What's Baking's December Roundup: Christmas Traditions

This month I was the host of the What's Baking recipe challenge.  I chose Christmas traditions (savory or sweet) because I love to see all the different traditions from family to family.  When I was a kid, I thought everyone celebrated the same way we did, and as I grew up I found that it seems like everyone had slightly different traditions than I did.

I apologize to the group for not participating this month.  I thought I would be able to get something made either while on vacation or immediately when I got back, but driving 16 hours alone in the car took more of a toll on me than I thought it would.  Please enjoy looking at the recipes the two participants chose to make and read more about their family's traditions:

Amanda from Our Italian Kitchen, made Christmas Sugar Cookies with Glazed Icing.  Her and her family gather every year and make cookies and this is a recipe that she likes to make.

Ange, from The Tiny Tyrant's Kitchen, made Ricotta Cookies.  Every year, she makes a ton of Christmas cookies and this year she decided to try a cookie she loves but has never made herself.

Thanks for participating in this month's What's Baking Challenge Amanda and Ange.  I had fun reading about your traditions, and both cookies look delicious! 

Secret Recipe Club: Apple Pie Bread

I've been a little absent from my blog lately.  Once my husband left for his deployment, I started working out and lost 11 pounds.  It is hard to lose 11 pounds when you're perusing food on the internet all the time.

                      

However, I signed up for the Secret Recipe Club this month, so that I at least had one exciting dish to look forward to.  I was assigned IlonasKitchen.  I found out that she is from New Jersey too and I had a blast looking through all the recipes finding delicious ones like Pork Carnitas, Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Lemon and Spinach, and for dessert Strawberry Cake Batter Blondies.  Every recipe sounded delicious, but I settled for Apple Pie Bread.  I love quickbreads and am going through a Honeycrisp apple phase, so it sounded like the perfect pairing.

Apple Pie Bread
slightly adapted from IlonasKitchen
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped, peeled apple (about 4 medium)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Topping
2 tablespoons brown sugar
pecans

Directions
 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of an 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in  both sugars until combined. Add buttermilk and baking powder; beat until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour and salt; beat until combined. Stir in apple and spices.
3. Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Sprinkle brown sugar and nuts over the batter. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
4. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

The second you bite into this bread you just want to say yum.  It has all the comfort qualities of apple pie in a quick bread.  I just eyeballed my apples and I think I had more apples than batter, but it paid off in the long run.  Each bite was bursting with apples and flavor.  The only thing that the original recipe called for that I wish I would have done was add the pecans to the batter.  I loved the crunch that they added to the top layer, but I think it would have been better if they were throughout the batter as well.  I guess it just depends if the people that you're feeding it to like nuts.  I can't wait to use this quick bread for get togethers in the future.

Cherry Surprise Crinkles

It is time for another 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats.  This great idea is hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic.  I love this recipe get-together because it provides great ideas once Christmas actually rolls around (I don't have enough self restraint to keep all of these good treats in my freezer until Christmas).

One of my guilty pleasures around Christmas is chocolate covered cherries.  There is something about the combination of cherries and chocolate that just seem so Christmas-y to me.  For my first treat, while I would love to make chocolate covered cherries, I know they would never live up to my favorite treat, so I decided to make these Cherry Surprise Crinkles.  They combine the two greats into cookie form that creates a delicious cookie.

Cherry Surprise Crinkles
from Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained and patted dry with paper toweling

12 Kisses cherry cordials or Kisses dark chocolates

Powdered sugar

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and almond extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour and the cherries.

2) Take a tablespoon of dough. Shape each portion into a ball around a Kiss. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Lightly dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar

I thought for sure that I'd be eating these cookies alone in my house because I'm much more into the cherry and chocolate combination than my husband, but after only 2 days, there were only enough for the picture.  Success in my mind.  I wish that the Maraschino cherries has a better quality to them, but these were fantastic cookies. 

 

Please see all the other treats below.

 

Secret Recipe Club: Samoa Bars

Confession: I was assigned Ewa's blog Delishhh for the Secret Recipe Club this month and I spent more time looking at the pictures than reading the actual recipes.  The pictures are so gorgeous and in all honesty, my pictures don't even do this dessert justice, so please go to her blog and eat with your eyes.  You'll thank me for telling you to go there.

This month, while I was looking at Ewa's pictures, I had a hard time deciding.  Ewa has a passion for healthy, simple, delicious, and fun recipes.  While I set out to find a healthy and simple recipe, I ended up getting hooked on a delicious and fun one.

In my mind, the problem with Girl Scout Cookies is that they are only available at certain times of the year. Sometimes you just have a day where you really need those delicious cookies, and they are totally out of season.  I honestly had that kind of month where I needed BOXES of those cookies, so these Samoa Bars were screaming at me.  I know, I know, it isn't Girl Scout season.  Actually it is about 6 months from Girl Scout season.  Luckily, the Keebler Elves saved my life and provided me with Coconut Dreams (aka Samoas) and Sandies (aka Trefoils or however you spell them).

