Microwave Vanilla-Coffee Caramels

I just love caramels, since I was a little girl I remember liking them better than chocolates or other treat, this time I finnaly came to find the right recipe.

Luckily I found this recipe and made a few changes. I hope you like it as much as I do and do it often, as it is a very easy recipe.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup of butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

 

For the topping:

1 cup milk chocolate chips

3/4 halved walnuts

 

HOW TO:

in a microwave safe bowl (at least 2 quart) add butter, white and brown sugar, syrup, sweetened condensed milk, coffee powder and vanilla.

Stir together and place in microwave, uncovered for 7 minutes, stopping and strirring twice during the cooking time.

Remove from microwave and pour into prepared lined paper which I also sprayed some cooking spray

 

Cut in circles, squares or any shape you like

Press halved walnuts on top of the caramel

 

 

 

Melt chocolate in microwave, pour into a piping bag and

pour chocolate over walnuts and caramel

Ready!

Enjoy!

 

 

Capuccino Chocolate Cake

Last  March I baked this cake for my mother in law,

she loves chocolate and coffee,

so I made this cake which made her very happy

Cake

200 grs. butter

200 grs. sugar

150 grs. flour

200 grs. milk chocolate

65 grs. milk

6 egg whites

6 egg yolks

1 1/2 Tbsp. powder coffee

(diluted in 1 tbsp. of water)

Frosting

250 grs. milk chocolate

1 can condensed milk

1 Tbsp. powder coffee (diluted in 3 Tbsp. evaporated milk)

CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

cream the butter untill it has a lighter color , then add ,beat for one minute,

then the chocolate, give this 2 minutes and add milk and coffee.

In another bowl whisk the egg whites untill stiff,

 then add it to the cake batter with soft revolving movements.

Grease a pan, this is a medium cake, so any medium to big cake pan will do.

 Put the cake batter in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 min. or untill it's done.

FROSTING

1.Heat the condensed milk, and add the melted chocolate and the diluted coffee beating till you can see the bottom of the pan, (about 15 to 20 min)

Cover the cake .

DECORATION

Cover the cake with half of the frosting, the rest pipe it to create lines like I did

and if you like you can add sugar crystals.

Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pound Cake

 

 I created this cookie dough pound cake, as I was looking through my

recipes, I decided to do it the easy way, meaning I did from scratch

only the pound cake, the cookie dough I used a mix, and saved time.

INGREDIENTS:

Cookie Dough Base

1 bag of chocolate chip cookie mix

1 egg

90grs. butter

Pound Cake

45 grs. butter

1/2 cup sugar

1Tbsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking powder

100 grs. whipping cream

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

Decoration

1 Tbsp. cocoa

HOW TO:

Preheat the oven to 300°F

 For the cookie base

melt the butter and just mix all the ingredients together

press into the previously greased and floured mold

For the Pound Cake:

Melt the butter, add the sugar and with electric mixer

blend in eggs, vanilla, baking powder, whipping cream

milk, and flour.

Pour over the cookie dough base

Bake for 40 to 45 min.

Decorate with cocoa or powder sugar, you can use a pattern

if you like, I just placed some paper cut rectangles on top

of the cake and then sifted some cocoa

ENJOY!

Chocolate Strips (cake decorations)

One day I was thinking of how could I do a simple, fun and delicious decoration for a cake, so I came up with this one, Chocolate Strips covered with sugar crystals or sprinkles.

Ingredients

200 grs. semi-sweet chocolate

your favorite sugar sprinkles (as much as desired)

How to

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper

 melt the chocolate and with a little spatula try to apply a thin layer of chocolate

then sprinkle the sugar and take them to the fridge until set

carefully peel off the chocolate strips.

arrange strips all over the cake

ready!!

Crema Catalana Sticks

I found this delicious "Turrón de Crema Catalana" an Spanish Specialty which we love, I dicided to do something about the last two packages I had so here´s the recipe and how-to, I hope you like it, my family loved it, in fact they´re very nice and almost always like what I do ha ha ha, its a fun way to make something out of delicious treats and left overs we enjoy during Christmas Season

First you have to find this Turrón, there are other brands, you can always use "Turrón de yema" too

it looks like this when you open it

you cut it in sticks wide or narrow ,that depends on how you like them

Prepare a chocolate ganache, I did a small portion, 100grs of semi-sweet chocolate and 3 Tbsp of whole milk, you heat the milk and add the chocolate in pieces, you integrate both with a spoon and the ganache is ready! you can always add( butter, 1/2 a tsp. and rum 1Tbsp, instead of 2 Tbsp. of milk)

cover half the sticks with the chocolate ganache

I also had some leftover chocolates, so I cut them in small pieces, you can also use walnuts, almonds, pistachios or dried fruits

and you sprinkle some chocolate pieces over the chocolate ganache and arrange them over some lined paper so when the chocolate sets you can put them somewhere else

Orange Truffles

I´m a big fan of truffles, have always been, I love this kind specially because they´re rich and creamy, with a delicate orange flavor.

