Tag Archives: white chocolate

Triple Chip Cookies

March 14, 2016 Keep It Sweet 3 Comments

Crispy, chewy and loaded with three types of chocolate chips, these triple chip cookies are divine!

Life has felt a little bit all over the place lately. Things are really good, but having a toddler has kept me on my toes to say the least! L’s the best little one-year-old you will ever meet, but to describe him as “busy” is an understatement. We’re building blocks and playing with stickers. We are climbing the bed and reaching for all the things I didn’t realize were at arms length. On non-freezing days we are at the park. He tells me to “sit” when we are playing at home (and you better believe he has a specific place for me to land). We talk and sing and dance and pull out all the pots and pans. There are booboos, toddler tantrums and frustrating meals in-between. And when I get the opportunity, hugs and kisses galore. It’s all so much good stuff but let me tell you, it’s exhausting!

And for me, when I feel a little crazed, and don’t have time for complicated recipes, I come back to the classic comforts in the kitchen. At the top of that list, always, is chocolate chip cookies.

These Triple Chip Cookies, are chocolate chip cookies to the max. Don’t even dare to look for a chipless bite because you won’t find one. Packed with semi-sweet, milk chocolate and white chocolate chips, these perfect little cookies are just what I needed to find my moment of peace in all the mom-of-a-one-year-old chaos! They are oh so crisp right around the edges but chewy and chocolaty in the middle. They taste incredible as they melt in your mouth right out of the oven, but save some for later to dip in a glass of milk and you will be oh so happy. Cookie zen as I like to call it!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Triple Chip Cookies

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Crispy, chewy and loaded with three types of chocolate chips, these triple chip cookies are divine!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~2½ dozen cookies

Ingredients

262g (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
5g (1 teaspoon) salt
3g (½ teaspoon) baking soda
170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
350g (~1½ cups, packed) light brown sugar
15 milliliters / 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
75g (~1 large egg + 1 yolk) eggs at room temperature
75g (2/3) cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
75g (2/3) milk chocolate chips
75g (2/3) white chocolate chips

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until well-combined
Beat in eggs and vanilla until a mixture is a light creamy color
Reduce speed to low and stir in flour mixture (do not overmix); fold in chips
Chill dough in refrigerator for 24-48 hours for best texture and flavor results
Once dough has chilled, pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; cover baking sheets with parchment paper
Scoop cookie dough with medium cookie dough scoop(about 2 tablespoons) onto prepared baking sheets
Bake cookies 14-17 minutes or until brown around good portion of edges
Set aside to cool

Notes

Dough requires 24-48 hours of chilling time for best results
Texture of cookies best when eaten within 24 hours; cookies can be enjoyed up to one week at room temperature or one month frozen if stored in an air-tight container

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Red Velvet Blondies

February 11, 2016 Keep It Sweet 1 Comment

Chewy red velvet blondies with white chocolate chips are a perfect Valentine’s Day treat! They are chewy, fudgy and delicious.

*This post is sponsored by T-Sugars. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Chewy, gooey, red velvety perfection. If you are looking for an easy but ultra delicious recipe to celebrate Valentine’s Day, this is for you. Thanks to being spiked with cocoa powder and red food coloring, I’ve turned your traditional blonde hued dessert into a festive holiday treat.

You might argue that this is no longer a blondie based on its shade, but I beg to differ. That important base of butter and brown sugar is intact. In fact, I used T-Sugars’ Belgium Cassonade Sugar in this recipe and thanks to its ultra soft texture and caramelized flavor, the blondie feel and flavor is not only there, but actually prominent in a very good way. Chewy but crackly, Sweet but flavorful. And while there is cocoa powder in the recipe, the hint of chocolate is like a treat to the palate, not an overbearing forethought.

The blondies have been filled with white chocolate chips which add a nice texture and sweetness to the mix. And that powdered sugar dusting? It’s a special touch for appearance made easy with the Icing Sugar Mill I received in my T-Sugars package. Gourmet finely powdered sugar without the massive mess? Yes!

Wondering what’s so special about T-Sugars? The company specializes in gourmet high-quality sugars and while traditional brown sugar can be used in this recipe, I found that the T-Sugars’ Belgian Cassonade Sugar resulted in a stronger caramel flavor and better chewy texture in this blondie. It wasn’t even a contest.

Red Velvet Blondies

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Chewy red velvet blondies with white chocolate chips are a perfect Valentine’s Day treat! They are chewy, fudgy and delicious.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients

350 grams (~1½ cups firmly packed) T-Sugars' Cassonade Sugar (gourmet brown sugar)
113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
130g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
20g (¼ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
5 grams (1 teaspoon) salt
21/2 grams (1/2 teaspoon) baking powder
110 grams (2 large) whole eggs
5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) red food coloring
170 grams (1 cup) white chocolate chips
T-Sugars' Icing Sugar

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper; set aside
In a medium saucepan, heat Cassonade Sugar and butter over medium heat and stir constantly until melted into a thick golden brown mixture; set aside
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl; set aside
In a large bowl, whisk eggs vanilla, and red food coloring until combined
Whisk in brown sugar butter mixture
Slowly whisk in flour mixture just until combined
Stir in chips
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-34 minutes or until top begins to crack and a knife or toothpick comes out clean
Allow to cool; sprinkle with Icing Sugar before serving

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Lemon Truffles

December 23, 2015 Keep It Sweet 3 Comments

No-bake white chocolate lemon truffles are a refreshing change of pace for the holidays. Make this sparkly treat for your New Year’s Eve festivities!

Sometimes you just want to make something that tastes good and is extra pretty.

These lemon truffles are such a gorgeous little treat that you can’t help but ooooh and aaaaah over. They sparkle on the outside while the inside showcases an ultra creamy filling. The essence of lemon is present but not lip-puckeringly so and balances perfectly with the sweet white chocolate.

