McDonald's Cinnamon Melts.

Dough ingredients:
1 pkg. active dry yeast (1/4 oz.)
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 110* F.)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tablespoon salt
4 cup flour

To make dough, first mix yeast in warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes

In another large bowl, combine granulated sugar, whole milk and melted butter. Beat it together with mixer.
Add eggs, salt and a cup of flour and mix it well. Then add another cup of flour and the yeast mixture. Then stir in 2 more cups of flour (That makes 4 cups of flour in total)

Knead into a ball and place in bowl, cover and let rise until double – about 1 1/2 hours.

Cinnamon mixture ingredients:

1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 T. cinnamon
2/3 c. butter, melted

Combine all ingredients, cover and reserve.

Icing ingredients:

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/2 c. (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 T. whole milk
1/2 t. vanilla extract

Procedures:

On lightly floured surface roll dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch, cutting with sharp knife or pizza wheel into 1/2 inch wide strips; then slice into 3/4 inch to 1 inch chunks of dough.

Grease large muffin tins (Texas-size – 6 muffin cup size) with butter or margarine. Place 6 pieces of dough into each cup; spoon 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon mixture over the dough. Drop 7 more pieces of dough into each cup and spoon 2 tablespoon cinnamon mixture over top.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise 30 minutes.

Bake in preheated 350* F. oven 17 – 20 minutes until light brown and cinnamon mixture has melted.

Next, prepare icing by beating butter and cream cheese until light; add confectioners’ sugar, mixing slowly. Add milk and vanilla and beat on high until smooth and fluffy. Spoon 1 T. icing over each melt.

Let it cool completely. These will freeze well and are reheated in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds.

Makes: 1 dozen

Source: Recipe Secret

Bacara's Pistachio Crème Brûlée

Ingredients:
1/3 cup raw shelled pistachios
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar, divided, plus extra for bruléeing
1/2 vanilla bean, seeded
5 egg yolks

Procedures:
Prepare the pistachio paste: In an oven heated to 350 degrees, toast the pistachios until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and cover with a towel, rolling to remove the skins from the hot pistachios. Grind the hot pistachios in a food processor until they are reduced to a paste. This should make about 2 1/2 tablespoons
paste. Set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the cream, one-fourth cup sugar and vanilla seeds. Bring the cream just to a simmer, being careful that it does boil.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining sugar with the egg yolks. Slowly add the hot cream mixture to the yolks, whisking constantly, to temper. Whisk in the pistachio compound to taste; depending on the intensity of the nuts, you might not use all of the paste (we tested with all of the paste).

Strain the base to remove any lumps, then divide it among 6 (4-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and slide the pan onto the center rack of the oven. Add enough boiling water to the pan to come halfway up the ramekins.

Loosely cover the pan with foil and bake the custards for 18 minutes. Check the custard by gently shaking the pan; if it jiggles gently (as with barely set gelatin), it is set. Otherwise, continue to bake, checking every 2 to 3 minutes until the custards are set,
5 to 10 minutes or more.

When the custards are set, gently remove the baking pan from the oven, uncover the custards and cool them (still in the pan) to room temperature. Remove the cooled custards from the baking pan and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

Before serving, remove the chilled custards and sprinkle a scant teaspoon of sugar over the surface of each, spreading the sugar with the back of a spoon to evenly cover the top.

Use a small torch to caramelize the tops of each of the custards. Alternatively, place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place under the broiler just until the sugar melts and caramelizes, 1 to 2 minutes.

Serves: 6 person.

Source: LA Times

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
4 cup of sliced Apples
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup butter or melted margarine
Salt as necessary

Procedures:

Put sliced apples in a baking pan and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Combine all dry ingredients with butter or melted margarine and mix with a fork until crumbly.

Sprinkle all this over apples and bake at 350 degrees F for at least 30 minutes.

