SRC Banana Bread

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing holiday! For this month's SRC I had Baking and Creating with Avril and wonderful blog with a variety of deliciousness! She had a ton of muffin and quick bread recipes, and since I needed something to take to Christmas Brunch, I decided her banana bread would be the perfect recipe to pick! It was wonderful This bread is perfectly breakfasty and not too sweet. Enjoy the bread, and don't forget to check out the Secret Recipe Club, and Avril's blog!

Banana Bread:
1/3 cup of butter, melted
2/3 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp of almond extract
2 large bananas, overipe and mashed
3 tbsps of milk
1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of raisins, heaping

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar until combined. Add in eggs and almond extract and beat until well combined. Add in milk and bananas and mix together. Mix in flour, wheat, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt until just combined. Stir in raisins. Spray a 9"x5" loaf pan with non stick. Pour batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool before slicing. (adapted from baking and creating with Avril)

Happy Eating.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I always heard that chopping your own chocolate bars into chunks, makes much more delicious cookies than using bagged chips. But, until now, I never felt the reason to experiment with this. Chocolate chip cookies are already amazing, do they really need to be any better? Anything can be a bit better, and these certainly were, high quality chocolate and the un-uniform shape of the chunks, plus the peppering of shavings that sort of melts in give these giant cookies a definite grown-up appeal and sophistication without losing it's everyone friendly, endlessly appealing nature. I know I say this all the time, but these might be my new favorite cookie. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chunk Cookies:
3/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted
1 cup of dark brown sugar
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of salt
1 1/2 baking bars of dark chocolate (like the Ghiradeli bars)

In a large bowl beat together butter and sugars, on high speed until combined and smooth. Add vanilla, egg and yolk and beat until combined. Add in half the flour, and the baking soda and salt and stir until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour. Chop chocolate into small pieces and add chocolate and the shavings chopping the bar produces and stir into dough. Freeze dough for 20 minutes until firm and chilled. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spray with non-stick. Scoop dough by 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) and bake 12 at a time on baking sheet. Refrigerate dough that isn't being used until ready to start that batch. Bake for 8 minutes, then lower temperature to 350, rotate tray, and bake an additional 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Let cool before removing from parchment paper. (adapted from Dishing the Divine).

Happy Eating.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Continuing with all things deliciously pumpkin (my favorite fall flavor), today I have a pumpkin cheesecake. Cheesecake is one of those things that looks impressive, but really isn't hard to make. You can kind of just throw everything in a bowl and mix it all up and then pour it into a pan. The hardest part is telling if it's done, it will not look done, you still want a little wobble in the center. If you cook it too long it will crack a little, but it will still taste amazing, so not really the worst thing in the world. Make sure you use a spring-form pan, so you can get the cheesecake out with out crushing it. Enjoy some pumpkin cheesecake goodness.

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs (about 10 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
4 tbsp of butter, melted

Pumpkin Cheese Cake:
3 packages (8 ounces each) of cream cheese, softened slightly
8 oz (1 container) of Mascarpone cheese
1 1/4 cups of sugar
3 tbsp of flour
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 tbsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp of ground cloves
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Pre-heat the oven to 350, with a rack in the center. Spray a 9" springform pan with non-stick spray. Make Crust: Combine cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter until moist crumbs form. Press crumbs into the bottom of the pan and bake until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Make the Filling: Beat cream cheese, Mascarpone, and sugar on low speed until smooth. Mix in flour, pumpkin, spices, and vanilla and mix until combined. With the mixer running, add eggs one at a time until all are incorporated in. Put pan with crust on a baking sheet and pour batter into the cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake until cheesecake is just set on the edges, and still a little wobbly in the center, about 45 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake inside for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool, then refrigerate overnight. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

Pumpkin Overnight French Toast

Brunch is perhaps the best meal of all. You can eat pretty much anything, breakfast, lunch food, dessert. Whatever you want! This bread pudding/overnight French toast is a dessert wearing a breakfast robe, and it is absolutely amazing. Serving it with caramel sauce instead of maple syrup truly takes it to the next level of deliciousness. This is a perfect addition to any holiday brunches you might have planned, or simply for a delicious and easy to throw together weekend treat. Throw it together the night before and let the goodness soak into the bread, then throw it in the oven the following morning and enjoy the deliciousness!

