Jersey Girl Eats

Apple Pie Muffins

2012-03-08T21:03:00.000-05:00

At our favorite restaurant one night Dennis and I had the most amazing apple cake. I thought about trying to find a similar recipe to make for breakfast out but thought a muffin would make more sense (not that there’s anything wrong with eating cake for breakfast). Muffins are such a great breakfast food since you can freeze whatever you don’t eat, then take one out whenever you want some home baked goodness.

I gave one of these to Dennis warm out of the oven and was hoping he’d give me a bite. Apparently that wish was in vain because he gobbled the muffin down in about 4 bites. As I gazed wistfully at the few crumbs left over he assured me that the muffin was very, very good. So at least there’s that.

Apple Pie Muffins (From AllRecipes.com)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk combined with 1 T lemon juice)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 cups diced apples (about 1 large apple. I used Granny Smith and would recommend using a tart variety)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, stir together 2 1/4 cups flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate smaller bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk, 1/2 cup melted butter, vanilla and 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar until sugar has dissolved. Pour into the flour mixture and sprinkle the diced apple into the bowl as well. Stir just until everything is blended. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin, filling the cups about ¾ full.

In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour and cinnamon.

Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of melted butter while tossing with a fork until well blended. Sprinkle this over the tops of the muffins.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

Chocolate Surprise Cookies

2012-02-28T19:55:00.000-05:00

I don't know why I even ask Dennis what he wants for a weekly treat because inevitably his response involves chocolate or marshmallows. I thought I had exhausted most of the possibilities to put these two flavors together, but when I saw this recipe from Martha Stewart I couldn't resist trying it out.

This recipe might look a bit complicated (I had a bad experience with frosting once) but it’s fairly simple and the final result is a knockout. I worried that the cookie might be too sweet, but it provides a perfect contrast to with the marshmallow and chocolate frosting. I love the fact that this recipe can be adapted to your tastes also. If you don’t want marshmallows, maybe throw in a peanut butter cup or Hershey kiss. They are called Surprise Cookies after all!

Chocolate Surprise Cookies (from Martha Stewart)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

Chocolate Frosting for Surprise Cookies:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.

Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop dough onto ungreased or lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 7 to 9 minutes.

Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begin to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies

2012-02-13T21:14:00.000-05:00

The Thursday before Valentine’s Day I realized I had no heart cookie cutters. Uh-oh. Luckily my wonderful husband didn’t balk at paying for extra-fast shipping so I could have them by this weekend. Of course he knew what his reward would be, a batch of cookies baked up just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Roll-out cookies bring back memories of Christmas and rolling out sugar cookies with my Mom. Those cookies were typical sugar cookies: crispy, buttery, perfect topped with some sprinkles and dunked in milk. These cookies are the opposite of those, cakey and moist with a deep chocolate flavor. I topped some with turbinado sugar to give them a bit of crunch which Dennis said he appreciated. The best thing about this recipe is that it’s adaptable for any holiday (or lazy weekend). Happy Valentine’s Day!

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

Turbinado sugar or sprinkles (optional)

Whisk dry flour, salt and baking powder in bowl and set aside. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa in mixer. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Roll out cookie dough on floured counter or Silpat (I found rolling it out on the Silpat much easier – you just have to do the dough in batches to fit it on the mat). Cut into desired shapes. Top cookies with turbinado sugar or sprinkles if you so desire. Bake on a lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes, until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Granola S'mores Bars

2012-01-28T11:04:00.000-05:00

It's easy to look through my past posts and see a theme with many of them. Any recipe that incorporates marshmallows and chocolate is put at the top of the to-do pile, and usually with great results. This week's recipe was no different.

The recipe takes the basic elements of s'mores but puts them into an easy to eat treat, no campfire required. The addition of oats gives the bars a nice crunch and also helps balance the sweetness of the marshmallows. I'm always a bit nervous bringing my treats into work (such pressure!) But these went over like gangbusters. Not only were all the bars eaten by the second day, but my boss said they were one of his favorite treats that I've brought in. I hope he remembers that when it's time for my yearly review.

Granola S'more Bars (from King Arthur Flour Baking Companion)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons golden syrup

2 1/4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt and stir together the butter, sugar, and syrup, cooking until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in oats, flour, salt and graham cracker crumbs.

Press about 3/4 of the mixture into a lightly greased 9x9 pan. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top, then the marshmallows. Top with remaining crust mixture. Bake the bars for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them rest for 20 minutes, then cut into squares while still slightly warm.

Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints

2012-01-16T18:21:00.000-05:00

I’ve mentioned numerous times that Dennis loves raspberry and chocolate (Exhibits A, B, and C). And originally I was planning to make a lighter treat this week to welcome in the New Year and help us recover from gorging on Christmas cookies. But then I came across this recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprint cookies and I put my “healthy” plans to the side. There’s always next week, right?

I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate (blasphemy, I know) but even I had to admit these cookies were insanely good. The actual cookie was so fudgy it resembled a brownie more than a cookie. The raspberry preserves helped balance the sweetness of the cookies and you were left with one killer flavor combination. I’ve already been instructed to add these to the “Must Make Again” list.

Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints (Adapted from All American Cookie Book)

6 ½ ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, broken up

1 stick unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons raspberry preserves

1 ¾ cups flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large, microwave safe-bowl, microwave the bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate and butter on full power for 1 minute. Stir well. Continue microwaving on 50% power, stirring at 30-second intervals. Stop microwaving before the chocolate completely melts and let the residual heat finish the job. Let cool to warm.

Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture until well blended. Using a spoon beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the 2T raspberry preserves on 50% power until just fluid, about 1 minute. Stir the preserves into the chocolate mixture and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips to the chocolate mixture and stir just until well blended. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 ½ hours or up to 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325. Line several baking sheets or coat with non-stick spray.

Use a cookie scoop to shape balls of dough, then place on the cookie sheets. Press a well into the center of each ball and place about ¼ teaspoon of preserves in each well.

Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or just until they feel firm when pressed in the centers. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let stand 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack.

Mini-Muffin Financiers

2011-12-31T10:54:00.000-05:00

I had never even heard of financiers until Dennis discovered a spot near his office that gives them away with each cup of coffee. Financiers are small French cakes, not too sweet and perfect for breakfast. Dennis has been requesting a homemade version for a few months now so I decided that could be his Christmas morning treat. I was worried that the recipe would be too involved but it’s actually quite simple. You just have to plan ahead as the batter needs to sit for a few hours before you can bake it up. I just whipped up the batter the night before, then baked up a few financiers each morning. There are apparently special financier pans but I found a recipe using a mini-muffin pan. I really need another baking pan like I need another hole in the head.

These got two enthusiastic thumbs up from Dennis. The original recipe calls for placing a raspberry on top of each before baking but since it’s December I left that out. I’m looking forward to baking up batches in the summer topped with fresh berries. A few of those and a good cup of coffee and I can almost pretend like I’m back in Paris.

Mini-Muffin Financiers Recipe (from Leite’s Culinaria)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus, plus more for the pan
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup almond flour
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
5 large egg whites, lightly beaten, at room temperature
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heavy pan over medium heat, warm the butter until it melts and the milk solids settle and stick to the bottom of the pot and turn golden brown and slightly caramelized, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Sift the confectioners’ sugar, almond flour or ground almonds, all-purpose flour, and baking powder into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on low speed, then add the egg whites, honey, and vanilla, and mix on low speed, scraping down the bowl, until combined. Add the cooled melted butter and their solids and mix until incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. (You can actually keep the batter in the fridge, at the ready, for up to several days.)

When you’re ready to bake the financiers, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Butter a 12-cup mini muffin tin. Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full of batter. Bake on the center rack until golden brown around the edges and firm in the center, about 14-16 minutes.

Let the financiers cool in the pans for 5 minutes then run a thin knife or offset spatula around the sides of the muffin cups or financier molds. Turn the financiers out onto wire racks. Serve warm or let cool on the rack and serve later that same day.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

2011-12-24T11:32:00.000-05:00

On the hunt for another cookie to add to my Christmas cookie binge, I came across this recipe from Eat, Live, Run. Peppermint is the quintessential Christmas flavor that only improves when chocolate is added. The original recipe called for putting white chocolate on top but wanting to make them a bit more colorful I smashed up some candy canes also. Have I mentioned that a mallet can be one of your most handy kitchen tools?

My holiday baking spree resulted in 4 varieties of cookies so for these I actually mixed the dough the prior weekend, then froze the dough balls. You can just place them on a cookie tray to freeze them, and then place inside a freezer bag once they’re completely frozen. I ended up not even using all of the frozen cookie balls so once we finish all of the Christmas cookies (probably around Valentine’s Day) then I can bake up a fresh batch. Enjoy these and happy holidays!

Chewy Peppermint Cookies (adapted from Eat, Live, Run)

2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp peppermint extract

2 eggs

1 tbsp instant coffee

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

4 candy canes, crushed

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add peppermint extract.

In another bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, coffee, baking powder and salt. Add to wet ingredients and fold in chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoons of dough onto lined sheet trays and bake for 12 minutes. Let cool completely.

Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave (stirring after each 30 second interval) and scoop into a small plastic bag. Snip off end and drizzle cooled cookies with white chocolate. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.

That reindeer looks hungry.

Crock Pot Chicken Soup

2011-12-17T11:41:00.002-05:00

Nearly every week Dennis and I go through the same routine when it comes to dinner. We stare blankly at each other, shrug, then default to burgers, pasta, etc. I usually get home around 7, then have to go pick Dennis up at 7:45. That doesn't leave us with a lot of time to prepare anything if we want to eat before 9. Once the weather started getting cooler and Dennis became less willing to grill outside in the freezing cold I decided to finally break out the crock pot that my mother-in-law had given us. After only a few instances of using it I can admit it - I'm in love.

There's really nothing easier than using a crock pot. We set ours on a timer so it turns on after we've left for work and keeps cooking until we get home. I was a little nervous about doing this the first time, but it works out great and I love coming home and smelling dinner cooking away.

This recipe was my first attempt at chicken soup in the crock pot. I cut up the vegetables the night before then plopped the chicken on top and put it all in the fridge. The next morning I put it in the slow cooker and had chicken soup waiting for me when I got home. I did run into a slight problem as the original recipe called for a slow cooker that's larger than what we have. I ended up not measuring how much water I added, making sure I covered the chicken while also leaving a bit of room at the top so it wouldn't overflow. This made enough soup for at least 4 servings so if you don't want leftovers you can cut the recipe in half. But the only thing better than using a crock pot for dinner one night is having leftovers from it for another night.

Chicken Noodle Soup (from Good Housekeeping)

8 cups water (or however much you can fit in your slow cooker)
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 medium stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 small onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
.5 teaspoon(s) dried thyme
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 whole(s) (3 1/2-pound) chicken
2 cup(s) egg noodles, uncooked

In 4 1/2- to 6-quart slow-cooker bowl, combine water, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place whole chicken on top of vegetables. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low setting 8 to 10 hours or on high setting 4 to 5 hours.

Boil water for noodles, then cook noodles. I only cooked as much as we wanted for that night, then the next night I threw uncooked noodles in the broth as it warmed up. I think that's better than having the noodles sit in the broth for a day or more.

