Dessert of the Week: Ferrero Rocher Brownies with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

So, if you haven't noticed, I tend to experiment a lot with recipes that pop up on my Facebook newsfeed or that I randomly find on Pinterest. This week's dessert is no different. All weekend I was trying to decide just what to post for the dessert this week. Luckily, this recipe popped across my newsfeed. AHA! There it was.  Mama Monkey is a HUGE fan of Ferrero Rocher. So much so that Santa doesn't get milk and cookies, he gets FR's and a bottle of wine on Christmas Eve (seriously).

No, they don't look spectacular...but man, they are AMAZING! 

The only way to describe this recipe is sinful. These, I do believe, hold the title of most decadent dessert I have ever made. Daddy Monkey said he'd take 2 of them and skip supper. That says a lot, considering in the summer, he's not huge on desserts or anything sweet because it tends to upset his stomach.

The original recipe (linking again, because I'm not posting it) called for these to be made in the mini-cupcake pans. Yeah, that wasn't happening. Mini-anything food in my house is a no-no. Daddy Monkey and Little Monkey like to eat. I really don't know how they don't ever gain weight.

Also, I fully intended on trying out the crock-pot caramel technique that made its popular rounds a month or so ago, but I just really wasn't feeling up to leaving the crock pot sitting on the counter for 8 hours while I was madly cleaning today. It would have just annoyed me, so I ended up using Nestle La Lechera. You can find it stocked with the international foods at the supermarket, and let me tell you, that stuff is like heaven in a can. This is the first time I've ever used it, but its going to be a staple item around here now!

Really, these are all the ingredients. Super simple! My kind of recipe.

When I say that this recipe is easy, its an understatement. Seriously, I think I had all the prep work done and the brownies in the oven in less than 10 minutes. When you use the muffin tins to make the brownies, make sure that you use liners or grease the pans EXTREMELY well. I lost 3 brownies to sticking.

I added 2 tbsp. of extra caramel to my frosting too (I used an entire block of cream cheese though, since I made the larger ones). The frosting is silky smooth, and I piped it on (something I never do) because the color and consistency was just too pretty to mess up by spreading. I can definitely see this being used on a cake in the future.

Little Monkey stole the bowl as soon as I snapped this pic! 

 I also used about 1/2 a tablespoon of caramel to top off each candy underneath the frosting. I am thoroughly convinced that there is no such thing as too much caramel. To each their own though.

No, they aren't quite as pretty as the original recipe, but what ever is when you're as busy as I am? These are certainly a re-make and will probably find their way to favorite family Christmas dessert status. As for now, I'm NOT sharing with anyone! The rest are mine until further notice!

Dessert of the Week--Banana Split Cake

So, I'm going to try something new. I'm going to try to post a new dessert recipe each week, as long as I have the time to do so. With Baby Monkey being so close to her arrival, things may be a little slow on here, but I'll do my best!

This recipe was shared with me by my stepmother. I know that she found it browsing online, but I can't find the exact one to save my life right now. So I'll post it in its entirety as it was given to me, then make a note at the bottom of the changes that I made, and the changes that I will make in the future.

Banana Split Cake

Ingredients: 
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter or margarine
3/4 c. granulated sugar
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 large bananas, sliced
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained well
16 oz. whipped topping, thawed
16 oz. maraschino cherries, drained well
1/4 c. chopped peanuts

Directions:
In a large bowl, melt butter. With fork, mix well with granulated sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Press mixture into bottom of a 10X13 cake pan. Chill in refrigerator while preparing other ingredients.

Beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar on medium speed. Spread mixture onto crust. Layer with bananas and pineapple

Banana Layer

Pineapple Layer

Top banana and pineapple evenly with whipped topping. Top cake with cherries and peanuts. Chill until ready to serve. 

