Moscato Cupcakes

Welp, I don't know which creative genius decided to meld two worlds that everyone loves (cupcakes and Moscato), but they did and they are indeed, a genius. With that said, these were super easy to make and even more delicious to eat.

Yields 12 Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 box white cake mix
1 3/4 c. Moscato, divided
1 c. (two sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 c. powdered sugar, divided
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
Pink (red) food coloring
White nonpareils, for decoration

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line one muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, mix cake mix with 1½ cups Moscato. Bake according to package directions and let cool completely before frosting.

3. Meanwhile, make Moscato frosting: In a large bowl, combine butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and remaining ¼ cup Moscato.

4. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth. Add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Separate frosting into 2 bowls, and color one with 3 drops pink food coloring.

5. Spoon frosting, side by side, one color at a time, into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with nonpareils.

Passover Desserts

Coconut Macaroons
Makes ~22 Cookies

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INGREDIENTS:

4 large egg whites
3 1/2 cups unsweetened dried flaked, not shredded, coconut (also known as coconut chips) or 3 cups sweetened, dried shredded coconut
3/4 cups sugar
2 tspn vanilla
Slightly rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine all of the ingredients in a large heatproof mixing bowl, preferably stainless steel because the mixture will heat faster than in glass. Set the bowl directly in a wide skillet of barely simmering water (if your bowl bobs in the water, simply pour some out). Stir the mixture with a silicone spatula, scraping the bottom to prevent burning, until the mixture is very hot to the touch and the egg whites have thickened slightly and turned from translucent to opaque, 5 to 7 minutes. Set the batter aside for 30 minutes to let the coconut absorb more of the goop.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

4. Using 2 tablespoons of batter, make attractive heaps 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets. (You can also make these smaller and bake for less time, in 1-tablespoon heaps.) Bake for about 5 minutes, just until the coconut tips begin to color, rotating the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.

5. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are a beautiful cream and gold with deeper brown edges, again rotating the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time. If the coconut tips are browning too fast, lower the heat to 300 degrees. Set the pans or just the liners on racks to cool. Let cool completely before gently peeling the parchment away from each cookie.

6. The cookies are best on the day they are baked — the exterior is crisp and chewy and the interior soft and moist. Although the crispy edges will soften, the cookies remain delicious stored in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.

7. OPTIONAL. Chocolate-Topped Coconut Macaroons. Do this for any version of Coconut Macaroons: While the cookies are still hot, top each with a little piece of your favorite milk or dark chocolate. Or drizzle a little melted chocolate over each cookie.

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Fallen Chocolate Cake
8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1” pieces, plus more, room temperature, for pan
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided, plus more for pan
10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (61%–72% cacao), coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 large eggs
2 tablespoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon kosher salt

TOPPING
1 cup chilled heavy cream
½ cup mascarpone
3 tablespoon powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter springform pan and dust with sugar, tapping out any excess.

2. Combine chocolate, oil, and ½ cup butter in a large heatproof bowl. Set over a saucepan of simmering water and heat, stirring often, until melted. Remove bowl from saucepan.

3. Separate 4 eggs, placing whites and yolks in separate medium bowls. Add cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, ¼ cup sugar, and remaining 2 eggs to bowl with yolks and whisk until mixture is smooth. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into chocolate mixture, blending well.

4. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. With mixer running, gradually beat in ½ cup sugar; beat until firm peaks form.

5. Gently fold egg whites into chocolate mixture in 2 additions, folding just until incorporated between additions. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top and sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar.

6. Bake until top is puffed and starting to crack and cake is pulling away from edge of pan, 35-45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool completely in pan (cake will collapse in the center and crack further as it cools).

   DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover in pan and store airtight at room temperature.

7. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream, mascarpone, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.

8. Remove sides of springform pan from cake. Mound whipped cream mixture in center of cake.

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Matzo Toffee
Serves 10

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups coarsely crumbled matzos
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. In a bowl, toss matzo pieces with almonds.

2. In a saucepan, bring butter, sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil over medium, stirring constantly. Working quickly, drizzle matzo mixture with syrup, and toss.

3. Using a heatproof spatula, spread mixture onto prepared sheet. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let chocolate melt 5 minutes; spread chocolate over matzo toffee. Refrigerate until chocolate has set. Break into pieces, and serve.

Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Vanilla Pineapple Compote

I saw a contestant on Worst Cooks in America make this dessert. Under the supervision of Chef Anne Burrell, this recipe was apart of the winner's three course meal. How could it not be? It's cheesecake WITH goat cheese. There are a few other twists and turns and it all turns out to be a crazy-yummy finished product. 