Transfer chicken to cutting board. Discard bay leaves and shred chicken. Once the noodles are cooked, ladle soup into bowls and add noodles and chicken.

Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-11T18:09:00.001-05:00

Is it possible to improve upon a chocolate chip cookie? This recipe answers that question with an emphatic “Yes!” The original idea from Bread & Butter included bananas, but I left that out since I wasn’t sure how people would react to banana in their chocolate chip cookies. But her idea of putting a dollop of Nutella in the middle of each cookie – genius. I started off putting a bit too much Nutella in the thumbprint, which led to a few of them falling apart. So just use a light hand with the Nutella. Oozing out the top is a-ok; not so much when it’s coming through the bottom of the cookie.

Dennis moved these to the top of his favorite cookie list, the sort of comment that makes my heart go aflutter. Make these for family, for co-workers, for friends, for yourself. Just make them.

Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Bread & Butter)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Nutella

Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper or Silpat.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough by the spoonful onto the prepared cookie sheets. Put a small thumbprint in each cookie, then drop in some Nutella. Cover up the Nutella with some more cookie dough, pressing lightly so it adheres to the bottom part.

Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Soft Ginger Cookies

2011-11-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite flavors is gingerbread, whether it’s found in a latte from Starbucks or a freshly baked treat. For Thanksgiving this year I was tasked with bringing a dessert (surprise, surprise) so I wanted to find something that people would want to eat after stuffing themselves silly with turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes….

Our cookie preference is always for chewy versus crispy, so I knew I didn’t want a traditional gingersnap but something that was softer. Google to the rescue! This recipe from All Recipes was exactly what I was looking for, not to mention that it provided enough cookies so I could leave some for my parents while we were able to hold onto a few ourselves. I made a few changes to the original recipe, subbing in brown sugar for half of the white sugar and increasing the spices slightly to really bring out that gingerbread flavor. I also rolled the cookies in turbinado sugar, which provided a nice contrast between the crunchiness of the sugar and the softness of the cookie. I absolutely loved these cookies, enough that they’ll be added to the regular rotation. Try them out!

Soft Ginger Cookies (adapted from All Recipes)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and white and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in turbinado sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased or Silpat covered cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. Place the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator in between batches so it’s easier to handle.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 32 cookies.

Butterscotch-Chocolate Chip Rice Krispies Cookies

2011-11-18T19:28:00.000-05:00

After making these last week I still had half a box of Rice Krispies left over. I didn’t want to make Rice Krispie treats again so I went on a hunt for a cookie I could throw them into. Success! This recipe originally called for just butterscotch chips but I thought throwing in some chocolate chips would help cut the sweetness of the butterscotch. These cookies do take a bit of time to make as they have to chill before baking. But I just made sure I cleared a space in the fridge then threw the trays in there while I let the oven pre-heat. I don’t think these are cookies you really want sitting around for a few days as the Rice Krispies lose some of their crunchiness and become chewier. So if you make them just plan on sharing so you won’t have to worry about that.

Butterscotch-Chocolate Chip Rice Krispies Cookies (adapted from Baking Blonde)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, beating until combined. Mix in hot water and vanilla. Add flour mixture, in two batches, beating just until combined. Using a wooden spoon, fold in butterscotch chips and Rice Krispies. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min. or longer.

Preheat oven to 375. Scoop out tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Place all balls on one baking sheet, and chill at least 30 min. Remove from fridge and place 12 balls on cookie sheet at a time. Bake until the middle looks just set and the edges begin to turn a light golden – about 8-12 minutes. Remove and let sit on the sheet for a minute. Move cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Snickerdoodles

2011-11-09T22:39:00.000-05:00

Snickerdoodles were not a cookie I grew up with. But last year I tried my hand at Snickerdoodle Blondies and loved the cinnamon sugar combination. So when I was looking for a treat to pull us out of our Halloween candy coma I thought something simple would be best. These cookies come from The All American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett, one of my favorite cookbooks to flip through.

My first batch came out rather large – like giant cookies. But for the other batches I put the dough in the fridge, letting it chill for a bit. I also made my scoops a bit smaller and the cookies came out a bit thicker and spread less. These were a big hit. They had the perfect hint of cinnamon and sugar. My co-workers gobbled them up, and my boss even named them one of his favorites. I’m definitely adding these to the Christmas cookie rotation.

Best Ever Snickerdoodles (The All-American Cookie Book)

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 Tbs light corn syrup

2 large eggs

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar combined with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon for topping

Preheat oven to 375º and line baking sheets with a silicone mat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, set aside. In another large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and corn syrup together until well blended and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until well blended and smooth. Beat in half of the flour mixture until evenly incorporated. Stir in the remaining flour mixture just until combined. Let the dough stand for 5-10 minutes. Mix together the additional sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Roll portions of the dough into generous 1 1/2 inch balls with lightly greased hands (dough will be soft). Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar. Place on the baking sheets, spacing about 2 3/4 inches apart.

Bake the cookies 8-11 minutes, or just until light golden brown at the edges. Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack and let stand until the cookies firm up slightly, about 2 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Bars

2011-11-02T21:54:00.000-04:00

We had snow here last weekend. In October! No one was prepared for it. We made it through unscathed (except for the boredom that hit on Saturday afternoon) but my parents lost power and had to head to a hotel. Oh, and did I mention that my mom’s birthday was on Monday (Halloween)? I’ll have to bake her something special when we see them for her belated birthday celebration.

You’d think that being stuck indoors for that long would have inspired me to try something time-consuming. Instead, I found myself looking for something comforting and simple, yet different. It didn’t take me long before I came across the perfect recipe, thanks to Smitten Kitchen. Her take on the classic Rice Krispie treat is so crazy good that I couldn’t wait to try it. The first change she makes is to brown the butter, giving the treats a slight nutty flavor. This was my first time browning butter and her directions were spot on. As soon as the butter started to turn brown I took it off the heat, then threw the marshmallows in. Once the marshmallows melted into the butter, making an ooey gooey mess that I was tempted to eat on its own, you add in the Rice Krispies and a touch of salt. These are perfect for to satisfy a sweet/salty craving and couldn’t be easier to make. They’re a great improvement on a classic childhood treat.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Bars (from Smitten Kitchen)

Makes about 16 2-inch squares

4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan

1 10-ounce bag marshmallows

Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) a 9-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Keep an eye on the butter, as it goes from browned to burned very quickly.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, stir in the marshmallows and turn the heat to low.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. Press the bars down with waxed paper, sprayed with cooking spray. Let cool, then cut and enjoy.

Shortbread Candy Bars

2011-10-27T22:55:00.000-04:00

In the days following Halloween, it’s not unusual to work through the candy overflow by having a candy bar with every meal. But after the initial euphoria and sugar high fade you’re still left with piles of leftover candy. One way to ensure the candy isn’t still lying around by next Halloween is to make a batch of these shortbread bars. The buttery shortbread crust is first baked, then topped with chocolate chips and the candy of your choice. We tried it out with dark chocolate peanut butter cups, but any chocolate candy would work. I asked Dennis for feedback and, in his words, you can’t go wrong with shortbread covered in chocolate and peanut butter. It’s like adding bacon to anything. Hmm, maybe that’s an idea for a future treat…

Shortbread Candy Bars (from Everyday Food)

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups assorted chocolate candies or roughly chopped candy bars (12 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and salt on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. With mixer on low, add flour in three additions and beat until combined (dough will be crumbly). Press dough evenly into a 9x9 baking dish (a great way to do this is to press down through saran wrap so the dough doesn’t stick). Bake until golden brown and firm, 25-30 minutes.

Scatter chocolate chips on top of shortbread. Bake until soft, 1 minute. With the back of a spoon, spread chocolate evenly over shortbread. Scatter candies over top. Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate briefly to set chocolate, then cut into 16 bars.

Honey Corn Muffins

2011-10-21T19:13:00.000-04:00

I apologize for my absence but Dennis and I took a much-needed trip to Europe where we traveled around Italy, Barcelona, and some other spots along the way. We ate a lot of great food; I can’t understand why there’s not a gelato shop on every NYC corner. The

U.S.

is really missing out!

Anyway, on to these muffins. I grew up with Jiffy mix corn muffins, usually slathered with grape jelly and eaten for breakfast. It wasn’t until I grew to love barbeque that I began to appreciate corn muffins as an essential part of a savory meal. Eaten with a spicy chili they cut the heat and really help balance the meal. I personally like sweet corn muffins – apparently that’s a Northern thing as Southerners don’t like theirs as sweet. I won’t take sides on the debate, but I’ll just say that these were exactly what we were looking for. Not only were they sweet and moist, but they were sturdy enough so they didn’t fall apart when dipped in chili. I love it when I find a go-to recipe, and that’s exactly what this is.

Honey Corn Muffins (adapted from The Food Network)

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 large eggs

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/4 cup honey (The best way to measure honey or any other sticky substance is to spray the measuring cup with cooking spray first. Not only does it make it easier to clean the measuring cup but you’ll also get the full amount without any sticking to the cup.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Into a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the whole milk, eggs, butter, and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin and evenly divide the cornbread mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

If you’re looking for something a bit different, cut the muffins in half, spread some butter on each side, then grill, butter side down, in a skillet. Once they’re nice and brown they’re good to go.

Peanut Butter (or Caramel) Mini Brownies

2011-09-19T21:05:00.000-04:00

At a library book sale recently I saw The All-American Cookie Book languishing on a shelf. I couldn’t believe no one had grabbed it yet and snatched that puppy up for myself. I’d heard of this book and its author before, but hadn’t yet tried any of its recipes. A quick flip through it and it wasn’t long before I had dozens of recipes that I wanted to try. This week, though, I was going for something that wouldn’t make too many treats as we’re heading on vacation at the end of the week. There’s nothing sadder than cookies or brownies that don’t fulfill their purpose. This recipe made 24 mini brownies, just enough for us to keep a few and my co-workers to finish the rest.

This recipe might be a great one to make after Halloween when you have some leftover candies and are looking for something to do with them. Why not stuff them into the middle of a brownie? Be careful when you’re baking them as I slightly over-baked them. Keep an eye on them - it’s probably better to slightly underbake them then keep them cooking for too long. Another heads up – you definitely want the candies to be well-chilled. Inserting them into the brownies will cause them to melt very quickly if they’re not cold enough. Okay, enough with the fine print. Bake these up and you won’t regret it.

Peanut Butter (or Caramel) Mini Brownies (adapted from All-American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett)

5 T. unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped up

2 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped up

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 T. smooth peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

24 Reese’s mini peanut butter cups or Rolos, chilled and unwrapped (I threw them in the freezer for about an hour before I baked)

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, microwave butter and chocolate on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir well, then continue microwaving at 50% power at 30-second intervals. Stop microwaving before the chocolate completely melts.

Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture until well blended. Let cool to warm. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Beat the egg and peanut butter into the chocolate mixture. Add the vanilla and stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Stir in the flour mixture until incorporated. Spoon the batter into the mini-muffin cups, then set on a baking sheet.

Bake in the oven for 10-14 minutes, or until almost firm when pressed in the centers. Immediately press 1 peanut butter cup or Rolo candy into the center until flush with the surface of the brownie.

