Hershey Bar Cupcakes

These are good! Do you remember the depression era recipe for Chocolate Cake, or Wacky Cake as it was sometimes called? I think the base of this cupcake is based on that recipe. There's no egg in the cake and no butter either. The surprise ingredient is white vinegar! It works. Wacky cake is good. It has a good chocolate taste, great color, not overly moist, but definitely not dry either. It's a good cake! This cupcake recipe has two OTHER bonus points. One, filling. All great cupcakes have a filling, right? Two, a no-work, one ingredient frosting! Need I say ANY more?!

Hershey Bar Cupcakes

For the Filling

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 oz. HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (use any sized bars, get whatever is cheapest at the store. You'll need about 1 cup of chopped Hershey Chocolate for the filling)

For the Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons plain white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Frosting

2 large (4.4 oz.) bars of Hershey Chocolate (again, you can use any size bar...but I found one section of the 4.4 oz bar to be the right amount of frosting for my preference. Each bar has 12 portions, 2 bars frosts 2 dozen cupcakes)

Directions:
1. Prepare the filling. Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and salt in small bowl until smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped chocolate bar pieces. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners.

3. Prepare the cupcake batter. With an electric mixer, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt to combine. Add in water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fill each cupcake pan 1/3 of the way with batter. Spoon 1 level tablespoon of the reserved filling into the center of each cupcake. Top with more cake batter until cupcake pans are full. (I had some excess batter, but not excess filling or chocolate...so I also made 6 plain cupcakes.)

4. Bake the cupcakes. 18-20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake portion comes out clean. Remove from oven to wire rack.

5. Frost the cupcakes. Top each cupcake with one section of the large sized Hershey bar. Let chocolate melt (5-8 minutes) and then spread with spatula to ice the top of the cupcake. (How easy is that?!)

5. Let cupcakes cool completely. Chocolate will harden (You may need to put cupcakes in RF for an hour or so to finish the hardening process).

Yummy! Wonderful cake, creamy filling, and a hard chocolate frosting. One of the best cupcakes in the I've ever tasted, actually. My poor daughter (the one on Weight Watchers) is usually very good about ignoring the baked goods I often have hanging out on the counter...but she's having a very hard time with these....

The original recipe was found here http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/detail.asp?id=3290&page=5&per=50

Thanks for visiting my kitchen today!

Cookie Cups (For Ice Cream Sundaes, of course)

Want a REALLY good ice cream sundae? Ice-cream, fresh fruit, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, maybe a few sliced almonds...in a Cookie Cup! The Cookie Cup transforms a familiar, really good dessert a to a special, really GREAT dessert. People swoon. People moan. People linger.

This recipe has been in my files since I was a newlywed in 1981. I have only a photocopy of a page from a cookbook, no notations. I am pretty sure the photocopy is from a Sunset cookbook from the 1980s, but I am not certain.

Use any nuts you want, but I have specified my favorite combination. Other than that, I have made no changes to the original recipe.

Cookie Cups

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (Light or dark brown sugar was not specified. I've used both, and prefer the dark)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
7 Tablespoons flour
1 cup finely chopped nuts (I use half pecans and half sliced almonds--both chopped finely)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add in brown sugar and corn syrup and bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. When liquid boils, remove from heat and stir in flour and nuts until well blended. Stir in vanilla.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a cookie pan with Pam for baking (or any other method you prefer). Make 2 cookies on one cookie sheet. For each cookie, pace 2 Tablespoons of batter in a puddle on the cookie sheet.

 Batter  before baking, above.  After baking, below.  See how it spreads?  Only bake two cookies on one sheet!

Cookies will spread A LOT. (you can bake 2 sheets at one time, if you move the sheets around after 5-6 minutes). Bake in 325 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are lacy and have a rich golden brown color. Remove from oven and let cookie cool on the tray for a minute or two (but not much longer).

Turn a glass or very small bowl, with a flat, 2-inch diameter bottom, upside down onto counter. When the cookie edges are firm, but the cookie is still somewhat stretchy, with a wide metal spatula, transfer cookie from sheet to OVER the upside down glass on the counter. With your fingers, quickly press the cookie into the shape of the glass. The cookie will harden almost immediately. Leave the cookie there to cool a minute or two (while you get the next batch in the oven).

One cookie cooling over an upside down glass, one cookie completely cooled and removed from glass and standing straight and firm.

