Cookie dough cream pie

I had a delicious chocolate chip cookie dough cream pie at a restaurant years ago and have been looking for a recipe since. I may have found it. Raw cookie dough inside a brown sugar pudding that tastes somewhat like cookie dough itself. Ignore your diet, folks.

Notes: This makes a deep dish pie! I doubled the recipe to make 2 pies for a church event. I used pre-made Oreo crusts for a shortcut. There was enough filling for 3.
Baking the egg-less cookie dough makes a pretty little garnish, but the cookies themselves were overly crisp and buttery for me. Next time I think I'll skip that step and use regular cookies or Famous Amos.

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (7 oz)
• 6 tablespoons butter

Press into pie pan, bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely.

Dough:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick butter
• 3/8 cup brown sugar
• 3/8 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars, ass milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and mix into soft dough. Make 8 small balls (about 1/2 teaspoon) and bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes. Press rest of raw dough into pie crust.

Pudding:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, flour and salt, whisk in 1 cup milk. Heat to boiling on medium heat, whisking constantly. Continue for two minutes, until custard is thick. Remove from heat. In separate bowl, whisk remaining milk into egg yolks. Whisk a dollop of the hot custard into the egg/milk mixture, then whisk into warm custard. Heat to boiling again for one minute, whisking constantly. Remove from hear and whisk in butter and vanilla. Pour over cookie dough and chill several hours or overnight.

Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat cream to soft peak stage, add rest of ingredients and beat to stiff peaks. Spread over pie. Reserve eight dollops to pipe around circumference; garnish with mini-cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

My kids are crazy about chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, so when I heard of these cupcakes I had to try them. There are several versions around; I like this one because it uses a mix.

A few tips: It is essential that the dough centers be frozen thoroughly. I typically do mine overnight. Do not over bake these: 16 minutes is about right for me. If you over bake or do not freeze dough, you wind up with a dry crumply cookie in the middle instead of the soft dough. Toothpick test is not reliable for doneness if you stick it in the middle, because you'll be testing the dough; use the side.

I got the icing recipe from a different site. You can use any frosting you want, but this version has that "cookie dough" taste that makes it especially good. The original recipe made way more icing than I needed, (I don't put big swirls of icing on cupcakes) so the second time I halved it; which was barely enough. The version below is 2/3's of the original, which is about right.

Centers:

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and stir in until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Using about 1 tablespoon each, roll 24 balls of dough. Place on cookie sheet and freeze at least 2 hours or overnight.

Cake:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil

Beat eggs slightly, then add rest of ingredients. Mix with mixer on medium speed 2 minutes. Fill 24 paper-lined muffin tins 1/2 to 2/3's full with batter, then place one cookie dough ball on top. Cupcake will rise and cover ball as it bakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-20 minute. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.

Cookie dough buttercream frosting:

• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 1/3 teaspoons vanilla

Cream brown sugar and butter. Mix in powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in rest of ingredients to make a smooth frosting. Spread over cooled cupcakes. Top with mini-chocolate chips or a Famous Amos mini chocolate chip cookie, if desired.

These are best stored in refrigerator.

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis

I served this for a dinner party recently, in my grandmother's silver sherberts.

Mousse:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 5 oz. dark chocolate (60-70% cacao)

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Whisk sugar and egg yolks. Heat 3/4 cup cream until hot but not boiling. poour slowly into egg yolks, whisking throughout. Transfer to stove and heat over medium -low heat, stirring constantly, until custard coats spoon. Whisk into melted chocolate and cool. Whip cream, then fold a fourth of it into chocolate mixture. Then, fold chocolate mixture into remaining cream. Spoon into serving dish and chill.

Raspberry coulis

• 1/2 pound raspberries
• 1/4 pound sugar

Combine in saucepan over medium heat; cook until sugar is dissolved. Chill sauce.

Whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip, gradually added sugar, chill 1-3 hours.

Top each mousse cup with a spoonful of coulis, then a dollop of whipped cream. Makes 12 small or 6 larger servings.

Chocolate and Pumpkin Cheesecake

Back in my grad school days, pre-internet, I copied a wonderful recipe for a layered pumpkin and chocolate cheesecake with chocolate ganache. I'm not sure if this is the same recipe but it's close. It makes a wonderful holiday dessert.

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crusts
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix crumbs, sugar and cocoa. Pour butter over all, stir to coat. Press onto bottom and sides of 9 inch springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chocolate layer:

• 2/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup coffee
• 12 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Mix in coffee, set aside. Beat cream cheese, sugar and salt together. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then mix in vanilla. Add chocolate mixture and blend. Pour over chocolate crumb crust.

Pumpkin layer:

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/3 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat pumpkin, cream cheese, flour, and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in spices and vanilla. Pour into 9 inch cake pan lined with buttered parchment paper.

Bake both cheesecakes at 350 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn off oven and let sit for 20 minutes. Refrigerate chocolate layer, cool pumpkin layer to room temperature.

Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 12 oz chocolate chips

Boil cream, butter and sugar, add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour one cup of ganache onto chocolate layer. Unmold pumpkin layer and place on top of chocolate layer. Freeze for 1 hour. Frost top and sides of cheesecake with remaining ganache. Keep refrigerated until time to serve.

World's Easiest fudge recipe

My Girl Scouts did this recipe at our last meeting:  It's a breeze.

• 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
  
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• dash salt
  

Line 8" by 8" pan with foil.  Melt all ingredients together over low heat. Spread in pan.  Chill 2 hours until firm.

Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

These can be made as chocolate-and-vanilla or chocolate-and-mint, your choice!

• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons milk
  
• 1 egg yolk
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1 1/2 cup flour
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 square unsweetened chocolate
  
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)
  
• Green food coloring (optional)
  

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in milk, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and stir into dough. Divide in half. Add melted chocolate to half; if desired, add peppermint extract and green food coloring to other half. Roll on waxed paper into two large rectangles, stack chocolate dough on the other half. Roll up jellyroll style, wrap and chill several hours. Slice into 1/4 inch slices and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Bitter Chocolate Cookies

I love to bake cookies, especially around the holidays, but plain sugar cookies get old quick. These chocolate ones are great.

• 3/4 cup softened butter
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 egg
  
• 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1 3/4 cups flour
  

Cream butter and sugar, beat in salt, egg and vanilla. Melt chocolate and blend in.  Stir in flour. Chill dough, then roll on floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness thencut with cookie cutters.  Bake at 425 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Kahlua Sauce

Baking a lot of key lime pies left me with a lot of egg whites leftover, so I made this. Low calorie but wonderfully flavorful. (133 calories with less than a gram of fat per serving!)

Cake:
9 egg whites
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/8 cup sugar
4.5 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Sauce:
3/8 cup sugar
1.5 teaspoons cornstarch
1.5 cups skim milk
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons Kahlua (or other liqueur of your choice)

Sift together flour, cocoa, 3/8 cup sugar and cinnamon, set aside. Beat egg whites with electric mixer until foamy, add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, beating continuously until stiff peaks form. Fold in dry ingredients and mix completely. Pour into ungreased tube pan. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Invert and cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan.

For sauce, dissolve 3/8 cup sugar and cornstarch in cold milk; whisk in egg. Cook to boiling over low heat, stirring continuously. Boil one minute ,then remove from heat and whisk in Kahlua. Serve cake slices with a tablespoon of sauce and sliced berries, if desired. Makes 15 1 inch pieces. Serves 15.

Black-eyed Susans

A great pressed cookie! Beautiful when flower or star-shaped, though I recently used heart-shaped cookies and chocolates for Valentine's Day.

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tablespoons warm water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 50-60 Hershey's kisses
  

Cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg, then water and vanilla. Beat in peanut butter. Combine dry ingredients, then stir into batter. Using star- or flower-shaped disc, press cookies ont baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and immediately press unwrapped chocolate into center. Cool thoroughly.

Cranberry Fudge Cake

Want to make something delicious out of that 85% of a can of cranberry sauce left over after the holiday meal? Try this cake; it's wonderful!

• 2/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup cranberry sauce (whole berry or jellied)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Melt chocolates and butter together in microwave, beat with wire whisk until smooth. Beat in sugar and cranberry sauce, followed by eggs and vanilla. Mix flour and baking powder, stir into batter. Bake in greased and floured springform pan at 325 for 40 minutes. Chill.

Glaze

• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup jellied cranberry sauce

Melt chocolate chips with cream in microwave, whisk in cranberry sauce. Remove side of cake pan and pour glaze over all, allowing some to drip down sides. Refrigerate to harden glaze.

Chocolate Cut-out Cookies

An easy dough to work with that keeps it shape when baking. I just made a bunch of squirrel-shaped ones (the squirrel is our school mascot) for a Valentine's bake sale.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 2 cups flour
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup cocoa
  

Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients, add gradually to butter mixture. Divide dough into two balls and chill 30 minutes.

Working with half of dough at a time, roll to 1/8 inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets and sprinkle if desired. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.

Peppermint Toads

I made these today for my son's upcoming Harry Potter birthday party.

• 1 lb white (or red) meltable candy beads (I use Merckens or Wilton's, available at craft stores)
• 4 candy canes, crushed
• 3-4 drops peppermint oil

Melt white chocolate, stir in crushed candy and peppermint oil. Pour into frog-shaped molds. (I got mine from Confectionery House) Harden in freezer and remove.

Tomorrow I'm using the same technique with dark chocolate for Chocolate Frogs.

Fudge sauce

My grandma used to make this. It's easy and delicious. I frequently fill jelly jars with it and give it as Christmas gifts to my kids' teachers. Best when served with Mayfield's Peppermint Stick ice cream (or some lesser brand if you can't get Mayfield's.)

• 3 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine first three ingredients, bring to boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring vigorously with wire whisk. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Serve warm or cold.

Zebra Pudding

Inspired by Union, Trueheart and Courtesy' remembrances, I now present my grandmother's version of this classic, which differs from my old friend's by the addition of Jack Daniel's. My guess is that this was one of the few ways in which Jack Daniel's would cross my grandmother's lips.

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons Jack Daniels whiskey
• 1 package Famous chocolate wafers*

Whip cream until stiff, gradually adding sugar and whiskey. Place one dollop on a cookie, press another on, sandwich-style, and set on edge in serving dish. Continue adding cookies until you have a long log. frost with remaining whipped cream, cover with plastic and chill overnight. Cookies will soften and become cake-like in texture. Slice diagonally; dessert will have a "zebra" appearance.

*For some reason, these cookies tend to be found in the ice cream cone section.

Wedding mints

Not really a recipe, but a nostalgia post.
When I married in 1990, my maternal grandmother, then in her mid-70's, at my mom's request, made the mints for my wedding reception. Granny was not getting around very well in those days and I think she was a little surprised at being asked, but my mom wanted her to feel useful and, typical for Granny, she went all out; buying multiple molds, tinting them various colors and packing them carefully in Tupperware, cushioned with paper towels and sitting in a cooler atop a Ziploc bag of ice cubes for the 90-minute trip to Chattanooga from Rome. "I was afraid they'd melt in the hot car." They were beautiful and delicious, of course.
When she passed away three years later, the mint molds were one of the things I got from her house. A graduate school friend of mine was planning a wedding at the time and I think I made some for her shower. Since then, I've made them for several other weddings, mostly for church friends.
They're not that hard. Just buy the melting pellets: Wilton is the brand most craft stores carry, though I recently ordered Merckens brand from Confectionery House (along with a frog mold for my son's next Harry Potter birthday party, chocolate frogs and peppermint toads, anyone?). It's not "real" chocolate, but it works great and tastes fine. The "white candy" can be tinted with oil-based dyes, or you can buy ready-made colors. I prefer to flavor the white stuff with creme de menthe flavoring (use oil-based, not extracts) and the "dark cocoa" with peppermint oil. As one of my husband's aunts remarked, they "taste like you melted down Andes."
The salmon-colored (not peach, not pink, but salmon) ones I made tonight, pictured above, are for the wedding of an education student from UVA who has interned at our church the last couple of years. Color was achieved by about 2 parts peach pellets to one part red. I had a swatch of ribbon from the bridesmaids dress to guide me. Granny would approve, and I can picture her with a swatch of my own bridesmaids' pattern, matching her colors to my multicolored floral print. I doubt I'll resort to paper-towel packing in the Tupperware when I take them to the bride at church next Sunday, as I've learned over the years that mints really don't scratch each other in transit. But, with a predicted heat index of 105, I'll probably use the cooler and a Ziploc bag of ice. Wouldn't want them to melt in the hot car.
I hope they'll add as many sweet memories to the new bride's wedding as my Granny's added to mine.

My Mom's Chocolate Satin Icing.

My mother clipped this recipe from The Chattanooga Times years ago; it's still in a notebook in her kitchen. She liked it so much, I don't remember her ever using another chocolate icing on cakes. It really is both delicious and beautiful. I don't know if it's coincidental or not, but every time I enter something in a fair with this icing, I bring home a ribbon.

• 1 stick butter
• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Add beaten egg and stir vigorously. Stir in powdered sugar, beat with wire whisk or electric beater. Remove from heat, mix in vanilla and lemon juice, then beat with electric beater or wire whisk until thickened. Pour over cooled cake and allow to drip down sides. Great on layer cakes, bundt cakes and brownies.

Double Chip Pound Cake

Glazed with my mom's special chocolate icing, this cake won the 2007 Pound Cake Contest at the Albemarle County Fair. I combined a from-scratch recipe from a friend's grandmother with the German chocolate and chips from a mix-based cake recipe I got from my aunt and member of my moms' email list.

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 2 sticks butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 eggs*
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 bar German chocolate, grated
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons salt

*Original recipe called for 4, contest requirements called for 6. I used 6 medium eggs with success.
Grease and flour Bundt cake or tube pan. Toss 1/4 cup flour with chocolate and butterscotch chips until coated. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix together remaining flour, baking powder, salt and grated chocolate. Slowly add to creamed mixture, stir just until blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into pan and bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool at least ½ hour in pan, then invert onto serving plate.

Iced Brownies

My daughter won a blue ribbon at the Albemarle County Fair with this recipe when she was 7. Adapted from recipes in the old Betty Crocker's Boys and Girls Cookbook, my first cookbook as a child.

• 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Melt chocolate and shortening in microwave. With wire whisk, beat in eggs and sugar. mix together last three ingredients, stir into chocolate mixture. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees in a greased square or rectangular brownie pan.

Icing:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon milk

Stir together until blended, add an extra tablespoon of milk if needed. Spread over brownies while they are still warm.

Cockroach Clusters

For Harry Potter Day, of course. I made a batch of these to take to my class on Friday, before I jump into the car to drive 8 hours to take my kids to the midnight premiere. I am nuts, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

• 12 oz chocolatey bark coating
• 3 cups chow mein noodles

Melt coating in microwave, add noodles and stir to coat. Put oval-ish tablespoonfuls on wax paper to harden. Makes about 30.

I also found a recipe for butterbeer: 1 part butterscotch schnapps to 7 parts cream soda. No idea if this is any good, as I'm not much of a schnapps drinker, and my school would probably frown on me serving up a batch to students. If I go to a certain Mother's Reunion in the fall, maybe I'll let you know.

Grahammy Bars

I agreed tonight to teach two quarters of children's Sunday School next year, which reminded me of this recipe. One of the easiest to do in a group setting, even with preschoolers.

• 2 1/2 packs graham crackers*
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 package chocolate chips
• 1 cup nuts (optional, I usually skip these, especially with kids)

Crush graham crackers into crumbs.** Dump crumbs into bowl, add chocolate chips. Pour in sweetened condensed milk, stick until coated. Press mixture into greased 13 X 9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. While bars are baking, remove cotton from ears and hose down any sticky children who helped you. Remove from oven and cut while bars are still warm.

*By "packs" I mean the wax-paper bundles that come in the box, usually 11 crackers. Total number of cracker used should be about 28, full-sized, or slightly over half a box.
**Here's where the kids have fun; put the crackers in a Ziploc bag, give them a rolling pin and let them go at it.