Belle of the Bakery

In search of summer: Tropical Mango Cheesecake

2010-02-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

You may not be able to achieve warm temperatures during this time of year, but you can always find a taste of the tropics in your kitchen.

Enter mini mango cheesecakes. Sitting on a crust of coconut and graham cracker, these creamy little treats are topped with blueberry coulis and are guaranteed to bring a taste of the beach with each bite.
Click "read more" for the recipe and more.My good friend Lorelei of Mermaid Sweets recently hosted a benefit to raise money for Haiti. How awesome is she?! Lorelei asked if I might contribute a dessert for the benefit. Hence, these mini mango cheesecakes were born.

The great thing about these cheesecakes--aside from their deliciously creamy texture and wonderfully tangy taste--is how easy they are to make! The crust combines coconut flakes and graham cracker crumbs for a tropic twist on a well-loved classic crust. The cheesecake itself is super simple--rather than requiring you to puree whole mangos, I suggest an easy short-cut: use one Odwalla Mango Tango in your cheesecake batter! And lastly, the blueberry coulis is as simple as boiling some blueberries and sugar until the berries "pop." With a dessert this delicious and easy, how could you not make it?
Mango Cheesecake Bitesby Elyse (Belle of the Bakery)*Makes 48 standard cupcake-sized cheesecakes.
Coconut Graham Cracker Crust1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes2 packs of graham crackers1/2 cup granulated sugar1 stick butter melted
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cupcake liners in your cupcake pans. Place coconut, graham crackers, and sugar into a large plastic bag, and crush the crackers with a rolling pin (you could use the food processor if you wish; I prefer the plastic bag method and the fewer dirty dishes). Once the mixture is reduced to crumbs, add the melted butter and manipulate the bag with your hands to spread the liquid around and moisten all of the crumbs.
Press 1 TBS of the crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner (I used the bottom of my 1/4 cup measuring cup to do the "pressing."). You will have more than enough crumbs to make 48 mini cheesecakes. Bake the crusts for 10-15 minutes, until fragrant and browned. Let cool for a few minutes before pouring the cheesecake batter over the crusts.
Mango Cheesecake4 8-oz. bricks of cream cheese (32 oz.), at room temperature1 cup sugar1 Odwalla Mango Tango (15.2 oz)2 eggs3 yolks
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a water bath in which to place your cupcake tins.
Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until soft and spreadable. Cream the cream cheese and sugar together on medium-high speed for a minute or two. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the Mango Tango until completely combined. Do not forget to scrape the sides of your mixing bowl for extra bits of unincorporated cream cheese!
Once the Mango Tango is completely incorporated, add the eggs and yolks and mix until completely combined--do not over mix, as this will result in a "tough" cheesecake.
Using an ice cream scoop, fill your cupcake tins with batter. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until just set, still slightly jiggly--not firm. Allow the cheesecakes to cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours to cool.
Blueberry Coulis2 cups blueberries1/2 cup sugar2 TBS water1 tsp corn starch
Combine blueberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow the berries to begin "popping." Continually stir the berries and mash them a bit as you go. While the mixture is boiling, add the 1 tsp of corn starch and stir. Allow the mixture to boil for a minute or two longer. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a large bowl. Cover the mixture with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Top each cheesecake with 1 TBS of the blueberry coulis.
Enjoy!

S'mores Cupcakes

2010-02-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

An old campfire classic brought back as a cupcake.A honey-tinged graham cracker cupcake, topped with a dollop of chocolate ganache, and finished with billowy marshmallow frosting--torched to perfection.
For more pictures and the recipe, click on "read more" below.
If you'll remember from my last post about Ultimate Brownies, I had some Super Bowl baking to accomplish this past weekend. Cupcakes seemed like a perfect companion to a Super Bowl party. These portable mini-cakes are perfect for satisfying everyone's cake-n-frosting craving.

While classic cupcakes are delicious, I needed something with a little more pizazz for the Super Bowl party. For me, nothing says "pizazz" like some torched marshmallow! Enter the S'mores Cupcake. These graham cracker-inspired cupcakes are the perfect vessel for a dollop of sweet chocolate ganache. And of course, it wouldn't be a "s'more" without some marshmallow frosting, toasted to light brown.

These cupcakes are deliciously moist--light from the marshmallow, with just a hint of richness from the ganache. Though they're a bit time-consuming, they're easy to make.

I'd advise you not to torch your cupcakes until you're absolutely ready to serve them. I torched mine about 30 minutes before the party, and they had lost their crisp upon arrival (although, they were still delicious).

Make these cupcakes right away--they're the perfect combination of nouveau cuisine and nostalgic comfort!

S'mores Cupcakesrecipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Graham Cupcakes1 1/2 cups AP flour1 1/3 cups graham flour (I use Bob's Red Mill.)2 tsp baking powder1 1/2 tsp salt1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature2 cups packed light-brown sugar1/4 cup honey6 large eggs2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 24-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Combine flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside.
Cream the butter, sugar, and honey together until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed and add in the eggs and vanilla until completely combined. Add the flour mixture until just incorporated.
Fill each baking cup about 3/4 full, and bake for 25 minutes (or until toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs). Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in their pans before turning them out to cool completely.
Top cupcakes with chocolate ganache and marshmallow frosting.
Chocolate Ganache2/3 cup heavy cream6 oz semi-sweet chocolate1 TBS light corn syrup
Bring the cream to a simmer. Pour the chocolate and corn syrup in--and allow the chocolate to sit for about 1 minute before stirring. Whisk the mixture together and allow to firm slightly before topping each cupcake with about 2 tsp of ganache.
Marshmallow Frosting1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1 scant TBS)1/3 cup cold water1/4 cup cold water1 cup sugar
Dissolve the gelatin into 1/3 cup water and allow to soften for about 5 minutes.
Combine 1/4 cup water and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Stop stirring and heat the sugar until it reaches soft-ball stage on a candy thermometer (238 degrees Fahrenheit). Make sure to brush down the sides of the saucepan to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Once the sugar reaches the right temperature, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the softened gelatin. Whisk mixture for about 1 minute by hand to cool. Use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to whisk the mixture until soft, glossy (not dry) peaks form--about 8-10 minutes. Use the frosting immediately.

Ultimate Brownies: Candied Pecans and Ganache and Caramel ... Oh My!

2010-02-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

Think it doesn't get much better than super fudgy chocolate brownies?Think again.Think fudgy brownie beneath a layer of white chocolate caramel, topped with rich chocolate ganache and finished with a sprinkling of candied pecans.
Click on "read more" below to see more pictures and to get the recipe!

The Super Bowl is synonymous with great revelry, great rivalry, and great food. In my attempt to carry out the latter tradition, I made Ultimate Brownies to take to my friend Carlos's Super Bowl Party.

Carlos provided the revelry (in his awesome apartment that overlooks the San Francisco Marina--you can see Alcatraz out of his window). His friends/the fans provided the rivalry. And, these brownies did not disappoint in keeping with the tradition of great food.
Talk about rich! These brownies are chocolate overload with a nice layer of sweet, nutty caramel to break up any monotony. The candied pecans add a welcome crunch. Overall, words will not do these brownies justice. You simply must make them for yourselves.

Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to make these, as the caramel has to set up for 8-10 hours. Other than that, the recipe is almost a cinch (so long as you're not afraid of boiling sugar). Make these--you will not regret it!

Ultimate Browniesrecipe adapted from epicurious.com
Candied pecans1/2 cup sugar1/4 cup water1 cup pecan halves, toasted
Prepare a baking sheet by lightly buttering or lining with a Silicone baking sheet. Mix sugar and water together in a large nonstick pan and stir until sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the syrup is light gold (this should take about 8 minutes). Add the pecans and stir to coat--mixing for about 1 minute. Pour the pecans out onto your baking sheet and spread with a heatproof spatula. Cool completely before breaking into pieces and using to top your brownies. *Nuts can be made 2 days ahead and stored in airtight container at room temperature.
Brownies1/2 cup unsalted butter1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped1/4 cup plus 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder2 1/2 TBS AP flour1/8 tsp salt1/2 cup plus 1 TBS sugar2 large eggs1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 8x8-inch metal baking pan with foil and butter. Melt butter and chocolate in a heavy medium saucepan; stir until smooth and then remove from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and flour and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine the sugar-egg mixture with the melted chocolate. Then add the cocoa-flour mixture. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake approximately 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Allow brownies to cool completely before topping with caramel.
White-Chocolate Caramel1 TBS water3/4 tsp unflavored gelatin2 TBS water4 1/2 TBS sugarpinch salt6 TBS heavy whipping cream4 ounces good quality white chocolate, finely chopped1 1/2 TBS unsalted butter, diced, room temperature
Mix 1 TBS water and gelatin together in a small bowl and allow gelatin to soften.
Combine 2 TBS water, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high allow the mixture to boil, without stirring, until it turns deep amber (8-10 minutes). Reduce the heat to low, and slowly add the heavy cream. (*The mixture will bubble vigorously; be careful!) Stir the mixture with a whisk to dissolve any caramel solids. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes. Add the gelatin, and stir. Add the white chocolate and whisk until smooth. Lastly, whisk in the butter until smooth.
Pour the caramel over the brownie layer and spread to evenly cover. Chill uncovered until the caramel firms slightly--about 8 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Ganache2/3 cup heavy whipping cream6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Bring cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Allow the chocolate to sit for a minute before whisking to combine. Pour the ganache atop the caramel layer.
Sprinkle the broken/chopped candied pecans atop the ganache. Place the brownies in the refrigerator to chill for approximately 4 hours before serving.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pockets ("The Risa")

2010-01-31T11:23:00.000-08:00

This week I teamed up with the always-awesome Risa of Baked Perfection. The result? A cinnamon cream cheese filling hidden between a top layer of chewy peanut butter cookie and a bottom layer of crunchy chocolate cookie. Heaven in your mouth.

Click "read more" below for more pictures, step by step instructions, and the recipe.

This week, Risa and I decided to create a recipe inspired by the other. Risa and I are two peas in a pod, so I must admit that it wasn't too hard to come up with a recipe inspired by my wonderful friend. She loves chocolate and peanut butter and cinnamon. So, I thought to myself--why not combine the three?

These cookies have everything you're looking for in a dessert. Rich chocolate and peanut butter flavors, spicy cinnamon and cool yet sweet cream cheese. The peanut butter cookie layer is chewy and moist. The chocolate cookie layer is oh-so crunchy. And the filling is creamy and delicious.

This recipe is somewhat time consuming as it requires you to make 2 doughs and the filling. But, the results are totally worth it!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pockets

Recipe by Elyse (Belle of the Bakery)

Step #1: make the cinnamon cream cheese filling.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

1 8oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 large egg (crack your egg, whisk it briefly, and use half)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp - 1 tsp ground cinnamon (depending upon how spicy you're willing to go...)

With an electric mixer or using your paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the egg, sugar and cinnamon and cream until fully combined. Cover the mixture and refrigerate until ready for use.

Step #2: make the peanut butter cookie dough.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk the flour and salt together and set aside. Beat the butter until smooth. Then add the peanut butter and beat until fully incorporated. Cream in the sugar until fully incorporated. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until the egg is completely incorporated. While your mixer is on low speed, addl the flour and fully combine until the dough forms a stiff ball.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until slightly firm (30 minutes to an hour).

Step #3: make the chocolate cookie dough.

Chocolate Cookie Dough

1 1/2 cup AP flour

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. With the mixer on low, incorporate the flour mixture until fully combined and the dough forms a stiff ball.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm (30 minutes to an hour).

Step #4: preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the peanut butter and chocolate doughs.

*Make sure to use plenty of flour when rolling out your doughs so that they don't stick to your surface (if they stick, it will be a nightmare to transfer the cookies to a baking tray)!

Step #5: place a heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese filling atop the chocolate dough, taking care not to place the filling too close together.

Step #6: place the rolled-out peanut butter dough atop the chocolate dough and cream cheese filling. Use a cookie cutter to cut out each chocolate peanut butter pocket.

*Don't worry if your peanut butter dough tears a bit--just try to patch it back together!

Step #7: bake the cookies for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown.

*Let the cookies cool fully until you taste--the cream cheese mixture tastes best at room temperature!

Enjoy!

Whoopie for Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T16:54:00.001-08:00

As we count down the hours to Thanksgiving, I’m sure many of you are already revving your Kitchenaid mixers and rearing to get basting! Because of my exam schedule this year, Todd and I are missing out on my family’s Thanksgiving feast. However, we were lucky enough to celebrate Thanksgiving this past Saturday with a few of our close friends.

Because I had to work on Friday, I was forced to do all of my Thanksgiving grocery shopping, cooking, and baking on Saturday. Lucky for me, I had my awesome friend Grace around, who was willing to trek with me to Whole Foods at 8am. One large cup of coffee and a few aisles later, we were back home, and I was cooking/baking away.

Grace started the night off with a fabulously bubbly hot crab dip. The main menu included roasted turkey with a butter-chive rub, diced brussel sprouts sauteed with bacon, cornbread stuffing, pecan streusel-topped sweet potato casserole, and pineapple cheddar casserole. For dessert, we enjoyed the cinnamon caramel ganache layer cake from my previous post and a chocolate bourbon pecan pie (as modeled by the lovely Allison below).

If you’d like any of the above recipes that don’t have links, send me a quick email at belleofthebakery@gmail.com, and I’ll make sure to get you the recipe. And now, get a look at these babies:

Just because I’ve already stuffed myself silly at my pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving doesn’t mean that I’m going to leave you hanging. Never! I have a great pumpkin cookie recipe for you!

These pumpkin cookies are both chewy and cakey—and wonderfully spicy. They puff up nicely in the oven. I bet you can’t eat just one.

Of course, if you’re me, and you want more than just a cookie—you could easily glaze these cookies or turn them into whoopie pies--with any frosting of your choosing. A cream cheese frosting would taste delicious. I wanted to try something a bit more complex, so I made a pomegranate-caramel white chocolate filling. A few months back, the POM Wonderful people were wonderful enough to send me some POM samples. Not only does POM have major health benefits—talk about some antioxidant power—but it tastes delicious. For this recipe, I used the POM-Cherry drink. If you can manage not to chug the entire POM, then use your leftovers to make this filling! Tart, tangy, and sweet—it’s a wonderful burst of flavor in your mouth.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Cookies

by Elyse

3 cups AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 TBS corn starch

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 2 cookie sheets.

(1) Whisk the dry ingredients together, and set aside. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla together.

(2) Cream the butter and the sugars together. Add the pumpkin puree and cream until completely combined.

(3) Alternately add the flour and egg mixtures—starting and ending with the flour mixture, adding the flour in three additions. Make sure that each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.

(4) Spoon heaping teaspoons of batter onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the surface of the cookies is “springy.”

(5) Frost of glaze, if desired.

Pomegranate-Caramel White Chocolate Filling

1 cup heavy cream

Zest of 1/2 lime

1/2 cup POM Cherry or POM Juice

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup white chocolate

(1) Combine heavy cream and lime zest in a small pot. Heat over medium heat until cream is warmed through and bubbles are beginning to form around the edge of the pot. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

(2) Combine POM and sugar in heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil until mixture hits approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer—right around the time the mixture turns thick and starts to smoke. Remove from heat.

(3) Pour the cream mixture over the POM-caramel. Turn the heat back on low, and whisk until the caramel is fully dissolved.

(4) Place white chocolate in a bowl. Place a strainer over the bowl. Pour the caramel-cream mixture through the strainer and onto the chocolate—this will remove the pieces of lime zest, which have already infused into the cream. Vigorously whisk the white chocolate and POM-caramel cream together until smooth. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate until cool—approximately 2 1/2 – 3 hours. The mixture will only thicken slightly.

(5) When cool, whip the POM-caramel filling on medium-high speed with your paddle attachment, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Use as a filling for your pumpkin whoopie pies.

Inaugural cake...

2009-11-22T22:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the new blog design! What was formerly Elyse's Confectionary Creations is now Belle of the Bakery. Many thanks to Hannah of Sherbet Blossom Designs for cooking up this awesome design!

Why Belle of the Bakery? Well, I'm a southern girl at heart--and I imagine belles to be quite southern. I may be a current west coaster, but I was born and raised in Atlanta, did my undergrad at Chapel Thrill, and have nothing but love for the always efficient phrase "y'all." You might say that the blog name was a little homage to my roots.

I don't know about you, but when I think about special occasions--ahem, like the unveiling of a new blog design--I immediately think of cake. So, it's only fitting that I share with you one heck of a cake.

This cinnamon-caramel-ganache layer cake is light yet decadent, a chocolate lover's dream (I kid you not). The filling is a cinnamon caramel ganache. Because of the high ratio of cream to chocolate, the whipped ganache makes for a light--almost mousse-like--filling for the cake. It's certainly not your typical, dense ganache, but man oh man, talk about delicious! I could eat an entire bowl of this stuff.

The cake itself is a basic chocolate cake. It's somewhat spongey, certainly moist, and oh so delicious. It is somewhat delicate and pairs nicely with the fluffiness of the moussey ganache. To top it all of, there's a rich and shiny chocolate frosting. This frosting is simple to make and delicious to eat. It takes all of three minutes to make (aside from waiting for it to cool), and for your minimal effort, you are rewarded with finger-looking good frosting.

Make this cake for your special occasions. I guarantee you that everyone around you will be thrilled to get their hands (mouths?) on a slice!

Recipe after the jump...

Cinnamon-Caramel-Ganache Layer Cake

adapted from Fine Cooking, Holiday Baking Issue

For the filling

2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 TBS water

4 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

For the frosting

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped medium fine

4 TBS unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 TBS light corn syrup

Pinch of salt

6 TBS water

For the cake

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1/2 cup cool water

1 1/2 cups cake flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 TBS unsalted butter, slightly softened, cut into pieces

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature

Make the filling:

(1) In a medium saucepan, bring the cream, cinnamon, salt and 2 TBS water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Take off the heat, cover, and allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes.

