1 german chocolate box cake mix (and the ingredients on the box, so oil, water & eggs)
1/3 cup milk
1 stick of butter
1 bag caramels
6 oz chocolate chips
mix box cake as directed. Pour 1/2 of the cake mix into a greased 9x13 pan. bake at 350F for 15 mins. Melt caramels, butter, milk. Pour over the cake. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pour remaining cake mix over the cake. Bake at 350F for 20-25 mins.
Showing posts with label Dessert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dessert. Show all posts
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Fruit Bars
My son loves fruit. He loved those apple bars I made awhile back & we had some blueberries in the house so I decided to make blueberry bars.
This was a great little treat to whip up pretty quickly. I didn't have any actual lemons so I used just lemon juice and I wished I had used some zest. All in all, pretty tasty!
Blueberry Crumb Bars
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter
1 egg
¼ tsp. salt
zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
4 tsp. cornstarch
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9×13” pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, flour and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.
In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Delicious Molten Cake Christmas Eve
Molten Cake
Courtesy of Food Network
Ingredients
Clarified butter
Cocoa powder
7 ounces Valrhona extra-bitter chocolate
7 tablespoons soft butter
6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
10 to 12 ounces Valrhona semi-sweet chocolate
Bay leaf sauce (recipe follows
Directions
Gather together 10 to 12 2-inch-high cake rings. Cut strips of parchment paper 1 inch wider than the rings. Brush both sides of parchment strips with clarified butter. Fit inside of cake rings. Coat inside of rings with cocoa powder and set aside on a sheet pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt extra-bitter chocolate over double boiler. Whisk softened butter into melted chocolate. Remove chocolate mixture from heat and whisk in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Sift flours together and fold into chocolate mixture.
Beat egg whites to soft peaks and add confectioners' sugar. Whisk 1/3 of egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions.
Pipe a 1/2-inch layer of cake batter into the bottom of each cocoa-coated cake ring. Freeze until cake batter becomes stiff. Approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Put a 1-inch piece semi-sweet chocolate in each cake ring atop the stiffened cake batter. Pipe in enough cake batter to cover the chocolate piece. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Afterwards, allow cake to rest for one minute.
Delicious!
Courtesy of Food Network
Ingredients
Clarified butter
Cocoa powder
7 ounces Valrhona extra-bitter chocolate
7 tablespoons soft butter
6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
10 to 12 ounces Valrhona semi-sweet chocolate
Bay leaf sauce (recipe follows
Directions
Gather together 10 to 12 2-inch-high cake rings. Cut strips of parchment paper 1 inch wider than the rings. Brush both sides of parchment strips with clarified butter. Fit inside of cake rings. Coat inside of rings with cocoa powder and set aside on a sheet pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt extra-bitter chocolate over double boiler. Whisk softened butter into melted chocolate. Remove chocolate mixture from heat and whisk in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Sift flours together and fold into chocolate mixture.
Beat egg whites to soft peaks and add confectioners' sugar. Whisk 1/3 of egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions.
Pipe a 1/2-inch layer of cake batter into the bottom of each cocoa-coated cake ring. Freeze until cake batter becomes stiff. Approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Put a 1-inch piece semi-sweet chocolate in each cake ring atop the stiffened cake batter. Pipe in enough cake batter to cover the chocolate piece. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Afterwards, allow cake to rest for one minute.
Delicious!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
No Picture Post
I wanted to post these recipes because they were so good. I had a Stella and Dot jewelry party last Friday. I did a wine & dessert theme, but I didn't get a chance to take any pictures.
Salted Fudge Brownies: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/salted-fudge-brownies
So good! Even better with a glass of red wine
Spiced Pumpkin Cake: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spiced-pumpkin-cake-00000000044847/index.htmlVery simple to make and pretty when it was all said and done. Great for the fall season.
Not served at the party but something I made for this week. Roasted Tomato Soup. What a great pairing for a panini or grilled cheese!
Salted Fudge Brownies: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/salted-fudge-brownies
So good! Even better with a glass of red wine
Spiced Pumpkin Cake: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spiced-pumpkin-cake-00000000044847/index.htmlVery simple to make and pretty when it was all said and done. Great for the fall season.
Not served at the party but something I made for this week. Roasted Tomato Soup. What a great pairing for a panini or grilled cheese!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Apple Crumble Bars
I am still working through my apples. I need a recipe that calls for about 20 apples in order to actually use them all.
