Katharine Hepburn Brownies

These are the easiest brownies to make, but also some of the most deliciously rich and gooey. They are good enough to make for company, but quick enough to make when you're craving chocolate right now, which I currently am, hence the reason I made them this afternoon. I always have the ingredients on hand and they come together in about half an hour, start to finish. * Recipe adapted, slightly, from the one posted in the NY Times.

INGREDIENTS
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans
2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9x9 inch square baking pan (or 8x8 inch).

In a small saucepan melt the butter and cocoa powder, whisking constantly until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and add the sugar, whisk and let cool. Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk to combine. Stir in the vanilla extract.

In a small bowl mix together the flour, pecans, chocolate and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared baking pan and cook until a toothpick comes out mostly clean from the center of the pan (~ 20-30 minutes, on the shorter end if using a 9-inch pan and the longer end if using a 8-inch pan). Let cool, cut into squares, serve and enjoy!

Turkish Coffee Brownies

I saw this brownie recipe on My Name is Yeh earlier this week and thought it was perfect since I've recently been trying to incorporate new flavors into my traditional favorite sweet treats. And if you know me at all then you know that brownies are my ultimate favorite sweet treat. Also, I'm soon marrying into a family with Turkish roots, so I thought it would be fun to surprise my future hubby with this recipe at the end of a long work-week. Turkish coffee typically describes a method of coffee preparation, but it also often has cardamom mixed into it before serving, so this recipe is a play on those flavors. They are outstanding: fudgy and warm from the cardamom... and the frosting is not to be missed.


INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 stick butter melted, slightly cooled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prep an 8x8 baking dish by lining it with parchment paper and greasing it.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and espresso powder. In another bowl whisk together the cooled butter, eggs, and vanilla until well incorporated. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then fold in the nuts. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the batter to the edges. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then remove from pan and finish the cooling process on a wire rack. You can either eat these as they are at this point or top them with the following frosting.

FROSTING
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon of water with 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
handful of chopped pecans/sprinkles

Whisk together all of the above ingredients until smooth. Spread onto the brownies before cutting and top with nuts, sprinkles, or just leave them as they are! Cut into pieces, serve and enjoy!

Raspberry Coconut Oatmeal Bars

I haven't really been blogging much in the past 5 months.

Or at all.

This is, in part, due to the fact that I have been lacking in inspiration. The rest is due the recent influx of busy and exciting new things happening in both my personal and professional life, including applying to and matching at a predoctoral internship, finishing graduate school, and prepping for my move to NYC in 6 weeks!

I've been so busy that I rarely spend Sundays in my kitchen like I used to. But, today I had just that kind of day. I've missed these Sundays and have decided to make them a priority in the future. I made these raspberry coconut oatmeal bars to bring to my very last meeting on campus tomorrow, and thought I'd snap a photo and post it. The best thing about these bars is that they are sweet enough to be dessert, but have a distinct oatmeal/jam flavor, so they can also pass for a breakfast-on-the-go. I plan on eating them for both breakfast and dessert tomorrow. I hope you enjoy them as much as I already have! Recipe from http://amandeleine.com/.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, divided in half
12 oz. seedless raspberry jam/jelly

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Take half of the coconut and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven, stirring every 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.

Using a food processor, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Add in the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture forms a dough. Pour into a large bowl and mix in the oats and toasted coconut with your hands. Remove 3/4 cup of the dough and set aside. Press the rest into the bottom of a parchment-lined and greased 9x13 pan. Next, spread the raspberry jam in an even layer on top. Crumble the remaining dough on top of the jam then sprinkle the rest of the coconut (untoasted) on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until bars are golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool completely, then cut into squares. Serve and enjoy!

S'mores Bars

S'mores! Without a fire! These were very fun to make and were a yummy Friday treat.

INGREDIENTS

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

4 (1.5 oz) Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars

1 (7 oz) jar of Marshmallow Creme/Fluff

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides once. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt and add to the butter mixture, beating just until incorporated. 

Press half of the dough into the bottom of a lightly greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Spread the marshmallow creme on top in an even layer and top with an even layer of the chocolate bars (break up as needed to fit). Press the rest of the dough on top and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. 

Remove from oven, let cool, cut into squares and serve! 

