Chocolate Crunch Brownies

Making brownies was not on my agenda today.  But as I was looking through recipes, came across this one from a friend from our wedding shower over 2 1/2 years ago now.  It sounded like it would be a great treat and I just needed one ingredient to make them.  So, I hopped on my bike (my new favorite thing to do), rode up to the grocery store, put the marshmallow fluff in my basket and rode back home.

This was such an easy recipe and oh my gosh, are these good brownies.  Make them now, you will not be disappointed!  The brownie part itself is a nice light cake texture and paired with the fluff and crispy chocolate topping, it is a total winner.  Must wash it down with a glass of milk because they are sweet and chocolatey.  Yum.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
6 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 cup flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 7 oz. jar marshmallow fluff
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups rice cereal

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar; add eggs.
2. Stir in cocoa, flour vanilla and salt. 
3. Spread into a greased 9x13x2 baking pan
4. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean in the center.
5. Allow to cool, spread marshmallow fluff over the cooled brownies
6. In a small sauce pan, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly.
7. Remove from heat, stir in the cereal.  Spread over marshmallow layer.
8. Chill before cutting. Store in refrigerator.

Chocolate Sheet Cake (a.k.a Texas Sheet Cake)

I grew up having this a lot at family parties, where I knew it as Texas Sheet Cake, so I was happy to find a recipe that seemed like its twin in the Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook by Ree Drummond.  I brought this into work today as a birthday treat celebration for my manager as well as a Valentines' Day goodie.

This was so easy and didn't require any crazy ingredients.  I had everything on hand...which was awesome!  I love it when I don't have to grocery shop in order to make something.

Here is the recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website, which has lots of great step by step pictures to follow.  I also stole her picture, because I love the aqua plate!

FOR THE CAKE:

2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla

FOR FROSTING:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.


In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.

Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan (12x18) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I had the urge to bake something this weekend, so I look through my new Barefoot Contessa cookbook I had gotten for Christmas from Steve, How Easy is That? .   I love a good cupcake, so I wanted to try Ina's recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  It really was simple to make and I had all the ingredients at home, so I fired up the mean green Kitchen Aid mixer and got to baking.  Ina did not disappoint yet again.  This frosting is soooo good.  There was some leftover and I considered just eating it plain right then and there, but decided to just throw it in the fridge for something else I can make later...maybe some pumpkin muffins from a pre-made mix thanks to Trader Joes.

This recipe made only 15 cupcakes which is a good amount.  I am planning on bringing some into work to share with my team as a early Valentine's Day treat!

Cupcake Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 extra large eggs at room temperature

Frosting Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature  (I told you this frosting is to die for)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Cupcake Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa power, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.

In a electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 minute, until light.  Add the eggs one at a time until combined.

With the mixer at low speed add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Stir with a rubber spatula to be sure batter is mixed.

Scoop batter into the muffin cups with an ice cream scoop or large spoon (almost 3/4 full).  Bake for 25-30 minutes (**I am not sure if it was the foil liners I used or my Williams Sonoma Gold Touch muffin pans, but mine were ready about 23 minutes in**), until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.  Cool completely and top with cream cheese frosting.

Frosting Instructions
Place cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed until just combined.  Don't whip!  Add the sugar and mix until smooth.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

I have had this recipe since November 2008 and never had a chance to make it.  It is from the first issue of the Food Network Magazine and is their attempt to copy the Cheesecake Factory's pumpkin cheesecake.  I was very excited to make this for my family's Thanksgiving, but June Bug had other plans.  I was so sick for 48 hours straight, there was no way I could have made this!  So I decided to make it for my family's Christmas Eve celebration.

Everyone loved it and it was relatively easy, but time consuming, to make.  I have made a cheesecake before, but this one required the pan of water to bake it in, which the one I made previously did not.  That was my only complaint with this recipe.  That part was kind of a pain.  Another side note, I am sure sure if I didn't press the crust enough or if my springform pan was 9" rather than the 10" they recommend, but I had some extra batter.  I apologize for the low quality picture...It was one I took with my phone and I never went back to take one with my real camera later!

