December Potluck {Apple and Dark Chocolate Wonton Parcels}

So...plans...right?

How often do you make plans to do these amazing, awesome, fantastic things and then totally drop the ball for whatever reason?

Yeah.  Me too.

I made these Apple and Dark Chocolate Wonton Parcels from Donna Hay's website back in early November.  They look like a special dessert but are pretty simple to make.

While we were eating them, we brainstormed all kinds of super ideas for other types of fillings.
Peanut butter and chocolate.  Chocolate and pecan.  Pecan and apple.  Apple and caramel.  Caramel and chocolate.  Chocolate and banana.  Banana and nutella.

And I was definitely, for sure going to try a bunch of them.

And how many have I tried?

Yep.

Maybe you'll give some of them a shot?

Want the recipe?

Notes:
I used dark chocolate chips instead of chocolate squares and sprinkled some cinnamon over the top along with the powdered sugar.  My one complaint is that they didn't get as crispy as I would have liked.  However, they are baked rather than fried.

Linking with I Heart Cooking Clubs.  It's POTLUCK week...check out all the dishes!



and Food on Friday: Apples @ Carole's Chatter

Fill the Tins {Brownie Cookies w/ Peanut Butter Frosting}

All over Blogland, garlands and lights and sweets rule.

 

I'm always behind.  There are still things I've been trying to blog about since July.

Guess I'd better get one those ideas tout suite.

Before Christmas comes, I hope to bring you The Husband's favorite fudge (if the weather cooperates) and maybe a family recipe.

Will you settle for Brownie Cookies w/ Peanut Butter Frosting for now?

Review:
These cookies, from Donna Hay, remind me of and look like something I've made before: Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies (a Joy the Baker recipe).

In case you are wondering, I prefered Joy the Baker's Whoopie Pies.

Donna Hay's cookies drew me in because of the pb/chocolate combination and because the picture on DH's website shows gooey chocolate oozing from the brownie cookies.  Sadly, my reality was that these cookies were only oozy with gooey chocolate minutes out of the oven.  After that, well, not so much.  However this didn't stop me from eating them anyway.  I just popped them in the microwave for a few seconds to make them oozy gooey chocolatey again.

Donna Hay's Brownie Cookies w/ Peanut Butter Frosting recipe can be found on her website.

Linking with I Heart Cooking Clubs 

for this week's "Fill the Tin" theme 

and 

with Bizzy Bakes 

for "My Meatless Monday."

     

Get Your Chef On: Chocolate {Mocha Latte Bread Pudding}

When CHOCOLATE was announced as this month's Get Your Chef On ingredient, I was on board.  As someone who is very familiar with chocolate--like familiar on a daily basis--I thought "piece of cake."  (Pun intended, of course.)

 

Turns out, this common, everyday (no, really, everyday) ingredient was a hard one.  I found it similar to being on the cereal aisle at the grocery.  So many choices.  Too many choices.

I ran a few ideas by The Husband.  When I described the idea I had in mind for bread pudding flavored with chocolate and coffee, he said "that sounds cool."

But really, it's better warm.

Mocha Latte Bread Pudding
w/ Caramel Whiskey Sauce

The texture is actually more like chocolate panna cotta 
than bread pudding,
but there's nothing wrong with that.

This bread pudding has a luscious, velvety texture with over-the-top rich, dark chocolate flavor.  The strong brewed coffee elevates the chocolate.  The Whiskey Caramel Sauce would be good on standard bread pudding too.  The whiskey isn't noticeable at first, but look for it on the finish.

Part of

Get Your Chef On is hosted by

Julie of White Lights on Wednesday

and

Jen of Four Marrs and One Venus
Thanks to Julie & Jen for organizing the event!
More entries can be found HERE.

This post featured @:
Freedom Fridays @ My Turn (for us)


GYCO Round-up @ Four Marrs One Venus

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Mocha Latte Bread Pudding w/ Caramel Whiskey Sauce

6 cups cubed French bread, with crust, roughly 1" cubes
4 whole large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup milk, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
5 oz strongly brewed coffee
heaping 1/3 cup cocoa powder
pat of butter for greasing the pan

Ahead: Spread the bread cubes out on a sheet pan and let them sit for a couple of hours to dry out.

Whisk eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.

Add the milk, cream, and coffee to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder until dissolved.  Warm the mixture, whisking occasionally to prevent scalding, for about 4 minutes--until you start to see steam rising from the surface.  Turn off the heat and whisk in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.  Whisk until chocolate has melted.

Slowly whisk 1 cup of the milk and chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.  Then whisk the remaining milk mixture into the egg mixture.  Add the bread cubes and gently toss to coat.  Press on the bread slightly as you go to allow the bread to absorb the chocolate custard.  Fold in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Transfer the bread mixture to a buttered 2 quart baking dish.  Let stand while oven preheats to 350 degrees F.

Place a 13 x 9 pan on the center rack of your oven.  Place the bread pudding in the 13 x 9 pan.  Fill with water until water is about halfway up the side of your baking dish (containing the bread pudding).  Bake for about 40 minutes or until a butter knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove bread pudding from the oven to cool slightly while you make the sauce.

for the sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, warmed
2-3 Tbsp whiskey

Place the sugar in a medium saucepan set over very low heat.  Melt the sugar, lightly stirring to prevent scorching, until sugar has melted completely and is golden.  This will go slowly at first, resulting in lumps of sugar, but will speed up as the mixture heats.

Slowly add the cream in a stream, stirring it into the sugar mixture.  Stir in the whiskey.  Simmer the mixture for a few minutes until thickened (it will thicken more as it cools).

Serve the bread pudding with some of the sauce poured over the top.

Also linking with:

Get Your Chef On: Cranberries

It's Get Your Chef On time!

Thanks to Julie @ White Lights On Wednesday and Jen @ Four Marrs, One Venus for hosting.

Our ingredient for this round is a very seasonally appropriate one...

Cranberries

My entry for GYCO: Cranberries was inspired by my favorite trail mix.
I'm not into those fancy tropical, berry blend, or spicy mix packages.
I'm not all that into the energy or health mixes either.
Instead, I guess I prefer to sit around being lazy and doughy munching on a mix of
dried cranberries
pecans
dark chocolate chips

I mixed these ingredients into biscotti dough with a touch of cinnamon.

This post featured at:

Hearth & Soul Blog Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers

and

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Trail Mix Biscotti
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 lightly beaten eggs
heaping 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Melted white chocolate for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center of the ingredients.  Add the vanilla and beaten eggs to the well.  Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the egg and vanilla.  Stir in the cranberries and pecans--the dough will be thick and sticky.  Once the cranberries and pecans are incorporated, fold in the chocolate chips, using your hands to knead the dough.  Knead for a few minutes.

Divide the dough in half.  Form each half into a log about 10" long and 2 1/2" wide.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake about 20 minutes.  Remove to a cutting board, cool slightly, then cut each log into 1 1/2" slices.  Place the slices back on the cookie sheet and bake for another 15 minutes.  After cooling, drizzle with melted white chocolate, if desired.




Also linking with: