01.26.2012 Peanut Butter Heart Cookies

If you're on the hunt for a simple valentines day idea, try using Dove chocolate hearts. I took my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe, but replaced the Hershey Kiss with a cute little heart. Simple and delicious. Hope you like it!

01.16.2012 Chocolate Chip Cookies - A new favorite?

Chocolate chip cookies are wonderful. Enough said. This recipe somehow manages to stand out above almost all other recipes of the classic cookie. I have two favorite "go to" recipes and this is one of them. It's as classic as it gets. Crisp edges, with an oh so delicious gooey center. I also use milk and semi-sweet chocolate to balance out the bitter to sweet ratio. Adding a handful of walnuts adds just the right amount of salt, too. I loooooove these.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt (I up the salt to 3/4 teaspoon when making or lightly sprinkle with sea salt at the end)

3 cups all-purpose flour
12 oz. (2 cups) chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until smooth with an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. 
3. Drop into rounded spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies), until they just start to turn golden on the edges. (They might still look doughy in the center, buy they will set up once cooled.)
4. Immediately remove from the cookie sheet to cool on a wire rack. They keep well for several days at room temperature (in an airtight container) or for several weeks in the freezer.

01.14.2012 Magnolia's Bakery Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Magnolia's Chocolate Cupcakes:

2 cups AP flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare muffin tins with cupcake papers, set aside
2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy (about 3 minutes). 
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. 
6. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until incorporated with each addition, but be sure not to over beat. Scrape down sides with a rubber spatula to make sure ingredients are well blended and smooth.
7. Spoon the batter into cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full. 
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. 
9. Let cupcakes cool in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from tins and cool completely on wire rack before icing. 

Vanilla Buttercream:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

6 - 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Place butter in a large mixing bowl. 
2. Add 4 cups of the sugar, the milk, and the vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. 
3. Gradually add remaining sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. 
4. The icing should be thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need all of the sugar. The remainder of the sugar is based on your personal preference!

By the time I actually ate a cupcake, after all of my picture taking, they were incredible. The perfect balance of chocolate made this recipe just right for me. Chocolate was clearly there without being overwhelmingly rich. However, the vanilla buttercream was my favorite part. It wasn't too sweet and I piled it so high on these cupcakes. If you haven't already, try this recipe. I've made a few from my Magnolia's Bakery cookbook so far and have loved everyone! This is my favorite in particular :)

01.08.2012 Ad Hoc Brownies and a Valentine's Day Idea

I love brownies. They are one of the few desserts I genuinely feel compelled to eat after the usual taste test when in my house. I hate them for that. But like I said, I love them. Brownies and I have a love/hate relationship. In my opinion, these are the perfect brownie. They are dense and fudgy, not a chewy brownie. If I'm gonna gave and eat a sweet, I want to go all out and enjoy every rich bite possible. These brownies are the perfect treat if you have a sweet tooth like mine.

Also, you are probably going to find that many of my posts from now until Valentine's Day are going to have a Valentine's Day, romantic, richness sort of vibe. 

Ad Hoc Brownies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder

1 tsp kosher salt

3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbsp chunks

3 large eggs

1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract

6 oz. 61-64% chocolate, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9″ square pan.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, place half the amount of cubed butter. In a saucepan, melt the remaining half of the butter over medium heat, stirring. Pour the melted butter over the cubed butter, and stir to combine. The butter should look creamy, with bits of unmelted butter still present.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed for three minutes, until light and doubled in volume. Add the vanilla. On low speed, alternate adding the flour and the butter in several additions. Stir in the chopped chcocolate.
5. Pour the batter into pan, and bake for 40-45 minutes. (Note: My brownies were around the 25 minute mark.)
6. Use  heart shaped cookie cutter, if going for the Valentine's Day theme like I did. 
7. Cool and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

I will admit, the heart cut outs are a bit of a waste of brownie and sort of a pain in the ass. I love the idea, but unless you have a future trifle planned or plan to use the crumbs in ice cream, a good amount of brownie isn't going to look so pretty. I took the lazy route and put it in a bowl, added some hot fudge, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Simple and too the point. Sooo good. Plus, no waste for me!

Let me know what you think! I'd really appreciate any feedback. 

01.06.2012 Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

I've been having a mega apple crave lately. Not sure what the deal is, but I can't help but want to try almost every recipe I see with apples. Maybe I miss fall...Either way, this is a recipe that has been taunting me for quite some time now. I've been a little obsessed with my Sono Bakery cookbook and can't seem to find a recipe I haven't loved yet, so I had no problem committing to a new apple recipe to try. I hope you enjoy :)

Apple Spice Cake
2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp coarse salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temp
2 cups grated peeled and cored apples (red, I used fuji)
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup toasted walnuts (optional, I opted to not use them in the cake and to decorate with at the end)


Brown Sugar Buttercream (I was very unhappy with this recipe initially and made some dramatic changes to get it right for me)
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/8 tsp coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 TB unsalted butter, firm but not chilled, cut into cubes
3/4 tsp vanilla

