Leche de Chocolate (Mexican Chocolate Milk!)

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Ruthanne

Cold, creamy and sweet- this is chocolate milk like you’ve never had it before.  Say hello to one of my favorite treats from the beautiful country of Mexico!

For several years I’ve led mission trips from our church down to a tiny town in Sinaloa, Mexico.  We spend 10 days or so doing Bible school with the kids of the town, helping to build a church and training facility and just helping out around the town- painting, cleaning etc.  We have met the most wonderful people and made friendships I will never forget.  The food—authentic Mexican–is literally the best I’ve had in ANY country I’ve visited.  I, of course, had my nose in the kitchen often- asking questions, watching them make tortillas from scratch and pluck feathers from chickens.  I do hope to feature some of the recipes they shared with me here someday, but tonight I was craving chocolate milk, and the best chocolate milk I’ve ever had was in a tiny restaurant in Mazatlan, MX.  It was a hot day of touring and we’d just climbed a HUGE hill up to the lighthouse in Mazatlan.  We stumbled on this restaurant and stayed because it had air conditioning.  For some reason, chocolate milk sounded good– and the rest is history!

My friend Jennifer and I enjoying chocolate milk in Mexico

I knew the ingredients because I asked our waiter, but the proportions were up to me.  I will give you the amounts I use- but feel free to adjust them to your liking. Add more or less of anything to adjust the sweetness or the flavor.  This is how I like it:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 c. milk
  • 1c. ice cubes
  • 1/3 c. Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
  • 1/2 of a (14oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 t. cinnamon
  • 1t. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

  • Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Pour into fun glasses (mine were a gift, but I found more like them here: Tall Irish Coffee Glass)
  • Serve cold and frothy!
  • ENJOY!!!!

My thoughts:  My 1st sip of this made me smile and I had to just close my eyes and remember all the wonderful people I met on these trips to Mexico.  Isn’t it fun when a taste brings back happy memories?  I hope that this easy recipe becomes a favorite in your family!  Enjoy! -r

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Frosty S’more Cups

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Ruthanne

Graham Crust topped with soft chocolate, mini marshmallows and creamy whipped pudding- all frozen in a cute individual cup!  YUM!

I’m back with a recipe using my Chicago Metallic Mini Cheesecake Pan  that I just love.  My Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecakes were my first experiment using this pan and these are my second experiment.  I’m just so impressed by how easy it is to make these using this pan- love it!  These frozen treats are rich and creamy and oh-so-yummy!  I hope you love them as much as I do!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 18 graham cracker squares (9 sheets or about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/3 c. butter
  • 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
  • 1/4 c. whipping cream
  • 2 c. mini marshmallows
  • 1 1/2 c. cold milk
  • 1 box (4 servings, 3.9 oz)instant chocolate pudding
  • 1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip (thawed in fridge)
  • 1/4 c. mini chocolate chips (as topping)

DIRECTIONS

  • Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs.
  • Melt butter and add to graham crackers, mixing until well combined to make crust.
  • Prepare pan by placing disks into the bottom of each cup.
  • Evenly divide crust mixture into all 12 cups, saving about 1/4 cup to use as topping later. (I used a Mini Tart Shaper to press crumbs firmly into the bottom of each cup).
  • Place milk chocolate chips and whipping cream into a small bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
  • Spoon chocolate into a zip top bag, cut a tip off and evenly pipe chocolate into the center of each cup, on top of the crust.

  • Divide Marshmallows among cups.
  • Mix cold milk with pudding on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip container (the rest will be used as topping).
  • Spoon filling into a large zip top bag (and ZIP it or you might have a mess!)  Clip a corner off and pipe pudding into each cup evenly.  Try to pipe it in between the marshmallows so that the whole cup is filled.  I did have a little left over (which was really tasty straight out of the bag!)
  • Use a knife to smooth the tops level with the top of the pan.
  • Freeze for at least a couple of hours.
  • Allow the pan to warm just a bit before popping each dessert cup out.  Poke a finger up through the hole in the bottom of the pan and grab that s’mores cup by its crust.  Remove the disk from the bottom and you are ready to add topping. 
  • For topping, I just piped a little bit of the left over Cool Whip on each dessert using a decorating tip.  Then I sprinkled the remaining crust and mini chocolate chips on top.
  • Serve cold right away– or put them in a sealed container and freeze until you are ready to serve.

My thoughts:  I love these so much.  They are ok at room temperature, but serve them frozen and they are amazing!  The pudding stays so creamy and that chocolate layer in the middle…. it is a miracle I didn’t just sit down and eat them all.  Seriously.  Enjoy!!!  -r

6-5-12: Check out this bloggers version using muffin cups: A Bunch of Bishops –so fun!

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Gender Reveal Cupcakes!

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Ruthanne

Is it a boy?  Is it a girl?  You’ll have to take a bite of this cupcake to find out!   Such a fun way to reveal the gender of a coming baby!!!

About a month ago I was on a mission to create some gender-reveal party desserts for my cousin Ericka.  I posted a gender reveal fudge cookie that she actually used and everyone loved.  She’s a teacher and her students loved the idea that the cookies held a “secret”.  I promised to post more recipes for gender reveal parties and this one is SO INCREDIBLY EASY!!!  It uses a cake mix and some food coloring and thats IT.  I was browsing the baking aisle a few weeks ago and came across a new product by Betty Crocker called “FUN da-Middles“.  It is a cupcake mix that comes with a creamy filling.  They come in both yellow and chocolate.  I simply HAD to try this (because who doesn’t love filling inside of anything??!!).  They work beautifully- easy to make and they bake up into the most beautiful cupcakes.  But I wondered if you could change the filling color without causing a recipe fail.

This was the result: so much fun!  Here’s how:

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Make cupcakes according to box- but instead of cutting a corner off the bag of cream filling and piping over cupcakes, pipe it into a bowl and color it 1st.
  • Color cream filling with Wiltons Icing color- it won’t change the consistency of the filling because it is a gel and you only need a TINY bit to create a bright color.
  • Place colored cream into a small ziptop bag.  Zip it shut, clip a corner of the bag off and pipe filling on to cupcake batter as directed on box.
  • Bake according to box and cool completely.
  • Mix 1/2 of a container of Cool Whip with a can of white frosting.
  • Clip the corner of a large ziptop bag and slide a cake decorator tip into the open corner.  Fill the bag with frosting, zip it closed and pipe generous amount on top of cupcakes.
  • Decorate as desired. (I used Wiltons candy melts in a Dessert Accents Candy Mold to top these gender reveal cupcakes).


Not having a baby?  Not throwing a gender reveal party?  These cupcakes can be customized for really any occasion or holiday.  Next weekend is St. Patricks day– so how about these?

…and in the middle:

My thoughts:  So fun to serve….so easy to make….why THANK YOU Betty Crocker!!!  Enjoy!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecakes

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Ruthanne


These individual mini cheesecakes have cookie bottoms topped with chocolate chip cheesecake. A beautiful dessert for fancy parties- or for just surprising your friends and family with a fun treat!

I have to give much of the credit for the “cuteness factor” of these to a wonderful cheesecake pan.  I’ve been seeing a lot of mini-cheesecakes online recently  and I just love how beautiful they are- and how fun!  I finally went on a search for how these are being made and saw everything from circular molds with tin foil wrapped tightly around the bottoms to this wonderful (WONDERFUL!) mini cheesecake pan.  I got the Chicago Metallic brand and I just love it.  I want to hug whoever invented these—they are perfect.

Check it out– you have a muffin tin sized pan but each cup has a hole in the bottom.  You get a metal disk that goes inside each cup.  Make your cheesecakes and push up on the disk– out comes this fun (!!) dessert.  I *love* this idea.  (Plus they make them in Squares too- but they are a little more expensive so I’m waiting….)

I love cookies and cheesecake together- thats why I chose this combination.

INGREDIENTS:

  • One Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bar (the refrigerated dough that is scored into squares)
  • 8 oz. of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • 1/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 2 t. vanilla
  • 1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip
  • 1 c. mini chocolate chips
  • 12 mini Chips Ahoy cookies.

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare pan by placing the metal disks into each cup.
  • Break apart 1/2 of cookie dough bar.  (This recipe makes 12 cheesecakes but the bar contains 24 cookies.  You can double this recipe and make 24 cheesecakes or just make the other 12 cookies another time.)
  • Roll each cookie dough square into a ball and put it into an un-greased cup in the cheesecake pan.

  • Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.
  • Cool completely.
  • Cream together softened cream cheese and sugar. 
  • Add vanilla.
  • Fold in about 2/3 of Cool Whip and  1 c. chocolate chips.
  • Spoon cheesecake mixture into a large zip-top bag.  Clip a large piece of one corner off and pipe filling evenly over each crust.
  • Use a knife or spatula to smooth tops of cheesecakes flat across top of pan.
  • Freeze for about 3-4 hours (or overnight)
  • Remove from freezer, pop cheesecakes out by pushing up on the bottom of each cup. (This took a little practice for me- you have to push it up high enough to grab it by the cookie part.)
  • Remove the metal disk from the crust.
  • Pipe remaining 1/3 of Cool Whip on top of each cheesecake and decorate with a mini Chips Ahoy cookie.  Keep refrigerated until serving.

My thoughts:  I think a perfect dessert is one that makes you say, “wow- that looks amazing” but then tastes just as good as it looks.  Try this one and let me know what you think dear readers.   Let’s hear it for the inventors of fun new kitchen gadgets!!!!  Yay!  Have a great weekend!

4-17-12:  I just love it when you all try a recipe I’ve posted and share it on your blogs!  Here’s an adorable blog called Two Girls Cooking that tried this recipe and posted it with wonderful step-by-step photos (cute kids and all…)  Thanks for sharing your adventures with us Patricia!!!

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Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Ruthanne

Smooth and creamy dark chocolate cheesecake covered in white and milk chocolate toppings….yum.

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

  • 9 oz. chocolate wafer cookies (I use chocolate animal crackers)
  • 1/4 c. margarine (melted)

Cheesecake:

  • 2 (8oz.) packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
  • 1/2c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 c. Nestle Dark Chocolate Morsels (melted)
  • 1 c. heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp. margarine (melted)
  • 3 tsp. vanilla

Toppings:

  • 1/2c. heavy whipping cream (divided)
  • 1/2c. white chocolate chips
  • 1/2c. milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Cheesecake:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  • Crush cookies into fine crumbs and add melted margarine. Combine well and press into the bottom of a 9-Inch Springform Pan
  • Beat softened cream cheese with sugar until smooth.
  • Add eggs one at a time, beating in between each one.
  • Add remaining cheesecake ingredients, beating until smooth.
  • Pour into crust and allow to sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
  • Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 60 minutes,
  • Turn off oven, open oven door a little and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and run knife around edge of pan. Remove edge of pan.
  • Allow cheesecake to cool to room temperature before adding toppings.

Toppings:

  • Put 1/4 cup of whipping cream into small saucepan and heat just until bubbling at edges. Turn heat off, add white chocolate chips, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, stir until smooth.
  • Repeat this process in another saucepan with the milk chocolate chips.
  • Pour white chocolate over cheesecake and then drizzle with milk chocolate until entire cheesecake is covered.
  • Chill overnight before serving.

My thoughts: I love the new Dark Chocolate Morsels by Nestle. I’m not a huge fan of dark chocolate, but these have just the right amount of sweet. They make a very flavorful cheesecake. My favorite thing about this cheesecake is that everything is smooth and creamy- no chips, no nuts- just rich smooth chocolates. Need a chocolate fix? This is your dessert! Enjoy!

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Old fashioned Red Velvet Cake

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Ruthanne

Moist Red Velvet Cake topped with whipped Cream Cheese Frosting.

Every recipe has a story.  I’m learning this truth as I create in my kitchen and write recipes.  Even a brand-new recipe has a story to tell…the things that didn’t work, the layers that fell apart before you could assemble them, the smiles when you served it, the 1st taste of an experiment.

This recipe has a story.  My manager at work, Joe, grew up in a small town in southern Indiana and his Aunt Doris was known as the best baker in town.  His Aunt Alice found this recipe and when she gave it to Aunt Doris to make it, the result was the BEST Red Velvet Cake anyone had ever tasted.  In fact, at a local event called the Chelsea Jubilee two women got in a fight over this very cake at a dessert auction. Aunt Doris stepped in and said she was going home that instant to make a second cake.

When I heard this story, the 1st words out of my mouth were— “I simply MUST have that recipe Joe!”  So he spoke with his Aunt Alice and they dug it out of the archives of their family recipes for me.  It didn’t come with a frosting recipe (which is at least half the flavor of a cake) so I aimed for a whipped cream cheese frosting.  It is a REALLY good cake.  It is the very 1st “homemade” cake I’ve made that is VERY moist.  It is SO flavorful and it cuts beautifully.

I would consider getting in a fight for this cake.

The original recipe is called “Waldorf Astoria Cake” and here is how you make it:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 c. flour
  • 1/2 c. shortening
  • 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 oz. red food coloring ( I didn’t add enough– your cake should be REALLY red- it is a lot of food coloring!!!!)
  • 1 t. salt
  • 2 t. cocoa
  • 1 c. buttermilk
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1 t. vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Spray 2- 8″ round cake pans with non-stick spray and cut a round piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of each one.  Spray top of parchment paper with non-stick spray as well.
  • Cream shortening and sugar together.
  • Add eggs, vanilla and food coloring and blend well.
  • Sift together flour, salt and cocoa
  • Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating together on medium speed until well mixed.
  • Mix vinegar and soda together in a small bowl.
  • Drizzle vinegar/soda mixture over cake batter and blend in on low speed.
  • Pour batter evenly into the two round cake pans.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, run a small knife around the edge of each cake to loosen it and gently tip each cake over onto a cake rack to cool completely.
  • Frost between layers and on top and sides with whatever frosting you want.  I created a whipped cream cheese frosting for this and the recipe is below.

WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 packets of Dream Whip (4 come in one box)
  • 3/4 c. milk
  • 1/2 t. vanilla
  • 4 oz. (1/2 brick) of softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • 1/3 c. powdered sugar (divided)

DIRECTIONS:

  • Cream together softened cream cheese and about half of the powdered sugar.  Set aside.
  • Add remaining ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and stir until all powder is combined.
  • Mix with an electric mixer (beaters are ok, but I like to use my whisk attachment if you have one) on high until very stiff peaks form.
  • Add cream cheese mixture and continue beating on high until stiff and thick.
  • You can frost the cake immediately with this or refrigerate it covered.
  • Frost between the layers and on the top and sides.  Keep cake refrigerated until serving (it is oh-so-good served cold!!!)

Note: I made twice as much frosting as the recipe above (I wasn’t sure how much I’d need!) and that is why the layers on the pictured cake have PILES of frosting!  If you LOVE frosting, just double the recipe given above.  If you do, you will probably have some left over–but is that ever REALLY a problem???

Enjoy!    -r

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Easy Oreo Pops!

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Ruthanne

Chocolate-covered Oreos on a lollipop stick– perfect for any festive occasion!

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

  • Carefully twist apart all of the Oreo cookies.
  • Using one of the pop sticks, make an indentation in the white filling of each cookie.
  • Melt the Candy Melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until completely melted and smooth.
  • Dip the end of one stick into the melted white chocolate, drizzle a little in the center of the white cookie filling and then gently press it into the indentation made.
  • Place the top of the cookie back on and allow white chocolate to harden (5 minutes or so), cementing the cookie back together with a stick inside.

Here’s some pictures (worth a thousand words I hear!):

That last picture is intended to make you feel better about breaking a few cookies in the process.  I believe the Oreo package contains 30 cookies and I made 23 pops….7 “failures”.  The hardest part is simply twisting the cookies apart without the top cracking.  Just be gentle 🙂

DIRECTIONS (continued):

  • Holding the stick, lower the entire Oreo into the bowl of melted white chocolate, spooning it over the top and sides to cover it completely.
  • Allow the excess chocolate to drain off and gently place covered Oreo on a piece of parchment paper to harden.  
  • Top with confetti sprinkles immediately before the chocolate hardens.
  • Eat and enjoy!!!


My thoughts: I love Oreos so much that it hurts….and I am on a diet…and there were SEVEN broken cookies.  Sigh.  I just closed my eyes and *smelled* them…who knew Oreos smelled so good??!!  These pops were wrapped up in cute bags and given as Valentines treats– they are MUCH easier to dip than cake pops, which made me happy.  I hope you have a fun occasion coming up and get and chance to try these!   -r

4-28-12:  Just made these for a couple of bridal showers and put them into “bouquets”- SO fun and really easy.  Just make the pops, tie them up in little treat bags with tags (free pdf for the “i do” ones I used : Oreo Pop Leaf Tags) and poke them into floral foam in a cute container.

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Red Velvet Cake Balls- filled with Cream Cheese Frosting!

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Ruthanne

Surprise!!!  These red velvet cake balls are filled with cream cheese frosting!  A fun treat for birthdays, holidays, showers….it is all in the decorating!

