Tag: desserts

Easy Chocolate Mousse

I started making this easy chocolate mousse recipe when I was 14 or so. It’s now (cough, ahem, mumble) years later, and I’m still doing it.
The original recipe came from Seventeen magazine. It was so easy that I made it for my friends (even hosted a party) and served it to my parents.

This is still remembered today as the infamous, “Jodi, you make dinner tonight episode:” all my favorites — fettucine alfredo and chocolate mousse. 

I’ve now learned to make much more complicated desserts (chocolate and otherwise), but this easy recipe is still a big favorite.

The recipe is so easy, a kid can make it. You don’t have to separate eggs, or follow lots of complicated instructions. There are only 5 ingredients: a chocolate bar, heavy cream, water, vanilla, and an egg.

If you can boil water, you can make this chocolate mousse. The only tools you need are a blender, a measuring cup, a measuring spoon, and a spatula.

This page (which was originally on Squidoo) has the original recipe, along with several delicious variations. Scroll down to find the one you want.




Easy Chocolate Mousse Substitutions and Variations

  • Use a dark chocolate bar (like 70%) for an extra chocolate boost.
  • Freeze the mousse. It comes out like chocolate fudge ice cream.
  • Add raspberries or strawberries on top. If you freeze those too, they get even sweeter.
  • Garnish with shaved chocolate or chocolate sprinkles.
  • Serve layered in parfait glasses with whipped cream in-between.
  • Make it with coffee instead of water.
  • A splash of Kahlua or Amaretto might be fun too!

Get the Right Ingredients

Green&Black 70% chocolate

Green & Black’s 70% Organic Chocolate Bars

Make your mousse extra special with Green & Black’s extra dark chocolate. It’s smooth, intense, and super-chocolatey. Use it in this recipe, or just eat one or two squares right out of the package. And, all that dark chocolate is actually good for you.

vanilla extract

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas 8-oz. Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract

This vanilla from Nielsen-Massey is real vanilla. It costs more than standard vanilla because the plants are pollinated by hand. It takes 9 months for the beans to mature. After that, the beans must be immersed in an alcohol solution to eventually produce vanilla extract.

The fake stuff is cheaper. Want to know why? It’s because it’s made by soaking wood in alcohol. Who wants to eat wood?

More Chocolate Dessert Recipes

small batch brownies cocoa powderSmall Batch Brownies with Cocoa Powder

Rich, gooey brownies made with cocoa powder instead of chocolate. No melting needed, and no double boiler. Just right for one person.

 

greek yogurt chocolate cakeGreek Yogurt Chocolate Cake

Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. The cake is chocolate, there’s chocolate chunks inside, and it’s got a chocolate ganache glaze on top.

 

single serving double dark chocolate pudding recipeSingle Serving Double Dark Chocolate Pudding Recipe

Exactly one serving of chocolate pudding. When you want a treat and don’t want to worry about leftovers.

 

chocolate banana bread

Mini Chocolate Banana Bread

Take banana bread to the next level by adding chocolate.  It’s rich, delicious, and not too sweet.

 




Cinnamon Sugar Bananas with Brandy

I first saw a cinnamon sugar banana recipe similar to this being passed around on Pinterest.  My initial thought was that the combination sounded delicious.

When I took a closer look, it had bananas, cinnamon, sugar, and olive oil spray?! Huh? Sorry, but they lost me there.  However the rest of it sounded good, so I decided to put my own spin on it.

First thing I did was to ditch the olive oil spray and replace it with butter.  I didn’t use a lot, only one teaspoon.  Next I thought a bit of brandy would add flavor and punch, and since I had a tiny bit left I added that too.

I usually buy a bottle of inexpensive brandy for this sort of thing, no sense using something expensive if it’s not necessary. On the other hand, if all you have is top shelf liquor, you won’t need much, so you don’t have to feel guilty about it.  And, it will likely taste even better.

So, a little butter, some cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, the banana, brandy, and just a touch of sugar and I had a delicious, easy dessert for one.

It was so good, I wanted to eat it again!

 




Cinnamon Sugar Bananas Variations

  • top your bananas with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
  • use dark rum instead of brandy
  • drizzle the bananas with a bit of chocolate syrup

More Banana Recipes

chocolate banana breadMini Chocolate Banana Bread

Ordinary banana bread is good. But why not add chocolate and make it even better.  Scaled perfectly for one person.

 

strawberry banana yogurt popsicles plateStrawberry Banana Yogurt Popsicles

When the summer heat hits, popsicles are the perfect sweet treat. Sweet, icy cold, and refreshing!

 

banana smoothie for oneBanana Smoothie Recipe for One

A banana, some nutmeg, and cinnamon, swirl it around and you’ve got a refreshing snack. Great with a salad for a light meal.

 




The World’s Best Cheesecake Recipe

The Best Cheesecake Recipe

My mom got this recipe for New York cheesecake from a family friend in the cream cheese business. It’s a home kitchen version of the original Lindy’s cheesecake — which has been a New York institution since 1921.

In fact, Lindy’s (along with Junior’s) made New York cheesecake famous. It’s got sour cream, cream cheese, and heavy cream, so it’s very rich and very creamy. Everyone who has tried it (friends, family, co-workers) says it’s the best cheesecake they ever had! When my brother got married, this recipe was the first one his wife asked for.

A few years ago, when I was visiting my friend Betsy, she served me cheesecake for breakfast. It was the best breakfast ever!

I had originally posted this recipe on Squidoo, but now that Squidoo is gone and I have my own blog, I have republished it here.




Use a Kitchenaid Mixer!

This cheesecake is thick and rich. You’ll need a Kitchenaid mixer or other powerful mixer to make it. A low-powered or hand-held mixer won’t work.

Kitchenaid mixer

KitchenAid Five Quart Stand Mixer 

The reason this mixer works so well is because it has dual spinning action (planetary motion), which means it spins both on the beater’s axis, and around the bowl.  That means it mixes faster and you get more mixing power than ordinary mixers.  You also don’t have to keep scraping down the sides of the bowl. You spend less time mixing and more time enjoying your cheesecake.

Some poor fellow tried to make this recipe by hand. It took him two days to mix it! I bet his arm was awfully sore.

Cuisinart springform pan
Cuisinart springform pan
Perfect for cheesecake. It’s extra thick to distribute heat evenly, so your cheesecake will cook properly.  And since it’s non-stick your food will come out of the pan easily. Easy to clean too.

Best Cheesecake Recipe Toppings

You can eat your cheesecake plain, garnish it with fresh berries, or go all out and make a topping.

Blueberry Cheesecake Topping

1/2 C sugar
3 T cornstarch
1 pint fresh blueberries (or use frozen)
2 T lemon juice
1 T butter.
Combine everything except the butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it gets thick. Add the butter and let cool.

Raspberry Topping

2 C raspberries
1 C sugar
1 T cornstarch
Combine berries, sugar, and some water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. In a separate, small bowl, mix the cornstarch and a little water. Add to the berry mixture. Cook, stirring, for five minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Temperature control is critical when baking cheesecake. Too high, and your cake will be hard and dry, more likely to weep (pull out all the moisture) or crack; too low and it will fall apart. Get this thermometer to check your oven and make sure your cheesecake comes out perfect!

Chocolate Ganache Cheesecake Topping

1 C heavy cream
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
Melt chocolate and cream over very low heat (or use a double boiler). Stir constantly until smooth and thick. Pour it over a chilled cheesecake. Spread quickly before it hardens. Once the cake is covered with chocolate, return to the fridge to set. Keep any leftover ganache in the refrigerator, covered. If you want to reuse it, reheat it gently.

Strawberry Topping

1 pint strawberries
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Chop the strawberries. Set aside about 1/3. Add the remaining berries to a saucepan with the sugar and vanilla. Cook over medium high heat. Stir occasionally, until it thickens. Puree the mixture with an immersion blender (or use a regular blender). Then add the uncooked berries, and serve over your cake.




(Topping recipes adapted from Baking 911)

Cheesecake Baking Tips

Keep the oven door closed and it shouldn’t crack.
Cheesecake keeps well in the fridge and freezer.
Make it ahead and defrost when you need it.

 A Note on Measurements

For anyone confused about the measurements (why 1/2 pint instead of 1 cup), it’s because pints and cups are different depending on whether it’s a liquid or solid volume of measure (yeah, it’s confusing), so a half pint of sour cream is not the same quantity as a 1/2 pint of heavy cream.

It’s also easier to measure that way, since the heavy cream comes in half pints and the sour cream comes in pints (just pour the entire container of cream, or half the container of sour cream, into the mixture).

If you don’t have sour cream where you live, you can use crema salvadorena instead.

Cheesecake Cookbooks

Passion for Baking

Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes of New York-Style Cheesecake

After Lindy’s, there’s Junior’s, born in Brooklyn, and now famous worldwide. This cookbook has recipes for all of Junior’s best-selling varieties, from Strawberry Swirl to Cappuccino to Peanut Butter and Jelly!

125 Best Cheesecake REcipes

125 Best Cheesecake Recipes

Become the king or queen of cheesecake with the recipes from this book. One reader on Amazon said her cakes used to come out burned or grainy, but now, they’re perfect every time.

A Passion for Baking

A Passion for Baking: Bake to celebrate, Bake to nourish, Bake for fun

Marcy Goldman’s book on everything from cheesecake to muffins and cookies. Who could resist a recipe with a name like Chocolate Eruption Cheesecake?

Cook's Illustrated Baking

The Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book

This guide to all things baking tells you not only what to do, but why. For example, it explains how the temperature of your ingredients can affect the final result (particularly important in baking), and when to use different fats (oil, butter, shortening). Each step is easy to understand and follow, whether you’re a beginner or an expert.

More Ways to Use Your Kitchenaid

fresh pasta
Image thanks to Mack Male via Flickr cc 2.0 sa

Kitchenaid Pasta Recipes

There’s just nothing like making your own fresh pasta. It’s more tender than the dried version, and cooks much faster too.  It’s ideal for creamy or buttery sauces. Use it for alfredo, but skip the bolognese.

kitchenaid homemade breadKitchenaid Bread Recipes

The smell of freshly baking bread is enough to make anyone immediately hungry (even if you just ate). And, you don’t even need special tools.  Just use the beater (and/or the dough hook) packed with your mixer.  Instructions for baguettes, whole wheat, potato, challah, and more at the link.

bowl of ice cream
image thanks to JessicaFM

Kitchenaid Ice Cream Recipes 

Commercial ice cream is easy to buy, but it also tends to have fillers and thickeners (to keep the costs down). But, if you make your own, you don’t have to wonder exactly what’s in your ice cream. You’ll know, because you did it yourself. And you can make the exact flavor you want (like oreo, or double ginger).

Kitchenaid Mixer

How to Use Your Kitchenaid Mixer and Attachments

Just got your Kitchenaid, and not sure how to use it? This page will show you exactly what do to to make sausage, grind meat, bake cookies, and puree or shred your own veggies.