Most pound cake recipes are full of butter and often include heavy cream, sour cream, or buttermilk for added flavor and richness. But I prefer this recipe, which includes cream cheese in the batte...
My husband, Jim, tasted banana bread pudding at one of his favorite San Francisco restaurants and raved about it for months. He asked me to duplicate it and finally I relented. When he said “banana...
Sticky Chewy Messy Gooey dessert cookbook. Paperback. 167 pages, published 2007. Light shelf wear. Please don't hesitate to message me with any questions you may have. I'll happily combine shipping on multiple items. Be sure to check out my other listings. Thanks for looking!
Sticky Toffee Pudding (from the " Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey" cookbook by Jill O'Connor r) This week i heart faces is shooting away fr...
oh yummy caramel! So I have this book… Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor. The name says it all, its jam packed with the most delicious gooey yummy, make you drool desserts. And its an adorable book to just look at. One of my favorites are her GOOEY CARAMEL BUTTER BARS. Now in NO way are these good
My friend Debby Jo Jones taught me how to make Angel Pie at Mountain Meadow Ranch, the one summer we were there together. She was the dinner cook, and cool as a cucumber, even under pressure. Her f...
One of the first cookbooks that I ever purchased was a delicious instruction manual on so many warm, gooey, yummy dessert items. To this day, it is still one of my favorite cookbooks and I will always treasure the recipes inside. This book is Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey. I think the first thing that I made from the book was the "All Grown Up S'more". There were two reasons I picked this particular one. First, because I ADORE s'mores, and second, it had a picture, the most tempting picture in fact. And that is when I fell in love. This had a thick, crisp graham cracker crust, a milk chocolate center, and a meringue top that was toasted in the broiler. The reason it was called All Grown Up though, was because it had liquor in it. I, being under 21 was not able to buy that, or drink it for that matter, so I just decided to omit it from the recipe. It turned out great, and I loved every bit of the s'morey goodness. After that, I tackled a few more recipes, including the Mascarpone Cheesecake Pots, which I could have done without, the Everything But the Kitchen Sink Cookies, and the New York Cheesecake Milkshake. Then I made what I believe is one of the most delicious desserts ever created, baklava. This was a long time ago, but before I made it this time around, just thinking about it made my mouth water and I could actually taste it. So I decided to make it again, this time to share with you. Baklava is no easy task. It takes a bit of prep work and a serious sweet tooth. The nuts have to be finely chopped before hand, the puff pastry thawed, and the butter melted. Even though it probably took me close to an hour to make, and then baking time on top of that, it was well worth it. The entire pan was gone in less than a week. I found the puff pastry a little hard to work with at first, and I kept tearing it and flinging butter everywhere, but after the first layer, I got the hang of it, and it was pretty simple after that. The one thing to remember though is to always keep the puff pastry covered. I bought 2 pounds, but only needed 1.5 boxes, and I left them in the individual wrappings until I needed them. Once I unwrapped one package, I laid it on plastic wrap, covered it with a damp paper towel, and worked fast. Layer eight sheets of puff pastry together with butter in between all of them. Then one cup of nuts. This is pretty repetitive, and can get very boring. But I'll say it again, it is well worth it in the end. Also, I didn't get a lot of "in process" pictures this time around because of the puff pastry. I didn't want to stop what I was doing, wash the butter off my hands, and risk drying it out just to snap a photo, so I decided that the before and after baking shots were enough. Well, enough of me rambling now, onto the recipe. Enjoy! Deep Dish Baklava---recipe by Jill O'Conner For the Pastry: 3 cups finely chopped walnuts 2 cups finely chopped almonds 2/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon cardamom 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves About 2 pounds of phyllo dough--I only used 1.5 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted For The Syrup: 2 cups sugar 2 cups mild honey 2 cups water one 6-inch strip lemon peel 1vanilla bean, halved lengthwise 1 cinnamon stick 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with melted butter 2. In a small bowl, stir together the walnuts, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Set aside. 3. On a clean work surface, lay 1 sheet of phyllo and brush it with melted butter. Layer 7 more sheets of phyllo over the first, buttering each one. Carefully lay this stack of buttered phyllo sheets in the prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of the nut mixture. Layer 8 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet, and lay this stack over the first layer of nuts. Sprinkle the second stack of phyllo sheets with another 1 cup of the nut mixture. 4. Repeat this process until there are 5 stacks of buttered phyllo (8 sheets in each stack) separated by and ending with 1 cup of nut mixture (1 cup for each of the 5 layers). 5. Prepare the top of the pastry by layering together 35 sheets of phyllo dough, buttering each sheet. Carefully place this stack of layered phyllo over the last layer of nuts in the pan. The pan should be completely full of pastry. 6. With a sharp knife, score the baklava into square of diamond-shaped pieces by cutting through just the top layers of phyllo dough. 7. Bake until crisp throughout and the top layers are golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 8. While the baklava is baking, make the honey syrup. Combine all the syrup ingredients in a large stockpot and bring the syrup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture is the consistency of thick maple syrup,about 10 minutes. Remover syrup from the heat and let cool slightly. 9. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, spoon the slightly warm syrup over the pastry. Let the baklava cool completely before cutting all the way through the scored pieces. Don't be nervous if the baklava seems to be swimming in the syrup initially. As the pastry cools, the syrup in absorbed into the layers. It is very important to allow the baklava to cool completely - this gives the syrup plenty of time to ease into the pastry layers and give the baklava its wonderful gooey-crisp texture. Baklava will keep uncovered for 2 days at room temperature or 4 days refrigerated. Until next time,
I’ve been reading the Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy blog for a little over a year now, and being in love with her writing (and recipes!), picked up a copy of her book a few months ago. I read…
When it comes to coconut, I find people either love it or loathe it. There really is no waffling when it comes to this, in my mind, luscious nut. I adore coconut, and I have a soft spot for any rec...
The silky, rich flavor of Italian mascarpone cheese marries well with dark chocolate and makes for a sublime cheesecake, baked up smooth and buttery in little custard cups and eaten with crunchy, s...
It may be called devil’s food, but this cake is pure heaven for the chocoholics among you. Devil’s food is distinguished by its heavy jolt of chocolate flavor, often, as it is here, a combination o...
Topped with big loopy swirls of Marshmallow Fluff meringue burnished to a golden bronze, this S’more may be all grown up, but it still knows how to have a good time. A sweet, crumbly graham cracker...
When I was seven years old, my mother enrolled me in my first cooking class. I loved it, and learned how to make cinnamon rolls by dipping refrigerator biscuits in melted butter and rolling them in...
Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, these slightly crisp, butter-fried, tart-at-the-center sandwiches are a snap to assemble if you have the filling chilled and ready to go before you start ...
This recipe makes a big batch of brownie cups, perfect for creating sundaes. I love having a big bag of these stored in the freezer for last-minute desserts or special after-school snacks. These br...
There is no doubt that chemistry and baking are sisters. Otherwise how to explain the transformation of butter, with the simple application of heat, into the nutty, toasty elixir known in French as...
When we were first married, my husband and I spent a wonderful week on the little island of Kalymnos in Greece, swimming in the ocean, tanning to an unhealthy mahogany color, and lunching in little...
oh yummy caramel! So I have this book… Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor. The name says it all, its jam packed with the most delicious gooey yummy, make you drool desserts. And its an adorable book to just look at. One of my favorites are her GOOEY CARAMEL BUTTER BARS. Now in NO way are these good
This month's Daring Bakers Challenge was the fabulous Cheesecake Pops from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor. Our gracious host...
