Recipe: Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Icing Drizzle

I spent last week in Memphis with my boyfriend, making the most of his week-long spring break. We spent a few quiet days in Arkansas, at an old hunting lodge/clubhouse his family is a member of, and spent the rest of the week at his family home. I ate some great food (including a homemade beef and cheddar hot dog in a soft pretzel bun from Hog & Hominy, a burger at Huey's, and of course, cupcakes from Muddy's), met some of his law school friends, had some "arts and crafts" time (we painted pottery and made glass dishes--both were a lot of fun to work on!), and visited a few galleries and museums. As a thank you to him and his family for hosting me, I thought it would be nice to bake brownies and send them down their way. I found this recipe for red velvet brownies and knew I had to try it out—I don't generally play around with baking recipes because they are so precise and I find it hard to change and edit ingredients (it's so much easier to mess up in baking than it is in cooking), so I left it as is, but added a little drizzle of cream cheese icing to give them a little more flavor (makes 'em prettier too). The resulting brownies were perfectly chewy and dense with a light, flaky top, just like a brownies should be, and the drizzle of icing added a little tangy flavor and creaminess to them.

Yields: 1, 9x13 inch pan of brownies (approx. 20 brownie squares)
Prep. time: 10-15 minutes
Baking time: 35-40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

For the brownies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1&1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1&1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 oz. red food coloring (if you don't have enough food coloring, add water to get the required measurement)
• 4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2&1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's, because that's all I could find, but a better quality brand will yield better brownies)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
  

For the cream cheese icing drizzle

• 2 oz. cream cheese
• Approx. 1/2 cup powdered sugar (or more, as needed)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. milk

Directions

Preheat the over to 350*F. Spray a 9x13 inch clear, glass baking dish with cooking/baking spray. Using the paddle attachment in your mixer, beat together the butter and both sugars on medium speed until creamy, light, and fluffy (approx. 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs slowly, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Slowly add the food coloring and vanilla and blend on medium speed until the color is fully incorporated. In a medium bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and whisk to mix. Slowly add this mixture to the mixing bowl on medium speed until it's fully incorporated—be careful not too over mix though.  The batter should be quite thick and all of the flour should be mixed in. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish and spread evenly in the dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until done (insert a toothpick in the center—if it comes out wet with batter, the brownies need more baking time, but if it comes out clean or a little crumby, the brownies are done). Brownies should be a little flaky on the outside, but slightly moist on the inside. Set aside to cool.

While the brownies are cooling, add the the ingredients for the cream cheese icing drizzle to a small bowl and whisk to blend (you can use the mixer, once clean, to make this go a little faster and to mix it better, but I was too lazy to clean the mixer and ended up whisking together the icing by hand). The finished icing should be thick, but still be able to be drizzled easily. Cut the brownies into squares and, using a spoon, drizzle the icing as neatly as possible over each square (I actually used a squeeze bottle to get more precise drizzles; you can use an icing/pastry bag with a round tip for neater results). Let the icing set (it will not get hard, but rather, it'll thicken and be a little sticky) for a few minutes.

Serve with a glass of cold milk or a mug of hot coffee, or whatever beverage you prefer. Perfect with a scoop of vanilla (or perhaps red velvet, for added red velvet-ness?) ice cream or with some fresh berries. Store brownies in an airtight container and avoid stacking them, if possible, because the cream cheese drizzle will get smeary and smudged.

These brownies are essentially your basic, everyday brownies, but the pop of red food coloring and the sweet and tangy cream cheese icing drizzle add a little pizzazz to them. Great for dessert, for a party, or an afternoon snack, these brownies are chocolaty, chewy, and absolutely delicious.

Recipe: Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

I first saw Oreo-stuffed chocolate chip cookies while perusing pins on Pinterest and I quickly pinned it to my own "Recipes to Try" board. I pulled that recipe out on Friday, having decided to make these crazy, monstrous cookies for my boyfriend as part of an Easter candy care package I had planned to send him. I didn't have enough flour to make a full batch, but the twelve cookies I got out of a half batch were more than enough to feed the two of us—these cookies are so big! As far as I can tell, you can use any chocolate chip cookie recipe (I usually use the Nestle Toll House cookie recipe), but I stuck close to the recipe I found on Sprinkle Charms, the site I pinned the recipe from, and they were absolutely delicious.

