Celebrate Chocolate Chip Cookie Day Another Way!

Written by Jenny -

I know it seems a little odd that I am proposing that you celebrate Chocolate Chip Cookie Day with a recipe other than the Original Nestlé® Toll House® Chocolate Chip Cookie. It’s not that I want to turn you away from the most wonderful cookie in the whole wide world! I just want to introduce you to another recipe to celebrate this delicious day: Double Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes. Baked Nestlé® Toll House® Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is the base for these individual cheesecakes. The cookie bases are topped with a creamy cheesecake that is studded with semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels. I think I have you captivated now. One more detail to mention, each of these cheesecakes has a simple drizzle of chocolate for the final touch. Where is my fork when I need it?

Double Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients for 24 servings:

• 1 1/2 cups NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Tub Dough or 1 package (16.5 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels, divided

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Paper-line 24 muffin cups. Place 1 level tablespoon of cookie dough (1 square if using bar dough) into each muffin cup.

BAKE for 10 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar and flour in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix well. Stir 1/2 cup morsels into batter. Spoon 2 heaping measuring tablespoons of batter over each cookie in cup.

BAKE for additional 13 to 15 minutes or until just set but not browned. Remove from oven to wire rack. Cool completely in pans on wire rack. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

MELT remaining 1/4 cup mini morsels in small, heavy-duty plastic bag on HIGH (100%) power for 30 seconds; knead. Microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, kneading until smooth. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze to drizzle lightly over each cheesecake just before serving.

If you are looking for some more information on the history of the Original Nestlé® Toll House® Cookie and Ruth Wakefield, the inventor of the cookie, please take a look at my previous post. There you will find some more recipes to celebrate Chocolate Chip Cookie Day with and also to get a head start for Chocolate Chip Day, August 4^th!

Related Recipes:

Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake	Chocolatey Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Spoil Your Mom, Spoil Yourself – Chocolate Black Cherry Gelatin

Written by Natalie -

Are you looking for a fantastic dessert to spoil mom this Mother’s Day? Look no further than this Chocolate Black Cherry Gelatin. It’s incredibly easy to make with only four ingredients! The cute presentation makes them seem way more complicated than they are. There is not even any cooking involved! But it’s really the deliciously rich chocolate flavor combined with black cherry that makes this seem so very gourmet. Your mom will know how much you love her because she will think you slaved over this fancy dessert. Hopefully she’ll spoil you back by sharing her special treat with the rest of the family.

Chocolate Black Cherry Gelatin

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 1 package (6 ounces) black cherry flavored gelatin
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
• 1/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 12 foil baking cups
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

COMBINE gelatin and water in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.

MICROWAVE evaporated milk and morsels in a small, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100% power for 3 minutes or until chocolate is melted; stir to combine. Pour milk mixture into gelatin; whisk until well blended.

SPRAY baking cups with nonstick cooking spray. Pour gelatin into prepared baking cups. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until gelatin is set.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Drizzle with NESTLÉ ABUELITA Chocolate Syrup or NESTLÉ NESQUIK Chocolate Flavor Syrup

Related Recipes:

Chewy Cherry Chocolate Cookies	Chocolaty Cherry Biscotti

Easter Sweets: Butterfinger Panna Cotta with Easter Egg Nests

Written by Liz -

Panna Cotta, or Italian ”cooked cream,” is an eggless custard that is silky-smooth and so easy to make. In fact, David Lebovitz writes that if it takes you more than 5 minutes to put it together, you’re doing something wrong. If you haven’t yet tried to make custard, crème brulée or flan, panna cotta is the recipe to try first.

Our easy version for Easter, Butterfinger Panna Cotta Nests, uses items you already have in your pantry, since it replaces the cream with evaporated milk. That also lowers the fat and increases the nutrients! This dish has to be made in advance so it can set in the refrigerator, leaving you free on the day of the meal to entertain or cook other dishes. Putting the ingredients together and warming them in a pan are a snap, and the shredded coconut egg nests on top are perfect for a pretty Easter table.

Panna cotta is also an extremely versatile recipe. You can experiment and make your own version by adding lemon or orange zest, almond extract or even spices like saffron, pepper or rosemary. Here are some panna cotta recipes we love using chocolate and amaretto, as well as pumpkin spice and chocolate pistachio.

Happy Easter!

Butterfinger Panna Cotta Nests

Ingredients for 4 servings:

PANNA COTTA

• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 envelope (7 grams) unflavored gelatin
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup crushed NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER BITES Candy

NESTS

• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 4 drops green liquid food coloring
• 2 drops yellow liquid food coloring
• NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER NestEggs

Directions:

FOR PANNA COTTA:
GREASE four 6-ounce or six 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups.

