Chocolate Crackers Bars Recipe

Here’s an update on my weight loss journey – during this week of Valentine’s Day, I’ve completely blown my diet. Yep, I made beef filet and lobster tails for my sweetie on Valentine’s Day, we had a potluck at my women’s Bible study group, and then I made this recipe for a yummy dessert to share with my husband.

The worst part of all that? This yummy dessert. It’s deceptively simple to make, with only 4 or 5 ingredients, but I’m addicted to the bars (I got the recipe from the Spark People website so I thought it would be somewhat healthful and not bad on calories). I mean literally, I just can’t muster enough self-control to stay away from them. So…I’ve gained back 1 pound, which isn’t too bad, overall. My goal now is to get rid of the remaining chocolate bars and get back on track. And I will never, ever make these bars again while I’m trying to watch my weight!

Try making these bars and tell me if they are addictive as I think they are…

Chocolate Crackers Bars

20 Saltine crackers

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Powdered sugar or finely chopped nuts (about ¼ cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 13 x 9 inch rimmed baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lay crackers in the bottom of the pan. Melt butter in the microwave; add sugar and still until well combined. Drizzle evenly over the crackers.

Bake for 10 minutes, until sugar caramelizes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pop the pan back into the oven for about a minute, just until the chocolate starts to melt. Remove from oven and use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly across the top of the crackers. Sift powdered sugar over the top and/or top with nuts.

Makes 20 pieces with about 100 calories each (that is if you can eat only one piece... I dare you to try!)

December 29, 2011: Black Forest Bundt Cake Recipe

I wanted to make a really special dessert for Christmas and I knew that everyone in the family loved chocolate. Me? Not so much. But a Black Forest cake is a way to please everyone, including myself. I found a recipe for Black Forest Bars in an old cookbook but since it called for an odd-sized pan, I decided to adapt it for a Bundt cake pan. And since I couldn’t find any kirsch liqueur at the grocery store, I decided to use almond flavoring, which goes really well with cherries and chocolate. The result is this recipe, which is quite delish; the bottom crust layer adds another texture to make it extra special.

Black Forest Bundt Cake

Shortbread Crust:

¾ cup almond meal

2 T. sugar

½ t. baking powder

6 T. butter, chilled

Cake:

3 eggs, separated

¼ cup warm water

1 t. almond extract

½ cup sugar

¾ cup sifted flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ t. baking powder

1 can cherry pie filling

1 t. amaretto

Cream Filling:

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

2 t. amaretto

¼ cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare crust by blending together almond meal, sugar and baking powder. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles fine meal. Pat mixture into 9” round cake pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

To make cake, beat together egg yolks and water until foamy. Add almond extract and sugar; beat until thick and pale. Mix together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder; pour into sifter. Gradually sift into egg yolk mixture, folding in while sifting. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into batter. Pour batter into bundt cake that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Bake at 375 degrees 15 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove to rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely; cut in half horizontally to make two layers.

To prepare cream filling, whip cream until peaks form. Add amaretto and powdered sugar and continue to beat until stiff.

Mix one teaspoon amaretto into cherry pie filling.

To assemble cake, carefully turn crust pan upside down over serving plate and tap bottom to release crust. Spread cherry pie filling over crust. Place bottom layer of cake on top of cherry pie filling. Spread 2/3 of whipped cream filling over cake, place top layer of cake on top of whipped cream. Place remaining whipped cream in a pastry bag with decorative tip and pipe rosettes on top of cake. Refrigerate until serving.

Serves 12 – 16

November 25, 2011: Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

When you need a little something to fuel your Black Friday shopping, try making these homemade cinnamon rolls the night before (or even several days earlier and store them in the freezer until ready to thaw).

My recipe for cinnamon rolls simply uses a basic sweet roll recipe that is spread with lots of butter, cinnamon and sugar.

Cinnamon Rolls

Yeast dough:

½ cup milk

¼ cup sugar

2 t. salt

3 T. butter

3 packages yeast (6 ¾ teaspoons)

1 ½ cups warm water

5 – 6 cups flour

Place milk, sugar, salt and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl of a stand mixer. Add lukewarm milk mixture and 4 ½ cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Mix on Speed 2 for about one minute. Add flour, half cup at a time, and continue to mix until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Knead on Speed 2 about two minutes longer until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 15 minutes.

Filling:

1 stick butter, melted

½ cup sugar

¼ cup cinnamon

Mix together sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough out on floured surface to large rectangle, about 12 x 24 inches. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture.

Starting with long side, roll up into a cylinder shape. With a very sharp knife, cut pieces one inch thick. Place on one or two buttered baking sheets with rims. Cover and let rise until doubled, about a half hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake cinnamon rolls for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Allow rolls to cool. If you are freezing the rolls, place cooled, unfrosted rolls in airtight containers and store in freezer.

To frost cinnamon rolls, stir together 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and about 3 tablespoons milk or water. Adjust as necessary to make a medium thin frosting that easily drips from a spoon. Drizzle over top of warm rolls.

Makes about 24 rolls.

November 5, 2011: Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball Recipe

My lovely DDIL is a creature of habit. Once she tastes a food she loves, she’ll ask you to make it over and over again. Such is the case with this dessert cheese ball that her mother, Lori, makes. It’s Tracy’s favorite and she asks her mom to make it for every party (what does she ask me to make for parties? Tortilla rollups).

Honestly, I’m glad she does because I love it, too! Here’s the recipe, which would make a nice pre-dinner sweet on Thanksgiving Day.

Lori made this cheese ball not in the shape of a ball - but it still tasted just as good!

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (4 T.) butter, softened

1/4 t. Vanilla

3/4 cup Powdered sugar

2 T. Brown sugar

3/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans, optional (Tracy doesn’t like them so we eat our cheese ball without)

1 package honey graham cracker sticks

Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars until combined. Stir in chips and nuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Roll into a ball. To serve, place on a serving platter and surround with honey graham sticks for dipping.

Tip: For a festive presentation, add food coloring and shape the cheese into an appropriate holiday shape, such as an orange pumpkin for Halloween or Thanksgiving.