Tiny Treats

Sometimes you want a dessert, but don't want to commit to an entire slice of pie or cake. What about a cookie? Cookies, although very good, really aren't thought of as a dessert, and you had in mind something cake- or pie-like. That's when a tiny treat comes in handy.

All the crust ingredients are beaten together until creamy.

The flour and salt is added and pressed with a fork until the mixture looks like coarse meal, after which water, 1 tablespoon at a time, is sprinkled on top until:

This took 2 tablespoons of water. After it was mostly combined, I placed it on a piece of wax paper and used the edges to "knead" it a bit more until a solid piece of dough formed.

From that square, cut it in half, then each half in half. Roll each section out and slice it in half, then each half in thirds. If one piece doesn't seem large enough and another seems too large, pinch a bit of dough off of the large piece.

Patience, young grasshopper

Tamping the pieces into two mini muffin tins takes a bit of time. Be patient, don't rush it, and don't be alarmed if there are minuscule holes in the crust because it'll work itself out.

I used the handle of a large wooden spoon to help tamp the dough in, then I worked the edges with my fingertips.

The fudgy goo is cooked a bit on the stove to blend the ingredients.

Fill each cup halfway first, then divide the rest of the chocolate mixture between the cups.

When it's baked the filling will have puffed considerably. (Don't touch the filling or else it'll stick to your fingers.) The majority of the tops should have lost the look of raw.

After cooling the middles may sink a bit.

Dress it up by sprinkling it lightly with confectioner's sugar.

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Peanut Butter-Fudge Cups
From Cooking Light, November 2001
(My changes are made in bold)

Ingredients
Crust:

• ¼ smooth peanut butter (smooth peanut butter makes it easier to form the crusts)


• 3 tablespoon brown sugar (can be subbed with 2 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon molasses)


• 2 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into small pieces


• 1 ½ tablespoons corn syrup


• 1 cup all-purpose flour


• 1/8 teaspoon salt


• 3 tablespoons cold water


• Cooking spray


Filling:

• ⅔ cup brown sugar --(can be subbed with granulated sugar


• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder


• 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips (I used bittersweet chips)


• 1 tablespoon butter


• 3 tablespoons 1% milk (I used whole milk)


• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 1 large egg


• 2 teaspoons confectioner's sugar, or however much is needed

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare crust, place first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour and salt to peanut butter mixture; cut in flour with a pastry blender or 2 knives (I used a fork) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle surface with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time (you may not need all the water); toss with a fork until combined.

Shape mixture into 24 balls. Place 1 ball in each of 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray (I think my tins are nonstick, so I didn't need to spray them). Press dough into bottoms and up sides of muffin cups.

To prepare filling, combine ⅔ cup brown sugar and the next 4 ingredients (⅔ cup brown sugar through milk) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons flour and egg until well blended. Divide chocolate mixture evenly among muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 10-13 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned; cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Run a knife around outside edges of cups. Remove cups from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Yield
2 dozen

Ice Cream in an Ice Cream Cone? Think Again!

From our neighbors across the pond comes a new take on fast food.

A so-called "mash van" in the UK shows off its new "mash cone" with sausage, mashed potato, gravy and peas in an ice cream cone.
BBC News: Day in Pictures

I'm sure all the components taste fair enough, and the not-very-sweet cake cone would be crisp-like (crisps = potato chips), but... Eh. It certainly defies the boundaries of what belongs in an ice cream cone, for which I give props!

Feast from the Past

The following took place on 31 December 2007.

Here's what my family and I ate on New Year's Eve:

We started the evening off with homemade mini-meatball pizza. It also had bell peppers.

I made baguettes the day before so we could have great day-old bread for the fondue.

This is the table where the majority of the snacks were placed. To the left, on another table we also had mini-wienies with a great homemade barbecue sauce that my mom made. I think my brother helped make it, too.

From the top: Peanut butter-fudge cups, tortilla pizzas, and no-knead bread for dipping in olive oil or eating plain.

We always make tortilla pizzas each year, but the peanut-fudge cups and no-knead bread were new to the line-up.

The peanut-fudge cups had a peanut butter crust and a fudgy chocolate filling, which had a deep, chocolaty taste without being too strong. The peanut butter crust added a subtle flavor and helped to keep the sweetness level at bay. Overall, it wasn't too sweet. If you make these, start early because it did take longer than it seems.

The topping for the tortilla pizzas consists of mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, chopped red onions, green onions, green peppers, and minced garlic, seasoned with basil, kosher salt, and black pepper.

The fondue is also a yearly tradition that my dad makes. This year, he used gruyere and jarslberg cheese. It also pairs well with Granny Smith apples and pears.

When the clocks struck midnight and the ball dropped, we popped a non-alcoholic bottle of champagne that I forgot to take a picture of. It was dry and tart, not too sweet. I enjoyed it because I don't really care for uber sweet drinks. (It also explains why I like sparkling mineral water without thinking that it needs high fructose corn syrup. =D)

This is the snack table with the candles lit. Very pretty.

New Year's Day, courtesy of my dad. ^,^