confessions of a sweet tooth

2009-03-02T22:42:00.000-08:00

Still baking, just not blogging about it. We had this Lemon Yogurt Cake with sweetened whipped cream and blueberries last night. It was very nice. Not a super heavy dessert, which is good sometimes.

Frozen Yogurt

2009-01-30T15:24:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe and decided to dust off my ice cream maker and try it out to see if it could compete with all these new and trendy yogurt places...the verdict? Pretty close. I liked it best just out of the ice cream maker or after it had been in the freezer for only a short time. Frozen Yogurt

2 c. plain yogurt (I used Trader Joe's Organic)

1/2 c. whole milk

3/8 c. sugar

mix all ingredients and pour into ice cream maker (mine's a Cuisinart) for about 25 minutes. Top with fruit.

Pumpkin Bread

2008-11-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

This is my second time with this recipe and it is a keeper for sure! I am sorry to admit that I'm a bit of a failure when it comes to making banana bread...I've been on the quest for quite some time now and haven't quite done it right, this on the other hand is another story. This time I sprinkled some Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips on top and it turned into a bit of a chocolate river down the middle...a pleasant surprise! I also used King Arthur's white whole wheat flour, making it a little healthier but not any less delicious. Pumpkin Bread

Mix:

1 c. pumpkin

1/2 c. oil

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

Add:

1 3/4 c. flour

1/4 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

3/4 t. salt

1/2 t. cloves

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for about an hour at 325 degrees.

Apple Cider Syrup

2008-11-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

We had this along with our pumpkin pancakes on Halloween morning. I made the syrup and mixed the dry ingredients (I left out chocolate chips this year) for the pancakes the night before making it pretty quick to put together in the morning. The syrup paired nicely with the pancakes and was definitley the highlight for me.

Apple Cider Syrup

1 1/2 c. apple cider
1 c. corn syrup
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 c. brown sugar
4 T. butter
1 t. cinnamon

Bring to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 20+ minutes until thickened. Let stand for 30 minutes.

*I halved the recipe and it was plenty for us!

(I found this recipe in the comments section on the blog This Week for Dinner in a call for pumpkin recipes...it was suggested with another pumpkin pancake recipe)

Spiderweb Cheesecake

2008-10-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

I found the idea for this Spiderweb Cheesecake in the October issue of Martha Stewart Living. It was just so cute I had to try it out! I ended up halving the recipe and making it in a regular pie dish rather than the springform pan, so the presentation wasn't quite as stunning, but I knew I didn't need a cheesecake of quite the magnitude of the original recipe. It worked out perfectly in the pan with half the recipe.

The things I would do differently if making it again are...
1. the crust turned out a little more crumbly than I would have liked, which was probably my fault for adding a little too many crumbs (not enough butter)
2. It needs to be served very well chilled.

Other than that it was pretty tasty for a no bake cheesecake, was pretty simple to put together, and has extra cute gumdrop spiders that go with it. It was a fun and festive project!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

2008-10-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

I came across this Martha Stewart recipe on a blog that I read often...Stephmodo was guest blogging on petit elephant and talked about them there. I was a bit intrigued by the fresh ginger. It remined me of the triple ginger snaps from Trader Joe's that we discovered last fall. These cookies definitely came out with a good balance of ginger (fresh and ground) and chocolate. A yummy fall addition!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1 1/2 c. plus 1 tablespoon flour

1 1/4 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1 T. cocoa powder

1/2 c. butter

1 T. freshly grated ginger

1/2 c. dark-brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. unsulphered molasses

1 t. baking soda

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks (or just use good chocolate chips!), set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmet, and cocoa. In a separate bowl, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar, beat until combined. Add molasses, beat until combined. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 t. boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking soda mixture, then remaing half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to bout 1 inch thick; seal with plastic wrap, refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into 2-inch balls; place 2 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll dough balls in granulated sugar/cinnamon mixture and return to baking sheets. Bake until surfaces crack slightly about 12-14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Rocky Road Brownies

