Black Bottom Brandy Bites Recipes

BLACK BOTTOM BRANDY BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Bring pie crusts to room temperature., Stir together mascarpone cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. Add brandy, 1/4 teaspoon ginger and vanilla; stir until well blended. Fold in 1/4 cup chocolate chips; cover and refrigerate., Combine pumpkin pie spice, remaining sugar and remaining ginger until well blended. On a lightly floured surface, unroll crusts; sprinkle evenly with sugar mixture. Lightly roll to help sugar mixture adhere. Cut into 24 circles with a 2-1/2-in. biscuit or round cookie cutter; discard scraps. Lightly press circles, sugar side up, into 24 mini muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Pierce once with a fork., Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes; remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of chocolate chips into each cup; spread to cover bottom. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack., When cups are completely cool, refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes. Spoon brandy mixture into cups, or into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe mixture into cups. Sprinkle with remaining chips and, if desired, additional pie spice. Refrigerate, covered, until serving.

BLACK-BOTTOM PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until crust is set and begins to turn golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Make the filling: Sift together sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt into a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until almost boiling. Reduce heat to medium; add chocolate. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate has melted and mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla until smooth. Spread chocolate mixture over crust. Refrigerate until cold and firm, about 1 hour.
• Make the topping: Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl. Let stand until soft, about 3 minutes. Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and boiling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin mixture, and let cool completely. Stir in vanilla and rum. Briefly place pan in an ice-water bath to thicken slightly, if needed. Do not let it set completely. Set aside.
• Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low; continue beating while you make syrup.
• Bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Brush down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Cook, without stirring, until syrup registers 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Raise mixer speed to high, and beat egg whites just until stiff peaks begin to form. Immediately pour syrup into egg whites in a slow, steady stream near side of bowl, avoiding whisk. Beat until glossy and cooled, about 7 minutes.
• Fold meringue mixture into reserved gelatin mixture in 3 batches until just combined. Mound the mixture into the chocolate-filled crust. Refrigerate pie for 2 1/2 hours or overnight before serving.

BLACK BOTTOM CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and salt until smooth. Stir in chips; set aside. , For cupcakes, in a large bowl, beat the sugar, water, oil, egg, vinegar and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into egg mixture until blended. , Fill 24 paper-lined muffin cups half full with chocolate batter. Drop a heaping tablespoonful of cheese mixture in center of batter of each cupcake. Sprinkle with sugar and chopped almonds if desired. , Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely. Refrigerate leftovers.

LACY BRANDY SNAPS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in the flour, brandy and ginger., Drop by teaspoonfuls, 3 at a time, 3 in. apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown., Cool for 30-45 seconds. Working quickly, loosen each cookie and curl around a thick wooden spoon handle. (If cookies become too cool to shape, return to oven for 1 minute to soften.) Remove to wire rack to cool completely., For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and brandy; beat until stiff peaks form. Just before serving, pipe cream mixture into cookies. Sprinkle ends with chocolate if desired.