S'mores Pudding Pops

Guess what I found out today was......its S'mores day! Happy S'mores day everyone! I guess they make an occasion out of everything. But what a delicious way to celebrate an occasion. Funny thing is, without knowing what today is, I somehow chose today to experiment on this recipe. Well, its not really a recipe. I just threw stuff together to make a frozen treat out of my older daughter's favorite dessert - S'mores. And it came out yummy. It was such a huge hit with my girls, that I'm almost out of it. Luckily, I managed to wrestle some away from them to take a quick picture for this blog.

prepared boxed or chocolate pudding
crushed graham crackers
mini marshmallows

1) Using popsicle molds or small paper cups, place a small amount of graham cracker crumbs at the bottom of your mold. Place a few marshmallows on top of the graham crackers. Pour or spoon a small amount of pudding on top of the marshmallows. Gently tap the mold to ensure the pudding coats the marshmallows. Doing so will ensure the popsicle will freeze in one piece. Repeat layering.

2) Top the chocolate pudding with some more graham crackers. Place the popsicle stick and freeze overnight.

Copycat Coco Puffs

If you don't know, you better ask somebody.

A few years ago, I posted about our first visit to the Liliha Bakery in Hawaii and our first time having their famous Coco Puffs. I had heard about them from an episode of Hawaii Five-0 and decided that we had to visit the bakery when we went back to Hawaii. From then on, we always make it a point to visit Liliha Bakery for their puffs every time we're on the island. Well, its been a couple of years since we've been back and I hella miss my coco puffs. What to do, what to do....

Recently, hubby's cousin in Hawaii posted a picture of some coco puffs she had made on Facebook. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking to myself that one day I would try making them. Well folks, THE TIME IS NOW. So I did a search on Pinterest and found this recipe from Just Jenn Recipes. Coco puffs are these little pillows of pastry (Choux pastry) filled with chocolate pudding and topped with a sweet Chantilly frosting. I decided to modify my vanilla pudding recipe and came up with my own Chocolate Pudding to fill the pastry with. The outcome was almost as good as coco puffs. It was a huge hit with hubby. In fact, he's asking me to make more! These, by no means, will ever replace the original. But its pretty damn close.

If you don't know about these yummy pastry treats, you better ask somebody how good they taste. Or better yet, go to Hawaii and visit them yourself. Or even better is to try making them yourself like I did.

prepared chocolate pudding (homemade or boxed instant pudding mix)

Choux  pastry
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs

1) In a medium pot over high heat, bring water, milk, butter and salt to a boil.

2) Carefully add flour in the pot and stir. Continue stirring until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. Cook for another minute or so to cook the flour out. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Line 2 cookie sheets with silpat or wax paper.

3) Place dough in a bowl of an electric mixer. On low speed, add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Do not over beat.

4) Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheet, spacing them enough to fit 12 puffs in a tray. Bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, lower the heat to 350 deg F and allow to bake for another 10  minutes. Turn the heat off and keep the puffs in the oven for another 10 minutes for them to dry out. Remove from the oven and cool completely in a wire rack.

5) Once cooled, poke a small hole on top of the puff and fill them with prepared pudding, using a piping bag or a sandwich bag.

Chantilly frosting 
1 (12 oz can) evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
pinch of salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1)  In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients over medium low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate until mixture turns into piping consistency for a few hours, or place in freezer to cool faster.

2) Pipe or spoon frosting on top of prepared puffs. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

There's a new recipe that I'm going to be testing in a while which requires chocolate pudding. Rather than using the boxed pudding mix that the recipe calls for, and being the do-it-yourself er that I am, I decided to modify my original Vanilla pudding recipe and make my own chocolate pudding. There's nothing better than homemade chocolate pudding. You can totally taste the difference between the boxed stuff and homemade. Yum!

3/4 cup sugar

4 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. salt

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup heavy cream

2 1/2 cups milk

3 egg yolks

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract 

1) In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cocoa powder. Whisk in cream, milk and egg yolks. Whisk thoroughly to dissolve the cocoa powder (it may take a while). Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes, or until mixture has thickened.

2) Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Strain through a sieve to remove any lumps. Place plastic wrap directly on the pudding to prevent a film from forming. Refrigerate.

Cookie Dough Dip

I love anything that has to do with cookie dough. Whether it be cookie dough it its raw form whenever I make my Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies. Or my Cookie Dough brownies. Or my Cookie Dough cupcakes. Or my Cookie Dough truffles. I just love cookie dough. So when I found this Cookie Dough Dip recipe from Love and Prayer via Pinterest, I knew I had to add it to my collection of cookie dough recipes.

I decided to make this for a pre Mother's Day lunch with hubby's side of the family last month and it came out really good. I served it a few neutral flavored cookies and crackers like Vanilla wafer cookies, Graham crackers, and honey wheat pretzels. I loved it most with the pretzels. So yummy.

1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips

1) Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture starts to bubble. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, whisk in vanilla extract.

2) In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and confectioner's sugar. Slowly add cooled brown sugar mixture. Mix until combined.

3) Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate for an hour before serving. Serve with vanilla wafer cookies, graham crackers, or pretzels.

Chocolate Pistachio Cupcakes

Its been a while since I've made any new cupcakes. I'm usually making my staple cupcakes of Red Velvet, and Banana cupcakes. But I wanted to replicate a Chocolate Pistachio cupcake I get from my local cupcake shop that I love so much. So I searched my ever-so favorite site, Pinterest, and found this recipe from The Little Kitchen. 

I used my new favorite Chocolate Frosting. However, I feel like this frosting was too rich and it overpowered the Pistachio flavor of the cupcake. The cupcake was delicious. It had just the perfect amount of pistachio flavor. I may play around with the frosting to match the cupcake a little more. Stay tuned....

Pistachio Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sat
3.4-3.5 ounce box of instant Pistachio pudding
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 egg white
1/2 cup milk

1) Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and instant Pistachio pudding. Set aside.

3) In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add oil and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Add eggs and egg white, one at a time until completely incorporated. Scrape the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

4) Add dry ingredients and incorporate with a rubber spatula until most of the dry ingredients are moistened. Its okay if there is still some unincorporated flour. Add milk and mix on the mixer over low speed for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and continue mixing on low for another 30 seconds until batter is smooth.

5) Fill prepared liners with the batter about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or toothpick test comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

9.5 oz chocolate chips (bittersweet, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate chips)

6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

4 Tbsp. cocoa powder

pinch of sat

2/3 cup sour cream

1) Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over pot of simmering water (double boiler). Set aside to cool until just barely warm.

2) In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter over medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually add in confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Beat in melted and cooled chocolate and then sour cream. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and well blended. Frost cupcakes immediately before chocolate hardens and frosting sets.

S'mores Cookie Bars

My older daughter has been asking me to make something that uses marshmallows in the recipe. And what's a better use of marshmallows than s'mores? I love roasting marshmallows and sandwiching it between chocolate and graham crackers, then eating its ooey-gooey goodness. Something about it is just so comforting. 

I found this recipe for S'mores Cookie Bars on Pinterest from Lovin' in the Oven. It uses a graham cracker cookie crust and marshmallow fluff that accomplishes the gooey part of a traditional s'mores. This definitely satisfies my S'mores craving.

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars
1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff (not melted marshmallows)

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2) In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light in color. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and continue beating on low speed until combined.

4) Press half of the dough in an even layer on the bottom of prepared pan. Place chocolate bars on top of dough. Spread marshmallow fluff over the chocolate bars. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the marshmallow fluff (the easiest way to do this is by flattening the dough into small shingles and then laying them together).

5) Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Carmelitas

This recipe for Carmelitas from Lulu the Baker has made its rounds on Pinterest several times and so I figured I should give it a try. It looked easy enough and I had some caramels left over from when I made Samoa brownies. I was able to make this during another one of my baby girl's naps because it was pretty easy to make. And they came out ooey-goey delicious and so easy to make. I'll definitely be making these again.

9.5 ounces (about 32 squares) caramel
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

2) In a small microwave safe bowl, place caramel and cream and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and return to microwave in 30 second increments until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

1) In a large bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar, flour, oats and baking soda until well combined. Pat half of the mixture on the bottom of an 8x8 pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

2) Remove pan from oven and top with chocolate chips. Pour caramel over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over chocolate chips. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Boston Cream Icebox Cake

Have you ever heard of an Icebox Cake or Refrigerator Cake or No-Bake Cake? They're different names, but are all the same. I've heard of them, but I can't say I've ever had them. One of my nieces had mentioned that she wanted to make a Refrigerator Cake one day and I finally asked her what it was. She described it as crackers layered with a filling or some sort of custard and then refrigerated overnight for the crackers to soak up the custard. I decided to pass it up because I'm not a big fan of soggy crackers. Its textural thing. But then I've been seeing different versions of them all over Pinterest and it piqued my attention. So I decided to give this recipe a shot for a No-Bake Boston Cream Pie Strata from The Kitchn.

I used my Vanilla Pudding as the filling for this Icebox Cake. This dessert came out quite good, to my surprise. And it was so easy to make. The graham crackers turned into to this moist cake. Who would've thought that I would end up loving soggy crackers??? I may try the other versions of no bake desserts. Stay tuned.....

2 sleeves of Graham Crackers
2 cups prepared vanilla pudding
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. milk
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1) Line the bottom of an 8x8 inch pan with graham crackers, breaking them in half if necessary to fit the pan. Pour 1 cup of prepared vanilla pudding on top of the graham crackers. Place another layer of graham crackers and pour the remaining vanilla pudding. Place a final layer of graham crackers on top and set aside.

2) In a small saucepan, melt butter with the cocoa powder over medium-low heat and bring to a light simmer, whisking occasionally for about 1 minute. Whisk in milk and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in confectioner's sugar until smooth. Add vanilla extract. While mixture is still warm, pour on top of graham crackers and smooth with a spatula or hot knife. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to overnight.

Samoa Brownies

So I've been holding out on you guys. I've been MIA for 2 months, partly because I had been on bed rest since the end of March and was put on a strict diabetic diet at the end of my pregnancy. So my menu consisted of boring, protein-filled meals that I didn't need to share on this blog. Not much going on in the kitchen. However, the main reason I have been away was because I had finally given birth to another beautiful baby girl at the end of April. We're all pretty much still adjusting to the new little person in our household, but we couldn't be happier. My eldest daughter is the most excited to finally have a little sister.

I was previously warned that having 2 kids was going to be a lot different than it was when I only had 1. They were right. Aside from my own recovery after giving birth and the sleepless nights, there is so much more to juggle. But because I was so restricted with my diet for the past 2 months, I couldn't wait to get back in the kitchen and eat normally again. And you best believe that I have been saving up a ton of new recipes to try out. I have recently got into Pinterest and found great ideas from there, including this new recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff. It was the first thing I wanted to try out and I'm so glad I did. I love the Girls Scout Samoa cookies. In fact, I tried another version of a Samoas Bar when I first started this blog. So when I saw a brownie version of a Samoa, I had to give it a shot.

I used the brownie recipe from my Salted Caramel Pecan Brownies and they came out so good. You can also use a boxed brownie mix, but you know me and making things from scratch. This recipe was quite easy and I'm definitely going to make these again.

prepared brownie
1 3/4 cups shredded coconut
1 (14 oz) package caramels, unwrapped
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. milk
1-2 oz semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

1) Prepare brownies according to instructions. Cool completely.

2) Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Place coconut on a baking pan. Bake for 2-3 minutes. Stir coconut. Bake for another 2-3 minutes until toasted. Watch closely to ensure it doesn't burn.

3) In a large, microwaveable bowl, add caramels, salt, and milk. Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, about 45-60 second increments. Continue heating until caramel is melted and smooth.

4) Stir in toasted coconut. Spread over cooled brownie. Drizzle melted chocolate chips over brownies and refrigerate for 4-5 hours or overnight. When you're ready to cut, allow to sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften the coconut topping.

Red Velvet Puppy Chow

My family and I recently went on a trip to Disneyland this past weekend. Because I'm on bed rest, we decided to rent a room at the resort where I can stay while hubby and our daughter have fun at the park. Some have asked me why we even bothered going if I wasn't going to the park. I really wanted to treat our daughter to something special before the new baby arrives in a couple of months. Because it may be a while before we can go back to Disneyland. And she had such a great time. Which is all I could ever ask for.

Before heading out to Disneyland, I wanted to make some snacks to keep me busy while I'm alone in the hotel room. I remember coming across this Red Velvet Puppy Chow recipe from Your Cup of Cake. I love Chex cereal snacks such as Monkey Munch, Lemon Buddies, and the classic Chex Mix. So I was so excited to find a Red Velvet version of these beloved snacks. My batch didn't turn into the signature red color of red velvet as the original recipe did. I think the boxed cake mix I bought may have more cocoa in it. But it still tasted so good. Just be careful when you eat these. Aside it being addicting, they turn your fingers red.

5 cups Chex cereal (corn, rice, or both)
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup prepared cream cheese frosting
1 cup Red Velvet cake mix
1/2 cup powdered sugar
festive sprinkles or M&M's for decoration

1) Place cereal in a large bowl. Place cake mix and powdered sugar in a large freezer bag or large airtight container.

2) Melt chocolates in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth. Be careful not to burn chocolate. Stir in cream cheese frosting. Pour mixture into the bowl of cereal and stir until coated.

3) Transfer cereal into the cake mix and powdered sugar mixture. Shake until well coated. Spread mixture onto a cookie sheet to cool and harden. Stir in decorations. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

King's Hawaiian Chocolate Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

I've never had bread pudding before. It is one of those so-called comfort foods that never used to appeal to me. I hated mushy bread whenever I ate a sandwich, so why would I eat mushy bread as a dessert? The mere thought of that mushy texture in mouth used to make me cringe. Then I saw a show on the Food Network that was featuring food trucks. This was a time before the food truck craze went rampant. They featured a bread pudding truck that served chocolate bread pudding. And it actually looked really good. But I didn't want to try making it myself for fear that I would only cringe at eating mushy bread and it wouldn't be worth the effort to make.

I recently came across the King's Hawaiian website. I skimmed through the recipes and found their recipe for Chocolate Bread Pudding and it was calling out to me. I figured that maybe I never liked bread pudding because it wasn't prepared right. So I thought maybe I should finally face my fear of this dessert. It was quite simple to make. The bread pudding truck that I saw on the Food Network served their bread pudding with some sort of vanilla sauce. So I paired this with this vanilla sauce from My Recipes and it came out really well. It didn't even seem like mushy bread, but more of a custardy dessert that I really enjoyed. Hubby enjoyed this dessert a little too much because he had 2 servings in one sitting. Word of caution, however: this dessert uses a lot of heavy cream, so it isn't diet friendly. Therefore eat with caution. But enjoy this classic dessert warm.

2 1/2 cups Half & Half
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
6 cups lightly packed cubed King's Hawaiian bread (rolls, loaf or whatever you have)

1) Heat half & half in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to bubble at the edges. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Mix until completely melted and incorporated. Cool slightly.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Temper the eggs by slowly whisking in 1 cup of the chocolate mixture until well incorporated. Whisk in the remaining chocolate mixture. Pour custard mixture over cubed bread and slowly stir until bread is well coated. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3) Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Lightly apply a non-stick spray on a 8x8 baking dish, or six 6-oz custard cups.

4) Place cups or baking dish on a baking sheet. Spoon soaked bread. Bake for 45-50 minutes for the baking dish, or 35-40 minute for the baking cups, until knife inserted in center comes out nearly clean.
Serve warm with chocolate or vanilla sauce.

Vanilla sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1) In a saucepan, whisk together sugars, flour, nutmeg, egg and cream until well incorporated. Add butter and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened, about 10-12 minutes.

2) Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sno-Ball Cake

Happy birthday my wonderful hubby!

Since my birthday, I had been picking my brain trying to figure out what kind of cake I could make for his birthday. Hubby recently informed me that when he was a kid, the only kind of cake he would get (or even ask for) for his birthday was a Hostess Sno-Ball. You know those bright pink marshmallow, chocolate cake treats? Now, I've had my fair share of Sno-Balls during my youth. However, I found it a little strange to be celebrating with a store-bought, vacuum-packed little snack treat.

Then, I had a crazy idea. A while ago, I made some homemade Hostess Cupcakes, right? Why not make homemade Sno-Balls??? Hubby would totally love that! And since its his birthday, I decided to make it into a cake. I used my go-to chocolate cake recipe and the marshmallow fluff from my recent Fluffernutter Cupcakes and assemble to look like a Hostess Sno-Ball. I had some leftover batter, so I used it to make cupcakes/individual versions as well.  And the result was a yummy, moist chocolaty, marshmallow-y treat reminiscent of our youth. Hubby took his first bite and he immediately said it brought him back to the 1st grade.

1 recipe for chocolate cake
prepared marshmallow fluff
shredded coconut
red food color

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Grease and flour an oven-safe bowl of desired size. Set aside.

2) Prepare cake according to directions. Pour batter into prepared bowl about three-quarters full. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the cake is set and toothpick test comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the bowl for about 10 minutes. Remove cake from bowl and invert on a cooling rack to cool completely.

3) Using a serrated knife or cake leveler, carefully slice a thin layer off the flat side of the cake. Set aside. Create a large hole by hollowing out the center of the flat side of the remaining cake. Fill the hole with a good amount of marshmallow fluff. Replace the thin layer of cake back on the cake.

4) Invert the cake on a platter, flat side down. Cover the rounded part of the cake with globs of marshmallow fluff and smooth out.

5) Place a good amount of shredded coconut and a few drops of food color in a food processor. Pulse the processor until the color of the coconut has turned bright pink and you've reached the desired consistency of the coconut. Press pink coconut on top and all over the surface of the frosted cake. Serve.

Warm Toasted Marshmallow S'mores Bars

This recipe came up on my Facebook feed from Betty Crocker. My daughter had been wanting to bake with some mini marshmallows we bought at the grocery store. I first wanted to incorporate them into brownies and make S'mores brownies. But when this recipe for S'mores bars appeared, I thought to make this first.

This recipe could not be any easier. The ingredients and assembly is real simple. The result is this warm, gooey, and messy treat. I should warn you that you should cool the pan for at least 30 minutes for the chocolate to firm up a little bit for a cleaner and easier way to cut into bars. Otherwise you'll end up with a gooey mess. But hey, isn't s'mores supposed to be messy?

1 pouch sugar cookie mix
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter, melted
3 cups chocolate chips
4 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1) Preheat oven to 375 deg F.

2) In a large bowl, combine cookie mix and graham cracker crumbs. Stir in melted butter until fully incorporated and dough forms. Press dough on a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until set.

3) Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on top of crust. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Spread chocolate evenly over crust.

4) Set oven to broil. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly on top of melted chocolate. Broil for 20-30 seconds  until marshmallows are toasted (Watch closely. Marshmallows will brown quickly). Cool for 10-30 minutes for the chocolate and marshmallow to firm a bit. Then cut into bars. Serve warm. Store remaining bars in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

I recently learned from the Brown Eyed Baker that there is a cookbook out there totally dedicated to my love of all things cookie dough, The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook. I. Must. Get. This. Cookbook. After learning of said cookbook, I have been craving for some cookie dough treats. I have saved up this recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies I found from, again, the Brown Eyed Baker, for emergency situations like this. Cookie dough and brownies. Genius.

Brownie
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

1) Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Line a 9x13 pan with foil with enough to hang over all four sides. Butter foil and set aside.

2) In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate in microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each increment, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

3) In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in melted chocolate until well combined. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour. Mix just until combined (do not over-mix).

4) Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes, until toothpick test comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

Cookie Dough Spread
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. whole milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1) In a medium bowl, cream butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla and beat until combined.

2) Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour. Mix just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in chocolate chips.

3) Evenly spread cookie dough over cooled brownie. Refrigerate until cookie dough is firm, about an hour. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the brownies. Store brownies in an airtight container at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Frosting

It's my brother's birthday today. The other day when I was picking up my daughter from my parents' house after work, I guess my brother was hinting to my daughter by asking her what cupcake she would make for his birthday (because everyone knows that my she always bakes with me). I guess he wants us to make him some cupcakes. So she asked him what kind of cupcake he wanted and he said to surprise her. On our way home that afternoon, I asked my daughter what kind of cupcake she wanted to make for her Ninong, and she said chocolate. Perfect! I have been wanting to try out this new recipe for a basic Chocolate Frosting from Annie's Eats. And keeping with the tradition of making chocolate cake for my brother on his birthdays, it was perfect timing.

I used my go-to Chocolate Cake recipe to pair with this frosting and I think this combination fared better than the frosting I normally make with the chocolate cake. It was creamier and more indulgent. I think I'll be using this frosting more often.

9.5 oz chocolate chips (bittersweet, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate chips)
6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
pinch of sat
2/3 cup sour cream

1) Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over pot of simmering water (double boiler). Set aside to cool until just barely warm.

2) In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter over medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually add in confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Beat in melted and cooled chocolate and then sour cream. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and well blended. Frost cupcakes immediately before chocolate hardens and frosting sets.

Salted Caramel Pecan Brownie

My daughter absolutely loves brownies. Anytime she sees it at any store or restaurant, she always begs me to buy her some. I have a great go-to recipe for brownies that I promised her we would make together one day. But I haven't gotten around to doing it. I've been seeing many recipes for Salted Caramel Brownie recipes in the blogosphere and felt like they were calling out to me. So I thought this particular recipe from Beantown Baker was the recipe to make with my daughter.

Once the caramel sauce is made, this recipe was really easy. No need for an electric mixer because the ingredients are whisked together. The result is an ooey-gooey, chocolatey goodness that may have caused problems between me and hubby. You see, he's been doing so well with his diet this week, and blew it because of these brownies. He couldn't stop eating them. Sorry boo. But our daughter wanted some brownies :)

3/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup salted caramel sauce
Fleur de Sel for garnish

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until toasted, about 7 minutes. Coarsely chop pecans and set aside.

2) Line a 8 x 8 inch baking pan with foil, leaving several inches overhang on the sides. Grease pan with butter or cooking spray. Set aside.

3) Place 1 cup of chocolate chips and butter in a bowl over simmering water (double boiler). Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

4) Whisk in sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and continue whisking until glossy and thick, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and salt and mix just until blended. Transfer batter onto prepared pan.

5) In a small bowl, combine half of the pecans with the caramel sauce. Drop caramel pecan mixture by spoonfuls onto brownie batter. Gently swirl with a skewer or thin metal spatula. Top with remaining pecans and chocolate chips. Bake for 35 minutes. Allow to completely cool in the pan set on a baking rack. Once cooled, grab foil overhang to lift brownies out of pan and cut into squares to serve. Store in an airtight container for 1 week.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I've been keeping an eye out for some great recipes to use my Fleur de Sel after making Salted Caramel Ice Cream last week. Which, by the way, is practically gone. I just love that salty and sweet mixture. I'm a huge fan of chocolate covered pretzels. I've also been known to eat my Rocky Road Ice Cream with Sour Cream and Onion chips. Yeah. I love mixing sweet with savory. And since discovering Fleur de Sel, I've been sprinkling some over anything I eat that is chocolatey.

Sometime last week, this recipe popped up on my reader from Brown Eyed Baker. Michelle totally read my mind (and my taste buds) when she made this. A mixture of chocolate chip cookie, with gooey caramel, and a hint of salt. So yummy. I managed to make 2 batches so I we can have more to give away. Because this is a treat that must be shared. Hubby even asked if we had enough to give away at his work.

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. (about 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 ounces caramel squares, unwrappd
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
Fleur de Sel for sprinkling

1) Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan. Set aside.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3) In a bowl of an electric mixer, mix together melted butter and sugars on medium speed until combined. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and continue mixing until smooth. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

4) In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine caramels and heavy cream. Microwave on high in 20 second increments, stirring often, until caramel is melted. This may take up to 2 minutes.

5) Press half of the cookie dough onto prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Pour hot caramel over cookie dough, leaving some empty spaces around the edges. Sprinkle the caramel with sea salt. Drop the remaining cookie dough in spoonfuls over the caramel and gently spread the dough with a spatula until caramel is covered. Sprinkle with more sea salt.

6) Bake for 30 minutes, until top is golden brown and the edges have pulled away from the pan. Cool to room temperature on a cooling rack, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let the caramel set. Cut into squares and serve. Store at room temperature in a air-tight container.

Peanut Butter Passion Cake

♥ ♥ ♥ Sweet love ♥ ♥ ♥

What better way to celebrate the day of Love than with something sweet from a cake called Peanut Butter Passion Cake. This cake popped up from the most unlikely places. Facebook. When I clicked the ad from my homepage, it lead me to this recipe from Just a Pinch Recipe Club. This entry is from Melissa, and when I saw what the cake looked like, OMG. I saved the recipe just for Valentine's Day. This cake is very rich and dense. And if you're a chocolate and peanut butter lover, this is another one for 'ya.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Do something sweet for your sweet :)

Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup coffee, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round pans. Set aside

2) In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3) In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract on medium speed until well blended. Slowly add flour mixture in the bowl, alternating with the coffee and buttermilk. Continue beating over medium speed for 2-3 minutes.

4) Divide and pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan to cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese frosting
8 oz (1 package) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
12 oz non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs, for garnish
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups, for garnish
1/4 cup prepared chocolate frosting, melted

1) In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, and confectioner's sugar over medium speed until smooth.

2) Using a spatula, fold in whipped topping until well combined. Chill frosting for an our to overnight. Frosting will have the consistency of mousse.

