Tiramisu Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These moist, sweet and fudgy bars were developed for Taste of Home magazine where they are called Tiramisu Brownies. I'm not sure why. While the bars are worth a king's ransom in chocolate, Mascarpone cheese and espresso powder, their flavor doesn't quite reach the heights of the Italian classic dessert. I'd be happier if they had called them Mocha and Mascarpone brownies, so I could have set my sights lower. Please don't get me wrong. The bars are delicious, but they are not what I had expected, nor are they as trouble-free to make as I had anticipated. Fortunately, I read the comments associated with the recipe before I started to work on it. That saved me from an expensive disaster. The recipe was not well-reviewed, and a common problem appeared to be that the layers were not in sync with each other and required different baking times to  cook. To their credit, someone at Taste of Home read the reviews and came back with a revision that takes care of the problem. Unfortunately, the correction does not appear in the body of the recipe itself, so I've changed the recipe instructions to include the revisions for you. Now, if I haven't scared you off, I think you'll find the recipe works quite well. The brownies are nice and I think those of you who like really sweet desserts will love them. Here is how they are made.

Pumpkin Freezer Cake with Mascarpone Cheese and Orange Liqueur

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Several years ago, Christopher Kimball publicly confessed that his favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner was dessert. I've never viewed myself as a slavish follower, and like to think that my opinions are my own, but  when it comes to holiday meals, and desserts in particular, I think I'm channeling him. I love most of the old favorites associated with Thanksgiving, and, in any given year, a ridiculous number of them appear on my holiday table I do, however, try to expand our horizons, so each year I make an effort to come up with a new dessert to add to the collection. The results are not always successful. When I am good I am very, very good, but when I m bad I am horrid. Fortunately, I have a winner to share with you this year. My goal was to create a dessert that could be made several days ahead of time and plucked from the freezer for serving. Cheesecake came to mind, but I wanted to create a version that would be light enough to serve following a holiday meal. I think I was able to accomplish that with this recipe. The cake, which relies on pumpkin, mascarpone cheese and orange liqueur for flavor, is really easy to make, but it has to go through a freeze and thaw cycle before it can be served. Once you've mastered its timing you've mastered the cake. It can be made and frozen a week before you need it. If you thaw it at room temperature, the cake will become too soft to serve neatly and you'll have a hot, albeit delicious, mess on your hands. If you thaw it as suggested in the recipe below, you won't have any problems. I really think you'll like this cake. I made it as part of the early holiday dinner we shared with friends and it was really well received. The Silver Fox has requested it for our "real" Thanksgiving holiday and I'm delighted to oblige. Here's the recipe for your consideration.

Pumpkin Freezer Cake with Mascarpone Cheese and Orange Liqueur...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3-1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons water
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided use
1 quart whole milk, divided use
1 ( 15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 cups mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup orange liqueur
1 box cinnamon graham crackers

Directions:
1) Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2) Mix yolks, cornstarch, salt, 1-1/2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of milk and in a large bowl until ingredients are combined.
3) Heat remaining 3 cups of milk in a large saucepan large saucepan, just until it beginsto steam. Whisk 1 cup of hot milk into the yolk mixture. Pour mixture into milk in saucepan and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until boiling and thick, about 5 minutes. Whisk in pumpkin puree and cook for 1 minute. If gelatin has set, microwave it for about 30 seconds. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in gelatin, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Add mascarpone and whisk until blended.
4) Place orange liqueur in a custard cup. Add reserved 1 tablespoon sugar and microwave at high power for 10 seconds, or until sugar is dissolved.
5) Crush 3 whole graham crackers into crumbs and set aside. Place one-third of remaining graham crackers in bottom of a 10 x 10-inch or an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Lightly brush them with orange liqueur and top with one-third of pumpkin custard. Repeat layering of crackers, liqueur and custard two more times, ending with a top layer of custard. Sprinkle reserved crushed graham crackers on top of custard. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of cake and freeze overnight. Transfer cake to refrigerator about 6 hours before serving. When ready to proceed, remove cake from refrigerator and cut into squares. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

Cook's Note: Cake can be made and frozen for up to 1 week before serving.

One Year Ago Today: Curried Butternut Squash

Two Years Ago Today: Farfalle with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Three Years Ago Today: Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Bob's Blueberry Blintzes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When the Silver Fox and I first had children, we agreed not to call each other Mom or Dad. Father's Day was always a celebration planned and executed by the kids and that worked wonderfully well until we all scattered across the country. Now, while there are still telephone calls and silly cards, the celebration has become very low key. I've taken to preparing one or two of his favorite dishes to make the day a bit more special, but that is usually the extent of the celebration here. His request this year was for blueberry blintzes and Korean barbecue chicken. I want to share both recipes with you, but we'll only touch on one tonight. I'm not usually fond of my own recipes, but this one is special and it is an exception. I love it for lots of reasons. While it requires some effort to prepare, it is a great way to feed a crowd. The recipe can be doubled or tripled if you are so inclined, and it is a marvelous addition to a brunch buffet or special breakfast. There are three basic steps to the blintzes and they can be executed in stages that make the dish quite easy to prepare. The most difficult is the preparation of the crepes. If that is off-putting to you, buy crepes in the supermarket and carry on with the rest of the recipe. If you plan to make them, remember that your batter should be about as thick as heavy cream. Additional water or flour can be added to reach that consistency if needs be. If you want tender crepes, let the batter sit for at least two hours before cooking. The resting time allows the flour to absorb the liquid and the foam to dissipate. Cover and refrigerate the batter if it is to sit for longer than 1 hour. The filling and the blueberry sauce are really easy to do and you'll have no problem with either of them. The sauce used in this recipe is exceptional and it still makes my socks go up and down. I know those of you who try this recipe will be delighted with the result. Here's how the blintzes are made.

Blueberry Blintzes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
Ingredients:

Crepes

1-1/2 cups 2% milk
3 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling

1 cup (8 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
1 package (3 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blueberry Sauce

1 cup water
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
2 cups frozen unsweetened mixed berries
1/2 cup port wine or grape juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups fresh or frozen thawed blueberries

Directions:
1) To make crepes: Combine milk, eggs and butter in a small bowl. Combine flour and
salt and add to milk mixture. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Heat a lightly greased 8-inch nonstick skillet. Pour 3 tablespoons of batter into center of skillet and lift and tilt pan to evenly coat bottom of pan. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter. When cool, stack crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate.
2) To make filling: Process cottage cheese in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and add mascarpone cheese. Beat until smooth. Beat in sugar, orange zest and vanilla.
3) To make sauce: Bring water and sugar to a boil. Add frozen berries and wine or juice; return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Mash and strain berries, reserving juice. Return juice to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until mixture is reduced to 1 cup. Combine cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and mix until smooth. Stir into blueberry sauce and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Fold in berries. Set aside.
4) To assemble and cook: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread about 1 rounded tablespoonful onto each crepe. Fold left side of crepe over filling. Fold bottom side up and top side down to encase filling. Finally, bring right side of crepe to center, forming a small package. Place seam side down in a greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Bake for about 10 minute, or until heated through.
5) To serve: Place 2 warm blintzes on each of 8 dessert plates. Top with warm blueberry sauce and serve. Yield: 8 servings.
 
This post is being  linked to Stone Gable's On the Menu Monday feature.







One Year Ago Today: Linguine with Peas, Garlic and Ricotta Salata















Two Years Ago Today: Southwestern Cilantro Rice Salad
















Three Years Ago Today: Ultimate Cheater's Pulled Pork

Roasted Strawberries-and-Cream Cheesecake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Left to my own devices this cake never would have happened, but the Silver Fox made a request that I couldn't refuse. He loves cheesecake and was taken with the notion of one made with roasted strawberries. He had seen the cake on Martha Stewart's site and ask me to try it. He rarely makes such specific requests and I felt duty bound to give it a try. I must also admit to some curiosity about the combination of roasted strawberries with cream cheese, and that, coupled with this picture from her site, completely hooked me. So? Let me begin by saying this is a nice cake, and those of you who enjoy cheesecake should consider giving it a try. The deeper flavor of the roasted strawberries certainly makes the cake interesting and worth a one-shot, if nothing more. The cake is not without problems. Fortunately, they can be overcome with a little patience and some common sense. My cake needed a full 70 minutes of baking to barely set and, by that time, the surface of the lovely creamy layer had turned a decidedly beige hue. I was still not convinced it was done enough to hold together when released from the pan, so I let in stay in the oven, heat off, until it cooled. Fortunately that, plus a full 24 hours in the refrigerator, did the trick. Strawberries-and-beige lacks the panache of strawberries-and-cream, so I put a glaze on the top of my finished cake to hide a less than stellar color. If I make this again, I'll opt for a sour cream topping rather than the glaze, which I think, in retrospect, provides too much contrast with the muddy pink of the strawberry layer . While the cake gains flavor the longer it sits, I would also add some strawberry extract to boost its taste next time around. That of course begs the question. Would I make the cake again? Probably not. I'm glad I tried it, but there are lots of cheesecakes out there that I prefer. Here's the recipe for those of you I haven't scared away.

