Chocolate Craving

Since I've started trying new recipes and baking from scratch (almost 2 years ago when my boyfriend got me a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas!), I have tried only two brownie recipes. I have felt bad about this because my boyfriend has always loved brownies! For some reason, the two recipes I tried did not turn out good at all! So, I've kept looking, all the while thinking I'll just go ahead and buy some Betty Crocker mix at the grocery store and be done with it.

Then I came across this recipe from My Baking Addiction. The title said they're AMAZING, so I decided to try them. And, guess what?? They are pretty amazing! They didn't last long at all. I think they would be even better (if that's possible) with chocolate frosting on top!!!


Try them.....I'm sure you'll love them!

♥

Lemon Lemon (Lemon) Loaf

All last week I craved a lemony sweet.
The craving just wouldn't go away.
"Something must be done", I said.
Then I saw a slip of paper in my desk drawer.
On this slip of paper was the name of a blog.
I had written this down over a year ago.
I visit said blog & begin to look through the archives.
Lo and behold, I come across this recipe!
A LEMON recipe!!!
My craving is now satisfied!
Thank you Playing House Blog!

Sincerely, Crystal in Louisiana

The Recipe
I also want to try this lemonade recipe. Sounds delicious!

Lemon Crisps

A few weeks ago I discovered a new cooking blog, Whisk Kid. This site is full of delicious looking sweet things: cookies, cakes, cupcakes, etc. And the pictures are wonderful.

I made these cookies on Labor Day. They didn't last long. I think I'm going to start calling Ricky the Cookie Monster. He always wants the cookies. I think he ate four of these as soon as they were ready.

If you like lemon, you should definitely make these.
They are perfectly delicious. They're really pretty, too.

I ♥ Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is Sierra. This little cutie was at my house Sunday. After dinner, my brother-in-law, Ricky, decided he wanted some cookies. I always wants me to make him something, yet he's always so mean to me. So, anyway, I made chocolate chip cookies. My favorite! I put in lots of chocolate chips. Sierra saw all of my sprinkles and insisted I put some sprinkles in the cookie dough.

I didn't know how well everyone else would react to sprinkles in the cookies, so I decided to make her a special cookie. A special cookie for a special little girl just had to be in the shape of a heart. She loved it! She actually gave it a thumbs up, so I guess I did good.

Here is the recipe I use:

♥ Chocolate Chip Cookies ♥from the KitchenAid Baking Companion Cookbook

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn mixer to Speed 2 and mix about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn to Speed 4 and beat about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl.

Turn to Stir Speed. Gradually add baking soda, salt and flour to sugar mixture and mix about 2 minutes. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl. Add chocolate chips. Turn to Stir Speed and mix about 15 seconds.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375F for 10—12 minutes. Remove from baking sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.

VARIATIONS: 2 cups raisins, coconut or chopped nuts may be substituted for chocolate chips. ***I always add a few chocolate chunks to the top for my chocolate flavor. I also added M&M's in some of these.

Oatmeal Cookies

I've been eating these for breakfast this a.m.
This is one of my favorite cookies. They are so easy to make and oh, so delicious. If you like oatmeal. Someone informed me last night that they don't like oatmeal cookies, but he does like every other cookie and cake that I make and bake. So, maybe he'll like this if he tries them.


Quaker Oats Famous Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup trans-fat free vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening and granulated sugar on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add egg, water and vanilla; beat well. Add combined oats, flour, salt and baking soda; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Satisfaction

A Simple Recipe for SWEET Satisfaction

Place 3-4 scoops of Breyer's Natural Vanilla Ice Cream in a cup or mug.
Pour in a 12-oz. can of Barq's Olde Tyme Root Beer. Get a spoon, & ENJOY!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

I made these peanut butter cups using this recipe I found by Pete Bakes. I admit I didn't even get to try one, but my nephew told me that taste just like Reese's. I will have to make more so I can give them a try.

The recipe is below, or you can go to Pete's blog for the recipe and to see the ones he made. He used dark chocolate; mine are milk chocolate.



Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Makes 12-16 mini peanut butter cups

12 oz chocolate
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup crushed graham crackers

1. In a bowl, mix together the peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar and graham crackers. Set aside.

2. In a double boiler, carefully melt the chocolate (Set a metal bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water). Alternatively, you can microwave the chocolate in short bursts.

3. Using a pastry brush or a clean paintbrush, brush the melted chocolate on the bottom and sides of mini cupcake liners. It’s helpful to stack some the liners together to give more support. When in doubt, add more chocolate, since this will be the base for your candy. Place the cupcake liners on a plate or in a cupcake tin and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the liners from the freezer, and place about one teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture in each cup. Press down a bit with a spoon to spread. Spoon more melted chocolate on top of each cup.

5. Place the peanut butter cups back in the freezer for another 15 minutes to set. eat cold or let warm to room temperature before serving.

*I found the mini brown cupcake liners at Hobby Lobby ($1.99/100).

