The White/Brown Winter Olympic Carnival: Winter Dessert Contest

[Mashiara Sedai]

 

Hello ladies and gentlemen.  Welcome to the Winter Dessert Contest!

 

Winter is the time for treats, so show us your best recipe!  For one week, we'll accept submissions, and then we'll vote for a winner!

 

Do you have the best holiday baking skills?  Prove it!

 

Rules:

Participants may submit one dessert recipe in this thread (preferably with pictures).

 

Comments are welcomed and appreciated, so feel free to talk away.

 

At the end of the week, a separate thread will be made for voting.

 

The recipe with the most votes, WINS!

 

 

So, let's get started!

 

 

Here's my submission:

 

 

Peanut Butter and Oreo Brownie Cupcakes

 

I found the recipe here.

 

1 box brownie mix, 8x8 inch size
24 Oreo Cookies
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 muffin cup baker with paper liners.

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions (I actually thinned it just a bit with extra water, maybe an extra 1/4 cup; it was a bit thick for pouring). Attach two Oreo cookies together with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter.  Add 1 more teaspoon to the top and set it in a lined muffin tin. Spoon 2 tablespoons of brownie batter over each stacked Oreos and let it run down the sides of the cookies. If you have left over brownie batter, pour them into separate muffin tins. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely then serve.

Makes 12 servings

 

These are decadent and delicious!  That peanut butter is a great compliment to the multiple layers of chocolate.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

one recipe? srsly?

 

ok, my mom has made this every year for... prolly 35 or more. not sure where she stole it from first but is good.

 

Grand Marnier cake

 

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

3 eggs, separated

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sour cream

zest from 1 orange

1/2 cup ground pecans

1/4 cup orange juice

1/3 cup Grand Marnier

 

 

Cream butter with 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Sift together the dry ingredients; add to the first mixture alternately with sour cream, beating until smooth. Stir in orange zest and chopped pecans. Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter. Pour batter into a buttered 9-inch bundt pan and bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes.

 

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar with orange juice and Grand Marnier; pour over hot cake. Cool on rack before removing from pan. glaze if you want w grand marnier, OJ, and confectioners sugar.

[Mashiara Sedai]

Oh, that sounds good Cindy! *drools*

 

Also, yes, only one entry per person (though I suppose you could have a significant other submit a second one). We want the best of the best in this contest!

[Kaylee]

Dairy Free Pumpkin Cookies

 

1/3 cup margarine

1 cup brown sugar, packed firm

2 tbsp water

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

8 oz (about 1 cup) canned pumpkin

3/4 cup raisins and/or chopped nuts

 

Preheat the oven to 375° and grease a couple of cookie sheets. Cream the margarine, then beat in the brown sugar and the water until the batter is light and fluffy. Shift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, spices, and salt together. Stir the pumpkin briefly into the margarine mixture. Add the sifted dry ingredients and stir just until well mixed. Stir in the raisins and/or nuts, if you use them. Drop the dough by tablespoonsful onto the greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the top of a cookie springs back when you touch it lightly.

 

Makes 3 dozen 2-inch cookies

[Kaylee]

Had to edit to add the picture

[Mashiara Sedai]

Yummy, Kaylee!  I've never been a fan of pumpkin, but I know my husband would devour those!

[Aidanna]

Oh I am going to need to think about what to submit... I have a hard time choosing just one... 

 

can I list the names of my top three and see what other people think would be good to submit? Names only and no recipes...

[Rhea]

Ok you guys...I've made this cake many in the past. It's a recipe I found on the internet and it is absolutely the BEST Chocolate Cake I have ever had! It's all in the espresso!

 

Chocolate Cake with decadent Chocolate Frosting

 

 

Ingredients

 

For the Chocolate Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

 

For the Chocolate Frosting

1½ cups butter (3 sticks), softened

1 cup cocoa

5 cups confectioner’s sugar

½ cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon espresso powder

 

Instructions

 

Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.

 

For the cake:

Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.

Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.

Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.

Frost cake with Chocolate Frosting below.

 

For the Chocolate Frosting:

Add cocoa to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.

Cream together butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.

Add sugar and milk to cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.

Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.

If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

[Kaylee]

Yum!

[Mashiara Sedai]

Aida, you can have us feel them out before posting. :)

 

Rhea, that looks amazing! Maybe I need to give that a try right now!

[wheeloftime13]

yummies!!! *drools over the chocolate* I shall be back to give some recipes after dinner.... I love these kinds of threads because the food is always delicious!!! :D

[Ryrin]

All of these look really good.

[Aidanna]

So the biggest one I am thinking about doing is a flourless Mexican Chocolate Cake. 

The second is my pumpkin caramel custard.

What do you guys think?

 

[Mashiara Sedai]

Oooooh.  I'm going to say chocolate.  Cause as I said earlier, I'm not a fan of pumpkin.  Plus, I know flourless cakes are really dense and rich.  That sounds very yummy!

[Kaylee]

The pumpkin sounds awesome!

[Mashiara Sedai]

Aidanna, you have about 24 more hours before this thread closes and we start the voting thread!

[Aidanna]

Ok Here it is! I think I originally got this recipe from Simply Gluten Free Magazine - I had it on vacation once and searched for a recipe everywhere. I love the rich spicy chocolate and chile flavor!

 

Gluten Free Mexican Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream Recipe

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter – cut into pieces plus more for preparing the pan
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 ½ cups)
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder (I like dark)
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dried instant espresso (or coffee) crystals (I use starbucks instant coffee)
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder (this is sometimes harder to find - I use full Ancho Chiles, then grind them up at home)
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper in a circle to fit bottom of pan, put it in pan and butter that. I know it sounds slightly ridiculous, but it always sticks, so if you want it pretty, do this. 

Melt butter and chocolate chips together in a microwave (about 2 minutes) or on top of a double boiler. Mix together the sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso or coffee, salt, ancho chili powder and cinnamon. Add to chocolate mixture, add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes or so then finish cooling on a rack (or not, I often just let it cool in the pan).

For the whipped cream, whip cream, sugar and cinnamon together until thick and stiff but not dry.

Serve whipped cream atop slices of cake. Its pretty rich - cut slices fairly small. 

 

 

[Kaylee]

Sounds yummy!

[Aidanna]

I love it  

 

Shh - I think I have the other recipe posted around here somewhere (maybe the recipe book here, or on the main Ogier board). After the voting and stuff I will make sure I send the pumpkin one to you Kaylee!

[Kaylee]

They would be awesome!

[Mashiara Sedai]

Oh my gosh, Aidanna, it sounds heavenly!

 

All right, everyone.  The thread is closed for submissions.  To vote, please go HERE!