Biscoff Blondies with Biscoff Icing

April 29, 2013 34 Comments

Biscoff Blondies with Biscoff Icing

I think I should host the Oscars next year.  I’ll give you a minute to stop laughing.  Done?  Good.  Seriously, it’s not like ratings are going gangbusters or the most recent hosts have gotten rave reviews.  So hear me out.

I love to watch movies.  Sure, so does most of the rest of America, but I really love movies, watching at least two new ones every week.  Plus, can you imagine how awesome it would be to get screener copies of movies?  No more going to the movie theatre to stand in line and sit next to the guy loudly chomping on popcorn.  And no more waiting until the movies come OnDemand, cheering for a movie to win based on who’s in it and what Entertainment Weekly said about it.

Biscoff Blondies with Biscoff Icing

Biscoff Blondies with Biscoff Icing

I also love public speaking.  It’s energizing and exhilarating.  Sure, I’d be nervous.  Anyone who says they wouldn’t is lying.  But nerves are good; they keep you on your toes and wanting to do your very best.  Once up on the stage, the butterflies in my tummy would calm and I would be on my game and in the moment.  I can be funny too.  And the writers would help me be really funny.  However, I have that comedic timing that can’t be taught, even by a room full of comedic geniuses.

Most people tune into the Oscars for the fashion.  We all want to see who looks great and who looks . . . well . . . not so great.  It would be a joy for this fashionista to have designers fighting to dress her, make gowns just for her.  After all, having a haute couture gown is on my bucket list.  Gowns, shoes, jewelry, hair, makeup: I’d give the fashion community plenty to talk about.

Biscoff Blondies with Biscoff Icing

Biscoff Blondies with Biscoff Icing

Everyone would tune in to see the regular girl host.  The producers and network want the ratings to go up, way up.  What a better way to do that than to take the girl next door, a Hollywood outsider and give her the chance of a lifetime?  People would tune in to see if I’d choke.  If Billy Crystal would have to be pulled from the audience to host the show.  Would I do a song and dance number?  Would I fall on my face while doing it?  Would I try to get my first kiss from Bradley Cooper?  Or George Clooney?  Or Hugh Jackman?  Would I become the next big thing in Hollywood?  Regardless, people would want to watch out of sheer curiosity.  There could be behind the scenes pieces with dress fittings and rehearsals, not to mention interviews with former hosts.  It would be the best Oscars EVER!  I know you’re thinking this dream is even crazier and less realistic than being a bestselling novelist and an Oscar winning screenwriter.  I know that.  But admit it: You’d watch.

You’ll also want these Biscoff Blondies with Biscoff Icing.  I have made more than my fair share of awesome blondies but none with Biscoff.  I had to change that and I’m so glad I did.  These may be the best blondies I’ve made.  They are super dense and chewy – the best blondie texture.  They have a hint of Biscoff flavor along with a little vanilla.  I’d also never made blondies with icing.  How is that possible?  Icing makes everything better.  This icing is so Biscoff-y you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful.  Just try to save enough for the blondies.

Biscoff Blondies with Biscoff Icing

Biscoff Blondies with Biscoff Icing

5.0 from 3 reviews

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Biscoff Blondies with Biscoff Icing
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 24
 

Ingredients
Blondies
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup creamy Biscoff
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Icing
  • 1 cup creamy Biscoff
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3-4 tablespoons milk (I used almond)

Instructions
  1. Make the blondies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Line the bottom only with parchment.
  2. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars, Biscoff, and vanilla until light and fluffy and well combined. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer would work as well. Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each one. Mix until once again light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan.
  3. Make the icing. In a medium bowl, stir together Biscoff, sugar, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Continue adding milk one tablespoon at a time, until the icing is thick but spreadable. Spread into an even layer on blondies. Cut and serve. Blondies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple hours.

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars, Blondies, Cookie Butter, Frosting Tagged With: , , , , ,

Fudgy Carob Brownies #SundaySupper

April 21, 2013 60 Comments

Fudgy Carob Brownies #SundaySupper

Since you’re here reading my blog, I have a feeling you like to cook.  I bet you watch some cooking shows or read food magazines.  Maybe you have cookbooks lining your bookshelves or perhaps you read a bunch of blogs like mine.  If you do any or all of these things, I bet you come across recipes for brownies all the time.  They’re everywhere.  You can’t escape them.

But imagine never being able to eat brownies.  Ever.  EVER!  As you may know, I’m allergic to chocolate, so I’ve been living in a very brownie-less world.  Sure there are lots of blondie recipes here (like these and these), but they’re just not the same.

Fudgy Carob Brownies #SundaySupper

Fudgy Carob Brownies #SundaySupper

So I’ve been experimenting with carob.  It’s not the same as chocolate, but it’s really pretty close.  I’ve been toying with making brownies for awhile and when this Sunday Supper’s theme was showers – you know bridal showers, baby showers – it seemed like the perfect time to make them because what’s any shower or party without brownies?

I haven’t been allergic to chocolate for my entire life so believe me when I say these Fudgy Carob Brownies are the best brownies I’ve ever eaten.  They’re actually one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.  Super, crazy, dangerously easy to make, they bake up perfectly and are best eaten warm when they are dense, melty, and ooey, gooey.  These are the brownies I searched for but could never find.  And blondies, sorry, but you’re gonna have to take a backseat for awhile.

Fudgy Carob Brownies #SundaySupper

Fudgy Carob Brownies #SundaySupper

The super chocolaty carob in these is fabulous, but if you can eat chocolate, feel free to substitute dark or bittersweet chocolate.  Regardless of what you use to make these, make them as soon as possible.  They are too good to resist.

Fudgy Carob Brownies #SundaySupper

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Fudgy Carob Brownies #SundaySupper
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 9
 

Ingredients
  • 1 cup carob chips
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the pan
  • ¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar (I used a combination of both)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8 inch square baking pan.
  2. In a large microwave safe bowl, place the carob and butter. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between to promote melting and prevent burning, until fully melted. Stir in the sugars, followed by the eggs and vanilla. Stir until fully combined.
  3. Add the flour and fold in using a rubber spatula until it is just mixed in. Do not over mix.
  4. Bake for 25-35 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until the brownies are set and the middle is barely firm to the touch. Cool for about 15 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving. Brownies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour or in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Notes
Recipe adapted from Hummingbird High and the New York Times

Don’t forget to check out all the other amazing Sunday Supper dishes!

Starters, Appetizers & Snacks

Soups, Salads & Sandwiches

Main Dishes

Cakes

Cookies, Brownies & Dessert Bars

Sweet Treats

Drink Recipes

Join our #SundaySupper Chat!

One of the best parts of #SundaySupper is our weekly Twitter chat. If you love food, you definitely want to join us! Just follow the hashtag #SundaySupper on Twitter this Sunday, April 21st at 7pm EST, and we’ll be chatting about food and fun for baby showers, bridal showers, and parties!

Want even more #SundaySupper? Follow our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for recipes that are sure to impress!

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars, Brownies, Carob Tagged With: , , , ,

Bale Bars

April 19, 2013 35 Comments

Bale Bars

The first concert I ever saw was Britney Spears.  I know you’re all judging, but I loved Britney and I still kind of do.  I knew every word of every song on her first CD.  I’m not sure I can say that about any other CDs.  I also knew most of the dance moves from watching MTV every possible moment while my peers watched the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.  Most of the dance moves have left my brain along with Geometry but I still know most of the songs.  I love when a Britney song, new, old, or in between comes on the radio.  And to be honest, I’d probably go see her in concert if she tours again.

It was a great first concert.  Dad got tickets from work which were quite good.  My baby-sitter came with us.  It was at Pine Knob, which if you’re a Detroiter was what the main outdoor amphitheater was called before it became DTE Energy Music Theatre.  This concert was clearly many moons ago, as I was nine.

Bale Bars

Bale Bars

Walking past the gates, the experience was similar to being at an amusement park: lines and people everywhere, concession stands, merchandise booths.  My eyes darted around, trying to take it all in.

At the time, I’m sure it felt like forever before the concert started, as we waited for it to get dark outside and for the opening act to finish (I have absolutely no recollection of whom the opening act was) and far too soon for it to end.  I enjoyed every moment, singing and dancing from my perch standing on my seat, binoculars firmly in hand most of the concert.  It was awesome.  I loved it and couldn’t wait to go to my next concert.

Bale Bars

Bale Bars

I sang along to the radio as we waded through parking lot gridlock and on the long ride home.  I think my baby-sitter fell asleep after marveling at the fact that I even knew every word to every song played on the radio.

Concerts make me think of summer (Yay! Summer!) and when I think of summer, I also think of no bake treats.  Don’t get me wrong, my oven will be in full operation all summer long, but there’s something about a no bake treat on a ninety degree day that just seems right.  Upon exploring my Baked bakery cookbooks, these Bale Bars immediately caught my eye.  Pretzels, peanut butter, white chocolate.  What’s not to like?

These bars are super simple to make, though they do have to set up in the refrigerator for awhile.  Sweet and salty, they get great crunch from the pretzels and peanuts, along with a fudgy quality from the peanut butter-white chocolate ganache.  Best of all these need to be stored in the refrigerator, so they are a refreshing summer treat, perhaps while you listen to some music.

Bale Bars

Bale Bars

4.9 from 9 reviews

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Bale Bars
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 24
 

Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup white baking chips
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • ¾ cup peanuts (I used dry roasted unsalted)
  • 3 cups salted thin pretzel sticks (I used Rold Gold)

Instructions
  1. Line a 9 by 13 inch pan with parchment, leaving enough overhang to be able to pull the bars out later.
  2. In a large bowl, combine peanuts and pretzels with your fingers.
  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the sugar and cream and bring to a low boil for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chips and 1 tablespoon vanilla and stir until the chips are completely melted into the mixture. Add the additional 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla and peanut butter and stir until combined.
  4. Pour the white chip-peanut butter mixture over the pretzel-peanut mixture and stir until all the pretzels and peanuts are fully coated. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 90 minutes until the bars are firm. Cut into pieces and serve. May be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

Notes
Recipe adapted from Baked Elements

Filed Under: Bakeries, Bars, No Bake, Nut Butter Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Salted Caramel Squares

April 6, 2013 65 Comments

Salted Caramel Squares

Baseball season started this week.  I love that I means the beginning of spring (I hope), but I’m not much of a baseball fan.  I don’t really understand the game or why it’s entertaining.  Sure, I love when the Tigers make it to the playoffs and I still remember cheering for the Yankees (yes, I’m kind of a Yankees fan) in the 2001 World Series.  Mom and I would stay up way too late watching the games.  It was riveting and our eyes were glued, positively glued, to the TV.

I’ve been to one game in person many moons ago.  Dad got tickets from work for us and some of our friends.  The seats were in the first two rows on one baseline or another.  It also happened to be the fourth of July.  So that means it was searing hot outside.  My makeup was melted, my hair a mess, and I was generally uncomfortable.  No, miserable might be a more accurate description.

Salted Caramel Squares

Salted Caramel Squares

I remember eating a few peanuts and McDonald’s.  Why we didn’t get a hot dog, I don’t know, and while I don’t remember what I ordered, I do remember it was the best food I’d ever had from McDonald’s.  I haven’t eaten from there in years, but my young self took comfort in some golden arches food that day.  It actually kind of saved the day.

As if the weather wasn’t bad enough, at some point during the game, the sky opened up and it poured.  Luckily our friend had an umbrella and rescued us from the downpour.  I don’t think we stayed much longer.  We had no idea there was so much as a chance of rain.  I guess I didn’t obsessively check the weather back then like I do now (fifties and rainy next week?  Really?  That’s the best we can do?)  In fact, I don’t remember who the Tigers played or if they even won.  Dad and I both vowed to never go to a baseball game again.

Salted Caramel Squares

Salted Caramel Squares

So instead of heading to the ball park, I went to the kitchen and made Salted Caramel Squares.  The shortbread crust is not my favorite, but that doesn’t matter.  It’s only a vehicle for the home run caramel on top.  Seriously, this caramel is deep, complex, rich, not too sweet, and totally amazing.  I am in love with it.  It’s made even better with a sprinkling of sea salt.

This recipe also serves a lot, as a small serving is enough even to satisfy my giant sweet tooth with the ooey, gooey, vanilla bean flecked caramel and the crumbly, crunchy shortbread.  Oh, yeah, these are definitely better than sitting through another baseball game.

Salted Caramel Squares

Salted Caramel Squares

Don’t miss my Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway either!  I know you’ll love their products as much as I do!

4.7 from 11 reviews

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Salted Caramel Squares
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 32
 

Ingredients
Crust
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
Caramel
  • 2 ¼ cups heavy cream
  • ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped, seeds and pod reserved
  • 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ¾ sticks unsalted butter
  • Maldon Sea Salt, for sprinkling

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan and line it with parchment leaving an overhang to pull the bars out later.
  2. Make the crust. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using a hand mixer, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs until once again light and fluffy, and then beat in the flour. Place the dough in the prepared pan and press it into an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until light golden brown.
  3. While the crust cools, make the caramel. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and vanilla bean pod and seeds to a simmer. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
  4. In a very large saucepan, stir together the sugar and water over medium heat. Stop stirring and allow the sugar to cook until deep amber. This part takes awhile, but is so worth it. As soon as the caramel is to the desired color, remove it from the heat and add the cream. It will bubble vigorously. Once the bubbling begins to subside stir in the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Using your spoon to scrape the caramel off the bottom of the pan – it will melt back into the caramel.
  5. Place the pan over medium-high heat and attach a candy thermometer. While stirring, allow the mixture to come to 240 degrees F on the thermometer. Once this happens, remove it from the heat, remove the vanilla bean pod and pour the caramel over the crust. Sprinkle with sea salt.
  6. Allow to cool at room temperature for about an hour until it is cool enough to handle. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving. Bars may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or at room temperature for 1 (after being chilled to set), or in the freezer in pieces, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours.

Notes
Recipe adapted from Zoe Nathan, courtesy of Food and Wine

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars, Candy, Caramel Tagged With: , , , ,

Peanut Butter Egg Blondies

March 23, 2013 46 Comments

Peanut Butter Egg Blondies

Spring started Wednesday.  Yay! Spring!  But wait a minute . . . I don’t know about where you live, but here in Michigan it’s decidedly not springy.  There’s still snow on the ground, the temperatures barely make it out of the forties, the wind howls, and the sun refuses to shine.  Last winter wasn’t even this bad and now it’s spring, people.  Someone needs to fire that groundhog, because not only did spring not come early, so far it has yet to come at all.  And the next ten days aren’t looking so hot either.  I should know, I check the forecast rather obsessively.

I need some sunshine and warm temperatures.  I want the tulips and daffodils to pop out of the ground, the Bradford pears to burst into full bloom.  I will welcome the chirping of the chipmunks and birds as my alarm clock.  My winter coat needs to find a semi-permanent place in my closet, while my sandals break out of their boxes.  I want to want to leave the house, instead of fighting with my overwhelming desire to barricade myself in the house where it’s warm.  I need a leisurely walk outside.  I need spring to come.

Peanut Butter Egg Blondies

Peanut Butter Egg Blondies

I’m trying really hard not to complain.  Really, I am.  Even if it’s not going well.  I’m trying hard not to obsess about the weather, which I can’t control, but it stares at me constantly, the gloominess pouring in the windows.  I try not to only focus on my desire to move somewhere warm, so I can bask in nice weather year round.  But it is the drive I need to keep working and not give up.  I really am trying, now if only Mother Nature would.

Whether or not spring is here, Easter almost is.  Earlier this week, I posted Carob Peanut Butter Eggs.  I loved them so much, I wanted to make something with them.  So I made Peanut Butter Egg Blondies.  The blondies themselves are loaded with peanut butter.  Tons of it.  Then there are pieces of peanut butter eggs throughout.  I love the bites with extra peanut butter in them.  You don’t have to make your own peanut butter eggs in order to make the blondies – just buy some Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs.  I know they’ll work perfectly.

Peanut Butter Egg Blondies

Peanut Butter Egg Blondies

The texture is rather dense, almost like a fudgy peanut butter cookie.  It’s the perfect texture that I’m always looking for in blondies.  And the peanut butter flavor is crazy good, enhanced further by the bittersweet carob.  This peanut butter lovers’ delight would be a great Easter treat, perhaps as a post egg hunt energy snack.  Maybe it will make spring finally arrive.

Peanut Butter Egg Blondies

4.9 from 11 reviews

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Peanut Butter Egg Blondies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 24
 

Ingredients
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Skippy)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 heaping cup peanut butter eggs, coarsely chopped

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment. Do not butter the parchment.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugars, and peanut butter, until light and fluffy. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer would also work. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating after each addition, then add the vanilla and mix until once again light and fluffy.
  3. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated. Stir in the peanut butter eggs, trying to evenly distribute them, yet not break them up too much. Pour dough into prepared pan, smooth to even, and bake 35-40 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan. May be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen in pieces, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours or in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars, Blondies, Candy, Carob, Nut Butter Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Crumb Cake

March 18, 2013 48 Comments

Crumb Cake

I’ve never really eaten brunch before.  I always eat breakfast and lunch, but not brunch.  The two are always separate meals for me.  Breakfast and lunch are typically quick meals that I put together in a few moments: fruit, oatmeal, cereal, reheated baked goods.  Don’t get me wrong, I love sitting down for a morning or afternoon meal, taking a few moments for myself or chatting with Mom.  However, I’ve never participated in the spectacle that is brunch.

Big plans are usually reserved for the evening.  Dinner out, fun with friends.  That’s not to say brunch doesn’t sound awesome.  Going out to a restaurant to celebrate with a mimosa and pancakes or salad, sweet or savory, anything goes, not too early nor too late.  Even better is the idea of having people over, a big spread of food, floral centerpieces, and lively conversation.  An elegantly casual way to entertain and catch up, or maybe I’ve just seen one too many episodes of Brunch at Bobby’s lately.

Crumb Cake

Crumb Cake

While there aren’t any brunch plans on my calendar, I figure there might be on yours, as Easter and brunch seem to go hand in hand.  What’s a brunch spread without a decadent sweet treat?  Not much of one, right?  This Crumb Cake is the perfect addition to any brunch party.