Lemon Recipes

Lately I’ve been seeing an abundance of lemon recipes, perfect for this beautiful Spring weather. Here are a few of the ones I would like to make:

Lemon Lime Baby Cakes with Lemon Lime Drizzle from Stephanie’s Kitchen

Better Than Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake from Dozen Flours

Glazed Lemon Cakes from Taste & Tell Blog

Lemon Pound Cake with Warm Blueberry Sauce, Citrus Sables, & Lemon-Drenched Lemon Cake from Joy the Baker

Lemon Cheesecake Bars from Lolly Chops (guest recipe)

I've actually tried the Lemon Pound Cake (without the blueberry sauce) from Joy the Baker. It was delicious! I also found this simple recipe (I can't remember where) for a great Lemon Glaze:

Combine 1 cup powder sugar and 1 tbs. + 3 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice. Pour on top of a cake or cupcakes.

If you don't like things too tart, you might substitute milk for some of the lemon juice.

Image via here

Pecan Pralines

This is my recipe for pralines. My Aunt Jo used to make this every year at Christmas time. When she passed away my Grandaddy continued making them. A few years ago I got the recipe from him since he had stopped making them at some point. He is a diabetic, after all, so I suppose pralines just sitting around would be too much of a temptation. I know they would be for me. These are great! The original recipe called for condensed milk, but when I made my first batch, all I had was evaporated. They were not as sweet as the pralines we were used to eating as kids, but everyone liked them. So I've made them with evaporated milk ever since.

My brother-in-law has been on my case about making him some for weeks, months even. He said he had to beg me to make them. It's true. I finally got around to making him a batch this past weekend. Here's the recipe.

Pecan Pralines

2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups pecans

Butter 2—3 cookies sheets or plates. Combine sugar, butter and milk in a medium pot. Cook on medium heat until mixture forms a hard ball when dropped into cold water.

Add vanilla and pecans. Stir until mixture begins to get hard. Spoon onto buttered plates or cookie sheets. You can make the pralines however big or small you want them to be.

Chocolate Turtle Cake

I found this recipe for this Chocolate Turtle Cake

over at Visions of Sugar Plum.

Being a lover of Turtle candy and all things

chocolate & caramel, I had to try this recipe.

With this cake, you get a triple dose of chocolate,

with plenty of pecans and caramel.

It was so delicious!

_______________________________________________

Chocolate Turtle Cake

(Recipe by Visions of Sugar Plum)
Makes: 8-10 servings

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup dark or regular cocoa powder
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk

Ganache Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted, plus additional whole pecans for decorating
• 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips (optional)

• Caramel sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans.
   In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat 3/4 cup butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla, until creamy, about 2 minutes.
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
5. Beat in 1 cup melted chocolate chips until combined.
6. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk, until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Evenly scrape batter into prepared cake pans and smooth the surface with a spatula.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F, for 35-40 minutes, or until cake edges pull away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out with moist crumbs attached.
9. Cool for 12 minutes before running a knife around edges and inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.
10. To make the ganache, melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
11. Stir in heavy cream and bring to a boil; turn heat off and stir in 2 cups chocolate chips until melted and smooth.
12. Spread ganache evenly onto first layer of cake and top with about 1/3 of the pecans.
13. Place second cake layer on top.
14. Spread the rest of the ganache over cake top and sides.
15. Sprinkle and top with remaining pecans.
16. Decorate the top with whole pecans.
17. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top, and drizzle caramel everywhere.

Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies

If you or someone you know is a chocolate mint lover (like I am), these are the perfect cookies to satisfy your chocolate/mint craving. I love the way the mints look after they melt on top of the cookie. Sometimes you can still see some of the green swirled in with the chocolate. Yummy! You can find these cookies and so many more wonderful recipes at Stephanie’s Kitchen and Delightful Delicacies.

_________________________________________

Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies
(recipe from Delightful Delicacies)

¾ c. butter (1½ stick)
1½ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. water
12 oz. (2 cups) chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Andes Mints (1 for each cookie)

I usually use the Andes Mint Baking Chips

1. In a large bowl melt together the butter, brown sugar, water and chocolate chips.


2. Beat in eggs.


3. Add in sifted remaining dry ingredients until blended.


4. Chill 1 hour or overnight.


5. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet.


6. Bake @ 325°F for 8-10 minutes.


7. Place mint on top (you may want to place back in the oven for a second or two). Spread when melted.


8. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

ENJOY!

Seasoned Crackers

If you're looking for a spicy little snack, these seasoned crackers are the perfect thing! And you can make them as spicy or mild as you like. This batch was extra spicy because I used one box of PREMIMUM Minis Original Saltine Crackers (11 oz.). If you use these crackers, use two boxes. Unless you want some extra spicy little crackers!

Seasoned Crackers

1 (.59 oz.) pack Hidden Valley Ranch Dip mix
1 cup Crisco Vegetable Oil
2 tbs. or tsp. crushed red pepper (depending on how spicy you want them)
1 (1 lb.) box PREMIUM Original Saltine Crackers OR 2 (11 oz.) boxes PREMIMUM Minis Original Saltine Crackers

1. Pour vegetable oil into a measuring cup.
2. Mix in ranch dip mix and crushed red pepper. Stir until mixed together.
3. Place ½ of the crackers (2 packs) in a Ziploc bag.
4. Pour ½ of the oil mixture in the bag; zip bag and shake to coat crackers.
5. Put the other 2 packs of crackers in the bag, and pour in the rest of the oil mixture; zip bag and shake to coat crackers.
6. Continue shaking the bag every 15 minutes for an hour until all of the crackers are coated.