Snickerdoodle Delights

It’s January 27^th. 

This day stands out to me for a few reasons. 

1)- It’s the day Boy proposed to me. Yep, just 2 short months from the time I brought him home to meet the family to the time we decided to take our relationship to forever. We’ve had our issues (believe me we’ve had our issues) but I’ll keep it all as they have helped us understand one another and  allowed us to grow closer than I ever thought possible. Love you, Boy.

2)-It’s the birthday of: my oldest brother, (Happy Birthday Jon) a good friend from high school, (Happy Birthday, Tiffany) and as I logged onto facebook this morning I saw that it was the birthday of not only a few of my real life friends but also of some of my new online friends  (Happy Birthday friends)

3)-It’s a day that in the past has hosted the super bowl. (Random I know but it all ties in.) As many of you know, I live in Indianapolis. Home of the 2012 Super Bowl and today marks the beginning of the events that our great city will be hosting.

To help kick off that event as well as say happy birthday to my brother (and everyone else) and commemorate the day Boy and I decided to join our family traditions together and be married…I’m giving you….

Snickerdoodle Delights

It’s a recipe that my family has been making for YEARS and one I was completely stoked to introduce to Boy as we began planning our life together. It’s also one of my brother’s favorite desserts (at least I remember it was- hopefully it still is) AND I think it would make an awesome addition to your super bowl spread. How’s that for tying it all together?

I’m not really sure how my family came up with the name; Snickerdoodle Delights. The treat has absolutely nothing to do with snickerdoodles. I think perhaps they have more to do with a Snickers candy bar than anything else and so explains the “snicker” part of snickerdoodle.

These have a soft cakey crust with a layer of roasted marshmallows topped with a caramel-ish, peanuty, crunchy top  that makes these little ditties incredibly difficult to resist….even for my peanut allergy kids. They are usually pretty good about rejecting peanut treats, but this gets them loathing their allergy every time I whip them up. For their sake, I rarely make them. Hopefully allergies will not restrict you from enjoying these delights.

Snickerdoodle Delights

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Yield: 32  1-inch squares

Ingredients:

BASE:

1 pkg/recipe yellow cake mix
1/3 cup softened butter

1 egg

3 cups mini marshmallows

TOPPING:
2/3 cup corn syrup

¼ cup butter

2 tsp vanilla

10 oz  peanut butter chips

2 cups rice krispies cereal

2 cups salted, roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350
2. With a pastry blender (or a fork) mix the cake mix, butter and egg until crumbly.
3. Press into the bottom of a ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish and bake for 12-18 minutes or until barely browned or golden.
4. Remove from oven, and turn oven to broil. Sprinkle marshmallow on top of base layer then put back in oven until marshmallows puff and brown (2-5 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool (turn oven off)
5. In a 3.5-quart pot, over medium heat, frequently stir together the corn syrup, butter and peanut butter chips until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.
6. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla until combined. Then stir in peanuts and rice krispies cereal.
7. Spoon topping over marshmallows and spread to cover evenly. Let it rest on the counter or in the fridge to set. (if you set in the fridge be sure  to take it out  to come to room temperature before cutting or serving)
   

Source: Family File

Notes: I've included a link to a homemade yellow cake mix recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe - I've never tried it, but I want to and thought you might be interested as well.

Gwenevere

Rainbow Jell-o

I left you hangin’ with my last post. I should have said something like, “and the rest is history”. Since there is no fun in that, I’ll just tell the rest of the story.

…So this boy that my heart was in love with drove home with me for Thanksgiving weekend. It was the first time I remember not hating the 4-hour drive. What did I say? What did we talk about? I certainly don’t remember anymore, but I do remember getting kind of nervous as we pulled up to my parents’ house. My brain kept trying to tell the rest of me that this guy was just a friend and it was no big deal (apparently my brain didn’t get the memo that this was a very big deal).

I was sure that by the time we pulled in, my mom would have heard at least heard one of the message I’d left on the machine (we didn’t have cell phones back then so there was no way to get in touch as we traveled) and so coming through the door with a friend wasn’t going to be a total shock. (This is where I need to insert my mom’s side of the story because I think she’ll remember it how it really happened and not how my flooded-with-dopamine brain recalls it.)

My friend and I walked in the front door and I remember everyone running to us all excited and patting my friend on the back and welcoming us into the home and he into the family. We recounted the details of the past 24 hours and had my mom fill in the missing details from her end. After all that we settled into our weekend and the reality of what was happening.

