Irish Cream Brownies

These are delicious (assuming you like irish cream!)!

I made them as a test batch for a St Patty's day luncheon we're having at work -- wanted to make sure they were, err, "suitable" for work, while still containing booze!

They most certainly are -- delicious!

Irish Cream Brownies

(Culinary Concoctions by Peabody)

For the cream cheese swirl:

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

2 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream

For the Brownies:
6 ounces sweet baking chocolate (I used German sweet, you can use semisweet), chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs

½ cup all purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the Glaze:
4 ounces sifted powdered sugar

1 tablespoon Bailey’s Irish Cream

milk to thin out (amount will vary)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F

- Lightly butter 8-inch square nonstick baking pan

- Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in medium bowl until light and fluffy

- Gradually add sugar and beat until well blended

- Beat in egg, Mix in flour, Irish Cream, and vanilla. Set mixture aside

-Stir baking chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth, Cool slightly

- Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in large bowl until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes

- Mix in flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in chocolate mixture and extracts. Stir in chocolate chips.

- Spread half of chocolate batter (about 1 1/4 cups) in prepared pan

- Using rubber spatula, spread cream cheese mixture over chocolate batter

- Spoon remaining chocolate batter over top of cream cheese mixture

- Using tip of knife, gently swirl through batter, forming marble design.

- Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes

- Make glaze: Combine powdered sugar and Irish cream. If too thick thin out with milk

- While still warm brush (using a pastry brush) glaze over brownies

- Let sit for 15 minutes

- Cut into squares

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

These tasty little cookies will definately satisfy your chocolate-tooth!

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

(RightatHome)

30-36 cookies *I actually got 42*

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

30-36 chocolate-covered caramel candies (like Rolo's)

2 tablespoons sugar (for rolling)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit

- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your electric mixer) add sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla and mix until well blended

- Add flour, cocoa and baking soda and mix well

- Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes

- Roll dough into 1" balls and place 1 chocolate-covered caramel candy in the center of each dough ball, then form the dough ball around the majority of the candy

- Roll each dough ball in sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet

- Bake for 7-10 minutes

- Let cook on pan for 1 minute, then remove to a cooling rack

Christmas Cookies 2008: Peanut Butter Blossoms

These are a traditional Christmas cookie -- but my family and friends LOOOOOOVE them :-)

They're very easy to put together, and there's just something incredibly satisfying about squishing that Hershey's Kiss into the hot cookie fresh from the oven!

Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms

(Hershey's)

48 Herhsey's Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Directions
- Heat oven to 375°F.

- Remove wrappers from chocolates.

- Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well.

- Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

- Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

- Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

- Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges.

- Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

*This recipe says it makes 4 dozen -- but I got more like 3 dozen.

Sunshine S'mores Cupcakes

First, I have no idea why these are "Sunshine" S'mores Cupcakes. For me, they're just S'mores Cupcakes.

I made these because I had 1/2 jar of Marshmallow Creme left from making S'mores Bars. These were pretty good, but not nearly as good as the Bars!

They did provide some cute photos, though...

S'mores Cupcakes

(Allrecipes)

1 (18.25 oz) French Vanilla cake mix

2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups water

3 egg whites

24 milk chocolate candt kisses

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme

Directions

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners

- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs, water, and egg whites

- Beat for 2 minutes at high speed of an electric mixer

- Divide the batter evenly among paper-lined cups, filling about 2/3 full

- Place a chocolate kiss in each cupcake, pressing in lightly

- Spoon 1 teaspoon graham cracker crumbs onto each cupcake

- Bake at 250 degrees F for 18 to 25 minutes (Mine took exactly 18)

- Remove from oven and top each cupcake with 1 teaspoon marshmallow creme -- dip spoon into hot water to prevent sticking

- Return to oven for about 1 minute to melt slightly

Notes:

- For the hot water/spoon trick, I had to dip my spoon in hot water before EVERY spoonful of creme or I got a sticky mess

- I also moistened my fingertips, and that allowed me to scoop the creme out of the spoon and try to arrange it on the cupcakes with minimal stickiness

- These are WAY BETTER warm, so if you have leftovers, just pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds to heat everything up again.

Homemade Oreos

This is the recipe I referenced yesterday (See Fran? You didn't have to wait long!) -- these are REALLY REALLY delicious (I daresay they may be better than store-bought oreos), but unfortunately we ate them all before I could get a picture.

I'll add pictures next time I make them (by then -- in my new kitchen! Woohoo!).

Homemade Oreos
(Retro Desserts, by Wayne Brachman -- by way of The Biscuit Pusher)

Makes 25-30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
To make the cookies:
- Set two racks in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees F
- Prepare 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
- In a food process or the bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- While pulsing, or, on low speed, add the butter and then the egg (do it slowly)
- Continue processing or mixing until the dough comes together in a mass (this took me awhile, so be patient)
- Take rounded teaspoons of batter (it won't be like cake batter -- more like cookie dough), and place on your baking sheet approximately 2" apart
- With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough (this step is important because these cookies don't rise or change shape much during baking. basically, whatever shape/thickness they are going into the oven, is what your end cookie will be)
- Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking
- Set baking sheets on racks to cool

To make the cream:
- Place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl and at low spead, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla
- Turn the mixer on high and beat 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy

To assemble the cookies:
- In a pastry bag with 1/2 inch round tip (or if you're me -- a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) pipe teaspoon-sized blobs of cream into the center of one cookie
- Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream
- Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie.
- Continue this process until all of the cookies have been sandwiched with cream

- Dunk generously in a large glass of milk

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe has made the rounds on many of the blogs -- and with good reason! It's a very delicious, chewy, chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Unfortunately, I was just a tad disappointed. It had all of the qualities I was looking for in a chewy chocolate chip cookie..but it just didn't quite DO it for me.

Does anyone else have an amazing chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe out there for me to try??

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Source: Baking Illustrated, by way of Sugar and Spice)

*Recipe makes 18 large cookies

The key to these cookies are the melted butter and extra egg yolk, which allows them to stay chewy. Oversized baking sheets (commercial size) will allow you to get all of the cookies in the oven at the same time. But if you only have standard sized cookie sheets you'll want to bake them in batches. It is also important to let these cookies cool on the baking sheets.

2 cups plus 2 tablspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 - 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
- Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray them with nonstick cooking spray
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside
- Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until blended
- Beat in the whole egg, egg yolk and vanilla until combined
- Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined
- Stir in the chips to taste
- Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough's uneven surface
- Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surfaces up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart
Bake until cookies are light golden brown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, about 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time
- Cool the cookies on the sheets, then remove cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula.

I Swore I Wouldn't Bake

I swore I wouldn't bake. I swore I wouldn't make anything "picnic" or "get-together"-worthy this weekend. I told myself it was because DH and I didn't have any plans...and because we've both been carrying an extra 3-4 pounds lately that won't budge.

But that was really only half of it.

On some level, it was my rebellion against living far away from my family (who always gets together for holidays in some form) and living near my in-laws (who never celebrate holidays, it seems). It was my rebellion against my tiny 1-bedroom apartment on the third floor of a building that doesn't allow grills. My rebellion against a kitchen that makes a sailboat galley look enourmous. My rebellion against being able to celebrate the 4th of July outside, in the country -- no sounds but the animals and friends and family laughing, and the crackle of a bonfire that we'd roast marshmallows on later.

And I was doing pretty well. Until this.

S'mores bars? Could it be??? Could it be that I could have a s'mores this weekend? Sure, it wouldn't be charred -- but it has to be better than a microwaved s'more, right?!

With renewed hope, I flew to the store, bought the three things I didn't have (graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallow fluff -- all the actual s'mores pieces), and promptly made these.

I'm still missing the bonfire, the friends and family, and the 4 different kinds of meat and pasta salad -- but at least I had a s'more for the 4th of July. :-)

And you're getting no-natural-light pictures, because I couldn't wait until tomorrow :-)

S'mores Cookie Bars

(Found at Lindsey's Blog -- Originally a Hershey's recipe)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 (1.55 oz each) Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars

1 cup marshmallow creme (or Fluff -- as I call it!)

Directions

- Heat oven to 350 degrees farenheit

- Grease an 8-inch square baking pan

- Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy

- Add egg and vanilla; beat well

- Stir/sift together all-purpose flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture and beat until blended

- Press half of the dough into the prepared baking pan

- Arrange the chocolate bars on top of the dough, breaking as needed to fit

- Spread with marshmallow creme (I took Lindsey's advice here and sprayed my spatula with Pam -- made a HUGE difference!!)

- Scatter bits of the remaining dough over the marshmallow; carefully press to form a layer (I think next time I might try to gently roll out this half of the dough and lay it over the creme...that would make my top layer more even and smooth) **Make sure you really press this down -- I had some trouble with my top layer separating from the fluff.

- Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned

- Cool completely in pan on wire rack

- Cut into bars

Protein Bars

I exercise 5 days a week. And I do so in the afternoon -- after work and before dinner. This means I'm almost always looking for some kind of afternoon snack to get me through my workout and give me time to get home, shower, and make dinner before I am ravenously hungry.

I've tried the store-bought protein bars, but they often upset my delicate stomach, or, they simply have the WORST consistency on earth (I am a "consistency" eater -- if it doesn't feel right in my mouth, forget it!!)

Chelley had these bars on her blog, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to give them a try. The protein would be of much use to me as an afternoon snack, and I'd never tried protein powder, so this seemed like a pretty safe introduction!

