Posts Tagged ‘baking’

When I heard that Steph over at Stephsbitebybite.com was hosting a bake sale for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I knew I had to get involved.

I admire Steph not only for raising money for a great cause, but she is running in the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon. I can barely get up the gumption to run to the mail box . Running a marathon is defiantly on my bucket list.

The reason I so desperately wanted to get involved with this particular bake sale is, a short few months back my husbands incredibly sweet and beautiful aunt died from Leukemia. She was far to young.

She is desperately missed and thought of everyday.

So I have decided to donate some of my goods….baked that is

Make them

Malinda wasn’t much of a sweets person (she had much better will power than I), but when she did indulge she enjoyed lemon cookies, ginger snaps and red velvet cake.

Bake them

I too am a red velvet cake lover. So I made these little guys….Red Velvet Cookie Muffins w/ Brown sugar cream cheese icing….hello starchy pants, how u doin?

Frost Them

I hope I did her proud and I hope you enjoy.

Please, Please Please check out Steph’s site and donate to this wonderful bake sale (Friday, May 13th)

***Please remember to also check out Baking and Cooking, A tale of two loves Bake Sale benefitting Relay for life, May 2nd. I will be donating my Oreo Sugar Cookies.

Both are incredible causes.

Red Velvet Muffin Cookies

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring
• 1 Tbsp Almond milk (regular will work fine too)
• ½ pkg Oreo Cookies, crushed into fine crumbs
• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Liberally grease and flour (or use paper liners) a mini muffin tin.
2. Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and combine until smooth.
3. Beat in red food coloring. Stir in cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt until just combined.
4. In the bowl of a food processor combine Oreo cookie crumb and ½ (4oz) cream cheese until well combine
5. Using a medium (1.5 Tbsp) cookie scoop, scoop out cookie dough into each cup of the mini muffin pan. Gently form up the sides creating a depression.
6. Take some of that Oreo goodness and scoop about 1 -1 ½ teaspoonfuls into the cookie dough cup.
7. Take a small amount of cookie dough and place on top and pinch together
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool.
9. For frosting, combine remaining cream cheese (4 oz), brown sugar, ¼ cup butter, vanilla and cinnamon. Once fully combine, add in powdered sugar ½ cup at a time.
10. Put in a gallon sized Ziploc bag, cut off the one of the corners and frost cooled cookie muffins.

OMG!!!!!!!!

Once I found this frosting recipe I knew exactly what I was going to do with it…..eat it….oh and make something for you!

So, I made a batch of frosting for me…and a second one for these.

The hubby doesn’t understand how I can eat a whole batch of frosting and still be “testing it”. But I am sure you understand.

After inhaling these you can run around like a crazy person from the sugar rush. Or at least I tell people it is because of the sugar rush

Snickerdoodle

From How Sweet Eats

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼  cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp coconut milk (if you don’t like coconut milk, can’t find it or just don’t want to, regular milk works too)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.
3. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well until combine.
4. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix until dough comes together.
5. Add in milk. If dough is crumbly, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
7. Once cooled fill with frosting (if you have any left )

Brown Sugar Buttercream

From Always with Butter

Ingredients

• 1½ sticks of butter, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter and brown sugar together.
2. Add cinnamon and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time so you don’t end up in a huge dust cloud).
3. Add milk and vanilla.
4. EAT!!!! Or frost if you must

Ok, lets be honest and serious for a bit here. (because I am all about seriousness….not)

Is there really anything better than homemade bread? (other than chocolate)

Mix it all Up

I think not.

All done Mixing

Not only does your house smell amazing (no cleaning that day ), but you don’t have to go to the store.

First Rise

I took a page out of the fabulous Farmers Wife. (Check her out. She had incredible food and great stories. Her blog is a fabulous read.)

Second Rise

I was making the Shredded Buffalo BBQ Chicken the other day and didn’t have anything to put it on, and absolutely did NOT want to go to the store. So, a la Kim,  I made something.

These came out perfect. Crusty exterior and a nice airy soft interior.