Samoa Bars
barely adapted  from Delishhh
Ingredients
Crust
4 tablespoons of melted butter
1 box (9 oz) of shortbread cookies

Filling
2 boxes of Samoa Girl Scout cookies (or Coconut Dreams from Keebler)
16 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup jarred caramel sauce


Directions
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 9 by 9 baking pan.  Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing the excess to hang over the sides of the pan.
2) For the crust: Pulse the shortbread cookies in a food processor until the cookies resemble the texture of bread crumbs.  Melt the better, and pulse with the crumbs to incorporate.  Press the mixture into the baking pan and bake for 12 minutes until golden brown.
3) Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl by microwaving for 30-second increments and stirring after each increment, until completely melted.
4) Pour the chocolate on the shortbread crust, reserving 2 tablespoons.
5) Pulse coconut cookie until they are 1/2 inch pieces.  Press Samoas on top of the chocolate layer.
6) Sprinkle coconut on top of the cookie layer, and then layer caramel sauce and chocolate drizzle.
7) Refrigerate 30 minutes to set.

These bars are incredible.  Ewa has a recipe for caramel on her blog, but mine turned out horribly wrong and I ended up having to cheat and use the jarred caramel.  I love how these bars have Samoa cookies in them, but then the bar themselves is a bar-like form of the cookie.  These are definitely fun and delicious.  I can't wait to try them with the real Girl Scout Cookies.  Check out what all the other swap participants made for this swap.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

Growing up, I hated pretzels.  I just couldn't get over the dryness of them.  Recently, I've started loving them.  I love dipping them in peanut butter as a snack.  Since I'm going through a pretzel phase, I thought it would be fun to bake with them.  I found these on Pinterest and they had peanut butter and pretzels, so I knew they would be perfect.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
Ingredients

Crust

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup ground pretzels (measure after crushing)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

Filling

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup coarsely chopped pretzels, for topping

  

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with parchment, leaving long ends to use to remove the bars from the pan.

2) To make the crust:  Whisk together the flour, ground pretzels and sugar until well combined. Mix in the melted butter using your fingers to evenly distribute it. You should have a soft but not wet dough.

3) Press the dough evenly into the pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. While the crust cooks make the filling.

4) To make the filling: Using a microwave melt the chocolate chips, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth and creamy. Add the peanut butter and stir until well combined and smooth.

5) Pour the filling over the warm crust and spread out evenly. Tap the pan on the counter to allow air bubbles to escape.

6) Press pretzels (either crushed or whole) down so that they stick into the chocolate. 

7) Chill in the freezer for 1 hour. Use the parchment to lift the bars out of the pan onto a cutting board. Use a large chef's knife to slice into squares or bars. Serve frozen, chilled or at room temperature.

 

 I took these to a get together and everyone broke into them before the main course was even ready.  Everyone was so surprised how good they were, definitely an amazing dessert for the amount of time that it takes to get it together.  To me, this dessert was the perfect blend of sweet and salty.  The crust is kind of crumbly, so definitely eat these over a napkin or plate. 

Secret Recipe Club: Oreo Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars

This month for the Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned The Busy Mom Café, written by Nancy.  The Secret Recipe Club is a challenge in which you are assigned a blog and you have a  month to choose anything you'd like to make from that blog. 

I haven't posted since the last Secret Recipe Club reveal day.  I took on another person's responsibilities at work this month and have been exhausted every day when I get home.  My husband has been amazing and has stepped up and taken over a lot of dinners. 

Since it has been getting warmer, I decided to make Cookies and Cream Ice Cream last weekend.  Oreos were on sale and so I had an extra package, and instead of eating through row after row of them myself, I decided to make these delicious bars from Nancy's blog that I had been thinking about since I first received her blog.  Please head over to Nancy's blog and check out her other recipes.  She has a lot of breakfast recipes that sound incredible.

Oreo Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars
recipe from THE BUSY MOM CAFE
Ingredients
Crust:
1 package Oreo cookies
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
3-8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, room temperature

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides, spray with cooking spray.
2) Place 28 Oreos in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour the crushed Oreos into a large bowl. Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small bowl. Add the melted butter, and stir crumbs and butter are all combined.
3) Place the cookie-crumb mixture in a foil-lined pan. Using your fingers, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack while you make the filling.
4) Crush up the remaining Oreos in half, so that your oreos are roughly chopped, and set aside.
5) Combine in a large bowl the cream cheese and sugar. Beat the combo with an electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and beat again until uniform. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and salt. Scrape down the bowl and mix again.
6) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. After beating in the last egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat one more time, to make sure the mixture is fully combined.
7) Pour in the chopped/ crushed oreos into the filling mixture. Stir in chopped Oreos with the same rubber spatula. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked cookie crust. Smooth the top with the rubber spatula.
8) Bake for 40 minutes or until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour or longer.
9) When the cheesecake has set and cooled cover it with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or more.

These bars were amazing.  I loved the amount of cookie per cream cheese in each bar.  Mine took awhile to set-up, so don't make these right before you have to take them somewhere.  I had my husband take these to work minus the one that is pictured above, and he said that the guys in his office devoured them.  Thanks for a great recipe Nancy, these bars were every bit as delicious as they looked and sounded.

Secret Recipe Club: Mounds Brownies

                             

This month for the Secret Recipe Club, the recipe swap in which you receive a blog and can choose any recipe to make, I received the Cookaholic Wife.  I have been following Nichole's blog for about 2.5 years now.  When I received her blog, I already had several recipes pinned that I wanted to try and from going through it again I found several other ones to try.  I found a ton of recipes for muffins and a great looking taco calzone recipe. 

Since this month's Secret Recipe Club coincided with Memorial Day, I knew right away that I'd make a dessert from her blog.  I was torn between her cannoli cupcakes and these.  Since my abilities to frost cupcakes is very poor, I decided these brownies were the treat I'd make for our Memorial Day get together.

Mounds Brownies
from Cookaholic Wife
Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut 
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

 Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 325 and line an 8x8 baking dish with enough foil that the edges hang over the sides of the pans a little. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2) Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Slowly whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

3) Then whisk in the eggs to the cocoa powder mixture until combined. Next, add the sugar, vanilla, flour and salt.

4) Spread half of the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.

5) In another bowl, combine the coconut, salt and condensed milk together. Drop spoonfuls on top of the brownie batter. Top with the remaining batter and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7) Let cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to the refrigerate to chill for a few hours. 

 

 

I don't remember ever having mounds bars, but if they taste like these brownies, I might start eating them more often.  I loved the coconut in the brownies.  The brownie batter created this deep rich fudgey brownie that was great with the coconut.  These brownies in less time than it took to make them...very delicious.  I'll definitely be making these again.

 

Please check out the other SRC member posts below.

 

 



 



Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake

I love cinnamon, and try to make things that have cinnamon as often as possible.  When I received my Secret Recipe Club assignment for the month: Everyday Mom, I quickly settled on this recipe.  I also chose this recipe because a bundt cake pan is something that I've wanted to get for a long time, so I was excited when I found mini-bundt cakes and look forward to using it to try other delicious recipes.

                      

Everyday Mom is written by Kim, who looks like she has a lot of fun making stuff with and for her kids.  I don't have kids yet, but hope that someday I can do food projects with my kids.  I'm sure that will be yet another journey that my cooking will take us on.  Check out Kim's blog to find kid friendly recipes and a lot of good-looking desserts.

Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake
from Everyday Mom
Ingredients
Cinnamon Streusel Swirl:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Buttermilk Pound Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup buttermilk

Directions
1) Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan or all the compartments of a mini-bundt cake pan. Dust the pan with flour and shake out the excess.
Cinnamon Swirl:
2) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, breaking up any large lumps of brown sugar. Add the melted butter and stir until blended and crumbly.
Pound Cake:
3)  Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.
4) In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at a medium speed until very creamy, about 2 minutes.
5) Gradually add the sugar and beat at medium-high speed until well blended and light, about 4 minutes.
6) At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract and orange zest.
7) At low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions and mixing just until well combined.
8) Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the batter. Scrape the remaining batter on top and smooth it into an even layer.
9) Bake the cake for 65 to 75 minutes for a normal bundt cake pan or 45 minutes for mini-bundt cake pans, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

While I was writing this blog post, my husband snuck two out of the pan while I wasn't looking and declared these really good.  I love pound cake, so I knew they would be delicious.  I put cinnamon in the batter as well, and unfortunately, I couldn't really taste the cinnamon.  Next time, I think I'll ad even more.  These are fantastic by themselves, but I can't wait to find toppings to try with them.

If you have a favorite recipe using your bundt cake pan, please feel free to leave me recipes in a comment. 

Cream Cheese Meltaways

When I was a kid, I'd lose stuff and then have difficulty finding it again.  My dad was in the military, and the ID card that they give everyone was always the first thing to disappear.  My parents used to say, "It will always be the last place you look."

I felt very much that way for this baking challenge, for which Amanda from Our Italian Kitchen chose mini/bite sized treats.  Everything I found was delicious looking truffles, and I couldn't find anything that I actually had to bake.  I was so stuck on the truffle idea that I had almost given up, until I found these Cream Cheese Meltaways at Alida's Kitchen.  I found what I was looking for in the last place I looked.

