Chocolate and Caramel Chip Blondies

chocolate and caramel chip blondiesMy niece, Margaret, was born on Halloween. Margaret is technically my cousin, as her mom is my cousin Barb, but to her I’m Aunt Amy given the age gap. Anyway, I think having a Halloween birthday would be really cool – you get to dress up, there’s always going to be some kind of party, and spooky season is fun in a lot of ways. I like to call Margaret “Count Margula” around her birthday in a nod to Dracula, a starring figure in this season.

These chocolate and caramel chip blondies made their way to Count Margula and her sister, Mo, for their Halloween/birthday enjoyment and they were a big hit. I used Nestle caramel chips, which I think tasted a lot like butterscotch and less of caramel than I wanted, but overall they turned out well.

Ingredients

  • 10 2/3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, plus about 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
  • 3/4 cup caramel chips, plus about 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with baking spray.

In a large saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture melts and becomes smooth. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cool, add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda; batter will become fairly thick. Stir in chocolate chips and caramel chips; the mixture will be thick. Spread into your pan, then sprinkle additional chocolate chips and caramel chips over the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is a very light golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cut into bars while still warm; when completely cool, remove from pan and store in an airtight container. Makes 24.

Applesauce Cupcakes

applesaucecupcakesSo, it’s fall. Cue pumpkin spice madness! Almost three weeks into this season, I haven’t baked anything pumpkin yet, but it’s on the horizon. Today, though, I made these amazing applesauce cupcakes. I found the recipe over at The Toasty Kitchen, and the original called for a browned butter buttercream frosting, but I went a different route. These cupcakes are really tender, and I thought buttercream would be too heavy, so I made a variation on a butter glaze-style icing that uses powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, water, and a little bit of cinnamon.

While the apple flavor is very subtle and these are more of spice cupcakes – which I always find is the case with apple treats in general, except for pies – they’re delicious and were very easy to make.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1 cup applesauce, at room temperature

For the icing

  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Cinnamon to taste – I used about 1/8 teaspoon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line cupcake tins with paper liners. My batch made 17 cupcakes.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to combine; set aside. In a mixer, cream sugar and butter until fluffy, then add egg and beat to combine. Add half the flour mixture, then half the applesauce, mixing to just combine. Add the remaining flour and applesauce and mix until just combined; be careful not to over-mix your batter.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, fill cupcake wells about half full. Bake or 16-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and remove cupcakes from tin; cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, water, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Using a tablespoon, drop portions of icing onto each cupcake and spread with the back of the spoon. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Maple Cupcakes

maplecupcakesA cupcake without sugar? Well, you don’t need sugar when you’ve got maple syrup. This recipe comes from Inspired by Charm, originally written as maple walnut cupcakes and including chopped walnuts in the batter. Instead of sugar, it uses a cup of pure maple syrup as its sweetener. Hear me now, friends – do not use pancake syrup in this recipe, because it is absolutely not interchangeable with pure maple syrup.

But speaking of pancakes, these treats do taste like them. I actually wish I’d added some cinnamon to my batter, so I might do that next time, and I plan to develop a maple pecan version as well. One note – the original recipe said it makes 16 cupcakes, and this wasn’t true for me; my batch yielded 23 and could have probably made 24 if I’d measured better.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

For the frosting

  • 12 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Walnut halves, toasted and cooled, if desired for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with paper liners; this recipe makes about 23 cupcakes.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat maple syrup and heavy cream to combine, then add eggs, vanilla extract, and butter and beat to combine. Stir in flour mixture to combine completely.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, fill cupcake wells about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and remove cupcakes from the tins; cool on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, beat butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and beat on low until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter; this takes a few minutes. Add maple syrup and vanilla and beat to combine completely.

Fit a piping bag with a large star tip (I use the Wilton M1) and pipe swirls onto each cupcake. Top with a toasted walnut. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

icedoatmealcookiesEveryone my age (let’s say young Generation X) ate store-bought iced oatmeal cookies as a kid. There were several brands, from (what seemed like fancy) Archway to generic, but they all had a similar flavor and crunchy texture.

These aren’t nearly as crunchy, but they’re pretty delicious; I added nutmeg to my dough to give it a little extra flavor. You could easily double the recipe; I cut the original one down, but used a generous 1-inch scoop of dough for each cookie to get 22 treats.

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature but still cool
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats

For the icing

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg; set aside. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy; add egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Add flour and beat until just combined, then stir in oats.

Scoop generous 1-inch balls of dough and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets; I baked six cookies per sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes; place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, water, and vanilla extract in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Place about 1 teaspoon of icing on each cookie and spread with a spoon or small spatula; I covered my cookies a bit more than the store-bough versions were covered, but you can leave them a little more bare (or use thinner icing by adding a bit more water to your mixture) if you prefer. Allow icing to set; store between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature for 2-3 days. Makes 22.

Caramel Frosted Brownies

caramelbrownieBrownies are one of my favorite things to bake (and to eat). Start with a reliable recipe as your base and add whatever flavors you want – mix in toasted nuts or chocolate chips, frost them, drizzle them, whatever you want.

These treats are basic and delicious, using my standard easy brownies recipe and caramel buttercream. I almost sprinkled Heath bits on top, but decided to leave them as-is. I’d also like to come up with a caramel swirl brownie, not unlike peanut butter swirl brownies. Or event a caramel peanut butter swirl? This also just gave me an idea for peanut butter caramel frosting…and now my imagination is running wild. We’ll see what happens. 

Ingredients

For the brownies

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the frosting

  • 12 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons caramel sauce, to taste 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking tin; I always sprinkle the bottom of the tin with sugar when I’m baking brownies for a crunch bottom crust.

In a mixing bowl, stir together oil and sugar, then add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in cocoa powder, then salt, flour, and vanilla until the batter is smooth.

Pour into the baking tin and spread into an even layer. Bake for 30-34 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. These brownies are fudgy, but shouldn’t be too gooey in the middle when they’re done; the center will look mostly set on top.

Remove from oven and allow to cool before frosting.

To make frosting, beat butter and powdered sugar on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter. Add caramel sauce and vanilla and beat to combine completely. Pour over brownies and frost with an offset spatula; cut into 24 squares. 

Almond Sugar Cookies

almondsugarcookieSugar cookies can be whatever flavor you want them to be, from vanilla to creamsicle to anything in between. Last week I baked these almond sugar cookies for my goddaughters, Mo and Margo, as their back-to-school treat. It’s a very simple recipe that needs very little to dress it up, if anything. I went with sanding sugar, but you could frost them too if you wanted.

I’d like to experiment with a lemon version (too bad I don’t have a lemon-shaped cookie cutter, hmm), an orange version similar to the creamsicle but with less vanilla, and a chocolate/peppermint for the holidays. Stay tuned.

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract
  • Sanding sugar, if desired

Preparation

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add vanilla and about half the flour mixture, beating until combined; beat in remaining flour.

Note: if your dough is too crumbly, you can add just a bit of water or another ¼ teaspoon of vanilla.

Divide dough in half and knead each just slightly until dough sticks together.  Form each half into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until just barely firm, about 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour sanding sugar onto a plate or into a shallow bowl and set aside. Line several baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.

Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes; I used a fluted cutter for these, but they didn’t keep their shape as well. Press the top of each cookie into the sanding sugar to coat completely; place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just golden. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack. Makes about 3 dozen, depending on the size of your cutter.

Cinnamon Bundt Cake

cinnamonbundtThe importance of properly greasing and flouring your Bundt pan cannot be overstated. When you do, you get a lovely cake that pops right out. When you don’t, you get…well, the disaster below. See that fault line of sorts on the right side? It’s a chunk of cake that stuck to the pan and I had to scrape out and then stick back together. Good times.

I usually flour my Bundt pan with Wondra flour, an awesome product of powder-like consistency that serves many purposes, from thickening gravies to properly coating Bundt pans. But I went with regular flour this time, and I paid the price. I referred to this cake earlier as the bride of Frankenstein and really, I think she should be offended. Regardless of appearance, it’s absolutely delicious. When I make it again (there will be a next time, for sure) not only will I properly grease and flour my pan, but I’ll likely mix in some orange zest as well.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter extract

For the icing

  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter extract
  • 4-5 teaspoons water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and butter extract. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients to completely combine.

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, butter extract, and 2 teaspoons water; add enough additional water to make a thick but pourable icing. Pour over cake and allow to drip down the sides. Allow icing to set before serving.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; this cake stays moist for a very long time.

Lessons in proper greasing and flouring can be learned from the following:

brideofrankenstein

Mexican Chocolate Brownies

mexicanchocolatebrowniesWhat makes something a “Mexican chocolate” treat is subjective. Some recipes just use cinnamon, while others use cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Cayenne is one bridge too far for me baking-wise, so these Mexican chocolate brownies are just a combination of fudgy dark chocolate and cinnamon.

The brownie base is the King Arthur Baking fudgy brownie recipe, and I mixed in a bag of dark chocolate chips and a teaspoon of cinnamon into the batter. You can go easier on the cinnamon if you like, but I feel like the dark chocolate can take it. Also, these brownies had the most amazing shiny, crackly top I have ever seen; this is achieved by melting butter, then adding sugar and re-heating it to allow the sugar to dissolve. Brownie magic, for sure.

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 12-ounce bag dark chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 tin with baking spray.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in sugar, allowing the mixture to become just hot, but not bubbly – this yields the shiny, crackly top. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, then stir in flour, cinnamon, and dark chocolate chips.

Pour batter into the baking tin and spread evenly. Bake for 29-32 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting. Makes 24.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

pbcheesecakebrowniesBrownies can be made with cocoa powder or various types of baking chocolate, usually the unsweetened kind. Unsweetened chocolate is essentially chocolate in its purest form after cacao beans have been roasted and the cocoa butter and cacao solids have been separated from their pods. You wouldn’t want to eat it because of the bitterness level, but when you mix it with butter, sugar, eggs, and other flavorings, you can get very tasty brownies.

This recipe comes from the Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate package, and like most recipes you can find on the back of a box or bag, it’s a reliable one. The one surprise is that there’s no vanilla in this recipe, so if I make it again I’ll likely add some. Texture-wise, these are fudgy and soft, not unlike a cheesecake filling all around.

Ingredients

For the brownies

  • 4-ounce package Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup flour

For the peanut butter cheesecake swirl

  • 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking tin with foil and spray with baking spray.

Melt baking chocolate and butter in the microwave or on the stovetop, stirring until smooth. Stir in sugar and eggs, then fold in flour Pour into prepared tin.

In a mixer, cream together cream cheese, peanut butter, and sugar; beat in egg until mixture is smooth. Pour over brownie layer and spread evenly, then swirl with a knife to create the marbled pattern.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and cool completely; lift out of the tin using the foil and cut into squares. Makes 24.

Lemon Vanilla Cupcakes

lemonvanillacupcakesIt’s August, the height of summer. And with August comes Leo season, the zodiac sign of my birth. Technically Leo season begins in July, but that’s okay. My friend and colleague Melissa and I always mark the beginning of August by saying “it’s Leo season” and agreeing that everything should go right for us during our birth month. That has never happened, but there’s a first time for everything, so we’ll see how this Leo season goes.

Anyway…lemon is a great summer flavor and felt like a good choice for Leo season. These cupcakes are a combination of lemon and vanilla, which I’d never made before – and while they’re delicious, I think I like lemon and almond better. Next time!

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1 2/3 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • Zest of 2 medium lemons

For the frosting

  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • Zest of 1 small lemon*
  • 2-3 drops yellow food coloring

*If you’re worried about lemon zest being weird in your frosting – which sometimes, it can be given its texture – then just add another 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract to taste. 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with paper liners; my batch made 17 cupcakes.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter, then add sugar and stir to combine; mixture will be grainy. Refrigerate for 1 minute, then remove and add egg, yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Stir into the flour mixture until no lumps remain.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop batter into tins and fill about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and place cupcakes on wire racks to cool completely.

To make frosting, beat butter and powdered sugar on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter. Add vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest and beat to combine completely. Add yellow food coloring if desired. Fit a large piping bag with a large star tip (I use the Wilton M1) and pipe swirls of frosting onto cupcakes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.