It is always fun to sneak a little taste of homemade cookie dough, whether you’re a little kid or a big kid (adult), even though eating raw cookie dough isn’t necessarily the best idea because of the raw eggs it contains. There is something about the flavor of cookie dough that draws us in time and again. Ben & Jerry’s capitalized on our love of cookie dough by turning it into ice cream, and The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook uses it in a whole host of different recipes and takes cookie dough a few steps further than just putting it into a batch of ice cream. Every recipe in this book – from cakes to candies – features cookie dough as a flavor and ingredient in its own right.
The book starts off with an eggless chocolate chip cookie dough recipe. This is the basis for all of the other cookie doughs in the book, and it is a dough that you can feel comfortable indulging in because it contains no raw eggs. You will be amazed at the variety of recipes that the dough gets incorporated into here. It is used as a filling for cupcakes, a center for candies, a layer in cakes and even as a surprise base at the bottom of a creme brulee. The recipes are very creative – and they’re also easy to follow along with, with clear directions. There are many beautiful pictures throughout the book that make the recipes look as fun as they sound, and are a great source of inspiration as you read through. In addition to the basic recipes, you’ll also find lots of tips for perfecting the techniques used in the recipes and suggestions for variations on them.
The only thing that a chocolate chip cookie fan might find a bit unusual about this book is that these egg-free cookie doughs are not meant to be baked. They are designed to be at their peak when uncooked. In addition to excluding eggs, they also do not use any leavening, so the baked dough would not have the texture of a regular cookie. Fortunately for those looking to pair the raw dough with a real cookie, there are a few recipes in the book that have that concept (raw dough + baked cookie) covered. The book is definitely indulgent and, while these recipes might be a little over-the-top for everyday baking (since you can get tired of the dough if you eat too much), the idea is well worth a try for anyone who has every snuck in a second bite of cookie dough when mixing up a batch of chocolate chip cookies.
Rocky Road is a popular ice cream flavor, and the combination of chocolate, marshmallows and nuts is so well known that it can be used to make a lot more than just ice cream. For instance, these Rocky Road Scones will be instantly recognizable to fans of rocky road. They are chocolate scones with mini marshmallows, walnuts and chocolate chips. Definitely not your usual breakfast fare!
The scone dough is made much like other scones, with butter cut into a flour mixture to give the finished scones a light, flaky texture. I recommend sifting the flour mixture for this recipe because it contains cocoa powder, and you don’t want to get unincorporated lumps of it in the dough. Mini marshmallows add some extra sweetness and walnuts add a nice crunch, while those chocolate chips up the chocolate factor considerably. Walnuts could also be substituted with almonds, if you prefer almonds to walnuts in your rocky road.
These scones have a great, brownie-like chocolate flavor to them along with that light texture of a regular scone. They’re moist and not too sweet, so they still seem like a good breakfast or brunch treat, rather than a straight dessert. They are best when they are still slightly warm and fresh out of the oven, while the marshmallows are still soft. If you can’t eat them all at once, however, they will keep well for a day or two when stored in an airtight container after cooling.
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There are many recipes out there that call for separating your eggs and when they do, there is a good chance that you are going to have leftover egg yolks or leftover egg whites as a Fortunately, both leftover egg whites and leftover egg yolks can be stored until you need them. But that still leaves you with the question of how to you use up leftover yolks when you have a few of them on hand? Egg whites are easier to use up, because they can make a great addition to a scramble or an omelet, and most people don’t want to add several extra yolks to an omelet without the whites. Fortunately, here are 5 great recipes that put extra egg yolks to good use.
- One or two extra egg yolks are often included in Yellow Cake Recipes, to give the cake batter that buttery yellow tint. To make a basic yellow cake more yellow, you can even substitute one whole egg for two egg yolks to enhance the yellow color of the cake
- If you have two yolks to use up, a simple Vanilla Pudding is a nice recipe to make. Yolks add a lot of richness to the pudding, giving it a silky texture. They can make a nice addition to other puddings, including chocolate and Butterscotch Pudding, as well.
- Classic Creme Brulee is the ultimate custard dessert – and a wonderful way to use up three egg yolks (some recipes may call for more or less). As in the pudding, the yolks give the creme brulee a very delicate texture and make the custard seem to melt on your tongue. The finished dish will be rich, but will feel oh-so-light.
- If you find yourself with four egg yolks, consider picking up a few limes and a graham cracker crust at the store to make a Key Lime Pie. This zesty, creamy pie is easy to make and very refreshing on a hot day.
- When you have more than five extra egg yolks, consider making a batch of Tocino de Cielo. This delicate flan-like custard is made with lots of yolks and no dairy. The flavor and texture are incredible – and you might find yourself saving yolks just to make up a batch.
An ice cream sandwich is a delightful hot weather treat, and they’re even more enjoyable when you can put together your own. This doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to bake your cookies and churn your ice cream from scratch (although that is always a good option). Instead, it means that when you are assembling your own sandwiches you have full control over the cookie flavors and the ice cream you use, so you can come up with flavor combinations that are unique to you. Cuisipro’s Mini Ice Cream Sandwich Presses are little tools designed to help you make bite sized ice cream sandwiches quickly and easily. The press is very easy to use. It is made of plastic and you simply press the open end down onto a cookie, brownie, blondie or other baked good to cut out the base of your sandwich. Next, you can scoop some ice cream right into the press using the open end like a scoop. Finally, you push the press into another cookie to seal the sandwich. You will need to move the plunger back between steps to make sure that there is enough room in the press for all of your components, then you can use the plunger to slide your sandwich out when it is finished.
The finished sandwiches with these presses are almost too cute to eat, but their small size means you never have to feel guilty. The best part about them is that they are going to increase the number of ice cream sandwiches in your life because you will be a lot more likely to make, serve, store and eat these little sandwiches all summer long.
Icy, blended margaritas are definitely a good way to cool down on a hot summer evening. They’re flavorful and have a little (grown up!) kick to them. They’re never better than when they’re made with fresh fruit and fresh fruit juice, and this is true of other fruity frozen treats, too. For instance, popsicles definitely taste better when they’re made with real fruit and not just fruit juice concentrates. These Strawberry Margarita Popsicles are made with real fruit – lots of it. They also have that same little kick that you get from a regular margarita in an even cooler package.
The popsicles start withe fresh strawberries, which are pureed until very smooth in a food processor or blender. I added honey to the berry puree for some extra sweetness, as well as a little bit of fresh lime juice. Of course, there is also a generous splash of tequila and triple sec in the mix (which could easily be replaced with more lime juice for a non-alcoholic version) to keep things interesting! The mixture is poured into popsicle molds – I used these Rocket Pop molds – and frozen overnight, then they can be enjoyed as an after dinner treat or even served at a party.
You do get a tequila flavor in these, but they are nowhere near as strong as a “real” cocktail. The honey and the tequila both serve to not only flavor these pops, but to ensure that they are smooth and not overly icy. The tequila slightly lowers the freezing point of the pops so that even though they are frozen solid, they melt easily once you start to eat them. For variety, you could turn these pops into other drinks, using rum for more of a daiquiri flavor or changing the lime juice for orange juice for a strawberry orange base.
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