I have made these twice already. They are so awesome!!! I would expect no less from an Annie's Eats recipe though.
Apple Crumble Bars
Apple Crumble Bars
Ingredients:
For the base:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the filling:
4 medium-sized apples, peeled, cored and coarsely diced
5 tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. lemon juice
¼ cup fruit jam (I used apricot)
For the topping:
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
Directions:
To prepare the filling, in a large skillet combine the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until apples are tender but still firm. In a small cup, whisk together cornstarch and lemon juice. Add to the apple mixture and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8×8” baking dish with foil, leaving overhang on both sides for easy removal later. Grease foil.
To make the base, in a medium bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Mix well. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, two forks or your hands, until it resembles breadcrumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven. Spread the fruit jam evenly on the base while it is still hot. Top with the cooked apple mixture.
In a medium bowl combine all ingredients for the topping. Mix well until combined and crumbly. Sprinkle over the apple layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Using the foil, lift out of pan. Cut into squares and serve. (If desired, refrigerate before cutting to firm up a bit for easier slicing.)
I wish I could post a voice note I took via my phone. Jayson LOVES the apple bars. So much he can say it. Its absolutely hilarious.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
A return item
I remembered the last time my mother in law brought us apples I made an amazing apple cake. I was so glad to see I had blogged about it & didn't have to try to recall whose recipe it was or where I had seen it. I reminded me why I blog. Because while I love to try new things, I like that I have history of my recipes to relate to. My husband is terrible at remembering things, so I get requests like "you know that one chicken thing that had ranch & potatoes".
Anyway, here the latest apple cake remake
Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma & moi!
I would say this is more of a cake than coffee cake. I associate coffee cake with the mornings, in that, that is the only time I drink coffee. The cake is amazing, moist, delicious. But, its also sweet and too sweet for the mornings for me.
Anyway, here the latest apple cake remake
Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma & moi!
I would say this is more of a cake than coffee cake. I associate coffee cake with the mornings, in that, that is the only time I drink coffee. The cake is amazing, moist, delicious. But, its also sweet and too sweet for the mornings for me.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Hi My Name Is ...
Julie and this is my blog about cooking and baking. Oh wait, I have been here before. A little deja vu anyone?
Well, I have had some extra time on my hands lately and decided to start the ole blog again. My husband is at a new company and they just love all the baked goodies I make for him to bring into work. So I have been baking more.
And cooking more. Now the the baby is no longer a baby, try 18 months. He is eats everything. I mean EVERYTHING. His favorite food so far is bacon wrapped filets. Yeah, as in steak. But he is STARVING by 5:30/6:00pm. This creates a bit of a challenge for dinner time.
So a few things have changed,not everything is from scratch. I do have store made spaghetti sauce now a days. No P90X, although I probably should. And I let my subscription to Cooking Light run out, so what you will see on this blog are a lot of recipes from other blogs. And maybe a few that will make re-appearances. I forgot how much easier it is to search my blog for a recipe instead of the printed out recipes that are mashed into a binder.
Here is one I made a few weeks ago. I found it on one of my absolute favorite blogs, Annie's Eats. They are called Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars. Mine were a bit more gooey than hers. Not sure what I did though....
Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars
Ingredients:
For the oatmeal layer:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup salted honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
For the chocolate layer:
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup salted honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan with butter.
To make the oatmeal cookie layer, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium-high speed until it is soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Mix in the oats and peanuts with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.
Reserve 1½ cups of the mixture. Place the remaining dough in the prepared pan and press over the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
To make the chocolate layer, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is warm and the chocolate chips and butter are melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and peanuts.
Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the oatmeal cookie layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Crumble the remaining oatmeal cookie mixture and scatter evenly over the top of the chocolate.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the chocolate layer is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into bars as desired and serve.
Well, I have had some extra time on my hands lately and decided to start the ole blog again. My husband is at a new company and they just love all the baked goodies I make for him to bring into work. So I have been baking more.
And cooking more. Now the the baby is no longer a baby, try 18 months. He is eats everything. I mean EVERYTHING. His favorite food so far is bacon wrapped filets. Yeah, as in steak. But he is STARVING by 5:30/6:00pm. This creates a bit of a challenge for dinner time.
So a few things have changed,not everything is from scratch. I do have store made spaghetti sauce now a days. No P90X, although I probably should. And I let my subscription to Cooking Light run out, so what you will see on this blog are a lot of recipes from other blogs. And maybe a few that will make re-appearances. I forgot how much easier it is to search my blog for a recipe instead of the printed out recipes that are mashed into a binder.