Remove cookie cup from glass. Cookie cups can be stored in "rigid" (I use tin) container for up to a week, or frozen for longer storage....but they are delicate, so be careful.

Just before serving, place ice-cream, fresh fruit, whipped cream...whatever your hear desires...into the cookie cups and serve. You'll see joy in your guests eyes.

Thanks for visiting my kitchen today.  Stop by again for some homemade ice creams, sherbets, and sorbets to put in the ice cream cups!

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

I looooove coconut so I HAD to make these. Had to. I am glad I did, too. This recipe is a keeper! I have coconut loving friends that are going to want to me to make these. I'll offer to bring them to their parties. I could offer to bring a trio of Rice Krispie treats...these, salted brown butter, and peanut butter. I could get a lot more invitations to a lot more parties!

I found this recipe here http://cravingchronicles.com/2010/05/25/toasted-coconut-rice-krispie-treats/ but had to change it up a bit.

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

3 tablespoons butter
10 ounces mini marshmallows
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 teaspoon coconut extract
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1/2 cup toasted shredded coconut*

3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (optional)

* To toast coconut, spread shredded coconut in an even layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 300F, stirring every few minutes, for 10-15 minutes or until coconut is golden brown. Don’t walk away from the oven! The coconut will brown very quickly, so keep an eye on it. Set aside to cool.

Prepare an 8 or 9 inch square dish by either buttering or spraying with cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add marshmallows and heat over medium-low heat, stirring until melted. Stir in shredded coconut and coconut extract. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies and stir until thoroughly coated. Spread Rice Krispie mixture into prepared pan. With the back of a buttered spatula or using a sheet of waxed paper, press mixture firmly into an even layer. If desired melt chocolate chips and drizzle over the tops of the treats. Spread slightly, if desired. Sprinkle toasted coconut and press lightly to adhere to the chocolate and the top of the treats. (In the picture above the coconut was put down first, then the chocolate.  Not a good idea.  The chocolate fell off...)  Cool at room temperature until chocolate hardens. Once cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

Thanks for being a fan,

Brown Sugar Ice Cream

In the last few weeks, I have deemed only one new recipe worthy of posting, this one: Brown Sugar Ice Cream. My daughter Abby brought home a quart of Haagan-Daz's Brown Sugar ice-cream a few months ago. So when I ran across this recipe at http://dishingupdelights.blogspot.com/2010/04/brown-sugar-ice-cream.html it wasn't a completely foreign concept. Just for the record, this homemade version is wayyyy better than the Haagan-Daz version. The Haagan-Daz version has an odd texture and a more of a molasses flavor than a brown sugar flavor. This homemade version is simple, rich, smooth, creamy...

I served this last night with a Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp. The flavor combo was not quite right. I kept thinking this ice cream will be perfect with something...but what IS it? I was driving myself CRAZY...finally, almost 24 hours later, it has come to me. I was on the right track with the oatmeal crisp topping, but brown sugar ice cream needs...apples! MMmmm...can you imagine a warm apple crisp with oatmeal topping and a bit of Brown Sugar ice-cream on the side? Or, how about Apple pie with Brown Sugar Ice Cream? I know all you nut lovers are going to want to sprinkle a few toasted, glazed, or spiced walnuts or pecans over that!

The recipe below calls for whipping cream and whole milk. I've started going one step down on the dairy with all my ice cream recipes. For this recipe I used half-and-half and whole milk. Use anything you want: whipping cream, half-and-half, whole milk, 2% milk. The less fat in the milk or cream, the less creamy and rich the ice-cream. Next time I will use all whole milk or whole milk and 2%...or maybe all 2%...and I'll make an apple-oatmeal crisp...or maybe a peach-oatmeal crisp..

Now for those leftover egg whites...Pavlova! I'll post the recipe soon. I've promised a friend of mine I would for about 6 weeks now...

Enjoy!


Brown Sugar Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (see note above)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks

Combine heavy whipping cream, whole milk, (or your choice of milk/cream products) and 1/2 cup brown sugar in heavy large saucepan. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Meanwhile, whisk yolks and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar in large bowl of an electric mixer until very thick, about 2 minutes.

Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and thermometer inserted into custard registers 180°F, about 6 minutes (do not boil). Strain custard (if needed) into large bowl set over another bowl of ice and water. Cool custard completely, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Cover and chill overnight (I was only able to chill for about 3 hours).

Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

I think he's closing his eyes!  Do you think he knows how good it's going to be?

