Monthly Archives: December 2013

Dec 27

Avalanche Bark – Er, Balls

Have you tried Avalanche Bark yet? In case you’re not familiar with it, Avalanche Bark is a concoction that comes to us courtesy of the tasty and wonderful Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. A year or so ago, I stumbled upon a recipe for it on one of my favorite baking blogs, and I’ve been making my version of it ever since.

The best way to describe this creation is a jacked-up Rice Krispies treat. If you like those, you’re pretty much guaranteed to love Avalanche Bark. And the recipe itself couldn’t be easier. The only problem is that I sometimes have trouble cutting these into nicely formed squares – which is why I decided to improvise when my last batch came apart on me a lot during the portioning process. So half of my Avalanche Bark became Avalanche Balls. And you know what? That really didn’t end up being a problem.

Avbark

Avalanche Bark

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 and 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 and 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Place the miniature chocolate chips on a plate and store in the freezer until ready to use.
  2. Combine the white chocolate and peanut butter in a medium bowl and microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each zap, until completely melted. Remove from microwave, stir in Rice Krispies, and let the mixture cool for about 15-20 minutes.
  3. Stir in the miniature marshmallows followed by the miniature chocolate chips.
  4. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and press into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until set.
  5. Use a very sharp knife to cut into squares. If your mixture comes apart on you, don’t worry – just use your fingers to form it into balls and stick your new creations back into the fridge to reset that way.
  6. Store your Avalanche Bark in the fridge in an airtight container. It’ll keep for several days if you don’t devour it first.

avballs

 

And here’s the bite-sized ball version. Part of me almost likes these better. Maybe I’ll make them this way on purpose the next time around.

Dec 26

White Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Bark

So yeah, clearly I’ve been making (and, ahem, eating) a lot of holiday candy lately. The latest offering I have to share with you is this delicious white chocolate bark studded with dried cranberries and pistachios. I’ve seen and tried the white chocolate-cranberry-pistachio combo in everything from candy to cookies to blondies to cake, and it seems to work magically every time. And as is the case with many of my bark recipes, this one is incredibly easy to pull off. If you’re looking for a yummy holiday snack to bring to a party, this one is sure to enhance the festivities.

craisinpistachio

White Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Bark

Ingredients:

2 cups white chocolate morsels or melting discs
3/4 cup chopped pistachios, plus 1/4 cup for topping
3/4 cup dried cranberries, plus 1/4 cup for topping

Method:

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Melt the white chocolate using either a double boiler or the microwave at 50% power for 30-second increments. Pay attention to your chocolate and remove it from the heat once it’s mostly melted (if needed, use a spoon to stir any remaining lumps until they’re totally melted and well-integrated).
  3. Once your chocolate is melted, quickly stir in 3/4 cup pistachios and 3/4 cup dried cranberries.
  4. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, using the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread it evenly.
  5. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup dried cranberries on top.
  6. Place the baking sheet in the fridge and leave for at least one hour to set before breaking into pieces.
Dec 25

Chocolate Nutella Sea Salt Bark

I’m not really a salty snack kind of person. Put a bag of chips in front of me, and I’ll most probably pass. But what I do love is that classic salty-sweet combination, and so I decided to create a candy bark that offered up the best of both worlds. Enjoy!

nutellabark

Chocolate Nutella Sea Salt Bark

Ingredients:

1 cup milk chocolate morsels or melting discs
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels or melting discs
2/3 cup Nutella
1/2 cup white chocolate morsels or melting discs
Pink Himalayan sea salt, for topping

Method:

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Combine the milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and Nutella in a medium bowl and melt in the microwave at 50% power for 30-second increments. Pay attention to the mixture and remove it from the heat once it’s mostly melted.
  3. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, using the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread it evenly.
  4. Melt the white chocolate using the methods described above.
  5. Once melted, use the back of a spoon or a knife to swirl it around on top of the milk chocolate layer.
  6. Sprinkle sea salt generously on top.
  7. Place the baking sheet in the fridge and leave for at least one hour to set before breaking into pieces.
Dec 24

Caramel Coconut Cashew Bark

Can you tell how much I just love candy? The latest installment in my holiday baking rotation is this awesome caramel coconut cashew bark. Imagine rich dark chocolate stuffed and topped with slightly salty cashews, gooey caramel, and heavenly toasted coconut. I mean, really, does it get much better?

coccashew

Caramel Coconut Cashew Bark

Ingredients:

2 cups dark chocolate morsels or melting discs
3/4 cup chopped cashews
2/3 cup caramel sauce (you can make your own by combining about 12 Kraft caramel candies with a tablespoon of milk or cream), divided in half
1 cup toasted coconut

Method:

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Melt the dark chocolate using either a double boiler or the microwave at 50% power for 30-second increments. Pay attention to your chocolate and remove it from the heat once it’s mostly melted. If you leave it too long, your chocolate could seize on you.
  3. Once melted, quickly stir in the chopped cashews and 1/3 cup caramel sauce.
  4. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, using the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread it evenly.
  5. Use the back of a spoon or a knife to swirl the remaining 1/3 cup caramel sauce on top of the chocolate layer.
  6. Quickly sprinkle the toasted coconut on top, using your hands as needed to press it into the mixture.
  7. Place the baking sheet in the fridge and leave it for at least one hour to set before breaking into pieces.
Dec 23

Birthday Cake, Celebrations, and Milestones

We celebrated my son’s second birthday this past weekend, which was awesome but really threw me for a loop. I mean, how on earth do I suddenly have a two-year-old? And does this mean that I can no longer refer to him as “the baby?”

I can’t believe how much my little guy has grown over the past year. It seems like only yesterday when we were first starting to see him walk…and now he spends many a day running, dancing, reading, playing, babbling, and of course, eating. (Not shockingly, my child loves his food. “Ice cream” and “cake” were among his first words – I kid you not.)

Now I could go on and on about how wonderful my little boy is and how much I love him, but I realize there’s a recipe to get to, and it involves birthday cake. Since we were having family over for a small celebration, I decided to go a little crazy on the dessert front. I made brownies, blondies, candy, and cheesecake, but no birthday dessert menu would be complete without a classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Needless to say, the child gobbled up his birthday cake after blowing out the candle with a a little help from Mommy and Daddy. He then proceeded to gobble up some cheesecake as well, after which he asked for fruit and ice cream. I wonder where he gets it from.

Not only is this the recipe I chose to make for my son’s birthday, but it’s also the 100th recipe I’m sharing with all of you. And I’m really happy to mark the occasion with a recipe that I made with my child in mind. See, when I started this blog almost a year ago, I had no idea how often I’d be able to update it or even get some quality time in the kitchen for that matter. Between working full-time, running a household, and taking care of the kid, the word “busy” sometimes doesn’t even begin to describe my day. But after all is said and done, everything I do, from laundry to cake-making, is all part of being a mama in my book. It’s not always glamorous, but I wouldn’t trade it in for anything else.

And with that, happy birthday little guy, and thank you for putting up with your busy baking mama.

bdaycake

Yellow Birthday Cake With Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Cake Recipe from Smitten Kitchen; Frosting Recipe From Savory Sweet Life

Ingredients:

For the cake:

4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken

For the frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 and 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

Method:

For the cake:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside. (I added a light layer of cooking spray as well.)
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until pale and fluffy.
  4. Beat in vanilla.
  5. Add your eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
  6. Mix in the buttermilk on low until just-combined.
  7. Add in the flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.
  8. Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the tops start to turn golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (Don’t panic if your cakes start to puff up a little; mine did, but they flattened out as they cooled.)
  9. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes; then invert them onto racks to cool completely before applying frosting (at least one hour).

For the frosting:

  1. Beat the butter on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add in the confectioners sugar and cocoa, and mix on low until the dry ingredients and butter are well-incorporated.
  3. Increase your mixer’s speed to medium and add in the vanilla, salt, and milk/cream.
  4. Mix for about three minutes until your frosting achieves your desired consistency. If needed, you can add a litle more sugar to make it thicker or some more milk/cream to make it thinner.

To assemble:

  1. Place the first yellow cake on a platter or plate, leveling off the top as necessary to create a flat, even layer.
  2. Use an offset spatula to spread a layer of icing on top of the cake.
  3. Level off the top of your second cake and place it upside down on top of the frosting layer (so that the more even side of the cake is now the top layer).
  4. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and around the sides of the cake. Top with sprinkles if desired.
  5. Place the cake in the fridge for about an hour to allow the frosting to set, but remove the cake about an hour before you want to serve it.
Dec 20

Chocolate Macadamia Toffee Bark

As I mentioned earlier this week, I’ve been deep into candy-making mode. The great thing about making your own holiday bark is that you can feel free to get as creative as you’d like with the flavors and textures you most enjoy. Along these lines, I present my chocolate macadamia toffee bark: an easy recipe to follow, and a delicious one to snack on once it’s done.

Chocolate Macadamia Toffee Bark

mactoffeebarj

Ingredients:

2 cups milk chocolate morsels or melting discs
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
2/3 cup toffee bits, plus another 1/3 cup for topping
3/4 cup white chocolate morsels or baking discs

Method:

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Melt the milk chocolate using either a double boiler or the microwave at 50% power for 30-second increments. Pay attention to your chocolate and remove it from the heat once it’s mostly melted. If you leave it too long, your chocolate might seize.
  3. Once melted, quickly stir in the chopped macadamia nuts and 2/3 cup toffee bits.
  4. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, using the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread it evenly.
  5. Melt the white chocolate using the methods described above.
  6. Once melted, use the back of a spoon or a knife to swirl it around on top of the milk chocolate layer.
  7. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup toffee bits on top of the newly poured white chocolate, using your fingers to press in the bits as needed to get them to stick.
  8. Place the baking sheet in the fridge and leave for at least one hour to set before breaking into pieces.
Dec 19

Chocolate Almond Cranberry Bark

Up until recently, I’d spend much of the holiday season racking my brain trying to come up with great presents for my family members, friends, co-workers, and so forth. But a couple of years ago, I had the idea to forego store-bought gifts in favor of homemade candy.

