Dessert of the Month

Hi. I'm just going to come right out and tell y'all I had planned on sharing some fantastic "Dessert of the Month" review post today.

I was going to make this mouth-watering cheesecake over the weekend (because today is National Cheesecake Day!) but life had other plans. Like the oven not working. The broiler worked. The stove top worked. But no oven. Funny thing though, it worked seven hours ago when I made this fantastic Cheddar-Apple Brunch Tart for my jewelry party earlier that Saturday.

My graham cracker crust was ready to go in and I was about to mix the cream cheese until delightfully smooth when I realized the oven should have preheated already. NOPE. Nada. "Nuttin'!" (<---Yukon Cornelius, anyone?)

Not awesome. Not okay. By gosh, I wanted cheesecake! It's bad enough cheesecake is already a two-day process with a working oven. Remember when this happened to me last year? Why does the oven go out when I'm ready to make a planned-weeks-in-advance-delicious dessert for family???

"Because our oven is 21 years old," Mr. B tells me.

It's of drinking age, and apparently this weekend it had one too many.

Alas, I covered the unbeaten cream cheese, and the not-yet-golden crust, and put everything back in the fridge with sweet dreams of waking up to an oven preheated to 350 degrees. Hey, it worked before. Not this time. Sunday found Mr. B and I shopping for a new stove. It's currently on back order and will not arrive until August 9th. No oven. No grill. Makes for one raw summer.

But, I couldn't get over not enjoying my belated birthday cheesecake. It was lemon, too, my favorite. I needed to finish it, and I was not waiting two weeks. This led to a surprise visit to the in-laws to use the oven and enjoy an unexpected dinner with promises of providing cheesecake for dessert...but not until tomorrow (because it's a two-day process kind of dessert, you know. Ugh). So now we had to wait until Monday.

I should have known starting with a broken oven was a bad sign and should have abandoned the entire dessert. Settled for a creamy frappuccino or a big cone of ice cream. But no, I was determined to make this cheesecake. Apparently, I was so worried/paranoid about my in-laws oven possibly not working, I pulled the cheesecake out at the said time, gave it a jiggle, decided there was a little too much wiggle, and put it back in. (Only then realizing the recipe mentioned a 13" pan and I was using a 9"pan. I need to compensate for the height, so more time shouldn't hurt.) I'm pretty sure I over-compensated. And while fretting over whether or not it was baked enough in the middle, while transporting it to a cooling rack I burnt.the.heck.out.of.my.arms. OUCH.

My burns three days later...

"At least it's uniform," Mr. B tells me.

Ai yi yi. Then the cake fell in the middle when I gently spooned on the Greek yogurt topping (instead of sour cream). Finally, I took my sad little cheesecake home to finish the glaze on our stove top because, yes, that was working.

It was a disaster from the start. Hopefully, a night in the fridge would bring it back to life.

Guess what I had Monday morning for breakfast?

Lemon cheesecake. It was more like a lemon cheesecake trying its hardest to be a lemon cheesecake, yet it had all the angst of the oven dilemma in it. Instead of love, of course. You know, the it's so good because it's made with love saying? Yeah, well mine was made with over-worked patience and burnt arms. And, to me, it tasted like it. Over-cooked, not enough pucker in the cheesecake, and (believe it or not) not enough sugar in the not-as-yellow-as-the-photo glaze.

My worst cheesecake-making experience ever.

I guess there's a reason I only make this once a year. And now that I'm trying to enjoy it, I don't really think I like cheesecake as much as I used to. I'm definitely retracting it as my favorite dessert. Yes, I'm positive ice cream is my favorite.

BUT. Let me tell you about this crust. The recipe called for butter, but I used coconut oil instead and cut the sugar in half. Ohhhh.Emmmm.Geeeee. I will make my cheesecake crust no other way from now on I promise you. And I'm not a crust person, so this is saying a lot. Actually, I just want to eat the entire crust while I pretend to eat the cheesecake.

