Dessert

Matcha Tiramisu

April 29, 2021April 29, 2021by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

Sake and Matcha replace coffee and Kahlua in this delectable green tea dessert

I absolutely love tiramisu and am always experimenting with new versions of this delicious dessert. Walking through Central Park I was captivated by the beautiful cherry blossoms exploding throughout the park. It’s as if these trees are screaming to be let out after a long, cold winter. The pink and white blooms look so beautiful against the bright blue sky and sprinkled on the ground after they fall. Spring is my favorite time of year. A season of hope for new things to come.

The cherry blossoms reminded me of a delicious sweet, dry sake that I had tasted a couple of weeks ago. The sake is called Kizakura”Hana Kizakura” and it is made from a yeast extracted from cherry blossoms. The result is a lightly sweet, dry sake that reminds you of walking through a cherry orchard. This sake is the perfect Spring/Summer aperitif and can also be used for sake martinis. You can purchase the sake here through TIPPSY SAKE. I decided to develop a recipe for matcha tiramisu using this sake. The matcha tiramisu is light, aromatic and is perfect to serve in the Spring and Summer. Matcha Tiramisu is quite simple to prepare and is a no bake dessert that requires time in the refrigerator. This makes it ideal to serve when you have company coming over.

Making Zabaglione

Fill a sauce pan with an inch of water and bring the water to a simmer. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a heat proof bowl and place over the sauce pan. Make sure the heat proof bowl is not touching the water, it needs to be over the water. Beat the mixture until pale yellow and triple in size. This will take around 8-10 minutes. When the egg yolk mixture is ready, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly while you beat the heavy cream in a separate bowl. Once the heavy cream is beaten into soft peaks, fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture. Be careful not to deflate the cream, you want to gently incorporate the two.

What Kind of Matcha Should I Use?

There are many different varieties of matcha available. I love the matcha from tea forte. It’s stone ground, smooth and bright and works perfectly with the creaminess of the tiramisu. There are flavored matcha as well. Adagio teas makes a delicious chocolate matcha that is great for sprinkling on top of the matcha tiramisu. For this recipe I mixed the matcha with water and sake to dip the ladyfingers in. The best technique is to mix the matcha with a little boiling water to form a paste and then add the rest of the boiling water and sake. This will help to incorporate all the matcha into the liquid.

Rate this Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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Matcha Tiramisu

Sweet Sake and Stone Ground Green Tea give this Tiramisu a Summer twist

Prep Time25

Cooling Time4

Total Time4 25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian, Japanese, American

Keyword: cake

Servings: servings

Calories: 450kcal

Equipment

8×8 square pan

Ingredients

4 large egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar divided
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup marscapone cheese room temperature
30 ladyfinger cookies
1 cup water boiling
3 tsp matcha divided
½ cup sake sweet and dry

Instructions

fill sauce pan with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer.
add egg yolks and ¼ cup of sugar to a heat proof bowl that can sit on top of the sauce pan with water. Do not let the bowl touch the water, it should be over the water.
whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow and triple in size. About 10 min.
remove from heat and let cool slightly
whip heavy cream and remaining ½ cup sugar until soft peaks form. Do not over beat.
whisk marscapone in egg mixture
gently fold half of the whipped cream into marscapone mixture then gently fold in the rest. Be careful not to deflate the whipped cream. Place in refrigerator until ready to assemble cake.
in a seperate bowl mix 2 tsp matcha with 1 tablesppon of water to make a paste then add remaining cup of water and stir well. mix in sake.
dip ladyfingers quickly in matcha and sake and line them in the bottom of the 8×8 pan
spread half the marscapone over the ladyfingers and repeat with a second layer of ladyfingers dipped in matcha and sake and the rest of the marscapone.
Let chill for 1 hour and then sift remaining teaspoon of matcha on top of tiramisu
chill for another 2 or 3 hours until set

Notes

Tiramisu will last for 2 days in the refrigerator

Nutrition

Breakfast, Recipes, Dessert, Holiday and Special Occasion

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

April 17, 2021May 5, 2021by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

An easy and delicious coffee cake with a sugary glaze

The term Coffee Cake simply means any cake that is intended to be eaten with coffee. This cake can be eaten in the morning or with a cup of tea in the afternoon. The ingredients come together very quickly so it is an ideal recipe to make if you do not have a lot of time but would like to bake something homemade. I make this recipe in one big 9 x 13 pan but it would also work in individual muffin tins. Coffee Cakes are typically a moist crumb cake flavored with cinnamon and sugar. Some recipes use sour cream or yogurt but I prefer to use milk. I feel that milk add the right amount of moisture without making the cake too heavy. I also do not feel that you need a lot of butter or oil in the recipe. After many tries I have figured out the exact amount of butter and oil that is necessary to create a light cake that has the right amount of cinnamon and sugar.

The one thing I can promise is that when this Cinnamon Coffee Cake is baking in your oven everyone in your house will say “Oh, that smells so good.” There is something so delicious about the smell of cinnamon and brown sugar baking in the oven. In this recipe I layer the cinnamon and brown sugar in the batter so there is a good ratio of batter to cinnamon sugar. I drizzle a little melted butter over the cake before it bakes in the oven. After the cake comes out of the oven I let it cool for 10 minutes before drizzling the coffee cake with a sugar glaze. The sugar glaze looks so pretty on top and works well with the brown sugar and cinnamon flavors.

This is a perfect Coffee Cake to serve at brunch time or if you are having some friends over for coffee. I really like to serve it warm fresh out of the oven or reheated. To reheat the coffee cake in the oven you will need to wrap it in foil and warm it at 325. You can also use a microwave to warm up the cake. You want the coffee cake to be warm, not hot. The Coffee Cake will stay fresh for 2 days out of the refrigerator or 5 days in the refrigerator. You can even freeze the Coffee Cake for up to a month. Just make sure you store the Coffee Cake in an air tight container.

Some Delicious Variations:

You can add fruit in the middle of the coffee cake as well.

Mash a cup of fresh or frozen raspberries with a half of tablespoon of cornstarch.
Chop up some walnuts or almonds
A cup of mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Add 1/4 tsp of instant coffee to glaze to give it a little coffee flavor

Spoon the added ingredients over the first layer of batter before you sprinkle on the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Rate this Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: breakfast, muffins

Servings: pieces

Calories: 420kcal

Ingredients

Batter

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ tsp salt
¾ cup melted butter or vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1¼ cup milk
3 tbsp butter melted

Cinnamon Filling

1 cup brown sugar
1½ tbsp cinnamon

Glaze

½ cup confectioners sugar
3 tsp milk add more milk if too thick

Instructions

preheat oven to 350
mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar together
In a seperate bowl mix eggs, milk, vanilla and ¾ cup oil or melted butter together
add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well
lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan and pour half the batter in. Batter will be a little thick so shake pan to spread out evenly.
mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and spread half over batter
use a spoon to add spoonfuls of batter over the top and gently spread out with wet fingers.
top with remaining cinnamon and brown sugar
drizzle with 3 tbsp melted butter
Cover with foil and bake in oven for 20 minutes then remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Do not overbake or it will be dry.
let cool for 10 minutes then drizzle with glaze

Notes

Batter will be thick so spreading the second layer may be tricky. You should place spoonfuls of batter over the top and wet your fingers to gently spread the batter so you do not disturb the cinnamon layer.

Coffee cake is best eaten warm. To reheat, wrap lightly in foil and heat in 300 oven for 5 minutes or reheat for 45 seconds in microwave

Nutrition

Recipes, Dessert, Holiday and Special Occasion

Chocolate-Caramel Matzo

March 24, 2021March 25, 2021by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

Crisp Matzo is coated in Caramel and Melted Chocolate

This chocolate- caramel matzo recipe is great to serve for dessert after Passover dinner. Break the chocolate-caramel matzo up into pieces so it’s easy for people to grab a piece. This recipe was given to me years ago by my dear friend Caryn and I continue to make it every year. It is quick, easy and fun to make and it is absolutely delicious. I like to keep the caramel layer thin so it is like a thin sheet of caramel between the chocolate and the matzo. Have fun with this recipe. Add more chocolate chips if you want a thicker coating. I guarantee your chocolate-caramel matzo will come out absolutely delicious.