The truffles do require some lead time because you want to make sure there is plenty of time for chilling. Otherwise, you will end up with a bit of a sticky mess. It’s worth it, though. You can display them in a fancy candy dish and most people would assume that they were the result of a high-end candy shop purchase. They are gorgeous and festive which lends them quite well to a New Year’s Eve celebration. And thinking way ahead, keep them in mind for special Valentine’s Day gifts.

Lemon Truffles

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No-bake white chocolate lemon truffles are a refreshing change of pace for the holidays. Make this sparkly treat for your New Year’s Eve festivities!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 20 truffles

Ingredients

79 milliliters (1/3 cup) heavy whipping cream
1g lemon zest (~1 lemon)
142g chopped white chocolate
57g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) lemon juice (~1/3 lemon)
½ cup shimmering sprinkles

Instructions

Combine heavy whipping cream and lemon zest in a small heavy-duty saucepan; heat over low-medium heat
Bring to a light rolling boil then remove from heat; immediately pour through a mesh strainer over chocolate and whisk until smooth
Whisk mixture until chocolate is completely melted; whisk in butter and lemon juice until smooth
Chill mixture in refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight
Once firm, use a small or cookie dough scoop to form small ball-shaped truffles; they will be slightly soft and sticky; freeze for fifteen minutes to set
Once set, roll truffles in topping and store in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to eat
Bring to room temperature before serving

Notes

Adapted from these white chocolate truffles

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Gingerbread Loaf with Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

December 14, 2015 Keep It Sweet 3 Comments

This Christmas dessert is a lightened up gingerbread loaf topped with an indulgent caramelized white chocolate ganache.

Something very major happened this weekend.

I had an entire day (over six hours straight!) to myself. If you are wondering why this is such a big deal I must tell you, this is the longest period of time I’ve had to do whatever I wanted since before L (almost 14 months old) was born. Seriously, it was blissful. I went to the gym, got a pedicure, painted my finger nails (who has the patience to sit at a nail salon for both?) and got a little work done. In fact, I am really proud of myself for not working the whole time.

After a full year plus of breastfeeding, it’s weird to be able to just be able to be away from L. I got so used to working everything around his feeding schedule that I forgot how to live otherwise. Freedom!

And let’s be honest, I still spent twenty minutes of my me time watching L videos. I couldn’t help myself.

I did put together this post in the final hour of my alone time so that it would be ready to publish and kick off the week. It’s a little Christmas treat that I am excited about because it you can convince yourself that it is brunch food or dessert food. The gingerbread loaf itself is sort of healthy. Some whole wheat flour snuck into the batter and I even replaced some of the butter with applesauce. As a result, it pairs perfectly with the caramelized white chocolate ganache. Together you get a wonderful sweet and spiced bite. It’s not too much sweet for a holiday brunch but it’s indulgent enough to end your Christmas dinner.

The gingerbread loaf is easy to make, it’s a basic quick-bread. The caramelized white chocolate ganache isn’t hard, but it does require a little extra attention. Caramelized white chocolate might just be one of my favorite dessert surprises (and seriously, I dislike white chocolate very much). It’s flavor is so much more complex than you might expect. It’s definitely worth the little bit of time it takes to get the white chocolate just right. Once it’s done caramelizing, you just mix it with some boiled heavy cream and pour it over your loaf! Your family and holiday guests will love this treat.

Gingerbread Loaf with Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

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This Christmas dessert is a lightened up gingerbread loaf topped with an indulgent caramelized white chocolate ganache.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

Gingerbread Loaf

· 135g (~1 cup) all-purpose flour
· 155g (~1 cup) white whole wheat flour
· 5g (1 teaspoon) baking soda
· 1½g (1½ teaspoons) ginger
· 1½g (¾ teaspoon) nutmeg
· 2½g (½ teaspoon) salt
57]g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
· 175g (2/3 cup) unsweetened applesauce
· 50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
· 30g (2 tablespoons, packed) light brown sugar
· 80 milliliters] (1/3 cup) molasses (original unsulphered)
· 110g (2 large) whole eggs, at room temperature
· 7 milliliters (1 ½) teaspoons vanilla
237 milliliters·(1 cup) buttermilk

Ganache

140g good quality white chocolate, roughly chopped (make sure to use real white chocolate, white chocolate chips will not work as well)
2½g (1/2 teaspoon) sea salt
45 milliliters (3 tablespoons) heavy cream

Instructions

Gingerbread Loaf

Pr-heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray and set aside (you can also line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal)
In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg and salt; set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix together butter, applesauce and sugars on low-medium speed until well combined
Mix in molasses on medium speed until combined; mix in eggs and vanilla
Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined; slowly add buttermilk while mixer is on low speed; add remaining dry ingredients and mix just until combined; do not overmix
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center, do not overbake; allow to cool for ten minutes before running a knife along the edges and removing from pan
While loaf is cooling, make ganache
Make caramelized white chocolate

Ganache

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees and place wrack in center of oven
Spread white chocolate evenly over a clean rimmed baking sheet
Put in oven for ten minutes; remove pan and use a rubber spatula to stir and spread white chocolate
Place in oven again and repeat for additional fifteen to twenty (stirring every five to ten minutes) minutes or until white chocolate begins to darken into a light brown
I recommend reducing the increments to five minutes towards the end of caramelizing to prevent burning
When caramelized white chocolate is done, place in a heat-safe bowl and stir in sea salt
In a small sauce pan, place cream over medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil (do not stir); immediately pour over white chocolate
Allow cream and chocolate to sit for one minute then whisk vigorously until smooth
Drizzle ganache over loaf and serve
Best enjoyed that day
Make ahead tips: Bake gingerbread loaf and wrap well in seran wrap; store at room temperature for one day before making ganache or in freezer up to one month

Notes

Adapted from Tastes of Lizzy T’s

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One Bowl Pumpkin Blondies

September 24, 2015 Keep It Sweet 30 Comments

Amazing pumpkin blondies that are easy to make. With chewy centers and crispy crackly tops, you will love this one-bowl dessert.

