Recipe: Butter Brickle Bars

One of my favorite things is receiving handwritten recipes, especially from family members. It's not just about the actual recipe for me but also the memory of the person through their handwriting. Over the years, my great aunt has sent me several of recipes and I have been working my way through them.

Sometimes I remember to post them here and sometimes I don't. Thankfully on round two of Great Aunt Josie's "Butter Brickle Bars" I remembered to take a (lackluster) photo.

This batch was shared with coworkers last week and several of them came in to personally thank me for them or ask me more about them. The plastic plate I brought them in on even had a "Thank you for sharing!" handwritten note taped to it once they were gone. That means someone took the time to walk back to their desk, write out the note and walk back to the kitchen to leave it there. I consider that quite the compliment and hope you all enjoy these as much as they did.

Butter Brickle Bars

Ingredients:

Cake Layer:
1 box yellow cake mix (or whatever your homemade equivalent is)
1/3 cup melted margarine
1 egg

Topping:
1 egg
1 package Heath bits
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped pecans (optional - I forgot them this time and no one seemed to care!)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cake mix, melted margarine and 1 egg together. Press the thick mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Mix together 1 egg, package of Heath bits, pecans and can of sweetened condensed milk. Drop on top of cake mixture. It spreads hard but will melt together as it bakes. Bake 30 minutes.

Super Bowl & Berger Cookies Copycat Recipe

HAPPY Super Bowl Sunday!

Super Bowl Sunday has always been a fun day for my family. Growing up, my mom would let us choose what we wanted to eat during the game and to this day that remains a topic of conversation leading up to the big day. In my adult years I have hosted Super Bowl parties several times, taking great pride in customizing the menu to the playing teams' city specialties. One year there was jambalaya and king cake for the Saints, several years there were Primanti Brothers copycat sandwiches for the Steelers and one of these years I hope to be able to make Cincinnati chili for the Bengals.

This year there was not all that much that I thought of for our small group of four watching the game together. Not being a crab eater, nothing much came to mind. However recently I did learn of Baltimore's famous Berger cookies and came across a copycat recipe to try. Though I have never eaten an authentic one, after just eating the copycat version for breakfast I can personally give you my approval.

Enjoy!

Berger Cookies Copycat Recipe via The Washington Post

Ingredients:

For the cookies
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
1 cup whole or 2-percent milk
For the frosting
3 1/2 cups (21 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions:

For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy. Stop and scrape the bowl down once, or as needed.

Add the salt, vanilla extract and baking powder; beat on medium speed to incorporate, then add the sugar and beat to incorporate. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce the speed to low (or do the following step by hand); add the flour to the bowl alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.

Use an ice cream scoop to drop 6 mounds of dough on each baking sheet, spacing the mounds at least 2 inches apart. If you use a standard ice cream scoop, the yield will be 16 cookies. For a yield of 24 cookies, use a slightly smaller scoop, usually sold for the purpose of scooping muffins and dough.

Bake one sheet at a time for 11 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and there is just barely a golden edge showing from the bottom, but not colored on top. (These cookies are meant to be soft and caky, so don't overbake them.) Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat to use all the dough.

To make the frosting: Combine the chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate, corn syrup, butter and cream into a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat the mixture on HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes, then stir to combine. Return the bowl to the microwave; microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes, or until the mixture can be whisked together so it is smooth. Do not overheat the mixture or it may scorch. Let cool to room temperature; this may take a few hours.

When the chocolate mixture has cooled, transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer or use a hand-held electric mixer to beat it on low speed for 1 minute, or until the color lightens and thickens a little to form a frosting. (If you prefer a thinner coat, skip this step of whipping air into the frosting.)

Spread the top of each cookie with a generous 3 tablespoons of the frosting (about 1 1/2 ounces), leaving a margin around the edges. If you are making these in cool weather, the frosting will be firm enough to set almost immediately. In warmer weather, you may need to allow the cookies to set for about 20 minutes before storing.

