I can’t think of a better way to showcase fresh summer raspberries than with layers of chocolate.

I mean, of course, after you eat your share of fresh berries right out of the bowl.

(And by ‘bowl’ I mean right out of the carton on the way home from the farmer’s market).

Is it just me, or are the berries really good this year?  I haven’t had a single strawberry, cherry, raspberry or even blueberry that isn’t absolutely stellar.  So ripe, juicy and good for you.  So, let’s add chocolate (another health food, obviously!)

The crust for this pizza is a chocolate sugar cookie.  The dough comes together quickly.  Use your fingers to pat it out into a 6″ circle, and pinch the sides slightly to create an edge to hold the melted chocolate.

After a quick bake in the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips on the dough immediately.  Slide the whole thing back into the oven for 1 minute.  Next, use a knife to spread the chocolate chips into a single melted chocolate layer.  So easy!  We didn’t have to deal with double boilers or melting the chocolate in the microwave—the oven does all the work for us.  All we do is spread, spread spread, and lick the knife when we’re done.  Spread, spread, lick, spread.  Got it?

You can top your chocolate pizza with anything your little heart desires.  I used toasted coconut and toasted slivered almonds for crunch.  I drizzled melted white chocolate on top.  I’m dreaming of a version with blueberries and orange zest.  Or, cherries and salted caramel drizzle?  Am I making you drool yet?

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 29 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: almond, chocolate, chocolate pizza, coconut, pizza, raspberries, raspberry, white chocolate

Meet your new go-to summer dessert.

This cold little cup of heaven is already my favorite thing about summer.

Although, when winter rolls around, I will add warm mulling spices and keep eating this.  Icy, boozy desserts suit me well, no matter the time of year.  I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you how frequently I enjoyed a champagne sundae.  Is every day at 5:00 too often?

This recipe for sangria sorbet makes 2 cups of sorbet, but you can easily double it.  Just make sure your ice cream maker can handle the volume.

I recommend a fruity, light red wine for this recipe; a Pinot Noir is perfect in this situation. You can use any type of accent liquor that sounds good to you—anything from Cointreau to peach moonshine. (I’ll give you one guess which one I used!)

I feel like I should warn you about the addictive properties of this sangria.  You’ve been warned.  Now, go make it and enjoy it on a hot day

Click to continue reading and grab the recipe!Sangria Sorbet

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 39 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: alcohol, champagne, frozen, orange, wine

This green curry in a hurry is a page straight out of my weeknight dinner book.  I’m always looking for healthy, quick dinners.  In order to get dinner on the table fast, we don’t have to rely on pre-made or packaged food!  I promise!

My favorite thing about this meal is the emerald green sauce.  It’s simply fresh baby spinach pureed with a can of coconut milk.  So easy, so vibrant.  Add your favorite veggies and your choice of protein (we love fried tofu or chicken), and you’ve got a meal that’s ready before the rice is done cooking.  Now that’s fast!

To get the recipe for my green curry in a hurry for two, click on over to Food Fanatic today.

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: curry, dinner, green

Let me break this down for you:  peanut butter melt-away cookies smeared with jam, and layered between peanut butter mousse.  Oh, and whipped cream and crushed peanuts, all packed up in a portable jar for the perfect picnic.  Not that you have to go on a picnic to enjoy these—we ate these on the couch.  Silently.  Except for the moaning.  Each bite of peanut butter mousse elicited a moan.

Lest you think we are lazy and eat on the couch all the time (we do), I’ll mention that we ate these after returning from our nightly walk.  Nightly, as in we’ve done it twice and if I call it ‘nightly’ the habit will surely stick.  Actually, I know the habit will stick because Mr. Dessert For Two carries around a glass of wine during our walks.  Can you imagine what our neighbors think when they see us?  Me, personally?  I won’t walk around carrying wine.  I’m a lady.  BUT, I will walk around the neighborhood carrying a jar of this peanut butter and jelly dessert.  And I’ll do it proudly.  Because these jars are cute.

I adapted my lemon melt-away cookies recipe to make these peanut butter meltaways.  When I rolled the cookie dough into a log, I used the bottom of the jars as my guide for the diameter.  I wanted the cookies to fit easily into the jars.  If your cookies don’t fit, or if you’re using store-bought, just break them to fit.