Transfer the muffin pans to a wire rack and let stand until the brownies are completely cooled. Remove from pans gently.

Makes 24 mini-brownies.

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins

2011-09-13T19:34:00.000-04:00

I wasn’t even planning to bake this Sunday as I already whipped up a batch of these for a Jersey Bites bbq on Saturday. (Have you checked out Jersey Bites yet? If not, definitely do so as it covers all food-related things going on in the Garden State and even has some articles by yours truly!).

But this past Sunday was the first full day of football which meant that by 5 o’clock I’d been subjected to nearly 4 straights hours of pigskin prowess. In an attempt to maintain my sanity I decided to see if I could find an easy muffin recipe so I could send Dennis off to work on Monday with a breakfast goodie. My husband is the worst when it comes to breakfast. His usual breakfast at work ranges from a granola bar to a cupcake from Crumbs. I decided to straddle those two extremes with these muffins. They want to be a doughnut, but they’re not fried so bonus points there. I also subbed in some white whole-wheat flour in an attempt to make up for all of the sugar they’re covered in. And they’re covered in a lot of sugar. So if you’re looking for a (somewhat) healthier alternative to your normal morning doughnut, definitely give these a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins (Adapted from Culinary in the Desert)

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg -- lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk

To top the muffins
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar (I used a mix of regular sugar and vanilla bean sugar from Savory Spice Shop)
1 t. ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, oil, egg, and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fill greased muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Place melted butter in a small bowl; combine sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Immediately after removing muffins from the oven, brush muffins with melted butter and roll in the sugar mixture.

Makes 9 muffins.

Chocolate Malted Whopper Cookies

2011-09-08T21:05:00.003-04:00

I’ve always loved Whoppers. Something about the crunchy malt surrounded by chocolate made them something I looked forward to getting when I went trick-or-treating (many, many years ago). These cookies combine those beloved Whoppers with some extra malted milk powder, cocoa and chocolate chips. How can you turn down a cookie with all of those goodies?

These cookies came together pretty easily and they make a big batch. I brought a bunch into work but had enough left over that I froze some. In the original recipe it mentions that these would go great with coffee in the morning. Hmm, I don’t know about that but Dennis said they do make an excellent match with ice cream. And if you do have them for breakfast, don’t worry. I won’t tell.

Chocolate Malted Whopper Cookies (from Baking by Dorie Greenspan)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup instant malted milk powder

1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

2 cups malted milk balls, coarsely chopped (You can also put some saran wrap over them and smash with a mallet)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift together flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking powder and salt - set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each one.

Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce mixer to low add 1/2 of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour in the milk & mix. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Put mixer on low and add in the malt balls and the chocolate.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2" apart.

Bake for 11-13 minutes. Cookies are done when they’re puffed and slightly soft to the touch.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Mexican Brownies

2011-09-02T10:43:00.001-04:00

I was all set to whip up a no-bake recipe this weekend if Hurricane Irene knocked out our power. We were lucky, though, as our block was one of the few in town that didn’t lose power or flood. There’s nothing like passing houses with water-logged belongings piled out front that makes you realize how lucky you are.

On Sunday, once the worst had passed and I was getting some serious cabin fever, I decided to see if I could find a brownie recipe that was a little different from what I normally bake. I came across a recipe on the Food Network’s site from Aaron Sanchez – you may know him as one of the judges on Chopped. Or are Dennis and I the only ones addicted to that show? The recipe had stellar reviews so I decided to give it a try.

I was a little apprehensive about adding in chili powder and thought the spiciness might turn people off. So I subbed in Ancho chili powder which has more smokiness than heat. I added in a pinch of cayenne to bring in a little heat but I don’t think it was really noticeable. My brownies ended up being less Mexican brownies and more brownies with hints of cinnamon and smokiness. That wasn’t a problem though as my co-workers and Dennis gobbled them up. The texture was great too – cakey and not dense, perfect for a treat to celebrate seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mexican Brownies (adapted from Food Network)

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela) (I just used regular cinnamon)

1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder

Pinch of cayenne

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.

Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing.

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bars

2011-08-25T21:02:00.001-04:00

I’ve had this recipe in my to-do pile for quite awhile and finally decided to give it a whirl. Dennis said he wanted something with chocolate (doesn’t he always?) and I love the salty-sweet combo. Hmm, sweet and salty has me thinking of Chubby Hubby ice cream….

But back to the bars! They gave me yet another chance to use the mallet when I broke up the pretzels. If you don’t have a mallet you can just put them in a Ziploc and crush them by hand. But you really should get a mallet – it makes baking much more fun.

The consensus on the bars – home run! Dennis said he’d move them into the regular rotation and my co-workers gobbled them up. They’re really pretty easy to put together and anyone you give them to will be so thankful.

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bars (from Food & Wine)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

One 12-ounce bag bittersweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups thin pretzels, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on the 2 long ends. (I always have a problem getting the parchment paper to stay put so I came up with the idea of greasing the pan with the butter wrappers then putting the parchment paper on. It worked great – I’ll definitely do that in the future).

In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl beat the butter with both sugars at medium speed until light, 1 minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chips and pretzels.

Spread the batter in the pan and top with the sprinkles. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden; the center will still be a little gooey. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely.

Run the tip of a knife around the side of the pan and lift the bar out using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.

Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

2011-08-17T21:21:00.001-04:00

I think I’m in the midst of summer doldrums. I came into this week with no idea about what to bake. After opening and closing a good number of my cookbooks I perused the Web to see if anything struck my fancy. Success! Chocolate cookies with a gooey caramel filling, courtesy of a Rolo? Sounds like a winner to me.

A co-worker said these resemble flying saucers. They did look a bit funny coming out of the oven but they taste great. Apparently it’s hard to go wrong when you stuff cookies full of treats, whether it’s Oreos or Rolo’s. Hmm, now I just have to think about what else I can throw inside a cookie…

Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Cookies (http://www.farrahskitchen.com)
makes about 30 cookies

1 cup unsalted butter; room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar; packed
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup dutch-process cocoa
2 TB sugar (I used turbinado but granulated sugar would be fine too)
Unwrapped Rolo’s

Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and cocoa powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.

Place in the fridge covered for at least 2 hours to chill until firm. I just realized that I didn’t cover mine. Ah well, it came out fine.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough and push a flat spot in the middle where the Rolo will be placed. Press the dough around the around the Rolo and roll the dough into a ball.

Rolls the balls in the granulated sugar and place onto a parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Place dough back into fridge to keep cold. Bake for 8 minutes. Then let the cookie sit on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and place onto wired rack to finish cooling.

Brownie Bites

2011-08-10T21:20:00.000-04:00

I was lacking inspiration this week. Call it the summer doldrums, I guess. I went to my favorite cooking blog and searched specifically for a treat that would allow me to use my new mini-cupcake pan. Instead of cupcakes, though, I came across a recipe for brownie bites. Bringing brownies into work in August seemed like a better bet than cupcakes anyway.

So onto the brownies. My favorite thing about these is that you can customize them as you like. I rummaged through our pantry and came out with some M&M’s, chocolate chips and crushed Heath bar. The recipe originally called for mini M&M’s but I didn’t have those. I did, however, have a mallet. Who says baking isn’t therapeutic?

Brownie Bites (from Culinary in the Desert)

12 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup dutch-proccess cocoa
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup M&M’s, chocolate chips, Heath bar…basically whatever you desire

Preheat oven to 325.

In a medium saucepan, add butter and cocoa powder - melt while stirring frequently over low heat. When smooth, set aside and cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and espresso powder. Whisk into the melted butter and cocoa. Whisk in eggs and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir into the wet mixture just until combined. Portion out into 36 mini muffin cups lightly coated with nonstick spray. Place M&M’s, chocolate chips, etc. on top.

Bake for 8-12 minutes - when you test for doneness with a toothpick, you want it to be still a little wet in the center of each cup. Remove and let cool completely in the pan.

Peach Blueberry-Raspberry Cornmeal Cobbler

2011-08-04T19:41:00.000-04:00

There’s a reason New Jersey is called the Garden State. Though growing up in north Jersey I never really saw much farmland or fresh produce (except for my Pappou’s garden which grew everything from string beans to tomatoes to baseball-sized zucchini). But over the past few years farmer’s markets have been popping up all over the state which makes it so much easier to get fresh produce without having to travel far. We’re lucky enough to have the Westfield Farmer’s Market only a short drive away and go there every Saturday. Last week I made the peach muffins but this week I wanted to make something we could have for dessert.

Deb at Smitten Kitchen always has such wonderful recipes so when I came across her recipe for cobbler I knew I had to try it. I made ours with a mix of peaches, blueberries and raspberries. I think it’s a very forgiving recipe – you can throw in whatever you have on hand. We kept it for a few days and just left it in the fridge. Then you can just heat it up in the microwave and put a scoop of ice cream on top. That isn’t optional.

Peach Blueberry-Raspberry Cornmeal Cobbler (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

For the fruit
1 (about 3 cups) pound peaches, pitted and cut into slices
1 cup blueberries/raspberries, rinsed and dried
1/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the biscuit topping
3/4 cup (3 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fine stone-ground cornmeal
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used ½ cup of milk and ½ T. lemon juice)

Preheat oven to 425. Toss fruit with sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt in the bottom of a 1 1/2-quart ovenproof dish.

Make the biscuit dough: Stir together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry mixture with your fingertips, a fork or a pastry blender. Stir in buttermilk with a rubber spatula until a wet, tacky dough comes together.

Place spoonfuls of the biscuit dough over the filling. Bake until the syrup is bubbly and the biscuit tops are browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Spiced Peach Muffins

2011-07-30T10:39:00.000-04:00

Every Saturday Dennis and I go to the local farmer’s market in Westfield. It’s nowhere near as big as the one in Union Square but they have a great selection of fruits and vegetables. Once the summer produce is in peak you can find cantaloupes, watermelons, squash, blueberries, tomatoes – basically all of the reasons NJ is called the Garden State!

We picked up a bushel of white peaches (Dennis’s favorite) and I decided to make some muffins with them. This was my first time making peach muffins since I usually stick to the tried and true (blueberry, pumpkin or banana). I took the original recipe from King Arthur’s Flour but made a few changes. I could say it was to make it healthier but it’s really because I didn’t feel like running back out to the store. I subbed in a cup of white whole wheat flour in place of regular flour and also switched out the vegetable oil for applesauce. Do you know this trick? I always use this when making quick breads and muffins. If you don’t want to get a big container of applesauce you can buy one of the six-packs they sell and use the individual containers as need arises.

Dennis said these were “peachy” – isn’t he a riot? He also said they didn’t taste healthy which apparently is a plus in his book.

Spiced Peach Muffins (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg

6 tablespoons applesauce

5 ounces milk

3 peaches, diced (not peeled)

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in egg, applesauce and milk, then gently stir in fruit. Grease 10 muffin cups, and heap batter into cups; they'll be very full. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until muffins test done.

Makes 10 muffins.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

2011-07-22T16:43:00.001-04:00

I love raw cookie dough. I know you shouldn’t eat it as it can possibly kill you. But after whipping up a batch of cookies I find that my willpower is at an all-time low. I rarely eat the actual cookies that I bake (I’m much more of an ice cream gal) but I always try the batter.