Serves: 4-6 person

Source: Mouth Watering Apple Recipes cookbook

Olive Garden Panna Cotta

Ingredients:
1 1/2 qt heavy cream
1/2 qt whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
8 oz fresh raspberries
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Panna Cotta:

Combine heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla in a glass bowl. Mix well.
Heat bowl over double boiler until it registers 180°F on a thermometer. Remove from heat and remove vanilla bean.
Dissolve gelatin in the cream. Mix well.
Portion into small glass containers and cover with plastic wrap.
Chill in refrigerator until cold, preferably overnight.

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Sauce:

Blend raspberries on high speed until nice and smooth. Strain to remove all seeds. Add powdered sugar and mix well.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.

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To Serve:

Loosen panna cotta from sides of small containers.
Invert onto small serving plate.
Drizzle with chilled raspberry sauce.
Serve immediately.

Serves: 4 person

Source: Olive Garden

Nopa's Goat Cheese Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups milk
3 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup crème fraiche
8 cups crustless bread cubes, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese, divided
1 (8-ounce) log fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Procedures:
In a large bowl, mix together the milk, heavy cream and crème fraiche.

In an 11-by-15-inch baking dish, place the bread, mounding it slightly in the center of the dish. Pour over the milk mixture, gently pushing the bread down into the liquid so it is evenly soaked. Wrap the dish in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, black pepper and one-fourth cup each Parmesan and Gruyère cheeses. Pour the egg mixture over the soaked bread. Dot the top with the crumbled goat cheese.

Using your hands, gently but thoroughly mix together all of the ingredients, making sure there are no pockets of unincorporated egg or cream. Don't worry if the bread breaks down. When everything is thoroughly mixed, sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and Gruyère over the top.

Cover the top of the dish with a sheet of greased foil, then place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven, carefully pouring in enough hot water to come up the sides of the baking dish by half.

Bake the bread pudding until set when jiggled (the middle will be moist but not runny), 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. Gently remove the foil and continue to bake until the top is browned, about 15 minutes more. Cool the bread pudding completely and chill before slicing, then rewarm the slices before serving.

Makes: 12-16 Servings

Source: LA Times

House of Bread's Berry Bars

Ingredients:
3 cups (12.75 ounces) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 ounces berry jam

Procedures:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 11-by-7-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Slowly beat in the flour mixture.

Spread three-fourths of the batter into the pan, spreading the batter a little thinner in the center of the pan. Spoon the jam on top. Spoon the remaining batter over the jam in random dollops so the jam can still be seen.

Bake the bars until golden-brown on top and firm to the touch, about 40 minutes, rotating halfway through for even baking.

Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Serves: 9-12 person

Source: LA Times

Applebee's Triple-Chocolate Meltdown

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 pound bittersweet chocolate chips
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Procedures:
1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of the heavy cream to a simmer.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the white chocolate chips. Whisk constantly until the chocolate is melted. Let the sauce cool, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

3. Repeat the process with the semisweet chocolate chips--simmer the remaining 1 cup cream, whisk and melt the chips, and let cool.

4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter six 6-ounce ramekins, thoroughly coating the bottom and sides.

5. Combine the bittersweet chocolate chips and softened butter in a medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Melt the butter and chocolate, stirring until well blended.

6. Remove the bowl from the pan and let the mixture cool for a few minutes.

7. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and eggs with an electric mixer until foamy, about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape in all of the chocolate-butter mixture and blend it into the egg mixture on medium speed.

8. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition, until it is completely incorporated. Do not overmix the ingredients.

9. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins and place the ramekins on a sheet pan. Bake for about 18 minutes. The cakes
should be slightly crusty on top and still liquid in the center when pierced with a clean knife. Let the ramekins rest on the sheet pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Don't let them cool too much before serving, as the butter that coats the ramekins will not release the cakes if it is allowed to start hardening.

10. Invert each cake onto a dessert plate. Spoon some of each sauce around the cake, and drizzle a little more of each over the top. Serve with a scoop of ice cream on the side.

