Blonde Ambition in the Kitchen

I MOVED!

2008-04-22T17:27:00.001-05:00

I moved my blog over to wordpress. I would LOVE it if you visited me there:

http://bakingblonde.wordpress.com/

The Apple of my Eye

2008-04-20T14:31:00.012-05:00

Anyone who has read my blog probably realizes really quickly my love for all things chocolate and peanut butter as reflected by the numerous recipes including those ingredients. However, I also have a deep deep love for fruit. I rarely bake with fruit but thought today was a great day to change things up a bit. *In the picture above those are chunks of apples, not white chocolate!

This is a recipe that I copied from a roommate in college. I think it is a Betty Crocker recipe but could not find it. If anyone does, please let me know and I will provide the link.

These cookies are very very good. I had just bought a bag of Kraft Caramel Bits and decided to throw some of those in as well even though the original recipe did not call for them. They are very good warm while the caramel is all gooey but I am afraid it may harden after they cool. Only time will tell. Either way, it is a GREAT addition and these are wonderful with a scoop of cinnamon icecream!

Next time:

I may try Heath bits instead of the Caramel bits to add a toffee/carmel flavor. Nuts like chopped pecans or walnuts would be good as well.

I will also chop the apples into smaller chunks (about 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch). Some of my chunks were pretty big and caused for uneaven spreading while baking and made it difficult for the cookies to hold their shape (do to the low ratio of dough to apples) and are not as sturdy as most cookies.

I may make a cinnamon/creamcheese filling/frosting and turn some into "Carmel Apple Whoopie Pie Cookies" even though they are not the sturdiest, I bet it would be messy but good.

I will be making these again for sure, especially with Spring here it is a nice change of pace.

Apple Jacks

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup apple chopped (I would small dice 1 small-medium apple)

1/2 to 3/4 cup Kraft Carmel bits or Heath Baking bits (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Line baking sheet with Parchment or lightly spray with PAM.

In a large bowl stir together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.

Beat the butter with a mixer and add the sugar, vanilla and egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine.

Fold in the apple pieces (and any other add-ins).

Drop the dough onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart (these spread a bit).

Bake for 9-12 minutes or until light brown and edges are set. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

NOTE: *DO NOT store completely covered or they will be very very soft and not hold up well due to the moisture in the apples. I find storing loosely covered in the fridge helps them keep their texture, however then the Caramel Bits get hard. I am thinking Toffee Chips might be a better addition next time. These really are best the day you bake, especially after they have cooled a bit but are still warm!

*These are really good with cinnamon icecream and hot caramel sauce.

Blogging with a Purpose!

2008-04-19T19:17:00.017-05:00

Wow! What a wonderful way to celebrate Spring than to receive an award? Bethany at this little piggy went to market bestowed upon me the "Blogging with a Purpose" award. What an honor to receive an award by a fellow blogger! I am just excited fellow bloggers actually read my blog and know it exists. It is my little hobby and there are no bells and whistles but none of my recipes are too "fancy" anyway. I tend to stick to recipes that anyone can whip up in a pinch to satisfy their sweet tooth or the sweet teeth of others!

Time to spread the love and nominate a few of my faves:

1.First up is Beth at Our Sweet Life. I love her blog and can not wait to make her Creme Brulee! It looks wondeful and I have never tried to make one before. Her picture is enough to inspire anyone to give it a go!

2.Anna from Cookie Madness has caused me to go mad over all of her baked goods! My gosh she updates often and almost all updates include a mouth watering photo of the recipe as well as Anna's hints or tips for making the recipe. How great is that??

3.Katie from The HyperHome Maker has really caused me to get my life organized. I am inspired by her amount of energy and enthusiasm when it comes to everything domestic. She is truly a Godess!! You have to check out her blog!!

4.BiscuitPusher from the Biscuit Pusher is one of my favorite blogs. She is constantly updating with great recipes and photos that are drool-worthy! I am totally eyeing her Peanutbutter Banana Bars!

5.Last but not least is Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Cooking Experiments, there are so many comforting recipes on her blog that take me right back to my childhood! Fried Chicken anyone?? Love it!

Award-winners, here's what you should do:

1. nominate 5 blogs which haven't had this award before

2. each of the blogs must have a purpose

3. the nominated blogs must make a link back to this page

4. the logo from the award must be put on their blog and it must link back to this blog!

Incognito

2008-04-14T18:38:00.026-05:00

Yup, I am at it again with the Peanut Butter. Be honest though, can you ever have too many desserts with Peanut Butter and Chocolate?? I think not.

This recipe comes from my Grandma's recipe box. Deceivingly these were titled Peanut Butter Bars, but as you can see these look more like a brownie than a Peanut Butter bar! In reality these moist little bars are more like a brownie with a slight Peanut Butter undertone than what I think a Peanut Butter bar to be so I am changing their name to Incognito Bars (because the PB flavor is undercover in these chocolatey-looking bars).

These bars are thick, moist and all in all very good. I will be making these again and I really liked the simplicity of the recipe and how quick they came together.

*Next time I might increase the amount of Peanut Butter by 2 TBS and increase the amount of cocoa powder to 3TBS total(decreasing the amount of flour by 1 TBS so the texture and consistency of the bars remains unchanged). I might also add mini chocoalte chips or those mini Reese's PB baking cups or chips to the batter before baking.

As you can see, I have several ideas in mind for these little babies in the near future because these bars were very good and worth a try.

I tasted one of these babies while they were warm and found the flavor of both the chocolate and Peanut Butter to be too subtle for my liking. I felt they needed to be "Jazzed" up a bit. So, I whipped up a simple Chocolate/Peanut Butter 'frosting' and topped with crumbled a Butterfinger bar.

The Result? MMMMM, finger licking good!

I did notice, however, after cooling the flavor of the bars themselves seemed to deepen a bit and you can taste the chocolate and peanut butter a little more than right out of the oven. Because their flavor seems to deepen after they set a few hours/overnight you may want to try these bars after they have cooled and set without the frosting/candy bar topping to see if you feel they need that extra sweetness.
I found them to be great with the additions by my tooth has been known to be pretty sweet!

Incognito Bars
1/3 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
2 TBS cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting (if desired)
Chopped/Crushed Candy bars (if desired, Butterfinger's pictured)

Preheat oven to 325.
Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with PAM.
In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
In a medium mixing bowl cream the peanut butter, butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs and beat well. Slowly add the flour mixture.
Spread batter in pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool.
Frost if desired and sprinkle with crushed Butterfinger bar (as pictured) or Chopped Reese's PB cups.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting (Optional)
1/2 cup Peanut Butter (creamy)
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1 TBS shortening

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, stir toghter Peanut Butter, chips and shortening until smooth. You can add more Peanut Butter or Chocolate chips depending how much frosting you want and to taste.
Gently Spread Evenly over bars. Sprinkle with crushed/chopped candy if desired.

S'more Goodies!

2008-04-08T09:01:00.014-05:00

These bars are very good, messy, but good!
I got the recipe out of an old church cookbook and couldn't wait to try them because they combine the goodness of a S'more: graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows in an ooey gooey bar. Another reason these bars caught my eye is that they do not require any bake time! Perfect for summer days when you don't want to use your oven but still want a tastey sweet!

These were a breeze to make and so good that I was eating them out of the pan with a spoon before they were cool. After cooling some they were easier to cut and serve, however, they did crumble a bit but the taste makes up for the mess factor in my opinion!

I am not sure how long these would stay fresh and chewy because I took them to work and they were gone in minutes.

S'mores Bars

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup butter (no substitutions)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

15 crushed graham crackers (I used 9 rectangular crackers)

1 1/2 cups small marshmallows

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with PAM.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, 3/4 cup marshmallows and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine the egg, butter, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly until it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Pour mixture in bowl with the graham crackers, marshmallows and chcolate chips. Stir to combine. (Marshmallows and chips will melt a bit).

Fold in remaining marshmallows and chips.

Press mixture into prepared pan.
Cool until set. Remove foil and bars from pan, cut and serve. Store in airtight container either room temp or in fridge (if during warm months).

Ooey Gooey Peanut Buttery!

2008-04-03T16:55:00.012-05:00

I have been craving a Peanut Butter sweet lately and had a jar to use up. I went searching for a recipe and found this winner on the Jif website! I did top the bars with some chopped Reese's cups before covering in marshmallows because I had some to use up and really Reese's PB cups make any dessert a little better! These taste fabulous!

I really really liked the taste and texture of these bars. The base has a nice Peanut Butter flavor and is light in texture. It is topped with a layer of melted Peanut Butter and then covered Marshmallows (and chopped PB cups in my version) and then baked again until the Marshmallows puff and bec0me light brown. Do not overbake or the Marshmallows will be hard and crisp.

My one complaint about these bars is that they are VERY difficult to cut and eat. The marshmallows stick to the knife (even after greasing the knife) when cutting making them not look too pretty. Also, the PB/marshmallow topping does not stay on the base while cutting and eating. The topping stuck to the knife and got pulled off of the crust slightly. This happened again while eating. I do admit, that I did not allow these to cool completely before cutting and serving so that may have been the problem. The seperation of the cookie base and toppings did not affect the taste, these were soooooo good!! For flavor I give them a 9! The chopped Reese's PB cups really added that extra Peanut Butter flavor I was craving and will continue to add them when making this recipe. I will definately be making them again very soon. Next time I will cool completely to see if that makes a difference in cutting and serving.

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars
adapted from Jif
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 salt
1/2 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
7-8 individual Reese's PB cups chopped (more or less to taste)

Heat oven to 350.
Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish with PAM spray.
In a large bowl combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, peanut butter, sugar and egg.
Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.
Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture at low speed. Beat until well blended.
Cover. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
Press into prepared dish. Bake 20 minutes or until light brown.
Do not over-bake. Cool 2 to 3 minutes.
Place peanut butter in microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute. Pour over cookie base. Spread to cover.
Cover Peanut Butter layer with chopped Reese's PB cups and marshmallows. Return to oven. Bake 5 minutes or until marshmallows are light brown. Do not over-bake.
Loosen from sides of dish with knife. Remove dish to cooling rack.
Cool completely.

An Oldie but a Goodie!

2008-04-01T19:01:00.005-05:00

Once again I made a batch of Blondies. It is a recipe I have made a million times but just haven't taken pictures. I had my camera out tonight so I thought I would snap a couple pictures to share.

I am in love with this recipe and love its versitility. I have tried more combinations of add-ins than I can count and each time they turn out Delish! I added toasted pecans, toffee pieces and white chocolate chunks to this batch. Here are some other variations I have really enjoyed but feel free to mix and match add-ins to meet your tastes!

Cinnamon chips/ Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirl/Cinnamon

PB chips/Milk Chocolate Chips/Reese's Pieces

Dried Cranberries/White Chocolate Chunks/ Toasted Walnuts

Toffee pieces/Toasted Pecans/Butterscotch chips
Diced apples/cinnamon/Cinnamon chips

Reese's PB cups, chopped/ Grated Hershey's bar

Toasted Coconut/Macadamian nuts

Blonde Magic

2008-03-29T17:31:00.010-05:00

Magic Cookie Bars that is!
I LOVE the famous Magic Cookie bars, also known as 7 layer bars. The first time I had one of these chocolate/butterscotch/coconut goodies was at a church bakesale when I was a little girl. Ah the memories.

As a child I loved the taste, as an adult I also love that these bars are so quick to prepare and the possibilities are endless for the goodies to layer on. I had a bunch of slivered almonds to use up so I created a chocolate-free Magic Cookie bar, as I have named the Blonde Magic Cookie Bar. Ok, it's not chocolate-free as it does use white chocolate, but it is still Blonde! ha ha

I based my recipe off of the one from the Eagle brand website but altered it greatly. These bars turned out great! The toasting of the nuts and coconut before baking really intensify the flavors and the white chocolate melts to creamy goodness with its mild taste pairing beautifully with the almonds, coconut and almond flavored Sweet and Condesed Milk. All of this goodness lies atop a tender and buttery graham cracker crust. This recipe is a definate keeper in this house!

Blonde Magic Cookie Bars
adapted from Eagle Brand
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used 4 whole graham crackers and 1 half)
7 ounces (1/2 can) Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
1 cup coarsley chopped white baking chocolate (NOT white chocolate chips, they melt differently)
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut (toasted)
1 cup slivered almonds (toasted)

Preheat oven to 350.
Line an 8x8 inch pan with foil. Lightly spray with PAM.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Evenly spread coconut on half of baking sheet and the slivered almonds on the other half.
Toast in preheated oven for 10 minutes stirring every 3 minutes for even browning and to prevent burning.

In 8x8 baking pan, melt butter in oven (can be done while coconut and almonds are toasting). Once melted remove from oven. Sprinkle crumbs over melted butter and gently pat to cover bottom of pan.
Combine the 7oz. of Sweetened Condensed Milk and Almond extract, stir to combine.

Once the coconut and nuts are finished toasting remove from oven. Evenly sprinkle almonds over prepared crust, next sprinkled the chopped white chocolate over the almonds.
Evenly sprinkle the toasted coconut over the nuts and chocolate. Gently pour the Sweetened Condensed milk/almond extract mixture evenly over coconut layer.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Want one?

These will Vanish Quickly

2008-03-22T09:41:00.011-05:00

Oh how I do love this recipe. I recently blogged about my love for the Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie Recipe. It truly is one of the best oatmeal cookie recipes out there in my opinion. The last time I made the recipe I used raisins that had soaked in some vanilla and warm water (to plump up) and they were great (this coming from someone who doesn't really care for raisins!).

Today I decided to whip up another batch of cookies using the Quaker recipe. This time I omitted the cinnamon, subbed Almond Extract for the vanillla extract and added some coconut. The results are Fabulous! The coconut makes these cookies a little sturdier and heartier. They have a lightly crisp exterior and edged but the interior is moist and bursting with flavor. The almond/coconut flavors play off of each brilliantly. Next time I might throw in some Milk Chocolate chips or chopped pecans/almonds not that these cookies need anything more, I just like to experiment. I suggest you make these sooner rather than later!

Vanishing Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
adapted from Quaker
2 sticks margarine or butter, softened (I used butter)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) (I used)
2 1/2 cups Quaker® Oats (I used Quick Cooking)

1/2 -1 cup Coconut (more or less to taste and texture: You don't want the dough too dry to stick together to form balls)

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.
Add eggs and almond extract; beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add oats and 1/2 cup coconut; mix well. Add more coconut up to 1 full cup until desired consistency (and taste is achieved).

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

TCHO chocolate

2008-03-18T21:20:00.002-05:00

I just got mine through Blake. I can't wait to blog about it later this week!! Stay tuned.

A Vanishing Act

2008-03-15T16:50:00.009-05:00

I baked something I seldom do, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. As much as I bake oatmeal cookies, I usually add pretty much anything BUT raisins (walnuts, chocolate chips, cranberries, white chocolate, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, M&M's............. not all at once!).

Well, today I was feeling rebelious and thought I would throw caution to the wind and add Raisins to my Oatmeal Cookies! I used a Tried and True recipe from the lid of the Quaker Oatmeal Box!

This recipe produces everything an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie should be, in my opinion, soft, chewy, wholesome (yet not "healthy" tasting) with a hint of cinnamon. The raisins were a welcomed addition to this much loved and altered Oatmeal Cookie Recipe!

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

by Quaker Oats

2 sticks margarine or butter, softened (I used butter)

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) (I used)

3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked) (I used Quick Cooking)

1 cup raisins (I soaked in warm water and vanilla for 10 minutes and drained before using)

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirled Blondies

2008-03-15T13:02:00.013-05:00

I haven't baked forever (stupid work, keeping me busy) and couldn't wait to whip up some goodies this morning. I had half a block of cream cheese that needed to be used up and decided to experiment a bit and add a Cheesecake Swirl to a slight variation of my Basic Blondie recipe.

The results were great, even though the colors of the cheesecake swirl and the blondies blend together so it is hard to distinguish between the two visually. The cinnamon in the Cheesecake swirl was not overpowering and complimented the cinnamon chips and the hint of cinnamon I added to the blondie recipe nicely.

These were really good warm with a scoop of cinnamon icecream and warm carmel sauce drizzled over the top. MMM.

Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirled Blondies
6 TBS butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup Hershey's Brand Cinnamon Chips (optional, white chocolate chips or walnuts would be good as well)

Cinnamon Cheesecake Swirl
5 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon (more or less to taste)
2 TBS flour
1 tsp pure Vanilla
1 egg yolk

In bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, flour and vanilla beat until smooth. Add egg yolk and beat just until combined. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.
Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM.
In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 mintues.

Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour baking powder and cinnamon.
Mix in Cinnamon Chips and/or nuts or other chips (if using)

Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Dollup cinnamon cream cheese mixture over blondie batter in pan.
Run a knife through the blondie and cheesecake layers to create a pattern or swirls.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until set in the middle. (I baked for 27 minutes)Cool on rack before cutting.

You made my Day!

2008-03-06T21:59:00.005-06:00

I would like to extend a huge "Thank You" to Chelley at Sugar and Spice for making my day! to I love Chelley's blog and visit it often for tride and true savory and sweet recipes. I admire her for the way she is constantly challenging herself with new recipes and techniques while participating in many "recipe challenges" such as the Daring Bakers and Tuesdays with Dorie.

Thanks again Chelley for making my Day!

Now, I am to pass along the good will to 10 other people that make my day… Deborah, Katie, Janey, Ally, Ashley, Erin, Jaime, Nikki, Julia, and Emily.

Please pass this along to 10 people that make your day!

Cinnamon Coins

2008-03-05T19:58:00.011-06:00

These bite sized cookies are perfect for snacking and fit perfectly in a lunch box for a quick afternoon snack. The great thing about these cookies is that you can make the dough days before baking and store in the fridge until ready to bake. Unlike many of my cookies that are soft, these are cookies that you slice from a preformed chilled dough log that has been rolled in Turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw). The sweet, coarse texture of the Turbinado sugar is a nice contrast to the slightly spicy cinnamon flavoring and chips in the cookie. While the original recipe did not call for pecans, I find they add a welcomed flavor addition.

I crushed the left over cookies and used as ice cream topping and added to crushed graham crackers to make a pie crust for a cheesecake. So yummy!

Cinnamon Coins
from Cuisine at Home Holiday Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup coarsley chopped Cinnamon Chips (I used Hershey's brand)**
1/4 cup finely crushed pecans (my addition)
Turbinado Sugar (to roll dough logs)

**Make sure the Cinnamon chips are chopped or you will not be able to slice the chilled dough log into uniform slices. You can leave the cinnamon chips out if desired, just up the amount of cinnamon in the recipe a bit (to taste)

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the egg, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Beat until combined. Gently fold in the flour, cinnamon chips and pecan pieces until combined. Divide the dough into two equal parts. Generously sprinkle a smooth countertop with Turbinado sugar.

Roll each dough half in the sugar into a 20 inch long dough rope. Add more sugar as needed to coat and prevent the dough log from sticking. Wrap dough ropes in Seran wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or until firm. The longer chilled the easier to slice.

When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchement paper. Slice dough ropes into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on baking sheet leaving 1 inch between each slice of dough.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes and transfer to rack to cool completely. Store in air-tight container.

Excellent

2008-03-04T20:51:00.005-06:00

Wow! What an honor to have your blog be declared "Excellent" by a fellow blogger. A big thanks to Annie for the giving me this award. I love her blog as it has many tried and true favorites that have always been a success whenever I have made them. My blog is mostly sweets and baked goods. I love to cook but baking has captured my heart and I love to blog about my trials and errors. Being recognized for my fun hobby is a true honor that I am happy to pass along to the following bloggers whom I admire and feel are "Excellent"

1. Culinary Infatuation - Ally's blog serves as my "go-to" blog when I want a sure fire hit that I know my friends and family will love. Her creativity with common ingredients is always welcome and have yet to fail me.

2. Good Eats and Sweet Treats- Just as the title of her blog claims, it is full of wonderful recipes. I love love love Jaime's blog. Often times when I have a recipe in mind, she has just blogged about something very simlar. I guess great minds think alike! Her blog is full of wonderful sweets and great savory recipes that will please even the pickiest eaters.

3. Mary Ellen- I can't say enough about this blog. her recipes are winners and she offers new ways to cook and serve everything from chicken to rice. I love that she is always experimenting with recipes and offers suggestions as to how to improve upon one of her recipes ourselves. Her soups are to die for and are great when you are looking for something a little more 'special' than the same old recipe.

4. Sweet Savory Southern - Last but not least is Renea's blog. her blog is a no-nonsense approach to cooking that focuses on flavor and good old home-cooking. I love checking out her blog when I am in the mood for a good old piece of cake or chicken (she has over 25 recipes for chicken alone). This is one blog that offers recipes that make you feel at home!

Throw Down Show Down! It's Cookie Time

2008-02-25T13:39:00.026-06:00

As many of you out there know Bobby Flay has a show on the Food Network called "Throw Down with Bobby Flay". Each week he challenges cooks and bakers who are the "master's" at a recipe or food to cook/bake-off against Bobby's recipe to see who is the ultimate "Master" as deemed by guest judges. Last week he did a Throw Down for Chocolate Chip Cookies against New York City's Levain Bakery. The Levain Bakery's famous Chocolate Chip Walnut cookies come in at a whopping 6oz a piece! That is SOME cookie and made Bobby's flat little cookie look like a pancake! Needless to say they won hands down.

Many home bakers watched the Throw Down and excitedly logged on the the Foodnetwork website in eager anticipation to copy the Levain cookie recipe and to recreate those monstrous winners at home. Sadly, the recipe was never released leaving the recreation of the recipe up to the home baker. Thankfully there is a wonderful blogger, sugoodsweets who created a blog post where a whole group of bakers out there who banned together to try and recreate this cookie. I took the recipe posted by Lisa, which seemed to have the most success at producing a close replica of the winning Levain Cookies on Throw Down. I did make some minor changes as reflected in my posted recipe.

I have never been to the Levain bakery nor tasted any of their cookies so I can not claim that these are a match. The outside texture of these cookies is slightly crisp and the inside produces a dense yet delicate crumb. It is not quite cakey, I would describe them as thick with a chew (thanks to the baking powder in the recipe). I am unsure if they will maintain their chewiness after a few days of storage.

The recipe I based these off of did not include vanilla. I added 1 teaspoon and would probably add a tad more next time as I felt the flavor was a little flat. I also did not have any nuts and find it hard to believe that a whole cup of nuts would fit into the batter along with the 2 cups of chocolate chips called for. I would go with your gut and not a measuring cup when adding in the chips and nuts. It was indicated on Throw Down that the Levain cookies are kind of "doughy" inside. If wanting the same texture I would suggest baking a test cookie and checking at the minimum baking time until the doneness you are looking for is achieved.

Will this cookie replace all other chocolate chip cookies in my kitchen. No. But, I doubt any cookie will ever be good enough to replace all others. That is what keeps me baking and creating! I would suggest others try this recipe and be the judge to their own Throw Down.

Copycat Levain Bakery Throw Down Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla (next time I would add more)

3 1/4 cups flour (use a tad more if dough seems too sticky)

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chips (I used half semisweet and half milk chocolate) (can use up to 2 cups, you be the judge)

1 cup walnuts (I omited)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Beat the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in eggs, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. The dough will be stiff and thick. Finish mixing by hand if needed until just combined. Gently fold in chips and nuts if using.

Use a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop out dough balls. Place dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. You can make smaller dough balls but be sure to adjust baking times as needed to prevent browning.

Bake 15-25 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies and your oven) or until cookies are pale brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy. I baked my cookies for 17 minutes exactly.

Cool cookies on cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack until cooled completly. Serve or store in airtight container.

The Ultimate Bar Cookie

2008-02-23T10:05:00.020-06:00

If you want a treat that will satisfy that sweet tooth of yours this is your recipe! I originally got this recipe from a lady I volunteered with at Habitat for Humanity project. She brought these as our afternoon treat; these did not last long at and after one bite I knew I needed more. I kindly asked and she wrote down the recipe for me. After a quick internet search for the source I found a similar one here at CDkitchen.

This is a recipe (if you can call it that) that I have been using and adapting (based on what ingredients I have on hand) for years. I love the fact that it is so adaptable based on what you have in the kitchen pantry and freezer. My favorite topping combination is White chocolate chunks, semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips and walnut pieces. But have tried many topping combinations and have yet to find a "bad" one.

I love the brown sugar shortbread-like crust and the toffee mixture that sinfully holds all of the toppings to the crust. These cookie bars are very sweet so you can get away with cutting them small.

You can cut these bars into squares or do what I did for a cute presentation.

I used various sizes of round cookie cutters to cut the bars after they had cooled and chilled slightly for easy cutting.

The remaining bar pieces I store in a tupperware container in the freezer and use as a topping for my icecream. MMMMMMMMM. I love treats that keep on giving.

The Ultimate Bar Cookies

2 cups flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (any of the following, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans)

1/2 cup white chocolate -- coarsely chopped

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup butter (NO substitutions)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350.
Line a 9x13 pan with foil.

Beat flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter until fine crumbs form. Pat mixture firmly into bottom of foil lined baking pan. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven.

Sprinkle nuts and chocolate (or other toppings) over the hot crust.

In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together 3/4 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar, stirring constantly until bubbly. Once it starts bubbling cook and stir for 1 minute.

Pour mixture evenly over nuts and chocoalte in pan. Make sure not to get too close to the edges of the pan or it will burn to the sides.

Bake 15 minutes more or until just bubbly around edges.

Cool in pan on rack. Cut into bars.

** You can use any toppings that you and your family enjoy. Try mixing and matching your fave nuts or chocolate. I have also created a variety of combinations using dark chocolate bars chopped, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, toasted coconut, Reese's pieces, Reese's pb cups chopped, crushed Fritos etc.

A Savory Snack

2008-02-20T07:48:00.007-06:00

While I love sweet treats, as demonstrated by the majority of the recipes in my blog, every now and then I crave something savory or salty to munch on. These crackers are perfect for those times when you need a little something to satisfy your hunger.

I love to serve these crackers as a snack when I have company but these are also the perfect addition to a bowl of chili, chicken noodle soup, creamy tomato soup or as a side with a sandwich or panini instead of potato chips. I am not sure they are healthier than potato chips but they are a nice change of pace.

Hidden Valley Ranch Crackers

source: Hidden Valley Ranch

16 oz. Oyster Crackers (I used about 5 cups)

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1 1oz. package Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix

1/4 tsp dried Dill (my addition)

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder (my addition)

Preheat oven to 250.

In a very large bowl stir together oil, seasoning mix, dill weed and garlic powder. Add crackers and gently toss to evenly coat.

Spread crackers evenly on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring gently after 10 minutes to ensure even browning.

Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheet. Store in air tight container.

Fit for a Crowd

2008-02-17T11:25:00.025-06:00

This is a recipe my grandma used to make when I was little. It is great for family get-to-gethers, church functions, bake sales and pot lucks because these bars make a ton and are always a hit with both adults and kids.

These bars have a sweet smooth layer of chocolate-fudgey goodness is nestled between a crust and topping made with wholesome oatmeal. I find that these bars provide just the right amount of sweetness without being tooth-achey-sweet which makes these a favorites for adults and children.

My grandma always made these using a 10x15 jelly roll pan when making these bars. Using this size pan ensure even baking of crust and filling and increases the amount of bars you get out of the recipe. I did not have a jelly roll pan so I baked mine using a 9x13 pan. If you do this the crust for the bars and the fudge layer are thick and don't cook quite as evenly as I had to bake mine for about 35 minutes for the fudge layer to set which made my crust a little dry and over done. Either way they tasted super yummy but I think I will put off making these again until I buy a jelly roll pan for even tastier results.

NOTE: This recipe is from a hand written cookbook my grandma gave me. I am not sure where she originally got the recipe, if you know its origin let me know and I will cite it.

Grandma's Oatmeal Fudge Bars

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons Vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teasponn baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups Quaker quick cooking oatmeal.

2 cups Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (15 oz.)

2 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts (optional, walnuts or pecans) *I did not use

Preheat oven to 325.

Grease and flour a 10x15 jelly roll pan. *I used a 9x13 pan

In a large bowl sift together flour, soda and salt. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl. , beat together softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time and beat until combined. Add vanilla and mix well.

Slowly add the sifted flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in oatmeal.

Gently spread 2/3 crust into bottom of prepared pan. Reserve the rest for topping.

Make the filling:

Over Medium-Low heat, melt together chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and salt. Stir until smooth. Remove mixture from heat and stir in vanilla and nuts if using.

Evenly pour filling mixture of crust but keeping filling about a 1/4 inch away from side of pan so it does not stick to side while baking. Evenly dollup top of filling with remaining oat mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until topping is light brown and fudge layer set but not solid. Don't overbake these bars or they can become dry.

Cool in pay on rack until set. Can chill to set faster. Keep stored in airtight container either room temp or in fridge.

*I used a 9x13 pan and baked for 38 minutes for the fudgey layer to set but this caused the crust to be a little too done compared to my grandma's bars baked in a jelly roll pan. The bars were also a little hard to cut because of the thickness of the crust and filling. They were very good though! Everyone at work raved about them and there no complaints.

I have been tagged!

2008-02-12T20:08:00.000-06:00

by Ashley. Here are the rules.

I’ve been tagged by a fellow blogger! Here are the rules:

Rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

My 5 Facts about Me:
1. I sing very loudly in the car but only when I am alone
2. I have a tatoo (tasteful) on my lower back (aka "the tramp stamp", ha ha)
3. I love to listen to NPR
4. I am saving up for a trip to Greece
5. I am in love with Sean from the tv show Psych!

Now I have to tag 5 other food blogs…
Here are the 5 foodies I tagged:
Erin
Renea
Tara
Laney
Gillian

Happy Blogging!

Carmelicious!

2008-02-11T20:07:00.000-06:00

Look at those bars! Who does not love the combination of caramel and chocolate?

Wow, I had forgotten how great these bars are. I love the texture of the slighlty crisp crust with the gooey caramel layer filled with nuts and chocolate.

I have been making these since high school (one could say it was my "signature" dessert back then). The recipe comes from our dear friends at Pilsbury and is so easy I used to have it memorized.

The thing I love about these bars is that they are great warm, room temperature or even straight out of the fridge (which is where I keep them during the summer months or the caramel gets a little too gooey for eating with your hands). The oatmeal/brown sugar crust provides a nice and hearty base for these bars and keeps them from being overly-sweet.

Here is the recipe directly copied from the website. My changes are in red.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

from Pillsbury

2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose or Unbleached Flour (I used Gold Medal)
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups margarine or butter, softened (I used butter)

1 (12.5-oz.) jar (1 cup) caramel ice cream topping
3 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose or Unbleached Flour (I used Gold Medal)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used 1/2 cup Milk chocolate and 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I usually use Walnuts but omitted nuts this time)

Heat oven to 350°F.
Grease 13x9-inch pan.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly. Reserve half of crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of greased pan.
Bake for 10 minutes or until light brown.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour; blend well.

Remove partially baked crust from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts.
Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Return to oven; bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set.
Cut into bars.

Yellow with Envy

2008-02-06T16:26:00.000-06:00

While I am a HUGE chocolate cake lover, my heart belongs to the Yellow Cake. I tried my hand at making one from scratch and was very pleased with the results. After searching through several cookbooks for a recipe that was worthy of sacraficing my Homemade Yellow Cake Virginity I decided I was more comfortable using a recipe already blogged about for my "first time". I turned to Nic at bakingbites and found what I was looking for! I followed her recipe to a "T" with the exception of adding a drop of Yellow food coloring to bump up the Yellow in my Yellow Cake.

Take note, as she uses a unique mixing method (blends the butter with dry ingredients before adding the wet) which produces a cake that has the most tender crumb you have eaten. The cake baked up light, fluffy and oh so delicious. and nothing takes a Yellow Cake over-the-top better than Chocolate Frosting.

I was so pleased with the cake that could not wait to taste it. Instead of making homemade chocolate frosting, I busted out my favorite canister of Chocolate Frosting and proceeded to enjoy the fruits of my labor with a good slathering of Chocolate on top (just the way I like it).

Let me say, while boxed Yellow cake mixes totally rock my world, this recipe has sent my world into a tail-spin!

Yellow Sheet Cake

from bakingbites

2 ½ cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup butter, softened

3 eggs

1 cup milk (I used whole)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 drop Yellow Food Coloring

Chocolate Frosting

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line a 9×13 inch sheet pan with parchment paper, or lightly grease it with shortening or oil (butter will produce a harder “crust”).

Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add sugar and, using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed to blend. Cut butter into 4 or 5 chunks and drop into the bowl with the flour. Blend on low speed until mixture looks sandy and no large chunks of butter remain, 1-2 minutes.

In a large measuring cup, combine eggs, milk, vanilla and food coloring. Beat lightly with a fork until combined. With the mixer on low, pour 1 cup of the egg mixture into the bowl. Turn speed up to medium and beat for 1 ½ minutes. Reduce speed back to low and pour in the rest of the egg mixture. Continue to beat at low speed for an additional 30 seconds, until liquid is fully incorporated.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a few more seconds, if necessary.Pour into prepared 9×13 pan and spread batter evenly with a spatula. Tap gently a few times to eliminate any bubbles.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. Frost with Chocolate Frosting and Enjoy!

Don't lick the Screen

2008-02-03T14:24:00.003-06:00

Lick the beaters, the spoon, your fingers, the knife and your plate. These are THAT good in my opinion. I have been tweaking a basic brownie recipe for the past six months that I found in my mom's recipe box. The recipe was tattered and and speckled with dried batter (a sign of a winner in my book!). My mom rarey makes brownies from scratch anymore as she is a woman of convenience and the $.88 boxed brownie mix. She did remember that she used to bake these from scratch all of the time when she was my age and first married to my dad but doesn't remember where she got the recipe.

The first time I baked the brownies according to the recipe but they were not very chocolatey and way too cakey for my liking. I did some tweaking (more/less eggs, sugar, butter, chocolate, cocoa powder, etc) every time I have made them and lets just say that these brownies came out to be the Brownies I had dreamed of. I only hope to have continued success with the recipe as written, if not, I am not afraid to tweak some more until pure brownie perfection is achieved. **Fingers crossed for future success!!

After my latest tweaks I stood there looking at the batter in my mixing bowl. Not wanting to be disappointed by another plain-jane-so-so brownie I decided to jazz them up a bit. In my book chocolate, cheesecake and peanut butter is a combination created by the Gods. And let's just say the God's have shined down upon this recipe. These brownies are fudgey, gooey and oh so chocolately (thanks to THREE different kinds of chocolate) with a creamy peanut-buttery cheesecake swirled throughout not once but twice. If that wasn't enough peanut butter overload these babies are topped with chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups the last five minutes of baking. Just long enough for them to melt into the brownies a bit but still retain their shape making these brownies fall into the FOOD PORN category.
Go ahead and indulge!

Double Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

3/4 cup butter, very soft (not melted but softer than room temp)

1 cup sugar

1 TBS vanilla extract

2 large eggs
1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

1 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cups creamy PB

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

5-6 Reese's peanut butter cups (regular size) cut into 6-8 pieces each

IMPORTANT: Do NOT omit the Reese's Peanut Butter cups. They take these brownies over the top and add the "Double" Peanut Butter taste the title tepts tastebuds with

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8" square pan with foil and lightly coat with PAM cooking spray.

In a microwave safe bowl melt the two baking chocolate squares in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until smooth and melted after stirring. Do not scortch! Remove from microwave and allow to come to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, Beat together butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Add vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix to combine. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl and wisk together. Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture. Do not overmix.

In separate mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, peanut butter sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add egg and beat until just combined.

Spread about 2/3 of chocolate brownie batter into prepared pan. Evenly drop 1/2 of cheesecake batter in dollups over brownie batter. Run a knife through both mixtures to slightly swirl.

Dollop remaining brownie batter and cheesecake batter over swirled mixture. Run knife through the browine and cheesecake dollups (not all the way through the already swirled layer) to create a swirled pattern.

Bake for 40-45 minutes**, or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. Do not overbake or they will harden, if underbaked they will be too gooey. Every oven is different so watch and check these after about 35-40 minutes of baking to ensure propper doneness.

**After about 35-40 minutes of baking (with about 5-7 minutes of baking time left, you just need to eyeball it) gently place cut up Reese's cups over top of almost fully baked brownies. Finish baking until a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. The Reese's PB cups will melt but hold their shape slightly. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting and serving.

NOTE: I have not baked the brownie recipe without the Double Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl and Reese's on top so I am not sure how the brownies themselves rate. Let's just say I may not find out as I am in love with the Double Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe.

NOTE 2/13/08: I changed and added 5-7 minutes the baking time as a few people who have made the recipe indicated a longer bake time was needed than oringinally posted. The recipe listed above reflects those changes.
All ovens are different so be sure to keep an eye on your brownies to prevent overbaking. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it.

Thy Cup Runneth Over

2008-02-03T10:40:00.000-06:00

This recipe comes from the Hershey's website. Just as the title implies this is the "Perfectly Chocolate Cake". I chose to make mine into cupcakes (portion control, ha ha, yeah right!) and as you can seen I filled cupcake liners with a tad too much batter as the cupcakes almost baked over their liners!

These baked up light and fluffy (as you can see) and oh so chocolatey! I chose not to frost these cupcakes as I much prefer a dollup of SugarFree Coolwhip on the top of my cupcake. Frosted or not, you will not be disappointed with this cake recipe as it is a tried and true and has received RAVE reviews, both on the Hershey's website as well as on "What's for Dinner" message board on thenest.com as seen in Chelley's, Erin's, Carrie's and Tara's blogs.

If you are looking for the Perfect Chocolate Cake (or cupcakes) give this recipe a try and be prepared to have your socks knocked off.

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes

from: Hersheys

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

VARIATIONS:ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2008-02-03T09:36:00.001-06:00

My FAVORITE non-baked dessert definately tastes like a pot of gold to me! My mom has been making this recipe for me for years. Each bite takes me back to childhood summers and to a world filled with munchkins (me and my friends), my childhood dog, and a yellowbrick road (our neighborhood street) that led us on many adventures.

I LOVE sherbert, especially Rainbow sherbert. You know the one with Lemon, Lime and Orange sherbert all swirled together. It is a light and refreshing welcomed change from Icecream when you are looking for a cool treat. Although the weather is in the single didgets I was craving this dessert. It is a true favorite of mine. This desert takes minimal time to prep and assemble but does require some chill time to firm up. But it is SOOOOO worth the wait.

You know I love recipes that you can tweak easily to make it your own and this recipe is no exception. A great thing about this recipe is that you can substitute any of your favorite ice cream, frozen yogurt or sherbert flavor for the Rainbow sherbert. We have used vanilla and pecan ice creams served with warm carmel drizzled over the top of each slice for an impressive dessert for company.

However, I have to admit, with the toasted nutty sweet crust I find icecream too rich and much prefer my Rainbow Sherbert in this recipe. Feel free to play around with different flavors of icecream to suit your own tastes, you really can't go wrong as the crust/topping will make it winner.

The crust and topping of this dessert take it over the top in my opinion. The perfect blend of brown sugar, butter, cereal, coconut and nuts perfectly toasted provide a droolworthy base and crubly topping for this dessert. I have been known to make extra crust/topping and eat with a spoon! It is THAT good. You could even make the crust/topping and store in an airtight container in your fridge and use as a topping for scoops of icecream or sherbert for a quick and tastey weeknight dessert.

Frozen Dream Crunch Bars

10 TBS butter, melted (1 stick plus 2 TBS)

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 3/4 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup slivered almonds (or other favorite nut, like pecans)

3/4-1 gallon Rainbow Sherbert, softened (or other fave icecream flavor)

Preheat oven to 325.

Lightly spray a baking sheet with PAM spray. Place frozen Sherbert on counter or in fridge to soften.
Toast the almonds by spreading slivered almonds evenly over baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, stirring after 4 mintues. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 375.

While nuts are toasting, melt butter in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together butter, cereal, brown sugar, coconut and toasted nuts.

Spread mixture on a baking sheet.

Bake in oven 10 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes for even browning. Watch carefully and do not let burn. Let cool completely.

Press 2/3 of cooled mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Gently spread softened sherbert over crust. Sprinkle remaining mixture evenly over Sherbert layer, cover tightly and freeze until set.

Cheater Cookies

2008-01-30T19:09:00.001-06:00

Why are these called "Cheater Cookies"? It is because they start with a cake mix so all you need to add is eggs, butter/oil and any add-ins (chocolate chips, nuts, candies etc) that you want. So easy to whip up when you are in a pinch with minimal ingredients on hand. If you are looking for a delicious, quick, easy and sure to please cookie, give these a try!

These cookies (if not overbaked) are so soft and chewy, not cakey. You really need to watch thses while baking, they can go from perfect to overbaked pretty quickly. These cookies are very versatile and can be made with any cake mix that you have on hand. I sprinkle a little sugar over the cookies before baking which produces a slightly-sweet crisp exterior that is the perfect balance to the tender interior of these yummy little morsels.

I used a Yellow Cake mix this time but other family favorites are: chocolate cake mix and Andes mint chips; white cake mix and dried cranberries and walnuts; chocolate cake mix and chocolate and peanut butter chips. The possibilities are endless if you use your imagination!

Cheater Cookies

variation of recipe from allrecipes: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cake-Mix-Cookies-VIII/Detail.aspx

1 (18.25 ounce) package Yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 TBS Vegetable Oil

2 eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Milk chocolate chips (or nuts, candies, dried fruits, etc)

Sugar (for sprinkling on top)

Preheat oven to 350.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, oil and egg. Add cake mix and vanilla and blend well. Fold in chocolate chips or other add-ins.

Chill for 10 minutes.

Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely as they will break easily if moved too soon.

Improvising

2008-01-30T18:17:00.000-06:00

I really wanted cinnamon rolls Monday morning for breakfast but did not have time to make any from scratch. So, I decided to improvise and use what I had on hand.

These scrumptious little pinwheels take less than 30 minutes from start to finish and are perfect for weekday mornings! While no replacement for my homemade Cinnamon Rolls, these did fine in a pinch and were perfect with a mug of hot chocolate. The crescent roll dough keeps these rolls light and flaky and the cream cheese mixture provides just the right amount of cinnamony sweetness that satisfies my morning sweet tooth without causing a sugar overload! I used the same technique in making these pinwheels as I did for the Bacon Appetizer Crescents

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pinwheels
5 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat Neufatel cheese)

3 TBS packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Spray cookie sheet with PAM.

Mix cream cheese, brown sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Take two triangular pieces of dough and press the perforations together to seal and create a rectangle.
If you are using the 8 oz. cans of dough, divide the cream cheese mixture into 4 equal parts and spread 1/4th of the mixture evenly on the dough. If you are using the larger cans of dough, divide the cream cheese mixture into 6 equal parts and evenly spread 1/6th of the mixture on the dough.
Cut the dough lengthwise into 4 equal pieces, approximately 1/2 to 3/4-inches wide.

Roll the dough up into a pinwheel and place flat on baking sheet.

Bake as package directs or until golden in color.

*You could make a quick glaze using sifted powdered sugar and cream/milk to drizzle over top of the warm pinwheels.

Bringing home the Bacon

2008-01-30T18:03:00.001-06:00

Cream cheese Bacon pinwheels that is!

When I saw these over on MrsPresley's blog. I knew I had to try them. The recipe comes from Kraft which means these are simple, tasty and use ingredients you probably already have on hand. These pinwheels bake up fluffy with an Ooey-Gooey-Creamy -Cheesy-Bacony swirl in between flaky layers of crescent rolls. We loved that these took only minutes to prep and bake. Perfect for snacking on while watching the big game.

Bacon Appetizer Crescents (or Bacon Pinwheels)
from KraftFoods.com
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (I used 5oz. of 1/3 less fat Neufatel cheese)
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese)
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (not in original recipe)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (I used 3 tsp dried parsley flakes)
1 Tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (I used one 10.1 oz can)

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Spray a baking sheet with PAM cooking spray.

Mix cream cheese, bacon, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, onions, parsley, crushed red pepper flakes and milk until well blended; set aside.
Take two triangular pieces of dough and press the perforations together to seal and create a rectangle. If you are using the 8 oz. cans of dough, divide the cream cheese mixture into 4 equal parts and spread 1/4th of the mixture evenly on the dough. If you are using the larger cans of dough, divide the cream cheese mixture into 6 equal parts and evenly spread 1/6th of the mixture on the dough.

Cut the dough lengthwise into 4 equal pieces, approximately 1/2 to 3/4-inches wide (I cut mine into 1/2 inch pieces). Roll the dough up into a pinwheel and place flat on prepared baking sheet.
Bake according to package directions or until golden in color.

Is Raggedty a word?

2008-01-13T16:22:00.001-06:00

because that is the adjective used in the title of these delicious little bars.
Raggedty Top Bars.

This recipe comes from a hand written cookbook given to me by my wonderful grandma. She is the baker of all bakers. I have many childhood memories centered around her delicious baked goods (breads, chocolate chip cookies, scones and biscuits to name a few)
I loved going to her house as she always had some yummy goodies baked up for me to enjoy. I don't remember these bars but my mom sure does. These are one of my mom's favorite bar recipes that my grandma used to make for her. My grandma does not remember where this recipe originated so I am giving credit to her, (If someome knows who created the original, let me know and I will cite them).

Upon first looking at this recipe I thought it looked deliciously similar to my Basic Blondie recipe. It is very similar, however the base of these bars are not as ooey and toffee-like as the base of the blondies. Don't get me wrong though, these bars are very very good and are made all the better by the sinful chocolate/coconut/nut topping that blankets the top of them. The topping is thick and gooey and oh so good. It does firm up as it cools but it still may it difficult to store as stacking the bars on top of eachother may cause the bars to stick together.

If you like the Basic Blondies and have run out of combinations of add-ins, try adding a topping to them. This recipe is a great and will definately be made again. Next time I may use butterscotch chip instead of chocolate for the topping and try toasting different nuts to stir into the topping. If desired you could also stir nuts, chips or dried fruit into the batter for the bars before baking (however, I do like that the topping is the main focus of these basic bars).

In any case, I love a recipe that has unlimited possibilites and that allows you to truly make the recipe your own!

Raggedty Top Bars
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter (very soft)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
*Raggedty Topping (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a foil lined 9x13 pan.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Slowly mix in the flour, baking powder and salt just until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 27-35 minutes or until golden on top. Remove bars from oven.

Place dollups of Raggedty Topping evenly over bars using a greased spoon (do not spread).
Return bars to oven for 2 minutes or until topping is spreadable. Remove and with a buttered knife gently spread topping over bars. If desired sprinkle more coconut and nuts over top of bars. Return to oven and bake for 6-7 minutes more.

**Prepare topping with 5 minutes of baking time left on bars

Raggedty Topping
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 cup chocolate chips (can use butterscotch chips instead) *I used 1/2 milk and 1/2 semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 TBS butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup shredded coconut

In a pan over low heat, stir together the syrup, chips, butter and vanilla until chips are melted. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and nuts.

**NOTE: Next time I would double the topping recipe, it was so good and the bars could have handled more.

Best Brownies?

2008-01-05T09:59:00.000-06:00

You be the judge.

The quest for the perfect basic brownie recipe is as ongoing as the quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Each person has their own opinion as too what makes the "Perfect" one. I prefer a brownie that is NOT cakey, yet chewy and a little fudgey. I despise frosting on a brownie as I feel it is really just a cover for a so-so brownie recipe under neath. That being said, if you want fudgey brownies, you will want to try this recipe.

This recipe comes from the wonderful experts at Hershey (who have brought us the BEST chocolate cake recipe I have tried, sorry no pictures or blog entry on that yet). I typically use the recipe from the back of the Ghiridelli Sweetened Chocolate can but decided to try a new recipe in honor of a new year!

These brownies were very dense and fudge-like, almost a little too fudgey (that may be a good thing for some people). Many people over bake their brownies leaving them dry and crumbly, a toothpick inserted in the center should have a few crumbs on it when testing for the doneness of brownies. If it comes out clean you have overbaked them.

Now on to the recipe:

*My changes in red

Best Brownies

(Source: Hershey's)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup Hershey’s cocoa (I used Ghiridelli becacue that is what I had on hand)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional; I used walnuts)

Heat oven to 350.

Grease 9-inch square baking pan. (I used an 8x8 square pan)
Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon.

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended.

Stir in nuts, if desired.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of the pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.

My Favorite Cookie

2007-12-29T10:02:00.002-06:00

EVER!!

Monster Cookies!

I am a lover of cookies. I love trying new recipes, but this one I crave more than all the others. I love the combination of Peanut butter and Oatmeal. I am not sure why they are called Monster Cookies, that is what my mom always called them.

I love this recipe for looks, texture and definately taste!

This recipe is so versitile and you can really make it your own (just like the Basic Blondies)! The peanut butter taste is not overwhelming but provides a subtle backround flavor that pairs nicely with whatever you choose to stir into this recipe. The oatmeal provides a great texture without being too grainy as some can be. These are enjoyed by adults and kids alike!

Monster Cookies

½ cup butter, room temp
1 1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs

1/8 cup vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups peanut butter (I like Creamy)

1 tsp baking soda
4 ½ cups oatmeal (quick cooking or old fashioned)

Add-ins should equal 1 -2 cups total:

(I used 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 3/4 cup Reese's Pieces Holiday Edition)

chocolate chips

white chocolate chips

butterscotch chips

PB chips

M&M's

Reese's Pieces

Nuts (walnuts, peanuts, pecans)

Raisins

Craisins
Preheat oven to 350.

In mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars until blended. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined.

Add Peanut Butter and baking soda. Beat until combined.

Slowly add oatmeal. Blend in as much as you can with mixer and fold in the rest by hand along with your choice of Add-ins.

Drop on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes until light brown and just set around edges. Cool on counter. Store in tupperware with slice of bread (not touching cookies) to keep soft and chewy for a few days.

Pour some Sugar on Me

2007-12-29T09:47:00.000-06:00

Sugar Cookies!!!

I found a keeper! I have only baked these once, but trust me, they WILL be made again sooner than later!

I am a lover of all sweets at the holidays as my tight fitting clothing this week proves. I have always loved my mom's crisp sugar cookies with a gentle sprinkling of sugar, I still do.

But every now and then I am in the mood for a nice thick and chewy sugar cookie topped with frosting. I have tried many recipes but these fit that bill! The dough was sooo easy to work with and did not require chilling before rolling (time saver!). These cookies are soft and have an amazing butter flavor lacking in many sugar cookies in my opinion. I know the Holidays are over, but do yourself (not your waistline) a favor and bake up a batch of these today. Use a non-holiday cookie cutter and these can be enjoyed year round! Yeah!!

Famous Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter (VERY soft)

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl stir together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In mixing bowl beat butter until soft and smooth. Add in sugar and beat to combine. Add egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add flour mixture. Beat until just combined and dough is smooth.

Turn out to floured work surface and roll to 1/3" thickness. Use cookie cutter to cut desired shapes.

Place cookies on baking sheets and bake for 6-9 minutes until beginning to brown on bottom and around edges. Don't overbake or they will be crisp. Tasty, but crisp.

Cool on counter.

Once cooled, frost with desired frosting. I used this one:

Famous Frosting

4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 stick butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups powdered sugar (sift after measuring)

*whipping cream to thin if needed

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt. Beat until combined. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until well combined. Add more powdered sugar or whipping cream until desired consistency is reached.

Stir in food coloring if desired. Frost cookies. Allow to set for 20-45 mintutes before storing.

Little Bites of Heaven

2007-12-29T09:25:00.000-06:00

in the form of mini Pecan Pie Muffins! I must say that these are by far some of the tastiest muffins I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy. Everyone at church raves about them when I bring them to potluck breakfasts.

Why mini? Well, they are just so darn cute and these little babies pack loads of flavor and often one mini is enough to satisfy me. Their size makes them easy to transport (I have used empty egg cartons) perfect for breakfast/brunch potlucks when people want to taste a little of everything. Most people go back for "just one more" of these muffins as they can't seem to get enough!

These are by NO means a healthy breakfast muffin (is there such a thing anyway??) but because they are made into mini muffins, you can easily enjoy one with a bowl of fruit and a glass of skim milk to balance out the sugar/butter in these little babies.

I got the recipe from allrecipes but changed it up a bit. My changes are in red. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pecan-Pie-Muffins/Detail.aspx

Mini Pecan Pie Muffins

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans (I used 1/2 cup ground, 1/2 cup chopped)

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 TBS ground cinnamon

1/4 cup ground pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour 18 mini muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. (I greased and floured, do this or they will stick!)

In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and pecans. In a separate bowl beat the butter and eggs together until smooth, stir into the dry ingredients just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Cups should be about 2/3 full.

In a small bowl wisk together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 TBS cinnamon and 1/4 cup ground pecans. Gently sprinkle over top of muffin batter. Make sure not to get a lot on the pan or it will burn and stick making clean-up hard.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks when done. I let cool in pan for 2 minutes and then transfered to rack to finish cooling. Take care when removing from pan as they are delicate and will fall apart easily. I used a toothpick to pry them loose from the sides of the pan when needed.

Better Than..........

2007-12-16T10:17:00.000-06:00

Sex Cake.

There are many names for this cake and many variations. My mom used to refer to this as Better than Christmas cake so my sisters and I could ask for dessert without it sounding "R-rated" or spurring a discussion about the "Birds and the Bees" at the dinner table; especially so when we had friends over.

This cake is my sister's absolute favorite cake. She requests it every year for her Birthday cake. It is so simple to make as it starts with a boxed cake mix, although a homemade one would work as well, but why put in the extra effort when the cake is really just used as a "sponge" to soke up all the ooey gooey goodness in this recipe. I would prefer to bake a cake from scratch when I can truly enjoy its flavor and texture.

As I have said, this cake has many variations and is so versitile. Some recipes call for a yellow cake mix, pineapple and coconut, others use German chocolate cake mix. The possiblities are endless. I will admit that the Yellow cake mix version does not appeal to me in the slightest so I stick to the Chocolate variety. The thing I love about this cake is the longer it sits in the fridge the more moist and delicious it becomes! How many cakes can say that?? This cake is so moist, rich and oh so good. In an attempt to "lighten" it up a bit (especially since the holiday goody consumption is around the corner and my jeans are already a little snug) I modified my usual "recipe" My changes in red.

Better than Christmas Cake
1 boxed Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (Betty Crocker)

Water, eggs and oil called for with cake mix *I used 1 can Diet Coke in place of all water, eggs and oil

1 12 oz. jarred Caramel Sauce *I used Sugar Free

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk * I used Fat Free Bordens Sweet and Condensed Milk

1 Butterfinger bar, crushed

1 Skor bar, Crushed

1 tub Coolwhip, thawed *I used Sugar free

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 pan until a few crumbs come out on a toothpick inserted in center.

After removing cake from oven, use the back of a wooden spoon and poke several holes in the cake, making sure not to go all the way to the bottom of the pan or the carmel and milk will pool and stick to the pan making it hard to serve.

Stir together in a bowl the carmel sauce and Sweet and condensed milk. You can heat carmel slightly in the microwave to make it easier to mix.

Evenly pour mixture over the entire cake making sure to pour some into the holes you poked.
Sprinkle the crushed candy bars evenly over the cake. Cover and refridgerate until ready to serve. Best if allowed to chill overnight.

When ready to serve, frost cake with Coolwhip and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.

*I like to allow the cake sit out at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving to allow the carmel/milk mixture to warm a bit and create a gooey sauce through out the cake.

Channeling Grandma

2007-12-05T19:36:00.000-06:00

So, as many of you bloggers may know Peabody from http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/ is having a virtual open house this Saturday December 8th. In order to attend, you must bring a potluck dish. After much thought and consideration I decided to try my hand at something I have never baked before: a yeast bread.

I enviously drool over the baked items on Peabody's blog and admire her baking abilities almost as much as I envy my grandmother's ability to bake bread like no other. So, I thought this open house would be the perfect time to try my hand at a loaf of yeast bread. Who doesn't love the smell of fresh bread filling a room? So, with that plan in mind I phoned my grandma who sadly informed me that she has no recipe and adds ingredients by sight and feel. Well, a lot of good that does me as she lives 8 hours away!

I decided to turn to http://www.allrecipes.com/ to find a basic white yeast bread recipe. Normally I would buy whole wheat bread, but as I had no whole wheat flour at home, I decided on this recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amish-White-Bread/Detail.aspx

Let me tell you this bread ROCKED and I will be making more yeast breads in the future! It had a nice crisp crust, soft dense interior that held up perfectly to a generous slathering of Peanut butter at breakfast.

While bringing a loaf of this delicious bread to an open house would be welcomed, I decided to turn one loaf into bite sized grilled cheese. These little beauties are perfect for passing around at a Housewarming Party with a dab of Ketchup (although I would prefer to have these bite sized morsels with a shot glass full of Roasted Tomato Soup!, Maybe next time

because there WILL be a next time!)

Amish White Bread
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar (I used 1/3 cup based on reviews and my grandma's advice)
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans.

Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Just Sweet

2007-11-18T12:17:00.000-06:00

I was in the mood for some sugar cookies.

You know the kind that are nice and chewy (yet crisp) and are slathered with frosting!

While these are no where near the best sugar cookies I have eaten (moment of silence for G's bakery which closed after G died last year and sadly took my beloved Froting topped chewy yet crisp sugar cookie with him). However, this recipe is one of the best I have baked.

I got the recipe from a wonderful cook/baker who posted this recipe on a cooking board I frequent (Shout out to WC Sistas!!). She got it from a coworker of hers and has been kind enough to pass it along to others! My sweet tooth thanks you Joelen! The dough does need to be chilled overnight for the easier rolling of the dough (but feel free to taste test it before chilling!)Oh, and don't substitute butter for the margarine, the margarine is needed for the cookies to maintain their texture and chewiness. Butter will produce a crisper cookie so if that is what you are after, go for it, heck, they are YOUR cookies after all.

Jon's Super Sugar Cookies

from nestie Joelen

*Check out her blog: http://joelens.blogspot.com/

2 eggs

3/4 cup margarine

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon real vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups AP flour

frosting - recipe follows

Cream margarine and sugar well. Add vanilla and eggs; combine well.

In separate bowl, sift the baking powder, salt and flour. Add to wet ingredients slowly until thoroughly combined.

**Cookie dough must be chilled until firm, or overnight.

Remove dough from fridge and roll out to a 1/4 inch thickness.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

With cookie cutters or rim of drinking glass, cut out cookies. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, depending on oven. Check often to prevent over cooking or burning. Cool on baking rack when done.

Meanwhile, to prepare frosting - its a MUST for these cookies! (go all the way or not at all- lol)
FROSTING

1 teaspoon real vanilla

1 stick of real butter

4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cream or whole milk

Cream butter, milk and vanilla together.

Slowly add powdered sugar to butter until desired consistency. If you'd like, add liquid food coloring for festive cookies.

When cookies are cooled, slather this heavenly frosting. For more texture and color, press the top of the cookies in sprinkles, colored sugar or just eat plain!

Sweet and Spicy

2007-11-18T11:58:00.000-06:00

Oh, yes, the adjectives often used to describe me also describe one of my favorite holiday cookies.

Ginger Cookies are a must have in my house around the holiday. NOT the thin little snap type (while I do like those with pumpkin dip) I need a cookie to sink my teeth into and these cookies fit the bill.

I love how the ginger/cloves/cinnamon balance out the delicate sugar "crust" on these cookies. These cookies are so easy to whip up and make your house smell wonderful while they are baking. I will admit, I have not tried any other ginger cookies but don't feel the need to. The texture of these cookies is dense yet chewy and because they are rolled in sugar, the outside has nice crispness to them. These are not thin like a snap, but rather a nice hearty cookie that packs a mouthful of flavor. These are made with shortening, I am not sure they would retain their great texture if you used butter, but it is worth a shot if you insist on avoiding shortening.

Ginger Cookies
from Better Homes and Gardens
4 1/2 cups flour

4 tsps ground ginger

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 cups shortening (I used butter flavor transfat free Crisco)

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup Molasses (NOT Blackstrap)

3/4 cup sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350.
In large mixing bowl wisk flour, baking soda, ginger, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.

In mixing bowl beat shortening for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in eggs and molasses until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add as much of the flour mixture as your mixer can handle and fold in the rest by hand.

Shape dough into 2 inch balls and roll into 3/4 cup sugar just to coat. Place on baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Press down slightly on dough balls so they evenly bake and spread out.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are LIGHLTY brown and tops are puffed. Do NOT overbake. Cook on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and finish cooling on wire rack.

**I made mine smaller using my medium size scooper from Pampered Chef and baked for about 7-8 minutes.

For the Love

2007-10-28T17:13:00.000-05:00

of chocolate and cheesecake!

These brownies are awesome! So rich and chocolatey paired with the creaminess of cheesecake swirled throughout! So simple yet so impressive and decadant. You really should use a good quality cocoa powder to fully appreciate these brownies. I used the recipe for the brownie from the Ghriadelli Sweet Cocoa Can.

Ghirardelli Award Winning Brownies
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa
2/3 cup unsifted flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts (I did not use)
1 cup Chocolate Chips (I used 1/2 semi sweet and 1/2 milk chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350.
Line 8x8 pan with foil and spray with PAM.
In bowl, stir together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add butter.
Sift Cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into egg mixture.
Stir in chips (and nuts if using).

**Spread into pan and bake for 20-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs.

Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

**If making cheesecake swirled brownies, use recipe above but only spread 2/3 batter into pan. Dollup cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan.
Dollup the remainin 1/3 batter on top of cheesecake mixture.
Run a knife through the brownie and cheesecake layers to create a pattern or swirls.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out with a few crumbs when inserted. Do NOT overbake

Cheesecake Swirl
7 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 TBS flour
1 tsp pure Vanilla
1 egg

In bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla beat until smooth. Add egg and beat just until combined.

The BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!

2007-10-28T16:53:00.000-05:00

Make these cookies. Eat these cookies. Fall in love with these cookies.

These cookies totally speak for themselves. There are other recipes that try and claim to be the best but let me tell you that they all fall short of being the best. This recipe, however is the best in my opinion. The cookie dough is easy to work with and produces a soft (not cakey) chocolate chip cookie that will knock your socks off. I love to use a mixture of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips for a little extra sweetness (not that these cookies need it, I do!)

I am not alone believing this recipe is the best, in fact, I am copying the recipe as Katie has posted it on her blog. Check it out she has some great recipes http://goodthingscatered.blogspot.com/2007/08/best-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

So make these cookies or you will never know just how good a chocolate chip cookie can be. Grab a big glass of milk and enjoy!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from America's Test Kitchen

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust oven racks to upper & lower -middle positions & heat oven to 325.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.

Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips.

Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.-Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy. *This took about 14 minutes in MY oven but start at 10 minutes and check from there. Do NOT overbake!

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.

The Way Nature Intended

2007-10-16T19:37:00.000-05:00

Peanut Butter, that is.
This is my first time using all natural PB, (I usually by Jif or Skippy) but the last time I was at store I decided to give "All Natural" a whirl.
My friend has raved about this recipe for months now, insisting that I just HAD to try it.

She ONLY buys "All Natural" products and insisted that this recipe is not as good with any other peanut butter because of the chemicals in them (chemicals schmemicals, I love my Jif and Skippy and its lab created flavor. Plus the stuff has an incredibly long shelf life, not that I have personal experience with an open jar lasting long enough around here to be sure).

This is my first time using this recipe so I do not know how they would turn out with using your regular old tub of Peanut Butter. In my opinion, anything with Peanut Butter is pretty darn good, so I will definately have to try out my good old Jif (in the name of science of course!)

I have not taste tested one yet because they are for work tommorow, but I can NOT wait to sink my teeth into one of these babies.

Naturally Nutty Peanut Butter Cookies

1 3/4 cups plus 2 TBS flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups natural creamy peanut butter, (make sure to stir it to combine the oil and solid mixture)
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature (NOT too soft)
2 eggs
2 TBS light Karo corn syrup
1 TBS vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350.
In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl blend together the peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and butter on low speed until JUST combined, making sure not to over mix. With the mixer turned off, add the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla extract and beat on low until JUST combined.

Slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Stop mixer before the flour is completely incorporated to prevent over mixing and finish by hand.The dough should a little sticky.

