I am a home-body. I love to be at home, preferably in my pajamas, with my puppy, my kitchen, my husband, and my iPod.
On the other hand, my husband and I love to be surrounded by friends. So, I do everything I can to make our home “the place” everyone wants to gather. One way that I have found to entice friends over: food. It is amazing how easy it is to whip up a quick pan of say, pumpkin blondies, stick them in the oven, sit back and listen to the swooning.
The combination of butterscotch chips, white chocloate chips and pumpkin is out of this world. In the fall, and winter when I am craving pumpkin, I prefer these bars to brownies.
Pumpkin Blondies
Adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Martha Stewart
MessyCook Note: I used dark brown sugar for the sweetener in this recipe, but regular brown sugar, light brown sugar, or granulated sugar can all be used interchangeably. I love the deep rich flavor and amber color that the dark brown sugar gives to these bars.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
¾ cup walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Stir together and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Mix in the pumpkin puree.
With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and nuts with a rubber spatula.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.
To serve, lift the cake from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Peel off the foil and using a sharp knife, cut into 24 squares. The blondies will stay fresh 3-4 days at room temperature.
Why is deciding what to make for dinner so much harder than actually making it? At our house, if you come up with the idea for dinner, it is just as good as spending an hour in the kitchen cooking the meal… well, almost. I often turn to my husband when it comes to the age old question “what do you want for dinner?” I have so many recipes bookmarked that I am dying to try, I find it hard to decide which one to make.
The other day, before I even had a chance to talk to him about dinner plans, he preempts me with a request, his only request. “I don’t care what we have for dinner as long as we have dessert.” After several follow up questions, it turns out that his request was a little more specific. Brownies and ice cream. No problem, I say, and head to the computer to find a kick-ass ice cream recipe.
We have been making homemade ice cream for a few years now. It all started when we bought a nice ice cream maker as a gift for ourselves a few summers back. Ever since then, we have been working our way through a Ben and Jerry’s cookbook. Dozens of great ice creams have passed through our freezer. While we love this cookbook, I have been itching to try some of the famed David Lebovitz’s recipes from The Perfect Scoop.
Sitting down with a bowl of this Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream sitting atop a chewy brownie was a surreal experience. It was so rich and creamy I could only eat one small scoop, but was completely satisfied (and for that, I consider this diet-friendly ice cream.) The pairing of the crunchy little praline bits, the subtle saltiness, and deep caramel flavor was fantastic. I love a chewy brownie and this one did not disappoint. The dark brown sugar adds a faint hint caramel, so fits nicely with this ice cream. Not to completely overshadow the brownie here, but if you opt to make just one of these recipes, it should be the ice cream. No doubt in my mind.
I will always love my Ben and Jerry’s cookbook for introducing us to the basics of ice cream, but we have outgrown it. This is a whole new level of ice cream that I didn’t know I could create and I am looking forward to trying many more. Thank you David Lebovitz for opening my eyes to the hidden potential of my beloved ice cream maker.
Both recipes can be found at the links below.
Brownies:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/recipes/sup_brownies.html
Ice Cream:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/04/salted_butter_c.html
My supervisor returned today from 3 months of maternity leave. It was a hard day for both mother and baby boy. You could see the sadness in her eyes when she talked about driving away from the daycare. So, I brought her a little happiness on a plate, a mini-chocolate peanut butter cake. It’s no powdered scented baby, but it did help to ease the pain, even if only for a few moments.
This is an extremely rich, decadent cake. A little goes a long way. It is a lightly fluffy, sour-cream chocolate cake covered with a creamy peanut butter frosting, topped with a thick glossy chocolate glaze. This is my new go-to chocolate cake recipe. It would also be great as cupcakes or in a trifle.
Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Adapted, from Smitten Kitchen, from Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes
Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake
I made two mini cakes, a two layer 5-inch round cake and a two layer 4-inch square cake.
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans (or whatever pans you are using). Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and grease the paper.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. The batter will be thin. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Run knife around outer edge of pan to loosen. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. Place cakes in freezer for 20-30 minutes to harden before trying to frost.
4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Note from Deb of Smitten Kitchen 1: Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. 2: Once the cake is fully frosting, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)
5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving.
Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)
1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half
1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.
It was spring semester of my sophomore year in college, over 6 years ago. Making my way to Psych class one afternoon, a bake sale hosted by the Anthropology Department caught my eye. Cookies, muffins, and brownies galore. I walked away with a chewy brownie and a pair of chocolate chip cookies stashed in my backpack. Arriving in class a few minutes later, I snuck one of the cookies. (My class was in a computer lab where food was strictly forbidden.) I was so taken by the cookie, I ate the other one in quick succession. The cookies were so good, I packed my belongings and returned to the bake sale to see if there was any way I could get the recipe. The Graduate Student manning the booth happened to have a file of all of the recipes on hand, in case a food allergy question arose. He promised to have a copy of the recipe waiting for me after class, the class that was about to start at that very moment. As soon as my Psych class released, I hurried back to pick up the sought-after recipe. Turns out, that was best dollar I have ever spent at a bake sale.
All these years, this recipe has been tucked inside my recipe binder. In all that time, I have only made these cookies two or three times. But each time, I wonder why I don’t turn to them more often. The oat flour gives the cookie a chewier texture than your traditional chocolate chip cookie and the grated chocolate spreads the chocolate flavor throughout the entire cookie.
Neiman Marcus Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 ½ cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
4 oz chocolate bar, grated
12 oz chocolate chips
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda into the creamed mixture. Mix well. Add grated chocolate, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 56-72 depending on size. Do NOT over bake.