Pumpkin Overnight French Toast:
2 cups of half and half
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1 cup of light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of ginger
1/2 tsp of cloves
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of raisins
1 1/2 large loafs of Challah bread

Caramel Sauce:
1 1/4 cups of dark brown sugar
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of heavy cream

Whisk together half and half, pumpkin, sugar, eggs, and spices. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes and put in dish, and sprinkle with raisins. Pour pumpkin mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, bake until firm and golden on top, about 45 minutes. Make the sauce: Stir the sugar and butter in a small pot, over meduim heat until butter melts, whisk in cream and stir until sauce is smooth and combined, about 3 minutes. Serve bread pudding with sauce drizzled on, or on the side. (adapted from Epicurious)

Happy Eating.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Does anyone else still have a ton of extra cranberries from Thanksgiving? Or Feel the urge to buy them every time they walk past a bag in the store? I love cranberries, but the problem is, I think, I love them in theory, in actuality, aside from sauce, I have no idea what to do with them. So I began an extensive search for cranberry recipes to rid myself of the bags and bags of cranberries that I "needed" for thanksgiving. This cake is my favorite so far, a deliciously simple and buttery base, with a sweet cranberry topping. It's extremely easy to make, just make sure you grease the pan well in order to get the cake out. I actually used a springform pan for extra cake removing ease.

Cranberry Upside-down Cake:
8 tbsp of butter, divided, softened
1 cup of sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
1 3/4 cups cranberries

Pre-heat the oven to 350, with a rack in the center. Mix 6 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup of sugar on low speed until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add baking soda, salt, and about half the flour and mix until just combined. Then add 1/4 cup of milk, and mix. Add remainder of flour and mix, then the last 1/4 cup of milk. Grease an 8" round pan with the remaining tablespoons of butter (it is important to use all of it, because it creates the topping). Mix together remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg, and sprinkle evenly on top of the butter. Then spread cranberries across the bottom in a single layer. Bake until a fork inserted comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before inverting the cake onto a plate. Serve cranberry side up. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

Apple Granola Muffins

I love muffins, it's basically a free pass to eat cake for breakfast. So what's better than cake for breakfast? How about cake and granola. Yum! I would never have thought to put granola inside a muffin until I saw this pear granola muffin recipe, but granola really is a wonderful filling and topping for a muffin and makes them a little more breakfasty. You can choose any granola variety you like, but I would recommend one without raisins. I used special K granola. Enjoy!

Apple Granola Muffins:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp of plain greek yogurt
2 tbsp of milk
2 tbsp of butter, melted
1 cup of all purpose flour
3/4 cup of wheat flour
2 tsps of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 apples (1 granny smith, 1 gala), diced
3/4 cup of granola

Topping:
1 cup of granola
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
6 tbsp of butter, chilled

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners and lightly spray with non-stick spray. In a large bowl mix together eggs, sugar, yogurt, milk, and butter until well combined slowly mix in flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until just combined. Mix in apples and granola. Fill each muffin tin with batter approximately 3/4 full. Make topping: Mix together granola, flour, sugar and salt. Chop butter into pieces and cut into granola mixture using your hands, until clumps form. Distribute the topping over the muffins. Bake until a fork inserted comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Make 18. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

S'Mores Bars

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and ate a super ton of turkey,etc! Thanks for baring with me as I got over my vacation brain (sort of). But here is a delicious way to come back, s'mores bars! I made these AMAZING blondies for my November Secret Recipe Club, and they are from Casey and her blog, Beautiful Disasters. Casey's Blog is full of delicious looking treats, but her brownies and bars are particularly outrageous. I had such a hard time deciding which to make, but I'm so glad I decide to make the s'mores. I decided to truly decadent mine up, by whipping up some homemade marshmallow cream (so easy, and so much better than the jarred stuff). Enjoy these delicious bars (if you aren't too stuffed from the holiday) and check out Beautiful Disasters for more great recipes!

S'Mores Blondies:
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
2 sticks of butter, softened
2 eggs
2 cups of flour
2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (about 2 sleeve of graham crackers)
1 tsp of baking powder
1 salt
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
2 1/2 cups of marshmallow cream (jarred or homemade)
2 cups of chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 12" pan. Press half the cookie dough into the bottom of the pan, sprinkle chocolate chips on in an even layer, then top with marshmallow cream, spreading with a spatula dipped in hot water. Then, top with remaining cookie dough, in chunks, leaving some marshmallow exposed. Bake for about 30 minutes, until cookie is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. Let cool, then cut into bars and enjoy! (adapted from Beautiful Disasters)

Happy Eating!

Mini Pumpkin Pies

I can't believe I am about to say this, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I feel like summer barely ended, and we are halfway through November. But that's ok, because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is the best food (and family time) around and I can't wait for all the festivities to start. So, I got started a little early, with some yummy mini pumpkin pies with a graham cracker crust.

Crust:
12 graham crackers
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
3 tbsp of light brown sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 375. Line muffin tins with paper liners and spray lightly with non-stick. In a food processor, blend graham crackers until you have crumbs with no large chunks. Add salt, cinnamon and brown sugar and pulse to combine. With processor running, stream in the butter and mix until incorporated. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of 18 muffin liners. Bake until just fragrant and slightly toasted, about 5 minutes.

Filling:
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 can of evaporated milk
3/4 cup of light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tbsp of corn starch
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of ginger
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1/4 tsp of ground cloves

Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. In a large bowl mix all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tins, a little less than 1/4 cup per muffin. Bake until set but slightly wobbley in the center, about 25 minutes. Rotate once half way through. Let cook and then refrigerate overnight or until firm. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

Ultimate Chex Mix

Homemade Chex mix is one of those things that everyone makes a little differently, it's perfecly customizable and always delicious. I like to maximize the butter to cereal ratio, to ensure that every piece is coated with goodness. The boyfriend is very particular about what is in the mix (no nuts, no wheat Chex) and so this amazingly delicious hybrid was born. My ultimate Chex mix, it is crazy addictive, especially when it is hot from the oven (or not quite finished baking), which is my favorite way to eat it. Enjoy your delicious fall snacking! And check out what I did with the leftover Chex and pretzels.

Ultimate Chex Mix:
4 cups corn chex
3 cups rice chex
2 cups of pretzels
1 bag of garlic bagel chips
4 tbsp of unsalted butter
4 tbsp of salted butter
3 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp of hot sauce
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp minced onion
1/2 tsp of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Add chex and pretzels to the baking sheet. Break bagel chips in pieces and add to the chex. Melt butters in the microwave in a small bowl, mix in Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion, and salt. Pour the butter over the Chex mix slowly, stirring the mix to coat evenly. Bake for an hour, stirring mix every 15 minutes.

Happy Eating.

Chocolate Caramel Chex Clusters

The boyfriend has started asking for Chex mix about 2 weeks ago, something about Fall and the impending holiday season. Chex mix, especially homemade, is dangerous to have in the house (in fact, I'm pretty sure we ate half a stick of butter yesterday, in Chex mix alone). I even just like the way the Chex cereal tastes plain. I did not want to have a bunch of half full Chex boxes around, so I decided in addition to the deliciously addictive classic Chex mix that I would make a salty-sweet (and it turns out even more dangerous) concoction. This is like a cross between caramel corn and muddy buddies, and it is so amazing I had to have the boyfriend pry it from hands and hide it. If you like salty sweet combinations, you have to try this, now. It only takes about 10 minutes to make and there is no baking. Enjoy!

Chocolate Caramel Chex Clusters:
4 cups of chex (rice or corn)
5 cups of popped popcorn
1 cup of pretzels
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
1/2 cup of light corn syrup
2 1/2 tbsps of butter
1 tsp of salt

Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with non stick spray. Mix together the Chex, popcorn, pretzels, and chocolate chips in the dish. In a small pan, heat sugar, corn syrup and butter over high medium heat until melted, raise heat and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the a dark brown, but still liquid caramel forms, about 4 minutes. Add in salt, then pour caramel mixture over the Chex mixture and stir until the caramel is coating all the mixture and the chocolate has melted. Press the mixture down into the pan, and then allow to cool for 30 minutes. Break up into chunks. Store in a air tight container.

Happy Eating.