Now I will say that from a time-related perspective, this move didn’t do me many favors. Making batch after batch of candy and confections is a time-consuming process, and then once the stuff is made you still have to package it up all nice and pretty. But from a crowd-pleasing perspective, homemade candy for the holidays is one of the best ideas I’ve ever had. And although candy-making does take some time, most of the recipes I use are super easy. And as an added bonus, you get to keep some of the candy for yourself, or at least taste little bits and pieces along the way.

cranbark

Chocolate Almond Cranberry Bark

Ingredients:

2 cups dark chocolate morsels or melting discs
2/3 cup slivered almonds, plus another 1/4 cup for topping
2/3 cup dried cranberries, plus another 1/4 cup for topping

Method:

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Melt the dark chocolate using either a double boiler or your microwave at 50% power for 30-second increments. Pay attention to your chocolate and remove it from the heat once it’s mostly melted. Leave it too long, and your chocolate will seize.
  3. Once melted, mix in 2/3 cup almonds and 2/3 cup dried cranberries.
  4. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, using the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread it evenly.
  5. Quickly sprinkle the remaining almonds and dried cranberries on top.
  6. Place the baking sheet in the fridge and leave for at least one hour to set. Use your hands to break up the set mixture into fun, festive pieces of bark.
Dec 18

Holiday Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies

More often than not, I tend to forego traditional cookies in favor of cookie bars. I just find that they’re quicker and easier to make, store, and transport. But as yummy as my bars tend to be, there’s just something about that classic cookie shape that screams “holiday season” to me. So in the spirit of wanting to spread some joy around the office this week, I brought in a batch of sugar cookies with chocolate chips.

As far as cookie recipes go, this one couldn’t be simpler. It’s your basic sugar cookie flavored with vanilla and studded with festive holiday chocolate chips (if you can’t find the red and green chips in the supermarket, you could always use regular chips or red and green M&Ms instead). Also, chilling the dough in the fridge is optional, but recommended. I know some people don’t like having to chill dough because it makes the process take longer, but I found that a quick 10-minute chill was all it took to get this last batch just right.

holsugcookies

Holiday Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, and then stir in the vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the four, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined. Then, stir in chocolate chips.
  4. Refrigerate dough for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, prepare several baking sheets.
  5. Remove the dough from the fridge and use your hands to form small rounded discs. Be sure to leave enough space for the cookies to spread.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden. Let the cookies cool on their sheets for a minute or two before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: This recipe makes about 2 and 1/2 dozen cookies but can pretty easily be doubled if you’re feeding a larger crowd. These cookies will keep for a good 4-5 days if stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

Dec 12

Smores Brownies

Talk about sweetness overload. I’ve made smores bars before, and I happen to think the combination of graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow is just fantastic. But whereas the smores bars I usually make feature a graham cracker topping and crust, this brownie version takes the concept to an all-new level. In fact, you’d almost be crazy to eat these without a cold glass of milk at your side. Consider yourselves warned.

smoresbrownies

Smores Brownies

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1 and 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined.
  5. Pour half of the batter into your prepared pan.
  6. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top of the brownie layer. Then, use a spoon or spatula coated with cooking spray to spread the marshmallow fluff on top of the graham layer.
  7. Spread the remaining brownie batter on top.
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least an hour before slicing and serving.
Dec 11

Cinnamon Blondies

Now that we’re deep into the holiday season, I find myself gravitating toward flavors like gingerbread and cinnamon. So when I found myself craving blondies (’cause, you know, it had been a whole day or so since I’d had one), I decided to put a cinnamon-infused spin on a classic recipe.

These blondies are among the best I’ve ever eaten. You heard me correctly. I just love the simplicity of the cinnamon flavor, and the while chocolate adds a touch of (but not too much) sweetness. And the best part? These blondies are super easy to throw together. You don’t need any fancy tools – just a couple of bowls, a whisk, a spoon, and some willpower, ’cause let me tell you, while these babies are baking, your kitchen will smell fantastic.

cinblondies

Cinnamon Blondies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup cinnamon baking chips (Hershey’s makes these)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and egg. Stir in the vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined. Stir in cinnamon and white chocolate chips, reserving a small amount of each to sprinkle on top if desired.
  5. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the blondies cool in the pan (at least one hour) before slicing and serving.