Some Variations:

After spreading out the chocolate top with crush walnuts or peanuts

Sprinkle chocolate with sea salt

Mix white and dark chocolate chips

Rate this Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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Chocolate-Caramel Matzo

matzo covered in caramel and melted chocolate

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Chill Time30

Course: Dessert

Keyword: passover, matzo

Servings: pieces

Calories: 70kcal

Ingredients

½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar packed
3 matzo
¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

preheat oven to 350
line 2 baking sheets with foil and parchement paper
place 1½ matzo on each baking sheet
add butter and brown sugar to a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium low heat
continue to whisk for 3 or 4 minutes until sauce thickens
pour sauce over matzo and spread into a thin layer with a rubber spatula
bake in oven for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 325 and continue to cook for 5 minutes
caramel should be bubbling and golden brown.
remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on mazto.
Let chips sit on matzo for a few minutes and begin to melt then spread with a spatula
refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Break into pieces and serve

Nutrition

Breakfast, Recipes, Dessert, Holiday and Special Occasion

Chocolate Babka Recipe

January 24, 2021January 23, 2021by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

This is the best chocolate babka recipe

I am so excited to share this with you! I have been experimenting with a chocolate bread recipe. I wanted to come up with one that was a combination of brioche and babka. A sweet, but not too sweet, dough layered with just the right amount of semi sweet chocolate. Of course the chocolate bread also had to have a crumb topping. If we are going to go for it well then let’s go for it. I used my cinnamon roll recipe as the base of the dough but added an additional egg yolk, some vanilla extract and a little extra butter. So should we call this Babka, Brioche or Briochka? The dough is softer and fluffier than a typical babka, more like a brioche but it is cut and twisted like a babka so really I guess Briochka is probably the best name.

Outrageous Cinnamon Rolls

fluffy, sweet cinnamon rolls with icing

Check out this recipe

The result is a buttery, sweet brioche style bread with layers of chocolate running throughout. It’s sweet but not too sweet. The chocolate filling for the babka is made by melting butter and semi sweet chocolate morsels and then mixing in confectionary sugar and cocoa powder to make a chocolate paste. The paste is then spread over the rolled out dough before the dough is rolled. The technique is very similar to cinnamon rolls but we cut the roll in half instead of slices. Each half will fit in one loaf pan. The half is cut vertically and then twisted before being placed in a loaf pan sprayed with baking spray or greased with butter.

How do I prevent gaps in my babka?

No one likes large gaps of air between their layers of babka. There are a few ways to prevent this.

Roll the dough slowly and tightly. Pull the dough slightly back as you roll forward.
Spooning a little half and half over the dough after the second rise will help keep the layers together
Brush top of dough with egg wash before sprinkling on crumb topping
Let bread cool for 15 minutes in pan before you remove babka to cut

Can I Use a Different Filling in the Babka?

Yes, you can fill the dough with several different fillings. Spread Nutella over the dough before rolling or try raspberry jam or cinnamon, butter and brown sugar. You can also add chopped walnuts or raisins if you like. Be creative.

Chocolate babka ready to be baked in oven. Moments away from oh my yum!

Rate this Recipe

5 from 2 votes

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The Best Chocolate Babka Recipe

a delicious combination of chocolate babka and chocolate brioche

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Rising Time2

Total Time3 10

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: muffins, chocolate, breakfast bread, muffin

Servings: slices

Calories: 354kcal

Equipment

2 loaf pans

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup milk warm, not boiling
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
8 tbsp butter, melted
2½ tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups bread flour or all purpose flour

Filling

8 tbsp butter
¾ cup semi sweet chocolate morsels
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup confectionary sugar