PLACE water in a small bowl; add gelatin and let stand to soften.

PLACE evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat. Add gelatin mixture; stir gently to dissolve gelatin.

POUR into prepared ramekins; sprinkle with crushed Butterfinger.

REFRIGERATE for 2 hours or until panna cottas are firm.

FOR NESTS:
PLACE coconut in a resealable bag. Add green and yellow food coloring; seal bag and shake to thoroughly mix. If necessary, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of water to help color mix.

TOP panna cottas with coconut “grass”; top with 1 to 2 unwrapped Nestlé NestEggs.

Links:

• Butterfinger Panna Cotta Nests
• Chocolate Amaretto Panna Cotta
• Get a Carnation coupon

More panna cotta recipes:

Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta with Pistachio Sauce

Pumpkin Spice Panna Cotta

Chocolate-Covered February: Salted Dulce de Leche Chocolate Tart

Written by Chris -

When I think of February, I think CHOCOLATE. When I think of Chocolate, I think LOVE. A little backwards? Perhaps. Chocolate, in small doses, makes me happy. I know there’s all sorts of psychology associated with chocolate. Chocolate contains serotonin, which is responsible for feelings of well-being and contentment, as well as curbing anxiety and depression. I just love the flavor. It’s that simple.

Chocolate is a perfect match for caramel, so today I am sharing a new recipe for a Salted Dulce de Leche Chocolate Tart. One look at this beautiful tart and you may be think it’s difficult to make. Not true. I’ve taken a shortcut here. I am using NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Dulce de Leche caramel – this is sweetened condensed milk that has already been caramelized. So all you need to do is warm it up. You could even simplify this recipe further by using a sheet of puff pastry or a premade pie shell for the crust in place of the homemade version. I personally love this homemade crust though and quite honestly, it’s worth the extra time.

Here’s the recipe…

Salted Dulce de Leche Chocolate Tart

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 can (13.4 ounces) NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Dulce de Leche
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup (6 ounces) NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate or Dark Chocolate Morsels
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

WHISK together egg yolks, 1 tablespoon cream and vanilla extract in small bowl. Place flour, powdered sugar and salt in food processor; pulse one or two times. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With processor running, add yolk mixture and process until mixture forms a ball. Shape into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

UNWRAP and roll the dough between 2 lightly floured large sheets of parchment or wax paper to a12-inch round. Transfer the dough into a 9-inch tart pan. Press into bottom and up side, trimming off excess. Line the shell with a piece of aluminum foil; fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice.

BAKE for 30 minutes or until pastry is set and the edges are golden. Carefully remove the foil and weights. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

SPOON dulce de leche into microwave-safe bowl. Heat for a few seconds at a time just until warm; stir. Carefully spoon dulce de leche into tart shell, spreading evenly.

PLACE morsels in medium bowl. Heat 1/2 cup cream in a small saucepan until bubbles appear around the edge (alternately, heat in medium, microwave-safe bowl until hot). Remove from heat; pour over morsels. Let stand for 5 minutes or until melted. Whisk until smooth. Pour over dulce de leche; spread with offset spatula. Dust with a little flaky sea salt. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set. Remove side of tart pan and transfer the tart to a serving plate. Cut into wedges.

Check out that flaky crust and those beautiful layers! If you don’t finish the tart, simply cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Happy Chocolate-Covered February to you!

Chris

Links:

• Salted Dulce de Leche Chocolate Tart
• NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Dulce de Leche
• NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE

Hidden Treasure Chocolate Souffles	Simply Elegant Chocolate Mousse Tart

Gluten Free Pie Crust: Raspberry Chocolate Heart Tart Recipe

Written by Liz -

Valentine’s Day is coming, and I love Valentine’s Day — even when I have no Valentine. This year, I have a houseful of friends who deserve some love-in-a-baked-form from me. This raspberry tart, with gluten free pie crust, fits the occasion perfectly!

I’ve been researching and cooking healthier foods for a long time, and lately have been reading more about an anti-inflammatory diet. So, I decided to make the pie crust from scratch, using quinoa flour. This flour has less carbohydrates and more protein than wheat flour, plus tons of vitamins and minerals (bonus for iron) and is gluten free.

Most quinoa-flour bakers recommend using only 25% gluten free flour in breads and baked goods, but since this was going to be a press pie crust (who wants to roll out dough when you can press it into cute heart-shaped pans?) I used 100% quinoa flour. And I wanted to see if a gluten free pie crust would work with this chocolate raspberry tart.

