25 Days of Baking: Day 21

Day 21, I almost can't believe it! Can it really be this close to Christmas already?!? Shockingly we have no snow here, so it's making it hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. On the plus side, we haven't had to break out the snow blower yet!

Today I decided to make Turtles. I do love these, but once again, I have never made them before. I searched online for a good recipe, but I couldn't find one that I liked. Scratch that I did find one I thought I would like (the photos look like exactly what I wanted), but the recipe really wasn't complete. So in the end I combined a few and just made my own.

Homemade Turtles

• 2 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 25 caramel squares, unwrapped
• 1/8 cup cream
• 8oz. milk chocolate (I bought the Ghirardelli Chocolate bars)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange pecans in a single layer, toast in oven until fragrant, about 10 min. Remove from oven. On a separate rimmed baking sheet arrange about 3 pecans together, making sure to overlap them some to keep the caramel from going right through the middle. Make about 18 clusters. 
2. Take 1/4 cup of pecans and finely chop them. Set aside to use for sprinkling on top of finished clusters.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, add the caramels and cream and heat for 3 minutes. Make sure to stir every 30 seconds.
4. Spoon enough caramel sauce over the pecan clusters to cover most of them in each cluster.
5. In a microwave safe bowl, break up chocolate and heat to melt it. I heated it for 15 seconds at a time until melted.
6. Spoon chocolate onto each cluster. More is always better! But make sure you have enough for each.
7. Sprinkle each turtle with chopped pecan halves before the chocolate sets.
8. Place tray in fridge to harden.

These were very easy to make and so delicious. I know these will be made again! They would also be a very easy gift to whip up when you need something! Whoever you give them to will be so impressed by all the work that went into them and how amazing they look, when really it took no time at all.

25 Days of Baking: Day 17

Today's recipe is one that I have wanted to make for quite some time. I even went as far as to print it out, not just pin it. But alas it has yet to be made...until today! My print out actual has April 2013 on it, yikes!

 I got this recipe from one of my favorite scrapbookers Becky Higgins. I searched her site www.beckyhiggins.com for the link to the original post, got sucked in like I do and spent to much time looking through her blog. I ended up not being able to find the link. So when you have a few minutes, hop on over and see what she is up to, it's an awesome read and you won't be disappointed!

Mint Brownies

~ 2 cups butter

~ 3/4 cup cocoa

~ 2 1/4 cups sugar

~ 6 eggs

~ 2 cups flour

~ 1/8 tsp. salt

~ 2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Combine the top 4 ingredients and mix well. Next add the last 3 to the mixture. Bake this brownie layer at 350 for 15 min. in a texas sheet cake pan or for 8-10 min. longer in two 9x13 pans. Cool completely.

 Mint Frosting

~ 4 cups powdered sugar

~ 1/2 cup butter

~ 5 Tbsp. milk

~ food coloring

~ 2 tsp. mint or peppermint extract

~ 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (these will be melted for the top)

 Directions

 Mix all frosting ingredients, except choc. chips. Spread frosting on chilled cake and then chill again. Melt a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and spread for top layer. Chill.

I ended up baking my brownie mixture in a texas sheet cake pan for 21 min. After 15 it was still soupy in the middle. This smelled so wonderful while it was cooking! I also know that there is a fine line when heating chocolate chips in the microwave. Unfortunately I crossed that line, so my chocolate didn't spread smoothly on the  frosting, but it still tastes AMAZING!

25 Days of Baking: Day 15

Another day for peanut butter and chocolate, I told you I liked these two! Today's recipe I cheated on. But with the craziness of the holidays and not enough hours in a day (well that's any time of the year), sometimes you need an easy alternative. 

I made Peanut Butter Blossoms. I cheated because I used the Betty Crocker Peanut Butter cookie mix pouch to make these. In my opinion they taste just as good, and take so much less effort to make!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

~ 1 package Betty Crocker Peanut Butter mix

~ 3 Tbls. vegetable oil

~ 2 tsp. water

~ 1 egg

~ Hershey's Kisses, enough for 1 for each cookie

~ green frosting

Directions

Follow the package directions to make the cookies. Once you take them out of the oven, immediately press 1 Hershey's Kiss candy in the center of each cookie. 

To make these more festive and to add more to them I made some green frosting and swirled it around the Kiss to make it look like a tree (sort of). They kind of remind me of something from Whoville.

