This Week's Concoctions Ending 10/29

Here are some highlights of items that I made this week other than the "Weekly Cookie"

This is a pear spice cake. We had gotten 2 lbs of Asian Pears from our fruit share. It tasted like a basic spice cake. I'm sure I could've used apples or a different fruit and it would've tasted the same!

One of my co-workers had his last day and this is his good luck cake. It's angel food cake with cool whip and chocolate chips. I hate making angel food cake because it never looks good to me. It sags and misshapes from the mold.

October 27: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients:
Filling
12 oz cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 large egg plus 2 tablespoons beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tablespoons (0.4 oz) all-purpose flour

Batter
1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon plus a tiny pinch salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 oz (1 1/2 cups) bittersweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 cup (4.5 oz) all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line a 9-inch square metal pan with foil and spray the foil with flour-added baking spray.
2. Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and both sugars together at a medium-high speed with an electric mixer, then reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and beat in the pumpkin, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in the flour. Set aside.
3. Make the batter: In a second bowl, beat the butter, salt, and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate chips, then stir in the flour. Pour all but about 3/4 cup of the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan.
4. Spoon the pumpkin mixture evenly over the brownie batter in the pan.
5. Drop the reserved brownie batter over the pumpkin to give the brownies a splotched, marbled look. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the brownies pull away from the edges and appear set. Let cool in the pan for about 2 hours and then chill for a few hours or overnight. Lift from the pan, set on a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares.

Filling ingredients

Addition of pumpkin and vanilla

Addition of egg and pumpkin pie spice

Addition of flour

Batter ingredients

Addition of eggs and vanilla

Addition of bittersweet chocolate

Addition of flour

Bottom layer

Obviously I should've taken the picture like 1 minute earlier...middle layer

Top layer before

Top layer after

 

Thoughts: Cheesecakes have become slightly irritating to me because of their cook times. This recipe called for 45-50 minutes. I think I had it in the oven for 75. I admit the bottom brownie layer is a little overcooked and tough but the cheesecake layer was mush when I kept checking on it. That being said it was very good :) I hate making things with that "marbled look" though...it's a skill I need to improve. I was a little worried that it was going to overflow...so maybe I would try an 11x7 or 9x13 pan.

This Week's Concoctions Ending 10/22

Here is the only thing that I made this week other than the "Weekly Cookie"

We went to Brown's Berry Farm this weekend where we picked raspberries and apples. I have yet to do anything with the apples but I made this pie with the raspberries because I knew they would spoil quickly. As seen by the picture, my pie skills have not gotten any better. Store bought crust, of course.

October 20: Small-Batch Vegan Molasses Cookies

Small-Batch Vegan Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 oz) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons vegetable or melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons mild molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons drained unsweetened applesauce
Sparkling sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 325 and place a rack in the center. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl.
3. Mix the brown sugar, vegetable oil, molasses, vanilla, and applesauce together in a medium-size mixing bowl. Add the flour mixture to the brown sugar mixture and stir until blended.
4. Scoop up tablespoonfuls of dough and shape into 3/4-inch balls. Arrange about 2 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and press down to about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle the tops with sparkling sugar. Bake one sheet at a time for 13-15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I took this pic at night so the lighting is not so good.

Dry ingredients

Wet ingredients

Thoughts: Very easy recipe especially because I didn't have to bring out the mixer. Like the title suggests, it was a small batch. I think it only made 16. It was a decent cookie...a little stiff....tasted like a molasses cookie vegan or not!

October 15: No-Bake Wheat and Peanut Butter Bars

No-Bake Wheat and Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup or honey
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped, lightly salted peanuts
3 cups spoon-size Shredded Wheat cereal, coarsely crushed

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with nonstick foil.
2. Mix the sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter in a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl; microwave on high for about 1 minute, or until hot and bubbly. Stir in the vanilla, peanuts, and cereal. Mix well and transfer to the prepared pan. Press down tightly and chill until firm. Lift from pan, set on a cutting board, and cut into 24 bars.

Peanut butter, brown sugar, corn syrup

Addition of vanilla

Addition of crushed cereal and peanuts

Thoughts: Another easy recipe because it was no bake. It probably took 10 minutes to put together and then I popped it in the fridge for a couple of hours. We both thought it was just ok...for me, I tend to not like these types of flavors. Ordinarily I don't like shredded wheat at all.

This Week's Concoctions Ending 10/15

Again unfortunately, I made nothing other than the "Weekly Cookie" this week...

This Week's Concoctions Ending 10/8

Unfortunately, I made nothing other than the "Weekly Cookie" this week...I should have more next week...maybe.

October 6: Noodle Cookies

Noodle Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups chow mein noodles
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup unsalted or lightly salted peanuts
2/3 cup butterscotch chips
4 oz dark chocolate, or about 16 Dove or Hershey's Bliss squares

1. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Make sure it's one that's small enough to fit in the fridge.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the noodles, marshmallows, and peanuts. Set aside.
3. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine the butterscotch chips and chocolate; heat at 50% power, stirring every 60 seconds, until melted and smooth. With a rubber scraper, scrape the chocolate into the noodle mixture and stir to coat the mixture. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Chill until firm.

Dry ingredients

Chocolate and Butterscotch Chips

Before...

And after...

Thoughts: Anytime there is a no bake cookie, its easy. The most difficult part was properly melting the chocolate. I used roasted peanuts and 1.25 Dove chocolate bars. Patrick thought they were pretty awesome....I thought they were just ok.

September 30: Mulled Apple Cider Cookies

Mulled Apple Cider Cookies

Ingredients:
Cookies:
2 1/4 cups (10.1 oz) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup apple cider or juice
1 cup finely chopped or shredded apple, peeled if desired
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

Icing:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons (1.25 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4-5 tablespoons apple cider or juice

Dry ingredients

Addition of egg and apple cider

Addition of flour

Addition of MacIntosh apples

Addition of pecans

I guess I could've made it thicker...

Thoughts: I cooked these for 11 minutes and used an extra 1/2 cup of flour...frankly because I didn't read the directions properly. I didn't think it made a difference. The icing, however, came out a little grainy. Patrick and I both thought it was just ok. It was a moist cookie that you could definitely taste the apple cider.