A brownie by any other name… | King Arthur Flour - Baking Banter Love brownies. Love their shiny, flaky top that shatters into micro-thin shards that shower onto your fingers as you eat. Love their dark, gooey center. Their “chocolate nirvana” flavor. Sometimes can’t deal with the bake, wait to cool, cutting into squares messiness and fuss of brownies. Every time I make these cookies (which, truth be told, is quite often), I think of a former colleague, Ana, who left King Arthur last year in order to be a full-time mom to her 2-year-old twins. The test kitchen bakers loved Ana. Ana still visits occasionally, 2-year-olds in tow. And when she does, she’ll invariably nose out any chocolate, and treat us to her classic reaction: “Perfect! These cookies are basically brownies: flat, round, 2 ½” brownies. First task: Combine the chocolate and butter. Melt in the microwave till softened… …then stir till smooth. Stir the chocolate into eggs and sugar, which you’ve beaten together. Refrigerate the batter for an hour; it’ll stiffen up nicely. Buy vs.
Recipe: Healthier, Homemade Peanut Butter Cup The other day, my daughter and I needed a project to work on together, so I decided to try to make our own, healthier version of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Starting with the peanut butter filling, we heaped peanut butter in a bowl. Because we find that a little sweetener is just as good as a lot, we added just a bit of honey, toasted nuts for crunch, and coconut oil for creaminess. Once topped with chocolate we were set. They were a hit! This is a great project to do with kids because not only is it a yummy treat, but there is almost no oven work and you can taste as you go along (which my daughter, Elena, certainly did!). I used to like candy bars, but now, though we keep a whole shelf stocked with candy bars (as practice rewards for our students), they don’t really appeal to me anymore (unless I am very, very hungry). Homemade, Healthier Peanut Butter Cups If you use another nut butter, you may need to add more honey. Ingredients Directions
Pizza Braid | Busy Mommy: An Iowa Mom Blog - StumbleUpon A pizza braid is very kid-friendly, easy on the wallet and extremely simple to make. My aunt and cousin first introduced me to them and I’ve been hooked ever since. The possibilities are endless of the varieties you could make (check out the Apple Dessert Braid!) As I said, this is extremely basic. The dough takes a few hours to rise, so I take it out in the morning and place a towel over it. Yes, yes the dough in that photo has not risen fully. Then you spread out the sauce, lay the meats down, followed by the cheese. Then with a pizza cutter, start cutting about 1 inch thick strips down the whole rectangle. Follow the pictures above. A few minutes before it’s done I brush with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. There are so many versions you can make of the pizza braid: Philly cheesesteak, spinach and mushroom, Parmesan chicken- almost anything!
Sweetapolita - StumbleUpon 12 healthy homemade candy recipes | MNN - Mother Nature Network - StumbleUpon Robin shared some wonderful choices for healthier organic candy for Halloween last week. It made me long for candy myself! I thought I'd share 12 recipes for homemade candies that everyone can enjoy. The following recipes use unrefined sweeteners and high quality ingredients. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 11. Also on MNN:
Pepperoni Pizza Puffs - StumbleUpon If I ask my kids what they want for dinner, there's a ninety percent chance they will say pizza. They love it, as most kids do. I guess I have an affection for it too, but we don't indulge too often. If I had to choose a favorite pizza, it would be the Hawaiian, but no one else in my household appreciates its flavors like I do, too bad for them. So when my kids came home from school and I had this afternoon snack waiting for them, they were pretty excited to be having pizza at 3 PM. Okay, so was I, can you blame me? These are the simplest, yummiest little bites. If you have a mini muffin pan you are good to go. Preheat oven to 375o. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 Tablespoon basil. Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining 1 Tablespoon basil. Print Recipe Ingredients Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes | Picky Palate - StumbleUpon Well these naughty little treats are well….naughty but oh so necessary. There are a bit like my Brownie Covered Oreo’s from last Christmas but enhanced with layers of peanut butter and a double decker stack of Oreos in each little brownie cake. They are simply prepared in cupcake liners. Hope you enjoy this ultra sweet little cake Ok, I have to brag about this brownie mix from Trader Joes for a second. Break out 24 Oreo Cookies. Some of your favorite peanut butter. Spread a teaspoon of peanut butter over Oreo #1. Press a second Oreo right on top One more teaspoon right on top. Place the little stack right into a cupcake lined muffin cup. Like so Take your brownie mix…. …and spoon a couple tablespoons right over top, letting it run around the edges of the cookies. Mmmm! Ahhhh, wait until you cut them in half. Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes 1 box brownie mix, 8×8 inch size 24 Oreo Cookies 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1. 2. Makes 12 servings Enjoy! Other recipes you may enjoy...
Perfect Buttercream | stetted You know the scene – you’re at a party, and it’s time for the cake to be served. The cake sure looks beautiful, but the frosting … well, you never can tell with frosting. On the cake it all kind of looks the same. Both can ruin a good cake and cause people to doubt the skills of the cake baker. Last week I was roped into asked to coordinate last-minute baby shower for one of our temps whose last day was Friday. Megan’s Perfect Buttercream makes enough to fill and frost a 9-inch two-layer cake 2 sticks (8 ounces total) butter, softened 6 cups sifted powdered sugar 4 tablespoons milk (I use whole) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract Dump everything into a large bowl (preferably stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment). * Tip – the trick to getting smooth frosted cakes is to frequently scrap off excess frosting and dip your spreader into a cup of warm water, then continue spreading.
Better-Than-Crack-Brownies | How Sweet It Is - StumbleUpon I’m sorry for doing this to you. I really am. But see, last Friday while I was on a 10-hour road trip heading for vacation, I received this recipe from a reader named Liz. Liz, I love you. I was tortured by this recipe for a full 8 days before I could make it. So it was the first thing I made when I returned home. These are an absolute sin. I really don’t have any words, other than you must try them. They may also change your waistline too. But that’s okay. It’s all in the name of chocolate. Better-Than-Crack Brownies 1 batch brownies (boxed mix or oooey gooey brownies) 1/2 cup salted peanuts (if don’t have salted, add sea salt) 1 cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups 1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips 1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1/2 tablespoon butter 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal Mix brownies according to directions, and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 9 x 13 baking dish. While they are finishing baking, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Mr.
How to cook perfect chocolate fondants There's a reason why Valentine's Day menus always end with chocolate. You might know that the route to your beloved's heart is paved with pork belly or smelly cheese, but I'm willing to bet that even plasticine lothario Wallace doesn't romp around the bedroom smeared in Stinking Bishop. Cliche or not, chocolate still ticks all the right boxes where most of us are concerned and, like a bad rom-com after a few glasses of wine, it's peculiarly seductive. It can't just be any old dish though; a hefty slice of mud cake or a slab of chocolate bread and butter pudding are more likely to send you both to sleep in front of Love Actually than in each other's arms – you want something a bit lighter, a little more sophisticated, and a lot more impressive. Cue the fondant. The downfall of many a MasterChef hopeful, it's developed what one might be termed a bit of a reputation. Is it a cake? When it comes to "naughty" food, one's mind automatically turns to Nigella. Is it a mousse? No, it's a fondant!