Certain people on your gift list would be absolutely delighted to receive a gift they could devour. Especially when it is a sweet gift. That is why these truffles is a great choice. They taste incredible, look so fancy and the most wonderful thing – they are very easy to make!

I have added just a little bit of Four Roses Bourbon to make the candies even more special! You can coat them with cocoa, powdered sugar or chopped nuts, whatever you like more. Give this sweet treats to people you love and make them happy!

Bourbon Homemade Truffles

By voloshyna, December 26, 2014

Ingredients:

• For the Truffles: -
• soft Ladyfingers cookies - 6 oz,
• cashew meal - 1/2 cup
• raw cacao powder - 2 tablespoons
• bourbon - 1 oz or to taste
• sweetened condensed milk - 1/2 cup
• vanilla extract - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• espresso - 1 oz
• To Coat the Truffles: -
• cocoa powder - 1/3 cup
• powdered sugar - 1/3 cup
• chopped pistachios - 1/3 cup

Instructions:

Put all the ingredients for truffles in a food processor. Process until smooth and sticky. Transfer truffle mixture into a small bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until mixture has thickened enough to roll into balls. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Then toss the candies in a desired coating.Enjoy!

This week I have learned that if you still do not have a holiday mood you just need to start baking. Find a few cookie recipes, turn on your favorite Christmas movie (mine is Love Actually) and start creating your good mood with your own hands! And that is exactly what I did. Works 100%, proved and tested by me. Please share with me you favorite holiday movies, I would love to add them in my watch list!

In my opinion, homemade coconut macaroons should be sweet, moist, and chewy on the inside and beautifully golden and crisp outside. These goodies are meet all the requirements. You know what, they are even better, because the last minute I have decided to add one finishing touch and dip them into melted bittersweet chocolate. That is a very delicious accent. I want to add these cookies to my annual Christmas cookie box, which I will give to my friends right before Christmas night. However, I need to create about four more recipes. The people who now me can tell that I always make a lot of different deserts. Well, I just love when you have a good choice. The last good thing about coconut macaroons is that they are very simple to make at home, even if you are new to baking. And there is absolutely no chance you can ruin this dessert (just please, do not forget it in the oven) =)

P.S. You can make these cookies eggless if you want. The first time I baked them I completely forgot to fold the whites, and the cookies were still great.

Chocolate Covered Coconut Macaroons

By voloshyna, December 5, 2014

• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

• sweetened shredded coconut - 3 cups
• sweetened condensed milk - 3/4 cup
• almond flour - 1/4 cup
• large egg whites - 2
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• bitter-sweet chocolate - 3.5 oz melted

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the coconut, almond floor condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. Using an ice cream scoop place the mixture onto the baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Transfer the baking sheets to racks and let the cookies cool completely. Dip the bottoms of the macaroons into the melted chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Place onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes, until set.

You do not need ice cream maker to make this delicious treat!

Rum & Raisins Ice-Cream

By voloshyna, August 14, 2014

Ingredients:

• egg yolks - 4
• whole milk - 1 cup
• raisins - 1/4 cup
• rum - 1/4 cup
• heavy cream - 1 cup
• sweetened condensed milk - 1/2 cup
• confectioners sugar - 1/4 cup orto taste
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon

Instructions:

Soak the raisins in the rum for a couple of hours. In a medium sauce pan mix together the sugar, milk and egg yolks. cook stirring constantly over low heat, until the mixture is thick like a custard. Let cool completely and then transfer to a refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Whip the heavy cream with vanilla extract until stiff peaks. Mix together whipped cream, chilled custard and condensed milk. Transfer to an ice-cream container and place in the freezer for 1 1/2 hours. Then add the soaked raisins and mix well, return your ice-cream to the freezer. Freeze for another 4-5 hours.

Banoffee Pie is one of the easiest dessert you can make. To cook this heavenly delicious treat you will  need to sacrifice only 25 minutes of your time. I think it’s a pretty good deal for a dessert, that nobody can resist.

Banoffee Pie

By voloshyna, March 18, 2014

• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the base: -
• melted butter - 4 oz
• graham cracker crumbs - 1 1/2 cups
• For the caramel: -
• butter - 4 oz
• dark brown sugar - 1/2 cup
• sweetened condensed milk - 1 can (14 oz)
• For the filling: -
• big ripe bananas - 2, sliced
• heavy whipping cream - 2 cups
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• confectioners sugar - 3 tablespoons, or to taste
• dark chocolate - 1/3 cup, grated

Instructions:

Mix graham cracker and melted butter until well blended . Press mixture into a 9 inch pie plate. Cool in refrigerator.  Melt the butter and sugar into a non-stick saucepan over a low heat, stirring all the time until the sugar has dissolved. Add the condensed milk and bring to a rapid boil for about a minute, stirring all the time for a thick golden . Spread the caramel over the base, cool and then chill for about 1-2 hours. Meanwhile whip the heavy cream with the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar, until soft peaks. Place sliced bananas over toffee. Topped with a whipped cream. Finish with the grated chocolate. Refrigerate before serving.