INGREDIENTS:

  • One red velvet cake mix (with oil, water and eggs to make according to box)
  • One tub of ready-made cheesecake frosting.
  • 2 (12 oz.) bags of Wilton White Candy Melts
  • Sprinkles or dark chocolate candy melts to use for decorating.

DIRECTIONS:

  • Bake cake mix according to package and cool
  • While cake is baking/cooling- spoon 1/2 of the tub of frosting into a ziptop bag.  Clip a corner and pipe dime-size dollops of frosting onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (pipe about 35-40) Place in freezer.

  • Cut cooled cake into pieces and chop into fine crumbs using a food processor or food chopper.
  • Mix cake crumbs with remaining frosting until it can be formed into balls that hold together (you may not need all the frosting).
  • Roll about one tablespoon of cake into a ball, press it flat and put a frozen frosting bit in the center.  Wrap cake dough around frosting and smooth into a ball. (try to keep the frosting bits frozen- I did only 5 at a time and kept the rest in the freezer.  The frosting will not freeze hard- it will be more like taffy when you peel it from the parchment paper).

  • Refrigerate cake balls for a few hours.
  • Melt Candy Melts in microwave in 30 second increments until smooth.
  • Dip cold cake balls into white chocolate candy melts (this is the hardest part for me….I made a huge mess trying different techniques and finally settled on a fork, tapping it against the edge of the bowl until excess has drained away.  Some people use toothpicks or spoons or special dipping tools….I think this part is just a mess for me no matter how I do it!)
  • Place dipped cake balls on parchment paper to harden.  If you are decorating with sprinkles, do this before the chocolate hardens.  Otherwise, just drizzle with some dark chocolate for a more elegant look:

My thoughts: These are SO good.  The frosting in the middle is a fun surprise and it adds a yummy creaminess to the cake balls.  Hassle?  Yes.  I am convinced that cake balls and cake pops are not my gifting– so many people make them look effortless and that is NOT the case for me!  I love the taste though….so once in awhile….ENJOY!!!

.

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Sweetheart Brownies

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Ruthanne

Easy cutout brownies decorated like Sweethearts Candy.  A fun Valentine project that your kids will love!

Ingredients:

  • 2 boxes of Little Debbie Fudge brownies
  • Wiltons Candy melts in as many colors as you want…like:
    Yellow
    Pink
    Blue
    Purple
    You will need about 2 (14oz) bags total.

Directions:

  • Unwrap brownies and use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to cut two hearts from each brownie (recipe makes 24 hearts).
  • Melt Wilton Candy Melts in the microwave in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.
  • Cover each brownie in candy melts and using a fork tap off excess and place on parchment paper to harden. (picture of this process)
  • Melt red candy melts and place in a ziptop bag.  Clip a corner and pipe saying on the top of each heart (you could use frosting and cake decorator tips for this as well).
  • Allow hearts to harden and ENJOY!

My thoughts:  Wondering what to do with the extra brownie pieces?  Put them in a ziptop bag to keep them soft and use them to make brownie sundaes— yum!  Two desserts for the price of one!  Happy Valentines Day friends!

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Peppermint Crunch Bars

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Ruthanne

Crispy bars of fudge and peppermint topped with a chocolate glaze.

(I told you I would have to try another recipe with those wonderful little Kraft Mallow Bits!!)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 (8oz) package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • 4 c. semi sweet chocolate chips (divided)
  • 4 c. crisp rice cereal
  • 2 c. peppermint Mallow bits
  • 12 T butter

DIRECTIONS:

  • Melt 2 c. of chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments until completely melted and smooth.
  • Soften cream cheese in microwave until smooth and creamy.
  • Combine soft cream cheese and melted chocolate.
  • Add crisp rice cereal and mallow bits(save a few to sprinkle on top!).  Stir until completely coated with the chocolate mixture.
  • Press mixture into the bottom of a foil-lined 9 x 13 cake pan.
  • Melt remaining 2 c. of chocolate chips and butter in microwave until smooth.
  • Pour chocolate glaze over the top of peppermint crisps and sprinkle with remaining mallow bits.
  • Refrigerate for a few hours before cutting.  To cut: remove from pan using foil and cut into squares

My thoughts: Easy, fun and YUM!  Enjoy!

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11 Comments

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