25 Days of Baking: Day 11

Today is another favorite. Chocolate dipped peanut butter crackers. Can you tell I have a thing for chocolate and peanut butter?!? These are extremely easy to make and oh so wonderful!

All you need is chocolate bark, peanut butter (I prefer JIF, because choosy Moms choose JIF, that marketing clearly didn't work!), and Ritz crackers. I prefer the holiday snowflake ones. I know you can't even see the cracker once dipped, but I know they are festive underneath!

I start by putting peanut butter between two Ritz crackers. I get as many as I want to make ready. Lets face it I use the whole box of crackers! This way it is a lot easier to just dip away. Next I just heat about half the chocolate at a time. I start with it in the microwave for about a minute, stir and then back in for 30 sec. If it isn't quite melted you can stick it in for another 30 seconds. Then dip! 

Easy peasy and oh so good!

25 Days of Baking: Day 10

Whew, 10 days of goodies (I'm not even half done), but my counter is filling up with sweets like nobody's business. Seriously if you are in the neighborhood stop by for a sugar rush! Today I made Monster Cookies, per my husbands request. I fancied them up by using holiday m&m's!

This recipe is from a family friend and it is wonderful. It also makes a TON of cookies, so I suggest halving it, unless you want a bunch. That is what I intended to do today, as we have enough other things currently in the house. Alas I started halving the ingredients, but then dumped in a full amount of the brown sugar and it wasn't until I started mixing that I realized what I had done. SO...I was now making a full batch of Monster Cookies! Seriously people please stop by!

Monster Cookies

~ 6 eggs

~ 1lb. brown sugar

~ 2 cups white sugar

~ 3 cups peanut butter

~ 1 cup butter

~ 1/2 Tbls. karo syrup

~ 9 cups oatmeal

~ 1/2 tsp. vanilla

~ 4 tsp. baking soda

~ 12 oz. chocolate chips

~ 16 oz. m&m's

Directions

Mix all in order given. 1 quater cup per cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. *Don't overbake*

These are very easy to make and have realistic ingredients! A win for any recipe. Plus with the peanut butter and oatmeal in them, I don't feel so bad when that's what my kids eat for breakfast.

25 Days of Baking: Day 6

My middle guy loves the color green and anything mint flavored. So today's treat was a no brainer! Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Baking magazine from 2010. It is in a Betty Crocker advertisement on the back. I was able to find it online here.

 These were so easy to make and smelled delicious while baking! I had to substitute a few things, because I wasn't about to take 3 small children out in the cold to the grocery store to pick up what the recipe actually called for.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

*1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix

*1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

*1/2 teaspoon mint extract

*6 to 8 drops green food color

*1 egg

*1 cup creme de menthe baking chips

*1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks.
• 2 Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• 3 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
   

 

 Once mixed up and scooped onto the cookie tray these reminded me of mint chocolate chip ice cream, one of my favorites!

I didn't have any mint extract, so I used peppermint instead. I also didn't have any chocolate chunks, but I did have some red and green chocolate chips so we used those instead! They also helped to make the cookies look a little more festive.

 Other than my Kitchen Aid mixer, one of my next favorite items in my kitchen is my Pampered Chef cooling racks. We have a decent counter, but it always seems to be filled with junk. As hard as I try to keep it clean the junk comes back with in a few days. So to help when I'm short on space the fact that these stack are amazing! I have 3 total and I'm not sure what I would do without them.

25 Days of Baking: Day 5

Today is a tried and true wonderful snack! Puppy Chow!! This is my easy go to chocolate fix. My kids love it (who doesn't) but I'm pretty sure that I find a way to eat the majority of it.

Puppy Chow

* 1 box Crispix

* 12 oz. bag of Chocolate Chips

* 1 stick of Margarine

* 1 cup Peanut Butter

*3 1/2 to 4 cups Powdered Sugar

1. Melt Chocolate Chips, Margarine and Peanut Butter in microwave.

2. Pour over Crispix in large bowl

3. Put powdered sugar in a large brown bag. (I find it's best to double bag, so the powdered sugar doesn't go all over!)

4. Add Crispix and shake, shake, shake.

That's all there is to it. Now go make some puppy chow and if you live anywhere near me please bring me some. As ours is already gone.

25 Days of Baking: Day 4

You may want to grab a glass of milk while you read this post. These cupcakes are amazing and so rich. This was another recipe that I had pinned on Pinterest for sometime and every time I looked at it screamed at me to make it. I love chocolate and I love toffee so win win! Here is the original link to the recipe.

There were a few things in the original recipe that I found to be a little confusing and my frosting didn't turn out like it should have. But never the less the cupcakes were wonderful and I would happily make them again.

Toffee Crunch Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcake

• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon instant coffee (recommended: Starbucks Via)
• 1/2 cup chocolate covered toffee bits

Caramel Frosting

• 5 large egg whites
• 11/2 cup sugar
• 4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup caramel sauce (click here for a homemade caramel recipe)

Chocolate Dipping Sauce

• 2/3 cups dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
• 5-8 tablespoons water, warm

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Directions:

Preparation

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cupcake

Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a blow and mix thoroughly to combine. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add the butter and egg mixture and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the hot coffee (use the Starbucks Via to make this). Add the toffee bits to the batter. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool. Store and serve at room temperature.

TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa) and then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.

Caramel Frosting

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 150 degrees F while whisking constantly.
2. Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until mixture cools and doubles in volume.
3. Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again. Add salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Add caramel sauce and mix to combine.

Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. Then slowly stir mixture to combine. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine. Add water one tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. Set aside and let sauce cool to warm.

To assemble cupcake

To frost the cupcakes: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and start piping from the outside working in to the center to create one even layer. Freeze cupcakes for 20 minutes before dipping in warm chocolate sauce, so that the frosting does not melt. Remove cupcakes and dip in warm chocolate sauce, and then rim with chocolate covered toffee bits.  Return cupcakes to freezer for five minutes for chocolate to set. Remove from freezer and finish piping frosting on top.

In the original recipe she stats -1/2 cup hot coffee in the cupcake ingredients, which is confusing as she also has the Starbucks via which you mix to get the 1/2 cup hot coffee. So I took that off. There are also 1/2 cup chocolate covered toffee bits in the cupcake ingredients, although the recipe doesn't state anything about these. It's in her side notes that she mentions that she added these to the batter. I added them to the recipe to decrease confusion!

My frosting didn't set up like it should have. I also don't have a candy thermometer and I'm sure that may have helped with this. I used a meat thermometer instead. It was very runny and so I ended up adding about 2 cups (give or take a little) of powdered sugar to get it to set up and then refrigerated it so it would harden a little. I did keep them refrigerated until we were going to eat them so the frosting didn't melt on me.

All said and done these are a great treat and even my kids liked them. Miss Belle just liked the frosting. Take note of the small hand trying to grab one while I was taking photos!

 

25 Days of Baking: Day 2

Day 2 and I set about making Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls. Chocolate...no brainer! Peanut Butter...yes please! I'm pretty sure if they found a way to combine these to flavor sensations with Cheez Its, I would be as big as a house!

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest. My greatest frenemy. I have so many things pinned that I have now started trying to repin the same things! I can't be the only one with this problem considering little red words pop up reminding me that I already have this pinned. I have been trying to actually complete some of these projects, some with success and others being total flops. That could be a whole other series of "Crap I actually tried on Pinterest".

Back to the chocolate. The original recipe is here. I'm so glad I found this one! These do tend to be a little bit labor intensive and as they make close to 70 balls, by the end you just want to get a spoon and eat it instead of thinking about making 30 more. But because they make so many you can easily freeze them and have an awesome treat the next time you need something.

Recipe
Mix together:
2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cup rice krispies
1lb (3cup) powdered sugar 

1/4 cup melted butter

Make balls and dip in melted:
 2 package milk chocolate chips

Put on cookie sheets in fridge to harden. Makes about 70 balls.

I have made these twice now and found the first time they just wanted to fall apart when trying to form them into a ball, so I needed to add more peanut butter. This time they came out perfect. If they are too gooey, add more powdered sugar. In the original post she says she mixes these by hand, but I found my Kitchen Aid mixer worked fantastic. I just mixed by hand right at the end, when it wasn't such a mess to do. All of my kiddos love these and I catch my oldest sneaking them when I have them out. (He's not very good at it yet, he's only 6, so he still gets a look on his face that says I'm doing something I shouldn't).

 

Hope you enjoy making and eating these! As I mentioned yesterday you could easily dress these up for the holidays by adding sprinkles or a small design in frosting if so inclined.