Using the Pampered Chef Medium size scoop, shape the cookie dough into balls Place formed dough balls on parchment lined cookie sheets. With the tines of fork dipped in sugar, lightly press and flatten each ball making a crisscross pattern.

Bake cookies 9-11 minutes until they are JUST SET and start to show a tiny amount of light brown color on the edges. Cool the cookies in the pan for a minute. Then, transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Cooking for One

2007-10-15T20:18:00.000-05:00

Gone Fishin

Tonight I was on my own for dinner. I was in the mood for fish but after reading throush several recipes decided I would wing it. I had some frozen Mahi Mahi so I thawed that and decided to raid my pantry.

This meal was so quick (less than 15 minutes start to finish), super healthy (low carb and lovin it!) and so flavorful (can we say Red Pepper Flakes???). I would definately make this again! I did not use exact measurements but here it the jist of what I did:

Seared Mahi Mahi with a Southwest Flare
3 oz. Mahi Mahi
1/2 cup black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic minced
Cumin (to taste)
Chili Powder (to taste)
Dash (or 3-4 if you are me!) of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Salt (to taste)
Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp Lime juice (I used bottled)
EVOO spray

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Spray with EVOO spray. Wash fish and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Sear fish in hot pan on one side. Do not move fish for 45-60 seconds to ensure a nice searing. Flip and sear the other side for 30-45 seconds. Remove fish from pan and place on plate.

Reduce heat to medium and spray pan with a little more EVOO spray (may want to turn vent on because it may smoke, ha ha). Add onion and cook for 30 seconds stirring frequently. Add garlic, tomatoes and black beans. Season with cumin and chili powder (I used about 1/3 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp chili powder, use less if you don't want the heat). Add a dash or two of crushed red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how hot you want it, I was liberal, ha ha)
Cover and let simmer for 45-60 seconds or until onions become transluscent.

Stir and season to taste (I added more cumin). I added 1/8 cup water because the mixture was a little thick. Return fish to pan, cover and simmer until fish is heated through and liquid has reduced to desired consistency (about 45-60 seconds).

Remove fish to plate, stir in lime juice and stir. Season to taste and plate tomato/bean mixture with fish.

*Next time I will add 1/2 cup frozen corn when I add the tomatoes and beans and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro when adding the lime juice.

This would pair nicely with Mexican or Brown rice!

Butter Me Up!!

2007-10-07T18:11:00.000-05:00

These cookies remind me of something Paula Dean would make (1 1/2 cups of butter!!!) Yowza! Also, these cookies use few ingredients (NO eggs needed!) and are a snap to whip up! The finished product is light and butter and slightly sweet. The texture of these cookies is not cake-like but somewhat "flakey". They definately melt in your mouth! I think the mini-chips are perfect in this recipe (or omit all together). Regular size chips would overpower this little gem and I am not sure the cookie has the sturdiness to handle full size chocolate chips without crumbling. Plus, the minis are soooo cute!

These would be so cute on a Christmas goodie platter sprinkled with powdered sugar or green/red granualted sugar!

Mini Chocolate Chip Butter Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar (sifted, after measuring)

1 TBS vanilla

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups Mini chocolate chips (I used Semi-sweet, but Milk-chocolate would be good also)

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (I did not use)

Powdered Sugar or Sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy. Mix in the flour and salt until combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and nuts by hand just until combined.Form dough into balls using medium scoop and place on parchement lined baking sheets.

(At this point I chilled and then transferred to tupperware containers to freeze once the balls had set. ) *I would recommend chilling balls for a few minutes before baking to prevent overspreading.

Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for 9-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Sift powdered sugar over cookies directly out of oven or sprinkle with colored sugar. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Before serving, sprinkle with additional sugars if desired.

Can you have Too much Chocolate?

2007-10-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

I think NOT! These cookies are soooo chocolatey and will satisfy any Chocoholic's craving! Be sure to read the directions, you combine the baking soda with the wet ingredients, not the dry like many other cookie recipes.

Because they are a dark cookie, it is hard to tell when you should take them out of the oven, I like to err on the side of caution and remove a bit early. In my opinion a gooey cookie is better than a dry one ANY day!! These pair nicely with vanilla icecream and hot fudge!!

Triple Chocolate Chocolate Cookies

2 sticks butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp Vanilla

2 large eggs

3 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate, melt and then cool

2 cups Flour

1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chunk

1/2 cup white chocolatechunks

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks (milk chocolate would be great!)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, macadamia) optional

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt 30z chocolate in 15 second intervals in microwave safe bowl, stirring after each interval.

Heat until able to stir smooth, Do NOT overheat or it will seize and taste burnt. Set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars and baking soda until combined. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until mixed well. Fold in the cooled melted chocolate until combine.

Slowly beat in the flour and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks and nuts. Form dough into balls using medium scoop and place on parchement lined baking sheets.

Bake on parchment lined baking sheet for 10-14 minutes or until edges are firm to the touch.

Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Sometimes you feel like a Nut

2007-10-07T17:34:00.000-05:00

I love to bake, as you may have guessed by my blogname! On Friday I whipped up a few batches of cookie dough, formed into balls using my Pampered Chef medium sized icecream scoop (LOVE IT, if you don't have one, you need to buy this item), chilled and stored in tupperware in the freezer so I can bake them up at my leisure.

This first batch combines several of my favorite ingredients in baked goods: nuts, chocolate and coconut. The higher ratio of brown to white sugar ensures these cookies (if not overbaked) stay slightly chewy even after cooling. They bake up rather thin and not puffy, but I prefer them that way. The brown sugar also provides the finished cookie a slight "toffee" taste similar to that of my beloved Basic Blondies. While the nuts are optional, I would highly recommend adding them, substituting your favorite nut in place of the walnuts is fine, but the nuts really do play off of the "toffee" taste of these cookies nicely!

Coconut Nut Chipsters
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 egg
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips (could sub semi-sweet if desired)
1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips (could sub a different flavor chip or use all chocolate)
1 1/3 cup Coconut (lightly toasting is optional)
1 cup Walnut pieces (or other fave nut)

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugars and vanilla until light and creamy. Beat in egg. Slowly add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Gently fold in chips, coconut and nuts by hand just until combined.
Form dough into balls using medium scoop and place on parchement lined baking sheets.

(At this point I chilled and then transferred to tupperware containers to freeze once the balls had set. ) *I would recommend chilling balls for a few minutes before baking to prevent overspreading.

Bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on sheets for 2 minutes and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

*Next time I might substitute butterscotch chips for the white chocolate chips, I think the butterscotch and nuts will be awesome with the brown sugar flavor of theese cookies!

I prefer Hide and Go Seek

2007-09-04T18:01:00.000-05:00

But, alas I have been tagged by Brooke (http://brooke-cookiejar.blogspot.com/). So I will play along! I do love a good game now and again!
I need to share with you all eight fun facts about myself and then tag eight more people to do the same.

1) I have absolutely NO willpower or control over my consumption of Cereal. The only psuedo control I possess is to not purchase it and therefore making it much more difficult to consume it. I have been known to beg, borrow and steal it from neighbors and roommates in college! It does not matter the kind, I love it all. From Grapenuts (those little buggers multiply in milk) to Fruity Pebbles. From Raisin Bran to Apple Jacks. From Fiber One to Lucky Charms. I think you get the picture. I will eat the entire box in one sitting without even realizing it! I will eat it until the entire box is either empty or physically removed from my presence. I am so weak.

2) I love the tv show Big Love on HBO. I don't have the HBO package so I rent them from Blockbuster and have just finished season One. I can NOT wait for season Two to come out on DVD so I can once again settle into my weekend routine of popping some popcorn and settling in to watch a few good episodes. I never get sick of seeing what Nicky will buy next or Margene's next "Young Life Crisis" breakdown. Trully my fave show right now. Highly recommended.

3) I have never baked a yeast bread. I have made several loaves of quick bread and have purchased and baked many a frozen loaf of bread, but have not ever prepared the dough from scratch. It is on my "Must Do" list for the fall and winter months.

4) I have never been late a day in my life. I HATE people who are perpetually late and think their time is more important than yours. I especially hated those people in college and the professors who would wait to begin knowing some students would be coming in late. HELLLLLLLOOOOOOOOO 99% of us are here and ready to begin, I say let us leave 10 minutes early and keep those who choose to be late, stay late to get the full information from class! This only irritates more the older I get. I mean come on people, either get a watch, or check the phone: your cellphone has the time right on it you have NO excuse for always being 5-10 minutes late! UGHHHHH

5) I love all vegetables and would much rather give up all meat, fish and poultry than to give up my veggies!!

6) I really love celebrity gossip. I get excited reading and hearing about recent break-ups/hook-ups, meltdowns and weight gains/losses. I know it only perpetuates what is the trainwrecks knows as "Celebrities" but I can't help it! Maybe I should join a 12 Step program or something.

7) I idolize my mother. She does not know this and I do not tell her often enough how great she is not only as my mother, but as a human being with whom I have had the pleasure to walk this earth with.

8) I would love to join Global Volunteers and spend a week or two in Africa digging wells, teaching English to children and building houses. Time and life keep getting in the way and I make way too many excuses for not going. One day (hopefully soon) I will run out of excuses and take the plunge.

Sinless Chocolate? That is Heavenly!

2007-09-04T17:41:00.000-05:00

So, I am never one to shy away from full fat/full calorie baked goods. I mean, come on, all that butter and sugar is what MAKES many desserts taste so darn good! Well, these little devils have sugar but are butterless and let me tell you, they deserve a place at the top of the dessert chain right along my Death by Chocolate Brownies (pic and recipe yet to be blogged about) and my Basic Blondies! I first saw this recipe a while back on a website for Weight Watcher users (I am not on WW but like to lurk around different boards). This recipe reappeared on TheNest's cooking board and I knew I had to make them. These cookies are so chocolatey, so rich and so sweet that you will swear you have died and gone to heaven. The best part is, these have all the flavor and texture as butter hoarding baked rivals but are much lower in fat, making them a fairly "sinless" dessert when looking at the alternative baked goods. I wouldn't call these a health food but I would call these little devils DELISH! Especially with a scoop of FroYo sandwiched between two of them.

Sinless Chocolate Chews

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 cup cocoa powder, (I used Ghiradeli unsweetened)

3 large egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and cocoa. Set aside.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the egg whites and vanilla with a fork.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the egg whites, and mix either by hand with a spatula or at low speed with a mixer for 2 minutes.

The batter will seem dry at first, but will become shiny and smooth as it mixes.

Cover the bowl, and refrigerate the batter for 3 hours, or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchement paper (or these babies will stick!) Drop the dough by balls onto the prepared baking sheets using a medium icecream scoop (like from pampered chef)

Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes or until set around the edges.

Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

My Namesake

2007-08-23T19:49:00.002-05:00

White Chocolate Toffee Pecan Blondies

Here it is, the end all and be all of Blondies. I am a sefl proclaimed Chocoholic and this recipe rivals any brownie recipe I have made or tasted.

This recipe rocks not only because of its flavor, but also because its base uses ingredients almost everyone has on hand at all times (egg, flour, butter etc).

It is so simple to whip up because the butter is melted, you do not need to wait for it to come to room temp making these the perfect last minute dessert. Plus the recipe is super versatile; you can stir in any addition you can think of to suit your tastes making them a totally different treat each time you bake! This one recipe will literally give you a thousand different dessert options by mixing up what you use for "add ins". I have not come across a bad combination of "add ins" yet and I have made these a hundred times or more. I dare you to see if Blondes really do have more fun.

*For the blondies pictured I used 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks, 1/4 cup toffee pieces and 1/2 cup toasted Pecan pieces.

Basic Blondies
6-7 TBS butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder (optional, creates lighter blondie texture)

"Add in" (see below)

Preheat oven to 350.
Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM.
In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 mintues. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour and baking powder (if using). Mix in any additions (some ideas below).

Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle. (I baked for 22 minutes)Cool on rack before cutting.

Add in ideas:
1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate or butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds
1/2 cup M&M candies1/2 chopped Reese's PB cups
1/4 cup toffee pieces
1/2 tsp mint extract in addition to, or in the place of vanilla extract

Crack is Whack

2007-08-23T19:37:00.001-05:00

Ok, this is MY crack! I love this snack mix and have eaten myself sick off of it because I have NO self control. This is a recipe I made up to take to a family reunion based on what I had on hand about two months ago.Needless to say everyone loved it and I have made it about six times since then and shamefully admit have eaten the majority of during my late night cravings for something sweet and a tad salty. The recipe can be easily halved as well for those with little will power like me, but trust me, you will just be making another batch that much sooner!

This mix is very sweet indeed and is not for those who do not appreciate the wonderful goodness that is anything coated in a carmel/toffee type mixture. The snack mix bakes up golden and the carmel coating hardens forming the perfect coating on the nuts and cereal. The dash of salt and the salt from the nuts compliment the sweetness of the coating beautifully. While the toasting of the pecans and almonds is optional, I would highly recommend it. Toasting the nuts brings out a totally different and deeper flavor that adds a whole new dimension to any recipe you add them to.

No true snack mix (in my opinion) is complete without some chocolate and M&M's fill this requirement! I may try adding pretzel sticks to the cereal/nut mixture before baking next time and maybe tossing in some Reese's pieces or chopped Reese's Peanut Butter cups with the M&M's next time. Peanut Butter M&M's would be great as well. Heck, the possibilities are endless, mix and match to suit your tastes.

Carmel Nut Snack Mix

12 cups Crispex Cereal (Chex would work as well)

3/4 cup light corn syrup (Karo is my fave)

1 stick of butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

Dash of salt

3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

3/4 cup almonds, toasted

3/4 cup honey roasted peanuts

1 cup M&M candies (I used plain and peanut)

Preheat oven to 250.

Line a very large roasting pan (or two rimmed cookie sheets) with quick release foil and lightly spray with PAM.

In a medium size sauce pan over low/medium low heat, stir together the syrup, butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly until melted and sugar has disolved.

Place the cereal, pecans, almonds and honey roasted nuts into the prepared roasting pan or cookie sheets. Carefully pour the brown sugar mixture over the cereal and nuts. Use a butter spatula to toss and coat the cereal and nuts completely with the brown sugar mixture.

Evenly sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bake for 45 minutes removing every 10 mintues to gently toss with a buttered pair of tongs to ensure even baking/browning.

While snack mix is baking, spread a few large sheets of parchment paper on counter. After mixture has finished baking add the M&M candies and stir to combine. Turn mixture out onto parchment making sure to spread out to prevent large clumps to cool.

While mixture is cooling, gently toss every 15 minutes to prevent further clumping together, breaking up clumps as needed. Store in airtight container.

Bow Wow for Puppy Chow

2007-08-23T19:25:00.000-05:00

If dogs eat this good I wanna be a Poodle in my next life!

Now we all know that this recipe isn't really for dogs as they are not to have chocolate. I am not sure where the title of this addictive treat comes from, but it is known as "Puppy Chow" in my family. (I have heard others call it "White Trash Mix" as well). Whatever you choose to call it, the fact remains, this quick and easy snack is addictively DELISH!

I love cereal and any recipe that involves Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Cereal has to be a winner in my book. Nothing is better than licking the white sugary goodness off of your fingertips after you are finished enjoying this addictive treat.

The recipe can be easily halved and keeps for days (if it lasts that long) in an airtight container kept at room temp or in the fridge during these hot months.

Puppy Chow

9 cups Crispex Cereal (Chex would work as well)

2/3 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

4 TBS butter

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Into large mixing bowl, measure the cereal and set aside. In medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips. Heat over low heat stiring frequently until all of the mixtuere is melted and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Evenly pour mixture over cereal and toss to coat completely. In a huge ziplock bag place half of the powdered sugar mixture. Toss half of the chocolate covered cereal to the bag and shake to coat. Spread coated cereal on waxed paper covered baking sheet or counter. Repeat with remaining sugar and cereal. Once mixture has cooled, store in tupperware container in fridge to keep fresh.

Christmas in August (at least in MY kitchen)

2007-08-20T17:59:00.002-05:00

Wow, August is almost over, I can NOT believe it! Pretty soon Christmas will be right around the corner.

Well, this weekend I baked up a tasty little cookie that reminds me of the Christmas cookies my mom always bakes. I didn't take a picture but let me tell you these need to go in your holiday rotation! They are chocolatey, pepperminty, and oh so sweet (even if you have not been).

The real key here is a good quality cocoa powder. I LOVE Ghiradelli chocolate. I like Hershey's cocoa as much as the next gal (HELLO Perfectly Chocolate Cake and Frosting) but these cookies really deserve some high quality cocoa.

These cookies are sweet (may be too sweet for some: (cough, chickens!! cough)) so rolling them in sugar before baking is optional. However, doing so will produce the most glorious sugar crusted, crackly topped chocolate peppermint piece of heaven you have ever had the pleasure to indulge in.

*Can be easily doubled, I got about 14 cookies, just enough to eat some a freeze some.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup butter flavor Crisco
3/4 cups + 2 TBS sugar
1 egg, room temp
1/2 tsp peppermint extract (not oil)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Ghiradelli cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup White chocolate chips
1/2 cup Andes Peppermint chips (the white and red ones) (NOT the regular green/chocolate Ande's mints!!)
Sugar (for rolling dough balls)

Preheat oven to 350.Line baking sheet with Parchement paper.
In medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, soda, baking powder and salt. Set asideCream the butter and Crisco. Add the sugar and beat until blended. Add egg and peppermint extract, beat until well combined.

Fold in with a spatula the flour/cocoa mixture. Mix with a blender 10 seconds to combine. Fold in the white chocolate chips and Andes chips. Using a medium cookie scoop form dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each dough ball in a cup of sugar to lightly coat. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 9-10 minutes or until edges are firm and the center appears slighlty soft, don't overbake. Cool on baking sheet 3-5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.

Say CHEESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-08-20T16:38:00.000-05:00

Cake!

Cheesecake, Oh Cheesecake. How I love thee.

I made this about a month ago, took a picture (NO cracks!!!!) and never had anywhere to post it! So, with out further ado, here is my PERFECT cheesecake. She is a glorious combination of three recipes and let me tell you she was so rich, creamy and quite possibly the best tasting dessert my mouth has ever had the pleasure to enjoy. I kept it simple so I could top with whatever my heart and tummy fancied at the time. Let me tell you, she tasted just as good topped with fresh fruit as she did douced in hot fudge, caramel and nuts! I don't have the recipe written down, but I promise the next time I make this glorious marvel I will take another picture and post the recipe.

A Woman's Work is NEVER Done: More Chocolate Chip 'Cookies

2007-08-20T16:20:00.000-05:00

Here is a recipe I have been wanting to try forever and this past weekend I finally did. It comes from Sarah Phillips' book Baking 411. She promises a cookie with a crunchy outside and a chewy inside that is not cakelike. These cookies deliver. They taste like how the Nestle Tollhouse cookies should taste (if the recipe can be prepared correctly). That is the great thing about these cookies, you don't need special flour (like Alton's) or to chill the dough. The addition of baking powder is what gives these cookies their slight lift and soft chew without becoming cake-like. Just whip them up and bake them and you won't be sorry!

Bonus: I froze several of these, and even out of the freezer they are slightly "chewy" and not rock hard!

Here is her recipe for:

Thick with a Chew Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon into meauring cup and level to top rim)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 easpoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (can be cold from refrigerator - cut each stick into tablespoon size pieces if cold)

2 large eggs, can be cold from refrigerator

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional (chop, then measure)

DIRECTIONS:

Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Heat oven to 375.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

If the butter is cold, in a large bowl, beat the butter until just softened with a handheld mixer on low speed. Add the sugars and cream on low until well combined.

If the butter is at room temperature or somewhat soft, combine it with the sugars in the mixing bowl and cream together. If you cream the mixture just right, it will look somewhat creamy and a little shaggy.

Do not overcream it to the point that it is really creamy and the butter starts to feel greasy. If you do, place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until the fat hardens.

With the mixer still on low, add the eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated.With a large rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture. The dough will be stiff. Beat on low for 5 to 10 seconds to combine.

Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.Roll one tablespoon of the dough into a ball for each cookie, and place the balls about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

The dough will spread very little when baked. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes (about 5 minutes for smaller cookies) until just browned around the edges, and pale and slightly unset in the middle. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 1 minute. Then remove the cookies from the sheet to wire racks to cool completely.

Taste Testing: Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-08-20T15:57:00.001-05:00

I LOVE to bake, so when a friend passed along a new recipe for the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie, I had to give it a whirl. These cookies bake up with a slightly crisp exterier and a moist crumb interior. This is not the cookie for those who like nice and soft puffy cookies. However, these cookies are nice and sturdy and after chilling in the freezer for 30 minutes and are perfect with a big ol'scoop of icecream sandwhiched in between two of them! These would travel well and can be easily stacked for shipping as well.

I was a bit surprised by the end result of the cookies. The recipe uses shortening, which I thought would produce a puffy cookie, but I was wrong, yet not disappointed with the results. The flavor of these is just the right combination of chocolate and vanilla. What makes these cookies stand apart from my usual recipes is the use of Milk Chocolate chips (a welcomed change) but SemiSweet chips can be easily subbed. Although I would suggest giving the Milk Chocolate chips a whirl, they are under-utilized in cookie recipes in my opinoin.

Milk Chocolate Chippers

1 cup butter Flavor Crisco

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp water

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl whisk the flour, salt and soda. Set aside.

Cream shortening and sugars until blended. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.

Fold in the flour mixture just until combined.

Fold in the chips.

Bake on parchement lined baking sheets for 8-10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Do not overbake. Cool on sheet for 3 minutes and transfer to rack to cool completely.