Heath Apple Dip

This dip recipe was passed on to me from Katie - delicious and easy!  Serve with sliced apples.

 Ingredients
1 block cream cheese, softened
1/2c. sugar
3/4c. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 bag toffee bits


Instructions
Mix all of the above ingredients together, easiest to do using a hand mixer.  Store in the refrigerator.

Banana Cream Pie

Quick and easy to make!

We liked it so much, I taught my roommate Katie how to make another one two days later. She was skeptical of her skill in the kitchen but it tasted as great as the first time!

Just to give you an idea of what the inside looks like.

My roommate Katie came home with a bunch of bananas that had been given to her so we decided to use them to make a banana pie. I did some research and ended up using a variation of this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-cream-pie-iii/detail.aspx

Ingredients:

1 9-inch graham cracker crust

2-3 bananas

1 small box of instant banana pudding mix

1 small box of instant vanilla pudding mix

2 1/2 cups of cold milk

1 container of whipped cream

1. Slice the bananas and arrange them in the bottom of the pie crust.

2. Mix the cold milk and pudding mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of whipped topping and mix together well.

3. Pour into crust over bananas. Layer the leftover banana over the pudding mixture and cover with remaining whipped topping.

4. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.

labor day plum tart

Source: Barefoot Contessa (Food Network)
Serves: 8
Prepared by: Andrea

I adapted this recipe from the Ina Garten.  I love the sour taste of the plums and also added some blueberries (David's suggestion).  I added cinnamon, left out the walnuts, as well and I only topped it with a tiny bit of crumble rather than all that was remaining because I wanted the fruit flavor to dominate... it did.  It was quite tart!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), diced
1 egg yolk
2 pounds firm, ripe Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the flour, walnuts, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and the egg yolk. Mix, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until crumbly.Press 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform or tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin side down, to form a flower pattern; begin at the outside and work your way in.Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer the tart to a flat plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Blueberry-Lemon Galette

This was delicious, simplier than a pie and much tastier thanks to the tart blueberries. 

Source: Fine Cooking
Prepared by: Andrea
Serves: 6

For the Dough:


6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. table salt
5-1/2 oz. (11 Tbs.) cold, unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
3 Tbs. whole milk

For the Filling:
4 cups blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Big pinch table salt
1 large egg, beaten well
2 Tbs. granulated sugar

Make and Roll Out the Dough:
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or if mixing by hand, in a medium bowl). Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add them to the flour. On low speed, mix the butter and flour until the flour is no longer white and holds together when you clump it with your fingers, 1 to 2 minutes. If there are still lumps of butter larger than the size of peas, break them up with your fingers. Run a spatula along the bottom of the bowl to loosen anything stuck to the bowl. (If mixing by hand, mix with a pastry cutter or two forks until the butter is mixed into the flour as above).

In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk and milk and add them to the flour mixture. On low speed, mix until the dough just comes together, about 15 seconds; the dough will be somewhat soft. (If mixing by hand, add the yolk mixture to the flour and mix gently with a fork until the liquid is well distributed. The dough will still look crumbly and dry.

Dump the dough onto a clean counter and work it with the heel of your hand, pushing and smearing it away from you and gathering it up with a bench scraper and repeating until the dough comes together and is pliable). Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, wrap it in the plastic, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes (or up to four days) before rolling it out.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; if the dough is very firm, let it sit at room temperature until it’s pliable enough to roll, 10 to 15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a round that’s about 13 to 14 inches in diameter. It’s all right if the edges are a little ragged. If you can’t get a roughly round shape, trim the dough so that it’s a rough circle and roll the trimmed scraps back into the dough. Transfer the dough round to the baking sheet and put it in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Fill and Bake the Galette:
Put the blueberries in a large bowl. Toss the fruit with the 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Taste the fruit; if it’s more tart than you like, add up to 2 Tbs. more sugar. Add the lemon zest, honey, flour and salt, and toss until everything is evenly mixed.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to keep it from cracking when you assemble the tart. Heap the fruit in the center of the dough round. Using your fingertips, fold the edges of the dough over some of the fruit to create a rim about 2 inches wide. Work your way all around, pleating the dough as you go.
Using a pastry brush, brush the pleated dough evenly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the granulated sugar directly on the dough and fruit.
Bake the tart until the pleats of dough are completely golden brown without a trace of pale, unbaked dough, about 55 minutes. (It’s all right if some of the juices escape from the tart and seep onto the pan.) Transfer to a rack and let cool. The tart may be baked up to six hours ahead of serving. When cool enough to handle, use a spatula to transfer the tart to a serving plate or cutting board. Slice it and serve it warm or at room temperature.

