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.

Creamsicle Starfish Cut-Outs

creamsiclestarfishMy last bit of beach-themed baking included these creamsicle starfish cut-out cookies, using orange zest and an awesome ingredient called fiori di sicilia. It’s a potent citrus-vanilla type of extract, which I always buy from King Arthur Baking. A little goes an incredibly long way; you can use an eye dropper to add it, but I just used my 1/8 teaspoon measuring spoon. In any case, it’s absolutely delicious.

I do wish I’d made my icing more orange in color – these starfish are a little more pale than I’d like. But the flavor was delicious, and something I’ll make again; I’d also like to make lemon sugar cookies, so stay tuned for those. Maybe even in the shape of lemons!

Ingredients

For the cookie dough

  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 medium orange
  • Scant 1/8 teaspoon fiori di sicilia

For the frosting

  • 1 egg white
  • 3 tablespoons shortening
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Scant 1/8 teaspoon fiori di sicilia
  • 1-2 teaspoons water

Preparation

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add vanilla extract, orange zest, fiori di sicilia, and about half the flour mixture, beating until combined; beat in remaining flour. Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic; chill for 30-45 minutes.

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

Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into star shapes, then place on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for about 4-5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cookies are cool, make the icing. Combine egg white, shortening, salt, and one cup powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat on low speed until combined, then increase speed to medium, then high, and beat for one minute.

Add additional cup powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed for one minute. Add vanilla extract and fiori di sicilia.  Beat on high speed for one or two minutes, until very well combined.

Check the frosting’s texture; it should be like very, very soft peanut butter and very easily spreadable.  If necessary, add one to two teaspoons of water to thin the frosting and beat well to combine. Reserve about 1/4 cup frosting for starfish accents and tint the remainder orange.

Frost the cookies with the orange icing, then fit a piping bag with a small plain tip and add details. Allow icing to set before storing between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Beach Cupcakes

beach cupcakesBeach-themed baking continues, since once again, almost everyone I know is taking, has taken, or is currently on a beach vacation. I feel like these treats need something else design-wise but I can’t figure out what. A mermaid tail? Shells? An oyster made of miniature vanilla wafers with a sugar pearl inside? Or perhaps my favorite, a teddy graham laying out wearing a bikini? Maybe next time.

Flavor-wise they’re a caramel almond creation; almond cupcakes with caramel frosting, convenient for the color of the sand.

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 teaspoon almond extract

For the frosting

  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • About 1/3 cup caramel sauce*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

*I used Smucker’s Caramel Ice Cream topping to save time but you can also make your own caramel sauce. Homemade caramel sauce is absolutely delicious.

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, and almond extract. 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 caramel sauce, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat to combine completely. Using an offset spatula spread frosting on half of the top of each cupcake; tint the remaining frosting blue and fit a piping bag with a medium star tip; pipe “waves” onto each cupcake.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerate if it’s really warm out, which it is in Pittsburgh today – 83 degrees right now.

Sand Dollar Cookies

sanddollarcookiesEveryone I know is going the beach this summer. Ocean City, Sandbridge, Nags Head, Rehoboth…you name it, someone I know has recently been to it, is currently on it, or will soon be visiting it. Alas, there is no beach vacation in my summer plans. But I do hope to get a little lakeside beach time at Deep Creek this summer, so we’ll see.

Sand dollars – which I didn’t know until today are a type of sea urchin – are also called sea cookies in New Zealand and Spanish-speaking parts of the Americas, and I love that. These sand dollar cookies were very easy to make; I found my recipe over at Krazy Kitchen Mom, though there are several options for sand dollar cookies out there.  This is the snickerdoodle-topped-with-almonds variety, rather than the sugar-cookie-cutout-topped-with-almonds variety. I might try those sometime soon, though.

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the topping

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • Flaked almonds

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each; mix in vanilla. Add about half the flour mixture and beat to combine, then beat in remaining flour. Cover and chill dough for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with foil. Combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls. Dip in cinnamon sugar, then place on the baking sheets and flatten; top with 5 flaked almonds, pressing the almonds in just slightly. I put six cookies on each baking sheet, as they spread.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for about 10 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 28.

Shark Cupcakes

sharkcupcakesIt’s Shark Week. Apparently this annual effort to educate people about sharks – breaking down misconceptions established by movies like Jaws (terrifying, I tell you) – has been a Discovery Channel staple since 1988. Happy 36th anniversary, Shark Week. To celebrate, I baked these shark-themed cupcakes, a basic chocolate cupcake with some vanilla almond buttercream and a sugar cookie fin.

Despite being completely terrified by Great Whites thanks less to Jaws and more to their generally creepy appearance, I actually really like sharks, especially the small ones in aquariums. They always look serene, just kind of gliding around in the tanks. Here’s to you, serene sharks. Maybe someday I’ll be less terrified by your enormous, razor-mouthed cousins.

Ingredients

For the fin cookies

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

For the cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water

For the frosting

  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • Blue food coloring

Preparation

Start by making your fin cookie dough, as it can chill while you bake your cupcakes and make your frosting.

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add vanilla and almond extracts and about half the flour mixture, beating until combined; beat in remaining flour. Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic; chill for 30-45 minutes.

Make your cupcakes:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; this recipe makes 14-15 cupcakes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well-blended, then make three wells for the wet ingredients.

Place vinegar, vanilla, and vegetable oil into the wells; add water and mix until the batter is smooth. The mixture will bubble up slightly when you add the water, so just keep mixing until you get a smooth consistency in the batter, which will be fairly thin.

Using a 1/4 cup measure, fill cupcake wells about half full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for a few minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

While cupcakes are cooling, bake your fin cookies. Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thickness and cut into circles using a large, 4-inch round cutter. Cut each circle into fourths, then using a fluted cutter, slice off a small portion of the dough to create your fin shape. Place on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-11 minutes, until edges are just golden. Remove from oven and cool completely before adding to your cupcakes.

While fin cookies are cooling, make your frosting. Beat butter and powdered sugar on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter. Add vanilla and almond extracts and beat to combine. Tint frosting blue; I used both a light blue and dark blue color to swirl together to make my waves. Fit a large piping bag with a large closed star tip (I use the Wilton 1M) and pipe frosting back and forth in a zigzag on each cupcake, then top with a fin cookie. I’m waiting to put all my fins on until just before I serve these, so the cookies don’t get soggy, which can happen because of the buttercream. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.