Ciabatta Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ oz yeast (1 ½ package)
• 1 ½ cups water, warm (about 78-80 degrees)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 ½ cups flour (plus more for dusting)

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the dough hook, pour in yeast, water and sugar. Let sit 5 min. DO NOT TOUCH.
2. After 5 min, add salt and turn mixer on. Add flour 1 cup at a time, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
3. Once it starts to come together, gradually turn speed up to high and mix for 4 min. Watch your mixer very closely as it may “walk”.
4. Oil a 13×9-inch baking pan and press dough into it. Brush top with a bit of oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 2 hours. It should at least double in size.
5. Lightly oil a baking sheet (or use a splat). Uncover the dough and place baking sheet, right side down, on top of dough. Invert dish onto baking sheet and shake to release dough.
6. Cut dough into 6 (or desired size) squares and gently separate each square. Using small juice cups (or cans), place one cup (or can) on each corner of the baking sheet.
7. Wrap with plastic wrap. Make sure plastic does not touch dough.
8. Let rise 40 min.
9. Pre heat oven to 475
10. Remove plastic and glasses (or cans) and bake rolls for 20 min, or until golden brown.
11. Remove and let cool completely.

So after my attempt at making caramel, I wanted to try and incorporate it into my infatuation with cookies.

I know, I know I really need to diversify.

I found these the other day at the store. A much faster way to get caramel into my body (rather than make it my self)

In the words of my 4 year old, “These are stupendous.”

The only tip I have for these is to make sure to not mix the caramel in to much. Just gently fold it in. That way you will have a more marbled effect. Oh and to store in a air tight container. Guess that is two…;)

Carmel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup caramel bits
• 3 tsp butter
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cream sugars and butter together. Add eggs, vanilla mix well.
3. Mix in flour, salt, baking soda.
4. In a small microwave safe bowl, microwave caramel bits and 3 tsp of butter in 30 second increments; stirring after each. It should take about 2 min total. Butter should be incorporated into caramel.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Fold in caramel.
7. Drop by the tablespoon onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 min.
8. Remove and let cool.

I absolutely love love love cinnamon….not the ground brown kind (although I do love that), but the hot kind, the fake kind, the red kind. The Big Red, Red hot candy kind.

When I was a teenager I used to chew so much Big Red my mouth felt like it was raw. But I loved it.

So while browsing the candy isle the other day I saw a box of Red Hots candy. And the little man on my shoulder (we all have him..mines name is Frank ) put them in my basket. I didn’t, he did He is a mean little man.

So why not make something with them, instead of going to the dentist because I ate a whole box and broke my teeth and the hard little guys.

So the Red Hot Cookie was born……

These didn’t last long in my house….about an hour maybe two.

They have that wonderful Red Hot cinnamon taste.

Fabulous, just fabulous.

Red Hot Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 egg
• ¾  cup cinnamon candies (i.e. Red Hots)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 vanilla bean seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cream of Tartar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup water
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375.
2. Cream 1 cup butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add egg, 1 tsp vanilla, cinnamon and 1 vanilla bean seeds.
3. In a food processor, process ¼ cup of cinnamon candies into a powder (a few chunks are ok). Add to butter mix.
4. Mix in flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt until fully incorporated.
5. Drop by the tablespoon full onto a lined baking sheet. Bake 8-10 min or until done.
6. Remove and let cool.
7. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, boil water and ½ cup cinnamon candies until candies are dissolved.
8. In the bowl of an electric mixer (with the whisk attachment) cream butter, vanilla bean and vanilla. Add Cinnamon water.
9. Mix in powdered sugar.
10. Pop in refrigerator for about 15-20 min to firm up.
11. Scoop frosting into a Ziploc bag (or piping bag), snip if a corner and squeeze out to frost.

So my incredible goddess of a sister-in-law was just plain evil the other day. For my birthday she got me (among tons of other amazing things) these….

I know mean huh…..

I could eat an entire box in the blink of an eye.

I think she is out to sabotage me trying to lose weight

So I ate about 1/2 the box and decided to try to make something with me. The creative juices were flowing….or was that the sugar rush?

It just so happens that my local grocery store was having a sale on brownie/cake mixes. And since they were on sale I had to buy them. Of course the were supposed to be for much much later.

Oh well…..

