White Chocolate Cranberry Bread

Last year when my mom came for Thanksgiving, she brought a loaf of this delicious tea bread with her. We gobbled the bread for breakfast one morning with our eggs and fruit. The combination of whole cranberries, white chocolate and toasted pecans in each slice makes for a lovely and festive presentation for any holiday table. Blessings...

Recipe: 

6 oz. good quality white chocolate, finely chopped, or chips
2-1/4 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
8 tbsps. (1 stick) salted butter, at room temp.
3 large eggs, at room temp.
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen whole cranberries, not thawed or chopped
1 cup toasted, coarsely broken pecans (mom used macadamia nuts)
1 cup white chocolate chips

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan and tap out excess flour.
2. Melt and cool the chopped white chocolate.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking soda.
4. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. One at a time, beat in the eggs, beating well after each addition, and scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Beat in the buttermilk, followed by the tepid white chocolate, orange zest and juice, and vanilla. The mixture will look curdled. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture, and beat just until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Stir in the cranberries, nuts and white chocolate chips. Spread batter in prepared pan.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, about 1-1/2 hours. After 45 minutes, turn loaf pan in the oven and cover the loaf with foil if it's browning too fast. I need to do this in my oven for such a lengthy baking time.
8. When bread is done, remove to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing the bread from the pan. Cool completely before cutting.

Yield: 12 slices
1.7 gms. fiber per slice

Note: Toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. They should smell fragrant and be lightly browned.
Note: This loaf freezes beautifully

Recipe adapted from "Tate's Bake Shop Baking for Friends," by Kathleen King

White Chocolate Snowdrift Cake

A number of years ago, in 2006, actually, I went to the Better Homes and Gardens website and made a copy of this recipe and stuck it away for a future time. Well, the time was right this week when I came across it again and decided to give the recipe a try. I'm sure glad I did! The white chocolate-cream cheese frosting alone would be worth the effort in making this dessert. The cake is a dressed-up white cake mix, so it goes together very easily. Even if I never made the cake again, the frosting is one I will use on my carrot cakes in the future; it is delicious. Better Homes and Gardens website is http://bhg.com if you would like to check it out. Blessings...

Recipe:

3/4 cup whipping cream
8 oz. white baking chocolate, chopped, or 8 oz. white chocolate chips
1 pkg. 2-layer-size white cake mix
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

1. For frosting, in a medium saucepan combine whipping cream and white chocolate. Cook, stirring, over low heat until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl; cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, grease and flour two 9 x 1-1/2-inch or 8 x 1-1/2-inch round cake pans; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions using egg whites. Spoon about 1-1/2 cups of batter into each cake pan. Stir cocoa powder into batter remaining in bowl; stir until blended. Spoon on cake mix in pans; swirl gently to marble and to spread batter evenly in pans. Bake according to package directions except check cakes several minutes before minimum time indicated on package because the cocoa makes the cakes bake in a shorter time. Let cakes cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
3. Continue with frosting by adding cream cheese, in about 1 tablespoon-sized pieces to white chocolate mixture on low speed of electric mixer. When cream cheese is all blended in, gradually add powdered sugar, beating until sugar is completely combined. Mixture should hold soft peaks; do not overbeat. Use immediately.
4. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Frost with about 1 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake.
5. Serve immediately or cover and chill until serving time. I removed the cake from the frige about an hour before serving time because we aren't crazy about chilled cake. Cake will last in the frige for several days.

Yield: 12 servings
458 calories

White and Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake Bars

My dear husband loves rich desserts and the more chocolate the better, so he is always keeping his eyes open for something new online to have me give a try in my kitchen. Hence, how I came by this recipe with the ridiculously long name, but not ridiculously difficult to make at all because the recipe starts with a packaged cake mix. These are the easiest kinds of recipes to do, even if you don't enjoy working in the kitchen, but love to eat dessert. I do not know who to credit for this recipe because there is absolutely no information on my computer copy, but whom ever created this recipe gets our thumbs-up! Blessings...