Yields: Approx. 24 cookies
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Mixer

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (used salted, unsalted, or one of each)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3&1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Approx. 1&1/2 to 2 cups chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips —they're rich and delicious)
• 1 package Oreos (you'll only need about 24)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Add the butter, sugar, and brown sugar to the mixer's bowl and cream together. Once mixed, add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well-blended. Gradually add in the flour, salt, and baking soda and mix until well-blended. Add chocolate chips and mix on low or stir to incorporate them into the batter.
To wrap the Oreos in cookie dough, get a small scoop of cookie dough and form it evenly around an Oreo, being sure to make sure the Oreo is completely encased in dough. The finished product will look larger than a regular chocolate chip cookie, and that's okay. Repeat until all of the dough is gone. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, a few inches apart (I baked about 6-8 per sheet), and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then move the cookies to cool racks to finish cooling.

Yum!

The heat from baking softens the Oreos just slightly, so you get these great slightly crunchy, slightly soft Oreos in the middle of the cookies and the flavors of each cookie blend perfectly. These cookies are quite big, so one will likely fill you up, and they're absolutely perfect with a tall glass of cold milk.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Blossoms

At noon today, it was snowing out, but I was packed up and ready to go spend the weekend with my cousin and her fiancé  in Maryland. I crept down the driveway in my car, inched down the slush-and-snow covered hill leading out of my neighborhood, pulled out onto the main road...and then promptly decided that taking a four hour trip in "winter weather advisory" conditions was probably not the best idea. I have high hopes that the roads and weather will be better by tomorrow so I can still go on my trip, but for today, I'm stuck home with the cats (the oldest are napping, while the two little ones are suffering from a particularly bad case of cabin fever), hanging out in my PJs and wondering if there will be any good movies on TV tonight. Frustrated and looking to keep myself busy on such a cold, dreary day, I decided to bake, and for no particular reason, I decided to make peanut butter blossoms. I've never made them before, but they are a classic cookie with a classic flavor combination—peanut butter and chocolate—that I've always enjoyed. My mom absolutely loves these cookies—any time one of her friends has them at a party or she takes home a handful from a luncheon, they're "hers" and I get maybe one for myself, so I'm excited to have a whole batch for the both of us.

Yields: Approx. 48 cookies
Prep. time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Electric mixer with paddle attachment

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling on the cookies
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened (I used salted butter, because it's what we had, but unsalted should work too)
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Jif brand)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1&3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 48 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375*F. In a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, and butter and beat at medium speed in an electric mixer (or by hand, if need be) until well-blended and fluffy. Add the egg, salt, and vanilla and continue to beat at medium speed until well-mixed. Add the baking soda and flour and continue to beat until well-blended. The dough will be smooth, soft, and peanut butter-colored. Roll pieces of the cookie dough (approx. 48 total) around in the palms of your hand to form one inch round balls. Roll the balls in the 1/4 cup sugar and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the dough has start to expand, crack a little bit, and turn ever-so-slightly golden-brown (if you let them cook too much, you will end up flattening out the cookies when you press the Hershey Kisses in them later). Remove from the oven and immediately press one Hershey Kiss into the center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely on wire racks (the chocolate will get melty all the way through, so be sure you let them cool completely so you don't smear or smush the chocolate when you put the cookies away). Store the cookies in an airtight container.

These cookies are so easy to make and you probably have all of the ingredients at home already. They've got that great classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate, and the texture—chewy-crunchy cookies with crispy sugar granules and smooth chocolate—is delicious. These are perfect with a glass of cold milk or a mug of hot chocolate. 

