by Martha on August 27, 2009
Chocolate mousse is a classic dessert that has retained its popularity through the decades. Food fads come and go but you can always count on the classics to be there for you.
There’s a reason chocolate mousse is a classic. It has a lot going for it!
Chocolate mousse is a rich and elegant dessert that is simple to make, tastes delicious, and can be prepared a day ahead, making it perfect for when having people over. And it doesn’t call for any exotic ingredients - just chocolate, butter, vanilla, eggs, sugar, and cream.
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by Martha on July 22, 2009
When you don’t have the time, ingredients, and/or inclination to make brownies from scratch which brownie mix should you choose?
Several months ago the folks at Cook’s Illustrated
published results of their official tasting to determine which boxed brownie mix produces the best brownies. They compared seven boxed brownie mixes to determine their winner.
I thought it would be fun to have a boxed brownie tasting of our own. When I was with my extended family over the holidays, I enlisted their help. Since there were only nine of us, we limited our tasting to 3 of the top Cook’s Illustrated rated brownie mixes.
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by Martha on July 21, 2009
Soft and Chewy Cookies
“Why aren’t my cookies soft and chewy?” is a question I hear a lot.
When you prefer soft and chewy cookies, it can be disappointing when they turn out hard and crispy.
Here are 5 simple tips to help make sure your homemade cookies turn out soft and chewy every time:
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by Martha on July 20, 2009
Maple Cranberry Crunch Cereal Bars
No bake cookies are the ultimate quick and easy cookies that are sure to please. They are perfect for busy home cooks who love to make homemade cookies but are short on time. There are so many reasons to love them. No bake cookies:
- Are quick and easy, stirring together in just a few minutes
- Require just a few ingredients
- Don’t require an oven or special equipment
- Are a great way to introduce kids to the joys of cookie making
There are many no bake cookie recipes to choose from, both old and new, in a variety of flavors and styles from light and fruity to rich and decadent. I’ve been having fun recently re-connecting with many of my favorite no bake cookies from the past and making some new discoveries.
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by Martha on July 9, 2009
No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
No bake cookies, such as these no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, are on my list of favorite things for lots of reasons.
First, no bake cookies are delicious. (I try to avoid going to the trouble of making something that doesn’t taste delicious. It’s part of my lazy nature.)
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by Martha on June 22, 2009
Chunky Chocolate Cookies
I love cookies, all kinds of cookies, and have a huge collection of cookie recipes that I’m busily working to publish on my website, Best Ever Cookie Collection.
I’m a fan of delicious easy recipes. It seems that the older I get the less patience I have for time consuming complicated recipes. Making homemade cookies is a lot easier than most other homemade baked treats. Cookies are perfect for sharing too, which is important when you have a small family like I do.
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by Martha on June 18, 2009
Take an easy recipe for homemade cheesecake bars and embellish it with a jar of blueberry jam and fresh blueberries and what do you get? A great blueberry cheesecake dessert!
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by Martha on June 16, 2009
Here’s another great idea for taking something really easy - a box of brownie mix - and dressing it up to make it special. These are brownies that I cut with round cutter and then topped with ganache and a fresh raspberry.
Ganache is one of those things that sounds complicated but is really simple. It’s just a combination of hot cream and chocolate stirred together until smooth and shiny. Sometimes a little butter is added for extra shininess.
Talk about transforming a plain pan of brownies into an impressive dessert! I got the idea from Betty Crocker, when I wanted a nice dessert to take to my friend Nancy, who invited us for dinner.
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by Martha on June 15, 2009
What do you get when you cross chocolate chip cookie dough with chocolate brownie batter? Cookie Dough Brownies.
I’ve seen recipes for from scratch chocolate chip cookie dough brownies in various cookbooks and on internet recipe sites. While they sounded good, they also seemed like quite a bit of work. It’s the kind of thing I would have thought nothing of making back in my 20s or 30s. These days I’m on the lookout for delicious shortcut recipes that take less time and effort but still taste great.
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by Martha on May 18, 2009
I know this may sound like sacrilege, but I think I prefer blonde brownies over chocolate ones. Don’t get me wrong - I love chocolate and would never turn down a delicious fudgy homemade brownie. It’s just that I prefer the butterscotchy goodness of blonde brownies more.
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