Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

My dad and Caitlin's dad take tailgating at Razorback games seriously. They even have a name for their tailgating--A.R. Grillers. And no, the A.R. is not for Arkansas. It's for Anal Retentive. They have to have everything in a particular manner. Everything has a spot in the back of Caitlin's dad's truck. I mean, everything.

My dad starts planning his menus for games in July. For the first game, we had "The Classics" which were hamburgers and hot dogs. He also did the "Big Mike" which was a hamburger sandwiched in between two grilled cheese sandwiches.

For the big Arkansas/Alabama game tomorrow, the menu contains Korean Beef Tacos and Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwiches. For dessert, we've decided that I'd do a feature cupcake. For the first game, I made the Chocolate Malt Cupcakes from Food Network Magazine.

Oh my.

Oh my stars.

These cupcakes sing from the heavens. They are amazing. It made a lot, so we had ton to pass around. The general consensus of the tailgaters was that these were the best cupcakes they had ever had.

The icing. Oh, the icing. It's fabulous. The cake is fabulous. You must try these. The holidays are coming up soon. :)

Crunchy Chocolate Malt Cupcakes
Source: Food Network Magazine, January/February Issue

Ingredients
For the Frosting:
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
7 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup malted milk powder (such as Carnation)
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal

Directions
Make the frosting: Sprinkle the sugar evenly in a large skillet and add the corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring once or twice. Continue to boil, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the caramel is amber. Carefully pour in the heavy cream (it can splatter) and add the butter. Simmer, whisking constantly, until the caramel is smooth, about 2 minutes.

Combine both chocolates and the salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the hot caramel over the chocolate and let stand until melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth and shiny, then cover and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or overnight. (The frosting can be made up to 2 days ahead.)

Make the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Sift the malted milk and cocoa powders into another bowl.

Beat the sugar and butter in a third bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add the malted milk powder mixture and beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the half-and-half in two parts, beginning and ending with flour.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups, filling each about three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pans 10 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to racks to cool completely.

Beat the chilled frosting with a mixer or whisk until thick, about 2 minutes, but don't overwhip. Spread on the cupcakes or transfer to a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then sprinkle with the cereal.


Printable Version

Be sure to follow A.R. Grillers to stay up to date with menus on game days!

Birthday Cake Ice Cream

One year ago, I got the crazy idea to start a food blog. So, what better to celebrate a Blog Birthday than with Birthday Cake Ice Cream?!

Had the anniversary come in the fall or winter, I would have made a cake. However, the heat index has been holding steady at 105 or higher (today it's 110), I avoid turning on the oven at all costs.

Ok, so I really just wanted an excuse to make ice cream. Can you blame me??

Thank you for sticking with me this past year! In honor of the anniversary, I'm going to have my very first giveaway! In order to enter, all you have to is comment and answer:

What should I make in the next year?

In can be anything, anything at all. Please no brussel sprouts though. I'm not ready for that! :)

Entries must be in by 10:00pm Central Time on July 18, 2010. I'll choose a winner at random. So what will you win? My very favorite Ice Cream Cookbook:


David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, as well as a $30 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com for you to spend on whatever your heart desires!

So be sure to comment and tell all your friends!

One Year Ago: Where it all began...

Birthday Cake Ice Cream

Source: One Ordinary Day

1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, sugar, and cake mix. Whisk to remove lumps. Stir constantly until mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat and place directly into a water bath or into the refrigerator. Chill completely.

When thoroughly chilled, stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Pour into ice cream maker and mix according to manufacturer’s directions. Add sprinkles during the last 5 minutes. Remove ice cream and transfer to a freezer-safe container.

Printable Version

Lemon Cake

The day is finally here! It's my 100th blog post! I can't believe it's been 100 already. Granted, I have taken a month long break, but that's neither here nor there.