Dennis was out this past Sunday so I was looking for a way to fill my day (besides shopping for shoes, of course – did you know they make Croc sandals? So comfortable.). When I came across this recipe I knew I had found it. Brownies + cookie dough = unbeatable combo. I have a habit of not always reading through recipes before I start them and it wasn’t until I was mixing up the brownie layer that I realized the cookie dough on top actually isn’t baked. But since there’s no egg in the cookie dough it’s a-ok to serve. Not to mention that it’s all topped with a layer of melted chocolate. These are rich, rich brownies. It makes quite a few bars but I don’t think most people would be able to have more than a bite-size piece. But that’s okay – sometimes the best things come in small packages. Or so my parents always told me.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies (from One Ordinary Day)

Brownies

1 cup butter

3/4 cup cocoa

2 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Prepare 13×9″ baking pan by laying a piece of foil in the bottom and up the sides. Spray with cooking spray or butter the foil (this is a great use for the butter wrappers).

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a medium saucepan; add cocoa, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla; beat with a spoon until combined. Add flour and baking powder; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Allow brownies to cool completely before moving on to the next step.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 Tbsp. milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl and cream together. Add flour and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in an even layer on top of cooled brownies. Chill before adding chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Tbsp. butter

Melt chocolate with butter and stir until smooth. If you don’t want to get another pan dirty you can throw this in the microwave for a few minutes. Just keep an eye on it and stir once it begins to soften. Spread the glaze over the chilled cookie dough layer.

Gooey Chewy Graham Cracker Bars

2011-07-11T20:55:00.000-04:00

The temperatures reached about 90 here over the weekend so of course I thought it would be a good idea to make a dessert that can best be described as gooey. Probably not the best idea I’ve ever had. But I’ve never been the sort of person who’s big on common sense. That can refer to my baking or maybe just the way I live my life in general…Anyway, on to the recipe!

This recipe requires a whole box of graham crackers. In fact I even was a little short of the amount that the recipe called for but I only had one box of graham crackers so I just assumed it would be okay. It’s never a good idea to approximate measurements when it comes to baking but sometimes you just have to live on the edge.

Again, making these on a blazing hot day wasn’t a great idea as they started to fall apart when I tried to cut them. I popped the tray in the fridge and that helped a bit with firming them up. I think next time I would bake them for a bit longer just to make sure that the center set. Whatever. These are delicious – buttery, gooey, chocolaty goodness. They won’t win any awards for beauty but they make up for it in taste.

Gooey Chewy Graham Cracker Bars (Adapted from "Celebrating With Julienne"/Culinary in the Desert)

For the crust

3 cups graham cracker crumbs
12 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping

2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare the crust

In a large mixing bowl, beat together graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, flour and salt until thoroughly combined. Scoop mixture into a 9" x 13" baking pan coated with nonstick spray - evenly press down to form a level crust over the bottom. Place pan into the oven and bake until the crust is lightly golden, about 10 to 15 minutes.

To prepare the topping

In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and eggs until combined. Whisk in graham cracker crumbs, vanilla, salt and baking powder. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop mixture over the crust and spread to cover completely. Place pan back into the oven and bake until the filling is very golden on top and jiggles very slightly when tapped, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes about 24 bars.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-07-05T20:53:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I bake depending on what I have available in the kitchen or what I’d like to try out. But more often than not I ask Dennis what he’s in the mood for and go from there. He made it easy for me this week by requesting a simple chocolate chip cookie. I have a go-to recipe but I’m always looking to improve upon perfection. My only requirement is that the cookies are soft – that’s the way we both prefer them. One of my favorite cooking blogs offered up her take on Chocolate Chip Cookies and since she’s never steered me wrong it seemed like the perfect recipe to try out.

These were a big, big hit. Dennis referred to them as “chewy, chocolaty and fabulous.” I don’t think it gets much better than that.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Smitten Kitchen)

Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper or Silpat.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough by the spoonful onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Chewy Sugar Cookies

2011-06-27T22:35:00.001-04:00

For Christmastime my family would always make cut sugar cookies in the usual holiday shapes – snowmen, candy canes, etc. These cookies were hard, the kind that are great to dip in milk. However for this cookie I was looking for a softer version, something that wouldn’t need to be dunked in milk.

For my 30^th birthday (still can’t believe I’m in my 3^rd decade!), I got a few cookbooks so I set to work finding a sugar cookie recipe. This version from King Arthur’s Flour was exactly what I was looking for – chewy, moist and delicious. I rolled some in turbinado sugar and some in sprinkles. Dennis said they taste like butter and sugar – you can’t go wrong with that combo!

The Essential Chewy Sugar Cookie (King Arthur Flour Cooking Companion)

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter ( 1 1/2 sticks)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large eggs

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup colored crystal suga or sprinkles

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Lightly grease or line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, granulated and brown sugars, corn syrup, vanilla, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and egg. Stir in the flour.

Place the course sugar in a shallow dish. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful into the sugar, rolling the balls to coat them. Place on prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes until the edges are just barely beginning to brown, they’ll look soft. Remove them from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

2011-06-06T21:02:00.000-04:00

I picked up some peppermint extract from our local spice shop and was looking for a way to use it. I had seen Girl Scouts around recently peddling their delicious cookies so I thought I’d try my hand at homemade thin mints. These cookies of course aren’t exactly like Thin Mints. They’re not completely dipped in chocolate but instead have melted chocolate drizzled over them. But the cookies come out crispy like Thin Mints and have a nice refreshing mint flavor. I had some mint sugar that I sprinkled over top of them also.

Dennis said that he would’ve liked even more mint flavor so maybe next time I’ll experiment with putting a bit of the extract in the melted chocolate on top of the cookies. My boss even said that he liked them more than Thin Mints. Can you tell I’m blushing?

Chocolate Mint Cookies (from Bon Appetit Desserts)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocoalte, chopped (I used a bar of dark chocolate I got from Trader Joe’s)

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in peppermint extract and vanilla extract. Beat in sugar in 3 additions. Add egg and beat until blended. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended (dough will be sticky).

Divide dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap as aid, form dough on each into 2-inch-diameter log. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate dough until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Unwrap cookie dough logs; roll briefly on work surface to form smooth round logs. Cut logs crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies until tops and edges are dry to touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer baking sheets with cookies to racks; cool completely.

Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool melted chocolate until slightly thickened but still pourable, about 10 minutes. Dip fork into melted chocolate, then wave fork back and forth over cookies, drizzling melted chocolate thickly over cookies.

Cinnamon Chip Scones

2011-05-23T21:34:00.001-04:00

I still had some cinnamon chips left over from my last recipe and needed to replenish Dennis’s breakfast treat supply. I wanted to do a scone recipe – maybe the recent Royal Wedding put me in a British sort of mood? Whatever the case this recipe hit all the right notes – the scones came out light, not heavy, and the cinnamon flavor came through nice and strong. I loved the idea of putting the turbinado sugar on top as it gives the scones a nice little crunch and some extra sweetness.

Dennis and my co-workers really enjoyed these (one of them even said I should sell them in our cafeteria. Hmm…). Dennis did say that maybe next time I could try adding in some diced apple for a nice cinnamon-apple combination. I think I may have to try that.

Cinnamon Chip Scones (from How Sweet It Is)

3 1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cups cold butter

1 cup buttermilk (I used a cup of milk with 1 T lemon juice – just let it sit for about 5 minutes)

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup cinnamon chips

For topping:

Melted butter

Turbinado or coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 425.

In large bowl combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until it forms coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Fold in cinnamon chips. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.

Divide in half and pat into 7 inch round circles. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges.

Bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes. Makes about 16 scones.

Mocha Cookies with Cinnamon Chips

2011-05-19T18:32:00.000-04:00

We have a deck! When we first moved in we had a very, very ugly greenhouse sort of addition that was just barely attached to the house. It was such an eyesore with the wood rotting and the screens completely blown off by the wind. We finally realized there was no way to rehabilitate it so we ended up getting it torn down. Once that was done we needed some sort of outdoor space so we had a deck built. It’s perfect for sitting outside with a cup of coffee and the weekend newspaper while listening to the birds singing and looking at the various creatures that pass through our yard.

All of this is a very long-winded way of getting to the fact that with our new deck we decided to host Mother’s Day for our families. We actually did this last year too but that’s mainly because we were so exhausted from moving and kitchen renovations that we just wanted everyone to come to us. But this year we had more energy and a nice space for everyone to hang out. In the middle of getting together the rest of the food I wanted to bake something that wasn’t too involved but that I thought everyone would enjoy. My favorite cooking blog posted this recipe and since I had all of the ingredients on hand I gave it a try.

The cookies came out great, though they had more of a chocolate flavor than mocha. No one complained, though, and again everyone seems to love the addition of cinnamon chips. The original recipe actually called for cappuccino chips but I didn’t have any luck finding those so just subbed in chocolate chips. But if I ever do find them I’d love to throw them in here.

Mocha Cookies with Cinnamon Chips (Adapted from Culinary in the Desert/King Arthur Flour)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon espresso powder
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cinnamon chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugars and espresso powder until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined - fold in chips.

Drop dough using a tablespoon cookie scoop onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until the cookies are just barely set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and let them sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 40 cookies.

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

2011-05-10T21:43:00.001-04:00

Dennis was going on a business trip at the beginning of the week so I was looking for something that would still hold up for when he got back. I had a bag of pistachios I was looking to use so when I stumbled upon this recipe for Dark Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti I decided to give it a go.

I’ve never made biscotti before. For whatever reason they intimidated me but they’re really easy to make. The dough for this came together easily, then you just have to form two logs, flatten them slightly and bake. Once they bake for a bit you cut the logs into cookies then bake again on both sides. I baked them for a little less than suggested since I didn’t want them to be too hard. If I was making them for breakfast I might bake longer so they would be good to dunk in coffee. But for an afternoon or post-dinner snack they were perfect.

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti (adapted from Eat, Live, Run/Gourmet)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup shelled pistachios

1 egg beaten with a little warm water (for egg wash)

Preheat the oven to 325.

Combine the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix with your hands to create a soft dough. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead for a minute until smooth.

Divide dough in half and form each half into a long log, about 10-by-two-inches. Flatten each log and place on a lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash.

Bake for twenty five minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for ten minutes, and then carefully slice diagonally into cookies. Place each cookie cut side down back on the baking sheet and bake for an additional twenty minutes, flipping cookies over halfway through.

Toffee Chocolate Bars

2011-04-26T21:21:00.001-04:00

Who doesn’t love Heath bars? Toffee, chocolate, what more could you ask for? So these bars basically take Heath bars then bump it up a notch with vanilla, brown sugar and butter.

The base is a basic shortbread base with espresso powder and chocolate mixed in. To spread it in the pan you lay saran wrap over it and press down. Genius! I always have a problem smoothing out the shortbread base so you can bet that I’ll be using this trick in the future. Once the base is cooked you cover it with chocolate and toffee bits. Again, what’s not to like? I know that Dennis and my co-workers didn’t have any complaints.