My sister’s engagement party is just a couple of weeks away and I’m so excited! It feels like a big kick off to about a year of celebrations. Of course for her shower and bachelorette party I’ll have to do a ton of planning, but for this event, I didn’t have a lot of responsibilities. In fact, my mom will have about 64 different desserts (or so it seems), and just asked me to make pumpkin blondies. Of course I was happy to oblige.

Lucky for me, these pumpkin blondies are not only delicious, but they are also so easy to make. Only one bowl (okay, really a pot) is required so there is less cleanup, too! A recipe that allows me to stir by hand, put something in the oven and do a yoga workout during naptime is pretty ideal. I really need to start making one-bowl desserts more often.

5.0 from 2 reviews

One Bowl Pumpkin Blondies

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Amazing pumpkin blondies that are easy to make. With chewy centers and crispy crackly tops, you will love this one-bowl dessert.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 24 blondies

Ingredients

700g (~3 cups firmly packed) light brown sugar
170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
120g (½ cup) canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
110 (~2 large) whole eggs at room temperature
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
460g (~3 cups + 6 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
5g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
5g salt (1 teaspoon)
3g (1½ teaspoons) ground cinnamon
1g (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg
90g (3/4 cup) white chocolate chips
90g (3/4 cup) cinnamon chips

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Line a 13×9 pan with parchment paper; set aside
In a medium heavy duty saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter and pumpkin over medium heat and stir constantly until melted into a thick golden brown mixture; remove from heat
Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined
Whisk in flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg just until combined; stir in chips
Pour batter into prepared pan; Bake for 36-40 minutes or until top begins to crack and a knife or toothpick comes out clean
Allow to cool before removing from pan and slicing; wrap leftovers tightly in seran wrap or tin foil and enjoy within one week; can be frozen for up to one month

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Cranberry and White Chocolate Pistachio Dusted Cookies

August 10, 2015 Keep It Sweet 12 Comments

Chewy cookies loaded with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips then coated with layers of MORE white chocolate AND pistachios.

Last week I needed a dessert to use as a thank you gift and wanted something pretty and portable. Cookies are always great for that sort of thing but this time I felt like jazzing mine up. I started with a brown sugar cookie dough base, loaded them up with white chocolate and cranberries (always a good sweet and tart flavor combination) and then dipped them in more white chocolate. The addition of pistachios was key for a bit of salt and a nice little crunch. Who needs sprinkles when pistachios are pretty AND add flavor?!

I’ll definitely be keeping this recipe up my sleeve when it comes time for holiday baking. Maybe I’ll even swap in fresh cranberries when the season permits!

Cranberry and White Chocolate Pistachio Dusted Cookies

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Chewy cookies loaded with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips then coated with layers of MORE white chocolate AND pistachios.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: ~20 cookies

Ingredients

262g (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
5g (1 teaspoon) salt
3g (½ teaspoon) baking soda
170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
350g (~1½ cups, packed) light brown sugar
15 milliliters / 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
75g (~1 large egg + 1 yolk) eggs at room temperature
175g (~1 cup) white chocolate chips
120g (~3/4 cup) dried cranberries
450g good quality white chocolate in disks or roughly chopped
75g (~1/2 cup) salted pistachios in a mix of finely chopped and crumbs

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until well-combined
Beat in eggs and vanilla until a mixture is a light creamy color
Reduce speed to low and stir in flour mixture (do not overmix)
Fold in craisins and chips
Chill dough in refrigerator for 24-48 hours for best texture and flavor results
Once dough has chilled, pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; cover baking sheets with parchment paper
Scoop cookie dough with large cookie dough scoop (~3 tablespoons) onto prepared baking sheets
Bake large cookies 16-18 minutes or until brown around good portion of edges
Set aside to cool and lay out wax or parchment paper for when you dip your cookies
Once cookies have cooled, melt your white chocolate for dipping; place it in a heat-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in-between each, until melted
One at a time, dip half of a cookie into white chocolate and immediately sprinkle with pistachio crumbs
Place cookies on wax or parchment paper and allow white chocolate to harden before serving or wrapping as a gift

Notes

Dough requires 24-48 hours of chilling time for best results

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Gluten free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

July 6, 2015 Keep It Sweet 8 Comments

Moist, flavorful gluten-free banana cake topped with a sweet light white chocolate whipped cream.

I’ve mentioned it before, but when I bake gluten-free treats, I tend to steer towards those that are lower maintenance on the ingredient spectrum. I don’t like to keep stock of a ton of different flours because I can’t use them fast enough. Almond meal/flour, though, is pretty versatile. I’ve used it in a few different recipes. It’s even used in macarons. If I was smart, I’d use it more often in savory cooking as well (think veggie burgers, meatloaf, etc.).

Anyway, this cake is right there in the simple ingredient list. Just almond meal and other ingredients most bakers regularly have stocked in their pantries. The best part? It was seriously good. Matt almost always turns his head at gluten-free desserts but went for seconds (maybe thirds?).

And let’s take a minute to talk about the white chocolate whipped cream. If you love white chocolate you will go crazy over it. If you don’t, like me, just trust me and put this whipped cream on your cake. It is the perfect flavor compliment. Just so, so good.

I served this cake to a friend who doesn’t eat much gluten anymore. It was a few days after her birthday so I knew there had to be a dessert to celebrate. Seriously, when you have friends that cook dinner for you right before AND after your baby is born, you make them birthday cake. End of story!