Recipe:

1 box devil's food chocolate cake mix (or your favorite boxed chocolate cake mix)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 to 2 tbsps. cold brewed coffee or water, if necessary (I needed 1 tbsp. liquid)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 can (14-oz.) sweetened condensed milk
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used light)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil and then spraying it with cooking spray. (I did not line the baking pan with foil. I greased the pan and the bars came out fine, so use your own discretion with this step).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, butter, egg and vanilla and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be very thick so you might need to add the tablespoon or two of liquid at this point. Increase the speed on the mixer to help this along.
3. Press the dough into the prepared pan with your fingertips. It will be tacky so this will take a few minutes to get the dough spread evenly over the pan.
4. Sprinkle the white and dark chocolate chips evenly over the top.
5. In another mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese and the 1/2 tsp. vanilla beating until smooth and completely combined. Pour mixture evenly over dough, using a spatula to gently spread and even it out, if  necessary.
6. Bake for 24 to 27 minutes, or until edges of bars begin to barely brown and pull away slightly from the sides of the pan, or until the middle has barely set, taking care not to overbake. The middle will not seem very well set and will be jiggly upon removing from the oven and that is okay, you want to keep these gooey. They will continue to set as they cool. (I had no problem with this at all, so don't let it keep you from trying this recipe).
7. Allow bars to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to three months.

Yield: 24 to 36 bars
24 bars= 250 calories each
36 bars= 167 calories each

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

These chocolate-raspberry bars are a wonderful way to satisfy the sweet tooth. The raspberry layer is sandwiched between a layer that resembles buttery cookie and a cream cheese-white chocolate layer that is then topped off by the semisweet chocolate. This is another favorite recipe that comes from an older "Taste of Home" cookbook. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
Filling:
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (low-fat is fine)
2 tbsps. milk
1 cup (6 ounces) white chocolate chips, melted
Glaze:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsps. shortening

1. In a bowl, combine flour and powdered sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 - 18 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Spread jam over warm crust.
3. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add melted white chocolate; beat until smooth. Spread carefully over jam layer. Cool completely.
4. Chill until set, about 1 hour.
5. For glaze, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat stirring constantly. Spread over filling. Chill for 10 minutes. Cut into bars and chill for another hour. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 24 bars

White Chocolate Mousse with Berries

This recipe is yummy! I hadn't made this mousse in a number of years, so decided to give it a try again this week. I was pleased with how easy it is to put together, with only five ingredients, and such a lovely looking dessert.
Enjoy this wonderful mousse for one of your family meals soon.

Recipe:

1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsps. sugar
1 pkg. (3 oz.) lite cream cheese, softened
3 sqs. (1 oz. each) white baking chocolate,
   melted
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries or 2 cups rasp-
   berries or blueberries

1. In a mixing bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add the
    sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, set aside.
2. In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add melted
    chocolate and beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream.
3. Alternate layers of mousse and berries in parfait glasses, ending with berries.
4. Garnish with additional whipped cream and a berry, if desired. Refrigerate

Serves 4
Note: Strawberry Soup recipe is posted on post dated 4/10/12

Cranberry White Chocolate Scones

This past Sunday we were invited to our neighbors home for dinner with their family. When I asked what I could contribute to the meal, my friend said "nothing". If I don't contribute to the meal, I take along a hostess gift to let the hostess know how very thankful we are for her thoughtfulness in inviting us. This "family" time is especially meaningful to my husband and I because we are so far away from our family. It is wonderful to connect with others over a meal.

This recipe is my version of a recipe that I got out of a "Taste of Home Cooking School" magazine years ago. I love, love scones with tea in the morning. I hope you might as well. Blessings...

Recipe:

1-3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup wheat germ or wheat bran
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cold butter
2/3 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1/4 cup egg substitute or 1 whole egg  (see recipe for homemade that I have posted)
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 tsps. orange zest
Sugar crystals for sprinkling on tops

1. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients
2. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs
3. Combine yogurt and egg substitute and add to dry mixture; stir in remaining ingredients except sugar crystals. Mix just until combined.
4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8 - 10 times. Pat dough out to a 9" circle. Sprinkle with additional sugar or sugar crystals.
5. Cut into 8 wedges and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 - 18 minutes or until golden brown. (I always cut one open a little to make sure they are done.)

Yield: 8 scones
2 grams fiber each