 

Cream Cheese Meltaways
from Alida's Kitchen
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup  fresh lemon juice

assorted sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2) In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch and salt until combined.
3) In a large bowl, add powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese and vanilla and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. 
4) Add flour mixture to butter mixture, stirring until combined.  (Note: dough will be dry and crumbly). 
5) Shape dough into 1-inch balls (be careful not to overwork dough) and place on prepared cookie sheets.
6) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned.  Cool 5 minutes of pan and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze:  In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.  Dip the tops of cooled cookies into glaze and place on wire rack.  Decorate with sprinkles, as desired.  Let cookies stand until glaze is set.

I have to admit that I thought these cookies were more addicting without the glaze.  To me the glaze tasted better after it had awhile to sit, but I still think they were better without.  These were slightly bigger than bite sized for me, but I definitely could have made them smaller too.  I only yielded 20 cookies, while Alida said the recipe makes 36.  These are fantastic cookies, and I'm glad I ran across them for the challenge.

 

Triple Peanut Butter Bars

Back around Christmas, I participated in a cookie swap.  The person that I received said that she loved peanut butter cookies and oatmeal caramelitas, so I set out to research something that could infuse the two.  For the longest time, I wasn't finding anything and then one day on pinterest, I guess I entered the magic search phrase and these appeared.  They have some of the same qualities as a caramelita (the crumbly oatmeal bottom and top layer) but the flavorful middle part.   

The cookie swap was a success, but I never posted the recipe for my cookie bars because I never took a picture.  Recently, I decided to make these for Jacob's coworkers and so I snapped a shot so I could post these bars.  

Triple Peanut Butter Bars
slightly adapted from Midwest Living
Ingredients
1 1/2cups quick-cooking rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped, unsalted dry roasted peanuts
1 cup peanut butter-flavored pieces
1/2 cup semi-sweet milk chocolate chips
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1) Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over edges of pan; set aside.

2) For crust: In a large bowl, combine oats, the 1 cup flour, the 1-1/2 cups brown sugar, the 1 teaspoon baking powder and the 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in the 1 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3) Remove 1 cup of crumb mixture to reserve for topping. Stir peanuts and peanut butter-flavored pieces into the 1 cup reserved topping mixture; set aside.

4) Press remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Cool at least 15 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

5) In a medium saucepan, heat the 1 cup brown sugar, the 1/4 cup butter and peanut butter over medium heat until butter melts and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Stir in egg and vanilla. Stir in the 1-1/4 cups flour, the 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and the 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Drop in very small mounds evenly over the crust in pan. Sprinkle with reserved topping mixture.

6) Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack before lifting from pan using edges of foil and cutting into bars.

 

 

These to me are the perfect bars.  They have a little bit of chocolate, the peanut butter, and then the crumbly cookie portion.  I think these would make the perfect summer picnic bars for parties or even just park trips.  They are pretty crumbly, so make sure you have a crumb-catcher in hand (or a dog/vaccuum cleaner)...plus a really big glass of milk.  All the great desserts need a good glass of milk.

Monster Magic Cookie Bars

For the longest time, I was scared of desserts.  My lean-to when I was asked to bring desserts were boxed Magic Cookie Bars from the baking aisle in Wal Mart.  When I was assigned Kate's Recipe Box for the Recipe Swap that A Taste of Home Cooking hosts, I ran across a lot of great sounding recipes (Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes and Make it Yourself Shamrock Shakes).  But when I saw the Monster Cookie Bars, I realized that I haven't touched Magic Cookie Bars since I got really into cooking.  While these are slightly different than the ones in the box at Wal Mart, I decided these would be what I'd make for the swap.

Monster Magic Cookie Bars
slightly adapted Kate's Recipe Box
Ingredients
9 full graham crackers
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup M&Ms
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease a 9×13″ baking pan.
2) Crush graham crackers into crumbs using a food processor or rolling pin.
3) Mix in melted butter until well-combined. Press crumbs into lined baking dish.
4) Evenly pour the sweetened condensed milk over the graham cracker layer. Sprinkle the oats, M&Ms, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips evenly over the sweetened condensed milk. Gently press in a little.
5) Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and pulling away from the edges of the pan. Let cool completely before cutting.

I love these bars because the graham crackers and the sweetened condensed milk base provide such a blank slate for any of your favorite dessert toppings.  I threw in some peanut butter chips that I had sitting in my pantry and I think it just enhanced the 'monster-ness' of these bars.  While I don't have kids, I think this would be a great rainy/snow day activity with your child.  Have them roll the graham crackers and build their idea of a monster cookie bar.  There is no wrong topping in the monster magic cookie bar world.

Please check out all the other great recipes below!

S'More Peanut Butter Cookies

This month's What's Baking Challenge is hosted by Beantown Baker. She chose sprinkles as this month's theme.  Stop by her blog in a few days to see her round up of what everyone made this month.

I have to admit that I see sprinkles on about the same level that I see glitter.  They just get EVERYWHERE when you're trying to use them.  While it makes your stuff pretty, it usually isn't worth the hassle of cleaning little beads up for the next few months.

Since sprinkles are something that I loved as a kid...I decided to try to find something to bake that reminded me of being a kid.   While searching, I found these S'More Peanut Butter Cookies.  I LOVED S'Mores when I was a kid.  So why not combine s'mores with sprinkles and have the most fun cookies around.

S'More Peanut Butter Cookies
as seen on Sally's Baking Addiction
Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour

12 large marshmallows, cut in half

8 oz melting chocolate (such as Baker's)

sprinkles

 

Directions

1) In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed. Mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla (in that order). Scrape down the sides as needed. Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour. Do not overmix. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.

2)  Roll 1.5 Tablespoons of dough into a ball. Place onto ungreased cookie sheet or silicone baking mat. Bake for 7 minutes.

3) Remove from oven and place marshmallow on top, gently pressing it down into the warm cookie. Place back into the oven for 2-3 more minutes so the marshmallow can melt and the cookie can finish baking.

4) Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

5) As the cookies cool, melt chocolate according to package directions. Spoon about  two teaspoons of chocolate on top of each marshmallow and swirl around with the back of the teaspoon. Top with sprinkles.

 

 

 

The only complaint that I have about these cookies is that some of the marshmallows completely disintegrated under the chocolate.  The majority of them looked great, but some of them fell completely apart.  Taste wise these aren't exactly like S'Mores, but they're so delicious.  I actually love the little crunches that the sprinkles provide in the chocolate.  It is a great contrast to the puff of the marshmallow and the soft peanut butter cookie.  During this challenge, I learned that sprinkles aren't as bad as I thought they were...although a lot of them got all over my oven.  I'll have to play more with the rest of the bottle that I have. 

 

Thanks Jen for a great challenge!

 

 

 

Chocolate Raspberry Tart w/ a Graham Cracker Crust

About three months before we moved from Wyoming to New Jersey, I bought tart pans...even though I had put a ban on buying new things right before the move.  They were like two dollars, and I convinced myself that I'd use them all the time.  About a year later, I've never used the tart pans...ever. 

So, when the Dessert swap, hosted by Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking, produced a dessert that required a tart pan, I smugly said that I knew I'd need the tart pan eventually and that is why I bought it.  :)

Chocolate Raspberry Tart with a Graham Cracker Crust
from Life and Kitchen
Ingredients
Baking spray for the dish
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
3-1/2 cups fresh raspberries
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
Small pinch salt

Directions
1) Heat the oven to 325°F. Spray the sides and bottom of a 9-1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
2) Put the graham crackers and melted butter into a food processor and pulse until crumbly.
3) Pour the cracker mixture into the tart pan and press the mixture into the sides and bottom of the pan with the bottom of a measuring cup or a jar.
4) Set the pan on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm, then bake the tart crust about 15 minutes, checking and rotating if needed to make the sure the crust doesn’t get too dark. Set on a rack to cool.
5) Meanwhile, push 1 cup of the berries through a fine sieve, mashing with a spoon, into a bowl so the puree drips through; set it aside and discard the seeds.
6) Heat the cream over medium heat until scalding, but not quite boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate; whisk to blend until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the raspberry purée and the salt.
7) Pour the mixture into the cooled tart shell. Refrigerate until the ganache is fairly firm, about 1 hour.
8) Arrange the remaining raspberries on top of the ganache; they should completely cover the surface. These berries won’t sink into the chocolate filling. The ganache is chilled slightly before the raspberries go on.
9) Chill until the ganache is completely firm, about 30 minutes, and serve.

The hardest part of this dessert is waiting for everything to chill so you can dig in.  One of my favorite combinations is chocolate and raspberries, so I loved these.  Plus the addition of fresh raspberries on top strengthens the raspberry flavors.  I feel like this dessert is calling me to get a bigger tart pan...but I'm pretty sure the two small ones will suffice.  A girl can never have too many kitchen gadgets, right? ;)

Check out all the other desserts that were made for the swap!

Secret Recipe Club: Carrot Cake Ice Cream

This is my second Secret Recipe Club blog swap. In the club, you are assigned someone's blog and you can make whatever you want. Click on the link and peruse the site to learn more about the recipes that have been posted and for rules about the club.