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS: 

CRUST
2 cups gingersnap crumbs
6 tablespoons melted butter, plus extra butter for pan
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt

FILLING
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (12-ounce) log goat cheese
12 ounces creme fraiche or sour cream
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan

VANILLA PINEAPPLE COMPOTE
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup rum
2 vanilla beans, split, seeds scraped and reserved
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 ripe pineapple, top, skin and core removed, cut into bite-size wedges

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Stir all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the pan. Set aside.

3. Beat the cream and goat cheeses in the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the creme fraiche and beat to combine. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each egg is added, until thoroughly combined. Beat in the sugar and vanilla until just combined.

4. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Put on a baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through the cooking process. If the cheesecake starts to color, tent the springform pan with aluminum foil.

5. While baking, begin making the vanilla pineapple compote. Combine the brown sugar, water, rum, and vanilla beans in a saucepan over medium heat. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, add the pineapple and stir until well mixed. Simmer until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy consistency and the pineapple is soft. Let cool.

6. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool completely before serving, as it continues to set as it cools. It is best to refrigerate overnight before serving. Cut the cake into wedges and serve with Vanilla Pineapple Compote.

Say cheesecake!

Key Lime Marshmallow Meringue Pie

This was so much fun to bake! Especially because it is my all time favorite dessert. The best part? The whole pie was eaten by everyone, enjoyed by all. 

SERVES 8 - 10

INGREDIENTS
10 graham crackers
7 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
6 eggs, separated
Lime zest
1 14-ounce can condensed milk
½ pint vanilla ice cream
½ cup key lime juice *(Regular lime juice works just fine if key lime juice is unavailable)*
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2. Place graham crackers in plastic bag and crush them into a fine crumb using a rolling pin. Alternatively, a food processor can be used to crush the crackers. 

3. Pour the graham cracker crumbs into a medium bowl with the melted butter and brown sugar. Mix until the crumbs take on the character of a coarse, wet sand. 

4. Pour the crumbs into a 9-inch pie dish. Press the crumb firmly into the dish, making sure to coat the bottom and sides of the dish evenly. Once the crust has been formed, place the pie dish into the refrigerator to firm up. 

5. Separate 6 eggs. Working with the yolks (reserve the whites for later), add the zest of 1 lime and whisk, either by hand or with an electric mixer, for 2 minutes. Add the can of condensed milk and continue to whisk until mixture is smooth and has a pale yellow color. Add in the ice cream and key lime juice. Continue to whisk for an additional 3–5 minutes. The filling should be smooth and airy when finished. 

6. Pour the filling mixture into the refrigerated graham cracker crust and bake at 350˚F/180˚C for 18–20 minutes, or until the edges of the crust begin to brown and the filling no longer jiggles when disturbed. 

7. While the pie is baking, combine the reserved egg whites with corn syrup and about ¼ cup of the sugar and begin to whisk vigorously to form the meringue. Continue to add the sugar in small increments until all of it is incorporated. Continue to whisk until mixture thickens and stiff peaks form, about 7–10 minutes. 

8. Top the baked pie with the meringue. Using a rubber spatula, spread the meringue evenly over the top of the pie, making sure to cover all the visible areas of filling. Once covered, use the tip of the spatula to shape the meringue forming small peaks a valleys in the topping. 

9. Bake at 350˚ for an additional 7–10 minutes to toast the meringue topping. Allow to cool completely for at least 1 hour before cutting. 

Lemon Bars

These are simple to make, impressive, and above all, delicious! I am personally more of a tart fan than I am a chocolate lover. Lemon, key lime, etc., are my favorites, thus, this is one my new favorite recipes. 

Yields 20 squares

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon sal

FILLING
6 extra-large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup flour
Powdered Sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Line a 9x13 pan with foil or parchment, and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the flour and salt until dough forms.

4. Press the dough into the pan, building up 1/2 inch crust on all sides.

5. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Chill. Start step 6 once the crust has fully cooled.

6. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients (except the powdered sugar), and pour into the cooled crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes until filling is set. Let cool to room temperature or chill overnight.

7. Dust with powdered sugar before cutting and serving.

Raspberry Compote

I'm not sure what it is about fruit compotes, but lately, I can't get enough. Earlier this week as I was baking my banana bread (at 10:30 p.m.) I decided to whip up some raspberry compote while I waited for the bread to bake. This smell made it a bit difficult to fall asleep but it was totally worth having this at breakfast, paired with my homemade dutch baby pancake. Mmmmm.

Yields 2 Cups

INGREDIENTS:

2 pints raspberries
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp orange juice
½ tsp cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Once the raspberries fall apart and the sauce is thickened, remove from heat. (I like to lightly mash the berries and help them become a bit more smushed.)

2. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

3.. Serve with ice cream, angel food cake, cheesecake, pancakes, or anything else you can think of!

Cinnamon Crumble Banana Bread

One of my favorite things to make is banana bread. Why? Because it means no banana will go to waste and you only need a few ingredients to make it! All of which are usually pre stocked in most pantries. Adding the cinnamon crumble is a great addition, because who doesn't like sweetness?

Serves 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS:

BANANA BREAD
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1⅛ cup sugar
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons buttermilk or milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 bananas mashed very well
1 cup chocolate chips (optional - but you really should)
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

CINNAMON CRUMBLE
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Add flour, baking soda and salt to a small bowl and set aside.

3. Mix egg, sugar and oil and stir until well combined

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well. The mixture will be thick and dry.

5. Next add milk, vanilla and bananas and stir until incorporated. Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts.

6. Make your crumble by mixing together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. (Best if you use your fingers or a fork. Nothing electric.)

7. Pour HALF the batter into your loaf pan. Add HALF the crumble on top of the batter. Add the rest of the batter on top and finish it off with the remaining crumble on top.

8. Cook 50-75 minutes, checking regularly until a knife comes out clean.

Crème Brûlée

This was a fun project as it's one of my all-time favorite desserts and it turned out really well! That being said, you do need to have a torch in order to make this (I bought a mini one from Sur la Table). This is not only a wonderful treat but a great way to surprise and delight your guests. 

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 quart heavy cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup sugar
• 6 large egg yolks
• 2 quarts hot water
• ½ cup sugar

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, and vanilla. Stir constantly over medium heat, for about 7-8 minutes until mixture starts to bubble, close to a simmer.

3. Remove saucepan from heat. Cover and let set for 15 minutes. (Wait until cream has cooled before starting step 4). 

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually until all is combined.

5. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

6. Bake at 325 degrees F, just until the creme brûlée is set, but still trembling in the center. Bake approximately 40 to 45 minutes.

7. Remove the ramekins from pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

8. Remove the creme brûlée from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top.

9. Divide the remaining ½ cup sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy and browned top. The Creme Brûlée needs to sit at least 5 minutes before serving.

Crustless Slow Cooker Apple Pie à la Mode

This has quickly become one of my favorite new recipe. At only 194 calories per serving, this sweet dessert is sure to please every palette...especially around the holidays!

SERVES 8

Ingredients:

• 2.25 pounds (about 6) apples (I prefer Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tspn ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tspn ground nutmeg
• 4 cups nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt, for serving (Stonyfield)

Directions:

1. Place the apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a slow cooker. Stir to combine.

2. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours, until the apples are bubbling and tender. 

3. To serve, place 1/2 cup of the apples with 1/2 cup of frozen yogurt.

Macchiato Macarons

This sweet treat was so much fun to make. Yes, it was a bit intimidating at first, but once I got my KitchenAid Mixer out and started powering through the directions, the next thing I knew, I was having a blast and giddy at the sight of my creations! 

These made an excellent Father's Day gift to my grandpa and uncles!

SERVINGS: 16 - 18 MACARONS

Ingredients:

For the cookie:

• 3 large egg whites (100g), room temperature
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
• 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar (200g)
• 1 cup superfine almond flour (110g) (if unable to find “superfine” it is recommended that you pulse the almond flour in a food processor first)
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

For the buttercream filling:

• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

Directions:

1. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. 

2. Using a fine mesh strainer, sift together the almond flour, confectioners sugar, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Discard any large pieces that remain in the strainer. 

3. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add ⅓ of the granulated sugar and with mixer on high, continue to beat until egg whites are stiff peaks. Add another ⅓ of the sugar and beat again until egg whites are back to stiff peaks. Repeat with last ⅓ of sugar, beating until whites are shiny and fluffy. 

4. Add the sifted ingredients to the bowl with the egg whites. With a rubber scraper, fold the mixture into the egg whites, about 35-45 strokes, or until the batter falls on itself but a slight peak remains (Do not overmix or batter will be too thin and runny). 

5. Fill a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe batter onto prepared baking tray into 1 ½ inch disks. 

6. Lift and drop the baking tray onto a hard surface 2-3 times to smooth out the batter and knock out any air bubbles. Allow cookies to rest at room temperature for one hour, until a skin forms on the surface of the cookies. 

7. Preheat oven to 285˚F (140˚C)

8. To make the filling, beat the butter, confectioners sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Set aside. 

9. After about one hour, gently brush the top a cookie with your finger to check that a skin has formed. The batter should not stick to your finger, if it does, allow to set for an additional 15 minutes. 

10. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the cookies peel away from the parchment when lifted. 

11. Allow the cookie shells to cool completely. 

12. Pipe the buttercream frosting onto the bottom side of a cooled shell and sandwich together with a similarly sized cookie. 

13. Dust with optional cocoa powder. Enjoy!

*Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.