Best Blondies in the World

The first time I had these blondies was a few weeks ago at a friend's house and they served them for dessert, warm out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I was in heaven. They were rich in flavor and buttery and I knew I needed to make them myself. Fast forward 2 weeks: a girlfriend of mine was over and we made the same blondies, exactly as our friend had, and watched an awesomely terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Hallmark original movie. It was a perfect night. This is now my go-to blondie recipe. Out with the old, in with the new!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (4 oz) pecans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and browned and cooled slightly
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, beaten
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 oz white chocolate chips
3 oz semi-sweet/bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown (~10 minutes, give or take). Cool nuts and chop coarsely. Set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate and nuts and pour batter into an aluminum foil-line (and lightly greased) 9x13 pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Do not overbake. These are so delicious and buttery, and you want them gooey. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Cut into squares are eat!

Red Velvet Brownies

The other dessert snack that I served at the Valentine's Cocktail Party was red velvet brownies. I've not always been a red velvet fan, but I've found a few recipes that include a fair amount of chocolate (and therefore a TON of red food coloring) and I have now officially switched sides. These are sort of a mix between a brownie and cake and are super yummy! And its a 1-bowl batter! Adapted from Heidi Bakes.

INGREDIENTS

4 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 oz. red liquid food coloring

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Melt together the chocolate and butter in a microwave proof bowl, stirring every 15 seconds just until melted. Add the sugar and whisk together. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each egg. Gently stir in the flour and stir lightly. Add the food coloring, baking powder, vanilla, and salt at the same time and stir until incorporated. Pour into a 9x9 brownie pan lined with lightly-greased foil. Bake for about 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees, until toothpick in center comes out almost clean. Let cool completely. Meanwhile, make the frosting. 

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

1/2 stick butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons milk

Beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until incorporated and smooth- add milk to desired consistency. Spread over cooled brownies and let frosting set. Cut into squares and serve! 

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars!

The most delicious, easy, and fun sugar cookie recipe ever! I made these for a Valentine's Day themed cocktail party that I hosted this past weekend and they were a huge hit. The best part about this recipe, other than how tasty they are, is the fact that it made enough to serve probably 50 people. That is not an exaggeration. Its so much simpler than using a cookie cutter. Adapted from Lets Dish Recipes.

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg. Add the vanilla and beat. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and add slowly to the batter. Mix just until incorporated. Spread dough on a well-greased (with butter) baking sheet (13x18 or 10x15). Do your best to make the top smooth. Bake for 10-15 minutes- do not overbake. Remove from oven when toothpick just comes out clean in the center. Let cool completely. While cooling, make the frosting. 

FROSTING 

1 stick butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar 

3 tablespoons milk

Beat together the butter and cream cheese in an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and beat together. Add the sugar, a bit at a time, beating to incorporate. Add the milk (you may need more or less than this) until frosting is desired consistency. Spread over cooled cookie sheet and decorate however you want. Once the frosting has hardened a bit (I put mine in the fridge) cut into squares and serve!

Bailey's Brownies

Bailey's is delicious. Brownies are delicious. I'm not going to share an anecdote about these or try to convince you to make them. If you're anything at all like me, I'm pretty sure you're already done reading this and are checking your pantry for the ingredients so you can make these this instant. Follow your heart. Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is.
*PHOTO BY JASON VOLPE

INGREDIENTS

1 stick unsalted butter

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup flour

pinch of salt

1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter and chocolate, stirring every 20 seconds or so. Once melted, pour into the bowl of a mixer and beat together. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between. Add the flour and salt and beat slowly- just until incorporated- and remove the bowl from mixer. Pour the Bailey's into a measuring cup with a heavy hand. Take a sip of the Bailey's. Add the rest to the brownie batter and stir. Slurp up the extra Bailey's from the measuring cup. Taste the batter and decide to get the Bailey's back out of your liquor cabinet and pour yourself a glass over ice.

Spread the brownie batter into a greased 9x9 pan and bake for 25-35 minutes. Do not overbake!

Nutella Scotcheroos

I had never made (or even heard of) Scotcheroos until I was messing around online a few weeks ago looking up some new David Lebovitz recipes and stumbled upon these. They looked great and I decided that I'd give them a whirl, and serve them that night since I was having some friends over for a TV viewing party (and no, I'd rather not admit the embarrassing show we were watching watch every week together).

Anyways. I had read reviews that these were incredibly sweet, and sometimes too hard to cut, so I added more ooey gooey ingredients and less sweetness. They were great! Nice and chewy, sweet, but not cavity-inducing-sweet.

INGREDIENTS
6 cups plain rice krispie cereal
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup Nutella
8 ounces chocolate chips
8 ounces butterscotch chips

Measure out the rice krispies and set aside.

