Monday 5 September 2011

Chocolate and Berries Yogurt Dessert Recipe...



INGREDIENTS:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® double chocolate chip cookie mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1 egg
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
4 containers (4 oz each) Yoplait® Whips!® raspberry mist yogurt
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
2 tablespoons hot fudge topping
1 cup fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms.
2. On greased cookie sheet, drop dough by tablespoonfuls to make 6 cookies. Bake 8 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes, remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
3. Meanwhile, press remaining dough in bottom and 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. In medium bowl, fold 1/2 cup raspberries into yogurt; spread evenly over crust. Crumble cookies; sprinkle over yogurt mixture. Carefully spread whipped cream evenly over cookie crumbs. Freeze 4 to 5 hours or until firm. Remove sides of pan.
5. Drizzle 1 tablespoon fudge topping over dessert. Top with blueberries and remaining raspberries. Drizzle with remaining fudge topping. Store in freezer.

Thursday 1 September 2011

Blackberry Jam Shortbread ...


1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup almond flour or very finely ground almonds
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups seedless Blackberry Jam
powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:
     Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray.

Prepare shortbread
     In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter and sugars; beat until creamy. Add vanilla and salt and beat until well combined. Beat the almond flour and the all-purpose flour into the butter mixture on low speed, just until a smooth dough forms. Divide the dough in half. Wrap one half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so. Press the other half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the bottom crust.
     Bake the crust until it is just beginning to turn light brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Place jam into a bowl and stir very well until it is nice and smooth. Spread the jam evenly over the partially baked crust. Crumble the refrigerated shortbread dough over the jam to form a crumbled topping. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the topping is firm and crisp and golden in color, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar before cutting into bars.


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White Chocolate Layer Cake...


Cake
2 ½ cups sifted cake flour 
1 tsp baking soda 
½ tsp salt 
4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped 
½ cup boiling water 
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 
2 cups sugar 
4 eggs, separated 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1 cup buttermilk

Frosting:
6 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped 
12 ounces (1 ½ cups) cream cheese, softened 
3 tbsp butter, softened 
¾ tsp vanilla extract 
3 cups confectioners sugar

Directions:

Cake
     Heat the oven to 350F and grease three 8 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of waxed paper or kitchen parchment and flour the pan. 
     Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, and stir with a fork to mix them well. 
Bring 3 inches of water to an active simmer in the bottom of a double boiler or a saucepan that will accommodate a medium heat proof bowl so that it sits snugly over the water. Melt the white chocolate in the top of the double boiler or in the bowl over the simmering water. Stir often, and then pour in the ½ cup of boiling water and stir to mix well. Remove from the heat. 
     In a medium bowl, combine the butter and the sugar and beat with a mixed at medium speed to mix them together well. Add the egg yolks, one by one, beating each time to keep the mixture smooth. Add the white chocolate and the vanilla, and stir well to mix. 
     Add about a third of the flour mixture, and then about half of the buttermilk, beating with a mixer at low speed just long enough after each addition to make the flour or buttermilk disappear. Mix in another third of the flour, remaining buttermilk and then the last of the flour. 
     In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until they are foamy and opaque. Continue beating at high speed until they swell into thick, pillowy mounds and hold peaks that are stiff, but not fry. Add one third of the egg white mixture to the bowl of batter, and fold it in gently using a spatula. Add the remaining egg whites and continue to fold with a light touch, until the egg whites are blended in well, with only a few streaks showing. 
     Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes until the cakes are golden brown, spring back when touched gently in the centre and are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans. 
     Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks or folded kitchen towels for about 30 minutes. Turn them out onto the racks and peel off the paper and turn them back the right way up to cool completely.

Frosting:
     In the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl, melt the white chocolate over hot, not simmering, water, stirring often. Remove from the heat once melted and let cool to lukewarm. Transfer the melted white chocolate to a large bowl, and add the cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Beat together at medium speed until you have a smooth sauce. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.

To Assemble:
     Place one layer, top side down on a cake stand or serving plate and spread it with about a fourth of the icing. Continue stacking and frosting each cake layer in the same way. Cover the sides of the cake with any remaining frosting. 
     Cover the cake and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Set the cake out about 30 minutes before you want to serve it.


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