Chocolate Pudding with Raspberry Sauce

If you follow me on Instagram (larissa_anotherday), you should have seen a little sneak peak of this delightful dessert already. I know I normally share recipes on Thursdays, but let's face it my Summer is devoid of my normal schedule. So today we have a recipe on Friday.

I made this Chocolate Pudding with Raspberry Sauce for Hubby on Father's Day. Originally I had planned to make a Pot de Creme. This chocolate pudding happened instead. The pudding is rich, and creamy. It is slightly thicker than a traditional pudding, but not as thick as a Pot de Creme.

The base is made from my very favoritist (totally a word) chocolate chips--Guittard Real Milk Chocolate Chips. The recipe I used for the pudding was actually on the bag itself.

I love these chips so much, I might be known to buy an extra bag just for the occasional kids-are-driving-me-crazy treat. A smallish...er...mediumish...okay largish handful of these large milk chocolate chips and I am in heaven. Heaven I tell you!

While they are great by themselves, they are heavenly in my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, and they are sinful in these little individual servings of chocolate pudding. Yes, I am fully aware I used both heavenly and sinful to describe these chocolate morsels.

I really wanted to incorporate raspberries into the dessert some how. My husband loves chocolate mixed with fruit, especially raspberries or cherries.

Instead of just sprinkling fresh raspberries on top, I decided I also wanted to make a raspberry sauce.

The combination was glorious!

A little patience is involved since the pudding has to set up in the refrigerator. That time could be used to run through your neighborhood...then you won't feel so bad when you eat one...or two...

The other glorious thing, is that this is a cool dessert. So you can beat the heat, and it is a great alternative to ice cream if you are bored of ice cream...of course if that is even possible.

Chocolate Pudding with Raspberry Sauce

Printable Recipe

Pudding:
2 cups milk chocolate chips (I love Guittard)
3/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup butter

Place the chocolate chips in a blender.

Heat the milk and the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Stir frequently, until the mixture just begins to boil.

Immediately pour the hot liquid into the blender with the chocolate chips. Cover and blend on high until the chocolate mixture is smooth.

Pour the chocolate mixture into small dessert dishes and chill for 3-5 hours or until set.

Prepare the Raspberry Sauce once you know the pudding is set.

Raspberry Sauce:
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons orange juice
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water

Whisk the corn starch into the cold water until smooth.

In a small saucepan, combine the raspberries, sugar, orange juice and cornstarch mixture. Bring them mixture to a bowl over medium high heat.

Reduce to a simmer, and while stirring allow the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes or until desired consistency. The sauce will thicken a little as it cools.

Puree the sauce with an immersion blender and then feed it through a sieve in order to remove the seeds.

Set aside sauce until the individual pudding bowls are done.

Serve the Chocolate Pudding with a few fresh raspberries and topped with a generous helping of raspberry sauce.

Cherry Almond Cake

Summer in a bowl. In a dainty, delightful dessert bowl.

I am not always a fan of cherries. They are a fickle, high maintenance fruit. I don't do high maintenance.

I mean, for reals, cherries are a lot of work. You can't just eat them. You have to pluck and pit them. Call me lazy, but I hate to work for my fruit. Cherries and pomegranates duel it out for the diva fruit in my book.

Since I do care for them both a great deal, I occasionally put my laziness aside and I work for my fruit.

Recently we got a whole flat full of cherries. Gloriously plump, red, and delightful cherries.

Seriously they are so beautiful. I guess if I was that beautiful I would be high maintenance too. Hahaha.

Now since we love cherries, but not enough to sit down and eat that many in a few days, we decided to utilize all our bright and cheery cherries.

If you follow me on Instagram ( @larissa_anotherday ), then you know we canned over half of them.

We also saved a few cups of them to bake the yummiest dessert ever. Here is a "keep it real" moment. I did not bake this dessert. I thought the dessert sounded so/so. Hubby was the one who tried and tweaked this recipe. He was the one who baked it and gave me the "you are gonna be sorry for making fun of this dessert" look.

So yes, this lovely little dessert was completely made by Hubby (together with the help of Little).

I just snapped the pictures, scooped it up, and happily scarfed it down.

The consistency of this cake is more like German Pancakes, thicker than flan, but not airy like cake. The cherries sit happily amidst the cake. The top is delightfully golden and sugary. There is just the most delicious hint of almond.

Serve with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream...YUM!

Cherry season thanks for showing up. I sure love ya.

Cherry Almond Cake

2 cups pitted cherries
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt
3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray a 9x9 baking dish. Pour the cherries into the bottom of the baking dish.

Mix eggs, sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Whisk to blend. Add in milk, oil, and extract. Whisk until smooth.

Pour the mixture over the cherries.

Bake for 45 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack.

Serve warm with ice cream or serve cool.