We enjoyed a fabulous meal for Thanksgiving (complete with layered jell-o …got to get the recipe plug in here) and by the end of the weekend faced that music that we were so sickly sweet in LOVE with one another that we didn’t quite know what to do with ourselves. We returned to school and decided to play it off casual (we didn’t want our friends to abandon us because to a person NOT in throws of a new romance, there is nothing more annoying than two people who are). You could maybe then imagine everyone’s surprise, when 2 months later, Boy asked me to marry him and I said YES!

You’re now thinking…Rainbow Jell-O? That is the tie in? I know it’s a stretch but lets be honest…what ISN’T a stretch with me?! J What can I say, it’s a memory, just like the one I’ve just shared, that is inalterably connected with our holiday feasts.

A few years after Boy and I got married the jell-o became my assignment for the meal. Much like my relationship with Boy, it’s a constant and every year I make some tweaks and adjustments to make it better. And like my relationship with Boy, It’s not too incredible difficult, just apply some patience and time and it usually turns out great. J

My Cousin Mickelle had the best seat in the house for the Jell-o Mold photo op. 

I lifted this picture from her blog - stop by and say hi.

Rainbow Jell-O Mold

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Yield: 1 bunt pan size jell-o mold

Ingredients:

8 - 3 oz boxes of various jell-o flavors (NOT sugar free)

1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Boiling water

Directions:

1. Spray pan with cooking spray
2. Boil water and pour 1 ¼ cup into a small bowl with 1 pkg. of gelatin (the color that will be your top layer). Stir until dissolved.
3. Pour ¾ cup of the dissolved gelatin liquid into the pan and refrigerate until set BUT NOT FIRM. This can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes and will vary as the layers are built. You know when you are ready for the next layer when the gelatin sticks to your finger when lightly touched. If it doesn’t it’s ok, it just means that your next layer will not FUSE to the set layer and may slip when slicing for serving.
4. 5-10 minutes before jell-o layer is set, refrigerate the remaining, dissolved gelatin until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites).
5. Once the set layer is ready, gradually stir in 2-3 Tbsp. of sweetened condensed milk into the remaining dissolved jello to make the opaque layer. Carefully spoon or pour the opaque jell-o over the gelatin set in pan. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until gelatin is set but not firm (again gelatin should stick to finger when touched).
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for the remaining layers. Once the opaque layer is in the fridge setting, boil the water for the next layer/color, dissolve the gelatin and set aside to cool so that when you pour it into the pan you don’t melt the set layer.
7. Refrigerate the entire mold for 2 hours or until firm. Unmold and serve. Store leftover gelatin in refrigerator. 

Notes:

8. I used 2 boxes of 3 oz. jell-o for the middle layers of the mold so that the layers were thicker. To create the mold in this picture I used a total of 8 boxes of gelatin and my pan could NOT have held more.

HOW TO UNMOLD GELATIN

9. Dip mold in warm water for about 7-15 seconds. Gently pull gelatin from around edge with moist fingers. Place moistened serving plate on top of mold. Invert mold and plate; holding mold and plate together, shake slightly to loosen. Gently remove mold and center gelatin on plate.

Source: Family File/Kraft recipes (I got the idea to use sweetened condensed milk from the Jell-o Mold Mistress of Brooklyn)

Gwenevere

Mom's Apple Pie

Today is Pie Day.
(Not to be confused with Pi Day -March 14th)

On this day in 1997 I was preparing to go home from college for Thanksgiving break. I was almost 20 and I’d met this boy and my heart was in love. Without clearing anything with my mom I asked him to cancel his plans to visit a friend and come home with me instead. I left a dozen messages on my parents phone trying to see if it was ok if I brought someone home with me but finally had to bag it and just head home - with friend in tow. I knew my parents wouldn’t mind. I’d brought plenty of friends home in the past, but this friend was different and I wanted to give them the heads-up, but no one was home.

Pie Day is the day before Thanksgiving that is USUALLY set aside to bake pies and finishing any pre-Thanksgiving Day prep. Why my mom wasn’t doing the usual 14 years ago - I can’t say but that’s ok because I have plenty else to remember from that Pie Day. 

So, today is Pie Day.

While it’s not my turn to be bringing anyone home for Thanksgiving weekend, it is my turn to bake some pies and finish up some pre-Thanksgiving Day prep. I’ve got my list and I’ve got my ingredients and of all the pies that will be made, there is only one that MUST be made – Mom’s Apple Pie.

It’s time to fill up the pie crust with plenty of Golden Delicious Apples and then top it off with a buttery crumb layer that is way too good to pass up.

Mom’s Apple Pie

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Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients:

1 pastry pie shell

FILLING:

10 golden delicious apples

½ cup sugar

3-4 teaspoons cinnamon

CRUMB TOP:

1/3 cup sugar

¾ cup flour

6 tablespoons softened butter or butter flavored shortening

Directions:

1. Peel, core and slice apples.
2. mix sugar and cinnamon then sprinkle over apples. Put apples into pie pastry until heaping.
3. Mix flour and sugar in another bowl. Add butter/shortening and cut in with fork or a pastry blender until mixed to a crumb.
4. Sprinkle over apples.
5. Cook pie at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes

Source: Family File

Gwenevere

P.S. I know those aren't Golden Delicious Apples. But the Granny smith work too. Sometimes I use whatever I've got.

Basic Pie Crust

It’s not that I’m completely oblivious to the passage of time. It’s just that I can’t do anything to stop it so I’m having a hard time keeping up. Argh! It’s the middle of November. Thanksgiving is next week and I haven’t written a single list of what needs to be done and what needs to be purchased. So why not get started right now? Lets see… I’m in charge of the rolls, the jell-o mold (I’m Mormon remember)….what else? Drat! I’m forgetting stuff. I knew I should have started this list sooner. OH! The turkey. Good thing I remembered that one. Maybe I’ll throw a pie into the mix.…if I feel like it. But just in case I don’t I’m posting the recipe so you can.

We'll start with the crust because...I'm not makin' a crustless pie.

 

In my experience, the less you know about pie crusts, the better your pie crusts will be. When I started making crusts all I had to go on was a memory of watching my mom make the crust while I waited to eat the apple skins and the left over pie dough cookies –not so useful. (Basically I was on my own.) For my first few pies, I had to just follow the recipe. After I got the hang of it I tried refining my skill…that’s when things got screwy. Instead of giving you something that isn’t great I thought I’d go back to the basics and remember that while it’s nice to learn new things, sometimes its good to just leave well enough alone. (Yes, you did just hear me say that. You can now pick your jaw up off the floor.)

For real. Just follow this recipe as best you can interpret and DON’T knead the dough.  Do that and you will have a perfectly flakey pie crust for your Thanksgiving pie. Anyway, that’s what I did when I learned and that method worked for me…except for when it failed: once when I tried it in a food processor and once when I kneaded the dough. (Do NOT knead the dough.)

Basic Pie Crust

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Yield: 1 pie crust

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons shortening

5-8 Tablespoons ice cold water

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using pastry blender or two knives, cut in 6 tablespoons shortening until pieces are pea-size.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon ice water over part of the flour mixture then gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon of water at a time until all the flour is moistened. (Usually this takes no more than 6 tablespoons.)

3. Form flour into a ball (without kneading).

4. On lightly floured surface, flatten dough. Roll pastry from center to edge into 13-inch circle.

5. Transfer pastry to a 9 1/2-10" deep-dish pie plate with a ¼ - ½-inch rim. (if my crust is stuck to the rolling surface I run my frosting spreader between the surface and the crust to loosen it. 

6. Trim crust edge 1/2-inch beyond pie plate. Tuck the ragged or trimmed edge of the crust under itself.

 7. Flute the edge high.

Notes: If you need your pie shell cooked before you fill it preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Poke lots of holes into the crust with a fork to release steam, Line pastry with double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 6 minutes more or until golden. Cool on wire rack.

Source: Better Homes and Garden Magazine, November 2008

Gwenevere

S'mores Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know it’s September and that many are gearing up to welcome fall this Labor Day Weekend, but I’m not there yet and I don’t think I will be for a while. (It certainly doesn’t help that its 100+ degrees around here either.)

As much as I LOVE fall, in all its crisp air, crunchy leaf and comfort food glory, I’m nowhere near ready to say goodbye to summer. Not even close. This may have something to do with the fact that this summer has felt a little like a dream.  You know the kind of dream when you are trying to run and no matter how hard you try you never make any progress…yeah, that’s been my “dreamlike” summer. It really hasn’t been that bad but work schedules and doctors appointments have kept me from really basking in the simple joy that is summer and until I do that, I don’t think I’ll be ready for autumn.

