Semi-Homemade

I got this recipe from a friend and made it for Easter. It makes tons and they were almost completely gone so I think it was a big hit. I just copied and pasted from the Pillsbury website so obviously you don't have to use the name brand stuff. The only thing I did differently was add 1/4 tsp salt when I added the vanilla to the chocolate mixture. You could easily substitute your favorite cookie dough recipe for the the bought stuff too, but I was making a lot this Easter and appreciated a semi-home recipe.  

INGREDIENTS

1/2

cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted

2

cups graham cracker crumbs (32 squares)

1

bag (8 oz) Heath® Bits 'O Brickle® toffee bits (1 1/2 cups)

1

roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

1

bag (12 oz) Hershey’s® semi-sweet chocolate baking chips (2 cups)

1

can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk

1

tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Butter

1

teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS

• 1Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
• 2In medium bowl, stir 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of the cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup of the toffee bits. Press mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until firm.
• 3Meanwhile, let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. In 2-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, milk and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Spread mixture over cracker crust.
• 4In medium bowl, break up cookie dough. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup cracker crumbs with wooden spoon until well blended. Crumble mixture evenly over chocolate layer. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup toffee bits.
• 5Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For a firmer bar, refrigerate 30 minutes longer. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.

Waffle Iron Cookies

These are cookies you make in a waffle iron. They are so deliciously amazing because the sugar practically carmalizes. Just watch the time, they cook fast! I found this recipe in the Southwest Airlines magazine last time I flew to Columbus. Make these and show them to your friends and family. It will boggle their minds! Cookies! in the shape of waffle! Also, I would not recommend using a Belgian waffle iron, you should use a regular one.

Waffle Cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup grandulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp instant espresso powder ( I used instant coffee)
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

Heat waffle iron. In large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla.

Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and espresso/coffee powder, then chocolate. Coat the waffle iron with non stick cooking spray. Coat it WELL. Use a TABLESPOON to portion out the cookie onto each waffle square. Close iron and cook until beginning to brown, about one and a half to three minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and repeat with remaining dough. The dough will be very wet.

Compiling a Chocolate Cake

I couldn't find a WHOLE recipe that I liked, so I used the cake recipe from the Brother Juniper Cafe cookbook, and a filling/ganache recipe from The Baking Bible put out by Tollhouse. I've jumbled it up a bit, mostly because *I* work best with step by step instructions, but I've put the ingredients (plus special directives, like the sifting and SIFTING of the flour) in bold for easy reference.

Susan's Old-Fashioned Moist Chocolate Cake from the Brother Juniper Cookbook

Preheat oven to 350, grease 2 9 in pans, line with parchment, grease parchment, and dust with flour.

1 3/4 c. flour, sift and re-measure into 1 3/4 c. Return excess to bag/jar. Sift twice more, and add
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Dutch Process or European Style cocoa powder. Whisk together, then sift twice. Set aside.

Cream
1/4 lb sweet butter, room temperature. Add
1 tsp vanilla extract,
1 3/4 c white sugar and blend together until smooth.
Add, one at a time, beating in between,
4 large eggs, room temperature.

Measure out
1 1/4 c buttermilk or soured milk, and, beaters on low speed, incorporate 1/3 dry mix, and half the buttermilk, until just blended. Repeat with another third of the dry mix, and the last half of the buttermilk, beating until just blended, and the remaining third of the dry mix, just blended.

Spread in layer pans, and bake 30-35 minutes.

Let sit five minutes, then remove from pans, and place right side up on cooling rack (I put a cookie sheet under mine, just in case of drips from this next step, which is from The Baking Bible).

Melt
3 tbs seedless raspberry preserves in a small saucepan.

Using a skewer or a fork, poke holes in the tops of the cakes, trying not to pierce all the way through, and spread the preserves evenly on both cakes. Let cool completely.

Filling and Ganache, both from The Baking Bible

Filling:
2/3 c sweetened condensed milk, combined in heavy saucepan with
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbs butter

Cook over low heat until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Ganache:
Place in a medium bowl:
1 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips.

In a saucepan, combine:
3/4 c heavy cream
1 tbs butter
1 tbs granulated sugar

Bring to a boil over high heat, stir until sugar dissolves. Pour over chocolate chips, let stand five minutes. Stir until smooth, let stand fifteen minutes, or until ganache reaches desired consistency. (It will thicken as it cools.)

