Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

My friend Ashley (the one who we had the birdy baby shower for) just had her baby last week! The sweetest little boy named Brayden :) Whenever I go to visit them I try to bring some treats with me. This week request was peanut butter! I looked around and came across this recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. It got rave reviews from mama Ashley and everyone else I gave extra cookies too.
When it comes to cookies I LOVE soft baked cookies. I'll eat crunchy ones, but they have to be dipped in milk to soften them up. This recipe makes a very soft cookie that is still soft the next day (if you have any left). They also don't spread very much so you can fit a lot on one pan ;-) Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe modified from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I subbed 1 cup whole wheat flour for o ne of the cups of all-purpose flour)
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped semisweet chocolate (I used Nestle's new semi-sweet/white chocolate swirl chips)
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the corn syrup, water, and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apar t onto ungreased baking sheets (I used my small cookie scoop which drops them in tablespoon fulls, which I baked for about 9 minutes).
3. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

   

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

Here is an easy chocolate cake recipe if you need a quick dessert. It doesn't use a lot of utensils either (because you all know we hate doing dishes!). And you can top it with whatever you like (I topped these off with a quick vanilla cream cheese frosting)... Enjoy :)

One Bowl Chocolate Cake
From All Recipes
Makes about 36 cupcakes or 2, 9in Rounds

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

A few things about this chocolate cake recipe: it is a soft lighter cake, almost like a box mix texture (so I don't think it would be very sturdy for stacking or anything like that); if you are making cupcakes like I did, fill the liners no more than 2/3's of the cupcake liner because anymore than that and you will have cupcakes with overflowing "muffin tops" and that ain't pretty (basically when I used my ice cream scoop to portion the cupcakes, right where the metal thingy is that swoops across to release the ice cream/batter is, that is the line I used to fill the scoop). Also, this recipe is easily cut in half (I made 17 cupcakes when I cut in half :).

baking is my therapy

I was feeling a little blue the other day... schools about to start up again, its cold, and sometimes ya just get bummed out. For some, it's retail* therapy that makes them feel better but for me, it's baking. It always makes me feel happy and accomplished (well... as long as the recipe turns out ;-) .

(*For those of you who prefer retail therapy, check out my giveaway this week!)

So I decided to make cookies. But what kind? Yes, my favorite is oatmeal chocolate chip, but I wanted to try something different. I've been wanting to try making these cookies from Momofuku Milk Bar in New York. I've heard about this place on blogs and on the food channel and what not. So I found the recipe for "copycat" cornflake, marshmallow and chocolate chip cookies at The Cookbook Chronicles that I decided to try out. As you know I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and these cookies have some of those ingredients so I was sold.

Copycat Momofuku Cornflake Marshmallow cookies

Makes 20 cookies
The Cookbook Chronicles

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1 ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp kosher salt (plus more for sprinkling)

3/4 cup oatmeal

1 1/4 cup lightly crushed cornflakes (= about 1 1/2 cup cornflakes before crushing)

2/3 cup mini chocolate chips*

about 3/4 cup mini marshmallows

*The chocolate chips in the original Momofuku Milk bar cookie are minis, though substitute with regular-sized chips if you prefer

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat on low speed, just so the dry ingredients become incorporated. With a wooden spoon, mix in the oatmeal, crushed cornflakes, and chocolate chips.

(If you have time and would like the cookies to spread a little less, refrigerate the dough for two hours.)

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, scoop up and roll the dough into golf ball-sized spheres. (Six will fit comfortably on one pan–give them room to spread!) Lightly press down 4 mini marshmallows in the center of each ball of dough. Sprinkle tops with a touch more salt. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Be sure to leave enough space on the cookie sheet !

Bake for 9-10 minutes. The cookies will still look soft in the middle when you take them out of the oven. Allow them to cool directly on the tray for a few minutes before moving them onto a platter.

How cute are those plates?!

Outcome: I did the recipe exactly as followed ( as well as putting them in the fridge, but only for about an hour). I watched them bake and they rose beautifully in the oven, but when they cooled they fell... so very flat. I did not let this discourage me because they tasted great and were still chewy (even the next day). BTW - I hate crunchy cookies! Soft please ;-) Maybe I will try to change up the baking soda/powder ration next time? Anyways, I really liked this recipe. I love the salty and sweet combo. I hope to try a real Momofuku cookie soon. Hey, you know what these cookies reminded me of? The Tony the Tiger Cookies my mom used to bake when I was a kid. Such good memories... I'm happy now :) ~Cara Lee

Happy Birthday Lindsay

Here's a little cake I whipped up for one of my closest friend's birthday this weekend. I wanted to do something a little more simple but fun too. I did a tall 6 inch round cake with layers of vanilla and chocolate cake. Between them I put strawberry swiss meringue buttercream and coated the entire cake with amaretto chocolate ganache. I made some simple fondant flowers and leaves to decorate it. I think it came out pretty well and it lasted too (considering it's unseasonably hot again here in the DC area - another 90 degree day during fall!). *See below for easy chocolate ganache recipe*

So yummy! Who doesn't like chocolate and strawberry?! (I learned that from cupcake camp lol) I think it was a crowd pleaser ;-) But I am so annoyed at my horrible piping skills! I don't know what it is when I have to write something on a cake my hand shakes so much. Any tips??