So lets do this.

Cut your remaining cookies into quarters (at least 1/2 a box worth or 2 cups). Look at my pretty baby….hey Im not sure I like the way she is looking at that box

Make your brownies according to the box. Only bake for 16 min. Remove and top with cookies and chocolate chips.

I only did half because the hubby doesn’t like coconut.  Crazy man (but he sure is hot)

Pop back in oven for 10 min (or until brownies are done).

Remove and smother with caramel.

Remove and let cool.

There you have it. Pure deliciousness.

I think I will forgive my sister-in-law.

Up close and personal.

Samoa Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 pkg brownie mix (I used the family size 13×9) (typical additional ingredients are eggs, oil and water)
• ½ box Samoa Girl Scout Cookies (cut in quarters)
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup corn syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 350. Make brownies according to package. Pour into a greased and floured 13×9 dish. Bake for 18 min.
2. Remove brownies from oven (when timer dings) and top with chopped cookies and chocolate chips.
3. Bake for 10 more min or until brownies are done.
4. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine butter, cream, sugar, corn syrup and slat. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Stir occasionally.
5. Mix will bubble and darken. Continue to watch and stir until temp reaches 245 on a candy thermometer (or until it forms a firm ball when dropped into a glass of cold water).
6. Remove from heat and stir in Vanilla.
7. Remove brownies and smother with caramel. Set aside to cool.

I know…..Here I go again with cookies. Sorry

But these are so fun and good. Plus my daughter helped me make these 100%. She never helps 100% (unless it is tasting).

Ill make this one quick and pain less.

First step, pre-heat oven to 375.

Start by making a basic sugar cookie dough (with some slight modifications).

Pop in oven for 10-12 min and there you have it. Quick, simple, painless and super cute.

Birthday Cake Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 5 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½  cups flour
• 1 cup yellow cake mix
• 1.5 oz sprinkles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs, vanilla. Mix until fully incorporated.
4. Add flour and cake mix. Mix until combine.
5. Fold in sprinkles.
6. Scoop by the tablespoonful onto a lined baking/cookie sheet
7. Bake for 10-12 min
8. Remove and let cool.

Holly cow…some one seriously needs to stop me.

I ate pretty much the entire batch of these.  I saved a few for my hubby and kids to try (I was in a sharing mood)

Hope none of you are on a diet.

Lets get started…..I need to make more of these little devils.

First make a batch of brownies. Let them cool and cut into squares, about 1 inch by 1 inch.

These start out just like the Cake Batter Candies.

First mix up your condensed milk and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Add your peppermint oil (or extract)  and vanilla. Add in remaining powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, until it becomes firm.

Take 1 tsp of your peppermint mix and place it on 1 brownie. Pop in the freezer for about 10 min.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt your chocolate and shortening until smooth.

Take your frozen peppermint brownie concoction and dip it in the chocolate. Rest it on a fork and let any extra chocolate drip off.

Pop in freezer for 5-10 min to set up.

Eat….or send to me

Brownie Peppermint Patties

(adapted from SavorySweetlife.com)

Ingredients

• 1 batch brownies, cooked and cut into 1×1 inch squares.
• 1 can (14 oz) condensed milk
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp peppermint oil (or 1 Tbsp peppermint extract)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 ½ Tbsp shortening

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix condensed milk and 1 cup of powdered sugar until fully combine.
2. Add vanilla and peppermint. Mix well.
3. Add remaining powdered sugar until dough is pretty firm (like play dough)
4. Place 1 tsp of peppermint mix on top of 1 brownie square and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.
5. Pop in freezer for 10 min.
6. For the chocolate coating, in a microwave safe bowl add chocolate chips and microwave in 30-second increments, making sure to stir after each. Takes about 2 min total.
7. Stir in shortening until smooth.
8. Remove peppermint brownies and dip into chocolate. Pop back into freezer of fridge to set.
9. Store in freezer

It all started with this stuff. Holly cow. If you don’t know about it….now you do. And please be warned, I went thru a whole jar in one day! It is that good.

So I finally got brave enough to experiment with caramel. This has always scared me; Im not sure why it just has. But I needed my fix

This was my first go and please excuse me as I toot my own horn here, it turned out AMAZING!!! Go me

I made these incredible cinnamon rolls (recipe by the incredible Pioneer Woman) and needed something to top it with.

I didn’t want boring old cream cheese frosting….so……..I made…dun dun dun dun…..Caramel Cream Cheese frosting. Something a bit different, but still the same enough for my husband and kids to want to eat.

This doesn’t have to be just for these fabulous cinnamon rolls. You can put it on and in everything (cupcakes, cookies, or just on a spoon and straight into your mouth).

First up make the caramel.

In a medium to large pot, combine brown sugar, butter, salt, corn syrup and vanilla. Cook until it is nice and bubbly. Add in cream and cook a bit more.

I don’t have a candy thermometer so I used a trick I learned back in middle school cooking class. Put some water in a small bowl and you can test the doneness of your candy (or in this case caramel) by dropping just a little bit in the bowl. Take it out and test it. You want what is called a Firm ball. The syrup is formed into a stable ball, but loses its round shape once pressed. It should be just like a nice soft chewy caramel.

In a medium bowl cream your softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1/2 stick of butter. Add vanilla and mix until nice and smooth.

Pour in your caramel and stir until fully combine.

There you have it. Not to hard to make.

It is crazy amazing on top of cinnamon rolls.

Give it a try. Have it on the weekend, so the calories don’t count

Caramel Cream Cheese

Ingredients

• 9 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup corn syrup
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ cup cream
• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• ½ stick butter
• 3 Tbsp Powdered sugar

Directions

1. In a medium-large pot, over medium heat, combine 9 Tbsp butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, 2 tsp vanilla and salt.
2. Cook until mix begins to bubble. Add cream
3. Turn heat to low and cook until temp reaches 245-250 (firm ball stage on a candy thermometer).
4. In a separate bowl cream ½ stick of butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add remaining 2 tsp vanilla.
5. Stir in caramel until fully incorporated.
6. Enjoy!

The other day I was super board, but didn’t want to do anything. Ever have one of those days?

Instead of going out and shopping I decided to concoct something in the kitchen.

Here is the line up…..(not pictured is thin sliced steak)

Looking pretty good huh?

First step. Chop up your goods.

Toss them in a pan and cook away. About 2-3 min

Add your meat (I found already thinly sliced steak at Trader Joe’s. But you can just grab your favorite steak and slice it super thin.) and cook until your steak is no longer pink.

Reduce your heat to medium and continue to simmer until the liquid reduces in half.

Add your balsamic vinegar and worcestershire  sauce. Stir just a bit to mix in.

Add in your gorgonzola. Turn off the heat and let the cheese melt into the meat.

Time to assemble.

Flatten your biscuit until it is at least double in size.

Place 1 tbsp of mozzarella and about 1 Tbsp of the meat mix in the center of the biscuit.

Bring all the sides up and pinch together to seal shut.

Place on a cookie sheet (seam down) and Bake.

Once out of the oven, let cool just for a few minutes until you can handle them.

Serve with some gorgonzola cream sauce (check back tomorrow for the post on that good stuff

These went so fast in my house. I had to take the pictures fast because I had people calling dibs on the ones I was using. They are that good.

Gorgonzola Steak Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 can (12 oz-10 count) Refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• ¼ pound steak, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tbsp Gorgonzola crumbles
• ¾ cup fresh mozzarella

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 350
2. In a large pan, over medium-high heat, drizzle olive oil. Add in your chopped onion and cook about 2-3 min, or until just starts to be come translucent.
3. Add in garlic and mushrooms.
4. Add steak and cook until it is no longer pink (about 5 min).
5. Turn heat down to medium to medium-low (just simmer), until the liquid reduces by half.
6. Add in your balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 2 min.
7. Add Gorgonzola and turn heat off.
8. Flatten your biscuits until they are double the size.
9. Place 1 Tbsp mozzarella and 1 Tbsp of meat mix in center of biscuit.
10. Bring all sides up and seal. Place on cookie sheet (seam side down). Bake 14-16 min, or until golden brown.
11. Remove and let cool about 2-3 min, or until they can be handled.