This is a different type of baking post! You see, I made a batch of Mocha Brownies for a friend of mine’s BBQ yesterday, and posted some pictures from my Iphone on my Facebook page. I had received comments on them, and had 2 messages in my inbox asking if I was going to post the recipe on my website! I do bake often while I’m here on the island but I haven’t posted everything that I’ve made. But I thought why not post the pictures anyways, as semi-blurred as they are, and include the delicious recipe. I ate about 1000 of these yesterday, and taste-tested the frosting a few times over. They were definitely a hit! It has the perfect combination of fudge-yness and the coffee icing is so so so good. If you’re going to a BBQ, or have any other excuse to make them I suggest it!

These are densely fudge type brownies, not cakey, and super moist! You can choose to add the frosting, or even have them plain.

Mocha Brownies

You Will Need:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• about 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan
   2) In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat (I always use the saucepan method), melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Keep the element on low, and let the sugar dissolve. it’ll become shiny looking as you stir it. Add in the Chocolate Chips stirring until they melt.
2. Meanwhile, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, baking powder, and vanilla till smooth.
3. Add the hot butter, chocolate and sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.
4. Add the flour and stir until incorporated.
5. Spoon the batter into a greased 9″ x 13″ pan.
6. Bake the brownies for about 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. I checked mine and took them out at about 17 minutes, you don’t want it to overbake or else you will have a more cakey-brownie on your hands!
7. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack. I allowed it to cool for a bit, but then moved it into the fridge to speed the cooling process. This also sets the fudge-y texture of it, and makes it densely chocolatey.

While it is cooling, you can  make the Mocha Frosting.

Mocha Frosting

You will need:

• about 4 cups Icing Sugar, Sifted ( depending on the consistency )
• 1 cup strongly brewed coffee, or espresso, cooled
• a splash of milk
• Vanilla
• 3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature

Directions:

1. Beat the butter till it is light and fluffy.  Add about 1/2 a cup at a time the icing sugar. After about 2 cups add in a splash of milk, and vanilla. You want the icing to be quite stiff before you add in the coffee/espresso. So you don’t want to add too much milk to water it down. Continue adding the icing sugar until you reach a stiff consistency, and add a little at a time the coffee. You can add it to your tasting preference, I added quite a lot for  a rich coffee taste. The icing will thin quite a bit, you can add more icing sugar if you think it is too thin.
2. Once you reach the desired taste/texture pour it on top of the brownies while still in the pan, and smooth it on top so it completely covers it.
3. Return the brownie pan to the fridge to set. You can decorate the top with little coffee beans if you like. Allow the icing to set up again in the fridge before cutting into it. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

Enjoy!

Tir-A-Mi-Su. Tiramisu. It means ‘pick me up’ in Italian and is a classic Italian dessert. Being Italian, I grew up with delicious Italian cooking from my dad and Nonna. Though I didn’t acquire a taste for Tiramisu until I was older. I remember having tried it at family dinners when I was younger, but I didn’t care much for the strong espresso taste, and if often had alcohol in it. I usually opted for a big piece of French bread with lots of Nutella for my dessert.

But over the years I have learned to Love Tiramisu! It’s a really simple dessert to make that has that wow factor of tasting like it’s difficult! I have never particularly liked marscapone cheese, and don’t use it when I make the cheese layers for the dessert. It’s the yummiest no-bake dessert!

Definitely a great Italian dessert to try!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Packages Lady Finger Cookies
• 1 Tub Light Cool Whip - thawed
• 1 Package Light Cream Cheese – room temperature
• 1 Cup Strong Brewed Coffee or Espresso, cold or room temperature
• Cocoa For Dusting
• Chocolate Shavings
• 1 Tsp. Sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
• 1/4 Cup Baileys (or other Coffee Liquor)

Directions:

1. Place a single layer of lady fingers in a shallow square/rectangular glass baking dish. The size of the dish will depend on how much you want to make, and how many packages of lady fingers you have.
2. Mix Coffee with Baileys (you can opt-out of the liquor if you don’t like the taste)
3. Using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add in vanilla. Using a spoon, gradually add the cool whip to the mixture. Continue on low until it is all combined. It will be slightly thick, but you want to be able to run a spoon through it. Stir in the sugar.
4. Put the cream cheese mixture to the side.
5. Pour, using a ladle or spoon a small amount at a time the coffee or espresso over top of the lady fingers. You don’t want them to be soaking in coffee, but enough to dampen them, as they will expand. Alternatively, you can quickly dip them into a small bowl of coffee. Either way, you don’t want them to be soggy and falling apart.
6. Using a spatula, place a large amount of cream cheese mixture on top of the lady fingers. You want enough to evenly cover the tops of the cookies. Using a spatula or back of a spoon, smooth the top of the cream cheese.
7. Next, using a mesh sieve dust top of the cream cheese layer with the cocoa. Sprinkle with a small amount of chocolate shavings.
8. Continue the layers, again beginning with a layer of lady finers, then cream cheese and cocoa until you run out of ingredients. You want the last layer on top to be cream cheese.
9. Dust the final layer with more cocoa and chocolate shavings.
10. Place, covered, in the fridge for at least 2 hours for the ingredients to set. You can make it a day before and refrigerate it overnight as well.

Serve small pieces cold, with extra cocoa sifted onto the plate.

Mmmm.. look at all those delicious layers!

Enjoy!

I thought this dessert would be very fitting for Christmas Eve, as I’m Italian and TIramisu “Pick Me Up” is a delicious Italian dessert! As tradition goes, Italians don’t eat any meat on Christmas Eve ( much like good friday) so we have a delicious feast of all things Seafood! Prawns, Mussels, Clams, Baccalà, Salmon and much more! (I’ll post some pictures of that too!) I had seen Tiramisu cakes before and thought it would be fun to try it as an alternative to the regular Tiramisu. Of course I found an excellent recipe in one of my favorite books, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. I made a few adaptations which made it very delicious!

Recipe: Adapted from Dorie Greenspan Baking: From My Home to Yours

For the Cake:

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• Cocoa Powder, for Dusting
• ADAPTATION: Lady Fingers ( Optional for the Middle Layer)

For the Filling and Frosting:

• 1 8-ounce container Marscapone
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp kahlua, amaretto or brandy
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• Strong Cup of Espresso or Coffee for the Syrup

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My Version of Tiramisu Cheese Filling and Frosting:

• 1 pkg Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 tub Cool Whip, unthawed
• 1/2 pkg vanilla pudding ( 4 servings )
• 1-2 tbs Milk
• Vanilla 

Getting Ready:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9×2 inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess, and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To make the cake:

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce 

the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them, and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right-side up.

To make the Syrup:

Brew a strong pot of coffee or espresso, add some sugar to it and let it cool. 

To make the filling and frosting:

Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and liqueur in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth.

Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch.

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My Version of Filling:

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add Cool Whip slowly and mix until blended. Add Vanilla, about 2 tsp. 

In seperate bowl, stir Jell-O powder and 2 Tbs Milk until dissolved. Add mixture to the cream cheese and cool whip and continue to beat on medium until smooth. You can add more milk if needed. 

Stir until desired consistency. Set aside. 

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To assemble the cake:

Place the First layer right-side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected with strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with about one third of the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the frosting over the layer – user about 1 1/4 cups – Dust with Cocoa using a sifter.

Adaptation*** For the Middle Layer, I added Lady FIngers ontop of the 1st layer of cake, and brushed them with the coffee mixture, then spoon over top the frosting/filling and dust with cocoa powder. 

Put the Third cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with half the remaining espresso syrup, then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.
With a long metal icing spatula, smooth the frosting ontop of the cake, and around the sides. Dust the top of the cake with cocoa using a sifter. 

Adaptation** I placed lady fingers around the outside of the cake. Measure one and cut all of them the same size so they fit nicely against the cake. 

Refrigerate the cake for a couple of hours (or for up to 1 day) before serving – the elements need time to meld.

This seems like it would be a long process but believe me it isn’t! And my version of the filling is just as yummy and easier to make. Don’t be intimidated by the recipe, the results are delicious!

Enjoy! Hope you all had a delicious holiday!! Here are some pictures from our Italian Christmas Eve Feast!

Nonna Serving Up Something Delicious!

My Favorite!! Prawns! 
Clams and Mussels! 

It was all very delicioius! Thanks Zia!