Take A Bite Of: Cookie Dough Truffles

I know you like your chocolate. So I've got a little something for you: Cookie Dough Truffles. Here is an easy fix for your chocolate-based addiction, and a fun twist on class truffles (which I have made many times and will confirm truffles are one thing I would rather just purchase.)

This makes five dozen but you can go ahead and tell everyone it only makes 1 dozen and hoard the rest to yourself.  Buon Appetito!

Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate morsels
• 1 1/2 pounds chocolate bark candy coating, melted

Directions

In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and add milk. Add chocolate morsels mixing well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper; chill 2 hours. *Cook's Note: Since the dough is sticky, roll your fingers into flour. This will make it easier to roll.

Melt chocolate bark candy coating in a double boiler. Using 2 forks, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Place on waxed paper and chill to set. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

And Happy Birthday this weekend to our friend Tracie at Stir-Fry Awesomeness. Celebrate, good times, come on....

Take A Bite Of: Ricotta Cheesecake

the easiest cheesecake you will ever make. This, using ricotta instead of cream cheese, is still rich but has a much lighter texture. Martha Stewart knows her baked goods. From her Baking Handbook comes this delicious vittle. Buon Appetito!


Ricotta Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pan
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan
1 1/2 lbs. fresh whole milk ricotta cheese, pureed in food processor until smooth
6 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Generously butter and sugar a 9-inch Springform pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, egg yolks, flour, 6 tablespoons sugar, zest and salt until combined, set aside.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on low speed until foamy. With the mixer on high, gradually add the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, beating until stiff and glossy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the ricotta mixture until combined. Gently fold the remaining egg white mixture until just combined. Pour into pan and bake until center is firm and the top a deep golden brown, about 1 hour.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool ten minutes. Place another wire rack on top and invert cake to rack to remove from pan. Reinvert cake and cool completely, top side up. The cheesecake is best eaten the day it is baked but can be refrigerated, covered loosely with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes prior to serving.


Top with fresh fruit, dark fudge sauce, or berry coulis. And even amazing plain!

Take A Bite Of: Fleur de Sel Toffee

The savory and sweet goodness that this delicious vittle can offer. Salt flecked toffee? Are you serious? Oh, yes. I am.

After some email inquiries about this divine treat after my Fleur de Hell post, I am sharing the recipe. I know some of you have commented that my recipes are a bit on the difficult side. This one looks (and tastes) much more difficult than it is. Thanks Martha Stewart. And this recipe got rave reviews at my office (since I dropped the Fleur de Sel AFTER I used what I needed for this recipe.) Buon Appetito!

Fleur de Sel Toffee

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• Fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring butter, sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil in a large saucepan, whisking frequently until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Cook, undisturbed, until mixture registers 300 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 12 minutes. (You can easily use a meat thermometer too).
2. Whisk toffee mixture, then immediately pour onto prepared sheet, tilting pan to spread over entire surface. Let stand for 30 seconds, then sprinkle with fleur de sel. Let cool. (Do not move the pan for first 30 minutes.) Break toffee into pieces. Toffee will keep, covered, for up to 1 week.