Recipe: Bourbon-Spiked Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie with Salted Caramel Sauce

For the past three or four years, my parents have had Thanksgiving at our house, with just my grandmothers, my brother, and me (long story short, it's easier this way, and we do a larger family gathering for Christmas). This year was my first Thanksgiving as a college grad, and because I'm living at home and only employed part time, I was more available to help with dinner preparations than I have been in the past (oh, and my entire family figured that, since I love to cook and I have culinary class experience, I could probably just do the whole meal myself—I'm not quite that good though, haha). We had all of our traditional dishes—stuffing (or rather, dressing, because we cook it outside of the turkey), this Grand Marnier-spiked cranberry relish my mother makes (I find this dish amusing, because she hates cranberries but gets compliments on this dish all the time), turkey, mashed potatoes (though not as many as the good ol' days, when my cousins, Katie and Jess, and I would wolf them down like we'd never get a chance to eat them again), and a brown sugar-and-pecan-topped sweet potato mash, plus a few other sides. My mother and I did a lot of preparation on that Wednesday before the holiday so we wouldn't be overwhelmed on the day of, and my grandmothers each took turns washing dishes and helping us put things away. While I had a hand in a number of dishes, I wanted to make something on my own, and, since we already had so many dinner dishes, I thought I'd go for dessert. We always have pumpkin pie (this year was no different) and the occasional fruit pie, and sometimes cookies or some sort of cake, but I got hooked on the idea of making a chocolate chip pecan pie. I found this highly rated recipe from Emeril Lagasse on Food Network's website, tweaked it a little to get it exactly how I wanted it, and it turned out beautifully. The pie was sweet and rich, but not overwhelming, and the salted caramel sauce and some freshly whipped cream were perfect on top. The pie is best served the day of or the next day, and it's delicious served warm, cold, or room temperature. I highly recommend making the crust from scratch, but you could use a pre-made crust if desired—just make sure you use a deep pie dish, otherwise you may have issues with the pie filling overflowing while the pie bakes.

Yields: 1, 9 inch pie; approx. 1 cup caramel sauce
Prep. time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, plus approx. 10 minutes for the caramel sauce
Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients
For the pie filling

• 1 & 1/2 cups pecans (I used a mix of chopped and whole pecans)
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli brand; you may want to use a little less)
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (my mother makes homemade crusts and I highly recommend making your own)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used dark, but light or dark would work)
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Approx. 1/8 tsp. salt 
• 1 tbsp. bourbon (any brand will work)

For the salted caramel sauce

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 to 4 tbsp. 2% or whole milk (I used a little over 2 tbsp.)
• 1 tsp. bourbon
• Good quality salt, to taste (I highly recommend sea salt, or some sort of high quality coarse salt; just add a small pinch at a time, and taste the sauce as you go to make sure you don't over salt it)
• 1-3 tbsp. butter (salted or unsalted; if you use salted, don't add as much salt) 

(It's really important to taste this sauce at the end, when you're adding in the final ingredients. You want it to be sweet, with a buttery, salty background and just a hint of bourbon)


Directions
For the pie: Preheat the oven to 350* F. Spread the pecans and chocolate chips evenly on the bottom of the pie shell. In a mixer or just in a bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the pie filling until well blended, then pour the filling over the pecan and chocolate chip mixture in the pie shell (the pecans and chocolate chips will rise up into the filling so that the filling is "mixed"). If you want a pretty design on top of the pie, arrange whole pecans on top in the desired pattern. Bake the pie until the filling sets, about 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

For the caramel sauce: In a medium, heavy sauce pan/pot, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color (watch it carefully to make sure it doesn't burn). Slowly add the cream, whisking to combine, and remove from the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, adding more (I didn't add any more to mine) until the desired consistency is reached. Stir in the bourbon and butter until the butter has melted into the mixture. Sprinkle in salt, to taste. Let cool before serving (the sauce will thicken as it cools). Gently reheat before serving atop the pie.

 
This pie is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas (I feel like a lot of people make plain ol' pecan pies for the holidays, so this fits right in), but it could easily be served any other time of the year. Many pecan pies call for ungodly amounts of sugars and syrups that make them cloyingly sweet, but I think this pie has just the right amount of sweetness. Semi sweet chocolate chips add a richness and the warm caramel sauce adds a buttery, salty flavor to the pie that perfectly blends with the pie's sweet filling. This dish was a huge success with my family (even my brother, who rarely eats sweets), and I'll definitely be making it for Christmas.