(2) In the mean time, set the chocolate in a medium bowl and place a strainer over it.

(3) Mix sugar and 1/4 cup water in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover the pan and cook until the sugar dissolves. Uncover and continue to cook without stirring until the syrup begins to turn colors--about 1 minute. When the caramel turns reddish amber, remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the cream mixture--be careful, the mixture will bubble!

(4) Put the saucepan back over the heat and stir the mixture to dissolve any caramel bits, making sure that the mixture is completely smooth.

(5) Pour the caramel-cream through the strainer onto the chocolate. Whisk the mixture until thechocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

(6) Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (up to 3 days).

(7) Take the liquid mixture from the refrigerator (it will be liquid, even after 4 hours) and whip it with the paddle attachment until the mixture is thick and stiff. This step should only take about 1-2 minutes. Use the filling when frosting the cake.

Make the frosting:

(1) Place the chocolate, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a double-boiler, and stir until the mixture is completely melted.

(2) Take the mixture from the heat and stir in the water. Whisk the mixture so that the water is fully incorporated.

(3) Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool and thicken at room temperature for at least 3 hours. (*Don't worry that the mixture remains liquidity for quite a while--it will thicken!)

Make the cake:

(1) Line 3 9-inch cake pans with parchment and butter and flour them. Position two racks in your oven in the top and bottom thirds. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

(2) In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa and 1/2 cup lukewarm water together. Set aside. In another small bowl, mix the buttermilk and 1/2 cup cool water.

(3) Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Sift the mixture onto a piece of parchment (so that you can tilt the parchment and easily pour the flour mixture into your Kitchenaid mixer).

(4) In your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugars and cream until the mixture lightens in color.

(5) Dribble the egss in a few teaspoons at a time, making sure to incorporate the eggs after each addition. After all the eggs are added, beat the mixture for another minute to make sure the eggs are fully incorporated.

(6) Stop the mixer and add the cocoa mixture. Beat the mixture on medium speed until just combined.

(7) On low speed, alternate between adding the flour and buttermilk mixtures--making sure to start and end with the flour mixture. Do this in 4 flour additions and 3 buttermilk additions. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.

(8) Divide the batter evenly among the pans and bake for approximately 17-25 minutes (making sure to rotate the pans half-way through baking). Cool the cakes in their pans for 5 minutes, and then on a rack until completely cool.

Assemble the cake:

Layer the filling between the three cake layers. Frost the cake.

A caffeine-inspired comeback…

2009-11-16T21:23:00.001-08:00

Once again, it’s been too long. This whole law school thing can be quite time consuming! Suffice it to say, the MPRE happened. (That is, the Multi-state Professional Responsibility Examination—part of the Bar.) Yep, studying for—and taking—the examination has consumed quite a chunk of my time. Not to mention, Todd and I have had multiple guests over the past weekends.

Anyway, excuses, excuses. The point is, I’m back!

I don’t know about you, but when I feel “behind” or “sluggish,” I count on caffeine to give me a mental boost. I know, I know: not the healthiest boost, but a (delicious) boost nonetheless. And a boost is just what I needed to get back on the blogging train!

Caffeine for me means my morning cup of coffee. My morning ritual involves waking up around 5:30am, working for three hours, and then indulging in a warm mug o’ joe around 8:30am. (It’s always mid-morning when the sleep deprivation starts to tug on my eyelids.)

In honor of my beloved “wake up call” coffee, I’ve made some deliciously moist—and oh so light—coffee-flavored cupcakes. These cupcakes are sure to pack a double punch: if the sugar and caffeine can’t get you going, then I don’t know what will. The cupcakes get their coffee flavor from strong brewed coffee as well as some instant coffee. I’ve also added a full teaspoon of cinnamon to play with the coffee flavor—it adds a wonderful hint of spiciness.

To give these delicate cuppies a bit of heartiness, I’ve frosted them with a thick, coffee-flavored ganache. (Again, there’s a dash of cinnamon in the frosting.) ~~I could~~ I did eat this ganache with a spoon, straight from the bowl. All I have to say is that chocolate, coffee, and heavy cream make for one dangerously, heady and addictive frosting.

To decorate these cupcakes, I used this week’s SMS recipe for chocolate-covered almond toffee. Buttery and sinful, this toffee pairs nicely with the tang of the coffee cupcakes. Plus, you’ve got the added bonus of soft and crunchy textures. It’s an amusement park for your mouth! (To get this week’s SMS recipe, check out Kaitlin’s blog, Kait’s Plate. Also, check out the other SMS’ers!)

Enjoy! (And of course, feel free to use decaf if you’re all about coffee flavor but not so much about the jitters.)

Coffee Cupcakes

Adapted from Baking for All Occasions

Makes 12 cupcakes

1 cup cake flour (spooned and swept)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup warm coffee, strongly brewed

3 TBS instant coffee

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare cupcake pan.

(2) Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

(3) Stir together sour cream and vanilla. Set aside.

(4) Beat butter on medium speed until it is light and creamy. Add in the sugar and cream until light and fluffy—approximately 3-4 minutes.

(5) One medium-low speed, add the eggs, a little at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition until the egg is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is lighter in color and texture.

(6) On the lowest speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions. Make sure to begin and end with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

(7) Mix the three tablespoons of instant coffee into the 1/2 cup of coffee. Add the coffee to the batter in a slow stream.

(8) Fill each cup 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for 25-30 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool in their pan for 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

(9) Frost with coffee ganache (recipe below).

Coffee Ganache

by Elyse

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 TBS instant coffee

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

(1) Combine cream, instant coffee, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately remove from heat—avoid scalding the cream—and add the chocolate chips. Allow the chocolate chips to sit for 2 minutes.

(2) Whisk the mixture until smooth.

(3) Place the mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with paddle attachment until the bowl feels cool to the touch.

(4) Frost the cupcakes. (Do this quickly as the ganache will harden somewhat as it cools completely.)

SMS: Pumpkin . . . Cupcakes?

2009-10-18T14:11:00.001-07:00

Nothing signals fall like a good pumpkin recipe! These recipes remind me of heavy blankets and cracking leaves—and of course, good eats. So, of course, I was very excited to see that this week’s SMS recipe involved pumpkin!

This week’s SMS recipe was chosen by Debbie of Everyday Blessings of the Five Dees. The original recipe was for pumpkin cookie cakes with cream cheese frosting, but I decided to make pumpkin cupcakes instead! Be sure to check out her scrumptious blog for the pumpkin recipe! And don’t forget to go drool over all the other SMS’ers mouthwatering creations.

I usually buy canned pumpkin, but I thought I’d be adventurous and make my own pumpkin puree. It’s too simple! Buy yourself a nice 5-6 pound sugar pie pumpkin, cut it in half and get to work de-seeding! Once you’ve scooped out all that gunk, lay your pumpkin halves cut-side down and roast for 1.5 hours at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you’ve roasted the pumpkin, flip the halves over onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, scrape the pumpkin “innards” into a food processor and puree away! You’ll have about 2 cups of pumpkin puree to show for your efforts!

*If you save the pumpkin seeds (after you’ve cleaned them), toss them into the 400 degree Fahrenheit oven to bake for the last 10 minutes, while your pumpkin roasts. Set the seeds aside to cool and use them for a pumpkin seed brittle (recipe below).

These cupcakes are divine! We’re talking moist, fluffy spice cake with a wonderfully orange hue. A subtle hint of molasses adds depth of flavor, while cinnamon and nutmeg give the cupcakes that “homey” feel. To top it all off: a sweet and spicy cream cheese frosting. And, of course, add a little texture with a sprinkling of pumpkin seed brittle. Delicious!

For the cupcake recipe, follow the recipe for “cookie cakes” posted on Debbie’s blog.

Top the cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting:

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 1/2 – 2 cups loosely packed powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cream cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon and mix until a smooth frosting forms. (Add more or less powdered sugar to suit your sweet tooth.)

Top each cupcake with a piece of pumpkin seed brittle.

Pumpkin Seed Brittle

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 TBS water

1 TBS corn syrup

Pumpkin Seeds, roasted for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Mix sugar, water, and corn syrup together in heavy sauce pan. Bring mixture to a boil and allow to boil until the mixture turns amber in color (approximately 8 minutes). Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and toss in the pumpkin seeds. Stir to coat each pumpkin seed and then spread the mixture onto a greased baking pan to cool. Crack the brittle into pieces and use to top each cupcake.

SMS: Sticky Buns

2009-10-11T11:49:00.001-07:00

I could write an ode to sticky buns. They’re just that good. So, really, I owe a HUGE thank you to Jen of Not Microwave Safe for selecting Sticky Buns for this week’s SMS. You have made me a very, very happy camper, Jen. Jen has a fabulous blog, filled with wonderful treats, so it’s really not surprising that she picked such an awesome recipe for our weekly bake-along.

Yeast-a-phobes, fear not: these yeasty buns are super easy (though time consuming) to make. Jump on over to Jen’s post to get the recipe. And, be sure to check out all of the wonderful SMS’ers’ creations!

Interestingly, the sticky bun recipe does not call for dissolving or proofing the yeast before incorporating it into the dough. Rather, you mix the yeast with your flour and incorporate it in its “dry” form. To err on the safe side (because that’s how I like to err when it comes to yeast), I warmed my milk to 110 degrees Fahrenheit before making my dough. I also placed my dough in a previously warmed oven for its first rise. And, man, does this dough rise!

Some of the SMS’ers reported that their dough was very sticky—the quick fix was to add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of flour to the dough. I found that, though my dough was sticky, after beating it for 15 minutes with the dough hook of my Kitchen Aid mixer, it formed a nice, elastic ball (sticky, but workable).

The original “sticky sauce” recipe calls for making a sauce by bringing maple syrup, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to a boil. Because I didn’t have any maple syrup on hand, I made a caramel sauce for my sticky buns. I’ve included my recipe below.

Caramel Sauce

by Elyse

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

2 TBS corn syrup

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup brown sugar

(1) Combine granulated sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium-sized saucepan. Boil the mixture until it turns a deep amber color, approximately 6-8 minutes, or until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

(2) Remove the mixture from the heat and pour the cream over it. Whisk the cream in. (The mixture will bubble vigorously. Be careful!)

(3) Place the mixture back over medium heat and stir in the butter and brown sugar. Continue stirring until the butter and brown sugar are dissolved. Make sure to scrape all caramel bits from the bottom of the pan (continue heating the mixture until the bits are dissolved).

(4) Pour the caramel mixture into the bottom of prepared 9X13 pan, as directed by the Sticky Bun Recipe (see Jen’s Blog for full recipe).

Instead of doing a cinnamon sugar filling in my sticky buns, I did a combination of granulated sugar, brown sugar, and allspice. It was delicious!

My buns were done after about 22 minutes in the oven! Flip these bad boys over (caramel-side up), and see how long anyone in your house can resist the deliciousness that is these sticky buns!

Boy oh boy, were they delicious. My advice to you? Get in the kitchen and get this dough started!!

Root Beer Buddies…

2009-09-28T22:51:00.001-07:00

I’ve bragged about Risa before. Yes, she has an awesome blog, and yes, she bakes awesome goodies. But, have we talked about what an awesome friend she is? Getting to finally meet Risa this past Labor Day was uber-exciting—it was like we’d known each other forever. In fact, chances are, you can find us chatting at various times throughout the day—everyday—on gchat.

Risa and I recently invested in similar baking books so that we could inspire each other to “make the most” of each book. We’ll be having our own bake-alongs a couple of times per month. This week, we needed something quick, easy, and of course, dee-licious. (Side note: if it takes us as long to decide upon recipes as it did this week, we won’t be able to label any recipe as “quick.”)

Our book choice: the ever-trusty Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. Our cake choice: the Root Beer Bundt Cake. You simply must make this cake…um, NOW. While the root beer flavor isn’t pronounced, there’s a certain “je ne sais quoi” about the cake—an extra tang, a kooky bite that is both surprising and enticing. Yes, enticing. Todd and I have been devouring this cake since Friday night, and there’s only one measly piece left in the kitchen right now. That’s right: an entire bundt cake consumed in almost four nights flat.

The cake is rich and oh-so moist, dense without being too heavy, perfectly chocolatey and indulgent. And the root beer fudge frosting—amazing. I want to go for a swim in this frosting; it’s a small wonder that I didn’t scrape the frosting off the cake to eat it by itself—it’s that good, and that easy!

Make sure to go check out Risa’s blog to see how her Root Beer Bundt turned out!

Without further ado, the recipe:

Root Beer Bundt Cake

from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

For the bundt cake:

2 cups root beer (not diet)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (*I used light, and it worked just fine…)

2 cups AP flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

(1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick spray, or butter and flour it.

(2) In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

(3) In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

(4) In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy—do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.

(5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small knife (or toothpick) comes out clean.

(6) Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.

Root Beer Fudge Frosting

2 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

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

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup root beer

2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

(1) Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth.

(2) Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the bundt in a thick layer.

(3) Let the frosting set before serving. Serve with ice cream on the side.

*For a looser frosting that you can pour over the cake, decrease the amount of powdered sugar.

SMS: Caramelized Onion, Sage, & Cheddar Muffins

2009-09-27T11:21:00.001-07:00

I know, you’re shocked. Shocked to find a savory recipe on a blog whose philosophy may best be described as “cavities are a small price to pay for a sugar-coated life.” However, thanks to my weekly SMS therapy sessions, I’ve been forced from my sweet comfort zone into the depths of savory baking. Hanaâ of Hanaâ’s Kitchen gets the credit for this miraculous breakthrough. She selected Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins as her Sweet Melissa Sundays choice, and what a great choice it was!

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not prejudiced against savory foods. I am an equal opportunity eater. In fact, I’ve been known to frequent a stellar restaurant, stuff my tummy with savory goodness, and leave without ordering dessert. But, truth be told, I prefer sweets. Some people are diehard potato chip junkies, and others fall into the category of I-will-eat-a-bag-of-chocolate-chips-if-no-other-dessert-is-around people. And, while I have the utmost fondness for potato chips, I fall into the latter category. I have a passion for dessert.

With that disclaimer, I must admit that these muffins are delicious. I mean, who doesn’t have a weak spot for caramelized onions -- so rich and flavorful (and sweet) as they melt in your mouth? And sharp cheddar? Who can say, “No,” to that?

The recipe begins by making 1 cup of caramelized onions. Caramelizing onions is super easy—just time consuming. Below you’ll find pictures of the onions at each stage in the 40-50 minute caramelizing process. To get 1 cup of caramelized onions, you’ll need about 3 large onions, chopped. Coat your pan with olive oil (and a dab of butter) and get it sizzling on medium to medium-high heat. Throw your onions in, get them coated in the oil.

Let them sit for 7-10 minutes. Toss in some salt and stir them around (the bottom onions should have caramelized).

From there, toss the onions every 2-5 minutes (keeping an eye on the pan to prevent burning). You also might turn your heat down to low at this point.

Keep the onions cooking until they’ve wilted and completely browned. YUM!

I also jazzed this recipe up a bit by using 4 TBS of bacon grease in place of 4 of the 10 TBS of melted butter required. I mean, it’s bacon fat, people. If we’re trying to convert sweet-junkies to the savory side, we might as well fight dirty.

In addition to the caramelized onions and cheddar, I added about 1 cup of frozen corn kernels to extra texture to the muffins.

Overall, these muffins were absolutely delicious! Even your diehard sweets fans will love them (and that’s saying something). So, put down the candy bar for breakfast and grab one of these muffins. And then be sure to visit Hanaâ and thank her for helping you overcome your savory phobia. And while you’re at it, visit the rest of our awesome SMS bakers.

SMS: Orange Scented Scones

2009-09-20T12:08:00.001-07:00

For me, eating scones is akin to devouring some very yummy memories. Eating memories? I can see you’re skeptical. Bear with me for a hot minute, and let’s do some free association. Scones are of British descent (just check out Robin’s history of scones). When speaking of the Brits, you can’t forget about the English. England just happens to be where I did my study abroad—London, to be exact. And, it was in London where I happened upon some of my best friends. And we all know that when you’re hanging out with best friends, you’re bound to make some incredible memories. Thus, by the transitive property, scones = awesome memories.

Anyway, enough waxing nostalgic. Suffice it to say that these scones not only tasted deliciously moist and tender, but they also happened to bring back many wonderful memories of London. (Though, my friends and I were more likely to be found in McDonald’s taking advantage of the 99P Cadbury Flurries than sitting pretty at high tea with a scone in one hand and a tea cup poised in the other. Right, SP? Erin?)

Thank you, thank you to Robin of Lady Craddock’s Bakery for choosing the wonderful Orange Scented Scones for this week’s SMS. At the recommendation of the other SMS bakers, I added extra orange zest to my scones to ensure lots of orange-by punch! I also only used 1/2 cup of heavy cream (as opposed to 2/3 cup), and my scones turned out perfectly flaky and moist. For an extra pop of color and flavor, I topped each scone with two blackberries.

I brought out the Novella and some jam to spread on the scones, but Todd and I found that the scones were perfect as is. Nothing dry about these babies. I highly recommend that you jump on over to Robin’s blog and get the recipe for yourself. And while you’re at it, make sure to check out all the other Smears creations!

S’more of me?

2009-09-14T09:19:00.001-07:00

Hi guys! Should I skip the groveling and get to the treats? No…you want a little groveling? Okay, then. Please, please, please forgive my long hiatus from the wonderful blogging world. I never intended to stay away this long, and I can’t tell you how great it feels to be back. I’ve missed all of you dearly!

While life is still quite hectic, I’m going to do my best to keep up with regular blog posting. So, how better to come back to the blogosphere than with a nice, comforting s’more?

I must admit that I was inspired to make s’mores for two reasons: (1) I am quite obsessed with the ooey-gooey delicacy – chocolate and marshmallow goodness sandwiched between two crispy cookies…what’s not to love? (2) I recently got to meet Risa of Baked Perfection. We’re pretty much soulmates, which explains our mutual love of s’mores. Her visit to the Bay Area definitely got me thinking of these campfire treats.

And while s’mores made with store-bought marshmallows and graham crackers are delicious — who am I kidding: instant gratification counts for a lot when it comes to dessert time – homemade s’mores are even better (and they’re easy to make, too)!

So, get your campfire roaring (or your gas stove lit, in my case): it’s s’more time! [Insert s’more dance here.] For the graham crackers and marshmallows, I used Scharffen Berger’s recipes, which can be found here.

The graham cracker recipe calls for graham flour or whole wheat flour. I personally love the flavor of graham flour (even though it’s not an ingredient in many commercially produced graham crackers!), and Bob’s Red Mill makes a great one!

The marshmallows were super easy to make (thank you, Kitchen Aid mixer)! I’d recommend cutting the salt down (or out) of both the marshmallow and graham cracker recipes, although neither tasted salty when paired with some chocolatey goodness.

Overall, these s’mores were a huge, delicious hit! Make them ASAP!

SMS: Peach Cobbler

2009-06-07T21:34:00.001-07:00

Hi, guys! I’ve missed you over the past week. I started my legal clerkship this past Monday and have been a bit overwhelmed and preoccupied with “getting adjusted.” Have no fear, though, I’ll be back to my old posting and commenting self in no time.

In the mean time, I’m going to keep this post short and (definitely) sweet—and of course, to the point. Andrea of Nummy Kitchen hosted this week’s SMS choice: peach cobbler. First of all, let me rave about Andrea’s blog. If you don’t have Nummy Kitchen in your Google Reader, then you’re really missing out. Go ahead and subscribe—you won’t be disappointed. Andrea is always posting yummy treats; talk about a delicious blog!

Andrea chose one of the yummiest desserts ever! Peach cobbler is comfort food to the max! After a long week’s work, it was a pleasure to indulge in this biscuit-y, gooey, peachy treat. I crumbled my “biscuits” so that my cobbler would have a more “crumbly” topping.

Pure, unadulterated peach flavor shone through this dish. To add a bit of crunch and caramel flavor, I sprinkled brown sugar atop the crumbled biscuits before baking. Delish! This one is definitely a keeper. Thanks so much, Andrea, for a wonderful SMS choice. Be sure to check out the other SMS’ers as we bake our way through Melissa Murphy’s Sweet Melissa Baking Book.

Oh, and super importantly, Caitlin of the Engineer Baker won the coconut flour giveaway. Caitlin authors another rave-worthy blog. She has a splendid sense of humor—and of course, a splendid palette. Definitely another blog to add to the Google Reader!

Because chocolate and PB were meant to be together…

2009-05-31T20:50:00.001-07:00

*Sorry, no SMS this week. Jaime of Good Eats ’n Sweet Treats chose wonderful Bee Stings, and you simply must check out her wonderful blog (Seriously, not only is the blog itself cute, but you should see the stuff she bakes! Jaime equals pure awesomeness.) and all of the other SMS’ers.

Allison being a diligent whisker.

The phone call went something like this: “Elyse, I want to bake. I’m coming over to bake.” Short. Sweet. To the point. So, I asked Allison what she wanted to bake. I should’ve known that such an assertive gal would have a ready answer, “Something with chocolate and peanut butter.” Well, how could I refuse? Chocolate and peanut butter? I knew Allison and I were friends for a reason!

Allison pouring batter like a champ.

Allison arrived in Berkeley, and I put her to work. First, we made chocolate cupcakes. Talk about a super simple recipe! The cupcakes came together so easily; no mixer required. We even threw a few peanut butter chips into the mix for good measure. The cupcakes turned out wonderfully moist with a tender crumb.

While the cupcakes were baking, we beat together marshmallow fluff and peanut butter to make an ooey, gooey, delicious (and sticky) filling. After pulling the cupcakes from the oven, we carved out the tops and popped little balls of the peanut butter filling into the holes. The PB-marshmallow mixture is super easy to handle; you can just roll it between the palms of your hands and stuff it down into the cupcake.

Then, we whipped up a marshmallowy, Swiss meringue-inspired frosting. Fluffy and light, this frosting is the perfect counterpart to the super chocolatey cupcake. We used an ice cream scoop to assure that each cupcake got a good amount of frosting love, and then, we smooth the whopping dollop out with a knife.

Frosting a cupcake and avoiding the camera (above, below).

Of course, the cuppies were topped with three mini-PB cups (from Trader Joe’s). Overall, the baking day was a complete success! Allison is certainly a good luck charm in the kitchen, and heaven knows, sometimes we need a little luck in the kitchen. The cakes rose. The frosting fluffed. What more could I ask for?

*Don’t forget about the coconut flour giveaway. You can leave a comment on THIS POST until 11:59pm PST on Wednesday, June 3.

Chocolate Cupcakes

From Birthday Cakes

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup warm water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup PB chips, coated in flour

(1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (*I got more than 12 cupcakes from this recipe.).

(2) In a medium sized bowl, whisk the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.

(3) Dissolve the cocoa in the warm water. Using a whisk, beat in the eggs, oil, and vanilla (by hand) until well combined. Gradually whisk in the dry ingredients just until the batter is evenly mixed. Fold in the PB chips.

(4) Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them three-quarters of the way full. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, approximately 25-30 minutes. Let cupcakes cool on wire rack before filling and frosting.

(5) Carve out the top of the cupcakes with a knife. Fill the indentation with 1/2 tsp ball of the PB filling (see recipe below).

(6) Using an ice cream scoop, place 1 dollop of fluffy frosting on each cupcake (see recipe below). Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, smooth the frosting out.

PB Filling

1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth

1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Beat the two ingredients together until the mixture becomes clumpy in consistency. Use to fill the cupcakes.

Fluffy Frosting

From Birthday Cakes

3/4 cup sugar

3 large egg whites

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

(1) In a double boiler, combine the sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, and salt over low heat. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.

(2) Remove from heat and stir in the extract. Let the frosting cool completely before frosting cupcakes.

Yep, that about sums it up.

Challah ’bout a giveaway?

2009-05-27T23:51:00.001-07:00

Upon hearing a knock, I opened my front door to find a pink-clad Lorelei holding the most beautiful bouquet of flowers and two overflowing bowls of risen babka dough (not to mention a large canvas tote packed to the brim with colored sugars, shaped sprinkles, cookie cutters, and the most organized recipe binder upon which I’ve ever laid eyes). One only wishes all knocks upon the door yielded such wonderful treats (and of course, such wonderful guests).

I really can’t rave enough about Lorelei. Aside from the fact that she’s always baking up super-yummy treats over at Mermaid Sweets, Lorelei has a heart of gold. I consider myself quite lucky that she lives in the Bay Area—and quite lucky to call her a great friend. (Oh, and you should know, Lorelei can roll out babka dough like a pro! She handles that rolling pin like nobody’s business.)

By now, you’ve probably gotten the hint that Lorelei and I planned a baking date and decided to make a halva-laced babka! Delicious, right? Imagine honey-scented halva crumbled atop a layer of nutella and chocolate and chocolate chips, all of which get rolled up into a beautiful, golden babka dough. Yum!

(So, you might as why this post title involves the word “challah.” Well, we baked our baked the babka free-form, so it ended up more like a challah than a babka. Plus, the word “challah” worked better in the title!)

Lorelei gets all the credit for preparing the dough. She mixed up one batch of lactose-free babka dough and one batch with milk. While the golden doughs attempted to escape the confines of their bowls, we started making the halva. I admit to being a huge halva fan. I love sesame-, semolina-based desserts, and halva certainly covers those bases. Its crumbly texture and honeyed flavor work miracles on the taste buds. This halva is a dessert worth making, even if you’re not making the babka. (But please don’t blame me when you end up eating half the pan!)

(Lorelei thought the babka was super yummy, too!)

Once the halva was made and cooled (read: stuck in the freezer in a desperate attempt to cool it quickly), Lorelei and I divided our doughs in half and then layered them with goodies like nutella, dark chocolate chips, pecans, crumbled halva, and honey. After a bit of make-shift braiding and a stint in the oven (during which time mouth-watering smells took over the kitchen), we whisked the babkas onto a cooling rack and admired their shiny beauty (thanks egg wash!). It took huge amounts of will-power to refrain from face-planting into the yeasty goodness. (Okay, okay, I might have sneaked a bite.)

The verdict? Amazing. I found myself tiptoeing into the kitchen throughout the day to tear bits and pieces of the babka from the loaf. The recipe calls for lemon zest in the dough, and this hint of citrus adds a total depth of flavor to the bread. The best part? You can fill this dough with any goodies you like!

To get the halva recipe, go here.

To get the babka recipe, go here.

And didn’t I mention a giveaway? That’s right: my first give-away. After baking my latest version of chocolate chip cookies, I got some questions about where to find coconut flour (one of my new favorite ingredients). Well, fear not, people. I have some coconut flour for you! All you need to do is leave a comment on this post between now and 11:59pm on Wednesday, June 3, and I’ll randomly select one winner to receive a package of Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour in the mail!

SMS: Sour Cherry Pie

2009-05-24T23:02:00.001-07:00

Imagine me with my feet up on my coffee table, left leg crossed over right. Now imagine my computer resting upon my denim-clad lap. Now, if you will, imagine me falling asleep at the keyboard. Yes, folks, I’m in full “relaxation” mode.

You see, one of my best friends Erin arrived in town last night much to my delight. So, in honor of her visit, we walked part of San Francisco today. We hit the Castro, Mission, Haight-Ashbury, and then doubled back around to the financial district and Embarcadero. Count it! Thirteen miles!! Hence, the tired, relaxation mode.

Needless to say, that’s also my excuse for getting this blog post up so late. (And I apologize for any incoherent rambling!)

A big thank you to Michelle of the fabulous blog Flourchild for this week’s SMS choice: sour cherry pie. (Talk about an awesome, inspirational blog. Go check it out!! Oh, and in case you didn’t know, SMS bakes weekly from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book.) I’ll admit to being skeptical about this pie. You see, I’m not a big cherry pie fan. Too much gelatinous, uber-sweet yuckiness. (Yes, I’m sure many disagree with that assessment.)

Anyway, that mentality has changed! I used three cans of Oregon brand water-packed tart cherries, and the pie turned out fabulously. The bottom crust is a buttery, typical pie dough. But, the top, oh the top, is a pistachio crumble! So delicious. Anyway, I’m super tired, and rather than rave to you about how excellent this pie is, I’m going to do three things: (1) Ply you with pictures of this awesome pie; (2) Send you over to Flourchild to print out this recipe; and (3) Let you go check out the awesome other SMS’ers.

Glorious, glorious pound cake…

2009-05-21T14:50:00.001-07:00

I love pound cake. Love it. Buttery, dense, tender crumb. There’s nothing bad about a pound cake (except perhaps its effects on the waistline). So, of course, when my mom asked if I would bake a pound cake for her, I jumped at the chance.

You see, my mom is a teacher, and for her school’s annual auction, she offered a “dessert of the month” for a full year to the winning bidder. The first dessert chosen? Lemon pound cake!

Lemons and I go way back. My brother Brandon and I headed a lemonade stand venture at the young ages of 5 and 8. What did I learn from this experience? Well, aside from the fact that cul de sacs aren’t ripe areas for big business, people do love their lemons!

This cake has a lot of lemon love in it. The cake itself has 1 tsp of lemon extract, while the icing has the juice and zest of two lemons. While I was unable to try this cake (I’m not sure the bid-winning family would have appreciated receiving their cake with a conspicuous forkful missing), it smelled divine. This recipe is definitely worth making; plus, you could sub out the lemon extract for any flavor you wanted. The basic recipe is a fabulous blank canvas for deliciousness!

Lemon Pound Cake

adapted from Cooking in the South with Johnnie Gabriel

For the cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

5 jumbo eggs

3 1/2 cups AP flour, spooned and swept

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon extract

1 cup buttermilk

Icing, see below

(1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan.

(2) Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

(3) Pour vanilla and lemon extracts into milk. Set aside.

(4) Beat butter and shortening together on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. On medium speed, slowly add sugar. Turn speed up to medium high and cream the mixture and until light and fluffy.

(5) On medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

(6) On slow speed, alternate flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. (Use four portions of flour, three portions of milk.) Mix only until incorporated.

(7) Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 75-80 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

(8) Cool for approximately 10-15 minutes before turning cake out and icing it (see icing recipe below).

For the icing:

2 lemons

1 TBS butter, melted

8 oz. confectioners’ sugar

(1) While pound cake is cooling, melt 1 TBS butter in a medium-sized bowl.

(2) Zest both lemons over the melted butter. Then, juice the lemons into that same bowl.

(3) Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar until no lumps remain. Spoon icing over cake, and allow cake to continue to cool.

And my sanity has returned… (SMS: Guinness Gingerbread)

2009-05-17T12:54:00.001-07:00

Words cannot describe how elated I am to be writing this post. Let me recap the past two weeks for you (not that you missed out on much): wake up at an ungodly hour, ponder the fact that the sun will not rise for 2-3 hours, park my rear on the sofa (which does have my butt-imprint, I admit), study until my eyes twitch, wonder when the misery will end, study some more, complain about law school exams, go to sleep, and repeat. You’d think 2L year would’ve mellowed me, but no. I’m just as anal as I remember myself being—much to poor Todd’s chagrin.

Well, exams are over! [Insert happy dance here.] I have way over 1000 posts in my google reader on which to catch up (everyone please forgive my tardiness in getting around to commenting). But you know what? I can’t wait!!

So, I’m so happy to announce my return to blogging with this wonderful SMS recipe for Guinness Gingerbread. Katie of KatieCakes chose this fabulous recipe from Melissa Murphy’s Sweet Melissa Baking Book. Have you been to her blog? I’m hoping that you’ve answered “yes” to this question. If you haven’t visited, you need to get on that. Katie makes the tastiest treats. She’s got a great sense of humor, and I always enjoy reading her blog. Plus, she’s from the UK, which makes her extra special in my book. (Can I come visit you, Katie?)

The gingerbread recipe was fabulous! Like Katie, I chose to make cupcakes from the gingerbread recipe, which turned out 24 regular sized cupcakes. I might recommend spraying the cupcake liners, as these little guys are quite sticky. Sticky, but totally delicious! They’ve got a great gingery depth of flavor. I couldn’t taste the Guinness, but I can only imagine that it added great depth of flavor.

To top my little cuppies, I made a Guinness-Godiva Liqueur cream cheese frosting. It’s essentially 2 8-oz bricks of cream cheese, 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), 2 cups of packed confectioner’s sugar, 2 TBS Guinness, 2 TBS Godiva Liqueur, 1 TBS dark cocoa powder, and 1 TBS vanilla. Deeeelicious!

Thank you so much, Katie, for this wonderful pick! Don’t forget to check out all of the SMS’ers wonderful creations. (P.S. I’m so glad to be back to blogging, and I promise to be commenting on all of your blogs soon!!)

SMS: Strawberry Shortcake (!)

2009-05-03T21:19:00.001-07:00

It’s law school exam season. What does that mean? Well, aside from stress-induced chocolate eating and many a nightmare about wills and trusts? It means I’ve been a recluse. (As my friend Allison put it, I look “sickly.” Guess that’s what lack of sunlight does to a girl!) Have no fear, though…only two weeks left, and I’ll be back to skipping in the sunlight—and my usual blogging!

However, there are two people who force me to remove myself from the sofa (where my rear has left a permanent indention): Allison and Lorelei. Allison has shown me the restorative powers of Max’s after a law school exam (Thank you!! You keep me sane. Heart you.), and Lorelei, well, let me tell you about Lorelei.

You may know her as the founder of Sweet Melissa Sundays and author of the fabulous blog Mermaid Sweets. Well, she came over today and we baked up a storm (more on that later this week)! There’s no words for Lorelei (which is saying something, because I’m a girl who’s not usually short on words). I’ll try to sum it up, though: she’s amazing! Anyway, Lorelei convinced me not to sit this week’s SMS out. And I am so glad that I didn’t!

Wendy of the wonderful Pink Stripes chose this week’s recipe: Strawberry Shortcakes. Her blog is fantastic. Wonderful photography, ingenious ideas. Her blog is the full package. You simply must check it out! Plus, Wendy went all out and did strawberry short cake FOUR WAYS! That’s right: four ways. Go check it out now.

I halved the recipe for the shortcakes and got three nice sized cakes. Okay, well, I have a confession: I halved everything except the butter! Oops. If anything, the extra butter made the cakes more tender. They were fabulous, soft, flaky, subtly sweet. They’ve got a nice crunch on top from a sprinkling of sugar.

The cakes are filled with macerated strawberries, and the resulting strawberry syrup absorbs into the cake….sooo yummy! And of course, the slightly sweetened vanilla whipped cream is the perfect way to top of this fabulous dessert.

Thank you so much for choosing this wonderful treat, Wendy! Be sure to check out all of the SMS’ers!

A double whammy to combat those Sunday blues…

2009-04-26T17:59:00.001-07:00

Yes, you read that right. I’ve got a double whammy for you good readers! (It’s not what you think, though, Donna.) Two goodies, one post! You see, when Lorelei (of Mermaid Sweets) first started Sweet Melissa Sundays, she very intentionally chose Sunday as our posting day. Why, you might ask. Well, to combat the Sunday blues, silly! She’s a genius, I tell you (I heart you, Lorelei). I can’t think of a better way to combat the blues than with some homemade goodies. Just in case one goodie couldn’t cut it, I’ve got two treats to chase away the blues.

First up, Jessica of Singleton in the Kitchen picked the SMS treat of the week: granola breakfast cookies. (Sidebar: Jessica is awesome! Her blog is always filled with great food as well as a great sense of humor. Jessica’s exuberant personality totally shines through in her posts, and if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading her blog yet, you simply must click over to check it out.) These cookies were a double-whammy in and of themselves. First, we had to make the granola, and then, we had to use that granola to make the breakfast cookies!

I have to admit that these cookies weren’t my favorite. BUT, I’m convinced that this was not Melissa’s fault. Her book has been wonderful thus far. You see, the granola recipe called for rye flakes, which I could not find. So, in my endeavor to be creative, I subbed in three cups of golden flax. Well, folks, flax doesn’t taste great when it’s the predominant flavor. (Okay, feel free to disagree with that statement.) Needless to say, if the flax didn’t dominate, these cookies would be great. They’re soft and chewy and full of crunchy, wonderful granola-y texture. Quite reminiscent of gingerbread, actually (because of the molasses). If you’re a fan of natural sugars, you would love these cookies: honey, molasses, pure maple syrup. Not a bit of refined sugar in sight! Be sure to check out the SMS blogroll and Jessica’s blog for the recipe!

Oh, I have to give a shout out to Danielle! She runs the fabulous blog Gramatically Delicious as well as a wonderful ETSY shop. Danielle provided me with the honey for these cookies! She also sent me the most gorgeous pair of her earrings. Check out her blog and shop!

Now, onto the piece de resistance! I have a new and fabulous friend. Can you guess who? Risa!! Risa has an amazingly delicious blog, Baked Perfection. She and I have been chatting up a storm! Recently, we were paying homage to Bakerella’s amazingness (and her genius cake pops), and we began to ponder what might be the next dessert fad.

Risa mentioned cookie dough pops. Well, I have never been one to turn down a spoonful of cookie dough (and that’s putting it mildly), and putting it on a stick seemed like a great idea! Have I mentioned how awesome Risa is? Anyway, we decided to make two doughs: chocolate chip cookie dough and s’mores cookie dough!

Of course, the doughs are eggless, so they’re perfectly safe to eat—and perfectly yummy. I’ve had to stop myself from eating all of these cookie dough pops. You’ve got to make them! The recipes for both doughs are below. You must go check out Risa’s cookie dough lollis ; hers are just gorgeous!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pops

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
dash of cinnamon
1 stick butter, softened (it is even okay if it is melting a little)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melted chocolate for dipping

In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Roll the mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet lined with wax paper (should make approximately 18-20) and insert a lolli pop stick. Chill for several hours or freeze for 15-20 minutes until firm.

Melt chocolates of your choosing and gently dip the cookie dough ball into the chocolate coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered (if your lolli pop stick falls out, just dip the end in the melted chocolate and put it back in the ball). Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Place in a styrofoam block to dry.

S'mores Cookie Dough Pops
pictured below

1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, divided
1/4 tsp salt
dash of cinnamon
1 stick butter, softened (it is even okay if it is melting a little)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar
3/4 cup mini-marshmallows, halved

Melted chocolate of your choosing

In a medium bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate and marshmallows. Roll the mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet lined with wax paper (Should make approximately 20) and insert a lolli pop stick. Chill for several hours or freeze for 15-20 minutes until firm.

Melt chocolate of your choice and gently dip the cookie dough ball into the chocolate coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered (if your lolli pop stick falls out, just dip the end in the melted chocolate and put it back in the ball). Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Sprinkle with remaining graham cracker crumbs. Place in a styrofoam block to dry.

Eureka! And other synonymous exclamations…

2009-04-22T23:36:00.001-07:00

Let’s not be bashful. Let’s get right to it. This, my friends, is a post about chocolate chip cookies. You see, Risa and I have been chatting quite a bit as of late. (I could totally go into a gushing session about Risa and her awesome blog, but alas, I’ll save that for another post. Suffice it to say, she’s totally awesome.) The other day, Risa asked me about my baking plans for the week. Chocolate chip cookies, I told her; I was really craving a chocolate chip cookie (or five).

And, thus, my plan was set in motion. I’m very rarely satisfied to make the same chocolate chip cookie recipe twice. There’s always room for improvements, new ideas, experiments, etc. That was, until today. Yes, folks, I’m not ashamed to announce that I am beyond smitten with these cookies. I’ve fallen for them.

I should probably give a shout out to my junior high and high school math teachers. See, this cookie is a product not only of super yummy ingredients (and my endless love) but also of some reliable ole math. After figuring out my ideal flour to "other ingredient” ratio for each ingredient, I then calculated ingredient measurements based upon my decision to use four cups of flour(s).

So, what’s the “secret” in these cookies? What sets them apart from all other cookies? A couples of things, namely coconut flour and white wine vinegar. Allow me to explain. Coconut flour (I used Red Mills brand; they have a ton of awesome flours) packs a protein punch! Yep, that good ole coconut flour absorbs lots of liquid and makes the cookies ultra chewy (not to mention, it keeps these treats thick; no spreading here!). According to Red Mill, you can sub coconut flour for up to 20% of your flour so long as you add an equivalent amount of liquid to your batter. (Yes, there was another mathematical calculation for the amount of liquid called for in the recipe multiplied by approximately 20%, which was then converted to ounces and cups. :) ) By the way, even though you can’t taste coconut in the cookies, the coconut flour smells divine!

So, what liquid to add? Well, there’s vanilla and heavy cream, along with some eggs, but the vinegar steals the show. Vinegar adds a nice tenderness to these cookies, not to mention it has a fabulous reaction with the baking soda in the recipe! And reaction means RISE!

These cookies are chewy and oh-so chocolatey (we’re talking three types of chocolate!). They’ve got a wonderful thickness without being cakey (not that cakey cookies don’t have a time and place). They brown up nicely due to the addition of 1 TBS of light corn syrup. Plus, an added bonus: the dough really only needs to be refrigerated for about 30 minutes before baking (because the baking soda and vinegar will start to react immediately…you don’t want to wait too long to bake).

Now what’s left to say? Make these!! They’re delicious. I’ve been sneaking bites all night long. Todd came home tonight and found bite marks in about five different cookies (got to test each batch, you know).

*If you’re in the Bay Area, I found my coconut flour in the Ferry Building at one of the little groceries.

Elyse’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup coconut flour, spooned and swept

2 1/4 cups cake flour, spooned and swept

1 cup bread flour, spooned and swept

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

2 tsp white wine vinegar (or apple cider)

1 TBS vanilla

1 TBS light corn syrup

1/8 cup heavy cream

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Method:

(1) Whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Make sure to whisk well. Set aside.

(2) Cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy, approximately 6 minutes.

(3) In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vinegar, vanilla, corn syrup, and heavy cream together until just combined.

(4) On medium speed, incorporate egg mixture into sugar-butter mixture in three parts, making sure to fully incorporate the egg mixture into the batter.

(5) Beat in the flour mixture in three parts, taking care to beat only until just combined. Stir in the chocolates. Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes.

(6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop six cookies to a cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 14-16 minutes, or until golden brown and cracked on top. Allow cookies to cook for 3-5 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack.

EAT!!

Makes approximately 33 large(ish) cookies.

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Apple (Pear) Turnovers

2009-04-19T19:13:00.001-07:00

I’m happy to report that it was another fabulous baking week for the SMS’ers, as we bake our way through Melissa Murphy’s Sweet Melissa Baking Book. Tracey from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures selected Apple Turnovers for this week’s bake-along treat. If you haven’t checked out Tracey’s blog, well, what are you waiting for? Get to it! Tracey is always posting yummy treats that make my mouth water. Speaking of her yummy treats, you can find the recipe for these turnovers over at her blog!

In order to have a bit of my own culinary adventure, I decided to use pears in place of apples for this recipe. I also switched up the caramel recipe. The recipe calls for boiling 1/4 cup sugar with 2 TBS water. I added 1/2 TBS of light corn syrup to this mixture. Once it turned amber, I immediately added 2 TBS of heavy cream and whisked the mixture together. I threw in my chopped pears and heated, as Melissa directed. (I left out the remaining 2 TBS for which the recipe called.)

All I have to say is THANK YOU, TRACEY! This recipe proved absolutely fabulous, and that was quite a pleasant surprise for me. You see, I’m not a big fruit turnover fan—or, I wasn’t. Tracey, you’ve made me realize that all these years, I’d just been tasting the wrong turnovers. These turnovers are heavenl y: crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a creamy ricotta and pear filling. Divine!

If you’re a turnover skeptic, or if you’re a turnover lover, you need to try this recipe. Be sure to check out all of the SMS’ers turnovers at the Sweet Melissa Sundays blogroll.

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Brooklyn Brownout Cake

2009-04-12T17:59:00.001-07:00

Allow me to preface this post by warning you that my intention is to ply you with pictures until you sit and think to yourself, “Gee, I have a real craving for Brooklyn Brownout Cake. I guess I should get myself into the kitchen so I can make it.” If you feel the need to scurry away from your computer in the midst of reading, I understand. In fact, I encourage it. Go, go make this cake right now.

I had the honor of selecting this week’s Sweet Melissa Sundays recipe. For those of you who haven’t caught on to this group yet, we SMS’ers are baking our way through Melissa Murphy’s the Sweet Melissa Baking Book. What did I choose? Well, obviously the most chocolatey sounding recipe in the book! The Brooklyn Brownout Cake. Be sure to check out all of the SMS’ers’ treats!!

Melissa describes this cake as “a chocolate lover’s fantasy.” Essentially, you make some super fudgy brownies, which get combined with chocolate ganache to form a thick and fudgy filling. This filling gets sandwiched between two layers of dense, mocha-flavored chocolate cake. Then, the entire cake is doused with the remaining ganache. Chocolate overload!!

The cake calls for Dutch processed cocoa powder, which none of my local grocery stores seem to carry. I had to sub-in regular cocoa. I’m pretty sure the acidity of the cocoa, combined with the acidity of the coffee (an entire 3/4 cup), messed up the pH of my cake. Don’t think the miniscule amount of baking soda could effectively neutralize the acid. Oh well, so my cakes ended up denser and fudgier. It’s a tough life.

Melissa’s recipe calls for combining brownie chunks with the ganache, but I actually mushed my brownies into the ganache to make a filling with a smoother, thicker consistency. Also, rather than coating the cake in the remaining filling, I topped each layer with the filling, and then iced my cake with the remaining ganache. Just to break up the brown monotony, I added a drizzle of white chocolate ganache over the top.

This cake is delicious. Moist, chocolatey, heavenly, fabulous. The coffee flavor is strong—if you’re not a coffee person, this cake isn’t for you. The filling definitely makes the cake—I mean, a brownie-and-ganache filling? What’s not to love?

This recipe has a lot of steps, but all of them are easy. Plus, the end product is totally worth it! I’m providing the brownie recipe below (with the alterations I made), but you could use your favorite brownie recipe for sure.

Brooklyn Brownout Cake

For the cake:

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

2 cups sugar

1 cup plus 2 TBS AP flour

3 TBS plus 1 tsp unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder (I used regular cocoa powder)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

3/4 cup hot strong brewed coffee

For the chocolate ganache frosting:

12 oz semisweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

2 TBS light corn syrup

For the brownie crumble:

4 chocolate brownies, see recipe below

1/4 cup walnut pieces, optional (I left these out)

Before you start:

Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 7 x 2-inch round cake pans. (I used 9-inch). Line each pan with parchment paper.

To make the cake:

(1) In the top of a double boiler set over simmering, not boiling, water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is completely melted, whisk in the vegetable oil until smooth. Remove from the heat but keep warm over the hot water.

(2) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and mix well.

(3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs until smooth.

(4) Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and mix until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Add the hot coffee in a stream, and mix until combined. (Again, scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl.) The batter will be loose.

(5) Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (mine took 30 minutes in 9-inch pans). Remove to a wire rack to cool in the pans for 25 minutes before turning out the layers onto the rack. Cool completely before finishing.

To make the ganache:

(1) Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in medium bowl.

(2) In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to scalding, or until the cream is steaming and tiny bubbles have formed along the edges.

(3) Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate to cover completely. Do not stir. Wait 5 minutes, then whisk together until smooth. Stir in corn syrup.

(4) Lay a sheet of plastic wrap flush against the surface of the frosting. Let cool to slightly warm before using.

To make the crumble and complete the cake:

(1) Trim the tops of the cake layers so that they are even and no longer domed. (I didn’t have to do this because the acidity of my cake prevented any domes from forming.) Break the cake trimmings up into 3/4- to 1-inch chunks and place in a medium bowl. Place one of the cake layers cut side up on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper for glazing.

(2) Break up the brownies into 3/4- to 1-inch chunks. Combine the broken-up cake scraps with the brownie pieces. Pour half of the ganache over the brownies and cake scraps and stir gently with your fingers to coat. This is your brownie crumble. (I mushed my brownies into the ganache to create more of a smooth-consistency filling; it was much easier when it come to spreading.)

(3) Place one of the cake layers (cut side up) on a wire rack and set over a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper for glazing. Layer about 1/3 of the brownie crumble evenly over the top of the cake layer.

(4) Place the remaining cake layer upside down on the other cake and press down gently.

(5) (At this point, I put the remaining brownie crumble/filling on top of the cake and spread it evenly.) Pour the remaining chocolate ganache over the assembled cake. Let it drip down over the sides of the cake. (Melissa does not say what to do with the rest of the brownie crumble, if you haven’t already put it on top of your cake. The SMS’ers assumed that Melissa meant us to push the mixture up on the sides of the cake.)

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup AP flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional) (I didn’t use them.)

Before you start:

Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9x9x2-inch square cake pan. (I used an 8x8 pan.)

(1) In the top of a double boiler set over simmering, not boiling, water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from the heat but keep warm.

(2) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until pale yellow in color, about 2 minutes. (If you do not want a “crust” on your brownies, only mix eggs to combine with other ingredients.) Add the melted chocolate and mix to combine.

(3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

(4) Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the nuts by hand.

(5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until sides begin to pull away from the pan and center is moist but not running, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. (In an 8x8 pan, my brownies took 40 minutes—they were fudgy but not underdone. The SMS’ers came to a consensus that these brownies need no more than 40 minutes.) Remove to a wire rack to cool.

(6) When cool, loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and invert the brownies onto a cutting board. Cut into 12 brownies.

*Brownies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze well-wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Do not unwrap before defrosting.

Many a phone call later…

2009-04-08T22:17:00.001-07:00

This is Girl Scout season, people. You know what that means. The hoarders and the indulgers have come out to play. Yes, there are two types of people when it comes to Girl Scout cookies. There are those who buy 50 boxes, cram them into the nooks of their freezers, and then proceed to ration the cookies so as to preserve a precious few boxes for rainy days. These people are the hoarders. Then, there are those who buy 50 boxes and promptly begin, well, indulging. Conjure a picture of a squirrel piling nuts in its mouth, cramming and cramming even though there’s no space left, and then, you’ll understand the indulgers. Now, my problem remains that I like to hoard and indulge simultaneously. Yes, I literally like to have my Girl Scout cookies and eat them, too.

So, when one of my best friends Lindsay asked me to make a Samoa-inspired dessert, I couldn’t refuse. This challenge provided me with a perfect way of having my Girl Scout cookies and eating them, too—you see, you can make this dessert anytime you like (no need to hoard)! Lindsay and I have discussed ideas for this dessert at length. We wanted to move beyond a bar cookie because, well, Risa already covered the bar cookie so well! (Check out her fabulous blog. So much yummy stuff!) I talked to Lindsay and to Risa about a potential cake, but at the end of the day, we all agreed that the cake couldn’t evoke the quintessential Samoa flavors and textures. Yes, fluffy cake doesn’t have the proper texture!

So, I got on the phone with my wonderful sister Jessie. (Sidebar: I need a whole post dedicated to Jessie. Talk about an amazing person. Everyone say congrats to Jessie; she’s a high school senior who just decided she’s going to UGA for undergrad!) The understatement of the year would be to say that Jess is artistic. This girl has real talent, and it’s not just limited to oil paints and canvases. She conjures the most creative and beautiful ideas—especially when it comes to food. So, Jessie and I created an idea for a Samoa cheesecake!

We’re talking coconut macadamia shortbread crust. Tender, crispy, flaky shortbread. Then, a thin, creamy layer of sea salt caramel. Top that off with a mascarpone caramel coconut cheesecake layer. And the figurative cherry on top? A chocolate coconut ganache. Words cannot do this dessert justice. It is pure heaven. Heaven, I tell you! (Hence the excessive pictures…that’s my attempt to show you how amazing this dessert is.)

Now, don’t be scared. This recipe contains many a-step. First of all, I made 12 mini-cheesecakes and 1 large cheesecake. You could, of course, just make one large cheesecake (my cheesecake was rather short because of the batter that went toward the minis). Or, if you’re really patient, you could make multiple rounds of mini-cheesecakes (I’m not that patient). The shortbread recipe makes more crusts/cookies than you’ll need for the crusts. That’s okay: bake up the rest. They’re great alone!

Make these! That’s all I can say. You’ll never have to hoard a Samoa again (okay, that’s a lie, but you will have a great Girl Scout fix whenever you need it). Please, please, I beg you. Try the amazingness that is this treat!

Samoa Mascarpone Cheesecake

1 recipe Coconut Macadamia Shortbread (below)

1 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature

1 8oz container of mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 recipe Salted Caramel (below), divided use

2 large eggs

1 tsp coconut extract

1 tsp vanilla extracts

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ground in the food processor (you could use sweetened if you wanted; I used sweetened in the other parts of this dessert)

1 recipe Coconut Chocolate Ganache (below)

Method:

(1) Preheat oven to 350. Grease mini-cheesecake pans and/or 9-inch spring form pan, if using. Fit short bread crusts into bottom of mini-cheesecake pan and/or 9-in spring form pan. Bake mini-crusts for 10 minutes. (If making a larger cheesecake, bake larger crust for 15 minutes.)

*After crusts have baked, turn oven down to 300.

(2) Prepare cheesecake filling. Beat cream cheese and mascarpone until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in 3/4 cup of the salted caramel. Beat in eggs and vanilla and coconut extracts until combined. Stir in the food-processed coconut.

(3) Place 1/2 tsp of the remaining caramel mixture on each of the mini-crusts. Spread caramel to the edge, so that it completely covers the shortbread crust. (Use remaining caramel to cover your larger crust, if you’re making another cheesecake in spring form pan.)

(4) Place cheesecakes into a water bath and bake in 300 degree oven. The mini cheesecakes will take approximately 10-15 minutes (do not worry if they are firm when they are removed; mine took 15 minutes). (If you’ve placed your remaining batter in a spring form pan, this will need to bake in a water bath for approximately 20-25 minutes.)

(5) Let cheesecakes cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate overnight.

(6) Top each mini-cheesecake with 1 TBS of the coconut chocolate ganache. (Use remaining ganache to top your “leftover” spring form cheesecake.)

Coconut Macadamia Shortbread

From Martha Stewart’s Cookies

1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted

3/4 cup plus 2 TBS sugar

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks), plus 1 TBS unslated butter, room temperature

4 TBS cream of coconut OR unsalted butter

2 tsp pure coconut extract

2 cups AP flour, plus more for work surface

1/2 tsp coarse salt

Method:

(1) Process nuts and 2 TBS sugar in food processor until finely ground. Set aside. Process 1 cup coconut until coarsely ground. Set aside.

(2) Put butter, cream of coconut (if using), and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in coconut extract. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, salt, nut mixture, and ground coconut. Mix until combined.

(3) Halve dough. Shape halves into disks, and wrap well in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

(4) Let dough soften before rolling. Roll out each disk on lightly floured parchment to 1/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

(5) Cut dough into shapes to fit your mini-cheesecake pan. If using a 9-in spring form pan, as well (or in place of the mini-pans), roll dough out and cut to fit the cheesecake pan. Set aside this portion of the dough.

(6) Cut any leftover dough into 2 1/4-inch square cookies. Bake at at 325 F for 20-25 minutes (mine took 15 minutes).

Salted Caramel Recipe, from previous post

Coconut Chocolate Ganache

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate pieces

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp coconut extract

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Method:

(1) Bring cream to a simmer and remove from heat.

(2) Pour chocolate into the cream. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute.

(3) Whisk chocolate and cream together until smooth, adding extracts.

(4) Mix in the coconut. Let mixture cool until room temperature.

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Honey Beescotti

2009-04-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

I raved about Lorelei of Mermaid Sweets in my last post. In case you don't recall, she recently kick-started a baking group called Sweet Melissa Sundays, aptly named after and inspired by Melissa Murphy's The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. Not only is Lorelei responsible for creating this marvelous group, but she also happens to reside in my neck of the woods. Do you know what that means? Yes, that's right: I have met Sweet Melissa Sundays's fearless leader, and man, is she cool! I knew Lorelei would be super awesome because, well, her blog is super awesome (and I'm currently operating under the philosophy that you can tell a lot about a person by her blog). But, what I did not know is that Lorelei would be a total kindred spirit! I'm already anticipating our next get-together! So, it is with so much pleasure that I get to share with you Sweet Melissa Sundays's first baking adventure, chosen by Lorelei: honey beescotti!

I'm a fan of a good biscotti. I like them dunked in my tea or coffee. But, aside from these dunk-in-drink uses, I'm not necessarily going to select a biscotti for snacking--or for dessert. However, I thought these biscotti were excellent! I've been snacking on them AND eating them after dinner (yes, after dinner would mean for dessert). I was so impressed with the orange and almond flavors. (The honey flavor was quite subtle.)

The biscotti get their orange flavor from chopped candied orange peel (which I made for the first time). It plays a delicious role in this recipe; the texture totally complements the cookie. The biscotti get their almond flavor from almond extract and almonds. Now, if you're like me, you sometimes get nervous about using almond extract. Have no fear! Put it in, put it in!! It smells delicious when the cookies begin to bake and adds great depth!

The only issue these biscotti presented was the dough. It was stickier than I anticipated and thus required a good bit of flour in order to roll it into the required logs for baking. Aside from that, this recipe came together like a dream! I would absolutely make these again--and that's saying something! Thanks, Lorelei, for starting this wonderful group and for choosing such a great christening recipe! Be sure to check out the other fabulous bakers in our blogroll! (And for the recipe, check out Lorelei's blog, Mermaid Sweets.)

Toddy's first foray into baking...

2009-03-31T20:20:00.000-07:00

*Disclaimer: I fully understand if you'd like to skip my blabbering, but don't miss the last paragraph about a new baking group Sweet Melissa Sundays by Lorelei of Mermaid Sweets!

I apologize for my absence. You see, my dad and his wife Kim came to visit me this past weekend, and while our visits always involve multiple meals (and great times), they often leave little time for kitchen ventures. Thus, this past Saturday, I found myself in the kitchen a-whisking and a-folding at what some would deem an ungodly hour. I planned out a wonderfully caramel-y cake with a caramel butter cream frosting (and of course, some cinnamon chocolate ganache…for good measure). Being the anal retentive gal I am, I took quite some time “getting organized.” Okay, so now that you have a picture of a harried baker scurrying around the kitchen, while attempting to maintain some semblance of order, fast forward to nine that morning when I needed to skedaddle to the train station to retrieve my visitors. Only problem? My three cake layers were due for a good cake-testing in about three minutes.

Who took care of this task? Toddy, of course! Like a nervous mother hen, I clucked at Todd. This is how you stick a toothpick into the cake. This is what the tooth pick should look like. Batter is bad. Crumbs are great! Don’t forget to rotate the cakes if some are browning more than others. Add five minute baking increments if the cakes aren’t done when you look at them. Blah, blah, blah. I sounded like an overbearing nag, truth be told. However, I am delighted to say that Toddy tested those cakes, removed them at the perfect moment, and they turned out quite deliciously!

This cake is delightful! The cake is rich yet not overly so. The chocolate ganache adds a wonderful hint of thickness and density—not to mention a rich flavor. And the caramel butter cream is just finger-licking good. I do wish my butter cream had been a bit sturdier, but hey, next time, right? Overall, I’d love to share a slice of this cake with you. In fact, come on! Everyone to Berkeley now!

Okay, as excited as I am about sharing this cake with you, I’m even more excited to announce that the FABULOUS Lorelei of Mermaid Sweets has started a baking group: Sweet Melissa Sundays. Every Sunday, we will be posting about a recipe from the wonderfully charming baking book The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. In fact, if you head over to the group’s site, you can even enter to win a free copy! The first bake together will occur on April 5. You simply must join this group. Lorelei is amazing. If you haven’t checked out her blog, well, you must (no ifs, ands, or buts about it)! And, if you’re on the fence about joining the group, well, hop down off of that fence and come join us!! It's going to be so much fun!

Now onto the recipes!

Golden “Caramel” Cake
Adapted from Birthday Cakes

2 ½ cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Method:

(1) Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans.

(2) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Set aside.

(3) In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Alternate the dry ingredients and the milk, making sure to start and end with the dry ingredients.

(4) Beat the egg whites until stiff with glossy peaks. Gently fold the whites into the batter. Stir in vanilla.

(5) Divide batter between three pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Salted Caramel (for Caramel Butter Cream)
Taken from Baked

½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp fleur de sel
1 cup sugar
2 TBS light corn syrup
¼ cup sour cream

(1) Combine cream and fleur de sel in small saucepot. Stir over low heat until the salt dissolves. Set aside.

(2) Combine ¼ cup water, sugar, and corn syrup together in medium saucepot, taking care not to splash sides of pan. Cook over high heat until thermometer reads 350 degrees F (about 6-8 minutes). Remove from heat and let mixture cool for 1 minute.

(3) Add cream to sugar mixture. Whisk in sour cream. Let caramel cool to room temperature, then transfer to airtight container and refrigerate until cool.

Caramel Butter Cream
Taken from Cupcakes

3 large egg whites, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, at room temperature
Caramel from above recipe

(1) In large, heatproof bowl, combine egg whites and sugar. Set bowl over simmering water in a saucepan and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch (about 160 degrees F). This should take about 2 minutes.

(2) Remove bowl from saucepan. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg white mixture until fluffy and cooled to room temperature and holding stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.

(3) With mixer on medium-low, add salt and butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition. If frosting separates, continue t beet on high speed until smooth and creamy (about 3-5 minutes). Add the caramel and beat until combined.

Chocolate Cinnamon Ganache

½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup chocolate chips

(1) Add cinnamon and cream to saucepan. Heat over medium heat until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat.

(2) Add chocolate chips and allow mixture to sit for 1 minute. Stir chocolate chips until completely melted. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

(3) When cool, whip the ganache with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Assemble the cake:
(1) Flatten your cake layers as needed. Top first layer with ½ of ganache mixture. Top this with a thin layer of butter cream.

(2) Place second layer atop the first. Top with remaining ganache. Add another thin layer of butter cream. Place third layer atop the second.

(3) Place cake in freezer or refrigerator for at least 10 minutes. Frost the cake with the remaining butter cream frosting. Freeze/refrigerate as necessary to ensure a smooth finish.

(4) ENJOY!

(5) GO JOIN LORELEI’s GROUP!

A bread to bring you luck...

2009-03-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

I love when strawberries come into season. Talk about nature’s candy. As much as I adore eating them fresh from the carton (sometimes without washing…don’t tell my mom, okay?), these little ruby jewels were made to be used in baked goods! [Cue the music] Enter King Arthur--have I mentioned I'm obsessed with everything about KA, from their recipes to their products?--to provide me with a fabulous recipe for Strawberry Walnut Quick Bread! Not only did this bread sate my craving for moist and delicious, spicy and sweet, strawberry goodness, but it also brought me luck! You see, after baking this bread, I won the King Arthur contest on Donna’s blog, Spatulas, Corkscrews, and Suitcases! (When Donna shared this fabulous news with me, I had to climb out of the fort of law books I had erected around myself and do a little happy dance. Notably, this happy dance is quite similar to my 80s dance, which also happens to be my only dance. Needless to say, this dance is reserved for special occasions. But, I digress.) Thank you King Arthur, and thank you Donna!

If you haven’t checked out Donna’s blog, well, that’s just plain unacceptable. She has fabulous recipes for all occasions. You simply must go. Plus, she does fabulous recipe “round ups,” a compilation of truly mouth-watering treats, and of course, amazing giveaways! Go on, go on. Click the link and go say hi! Even better yet, visit her blog AND check out her article on why she loves KA so much!

Okay, now let’s talk about this lucky bread! I’ve adapted the KA recipe a bit, so we’re now using macerated strawberries. Macerating the berries not only brought out their fabulous sweetness, but also made them super tender. Tender berries make for a moist and delicious bread! Add some toasted walnuts tossed with a bit of butter while warm! Sounding good so far? I also threw in a bit of cinnamon because, you know me, I can’t resist the cinnamon. (Be warned: if you have a problem with spice, you might want to decrease the cinnamon to ¼ tsp and nix the nutmeg. This is a spicy bread, though it mellows after sitting for a day or two.) The original recipe also called for ½ cup vegetable oil, but I replaced this with ¼ cup heavy cream. I wanted the tender richness that cream imparts. I still got a delicate crumb despite the lack of oil. I also used a bit of lime zest rather than the lemon zest called for in the original. And, last, but not least, I added 1 cup of white chocolate chips. These did wonders for the bread—they essentially melt into the dough and make for a moist cake studded with hints of melty, white chocolate!

This bread is totally divine. But, that’s not surprising come from King Arthur now, is it?

Strawberry Walnut Quick Bread with White Chocolate Chips
Recipe Adapted from King Arthur

1 ¼ cup chopped strawberries (about 1 cup, macerated)
2 TBS granulated sugar
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 TBS butter
1 ½ cups AP flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Zest of one lime
2 eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup white chocolate chips

Method:
(1) Macerate the berries. Chop strawberries and place in bowl. Sprinkle 2 TBS sugar over the berries. Allow to sit for a couple of hours (if you have time), until the strawberries are swimming in their own juices!

(2) Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

(3) Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet for 7-9 minutes until fragrant. Immediately toss the walnuts with the 2 TBS butter. Allow to cool. Coarsely chop the nuts and set them aside.

(4) Mix flour, sugar, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a whisk and set aside.

(5) Whisk together the zest of one lime, two eggs, heavy cream, and the strawberries (and their liquid). Whisk this wet mixture into the dry mixture until a sticky, wet dough forms. Stir in toasted walnuts and white chocolate chips.

(6) Pour dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Ninja cookies...

2009-03-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

Please bear with me as I attempt to explain to you how lava-licious these chocolate lava cookies are. See, the pictures look delicious, but they can’t capture the amazingness that is these cookies. These cookies should come with their own sound track. Seriously, someone should key the heavenly music when you bite into these fabulously moist and chocolatey cookies. So, here goes my attempt to analogize the wonder of biting into these morsels:

My brother Brandon is only two and half years younger than I (see, Mom, I said “than I”!), so when we were little, my mom bathed us together. Her large Jacuzzi could barely contain us, being the extremely enthusiastic swimmers we were. Once scrubbed clean of our constant coat of grime, Mom bundled us in neon towels. Mine were purple; Brandon’s were green. But play time didn’t stop there. Bran and I would drape our towels over our slim shoulders like shawls, hunch our backs, and pretend to be—oh, yes, get this—old. We clenched our fists around imaginary canes and hobbled toward each other. This exercise inevitably involved overly obvious dialogue. In a groaning, scraggly voice, I would recite to Bran, “I’m an old woooman,” and Bran would reply, “I’m an old maaaan.” Then, SNAP! BAM! BOOM! We would throw the towels across the room, assuming karate stances, while shouting, “Nuh uh!!! I’m a NINJA!!” Yes, that’s right, we only pretended to be old. We were ninjas in disguise. At this point, battle ensued. (That's us in the picture below!)

What does this story have to do with these cookies? Well, these cookies are throw-your-towel-off-and-assume-ninja-position good. These cookies are that SNAP BAM BOOM. The taste of these cookies captures what that split second of excitement (that occurs during great moments in life) would taste like—if such excitement had a taste. While they are lava cookies because of their almost-gooey centers, I would like to believe this name is a double-entendre (because these cookies are a volcano of taste exploding in your mouth)! Get the picture? You have to make them.
It’s easy. Go to your kitchen and make them now. The centers aren’t gooey and undercooked, but rather soft and melty. In fact, these cookies might be better than lava cake itself. I had to walk away from my kitchen because the cookies are like little Sirens chanting my name. Dangerous treats, these are. Okay, I’ve kept you long enough. Take this recipe and go make ‘em!
Lava Cookies
(From Shirley Corriher’s Bakewise)

1 ½ cups pecans
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup AP flour, spooned and leveled
½ tsp baking powder

Method:

(1) Preheat oven to 350. Toast nuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. While hot, toss nuts with 2 TBS of butter and set aside to cool. When cool, chop nuts coarsely.

(2) Turn oven temperature up to 375. Line a baking sheet with either Release foil or parchment sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

(3) Melt the remaining 6 TBS of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, pour in chocolate chips and allow to sit for 1 minute. Stir chocolate chips until completely melted and smooth. Set chocolate mixture aside.

(4) In a mixer, beat eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla on high until the mixture is light and creamy (approximately 2-3 minutes). Turn the mixer to low and pour in the chocolate mixture.

(5) Stir the flour and baking powder until well combined. Add the flour mixture in two parts to the chocolate batter. Stir in the toasted nuts.

(6) Scoop dough in heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheets (this dough does not spread much). Bake for exactly 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 3-5 minutes. EAT WARM!! (You can nuke these cookies in the microwave to get that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste. These cookies can also be frozen!)

*Makes about 16-18 cookies.

*Shirley tells you to refrigerate the dough for 20-30 minutes before using, but I missed this step, and my cookies turned out deliciously!!

A peace offering for my unexcused absence...

2009-03-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ugh, there's really no excuse for my tardiness in getting a post out to you. I mean, don't get me wrong. I could come up with several excuses, most of which revolve around a silly law school midterm that prevented me from baking this week. But, the good news is that it's almost Friday, and Friday means a start not only to my weekend, but also to my baking! In the mean time, please forgive me for not having posted since last Friday.

Here's a peace offering for you!

Have you visited the Food Service Warehouse website before? NO? Oh man, you should. The name really says it all. They've not only got all of your cooking and baking supplies, but they've also got dinnerware and bar goodies! I mean, we're talking baking dishes, silicone baking mats, baking molds, pans, tools, racks, cups, bowls, you name it, they've got it!

But, to top it all off, Food Service Warehouse is giving away a professional cookware set worth $1,000 as part of introducing their new expanded lines of professional cookware. This cookware is tough, high quality cookware used by top restaurant kitchens throughout the country and cookware would be a great addition for any serious home cook!

Yay, so go enter the professional cookware contest now!!

The infamous cranberry orange cookies…

2009-03-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Step into your Delorean (alright, if you don’t have one, just step into your metaphorical Delorean, okay?), and let’s travel back to one year ago when I dropped an innocent care package into the mail. See, Todd and I did long distance all last year—a true coast-to-coast relationship. Even though he couldn’t eat any home baking fresh from the oven, I spoiled him with lots of care packages filled with homemade goodies. I’d say it was a close second best.

I spent a good chunk of my weekends baking sweets and then packaging them so they could make the long journey to California. Well, after one weekend of baking, I only had about two or three treats to send to Todd. With room still left in the box (mind you, I don’t like leftover space), I made a quick dash to the grocery store, bought some cookies from the bakery, and sneakily stuffed them into a Ziploc bag. (Yeah, yeah, I passed grocery store cookies off as my own. I tasted them before sending, though, to make sure they were worthy of the Ziploc-homemade-appearance effort.)

So, the package arrives. You’re still with me, right? Yes, the package arrives, and I get the call! Yay, he loved the goodies. What was his favorite? My homemade chocolate chip cookies, my fudgy brownies, my great peanut butter chocolate bars? No, of course not. His favorite was the store-bought orange cranberry cookies. Oy.
This package started a trend. A trend where Todd asked me to make those awesome cranberry orange cookies that I had sent him, and I replied, as sincerely as possible, that I had lost the recipe for those cookies, darnit, and I just hoped that I would re-find it one day. You must understand that Todd is relentless. He has yet to forget about how good those cookies were: cakey but moist, full of orange citrus flavor, with the wonderful texture of dried cranberries. Because I grew tired of hearing about how wonderful those darn store-bought cookies were, I searched relentlessly for a comparable cranberry orange cookie.

Well, guys, I found it! Eureka! Thank you Land O’Lakes, thank you Land O’Lakes, thank you! You saved me!! This recipe is amazing—even better than those silly store-bought cookies. They are cakey and moist, sweet, but not too sweet, thick and chewy, orangey with that nice cranberry tartness. They are delicious. You can’t stop at one. At long last, the search is over. I have “re-found” the magical recipe. And, Todd gave these cookies his utmost approval!

Cranberry Orange Cookies
Adapted from Land O’Lakes

2 ½ cups AP flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 oz (½ block) cream cheese, softened
2 tsp freshly grated orange peel
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries

Method:
(1) Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
(2) Cream sugar, butter, and cream cheese together until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add in orange zest and vanilla. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated.
(3) Add in dried ingredients in two parts. Stir in dried cranberries.
(4) Scoop dough onto baking sheets. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until just golden around the edges. The cookies will continue to darken once removed from the oven. (These cookies don’t spread much. I fit about 8 per baking sheet, but probably could have squeezed more.)

Per my mom’s request…

2009-03-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

As my mom and sister were preparing for their first trip to visit me on the West Coast, I asked them what baked good they’d like me to have waiting for them. After my mom’s obligatory, “oh-we-don’t-need-anything” spiel, she finally confessed to craving “Blonde Brownies.” Sounded delicious to me! Good choice, Mom.

Of course, there is a plethora of blondies recipes out there on the web, but I thought I’d get some use out of those baking books sitting on my kitchen shelf. Out came the Good Housekeeping Cookbook. I just knew they’d have a great blondies recipe. They have a great recipe for absolutely everything. Seriously, this book is the pocket companion for both cooking and baking. They have more recipes than you can imagine (1,039 to be exact), with lots of pictures, and lots of variety! (Thanks for this awesome cookbook, Mom W/Anita! I love, love, love it! xo)

This blondies recipe was super-easy. You essentially whisk some dry ingredients together, and after that, everything comes together in a single saucepan. How easy is that? And the result? Amazing, I tell you. Of course, I had to dig into these blondies before my mom and sis arrived—just to make sure they weren’t horrible, mind you. The blondies form a delicate crust while baking, which adds the subtlest crunch when you bite into these heavenly treats. I added chocolate chips to mine, and because the batter comes together in a saucepan, the chocolate chips start to just melt into the batter before the bars get tossed into the oven for baking. The smell of these is quite divine, and they’re soft and chewy, almost gooey. Oh so good!

Blondies
Adapted from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook

1 cup AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
6 TBS butter
1 ¾ cups light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 heaping cup of chocolate chips (6-8 oz)

Method:
(1) Preheat oven to 350. Grease 13x9 baking pan.
(2) Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Set aside.
(3) In saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, stirring until well-blended. Stir in flour mixture until just blended.
(4) Add in chocolate chips. Don’t overstir, as you might melt all of your chocolate chips.
(5) Pour batter into prepared pan and baked for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

My Nana and her blueberries…

2009-03-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

My Nana isn’t your typical grandmother. She’s a towering 5’8” blonde bombshell. No joke! Not only is she gorgeous, but she has a stellar sense of humor. She’s not afraid to crack a sex joke every now and then (okay, more often than “now and then,” if I’m being honest). Her Long Island roots and depression era childhood combined to make her one tough cookie, but with a super soft heart of gold. Yep, she’s one of the best people I know.

Growing up, I would spend Friday nights at Nana’s house. We’d watch Dallas (kooky, right?) and savor peach ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. Man, peach ice cream never tasted so good. I swear, it doesn’t taste the same when I eat it by myself. Nana was the one who always picked me and my siblings up from elementary school while our parents were at work. She would bring us snacks and whisk us away to the arcade for the afternoon. It was fabulous! (Except for the part where I got a lecture on not eating m potato chips like a “rabbit.” Yes, I always left a trail of crumbs in Nana’s car.) Nana taught me how to make fudge, how to whack a backhand in tennis, and how to stand up for myself. In fact, she’s taught me more lessons than I could begin to post about on this blog.

Alas, the one thing Nana and I never agreed about? Well, fruit! I like fruit okay, but Nana is an avid fruit eater. I’m sure she could consumer her weight in fruit. She loves it all: any berry, any melon, bananas, apples, oranges, you name it, she’ll eat it and she’ll like it. I was always more of a chocolate-sugar, none-of-that-natural-fruit-stuff girl. Well, times have changed, and I now LOVE fruit. I feel like I’m getting away with something when I bite into the sweet freshness of a strawberry. How can something so delicious be so healthy? One of life’s great mysteries.

One of the first fruits that Nana convinced me to eat was the blueberry. Not plain, mind you. She would mix blueberries and sour cream with a bit of sugar. And, man, it was delicious! What a great way to convince a stubborn, sometimes ornery child to eat her fruit. It worked; I was sold. I still am. Hence, this blueberry sour cream custard pie. It’s the jazzed up version of Nana’s go-to blueberry treat.

The custard remains soft and tangy, but not runny. The blueberries burst in your mouth. And the crunch of the chocolate shortbread crust adds a nice hint of extra naughtiness to this fruity delight. Not only is this dessert delicious (and reminiscent of warmer times…ahem, summer), but it brings back great memories. (Nana, if you’re reading this, (1) I’m always impressed with your internet skills, and (2) I love you (and I’m sorry about all those times I was “fresh” to you!)

Blueberry Sour Cream Custard Pie
From Whole Foods

1 cup sour cream
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint (or approximately 2 overflowing cups) blueberries
1 chocolate shortbread crust (see recipe below)

Method:
(1) Make crust according to recipe below.
(2) Preheat oven to 350.
(3) Whisk together sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, until mixture is smooth. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour mixture into crust, and bake for 45-50 minutes (mine took 50 minutes). You want the custard to be set (but it will still look soft).
(4) Allow pie to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until firm (I let mine sit overnight).

Chocolate Shortbread Crust
From Dorie’s Baking: My Home to Yours

1 ¼ cups AP flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup powdered sguar
¼ tsp salt
1 stick plus 1 TBS (9 TBS) very cold or frozen butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk

Method:
(1) Place flour, cocoa, powdered sugar, and salt in food processor and pulse until ingredients are combined.
(2) Scatter butter over the mixture and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in.
(3) Stir the yolk and then add it a little at a time to the mixture.
(4) Pulse the mixture for 10-second intervals until the dough forms big clumps (Dorie warns that the sound of the food processor will change when the clumps begin to form.)
(5) Gently knead the dough on a work surface, if you need to incorporate any leftover dry ingredients.
(6) Press the dough into a 9-in pie, tart, or spring form pan (I used spring form because it’s the only thing I had on hand).
(7) Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes prior to using with the recipe above.

The Clark Kent of Cookies…

2009-03-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

This cookie is a regular ole Plain Jane. Nothing too special to look at; nothing too exotic. But, man, give this Plain Jane a nice party dress and all the sudden she’s the belle of the ball. Or, to make use of my Superman reference. Give Plain Jane a cape, and she could totally kick bad guy butt. What am I trying to get across with these super cheesy metaphors? I’m glad you asked: these cookies may be on the plain side when eaten, well, um, plain. BUT, dress them up a bit and they’re amazing. (And, hey, if you're craving a plain, comforting flavor, then by all means, don't bother dressing these babies up.)

Everyone needs a standard cake cookie recipe in his or her repertoire, and this is a great standard cake cookie. It’s a great jumping off point for experimentation, a great vehicle for creativity. You get my point. Sick of the metaphors yet?

These are quintessential cake cookies. They taste exactly like a nice buttery, white-ish cake in cookie form. They bake up puffy and nice and golden on the edges. They remain soft and delicate in the centers. Hands-down, they’re yummy just by themselves. But they deserve more than just a “yummy.” So many things are yummy these days. So, to do these Plain Janes justice, you need to…well, just get creative! They’d be great with tea or coffee. Dunk ‘em in and let that wonderful cake dissolve in your mouth. Or what about your favorite jam? Or with some chocolate sandwiched between two cookies! You could easily turn these cookies into Black and Whites. The possibilities are endless!

Before I share with you this super-easy recipe, one word of warning. These cookies bake up faster than you might expect. Be sure, very sure, not to overbake them. No one likes a dry cake, now, do they? Take this from someone who overbaked a batch or two yesterday, you don’t want dry. Dry is the enemy. So, make sure to check your cookies before you think you’re done. I know, I know, that’s the usual advice. But, the looks of these cake cookies can be quite deceiving, and I only wish I had taken that one batch out 2 minutes earlier!

Without further ado, let me introduce to you: Jane, the Belle of the Ball!

Cake Cookies

2 ½ cups AP flour
2 ½ cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla

Method:
(1) Preheat oven to 375. Whisk dry ingredients together and set aside.
(2) Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes.
(3) Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated. Add milk and vanilla. Mixture will be extremely liquidy at this point, and may look “weird.” Don’t panic!
(4) Mix in dry ingredients in 3-4 parts.
(5) Scoop cookie batter onto baking sheets (I fit about 8 cookies per baking sheet). Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes (check at 12!)
(6) Top with your favorite jam. Sandwich cookies with some chocolate. Dip in your favorite melted chocolate or caramel. Dunk in some tea or coffee. You get the gist!

Nothing cheesy about it...

2009-03-02T18:07:00.001-08:00

Sometimes you just need a slice of cheesecake, you know? I grew up in a cheesecake-friendly house. My mom makes one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever tasted. The irony of it all? She is the only family member who can’t stand the creamy dessert!

Luckily for me, Todd loves cheesecake. His love for cheesecake significantly lowers the risk of me consuming an entire springform pan’s worth of cheesecake and crust. (Significantly lowers, not entirely diminishes, mind you.) So, of course, Todd’s favorite flavor combination being mint and chocolate (okay, okay, so I don't mind them either), I had to incorporate those flavors into the cheesecake.

The resulting sweet treat has a mint chip and chocolate chip blondie crust, topped with a white chocolate cheesecake with both mint and chocolate swirls swimming throughout. It’s delicious! In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s ripening with age. I tasted a slice again one day ago, and I swear, it was more heavenly than the first slice the day before! If you’re a cheesecake fan, if you’re a mint or chocolate person, this creamy concoction is for you.

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mint and Chocolate Swirl

The Crust
¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/4 tsp mint extract
¼ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup AP flour
½ cup mint chips
½ cup chocolate chips

Method:
(1) Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease springform pan.
(2) Whisk butter and sugar together. Add egg and mint extract. Add dry ingredients. Lastly, stir in the chips.
(3) Press mixture into the springform pan. You’ll need to use your fingers for this, as you have to press the dough quite thin.
(4) Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough looks golden brown. (Don’t worry about the dough looking fully baked.)

The Cheesecake
3 8 oz packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup white sugar
¼ cup AP flour
3 eggs
½ cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp mint extract
½ cup white chocolate chips
¼ cup mint chips
¼ cup chocolate chips

Method:
(1) Turn oven temperature down to 300. Prepare water bath for the springform pan.
(2) Beat cream cheese until fluffy, approximately 4-5 minutes. Beat in sugar, mixing until light. Beat in flour until just incorporated.
(3) Beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each egg. Add the cream and mint extract.
(4) Melt the chocolates in separate bowls. Pour white chocolate into the cheesecake batter and mix the chocolate in.
(5) Take ¼ cup of the cheesecake mixture and mix it with the melted mint chips. Take another ¼ cup of the cheesecake mixture and mix it with the melted chocolate chips.
(6) Pour the white chocolate cheesecake batter into the prepared springform pan. Drop the mint cheesecake and chocolate cheesecake mixtures by spoonfuls over the poured batter. With a toothpick, swirl the spoonfuls throughout the cheesecake batter.
(7) Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the cheesecake is wobbly only in the center (approximately 3-in diameter should be wobbly). Allow cheesecake to cool to room temperature. Then, place in refrigerate until cool. (If you have 24 hours to let the cheesecake sit, it tastes much better after it’s completely cool.)

*I topped my cheesecake with white chocolate ganache, using 2 parts white chocolate to 1 part cream (for a thicker ganache). Bring the cream to a simmer first, taking care not to burn the cream. Remove from heat, add the white chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a minute before stirring. Stir until smooth, and then pour atop the cheesecake.

Breakfast served all day long...

2009-02-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

I love breakfast.

I usually exercise restraint, meaning that most mornings involve a plain ole bowl of cereal or oatmeal most mornings. Yep, those lovely Mother’s peanut butter bumpers, Kashi honey puffs, and Barbara’s shredded squares get dumped into a measuring cup, poured into a bowl, tossed together with a light touch of the fingers, and slathered with some skim milk. It’s delicious, nutritious, and satisfying. Well, satisfying on most mornings.

However, this post is not about most mornings. I have a wild side, you see. So, without further ado, let’s delve into my love, my passion, my need for sinful breakfasts. We’re talking beyond the eggs ‘n protein category, beyond those not-nearly-sweet enough bagels, and into the realm of sweet—almost too sweet to be called breakfast—treats. Chocolate usually gets major kudos in my sinful breakfast play bill. You see, as chocolate’s agent, I try my best to get chocolate into every starring role I can. Got some pancakes that need sprucing up? Add some chocolate chips. A sad waffle that needs a bit of pizzazz? You got it: chocolate chips! Muffins, French toast, oatmeal, crepes, doughnuts: they’re all great vehicles for chocolate! So, it won’t come as a surprise to you that I took the awesome coffee cake recipe from Baked and added a bit more chocolate to it!

This coffee cake is AMAZING. Almost gooey near the chocolate, cinnamon swirl, this sour cream cake produces a tender, light, and fluffy crumb. A melt-in-your-mouth crumb. Plus, there’s two layers of the chocolate cinnamon swirl running throughout the cake (although the layers kind of run together), which adds a whole new level of moisture and yumminess. And, as if that weren’t enough, the whole cake is topped with a chocolate crumb topping. Now, Baked’s recipe doesn’t call for all the chocolate chips I threw in, but if you’re a true chocolate lover, I think you’ll like my tweaks to this recipe. I also subbed shortening in the crumb topping—I would’ve used butter if I’d had it, but I ran out (I know! Who runs out of butter?). The crumb topping was more like a paste than a crumb, but I crumbled it none the less and it was FABULOUS. It melted together a bit and formed a crunchy, wonderfully flavorful topping for this awesome coffee cake.

It’s a good thing I like breakfast at all hours, though. This cake takes an hour to bake (it took mine about 1 hour 15 minutes), plus all the time for preparation. So, by the time it was cool enough to eat, it was more like lunch time. Oh well, this treat tastes great at any time. I imagine it would be wonderful with a scoop of ice cream for dessert!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Adapted from Baked

For the Crumb Topping:
¾ cup AP flour
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ tsp salt
¾ cup pecans, toasted
½ cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
6 TBS unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1-inch cubes (this is where I subbed shortening…I know, I know)

For the Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp dark unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips (Again, here I used semi-sweet)

For the Sour Cream Cake:
3 ½ cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 ¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs
16 oz sour cream
1 ½ tsp vanilla

Method:
(1) Make the crumb topping: put flour, sugar and salt in food processor and pulse until mixed. Add the toasted pecans and chocolate chips. Pulse until the ingredients are fully ground. Add the butter and pulse until combined. Your mixture will either look like coarse, wet sand or like a paste, depending on whether you used butter or shortening. Place the mixture in the refrigerator.

(2) Make the chocolate cinnamon swirl: whisk together sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. Then, stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

(3) Make the sour cream cake: preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9x13 baking pan (I dusted mine with cinnamon sugar for a nice crust on the outside). Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside.

(4) Cream butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla, beating until just incorporated. Then, add the dry ingredients in three batches, taking care not to overmix.

(5) Pour one-third of batter into the prepared pan. Using a spatula, spread it to the edges. Then sprinkle half of the cinnamon swirl mixture over the batter. Top with the second third of the batter and then sprinkle remaining mixture. Spread the last batch of batter. Then top with the crumble.

(6) Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Spice of my life...

2009-02-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

I adore cinnamon. I love it. I add it to almost every baked, heck, just plain make: it goes in my tea, my coffee, oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin soup...you get the picture! There’s something homey and comforting about the smell and taste. So, when I saw the Snickerdoodle Blondies posted on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, I knew these bars were a treat I just had to try. I slightly adapted the recipe to make do with the ingredients I had on hand (and, of course, I added lots of cinnamon!). Make sure to check out her Blondies, too (talk about some mouth-watering photography)!

Snickerdoodle Bars
Adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

2 cups AP flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup cinnamon chips
*Cinnamon and sugar for coating the pan and sprinkling on top of the blondies

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar in pan and coat.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together.
3. Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in sour cream. Mix in eggs one at a time until just incorporated. Stir in vanilla.
4. Beat in dry mixture in three parts, until just incorporated. Stir in white chocolate and cinnamon chips.
5. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of dough. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Ode to the Reese's Cup...

2009-02-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

Sure, everyone appreciates a nice creative costume and some free candy, but let’s not forget to take a moment to thank Halloween for introducing many a kid to some wonderful sweet treats. Every year, thousands, heck, millions, of preschoolers (and maybe even toddlers) work their neighborhoods for what will become their first tastes of pure heaven (that is, until their parents sneak the candy away). Many loves are born on Halloween night, where Mounds, Snickers, Milky Ways, Sweet Tarts, and M&Ms flow freely through the streets. Which candy did Mr. Halloween introduce me to, you might ask. Well, just my favorite candy ever: the Reese’s Cup.

Salty-sweet peanut butter engulfed by milk chocolate goodness; what’s not to love? Thank goodness other holidays also celebrate the beauty of the Reese’s. We make merry with Christmas Reese’s, express love with Valentine’s Reese’s, and refrain from hiding the Easter Reese’s! So, of course, when I saw the Valentine’s Reese’s on sale, I quickly scooped up two bags.

Lucky for me, Laura from Spiced Life recently posted about Peanut Butter Blondies (and her pictures convinced me that I had to make these!). Though her recipe called for peanut butter chips in addition to Reese's cups, I didn't have any PB chips on hand (although, I had plenty of Reese’s cups to make up for this lack!). These bars are incredibly good. Bordering on fudgy, these chewy bites boast a deep peanut butter flavor with hints of chocolate throughout. However, words can’t describe how good these are, so I suggest you make these. Right now!

Peanut Butter Blondies
Adapted from Spiced Life

1 cup AP flour
¼ cup cake flour
¾ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (not organic or natural)
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped Reese’s cups (or Reese’s miniature baking pieces)
½ cup milk chocolate chips

Method:
1. Grease an 8x8 baking pan. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Sift flours, powder, and salt together. Set aside.
3. Melt butter in medium saucepan. When melted, whisk in peanut butter until mixture is smooth. Next, whisk in the sugar, egg, yolk, and vanilla.
4. Stir in flour mixture. Then, stir in Reese’s cups and chocolate chips.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Whack it!

2009-02-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

Remember Terry’s Chocolate Oranges? Years ago, my mom brought home one of these chocolate oranges for my brother Brandon and I to share. How excited were we upon reading the directions, which involved whacking this solid ball of chocolate so that it would splinter into “orange slices”? To answer that rhetorical question, we were very excited! I’m sure a fight broke out over who could whack the chocolate, and I’m quite sure that we each whacked the ball, and I’m also quite sure that the ball fractured more than it should have as a result of this over-whacking. Alas, I digress. These awesome chocolate, orange-scented balls of goodness first convinced me that chocolate and orange really belonged together!

There’s something quite refreshing about an orange-kissed chocolate treat. With that awesome combination in mind, these orange-kissed chocolate cookie bars were born. Why bars? Because I didn’t feel like scooping cookie dough (my scoops have been giving me trouble, as of late). The texture is cookie-ish with a hint of brownie density in the bite. Chocolate is the predominant flavor: ground chocolate, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder satisfy any chocolate craving. But, the orange stands up for itself and provides a sweet, citrusy after taste (especially after you let these babies sit for 24 hours). It’s the “Oh-What-Is-That?” in the cookie. I got the orange flavor by zesting a large orange and mashing the zest into the granulated sugar.

Orange-Scented Chocolate Cookie Bars

1 cup AP flour
1 cup cake flour
½ cup cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup of orange sugar (made by mashing zest of one orange into the cup of sugar)
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 baking pan.
2. Sift flours, cocoa, soda, powder, and salt together. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and egg yolk until just combined. Add in vanilla.
4. Beat in flour mixture in two-parts, mixing until just combined.
5. In a food processor, grind 1 cup of chocolate chips, until most of the mixture resembles a powder (some remaining chunks are fine). Stir processed chips and remaining 1 cup of chips into dough. Press dough into baking pan.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into bars comes out clean.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful…

2009-02-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it’s my psychology roots or my need to rationalize any feeling of sadness, but no matter the reason, I’m a firm believer in seasonal affective disorder. If the rain is a-pouring and the cold is a-biting, well, chances are my dour mood can be blamed on Mother Nature. Now, don’t get me wrong: cold, crisp days of fall with their honey-colored leaves and firewood scent, these days are something to be relished. But, the rain changes everything!

It's been raining for a few days straight now, so I decided I needed a tropical getaway. Tropical means coconut, in my book. Hence, these coconut cupcakes with white chocolate and coconut streusel! The streusel sandwiches the cupcake batter, forming a crust on the bottom and a nice crispy bite on the top. The cake itself is delicate and fluffy, with strong vanilla and coconut flavors. It’s a perfect cupcake for a rainy day (or really any day, for that matter)!

Streusel Crumb

½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup AP flour
¼ cup pecan halves
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup coconut shreds
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup cold butter, cubed

In food processor, pulse ingredients until they resemble a moist crumb. Store crumb in refrigerator until ready to use.

Coconut Cupcakes

(adapted from Baked)

2 cups cake flour, spooned and swept
½ cup AP flour
2 ¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
6 TBS butter, softened
½ cup shortening
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup cold coconut milk
2 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
½ cup coconut shreds, ground in food processor

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line 18 muffin cups. Make streusel.

2. Sift flours, powder, soda, and salt together. Set aside.

3. Beat butter and shortening for approximately 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in sugar and vanilla, beating 3 minutes. Beat in egg until just combined.

4. Alternate between flour mixture and coconut milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat in until just incorporated.

5. Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until egg whites form soft peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter. Then, fold in ground coconut.

6. Place 1 TBS of streusel mixture in the bottom of each muffin cup. Fill each cup with batter, about ¾ full, making sure to spread batter with knife so that it completely covers the streusel bottom. Top each cupcake with 1 TBS of streusel. (You will have extra batter left over.)

7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

(*I baked remaining batter in a loaf pan for about 30 minutes. I topped it with shredded coconut and white chocolate chips.)

It's time...

2009-02-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

Well, my friends, I think it's time that I share my version of the chocolate chip cookie (CCC) with you. Though I'm constantly trying new recipes, this is my latest version of the cookie. Chocolate chip cookies are quite sacred to me: they bring back wonderful memories. Not only that, but the glorious comfort of a chocolate chip cookie carries a heady power. In fact, this cookie converted my sister Jessie into a chocolate lover. Now, that's something.

Alas, I'd love to wax nostalgic and share all my wonderful memories, but I'm running low on time. So, without further ado, here they are!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Inspired by Jacques Torres and Alton Brown

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 2/3 cups bread flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 TBS cocoa

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened (3/4 cup)
8 TBS shortening

2 TBS cream

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Sift flours, baking soda, powder, salt, cinnamon and cocoa together, and set aside.

2. Cream butter, shortening, cream, and sugars together until light. About 5 minutes.

3. Beat in eggs one at a time, until just combined. Add vanilla. Add in flour mixture in thirds, beating until just incorporated.

4. Stir in chips. Refrigerate for a couple of hours (at least).

5. Preheat oven to 350. Bake cookies for approximately 13 minutes, or until golden brown along the edges.

Makes approximately 50 cookies.

Aphrodisi-cake...

2009-02-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

When I saw that Chris at Mele Cotte was hosting a Kitchen of Love round-up, I knew I had to participate! The challenge involved making a dish that included at least one aphrodisiac, in honor of the fast-approaching Valentine’s Day. Of course, I chose to do a dessert. (The word dessert alone is an aphrodisiac for me.)

After some failed experiments and un-blog-worthy creations, I finally arrived at this beauty: the aphrodisi-cake! This cake is overflowing with aphrodisiacs: chocolate, vanilla, nutmeg, and ginger…not to mention lots of yummy vanilla-caramely goodness, to boot.

According to Gourmet Sleuth, chocolate’s secret isn’t in its taste: it’s in the theobromine, a chemical known to affect your neurotransmitters. Having a bad day? Need a pick-me-up? Chocolate is the perfect treat to make those underactive dopamine receptors happy! (Not to mention it tastes divine.)

Ginger stimulates the circulatory system; it causes blood to flow. I’ll let you use your imagination on that one.

Again, Gourmet Sleuth informs me that nutmeg was prized by Chinese women as an aphrodisiac, and apparently, it can cause hallucinogenic effects when consumed in greater quantities. Who knew?

And, of course, anyone who has inhaled the scent of vanilla knows the power of that aroma. The subject of old lore, vanilla (both the scent and flavor) is believed to increase lust. I’ll admit to dabbing a little vanilla on my wrists now and then. Seriously, who can resist that smell?

So, what happens when we combine all of these aphrodisiacs? You get cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger-scented dulce de leche, along with whipped caramel chocolate ganache frosting, sandwiched between layers of vanilla cake studded with cinnamon and chocolate chips, sealed with a coating of dulce de leche and topped with the ganache frosting!

Vanilla Cake with Cinnamon and Chocolate Chips
Recipe adapted from Bakewise

1 ¾ cups cake flour, spooned and leveled
1 ¾ tsp baking powder
1 ½ cups sugar
1/3 cup water
4 TBS unsalted butter, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup cinnamon chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9-in round baking pans.

2. Whisk flour and baking powder together and set aside.

3. Heat water to a simmer. Put sugar in mixing bowl and pour hot water over it. Beat for a few seconds to dissolve sugar. Then, beat in butter, vanilla, and salt. Add oil and beat on medium until just blended.

4. Pour half of flour mixture in and beat until just incorporated. Repeat with second half.

5. By hand, whisk in eggs one at a time.

6. Whip cream just beyond the soft-peak stage. Mix about ¼ of the whipped cream into the cake batter. Fold in the remaining whipped cream.

7. Dust cinnamon and chocolate chips with flour. Mix the chips into the batter. Divide batter evenly between two pans. Drop each pan on countertop to knock out air bubbles.

8. Bake for about 30 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Allow pans to cool on racks for 10 minutes, and then remove cakes and finish cooling on the racks.

Chocolate Caramel Ganache Frosting
Recipe from Baked

16 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
4 oz. dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
2 TBS light corn syrup
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces (softened)

1. Place chocolate in heatproof bowl.

2. In small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer.

3. Keeping an eye on the cream so as not to burn it, in a medium saucepan, combine ¼ cup water, sugar, and corn syrup (do not splash sides of pan). Cook over high heat until 350 degrees, or approximately 6-8 minutes. The sugar will begin to turn an amber color. At this point, immediately remove from heat and allow to cool for one minute.

4. Add the simmered cream to the sugar mixture, and stir until smooth (mixture will bubble up; be careful). Continue stirring slowly for 2 minutes. Pour caramel mixture onto chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute.

5. Stir the chocolate and caramel until smooth. When the mixture is cool, beat the mixture on low speed until the bottom of the bowl feels cool. At this point, increase the speed to medium-high and add the butter. Beat until thoroughly incorporated. Beat until mixture is fluffy.

Spice-Scented Dulce de Leche

1 can sweetened condensed milk
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/16 tsp ginger
1/16 tsp all-spice
1/16 tsp nutmeg

1. Remove labels and clean can. Place can in large pot and cover with water so that none of the can is exposed to air. Bring water to a boil. Boil the cake for 3-4 hours, taking care to add water so that the can is constantly submerged.

2. After the can cools, remove the “dulce de leche” from the can and put in a bowl. Allow the mixture to cool.

3. Add the spices and whip the mixture on high speed until lighter in color.

Assemble the cake:

Use a layer of dulce de leche and chocolate frosting between the two layers of the cake. Then top the cake with the remaining dulce sauce and chocolate frosting. Dulce de leche may run, but do not worry: it will taste good no matter what!

Icing on the cake...

2009-02-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

I was completely surprised and thrilled when I discovered that Judy of Judy's Kitchen had passed on two awards to my blog (and nine other fabulous blogs)! Thank you, thank you, Judy! If you have yet to visit Judy's blog, you're missing out. If you're looking for tantalizing recipes for dinners and desserts, then you must head to Judy's blog; her recipes never fail to get my stomach growling!

I'm excited to pass these awards on to more wonderful blogs!

The rules for recipients are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

I'd like to pass these awards onto the following blogs:

(1) Erin Cooks

(2) Baked Perfection

(3) Salt and Chocolate

(4) Hungry Girl Por Vida

(5) Rosie Bakes a "Peace" of Cake

(6) Cookies with Boys

(7) Carrots 'N Cake

(8) Obsessed with Baking

(9) South in Your Mouth

(10) How to Eat a Cupcake

These are all wonderful blogs with wonderful pictures and recipes...all due to their very creative authors. If I were to use a cliched metaphor, I might call these blogs "eye candy." (It was either use the "eye candy" metaphor or pull out the ole "devour it with your eyes" line.)

Thanks again, Judy!

Chocolate and peanut butter sitting in a tree...

2009-02-04T06:57:00.000-08:00

Can I confess my love for peanut butter? Creamy, chunky, organic or not, I don’t care: I love my peanut butter all the same. My love for peanut butter wasn’t always this obsessive. I started out as your typical peanut butter and jelly girl. Maybe an occasional ants-on-a-log in preschool. Slowly I graduated to Reese’s cups (and what a glorious graduation that was). But what spurred my borderline Fatal Attraction for this gooey, creamy, sticky substance? Summer camp.

Yes, that’s right. Summer camp, she says? What’s summer camp got to do with peanut butter? What’s summer camp got to do with food? Well, let me tell you, my friend, when your meal choice comes down to water-logged noodles or a peanut butter sandwich, you take the sandwich. On Fried Chicken Sundays, when that chicken doesn’t look quite like chicken, you take the sandwich. And when you’re meal has the word “surprise” in it—that’s right—you go for the sandwich.

So that was how the peanut butter obsession started. From there, I realized the potential of this so-called butter of peanuts. Oh, let me expound upon its glory: you can eat peanut butter in oatmeal, on apples, on fudgesicles, on waffles, on “brownies” (aka, those horrible, dry, cakey concoctions the Mess Hall called brownies), on carrots and celery, on cookies, on bread, on a spoon, from your fingers. The list goes on. Peanut butter’s versatility is rivaled only by that of ranch dressing (which goes well on salads, bread, pizza, pasta, lasagna, tomato soup, hash browns, baked potatoes, turkey sausage, sandwiches, eggs, and more, but I digress). My camp dining experience was drenched in ranch dressing and smothered with peanut butter. Appetizing, right? (Sarah Phillips, back me up on this, okay?)

Alas, the point of this post is not to convince you of my weird eating habits or unhealthy obsessions with peanut butter and ranch. The point is to celebrate one of peanut butter’s best partners: chocolate! These chocolate chocolate chunk peanut butter chip cookies are comfort food on a plate. They’re not overly rich and chocolatey, but the chocolate chunks give them some depth. The peanut butter chips add that sweet, melty creaminess that all cookies should have. The cinnamon in the cookie really shines through and makes this cookie even more of a homey treat. These are the type of cookies that beg you to eat more than one. They’re soft and chewy, chocolate and peanut buttery, and overall delicious!

Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

1 ½ cups bread flour
½ cup AP flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup chocolate chips, melted
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chunks (I used dark chocolate)
1 bag (approx. 2 cups) peanut butter chips

1. Sift flours, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

2. Cream sugars, melted chocolate, and butter together until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Stir in vanilla.

3. Add flour mixture in three parts, mixing until just combined.

4. Fold in chocolate chunks and peanut butter chips. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 350. Bake cookies approximately 10 minutes.

Makes about 36 cookies.

From cake to cookies...

2009-02-03T17:59:00.001-08:00

I was recently reliving the memory of one of my best friend Erin’s birthdays. Before her actual party, a group of us celebrated Erin’s birthday with dinner and, of course, dessert. Erin requested a coconut cake with lime curd filling and coconut cream cheese frosting. Mmm. Now that was a memory worth reliving. The cake was delicious. (The only thing better was the company!)

(That's me, Sarah Phillips, Callie, and Erin. Oh, and the cake all the way on the left!)

All of this remembering made me pretty hungry, and I had a craving. A craving for coconut! I must admit that thick coconut shreds just don’t do it for me, but the flavor—ah that coconut flavor—that’s what gets me every time. I had no good excuse to make a whole coconut cake (and believe me, it doesn’t take much for me to find an excuse for cake), so I moved on to the next best option: cookies! Mmm, coconut cookies. With macadamia nuts. And white chocolate chips.

These coconut cookies aren’t overly sweet, but they make up for it with their rich coconut flavor. In addition, they’ve got macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips! The cookie’s texture falls somewhere between soft, chewy, and crispy. The cookie is relatively light and fluffy, chewy enough to bend rather than snap apart, and slightly crispy from the crunch of the nuts.

This cookie is also somewhat special because it replaces some butter with a “coconut-macadamia nut” butter. This concoction is created by food processing coconut shreds and macadamia nuts until they form a wet-looking “butter.”

If you’re looking for a slightly sweeter cookie, you could add about a half cup of extra sugar, or you could replace the unsweetened coconut shreds with sweetened ones. I also use the thinly shredded coconut (because of my thick-shred-phobia); if you can’t find the thinly shredded, you can food process the coconut for a bit (or just use the thicker shreds).

Coconut White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 cup bread flour
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
1 ¼ cups finely shredded coconut, divided
1 ½ cups macadamia nuts, divided
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 package of white chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

1. Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

2. In the food processor, blend ¾ cup of finely shredded coconut and ½ cup of whole macadamia nuts. Process the mixture until it reaches a smooth, wet consistency. This should give you approximately ½ cup of “coconut-macadamia butter.”

3. Cream butter, sugars, and coconut-macadamia butter until lighter in color (about 3 minutes). Beat in eggs one at a time until just combined. Stir in vanilla.

