Panettone is the Italian’s version of a holiday fruit cake, except much, much tastier. Every Christmas season I buy a few boxes of ready made panettone to pass out and to eat for breakfast with a really hot cup of tea. I look forward to it every year, and I love the memories associated with the taste of a good panettone… chatting with the ladies in my family in the late evening while having a late night snack, putting up the Christmas tree, and everything so beautiful and special about the holidays.

This year Christmas Eve is at my aunt’s house for the first time. Last week I was discussing what dishes Raffi and I would be making for auntie’s house, and I mentioned a trifle like the one I made for Armenian Christmas last year. Auntie and I decided that a stuffed panettone would be even better, and this recipe was born.

This stuffed panettone is so easy to make. It is great for a new mom like myself who wants to have a special dessert but doesn’t have the time to measure out flour and bring out the mixer. Guests will love the surprise as you slice through it to reveal the beautiful layers inside.

Stuffed Panettone
Makes app. 8-12 slices

Ingredients:
1 large Panettone*
2 tbs Grand Marnier
2 tbs water
sprinkle sugar
2 cups vanilla bean ice cream
1/2-1 cup Cool Whip

Directions:
Flip the panettone over and hollow out like you would a pumpkin. Be sure to make one nice round cut in the bottom so that you can put it back when you’re done stuffing the cavity. Take out the ice cream to soften a bit. Mix together the Grand Marnier, water, and sugar and brush the inside of the panettone cavity. Put 1/2 the vanilla ice cream and 1/2 the Cool Whip inside the panettone. Press down so that there are no gaps. Put back 1/2 the panettone filling and press down. Repeat, ending with the bottom of the panettone. Place in freezer until serving. Enjoy after a special dinner with a nice hot cup of tea or espresso.

*Try to buy an imported panettone from an Italian market – they taste better.
**Special thanks to auntie D for the inspiration and suggestions.

PS- I really wanted to cover this in silky chocolate to make a hard magic type shell, but I couldn’t get it to harden no matter what I tried. Any thoughts on how to make that work?

Other Christmas posts:
Little Christmas 2011
Christmas Eve Menu 2010
Christmas Eve 2010 notes
Christmas Eve Menu 2009
Christmas Even Menu 2008

Ina Garten’s white chocolate bark is the perfect recipe for the person with no time, or the one who can’t cook.

It is foolproof. It is fast. It is easy. It is beautiful.

This treat is great for the upcoming holiday season. The combination of flavors and colors is both tasty and beautiful, and no one will know just how easy it was to make. You can keep the ingredients on hand at all times so when you’re invited to a party last minute you’ll have something to make and bring.

I bring a dessert to our church bazaar each year (last year and the previous year I made these) to sell in the sweet shop. This year I was puzzled on what to make as I haven’t really been in the kitchen nor do I have the time to be (yet). I was feeding bambino and watching Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network when she made this dessert and I immediately knew I would make it for church.

Verdict? Foolproof, fast, east, beautiful, and most importantly, delicious.

The original recipe can be found here. Note: On TV she used pistachios and in the written recipe used walnuts. I preferred the pistachios for their beautiful green color. It was the right choice.

Before I know it, I’m going to be able to actually call myself a baker! Ever since conquering my fear of baking with my first successful batch of chocolate chip cookies, I have been unstoppable.

If you need a last minute recipe to make for a Super Bowl party today, this recipe is for you. It requires no mixer and very little hard work. I made two batches yesterday, one with peanut butter chips and one with chocolate chips, and I got the seal of approval from both of my taste testers! Your probably have all the ingredients in your house, and one batch yields 20 cookies.

Oh! And these satisfy both the cookie and brownie lovers! Brookies!

This recipe came from my friend Lauren who got it in a Daily Candy email.

Brookies
Clinton St. Baking Co.
Makes eighteen to twenty

Ingredients
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. unsalted butter
2 c. semisweet chocolate chunks (52-62% cacao)
2 large eggs
¾ c. light brown sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1. While the oven preheats to 350°, melt the oil, butter, and 1 cup of the chocolate together in the microwave on high heat for 2.5-3 minutes, stirring at 1-minute intervals. Or melt the mixture in the stainless-steel bowl of a double boiler. Let cool.

2. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until combined. Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

3. Whisk together the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine the flour mixture with the chocolate mixture, and then fold in the remaining chocolate chunks.

4. Freeze the batter in a shallow pan (such as a pie plate) 6-8 minutes until it sets and hardens slightly.

5. Spray two cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper. Scoop about 10 tablespoons of batter onto each sheet. Bake 11-12 minutes, until the tops look dry and cracked (the insides will still be quite moist). Cool completely. The brookies will be perfectly soft and chewy.