Place bottom layer on cake plate, spread with filling. Let harden slightly, place top layer in place. Frost top and sides with ganache.

Serve and enjoy!

It seems labor intensive, but I was surprised how easy it was, and of course the finished product is completely worth it. A moist, rich cake without being too overpowering, with the most delightful hint of raspberry.

No-Bake Cookies

Here's your post Anne! The trick to making good No-Bake's is to start timing when the mixture reaches a full rolling boil. If you boil too long the cookies will be dry and crumbly. If you don't boil long enough, the cookies won't form properly.

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (I use smooth)
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

Enjoy!

And Dessert Alert

Just in case anyone hasn't had a chance to check in at Confabulation in the Kitchen lately, I made those Chocolate Oatmeal Chippers and oh my, are they good! I thought the batter was yummy even before it was cooked. Then the bars came out of the oven, and I thought they were delicious. I froze them in an effort to make them last longer, so of course this morning I already had a few thawing out for me to eat, and they were even better than I remembered after they thawed, so they freeze well, too! In bar form these are quick, easy and scrumptious treat!

Amazingly Delicious & Easy Brownie Fudge Pie

So this recipe originally came from my Gooseberry Patch What's for Dinner? However I have tweaked it quite a bit. These brownies are fabuloso!

Originally titled Brownie-Fudge Pie
Get out your favorite electric mixer (you can use a wooden spoon if you want to). Dump in a cup of sugar (I didn't say they were healthy) and 1/2 cup oil. Mix well. Add two eggs and mix. Add 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix and add 1 teaspoon vanilla (if you have it. I couldn't find mine one time and they turned out just fine). Grease and flour a 9 inch pie plate. Pour the brownie mixture in. This cooks perfectly in my oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. The brownies are dense and really do taste similiar to fudge. This is Peter's new favorite brownie, too.

- PS: I am starting to add "dairy-free" label to any of my recipes that are dairy free just to help myself out. Feel free to do the same if you remember and feel so inclined!

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

I found this recipe the other day when looking for something to "fix" my chocolate and peanut butter craving.

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees and set out a 9 x 13 baking pan (do not grease the pan).

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (I was out of vanilla but they tasted fine)
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

frosting

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Beat the butter and peanut butter for 30 seconds.
2. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips.
4. Bake in a 9 x 13 pan at 350 for 20 - 22 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips
6. Let chips stand for 5 minutes then spread over the bars then let them cool.
7. When cooled, mix the icing ingredients together to a drizzling consistency. (I made mine thicker and put it in a pastry bag and piped it onto the bars)
8.Drizzle over chocolate layer and cut in to bars.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookie

Otherwise known as the new favorite cookie at the Facemyer house.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter (not all-natural), divided
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in small bowl.
   
3. Melt 1 cup morsels in a small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat; stir until smooth. (I do this in the microwave)
4. Beat granulated sugar, 1/3 cup peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.
   
5. Beat in melted chocolate.
   
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
   
7. Gradually beat in dry ingredients.
   
8. Stir in remaining morsels.
   
9. Cover and refrigerate just until firm.
10. Shape into 1 1/2-inch balls; press thumb into tops to make about 1/2-inch-deep depressions.
    
11. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Fill each depression with about 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter. (I put the peanut butter in to a pastry bag and squeeze it in to the thumb prints. If you don't have a pastry bag, try using a plastic storage bag and cut a small piece of the corner off.)
    
12. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until sides are set but centers are still slightly soft. (I bake for about 12 minutes and that makes a nice chewy cookie)
    
13. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completed

First Christmas Cookies!

I'm putting this up right now - just in case I don't get any other Christmas cookies made. Although my success with these this morning has made me hopeful!! I got this recipe from my mother, who got it from some magazine. These are delicious! And easy, too!

