Zesty Cook » Dessert

How To Make Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

zesty — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:11:43 +0000

The chocolate croissant pudding was accidentally invented by Chef Roger Freedman, when instead of using fresh bread for his bread pudding; he tried out some previous night’s leftover chocolate croissants, and up came this indulgent, chocolaty, buttery and flaky delight.

The stale chocolate croissants used in this dish gives it a more flaky texture, while the chocolate just oozes out and spreads through the entire dish and binds the croissants together giving it a smooth and buttery taste and texture. The dish is prepared in a variety of techniques, which include the inventor’s technique of folding the pastries in chocolate custard and adding in some chopped milk chocolate and baking everything in a big dish.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tsp. of salted butter
1 1/4 Cups of sugar plus two tablespoons
Eggs – 4
1 Tsp.each of cinnamon and vanilla extract
1 Cup whole milk
5 Tsp.of unsalted butter melted
5 Cups of stale (3-4 days old) croissants (cut into small squares)
5 Cups moist chocolate cake (cut into small squares)
2 bananas sliced
1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 Cup chopped pecans
3 Cups half and half
1/2 Cup shredded sweetened coconut
Coconut pineapple ice cream or any ice cream you like and candy sugar sprinkles for garnishing

Method

The oven has to be preheated at 300 degrees F. Take a 9×13 inch baking dish and grease it entirely by the salted butter. Take the square shaped chocolate cake and croissants and arrange 2 1/2 cups of each of them neatly in the dish to get your first layer of the pudding.
Take the sliced bananas, pecans, chocolate chips and shredded coconuts and lay them on top of the first layer.
Take the remaining croissant and cake cubes and place them over this layer, topped by the bananas, chocolate chips, pecans and coconut, thus forming alternate layers.
Beat 1 1/4 cups of sugar with the eggs for 6 min in an electric mixer. Add to it the half and half, vanilla and almond extracts, the unsalted butter and further beat for a minute.
Pour this mixture over the croissant layers and ladle carefully. Push down on the croissant and cake cubes to soak them completely with the egg/half and half mixture. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of sugar on top of this whole mixture.
Place a water bath (about 15×10 inch) and fill it up to one inch in height with water. Keep the 9×13 inch baking dish into the water bath and place it in the oven for one hour. Take out the pudding when it’s ready and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The croissants used are stale since they are more absorbing than fresh bread. While using the water bath, be sure that it goes halfway up the baking dish. While serving, cut the pudding in square pieces and serve. If the pudding can be stored overnight in a refrigerator just before serving bake for 10 minutes and serve warm.

The Chocolate Croissant Pudding is an absolute delicacy with a unique flavor of stale croissants and chocolate cakes, topped by coconut and chocolate chips. This dish is suitable to be served on special occasions like big family get together and supper.

The unique blend of different kind of textures and flavors make this dish a very special dish to woo your guests.

About the author: Ellen Spencer is a blogger and writer. She is a health freak and very environmentally aware. These days she is busy in writing an article on Vegan diet. Beside this she loves reading. These days she is reading a lot about Teen depression as her brother is suffering from this.

Ellen, thank you for a very informative and delicious post. This is one I will definitely try in the Zesty house. I hope everyone has a good Friday and a nice weekend. I will be back on Monday with an announcement. Stay tuned.

Take care

zesty

Super Simple Skor Bar Trifle and Day 11 of Zesty Christmas

zesty — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:00:22 +0000

How to Win the KitchenAid Giveaway Today

Just leave a comment on this post telling me what recipe/topic you would like to see featured on ZESTY in 2012. Remember, you can still enter the contest from previous days!

- – - – - – - – - -

Happy Friday!! I have a great re-post of a delicious recipe for you today!

Tis the season for POTLUCKS. If you’re invited to a party, heading to a potluck or just craving a chocolate treat that takes little to no effort – this is a recipe for you. Now as you read further you will realize that a lot of this recipe comes with off the shelf help. Items like chocolate cake in a box, instant chocolate pudding, skor bars and some homemade whip cream.

My mom makes this recipe sometimes when we have family functions – so the last time I was invited to a potluck I dragged this along (see picture above). Needless to say, when this made it out on the table for dessert it was an instant hit and didn’t last very long.

Next time you need a simple sweet treat – try this one.

Ingredients

1 Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Package Instant Chocolate Pudding
3 Skor Bars
3 Cups Whip Cream

Method

Bake a chocolate cake mix in a 9×13″ pan as per instructions.