Here is one I made a few weeks ago. I found it on one of my absolute favorite blogs, Annie's Eats. They are called Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars. Mine were a bit more gooey than hers. Not sure what I did though....
Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars
Ingredients:
For the oatmeal layer:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup salted honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
For the chocolate layer:
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup salted honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan with butter.
To make the oatmeal cookie layer, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium-high speed until it is soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Mix in the oats and peanuts with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.
Reserve 1½ cups of the mixture. Place the remaining dough in the prepared pan and press over the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
To make the chocolate layer, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is warm and the chocolate chips and butter are melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and peanuts.
Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the oatmeal cookie layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Crumble the remaining oatmeal cookie mixture and scatter evenly over the top of the chocolate.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the chocolate layer is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into bars as desired and serve.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Chocolate & Caramel bars
I was in charge of dessert this month for Ronald McDonald House dinner. I knew I wanted to make some type of bar b/c I wouldn't have time to make a bunch of cookies. I also knew I had a box of yellow cake mix in my pantry.
So off to bettyCrocker.com. (I love the Internet, could be why I work in that field). These little beauties were the first thing that caught my eye. Enough so much that I decided to make two batches-one for RMH & one for my co-workers birthday.
Chocolate & Caramel Oatmeal Bars
1 package Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 jar (12.25 ounces) caramel topping (1 cup)
1 tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1. Heat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches, with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray.
2. Beat cake mix, butter and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed about 1 minute or just until crumbly. Stir in oats, using hands if necessary. Reserve 1 1/2 cups oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown.
3. Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts over hot crust. Mix caramel topping and flour in small bowl; drizzle evenly over chocolate chips and walnuts. Sprinkle reserved oat mixture over top.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.
In all seriousness, I had everything in my pantry for these, even the caramel sauce. These would be great for a potluck or picnic.
vanishing oatmeal raisin cookies
Awhile back I tried to make something, I think granola, with quick oats. That didn't turn out so well. So i was forced to try the old fashioned oats. And let me tell you, best thing to be forced to do!
On the top of my handy Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oats can is a recipe for Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies. Its your standard oatmeal cookie recipe, but I have never made them using the old fashioned oats. Boy have I been missing out. This is probably the third time I have made these cookies. They disappear very quickly and you don't feel so bad eating them for breakfast.
Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins
Preparation
Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. (I roll mine into a ball with greased hands)
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.
Prep Time: 20 min
Also,I have gotten in the habit of putting my cookies/dough in the fridge while one set bakes. I like to think it helps keep their shape.
On the top of my handy Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oats can is a recipe for Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies. Its your standard oatmeal cookie recipe, but I have never made them using the old fashioned oats. Boy have I been missing out. This is probably the third time I have made these cookies. They disappear very quickly and you don't feel so bad eating them for breakfast.
Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins
Preparation
Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. (I roll mine into a ball with greased hands)
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.
Prep Time: 20 min
Also,I have gotten in the habit of putting my cookies/dough in the fridge while one set bakes. I like to think it helps keep their shape.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Christmas Eve
Ever since my husband and I were married, we let our family know that Christmas eve is reserved for us. With our latest addition to the family, I am so thankful that we have set aside this time for us. Christmas can be so full of hustle & bustle that being able to spend the night as a family is worth more than any presents Santa brings.
I like to make a nice dinner on Christmas Eve. This year we decided to have steak, baked potatoes & Caesar salad. These three things are super easy, so I picked a rather difficult dessert. I wish I had a picture of my husband grilling steaks on the patio with a foot of snow falling. But they sure did taste good!
I am a big fan of Annie's Eats, I have noticed lately that I am starring her recipes on my google reader. She makes some of the prettiest things I have ever seen. We picked the caramel apple cheesecake pie.
This was time consuming, I am not going to lie. Start to finish was about 2 hours, then you have to let it cool for 4 hours. So plan in advance (i did not,thus we had this for breakfast on Christmas Day-what??? it has fruit in it!)
Anyway, mine is not near as pretty but was quite tasty. I didn't make my own caramel sauce though. I just bought sauce at the store.
I like to make a nice dinner on Christmas Eve. This year we decided to have steak, baked potatoes & Caesar salad. These three things are super easy, so I picked a rather difficult dessert. I wish I had a picture of my husband grilling steaks on the patio with a foot of snow falling. But they sure did taste good!
