Seven Layer Bars

Seven Layer Bars are an amazing combination of digestives, chocolate, coconut and condensed milk.  I baked a batch to take to work with me and within an hour the entire box was gone. The recipe contains very simple ingredients and is super easy to put together . It is also a great project to make with kids.

   

Though I loved the bars as is, next time I would love to add a salty element to it like pretzels or crushed Ritz crackers. You could also use salted peanuts instead of the almonds.

Recipe Source - Brown Eyed Baker, lightly changed

1 1/2 Cups Crushed Digestive Biscuits
113 Grams Unsalted Butter (Melted)
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts

1/2 Cup Chopped Almonds
1 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

 

1. Line a 9X13 (or one 8x8 square pan for thicker bars) baking tray with aluminium foil with an overhang on both the sides. Grease the foil with butter , making sure to go up the sides.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the crushed digestives with the melted butter. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. There is no need to press it in as this is not a crust.

4. Next add a layer each of the nuts, semi sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and coconut over the biscuit layer.

5. Pour the entire can of the condensed milk all over the pan. Do not press any of the ingredients.

6. Place on the middle rack and bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool in the pan on a wire rack till the bars come to room temperature.

7. Remove the bars using the foil handles and cut into bars. Store in an air tight container.

Happy Eating!!

Cheesecake Bars

Cheesecake is one of my favourite desserts but sometimes you just want to eat it and not wait one full day for the cheesecake to bake and cool. These cheesecake bars are super easy to make and needs only an hours chilling in the fridge. I served them with a simple strawberry sauce made by macerating strawberries in sugar and mashing with a fork. They can be served plain or along with a variety of toppings and sauces like blueberry sauce, chocolate sauce, crushed Oreos, caramel etc.

The original recipe calls for a 9X13 pan but I made them in a slightly smaller pan to get thicker slices.

 

Recipe Source - Given as is from Joy of Baking

Ingredients

For the Crust

2 Cups Crushed Digestive Biscuits
113 Grams Unsalted Butter, Melted
For the Filling
454 Grams Cream Cheese (At room temperature)
1/2 Cup Granulated White Sugar
1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Lemon zest
2 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 13 x 2 inch (23 x 33 x 5 cm) baking pan that has been lined with aluminium foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan. Lightly butter or spray the foil with a non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
4. Add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. 
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed. 
6. Pour the cheesecake filling over the graham cracker base and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes or until the cheesecake batter is just set.
7. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cover and place in the refrigerator for several hours to make the squares easier to cut. To cut into squares - place on a cutting board, remove the foil, and with a sharp knife, cut into 2 inch squares. Have a damp cloth on hand to wipe the knife between cuts. Garnish with fresh berries, if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Happy Eating!!

Orange Chocolate Tiramisu Trifles

I am a big fan of the Dark Chocolate Orange bars from Lindt and love to incorporate them in baked goods. The chocolate is of fantastic quality and the orange flavour is just right. I made this Tiramisu trifle for a picnic in a larger pan and put the remaining cream and ladyfingers in these little glasses. They make for adorable presentation and are handy to serve at home.

I made a simple chocolate whipped cream using the dark chocolate and orange bar and dipped the ladyfingers in dissolved orange jelly (same as Jell-O in the US) to give them an intense orange flavour. Overall I was very happy with the way it turned out and so I am sharing this with you. You can scale this to any quantity you like. The below measurements yields a 8x6 glass dish with 4 inch high sides. I had just enough leftover to fill two mini glasses. Of course I forgot to photograph the dish and had to rely on these two the next day.

Recipe - Makes One 8x6 dish with 4 inch sides - An Everybunny Loves Food Original

Ingredients
2 Boxes Vanilla Flavoured Instant Pudding Mix
3 1/2 Cups Cold Milk
50 Grams Dark Chocolate Orange Bar (like Lindt)
1 Package Orange Flavoured Jelly
1 Cup Boiling Water
1 Cup Cold Water
2 Cups Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar (more or less as per taste)
1 Packet Ladyfinger biscuits (approx. 18 biscuits or as many as you need to fill the dish)

Cocoa Powder for dusting

Fresh Orange Segments for decorating

 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cold milk and vanilla pudding mix. Mix well till smooth. Cover and place in fridge till needed.

2. Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt in 15 second intervals. Keep aside to cool completely.

3. Dissolve the jelly in the boiling water and then add the cold water. Cool completely but do not let it set.

3. Place the whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high till you get soft peaks.

4. With the mixer running slowly add the melted chocolate and whip to stiff peaks. Taste and add powdered sugar, adjust to the sweetness that you like.

