Thursday, August 22, 2013

Dark Chocolate Tart

Unless you are one of those insane people who claim that they "don't like chocolate," you are going to love this dark chocolate tart.


Actually, if you are one of those people, this tart will transform you into a chocolate lover.
... I hope.
If not just eat the raspberries and let's call it a day.

This lovely tart has an Oreo cookie crust. Not a chocolate wafer crust, because the delicious Oreo cream is included.


This entire recipe is unbelievably easy. In total it took me about 10 minutes to put together. There are only 5 ingredients used: butter, heavy cream, chocolate, Oreos, and raspberries. 
You do not need to use raspberries, you could use any fruit or no fruit, or just add some extra chunks of chocolate on top... if you are crazy.



While eating this tart I paired it with some baked brie that I made.


Aren't I healthy?

Who knows what I will bake next, any suggestions? Requests?


So pretty!

Dark Chocolate Tart

Adapted from Buttercream Bakehouse
Serves about 16
  • 10 oz. Oreos (roughly 2 1/3 sleeves of Oreos)
  • 1/2 cup Salted Butter
Butter or spray a small tart pan making sure the sides are well greased. 
Using a food processor blend the Oreos and butter together until a sandy mixture forms. Press into the tart pan and up the sides so you have a nice well in the middle.

  • 6 ounces Heavy Cream
  • 7 ounces Dark Chocolate, I use Scharffen Berger 70%, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Salted Butter
  • 1 cup Raspberries (fruit of your choice)
Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk for a few minutes until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate and butter. Let stand for 5 minutes. Slowly whisk from the center out until you get a creamy, smooth chocolate mixture. 

Pour filling into the Oreo crust and smooth over. Add fruit now or place in fridge. Let cool for at least 2 hours. You can sift powdered sugar or cocoa powder over the top once its cool.

Check me out on Instagram! @challengersweets






Monday, August 12, 2013

Blueberry Crumble Bars

I've always had a little bit of a thing for crumb topping.


I also sort of, kind of, might have a thing for blueberry filling.
And shortbread crust...
So when I met these bars, we fell in love.
I chose to use a shortbread crust that had oats in it because I thought that would give it a nice texture. This crust definitely goes well with fruit whereas a plain shortbread crust goes better with chocolate and caramel.

I made these bars up at my friend's lake house. We spent the weekend cooking and baking and it was all delicious and amazing. We ate the most amazing baked brie I have ever eaten. This was one of the things we did not put together but I am still speechless at how preeeetty it is...


Seriously a work of art.
One morning we had this delicious egg strata. It had prosciutto and asparagus and asiago and just here is the recipe. It's suuursly unreal!
I know I have been posting less and less, and I want to explain that I have been so busy. Plus a lot of the baking I have been doing is for events and parties. I usually make decorated sugar cookies and you have all seen those before! 

Recently I made some cookies for a graduation party. The young woman is going to my rival college so I felt like a trader making these cookies. 


It just seems so wrong!


But this doesn't.


Blueberry Crumble Bars

Recipe Adapted From Hungry Gems.
Yields about 24 bars.

Shortbread Crust
  • 2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
  • 3/4 cup Flour
  • 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 10 tablespoons Salted Butter, softened (1 1/4 sticks)
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Blueberry Filling
  • 2 pints Fresh Blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Lemon Zest
Crumb Topping
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1 stick Salted Butter, cold and cubed
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9x13 inch pan.
Whisk together oats, flour, brown sugar, and baking powder. Add the butter and vanilla and blend until combined. Place in pan and press firmly until evenly distributed.

Stir together blueberries and vanilla. Add sugar, flour, cinnamon, and zest. Fold until combined. It's okay if some of the blueberries burst, they'll just burst once they're in the oven! Pour this mixture over the crust layer.

Whisk together the flour and brown sugar. Toss in the butter cubes. With your hands or a pastry cutter, mash together the butter and flour mixture until it resembles sand. Grab chunks and sprinkle them over the blueberries evenly.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and the blueberries are bubbling. Let cool then cut and serve!