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:

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

______________________

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

Gingerbread Cookie Mix

Eight days until Christmas. EIGHT!

Don't get me wrong, Christmas really is my favorite holiday. However, this year I'm so far behind, it's not even funny. Doesn't it seem like when you're little, you count down until Christmas and can't wait until the big day. But when you get older, Christmas morning creates a sort of panic? That could just be me, but I'm definitely feeling that way this year.

Oh, well. Always next year to be organized right? :)

If you are like me and still have yet to finish your holiday shopping, you should consider homemade gifts. I've never given them out before and don't know why it's taken me this long to give a gift I've made myself.

Gingerbread Cookie Mix in a Jar
Source: All Recipes

Flour Level:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Flour and Spice Mix:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup packed brown sugar

Directions
Mix 2 cups of the flour with the baking soda and baking powder. Mix the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour with the ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. In a 1 quart, wide mouth canning jar, layer the ingredients starting with the flour and baking powder mixture, then the brown sugar, and finally the flour and spice mixture. Pack firmly between layers.

Attach a card to the jar with the following directions:
Gingerbread Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Empty contents of jar into a large mixing bowl. Stir to blend together. Mix in 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine, 3/4 cup molasses, 1 Tbsp. vinegar, and 1 slightly beaten egg. Dough will be very stiff, so you may need to use your hands. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Place cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Decorate as desired.

Printable version

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

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

------------

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:

Lemon Madeleines

When I saw that the Flavor of the Month for August was Lemon or Lime, I knew it would be a hard choice for me to pick what to bake. Brian LOVES any dessert with a lemon flavor to it. Absolutely loves it. His great-aunt used to make a lemon cake that he still dreams about. We've all tried to recreate the cake, but no one can get it the way he remembered it.

I've wanted to make Madeleines for a long time, so the Flavor of the Month gave me a good reason to try them out!

Lemon Madeleines
Source: Martha Stewart

Ingredients
Makes 2 dozen

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons total)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two madeleine pans; set aside.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl; set aside.
Put eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and thickened, about 5 minutes. Mix in butter. Using a spatula, fold flour mixture into egg mixture. Let rest 30 minutes.
Pour batter into buttered pans, filling the molds 3/4 full. Bake cookies, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are crisp and golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Let cookies cool slightly in pans on wire racks. Invert, and unmold. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to one day.
First published: December 2005

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

Apple Pie Ice Cream

Ok, so it looks more like Apple Pie Ice Cream soup. I promise, it's ice cream and it still tastes very yummy. I'm just impatient and didn't let it sit long enough in the freezer.

What says summer more than apple pie and ice cream? How about the two mixed together? July is National Ice Cream month, so to celebrate the last day of July (where is this year going, by the way?) and to participate in Bake at 350's Flavor of the Month, I give you Apple Pie Ice Cream.

It's Cinnamon Ice Cream with graham cracker crumbs and caramelized apples mixed into it. Yummy yum yum. It's like summer in a bowl.

Cinnamon Ice Cream
Source: David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Ten 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken up
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks

Warm the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks, and 1 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan. Once warm, cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Rewarm the cinnamon-infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon and discard them. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and into the cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Caramelized Apples
3 Fuji apples, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of salt

In a large skillet, melt the butter and brown sugar together. Stir in the apples, cinnamon and salt. Caramelize until apples are deep brown and soft. Cool in refrigerator before stirring into ice cream.

For the Apple Pie Ice Cream
Place 6 graham crackers in a large Ziploc bag. Break up the graham crackers with a mallet, rolling pin, or heavy skillet. Within the last few minutes of the ice cream churning, pour in the graham cracker crumbs. When ice cream is finished, fold in the caramelized apples.

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