Topping

2 tbsp butter, softened
¼ cup light brown sugar
2½ tbsp flour

Before Adding Crumb Topping

4 tbsp half and half
brush with egg wash

Instructions

Dough

mix flour and yeast in a bowl and set aside
in a large mixing bowl mix warm milk, eggs, butter, vanilla
add salt and sugar
add flour mixture and mix well the knead dough on a lightly floured surface
knead until dough is smooth and elastic. If its too sticky add a bit more flour
place dough in a large greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel
place in a draft free area and let rise for 1 hour
after 45 minutes prepare the chocolate filling
remove dough from bowl and roll into an 18×18 square
spread chocolate filling on dough and roll dough into a roll
cut dough in half horizontally
cut each half in half vertically so you have 2 long pieces for each half
grease (2) 8½ x 4½ loaf pans
twist 2 pieces together and place in loaf pan. Repeat with other half
cover with towel and place in draft free place to rise for 1 hour
preheat oven to 350
spoon 2 tablepoons of half and half over each loaf and allow to absorb in dough
brush each loaf with a little egg wash
spinkle crumb topping over loaf and place loaf pans on a baking sheet in oven
bake for 35-40 minutes
remove from oven and let stand 15 mintes before removing from pan and slicing

Filling

melt butter and chocolate morsels in pan over low heat stirring constantly
remove from heat and mix in cocoa and confectionary sugar to make a paste

Crumb Topping

mix softened butter, flour and brown sugar together to make a crumble

Nutrition

Breakfast, Recipes, Dessert, Holiday and Special Occasion

Outrageous Cinnamon Rolls

December 24, 2020by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

Gooey, melt in your mouth cinnamon rolls

I have been trying to perfect the cinnamon roll recipe for awhile. Some are too dry, some are too cakey, some don’t have enough cinnamon, some are too sweet. I have finally perfected the recipe. After many tries, and I’m sure a few extra pounds, I have come up with a recipe that has the perfect amount of sugary cinnamon with the right softness of dough.

This recipe does not require a lot of ingredients but it does require some time. The rising process is very important in yielding fluffy rolls that goes oh so well with the cinnamon and brown sugar filling. I also think adding a bit of half and half or milk before baking the rolls keeps the rolls moist and gooey and the filling doesn’t dry out. I use instant yeast in this recipe and bread flour. You can substitute all purpose flour and active dry yeast if that’s all you can find. If you are using active yeast you will need to dissolve it in warm (not hot) milk before adding the sugar and eggs. I think instant yeast is easier to work with because you just add it to the flour and it doesn’t need to be activated but really either is fine. Just make sure that your yeast isn’t old. I also like King Arthur bread flour instead of all purpose. King Arthur makes amazing flour. The bread flour is higher in gluten and has 12.7% protein which results in a loftier and consistent texture. I use this flour in all the bread I make. It is also great for homemade pizza dough. If you don’t have bread flour do not worry, you can use all purpose and the rolls will still be delicious. The final touch to making these rolls exceptional is spooning some half and half or milk over each roll after they have risen and before you bake them in the oven. This prevents the rolls, and filling from drying out.

I like a simple powdered sugar frosting, I do not like cream cheese frosting on my cinnamon rolls. I think its too heavy and takes away from the lightness of the rolls. The cinnamon rolls are sweet and decadent enough, the frosting should just add a bit of glaze to the top.

Can I make the dough the night before?

Yes, you can make the recipe up to when you are suppose to let the rolls rise for a second time. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Take the rolls out of the refrigerator and let them rise for about an hour before baking. They should be double the size as when you put in the refrigerator. After the rolls have risen pour half and half over them. Let the half and half absorb into the rolls. Gently pour out liquid that has not been absorbed and bake in oven as directed.

Rate this Recipe

5 from 4 votes

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Outrageous Cinnamon Rolls

fluffy, sweet cinnamon rolls with icing

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Rising Time1 30

Total Time2 15

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: muffins, rolls, pastry

Servings:

Calories: 413kcal

Ingredients

1 cup milk – warm, not hot
2 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp salt
2½ tsp instant yeast
4 cups bread flour or all purpose

Filling

4 tbsp softened butter
¾ cup light brown sugar packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
2½ tbsp cinnamon

