Oh. My. Gosh.  This was amazing.  I have never had better hot fudge, seriously.  And I love me some hot fudge, so that’s saying something.  The perfect time arose for me to make this ’30 while 30‘ recipe when I was actually on my way to my co-blogger Beth’s house for dinner.  I offered to bring dessert – but it was just too darn hot to bake, so I thought ice cream sundaes would be the perfect sweet treat to end our evening.  I could have just stopped at the multiple grocery stores between our houses to pick up a jar of hot fudge – but where would the fun in that be?!  Instead, I decided to knock one more item off of my list and make it myself.  It took me about 10 minutes, start to finish – but if I don’t say so myself, tasted like I spent hours slaving over the stove with a candy thermometer.  Let me tell you friends – this recipe is about my favorite recipe ever.  It uses things most people (well, most insane blogging-bakers) have in their pantry – items such as cocoa powder, chopped chocolate (in my case, chocolate chips), and corn syrup.  Why stop and buy the mass-produced variety when in just 10 minutes you too can look like Ms. Betty Crocker herself!!

Homemade Hot Fudge

from: thatssoyummy.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces chocolate chips (or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped)
• 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cup into 1/2 Tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a heavy sauce pan, combine the cocoa, dark brown sugar, corn syrup, cream and salt, along with about half of the chocolate chips.  Heat over medium heat until the chocolate melts and the mixture appears smooth.  Cook for 5 minutes more at a low boil, remembering to stir intermittently so it doesn’t burn!  Remove from the heat, and stir in the remaining chocolate chips, the butter, and the vanilla.  Let cool slightly before serving.  Enjoy!

My 31st birthday is less than a week away and I haven’t made too much of a dent in my 30-While-30 list.  While there are a few things that I’ve made, but not photographed, the vast majority of items have remained untouched.  So, I haven’t tried my hand at homemade fondant or whipped up English muffins just for the heck of it, but I did leave my corporate job, take a handful of classes and start a company.  That has to count for something, right?  I still want to finish my list, but there’s no way it’s happening with less than a week to go.  I’ll come up with something.

But in the meantime, I want to share this recipe with my readers.  I added scones and shortbread (coming soon!) to my list because they pair beautifully with tea.  While I certainly enjoy a cup of tea on the go, selecting a tea from my growing collection, brewing a pot  and savoring it slowly with tasty treats has become a favorite past time.  I first made these scones for an afternoon tea party Lisa’s (my fellow blogger!) house.  We whiled away the afternoon in her dining room chatting, sipping icewine tea and nibbling on scones, shortbread, lemon bars, raspberry kuchen and tiny sandwiches.

Thanks to the dark chocolate, orange zest and heavy cream, these scones are soft and rich with warm orange undertones.  They’re delicious warm out of the oven or room temperature the next day.  Pair with a piping hot cup of tea for a sublime breakfast or afternoon snack.

Orange Chocolate Chip Scones

Yields 8 scones

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 – 3/4 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F andline a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Place the granulated sugar in a large bowl and add the orange zest and.  Using your fingers, rub the orange zest and the granulated sugar together until the sugar is uniformly moistened.
3. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, whisking to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour in the cream and, using your fingers or a fork, stir together until combined.
5. Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead to bring dough together. Pat into an 8-inch circle and cut into 8 triangles.
6. Place triangles on prepared baking sheet, brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the scones are just lightly browned. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature.

Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

I know I’ve been gone for awhile, but I have a treat for you that may just make you forgive my lengthy absence from the blogging world:  chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bars!  Sound amazing?  They are!  How can you go wrong with a buttery chocolate-studded graham cracker crust, creamy layer of cheesecake and crumbly cookie dough topping?  In my book, you can’t.

While there are three different layers to whip up separately, each comes together quickly and easily.  The end result is amazing, and well worth the effort and array of dirty bowls!  Make sure you allow the bars to chill for awhile before slicing and eating.  They’re cool, creamy, sweet, tangy and rich.  A little goes a long way, but you’ll probably find yourself going back for seconds!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

5 tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp  salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Line an 8×8 pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
3. Crush graham crackers into crumbs to make 1 1/2 cups. Mix with sugar. Stir in butter and then add chocolate chips.
4. Press crust mixture into bottom of pan of prepared pan. Bake for 6 minutes and then set on wire rack to cool.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at until smooth. Fold in flour and mix until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.
6. In a small bowl, stir cream cheese until soft. Add sugar, stirring until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, stirring just until blended.
7. Pour batter into cooled, baked crust. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling, sprinkling with extra mini chips. Gently press down.
8. Bake about 30 minutes, or until set. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Once completely cool, place in the refrigerator to chill several hours before serving.