My additions consisted of a whole lotta powdered sugar and about 2 tsp maple syrup.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8-inch square cake pan
2. To make the cake: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, grated apples, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until the flour has been absorbed. Fold in the walnuts, if using.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 45-55 minutes. The recipe said 50 to 55, but mine was done at 45 minutes.
5. To make the buttercream: Bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler ( I opted out on the double boiler thing and decided holding my pan an inch or two over the heat works just as well...) Combine the egg whites, brown sugar, and salt in the top of the double boiler. Whisk over the simmering water until the whites are warm to the touch and the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a standing mixer with whisk attachment, and beat until the meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form. With the machine running, gradually beat in the butter. By the time the butter is added, the mixture will break; keep beating - it will become smooth again. Continue to beat and add vanilla.
6. If you are like me and completely unhappy with the ridiculously buttery flavor and slimy consistency of the frosting, try adding powdered sugar. Add as much as you need to your liking. I wasn't measuring, but it must have taken me at least a cup to reach that creamy texture I'm used to. I also decided a hint of maple syrup was in order, but that was just my preference.

I'm not sure if it's my preference for apples or why I am even comparing this carrot cake, but I would eat this over the best slice of carrot cake any day. I highly recommend adding that hint of pure maple syrup. It makes all the difference and going with the cake perfectly.

01.03.2012 Red Velvet Cake

This is the best red velvet cake I have ever had. Try it. Enough said.

So, I know I have some pretty terrible photography skills and this cake doesn't look like anything special in particular, but I promise you it's wonderful

Red Velvet Cake

Adapted from The Sono Baking Company

The recipe was initially made to make 12 cupcakes, but I decided to double the recipe and make a taller 9X9 round cake. I prefer a delicious slice of cake to a a single cupcake. 

Ingredients

For the Cake

2 cups buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla

2 sticks unsalted butter, 1 cup

3 cups sugar

2 tsp coarse salt

4 oz red food coloring

4 TB dutch unsweetened cocoa powder

4 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 TB white wine vinegar

For the Frosting (I didn't double this one because I was low on butter)

3 TB AP flour

1 cup milk

2 sticks unsalted butter, 1 cup

1 cup sugar

Pinch of coarse salt

1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 9X9 round cake pans
2. To make the cupcakes: In a medium bowl, combing the buttermilk and vanilla; set aside
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium high until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. 
4. In a small bowl, stir the food coloring and the cocoa powder together to form a paste. (I skipped this step and guessed on the amount of food coloring because I used a concentrated gel food coloring. I added mine directly to the mixture above. It's all about the taste anyway, right?) Add to the butter-sugar mixture.
5. Starting with the flour, alternate adding the flour with the buttermilk mixture in three batches, ending with the flour. Let stand for 15 minutes. 
6. In a small bowl, stir together the baking soda and vinegar. Let stand until foamy; fold into the batter. Divide among cake pans.
7. Bake 20 - 25 minutes. ( I THINK it took me about 22. I'm not really a fan of timers...) Let cool and transfer to wire rack to finish cooling completely.
8. To make the frosting: In a saucepan, whisk the flour with 1/4 cup of the milk, smoothing out any lumps with a rubber spatula. Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking, and cook for 1 minute. Set aside to cool. 
9. In the bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the cooled milk and but until it reaches the consistency of whipped cream, 7-10 minutes. 
10. Frost, eat, and enjoy!

01.02.2012 Rosemary, Sea Salt, and Mustard Seed Soft Pretzels

I have officially found my new "go to" appetizer recipe. Everyone (including myself) loooooved this recipe. The sea salt and herbs make this so much better than any ordinary pretzel. PLEASE try this recipe. It will make you and your tummy so damn happy it's ridiculous. 

Rosemary and Sea Salt Soft Pretzels

Adapted from Dishing Up Delights

Makes 12 pretzels

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 2 tablespoons butter melted for brushing 
Vegetable oil for baking sheets
3 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon mustard seeds

Assorted mustards, for serving

1. Mix yeast, kosher salt, sugar and warm water in a small bowl, whisking until sugar dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix flour and cayenne in a large bowl. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Slowly pour the yeast mixture over the flour, stirring to combine. Use your hands to gather the dough together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic, and let rise for 30 minutes.
4. Cut the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into an 18-inch rope. Form a U-shape with one rope and twist the ends together twice. Fold the twisted portion backward along the center of the U-shape to form a circle, then gently press the ends of the rope on to the dough to seal. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Let rise for 20 minutes.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda. Boil pretzels in batches until puffed and slightly shiny, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
6. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Return the pretzels to the baking sheet. Sprinkle each with some of the salt, then rosemary, and then mustard seeds. Bake 10-15 minutes until the pretzels are golden brown and cooked through. Brush each pretzel with melted butter and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with assorted mustards.

Mmm, it looks so perfect and cute. 

Time to tear into it and appreciate its beauty even more

Let's look closer...

Okay, now we can eat the soft warm pretzel and appreciate ever delicious bit

Let me know what you think!