This month I was assigned Cheap Ethnic Eatz, which is written by Evelyne in Canada.  Evelyne has such a diverse collection of recipes, which I found incredible.  I have never been a super adventurous eater (it took me several years to warm up to the idea of sushi).  However, she has a great list of ice cream on her recipe index.  She has everything from White Asparagus Ice Cream to Strawberry Jam Balsamic Ice Cream.  One of the non-ice cream dishes that I'd love to make from Evelyne's blog is her Truffled Tomato Tarte Tatin.  Please head over to her blog to tour an amazing selection of food. 

I was obsessed with Evelyne's ice cream list.  Let's be honest,  I love most desserts. However, I am a self professing ice cream addict. I could eat a bowl every night and be in bliss. Cookies and cream? Yes! Give me a tub of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia Ice cream and I've died and gone to heaven. Milkshakes are even accepted too. Can you see a theme here?

I have always LOVED Carrot cake though, and the second that I laid eyes on the link in Evelyne's blog that said she had Carrot Cake Ice Cream, I knew that is what I had to make. 

Carrot Cake Ice Cream
barely modified from Cheap Ethnic Eatz
Ingredients
1 cup Carrot Juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar (less if you're using a Carrot flavored smoothie)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup can pineapple, drained and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon orange zest  (I found orange peel in the spice section and used it)
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Directions:
Ice Cream Machine
1)  Put carrot smoothie and cream in ice cream machine and start the machine
2) Add the remaining ingredients
3) Follow ice cream machine instructions.
Hand made
1) Mix all the ingredients
2) Pour into a shallow container and freeze until solid around the outside and mushy in the middle
3) Stir with a fork and freeze until firm

This ice cream had more in it than any other ice cream that I've tried to make.  I think my ice cream maker clogged up at some points with all the additions, so I kept trying to stir it when I saw it happening.   This ice cream doesn't taste exactly like carrot cake ice cream, but it does have flavors that hint that direction.  I served it with cream cheese pound cake and it was a great combination.  One of my favorite carrot cakes that I've ever had, had a hint of orange in it, so I decided to add the orange peel/zest to the mix.  I can't wait to go out there and find other ice cream options that I have never considered before. 

Maple Pecan Crusted Apples

Early in January, I was asked by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic to join her Eating the Alphabet Healthy Challenge.  The challenge is to make foods that feature fruits, vegetables, grains or beans starting with different letters of the alphabet each month.

This month was either 'A' or 'B'.  When I told my husband about this, he suggested avocados... I think this is because we eat avocados A LOT.  However, I kept going back to a recipe for baked apples that I had seen as part of the Secret Recipe Club.  So, in order to challenge myself, for the purposes of the swap, I abandoned my husband's avocado suggestion and went for the baked apple suggestion. 

I hope you follow this swap throughout the year and if you're interested in joining, head on over to Brenda's blog to sign up!

Maple Pecan Crusted Apples
slightly adapted from Sustainable Cooking for One
Ingredients
1 medium apple
Pinch of: cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves
2 tablespoons craisins
2 tablespoons chopped raw pecans
1 tablespoon maple syrup (real, preferably grade B)

Directions:
1) Peel one circle around the middle of the apple, and a little off the top of the apple. Remove the core.
2) Place the apple in a small baking dish or oven-safe bowl. Mix together the spices and roll the apple in them.
3) Mix any remaining spices with the craisins, and add about 1/3 of the pecans. Stuff that mixture into the center of the apple. Pour the maple syrup over the apple, and top with the remaining pecans. 4) Bake until soft (mine baked about 40 minutes, but it will vary for the size of the apple). Spoon the syrup over the apple before serving.

I loved these apples because I just made one for my husband and one for me, so there isn't a whole nine by thirteen pan of dessert sitting at our house calling our name.  We felt like we ate something sweet enough to qualify as a dessert, but weren't so bogged down that we felt guilty. 

One of my favorite desserts is those baked apples that you can get at places like Boston Market.  They are just so comforting.  This tastes very similar.  I went a little heavier on the cinnamon, so that was the predominant spice flavor in ours.  The maple syrup kind of cramelized and made a delicious coating.  I liked the nut addition as well as the craisins, I think they would have been missed if they hadn't been added.  We learned that  fruit can make a very delicious dessert...and simple too.

Secret Recipe Club: Triple Chocolate Oreo Bars

This is my first Secret Recipe Club month, which is a great recipe exchange where you receive a blog and can choose anything to make.  I actually applied to be part of this exchange in November of 2011, so I'm glad that I was finally chosen to participate.  Please drop by the website to find a ton of great recipes and all the info about the swap.

For my first swap, I received Meghan's blog Cupcakes with Sprinkles.  She says she's never too full for dessert which resonates with me.  A great dessert can make a good meal that much better, and people unite over dessert.  I loved looking through her desserts, she has such a diverse assortment.  I had a hard time choosing between the these bars, Caramel Apple Cheesecake bars, and Snickerdoodle Cupcakes.  I chose these because I have a soft spot for oreos and they just sounded too good to pass up, but I know this blog will provide me with desserts for every party that I have for a long time to come.  Head on over and check out her awesome desserts.

Triple Chocolate Oreo Bars
as seen on Cupcakes with Sprinkles
Ingredients

1-16.6oz pkg Oreo Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter, melted

1-14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

1 cup White Chocolate Chips, melted

 

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 9x13 pan with foil, shiny side down, and spray with a non-stick spray.

2) Crush all but 8 Oreos in a food processor. Place the crushed Oreos into a medium bowl and salt and melted butter stir until combined. Press the Oreo mixture into the prepared pan. Coarsely chop the remaining 8 Oreos and set aside.

3) In a double boiler, just a glass or metal bowl over a pan of boiling water, add the sweetened condensed milk, semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and the vanilla. Stir until completely melted. Remove bowl from heat. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the Oreo crust in the pan. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and the coarsely chopped Oreos over the chocolate mixture. Press down gently on the chips and Oreos.

4) Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Melt the white chocolate chips and drizzle over the bars. Chill in the fridge until cooled completely. 

I obviously had a problem with the white chocolate layer, as can be seen with my photo, so these were really Double Chocolate Oreo Bars.  For some reason, my white chocolate chips never melted right, so I just decided not to put them on the top.  But, I was serving them at the Super Bowl party and everyone loved them, so I considered them a hit.  I loved the bottom and how moist and oreo-like it was, and the other layers complimented the base perfectly.  While these were very chocolately, they weren't too rich.  There's never such a thing as too much chocolate, right?

These are really easy to put together and super delicious.  I wonder if they'd be good with the flavored oreos...or the golden ones.  I guess that will be my next thing to try. 

Please check out all the other great Secret Recipe Club recipes below.

 

 

 

Peppermint Bark Surprise Cupcakes

Carrie from Carrie's Sweet Life, is the host of this month's What's Baking Challenge, and the theme was Peppermint. 

Last year, I discovered the Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares and they were the first thing that I bought this year when I deemed it to be Christmas time.  They are so creamy with just the right amount of peppermint flavor that they are super addictive.  So, when I heard the challenge, I immediately was wondering if I could make something using those peppermint squares.  I found a recipe that hit the jackpot.

Peppermint Bark Surprise Cupcakes
from the Collegiate Baker
Ingredients
1 package of Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
2) Unwrap 10 of the peppermint bark squares and cut off the corners. (They aren't exactly the right size for to fit in cupcake pans, but they're pretty close.) Put the peppermint bark squares/octagons aside.
3) In a small-medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients: the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Whisk them together.
4) In another medium sized bowl, combine the sugar, egg, oil, milk, and vanilla. Mix well.
5) When you put the batter in the first paper liner, make sure you put enough in to completely cover the bottom. Fill the liner up about halfway, maybe a little less, and then put in a peppermint bark square. Cover it with cake batter until the liner is about 2/3 full. Repeat until all the other lines are full.
6) Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Test the top part of the cupcake for done-ness, but don't go too far down or you'll hit the peppermint bark.

 

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1) In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a medium sized bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.

2) Add milk, peppermint extract, and the powdered sugar. Mix until everything is incorporated.
3) Test the frosting to see if it's the right consistency. If it's too thin, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add another tablespoon of milk.
4) Decorate cupcakes with frosting.  You can use the corners from the squares to decorate...if you haven't eaten them by this point.

I made these twice and the first time was a failure.  I baked them for the 15 minutes The Collegiate Baker said in her instructions and when I tested them, they seemed like they were done, but as they were cooling, they totally collapsed on themselves because the centers weren't done. 

The second time, I left them in for a long time.  I left them in closer to 30 minutes because that was when my toothpick came out completely clean.  With the peppermint in the frosting, I think you lose the surprise element in these cupcakes, but I still think they are delicious.  I think it would be good to incorporate the corner leftovers into the frosting instead of putting in peppermint extract.  I made these for Christmas and couldn't keep my hands off them.  Definitely a great holiday treat. 

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats: Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

I can't believe it is the third week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats already.  Please check out Meal Planning Magic for details about the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats and for awesome recipes.

When I was a little kid, I was OBSESSED with Rudolph.  I saw the movie with Rudolph and Clarice and fell in love with him.  When Christmas Eve came around, I always cared more about leaving treats for Rudolph than I did for Santa even though Santa left the presents and Rudolph didn't.

My parents were always really creative and came up with great answers to my Santa questions when I was a kid, so when I asked questions about Rudolph, they always had answers. How does Rudolph fly? - Much like Peter Pan, he thought happy thoughts and away he went.  How did Rudolph always have enough energy to fly all over the world hauling a giant red Santa and all the presents?- Kids left him carrots which improved his eye sight and were healthy, so he always had energy.

