Italian Orange Cookies

italianorangecookiesI don’t know what makes these cookies Italian, but according to Marisa’s Italian Kitchen, they are. They’re also delicious, very soft and tender with a nice crunchy sugar coating. The original recipe called for rolling them in both granulated sugar and powdered sugar, but I just went with granulated.

I think I should have chilled my dough for longer, because while Marisa’s cookies were more sturdy-looking, mine spread a bit when they baked. I suspect they would be good as sandwich cookies, maybe with some chocolate ganache between the layers. I might still do that, add a dark chocolate ganache – because chocolate and orange are really good flavor friends. You could also fill them with a vanilla buttercream for more of a creamcicle vibe…so maybe next time. Stay tuned.

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • zest from 1 medium orange
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Additional granulated sugar, for rolling

Preparation

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolk, and beat to combine, then add orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and beat to combine completely. Cover and chill for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place sugar in a small bowl for rolling; set aside.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop scant balls of dough – you want them to be about the size of a gumball. Roll into balls, then coat in sugar. Place on the baking sheets and bake for 13-15 minutes, then edges are just golden. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 22.

Kentucky Butter Cake

kentuckybuttercakeDid this cake originate in Kentucky? I assume so, but really have no idea. The internet was little help – just a ton of recipes for this delicious treat. It’s basically pound cake, drenched in butter rum syrup. You can’t go wrong when drenching things in butter rum syrup.

A word about the drenching, though: I never seem to do it properly. I always poke holes in the cake with a skewer, yet my syrup doesn’t distribute as evenly as I’d like. Regardless, this cake is delicious. There are lots of recipes out there, but mine came from Ask Chef Dennis; I, like Chef Dennis, used dark rum in my syrup, but you can use light rum or rum extract if you don’t have the dark kind. I also doubled the amount of vanilla extract in this recipe, because I do that for most vanilla quantities – I feel like you can never have enough.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 5  eggs, at room temperature
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled*
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

*Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. Alternatively, bake by weight, not by volume; three cups of flour is 360 grams. 

For the syrup

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.

In a large glass measuring cup, combine buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract; beat to combine.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar; beat on low to combine for just a few seconds. Add butter and half the buttermilk mixture and beat to combine for just one minute; scrape the bowl a few times. With the mixer running on low, add remaining buttermilk mixture, then increase speed to medium and beat for three minutes. Batter will be light in color.

Pour into the Bundt pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes while you make the syrup.

To make the syrup, combine butter, sugar, water, and rum in a medium saucepan. Bring to a very gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about two to three minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Using a skewer, poke holes in the cake, about 3/4 of the way down. Reserve 1/3 cup syrup and pour the remainder over the cake; if it pools on the cake, poke a few more holes. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack or serving plate; place parchment or a rimmed baking sheet underneath if you’re using a wire rack. Pour remaining syrup over the cake and brush it with a pastry brush to distribute. Let cool completely; store in an airtight container. Makes about 16 slices.

Vanilla Caramel Cupcakes

vanillacaramelcupcakesLast week’s chocolate caramel cupcakes were delicious, so a vanilla version seemed like a good idea too. Naturally, it was. The cupcake recipe is one I’ve used before, modified from the original marble cupcake recipe I found at Sally’s Baking Addiction to omit the chocolate batter and just go with vanilla.

I wasn’t sure what to top them with; I thought about Kraft caramel squares, but that seemed too vanilla. Then I considered Rolos for the chocolate element, but then mini Heath bars came to mind and that seemed like the best idea. Toffee is actually a cousin of caramel, cooked longer so it’s a hard, brittle treat, so it sort of made sense to me for these cupcakes. In any case, the end result is very tasty.

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 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

For the frosting and decoration

  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • About 1/3 cup caramel sauce*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 18 Heath bar miniatures  (I found mine at Target)

*I used Smucker’s Salted 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 18 cupcakes. Fun fact: if you place the cupcake liners in the wells on the outside of each tin, your cupcakes can rise higher. Science, man.

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, and vanilla. 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 and vanilla and beat to combine completely. Fit a large piping bag with a large closed star tip (I use the Wilton 1M) and pipe swirls of frosting onto each cupcake. Top with a mini Heath bar; store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

chocolatecaramelcupcakesThis weekend I’m off to State College to see one of my oldest (meaning I have known her for 21 years, not that she herself is old) and dearest friends, Carrie. We met back in 2003 at the National Building Museum in DC and bonded over being from Pennsylvania; she is an Erie native now living in Happy Valley, despite not being a football fan. These treats are for her and her family; she too is a baker, as are her boys.

Rain is expected in State College this weekend, so our plans are TBD. But one thing I’d like to do is visit the Penn State Creamery, as I’ve never had their ice cream before. I’ve never made my own ice cream either, but you never know when that might enter the repertoire.  For now, I’ll stick to my oven.

Ingredients

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 and decoration

  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • About 1/3 cup caramel sauce*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 14 Dove Milk Chocolate Promises candies

*I used Smucker’s Salted 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 cupcake pans with paper liners; this recipe makes 14 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 15-19 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.

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. Fit a large piping bag with a large closed star tip (I use the Wilton 1M) and pipe swirls of frosting onto each cupcake. Top with a Dove chocolate; store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake

chocolatechiploafcakeSometimes simple treats are the best. This chocolate chip loaf cake from Sally’s Baking Addiction is very simple, and also absolutely delicious. I think it could be for breakfast or a snack, whatever you prefer.

I don’t bake a ton of loaf cakes, but they’re really easy and I feel like I’m going to adapt this recipe to incorporate a few different flavors moving forward; I would love to include some orange zest for a chocolate orange flavor, so we’ll see how that turns out next time. I can also see removing the chocolate chips and turning this into a lemon cake, or even just a vanilla version. Time will tell.

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
  • 1 cup miniature chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9 x 5 loaf tin or spray with baking spray. Technical note: my loaf tin is 9.25 x 5.25, so I cut down on my baking time by just a bit.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add eggs, beating for one minute. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat to combine; the mix will look curdled, but that’s okay. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed, adding milk with the mixer running, until just combined. Finish mixing with a spatula to make sure there are no pockets of flour remaining, then fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into loaf tin and bake for 50-70 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. My cake was done around the 55 minute mark. Remove from oven and cool in the tin for about 15 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely before serving.

Slutty Brownies

sluttybrowniesApparently, putting Oreos into brownies and blondies makes them “slutty.” I’m really not here to judge that, nor am I here to shame anyone or any treat for their romantic behavior. In any case, these treats are a delicious combination of chocolate chip cookie base, Oreo middle, and brownie top. There are tons of recipes online that use store-bought cookie dough and boxed brownie mix, but I wanted a from-scratch version and found this recipe at Crazy for Crust. They absolutely did not disappoint.

My next endeavor will be making a version where the base is a peanut butter cookie. My only worry there is having a perfectly baked peanut butter cookie base – which can dry out – and a fully baked brownie top. I won’t be deterred by fear, though. Stay tuned.

Ingredients

For the chocolate chip cookie base

  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • 24 Double Stuf Oreo cookies

For the brownie layer

  • 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 1 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup flour

Preparation

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

Make the chocolate chip cookie base: Mix melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla, then stir in baking soda, salt, and flour. Fold in chocolate chips and press mixture into the baking tin; top with Oreos, spacing evenly.

Make the brownie batter: Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Stir in sugar, then add eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in salt, cocoa powder, and flour; pour over Oreo layer.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack completely before serving. Makes 24.

Peanut Butter Mississippi Mud Blondies

pbmississippimudblondiesMississippi Mud is a pie, an ice cream, and cake…and now a type of blondie, apparently. Recipes vary, but they all seem to involve various types of chocolate, fudge, and sometimes coffee; other versions use pecans and marshmallows, which to me seen more like a Rocky Road combination than a Mississippi Mud one to me. In any case, these blondies are epic – a salty and sweet combination of a peanut butter cookie base, mini marshmallow middle, and chocolate icing.

This recipe comes from Oh Sweet Basil, which reports the calorie count on these treats at a whopping 519 per square. I totally believe it; they are out of this world. I adapted the icing to include more vanilla extract and added a bit more powdered sugar because it was pretty warm in Pittsburgh today, and I wanted a firmer icing texture.

Ingredients

For the blondie base

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows

For the icing

  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking tin with parchment paper and lightly spray with baking spray.

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

In a mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and beat for 1 minute, then add egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth, scraping down your bowl. Add flour mixture and beat to combine, then stir in peanut butter chips. Press into the baking tin and bake for 25-28 minutes; top with mini marshmallows, then bake another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before icing; to make the icing, beat butter and cocoa powder on low, then medium speed, to combine. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla and beat until you have a smooth consistency. Spread over marshmallows; allow to set before serving. Cut into 16 squares and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Slutty Blondies (aka Blondies Have More Fun)

sluttyblondiesOkay, so…why these are “slutty” blondies, I honestly don’t know. I’m not sure we should be judging their morals either so I also call them Blondies Have More Fun because that seems a little nicer. These delicious treats have a sugar cookie base, Golden Oreo middle, and blondie top, meaning the calorie count is completely off the charts. But they are amazing, and I’m planning to make a classic Oreo version later today, so we’ll see how that turns out. I adapted this recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking to omit the white chocolate chips in the blondie layer, but you could certainly add those in if you like.

Ingredients

For the sugar cookie base

  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

For the Golden Oreo layer

  • 12 Golden Oreo cookies

For the blondie top

  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation

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

Make the sugar cookie layer: In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and beat to combine completely. Press mixture into the bottom of the baking tin; top with Golden Oreos.

Make the blondie layer: Stir together melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and egg; add flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and stir to combine completely. Batter will be fairly thick; spread it over the Oreo layer using a spatula.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting; makes 16.

Vanilla Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze

vanillabundtwithchocolateglazeFor me, finding a great recipe is like a gift from the universe. This vanilla Bundt cake is adapted from my poppy seed cake recipe, which I traditionally bake as a condolence gift when someone loses a loved one. The lemon version is my celebration cake, baked for births and birthdays and other happy occasions. I’ve also made an orange version, and now vanilla with a traditional chocolate glaze. It kind of reminded me of a chocolate-glazed cake donut, a classic, delicious treat.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
  • 1 teaspoon butter extract

For the glaze

  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons hot water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

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

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and extracts. Stir in flour in three batches, mixing to combine completely.

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 glaze, combine all ingredients and stir until smooth; pour over cake and allow to set before serving.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; this cake stays moist for a long time.

Guinness Chocolate Cake

guinnesschocolatecakeHappy St. Patrick’s Day, friends. What better way to celebrate the feast day of Ireland’s famous patron saint than by baking a cake with Guinness, Ireland’s famous stout?

I’ve baked a lot of cakes in my life, and this one is among the absolute best. It has great texture – very soft and fluffy – with a hint of stout against the chocolate. I adapted the original recipe from fellow baking blogger Baker By Nature to include a simple Bailey’s glaze, rather than buttercream and whiskey caramel…though that would have been delicious, too. If you’re having a Guinness today in honor of St. Patrick (and you should), enjoy.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
  • 8 ounces Guinness
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray, the kind that has both flour and oil in it.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, Guinness, oil, milk, and vanilla together; add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Batter will be very thin and bubbly.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean (mine was done at 45 minutes). Remove from oven and cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, stir powdered sugar and Bailey’s together; place in a piping bag and pipe over the cake. Allow the glaze to set before cutting. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days.