Peace of Cake

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-05-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from Julia, author Of Dozen Flours. I was a little hesitant towards using my last can of pumpkin towards this recipe but took the plunge anyways and the result was well worth the trepidation that I may not find any more canned pumpkin until fall. The caramelized cinnamon sugar and snickerdoodle strata sandwich a creamy pumpkin pie layer. Drizzle that in a cinnamon cream cheese frosting? Perfecto. Its a bit more time consuming than, say, a chocolate chip cookie recipe, but the resulting deliciousness (yes, deliciousness) is completely worth it. My impatient self found that they are actually just as good sans the icing, so if you're looking to cut down on time, that'll save you a couple minutes. Regardless of your preferred mode of assembly, this recipe won't disappoint.

INGREDIENTS:

Snickerdoodle Layer

1/2 c. AP flour
1 t. Baking powder
1/2 t. Salt
1 c. Packed brown sugar
1/2 c. Butter, room temperature (1 stick)
1 egg
1 T. vanilla

Pumpkin Pie Layer

1/2 c. AP flour
1/2 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Butter, room temperature (1/2 stick)
1/2 t. Baking powder
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 t. Pumpkin pie spice
1 egg
3/4 c. Canned pumpkin

Topping*

1 T Sugar
1 t. Cinnamon
* (You can sub this with pre-made cinnamon sugar)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

2 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1/4 t. Ground cinnamon
1.5-2 c. Powdered sugar
2 T. butter, softened (not margarine)
1/4 t. Vanilla

HOW ITS DONE:

Snickerdoodle layer

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8×8 inch line with parchment paper (optional, but it will be easier to get the bars out later)

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt- set aside.
3. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Blend in egg and vanilla until smooth.
4. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly into pan.

To make pumpkin pie filling:

1. In a bowl (you can use the same one you used to make the snickerdoodle batter) cream butter and sugar.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer - smooth out the top
3. Combine sugar and cinnamon for topping - sprinkle over the top of the batter.
4. Bake 40 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean)
5. Let the bars cool completely

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

1. Cream together butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon
2. Gradually add in powdered sugar and stir to your desired consistency
3. Place in a ziplock bag, cut off a SMALL portion of one corner and squeeze bag to drizzle over bars. Cut.
ENJOY

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

2011-05-24T14:51:00.001-07:00

For most of you avid food bloggers out there seeing this post, this will merely be a recap of a well-loved, super simple recipe. Its gained notoriety as one of the top all-time most favorited items on foodgawker in addition to being sourced by countless others prior to me. For those of you that have never tried this, many words have been used to express the nature of these little gems. Sweet. Salty. Crunchy. Creamy. Its a brilliant combination only made possibly by what seems to be a buckeye ball sandwiched between pretzels. Addictive.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. Creamy peanut butter
2 Tablespoons softened butter
1/2 c. Powdered sugar *
3/4 c. Light brown sugar
Pretzels
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate (or almond bark**)

* I actually ended up adding a little more than half a cup
** The almond bark actually melts better and has a little less over-powering chocolate taste. It also dries on its own, outside the fridge.

HOW ITS DONE:

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside
2. Blend together the peanut butter and butter (with a mixer or spatula - mixer is easier)
3. Blend in sugars - add more as needed to make a relatively easy to roll dough
4. Using about 1 teaspoon of the mixture, roll into a ball and sandwich between two pretzels *
5. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or using a double boiler. If you use almond bark, the microwave is sufficient.
6. Individual dip each pretzel bit in as little or as much chocolate as you want. Set on the wax paper.
7. If using chocolate chips, place baking sheet in the refrigerator to dry and store there as well. If using almond bark, they will dry on their own and may be stored outside the fridge as well.

*Use your own judgement for how much of the peanut butter mixture to use - you can add as little or as much as you want.