Break cake into 1″ cubes.
Hammer or use food processor to crumble up 3-4 SKOR bars (or use a package of SKOR bits).
Prepare 1 package of chocolate pudding mix as per instructions.

In a large bowl filled with pieces of cake cubes, place a layer of pudding, then a layer of whipped cream and finally topped with some SKOR bar bits.

Repeat layers. Once you reach the top of the bowl, top with remaining skor bar bits.

ENJOY!

ZestyTip: A common downfall when baking cakes is opening the oven door too soon. This sudden rush of cold air into a warm/hot oven will result in the cake collapsing and coming out flat. The oven door should not be opened until ¾’s the way through allowed cooking time. Controlling its browning process is essential.

How to Win the KitchenAid Giveaway Today

Just leave a comment on this post telling me what recipe/topic you would like to see featured on ZESTY in 2012. Remember, you can still enter the contest from previous days!

Please “like” the Zesty Cook facebook page and come back and tell me you did it. If you are already a “liker,” leave a comment telling me you are already a fan.
Tell me your favorite holiday tradition and leave a comment telling me.

Please be sure to leave separate comments for each entry to increase your chance to win!

Alright so there you have it… Friday is upon us and i still have shopping to do. 2 more sleeps until Christmas! Have a great day!

Take care

zesty

Delicious Desserts from Friends and Day 7 of Zesty Christmas

zesty — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:16:45 +0000

How to Win the KitchenAid Giveaway Today

Just leave a comment on this post telling me you just signed up and subscribed to Zesty. If you already subscribed in the passed just go ahead and tell a friend about the contest. Remember, you can still enter the contest from previous days! See the bottom of the post for all the juicy details.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

This time of year one may loosen their belt a little and indulge, right? For me, I am not sure I loosen my belt – I might just push the pants down a little lower to sit under the belly… but that may be too much info. Regardless I wanted to share with you a few awesome recipes from some blogger friends that will make your mouth water. I have been reading each of these blogs for a while and needless to say I am impressed with their work, their food and of course their photography.

Take a quick scan through these sweet treats and tell me what you think.

How Sweet It Is

When you say cookies and cream cheesecake bars… what immediately goes off in your head? Amazing? Yeah I thought so. Take a look at this… Jessica rocks out this Oreo dessert and I am sure would be a hit at any holiday potluck you ever had to attend.

Picky Palate

Can you really go through the festive Christmas season without a little peppermint in your life? Feast your eyes on this treat that will have people caroling for hours after they leave your house. Seriously… I think I have to make these treats.

Kalyn’s Kitchen

For me when you say Chocolate…. I kind of get excited. Chocolate bread… gets me even more psyched. But when you combine chocolate and zucchini – it seems that you should be able to eat a bunch of slices because it has vegetables in it…. so I normally do. Look at this fun recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen and I am sure you will be featuring this over the holidays.

Oh She Glows

I am a sucker for oatmeal based desserts and these Berry Bliss Bars are no exception. I would literally eat 3-4 squares of this treat before the sand timer would elapse on a board game. These look delicious! Even reading the details, they are somewhat healthy – what is up with that? Super deal. Whip these up in your kitchen and let me know what you think.

How to Win the KitchenAid Giveaway Today

Just leave a comment on this posttelling me you just signed up and subscribed to Zesty. If you already subscribed in the passed just go ahead and tell a friend about the contest. Remember, you can still enter the contest from previous days!

Please “like” the Zesty Cook facebook page and come back and tell me you did it. If you are already a “liker,” leave a comment telling me you are already a fan.
Tell me your favorite holiday tradition and leave a comment telling me.
Tell Zesty your favorite Holiday dish
Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling me you have tweeted.
Tell me the first thing you would make with the mixer.
Tell your favorite Holiday Movie.

Please be sure to leave separate comments for each entry to increase your chance to win!

Alright so there you have it… a fun little round up of some of my fav desserts. If you so desire… head over to the blogs and check out all of their work…. you will not be disappointed. have a great Wednesday. Tree decorating night tonight. Talk to you on Friday.

Take care

zesty

A Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake and Thanksgiving 2011 Recap

zesty — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:00:44 +0000

Happy Monday to you! Canadian Thanksgiving here at home, Columbus day in the US and what I think is a regular Monday in the rest of the world. I have a special post for you today. Not only do I have a thanksgiving recap from the zesty in laws on Saturday night I have a cheesecake that Sister in Law zesty made that will blow your mind. Do you get excited about food like I do? When I saw the spring form pan makes it way to the table at around 7:36pm Atlantic time on Saturday night, I may have gotten a few chills down my back with excitement. Spring form in my simple mind means cheesecake. Cheesecake means HOLY YUM.