Honey Cake with Carmelized Pears

Happy New Year! No, I am not crazy, or 3 months early. It's Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. During Rosh Hashanah , people dip apples in honey to remind them of the sweetness of life, and desserts are often made with honey. This year I decided to make a honey cake, but punch it up a notch with some caramelized pears. True it's not apples, but it's another wonderful fruit of the season that adds a wonderful level of sophistication to the cake.

Honey Cake:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup of light-brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp of honey, plus 1/4 cup for glazing cake
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups of flour
3/4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix eggs and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add honey, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and mix until combined. Add 3/4 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix until just combined. Add remaining cup of flour and mix until just combined. Grease or spray with non-stick a 10 inch spring-form pan. Bake until cake is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and release spring-form. Pour the 1/4 cup of honey on top of the cake slowly and rub in using a spatula or a brush. Top with caramelized pears (see below). The cake (without the topping) can be made 1 day in advance and left at room temperature covered in saran wrap. (adapted from Martha)

Caramelized Pears
1 tbsp of salted butter
1/4 cup of sugar
2 lbs of red anjou pears, cored and sliced
2 tbsp of honey

Heat the butter in a large skillet on medium-low, when melted stir in sugar until combined. Add the pears and stir. Cook until pears are soft and swimming in syrup, about 15 minutes. Add honey, and turn heat to high, cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top cake with pears. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

The Baked Brownie

I have wanted to try this recipe forever. It always looked like the ultimate celebration of chocolate, and I've heard it's the best brownie around. But, something more glamorous came across my computer screen to try, or someone really wanted cookies and it got pushed aside. Finally, enough was enough and I just had to bake it. Wow! These are the most insanely rich, intensely, deep chocolate brownies I have ever tasted. They are just beyond words amazing. Now that I have finally tried them, I'm not sure I'll be able to stop baking them.

The Baked Brownie:
11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks of butter
1 tsp of instant coffee
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
11/4 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Stir in coffee and put in the freezer for a few minutes to cool. Stir in the sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined. Stir in the flour, salt, and cocoa powder, and mix until just combined. Line a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with non stick. Pour batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until set in the middle, and a for inserted has only a few crumbs. About 40-50 minutes, it is very difficult to tell if they are done or not, so make sure you check the middle of the brownies. Let cool before slicing. (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker).

Happy Eating.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

Usually, when it comes to cookies, I err on the side of mini. I love bite size cookies. Cookies where you can eat a few and not feel too guilty. These are not those cookies. These are mammoth sized cookies, but they are so amazing, you won't even care about the guilt. They are crispy around the edges, and chewy inside and absolutely enormous. The perfect cookie for dunking in some milk or hot cocoa during all this rain (you may not currently be experiencing this rain, but the cookies are still delicious in sunshine, don't worry). They also look impressive because of their mammoth size, so whip up a batch for your next party, or your Sunday football marathon (I am so excited). Enjoy!

PS: I apologize for the smudge on the picture, I thought that was on my display screen, not on the lens. And don't forget to enter for your chance to win a jar of Coconut Peanut Butter!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies:
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup of dark brown sugar
1 1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 tsp of vanilla
1 egg + 1 yolk
2 cups of flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix together the sugars and butter, until smooth and well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add in 1 cup of flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined. Add remaining flour and mix until just combined, do not over mix. Stir in chocolate chips. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with non stick. Scoop cookies by heaping tablespoon (like really heaping, almost 2 tablespoons), shape into a round as best you can (the dough is very sticky) and flatten slightly. Space cookies wide, 6 per cookie sheet. Bake for 20-24 minutes until golden. Makes about 20 cookies. (adapted from Cook's Illustrated).