Follow along with Just Another Day in Paradise 

Bloglovin'         Facebook         Instagram         Pinterest         Twitter

Sharing here:
Reasons to Skip the Housework

German Chocolate Caramel Bars

I originally had a version of these delightful bars years ago. I do remember loving them a great deal. I loved them so much I immediately wrote down the recipe on a 3x5 card...that is how you know it was awhile ago...pre-Pinterest.

The original recipe was called Knock Ya Nakeds.

A name which my boys found HEE-larious. They seemed to think the ability of a treat to knock ones clothes off was pretty impressive and a whole lot of funny.

When I handed out these yummy treats out to my boys, Middle took a bite and then dropped his pants.

"Mom! Look these were so good they knocked my pants off!"

It was right then I realized I might want to come up with another name, or there could be a whole pants dropping epidemic.

Hence the new treat name--German Chocolate Caramel Bars. 

Whatever ya call them, they are gloriously yummy. I mean GLOR-EEE-US.

The texture is similar to a brownie, but has that ooey gooey caramel layer. Throw in the nuts, and I am pretty sure I am gonna eat the whole pan.

The. Whole. Pan.

It is a good thing I work out.

These really are heavenly. I would be remiss if I didn't tell you to make them as soon as you can.

German Chocolate Caramel Bars

Print Here

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup, plus 1/2 cup evaporated milk (divided)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 package caramel bits
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Combine cake mix, pecans and 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and butter. Press half of the mixture into  a greased 8x8 baking dish (for thinner bars use a 9x13 dish).

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Melt caramel bits in a double broiler with the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When the mixture is completely smooth and incorporated evenly and in the vanilla.

Poor the caramel over the slightly cooled baked layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel layer. Drop the rest of the batter in spoonfuls evenly over the top.

Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Cool completely and cut into squares.

Have a glorious Thursday!

Linking Here:
Your Homebased Mom,
Thirty Handmade Days

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Don't forget to ENTER the FLIRT EARRING GIVEAWAY!!!

 Traditionally me and chocolate cake are just distant acquaintances. I tolerate it in group settings. I eat it if offered, but only in polite acquiesce. Thankfully chocolate cake does not tempt me.

Correction...

 Chocolate cake used to not tempt me.

Then I met this Chocolate Sheet Cake.

Hello Temptation, thy name is Cake.

I would eat this cake for breakfast.

"Dad is great! Makes us chocolate cake." Any Bill Cosby fans out there?

Goosh.

Best. Chocolate. Cake. Ever.

The cake. Moist.

The frosting. AWESOME.

Together...

Well I think I have said it already, best cake ever.

Cake that is rich enough it has it's own trophy wife--milk.

Do yourself a favor and make this cake.

You might also want to invite over your neighbors, your friends, your mailman, basically anyone who can finish off the sheet cake, minus the three two pieces you will eat, oh and the piece you will want for breakfast the next morning.

 

You're welcome.

Chocolate Sheet Cake
The Pioneer Woman

Printable Recipe

cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water

icing:
1 3/4 sticks butter
4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
6 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Mix and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pan. Add in cocoa. Whisk to combine. When the butter is fully melted add in the cup of boiling water. Let the mixture bubble for just a tad and then remove from heat.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Stir together and allow the chocolate to cool slightly. Then add in the egg mixture. Mix until smooth.

Pour batter onto a jelly roll pan and bake for 20 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the frosting.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder until smooth. Next add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir. Add in the pecans and stir until well combined.

Pour the icing over the cake as soon as it is removed from the oven. Pour evenly, spread as little as possible.

Let it set up for 20-30 minutes.

Eat up.

Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding

Thanksgiving is uh yeah in two days. TWO.

Those of you who are hosting, or contributing to the yum-tastic gratitude feast probably have the menu made up, the food purchased, and a time line of when to make everything.

I am of course assuming that most of you are WAY more on top of things than I am.

Just in case you are so prepared that you have time to throw another dessert on your menu for Thanksgiving, I have one today for you that is uh...DELICIOUS. That is pretty much the best word to describe it.

At the beginning of the month I was contacted by a certain bread company to develop a Thanksgiving recipe for them. I was beyond thrilled at getting the chance to work with them. I spent a couple of weeks hemming and hawing about what kind of recipe I wanted to develop. I finally settled on this yummy dessert option.

Just as I had settled on my recipe last week, this certain bread company kind of had a company cataclysmic event of ginormous proportions. Wondering if my recipe was still going to be needed, I contacted the powers that be and asked if I should continue to move forward.

I was told absolutely.

So move forward I did.

That is where this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding comes in.

I happily whipped up my Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding. I snapped pictures. I edited pictures. I ate several portions all in the name of quality control.

Quality control gives this recipe two thumbs WAY up.

I was excited to share it with said bread company, but a little sad because it wasn't going to be available to all of you until after Thanksgiving.