This was know exception. Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake! Yeah I know – ridiculous. I could not wait to sink my fork into this piece of work. But give me a minute and I will tell you how she made it. She altered the recipe slightly from all recipes and the details are below.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups crushed gingersnap cookies
1/2 Cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 Cup butter, melted
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 Cup white sugar, divided
1 Tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 Cup canned pumpkin
3/4 Tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 Tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 Tsp. ground cloves
1/4 Tsp. allspice

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture and place in the fridge.
Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.
Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top.
Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.
Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan.
Allow to cool before removing pan rim.
Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
ENJOY!

This is my small portion.... do note the butter tart pie that was also amazing! Maybe I will share that later on this week for you to try.

Zesty Tip: Zesty in law did mention that putting the extra one cup of mixture aside in the fridge was something she would do again. Also remember with spring form pans and cheesecake, always wait until the cake has cooled before removing. makes life easier.

OK, so as you can see that was delicious… and I realize I started backwards with the dinner recap. But that is OK. I am going to do a picture recap of the entire meal right now so you can enjoy in all it’s beauty. I will start off with a picture of the menu so you can related to the pictures. If you want any recipes just let me know in the comments and I will get them for you.

As you can see, this is no ordinary turkey dinner that you would have on Thanksgiving. This is high end folks and I know that I am super lucky to be part of this so bear with me and get thru this masterpiece.

Brussels prior to plating. This could win an award for taste

Parsnips prior to hitting the wood oven

rumbling beets getting ready for the big dance

A little stuffing.... oh dear I can feel my pants getting tight again

Caramelized onions that you could add to whatever you wanted.

An action pea shot... before the bacon.

Honestly, these brussel sprouts! Unbelievable!

WOW, as I review these pictures, I am hungry again and think back to how amazing this dinner was. I am actually going to make some chocolate chip pancakes for the kiddos here now and than maybe do some house work before heading to Momma Zesty’s for another turkey day.

Have a great day wherever you are in the world and I will come back on Wednesday for more excitement.

Take care

zesty

Baklava…. Zesty’s New {BFF}

zesty — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:00:05 +0000

Well Happy Monday to you! Sun is shining, birds are chirpin’ and well of course zesty is smiling. I have something to share with you today that is sure to make you smile and feel good. One day a few weeks ago I was offered a piece of this very dessert by a colleague. Now for everyone that knows me, receiving desserts to try at work is guaranteed to make it a good day. This one was no different. I grabbed a fork from the kitchen, plunked my butt down on my chair in the office and pushed the fork through the baklava and shoved it in my mouth.

My first thought was … oh wow. This is good. I love butter, cinnamon and nuts. Not to mention the phyllo pastry that has a nice crunch and flakes in your mouth. I knew I had to recreate this and what better time to do so than a local church auction and bake sale. I thought hmmm… do you think people will like this? My only response was HELL YEAH. So on saturday morning I whipped this dessert up and marveled with excitement and anticipation.

Now I had one little dilemma. The specs for the bake sale, were to prepare dessert for 12-16 pieces UNCUT! I had to pre cut these pieces for the last step to be successful so I already broke the rules. Next, I thought I cannot send this dessert without giving it a taste… that is just not fair. So I convinced myself that I will present it on a few plates and that way I can try a piece as can Mrs. Zesty.

The results really spoke for themselves… OMG this is good. Wow Cor good job – this is good! Carter aka zesty Junior even gave it a double thumbs up. I am confident you will like this dessert. Enough said.

Ingredients

Phyllo pastry
1 Cup Butter
4Cups (1lb) nuts (I used chopped pecans, walnuts and almonds)
1 Tsp. cinnamon
1 Cup water
1 Cup white sugar
1/4 Cup honey
1 Tsp. vanilla

Method

Mix the nuts with the cinnamon.

Lay two sheets of phyllo on the bottom of a buttered 9X13 pan – you may have to cut the phyllo in half to make it fit. Spread butter (I used melted) on the two sheets of phyllo and then top with two more. Repeat phyllo and butter until you have 6-8 sheets on the bottom.

