Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie

This is one of my all-time favorite desserts. Whenever we go to Chili's, I try to talk Corey into getting this (it's not too hard to convince him, he loves it too). Since I know that I'll probably be full after eating my dinner, we get it as an appetizer instead. It's a whole lot easier to bring home the rest of my meal as leftovers than it is to bring this home! I adapted this recipe from one I found online and it is absolutely divine. I can't get enough of it!

Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie

Crust:
4 Tb. Butter, melted
2 Tb. sugar
1 cup cinnamon graham crackers, finely crushed (or 1 cup regular graham crackers, crushed plus 1/2 tsp. cinnamon)
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cookie:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For serving:
vanilla ice cream
chocolate syrup
caramel syrup
chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Prepare crust by mixing 4 Tb. melted butter and 2 Tb. sugar. Add graham crackers and press into baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
2. Prepare cookie layer by creaming 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add flour, soda, powder, and salt and mix until blended. Stir in coconut. Press cookie mixture over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle with 1/2 cups walnuts and press into cookie layer.
3. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, chocolate, caramel, and additional chopped walnuts.

Fresh Peach Cake with Caramel Sauce

I've had this recipe bookmarked on google reader for months, and I've just been waiting for the perfect opportunity to make it. Fresh peaches don't tend to be very good during the winter (or a very good price), but I found some good looking ones for a great price last week and immediately thought of this recipe. I whipped it up for dessert tonight and I was not disappointed. This was delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, even if you have to wait for a couple months to get fresh peaches. Trust me, it's worth the wait. I halved the recipe and baked it in 6 mini bundt cake pans for cute individual desserts.

Fresh Peach Cake

Cake
1 1/2 cups sugar (or use part Splenda and part sugar)
2 eggs + 2 egg whites
3/4 cup oil
1 1/3 cups mashed peaches
2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup finely diced fresh peaches

Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. flour
1/2 cup butter
2 egg yoks
2/3 cup evaporated milk or 1/2 cup whipping cream + 3 Tb. skim milk
2 tsp. vanilla
dash salt

Garnish
fresh whipped cream
fresh peaches, peeled and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan, 2 loaf pans, or 12 mini bundt pans (about 1 cup each).
2. Beat eggs, sugar, and oil with electric mixer on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add mashed peaches and mix until combined. Add flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in diced peaches.
3. Pour into greased pan and bake for 30 - 35 minutes (20 minutes for mini bundt pans) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately invert onto cooling rack.
4. Meanwhile, prepare caramel sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in medium saucepan. Stir well with whisk. Boil over low heat until thickened and brown, stirring well (don't leave it unattended or it will burn). Cool slightly.
5. Serve cake topped with caramel sauce and garnished with whipped cream and sliced peaches.