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I chopped them up in my food processor)
2 3/4 cups sugar
Salt
2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
6 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I just used Pumpkin Spice for this)
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves (again, just used the Pumpkin Spice for this)
Whipped cream (optional)
Toasted pecans (optional)

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325.
2. Brush a 10" springform pan with some of the butter.  Stir the remaining butter in with the graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl.  Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan packing it tightly and evenly.  Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.  Cool on a rack, then wrap the outside of the pan in foil and place inside roasting pan.
3. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth.  Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed.  Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla, 1 teaspoon of salt and spices and beat until just combined.  Pour into the cooled crust.
4. Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out...this is what they say, I had to.  I was pouring water all over the inside of my stove) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan.  Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is loose, about an hour and 45 minutes.
5. Turn the oven off after the hour and 45 minutes, and open the door briefly to let some of the heat out.  Leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack.
7. Run a knife around the edges, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
8. Bring the cheesecake to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.  Unlock and remove from the springform pan to serve.
9.  Add whipped cream and toasted pecans if desired.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

In honor of one of the greatest days of the year, St. Patrick's Day, I decided to attempt a recipe that a former Knottie friend of mine gave me.  I have also seen it pop up on a few other food blogs lately, so they must be popular this time of year!

I was also excited to use my new camera as an early birthday gift from Steve to take these pictures!  I was really excited to see it had a "gourmet food" setting. :)

These were fairly time consuming, but not overly complicated.  I made 19 cupcakes out of this recipe.

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup Guinness beer
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1-2 tsp. Irish whiskey (optional, I used a smidge less than 1 tsp. of Jameson per Steve's insistence)

Baileys Frosting
3 to 4 cups confectioners sugar (I used about 3 1/2)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 - 4 Tbsp Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream or a combination thereof...I used a small airplane bottle size of Baileys~apx. 4 tsp. and a splash of heavy cream)

Make the cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line cupcake cups with liners
3. Bring Guinness and butter to a simmer over medium heat
4. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth, Cool slightly
5. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into a large bowl to blend
6. Using a mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend
7. Add Guinness/cocoa mixture to egg mixture and beat to just combine
8. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed
9. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
10. Divide batter among lined cupcake pan, filling them apx. 2/3-3/4 of the way.
11. Bake in preheated oven until tester comes out clean (recipe said 17 minutes, ours took apx. 22)
12. Cool cupcakes on rack completely.

Make the filling

1. Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heat proof bowl.  
2. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute over the chocolate
3. Stir until smooth
4. Add the butter and whiskey (if you choose) and stir until combine
5. Let ganache until cool until thick, but still soft enough to pipe into cupcakes

Fill the cupcakes

Using a 1" cookie cutter or a corer (I used a corer, it worked like a charm), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes.  You want to go most of the way down, but not all the way.  Aim for around 2/3.

Put the cooled ganache into a piping bag and fill the holes on each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting

1. Whip the butter in the bowl for several minutes, you want it very light and fluffy
2. Slowly add the confectioners sugar, a few tablespoons at a time
3. When the frosting looks thick, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk or cream) and whip it until it is combined.
4. If the frosting got too thin (it shouldn't, but just in case), you can add a few more spoonfuls of confectioners sugar.

Decorate and enjoy!

5 Minute Fudge

I kind of felt like a failure this past weekend in the baking department. I was all ready to make sugar cookies and break in our new cookie cutters, decorate them and put them into fun little bags for friends and family. Well, the sugar cookie gods were laughing at me after 2 botched batches. I am hanging up my sugar cookie apron for awhile...not only did my cookies burn, but I felt burned too! Sugar Cookies 2, Amy 0.

I did, however, have some success with an easy fudge recipe given to me from a friend at our shower. My wonderful husband, knowing well my bruised baking ego after Sugar Cookie Debacle 2009, told me this fudge was like Mackinaw Island's and that I may have found my calling. Isn't that sweet of him!

I made 2 batches of this fudge and put it into the cute little bags to share with Steve's team and our friends. It literally takes around 5-10 minutes and is so easy!

1 2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 Tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

16 large marshmallows

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Line a 8x8 dish with wax paper.

In a medium saucepan, over medium high heat, bring sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt to a boil. Stir constantly for 5 minutes while boiling.