Store in a single layer in an airtight tin for 2 days, or wrap them in plastic wrap for up to 1 week.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from a recipe (Baltimore's Finest) at www.kingarthurflour.com.

Recipe: The 4 Cs (Chocolate Chip Coconut Coffee) Cookies

I made some cookies a couple of weeks ago to take to friends we were visiting out of town. They were created by using a basic framework of a recipe and throwing in what I found in the cabinet that sounded good. I ended up LOVING how they came out (and consumed about a half dozen.) They received several compliments from the recipients too. Drop cookies were a nice low-maintenance change from my decorated cookies and will be making their way into my oven again very soon!

The 4 Cs (Chocolate Chip Coconut Coffee) Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
2 cups flour
2 cups oats (grind in the food processor or blender until they resemble a flour consistency)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet instant coffee
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 chocolate candy bar (such as Hershey's) finely chopped/grated
12 ounce bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Mix ground oats, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and coffee in a bowl and set aside. Combine butter and sugars in mixing bowl, beating on medium until well combined. Add in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Add dry ingredients slowly and mix until combined. Finally add coconut, grated chocolate bar and chocolate chips. Mix until incorporated. Scoop dough into 2 inch rounds and place onto greased baking sheet 3 inches apart. Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Tailgate Desserts

My beloved Hokies came to the D.C. area for a game last week. With a half hour drive separating us from the game instead of the four hours between home and Blacksburg, you better believe we had to go cheer them on in person! I woke up early Saturday morning in the game day spirit and decided to bake a few Virginia Tech-themed treats to bring along.

I used the sugar cookie recipe here and the red velvet brownie recipe here. Add a little food coloring and you can have customized desserts for your team or occasion.

And although I have now seen my Hokies play at this location three times and left all three times defeated, it didn't stop me from enjoying my time with everyone.

GO HOKIES!

Corona Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Lime Frosting

HAPPY Cinco de Mayo! And happy Derby Day too! I have a busy day ahead that includes visiting with some of my favorite people. Since I will be seeing one set of friends this morning and another for dinner this evening, I decided on baking a last minute batch of cupcakes to bring along to both events. I already made these this morning so you have plenty of time to do the same if you're looking for a last minute "Cinco de Derby" treat.

Being that Corona and lime seemed fitting today, that's the theme I went with. The outcome tastes great, especially the FROSTING. (Yes I just had one for breakfast. So did my husband.) Enjoy!

Corona Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cupcakes:
1 box french vanilla cake mix
4 eggs
1 stick melted butter
1 bottle Corona
3 limes, zested and juiced

For the frosting:
(Note: I used a LOT of frosting as I was going for a Georgtown Cupcake look. You could easily get away with cutting this in half to frost 2 dozen cupcakes.)
8 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 packages Neufchâtel cheese, softened (or cream cheese)
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
2 limes, zested and juiced

For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350. Mix the cake mix with the eggs. Add in melted butter. Pour in bottle of Corona and finally the lime zest/juice. Mix each ingredient until combined. Bake for approximately 22-26 minutes. Allow to cool. Yields 24 cupcakes.

For the frosting: Mix all ingredients together. Beat for at least three minutes until the icing is fluffy.

Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes as desired. (I made a few quick fondant toppers but a little slice of lime would look great too!)

Have fun this weekend!

Chicken Cashew Chili - A WINNER!

Yesterday my office had their annual chili cook-off. (Unusual time of year for it, but the weather DID cool down in time for the occasion!) I was the reigning champion, submitting a modified version of a friend's recipe last year. I decided to go with a different recipe this year and to my surprise won the "Best in Show" award. The irony in me now holding a two year chili title is that I have not eaten any meat (at all) since I was five years old. I do however love to cook and always test my carnivore recipes on family and friends, taking their feedback as I will never taste them myself. If only I thought a vegetarian chili would be a contender in this contest! In the meantime, I thought I would share this year's winning recipe with you...and once football season starts up again I will post last year's winner.