Whenever we would visit my Maw Maw, we'd usually go visit her best friend, Ms. Annie. Ms. Annie would usually have a cake for us and we would hope and pray it'd be her lemon cake. So when I knew the milestone of the 100th post was drawing near, I thought of making this surprisingly easy and rustic lemon cake.

Just so happens that this is getting posted on Brian's birthday and he loves lemon desserts. So for our birthday cake this year, we get the 100th post cake too! (My birthday is Wednesday.)

Ms. Annie's Lemon Cake
Source: Ms. Annie (Not sure of original source)

For cake:
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
3 egg whites, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening and sugar. In separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder together. Combine the water and vanilla. Add dry and wet ingredients alternately into the creamed shortening and sugar. Fold in beaten egg whites. Divide evenly among three cake pans. Bake for 22-30 minutes. (Mine came out fine after 22-23 minutes.)

For the icing:
3 egg yolks, beaten well
1 1/2 cups sugar
Lemon zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
2/3 stick of butter

In a double boiler, mix half of the sugar gradually into the beaten egg yolks. Add lemon juice, zest, remaining sugar, and butter. Whisk constantly until butter is melted. Once butter melts, take off heat and let cool. The icing will thicken slightly, but will still remain runny. Ice cake layers.

Printable Version

Happy Birthday, Brian!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

There are a few things in life that you just need. I believe these cupcakes should be on your list. Unless you don't like booze, then I just can't help you. These definitely aren't for kids, but adults need some cupcakes of their own every once and a while.

At Christmas, Caitlin gave me an awesome set of cupcake paraphernalia from Bake it Pretty and I've been trying to find a good cupcake recipe to use the awesome cupcake liners. I saw these green liners in the box and knew to save them for St. Patrick's Day. My intention was to bring these to the office, but I went for it and put all 4 Tbsp of Bailey's into the frosting, so they're a little too booze-y for the office. Thankfully, I only had about enough of the buttercream for half of the cupcakes, so I'm going to try and half the Bailey's with milk for the office's cupcakes.

If you shy away from this recipe because it has Guinness in it, trust me, you shouldn't. I don't like Guinness at all, but the beer cooks off and it gives the chocolate a very complex flavor.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Buttercream
Source: Le Petit Pierogi as adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream (I used light)

Bailey's Irish Buttercream:
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add Guinness. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in cocoa powder until mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sour cream until thoroughly combined. On low speed, drizzle in Guinness-chocolate mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix briefly on slow speed just until the mixture comes together. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17-19 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

To make the buttercream, whip the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for several minutes until the butter is very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn't, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Ice and decorate the cupcakes.

Printable version

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

There's a restaurant in town that makes gooey-butter bars for one of their desserts. Brian's practically obsessed with them. One day, he brought home two and I had them eaten by the next morning. Only, I snuck around and ate them so that maybe he wouldn't notice. :) Yesterday, we were watching Paula Deen and she made a gooey-butter cake, so he begged me to try one. I went searching and found this cookie recipe. It worked out perfectly because Bake at 350's Flavor of the Month was chocolate. Perfect!

This recipe is so easy and you can vary it with whatever cake mix you want to use.

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Source: Paula Deen

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
1 (18 ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
1 stick of butter, room temperature

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner’s sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and gooey. Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Printable version

Check out the other entries into the Flavor of the Month:

Cookie Dough Truffles

There are a few things that don't stand a chance of making it long in our house. Cheese is probably top on the list. Pepperoni slices for Jack...he's somewhat addicted. Kraft Singles, which totally make me shudder, but Brian and Jack love them. But cookie dough? Puh-lease. Lasts maybe a day.

You know those packages of the ready to bake cookie dough that's in squares and you can just break it off the big rectangle and bake them off. Those never see the inside of the oven. Ever. The best I've had so far have been sugar cookies with cinnamon chunks in them. I have never seen them again, which is probably a good thing. Also, Brian's favorite ice cream is Cookie Dough, so I usually end up stealing a "cookie dough bite" from his ice cream when he's not looking.