Add the chocolate chips and stir until well blended.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, nuts and marshmallows until well mixed. I left the marshmallows somewhat still intact...some swirled in and there are chunks of them in the fudge.

Pour into 8x8 dish. Cool completely. Cut into squares.

*I would store this fudge in the fridge. The people on Mackinaw say to not store fudge in the fridge, but it was kind of getting melty on my hands when I was cutting it.*

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Roll Cake

This roll is one of my favorite things about fall. Now that I had all the right tools at my disposal, I couldn't wait to make this! I looked around some websites until I found a recipe that was simple enough for me to fit into my fall cleaning schedule on Sunday (sorry Paula Dean, I will try yours some day!). This one is courtesy of All Recipes.

I think mine came out OK taste wise, but I need to work on the presentation. I ended up using a jelly roll pan than what was bigger than recommended, so it is a little thin. Also, the filling doesn't go to the edges, so there is some non-filling parts. I think if I would have used the right pan size, it would have been perfect.

3 eggs

1 cup white sugar

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup chopped walnuts * (see my note below)

6 oz. cream cheese softened

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In mixing bowl, beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar until thick and lemon colored. Add pumpkin and lemon juice.
3. In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Fold into pumpkin mixture.
4. Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour the paper. Spread batter into the pan. Sprinkle with walnuts* (I actually missed this part and added them when I spread out the filling).
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until the cake springs cake when lightly touched.
6. Immediately turn out onto a dish towel dusted with confectioners sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up into towel, starting at the short end. Cool completely.
7. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy.
8. Carefully unroll the cake. Spread the filling over the cake to within 1 inch of the edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar if desired.

Apple Cake

I grew up having this often thanks to my mom making it. It is so simple and so good! The hardest part is peeling the apples. Thanks to my Grandma Van for giving me the recipe for our shower!

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs beaten

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups apples, peeled sliced (make them into about 1 inch in size). I used Macintosh

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 300.

Combine oil and sugar, blend in eggs. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to oil and sugar mixture. Add vanilla extract, apples and walnuts. Place in greased 9x13 inch pan and bake for 1 hour, 20 minutes in a 300 degree oven.

Pretzel Jello

I have made this recipe, which I got from a fellow Detroit Knottie's food blog, twice now, both with rave reviews!  It is so easy and I think a great summer dessert dish.  Unfortunately, I do not have pictures as the finished product is always consumed somewhere I don't have my camera with me!

2 cups coarsely chopped pretzels (I use the stick kind)

3/4 cup melted butter

3 Tablespoons of Sugar plus 1 Cup

1 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese

1 small carton of Cool Whip, thawed

2 6 oz. boxes of Raspberry Jell-O

2 10 oz. packages of frozen raspberries

2 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix pretzels, butter and 3 tablespoons of sugar and press into a 9x13 inch pan.  Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees.  Let cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar together until creamy.  Add Cool whip and blend into all mixed together.  Spread on cooled pretzel crust.

Mix together Jell-O and water.  Add frozen raspberries until slightly jelled.  Spread on cream cheese mixture and refrigerate until set.

Cheesecake Cupcakes

I volunteered to make a dessert for a little gathering my manager was having for some co-workers and their spouses.  I wanted to make something really great, but it is so hard to bake during the week lately!  

My mom suggested making cheesecake cupcakes since they were so easy and delicious and she was right!   

(sorry, no pictures, I put the final touches on at my manager's house)

3 8 oz. packages cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

3 eggs

Nabisco Vanilla Wafers

1 large can of and kind of pie filling (I used cherry)

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream all of the ingredients (except wafers) together and beat for 5 minutes.  No less than 5 minutes.  Put wafers in the bottom of cupcake papers, rounded side down.  Fill papers about 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 for 18 minutes, no less.  Let cool completely.  (I actually made mine the night before and stored them in the fridge until serving).  Top with fruit pie filling...I used 2-3 cherries on each cupcake.

Makes around 20-24.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Steve asked me to bake something for his team meeting where they celebrate whomever's birthday it is that month. Yes, his work team. Of grown adults. I would rather celebrate with a nice cocktail...but to each their own. I jokingly asked if he wanted me to make clown cupcakes or those cupcakes in ice cream cones since I was having a flash back of elementary school, but he assured me that wasn't necessary.

