Overnight Bagels

Last Updated August 18, 2024

Bagels. Who doesn’t love them? Especially toasted with cream cheese or butter melting on top. Everyone has their favorite bagel, where to get them and how to eat them, whether that’s the chewy and dense boiled variety or the slightly lighter and more modern steamed versions, plain or everything, toasted with cream cheese, eaten plain, or eaten as a sandwich.

One of my favorite bagel memories is from New York City where I spent two summers training with the American Ballet Theatre when I was a teenager. On the weekends my mom and I would go on adventures exploring the city, usually walking an average of 15 miles a day and thus needing sustenance. I remember particularly well one morning passing a bagel shop and a few minutes later exiting with a freshly toasted bagel smothered in cream cheese and wrapped in tinfoil. So simple, so inexpensive, and I still think of that bagel as one of the best I’ve ever had. So I guess you could say I’m a NYC bagel girl, but to be fair, I don’t think I’ve had any (at least not-from-a-hotel-breakfast-bar bagels) in any of the major cities famed for bagels, such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, or Los Angeles. And I’ve been to all those cities! Too bad I didn’t know they had amazing bagels or I would’ve done a trial and comparison. Ah well, just have to go back I guess!

I am blogging this bagel recipe which involves an overnight ferment and boiling, because I think IT’S SO YUMMY. I’m not going to tout this recipe as the bagel recipe to end all bagel recipes, because frankly, I’m not into that kind of marketing and I believe there are other valid methods and types of bagel recipes out there. This recipe comes from Peter Reinhart’s book The Breadmaker’s Apprentice, and as he says, this is a bagel for the ages. And he knows what he’s talking about, so you should try this recipe. You can buy the cookbook by clinking on the link to the right!

The Bread Baker's Apprentice, 15th Anniversary Edition: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread [A Baking Book]

Don’t let the overnight ferment or multi-step process scare you, it’s really quite fun and not nearly as tricky as I had always imagined making bagels to be. You will need to clear some space in your fridge and in your schedule, but if I can do it in my tiny Italian kitchen with my tiny toaster-sized oven, so can you, wherever you are baking! I recommend reading the recipe through once or twice before making a game plan. (As you should with every recipe!)

What follows is a slightly modified version of Peter Reinhart’s recipe. The ingredients are basically identical but the instructions I have rewritten in my own words and in places slightly changed or modified to accommodate tips and tricks that worked really well for me and might work for you, too!

parmesan, sesame, and everything bagels

Side note if you need bagels TODAY: While this recipe is called “Overnight Bagels”, it can also be made without the overnight ferment. I do recommend the overnight ferment for flavor and just because it’s nice to split up the multiple steps of bagel making, however…we might not always have the patience to wait that long for fresh, hot, chewy bagels…this has definitely happened to me during this 2020 quarantine. I wanted bagels today! Not tomorrow! And I hadn’t planned ahead.
So, instead of an overnight ferment, once the bagels are shaped, let them rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until noticeably swelled. Keep any eye on them as you don’t want them to overaise. This can cause them to deflate when they are boiled. Proceed with recipe as normal.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Overnight Bagels

Makes 12 big or 24 small bagels

Ingredients:

For the Sponge

• 1 tsp / 3g instant yeast

• 4 cups / 510g bread flour

• 2 1/2 cups / 567g water

For the Dough

• 1/2 tsp / 1.5g instant yeast

• 3 3/4 cups / 482g bread flour

• 2 3/4 tsp / 20g salt

• 2 tsp / 9.5g malt powder OR flavoring of choice: 1 Tbsp / 14g dark or light malt syrup, honey, or dark or light brown sugar

For Boiling the Bagels

• 1 Tbsp / 14g baking soda, optional, or malt syrup or honey

• a large pot of water, the wider the pot the better

• cornmeal or semolina, for dusting

Toppings, any or all of the following

• sesame seeds

• poppy seeds

• salt flakes

• rehydrated minced garlic

• rehydrated minced onion

• parmesan cheese

Directions:

DAY 1

Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and grease well.

Make the Sponge

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl, stir yeast into flour. Add water and stir just until a sticky dough has formed, similar to pancake batter.

2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until very bubbly and active. It should be about twice the size and collapse when bowl is tapped on countertop.

Make the Dough

Before kneading

Windowpane test (which is much easier to do with two hands and not one holding a camera trying to take a photo)

After kneading

1. Once sponge is ready, add next measurement of yeast and mix on low speed with dough hook or by hand with a spoon. Next, add 3 cups / 383g of the next measurement of flour, salt, and malt powder / flavoring of choice. Stir on low speed for about 3 minutes, or with a spoon until a mostly homogeneous ball is formed. Slowly add remaining 3/4 cup / 99g flour to stiffen dough a bit.

   Knead dough on medium-low speed for about 6 minutes or turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes. Dough should be smooth and firm yet pliable, not sticky, with all flour worked in. If it seems too dry or there is excess flour throughout, add a few drops of water until desired consistency is reached. Likewise if it’s too sticky, add in a bit of flour until correct stiffness is reached. At this point the dough should pass the windowpane test. (Stretch a small piece of dough between your thumbs and forefingers; if enough gluten has developed through kneading the dough should stretch thin where you can see light coming through. If it breaks before you can stretch it thin, knead another few minutes and try again.)

Weigh and Shape Dough

1. Weigh dough and divide weight by the number of bagels you wish to make: If making mini bagels, divide weight by 24; if making regular bagels, divide weight by 12. This will give the goal weight for each dough ball you are about to make. For example, the weight of my dough the last time I made these was 1,566g. 1,566g divided by 12 for regular bagels = about 130g each. Or, 1,566g divided by 24 for mini bagels = about 65g each.

2. Once you have a goal weight for the dough balls, divide dough in half, then keep dividing the halves and quarters until you have 12 or 24 dough chunks. Weigh each chunk and add or subtract a bit of dough until they are all within about 5g of the goal weight. Roll each dough chunk under your palm with a cupped hand in a circular motion, guiding with outer edge of your palm, until you have a nice ball. It works best to roll them on a surface with little to no flour. This way the dough sticks slightly to the surface as you move in a circular motion and pulls and creates surface tension.

3. Place dough balls on a lightly floured surface and cover with a damp towel. Allow to rest for approximately 20 minutes.

4. Shape each dough ball into bagel form by poking your thumb through the center of the ball and rotating your thumb around the inside of the hole or lassoing it a few times around your thumb, until the hole is about 2 1/2 in / 6 cm for regular bagels or 1 1/2 in / 4 cm for mini. Aim to stretch the bagel as evenly as possible, avoiding a thick and thin side so you won’t end up with lopsided bagels. Alternately, you can roll the doll ball into an 8 in / 20 cm long rope, wrap it around your knuckles with the seam on the under side, then rock the seam on the counter until sealed.

5. Place shaped bagels onto greased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Mist with spray oil or rub on oil, then slip each sheet into a clean, food-grade plastic bag or cover with plastic wrap.

6. Place bagels in fridge to rise overnight. They are best if used the next day, but can be kept up to three days in the fridge.

DAY 2

Boil the Bagels

Shaped Bagels

Boiling the Bagels

1. Test to see if bagels are ready to be boiled by removing one carefully from fridge and placing in a bowl of cool or tepid water. If bagel floats within 10 seconds, it’s ready. Immediately return bagel to covered baking sheet in fridge while you ready the water.

2. If bagel does not float within 10 seconds, either return it to the fridge and repeat float test every couple hours until bagels are ready, or remove both sheets of bagels from fridge and let raise at room temperature, repeating float test every 10 to 20 minutes until a bagel passes. Return them to the fridge once they are ready so they don’t over-rise. The stiffness of the dough, your house temperature, and your fridge temperature will all impact when the bagels are ready to be boiled.

3. If your bagels have over-risen (you can tell if they collapse when you gently handle them or if they overly deflate when boiled) or they have stuck to the pan, transfer them as carefully as you can to another better-oiled parchment lined baking sheet. Let rise at room temperature for another 15-20 minutes or until they pass float test again. Return them to the fridge once they are ready.

4. When bagels are just about ready, place the large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil, then add baking soda, if using. Have a skimmer or slotted spoon ready nearby. Preheat oven to 500°F / 260°C and place two racks in the middle of the oven.

5. Remove one sheet of bagels from fridge and gently slide 3-4 into boiling water, or however many can fit comfortably side to side. Boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute on one side, then flip each bagel and boil for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Bagels boiled for 1 minute on each side will be chewier than those boiled for only 30 seconds on each side.

6. While bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment lined baking sheet with cornmeal or semolina.

7. When it’s time to remove bagels, use the slotted spoon and place them back on the baking sheet now sprinkled with cornmeal. Add toppings immediately while the bagels are still wet. Repeat with second sheet of bagels.

Bake the Bagels

1. Place both baking sheets of bagels in the preheated oven. Bake for 7 minutes, then switch the pans on the racks and rotate each 180 degrees to bake the bagels as evenly as possible.

2. After you switch and rotate, lower oven temperature to 450°F / 232°C and bake for another 7-8 minutes, or until light golden brown.

3. Remove from oven and allow bagels to cool for 15 minutes before devouring.
   

Jenny’s Notes:

• To keep scale clean while weighing dough, place the now-empty bowl (no need to clean it) and press tare. You can also use a piece of plastic wrap over the scale and tare if needed.

• I love lassoing the bagels while shaping them! Fast, fun, and effective. Not as big a fan of the rope and seal version, I thought it took longer and the finishing ring was not as symmetrical. Try out both versions to find which works best for you!

• I found it best to make the dough in the evening and boil and bake the bagels in the morning or they over-rose, but I believe this is mostly due to my not-cold-enough fridge. If you have a cold and well functioning fridge, you should be fine to make and bake the bagels at your leisure!

• Chewy bagels are my favorite, and thus I boil bagels for the full minute on each side. I have found, though, that beyond 1 minute on each side can cause the outside of the bagels to cook too much. This means when they are baked this outer baked “shell” doesn’t allow the bagels to reach their full rise and may result in flatter bagels.

• When baking the bagels, know your oven. If you have hot spots or a small oven, you can choose to bake one sheet of bagels at a time. Since my oven is small, I baked the first sheet of bagels while I was boiling the second sheet, and simply rotated the pan 180 degrees after the first 7 minutes.

Yield 12-24 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 H & 45 M

Cook time

15 Min

Inactive time

12 Hour

Total time

14 Hour

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Overnight Bagels

A recipe from Peter Reinhart's "The Breadmaker's Apprentice." The bagels get an overnight ferment leading to increased umami flavor and are boiled for optimal chewiness.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

For the Sponge

• 1 tsp / 3g instant yeast
• 4 cups / 510g bread flour
• 2 1/2 cups / 567g water

For the Dough

• 1/2 tsp / 1.5g instant yeast
• 3 3/4 cups / 482g bread flour
• 2 3/4 tsp / 20g salt
• 2 tsp / 9.5g malt powder OR flavoring of choice: 1 Tbsp / 14g dark or light malt syrup, honey, or dark or light brown sugar

For Boiling the Bagels

• 1 Tbsp / 14g baking soda, optional, or malt syrup or honey
• a large pot of water, the wider the pot the better
• cornmeal or semolina, for dusting

Toppings, any or all of the following

• sesame seeds
• poppy seeds
• salt flakes
• rehydrated minced garlic
• rehydrated minced onion
• parmesan cheese

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

DAY 1 Make the Sponge

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl, stir yeast into flour. Add water and stir just until a sticky dough has formed, similar to pancake batter.
2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until very bubbly and active. It should be about twice the size and collapse when bowl is tapped on countertop.

Make the Dough

1. Once sponge is ready, add next measurement of yeast and mix on low speed with dough hook or by hand with a spoon. Next, add 3 cups / 383g of the next measurement of flour, salt, and malt powder / flavoring of choice. Stir on low speed for about 3 minutes, or with a spoon until a mostly homogeneous ball is formed. Slowly add remaining 3/4 cup / 99g flour to stiffen dough a bit.
2. Knead dough on medium-low speed for about 6 minutes or turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes. Dough should be smooth and firm yet pliable, not sticky, with all flour worked in. If it seems too dry or there is excess flour throughout, add a few drops of water until desired consistency is reached. Likewise if it’s too sticky, add in a bit of flour until correct stiffness is reached. At this point the dough should pass the windowpane test. (Stretch a small piece of dough between your thumbs and forefingers; if enough gluten has developed through kneading the dough should stretch thin where you can see light coming through. If it breaks before you can stretch it thin, knead another few minutes and try again.)

Weigh and Shape Dough

1. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and grease well.
2. Weigh dough and divide weight by the number of bagels you wish to make: If making mini bagels, divide weight by 24; if making regular bagels, divide weight by 12. This will give the goal weight for each dough ball you are about to make. For example, the weight of my dough the last time I made these was 1,566g. 1,566g divided by 12 for regular bagels = about 130g each. Or, 1,566g divided by 24 for mini bagels = about 65g each.
3. Once you have a goal weight for the dough balls, divide dough in half, then keep dividing the halves and quarters until you have 12 or 24 dough chunks. Weigh each chunk and add or subtract a bit of dough until they are all within about 5g of the goal weight. Roll each dough chunk under your palm with a cupped hand in a circular motion, guiding with outer edge of your palm, until you have a nice ball. It works best to roll them on a surface with little to no flour. This way the dough sticks slightly to the surface as you move in a circular motion and pulls and creates surface tension.
4. Place dough balls on a lightly floured surface and cover with a damp towel. Allow to rest for approximately 20 minutes.
5. Shape each dough ball into bagel form by poking your thumb through the center of the ball and rotating your thumb around the inside of the hole or lassoing it a few times around your thumb, until the hole is about 2 1/2 in / 6 cm for regular bagels or 1 1/2 in / 4 cm for mini. Aim to stretch the bagel as evenly as possible, avoiding a thick and thin side so you won’t end up with lopsided bagels. Alternately, you can roll the doll ball into an 8 in / 20 cm long rope, wrap it around your knuckles with the seam on the under side, then rock the seam on the counter until sealed.
6. Place shaped bagels onto greased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Mist with spray oil or rub on oil, then slip each sheet into a clean, food-grade plastic bag or cover with plastic wrap.
7. Place bagels in fridge to rise overnight. They are best if used the next day, but can be kept up to three days in the fridge.

DAY 2 Boil the Bagels

1. Test to see if bagels are ready to be boiled by removing one carefully from fridge and placing in a bowl of cool or tepid water. If bagel floats within 10 seconds, it’s ready. Immediately return bagel to covered baking sheet in fridge while you ready the water.
2. If bagel does not float within 10 seconds, either return it to the fridge and repeat float test every couple hours until bagels are ready, or remove both sheets of bagels from fridge and let raise at room temperature, repeating float test every 10 to 20 minutes until a bagel passes. Return them to the fridge once they are ready so they don’t over-rise. The stiffness of the dough, your house temperature, and your fridge temperature will all impact when the bagels are ready to be boiled.
3. If your bagels have over-risen (you can tell if they collapse when you gently handle them or if they overly deflate when boiled) or they have stuck to the pan, transfer them as carefully as you can to another better-oiled parchment lined baking sheet. Let rise at room temperature for another 15-20 minutes or until they pass float test again. Return them to the fridge once they are ready.
4. When bagels are just about ready, place the large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil, then add baking soda, if using. Have a skimmer or slotted spoon ready nearby. Preheat oven to 500°F / 260°C and place two racks in the middle of the oven.
5. Remove one sheet of bagels from fridge and gently slide 3-4 into boiling water, or however many can fit comfortably side to side. Boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute on one side, then flip each bagel and boil for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Bagels boiled for 1 minute on each side will be chewier than those boiled for only 30 seconds on each side.
6. While bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment lined baking sheet with cornmeal or semolina.
7. When it’s time to remove bagels, use the slotted spoon and place them back on the baking sheet now sprinkled with cornmeal. Add toppings immediately while the bagels are still wet. Repeat with second sheet of bagels.

Bake the Bagels

1. Place both baking sheets of bagels in the preheated oven. Bake for 7 minutes, then switch the pans on the racks and rotate each 180 degrees to bake the bagels as evenly as possible.
2. After you switch and rotate, lower oven temperature to 450°F / 232°C and bake for another 7-8 minutes, or until light golden brown.
3. Remove from oven and allow bagels to cool for 15 minutes before devouring.

Notes

• To keep scale clean while weighing dough, place the now-empty bowl (no need to clean it) and press tare. You can also use a piece of plastic wrap over the scale and tare if needed.
• I love lassoing the bagels while shaping them! Fast, fun, and effective. Not as big a fan of the rope and seal version, I thought it took longer and the finishing ring was not as symmetrical. Try out both versions to find which works best for you!
• I found it best to make the dough in the evening and boil and bake the bagels in the morning or they over-rose, but I believe this is mostly due to my not-cold-enough fridge. If you have a cold and well functioning fridge, you should be fine to make and bake the bagels at your leisure!
• Chewy bagels are my favorite, and thus I boil bagels for the full minute on each side. I have found, though, that beyond 1 minute on each side can cause the outside of the bagels to cook too much. This means when they are baked this outer baked “shell” doesn’t allow the bagels to reach their full rise and may result in flatter bagels.
• When baking the bagels, know your oven. If you have hot spots or a small oven, you can choose to bake one sheet of bagels at a time. Since my oven is small, I baked the first sheet of bagels while I was boiling the second sheet, and simply rotated the pan 180 degrees after the first 7 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

303.74

Fat

1.50 g

Sat. Fat

0.22 g

Carbs

60.82 g

Fiber

2.14 g

Net carbs

58.68 g

Sugar

0.83 g

Protein

10.16 g

Sodium

1017.73 mg

Cholesterol

0.00 mg

Nutritional Info is Approximate. Based on 1 large bagel.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/4/25/overnight-bagels

bagel, overnight bagels, everything, parmesan, sesame, poppyseed

bread, breakfast, brunch

Jewish-American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

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Triple Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

Last Updated August 17, 2024

After more than two years in Italy, I have finally made a cheesecake.