Toffee Chocolate Bars (adapted from Culinary in the Desert/Baking From My Home To Yours)

For the base

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

For the topping

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup toffee bits

To prepare the base

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, espresso, salt and cinnamon.

In a large mixing bowl, add butter and beat until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add sugars and continue to beat until very light and creamy, about 3 more minutes. Mix in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined - fold in bittersweet chocolate.

Drop dollops of the dough into a 9" x 13" baking pan coated with nonstick spray. Lay a piece of saran wrap on top of the dough and use your hands to press it into an even, thin layer.

Place into the oven and bake until lightly golden, about 20 to 22 minutes. Turn the oven off, remove the pan and place it on a wire rack.

For the topping

Immediately scatter the semi-sweet chocolate chips over the hot base and place back into the oven just long enough to soften the chocolate, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and use an off-set spatula to spread the chocolate all over the top. Scatter the top with the toffee bits and gently press them down to adhere. Set aside and let stand at room temperature until the chocolate has set - if it is still too soft after a few hours, put it in the refrigerator briefly to firm up the chocolate before cutting into bars.

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-04-18T20:48:00.000-04:00

In college one of my signature cookies was Oatmeal Raisin. The recipe came from Quaker and it was definitely one of the best oatmeal cookie recipes I've tried. For whatever reason I've rarely strayed from that recipe but when I had some oatmeal that I wanted to use up I went on the search for something a bit different.

This recipe actually comes from a Christmas cookie recipe but I think it's adaptable for whatever season you'd like. I basically just looked around the kitchen to see what I could throw in. The end result was a cookie filled with cranberries, white chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips. Taking a bite of these I was reminded of why I love oatmeal cookies in the first place. The substance of the oatmeal, combined with the tartness of the cranberries and sweetness of the chocolate - perfection. Feel free to add whatever you'd like to this recipe. I'm thinking dried cherries in place of the cranberries would possibly be even better...

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies (from A Baker's Field Guide to Christmas Cookies)

1 1/3 cups rolled oats (regular, not instant)

3/4 cup flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup mixed white chocolate and dark chocolate chips

1 stick unsalted butter

2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 egg

1/2 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

Whisk oats, flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl; stir in cranberries and chocolate chips.

In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Simmer over medium-low heat until the milk solids turn golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Pour browned butter into a large bowl and whisk in brown sugar until combined. Whisk in cinnamon, then whisk in eggs and vanilla, beating well after each. Add dry mixture to wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Drop by rounded tablespoon 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.

Bake until light golden brown and just dry to the touch, about 8-10 minutes. Slide parchment paper or Silpat onto racks to cool completely.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Double-Decker Confetti Brownies

2011-04-10T18:02:00.000-04:00

I had no ideas for a treat this week. No inspirations struck so I decided to page through my cookbooks and see what caught my eye.

Anything with M&M’s is usually a safe bet for something that will please most people. When I bake with M&M’s I usually make my normal blondie bars studded with M&M’s. This recipe though offered the chance to combine blondies and brownies – how could I resist?

Dennis said these were pretty similar to my normal M&M bars and would have liked it if the chocolate flavor came through even more. I think next time I might add in some espresso powder to the chocolate layer to really up the ante. I see future experimentations with this recipe in my future.

Double-Decker Confetti Brownies (from Favorite Brand Name Cookies)

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour, divided

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 cup M&M's, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate medium size bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt; blend into creamed mixture.

Divide batter in half.

Blend together cocoa powder and melted butter; stir into one half of the dough.

Spread cocoa dough evenly into the prepared pan.

Stir remaining 1/4 flour and 1/2 cup M&M's baking bits into remaining dough; spread evenly over the cocoa dough in the pan.

Sprinkle with remaining M&M's.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until edges start to pull away from sides of the pan.

Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes 24 brownies.

Almond Butter Nutella Swirl Cookies

2011-04-04T21:03:00.000-04:00

It seems like Nutella has bumped up their advertising budget recently because I've been seeing their commercials all over the place. In the commercials they try to portray Nutella as the perfect nutritious and delicious. Hmm, I'm not so sure how good for you it is (isn't it basically just hazelnuts and chocolate?) but it definitely tastes great. Nutella spread on crepes or on a fresh baguette - it doesn't get much better than that.

Unless of course you put it in a cookie. ;) This was my first time baking with Nutella, as well as with almond butter. I got the almond butter from Trader Joe's but you can probably find it in the peanut butter section at a regular grocery store, or maybe in the natural food aisle. It's a bit runnier than peanut butter but gives the cookies a great flavor that people aren't expecting.

The texture of these cookies was great - soft and chewy, they nearly melt in your mouth. The almond butter imparted a bit of saltiness which paired great with the Nutella. Overall everyone loved these; Dennis even said these are one of his new favorites, high compliments indeed.

Almond Butter Nutella Swirl Cookies (from SavoryandSweet.com)

1/2 c. unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 c. smooth almond butter
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 farm fresh egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. Nutella

Mix first 8 ingredients until smooth and fluffy. Slowly sift in flour until well incorporated. Stir in the Nutella just until you have a pretty swirl pattern.

Refrigerate dough for at least 15-20 minutes. Then scoop out small dough balls onto lined cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes. I baked mine for a bit longer, probably closer to 9-10 minutes.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Guinness Stout Brownies

2011-03-27T17:07:00.000-04:00

I wanted to make some sort of St. Patrick's Day treat and was torn between baking something of the chocolate-mint variety or something involving beer. When I saw this recipe for Guinness Stout brownies I decided to go with beer because nothing quite says St. Patrick's Day like Guinness.

These brownies were well-received by Dennis and my co-workers. They're a little fudgier than most brownie recipes but had a nice balance between the Guinness and chocolate flavors. Even if people who aren't Guinness fans (they don't know what they're missing!) would enjoy these. I can definitely see making these a yearly treat.

Guinness Stout Brownies (adapted from About.com)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used about a ¼ cup dutch process cocoa and ½ cup unsweetened cocoa since I didn’t have enough unsweetened cocoa powder)

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter, cut into cubes

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup superfine or granulated sugar

1-1/4 cups (10 ounces) Guinness Extra Stout beer at room temperature (make sure you don’t include foam in your measurement)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil or regular aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

Melt butter, bittersweet chocolate, and white chocolate chips in a double-boiler over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined.

Beat reserved flour mixture into melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in Guinness stout beer. The batter will seem a bit thin. Drop semisweet chocolate chips evenly on top of batter (some will sink in).

Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes on center rack in the oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

Let brownies cool, uncovered, to room temperature.

Blondies

2011-03-13T21:38:00.000-04:00

While at the grocery store I came across a new product from Hershey’s, Cookies ‘n Crème drops. They’re just a drop version of the regular bar, which is white chocolate studded with chocolate cookie pieces. I knew I wanted to incorporate them into something but wasn’t sure what. When I saw this blondie recipe from Mark Bittman mentioned on Smitten Kitchen it looked like just the ticket. The beauty of this recipe is that you can add whatever you want to it. Throw in some coconut, some dried fruit, whatever your heart desires.

Besides the drops (which I smashed with a mallet to make them bite-sized), I also threw in some chocolate chips. Dennis said he would have liked even more chocolate chips, so next time I’ll have to add in some more. Everyone agreed that the addition of the cookies ‘n crème bar was a nice surprise. I’m looking forward to endless variations of this recipe.

Blondies (Adapted from How to Cook Everything & Smitten Kitchen)

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted over low heat
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract

Pinch salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Add up to 2 cups of mix-ins – I did a mix of semi-sweet chocolate chips and smashed Hershey’s Cookies ‘n Crème drops

Butter a 9 x 13 pan.

Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in eggs and then vanilla and almond extract.

Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting them.

New Jersey Crumb Cake (aka New York Crumb Cake)

2011-03-06T16:54:00.000-05:00

If you’re from northern NJ then you’ve probably heard of B&W Bakery. They’re famous for their crumbcake which is about 2/3 crumb, 1/3 cake. My parents were nice enough to get us a crumbcake for Christmas which we froze. Once we started to run low I went on the hunt for a recipe I could make for when we had a hankering.

I came across one recipe that called for 6 sticks of butter. 6 sticks! Even I couldn’t justify that. So I continued searching and found this recipe which has the perfect ratio of crumb to cake. Dennis gave the cake a thumbs up but said the crumbs were a bit dry. I’m thinking next time to throw some more butter in there because when is more butter not the answer?

New Jersey Crumb Cake (adapted from Food.com)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for brushing pan

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly brush a 9-by-12 1/2-inch baking pan with butter, dust with flour, and tap to remove excess. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a second bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla.

Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form.

Sprinkle crumbs over batter and bake, rotating pan after 10 minutes.

Continue baking until a cake tester comes out clean, about 10 minutes more.

Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Ultimate Double Chocolate Cookies

2011-02-21T15:07:00.000-05:00

I was planning to make some sort of Valentine’s Day treat but when I realized that I didn’t have any heart-shaped cookie cutters I was stumped as to what I should make. I came across this chocolate cookie recipe and figured if I rolled them in red sprinkles that could qualify them as a V-Day dessert. To mix it up I left some plain and others I rolled in a mint-sugar mix. The mint-sugar cookies got the most enthusiastic thumbs up as the mint paired really well with the strong chocolate flavor.

I did have a problem with some of the cookies in that the middles never set so they fell apart when I tried to move them off the cookie sheet. There’s nothing sadder than cookies that never got to realize their full potential… I’m thinking that I just made those cookies too big which is why they didn’t quite cook through. So if you keep them on the smaller side than you’ll probably have better luck than I did.

Ultimate Double Chocolate Cookies (from Allrecipes)

Servings: 42

1 pound semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream butter with white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in coffee crystals and vanilla until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients just until everything comes together. Cover, and let stand in fridge for at least 35 minutes so the chocolate can set up.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, or drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. You can roll the cookies in sprinkles or sugar if you'd like.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies will be set, but the centers will still be very soft because of the chocolate. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Malted Coconut-Mocha Bars

2011-02-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

Superbowl Sunday turned into a baking and cooking spree. I started with cornbread, then once that finished I set to work on dessert. Then an hour or so before the game started we put a pot of chili on. For a lazy Sunday it wasn't very relaxing!

I came across these bars when I was looking for something to make for my parents as they were stopping by for a visit. These bars have 3 components - the base, the filling and the icing. Apparently every time I attempt to do icing it's a disaster of sorts. So don't repeat my mistake. When the recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups sifted flour that means you should measure it after you sift it, not before. I messed this up and ended up having to double the icing as it didn't completely cover the bars. Whoops...

Regardless, these bars were a hit. The shortbread base pairs perfectly with the sweet icing, and the hint of coconut gives them a nice flavor hit. They may look complicated but they're really not, especially if you're better at following directions than I am.

Malted Coconut-Mocha Bars (adapted from Culinary in the Desert)

For the base

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling

3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1/2 cup chocolate malted milk powder

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the frosting

2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup chocolate malted milk powder or mix of malted milk powder and cocoa
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 to 5 teaspoons boiling water

To make the base

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours and salt. Beat in the flour mixture until combined - it will be very thick. Scoop mixture into a 9 x 13" baking pan lightly coated with nonstick spray. Evenly pat mixture onto bottom of the pan. Bake until set - about 15 minutes.

