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Shortcut Cannoli with Chocolate Mousse Filling and a Hanukkah Blog Party!

Posted in Cheesecake/Dairy Desserts, Chocolate, Dairy, Dessert, Giveaways, Holiday, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 10, 2012 | 140 Comments »

Giveaway Closed!

cannoli with chocolate mousse filling on Overtime Cook

Remember how I co-hosted a Rosh Hashanah blog party a couple of months ago with my friend Jessie? Well today I bring you another fabulous holiday blog party. This one is co-hosted by the one and only me and my friend Leah from Cook Kosher. I present:

A Hanukkah Blog Party! Scroll down past the party info for the most delicious dessert recipe you’ve ever tasted. No jokes. PS: in honor of Chanukah, I totally deep fried it!

Let’s get some details, shall we?

Hanukkah Blog PartyWelcome to our first ever Hanukkah Blog Party, hosted by Leah of Cook Kosher and Miriam of Overtime Cook. It’s traditional on Hanukkah to eat fried treats, most notably donuts and latkes, and we’ve got a fabulous array of Hanukkah themed recipes, treats and crafts from Jewish bloggers all over the world! Scroll down for links to all of the delicious treats.
To help get everyone into party mode, we have a bunch of fabulous new cookbooks to giveaway! Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win one of:
2 copies of Susie Fishbein’s new Kosher By Design Cooking Coach
(sponsored by Artscroll) Reviewed by me here.
2 copies of Leah Schapira’s  Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking
(sponsored by Artscroll) Reviewed by me here.
2 copies of Esther Deutch’s CHIC Made Simple
(sponsored by the author) Reviewed by me here.
Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on Sunday, December 16th. Limit one entry per person per blog, so visit the other blogs for extra chances to win!
Prizes can only be shipped within the US. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address in order to qualify.
 
How to enter: Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite fried treat is!
 
This is the second of many fabulous Holiday Blog Parties. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to participate in future parties, please email holidayblogparties@gmail.com
 
Scroll past the recipe for lots of other amazing chanuka recipes!
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And now let’s talk Cannoli.
Sometimes I feel like it’s a very good thing that I don’t have an Italian granmother, because she might be really angry at me for calling this recipe a cannoli. I am pretty sure that a real italian would be completely scandalized by the concept of a shortcut in cannoli making. But let’s get real, shall we? I am not Italian. I don’t possess a pasta roller, nor do I possess the energy or time to sit there rolling out cannoli dough as thin as pasta with nothing but my rolling pin. And y’all know how I am totally not into buying premade things, but I made an exception here. You’re going to be deep frying the dough, and you’re going to make a dreamy-creamy-sinfully amazing filling, nobody will complain if you start with something out of your grocery’s freezer. My secret: wonton wrappers! You got it! They are already super thin, and they fry up really nicely (just ask your local Asian restaurant). Trust me. You will completely rethink cannoli once you try this.
Now let’s talk filling. I have made “cannoli” in the past (using store bought wafer “shells” and filled them with lightly sweetened whipped cream. But this time I decided to take things a step further. I made the most amazing mousse filling for these. I don’t know that there are adequate words in the English language to describe this filling, so make it and you will see what I am talking about.
cannoli with chocolate mousse filling 2
Shortcut Cannoli Shells:
Ingredients:
canola oil, for frying
45-50 wonton wrappers
melted chocolate, for garnish, optional
special equipment: 2 x Cannoli Forms, Set of Four
Instructions:
Heat about 2-3 inches of oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.
Meanwhile, prepare the cannoli shells: wrap a wonton wrapper around a cannoli form tightly. Dip your finger in water and rub along the edges. Press well to seal. (If the wrapper isn’t tight enough, or the seam isn’t sealed well enough, the shell will open while frying.) Repeat with all remaining cannoli forms.
Before frying, test that the oil is hot enough. Place a small piece of wonton wrapper in the oil- if it rises immediately it’s ready for frying.
Fry 3-4 cannoli at a time, depending on the size of your frying pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan or they will open. Fry the cannoli for a couple of minutes (about 2-4) until they are golden brown. Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain the oil, then set aside to cool. When cooled enough to handle, gently remove the cannoli from the form, and repeat with the remaining wrappers.
Once all cannoli have been fried, cooled and removed from the forms, dip the ends in melted chocolate, if desired. Place the dipped cannoli shells on parchment paper to set.
At this point you can store the shells in an airtight container for a day or two, or even freeze for later use. Or you can fill immediately, but then you need to serve the within a couple of hours.
Chocolate (Nutella)  Mousse 
Adapted from My Baking Addiction
Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream or rich’s whip
3/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread such as Nutella or for a non-dairy option use Schneider’s Delinut
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
optional 1/2 cup additional cream, for garnish/serving
Instructions: 
In the bowl of your electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the cream or whip until stiff. (If using extra for garnish, you can whip it together to save time.) Remove whipped cream from mixer and set aside.
In the bowl of the electric mixer (no need to wash it between this and the previous use) beat together the chocolate-hazelnut spread, cream cheese and vanilla until combined.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the cream (if whipped extra for garnish only use 2/3 of the total amount). Stir gently until all of the cream has been incorporated.
Within a couple of hours before serving the cannoli, fill the shells with the mousse. To get the look in the picture, fit a piping bag with a Wilton 1M piping tip and fill it with mousse. Pipe some mouse in to one end of the cannoli shell, ending with a nice tip, then turn around a fill the other end, again ending in a nice tip. Otherwise, just place the mousse in a bag, snip off the end, and pipe it into the shells.
Serve the cannoli within a few hours of filling them, alongside the reserved whipped cream.
And of course, enjoy!
cannoli with chocolate mousse filling 1
Stop by the other blogs and check out these Chanukah Themed Recipes:
Latkes:

Jamie from Joy of Kosher made Zucchini Latkes with Tzatziki

Daniel from Peikes Cookbook made Potato and Fennel Latkes Fried in Duck Fat With Chinese Five Spice Apple Sauce
Susan from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen made Squash and Potato Latkes
Samantha from The Little Ferraro Kitchen made Ruby Red Beet Latkes with Cumin
Nechamah from TIforOA Food Ideas made Healthy Oatmeal Latkes
Liz from The Lemon Bowl made Traditional Potato Latkes
Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food made (I Can’t Believe They’re Crispy!) Baked Latkes
Laura from Mother Would Know made Three Variations of Sweet and Savory Latkes
Sarah from Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends made Kimchee Latkes
Shulie from Food Wanderings made Baked Panko Sweet Potato Leek Latkes
Donuts and Desserts: 
Miriam from Overtime Cook made Shortcut Cannoli with Chocolate Mousse Filling
Leah from Cook Kosher made 5 Minute Donuts
Estee from The Kosher Scoop made Tropical Fruit Fritters
Melinda from Kitchen-Tested made Sweet Steamed Buns
Amy from What Jew Wanna Eat made Homemade Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Gelt
Avidan from Baking It Up As I Go Along made Orange Olive Oil Cake
Tali from More Quiche Please made Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes
Amital from Organized Jewish Home made Mom’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Princess Lea from The Frumanista made Túrógombóc
Stephanie and Jessica from The Kosher Foodies made Beignets
Gigi from Gigi’s Kitchen made Bunuelos: Mini Powdered Cheese Donuts 
Esther from Esther O Designs made Edible Menorahs
Patti from No Bacon Here made Hanukkah Oreo Balls
Shoshana from Couldn’t Be Parve made Churros con Chocolate
Shaindy from My Happily Hectic Life made Inside Out Apple Crisp
Eve from Gluten Free Nosh made Gluten-Free Hanukkah Sugar Cookies
The Gluten Free maven made Gluten Free Vegan Cake Donuts
Amy from Baking and Mistaking made Mini Cream-Filled French Beignets
Sarah from Food, Words, Photos made Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Victoria from Itsy Bitsy Balebusta made Pure Vanilla Donuts
Vicky and Ruth from May I Have That Recipe made Dulce de Leche and Eggnog cream filled mini sufganiot
Dena from Oh You Cook made Poached Pears in Pomegranate Sauce
Michele from Kosher Treif Cooking made Tiramisu Cheessecake
Sharon from FashionIsha made Sparkly Chanukah Cookies
Appetizers, Soups, Sauces, Drinks and other Hanukkah Food:
Laura from Pragmatic Attic made Caramel Spice Applesauce
Jessie from Bread and Butter made Honey Spiced Hanukkah Martini
G6 from Guess Who’s Coming 2 Dinner made Sweet Potato Leek Soup
Claire from I Love Soup made Sweet Potato, Coconut & Lemongrass Soup
Jennifer from Juanita’s Cocina made Kugel
Liz from Kosher Like Me made Ready, Stuff Roll!
Shelley from The Kosher Home made Hanukkah Crafts and Printables
Yosef from This American Bite made Zaatar, Garlic & Olive Oil Popcorn
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Aren’t these the most beautiful and delicious looking little treats? You know you want to make them! Thank you, as always, for stopping by, and make sure to enter my giveaway, then click on all the links above for more amazing recipes and lots of chances to win! Happy Chanukkah, Hanukkah, or however else you say it to all my Jewish Friends and readers! -Miriam PS- come back soon for a super cool latke recipe!

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Baked Peanut Butter or Nutella Donuts

Posted in Breakfast, Chocolate, Dairy, Dessert, Holiday, Nuts, Peanut Butter, Super-Easy, Traditional, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 5, 2012 | 13 Comments »

baked donuts

Remember how I recently discussed how hard I find the process of making decisions? Well tonight’s post is basically a post script to that one, because if you thought deciding between pecan pie or brownies was hard, imagine trying to decide between chocolate glazed peanut butter donuts or glazed nutella (chocolate hazelnut) donuts! I know, it totally boggles the mind.

Well I, for one, don’t believe in making such difficult decisions. So I thought to myself…why choose?

Yep, that’s right. I made both peanut butter donuts and nutella donuts. Which means, if you think about it, that these donuts are super easy to make. Because I started making them late at night, and still had time and patience to make a second batch.

Psst! Looking for traditional fried donuts for Hannukah? Well, I’ve got you covered!

So, will you make both? Or pick one of these? Either way, you can’t really go wrong. My tasters raved about how these are as good as fried donuts. Plus they are practically health food because they’re baked. And mini.

baked donuts 4

Chocolate Glazed Peanut Butter Baked Donuts:

adapted from Fake Ginger

This recipe makes very little, so I recommend doubling it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon milk or soy-milk

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

for the glaze:

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla exract

1 Tablespoon milk or soy milk

optional finely chopped peanuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a mini donut pan and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the peanut butter and sugar and set aside.

Add in the milk, oil, vanilla and egg. Beat to combine. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour the mixture into a resealable bag or a piping bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Pipe the mixture into the donut pan, filling the cavity about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Place in the oven and bake at 325 for 5-6 minutes, until the top springs back when touched. Remove donuts from the pan, and set aside to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

To make the glaze, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir to combine. Dip cooled donuts into the glaze, then sprinkle with finely chopped peanuts, if using. Allow the glaze to set before serving.

baked donuts

Glazed Chocolate Hazelnut Baked Donuts

adapted from the recipe above

This recipe makes very little, so I recommend doubling it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread (for a non-dairy option, I use Shneider’s Delinut)

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon milk or soy-milk

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

for the glaze: 

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 Tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread

1 T milk

1 1 Tablespoon water

1 Tablespoon corn syrup

optional chocolate sprinkles

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a mini donut pan and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the nutella and sugar and set aside.

Add in the milk, oil, vanilla and egg. Beat to combine. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour the mixture into a resealable bag or a piping bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Pipe the mixture into the donut pan, filling the cavity about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Place in the oven and bake at 325 for 5-7 minutes, until the top springs back when touched. Remove donuts from the pan, and set aside to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

To make the glaze, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir to combine. Dip cooled donuts into the glaze, then sprinkle with sprinkles, if using. Allow the glaze to set before serving.

Note: to use a full size donut pan, bake either recipe for 8-10 minutes. 

Enjoy!

baked donuts

Look how I just freed you from making a tough decision! You can thank me later.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you all make these donuts, but for a seriously decadent, fried chanukah treat, come back soon…and save up your calories- it’s worth it! -Miriam

PS: Did you enter the fabulous giveaway I have going on?

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Pecan Pie Topped Mini Fudge Brownie Pies

Posted in Chocolate, Dessert, Holiday, Nuts, Pies/Tarts, Seasonal, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on November 18, 2012 | 22 Comments »

Let’s talk about decisions, shall we?

I don’t know about you, but I for one, hate making them. I’m talking about literally the smallest decisions there are. Like in the ice cream store when they ask if I want chocolate, vanilla or mixed. Um, so I know I don’t want plain vanilla; my love of chocolate is just too strong. But as between chocolate or mixed…I don’t know! How should I decide? And when the decisions get bigger, oy. Don’t get me started. I hate decisions.

That’s why this dessert is so darn awesome! Say you just finished a humongous meal, like, the biggest one of the year. It’s time for dessert, and you don’t have much room. Imagine choosing between a fudgey chocolatey dessert and a fabulously decadent pecan pie. I’m getting stressed out just THINKING about a decision like that! Enter pecan pie topped fudge brownie pie. I know, right? Just thinking about that makes me drool. It’s totally as decadent as it sounds.

First I started with a pre-made pie crust. Because I’m not as crazy as you think I am. Next I baked it a bit. Then I filled it about 3/4 of the way with the fudgiest brownie mixture you’ve ever seen. Baked that a bit, then topped it with some fabulous pecan pie mixture. Baked the whole thing one last time, and then took the most amazing dessert out of the oven.

Oh. And I made these mini because my name is Miriam and I’m addicted to making things mini.

Not sure if there’s really any decision left here. Just make these. Now, preferably.

Pecan Pie Topped Mini Fudge Pies

Brownie mixture slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour, Pecan Pie mixture loosely based on Karo Syrup bottle recipe.

Ingredients:
36 premade mini pie shells

for the brownie mix

1 cup (two sticks) butter or margarine
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup flour

For the pecan pie filling

3/4 cup corn syrup
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Place pie shells on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for ten minutes.

While pie shells are in the oven, prepare the brownie mixture.

Melt the butter in a double boiler or microwave. Add the sugar and stir until smooth. Return to heat and stir until hot but not bubbling.
Remove from heat and add cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth. Add the flour and stir until smooth.

Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crusts, filling them about 3/4 full. Put the pies back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

After ten minutes, check that the tops of the pies are just firm enough to support additional weight. If not, bake for another minute or two. If it is, proceed to next step.

While brownie pies are baking, prepare pecan mix. Whisk all pecan mixture ingredients except pecans together in a small bowl. Add the pecans and stir to combine.

Pour a small amount of the pecan mixture over the partially baked brownies, enough to cover the top. Place back in the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve hot. You can make these in advance, freeze them, and warm them up for a couple of minutes just before serving.

Enjoy!

Hope you folks all love these beauties! What’s your favorite desserts you’d like to combine?! Enjoy these and come back soon! -Miriam



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Mini Chocolate Pomegranate Bundt Cakes with Pomegranate Glaze

Posted in Bundt Cake, Cake, Chocolate, Dessert, Fruit, Holiday, Seasonal, Super-Easy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 16, 2012 | 19 Comments »

Before we talk about the recipe I’m posting tonight, can we discuss the most amazing thing that happened? Two weeks ago, I published a recipe in the Ami magazine for a butterscotch bundt cake. I’ve been writing the column for more than half a year now, and have gotten some nice feedback before, but I was completely unprepared for this. Emails poured in from all over the world. People had made my cake and loved it, people who wanted to make my cake and had questions, and people who just plain love my column. My ego is still a little swollen, so bear with me because I’m still bragging.

Turns out, the cake was popular enough to cause butterscotch chip shortages in Kosher grocery stores all over. People were asking me on twitter, Facebook, blog comments and emails where they could possibly get their hands on a container of butterscotch chips. It’s totally weird to me that I have the power to do that…!

Anyway. Back to desserts. You didn’t think that I’d get a case of pomegranate juice from my friends over at Pom Wonderful and not come up with a dessert recipe, did you?

Of course I knew I’d have I come up with a good dessert idea. My mind went to cookies at first, but I wasn’t sure how I’d make the pomegranate flavor come through enough in a cookie. I figured cake would work better for these purposes. I had just made my (now famous) butterscotch bundt cake from my column in Ami Magazine, so I decided to make these as mini bundt cakes. Cuteness factor aside, mini bundts are a fun change from the usual.

There’s an entire cup of pomegranate juice in the cake, but the chocolate flavor is strong enough that the fruity flavor is more of an undertone. The glaze however, is exactly what the cake needs to really have a perfectly balanced flavor combination.

Note: I haven’t tried this in a full sized bundt pan, but it should work nicely. Just watch the baking time. I’d guess it would need about 40-50 minutes.

I know some of you might think that the Pomegranate time is over, now that Rosh Hashanah is behind us, but pomegranates are still plentiful, and the juice is always delicious. Trust me, this is a great cake for any time of year! Oh, and don’t forget to enter to win a case of pomegranate juice! Imagine how much cake that would make… 

Mini Chocolate Pomegranate Bundt Cakes:

Ingredients:
4 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup oil
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 mini bundt pans well with floured baking spray. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Add the vanilla extract, oil and pomegranate juice and beat to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pans, filling the cavities about 3/4′s full.
Bake at 350 for about 17-19 minutes. Remove cakes from the oven and set aside to cool.

Pomegranate Glaze:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons pomegranate juice

Up to 1 Tablespoon water

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and pomegranate juice. If needed, add a bit of water until you reach a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cakes.

Enjoy!

Hope you all had a fabulous week! Shana Tova to all my Jewish readers, and enjoy the cake! PS- Interested in sneak previews of my baking escapades? You should follow me on Instagram. You guessed it- my user name there is OvertimeCook! Can’t wait to connect with you! -Miriam

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Reverse Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted in Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert, tagged , , , , , on August 22, 2012 | 9 Comments »

Anyone reading this who’s been a reader for any length of time will know that I love to bake, and more specifically, to experiment and have fun with all kinds of fun recipes. From recent recipes like S’mores Cheesecake and Zebra Bundt Cake, to older but still fun recipes like  Pretzel Coated Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cheese Swirled Chocolate Fudge Cake, I try to share fun and unique recipes with you folks. But sometimes I like to share some more basic recipes. Things like Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies and Blueberry Muffins may not be unique or different, but I definitely think they are recipes worth sharing.

Today’s recipe is more along the lines of the basic, staple type recipes. It’s not revolutionary, but it sure is delicious. Next time you want a simple drop cookie that isn’t the typical chocolate chip, try switching things up a bit by reversing things. Chocolate cookie, white chips. They’re as delicious as they are pretty. Bonus: if you’re not a fan of white chocolate, just add chocolate chips instead. No sane person can say no to double chocolate cookies, right?

Reverse Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 cup) butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

optional additional chips, for decorating

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheets lightly or line with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter or margarine, sugar and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating well to combine after each addition.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda. With the mixer at a low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips.

Using a medium cookie scoop (or a heaping tablespoon measuring spoon) drop the dough onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 2 inches in between the cookies for spreading. If you would like to make them look prettier, press an extra 2 or 3 white chocolate chips onto the top of the cookie.

Bake the cookies at 375 for about 9 minutes, until set. Remove from oven and let cool.

Enjoy!

Hope you like these cookies folks! Thanks for visiting! -Miriam PS- I am working on Yom Tov recipes now- anything specific you want to see?

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S’mores Cheesecake

Posted in Cake, Cheesecake/Dairy Desserts, Chocolate, Dairy, Dessert, tagged , , , , on August 12, 2012 | 31 Comments »

Today was liberating for me. I think I always felt that something exciting such as a cheesecake needed to be made for some kind of occasion. A family get-together, a holiday, some friends coming over, or just a regular Shabbos (Sabbath) meal. Don’t worry, that hasn’t stopped me from making some delicious cheesecakes in the past.

I know what you’re thinking. This gal makes so many different kinds of desserts, they can’t all be for a special occasion. Well, they aren’t. But somehow, some desserts seem fancier than others, and I always felt they needed an occasion.

 

And that’s why today was liberating. I didn’t make this cheesecake because of any special occasion. I didn’t make this because guest were coming or because it was a holiday of sorts. No, I made this because I dreamed it up, and just had to try it out. Yeah, it was one of those light-bulb moments when I knew I had come up with a fabulous dessert idea.

Just take a look at this and you’ll understand why you shouldn’t put off making this dessert. It’s rich. It’s creamy. It’s pure decadence. Oh, and it’s a kind of s’mores. Really, could you ask for more?

S’mores Cheesecake:

Ingredients:

1 pre-made graham cracker crust

for cheesecake:

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

12 ounces (1 1/2 packages) cream cheese (I used tofutti)

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

to assemble:

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

mini marshmallows

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Melt chocolate over a double boiler and set aside to cool slightly. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, cocoa powder, sugar and eggs until creamy. Fold in the melted chocolate and stir to combine fully. Do not over-mix.

Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust. Bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes, until just set (the middle may still be a drop jiggly). Remove from oven and set aside while you prepare the topping.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Immediately when it is melted, spoon it over the cheesecake and spread gently with a rubber spatula. Place the marshmallows over the top (for a fancier presentation, like it is in the picture, arrange them in circles over the top.)

If you have a kitchen torch, go ahead and brown the tops of your marshmallows. If you don’t, turn your oven broiler on, and broil the marshmallows for about two minutes, turning frequently to ensure they don’t burn. (Don’t walk away from it! As my sister said, “a watched marshmallow never burns.”)

Remove cheesecake from the broiler, and refrigerate until cool. Serve cold.

Enjoy!

Thanks folks for stopping by! I’m sad that the weekend is over, but this is totally a consolation prize, isn’t it? Did you all remember to enter my giveaway? I am giving away a copy of one of my favorite cookbooks, you really want to win this one! Come back soon. -Miriam

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Chocolate Cupcakes and a First Blogiversary Giveaway

Posted in Cake, Chocolate, Dessert, Giveaways, Muffins/Cupcakes, tagged , , , , , on August 7, 2012 | 133 Comments »

 

 

 

 

Giveaway Closed! 

See here for the winner

 

I’ve been thinking about today a lot, but I can’t believe it actually came. It was one year ago that I published my first ever recipe.

I know that most bloggers follow up on that statement with “I am so embarrassed of that post” or “I can’t believe how far I have come since then!” or “it was totally on a whim that I started my blog!” But I am not going to say any of that. Sure, I think I have come pretty far since I wrote and photographed that recipe, but I am proud of that post, just as I am proud of every post I have up on this blog. This blog wasn’t started on a whim, it was the result of weeks of planning that followed months of deliberating. I am not spontaneous, and I don’t like to jump into things without knowing what I am getting into.

Before my first post, I spent an hour getting a one-on-one photography lesson with one of the professional photographers at work. I read a ton about food photography, about recipe writing, about recipe attribution. Then I spent days deliberating over a name for the blog. Next, I read all about the various hosting options and debated endlessly with myself about spending the few dollars to get my own domain.

And then I finally pressed publish. And through it all, I dreamed of “making it” in the food blogging world, but being the super realistic and practical person that I am, I didn’t expect many, if any, readers. And yet, you came.

I remember the first day that I broke a hundred hits. Then the first day that I broke a thousand. And the day I reached 100 thousand hits. I remember the first time someone blogged one of my recipes, the first time someone invited me to guest post, even the first time a stranger commented on my blog. Each one is a special little memory in a sea of amazingness that’s been the last year of blogging. So many extraordinary things happened this year. I had my work featured in a magazine. I started writing a baking column in another magazine. I bought a “fancy” camera and learned (somewhat) how to use it. I was interviewed, I was recognized. But most of all, I met some of you, some of the most amazing, friendly, sweet and talented people in the world.

Fellow bloggers will get this, but for the non-bloggers reading this, you can’t begin to imagine it, but some of the sweetest moments of this entire year have been letters from regular people like yourselves, who invited me and my recipes into their kitchen, then took the time to write me a letter and tell me about it. Every minute of work that has gone, and will go into this blog is validated completely when I get an email like that.

Honestly, I wish I could throw you all a giant cookie party to thank you for coming, for reading, for commenting, for baking and for cooking. But that isn’t very realistic. So instead, I decided to celebrate in the second best way. I decided to giveaway one of my favorite cookbooks to one lucky reader. No marketing gimmick, no sponsored giveaway, no paid ads. Just me, thanking you with a cookbook.

And hoping you’ll be joining me for the next year. And all the years that follow…

Okay, enough sappiness. Let’s get onto the cookbook giveaway. I chose to giveaway Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours. It’s a classic cookbook that every avid baker needs on their bookshelf. If you already own a copy, enter to win it for a friend. It’s a book to be treasured.

Here’s how to win:

Required entry: Leave a comment telling me how you found my blog, or what your favorite recipe(s) is/are. Or both. I love hearing from you!

For additional entries: leave a separate comment for each entry!

1) Follow @OvertimeCook on Twitter and tweet the following: “I want to win a cookbook in honor of @overtimecook’s first blogiversary! http://bit.ly/NfXCy7 ends 8/15″

2) Like Overtime Cook on facebook.

3) Follow Overtime Cook on Pinterest and pin one of the images in this post.

Rules:

Giveaway is sponsored by me. It ends at 11:59 PM on 8/15. Winner will be selected via random.org. Prize can only be shipped within the continental US. Winner will be notified via email or twitter.

And now, what would a birthday post be without some birthday cupcakes?

Chocolate Glazed Chocolate Cupcakes:

Adapted slightly from Baking From My Heart To Yours

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk (for non-dairy use soured soy milk)

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

For the Glaze:

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons cold butter or margarine, cut into 6 cubes

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 12-section muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter or margarine until smooth. Add the sugar and beat for about two minutes, until they are completely combined and creamy. Add the egg, then the egg yolk and vanilla, beating for about a minute after each addition to fully incorporate.

Turn the mixer to slow, and beat in half of the dry mixture. Add the buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Beat to combine. With a rubber spatula, stir in the melted chocolate.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups. Bake at 350 for 22-24 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over boiling water (double boiler style). Set aside to cool for 2-3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the confectioners sugar. Stir in the butter, one piece at a time, until smooth. Dip the cupcake in the glaze, and swirl slightly, then lift up. Decorate with sprinkles of your choice.

Enjoy!

Thank you all so much for stopping by! Please remember to enter the giveaway and spread the word! And come back often, next year is gonna be even better!! -Miriam

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Zebra Bundt Cake

Posted in Bundt Cake, Cake, Chocolate, Dessert, tagged , , , on July 25, 2012 | 38 Comments »

Ever since I made that zebra cake months ago, I have been completely fascinated by the possibilities that this method allows. Zebra cheesecake, zebra cupcakes, zebra layer cake…I totally want to try all of those. Enter pinterest and the ideas seriously don’t end!

Then I saw this Zebra Bunt Cake on Bakers Royale, and I was totally infatuated. Combine zebra style with my favorite kind of cake (bundt cake, duh) and you have a gorgeous and winning dessert.

Best thing about this cake? It looks gorgeous, but it totally tastes amazing too! The zebra style does take an extra couple of minutes, but I think it’s well worth it. If you’re confused about how to get the pattern, scroll down for my step by step pictures, taken from my iphone as I formed the cake. Does anyone know the best way to get cake batter off of an iphone? Asking for a friend.

Zebra Bundt Cake

Adapted slightly from Bakers Royale

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour (or 3 cups cake flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

1/2 cup cocoa powder (not dutch process)

6 Tablespoons water

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, melted and cooled

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 eggs

1/2 cup milk or non-dairy milk substitute (I used rich’s whip)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a bundt pan well with baking spray (oil and flour). Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In another small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar, the cocoa powder and the water. Stir until a smooth paste forms. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the cooled melted butter and the remaining 2 cups sugar. Add vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half of the milk, then repeat until all the milk and flour have been incorporated.

Measure out two heaping cups of the mixture and mix into the bowl with the chocolate mixture. Stir to combine.

To make the zebra look: 

(It’s best to use a medium cookie scoop for both of the batters. I only had one, so I did two mini scoops of chocolate to each medium scoop of white. If you don’t have a cookie scoop just use a spoon.)

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the white batter into the bundt pan. Spoon an equal amount of the chocolate mixture directly in the middle of the white. Next, spoon some white into the center of the chocolate. Repeat until all of the batter has been used.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Chocolate Glaze:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

2 Tablespoons oil

1-3 Tablespoons water

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients for the glaze together to form a drizzling consistency.

Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.

Enjoy!

Thanks everyone for stopping by! Come back soon, I have a cookbook review coming up! Also…I know, I know, I haven’t shown you folks the pictures of the party. What a bad blogger! I promise they’re coming soon! -Miriam

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