5. Now its time to assemble the trifle, keep the trifle dish in front of you and the ladyfingers, orange jelly, pudding and whipped cream ready to use.

6. Dip one lady finger in the orange jelly liquid (do it very quickly, not more than 1 second). Place it on the bottom of the trifle dish. Repeat with the ladyfingers till you have one layer covering the bottom of the dish.

7. Spread two cups of the pudding evenly on the ladyfingers and then add one cup of the whipped cream layer.

8. Repeat the ladyfinger, pudding and whipped cream layers.

9. Dust the top with the drinking cocoa powder and decorate with fresh orange segments. Press a layer of cling film on top and place in fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. Serve Chilled.

Happy Eating!!

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

 

This year Latif wanted me to make Brownies for his birthday, to which my reaction was Meh.. I mean, I do love a good brownie, but when its for your birthday I want to make something that is spectacular. So I started hunting for a dessert that would incorporate brownies and hit two birds with one stone. This Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake hits the spot in all the right places. It is rich, creamy and truly spectacular. Oh and I also added a salted caramel drizzle just for kicks.

 

Even though there are four parts to this cheesecake it all comes together fairly easily.  I made the brownies one night before and chilled them in the fridge for easier cutting. The brownie recipe makes a lot so I would suggest to make just half the recipe (unless you want extra for snacking or some other recipe).
 

 

 

I did double the crust for my cheesecake but found it a bit overwhelming. With the brownies and the ganache already so rich, the Oreo crust was a bit too much for me and some of the tasters (Latif loved it as is). Next time I would try plain chocolate wafers, or just use the original quantity.

 

I also completely screwed up while making the ganache. Instead of melting the butter and cream I melted the butter with the chocolate. I still ploughed on and added warm cream to the mixture and it turned out beautifully. So you don't really need to go through a food processor and can make the ganache the old fashioned way.

Recipe Source - Given as is from Smitten Kitchen with some changes of my own.

Ingredients

For the Brownies
113 Grams Dark Chocolate (I used 70%)
 170 Gms Unsalted Butter
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
3 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1. Preheat oven to 175 Degrees C (350°F). Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

4. Cool brownies, then cut them into 3/4- to 1-inch squares for use in the cheesecake. You will need only 2 Cups for the cheesecake. Add cubes to cake batter as directed below.

For The Crumb Crust
141 Grams Oreo Cookies or Chocolate Wafers (Finely Ground)
5 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (Melted)
1/3 Cup Castor Sugar (I used granulated and I could feel the sugar in my mouth even after baking)
1/8 Tsp Salt

Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

For the Cheesecake
680 Grams (or 24 ounce) Cream Cheese (Softened)
4 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Cup Sugar
2 Cups Brownie Cubes (from recipe above)

1. Make crumb crust as directed above for 24-centimeter cheesecake. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Make filling and bake cake: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

3. Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan.(Very important - I used a cookie sheet with sides - a lot of the butter from the crust seeped out on the pan)

4. Bake in middle of oven for 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.

5. When completely cool, top with following glaze.

For The Ganache Glaze
85 Gms (3 ounces) Semisweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
57 Gms (2 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
4 Tbsp Icing Sugar.

1. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream and butter to simmer and pour over the chocolate.

2. Let it stand for 1 minute, then stir well till chocolate is completely melted.

3. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir until smooth. Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm. Chill cheesecake in fridge for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

 

Happy Eating!!

Pistachio Apricot Layer Cake

 

Every year on Eid I try to make a new cake for our family to enjoy. It is a good time to experiment with indulgent recipes (or maybe not) as I have a lot of mouths to feed. Previously I have made a variety of sweets ranging from very simple desserts like the Oreo Trifle or Cherry Poke Cake to more complicated ones like the White chocolate Layer cake and a Ferrero Rocher Cake.

This year I made a Pistachio cake which is wonderful to eat on its own but even better when slathered with a white chocolate whipped cream. I used fresh apricots to fill the cake and this added another dimension of flavour. In the original recipe the cake uses only half cup pistachios but I have used the full 3/4 cup in the cake with additional 1/4 Cup for decorating.

Recipe Source - Cake Recipe given as is from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
For The Cake
3/4 Cup Skinned Pistachio Nuts
1 2/3 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Cake Flour (I used 1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour with 4 Tbsp Cornflour)
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
226 Grms Unsalted Butter (At room temperature)
1/2 Cup Milk
2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
5 Eggs (lightly beaten)

For The White Chocolate Whipped Cream
170 Grams Premium White Chocolate (I used Lindt)
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream

For Assembly
2 Large Apricots (Cut in half, then cut each half in 8 slices)
1/4 Cup Crushed Pistachios

Bake the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Spread out the pistachios in a baking pan and toast in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or until lightly colored. Transfer to a dish and let cool completely. 