2008-10-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

This was my little Friday night baking experiment and it turned out really well...probably some of the best brownies I've ever made and I'm a brownie fan, so that's saying something! The brownie recipe is one that my mom found years ago (Snow Flurry Brownies). They normally call for white chocolate chips but are good with any or no form of chocolate chips...it's definitely my favorite quick brownie recipe. They always turn out fabulous as long as they don't get overbaked! I only wanted a few this time, so I halved the recipe and baked them in an 8 1/2 inch loaf pan. It worked out perfectly and we came out with about 5 brownies...which is good since there are only a few of us and I have a severe weakness for brownies!

without further ado...

Rocky Road Brownies

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla
2/3 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Mix together and bake in an 8x8 (foil lined) pan at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Do not overbake!

Chop up about 1/4 c. almonds and halve several large marshmallows, enough to scatter over the top. Remove brownies about 5 minutes before they are finished cooking and quickly place marshmallow halves on top and sprinkle almonds over marshmallows, return to the oven to finish baking. Brownies are done when a few moist crumbs stick to a toothpick inserted in the center. Remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly. (the loaf pan only took about 12 minutes before I put the marshmallows on and then 3-4 additional minutes to finish.) Make ganache out of 1/4-1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips and a few tablespoons of heavy cream...heat in microwave on 50% power for 30 second increments until starting to melt and then stir to melt the chocolate completely. Place ganache in a ziploc bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle desired amount over the top of the brownies. Let them cool completely and then refrigerate until ganache is set. Cut into bars and enjoy!

foil lining the pan helped to remove them easily and made them look prettier when they were finished and cut.

Sprinkles!!!!

2008-10-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

The new Sprinkles Palo Alto location recently opened in the Stanford Shopping Center. We were privileged to go there yesterday and waited in line with no less than 50 people. After all that waiting I wasn't disappointed...my peanut butter chocolate came through with two thumbs up. It was seriously delicious. The cake was dense (and moist), the frosting was rich and together they were the perfect match. I sampled Adam's Coconut and Rachel's Chocolate Marshmallow and they were right on as well. So, Sprinkles gets my stamp of approval on round 2...I'm so glad to have them kind of in our neighborhood. I'll be dreaming about cupcakes while I wait for the new Kara's Cupcakes to open at Santana Row...I have to say it will be hard for them to beat Sprinkles, but hopefully they'll give them some great competition!

the chocolate peanut butter

Pumpkin Maple Custards

2008-10-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe a few years ago and have wanted to try them...today I finally got around to it. They were relatively easy to whip up. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go eat one!

Pumpkin Maple Custards

1 c. heavy cream

3/4 c. milk

3/4 c. maple syrup

3/4 c. canned solid-pack pumpkin

7 large egg yolks

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

1/8 t. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in the center. In a medium saucepan whisk together cream, milk, maple syrup, and pumpkin. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile in a large bowl, whisk together yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisking constantly, gradually add hot cream mixture to the yolk mixture (I added a little to the yolks first to temper them). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large liquid measuring cup (for easy pouring). Divide mixture evenly among six 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with a kitchen towel; place ramekins on top. Place in oven, and pour enough boiling water in pan to come halfway up sides of the cups. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake until custard is set and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Let cool completely, then refrigerate, covered first with paper towel and then with plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Plum Upside-Down Cake

2008-10-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

Pretty easy to make and super delicious! I know I'm getting old because in my younger days there is no way I would have considered something with cooked fruit on top dessert. I have changed my ways...in fact my sister-in-law Tracy made it when I was home last week and I had to have it again this week. What's not to love about a lovely little spiced cake with carmelized plums on top? Perfect for Fall and divine with a little vanilla ice cream on the side.

Plum Upside-Down Cake

9 T. butter

1 c. packed brown sugar

4 red plums, halved and pitted

1 egg

1/2 c. reduced-fat sour cream

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice

1/3 c. finely chopped walnuts (l left them out)

whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place 3 Tablespoons butter in an 8-inch round cake pan; melt in preheating oven, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle melted butter with 1/2 c. brown sugar. Arrange overlapping plum wedges in a circle around edge of pan; repeat in center, covering bottom of pan. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together remaining 6 Tablespoons butter, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and egg. Beat in sour cream until blended. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and walnuts. Stir flour mixture into sour cream mixture until just combined (batter will be thick). Spread batter evenly over plums. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean about 50 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan; invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream (or ice cream) if desired.

*I used a 9 inch pan and it finished cooking in about 30-35 minutes

Gingersnaps

2008-09-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited that Fall is here!! Time for all things spiced! To celebrate a little cooler weather I baked up a batch of Gingersnaps the other day...I was a little surprised that they used oil instead of butter, but the end result was a success and they were a hit. I do have to say I want to try the recipe again and see if the oil could be decreased just a bit to make them a little less oily...I don't know if they would lose their softness. I'll update when I try it. That said, they are super easy and super delicious! sorry for the poorly lit photo...one day we'll have a kitchen with lots of natural light!

Gingersnaps
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 T. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. oil
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses

Sift ingredients and set aside. Blend the wet and mix together with the dry. Roll into balls and coat with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Rice Krispie Nests

2008-03-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Here I am...the long lost blogger! I'm not making any promises to do better just yet. That said, I'm hoping I will get around to some baking and blogging real soon. Things have been a little busy in these parts and my cooking has really taken a hit, which is ok for now. Rachel and I have been trying to spend some time in the afternoons together doing some kind of project. Today we decided to make a little treat and this is what we came up with. I'm sure I've seen something similar before and they are really a pretty simple idea, but I sort of invented these little nests...and I thought they turned out pretty cute! They were just the right project for us, not too time consuming and little kid friendly.

Rice Krispie Nests

3 T. butter
4 c. miniature marshmallows
6 c. Rice Krispies cereal

melt butter over low heat, add marshmallows and stir frequently until completely melted. Pour over cereal and mix well. Place a small amount into lightly greased muffin tins and press down the center to form a "nest" using a large spoon or ice cream scoop. Top with coconut and your choice of candy eggs or jelly beans.

*to dye the coconut green...place about 1/2-3/4 c. coconut in a ziploc bag with a few drops of green food coloring and seal the bag. Mix the coconut thouroughly until the food coloring is evenly distributed.

Monster Cookies

2008-01-05T20:40:00.001-08:00

Lately I have felt the need to bake quite a bit. I'm attributing it either to my desperate attempts at nesting (hoping this baby will come sometime!) Or to the fact that it's been raining like cats and dogs for the last few days and it's just a great rainy day activity. Either way, my freezer is well stocked! This recipe is one that I remember my mom making years ago and then I found it in my ward cookbook and decided to try it out. I was a little surprised that it didn't call for flour and hoped that it wasn't just a typo, but they turned out just great as is. As a side note, I halved the recipe and still came up with 3 dozen cookies. Funny enough I forgot to halve the M&M's and chocolate chips...oh well!

Monster Cookies

3 eggs

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

1 1/2 c. peanut butter

1 c. butter

1 T. corn syrup

1/2 t. vanilla

2 t. baking soda

4 1/2 c. oats

1/2 c. (or more) chocolate chips

1 c. M&M's

Cream butter and peanut butter; set aside. Beat eggs with sugar. Add corn syrup, vanilla, and soda. Combine peanut butter mixture. Mix well. Add oats; mix well. Add chocolate chips and M&M's and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes.

Obsession

2007-12-18T22:41:00.001-08:00

So tonight I watched an episode of "Throwdown" with Bobby Flay. He challenged a guy named Al from a restaurant in New York called Juniors. Al's creation is absolutely fascinating and I have a feeling that someday when I am feeling some culinary ambition I may just have to try and recreate this divine dessert otherwise known as Devils Food Cheesecake...picture this New York Cheesecake sandwiched between two layers of devils food cake, oh and don't forget lots of thick chocolate frosting separating each layer. Possibly the most perfect dessert ever created...maybe someday I'll make it to New York for a slice.

Peppermint Brownies

2007-12-08T09:01:00.001-08:00

The holidays are here...which can only mean one thing~time for lots of delicious treats! I found a recipe last year for brownies with peppermint patties and was ecstatic. I love both! I'm going to post two recipes that are similar. Last year I made the Martha Stewart version which was dense, very chocolaty and extremely delicious. This year I ventured out with the recipe on the back of the York peppermint pattie package...mostly because I didn't have baker's chocolate in the house and I wasn't in the mood to go to the store...thus the recipe that calls for cocoa instead. I enjoyed this recipe as well, maybe not quite as dense-but I guess it's hard to remember since it's been a whole year. I dressed them up a little with a drizzle of white chocolate and some crushed up candy cane on top...too bad I don't have my own picture. Our camera decided to break so I'm "borrowing" this photo from Martha.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

8 T. butter, plus more for pan

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 c. sugar

3/4 t. salt

3 large eggs

1/2 c. all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

25 small (1 1/2 inch) peppermint patties

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides; butter foil, set aside. Place chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally just until melted, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth; whisk in eggs. Gently whisk in flour and cocoa powder just until smooth (do not overmix!) Spread 1/3 of batter on all sides. Arrange peppermint patties on batter in a single layer, leavinga narrow border on all sides. Top with remaining batter, and smooth surface. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 45-55 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Use foil to lift rom pan; peel off foil and discard. Cut into 16 squares.

Sensational Peppermint Pattie Brownies

24 small (1 1/2 inch) York peppermint patties

1 1/2 c. butter, melted

3 c. sugar

1 T. vanilla extract

5 eggs

2 c. flour

1 c. cocoa

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 for glass baking dish). Remove wrappers from peppermint patties. Grease 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Stir together butter, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs; beat until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Reserve 2 c. batter. Spread remaining batter in prepared pan. Arrange peppermint patties about 1/2 inch apart in single layer over batter. Spread reserved batter over patties. Bake 50-55 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into squares.

*I halved this recipe and made it in an 8x8 pan.

Thanksgiving!

2007-11-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a great holiday! A perfect excuse to get together with family and friends and eat delicious food. The past two years we've been away from familiy and have been together with friends. I've had the opportunity to help plan and make the menu, which has been kind of fun. Of course I always seem to get most excited about the desserts :) This year I made an Apple Pie courtesy of a Betty Crocker recipe with a few modifications and some tips from my mother. Luckily it turned out better than last year...I learned to put a pan under it so it didn't boil all over my oven and the apples weren't overdone and mushy...yeah!

Apple Pie

Pastry for two-crust pie

2/3 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

dash of salt

8 c. thinly sliced peeled tart (Granny Smith) apples (8 medium)

2 T. butter

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Stir in apples. Put apples in large saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until sauce begins to thicken and apples have cooked down slightly (about 5-7 minutes) Don't cook until they are soft or they will be overdone after the pie is cooked! Turn into pastry lined pie plate. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over apples. Cover with top pastry, seal and flute. Cut slits in top pastry so steam can escape. Cover edge with 2-3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during last 15 min of baking. Bake 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Cool on wire rack at least 2 hours.

*I used a pillsbury pre-made pastry crust...one of these days I will brave homemade crust, but for now these work pretty well. This year, I brushed the top with a little milk and then sprinkled a mixture of cinnamon and sugar on top which was a nice addition. I also like to add a little more cinnamon than the recipe calls for to mix with the apples.

The second dessert I made came from the Nestle Classic Recipes Book...Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts. My favorite part of this recipe turned out to be the crust, which was made from ginger snaps. I bought Triple Ginger Snaps from Trader Joe's made from fresh, ground, and crystallized ginger. I have to say that ginger is not always my favorite thing, but these cookies are addicting with their tiny chewy ginger morsels. Adam and I are hooked! The tarts peeled easily from their wrappers and looked pretty. They weren't super sweet, which can be a good thing, especially if they are paired with some other rich desserts.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts

2/3 cup (about 15) crushed ginger snaps
2 T. butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 T. sour cream (optional)
2 T. semi-sweet morsels (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Paper line 12 muffin cups. Combine cookie crumbs and butter in a
small bowl. Press scant tablespoon onto bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Bake for 5 minutes. Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until blended. Add eggs; beat well. Pour into muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove tarts from pan; refrigerate. Garnish with sour cream. Place morsels in heavy-duty resealable bag. Microwave on high power for 20 seconds; knead. Microwave at additional 10 second intervals, kneading until smooth. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze to drizzle over tarts. Makes 12 tarts.

Peanunt Butter Cookies: Part II

2007-11-17T21:36:00.001-08:00

Okay...so I have a confession to make. Once I get onto something I can get a little obsessed! After my last peanut butter cookies I came across a recipe for these little gems in the Everyday Food Collectible Cookie Edition (Martha Stewart) from last year and I figured they had to be good. I used the Trader Joes's peanut butter cups which if I must say are better than Reese's (and Reese's are pretty darn good!) these however are made without artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and what's not to love about that?

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

4 T. butter, room temperature

1 c. packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/3 c. granulated sugar, for rolling

36 mini chocolate peanut butter cups, unwrapped and chilled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. With an electric mixer, beat peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add brown sugar, beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in dry ingredients in two batches. Using 1 level tablespoon of dough per cookie, roll into balls. Place granulated sugar on a plate; roll each ball in sugar, coating completely. Place on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to puff up slightly about 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Press 1 peanut butter cup in center of each cookie. Return to oven; continue baking until cookies are golden brown and chocolate has just begun to melt, about 6 more minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheets before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Rich Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

2007-11-06T21:04:00.001-08:00

If I'm being honest, I have to say that peanut butter cookies have never been my favorite. Sure I'll eat them if they're the only option, but sit them beside a chocolate chip cookie and the latter will win every time. Well, that may change soon. Rachel picked out a peanut butter cookie with M&M's for me the other night. I found it to be quite delicious and intriguing. I was inspired to create something similar today so I turned to a little help from Betty Crocker and that's how these cookies came to be. I guess you could say if a peanut butter cookie married a chocolate chip cookie, this would be the result...it's definitely worth a try!

Rich Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. butter
1 large egg
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. chocolate or peanut butter chips
granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, butter and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with a spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in peanut butter or chocolate chips. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls, roll balls in granulated sugar and place about 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9-10 minutes or until light brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

*note...the original recipe states to use all butter. I used the butter/shortening combo and liked the soft cookie result. I also added 1-2 tablespoons of flour to thicken the batter a little and then used the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies slightly when they had a few minutes left to bake...I prefer the looks of a flatter cookie :)

Pumpkin Pancakes

2007-10-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

My cupboards have now been officially cleared of pumpkin. So, sadly enough my pumpkin baking is probably drawing near a close. It has been lovely. This morning in honor of Halloween I whipped up some pumpkin pancakes courtesy of a Martha Stewart recipe. It was a nice start to a festive day.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1 c. milk
6 T. canned pumpkin puree
2 T. melted butter
1 egg

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt. In a separate bowl stir together milk, pumpkin, butter, and egg. Fold mixture into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour 1/4 c. batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side. Serve with butter and syrup. Makes 8-10.