Proof that you don’t need a springform pan to bake a cheesecake

Cheesecakes are not hard to make, but the baking is important, probably the most important part, and can be tricky. Cheesecakes are usually baked at a slightly lower temperature, usually around 325°F, and just until the sides are set but the center is still jiggly. If the center sets, the cheesecake is over done, but if the center is too jiggly, then your cheesecake won’t set up in the fridge and you’ll end up with soup when you cut into it. You don’t want the cheesecake to crack, and some recipes will tell you to add a bain-marie (a hot water bath) to the oven to keep the atmosphere humid or to crack the oven door after you’ve turned it off so your cheesecake won’t cool down too quickly and yes, crack.

So when you live in Italy with strange ovens, you think twice before baking things when you can’t perfectly control the heat in your oven or where the heat is coming from. IF you’re able to tell the temperature of your oven at all. (I’m thinking of you, my oven two apartments ago. I DO NOT miss you!) Or if your oven is small and cooks things a lot quicker. Add on top of that the cream cheese here, “formaggio fresco” or literally translated fresh cheese, is…different. I’m not even sure what it is, it tastes similar to cream cheese in the States, but when you whip it it doesn’t become soupy like the American stuff, it becomes super creamy. Sometimes I think the American stuff is stickier too, maybe? Philadelphia brand is very popular here, and you can also get grocery store generic brand. But the cheesecakes I’ve eaten in restaurants or pastry shops? Always weird. They taste and look more like semi-freddo or a mousse. I therefore assumed when I made a cheesecake it would be weird like the other ones I’ve eaten here. So I never made one.

Along came Easter and I wanted to make a cheesecake. I didn’t even have a springform pan but found that pie dishes work pretty great as substitutes. And you know what? The cheesecake turned out delicious and not weird. And my husband and colleagues liked it so well I made the same one again and bought a springform pan. And if you know me, you know I rarely bake the same thing twice in a row, unless I’m perfecting a new recipe. I’m always on to the next recipe. But this recipe asked to be made again. And so I did. And now you can make it, too, weird cream cheese or normal cream cheese!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from omgchocolatedesserts

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Triple Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

Serves about 12

Ingredients:

For the Oreo Crust

Crushing Oreos the old-fashioned way…

• 24 Oreos

• 1/4 cup / 56g butter, melted

For the Filling

• 7.5 oz / 225g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks

• 24 oz (3 8 oz packages) / 675g cream cheese, room temperature

• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp / 125g granulated sugar

• 2 Tbsp / 14 g cocoa powder

• 3 eggs

For the Ganache Topping

• 3/4 cup / 175g heavy whipping cream

• 6 oz / 180g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C. Grease an 8in - 9in / 20cm - 24cm springform pan.

Make the Oreo Crust

1. Crush Oreos in a food processor or with a rolling pin.

2. If using a food processor, pulse in melted butter until crumbs are evenly moistened. If crushing Oreos by hand, transfer to a bowl and stir in butter.

3. Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared springform pan and bake for 8 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare filling.

Spreading cream cheese mixture over baked crust

Make the Filling

1. In a double boiler or pan over low heat, melt chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when there are still small chunks of chocolate, and continue to stir until completely melted. This way the chocolate won’t overheat or burn. Let chocolate cool.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Changing to low speed, carefully beat in cocoa powder so that it doesn’t “poof” everywhere. Every so often stop beating and scrape down the sides of the bowl well.

3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth.

4. Beat in melted and cooled chocolate.

5. Pour mixture over crust, smoothing the top.

6. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, or until center is still slightly wiggly and the top looks dry.

7. Turn oven off and crack open the door for about 10 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and place in fridge until completely cooled, 8 hours or overnight.

Make the Ganache Topping

1. In a small pan place heavy cream and chocolate over low heat. Stir constantly until mixture is smooth and melted. Allow to cool slightly.

2. Remove cheesecake from fridge and pour ganache evenly over top. Allow to set before running a dull knife around edge of cheesecake and releasing from springform pan. Alternately, if you don’t need to transport the cheesecake anywhere, you can remove the ring of the springform first and then pour the ganache over, using a spoon to guide the ganache toward the edges and allowing some to dribble down the sides.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Not a dark chocolate fan? Try it out with milk chocolate or a mixture of milk and dark to create your preferred bitterness!

• If you don’t own a double boiler, you can make a makeshift one by placing a small pan with an inch or so of water in the bottom and bring to a simmer. Place the chocolate in a bowl big enough that it can sit on top of the pan without touching the water. Stir constantly and proceed as in the recipe. This might take a touch more effort than just melting the chocolate in a pan, but it’s safer if you’re not used to melting chocolate so as not to burn it.

• Powdered sugar can be substituted for the granulated, use 1 cup / 110g.

• For cleaner slicing, try running your knife under hot water for a few seconds between slices.

Yield 12 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 Hour

Cook time

1 H & 8 M

Inactive time

8 Hour

Total time

10 H & 8 M

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Triple Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

Oreo crust, creamy dark chocolate cheesecake filling, and a decadent dark chocolate ganache.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

For the Oreo Crust

• 24 Oreos
• 1/4 cup / 56g butter, melted

For the Filling

• 7.5 oz / 225g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks
• 24 oz (3 8 oz packages) / 675g cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp / 125g granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp / 14 g cocoa powder
• 3 eggs

For the Ganache Topping

• 3/4 cup / 175g heavy whipping cream
• 6 oz / 180g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

Make the Oreo Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C. Grease an 8in - 9in / 20cm - 24cm springform pan.
2. Crush Oreos in a food processor or with a rolling pin.
3. If using a food processor, pulse in melted butter until crumbs are evenly moistened. If crushing Oreos by hand, transfer to a bowl and stir in butter.
4. Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared springform pan and bake for 8 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare filling.

Make the Filling

1. In a double boiler or pan over low heat, melt chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when there are still small chunks of chocolate, and continue to stir until completely melted. This way the chocolate won’t overheat or burn. Let chocolate cool.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Changing to low speed, carefully beat in cocoa powder so that it doesn’t “poof” everywhere. Every so often stop beating and scrape down the sides of the bowl well.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth.
4. Beat in melted and cooled chocolate.
5. Pour mixture over crust, smoothing the top.
6. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, or until center is still slightly wiggly and the top looks dry.
7. Turn oven off and crack open the door for about 10 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and place in fridge until completely cooled, 8 hours or overnight.

Make the Ganache Topping

1. In a small pan place heavy cream and chocolate over low heat. Stir constantly until mixture is smooth and melted. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Remove cheesecake from fridge and pour ganache evenly over top. Allow to set before running a dull knife around edge of cheesecake and releasing from springform pan. Alternately, if you don’t need to transport the cheesecake anywhere, you can remove the ring of the springform first and then pour the ganache over, using a spoon to guide the ganache toward the edges and allowing some to dribble down the sides.

Notes

• Not a dark chocolate fan? Try it out with milk chocolate or a mixture of milk and dark to create your preferred bitterness!
• If you don’t own a double boiler, you can make a makeshift one by placing a small pan with an inch or so of water in the bottom and bring to a simmer. Place the chocolate in a bowl big enough that it can sit on top of the pan without touching the water. Stir constantly and proceed as in the recipe. This might take a touch more effort than just melting the chocolate in a pan, but it’s safer if you’re not used to melting chocolate so as not to burn it.
• Powdered sugar can be substituted for the granulated, use 1 cup / 110g.
• For cleaner slicing, try running your knife under hot water for a few seconds between slices.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

715.12

Fat

54.28 g

Sat. Fat

31.43 g

Carbs

52.73 g

Fiber

3.26 g

Net carbs

49.47 g

Sugar

39.29 g

Protein

7.29 g

Sodium

316.65 mg

Cholesterol

118.98 mg

Nutritional Information is Approximate.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/5/30/triple-dark-chocolate-cheesecake

triple dark chocolate cheesecake, decadent, creamy, rich, oreo crust, ganache

dessert

American

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Sicilian Almond Cookies - Paste di Mandorle

Last Updated August 16, 2024

Paste di mandorle, or almond cookies, are one of the simplest and most delicious cookie recipes you could ask for, requiring only 4 ingredients and an overnight refrigeration (and even that is optional), so you can make the dough one day and bake the next. And because they only use almond flour, they are gluten-free friendly!

These cookies and many variations of them hail from Sicily, where the land is full of sunshine and Mediterranean breezes, charming towns, and has the perfect climate for some of the most succulent citrus fruits and almonds. Or so I’ve heard, I have yet to actually go there! The first time I found a bag of Sicilian almonds in Italy I snatched them up, hoping for a taste experience like never before. Basically setting myself up for disappointment. They were good, yes, but I think it would be best to eat them fresh, in Sicily. Until that day when I go to Sicily, I will content myself with tastes of their culture, like the occasional good arancini (fried balls of rice stuffed with cheese and veggies or meat) that you can find around Florence, granita (a slushy type drink), brioche stuffed with gelato, and cannoli. And of course, these almond cookies. And they’re so simple to make. Dangerous.

A Note on What You Call These Cookies in Italian

The original name of this post I had named as “Paste alle mandorle” but I believe that is used more to denote almond paste, or marzipan, so I’ve updated it to Paste di Mandorle.

While most translating apps will tell you “cookie/cookies” translates to “biscotto/biscotti”, it’s not a catch-all. For as often as I talk about, bake, and eat cookies, this word has always given me grief. If you want to get technical, and you know I do, “biscotti” can be broken down into two root words: “bis” meaning two or twice, and “cotti” meaning baked or cooked. Thus, biscotti actually refers to cookies that have been baked twice. In America, you probably are familiar with the word biscotti, meaning those long hard cookies often sold at coffee shops. Those are truly biscotti, because they’re twice baked. The whole dough is baked, then they’re sliced and baked again. So if you want to talk about cookies in Italian but you don’t want to talk about the twice-baked ones, what do you call them? There is no catch-all, but you have some options. You could simply call them “dolci” (sweets) or dolcetti (little sweets) which is always safe, or cookies made with butter, similar to what we know as shortbread, you could call “frolli”. Or, you can call them “paste” as I did in this post, which in the most general translation of the word means "doughs” or “pasticcini” which is similar. Just looking up this recipe in Italian, on the first page you will probably find them called paste, pasticcini, and biscotti.

Then don’t get me started on the Italian word for “cake” which is “torta”. That one IS a catch-all, but in a bad way, because then I’m calling desserts “cake” in Italian that are definitely not cake in English. They have no word for pie, so then if someone comes to your Thanksgiving dinner and asks what the pumpkin pie is, you might say “torta di zucca” or, pumpkin cake. Sigh. Pie, like Americans think of pie (apple pie, cherry pie) doesn’t exist in their traditional cuisine so it makes sense. But confusing for an American who wants to talk about it in Italian. Some desserts, like apple, are known enough now in Italy that you can refer to them by their English name, apple pie.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Original recipe adapted and translated from GialloZafferano

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Sicilian Almond Cookies - Paste di Mandorle

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups / 250g almond flour

• 1 1/4 cups / 250g granulated sugar

• 2 / 60g egg whites

• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Garnishes (optional)

• powdered sugar

• whole, sliced, or slivered almonds

Directions:

Oven 350F / 180C

1. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour and the sugar.

2. Mix in the egg whites and the almond extract until thoroughly combined. This can be done with a spoon, a hand mixer, stand mixer, or even in a food processor.

3. Cover dough and place in fridge overnight or for at least 7 hours.

4. Remove dough from fridge and roll into balls, then roll in powdered sugar. Flatten cookies a bit, as they will not spread much in the oven. Press in a few almond slices on top. Alternately, shape them as you wish, as they hold their shape well after the overnight refrigeration.

5. Place cookies on a silpat or parchment covered baking sheet, leaving about 1” between cookies.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, until just lightly golden. Be careful no to overbake, cookies should be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Jenny’s Notes:

• If you have almonds and a method to grind them, such as a food processor, go ahead and make fresh almond flour! Be careful not to over grind, you don’t want the almonds to heat up and the oil to start to escape, resulting in almond butter.

• If you prefer other extracts, go ahead and play around with other flavors; vanilla, orange, lemon, coconut, etc.

• This recipe, if you go by weight instead of imperial measurements, is very easy to modify or double, triple, halve, etc.! You can see that the ratio of almond flour to sugar is 1:1: essentially all you have to do is mix together equal weights of almond flour and sugar, with just enough egg whites to bind them together easily and a touch of extract for flavor. Voila.

• These cookies have many variants and shapes and are often piped with candied cherries on top. I’m not a huge candied fruit person, and so I found a simple recipe and omitted the piping for one of the simpler almond cookie methods, rolling in powdered sugar and decorating with almonds.

Yield 24 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

30 Min

Cook time

12 Min

Inactive time

7 Hour

Total time

7 H & 42 M

Print

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Sicilian Almond Cookies - Paste alle Mandorle

A classic Italian cookie originating in Sicily with a soft center and crunchy exterior. 4 ingredients and gluten-free.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 2 1/2 cups / 250g almond flour
• 1 1/4 cups / 250g granulated sugar
• 2 / 60g egg whites
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Garnishes (optional)

• powdered sugar
• whole, sliced, or slivered almonds

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour and the sugar.
2. Mix in the egg whites and the almond extract until thoroughly combined. This can be done with a spoon, a hand mixer, stand mixer, or even in a food processor.
3. Cover dough and place in fridge overnight or for at least 7 hours.
4. Remove dough from fridge and roll into balls, then roll in powdered sugar. Flatten cookies a bit, as they will not spread much in the oven. Press in a few almond slices on top. Alternately, shape them as you wish, as they hold their shape well after the overnight refrigeration.
5. Place cookies on a silpat or parchment covered baking sheet, leaving about 1” between cookies.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, until just lightly golden. Be careful no to overbake, cookies should be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Notes

• If you have almonds and a method to grind them, such as a food processor, you can make fresh almond flour! Be careful not to over-grind, you don’t want the almonds to heat up and the oil to start to escape, resulting in almond butter.
• If you prefer other extracts, play around with other flavors; vanilla, orange, lemon, coconut, etc.
• This recipe, if you go by weight instead of imperial measurements, is very easy to modify or double, triple, halve, etc.! You can see that the ratio of almond flour to sugar is 1:1: essentially all you have to do is mix together equal weights of almond flour and sugar, with just enough egg whites to bind them together easily and a touch of extract for flavor. Voila.
• These cookies have many variants and shapes and are often piped with candied cherries on top. I’m not a huge candied fruit person, and so I found a simple recipe and omitted the piping for one of the simpler almond cookie methods, rolling in powdered sugar and decorating with almonds.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

110.04

Fat

5.24 g

Sat. Fat

0.40 g

Carbs

14.38 g

Fiber

1.31 g

Net carbs

13.07 g

Sugar

12.51 g

Protein

2.76 g

Cholesterol

0.00 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 cookie.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/5/23/almond-cookies-paste-alle-mandorle

gluten-free, Sicilian almond cookies, Paste alle Mandorle

dessert, cookies

Italian

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Mocha Punch

Last Updated August 16, 2024

Mocha punch is exactly what it sounds like. Cold, creamy, sweet, chocolatey coffee served in a punch bowl with dollops of vanilla ice cream slowly melting into a dreamy, creamy puddle.

Punch might seem a thing do the past, but I really love punch. Classic punch to me is a bottle of cranberry raspberry juice combined with Sprite and some fruit-flavored sherbet dolloped in the lunch bowl. And I love it. It reminds me of Christmas time as a kid because that’s really the only time we’d make it. Then I was introduced to this Mocha Punch as a teenager, and the fruity punch got left behind. Everyone loves this coffee punch. It’s hard to put the ladle down.

It’s simple to make but it can steal the show, which makes it ideal for parties. Think holidays, birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, and on and on! Keep some empty milk jugs to store it in, and you have one easy and delicious thing done for your next gathering!

No mocha in Italy?

On entering any coffee shop in America, you’ll easily find mocha on the menu.

This is not the case in Italy. Italy may be the birthplace of coffee as we know it today, but that doesn’t mean that they own ALL the copyrights to the best coffee drinks. Cappuccino, espresso, macchiato….but Vanilla Latte and Mocha are not on the menu here, unless you go to one of the few “American” coffee shops, such as Arnold. First of all, if you order a latte you will get….milk. And if you order a mocha you will get…a withering stare. Not the end of the world, especially with all of the other types of coffee you can order, but sometimes I just want a mocha, ya know? I usually order my cappuccino with cocoa powder on top, but that’s not quite the same.

If I’ve learned anything living away from my home country, it’s that I will suddenly miss all the creature comforts of home, whether or not I appreciated or even liked them before. I do really like a good mocha. And somehow missing mochas has me thinking about this mocha punch, so here you go. The recipe for the best punch, that really keeps the party going!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from a friend’s mama. :)

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Mocha Punch

Serves about 20

Ingredients:

• 3 quarts / 3 L freshly brewed strong coffee

• 1 1/2 cups / 300g sugar

• 2 quarts / 2 L milk

• 3/4 cup / 240g chocolate syrup, try this homemade recipe!

• 3 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 gallon (8 cups) / 1 kg vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1. Pour brewed coffee into a large pot, bowl, or other large container. Stir sugar into hot coffee until dissolved. Cool in fridge.

2. Remove coffee from fridge and add milk, chocolate syrup, and vanilla and stir until well combined.

3. Chill until cold or overnight.

4. Just before serving, pour into serving container, mix briefly, and scoop ice cream into the punch, allowing the ice cream to melt for a few minutes before serving. (Skip this step if not serving as a punch.)

5. Store in fridge.

Jenny’s Notes:

• For an everyday mocha I reduce the sugar and milk, sometimes by up to half, as I usually drink my coffee black, and it makes it less indulgent.

• You can substitute store-bought chocolate syrup for the homemade and use instant coffee instead of brewing, if you wish! I think the flavor will always be superior when you make things from scratch, or in this instance, use good, fresh coffee instead of instant!

• Of course, you don’t have to use vanilla ice cream, you could use chocolate or moose tracks or hey, coffee ice cream!

• When serving, you can choose to pour the whole recipe’s worth of punch into a punch bowl with ice cream, or, for smaller or longer parties, start with just a portion of the punch and ice cream, keeping the remainder in the fridge and freezer, respectively, so by the end the punch isn’t warm and the ice cream long melted.

• This punch is easily stored in pitchers or empty milk jugs!

Yield 20 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

25 Min

Total time

25 Min

Print

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Mocha Punch

Sweet and creamy cold coffee punch with dollops of ice cream is great for gatherings and parties!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 3 quarts / 3 L freshly brewed strong coffee
• 1 1/2 cups / 300g sugar
• 2 quarts / 2 L milk
• 3/4 cup / 240g chocolate syrup, try this homemade recipe!
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 gallon (8 cups) / 1 kg vanilla ice cream

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. Pour brewed coffee into a large pot, bowl, or other large container. Stir sugar into hot coffee until dissolved. Cool in fridge.
2. Remove coffee from fridge and add milk, chocolate syrup, and vanilla and stir until well combined.
3. Chill until cold or overnight.
4. Just before serving, pour into serving container, mix briefly, and scoop ice cream into punch, allowing ice cream to melt for a few minutes before serving.
5. Store in fridge.

Notes

• You don’t have to use vanilla ice cream, you could use chocolate or moose tracks or heck, coffee ice cream! Whatever you like.
• When serving, you can choose to pour the whole recipe’s worth of punch into a punch bowl with ice cream, or, for smaller or longer parties, start with just a portion of the punch and ice cream, keeping the remainder in the fridge and freezer, respectively, so by the end the punch isn’t warm and the ice cream long melted.
• This punch is easily stored in pitchers or empty milk jugs!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

202.41

Fat

4.98 g

Sat. Fat

3.02 g

Carbs

33.94 g

Fiber

0.49 g

Net carbs

33.45 g

Sugar

26.31 g

Protein

5.27 g

Sodium

91.66 mg

Cholesterol

19.30 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Calculated including vanilla ice cream

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/4/18/mocha-punch

mocha, mocha punch, party coffee chocolate punch, iced coffee drink

drink

American

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Chocolate Sauce

Photo Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/at/deed.en Permission: Sammlung J.P. Adlbrecht

Last Updated August 15, 2024

Classic. Quintessential. Chocolatey. Good on everything, from your morning pancakes and coffee to ice cream and that cake you just made. Or ya know, by the spoonful. Just a spoonful of…I’ll let you sing the rest yourself. ;)

What is it? Chocolate Sauce! Or chocolate syrup, as you prefer. No more Hershey’s in a bottle, or going without if you live outside the USofA. It’s so easy you’ll wonder why you never made it before. No high fructose corn syrup involved!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe from my Mama

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Chocolate Sauce

Makes about 3/4 cup of sauce

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup / 150g sugar

• 1/3 cup / 33g unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 Tbsp / 7.5g cornstarch

• 1/2 cup / 118g water

• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in a small saucepan.

2. Add water and whisk until there are no cornstarch lumps.

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Reduce heat to low and boil for 5 minutes, continuing to stir.

4. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool.

5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Jenny’s Notes:

• The better quality your cocoa powder the better your sauce will taste!

• Keeps well in the fridge.

Yield 12 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Total time

15 Min

Print

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Chocolate Sauce

A basic chocolate sauce for ice cream topping, drizzling, mixing in coffee, and anything you need chocolate sauce for!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 3/4 cup / 150g sugar
• 1/3 cup / 33g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp / 7.5g cornstarch
• 1/2 cup / 118g water
• 1 tsp vanilla

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. Combine sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in a small saucepan.
2. Add water and whisk until there are no lumps.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Reduce heat to low and boil for 5 minutes, continuing to stir.
4. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool.
5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

The better quality your cocoa powder the better your sauce will taste! Keeps well in the fridge.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

63.04

Fat

0.27 g

Sat. Fat

0.00 g

Carbs

14.76 g

Fiber

0.56 g

Net carbs

14.21 g

Sugar

12.52 g

Protein

0.55 g

Sodium

0.61 mg

Cholesterol

0.00 mg

Nutritional information is approximate.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/4/28/chocolate-sauce

Hershey's chocolate sauce, ice cream topping, hot fudge sundae sauce, chocolate sauce

dessert, sauce, topping

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

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The Fluffiest Key Lime Pie with a Gingersnap Crust

Fluffy? Isn’t key lime pie supposed to be creamy, custardy, silken? Yes! And this recipe is all of those things but with a special touch of fluffiness, thanks to our friends the egg whites. Whipped egg whites. It’s magical. And with Easter just around the corner, this is the perfect dessert to celebrate with! I even gave you two weeks time to plan ahead, aren't I nice?

I don’t know why I always want to make citrus desserts for Easter, maybe because it’s always in the spring. And in the spring everything is coming alive, the rebirth of nature, and calls for bright, happy citrus flavors. You can’t call citrus sad. And what is Easter but the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, giving those who believe on Him new life? The celebration of rebirth. It all fits. Not to mention if you observe Lent, getting to eat what you gave up for 6 weeks is lovely.

Savoring America: Recipes and Reflections on American Cooking (The Savoring Series)

And whether you have a big Easter meal planned or not, you’re going to want to make this pie. And if you’ve never made key lime pie before? This is not a bad place to start. Just be warned that other key lime pies after this one might be…tame.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from the Williams-Sonoma cookbook Savoring America

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The Fluffiest Key Lime Pie with a Gingersnap Crust

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

For the Gingersnap Crust

• 28 gingersnaps broken into pieces, about 1 1/2in / 4cm in diameter (homemade or storebought)

• 1/2 cup / 60g chopped pecans

• 1 Tbsp / 15g chopped crystallized ginger

• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 cup / 57g butter, melted and cooled

For the Filling

• 4 eggs, separated

• 1/4 cup / 30g cornstarch

• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar

• 1 14oz can / 440g sweetened condensed milk, make it homemade here

• 1/2 cup / 118g key lime juice

• 2 Tbsp / 12g freshly grated key lime zest

• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Topping and Garnish

• 1 cup / 237g heavy whipping cream

• 1/3 cup / 42g confectioner’s sugar

• 1/8 tsp almond extract

• thin key lime slices or lime zest, optional

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C. Lightly grease a 9in / 23cm pie dish.

Make the Gingersnap Crust

1. In a food processor, combine the gingersnaps, pecans, ginger, and cinnamon. Pulse until everything is finely ground in crumbs. Add the butter and pulse briefly until the crumbs are evenly moistened.

2. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned. (This can be hard to see because of the dark color of the gingersnaps.) Allow to cool.

Make the Filling

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 2 egg whites and the cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form and can hold their shape, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and scrape the egg whites into a small bowl; set aside.

2. In the bowl of the stand mixer (no need to clean it), beat on medium-high speed the egg yolks, 2 remaining egg whites, cornstarch, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add lime juice and zest and beat until smooth.

3. Gently fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the lime mixture to lighten. Add the rest of the egg whites and fold just until combined.

4. Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust, smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until just firm, about 20 minutes. To test for firmness, jiggle the dish slightly. When the center jiggles just slightly, it’s ready.

5. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Make the Topping

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream on medium speed. As it starts to thicken (and will no longer splatter) increase the speed to high. Add the powdered sugar and almond extract. Continue beating until firm peaks form, about 2-4 minutes total.

2. Spoon whipped cream over pie or use a piping bag and tips to decorate. Garnish with lime slices/and or zest. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Jenny’s Notes:

• The crust can be made without the pecans and/or ginger, if you’re like me and sometimes feel too lazy to chop things!

• Freshly squeezed key lime juice is best, but if you’ve ever used real key limes you’ll know that getting half a cup can be a real labor of love. Those things can be tiny! Hand cramp hand cramp hand cramp. And just when you think you’re there, you realize you’ve only squeezed 1 Tbsp worth. So, I gladly buy bottled key lime juice.

• If you can’t find fresh key limes or juice, use limes! And I suppose, lemons if you’re in a pinch. Lemon pies are good too! Same goes for the zest.

• No food processor handy? Do it the old fashioned way and stick the cookies in a resealable plastic bag and whack and roll with a rolling pin. The pecans and ginger can be finely chopped by hand.

Yield 8-12 servings

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

50 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Total time

1 H & 20 M

Print

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The Fluffiest Key Lime Pie with a Gingersnap Crust

Classic key lime pie with a twist. Tart filling made extra light and fluffy by whipping the egg whites, a spicy gingersnap crust, and fresh whipped cream.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

For the Gingersnap Crust

• 28 gingersnaps broken into pieces, about 1 1/2in / 4cm in diameter (homemade or storebought)
• 1/2 cup / 60g chopped pecans
• 1 Tbsp / 15g chopped crystallized ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup / 57g butter, melted and cooled

For the Filling

• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup / 30g cornstarch
• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar
• 1 14oz can / 440g sweetened condensed milk, make it homemade here
• 1/2 cup / 118g key lime juice
• 2 Tbsp / 12g freshly grated key lime zest
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Topping and Garnish

• 1 cup / 237g heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup / 42g confectioner’s sugar
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• thin key lime slices or lime zest, optional

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

Make the Gingersnap Crust

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C. Lightly greased 9in / 23cm pie dish.
2. In a food processor, combine the gingersnaps, pecans, ginger, and cinnamon. Pulse until everything is finely ground in crumbs. Add the butter and pulse briefly until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
3. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned. (This can be hard to see because of the dark color of the gingersnaps.) Allow to cool.

Make the Filling

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 2 egg whites and the cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and scrape the egg whites into a small bowl; set aside.
2. In the bowl of the stand mixer (don’t worry about cleaning it), beat on medium-high speed the egg yolks, 2 remaining egg whites, cornstarch, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the lime juice and zest and beat until smooth.
3. Gently fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the lime mixture to lighten. Add the rest of the egg whites and fold just until combined.
4. Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust, smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until just firm, about 20 minutes. To test for firmness, jiggle the dish slightly. When the center jiggles just slightly, it’s ready.
5. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Make the Topping

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream on medium speed. As it starts to thicken (and will no longer splatter) increase the speed to high. Add the powdered sugar and almond extract. Continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 2-4 minutes total.
2. Spoon whipped cream over pie or use a piping bag and tips to decorate. Garnish with lime slices/and or zest. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Notes

The crust can be made without the pecans and/or ginger, if you’re like me and sometimes feel too lazy to chop things! Freshly squeezed key lime juice is best, but if you’ve ever used real key limes you’ll know that getting half a cup can be a real labor of love. Those things can be tiny! Hand cramp hand cramp hand cramp. And just when you think you’re there, you realize you’ve only squeezed 1 Tbsp worth. So, I gladly buy bottled key lime juice. If you can’t find fresh key limes or juice, use limes! And I suppose, lemons if you’re in a pinch. Lemon pies are good too! Same goes for the zest. No food processor handy? Do it the old fashioned way and stick the cookies in a resealable plastic bag and whack and roll with a rolling pin. The pecans and ginger can be finely chopped by hand.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

590.80

Fat

29.69 g

Sat. Fat

14.77 g

Carbs

76.33 g

Fiber

1.88 g

Net carbs

74.45 g

Sugar

55.81 g

Protein

8.28 g

Sodium

256.68 mg

Cholesterol

90.75 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 8 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/4/4/the-fluffiest-key-lime-pie

key lime pie, gingersnap crust, fluffy pie, whipped cream

Dessert, Pie

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Pumpkin Pudding

Last updated August 14, 2024

Pumpkin Pudding is a classic, easy fall recipe in my family. It’s like pumpkin pie, but without all the fuss of the crust. This is great to make in the time leading up to Thanksgiving, because you’re not ruining your appetite for pumpkin pie (you can’t call it pie if it doesn’t have a crust, therefore, totally different) while not wasting time NOT eating pumpkin. Bonus that it’s incredibly easy to whip up.

Fall is coming fall is coming! I love the changing of seasons and the different nostalgias and expectations that come with each season. Living in Italy, the nostalgia is a little bit stronger. Autumn is still autumn, but the changes are a little less distinct, and the comfort of knowing where to pick out the best pumpkins and buy the best apple cider is not something that really exists here. Pumpkins will be few and far between, unless you’re lucky enough to stumble upon some markets that have the mini gourds; apple cider is practically nonexistent; trick-or-treating happens, but most Italians wear scary costumes instead of characters; the leaf change is not the brilliant red, orange, and yellows like in Michigan, but more of a subtle green-to-yellow with the occasional leaves fluttering down. Despite the differences with what I grew up with, there are still oodles of things I love to do to make my home fall-y and to welcome the chilly evenings. Lighting candles, brewing tea, pulling out the fuzzy socks and sweaters (even if I’d be sweating if I actually tried to wear them yet) and baking and eating lots of fall goodies that include pumpkin, cinnamon, spices, breads, soups, and all the hearty autumn recipes.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe from my mama

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Pumpkin Pudding

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 15 oz / 425g pumpkin purée

• 2/3 cup / 132g sugar

• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g salt

• 1 tsp / 5g cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g ginger

• 1/4 tsp / 1g cloves

• 1 cup / 237g milk of choice

Directions:

Oven 375°F / 190°C. Lightly grease an 8x8in / 20x20cm baking pan.

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.

2. Pour into prepared pan; bake for 20-25 minutes in preheated oven until edges are bubbling.

Jenny’s Notes:

• To dress this lovely and simple dessert up you can top it with confectioner’s sugar or crumbled cookies such as shortbread or Nilla Wafers, or serve with ice cream and/or whipped cream.

• This recipe is gluten free, vegan (if you use a milk substitute like coconut or almond), and probably many of the other diet fads that I can’t quite keep track of. Eat up!

Yield 4-6 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Total time

35 Min

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Pumpkin Pudding

Like pumpkin pie but without the hassle of the crust. Gluten-free and can easily be made vegan.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 15 oz / 425g pumpkin purée
• 2/3 cup / 132g sugar
• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g salt
• 1 tsp / 5g cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g ginger
• 1/4 tsp / 1g cloves
• 1 cup / 237g milk of choice

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. Oven 375F / 190C. Lightly greased 8x8in / 20x20cm baking pan.
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
3. Pour into prepared pan; bake for 20-25 minutes in preheated oven until edges are bubbling.

Notes

• To dress this lovely and simple dessert up you can top it with confectioner’s sugar or crumbled cookies such as shortbread or Nilla Wafers, or serve with ice cream and/or whipped cream.
• This recipe is gluten free, vegan (if you use a milk substitute like coconut or almond), and probably many of the other diet fads that I can’t quite keep track of. Eat up!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

198.32

Fat

1.49 g

Sat. Fat

0.88 g

Carbs

45.81 g

Fiber

3.85 g

Net carbs

41.97 g

Sugar

36.49 g

Protein

3.31 g

Cholesterol

4.74 mg

Sodium

279.59 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 4 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/9/17/pumpkin-pudding

crustless pumpkin pie, no crust pumpkin pie, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving dessert, fall dessert, easy pumpkin dessert, vegan, gluten free

dessert

American

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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The slowly melting confectioner’s sugar…

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Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Last Updated July 9, 2024

I like cookies.  I like cheesecake.  What happens when you put them together?  These Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies! Think buttery Graham cracker cookies with a creamy, dreamy cheesecake center.

You know what's great about this recipe?  Besides being delicious, of course, is that it calls for one sleeve of graham crackers.  Boxes of Graham crackers usually come with 3 sleeves. Graham cracker crusts for pies usually call for 2 sleeves. What to do with the remaining sleeve if you don’t want to eat it? Make these Cheesecake Cookies! They look more time consuming to make than they really are, it's pretty straightforward.  So let's get to it! 

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 20-24 cookies

Ingredients:

For the Graham Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups / 135g (1 sleeve) finely crushed regular or any flavor graham crackers

• 3/4 cup / 90g all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 cup / 113g butter, softened, or 85g oil

• 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar

• 1 egg white

For the Cheesecake Filling

• 3 ounces / 85g cream cheese, softened

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar

• 1 teaspoon / 5g vanilla extract

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, optional

• Powdered sugar or cocoa powder for sprinkling, optional

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.  

