Double Chocolate Oreo Cookies

Holy delicious cookie…

Very easy to make and even easier to make disappear.  If I wouldn’t have felt so shameful afterwards, I would have eaten ALL of them myself.  Thank goodness I have a very gracious office to unload these things on.

Most people would say this is overkill but I say its perfection…

Ok lets get down to brass tax (what the hell does that even mean and where did it come from??).  Chop up a bunch of Oreo’s…not too small…

Mix your batter and add the aforementioned Oreo’s and throw in some chocolate chips for good measure. 

Fold all of that goodness together and put the dough in the fridge to chill.

After about an hour or two of chilling (I spent the hour and a half at the gym just so I could eat LOTS of these…not kidding) roll the dough into balls and bake!

Let them cool (or burn your lip with molten chocolate like me) and eat the crap out of them.  My god these are GOOD.

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup crushed Oreo cookies

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.

Fold in chocolate chips and crushed oreos. Refrigerate dough for 2-4 hours (or more). When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350, roll into balls or scoop with an ice cream scooper and set on baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely.

 

Hummingbird Cake

I have wanted to make this for a long time I just never really have any extra ripe bananas hanging around BUT this week I got smart and bought extras so I could make something banana flavored!  I know, I know, I’m a genius…I even amaze myself sometimes…

So back to this cake, it’s really just a glorified banana cake.  What makes it hummingbird-ish is that it had crushed pineapple and chopped pecans mixed it. 

It’s pretty easy to make; you don’t even need to use a mixer!

IT’S GOOD!  Like waaaay good.  I ate a lot of it…

Like I said this is really easy…just combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another.

Pour the wet into the dry and mix by hand.  Once it’s combined, fold in your pecans. 

Divide the batter between two pans and bake!

Let the cake cool completely before icing.  I like to trim the cakes before icing so I just take a serrated knife and level off the top. 

Next step is to make your icing, which is just like any other cream cheese icing.  Just cream your butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy then add your sugar and vanilla.

You can’t go wrong with this… Now ice your cake, decorate it anyway you want and ENJOY it!

Hummingbird Cake

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped ripe bananas

1 cup drained crushed pineapple

1 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

8 ounces cream cheese - room temperature

1/2 cup butter - room temperature

1 pound confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Position oven racks to middle position and preheat oven to 350.  Grease (2) 9 inch pans.

Sift together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt) into a bowl.  In a separate bowl combine the bananas, pineapple, oil, eggs and vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix BY HAND until relatively smooth.  DO NOT OVER MIX.  Once mixture is smooth, fold in pecans.  Divide batter between (2) 9 inch cake pans and bake for approx 35 minutes or until the cake springs back when pressed in the center.  Cool cakes completely before icing. 

To make icing: Using an electric mixer, cream the butter an cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Slowly add confectioners sugar, then vanilla.  Beat until smooth. 

Brownie Truffles Part 2

Yeah yeah yeah, I know I have already done these but these ones are BETTER I promise.  This brownie recipe is by far my favorite brownie recipe…it tastes just like boxed brownies and lets face it, who doesn’t love those???  I guess I should have really just posted these as brownies but it was Valentines Day and I just NEEDED to make a “box of chocolates” so here goes…

Ok first things first, make the brownies…

As you can see I couldn’t resist…          

After you have them baked and cooled, break them up into little pieces (sneak a few bites) and add them to your mixing bowl.  Add some chocolate frosting and mix it up really well until you get a uniformed consistency that would work well for molding and shaping (I recommend taking a taste, for the purposes of checking the consistency of course).  Refrigerate until firm. 

 











After your mixture is firm, using a scoop portion out equal sized amounts and mold them into your desired shape.

Next, melt some chocolate and get your topping ready.  Using a fork, dip each brownie ball into the chocolate until completely coated and tap excess chocolate off.  Immediately coat your “truffle” with the topping of your choice and allow to dry.

That’s it!  Couldn’t be easier!  Now eat them…lord knows I did. 

My Tummy Hurts!

This is all that's left...
















The New Favorite Brownie

·         1 cup butter, melted

·         3 cups white sugar

·         1 tablespoon vanilla extract

·         4 eggs

·         1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

Petit Fours

I have wanted to make these for the longest time and finally I had a good reason to…VALENTINES DAY!  These take some patience, there are a lot of steps to follow but people are always impressed by them when they are finished.  I started with a really good pound cake recipe (which I will post below) and baked it in 2 sheet pans.

Once the cakes were cooled I brushed on a thin layer of heated raspberry jam, added a really thin layer of marzipan, brushed another thin layer of jam and topped it off with the second layer of pound cake. 

After building the “sandwich” I let the whole thing rest in the fridge for about an hour just to let things settle.  I then used a heart shaped cookie cutter (you could use any shape) to cut my individual cakes.

After cutting all of my hearts out, I placed them on a cooling rack with a covered tray underneath.  I mixed up my icing (recipe below) and spooned it over the individual cakes until they are completely covered.  The only real tip I can give you with this icing is that the warmer it is the thinner it gets, making it waaaay easier to cover the cakes.  If it gets too cool it gets gloppy and hard to spread.

After letting the icing dry for about an hour or so you can decorate them any way you like.  I used royal icing to decorate my cakes. 

ENJOY!  Not only are these super cute to look at, they are also really delicious!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
3.5 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
Using a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar for about 6 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add vanilla and milk until combined.
Add flour mixture until completely combined.

Pour into two greased and floured 9 X 5 loaf pans.

Bake for approx. 60 minutes or until done.

Poured Fondant
2lb bag powdered sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and heat on low until well combined.   

Happy Cake

This cake is freakin awesome!  Seriously, it is!  My co-worker re-named it “happy cake” cause it just makes you happy!  This is the kind of thing I need to get out of my house immediately or I am in real danger of eating the ENTIRE cake.  This is really easy to put together and sooooo delicious!  I see many more of these cakes in my future.

First, break up the almond paste, add sugar then butter and mix until light and fluffy



Next, add eggs and vanilla.

Once the eggs and vanilla are incorporated, add the zest and the dry ingredients. 

Fill the prepared bundt pan with the batter and bake (my cake was done in about 40 minutes, not the suggested 45-50 minutes).




When the cake comes out of the oven let it cool in the pan for about five minutes.  After it has rested invert the pan and hope for success (this part always terrifies me!).  While the cake it still warm brush it with the glaze.  Don't be stingy with it and don't forget the sides!

When the cake cools the glaze with form a crunchy like crust on top of the cake and it is delicious!!! 

MMMM!!!  This was just one of MANY pieces eaten by me

Enjoy this!

Happy Cake

3/4 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large eggs- room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup almond paste - room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
Glaze
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons orange juice –
3/4 cup sugar

1.  Oven 350F, rack in lower third; grease bundt/tube pan
2.  Sift dry ingredients together twice
3.  In a bowl combine eggs and vanilla – set aside
4.  In mixer fitted w/paddle, beat almond paste on low until it breaks up
5.  with mixer running, slowly add sugar and beat until incorporated
6.  add room temp butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time
7.  increase speed to med-high and beat until fluffy and incorporated
8.  add eggs in a steady stream
9.  removed from mixer and fold in zests with a spatula
10. fold in dry ingredients
11. fill pan and bake 45-50 minutes until tooth pick comes out with moist crumbs.
12.  cool in pan 5 minutes.
13.  Meanwhile, combine glaze ingredients (sugar, citrus juices)  DO NOT HEAT
14.  With a pastry brush, glaze cake while hot.  Let cool completely.
15.  Cake will keep for several days tightly wrapped.

Graham Crackers

I LOOOOOOVE graham crackers and these are so above and beyond it’s not even funny.  While looking at the recipe I was very overwhelmed but I gotta tell you, these were way easier than I expected them to be and WELL worth the effort! 

First, make the dough.

I like to shape mine into a rectangle before chilling because I feel that it makes even rolling easier.

After you get your dough rolled out to the correct thickness, cut your crackers.  I used a pizza wheel and a ruler and they still didn't come out even.  I am going to invest in a rectangle cookie cutter with fluted edges just to make these (that's how good they are!). 

Once they are on their sheet pans, give them a generous sprinkle of the cinnamon sugar and throw them in the oven.

Muy delicioso!  <---- Sorry, I was just in Mexico

Of course they are fabulous just they way they are BUT it just wouldn't be me if I stopped here...

Ummmm yeah....this is really about to happen

Yep yep...those are homemade marshmallows 

Uh huh, that's a blow torch

 OMG

 FOOD ORGASM

I feel fat.

Graham Crackers

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen  <----I didn't do this.  Came right from the fridge
1/3 cup mild-flavored honey

5 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon

Make the dough: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the topping by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and setting aside.

Roll out the crackers: Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary.  Cut crackers into desired shape. 

Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
.
Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.


Marshmallows
From Food Network

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup ice cold water, divided
• 12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Nonstick spray

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.
In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.
Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.