Okay, so the Crumb Cake I made for you today has almost five sticks of butter in it, but it serves 24 people and you’re not going to eat it every day, though you may want to because after one taste you’ll fall in love and forget about all that butter.

Crumb Cake

Crumb Cake

The cake itself is insanely moist thanks to a heaping helping of sour cream, which also lends flavor along with some vanilla.  The bottom got a little brown during baking, even though it wasn’t near the bottom of the oven, but I kind of liked the deep flavor as a foil to the tenderness of the cake.

Let’s be real, though, it’s the crumb topping that’s the star.  Thick, moist, and slightly grainy, it adds texture, cinnamon flavor, and pure yumminess!  The topping gets a little crunchy on top, but that adds texture to the rest of the super soft cake, all of the layers working together in total harmony.  This must be an addition to your brunch (or breakfast or dessert) menu.  Although, people will probably want to come over for brunch all the time once they taste this cake.

Crumb Cake

Crumb Cake

You guys should also check out MiFilter.  It’s this cool new site that will help you find awesome blogs that you’ll love based on your interests.  So pop over and check it out.  It might just be the next big thing.

4.3 from 9 reviews

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Crumb Cake
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 24
 

Ingredients
Cake
  • 1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups sour cream
Topping
  • 3 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan.
  2. Make the topping. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and mix into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands until large clumps of various sizes have been formed and no large pieces of butter are seen.
  3. Make the cake. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer would work as well. Mix in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until once again light and fluffy. Alternately add the flour and sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. I did three additions of flour and two of sour cream. Mix until a batter is formed and all ingredients are incorporated.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top. Pour crumb topping evenly over the batter, completely covering the batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
  5. Cake may be served warm or allowed to cool completely in pan. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen, in pieces, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours or in a 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes. It may be wrapped in parchment before reheating to prevent it from becoming crusty.

Notes
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars, Cake, Coffee Cake Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Good Morning Sunshine Bars

March 7, 2013 57 Comments

Good Morning Sunshine Bars

The other day, I told you how I love to eat breakfast for dinner.  I love it so much, I had it again the other night.  Today I have another confession.  A much worse confession.  I like to eat dessert for breakfast.  I know.  I’m all messed up.  Breakfast for dinner.  Dessert for breakfast.  What’s next?  Dinner for lunch?

In the morning, sometimes a muffin doesn’t sound good.  But a leftover piece of pie or cake is just calling my name.  Or maybe it’s more like screaming.  Last week, it was the last piece of blueberry buckle, waiting patiently in the freezer to be eaten.  It was freezing and snowy and totally terrible outside.  I needed a reminder that the weather will get nicer.  So I turned toward a berry filled cake, all warm and moist right from the oven.  It was the best breakfast a girl could ask for.  And it had fruit in it, so it was a totally acceptable breakfast, right?

Good Morning Sunshine Bars

Good Morning Sunshine Bars

There is some method to my madness.  I always eat a healthy dinner.  Protein and vegetables, yummy, good for you foods that keep me feeling good.  After all that healthy food, sometimes I’m too full for dessert.  Gasp!  Such a travesty – no dessert!  In the morning this is clearly not an issue, my body ready for a treat to fuel the day.

Speaking of which, eating dessert in the morning also gives me all day to work it off.  Running, elliptical-ing, going up and down the stairs, creaming butter and sugar by hand.  Each time I move, I’m, burning the calories I ate for breakfast.  Eating dessert after dinner, the only calories I burn come from my heart racing during the latest plot twist on The Americans.  I think I’ve convinced you eating dessert for breakfast is a good thing.  Oh, you didn’t need convincing?  Well, then I’ve helped you explain it to others not in the know ;)

Good Morning Sunshine Bars

Good Morning Sunshine Bars

I was looking through the awesome Baked cookbooks Mom and Dad got me for my birthday when I came across these Good Morning Sunshine Bars and knew immediately I had to make them.  When the amazing Sydney over at Crepes of Wrath whipped up a killer batch of her own, they moved up on the do to list, as they looked so good.  These are quite the decadent breakfast treat, but even the cookbook authors note they are the perfect wake-up meal, as they’re name suggests.  I ate one for breakfast and one for dessert and can attest to the fact that they make any part of the day better.

Much like Triple Peanut Butter Puppy Chow, Momofuku Peanut Butter Cookies, and homemade Marshmallows, these are destined for regular rotation in my kitchen.  Chex and peanuts (I used Planters dry roasted unsalted because I don’t like salt, but feel free to use what you like) are coated in a peanut buttery concoction that has serious peanut butter flavor and a sticky, chewy consistency almost like a rich taffy.  I used Skippy peanut butter because I didn’t want to have any issues with the more volatile homemade.  In the book, they’re coated in ribbons of chocolate, but, as you know, that’s not a possibility for me, so I drizzled mine with both white and peanut butter chips.

Good Morning Sunshine Bars

The cereal and peanuts stay crunchy, while that chewy peanut butter coating adds a different texture and depth of flavor.  The drizzle adds a bit of sweetness, as these bars are not overly sweet.  Now, these are insanely tasty at room temperature, all the flavors and textures melding perfectly, but they are outstanding, irresistible, eat the whole pan good when warmed just a little.  The white and peanut butter chip drizzle starts to melt, as does the peanut butter coating, but the cereal stays crunchy.  I even topped mine with a melty homemade marshmallow.  Let’s just say I had to be torn away from the pan. 

So whether you eat these for breakfast or dessert, just be sure to make this easy, no bake treat.  You might find you want to eat them for all three meals a day.

Good Morning Sunshine Bars

4.9 from 11 reviews

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Good Morning Sunshine Bars
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 20
 

Ingredients
  • 6 cups Corn Chex
  • 1 cup peanuts (I used Planters dry roasted unsalted)
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup light corn syrup
  • ¼ cup dark corn syrup
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Skippy)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup white baking chips
  • ½ cup peanut butter chips

Instructions
  1. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan. Line it with parchment. Butter the parchment.
  2. In a large bowl, combine Chex and peanuts. Mix together with hands just to distribute.
  3. In a medium saucepan, cook brown sugar and corn syrups over medium heat until they come to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the peanut butter, salt, and vanilla. Stir until fully combined. Immediately pour onto cereal mixture. Stir until all of the cereal and peanuts are coated with the peanut butter mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Allow to cool completely.
  4. When cool, place the white baking chips in a small bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between to promote melting, until fully melted. Drizzle over the bars. Repeat with the peanut butter chips. Allow to cool until the drizzles have hardened. Cut into bars.
  5. Bars may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe. When ready to serve, microwave individual bars for 15-30 seconds until warm and slightly melty for an even better eating experience.

Notes
Recipe adapted from Baked Elements

Filed Under: Bars, Cereal Treats, No Bake, Nut Butter, Snack Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Gingerbread

March 2, 2013 33 Comments

Gingerbread

Are you a good multitasker?  In this day and age, it’s basically a necessity to be able to multitask and do it quite well.  I like to think I’m pretty good at it.  Growing up in the age of constant distractions had left me quite able to juggle all the things constantly thrown at me. 

I’m almost always doing at least two things at a time.  I’ve already admitted my TV is on if I’m home.  Which means, it’s pretty much always on.  At night I give it my full attention save for thinking about writing, recipes, and the like.  But during the day, I’m watching while writing or talking to Mom or baking or online shopping or some crazy and overwhelming combination of several of those tasks.

Gingerbread

But my best writing is done with The Chew or The View on in the background or in between bouts of browsing dresses from my favorite online stores.  And Mom and I have some amazing conversations over the hum of the KitchenAid and the clink of measuring cups.

That’s not to say I don’t have moments of mental cloudiness and multitasking failure.  Editing photos while watching the news leads me to hear a tease for a story.  I want to hear that story for one reason or another.  Twenty minutes later, as I upload the last photo into my blog post, I hear the news anchor sign off.  I had forgotten about the story and didn’t really hear a single word of the newscast.

Gingerbread

Gingerbread

Writing emails or leaving blog comments while watching a nighttime drama somehow turns writing “cookies” into “crime” and “scrumptious” into “scalpel”.  I either jar myself back to reality and my work or call it a night and focus on TV for a much needed break.  So if I ever leave you a crazy blog comment, now you know why.

I was multitasking when making this Gingerbread recipe.  Waffles were also on the menu.  I had a bowl for the dry ingredients for the Gingerbread and a bowl for dry ingredients for the waffles.  The Gingerbread recipe calls for baking soda, the waffles for baking powder.  I knew this and kept reminding myself.  But then I watched my hand dump a teaspoon of baking powder into the Gingerbread.  Luckily I caught myself and fished most of it out and there was no issue with the end product.  No issue except I wanted to eat the whole thing.

Gingerbread

Gingerbread

I told you I would share this recipe when I made the Pear Gingerbread Cake, and now I’m finally getting around to it.  This is such an incredible recipe, I shouldn’t have made you wait this long. 

If you like Gingerbread, look no further than this recipe.  It is the perfect Gingerbread.  It’s super easy to make, in the pan and into the oven in about 10 minutes.  Be sure not to overbake it, as it’s very easy to do and gets dry if overbaked.  We don’t want any dry Gingerbread here.  And when taken out of the oven at the right time, this Gingerbread is crazy moist and super spicy.  Those warm spices comforting you, the flavor intensified by crystallized ginger.  The cake is dense with a large crumb, just what Gingerbread should be, that rich molasses flavor shining through.  So take a break from all that multitasking and make some Gingerbread.

Gingerbread

4.8 from 4 reviews

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Gingerbread
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 12
 

Ingredients
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger, minced
  • 1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup cane syrup or molasses
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • Zest of 2 oranges

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan and line the bottom with parchment. Butter the parchment.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I did this by hand but a hand or stand mixer would work as well. Stir in molasses, zest, and eggs, one at a time. Continue mixing until once again light and fluffy. Carefully mix in the boiling water. Gradually mix in the flour mixture, a whisk may be helpful to eliminate lumps. When almost fully mixed, add the crystallized ginger and mix until the batter comes together.
  3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool at least 30 minutes in pan; it may be cooled completely in the pan. May be served warm or at room temperature. May be stored at room temperature in a completely air tight container for up to 2 days, or frozen in pieces, wrapped in plastic and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 4 months.

Notes
Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars, Cake, Gingerbread Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

February 20, 2013 35 Comments

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

I am a news junkie.  I have been since I was way too young to even be watching the news.  I probably started watching when I was in second or third grade.  I would start my morning with the local news.  It was probably mostly out of convenience that it was what was flipped on in the house.  Was there a traffic accident that needed to be avoided?  Was school closed (fingers crossed)?  But then I grew to like it.  The same friendly, familiar faces greeting me each morning.  And morning news typically isn’t the same hard hitting stuff shown later in the day, it’s fun, it’s chit-chat, it’s laughter.

About the time of fifth grade I moved to Today.  I still begin my mornings watching Today.  Some of the hosts and certainly the format have changed, but it’s still a great show, giving me the vital news of the day without weighing me down with bad news story after bad news story.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Somewhere just after fifth grade, local evening and nighttime news casts, along with a nightly national news cast were added to my queue, and I was hooked.  I have a need to watch, to see the weather, and what’s going on in the world.  In high school, I’d rush home, completely exhausted and turn on CNN.  Crossfire, Inside Politics, The Situation Room.  It was how I decompressed after what was undoubtedly not a very good day at school.  CNN has done a lot of changing in the time since I watched too, and I rarely watch anymore, but I loved it then, looked forward to it each day.  A mix of top stories, in depth reports, interviews, viewer emails, it was everything I needed.

I was also starving by the time I got home from school.  Too anxious to eat much during the day, my body craved nourishment.  My favorite after school treat was a strawberry banana smoothie.  Mom would pull out our pink KitchenAid blender, scoop a bunch of Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream, slice a banana and a handful of strawberries, and whir it up into a pink delight sure to take away the pain of the day while I watched CNN.  Another of my favorites was toast with peanut butter and banana.  It was so warm and comforting, the peanut butter stuck on the roof of my mouth.  I loved it.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

I still watch tons of news, eat more bananas than the average person, and am addicted to peanut butter, even if much of the rest of me has changed since those high school days.  I had some leftover homemade peanut butter that I wanted to bake with.  After a search through my recipes, I settled on Peanut Butter Sheet Cake, not sure how it would turn out.

The cake and frosting are both super easy to make.  The butter is melted in both cases, along with a few other ingredients.  And both the cake and the frosting are made in the pots those ingredients are cooked in.  It’s always cool to try new baking methods like this, but a little scary, as Mom wondered more than once if the cake would turn out.  The cake batter tasted amazing.  Seriously one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.  If you don’t fear eggs or use pasteurized ones, like me, try the batter.  You will love it.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

The cake baked up like a dream.  Puffy and golden brown, it was still soft to the touch.  And the frosting is to be poured over while the cake is warm.  I also highly recommend eating the cake while warm.  It’s messy, but it will blow your mind.  One bite of this cake and I was in crazy love.  The frosting is gooey and thin, so it oozes everywhere, and it’s not too sweet, but I would like to take out some of the butter and add more peanut butter the next time.  But you guys, it’s this cake, this cake is stellar, amazing, the best thing you’ll ever eat, a shoe-in for one of my favorite recipes of this year.  Somehow a measly quarter cup of peanut butter makes the peanut butteriest cake you can imagine with undertones of brown sugar.  It is crazy moist and perfectly dense.  I want to eat this cake every day for the rest of my life . . . but I won’t because I like the pretty party dresses in my closet too much.

A word of caution, homemade peanut butter worked fine in the cake, but not in the frosting.  Stick with the processed stuff that I always say not to eat in the frosting.  It’s much more stable and there’s nothing healthy about this dessert anyway.  It’s definitely a special treat.

Do yourself a huge favor and make this cake.  You’ll fall in love with cake and peanut butter in a whole new way.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

5.0 from 3 reviews

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Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 18
 

Ingredients
Cake
  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (I used homemade)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting
  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 6 tablespoons milk (I used almond milk)
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter – not natural or homemade
  • 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan.
  2. Make the cake. In a medium saucepan, combine peanut butter, water, and butter over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together sugars, flour, salt, and baking soda until combined. Add this mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix together in the pot. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla to the pot and mix until combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
  4. Make the frosting. In a small saucepan, combine butter, milk, and peanut butter over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. Add vanilla. Stir in confectioners’ sugar a little at a time until the frosting has thickened considerably but is still quite runny. Pour over the warm cake. Best served warm, but may be stored in an airtight container overnight. May also be frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours, or in a 350 degree F oven, wrapped in parchment, placed on top of foil for about 15 minutes.

Notes
Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

 

 

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars, Cake, Nut Butter Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Brown Butter Blondies

January 31, 2013 49 Comments

Brown Butter Blondies

There are some things in life that I just don’t get.  Things other people love, can’t stop talking about, but I just don’t understand the attention surrounding them.  Take Harry Potter.  It’s great that those books got kids to read again, really read.  Anything that makes kids fall in love with reading and want to do it is great in my book.  But after buying the first book at a school book fair, I started reading it and just was not interested.  At all.  I wanted to like it, I really did, but it just wasn’t for me.  Perhaps I should try to pick it up again one day.

The same goes for Twilight.  The books, the movies, they’re not for me.  Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever been a fan of anything that revolves around vampires but maybe that’s just me.  And blue jeans.  I don’t own a pair and haven’t in over a decade.  I think they look awesome on some people, but if I’m going to be that uncomfortable in clothing, as I wriggle to put it on and its scratchy fabric irritates my skin, it better look a lot hotter than jeans.

Brown Butter Blondies

I don’t get Ugg boots either.  Don’t get me wrong, you’ll have to pry my Ugg slippers from my cold dead feet, but the boots?  Not so much.  They make me feel like my ankle is completely unsupported and the likelihood of injury goes up with each step I take.  Ugg boots are warm and soft and fuzzy – I’m supposed to love them, but I can’t.

In the food world, I never got all the attention brown butter gets.  It’s just cooked butter.  It means an extra twenty or so minutes of prep time, then cooling time.  There’s an extra dish to be washed.  And I never found the flavor to be that intoxicating.  Of course, I’d only tried it once before, the first time I made these blondies, and I’m not sure the butter was technically brown, maybe just really melted.  After reading post after post about the merits of brown butter from my blog BFF Kayle, The Cooking Actress, I realized it was time to try it again.

Brown Butter Blondies

I went back to these Brown Butter Blondies.  I remembered liking them and was craving a blondie.  Mom was put on brown butter duty.  It took forever.  Seriously forever.  Neither of us thought it would ever get brown.  But then like magic, the pot of gold liquid began turning golden brown and the buttery, nutty aroma filled the kitchen.  After it cooled while I made another recipe, I whipped up the blondies – super easy, no mixer needed.  Into the oven they went while Mom and I fought over the remnants of batter and stuck our noses in the pot where the magic butter was.  Maybe I should have given brown butter another shot a long time ago.

I cut the blondies and took a taste.  It’s a miracle I didn’t eat the whole pan.  Dense, gooey, chewy, crusty, with crunchy pecans and a deep caramelized almost maple flavor from that brown butter.  Even though these have baking powder when I typically avoid blondies with leavening agents, they were amazing, truly like brownies only without chocolate.  If you think you don’t like blondies or have never tried them, make these.  They will undoubtedly become one of your favorite desserts.  As for me, I have a feeling I’ll be using brown butter much more frequently.

Brown Butter Blondies

Brown Butter Blondies

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4.5 from 11 reviews

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Brown Butter Blondies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 18
 

Ingredients
  • 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, plus more for pan
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan. Line it with parchment, going up the sides slightly. Butter and flour the parchment.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter until it is melted and then turns golden brown, stirring frequently. This may take awhile, but have patience, it will happen. Remove from heat and let cool while preparing the other ingredients.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, place sugars and brown butter. Stir until fully combined. Add the eggs and stir until slightly lightened in color and increased in volume, 2-3 minutes. Stir in vanilla, followed by flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in the pecans until evenly distributed. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  4. Bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the blondies comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan. Once cool, lift out of pan and cut into pieces. May be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple hours or in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.

Notes
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

 

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars Tagged With: , , , , ,
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