Dulce de Leche "Baked" Brownie

2011-03-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

This was an easy decision for me. I had been wanted to make something using the dulce the leche in my fridge before the temptuously tacky stuff started to crystalize. I had also been wanting to try my hand at the famous "Baked" brownie. You know, the Oprah-acclaimed and America's test kitchen-applauded brownie from those guys up in NYC. Well, combine and conquer. The subsequent dulce de leche brownies are probably some of the best I've had and the brownie recipe itself definitely merits the approvals its been given. I made these in an 8x8 pan and did some modifications to compensate for the change in quantity since its not exactly half. If you want to use the original recipe (9x13), here it is courtesy Brown Eyed Baker.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 c. AP flour
1 T. cocoa powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. butter (unsalted)
3/4 tsp. instant espresso powder
5 oz. semisweet chocolate (I used ghiradelli chips)
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. Dulce de Leche

HOW ITS DONE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8'' pan. (or use buttered parchment paper)
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.
3. At low heat, combine butter and espresso powder in saucepan and heat until butter has melted. Add chocolate, and stir constantly until smooth.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in both sugars until combined. Let cool slightly.
5. Whisk in eggs and vanilla and stir until no longer grainy-looking.
6. Add flour mixture to batter and stir just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Pour half of batter into prepared pan; Layer dulce de leche over this. Pour in the rest of the batter.
8. Bake 28 to 30 minutes. Don’t over bake! Let cool completely. Or not. I didn't.

Pumpkin Caramel Bars with Bacon

2010-12-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe courtesy Noble Pig and let me just begin by saying that my preconceived uncertainties towards the modern trend of bacon and desserts have been thrown out the window- these are outstanding. The pumpkin bars are perfectly accented by the caramel frosting, but its the bacon that yields that complementary salty-sweet composite while braiding in a subtle smoky flavor. If I had had the pecans, I would have added them to the bar batter, because the slight crunch even from the bacon on top added a little complexity. I will say that these bars are not for everyone. They have a very distinct flavor and, accordingly, deter certain people. But, in my opinion, the non-traditional spin on such a conventional fall dessert is perfect for a unique holiday treat!

INGREDIENTS:

For the Bars-
8 oz. bacon, diced
2 c. AP flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1-1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
2 T. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla
*1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans (optional)

For the Frosting-
2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. water
Pinch of salt
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes

HOW ITS DONE:

For the Bars-
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan
3. Cook bacon in a saute pan over medium heat until crisp; drain on a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt for the bars; set aside.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, egg, melted butter, bacon drippings and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended
6. Stir in flour mixture and pecans.
7. Spread pumpkin batter evenly into prepared pan;
8. Bake about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting-
1. Boil 2 c. brown sugar, water and pinch of salt in large saucepan over high heat, 5 minutes, swirling occasionally to prevent scorching.
2. Whisk in cream and butter pieces (Mixture will bubble furiously; keep whisking).
3. Boil 2 minutes more.
4. Transfer caramel to the bowl of a stand mixer; whip on high speed until sides of bowl are cool to the touch and caramel is thick, 10-minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
5. Add cream cheese, 1 cube at a time, until frosting is smooth.
6. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars
7. Top with diced bacon bite, if desired
8. ENJOY

~Store in the fridge~

Carrot Cake...Meet Whoopie Pie.

2010-08-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

I guess it's a bit more like an oatmeal cream pie. And I only say that because my initial endeavor was to replicate the Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies with a copycat recipe I stumbled on a while back. With that harboring in my mind, I made the dicey call of fusing this idea with my next recipe lined up for execution- a carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting. Now, instead of trying to create my own recipe which would undoubtedly be the result of countless trial and errors, I did the next best thing- I googled it. I figured I wasn't reaching too far with my description and, sho nuff, got a top rated recipe from the queen herself. The cookie recipe is courtesy Martha. The final product- a carrot cake whoopie pie with maple cream cheese frosting. Bon appétit!

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. Light-brown sugar
1 c. Sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) Unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Large eggs
1 t. Vanilla
1 c. AP flour
1 t. Baking soda
1 t. Baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Nutmeg
1/2 t. Ground ginger
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, (about 3 large carrots)
*1 cup raisins (I left the raisins out- just didn't have any on hand)

HOW ITS DONE:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine sugars and butter in mixing bowl; beat until light and fluffy
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on medium speed until well combined.
4. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; stir to combine.
5. Gradually add flour to butter mixture; mix on low speed until just blended
6. Fold in oats, carrots, and raisins.
7. Chill dough in refrigerator, about 1 hour. (I omitted this step for time's sake- not chilling the dough will cause your cookies to fall a little flatter, buuuttt I figured, if you're making sandwich cookies, who cares?)
8. Scoop dough onto baking sheets lined with Silpat mats or parchment paper using a 1/2 oz. cookie scoop. (NOTE; 1/2 oz = 1 Tablespoon)
9. Bake 12 to 15 minutes (10-12 if you didn't chill the dough)
10. Once cooled, spread desired amount of frosting onto a cookie (I used a little less than a tablespoon) Sandwich together with a second cookie. Repeat and enjoy!

*Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days

FROSTING INGREDIENTS: (***I Halved the cookie recipe so if you use the exact cookie recipe as stated above, double the frosting amount!)

1 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

HOW ITS DONE:

1. Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth
2. Add vanilla and maple syrup. Stir until well combined.
3. Add powdered sugar- beat until smooth.

Tar Cookies

2010-06-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

Look again- those aren't burnt. That, my friend, is dark chocolate- and they actually may be a tad undercooked. They are adapted from a Dorie Greenspan recipe, taken from Caviar and Codfish. I wasn't sure what to call them, but during the assembly of these little beauties, my boyfriend took a gander at the cookie dough and, obviously not sharing the same innate affliction with chocolate (especially dark), pronounced that it looked a bit like tar. I can't really argue- the color is just about that of asphalt. Ah, but only for the reason that they are packed with a delightfully superfluous amount of dark cocoa. Like Robin from Caviar and Codfish, I would have to say this has easily become "My Favorite Cookie." Semi-sweet chips amid a matrix of dark chocolate make for an insanely rich morsel of decadence (yeah, that may be a bit over the top, but these are worth the adjectives).

PS. I like making the cookie dough ahead of time and chilling it for 12-24 hours. I think it makes a huge difference texturally.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 c. All-purpose flour
3/4 c. Dark cocoa powder (wahoo!)
1 1/4 t. Salt
3/4 tsp Baking soda
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 c. Sugar
2/3 c. Light brown sugar (packed)
2 t. Vanilla extract
2 Large eggs
12 oz Semi-sweet chocolate chips**

**Robin's version incorporates 6 oz. milk chocolate chips and 6 oz. white chocolate chips. I didnt have either so I used semi-sweet. I think this part is a whatever-floats-your-boat kinda thing.

HOW ITS DONE:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone mats, or foil
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
3. With a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, (or a hand mixer) beat the butter at medium speed for about 2 minute, until smooth.
4. Add the sugars and beat for another 3 minutes or so, until well-blended and fluffy.
5. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in.
(**"I’m always careful here to make sure the mixture is very fluffy. If unsure, beat a little more. The fluffier the better in my opinion" -Robin"
6. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients (Please, please don't over-mix at this point- it causes too much gluten aggitation in your flour and makes for a tough cookie!)
7. Stop the mixer and fold the chips in with a rubber spatula.
8. Spoon the dough by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets
9. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until they are crisp at the edges and gooey in the center.
10. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 1 minute, then transfer to racks to cool to room temperature.

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies

2010-02-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

So I found a version of this recipe on a blog and traced it back the Food Network website. The original recipe calls for a box of chocolate cake mix so use that if you want a bit more intense cocoa confection. However, after ruminating on some possible alterations, I naturally went with my long-term obsession with red velvet. It was super simple and they came out incredibly! I found that the powdered sugar was semi-absorbed into the unbaked cookie and that the best cookies were the ones I rolled for a second time, after letting the first coat seep in a bit. I gotta hand it to Paula Deen- That accent can be really vexatious but this recipe is A-1!

INGREDIENTS:

8oz. (1 brick) Cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c. Butter, softened (1 stick)
1 egg
1 t. Vanilla
1 (18-ounce) box red velvet cake mix
Powdered sugar, for rolling/dusting

HOW ITS DONE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
3. Beat in egg, then the vanilla.
4. Beat in the cake mix.
5. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up.
6. Roll batter into tablespoon-sized balls and then roll them in powdered sugar.
7. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Peanut Butter Torte

2010-02-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

PEANUT BUTTER TORTE

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST

32 Oreo cookies, finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 T. Butter, melted
Small pinch of salt

CRUNCH

1 1/4 c. Salted peanuts, finely chopped
1/2 c. Mini chocolate chips
2 t. Sugar
1/2 t. Espresso powder or instant coffee
1/4 t. Cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg

FILLING

2 c. Heavy cream
1 1/4 c. Powdered sugar
12 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. Peanut butter
2 T. Milk

TOPPING

1/2 c. Heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

HOW ITS DONE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

2. For crust, combine oreo crumbs, butter, and salt in bowl. Press into bottom and sides of springform pan.

3. In small bowl, combine 1/2 c. peanuts, mini chocolate chips, sugar, espresso or coffee powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

4. For filling, use stand mixer and whisk attachment to whip the 2 c. of heavy cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a separate bowl and refrigerate until needed.

5. Wipe out the mixer bowl. Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar until the cream cheese is smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, milk, and 1/4 cup chopped peanuts until well combined.

6. Using a rubber spatula, stir in about 1/4 of the whipped cream to lighten the mousse. Stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Scrape the mousse into the crust, smoothing the top. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

7. For the topping, put the chocolate in a double boiler just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes. Bring 1/2 c. of cream to a boil in a saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and smooth.

8. Pour the ganache over the torte and spread with a spatula. Sprinkle remaining peanuts on top. Chill and ENJOY.

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Icing

2010-02-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

Honestly, this thing is the bane of my baking existence. Ill start from the beginning. Its become increasingly typical for me to get fixated on a particular flavor and dive into discovering the different modus operandi of preparing it (right now I'm on coffee slash mocha (coffee and chocolate). Whatever, moving on). So sometime in late fall, it became all about pumpkin- pie, cookies, etc. So Thanksgiving rolls around and my mom asks me to make a dessert for our family dinner. I could have done a nice pecan pie, or perhaps even a cheesecake. But noooo-I was focused on pumpkin. So after a little research, I decided to go for the classic- a pumpkin roll. Enter hell.

Im still not entirely sure why I had so much trouble. I got the recipe from Allrecipes- it was reviewed by over 400 people with an average 5 star rating so I was confident I could handle it. Wrong- the roll was too thick, it stuck to the paper towel, first it was too hot when I spread the icing so it melted out the sides, then it was too cool and the cake cracked when I tried to roll it....UGGGHHH- it was one thing after another. But in the process of a wreaking havoc on such a "super easy" [sarcastic eye-roll] dessert, I got a taste of it. AMAZING. Not being one to give up easily, I did my homework, took notes, and went for attempt number two. The second time, I used a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan, I used a thicker towel, didn't dampen it, and I coated it liberally with powdered sugar to ensure that it wouldn't stick. It worked! I let it cool a little longer before spreading the filling and although I still felt like I was wrestling an alligator trying to roll it up, I successfully made my first pumpkin roll. It came out beautifully and was a instant hit at Thanksgiving. Just the same, with all the stress involved, I'm not sure how many more times I'll be doing that.

Now in order to stray from too-long introductions, which I'm sure deter more people than attract, here's how to do it from Allrecipes. The reviews showed that a lot of first-timers had absolutely no trouble at all, so you may want to go for the tried and true recipe. As for those who may have tried it before and had similar problems, give these alterations a shot- and you might just get through it relatively unscathed. Regardless, I still think it's evil-Ambrosial, pumpkiny, sweet cream cheesy evil.

GRANNY KAT'S PUMPKIN ROLL

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

FILLING

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar

HOW ITS DONE:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice.
3. Stir in pumpkin puree, eggs, and lemon juice.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread evenly.
5. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Lay a damp linen towel on the counter, sprinkle it with confectioner's sugar, and turn the cake onto the towel. Carefully roll the towel up (lengthwise) with the cake in it. Place the cake-in-towel on a cooling rack and let it cool for 20 minutes.

7. Make the icing: In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and sugar with a wooden spoon or electric mixer.
8. When the cake has cooled 20 minutes, unroll it and spread icing onto it.
9. Immediately re-roll (not in the towel this time), and wrap it with plastic wrap- chill in refrigerator.
10. ENJOY

**Keep the cake refrigerated or freeze it for up to 2 weeks in aluminum foil. Cut the cake in slices just before serving.

