white chocolate Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Half-and-Half White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 15:42:39 +0000

While I am officially addicted to chocolate (and especially these Chocolate Chip Cookies 2.0), I decided to try and hang on to summer for just a bit longer by incorporating raspberry into this vibrant and fruity cookie. I took my favorite Sugar Cookie recipe from 100 Cookies and split the dough in half, adding finely chopped white chocolate to one side, and freeze-dried raspberry powder to the other. The result is a buttery, delicious cookie with excellent flavor: the white chocolate and raspberry shine in each bite. Eaten just cooled, the cookie will have crisp edges and a soft, tender center. A great after-school or after-work snack that will make you pause, if only for a moment, and remember those long, glorious summer months. Ingredient Notes for White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies: All-Purpose Flour: Make sure your all-purpose flour is not too high or low in protein; I like to use Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose for cookie baking. At 10.5 percent protein it is a good, moderate choice to keep baked goods tender. Unsalted Butter: I use unsalted butter in my recipes so I can control the salt content. This recipe uses both salt in the dough and sprinkled on top […]

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White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 16:56:45 +0000

White Chocolate Cheesecake BarsCheesecake bars less finicky that their cake counterparts, and just as delicious. I used my favorite cheesecake bars base found in my book 100 Cookies, which has a traditional cheesecake filling, topped with with white chocolate ganache and a white chocolate drizzle. You could turn the drizzle any color you’d like, but I love using red for Christmas or Valentine’s Day. A quick tip: Room temperature ingredients will help your cheesecake bake faster; if your cheesecake is taking longer to get to the right temperature, don’t worry. Using White Chocolate White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, and you’ll quickly learn that not all white chocolate is created equal. Use feves or white chocolate bars, as white chocolate chips do not melt well. Also, white chocolate melts more quickly than dark chocolate so be sure to stir it more frequently, especially when using the microwave. More Cheesecake Recipes: (Almost) No-Bake Cheesecake with Jam Swirl Vanilla Cheesecake Cookies Crème Fraîche Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache and Mint Meringue

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Walnut White Chocolate Bundt Cake

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 01:43:17 +0000

This post is sponsored by California Walnuts. As always, all opinions are my own. I have another cake for you; this one is in Bundt form, studded with white chocolate and topped with candied walnuts (which, you may remember, is my new favorite treat). I love Bundt cakes because they fall in the dessert category of ‘simple but classy’, and can be eaten any time of the day without guilt or shame. I’ve teamed up with California Walnuts to bring you some recipes over the following year (such as this chocolate walnut cake and this chocolate walnut shortbread). Over 99 percent of walnuts grown in the U.S. come from California’s walnut orchards, many of which are on family owned and operated farms that have been around for generations. Walnuts are nutritious and heart-healthy*, and offer 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per ounce. Walnuts are also the only nut with a significant amount of plant based Omega 3 ALA (2.5 grams/ounce). You can check out the CA Walnuts website for more nutrition info, research, tips for cooking with walnuts, recipes. I’m excited to share more recipes with you! ****************************** Fairytale At night, when we dreamed, we went down a street […]

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(almost) no bake white chocolate cheesecake with sour cherry swirl

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 04:45:50 +0000

I love cheesecake, and often in the summer I turn to the no-bake variety. On blazing hot days it’s nice to keep the oven off, and while the texture of a no-bake cheesecake isn’t completely authentic, it’s still so dang good. This white chocolate cheesecake is from Nigella Lawson’s latest book, At My Table. I’m happy to report it’s delicious. I added a sour cherry swirl and love how the white chocolate and cherry compliment each other here. ********************************************** There’s something in baking that plays into our desire for transformation, because it is much more alchemical, and that’s a beautiful thing. I think also, that no one needs a cake. But that’s what makes it special and wonderful and a treat. – Nigella Lawson I first discovered Nigella Lawson at the library. I had just started baking at Bordertown Coffee, and was working solo in the kitchen, 50-60 hours a week. I had some experience under my belt, but was now in charge of it all: opening the kitchen, baking everything we sold for the day, washing all the dishes I used plus anything the counter staff couldn’t get to, jumping in on the counter when it got crazy busy, and keeping […]

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pomegranate + white chocolate scones

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 23:21:35 +0000

Do you mean to tell me you will see no fissure? Do you prefer to look on the plain side? For all that, the setting suns are open. The end cracks open with the beginning: Rosy, tender, glittering within the fissure. Do you mean to tell me there should be no fissure? No glittering, compact drops of dawn? Do you mean it is wrong, the gold-filmed skin, integument, shown ruptured? For my part, I prefer my heart to be broken. It is so lovely, dawn-kaleidoscopic within the crack. -D.H. Lawerence, Pomegranate pomegranate + white chocolate scones adapted from Ina Garten and Cooks Illustrated I’ve been making scones the same way for years – an adaption of Ina Garten’s Strawberry Scones from her first cookbook. However, I recently made Cooks Illustrated’s blueberry scones and loved their technique of grating the butter and folding the dough over to create layers. I decided to try it out with my scone recipe, and, it was so good! And, I’ll never go back! So here’s my version of things. You can watch this video if you need help shaping the scones (the recipe will be different, but the technique the same). If you need help […]

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