Fully Baked

Banana Pecan Muffins

Labels: bananas, chocolate, muffins, pecans | at 8:49 PM

Last week Gardener Boy's best friend came over to see our new apartment (which I'm loving!), and I felt like baking, so I thought I'd make my new customer happy by asking him what he wanted for dessert.
Gardener Boy stopped me right as I was about to call his friend and made my task that much more interesting: Ask him what dessert he'd like to eat if he was stranded on a desert island...
The response: "I like bananas, pecans, and vanilla if that helps any."
So, I combined all those ingredients and came up with this recipe, which he loved!

As usual, I wasn't able to make these into actual muffins since when I made these I still hadn't found muffin tins (I just found them this week!) but the cupcake size gave them a really cute bite-sized quality that you cant get with muffins.

I added chocolate chips to the recipe which in my opinion added soooo much to the muffin's flavor and texture :)

You will need:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup brown sugar
85 gr (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 180 C (375 F) and lightly butter the muffin tins.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture.

In a larger bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a 3 minutes.

Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

Mix in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.

Fold in the nuts, choc. chips, and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes before turning the muffins out.

Serve warm or at room temperature...warm is better ;)

Should yield 12 muffins, but I made about 22 cupcake sized ones...

Enjoy!

Boston Cream Cup Cakes

| at 10:22 PM

I have been eyeing this recipe for months and yesterday I finally mustered up the courage to make these. :)

Boston Cream was always my favorite doughnut at Dunkin' Doughnuts when I lived in America... I really miss that gooey custard in the middle! *sigh* I wish they had a Dunkin' Doughnuts in Israel...
So, when I saw this recipe it was like a dream come true! My cravings have been answered!
This cupcake has a couple of steps and can get a bit messy, but it's totally worth the effort.

One things I would suggest is that for the chocolate glaze, try to find a fine sugar that dissolves well, or dissolve it yourself beforehand with hot water (as Gardner Boy suggested) because the sugar in my chocolate topping made it grainy :(

You Will Need:

Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
170 grams (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (I used regular milk)
Filling
1 package (3 oz) cook & serve vanilla pudding
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze
8 oz package of chocolate chips, I used 60% chocolate which was amazing
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Instructions:

Cupcakes

Preeat the oven to 176º C (350º F), and line the muffin cups with paper liners.
In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until blended.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until it's light and fluffy(about 2 mins). Add the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla extract.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately beat in the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until it's just blended.
Spoon about a 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (mine took longer but that may just be because I made mine in my crappy oven), until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 min and carefully transfer them from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Filling

Prepare pudding according to package instructions, but using 1 1/4 cups milk. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.

Glaze

Place the chocolate, sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat (but if your using grainy sugar, melt it first). Cook, stirring, until it's melted and smooth, about 3 mins. Remove from heat, and stir in butter until it melts and the mixture is smooth. Let cool.

To assemble

Slice off the top of the cupcake at the edge of the paper liners. Spread the cupcake with about 1 tbsp of vanilla filling. cover with the cupcake top. Spoon/spread about 1 tbsp of glaze onto the top, covering completely.

Enjoy!

kahlua-Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

Labels: chocolate chip cookie, coffee, kahlua | at 5:35 PM

There are sooo many ways to make chocolate chip cookies and I'm always trying to find a unique way to make these cookies that's different than the classic recipe.

Through my trusty guide Wikipedia, I've learned some really interesting facts about this classis cookie!

The chocolate chip cookie was accidentally developed by Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1930. Wakefield was said to have been making chocolate cookies and when she ran out of regular baker's chocolate, she substituted broken pieces of semi-sweet chocolate from Nestlé thinking that they would melt and mix into the batter. They didn't, and the chocolate chip cookie was born!

Wakefield sold her recipe to Nestlé in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate chips... sounds like a good deal to me! Now, every bag of Nestlé chocolate chips sold in North America has a variation of her original recipe printed on the back.

As a child, I remember my mother making the chocolate chip cookie recipe from back of the choc. chips bag all the time. Everyone loooooved her cookies!
Today, I felt like I needed something a little extra in my classic cookie!

This recipe combines two of my favorite things: chocolate chips and coffee!

The flavor of the espresso and Kahlua really permeates this cookie, creating a unique twist on the traditional chocolate chip cookie that everyone knows. The cookie, which comes out a nice small size, is incredibly soft and chewy and falls right into my category of comfort foods. :)

You will need:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp espresso powder
1 tbsp Kahlua
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed firmly
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted & then cooled a bit
1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375 °F).

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, and set aside.

In a small dish, dissolve the espresso powder in Kahlua, and set aside.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugars together. Add the Kahlua mixture, eggs and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined.