In honor of Rudolph, I decided to make this wonderful Christmas treat.

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Frosting
slightly adapted from Quick Feet, Good Eats
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter – room temp
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs – room temp
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cup grated carrots – about 3 large carrots
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts

Directions
1) Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, silpats, or simply spray with cooking spray.
2) In a mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 – 4 minutes in a stand mixer).
3) Add eggs and vanilla and beat on medium until well combined.
4) Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger; whisk to combine. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix on low until just combined. Do not overmix.
5) Mix in carrots, raisins and walnuts. Chill dough for at least 1 hour. (Mine stayed in the fridge almost an entire day covered with plastic wrap)
6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7) Shape tablespoons of dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Or press into a whoopie pie pan.
8) Bake until browned and crisp around the edges, 15 to 20. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup of butter, at room temp
8 oz cream cheese, at room temp
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 splash vanilla extract

Directions
1)  Combine butter and cream cheese in mixing bowl and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.
2) While mixing at a low speed, add sugar. Once combined, add a splash of vanilla extract and mix on a medium to high speed for 3 minutes, or until smooth and fully combined. Frost whoopie pies and enjoy!

Even though these aren't healthy, and wouldn't help me fly around the world carrying Santa and presents, they were amazingly delicious.  I forgot the oats in the original recipe, but in all honesty, they were delicious without them.  They had a lot of holiday flavors with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, so I think these would be perfect on a holiday table.  My husband took a bite and declared "These are a keeper!" 

Check out all the other recipes below!

Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies

I used to hate baking.  It just seemed like such a hassle and a mess to pull one dessert together.  Something snapped a few months ago and I now like to bake quite a bit.  I still love the simple desserts that don't require too much effort.

One of my favorite cookies are No-Bake Cookies.  You get little mounds of cookies in about fifteen minutes, and they usually cool pretty quickly.  Plus the ingredients are just things that go really well together: chocolate, peanut butter, oatmeal, it is all good things in one bite (if you only have one cookie...which is difficult).

Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies
from One More-Moore 
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups Quick-Cooking Oats
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions
1) Add the first four ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for a minute.
2) Stir in the next three ingredients and drop onto wax/foil paper.  Let cool until set.

These cookies are also really great when it is too hot to bake, although since we're entering fall, I don't think that'll be a problem for awhile.  These are the best no-bake cookies that I've ever made.  I think the peanut butter and chocolate ratio is perfect.  I had to send these to work with my husband so that we didn't eat too many of them. 

Cinnamon Roll Dutch Apple Pie

It is time for another Crazy Cooking Challenge.  The theme this month was apple pie.  I struggled a lot with this one because I didn't really want to buy a frozen pie crust, but I know that I am horrible at making crusts from scratch.  I really didn't want a repeat of fried chicken month (massive failure!), so I spent a lot of time looking for a recipe.

I ran across this recipe three days before the challenge was due.  Which normally would have been fine, except I finally got a new job this week.  In the midst of getting paperwork done and all the fun stuff that comes with a new job, I thought this would be the easiest recipe.

Cinnamon Roll Dutch Apple Pie
slightly adapted from Pillsbury
Ingredients

Crumb Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

Crust
1 can (12.4 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (canister with 8 rolls)

Filling
6 medium Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons apple pie spice
2 tablespoons lemon juice  

Directions
1) Heat oven to 375°F.  Spoon icing from can of rolls into small microwavable bowl; cover and refrigerate.
2) In medium bowl, mix Crumb Topping ingredients with fork until large clumps form. Refrigerate.  
3) Lightly flour rolling pin and work surface or cutting board. Separate dough into 8 rolls. With rolling pin, roll each cinnamon roll, cinnamon side up, into 4- to 5-inch round.  In  an un-greased 9-inch glass pie plate, place 1 dough round in center. Arrange remaining 7 dough rounds around center round and up side of plate, overlapping slightly as necessary. With fingers, press dough to seal together in bottom and up side of pie plate to form crust.  
4) In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredients. Spoon filling into cinnamon roll-lined pie plate. Sprinkle crumb topping over top to completely cover filling.  
5) Bake about 1 hour or until top is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool on cooling rack at least 1 hour.  About 20 minutes in, place foil strips around edge of pie pan so that edges don't get too browned while cooking. 
6) Before serving, microwave icing on High 10 to 15 seconds or until runny enough to drizzle. Drizzle back and forth over top of pie.

 

 

I love apple pie.  To me, it symbolizes the beginning of fall.  I loved the amount of cinnamon that the cinnamon rolls added to the "crust".  The only problem we had was that the cinnamon rolls got a little crispy by the end of the hour.  It may be better to pre-bake your apples in a dish and then just marry the two at the end.  It was still a delicious yet different type of apple pie.  

Enjoy checking out all the other variations of apple pie below.