Grace Kelly Cupcakes

source: Fine Cooking
prepared by: Andrea
serves: 20

My mom frequently forwards me her Fine Cooking newsletter - the holiday editions are my favorite.  Some of our beloved recipes have originated from this newsletter including beer chicken which David posted in May 2010.  This year was no exception - once I saw the recipe for Lemon-blueberry buttermilk cupcakes, I knew they would be perfect for our annual 4th of July BBQ.  The author, Evan Barbour, fondly refers to them as "the Grace Kelly of cupcakes" which is what we've been calling them.  They were the perfect treat for a 100 degree Houston summer night - not too heavy.  The icing was a bit runny - but I attribute the cause primarily to the heat.  David put the dish cloth underneath to catch any drips, I thought it looked tacky but he thoughtfully chose a red one with stars (from Grandma) to match the patriotic theme. 


Link to the blog with the original recipe post 
http://chocolateandchaturangas.com/

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups bleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Zest of 3 lemons
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tbsp. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put paper cupcake liners in a 12-cup muffin pan. Toss the blueberries with 1 tbsp. flour. Beat the butter, lemon zest, and sugar for 5 minutes at medium speed until light and fluffy (be sure to do the entire 5 minutes – this makes a big difference!). Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping bowl and beaters between each to incorporate.

Sift flour with the baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add a quarter of the flour mixture to the butter-egg mixture. Then add vanilla and a third of the buttermilk. Repeat, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping well after each addition. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Pour batter into prepared muffin pans. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool pans on a rack for 5 minutes. Turn cakes out and cool completely.

for the icing

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 stick softened butter
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup honey
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Large pinch of salt

In a mixer or a large bowl, combine the ingredients until completely smooth. It will be a bit runny, but that’s how it’s supposed to look (I prefer my icing creamy and on the runny side; add more confectioner’s sugar or less honey/lemon juice if you beg to differ).

Ice the cooled cupcakes and top each with the prettiest blueberries you can find.

Guinness Cupcakes with Baileys Buttercream Frosting

I didn't take any pictures of these cupcakes, but I've never had a baked good receive reviews and complements like this! The frosting is the best I've ever had, and instead of doing the design in the pictures, I piped it on in a swirl, they looked great! The chocolate ganache on the inside caught everyone by surprise - and they loved it! I used a regular Guinness stout for these, but an extra stout for the s'mores ones -- I'd recommend using the regular stout, the extra is a little too bitter for a dessert.

http://confessionsoftart.blogspot.com/2009/04/guinness-cupcakes-with-baileys.html

S'mores Cupcakes

The link below has the full recipe and more pictures.

I used the Guinness cupcake batter, not the one listed in this recipe (I mean, why not?!) These were so much fun to make, and they really look great - haven't tried the final product yet, but I doubt they'll disappoint!! The marshmallow icing is out of this world! Frost them liberally, we had lots of left overs, so we made some meringues too! http://homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com/2010/03/smores-cupcakes.html

Blueberry-pineapple cobbler

This recipe is originally from Linda Ann. It's very easy and very very good served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients:

4-6 cups fresh blueberries
20 oz can crushed pineapple undrained
1 box Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 c chopped nuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl mix blueberries with 1/4 cup sugar. Pour pineapple with juice into greased baking dish. On top of this spread blueberries. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the blueberries. Cut butter into pieces on top of mix. Sprinkle nuts and 1/4 cup sugar.
Bake for 50 minutes. After 25 minutes, take a knife and chop/slice into cake topping.

Buckeyes

Putting them in the freezer to firm.

Finished product! (pictures by Angela)

Officially a Gorney family favorite!

source: allrecipes.com

serves: 30 (I doubled it for last weekend).

You will need:

• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• Toothpicks

Prep:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. I used my mixer and it was overflowing with the double recipe.
2. Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler - (I just microwaved them) Stir.
4. Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving. I froze them for transportation but they actually taste pretty good right out of the freezer.

Blueberry Pie

serves: 8
source: Joy of Baking 


For the crust you will need:

2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 - 120 ml) ice water


Prep:

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in food processor.  Add the butter and process about 15 seconds.  Pour 1/4 cup water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched.  Do not process more than 30 seconds.  Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with wax paper, and refrigerate for about one hour before using.    Remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface.  Roll the pastry into a 12 inch circle. Gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan.  Refrigerate the pastry, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes before filling with the berries.  Meanwhile, remove the second round of pastry and roll it out.  Using a star cookie cutter, cut out some stars.  Place the stars on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

For the filling you will need:

4 cups (570 grams) fresh blueberries

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

2 tablespoon (20 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Prep:

Mix together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest.  Place the blueberries in a large bowl.  Add the sugar mixture to the blueberries and gently toss to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell. Starting at the outside edge of the pie place the cut out pastry stars in a circular pattern on top of the blueberries, making sure the tips of the stars are touching.   Place the assembled pie back in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C)and place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.  Remove the chilled pie from the fridge and place on a cookie sheet to catch any spills.  Bake the pie for about 20 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).  Continue to bake the pie for about 35 - 45 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown color and the juices are bubbling and thick. 