Gluten free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

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Gluten free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

Makes: 6-8

Ingredients

White Chocolate Whipped Cream
115g good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
177 milliliters / 6 fluid ounces (3/4 cup) heavy whipping cream
44 milliliters (3 tablespoons) water
½g (1/8 teaspoon) salt
Cinnamon for topping (optional)
Gluten-Free Banana Cake
411g (~1⅓ cups / 4 medium) ripe bananas, mashed
250g (~5 large) whole eggs at room temperature
235g (~1 cup packed) light brown sugar
5 milliliters / 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g (~2½ cups) almond meal or flour
6g (1 ¼ teaspoons) baking powder
3g (1/2 teaspoon baking soda)
2g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
3g (½ teaspoon) salt
1g (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg

Instructions

Start the whipped cream
Place chocolate in the large bowl of an electric mixer
In a small pot, bring the cream and water to a low rolling boil in a saucepan and immediately pour over the chocolate; let stand for 30 seconds and then stir well
Let stand for 10 minutes and then whisk until mixture is smooth; whisk in salt
Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator for three hours or overnight
Make the cake
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper; grease top of parchment paper as well; set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together bananas, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla
In a separate large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients
Whisk dry ingredients into wet but do not overmix
Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 –60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center
Let the cake cool for ten to fifteen minutes before carefully removing from pan and placing on wire rack
Allow cake to cool completely
Finish making whipped cream
Once mixture is completely chilled, use whisk attachment of mixer and beat on high speed for about three minutes or just until stiff peaks begin form, do not overbeat
Spread over the cooled cake immediately; sprinkle with cinnamon if desired
Keep cake in refrigerator until about a half our prior to serving; best enjoyed day of making

Notes

Cake barely adapted Delicious Every Day
Whipped Cream from Food 52

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Pumpkin Blondies with Caramelized White Chocolate Swirl

September 4, 2014 Keep It Sweet 27 Comments

Dense and fudgy pumpkin blondies with a rich caramelized white chocolate swirl.

About a year ago, I absolutely fell in love with caramelized white chocolate. Luscious, creamy, sweet, decadent; so many reasons to love it. And thanks to that wonderful ingredient, these pumpkin cupcakes are one of my favorite recipes on the blog. This time around, I’m taking one of my favorite things, a dense and fudgy blondie, and infusing it with those fantastic flavors. The pumpkin blondies are enhanced with cinnamon and nutmeg but seriously, the caramelized white chocolate swirl is where it’s at.

I know, I know, it might be a little early for pumpkin, but I made these blondies a couple of months ago and I didn’t think you would want to wait. Pumpkin makes me happy year-round, but I figured that September was the socially acceptable time to start sharing my pumpkin sweets on the blog.

Pumpkin Blondies with Caramelized White Chocolate Swirl

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Dense and fudgy pumpkin blondies with a rich caramelized white chocolate swirl.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 24 blondies

Ingredients

Caramelized white chocolate*:
280g good quality white chocolate
5g (1 teaspoon) sea salt
Blondies:
700g (~3 cups firmly packed)
light brown sugar
170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
120g (½ cup) canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
460g (~3 cups + 6 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
5g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
5g salt (1 teaspoon)
4g (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
1g (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg
220g (~4 large) whole eggs at room temperature
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare the caramelized white chocolate; pre-heat oven to 250 degrees and place wrack in center of oven
Spread white chocolate evenly over a clean rimmed baking sheet
Put in oven for ten minutes; remove pan and use a rubber spatula to stir and spread white chocolate
Place in oven again and repeat for additional twenty to thirty (stirring every five to ten minutes) minutes or until white chocolate begins to darken into a light brown
I recommend reducing the increments to five minutes towards the end of caramelizing to prevent burning
When caramelized white chocolate is done, stir in sea salt; place in a microwave safe bowl and cover with seran wrap until ready to use
Prepare the blondies; pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Line a 13×9 pan with parchment paper; set aside
In a medium heavy duty saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter and pumpkin over medium heat and stir constantly until melted into a thick golden brown mixture; set aside
Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside
In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until combined
Whisk brown sugar butter mixture into bowl with eggs and vanilla
Slowly whisk in flour mixture just until combined
Pour batter into prepared pan; drizzle caramelized white chocolate over batter and use the back of a knife to cut through and create a white chocolate swirl
Bake for 38-42 minutes or until top begins to crack and a knife or toothpick comes out clean
Allow to cool before removing from pan and slicing; wrap leftovers tightly in seran wrap or tin foil and enjoy within one week; can be frozen for up to one month

Notes

*Caramelized white chocolate can be prepared up to one week ahead of time. If needed, microwave for about fifteen seconds prior to drizzling over blondie batter

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(Fresh) Blueberry White Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies

July 21, 2014 Keep It Sweet 29 Comments

Chewy brown butter cookies with the perfect crispy edge are filled with fresh blueberries and white chocolate chips.

When Matt told me we were going to a barbecue with his co-workers, I knew I had to bring my baking A-game. They’ve actually all been eating my desserts for years, but I didn’t want to let them down when I met some of them for the first time. A cookie made with brown butter is a surefire crowd-pleaser, and I figured that blueberries would be the perfect way to make them a special summer treat. My cookie with fresh blueberry obsession started a couple of years ago and I love that most people are still impressed with the element of fresh fruit in a cookie. This version was inspired by this winter cookie I made for the holidays.

If Matt gets a promotion any time soon, I’ll be taking full credit;-) The blueberry pie I brought will be on the blog next week!