Make the Graham Cookies

1. In a large bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder.  

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter or oil with brown sugar. Beat in egg white. Add mixture to graham cracker mixture and mix until combined.  

3. Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, scoop a generous tablespoon worth of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. If dough seems too soft to easily hold its shape, add a bit more flour. Repeat until all the dough has been scooped onto the cookie sheet, evenly spaced at least 1” apart. Gently roll each piece into a ball.

Make the Cheesecake Filling

1. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and zest; beat until smooth.

2. Press your thumb into each cookie to make a deep well; fill with cream cheese mixture. 

3. Bake 8-11 minutes or until the filling is just set.  

Jenny's Notes:

• Try these out with different flavors of graham crackers! I like making these with chocolate graham crackers, see picture!

• Regular sugar can be substituted for the brown sugar with a slightly different texture for the cookie. Not bad, just slightly different. Or add a teaspoon or two of molasses to 1/2 cup regular sugar and mix before adding to the recipe.

• You can fill the cookies right to the top with the cream cheese as the filling shouldn't do more than puff a bit in the oven.

Yield 20-24 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

45 Min

Cook time

11 Min

Total time

56 Min

Print

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Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Chocolate graham cracker thumbprint cookies filled with a cream cheese filling.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

For the Graham Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups / 135g (1 sleeve) finely crushed regular or any flavor graham crackers
• 3/4 cup / 90g all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup / 113g butter, softened, or 85g oil
• 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar
• 1 egg white

For the Cheesecake Filling

• 3 ounces / 85g cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar
• 1 teaspoon / 5g vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, optional
• Powdered sugar or cocoa powder for sprinkling, optional

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

Make the Graham Cookies

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicone mat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter or oil with brown sugar. Beat in egg white. Add mixture to graham cracker mixture and mix until combined.
4. Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, scoop a generous tablespoon worth of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. If dough seems too soft to easily hold its shape, add a bit more flour. Repeat until all the dough has been scooped onto the cookie sheet, evenly spaced at least 1” apart. Gently roll each piece into a ball.

Make the Cheesecake Filling

1. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and zest; beat until smooth.
2. Press your thumb into each cookie to make a deep well; fill with cream cheese mixture.
3. Bake 8-11 minutes or until the filling is just set.

Notes

• Try these out with different flavors of graham crackers! I like making these with  chocolate graham crackers, see picture!
• Regular  sugar can be substituted for the brown sugar with a slightly different texture for the  cookie. Not bad, just slightly different. Or add a teaspoon or two of molasses to 1/2 cup regular sugar and mix before adding to the recipe.
• You can fill the  cookies right to the top with the cream cheese as the filling shouldn't do more than puff a bit in the oven.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

111.78

Fat

6.07 g

Sat. Fat

3.44 g

Carbs

13.46 g

Fiber

0.31 g

Net carbs

13.15 g

Sugar

8.41 g

Protein

1.29 g

Sodium

108.74 mg

Cholesterol

21.56 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 cookie.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/6/13/chocolate-cheesecake-cookies

thumbprint cookies, cheesecake cookies, graham cracker cookies, low calorie cookies, 100 calorie snacks

dessert, cookies

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

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Leek and Morel Mushroom Phyllo Pies

Last Updated July 8, 2024

Handheld, light and flaky phyllo pies with a savory mushroom, leek, and parmesan filling. Seasonal and satisfying.

My favorite way to make these is with morel mushrooms, but these can also be made with other mushrooms, such as white or brown button mushrooms. Morel mushrooms are a delicacy where I’m from in Michigan, and definitely not available year round or in all places.

Morel Mushrooms

I've hunted for morel mushrooms with my family for as long as I can remember. Apparently it's not as common outside of the mitten and non-Michiganders sometimes think we're crazy.

There are two main types, that I know of anyway, black and white.  The season for blacks is just before the white, usually end of April to mid May, and the whites start mid May to the end of May, all depending on the weather.  After you pick the mushrooms it's best to soak them in salt water for a bit to clean them and evict any bugs. When I was younger my mom would throw out the mushroom water in the woods in the hopes that more morel mushrooms would grow. That never happened. However, we do have a spot or two in our woods that always have white morels.

Some years you can barely find any morel mushrooms, just a handful, best enjoyed lightly breaded in flour and fried in butter. Other years you find plenty, and when you’ve had your fill of them fried, you can start to use them in other dishes. 

These phyllo pies, my friends, are an absolutely delightful way to eat morels. They can be a bit fussy to make, but they’re worth it.

Phyllo plays an important part in these, it is the vessel that transports all the lovely mushrooms, leeks, and cheese to your mouth. I’m aware you can make your own homemade phyllo dough, but for most of us simple folk, it’s absolutely fine to use store-bought phyllo dough.  I've never made phyllo and don't have plans to. To you die hards out there that make it at home, my hat is off to you. In the meantime, I'm going to stroll over to my freezer and pull out some phyllo. Whew, hard work.  

Leeks vs. Wild Leeks

If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where morel mushrooms grow, chances are you might also have wild leeks available to you. Wild leeks, also known as ramps or spring onions, are small onion-like greens that grow plentiful in the woods. They’re quite small when compared to their regular leek counterparts, but have a wonderful smell and taste. While you’re out foraging for morel mushrooms, you might as well pick some wild leeks, too. Pull from the bottom to be able to pull up the whole white onion-looking root.

If you don’t have or prefer to use wild leeks, 1 regular leek from the store will do the trick.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Drizzle and Dip

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Leek and Morel Mushroom Phyllo Pies

Makes about 12 pies

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp / 28g oil

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 medium store-bought leek or about 12 wild leeks/ramps (about 3 cups / 270g), finely chopped

• 1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, diced

• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter or oil

• about 5 cups / 375g chopped morel mushrooms, or other kind of mushrooms

• 1/4 cup / 60g milk

• 1/2 cup / 65g grated parmesan cheese

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 16 oz. package phyllo pastry sheets, thawed

• melted butter or olive oil for brushing phyllo dough

Directions:

How to fold the phyllo pies

Oven 350°F / 177°C.  Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.  

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil.

2. Add garlic, leeks, and onion and sauté until tender onions are translucent and garlic fragrant.

3. Add butter and mushrooms, cook until the liquid released from mushrooms has mostly evaporated; add milk and cook until the mixture is thick, just a few minutes. 

4. Remove from heat and add cheese, mixing just until melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the phyllo dough.

5. Remove phyllo pastry from plastic, unroll, and set aside the first two sheets to work with; cover remaining sheets with a slightly damp cloth to prevent them from drying out and becoming brittle.  

6. Working quickly so the sheets don't dry out, brush the top side of one sheet with a bit of butter or oil and lay the second sheet on top. Cut the layered sheets lengthwise in thirds, so you will know have 3 long strips. 

7. Now for the fun "flipping" part.  (See photo above for reference.) Working with the first strip, spoon a small amount of filling, about 1 Tbsp, in the top corner.  Take that corner and fold it down until the tip reaches the opposite side; the filling should now be covered.  Next flip it straight down, the top should be level again. Fold again, taking the filled corner to the opposite side.  The dough should be kept taught through all this, but not so taught it rips.  Continue flipping/folding until the end of the strip. Use a dab of butter or oil to stick the end of the strip to the pie, if desired.  Place on pan, tucked side down, and repeat until all the filling or all the phyllo pastry has been used up.  Wrap any remaining phyllo tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until next use.

8. Brush the tops of the pies with butter or oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.       

Jenny's Notes:

1. Store-bought leeks differ greatly from “wild leeks” in size. You may also know wild leeks by the name of ramps or spring onions.

2. Give your phyllo dough ample time to thaw. Cold or frozen phyllo will crack as you try to unroll it, and can mess up your slicing and folding/flipping of the pies.

3. If your phyllo is brittle or cracking, it probably got dried out. Keep phyllo dough in its plastic until absolutely necessary, then once opened keep under a damp towel. Once you start working with some of the sheets, move quickly so they won’t dry out. No need to panic, just don’t dawdle.

Yield 24 servings ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 H & 15 M

Cook time

25 Min

Total time

1 H & 40 M

Print

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Leek and Morel Mushroom Phyllo Pies

Flaky phyllo hand pies stuffed with a leek, morel mushroom, and cheese filling.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 2 Tbsp / 28g oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium store-bought leek or about 12 wild leeks/ramps (about 3 cups / 270g), finely chopped
• 1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, diced
• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter or oil
• about 5 cups / 375g chopped morel mushrooms, or other kind of mushrooms
• 1/4 cup / 60g milk
• 1/2 cup / 65g grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 16 oz. package phyllo pastry sheets, thawed
• melted butter or olive oil for brushing phyllo dough

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. In a large saucepan, heat oil.
3. Add garlic, leeks, and onion and sauté until tender onions are translucent and garlic fragrant.
4. Add butter and mushrooms, cook until the liquid released from mushrooms has mostly evaporated; add milk and cook until the mixture is thick, just a few minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add cheese, mixing just until melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the phyllo dough.
6. Remove phyllo pastry from plastic, unroll, and set aside the first two sheets to work with; cover remaining sheets with a slightly damp cloth to prevent them from drying out and becoming brittle.
7. Working quickly so the sheets don't dry out, brush the top side of one sheet with a bit of butter or oil and lay the second sheet on top. Cut the layered sheets lengthwise in thirds, so you will know have 3 long strips.
8. Now for the fun "flipping" part. (See photo above for reference.) Working with the first strip, spoon a small amount of filling, about 1 Tbsp, in the top corner. Take that corner and fold it down until the tip reaches the opposite side; the filling should now be covered. Next flip it straight down, the top should be level again. Fold again, taking the filled corner to the opposite side. The dough should be kept taught through all this, but not so taught it rips. Continue flipping/folding until the end of the strip. Use a dab of butter or oil to stick the end of the strip to the pie, if desired. Place on pan, tucked side down, and repeat until all the filling or all the phyllo pastry has been used up. Wrap any remaining phyllo tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until next use.
9. Brush the tops of the pies with butter or oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.

Notes

Store-bought leeks differ greatly from “wild leeks” in size. You may also know wild leeks by the name of ramps or spring onions.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

102.58

Fat

5.01 g

Sat. Fat

1.98 g

Carbs

11.88 g

Fiber

0.81 g

Net carbs

11.05 g

Sugar

0.34 g

Protein

2.62 g

Sodium

158.93 mg

Cholesterol

7.2 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 phyllo pie

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/1/12/leek-and-morel-mushroom-phyllo-pies

phyllo pies, hand pies, morel mushroom, leeks

appetizers, snacks, sides

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

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Have you ever gone morel mushroom hunting?  Tell me about your adventures in the comments below! :)

Pappa al Pomodoro

Last Updated August 14, 2024

I remember clearly the first time I ate Pappa al Pomodoro.  It was DELICIOUS, and at the time I had absolutely no idea what it was.  I had recently arrived in Italy for the second time in my life, and my friends took me to a local pizzeria.  The owner, who knew my friends by sight, brought us each a little plate of this red...mush...with olive oil drizzled on top.  I took one bite, might have closed my eyes and had a Ratatouille moment, then wasted no time in devouring the rest. The flavors seemed such ordinary everyday ingredients, but each took their turn on the tongue, twirling and waltzing together in such harmony as to become a dish not quickly forgotten, and leaving the palate wanting more.  One of my friends can't have gluten, and asked if any of us wanted her mush.  "Really, there's gluten in this?  That stinks, I'm sorry you can't try it...I'll TAKE IT."  Actually, the rest of us probably split it, I don't really remember.  

After this first encounter, I needed to know what that magical substance was.  What is it called?  What are the ingredients? How do you make it?  I'll save you all my searching and wondering: Pappa al pomodoro has a base of bread, tomatoes, and broth, and where there are tomatoes there is usually basil, and round it out with some garlic and good extra virgin olive oil.  That's it!  And I bet, you probably have all or most of those ingredients on hand.  

You can think of it like a very simple tomato soup, but you just add a bunch of bread to thicken it up. Haha honestly, I’m still working on a way to describe this that doesn’t make it sound weird. It’s just one of those things you have to try to believe how simply and deliciously wonderful it is.

Pappa al Pomodoro is a traditional Tuscan "poor" dish, and once I knew what it was, saw it everywhere on restaurant menus around Florence.  It's normally eaten as a primo piatto, or first course, but I like to make it the MAIN course.  At home, of course, away from the overly inquisitive eyes of the Italians.  The genius of it is, it uses stale bread, reducing food waste.  Hence it being a "poor" dish, in which the Tuscans back in the day found tasty ways to recycle every food bit. 

Toscana in Cucina: The Flavours of Tuscany

If you've been to Tuscany and tried Pappa al Pomodoro, hopefully this recipe will bring a bit of its exuberance back into your life.  If you've never tried it, give this recipe a go for a taste of Tuscany!  Because the ingredients are simple and each flavor really shines through, I recommend being a little extra picky on the quality and freshness of ingredients you use.  (But, I'll give you some cheats, see "Jenny's Notes" below.)

Pro tip:  As you're pronouncing "pappa" really lay on those p's.  If you say it too quickly, your Italian friends or Italian wanna-be friends might think you're talking about the Pope, whom they call "Papa."  And a tomato Pope, at that, because, ya know, pomodoro means "tomato."  :)

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from the cookbook "Toscana in Cucina The Flavours of Tuscany."  Click on the Amazon link for more delicious Tuscan dishes, with recipes in both English and Italian!  

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Pappa al Pomodoro

Serves about 6-8

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp / 84g olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

• 1 lb. / 500g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

• several fresh basil leaves, plus more for the garnish

• 4 cups / 950g vegetable broth

• 10 oz / 300g stale artisanal bread, sliced thinly (breads made with just water, flour, yeast work best)

• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-low heat and add garlic, cooking until sizzling and fragrant, ensuring it doesn't burn.  Add a bit of crushed red pepper, then the tomatoes and basil.  

2. Bring to a simmer; after a few minutes add the broth.  

3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the bread.  

4. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

5. Remove the pan from the heat and leave covered for about an hour.  

6. When ready to serve, stir gently and drizzle with olive oil, dust with pepper, and top with a basil leaf or two.  

Buon appetito! 

*Wine Pairing from Toscana in Cucina: Muraccio - Parrina DOC Rosso - La Parrina, Albinia (Grosseto) 

Jenny's Notes:

• Also super delicious with grated parmesan on top…

• I know the bread description is a little vague, but you probably won't find the 1 kg hunk of unsalted Tuscan bread in your local grocery store in the States. You want a bread with simple ingredients: flour, water, salt yeast, or at least as simple as possible. Enriched breads, or those made with milk/eggs/oil, aren't the kind of bread you want to use for this kind of recipe. Nor is the sliced sandwich bread with preservatives ideal. You could look for a good ciabatta, baguette, or other rustic bread.

• To make this recipe simple, the bread should ideally be sliced or torn into chunks BEFORE it goes completely stale. Trying to slice a solid loaf of stale bread is not fun. However, should this happen, it is still possible to make this recipe work. You can add the bread in one big chunk to the pot. You will want to be a bit more proactive in stirring and making sure it stays submerged as much as possible, flipping if necessary, so it has time to soften and break up. If at the end of the hour there are still some chunks, they should be soft enough where you can break them up with a spoon.

• If you find chunks of bread, particularly of crust, still present after the hour is up, and you can't seem to get them to break up, an immersion blender can be used in a pinch. It changes the texture a bit (makes it a bit creamier/pastier), which isn't ideal, but I have done this before and it was still very good! You may want to consider using a different kind of bread the next time.

• You could also use chicken or beef broth, but vegetable seems to be most commonly called for in Italian recipes.

• This freezes well for quick meals, simply bring to room temperature and heat before serving!

• I do confess I've made this once very much modifying the freshness rule, and to my surprise it didn't turn out half shabby. Just promise me one thing. Make this the real way before going for the modified version. What follows is for emergency situations only. ;)

1. 1/2 tsp garlic powder instead of garlic cloves

2. 16 oz jar tomato sauce, tomato purée, or can of diced tomatoes instead of 1 lb. tomatoes (I've used sauces with grilled eggplant and even olives added to them for a twist.)

3. Plain ol' water instead of broth. You'll probably need to add extra salt and pepper, though.

Yield 6-8 servings ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

25 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Inactive time

1 Hour

Total time

1 H & 40 M

Print

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Pappa al Pomodoro

A classic Tuscan "poor man's" dish that utilizes stale bread, tomatoes, garlic, basil, and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve as a main dish or side.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 6 Tbsp / 84g olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 lb. / 500g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• several fresh basil leaves, plus more for the garnish
• 4 cups / 950g vegetable broth
• 10 oz / 300g stale artisanal bread, sliced thinly (breads made with just water, flour, yeast work best)
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• salt and pepper, to taste

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-low heat and add garlic, cooking until sizzling and fragrant, ensuring it doesn't burn. Add a bit of crushed red pepper, then the tomatoes and basil.
2. Bring to a simmer; after a few minutes add the broth.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the bread.
4. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and leave covered for about an hour.
6. When ready to serve, stir and drizzle with olive oil, dust with pepper, and top with a basil leaf or two.