I am a big fan of Annie's Eats, I have noticed lately that I am starring her recipes on my google reader. She makes some of the prettiest things I have ever seen. We picked the caramel apple cheesecake pie.
This was time consuming, I am not going to lie. Start to finish was about 2 hours, then you have to let it cool for 4 hours. So plan in advance (i did not,thus we had this for breakfast on Christmas Day-what??? it has fruit in it!)
Anyway, mine is not near as pretty but was quite tasty. I didn't make my own caramel sauce though. I just bought sauce at the store.
Cookies for Santa!
This being the first year with our son, I wanted to start a cookies for santa tradition. I had been baking & cooking for 2 weeks & really didnt want to even make cookies on Christmas Eve. But the snow started falling, I was going to be stuck in the house & I really wanted to try royal icing.
I made these sugar cookies. They were delicious! Just plan ahead b.c they have to chill for 3 hours.
I used this recipe for the royal icing. Now I didnt have enough powedered sugar to make a lot of frosting, but I also didnt make very many cookies. I wish I had had more frosting though & better tools.
Annie has a great post on tips for using royal icing. I am looking forward to trying out royal icing on other cookies. I really like how it looks in the end and maybe I can convince the hubs that I need some new tools. After the mess that was our kitchen table post cookie decorating I think I have it in the bag :)
I made these sugar cookies. They were delicious! Just plan ahead b.c they have to chill for 3 hours.
I used this recipe for the royal icing. Now I didnt have enough powedered sugar to make a lot of frosting, but I also didnt make very many cookies. I wish I had had more frosting though & better tools.
Annie has a great post on tips for using royal icing. I am looking forward to trying out royal icing on other cookies. I really like how it looks in the end and maybe I can convince the hubs that I need some new tools. After the mess that was our kitchen table post cookie decorating I think I have it in the bag :)
Monday, July 6, 2009
Trifle
We were invited to our friends house for BBQ on Friday night. A little early 4th of July celebration. The last time we went over to their house for dinner, I made this trifle. I mostly just made it b/c I wanted to use my trifle bowl, but wow did it make an impression on our friends! I heard about the trifle for weeks, if not months, afterwards.
So I thought it was only fitting to make it again. Happy 4th Justin & Shonna!
Brownie Trifle-4th of July Style
1 box of brownie mix
Strawberries
Blueberries
Cool Whip
1) Make brownies according to package. (Before I had a baby & my husband left for a week, I probably would have made these by scratch. Not so much now)
2) Let brownies cool completely
3) Meanwhile, slice up the strawberries
4) Once the brownies are cool, cut into squares and place in the bottom of the bowl. Layer with cool whip, then top with strawberries & blueberries.
5) Repeat
So I thought it was only fitting to make it again. Happy 4th Justin & Shonna!
Brownie Trifle-4th of July Style
1 box of brownie mix
Strawberries
Blueberries
Cool Whip
1) Make brownies according to package. (Before I had a baby & my husband left for a week, I probably would have made these by scratch. Not so much now)
2) Let brownies cool completely
3) Meanwhile, slice up the strawberries
4) Once the brownies are cool, cut into squares and place in the bottom of the bowl. Layer with cool whip, then top with strawberries & blueberries.
5) Repeat
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
S'more Cookies
One thing I love are graham crackers. I love them with some peanut butter on them. Some chocolate, whatever. They are just delicious. I have been eyeing my bag of mini marshmallows for the past few weeks and thought, well maybe I can make a s'more cookie.
I found this recipe on Hershey's but instead of making bar cookies I made individual ones.
S'More Cookie Bars
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (1.55 oz. each) HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars
1 cup marshmallow creme
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Press half of dough into prepared pan.
3. Arrange chocolate bars over dough, breaking as needed to fit. Spread with marshmallow creme. Scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallow; carefully press to form a layer.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. 16 bars.
So my adjustments are as follows:
I used mini chocolate chips in place of the bars
I used mini marshmallow's in place of the fluff
I made individual cookies instead of bars. Cooked for 12 mins at 350, cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then remove.
I think the only thing I would change would be to add more graham crackers or more chunks.
I found this recipe on Hershey's but instead of making bar cookies I made individual ones.
S'More Cookie Bars
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (1.55 oz. each) HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars
1 cup marshmallow creme
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Press half of dough into prepared pan.
3. Arrange chocolate bars over dough, breaking as needed to fit. Spread with marshmallow creme. Scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallow; carefully press to form a layer.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. 16 bars.