Serves: 6 person

Source: America's Most Wanted Recipes - Just Desserts

Lucca Cafe's Brownies

Brownies:

1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 pound salted butter
5 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee
3 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons (7 ounces) flour
1 cup chopped walnut pieces

Line 2 (9-inch) square baking pans with foil, and grease the foil. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, combine the bittersweet chocolate and butter, stirring frequently until melted and combined. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts, coffee and sugar over high speed until combined and the mixture increases in volume (it will look almost like softened ice cream), 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the mixer.

Beat in the melted chocolate and butter over low speed just until combined. Add the flour and nuts and stir just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the pans, dividing evenly between the 2 pans. Bake the brownies until barely set: A crust will form on top, and a toothpick inserted will be very gooey (though not wet like the batter), 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the brownies and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the brownies (still in the pans) for at least 6 hours to chill and fully set.
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Ganache and Assembly:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons milk
7 1/2 tablespoons salted butter
Prepared brownies
4 ounces white chocolate

Place the bittersweet chocolate in a large bowl.

In a large saucepan, combine the cream, milk and butter and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat. Pour the mixture over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and combined with the cream mixture, forming a ganache.

Remove the chilled brownies from the refrigerator, and invert the pans over a cooling rack set over a large rimmed baking sheet (the sheet will catch the excess ganache when it is poured over the brownies). Peel the foil liner away from the brownies.

Pour the ganache over the brownies, making sure it covers the tops of both batches (do not worry about the sides, as these will be trimmed when the brownies are cut).

Set the brownies aside to allow the ganache to cool and set.

Melt the white chocolate (place it in a glass container and heat it in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until completely melted). Place the white chocolate in a piping bag, coronet or a sealable plastic bag (after the chocolate is added to the bag, trim one of the tips to the desired size to make a makeshift piping bag).

Streak the brownies with the white chocolate, then set them aside to give the white chocolate time to harden.

Trim the edges from the brownies, then cut the brownies into squares; each pan makes about 9 (3-inch) squares.

Servings: 18 brownies

Lavo Fried Oreo Zeppole

Ingredients:
20 oz all purpose flour
4 oz granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
Dash of salt
3 whole eggs
3 cups of club soda
6 Oreo cookies

Procedures:
Mix all dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Whisk eggs and club soda together, then whisk into dry ingredients until well blended. Chill in refrigerator.

Dip Oreo cookies into batter and fry until golden brown in 350 degree F oil. When cooked, place on paper towel.

Arrange on long narrow plate, sprinkle with confectionery sugar and chocolate syrup.

Serve with Lavo Milk Shake

Carpe Diem's Mexican Chocolate Pot de Crème

Pot de crème:

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 egg yolks
6 ounces Mexican chocolate (preferably Abuelita), finely chopped
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk and cream and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the egg yolks to combine. Slowly whisk about one-fourth cup of the milk mixture into the eggs to temper them, then transfer the eggs to the saucepan, whisking to combine.

Cook the custard, stirring frequently, until it is slightly thickened. Immediately add the chopped Mexican and bittersweet chocolates to the pan. Remove the pan from heat. Stir until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the custard.

Strain the mixture into a large glass measuring cup or bowl. Ladle the chocolate into small bowls. Refrigerate the custards until set and chilled, at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.
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Candied pumpkin seeds:

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sugar

In a medium, nonstick pan, combine the pumpkin seeds and sugar over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a heat-resistant spatula, until the sugar is melted and coats the pumpkin seeds. Remove from heat and spread the seeds on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet so the seeds do not stick together as they cool.
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Whipped cream and assembly:

1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
Pots de crème
Candied pumpkin seeds
Maldon salt or another coarse sea salt

In a large bowl using a whisk or hand mixer, beat together the cream with the vanilla extract and sugar to form stiff peaks.

Serve the pots de crème with a dollop of whipped cream, a sprinkling of candied pumpkin seeds and a pinch of salt.

Serves 4-6