Sunday, July 31, 2011

[recipe] Mini Chocolate Pies in Graham Cracker Shells

Crust
- 10 Graham Cracker, finely crushed
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted/softened

Filling
- 1/2 cup Marshmallow creme
- 1/4 cup chocolate, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Servings: Makes about 12 mini pies


Directions
- Combine all crust ingredients together, and press into mini-muffin cups with cup liners
- Bake for 8 minutes at 350F
- Some pies may puff up after baking. Press them flat again.
- Combine all filling ingredients together, and spoon into each mini shell
- Bake for 2 minutes at 350F

Serve: Warm or at room temperature
Store: At room temperature

Variations: 
- Can top with crushed peanuts. Shredded coconut will probably work great. 
- Don't top with powdered sugar. Will get absorbed by filling and looks bad.
- Should try adding in some additional Marshmallow creme at the very end to create marbled effect.


Notes:
- Can combine ingredients in a shallow mixing bowl with just a spoon. Nice little arm workout and that 
- Recipe can be eye-balled, and crust and filling can be adjust to taste
- Regular salted butter works fine in this trial. Key is not to overmelt. If butter melted to clear then re-start with new butter
- Melt butter and chocolate in microwave. Key is to use 10 to 15 seconds at low power and stir in between as ingredients warm up and not overmelt. Total time of course depends on amount and coldness of ingredients.
- Used Honey Graham Cracker in this trial and crushed it using food processor. Very easy.






[recipe] Mini Oreo Balls

Balls:
- 1 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 6 Oreo cookies, finely crushed

Servings: About 15 half-inch balls.

Directions:
- Gradually combine cookies into cheese
- Shape into balls
- Freeze for 10 minutes and then roll in coating of your choice

Variation:
 - Melted chocolate coating is more work, but tastes great
- Powered chocolate coating is very but not as tasty
- Can also coat with melted white chocolate
- Mint Oreo cookies would probably be awesome
- Can decorate with sprinkles, icing, nuts, mint candy pieces, lots of possibilities
- Can make bigger or smaller balls

Serve: Cold or room temperature
Store: In refrigerator

[recipe] Mini Pecan Tarts

Crust
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup flour

Filling
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cup pecan, finely crushed


Serving: 24 mini-muffin sized tarts


Directions:
- Combine crust ingredients: cream cheese and butter first, then sift in the flour
- Once the dough is formed, cover in plastic-wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour
- While dough is chilling, prepare filling by combining all ingredients: Beat egg and vanilla together slightly, and then combine in all sugar, and then add in pecan. Adjust to taste as needed.
- To assemble pies, spray mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray. Divide dough into 24 balls. Press each ball flat into 3-inch circles, and push into each mini-muffin cup (no liner). Then spoon filling into each cup. Filling will expand so fill just below full.
- Bake 25 min at 350F or until golden brown
- Cool on wired rack


Serve: Warm or room temperature
Store: Cold or Room temperature


Variation:
- Can decorate with powdered sugar, or drizzled melted chocolate
- Probably also great with cool whip or ice cream
- Also works great with graham cracker crust
- Original recipe called for packed brown sugar, but since I ran out I added in granulated cane sugar, and it was just fine
- Add freshly ground nutmeg to the filling for a little extra kick

Notes:
- To combine ingredients, can just use spoon in mixing bowls
- Salted butter was fine. Took butter from fridge and just slices into thin pieces to make it easy to combine.
- Leave cream cheese at room temperature for 15 min to make it easier to combine.
- To flatten dough, it's fastest to just press dough flat in your palm. No need to form exact circles. 
- I toasted the pecans before I crushed it. Not sure if that helped but certainly didn't hurt.