Chicken Cashew Chili

Ingredients:
4 dried ancho chiles
32 oz. chicken broth
2 tablespoon canned chipotle chiles in adobo (the sauce part only)
2 cups salted roasted cashews
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped jarred mild jalapeno peppers, chopped

Make the chile puree: Heat a dry small heavy skillet (not nonstick) over moderate heat until hot. Toast the dried chiles, one at a time, pressing down with tongs, for several seconds on each side to make them more pliable. Seed and devein dried chiles; discard stems. Tear dried chiles into pieces and transfer to a blender. Add broth, adobo sauce and cashews and puree until smooth. (Note: if you want a spicier chili, retain some of the seeds.)

Make the chili: Heat oil in a heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add cumin and salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add chicken and stir to coat with onion mixture. Stir in chile puree, 1/4 cup cilantro, and tomatoes with juice. Stir in cooked shredded chicken. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until chili is heated through and chocolate is melted. Allow to simmer on low heat at least 30-45 minutes.

Source: Adapted from The Freckled Citizen via "Gourmet Today" cookbook

St. Patty's Vanilla Gooey Butter Cookies

Want to know a secret? I am not a sweets fanatic. I think I may have told you that before and it's true. I definitely LIKE sweets but give me the option of chocolate cake or cheese fries and I would choose the later. However there are certainly times I make exceptions to that tendency. Two years ago at our second annual cookie exchange, my friend made DELICIOUS chocolate crinkle cookies. They tasted exactly like Dunkin Donuts chocolate glazed doughnuts and I could not stop gobbling them down. I thought about them often but thankfully never made them again.

Well last month at the beautiful bridal shower I attended, there was a cookie there that caught my attention. One cookie quickly turned into three and I could not get over how good they were. I asked my friend Tiffany, the baker of THE cookies, who told me that it was Paula Deen's chocolate crinkle recipe, just with a white cake mix instead. That made perfect sense - it was the SAME cookie that swayed me over to the sweet side just as it had two years ago.

The great thing about this cookie is that you could make it however you like. Tiffany made them with funfetti cake mix at her sister's bridal shower last weekend and I know red velvet and strawberry would be good too. This week I decided to go with the same version I loved at the bridal shower, just with a little green dye to get in the St. Patrick's Day spirit.


This is an easy recipe that I promise you people will rave about...even us savory lovers!

St Patty's Vanilla Gooey Butter Cookies
Original recipe from none other than Paula Deen y'all!
Adapted by my friend Tiffany

Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature (I used Neufchatel)
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist vanilla cake mix
Green food coloring (just a couple small drops will go a long way)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Add small amount of green food coloring and mix until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Birthday Cake Oreo Stuffed Funfetti Cookie Bars

Have you ever seen the show Extreme Couponing? My friend got me into it a while ago and once I watched there was no turning back. If you've watched it then you should be familiar with the "stockpile" concept. I am certainly not the proud owner of any sort of stockpile when it comes to groceries, although I must admit it has crossed my mind to stockpile every bag of Limited Edition Birthday Cake Oreo available at my grocery store. In fact I was caught red-handed by a friend last weekend at the store. She couldn't stop laughing when she saw my grocery bag full of the cookies! Oh well.

When preparing for dinner at a friend's house last weekend, I wanted to make a dessert to bring. This particular friend loves dessert and has had many of my "go-tos" so I wanted to bake something different. I decided to try something new based off of a delicious recipe my friend Linda gave me almost 10 years ago. Linda is famous for her cookie bars and I always looked forward to the days she would bring them into the office. I have been making them for years now and they are always a hit. Her dessert partnered with my new-found love for Birthday Cake Oreos resulted in this delicious hybrid I wanted to share with you. These bars are easy, quick and sure to make your friends (or self) happy!




Birthday Cake Oreo Stuffed Funfetti Cookie Bars

(Note: You can see that I baked these in my cookie bar pan, but next time I would just bake them in an 9x13 pan.)