Variation: Try adding white chocolate chunks, walnuts, or peanut butter chunks in place of the semisweet chocolate chunks.

The best chocolate trifle ever is the answer to your dessert needs.

When my friend Beth made this dessert for New Year’s, I couldn’t keep my spoon out of my bowl. I must have eaten 1,000 bowls that weekend as I couldn’t believe that such a few simple items could make such a delicious and fantastic combination. This is not a healthy recipe as it uses lots of processed foods, but it is great for the non-baker at your next dinner party… or just for fun tonight.

You can find a reason to celebrate, right?!

I personally made it just days after New Year’s for Armenian Christmas. It was a brilliant hit.

As you know, I can’t bake- except for those delicious chocolate chip cookies that I still can’t believe I made. This dessert is great for a gal like me because I can follow directions! And I love chocolate!

I love using my trifle dish as it makes any dessert prettier, but if you don’t have one feel free to use a pretty clear glass bowl. And then go buy a pretty trifle dish for next time.

The Best Chocolate Trifle Ever
Adapted from Beth

Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix baked according to directions and cooled
1 box Jello instant chocolate pudding made according to the directions
1.5 containers Cool Whip
1 bag Heath bar bits or chocolate chips
1 pint strawberries, washed and dried

Directions:
Cut the cake into 2″ x 2″ cubes. Layer your ingredients in the trifle dish in the following order, making a few layers: cake, pudding, cool whip, heath bar. Repeat to the top of the dish and end with the cool whip. Top with the strawberries in any design you like. Enjoy!

Chocolate covered pretzel rods are one of my favorite treats to make during the holiday season. They make great little gifts for friends and are fun to make too!

If you want to make chocolate covered pretzel rods with fun toppings like Oreos, chocolate chips, and Reese’s Pieces, see this post.
If you want to make candy cane chocolate covered pretzel rods- which are so perfect this time of year- then see this post.

These are perfect for a last minute project! How is everyone doing on your Christmas preparations? I am still running around…..

Creme brulee is one of my favorite rich desserts. I love to take my spoon and ever so gently crack the top. I take a big piece of the intensely sweet shell with a bit of the custard in every bite, but when when the shell is gone I leave the rest. Unlike some other desserts, I savor every single spoonful with closed eyes and patience, resting my spoon and my tastebuds for a few minutes between each heavenly bite.

Imagine taking that entire experience and putting it into cake form. A soft and spongy custardy cake with an ever so slightly caramelized crust, tasting of creme brulee and rum and vanilla and melting in your mouth…..

Even better, right?

That is what a canelé is. It is one of the most unappreciated sweets in the U.S. Probably because most of us have never heard of them!

Every Parisian bistro or corner bakery should include these on their menu. I don’t know or care if they are difficult to make; I only want access to enjoy them every time I really need a sweet.

Side note: I went 9 straight days with no sweets, broke it with a Ferry Plaza blueberry scone, and ended it with a Tartine croissant. Back to no sweets for me…. but let me tempt you….

The Headhouse Farmer’s Market in Philadelphia sells the most beautiful canelés by Market Day. They are sold in both minis and full size, and they taste exquisite. When you want an incredible sweet, have a canelé. Trust me.

It’s creme brulee in cake form.

Market Day Canelé
Sold at Headhouse Farmer’s Market
Philadelphia, PA

When was the last time you had a cupcake? In my case, aside from tasting mini cupcakes at the Foodbuzz Festival last year, it was probably many years ago!

For Lisa‘s birthday a few of us got together for a little cupcake party in Northern Liberties. We got fabulous coffee drinks from One Shot Coffee and an assortment of cupcakes from Brown Betty Dessert Boutique. I selected a strawberry cupcake with strawberry frosting.

It wasn’t good at all.

Just kidding.

It was seriously the best cupcake I have ever tasted, and it was even better than Lisa & Stephanie‘s choices! The frosting was smooth and light, but the cupcake was dense, yet airy. The flavor of strawberry was mild, but just enough pulled through in each bite.

I also really liked my taste of Stephanie’s sweet potato cupcake with buttercream frosting. To me it had more of a gentle pumpkin flavor, laced with sweet, sweet bites of buttercream.

The boutique itself is tiny, with a small couch and a couple of chairs. We opted instead to sit outside at One Shot where we could enjoy the fall sunshine. Both are in the Northern Liberties area of Philadelphia, which was hopping on a Sunday afternoon. We had a great time people watching, enjoying cupcakes, and drinking coffee.

If you want a cupcake, a magnificent coffee, and a nice afternoon, Brown Betty Dessert Boutique + One Shot coffee will bring it all to you.

BB Dessert Boutique
1030 North 2nd Street on Liberties Walk
Philadelphia, PA
215.629.0999

One Shot Coffee
1040 North 2nd St on Liberties Walk
Philadelphia, PA
215.627.1620

If you believe I am worthy, please head over to Foodbuzz to vote for me in the first challenge in Project Food Blog! You can read my entry there.

Some people eat their banana bread plain.

Some people eat it toasted with a bit of butter.

Me? I top it with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and a few chopped walnuts and eat it with a spoon.

Whichever way you enjoy it, banana bread brings back fabulous memories for most of us I’m sure.

In my case the memories are of opening a banana bread mix and dumping it in a big glass bowl, getting mix all over the counter. I was about 15 and wanted to bake something special for my mom. I would add the few extra ingredients carefully and pour the batter into the pan as gently as possible. I would then sit at the kitchen table willing myself to not open the oven door every few minutes to see if I mixed everything the right way. I would dutifully do my homework, but in my mind all I was thinking about was the banana bread. The minute it was done I would pull it out and slice it up, still warm, even though the box said to let it cool in the pan first. I would rush up to my mom’s room to give her a piece, and she would smile the biggest smile ever.

I love when cooking or baking brings back a memory previously forgotten.

Do you have banana bread memories? Please share.

Growing up my brother, cousins, and I always begged my nonna, mom or auntie to make us “rolls with jam”. They were our favorite treat and seemed so special because they would make them out of a few simple ingredients in just a few minutes. Nonna always rationed them out to us (2/kid) but my brother would have the majority of them (as in, at least 6). They are still one of his favorite treats. Nonna calls them “omLETTE” and we always called them rolls with jam. I believe they should be properly known as crepes, but I will always simply call them rolls with jam.

I may have called my brother to make him jealous the night I made these.

These are a great dessert to make when you have last minute guests or feel like having a special treat. You can serve them they way I usually do, rolled up with orange marmalade and sprinkled with powdered sugar, or you can get creative. However you choose to eat these, it will be worth the few minutes of effort it took to make them. There are a few tips below the recipe; be sure to check them out.

And now I present, my favorite childhood dessert of all (besides ricotta balls)…. Rolls with Jam!

Rolls with Jam
Yields 8

Ingredients:
4 heaping tablespoons of flour
2 flat tablespoons of sugar
1 egg
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of lemon zest
“approximately” 1/2 cup milk (add as needed to reach the right consistency)
butter for frying
powder sugar to decorate

Filling:
Orange marmalade, or any other filling you choose!

Directions:
* Mix all ingredients in bowl
* Heat non-stick skillet to medium-high heat
* Melt butter in pan (1/3 teaspoon for each roll, just enough to spread in pan)
* Pour an almost full ladle of batter into the frying pan and immediately swirl the pan to cover the entire surface evenly with batter
* Cook until edges loosen and bubbling begins (approximately 45- 60 seconds- the edges will turn up)
* Flip. After about 30 seconds remove from pan and spread a thin layer of your filling over one half and roll up
* Sprinkle with powdered sugar
* Finally, eat as many as you can

Tips:
- The batter should be realllly thin. Add enough milk to reach that consistency.
- If you like things a little sweeter you can add a capful of vanilla extract to the batter.
- Don’t worry about the first couple not looking great… for some reason the first ones are never right!
- If you don’t want to use butter use something (Smart Balance, etc) because it makes the crepe brown nicely and helps the batter to be distributed evenly (slick pan).
- Any kind of milk you have in your fridge is fine.
- Don’t be afraid to adjust the batter after you see the first couple cook.. I usually add a little more milk if the crepe looks a little flat.
- Don’t add too much batter to the pan. One small ladle is enough- you want these to be really thin!

My favorite classic combos:
1. Low sugar apricot jam (it has little bits of peel in it and is just amazing)
2. Nutella + banana slices
3. Nutella on its own
4. Orange marmalade
5. Strawberry preserves (not my favorite at all).

These really make a big statement when stacked next to each other on a nice tray and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Your guests are sure to love them!!!

Good luck, and enjoy!

My night went like this…
work
tried out a new gym (Philadelphia Sports Club!)
market
shower
light dinner
SYTYCD/work
…late night snack….

If you said you never eat sweets you must be lying. Or you’re not my friend.

Everyone likes a sweet treat now and again, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be heavy or high in calories. I found the perfect solution to an ice cream cone craving…

See here:

Oh, and please vote for my mushroom lentil burger recipe on Recipe Rivalry! The first 500 voters will receive a free bag of dried peas or lentils!

Related posts:
Serving of Cereal
Ridding Yourself of Unnecessary Sugar Forever
Apples & Bananas