SAILOR JERRY SPICED RUM CHEESECAKE BROWNIES: National Rum Day!

I love the Sailor Jerry Recipe Ads. The ads may be a bit 'spicy' for some tastes, but not the tasty spicy rum recipes. So what better Recipe Ad to post on National Rum Day than one for Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum Cheesecake Brownies.

Don't want to Bake? Make one of these Sailor Jerry Rum Drinks!

CHOCOLATE LEMON MERINGUE PIE: Pie in the Sky!

Today is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day and what could be better than a Chocolate Lemon Meringue Pie. I love lemon and chocolate!  (Photo is from a Vintage ad for "Jello" pie filling, but I use Meyer Lemon Curd for my filling.)

There are so many recipes for Lemon Meringue Pie. You can make your own lemon filling and your own pie shell, but here's a simple and easy recipe that uses Chocolate Ganache (I always have some in the freezer--but you can make fresh), artisan Meyer Lemon Curd from a jar, and a pre-made pie shell (I use Trader Joe's pie dough). You'll be making the meringue, but that's o.k. It's fun and fast.

EASY CHOCOLATE LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Directions
Use a pre-made 9" pie shell. Prick and bake as directed.
Let pie shell cool.
Add a layer of Chocolate Ganache (see chocolate ganache recipe). Warm it up first, so you can easily spread evenly to the edges.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Warm Lemon Curd just a bit (to allow it to spread easily) and then add it to make a layer on top of the chocolate ganache. Spread gently and evenly to the edges--don't mix the two, if possible.
Top with Meringue (see directions below)
Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Meringue Topping
4 egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar
2 Tbsp sugar

Whisk together egg whites and cream of tartar in bowl of mixer. Beat whites until peaks form and then gradually add sugar. Keep beating mixture until stiff peaks form-about one to two minutes.
Using a spoon, place spoonfuls of meringue over surface of entire filling. Meringue should cover the filling completely to edge of crust.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes --until meringue has golden tips.
Remove pie from oven and place on wire rack to cool before slicing.

Happy Lemon Meringue Pie Day!

ORANGE CREAMSICLE TRUFFLES: National Creamsicle Day!

Today is National Creamsicle Day. Growing up, I was a Fudgsicle Girl, but I occasionally bought a Creamsicle from the Good Humor Truck.

What exactly is a Creamsicle? A Creamsicle is a frozen dessert with a vanilla ice cream core and a fruit sherbet coating.

The classic Creamsicle flavor combination is orange and vanilla. Officially, the term “Creamsicle” is a registered brand name owned by Unilever, and similar products cannot be labeled as Creamsicles. However, the original Creamsicle® is such a best-seller that the term is often used generically. 

So to honor National Creamsicle Day -- and to add chocolate -- make these Orange Creamsicle Truffles. I love this easy recipe.

ORANGE CREAMSICLE TRUFFLES

Ingredients 
1/4 cup unsalted butter
Zest of 1/2 orange
3 Tbsp heavy cream
1 cup 'real' white chocolate chopped (Guittard) or 'real' white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions 
Put white chocolate in mixing bowl, set aside.
Melt butter with orange zest in small saucepan. Stir in cream and scald mixture.
Pour hot cream mixture through mesh sieve over white chocolate and using rubber spatula press zest against sieve to release orange oils into mixture. Allow mixture to rest 1 minute, add orange extract to white chocolate mixture then stir until smooth.
Cover mixture and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to handle.
Scoop mixture out with small cookie scoop or teaspoon and form into balls.
Roll balls in powdered sugar.
Freeze truffles 20 minutes before eating.

Chocolate Earthquake Cookies

This morning in Berkeley, CA, we had a loud rattling earthquake. It was a 4.1 which isn't really all that strong, but my house was close to the epicenter, so we felt it. My cat and I were enjoying a cup of tea--well, I was--when things started to rock and roll. Nothing broke or fell off, but it was loud and shaking.  So today to relieve a little tension on the fault and in my kitchen, I'm baking up some Chocolate Earthquake Cookies. Earthquake Cookies are called that because of the cracking on the top of these great chocolate cookies.

CHOCOLATE EARTHQUAKE COOKIES

Ingredients
8 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 ounces dark high quality chocolate (65-75% cacao)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp Madegascar vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions
Melt chocolate and butter in saucepan on top of saucepan with simmering water.
Remove from heat. Cool.
In large bowl, whisk eggs until well beaten.
Whisk in sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
Chill until firm, 2-24 hours
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter one-two baking sheets.
Put powdered sugar in small bowl.
Using teaspoon or small cookie baller, take a lump of cookie dough & roll into ball.
Roll ball in powdered sugar to coat. Place on baking sheet.
Bake 12 minutes.
Cool slightly before removing to wire rack to finish cooling.