Then...dun, dun, dun...(that is my foreboding soundtrack)...

The said bread company, in light of it's current situation decided to put a halt on the campaign.

Sad news...I didn't get to write for them.

Good news...You get this recipe before Thanksgiving.

This dessert has a perfect pumpkin pie flavor but has the added benefit of a little more density.

Warm out of the oven with a dollop of whipped cream it is just marvelous. Room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream it is again, just marvelous.

This Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding was a HUGE success in this houseful of eaters.

I think your household will like it too.

You will like it because it is easy and it will give you plenty of holiday acclaim.

All you need is 12-14 slices of white sandwich bread that has been left out part of the day.

After the bread has set out to get a little of it staleness on, tear it up into pieces.

Place the bits of bread into a large bowl.

Add the milk.

Then add the secret ingredient, some Pumpkin Pie Spice creamer.

Eggs in their beaten form will be needed.

Can't forget the good stuff. The vanilla. The brown sugar. The pumpkin. The pumpkin pie spice.

Gently stir everything together. The mixture should look like oatmeal.

Pour into either a 9x13 pan or you can split it between a two different smaller containers. I chose to use a pie pan because, well it is Pumpkin PIE Bread Pudding.

Next roll out one package of premade crust and cut it into small strips.

Sprinkle the crust strips over the top of the bread pudding.

Bake. Wait. Smell. Wait. Peek. Wait.

Done.

Dish it up.

Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of more pumpkin pie spice.

Dig in.

Lick your lips.

Clean the dish.

Go back for seconds.

Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding
Just Another Day in Paradise

Print Recipe

12-14 slices of white bread
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups milk
2 cups pumpkin pie spice flavored creamer
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 roll of pre-made pie crust

heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
pumpkin pie spice *optional*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After letting the bread set out on the counter for several hours, tear up into small-medium pieces. Place the torn bread into a large bowl.

Add the eggs, milk, creamer, brown sugar, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla to the bowl. Gently combine all of the ingredients until it has the consistency of oatmeal.

Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish (or split between two smaller containers).

Unroll pie crust. Cut into small rectangular strips. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the bread pudding.

Bake for 1 hour, until it is set but still slightly moves when jiggled...yes I said jiggled.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

While the bread pudding is cooling make the whipped cream.

In a chilled bowl add 2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form.

Serve up the Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice.

Happy Holidays.

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

I am a big fan of cheesecake. Big. Huge.

We had some friends over a couple of nights ago for our first Summer BBQ. Unfortunately we forgot to invite the sun, but his nemesis the clouds and rain did show up.

However, we still got our BBQ on. The hot dogs and hamburgers never stood a chance. Hubby darted in and out of the house in between rounds of checking said hot dogs and hamburgers all while it was blustery outside.

The good news is that even with all that wind, gloom, and rain we had prepared our own little bit of sunshine inside.

Sunshine in the form of refreshingly sweet and altogether Summery Key Lime Cheesecake Bars.

Seriously SO, SO yummy.

AND...I know it shouldn't always matter, BUT aren't they oh-so-pretty too?

I love pretty desserts.

Do you love pretty desserts?

Do you love cheesecake?

Well just for you then...

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars
Sprinkle Bakes via Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Ingredients:

Crust-
2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
8 TBS (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling-
2 8oz pkg of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
2 TBS flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup prepared lime curd, divided

Lime curd-
8 TBS (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup plus 4 TBS fresh lime juice

yellow food coloring
green food coloring

First make the lime curd. Beat the butter and the sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer. Slowly add the eggs and the egg yolks one at a time. Pour in lime juice and mix again. The mixture will look a little curdled. Cook the mixture in a saucepan over medium until it looks smooth. Increase the heat slightly and whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Using a cooking thermometer, continue to cook until it reaches 170 degrees.

Remove the curd from the heat. Transfer the curd to a bowl and cover the curd with plastic wrap pressing it on the top to keep from the curd from getting a skin. Place in the fridge and let chill until ready to use.

Next make the crust. Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 8x10 pan with parchment paper OR spray with cooking spray. Mix the crumbs and butter and then press into the bottom of the pan. Bake crust for 5 minutes and then allow to cool.

To make the filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with mixer on medium high speed until smooth.  Beat in eggs and egg whites on low speed, 1 at a time.  Beat in sour cream and vanilla, then the flour just until blended.  Remove 1cup of batter and reserve.  Pour the rest of the batter over the crust.


Tint the 3/4 cup of lime curd (you will have extra lime curd, go ahead a store it or heck just eat it with a spoon) with the liquid food coloring until lime-rind green.  You will use a few drops of both green and yellow food coloring.  Set the lime curd aside.