Mocha Brownies with Coffee Frosting

2010-02-05T13:20:00.001-08:00

Inspired by a cafe mocha courtesy Einstein Bagels, combined with my current coffee-infused desserts kick, I set out to find a recipe for coffee brownies. Now, Im a bit of a brownie snob so it wasn't until I found a nearly five-star recipe on recipezaar that I proceeded with what is now my new favorite brownie recipe. WARNING- for those of you who like more "cakey" brownies, this isn't for you. These are the dense kind. Also, the frosting is completely optional- it really adds to the complexity as well as incorporating a really intense coffee flavor but at the same time, its super sweet. I may try to experiment with a coffee cream cheese frosting to tone down the saccharine severity. But until then, here you go...
MOCHA BROWNIES WITH COFFEE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS:

BROWNIES

1/2 c. Butter
1/2 c. Shortening
1 c. Cocoa powder
2 c. Sugar
1 T. Hot water
4 t. Instant coffee
4 Eggs
2 t. Vanilla
1 c. Flour
1/2 t. Salt
2 c. Semi-sweet chocolate chips *Optional

FROSTING

1/2 c. Butter, softened
1 t. Vanilla
2 c. Powdered sugar
1 1/2 t. Milk
2-3 t. Instant coffee

HOW ITS DONE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch pan.
2. Melt shortening and butter in the microwave.
3. Stir in the cocoa powder.
4. Add sugar and blend well.
5. Dissolve instant coffee in hot water and mix into creamed mixture.
6. Add eggs, one at a time and blend until smooth.
7. Stir in vanilla
8. Add flour and salt- DO NOT OVER MIX**
9. Bake 25-30 minutes.

10. Cool completely before frosting.
11. For frosting, cream butter and vanilla.
12. Add powdered sugar and mix in well on medium speed.
13. Dissolve instant coffee in milk and add to mixture.
14. Beat on high until light and fluffy.
15. Spread over brownies- ENJOY!

**Essentially, you will "over-stimulate" the gluten in the flour- the molecules will begin to bind too much and your result is a tough brownie. This is true for cookies as well- its why dry ingredients are mixed separately and then added to the wet ingredients.

Homemade Caramels

2010-02-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

A while ago, I was bent up on all things caramel. I made everything from oatmeal caramelitas (coming soon), to mock girl scout samoas, caramel-coated cookies, etc. But what I never actually did was make the caramel. Now this was partly due to the fact that I didn't have a candy thermometer and partly because I completely siphoned walmart's after-halloween supply of kraft caramels at 50 percent off. However, once I exhausted my cache and discovered my long lost thermometer (around the same time, interestingly enough) I decided to make my own. I found a reputable recipe and took to the stove- I can tell you right now, I would have done this a long time ago if I had known it would be this easy...

HOMEMADE CARAMELS

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. Butter
2 1/4 c. Packed brown sugar
1 (14 oz) Can sweetened condensed milk
1 Dash salt
1 c. Light corn syrup
1 t. Vanilla
Candy Thermometer

1. Grease a 9x9 inch pan
2. Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan
3. Add sugar and salt
4. Blend in corn syrup and milk, stirring constantly.
5. Cook to 245 degrees.
6. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pour into pan.
7. Let cool completely, cut into squares and wrap in wax paper

LSU Cake Balls

2010-02-02T15:09:00.001-08:00

Im working with a digital camera here so you may have to forgive me on the photo but nevertheless, these things came out awesome. You see, one of my best friends, as well as a member of the LSU tennis team, just graduated. And frankly, I think its safe to say we share an abnormal obsession with cake balls. So what could be better to bring to her graduation party than cake balls? Nothing- thats what. And to make them even better, I dyed the cake batter purple and yellow (LSU colors). I had the idea in my head that I would essentially make half of each cake ball one color but I wasn't too sure how the execution would go. They were a hit- pretty much gone the second I walked in the door. For those of you that have never made cake balls, they are a bit time consuming but super easy. Try it!

