Treat mom to something sweet on Sunday

Sunday is Mother’s Day, a time to celebrate mom with all her favorite things.

Pick her a bouquet of her favorite flowers, serve her breakfast in bed or make a meal with the foods she loves best. But don’t forget a delicious dessert.

After all, mom deserves a sweet treat for all she does.

If you can’t be there to celebrate in person, drop off a dessert on Mother’s Day and let her know how much you appreciate her.

There are a plethora of treats for mom, everything from a tray of fresh fruit with dip or melted chocolate to simple baked treats to an elaborate decorated cake — no matter your skill set, there’s a dessert to fit your talent.

If all else fails, try making chocolate coated strawberries. Just melt chocolate in the microwave, dip in cleaned strawberries and set them on a piece of parchment or waxed paper to set.

Get the kids involved, too. Have young children help by measuring ingredients, while older children may be able to make the dessert themselves.

And if all else fails, you can always pick up a cake from the store and decorate it to match your mom. Use flowers or a tiny toy to personalize the dessert. Try piping a design or message with frosting. Garnish with sprinkles, sanding sugar, candies or other treats.

Or serve it as is, perhaps with a scoop of mom’s favorite ice cream.

After all, it is a day to enjoy, not to count calories.

Following are some dessert recipes from aheadofthyme.com.

 

M&M Cookie Bars

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup M&M’s

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed about two minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat on low until incorporated. Add flour, baking soda and salt and beat until just combined.

Reserve one tablespoon each chocolate chips and M&M’s and fold in the rest.

Spread the cookie dough onto an eight-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper that overhangs the edges by two inches. Press reserved chocolate chips and M&M’s on top.

Bake in a 325-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool completely in the pan, then use the parchment paper overhang to pull them out, slice and serve.

 

 

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons flour

Grease four 6-ounce ramekins or three 8-ounce ramekins with cooking spray and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess. Set aside.

Place chocolate and butter in a medium heat-proof bowl and microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer on low or a whisk to beat the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla extract, sugar and salt about one minute, until combined.

Pour in melted chocolate and flour and use a rubber spatula to fold until fully combined. The batter will be thick but should not be lumpy.

Place the ramekins on a quarter sheet baking pan and divide batter between them. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges look solid and firm. The tops will still be soft with a slight jiggle in the center.

Allow cakes to cool in the ramekins one minute, then cover each with an inverted plate and flip them over, releasing the cakes onto the plate.

Add toppings such as a scoop of vanilla ice cream, dust with powdered sugar, garnish with fresh  fruit or a drizzle of salted caramel sauce or chocolate sauce and serve immediately.

 

 

Caramel Cheesecake Brownies

For filling:

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon flour

For batter:

2/3 cup flour

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 ounces dark chocolate chips

2 ounces caramel chips

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

1-1/4 cups sugar

2  large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make filling, place cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl, then heat 30 seconds, until easily spreadable. Add mascarpone, sugar and flour and whisk to combine. Set aside.

To make brownies, whisk flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Combine chocolate and caramel chips with butter in a bowl, then microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted

In a large bowl, whisk sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add chocolate-caramel mixture and whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and fold until just combined.

Pour all but 1/2 cup brownie batter into an eight-inch square baking pan lined with foil that’s been coated with cooking spray. Top with cream cheese filling and spread evenly. Dollop remaining brownie batter on top, then use the edge of a knife to swirl batter into the cream cheese.

Bake in a 325-degree oven for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for one hour, then cut into nine squares.

 

 

Apple Hand Pies

For pastry dough:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/3 cup ice cold water

For filling:

2 large apples

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar, plus more for topping, optional

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon flour

1 egg, beaten

To make dough, place flour, sugar, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse one minute, until mixture forms small pieces of dough. Drizzle ice water into the mixture, close the lid and pulse another minute, until dough is a breadcrumb consistency.

Transfer dough to a work surface and use your hands to squeeze the pieces together into a dough. Shape into a smooth disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour.

Peel, core and cut apples into 1/2-inch cubes. Place into a large bowl filled with water.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in apples, sugar, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt. Cover and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are slightly softened. Stir in flour and continue to cook until apples are soft and tender but not mushy and filling has thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into six-inch circles. Place 1/3 cup filling in the center of each circle and fold dough in half,  leaving a 1/2-inch overlap. Push down to seal the filling, then fold over the overlap and press down to seal the edge. Crimp the edges, then transfer turnovers onto a parchment-lined baking tray.

Brush egg generously on the top surface and sprinkle some sugar on top, if desired. Cut three small ventilation holes on top of each turnover. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until pastry is lightly browned.

 

 

Nutella Mousse Cups

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup Nutella

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup heavy cream or whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened

In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.

Add Nutella and vanilla extract and continue to beat until batter is smooth and fully blended.

In a separate smaller mixing bowl, whip cream with a hand mixer on low-medium speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar and cocoa powder and whip on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipping cream mixture into the Nutella/cream cheese mixture until fully combined with no streaks visible.

Transfer mousse into individual serving cups. Refrigerate at least two hours to set.

Serve as is or top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

 

 

Raspberry and White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

For assembling:

1/3 cup white chocolate, optional

1 to 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup raspberry or strawberry jam

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar about two minutes using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed, until soft and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Gradually add flour, mixing until it forms a dough.

Use your hands to form the dough into a ball, then shape into a flat disc. Cover tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator 30 minutes.

Lightly dust a clean surface with flour, then place dough on top. Use a rolling pin to roll out dough until it is 1/4-inch thick. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. On half the cookies, use a smaller heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes in the center of the cookie. Remove the smaller cookie shapes and bake them as separate little shortbread cookies, or roll them together with the scraps to cut out more cookies.

Place cookies half-inch apart on a parchment-lined half baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator 10 minutes.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges just start to brown. Cool cookies on the baking sheet five minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Place white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth.

Use a mesh strainer to dust confectioners’ sugar on the cookies that have the center cut out.

Spread a layer of melted white chocolate on the remaining cookies, leaving a 1/8-inch border around each. Let the chocolate set five to 10 minutes.

Place a teaspoon of jam on top of the chocolate once it has set slightly.  Carefully place the tops of the cookies on the jammy bottoms, being careful not to smudge the sugar on top. You can fill the open centers with more jam using a piping bag and round tip, if desired.

 

 

No Crust Burnt Basque Cheesecake

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup sugar or brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 large eggs

In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and lemon juice together until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until just blended. Do not overmix.

Pour filling into an eight-inch springform pan that’s lined with two pieces of overlapping parchment paper that covers the sides and bottom. Knock the side of the pan a few times to release trapped air bubbles.

Bake in a 425-degree oven for 55 minutes, until the top turns burnt brown. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.

To serve, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and parchment paper. Transfer to a serving dish and slice.

 

 

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chunks or chips

In a large bowl, cream the peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer, until soft and creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to the peanut butter mixture, continuously mixing until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Roll dough into one to two-inch balls and place on an ungreased, parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a fork, press down on each ball of dough to slightly flatten and create a criss-cross pattern.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until tops begin to slightly crack. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.