5.0 from 1 reviews

(Fresh) Blueberry White Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies

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Chewy brown butter cookies with the perfect crispy edge are filled with fresh blueberries and white chocolate chips.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 30 large cookies

Ingredients

227g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
310g (~1⅓ cups packed) light brown sugar
110g (~1/2 cup) granulated sugar
100g (2 large) whole eggs at room temperature
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
400g (~3 cups) all-purpose flour
5g (1 teaspoons) baking soda
5g (1 teaspoon) salt
227g (~1 cup) white chocolate chips
210g (~1½ cups) fresh blueberries, washed and dried

Instructions

Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a small bowl and set aside to cool
Once butter has cooled, place in the large bowl of an electric mixer with sugars; beat on high speed until well combined
Add egg and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well combined
In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; slowly add to wet ingredients with mixer on low speed; do not over mix
Slowly stir in white chocolate chips; remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in blueberries
Chill dough for 24 hours for best results (minimum of 2 hours) before baking
When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
Scoop cookie dough with large cookie dough scoop (~3 tablespoons) on to prepared baking sheets (note it is normal for cookie dough to be very hard, you can let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes prior to scooping); be careful not to pack dough too tightly as to avoid crushing blueberries before baking
Bake cookies until firm: 17-19 minutes or until edges are golden brown and blueberries have popped
Allow to cool before serving; best enjoyed within 24 hours or frozen until a few hours before ready to eat

Notes

Adapted from my (Fresh) Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Brown Butter Cookies

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Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

October 21, 2013 Keep It Sweet 23 Comments

Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache can take an ordinary cake, cupcake or cookie and turn it into something very special. If you haven’t tried caramelized white chocolate yet, you are going to want to now!

It’s official, I am obsessed.

Caramelized white chocolate is my new favorite ingredient. It all started with a dessert we ordered at ABC Cocina. We had a rice pudding that could have been ordinary but a touch of caramelized white chocolate made it anything but ordinary. I couldn’t get the flavor out of my head. I remember Kate waxing poetic about it a while back, but truly I didn’t imagine the love affair that I would develop.

Imagine that white chocolate and caramel had a love child. And it’s even better than that because I don’t even like white chocolate. The touch of sea salt added to the rich caramelized white chocolate takes you on a flavor tour. First sweet, then salt, then heaven. If I could come up with better descriptive words I would, but frankly you just need to get in the kitchen and try it yourself. Other than tending to the oven every five to ten minutes, the process is actually quite easy.

If you want to go over-the-top, make these cupcakes. You remember those? If you want to take the caramelized white chocolate and turn it into a pure form of an unadulterated dessert accessory, stay here. It is rich, creamy and light all at the same time.

This Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache is one of those things than can take an ordinary cake, cupcake or cookie and turn it into something very special. Spread it on a graham cracker or use it to frost chocolate cake. I grabbed some extra cupcakes from my freezer for the photos in this post, but I’m currently dreaming of cookie sandwiches and layered cakes galore. That is if I can stop myself from eating it by the spoonful batch after batch!

Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

Save Print

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: about 2 cups

Ingredients

10 ounces good quality white chocolate (must be real white chocolate, standard supermarket brand white chocolate chips or melts will not work), roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees and place wrack in center of oven
Spread white chocolate evenly over a clean rimmed baking sheet
Put in oven for ten minutes; remove pan and use a rubber spatula to stir and spread white chocolate
Place in oven again and repeat for additional twenty to thirty (stirring every five to ten minutes) minutes or until white chocolate begins to darken into a light brown (as shown in pictures here)
I recommend reducing the increments to five minutes towards the end of caramelizing to prevent burning
When caramelized white chocolate is done, stir in sea salt
Make the ganache; place caramelized white chocolate in a heat-safe bowl
Place cream in a heavy duty saucepan over medium high heat
Bring to a boil and allow to bubble for about thirty seconds (surface will be covered with bubbles)
Remove from heat and pour over caramelized white chocolate; allow to sit for thirty seconds to one minute
Whisk mixture until smooth and creamy
Cover and chill for one to two hours (up to twelve hours) or until ganache is firm
Once ready, place ganache in the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment
Beat on medium-high speed for five minutes, scraping sides of bowl with a spatula occasionally
Ganache is done when it is light, smooth and creamy
Use immediately to frost cupcakes, cake, cookies etc.; store finished products at room temperature up to two days

Notes

Make sure your baking sheet and spatula are clean and dry
For other tips and troubleshooting caramelizing white chocolate I recommend David Lebovitz’s post

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You might also like:

Pumpkin Blondies with Caramelized White Chocolate Swirl

Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes

Gluten-Free Banana Cake with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

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White Chocolate Cinnamon Bun Krispie Treats

May 18, 2012 Keep It Sweet 8 Comments

Rice Krispies = Breakfast

Cinnamon Buns = Breakfast

-> By the transitive property of food, Cinnamon Bun Rice Krispie Treats = Breakfast

Obviously.

Last weekend I wanted to add an (almost) gluten-free treat to our Mother’s Day brunch spread for my sister to enjoy. I’d been looking for a good way to use these fun marshmallows that my mom picked up for me a couple of months ago and this finally seemed like a good time to use them. I always end up saving products like this as long as possible. Kind of like the special eggs I’ve had in my fridge for a couple of months (hmm, that probably isn’t a good thing).

Anyway, these treats ended up being the perfect way to use those marshmallows- they are extra cinnamon-y from the added cinnamon chips and the white chocolate drizzle adds a bit of creaminess to each bite. What could be better for breakfast, brunch or… ahem, dessert?

Head over to Fox for the recipe!

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Cookies ‘n Cream Double Chocolate Cookies

September 1, 2011 Keep It Sweet Leave a comment

I’ve really been enjoying the Cookies ‘n Cream Almond Butter Spread I made a few weeks ago. It isn’t the typical nut butter consistency so really the easiest way to eat it is on a spoon. I have no problem with that!

But since it is more of a dessert spread, I thought it deserved to be incorporated into an actual dessert! Chocolaty cookies perhaps? I used the basics of my favorite chewy chocolate cookie recipe and used the thumbprint method to top the cookies off with the cookie spread filling. There are also white chocolate chips in the batter to compliment the cookies ‘n cream and add some extra texture.

Don’t worry if they are a little crumbly as you are setting them up, just tightly pack the filling and they will bake together nicely!

