Raspberry Chocolate Tart with Biscotti Crust

Posted on February 4, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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This tart is rich, creamy, and delicious!  The biscotti is a nice surprise and it adds some dimension to the dessert.  The filling is so creamy!  And making it is shockingly straightforward.  The only thing I would do differently is I would be more careful when covering with plastic wrap.  As you can see from the photo, the plastic wrap did not go on smooth so little dips in the surface of the filling developed.  However, this subtlety did NOT affect the taste or the presentation.  It is really a lovely dessert—A perfect ending to a dinner party. 

Also, there is something very Valentine’s Day about this dessert.  The berries, the chocolate, the richness.  Spoil your honey–better yet–spoil yourself!

Raspberry Chocolate Tart with Biscotti Crust:

Biscotti Crust:

  • 8 ounces biscotti cookies
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

  • 1/3 cup raspberry sauce (recipe follows)
  • 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Raspberry Sauce:

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Garnish:

  • Fresh raspberries

Make the biscotti crust

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Generously grease a 9 inch fluted tart pan.

Using your food processor, blender, or Magic Bullet*  puree the biscotti until they are finely ground.  Transfer crumbs to a bowl and add the melted butter.  Stir to combine.  Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 12-18 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool in the tart pan on a wire rack.

Make the filling

First make the raspberry sauce by pureeing the raspberries in your food fprocessor, blender, or Magic Bullet until smooth.  Pour into a strainer set over a bowl and use a rubber spatula to push the puree through the strainer into the bowl.  The seeds will remain in the strainer.  Add sugar and stir to dissolve.  Set aside.

 

Place chopped chocolate in a bowl and set aside.  In a saucepan, bring heavy whipping cream to a boil.  Immediately pour over chocolate and let sit for five minutes.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in 1/3 cup of the raspberry sauce.

Pour the filling into the cooled tart crust.  Smooth the top with an offset spatula.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, top with fresh raspberries! 

Adapted from Joy of Baking.com.

*Do you own a Magic Bullet?  It is a perfect tool for recipes like this tart!  In the time it takes to pull your food processor out, you can have small chopping or pureeing tasks done with the Magic Bullet !   It took literally minutes to puree the biscotti and then the the raspberries.  When working with small quantities, this little gadget is extremely efficient.

Filed under: chocolate, cookies, Dessert, raspberry, tart | 1 Comment »

Ice Cream Burgers aka “The Chipwich”

Posted on January 1, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!! 

What better way to ring in the New Year than with cookies, ice cream, and candy—all in one bite!!!! 

If you are looking for something fun to do with your kids during the last few days of school vacation, you may want to give this a whirl.  Ice cream burgers are simple, fun, delicious, and allow for creativity.   There are so many options–the combination possibilities* are endless!

Step One: Make cookies.  Any kind you like.  I stuck with classic chocolate chip, however, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter chip; even sugar cookies would all work well.  (Also, this a great way to revitalize left over holiday cookies!)

Step Two: Choose your ice cream.  (Or even better–MAKE your ice cream!)  I went with cookies and cream, but simple vanilla, mint chocolate chip, strawberry–any flavor would be just fine.

Step Three: Choose your toppings.  This is the kids’ favorite part!  Set out several bowls containing an array of “dipping” options.  Mini chocolate chips, jimmies, sprinkles, mini M&Ms, coarse sugar, chopped up candy bars, nuts…let your imagination run wild.

Step Four: Have fun!!!  Getting your cookies to be perfectly round can be a challenge but that shouldn’t inhibit the fun.  Encourage the kids to use their imaginations and make interesting combinations.

Nestle Toll House Cookie Chipwich:

(Yields about 5 dozen cookies = about 30 chipwiches)

  • 2  1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks butter (1 cup), softened
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1  3/4 cups (11.5 oz bag) milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture until combined.  Carefully stir in chocolate chips. 

Scoop one tablespoon of cookie dough and quickly make a ball with it by rolling in the palms of your hands.  (It is important to do this quickly so you don’t melt the butter.) Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Rolling the dough into equal size balls allows all of the cookies to be the same shape in size.  This is important for making chipwiches because you want both sides of the sandwich to be the same shape and size. 

Bake 9-11 minutes.  Cool completely on wire racks.

Once completely cool, take one cookie and use a small spoon to scoop ice cream onto it.  Press another cookie on top.  Then the fun begins!  Roll the chipwich in the candy topping(s) of your choice.  The more toppings you have available, the more fun!

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To store, either wrap tightly with plastic wrap or place in sandwich bags and freeze.