Recipe: "Almond Joy" Pie

My mom just celebrated her birthday on Thursday and I really wanted to surprise her with some sort of birthday dessert. I came across a recipe online for "Almond Joy" pie a little while ago and I'd saved it on my "Recipes to Try" pinboard on Pinterest, thinking my parents would enjoy it someday—both are big fans of coconut, and they both enjoy Mounds and Almond Joy candy bars. We have two birthday dessert traditions in our house, Buster Bar ice cream cake (Oreo cookie crust topped with vanilla ice cream, homemade fudgy chocolate topping, and peanuts) and Double Fudge Fancy Fill (a chocolate cake with a layer of sweetened cream cheese in the middle, topped with homemade chocolate icing), but my mom always makes those, so I thought I'd try something new, and birthday pie sounded like a good idea. The pie is essentially a coconut cream pie, but a chocolate cookie crust, whipped cream topping, thick drizzles of hot fudge, and sliced almonds transform it into an "Almond Joy" pie that is to-die-for. I'm not a huge fan of coconut, but I absolutely loved this pie and, happily, so did my parents (and yes, my mom was quite surprised and loved that I made the effort to make something from scratch). The coconut cream filling is luscious and creamy, and the coconut flavor is soft and sweet (I was concerned it would be overpowering, but the flavor is just right). You'll end up with extra hot fudge, which is great, because it's perfect for ice cream sundaes, something sweet to dip fruit in, and other desserts. The recipe is easy to follow and it actually gets pulled together pretty quickly, so you'll be enjoying "Almond Joy" pie in no time!

Yields: 1, 9-inch pie
Prep. and cooking time: Approx. 15-20 minutes for the coconut cream filling, approx.  10-15 minutes for the hot fudge, Approx. 10-15 minutes (unless you use a premade crust, in which case, it's ready to go)
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Electric mixer or handheld/immersion blender

Ingredients & Directions
Chocolate crumb crust

• 1 & 1/2 cups Nabisco chocolate wafers, crushed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp. butter, melted 

Preheat the oven to 375*F. In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate wafers, sugar, and melted butter and stir until well-mixed and until the mixture looks slightly wet and darker. Pour the mixture in a 9-inch pie pan and press it into the bottoms and sides, creating a crust. Bake until firm, for approx. 8-10 minutes. Cool completely, then add the cream pie filling.
I couldn't find Nabisco chocolate wafers or any other sort of hard, crunchy chocolate cookie, so I used a premade Keebler brand chocolate cookie crumb crust and it was very good.


Coconut cream pie filling

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup cream of coconut
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 tbsp. margarine or butter (I used salted butter) 
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup flaked/shredded, sweetened coconut

In a medium pot, combine the sugar, salt, and cornstarch, then stir in the milk and cream of coconut. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and bubbly, then continue cooking for approx. 2 minutes more. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly and gradually adding a little bit of the hot cream of coconut mixture to them, being sure to stir the egg yolk and cream of coconut mixture constantly (you need to temper it properly—if you do this too quickly or mix too much at a time, the eggs will scramble. Here's a helpful link to explain the process of tempering). Pour this mixture in the pot with the rest of the cream of coconut mixture and cook over medium heat until it starts to bubble, then continue to cook for a minute or too. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and butter, stirring until the butter is melted, then add the shredded coconut, stirring to combine. Pour the mixture over the chocolate crumb crust and and chill, covered or uncovered) for 3-6 hours before adding the whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and almond topping.


Hot fudge topping

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's brand cocoa powder)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• (1 small bag sliced almonds to sprinkle on at the very end, once the whipped cream and chocolate has been put on)

Stir together the cocoa powder, sugar, corn syrup, evaporated milk, salt, and butter in a small-to-medium pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Let the mixture boil for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let the mixture cool. Store in an airtight, microwave-safe container (it can be stored for up to 1 week in the fridge). To reheat (you need to do this in order to get it to pouring consistency for drizzling on the pie, or any other sweet treats), heat in short bursts (20 seconds at a time) in the microwave in the container it's in or in a small bowl, until it is warm and thinned-out enough to pour.


Whipped cream

• 4 tsp. cold water
• 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• Pure vanilla extract, to taste (I added about a tbsp., maybe a little more)

In a small heatproof dish (I used a little porcelain dish, but a small glass bowl could work too), combine the cold water and gelatin, and let it sit for about 2 minutes, until firm. Bring a small pot of water, filled up to about 2 inches, to a boil, then place the bowl of gelatin in the saucepan and stir it until it dissolves (it will be clear and not cloudy when done). Whip the whipping cream and sugar in a mixer or use a handheld/immersion blender to whip it. Slowly drizzle in the dissolved gelatin as you whip the cream, then add in the vanilla. The whipped cream is done when soft peaks form when you dip a spoon in then pull it up and out. (The reason you add gelatin to this mixture is to stabilize the mixture so it keeps its shape on the pie and stays that way for a few days).

To make the finished product
Spread the whipped cream topping over the chilled coconut cream pie, then drizzle with the hot fudge and sprinkle sliced almonds all over the top. 

This pie is rich, creamy, and has an absolutely perfect combination of flavors and textures. Creamy, sweet coconut filling; fluffy whipped cream; warm, rich chocolate sauce; and a crunchy chocolate crust and sliced almonds on top make a delicious, candy bar-inspired pie that would be great served any time of year, for a variety of events. I highly recommend drizzling extra chocolate topping on after you serve yourself a slice and don't worry if you have to buy a pre-made crust, because it'll work out just fine. Be sure to thoroughly chill the pie before serving, because chilling firms it up and makes it a little less messy when serving.

Recipe: Chocolate-and-Butterscotch-Chip Cookies

I went out for groceries earlier this week, and while roaming up and down the baking aisle, looking for Halloween sprinkles and soft caramels (for caramel apples I'm making this weekend), I came across bags of flavored "chips," like mint and peanut butter. Among the assorted bags of "chips" were bags of butterscotch chips, something I rarely eat but really enjoy. I love the taste of rich chocolate and salty-sweet butterscotch blended together, so I thought making chocolate-and-butterscotch-chip cookies was the best way to get that flavor I was craving. Despite spending my morning in the hot training kitchen for class, slaving away (okay, not really slaving, but seriously, you really have to hustle when there's a lot of food to make) at three (yes, three) different soups, I was really eager to bake as soon as I got home, and I was especially excited about the prospect of the traditional cookies-and-milk for an afternoon snack. I followed the classic Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe (minus the nuts) that my family has used for years, substituting Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (richer and better-tasting than Nestle chocolate chips, in my opinion) instead of Nestle chocolate chips and adding half a bag of butterscotch chips. The result: perfectly crispy-yet-soft cookies, oozing with warm chocolate and butterscotch chips. Best right of the oven, and great anytime with a glass of milk or just on their own.

Yields: About 4 dozen
Prep. time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: about 9-13 minutes per batch
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment needed: Baking sheets, mixer (use the paddle attachment, not a whisk or other attachment)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white/granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2&1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups (12 oz. bag) chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips—they are so much better than cheap chocolate chips)
• 1 cup (half of a 12 oz. bag, a.k.a. 6 oz.) butterscotch chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375*F. Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. Combine the butter, brown sugar, white/granulated sugar, and vanilla extract in the mixer's mixing bowl and beat on low on medium speed until creamy. Add one egg at a time, and thoroughly beat each into the cookie dough on medium speed. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating on low or medium low speed until it's fully incorporated. Slowly add in the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips, beating on low speed to help blend them into the dough. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets, being sure to leave room in between each ball of dough to allow the cookie to spread as it cooks (I just use my hands and scoop out tablespoon-sized blobs of dough). Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown (mine took about 13 minutes to bake perfectly). Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then remove cookies from sheets and place on wire racks to cool completely. Store in an air-tight (tupperware) container. (Helpful tip: To keep cookies soft, place a slice of bread in the container they're stored in. The cookies draw out the moisture in the bread and that helps keep them soft. Be sure to replace the bread slice once it's dried out).

 These are your quintessential chocolate chip cookies, just dressed up a bit with the addition of butterscotch chips. They're soft on the inside, but lightly crispy around the edges and the "chips" have that magic way of staying melty, even after the cookies have cooled all the way. Delicious!