Pour the corn syrup and sugar into the bottom of a large pot and set over medium heat. Bring to a light boil, stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches this temperature. Take the syrup off the heat and stir in the peanut butter and Nutella until all is melted. Add the rice cereal and stir to combine. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 cake pan and press down with your fingers so that the top is flat. Let cool.

Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a microwave bowl, 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between.  Pour on top of the scotcheroos and spread evenly. Let cool, or refrigerate, until hardened. Cut into small squares and serve! nom nom nom

Caramelitas

Ok. So the thing that happened... was... well... see, I joined Pinterest.............. and then I did nothing but spend hours upon hours for days upon days searching for new recipes/DIY projects/design ideas/hostess ideas, etc. that I want to try. Joining was a seriously dangerous move, both for the status of my dissertation and my waistline.

But, sometimes you just have to make sacrifices. And long story short, I found this recipe for Caramelitas and knew that I had to make them immediately. These guys are wonderful. The picture above shows just how gooey the caramel is... even after baking, even after cooling, even after sitting overnight... you cut them into perfect squares and just watch the caramel oooze. You should make them immediately. *Adapted from Lulu The Baker

INGREDIENTS
32 caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup oats
6 ounces chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small pan heat the caramels and half-and-half, stirring frequently, until just melted and smooth. Set aside.

Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, baking soda and oats. Press half of the batter into the bottom of an 8x8 glass pan. Bake for about 10 minutes and remove from oven. Sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the crust and then pour the caramel mixture on top. Crumble the rest of the buttery/sugary/oat mixture on top and bake for about 15 more minutes, until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. If you don't cool completely, they will still taste delicious, but you'll need a spoon to eat it (which is how I ate my first "piece"). If you chill them in the fridge they are even easier to cut.

Espresso Cheesecake Brownies

So this is the first recipe I made from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From my home to yours, which is my new favorite cookbook. Her espresso cheesecake brownies looked so delicious and I figured that anything topping that is made from sour cream (sweet or savory) is bound to be delicious. And it was. So was the espresso cheesecake layer... absolutely unreal. Unfortunately, the brownie layer was kind of strange-- too hard, not enough butter/sugar/flavor. So, I've replaced Dorie's brownie recipe with my own and kept the rest of her recipe the same. This is DYNAMITE.

Brownie Batter Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup flour
These are great

Cheesecake Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon flour

Topping Ingredients
1 1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Make the brownie layer: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Heat the butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat, whisking just until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Whisk in flour until just combined. Set aside.

Make the cheesecake layer: Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water; set aside to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and espresso. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Reduce mixer to low and add sour cream, followed by flour. Batter should be smooth.

Stir the brownie batter to make sure its smooth and pour about 3/4 of it in the prepared baking pan. Smooth the brownie layer and pour the cheesecake batter on top in an even layer. Dot the top of the batter with the remaining brownie batter, then slightly swirl the two batters together- don't over swirl!

Bake for about 30 minutes or until brownie pull away from sides of the pan and the cheesecake is beige in the center. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Make the topping: Stir together the sour cream and the confectioners' sugar until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Pour on top of the cold cheesecake layer and refrigerate another hour.

Run a knife under hot water before cutting brownies. Serve and ENJOY.

Congo Bars

So, I've recently been in the mood to try out some new sweet treats. I was looking online and found a number of recipes for "Congo Bars" which are essentially a mix between blondies and 7-layer bars... I am in love with both, so I thought I'd try these out. I used a few recipes and mixed and matched parts from each. The result was a yummy and very chewy cookie/brownie. As you can see in the picture, these are more chewy than they are ooey gooey. They could be made with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, or any combination of the three (I did a combo). They were quite good, very easy to make, and bake in 30 minutes!

INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup butter, melted
- 2 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 eggs
- 1 generous teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup ground walnuts
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 1 1/2 cup chocolate/butterscotch chips


In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl stir together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and beat together with a wooden spoon. Add the vanilla and stir together. Add the dry ingredients and stir until almost combined. Add the nuts, coconut, and chips and stir together until incorporated.

Pour into a tin-foil-lined (and greased) 9x13 pan. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cut into squares and eat!

Salted Brown Butter White Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Okay, so about a year ago I mentioned that I am addicted to Doritos and OREOS (for my recipe for homemade OREOS click HERE). But since that post I have realized that I made a huge mistake and forgot 1 mayjah food that I am also addicted to... Rice Krispie Treats. We're talking zero control over how much/many I eat. No matter how large the pan of krisipies is, I will finish it all. By myself. Usually by the end of the night... sometimes all in one sitting. I am having to use all of my strength to not buy more marshmallows after I finish this post-- apparently its not healthy to eat 5 tablespoons of butter every day...

When I saw this recipe for salted brown butter rice krispie treats I knew that they would be even more addictive than the plain ol' regular butter and no salt krispies I've always made. These are so easy, but ohhhh myyyy, good lord, heavens to betsy, etc. etc. etc. These are completely insane. And yes, I made them and finished the entire batch within 24 hours... with no help from another eater. And yes, I made them again two days later for a potluck. This recipe is from www.smittenkitchen.com... its basically the same, but I added less rice krispies, because I wanted more buttery-marshmallowy goodness.

INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
10.5 ounces mini marshmallows
1/4 (heaping) teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup white chocolate chips

5 1/2 cups rice krispies

Melt the butter in a large pot, stirring constantly while it begins to bubble. Continue cooking until it starts to brown, making sure to scrape up the brown specs from the bottom of the pan as it browns. The butter should begin to have a nutty smell and you want to take it off the heat right when this happens, as you do not want to burn the butter. Once of the heat, add the marshmallows, salt, and white chocolate chips and stir until melted and the butter is fully incorporated.  Add the rice krispies and stir together.

Pour into a buttered 8x8 inch pan. Press down with buttered wax paper. Let sit/cool about 1 hour, then cut into squares and serve.

Butterscotch Coconut Bourbon Blondies

Gahhhhh these are good.
But how could they not be when they are loaded with butterscotch, coconut, and booze?!?!
They're like buttah.
But really, they are like butter, because there is one, no, two sticks of butter in them.
And you grease the pan with butter.
And butter is awesome.
BUTTER! YAY!

There. Insight into the brain of a butter-fanatic. Its been forever since I baked and it reignited a frenzy inside me. Oh, and I just finished my masters thesis, so my brain is mush. Brown sugary, butterscotchy, bourbony, buttery mush. Mmm.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 sticks butter, melted
- 2 cups (15.5 ounces) brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/3-1/2 cup bourbon/whiskey
- pinch salt
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (a scant 9 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
- 3/4 cup coconut flakes

With a mixer, beat the melted butter and the brown sugar together. Add the eggs and beat. Add the vanilla and bourbon and beat until incorporated. Stir in the salt and the flour. Add the butterscotch chips and coconut flakes. Stir to combine.

Pour into a butter-greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake. You want these extra gooey!

*This recipe is adapted (barely) from www.smittenkitchen.com and it can be adapted in so many ways... in fact, I added a few tablespoons of peanut butter to this recipe, just because. You could add to and take out any of the extra treats. Would be great with chocolate chips, nuts, dried cranberries/cherries, different booze, etc. If you take out the booze, also remove 2 tablespoons of flour. 

Best Brownies Ever

I love brownies and I struggle making these homemade treats, because, to be totally honest, I really love Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge brownies. Yes, they are from a box, but when you undercook them to perfection they melt in your mouth. 

I’ve tried different kinds of homemade brownies and they’ve always tasted bland, or not complex enough, or too much like cake, or too much like cocoa and not real chocolate. These are far from bland, and have both cocoa and 11 ounces of really good dark chocolate in them. Also, as you can see in this picture, they have a really dense and gooey center. This recipe comes from www.smittenkitchen.com who got it from the cookbook “Baked,” which I will now go BACK and buy after picking it up and putting it down about a dozen times. 

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 11 ounces dark chocolate (72%) chopped
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso/coffee powder
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9x13 inch glass brownie pan.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chopped chocolate, butter, and espresso powder, stopping every 15 seconds to stir, so as to not burn the chocolate and not overheat. Remove from microwave once melted, the mixture should be room temperature. Add the sugars and vanilla and stir well. Add the eggs a few at a time and stir to combine. Do not over mix. 

Pour the dry ingredients over the chocolate mixture and fold to combine, using a spatula. Do not over mix. 

Bake for about 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick, but don’t wait ‘til it comes out completely clean— if you get a few moist crumbs you know that you’ll have super moist brownies. Yum. 

Homemade Samoas Girl Scout Cookies

I LOVE girl scout cookies. And I hate that you can only get them during a certain time of year… which I always seem to miss. My two favorite kinds are Thin Mints and Samoas. I randomly stumbled upon this recipe last week and knew I had to make them immediately. It is kind of a lot of steps, but none are difficult… just time consuming. YUM. (adapted fromwww.bakingbites.com)

For the cookie base…

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened (3/4 cup)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

With an electric mixer beat the sugar and butter, until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and combine. Slowly add the flour and salt until mixture is crumbly. Remove from bowl and press into greased 9x13inch pan (next time I would not use all of the dough… in fact, I would remove about 1/4 of the dough and discard, pressing the rest into the pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Topping…

• 3 1/2 cups shredded coconut, toasted
• 15 ounces soft caramels
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Toast the coconut in a pan or in the oven… stirring to make sure not to burn it. Remove from pan. Meanwhile, in a microwave-proof bowl melt the caramel, milk and salt together, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until melted and smooth. Add the coconut and stir to combine. Pour over the cookie crust and spread evenly on top. Let cool completely.

