Chocolate & Bailey's Truffle Pudding

I have wonderful friends. They are kind and hilarious and always have my back. My friend Stephanie (Stephanie's Blog) is one such friend. She is always helping me dream up ways in which we can quit our day jobs and open up a bakery and spend our days cooking, eating, and feeding people. Yesterday, she sent me a recipe that had my name written all over it, knowing that if I happened to overlook it, I'd be devastated. Within 2 minutes, my shoes were on, keys in hand, and I was walking running out the door to the grocery store. Within 20 minutes, I was back home and cooking. I'm no psychologist (...), but I think I have a problem.

The original recipe described this as a no-bake cake that you slice. Well, if thats what I was going for, my attempt was disastrous. It was impossible to slice, did not hold shape, and had to be scooped into bowls. But then, after my first bite, I realized that sometimes when recipes don't work out the way you intended they actually turn out better than you could have ever imagined. This is a WINNER. Elegant, smooth, rich, flavorful, silk. Perfection. Recipe from How Sweet It Is.

PUDDING INGREDIENTS
15 ounces milk chocolate
12 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces (1/2 cup) Bailey's Irish Cream

Heat the cream and Bailey's in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Do not boil. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until just melted and smooth. Once the cream is heated, remove from heat and pour in the chocolate. Whisk until mixture is totally incorporated and smooth- this could take 3-5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 6+ hours.

Once ready to serve, spoon into ramekins, wine glasses, or martini glasses with a dollop of Bailey's whipped cream on top!

BAILEY'S WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream
2 teaspoons sugar

Using an electric mixer beat together the cream and Bailey's. Once thickened, slowly add the sugar and continue beating until finished.

Tiramisu

I really love cheese in desserts, like cheesecake, cannoli, and tiramisu. I had never made tiramisu before, but was making an Italian dinner for some of my friends the other night and decided to finish the evening with this delicious cheesey/boozey/espressoy/chocolatey dessert. It was a wonderful end to the meal.

It requires some ingredients that may not be at every grocery store in this fine nation, but one should be able to find mascarpone and lady fingers somewhere near where s/he lives. If you cannot find mascarpone, or you don't want to pay for it (its a bit pricey), you can substitute 8ounces of mascarpone with 8 ounces of cream cheese + 2 tbs. heavy cream + 3 tbs. sour cream. Recipe Adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups strong black coffee, room temperature
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
6 tablespoons dark rum
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 (scant) teaspoon salt
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (cold)
40-50 ladyfingers, depending on size
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate, grated

Brew the coffee and let sit until room temperature. Add the espresso powder and 3 tablespoons of rum and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

In an electric mixer beat the egg yolks until smooth. Add the sugar, and beat until pale yellow and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of rum and beat until incorporated. Add mascarpone and beat until no lumps remain, scraping down the sides once or twice. Pour mixture into a large bowl and set aside.

Pour the whipping cream in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until stiff peaks form. Slowly and carefully fold whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture just until combined. Set aside.

One at a time, drop half of each lady finger into the coffee mixture, roll to dip the other side, remove and transfer into the bottom of an 8x8 glass baking dish. Do not submerge the lady fingers-- each cookie should be in the coffee mixture for 2 seconds or less. Arrange the soaked cookies in an even layer on the bottom of the dish. Layer with half of the mascarpone mixture. Top with half of the sifted cocoa, followed by another layer of the soaked lady fingers, the rest of the mascarpone, and the rest of the sifted cocoa.

Cover and refrigerate 8-24 hours. Before serving shave chocolate on top of the tiramisu. Cut and serve!

Worms in Dirt

Okay, so the other day I randomly started craving dirt and worms… I have no idea what made me think of it, and I honestly do not know how long its been since I’ve had this birthday party treat- maybe 15…20 years? It was a serious craving and I managed to wrangle a friend into coming over the next night to help me make and eat them (I’m a demanding friend). It was better than I remembered it being. We each made our own pot-o-dirt and decorated it with worms to our liking. Yummy. Will be making again… soon. Makes 4 servings.

• 1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 cup whipped cream/cool whip
• ~10 oreos
• Gummy worms (SOUR are best!) or any other treats you want to decorate with

Whisk the pudding and milk together according to package directions. Set aside for a few minutes to let thicken. Stir in the whipped cream. 

In a food processor crush the oreo cookies. 

Layer the oreos and pudding however you see fit. Decorate with worms. 

EAT. MOAN. FEEL 5 YEARS OLD AGAIN. Its worth it.