*note: I added chocolate chips to some of the pancakes...sprinkle on after putting batter in the skillet

Pumpkin Muffins

2007-10-28T21:06:00.001-07:00

I decided to finish off the can of pumpkin I opened the other day to make my pumkin chocolate chip cookies...turns out I didn't have quite enough and had to open another can. So, the pumpkin baking will have to continue. I can't say I'm too upset about it! This is a recipe I got from my sister Mandy. I love these muffins because not only are they delicious, but they are also low fat...no oil or butter in the recipe...can't complain about that now can we?

Pumpkin Muffins

1 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 c. applesauce
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 c. quick oats (uncooked)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. milk
1 c. pumpkin
chocolate chips

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and spices. Add applesauce, brown sugar, egg, and milk; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Blend in pumpkin and oats and stir in desired amount of chocolate chips. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees until done, 20-25 minutes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-10-26T14:23:00.001-07:00

We took a trip to the Pumpkin Patch today which inspired me to pull out a recipe that I found last year...pretty basic as far as pumpkin cookies go, but full of all the qualities that make them delicious: moist and cake-like with a touch of spice and of course a little chocolate.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. canola or corn oil

1 c. canned pumpkin

1 t. vanilla extract

1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnmon together in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. On low speed, mix in the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Use an ice cream (or cookie) scoop with a 1/4 c. capacity to make mounds on baking sheet, place them about 2 1/2 inches apart.

Bake cookies until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes (mine were a bit smaller so were done around 13 minutes). Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Welcome Fall!!

2007-09-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

Poor little neglected blog...turns out I haven't felt like baking in months! Something about being pregnant affects my sweet tooth and man is it sad. Lucky for me Fall has come and I always get the itch to bake, especially pumpkin themed or anything that seems related to the season. I'm taking a bit of a break from chocolate since it tastes terrible for the time being. I guess that will lead me on to explore some other things I would otherwise overlook with my chocolate obsession. The other week I made some baked pears with raspberry sauce...not something I would usually even consider as a dessert...needless to say they were quite delicious and really hit the spot without making me too sick.

Today Rachel and I pulled out a fun recipe I've had for a couple of years...Candy Corn Cookies. It comes from the Martha Stewart publication "Everyday Food" and was sent to me a by my sister-in-law Tracy. Since my two favorite sweets lately have been candy corn and vanilla tootsie rolls I thought they would fit the bill-and they did! I really liked the recipe because it didn't make too many-one pan full, which was perfect for us. They were just the right buttery texture with the added sweetness of the little candy corn gem in the center.

Welcome Fall! I look forward to many happy days of baking...maybe pumpkin bread pudding, pumpking cookies, and pumpkin bread-not to mention something apple pie-ish. Just thinking about it makes me happy!

Candy Corn Cookies

4 T. unsalted butter, very soft

1/2 c. sugar

1 large egg yolk

1/4 t. vanilla

1/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

about 36 candy corns

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour, and mix until a dough forms. Scoop out level teaspoons of dough, and roll into balls (chill dough briefly if it becomes too soft to handle.) Place balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch (do not let cookies color), 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven; gently press a candy corn into center of each cookie (surface of cookies may crack slightly.) Cool on sheets 1 minute, transfer to a rack to cool completely.

*note* I rolled some of mine in orange sugar before baking to give them a little extra festive look!

Oreos

2007-05-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

Cream Puffs

2007-05-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

In case it's not obvious by now...almost every sweet thing I create involves chocolate is some way...be it the main ingredient or a garnish. I vow I will branch out of my comfort zone some day! I discovered the art of making cream puffs a few months ago and while they have never been my favorite dessert, I now recognize that they play an important role in the "sweet" family. I've made them twice now...once with a homemade chocolate pudding filling and once with a vanilla filling. I enjoyed them both ways and while they are no chocolate cake, they definitely hit the spot now and again.

Chocolate Filled Cream Puffs

1 c. water
1/2 c. butter or margerine
1/4 t. salt
1 c. all-purpose flour
4 eggs
chocolate cream filling (recipe follows)
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Bring water and salt to a boil in med. saucepan. Add flour; stir vigorously over low heat about 1 min. or until mixture leaves side of pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth and velvety. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. While still warm, horizontally slice off small portion of tops; Remove any soft dough inside; cool.
Prepare chocolate cream filling; fill cream puffs. Replace tops; dust with powdered sugar. Chill.

*I put dough in a ziploc and snipped off the end of one corner and piped them onto the pan (I recommend slightly greasing the pan as mine stuck a little). I used melted chocolate chips to drizzle over the top when completed before sifting powdered sugar on tops.

Chocolate Cream Filling

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. cocoa
1/3 c. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
3 c. milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 T. butter or margerine
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

Combine granulated sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Gradually stir small amount of chocolate mixture into egg yolks; blend well. Return egg mixture to chocolate mixture in pan; stir and heat just until boiling. Remove from heat; blend in 2 T. butter and vanilla. Pour into bowl; press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Cool.

I wish I had a photo of the second time I made these! They were very similar with a different filling and I made them round like traditional cream puffs rather than the more eclair-like shape of the chocolate-filled ones. I used a medium sized cookie scoop to shape the dough and it worked really well. Again I drizzled chocolate on top :)

Vanilla Filling

1 large pkg. vanilla pudding

1 1/2 c. cream

1 1/2 c. milk

1 T. sugar

Mix pudding and milk with wire whisk. Place in refrigerator and allow to set. Beat cream until slightly thickened. Add sugar and beat until stiff. Fold sweetened cream into pudding and pipe into cream puffs.

Chocolate Cake...or Cupcakes!

2007-05-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

My favorite food just happens to be chocolate cake...most any kind will do, but chocolate cakes are definitely not all created equal. I like one that is plenty chocolatey and dense with just the right amount (which means kind of a lot) of thick, rich ganache-like frosting on top. My mom found a recipe a few years ago that has become my go to for chocolate cakes. It's easy to whip up and doesn't call for ingredients I don't typically have on hand, and the end result is delicious! Today I decided to try using the batter for cupcakes...it worked well and the frosting was good for piping (I added an extra cup of powdered sugar to thicken it a bit.) Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

I used a small muffin tin and liners to make little cupcakes for the kids...they were the perfect size for little hands!

Here is the same recipe in cake form...I made this one for my sister-ing-law's 30th birthday party a few years ago. Add some piroulines and plenty of chocolate shavings and the end result is irresistable!!

My Favorite Chocolate Cake

2 c. sugar

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. cocoa

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 eggs

1 c. milk

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 t. vanilla extract

1 c. boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pans (2 9-inch or cupcake tins). Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large mixer bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in water. (Batter will be thin.) Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes (for cake) 15-17 minutes (for cupcakes) until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

The Best Chocolate Frosting

1/2 c. butter, melted

2/3 c. cocoa

3 c. powdered sugar (may need more if piping!)

1/3 c. milk

1 t. vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

Cupcakes!!

2007-04-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took to the road and made our first voyage to SoCal since we have lived out her in California. I of course checked the bakery scene beforehand and as fortune would have it, we made it to one of the bakeries on my list...Sprinkles in Beverly Hills. It was a bit of a drive, but I daresay it was worth it. Above is the picture of Rachel with her cinnamon sugar (for the record, she did enjoy it despite the look on her face!), Adam selected a red velvet and I went with the milk chocolate...it gets me every time! They were definitely enjoyable, not too sweet or overpowering and not too airy, there was just the right amount of cakey density to them. One thing that I really appreciated was the look of the place. Although it was tiny, it was well laid out with it's shelves of cupcakes neatly nestled into their individual spots carefully chiseled into the trays they rested on. I found it interesting that only a few were displayed up front. They were constantly refilling...maybe as a consequence of the popularity of this little joint...and maybe to give the idea that they are hot off the press. There was definitley a strong interest in these cupcakes as we could hardley make our way in or out of the place and the there was a perpetual line that never resolved while we were in the neighborhood. This bakery definitely gets my stamp of approval...quaint yet modern and delicious. Looks like one is coming to Palo Alto which is good news for me! I love Cupcakes!!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2007-04-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 extra ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. butter or margerine (melted)
1 t. vanilla
1 1/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 c. chocolate chips

Mash bananas well with fork or potato masher. In a bowl, beat mashed bananas, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla until well blended. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips after adding flour mixture to banana mixture. Mix until all blended. Spoon into well greased muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes

**It seems inevitable that the once too green bananas that I purchased what seems like only a few days ago become the lone one or two overripe, bordering on black creatures lurking in my fruit bowl. Since I'm the type that likes only the perfectly ripe banana, not too crunchy or too soft, I find it helpful to have a good recipe for those bananas gone wrong...and it works out perfectly...the muffins are delicious too!

Lemon Ginger Cookies

2007-04-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

Although I can't claim to have made these cookies, I most definitely can claim to have eaten them (and photgraphed them :)) They were baked my my little sister Angie, who I'm trying to convince to start a bakery with me someday...although we are both quite novice at this point, I think we definitely have some potential! The recipe for these cookies comes from a book called "Big Fat Cookies" By Elinor Klivans. What a great name! I love the layout of the book including the photos, which by the way is my latest dream job: food photographer, how fun would that be?

Lemon Ginger Cookies

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

2 1/2 t. ground ginger

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c. powdered sugar

2 t. finely grated lemon zest

1 t. vanilla extract

1 c. (about 4 oz.) whole blanched almonds, toasted, and finely ground

lemon filling

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 t. finely grated lemon zest

1 T. fresh lemon juice

Sift the flour, salt, ginger, and cinnamon into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and slightly lightened in color, about 1 minute. On low speed, mix in the lemon zest, vanilla, and ground almonds. Mix in the flour mixture just until the flour is incorporated and the dough holds together and comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Refrigerate the dough until it's cold and firm enough to roll, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap one piece of dough. Lightly flour the rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to 1/4" thickness. Use a round cookie cutter with scalloped edges to cut out 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 inch circles (or any shape you like) from the dough. Use a metal spatula to place the circles 1 inch apart on one of the prepared baking sheets. (The cookies do not spread much.) Cut a 1-inch circle form the center of half of the cookies and remove these circles from the cookies.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the edges are light brown and the tops firm, about 20 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling: In a medium bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Turn the cookies without the holes bottom side up. Leaving a 1/8-inch plain edge, spread about 2 T. of filling over each one. Place the bottoms of the cookies with the holes on top of the filling. Cookies can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature to serve.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

2007-02-12T19:28:00.000-08:00

This is my first attempt at "blogging". The idea of keeping a record of some of my favorite recipes and writing about my successes and mishaps and allowing others to join in is hugely appealing. My first recipe is one that took three tries and three recipes and luckily, the third was the charm! The result is an intense chocolate cake with just the right spongy texture and the perfect amount of molten chocolate in the center. We did these for an enrichment activity and they were a huge hit! The best thing is the ease of preparation and how quickly they can be put together. I also like that this recipe only makes 2 and can be made ahead.

Molten Chocolate Cakes
Serves 2

2 T. butter, plus more for pans
1/3 c. confectioners sugar, plus more for pans and serving
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken in pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
pinch salt
3 t. all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 6-ounce ramekins (or 2 cups of a standard size muffin tin), then dust with confectioners sugar. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high at 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, and salt. Add chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk just until combined (do not overmix!). Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from edge of ramekins comes out clean, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out wet, 10-12 minutes (do not overbake!) Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around inside of pans to loosen. Invert cakes onto serving plates and dust with sugar; serve immediately.

*If you want to double or triple this recipe, just add 3 minutes or so to baking time. To make ahead, cover ramekins with plastic wrap after step 2; refrigerate up to 1 day. Bake 14-16 minutes.