Happy Eating.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

If I was one to eat cookies for breakfast (ok, so maybe I am) it would definitely be these cookies. They are like a muffin-cookie hybrid.They have cookie exterior, but the inside is fluffy like a muffin, a delicious banana chocolate chip muffin. They keep really well, better than you would expect for a soft cookie, just seal the left overs in an airtight container for later enjoyment (assuming you have any left). So if you need a post hurricane pick-me-up, that's quick and easy to throw together, try these. Next time I am throwing a batch of these in my emergency kit. I truly hope that everyone is safe and dry from the storm.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies:
1 stick of butter, melted
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 overripe banana
1 egg
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups of flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1 cup of milk chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and position rack in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars, until smooth. Mash in the banana and mix on high speed until most of the lumps are gone and mixture is fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add 3/4 cup of flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until just combined. Add remaining cup of flour and repeat, do not over mix, the batter will be more runny than the average cookie dough. Stir in chocolate chips. Line to cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with non-stick. Scoop batter by heaping teaspoon and drop onto cookie sheet. Drop 12 cookies, evenly spaced per sheet. Cook until puffy and golden, rotating between the racks halfway though. About 10-13 minutes total. Makes about 3 dozen. (adapted from Food+Words)

Happy Eating.

Classic Crumb Cake

Cake for breakfast. In a perfect world, this would always be acceptable. In fact, ever meal would come with a slice of cake. Somehow, I don't think this would help with the obesity problem, so we will just have to stick to special occasions and the occasional piece of this buttery treat with your morning cup of coffee (or afternoon cup, I'm not picky). This is a million times better than the boxed crumb cakes that are so often served, the cake is light and fluffy and the topping is dense, sweet, lightly spiced, and wonderfully buttery. It's truly the perfect breakfast cake.

Crumb Cake:

Cake:
2 tbsp of canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
2 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 cup of light-brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of salt
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 sticks of butter

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees, and position rack in the center of the oven. Melt butter for the topping and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl mix together the canola oil, egg, butter milk, and vanilla. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spread the batter into the dish using a spatula. The batter will look too thin and this will be somewhat difficult. Take the melted butter for the topping and add to it the brown sugar, spices and flour (all of the topping ingredients). Mix until the mixture is crumb like and combined. Sprinkle the topping over the cake so that it is covered and even. Bake until a fork inserted comes out clean, about 20 minutes, rotating the cake halfway. Cut into brownie size pieces for serving. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

Peanut Butter Cookies

When I was little, I really disliked peanut butter. I was never a picky eater (and certainly am not now), but I can remember being at camp and demanding plain jelly sandwiches for lunch. Now, I eat peanut butter everyday, I love it and I can't get enough. Maybe because of my youthful aversion, I never really got into peanut butter desserts. But after how much I loved those Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies, I new I had to try some more peanut buttery treats. So, my expansion of the cookie horizon continued as I whipped up a batch of these peanut butter cookies. I baked the extremely delicious Malt Chocolate Chip Cookies for the same BBQ, but to my surprise it was the peanut butter cookies that I kept me running back to the cookie plate.

Peanut Butter Cookies:
3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/3 cup of light-brown sugar
1/3 cup of sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups of flour
Pre Heat the oven to 350 degrees, and position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter and butter on low speed until combined. Add the sugars and mix until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour and mix until just combined, do not over mix. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, and spray with non-stick. Put some sugar in a small bowl for rolling cookies. Scoop dough by the tablespoon and roll into a ball, roll in the sugar and put on the cookie sheet. Space 12 cookies evenly throughout the sheet. Bake until cookies are golden brown, 15-17 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies

I have been experimenting with new cookies, branching out if you will. I could eat a crispy, buttery cookie every single time, and be perfectly happy, if it weren't for the my kitchen pride. I want to be able to do anything in a kitchen, please any preference. So the quest for soft and chewy cookies continues, and the more that I make them, the more I am loving them I have to say. The first of these cookies I tried, I was like these are pretty good, no crispy chocolate chip, but pretty darn good. About a day later, the bag of cookies and I were inseperable, and I literally could not stop eating them they were so delicious. So if you are a soft and chewy cookie lover, or trying to convert a crispy cookie person, these are the cookies for you.

PB and Snickers Cookies:
1 stick of salted butter, softened
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp half and half
1 tsp of almond extract
11/4 cups of flour
3/4 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 a bag of mini snickers bars, chopped
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Beat the butter and peanut butter together on medium speed until smooth, add in the sugars and mix until fluffy and well combined, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, half and half, and almond extract and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda and baking powder and mix until just combined. Stir in the snickers and chocolate chips. Line 2 cookie sheets with partchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Drop by rounded tablespoon, and then flatten each cookie slightly. Bake until golden, 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from partchment. Makes about 3 dozen. (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

Happy Eating.