To make the filling

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir in coconut, the malted milk powder, flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt until well combine. Gently, but quickly spread mixture over the partially baked crust. Place back in the oven and bake until the middle looks set - about 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove and set on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting

In a medium mixing bowl, beat together confectioners' sugar, malted milk powder, vanilla, and just enough of the boiling water to make the frosting spreadable.

Using an off-set spatula, evenly spread icing over the bars.

Makes about 24 bars.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-01-30T18:29:00.000-05:00

I was looking for baking inspiration the other day so I posted on Facebook asking for suggestions. My cousin Erik gave me link to this recipe, Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies. The original recipe uses Double Stuff Oreos but I used Bite Size Oreos so I could get more cookies. Also, covering a Double Stuff Oreo in a chocolate chip cookie is extreme – even for me.

I was worried that the cookie might be too sweet but it wasn’t. When you first bite in and get the familiar taste of a chocolate chip cookie, followed by the crunch of the Oreo wafer, it’s really pretty amazing. These cookies are definitely made for chocolate lovers. The only downside of using the smaller Oreos is that you don’t get as much of the cream as with a regular-sized Oreo. So use whichever kind of Oreo strikes your fancy. All I know is that I’m already trying to think of what else I can stuff into a chocolate chip cookie…

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Becky Bakes)

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 bag bite-size Oreos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars together with a mixer until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until golden brown (my cookies didn’t quite get golden brown so use your judgment as they will cook on the sheet after you take them out). Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Makes about 60 cookies. I got about 50 due to the fact I dropped some of the Oreos on the floor. I can be a bit clumsy in the kitchen.

Gingerbread Popcorn

2011-01-12T20:44:00.000-05:00

You know those huge tins of popcorn that they sell around the holidays? You'd smile politely when you got it, have a few bites of popcorn that tasted slightly stale and flavorless, then put it aside before finally chucking it sometime around Valentine's Day. This popcorn is like the opposite of that.

This popcorn is bursting with flavor. It's sweet and sticky and has been referred to as "crack corn" by more than one person. This recipe provided me with the opportunity to actually pop my own popcorn on the stove, instead of using the old reliable microwave. It was much easier than I expected, and almost as fast. Just be careful when you pop it - some of the kernels like to escape when you crack the lid to vent some of the steam.

When you need a break from cookies, brownies, etc., but still want something that reminds you of the wintertime, this is for you. Put it out at a party and watch it disappear. Or just eat it all yourself. I won't tell.

Gingerbread Popcorn (from Culinary in the Desert)

15 cups popped popcorn
16 tablespoons butter
2 cups packed brown sugar (I used a mix of light and dark)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 250.

Line 2 large baking dishes with foil and coat with cooking spray. Fill each with 7 1/2 cups popcorn (I eyeballed this, no need to be precise).

Combine butter, brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a large, heavy bottom saucepan. Heat over medium heat until mixture boils. Boil for 5 minutes; stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Pour over popcorn; toss to coat.

Bake at 250 for one hour, carefully stirring the warm mixture about every 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Bars

2010-12-27T15:34:00.000-05:00

By now it's well known that Dennis loves the combination of raspberry and chocolate chips. Of course in the winter it's a bit hard to get fresh raspberries so raspberry preserves will have to do.

I freaked out a bit when I first started spreading the bottom layer of the dough as it was extremely thin. I didn't think there was any way I could fill the entire pan with it. However, I dipped a knife in some water and that helped spread the dough evenly. These bars have a really nice contrast between the sweetness of the raspberry preserves and the slight bitterness of the chocolate. Plus they look rather attractive if I do say so myself.

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Bars (from Favorite Brand Name Cookies)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup raspberry preserves
1-2 cups chocolate chips (use your judgement - it calls for 1 cup but I'm sure I put in more than that...)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13x9 baking pan.

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat at medium speed until well blended.

Reserve 1/2 cup mixture for topping. Spread remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. This layer will be very thin - dip a knife in some water to help you spread the dough. Spread preserves evenly over dough then sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Drop reserved dough by 1/2 teaspoons over chips.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden. Cool completely in pan on wire rack before cutting into bars. Make about 32 bars.

Toasted Marshmallow Brownies

2010-11-28T18:09:00.000-05:00

I came across this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs (Culinary in the Desert) and adapted it for our tastes.

The original recipe was called Rocky Road Brownies and added chopped nuts in addition to the marshmallows to the topping. We're not big fans of nuts in our brownies though so I left them out. Also, instead of just baking the brownies to puff up the marshmallows I set the oven to broil for a minute or two, giving the marshmallows a nice golden hue.

These are Dennis' favorite brownies, high praise indeed. When I asked him for his opinion he said the best way to enjoy them is heated up in microwave for a few seconds, making them even more gooey and delicious.

Toasted Marshmallow Brownies (adapted from Everyday Food)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
12 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate, divided (I used a mix of bittersweet and semi-sweet since that’s what I had on hand)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350.

In a microwave-safe bowl, add butter and 6 ounces chocolate - heat in the microwave just until the chocolate softens and the butter has melted. Stir until smooth; if there are still chunks of chocolate, gently continue heating at 30 second intervals until the mixture is smooth when stirred.

Stir in sugars and salt into the melted chocolate. Add eggs and mix until combine - fold in flour. Scoop the mixture into a 9 x 9 pan coated with nonstick spray. Bake until a toothpick placed in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven - quickly sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate and marshmallows. Place back into the oven until the marshmallows start to puff, about 3 minutes. Set the oven to broil and keep the brownies in there until the marshmallows turn golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

2010-11-24T21:08:00.000-05:00

One of the many things my mom instilled in me is a love of pumpkin baked goods. Growing up we baked a lot of pumpkin breads and pumpkin muffins, but never tried our hand at something more dessert-like. So when my mom's birthday rolled around (on Halloween, appropriately enough) I decided to bake her pumpkin cookies.

This recipe comes from Libby's so I figured it had to be good. The original recipe calls for drizzling a glaze over the cookies but I skipped that step. I thought it might be too sweet and I'm glad I left it off. I think maybe I'm more used to pumpkin baked goods for breakfast but I would've liked these better if they were just a bit less sweet. I think next time I'd throw in a bit of ground cloves to help balance the sweetness.

Other than that though, these cookies really were great. They were very soft and tasted great. My mom really seemed to enjoy them, so that's all that matters. Happy birthday Mom!

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies (from Libby’s)

Makes 36 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half white whole wheat flour and half regular flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets or use Silpat mats.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

2010-11-21T16:18:00.000-05:00

I love reading light cookie recipes, trying to figure out how they make them light. Usually it means that the serving size is half of what a normal person eats, or that something not so good for you (like oil) is swapped out for something more virtuous (like applesauce). Not that there's anything wrong with this, of course. But I don't make cookies to be healthy. Have you met my husband? I need to try my hardest to fatten him up! :)

So this recipe for Chocolate Cherry Cookies from Cooking Light definitely needed some tweaking. First off, the recipe says it makes 60 cookies. I have a feeling those cookies would be fairly small so I just scooped them out using my normal cookie scooper. Also, it called for 6 tablespoons of chocolate chips. That amount just sounds so...sad. So I upped that significantly. I'm not sure exactly how much I used - probably closer to 1/3 a bag.

These cookies give you a nice contrast between tart and sweet, though Dennis said he'd like even more chocolate chips next time to offset the cherries. So next time I'll up to 1/2 a bag, at least. You can never have too many chocolate chips.

Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies (from Cooking Light)

Yield: 60 cookies if you're going for light, otherwise closer to 40

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cup dried tart cherries
6 tablespoons semisweet chocolate for light cookies, otherwise put in as many chocolate chips as your heart desires
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in cherries and chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 9-12 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven; cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies

2010-10-24T20:56:00.000-04:00

It's hard to improve upon a chocolate chip cookie but I was looking for a way to jazz it up a bit. I was thinking caramel so after plugging "chocolate chip caramel cookie" into Google I came up with the following recipe from Gourmet.

The most labor-intensive part of this recipe is first unwrapping all of the caramels, then chopping them up. It gave my rather pathetic knife skills quite a workout. These cookies were gobbled up eagerly by Dennis and my co-workers. I recommend heating them up before eating, only because the caramel does harden a bit so it might be hard to chew. Plus warm chocolate chip cookies always taste better, don't they?

Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies (From Gourmet)

Makes about 50 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 t vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
25 caramels such as Kraft, chopped coarse (about 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix caramels with about 1 T of measured flour and then chop caramel into small pieces. Set aside.

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in flour mixture.

Stir chocolate and caramels into dough and drop rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Cool cookies on baking sheets on racks until firm. Cookies keep in airtight containers 5 days.

Marshmallow Crunch Brownies

2010-10-03T14:57:00.000-04:00

So at this point it's fairly obvious that Dennis loves chocolate and marshmallows. So a recipe that combines those flavors with brownies and peanut butter gives you (in my opinion) a pretty perfect dessert.

This is another recipe that called for espresso powder to make the chocolate flavor just a bit more intense. It also originally called for bittersweet chocolate in the brownies and milk chocolate for the crispy topping. I just subbed in semi-sweet chocolate for both. Pretty much anytime a recipe calls for milk chocolate I'll use a darker chocolate in its place.

Everyone loved these. The contrasting textures (chewy brownie base, crunchy Rice Krispie topping) and chocolate/peanut butter flavor combination makes them hard to beat.

Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars (Adapted from Culinary in the Desert)

For the brownie layer

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
11 tablespoons (about 2/3 cup) unsalted butter
7.5 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) chopped semi-sweet chocolate, divided
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

For the topping

10.5 ounces miniature marshmallows
9 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup smooth peanut butter (to measure the peanut butter you can spray the measuring cup with cooking spray and the peanut butter will slide right out)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

To prepare the brownies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, add unsweetened chocolate, butter and 4.5 ounces (about 3/4 cup) semi-sweet chocolate - melt over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from the heat, stir in espresso powder and set aside to cool for 5 minutes

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl , whisk together eggs. Whisk in sugar and vanilla until well combined. Gradually add melted chocolate mixture, stirring until combined and smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined - fold in remaining 3 ounces (1/2 cup) bittersweet chocolate.

Scoop batter into a 9" x 13" baking pan coated with nonstick spray, smoothing the top with a spatula. Place into the oven and bake until a toothpick placed near the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately scatter the marshmallows evenly over the top. Place pan back into the oven to soften the marshmallows, about 3 more minutes.

To prepare the topping

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add semi-sweet chocolate, peanut butter and butter - heat over low heat, stirring, until smooth and combined. Remove from the heat and stir in Rice Krispies until thoroughly coated. Set aside and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes. Spread mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer on top of the brownies. Place pan into the refrigerator and chill until firm before cutting.

Makes about 24 bars.

Fudge Brownies

2010-09-19T19:19:00.000-04:00

I've been on the search for a homemade brownie recipe that's as good as the one you get from the box. You know the kind - chewy, chocolaty, the perfect dessert to top with a scoop of ice cream. Finally, success!