Of course, a second opinion is always needed. Later that Monday, the in-laws were stopping by for some of their promised dessert, and as I walked out the door I hastily told Mr. B to send the entire cheesecake with them if they liked it. After work, while driving home I thought about trying the cheesecake again just to see if I still felt the same way. And if I did, well there was always the crust. It seems Mr. B was actually listening when spoken to this morning, and sent the entire cheesecake home with them. Just a tad bummed, I settled for a deli sandwich before bed instead.

However, my in-laws seemed to enjoy the cheesecake, saying it was very delicious. Yesterday morning even, I received a text from my step father-in-law (Happy Father-in-Law Day, by the way) saying it was even better the next day.

I guess it wasn't too much of a disaster. To each his own....

Cheers to National Cheesecake Day. Yum.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Dessert of the Month

It's been quite awhile since I shared a "Dessert of the Month" post with y'all. I have a fabulous one for you to sink your sweet tooth into today. Daddy sure enjoyed it.

And, I promise, it's purely coincidental that this post and my last post both involve delicious sweet treats centered around my father. Yes, he is the chocoholic in the family. Mr. B's step-dad is a huge sweets fan, as well. It's a father thing in our family.

For Father's Day last year, I made the two of them a healthier decadent Frozen Reese's Peanut Butter Pie, which just so happened to be a "Dessert of the Month" post. [Side note: I'm more of a special-treat-on-special-occasions kind of person if you haven't gathered that yet. Mainly because if I have a tasty treat in the house, I'm the only one eating it. And I will eat it. Unless I take it over to friends and family or demand for somebody to come and save me from myself.] Anyhoo, I thought since last year I made a frozen pie and it went over so well, why not just make the same thing. It can be the new Special Father's Day Dessert Tradition. But you know me. I like to try new things.

I chose to stay with the pie and frozen theme, thinking this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Pie looked good enough to attempt this past weekend. For the first time in quite awhile, I actually followed the recipe. I know, big GASP. My only alterations to this dessert were the use of light brown sugar instead of dark (because that's what was in my pantry), and I cut back on the amount of sugar by half (so it wasn't too sweet). Other than that I did everything to a tee. I made the edible cookie dough, the homemade crust, and the ice cream-like filling. It's a combo of cream cheese and Cool Whip, so it's not really ice cream, which Mr. B had to point out to me. Apparently, I gave him false information when I told him it was an ice cream pie. It was more cheesecake-y, which he does not like. Daddy isn't a fan either, but the chocolate chips, Oreo crust, and cookie dough pieces made up for it. The construction of the pie was easy and didn't take long at all. Once the cookie dough balls are formed, put them in the freezer to chill while you make the crust, and then put the crust in the freezer to chill while you make the filling. By that time everything will be cold enough to assemble. It's the waiting for the finished product to freeze that's the hard part. I recommend making this the night before, that way you're sleeping instead of checking the freezer every five minutes to see if it's ready to eat.

Overall, I'd say this pie was a success. I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would have; it's creamy, cheesecake-y, sweet, and who doesn't enjoy chunks of cookie dough? I think a graham cracker crust would work just as well if it's what you have on hand. However, it didn't get the late-night text this-is-the-best-pie-I've-ever-had review like last year's pie. Maybe I'll revisit that famous pie for our next family dinner....

Visit this link for the recipe!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Dessert of the Month

Earlier this month we celebrated a milestone over here. It was my father's 50th birthday.

Way back in July, Mama and I decided we were going to plan a big surprise party for Daddy. To say he never makes a "big deal" out of his birthday is putting it nicely lightly, cough, cough. It's a man thing, I know. My husband's the same way....remember his milestone, the big 3-0. My father is the silent type, not quite anti-social, but he's very content in relaxing at home. Everyone in the family is well aware of this, so you can imagine the plotting and planning that went into his party, which we set for a few weeks after his birthday so he wouldn't suspect a thing....but that is for another post.*

 

This post is all about this delicious chocolate cake, which I made for my father to celebrate his 50th. The entire family was getting together for a good ol' family reunion a few days before his birthday. Even though we were planning this big surprise party, Mama knew we had to do something ("it's his 50th, for crying out loud") or he would suspect something was, indeed, UP. So she called me a week before asking if I could make a chocolate cake, a little "surprise" to acknowledge his day. 