Ingredients:
1 package Funfetti cake mix
¼ cup water
2 eggs
¼ cup margarine, softened
¼ cup brown sugar
1 package Birthday Cake Oreos

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Combine ½ of cake mix with everything except Oreos. Mix well. Add remaining cake mix. (Mixture will be very thick.) Place half of the batter into a 9x13 pan that has been greased and floured. Layer Oreos on top of batter (see pictures above.) Top with remaining batter. Bake approximately 20 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Gumby's Pokey Stix Copycat Recipe

When I was in college, Gumby's Pizza was an integral part of a fun evening out. We would call (from our land lines of course) to order Pokey (or "Hokie" at my school) Stix, drown them in ranch dressing and have a great time recapping our evening. This was a tradition that sadly only continued as alumni whenever my friends and I returned to campus for a game. To my amusement when I first started going to Penn State with my now husband and his group of friends, I quickly discovered that they too had a Gumby's and ordered Pokey Stix many times themselves. This love for "Pokeys" developed into calling the State College location whenever we traveled to a football game, picking up the delicacies as we pulled into town and carrying them out to our tailgates. I don't know anyone who loves them more than my friend Laura, so of course it was only a matter of time until we tried a copycat recipe. Enter Pinterest. I was able to find several copycat recipes but in the end went with the one who took it to the detail of mentioning that margarine tasted "more authentic" than butter in this recipe. I knew she meant business and I was sold. :) I partnered them with my now go-to pizza crust recipe and we were in business.


They passed Laura's test and her son C seemed happy with his first Pokey Stix experience too so of course I knew I needed to share the recipe with my fellow Hokies, Nittany Lions and other Gumby's Pizza fans. Enjoy!


Pokey Stix
Inspiration from Gumby’s Pizza

For the Topping:
(Note: I doubled this topping recipe as I used the entire pizza crust recipe below.)
2 Tbls Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese

For the Pizza Dough:
Ingredients:
½ cup warm water
1 envelope instant yeast
1 ¼ cups water, room temperature
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ tsp. salt
Olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

Directions for the Pizza Crust:
Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 500° for at least 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

Working with one piece of dough and keeping the other covered, shape the dough and transfer to a pizza peel or round of parchment dusted with cornmeal. Top as desired. Slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust edges brown and cheese is golden brown in spots, about 8 to 12 minutes.

Directions for the topping:
Combine all ingredients except for mozzarella cheese. Spread mixture all over pizza dough. Top with cheese. See baking directions in pizza crust recipe above.

Sources: Annie's Eats Pizza Crust/Dinners Dishes and Desserts Topping

Birthday Cake Oreo Cupcakes

When a friend told me about Birthday Cake Oreos, I was intrigued. That intrigue turned into a full on hunt for the limited edition Oreos made in honor of the cookie's 100th birthday. Once I finally found them, I had to resist the urge to hoard every bag in the grocery store (flashback to Lilly Pulitzer Animal Crackers!) My original intent was to make truffles out of them, but after eating more Birthday Cake Oreos than I care to admit (think the delicious taste of Funfetti in the middle) I decided to bake them into cupcakes for friends in an effort to get them out of my reach.


I've made variations of Oreo cupcakes before. My husband chose mint for his birthday and I brought vanilla cupcakes with chopped Oreos in the batter to a friend's dinner party. There are plenty of possibilities to choose from! This week I decided on a chocolate cupcake with Oreo buttercream although I know a "Funfetti" vanilla cake would be great too. If you have time to make the cupcakes from scratch, go for it! Otherwise feel free to doctor a cake mix as I did this time. (No one will judge - trust me. Especially when they see this surprise Oreo at the bottom of their cupcake.)


Birthday Cake Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the Cupcake:
1 box chocolate cake mix of your choice
1 stick melted unsalted butter
Replace the water on the box with milk
Add one extra egg than indicated on box
24 (or as many cupcakes as you're making) Oreos, bottom half and cream
For the Frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons light cream (I had that on hand - using milk is fine)
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
The chocolate tops of Oreos from the cupcake bottoms, crumbled finely (I threw in 2 extra whole Oreos as well)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with wrappers. Slice the top chocolate portion of Oreos off and put the other chocolate half down in the wrapper with the cream filling facing up (see photo above.) Mix cake mix, melted butter, milk and eggs. Blend for two minutes at medium speed until fluffy. Scoop batter into the cupcake pan, filling each tin 2/3 full. Bake according to package directions. Allow to cool.