Notes

• Also super delicious with grated parmesan on top…
• I know the bread description is a little vague, but you probably won't find the 1 kg hunk of unsalted Tuscan bread in your local grocery store in the States. You want a bread with simple ingredients: flour, water, salt yeast, or at least as simple as possible. Enriched breads, or those made with milk/eggs/oil, aren't the kind of bread you want to use for this kind of recipe. Nor is the sliced sandwich bread with preservatives ideal. You could look for a good ciabatta, baguette, or other rustic bread.
• To make this recipe simple, the bread should ideally be sliced or torn into chunks BEFORE it goes completely stale. Trying to slice a solid loaf of stale bread is not fun. However, should this happen, it is still possible to make this recipe work. You can add the bread in one big chunk to the pot. You will want to be a bit more proactive in stirring and making sure it stays submerged as much as possible, flipping if necessary, so it has time to soften and break up. If at the end of the hour it has set there are still some chunks, they should be soft enough where you can break them up with a spoon.
• If you find chunks of bread, particularly of crust, still present after the hour is up, and you can't seem to get them to break up, an immersion blender can be used in a pinch. It changes the texture a bit (makes it a bit creamier/pastier), which isn't ideal, but I have done this before and it was still very good! You may want to consider using a different kind of bread the next time.
• You could also use chicken or beef broth, but vegetable seems to be most commonly called for in the Italian recipes I've seen.
• This freezes well for quick meals, simply bring to room temperature and heat before serving!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

298.55

Fat

18.68 g

Sat. Fat

2.61 g

Carbs

28.07 g

Fiber

2.95 g

Net carbs

25.1 g

Sugar

6.06 g

Protein

5.88 g

Cholesterol

0 mg

Sodium

892.31 mg

Nutritional information is approximate; based on 6 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/4/12/pappa-al-pomodoro

pappa al pomodoro, Tuscan recipe, Italian recipe, Florentine recipe, stale bread

Main, side

Italian

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Mascarpone Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Ganache

Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Whipped Cream

Last Updated August 14, 2024

Let me take a gander at what you're thinking, probably something like, "OH! PEANUT BUTTER PIE? I love peanut butter pie! So good! But I already have a recipe for peanut butter pie. Why do I need this recipe? Wait, don't YOU already have a recipe up on this blog for peanut butter pie??"

Well, you'd be right about one thing, this is not my first recipe up for a peanut butter pie. But let me tell you, they each have their own merited place. For example, the Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Whipped Cream has a shortbread crust, creamy peanut butter filling, topped with chocolate whipped cream.  

This peanut butter pie has a chocolate crust, an ultra creamy peanut butter mascarpone filling topped with flowing chocolate ganache. The chocolate ganache envelopes the peanut butter filling in a tender embrace...still with me? Ok let's stop dreaming and comparing peanut butter pies and MAKE one!  

Nutter Butter Pie

Not a fan of chocolate and peanut butter together? Neither is my mom.  That's ok, we can still be friends. And because of that, why not head over to this Nutter Butter Pie instead? No chocolate there! 

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from what megan's making.

---

Mascarpone Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Ganache

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Crust

• 7.5 oz / 210g chocolate graham crackers, teddy grahams, or chocolate shortbread

• 2 oz / 55g (1/3 cup) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped, or mini chips

• 5 Tbsp / 65g butter, melted

For the Peanut Butter Filling

• 1 cup / 237g heavy whipping cream

• 8 oz / 227g mascarpone or cream cheese, room temperature

• 1 cup / 250g peanut butter

• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar

• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz / 110g (2/3 cup) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped, or chips

• 1 Tbsp / 14g butter

• 1/2 cup / 118g heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Oven 325°F / 163°C.  Ungreased 9in / 23cm pie dish.  

Make the Chocolate Crust

1. In a food processor combine chocolate grahams, butter, and chocolate chips.  Pulse until the mixture is uniformly fine crumbs.  Or do it the "old fashioned" way and beat the crumbs to oblivion in a well sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin or other hard object, then mixing in the chocolate and butter in a bowl with a spoon. 

2. Press evenly into the bottom and sides of pie dish and bake for 8 minutes or until fragrant.  Set aside to cool completely.

Make the Peanut Butter Filling

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  Transfer to another bowl if using a stand mixer and set aside.

2. Again in the bowl of a stand mixer or a separate bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  

3. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture in three or four parts.  

4. Spoon the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top.  Refrigerate to set.  

Make the Chocolate Ganache

1. Place the chocolate and butter in a small bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat, just until simmering.  The moment you see bubbles remove from heat and pour over chocolate and butter.  Let sit for 1 minute to melt the chocolate, then whisk briskly until smooth and shiny.  

2. Pour over chilled pie.  If you don't desire chocolate running over the sides, you may have to wait a minute or two between pourings, or simply don't use all the ganache.  (The rest can be disposed of with a spoon and a mouth.  But I don't need to tell you that.)  

3. Chill for 3-4 hours or overnight until set.  

Jenny's Notes:

• If using a shallow pie dish you may have some leftover crust, and that's ok. Don't feel like you have to use all the crust mixture or you may have an impenetrable crust, especially in the corners.

• I frequently substitute whole milk or coconut milk for all or part of the cream in ganache, but usually not when it's a topper as it can separate a bit if you don't use all cream. However, one time when making this I only had 1/4 cup cream left for the topping and so added 1/4 cup whole milk, and it made for a beautiful ganache, even as the topper.

• Top with chocolate chips or chocolate shavings as desired!

Yield 8-12 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 Hour

Cook time

8 Min

Inactive time

3 Hour

Total time

4 H & 8 M

Print

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Mascarpone Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate cookie crust, whipped mascarpone peanut butter filling, and chocolate ganache to top.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

For the Chocolate Crust

• 7.5 oz / 210g chocolate graham crackers, teddy grahams, or chocolate shortbread
• 2 oz / 55g (1/3 cup) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped, or mini chips
• 5 Tbsp / 65g butter, melted

For the Peanut Butter Filling

• 1 cup / 237g heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz / 227g mascarpone or cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup / 250g peanut butter
• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar
• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz / 110g (2/3 cup) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped, or chips
• 1 Tbsp / 14g butter
• 1/2 cup / 118g heavy whipping cream

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

Make the Chocolate Crust

1. Oven 325°F / 163°C. Ungreased 9in / 23cm pie dish.
2. In a food processor combine chocolate grahams, butter, and chocolate chips. Pulse until the mixture is uniformly fine crumbs. Or do it the "old fashioned" way and beat the crumbs to oblivion in a well sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin or other hard object, then mixing in the chocolate and butter in a bowl with a spoon.
3. Press evenly into the bottom and sides of pie dish and bake for 8 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside to cool completely.

Make the Peanut Butter Filling

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another bowl if using a stand mixer and set aside.
2. Again in the bowl of a stand mixer or a separate bowl with a handheld mixer, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3. Carefully fold whipped cream into peanut butter mixture in three or four parts.
4. Spoon filling over cooled crust and smooth top. Refrigerate to set.

Make the Chocolate Ganache

1. Place chocolate and butter in a small bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over low heat, just until simmering. The moment you see bubbles remove from heat and pour over chocolate and butter. Let sit for 1 minute to melt chocolate, then whisk briskly until smooth and shiny.
2. Pour over chilled pie. If you don't desire chocolate running over the sides, you may have to wait a minute or two between pourings, or simply don't use all the ganache.
3. Chill for 3-4 hours or overnight until set.

Notes

• If using a shallow pie dish you may have some leftover crust, and that's ok. Don't feel like you have to use all the crust mixture or you may have an impenetrable crust, especially in the corners.
• I frequently substitute whole milk or coconut milk for all or part of the cream in ganache, but usually not when it's a topper as it can separate a bit if you don't use all cream. However, one time when making this I only had 1/4 cup cream left for the topping and so added 1/4 cup whole milk, and it made for a beautiful ganache, even as the topper.
• Top with chocolate chips or chocolate shavings as desired!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

791.91

Fat

62.46 g

Sat. Fat

30.79 g

Carbs

54.43 g

Fiber

3.89 g

Net carbs

50.53 g

Sugar

37.64 g

Protein

12.12 g

Cholesterol

110.56 mg

Sodium

502.22 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 8 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/3/15/peanut-butter-pie-with-chocolate-ganache

best peanut butter pie, PB pie, mascarpone peanut butter pie, chocolate ganache, cookie crust, cream cheese peanut butter pie, no bake

Dessert, Pie

American

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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---

Ganache Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Last Updated October 8, 2024

Oh my gosh! Ganache. Yes, coconut cream pie is delicious.  So are Almond Joys and Mounds.  So why not put them together, add a shortbread crust, put them in the slightly less formidable to cut bar form instead of pie, and voila: Ganache Coconut Cream Pie Bars. 

These bars are slightly involved, but the end product is very worthwhile.  Not to mention, you can make an 8x8 pan worth of bars, or 9x13!  I almost always go the 9x13 route.  This has become a favorite for Christmas, my mom's birthday, and just about any occasion that a little creamy coconut and chocolate is welcome.  As what seems to be turning into a trend, I failed to get any kind of decent photo of the inside, so for now, (or maybe forever...once these are cut into you'll understand why photos never get taken) please enjoy the photos of the whipped cream and toasted coconut topping.  If you'd like an idea of what bliss you're getting in to, take a peak over at Willow Bird Baking, from whom I adapted the recipe, and see her beautiful photos! 

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

---

Ganache Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Makes about 20 servings

Ingredients:

For the Shortbread Crust

• 1 cup (2 sticks) / 226g cold butter

• 2 cups / 240g all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar

For the Ganache

• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp / 87g heavy whipping cream

• 6 oz (1 cup) / 175g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped, or chips

For the Coconut Cream Filling

• 6 cups / 1,422g unsweetened coconut milk or milk of choice

• 4 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups / 300g sugar

• 2/3 cup / 73g cornstarch

• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g salt

• 1 1/2 cups / 150g flaked unsweetened coconut

• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g coconut extract

• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g vanilla extract

For the Whipped Cream Topping

• 2 cups / 464g heavy whipping cream

• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar

• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup / 50g flaked unsweetened coconut, toasted (see below)

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C.  Ungreased 9x13in / 23x33cm baking dish.

Make the Shortbread Crust

1. Cut the butter into flour and sugar using a fork, pastry cutter, or in a food processor.  Once the mixture resembles coarse sand and the butter chunks are no larger than small peas, press mixture evenly into bottom prepared pan. 

2. Bake for 18-22 minutes until lightly golden-brown.  Set aside to cool.  Leave oven on for toasting the coconut.

Make the Ganache

1. While the crust is baking, prepare the ganache.  Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and the cream in a small saucepan.  Over medium-low heat, bring the cream to a simmer.  You can also use the microwave, 30 seconds-1 minute or until cream is just simmering, but not boiling.  

2. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1-2 minutes to melt the chocolate.  Whisk until completely smooth.  

3. Once the crust is finished and partly cooled, pour ganache evenly over crust.  Place in fridge to set.   

Toast the Coconut

Place the 1/2 cup coconut for the topping in a shallow baking dish.  Place in oven and stir every 1-2 minutes, making sure it doesn't over-brown, for a total of 5-10 minutes.  Remove and let cool.

Make the Coconut Cream Filling

1. Combine milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan. 

2. Place over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken and comes to a boil.  This can take anywhere from 15-35 minutes, depending on your stove.

3. Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in coconut and both extracts.  

4. Remove crust from fridge and pour filling over crust.  Place back in fridge to set, 2-4 hours.  

Make the Whipped Cream Topping

1. Whip the cream and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer until stiff peaks form.

2. Spoon over chilled bars, or pipe.  Finish with toasted coconut.  Store in fridge.  

Jenny's Notes:

• Because the ganache in this recipe is not decorative, you can easily substitute coconut milk or another kind for the heavy whipping cream. I prefer using coconut milk, reducing the amount of fat/calories. Save those for when you need the high-shine perfect ganache!

• If you only have sweetened coconut milk or sweetened flaked coconut on hand, go ahead and use those. Simply reduce the sugar by about 1/4-1/2 cup / 50-100g in the filling, if you wish. I prefer to have unsweetened coconut on hand so I can control how much sugar I'm adding to breakfasts, desserts, etc., plus I like the smaller size of flaked and grated coconut vs. shredded.

• For toasting coconut, and every use really, I highly recommend Le Creuset pans. My toasted coconut used to always come out in various shades, but since using Le Creuset it always turns out a beautiful even, golden-brown. They conduct heat evenly and beautifully.

• If a 9x13 pan of coconut cream heaven seems daunting to you, it's super easy to halve this recipe for a 8x8 or 9x9in pan!

• These bars should ideally be eaten within 3-4 days. Otherwise the whipped cream starts to separate and the crust gets soggy.

Yield 20 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 H & 45 M

Cook time

32 Min

Total time

2 H & 17 M

Print

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Ganache Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Shortbread crust, a thin layer of ganache, classic coconut cream pie filling, all topped with fresh whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

For the Shortbread Crust

• 1 cup (2 sticks) / 226g cold butter
• 2 cups / 240g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar

For the Ganache

• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp / 87g heavy whipping cream
• 6 oz (1 cup) / 175g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped, or chips

For the Coconut Cream Filling

• 6 cups / 1,422g unsweetened coconut milk or milk of choice
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups / 300g sugar
• 2/3 cup / 73g cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g salt
• 1 1/2 cups / 150g flaked unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g coconut extract
• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g vanilla extract

For the Whipped Cream Topping

• 2 cups / 464g heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar
• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup / 50g flaked unsweetened coconut, toasted (see below)

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

Make the Shortbread Crust

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C. Ungreased 9x13in / 23x33cm baking dish.
2. Cut butter into flour and sugar using a fork, pastry cutter, or in a food processor. Once mixture resembles coarse sand and butter chunks are no larger than small peas, press mixture evenly into bottom prepared pan.
3. Bake for 18-22 minutes until lightly golden-brown. Set aside to cool. Leave oven on for toasting the coconut.

Make the Ganache

1. While crust is baking, prepare ganache. Place chocolate in a medium bowl and cream in a small saucepan. Over medium-low heat, bring cream to a simmer. You can also use a microwave, 30 seconds-1 minute or until cream is just simmering, but not boiling.
2. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for 1-2 minutes to melt chocolate. Whisk until completely smooth.
3. Once crust is finished and partly cooled, pour ganache evenly over crust. Place in fridge to set.

Toast the Coconut

1. Place 1/2 cup coconut for topping in a shallow baking dish. Place in oven and stir every 1-2 minutes, making sure it doesn't over-brown, for a total of 5-10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Make the Coconut Cream Filling

1. Combine milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan.
2. Place over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken and comes to a boil. This can take anywhere from 15+ minutes, depending on your stove.
3. Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in coconut and both extracts.
4. Remove crust from fridge and pour filling over crust. Place back in fridge to set, 2-4 hours.

Make the Whipped Cream Topping

1. Whip cream and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer until stiff peaks form.
2. Spoon over chilled bars, or pipe. Finish with toasted coconut. Store in fridge.

Notes

• Because the ganache in this recipe is not decorative, you can easily substitute coconut milk or another kind for the heavy whipping cream. I prefer using coconut milk, reducing the amount of fat/calories. Save those for when you need the high-shine perfect ganache!
• If you only have sweetened coconut milk or sweetened flaked coconut on hand, go ahead and use those. Simply reduce the sugar by about 1/4-1/2 cup / 50-100g in the filling, if you wish. I prefer to have unsweetened coconut on hand so I can control how much sugar I'm adding to breakfasts, desserts, etc., plus I like the smaller size of flaked and grated coconut vs. shredded.
• For toasting coconut, and every use really, I highly recommend Le Creuset pans. My toasted coconut used to always come out in various shades, but since using Le Creuset it always turns out a beautiful even, golden-brown. They conduct heat evenly and beautifully.
• If a 9x13 pan of cream coconut heaven seems daunting to you, it's super easy to halve this recipe for an 8x8 or 9x9in pan!
• These bars should ideally be eaten within 3-4 days. Otherwise the whipped cream starts to separate and the crust gets soggy.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

446.04

Fat

30.59 g

Sat. Fat

21.07 g

Carbs

41.54 g

Fiber

2.52 g

Net carbs

39.02 g

Sugar

26.41 g

Protein

4.58 g

Sodium

152.00 mg

Cholesterol

92.63 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 20 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/2/7/ganache-coconut-cream-pie-bars

Coconut Cream pie, bars, shortbread, chocolate ganache, fresh whipped cream, toasted coconut

Dessert, Pie, bars

American

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---

Classic Italian Tiramisù: The Real Deal.

As in, I could just copy and paste the original recipe in Italian, and we could all follow the pretty pictures to make it.  That doesn't sound very reliable to me, so I shall do my best to translate it.  Maybe also not very reliable. My point is, this is a good, sound, Italian written recipe of Tiramisù.  Raw eggs, real mascarpone (pronounced mas-car-pohn-AY no matter what those chefs on Food Network say.  I cry a little on the inside when people insist on saying mars-cah-pone.  There is no R before the C. Mas-car-pone is acceptable, as that would be how to say it in English.  But deep down we all want to be a bit more Italian, no?) no cream cheese involved.  It's so simple, and the ingredients are few. Mascarpone can be quite expensive in the States, which is why many substitute cream cheese, but it is so worth the splurge.  If you do feel the need to use cream cheese, (I don't know, maybe your 3 year-old wants tiramisù for a birthday party of 50??) then maybe don't call it tiramisù, call it something else.  Tiramigiù, maybe.  :)

Just like any replication, it will never be as good as in the place where it was founded and crafted and came to fame.  Some of the best mascarpone will be found here in Italy, and at much cheaper costs.  In fact, it's cheaper than cream cheese. Even if you take the exact same method and make mascarpone in another country, those cows will be different cows, who eat different sustenance, and produce milk that tastes different .  Not to mention if the first time you ever tried tiramisù was on your first trip to Italy, surrounded by cobblestone streets, freshly hung laundry on the corner, magnificent old buildings, and the too-loud Italian conversations and even louder hand gestures whirling about, that is something very hard to replicate in anywhere but Italy.  

