Category: Sweets

 After succumbing to a craving for fudge covered graham crackers yesterday I was inspired to post this recipe. What does cream cheese frosting have to do with fudge covered grahams you ask? Take a look at the variation below for a ridiculously decadent and fun dessert. This frosting can be used on anything from carrot cake to chocolate cupcakes to dessert dip. The possibilities are endless…enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 ½ lbs. softened cream cheese (3 blocks at room temp.)
6 oz. unsalted butter, room temp (1 1/2 sticks)
2 teaspoons vanilla or 1 vanilla bean
3 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt 

• Cream the cream cheese and butter
• Add powdered sugar and whip
• Add extract and whip until fluffy.

Note: This makes enough to frost AND fill a 10 inch cake. If you are frosting a 9×13 pan of bars or cupcakes you may want to ½ the recipe.

Variations:

Add 2-3 tablespoons Baily’s Irish Cream and 1/3 c. mini chocolate chips. Serve with fudge covered graham crackers

Add 1 tablespoon orange zest and 1 tablespoon orange juice for fresh flavor to your next carrot cake or spice cake.

This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. This recipe will yield a lot of cookies and most often I roll the dough into logs, double wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze. When you need cookies, remove from the freezer and slice the dough, pan and bake.

Modified from the Neiman Marcus Cook Book
Yield: about 4 dozen

1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups dark brown sugar
6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon instant espresso

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Cream the butter and sugars with a hand mixer, 30 seconds or until fluffy.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla
• In another bowl sift (or mix with a whisk) the flour, bk soda, bk powder, salt.
• Add the dry ingredients to the butter mix and mix until just combined and then mix in the chocolate chips and instant coffee.
• Drop onto a cookie sheet in 2 tablespoon scoops.
• Bake about 20 min or until just golden around the edges. I typically don’t use convection heat and will rotate the pans 1/2 through to ensure even baking.