Red Velvet Cake

This should have been posted long ago, but somehow got lost in the shuffle.  Several of my co-workers were starting a major diet plan on January 1, 2010, so everyone wanted one last piece of cake before the fasting began.  I made this red velvet cake and brought it to work on December 31, and it quickly disappeared.  I particularly enjoyed the icing, as it complements the cake well without being as sickeningly sweet as some other cream cheese icings I have tried.

Another photo for good measure...

RED VELVET CAKE
From America's Best Lost Recipes

INGREDIENTS - CAKE
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
2 tablespoons (one 1-ounce bottle) red food coloring
2 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

INGREDIENTS - ICING
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
16 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS
1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs in a large measuring cup. Mix the cocoa with the food coloring in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in two batches, beating after each addition until combined. Add the cocoa mixture and beat on medium speed until completely incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.  Cool the cakes in the pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

3. FOR THE ICING: With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and salt.

4. Spread about 2 cups frosting on one cake layer. Top with the second cake layer and spread the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Serve. (The cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Lower Fat Granola

I have recently become interested in making homemade granola.  It is so incredibly expensive to buy, yet so easy (and much cheaper) to make at home.  Plus, it fills your house with a divine aroma as it bakes!  I like to use the oat mixture as a base, and then add different nuts and dried fruit to make new flavor combinations.  You can make lots of substitutions here - just make sure to keep the ratio of oat mixture to liquid mixture about the same.  This recipe is lower in fat than most because it uses only one tablespoon of oil.  If you don't have agave nectar you can substitute additional honey.

LOWER FAT GRANOLA
From Hannah's Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (omit if your nuts are salted)
6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup dried apricots, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, wheat germ, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

3. In a small saucepan, warm the applesauce with the agave nectar, honey, and oil.

4. Mix the liquid into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined, then spread the mixture evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet.

5. Bake granola for about 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until the granola is deep golden brown.

6. Remove from oven and cool completely.  Add dried fruit and store in an airtight container for up to one month.

Cinco Leches Cake

My husband celebrated his birthday this past week and he always wants something unique for his birthday cake.  This year he decided tres leches was not enough, and that the magic number of leches was cinco.  So instead of the traditional three milks in a tres leches cake, I kicked it up a notch with two additional milks.  I also made the cake into a layer cake instead of the traditional pan size since I was trying to create a more impressive presentation.  The results were delicious and my husband has declared this to be one of his favorite cakes ever.

One happy hubby.

The inside of the cake.

Delicious!

CINCO LECHES CAKE
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

INGREDIENTS - CAKE
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups whole milk
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups sugar

INGREDIENTS - MILK MIXTURE
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 can (7 ounces) dulce de leche
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup half and half

INGREDIENTS - FROSTING
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.  Line pans with parchment.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Heat the milk, butter, and vanilla together in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter is melted.  In a large bowl, whip the eggs with an electric mixer on medium-high speed and gradually add the sugar, about 1 minute. Continue to whip the mixture until very thick and voluminous, 4 to 8 minutes.

3.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the melted butter mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the flour mixture, in two additions, until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the batter until fully combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.

4. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans, smooth the tops, and gently tap the pans on the counter to settle the batter.  Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center coems out with a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

5.  While the cake is cooling, whisk all ingredients for the milk mixture in a large bowl.  Set aside.

6. Using a toothpick, poke about 50 holes in each warm cake - you do not need to poke all the way through. Slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the three cakes. Let the cakes cool slightly at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then refrigerate them until the milk mixture is completely absorbed and the cakes have cooled, about 3 hours.

7. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat the heavy cream, corn syrup, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed to stiff peaks.

8. To assemble, soak each cake pan in a hot water bath for 30 seconds to help in the unmolding process.  Turn the first cake out onto a serving platter and top with a thin layer of the whipped cream frosting.  Repeat with the next two cake layers.  Then frost the sides and smooth out the top.  Decorate with maraschino cherries, if desired.

Chocolate Blackout Cake

My nephew, Brady, recently celebrated his 3rd birthday so I of course volunteered to bake the cake.  Since he loves chocolate pudding and chocolate cake, the chocolate blackout cake seemed like it would be right up his alley.  This cake uses a rich homemade choclate pudding as both a filling and icing between layers of dark chocolate cake.  One of the layers of cake is broken up into small pieces and sprinkled over the pudding to create the cake's signature look.  It was definitely very rich and very chocolatey!

Here is the birthday boy getting ready to blow out his candle!

A cake slice on a Cars plate.

CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CAKE
From America's Best Lost Recipes

INGREDIENTS - PUDDING
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

INGREDIENTS - CAKE
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup brewed coffee, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1.  For the pudding - Whisk the granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, half-and-haf, and milk in a large saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat. Add the chocolate and whisk constantly until the chocolate melts and the mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and transfer the pudding to a large bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.

2. For the cake - Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

3.  Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cocoa powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off the heat, whisk in the coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, then slowly whisk in the flour mixture.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour.

5.  To assemble the cake - Cut each cake in half horizontally. Crumble one cake layer into medium crumbs and set aside. Crumble one cake layer into medium crumbs and set aside. Place one cake layer on a serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1 cup pudding over the cake layer and top with another layer. Repeat with 1 cup pudding and the last cake layer. Following the photos, spread the remaining pudding evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the cake crumbs evenly over the top and sides of the cake, pressing lightly to adhere the crumbs. Serve. The cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Nanaimo Bars - January Daring Bakers' Challenge

The January 2010 Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.  Nanaimo bars are a classic Canadian dessert, and so very appropriate with the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver just around the corner. I opted to use gluten in my bars, but otherwise followed the recipe. These are very rich!

 

NANAIMO BARS

INGREDIENTS - BOTTOM LAYER
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

INGREDIENTS - MIDDLE LAYER
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons vanilla pudding mix
2 cups powdered sugar

INGREDIENTS - TOP LAYER
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS
1. For Bottom Layer: Melt butter, sugar, and cocoa in the top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts, and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 x 8 inch pan.
2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, heavy cream, pudding mix, and powdered sugar in a mixer bowl. Beat until light in color. Spread over bottom layer.
3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Snickerdoodles are a classic cinnamon sugar cookie, and happen to be one of my husband's favorites.  I have tried several recipes and this is the one that he likes best.  These cookies bake up nice and crispy around the edges and chewy in the center.

SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until just combined.

4. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.

5. Shape rounded tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Roll balls in cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set.  Remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

Lemon Bundt Cake

Happy New Year! The holidays were busy so I fell a little behind in my postings. I made this cake back in December. It has a lovely, fresh lemon flavor and would be great for brunch, tea, or dessert.LEMON BUNDT CAKE

INGREDIENTS - CAKE

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons fresh grated lemon zest

2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

INGREDIENTS - GLAZE

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest

pinch salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

2. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest together.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, until combined, about 1 minute.

4. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in one-third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk mixture. Beat in the remaining flour just until incorporated.

5. Scrapte the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 50-60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

6. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours, before serving.

7. While cake cools, whisk together all glaze ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Let sit until thickened, about 25 minutes. Pour glaze over the top of the cake after it has cooled completely, letting the glaze drip down the sides. Let glaze set before serving, about 25 minutes.

Italian Cream Cake

This was my first attempt at an Italian cream cake. My sister-in-law loves this kind of cake, so of course I volunteered to make one for her birthday. Not only had I never baked this type of cake before, I somehow had never even tasted this kind of cake before! I searched for recipes, and ended up going with what looked to be a fairly standard recipe from Southern Living. The cake is pretty rich, but I think we all agreed that it turned out to be tasty. The cream cheese frosting with toasted pecans is amazingly good. I am offically a fan of Italian cream cakes!

I decorated the top with some frosting I had reserved before adding the pecans.It looks good enough to eat!ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

Adapted slightly from Southern Living

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

5 large eggs, separated

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment.

2. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, beating until blended.

3. Combine flour and soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in coconut.

4. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter evenly into the three prepared pans.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

6. Spread nutty cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

NUTTY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

From Southern Living

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted and cooled

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.

2. Beat frosting at high speed until smooth; stir in pecans.

**NOTE: I used one and one half times the frosting recipe for my cake.

Banana Snack Cake

I had an abundance of overripe bananas on my banana rack, so instead of making more banana bread I made this tasty cake. You can frost the cake with the cream cheese icing as I did, top it with Cool Whip, or just sprinkle it with powdered sugar.
BANANA SNACK CAKE
Adapted slightly from Cafe Zupas

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup mashed ripe banana

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs until combined, then add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Beat flour mixture into the wet batter until just combined. Stir in the mashed banana with a spatula. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.

Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling

My brother-in-law, Jay, had a birthday this past weekend and I offered to make a cake. He requested a chocolate cake, so I tried to make it special with dark chocolate frosting and a chocolate mousse filling. This cake recipe never fails me, and the dark chocolate frosting was simple but divine.

The cake (in a photo with horrible lighting...).Jay prepares to blow out the candles as Leslie (who finished a half marathon earlier that morning) and Brady look on. CHOCOLATE CAKE

From Hershey's

INGREDIENTS

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

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three 9-inch pans with wax paper and spray pans with cooking spray.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla, a beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 25-30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

From Hershey's

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup Hershe's Special Dark Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter, stir in cocoa.

2. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups frosting.

French Macaroons

I waited until the last minute, but somehow managed to complete another Daring Bakers' challenge. The challenge was to make French macaroons, which as I learned, are completely different than the coconut macaroons that are common in America. This was probably my least successful challenge so far. The macaroons were delicious, but they did not turn out to have "feet" (which as I have learned are a distinguishing characteristic of a French macaroon). I will have to try to figure out what may have caused my lack of feet, although it may remain a mystery forever. I chose to fill my macaroons with chocolate ganache, but they would also be delicous filled with jam.

The 2009 October Daring Bakers' challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macaroons from Claudia Fleming's The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.
The Process:
The confectioners sugar and almond flour are combined.

The egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks.

The almond flour and sugar are sifted and folded into the egg whites.
The batter is piped onto parchment-lined pans...

...and baked until just golden.

The ganache filling.

The final product, a ganache-filled macaroon.

FRENCH MACAROONS

From Claudia Fleming's The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar

2 cups almond flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

5 egg whites, room temperature

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Combine the confectioners sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until the nuts are very fine and powdery.

2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour mixture in two batches. Be gentle. Do not overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.

4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip or a zipper bag with a corner cut off.

5. Pipe one-inch sized mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and rasie the temperature to 375 degrees F. Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or until lightly colored.

7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Bars

My husband volunteered to bring a dessert to a potluck at work this week, which really means he volunteered me to make a dessert for him to bring to the potluck. Lucky for him, I am always looking for reasons to bake so I set out to make these bars. I always seem to have an excess of toffee bits on hand, so these bars turned out to be a great use for the toffee bits. Plus, the bars were well received at the potluck and the hubby returned home with an empty container.

TOFFEE CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS
From Hannah's Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter
2 cups (12 ounce pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) package toffee baking bits, divided

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick spray, or coat pan with foil and spray foil with non-stick spray.

2. In a large bowl, stir together flour and brown sugar. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture and press remaining crumb mixture into bottom of prepared pan to form a crust. Bake crust for 10 minutes.

3. Remove crust from oven and pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the partially baked crust. Reserve 1/4 cup of the toffee bits, and sprinkle the remaining toffee bits evenly over the sweetened condensed milk.

4. Stir 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips into the reserved crumb mixture and sprinkle evenly over the toffee layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips over the top.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup of toffee bits. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

My parents came down to visit us from Iowa a few weeks ago and, as always, I had to have homemade cookies waiting when they arrived. This time around I opted for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. These are not only great looking cookies, but they turn out soft and chewy when baked properly.PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
From Hannah's Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixer bowl, cream butter until smooth. Add peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar and beat until well combined. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

3. In a small bowl, mix flour, salt, and soda until combined. Gradually add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Using a cookie scoop (approximately one tablespoon capacity), drop dough two inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.

5. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until cookies are just firm around the edges, being careful not to overbake. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Carrot Cake

I absolutely love carrot cake and this recipe does not disappoint. The pineapple keeps it really moist, and the coconut and nuts can be omitted depending on your preferences. I have also made this recipe into cupcakes with success. The shredded carrots.

The dry ingredients are mixed together.

The wet ingredients are stirred into the dry ingredients.

The pineapple, carrots, and coconut are then mixed in.

The batter is poured into the pans.

A slice of the finished carrot cake.

CARROT CAKE

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 3/4 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup flaked sweetened coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

12 ounces (1 1/2 packages) cream cheese, softened

6 tablespoons butter, softened

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan.

2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the carrots, coconut, walnuts, and pineapple.

3. Pour into 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350 degress for about 45 minutes, or until toothpick in center comes out clean. For two 9-inch pans bake for 30-35 minutes, and for cupcakes bake 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool on wire rack. For round pans and cupcakes, remove cake from pans after 10 minutes and then cool completely. The center may sink a little, but this can be easily covered up with some extra icing.

4. To make the icing, cream the butter and cream cheese in a large mixer bowl until smooth and fluffy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Chill icing for 10-15 minutes in refrigerator before using.

Vols-au-Vent

I successfully completed another Daring Bakers' challenge this month! This was my first-ever attempt at making puff pastry from scratch. I normally buy the frozen stuff from the grocery, but it was pretty satisfying to make it myself (not to mention super delicious). The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan. First, the dry ingredients are placed in a food processor bowl. The dry ingredients and water are pulsed until a ball forms. The pastry dough is rolled into a square before being filled with butter. The butter-filled dough is rolled into a long rectangular shape to begin the layering process. The pastry dough is folded into thirds between each rolling. The shapes are cut from the chilled pastry dough. The vols-au-vent are assembled and brushed with an egg wash. The baked shells and tops are cooled. Once the shells are cooled they can be filled with the mousse. Yum!

Peanut Butter Fudge Treats

The moment I saw these treats on Joy the Baker's blog I knew I had to try them. They are sinfully rich and extremely easy to make. I saved a couple of them for myself, but had to send the rest with my husband to work so I wouldn't eat them all!

The cereal layer is dumped into the pan.The peanut butter fudge is spread evenly over the cereal layer.The chocolate fudge is cooked on the stovetop.The cooked chocolate fudge is spread over the peanut butter layer.

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE TREATS

From Joy the Baker

INGREDIENTS - Rice Crispies Layer
3 tablespoons butter

4 cups mini marshmallows or 40 regular marshmallows (about 10 ounces)
6 cups Rice Crispies cereal

INGREDIENTS - Peanut Butter Fudge

1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pound powdered sugar

INGREDIENTS - Chocolate Fudge
2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS
1. Coat a 13x9x2 inch pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave the marshmallows and butter for one and a half minutes. Stir, and continue to microwave in 30 second increments until melted and smooth. Add cereal and stir until well coated.

3. Using a buttered spatula or wax paper, evenly press the cereal mixture into the prepared pan and set aside.

4. For the peanut butter fudge, microwave the butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar to the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine. Pour over the cereal layer in the pan and spread evenly. Cool in the refrigerator while you make the chocolate fudge.

5. For the chocolate fudge, combine butter, milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, chocolate, and vanilla. Stir vigorously for about 1 minute, or until marshmallows melt and mixture is thoroughly combined. Pour over peanut butter fudge, spread evenly, and place in refrigerator to set and cool.

6. Once set, remove from refrigerator and let treats sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting. Cut in small squares. Treats are best served at room temperature.