4. Beat in flour mixture in two parts until just combined.

5. Chop remaining cup of macadamia nuts. Fold in chopped nuts, white chocolate chips, and remaining ½ cup of coconut.

6. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies for 12 minutes, until edges are just golden.

Makes approximately 35 cookies.

Good intentions...

2009-01-31T13:13:00.000-08:00

Todd spent the past two days visiting a friend in L.A. His absence gave me plenty of time to craft a plan to surprise him at the BART (train) station. Based on his flight’s arrival time, I calculated which train he would be taking from the airport, at what time he would have to transfer, and when he would arrive home at the Berkeley station. Oh, yes, I was good. So, there I stood this morning, looking overly eager and overly impressed with my great planning skills. With two cups of coffee in my hands, I hovered over the station’s exist with a knowing grin upon my face. And then my phone rang.

It was Todd. It was Todd asking where I was. What did he mean “where I was?” Where was he?

He was already at home, wondering where I might be. How he managed to escape my watchful eye and foil my great surprise, I do not know. Suffice it to say that my wonderful math must not have been so wonderful. I’ll blame it on the lack of sleep I get when he’s away.

Luckily I had another surprise batting cleanup (or for all of your basketball fans (go Heels!), you might say I had a deep bench of surprises). These fudgy mint brownies brought my good intentions to fruition! Todd loves mint and brownies, so why not combine the two? I coerced him into eating one as soon as I returned home from my post at the train session, and SLAM DUNK! SUCCESS!

These brownies are incredibly fudgy—nothing cakey here. They have chopped Andes candies throughout the batter, and chunks of mint chocolate bars hiding amidst the chocolatey goodness. The mint chips and the chocolate bar give these brownies a nice consistency, preventing them from being overly fudgy. I’m pretty sure these brownies are a bit of heaven on a plate and certainly redeemed my failed attempt at surprise!

Chocolate Mint Brownies

1 ¼ c AP flour
1 tsp salt
3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate (1 regular bag of chocolate chips)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 ½ c granulated sugar
½ c firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs
¼ tsp mint extract
1 package of Andes mints, chopped (or if you have the baking bits, about 1 c)
2 chocolate mint bars (I used Ghirardelli)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter bottom and sides of a 9X13 baking pan.

2. Whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

3. Melt chocolate and butter together over low heat in a large saucepan or pot (you will do all of your mixing in here). Remove from heat and add both sugars. Whisk until completely combined.

4. Add 2 eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the next 2 eggs and do the same. Finally, add the last egg and the mint extract, only whisking until just combined.

5. Pour the flour mixture over the chocolate and fold the flour in until just combined (some flour may still be visible, and that is okay). Fold in mint chips.

6. Spread about half of the batter into the baking pan. Place chunks of the chocolate bars on top of the batter. Cover with remaining batter, being careful not to press the bars too far into the brownie mixture.

7. Bake for 30 minutes. Let brownies cool completely before cutting and serving.

Case of the enigmatic cookies...

2009-01-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

There’s really no great story to which I can liken these cookies. Actually, these cookies are somewhat of an enigma. They’re the type of cookies that when you take a bite, your brain goes a bit haywire. An edible puzzle, that’s what they are. One which can only be solved by—you guessed it—eating more cookies! Born of “leftover” lineage, these cookies have candied nuts, plumped raisins, white chocolate, honey, and parmesan cheese. That’s right: parmesan cheese.

This poor little container of shaved parmesan yelped at me from its resting place in the fridge, and I knew I had to find a use for it soon. You can’t really taste the parmesan, but what you do get is a hint of tangy saltiness. It’s actually quite refreshing, and for lack of a better word, surprising. Yes, these cookies are full of surprises, and not bad ones at that.

I actually quite like these little cookies. They have some chew to them, but overall, this thick cookie has a light and cakey texture due to the cake flour and honey (the honey is a very prevalent taste). These cookies don’t spread much, either (which was exactly what I wanted)! See if you can figure out the enigma…

“Leftover” Honey Cookies
1 c AP flour
1 ½ c cake flour
½ c ground candied nuts, packed (recipe below)
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ c granulated sugar
½ c brown sugar
¼ c honey
½ c (1 stick) butter, softened
1 egg
1 yolk
½ c shaved parmesan, packed
½ c plumped raisins
½ c candied nuts, chopped (recipe below)
1 c white chocolate chips

(1) Make candied nuts. (See recipe below.) Plump raisins by covering them with water in saucepan, bringing water to boil, and then turning off heat, covering saucepan, and allowing them to rest for 8-10 minutes. Then, strain the raisins and set aside. (They may not look plump, but they are.)

(2) Whisk AP flour, cake flour, ground nuts, baking soda and powder together. Set aside.

(3) Cream sugars, honey, and butter together for about 3-5 minutes until lighter in color. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until completely combined.

(4) Add flour mixture in three parts, mixing only until just combined. Mix in parmesan, raisins, chopped nuts, and white chocolate chips.

(5) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

(6) Preheat oven to 350. Bake cookies for approximately 10-12 minutes (until edges are slightly brown). (These cookies will not brown extensively.)

Yield: 30 cookies

Candied Nuts

2 cups of raw nuts (I used walnuts and almonds)
1 egg white, slightly beaten
¼ cup sugar (I used a combination of mainly granulated with a bit of brown)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
Sprinkle of nutmeg

(1) Preheat oven to 350.

(2) Toss nuts and egg white together until all the nuts are coated.

(3) Mix in sugars and spices until all nuts are coated.

(4) Spread mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, taking care that the nuts are not overlapping too much. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before chopping or grinding.

(5) Chop or grind as needed.

Gluttonous moments...

2009-01-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

You know those moments where craving outweighs any sense of moderation, where weakness triumphs over willpower? Those are gluttonous (sometimes glorious) moments. Yes, we all know when they strike that we’ll probably regret the indulgence later, later as we slip into sugar comas. But gluttonous moments are all about the present. Yes, that’s sounds good: gluttonous moments are about seizing the present moment (great rationalization)!

My gluttonous moments began before I was even conscious of them being such. At my childhood birthday parties, I always bothered my mom for a bigger slice of cake—and not a middle piece, a corner cut with a sugary, piped flower. Around the age of eight, one of my family’s friends introduced me to the concept of eating a scoop of cookie dough atop a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie. By the time undergrad rolled around, I had discovered the quick (indulgent) fix of microwaving Chex cereal, chocolate chips, and a scoop of peanut butter.

These chocolate fudge cookies are a gluttonous moment and then some. With barely any flour, a pound of melted chocolate, and chocolate and white chocolate chips to boot, these cookies are extravagant. Though you may fear the delayed regret of this indulgence, rest assured that these cookies have a built-in safety mechanism. You will most assuredly fall into a chocolate-coated sugar coma before you can scarf too many of these fudgy wonders.

Chocolate Fudge Cookies
Adapted from Joy of Baking

1 c walnuts, toasted and chopped
½ c cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 lb chocolate, chopped (I used ½ lb semisweet chocolate, ½ lb dark chocolate)
¼ c unsalted butter
1 ¾ granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 TBS vanilla
1 c dark chocolate chips
1 c white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Toast walnuts for 8-10 minutes (until fragrant). When cooled, finely chop.

Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a double-boiler, melt the pound of chocolate and butter together. Set aside.

Beat sugar and eggs until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add vanilla and melted chocolate mixture.

Fold in the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes.Preheat oven to 350. Scoop about ¼ cup of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, and press dough slightly with wettened fingers. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until crackles appear on top of the cookies, taking care not to over-bake. (Mine took about 14-16 minutes.)

Target nights...

2009-01-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

The first year of law school is notorious for being an unpleasant time. Scratch that. Unpleasant would be an understatement. While hazing experience might be an apt description, the first year might be summarized by noting that we (the terrified 1Ls) had the “fear” put in us. Needless to say, this post is not supposed to be a rant about the dog days of first year. This post is about two survival tactics (well, three): (1) you need a great friend named Lindsay, (2) a nearby target, and (3) the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies.

Toward the end of the spring semester, Lindsay and I looked forward to Wednesday night Target-runs as a way to break the monotony of law books and legal writing. It wouldn’t be uncommon for a passerby to spy two harried looking gals vigorously debating the merits of different hallmark cards. We knew how to draw out our time in Target, that’s for sure. At the end of the shopping run (for which we usually had nothing to show), we’d head to my apartment to bake some chocolate chip cookies (and watch Project Runway).

Now, you must understand that Lindsay is quite straight-laced. Not in a strict, don’t-slouch way. In a foodie-way. She eats only natural, organic ingredients, uses natural sugars (agave nectar, pure maple, honey), and generally avoids anything hinting of hydrogenation (ahem, butter). However, chocolate chip cookies possessed the power to lead Lindsay astray—at least for one cookie. These cookies became our survival indulgences, the sustenance we needed to finish those last ten pages and write those last hundred words.

I think Lindsay would appreciate these Heath Bar Cookies. This cookie has all the comfort of a basic chocolate chip cookie with the added pizzazz (/crunchiness) of a heath bar! Delicious.

Heath Bar Cookies
Adapted from Simply Recipes

2 ½ c AP flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
½ c brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ c heath bars, chopped (I used the mini Heath bars and it took me about 36 bars to get 1 ½ cups; a hammer or mallet might be the easiest way to "chop" these bars)
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa together.

Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla.

Mix in dry ingredients in three parts. Stir in the heath bar and chocolate chips.

Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes (mine took about 12 minutes).

Late bloomer...

2009-01-20T16:49:00.000-08:00

I have always been a late bloomer.

It’s quite interesting, really. I was born early. I’m early to every meeting and appointment. I mean, I’m the girl who showed up for her first undergrad class two hours before its start. I love early! Early is comfortable. Yet despite my anal appreciation for earliness, I have been a late bloomer in almost all other respects. Epitome of paradox, right?

Let’s see: from the beginning, I never wanted to leave my parents. My friend’s parents most assuredly detested my six year-old self, as they were forced to take me home after my botched attempts to “sleep over.” It even took me a while to learn to love the independence associated with college. But let’s not stop there. I kissed boys late. I’ve always been somewhat behind on the fashion curve. Yep, classic signs of a late bloomer, I’d say.

So perhaps it isn’t surprising that I’m late to catch onto this year’s “pumpkin craze.” It hit right around fall—when it rightfully should hit. Now, it is January – the middle of winter – and the pumpkin bandwagon passed through town long ago. However, today, I found myself chasing after the bandwagon, begging to take a quick ride despite my tardiness. Good thing I finally got on board because these cookies are fabulous!

I saw these Iced Pumpkin Cookies on Repressed Pastry Chef and knew I had to try them. It took me a good long while to come around to pumpkin, but now that I’ve seen the light, I’m obsessed. These cookies are especially obsession-worthy. Soft and cakey with a nice bit of sugary icing on top—they are the perfect snack (if you can eat only one). I sent these cookies with Todd for his graduate group exam (the exam he takes before beginning work on his Ph.D. dissertation in environmental health science), and Todd reported back that these cookies disappeared! (Consider these cookies scientifically-tested and Ph.D.-approved!)

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Original recipe from Repressed Pastry Chef

2 c AP flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 c shortening
1 c granulated sugar
1 c solid-packed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
3 TBS butter
4 TBS milk
½ c brown sugar, packed
1 c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
¾ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together and set aside.
Cream together shortening, sugar, and pumpkin. Add the egg, mixing well. Add in the dry ingredients in two parts.
Scoop cookies onto baking sheet, lined with parchment. Bake for 15-18 minutes (mine took about 15). Cool for 10-15 minutes before icing.

To make icing, cook butter, milk, and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat until dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat and add in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. (I made the mistake of not sifting my powdered sugar and ended up with clumps in my icing—not that it didn’t still taste amazing.)

Dip cookies into icing and place on rack to dry.

Cookies worthy of a midnight movie...

2009-01-19T17:23:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a strictly chocolate chip dessert household. Sure, we had our variety: Mandelbrodt, Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies, maybe even a Derby pie. The variety just happened to include chocolate chips. Don’t get me wrong. We had raisins and we had oatmeal. Two perfectly acceptable ingredients, which occupied separate spheres of the pantry and never really got introduced to one another.

Now, oatmeal raisin cookies are “memory” cookies, and as their scent wafts through the kitchen, you just might begin to conjure images of coming home from school, slinging your backpack over a kitchen chair, and sitting down long enough to devour a fresh-baked oatmeal raisin cookie. I searched my memory bank for some oatmeal raisin-nostalgia.

I may not have had an oatmeal raisin-childhood, but undergrad was a different story. Two of my best friends, Sarah Phillips (that’s her full first name, get it right or pay the price) and Callie, happen to obsess over all things Harry Potter as much as I do. Thus, when the films made their midnight debuts, we were first in line (okay, so we weren’t first) among those potentially more obsessed than we (yes, I mean those costumed fans, speaking in British accents and carrying “emergency” Sharpies for any passerby who might have forgotten to mark his forehead with a lightening scar). The only thing that could make this movie-going experience any better was COOKIES! Now, I am willing to admit that we (read I) took the easy way out and popped some Pillsbury jumbo chocolate chip and jumbo oatmeal raisin pull-aparts into the oven, smushed them into a plastic bag while still hot, and then smuggled the gooey concoction into the theater. Thank goodness for big purses. Even though I’m a diehard chocolate chip cookie girl, these oatmeal raisin cookies had a certain hold over me. They were delicious, warm, and comforting. And now, these cookies remind me of my wonderful friends and wonderful times. (Erin, even though you refused to attend Harry Potter, you still get to be in my oatmeal raisin memories.)

These oatmeal raisin cookies are extra special because they have some prebaked streusel, the recipe for which comes from Baking Bites! They are delicious—perfectly soft with a nice bit of crunch to them!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Streusel
Adapted from Baking Bites
2 c AP flour
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
¾ c unsalted butter, softened
1 c brown sugar, packed
½ c sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ c quick cooking (not instant) oats
1 c raisins
1 ½ c streusel (recipe below)

Plump raisins—place raisins water so that all raisins are covered. Bring water to a boil. Turn off heat, cover the pot and let raisins sit for about 5-7 minutes. Then, strain the raisins and set aside.
Whisk together flour, salt, and spices, and set aside.
Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla.
Mix in dry ingredients in 2 parts. Stir in oats, raisins, and streusel.
Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 12-15 minutes (mine took about 12 minutes).

Streusel
adapted from Baking Bites
5/8 c AP flour
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
¼ c brown sugar, packed
1/8 tsp salt
¼ c butter, softened
¼ c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Stir dry ingredients together. Add butter with mixer until the mixture resembles coarse, wet sand. Stir in the walnuts. Using your hands, press the mixture into small clumps and place these clumps on the baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes.After cool, use a food processor to break the mixture into streusel crumbs.

A heavenly combination...

2009-01-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

It started many months ago with an innocent google search. You see, I was hungry, very hungry. But not for just any old run of the mill recipe. I wanted some baked, chocolately concoction. Into the search engine the terms went and bam! The world of food blogs appeared before my eyes. Before long, my "favorites" included a list of about forty blogs that I checked almost daily (and sometimes more, when my sweet tooth went into overactive mode).

I have always had a passion for baking, and reading these wonderful blogs inspired me to translate this passion into a blog of my own. And thus, the culinary adventure begins.

Chocolate chip cookies. Brownies. Choosing a favorite would be akin to my mom picking my sister or brother as her favorite child. Why do something so hurtful when there is so much love to go around? Thus, the ultimate dilemma lies in choosing which delectable goodie to bake. This process can be an excrutiatingly time-consuming decision and remains a true testament to my indecisive nature. Solution? Combine the two! (Bakerella recently blogged about this Betty Crocker combination, and her pictures got my mouth watering!)

Because I felt like spending some time in the kitchen, I decided to make both the brownie batter and cookie dough from scratch. These brownies were delicious! However, I can't say that the cookie dough really stands out against the chocolately goodness of the brownie. However, even though the cookie dough does not loudly declare its presence, it adds a nice texture and flavor to the brownie. Mmm mmm good!

Cookie Dough Brownies (makes 24 big brownies)

recipes adapted from Baked!

*preheat oven to 350 F

Step #1: make the brownie batter

1 1/4 cups AP flour

1 tsp salt

2 TBS unsweeteed cocoa powder

1 12-oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

Butter sides and bottom of 9X13 pan.

Whisk flour, salt, cocoa powder together.
Melt chocolate and butter over a double boiler until smooth.
Turn off heat and add sugars, whisking until completely combined.
Add eggs and vanilla, whisking until combined.
Fold the flour mixture into chocolate (do not overmix).
Pour into prepared pan and set aside.

Step #2: make the cookie dough

1 cup AP flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whisk flour, salt, baking soda together and set aside.

Beat butter and sugars until smooth and pale in color.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.

Add flour mixture in two parts, being careful not to overbeat the mixture.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Step #3: drop spoonfuls of cookie dough on top of the brownie batter

Step #4: bake until brownie is set (toothpick comes out with crumbs), approximately 35-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe Index

2009-01-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

Coming Soon

Cakes
Cinnamon Caramel Ganache Layer Cake

Frosting
Chocolate Frosting

Filling
Cinnamon Caramel Ganache

About Me

2009-01-01T19:06:00.000-08:00

I'm a soon-to-be attorney with a passion for all things sweet. When my law books aren't demanding my attention, I can be found in the kitchen, testing the limits of my kitchenaid mixer (and sometimes, having a bit of a disco dance party).

Of course, no cake is complete without great people with whom to share it. That's where my super taste-tester boyfriend Todd comes in. He diligently samples all of my baked goods to make sure each and every sugary morsel is up to Belle of the Bakery standards.

If you'd like to contact me, I can be reached at belleofthebakery@gmail.com.