The best thing about this cake is delicious lemon filling. It is very soft, creamy, both sweet and sour, and perfectly combines with the crunchy shortbread crust. You will be delighted with this dessert!

French Lemon Tart

By voloshyna, August 12, 2012

• Total Time: 01h 30min
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the crust: -
• all-purpose flour - 1 1/4cup
• cold cubed butter - 80 g
• eggs - 2
• lemon zest - 1 tbs.
• For the filling: -
• eggs - 4
• confectioners sugar - 1 1/4 cup + 3 tbs. for serving
• juice of 3 lemons -
• zest of 3 lemons -
• sweetened condensed milk - 3 tbs.
• heavy whipping cream - 110 ml

Instructions:

First you need to cook the pie crust. Pulse all the ingredients for the crust in a food processor, until it starts to form a ball. Turn off the processor and knead the dough with your hands, until a smooth. Wrap it into a plastic food wrap and then put it in the refrigerator for a half an hour. Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll out pastry to 1/8 inch thick (3mm), and line a 9- or 10-inch tart pan. Pierce the crust with a fork for a couple times. Line pastry with parchment paper, fill the paper with a little raw beans or rice, and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and rice, grease the pie with lightly beaten egg.  Continue baking another 5 min. Lower the oven heat to 305 F. In a mixing bowl, mix together all the ingredient for filling, but do not over beat. Pour the mixture through a strainer. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet, and carefully pour the lemon mixture into the baked pastry crust. Bake for about 30-40 min until the tart is nearly set. The filling will be runny in the center, and will set when cool. Sprinkle with a confectioners sugar when serve.

My friend Bonnie taught me how to cook this incredibly delicious Indian ice cream. So good and so easy to make (without an ice cream maker). This is my favourite summer treat now. Thank you Bonnie!

Mango kulfi

By voloshyna, August 8, 2012

Ingredients:

• mango puree - 2 cups
• sweetened condensed milk - 1 can (14 oz)
• hot milk - 4-5 tbs.
• heavy whipping cream - 1 pint
• confectioners sugar - 1 cup
• chopped pistachios - 1/2 cup
• saffron - few strands

Instructions:

Pour hot milk in a small bowl, add saffron and let stand for about 5 min. Mix together mango puree, sweetened condensed milk and saffron milk. Beat cream with confectioners sugar until soft peaks. Combine together mango mixture and whipped cream, add pistachios, and mix well. Pour kulfi into a foil form or an ice cream molds, and freeze about 8 hours.

This is the easiest dessert in the world. Spend only 5 minutes in the kitchen and then enjoy delicious treat with cup of coffee.

Easy chocolate dessert

By voloshyna, July 29, 2012

Ingredients:

• honey graham crackers - 14 oz
• sweetened condensed milk - 3,5 oz
• butter - 3,5 oz
• cocoa powder - 4 tbs.
• liqueur or rum - 2 tbs.

Instructions:

Chop crackers in food processor. In a bowl mix condensed milk, butter and liqueur, beat with a mixer until cream. Add chopped crackers and 2 tbs. of cocoa powder, mix well. Try to make a small balls from this sticky mixture, roll each in cocoa powder. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

To make this ice cream, you do not need to have an ice-cream maker. Simply mix all the ingredients, freeze and enjoy the perfect taste of summer dessert.

Delicious homemade peach cheesecake-ice cream

By voloshyna, July 18, 2012

• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• Philadelphia cream cheese - 1 pkg. (8 oz)
• sweetened condensed milk - 1 can (14 oz)
• whipping cream - 1/3 cup
• lemon zest - 2 tsp.
• fresh big peaches - 2
• coarsely cinnamon grahams crackers - 3

Instructions:

Mix in a bowl first four ingredients. Beat with a mixer until will blend. Place in freezer for 4 hours. Beat cream cheese mixture with mixer or food processor until creamy. Blender peaches. Add them to the cream mixture with crushed crackers and stir. Freeze 8 hours. If you want plain ice cream with no additives, don't add peaches and grahams. Just freeze until firm.  Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.