Satisfy My Sweet Tooth

Simple Measurement Equivalents

Mercedes — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:00:29 +0000

I often find myself wanting to cut a recipe in half or double it and I have a great table with measurement conversions that I wanted to share with you. I will also include this this on it’s own page (link on the top bar) so that it can be a quick reference for you anytime you need it. I hope this helps in your everyday quest to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth!

Nutella Tartlets

Mercedes — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:00:57 +0000

Last week I shared one of my favorite ways to whip up a quick last-minute dessert by using phyllo cups. The desserts I shared with you were these springy Lemon Curd Tarts.

Today I want to share another easy filling that you can add to these cups. I am like most other people in that I love Nutella, so when a found a recipe for a Chocolate Hazelnut Tart, I was just waiting for an excuse to make it. The recipe was actually for a 12-inch tart, but I did not have time to make a crust on this particular day, so I cut the filling recipe in half, filled the phyllo cups and topped each one with a toasted hazelnut. The tartlets were perfect for a little one-bite fix!

The filling requires no baking and really couldn’t be much simpler. Literally 5 ingredients and 5 minutes later and you will have a thick and creamy Nutella filling that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tartlets

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: no-bake dessert chocolate nutella tart filling

Ingredients (15 tartlets)

Pre-made phyllo dough cups (found near pie crust in frozen section at most grocery stores)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp Nutella
1/4 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
15 toasted hazelnuts (for garnish)

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and cornstarch to combine.

Combine remaining ingredients (EXCEPT toasted hazelnuts) in a small saucepan.

Turn heat to medium and whisk in the cornstarch mixture.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes after boiling point.

Remove from heat and pour into phyllo cups using a teaspoon or small cookie scoop. Top each tart with a toasted hazelnut.

Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine

in a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup cream

combine all other ingredients (except toasted hazelnuts) in a small saucepan

whisk in cornstarch mixture

bring to a boil and continue stirring until thickened, about 2 minutes

pour filling into phyllo cups, top with toasted hazelnut and refrigerate

The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Mercedes — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:00:53 +0000

Usually I like at least one form of chocolate in my baked goods, but one of the exceptions that satisfies me without chocolate is a good, chewy oatmeal raisin cookie.

I love the way the oatmeal keeps the cookie soft and the sweet burst of flavor from the raisins. And with oatmeal being such a healthy food, I can feel good about eating this snack. I tweaked the leavening agents a bit in this recipe to deliver a bit thicker cookie. I don’t like when my cookies begin as nice mounds but then ooze in the oven only to leave me with flat cookies with mix-ins protruding out everywhere.

There are also a few Rice Krispies thrown into this batter to give the cookies a little crunch. You should know by know how important texture is to me. And the final addition that also helps make the cookies extra chewy is a bit of shredded coconut. You really can’t detect a coconutty flavor, you just know there is something extra special going on.

I already shared my all-time favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie with you,

and I can pretty confidently say that I am now introducing you to the last Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe I will ever make.

*Note: If you are a fan of Paradise Bakery‘s cookies, this one comes pretty close to their oatmeal raisin.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake dessert oatmeal cookie

Ingredients (18 cookies)

1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup Rice Krispies
1/2 shredded coconut
3/4 cup raisins

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl and with an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix to incorporate.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix to incorporate.

Add oats, Rice Krispies, coconut and raisins and mix.

Scoop 1/4 cup-sized balls of dough onto cookie sheets using a cookie scoop or spoon (6 per sheet) and flatten slightly.

Bake 10 minutes. Cool on racks.

Recipe adapted from The Lemonista

cream butter and sugar together

add egg and vanilla

mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon

mix in oats, rice krispies, coconut and raisins

place dough onto cookie sheets and bake

Do you have recipes for things that are SO GOOD you never feel the need to try another recipe? What are they for?

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Mercedes — Sat, 05 May 2012 11:00:54 +0000

I was so excited when my friend Anna asked me to make some sweet treats for her party guests. Anna is an amazing makeup artist and makes making someone over look like it requires no effort at all. She asked me to make some cupcakes because she said that she is not much of a baker. I think it is so great to have a group of friends that all have different talents so that we can all learn and benefit from each other. The way that Anna can transform a woman on her wedding today to look like she just stepped off a runway, would be impossible for me, yet making a few sweets was enjoyable and required minimal effort for me. I think it is empowering to recognize the strengths that we all possess. What talents do you have to offer your friends and family?