So my adjustments are as follows:
I used mini chocolate chips in place of the bars
I used mini marshmallow's in place of the fluff
I made individual cookies instead of bars. Cooked for 12 mins at 350, cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then remove.
I think the only thing I would change would be to add more graham crackers or more chunks.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Still here, counting down the days
Baby R isn't due until April 11, but I keep hoping he will make an early appearance. In the meantime, I am still cooking away. I did make a ton of freezer meals over the weekend, when we were snowed in. (Its SPRING mother nature!) All were recipes I have made before (mexican lasagna, chicken stroganoff & jambayla) I also stored some extra spaghetti sauce & chicken cacciatore in the freezer too. But hey, we also have to eat now right?
So while I am bored, I usually bake or cook. I made a loaf of the pumpkin cream cheese bread, and since I had about 1 cup of pumpkin left, I needed to find something else to use it in. I came across these pumpkin muffins on Smitten Kitchen.
Pumpkin Muffins
Smitten Kitchen (from Gourmet)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 cups sugar, plus 1 tbsp
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350F.
Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cup of sugar, baking soda & salt in a large bowl. Then whisk in flour & baking powder until just combined.
In a small separate bowl, stir together the cinnamon & sugar.
Divide batter in the muffin pans, then sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake until puffed & golden brown-about 25-30 minutes.
So while I am bored, I usually bake or cook. I made a loaf of the pumpkin cream cheese bread, and since I had about 1 cup of pumpkin left, I needed to find something else to use it in. I came across these pumpkin muffins on Smitten Kitchen.
Pumpkin Muffins
Smitten Kitchen (from Gourmet)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 cups sugar, plus 1 tbsp
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350F.
Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cup of sugar, baking soda & salt in a large bowl. Then whisk in flour & baking powder until just combined.
In a small separate bowl, stir together the cinnamon & sugar.
Divide batter in the muffin pans, then sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake until puffed & golden brown-about 25-30 minutes.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
There has got to be shorter name for these bad boys! They are absolutely wonderful though. I found them over on Stacey's blog. As soon as I saw her post on them I knew I needed to make them ASAP! I have been wanting to make something with the oats I have in the pantry, but I didn't want oatmeal raisin or butterscotch oatmeal.
PB, CC, Oat cookies
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2c rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
1 c peanut butter
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg plus
1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, oats, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, vanilla, and peanut butter. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips. I didn't follow this next step. I just used my good old PC cookie scoop. Although I did use parchment paper and refrigerate my dough for a bit. For an illustration of step 3 click here
3. Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface. Place formed dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month—shaped or not.)
4. Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.I found the trick to these cookies was taking them out of the oven before they looked like they were done. They stayed moist on the inside but slightly crunchy on the outside.
PB, CC, Oat cookies
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2c rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
1 c peanut butter
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg plus
1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, oats, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, vanilla, and peanut butter. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips. I didn't follow this next step. I just used my good old PC cookie scoop. Although I did use parchment paper and refrigerate my dough for a bit. For an illustration of step 3 click here
3. Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface. Place formed dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month—shaped or not.)
4. Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.I found the trick to these cookies was taking them out of the oven before they looked like they were done. They stayed moist on the inside but slightly crunchy on the outside.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Toasted Pecan, White Chocolate & a bunch of other stuff...
Back in December, all the grocery stores had their baking items on sale. I am pretty sure I purchased enough chocolate bark, chips, frosting, cake mix, etc... to last me until the Spring. I mean really, who leaves the grocery store down close to $100 and all they bought was baking supplies??? Me. That's who.
I boycotted baking for awhile. The hubs was complaining about gaining sympathy weight, I wasn't in the mood to bake. I needed a little break. That didn't stop me from collecting recipes in my "to make" document that I keep handy. So when I was bored last week & on a baking/cooking spree, I knew these would be a hit. I had toffee chips leftover from said baking shopping spree but didn't want to make plain old cookies.
These were awesome! I really should have taken the advice of Baking Blonde & saved some of the dough in the freezer. Oh well, I will just have to make them again. In my attempt to make them not so bad for you, I made the cookies smaller. That didn't really work b/c I just felt the need to eat two at a time.
Toasted Pecan, White Chocolate & Toffee Chip Cookies
Toasted Pecan, White Chocolate and Toffee Chip Cookies
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Heath Toffee Pieces
3/4 cup Toasted Pecan Pieces
1 cup White Chocolate, chopped (I recommend using white baker’s chocolate, not white chips)
Toast the Nuts:
Adjust oven racks to upper & lower -middle positions & heat oven to 350.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Spread nuts on a baking sheet.
Bake in oven, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 15 minutes until fragrant.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Turn off oven.
*** I just toasted the nuts in a pan on the stove***
Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.
With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.
Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined.
Gently fold in toffee pieces, pecan pieces and white chocolate chunks.
Cover bowl tightly and place in refrigerator until ready to bake (at least 12 hours but up to 72 hours).
***I didn't have time to let them sit for 12 hours, I held out to 6 hours & started baking. ***
When ready to bake allow dough to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a spoon or medium cookie scooper, place dough balls on prepared sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 9-12 minutes until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy. Do NOT overbake!
Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.
*Instead of baking all of the dough at once you can drop dough balls onto a cookie sheet and chill until firm. Place in Freezer bag and freeze for later baking. Allow to come to room temp and bake as usual watching carefully not to overbake.
Next time I will probably double the recipe & freeze half for a later date. I'd better do this before the baby is born!
I boycotted baking for awhile. The hubs was complaining about gaining sympathy weight, I wasn't in the mood to bake. I needed a little break. That didn't stop me from collecting recipes in my "to make" document that I keep handy. So when I was bored last week & on a baking/cooking spree, I knew these would be a hit. I had toffee chips leftover from said baking shopping spree but didn't want to make plain old cookies.
These were awesome! I really should have taken the advice of Baking Blonde & saved some of the dough in the freezer. Oh well, I will just have to make them again. In my attempt to make them not so bad for you, I made the cookies smaller. That didn't really work b/c I just felt the need to eat two at a time.
Toasted Pecan, White Chocolate & Toffee Chip Cookies
Toasted Pecan, White Chocolate and Toffee Chip Cookies
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Heath Toffee Pieces
3/4 cup Toasted Pecan Pieces
1 cup White Chocolate, chopped (I recommend using white baker’s chocolate, not white chips)
Toast the Nuts:
Adjust oven racks to upper & lower -middle positions & heat oven to 350.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Spread nuts on a baking sheet.
Bake in oven, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 15 minutes until fragrant.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Turn off oven.
*** I just toasted the nuts in a pan on the stove***
Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.
With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.
Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined.
Gently fold in toffee pieces, pecan pieces and white chocolate chunks.
Cover bowl tightly and place in refrigerator until ready to bake (at least 12 hours but up to 72 hours).
***I didn't have time to let them sit for 12 hours, I held out to 6 hours & started baking. ***
When ready to bake allow dough to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a spoon or medium cookie scooper, place dough balls on prepared sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 9-12 minutes until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy. Do NOT overbake!
Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.
*Instead of baking all of the dough at once you can drop dough balls onto a cookie sheet and chill until firm. Place in Freezer bag and freeze for later baking. Allow to come to room temp and bake as usual watching carefully not to overbake.
Next time I will probably double the recipe & freeze half for a later date. I'd better do this before the baby is born!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Cake Cookies
I have a few boxes of cake mix in my pantry from the holidays. They were on sale for something like $.99/piece so I picked up a few (ok 4) without any intention of using them. I don't make cakes all that often. So when I came across this recipe, I was thrilled! Cake cookies-what a brilliant idea.
The hubs & I were headed to my 7 yr old nephew's basketball game so I the perfect reason to make some cookies & not keep them in my house.
Chocolate Cake Cookie Sandwiches
Yield: 10 sandwich cookies (using a medium-sized dough scoop)
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1 package chocolate cake mix (or other flavor of your choice)
1 egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
For the frosting:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp. milk
For decorating:
multi-colored non-pareils, or other sprinkles or candy of your choice
Directions:
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, egg and butter. Beat on low speed until just combined and all dry ingredients have been incorporated. Roll the dough into 1- to 1 1/2-inch balls, place on the prepared baking sheets and press down to slightly flatten. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheets.
To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the powdered sugar, and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and beat on medium-high speed until smooth. If the frosting too thick, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk and beat until incorporated.
