Granola Bars

granola barsPeople sometimes ask me if I ever have disasters in the kitchen, or at least, if I ever make recipes that don’t turn out well. Of course I do! Today’s granola bars are a great example; if they weren’t burnt on the bottom, they’d be delicious.

Here’s the thing about baking: you can’t be afraid of failing. If you over-bake your granola bars by a few minutes, the next time, you reduce your baking time and everything turns out fine. Failure is all part of the process, whether you’re Thomas Edison inventing the light bulb or a baker trying your first granola bar recipe. Next time I make these – and of course, there will be a next time, because these bars have a delicious flavor profile – I’ll simply bake them for about 18 minutes instead of 22.

The recipe below is adapted from the Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons apple juice
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup Rice Krispies
  • 1/2 cup wheat germ*
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

*You can find wheat germ in the cereal aisle of your grocery store; it comes in a glass jar. 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place oats in a large bowl. Combine butter and vegetable oil, then drizzle over oats, stirring while you drizzle. Add salt and stir.

Place oat mixture on an ungreased 11 x 17 rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, to toast the oats. Oats will become light golden brown; remove from oven and set aside to cool for just a few minutes, then pour them back into your large bowl (it’s fine if they’re still a bit warm). Add Rice Krispies, wheat germ, and chopped pecans, stirring to combine.

Reduce your oven temperature to 325 degrees. Line an 11 x 17 rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with baking spray.

In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, apple juice, and molasses. Cook, stirring very frequently, over medium heat until mixture just begins to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Drizzle the brown sugar mixture over the dry mixture, stirring well until completely coated. Pour onto your prepared baking sheet, then spray your hands with baking spray and flatten the mixture into an even layer.

Bake for 18-20 minutes; I baked mine for 22 minutes and they were over-done, so be careful!

Remove from oven and allow to cool, then cut into bars or squares.

Valentine Cake

Valentine CakeWith Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to whip up a cake for two, something that would be just enough for dessert for Mike and me this weekend. This recipe, which I adapted from Taste of Home, looks like it’ll be the perfect serving size for a few generous slices each.

To frost this lovely cake, I used a pink to red ombré design for Valentine’s Day. I do wish I’d extended the lightest pink down the sides just slightly, so the next time I make a cake like this I’ll definitely do so. Also, this time, I used a crumb layer when frosting; I don’t usually do that, but it seemed like a good idea for this cake. For more info on the importance of the crumb layer, check out this post from the experts at Wilton.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 egg whites*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk

*Reserve your egg yolks and whip up some lemon curd, which could make a tasty filling for this cake and would look great with yellow ombré frosting!

For the vanilla almond buttercream

  • 12 tablespoons butter, softened
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tablespoon almond extract
  • 3-4 teaspoons milk
  • Red liquid and gel food coloring**

**I used red liquid for the light pink layer and red gel for the dark pink and red layers, but you could just use gel for all three.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray two 6-inch round baking pans with baking spray.

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

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour, until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl very well to make sure you get any dry bits.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean; cakes will turn a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately remove from cake pans, cooling completely on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, in a mixing bowl, beat butter for about 1 minute, then add salt and beat another minute.

Add 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and beat on low speed until all of the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter; this will take a few minutes.

Add vanilla extract and almond extract, beating well to combine. Add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach a fluffy, spreadable consistency.

Divide frosting into four portions; a small portion of white for the filling and crumb layer (or, you could use pale pink for this – I didn’t think of that until after I was done!) then three equal portions for the light pink, dark pink, and red.

Place a small blob of frosting on your cake stand and place the bottom cake layer on it; this will help your cake stay in place during frosting. Spread the top with an even layer of white frosting, then top with second layer and frost with remaining white frosting, creating a crumb layer.

Tint your remaining frosting; I used two drops of red liquid food coloring for my light pink layer, then used red gel for my dark pink and red layers. Mix your color in a little bit at a time; you can always make it darker, but you can’t make it lighter.

Fit three piping bags with large plain tips and fill each bag with a different color. Beginning with the dark red, pipe bands around the bottom 1 1/2 inches of the cake, then continue with the dark pink and finish with the light pink on the top. Using a small offset spatula, smooth out each color band, starting from the light pink and working your way down. The colors will blend into one another, and that’s exactly what you want.

Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Lemon Curd Muffins with Poppy Seed Filling

lemon curd poppy muffinsLent begins in just a few days, and Lent always makes me think of my grandparents. My Hungarian-born grandma, Zella, fully embraced my Slovak-American grandpap Andy’s Easter traditions, and growing up just a few doors away from their house, I embraced those traditions as well. Except for eating pig’s feet, of course. Blegh.