Anna asked me to make cupcakes but I couldn’t resist adding in the Lemon Curd Tarts and Sparkly Pink Ombre Cookie Tree that I shared with you earlier in the week. I also wanted to give my friend what she requested though. Even with all of the fancy cupcake flavor combinations that are out there today, sometimes I like to stick with the classics like these Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

These cupcakes were perfectly infused with vanilla bean flavor and the frosting was so much fun to pipe because of the perfect consistency. The cream cheese adds just enough tang so that the frosting is not too rich but has more of a subtle chocolate flavor. So if you are looking for a new go-to classic vanilla cupcake recipe or a chocolate frosting recipe, may I highly recommend that you try these Mini Vanilla Cupcakes and Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting?

*NOTE: If you don’t have vanilla beans on hand, simply omit and you will still have plenty of vanilla flavor from the extract.

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake dessert vanilla cupcake

Ingredients (~32 mini cupcakes)

1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (omit if you’d like)
1/2 whole milk or half and half

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line mini muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl and with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes. Add eggs and mix to incorporate. Add vanilla and vanilla bean seeds (if using) and mix.

Add half of the flour mixture and mix. Add milk, mix, then add remaining flour mixture and mix well to incorporate.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full of batter using a small cookie scoop or teaspoon.

Bake about 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: chocolate cream cheese frosting

Ingredients (enough frosting for 32 mini cu)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp milk

Instructions

In a large bowl and with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and combined.

Add cocoa powder and mix. Add powdered sugar and mix to incorporate.

Add vanilla and milk and mix until well incorporated.

Frost or cupcakes (or cake) immediately.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook

Sparkly Pink Ombre Cookie Tree

Mercedes — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:00:57 +0000

I am the girliest of girly-girls. Pink, sparkles, heart-shaped things, babies and baby animals all make me giddy. I would love to have lived in the 50′s during the Mad Men days when women were ladies and men stood up when they left or returned to the table. Nothing makes me happier than wearing a flowy dress and high heels and I would wear them everyday if I could. Even with dessert, if something is particularly feminine, I am instantly drawn to it. Like this.

I was in total bliss while constructing this pink ombre cookie tree. And you know me, I love when something turns out beautifully yet was super simple to fabricate. I didn’t have different colored pink sanding sugars so I just added increasing amounts of neon pink food coloring to 3 different bowls of sugar until I had the ombre look I was dreaming of.

This is a dessert from Sprinkle Bakes by Heather Baird. If you haven’t been over to Sprinkle Bakes blog, you really should stop by. Heather is truly an artist. Immediately when I saw this idea in her book, I couldn’t wait for an excuse to make it. The sugar cookies couldn’t be simpler and assembling the tree is a breeze. But the results really turn heads and get people talking. I think this would be a great idea for a shower, wedding or any holiday celebration. The tree is assembled by using a styrofoam cone you can find at any craft store and buttercream to stick the cookies on. Guests get to whimsically pluck a petite sweet from the tree which makes the presentation just that much more fun.

Puffy Sugar Cookies

by Sprinkle Bakes (Heather Baird)

Keywords: bake dessert snack cookie

Ingredients (75 small cookies)

1 cup (16 Tbsp, 1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
colored sanding sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar together. Add vanilla.

Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporate.

Roll dough into teaspoon-sized balls, toss in colored sugar and place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet.

Chill dough in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Bake 12 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: no-bake frosting

Ingredients

8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tsp milk or cream

Instructions

In a large bowl and with an electric mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar together.

Add vanilla and 1 tsp milk and mix.

Continue to add 1 tsp of milk at a time until the buttercream is your desired consistency. If it gets to thin, add more powdered sugar.

Adapted from Sprinkle Bakes

to make the cookies: cream together butter and powdered sugar

add vanilla, then remaining dry ingredients

roll dough into teaspoon-sized balls

drop formed dough into colored sugars and roll to coat

place onto cookie sheet and bake

to assemble the tree, spread 1/2-inch layer of buttercream onto styrofoam cone

place a dollop of buttercream onto your serving platter to hold the cone in place

place cone onto serving platter and finish frosting and smoothing

starting at the bottom, begin to gently press cookies into buttercream

So girly and sparkly, I love it!