peanut butter chunk swirled brownies

When I first saw this recipe from Picky Palate, I knew I had to try it.  And I knew it was going to be good.  Well, I still haven't tried it.  I just got my kitchen unpacked 2 days ago and since then, I've wanted to do a lot of baking.  I found 4 brownie mixes while unpacking, so last night I was thinking that I really *should* make one of them, to get it out of the way.

Then I started thinking about peanut butter.  I really wanted to do something with peanut butter and chocolate, but didn't know if just swirling peanut butter into a brownie recipe would work.  Then I remembered about the peanut butter truffles from the Picky Palate recipe, and this recipe was born.

Simplest recipe ever -

Brownie mix (made according to package directions)
Peanut butter truffles
        mix peanut butter and powdered sugar together, lay out on piece of tin foil coated with nonstick spray, put in freezer for 30 minutes.  Cut (or break) in chunks, refreeze for 10 minutes.  Then add to batter, and bake according to box directions.

I used about equal parts powdered sugar and peanut butter.  Maybe a little more peanut butter.  I did just more than 1/2 cup of each, with a 13x9 size brownie mix - only I baked it in an 11x7 pan because I wanted them thicker.  I thought the ratio of peanut butter was pretty good though, for this size.  They turned out delicious and I'll definitely be making them again.

spicy chicken and pepper jack pizza

I found this recipe here - and immediately wanted to try it.

It is incredible!  I absolutely love it.  I will be making this again - and often!

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. canola or olive oil
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
3 cups diced fresh red, yellow and green bell peppers (I used all red)
1 (13.8 oz.) tube refrigerated pizza dough (I used 1lb of homemade crust)
1/2 cup salsa (I used fresh salsa)
2 cups (8 oz.) Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
Chopped cilantro or dried oregano (optional)
1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken
Directions
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Add bell peppers; sauté 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.
2. Meanwhile, unroll pizza dough onto a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray; press dough evenly to all edges of pan. Bake in preheated 425°F 8 minutes. 3. Stir salsa into cooked vegetables; spread over partially baked crust. Top with chicken and cheese.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Cut into squares; garnish with cilantro or oregano if desired.

BLT pasta salad

I don't remember where I got this recipe, I think it is something from pampered chef.

Anyway, it's really good and I love making it.

BLT pasta salad

cooked cubed chicken

diced tomato

small pasta (can use mini shells, ditalini, anything)

bacon bits

romaine lettuce

I really like it with fresh lime juice squeezed on it for dressing, but it is good with any kind of dressing

cinnamon bubble buns

I got this recipe in April's Family Fun Magazine - and decided to try them out instead of our regular cinnamon rolls for General Conference.

for the dough:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup sour cream
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

for the cinnamon-sugar coating:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the vanilla glaze:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon milk, preferably whole
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Start by making the dough.  In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it stand until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.  Stir in the butter, sour cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Beat in 2 cups of the flour, the salt, and the baking soda until incorporated.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour and continue mixing until a smooth, soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until smooth, about 3 minutes.  As you work, add more flour if the dough is sticky (do not exceed 2 Tablespoons).  Place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or butter, then flour the cups and tap out the excess.

In a small bowl, blend the sugar and cinnamon for the coating.  Place the melted butter in a small, shallow dish.

Gently punch down the dough to deflate it.  Form it into a long cylinder and divide it into 12 equal portions.

Using kitchen scissors or a dough scraper, divide each portion into 6 equal pieces, then roll each piece into a ball.

Here are my dough clumps - I was trying to hurry and didn't do a very precise job of making the balls.

To make a bun, coat six balls with melted butter, then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Arrange five of the balls in the bottom of a prepared muffin cup.  With your fingertip, make a small well and press the sixth ball in the center.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Loosely cover the buns wiht plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place until they're puffy and have doubled in size, about 40 minutes.  Heat the oven to 350.

 putting them together

 after the buns had risen

Bake the buns on the center rack until golden, 20-22 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack placed over a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil to cool for 5-8 minutes, then tilt the pan and gently tap it on a work surface to release the buns.  If needed, a knife can be used to release them from the pan.  Place the buns on the wire rack.

after baking

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the glaze and stir until it's smooth.  If needed, thin the glaze by adding water 1 teaspoon at a time.  Brush each bun with the blaze.  Serve immediately or at room temperature.

with the glaze

I really liked this recipe, but I felt like they were cooked just one minute too long.

I also felt like the butter and cinnamon sugar was not enough.  I ended up making more of it, because I ran out.  Next time I'll try to use less coating, but they were good.

Also, the recipe said they would only take 2 hours and 20 minutes to make, which was not true at all.  Breaking up all the little balls took a long time, then rolling them in the butter and sugar.  I think the whole process took me just over 3 hours.  They were good though!  And I will definitely be making them again.

finger paints

I found a recipe on food.com for homemade finger paints

The main thing I liked about it is that it is very easy to clean.  The colors aren't super vibrant, and it's more of a gel than a liquid paint that I was expecting, but it was fun!

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

2 cups cold water

1/4 cup clear liquid dish soap (I didn't have clear, mine was pink so it just tinged it a little bit pink)

food coloring or food coloring paste (I just used food coloring)

1. Mix together sugar and cornstarch in a small pan, then slowly add cold water.
2. Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth; almost clear gel about 5 minutes.
3. When it's cool, stir in clear dishwashing liquid.
4. Scoop equal amounts of the mixture into containers and stir in food coloring or, for even more vibrant colors, use food-coloring paste.

Twix Bars

Mmmmmm.

Yes, let's say that again, Mmmmmmm.

These are tasty!  I made them for a family Halloween party and they were gobbled up quickly!

It might be partially due to the fact that there is 1 pound of butter in a 9x13 pan.  Oh yeah, and some sugar.  Throw in some sweetened condensed milk, and what's not to love?

Shortbread Crust:
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
Mix and press in 9x13 pan. Bake @ 375 for 20 min.

Caramel:
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
 Cook over med heat- boil 5 min. Pour on crust. Put in fridge 1 hour.

Chocolate:
Melt 12 oz bag of milk choc chips
 2 tbsp veg. Oil
 Spread over caramel and put in fridge for 2 hours.

I discovered that if you 1/4 this recipe, it makes a perfect 8x8 pan.  It is thinner layers of the caramel and crust and I think it is a nice change.  Plus making only an 8x8 pan means there's less laying around that I am going to eat.

1/4 recipe:

4 T butter
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
Mix and press in 8x8 pan, bake at 375 for about 14-15 minutes.  Check it to make sure it doesn't get too dark.

4 T butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T corn syrup
5 T sweetened condensed milk
cook over medium heat - boil 5 minutes.  Pour on crust, put in fridge 1 hour

1/3-1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 T vegetable oil
melt together, spread over cooled caramel layer.  Refrigerate until set.

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake

This year when I was a few months away from my birthday, I happened to stumble upon this blog.  I don't even remember how I came across it but I was instantly intrigued.  Each recipe she posted just looked like something I wanted to try.  Then, I saw this recipe.  And I knew I wanted it to be my birthday cake.  I probably looked at it every other day during those two months.  I kept thinking about how it would taste and how much fun it would be to make.  A week before my birthday I went and bought the chocolate and the raspberries and the jam.  We were out of town over the weekend and got home in the afternoon of my birthday.  We were pretty busy that evening and didn't know if we would end up making the cake that night or the next day.  Finally we decided to just make it that night, and it wasn't done until about 11:30 - but it was so worth it!  I definitely recommend this cake - it is delicious!!

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake

from Elissa at 17andbaking.com
Makes a three layer 8″ cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Raspberry Ganache (recipe follows)
2/3 cup raspberry jam **I used seedless raspberry jam and it turned out awesome!**

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8″ cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter again.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the oil and sour cream, then gradually beat in the water. Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix to combine, and finally beat in the eggs until the batter is well combined. Divide among the three cake pans.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. **I checked mine at 33 minutes and the toothpick came out completely clean.  I think they turned out perfect, but definitely check the cakes a little earlier, depending on your oven**  Cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and peel off the parchment paper, letting the cakes cool completely. These cakes are very soft, and it helps to freeze them for 15 minutes at this point. While the cakes cool, make the Raspberry Ganache.

If the cakes are not flat, use a serrated knife to even the tops. Place one layer onto a parchment-lined cardboard cut out and spread 1/3 cup raspberry jam. Cover the jam with a thin, 1/4″ thick layer of raspberry ganache. Top with the second layer and repeat. Then invert the final layer and place on top.

To frost the cake, start with a crumb coat: barely cover the entire cake with a thin, see through layer of ganache. This is to help create a smooth finish later. Chill the cake for 10 minutes.

Frost the cake with the remaining raspberry ganache and top with fresh raspberries.

Raspberry Ganache
Makes just enough to fill and frost a three layer 8″ cake

15 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped **I used half 50% cocoa and half 70% and sometimes I felt like it was too bitter, other times I felt it was just right.  I definitely wouldn't want it more than 60%**
1 2/3 cups frozen raspberries
8 oz (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

Bring an inch or two of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. As the water heats, microwave the raspberries in 1 minute intervals, stirring and mashing with a fork, until they become a smooth liquid. Pour through a strainer (should yield 1/3 cup raspberry juice) **I didn't measure, but mine definitely yielded more than that - and I just used it all** and set aside to cool.

Place the chopped chocolate and the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan. The bowl should not touch the water or fall more than halfway into the saucepan. Stir until the chocolate and butter melt, then gradually add in the slightly warm raspberry juice, whisking to combine.

Take the ganache off the heat and let cool until spreadable, stirring once in a while.

Here are my pictures from the process -- enjoy!!

mixing the raspberry juice into the melted chocolate

My cakes weren't perfectly flat but I didn't care, so I didn't waste time cutting them with a knife.

first jam layer

and ganache

repeat the process

I hadn't ever made ganache before - so when it said cool until spreadable, I didn't really know what that meant.  And since it was really late, I just kind of poured it on.  It looks really drippy and sloppy here, but then we put it in the fridge and it hardened and looked really nice, except where it had all dripped down on the plate.  It was plenty thick too, so I wouldn't necessarily worry next time about waiting until it was spreadable just to prevent the ganache from slipping down.

MMMMMM!

Grilled Jam Sandwich

When we were in Texas, we went to a restaurant called Cheddar's and had the Monte Cristo sandwich.  Delish.

Although this is not the same, when I saw it that is what it reminded me of.  It's so good.  It's kind of like a warm jelly-filled donut, only much easier to make!

I got the recipe from Real Simple Magazine.

I don't think I need to put step by step directions on here, but you just make a jam sandwich (I used strawberry, but anything would be good).  Then you butter the two outside pieces of bread and cook it in a frying pan over low heat until it is golden brown.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar for a fancy look.

Carmelita Bars

Carmelita Bars
***These are so tasty, so please don't automatically disregard them when you find out how much butter they have in them!***
--also, read the notes at the bottom--

2 1/4 cups melted butter
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups oatmeal

6-12 ounces chocolate chips
17 ounces caramel ice cream topping

Combine first six ingredients.  Spread half of dough on an ungreased jelly roll pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over the dough.  Pour caramel topping evenly over chips.  Use remaining dough to press into palm-sized sections and place on top of caramel.  Bake for 10-12 more minutes.

***Notes***
***** This makes a pretty big recipe -- I cut it in half and just use a 9x13 pan.  It works out great.
***** Instead of pressing the second half of the dough over the top, I just crumble it over, trying to spread it evenly.  It prevents you from having to touch the hot cooked part, with the melting chocolate chips and caramel.

White Chili

This rockin recipe is not mine to take credit for, but my friend Missy's. She had a super fun recipe exchange party at her house when we lived in Monterey and I think that is when I got this recipe from her.

White Chili

1 pound small white beans, soaked overnight
2 chopped onions
48 ounces chicken broth
4 cups cooked chicken, cubed
7 ounces diced green chilies
2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6-8 cloves garlic
1 cup sour cream
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Combine beans, onion and broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 2 hours. Add chicken, chilies, and seasonings. Cook until thick, 30-60 minutes. Add sour cream and cheese, stir until cheese melts.