Mix 1/2 cup of tinted lime curd with the 1 cup of reserved batter.  Place spoonfuls or dollops of this mixture in no particular fashion on top of the plain cheesecake batter.  Dollop the remaining 1/4 cup of lime curd  across the previous mixture.  Use skewer to swirl the mixtures together to create a marbleized effect.


Bake for 35 minutes until set. Cool completely and then refrigerate until chilled. Remove the bars from the pan with parchment over hang. Cut into bars. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Go on now, enjoy your Summer...no matter if it looks like Summer outside or not.

Not Your Everyday Brownie

I heart brownies. Chewy, chocolatey, not-all-the-way-done brownies. I can make a pan and then be indignant when half of it is missing...and then chagrined when I realize I am the one who ate that half a pan.

So when I browsed this recipe from Picky Palate (ps if you want a sinful dessert just browse her concoctions) I knew I had to make it. Enjoy all of it's caramely, chocolatey, nutty, appley, cream cheesy goodness.

Roasted Apples and Cream Caramel Topped Brownies

I linked to her recipe, well because it is hers, and I am being a little lazy today and don't want to re-type out the recipe.

I will give you some hints...

use foil like she says...it really does make them come out better

you can do it in a 9x13, just cook for less time

really do let them cool completely before pouring over caramel, it will stick better

I only used three apples

when you make them...make them for a function so they are not sitting on your counter daring you not to eat them...you will lose.

Recipe Thursdays

I am getting rid of my "recipe box" here in the blog. I was super ambitious when I thought I could keep up on three recipe blogs. Seriously, what was I thinking. So they are gone. In their place is Recipe Thursdays. I know you are probably jumping up and down with excitement.

First installment is an easy and sinful one. A couple months ago I came across the idea of doing a cookie dough cupcake (yes I drooled a little bit the first time I heard it too). As Spencer and I were deciding what event we could use as an excuse to make these, he piped up, "hey don't you think it would be better if it were cookie dough in a brownie instead?" Bells went off, the heavens sang, and it was reaffirmed why I married this man. Brownies and cookie dough...PERFECT!

So here is an easy pretty much recipe free sweet treat. Enjoy.

Cookie Dough Meet Brownie

1 batch of your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe
1 box mix of your favorite ooey gooey brownie (Use 2 mixes if you want to use all of your cookie dough for this)
Prepared cream cheese frosting (store or yours)
Chocolate chips
1. Make cookie dough. Roll into small balls and then freeze. Let freeze for several hours. You will need the dough really frozen in order to still have dough consistency in brownie. If you do not let it freeze enough you will have a dry cookie center instead of lucious gooeyness.
2. When dough has been frozen long enough, prepare brownie mix. Spray a cupcake tin generously. You could use liners, but it is prettier with out. Fill each cupcake mold about a third. Take out cookie dough balls and put them in the center of each cupcake. Use the rest of the batter to cover up each cookie dough ball. The ball shape will still be visible. Just play with it so that it is as covered up as you can get it.
3. Bake at recommended temperature for brownies. Since you are cooking brownie cupcakes and not bar brownies, the cooking time will vary from the instructions. Use the smallest time suggestion...but watch them. If you over bake your brownie...well first you have an over baked brownie and who wants that...second you have a dry cookie center. Nobody wants that.
4. Let cool. Feel free to add to the sugary delight with a cream cheese frosting garnish with some whole or shaved milk chocolate chips.
5. Put the kids to bed, find a happy place, and fell no shame as you devour 1...okay maybe 2 of these delightful babies.

Can I Get Some Fries with That Shake

Here was my fun project this weekend. I found it on bakerella and thought how cute would this be to make. She put hers together for Father's Day. I didn't think that I really should make 24 of these delightful dessert hamburgers just for us...so I was just waiting for a perfect excuse to make them. The perfect excuse came in a going away potluck for the previously mentioned Seavers.

I was going to post my step by step process of making these, but it felt a little copy cat-ish of bakerella's wonderful how-to. SO if you would like the how-to go here. I did a couple of things different that I will divulge.

First- I made my brownies in a jelly roll pan and had to use two mixes (I do not know how she did just one). I don't have a circle cutter, so I found my kids smallest sippy cup and used that to cut out my burger patties.

Second- The french fries I made pretty much the same way BUT in cutting them in half I found it easiest to do that before they cooled all the way. Give them only about 5-7 minutes out of the oven then cut with a pizza cutter. Then let them continue to cool on tray.

Third- The templates she offers for the trays/fry holder/tissue paper is awesome...BUT I don't have vellum on hand AND I especially don't have tracing paper on hand. So if you do, go for it. However if you don't then white printer paper works just dandy for the fry holder, and the whole ensemble is cute even without the tracing paper.

So there ya have it...a cute little dessert that will have everyone in awe. It really wasn't too difficult. The boys had fun watching me make them AND they couldn't wait to try one. Cole has already decided that this is what he wants to take to kindergarten for his birthday treat.