best hot fudge sauce from smittenkitchen.com

  • 2 tablespoon (30 grams) unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup (155 ml) heavy or whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup (170 grams) light corn syrup, golden syrup, or honey
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) packed dark-brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (20 grams) cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine or table sea salt
  • 6 ounces (170 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the butter, cream, sweeteners, cocoa, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low, stirring, for 3 to 5 more minutes after everything has melted, then remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Stir in vanilla.

It’s now ready to ladle over ice cream, although it thickens more as it begins to cool, so you could also wait for 15 to 20 minutes before doing so, if it’s not too unbearable. Pour leftovers into a jar or jars and refrigerate. Hot fudge sauce keeps chilled in the fridge at least a month and often two, although it’s rare it lasts that long.

Grape-Nuts Baked Custard from 12tomatoes.com

  • 2 cups milk, scalded
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup Grape-Nuts cereal
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and salt. Gradually add milk, mixing until thoroughly combined. Then, add vanilla and Grape-Nuts and stir until incorporated.
  • Pour mixture into an 8×8-inch baking dish. Make a hot water bath by placing the baking dish in a large roasting pan filled with 2-inches of hot water. (You want water to come halfway up the outside of the custard dish.)
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve plain or with cream

Pecan Pie Bars from slowroasteditalian.com

Crust
1 1/4 pounds (5 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Topping
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup light corn syrup
3 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 pounds pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, beat the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until light, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined.  Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 18 by 12 by 2-inch baking sheet, making an edge around the edge like you would a pie crust . It will be very sticky; sprinkle the dough and your hands lightly with flour. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool.

For the topping, combine

the butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, using a wooden spoon to stir. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Pour over the crust, trying not to get the filling between the crust and the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bars and serve.

banana bread brownies from 12tomatoes.com

2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For frosting:

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅓ cup milk

 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or line with parchment paper.
  • Mash bananas until just smooth. Add cinnamon and stir until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, sour cream, and eggs until creamy. Add vanilla extract and mashed bananas.
  • In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet in 3 small batches. Optional: fold in chopped walnuts.
  • Pour batter into baking dish, spreading evenly, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven to cool slightly.
  • In large sauce pan, melt butter until just golden brown in color.
  • Whisk in powdered sugar one cup at a time, followed by vanilla and milk.
  • Once mixture has come together and thickened, pour warm frosting over top of banana brownies, using a spatula to spread evenly over the top. Cool completely before cutting into squares to serve.

 

Simple Peach Cobbler Dump Cake from theslowroasteditalian.com


1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 ½ cups granulated sugar (divided)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches in juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter a 9×13 baking dish (or 2-8×8 baking dishes). Set aside.

Place butter in a medium size microwave safe mixing bowl.  Heat butter in microwave until melted.  Add 1 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and whisk to combine.  Add milk and vanilla, whisk until combined.  Pour batter into prepared baking dish.

Spoon peaches over top of batter, placing them evening around the pan.  Reserve the juice from the can.

Add 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to the juice.  Whisk to combine.  Pour juice over peaches.

Bake 55-60 minutes until golden brown.  Serve with a scoop of ice cream on top if desired. Enjoy!  serves 12

Strawberry Cake from Martha


6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

  2. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.

  3. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

  4. Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges.

Blueberry Breakfast Bake from 12tomatoes.com

  • 3 cups fresh blueberries
  • 2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds, optional, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Preheat oven to 350º and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
  2. In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, and mix together.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, oil, butter, egg and vanilla extract until combined.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, then fold in blueberries and almonds, if using.
  5. Transfer mixture to greased baking dish and place in oven.
  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until oats are tender and cooked through.
  7. Serve warm, sprinkled with more almonds, and enjoy!

 

Chocolate Crème Brûlée from Ina

  • ​1 extra-large egg
  • 4 extra-large egg yolks
  • ½ cup sugar, plus extra for topping
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon instantespresso granules
  • ¼ cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlúa
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place six (8-ounce) ramekins in a roasting pan large enough to hold them completely flat.

In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and sugar until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a medium saucepan. Off the heat, add the chocolate and espresso and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Slowly whisk the cream mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk in the coffee liqueur and vanilla. Transfer to a large measuring cup and pour into the prepared ramekins until full.

Place the pan in the oven and carefully pour enough of the hottest tap water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the custards are set on the edges but still a little jiggly in the middle when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on each custard. With a kitchen blowtorch held one inch from the surface of the crème, heat the sugar until it caramelizes evenly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.

 

Blueberry Cobbler from allrecipes.com

3 cups fresh blueberries
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. In an 8 inch square baking dish, mix blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, and orange juice. Set aside. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are combined. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons over blueberry mixture. Try to cover as much of filling as possible.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

 

Real Caramel Sauce

Makes 3 to 4 cups

  • cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
  • cups sugar
  • 3/8 teaspoon salt
  • cups heavy cream
  • tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  • tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Equipment:
  • Candy thermometer
  • A long-handled silicone spatula or wooden spoon
  1. Combine the syrup, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture simmers around the edges.
  2. Wash the sugar and syrup from the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. (Meanwhile, rinse the spatula or spoon for use again later.) Uncover the pan and wash down the sides once more.
  3. Attach the candy thermometer to the saucepan, without letting it touch the bottom of the pan, and cook, uncovered, without stirring until the mixture reaches 305° F. Meanwhile, heat the cream in a small saucepan until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and cover it to keep the cream hot. When the sugar mixture is at 305° F, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter chunks.
  4. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically. Put the pan back on the burner and adjust the heat so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Stir until smooth. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to about 225° F (or 228° F for a sauce that thickens like fudge when poured over ice cream). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
  5. Serve the sauce warm or hot. Store in the refrigerator (it keeps for ages) and reheat it gently in the microwave or a saucepan just until hot and flowing. You can stir in rum or brandy to taste. If the sauce (after reheating) becomes too thick or stiff to serve over ice cream, it can always be thinned with a little water or cream.