Using an easy, basic pie crust recipe from Simply Recipes, I cut the recipe in half since this is a tart (it only needs 1 crust, not 2). After forming the dough into a ball, instead of refrigerating, I divided it into 4 equal parts and simply pressed into 4 small heart pans (these happen to be disposable paper pans). The rest of the tart is fast and easy and oh so pretty.

It came out delicious! The gluten free pie crust with quinoa flour was the perfect base for the sweet rich chocolate and red tart berries. And I got to give away some love.

Raspberry Chocolate Heart Tart (gluten free pie crust optional)

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on package (or use gluten free pie crust directions above)
• 1 cup (6 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 2/3 cup NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups raspberries, rinsed and dried
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 425° F.

PLACE pastry circle with plastic removed on lightly floured surface; roll out slightly. Trim small amount of pastry away to form heart shape. Place heart on ungreased baking sheet. Turn edges under 1/2 inch; flute. Prick pastry with tines of fork.

BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on baking sheet on wire rack.

MICROWAVE morsels and sweetened condensed milk in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10-second intervals, stirring just until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Spread over crust. Refrigerate for a few minutes or until chocolate is set.

ARRANGE raspberries over chocolate; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

NOTE: Use remaining CARNATION® Sweetened Condensed Milk to top ice cream or use as a dip for fruit.

More hearts:

Valentine Chocolate Filled Hearts	Cocoa-Kissed Red Velvet Pancakes

Blissfully Delicious: 14-Layer Milk Chocolate Crêpe Cake

Written by Chris -

I’ve been seeing crêpe cakes everywhere lately. And for good reason; they’re easy on the eyes and they taste heavenly! Crêpe cakes may look a little intimidating to make, but they’re actually very easy to put together. The crêpes themselves can even be made in advance and refrigerated for up to two days.

Each layer is separated by a milk chocolate mascarpone filling (our recently introduced Chocolate Flavor NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE NATURAL BLISS All-Natural Low Fat Coffee Creamer is used in the filling). If you haven’t tasted the Natural Bliss line, do yourself a flavor and give it a try! I love, love, love creating dessert recipes using Bliss. It’s made with milk, a little sugar, cream, and natural flavors – that’s it!

I prefer to assemble the cake and serve the same day, but it can certainly be made a day in advance. Just be sure to cover it so the edges don’t get dried out.

Here’s my most recent creation with Bliss…

Milk Chocolate Crêpe Cake

Ingredients for 10 servings:

CRÊPES

• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Flavor NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE NATURAL BLISS All-Natural Low Fat Coffee Creamer
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Butter

FILLING

• 1 package (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Flavor NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE NATURAL BLISS All-Natural Low Fat Coffee Creamer
• 2 tablespoons NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Baking Cocoa
• Fresh raspberries or other berries plus fresh mint for garnish
• Powdered sugar

Directions:

FOR CRÊPES:

PLACE eggs, milk, Natural Bliss, flour, powdered sugar and salt in blender; cover. Blend until well combined.

HEAT 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; lightly coat with butter. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the center of the skillet and swirl until the batter covers the bottom in a thin layer. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds or until underside is golden and top is just set. Loosen edge of crêpe with a heatproof rubber spatula, then flip crêpe over with your fingertips and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Repeat procedure with remaining crêpe batter. You should have about 14 crêpes total. Set aside to cool completely.

FOR FILLING:

COMBINE mascarpone cheese (if you don’t have mascarpone, double the cream cheese), cream cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese works great, too!), 3/4 cup powdered sugar, Natural Bliss and cocoa in large mixer bowl; beat until smooth and creamy.

CENTER a crêpe on a serving plate.  Using an offset spatula, spread a layer of filling (about 3 heaping tablespoons) over the crêpe. Continue stacking crêpes and spreading with filling, ending with a crêpe on top.  Cover; refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24. Top with fresh berries and sprig of mint; dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

For Valentine’s Day, here’s an idea… Make the recipe as is, but cut the cooled crêpes with a large heart-shaped cookie cutter. A friend of mine just shared this great idea with me (thank you Bridgett!).

Not all of the filling is needed (I’d just reduce it by half) and you will have a few crêpe scraps, but look how cute the heart crêpe cake is!

Hope you enjoy this recipe! And if you have a crêpe cake recipe you love, please share the link in our comments section!

Thanks!

Chris

Related recipes:

Love Struck Chocolate Bundt Cake	Bliss Hot Cocoa