Day two of the Twelve days of Cookies finds this home paying homage to the Pecan.  (Honestly, you can’t be a Texan if you aren’t making something with pecans.) The cookie of the day?  The Pecan Tassie, from the era of big hair, heavy metal, Depeche Mode and Cindy Lauper.  Gourmet Magazine’s top cookie pick for 1985, and with good reason!

Gourmet stated that these little gems reminded them of pecan pie.  I don’t get that when I taste them, but what I do get is a mouthful of wonderful.  The texture and flavor of these cookies is a bit surprising.  The dough is a bit cake-like, but the topping is very crunchy.  The contrast between the two is wonderful.

The downside?  These cookies don’t hit their stride until they’ve had a chance to sit overnight and cool completely.  I tried them last night when still warm and honestly, I didn’t like them much.  But this morning… Ah, I’m singing a different tune altogether now..  How bout “Just can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode.  It’s fitting for the time, and I like the song!

So, my thoughts on these…  A definite thumbs up for us. We’ll be making these again, I guarantee it.

Now go make some.  Do it now so that you can enjoy them with your coffee in the morning!  Resist the urge to try them warm!  They’re soooo much better the next day it’s just unbeleivable.  Trust me on this.

And don’t forget to check out the other members of our crazy little group.  We’re all making the twelve cookies we thought we’d like most, so you can be sure that there are other great recipes out there for your cookie indulgence.  The list is at the bottom of the post!

Read more…

Popularity: 4% [?]

This is the third in a series of three white chocolate mousse tartlets for the holiday season, look to the end of the article for other recipes.

Although all three of the white chocolate mousse tartlets in this series have the same simple base, the toppings (or additions, if you would like to mix them in with the mousse) make all the difference.  They elevate what is in its own right something magnificent.  This is my personal favorite among the three.

The cranberry compote contrasts wonderfully against the sweet silkiness of the white chocolate mousse in a way it never could against a milk or dark chocolate.  The flavors start out in-your-face, but then blend into something I can only describe as a symphony of flavors and textures unlike any I’ve had before, but I’ll be looking for it in other foods.

If I had to give a description of the way this tartlet tastes, I think I’d compare it to cranberry juice and vanilla bean ice cream, but that really does it no justice. It’s just so much more than that.  You really just have to make this for yourself and see what the end result is.  Trust me, you’ll love it.  I did, and i usually can’t stand white chocolate.

Read more…

Popularity: 3% [?]

This is the second in a series of three white chocolate mousse tartlets for the holiday season, look to the end of the article for other recipes.

This version of white chocolate mousse tartlet bears the same humble base of white chocolate mousse and mini fillo pastry shell as the others in this series, but the flavor combinations are most decidedly more refined.  Topped with toasted macadamias, macerated golden raisins and white chocolate chips, this tartlet is awash with subtle yet intensely different flavors and textures that will tantilize even the most fearsome food snob in your group of friends.

The silky mousse is contrasted wonderfully by the crunch of the white chocolate chip, fillo dough and macadamias, while the raisin packs a small but very potent burst of flavor that is beyond heavenly.

Note: this is an adult treat.  There’s too much alcohol in this particular version for the kiddies!

Read more…

Popularity: 2% [?]

If you’re looking for a bit of “wow” factor at your next dinner or dessert party, give these little guys a go.  They’re number one in a series of three white chocolate tartlets that will have anyone you serve them to thinking you are a pastry chef extraordinaire, even though they are quite simple to make.

Not only are these little tartlets simple, elegant and, of course extremely tasty, they’re the perfect dessert for a larger gathering, since prep can be done on sheet pans or directly on serving platters.  Just lay them out and let your guests, friends or family dive in.  The taste is something like vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with caramel, but a bit subtler, so these should appeal to just about anyone!

Read more…

Popularity: 3% [?]

I can usually avoid desserts, but cheesecake is my weakness.  I can’t be in the same room with a cheesecake and not just have to have some.  It was love at first bite for me, and it’s a love affair I’m happy to say is still alive and well. That’s why when I saw a recipe for Turtle Pumpkin Cheesecake on the cover of a store circular, I knew I just had to make it.

I’m glad I did.  The result was an intensely mousse-like custard with the subtle flavor of a pumpkin pie covered in melting vanilla ice cream.  And you don’t need any ice cream!  This really is one for the “go to” list of recipes, especially if you’re looking for an alternative to pumpkin pie for the holidays.

A word of warning though.  This is a massive cheesecake.  You probably won’t want to make this unless you’ve either  got help polishing it off, or you’re addicted to the gym.  It’s good enough that you won’t be able to stop eating it, and according to the information on the unmodified version, each slice is going to cost you about a quarter of a recommended daily caloric intake. (My version is most definitely higher in calories.)

This thing is like pumpkin flavored crack.  It’s addictive.  You have been warned.

Now where’s my dessert plate?

Read more…

Popularity: 9% [?]

Holiday dessert season has begun.  It’s a fact of life.  You’ve just got to have sweets around for the Holidays, even if for the rest of the year you generally don’t bother with them.  We’re no exception here and we’re kicking off the sweetest season of the year with something that’s not only sinfully delicious, but amazingly simple to make. One of my wife’s personal favorites, Peppermint Bark, but with a little twist.

Peppermint bark is usually made in bars, or simply shattered off of a large sheet like a brittle.  This version is a bit more… Structured.  The bark is poured between a pair of tiny candy canes shaped into a heart.  Cute, yes?  We thought so too.  Unfortunately I can’t claim the idea as my own, we saw it in the Pillsbury circular.  It just looked like a really fun thing to do.

These take nearly no time to put together, but they definitely don’t suffer in appeal.  The kids can help put them together, though I’d leave the chocolate depositing to either an older child or an adult, but as far as decorating goes, let the little ones at it.  They’ll have a blast, and you get help with the candy making.

Read more…

Popularity: 4% [?]

Well folks, it’s that time of year again. parties, gatherings, family, friends and food are the order of the day for the next month and a half or so. The holidays are here, and here at CbsoP, we’re gearing up for the whole thing, both sweet and savory. It’s looking like there will be a flurry of recipes posted over the next week. Way more than my usual. I hope none of them get lost in the shuffle.

Dessert recipes are on the menu for the next few days.  With Turkey day and thanksgiving approaching rapidly, we’re all going to be looking for all the sweets we can get, and I’m here for you… Or to defeat a year of getting in better shape, one of the two. We’re going to have a slew of tartlets, barks, cookies and who knows what else (I think there’s a pie or two coming… )  it’s gonna be great!

And I’m gonna be fat.  But I suffer for my art, you know?

And it is all for you.

Popularity: 1% [?]

My wife entered a cookie contest last week.  These bad boys won first place in the chocolate cookie recipe category, as best chocolate cookie recipe.  So when I tell you these are more than good, I have a panel of judges to back me up.  These bars are sweet, succulent and definitely something we’ll be making all year long, but they are perfect for a Holiday buffet, so don’t pass this recipe up when you are planning your Thanksgiving or Christmas cookie baking!

This is a simple recipe, an even though I usually shy away from anything that uses a mix, in this case I’ll gladly make an exception.  They make in a snap, don’t cost much and are suited for the novice baker (read: me).  The results are fabulous, the oooh-and ahhhh factor is pretty high on the list.  Just place a pretty pyramid of these on a shiny platter and back out of the way.  But I suggest you make two batches if you want any for yourself!

I could talk forever about these, but I think I’ll just let the recipe speak for itself.  It’s that good!

Read more…

Popularity: 10% [?]

Who doesn’t love cheesecake? If made properly it is decadent, creamy, fluffy and just sweet enough to satisfy the cravings of any sweet tooth. It can be made in a variety of flavors, and toppings are always welcome. It plays well with others and finds its place easily as the star dessert at back yard barbecues and five star restaurants.  It’s just that good. The only problem with it is that I have a tendency to eat way too much of one kind and don’t have room to sample others. This little recipe solves all that.

These mini cheesecakes are tiny.  They are perfect for appetizers or if served in all of their possible variations, as a perfect dessert sampling menu. Go crazy with toppings and you could serve a seven course dessert without breaking a sweat. Trust me, the Oooh’s and Ahhhs you’ll get will be worth the effort.

The inspiration for them came from a recipe by Giada DeLaurentis, but as usual, I found Giada’s original version somewhat uninspired.  Oh, they were good, but they weren’t jaw dropping, and they were more labor intensive than this variation. The original called for orange zest, but for my tastes it just didn’t work as well as I’d hoped, so i swapped out for vanilla.  The results were superb.

Read more…

Popularity: 4% [?]

The goal: A supremely simple yet still sweet and unexpected Valentine’s gift for my wife.

The result: Chocolate Peanut Perfection, with a kick from Cajun spices.

I don’t usually “do” Valentine’s Day, at least not in the sense of buying flowers or going out to the best place in town for dinner. (Which would have required reservations made before Thanksgiving.)  I prefer to use my own grubby little mitts to create something that’s mildly surprising and special.  I enjoy it more and so does my wife.

This year I decided early on that I was going to do some happy heart-shaped stuff and since my wife has been doing an amazing job of abstaining from it (fitness testing coming up.) I figured some sort of a sophisticated chocolate treat was in order.

While these little gems are no more than fancy peanut clusters, the flavor is probably not what you would expect at first glance.  The addition of Cajun Seasoning to both the nuts and to the chocolate itself does a wonderful job of adding several different subtle undertones to the chocolate, all of which serve to make it taste even more like chocolate, if that’s possible.

These aren’t perfect, but then I’m lacking in a few of the tools I would like to have when molding chocolate.  They are also quite obviously hand made, and were done so in secret, which is not an easy task when your wife is only out of the house for 4 hours at a stretch. (Melt, mold, fridge, cleanup in less than 2 hours, then cook something that covers the smell of the chocolate…  You try it!)

In the end it all worked.  My wife was presented with a few of these last night.  She was thrilled, which makes me extremely happy.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Read more…

Popularity: 2% [?]