Sprinkle the nut mixture on the phyllo then cover with two more sheets and spread butter. Repeat until you run out of nuts.
Top with 6-8 sheets of phyllo (again 2 sheets then butter repeat).
Cut into diamonds (or squares) before baking it.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until golden.
While it’s baking prepare the syrup – boil the water and sugar until sugar is dissolved, add the honey and vanilla and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Pour it on the pastry as soon as it comes at out of the oven.

Zesty Tip: Let it cool a bit before you try and eat it ( This is literally the hardest part. You don’t want to cover this either as it will lose it’s crunch. I am pretty confident you will eat it all in one day.

Alright…. I am going to get ready to load Mister on the bus and head to the office. Let me know what you think of this Greek classic. I will talk to you on Wednesday with another sweet treat from the weekend. have a great start to the week.

Take care

zesty

Caramel Apple Creamcheese Cookie Bars

zesty — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:42 +0000

Hi All Happy Monday! Funny story as to why I picked this post. I am a little tight on time as a last minute trip to Vancouver sprung on me Friday evening with a sudden retrun trip from Vancouver came right after on Saturday morning. I arrive home Saturday night to pack for my conference in Philadelphia starting on Sunday. We are at Blue Bell PA staying at Normandy Farm. Ever been? It is quite nice so far.

There are about 9 of us who traveled together and as I was sitting on the plane I could hear one of my colleagues behind me asking his seat buddy this… Hey ever spend any time in Philadelphia? My other buddy says ” No but I hear they make one heck of a cream cheese”

I turned around with a smile and said…. this is going on Zesty! So as I am a little pressed on time – I wanted to share this post with you to get your taste buds grooving for the week.

Hey Zesty Cook readers, it’s Jenny over at Picky Palate. I am thrilled to be guest posting here at Zesty’s! At Picky Palate, I create simple family friendly meals and desserts for even those picky little eaters, come on over for a visit sometime

I am sharing one of my all time favorite sinful desserts today that I think you will love! Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars. I was even lucky enough to be featured on Bettycrocker.com with these bad boys!

The best part of this recipe is that it’s a breeze to whip up, the kids can help and you can find all of the ingredients at any grocery store. Hope you all enjoy!!

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons melted butter
3 Cups Golden Graham Cereal, ground in food processor
1 Roll Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
21 oz can apple pie filling
1 - 5 oz package Nature Valley Oats N’ Honey Crunchy Granola Bars (2 count), crushed (I use a rolling pin to crush them right in the bag before opening)
9 - 5 oz Kraft Caramels
1/2 Cup half and half

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine melted butter and ground cereal into a large bowl; press into an 8×8 inch baking dish lined with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven. Crumble half of the cookie dough over partially baked crust.
Place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla into a mixer; beat until smooth. Pour over crumbled cookie dough layer.
Bake for 25 minutes then remove from over. Top with 3/4 of the apple pie filling (I chose to just add part, but you can add the whole can if desired).
Next top with remaining cookie dough, breaking off into little pieces evenly over top.
Sprinkle with crushed granola bars and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center.
Let cool completely then cut into squares.
Melt caramels and half and half according to package directions.
Drizzle over each bar.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: To ensure freshness you can refrigerate the leftovers ( if there is any left ) and enjoy them an hour later.

A special thanks to Jenny at the Picky Palate for a fun and amazing looking recipe. Be sure to check out her site – you will find some amazing recipes! I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will talk to you all on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Caramel Drizzled Ice Cream tart

zesty — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:00:04 +0000

I hope that your week is going great so far. Today, I want to share with you a super simple dessert that’s perfect for when you are in a pinch or when you are simply craving a sweet treat. Beat the HEAT with this simple and easy dessert for a crowd.

I don’t do this very often but I went with a frozen pastry tart as the base of this dessert. For one, they are simple to use and second they are very tasty and flaky.

This dessert literally only takes 17 minutes to prepare and yet it’s a delicious simple treat that you can dress up whatever way you like it.

Ingredients

12 Pastry Tart Shells
Ice Cream
Caramel Sauce
Blueberries

Method

Prepare the tart shells as per instructions.

Let tarts cool.

Drizzle bottom of tart with caramel.

Add ice cream.
Top with blueberries.
Drizzle with more caramel.
Set back in the freezer to harden.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: How to ensure a tender pastry crust? Minimal handling helps to achieve a tender crust. Think of your fingers as feathers, gently mixing the dough. Handle the dough just enough to mix it and roll it- it’s that simple. Lots of handling lengthens the gluten in the flour, making a chewy pie crust.