To make the frosting: Crush remaining Oreos finely. Combine butter, confectioners sugar, cream, vanilla and salt together. Blend on medium high for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl once. Add Oreo crumbs and blend until combined. Frost cupcakes as desired. (With frosting, be flexible. If it is not the consistency you would, you can always add more liquid or confectioners sugar to make it thinner or thicker respectively.)

Enjoy!

King Cake Cupcakes

Admittedly, I do not have much experience with King Cake. I made one for a Super Bowl party a few years ago when the Saints were playing but that is as far as King Cake and I go back.


However when I offered to bring dessert to a Mardi Gras themed dinner with my girlfriends, of course there was nothing more appropriate than King Cake. While they traditionally use yeast and have more of a coffee cake texture, I decided to go the cupcake direction while trying to mimmick the overall flavor complete with the filling (my favorite part!) These were a hit last night so I wanted to share the recipe in case you are feeling festive and want to join in the celebration!

King Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter
Replace amount of water indicated on box with milk
Add 1 additional egg to the amount of eggs the box calls for
1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the filling:
8 oz. Nuefchatel cheese, softened (may use cream cheese if preferred)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon*
For the glaze:
2 cups confectioners sugar
A few tablespoons milk
1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla
Juice of one lemon*

*May omit lemon and replace with cinnamon in the filling if preferred.

Directions:

Preheat oven to temperature indicated on cake mix box. Combine cake mix with melted butter, milk, eggs and cinnamon. Spoon batter into lined muffin tins, about 3/4 full. Bake as indicated on box. Allow to cool.

Once cooled, take a knife and cut a small cone shape out of the center of each cupcake. Blend the neufchatel, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest on medium until fluffy. Fill a pastry or Ziploc bag with the mixture. Snip the end of the bag off and fill the cupcakes.


To make the glaze, combine confectioners sugar with vanilla and lemon juice. Drizzle in milk until you achieve desired consistency. (I did not want mine too thin and would compare its consistency to that of maple syrup.) Spoon the mixture over each cupcake. Decorate as desired.


Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

Today is my 30th birthday...again. ;) Funny how that happens! I turned thirty in the middle of a blizzard and thankfully will be enjoying much nicer weather today. We have no big plans and I am perfectly happy with that. In honor of my special day I thought I would share a delicious recipe with you, my dedicated readers who I truly appreciate.

A friend of mine celebrated her own birthday a few days ago and I wanted to bake something fun for her. She loves chocolate and also cookies, so an idea came to mind. I took the filling from the chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes I had made previously and added it to my great aunt's "No Fail Chocolate Cupcake" recipe. Topped off with chocolate buttercream and a star was born! This is a decadent cupcake and not for the bashful but with the leftovers soliciting several enthusiastic emails from the coworkers I shared them with, I knew they were "blog worthy."

So happy birthday to me and happy "cupcaking" to you. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

For the cupcakes:
-2 eggs
-1 cup Cocoa
-2 sticks butter softened
-3 cups flour
-*1 cup sour milk
-2 tsp. vanilla
-2 tsp. baking soda
-2 cup sugar
-1 cup hot water
* I put vinegar (1-2 tbs.) in milk to sour it

For the filling:
-4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
-6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
-1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
-7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
-½ tsp. vanilla extract
-¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
-8 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
-6 cups confectioners' sugar
-2 sticks unsalted butter
-6 Tbs. milk, plus more, if needed
-2 tsp. vanilla extract
-1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Add ingredients in order into mixer. Beat for two minutes. Bake in muffin tins with paper wrappers for 20 min. (You do not need to fill the muffin tins more than 3/4 full as this batter rises nicely.) Yields about 24 cupcakes.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.