I used these 7.6 oz jars from Freund container.

It’s okay if you want to be like us.  If you want to walk around your neighborhood carrying jars of peanut butter mousse, go ahead.  We’re the cool kids.  Just trust me on this.  Don’t ask my neighbors…

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 40 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: cream, jam, jelly, mousse, parfaits, peanut butter

This post is sponsored by Sargento.

There aren’t many weeks when a large container of fresh ricotta doesn’t make it into my grocery cart.  I’m a ricotta lover.  I make ricotta gnocchi, blueberry ricotta pancakes, ricotta toast with fresh tomato, and I even eat ricotta in a bowl with honey and fresh berries on top.  Obsessed, I tell you.

You would think two people would have a hard time finishing a tub of ricotta, but that’s not the case in my house!

These ricotta pound cake cupcakes are the best way to use the last scoop in the tub.

Here’s the thing:  you can make the ricotta pound cake cupcakes and serve them plain.  They’re delicious on their own.  You could dust powdered sugar on top, or make an easy glaze of powdered sugar and lemon juice.   But, if you have the time (and the extra ricotta), the whipped ricotta frosting is divine.  I may or may not have spread some on a slice of raisin bread.  So good!

The quality of ricotta matters here;  it’s our star ingredient. I’ve been buying Sargento ricotta.  When I’m feeling decadent, I buy the whole milk ricotta and stir it into hot pasta with vegetables.  Such an easy cream sauce!

But, back to the cupcakes.  It’s always about the cupcakes!

Ricotta Pound Cake Cupcakes with Whipped Ricotta Frosting

 

Print

Yields 4 cupcakes.

Christina Lane: www.DessertForTwo.com

Ingredients

• For the cupcakes:
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons Sargento part-skim ricotta
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• For the whipped ricotta frosting:
• ⅓ cup Sargento part-skim ricotta
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon grated orange zest

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 4 cups in a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, 1 minute. Add the egg, ricotta and almond extract and beat until combined. Sprinkle the flour and baking powder on top and blend just until combined, do not over mix.
3. Pour the batter into the lined cups and bake for 20 minutes. Test for doneness at 18 minutes—the tops of the cupcakes should spring back and a toothpick inserted should have moist crumbs clinging to it.
4. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
5. To make the frosting, beat together the ricotta and butter. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until combined. Add the orange zest. Frost the cupcakes once cool.

3.2.1230

Disclaimer:  Sargento Cheese has provided me with some of the ingredients in this recipe. The content and opinions are all my own.  Check out Sargento’s recipe index for more delicious recipes using their fine products.

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 35 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: cupcakes, orange, pound cake, ricotta, ricotta cupcakes

I made these especially for you because I know about your salty-sweet addiction.  I know you can never decide between the salty pretzel and the sweet pretzel with chocolate drizzle at the mall, and so you buy both.  I’m just like you.

This bread pudding is so good.  So so so good.  I’m not even a bread pudding fan, but I will eat this salty vanilla-chocolate version.  Up until now, I thought the only bread pudding I liked was my bread pudding with whiskey sauce.  But this salty-sweet version with the malty soft pretzel is my new favorite.

I sliced up soft pretzels and topped them with vanilla custard and chocolate chips.  I used these mini pretzel rolls that totaled 8 ounces in weight.  If you have regular soft pretzels or pretzel bread, just weigh your pieces.

I baked these up for sweet Megan of Stetted.  We’re throwing a baby shower for her today, and thought she might could use some casseroles to get her through the first few weeks of life with a new baby and a 6-year old son.

I imagine that one night, after putting both kids to bed, Megan and her husband will bake these mini bread puddings for two as a special treat.  I’m betting that little brother will wake up at the smell of these baking and want some, too!

You can make these ahead of time in ramekins, and keep them in the fridge for up to 1 day before baking.

Not that you could wait more than 24 hours to bake up these beautiful bowls.

If you want to double the chocolate chips, that’s great.  If you want to use extra chocolate chips to melt and pour on top before serving, even better.

So, happy baby shower day, Megan!  We love ya!  And we’re all here for you.  We’ll bake you a casserole anytime you need us.

Here’s what other bloggers baked you today to celebrate:

Amber of Bluebonnets & Brownies made Chile and Sausage Oven Frittata

Jen of My Kitchen Addiction made Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Aimee of Simple Bites made Spring Salads in Jars

Click to continue reading and grab the recipe!Soft Pretzel Bread Pudding with Chocolate

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 44 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: bread, chocolate, custard, pretzel, Pudding, salty

Our weekends have been hectic lately.  We just crossed the one-year mark of owning a house, and suddenly every sentence starts with “I can’t believe we’ve lived here for a year and we haven’t__________.”  Your answer choices are:  planted trees, landscaped the front yard, or established a lawn that has more grass than bare dirt.

The answer is D. All of the above.

I usually pop out of bed on Saturday morning at the same time I would for a work day (ridiculous, I know), and make us a big breakfast to get us going.  One thing I’ve been doing lately is putting a tray of bacon in the oven.  I think bacon made in the oven tastes better.  It holds it shape, it doesn’t splash grease on my cooktop, and it’s chewier.  Place a wire rack on top of a roasting pan that has sides to catch any bacon grease, and place your bacon on top.  Flip halfway through; perfect bacon every time.

One Saturday, I decided to make BLTs with the leftover bacon for lunch.  But, I knew I wanted it to be the best version of a BLT.

What could be better than a BLT?  A creamy BLT!  What could be better than a creamy BLT?  The addition of avocado (I can sense all of you nodding along in agreement).

Meet my BLTa wrap:  chewy, thick slices of bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and a creamy avocado mayonnaise.

Avocado mayo makes my world go ’round.  You’re going to love this one.

Head on over to Food Fanatic for the recipe for my Creamy BLT.

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: avocado, bacon, dinners, mayo, wrap

I have long dreamt of yogurt truffles.

Truffles are my favorite dessert to sneak when no one’s looking.  I slyly pop one on my tongue and it dissolves into bliss.

My love affair with truffles was getting a bit obsessive. The heavy cream containers in the trash were judging me.  I knew there had to be a slightly healthier version of truffles that I could enjoy guilt-free. (Did you ever see my mashed potato truffles? Man alive, are those good!). Enter yogurt:  one of my favorite ingredients in the kitchen.  The truth is, I haven’t bought sour cream in years.  When a recipe calls for sour cream, I substitute plain Greek yogurt.

I use a thick, high-quality Greek yogurt that only has 2 ingredients (milk and live cultures; I’ll share more on ingredient simplicity in a minute).  I used Chobani 2%.  I mention the brand here because there are brands of Greek yogurt that are not as thick or as consistent.

I think these yogurt truffles are fabulous. I may never go back to the real thing.

I melted a bar of white chocolate, stirred in enough yogurt for some tang, and stuffed a strawberry bite in the middle.  I rolled them in sparkling sugar and powdered sugar.  My favorite way to eat them is with powdered sugar on the outside, but if you like some crunch, roll them in sparkling sugar.  Or, roll them in nothing at all and enjoy this 3-ingredient dessert!

Remember I said I had a rant about the purity of ingredients?  Get ready.

So, it’s gross, but I have to tell you:  there are a lot of white chocolate impostors out there. The ingredient list on a white chocolate bar should read ‘cocoa butter, sugar and vanilla’.  Not much else.  Corn syrup? No. Palm kernel oil?  Definitely not.  Soy lecithin?  Not a chance.  Be real!  Eat real!  And eat Greek yogurt truffles!

Disclosure:  The folks at Chobani sent me their product for review.  The opinions  expressed here are 100% my own.  And I love Chobani!

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 42 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: strawberry, truffles, white chocolate, yogurt

Is it okay if we drink a little moonshine and forget our troubles?

Granted, my only ‘troubles’ are the weather went from snow to 90-degrees too quickly, and the fact that weekends only last 2 days.  But, troubles are troubles, and moonshine soothes all.

Is there a pink drink that doesn’t brighten your day?

A ‘smash’ is an easy drink to make:  you smash fresh fruit in the bottom of a jar with a sprinkle of sugar, herbs if you like, and top with your alcohol of choice.  For this rhubarb smash, I muddled fresh rhubarb and strawberries with sugar and lime.  I think herbs overpower the raw rhubarb, so I left them out.

If you ask me which moonshine is the best, I’ll tell you to drive to Tennessee and buy Popcorn Sutton’s moonshine.  I’ve tasted a lot of ‘shine in my day, and Popcorn Sutton really knew what he was doing.  His moonshine is smooth.  Yes, smooth!  Most other moonshines taste like rubbing alcohol (sorry it’s true).  So, that said, use moonshine if you like it and you live in Tennessee, if not, vodka works great here.

Drink up!  Rhubarb season is short!

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 33 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: cocktail, drinks, moonshine, rhubarb, strawberry

A great no-fail roasted chicken recipe is the little black dress of the kitchen.  You keep it on standby for any occasion when you know you need to look fabulous.  Rosemary chicken is gorgeous (look at those roasted lemon slices—so fancy!) and delicious.  Put this on the table, and enjoy the oohs and ahhs from your dinner guests.

This recipe is as dependable as that black dress:  a quick marinade in olive oil, lemon juice and rosemary is the secret.

Head on over to Food Fanatic for my latest Dinner For Two recipe:  Rosemary Chicken.

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 27 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: chicken, dinner, lemon, rosemary

First, promise me something:  Promise me that you will not hide these frozen mocha brownie bites from your husband.  Promise me that you won’t wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store them inside a bag of frozen asparagus in the back of the freezer.  Because that would be selfish.  And also, there’s a chance that after you sneak one and head back to the couch, you will have a tell-all chocolate stain on your lip, which might lead to questions from your husband, which might lead to an awkward confession.

Not that I would know…

To make these, we’re going to use a mini muffin pan to make mini brownie bites.  We’re going to top them with a scoop of coffee ice cream (the best ice cream flavor in the world, Amen!).  After a quick jaunt in the freezer, we’re going to dunk them in magic shell (melted chocolate + coconut oil).  You’re so very welcome.

If you have willpower (what is that?) and won’t be eating all 6 brownie bites in one sitting, you should store the brownies at room temperature and pop them back into the muffin pan for their ice cream topping later.  You can store them already assembled tightly wrapped in the freezer (not in an asparagus bag), but beware!:  let them sit on the counter for at least 10 minutes before trying to eat them.  You will break a tooth on frozen brownie if you don’t!  The magic shell will hold in any ice cream that softens while the brownies defrost slightly.

Here’s what they look like before dunking:

The beauty of magic shell is that it hardens immediately when it touches the ice cream.  Dunk them quickly and serve.

Just to be clear:  these brownie bites are for sharing.  Sharing, I say!  They are not personal two-bite desserts to be hoarded in the freezer for anytime you have a bad day.

Not that I would know…

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 51 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: bites, brownies, chocolate, coffee, frozen, ice cream, mini, mocha

I call these ‘emergency cookies.’  I make  these quick cookies anytime an emergency strikes.  My most common emergency is last-minute dinner guests.  Last-minute dinner guests are quite common around here, because I love a good challenge.  Other times, I put a lot of effort into making a meal, and then 20 minutes before my guests arrive I slap my forehead because I can’t believe I’ve forgotten dessert (again!).  Monday is also an emergency.  You know, every Monday.  We all need cookies after the first day back to work from the weekend.

My most recent emergency with these cookies was that I couldn’t stop eating marshmallow fluff out of the jar with a spoon.  I had to get a hold of myself.  Last week, someone from our Church dropped by the house unannounced.  Did I have my Southern belle card on me?  Was there a fresh pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge?  Was the house spotless?  Was I wearing acceptable clothes and a cute apron?  No.  I was sitting on the couch in yoga pants reading the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living, and in my clenched little fist was a spoon dipped in marshmallow fluff.  It was not my finest moment.  My Southern belle card has been temporarily revoked.

I stared down at my sticky little fist and knew I had to put the marshmallow fluff to good use before it got the best of me.  I turned to my easy, 4-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe.