For now, while everyone else is about to be up their eyeballs in apples, pumpkins and gourds, you’ll be able to find me here in my little fantasy world of endless summer, posting about the  “SOOOOO last season” picnics, barbecues and barefeet. I know I did more than just work all summer and until my blog can prove that, summer it must stay. Plus since I decided a long time ago that I wasn’t going to let current trends determine how I wanted to live my life, I’m ok with being passé and lovin’ on summer just a little bit longer.  This post can stand as my declaration of that philosophy.

It’s not so hard to do really, holding on to summer, especially when you have such great food to hold onto it with. I’m not kidding, with a handle as big as these cookies, we could hold onto summer FOREVER!

And now I feel like singing Karaoke to “Total Eclipse of the Heart”

…And if you only hold me tight

We’ll be holding on forever…

Thanks Jenny at Picky Palate for your stuffed cookie series, it’s incredibly fun to see the look of disbelief on everyone’s face when you serve these giant cookies. If you want pictures on how to shape these cookies, her site has them….I don’t know how she does it, my hands were a mess through that stage and althought my camera isn’t the best, it’s all I’ve got and I didn’t really want to see it get all gummed up with cookie dough, so no pictures from me.  J

S’mores Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

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bakers dozen

Ingredients:

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

24 graham cracker quarters

3 Hershey Bars, broken into rows of 3 bars

12 large marshmallows cut in half lengthwise

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment or silpat liner.
2. In a stand or eclectic mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluff. Add eggs and vanilla; continue to beat until well combined.
3. Place flour, salt and baking soda into a bowl; mix to combine then add slowly to wet ingredients. Once mixed, add the chocolate chips.
4. Make your s’mores stack: layer a quarter of a full graham cracker sheet with three Hershey chocolate squares and 2 marshmallow halves, top with another quarter of a full graham cracker sheet.)
5. Surround the s’mores stack with cookie dough by placing cookie dough balls on top, bottom, front and back of the s’mores. Play with the dough until the s’more is completely enclosed. The dough balls will be about the size of a child’s fist.
6. Place 6 of the large cookie dough balls on a prepared baking sheet. And bake for 15-17 minutes until the edges are golden and centers are cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes on the hot cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack or serving plate.

Notes: The s’mores stack shifts around while you are putting the cookie dough around it – don’t sweat it, it will still taste delightful. Also, prepare to have sticky fingers; this process is a bit messy. If you would like your cookie to be a little bit smaller, make smaller s’mores: saw the graham quarters in half with a serrated knife (it reduces the likelihood of crumbs and breakage) then stack with ½ a large marshmallow, 1 Hershey’s chocolate square and top with anther 1/8^th of a graham cracker sheet. Cover with dough as instructed above.

Source: Picky Palate

Gwenevere

Knock You Naked Brownies

Did you see “Knock You Naked” Brownies when Pioneer Woman posted them on her blog in May? Probably for the first time ever, it wasn’t the picture of the food that piqued my interest, it was the name - Knock You Naked Brownies. Why on earth would anyone name brownies after something that would leave you naked after eating them? (Especially something that certainly wasn’t going to help reduce the measure of your waistline.)  After I scrolled through Pioneer Woman’s pictures and read through the recipe I decided the last thing I wanted was to be caught naked after eating one of these brownies so I moved on… no bookmarks and no pins.

But see, thrs [yes I mean thrs] caramel in there so although these brownies were out of sight…they most definitely were NOT out of mind! Caramel and I get along quite well so naturally, I thought about these brownies a lot. A LOT. I even tried to think about how I could possibly make them healthier….that was a short thought.

Finally, while on vacation this summer with my parents, siblings and our families, I decided it was time to bust these babies out… and of course a single batch wasn’t gonna cut it. Oh no, I had to double it! My justification for such an action went as follows:

ONE) - I have a big family. I need enough of the goodness to be shared.

TWO) - It’s vacation. It’s ok to splurge a little.

THREE) - Since this recipe called for a box mix, which I usually try to steer clear of, I justified that with the vacation excuse too... I didn’t want to go buy a lot of ingredients to make this ONE treat and then have a bunch of leftover foodstuff that I’d have to schlep across the country or throw away.  Box Mix and I made peace for this recipe.

After I returned home from our vacation, I didn’t have any of my handy excuses to justify making these brownies again, so the second time, I was just going to have to own my actions….I made them, because I needed them to live.

And now after having made (and eaten) these twice, I now understand why these are called, “Knock You Naked Brownies”.

It’s cuz…if you make these, you are going to eat so many that you won’t fit into any of your clothes so you, quite literally, will be, “knocked naked”. J

So be warned: If you like caramel and you like chocolate these brownies just may be too much too handle. If you can manage to just eat one of these moist, chocolaty, gooey, drippy, caramely treats you should be prepared for  their deliciousness to, at very least, knock your socks off!

FYI: there are three ways in which these brownies can be made. A single version in a 9x13, a single version in an 8x8 and a double version in a 9x13 (same as the single version in an 8x8- just with less servings)

The pictures you see are of the doubled version in a 9x13 pan however the recipe I’ve included is of the single version in a 9x13 pan. The single version in a 9x13 pan makes for a more fudgy brownie where the caramel really stands out.

Knock You Naked Brownies

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1 9x13inch pan of brownies

Ingredients:

1 box (18.5 oz) German Chocolate Cake

1 can (5 oz ) Evaporated Milk (divided)

½ cup Butter, melted

60 whole caramels, unwrapped (14 oz-16 oz-I opted for 16 oz)

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.
3. Press half the mixture into a well-greased square baking pan (9x9 or 8x8). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.
4. In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup (remaining – if using a 5 oz can) evaporated milk.  (For thicker caramel, use more caramel – not less evaporated milk). When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.
5. Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.
6. Bake for 20 to 28 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies.

Notes: If you’d like you could add 1 cup of finely chopped pecans to the batter however due to allergies, I skipped that part.

Source: Adapted from Peetabear @ Group Recipes AND The Pioneer Woman

Gwenevere

Angel Food Cake

When I was little (and by little, I mean when I was in High School) I was afraid of the dark. I remember going to see the movie Jurassic Park when I was in 9^th grade and when I got home from the late show, I made my older brother, look in the closet and under the bed for…dinosaurs? Really? –  no! I knew there weren’t going to be dinosaurs under the bed but there could have been something else scary under there… so after I had him inspect my room for scary things, I made him sleep on the floor.

So that is what scared me then, what about now? Well, I still do not like scary movies or things that go bump in the night, but what I’m really afraid of these days are things that I worry about failing at; like, parenting or making technical food items. J

Perhaps if I figure out how to succeed at the latter, than the former will just work itself out. Kids will give their parents a break if they provide good food right? I mean forget that you are 8 and still can't tie lace up shoes  - you had a mom that made good food.

Well, here’s to hoping but just in case hoping isn’t enough, I’ve decided to face my fears. The parenting will take a bit longer in order to report the results but the cooking of technical foods…that is what the blog is for. So, food fear: Angel Food Cake, here I come.

The funny thing about this (and other food’s I’m afraid of – like cheesecake) is that I’d never made them before so all of my fear is based on someone else’s bad experience. That’s right, before I ever had a chance to figure out if this cake was going to be a challenge for me, I’d already made up my mind that it was. Why do I do that?  It kind of sucks the excitement & joy out of the whole experience. (Good, something else to work on.)

What I learned in baking this cake is that Angel Food Cake really isn’t that tough. Technical? Some may say so, but really…follow the instructions and this recipe is literally…a piece of cake.

A few things to keep in mind:

Have all of you ingredients pre-measured and ready to go

Use weight measurements instead of volume measurements when they are called for.

No yolks in the egg whites (it really messes with getting your whites stiff)

Cream of tartar is your egg white soft/stiff peak friend

Don’t grease the pan

Also, when you use a recipe from the American Test Kitchen Family (this recipe came from Cooks Country - click here to watch the episode) you really increase the likelihood of turning out a really great dish. That said – I did NOT use cake flour, I never have because I feel like I have too many flours in my pantry as it is, plus I couldn’t find it so I made my own. To do this I measured 3 tablespoons cornstarch into a 1 cup measuring cup then filled it with AP flour and put it in a small bowl with additional ½ cup AP flour. I whisked it together then processed it in my food processor until it was fine and well combined. For the recipe I then weighed the amount needed and discarded the remaining. 

You know, since this cake is packed with egg whites and at the time I was still nursing my extremely egg white allergic baby I shouldn’t be able to tell you that the cake was absolutely divine but what can I say - I’m weak - the cake was delicious and [other than failing at parenthood by taking generous tastes that would leave my baby itching for at least a week] I had nothing to be afraid of.