Recipe: Super Chocolatey Chocolate Icing

My grandmother is moving out of her home and downsizing considerably, so a big group of my not-that-big family spent last weekend at her house, sorting, claiming, tossing, and moving things. My cousin, Kate, had the great idea to bring baked goods as a sort of way to make the day a little brighter and hopefully help minimize family drama and meltdowns (we still had one or two—this whole process has been fairly stressful) and she ended up bringing some delicious chocolate chip cookies (I ate a lot...let's just say WeightWatchers was the furthest thing from my mind that weekend). Last Friday just so happened to be my grandmother's birthday, so my mom and I decided we would bring a birthday cake. My dad's high school reunion also happened to be last weekend, so not only was it decided that I'd make cake, but I also got roped into making cupcakes for the reunion. To make things simple, we used a delicious boxed yellow cake mix, but I wanted to make homemade icing. My grandmother has always liked yellow cake with chocolate icing, so I decided to do a variation on my vanilla buttercream from a little while ago and make a chocolate buttercream.

Now, I wasn't quite sure how to write this post, because, to be perfectly honest, I messed up the icing when I made it. And then I made a different version and messed that up. And then I combined the two, added a little milk, and they miraculously combined to make the most delicious chocolate icing ever. See, I made one batch of icing in a buttercream style using melted Ghiradelli chocolate chips, but the mixture was so thick, it was like eating fudge, though the flavor was fantastic. For the second batch, I followed the recipe on the back of the Hershey's cocoa powder box and used that cocoa for the chocolate flavor—unfortunately, I didn't read carefully and, instead of melting the butter, I whipped a whole, unmelted stick into the mixture (I was in a buttercream mindset, and you use a whole, unmelted stick of butter in that type of icing), so once again, I got too-thick icing. I knew I needed to fix the problem, and I knew milk was often recommended as a way to thin out icing, so I poured some in, whipped it, and the icing came out with the perfect consistency and flavor. I had enough icing to ice (I spread it on with a knife rather than pipe out a big pile on top) 24 cupcakes and one, two-layer cake.

So, here's what I'm gonna do: I'm going to share each recipe that I made, and say that you can either try to combine the two and make it all in one go, or, do what I did (and would probably do again), and make each icing separately, then combine and add a little milk until the desired consistency is reached. I know it seems like a lot of work, but seriously, this icing was really good—thick, super chocolatey, creamy, and rich.

M is for Molly, my grandmother's name

Too-Thick Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted (sifting removes lumps that would clump up in the frosting) 
• 3-4 tbsp. milk
• 8-10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli brand, because it's good quality chocolate and creates a rich chocolatey flavor in the icing) 

Directions
Put the butter in the mixer bowl and, using the paddle attachment, blend it on low for about a minute until the butter is a little creamy. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar and milk to the bowl. Blend the mixture on low for about a minute, until the powdered sugar is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and whip until the mixture is completely blended and looks thick. In the meantime, melt the chocolate either very slowly and carefully in the microwave or use a double boiler to melt the chocolate chips. Slowly add the melted chocolate to the other ingredients and whip on medium speed until fully incorporated into the icing. The icing will appear a medium to dark brown and will be thick.

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Too-Thick Hershey's Cocoa Powder Icing

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup Hershey's brand natural unsweetened cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Put the butter in the mixer bowl and, using the paddle attachment, blend it on low for about a minute until the butter is a little creamy. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla extract, and milk to the bowl. Blend the mixture on low for about a minute, until the powdered sugar and cocoa are incorporated into the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and whip until the mixture is completely blended and looks thick.

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Super Chocolatey Chocolate Icing (The Right Icing)

Ingredients

• First batch of icing, the too-thick chocolate buttercream icing
• Second batch of icing, the too-thick Hershey's cocoa icing
• Milk (about 4-8 tbsp., more or less until desired consistency is reached)

Directions
Combine the two different icings in the mixer bowl and blend on medium speed. Add milk, a tbsp. at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Icing should be somewhat shiny and thick. It will spread easily and hold its shape.

This icing, though a lot of work, is absolutely delicious. It's thick and creamy, and it has an intense chocolate flavor that's so delicious. Perfect on cupcakes, cakes, and brownies (I even put a little leftover icing from the cake on my cousin's cookies...so tasty!).