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Cookies ‘n Cream Double Chocolate Cookies

Makes ~4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Dash of salt

1 ¼ cup unsalted butter (2 ½ stick) softened at room temperature

2 cups granulated Sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup Cookies ‘n Cream Almond Butter Spread

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375

Whisk together the dry ingredients, except for sugar, and set aside

Cream butter and sugar

Beat in the eggs and vanilla

Gradually add your dry ingredients with mixer on low until well-combined

Stir in white chocolate chips

Drop dough in heaping tablespoons on baking sheets lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart

Press down with thumb into cookie dough mounds to make a thumbprint

Place a tightly packed teaspoon of almond butter spread into each thumbprint

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until cookies are slightly puffy and firm

Let cool on cooling rack

Cookie dough recipe from HERSHEY’s

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What did you think of the latest blog party? Are you submitting a pumpkin post?

Blog, Recipes

Jackie’s Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup Cookies {Guest Post}

August 11, 2011 Keep It Sweet Leave a comment

While I’m taking a few days off, Jackie from La Casa de Sweets was kind enough to offer to guest post! Since she made a delicious chocolate and peanut butter dessert for her post, I wanted to point out some other amazing looking chocolate and peanut butter recipes on her blog: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Crunchy Peanut Butter Brownies and Mini Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. I think I need to get back to the kitchen!

Hello, Keep It Sweet readers! I am very excited to be sharing a recipe with you today while sweet Lauren is away having a fun time on vacation.

When I asked Lauren what some of her favorite foods are, one of the things she mentioned was peanut butter cups. I’ve been raving about the new Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for a while now, and even made some ice cream with them, so I knew I had to use them for Lauren! I decided to make a chocolate pudding cookie with chunks of mini Peanut Butter cups in every bite. Never had a pudding cookie? Believe me, they’re delicious. Every bite of this cookie is moist (that’s what the pudding is for!), and bursting with chocolate and peanut butter flavor. Reese’s fans, beware, these cookies will have you buying mini Peanut Butter Cups every week. Enjoy!

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Jackie’s Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup sugar
1 small (3.4 oz.) package of Jello Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix 2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
8-oz. package Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (whole or cut in half)
1 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, combine the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
On medium speed, beat in the pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract.
On low speed, mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Be careful to mix only until combined (do not over-mix!).
Stir in the mini peanut butter cups (or pieces, if you cut them in half).
Use a measuring tablespoon to scoop out the cookie dough onto the lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the centers of the cookies are just set.
Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, before cooling completely on cooling racks.
After the cookies have cooled, microwave the white chocolate chips at 30 second intervals until melted. Use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate onto the cookies. Let cool slightly.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

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Enjoy!

For more of my recipes, head on over to La Casa de Sweets, and you can also follow me on twitter and facebook!

Don’t forget to enter the Keep It Sweet birthday giveaway!

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The Cake

May 19, 2011 Keep It Sweet 34 Comments

Not only was Saturday Sara’s bridal shower, but it was also just a couple of days after a big birthday for her mom. So, in addition to fun pick-up desserts, I wanted to make a birthday cake.

Usually I’d stay safe with a vanilla or chocolate cake for a crowd, but I wanted to make something more special. Given that the bride loves pink and it was a girly event, strawberry cake with a bright pink hue sounded perfect. I used this strawberry cake recipe. To keep it simple, I filled and iced the cake with a rich and creamy white chocolate buttercream. The cake itself had a strong enough strawberry flavor that strawberry icing would have been over the top, and a plain buttercream just didn’t seem as exciting. The white chocolate recipe I use is just so silky that it made a wonderful addition to the cake. Plus, I’ve made that frosting before and knew that it would hold up well, even if the room got warm.

The cake recipe looks like a lot of work, but once you get past pureeing the frozen strawberries it is a pretty standard cake recipe. (Warning: I almost broke my mini blender with the super frozen whole strawberries.) Get the cake recipe here and see the photos below as a reference.

This buttercream recipe is very easy; combine the white chocolate and whipping cream in a medium saucepan on low-medium heat, stirring continuously

Remove mixture from heat and stir in milk

Refrigerate for a half hour

When white chocolate mixture is cool, finish making the buttercream

Using the whisk attachment of a mixer, beat the butter until creamy

Beat in confectioners’ sugar until butter and sugar are light and fluffy

Now beat in the cooled white chocolate mixture until buttercream is creamy and light

The buttercream may get lumpy at first, just keep beating it at high speed

Once cake has cooled and buttercream is ready, ice the bottom cake layer with about 1 cup of frosting

Place top layer over top of that and press down lightly

Cover top and outside of the cake with remaining buttercream smoothing it out around the edges and on top

I forgot to use the trick of putting a piece of paper or cardboard under the edges of the cake to keep it clean!

Serve cake with a couple of strawberries for decoration

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Strawberry Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

Yield: Serves 12 generous slices

Ingredients

2 8 or 9-inch round layers of prepared and cooled strawberry cake*
1 batch White Chocolate Buttercream

Cooking Directions

Once cake has cooled and buttercream is ready, ice the bottom cake layer with about 1 cup of frosting
Place top layer over the frosted layer and press down lightly
Cover top and outside of the cake with remaining buttercream smoothing it out around the edges and on top
Store cake in refrigerator for up to 3 days; remove from fridge a half hour before serving

White Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients

6 ounces baking white chocolate
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk (any type is fine)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectionersâ€™ sugar

Cooking Directions

Combine the white chocolate and whipping cream in a medium saucepan on low-medium heat, stirring continuously
Remove mixture from heat and stir in milk
Refrigerate for a half hour
When white chocolate mixture is cool, finish making the buttercream
Using the whisk attachment of a mixer, beat the butter until creamy
Beat in confectioners’ sugar until butter and sugar are light and fluffy
Now beat in the cooled white chocolate mixture until buttercream is creamy and light

Note: Cake can be frozen up to 3 weeks if wrapped tightly[/print_this]

*I recommend this recipe from Sweetapolita

What flavor would you pick for your birthday cake?

Blog, Recipes

Sweet & Salty White Chocolate Blondies

May 5, 2011 Keep It Sweet 48 Comments

Can you believe it is May now?! Memorial Day is only a few weeks away and summer is so close I can taste it! This winter was pretty brutal in the Northeast and I am just now feeling like myself again. The cold and the snow tends to put me in complete hermit mode. Good for my baking blog, not so good for my real life. Now I am ready for longer days, dates with friends, flip-flops and spending all of my money on frozen yogurt. I’m also ready to plan my summer calendar and travel schedule.

Living in New York, I’ve found that we spend most of our summer weekends out of the city and as a result away from my kitchen. This is pretty normal for Manhattanites. Come to the city for the 4^th of July and you should be able to get almost any dinner reservation you could imagine. You also will sweat your way from place to place and especially waiting for a subway. While I’m a homebody at heart, I have a definite preference for the beach or a pool during those days.

All of this means that most of my cooking and baking from May through the end of August takes place at night after work. On a good day, I’ll be home by 7. Given that I am 8626 years old and get into bed before 10pm, that means only three real hours of kitchen time. I’ve gotten pretty good at coming up with quick dinners for these nights (when in doubt, make eggs), but baking in that time span as well can be a bit more challenging. Baking is like therapy for me, not something I like to rush. This means planning ahead, making desserts that aren’t overly complicated, and making desserts that don’t require an insane amount of oven time (air conditioning isn’t NYC’s best quality). Think cookies, brownies, and ice cream desserts.

These Sweet and Salty White Chocolate Blondies are the perfect dessert for baking under a time constraint. They are pretty easy to make and take only 30 minutes to bake. Plus, they are easy to wrap up and bring to a summer barbeque or gathering. The texture has a wonderful chew to it and there is a lovely sweetness and caramel-like flavor from the white chocolate melted in the batter. Some chocolate chips and pretzel pieces add crunch and my favorite salty sweet taste combo.

Start by melting butter and some of your white chocolate chips over low-medium heat

Stir occasionally; Don’t worry if your butter and chocolate separate, you can fold them together to combine

Once completely melted, set white chocolate mixture aside

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside

In a large bowl, beat together sugars, eggs and vanilla until well-combined

Reduce speed of mixer to medium and add white chocolate mixture

Stir in the dry ingredients until well-combined

Stir in white and semi-sweet chocolate chips and pretzels

Pour batter into pan lined with wax paper and greased

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a knife comes out clean; allow to cool before slicing

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Sweet & Salty White Chocolate Blondies

Yield: Serves 24-36 depending on size

Ingredients

6 ounces white chocolate (any form, to melt)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup salted pretzel pieces
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips (for mix-in)

Cooking Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Line a 9×13 pan with wax paper and grease; set aside
Melting butter and white chocolate over low-medium heat
Stir occasionally; donâ€™t worry if your butter and chocolate separate, you can fold them together to combine
Once completely melted, set white chocolate mixture aside
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside
In a large bowl, beat together sugars, eggs and vanilla until well-combined
Reduce mixer speed to medium and add melted white chocolate mixture
Stir in the dry ingredients until well-combined
Stir in white and semi-sweet chocolate chips and pretzels
Pour batter into prepared baking pan
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a knife comes out clean; allow to cool before slicing

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Are you taking any weekend trips this summer?

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Cookie Sandwiches Guest Posted

January 7, 2011 Keep It Sweet 36 Comments

The below post is also being featured today on Liz’s blog, Blog is the New Black. Check out her blog for great recipes for any part of the meal.

On New Year’s Eve, my husband and I went to his brother’s apartment for a fun but low-key night. They made us a delicious dinner and I, of course, brought dessert. There were four of us and I made two desserts, an ice cream pie, and “cookies” composed of my favorite flavor combination, chocolate and peanut butter. What better way to end the year?!

This was actually a very last minute dessert. I happened to have extra peanut butter filling in my freezer and an open package of chocolate wafers in my cabinet. You don’t even want to know how much baking chocolate I have on hand… When I thought through my inventory and the last time I used peanut butter filling, this recipe just came to me.

This recipe is really easy! First, prepare the peanut butter filling (recipe below) and lay out twenty chocolate wafers on a baking sheet lined with wax paper

Spread about a tablespoon of peanut butter onto each wafer

Press another wafer down to form a cookie sandwich

Repeat with all twenty cookies

Place tray of cookie sandwiches into the freezer for about an hour

Can you spot the tray? Welcome to my life…

Once cookies are chilled, set up your white chocolate for dipping

Melt chocolate by microwaving it in thirty second increments and stirring in-between

Then dip the cookie to cover about halfway on each side with chocolate

Make sure you get the chocolate around the edges

Set white chocolate cookies aside

Repeat the process with semi-sweet chocolate; Store cookies in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving

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Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

Makes 20 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Filling

1 package chocolate wafers (you only need 40 cookies)

8 ounces white chocolate chips

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Prepare Peanut Butter Filling

Lay out twenty chocolate wafers on a baking sheet lined with wax paper

Spread about a tablespoon of peanut butter onto each wafer

Press another wafer down on top of peanut butter to form a cookie sandwich; repeat with all twenty cookies

Place tray of cookie sandwiches into the freezer for about an hour

Once cookies are chilled, set up your white chocolate for dipping

Melt chocolate by microwaving it in thirty second increments and stirring in-between

Then dip half of the cookies, covering half of each with chocolate; set white chocolate cookies aside

Repeat the process with semi-sweet chocolate

Store cookies in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving

Peanut Butter Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons salted natural creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Beat butter until light and creamy

Beat in peanut butter

Mix in confectioners sugar on low speed and then beat until light and fluffy

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What is your favorite thing to dip in chocolate?

