Butter Pecan Maple Crisps // Fall Cookie Week In case you are wondering, I’m not sitting at home surrounded by cookies and holding a big glass of milk. I wish. I estimate that during the past five days I have made about 27 dozen cookies. That’s a lot of freakin’ cookies. I actually ended up giving almost all of them away. Most went to my BFF and her family; the rest are being enjoyed by my mom, dad and grandparents. Today’s cookie is what I consider an adult cookie. Anyway, this cookie has some of the quintessential flavors of fall. This cookies are finished off with a glaze of pure maple syrup right when they come out of the oven. Are you salivating yet? Here’s what you will need: 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup pure maple syrup Let’s get baking: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry cupcakes « There Goes the Cupcake… My BFF wanted something light and fresh for her birthday, this recipe looked fabulous and tasted even better. The combination of lemon and blueberries is very good not to mention biting into creamy lemon curd inside the cupcake. The recipe I used called for a lemon butter cream but I knew I wanted to use either a cream cheese or my favorite mascarpone frosting. After contemplating, I decided on the mascarpone, it really is delicious and so rich and creamy. If you can, take the time to make your own lemon curd it is really worth it. Recipe: Adapted from Sweetopolita Lemon-Blueberry Cake Ingredients 2 cups plus 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 3 cups fresh blueberries 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup whole milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups white sugar 4 large eggs Method Preheat oven to 350°F. Adapted from: Not So Humble Pie Lemon Mascarpone Frosting:
Roasted Strawberry, Brie + Chocolate Grilled Cheese One of these things is not like the other… I guess. I mean, I really have no idea. I eat chocolate and cheese together all the time (HOW WEIRD AM I?), but I just really wanted to say those words. Ugh. can’t even. This is just the beginning of my roasted strawberry obsession. I’m sorry. But not really. Do you enjoy my use of super crusty (in a good way, not in a, uh… crusty way) multigrain bread? I think someone’s Friday just got better… Roasted Strawberry, Brie + Chocolate Grilled Cheese makes 2 sandwiches 6 strawberries, quartered 1/2 teaspoon canola oil pinch of salt 2 tablespoons butter 4 thick-cut slices of multigrain bread 2-3 ounces of brie cheese, sliced 1-2 ounces high-quality chocolate Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large skillet or grilled over medium-low heat. And it’s not only mine.
Farmgirl Gourmet: Delicious Recipes for the Home Cook.: Updated: Dark Chocolate Stout Brownies When I think about a really good brownie, I think rich, ooey gooey, butter laden, high calorie, stick to my rear end, kinda brownies. Don’t you? Well, you don’t have to stare at the brownie longingly anymore, you can eat it. These brownies are completely vegan delish even with no eggs, butter or oil. Yep, I’m serious, not one stick of butter was harmed in the making of these moist brownies. Don’t they look delish? Both beer and wine are sometimes processed using animal by-products including gelatin, casein, glycerin or in the case of Guinness – isinglass. Guinness’s statement on the matter:“All Guinness brands are free from animal matter.However, isinglass, which is a by-product of the fishing industry, is used as a fining agent for settling out suspended matter in the vat. I stand corrected! Dark Chocolate Stout BrowniesDark chocolate brownies get a dose of St. 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and filled with new water 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour or all purpose 2 1/4 cups raw sugar
Buttermilk Waffle Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream and Caramel I did something last week that I swore to myself I would never do. Ever. I’m just gonna come out and say it… I…*ahem* Iputbaconinacupcake. There. I put bacon in a cupcake. The whole thing just felt wrong. Yes, I love bacon. Sweet and salty is a wonderful, glorious thing; I love my bacon drenched in maple syrup, but I just had to draw the line somewhere, you know? And then it did. Don’t judge me, though. I know, the real question is, why would I even try it in the first place? But then, bacon in waffles isn’t so very far fetched. It wasn’t that waffle that did it, though. It had candied bacon and hazelnuts in it. If you know me at all by now, then you know that I am not anyone who ever refuses a cupcake. I’m not going to lie to you, there is absolutely nothing healthy about this cupcake. This is honestly one of the most amazing cupcakes I’ve had. If, however, the idea of adding bacon is an act so heinous, you can’t stomach it, then skip it. Let’s get started, shall we? Now for the frosting.
Inside-out carrot cake – Carrot Cake Muffins Spring = bunnies Bunnies = carrots. And carrots = Carrot cake! Oh, the deep-gold, moist, flavorful cake! The rich, sumptuous cream cheese icing! The time it takes to bake a layer cake, turn it out, cool, frost, slice, and serve… The solution? You get the carrot cake experience, with slightly less sugar and fat. These muffins are handy to transport; simple to serve. And easy to love. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Or line the pan with paper muffin cups, and grease the cups. Let’s start with the filling. Stir in 1/4 cup granulated sugar and a few drops of Fiori di Sicilia flavor. Stir until smooth. Whisk together the following: 2 1/4 cups (9 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1/2 cup granulated sugar ¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon salt Place the following in a measuring cup or small bowl: 2 large eggs 3/4 cup water 1/3 cup vegetable oil Stir to combine.
Rolo Brownie Trifles It’s Flag Day! Woot, woot! Time to partay! I mean…not here or anything. This post isn’t about Flag Day even a little bit. But you know…it’s still Flag Day. Actually, we can still totally party here, but it’s just gonna be more about chocolate and caramel and whipped cream than flags, but a party is a party, right? I bet you guys weren’t even expecting a post from me, though, huh? I know, it’s been kind of erratic and sporadic around here lately. This is my last day of waiting for the Hubster to come home, to stay. You have all been so wonderful – ignoring the fact that my posts have been intermittent, and giving me kind, sweet, funny, supportive comments; here, on Facebook, and through Twitter and Instagram. Thank you to each and every one of you who has shared a story with me, made me laugh, and/or gave me strength. And so, just pretend that you each have one of these in front of you right now. …and sprinkled them all over the brownie batter. Oh, and P.S. Ingredients Recipe by Darla
My FAVORITE Chocolate Chip Cookie I have experimented with countless recipes searching for that perfect chocolate chip cookie. The characteristics of the perfect cookie are a very personal matter, and here are my preferences: texture: chewy w. medium thickness --- everyone has their preference, and this is mine! chocolate to cookie ratio: 50/50 --- I really enjoy having a lot of chocolate in every bite chips vs. chunks: chunks --- I like sizeable pieces of chocolate in my cookie. type of chocolate: bittersweet --- I like using Valrhona 61% extra bitter nuts or other add-ins: NONE!! With the above criteria in mind, this recipe is the closest I've come to experiencing CCC perfection. - Don't substitute the pastry and bread flours w. - Hand chopped chocolate chunks, NOT premade chips - I will purchase a hunk of the best bittersweet chocolate that I can afford and hand cut them into chunks. - Chill the cookie dough at least 24 hours (I let my dough sit anywhere from 2-3 days) before baking.
Braided Nutella Bread We have been experiencing a bit of Indian summer these past couple days here in Central PA. Of course, this is the time I planned to do some baking for the blog. It never fails. Anyway, today I’m making bread that is slathered with Nutella. I was doing a little searching on Pinterest and came across this recipe for Braided Nutella Bread from the fabulous Suzanna of Kokocooks. I will also tell you that her loaf looks a bit nicer and fluffier than mine. I was excited to try this recipe because of the braiding technique. I was a little bit nervous about attempting the braiding, but it was a lot easier than it looked. Let me show you how this delicious loaf comes together. Here’s what you will need: ½ teaspoon yeast 1 cup warm water 2 ½ cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar ½ cup Nutella Cornmeal for dusting 1 egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water to use as an egg wash Let’s get baking. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in ¼ cup of the water. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl.