The Brunette Baker

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

2012-02-22T09:24:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, a girl made these bars. One bite and she was immediately cast under its spell. Her eyes rolled back into her head, she started to drool and she swore she heard a Disney theme song play every time she walked. She couldn't stop at one and almost ate the entire dish. The more she ate, the more bliss overcame her.

When all was said and done, she didn't develop superpowers, but she did gain 5 pounds.

All in her boobs.

The End.

CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE BARS

Recipe adapted and slightly modified from Paula Deen - God love her.

CRUST:

2 cups flour

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

CHEESECAKE FILLING:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

¾ cup sugar

3 large eggs

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

APPLES:

3 apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped - ANY apple works here. Use YOUR favorite!

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons sugar

STREUSEL TOPPING:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup quick oats

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

CARAMEL:

I used dulce de leche. From a jar. Bought in a store. Done.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.

Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.

Sprinkle evenly with streusel topping.

Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool.

Yields: About 24 bars

Happy Baking!

Homemade X's and O's S'mores

2012-02-14T09:42:00.012-05:00

So, it's Valentine's Day. Again. A day that I don't necessarily look forward to, but my 5-year-old girly girl does. I am learning it doesn't have to be seen as a 'Hallmark' holiday. It's a day to spread the love. I like that.

I was looking for something to make that is a bit different than the usual lovey dovey treats of cookies and cupcakes. I was flipping through the plethora of emails I get sent from Williams-Sonoma, secretly dreaming of the day I get my enormous gourmet kitchen and fill the likes of their shop with when I saw these pretty treats on their side bar.

Although I'm not much of a graham cracker or even a s'mores kind of gal as I have indicated a few posts back, I do like the idea or thought of them...and I really wanted to make these X's and O's.

I found a recipe for homemade graham crackers. I got excited, but tried not to build my hopes up until they were tested and tried on my part. Oh my pet. You have no idea how much better these are than the real thing! In fact, I am pretty cheesed off store bought brands don't taste like them. They're AMAZING! Add chocolate and marshmallows? Bliss.

I'm giving these a double high-five thumbs up.

And oodles of hugs and kisses.

X's and O's S'MORES

Homemade Graham Crackers:

Graham cracker recipe adapted from The Galley Gourmet

½ cup all-purpose flour

1¾ cups whole-wheat flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup cold butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons molasses

¼ cup cold water

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Before I continue on with the instructions, I was telling a friend about these treats and she told me that she doesn't own anything but a hand mixer and she's worried that she can't make many of these. Just know that it's never a problem! If a recipe calls for a food processor, just know there are other ways to prepare a recipe. I made this entire recipe using ONLY my hands or a wooden spoon. It takes a bit longer, but it works and will yield the same result. My Grandmother often told me growing up that, "Your hands are the most useful tool you will own!". She's so right. So please, don't get discouraged!

Mix flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Using a food processor, stand mixer, or pastry blender, add cold butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add the honey, molasses, water, and vanilla. Mix until the dough starts to come together in a ball.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and chill for at least 30 minutes. Once it's been chilled for the required time, unwrap the dough and place on a lightly floured surface.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thick. If you wish to continue making 'proper' shaped graham crackers, please click here. To continue with the X's and O's, read on.

With cookie cutters, cut out shapes. (If the dough is too warm to work with, you may want to set it in the refrigerator to chill before transferring the dough to the baking sheet.) Arrange the cookies on parchment or silicone lined baking sheets.

Bake for 11 minutes until lightly browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan.

To dip and assemble:

Chocolate:
2 cups chocolate chips (or chopped up chocolate bar) - depending on size you are making the cookies, you may need more chocolate.
1 teaspoon shortening

Once cookies are completely cooled, melt chocolate and shortening in microwave using a heat-proof dish or double broiler method on stove until smooth. Dip cookie in chocolate, making sure only tops are completely covered - of course, you could dip entire cookie if that's your preference! Set aside.

Marshmallow Fondant - Please be warned that making this step is super messy and super sticky, but worth it. Just hang in there!

1 tub (16 ounces) Marshmallow Fluff
4-6 cups powdered sugar
1½ teaspoon flavored extract (vanilla, almond, etc.)
food coloring - if desired

You can certainly make your own marshmallows, but because I don't like candy thermometers all that much, I make a quick and easy fondant.

Empty contents of marshmallow fluff in large bowl.

Add flavoring and mix until incorporated. Add confectioners sugar, two cups at a time, and mix with spoon until no longer sticky. I use my hands and work at it one sugar has been incorporated. Again, it's incredibly messy! Place a little butter on your hands to prevent sticking.

Place on counter that has been lightly rubbed with shortening and knead until smooth and pliable.

I added a few drops of red food coloring to make it a light pink.

If not using right away, wrap in cling wrap until ready. It will get hard. Roll out and cut into shapes using the same cookie cutter you used to make cookies.

Lay fondant on underside of one cookie and sandwich with another, making sure that chocolate is facing outward. You may have to fiddle with the fondant to get it to pair up.

Yields: 12 large or 24 small sandwich cookies.

Happy Baking!

Cake Batter Pancakes

2012-02-11T10:03:00.017-05:00

Today is Saturday...and my birthday! Happy Birthday Me! I remember being a kid and thinking how awesome it was when my birthday fell on the weekend. Ya know what? That frame of mind never went away for me. In fact, I think it's even better the older you get. No work. All play.

I'm probably one of the few women that enjoy receiving gifts with cords. I don't get too upset about things like that. I'm a pretty practical person. I don't care for jewelry, shellfish is my kryptonite, I don't drink alcohol, and I'm housebroken. I'm a cheap date overall. As long as I get a spectacular cake I don't have to make and spend the day with those I love most, I'm super happy.

Saturdays are known in our house as Pancake Saturdays. (Although, sometimes it's french toast Saturday, depending on the mood, but for the most part, pancakes take precedence). Birthdays don't alter that fact, so I was looking for a special pancake to make and found these. God bless the internet.

They are intense. This is one of those ideas that I wish I would have thought of, but thankfully, didn't need to and can make anytime I want despite the fact.

I think I have a new favorite birthday breakfast.

As well as every Saturday morning.

CAKE BATTER PANCAKES

Recipe adapted and modified from How Sweet It Is

1½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup yellow cake mix - I used Betty Crocker

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

⅛ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed- this is totally optional, but I put it in everything!

1 egg

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups milk

assorted sprinkles* - I tried a few different varieties of sprinkles and found that nonpareils are the best. Jimmies made a mess and didn't look very pretty due to size and sugary sprinkles (not sanding sugar, but the sort that are the same taste and texture of candy cigarettes - if that makes ANY sense) did nothing but add crunch.

Combine flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar, ground flax seed, if using, and salt in a bowl.

Add egg, vanilla and start with 1 cup of milk when mixing and gradually add more until 2 cups, if needed. I used the 2 full cups once I revised the recipe. You want the batter to look like regular pancake batter; uniform in consistency.

According to How Sweet...'s post, this will depend on the brand of cake mix you use. Do a quick taste test to see if the pancakes are flavored enough for your liking. I did and found my version was high-fiving my taste buds. I figure, if I'm going to do it, I might as well go big.

This photo was using 1 cup milk. It's still pretty thick.

Preheat a frying pan - or electric griddle, (which I need, HINT HINT lover) - on medium heat. Original recipe calls for the sprinkles to be folded in. I did so and started with only a small amount, but they dissolved into the batter, changing the color, and defeated the purpose, so I opted to add them after batter was poured in the frying pan. Done and done.

Pour batter in ¼ cup measurements onto frying pan/griddle and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional minute more.

Serve with vanilla glaze below if desired. Again, I went for the gold and wasn't disappointed.

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

½ Tablespoon milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

assorted sprinkles

Mix milk, extract and powdered sugar until glaze forms. You may need to add a little more sugar or milk to reach desired consistency. Mix into glaze and drizzle on pancakes.

Yields: About festive 20-25 pancakes

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Fantasy Bars

2012-02-05T06:54:00.002-05:00

Today is the Big Game.

I am so nervous. I can't remember the last time I was this nervous about something. Perhaps it's because I know my husband's there, his team is playing, and if they lose, I'm not around to dab the wounds. I have all the faith in the world they will win, but it's always 50-50. And a long drive back home.

I was up at 3am, baking. It's better than staring at the ceiling until my kids woke. I padded into the kitchen, rummaged through the pantry, trying to find something I could make that didn't require a mixer, but came up empty handed. I flipped through the scary folder and found this recipe stuck to an artichoke casserole. Not the actual casserole. That would be awful.

2 bars and 2 cups of tea later, I'm worse off than I started out. Nervous, jittery AND wired. On the upside, my kids think I'm hilarious and I'm dancing like I've never danced before.

Kevin Bacon has nothing on me and Hall & Oates can preach it all day - or at least until the sugar high wears off.

It's gonna be a long day.

CHOCOLATE FANTASY BARS

Recipe adapted and slightly modified from Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 box chocolate cake mix

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

14 ounces (1 can) sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 dash salt
OPTIONAL: ¼ cup of tub frosting

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat 13 x 9-inch baking pan with a non-stick spray. Beat cake mix, oil and egg in large bowl with electric mixer until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Batter will be relatively dry. Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture.

Firmly press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.

Recipe calls for nuts to be stirred in before lining pan, but I topped the crust with them. I like the texture better this way.

Melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt in small saucepan.

I don't know what happened with the remaining photos or what's up with the capitalization - I promise I'm not screaming at you! Bear with me. It was 3am.

Pour milk mixture evenly over prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over top. 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool completely before cutting.

If you want to add frosting, you can do so as recipe calls for it, but I find these are sweet enough without it.

Yields: About 3 dozen

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cookies

2012-02-04T19:40:00.014-05:00

There are four seasons in our home - Baseball, Football, Hockey, and Soccer.

Being married to the biggest sports fan alive, you have to have a lot of patience - and support. Luckily, I have some experience. I come from a family of diehard football and racing fans. I know all too well how it can go down.

You see, when you support a team, you become part of the team. Teams will disappoint. Teams will surpass expectations. Teams will make you cry tears of joy or break your heart from utter disappointment. I have seen all sides of it. Drew Barrymore's character in Fever Pitch has NOTHING on me. After Super Bowl XLII, I watched as my husband sat in silence and complete darkness for 3 hours. The New England Patriots lost to the New York Giants. I felt so helpless.

This year, I'm attending my first Big Game party since dating my husband. I know, right? My husband feels that parties interfere with the game. People stopped inviting us after a few years because we always decline. I miss out on all the greasy and fatty foods, but not this time. While lucky ducky is attending the Super Bowl and crossing that wish off his bucket list - I KNOW, RIGHT? - me and the kiddies will be partying it up with friends, juice boxes, and processed meat platters.

I'm taking along my chocolate chip cannoli cookies. These are SUPER simple to make and always a crowd pleaser.

You know, maybe separate vacations aren't such a bad idea.

Just kidding babe. Go Patriots!

CHOCOLATE CHIP CANNOLI COOKIES
Recipe adapted and slightly modified from my Mom

24 ounces (3 cups) full fat ricotta cheese, COMPLETELY drained

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract

¼ teaspoon orange zest

24-36 vanilla flavored pizzelle cookies

*These cookies should be made and eaten almost immediately or as soon as possible. They will go soft, just like proper cannoli, within a few hours.

If you're not sure what pizzelle containers look like, here you go. This is usually how they are sold.

Drain ricotta cheese using a cheesecloth or layered paper towels. Try to extract as much liquid as possible.

It should look like this once drained - dry and clumpy.

Add sugar, vanilla, almond extract, orange zest and blend well.

Add chocolate chips.

Spread a generous amount of cheese mixture on one cookie and sandwich with another.

Easy Peasy! You can play around with these by dusting powdered sugar on top or dipping half of one cookie into melted chocolate. They are pretty versatile, but amazing as is.

Yields: About 12-18 Cannoli Cookies.

Happy Baking!

Saltine Peanut Butter Toffee Bars

2012-02-01T12:44:00.032-05:00

One word. Delicious.

Two more words. Really Simple.

Three words. I like eggs.

Yeah, I just thought I'd throw out a random fact about me.

If you're a fan of Skor or Heath bars (and even if you're not), you will thoroughly enjoy these. They are so much better than the actual candy and have something for everyone whether it's a salty, sweet, peanut butter, chocolate, crunch or chewy factor.

Four Words. She shoots, she skors!

Pun totally intended.

SALTINE PEANUT BUTTER TOFFEE BARS
Recipe adapted and slightly modified from my Aunt Ronnie's recipe box

1 package SALTED saltine crackers

1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup butter

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

Toppings if desired: Sprinkles, chopped nuts, chopped candy bars, etc.

Line a jelly roll pan with foil. Apply a thick coating of butter or cooking spray. This will help the toffee from sticking. Turst me, you do not want to skip this step.

Place saltines on tray in a single file, side by side; do not overlap crackers. Set tray aside.

Place butter and sugar in a saucepan on stove on high heat. Once mixture hits a rapid boil, allow it to do so for a full 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and immediately pour over crackers, covering completely.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of toffee, and allow them to sit for a few minutes to soften and melt. You can also put the tray in the oven for a minute or so to help the melting process along.

Once softened, use an offset spatula or knife to spread the melted chocolate over the entire surface of the toffee in an even layer.

Melt peanut butter chips in microwave, using a heat-safe container. Drizzle over top of chocolate. I used a skewer to make pretty designs.

Sprinkle with your choice of toppings if desired. My daughter opted for some Valentine colored sprinkles.

Allow tray to cool completely. I threw mine in the fridge for about 30 minutes to harden. Once solidified, remove foil lining from tray and let set for a couple minutes. You can break apart, using your hands for a rustic look, but I prefer to use a pizza cutter for nice, uniform lines.

Keep refrigerated for best results.

Yields: About 36 servings.

Happy Baking!

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

2012-01-28T17:57:00.005-05:00

Me and box cake mixes have become BFF's. Not that we weren't friends before, but I've been using them a lot more than usual. I had a hankering for some chocolate cake the other day and made one. It was delicious. I once read an article that said to jazz up any chocolate cake, throw in some Coca-Cola, so I did to see what all the fuss was about. It didn't taste any different to me. Just chocolate cake.

This week, I've added strawberries to my BFF circle. I want strawberries every. minute. of. the. day. They are not my usual go to fruit in the winter months, but the past few days, I can't shove them in my mouth fast enough. So I thought, why not set my two latest food cravings on a delicious date.

The outcome? My stomach wed them in holy matrimony.

Three times.

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE CUPCAKES

1 box yellow or white cake mix (plus ingredients to make the cupcakes)

1 pound FRESH strawberries, washed, hulled, and chopped into small pieces*

1 package cream cheese

¼ cup butter

2½ cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 digestive biscuits or graham crackers, finely chopped

*I recommend using a hand chopper to get bite size strawberries.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins. Combine ingredients according to back of cake mix box to make cupcake batter. Spoon about 1 Tablespoon of batter into the bottom of each muffin cup.

Add about 1-2 tablespoons chopped strawberries to the top of batter.

Top off with cake batter (roughly 2-3 tablespoons), covering strawberries completely.

Bake for suggested time frame of back of box. (I used Duncan Hines and my cupcakes took about 17 minutes). Allow to cool completely.

Once cool, top cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and cookie crumbs. The crumbs are essential for giving it the 'cheesecake' effect. Top with a strawberry slice.

Yields: 24 cupcakes

Happy Baking!

Indoor S'mores

2012-01-21T09:17:00.006-05:00

Here is a funny thing about writing a blog. You learn quickly what you like and what you don't.

I'm not a fan of graham crackers. I mean, I will eat them, but I wouldn't cry if I could never have them again. Growing up, I was never a big cheesecake fan, unless it was from Lindy's in New York City (double drool) or I made it myself. Now I know why. It had a lot to do with the graham cracker base. Lindy's has this amazing creamy textured top with a just right cracker base. Mine is the same way. It's there, but only just. Unfortunately, that's my husbands favorite part, so when I make it, it takes up half the pan.

I was never a fan of s'mores either. I know, *shock horror*! When we would have backyard campfires (one thing I really miss about living in the sticks) I would use one of the graham crackers as a spoon to eat the chocolately marshmallow goodness off the other graham cracker that served as a fabulous makeshift plate.

My daughter has a playdate today and asked if we could make 'saaa-mores'. I didn't think she knew what they were, but apparently she does. Never one to say no to her sweet face, I realized we faced a problem. First, we live is Suburbia. No open fires allowed. Second, it's like -145º outside and our barbeque grill in snowed in. Third, making them in the oven doesn't seem authentic. I would feel like I was cheating. Plus, they are so messy.

I remembered snipping a recipe off the back of a cereal box not that long ago. Off to my scary recipe folder I went and found these. Indoor S'mores.

After one bite, all Mama could mutter was, 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme S'more!'

INDOOR S'MORES

Recipe adapted and slightly modified from the back of a Golden Grahams Box

5 cups Golden Grahams cereal

4 cups miniature marshmallows

1 cup chocolate chips

⅓ cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons milk**
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup miniature marshmallows

½ cup peanut butter - optional, but so good!

**Here is a trick I learned many years ago when first learning to make Crispy Treats squares - or recipes that call for marshmallow as a binder. When I used to make them, they would go hard on me once cooled or shortly after, making eating difficult. Our 72-year-old neighbor told me to add 2 tablespoons milk to the marshmallow mixture as it's melting. The treats will stay soft and gooey. I don't know how or why it works, but it always does.

In a large bowl, measure cereal. Coat an 8 or 9-inch dish with non-stick cooking spray. In saucepan, heat 4 cups marshmallows, chocolate chips, butter, milk, and peanut butter, stirring after every minute, until melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in vanilla.

Pour over cereal; quickly toss until completely coated.

Stir in 1 cup marshmallows.

Press mixture evenly in pan. I gently use the palm of my buttered hand. It gets the job done a bit easier.

Let stand uncovered at least 1 hour, or refrigerate if you prefer a firmer bar. I prefer these right out of the fridge. Store loosely covered for 2 days...if they last that long!

Yields: About 24 servings

Happy Baking!

Blogiversary Banoffee Pie!

2012-01-19T09:33:00.001-05:00

Wow. I actually did it. I made it to my one year blogiversary! Yay me!

To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm a fad chaser. My husband often calls me 'Faddington Bear' whenever I embark on the newest fad quest. (Which is not to be confused with a trend setter. There is a BIG difference. It's like butter and margarine. They may look similar, but end up with a completely different result). While I do enjoy a new, shiny toy every now and again, I get bored very quickly with it and my fad becomes a fade.

Since I love celebrations of every sort, I decided to throw one for myself. I settled on the delightful British favorite, Banoffee Pie. I personally never make it, but figured now's a good a time as any. Whenever we visit the UK, every home has it prepared for our arrival...well, that or Sticky Toffee Pudding, along with one of my most favorite British confections, Dolly Mixtures. It always makes me feel SUPER special!

All in all, this pie is so worth the effort.

Channeling my inner Mary Katherine Gallagher, "My feelings for this pie would best be expressed in the musical style of Gwen Stefani....

"This sh*% is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!"

Really. It is.

BANOFFEE (or Banoffi) PIE

Recipe adapted from my UK 'Mama', Angela

1 can sweetened condensed milk, caramelized* OR 1 jar Dulce de Leche

8 ounces (1 cup) digestive biscuits - if you can't find them, use shortbread or Rich Tea cookies. You can use graham crackers, but I think it loses its British authenticity if you do.

4 ounces (½ cup) butter, melted

4 large bananas - perfectly ripe, but just slightly green work best here!

Coffee Whipped Cream:
2½ cups heavy cream (35% fat)

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
OPTIONAL: 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules (dissolved in 1 cup heavy cream before whipping)

Chocolate shavings - To make pretty chocolate curls, chill chocolate and use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate.

*To properly caramelize sweetened condensed milk, open can and pour into oven safe bowl. Tightly cover with foil and bake at 425ºF for 1 hour.

However, because I am not a safe Sally, I use the stove top method *gasp*. If you choose to use the stove top method, please read carefully:

Remove label and set sweetened condensed milk can in a saucepan. BE SURE THE CAN IS COMPLETELY SUBMERGED UNDERWATER! I cannot, cannot, cannot stress this enough! I don't want to scare you, but it's easily done where it can be forgotten and the water will evaporate from the pan. As long as you keep the can submerged, you shouldn't have any problems!

Bring to a simmer over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, adding water as needed, about 3 hours. Remove can from pan; let cool completely. If you open can too soon, you can get badly burned, not to mention the mess! Think of a soda can under pressure once vigorously shaken!

This is what you will get once cooked and cooled:

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Pulverize biscuits in food processor. Toss them into a bowl and add melted butter. Mix until incorporated.

Place crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate or fluted tart pan (which I used) and spread evenly over bottom. Use a flat-bottomed cup to press crumbs evenly over bottom of pan and up the sides.

Bake until fragrant, about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

Using mixer or whisk, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy and thick.

To assemble pie, spread cooled sweetened condensed milk or dulce de leche over pie bottom, top with bananas, and finish with whipped cream.

Sprinkle with chocolate curls and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made several hours before serving.

This pie is like revenge: BEST SERVED COLD.

Yields: One awesome pie.

Happy Baking!

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake Cups with Peanut Butter Frosting - Part II

2012-01-14T11:36:00.005-05:00

Tonight is Beth's party. It's a karaoke party.

I love karaoke. I can't hold a tune to save my life, but I love it. I am one of those people that can get up to sing, completely sober, without a care in the world. Isn't that what it's about? I'm not a big fan of those that sing really well. I mean, how do you follow a Celine wannabe? We went to karaoke one night where the girl actually brought her OWN material. What the.....seriously? I might spring to sing Eric Carmen's, 'All by Myself' tonight. Or maybe BUTCHER some Mariah Carey. I'll see what the atmosphere pulls out of me.

For tonight's edible portion of the show, I'm making some cupcakes. Brownie bottom cheesecake cups with a ridiculous amount of peanut butter goodness on top. Beth loves cheesecake. I thought I would pimp them up a bit more. What's a party without cake?

Or a pimp.

BROWNIE BOTTOM CHEESECAKE CUPS WITH PEANUT BUTTER ICING

Brownies:

You could certainly use a box, but I chose to go all homemade. She's worth it.

1 cup unsalted butter

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli chocolate chips)

4 large eggs

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350º. Line muffin tins with FOIL cupcake liners. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and turn off heat. Combine butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over pan of water. Stir occasionally until melted.

Whisk eggs together in a large bowl, then whisk in salt, both sugars, and vanilla.

Stir in chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in flour.

Fill cups about a third into liners. This recipe will make 24 cupcakes plus an 8x8 pan of brownies.

Cheesecake:

2 packages of cream cheese

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream

Combine ingredients and mix until well blended. Pour into cups over the brownie mixture and fill, leaving about a half inch at the top. The cheesecake will settle once removed from oven, so don't be alarmed if it seems full.

Bake for 20 minutes. Don't worry if you see cracks. They will be covered with frosting.

Let set for a minute or two and carefully remove from pan.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

(You can also completely omit frosting and opt for cherry pie topping!)

½ cup butter

1 cup smooth peanut butter

3 cups powdered sugar

⅓ cup cream

Combine ingredients into a bowl, slowly adding powdered sugar. Otherwise, you'll end up with a cloud of sugar smoke.

Once cupcakes are completely cooled, place frosting in a piping bag with your tip of choice and apply. Add sprinkles or drizzle with caramel. I opted for peanut butter cups and dulce de leche.

Happy Birthday Beth and Happy Baking!

Happy Birthday BFF - Part I

2012-01-13T09:49:00.011-05:00

It's my BFF's birthday today! Happy Birthday Bitches!

She is such a wonderful friend.

I first met Beth in February 2004. My husband and I were in a small bible study group of about 10 people. It was based around the book, The Purpose Driven Life. (If you haven't read it, I implore you do. It's amazing!) Beth's parents were in the group as well.

I get little panic attacks when I'm in a group of people - mainly when it's people I don't know. I don't know why this happens, but it's been something I've been dealing with for years. I learned to suck it up and hide it very well and often use humor to deflect my uncomfortableness. Beth's Mama, Bonnie, would laugh at the things I said. On several occasions, she mentioned, "You have to meet our Beth! You'd get on so well with her!"

The Dubya's** invited us to their home for lunch on Sunday afternoon to meet the rest of their family. About 10 minutes after meeting her, I was like, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?"

Beth: Wanna go shopping?

Me: Always!

Beth: Wanna go now?

Me: Hell Yeah.

Beth: So, you like Value Village?

Me: Yeah I do!

Beth: Okay, let's go!

Bonding over thrift items, I couldn't be happier.

You're an amazing girl Bethaniel. I'm so blessed you're in my life. I hope you have the best day ever. xoox

** last name kinda sorta changed to protect the innocent.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

2012-01-11T13:13:00.007-05:00

You know the statement, "You learn something new everyday"? Here is a little fact that I learned today. Disney Fairies (as in Tinkerbell and friends) apparently smell like cinnamon. Not like flowers, not like pine trees, or a sunny Spring morning, but cinnamon. Hmm.

I am a cinnamon LOVAH. It's one of my most favorite smells. Except for cinnamon candles. They smell like a bad mix of artificial spices and old ladies. Not a pleasant aroma to the nose.

I really love cinnamon rolls/buns, especially Cinnabon. Some of my favorite memories of dating my husband was introducing him to new foods. I remember this one particular time I made the six hour drive to see him and we went to the mall. (Later learning that he is SO NOT a mall kind of person, but I am appreciative he did those things to make me happy - and still does!) I introduced him to his first warm and gooey Cinnabon along with an ice cold pint of milk. I don't think I've ever seen a man so happy.

As much as I love them, I find them tedious to make and can't be bothered, unless it's a special occasion or holiday. Until I found this number. It's got the star quality of a cinnamon roll/bun, but simplicity written all over it.

Kind of like me. Gooeyness included.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Recipe adapted and slightly modified from the Picky Palate

Cake:

3 cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1½ cups milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup butter, melted

Topping:

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

⅔ cups nuts, optional

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

5 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

In an electric or stand mixer mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in melted butter. Be warned: Once the butter is added, the batter will creep up the beaters! Have a spatula/scraper on hand.

Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nuts (if using) until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. (My cake took the full 30 minutes).

Don't be alarmed if there is some movement when time is up. The first time I made it, I panicked as it was super buttery and looked a mess. This is why I changed the butter portion for the topping from 1 cup to ½ cup butter and that did the trick! As long as the cake portion is baked and the toothpick is clean, it's fine. As the cake cools, the topping WILL solidify.

To make icing, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yields: 12-16 servings.

Happy Baking!

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

2012-01-04T12:35:00.005-05:00

It's been a wonderful holiday from beginning to end. Start to finish. I can't believe how blessed I am! I have a beautiful family who are happy and healthy, a lovely home in a lovely part of the world, incredible and amazing friends....I can't ask for more than that, but the Good Lord continues to bless me.

Of course with the holidays comes oodles and oodles of chocolate. I curse myself every New Year. I buy way too much and end up with even more. It's a illness I tell you. However, I would be lying if I said I don't get excited with the prospect of creating some new recipes or taking some I've had my eye on for a spin.

However, this year I decided to bag up every last piece of chocolate and sent it with hubby to work. It's too tempting for me and figured it's better on their bums than mine.

Of course, asking me to abstain from sugar is like asking a fish to ride a bike. As amusing it would be to watch, it won't have a good outcome.

So enjoy these mini pineapple upside down cakes. Sugar goodness. Chocolate-free.

