Easy Beautiful Desserts

INGREDIENTS INGREDIENTS 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk chocolate chips 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 2/3 cup toffee baking bits 1 cup chopped pecans METHOD Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in the milk chocolate and semisweet chips, toffee bits, and pecans. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet at least 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup sugar  1/4 teaspoon salt  1/2 cup butter, cold and cut up  1 1/4 cups flour  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon  1/4 teaspoon baking powder  1 egg, lightly beaten  1 teaspoon  almond extract   1 1/2 lbs ripe fresh plums, halved and seeded  1/2 cup whipping cream  1/4 cup sugar  1 egg, lightly beaten  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  1/2 teaspoon almond extract  2 tablespoons sugar  1/4  teaspoon cinnamon   vanilla ice cream  METHOD In medium bowl, combine sugar and salt.  Cut in butter til mixture is crumbly.  Add flour, cinnamon and baking powder and mix til coarse crumbs.  Remove and reserve 1 cup of this mixture.  Combine 1 beaten egg and almond extract.  Stir into remaining flour mixture to form a soft dough.  Pat dough evenly into a 9" square baking dish.  (*Dough may be sticky, flour hands if needed.).  Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.  Arrang...

INGREDIENTS 2 cup whole milk 2 cup heavy cream 1 cup white granulated sugar 4 squares unsweetened chocolate 9 egg yolks beaten 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 ounces butter METHOD Separate eggs beat the yolks and set them aside. Combine the milk, cream and sugar in a heavy saucepan off the heat. Unwrap 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate, break them into two parts at the indentation, and add them to your saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium high heat on the stove stirring constantly until little whiffs of steam start to escape and you think it’s about to boil. Pull the saucepan from the heat, but don’t turn off the burner. This next step will only take a moment or two. Give the beaten egg yolks a final stir, and add approximately 2 tablespoons of the chocolate mixture to the egg yolks, stirring it in quickly to temper it. Off the heat, slowly pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture in the saucepan, stirring all the while. When it’s incorporated, put the saucepan back on the heat. C...

INGREDIENTS 4 cups white enriched flour  1 cup sugar  1 dash salt  1 tablespoon cooking oil  4 eggs  4-6 cups milk  METHOD Add dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir thoroughly.  Mix in 4 large eggs followed by 1 tbsp cooking oil and at least 4 cups of milk.  Whisk together all ingredients until thoroughly blended.  The batter should be fluid but not too wet. It should be similar to the consistency of liquid dish soap or ketchup. If it's heavier than that add some milk or water. If it's too fluid add some flour to thicken it a bit.  Add or reduce the sugar according to your taste but remember, these are "sweet" crepes.  On the stove, preheat (medium heat) approximately 1 tablespoons of cooking oil or shortening in a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet until the oil covers the entire skillet's surface.  Using a ladle, pour four separate crepes into the skillet. Cook on medium heat until the top of the crepe loses most of it'...