3)  Frost cooled cake. Press cookie crumbs around the side of the cake. Top cake with chopped peanut butter cups. Drizzle melted chocolate frosting over peanut butter cups. Chill until serving time.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Happy New Year everyone! I wish this new year of 2012 brings each of you and your families joy, love, and prosperity. And I hope you all celebrated with bang on New Year's Eve.

Last night at New Year's eve, as usual, was spent with my folks at their place. My mom prepared (or should I say "ordered") most of the foods that was served for dinner. I offered to make my Tom Kha soup since most of us were sick and I figured soup would be a good thing for us. I also made my much loved Buffalo Chicken Dip. However, I really wanted to make cupcakes since I haven't made any in a while. Around St. Patrick's Day months ago, I came across recipes for Irish Car Bomb cupcakes all over the blogosphere. Do you know what an Irish Car Bomb is? I don't. Its apparently a cocktail that consists of Guinness Stout, Irish whiskey, and Bailey's Irish Cream. I'm a real light-weight when it comes to drinking alcohol. Its rare that you'll even see me with an alcoholic beverage, aside from cough medicine. So this cupcake was completely foreign to me. But I had a huge bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream that I like to put in my hot chocolate on those rare occasions, and I needed to start using it up. There's only so much hot chocolate with Bailey's Irish Cream I could take. And heck, it was New Year's Eve. If I wasn't gonna booze it up, might as well do it in a cupcake form. So when I came across this recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker, I took it as a sign to finally make it for the New Year.

I didn't have any Guinness Stout or Irish whiskey. So I substituted them with the Bailey's Irish Cream, which still gave the cupcake that hint of alcohol taste without overpowering it. Since I'm a light-weight, this version was perfect for me. It was really yummy. I especially like how creamy the frosting turned out.

Cupcakes
1 cup Guinness Stout (I used Bailey's Irish Cream)
1 cup (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4  tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Line cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.

2) In a medium saucepan, bring Guinness and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

3) Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Reduce speed to low, gradually add flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold mixture until completely combined.

4) Scoop batter into cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake until toothpick test comes out clean, about 17 minutes (note: centers may collapse/sink, but that's okay because it will be filled with the ganache). Cool completely on a cooling rack.

Whiskey Ganache filling
8 ounces (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Irish Whiskey (I used Bailey's Irish Cream)

1) Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. In another bowl, heat heavy cream to a simmer and pour over chocolate chips. Allow to sit for about 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, stir chocolate from the center and outward until smooth. Add butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Allow for the ganache to cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.

2) Cut a 1-inch hole at the center of each cooled cupcake. Transfer ganache into a piping bag or plastic sandwich bag. Cut off the tip and pipe ganache into the hole of cupcake, filling all the way to the top.

Bailey's frosting
2 cups (8 sticks. yup, that's a lot) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioner's sugar
6 Tbsp. Bailey's Irish Cream

1) Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip butter on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl. Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually add confectioner's sugar until all of it is incorporated. Add the Bailey's Irish Cream, increase speed to medium-high and whip for another 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Frost prepared cupcakes.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

With the Holidays comes Holiday baking. One of my favorite things to do around the Holidays is not shopping. But baking. Don't get me wrong. I love shopping just as much as the next guy/gal. However, I find I'm most happiest in my kitchen baking (or cooking). Every year, I always try to bake something new to give out as Holiday gifts for our neighbors. There's something about homemade gifts that makes me feel so domesticated like a housewife. Wishful thinking, I guess. But I do like to make homemade gifts. Besides, its the neighborly thing to do.

I discovered this recipe, of all places, from Facebook. I'm a fan of the Betty Crocker group, and everyday, they post yummy recipes and this particular recipe was posted. I love the combination of mint and chocolate. To me, this flavor combination is what Christmas is all about and what reminds me most of Chistmas. Its the time of year when you'll see a lot of Peppermint Hot Chocolate or Peppermint Mocha being advertised (think Starbucks or McDonald's). So its the perfect time to make these delicious cookies. If you love mint and chocolate, you'll love these cookies. So easy, yet so yummy. Eat these cookies and it'll remind you of eating a scoop of mint & chip ice cream.

1 pouch sugar cookie mix (I used Betty Crocker)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 tsp. mint extract

6-8 drops green food color

1 egg

1 cup mint baking chips

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

2) In a large bowl, combine cookie mix, butter, mint extract, food color and egg. Mix thoroughly using a hand mixer or an electric stand mixer until soft dough forms. Stir in mint and chocolate chips.

3) Using a small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookie sets. Cool for 3 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.