The Next Round of New Desserts

Cranberry Orange Macadamia Nut Tart

We got to buy something new for last August’s dessert from this cookbook – a pretty green tart pan. We may use the pan again, but probably not with this recipe, which is technically called White Chocolate Cranberry Tart. As you may recall from a previous post, I’m not a fan of white chocolate and/or fruit desserts. 

Scrumptious Minted Brownies

This recipe is really just a regular brownie recipe (using a box mix is fine); what makes it unique is its “frosting” of Andes mint candies. Layer them on top of the fresh-out-of-the-oven brownies, let sit for a minute to melt, then spread. Decorate with additional candies, cut in half first if desired.

Mini Turtle Cupcakes (or Glorified Brownie Bites)

This recipe is also just a regular brownie recipe, baked in mini-muffin tins. The instructions said to frost the cooled mini cupcakes with dark chocolate frosting, either homemade or from a can. I was all ready to just buy a can of frosting, but I couldn’t find one described as “dark chocolate.” I probably could have used a “chocolate” (as opposed to “milk chocolate”) version, but I decided to make it instead. This is the recipe I used; it was pretty dark, almost black! 

Once frosted, sprinkle the cupcakes with chopped, toasted pecans and drizzle with caramel sauce. The recipe called for melting 12 caramels with 2 tablespoons cream, but I’m not sure that’s worth the effort in the future. Just so you know.

Carrot Layer Cake

We’ll have fond memories of this cake, mainly because of our two adorable helpers. And it looked absolutely gorgeous, don’t you agree? It even tasted pretty good. However, it totally fell apart into crumbs when we cut into it! Does that make it a success or a failure? Either way, this is another recipe that won’t make it into the “keep” pile.

Banana Nana Pecan Bread

Who comes up with these names? This recipe was fine, but because it called for a mix, and I don’t normally keep muffin mixes in my cupboard, I doubt we’ll ever have it again. If I want something similar, I’ll just add the oatmeal-pecan streusel topping to my regular banana bread recipe (some in the batter and 1/2 cup on top).