INGREDIENTS

1/ 4 cup butter, chopped

1/3  cup whipping cream

7 oz, semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 Tbsp.Grand Marnier

semisweet cocoa powder.

HOW TO

In a small saucepan, combine butter and cream. 

 Cook on low heat until butter melts

 and cream bubbles around the edge.

Remove from heat, add chocolate.

Cover and let stand until chocolate melts.

Stir until smooth.

Add grand Marnier. Chill until firm.

Form into balls. roll in cocoa.

They´re ready to be carefully packed.

Enjoy!!!!

Choco-Banana Cake

Sometimes I have leftover bananas and I make the traditional banana cake, but I thought adding a little chocolate will be interesting, this is a very easy cake and you can enjoy it anytime

Ingredients

CAKE

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup oatmeal (grounded)

4Tbs. melted butter

3/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp vanilla 

2 eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup mashed bananas

DECORATION

3/4 cup chocolate ganache if desired for decoration

HOW TO

Preheat oven to 350F.

grease and line parchment , you can use a rectangle mold or any you like.

In a large mixing bowl , sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and grounded oatmeal.

In a small mixing bowl combine the butter, milk, eggs , banana and finally the chocolate chips.

Combine both mixtures, do not overmix.

Pour batter into mold

Bake until lightly golden, and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 min.

DECORATION

Pour some chocolate ganache over it, I grounded a chocolate cookie bar and just made a little decorations over it, . hope you like it, simple and delicious.

Easy and yummy Chocolate Dessert

This is a very easy dessert, first you have to do a chocolate mousse, and then use what you have on hand meringues and lady fingers in this case, you may also use another kind of cookies if you like, make layers refrigerate and enjoy

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
2 cups whipping cream

3/4 cup powder sugar

1 8-oz cream cheese

1/2 cup cocoa

FOR DECORATION

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

10 medium meringues

20 lady fingers

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

With electric mixer blend cream cheese and half of the sugar, when it is perfectly integrated add cocoa.

In another bowl mix the whipping cream with the second half of the sugar. till soft peaks form.

Blend the cheese mixture with the whipping cream, then the mousse is ready

LAYERS

Put a layer of the mousse in a transparent mold then add crushed meringes and sift some cocoa on top, add another layer of mousse and a layer of crushed lady fingers and sift more cocoa on top, to end another layer of mousse finishing again wiht sifted cocoa.

DECORATION

Cut ladyfingers by the middle and decorate the bowl

refrigerate for at least one hour

enjoy!

Chocolate Twix Tart

This recipe comes from an Egyptian friend, one day talking about it he shared with me his secret and I just made a few little changes that suited me better, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do

CRUST

1 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp cocoa powder
 
DULCE DE LECHE FILLING

1 can of dulce de leche (380gr)

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1 cup heavy whipping cream
5 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

FOR CRUST

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Butter 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add 1/2 cup butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks; process until moist clumps form. Add cocoa powder; blend in using on/off turns. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

FOR GANACHE
Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Let stand until slightly cooled but still pourable, about 10 minutes.

TART ASSEMBLE

Spread Dulce de Leche evenly over the tart surface and then pour the ganache on top.

 Refrigerate tart uncovered until chocolate is firm, about 2 hours. do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Special Turtle Cheesecake

This is one of my favorite cheesecakes, it combines my favorite ingredients, a crowd pleaser without any doubt, hope you like it

CRUST

150 gr. Oreo cookies
30 gr. pecans
25 gr. Melted butter

CREAM CHEESE CHOCOLATE AND PECAN FILLING
768 grs. cream cheese
100 grs. sugar
35grs. cornstarch
3 eggs

1 egg yolk
15 grs. vanilla extract
20 grs cocoa

40 grs.caster sugar
60 ml Amaretto liquor

50 grs. Toffee

TOFFEE

150 grs. sugar
135 grs .
Preheat oven to 300F.

 

CRUST

Combine cookie crumbs with melted butter and pecans press firmly in the base of a 24 cm. pan.

FILLING

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, then the cornstarch.

Add egg yolk and eggs one by one, then the vanilla, beat until smooth.

Take out 2/3 of this mix and put it in another bowl, and add the cocoa, caster sugar, amaretto and pecans.

TOFFEE

In a saucepan heat sugar until light brown color and add the whipping cream, (it has to be hot) mix perfectly ( this has to be with quick movements) until perfectly blended

ENSEMBLE

Pour over the crust a part of the plain cheesecake mix, then the chocolate mix and the toffee, the 3 layers in an irregular form.

Then do the layers again.

Bake for 55 to 60 min.

After it has cooled down use a knife to carefully loosen the cheesecake to better unmolding.