Don't judge, you know you do it too.

These truffles have been on my list to make for a long time, so I figured that Valentine's Day would be a good excuse to make them. And oh my, were they worth the wait. Thankfully they're rich enough to just eat one and be satisfied. Otherwise, I'd be in big trouble.

Cookie Dough Truffles
Adapted from Paula's Best Dishes

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate morsels
2 bags semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and add milk. Add mini chocolate morsels, mixing well. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper; chill in freezer 2 hours.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler. Using 2 forks, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Place on waxed paper and chill to set. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Printable version

Strawberry Rosemary Scones

Jade and I are finally back at it again. You maybe remember us tackling recipes together and blogging them at the same time. So far we've done Creme Brulee and Sugar Cookies. This time, we're making scones.

Scones have a reputation of being too tough if you work with the dough too much. So going into making these, I was nervous. This recipe, however, was a good one to begin with because it's a fairly simple recipe to pull together. I ate three the night I made them and had to bring the rest to the office the next day. One of my coworkers told me "It's like something a fancy little bakery would have! Those are amazing!" I was very touched by that and will definitely make these again.

Strawberry Rosemary Scones
Source: Giada

Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup strawberry jam

Glaze:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons water (I had to use more than this, but just judge it by how thick or thin you want your glaze)

Directions
Special equipment: a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter

For the scones: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch thick, 10-inch circle. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart-shaped pieces of dough and put on the prepared baking sheet. Gently knead together any leftover pieces of dough and roll out to 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into more heart shapes and add to the baking sheet. Using an index finger or a small, round measuring spoon, gently make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer the cooked scones onto a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.

For the glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually add the water until the mixture is thin enough to spread. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the scones. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight plastic container for 2 days.

Cook's Note: The dough can also be made by hand by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough.

Printable version

Go Saints!

In honor of the Saints' first trip the Super Bowl, I had to make them cookies. My whole family is from Louisiana and I was born in south Louisiana, so it's pretty much in my blood to be a Saints fan.

I used Bakerella's recipe for cookie dough and Bake at 350's royal icing recipe. I still need practice on my piping, but I'm pretty proud of my second attempt at icing cookies.

Go Saints!!!!

Limoncello Cheesecake Squares

One of Brian's absolute favorite desserts was his great aunt's lemon cake. Sadly, when she passed away, the recipe went away as well. No one has been able to replicate the cake, but everyone still tries. His absolute favorite desserts have to do with lemon flavoring, so when I saw that the Bake at 350's Flavor of the Month this month had to do with booze, it finally hit me. I had to use Limoncello which is a lemon flavored liqueur.

Once the cheesecake had cooled, I sliced a square for me to try but Brian snuck in and got the first bite. Before I turned around, my square had almost completely disappeared. He said that it was probably the best thing I've ever made and it was his great aunt's cake in cheesecake form.

I bought my own Limoncello, but I've included the recipe for it in case you can't find any in your area. It is quite pricey, but it will last in the refrigerator.

Limoncello Cheesecake Squares
Source: Giada

Nonstick cooking spray
8 ounces purchased biscotti
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 (12-ounce) container fresh whole milk ricotta, drained, at room temperature
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar1/2 cup limoncello liqueur*, store bought or homemade, recipe follows
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.

Blend the ricotta in a clean food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl. Blend in the limoncello, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, and pulse just until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the baking pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour (the cake will become firm when it is cold).

Transfer the cake to a rack; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut the cake into squares and serve.

*Limoncello liqueur can be found at most liquor stores and in the liquor department of some specialty markets. If limoncello liqueur is unavailable at stores near you, use the following recipe to make your own limoncello liqueur.

Limoncello:

10 lemons
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.

Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.

Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

Makes: 7 cups

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Inactive Prep Time: 4 days and 4 hours
Printable version

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Be sure and check out the other entries of the Flavor of the Month!