BICOLORED (OR TRI, OR QUAD, ETC) CAKE BALLS

INGREDIENTS:

**1 box Duncan Hines cake mix (as well as ingredients for baking the cake)
**1 can Duncan Hines cream cheese frosting
1 package Chocolate almond bark
Shortening may be used to thin the almond bark coating
Food coloring

**Use a light colored cake mix as well as frosting if you plan on dying the batter. If not, my favorite is red velvet with cream cheese frosting. I've also done chocolate cake with a chocolate fudge icing (amazing) so its up to you!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make cake batter according to instructions on box
2. Separate batter into two bowls (or more depending on how many colors you want)
3. Add food coloring to each
4. Bake in separate pans
5. Allow cakes to cool, then crumble each into separate bowls.
6. Take half the frosting (assuming only two colors) and mix into crumbled cake until well blended- do the same for other color.
7. Take a little bit of cake from each bowl (I found this was easiest using a tablespoon) and roll into a ball and place on wax paper.
8. After all the batter is used, place into refrigerator while you melt the almond bark in a bowl in the microwave (or a double boiler). *If your almost bark is too thick, you may use shortening (by the T) to thin it out.
9. Using a fork or a spoon, dip each cake ball into the chocolate, shake off the excess, and place on wax paper to dry.
10. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Brownies

2010-01-13T14:56:00.001-08:00

These are insanely good- really. Thats all I have to say. So here's the recipe.

PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 c. Creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. Butter (1 stick, softened)
2/3 c. White sugar
1/2 c. Packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t. Vanilla
1 c. All-Purpose flour
1 t. Baking powder
1/2 t. Salt
*1 c. Semi-sweet chocolate chips- optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream together peanut butter and butter with sugars
3. Add eggs, 1 at a time- add vanilla and beat until smooth
4. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients excluding the chocolate chips
5. Incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
6. Fold in chocolate chips, if desired and pour into prepared 9x9" pan.
7. Bake 35-40 min- DONT UNDERCOOK. This is my one brownie recipe where I make the exception- the peanut butter makes these dense enough as it is.

Kahlua Banana Bread aka Bahlua Bread

2010-01-12T16:39:00.000-08:00

I hate bananas....HATE them. Again, its a textural thing- like biting into mush. But banana bread on the other hand... thats a different story. Banana bread offers a way of enjoying that pleasant banana flavor homogenized with a medley of textures like nuts, chocolate chips, and of course, the bread itself. Normally, when I want to find the best recipe for something I have in mind, I go to my recipe box or search the internet for a well rated recipe. So when I heard of this "Bahlua" bread, I took to my computer and for the life of me could not find a recipe that wasnt either european so I couldnt understand the conversions or on a well respected site. Then I came across the winner, courtesy Good Reads on blogspot. The second time I made this, I flat-out forgot the chocolate chips and I can tell you that I highly recommend not making that same mistake. I mean, you dont have to but I liked it best with it. I also added walnuts which worked really well with the flavors. I suggest getting creative- there's not much you can do to mess up this recipe.

BAHLUA BREAD

INGREDIENTS:

3 very ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed with a fork (about 1 cup)
1/3 c. Butter, melted
1 c. Sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 t. Vanilla extract
2 T. Kahlua (or another coffee liquor)
1 1/4 c. All-purpose flour
1 t. Baking soda
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 c. Walnuts
*1/2 c. Semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

And here's how its done...

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Peel and mash 3-4 ripened bananas in the mixing bowl.
3. Add 1/3 cup of melted butter and mix together.
4. Mix in 1 cup sugar, 1 beaten egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons kahlua.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda- blend into wet mixture.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and/ or nuts, raisins, etc., if desired.
7. Pour the mixture in a greased loaf pan.
8. Bake for 55 minutes- mine took a little less than this so be weary- id set the clock at 50 min and check in on it.

Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cookies

2009-11-16T22:16:00.001-08:00

Once again, I was trying to put good use to leftover halloween candy and in the process, I stumbled across this peanut butter butterfinger cookie recipe. As a very strict critic of peanut butter cookies, i can assure you that this is one of the best- and the butterfinger bits just intensifies it that much more. Even a couple days after, the cookies retained a very thin crispy outer shell and a soft, chewy inside. I wasn't sure if the peanut butter would mask the flavor of the candy bar but it turned out to be the perfect compliment- a must try!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 c. Butter, softened
3/4 c. Sugar
2/3 c. Brown sugar, packed
2 egg whites
1 1/4 c. Crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 t. Vanilla extract
1 c. All-purpose flour
1/2 t. Baking soda
1/4 t. Salt
5 (2.1 ounce) butterfingers, chopped (this is around 15 fun size bars or 30 minis)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugars together. Stir in egg whites. Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.
3. In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to peanut butter mixture and mix just until incorporated (do not overmix- this will give you a tough cookie)
4. Fold in butterfinger bits
5. Place by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-12 min. or until golden brown.
*I found that the larger the cookies were, the more they retained a softness as compared to the smaller, slightly crisper ones.

