Chocolate-Espresso Cookies

I woke up sick the other morning, with a throat on fire and a hacking cough in my lungs.  I whipped to the store for kleenex and tylenol so I could spend the day in bed.  It was fine for the first few hours but then I grew restless, I'm not one to spend the day lying down.  I started thinking about cookies, the kind I was craving, buttery, crisp and chocolaty.  I knew an espresso shortbread cookie cookie I loved, crack cookies we affectionately call them, but I figured I could try something new.

Enter chocolate-espresso cookies, a light, sophisticated, crisp cookie well suited to the end of a fancy dinner party or better yet; a steaming cup of coffee.  The thin little cookies are perfectly balanced between salty, sweet and sophisticated, both elegant and homely at the same time.  I loved these little cookies!

Baking notes:
-The dough was very easy to put together, it took only a few minutes.  Most of my time this recipe was spent waiting.
-I assume there is a good reason for using both butter and margarine, probably something to do with spreading.
-I added some finely chopped dark chocolate for good measure.  I think this was a great move, I love the unexpected bites of decadence.

I have not found the recipe for chocolate-espresso cookies on the internet.

9/569

Coffee-Caramel Parfaits

This dessert was as sweet and decadent as ice cream can be.  My sister came over for dinner and I felt a dreamy dessert on a stormy night was well warranted.  Indeed we did enjoy, maybe a little too much.  The silky soft caramel paired beautifully with the creamy frozen ice cream and the chopped walnuts were a perfect contrast texture.  The sweet caramel and the bitter coffee balanced well, we devoured it.

The parfait wasn't complicated to make per say, but it was time consuming.  First a caramel is made (too much for this recipe, so there will be leftovers), then the custard is layered and frozen in increments and finally left to chill for as many hours as you'll allow.  If you don't have an ice cream maker you needn't worry, this recipe produces a decadent rich custard that stays soft without any fancy apparatus.  Go ahead and make it, I'm sure you won't regret it.

Baking notes:
-I made half of the recipe outlined in the cookbook.  I also divided the parfaits into three, rather than two.  Even so the dessert was very sweet and rich.  I might even make the half recipe into four next time. (But then I'd probably eat two because I couldn't get enough!)
-I left out the 1 Tbsp Kahlua called for in the recipe.  I couldn't be bothered to buy a bottle for that little amount.
-The sour cream, I feel, is the secret to keeping the custard from freezing solid, be sure to use a full fat variety.
-The whipped cream dolloped on top is very important for the contrast in texture between all the layers.  Don't forget about it!

The recipe for Coffee-Caramel Parfaits is not available online (why?!), if you would like the recipe please let me know, I would be happy to send it to you.

8/569

Peanut Butter Brownie Cheesecake

My husband is obsessed with ice cream cake, and if ever asked about what kind of cake he would like, he will respond with ice cream.  Because ice cream cake is a very, very involved process I am reluctant to indulge him, even on his birthday.  Maybe he doesn't realize that ice cream cakes involves, well...making ice cream (multiple kinds), crusts and toppings.  We're talking days of work here.  I've done it once, and don't ever plan to do it again.  Instead I make him the next best thing, cheesecake!

Shane loves cheesecake!  Because it was his birthday at the end of February I had an excuse to make a peanut butter brownie cheesecake, which went over like peanut butter on a dog's nose, with a lot of slobbering and drooling, very exciting!  I think the best thing about cheesecakes is that they are made in advance, thus making day-of-party cooking much less stressful.  This cheesecake was divine.  The chocolate and peanut butter as always were a match made in baking heaven!  The recipe was easier than pie, whipped together without complication.  The brownie layer was rich and sweet, with enough contrast to be a crust.  The peanut butter cheesecake layer was creamy, smooth, and super peanut-y!  It was like a tangier, richer, more luscious peanut butter cup!  How can that be wrong?!

Baking notes:
-Be sure to use creamy peanut butter, the kind with all the salt, sugar and chemicals added to it, the results are so much better!
-I found the brownie layer to be a bit dry.  Next time I would bake it for about 12-14 minutes, so it was a little fudgier.
-The sour cream topping was weird, I don't think it added very much.  But since you'll have leftover sour cream anyways I would go ahead and do it.  Maybe it is there to keep the top of the cheesecake from getting a hard crusty layer overnight?

You can find the recipe for Peanut Butter Brownie Cheesecake on google.

7/569