Add the cooled, melted chocolate and continue to beat until it’s mixed in.

Now add the flour mixture and beat at a low speed until all the flour is incorporated into the dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) 2-inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until they are golden brown and no longer look gooey in the middles. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Brownie Pillow Cookies

Labels: brownies, chocolate chip cookie, dessert | at 10:51 PM

It's been a really long time since I've posted anything, and that's because my poor little oven broke! Gardner Boy and I now have a new one which we found on sale and hastily (maybe too hastily) bought because I was so desperate to have an oven again! It was definitely on sale for a reason, but its ok cuz I wont be using it for long... Just until Gardner Boy and I move to a bigger place (with a bigger oven!), which will be happening soon!

Anyway, to the Brownie Pillow Cookie.

Imagine a soft cuddly puppy, flopping around on towels and pillows, and think of warmth and comfort. That's the feeling you get when biting into this cookie. Need I say more?

You Will Need:

1 package brownie mix

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1 tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 oz. bag miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Brownie:

Bake the package of brownies according to package instructions and let cool. If you can figure out the measurements, I would suggest making only half of the package. I had a lot of extra. Then again, some wouldn't mind having extra brownies lying around. :)

Cut about ten 1 inch (about 3 cm) squares.

Chocolate Chip Cookie:

Beat the butter with a mixer until its creamy.

Add the brown sugar and beat until smooth.

Add the eggs, yolk, and vanilla, and beat until smooth.

Combine the flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl and stir together with a wire whisk.

Add the flour to the butter mixture and beat until combined, and stir in the chips.

Let the dough chill covered in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 176°C (350°F).

Use a 1/3 cup to scoop the batter. Since it’s chilled, you may need to pack it with a spoon. Then use the spoon to remove the dough from the cup and place it on parchment paper. Work quickly so that the dough remains chilled. You can prepare one cookie at a time so the rest of the dough remains cold.

After the dough is on the parchment paper, make an indentation and place a brownie square in the middle. Press the brownie down gently and work the remaining dough around the brownie. Shape the dough into a ball. The cookie comes out pretty large, so leave a nice about of space between each one.

The brownie square nestled in the indented cookie dough.

Prepare 4-6 cookies at a time, and bake for about 16-18 minutes. Put the rest of the dough to the fridge until its time to bake the second batch.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes about 10 cookies.

Doughnut Muffins

Labels: doughnuts, muffins | at 8:11 PM

I've always wanted to make traditional doughnuts but when I saw these I just couldn't resist!

These muffins really taste like real doughnuts... I think maybe its because of the nutmeg, which gives the muffin a surprising dunkin'-doughnut-like flavor.
I've always enjoyed doughnuts, especially dunkin's Boston Cream (yum!). But what I really LOVE are munchkins.
You get the awesome flavor of doughnuts but in a tiny package of explosive deliciousness... I can't really get through a whole doughnut, because towards the end I begin to feel the sugar overload, but for some reason I don't feel that way when eating munchkins! I can eat a dozen of those babies...I really cant help myself :)
When I bit into one of these, that feeling cam flooding back. I just wanted more!
These are super easy, but read through the directions completely before beginning because the topping needs to be made while the muffins are in the oven, and you'll need to prepare that ahead of time.

You Will Need:
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used cake flour for lack of anything else and it came out amazing)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk or soy milk
Jam

Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 176°C (350°F).
Using a whisk, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl.
In another bowl, combine the sugar, oil, egg, and milk. I used soy milk since I'm sadly lactose intolerant. Although substituting soy milk for milk in cooking can sometimes ruin a dish, for the most part, I've found that its okay in baking. And it was more than okay in this goody.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined.
Spray a muffin or cupcake tin with cooking spray, and fill the cups halfway with batter.
Place one teaspoon of jam onto the batter, and then cover the jam with another layer of batter. Pretty much, your making a sandwich... the cups should be 3/4 of the way full.
Bake the muffins for 20-25 mins.
While the muffins are in the oven prepare the topping. Melt the butter in a bowl.
Then, in a separate bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
Right after the muffins come out of the oven, dip the tops into the butter and then into the sugar-cinnamon mixture. My mouth was salivating at this point.

Serve warm or room temp.
Enjoy these for all they're worth!

The Ultimate Layered Cookie Bar

Labels: chocolate, chocolate chip cookie, chocolate cookie, cookies, dessert, peanut butter, sugar cookie | at 11:18 AM

This past weekend I went home to celebrate two family occasions. And what better way to celebrate than to make every cookie possible... Or, every cookie possible in one bite!

This recipe took some time and effort, but as in all things, it was worth it! Every layer of this cookie bar is infused with sugary sweetness, balancing the four different flavors of everyone's favorite cookies: sugar, chocolate, peanut butter, and classic chocolate chip.