For the frosting, put the chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler set over but not touching simmering water in the bottom pan. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, the 6 Tbs. milk, the vanilla and salt and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, then reduce the speed to low. Add the chocolate and beat until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute more.

If the frosting is dry, add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until it is creamy but still holds peaks. Makes about 4 1/2 cups.


Sources: Cupcakes - Great Aunt Josie, Filling - Annie's Eats, Frosting - Williams Sonoma

Baby Sprinkle & Doughnut Muffins

I just got home from a weekend away with some of my favorite sorority sisters. It's amazing to think that we all pledged together exactly thirteen years ago and have remained friends ever since. There was much to celebrate aside from a reunion this weekend. The main reason for our trip was to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of a very deserving friend. We have been on some wild (for us) Bachelorette parties in the past complete with trips to Vegas and the Bahamas, but this time around we found ourselves happiest in our pajamas chatting and sipping on a glass of wine. Perfection really!

One morning we surprised another friend with a little baby "sprinkle" to celebrate her second daughter's arrival later this spring. For my contributions, I stuck to a doughnut theme...heavy on the sprinkles.



I will do a tutorial on the personalized mini bunting soon and in the meantime would love to share the muffin recipe with you. Enjoy!

Doughnut Muffins

Ingredients:
Batter
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
Topping
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons Cinnamon-Sugar Plus or cinnamon sugar

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.
2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.
3) Add the eggs, beating to combine.
4) Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.
5) Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.
6) Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.
7) Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.
8) Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave).
9) Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.
10) Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.

Source: King Arthur Flour

And of course I had to bring along a few "doughnut" cookies for us as well.


Nothing like a doughnut muffin and cookie with your coffee to start your day right!

Congratulations E - I cannot wait to meet your newest addition.

Bachelorette Par-tay!

Yesterday my new cousin Sarah sent me an email about how to "calculate the number of Kardashians you've been married." (You can try it here.) Lucky for me I've been married 22.65! Anyway it made me think that I never shared the treats that I made for her Bachelorette Party back in September. As you know Sarah is a big fan of this endeavor so I certainly wasn't willing to go to her big weekend empty-handed.

I chose to bake my sugar cookies but change things up with the icing. Instead of my royal icing designs, I decided to pipe buttercream roses on top of each cookie. I loved the look and think it would be pretty for any shower/party.


The real winner of the weekend though? The chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes I brought. We ate these for dessert and again with our coffee for breakfast. People were still asking me about them at the wedding two months later. Loved that!


For me it goes back to my thoughts on making it personal when celebrating special events. I knew my sweets-loving future cousin would enjoy these things so it was more than worth the effort invested in making them.

Happy Friday everyone! Wishing you all a very happy weekend.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Last Friday night I had my good friend over for dinner. She made her famous margaritas and I made a recipe we had both been admiring. I had almost convinced myself that we did not need a dessert but of course made one at the last minute. I have made this recipe as cookies several times but this time baked them in an individual bar pan so we could each have our own treat and I would not have to go back and forth to the oven. Thankfully she loved this recipe as much as I already did so I thought I would share it with you. (Maybe some day I will share her margarita recipe too!)



Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
Yields: 18 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients, beating until the flour is absorbed. Gently mix in the coconut,then oats and finally chocolate chips.

If making cookies, roll the dough into generous sized balls (about 2 inches) and place onto greased baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart.

Bake one sheet at a time, rotating the sheet about two-thirds of the way through the baking time, until the cookies are set and browned on the edges but still very soft in the center, 15 to 18 minutes. (Same timing worked for the individual bar pan.) Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack and let cool completely

Source: The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook via A Chica Bakes

Recipe: Brownie Sheet Cake

Growing up we would celebrate Thanksgiving and Easter with my family at my Great Aunt & Uncle's home. They would prepare feasts that I will always remember fondly. (In fact I referenced our holidays together in my first blog post as I was proudly the designated "place card maker" for them.) After those meals we would indulge in my Great Aunt's confections which were always delicious. This past summer we all got together for a family reunion of sorts and the morning we left I went through "Auntie's" recipes, rapidly writing down as many as I could. It was another fun morning with family that I will never forget.