Once cool, cut into square bars and remove from pan.

Melt the chocolate and dip each square in the chocolate (cookie side down). Place each piece on wax paper and let cool completely. Take the remaining melted chocolate and drizzle over the tops of the cookie bars. Cool completely.

SERVE AND ENJOY!!!

UPDATE: These taste even BETTER after two days in an airtight container… mmm. 

Ultimate Lemon Bars

One of the many wonderful things I ate at home with my family this past week was lemon bars. I love lemon bars, but had never made my own before. My dad found this recipe and it really was wonderful. It was really lemon-y, but also sweet. It was smooth but also had a crumbly delicious crust. My only complaint was that it had a bit too much shortbread for my taste, so I have adjusted the recipe slightly to reduce the amount of shortbread crust… The new (and hopefully improved) recipe is below. Adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe in Rose’s Christmas Cookies.

Shortbread Crust

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 4 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Lemon Curd Filling

• 4 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 
• powdered sugar for dusting

Line the bottom of a 8x8 baking pan with aluminum foil, so that it measures 8 inches by 16 inches, so that you have overhang on two of the sides (for easy lift-out once bars are finished). 

To make the shortbread: Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes, set aside. In a food processor, blend the sugars for about 1 minute, until finely ground. Add the butter pieces and blend until sugar is incorporated. Add the flour and pulse until no flour appears, and there are moist crumbly pieces. Remove from processor and mold together with hands. 

Put shortbread dough in the prepared pan and press down evenly across the bottom of the pan. Use a fork to prink the dough all over. Bake at 325 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, until golden. 

Meanwhile….. start making the lemon curd………

Set up a strainer over a bowl.

In a heavy saucepan, mix the egg yolk and sugar with a wooden spoon until well blended. Stir in the lemon juice, butter, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the spoon, but not too thick to be unable to pour (about 6 minutes, or until it reaches about 196 degrees on a candy thermometer). Do NOT let it boil… if it starts to steam as you are cooking it, remove it from heat momentarily and then place back on the burner. 

Immediately pour the lemon curd into the strainer and press with the back of the wooden spoon until only the course residue remains. Discard residue and stir in lemon zest. 

Once shortbread is baked, pour the lemon curd over the shortbread and place back in the oven for 10 minutes, at 300 degrees. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool completely. 

Once cool, run a knife around the edges and lift the lemon bars out of the pan. Place on a hard flat surface and cut into desired shapes/sizes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy!

Homemade Granola Bars

I really like granola bars, especially when they are filled with chocolate and cranberries/cherries. This recipe is great because it offers so many ways to alter it to your personal taste preferences… you can add whatever you want to these. When I told my dad that I was thinking of making these he asked me if I thought they’d really be that much better than something you can buy and if the work would be worth it……. the answer is that the work is absolutely worth it- these are the best granola bars I’ve ever had. And they are SO incredibly easy to make… and you can basically use whatever ingredients you have in your pantry. Sorry no picture! Adapted from www.smittenkitchen.com

• 1 2/3 cup of oats (like Quaker)
• 1/3 cup oat flour (Quaker oats in the food processor)
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 to 3 cups of filling ingredients (I used 3/4 cup walnut pieces, 3/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/3 cup coconut flakes, 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup peanut butter (or other kind of nut butter)
• 1/4 cup honey, light corn syrup, or maple syrup (I used a combination of honey and light corn syrup)
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (additional)
• 1 tablespoon water

Mix dry ingredients together, including nuts/fruit/chocolate in a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a bowl and add the peanut butter. Whisk together, until peanut butter melts into butter. Add the honey, corn syrup and water and whisk until smooth. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well, so that everything is evenly incorporated.

Pour into a 8x8inch pan with greased aluminum foil. Press the granola batter down into the edges, flattening it with your palms as you go.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, give or take a few. The edges will be golden brown and the center will still seem mushy.

Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the granola with the aluminum foil, then remove the aluminum foil and cut into squares. Eat immediately or wrap individually in cling wrap.

**NOTE** optional fillings: any kind of nut, dried fruit, chocolate, etc. in any combination.