Recipe: Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (for Caribbean-themed vanilla cupcakes)

A few weeks ago, I found a recipe for these beautiful seaside-themed cupcakes, topped with molded chocolate seashells and pale blue frosting—gorgeous! I showed them to my mom and asked if she had any need of them for an upcoming event and, lucky for me, she had a Caribbean-themed potluck dinner going on tonight that would be the perfect place for them. She picked up ingredients for them yesterday afternoon and we made a change of plans when she found some Swedish Fish packages that included fun multicolored sea creatures. My seaside-themed cupcakes became Caribbean-themed vanilla cupcakes, topped with homemade vanilla buttercream, hand-colored sanding sugar, and assorted Swedish Fish shapes. Fun, tasty, and perfect for any ocean-themed party! I used a boxed French Vanilla cupcake mix (yes, I know...I should be ashamed of myself for not making homemade batter, but I wanted this dessert to be as easy and quick as possible). What I'm sharing here is my recipe for buttercream frosting. I absolutely hate that disgusting, fluffy, oily frosting they use at grocery stores and cheap bakeries and ice cream shops. I'm also not really a fan of the pre-made stuff they sell to go along with boxed cake mixes. I like thick, substantial icing, with a rich, yet creamy texture and flavor. This buttercream frosting, adapted from a recipe from Anne Bryn's The Cake Mix Doctor, is thick without being stiff and it has a delicious vanilla-and-sugar flavor.

One of these things is not like the other. Haha. Gotta love the random green fish.

Yields: About 2 cups (the original recipe said it yields 3.5 cups, but I definitely got less and ended up needing to make a second batch). Two batches will be enough to cover approx. 24 cupcakes with a nice thick swirl of frosting)
Production Time: 10-20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Electric mixer

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted (sifting removes lumps that would clump up in the frosting) 
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3-4 tbsp. milk

Directions
Put the butter in the mixer bowl and, using the paddle attachment, blend it on low for about a minute until the butter is a little creamy. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to the bowl. Blend the mixture on low for about a minute, until the powdered sugar is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and whip until the mixture is completely blended and looks thick and creamy. If you find it's not holding its shape or seems to be "melting" on top of the cupcakes or cake you're putting it on, add just a little more powdered sugar to thicken it up (don't add too much, because it'll make your frosting gritty and dry-tasting). The frosting can be spread on cupcakes or cakes with a knife, but I used one of my "fancy" frosting tips for my culinary classes, fashioned myself a pastry/piping bag out of a Ziploc back, and piped the frosting in a simple swirl on top of of the cupcakes. Turned out great!

This is a great basic buttercream that can easily be altered to suit your needs. Add food coloring, mix in a flavor other than vanilla (like orange extract or cocoa), or mix in finely chopped ingredients (like nuts or chocolate chips) to make it perfect for any cake. For my Caribbean-themed cupcakes, I just added a few drops of blue food coloring to achieve a pretty pale blue color. That, topped with blue sugar and fish decorations made for some fun and tasty cupcakes!

Recipe: Sugar Cookies with Hand-Colored Sugar Sprinkles

I made these cookies as a gift for my boyfriend, who just celebrated his 23rd birthday a little less than a week ago. I was really bummed out that I didn't get to celebrate his birthday with him in person, so I wanted to make sure he got a great birthday package, full of goodies, in the mail. Along with my little collection of fun, geeky gifts from ThinkGeek.com, I wanted to include something that was a little more personal. Being the chef-wannabe that I am, I thought I'd make him homemade cookies, with some sort of handmade decorations. I sent him a surprise care package earlier this summer with chocolate chip cookies, so I wanted to make something new. He'd mentioned once that his family makes sugar cookies around Christmas time, so I found a recipe in The Cook's Encyclopedia of Cookies that looked just right. The result of my baking efforts: lightly golden-brown cookies cut into star and heart shapes, generously sprinkled with rainbow-colored sugar. Girly and reminiscent of a bowl of Lucky Charms? Yes. Delicious? Indeed. Appreciated by my boyfriend? I sure hope so. ;D

Yields: Approx. 36 (depending on the size and type of cookie cutter you use, you'll have more or less)
Prep. time: 10-15 minute prep., 30 minutes to chill cookie dough
Baking time: 10-12 minutes per sheet
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Electric mixer

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• Various colors of sanding sugar or (if you want to dye your own, which is pretty fun—directions listed below) white/clear sanding sugar and food coloring (red, yellow, and blue)

Directions
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg into a small bowl, then set aside. With a mixer, blend together the butter/margarine, sugar (not the sanding sugar), and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well into the mixture. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk (one and then the other, back and forth) to make a soft, semi-sticky dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350*F. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface (keep the flour around, because you'll likely need to add more to the surface to keep the dough from sticking to it). Roll it to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into rounds or other shapes using floured cookie cutters. Transfer cut cookies to ungreased baking sheets.

To make the colored sugar: Place a piece of wax paper on a flat surface a put a small pile of sanding sugar on the paper (not too much sugar...just a few tablespoons...you can always make more if you find that the cookies don't have enough sugar topping). Add one drop of food coloring to the sugar and smooth a rubber spatula over and through the sugar, blending the color into the sugar. The color should be light and even throughout the sugar—you want to avoid clumps of sugar that are dark and coated with too much food coloring. If you want a darker color, add more food coloring, but only one drop at a time, and only after blending that drop into the sugar. Repeat the process with fresh sanding sugar and the colors of your choice (for color mixtures, like red and yellow to make orange, add one drop of each color to the sugar and blend and repeat with one drop each if you want a deeper color). Once all of your sugar is dyed, spread it out on the wax paper and let it dry for a few minutes. Pour the dried sugar in a small bowl and stir with a spoon to mix.

Sprinkle the colored sugar onto the cookies on the cooking sheet, then bake the cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hand-dyed sugar

These cookies are light, with that perfect soft-yet-crunchy texture. The nutmeg adds a hint of warmth and the cookies are perfect with a glass of milk or a cup of hot tea or coffee. The easy-to-make colored sugar is a great alternative to icing/frosting (which, in my case, could easily have smeared and smushed on the cookies on their trip through the mail). The cookies are delicious, pretty, and perfect for a birthday gift, Christmas cookie platter, or just to have around the house for a sweet snack.

Recipe: Lemon Bars

My dad and I are grilling tonight—marinated strip steaks, red potatoes seasoned with shallot-pepper (another great purchase from Penzeys Spices), and asparagus sprinkled with salt and pepper, served with Chimay Red (one of my all time favorite beers—a Belgian brew). Since my dad will be doing the grilling, I thought I'd whip us up some sort of light dessert to enjoy after our meal. My best friend and her family made these delicious homemade lemon bars (the recipe is actually from the Weight Watchers community) for the 4th of July weekend earlier this summer, so I thought I'd make those. Sure, I could have gotten a boxed mix—my dad and I have had it before and it's pretty good—but homemade lemon bars, with fresh lemon juice and zest, have so much more flavor!

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 tbsp. packed light brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar, because that's all we had, but I recommend getting the light if you can)
• 8 tbsp. (a little less than 1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 & 1/2 powdered sugar, divided into two equal portions (3/4 cup each)
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• Powdered sugar to sprinkle on top of the completed bars

Directions
To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350*F. Put the flour and brown sugar in a food processor and mix to completely blend. Toss butter pieces into the food processor and pulse to blend, until the picture is slightly clumpy, with butter pieces that are about the size of peas. Evenly sprinkle crust mixture into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch pan and press down on the mixture with your hand or a spatula to create a packed surface. Place the pan in the middle of the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until slightly golden brown.

To make the lemon filling/topping: Beat eggs in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until well-blended. Add vanilla extract and 3/4 cup of the powdered sugar and mix well. Add the lemon juice and remaining (3/4 cup) powdered sugar and mix until the powdered sugar is completely dissolved, then add the zest.

As soon as the crust is finished baking, remove from the oven and immediately pour the lemon mixture over the hot crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 300*F. Put the mixture back in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes (the edges will be slightly golden brown), remove, and let cool for at least 15 minutes. Put in the fridge to cool completely. When ready to serve, cut unto 24 bars and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store remaining bars in the fridge.

These bars are sweet, tangy, and refreshing on a warm summer day. Using fresh lemon juice and zest adds a punch of flavor and the warm yellow color is beautiful and bright. These are great served with a cup of tea, a glass of milk, or just by themselves. Don't skimp on the powdered sugar topping!—It helps balance the tartness of the lemon and sweeten the bars.