Cornbread

I have a love affair with corn. I love all things corn, on the cob, polenta, corn cakes, creamed corn, but nothing is as near and dear to me as corn bread. It is the ultimate in sweet and savory satisfaction. A slightly sweet chunk served with a savory and spicy meal, heavan. I have pretty much always used the same recipe, a Williams-Sonoma classic. My absolute favorite, until a lack of buttermilk and an unyielding craving caused me to think outside the box- or buttermilk as it was. The result was insanely moist and delicious, and I can proudly say now, I have a new favorite cornbread recipe.

Cornbread:
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan
6 oz Fat free Greek Yogurt (1 container)
1/3 cup of milk
2 eggs
4 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
1 cup of flour
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp of sugar, divided
2 cups of stone ground yellow cornmeal

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the butter yogurt and milk until mostly smooth with some lumps. Add the eggs and mix until they are incorporated. Add the baking powder, salt, flour, and 1/3 cup of sugar and mix until just combined. Add the cornmeal and mix until just combined. Butter a 11x7 or an 8 inch square pan dark metal pan (or a glass pan lined with foil). Spread batter into the pan and sprinkle top with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 20 minutes. (adapted from Williams-Sonoma)

Happy Eating.

Salt Chocolate Biscotti

I am an avid coffee drinker, even all through the summer, I start everyday with a cup of hot coffee. No cream, so sugar, just a delicious and wonderful smelling cup of coffee. What goes so amazing with my wonderful cup? Biscotti. This chocolate biscotti is strong enough to be enjoyed dunked in your favorite cup of joe, but delicious enough to be enjoyed on it's own. With just a hint of sea salt, to give the cookies that salty bite that I just can't get enough of.

Salt Chocolate Biscotti:
1 stick of butter, softened
1/3 cup of dark brown sugar
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups of flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp corse sea salt
3/4 cups of dark chocolate chunks
4 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium speed. Add cocoa and mix for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until just combined. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until just incorporated. Stir in sea salt, chocolates, and almonds. Chill the dough for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Separate the dough in half. Roll each half into a long log, about an inch thick. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place rolls on the sheet. Press the logs to flatten slightly. Bake for 25 minutes then let logs cool completely, about an hour. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Slice the logs on a bias into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Place the cookies on the same cookie sheet and toast for 10 minutes, flip the cookies and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool before serving. (adapted from Tate's Bakeshop Cookbook)

Happy Eating.

Sugar Cookies

I really love crispy cookies. I like them thin, flat, and buttery, for me that is simply how a cookie should be. But, I do understand that other people like thick, soft, and chewy cookies, and I do try to be accomadating. As I was driving home one day, I was struck by a sudden craving, I had to have a sugar cookie, this may not seem all that odd, but trust me it's utterly bizare. I crave cookies all the time, however I don't think I have ever craved a sugar cookie. They are the opposite of what I usually want in a cookie, they are thick and soft and don't have any chocolate in them. Nothing could abate my craving though, and so I simply had to make them, and I am so glad I did. Except for the one batch that got a touch over cooked and ended up crispy, the rest were wonderfully chewy and deliciously large. This cookie has set me off on a quest of expanding my cookie horizons, to vere off the thin and crispy path into the world of soft cookies, so stay tuned, there is more to come!

Sugar Cookies:
2 sticks of salted butter, softened
1 cup of sugar, plus more for assembling cookies
1 tbsp of dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and position racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until very creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanila and mix until just combined. Add flour and baking soda and stir until just combined. Pour about 1/2 cup of sugar into a small bowl. Line to baking sheets with partchment and spray with non-stick spray. Scoop dough by tablespoon and roll into a ball, then roll the ball in sugar to coat. Wet hands to prevent sugar and dough sticking to you. Space the cookies evenly, 12 to a sheet. Wet the bottom of a glass with a flat bottom and dip it into the sugar. Press glass onto each cookie to flatten until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Bake until cookies are just golden around the edges, 14-16 minutes, flipping the rows halfway through. Let cool on the partchment paper before serving. Makes about 30 cookies. (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

Happy Eating.