So last weekend when I offered to bring dessert to a friend's house, I decided to try one of my prized recipes from Auntie. I only made a couple of small changes based on what I had and the end result was delicious. I would feel confident taking this cake anywhere and that the guests would love it. "Delicious" is a good word for this cake!


Brownie Sheet Cake

Ingredients:
For the cake:
-1 cup salted butter
-1 cup water
-1/4 cup cocoa powder (I tend to have sweetened in my pantry but unsweetened works too)
-2 cups flour
-2 cups sugar
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon cinnamon (omit if you don't care for cinnamon - I rarely add this)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:
-1/3 cup buttermilk
-1/2 cup salted butter
-1 box confectioner's sugar (1 pound)
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
For the cake: Preheat oven to 350. Place the butter, water and cocoa powder into a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then set aside. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon (if using) to a mixing bowl. Add  mixture from sauce pan and whisk together. Add eggs one at a time until combined, then add buttermilk and vanilla. Mix until combined. Pour into greased jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet with raised sides) and bake for 20 minutes.

For the frosting: While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Heat buttermilk and butter over medium heat until boiling. Turn down heat to low. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioner's sugar and stir until combined. Add cocoa, stirring until combined. Remove from heat.

Frost the cake while it is still hot by pouring the frosting over it evenly. Lightly push it to the edges with a spatula. Garnish with sprinkles or powdered sugar if desired.


Enjoy!

Christmas Eve Chocolate Gingerbread Toffee Cake

For the past few years I have made a special cake on Christmas Eve. I pick a bit more complicated recipe than I typically would as I enjoy dedicating much of the day to this labor of love. Last year was Martha's Candy Bar Cake and this year I went with a Southern Living selection. Both cakes have been very well recived amongst my family and I am already on the hunt for next year's creation.



Chocolate Gingerbread Toffee Cake

YIELD: 10 to 12 servings
HANDS-ON:45 Minutes
TOTAL:9 Hours, 5 Minutes

Ingredients:
Ginger Whipped Cream
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1 (16-oz.) package light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Silky Ganache
1 cup toffee bits

Garnishes:
Gingerbread Cookies (optional)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare Ginger Whipped Cream as directed in Step 1 of recipe (through chilling).

2. Microwave chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.

3. Beat brown sugar and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

4. Sift together flour and next 5 ingredients. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir together hot water and next 2 ingredients. (Mixture will foam.) Gradually stir molasses mixture and vanilla into chocolate mixture just until blended. Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.

5. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

6. Meanwhile, prepare Silky Ganache. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread with half of ganache; sprinkle with 1/2 cup toffee bits. Top with second cake layer; spread with remaining ganache, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup toffee bits. Top with remaining cake layer. Cover and chill 2 to 8 hours.

7. Finish preparing Ginger Whipped Cream as directed in Step 2 of recipe. Spread top and sides of cake with whipped cream just before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Southern Living DECEMBER 2011

Enjoy!

Holiday Book Club Party

With the holidays rapidly approaching, I have read many blog posts on entertaining and various party ideas. It got me thinking that I would love to share the format of a ladies' book club I have been a member of for three years. Depending on the month, this book club can be very book-focused or wine-focused but we always manage to have a great time!

The hostess sends an evite with the new book title about six weeks in advance, allowing enough time for us to purchase and read the book.

Whenever possible, we theme the evening's food around the book time period/location. Otherwise we always have a nice spread and dedicate plenty of time to sampling it! (This was at my friend M's home recently; she always does a wonderful job entertaining.)



Once we've had our share of food, drink and chatter the hostess passes out a quiz on the book and will provide a prize to the winner. The quizzes get detailed and the winner tends to be whomever finished to book last.

Then it's finally time to discuss that month's pick. The hostess will lead a discussion and at the end of the evening, we look for a volunteer to host again in about 6-8 weeks.

I would say considering the fact that this club has now lasted for three years that the format is a success!

At our meeting last week I tried something new with baked brie and was happy with the results. Happy enough to share the recipe with you all. Enjoy!


Kahlua Brie

Ingredients:
-1 large wheel brie
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-2.5 TBS Kahlua
-2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:
Cut a small slit into the brie about 1/4 inch away from the side. Continue cutting in a circle and then cut the top layer (just a smidge) off of the brie. Meanwhile mix the other 3 ingredients in a bowl and then pour onto the cut-out circle. Bake in the oven at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

This past weekend I attended a third annual cookie exchange party with friends. The party was filled with delicious, creative recipes and I am still working my way through tasting them all.

I am one of those people who loves to see the red cups arrive at Starbucks signaling the holiday season growing near. Gingerbread lattes and peppermint mochas are my seasonal drinks of choice, so I decided to channel one into a cookie. In the end, I chose peppermint mocha cookies and was happy with the results. If you love chocolate combined with mint and a hint of espresso then this is the cookie for you. I highly recommend eating them right out of the oven. :) Enjoy!


Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Ingredients:
-8 oz semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
-4 Tbsp unsalted butter
-2/3 cup flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-2 teaspoons espresso powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 large eggs
-3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
-1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste (substitute vanilla extract as needed)
-1 tsp peppermint extract
-12 oz package semisweet chocolate chips
-Sprinkles and/or chopped peppermints for garnish

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
-Heat chopped chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. Do the same with the butter.
-In the bowl of your mixer beat eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, vanilla bean paste and peppermint extract on high speed until the sugar has completely dissolved (4-5 minutes). Reduce speed to low and add the melted chocolate. Mix until uniform. Add the melted butter. Add espresso powder, baking powder and salt. Add in flour and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.
-Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes. (Dough should easily form round circles when scooped.)
-Using a cookie scoop, drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake approximately 10 minutes. Place your garnish onto the top of the cookies while hot so that they will set on top. Allow to cool 15 minutes before transferring.

Yields 2 dozen cookies

Adapted from: Confections of a Foodie Bride via Martha Stewart

Cookie Exchange Recipe & Display Part Two

The evening prior to Cookie Exchange Party 2010 was a disaster. The cookies I had planned to make were a failure. I tried two different recipes and ended up throwing them both out. Unfortunately I did not discover that the second recipe was a flop until about 2 hours before I had to leave for the party. With time running out and a grocery store run imminent, I realized that homemade was simply no longer an option. I remembered seeing my beloved Pioneer Woman blog about a simple cookie she had made and was on board. Sometimes you just do what you have to do. And you know what? They were good.

Quick Candy Cookies

Ingredients:
Refrigerator Cookie Dough (I used sugar & gingerbread)
Miniature Chocolate Candies (I used Hershey Kisses)

Directions:
Slice the cookie dough into 1 to 1 ½ inch slices. Lay the slices on their side and cut them into quarters. Place each quarter into a greased mini-muffin tin. Peel the wrapper from as many pieces of candy as cookies you’re going to make. (Don’t be afraid to try different combinations of candies and dough.)

Bake the cookie dough in a 350-degree oven for just a few minutes, about 6 to 8 at the most. You’ll want to take them out just when they start to turn golden.

Almost as soon as you pull the warm cookies from the oven, begin lightly pressing one piece of candy into each cookie. The warmer the cookies, the better. They’ll grab onto the pieces of candy and work their magic, making the candy nice and soft and melty.

When they’re all done, carefully remove from muffin tins with a spoon.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Thankfully I was prepared in the presentation department last year. I had purchased a plastic white cupcake tower at a craft store with a 40% off coupon. I then Mod Podged cocktail napkins (which I had cut into small pieces) directly onto the tower. Finally I trimmed each layer with ribbon and made a little ribbon topper as well.


In the end no one would have known about my baking disaster if I had not told them (which of course I did.) Lesson learned.