White Chocolate Raspberry Bars

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It's a sweet day for a new recipe to share, and I hope you'll love this recipe as much as I do! The buttery flavor of white chocolate with the sweetness of ripe raspberries is an excellent combination. These bars are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Happy baking!

Frozen White Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars with Blackberry Swirl

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Remember when I said that I was playing around with some new recipes this past Sunday?  Well, let me introduce to you the newest recipe that I am adding to my (quite extensive) dessert caché, Frozen White Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars with Blackberry Swirl.

I call these "Frozen" because they really need to be served almost right from the freezer.  Otherwise they will become too soft.  The combination of chocolate wafers, white chocolate and cream cheese lend a flavor profile that will have your tastebuds thinking about that classic, four-letter sandwich cookie. You know, the one you either twist to eat the filling or dip in milk to eat.

The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of blackberry purée.  I don't know about you, but that is not something that I keep on hand.  Blackberries in the garden or store? Yes.  Blackberry purée in the fridge? No.  So, I adapted the recipe to make up for that.  If you are wondering about using blackberry jam, I wouldn't recommend in doing so.  It would make the bars overly sweet.  

They are beautiful to serve on a plate garnished with fresh berries and mint leaves (I used chocolate mint from my garden) or you could do as my husband does and just open the freezer drawer, pick one up and eat it out of your hand.  Either way, you will enjoy them.  Happy cooking!

Sautéed Shrimp with Buttery Lemon-White Chocolate Sauce

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Chocolate say hellooo to the the savory world. The word sexy comes to mind with this dish.  Yes, I said sexy. Food can be sexy, right? Here we have succulent sautéed shrimp drizzled with a buttery lemon-white chocolate sauce nestled on a bed of arugula-- See what I mean? 

The original recipe called for lemon-pepper seasoning, but that is not something I keep in my pantry.  Besides, I like the freshness of lemon zest and freshly ground black pepper.  An entire 1/2 cup of lemon juice is reduced to balance the sweetness of the dish, but it also lends a brightness.  I toss the peppery arugula with almond oil and white wine vinegar. Once plated, I garnish with lightly toasted almonds for some crunch.

I leave the tails on the shrimp to make it a knife and fork meal.  It makes you work harder and savor your meal longer, but you can remove them before sautéing them if you wish. Either way will have you tasting chocolate in a whole new way.

Meyer Lemon Molten Cakes with Raspberries and Cream

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When planning holiday or entertaining menus, I always start with dessert first.  Why? I have an arsenal of sweet recipes to choose from and it is always hard to narrow it down to the right one.  And it can be the more labor intensive part of the meal with the creaming of butter and sugar, the rolling of the dough, the baking, the frosting, on and on... Having said that, this recipe was not hard to decide on and it comes together in no time with just a whisk and a bowl.

However, before I talk about it I want to give you a little background.  My children and I are visiting my parents in Charleston, S.C. this week during their Spring Break vacation.  Unfortunately, my husband is not able to travel with us.  Since we will not be home to spend Easter with him, I made an Easter celebration dinner on Monday before I left.  He's happy to have leftover ham sandwiches while I am gone and I am happy that I have some of the recipes to share with you. 

I first made this last year and it was good, but I knew I could make it better.  After a reader (shout out to Bobbi☺) reminded me that I needed to finally share the recipe, I put it on my springtime menu to-do list. I knew it would be the perfect ending to our Easter meal.  

I am sure many of you are familiar with the popular chocolate molten lava cakes. Well, this is a unique and wonderful twist to that concept.  The original recipe called for lemon curd, but I prefer the balanced tartness of Meyer lemon curd.  I used some from a batch of homemade, but you can substitute store-bought with good results.  Raspberries and lemons go hand-in-hand for a sweet pairing.  A dusting of confectioners' sugar and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream help to finish the dessert.  Although not pictured, after one bite I knew there was one more layer that would really make this dessert sing.  A batch of Red Currant-Raspberry sauce in the freezer sealed the deal.  The bonus to this recipe is that the batter can be prepared and refrigerated up to 24 hours in advance.  So you can bake these while dinner is on the table,

Spiced Pumpkin Rice Crispy Treats

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Oh my heavens are these ever good!  They are the love child of the classic pumpkin pie and the childhood favorite.  And they aren't just flavored with pumpkin pie spice, they have actual pumpkin purée in the mixture.

With the added moisture from the pumpkin purée, I was a bit concerned about how the texture would hold up.  Then I remembered the trick I used in the pumpkin cream cheese truffles to remove excess moisture.  I also browned the butter to remove even more moisture along with the added nutty flavor element it provides.  I use my standard rice crispy treat recipe, which is different from the classic.  I like my treats big, with extra marshmallow and crispy crunch.  Instead of the traditional 9- x 13-inch baking pan, I use a smaller, 7 1/2 - x 12 1/2- inch one.  That gives me about 15 (2 1/2-inch) squares that are 1 1/2-inches tall. 

I use a good 1/2 teaspoon of the homemade pumpkin pie spice and a nice drizzle of white chocolate.  It is visually appealing and adds another flavor profile that pairs well with the pumpkin and spice. These are excellent treats for Halloween and are well received on the holiday dessert table when you are too full for that slice of pie.  These provide a ton of flavor with a little less guilt.

Triple Chocolate Guinness Cookies

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Let me repeat that... TRIPLE CHOCOLATE GUINNESS COOKIES!  Really, do I even need to say anymore?  No, but I will ☺. I have put beer in cakes, brownies, and even cheese spread, but beer in a cookie-- this was a first.  After reading the recipe I was a bit skeptical. The recipe calls for 2 (12-ounce) bottles of Guinness reduced to a syrup.  I thought there would be an overwhelming bitterness to the cookie from the syrup, but boy I was wrong.  Completely wrong.  The beer syrup is balanced by a trio of chocolates-- cocoa powder, white chocolate, and milk chocolate are joined by an addition of espresso powder.  Even with the triple chocolate threat, the overall chocolate flavor is mild enough to let in an essence of stout.  I use (and recommend) Guinness extra stout for a deeper flavor.  You could use Guinness draught, but I don't think the flavor would come through as nicely.

Upon reading the recipe, you'll see that I refrigerate my dough.  I find this results in a better textured cookie and it keeps the dough from spreading too quickly in the oven.  The dough will keep for several days in the refrigerator and frozen for up to a month.  That way I can have fresh from the oven baked cookies for an after school snack, a post dinner treat, or any time a craving calls. I also bake them at a slightly lower temperature to keep the chocolate from scorching and to set the cookie just right.  Crispy edges and a tender, chewy (borderline fudgy) middle-- now that's my kind of cookie!

Strawberry and White Chocolate Mousse Tart

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Before I get to some leftover ham and egg recipes, I just had to share this tart.  I made this tart years ago and I knew it was good, but I had forgotten how good.  The lightness of the white chocolate mousse paired with the sweet strawberries is a match made in dessert heaven and that is exactly where you will go after one bite of this luscious tart.  Other than the white chocolate, there is no added sugar in the mousse, so buy quality white chocolate  for the best flavor.  The strawberries are what really make this dessert, so buy, or if it is strawberry season, pick the sweetest strawberries you can find.  


The first time I made this recipe, I prepared it exactly as the recipe stated.  This time around I used my favorite tart crust and I added a bit of gelatin to help stabilize the mousse filling.  These changes made for one spectacular dessert that I will not be waiting years to make again.