Tag: chocolate

Low Carb and Regular: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with Vanilla Whipped Cream

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chocolatechipcookiecups

Who doesn’t love cookies and milk? Cookies and ice cream? Cookies and cream? These are just combinations that are timeless, comforting, and remind us all of our childhood. But why not be able to indulge in this cult classic as an adult?

Going low carb/Keto hasn’t been difficult for me because I don’t feel deprived. I have an admittedly insatiable sweet tooth, and making excellent alternatives to treats is what I love to do. I realize that sugar is my health downfall–I’ve eaten healthfully my entire life otherwise. Now, I have dessert almost every night (not huge, a little something sweet), and have lost over 40 pounds in six months. This is a dessert that can be enjoyed by all. However, I posted a regular carbohydrate/sugar version for those who want it. The steps are the same–all that changes it the type of flour/sugar/chocolate chips used.

Keto/Low Carb Ingredients: Cookie Cup Layer

  • 1 1/4 cup of blanched almond flour (140 g)
  • 2 tablespoons of ground flax (13 g)
  • 1/2 cup of erythritol (96 g)- I recommend Lakanto/Swerve the most!
  • 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (1.5g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt (3 g)
  • 1/4 cup of butter, softened (56 g)
  • 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, softened (28g)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup of sugar-free chocolate chips, divided (149 g)–I HIGHLY recommend ChocZero–they are the best!

Keto/Low Carb Ingredients: Vanilla Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons of powdered erythritol–I recommend Lakanto/Swerve the most!
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Keto/Low Carb Instructions

  1. First, combine dry ingredients. Add blanched almond flour, ground flaxseed,  erythritol, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.
  2. After combining the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients which are the softened butter, cream cheese, egg, and vanilla. Make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened beforehand!
  3. Next, mix until combined and then fold in the chocolate chips.
  4. Get a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour. That’s the secret!
  5. About 50 minutes into the chill, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Also, grease your cupcake tin.
  6. Once the dough is chilled, we are going to press the cookie dough into the bottom and sides of the greased cupcake tins.
  7. We are going to bake these cups for ten minutes.
  8. Note: If the cookie dough puffs up while baking, we are going to use the back of a buttered spoon to press it back into the perfect cup shape. It makes sense to wait until they come right out of the oven, and then gently use the buttered spoon to push the dough back into the shape it should be.
  9. Once they’re done baking, allow them to cool. Again, make sure they’re cup-like in shape; if you don’t fix it while it’s hot, they will stay in the shape they were left in.
  10. Cool in pans for 10 mins, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Next, line the inside of each cup of 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate chips. Spread the chocolate along the sides as well as you did the dough. Allow it to harden.
  12. While waiting for the chocolate to harden,  make the vanilla whipped cream.
  13. Whip up heavy cream, powdered erythritol, and vanilla extract. Beat on high to form fluffy, stiff peaks.
  14. Once the chocolate shell on the inside of the cookie cup has hardened, we are going to fill each cup with two tablespoons of vanilla whipped cream. If you like, pipe the whipped cream for a nicer presentation!

 

Traditional/Regular Carbs: Cookie Cup Layer

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups mini chocolate chips semi-sweet or regular size, divided (1/4 cup is for the melted chocolate layer)

Traditional/Regular Carbs: Vanilla Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Traditional/Regular Carbs: Instructions

  1. First, combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
  2. Beat butter and sugars on medium-high until pale and fluffy (approx. 2-3 minutes). Reduce speed and add eggs (one at a time), and vanilla. Beat until combined.
  3. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups reserve 1/4 cup for the chocolate layer).
  4. Get a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour. That’s the secret!
  5. About 50 minutes into the chill, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Also, grease your cupcake tin.
  6. Once the dough is chilled, we are going to press the cookie dough into the bottom and sides of the greased cupcake tins.
  7. We are going to bake these cups for fifteen minutes.
  8. Note: If the cookie dough puffs up while baking, we are going to use the back of a buttered spoon to press it back into the perfect cup shape. It makes sense to wait until they come right out of the oven, and then gently use the buttered spoon to push the dough back into the shape it should be.
  9. Once they’re done baking, allow them to cool. Again, make sure they’re cup-like in shape; if you don’t fix it while it’s hot, they will stay in the shape they were left in.
  10. Cool in pans for 10 mins, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Next, line the inside of each cup of 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate chips. Spread the chocolate along the sides as well as you did the dough. Allow it to harden.
  12. While waiting for the chocolate to harden,  make the vanilla whipped cream.
  13. Whip up heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on high to form fluffy, stiff peaks.
  14. Once the chocolate shell on the inside of the cookie cup has hardened, we are going to fill each cup with two tablespoons of vanilla whipped cream. If you like, pipe the whipped cream for a nicer presentation!

 

 

(No-Churn, No Ice Cream Machine) Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

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Hi everyone! I am a food gadget addict; I will admit it. I love my cooking tools and use almost all of them! I am not one, however, to buy what I do not need (sorry for those of you who “need” an avocado dicer, an onion chopper, or a strawberry huller…it’s called a knife!) I love having all pieces of equipment I need to be able to make whatever I want, whenever I want. I do not like to buy gimmicks or anything cheap/flimsy–I buy what will enable me as a home cook to expand my horizons. And when I buy my equipment, I spend a pretty penny buying good quality, higher-end materials.

And now that it’s summertime, I have ice cream on my mind. For years, I have had my eye on the Kitchenaid Ice Cream Attachment, but could never justify the cost of $80. How many pints would I need to make to recoup the cost? Although the same argument could be made for the $199 Kitchenaid Pasta Attachment I have…there’s no way that I’ve made $200 worth of pasta yet! Ha.

Last year, I splurged and bought a Vitamix blender, despite not being a gym rat who has a need to make daily smoothies. On the surface, it seems like it would be a waste for me. But believe it or not, I use it in ways I would never realize–I grate mounds of fresh Pecorino Romano cheese, I’ve made awesome creme brulee/custard bases. I’ve made killer cocktails and flawless emulsions like Hollandaise and Garlic Aioli. Oh yeah, and I do actually once in a while make a smoothie for a quick, healthy breakfast.

Well today, I put my Vitamix to a new challenge: ice cream. Could my blender make ice cream? I read an article in Cook’s Country and realized that a blender is actually preferred to a stand-mixer whipping. The blender does not aerate the heavy cream (the main ingredient in ice cream) too much, which is perfect. There’s a science to ice cream making, and although the recipe here does not include eggs (I believe eggs need to be churned), the texture of this ice cream is velvety-smooth and akin, if not better, than store-bought.

And I know I usually like to make a project, but when I tell you that this ice cream was made in less than five minutes, with no special equipment other than a blender and a loaf pan (you know, the one you use for your occasional hankering for banana bread), you’re going to want to make it immediately. Most people have a blender, and I think that this will seriously be a gamechanger. All you need to do is wait six hours, so feel free to start this in the morning and come home to this treat after a hot, humid day.

I decided to make Mint Chocolate Chip because it’s my husband’s favorite and mine. The ice cream base can be changed if you so decide you want to make vanilla, chocolate, cookie dough, you can. If you use the same ratio, you should have the same results. Enjoy!

Special Equipment (but not really)

Blender (high-powered preferred, like Vitamix/Blend-tec, but any blender will do!)

Loaf Pan (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch)

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream, chilled

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup of whole milk

1/4 cup of light corn syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon green food coloring (optional, but we all love that color!)

1/2 cup-3/4 cup of chocolate chunks (feel free to substitute any chocolate you want, like a crushed Oreo cookie, chocolate chips, etc.)

Directions for No-Churn, Blender Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

  1. Process cream in a blender until soft peaks form, 20 to 30 seconds.
  2. Scrape down the sides of the blender jar and continue to process until stiff peaks form, about 10 seconds longer.
  3. Using a rubber spatula, stir in condensed milk, whole milk, light corn syrup, sugar, peppermint extract, green food coloring, and salt.
  4. Process until thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.
  5. Pour cream mixture into 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
  6. Once evenly poured into the pan, add in your choice of chopped chocolate/cookies and mix. Add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, depending on preference. Stir evenly.
  7. Press plastic wrap flush against surface of cream mixture. Freeze until firm, at least six hours. Serve.

Kahlua Triple Chocolate Cheesecake with Oreo Crust (Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot)

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Chocolate Cheesecakeimage2

Happy Wednesday!

My brother loves chocolate cheesecake, and my father, once an avid baker, would normally heed the request. However, my father has fallen off the baking trail for a while, and the torch has been passed to me. I was told I needed to make this chocolate cheesecake for his belated birthday celebration, or I would be excommunicated from the family forever.

*Not exactly, but my family’s cunning use of guilt could be perceived as such!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love making cheesecake, but it’s very time consuming. My typical cheesecake takes me a solid 2 1/2-3 hours to prep and bake, and an overnight time for the cake the set up. It’s so hot in July, and I try my best not to turn on my oven unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Luckily, I recently purchased an Instant Pot on Amazon Prime Day, the latest crave in the pressure cooker community. I was hesitant to purchase one because I don’t like to buy gimmicky, unnecessary appliances–ever. But I did enough research and was intrigued with the idea that the Instant Pot could not only expedite cooking though the powers of pressure cooking, but it can also act as a slow cooker, a yogurt maker, and it has a sauté option to help sear meat, and  to help get a kickstart on aromatics. It sounded too good to be true, and although I don’t think it is a machine that would replace my trusty stovetop and oven for good, it’s definitely a winner. Especially for custardy desserts like cheesecake!

When I saw this pressure cooker could be used for cheesecake, I was skeptical. But I was also intrigued because I thought about my cardinal rule for making cheesecake: I always create a waterbath to prevent cracks and general overcooking. The pressure cooker, or in my case, the Instant Pot, is essentially steaming my cheesecake just the same by putting two cups of water underneath the rack-raised cheesecake. Because it’s a countertop appliance, I am not raising the temperature in my apartment one bit! No oven needed! Additionally, because it is a pressure cooker, my cheesecake only needed 28 minutes of active cooking time versus the hours I have wasted before.

If you’ve made cheesecakes before, you know the usual drill: bake the cheesecake for an hour, open the oven door while shutting off the heat for another hour, and then you need to cool it on a rack for some time. With this appliance, or any other pressure cooker, you can make your cheesecake and cool it in under an hour. And if you’re afraid that a pressure cooker is going to texturally change the cheesecake–it doesn’t. It tastes as if you baked in the oven, and this way it is guaranteed to be silky, creamy, and smooth!

My one note of caution is this: remember the inactive times associated with a pressure cooker. Yes, pressure cookers advertise times that seem incredible, like this one–but it takes time for the pressure cooker to “preheat” (about 10-15 minutes), and most importantly, time for the machine to depressurize (super important–you NEVER want to open your pressure cooker prematurely–it’s dangerous!), which is approximately 15-20 minutes depending on what you’re making. Because this cheesecake has two cups of water, it does not take too long at all to depressurize. And whatever you do, don’t rush the process! Do not do a so-called quick release–the cheesecake is continuing to cook as it is depressurizing, and this amount of steam release is not gentle enough for this dessert.

In a nutshell, the convenience of the instant pot and the perfected results is making me forgo the use of my oven for a cheesecake ever again! For this recipe, you don’t even have to bake the crust either as it’s prepared and then set in the freezer for ten minutes!

In addition to having excellent cooking results, this cheesecake is of course powered by great ingredients. I use Kahlua (or any coffee-based liqueur) to enhance the chocolate flavor. I also use my higher end vanilla extract. My favorite is Nielsen-Massey’s  Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, which you can easily grab on Amazon.

I also believe in using good chocolate, but for some reason, I find this triple chocolate needs the milk chocolate to distinguish itself from the bittersweet ganache topping and the oreo crust. If you prefer a different chocolate, go for it!

Other recommended equipment (helpful, but not necessary): Food Processor (I have an immersion blender, so I have a small hand food processor attachment I use to crush the oreos) and my trusty Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. Also, make sure you know what size pan you’re using because a larger cheesecake cannot be made in the pressure cooker as it is too large. A 7 inch springform pan is a must!

Ingredients

Crust
    • 20 whole Oreo cookies (yes, even the white part!)
    • 4 tbsp of unsalted butter, melted then cooled
Cheesecake
    • 1 lb room temperature cream cheese, room temperature for two hours
    • 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
    • 1/3 cup white sugar
    • 1 whole egg – room temperature
    • 2 egg yolks – room temperature
    • 1/4 cup sour cream
    • 8 oz of chocolate (I used Hershey’s milk chocolate, but you can use bittersweet chocolate if that’s your preference)
    • 1 tsp higher end vanilla extract
    • 1 tablespoon of Kahlua or coffee-based liqueur
    • 1 tbsp flour (optional–I did not use this)
    • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
Ganache
  • 3/4 cup  bittersweet chocolate chips (or a bar–you’re just melting it, so it does not matter)
  • 3 oz heavy whipping cream (or half and half)

Instructions

    1. Spray the 7″ springform pan with cooking spray.
    2. Add two cups of water to the instant pot and place the rack on the bottom.
    3. Make a tin foil sling to lift the cheesecake in and out of the Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Essentially, you are folding a piece of tin that’s long enough to be able scoop out your cheesecake.
Crust
    1. In a food processor, combine the whole Oreo cookies and the butter. If you don’t have a food processor, put the cookies in a plastic bag and break them up with a heavy item like a rolling pin, until you have fine crumbs.
    2. Pour the crumb butter mixture into the bottom of the pan and pat until it is evenly distributed on the bottom. Put in freezer for 10 minutes.
Cheesecake
    1. In a food processor or stand mixer (I use my stand mixer for this step), mix the cream cheese with dark brown sugar, white sugar, and cocoa powder.
    2. Once combined, add one egg followed by the two egg yolks.
    3. Add the melted chocolate and sour cream.
    4. Continually scrape the bowl down. Add Kahlua, vanilla, and flour  (flour is optional) and mix until creamy.
    5. Pour mixture into the springform pan and smooth with a spatula.
    6. Place pan on the tin foil sling and slowly lower into the Instant Pot.
    7. Set Instant Pot to maximum pressure for 28 minutes.
    8. Once done, turn machine off and let it return to normal pressure for 15 minutes.
    9. Unlock lid and use sling to transfer pan to cooling rack for an hour.
    10. Chill in refrigerator overnight.
Ganache
    1. Put the 3/4 cup of chocolate in a bowl.
    2. Heat the heavy whipping cream to a simmer. Pour over chocolate.
    3. Chocolate will melt, stir until incorporated. Once incorporated, use a spatula and spread over the top of the cake.
    4. Put back in refrigerator to cool.
    5. If you like, use a vegetable peeler and slide the peeler on chocolate for chocolate curls for garnish and/or crumble some oreos!
Recipe Source (but modified by Lei Mangia): SerenaLissy.com