Peach Cobbler

Prepared by: Andrea
Serves: a lot
Source: Shelia Griffin

I've had this recipe since high school - it's perfect for celebrating the start of summer! I have become partial to Texas peaches.

You will need:

1 can peaches
4-5 ripe peaches skinned and sliced (I leave the skins on) or 2- 29 oz cans !/2 drained and sliced
1 cup plus 1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP cornstarch
2 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
12 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Prep

Preheat oven to 375
Mix peaches and 1/2 c sugar in saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch with 2 TBSP water and then add to boiling peaches. Cook 1 min. Grease and flour and 8x8 pan. Add cooked peaches. In separate dish mix flour, brown sugar, and 1/2 c. sugar. Cut in butter using pastry tool. Spread over top of peaches. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake 40 min at 375. I serve a la mode with Breyers vanilla bean.

Deep Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Photo: vanilla bean with ice cream backdrop (2010). Bowls a gift from Chamblin, Morgan, and Mazzeo kids.
Source: Cuisinart
Prepared by: Andrea (with help whisking from David due to my considerable lack of patience).
Serves: 14 1/2 cup servings

This recipe requires an ice cream maker and a vanilla bean. When I bought the vanilla bean my check-out experience was similar to that of Katie and Martin with their saffron. I had to reassure the cashier that it wasn't a mistake, (one bean cost $8.99) but I didn't end up getting it for free; I don't think such happy endings occur in Houston.

We enjoyed our first vanilla bean experience as it was both interesting and educational, and, we decided, well worth the investment. (As an aside, yesterday's experience, compounded with our recent and long-awaited achievements in sustainable orchid growth (4 months and still green) has lead us to consider adopting a vanilla bean orchid of our own. My limited knowledge of the plant suggests that it produces a single bean annually after which we could have a chocolate ice cream celebration of the harvest).

The vanilla bean is not the only investment; the upfront capital cost of equipment contributes to the decadence of this dessert just as much as the the 12 oz of 60% cacao Ghirardelli. I, therefore, rank this among the most impractical of recipes and thus among the sweetest. (Poor-taste culinary pun(s) intended).

You will need:
2-1/4 cups whole milk
2-1/4 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
1-1/8 cups granulated sugar
1-1/8 cups Dutch process cocoa
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Process:
In a large saucepan, combine the whole milk and heavy cream over medium-low heat. With a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise; use the blunt edge of the knife to scrape out the "seeds" of the vanilla bean. Stir the seeds and bean pod into the milk/cream mixture. Simmer the milk/cream mixture over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod and discard it or rinse and reserve for another use. Combine the sugar, cocoa, eggs, and egg yolks in a medium bowl; using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat until thickened like mayonnaise. Measure out 1 cup of the hot milk/cream mixture. With the mixer on low speed, add the cup of hot milk/cream to the cocoa mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix until completely incorporated. Stir the chopped chocolate into the saucepan with the hot milk/cream. Stir the egg mixture into the hot milk/cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to resemble a chocolate pudding. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a bowl and stir in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the chocolate mixture, and refrigerate until completely cooled.

Pour the chilled custard into the freezer bowl, turn the machine on and let mix until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Fresh Fruit Tart

Made this for Memorial Day BBQ.

Source: Cooks Illustrated
Prepared By: Andrea
Serves: 8-10

You will need:

A tart pan

Pastry cream:
2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
1/2 c granulated sugar
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks - remove chalaze (those white cords)
3 TBSP cornstarch
4 TBSP cold butter cut into pieces
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pastry (pie crust)
1 egg yolk
1 TBSP heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
8 TBSP butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Fruit Glaze (I skipped this but you could try it - it should make the tart more glossy)
1/2 cup red currant or apple jelly

Process:

For the Pastry Cream: Heat the whole milk or half-and-half, 6 tablespoons sugar, and salt in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until they are thoroughly combined. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

When the milk mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk the simmering milk into the yolk mixture to temper. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure every bit makes it into the saucepan. Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly (this is important, don’t stop stirring!), until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds to one minute. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Transfer the mixture to medium bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until the pastry cream is cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 48 hours.