As I've stated previously, birthdays (for me and Gary at least) are becoming less and less of a big deal. Obviously, Gary's birthday was almost two weeks ago and I haven't even mentioned it. As the big day got closer and closer (as in all of the sudden it was JUNE - when did that happen??) I found myself wondering what to do for a cake. Last year's Tour de France cake was a total disaster, the year before we didn't even have cake, he really doesn't even get excited about cake period...but then I had a piece of leftover cake at a friend's house and just about died. Literally. Even Gary raved about it. I hounded her for two weeks straight until she gave me the recipe. Was this cake as much for me as it was for him? Why yes, yes it was. Maybe even more. Nothing like a labor of love. For yourself. So I just caught myself sticking my finger in the leftover bowl of icing (now almost 2 weeks old) and I decided it was high time to share these recipes with you. Typing will also hopefully distract me from going back to that bowl until it's gone. I rarely make a cake from scratch. I've even almost completely given up on baking cookies from scratch. But let me tell you. This one is worth it. The icing is even more worth it. Both recipes are from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids, by Jill O'Connor. The Best Chocolate Birthday Cake Ever Ingredients: 3/4 c. natural cocoa powder 1 c. boiling water 3/4 c. sour cream 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar 1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour 1 t. baking powder 1 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt Melt-In-Your-Mouth Chocolate Frosting (see below) Directions: - Preheat the oven to 350. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper rounds. Set aside. - Sift the cocoa powder into a small bowl and stir in the boiling water to dissolve and make the cocoa "bloom." Whisk together until completely smooth. Let cool completely, and then whisk the sour cream into the cocoa mixture. - In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together with an electric hand mixer set on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the cooled cocoa mixture and the vanilla. - Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt over the batter and fold in gently, using a rubber spatula, until the flour is completely combined into the batter. - Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 25-30 min. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. - To frost, invert one layer onto a cake plate, and remove the parchment circle. Spread 1 cup of frosting over the surface of the cake. Invert the second layer over the first, and remove the parchment paper. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing. Melt-In-Your-Mouth Chocolate Frosting (makes 3 1/2 cups) Ingredients: 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips 1 c. milk chocolate chips 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces 1 c. sour cream 1 t. pure vanilla extract Large pinch of salt 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted Directions: In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the semisweet and milk chocolate chips with the butter. Heat on high for 1 minute. Stir the mixture together. If the butter is not completely melted and the chocolate chips do not easily stir smooth, heat again at 15-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Using a hand mixer set at low speed, beat in the sour cream, vanilla and salt. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. And there you go. I think we all cried a little when the last bite was gone. I'm already looking forward to Maggie's birthday.
This month's Daring Bakers Challenge was the fabulous Cheesecake Pops from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor. Our gracious host...
If you like milk chocolate, then this recipe is for you, better yet if you like cheesecake and milk chocolate then this recipe is most certainly for you. I myself am not a milk chocolate lover, however I do love a creamy slice of cheesecake. When a dish has chocolate in the title then my taste buds anticipate the rich depths of bittersweet goodness. O'Connor's Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Pots fall short and only hint at chocolate, however they make up for it with their smooth silky texture. Whipping these pots up is a snap, the recipe is something like a glorified hot chocolate or a mascarpone filled ganache. Whisking sweetened mascarpone and eggs into a warm cream-chocolate base then they are gently baked till slightly jiggly in a steaming water-bath. O'Connor serves hers with these clever shortbread spoons, she uses a fun spoon-shaped cookie cutter. I of course had to dress up my own shortbread recipe with pistachios and serve the pots with cookies and crumbs, believe me I tried to make the spoons, drawing them freehand and trying to trace around teaspoons, not at all a pretty sight! So I settled for basic round pistachio shortbread and cookie crumbs. Tasting Notes: Texture: Creamy and smooth, velvet comes to mind, much more smooth than most cheesecakes I've tasted. On its own, definitely not chocolatey nor sweet enough. Although I did use an El Rey 61% chocolate instead of semi-sweet. I'm sure with a semi-sweet it's just the right sweetness. Perfect when paired with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream and cookies! The sweet butteriness of the cookies plays nicely with the creamy consistency of the cheesecake. Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Pots from Jill O'Connor's Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Serves 8 1 cup heavy cream 4oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 1/4 cup sugar 3 large eggs 1 t pure vanilla extract pinch of salt 1 T dark rum, brandy, or grand marnier (optional) sweetened whipped cream & chocolate curls shortbread spoons for serving Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat before the cream starts to boil and add chocolate, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Set aside and let cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla, salt and rum (if using) and whisk to combine. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the mascarpone cheese mixture and whisk gently until smooth. Put eight 4-ounce custard cups, ramekins, or small ovenproof coffee cups in an empty 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Divide the chocolate-cheesecake mixture among the cups. Put the baking dish in the oven and then carefully pour boiling water into the pan, adding just enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the custard cups. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the tops of the cheesecakes appear solid but jiggle slightly when shaken, 30-40 minutes. The perfect consistency is a little soft, but not liquid. The cheesecake pots will firm up as they cool. Transfer the pots from the baking pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Cover each pot with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight before serving. The cheesecake pots can be prepared up to 2 days before serving. Top each cheesecake pot with a dollop of whipped cream and a few chocolate curls and serve with a shortbread spoon. Shortbread Spoons makes about 12 spoons from Jill O'Connor's Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted 1 t pure vanilla extract 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 t salt In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and stir together until the mixture forms a soft dough. Pat the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 week. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick and cut into 4" spoons. Here she says either use a spoon-shaped cookie cutter or using a sharp paring knife cut out freehand using a small spoon like an infant sized spoon.Place the shortbread spoons on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until cold and very firm, 45-60 minutes. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Remove the shortbread spoons from the refrigerator and immediately place in the oven. Bake until the edges of the cookies are a pale, golden brown but the centers are still very pale, 25-30 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool slightly. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to the wire racks and let cool to room temperature. Store the cookies, tightly covered at room temperature, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 weeks. These little cheesecake pots are divine dollop'd onto my pistachio shortbread cookies with a spoonful of vanilla spiked whipped cream. If you'd rather try pistachio shortbread then head over to my recipes, however good luck trying to cut out the spoons freehand, the nuts have a tendency of getting in the way!
Advance planning – clearly not my strong point! Here are my ever-so-slightly-late results for April’s Daring Bakers challenge – cheesecake pops no less (or popsicles, as I keep ca…
I know what you’re thinking: finally, a recipe with some substance! Haha. It’s true, I’ve been busy lately and have been attracted more and more to quick (but delicious!) snacks a…
Dulce de Leche is possibly my favorite food. This is the most-requested recipe I make... adapted from Gooey Caramel Butter Bars found in Jill O’Conner’s Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey cookbook. They are very rich, so you can cut them into smaller portions to serve more than 24.
Bite sized cheesecake pops are coated in chocolate and covered with your favorite toppings. These can be made as cheesecake balls, too - just don't use the lollipop...
Earlier this week I did a post about ice cream, which has had me thinking about those tasty treats all week. I looked through one of my favorite cookbooks Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O'Connor and saw an amazing recipe for milkshakes! What better way to beat the heat than a nice cold drink. The recipe in this book is actually for New York Cheesecake Milkshakes. Ingredients 1/2 cup Whole Milk 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla 1-2 Pints Vanilla Ice Cream 2 Wedges (4-6ounces each) Plain Cheesecake Note: We did not have any cheesecake on hand so we substituted chocolate syrup and peanut butter. Directions Combine the milk, vanilla, 1 pint of ice cream, and cheesecake in a blender. Puree until thick and smooth. If the mixture is too thin add a little more ice a spoonful at a time and blend until you get the desired consistency. Pour into a glass and serve. So we mixed it up a little since we had no cheesecake. My friends wanted a chocolate milkshake so they added chocolate syrup instead of cheesecake. Remember the more syrup you add the stronger the chocolate taste. I wanted a peanut butter milkshake so instead of cheesecake I added a couple tablespoons of peanut butter. We all loved our milkshakes. They were so yummy. I think this recipe would work for any kind of milkshake you want just change the cheesecake to get the favor you want. Star Via: Blender