The secret ingredient in these brownies is espresso powder. Apparently this ingredient is hard to find and can be expensive. So rather than shell out the big bucks for it I just purchased some instant espresso in the international foods aisle at Wegmans. It worked fine and was about half the price.

These brownies were a hit with Dennis and my co-workers. They all agreed that the chocolate in the brownies really came through. I asked Dennis for any additional comments and he said the consistency was perfect and also requested that I add them to the regular baking rotation. Sounds like a winner to me.

Fudge Brownies (from King Arthur Flour)

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

* 2 1/4 cups sugar

* 4 large eggs

* 1 1/4 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 teaspoon espresso powder

* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

* 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

* 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

2) In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

3) While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

4) Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

5) Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

6) Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

7) Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Scones

2010-09-09T21:28:00.000-04:00

Dennis finally ate all of the blueberry crumb muffins so I had the task of coming up with another breakfast food. I came across this recipe for Raspberry Chocolate Chip scones and was intrigued. I've never made scones before but this had Dennis's favorite flavor combination so I couldn't resist.

I used frozen raspberries since fresh raspberries aren't really in season now. I think they worked out fine - it just made the dough really cold and I had to work quickly before they started to completely defrost.

I definitely don't think they turned out perfect. Dennis said the texture was good, though the outside was a bit chewy. I also didn't do the best job cutting them. I told him some are for when he's a little hungry and some are for when he's very hungry... So next time I'll definitely try to cut it in more even portions. But I don't think they turned out too bad for my first scone attempt.

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Scones (from Joy of Baking)

2 cups all purpose flour (I used ½ all-purpose, ½ white whole wheat)

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

2 ounces dark chocolate chunks or chips (about 1/3 cup)

3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and place rack in middle of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chunks (chips) and raspberries. In a small measuring cup whisk together the yogurt, vanilla extract, and egg. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat, or roll, the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 11/2 inches thick. Cut the dough into eight triangles. Place the scones on the baking sheet.

Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.

Makes 8 scones.

Homemade Mallomars

2010-08-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love marshmallows and chocolate? No one, which I guess is one reason s'mores are so popular. This is a less messy version of s'mores, sort of a takeoff on Mallomars. The original recipe calls for actually dipping the entire cookie in chocolate but I chose instead to drizzle chocolate over them. I thought it made them look pretty, plus I had a fear of the cookies falling into the chocolate. I'm clumsy like that. Dennis and my co-workers all agreed that these cookies taste just like Mallomars. Apparently even the cookie itself is a close facsimile.

One last note - I doubled the recipe but ended up with only about 20 cookies. I didn't make them huge so I'm not sure why I got so few cookies. Not a big deal since I have a feeling I'll be making them again soon.

Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow Cookies (aka Mallomars)

Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons packed, light brown sugar
1 large egg
9 large marshmallows, halved
9 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350, with racks in upper and lower thirds.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on high, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until light, 4 minutes. Add egg and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls, 3 inches apart on two parchment lined baking sheets. With the bottom of a measuring cup dipped in flour, flatten cookies to 2 inches in diameter. (I misread this and used a knife dipped in water instead. That worked fine also). Bake until dry and set, 7 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove from oven and top each cookie with a marshmallow half. Bake until marshmallows are soft, 2 minutes.

Remove from oven and, with a metal spatula, gently flatten each marshmallow. Let cookies cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Place chocolate in a heat safe bowl, and melt in the microwave or by placing bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir chocolate until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over cookies and put them back on the wire racks set over the cookie sheets.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

2010-07-27T22:40:00.000-04:00

I've never had Mexican hot chocolate. I'm guessing it's like regular hot chocolate, maybe with a bit more kick? Regardless, it's hard to go wrong with any recipe that references hot chocolate. Even if the temperature has been in the 90's the past few days...

These cookies reminded us of Snickerdoodles, only with a subtle chocolate flavor. Dennis actually wanted even more chocolate flavor and asked if next time I could add chocolate chips. I thought they were good as is but he is the cookie expert.

The original recipe gives you the option of adding in some chili powder but I left it out. Feel free to try it out if you're feeling adventurous.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies (from Everyday Food)
Makes 32

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down side of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and chile powder (if using). Using heaping tablespoons, form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place, about 3 inches apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. (Store in an airtight container, up to 1 week.)

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

2010-07-11T15:52:00.000-04:00

I'm not a blueberry muffin person. I like my blueberries straight out of the carton, or in blueberry pancakes. Dennis, on the other hand, never eats blueberries on their own (thanks to his Grandma overfeeding them to him when he was young) but likes blueberry muffins. He also loves sugar and butter (who doesn't?), so when I found this recipe that tops the muffins with a butter-sugar streusel I had high hopes.

These muffins are what blueberry muffins should be - buttery, moist, studded with delicious blueberries. Oh, and the streusel topping definitely doesn't hurt either.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins (adapted from Cook’s Country)

Makes 12

Streusel

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch salt

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Muffins

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat and no one was the wiser)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup buttermilk*

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

1. For the streusel: Combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and toss with fork until evenly moistened and mixture forms large chunks with some pea-sized pieces throughout.

2. For the muffins: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin. Whisk egg in medium bowl until pale and evenly combined, about 30 seconds. Add vanilla, sugar, and zest and whisk vigorously until thick, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in melted butter; add buttermilk and whisk until combined.

3. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour. Whisk remaining flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Fold in egg mixture until nearly combined. Toss blueberries with reserved flour and fold into batter until just combined.

4. Divide batter in muffin tin and top with streusel. Bake until light golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out with few dry crumbs attached, 23 to 27 minutes. Cool muffins in tin for 20 minutes, then carefully transfer muffins to rack to cool completely.

*If you don’t have buttermilk you can substitute 1 cup milk with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice. Just let it sit for about 10 minutes then use ½ cup for the muffins. Also, I’ve done this with soy milk and it works fine too.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-07-01T22:41:00.001-04:00

It's hard to beat a good chocolate chip cookie. But on the other hand, it's hard to make the perfect one. Everyone has their preferences (chewy, crispy, nuts, no nuts) so I guess you can never please everyone. But I know that Dennis likes chewy chocolate chip cookies, and those are my preference too. Also, nuts will never make an appearance in my cookies - it's all about the chocolate, baby!

This recipe comes from the back of the Ghiradelli chocolate chip bag. I basically stuck to the recipe though I did try some different things. I left the butter out to soften slightly, and also kept the eggs at room temperature for about 45 minutes. I did find that the batter came together easier and I didn't have to worry about over-mixing it. Also, in between batches I put the batter back in the fridge to keep it cold and also made sure that to cool the trays in between batches so the cookies didn't spread too much. There, that's all my cookie wisdom...

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

11 1/2 ounce(s) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cup unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Heat oven to 375ºF.

Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and lightened in color. Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Brownies

2010-01-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

Apparently I've been in a brownie mode recently. First raspberry, now cherry. This was a little different from the previous recipe, though. This actually came from Cooking Light though they definitely didn't taste light. I find that for light recipes a lot of the lightness usually means that the serving size is smaller than what you'd normally eat. So if you can get 16 servings from this then they're light. Otherwise, not really. ;)

Compared to the raspberry chocolate brownies these were definitely less dense and more gooey. We felt they could have actually used more cherry flavor so next time I might try adding some more cherry preserves or even mix in some dried cherries to bring the flavor out.

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Brownies

Ingredients

Cooking spray
3.4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cherry preserves
1/3 cup water
5 tablespoons butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine cherry preserves, 1/3 cup water, and butter in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Add preserves mixture to flour mixture; stir well. Add egg and egg white; stir until smooth. Stir in semisweet chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Raspberry Brownies

2010-01-18T19:37:00.000-05:00

Dennis's absolute favorite flavor combination is raspberry and chocolate. He's tried it in every possible form. Chocolate bars, ice cream, even beer. So when I came across a recipe that combined brownies with raspberry jam I had high hopes.

I did make a few modifications to the original recipe. It called for nuts, but I know most people don't like nuts in their brownies so I left them out. The chocolate chips were also supposed to be a mix of white chocolate and semi-sweet but I used all bittersweet. So just use whichever chocolate is your favorite (or what you have in your cabinet which is what I did).

Dennis gave the brownies two big thumbs up. He recommends heating them up a bit in the microwave so the chocolate chips on top melt a bit. They're pretty rich so you probably can just have one and satisfy your sweet tooth. Though a scoop of ice cream on top wouldn't hurt either...

Raspberry Brownie Recipe

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup raspberry jam
1 2/3 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or bittersweet would be fine)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2: Lightly grease an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt; set side.
Step 4: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer beat together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy.
Step 5: Add 2 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
Step 6: Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Step 7: Spread 1 cup of batter into prepared pan.
Step 8: Stir jam until smooth. Drizzle over batter.
Step 10: Beat remaining egg into reserved batter.
Step 11: Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
Step 12: Spread batter carefully over top of jam layer..
Step 13: Sprinkle remaining chips over top.
Step 14: Bake for 30-33 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely before cutting onto bars.

Makes 16 brownies.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2010-01-05T21:32:00.001-05:00

I never really knew what a Snickerdoodle was until a few years ago. When I realized they didn't actually contain Snickers I dismissed them. But now that I'm older and wiser I can appreciate the simplicity of cinnamon and sugar to make a cookie that's not overly sweet.

So for another of our Christmas treats I found a recipe for Snickerdoodle Blondies. If blondies are good, topping them with cinnamon and sugar can only make them better, right? Um, definitely! Plus at least with bar cookies you don't have to worry so much about them coming out perfectly round. Not to say that I haven't had issues getting bar cookies out of the pan without some of them falling apart but that's for another post.

If you want to make these even more festive I could see replacing some of the sugar with colored sprinkles. Red for Christmas, orange for Halloween...I love customizable treats!

Snickerdoodle Blondies (adapted from Dozen Flours)

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
a pinch nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and/or line a 9×13 inch pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar for 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be somewhat sticky, so you may want to use a greased spatula or your hands). Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter. Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool before cutting. Makes 20-24 bars.

Hazelnut Kiss Cookies

2009-12-14T20:51:00.000-05:00

Another cookie I associate with Christmas are peanut-butter kiss cookies. The dough would be spiked with peanut butter, then a Kiss would be placed in the center after they had baked. The recipe I decided to use this year was a bit different. First off, chocolate hazelnut spread is used instead of peanut butter. And once you shape the cookies they're rolled in sprinkles for a little extra color and sweetness. The cookies are also baked for a few minutes with the Kiss so it melts slightly.

I asked Dennis for his impressions (after he ate two right before dinner), and he said his recommendation is to eat them warm when the Kiss is slightly melted. All in all, they look very festive and I think they'd be enjoyed at any holiday get-together.

Hazelnut Kiss Cookies (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella)
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sprinkles
1 (9-ounce) package of chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped (I used dark chocolate, of course)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, place the chocolate hazelnut spread, butter, and both sugars. Using a hand mixer, cream the ingredients together, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and blend until incorporated. Stir in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated.

Shape the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls. Rolls the balls in the orange sprinkles or orange sugar, pressing to adhere. Place the cookies on a heavy cookie sheet about 4 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven. Quickly place a chocolate kiss in the middle of each cookie. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for another 3 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

Makes around 36 cookies.