For the Tart Pastry: While the pastry cream is chilling, whisk together the yolk, 1 tablespoon cream, and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside. In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Scatter the cold butter pieces over the dry ingredients and cut in the butter using two knives or a pastry blender (this can also be done in a food processor). The mixture should resemble coarse meal when the butter has been cut in completely. Add the egg mixture and using your fingers or a wooden spoon, gently mix the ingredients together until they just come together. If the dough is overly dry, add 1/2 tablespoon cream at a time to moisten the dough. Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk. Wrap completely and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until it softens a bit). Unwrap the dough and roll it out between lightly floured large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap until it is 13-inches in diameter. Transfer the dough to a tart pan by rolling dough loosely around a rolling pin and unrolling over a 9- to 9 1/2-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Working around the edges of the pan, ease the dough into the pan corners by gently lifting the dough with one hand while pressing the dough into the corners with other hand. Press the dough into the fluted sides of pan. (If some edges are too thin, reinforce sides by folding excess dough back on itself.) Run the rolling pin over the top of the tart pan to remove excess dough. Set dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes (can be sealed in gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag and frozen for up to 1 month).

Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet. Press a large piece of tin foil inside the frozen shell and over the edges (use two overlapping pieces of foil if needed) and fill with pie weights or dry beans (which is what I use). Bake the shell until it is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and carefully remove the foil and weights by gathering the edges of the foil and pulling up and out. Return the crust to the oven and continue to bake until light and golden brown, 3-5 minutes longer. Set the baking sheet with the tart shell on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

To Assemble and Glaze the Tart: When the tart shell is completely cool, spread cold pastry cream over the bottom, using an offset spatula or large spoon. At this point, you can press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream and refrigerate the filled shell for up to 30 minutes. Arrange the fruit on top of pastry cream.

(I skipped this step)
Bring the jelly to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to smooth out lumps. When boiling and completely melted, apply the jelly to the tart by dabbing and flicking it onto the fruit with a pastry brush; add 1 teaspoon water and return the jelly to a boil if it becomes too thick to drizzle. (The tart can be refrigerated, uncovered, up to 30 minutes.)

kentucky butter cake - suzanne stull

I made this cake when my dad visited last month - he claims it was one of the best he ever had. David feels it could be improved by adding cinnamon and I would agree, so I have put that in as an option.

source: allrecipes.com
prepared by: andrea
serves about 12-15

You will need:

(for the cake)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
(optional cinnamon to make it more like a coffee cake)

(for the glaze)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Prep:

(for the cake)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
Mix the flour, 2 cups sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Blend in buttermilk, 1 cup of butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 4 eggs. Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Prick holes in the still warm cake (I used a chopstick for this, nothing wider). Slowly pour sauce over cake. Let cake cool before removing from pan.

(for the glaze)
Combine the remaining 3/4 cups sugar, 1/3 cup butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and the water in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, until fully melted and combined, but do not boil.

Cookies and Cream Cake

Katie made a cookies and cream cake a few weeks ago when we had some friends over, and I resented the fact that I had to share this cake with anyone. It is phenomenal.

I have to give credit to Kristen and Trey for discovering this, and I believe they said they found it by googling "best cake ever;" That's not an understatement.

It's a "Cookies and Cream" cake that has oreos in it. We don't have any pictures from our experience making this cake, but the link is below, and it includes pictures:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cookies-n-Cream-Cake/Detail.aspx

I highly recommend double suffed oreos for the recipe. Also, crushing the oreos and sprinkling the crumbles over the cake made for a really tasty topping.

Chocolate Frozen Pie

To all you chocolate lovers out there, here's an excellent answer to your late night cravings. Credit does go to Nestle for this one...

Ingredients:
1 prepared 9-inch (6 ounces) chocolate crumb crust
1 cup (6 ounces) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 teaspoon hot water
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup baking Cocoa
2 tablespoons Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels

MELT 1 cup morsels in small, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat. When morsels begin to melt, remove from heat; stir. Return to heat for a few seconds at a time, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; cool for 10 minutes.

COMBINE water, sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in bowl; stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in melted chocolate until smooth. Spread into crust; refrigerate.

BEAT cream, powdered sugar and cocoa in small mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe over chocolate layer. Sprinkle with mini morsels. Freeze for at least 6 hours or until firm.

Puppy Chow Recipe

It seems appropriate that the first recipe on the blog is that of Puppy Chow. An immediate family favorite years ago and a hit at all social gatherings, puppy chow has imprinted itself in Gorney family history.

Ingredients:

~1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

~1 cup peanut butter (creamy)

1 box Crispix or Chex cereal

2 cups powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a large bowl and stir together.

Mix in the cereal until evenly coated.

Pour in the powdered sugar, cover with a lid, and shake until evenly distributed.

Enjoy!