Saturday, August 18, 2012

PB Cheesball

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar 
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural) 
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
Graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, and/or apple slices for dipping

Instructions:
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended. 

Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly forming into a ball shape.

Freeze for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place peanut butter and chocolate chips in flat dish. Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover, pressing morsels into the ball if necessary.

Place ball on serving dish; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until almost firm. (Can be made ahead. If frozen overnight, thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.) Serve with graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, or apple slices for dipping or spreading.


Big Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies


ingredients
  • 2 cups minus  2 tablespoons Cake flour
  • 1 2/3 cup Bread flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Coarse salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 butter) Unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups Light brown sugar
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons 
  • Granulated sugar
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 2 teaspoon Natural vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 pounds Bittersweet chocolate at least 60 percent cacao content--williams sonoma
  • Sea salt for garnish

  • Sift together cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt in a bowl. Set Aside

  • cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds
Dropchocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them.
Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. 
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside. 
Scoop 6 3 ½ -ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Reases Krispies

1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Corn Syrup
1 1/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
4 1/4 Cup Rice Krispes
1 Pinch of Salt
4 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped
1 Handful Chocolate Chips


In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt the sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter until smooth and evenly combined.
Remove from heat.
Quickly add the salt and cereal and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips and stir again. Wait about 1 min and add the candy, quickly folding the mixture together so as to not smash up the candy.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop rounded tablespoons onto the sheet. Let cool and devour!

Chubby Hubby Bars


Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pretzels
  • 1 (8oz) bag of Reese’s Mini cups (or 2 cups coarsely chopped full sized Reese’s)
  • 1 (14 oz) bag of caramels, unwrapped
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
How to Make
  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Spray a 9×13 pan lightly with cooking spray.
  3. Beat together your butter and sugars until light and fluffy, approx 1 min.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until incorporated.
  5. On low speed add in your salt, baking soda and flour, mixing until just combined.
  6. Slowly add in your Reeses and Pretzels, mixing until evenly distributed.
  7. Spread in your prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
  8. Let cool completely. Approx 30 minutes to an hour.
  9. When cooled, melt your caramels and 2 Tbsp water in a microwave safe bowl stirring every minute until melted.
  10. Pour over your bars.
  11. Chill in fridge for 15 minutes to set caramel.
  12. Melt your chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave and spread over caramel.
  13. Put back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.
  14. Cut into squares when ready to serve

Carmel Chocolate Crunch Bar


80 club crackers 
1 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butterscotch morsels
Sea SaltLine an ungreased 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an extension of foil on either end. Line the foil with 1 layer of club crackers, cutting to fit if necessary (in my 9X13-inch pan, the crackers lined up evenly without the need to trim). 

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. (Begin timing 5 minutes from when you see the first bubbles.) Remove from heat and spread half of butter mixture evenly over crackers. Place another single layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers. Top evenly with remaining crackers.

In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, chocolate morsels, and butterscotch morsels. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over top of crackers. Sprinkle slightly with sea salt.  Cover, and chill for at least 1 hour. Lift foil overhang and remove bars from pan. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Milky Way Brownie Bites


Milky Way Brownie Bites


Yield: about 48 bites
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate; coarsely chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
48 miniature Milky Ways; frozen for at least 1 hour

For the Caramel Sauce

15 individually wrapped caramel candies (I used Kraft)
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the wells of a nonstick miniature muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray such as Pam.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl at medium (50% power) for 3-4 minutes or until butter is melted.
3. Stir until chocolate is melted. Whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually add in flour; stir until just combined.
4. Using a small cookie scoop (about 2 teaspoons), scoop the brownie batter into the prepared miniature muffin tin wells. Place a miniature Milky Way into the center of each well and press it lightly into the batter. Do not worry about covering the Milky Way with batter. Bake brownies in preheated oven for 9-10 minutes, the edges will look set. Do not over bake.
5. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely. Carefully remove the brownie bites from the pan (see note below) and prepare the caramel sauce.
6. To make the caramel sauce, place the caramels and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments until the caramels begin to melt; stir frequently. Continue warming and stirring the caramels until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. Drizzle caramel onto the center of each brownie brownie bite.

Notes:

- Brownie bites are best served they day they are made, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.
- I easily coaxed the cooled brownie bites out of the pan using a toothpick.
Source: My Baking Addiction

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Snickers Popcorn


  • 8 quarts air popped corn (about 2 cups of kernels)
  • 1 cup salted butter
  • 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup salted peanuts
  • 30 “Fun Size” Snickers bars coarsely chopped
  • 3 oz melted semi sweet chocolate (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 200°
  2. Over medium heat boil butter, brown sugar, salt and corn syrup for 5 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in your baking soda.
  4. Pour over your popcorn and stir to coat evenly.
  5. Transfer to waxed paper lined counter and sprinkle peanuts on top. Stir until all is coated evenly.
  6. Transfer popcorn into a large roasting pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and stir in your coarsely chopped Snickers. Return to oven for 3 more minutes so the Snickers begin to melt slightly into the popcorn.
  8. Remove from pan and transfer popcorn back to wax paper to cool.
  9. Drizzle melted chocolate on top of popcorn if desired.
  10. Let set and store in an airtight container.

adapted from Paula Deen’s Caramel Corn
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 30 minute(s)

Buffalo Chicken Pillows


 

12
oz cream cheese (from two 8-oz packages), softened
2
tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce or other red pepper sauce
1/3
cup crumbled blue cheese (1 1/2 oz)
1/4
cup finely chopped celery
1
cup finely chopped cooked chicken breast
2
cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury Place ’N Bake refrigerated crescent rounds (16 rounds) or 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/3
cup  Butter, melted
1
cup Bread Crumbs
  • 1Line cookie sheet with sides with waxed paper or cooking parchment paper. In medium bowl, mix cream cheese and pepper sauce. Stir in blue cheese and celery. Stir in chicken until well blended. Shape mixture by tablespoonfuls into 32 (1 1/2-inch) balls; place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
  • 2Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. If using crescent rounds, remove from package, but do not separate rounds. If using crescent rolls, remove from package, but do not unroll. Using serrated knife, cut each roll evenly into 16 rounds; carefully separate rounds. Press each round to 3 inches in diameter. Place chilled chicken mixture ball on center of each dough round; shape dough around ball to cover completely.
  • 3In shallow dish, place melted butter. In another shallow dish, place bread crumbs. Dip dough balls into butter, then roll in bread crumbs. Place 2 inches apart on large ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Pizza Bites


 

2
cans (13.8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated classic pizza crust
8
oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 48 cubes
48
slices pepperoni (3 oz)
1/4
cup olive or vegetable oil
1 1/2
teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
2
tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1
jar (14 oz) pizza sauce, heated
  • 1Heat oven to 400°F. Spray two 9-inch pie pans or one 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Remove dough from both cans. Unroll dough; starting at center, press out each dough rectangle with hands to form 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle into 24 squares.
  • 2Top each square with cheese cube and pepperoni slice. Wrap dough around filling to completely cover; firmly press edges to seal. Place seam side down with sides touching in sprayed pie pans.
  • 3In small bowl, combine oil and Italian seasoning; mix well. Drizzle over filled dough in pans. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  • 4Bake at 400°F. for 16 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm pizza bites with warm pizza sauce.