To assemble, pair the cookies based on size on a work surface. Frost the flat side of one cookie from each pair. Place the other cookie of each pair on top of the frosting, flat side down. Lightly press down so that the frosting reaches the edges of the cookies. To decorate, place sprinkles in a small bowl. Dip the sides of each cookie in the sprinkles, pressing down gently and rotating to cover the sides completely
Now, I don't know why mine were thinner than the original recipes-maybe b/c I used premade frosting & not my own. These were super sweet but the kids loved the shapes. To do the shapes, I made the cookies in circles, after they were cooled, I used the cookie cutters to cut out the shapes. So much easier than trying to make the shapes beforehand.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Our Christmas
The hubs and I make an effort to set aside time to do our own Christmas. We started this last year, our first married year, in an effort to set some precedence for our families, so they know when to expect us for the holidays. This will come in handy next year when we have Baby Boy with us.
Each Christmas I make us some fancy dinner. I enjoy cooking and to be honest, we have a better experience at home than at restaurants. We started off with a chopped garden salad. The hubs grilled our marinated KC Strip Steaks while I made a peppercorn cream sauce and baked potatoes. I love that he grilled, outside, in December, in Kansas.
The peppercorn cream sauce was based off the pepper sauce we had while in Ireland. They use pepper sauce for everything there, any form of potato, steaks, chicken, bread, etc... Its basically a lot of crushed black pepper, some butter & some heavy whipping cream. We added a bit too much pepper, but it was still very good.
For dessert, I finally made molten chocolate cakes. Between the cover of December Cooking Light & a few Food Network shows, this did not look all that difficult, but definitely decadent. I had intended to make the CL version, but I couldn't find espresso powder at the grocery store. So I made the Chocolate Lava Cake from The Neelys. I cut the recipe in half, since it was just the Hubs and I. I also used 3 oz of semisweet chocolate and 3 oz of 71% cocoa.
Molten Lava Cakes
Ingredients
2 sticks butter, unsalted, plus more for ramekins
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne
Pinch nutmeg
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
6 large eggs
6 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter 8 (6-ounce) ramekins and sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
In a saucepan combine butter, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, and chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth; stir frequently. Cool slightly.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, eggs and yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract until creamy. Add melted chocolate to the batter and whisk together.
Pour into prepared ramekins.
Bake cakes until the top is stiff and cracked and the edges are dark, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a small paring knife then invert onto plates while warm.
And I am 100% serious when I say this was the easiest dessert I have ever made. Its a great way to impress people too!
Each Christmas I make us some fancy dinner. I enjoy cooking and to be honest, we have a better experience at home than at restaurants. We started off with a chopped garden salad. The hubs grilled our marinated KC Strip Steaks while I made a peppercorn cream sauce and baked potatoes. I love that he grilled, outside, in December, in Kansas.
The peppercorn cream sauce was based off the pepper sauce we had while in Ireland. They use pepper sauce for everything there, any form of potato, steaks, chicken, bread, etc... Its basically a lot of crushed black pepper, some butter & some heavy whipping cream. We added a bit too much pepper, but it was still very good.
For dessert, I finally made molten chocolate cakes. Between the cover of December Cooking Light & a few Food Network shows, this did not look all that difficult, but definitely decadent. I had intended to make the CL version, but I couldn't find espresso powder at the grocery store. So I made the Chocolate Lava Cake from The Neelys. I cut the recipe in half, since it was just the Hubs and I. I also used 3 oz of semisweet chocolate and 3 oz of 71% cocoa.
Molten Lava Cakes
Ingredients
2 sticks butter, unsalted, plus more for ramekins
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne
Pinch nutmeg
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
6 large eggs
6 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter 8 (6-ounce) ramekins and sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
In a saucepan combine butter, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, and chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth; stir frequently. Cool slightly.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, eggs and yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract until creamy. Add melted chocolate to the batter and whisk together.
Pour into prepared ramekins.
Bake cakes until the top is stiff and cracked and the edges are dark, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a small paring knife then invert onto plates while warm.
And I am 100% serious when I say this was the easiest dessert I have ever made. Its a great way to impress people too!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Holiday Baking
I spent this past Sunday staying inside (9 degrees outside- I wasn't leaving) and baking. I wanted to get a care package together to send to my grandma, so I gathered all my marked holiday baked goodies recipes & spent a few hours in the kitchen. At about hour three, I remembered I was 6 months pregnant & should probably take a break. So I only made it through about half of my recipes. I'll probably make some more tomorrow.
I actually made these beauties earlier in the week.
Chocolate Chip Tea Cookies & Minty Cocoa Cookies:
I have to agree that the tea cookies were excellent, but a little rich with the chocolate drizzle.
I made this dough last week & froze half of it b/c it made too many cookies! I just pulled them out of the freezer & let them defrost for about 15 minutes. Then followed the instructions on baking.