Now, for my thoughts and changes:

This cake was great! Daddy Monkey did NOT want to share, but hey, Mommies are sneaky, and well, since he goes to work pretty early, I managed to slip a piece through for breakfast yesterday. Normally, I don't like banana splits, but this hit all the same notes and the different textures throughout it worked together and it has a great flavor. That said, I didn't go exactly by the recipe. Our family loves pineapple, so I used a whole 20 oz. can, and we aren't so big on cherries, so I only used 10 oz, and halved each one (note: they WILL dye your fingers, horribly). We also aren't big peanut eaters so I used a small jar of the pecans in caramel ice cream topping. In the future, I think I would also use the French Vanilla whipped topping, to give it more of an ice-creamy flavor, and top with chopped fresh strawberries instead of the cherries. By all means though, it is very good the way it is. Give it a try, you won't be sorry!

Also, if anyone can find the source of this recipe (in its original form), I will be more than happy to post a link to it. Whoever came up with this, thank you for a new summertime hit in our house!

Strawberry Shortcake Roll

Have you ever eaten a Little Debbie Strawberry Shortcake? They are cheap, flavorful, and I've seen my husband literally put away an entire box of them in one sitting. I may not like them as much as he does, but every now and then I get to wanting one.

Seriously, if you haven't already, try these. They really are good! 

I was laying in bed the other night, and I had a craving for one at oh, about 2 AM (thank you pregnancy weirdness). Of course, I'm not getting up to go all the way into town to get one, and asking Daddy Monkey would have resulted in hysterical laughter right before he said 'No', and went right back to snoring. So, I made it my mission to recreate a recipe for them.

Google didn't yield me a whole lot of options, and all of them that I did find just seemed way too dense, the cream too heavy, and the strawberry filling just wasn't quite right. That's one of the things I really love about the store bought snack cakes, they have a lighter texture and the strawberry filling has a good flavor.

Pumpkin Roll is a big hit in my house during the holidays, so I figured that I could modify the recipe I use for it and come up with something appropriate for summertime. I don't claim to be a great baker, (I hate measuring things), but Little Monkey and Daddy Monkey seem to love it all, so I won't complain. Here's the recipe that I came up with, its not quite the same, and I need to figure out how to get the cake a little less dense, but flavor-wise, it was far superior to the store bought cakes. I also decided to leave a few chunks in the strawberry filling at the last minute, and I'm very glad that I did. It gave it a nice texture. And yes, it's messy looking. Like I said, NOT the greatest baker in the world.

Strawberry Shortcake Roll (Makes 2)

Ingredients: 

*Roll*
-6 eggs
-2 c. granulated sugar
-2/3 c. water
-2 tsp. vanilla
-1/2 tsp. salt
-2 tsp. baking powder
-1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
-powdered sugar

*Cream Filling*
-(1) 8 oz. block cream cheese (softened)
-(1) 7 oz. container marshmallow fluff

*Strawberry Filling*
-1 quart strawberries (fresh or frozen, chopped or pureed. If frozen,  thaw and drain well)
-(1) 14.5 oz. container strawberry glaze

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray (2) 10.5 in. X 15.5 in. jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment or waxed paper. Spray a light coating of non-stick on the paper surface as well. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes. 

This is how the eggs should look

3. Gradually add in sugar on low speed. Add in water, vanilla, salt and baking powder. Add in flour, gradually. 

4. Pour batter into prepared baking pans. Bake for 12-15 minutes (My oven took 13).

5. While cake is baking prepare the cream filling and strawberry filling.

6. For cream filling--In medium bowl beat together cream cheese and marshmallow fluff on medium speed until smooth. Set aside. 

7. For strawberry filling--place strawberries in food processor (or in my case, blender. My food processor lid met an untimely death this morning, thanks to an angry 4 year old) and chop as finely as desired. Mix with strawberry glaze and set aside. 

You can see how I left a few larger pieces in the mixture. I'm very glad that I did. 

8. When cake is done, remove from oven and set aside. Place a kitchen towel on a clean surface. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Carefully invert cake onto towel. Gently remove paper from cake and sprinkle top with powdered sugar. Roll together cake and towel, and place in freezer for 10-15 minutes or until just cooled. 

9. Remove from freezer and gently unroll cake

10. Spread cake with 1/2 of cream filling, followed with 1/3-1/2 of strawberry filling. Roll up gently. It will be messy. Sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar.

11. Chill in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes or until ready to serve. Store, tightly covered, in refrigerator.