These cookies do not contain flour, so they are perfect for baking up a quick batch for my gluten-free neighbor.  They don’t contain butter, so I don’t have to let a stick of butter soften on the counter.  They’re the perfect cookie all-around:  easy, quick and gluten-free!

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 38 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: cookies, gluten free, marshmallow, peanut butter

This dish comes to you by way of my craving for something salty and sweet and my Southern heart, of course.  If you’ve never had strawberry pretzel salad in all of its Cool Whip glory, you haven’t lived.  Befriend a blue-haired lady at Church, offer to mow her lawn and she’ll make you a strawberry and pretzel salad.  (Did I mention you should probably cross the Mason-Dixon line before attempting this)?  Once you receive your strawberry pretzel salad, you’ll notice the strawberry gelatin topping.  You will think “I don’t like Jell-o.”  But, grab a fork anyway.  Once you dig in past the strawberry gelatin part, you’re rewarded with a creamy sweet layer and a salty-sugary pretzel crust.  It might just be one of the world’s most perfect casseroles.

We’re going to ditch the gelatin and Cool Whip, friends.  I want to be able to eat this for breakfast.  So, grab a tub of full-fat yogurt.  Yes, full fat.  Mine clocked in at 3.5% fat.  That’s not too far above your 2% milk.  You can do it.  You need creaminess in your life.

In a pretty cup, layer brown-sugar sweetened yogurt, strawberries married to their sticky sweet syrup, and crushed pretzels.  Oh baby.

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 54 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: cream, pretzel, strawberry, yogurt

Don’t these hot pink cookies look like the perfect thing to bring to potlucks and picnics all summer long?

These beauties are from my sweet friend Heather Christo’s new cookbook.  Her book Generous Table is just as gorgeous as she is.  Heather makes me feel like I can entertain any night of the week.

Heather has recipes for any type of entertaining festivity.  From Ladies’ Luncheon, Southern Housewarming, Backyard BBQ, Game Night, and Holiday Dinner Parties, Heather has you covered.  She even shares decoration tips!

I was so happy to see a few traditional Greek recipes in the book.  She has a recipe for Bougatsa that she describes as a cross between baklava and creme brulee.  You can be sure that’s what I’m making next!

I will be cooking from this book for all of my summer entertaining.

Her recipes are delicious with a twist.  The beet pesto pasta called to me.  The macaroni and cheese with pumpkin and bacon stared me down.  But ultimately, I decided to make these pretty little pink cookies.  You know the first recipe I make from any cookbook has to be a dessert!

The sugar cookie dough couldn’t be easier.  The berry frosting is what makes these cookies sing—fresh berries crushed and mixed with butter and powdered sugar.  So pretty, so good!  I used raspberries, but I’ve got my eye on some strawberries for the next batch, too.

Would you like to win a signed copy of Heather’s new book before it is released?  Of course you do!

That’s it!  Good luck!  I will choose a winner on Friday, April 26th at noon.

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 131 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: berry, cookies, frosting, raspberry, strawberry, sugar cookies

Remember that Earl Grey tea latte?

I can’t stop thinking about it either.  These tea lattes went from a once-a-week treat to a daily fix.  Times two.  I make 2 lattes some mornings.  I tell myself I’ll have just one and then switch back to green tea.  But, before I know it, my milk is frothing and another tea bag is perfectly steeped.  Again.

I discovered the secret to making a tea latte taste like one from a coffee shop:  sugar. Just a splash.  I use agave nectar most of the time.

There’s a local coffee shop next to my yoga studio that makes a green tea latte just for me, even though it’s not on the menu.  They leave the tea bag in the cup for serving, and I think that’s necessary for green tea since it’s so lightly flavored.  An Earl Grey tea bag only needs 5 minutes of steeping to reach its richest, darkest brown.  I recommend covering the cup during steeping for maximum flavor.

You’re going to need a milk frother for this recipe.  Sorry about that.  But, maybe lay off your Starbucks habit one day a week and you’ll save enough money to buy one?

I got my milk frother as a wedding present, and I love it. Love love it.

© Christina for Dessert For Two, 2013. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
See more: earl grey tea, milk, tea