Happy 4th!

Happy belated 4th of July!  All of the cousins were festive thanks to Grandma Suzie.  Although we celebrated in Sioux Falls, we made it a four-day celebration by spending a few days at the farm.  

Caroline helped me make some yummy pretzel bites. We found the instructions on Pinterest.  And Caroline was pretty excited to help make something in the kitchen.  They turned out cute and quite tasty!

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

As you know, I love to bake.  The great news is that Caroline also love to help out in the kitchen.  Once every couple of weeks I have her help bake a treat for us.  I get all of the ingredients ready, Food Network style, and let Caroline dump and mix.  The latest creation was chocolate chip pudding cookies.

Pudding Cookies
by Izzy Eilts- found in the St. Paul's Lutheran Church cookbook

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 (3.3 oz) instant vanilla (or chocolate) pudding mix
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl.  Mix in flour, soda and pudding mix.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.

Crazy Cake

My friend Heidi sent me another fun dessert recipe. I think she likes to find the strangest recipes for me to try! This one is no exception. It's pretty much a two ingredient cake that cooks in the microwave in one minute. We tried it over the weekend and thought it was tasty.

Crazy Cake

1 package angel food cake mix

1 package cake mix (I used chocolate)

Mix together and store in an air tight container.

When you want to make one serving:

Mix 1/3 cup cake mix and 3 tablespoons water together in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for one minute.

This can be served with cool whip, ice cream, fruit, etc.

Creepy Chocolate Waffle Cookies

I recently made a batch of cookies for Caroline to take to school for her last day of daycare. Since it's getting close to Halloween, I thought I'd get in the theme of things.

Growing up my mom would make chocolate waffle cookies for special occasions (mostly Christmas) and they were always a kid favorite. I guess some things never change!

I didn't realize how easy they are to make. Seriously, in no time I had cookies cooling on my counter waiting to be frosted!

Chocolate Waffle Cookies

by Gertrude Schuller (found in the Claremont UMC cookbook)

1 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

3 squares chocolate

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Melt chocolate and butter. Beat eggs and sugar together and mix with the melted chocolate and butter. Add flour, salt, and vanilla. Mix well. Bake in a waffle iron for one minute (or until done). I used my small cookie scoop and got four cookies on the iron at the same time. Cool completely. Frost.

To make frosting:

Mix well together the butter, sugar, and milk. Bring to a boil and add the 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Stir until smooth and frost cookies immediately.

S'More Bars

A few weeks ago, I decided to make a pan of bars that I saw on Two Peas & Their Pod. I don't think you can get more summery than a yummy s'more, so when I saw this recipe for Golden Grahams S'mores Bards I knew I needed to make them.

They were really easy to make and fantastic! But be warned, they are SUPER sweet! I didn't alter the recipe at all, so here's a link to make them at your home.

Dirty Monkey Cupcakes

One of Nate's favorite treats when we go on vacation are the "Dirty Monkeys". It's a frozen chocolate banana rum drink. Quite delicious, and something we NEVER make at home. In August's All You magazine I saw a recipe for Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting and thought they might be fun to make when we have ripe bananas.

Today Caroline and I felt like baking, so I told her about these "Dirty Monkey" cupcakes. She thought they sounded hilarious so she became my number one helper. They turned out pretty well. I think they're a little sweet, so I would cut the amount of sugar (not by half, but close) the next time I make them.

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Found in August All You magazine

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins (we made 12 regular size and about 9 mini).

In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a mixer, beat butter and sugar for about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in banana, vanilla, and yogurt. Stir in flour until just combined. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes or until they test done. Let cool 15 minutes and then remove from pan. Let cool completely and then frost.

Chocolate Frosting:

4 oz chocolate chips

6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate and let cool completely. In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until light (2-3 minutes). Beat in milk, vanilla and chocolate until smooth. Frost cupcakes.

Brownies

With a couple of meetings coming up at work, I thought I would surprise everyone and bring treats. Since EVERYONE likes chocolate, I thought that brownies would hit the spot. Instead of finding a recipe for exotic-sounding brownies, I went to my family's cookbook and make my aunt's. (She is the best cook I know!) I love the not quite fudgey not quite cakey texture of the brownies. And the frosting is simply fantastic! It's nice and smooth and super chocolaty!

Brownies

by Carol Jones

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 tablespoons cocoa

1/4 cup hot water

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup flour

walnuts, optional (I omitted)

Bream the eggs and sugar together and then add the oil. In a small bowl mix the cocoa and water together and then add it to the batter. Add the vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt. Add walnuts if you wish. Bake in a 9x13 pan at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons white corn syrup

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

Combine the sugar, butter, milk, and corn syrup in a saucepan and boil for one minute. Add the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Stir until melted and spreading consistency.

Cheesecake Bites

I'm making quite a few little desserts for the holiday season. Here's one that is easy to make that tastes delicious! Using a premade frozen cheesecake adds to the ease. And the contrast between the crisp chocolate shell and smooth cheesecake filling makes them irresistible.



Cheesecake Bites

1 plain cheesecake, thawed

1 package chocolate candy melts



With a small cookie scoop, scoop the cheesecake filling (being careful not to get the crust) into small balls. Freeze to firm up. Dip in chocolate candy melts. Let sit until firm. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Happy Birthday Caroline!!

Even though it's not technically her birthday yet, we celebrated Caroline's third birthday this weekend.

The party was pretty low-key, but featured a pretty awesome cupcake. For the cake, I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe, but made them into cupcakes. I'm a big fan of Pioneer Woman, and she has never steered me wrong recipe-wise. When she said this was the best frosting ever, I knew I would have to try it. It really is delicious! It's not overly sweet and it's light and fluffy. Since I didn't change anything, here's a link for it. (I did make the frosting purple for the birthday girl!)

Chocolate and Cookies - what's not to like?!

I chose the recipe for these cookies simply based on the lack of ingredients. I couldn't believe that a cookie could be made without eggs, baking powder, sugar, etc.
These moist, fudgy and rich cookies are so good! To mix things up, you could roll the balls in shredded coconut or finely ground nuts. Try these - they're so good and so easy!

Chocolate Butter Cookies
by Laurie Darling
1/4 cup butter
1 (12 oz) package milk chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cup flour

Melt butter and chips together until smooth. Pour in milk and stir. Add the flour and stir well. Form into 1 inch balls (I used my small cookie scoop). Bake at 350 for 5-6 minutes.

(Make 3 1/2 dozen)

The Easiest Dessert Ever!

Sorry for the horrible photo... These are so good, I forgot to take a photo until we cut into them...
I made these for the grill-out and they were a winner! And even better, they were so easy to make that it was almost wrong. So, if you're in a hurry and need to bring a baked good, make these! I found the recipe at Bake at 350.
I'm usually against using mixes and packaged goods when making baked goods. I'm a 'from-scratch' kind of girl. I think the chocolate ganache frosting put these bars over the top, and gave them a 'homemade' touch.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
from Baked at 350
1 pouch Betty Crocker Brownie mix (for a 9x13 pan)
1 pouch Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix
12 oz semisweet chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
Prepare brownie mix as directed. Pour into prepared pan. Set aside.
Prepare cookie mix as directed. Drop cookie mix by rounded tablespoons on top of brownie mix and press down slightly.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done. Let cool completely.
Heat the butter and cream in a saucepan until it starts to simmer. Pour over chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add vanilla.
Pour ganache over cooled brownies and let stand until set. Enjoy!

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

This is another recipe I made over the weekend. They are slightly chewy with great peanut butter flavor. Plus the oatmeal in the cookies add just enough texture. Fantastic! A great classic cookie!

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie

found on Cookie Madness

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream both sugars and butter. Beat in peanut butter, vanilla and egg. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to batter and stir until incorporated. Stir in oats and chips. Drop by tablespoon on a lightly greased (or lined) cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let sit on cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 4 dozen. (I made mine a little bigger and it made just over 2 dozen).

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Over the weekend I did a little baking. I spotted these bars on Bake at 350 and knew I would have to try them. They are delicious! Great peanut butter flavor, and a great chewy texture. I'll have to make these again soon!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
from Bake at 350
6 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 pan.
Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
Cream the butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Beat in the sugars until combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
Stir in the flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips, stirring until combined.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Papa Don's Birthday

Last night we celebrated my dad's birthday party. It was such an easy meal - my mom brought beef stew, lettuce salad, and biscuits. I simply provided the house and the dessert. Caroline was certain that it was also her birthday.

The dessert I made was Classic Chocolate Bundt Cake that I found at The Sisters Cafe. It was easy to put together and was delicious. Click on The Sisters Cafe for the recipe.

Low Fat Cookies

I found a new recipe for low-fat cookies at halfmysize.com. Not only do I think they're delicious, but Nate assures me that you can't tell they're healthy. I tried them two ways - chocolate and butterscotch. I think they're equally good!


Butterscotch Fiber One Cookies
halfmysize.com
Serves 9
2 points each

1 1/2 cups Fiber One cereal
2 Tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

In a bowl, combine peanut butter and butterscotch chips. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave an additional 30 seconds. Repeat again if necessary. Stir in cereal. Drop cookies on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate until firm. Store in refrigerator.

Fiber One Cookies
halfmysize.com
Serves 9
1 point each

1 Hershey bar (regular size)
1 cup Fiber One cereal
2 Tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter

Melt chocolate and peanut butter together (on stove or in microwave). Stir in cereal. Drop cookies on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate until firm. Store in the refrigerator.

I thought I would make some cookies to take to work this week. I decided that Soft Chocolate Cookies from Good Things Catered would be a great choice. I decorated half of them with a simple snowflake. The rest I made lavender, and I practiced my piped writing. It'll definitely take me awhile before I get them to look professional. But they still tasted delicious!

Happy Birthday, part one

(yes, that is Caroline learning to write with her feet...)

On Saturday we celebrated Caroline's second birthday with a Dora the Explorer party. She had a great day and charmed all of her guests. It's amazing how much she's changed in the past year. The talking is non-stop! And she's really gotten the hang of opening presents. She was doing well until she opened an Elmo...then her interest in everything else just about disappeared.

For the party, I made a chocolate cake. I found the recipe in the latest Taste of Home magazine. It was simple to put together and it got rave reviews. The cake was very moist and chocolaty and the frosting was rich and delicious. The recipe called for more decorations (see recipe for details) but I left it simple.

Chocolate-Strawberry Celebration Cake

Nora Fitzgerald, Taste of Home

1 pkg chocolate cake mix

1 pkg (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup canola oil

4 oz semisweet chocolate, melted

Frosting:

2 cups butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/2 cup 2% milk

Garnish (I omitted):

2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted

1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled

Ganache (I omitted):

4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Combine the first 7 ingredients; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Transfer to two greased and floured 9 inch round baking pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks and cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat the butter, powdered sugar and cocoa until blended; add the milk and beat smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.

Pipe or spoon the melted chocolate onto waxed paper in decorative designs; let stand until set. Arrange strawberries on top of cake. For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. Heat cream just to a boil; pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Drizzle over top of cake, allowing ganache to drape down the sides. Top with chocolate garnishes.

Happy Birthday Nate!

(above) Caroline modeling Nate's new t-shirt



(above) Caroline and Papa Don cuddling after bath time

Nate celebrated his 29th birthday this week. Every year for his birthday, he selects a special treat to take to work. Most years it's something that takes some planning to make (i.e. carrot cake). But this year he wanted my Aunt Ann's "Can't Leave Alone" bars. They're simple to make and they stand up to their name. They're chocolaty, but not too much. They're sweet, but not too much. They're gooey, but not too much. Try them, you'll love them!

Can't Leave Alone Bars
1 yellow cake mix
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter

Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs with a fork. Pat 2/3 of this mixture in a 9x13 pan. Melt the condensed milk, chips, and butter together and pour over the mixture in the pan. Drop the remaining cake mixture by spoonfuls over the chocolate. Flatten it as you put it on the chocolate and then swirl with a knife. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cute As A...

I absolutely love when there are photos in cookbooks. For some reason I find it assuring to see what the final result is supposed to look like. From the moment I got this cookbook I was excited to make this week's TWD (Tuesdays with Dorie) recipe. These Brownie Buttons looked too cute for words!

They were really simple to assemble. The only trouble I had was putting the white chocolate glaze on. Dorie suggested dipping the top of the brownie into the glaze to make a smooth top. Unfortunately my glaze didn't want to adhere that way. So instead I used a spatula to put on the glaze.

I didn't try any of the buttons since I'm Weight Watchers. But Nate was nice enough to be my official taste tester. He commented that these two-bite brownies would be a perfect addition to a cup of coffee.

Brownie Buttons

from: Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Grated zest of 1/2 orange (optional)

1 tsp sugar (optional)

1/4 cup plus 2 T flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 stick (4 T) butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate

1/3 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 2 miniature muffin pans, each with a dozen cups, and place them on a baking sheet.

If you're using orange zest, combine the zest and sugar in a small bowl, rubbing them between your fingertips to blend; set aside. Whisk together the flour and salt.

Melt the butter, chocolate and brown sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat, stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula and keeping an eye on the pan so nothing overheats or burns. When the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat and cool for a minute or two.

Stir the vanilla, egg and the zest (if you're using it) into the chocolate mixture. When the mixture is well blended, add the flour and stir only until it is incorporated. You should have a smooth, glossy batter.

Spoon the batter into 16 of the muffin cups, using about a teaspoon of batter to fill each cup 3/4 full. Put 1 tsp of water in each empty cup.

Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the tops of the buttons spring back when touched. Transfer the pans to racks and cool for 3 minutes before carefully releasing the buttons. Cool to room temperature on the racks.

To Make the Optional Glaze:

Melt 2 oz of white chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir constantly and don't leave the chocolate for even a minute - white chocolate scorches easily. As soon as the chocolate is smooth, remove from heat.

One by one, dip the tops of the buttons into the chocolate, twirling the buttons so that you get a little swirl at the center. Refrigerate the buttons for 15 minutes to set the glaze.

mmmm...Brownies!

There are two kinds of brownies - cakey or fudgy. And people can be quite fickle about what kind is the best. Personally I LOVE fudgy brownies, whereas my hubby 'doesn't like either' or so he says... So I was really excited to make this weeks' TWD recipe, Tribute-To-Katherine Hepburn Brownies. This recipe contained all of my favorite parts of a brownie - a fudgy texture and a deep chocolaty taste which is accented by coffee and cinnamon. Delicious! Plus, it didn't take very long to mix them up and get them in the oven. Enjoy!

Tribute to Katharine Hepburn Brownies

by Dorie Greenspan

1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick (8T) butter, cut into 8 pieces

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp finely ground instant coffee

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 c chopped walnuts or pecans (I used pecans)

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Butter an 8" square pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper, dust the inside of the pan with flour and tap out the excess.

Whisk the flour, cinnamon and salt.

Put the butter in a saucepan over low heat. When the butter starts to melt, sift the cocoa powder over it and add the instant coffee. Continue to cook, stirring until the butter is melted and the cocoa and coffee powder are blended in. Remove from heat and cool for about three minutes.

Using a whisk or rubber spatula, beat the eggs into the saucepan one at a time. Next, stir in the sugar and vanilla (don't beat anything too vigorously - you don't want to add air to the batter), followed by the dry ingredients, nuts and chopped chocolate. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes. Turn the brownies out onto a rack, peel away the paper and invert onto a cutting board. Cool completely before cutting into 16 pieces.