Pour Over Rolls Before Baking

¼ cup half and half

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2½ tbsp milk

Instructions

Add yeast to flour, mix well and set aside
In a large bowl mix warm, not hot, milk with melted butter and eggs
Add granulated sugar and salt and mix
Add flour and mix well until all incorporated
If dough is too sticky add another ¼ cup of flour
Knead dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes until dough springs back slightly
Put dough in a lighly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel
Put in a warm place and let rise for 45 minutes
On a lighly floured surface roll dough into a 18 x 18 square. Should be about ¼ inch thick.
Mix both sugars and cinnamon together in a bowl
Spread softened butter on dough
Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture
Gently roll dough into a log and cut into 12 slices. Each slice will be 1½ inches wide
Place cut rolls in a 9×13 baking dish
Cover and let rise for 45 minutes
preheat oven to 350
Spoon half and half over rolls and let absorb for 5 minutes.
Gently pour out liquid that hasn't been absorbed
Bake in oven for 25 minutes. If rolls are browning too much cover with aluminum foil

Icing

Mix powdered Sugar, vanilla and milk together
Let rolls cool slightly then drizzle over rolls

Nutrition

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Projects, Dessert, Holiday and Special Occasion

Easy and Delicious Christmas Cookies

December 20, 2020January 19, 2021by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

Sugar cookies decorated with icing and candy

Baking is a great indoor activity. It’s fun to do alone or with friends and family. Christmas cookies should not only look good but they should also taste great. This is a simple recipe that comes together in a matter of minutes. I have been using this recipe since my children were small and each year we set aside an afternoon to bake and decorate cookies. I used to love when they actually believed that they were making cookies for Santa which is why we started calling them Santa Cookies.

This Sugar Cookie recipe is easy and absolutely delicious. It is much easier to roll the dough when it is slightly chilled so you should divide the dough into four pieces, roll them each into a ball and chill. Take them out of the refrigerator when you are ready to roll and cut out the shapes. After cutting the shapes re-roll the scraps and put back in refrigerator for a few minutes so you can use all the dough. This recipe should make about 3 dozen cookies depending on the size of the cookie cutters. We like making a variety of sizes, some bite sized and some that are 2 or 3 inches. It’s really up to you.

Carefully use a spatula to lift the cookie off the surface and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Do not overtake the cookies, they should only take 8 to 10 minutes. Remove them from oven when the edges start to turn a very light brown. Let cool completely before frosting. I recommend making your own frosting and placing it into squeeze bottles. Squeeze bottles makes frosting the cookies much easier and the frosting will not dry out as quickly. The frosting needs to have a little corn syrup in it in order to dry with a nice sheen on top. This makes the cookies absolutely beautiful. Use food coloring to color the frosting and place each in a separate bottle.

The cookies can be stored for 5 days in an airtight container. They are so festive and fun to make and look beautiful served after dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas. The cookies also make a great homemade gift. Buy cookie boxes or tins and wrap a beautiful red ribbon around it to give as a holiday gift to friends and family. Homemade gifts are so thoughtful to give, especially edible ones. They are gifts that took your time to make, which is the greatest gift of all. Please share your cookie pictures with me on instagram by tagging @itsjennsview . I would love to see how they come out!!!

Rate this Recipe

5 from 3 votes

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The Best Christmas Cookies

Sugar cookies frosted with icing

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Chilling Time30

Total Time48

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cookies, Holiday

Servings: cookies

Calories: 123kcal

Equipment

Cookie cutters

Ingredients

Sugar cookies recipe

1 cup butter softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

Cookie icing recipe

2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp light corn syrup
2½-3 tbsp lukewarm water
food coloring – optional

Instructions

Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven 350
Mix butter and sugar together until light and blended
Mix in beaten egg and vanilla
Blend baking powder and flour and add 1 cup at a time
Make dough into a ball and cut into 4
Make into 4 small balls, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 min
Roll ball into a ¼ inch slab on a piece of parchment so it won't stick.
Cut out desired shapes, reroll scraps and place back in refrigerator while you are working on the next ball of dough. Keep rotating until all dough is used.
Bake in oven for 8 -10 minutes
Let cool before icing

Cookie Icing

Mix ingredients together and add food coloring if desired
Pour into frosting bag fitted with a small tip or a squeeze bottle

Nutrition