Thanks for visiting!

Triple Citrus Pepper Pound Cake

This will probably be the last of my citrus posts for awhile. So let's use up the rest of those oranges, lemons and limes so we can move on. Before we close this chapter though, here's a recipe for a citrusy pound cake...with a pepper kick. Not a big kick, more of a love tap, really! The citrus isn't overwhelming either, just another love tap! The pepper kick develops over time. I tasted this cake on day 1, no pepper. Day 2, ohhhh, there's the pepper!

Triple Citrus Pepper Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. lemon zest
1 T. lime zest
1 T. orange zest
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 325 F. and prepare a 9X5 loaf pan. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, black pepper and salt. With an electric mixer, cream the butter with the citrus zests until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat an additional 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl, and mix until blended. On low speed mix the flour mixture in, adding it in 4 additions. After the last addition, mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60-75 minutes, until a toothpick inserts into the center comes out with only a few crumbs attached and the sides of the cake are pulling away from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving. The pepper flavor develops over time. Wait 24 hours!

I found this recipe here: http://thespicedlife.blogspot.com/2010/02/triple-citrus-black-pepper-pound-cake.html (Closely adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes, Lauren Chattman)

Thanks for visiting!

Marmalade Cake

I looooooove marmalade.  Hated it as a kid.  Love it as a grown up.  My mom put a very expensive jar of marmalade in my stocking at Christmas (aren't Moms great?!).  I used some of that to make my first marmalade cake. It was a disaster, collapsing all over the plate when removed from the pan, but the crumbs were so delectable that I decided to give it another go and fix the recipe.  My second try at this cake was good, very orangey. Then I thought perhaps I had made the wrong guess about the recipe the first time, and decided to try it again. It was not better than my second try, and the second recipe used less process food and therefor had less chemicals in the cake. The second cake, my variation, was the winner and the one I am posting. 

I found the original recipe on Folgers.com it was called Orange Cake.  http://www.folgers.com/enjoy-coffee/dessert-recipes.aspx#orange_cake. I tried it because I had that very expensive marmalade, but the recipe was a problem from the beginning.  It didn't seem like there was enough butter to "cream" the butter and sugar until "light and fluffy". I followed the recipe anyway.  The second problem was the recipe called for a box of instant vanilla pudding, which I didn't notice at first and didn't specify what size box of instant pudding.  So in the middle of mixing the first cake, I went to the store for a box of instant vanilla pudding.  My store only carried the large size box, so I though, OK, instant pudding only comes in the large box, so I bought and used that. You know the end.  Disaster.  But a tasty disaster.  So I decided to adjust the recipe and find a real food substitute for the pudding.  A search of the Internet told me that was probably not a good idea because the recipe probably relied on the chemical thickening agents and such.  Arrrghhhhh!  I ended up adjusting the recipe anyway, adding some cornstarch and a more reasonable amount of butter.  Success!  I was going to post that recipe...until I found a small box of instant pudding at another grocery store.  Arghhhhhhhh!!  So I made the cake the third time, with my adjustments to the butter and the small box of pudding...no better than my second version. So here is the second version, no box of instant pudding required.

A few notes...the quality of the marmalade does affect the taste.  By the third cake I was out of the expensive stuff and used a cheapie store brand.  When you make this cake--and please make this cake, it's yummy--use the best quality marmalade you can get your hands on,

You'll thank me for this one--but I guess you should thank Folgers, too, who inspired this Marmalade Cake journey and this post.

Marmalade Cake

For Cake

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, at room temperature
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange extract
1/3 cup orange juice concentrate, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup Sweet Orange Marmalade

For Glaze 

1 cup powdered sugar
2 T. orange juice concentrate, at room temperature
2 T. Sweet Orange Marmalade
3 tsp. orange zest (usually from one orange)
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan. Mix dry ingredients together and set aside (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt).  Using an electric mixer, beat butter for one minute and then add in sugar and beat for 3 or 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  After all eggs have been added, beat mixture for an additional minute, then beat in orange and vanilla extracts and the orange juice concentrate.  Beat in 1/3 of flour mixture, then 1/2 of the buttermilk, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, 1/2 of the buttermilk, and then the last 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Do not overbeat.  Fold in marmalade.  Pour batter into a prepared bundt pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 - 50 minutes or until cake is done.  Meanwhile, mix up glaze.  Beat all ingredients together until well combined.  When cake is done, remove from oven and cool in pan on a rack for 3-5 minutes.  Remove cake to a rack and brush on 1/3 of glaze mixture, letting it soak into cake.  After 10 minutes, brush on another 1/3 of glaze.  After 10 more minutes brush on remaining glaze.  Let cake cool completely on rack before serving.  Serve at room temperature.  I have had no problems keeping this cake under a glass dome on the kitchen counter for 3 -4 days.