Oatmeal Lace Cookies

2009-11-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

Dont worry, Bahlua Bread is on its way. But while those bananas are ripening, I decided to try my hand at some Oatmeal Lace Cookies. I will say right now that my mom's oatmeal lace recipe is one of the best and attempts to replicate were futile. Substantially, these tasted very similar but texturally, they fell a little flat- or actually, they didn't fall flat enough. You see, my mom's cookies are wafer-thin and super crispy. So much so, that with the first bite they just disintegrate and melt into sweet, buttery oatmeal goodness. I will post this recipe as soon as I get a hold of it (hopefully within days) but for those of you that enjoy a little more substance to your oatmeal lace cookies, here is the recipe I used to make the cookies above.

OATMEAL LACE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. Butter
1 c. White sugar
1 t. Vanilla extract
1 c. All-purpose flour
3/4 t. Baking soda
1/4 t. Salt
1 c. Rolled oats

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar- stir in vanilla
3. In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture.
5. Mix in rolled oats
6. Place by heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheets about 3 inches apart (they spread a lot)
7. Bake 8-10 minutes

Heath Bar Blondies

2009-11-12T15:37:00.001-08:00

HEATH BAR BLONDIES:

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. All-Purpose Flour
1/2 t. Baking powder
1/8 t. Baking soda
1/2 t. Salt
1/3 c. Butter (thats about 5.333 Tablespoons)
1 c. Brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 T. vanilla extract

1 c. Chopped heath bar (or pretty much anything else- I used butterscotch chips once and they were awesome too)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
2. In bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together- stir in egg and vanilla.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients.
5. Fold in chopped heath bar-Pour batter into prepared 8x8'' pan.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes.

Red Velvet Fudge Brownies

2009-11-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

Im obsessed with red velvet cake- from a box, a bakery, from scratch, etc. I live with at least one Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake mix in my pantry at all times. I've made cakes, moonpies, and even perfected Terri Wahl's cupcake recipe (which took a couple altering tries). And as sure as eggs are eggs, you can expect a Red Velvet Cake Ball (courtesy Bakerella) post will be up here soon. However, upon visiting the Duncan Hines website, I stumbled upon a five-star rated recipe for red velvet BROWNIES....brownies! Being from the south, I have seen my fair share of red velvet confections but for some reason, the obvious had eluded me. I had never even thought of brownies in red velvet form- and why not? So I immediately got out my red velvet cake mix (yes, cake mix) and from the modus operandi stemmed a more-than-delightful sweet. As you will soon find out, the texture of a food is a make or break for me. So when these brownies came out with the consistency of a light cake, I was really disappointed- I like my brownies to be cooked but dense and fudgy all the same. Nevertheless, I took a bite and....Holy Shiva.... It was light but so super moist that with the first nibble, the consistency melted into a compression of chocolately goodness- I was hooked.

RED VELVET FUDGE BROWNIES:

INGREDIENTS:

1 box Red Velvet cake mix (recommended- Duncan Hines)

3/4 c. butter- after melted

1/2 c. water

1 large egg

1 c. Semi-sweet chocolate chips*

*Chocolate chips are optional- you may also add a cup or two of chopped walnuts

Frosting:

1 can cream cheese frosting

1 c. chopped walnuts*

*Optional-adds a nice crunch

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. Mix egg, butter and water in bowl

3. Add cake mix

4. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts if desired

5. Spread batter into a 13x9 baking tray

6. Bake 35-40 min.

7. While brownies cool, mix walnuts into frosting.

8. Cover entire pan with frosting or frost each individual brownie as they are cut

Caramel+Coconut+Cookies+Chocolate=Samoas

2009-11-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

As revealed in my previous post, packaged cookies do not particularly titillate the taste buds for me. However, there is one exception to this generalization-a cookie that comes around once a year begging to be stockpiled as to not be expended before the the next year's adolescent marketing sprees commence. This is none other than the Girl Scout Samoa. Unfortunately, as a college student and athlete, it is rarity to come across one of the green-clad vendors while at the same time possessing enough cash to amass a fair amount of the cookies. So the other day, I constructed a substitute that not just satisfied my craving but surpassed my expectations for the self-devised caramel-coconut, chocolate-dipped cookie.... AMAZING.