Roasted Strawberries-and-Cream Cheesecake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Ingredients:
1 pound strawberries, hulled
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup finely ground graham crackers (about 4 sheets)
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 pound plus 13 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place strawberries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with corn syrup, and toss gently to coat. Bake until syrup thickens and strawberries turn deep red and shrink slightly, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer strawberries and syrup to a medium bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Let cool completely.
2) Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the melted butter in a small bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan to make an even layer. Bake until crust is firm to the touch and has just darkened, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let crust cool completely.
3) Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Put cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, then gradually add remaining cup sugar and the salt. Scrape down sides of bowl; add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl, and mix in vanilla bean seeds and mascarpone until very creamy and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes. (Reserve vanilla bean for another use.)
4) Transfer 5 cups cream cheese mixture to bowl with mashed strawberries; stir to combine. Pour strawberry-cream cheese mixture on top of crust; smooth with an offset spatula. Carefully spoon dollops of plain cream cheese mixture on top, smoothing with an offset spatula.
5) Wrap the exterior of the springform pan in 2 layers of foil; set in a large roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with boiling water until water reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake cheesecake until set, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath, and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours (up to overnight). Yield: 8 to 10 servings.






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Two Years Ago Today: Circassian Chicken - Cerkez Tavugu







You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lemonade Cheesecake - Pennies on a Platter
Orange Ricotta Cheesecake - Ciao Chow Linda
Nigella's Chocolate Cheesecake - Bless Us O Lord
Apricot Cheesecake Bars - Culinary in the Country
Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cheesescake - Amanda's Cookin'
Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake - Andrea Meyers
Key Lime Cheesecake - The Culinary Chronicles
White Chocolate Cheesecake - Kitchen Unplugged
Mascarpone Cheesecake and Hiking Fun - Baking Powders
Blackberry Cheesecake - Avocado Pesto


This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Yogurt Cheese Cake

Cheesecake is a sometimes treat in our home. We love it but can't justify the calories that it packs. It's my youngest daughters favorite dessert, so I did a test run of a new lower-fat version last evening. The recipe was developed by Gina De Palma and it comes from her book "Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen." Her cake caught my eye because it uses Greek yogurt and mascarpone instead of cream cheese. Both products are available in low-fat versions, so I thought I'd give her recipe a try. I was able to get low-fat Greek yogurt at Trader Joe's and a local grocery store had reduced-fat mascarpone. I decided to use a square springform pan. It's shape makes it possible to cut the cake into smaller pieces and I wanted to get 12 slices from the finished cake. Before I go any further, I must tell you that this is a delicious confection, but there are buts . The cake is less firm than a standard cheesecake. It actually jiggles. I had to cook it longer than the recipe suggested to assure the center of the cake was actually done. Plan to make the cake the day before you want to serve it. Because it was soft and I wanted reasonably clean slices, I froze the cake before slicing. That added more time to my game plan. Would I make it again? Absolutely. I love the texture and flavor of the cake. I plan to do another test run. I want to make the cake in individual custard cups. I know there are petite cheesecake pans, but the portion size is larger than I want to serve. The cake has a gorgeous yellow glow and it looks spectacular with fresh berries strewn around it. I hope you'll try this.

Yogurt Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
3/4 cup sugar + more to dust the pan
3 cups low-fat Greek yogurt
1-1/2 cups reduced-fat mascarpone or reduced-fat cream cheese
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
3 large eggs
6 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:
1) One day before serving, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bring a kettle of water to a boil. Grease a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle pan with sugar, tapping out excess. Wrap outside of pan with foil to prevent water from seeping into the cake. Place springform in a large roasting pan. Set aside.
2) Place yogurt, mascarpone, sugar, and confectioners' sugar in bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add salt and vanilla. Beat in whole eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, scraping bowl as necessary. Pour batter into springform. Carefully fill roasting pan with enough hot water to rise halfway up sides of the springform. Tent pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate pan and bake for 20 minutes more. Remove foil and continue baking until cake is puffed but not cracked, jiggly but not liquid in center, about 25 to 35 minutes more.
3) Turn off oven. Open door and cool cake in roasting pan until water is lukewarm, then remove and cool an a rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove sides from springform just before serving. Yield: 12 servings.