Yes, of course. If there was only one word I could use to describe my father when it comes to anything food-related, it would be chocoholic. When I first saw this recipe I knew it had my father's name all over it, and it included wine. Hello. Celebration right there.

I am serious as a heart attack when I say this is the only chocolate cake I will make. When I want sugar and I'm celebrating and not interested in being super healthy, this is it. When someone requests a chocolate cake, this Chocolate Cake with Pinot Noir Frosting is what they'll get. Ah-mazingly moist. Simple. Perfection. My only complaint, if you will, is the frosting is a tad too sweet for my liking....for Daddy, it was perfect. The wine is only in the frosting, which I might change up the next time I make it by adding it to the actual cake instead of the vanilla. Everyone thought there was espresso in the cake, and there wasn't (but I like that idea, definitely...). I think it was the Pinot Noir enhancing the chocolate. The frosting was fluffy and beautiful though. And, as Jenna stated in her post, the cake is so light it just goes down too easy.

A hands-down-winner, my friends.

Happy 50th, Daddy! You definitely don't look it :)

Since this cake was for Daddy and it was his 50th, I didn't health-ify it. My only changes consisted of a mix between white and whole wheat pastry flours, 1 flax egg, and 4 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar. And maybe a few more splashes of wine ;)

Seriously, check out this delicious chocolate cake! Well done, Jenna.

Yes, this cake is fabulous. Perfect for the chocolate-lover in your life.

*More on Daddy's surprise party later!

**BY THE WAY, IT'S NATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY. BUT I FIGURED AN ENTIRE POST IN ALL CAPS WOULD A) STOP YOU FROM READING IT, AND B) MAKE YOU  WANT TO PUNCH ME IN THE FACE. YOU'RE WELCOME.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Dessert of the Month

I'm a huge nut fan. Almonds. Walnuts. Pecans. Cashews. Peanuts. I don't discriminate; I love them all. However, the expensive pistachio is my absolute favorite. Go figure. What can I say? I have a very mature palette. Since this delicious green nut tends to be a bit pricey, I usually only buy pistachios around Christmastime because the green makes for festive treats, naturally. However, a while back my co-worker generously gave me a bag of her pistachios. I was thankful and extremely happy. I enjoyed a few handfuls of them until I stumbled across this Pistachio Cake recipe on Pinterest. I knew I had to make this dessert and soon, which (if you know me) is odd because, unlike nuts, I am not a cake fan. I prefer creamy cheesecake. Or a warm, gooey cobbler. Or a giant bowl of ice cream. Or a fudge-y brownie. If there is cake, chances are I will pass.


But this cake included pistachios and claimed to be "skinny." Which is automatically good for you, obviously. And another bonus: Cool Whip frosting instead of the sugar-and-butter-loaded stuff usually slathered all over a cake in which the sugar smell alone hurts my teeth. Yes, I wanted to make this. I decided to postpone baking this cake until Labor Day when there would be plenty of people around to eat it, and the chances of it dying in my fridge would be slim. <--- ha!

Light and fluffy frosting is always a good sign.

Alas, this idea did not go as planned. The morning of my little Labor Day get-together, my oven decided it wasn't going to work. "Mine [was] broken" <---I can't say that without thinking of the scene in Pretty Woman (my favorite movie, btw) where they're at the opera and she thinks her glasses are broken. LOVE. <3

Anyhoo, the stove top and broiler both worked, but the oven did not. I discovered this when I was making my father and I crescent rolls for breakfast and the oven was taking for.ever. to preheat. (At least I didn't have the cake batter mixed and ready to go in....then I'd have been very angry.) Why?! I'd been craving this cake for over a month. Now, I had to run out and buy some pre-made cake-thing because I couldn't make anything. Grrrr.....I was not happy but the party must go on.

To make a long story short (as Mr. B says) the party went well, no one knew why the oven wouldn't work, and Mr. B wasn't "pleased" with the idea of purchasing a new oven. But the very next day, while cooking dinner on the stove top, I decided to turn the oven on just to see what would happen. Lo and behold it worked! No idea why, or how, but we had an oven again.

The first thing I put in that oven was this cake. And, yes, I had no one to share it with.

It was delicious and I thought it seemed quite rich and heavy despite the "skinny" claim. I guess that's a good thing when you're eating something healthy and it doesn't taste healthy. I think my father would approve. Too bad he wasn't there to enjoy it. However, I was able to pass off some to my step father-in-law. He found it quite delectable. The only adjustment I made to the recipe was the milk. I used almond milk in the frosting instead of regular. Head on over to Skinny Mom's blog for the full recipe to this delicious Skinny Pistachio Cake.

This cake is super easy to throw together and decently healthy. However, next time I'd prefer a homemade white cake as opposed to the box mix, which will take a little bit more time. But when it comes to eating healthy and paying attention to what goes in your body...it's worth the extra few minutes.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Dessert of the Month

This may come as a huge shock, it was to me anyway, but I have not made a dessert in quite awhile. A few weeks ago I attempted a couple of batches of homemade ice cream, only to fail because my ice cream mixer bowl wasn't as chilled as it should have been (read: Mr. B keeps turning the freezer down to "save" on electricity). However, I was able to salvage the icy, clumpy mixtures by turning them into milkshakes. Waste not, want not. YUM.

This past weekend was Father's Day, and my hubby and I were treating my daddy to the best and biggest steak in his life. We were taking him to Henry Waghner's, a small German-American Pub located near my college Alma mater. And these steaks are ridiculous. I could.not.wait. Yet, I knew I couldn't have Daddy up without treating him to one of my homemade desserts. There's only two rules I must follow when making my father a dessert: 1) chocolate must be involved, and 2) the sweeter the better. (Daddy has a very strong sweet tooth.)

But I wanted to make something new, because y'all know that's how I roll. I love trying new recipes. So I skimmed through my cookbooks, realizing I wanted something simple, cold, and with peanut butter. (Because peanut butter and chocolate is a must.) I remembered one of my favorite bloggers, Katie at Dashing Dish, often features frozen pies and her recipes are on the healthier side. Once there I immediately knew which pie I was making: the Frozen Reese's Peanut Butter Pie. Absolutely. Annnnd I had all of the ingredients except for the mini Reese Cups. An easy fix.

However, I can't help it. I like putting my own twists on recipes, making them my own, using what I have on hand. It's one of the reasons I love being in the kitchen. Glancing at the recipe, I instantly knew my alterations. She has a love of baking with Stevia, a no calorie sugar replacement. I do, too, yet I can't stand the odd aftertaste Stevia often gives to desserts. I've made many desserts with Stevia and I'm just not fond of its taste. I have baking Stevia on hand and I still find ways to use it...just not so much at one time. Soooo....here are my adjustments:

• 8 oz Neufchatel cream cheese (1/3 less fat than regular)
• creamy peanut butter (of course)
• for the 1/2 c Stevia called for, I used a scant 1/4 c of Stevia + 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• I used a plain graham cracker crust instead of Oreo (because I want a stronger peanut butter flavor than chocolate)
• for 1/4 c skim milk, I used 1/4 c unsweetened almond milk
• for the 3 Tbsp of chocolate syrup, I used 2 Tbsp hot fudge (mixed in the batter)
• and crushed mini Reese Cups only for the topping (when sliced, I then decorated each piece with a drizzle of melted fudge and peanut butter to make it pretty)

Blend until smooth, scoop mixture into crust, top, and chill for at least 6 hours, and TA DA!!!!! A beautiful, decadent, and healthier dessert! And Daddy never even noticed the missing sugar. I like to think it was the focus on the peanut butter flavor, the secret serving of vanilla extract, and the creaminess from the Cool Whip. I actually preferred to serve this straight from the freezer instead of letting it sit for 15 minutes. Straight out of the freezer it's more like ice cream. Delicioso.

Nutritional Information (my version): 243 calories, 11 fat, 11 sugar, 7 protein, 2 fiber
(My version is 28 calories more, but my calculation includes the crumbled Reese Cups on top...not sure if Katie's does...just in case you wanted to know specifics!)

Welp, Daddy went home (and since he has a two-hour drive and it was quite humid out) and couldn't take the leftovers, which meant I was stuck in a house with half a pie that I knew Mr. B wouldn't touch. What's a girl to do? All that peanut butter. All that cold creaminess. PLUS, I still have an almost full bag of mini Reese Cups in the fridge! It was calling my name every time I walked into the kitchen, "Brindi, there's peanut butter goodness in here!" Yes, I'm here! Ummm, yeah, thankfully my mother-in-law was stopping by and I gave the rest of the pie to her to give to my step father-in-law so he could share in this Father's Day dessert (his sweet tooth almost rivals Daddy's, but not quite).

At 8:30 last night I get a phone call from him telling me it was the best pie he's had in his life.

Like I say, it's the little things that make my blessed life so sweet.


*Stop by Dashing Dish for the original recipe!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Dessert of the Month

Guess what?!

In less than 48 hours my friend, her mother-in-law, and I will be on our way to the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale in Indiana!!!!!!!!!!! I.cannot.wait. Last year we went up on a Thursday, which required a ticket, but this year we're hitting the Sunday sale, which doesn't require a ticket. And there will probably be some flying elbows. I'm ready.

They're picking me up Saturday and we're spending the night at a hotel so we'll be there bright and early Sunday. However I work on Saturday, so we'll be arriving at the hotel quite late. To fuel us for the drive, I decided to make us some Black Bean Chocolate Chili [Cranberry] Cookies.

Now this is not my recipe, so it's also a review post. (And I really enjoy this blogger's recipes...vegan and healthy...so I rarely ever have to substitute ingredients.) I've been eager to make these cookies for a while now. I almost made them at Christmas but the batch doesn't make very many. Not the kind of cookie you make for a crowd, nor the kind of cookie you make for people who don't like to try new healthier versions of cookies. But my friend, Jess, is all up for my healthy experiments. I knew this would be the perfect time to make them. Plus, if we do like them there's only nine cookies. (Well, eight now since I had to try one. I wouldn't want to give anyone a bad cookie.)

Yeah. These cookies hit the spot. The rich dark chocolate and the spice from the cayenne mixed with little bites of dried cranberries (the recipe originally calls for cherries) make for one satisfying cookie. It's not too sweet and I know I'm getting a nice dose of fiber from the chia seeds. Annnnnd.....they have my favorite "healthy" ingredient: BLACK BEANS! (Now you're getting your protein.)

YUM-O.

I'm sure if you have a food processor these would be super fast to throw together when entertaining small company or when you're in the mood for cookies but don't want a lot. However, my food processor is super, super tiny so I used my blender instead. The mix kept getting stuck, and I'd have to stop and stick a spatula in there to wiggle everything around. After a few attempts, I had to scrape out the dry ingredients and then layer a little bit of dry, then some wet; repeat. But they're still quick to make.

Eventually, the batter will smooth out like the above picture; add the cranberries and chocolate chunks.

Then you scoop nine big cookies onto your prepared baking sheet, and bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees. And these are much better eaten when cooled than when straight from the oven. So, be patient.

Y'all have to try these fabulous, tasty cookies!

For an awesome rich chocolate fix with a kick, head on over to My New Roots for the recipe! And while you're there check out Sarah B's other great vegan recipes, videos, and tips.

But then, of course my thoughts turned to my wonderful hubby (who happened to be heading home from work at the time) and I decided to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies. His favorite. I knew he wouldn't eat these chocolate chili cookies because 1) they're chocolate, 2) "who knows what [I] did to them to make them healthy," and 3) the batch only made nine cookies and they're not for him anyway.

But, don't tell Mr. B, I health-ified his cookies, too. Shhhhhh. I replaced the egg with a flax-egg. I wanted to make his cookies a little healthier; however I can't do too much or he'll know. And also because I wanted to eat a few spoonful(s) of batter. Now we're all happy.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Dessert of the Month

This month I'm introducing a new feature I'm hoping to continue on the blog (cough...I have the best of intentions...cough). It's called "Dessert of the Month", where I showcase a succulent dessert recipe I stumbled upon somewhere and am dying to make my mouth waters just thinking about it.

February seemed like the perfect month to start because 1) it's the shortest month and it needs a little something special, and 2) I just thought of it a few days ago when I wanted to make these brownies and really didn't have a reason (but, who am I kidding, who needs a reason to make brownies?) so I created one.

And these brownies are perfect for February because they're pink.

And I probably should have made these for Valentine's Day now that I'm thinking of it. But I'm thinking a little celebration for the end of the month will do just fine.

I found these brownies on Pinterest, of course, and immediately thought these would be my next baking project. I mean they have chocolate, espresso, cream cheese, and fresh blackberries (which are in abundance at my grocery store right now). Perfect.

And you can eat the batter...no eggs :)

However, when I took a peek at the recipe I knew I'd have to make some Sweet B adjustments. I like to indulge every once in a while, but I still try to keep it natural and healthy (well, healthier). With my substitutions, I was able to cut out 135 calories. Yes, I'm excited to share these delicious gems with you!

Fresh Blackberry Cheesecake Swirled Brownies
*adapted from Beantown Baker's recipe

Makes 16 brownies

For the Blackberry Sauce:
6 oz fresh blackberries, washed
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp water

Place blackberries and sugar in a pan and heat until the blackberries release their juices. Combine cornstarch, juice, and water in a small bowl. Stir together until smooth. Add slurry to pan and stir to mix completely. Bring mixture to boil for a few minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.

For the Brownie Batter:
1/4 c (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c + 1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract + 1/2 Tbsp, divided
1/2 c + 2 Tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp espresso powder
2 Tbsp ground flax + 6 Tbsp water (= 2 flax eggs)
3/4 c black beans, pureed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8" baking dish.

In a bowl melt butter in the microwave. Then add olive oil, 1 tsp vanilla, and sugar; stir to combine. Return the mixture to the microwave and heat another 30 seconds. (Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.) Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and 1/2 Tbsp vanilla. Whisk in the flax eggs, stirring until smooth. Add the pureed beans, mixing thoroughly.

For the Cheesecake:
8 oz Greek yogurt, plain
1 egg
1/4 c sugar
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp flour (or use cornstarch to be completely GF)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Add all ingredients into a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Add the blackberry sauce and stir until mixed thoroughly.

To Assemble the Brownies:
Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan, and spoon cheesecake batter over. Dollop remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife back and forth through the pan. (My substitutions make the batter thick and the cheesecake part a little runny. So if it doesn't swirl perfectly, it's okay.) Bake for 55 minutes (it will still be jiggly and the brownies are gooey so don't fret), or until center is set. Turn oven off and let brownies cool in oven about 20 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving. (I put mine in the freezer to speed up the process.)

Nutritional Information
Per brownie: 127 Calories, 16 Carbs, 7 Fat, 3 Protein, 3 Fiber, 11 Sugar

These are gooey and fudgey, and the berries and espresso bring so much flavor. My new favorite brownie recipe. Ever.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi