TIA GFY Recipe blog

This stuff is my take on a Ina Garten recipe, and it tastes good on everything! Cupcakes, ‘Nilla wafers, pretzels, fingers… (Not that I would know… *cough*)

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

12 ounces semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup egg whites (4 to 5 extra-large eggs), at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (if you don’t have cream of tartar, try substituting some lemon juice)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 teaspoons instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons water
3 tablespoons dark rum, optional (I usually skip this)

Melt the chocolate–either in microwave or with double boiler.

Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Return the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak. (If this process isn’t feasible, it will still turn out great if you skip it.)

Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, vanilla, espresso, and rum, if using, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again.

This makes A LOT of frosting, and you can chill and reuse. When it chills, it will stiffen. To reuse, just let it sit at room temperature until it regains the right texture.

I can’t guarantee that she “created” this recipe, but that’s how it’s always referred to, and her house is the only place I ever had it. My mom makes it now, and I made it for the first time this past week. Yum.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box lemon instant pudding
4 eggs
1/2 vegetable oil
1 cup water

Mix all ingredients together (you don’t have to use a mixer, but I do to avoid lumps). Bake in greased 9×13 pan at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and poke a bunch of holes into it with a fork. Drizzle topping over cake while it is still warm.

Topping:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 T water
2 T butter

Melt butter in saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

An apple and dried apricot pie is a great winter pie!

• 1.5 cups diced dried apricots
• 2 cups apple or apricot juice (apricot will make it more apricoty, apple - appley)
• 2 or 3 slices of lemon
• 5 cups peeled, cored and sliced tart apple (Granny Smith)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1.5 cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

I used a basic butter crust, but the original recipe actually called for a cream cheese pastry. Make sure the oven rack is in the center. Preheat to 400 degrees.

Poach apricots in juice with lemon (remember to use nonreactive saucepan). Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cover. 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the apricots, reserving the liquid. Return the liquid to saucepan. Remove lemon from apricots and discard the lemon.

In large bowl combine apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice and cinnamon - toss well. Stir in apricots. Let stand for 15 minutes.

While fruit sits, reduce apricot juice liquid. Bring to boil until down to 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Pour over apple mixture and toss. Pour into chilled pie shell. Dot with butter (I forgot to do this, so it’s not absolutely critical). Put top crust on.

Place pie on center rack and bake for 25 minutes. I usually use a pie edge guard to prevent premature browning on the edges. You can also wrap aluminum foil around it. After 25 minutes, reduce temp to 375, remove guard and rotate the pie 180 to promote even browning. Bake 25 more minutes, and don’t forget the drip pan underneath.

Cool on wire rack for at least one hour before serving. If you cut into it immediately, the juices will be too runny and you’ll lose inner goodness. WAIT!

1 box chocolate cake mix
1/2 c carmel (you can the stuff made for on top of ice cream or my favorite is the tastefully simple stuff)
1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 bag of chopped heath
1 container of cool whip

Make the cake mix as directed by the box. Bake, let cool completely and poke holes in the top of the cake. (I use a kabob stick or a butter knife, this isn’t exact science). Heat the carmel and the sweetened condensed milk together on the stove until they are mixed well. Pour over cake slowly so it soaks into the holes. Let cool for about 3 minutes, then sprinkle the heath over the carmel mixture. Save some Heath to garnish the top with. Once that has cooled completely, spread the cool whip over the top. I normally garnish the top with heath, and zig zag lines of carmel and chocolate.

2/3 c canned milk
1-2/3 cup sugar - I found it to be a bit sugary when I made it, might recommend a little less sugar.
1-1/2 cups of miniature marshmallows
1-1/2 cups of chocolate chips
1 tsp of vanilla 
1 tbsp of stick butter

Stir together canned milk and suger in a pan and bring to boil.  When mixture bubbles around edges, set timer for 5 minutes and stir constantly.

Remove pan from heat and stir in miniature marshmallows, chocolate chips, vanilla and butter. Stir till marshmallows and chocolate chips are melted (it starts to get hard quickly) then pour into greased 8×8 or 9×9 pan. Let cool.  

Turn pan upside down and let fudge fall out.  Cut and enjoy.

(You can add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or use peanut butter chips, etc.)

• 1 TBS cold unsalted butter
• 1.5 cups heavy cream
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 oz unsweetened chopped chocolate
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In saucepan over medium-low bring cream, sugar, chocolate, corn syrup and salt to melted evenness. Turn up to medium and boil, washing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Continue to cook without stirring until 238 degrees, 10-15 minutes.

Immediately pour into bowl with the butter in it. This bowl should be on a wire rack. Let sit undisturbed to 110 degrees, about 1.5-2 hours. *Using a wooden spoon, begin to gently stir mixture*. Continue to stir, gradually increasing speed until mixture thickens, lightens in color, and loses its sheen, 4-5 minutes.

Pour into 8 inch square baking pan that has been lined with parchment or wax paper. Use small offset spatula to smooth. Let cool on wire rack 1 hour, then cover with plastic and refrigerate 8 hours.

(*this is where you can do add ins, like 1 teaspoon mint extract)

Winterfresh Fudge Bars

Brownies:
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate morsels

Mint Filling:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons creme de menthe
2 drops green food coloring

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon mint extract
1 tablespoon milk, plus more to thin
8 candy canes, crushed, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brownies:
Melt the chocolate and butter together over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine chocolate-butter mixture with sugar, vanilla, and eggs on medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. Mix in flour and salt and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape bowl and beat for 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips.
Mint Filling:
Beat the cream cheese until smooth with electric mixer. Scrape sides of bowl and beat in sugar, eggs, and creme de menthe until smooth and fully blended. Add 2 drops food coloring to heighten filling color.

Spread half of brownie mixture in a greased 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan. Pour mint filling on top of brownie batter and spread to edge. Carefully spread the other half of the brownie mixture on top of the mint filling. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until sides pull away from pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan.

Frosting:
Beat butter until smooth with electric mixer. Add sugar and melted chocolate to butter and beat. Slowly add mint extract and enough milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make desired consistency. Spread frosting on top of cooled chocolate mint brownies. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top of frosting. Cut the bars into 8 rows by 6 rows and serve.

I’m a horrible baker/cook but I swear this turns out well.

3 and 1/3 cups milk chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
a little less than 1 tsp of flavored extract, if desired (I’ve done raspberry, orange and mint. All are delicious.)

Throw the choc. chips and condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl.
Microwave on high for one minute.
Stir and add extract
Put in microwave for about one more minute.
Stir.

Pour mixture into a greased 8×8 pan (9×13 works just as well and will obviously give you more pieces if you have a large group)

Cover and refrigerate for two hours
Cut with pizza cutter

1 3/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. evap milk
2 T BUTTER
dash of salt
1 1/2 c. choc chips
22 lrg marshmallows, quartered
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Combine first 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chips and marshmallows and stir until melted together. Add nuts and vanilla.
Pour into a sprayed 9×9 pan and let firm up at room temperature and then move to fridge.