SAMOAS:

INGREDIENTS:

Ring-shaped Butter Cookies

3 c. Sweetened coconut flakes

1 (14oz) pkg. caramels (unwrapped)

3 T. milk

1 c. Semi-sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees

2. Spread coconut flakes on lined baking sheet and toast for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes. You want the flakes a mix of golden brown and white- stirring will prevent pieces from burning.

3. While the coconut flakes are in the oven, melt caramels with milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until a smooth consistency can be reached when stirred.

4. Add toasted coconut flakes and mix thoroughly.

5. Place about a tablespoon of the caramel-coconut mixture (or more or less if desired) on a butter cookie. This is when it will get messy- this is just a warning that the hot, gooey caramel does not go quietly and will make attempts at resistance.

6. Once the caramel mixture has been depleted, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until smooth.

7. Dip the bottoms of each cookie into the chocolate and place on wax paper or aluminum. Use remaining chocolate to drizzle over the tops of each cookie*. Place in the fridge to set (because for a reason still unbeknownst to me, chocolate chips never regain the density they possessed before being melted).

* As a devout chocoholic, I was completely set on drowning my first batch of samoas in chocolate. However, I found that they really tasted the best if I wasn't too liberal with the cocoa confection. Nevertheless, everyone's tastes are different so try out different amounts and find out which works the best for you.

Oreo Balls

2009-11-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

Upon finding out that the day after Halloween, all of Wal-Mart's halloween candy is 50% off, I flocked the monopolizing emporium and stocked up (You can be sure to expect some recipes in the near future containing Heath bar, Butterfinger, or my personal favorite, those multifaceted little caramel squares just perfect for Oatmeal Caramelitas). Anyways, while making selections for my bonbon investment, these winter-edition Oreos caught my eye.

Perhaps its was the red cream, or the low price, but more than likely, it was the fact that I have an unnatural obsession with seasonal candies and treats, that I had to buy these Oreos. But here's the thing- I like Oreos. However, its nothing against packaged cookies, but I would rather bake a fresh batch of whatever, corresponding with my yen-of-the-day. So needless to say, these were going to go stale unless I found a way to incorporate them into my baking endeavors. So for the exclusive reason of Oreo preservation and the avoidance of a college student's monetary misuse, I decided on Oreo Balls- Soft, delicate, truffle-like insides capturing the essence of our beloved "cookies and cream," surrounded by a shell of chocolate almond bark- Its a simple and solid recipe for those of you just looking for another way to enjoy America's Favorite Cookie.

OREO BALLS:

INGREDIENTS:

1 (1lb 2oz.) pkg Oreos

8oz. cream cheese, softened

Chocolate-Flavored Almond Bark

Wax paper or aluminum

*1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional- may add other extracts to enhance flavor)

*Crisco if needed (to thin almond bark once melted)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Crush Oreos using a food proccessor, or even by putting them in a plastic bag and using a rolling pin. Honestly, use any method your little heart desires, but you want the final product to be a fine powder at which you will place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add softened cream cheese and vanilla (if desired) and mix until smooth.

3. Chill mixture in fridge or freezer until firm.

4. Using tablespoon, melon-baller, etc, scoop out desired amount for each ball. Use hands to roll into a uniform ball. Place in fridge.

5. In microwave-safe bowl, melt the almond bark. If you want a slightly thinner coat of chocolate on each ball, add about a teaspoon of shortening (non-flavored).

6. Drop Oreo balls into melted almond bark. Make sure to coat the entire surface then use a spoon to place on wax paper or aluminum. Let almond bark harden (you can use the fridge to speed this process up). ENJOY