30 Ideas for Decorating Desserts

When it comes to desserts, the Kitchen Chicks know a thing or two. They aren’t always pretty, but they are most certainly delicious! But, that got me thinking – how do you make beautiful desserts? Then it occurred to me that beautiful desserts, like a lovely home, are typically decorated appropriately. So, I came up with 30 decorative ideas (some classic, some modern) to make all of your dessert dreams come true.

Scrumptious and Easy S’Mores Bars Recipe

Baby Chick here with a recipe that is not only YUMMY but super easy to throw together when you’re in a pinch. These S’More bars would be great for a teacher’s Valentine’s Day gift, any party you’re going to, or for the favorite person in your life. My rooster ate the entire pan, so he will vouch for their tastiness. 🙂

Dave’s Creamy Raspberry Pear Dessert

Good evening fellow kitchen chicks! Baby Chick here. I haven’t written to you in what seems like ions, but I assure you I have been up to good, no great!, things. My most recent news is that my rooster and I made a big decision to move from Cambridge, MA to my home state TEXAS! Momma Chick is considerably happier having her baby chick closer, and I’m much happier too! I’m living in Austin, Texas in my first home! What an exciting ride this whole thing has been…from renovations, to a fabulous new kitchen, to many many guests! Which, brings me to my next exciting news…

Last week my brother Dave came to visit and man-o-man did he make one delicious dessert! My dad ate TWO portions with no regrets. Momma Chick and I devoured ours as well. Not only is this dessert really freaking good, but it’s also SUPER easy to make. I think you all are going to LOVE it.

Dave calls this dessert his “Creme Framboise” dessert, but I have a hard time spelling that, so I broke it down in the title for the rest of you who are like me. Creme Framboise is fun to say though. With that, let’s get started!

Ingredients:

• 2 pears, halved and cored
• 1 cup cool whip
• 2 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup raspberries chopped
• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• sugar to taste
• 2 raspberries cut in half; set aside

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

2. Cut each pear in half and core the center centers.

3. Cut off the curved part of the pears so that they lay flat. Set on a baking sheet.

4. Add sugar on top of pears to taste. Place in oven for 25(ish) minutes or until lightly brown.

NOTE: Your finished pears should look something like this:

5. While your pears are baking begin to prepare you filling. Grab a small mixing bowl and cream together the cream cheese and condensed milk. There should be no chunks when you’re done.

6. Mix in your cool whip or whipped cream (whichever you prefer). Dave recommends cool whip because it combines better for this recipe.

7. Chop and crush your raspberries and then add those to the mixture as well. Cover with plastic wrap and placed the final product in the fridge for about an hour.

8. Once your pears are finished and the sugar is caramelized, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes or until the heat is completely gone.

9. Place the cooled pears in the fridge for the remaining part of the hour.

10. Once everything is cool and set take the pears and filling out of the fridge. Place each pear half on it’s own dessert sized plate. Fill the core of the pear with your chilled filling and place half a raspberry on top of each!

VOILA! You’re done!      

The result is a sweet, but not too sweet, soft and creamy pear. This is perfect as a dessert at the end of a hot summer day, BBQ, or day at the pool. I can’t recommend making this enough.

Let us know how yours turned out in the comments!

– BC

2-Minute Gluten Free Chocolate Mug Cake

 

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! If you’re like Baby Chick “Busy” is the theme of your life. With work, travel, binge watching TV on Netflix and other social commitments, I don’t always have the time I’d like to make gourmet desserts. So, as I was trying to decide what to do, how much time it would take played a very important role in my decision. Enter quick and easy mug cakes. At first I was a little suspicious about these desserts. How good can a dessert that takes 2 minutes in the microwave to cook actually be? The answer: REALLY FREAKING GOOD! My rooster said this was one of his favorite desserts and that I should make it for him whenever possible. The ingredients are simple and included everything I had lying around anyway, so I made this twice in one week and probably will again to celebrate Valentine’s Day this weekend 🙂

Because this cake is gluten-free (meaning no flour) it has the consistency of those molten lava cakes at restaurants. It is not the same as a cupcake, but I prefer a denser, creamier texture so this was perfect for me.

Ingredients:

• 1 large, completely ripe banana
• 1/4 cup natural chunky peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 2 tsps sugar
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/8 cups 60% cacao chocolate chips

Method:

1. Mash the banana in a bowl until smooth
2. Add in peanut butter and mix until combined with banana completely
3. Mix in the egg until combined
4. Add sugar, salt and cocoa powder. Mix until a brownie-like batter forms
5. Add in chocolate chips if you desire (I desired!)
6. Split batter evenly between two large mugs
7. Microwave each mug individually for 1 minute 40 seconds or until the top of the cake because firm
8. The cake should slip out easily onto a plate. Add whipped cream or anything else you desire to the top.

Note: You can add in additional things if you like such as: dried fruit, walnuts or pecans, anything else you think would be delicious. I only added chocolate chips because the chunky peanut butter gave me pieces of peanuts. I could also see white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips, or heath bar chips being amazing in this!

TIP: The entire mixture makes two mugs worth. Why? As it turns out one egg in one mug’s worth of cake is way too much and will not give the desired texture. Unless you can split the egg, make two cakes and share or keep one in the refrigerator until you can have your next treat! 

What are you making for Valentine’s Day this year?

Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps: Day 6 of The Kitchen Chicks’ 12 Days of Christmas Cookies

On the 6th day of Christmas the Kitchen Chicks gave to me Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps
…5 CHERRY CRUNCH CORDIALS!…
butterscotch pecan dreams, fudge brownie crackles, butter cookie jammies and whole lot of eggnog cookies!

Happy Sunday friends,

Baby Chick here. We are HALF WAY through The Kitchen Chicks’ 12 Days of Christmas Cookies and man-o-man do I have a good recipe for you today.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a spice cookie, so I found a recipe for ginger snaps and dipped them in white chocolate. My initial fear was that the cookies were going to be too rigid and hard (like the gingersnaps that come in a bag from the store). I couldn’t have been more wrong! This recipe has been my rooter’s favorite so far. He likes them in the morning, pre-dipped, with his coffee

**TIP: The flavor of this cookie is very similar to Momma Chick’s Molasses Krinkle recipe she shared from last year. If you’re looking for a denser, richer cookie use her’s! (Actually, if you haven’t made the Molasses Krinkle before you should anyway. It’s good on its own without any frills).

Now to the recipe!

Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups vegetable oil (I used olive oil and they came out fine)
• 1 large eggs (room temp)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Additional sugar for rolling
• 1 packages (10 to 12 ounces) white baking chips
• 1/8 cup shortening

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil. Beat in eggs. Stir in molasses.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
3. Shape into 3/4-in. balls and roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until cookie springs back when touched lightly. Remove to wire racks to cool.
4. In a microwave, melt chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip cookies halfway into the melted chips; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Yield: about 14-1/2 dozen.

NOTE: I tried doing a couple dipped in dark chocolate. #FAIL. It’s not as good as adds to much acidity to the recipe. Stick with white chocolate or just keep it simple with no toppings.