Saltine Toffee Cookies

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put two sticks of butter and a cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. While that is boiling, line your cookie sheet with saltines - about 2 sleeves of saltines (depending on the size of your cookie sheet). Pour butter mixture over saltines and spread to coat evenly. Place in oven for 5 minutes. Then sprinkle 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the crackers. Wait about 5 minutes for chocolate to melt, then spread evenly with spatula. Sprinkle 3/4 cup chopped (wal)nuts on top. Cool completely. Stick in fridge for a couple of minutes so the chocolate hardens. Then break into pieces. And enjoy! Can be stored in freezer.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the best, no the ULTIMATE, chocolate chip cookie recipe! I made these yesterday so Dan could have an after work treat when he got home. I've been using it for about 4 years now. I do break one rule I have when making these, Crisco. I'm normally a butter girl but that's what the recipe calls for and if it isn't broke, I don't try to fix it.

3/4 c Butter flavored Crisco
1 1/4 c Firmly packed brown sugar
2 tb Milk
1 T Vanilla
1 Egg
1 3/4 c All-purpose flour
1 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Baking soda
1 c Semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use the whole bag and I use milk chocolate chips)
1 c Pecan pieces (I've never put these in)

Heat oven to 375. Cream butter flavor Crisco, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Blend until creamy. Blend in egg. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture, gradually. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop rounded Tablespoonfuls (about 2 measuring tablespoons) of dough 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies (they will look light and moist with bottoms looking done) DO NOT OVERBAKE or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes before moving to cooling rack.

Quick Bread

I purchased some chocolate chips for cheap yesterday from Aldi's and thought I'd put them to use today. I didn't want cookies though. I wanted a quick bread. I found one alright! It's quick to make and quite delicious.

A note: Do watch the cooking time. My pans were a bit smaller than called for so I expected a longer cooking time, but in fact both of my loaves were finished in 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Edited to add another note: after about 20 minutes, I had to cover the top with foil to prevent over-browning.

I chose to freeze one of the loaves so I'm interested to see how that turns out when we defrost and reheat it.

Black Bean Brownies - Don't Skip This Post...

Um. Can I say I am blown away? My mom, the skeptic, is also blown away.
I don't have any pictures, they got eaten too fast at work, but they look like regular, DARK brownies. Very soft and gooey. Rather fudge like in appearance and taste really.

Seriously you guys, these are amazing. I think it's the little bit of coffee graunales that really brings out the chocolate flavor. I used unsweetened chocolate like the recipe calls for. Actually, I pretty much did the recipe to a T, I just cut it in half otherwise you'll get 45 brownies and that's a lot, even for my coworkers.

And the kicker is how, um.. healthy? they are ? I mean, we are talking about a flourless brownie, with agave nectar which has a lower glycemic index than other sugar. And they have black beans in them...like WHAT???

don't be a skeptic. Make them for your next get together. No one will know what's in them..

just remember to referidgerate them because these puppies are SOFT and WILL fall apart.

Thanks, Heidi for finding this awesome recipe. I posted the link in my previous post, but here's the recipe with Heidi's notes:


Amazing Black Bean Brownie Recipe
For those of you who have a hard time tracking down agave nectar (which is becoming much more readily available) substitute honey 1:1 for the agave nectar. Ania's head notes encourage you to keep these brownies in the refrigerator, they will slice much better if refrigerated several hours or preferably overnight. I used instant coffee this time around, but you can find natural coffee substitute at many natural food stores.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well (hs: canned is fine)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (hs note: or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.

Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.

Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)

Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.

Reprinted with permission from Baking With Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature’s Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. (Ten Speed Press 2008)

Cookie Dough Balls (Post No. 2 Today!)

I am noticing a pattern in myself...I am making lots of desserts lately which is bad because Lent is upon us. I do not give up sweets as there are other things that I sacrifice (enough high horse already!) but since most other people give up sugary goodness I should not add to their agony. BUT I did promise that I would post this recipe last week and I haven't done it yet.

In an effort to stop the dessert madness, I have chosen some other foods that I have been wanting to make: Look for recipes for Curried Egg Salad (mayo replaced with plain yogurt!), Black Bean burgers and Turkey Empanadas (that one will be a challenge).

So without further ado.

Oh, and THE NOTES that are with this recipe are NOT mine, they are the author's of the recipe I got it from...the blog which I cannot remmeber. :( sorry yo.


COOKIE DOUGH BALLS
What I ended up doing was using my cookie dough scoop to form rough shapes on a cookie sheet. Then I placed them in the freezer for approximately 15 minutes. After chilling them, I was then able to roll them into balls. After rolling them out, I placed them back in the freezer for 15 minutes before dipping.
I found the best way to dip these was to use a fork. Place the rolled dough on a fork and immerse it in the chocolate; tap the fork against the edges of the bowl lightly to remove the excess chocolate. Invert the truffle onto a baking sheet - more likely than not, the top of the truffle will be slightly exposed since it was the side that was stuck to the fork. Drizzle some melted chocolate over the top and smooth it over

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted these)
1-1/2 lbs semi-sweet chocolate candy coating, chopped (I used the same chocolate recipe for these as I did the chocolate covered pretzels)

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Shape into 1 inch balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 1-2 or until firm.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt candy coating, stirring often until smooth. Dip balls in coating; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

If desired, remelt remaining candy coating and drizzle over candies. (I drizzled white chocolate over mine - approx. 1/2 cup chips with 1/2 tsp shortening.) Store in the refrigerator.

Creme de Menthe Bars

Alllllrighty, story time!

When I was at Purdue, the dining hall of the dorm that I lived in (Windsor, for all you Boilermakers) would make brownies with creme de menthe frosting. They only made them maybe 2-3 times a month, but when they did, I would eat like 4 of them and then my roomie and I would sneak more out to devour later. Later being as long as we could possibly hold off. It was a well known fact on my floor that I was addicted to these. Not the brownie so much as the amazing creme de menthe frosting!! I love green mint. I even had floormates bring me brownies before I made it down to the dining hall to know that they were there!

Well this past weekend a friend had made creme de menthe bars and it was like being back in the dining hall again so I just had to have the recipe. I made it last night NOT EVEN THINKING about the fact that TODAY is ASH WEDNESDAY!!!!! ARRRGGGG. No snacking, small meals etc. So, what's a girl to do? I brought it to my office and all my minions are going to eat it for me...Of course, I did taste it...a few times last night pre midnight hour. It consists of one layer is graham cracker/chocolate, then a layer of creme de menthe frosting, then a layer of chocolate. It is delicious, but a tad too rich for me. I don't care too much for the graham cracker part. I think next time I would just make brownies or chocolate cupcakes or chocolate cake with the frosting. Now that I have an understanding of how to make it with the creme de menthe, the world is my oyster...or mint?

One point to note: the recipe doesn't say to grease the pan, but believe me there is enough butter in this thing, so I would recommend putting al ayer of wax paper down beforehand.


Creme de Menthe Bars
1 1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup cocoa
3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 beaten egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup creme de menthe
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. In saucepan combine 1/2 cup butter and cocoa. Stir until well blended. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. Mix well and press into a 13x9 in pan.

2. Melt another 1/2 cup butter. In a small bowl combine melted butter and creme de menthe. At low speed, beat in remaining 3 cups powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over chocolate. Chill 1 hour.

3. In small sauce pan combine 1/4 cup butter and chocolate chips. Stir over low heat until melted. Pour over mint and chill.

Let warm to room temp before cutting.

Thanksgiving in less than a week!

I brought home our Thanksgiving bird today and he's thawing in the fridge right now! Joannie is coming down so hopefully we will take some pics and bring you coverage of our day of cooking and feasting! I have a few new recipes up my sleeve (as well as the usual traditions).

I made this pie last year and highly recommend it:

Chocolate Pecan Pie
by Emeril Lagasse

1 1/2 cups pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Spread the pecan pieces and the chocolate chips evenly on the bottom of the pie shell.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Pour the filling over the pecans. Bake until the filling sets, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Cut into individual servings and serve with a drizzle of Caramel Sauce and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Notes: Since there is so much sugar in this pie, and my oven tends to be hotter than average, I reduced the temp to 350 and covered the pie with aluminum foil . My first attempt came out almost black on top after an hour because all the sugar burned. I also recommend testing the middle of the pie to make sure it's set all the way through; my second attempt, although nice and brown on top, was still runny in the middle. Okay, it actually took me three attempts before I made this pie correctly. But it was worth it, trust me. It is simply decadent. Of course, I don't recommend making it 3 times in one day, especially if you have time constraints.

There are so many recipes for chocolate pecan pie out there, so if you have one I'd love to hear it!