MMmm...I think this is now one of my top five favorite cakes.  What's your favorite cake?

Lemon Curd Cupcakes Three Ways

Now that I have everyone making the easy microwave Lemon Curd, it's time to put it to good use!  I am not a huge fan of Martha, but sometimes she shows up in the right place at the right time with the right recipe, like she did this morning.  I made Martha Stewart's Lemon Cupcakes from her book "Cupcakes" (page 121).  Abby took 18 to college with her. I took 6 to a quilt group.  And there are still 12 here.  (Hint number one, make  half the recipe!) I think the squirt of lemon in the middle of the cupcake was a lot of fun.  Loved the frosting, too.  The cupcake was a bit dense, but a nice foil for the soft lemony center and sweet creamy top.  I'll make these again next time I have a batch of lemon curd on hand.

Lemon Curd Cupcakes
3 1/2 cups flour
2 T lemon zest (or a bit more,if you like a really lemony cupcake)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
7 eggs, at room temperature
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (Martha only used 2)
1 tsp. vanilla

approx. 1 cup lemon curd
powdered sugar or buttercream frosting (recipe below)
toasted coconut, optional
yellow decorating sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 36 - 42  cupcake tins with paper liners (Martha stated she made 42 cupcakes out of this batter, I was only able to make 36 ...).  In a medium bowl whisk together flour, lemon zest, baking powder and salt and set aside.  With an electric mixer beat softened butter for two minutes.  Add in sugar and beat for 3 minutes more. Beat in cream cheese.  Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in lemon juice an vanilla.  Add in flour mixture, beating until just combined.  Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 28 to 30 minutes.  Cool cupcakes in tins on a rack.  When completely cool, fill and frost.

Place lemon curd in a ziplock bag.  Squeeze curd to the corner of the bag, and cut off about 1/8th inch of the plastic corner to make a "filling bag". With a knife, cut a small cylinder from the middle of each cupcake. Remove and discard the excess cake.  Fill the hole in the cupcake with lemon curd from the ziplock bag.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with buttercream frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

With an electric mixer beat butter for two minutes.  Add in powdered sugar and beat for another three minutes.  Raise speed to high and beat for another two minutes or so. Beat in vanilla.

Spread frosting on desired number of cupcakes.  Sprinkle with toasted coconut or colored sugar if desired.

My favorite is the one with the buttercream frosting and toasted coconut.  What's yours?

Microwave Lemon Curd (aka Lemon Loveliness)

Lemon Curd: (n) a wonderful treat cursed with an unfortunate name.  Don't be put off.  Lemon Curd is not curdled and there are no curds (nor whey).  So why the unfortunate name?  I just don't know.  Never mind, though, Lemon Curd is lovely; it's sort of a lemon jam. There's nothing better at the end of the day (or the beginning of the day, or the middle of the day for that matter) than a slice of hot toast with lemon curd, a cup of hot tea on the side, with feet up and something nice on the telly. Oh, yes there is, two slices of hot toast with lemon curd!  I picked 6 large lemons off of my neighbors tree this afternoon and whipped this up in the microwave. Enjoy Lemon Curd on your toast all week. Next weekend put some Lemon Curd in the middle of a layer cake, cupcakes, or cookies AND, I will post a recipe for a Pavlova with lemon curd and blueberries to finish off your batch. Leftover lemon curd will keep in the refrigerator for approximately three weeks.

I was reminded of this microwave recipe when I visited a few food blogs recently; 2 Stews and La Table de Nana.

Microwave Lemon Curd

1 cup sugar
3 whole eggs
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6 or 7 large lemons)
zest of 3 lemons (I used a microplane)
1/2 cup butter, melted

In a microwave safe bowl whisk together sugar and eggs until smooth. Sir in lemon juice, lemon zest, and melted butter.  Microwave for one minute, stir, microwave for another minute, stir.  Do this until the lemon curd is think enough to coat the back of a spoon.  This will take 5 - 7 minutes.  At this point can pour into small sterile jars to give as gifts, or cool, then cover and refrigerate for your family to use.  Store for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

Thanks for visiting! Enjoy your Lemon Loveliness with your feet up, a cup of tea, and a good book.