Although I may be regretting my decision to give all my stash away in a few days. Ugh.

MINI PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Topping:

¾ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 can sliced pineapple rings

6 maraschino cherries

For the cake protion, I used a box yellow cake mix. Easy peasy. Just follow instructions on the back of the box. I substituted applesauce for the oil and added a few tablespoons of the pineapple juice.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray your muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. I used a mini bundt pan, but if you don't have one, you can use a jumbo muffin pan or even a regular size pan.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Stir on low heat for one minute.

Place a pineapple ring in the bottom of each muffin tin. Add a cherry in the middle of each pineapple. If you use a regular tin, you will need to cut the pineapple to fit.

Spoon over a layer of the warm brown sugar mixture. Pour cake mixture over to fill muffin tin ¾ of the way full.

Bake for 20 -25 minutes, depending on pan size you will be using. Let cakes cool in pan for 3 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each cake to help loosen in case it sticks a little. Place a wire cooling rack on top, and quickly flip over.

Yields: 6 jumbo or 12 regular size cakes.

Happy Baking!

Eggnog Pound Cake

2011-12-31T11:56:00.005-05:00

Christmas was awesome. Simply awesome. The big, jolly man made the trek to our house and came down the chimney - actually, this year, he came through the front door. My ever growing clever daughter asked, "How will Santa get through the glass on the fireplace, Mommy?" Sigh.

I had to be one step ahead of clever clogs and pull out the big guns. A very special magic key, exclusively for Santa. Universal for any door. Thankfully, I picked one up several years ago on sale at the Hallmark Shop. Once I explained to her the procedure, she seemed content and asked no more questions.

After Santa delivered on the goods, he and I kicked back and noshed on some eggnog pound cake and tea while watching classic Christmas movies; stealing kisses here and there. Brings a whole new perspective to the classic Christmas song, "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus", except my kids were sound asleep and that song is utterly ridiculous. I mean, OUR Santa wears flannel pajama bottoms and a well loved and worn Scott Dixon Indycar racing t-shirt. If he actually dressed up as Santa and delivered presents like that, I may laugh at him for all eternity.

But for the record, Santa's an awesome kisser.

EGGNOG POUND CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix - I used Duncan Hines. You can also use a pound cake mix.

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1½ cups eggnog

4 eggs

½ cup butter or margarine, melted

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Eggnog Glaze: (optional, but AMAZING with this cake!)

1½ cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons eggnog

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat all ingredients together at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.

Pour into two lightly greased 9x5-inch loaf pans. Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2012! Happy New Year and Happy Baking!

Sweetest Email Ever....

2011-12-31T08:57:00.000-05:00

Hi Jenny,

Just wanted you to know that we tried your recipe for the white chocolate/cranberry cookies yesterday. I took them to a friend's Christmas dinner party and everyone raved about them! I quote "they are to die for!!!".

Thanks again. I just wanted you to know that your efforts are really appreciated and now people think I'm a way better baker than I actually am.

Have a Merry Christmas with your family.

_________________________________________________

You are such a sweetheart Mrs. Thomson! You made my heart insanely happy and a blush appear across my cheeks. It's people like you that inspire me to do what I do! Oodles of thanks for the sweet words. It meant more to me than you will ever know.

xoxo

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T12:05:00.006-05:00

Christmas is less than a week away. And I'm stressed.

I don't know why really. I've been ready for weeks. It's kind of like planning a wedding. You plan for weeks and weeks, then hit a plateau where there is nothing more you can do. Then suddenly, it's the week before and you have a kagillion things to do. Unfortunately, this is me EVERY year at Christmas.

I'm also one of those annoying people that has all the shopping done by October and everything wrapped by the first week of November. All I have to do is wait for the day to arrive. Aside from that, our house is decked out in Christmas glory, the cookies have been baked....oh, speaking of. Let my ADD interrupt and tell you about that.

This year, I decided to keep track of how much and how many. How much I would use and how many cookies I would end up with. I was amazed. Astonished. Gobsmacked. I used 8½ pounds of butter, 12 pounds of flour, 2½ dozen eggs, 7 pounds of sugar (both brown and white) and 8 bags of chocolate chips!

17 different varieties, 57½ dozen cookies later, can you say, "Are you MAD, woman?"

Yes. Yes I am. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'll be back in a few days, but until then....May the holiday you celebrate be nothing less than spectacular and your heart be light with joy and happiness.

Happy Baking and Happy Holidays!

xoxo

Homemade Turtles

2011-12-11T10:32:00.004-05:00

Wanna make the easiest treat on the planet? Then child, do I have the treat for you! The secret? It's only 3 ingredients. Yes, that's right my pretty. Three. Tres. Trois. Tre.

Now there is no excuse to show up to a Christmas party empty-handed. Unless of course you lose all control and eat them en route.

Which is a totally understandable.

TURTLES

1 bag waffle-style pretzels

Rolos - Here is a little tip I learned. When purchasing Rolos, buy the ones you find in a roll, not individually wrapped. Otherwise, you'll be peeling foil off for hours.

Halved pecans

Preheat oven to 300F. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat, arrange pretzels and place Rolo on top.

Bake in the oven for 3-4 minutes - just until the chocolate is soft. Take tray out of the oven and immediately place a pecan on top, applying gentle pressure. Be sure not to smush too hard or you'll end up with a mess.

Allow to fully cool at room temperature before enjoying or packaging.

Happy Baking!

Pull-Apart Maple Walnut Sticky Buns

2011-12-06T19:42:00.004-05:00

I went Christmas card shopping for the 3rd time this week. I'm a funny gal when it comes to Christmas cards. I'm super fussy when buying them. I don't do cutesy, I don't do crude, and I don't do unorthodox colors like pink or purple. Oodles of glitter, sparkle, Santas, or snowmen are a plus.

As I was scanning through the mounds and mounds of card boxes, I was also holding a bottle of almond extract. It was a pretty big bottle for a very reasonable price, so I snatched it up for my Christmas baking. As the crowd started to get a bit busier around this table, so were my arms. Before I knew it, I dropped the bottle of extract, the lid cracked, and a small gush of liquid ended up on the floor, sending an aromatic smell into the air. Thankfully, no one saw what had happened and I cleaned it up the best I could with the tissue I found in my pocket. Unused, of course, so no spreading the 'love' in a gross way.

As I finished mopping the mess up the best I could, an older lady with her friend came up behind me and said, "Hey Carol, what's that smell? Are they making scented Christmas cards now?" Awesome.

Speaking of awesome, you must try this recipe. It's perfect for Christmas morning. You'll be showered with kisses.

Who needs mistletoe?

PULL-APART MAPLE WALNUT STICKY BUNS
Recipe adapted and slightly modified from Foodzilla.

2 small tubes refrigerator buttermilk biscuits

½ cup butter, melted

½ cup pure maple syrup - you can also use pancake syrup

½ cups packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ chopped walnuts - these are, of course, optional, but so yummy if added!

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray. Combine the melted butter and maple syrup in a small bow; set aside. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Place about half of the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on top. Spread nuts on top of brown sugar. I did half nuts & half plain.

Overlap the biscuits on the bottom of the pan to form a ring.

Top with remaining syrup and sugar.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute in the pan, then invert onto a serving platter.

Yields: 20 buns.

Happy Baking!

Flourless Peanut Butter Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-11-26T12:08:00.005-05:00

Now that Thanksgiving is over (and a wonderful day it was), my cookie selection for Christmastime begins. It's the one time of year I look forward to baking for 4 straight days in a row.

Where I come from, the definition of a Christmas cookie is, "Anything that is homemade during Christmas and for Christmas". Where I live, it's "Anything that looks difficult to make using lots of ingredients while donning the colors of red, green, and blue in or on it". I have actually gotten into several heated arguments with people about what a Christmas cookie is. My answer will always remain the same every time - if a cookie is made at Christmastime, it's a Christmas cookie. Period. Period. and Period.

While I love almost every cookie known to man, there are some I just do not. Cookies with any sort of dried fruit in them such cherries, apricots, or pineapple are forbidden near me (however, cranberries and raisins are embraced with open arms) and cookies with ginger as the main ingredient need not apply. I also don't like care for cookies that have way too many nuts or are swimming in powdered sugar. Someone once told me that shortbread is not a Christmas cookie. Tell that to any true Brit and they'll smack you senseless.

Of course, my Christmas Baking Extravaganza 2011 will kick off in a few short weeks, I can't forget about my wonderful gluten-intolerant husband. I know he will be pretty bummed that there will be cookies he can't eat without feeling the effects the following day. I have searched for some recipes that will appeal to him and his digestive system and found this delightful cookie.

Flourless Peanut Butter Double Chocolate Chip Cookies will make his days merry and bright.

And score me an extra present in my Christmas sack!

FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Recipe adapted and slightly modified from Recipe Girl

3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 to 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1½ cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (to ensure a gluten-free cookie, use gluten-free chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with Silpat mats for best results - you can also use parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt.

Whisk in egg whites. Start with 2 and work your way up to 4 if needed. You'll be looking for a brownie-like consistency. If the batter seems too thick, add another egg white, up to the 4th if needed. I used 3 whites for this recipe. Add vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened.

Add peanut butter and stir until incorporated. Gently stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter onto the prepared baking sheets. I used my trusty ice cream scooper. These will spread, so allow for some room. (I put 9 balls per cookie sheet).

Bake about 14 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked. Carefully place onto wire racks. Let cookies cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yields: About 2½ dozen

Happy Baking!

Banana Walnut Cookies

2011-11-19T15:04:00.006-05:00

Did you ever have so many bananas that you don't know what to do with them? That's me. All the time.

I am a sucker for brown bananas in the grocery store. I'll buy them, peel them, and stick them in Ziploc bags until I can use them. I found several bags in the freezer the other day and realized I need to curb my impulse for buying anymore.

As much as I love banana bread and muffins, sometimes I want something different besides the usual suspects.

Banana walnut cookies were born. I wasn't sure how they would turn out, but thought I have nothing to lose, aside from some of the bananas, and everything to gain, like freezer space.

These are not your average cookie and hit my 'want something different' mood quite nicely. I did taste the nuts more than the bananas, but the combination yields a cookie that is soft and delicious.

As my daughter put it, these are 'nuttawicious'.

BANANA WALNUT COOKIES

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup ground flax seeds

¾ cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1½ cup mashed banana (about 4 medium)

½ cup old fashioned oats, finely ground

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. For best results, line cookies with silicone liners or parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, flax seeds, baking soda, and salt until well blended; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until well blended.

Add egg and bananas. I pureed the bananas with a ½ cup oatmeal to add some extra goodness. By grinding/breaking down the oatmeal with the bananas, it helps yield a smoother looking cookie.

Stir in the flour mixture on low speed until just combined.

Stir in walnuts.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 14 minutes. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before storing.

Yields: About 2½ dozen

Happy Baking!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-11-10T12:43:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, zucchini season has come and gone, but I just can't help myself - I love the stuff.

Although pumpkin is this seasons 'it' fruit, I will always give zucchini it's due. I throw it in almost everything I make. Zucchini has so much goodness. It's a very underrated fruit.

These came about when I was looking for some cookies to make with the 100 zucchinis I got from the local farm we get our fruits and veggies from.

These are a keeper and quite the tasty treat.

Kind of like John Krasinski. (Can I get an Amen?)

ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

½ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups old fashioned oats

¼ cup ground flax seeds

2 cups chocolate chips (I love dark chocolate chips in these cookies!

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and flax seeds; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in the egg and vanilla, mix well - batter will be light in color.

Stir in the shredded zucchini and mix until combined.

Combine zucchini mixture and flour mixture together and blend until incorporated.

With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand.

Drop dough onto an unprepared cookie sheet. I used my trusty ice cream scoop. Leave at least 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 12-14 minutes and transfer onto wire rack to cool.

Yields: About 3 dozen cookies

Happy Baking!

Pecan Pumpkin Squares

2011-11-07T11:11:00.007-05:00

I LOVE Williams-Sonoma. I really do. It's my happy place.

I attended their Customer Appreciation Night a few weeks back - 10% off everything in the store, including sale prices! I did some real damage to the husband's credit card and I'm thinking of skipping town when the bill arrives next week.

My favorite purchase was definitely the Breville Pie Maker. After weeks of admiring it, I finally broke down and bought it. Let me tell you, it's been WELL worth it! I've made pies that even I didn't think were possible with this crafty and ingenious machine. However, we'll save that for another post.

I also picked up a few jars of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter.

This delightful creation is something to get excited about. As I was walking around the shop, mentally keeping track of all the items Santa could get me that would prompt me to squeal with joy, a sweet sales guy named Ty was walking around with a tray of these super delicious squares.

I ate 3 of them. I did my usual moaning as I devoured each one and, at the same time, convinced myself I NEEDED 4 jars. Imagine my excitement when I got to the till and they were on sale! When I got home and did some digging on the internet, I discovered an entire website with dozens of recipes specifically for Muirhead butters!

I guess it goes to show it doesn't take a lot to make me happy.

Expensive happiness perhaps, but not a lot.

PECAN PUMPKIN SQUARES

Adapted and slightly modified from Williams-Sonoma

1 box yellow cake mix

½ cup butter, melted
1 jar Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter
3 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
¼ cup flour
¼ cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup old fashioned oats

¼ cup ground flax seeds

Preheat oven to 350. Reserve 1 cup of cake mix and set aside.

Mix remaining cake with with ½ cup melted butter and 1 egg. Press mixture lightly into the bottom of a 13" x 9" baking dish.

Mix one jar of pumpkin pecan butter with remaining two eggs and milk and pour over cake mixture in pan.

Mix remaining 1 cup cake mix with flour, sugar, remaining ¼ cup butter, cinnamon, oats, and flax seeds.

Crumble over the top of the pumpkin layer.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden. Cool to room temperature and serve.

Yields: About 12-16 squares

Happy Baking!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Smarties Cookies

2011-11-02T18:22:00.043-04:00

There are some combinations that deserve to be together: chocolate & peanut butter, milk & cookies, saturday mornings & cartoons; while others should not: chocolate & bananas (gag), chocolate & orange (double gag), Kim Kardashian and marriage. Okay, so perhaps that was a bit mean, but c'mon. 72 days? Really?

Anyway, ONE of my most favorite cookies (and I stress the word ONE because I have about a dozen) are the Girl Scout Cookies, Do-Si-Dos. When I moved to Canada, I happily discovered they sold them in the grocery store YEAR ROUND under the name, Pirates. JOY!

Today, I had a real hankering for a good peanut butter cookie, but my daughter also has a HUGE bagful of Halloween candy and chips Mama needs to make disappear fast before she has a meltdown and attacks the bag like a lunatic.

Rewind to a few nights ago. Halloween night. My daughter made out like a bandit - or pirate to be more precise (and the cutest pirate ever!) After 3 very successful trips out that night, her 'treasure' consisted of 21 bags of chips and 23 pounds of chocolate. Seriously, I'm not too far off the mark. I guess the upside to being adventurous in the kitchen is knowing that I can incorporate much of her loot into some recipes.

Today, we counted 46 mini boxes of Smarties. 46! That's like $10 worth of chocolate right there. Since we will not eat that many Smarties (well, SHE won't, but Mama might!) we opened a few boxes and threw them into our peanut butter oatmeal cookie batter.

Good call. They were just what the cookies needed. A beautiful marriage of a beautiful combination guaranteed to put a smile on your face the entire time.

No pre-nup required.

PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL SMARTIES COOKIES

1¼ cup CHUNKY peanut butter

¼ cup butter, room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar*

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups AP flour
3 tablespoons ground flax seeds

1 cup Smarties Candies

*For a slightly crispier cookie, substitute 1 cup of brown sugar with ½ cup brown sugar and ½ granulated sugar.

Preheat oven to 350º. In a bowl, whisk flour and baking soda together; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat peanut butter, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add oatmeal and flax seeds and mix.

With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined.

Using wooden spoon or silicone spatula, stir in Smarties by hand.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop onto baking sheets.

If using a small scoop, bake until golden, about 9 to 11 minutes. If using a large scoop, bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Yields: About 3½ dozen with small scoop or 2½ dozen with large scoop.

Happy Baking!

Candy Corn Cookies

2011-10-31T07:54:00.009-04:00

I am NOT a candy corn kind of gal, which is surprising because I love sugar.

When I first discovered these cookies on Pinterest, I pinned them, but forgot all about them. A few days before Halloween, I came across The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle's blog and caught her version of these sweet cookies. I loved the chocolate touch she added and followed suit. We made them for my daughter's teachers and, needless to say, they went over better than a kid in a candy store.

Super cute and delicious? You can't ask for anymore than that.

Happy Halloween and Happy Baking!

'Ohana Bread Pudding aka The Best Damn Bread Pudding!

2011-10-24T21:32:00.004-04:00

There are 2 things that drive me crazy about people. Actually, there are about 1,143 things that drive me crazy about people, but for the sake of this blog, I'll keep it to the two that pertain to this recipe and something that just happened.

The first is when I sell something on Craigslist. 99% of the time, the items I sell are very reasonable and in pristine condition. It grinds me to no end when people try to get my goods for nothing. I was selling a brand new pair of Strawberry Shortcake fleece pajamas - with tags attached, perfect for gift giving as they were thankyouverymuch - for $8. I originally bought them for $17.99, but decided to cut my losses and sell just below half of what I paid since I wasn't going back to that shop I bought them from anytime soon. I had a buyer ask if I would let them go for $3! THREE DOLLARS!?!? Give me a break.

The second is folks is people that don't share recipes. I understand that your Aunt Dottie's 100-year-old soufflé recipe has been the family secret for years, but don't tease me with photos, tell me how delicious it is, let me moan through it, and NOT expect me to ask for the recipe. That's just cruel. In my opinion, recipes are like good advice. They're meant to be shared. Don't be so difficult. I'm not going to sell it and make a million dollars on your recipe...and even if I did, you snooze, you lose. Just kidding. Fortunately, I'm not that kind of person. I'm a lover, not a fighter and it's just not in me to be any other way.

I first found this recipe online a few years ago. The site I got it from had amazing photos with step by step instructions. What could go wrong? Everything. I was so disappointed. Mine looked nothing like theirs and I'm sure it did not taste the same either. What a waste. Last year, my MIL picked up the cookbook, Delicious Disney, by total coincidence at a garage sale. Guess what was in it? You betcha. This beauty. I did a cartwheel (true story!) When I went back to the site, I realized the author had the posted the incorrect recipe. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened. I get so annoyed because ingredients are not cheap. Some recipes I make can cost up to $20 when all is said and done.