That said, this is the best recipe for Tiramisù I have yet found.  No, it's not from a wonderful Italian nonna (grandma) I know from down the street or a recipe handed down for generations in one of my friend's families, but I did listen to a podcast once in Italian where a girl was making tiramisù with a nonna and it was essentially the same as the one I'm about to share with you. That counts, right? Ok, andiamo! (Let's go!) 

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Original recipe in Italian or English, with video and step by step photos, on GialloZafferano.

---

Classic Italian Tiramisù

Serves 12-15

Ingredients:

• 220g / about 4 medium eggs, as fresh as you can get them

• 100g / 1/2 cup sugar

• 500g mascarpone

• 300g / about 1 medium package Savoiardi (lady fingers)

• 300g / 1 1/4 cup brewed coffee from a Moka pot or very strong coffee, sweetened to taste and cooled

• Cocoa powder for dusting the top

Directions:

1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites, placing the yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer and setting aside the egg whites, or placing them in two medium bowls if you plan on using an electric hand mixer. 

2. Beat the yolks, slowly adding half the sugar.  

3. When the mixture becomes light and frothy, beat in the mascarpone, a little at a time.  Once all the mascarpone is beat in, you should have a dense and creamy mixture.  

4. Clean the beaters well or transfer mascarpone mixture to another bowl and clean the stand mixer bowl and beater.  Beat the egg whites, slowly adding in the rest of the sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks form.

5. Add one spoonful of the beaten whites to the mascarpone mixture, stirring energetically with a spatula, to begin to lighten it.  Then continue adding the egg whites, folding in delicately one spoonful at a time, until all has been incorporated. 

6. In a 30x20cm / 8x11in pan, spoon about 1/3 of the cream mixture into the bottom and spread evenly.  Place your cold coffee in a shallow bowl or dish.  Dip your savoiardi in the coffee for a few seconds and place in rows over the cream until an even layer has been established.  

7. Spoon another third of cream evenly over the savoiardi and repeat another layer of coffee soaked savoiardi.  Top with the remaining cream and smooth evenly.  

8. Dust with cocoa powder using a sieve and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.             

Buon Appetito!

Jenny's Notes:

• Most grocery stores and supermarkets carry mascarpone and lady fingers in the States, mascarpone being with the cheese or special cheese, lady fingers are in the "imported" section in my local grocery store.

• Remember that in order to beat egg whites there must not be any trace of egg yolk or grease or they won't beat up properly.

• One way to tell if your egg whites have been properly beaten is to hold the bowl upside down. The egg whites shouldn't move. Of course, at this point you should already be confident that your whites are stiff enough so you don't end up with, um, egg whites everywhere. It is possible to overbeat egg whites, so don't over do it or they become dry.

• The Italians making this recipe said they added only 1 tsp of sugar to the coffee, I don't usually add any. If you prefer sweeter desserts, you may decide to add more.

• If you don't have a 30x20cm / 8x11in pan on hand, you can use a 9x13in. Or halve the recipe and use an 8x8in / 20x20cm or 9x9in.

• When dipping the Savoiardi I found 4-5 seconds to be ideal. Any less and the coffee didn't soak all the way through, any more and the cookies became over-saturated and broke. When you start running out of coffee you may need to dip one side of the cookie and then the other to get an even soak.

• Some say it's almost a sin if you cut into the tiramisù if it has been in the fridge for any less than 24 hours. I think it's optimal after just a few hours, and best if eaten within a few days.

• Can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Yield 12-15

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

45 Min

Total time

45 Min

Print

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Classic Tiramisù

Recipe for the classic Italian tiramisù with savoiardi (ladyfingers), mascarpone, raw eggs, and not too much sugar. Translated from Italian.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 220g / about 4 medium eggs, as fresh as you can get them
• 100g / 1/2 cup sugar
• 500g mascarpone
• 300g / about 1 medium package Savoiardi (lady fingers)
• 300g / 1 1/4 cup brewed coffee from a Moka pot or very strong coffee, sweetened to taste and cooled
• Cocoa powder for dusting the top

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites, placing the yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer and setting aside the egg whites, or placing them in two medium bowls if you plan on using an electric hand mixer.
2. Beat the yolks, slowly adding half the sugar.
3. When the mixture becomes light and frothy, beat in the mascarpone, a little at a time. Once all the mascarpone is beat in, you should have a dense and creamy mixture.
4. Clean the beaters well or transfer mascarpone mixture to another bowl and clean the stand mixer bowl and beater. Beat the egg whites, slowly adding in the rest of the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.
5. Add one spoonful of the beaten whites to the mascarpone mixture, stirring energetically with a spatula, to begin to lighten it. Then continue adding the egg whites, folding in delicately one spoonful at a time, until all has been incorporated.
6. In a 30x20cm / 8x11in pan, spoon about 1/3 of the cream mixture into the bottom and spread evenly. Place your cold coffee in a shallow bowl or dish. Dip your savoiardi in the coffee for a few seconds and place in rows over the cream until an even layer has been established.
7. Spoon another third of cream evenly over the savoiardi and repeat another layer of coffee soaked savoiardi. Top with the remaining cream and smooth evenly.
8. Dust with cocoa powder using a sieve and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Notes

Remember that in order to beat egg whites there must not be any trace of egg yolk or grease or they won't beat up properly. One way to tell if your egg whites have been properly beaten is to hold the bowl upside down. The egg whites shouldn't move. Of course, at this point you should already be confident that your whites are stiff enough so you don't end up with, um, egg whites everywhere. It is possible to overbeat egg whites, so don't over do it or they become dry.The Italians making this recipe said they added only 1 tsp of sugar to the coffee, I don't usually add any. If you prefer sweeter desserts, you may decide to add more.If you don't have a 30x20cm / 8x11in pan on hand, you can use a 9x13in. Or halve the recipe and use an 8x8in / 20x20cm or 9x9in.When dipping the Savoiardi I found 4-5 seconds to be ideal. Any less and the coffee didn't soak all the way through, any more and the cookies became over-saturated and broke. When you start running out of coffee you may need to dip one side of the cookie and then the other to get an even soak.Some say it's almost a sin if you cut into the tiramisù if it has been in the fridge for any less than 24 hours. I think it's optimal after just a few hours, and best if eaten within a few days.Can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

327.99

Fat

20.59 g

Sat. Fat

11.84 g

Carbs

9.97 g

Fiber

0.08 g

Net carbs

9.88 g

Sugar

9.38 g

Protein

3.90 g

Sodium

202.45 mg

Cholesterol

111.33 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 12 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/1/23/tiramis-the-real-deal

authentic tiramisu, Italian tiramisu, real tiramisu, original tiramisu,

Dessert

Italian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jenevamorris on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

I have somehow never managed to get a photo after it has been dug into. And I couldn't take photos before, because, well, Christmas and other events. "Who broke into the dessert early?!?!" I never would've hear the end of it.

---

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Last Updated August 13, 2024

Nothing is quite as satisfying to make as homemade bread. From the relaxing kneading of the dough, to the mouth-watering aroma that fills the house as the bread bakes, to slicing into a fresh loaf, it’s one of the simple pleasures of life.

Add in a cinnamon raisin swirl and it can be hard to imagine it getting much better. This bread makes for wonderful eating plain, and even better toast. Use it for French Toast or however you best like to use bread!

Note: I used sourdough starter to make the loaves in the pictures. I didn't leave enough time for rising, and thus you can see you the crumb is rather tight and dense. Delicious nonetheless, but know that if you use instant yeast (or sourdough and allow for proper proofing) your loaves should be taller! 

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from The Kitchn

---

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Makes 2 9-inch loaves

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 150g raisins

• 1 cup / 237g hot water

• 1 Tbsp / 10g active dry or instant yeast

• 1 cup / 237g milk

• 4 Tbsp / 56g melted butter or oil

• 2 tsp / 9g salt

• 5 1/2 - 6 cups / 660 - 720g all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar

• 1 1/2 Tbsp / 12g cinnamon

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp / 9g water

Directions:

Oven 375°F / 190°C.  2 greased loaf pans, approximately 9 x 5in / 23 x 13cm.  

1. Place raisins in a small bowl with the hot water and let plump for at least 10 minutes.  

2. Drain water from raisins into the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl.  Set raisins aside.  Sprinkle yeast over the water.  If you're using active dry, let the yeast sit for a few minutes until it starts to foam; if you're using instant, proceed to the next step. 

3. Add milk, butter, and salt to yeast mixture and stir well.  Add 5 cups / 600g of flour, mixing to incorporate. 

4. Switch to the dough hook or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8 - 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary.  At the end, test to see if your dough is ready by performing the window pane test (see notes.)  If not, continue to knead dough until it passes.  

5. Toss raisins with a bit of flour to absorb any residual water.  Add to your dough, and knead until evenly distributed.  If using a stand mixer, you may find this easier to do by hand.  

6. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover, and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  

7. Meanwhile, combine the sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl.  

8. Beat the egg with the 2 tsp water in another small bowl. 

9. When the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into two equal pieces.  Starting with one half, roll dough into a rectangle about 9in / 23cm wide and at least 18in / 46cm long. 

10. Brush the dough evenly with some of the egg wash, leaving one narrow end dry; sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Starting from the opposite short end, roll dough up and pinch the seam to seal. 

11. Transfer to the loaf pan, placing seam side down.  Repeat with other half of dough.  

12. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.   

13. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and internal temperature reads 185 - 190°F / 85-88°C. 

14. Let bread cool 10 minutes before removing from pans and allowing to cool completely.

Jenny's Notes:

• If the dough shrinks back on you as you're rolling it out, let it rest for a few minutes and try again.  

• If you have leftover egg wash and cinnamon sugar, you can brush the top of the loaves with the egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking.  

• Loaves can be frozen for later enjoyment.

Yield 24 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 Hour

Cook time

40 Min

Total time

1 H & 40 M

Print

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Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Enriched white bread with swirls of cinnamon and plump raisins throughout.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 1 cup / 150g raisins
• 1 cup / 237g hot water
• 1 Tbsp / 10g active dry or instant yeast
• 1 cup / 237g milk
• 4 Tbsp / 56g melted butter or oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 5 1/2 - 6 cups / 660 - 720g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup / 100g sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp / 12g cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp water

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. Oven 375°F / 190°C. Grease 2 loaf pans, approximately 9 x 5in / 23 x 13cm.
2. Place the raisins in a small bowl with the hot water and let plump for at least 10 minutes.
3. Drain the water from the raisins into the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl. Set the raisins aside. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. If you're using active dry, let the yeast sit for a few minutes until it starts to foam, if you're using instant, go ahead and proceed to the next step.
4. Add the milk, butter, and salt to the yeast mixture and stir well. Add 5 cups / 600g of flour, mixing to incorporate. Switch to the dough hook or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8 - 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary. At the end, test to see if your dough is ready by performing the window pane test (see notes.) If not, continue to knead the dough until it passes.
5. Toss the raisins with a bit of flour to absorb any residual water. Add to your dough, and knead until evenly distributed. If using a stand mixer, you may find this easier to do by hand.
6. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover, and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
7. Meanwhile, combine the sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl.
8. Beat the egg with 2 tsp water in another small bowl.
9. When the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into two equal pieces. Starting with one half, roll dough into a rectangle about 9in / 23cm wide and at least 18in / 46cm long.
10. Brush the dough evenly with some of the egg wash, leaving one short end free, and sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Starting from the opposite short end, roll the dough up and pinch the seam to seal.
11. Transfer to the loaf pan, placing seam side down. Repeat with other half of dough.
12. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
13. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and internal temperature reads 185 - 190°F / 85-88°C.
14. Let bread cool 10 minutes in pans before removing and allowing to cool completely.

Notes

• If the dough shrinks back on you as you're rolling it out, let it rest for a few minutes and try again.
• If you have leftover egg wash and cinnamon sugar, you can brush the top of the loaves with the egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking.
• Loaves can be frozen for later enjoyment!
• If you really dig raisins, add more than 1 cup! Just be aware, though, if you start to add too many (I would imagine more than 2 cups) then they could start to weigh down your dough, not allowing for a full rise.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

171.35

Fat

2.64 g

Sat. Fat

1.44 g

Carbs

33.09 g

Fiber

1.42 g

Net carbs

31.67 g

Sugar

7.96 g

Protein

4.10 g

Cholesterol

13.56 mg

Sodium

218.89 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 24 servings or 12 servings per loaf.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/1/12/cinnamon-raisin-swirl-bread

cinnamon raisin bread, cinnamon raisin swirl bread, cinnamon toast,

Bread, Breakfast, Brunch

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

---

Caramel Cream Pie

Last Updated August 13, 2024

Caramel cream pie is a pie that you should be adding to your pie repertoire ASAP. A homemade buttery pie crust, with a light, creamy, caramel-y filling, topped with more whipped cream and more caramel. Decadent and oh so worth it.

Homemade pies can sometimes feel intimidating, but this one really is not hard to make! You can make your own homemade caramel (I have a recipe for that here, also linked below), or you can rely on a good ol’ can of dulce de leche for absolute ease. I’ve made this pie with both options and it’s absolutely delicious either way.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Shugary Sweets

---

Caramel Cream Pie

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

For the Crust

• 1 1/3 cup / 160g all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g salt

• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter, cold, cut into small pieces

• 4-6 Tbsp / 59 - 89g ice water

For the Caramel Cream filling and topping

• 1 14oz can / 380g dulche de leche, your favorite caramel, or 1/2 recipe of this Caramel Sauce

• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, room temperature

• 2 1/2 cups / 605g heavy whipping cream

• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar

Directions:

Make the Crust

Oven 425°F / 220°C. Ungreased 8 - 9in / 20 - 23cm pie dish. 

1. In a medium bowl whisk together flour and salt.  Blend in cold butter using a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands.  You want the butter to end up in small pieces, like peas. 

2. Add the ice water, starting with 4 Tbsp / 59g, mixing as little as possible.  The dough should be able to hold together in a ball, without being too dry and shaggy or too wet.  Add more water if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time.  

3. Place dough on a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disc, and wrap tightly.  Place in the fridge for 1 - 48 hours.  

4. After the crust has rested, roll into a circle on a lightly floured surface or silpat.  Roll a few times with your rolling pin in one direction before turning the crust 45° (quarter turn) and continuing with a few more rolls.  Periodically check under the crust to make sure it isn’t sticking and sprinkling more flour if needed. Continue like this until your crust is nicely round and roughly 2in / 5cm larger than your pie dish.  

5. Carefully transfer crust to pie dish (this is easier if using a silpat), trim the excess overhang if necessary, and fold the ends under. Crimp as desired, or press with a fork.  Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork.  The crust can also be refrigerated at this point, if needed.  

6. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden-brown.  Cool completely.  

Make the Caramel Cream filling and topping

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup / 120g caramel.  Set aside.

2. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, beat whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.  Reserve 1/2 cup for the topping.  Fold the remaining whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, about a quarter at a time.  

3. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining caramel for the topping.  Spread the rest into the bottom of the crust.  Spread cream cheese mixture over caramel.  

4. Top pie with reserved 1/2 cup whipped cream and caramel, using a spoon or piping desired.

Jenny's Notes:

• For the crust, you can also use a food processor, pulsing in the butter until it has the desired consistency.  Just be sure to remove the dough from the food processor and mix in the water with a fork or pastry cutter so you don't overwork the dough.  You want to work it as little as possible once you add the water. The liquid helps to awaken the gluten, and the more you work it and the gluten strands develop, the tougher your crust will be.  The minimum of 1 hour rest in the fridge allows what gluten inevitably developed to relax.  

• If you are having problems with a shrinking crust, try using a metal or ceramic pie dish and allowing the crust more time to rest before baking.  

• I have made this pie several times over the past year, and have always needed all 6 tablespoons of water, possibly because it was always during the dry winter.  If you live in a really dry climate, you might need up to 7.  Just be aware, an overly wet crust is more likely to glue itself to the pan during baking.   

Yield 8-12 servings ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 Hour

Cook time

12 Min

Total time

1 H & 12 M

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Caramel Cream Pie

Flaky, buttery crust, whipped caramel filling, and fresh whipped cream with caramel drizzled on top.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

For the Crust

• 1 1/3 cup / 160g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp / 2.5g salt
• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter, cold, cut into small pieces
• 4-6 Tbsp / 59 - 89g ice water

For the Caramel Cream filling and topping

• 1 14oz can / 380g dulche de leche, your favorite caramel, or 1/2 recipe of this Caramel Sauce
• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups / 605g heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup / 50g sugar

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

Make the Crust

1. Oven 425°F / 220°C. Ungreased 8 - 9in / 20 - 23cm pie dish.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour and salt. Blend in cold butter using a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands. You want the butter to end up in small pieces, like peas.
3. Add the ice water, starting with 4 Tbsp / 59g, mixing as little as possible. The dough should be able to hold together in a ball, without being too dry and shaggy or too wet. Add more water if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time.
4. Place dough on a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disc, and wrap tightly. Place in the fridge for 1 - 48 hours.
5. After the crust has rested, roll into a circle on a lightly floured surface or silpat. Roll a few times with your rolling pin in one direction before turning the crust 45° (quarter turn) and continuing with a few more rolls. Periodically check under the crust to make sure it isn’t sticking and sprinkling more flour if needed. Continue like this until your crust is nicely round and roughly 2in / 5cm larger than your pie dish.
6. Carefully transfer crust to pie dish (this is easier if using a silpat), trim the excess overhang if necessary, and fold the ends under. Crimp as desired, or press with a fork. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. The crust can also be refrigerated at this point, if needed.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden-brown. Cool completely.

Make the Caramel Cream filling and topping

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup / 120g caramel. Set aside.
2. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, beat whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Reserve 1/2 cup for the topping. Fold the remaining whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, about a quarter at a time.
3. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining caramel for the topping. Spread the rest into the bottom of the crust. Spread cream cheese mixture over caramel.
4. Top pie with reserved 1/2 cup whipped cream and caramel, using a spoon or piping desired.

Notes

• For the crust, you can also use a food processor, pulsing in the butter until it has the desired consistency. Just be sure to remove the dough from the food processor and mix in the water with a fork or pastry cutter so you don't overwork the dough. You want to work it as little as possible once you add the water. The liquid helps to awaken the gluten, and the more you work it and the gluten strands develop, the tougher your crust will be. The minimum of 1 hour rest in the fridge allows what gluten inevitably developed to relax.
• If you are having problems with a shrinking crust, try using a metal or ceramic pie dish and allowing the crust more time to rest before baking.
• I have made this pie several times over the past year, and have always needed all 6 tablespoons of water, possibly because it was always during the dry winter. If you live in a really dry climate, you might need up to 7. Just be aware, an overly wet crust is more likely to glue itself to the pan during baking.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

652.74

Fat

42.84 g

Sat. Fat

26.73 g

Carbs

56.39 g

Fiber

0.54 g

Net carbs

55.85 g

Sugar

40.81 g

Protein

6.75 g

Cholesterol

128.91 mg

Sodium

437.41 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 8 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/1/2/caramel-cream-pie

caramel cream pie, butter crust, fresh whipped cream, dulche de leche

Dessert, Pie

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

And yet, for as many times as I've made this pie, I've yet to get a photo of it sliced. Oh well, there's butter, caramel, and whipped cream, what more do you need to know?

---

Fresh Peach Cobbler

Last Updated August 11, 2024

I was really tempted to write, The BEST peach cobbler, because, I've never met a better one, but titles with such descriptives usually drive me away.  I try to call it like it is, and this is a peach cobbler, if I know anything. I get a bit tired of seeing THE BEST everything, ya know? Only one can be right, and the rest are...full of themselves? Fudging? Just trying to get more clicks? All of the above?  

However, in my opinion, this is the best.  Why?  Because it's my mom's peach cobbler.  If you have the privilege of knowing my mom, then I need go no further.  However, if you don't, all you need to know is, she's the greatest, and she knows her way around the kitchen.  I think mom's are born knowing stuff like this.  

Summer is all about picking the fresh produce, eating it, baking with it, and canning with it so you can enjoy the bounty of summer even in the winter months.  Of course, nothing beats fresh food, so I think making as many fruity and vegetable-y dishes as you and your family and friends and neighbors and dog and strangers walking by can eat.  

As a last adieu to summer, before the recipes start reflecting fall, here is the recipe for The. Best. Peach Cobbler.  In all its simplicity and flavors of summer.  

Tips for Blanching Peaches

The amount of time needed to blanch peaches largely depends on how ripe your fruit is. The more ripe, the less time it will need to be blanched.

• For very ripe, even over-ripe peaches, blanch for 30-45 seconds. For more perfectly ripe peaches, about 1 minute is good.

• Sightly under-ripe peaches, 1-2 minutes. Keep in mind that under-ripe peaches, no matter how well you blanch them, will be hard to peel.

A successful peach blanching has the peach skins slopping off easily, without the peach itself having gotten too mushy.

The best method for peeling and slicing blanched peaches that I learned from my mom is as follows: Slice peach in half, you can use your knife to gently pry one half of the peach off the pit. Then peel/slop off skin. Continue to slice into wedges. A ripe peach should come off the pit easily, but if it doesn’t, you can cut it into quarters while still attached to the pit. Smaller pieces will be easier to pry of the pit, if necessary.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe from my mama, who has made this since I can remember.

---

Peach Cobbler

Serves about 6 

Ingredients:

• 4 large ripe peaches

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg, for sprinkling, optional

• 1 1/4 cups / 250g sugar

• 3 Tbsp / 42g oil

• 1/2 cup / 119g milk

• 1 cup / 120g all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp / 5g baking powder

• dash of salt

• 1 tsp / 3g cornstarch

• 1 cup / 237g boiling water

Directions:

Oven 375°F / 190°C.     Ungreased 8x8in / 20x20cm baking dish.

Blanch the Peaches

1. Place a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil.  While waiting for water to boil, prepare a large bowl of cold/ice water.  

2. Once water is boiling, carefully place all peaches into the water and blanch (cook briefly in boiling water) for about 1 minute.  Remove from water with a slotted spoon or tongs and immediately dunk in ice water to stop the cooking.  

3. Peel and slice peaches; place in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Make the Cobbler

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil and  3/4 cup / 150g of the sugar.  Add milk, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well. Mixture will be thin. Dollop the batter by spoonful over the peaches.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup / 100g sugar with cornstarch.  Sprinkle evenly over batter in the baking dish.  

3. Finally, pour boiling water over top.  Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the sides are bubbling and the cobbler topping no longer looks doughy.  

4. Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Jenny's Notes:

• The amount of time needed to blanch peaches depends largely on how ripe they are. Very ripe peaches need just 30-45 seconds, perfectly ripe peaches need around 1 minute.

• This recipe is adapted for a 8x8in pan, perfect for a small crowd. Or 1 person. But this is easily doubled for a 9x13in, and then there's enough to go around. Yay! If doubling, blanch the peaches in two batches if you don’t have a big enough pan.

• Skin not coming easily off your peaches? Could be they weren't quite ripe enough. If they're mushy, could be your peaches were overripe or blanched slightly too long.

• Have a different favorite fruit? Go ahead and use it in place of the peaches! This cobbler is very versatile.

• You can use butter in place of oil. I learned from my mom to often use oil in the place of butter simply because of the healthier mono and poly unsaturated fats, versus the mostly saturated fats in butter. Just be aware of what kind of oil you use if you decide to go the "healthier" route, as not all oils are made equally.

Yield 6 servings ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

45 Min

Cook time

1 Hour

Total time

1 H & 45 M

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Peach Cobbler

A classic summer dessert bursting with fresh peaches and topped with a soft and sugary-crusted cobbler topping, all with a hint of nutmeg.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 4 large ripe peaches
• 1 1/4 cups / 250g sugar
• 3 Tbsp / 42g oil
• 1/2 cup / 119g milk
• 1 cup / 120g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp / 5g baking powder
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp / 3g cornstarch
• 1 cup / 237g boiling water

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

Blanch the Peaches

1. Place a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. While waiting for water to boil, prepare a large bowl of cold/ice water.
2. Once water is boiling, carefully place all peaches into the water and blanch (cook briefly in boiling water) for about 1 minute. Remove from water with a slotted spoon or tongs and immediately dunk in ice water to stop the cooking.
3. Peel and slice peaches; place in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Make the Cobbler

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil and 3/4 cup / 150g of the sugar. Add milk, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Mixture will be thin. Dollop the batter by spoonful over the peaches.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup / 100g sugar with cornstarch. Sprinkle evenly over batter in the baking dish.
3. Finally, pour boiling water over top. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the sides are bubbling and the cobbler topping no longer looks doughy.
4. Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Notes

• The amount of time needed to blanch peaches depends largely on how ripe they are. Very ripe peaches need just 30-45 seconds, perfectly ripe peaches need around 1 minute.
• This recipe is adapted for a 8x8in pan, perfect for a small crowd. Or 1 person. But this is easily doubled for a 9x13in, and then there's enough to go around. Yay! If doubling, blanch the peaches in two batches if you don’t have a big enough pan.
• Skin not coming easily off your peaches? Could be they weren't quite ripe enough. If they're mushy, could be your peaches were overripe or blanched slightly too long.
• Have a different favorite fruit? Go ahead and use it in place of the peaches! This cobbler is very versatile.
• You can use butter in place of oil. I learned from my mom to often use oil in the place of butter simply because of the healthier mono and poly unsaturated fats, versus the mostly saturated fats in butter. Just be aware of what kind of oil you use if you decide to go the "healthier" route, as not all oils are made equally.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

352.11

Fat

7.68 g

Sat. Fat

0.63 g

Carbs

69.73 g

Fiber

2.30 g

Net carbs

67.43 g

Sugar

52.46 g

Protein

3.80 g

Sodium

125.34 mg

Cholesterol

0.99 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 6 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/9/29/peach-cobbler

peach cobbler, recipe, fresh peaches, the best peach cobbler, summer dessert, how to make peach cobbler, old-fashioned cobbler

Dessert

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

---

Chocolate Chip Brioche Rolls

But why are they so golden? Many thanks to butter and egg wash.

Last Updated August 11, 2024

I've been thinking about you a lot recently.  How sweet you are, how tender you are, how you like to butter me up. Yeah, you're a little soft, but I love that about you. I wake up in the morning hoping you'll want to meet me for coffee. Will you, brioche? Please say yes. Before life hardens you and you become like a rock. But if not, how about your friend? He looks yummy, too - Oh hey. Welcome to my blog! Yep, I'm writing a recipe about brioche, mmm hmmm. No, I was not talking to the brioche. Just eating. Nom nom nom. See? Delicious. Yep. Believe me and make these, and you'll be talking to your brioche, too.  

Brioche is a yeasted, enriched bread or bun. By enriched I mean, rich in butter, with help from sugar and eggs.  The amount of butter in the recipe for brioche must be equal to or more than 20% of the flour weight, but can go up to 100%.  I like to think of brioche in three categories, as called by Peter Reinhart: 

1. Poor man's brioche - consisting of at least 20% butter

2. Middle-class brioche - consisting of around 50% butter

3. Rich man's brioche - consisting of 50-80% butter, or on rare occasion, more!

To find the butter percentage, divide the weight of the butter by the weight of the flour and multiply by 100.  

Butter weight / flour weight x 100 = Butter percentage

For example, let's take the recipe below, which calls for 6 Tbsp butter or 85g by weight, divided by 2 1/2 cups flour or 300g by weight, which equals 0.28.  Multiply 0.28 by 100 and you get 28.  Thus the butter percentage is 28 percent in this recipe.  Poor man's brioche!  

85 / 300 x 100 = 28

If the words ratio, weight, percentage make you glaze over, stay with me. It can be confusing at first, but understanding these concepts can really enhance your baking experience. Think of it as the key that unlocks all recipes and links them together. Instead of blindly following a recipe, always secretly wondering what will happen if you omit an egg, use baking soda instead of baking powder, add less flour or sugar than called for, formulas such as this can help you compare recipes across the board. You’ll start to notice similarities, how textures are affected by the ratio of liquids to flour, fat to flour, etc. Ok, so baking soda vs. baking powder is more in the realm of science, but also helpful! Science and math, who knew?

Are we done yet? No, on to the poor man's brioche!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Soup Addict

---

Chocolate Chip Brioche Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups / 300g all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp / 6g instant yeast

• 1/3 / 67g cup sugar

• 1 1/2 tsp / 11g salt

• 1/2 cup / 118g milk

• 1/2 cup / 118g buttermilk or sour milk

• 6 Tbsp / 85g butter, room temperature

• 2 eggs

• 1 1/3 cup / 234g chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.  

2. In a small saucepan heat milk and buttermilk until about 105°F / 40°C.  Add to flour mixture and mix until well combined.  

3. With the mixer running, add butter and allow to mix until fully immersed.  Add 1 egg.  

4. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 6-8 minutes, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and starts to make a slapping sound against the bowl.  If the dough is still clinging to the sides, add a touch more flour until it no longer sticks.  

5. Mix in chocolate chips just long enough to incorporate.  

6. Transfer dough to a large oiled bowl.  Flip dough so that both sides are now oiled.  Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to ferment in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.   

7. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and place evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.  

8. Beat second egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush or your fingers to brush each dough well with egg wash. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 hour, or until puffed.  

9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and internal temperature reads about 180°F / 82°C.  

Jenny's Notes:

• If you don’t have buttermilk or sour milk, you can make your own sour milk by adding 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per 1 cup milk.

• After you've made the dough, you can place the dough in the fridge before the first or second ferment. That way the ferment will happen slowly in the fridge, and you can shape or bake the rolls the next day.  Allow the dough to come to room temperature before rolling or baking, then continue as instructed.

• Use any leftover egg wash for another baking venture or omelette!

Yield 12 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

55 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Total time

1 H & 25 M

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Chocolate Chip Brioche Rolls

Buttery, soft, sweet, enriched brioche rolls speckled with chocolate chips.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 2 1/2 cups / 300g all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp / 6g instant yeast
• 1/3 / 67g cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp / 11g salt
• 1/2 cup / 118g milk
• 1/2 cup / 118g buttermilk or sour milk
• 6 Tbsp / 85g butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup / 234g chocolate chips or chunks

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
3. In a small saucepan heat milk and buttermilk until about 105°F / 40°C. Add to flour mixture and mix until well combined.
4. With the mixer running, add butter and allow to mix until fully immersed. Add 1 egg.
5. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 6-8 minutes, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and starts to make a slapping sound against the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the sides, add a touch more flour until it no longer sticks.
6. Mix in chocolate chips just long enough to incorporate.
7. Transfer dough to a large oiled bowl. Flip the dough so that both sides are now oiled. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to ferment in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
8. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
9. Beat the second egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush or your fingers to brush each dough well with egg wash. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 hour, or until puffed.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and internal temperature reads about 180°F / 82°C.

Notes

• If you don’t have buttermilk or sour milk, you can make your own sour milk by adding 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per 1 cup milk.
• After you've made the dough, you can place the dough in the fridge before the first or second ferment. That way the ferment will happen slowly in the fridge, and you can shape or bake the rolls the next day. Allow the dough to come to room temperature before rolling or baking, then continue as instructed.
• Use any leftover egg wash for another baking venture or omelette!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

265.01

Fat

12.95 g

Sat. Fat

7.58 g

Carbs

34.61 g

Fiber

1.96 g

Net carbs

32.65 g

Sugar

13.04 g

Protein

5.38 g

Cholesterol

47.41 mg

Sodium

439.38 mg

Nutritional information is approximate.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/9/20/chocolate-chip-brioche-rolls

brioche, brioche rolls, poor man's brioche, recipe, chocolate chip brioche, butter

Bread, Breakfast

French

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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---

Pinwheels 3 Ways: Avocado Veggie - Buffalo Chicken - Thanksgiving

From top to bottom: Thanksgiving, Veggie, Buffalo Chicken

Last Updated August 11, 2024

Pinwheels. Also known as veggie rolls, veggie wraps, or veggie roll-ups, (but that just makes me think of fruit roll-ups, yuck. No offense to my fruit roll-up loving friends. Actually, every once in a blue moon I see a fruit roll up and think, hey, that sounds good right about now. Then I walk on. That's the end of the story.)  Or you could just call these tortilla/veggie/cream cheese concoctions for what they are; delicious. That would be fine. And the truth.  

Pinwheels make for a great snack or appetizer, or lunch because it can be hard to stop eating these! They're also very portable, quick, and simple to make, which make them ideal for parties, potlucks, lunch at the office, etc.  

The formula is very easy to get the hang of, think tortillas, cream cheese, and your flavors. Deli meat is easy to roll and adds some protein. Chopped, sliced, or grated veggies, raw or cooked, add some nutrients. Other kinds of cheese are tasty. Spices and herbs add flavor. Tuna and sliced hardboiled eggs could be a very European take on these. The options are endless, feel free to create your own!

Following are some of my favorite pinwheel flavors: Fresh Veggie and Avocado, Buffalo Chicken, and Turkey Cranberry a.k.a. Thanksgiving.  

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipes by Jenny

---

Avocado Veggie Pinwheels

Makes about 24 pinwheels

Ingredients: 

Hmm, these photos could use improving upon…

• 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas

• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened

• 1/3 cup shredded carrots, or about 1-2 small carrots

• 1/3 chopped spinach or broccoli

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp dill weed

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1/2 cup guacamole

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, carrots, spinach, green onions, garlic powder, dill weed, and salt and pepper.  

2. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.  Spread a thick layer of guacamole over cream cheese mixture.  Roll up tightly.  

3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices.  Serve or chill until it's par-tay time.  

Yield 24 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

25 Min

Total time

25 Min

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Avocado Veggie Pinwheels

Tortillas slathered with seasoned cream cheese, avocado, and veggies, rolled up and sliced.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas
• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup shredded carrots, or about 1-2 small carrots
• 1/3 chopped spinach or broccoli
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dill weed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup guacamole

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, carrots, spinach, green onions, garlic powder, dill weed, and salt and pepper.
2. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to edges. Spread a thick layer of guacamole over cream cheese mixture. Roll up tightly.
3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

All quantities are very approximate. You could double basically any ingredient you want to have more filling, less filling, more flavor, less flavor. The tortilla is your playground.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

68.72

Fat

4.49 g

Sat. Fat

2.11 g

Carbs

5.73 g

Fiber

0.61 g

Net carbs

5.05 g

Sugar

0.50 g

Protein

1.52 g

Sodium

104.65 mg

Cholesterol

9.47 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 pinwheel.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/8/12/veggie-pinwheels

pinwheels, roll ups, veggie rolls, veggie wraps, avocado, buffalo chicken pinwheels, Thanksgiving pinwheels, vegetable wraps, cranberry sauce, appetizer, finger food, snack

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

---

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

Makes about 24 pinwheels

Ingredients:

• 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas

• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened

• 1/3 cup / 80g Frank's hot sauce

• 1/2 cup cooked chopped or shredded chicken

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped

• 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, hot sauce, chicken, green onion, and blue cheese.

2. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.  Roll up tightly.  

3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices.  Serve or chill until it's par-tay time.   

Yield 24 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Total time

15 Min

Print

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Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

Tortillas slathered in Frank's hot sauce and cream cheese with chicken and green onions, rolled, and sliced for bite size hot wing pinwheels.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas
• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup / 80g Frank's hot sauce
• 1/2 cup cooked chopped or shredded chicken
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled, optional

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, hot sauce, chicken, green onion, and blue cheese.
2. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges. Roll up tightly.
3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

• All quantities are approximate. You could double basically any ingredient you want to have more filling, less filling, more flavor, less flavor.
• I often use canned chicken for the buffalo chicken. Pinwheels aren't exactly a showcase of your cooking/baking skills, anyway, so I like to keep things chop, chop. (Literally)

Nutrition Facts

Calories

74.28

Fat

4.60 g

Sat. Fat

2.40 g

Carbs

5.20 g

Fiber

0.30 g

Net carbs

4.90 g

Sugar

0.42 g

Protein

3.02 g

Cholesterol

14.74 mg

Sodium

177.01 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one pinwheel; includes blue cheese.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/8/12/veggie-pinwheels

pinwheel, veggie roll up, veggie wrap, buffalo chicken, blue cheese, buffalo chicken wrap, buffalo chicken pinwheel, canned chicken

snack, appetizer

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

---

Thanksgiving Pinwheels

Makes about 24 Pinwheels

Ingredients:

• 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas

• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce

• 8 oz sliced deli turkey (or leftover Turkey!)

• 1/3 cup chopped spinach, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl mix together cream cheese, cranberry sauce, and spinach.  Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.  

2. Layer turkey slices over cream cheese mixture.  Roll up tightly.  

3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices.  Serve or chill until it's par-tay time.  

Yield 24 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Total time

15 Min

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Thanksgiving Pinwheels

Tortilla spread with cream cheese, cranberry sauce, and turkey, rolled and sliced for a nostalgic bite-sized taste of Thanksgiving.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas
• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce
• 8 oz sliced deli turkey (or leftover Turkey!)
• 1/3 cup / 15g chopped spinach, optional

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. In a medium bowl mix together cream cheese, cranberry sauce, and spinach. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.
2. Layer turkey slices over cream cheese mixture. Roll up tightly.
3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

• All quantities are approximate. You could double basically any ingredient you want to have more filling, less filling, more flavor, less flavor. Like I said, the tortilla is your playground.
• I like the spinach, it gives it a nice punch of color. It also makes the roll versatile for Christmas, beautiful red and green!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

79.26

Fat

4.10 g

Sat. Fat

2.05 g

Carbs

8.14 g

Fiber

0.39 g

Net carbs

7.75 g

Sugar

2.56 g

Protein

2.63 g

Cholesterol

14.67 mg

Sodium

182.60 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one pinwheel; Includes spinach.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/8/12/veggie-pinwheels

pinwheels, veggie roll ups, Thanksgiving, cream cheese, Thanksgiving pinwheel, Thanksgiving wrap, turkey, cranberry sauce, spinach

snack, appetizer

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

Jenny's Notes:

• All quantities are approximate.  You could double basically any ingredient you want to have more filling, less filling, more flavor, less flavor.  Like I said, the tortilla is your playground.  

• I like the spinach in the Thanksgiving roll, it gives it a nice punch of color.  It also makes the roll versatile for Christmas, beautiful red and green! 

• I usually use canned chicken for the buffalo chicken. Pinwheels aren't exactly a showcase of your cooking/baking skills, anyway, so I like to keep things easy.  

---

Semlor (Swedish Cardamom Buns)

Last Updated August 11, 2024

Semlor are yeasted Swedish sweet buns filled with marzipan and whipped cream with hints of cardamom.

These buns, as I've read, are traditionally associated with Lent and eaten on Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday. You could think of them as the equivalent to Polish paczki. If you're thinking, "Wow, thanks, that helps me so much - WHAT is a paczki??" It's similar to a jelly filled doughnut (but better!!) traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday and pronounced poonch-key or pawnch-key (it’s much debated). There is quite a large Polish population near where I grew up, including an annual Polka Fest! Plenty of polka-ing and beer to go around. Anyway, Semlor are also eaten in various forms and under other names in other Nordic countries such as Finland, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from LondonEats

---

Semlor

Makes 10 buns

Ingredients:

For the Cardamom Buns

• 1 cup / 237g milk

• 7 Tbsp / 100g butter

• 2 tsp / 6.3g instant yeast

• 1/4 tsp / 1g salt

• 1/3 cup / 40g sugar

• 1/2 tsp / 1g ground cardamom

• 2 eggs

• 3 1/2 cups / 450g all-purpose flour or bread flour

• 1 tsp / 5g water, milk, or heavy cream

For the Marzipan Filling

• insides of the buns

• 7 oz / 200g marzipan (make your own marzipan here!)

• generous 3/4 cup / 195g milk

• generous 3/4 cup / 195g heavy whipping cream

• powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Make the Cardamom Buns

Oven 390°F / 200°C. 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat.

1. Place milk in a small saucepan and heat until milk just begins to simmer.  Remove from heat and add butter, stirring to melt.  Once butter is completely melted and integrated, allow mixture to sit until lukewarm.  

2. Place milk mixture, yeast, salt, sugar, cardamom, and 1 egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle.  Beat until all ingredients are incorporated.  Switch to the dough hook and add flour slowly on medium-low speed until a soft dough forms.  Continue to beat for several minutes on medium speed.  You should hear the dough slapping the sides of the bowl, sticking only to the bottom.  If the dough is sticking to the sides, add flour gradually until dough no longer sticks.  

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 1-2 minutes more.  Divide dough into 10 equal portions and roll into balls.  Place evenly prepared baking sheets. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.   

4. Beat the second egg with the water and use a pastry brush or your hands to evenly brush the buns.

5. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown or when internal temperature registers 185-190°F / 85-88°C.  

6. Transfer buns to a cooling rack, cover with a towel, and allow to cool.  

Make the Marzipan Filling

Your filling may look like baby spit-up, too. And that's ok.

1. Once the buns are cool enough to handle, cut out a lid from the top using a small serrated knife. Set the lids aside.  Using a fork, scoop out the inside of each bun and place in a medium bowl.  Crumble/tear with your fingers as best you can.  Add marzipan and milk and work into a smooth paste using your hands or a fork.  

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks from.  

Assembly

1. Fill the buns evenly with the marzipan mixture. Pipe whipped cream over the filling using a large star tip (1M) or a spoon.  

2. Place the tops on the whipped cream, then dust tops with powdered sugar using a small sieve.  

Jenny's Notes:

• I always knead my dough by hand for a bit after kneading it in a machine. The machine doesn't always do a perfect job and I've had instances before where I kneaded solely in the machine and had a strange dough rise as a result. A few rounds of kneading by hand fixed the problem; the yeast hadn't been distributed evenly when kneaded only by machine.

• If you have a scale you can ensure your buns will be all the same size. Weigh the dough mass, then divide this number by 10. This will give you an idea how much each of the 10 buns should weigh. You don't have to be exact down to the gram, of course, but I would stay within 5 or so grams of this number. Divide the dough mass in 2, then divide each half into 5 equal parts. Then weigh each piece to see how accurate your eye was.

• When you "crumble" the filling into pieces you may notice the dough is moist and hard to crumble, but tear it as best you can into small chunks. When you add the milk and marzipan the pieces will absorb the liquid and eventually come together into a smoothish mass.

• I made my own marzipan for this recipe and used rose water. Rose is a very strong flavor, so go light, but I thought it made for a very unique pairing with almond and cardamom and very "European" tasting. Or, leave out the rose if you're skeptical and you'll still have a lovely cardamom/almond combination.

• "Semlor" is plural, so if you would like to eat only one bun, ask for a "Semla."

Yield 10 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 H & 20 M

Cook time

15 Min

Inactive time

1 Hour

Total time

2 H & 35 M

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Semlor (Swedish Cardamom Buns)

Sweet, yeasted cardamom buns with a creamy marzipan filling and whipped cream topping.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

For the Cardamom Buns

• 1 cup / 237g milk
• 7 Tbsp / 100g butter
• 2 tsp / 6.3g instant yeast
• 1/4 tsp / 1g salt
• 1/3 cup / 40g sugar
• 1/2 tsp / 1g ground cardamom
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups / 450g all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 1 tsp / 5g water, milk, or heavy cream

For the Marzipan Filling

• insides of the buns
• 7 oz / 200g marzipan (make your own marzipan here!)
• generous 3/4 cup / 195g milk
• generous 3/4 cup / 195g heavy whipping cream
• powdered sugar, for dusting

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

Make the Cardamom Buns

1. Oven 390°F / 200°C. 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat.
2. Place milk in a small saucepan and heat until milk just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and add butter, stirring to melt. Once butter is completely melted and integrated, allow mixture to sit until lukewarm.
3. Place milk mixture, yeast, salt, sugar, cardamom, and 1 egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat until all ingredients are incorporated. Switch to the dough hook and add flour slowly on medium-low speed until a soft dough forms. Continue to beat for several minutes on medium speed. You should hear the dough slapping the sides of the bowl, sticking only to the bottom. If the dough is sticking to the sides, add flour gradually until dough no longer sticks.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 1-2 minutes more. Divide dough into 10 equal portions and roll into balls. Place evenly prepared baking sheets. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Beat the second egg with the water and use a pastry brush or your hands to evenly brush the buns.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown or when internal temperature registers 185-190°F / 85-88°C.
7. Transfer buns to a cooling rack, cover with a towel, and allow to cool.

Make the Marzipan Filling

1. Once the buns are cool enough to handle, cut out a lid from the top using a small serrated knife. Set the lids aside. Using a fork, scoop out the inside of each bun and place in a medium bowl. Crumble/tear with your fingers as best you can. Add marzipan and milk and work into a smooth paste using your hands or a fork.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks from.

Assembly

1. Fill the buns evenly with the marzipan mixture. Pipe whipped cream over the filling using a large star tip (1M) or a spoon.
2. Place the tops on the whipped cream, then dust tops with powdered sugar using a small sieve.

Notes

• I always knead my dough by hand for a bit after kneading it in a machine. The machine doesn't always do a perfect job and I've had instances before where I kneaded solely in the machine and had a strange dough rise as a result. A few rounds of kneading by hand fixed the problem; the yeast hadn't been distributed evenly when kneaded only by machine.
• If you have a scale you can ensure your buns will be all the same size. Weigh the dough mass, then divide this number by 10. This will give you an idea how much each of the 10 buns should weigh. You don't have to be exact down to the gram, of course, but I would stay within 5 or so grams of this number. Divide the dough mass in 2, then divide each half into 5 equal parts. Then weigh each piece to see how accurate your eye was.
• When you "crumble" the filling into pieces you may notice the dough is moist and hard to crumble, but tear it as best you can into small chunks. When you add the milk and marzipan the pieces will absorb the liquid and eventually come together into a smoothish mass.
• I made my own marzipan for this recipe and used rose water. Rose is a very strong flavor, so go light, but I thought it made for a very unique pairing with almond and cardamom and very "European" tasting. Or, leave out the rose if you're skeptical and you'll still have a lovely cardamom/almond combination.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

436.24

Fat

19.78 g

Sat. Fat

10.76 g

Carbs

56.25 g

Fiber

1.82 g

Net carbs

54.43 g

Sugar

18.41 g

Protein

9.08 g

Cholesterol

84.19 mg

Sodium

149.19 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one semla.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/7/29/semlor-swedish-cardamom-buns

semla,semlor,cardamom buns,marzipan filling,swedish buns, yeasted bread, sweet buns

bread, breakfast, dessert

Nordic

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Created using The Recipes Generator

---

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Last Updated August 11, 2024

Summertime calls for watermelon, lemonade, ice cream, swimming, and cook outs.  And every quintessential cookout will have something to cook outside, usually meat and vegetables in some form.  (I know we're all thinking hamburgers, bratwursts, and hotdogs, but hey, there are some other weird traditions out there, too.)  And if you're cooking out, you're going to need buns and condiments.  And the best condiment award goes to....pickles!!

Not only does it have the best taste (opinion), but it stands alone.  As in, if you eat a pickle, no one will think twice.  But if we see you munching on a romaine lettuce leaf or slurping on a spoonful of ketchup, well, you might get some stares.  Of course, this is coming from someone who doesn't like hamburgers and once ate a romaine sandwich.  As in, onion, ketchup, mustard, and pickles sandwiched between to Romaine lettuce leaves.  Mmmmm.  Yeah, it was weird.  But I was so hungry, and hamburgers were the only option, I rather enjoyed it.  That's now on the worldwide webs.  Maybe I should change my heading to be: "Jenny, the girl who eats condiments like a main dish." Don't worry I won't, only you, my seven followers, are now privy to this information.  Haha.  

Back to pickles.  Now that we have remembered how great pickles are, did you know they are super easy to make at home?  Yes they are, and now you know that too.  Boil some water, throw some ingredients in a jar, chop up some cucumbers, stick them in the fridge, and voila!  Pickles.  

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Recipe adapted from my mama

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Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Makes about 24 spears/servings

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups / 830g water

• 1 1/4 cups / 296g white vinegar

• 1 Tbsp / 12g sugar

• 1 Tbsp / 17g salt

• 1 tsp / 2g turmeric, optional

• 4 cups or about 2-3 large cucumbers, cut into slices, spears, or shape of choice

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 heads fresh dill

• 1 tsp red chili flakes, mustard seeds, or celery seeds, optional

Directions:

1. Stir together water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan.  Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. 

2. In a large glass jar or container, 4-quart or larger, arrange garlic, dill, cucumbers, and any spices you choose to use.  Pour the cooled liquid over the cucumbers, discarding or saving any leftover for another use.  Top with lid, sealing well, and refrigerate.  

3. They will start to taste pickle-y the next day, but for optimum flavor refrigerate at least 3 days before consuming.  

Jenny's Notes:

• I recommend making this recipe once as is to get an idea of the flavor profile, then play around to make it your own!

  1) If you like more bread & butter or sweet style pickles, up the sugar

  2) If you love dill, use more dill

  3) Add sliced onions or bell peppers

  4) Add more red pepper flakes or other hot pepper for more spice

  5) Really, add whatever suits your fancy. The garden is your playground.

• The turmeric is for color, not so much flavor, to get that idyllic yellow pickle.  However, if you could care less about having a yellow pickle or don’t enjoy turmeric, leave it out!  I for one don't think the turmeric is very obvious in this recipe, but it's detectable if you really think about it.  

Yield 24 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Inactive time

72 Hour

Total time

72 H & 25 M

Print

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Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Classic dill pickles made in your refrigerator in just 3 days.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients US Metric

• 3 1/2 cups / 830g water
• 1 1/4 cups / 296g white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp / 12g sugar
• 1 Tbsp / 17g salt
• 1 tsp / 2g turmeric, optional
• 4 cups or about 2-3 large cucumbers, cut into slices, spears, or shape of choice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 heads fresh dill

InstructionsFahrenheitCelsius

1. Stir together water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
2. In a large glass jar or container, 4-quart or larger, arrange garlic, dill, cucumbers, and any spices you choose to use. Pour the cooled liquid over the cucumbers, discarding or saving any leftover for another use. Top with lid, sealing well, and refrigerate.
3. They will start to taste pickley the next day, but for optimum flavor refrigerate at least 3 days before consuming.

Notes

• I recommend making this recipe once as is to get an idea of the flavor profile, then play around to make it your own!
• 1) If you like more bread & butter or sweet style pickles, up the sugar
• 2) If you love dill, use more dill
• 3) Add sliced onions or bell peppers
• 4) Add more red pepper flakes or other hot pepper for more spice
• 5) Really, add whatever suits your fancy. The garden is your playground.
• The turmeric is for color, not so much flavor, to get that idyllic yellow pickle. However, if you could care less about having a yellow pickle or don’t enjoy turmeric, leave it out! I for one don't think the turmeric is very obvious in this recipe, but it's detectable if you really think about it.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

10.04

Fat

0.04 g

Sat. Fat

0.01 g

Carbs

1.91 g

Fiber

0.20 g

Net carbs

1.72 g

Sugar

1.09 g

Protein

0.25 g

Cholesterol

0.00 mg

Sodium

276.95 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one pickle spear.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/7/21/refrigerator-pickles

dill pickles, refrigerator pickles, homemade pickles

condiment, snack

American

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