Before I leave for another day, I was wondering - what is your favorite flavor of ice cream? For me I am pretty plain on most days and love vanilla ice cream. Sometimes, when I’m feeling adventurous, I branch into Neapolitan. Have a great hump day – the weekend will be here before you know it.

Stay tuned for some house pictures on Monday. The landscaping is complete and looks great!

Take care

zesty

Triple Chocolate Brownies… Yes I Said Triple Chocolate

zesty — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:00:48 +0000

You know my fascination with brownies right? Remember when I came out with a statement a while ago with a post that boasted a brownie that would change your life? Those brownies are pretty yummy to say the least. But today I have another story to tell you about. Saturday morning I was lying on the couch watching the food network when Anna Olson came on and started making an outdoor picnic lunch. On the menu was a triple chocolate brownie.

My ears perked up and I watched closely for the steps and tricks to make these super moist. The key with brownies is that they can be dry if you are not careful. There is no fear about these brownies getting dried out. They are super moist and the one really astonishing fact about these brownies is the lack of flour.

Check below and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

10 Oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 Cup unsalted butter
3/4 Cup sugar
1 Tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Tsp salt
3 Oz white chocolate chips or chunks
3 Oz milk chocolate chunks

Method

Preheat oven to 325 F and grease and line an 8-inch pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl resting over a pot of barely simmering water, melt chocolate and butter, stirring gently. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla.
Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour and salt. Fold in white and milk chocolate chips.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean.
Cool before slicing.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Chill these and top them with a dollop of ice cream to make brownie ice cream sandwiches. These will make you really happy any time of the day… trust me I tried it.

Alright, I am off to the office. The middle of the week is upon us and the sun is going to shine. Have a super Wednesday and I will keep you posted on the landscaping projects on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Hop Hop – Easter Bunny Cake

zesty — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:30:10 +0000

I am tired.

Happy Monday morning to you and I hope you had a good Easter vacation. We had a family potluck and we along with a zesty-in law were in charge of dessert/cake. The decision was to prepare a bunny cake and let zesty juniors decorate the cake in true zesty style.

I think everything worked out as planned. We used what felt like 5 lbs of candy at the bulk barn, some pre-made whipped icing and a couple of white rainbow bit cakes. The cakes were baked according to directions and set to cool in the am. Once the cakes were cool and ready to roll, zesty in law made her way over to our house with the cakes in tow and the party was about to begin.

First words from zesty junior…. this is boring when are we going to decorate ( this was during the cake prep stage and cutting). Once the pieces were assembled the icing was next. The icing was pretty easy to work with… just stir it 20 times and you are good to spread it about.

So far so good – no injuries, not too many complaints and a cake that was shaping up like a bunny. I am IMPRESSED.

Icing is complete.

It’s candy time.

Thoughtful preparation went into the design and was even laid out on a blank canvas to ensure everyone was in agreement. I am telling you, this was intense. Color patterns, shapes and textures were all taken into consideration.

Have a look at the final shots of the cake.

Enjoy your Easter Monday and I will talk to you all on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Macaroon Madness – The 90 second Macaroon.

zesty — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:00:27 +0000

I was craving coconut! When I am craving something it is kind of like a 3 year old wanting the toy in the very bottom of the toy box that nobody can see or find but the kid knows it is in there. I pretty much need whatever I am craving or I get a little cranky… I know scary. With that said, I wanted to re-visit a refined 90 second macaroon. I made these a while ago and was impressed with the simplicity and they hit the spot.

Macaroons in 90 seconds was born. This recipe is sooooooooo easy.

Literally 4 ingredients, some parchment paper, a plate and a microwave is all you need to whip these babies up. Give it a try.

Ingredients

1 Egg White
3/4 Cup Unsweetened Coconut
1 Tsp. Cocoa
1 Cup Icing Sugar

Method

Add egg white to a small bowl and beat until foamy on top.

In another bowl mix together icing sugar and cocoa; then add egg white mixture and stir thoroughly;

Add coconut and mix together.

Line a microwaveable plate with a piece of parchment paper and add 4 spoonfuls of the mixture to the plate

Microwave on high for 90 seconds.
Let cool and move to rack.
Repeat as this mixture should make 8.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Be very cautious of your microwave’s power. I noticed in mine that the first batch I could have remove them around 75 seconds. Just keep a close eye on them while in the microwave.

I hope you have a great Wednesday and I look forward to seeing you on Friday. If you give these a try let me know how you make out. My second time around I made them a little “bigger” to ensure they stayed oooey and gooey on the inside.

Take care

zesty