Easy Chocolate Ganache

I'm always looking up how to make ganache and every recipe calls for weight measurements. I don't have a scale and then I end up having to look up a measurement converter on the internet, etc. So here is the amounts I used yesterday and it came out great! I still had some left over and it keeps in the fridge for a few days - just slowly heat it up int he micro when you're ready to use again (or snack on it with pretzel sticks! YUM)

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz. pkg - I like to get the mini chips since they melt easier)
• 1 cup of whipping cream
• 3 tbls butter, softened
  
• 1-2 tbls Liquer of your choice (I tend to use amaretto, Grand Mariner, or Bailey's)

Directions:

1. Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl.
   
2. Slowly heat up the cream over the stove top, stirring and bringing it just before a boil.
3. Pour heated cream over chocolate chips and let sit for about 2 minutes.
4. Whisk the cream and chocolate chips until combined, then add the butter.
5. Whisk in the liquer. Voila! You're ready to cover a cake or have some fondue ;-)
   

Friday Cupcakes

Every other Friday or so I make cupcakes to bring into work. My co-workers are like my guniea pigs and so far they have liked every cupcakes I've brought in (unless they've been lying to me ;-) I brought a few different kinds into work this week.

First I made chocolate cupcakes with strawberry swiss meringue frosting and a nutella center. So yummmmmmy! I'm really liking the swiss meringue frosting lately and so does the BF :) I kinda got the idea because I love strawberry and nutella crepes! Next time I gotta put banana in there somewhere too.
My second creation is something I have been wanting to make for awhile now. Meat cupcakes! A co-worker of mine doesn't like sweets so I thought it would be perfect. I first heard about a meat cake on one of those wedding shows and it was for a grooms cake. I scaled it down a bit and made them cupcake size.Simply take your favorite meat loaf recipe and portion it into a cupcake pan. Top it with mash potatoes (I piped the potatoes on to make them look more like "frosting"). Then I used bacon, cheese, and chives for the "sprinkles". OH and I can't forget, I did a little ketchup in the center! I gotta have ketchup with my meatloaf. You could do gravy if you want. I put the meat cupcakes in the liner after they had cooled and I dabbed off the grease.

You can also go all out and do a bacon liner if you want!

Grad school has started up for the fall so I'm gonna be crazy busy between that and work. I'll squeeze some bake time in there somewhere :) Big order for next weekend! Have a good one ~Cara Lee

"That's why they invented sprinkles..."

Tonight Ash and I decided to do some baking. I had been wanting to try to make How Sweet It Is bakery's Mexican Pudding Filled Cupcakes, and since I had a lot of the ingredients - including the Mexican chocolate, we figured why not??

Some highlights of the evening:
-I had almost put all the cupcake batter in the liners when I realized I had forgotten the egg yolks! (oops) Had to scrape all the liners back into the bowl and add the yolks.
-Over a dozen eggs later, we could not make the freakin chocolate butter cream icing the recipe called for!! 1st time, I added the butter too soon; 2nd time we beat the egg whites and sugar for almost 30 mins and NO peaks :( We think there might have been a little egg yolk mixed in as well as the extra humidity outside today which probably affected it. Ended up making a simple chocolate butter cream - not my best frosting I must say.
-Allie brought us Georgetown Cupcakes while we were baking cupcakes... I just want to learn how G-town makes their icing - its SO good! The cake is so good too... everything there is good!
-Ashley attempted to ice her half of the cupcakes... and that's why they invented sprinkles!On a sugar high now!! Two days of baking back to back <3 Cara Lee

Strawberries and Chocolate

I wasn't sure if I wanted to make chocolate cupcakes with strawberry or strawberry with strawberry. So I decided on strawberry cupcakes with strawberry butter cream. I added a chocolate surprise int he middle - a Grand Marnier chocolate gnache. For garnish I cut out a heart shape strawberry and topped it with the green leaves of the strawberry. Overall I'm happy and everyone likes them. I think next time I will try a strawberry cream cheese butter cream and maybe a little strawberry extract in the cake to make it more strawberry tasting. I'm going to make chocolate cupcakes next week :) Enjoy!

Strawberry Cupcakes
(I used Sprinkle's bakery recipe)

Makes 1 dozen

• 2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing. *When completely cool, cut out a cone shape in the center, remove, fill with gnache and put the cut out cake back in place. Then you may ice with the frosting
   

Strawberry Butter Cream
(I also used Sprinkle's bakery recipe)

Makes enough for 1 dozen cupcakes

• 1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not over mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

Chocolate Gnache
(Adapted from the Joy of Baking recipe)

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1 tablespoons cognac or brandy (optional) - You can use Grand Marnier or Amaretto for example
  

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. If desired, add the liqueur. *Note: I cut this recipe in half because it makes quite a lot. I let it cool down and firm up a bit, then put it in a small piping bag for easier filling into the center of the cupcakes :)