This Week's Concoctions Ending 12/31

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

Black Forest Cookie: Chocolate cookie with oats, chocolate chips, and dried cherries

Tiramisu Bars: Ugly color!

Slow Cooker chickpea and eggplant stew: Chickpeas, eggplants, onions, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes

December 30: Candy Bar-Topped Brownies

Candy Bar-Topped Brownies

Ingredients:
12 tablespoons (6 oz) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons caramel-flavored iced coffee mix, such as Starbucks Via
3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/3 cups (6 oz) all-purpose flour
6 regular-size chocolate, caramel, nougat bars, such as Milky Way, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line a 9 by 13-inch metal pan with nonstick foil.
2. In a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl, microwave the butter on high for 30 seconds, or until melted. Whisk in the sugar, then whisk in the coffee powder, cocoa powder, vanilla, and eggs. When the mixture is smooth, add the salt and baking powder and whisk throroughly, breaking up any lumps in the baking powder and taking care that it is thoroughly distributed; scrape the sides of the bowl and stir (do not beat) in the flour.
3. Pour into the pan and spread to the edges. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Let cool slightly in the pan. Scatter the candy bar chunks over the warm brownies and let the brownies cool completely in the pan. When cool, give them a quick chill for easy slicing. Lift from the pan, set on a cutting board, and with a big chef's knife, cut into 32 squares.

Addition of coffee mix, cocoa powder, vanilla and eggs

Addition of baking powder and salt

Addition of flour

Before the oven...

And after.

Thoughts: I guess this proves that sleep deprivation causes mistakes. I only had about 3 hours of sleep when I made these so there are some variations. I only used 6 tablespoons of butter instead of 12 (I read the 6 of the "6 oz") and used 1 1/2 cups of flour instead of 1 1/3 cups. I couldn't find caramel iced coffee mix so I bought just caramel coffee mix...still Starbucks Via. I baked them for about 27 minutes. They were good...you could definitely taste the Starbucks mix.

This Week's Concoctions Ending 12/24

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

I had a work Christmas party so I made my apple pie filling covered ham. However, it was an unfamiliar oven and it was a tad overcooked.

Since I had extra Nutella from the Christmas cookies, I decided to make something with the last of it (mostly so I wouldn't eat it). I made a bundt cake:

December 16: Chai-Chocolate Banana Tea Bars

Chai-Chocolate Banana Tea Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup (4.5 oz) white whole wheat or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons (2 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup minus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg
3/4 cup mashed bananas
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Spray a 9-inch square metal pan with flour-added baking spray or line the inside with nonstick foil.
2. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg together in a small bowl; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy. Beat in the vanilla and sour cream. Reduce the mixer speed and beat in the egg and banana until creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture. When the flour is absorbed, mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
4. Spread in the prepared pan and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until the bars are browned around the edges and appear set. Let cool completely in the pan. Cut into 16 squares.

Dry Ingredients

Addition of vanilla and sour cream

Addition of egg and mashed bananas

Addition of dry ingredients

Addition of chocolate chips

Thoughts: This was a very easy recipe. My one co-worker who tried it said it was a great breakfast bar. I didn't use the optional walnuts. The flavor was like banana bread.

This Week's Concoctions Ending 12/17

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

This is the week that I baked all my Christmas cookies.

First up was my cookie exchange selection. These are hot chocolate peppermint cookies. The base cookie is chocolate with some peppermint extract. A teaspoon of fluff goes on top and then is dipped in melted milk chocolate.

The next objective was my Christmas cookie selections:

Nutella Thumbprints

Peanut Butter Balls

Sugar Cone Chocolate Chip Cookies

This Week's Concoctions Ending 12/10

Sorry this is so late!!

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

This week I got a very nice present from my co-workers for baking all the things throughout the year.

So as a thank you gift, of course I had to bake them something. This is a chocolate chip coffee cake with a Grapenuts-brown sugar bottom.

The other thing I made this week of note was a chicken pot pie.  As I have stated in the past, pies are my nemesis. As you can see, it's ugly.

December 8: Spiked Brownies

Spiked Brownies

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
5 tablespoons coffee liqueur such as Kahlua
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (6.7 oz) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line an 8-inch square metal pan with nonstick foil.
2. In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, microwave the butter on high on 30 seconds, or until melted. Add the chocolate to the melted butter and stir until the chocolate is melted. If the chocolate isn't fully melted, microwave on high for another 20 seconds, then stir until fully melted. Whisk in the sugar, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Whisk in the coffee liqueur, then whisk in the baking powder and salt, making sure there are no stray lumps of baking powder. Add the flour and stir just until blended. Stir in the nuts.
3. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top springs back in the center and the edges begin to pull away from the pan. Let cool completely in the pan. Lift from the pan, set on a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares.

Addition of unsweetened chocolate

Addition of sugar

Addition of egg

Addition of Kahlua

Addition of salt and baking powder

Addition of flour

Addition of walnuts

Thoughts: I didn't have enough walnuts for 3/4 cup.  I didn't actually measure them...I just dumped them in but I know it wasn't enough. I ended up baking them for about 44 minutes. I find whenever I make from scratch brownies, they take a lot longer than the recommended cooking time. They were ok, but I couldn't taste the kahlua-coffee taste.

December 1: Apple Butter Bars

Apple Butter Bars (Recipe Follows after Apple Butter Prep)

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Ingredients:
5 pounds Gala apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Put the apples, both sugars, all the spices, and the salt in a slow cooker and cover. Cook on high for 1 hour, then reduce the heat and cook for 6-8 hours, or until the mixture is dark and thick. Cook uncovered for about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and, with an immersion (stick) blender, beat the mixture until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree the mixture in a blender.

Apple Butter Bars

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (6.8 oz) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Slow Cooker Apple Butter
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line a 9x13 inch metal pan with nonstick foil or spray with flour-added baking spray.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl and stir well. Add the oats and both sugars. Make a well in the center and add the butter and vanilla, then mix well with a wooden spoon until well blended. The mixture should be moist but still kind of crumbly.
3. Press half of the mixture into your prepared baking pan, pressing down tightly. Spread the apple butter over the top. Sprinkle with with the remaining crumb mixture, pressing down slightly. Sprinkle the pecans over the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan and cut into 36 bars.

Thoughts: I never realized that apple butter wasn't actually butter. I guess its called apple butter because of its consistency rather than the ingredients. Apple butter is more like applesauce, but sweeter. It was just a little annoying to manage the time to cook the stuff. The actual bars were easy to make. They were very good and when they are warm, they are even better.