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Extra is Better

December 12, 2010 Keep It Sweet 35 Comments

This recipe was a complete accident. I was making Cookie Dough Topped Brownies and feeling over-confident in my memory of the brownie ingredients. When I got past the step of stirring in sugar, I realized something was wrong. The batter was much thicker than it should be.

Fortunately, I realized that my mistake was adding 50% more sugar than the recipe called for. Rather than throw everything away at that point, I added 50% extra of every thing else. As a result, I had an extra 9X9 pan of brownies and nothing to do with them…

Until I thought about what was in my freezer. Did you know that buttercream stores very well in the freezer? How about some White Chocolate Buttercream?

And then I looked again. Did you know that mocha ganache also freezes well? I happened to have extra from my Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mocha Ganache…

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Oh that is right, one rich chocolate brownie topped with not one, but two incredible toppings.

Thanks to a small mistake and leftovers from baking, I made Brownies with White Chocolate Buttercream and Mocha Ganache, another delicious dessert for our Thanksgiving with Friends.

Make these. No mistakes necessary.

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Brownies with White Chocolate Buttercream and Mocha Ganache

Makes 16 brownies (more if you want small pieces, brownies are very rich)

Ingredients:

Brownie (recipe from Baker’s)

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick)

1 cups sugar

1 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup all purpose flour

White Chocolate Buttercream

2 ounces baking white chocolate

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 1/2 tablespoons milk (any type is fine)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Mocha Ganache

5 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate

1/4 cup extra-strong brewed coffee

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

Brownies

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Melt butter and chocolate in large sauce pan over low to medium heat

Stir in sugar

Stir in eggs and vanilla

Whisk in flour until smooth

Pour into a 9×9 pan lined with foil and greased or sprayed with cooking spray

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until knife comes out clean

Buttercream

While brownies are cooling, make buttercream

Combine the white chocolate and whipping cream in a medium saucepan on low-medium heat, stirring continuously

Remove from heat and stir in milk

Refrigerate for mixture for half hour

When white chocolate mixture is cool, finish making the buttercream

Beat the butter until creamy

Beat in confectioners’ sugar until butter and sugar are light and fluffy

Now beat in the cooled white chocolate mixture until buttercream is creamy and light

Spread over cooled brownies and refrigerate until buttercream hardens slightly

Ganache

While brownies with buttercream are chilling, prepare ganache

Chop up the chocolate, coarsely, and prepare extra-strong coffee

Slice up your butter and set aside

Now set up your double boiler; bring water to a simmer in medium pot over low-medium heat

Place heat-proof bowl of chocolate over the pot

Pour the coffee over your chocolate

Continuously stir until chocolate is melted and smooth

Remove bowl from heat and whisk in the butter until creamy

Then allow ganache to cool, stirring occasionally

Ganache is ready when the mixture gets nice and thick

Spread over buttercream layer

Keep brownies stored in a cool place

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What would you do with extra brownie?

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Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Filling

November 1, 2010 Keep It Sweet 37 Comments

Chewy and flavorful red velvet cookies with creamy white chocolate frosting.

This post was originally published November 2010. The photos were updated November 2015.

After I saw Jessica’s post of red velvet chocolate chip cookies, I knew I had to make them. As I’ve mentioned before, red velvet is currently my favorite kind of cake, so how could I not try the cookies? Jessica promised dense and chewy and she does not disappoint. I didn’t just make cookies, though, I made cookie sandwiches, Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches with White Chocolate Buttercream to be exact.

So far, for my upcoming dinner party, I’ve made Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Bars and Gooey Caramel Butter Bars. In the past I’ve made a mix of cakes, cookies, pies and other desserts, but this year I am going with pick-up desserts only. However, I still want to have a wow factor, so I have some big plans for upcoming desserts. These cookie sandwiches definitely fulfill the wow piece.

The cookie itself is dense and chewy as I mentioned above, but it also has a nice mild flavor that isn’t too sweet. A silky smooth white chocolate buttercream worked as the perfect complement.

Red Velvet White Chocolate Heaven

Save Print

Chewy and flavorful red velvet cookies with creamy white chocolate frosting.

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 22 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients

Cookies:

3 cups all purpose flour
⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1 cup white chocolate chips
Buttercream:
4 ounces baking white chocolate
½ cup heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup milk (any type is fine)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1¾ cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Make the Cookies:

Pre-heat oven to 375
Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt); set aside
Beat together butter and sugars until fluffy
Add eggs and vanilla and combine
Add red food coloring and beat until well mixed
Slowly add dry ingredients
Stir until well combined
Stir in chocolate chips
Drop even tablespoons of cookie dough on baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart
Bake for ~8 minutes or until slightly firm
Set your cookies aside on a wire rack to cool

Make the Buttercream:

Combine the white chocolate and whipping cream in a medium saucepan on low-medium heat, stirring continuously
Remove from heat and stir in milk
Refrigerate for mixture for half hour
When white chocolate mixture is cool, finish making the buttercream
Beat the butter until creamy
Beat in confectioners’ sugar until butter and sugar are light and fluffy
Now beat in the cooled white chocolate mixture until buttercream is creamy and light
Build Sandwiches
Spread 1-2 tablespoons of buttercream on the bottom half of a cookie (more or less icing depending on your taste)
Place second cookie on top and lightly push together

Notes

I basically used Jessica’s recipe for the Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips. Her recipe is easy and definitely worth a try!
The recipe for White Chocolate Buttercream makes twice as much frosting as you will need. Start thinking of other ways to eat it, you won’t want this deliciousness to go to waste (well, you could always freeze it too)
Cookies store well in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days, or in freezer for a few weeks
I don’t even like white chocolate and I love these cookies; the flavor in the icing is subtle enough and i made myself a sample cookie without chips:-)

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Do you have a favorite pick-up dessert?

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

You might also like:

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

Cookie cakes, dessert platters, pop-ups and more!

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