Brown Edge Cookies

2009-12-06T19:24:00.000-05:00

I've always associated Christmas with Christmas cookies. My Mom and I used to make batches of all different kinds of cookies, a tradition I continued when I went to college and once I moved out on my own.

This recipe is by far the most requested. It's not hard to see why everyone loves them - how can you go wrong with a cookie that basically consists of sugar and butter?

When I made them this time I used pure cane sugar which made them a bit crunchier. So if you're looking for that extra crunch, that would be fine. Otherwise plain old sugar is what we traditionally used. To top the cookies you can throw some red and green sprinkles on top, leave them plain, or cut maraschino cherries into quarters and put them on top before placing in the oven. It doesn't really matter how you decorate them - I guarantee people will love them!

Great-Grandma's Brown Edge Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream butter and gradually add sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla.
Drop very small portions from teaspoon onto buttered sheet 2 inches apart.
Spread with knife dipped in water. Bake 8-12 minutes (until the edges brown).
Cool less than 1 minute and remove to cooling trays.

Make about 5 dozen.

M&M Bars

2009-11-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

In case you couldn't tell, let me just state for the record that we love M&Ms. Any recipe that calls for M&Ms usually goes to the top of the recipe pile. This recipe for M&M bars is one of our tried and true. I made up a batch for Thanksgiving since the recipe makes enough that we could take some to my parent's house while still saving some for ourselves.

The nice thing about M&M treats is that they're easy to customize for the different holidays. Throw in some red and green M&Ms and you have an instant Christmas treat. Okay, so Christmas isn't for another month but what can I say? The Christmas spirit just makes everything taste better.

M&M Bars (adapted from King Arthur's Cooking Companion)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups M&M's (we used dark M&Ms)

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray a 10 X 15" jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar, stirring until evenly distributed. Allow to cool slightly. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating very well after each one. Mix in vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture and when combined add in the M&M's. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 24-26 minutes, until they are shiny and golden brown on top. Try not to overbake these or they will be dry. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting.

Chocolate Gingerbread Bars

2009-11-19T19:58:00.000-05:00

The closest I came to eating gingerbread growing up was when my Mom and I would attempt to make a gingerbread house at Christmastime. Our houses never quite stayed together and had a look about them as if a really strong storm had just blown through. And since the houses themselves weren't very attractive I never felt an urge to nibble on the actual gingerbread.

Now I've finally branched out beyond gingerbread houses and realized that if you combine gingerbread with chocolate the results are pretty delicious. I make a chocolate gingerbread cookie for Christmas that Dennis specifically requests so I'm sure it'll be making a return appearance this year. But for a regular weekend treat I wanted something less labor intensive. This recipe is easy and got two thumbs up from Dennis and my co-workers. We topped it with ice cream because really, what isn't better with ice cream? But it's definitely just as good on its own.

Chocolate Gingerbread Bars (from Everyday Food)

Ingredients

* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
* 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper. Dust paper and sides of pan with cocoa; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, ginger, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and sour cream until smooth. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Using paper overhang, lift gingerbread from pan. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares. (To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.)

Makes 16 servings.

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-11-13T15:34:00.000-05:00

I'm the biggest wuss when it comes to cold weather. I'll just hunker down on the couch under a big blanket and refuse to move for hours. Yes, I do appreciate the irony of the fact that I went to school in Syracuse.

The one thing the cold weather has going for it is the food it brings with it. Soups, stews and chili are some of my favorite things to eat. Not to mention all the great fall flavors, including pumpkin. I love pumpkin. Though in all honesty, pumpkin really doesn't have much of a flavor. So I guess what I really love is all the spices you can add to pumpkin to make something comforting that warms you up on a chilly fall day.

The pumpkin muffins here are easy to make and great to freeze and then defrost for when you need a quick breakfast. These are also a bit healthier than traditional muffins since they swap out most of the oil for applesauce, and also use whole wheat flour. For me, these muffins almost make the cold weather bearable.

Pumpkin Muffins (from Cooking Light)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice (I also throw in some nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, you can put about a tablespoon of lemon juice in a cup of milk and just wait about ten minutes for it to turn sour)
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 egg whites
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, granulated sugar, and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Combine pumpkin and the next 4 ingredients (through applesauce) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool muffins in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)

Chocolate Malted M&M Cookies

2009-10-25T18:48:00.000-04:00

For last week's Sunday treat I did a spin on Dennis's favorite, M&M bars. These cookies have plenty of M&M's (I use dark chocolate M&Ms since we both prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate), along with some chocolate malt powder. The chocolate malt powder gives them a little zing, incorporating just a bit of extra chocolate flavor. We both think that a little more malt flavor would have been even better, so I'll try upping that next time and see what happens.

The original recipe calls for using 2 different kinds of shortening but I used 8 tablespoons shortening and 8 tablespoons butter. Next time I might use all shortening, just to see what the difference is.

Dennis's comment on the cookies was that they had a nice contrast between the crunch of the M&Ms and that the softness of the actual cookies. He's also been eating them for a week straight so I think that's the biggest endorsement!

Chocolate Malted M&M Cookies (from Culinary in the Desert)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons shortening
8 tablespoons butter flavored shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate malt powder
2 cups M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortenings together - add sugars and beat until combined.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing until combined after each. Mix in vanilla. Add the malt powder and slowly mix until combined. Add the flour gradually and mix just until combined. Stir in M&Ms. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Drop dough by tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until golden and almost set in the center, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to completely cool.

Makes about 40 cookies.

Whole Wheat Rolls

2009-10-18T11:40:00.000-04:00

So this weekend gave us our first Nor'easter of the season. I didn't even know you could have those in mid-October but the temperature hasn't climbed above 40 for the past few days and the sun has also been in hiding. Weather like this usually causes me to curl up on the couch and stay there for hours at a time, so I decided to at least be productive and whip up a batch of one of my favorite (healthy) treats, whole wheat rolls.

My mom got this recipe from a co-workers years ago and it quickly worked its way into regular rotation. These rolls are great for breakfast with some jam on top, or for lunch with a bowl of soup. They're not too dense as some whole wheat baked goods tend to be, and they're easy to make. You just need to set some time aside as the dough has to rise. I like to put the dough in an oven with the pilot light on. That provides a bit of heat to get the yeast going, and keeps it away from drafts.

Whole Wheat Rolls

1 1/4 cup scalded milk
2 1/2 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 cup butter
2 packages yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 3/4 cup white flour
1 1/2 cup wheat flour

Scald milk - i.e. put the heat on low until little bubbles form in the milk. You don't want it to boil. Then cool the milk to lukewarm and stir in the sugar, butter and salt. In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast into warm water and stir until dissolved. Stir into the lukewarm mixture and add flour.

Put the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let the dough rise until the size has doubled. Punch down the dough and put it into a muffin tin. Let the dough rise until a size you like.

Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes.

2009-10-04T21:25:00.001-04:00

Irish Soda Bread

When I was growing up one of our neighbors would always make Irish Soda Bread around St. Patrick's Day. That was the only kind I ever ate so that spoiled me for Irish soda bread. It was moist, studded with raisins, and absolutely delicious.

A few months ago I baked a version that didn't quite taste the way I remembered. To be honest it really didn't taste like Irish soda bread, more like white bread with raisins. So we tried again with a recipe I found online that uses a cast iron skillet to bake the bread in. This time the bread turned out great, nice and moist with just the touch of sweetness that Irish soda bread should have. The original recipe calls for caraway seeds but those were never in the Irish soda bread I grew up with so I left them out. Feel free to throw some in if that's your thing. I personally would rather just add more raisins...

Skillet Irish Soda Bread Served With Cheddar and Apples (adapted from NY Times)
Yield: 1 10-inch loaf.

Butter for greasing pan plus 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups raisins or currants

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch oven-proof skillet and line with parchment or waxed paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the raisins.
3. Pour batter into skillet. Brush top with remaining butter. Bake until golden and firm to touch, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Soba Salad With Spinach, Edamame and Miso Dressing

2009-09-23T20:58:00.000-04:00

I was looking for something quick and easy tonight. Not to mention something meatless. I think we're still recovering from Dinosaur BBQ this weekend where we ate our weight in wings, ribs and brisket.

I came across this recipe in the NY Times from Mark Bittman and it seemed to fit my criteria. I did need to pick up some things (anyone know what I can use a whole jar of miso for?), but once we started putting it together it took no more than 15 minutes. Perfect for a weeknight meal, and it tasted good too. The soba noodles had a bite to them, and the dressing had a nice Asian flavor, not too sweet like most dressings. And using chopsticks to eat it definitely makes dinner a little more fun, but then again I'm easily amused.

Soba Salad With Spinach, Edamame and Miso Dressing

Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 ounces soba noodles
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups edamame (frozen are fine)
2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoons white or light miso
1 tablespoon mirin or 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
1 10-ounce package fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
1/4 cup chopped scallion
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Drop in the noodles and carrot and cook until tender, 2 to 4 minutes; add the edamame for about 15 to 30 seconds just to warm, then drain everything in a colander. Set aside.

2. In a large salad bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, miso and mirin or sugar. Add spinach, noodles, carrot, edamame, scallion, and toss; then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with grated ginger at the table.

Yield: 4 servings

Thai Beef with Chiles and Basil Over Coconut Rice

2009-09-03T21:08:00.000-04:00

Up until a few months ago I had been a vegetarian. Well, actually a pescatarian once I gave into the siren song of sushi. That expanded my horizons for the time being, but eventually I find myself wanting more. Namely the chance to experience restaurants like Dinosaur BBQ and Momofuku without gazing longingly at everyone else's plates. So I finally started eating meat again and was surprised to find how much I like it. Ribs are one of my new favorite foods and I forgot how amazing a piece of bacon can be. Surprisingly the meat I'm least enamored with is chicken. Is it just me or is chicken sort of boring? It's good for a quick weeknight meal, but I've never had a chicken that wowed me. But I digress...

Before Dennis and I kick back and start our Labor Day weekend, I thought I'd make a recipe from Everyday Food that caught my eye. The recipe says it takes about 25 minutes, though it took me closer to 30-35 minutes. Still not too bad for a weeknight meal. We both thought it came out quite tasty, though I think next time I wouldn't seed the peppers quite so much. It could've used some extra spice. And maybe something crunchy for a nice contrast, like some crushed peanuts on top.

Thai Beef with Chiles and Basil over Coconut Rice (from Everyday Food)

1 1/4 cup jasmine rice

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)

Salt

2 TB plus 1 tsp fish sauce

2 TB plus 1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 TB vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 long hot peppers or red jalapenos, seeded and sliced into matchsticks

1 1/4 lb ground beef

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

Lime wedges for serving

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk and 3/4 cup water and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. (My rice overflowed once it started boiling so just keep an eye on it. Also, it was done in 15 minutes.)

When rice is almost done, combine fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl; set aside. Heat a skillet or wok over high. Add oil and heat; add garlic and half the chiles. Cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon until completely browned, about 4 minutes. Add soy mixture and cook for 30 seconds. Add basil and remaining chiles and stir to combine. Serve beef over coconut rice and with lime wedges.