These bars are actually pretty good. I'd like to try them with vanilla or unflavored powder -- see if they taste more pea-nutty than chocolate-y. The chocolate flavor just has a little too much of that "this is health food chocolate" taste to it, for me.

DH also enjoyed these bars immensely. I've bookmarked several others to try, but this is the only no-bake, 5-minutes-flat style bar I have saved!

No-Bake Protein Bars
(Chelley's Blog)

Makes 9 bars

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I used a chunky version and really liked the peanuts in these bars)
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
4 scoops chocolate protein powder
2 tablespoons flax seed
6 tablespoons milk (I needed a splash more milk than this)

Directions
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl
- Spread into a greased 8 x 8 glass dish and refrigerate until firm enough to cut.
- Cut into 9 squares, wrap individually, and store in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Info:
(Per Chelley)

1 serving = 1 bar

200 calories
8 g fat
15 carbs
15 g protein

Oatmeal Fudge Bars (Ooey Gooey Bars)

These are similar to a blondie brownie (I think? I've never had a blondie) with a fudge layer on top. They're very tasty!

I made them as a quick dessert for a memorial day get-together.

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

(Chera's Recipe)

Brownie Layer:

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups oats (you can use quick or regular -- i use regular)

1 cup butter

2 eggs

2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions for Brownie Layer

- Cream together butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla

- Add flour, baking soda and salt to the mixture

- Mix well

- Stir in the oats (I reccommend doing this by hand)

- Press 2/3 of the batter into a 15" x 10" pan (I often use a standard 13" x 9" with no problem...just makes a thicker brownie)

Chocolate Layer

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz can)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup nuts or coconut (optional)

Directions for Chocolate Layer

- Melt the chocolate chips, butter, and sweetened condensed milk over low heat

- Add the vanilla, salt, and nuts/coconut to melted mixture

- Spread the chocolate mixture over the 2/3 pressed batter

- ** Don't spread to the edge of the pan -- the batter will expand during cooking**

- Drop remaining 1/3 batter by little pieces on top of the chocolate layer, slightly pressing them flat between floured fingers) (I think you could make cute shapes with this remaining batter if you were so inclined)

- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

"Pittsburgh-style" Rice Krispie Treats (Butterscotch & Chocolate)

I call these rice krispies "Pittsburgh-style" because I'm from that area of the world, and when I moved away from there, I discovered not many people knew about these!

Looking back, I thought these were the only kind of rice krispies for a LONG time!

I love them, they're affordable to make, and they're easy. What more could you ask for??


Pittsburgh-style Rice Krispie Treats
(Source: Moi)

(Original recipe makes 1 8"x8" pan)

1 - 6oz. butterscotch chips/morsels (you can also use peanut butter morsels)
1 - 6oz. milk chocolate chips/morsels
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 cups rice krispie cereal
1 tbsp. water

Directions
- Melt the butterscotch morsels and the peanut butter in a non-stick pan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the butterscotch-peanut butter mixture over the rice krispie cereal in a bowl, mixing until completely coated.
- Press 1/2 of the rice krispie/butterscotch-peanut butter mixture into an 8x8 pan with a fork, then (the first time you do this, you may be tempted to press with your fingers. don't. seriously. use the fork.)
- Refrigerate your 8x8 pan with 1/2 the butterscotch rice krispies.
- Melt chocolate morsels with the water over low heat in a non-stick pan.
- Pull your 8x8 pan out of the refrigerator and spread the chocolate over the layer of rice krispies.
- Refrigerate again for 5 minutes
- Press the other 1/2 of the rice krispie mixture on top of the chocolate-water mix
- Refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Remove from the fridge, cut into squares, and serve. I recommend pulling them out 10 minutes or so before you serve them, so the chocolate layer isn't rock hard.

- Refrigerate any leftovers

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

Mmm...I made these for St. Patrick's Day, and am just now getting around to posting them!

These cupcakes were QUITE tasty -- but definately a unique flavor! DH told me it tasted like I made them with, "$5,000 Swiss chocolate" -- LOL

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with White Cream Cheese Frosting

(Originally from Dave Lieberman)

Makes 24 cupcakes

1 bottle (12 fl. oz.) Guinness stout
1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for garnish)

2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 lb. confectioner's sugar

Cupcake Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-In a large mixing bowl, combine the Guinness, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the sour cream.

-In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet Guinness mixture.

-Butter (or use cupcake papers) 24 muffin tins and divide batter among the tins.

-Bake 25 minutes until risen and set in the middle, but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out of the tins.

Frosting Directions

-Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the heavy cream. Slowly mix in the confectioner's sugar.

**Top each cupcake with a heap of frosting and dust with cocoa. Keep refridgerated (due to the cream cheese frosting)**