Rugalach

I believe I've mentioned this before, but the best mail day is when either Food Network Magazine, Cooking Light, and/or the Williams Sonoma catalog arrives. Saturday I was blessed with this month's Food Network magazine and it's beautiful cover is nothing but cookies. Which can only mean...

It's Holiday Baking Season!

One cookie caught my eye, which I found out (thanks to the handy-dandy insert of 50 cookie recipes) that the cookie was rugalach. I had no idea what that meant, other than I had to make it. Just so happens that my office is having a bake sale on Friday, so this could be a contender...

Rugalach

Source Food Network Magazine

Cut store-bought pie dough into 16 wedges (like a pizza). Starting from the tip, spread apricot jam over the top two-thirds of each wedge; sprinkle with chopped pecans. Roll from the fat end in to form a crescent shape. Brush with beaten egg and chill 30 minutes. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 325 degrees.

Easy Peasy Fruit Dip

Ok, I promise this is the last picture I take using my phone.

We had a belated boss's day potluck at work today, and I was slated to bring my mac and cheese but then I went and burned my hand on a cookie sheet. (See yesterday's post.) So I had to regroup and think of something that wasn't labor intensive.

A few months ago, my mom got a big group of women together to go to a local place called Dinner with TLC. They provide all of the kitchen equipment, ingredients, and recipes for you to put together your own meals. All you do is put it together (or have them do it) and take it home and reheat! It's awesome and the menus change every month. Anyways, the owner had out this fruit dip and assorted fruits, along with various other appetizers.

Those who know me well would be shocked to know that I actually ate a fruit dip. I'm not a dip-person. Never have been. But oh.my.God this dip was amazing.

I would have taken a better picture of it last night, but I just never got around to it. Also, a big thank you to my fabulous coworker, Rhonda, for arranging the fruit for me! You should make it for yourself and see for yourself how lovely it is!

Fruit Dip
8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag toffee pieces (not the chocolate covered toffee pieces)

Beat cream cheese, sugars, and vanilla in a bowl. Mix in the toffee. Serve with fruit.

Printable version

See? Easy!

Pumpkin Pie

When Bake at 350 announced that the Flavor of the Month for October was pumpkin, I was excited. I thought of all of the pumpkin goodies I could make and thought "Oh this one is easy!" Turns out, I lost all of my good thoughts this week and was clueless on what to make. Then, it hit me. Stick with the classic. Stick with the one pumpkin dessert we've all had and we probably all grew up with.

Pumpkin Pies can be tricky. Some pies don't have enough spice. Some pies have too much spice. Some come out salty, but when you get the right pumpkin pie, it's heaven. This recipe is one that is just right. It has the right amount of spices but doesn't let the pumpkin get overshadowed.

Good thing is, Brian doesn't really go for pumpkin pie, so it's allllllllll mine. :) I know what I'm having for breakfast this weekend! :)

Classic Pumpkin Pie
Adapted from Food Network

One 15-ounce can unsweetened pure pumpkin puree (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 package refrigerated pie crust (or your favorite pie crust recipe)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place one pie crust into a 9 inch pie pan and trim the edges.

In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, sugar, eggs, half-and-half, and spices until smooth. Pour into pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes. Then, reduce heat to 350 and bake 40-50 more minutes.

If doing decorative cut-outs like I used, cut those out in your remaining pie shell. Place on a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper. Bake for the last 15 minutes of the pie's cooking time.

Printable Version

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Here are some other pumpkin desserts I've made:
Pumpkin Dessert Squares
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Check out the other entries into the Flavor of the Month:

Pumpkin Dessert Squares

Isn't fall the greatest season of the year? The leaves start to turn, there's a crispness in the air, football season starts back up, there's pumpkins EVERYWHERE. Candles that smell like apple cider and cinnamon start to come back into stores. It starts to get dark earlier. And let's face it - sweaters, scarves, and jackets are so much cuter and easier to pull off than summer clothes. Especially if you've eaten a few of these dessert squares, then you need all the extra fabric you can get.

