeast.  Add warm milk, soft butter and egg. Beat with electric mixer on low for one minute, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently, then beat on medium speed for another minute.

Add the rest of the flour (1/2 cup at a time), beating well in between each addition. The recipe calls for 3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour. I got a beautiful dough, easy to handle at 3 1/2 cups. Knead the dough by hand (or machine) for five minutes.

Grease (I use cooking spray) the bowl and put the dough back in. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot for 1 1/2 hours or until dough is double in size.

While your dough is rising, make the filling and caramel topping.

FILLING
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
Mix the sugar and cinnamon and set aside the butter.

CARAMEL TOPPING
1 cup brown sugar (I use dark brown, but light brown is ok too)
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup pecans roughly chopped (optional)

Put the brown sugar and butter in a saucepan and bring it to a boil (stirring constantly). Remove mixture from heat immediately and stir in light corn syrup, set aside.

After dough has risen, turn out onto counter and pat all the air out of it. Gently roll into a 10x15 rectangle and spread with the reserved 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar filling and roll up, starting with longest side. Pinch seam together and cut into 1" slices.

Pour the caramel topping into a 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle with pecans if you are using them. Top with sliced dough sections (not too close together). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise for 30 minutes. The dough will rise quite a bit, so don't crowd the slices. 

Bake in preheated 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes (my electric oven took 28 minutes), or till golden.

Remove from oven and let sit in pan for 2 minutes. Turn over onto heat proof plate and DON'T REMOVE THE PAN FOR 3 MINUTES (this gives the caramel sauce time to drizzle back down over the buns).

Remove pan and serve warm.  Makes 15 rolls.

ENJOY !!!

Cheesecake Brownies with Chocolate Fudge

Homemade, chewy and moist brownies 

topped with a rich and delicate cheesecake layer swirled with chocolate fudge.

Dangerous, I'm tellin ya!

Happy Monday!
Let's start the week off with something amazingly sweet and extremely enticing.
Here is the recipe for an intensely fudgy and chewy brownie, completely covered with a layer of deliciously rich cheesecake. And wait! That's not all... I added a melted hot fudge topping swirled around in the cheesecake layer that's gonna knock you right off your seat!
Are you running to your kitchen and getting ready to bake these?! Well, you really should. This recipe is quite easy and simple. Start by mixing all the ingredients for the brownies. And that's really not much harder than combining a brownie mix from a box. The difference? Homemade tastes sooo much better. Super moist and extra fudgy.
Blend the cheesecake ingredients, top with the chocolate fudge and swirl. You want to bake this in the middle/upper part of the oven, so that the brownie layer stays moist and the cheesecake part fully cooks.
At this point, your self-control will be tested. You've got to wait for these cheesecake brownies to cool a bit, and then chill in the refrigerator for about one hour, or until cold all the way to the middle. Then, and ONLY then,  you can neatly cut them in squares, close your eyes and devour your first one :)

Are you feeling that your pants are getting snug just by looking at these pictures?!? When the mood strikes you for something indulgently chocolaty and sweet, and you feel like breaking the rules... THIS is how you do it!

Dangerous! I'm tellin ya ;) 

Ingredients: to make a 13 x 9 inches (33x23 cm) pan, to be cut in about 20
For the brownie layer:

• 6 oz (170 gr) of unsalted butter 
• 3/4 cup (70 gr) of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup (200 gr) of sugar
• 1 cup (150 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the cream cheese layer:

• 16 oz (450 gr) of regular cream cheese
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of sugar
• 2 tablespoons (25 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• chocolate sauce (I used Smucker's Hot Fudge topping)

Preparation time: 20 minutes to prepare, plus 35 to bake
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C)
Melt the butter (in medium saucepan over boiling water, or in microwave for about 30 seconds)
2. In a large bowl whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and melted butter. Stir until combined.

4. Grease a 9 x 13 inch (33x23 cm pan) with butter and flour. Pour the brownie mixture and level. And set aside.

5. In another bowl, combine the cream cheese,  sugar,, flour, vanilla extract and two eggs. Blend until smooth and creamy.

6. Spread over the brownie mixture, and drizzle with chocolate sauce (as much or as little as you wish) and swirl gently  with a knife.

7. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for about 30 minutes in the middle part of the oven. I used the third slot (of seven) from the top in the oven. You need to make sure the top is set before removing, and you don't want the bottom brownie part to cook too much and come out too dry.
8. Let the cheesecake brownies cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Cut into squares and enjoy :)

Peach Roses with Nutella and Hazelnuts

Beautiful rose-shaped baked dessert made with thin slices of sweet juicy ripe peaches 

wrapped in crispy pastry,  filled with creamy Nutella and crunchy crushed hazelnuts

Sinfully delicious!

Remember my rose-shaped apple dessert?  I know you do! It has been posted, shared and viewed in so many places that you think I'd be sick by now just thinking about it. But no, think again :)
I love this recipe. And what's brilliant about it: it opens up so many possibilities and combinations of ingredients, both sweet and savory, that it makes you want to experiment with something new and different. Why limit yourself to apple slice and apricot preserve, anyways?!

So, how about a filling of creamy and sweet chocolate spread?!?  You know I love Nutella! Yes, I really do. So I thought about incorporating it in my roses, combined with crushed hazelnut (of course!) for a crunchy and nutty addition to the heavenly chocolate filling.
And for the top: peaches. I found these delicious peaches at the store yesterday. They look amazing and taste even better! Ripe to the right point, and super sweet.
Rather than using the frozen puff pastry, as I did for the apple roses, I tried the Pillsbury crescent dough. Many of you asked me about it. You find it in the refrigerated section, with cookies, pizza dough and other similar things. I never buy these things ...not sure why. I rather make everything from scratch. But given that this recipe is supposed to be easy and quick, this is the place to look. And I bought the "big and flaky" dough. For thick dough and extra crispiness ... I think!
This dough bakes more quickly than the frozen dough. So watch out for the cooking time. Before removing from the oven, make sure it's fully cooked.

 Beautiful, delicious, and easy to make. Am I going rose crazy?!? Yeah, I think I am :)


Ingredients to make 8 roses

• 1 roll of Pillsbury "Grands" Crescent Big & Flaky
• 2 or 3 ripe, organic peaches, based on the size
• 8 teaspoons of Nutella (or other chocolate spread)
• 1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts (2.5 oz,70 gr)

Preparation time: 20 minutes plus 25 minutes baking
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to  350° F (175° C). Cut the peaches in half, remove the pit, and slice as thin as you can.

2. Open the Pillsbury roll. This is divided into triangles. Keep each pair of triangles together. We want to make two long strips out of each pair.

3. On a slightly flour counter, stretch out the dough to make a long rectangle, about 4 inches by 10 inches  (10 cm x 25 cm). Cut in half lengthwise. So that in total you will have 8 strips 2 x 10 in.

4. Spread about one teaspoon of Nutella on  each strip, and sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts.

5. Place the peach slices along one edge, as shown.

6. Fold the dough in half, and roll.

7. Place the roses into a silicone muffin. Remember to grease the muffin cups if you are not using silicone.

8. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for about 25 minutes. If the top of the peaches are getting burnt, cover with aluminum foil, and place the pan at the bottom of the oven. Make sure the roses are fully baked before removing from the oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

This dessert is better served immediately, but can also be stored for up to 48 hours in an air tight container. Delicious when served warm ... maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream :)

Enjoy!