*Some combination ideas:

  • sugar cookies, vanilla bean ice cream, rolled in sugar crystals
  • oatmeal raisin cookies, cinnamon ice cream, rolled in chopped walnuts
  • chocolate chunk cookies, mint chocolate chip ice cream, rolled in mini-chocolate chips
  • peanut butter cookies, chocolate ice cream, rolled in chopped peanuts
  • orange white chip cookies, orange sherbet, rolled in coconut

Have a fun, happy, and healthy 2009!!!

Filed under: candy, cookies, Dessert, ice cream | 1 Comment »

Egg Nog Cookies

Posted on December 17, 2008 by kitchenbelle

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Pumpkin is to Halloween what egg nog is to Christmas.  It is the quintessential holiday beverage.  And though I don’t know many people who can drink more than a sip or two (my dad is the exception there–he can gulp egg nog like Gatorade!) that  little taste is all you need to get into the holiday spirit. 

So now imagine putting that delicious nutmeg-spiced egg nog sip into cookie form.  Worry no more because you can eat dozens of these buggers without feeling that post-egg nog nausea!  They are crispy on the outside and a soft on the inside (not chewy–just a little pillowy).  The flavor is great.  I gravitate to a softer cookie, so I do wish these were a little softer.  I think next time I will try adding an additional egg or two, and maybe even a little more egg nog.  Cheers!!!

Egg Nog Cookies:

  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1-1/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup eggnog
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside.  Cream sugar and butter until fluffy.  Stir in eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks.  Beat at medium speed until smooth.  Add flour mixture in two additions, and beat on low speed until just combined.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.  Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Courtesy of kaboose.com.

Filed under: cookies, Dessert | 1 Comment »

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on December 15, 2008 by kitchenbelle

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 As you may or may not have noticed, I tend to bake cakes and cupcakes more often than cookies.  It is only in this recent 48-hour whirlwind cookie baking spree that I realize why that has been the case–It is much more difficult to determine when a cookie is done than it is to determine when a cake (or cupcake)  is done. 

In the case of cakes, there are so many cues for doness: color, the skewer test, the press test (gently pressing your finger tips into the surface to see if it springs back), just to name a few.  And these generally apply for all types of cakes.

In the case of cookies my only test is peeking at the bottoms–if they are brown, I assume they are done.  But, I have learned, this is not always true because cookies vary so drastically in texture and ingredients.  The outside can be crisp and the inside a weeping mess.  In some cases the tops are incredibly soft (if it were a cake it’d be raw) but if it is just a soft and chewy type of cookie, it may well be done.  It is much more difficult to get it right.

All of this has led me to a conclusion: I need more practice in the cookie-baking arena!  Only by practicing with different ingredients and baking times can I really hone my eye for doneness.  With that said, let the cookie baking really begin!

One more thing though: What is funny is that I don’t need an ounce of practice on the other side of the fence as a cookie eater!  I do just fine in that realm!  I am a lover of chunky, chewy, multi-ingredient cookies (white chocolate chunks, especially, are a new favorite), which is why I particularly enjoyed this recipe.  The texture and flavors are fantastic!  Enjoy!  (And if you have any cookie baking secrets–please share!)

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies:

  • 2/3 cup butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1.5 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1.5 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 6-ounce package dried sweetened cranberries
  • 2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Using an electric mixer beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and beat well.  In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add dry mixture to egg/sugar mixture in three additions, mixing well after each addition.  Delicately stir in cranberries and white chocolate.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.

Adpted from recipe by Ocean Spray, Inc.

Filed under: cookies, Dessert | 1 Comment »

Carrot Cake Cookies

Posted on December 14, 2008 by kitchenbelle

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When I saw these cookies at Dinner and Dessert  I knew I wanted to make them.  I love carrot cake and I had never considered a carrot cake cookie–what a great idea!  These cookies are exactly what you would expect–each one packs delicious carrot cake goodness into two bites of a cookie.  (The only thing missing is a big dollop of cream cheese frosting!)

Carrot Cake Cookies:

  • 2  1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1  1/4 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1.5 loosely packed shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup currants
  • 1  1/3 cups flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl combine first 10 ingredients with 3/4 cup water.  Beat on low speed until well blended.  Stir in carrots, currants, and coconut.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons (or tablespoons, depending on how big you want your cookies) onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Leave about one inch between each.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned but still soft in the center.  Cool on wire racks.

Adapted from dinneranddessert.wordpress.com.

Filed under: carrot, cookies, Dessert | Leave a comment »

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