Lemon Bundt Cake

It's the start of citrus season here in sunny California. Let's all celebrate with a homey, yummy Lemon Bundt Cake! I picked three lemons off my neighbor's tree (which I have spent 20 years training to grow over my fence) to make this cake. The cake is barely even yellow but it tastes quite lemony and has a softly dense texture. Look at the short list of ingredients. All good stuff! This is the sort of cake that has your family thinking, "Dang, no one makes cakes like Mom (or Dad)". I found this recipe in the book, "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Frances Mayes, so I have probably been making this cake since 1998 or 1999-with no end it sight-this is one of my favorite Bundt cakes.

Lemon Bundt Cake

For Cake
2 cups sugar
1 cup softened butter
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk (or milk, or cream, sour soured milk or cream)
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (don't use that stuff from the plastic lemon!)
4 tsp grated lemon zest (I use a microplane)

For Frosting

1/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 T. lemon juice

grated zest of one lemon (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan for baking. (Pam for Baking is great, so is using the wrappers from the butter cubes and then adding a small sprinkle of flour). Cream butter and sugar, beating until light and creamy, about 5 minutes total. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then add 1/2 of the buttermilk, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the buttermilk, then 1/3 of the flour, beating after each addition. Add lemon juice and the grated zest to the cake batter, stir just to combine. Pour mixture into a prepared Bundt pan. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 50 - 70 minutes (original recipe said 50 minutes, but I always have to bake mine for 60-70 minutes). Remove cake from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes. Then invert cake and let cool completely on rack. When cake has cooled combine softened butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and optional zest. Casually glop the frosting on top of the cake, spreading to allow glaze to drip attractively down the sides. If desired, garnish cake top with curls of lemon rind.

Invite some friends over.  Have a nice little chat.  This cake is meant for casual sharing. Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today.  I'll put the kettle on in preparation for our next chat.

Hot Chocolate Lava Cakes

Look what my daughter Abby made for us for Valentine's Day! She printed off three recipes, tried two of them and here's the best. The cakes are easier to make than they look, and they can be mixed up a day or two ahead. How convenient is that? Thirty minutes before dessert, pop the desired number of cakes in a preheated oven and they'll be ready after dinner! The hardest part of making these cakes is getting the baking time just right. One minute too few, and the cake won't unmold properly, one minute too many and the center firms up. But follow the baking tip in the recipe and all should be OK. Oh, the other hardest part, finding the right sized ramekins, but having baked a dozen or more of these, it really doesn't matter. Use any size you think works for a single serving or a shared serving, and just adjust the baking time by watching for the small dome top.

Hot Chocolate Lava Cakes

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (the better the chocolate, the better the cake)
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 oz. butter
4 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla

Generously grease ramekins with softened butter (Abby used eight 5 oz. ramekins). In the top of a double boiler combine both chopped chocolates and the butter. Over simmering water stir frequently until melted and combined. In another bowl stir together the cornstarch and sugar, then whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Add in the whole eggs and the egg yolks plus the vanilla and whisk until smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least six hours and up to three days. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. As the cakes bake, the edges will rise. As soon as the dimple in the center of each cake puffs up and sets, they’re ready. Leave the cakes in the oven any longer, and the centers will bake through and no longer be molten. Bake the cakes for 24 to 26 minutes or until the center top "domes" and middle is just set.

Remove ramekins from oven and let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. To unmold, place a dessert plate on top of the ramekin and another plate under the ramekin. Using hot pads, invert the ramekin onto the dessert plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with or without a dollop of whipped cream or ice-cream and a few fresh raspberries. Makes approx 8 servings.

This recipe was found at Hungry Cravings.

Thanks for stopping by the kitchen today.  (Isn't Abby the greatest?!)

S'mores Bars

I have been looking for a recipe for S'mores Bars since they started showing up in bakery cases a few years ago.  I guess the idea of moving S'mores from the campfire to a bar started with the boxed granola bar.  The mass product manufacturers didn't get it right though. Eating a boxed S'more granola bar is like eating textured, scented cardboard. S'mores Bars in bakery cases don't fare too well either.  The usual recipe seems to be overly sweet chocolate brownies with marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs on the top.  But I have the right recipe now!  The bottom is 2 parts graham crackers to one part chocolate.  Perfect ratio, right?  The graham crackers and chocolate are held together with sweetened goodness and there are sticky, gooey, melted marshmallows on top.  The right flavor. The right texture.  The right stickiness. I wasn't a girl scout for 17 years for nothing!

The inspiration for this recipe came from The Taste of Home "Cookies...623 Irresistable Delights".  Page 217 has a Graham Cracker Brownie recipe attributed to Cathy Guffey from PA.  I just the marshmallows and gave the bars a more appropriate name.

I am thinking I need to double this recipe next time and make it in an 13 x 11 inch pan.

S'mores Bars

2 cups crushed graham crackers (1 cellophane wrapped package)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8x8 inch baking pan. Crush the graham crackers by whacking them in the package. I use a meat mallet, but the back of a soup ladle, measuring cup, or small pan will also work--don't make really fine crumbs, though.  Leave some big pieces.  Put the (large)crumbs in a mixing bowl, add the chocolate chips, baking powder and salt and combine.  Stir in the sweetened condensed milk.  Spread mixture into an 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Take out of oven and sprinkle miniature marshmallows over the top.

Return pan to oven for 4-5 minutes to melt marshmallows.  Remove pan from oven and quickly spread melting marshmallows smoothly over the top with an offset spatula.

Let bars cool completely. Now comes the hard part, cutting the bars.  I find it a bit easier to use a warmed knife for each cut...but it is still a sticky job, which makes them true S'mores Bars!.  Cut into 16 bars.

How many girl scouts, former and current, stopped by my kitchen today?  Do you think you'll try these?

Nanaimo Bars (for the Winter Olympics)

What makes my pulse race, my heart surge and my eyes well up? The Olympic theme music. "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat nor gloom of night"..., will keep me from the opening ceremonies, closing ceremonies and the two weeks of coverage in between. It's only right that the games be celebrated with one of Vancouver's celebrated foods, Nanaimo Bars. Truth-be-told, I find Nanaimo Bars to be a bit sweet, but being an Olympic Patriot, I'm sticking by them! Fudge is sweet, and we all like fudge right? So cut these bars into fudge sized squares and all will be OK. If you want to know more about Nanaimo bars, follow this link to the city of Nanaimo. I DID changed it a bit, of course :) See you at the games!

Nanaimo Bars

Bottom Layer- A Nutty Chocolate, Coconut Base

½ cup butter
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 egg beaten
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ c. finely chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler (Do it in the double boiler, I did my first batch without a double boiler, and I had a curdled mess after I added the egg) Add a T or so of chocolate mixture to beaten egg, and then another T. Turn heat off the double boiler. Pour warmed egg mixture into the chocolate mixture in the top of the double boiler. Stir vigorously to cook and thicken. Remove pan from bowl from double boiler and then stir in graham cracker crumbs, coconut, nuts and vanilla. Spread mixture into the bottom of a greased 9" x 9" pan. Refrigerate bottom layer while preparing the middle layer.

Second Layer-The Sweet, Firm, Cream Filling

½ cup butter
2 Tbsp. and 2 tsp. cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder (Bird's Custard Powder preferred, Instant Vanilla Pudding powder if you don't know what Bird's is or where to get it)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

Cream butter, cream, custard powder, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt together. Beat until the mixture is very light, about 5 minutes with an electric mixer. Spread filing over the bottom layer and refrigerate while preparing the top layer.

Top Layer-Solid Chocolate

8 oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. butter

Melt chocolate and butter together on 50% power in microwave. Cool slightly. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer, spread evenly and then and chill in refrigerator until firm.

To cut the squares without cracking the hardened chocolate, use a sharp knife that has been warmed slightly before each cut. (Dip knife in boiling water, then quickly dry off before making a cut). Then use a small spatula to remove the squares from the pan. Keep squares refrigerated until serving time. Cue the Olympic Theme music!

Note: I have heard of two other places these are served; New York, as New York Slices, and Alaska, as Yukon Bars.

Thanks for visiting!  Now go watch the Olympics..., with a Nanaimo Bar!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Four Variations

My recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies..., the only one I've used since 1981.  I haven't even looked at another chocolate chip cookie recipe since then. This recipe makes a straight-up chocolate chip cookie; nothing fancy, just pure goodness. The ingredients are butter, sugar, chocolate, and flour with a leavening agent and some eggs thrown in. No spices. The cookie is not cakey.  It's not crisp. It's slightly crunchy around the edges, slightly chewy in the middle, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  Like I said, pure goodness!   This recipe doesn't fool around either.  You start with a pound of butter and end up with about 6 dozen good sized cookies. (They freeze well.  They travel well, too.  My son in college is getting 3 dozen by US Mail for Valentine's Day.  Shhhh.  Don't tell him :)

Pure Goodness Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 lb. salted butter, at room temperature (there is no other salt in the recipe, so don't use unsalted butter)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 T. vanilla extract
6 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
12 oz (about 4 cups) chocolate chips (semi sweet is usual choice, but some people prefer milk chocolate, or a combination)
2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl.  Beat with a whisk to aerate then set aside. In another bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds, add in white sugar and beat for 2 minutes, then add in brown sugar and beat for 3 additional minutes or until light and fluffy.  Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually add in flour mixture to creamed egg-butter mixture.  Once the flour has been incorporated stir in 12 oz (about 4 cups) chocolate chips. Scoop about 1 T of dough for each cookie and place onto ungreased or parchment lined cookie sheets.  For a more refined looking cookie, roll the balls and then flatten slightly with the heel of your palm.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes.  I bake mine, in my current oven, for 11 minutes, which means I take them out of the oven when they still look a smidgen-and I mean a smidgen-undercooked.  Cookies firm up on cooling.  Cool on trays for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Makes approx. 6 dozen good sized cookies.

Chocolate Raisin Cookies I love chocolate covered raisins, and Chocolate Raisin cookies are one of my all-time favorites.  Omit the nuts, and use 3 cups chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk) and 3 cups raisins. YUM.

Mixed Chip Cookies  My daughter Abby uses 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1 cup white chocolate chips, 1 cup milk chocolate chips, and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. In high school, she was famous for her chocolate chip cookies. She rolls the cookies in nice neat balls, flattens them, and then tops them with one of each kind of chip...to die for!

M&M Cookies  Mix in 2-3 cups of the chocolate chips, roll dough into balls, flatten a bit, then press 3-5 M&Ms (depending on the size of the ball) into the top of each cookie.  The M&Ms can be color coordinated to the holiday...red and green M&Ms for Christmas; pink, red and White for Valentine's Day; orange, purple and black for Halloween; pastels for Easter...

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies  For Christmas, of course.  In place of nuts stir in 2 cups coarsely crushed candy canes.  Be sure to bake on parchment covered cookie sheets.

Thanks for stopping by!  What variation is calling out to you?

Swedish Butter Cookies Three Ways

The weekend is upon us and it sounds as if it's going to be cold and wet almost everywhere. Let's make cookies!  Here is my favorite recipe for butter cookies. It's an easy one, and the cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  I have been baking these cookies exactly as the recipe specifies since the mid-1980s when my friend Kathy gave me the recipe (which she acquired from one of her students).  Just a few days ago, emboldened by all the foodie pages I have been looking at, I decided to play with the recipe a bit.  What fun!  One version, adding lemon peel, was only so-so, but the other two were excellent.  Now I am anxious to create a coffee/latte version. If I get one to work, you can be sure I'll post if it.  Let me know if you come up with any winning variations..., but don't miss the originals, they are to die for!

Swedish Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Beat butter and sugar and corn syrup together with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes.  Stir in flour and baking soda.  Divide dough into 4 equal parts.  Roll each part into a roll about 6 inches long and 1 inch thick.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Cookies will spread a lot, so space them equidistantly. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes.  Cut bars, at an angle, into slices while still hot.  I cut off the rounded ends, then slice each roll into 6 slices to make 2 dozen cookies per batch.  Cool on paper towel.

Coconut Butter Cookies (my favorite version)
Mix dough as above, adding in 1/2 tsp coconut extract with corn syrup.  Cover each roll with 1/2 to 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut.  Press coconut on roll, slightly flattening the rolls in the process.

Nutty Butter Cookies
Substitute 1/3 cup brown sugar for the 1/2 cup of white sugar.  Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds with flour.  Partially flatten the rolls before baking (with nuts, the dough doesn't spread as much). Bake at 325 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.

Lemon Butter Cookies
If you want to try it, I just added the grated rind of 1 large lemon... But the results weren't nearly as tasty as the original version.  You simply have to make the originals!

What do you think?  Are you going to try this?
Whatever you decide, thanks for stopping by,