Take it out of the oven even if you think it´s not done, it will stand and finish it´s cooking outside, if you really feel it´s undercooked leave it in the switched off oven for 25 min, or overnight.

Let it stand in the fridge at least 6 hours and ready!!!!

ENJOY!

Easter Chocolate Cake

I did this chocolate cake today and thought it would be nice if I decorated it for Easter, in a simple way, just adding some m&m´s and sugar decorations.

I divided the dough into 2 pans a round one and a flower one

FOR THE CAKE

200 grs. butter

200 grs. sugar

150 grs. flour

200 grs. semi-sweet chocolate (or milk chocolate) melted

65 grs. milk

6 egg whites 6 egg yolks

FOR THE GANACHE

250 grs. semi-sweet chocolate
150 grs. milk

20 grs. butter

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

1.cream the butter untill it has a lighter color , then add the sugar, egg yolks,beat for one minute, then the chocolate, give this 2 minutes and add milk

2.In another bowl whisk the egg whites untill stiff, then add it to the cake batter with soft revolving movements.

3. Grease a pan, this is a medium cake, so any medium to big cake pan will do.

4. Put the cake batter in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 min. or untill it's done.

FOR THE GANACHE

1.Heat the milk, and add the melted chocolate beat for 2 minutes and add the butter.

Cover the cake .

DECORATIONS

I just did a simple but fun Easter decoration

Palmiers with Chocolate

I had made some pastry palmiers the day before, so was figuring out how to make them irresistible, I also had some good chocolate and sprinkles, so I knew they would do a great addition, its a simple way to change things that we might find boring into mouth watering ones, and of course in a very simple and fun way, even children can help us.

INGREDIENTS

40 puff pastry Palmiers

250 grs. semi-sweet chocolate
250 grs white chocolate

100 grs milk chocolate sprinkles

HOW-TO

Place all the palmiers in a plate or center piece

melt both chocolates separately

place milk chocolate in a pastry bag and pour all over the palmiers.

then do the same with white chocolate

Finally add the chocolate chips all over them

Let Palmiers stand for 40 min. or untill set

enjoy

 drizzle white chocolate

                                     add semi-sweet chocolate

                                      then chocolate sprinkles

Chocolate Drop Cookies

Easy recipe, makes delicious soft chocolate cookies, you can serve them with ice cream or maybe vanilla custard

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar

1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup HERSHEY'S cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
Additional sugar for garnishing

HOW TO

Heat oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add egg and vanilla beat until fluffy.

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to butter mixture.

Using 1/4 cup ice cream scoop or 1/4  measuring cup, drop dough about 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until cookie springs back when touched lightly in center. While cookies are on cookie sheet, sprinkle lightly with additional sugar.

 

 

Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Cool completely.

About 1 dozen cookies

Apricot Walnut Chocolate Scones

I  really love scones, almost in all kinds, I find the texture and consistency great, a mixture between a cookie and a bisquet, they´re getting popular here in Mexico, so I hope you enjoy this recipe

INGREDIENTS

280 grs. flour

66 grs. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt 

 90 grs. Good quality butter (frozen in small pieces) 

¾ cup buttermilk

2 egg yolks

1 Tbsp. vanilla 

 100 grs. white chocolate callets

100grs. Chopped walnuts

90 grs. Chopped dry apricot

HOW TO

Finely chop the walnuts and dry stir the egg yolk and buttermilk together.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the frozen butter cut in small cubes, pulse a few times the food processor until the mixture ressembles coarse crumbs.

Pour the liquid ingredients in the bowl and the apricot, walnuts and chocolate pieces and stir just until the dough comes together.I usually do everything by hand but you can use a spatula,Gently and quickly knead the dough and turn it onto a floured board. Roll out the dough to about 1 inch thick and cut in triangles

Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes

Preheat oven to 400.

Christmas Chocolate Coffee Cream filled Cases

Christmas is here, let me share with you this delicious dark chocolate cases filled with a coffee-chocolate cream, and sprinkled with golden sugar crystals

Start by melting the dark chocolate and giving a thin layer to each paper case

Then turn them upside down so that chocolate can spread properly, refrigerate and do this 2 more times

Take off the paper case leaving only the chocolate cases

use a sharp instrument to cut the uneven edges

Fill the chocolate cups with the coffee cream

Add some golden sugar crystals

For the chocolate cases

350 grs. semi-sweet chocolate

30 paper cases

Chocolate Coffee Cream

200 grs. whipping cream

190 grs. cream cheese

100 grs. semisweet chocolate

2 Tbsp. Kalhua (coffee liqueur)

golden sugar crystals for decoration

in a heavy saucepan put the whipping cream and bring it to a boil, turn it off and add the semi-sweet chocolate, take both to the blender and add the cream cheese, and finally the coffee liqueur.

Let the cream cool and fill the cups

add some golden sugar crystals

enjoy!