I renamed these "Devil Brownies" because they are bad, bad, bad! They are so bad they are really good. You won't be able to eat just one. This is why I make them only one time a year. If you don't have will power, don't make these....Molly, I'm talking to you! :) I make a 9x13 pan and then freeze most of them, taking only one out at a time for consumption. Everyone loves these and every time I serve them to people, they ALWAYS ask for the recipe. The only problem is this is a more labor intensive recipe - just remember the outcome is well worth the effort. So, if you do not have patience, just skip this entry.
The original recipe is here, her picture is much better than mine.
1 ½ cup chopped pecans
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 sticks butter (I use salted, but if you like a less salty taste, use unsalted)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag of caramel bits!
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 ½ cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Meanwhile, line a 13×9 inch pan with Release foil or parchment paper. You could also just line with foil and spray the foil. Make sure to spray the sides so the caramel won’t stick to the sides.
Place chocolate and butter in a double broiler until melted. (you could also do this in the microwave) Let cool for about 5 minutes. While chocolate cools, in a separate bowl beat sugar and eggs on high speed of an electric mixer for 3 entire minutes. Beat in vanilla. Stir chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Using a mixing spoon or wire whisk, stir in flour and salt. Pour about half of this batter into the lined pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Cool for 20 minutes. While first layer cools, prepare filling.
Put caramel bits in a saucepan with the 1/3 cup of cream.
Heat on medium low, stirring often, until caramels are melted. Stir about half of the chopped pecans into the caramel. Pour the caramel mixture over the brownie layer.
Spread the remaining brownie mix over the caramel filling. It is kind of tricky, so do your best, but don’t worry about covering all the caramel. Scatter chocolate chips and remaining pecans over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for another 20 minutes or until the top batter appears set but not dry. Allow brownies to cool completely (this should take a few hours). I like to cool them and then chill them because it makes slicing easier.
Lift brownies from pan and place on a big cutting board. Slice into whatever size you feel like, just be warned, they are VERY rich!
I'm so excited - look what Kraft FINALLY came out with! No more peeling the plastic off the caramel squares. That was one tedious job I did not like! Sometimes I would ask my kids to do it for me, but when I did I would always need a second bag of caramels because they would eat too many. So, thank you Kraft!
Coming soon to a blog near you, the recipe for Caramel Filled Brownies....AKA - Devil Brownies. But for now I must now head out the door to help chaperone a trip to NANTA for the middle school! Woo – hoo!! (Really I mean that in an excited way!!)
This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found on the McCormick website. This is a great cake to have around for the holidays! Hubby and the folks at his office LOVED this cake. The kids were not so keen on it.
1 package chocolate cake mix
1 small package chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1 TBL ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
½ cup vanilla yogurt (the recipe called for sour cream, but I didn’t have any on hand)
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup molasses
½ cup water
1 cup mini chocolate chips
White Chocolate Drizzle
1 cup white chocolate chips
4 TBL milk
½ tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl until moistened, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a 10 cup bundt pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil.
Bake 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes, invert cake onto wire rack, cool completely.
For drizzle, melt white chocolate chips and milk in double broiler (or in microwave), stir till smooth, stir in vanilla. Immediately drizzle over cooled cake.
A couple of weeks ago I was making cookies, not an unusual thing around here. It happened to be a Monday, and our piano teacher was here, as she is every Monday. You must understand something; when I make cookies, which is often as you guys know, I like to give some of them away, especially to someone worthy; someone that teach my children something, someone that has had a hard day or week, someone that just had a baby, or surgery, or to someone that is just kind. The kids piano teacher, Mrs. F, was here, so on her way out the door I handed her a plate of cookies. She was so appreciative and thanked me several times.
Something else you must understand; when you give a Korean something, you should always expect something in return. I forgot about this "Korean rule" while handing the Mrs. F the cookies. Well, the following Monday when Mrs. F returned to our home to give the kids their piano lessons, she came with gift in hand. Three beautiful Korean pears.
Now, I wish I had put something beside these pears before I took this picture so you could see just how big they are. The Korean pear is HUGE in comparison to the pears we eat at home. At least 2x's the size. The texture and taste is very different as well. I would compare the Korean Pear with an apple with a few differences. The Korean pear is not quite as hard as the apple, a little softer, a little juicer and a little less sweet. I'm not good at describing the taste of food - sorry. Just know, the Korean pear is very good, but don't bite into it expecting that "pear" taste you know so well. I wouldn't even call it a pear if that were not its name - well, maybe a little.
So, we ate one, I sent one to Hubby's office and the third I thought I would try to bake with.
As it turns out this cake was DELICIOUS!!! It was so nice and moist, you could eat it without the frosting, it is that good! Next time I think I am going to make it without the frosting. Don't get me wrong, the frosting is good, but it is also nice to save a few calories when you can. I got the recipe from here, a website I have been reading for a while. I have no connection to this person, other than she loves to cook and she appears to do it much better than I do. The original recipe is here, it is an Apple Spice Cake, so if you can't find a Korean Pear, I would make it with the apples, it will be worth your time.
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (see, it is already off to a good start)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk (I didn’t have butter milk on hand, so I made my own with 1 ½ TBL vinegar & filled the rest of the 2/3 cup up with milk)
I large Korean pear, pealed, and diced (very fine)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350. Spray an 8 inch square baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through salt.) Set aside.
Beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute, then gradually add the brown sugar and continue beating on medium-high speed until well blended and light, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time. Beat well after adding each egg, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions. Mix just until blended. By hand, add the diced apple and chopped walnut just until incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 30 minutes (it took my cake about 40 minutes), until the top is light golden brown and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack, then turn out onto a serving platter before you frost it.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 TBL butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 TBL pure maple syrup
1 cup powdered sugar
In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the vanilla, maple syrup, spices and salt. Reduce the speed to low and add the confectioner’s sugar. Beat until well blended. Increase the speed to high, and beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes
Ahhh, the snickerdoodle cookie. This is Girls favorite cookie by far. She calls them cinnamon cookies. She has loved this cookie for 2-3 years now, and considering she is only six, that is a long time! I got this recipe from good ol' Betty Crocker herself.
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening
2 eggs
2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tarter
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together first 4 ingredients. Stir in flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt. Shape into 1 ¼ inch balls.
Mix ¼ cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon together, roll balls into the mixture. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or till set. Cool. (I like cooking them a little under baked, which is about 8 minutes in my oven)
This recipe makes about 40 cookies at about 90 calories per cookie.
The snickerdoodle cookies are pictured with a non-fat, sugar free vanilla latte with cinnamon sprinkled on top.
OH BABY, these were GOOD!!! I got them off this website, she labeled them as "Possibly The Best Lemon Squares" & I am here to tell you, she might be right. They are the best lemon squares I have ever made, not that I have ever made them before. J You should try them.
The Crust
¾ cup plus 2 TBL flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar plus extra for garnish
2 TBL corn starch
Pinch of salt
6 TBL butter cut into pieces
The Filling
2 large eggs
2/3 cups sugar
1 ½ TBL flour
1 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 TBL heavy cream
Pinch of salt
Don’t preheat the oven yet. Line an 8 inch square pan with foil & spray the foil with cooking spray
Pulse flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch & salt in food processor. Add butter and process to blend, about 10 seconds, then pulse till course. Pour the very dry mixture into pan and press over bottom. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. While it chills make the filling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake chilled crust for 20 minutes or till edges are very lightly brown
Filling: With a fork, lightly beat eggs, sugar and flour together in a bowl, add lemon juice, lemon zest heavy cream and salt, mix well.
Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees F. Pour filling over warm crust. Bake for 20 minutes or till filling no longer appears wet and shaky.
Set on wire rack and cool to room temperature. Lift from pan, place on cutting board, cut into bars then sprinkle with extra powdered sugar.
Everyone loved these cookies and they are very easy to make! (Kathie, even you can make them) They are best if eaten warm right out of the oven, if you can't eat them right out of the oven, just pop them in the microwave for about 15 seconds to heat them up.
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ½ TBL butter
1 egg
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup flour
¼ tsp baking soda
Melt chips and butter in microwave, heat 30 seconds, stir, heat 30 more seconds, stir, repeat till melted. Set aside.
Beat egg & sugar about 3 minutes or till light and fluffy, beat in salt and vanilla. Gradually add melted chocolate & mix until well combined. Add flour, baking soda, slowly. Batter will not be stiff. Chill batter in fridge for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Spoon batter by rounded tablespoonfuls and make 8 equally sized cookies. Bake for 12 minutes, cool on cookie sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Eat warm!
Call me boring if you wish, but my favorite cookie is the chocolate chip cookie. I have tried and tested many different types of chocolate chip cookies, and I do have my favorite recipes, someday I will share them with you. However today is not that day, today we are going to focus on the Maple Gingersnap Cookie which caught my eye a few weeks back. I found it out there in internet land however I can't figure out where I printed the recipe from, I do remember the blogger had made homemade peach ice cream, (I am now kicking myself for not bring my ice cream maker to Korea) and Maple Gingersnaps. Oh baby, the combo looked great together and I was drooling, but since I have no ice cream maker with me, I opted just to make the cookies. These cookies were a big hit with the entire family, and I dream of the day I can have them with the fresh home made peach ice cream.