Anyway, I gave it another shot correctly and we all absolutely moaned through it. We love it and it's the only bread pudding I ever make. Even my gluten-intolerant husband can't resist it. He pays for it the next day, but says it's worth every bite.

You may gain 5 pounds eating this dessert, but I assure, it is worth every swear word you will speak when it comes time to put on those skinny jeans for a night out with the girls.

'Ohana Bread Pudding

Recipe adapted and modified from Delicious Disney Cookbook

5 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups whole milk
1 loaf challah bread or egg-style bread (large enough to fill 10 cups)
½ cup crushed, canned pineapple
¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Heat oven to 350ºF. In large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut bread in ½-inch cubes. I just tear them.

Add bread, pineapple, and coconut to egg mixture. Grease large baking dish with butter. Add bread custard mix to the greased baking dish.

**The recipe calls to bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. I have found that it was too long and didn’t give the bread pudding it’s pillowy inside that I love. After several attempts, I found 40 minutes was perfect.

Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes.

CARAMEL SAUCE

1 cup dark brown sugar

½ cup corn syrup

½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup rum - optional

(If you use the rum, the original recipe also calls for 3 bananas to be sliced, added, and flambéed along with the sauce. This creates a sort of Bananas Foster sauce. I make this without both (and prefer it) and it is still - OMG delicious!)

In a sauce pan, combine dark brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and half of the heavy cream. Using high heat; bring to a rolling boil. Allow mixture to boil 10 minutes and add remaining heavy cream. Let it boil additional minute. Add rum (if using) and vanilla extract.

If you want to use the bananas, rum, and flambé the sauce, here are the instructions to do so. Amaze your friends and family! I would, but knowing me, I would burn the house down!

Carefully flambé the pan using a long stemmed lighter. Let boil until the flame goes out. Reduce to a simmer and stir with a high heat spatula.

Peel and slice bananas; add them to the caramel sauce. Remove the caramel from the heat and set aside. Place scoop of ice cream on top each portion of bread pudding.

Yields: About 12-14 servings.

Happy Baking!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2011-10-18T13:09:00.002-04:00

It has been 2 ½ months since I blogged. I KNOW! I'm totally hanging my head in shame, but I can explain.

First, our best camera broke. My husband and I seriously have the WORST luck with technology. You name it....VCR's, DVD players, stereos, cell phones, and more importantly, cameras. They just seem to break. It's frustrating. Our kids have 6 cameras in their toy box - all of which were working at one time. Buying another camera wasn't in the budget when we really need a new roof. The camera we were making do with takes mediocre & grainy photos, so we resorted to taking photos with film for awhile. I know, right? What's film? I can't believe they actually still develop film. Luckily and thankfully for us, they do.

We finally went out last week and bought one before my baby boy's first birthday. I wasn't risking his special day to a crappy camera or film. I've gotten spoiled with digital and he deserves it.

Aside from being absent photo wise, we've also had a very busy summer and time just got away from me.

I have been making some great recipes, but with no photos to back them up, I thought, 'What's the point?' I was speaking to my girl, Beth, and she said, "Just blog something. It's better than nothing". My good friend, Gillian, had also been asking why I haven't been blogging. In her super awesome Scottish accent, she said at my son's birthday party, "You now have a camera. I've seen it. There are now no excuses".

So, I thought I better get cracking. What does one blog after such an absence?

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. What else? The ultimate Fall treat. My daughter and I made these last year and they are incredible!

Ah, nothing like the crisp weather, leaves changing colors, and pulling sweaters out of their summer hibernation to unofficially kick off the baking season.

I'm giddy with joy.

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES

(Adapted & slightly modified from Martha Stewart)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 cups packed dark-brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined.

Add the chilled pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.

Using a small ice cream scoop (this method is just so much easier!) drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.

Cream Cheese Filling

3 cups powdered sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl; set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon; beat until smooth.

To assemble the whoopie pies:

When the cookies have cooled completely, plop a dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days. One issue is that they must be refrigerated or they are way too messy to eat.

Yields: about 20 cookies

Happy Baking!

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Cardamom Cupcakes

2011-07-31T19:27:00.001-04:00

I love the series Cupcakes Wars on the Food Network. Oh my goodness. To watch the emotions and ingredients fly all over the kitchen is pure entertainment to me. I especially love that it doesn't matter what cupcakes are the contestants specialty, there no cupcake discrimination and all are welcome. *sigh*.

When the episode aired with Hollis Wilder and her Gluten-Free Chocolate-Cardamom Cupcake, I knew I had to try it, especially since my husband was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance a few weeks ago. I'm not a fan of gluten-free baked goods at all and feel incredibly blessed my body can handle the stodginess of breads, pastas, and the like, but I gotta tell you....these are AMAZING! My mother-in-law and I ate 2 sans frosting as soon as they came out of the oven (she also has a nasty gluten allergy, bless her!) and we moaned through them in between huffing the heat away.

Gluten-free or not, these are a must try.

You will moan through them.

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE-CARDAMOM CUPCAKES

Recipe adapted from Hollis Wilder of Sweet! by Good Golly Miss Holly Bakery

*This recipe is meant for the cupcakes to be mini, however, I'm a go big or go home kind of gal in the kitchen, so I modified the recipe to a smaller scale and got about 18 regular sized cupcakes. I also found the directions confusing, so I hooked you up. God love the novice baker....it could have been a disaster.

¼ cup bittersweet chocolate - use a good quality chocolate if possible

¼ cup boiling water

3 eggs, separated - SAVE THE YOLKS! You will need them.

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup superfine sugar, divided (If you don't have superfine sugar, whiz granulated sugar in a food processor for 30-45 seconds).

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup rice flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup buttermilk

1 cup Chocolate-Cardamom Ganache

To make the Chocolate-Cardamom Ganache:

½ teaspoon cardamom (I used a full teaspoon, but I scaled it to coinside with the rest of the recipe)

½ cup chopped bittersweet chocolate - again, use a good quality chocolate

½ cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring the cream and cardamom just to a simmer over medium-high heat; pour the mixture over the chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, until cool. Once cooled, stir until incorporated. Do not over stir.

Preheat oven to 325º F. Line cupcake pans with liners.

Melt the chocolate IN the boiling water and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy and stiff but not dry. Add ¼ cup sugar and beat until just incorporated; set aside.

In another bowl, cream the butter with remaining ¾ cups sugar and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat well. Blend in the melted chocolate.

In a bowl, sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the chocolate mixture, beating after each addition until smooth.

Fold in the Chocolate-Cardamom Ganache. Fold in the beaten whites.

Fill the cupcake liners halfway and bake for 23-25 minutes.

Yield: About 18 cupcakes

Happy Baking!

Ham & Cheese Buttermilk Breakfast Muffins

2011-07-22T14:29:00.031-04:00

I work with children for a living. Although I LOVE my job and the fact that all my co-workers are under the age of 5, meal times can be pretty stressful. I have come across more children that are picky eaters than not since working in my field. Where I come from, if you are not a foodie, there is something wrong with you. This goes for kids and adults alike.

Since kids need variety, just as adults do, I've had to become creative in the kitchen and pull a Jessica. Jessica Seinfeld, that is. If you're not a fan of hers, then I guess you can say I pulled a Missy Chase Lapine. (If you don't know about the catfight between them, read about it online sometime; it was crazy and thoroughly entertaining!) Either way, I make a point to hide oodles of goodness in my kids food at every meal. They think they're eating muffins, but they are really devouring a good chunk of their daily nutrition.

I came across this muffin recipe when we were in North Carolina via New York en route to Florida in a Dallas newspaper. Take a moment to digest that. I ripped it out and saved it for a time I knew I would be desperate.

Well, desperation came knocking on the door this summer. Aside from the usual picky suspects, my daughter's eating habits have gone down the toilet since school let out and my son will eat anything within his grasp, I want to make it count.

My daughter calls them pizza muffins.

I call them a lifesaver.

HAM & CHEESE BUTTERMILK BREAKFAST BISCUITS
Recipe adapted & slightly modified from The Dallas Morning News Newspaper

3 cups all purpose or whole wheat flour (or a combination of both)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder

2 tablespoons flax seeds
3 large eggs
1⅓ cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (I used fresh chives in this recipe, but you can also use a finely diced medium onion and toss it in)
1 cup diced ham
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or use cupcake liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pepper, salt, cayenne pepper/chili powder, and flax seeds.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and butter. Stir in the scallions/chives/onion, ham, cheese, and bell pepper.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just moistened.

Scoop the batter into prepared pan (heaping ¼ cup each for unlined muffin pan or scant ¼ cup each for lined.

Bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until the tops are browned. Let the muffins cool in pan for 15 minutes then loosen the edges with a knife (if necessary). Transfer muffins to cooling rack. Serve warm.

Yields: 12 yummy muffins

Happy Baking!

Eton Mess

2011-07-20T13:08:00.025-04:00

Wikipedia's definition of Eton Mess is a traditional English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue, and cream. It is often served at Eton College's annual cricket match against the students of Winchester College.

My definition of Eton Mess is a delectable English treat that consists of delicious, fluffy, marshmallowy clouds stacked on sweet, light, feathery snowflakes and intertwined with juicy, red strawberries that desire to be enjoyed with a magical harp playing softly while cherubs with the face of John Krasinski dance half naked around me, throwing rose petals, sunbeams, and sprinkled covered wishes my way.

This is seriously good stuff and the perfect dessert on a summer day. Although there is some debate as to whether a banana or strawberry should be used (apparently the creator of this dish used bananas as the fruit of choice), I decided to go with the strawberries and throw in a blueberry sauce.

I'm such a rebel.

ETON MESS
Adapted from The Joy of Baking

Meringue:

3 egg whites at room temperature

¾ cup superfine sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar, simply take granulated white sugar and process it for about 30-60 seconds in a food processor)

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 200º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat egg whites with mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Note: The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not feel gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers.

Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag. I used a ziploc bag and a star tip to pretty it up a bit, but you don't need a bag or tip at all; you can use 2 spoons. Dollop onto prepared sheets.

Bake the meringues for approximately 1½ to 1¾ hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. (The meringues will release easily from the parchment paper.)

Leave the meringues in the oven with door cracked to finish drying several hours or overnight. They can be covered and stored at room temperature for several days.

Blueberry Sauce:

A pint of blueberries

3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup water

2 tablespoons orange juice

Place ingredients over stove and bring to a boil for about 7 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Be sure to de-stem and take out any wonky blueberries before placing on stove.

To assemble:

Start with a few meringues at the bottom of dish you will be using and begin the layering process of meringue, fruit, whipped cream, and blueberry sauce. Serve immediately.

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Strawberry Pretzel Squares

2011-07-16T10:07:00.003-04:00

My church threw the best BBQs growing up. We were only a small congregation of about 75 people, but the food that would arrive was that of a 1000 people. Aside from all the usual hot dogs, burgers, potato & macaroni salads, the ladies of the church knew how to bake.

There was always an array of cakes, cookies, pies, and tarts. A staple dessert at the BBQ (and one of my most favorite summertime desserts to this day) is Strawberry Pretzel Squares. We also knew it as Strawberry Pretzel Salad.

When I was 11 years old, the only thing that stood between me and this gorgeous dessert was a scrawny boy named Keith. His mom made it and he KNEW how much I loved it. He was a year older than me and wouldn't let me near it until I kissed him. Boys were so icky until I was about 14, so on a scale of 1 to 10 on the Gross-o-meter, he was a 12. Of course, our Moms thought it was so cute. Gag.

I looked him up on facebook a few years ago. I love facebook just for that reason alone. I'm a total lurker. I don't necessarily want to befriend old acquaintances per se, I just like to see how kind Father Time is to people I grew up with.

Time served Keith very well. Although I don't know how many women Keith has held ransom to this dessert since, but to be fair, it is a dessert worthy of a kiss.

No matter how scrawny the boy is.

STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SQUARES

2 cups crushed pretzels
¾ cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
1½ cups whipped topping, I used Cool Whip
2 packages strawberry gelatin, I used Jello Brand
1 pound fresh strawberries
(The original recipe actually calls for 2 packages of 10 ounce frozen strawberries. I LOVE fresh fruit and will use it if it's available. This step is delicious either way)

Note: This is a dessert that requires a few steps until completion. For best results, do not use shortcuts and allow for cooling and chilling times as indicated.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Using a blender, chop pretzels into very small pieces.

Using an egg slicer, slice strawberries.

In a bowl, combine pretzels, butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Press into a 9 x13-inch pan and bake for 8 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar. Fold in the whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust.

Refrigerate until well chilled or about 3 hours.

In a small bowl, prepare gelatin as instructed on box. Once prepared, place in fridge and chill until slightly thickened. (When I mean thickened, it will have a 'ripple' when jiggled.)

Pour gelatin over cream cheese mixture and add fresh strawberries on top, pushing down gently until submerged. I add the strawberries after so they are evenly distributed across the dish. If using frozen strawberries, add them TO the gelatin and then pour over cream cheese mixture.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.

Happy Baking!

Black Bean Brownies with Goat Cheese

2011-07-12T10:24:00.067-04:00

Yes, you read right. Black Bean Brownies with Goat Cheese. Would you believe me if I told you they are unbelievably tasty? If you have a gluten intolerance or allergy, you are gonna love me!

My husband recently had some testing done for gluten intolerance and the results came back positive. Poor guy. We've suspected he's had one for a long time; it was just a matter of proving it.

Of course, for someone that bakes only with flour, I realized I needed to find some recipes that are gluten-free so my husband can enjoy a tasty treat every now and again.

I went to Whole Foods the other day and noticed this brownie recipe hanging out in the canned beans section. I remembered a co-worker of mine sending me a similar recipe not too long ago, but at the time, I put it in the 'Will Try Someday' section of my ever growing recipe folder. When I saw this recipe again, I took it as a sign to try them. I'll try anything once. Well, almost anything.

I decided to go big or go home and added some goat cheese as a topping. Since I'm already using unorthodox ingredients for a brownie, I figured, why not? I also added a pinch of chili powder for a nice punch of flavor since chiles (especially ancho chiles) compliment both chocolate and black beans quite nicely in their own way.

Bring on the margaritas! It's a Fiesta! Olé!

BLACK BEAN BROWNIES WITH GOAT CHEESE

Recipe adapted and slightly modified from Whole Foods Market

1- 19 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup melted butter

¼ cup cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chocolate chips

½ cup finely chopped coconut

a pinch of chili powder

⅓ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Goat Cheese Topping

4 ounces goat cheese

1 egg

1½ tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the black beans, sugar, eggs, melted butter, cocoa, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the beans are completely pureed. If you don't have a food processor because a previous recipe broke it, you can also use a blender.

Remove the blade or transfer into a bowl and gently stir in the chocolate chips, coconut, chili powder, and walnuts if using.

Transfer brownie mixture to the prepared pan. Drop goat cheese mixture into blobs and swirl using a skewer or fork.

Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, or until just set in the center. Cool before cutting into squares.

Yields: 16 Brownies

Happy Baking!

Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes

2011-07-09T22:22:00.012-04:00

If you've ever moved away from home, you know how tough it is. Aside from missing the obvious - family and friends - one thing you miss terribly is the food.

Oh, the food.

I can’t tell you how often I crave food from home. When my cravings are almost animalistic, I often wonder why I didn’t indulge when I had full access to it. I guess it’s like the saying, ‘Don’t know what you got til it’s gone.’

When I was pregnant with both my kids, I had terrible cravings for food from back home; Mom's homemade macaroni and cheese, pizza from our local tavern, iced tea that is brewed and packaged right in my hometown, and the biggest craving by far was for Butterscotch Krimpets by Tastykake.

Ah, Tastykake. You delightful baked good manufacturer.

Tastykakes are mainly available in the Philadelphia area, Southern New Jersey, Northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as random parts along the east coast - mainly touristy areas. Last year while my family and I were vacationing in Florida, we found a shelf of them and I literally jumped up and down I was that excited! I may have even wet myself, but I can’t confirm as I did knock my daughter’s water cup out of her hand. (I ended up walking out of the store with 6 boxes and very wet shorts).

Of course, I was craving them today and of course I wanted them now, so I pulled out my scary recipe folder. I knew I had a copycat recipe for a Tastykake, but I couldn’t remember which one.

Then I found it. Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes. OH JOY!

I jumped up and down I was so excited! I think I may have wet myself, but I can’t confirm, because I knocked my daughter’s juice cup out of her hand.

She really needs to step back when she sees Mom going for the high kick.

PEANUT BUTTER KANDY KAKES

Cake:

4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder

Toppings:
2 cups peanut butter

1½ cups of GOOD chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet choco chips)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine wet ingredients; eggs, milk, vanilla and butter. Set aside.

Combine dry ingredients; flour, sugar, and baking powder.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients until well blended.

Pour mixture onto a well greased jelly roll pan (use at least a 10x15 size if possible) and bake for 15 -20 minutes.

While cake is still hot, spread peanut butter carefully over cake evenly.

Freeze for about an hour to solidify. Once frozen, use a circlular shaped cutter, glass, or cup to cut cakes. I used a child's cup as it yielded a perfect Kandy Kake size.

*NOTE You can certainly skip the cutting into circles step. To finish cake off, melt chocolate in micorwave for about 30 seconds and mix until smooth. Pour chocolate directly on top of CHILLED peanut butter. Return to fridge to harden and cut into slices/bars.

Moving on with the cut out cake....

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, dip rounds, and let cakes cool on parchment paper.

Keep chilled for best results and the all important 'snap' factor upon biting into the cake!

Yields: About 18 cakes.

Happy Baking!

Brown Sugar Pound Cake/Piloncillo Bread

2011-07-06T16:21:00.002-04:00

Don't you love when a bad situation has a happy ending? Let me tell you about my baking blunder.

A few posts back, I spoke of my friend, Daniela, who hails from Mexico. She has introduced me to some knock-your-socks-off Mexican recipes, like Calabaza en Tacha and Tres Leches Cake. Problem is, when she makes treats as such, it's usually from ingredients her parents brought from home and I can't get locally. Boo.

Daniela brought her kiddies over the other day for a playdate and thoughtfully brought along 2 bags of piloncillo granulado. Piloncillo is basically Mexico's version of brown sugar, but it's very hard in texture with a much stronger molasses flavor than the brown sugar used in the US or Canada. It's also most often sold in cone or block form. This stuff is so versatile and so good!

My intention was to make the pound cake and crush the piloncillo pellets into the batter so as it bakes, it will leave each bite with a lovely punch of flavor.

When I realized it was too tedious to cut all these pellets into pieces (and waaaay too hard to crush with my bare hands), I pulled out the food processor, thinking I was smart and saving some time. Uh….no. Those little buggers actually broke the blade off! *Sigh*.

Not to be defeated, I decided to melt the pellets down to a syrup like they do when making Tacha and just add it to the batter for an all over unique flavor.

Bingo.

It was amazing! I made a sauce with the last bit of syrup that was left in the pan. It was OVER THE TOP delicious! It's a bit like Sticky Toffee Pudding, but without the use of dates.

I love happy accidents.

My food processor does not.

BROWN SUGAR POUND CAKE

Recipe adapted and slightly modified from Martha Stewart

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups sifted all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 ¼ cups brown sugar, packed

5 large eggs

¾ cup buttermilk

¾ cup of piloncillo syrup (You can substitute 1 cup dark brown sugar and 3 teaspoons molasses to get a comparable flavor of the piloncillo)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour two 8x4 loaf pans. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time until well combined. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture and blend well. Fold in piloncillo syrup.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake for about an hour. Cool 10 minutes then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream or for a richer treat, drizzle with piloncillo toffee sauce.

To make piloncillo toffee sauce, boil the remainder of piloncillo to a paste.

Mix 1 cup paste, 1 cup heavy cream and 3 tablespoons butter. Whisk until fully incorporated and thick.

Happy Baking!

Boston Cream Cupcakes

2011-07-02T20:31:00.010-04:00

Today is my Father-in-law's birthday, or as my daughter fondly calls him, 'Gogo'. She could never say, 'Grandad' when she was learning to talk, so Gogo came out and stuck ever since.

Of course, we find any reason to make goodies in our home, but since this is a special occasion for a special person, it warrants a special dessert.

Gogo loves Boston Cream Donuts, so we decided to make him some Boston Cream Cupcakes. I don't know a man that doesn't love Boston Cream anything. If you can find a way to insert custard filling into the center of a baseball and coat it with chocolate ganache, I guarantee it will be eaten - especially in this family.

These are so yummy and so much better than the local donut shop.

And DEFINITELY tastier than a custard filled ganache covered baseball. Ick.

BOSTON CREAM CUPCAKES

Cake:

1½ cups all purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup whole milk or buttermilk

Custard:
1½ cups heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
pinch of table salt
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold & cut into 2 pieces
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Ganache Frosting:
½ cup semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream

* I recommend making custard filling first as it needs to rest and cool before assembly.

Custard Instructions:

In a saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in egg yolks, milk and cream until smooth. Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat. Whisk continuously.

Once mixture is at a simmer and begins to thicken, remove from heat but continue whisking until very thick. Whisk in butter and a vanilla until butter is melted and custard is smooth.

Spoon custard into a small bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap on surface of custard and refrigerate for 40 minutes. Custard will keep for up to 2 days.

CAKE INSTRUCTIONS:

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with foil liners. You can use paper, but I find the foil reinforces the cupcake as a whole once the custard is added and for frosting purposes.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl using a mixer, cream sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla together until smooth. Alternately mix in flour mixture and milk in three additions. Beat until smooth.

Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Mine took about 18 minutes, so begin to watch after 17 minutes. Cool in pan for a few minutes and transfer onto rack to cool completely.

GANACHE FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS:

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and cream. Microwave uncovered on high for 30 seconds or until cream is hot and chocolate is almost melted. Stir until smooth. Let chocolate mixture sit for 5 minutes or until slightly cooled but spreadable.

To fill cupcakes:

Take a large piping tip and poke a hole in the center of the cupcake. Fill a bag with custard and squeeze filling until it slightly starts to ooze out. Be gentle with this step or you can run the risk of blowing out the cupcake.

To Frost:

Dip cupcake upside down in ganache and completely cover top of cake. Swirl as you bring it out to avoid spillage down the side of the wrapper.

Yields: 12 cupcakes

Happy Baking!

Cookies, Cupcakes, Chaos...OH MY!

2011-06-20T11:01:00.015-04:00

The past 30 days have been VERY busy for me. I've been to a bridal shower, 2 baby showers, a wedding, and 2 children's birthday parties. Throw that into my family's normal weekend and its chaos personified.

When I realized I only posted once this month, I thought I better post something.

I once heard it takes 10,000 hours to perfect something. I think it's safe to say I've hit that mark easily, but I still lack that confidence. I love to bake and I'm often asked to bake treats for the events we attend. I know I am my own worst critic and often hold my breath until that first bite is taken and eye roll pops out followed by a moan.

When I hear more than one moan, I know I did good.

Rubber Ducky cookies for a baby shower...

Blue Velvet Cupcakes...

Happy Baking!

German Chocolate Popcorn

2011-06-11T09:09:00.080-04:00

I do a lot of volunteer work at my daughter's school. In a few weeks, the parent council board is throwing an end-of-the-school-year BBQ....a perfect time and way to sell up any purchased food items that have accumulated over the last few months.

As we went through the items we have to sell, we noticed one box of popcorn out six had just expired. We weren't sure if they were okay to sell, so we opened a few bags; some were stale, some could fine. Since we couldn't expect parents or kiddies to buy a possibly passable bag, I got to take them home and get creative. YAY!

14 bags of popcorn from the box were good to go. The others I fed to the birds....mainly to annoy the neighbor behind me who HATES when I feed the 'wildlife' and is not afraid to tell me so. Ppphhttt to you.

What can I make with 14 bags of popcorn besides eat it? I hit the internet and found this gem. Oh, and it's a delicious gem.

It's sweet. It's chocolatey. It's gooey. It's heaven. It's like the BEST popcorn you will ever eat! This is a lock-your-doors-close-the-blinds-and-hide-from-your-husband-and-children kind of snack.

Feel free to indulge. I so did.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE POPCORN

Recipe adapted from Cookies and Cups

5 cups popcorn - if popping yourself via microwave or stovetop method, be SURE to take out any unpopped kernels.

2 cups light brown sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

12 tablespoon (¾ cups) butter, cubed

4 Tablespoons water

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes, toasted

4 oz (½ cup) semi-sweet chocolate

1 package Girl Scout Samoa Cookies, Keebler Coconut Dreams, or if you live in Canada, No Name Caramel Chocolate Cookies

Preheat your oven to 200° Place popcorn in large bowl; set aside. Chop cookies into bite-sized pieces and set those aside as well.

Line counter a few sheets of wax paper so you can spread you popcorn onto it when mixing the caramel. You don't have to do this, but it makes it easier.

To make the caramel, combine the butter, brown sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Whisk ingredients to together and bring to a boil.

Boil without stirring for approximately 5 minutes until candy thermometer reads 250°. If you don't have a candy thermometer, 5 minutes is just about the right amount of time.

Remove from heat and immediately whisk in your baking soda and vanilla. Caramel will get lighter and bubble.

Pour caramel over popcorn and stir until it's all coated.

Pour popcorn onto waxed paper and sprinkle toasted coconut on top of popcorn evenly. Leave your wax paper out, you will need it again!

In a large roasting pan or baking sheet bake your popcorn in oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Spread popcorn onto the wax paper and sprinkle chopped cookies evenly over top.

Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals until melted, stirring each time.

Drizzle melted chocolate on top of cookies and popcorn. Let the chocolate set and break apart.

Store in airtight container for 3-4 days. Happy Baking!

Carrot Zucchini Banana Bread

2011-05-21T21:29:00.003-04:00

In the words of Little Orphan Annie, 'The sun will come out tomorrow!'

It finally did and it is absolutely GLORIOUS! I guess Mother Nature got the message I was a force to be reckoned with.

Funny thing about me. First sign of great weather and I suddenly have this need to eat healthy. It's weird really. I'm pulling out the whole wheat flour, using recipes that call for fruits and/or vegetables, substituting butter for applesauce. Okay, perhaps I'm going a bit far there, but you get the idea.

This is one on my most favorite feel good recipes. My daughter loves it and I don't ever feel guilty about giving it to her anytime of day.

Or eating half the loaf myself.

CARROT ZUCCHINI BANANA BREAD

2 ½ cups whole wheat flour (You can also use all white flour or half white and half whole wheat!)

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

¼ cup ground flax seeds

½ cup oatmeal

3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup grated unpeeled zucchini

1 cup grated carrot

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (about 2-3 bananas)

OPTIONAL: ½ cup raisins or ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 325º F. Grease two 8-inch loaf pans with non stick cooking spray. You can also use a 9x5 loaf pan, but you'll get a larger and denser bread. I opted to use the 9x5 loaf this time to show you what you'll get.

Sift flour(s), baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, flax seeds, oatmeal, and salt in a large bowl until well blended.

Mix eggs, bananas, applesauce, brown sugar, vanilla until until well combined.

Add flour mixture, stirring just until blended. Stir in zucchini and carrots until just combined. (Mix in raisins and walnuts/pecans if using).

Divide batter into prepared pan(s). I like to sprinkle oatmeal on top just before baking for visual effect once loaf is baked. It just looks healthier too.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour for the 8-inch pans and 1 hour 20 minutes for the 9-inch loaf pan. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes, then remove, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: Two 8-inch loaves or One 9-inch loaf.

Happy Baking!