When I was in university, I had a professor who hated the phrase "beyond decadent." He said that by pure definition, something could not be beyond decadent.
Well Professor, I have found a couple of recipes that are beyond decadent.
Recently, the bakers at PAM® cooking spray introduced me to a whole bunch of new recipes to bake for the holidays. And they couldn't have come at a better time. Over the next two weeks, I will be hosting a huge family brunch at my house, having my turn at the weekly treats, and participating in a holiday cookie exchange (squares are allowed). As the holidays are a time for decadence, I really wanted to wow my guest and unfortunately most of my tried and true recipes are too...healthy. I needed something that would make them feel naughty just by eating them. I needed baked goods that were anything but nice.
I made the first two recipes for my brunch this past weekend: Triple Chocolate Chip Muffins and Decadent Chocolate Croissants. While muffins and croissants are a staple at many brunches, I've never been to a brunch with muffins and croissants quite like this. The muffins were rich and chocolaty with almost shortbread-like consistency and the croissants were ooey-gooey awesomeness that left my guests wide-eyed and speechless.
Because both recipes were so dense with chocolate, toffee bits, and nuts, I was afraid that they would stick to the baking pans and tear the delicate pastry, but because I used PAM® Baking, both slid out of the pans and my presentation was perfect; they looked as good as they tasted. PAM® Baking combines the no-stick power of PAM® with real flour. It's specially formulated to reach every nook and cranny of even the most intricate bakeware. This totally eliminates the need for you to grease and flour your pan when baking-the most dreaded part of any recipe...at least for me.
Not only were my muffins and croissants gorgeous, they were so fast and easy to prepare; I had no problem baking them in the morning before my party. Delicious, gorgeous, and hot-out-of-the-oven baked goods on a Sunday morning? These two recipes made me look like a baking rock-star...and they will for you, too.
Click here for more great holiday baking tips from PAM®.
Triple Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
PAM® Baking Spray
3 cups (750 mL) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) baking powder
1 cup (250 mL) of butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) reduced fat (2%) milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) milk chocolate morsels
1/2 cup (125 mL) dark chocolate morsels
1/2 cup (125 mL) semisweet chocolate morsels
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray 12-cup (3 L) regular muffin pan with PAM® Baking Spray.
2. Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in large mixing bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until just moistened. Do not over mix. Fold in chocolate morsels.
3. Spoon mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups. Mixture will be mounded and completely fill each cup. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool.
Decadent Chocolate Croissants
Ingredients
PAM® Baking Spray
1 cup (2 sticks/250 g) butter
1 cup (250 mL) semisweet chocolate mini morsels
1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (125 mL) toffee bits
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) ground cinnamon
2 pkgs (1 cup/250 g each) refrigerated crescent roll dough
confectioners' sugar
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray baking sheet with PAM® Baking Spray. Mix butter, chocolate morsels, walnuts, toffee bits and cinnamon by hand until blended.
2.Unroll crescent dough on lightly floured surface; separate into 16 triangles. Gently roll each crescent to 1/8-inch thickness; spread each with 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the chocolate mixture. Roll up each triangle loosely, starting at shortest side, rolling to opposite point. Place, seam-sides down, on prepared baking sheet.
3.Bake 15-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet to wire rack; cool completely. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.
Now that I've shared my recipes with you, why don't you share yours with me: What is your favourite holiday baked treat?
Share your holiday baking tips and treats below and you'll be entered in our contest to win a $100 gift card, courtesy of PAM Cooking Spray.
Click here for Contest Rules and Regulations
UrbanMoms.ca members are eligible to win so don't forget to sign-in. Not a member yet?
UrbanMoms.ca members are eligible to win so don't forget to sign-in. Not a member yet?
Click here to join. Contest Extended - Contest Closes December 27, 2012.
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My favourite baked treat is Banana Bread or Banana muffins
My favorite baked treat is shortbread at Christmas time
I just love banana bread
I love anything with bananas in it
Love pumpkin pie and Coconut macaroons.
Me too- both of them!
One of my favourite cake recipes for around the holidays is Rose Reisman's Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting: http://www.artoflivingwell.ca/recipes/desserts/205-carrot-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting
It is quick to prepare (esp if you have a food processor), yummy as heck, and no one will know that it is lower fat and calories than a regular version. This is one of my most requested desserts! Enjoy!
chocolate chip cookies
I love thick chunky shortbread
My mother has a fantastic recipe for a light Christmas cake, I love it.
Chocolate chip cookies with red and green Smarties
Apple pie is my fave.
Cherry cream cheese squares and tea with friends
Its funny one lady above and I love the exact same thing which is pumpkin pie and coconut macaroons!!
I love muffins of any kind.
One of my favorites is Death by Chocolate, a wonderful choclate triffle styles dessert.
Here is a recipe for it: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/death-by-chocolate/
I replace the strong coffee with kahlua making it even more decadent!!
My now favorites are: Triple Chocolate Chip Muffins and Decadent Chocolate Croissants!! I love to change it up often.
i make soft gingerbread cookies half-dipped in white chocolate :)
I like apple pie
I love chocolate cake with icing.
At Christmas I love mincemeat pies. Old-fashioned perhaps, but it evokes childhood memories galore.
I love shortbread (but only my own)
I like chocolate fudge brownies.
chocolate chip peanut butter cookies
I love red velvet cupcakes!
Chocoloate chip cookies
Butter tarts are my favourite. thanks.
Holy crow! Just one?!?!? I guess it would be lemon loaf.
Shortbread cookies
My favourite is dark fruitcake
chocolate cake
My FIL (a retired baker) his shortbread cookies
I love Christmas cake chocked full of candied fruit and nuts.
My favourite is cheesecake
fav is chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal and coconut.
shortbread is my favourite
My household loves shortbread cookies and fresh bread!
Peanut butter cookies are my fave!
Whipped shortbread - the melt-in-your-mouth kind - is the baked treat I enjoy at this time of the year - and ONLY at this time of the year!
Sugar cookies that my daughter helped decorate
Chocolate chip cookies are the best!
cherry cheesecake !
mom's rumballs...which i now make! and my girls are now as ravenous for them as i am! :-)
My new favourite baked treat are pumpkin spiced cupcakes
Pecan Pie
My fave is shortbread at Christmas time
My favourite holiday baked treat has to be shortbread. It might be considered boring by some folks but a great shortbread takes me back to my childhood each and every time!
butter tarts - yum!
Once a year I make caramel peach pie from scratch. It is a lot of work, making a home made crust, peeling and pitting a tonne of fresh peaches, cooking the caramel...(it takes me about half a day) but it is worth it. Everyone in my family agrees that it is their #1 favourite dessert.
I look for recipes that can be frozen so I can get my baking done well in advance of the holidays and then just thaw things as we want to use them. My family's favorite treat this time of year is fudge....yum!
I make Eagle Brand magic cookie bars ; My whole family loves them and they are so easy to make!
I would like the Decadent Chocolate Croissants.
Sugar cookies and macaroons are a must at Christmas for our family.
banana chocolate muffins
Chocolate Brownie Cookies!
Orange Ginger Cookies!
My favourite treat is shortbread, especially at this time of year!
simply a thick slice of freshly baked bread with butter - delicious.
I have recently discovered "Compost Cookies"... who knew that all those things could go in to a cookie batter and the end result could be so undeniably delish?!?!?! (And they're as easy/hard to make as regular ole chocolate chip cookies!)
My household loves when I make the holiday goodies. There favourite are the Walnut Crescents which can be made with a variety of different ground nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazlenuts etc). They are a type of shortbread formed into crescent shapes and double dipped in icing sugar. They melt in your mouth.
Lots of favourite baked holiday treats.. but date and walnut rolls are top of my list..
My favourite treat is shortbread cookies!
I love peanut butter square
Ginger Crinkle Cookies
My families favourite is apple pie. We like it with lots of cinnamon!
The holidays wouldn't be the holidays without shortbread! Love to cut them in fun, festive shapes.
I love ginger spice cookies.
My fave is a pear muffins with nutmeg and ginger! A nice switch from the usual muffin!
My favouries are Shortbread and Pumpkin pie.
the croissants for sure
Butter tarts!
I am a cookie fanatic! Virtually any kind and I love them...unless they contain fruit, then I wont classify it as a true dessert!
My favorite (and pretty much everyone I bake them for at xmas) is Dark Chocolate Chip and Cherry Cookies from the Epicurious website (I substitute almond extract for vanilla extract)
I love brownies
Chewy chocolate chip cookies. Sometime the most simple is the most decadent.
Shortbread cookies
My favorite baked treats are chocolate chip cookies.
shortbread cookies
Toblerone Fudge! It's so quick, easy and makes a great gift.
I love German Chocolate cake
Choc covered cherry cookies
Real butter and vanilla make baking taste better
I make a really good 4 layer Black Forrest torte. It's one of my favorite baked goods, but at Christmas time it's got to be shortbread and mini cream puffs. Yum.
fav holiday baked treat would be the pumpkin pie
I'm Greek so I love Baklava!
I just made gum drop cookies and they are now my favorite treat.
Shortbread!
Shortbread.
I love the Trtiple Chocolate Chip Muffins!
My favorite baked treat is cherry pie.
Shortbread cookies!
peanut butter chocolate chip cookies!
my tip is to get the mini reese peanut butter cups, make peanut butter cookies and while still warm press the cup in them and you have double the peanut butter goodnes.
Chocolate brownies... YUMMMMMMMMY
Fudge Brownies
Date Squares
whipped shortbread
don't for get that leaveners only last about 6 mths.
mom's chocolate chip cookies!
my favourite is apple pie!
I try to get all my baking done the day before christmas so they are still fresh but my oven is free to cook the turkey on christmas day.
My favorite treat is chocolate cheesecake made with yogurt- so smooth and delicious.
Melt in your mouth shortbread!!!
Chocolate chip cookies!
Shortbread cookies with milk chocolate
Love my mother-in-law's shortbread recipe. They're buttery and crisp. Delightful!
banana bread is my fav!!
Chocolate Pecan Pie is my favourite!
Cheese Cake
My absolute favourite is brownies.
I love old-fashioned shortbread cookies. Yummy - just thinking about them makes me hungry!
Sugar cookies and my Mom's pumpkin pie. It's got to be my Mom's though, I've never found another one that even comes close to comparing. :)
I love shortbread cookies. Nothing says Holidays like shortbread
I love oatmeal cookies with raisins in it
I love butter tart squares with cranberries at this time of year. Thanks
Choolate chip cookies area familu must-have!
Shortbread has to be the one thing I can't miss making every year. It's a family recipe and Christmas just isn't Christmas without it.
I love making gingerbread houses and the parts couldn't be made without Pam to make them easy to remove, intact, from the cookie sheets. Thanks.
favorite backed treat is snowball cookies
We have a Christmas tradition of making shortbread cookies. They're my favorite with a cup of tea in the afternoon
My favorite Christmas tradition would have to be making and eating buttertarts with coconut
my favorite holiday treat is Turtles - we make our own.
My favorite would be a Yule Mona log and petit four.
Favorite family tradition is opening presents on Christmas Eve with family
opps forgot that i had made a comment on the 20th
I use pam to coat my cookie sheet when making my skor shortbread, gives a little extra buttery taste!
i love sticky date pudding