While these cook in your oven, your house will smell like Thanksgiving. Not quite the turkey/dressing aspect because that would be totally weird, but the cinnamon, sugar and pumpkin that comes with the holidays. Brian had two squares and made a new rating scale for it. He said it was a "Make again Tomorrow!"

I highly recommend you click the link for the Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter. It's totally worth buying and really makes this dessert. Stock up before fall is up!

Pumpkin Dessert Squares
Source: a Williams-Sonoma store in Jackson, MS

1 box yellow cake mix, 1 cup reserved
1/2 cup melted butter
3 large eggs
1/8 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 jar Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine remaining cake mix with melted butter and one egg. Mix well. Press mixture lightly into a 9x13 pan.

Mix with a whisk the Pecan Pumpkin Butter with 2 eggs and milk. Pour over cake mixture.

Mix reserved cake mix with flour, sugar, cinnamon and softened butter. Spread crumble mixture over pumpkin layer.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

Printable version

Peanut Butter Fudge

In order to make up for the last healthy post, I give you Fudge. :)

You're welcome.

This fudge has creeped me out since the day I saw Paula Deen make it on Food Network. (Now you want to make it, don't you? haha) It has Velveeta in it. I hate Velveeta. My cousin used to slice it out of the block and eat it when we were at my grandmother's house. Blech.

Yet, in order to be adventurous and try new things for the sake of the blog, I powered through. Surprisingly, it's actually not cheesy at all! I gave some to Brian to see if he could guess the mystery ingredient, which he couldn't, so I spilled the beans. He wasn't surprised at all and said "Oh yeah, a lot of fudges have that in them." Hmph.

It's definitely an easy recipe to make when you're in the rush of holiday baking/giving season. It does have a lot of butter, but it's not like you're going to be eating the entire pan. Although, I won't judge if you do.

Peanut Butter Cheese Fudge
Source: Paula Deen

1/2 pound sliced easy-melt cheese (recommended: Velveeta)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter (Helpful hint: Spray your measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray first)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
2 (16-ounce) boxes confectioners' sugar

Directions
Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 by 2-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt cheese and butter together, then add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts.

Empty confectioners' sugar into a large bowl and pour cheese mixture over sugar. Stir until completely mixed. Candy will be very stiff. (Helpful hint: Start stirring with a spoon and once it cools down some, mix it with your hands.)

Using your hands, remove candy from the bowl and press evenly and firmly into the pan. Because of the amount of butter in this recipe, pat top of candy with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Place the pan in refrigerator until candy is firm.

To serve, cut into squares.

Printable version

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

So Jade and I are at it again. You may remember when we both made sugar cookies. This time we're trying creme brulee.

Recently, we've had a nice run of really, really cool temperatures. It's like an early glimpse of fall, which is my favorite season. For it to be cooler than 80 degrees in August in Arkansas, that's saying something. So with the spurt of cooler temperatures, I'm ready for all things fall. Razorback football games, Thanksgiving, and especially things with pumpkin in it.

When I saw this recipe for Emeril's Pumpkin Creme Brulee, I had to have it. Now. Problem is, most of my stores don't carry pumpkin or if they do, it's in giant cans. Never fear. I've put the remaining pumpkin mixture into small ziploc bags and stuck them in the freezer so that I can have pumpkin whenever I want!

Pumpkin Creme Brulee
Source: Emeril Lagasse

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar, plus 4 teaspoons
8 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Arrange 8 (1/2-cup) ramekins or custard cups in a large metal baking pan.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy and lemon-colored. Slowly add 3/4 cup of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture to the remaining hot cream, and whisk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin, and whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Divide among the prepared custard cups.

Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake until the custards are just set in the center but not stiff, 45 minutes to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Sprinkle each custard with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar. (Alternately, preheat the broiler, and broil until the sugar melts and caramelizes, watching closely to avoid burning and rotating the cups, about 1 to 2 minutes.) Place on small dessert plates and serve.

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I really enjoyed making the creme brulee. It was a lot easier to make than I thought it would be. Plus it was a really easy recipe to half since I can't be trusted with 8 little creme brulees running around.

Be sure to check out Jade at The Mess Pot to see her creme brulee!

Nutella S'more Bars

Who knew there was a National S'mores Day? I did not know this until yesterday. Apparently it's on August 10, so we're just behind a couple days here. Also, National Marshmallow Toasting Day is August 30.

I aim to educate you on trivial holidays. It's my goal this morning.

I'm also participating in a Nutella Challenge at bell'alimento. So why not marry Nutella and S'mores? It's a match made in heaven! When I first read about the Nutella Challenge, I knew I wanted to do some type of s'more using Nutella as the chocolate. Apparently Betty Crocker and I think along the same wavelength in terms of s'mores bars. Also, yesterday I was looking through Tastespotting and found a picture for the very bars I've been dreaming of making. (Really throwing a lot of links at you today, aren't I?)

These bars are so yummy and so rich. Try hard to let them cool so that they'll be easier getting them out of the pan. I know it will be tough to resist, but try with all your might!

Nutella S'more Bars
Adapted from The Curious Domestic and Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
8 Graham Crackers, bashed or processed in the food processor to make fine crumbs
2 cups Betty Crocker Sugar cookie mix
1 stick of butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
Jar of Nutella
Mini Marshmallows

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9x9 pan.

Combine graham cracker crumbs with the sugar cookie mix. Mix in butter and vanilla. Press dough into pan and bake for 18 minutes. When cookie crust is done, turn off the oven and preheat the broiler.

While cookie is still warm, slather on Nutella (I used almost the whole jar). Cover with marshmallows and place under the broiler for a few minutes. Watch them closely and take out when they are lightly browned. Let cool before slicing into bars.



Yum....I want one now.

Be sure to check out the other yummy recipes that are part of the Nutella Challenge!

Peach and Blueberry Crumble

One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruit. I remember going to my Maw Maw's house in north Louisiana every summer and having to go to the Peach Orchard in Ruston, LA to buy fresh peaches. For some reason, I always thought I hated the taste of peaches, but I did love how they smelled. Once I finally tasted a peach, I kicked myself for not eating more of them in my life.

My mom just went to a peach orchard near home and brought back huge fresh peaches. I still pick them up and smell them whenever I walk into my kitchen. It takes me back to being in Simsboro, LA at my Maw Maw's house.

In the original recipe for this crumble, Ina says to put the peach and blueberry mixture into ramekins or custard cups. I had neither of the two, so I used my 9x13 pan. Whichever you use, be sure to place it on a sheet pan just in case the fruit boils over while it's baking.

Peach and Blueberry Crumble

Adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home

For the fruit:
2 lbs firm, ripe peaches (6-8 peaches)
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

For the crumble:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 lb (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into a 9x13 pan.
For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter into the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. (If you do not have an electric mixer, use a pastry cutter or a fork to combine.) Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it's in big crumbles, them sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the 9x13 pan on a sheet plan lined with aluminum foil and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Fruit Pizza

Last night, my parents had pizza night over at their house. My dad is big into tailgating for the Arkansas Razorback football games, so he was testing grilled pizza recipes for the upcoming football season. I offered to bring a dessert, so I went along with the pizza theme.

This recipe is super easy, as well as fast and fun to put together. A good tip is to buy the apple slices that are already sliced and packaged into little bags. They won't brown, even after a few days if you happen to have left-over pizza.

Fruit Pizza
Adapted from Pillsbury

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Fruit of your choice

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-inch pizza pan or spray with cooking spray. In pan, break up cookie dough; press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.
2. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Spread mixture over cooled crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese.