Pretzel Candy Kisses

That was the small token left for Mark this morning when I took a plateful of these to school for our chocolate fest.  Lo and behold the chocolate fest is tomorrow.  Oh well, the plate was empty by the end of lunch today.  I wanted to make these Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites, but ran out of time and needed something quick and easy.  

Click for printable recipe 

Pretzel Candy Kisses

Ingredients:

1 1 pound bag of waffle pretzels, butter flavor are really tasty

1 bag of Hershey's dark chocolate kisses

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper of a silpat mat.

3.  Spread pretzels on cookie sheet leaving about 1/4 inch between them.

4.  Top each pretzel with an unwrapped kiss.

5.  Carefully place a second pretzel on top of the chocolate.  If it's not quite soft enough, pop back in oven for a few seconds.

6.  Chill for 30 minutes.

7.  Store in air tight container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

I buy 2 bags of pretzels to allow for breakage.

Recipe adapted from Cookies & Cups

Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars

I had planned to show before and after photos of my garden this afternoon.  The rain changed all that.  I'll have to share the before now, and the after tomorrow if the weather cooperates.

I spent hours a few nights ago trying to remember where I had found this recipe, which I wanted to make for our last day of work luncheon.  We traditionally have a salad lunch on the day after the student's last day.  Now that I'm no longer baking desserts at home I have to jump at the opportunity to bake and take!  Note to self:  bookmark all recipes you might make, don't plan on remembering where to find them!

Ingredients:

For the oatmeal layer:

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup salted honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

For the chocolate layer:

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ cup salted honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.   Grease the sides of the pan with butter.

To make the oatmeal cookie layer, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Whisk to blend.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium-high speed until it is soft and creamy, about 1 minute.  Add the brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Mix in the oats and peanuts with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.

Reserve 1½ cups of the mixture.  Place the remaining dough in the prepared pan and press over the bottom of the pan in an even layer.

To make the chocolate layer, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Stir occasionally until the mixture is warm and the chocolate chips and butter are melted.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and peanuts.

Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the oatmeal cookie layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula.  Crumble the remaining oatmeal cookie mixture and scatter evenly over the top of the chocolate.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the chocolate layer is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.  Cut into bars as desired and serve.

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From Annie's Eats

Chocolate and Vanilla Angel Food Cake with "Dipped Cone" Icing

 When I saw the picture of this I knew I had to make it.  What better time than Easter.  The whipped cream made it off the low fat diet, but it was the first dessert we'd had in the house in over a month.  I did opt out of making the cake from scratch and used a Betty Crocker Angel Food Cake Mix.  Mark said he doesn't really like Angel Food Cake, but this was one of the best he's had. 

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup cake flour
1-1/2 cup sugar–divided (I like superfine)
1-2/3 cup egg whites (10-11 large eggs)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Dutch chocolate, sifted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together cake flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Using stand mixer and wire attachment, begin mixing egg whites and cream of tartar on low for one minute. Add salt. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until egg whites are thick and billowy. With mixer running, pour the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar in from the side–slowly. Continue beating egg whites until glossy and soft peaks gently tip over when you pull the wire beater up. Add extracts and turn the mixer on for a couple of seconds to incorporate.

2. Use your largest rubber spatula to delicately and carefully fold sifted flour and sugar into whipped egg whites. I add only about 1/4 cup of the flour and sugar mixture at a time. Slice with spatula perpendicular to whites down to bottom of bowl and turn spatula slightly to pull up batter from the bottom and lay over the top. Turn bowl 1/4 turn and repeat slice with spatula until flour and egg whites are just mixed. The folding process should be done with patience and a light hand. Practice helps. If you overdo the mixing, your cake won’t be as high as your hopes.

3. Pour slightly more than half of cake batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan with a removable bottom. Use a spoon to draw a trough around the middle. Carefully fold sifted cocoa into remaining batter until completely mixed. (Do not skip the sifting or you will have little chunks of cocoa in your batter.) Fill trough with the chocolate batter and then smooth over the top.

4. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately turn over to cool for several hours. I recommend overnight. Use a firm hand and a skinny knife to loosen cake from edges of pan and invert cake onto cake plate.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:
2/3 cup heavy cream
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate bar

Whipped Cream Icing

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

Whip cream in chilled bowl with wire attachment. When thick with soft peaks, add powdered sugar and continue to whip until cream makes stiff peaks. Go too far and whipped cream will be dry looking or turn into butter. Watch it! Spread smoothly over angel food cake.

Directions:

1. Heat heavy cream in small glass bowl for 1 minute in microwave oven. Add chocolate bar broken in several pieces to hot cream and allow to sit and melt while you ice the cake.

2. When chocolate is completely melted use small wire whisk or spoon to mix making small circles at first, then larger and finally, mixing chocolate and cream until smooth.

3. Pour warm chocolate ganache into a small Ziplock bag. Snip one corner about 1/4 inch. (Eyeball it.) Turn over a cereal bowl and practice running chocolate along the edge till you get the effect you want. If it’s too thick to make nice “runs”, add a few drops of warm cream. If too thin, let cool a while longer.

4. Here is where it gets a little tricky. Run ganache along the upper/outer edge of cake and slowly squirt ganache from small hole in the corner of your Ziplock bag making “runs and drips” around the entire cake. Do the inner edge the same way. Squirt remainder of ganache over top of cake and use a spoon to quickly spread evenly. You have a small window to get it smooth because the cold whip cream icing will harden the ganache on contact. Chill at least one hour before serving. Best eaten within 24 hours but still amazingly good for a couple days.

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From Salad In A Jar

Rocky Ledge Bars

This looked too good not to try.  I think I’ve found a new favorite. Before sampling we sent some home with company and over to daughter's boyfriend.  Little did we know we'd wish we'd kept more!  The original recipe called for using chopped white and semi-sweet chocolate, to make it simpler I used chips of all.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup miniature marshmallow

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
18 soft caramel-candy cubes, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the longer sides. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Set the pan aside.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla extract, mix until smooth.

3. Slowly add in the  flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in half of each of the marshmallows, chocolates, butterscotch chips, and caramels.

4. Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining marshmallows, chocolates, butterscotch chips, and caramels on top.

5. Bake until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Lift out of pan, and transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes.

6. Remove parchment, and cut into about triangles or squares.

Click here for printable recipe

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar

The reason I started to blog about my recipes was so that I would know where to find the ones I liked best!  At Christmas time I made these cookies in a jar to give as gifts to special friends.  My dear friend Candace made them and asked for the recipe!  Oh dear, could I find it?  After unsuccessfully searching through my computer to find it, I thought maybe I had stuck it in with the recipes I only bake at Christmas.  Lo and behold it was there.  These were fun to put together and I look forward to changing the ingredients in future years for a new cookie treat!  Thanks to Candace for the picture!  As I was typing the recipe I remembered that I chose it because it reminded me of a recipe Candace and I had received from a dear friend at church that was suppose to be Nordstrom's "secret" cookie recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups rolled oats

1 (2.6 ounce) chocolate bar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

With wire whisk, mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  Pour into a 1 quart mason jar, pack down level with a heavy object.  Mix oatmeal in blender.  Grate chocolate bar and mix into the oatmeal.  Pack on top of flour in jar.  Add white sugar and pack down.  Add brown sugar and pack down.  Layer chopped nuts on top of brown sugar.  Finish layering jar with mini or regular chocolate chips until even with the top (no more than 1/2 cup).

Attach following directions to the jar:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spoon chocolate chops and nuts into small bowl, set aside.  Spoon brown and white sugar into mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup margarine or butter, cream well.  Add 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, mix well.  Pour oatmeal and flour mixture from jar to bowl, mix throughly.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Roll into walnut size balls, place on slightly greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:  flour, oatmeal, brown and white sugars, soda, baking powder, grated chocolate, chocolate chips, nuts.  Makes 3 dozen

Click here for printable recipe

From:  Christmas-cookies.com

Gingered Carrot Cake Cookies

If it’s not chocolate, it’s not worth baking! Okay,  once in awhile I’ll do lemon, maybe raspberry (which goes oh so well with chocolate), and Gravenstein apple Pie  in the summer.  But, my husband Mark’s favorite dessert is carrot cake.  When I saw this recipe on a  blog, I had to try it for Mark's’ sake.   I’ve been on a chocolate cookie run since Christmas.  I usually bake a carrot cake for Mark on New Years Eve, but was unable because we were in Southern California, so I baked these cookies for him as a belated birthday treat.  Even thought they have no chocolate, I found them yummy!

Gingered Carrot Cake Cookies

Makes: 18 cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 16 to 18 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of grated nutmeg
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded carrots (about 3, peeled and trimmed)
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup raisins
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Position oven racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger and nutmeg.

3. With a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then add the egg and beat for another minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the vanilla. Continuing on low speed, add the flour mixture in 2 or 3 batches and beat only until they just disappear into the mix. The dough will be very thick, but don’t overbeat to incorporate the flour. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the carrots, coconut, raisins and pecans.

Click here for printable recipe

From Brown Eyed Baker

S'mores Nut Bars

My favorite part of summer barbeque and camping is the S'mores after the meal!  This recipe looked good, but I wasn't sure I could adulterate a S'more with peanuts.  Surprisingly, the salty crunch added by the peanuts were delicious.  There is no longer a need to wait until the summer season for this rich treat.  The original recipe called for 10 quartered marshmallows, I had a full bag of mini marshmallows in the cupboard and thought they worked quite well.

S’more Nut Bars

Yield: 24 bars

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 15 minutes | Chill Time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

2¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
7½ ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
7½ ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1½ teaspoons light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups mini marshmallows

½ cup lightly salted whole peanuts
½ cup chopped lightly salted peanuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan or spray it with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Add the butter. Combine the mixture, then turn it out into the prepared pan. Press the crust into an even layer along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to create a perfectly even crust.

3. Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

4. In a large heatproof bowl, toss the chocolates together. Drizzle the corn syrup over the chocolate and set aside.

5. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream just to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate mixture. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Starting in the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, whisk the chocolate mixture in a circle  until completely smooth. Fold in the marshmallows and the whole peanuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the top with the chopped peanuts.

6. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until set. Cut into squares and serve. The bars will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.

Adapted from  Brown Eyed  Baker

Part of my Christmas Tradition is to make plate fulls of cookies and candies to share with my neighbors, friends and family.  My neighbor Sara returned the gift in the form of cream of onion soup and bread on that was in my kitchen when I arrived home from work on Monday.  I couldn't return the dish empty so that gave me an excuse to try a decadent sounding brownie I found on Annie's Eats.  I'm not a big brownie fan, these could change that!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Yield: 30-36 brownies

Ingredients:
For the brownies:
14 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup cocoa powder 
2 cups sugar
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the peanut butter cheesecake swirl:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
6 tbsp. sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.  To make the brownie batter, combine the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.  Remove the bowl from the heat.  Whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar, eggs and cream cheese until smooth and well blended.  Mix in the vanilla and salt.  Add the flour to the bowl and whisk just until incorporated.  Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula.

To make the peanut butter cheesecake portion, combine the cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until completely smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Blend in the egg and vanilla until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Drop spoonfuls of the peanut butter mixture over the brownie batter in the pan, creating a cobblestone appearance.  Use a knife or wooden skewer to gently swirl together the peanut butter mixture and brownie batter.  Bake 30-35 minutes, until the center is just set.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled before slicing and serving.

Source:  Annie's Eats