As we were in Costco (one of my favorite places to shop) this weekend, I found a Barefoot Cookbook I didn't have yet, Barefoot Contessa at Home. It was just $20 and I was thumbing through it, came across the recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting that looked yummy. Steve said make it, so we got the book and I made these tonight.

They are delicious! The cupcake recipe itself is kind of involved, but it is worth it. At one point, when alternating the wet and dry mixes into the main mix, the cupcake batter was looking like an Irish Car Bomb shot gone bad...but I kept the Mean Green Kitchen Aid 'a goin' and it all came out great in the end.

The frosting is so light and creamy and not over-powering. I was also pretty excited to use more of our new kitchen gadgets, a sifter and my cake decorator!

This recipe said it made around 14-15 cupcakes. When I made them, it yielded 23. Nothing like having these left over to munch on!

Cupcake Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 tablespoons brewed coffee

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup good cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes (our oven took 20 minutes exactly), until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Frosting Ingredients

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Lonestar State Cheesecake

When we went to go complete our registry at Williams Sonoma, the sales associate was really pushing the springform pan I had on my registry but chose to not get.  She claimed it was the best thing they had in the store, so I caved.  I like to bake and I had never tried a cheesecake and this Kaiser pan would allow me to do that.

I got this recipe off the Food Network website, from a cook I have never watched before, Sunny Anderson.  It seemed easy enough and it was getting high ratings, so I gave it a whirl.  Plus, I got to use some new kitchen gadgets...springform pan, food processor, Kitchen Aid mixer and a mandoline slicer (for the strawberries)!

I am not one to brag about my mad skillz, but this was a pretty gosh darn good cheese cake.  Creamy, not too rich and simple to make.  Again, this got a resounding "yum" from my parents and hubby, so that made me happy!

Note:  You do need a 9" springform pan to make this recipe.

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (original recipe called for cinnamon, I opted for regular)

6-8 tablespoons butter, melted (I used 8)

4 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar plus,

2 Tablespoons

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups sour cream

1 pint blueberries

1 pint strawberries, sliced (you could probably use what ever fruit strikes your fancy)

Heat oven to 325.

In a food processor, blend graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until moist, but not wet.  Press into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.  In a large bowl, using an electric beater, combine cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and the lemon juice until light and smooth.  Slowly mix in the eggs until well blended.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 55 minutes or until the center sets.  (Our oven took about 60 minutes)

Turn oven off and remove the cake.

In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and remaining vanilla.  Spread this over top of the cheesecake and return to the warm oven for 30 minutes.  Remove and then let cool to room temperature before removing the springform.  (I actually let the cheesecake get to room temperature and then put in the fridge for 4 hours until post-dinner...came out great).

Meanwhile, in a small bowl toss together blueberries and sliced strawberries with remaining sugar.

Serve slices of the cheesecake with the fruit as a garnish.

Sunburst Lemon Bars

My co-worker gave me this recipe so I could use my Kitchen Aid for another recipe. It is really easy and I had all the ingredients in the house...an added bonus! This is a great dessert for summer, light and refreshing. It was also the first time I got to use my Williams Sonoma Gold Touch 9x13 rectangle pan and it was everything I hoped for! Ha!

A bit of advice...don't make this too late at night if you want to finish it up before you go to bed. You have to wait for it to cool completely before you frost it. That really bummed Steve out!

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

Filling:

4 eggs slightly beaten

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup lemon juice

Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 to 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Heat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients. With your paddle attachment, blend until crumbly. Press mixture evenly in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake crust at 350 for 20-30 minutes until light, golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine all filling ingredients, except the lemon juice. Blend well. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour mixture over warm crust. Return to oven and bake an additional 25-20 minutes or until top is light, golden brown. Cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine all the frosting ingredients. Add enough lemon juice to desired consistency and taste, blend until smooth. Spread over cooled bars. Yields about 36 bars.

Chocolate White Chocolate/PB Chip Cookies

My manager asked me if I would mind making a dessert for a homeless dinner she was volunteering at and I happily obliged!   Then, about an hour later, Steve asked me to make cookies for his team for their "monthly birthday celebrations" where they usually bring in a sweet treat.  Looked like I was going to be busy!

I wanted to a cookie that I thought most people would like, but also something unique.  I found these on the Food Network website and they sounded simple and tasty.  Of course, they are a Barefoot recipe.  The original recipe calls for chunks of white chocolate, but I opted to do one batch with white chocolate chips and the other with peanut butter chips.  The "test" audiences liked the peanut butter option better, but both were really moist and rich cookies.

The size I made the cookies (which were kind of big-ish), each batch made around 2 dozen.

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 extra large eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup good, unsweetened cocoa

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds good white chocolate coarsely chopped (I used a 16 oz. bag of white c.c. and peanut butter c.c.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream the butter and 2 sugars together until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the vanilla, then the eggs...1 at a time, and mix well.

Add the cocoa and mix again.  Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and slowly add to the chocolate mixture on a low speed until just combined.  Fold in the chopped chocolate or chips.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper using an ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoon.  Dampen your hands and flatten each dough ball slightly.  Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies may seem underdone...but that is OK)  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Easy Apple Betty

I love to bake. I am a little intimidated by crust for pies, so when I saw this easy recipe for Apple Betty on a fellow Knottie's blog, I wanted to give it a try.

4 cups thinly sliced apples (I used MacIntosh and Empire)

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 pound of butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9" pie plate.

2. Mound sliced apples into greased pie plate

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt.

4. Cut in the butter into the mixture looks like coarse crumbles. (I used my hands for part of this to break up the butter)

Bake for 45 minutes. We served it with one scoop of vanilla ice cream! Yummy.

Ghosts in the Graveyard

I thought Steve was reverting back to some elementary school Halloween party when he asked me to make this for Halloween...turns out, he regularly used to make this for work pot-lucks around this time of year. "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R'Us kid" comes to mind! It is yummy and I think I made Steve's fall by making it and having leftovers for him to have multiple times a day!

3 cups of cold milk

2 packages (4 serving size each) Chocolate Instant Pudding

1 tub (12 oz) Cool Whip, thawed

15 Oreo cookies, crushed

Assorted decorations

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with whisk until well blended. Let stand for 5 mins.

Gently stir in 3 cups of the whipped topping and half of the Oreo crumbs. Spread evenly into a 13x9 dish. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate at least one hour. Decorate with candy corn, cookie tombstones, etc.

Outrageous Brownies

Another recipe stolen from the Barefoot Contessa! These are super rich and moist brownies. I was really pleased with my first attempt at making brownies that didn't come from a box! And just like everything from the Barefoot, it makes A LOT of brownies!

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound, plus 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or regular)
3 cups diced walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 13x9x1 inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate in top of a double boiler (I used a large pot of boiling water, with a large glass bowl placed on top). Cool slightly.

Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the cooled chocolate mixture.

Toss the walnuts and 2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips with flour to coat (this prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the tray). Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for around 30 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven rack to allow air to escape from between the pan and brownie dough.

Cool throughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares. Enjoy with a nice, cold glass of milk!

Sweet and Salty Bars

I was given this recipe from some of my teammates on my co-ed softball team, Team Husky Pants. Steve absolutely loves these and were a hit at our annual Opening Day party this past March.

Bottom Layer
1 package yellow cake mix
1/3 cup margarine
1 egg

Combine the above ingredients until crumbly and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Middle Layer
3 cups miniature marshmallows

After taking the bottom layer out of the oven, immediately pour the marshmallows on top. Bake for 1-2 minutes, or until fluffy. Take out and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Top Layer
While the marshmallows are baking and cooling...

In a sauce pan, heat:
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup margarine
2 teaspoons of vanilla
10 oz. package of peanut butter chips

Stir the above ingredients until melted. Remove from heat.

Stir in:
2 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups salted peanuts

Immediately spoon this mixture over the marshmallow layer...try to spread as best you can over the dish.

Chill to firm. For best results, allow to firm over night in the fridge. I recommend letting it sit out for a bit after taking it out of the fridge so it is easier to cut. Cutting it is the hardest part!