Both of my grandparents are gone, but this time of year always brings them back to me, in the recipes and practices they taught me as a kid. My grandma made poppy seed roll every year for Easter, so any time I bake with poppy seed I think of her. I had about three-quarters of a jar of poppy seed filling left over from a previous recipe, and I decided to use it in these lemon curd muffins, which I adapted from a “Make it Mine” muffin recipe in my Better Homes & Gardens baking book. I went the lemon poppy seed route, but really kicked up the flavor with lemon curd, lemon extract, and poppy seed filling. I think Grandma Zella would be proud.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup lemon curd
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
  • 1 cup poppy seed filling*
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract**

*You can make your own, but I always use Baker Poppy Seed Filling.

**If you don’t have lemon extract, substitute 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and about 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest.

For the glaze

  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners; my recipe yielded 21 muffins.

In a small bowl, stir together poppy seed filling and lemon extract; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; make a well in the center and set aside.

In a large glass measuring cup, combine eggs, lemon curd, milk, and vegetable oil and whisk with a fork to combine. Pour into the well in the dry mixture and stir to combine until just moistened; batter will be lumpy. Stir in poppy seeds.

Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, drop scoops of batter into prepared tins and spread gently so you have a fairly even layer of batter. Drop a scant 1 teaspoon poppy seed filling into each, then cover with another scoop of batter, filling about 2/3 full. Gently smooth batter so no filling is showing.

Bake for 15 minutes, until tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted at the edge of the muffins comes out clean. Remove muffins from tins immediately and cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.

To make glaze, place powdered sugar, poppy seeds, lemon extract, and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Add remaining water if necessary, about 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition; you want a consistency like thick honey.

Dip each muffin into the glaze, then allow glaze to set for a few minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

strawberry chocolate chip cookies

I don’t usually bake with cake mix. I’m not judging you if you do – seriously, we all have different levels of interest in scratch baking, abilities in the kitchen, and demands on our time. Sometimes my friends bake and say, sheepishly, that they used a boxed cookie mix, or refrigerated dough, or a cake mix-based recipe their mom used back in the day. I’m cool with that. Your outcome is far more important than whether you made something from scratch.

These strawberry chocolate chip cookies, which I found over at Sally’s Baking Addiction, use a boxed strawberry cake mix for their base. While I suppose I could have prowled the internet for one that used butter and flour and strawberry puree, I went with the mix version and ended up with some very tasty treats. The strawberry flavor is subtle, but that’s not a bad thing. These fun treats will soon make their way to my goddaughter Mo and her family in Maryland for Valentine’s Day.

Ingredients

  • 1 box strawberry cake mix*
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

*I used Pillsbury Moist Supreme Strawberry cake mix.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and baking powder.

In a small bowl, combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; beat to combine, then pour into dry mixture.

Stir very well, until all pockets of dry ingredients are gone, then stir in chocolate chips. I used my hands (messy, but effective) to fully incorporate the chips into the batter.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, drop scoops of dough onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes; do not let cookies brown. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for 3 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Peanut Butter Bars

peanut butter barsThis week’s chocolate/peanut butter baking continues with these delicious, old-fashioned peanut butter bars. I found this recipe in a Good Housekeeping magazine, and they remind me of something you’d see at a bake sale or church picnic. You can leave them plain, but I chose to spread some melted milk chocolate chips on top for a peanut butter cup-type treat.

My only improvement would be to use chocolate frosting, rather than melted chocolate on the top, as the chocolate layer does separate from the peanut butter layer a bit when you bite into them. Next time, I’ll probably use this fudge frosting for my chocolate layer.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 8 ounces milk chocolate chips

Preparation

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

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

In a mixing bowl, beat peanut butter, butter, dark brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add extracts, beating well, then add eggs, one at a time, beating until completely combined.

With the mixer running on low, add flour mixture and beat well, until completely combined; dough will become thick.

Press dough into prepared pan, flattening as best as you can with your hands.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely in pan; once cool, lift out and remove foil.

In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips, stirring until completely smooth. Pour over cooled bars and spread; allow to set completely before cutting.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

peanut butter chocolate chip cookiesWhat could possibly top a chocolate chip cookie? A peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. And nobody knows chocolate chips like the folks at Nestlé, which marketed Ruth Wakefield’s famous chocolate chip creation, the Toll House Cookie.

This recipe comes from the Nestlé Very Best Baking site and offers a delightful balance of chocolate and peanut butter. Bear in mind that peanut butter cookies over-bake very quickly, so you want to make sure you pull them at 10 minutes, even though the centers will still look a bit raw. This yields a nice crunchy edge, but chewy middle, once the cookies have cooled completely.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 package milk chocolate chips

Preparation

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

In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking soda.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add egg and beat to combine.

Add flour in three batches, beating well and scraping the sides of the bowl until completely combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet about halfway through, until edges are just golden but centers still look puffy. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pecan Chocolate Chip Toffee Blondies

pecan choc chip toffee blondiesBlondies provide a nice base for your favorite ingredients, and the mixing and matching possibilities are endless. Nuts and chocolate chips seem to be blondie staples, but you can go well outside the box if you like. Some of my ideas for future baking include dark chocolate chips and dried cranberries, Reese’s Pieces and M&Ms, plain toffee bits and semisweet chocolate chips…I could go on and on.

I paired three of my favorite ingredients – pecans, chocolate chips, and toffee bits – for these tasty treats. Next time I make this recipe, I’ll drizzle melted chocolate and sprinkle more toffee bits on top.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 12 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate toffee pieces

Preparation

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

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and brown sugar; mix well to combine.

Add melted butter and stir to incorporate slightly; add eggs and vanilla extract and stir well to fully combine. The dough will be fairly dry, so you’ll want to use your hands to fully incorporate your ingredients.

Add pecans, chocolate chips, and milk chocolate toffee pieces and mix with your hands to combine well.

Press dough into the prepared pan; if you like, sprinkle some extra chocolate chips and milk chocolate toffee pieces on the top, pressing them gently into the top of your dough.

Bake for 25-28 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then lift out by the foil and place on a wire rack; peel foil back slightly and allow to cool completely.

Once cool, remove foil entirely and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Orange Cream Frosting

orange cream cupcakeOrange cream always makes me think of summer. It’s the middle of winter right now and we’re just digging out from a snowstorm, but how else would we appreciate the summer without the winter?

This frosting originally appeared with orange cream cupcakes and would yield enough for 2 dozen miniature cupcakes or at least 1 dozen regular-sized cupcakes. You could very easily double the recipe for 2 dozen cupcakes or a two-layer, 8-inch round cake.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange extract*
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • About 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • Yellow liquid food coloring
  • Red liquid food coloring

*Substitute orange juice if you don’t have orange extract.

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, beat butter on low speed for about 1 minute. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, orange extract, and vanilla; beat on low speed until well-combined. Add second cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon orange juice and beat until well-combined. Add additional orange juice, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, to reach a smooth (but not runny) consistency.

With your mixer running on low, add about 3-4 drops of yellow liquid food coloring, followed by 1 drop of red. Beat on medium speed until color is well-distributed, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, to achieve a pale orange color.

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

honey cupcakesLet’s take a moment to thank the bees of the world for making honey. I love that there are so many varieties, and that honey from bees in Maryland will taste different than honey from bees in Pennsylvania. My favorite honey can be found at the market at Soergel Orchards in Wexford, just north of Pittsburgh; they stock locally-made wildflower honey that is excellent for baking.

I first made this frosting for honey cupcakes a few years ago at Rosh Hoshannah, but you certainly don’t have to reserve this recipe for the Jewish New Year. It would go very well on spice cake, or just a regular vanilla cake. The recipe below will frost at least 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 dozen cupcakes and a single-layer 8-inch round.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until well-combined and fluffy. Add honey and vanilla extract and beat until very well-combined. Add powdered sugar, one half-cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

Note: various web sources claim that you can store cream cheese frosting in the fridge for a few weeks, but I’d use it quickly, within a week at least.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

cinnamon roll cupcakesCinnamon is among my favorite spices, and when you add it to cream cheese frosting, something magical happens. Besides cinnamon roll cupcakes, you could use this delightful frosting for spice cake, gingerbread, or an orange spice cake (note to self: find recipe for orange spice cake).

Cream cheese frosting is easy to work with, but it does need to be refrigerated once it’s made to keep from spoiling. Unlike buttercream, which you can store at room temperature, the sugar to butter ratio in cream cheese frosting isn’t high enough to prevent bacteria growth. You can bring your treats to room temperature before serving them if you like, but this frosting is also delicious when it’s cold.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/2  teaspoons cinnamon

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and cinnamon and beat well, scraping the sides of the bowl often.