My family looooved this bar... and my aunt even called it sinful. Sinful or sublime, a bite of this cookie bar makes you sigh in happiness :)

Since this bar has four layers there are four different ingredient lists. Read through them carefully to make sure you have all the ingredients you need. I'll be giving you the instructions for each sections along with the ingredients. A little tip I would have liked to know when making these: the dough is kind if hard to deal with because of its stickiness, making it difficult to smoothly spread each layer. I had to use my fingers to spread the layers in pieces so that they wouldn't ruin the layers bellow. So, if you make the batters ahead of time and refrigerate them, they might be be easier to handle.

I also cut everything down to half.

You will need:

Layer 1: Sugar Cookie

1/2 cup and 2.5 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup butter, softened

heaping 1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Or, 1 Roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

Prepare a baking dish by lining it with foil and spraying it with cooking spray (I forgot to line the dish with foil and realized later that it would have made my life much easier because it enables you to pull out the bars in order to cut them when there done, as opposed to wrestling with the pan like I did).
Preheat the oven to 176°C (350°F).

If you're using the roll of Pillsbury, press the dough into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.

If not, in a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Then beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.

Press the dough into the lined and sprayed pan and set aside, or put in the fridge to harden.

Layer 2: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

heaping 1/3 cup brown sugar

1 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 and heaping 1/3 cups flour

1/2 cup and 2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

heaping 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used white chocolate chips which looked really cute peeping out of the bars).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add this mixture to the wet ingredients, and then stir in the chips. Layer the dough over the sugar cookie layer, pressing gently.

Layer 3: Peanut Butter Cookie

1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter (I used crunchy)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 egg

This layer isn't so much of a cookie as it is a spread. I doubled this part of the recipe because I didn't think it was enough, but it turned out to be too much. so stick with this amount.

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined. Press over the chocolate cookie dough.

Layer 4: Chocolate Chip Cookie

113 grams (1 stick) softened butter

heaping 1/3 sup white sugar

heaping 1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 a bag chocolate chips

Make sure oven is preheated to 176°C (350°F). In a mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt.

Slowly add dry mixture to the wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips.

Spoon the dough evenly over the peanut butter cookie dough but don’t press, just leave uneven.

Bake covered for 20-30 minutes or until center of dough is cooked mostly through (check with a knife or toothpick). Uncover and bake for another 15 mins or until the edges begin to brown.

Let cookies cool completely, and then, using the edges of the foil, lift out of the pan.

To add a nice visual element, drizzle the top with 1/2 a cup of melted chocolate chips.

Enjoy!!

My cutie niece was sooo excited to help make and eat the cookies!

Molten Muffin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Labels: chocolate, cookies, muffins | at 1:27 PM

This dessert is every kid's (and adult's) dream come true. Its a cookie, its a muffin, its got tuns of chocolate, and its mind-bogglingly good!
This recipe came from the new Kosher by Design cookbook Teens and Twenty Somethings. Disregarding the lame name, this cookbook has recipes that not many can resist, especially the one I just made!
Once again, I cut down the recipe in half, which made about 12 little cupcake-sized cookies. It should make less, but its impossible to find deep/big muffin tins in this country! All I can ever find are the little cupcake sizes... which actually made these into really nice bite-sized treats.
The best way to eat these is straight from the oven. Gardner Boy and I put them on a hot plate while we ate lunch so that by the time we got to dessert they were hot and gooey in the inside with the perfect crunch and munch on the outside!

You will need:

1 1/8 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
113 g (1 stick) butter/margarine, at room temp for 15 mins.
heaping 1/3 cup sugar
heaping 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup chocolate chips
1 semi-sweet chocolate bar, broken into squares
muffin/cupcake tins

Preheat the oven to 176°C ( 350°F).
In a Medium bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a larger bowl use a mixer to combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla and eggs, and mix.
Add half the flour mixture and combine. Add the rest and, when fully mixed, add the chocolate chips.
Spray the tins with cooking spray and fill each tin a quarter of the way with a ping-pong sized ball. Flatten the ball so that it completely fills the bottom of the cup.
Stack 1-2 (I did 1) squares of chocolate onto the cookie mixture. Now cover the chocolate with another ball of cookie dough. Flatten to completely cover.
Bake the cookies until they are golden brown on top, about 20-25 mins, depending on the size of the tin. The tops should be brown, not wet looking.

Enjoy!

Fully Baked

Banana Pecan Muffins

Boston Cream Cup Cakes

Instructions:

Cupcakes

kahlua-Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brownie Pillow Cookies

Doughnut Muffins

The Ultimate Layered Cookie Bar

Molten Muffin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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