Source: Bakingblonde’s Weblog

Greetings and a Happy Easter to all the loyal DP folk! I apologize for my absence as of late, but the garden beds have been calling me.

For our Easter celebration this year,  I decided to share some of my Polish culinary traditions with my husband and friends.  One staple which you’ll see throughout Central and Eastern Europe is the making of the annual Easter babka. The word babka means “grandmother” in Polish– although this sweet brioche-like bread can be baked into any shape, it tends to be put into a bundt pan and resembles the long skirt a grandmother would wear.

I decided to put my own spin into things, and took some inspiration from Epicurious and Baking for the Cure.  Through a serious of deliberate and accidental incidents, I’ve ended up with my own recipe!

A note before you start baking– This was an all-afternoon project. It’s not of those “just mix and go” recipes, but the wait and the effort are well worth it!

Chocolate Almond Easter Babka–  makes 2 loaves

Ingredients List

For the dough:

3/4 c warm milk  (at about 115 degrees)

1/2 c sugar (plus 2 tsp additional for yeast prep)

3 tsp active dry yeast (almost two whole packets)

3 1/4 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 whole large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 tsp salt

5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened*

For egg wash:

1 large egg yolk (reserve white)

1 tbsp half and half or heavy cream

For  filling:

3 tbsp unsalted butter, well softened

6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 oz ( approx half can) of almond paste/filling

1 egg white (reserved from egg wash)

Recipe:

Stir together warm milk and 2 tsp sugar in bowl of stand mixer.  Sprinkle yeast lightly over mixture and allow to stand about 5 minutes. You should see bubbles/foam– if not, restart with fresh yeast and take note of milk temp.

Add 1/2 c flour to yeast mixture and mix until combined. Add eggs and yolk, sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix.  Measure out 2 3/4 c flour, and slowly add it to mixture in 1/2 c intervals while beating mixture on low. Increase speed to medium, and beat in 5 tbsp butter. The dough will appear really wet and shiny after about 4-5 minutes– this is a good thing!

Scrape dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Take note that the dough will almost double in size, so make sure the bowl is large enough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to allow dough to rise, about 1 1/2-2 hours. (I recommend setting the oven to warm; turn oven off and put dough in to rise.)

Combine chopped chocolate, butter, egg white, and almond paste in a small bowl and set aside.

Line two loaf pans with parchment paper.  With a lightly floured or oiled hand, punch down dough gently, then halve dough with oiled/floured spatula. Roll out one piece onto lightly floured surface into 8 in by 12 in rectangle, with the long side closest to you.

Spread half of chocolate/almond filling on dough, allowing a border of about 1 in on each side; lightly brush border with egg wash.  Starting with one side, begin tightly rolling dough into log, pinching in sides as you go along. Bring ends of log together, forming a ring. Take dough ring and twist several times, forming a figure eight. Place in lined loaf pan.

Repeat process with second half of dough and reserved filling. Put remaining egg wash in fridge to use later.

Either butter or apply cooking spray to one side of a piece of plastic wrap and cover loaf pan (butter/spray side down).  I’d suggest the cooking spray– husbands are great for assistance at this point for wrangling the plastic wrap!  Repeat with second loaf pan. Return both loaf pans to warm spot/oven to rise a second time. Dough will almost double in size over 1-2 hours. As an alternative, you can put pans in fridge and allow them to rise overnight, approx 8-12 hours. If you do this, make sure you bring loaves to room temp before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once the dough reaches the top of the loaf pans, you’re set to bake. Brush tops of loaves with reserved egg wash; bake loaves for about 30-40 minutes. The tops should be dark golden brown in color, and the bread should come out of the pans easily (courtesy of parchment).  Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

This is an incredibly sweet dessert bread, but it pairs perfectly with Sunday morning coffee!

*NB- I made the mistake of adding 1/2 the butter recommended , but it still turned out great. The recipes called for close to 10 tbsp, but I added only 5.  You can make your own call.

Black & White Cookies are amazing - there’s the soft, cakey cookie part and the rich smooth frostings – the combination makes me pick them up as often as I can.  As I never thought about baking them before, I thought they would be the perfect addition to my list of things to make while I’m 30!  It’s just over halfway for me to 31 now, and I’ve been slacking off a bit on my list in favor of other things that have come to mind, like homemade (wal)nutella and buffalo chicken dip, which is I suppose the peril of making a list of things you plan to make over the course of the next 365 days.  Of course when I made the list, I didn’t really think that I should probably keep my pastry intake to a minimum – but, well, one has to do what one has to do when it comes to making all 30 things on my list.  So here I am, catching up and baking Black and White Cookies.  The recipe I made was adapted from a few places – but primarily from Smitten Kitchen, and from David Lebowitz’s latest cookbook, Ready for Dessert.  I wasn’t sure about the recipe for the frosting from the Smitten Kitchen one – it just seemed like it would be too liquidy to me – and my frostings usually tend to err on the liquidy side to begin with.  I opted instead for the Lebowitz frostings, using the Smitten Kitchen cookie.  These cookies were fantastic: soft and chewy with creamy frosting – I can’t get enough of them!

Black and White Cookies

adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Ready for Dessert, by David Lebowitz

For the cookies:

• 1 scant cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 and 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:

• 2 cups, plus 2 tbsp powdered sugar or more if needed
• 2 tsp, plus 2 tsp light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp water, plus more if needed
• 3 tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  In a stand mixer cream together butter and granulated sugar until fluffy and light.  Add in eggs, milk and extracts, mixing thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt.  Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones, until the dough is formed.  (Be careful not to overmix, so the cookies don’t become tough.)  Drop by the tablespoon onto the parchment lined pans – these will bake into approximately 2 inch cookies.  Bake for 18-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cookies are lightly golden at the edges.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frostings – mix together 2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tsp of the corn syrup, extracts, and 3 tbsp of water until smooth.  Divide this mixture into two portions.  In one of the portions, stir in the cocoa powder until smooth – if this is too dry, add water in very small increments (1/2 teaspoon at a time) stirring after each addition until smooth.  To the other portion of frosting, stir in the remaining 2 tbsp of powdered sugar.  Spread chocolate frosting on one half of the cookie, and the white frosting on the other half.  Enjoy!

Peppermint Filled Brownie Cupcakes
From Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes
Yields 12 cupcakes

8 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
12 small (1.5 inch) peppermint patties

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave. Once butter is melted, add chocolate pieces and stir to melt. You may need to microwave the chocolate – do so at 20-second increments and stir well.
3. Add sugar and salt, whisking until smooth.
4. Whisk in eggs.
5. Gently whisk in flour and cocoa just until smooth – do not over-mix.
6. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each lined cup. Place 1 peppermint patty on top of batter, pressing gently into the batter. Top with two tablespoons of batter, covering patty completely.
7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached (insert above the peppermint patty).
8. Place muffin tin on a wire rack and cool completely before removing cupcakes.

I almost never buy Nutella and here’s why: if we have some in our pantry, it’s gone within 2 or 3 days.  I absolutely love the chocolatey, nutty flavors and enjoy it on everything from bagels to fruit.  It’s a sure way to ruin any healthy eating kick I start.  Lately, however, I’ve really been in the mood for some of the tasty treat - probably because of this recipe on Smitten Kitchen a few weeks back – and it got me thinking about how great other types of nuts would be in a similar chocolate spread.  Why let peanuts, almonds and hazelnuts have all the fun with chocolate?  I personally happened to have walnuts on hand, and so I decided to give making homemade chocolate walnut spread a try. 

While I didn’t have quite all the things to make the recipe as stated in the link above, I did (surprisingly to me) have all of the ingredients for this version, courtesy of Martha Stewart.  It was a breeze to make, although it most definitely requires a food processor.  I also hate using a double boiler (it just seems very labor intensive and every time I use one it makes a mess) so I cheated and used the microwave to melt the chocolate.  It was a little liquidy at first, but we put it in the fridge and it set into the perfect texture in short order.  It turned out great – and was much, much easier I imagine.  The walnuts give a fantastic flavor but I imagine this recipe would work great with any manner of nut.

…and in case you’re wondering, so far we’ve had this in the house for 2 days, and it is literally 50% gone. 

Chocolate Walnut Spread

adapted from Martha Stewart

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread walnut pieces onto a cookie sheet.  Toast walnuts for 5-6 minutes, or until light brown.  Place toasted walnuts into the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the nuts are liquified (a step beyond paste – it was pretty obvious when this happened, the mixture appeared quite liquidy and was splashing around in the bowl for me.)  Place chocolate chips into a medium microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 15 second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate chips appear smooth and melted.  Add honey, sweetened condensed milk, and liquified walnuts.  Stir until well combined.  Refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until the mixture appears firm.  Enjoy!

I’ve been told that my family has the chocolate gene.  The women in my family simply adore it.  Most desserts at family gatherings are chocolate and for years a birthday cake that wasn’t chocolate may as well have been considered blasphemy.  I had to chuckle when my cousin’s 8 year old son surveyed the dessert table at our last  family Christmas party with dismay and queried “Is there anything that isn’t chocolate?”  There were oreo truffles, chocolate cookies, doubly chocolate cookies and a host of other chocolate-containing cookies.  I think he settled on some sugar cookies, and possibly relented on Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Poor kid.

I can relate to my little cousin.  For years, I didn’t get what all the fuss was about.  Vanilla, fruit and mint flavors piqued my interest and tantalized my taste buds far more than chocolate ever could.  My family probably wondered what was wrong with me.  However, I can assure you that my chocolate gene has kicked on and my love of chocolate has shifted into high gear in recent years.  Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake is my absolute favorite cake recipe, and I keep a supply of Ghirardelli squares and Lindt truffles on hand for chocolate emergencies.

Even in my vanilla-loving hey-day, I adored these Hershey’s Doubly Chocolate Cookies.   They’re simply perfect:  soft and chewy, chocolaty and rich, but not overly so.  Each bite is full of chocolate flavor from the mellow cocoa and the perfectly sweet chocolate chips.  I’ve been baking these for years – first with my mother and then on my own.  They’re always part of my Christmas baking rotation and make numerous appearances throughout the year.  With two kinds of chocolate rolled up into one little cookie, you just can’t go wrong.  The only way to make them better would be to add more chocolate!

Hershey’s Doubly Chocolate Cookies
Yields approximately 4 1/2 dozen cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups (12 oz. package) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.
4. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just set. Cool for 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

When I first made these cookies, it was bright, sunny and warm.  My little container garden was in bloom and my mint plant was out of control.  I had been hesitant to bake, because I didn’t want to make the house any warmer than it already was!  I lounged on the deck in a sun-dress and flip-flops, enjoying my mint chocolate chip cookies with a cool glass of iced tea.

These days, my container garden is a distant memory and the extra heat from a warm oven is a welcome addition.  Freshly-baked cookies are best enjoyed with a piping hot cup of tea, a cozy blanked and a roaring fire.

Whenever you make these cookies, they are fantastic!  Buttery, sweet and minty, these cookies are studded with dark and mint chocolate chips and dotted with slivers of fresh mint leaves.

The original recipe from Betty Crocker Cookies calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I opted to use the seasonal Nestle Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels.  Now that I’ve run out, I’m using Guittard Mint Chips mixed with Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chips.  Availability for the Mint Chips seems pretty limited, but Amazon has the best price.  The Ghirardelli chips can be found in many grocery stores and also on Amazon.  Feel free to experiment with different combinations and kind of baking chips – you really can’t go wrong!

Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup mint chips
3/4 chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark chocolate)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F
2. In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter mint and eggs on medium speed until well-combined.
3. Mix in four, baking soda and salt.
4. Stir in baking chips.
5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving two inches between the cookies.
6. Bake 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

For my husband’s birthday, I decided to go off the beaten path a little bit – rather than making cake, I baked whoopie pies!  I’ve been meaning to give them a try for a while now…and as my husband loves all things peanut butter and chocolate related, I figured this recipe would be a winner!  I’ve got to give Martha props here – I didn’t change much about the cookie recipe, except that I did not have shortening on hand and substituted all butter.  The chocolate cookie part of the pie was absolutely perfect - moist, cake-y and rich, yet held up well to the sandwich-forming process critical to the whoopie pie construction.  I did make several modifications to the filling – I simply love the marshmallow-y taste of a classic whoopie pie – so rather than use a straight peanut butter frosting as Martha did, I substituted some peanut butter into a recipe for the classic marshmallow frosting.  It came out fantastic – reminded us of the inside of a Reese’s peanut butter cup.  I highly recommend using parchment as directed with this recipe.  Warning – this is most definitely NOT a health food…but good for the soul!  (As an aside – if you prefer plain whoopie pies – just increase the butter to 1/2 cup and leave out the peanut butter.)

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies – Adapted from Martha Stewart, marshmallowfluff.com

Ingredients – for the Cookies:

Preheat oven to 375.  Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  In a separate bowl (or a stand mixer if you have one) combine the butter and sugars.  Beat until smooth and fluffy – which for me was about 2-3 minutes.  Make sure to scrape down the bowl intermittently to ensure good mixing!  Then add the egg, mixing for an additional 2 minutes until well combined and light.  Next add about half of the dry ingredients, stirring to incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the milk and vanilla, mixing to combine ingredients evenly.  Finally mix in the remaining half of the dry ingredients.  Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons onto a cookie sheet, covered in parchment, and bake in a preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly pressed.  Cool completely on a wire rack before proceeding to filling.

Ingredients – for the Frosting

Beat together butter, peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.  Spread frosting onto the flat side of a cookie, and press another cookie on top to form the completed pie.  Enjoy!