Angel Food Cake

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1 Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour (4 1/2 ounces) or make your own (see notes)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces)

12 large egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk 1cup plus 2 tablespoons of cake flour and salt in bowl.
2. Process sugar in food processor until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. Reserve half of sugar in small bowl. Add flour mixture to food processor with remaining sugar and process until aerated, about 1 minute.
3. With electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high. With motor running, slowly add reserved sugar and beat until soft peaks form, about 6 minutes. (if using a plastic bowl or a Bosch, it took 4 ½ minutes on highest speed for soft peaks to form)
4. Add vanilla and mix until just incorporated.
5. Sift flour mixture over egg whites in 3 additions, folding gently with rubber spatula after each addition until incorporated. Scrape mixture into 12-cup ungreased tube pan.
6. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and cracks in cake appear dry, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool, inverted, to room temperature, about 3 hours. To unmold, run knife along interior of pan. Turn out onto platter. Serve.

Notes: To make your own cake flour, measure 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into a 1 cup measuring cup and then top the cup off with AP flour. (repeat this measure until you have the amount needed) Use a whisk to combine then powerize in a blender or food processor until fine and aerated.

Source: Adapted for use of homemade cake flour from Cooks County

Gwenevere

S'mores Brownies

I won something! Actually I’ve wont two somethings. The first something was a cookbook: Small-Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers by Debby Maugans given away by Sommer at A Spicy Perspective. I love Sommer’s blog, her food is delicious, her pictures are amazing AND she lives in Asheville, NC – what’s not to love? By the way, if anyone knows of any legal/attorney job openings in Ashville, I would greatly appreciate the referral. Living in NC (specifically Ashville) has been a fantasy of mine since I visited there over 20 years ago as a freshman in high school.

When the book was delivered, it “fell open” to the S’mores Brownie recipe. I’m not one to argue with fate…actually I am, but not in the case of s’mores or brownies, so I willfully obliged. The original recipe suggested baking the brownies is a 5x3 inch  (2 cup capacity) mini loaf pan but since I didn’t have a 5x3 inch loaf pan I figured muffin cups would work just as well. Good call on my part if I must say so myself – every bite gets it’s own “edge crust” (the corner pieces of brownies are fought over in my family).

These brownies are so darn good. They are soft and fudgy with a crunch from the graham cracker crust and of course the marshmallows and s’mores component makes these puppies brilliant. The only issue I had with these brownies is that I have no idea how to photograph them. I had some issues with the white marshmallows, shiny tin foil and rough top. So if you make these and manage to get some pictures of them, please let me know so that I can learn from your awesomeness.

I made this treat (and many others) while wearing the super cute apron (the second something I won) from Shawnda at Confections of a Foodie Bride. Shawnda's blog is another great one everyone should have added to their reader. It is her blog that brought me my favorite Real Strawberry Cake, Vanilla Bean and Ginger Carrot Cake recipes. Thank you Sommer and Shawnda for hosting these giveaways and turning me into a giveaway junkie. I love free stuff and now that I’ve actually won something, I find myself even more hopeful that I can win more…and this is why I don’t gamble (with my own money).

S’mores Brownies (small batch)

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Makes 8 brownies in regular muffin cups

Makes 4 brownies in jumbo muffin cups

Ingredients:

3 regular size graham crackers, crushed (1/3 cup)

4 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoons unsweetended cocoa powder

1 large egg, lightly beaten

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 regular size Hershey bar, roughly chopped or 1-cup milk chocolate chips

1 graham cracker rectangle, roughly chopped

1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8 regular muffins cups with 4 x 4” tin foil squares (or line 4 jumbo muffin cups with 6 x6” squares). Spray with cooking oil.
2. In a medium microwave safe bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with sugar then add in the melted butter. Mix with a fork until well combined. Press about 2 teaspoons of graham mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup (If using jumbo cups, use 4 teaspoons). Bake until it is light and golden 4-6 minutes.
3. Wash out your bowl and dry with a clean cloth. Place chopped chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter into the bowl and microwave on medium power until the chocolate is soft and butter is melted, about 1 ½ minutes. Stir until smooth.
4. Add sugar and cocoa powder and whisk the mixture to blend. Whisk in the egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in the flour until just combined.
5. Spoon 4 teaspoons of the batter into each muffin cup (8 teaspoons if using jumbo). Bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 24-27 minutes; the top will appear puffed and slightly cracked. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
6. Remove pan from oven and turn on the oven broiler. Scatter the chopped heresy bar and graham crackers on top of each brownie then sprinkle on the marshmallows. Broil until the marshmallows are lightly browned, about 1 minute. Let the brownie layer cool completely in a pan or on wire rack.

Source: Adapted from Small-Batch Baking – for Chocolate Lovers by Debby Maugans

Gwenevere