The recipe….
2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp salt
¾ cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temp
1 egg
¼ cup + 2 TBL pure maple syrup, if you can find Grade B use it, if not Grade A is fine
In a bowl mix together first 7 ingredients (through salt) and set aside.
Cream butter and ½ cup sugar, and the brown sugar together for 2 minutes, or till light and fluffy. With mixer running on medium, add the egg, then the syrup.
Turn mixer down to low and add dry ingredients.
Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.
While dough is chilling preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll dough into ¾ inch balls and roll in the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Place balls on baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 3 inches apart. Bake about 15 minutes, or till cookies are golden around the edges and but still a little soft in the middle. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before you transfer them to a cooling rack….if you don’t wait, they will fall apart – trust me, I know from experience!
I have been having all sorts of internet problems prohibiting me from making post. Hubby thinks they are all cleared up now, so you should be hearing from me more often.
I made this cake for Hubby’s birthday. He LOVES Peach Pie and German Chocolate Cake, I couldn’t find good peaches, so I opted to make the GCC for him. I am not a huge fan of the GCC, so I ask him what he thought of this cake; he said it was “OK”. Da@$ it, what?, JUST OK AUGHHH!!! He said the frosting was great, but the cake part was just “OK”. I don’t like making thing that are just “OK”, so if you have a great GCC recipe out there, please pass it on to me. Personally, I thought this cake was pretty good, you know, for being German Chocolate.
Just “OK” German Chocolate Cake
1/2 cup water
4 oz German Chocolate, cut up
1 TBL cocoa powder
2 ½ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk, room temp
4 large egg whites, stiffly beaten
Preheat oven to 350. Spray three 9 inch round cake pans.
Bring water to a boil, add chocolate to water and stir till melts. Stir in cocoa powder. Set aside and let cool.
Sift together flour baking soda and salt, set aside.
Mix butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in yolks, vanilla and chocolate mixture. When mixed VERY well, using the lowest speed of the mixer, add flower mixture alternately with buttermilk. When flour is completely absorbed, fold in the beaten egg whites.
Divide batter among the 3 pans and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until you can put a wooden toothpick in the center of the cake and it comes out clean. (It took right at 30 minutes in my oven). Cool on rack for 10 minutes, and then carefully flip from pans. These cakes are VERY DELICATE, and fall apart easily, so take extra caution.
Good Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 ½ sticks melted butter
12 oz can evaporated milk
1 ½ cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 ½ tsp vanilla
2 cups coconut
1 ½ cup chopped pecans
Whisk butter, evaporated milk, sugar and egg yolks together in a large saucepan. Turn heat to medium and cook mixture, whisking often, until it thickens. This should take about 10 minutes. When thickened and bubbly, remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. It should look thick, but still be a little runny, it will thicken more as it cools, and it will thicken even more as it chills. Let it cool at room temperature, then stir in vanilla, pecans and coconut. Put in fridge and cool for about 30 more minutes. Frost cake.
And there you have it, and OK German Chocolate Cake with good frosting.
The plate says it all. Life is short. Buy the shoes. That is so true, because you never know when you will move to a foreign country and shoes will not be as plentiful as they once were. And if you move to Asia, the majority of the population has small feet, and someone with a size 8.5 foot (like me) cannot find shoes to fit. Now, many of you know how much I love shoes, well let me just say Zappos and 6pm have been staying busy because of me. OH, this is a cookie blog isn’t it? Sorry, back to business…..
I got this recipe from one of my favorite websites, CookieMadness. This woman is amazing, she bakes every single day! I imagined she was as large as a house, which kept me going, until one day she posted a photo of herself. My image was shot, she is a very slim, nice looking woman, not the cookie monster I have envisioned. Slim, and bakes great cookies - her husband must be in heaven.
7 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted or fluffed up and measured lightly
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13×9 inch pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray.
Melt chocolate in a bowl set over, but not touching, a saucepan of simmering water. Alternatively, you may use the microwave.
Cream butter, brown sugar and peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt, and add to creamed mixture. Stir just until well mixed then stir in the oats
Spread about three quarters of the dough into the prepared pan. Spread with the melted chocolate over the dough. Scoop up bits of remaining peanut butter dough and drop them over the melted chocolate so that you have speckled looking bars.
Bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars. Makes about 2 dozen bars.
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