Pecan Snowballs
I decided that these were probably not the best for a goodie bag. I placed them inside plastic Zip-locs since the powdered sugar was getting all over everything else.
I started off making the Pecan Pie Cookies. These were a huge hit on the Internet last year, I was surprised they hadn't made an appearance this year.
I made a pecan pie/tart last year for my husband. Its his favorite pie, but this year, I promised to make him molten chocolate cake. So I satisfied his pecan pie craving with these cookies.
I felt I needed to add something other than cookies, so I made Irish Cream Brownies.
I cut them into smaller bites so people weren't on chocolate overload.
And lastly, peanut butter pretzel chews. When I saw this recipe, I immediately thought of my husband. He has this thing about sweet + salty. He loves Take 5 bars & when we have fondue, he usually requests fritos or tortilla chips to dip into the chocolate. A little odd, but quite delicious.
So when I saw this recipe called for pretzels, chocolate, peanut butter & salt. I knew it would be a winner. The only difference between the recipe & my cookies is that I mixed the chocolate chips in with the dough. This was really b/c I was so flipping tired.
I actually made these beauties earlier in the week.
Chocolate Chip Tea Cookies & Minty Cocoa Cookies:
I have to agree that the tea cookies were excellent, but a little rich with the chocolate drizzle.
I made this dough last week & froze half of it b/c it made too many cookies! I just pulled them out of the freezer & let them defrost for about 15 minutes. Then followed the instructions on baking.
Pecan Snowballs
I decided that these were probably not the best for a goodie bag. I placed them inside plastic Zip-locs since the powdered sugar was getting all over everything else.
I started off making the Pecan Pie Cookies. These were a huge hit on the Internet last year, I was surprised they hadn't made an appearance this year.
I made a pecan pie/tart last year for my husband. Its his favorite pie, but this year, I promised to make him molten chocolate cake. So I satisfied his pecan pie craving with these cookies.
I felt I needed to add something other than cookies, so I made Irish Cream Brownies.
I cut them into smaller bites so people weren't on chocolate overload.
And lastly, peanut butter pretzel chews. When I saw this recipe, I immediately thought of my husband. He has this thing about sweet + salty. He loves Take 5 bars & when we have fondue, he usually requests fritos or tortilla chips to dip into the chocolate. A little odd, but quite delicious.
So when I saw this recipe called for pretzels, chocolate, peanut butter & salt. I knew it would be a winner. The only difference between the recipe & my cookies is that I mixed the chocolate chips in with the dough. This was really b/c I was so flipping tired.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Blueberry Pound Cake
Another great recipe from the Cooking Light cookbook. Fresh blueberries were on sale last week so I picked some up for the sheer purpose of making this cake. It is on the cover of the cookbook and I am always drawn to those recipes.
Blueberry Pound Cake
Cooking Light
Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light butter
1/2 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) carton lemon low-fat yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and blueberries in a small bowl, and toss well. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberry mixture and vanilla; pour cake batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; drizzle over warm cake. Cut with a serrated knife.
I made this on Saturday & just got around to eating it. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, mail it, take it to work, etc... I caved & brought it into work. It was gone in 20 minutes. Which is saying a lot b/c it snowed buckets this morning so hardly anyone is in.
UPDATE: Joelen over at http://joelens.blogspot.com/ inspired me to enter this into her Chef's Spotlight contest. This round is focusing on healthier recipes. I use Cooking Light for about 85% of my recipes, so its going to be tough to decide what to enter, but I did really LOVE this cake. I am sure we are all gearing up for a healthier 2009, so submit your recipes!
Blueberry Pound Cake
Cooking Light
Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light butter
1/2 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) carton lemon low-fat yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and blueberries in a small bowl, and toss well. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberry mixture and vanilla; pour cake batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; drizzle over warm cake. Cut with a serrated knife.
I made this on Saturday & just got around to eating it. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, mail it, take it to work, etc... I caved & brought it into work. It was gone in 20 minutes. Which is saying a lot b/c it snowed buckets this morning so hardly anyone is in.
UPDATE: Joelen over at http://joelens.blogspot.com/ inspired me to enter this into her Chef's Spotlight contest. This round is focusing on healthier recipes. I use Cooking Light for about 85% of my recipes, so its going to be tough to decide what to enter, but I did really LOVE this cake. I am sure we are all gearing up for a healthier 2009, so submit your recipes!
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