3. Transfer to a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse just enough to grind them finely.

4. Pour into a large mixing bowl and add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend with the mixer on low for 30 seconds. Add the butter, milk, and vanilla and, with the mixer on low, beat until completely incorporated.

5. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beaten eggs in 2 or 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only long enough to blend after each addition. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.

6. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely.

 

Make The Whipped Cream

1. Place the chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl and melt in the microwave in 15 second bursts.

2. Heat 1/2 Cup of the cream to a boil and mix with the melted chocolate. Keep aside till it comes to room temperature.

3. Place the remaining 1 cup cream in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip till soft peaks are formed. Add the melted chocolate and cream mixture (it should not be least bit warm) and whip till you get firm peaks.

 

Assemble The Cake

1. If the cakes are domed slice off the dome and keep for snacking. Place one layer bottom side up on a cake board and add 1 Cup frosting. Spread evenly and arrange a layer of one full apricot slices.

2. Repeat with the second layer, one cup of frosting and second apricot.

3. Top with third layer and cover the cake with remaining cream. Decorate as desired with the crushed pistachios.

4. Serve at room temperature. Store fully covered in the fridge upto three days.

Happy Eating!!

Double Berry Buttermilk Bundt

This cake is super simple to make and looks amazing with sweet  juicy berries studded throughout. I was itching to bake something and had limited ingredients at hand when I spotted this beauty on Smitten Kitchen. Berries? Check. Buttermilk? Milk and lemon juice substitute to the rescue. Here we go!

While the original recipe has a glaze on top, I think the cake is sweet enough without it. You can also add any fruit to it (cherries, raspberries, peaches etc., avoid very watery fruits) and mix up the ratios as you like as long as it is up to 3 cups of fruit. This makes a large bundt so make sure you have enough mouths to share. Or maybe not.

Recipe Source - Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (355 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (20 grams) All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp (10 grams) Baking Powder
1 Tsp Salt
1 Cup (225 grams) Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
1 3/4 Cups (340 grams) Granulated Sugar
3 Large Eggs (at room temperature)
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
3/4 Cup (175 ml) Buttermilk (I used milk and lemon juice substitute)
3 Cups (350 to 450 grams) Mixed Berries (I used 2 Cups frozen strawberries and 1 Cup frozen blueberries)

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 170° C (350°F). Grease a 10-cup Bundt pan, either with butter or a nonstick spray. Keep aside. If using frozen berries remove from freezer and place in a strainer to defrost.

2. In a medium bowl, add 2 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk well and keep aside.

3. In the bowl of your stand mixer or another large bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes on high until light and fluffy.

4. Turn the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides with a spatula between each addition.  

5. Add the vanilla and beat lightly.

6. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add half the buttermilk, then repeat 1/3 flour and remaining buttermilk. Finish with remaining 1/3 flour and beat just to combine. 

7. Take the berries in a bowl and add the two tablespoon flour. Toss to coat. Gently fold in the berries in the cake batter. 

8. Spread the batter in the greased pan and place in the centre rack of the oven. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. My oven runs a little hot so my cake was done in 45 minutes.

9. Remove from oven and set on wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert cake on cooling rack and cool completely. Serve and enjoy or keep in an air tight container.

Happy Eating!!

Chewy Brownies from Cooks Illustrated

I am not a snob when it comes to brownies and I will happily eat them as long as they fulfil two criteria - they must be super chocolatey (not a real word, I checked) and they must not be too sweet. These chewy brownies qualify on both counts and they are super easy to make. I first made them to go in the Frozen Brownie Sundae and then once more because I wanted to eat more brownies. One small change on my part was on the type of chocolate used, not because of any personal preference but more because of what is available here in Dubai. It is very difficult to find good affordable baking chocolate so I usually stick to Lindt as it is good quality and reasonably priced.

Recipe Source - Cook's Illustrated via Brown Eyed Baker (My changes in red)

Ingredients - Makes one 9x13 pan

1/3 Cup Dutch-processed cocoa (used regular cocoa)
1½ teaspoons instant espresso (optional) (used instant coffee)
½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (used Lindt 80% dark chocolate)
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (used sunflower oil)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups (17½ ounces) sugar
1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces (used semi sweet chocolate) 

 

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving about a one-inch overhang on all sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk cocoa, espresso powder, and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.

3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool 1½ hours.

4. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

 

Happy Eating!