Chocolate Peanut Butter Butterfinger Blondies

So, I know that the title of this post suggests that I just tossed everything in my kitchen into a dessert. That assumption isn't too far off, honestly.

I was making desserts for Friendsgiving - including this delicious pie - and decided to get creative. I started with this basic recipe from Serious Eats and modified it to suit what I had available. Feel free to do the same.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Butterfinger Blondies
inspired by Serious Eats

Cooking spray
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
8 miniature chocolate bars, chopped (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
8 miniature Butterfinger bars, crushed


Preheat oven to 375. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, allowing ends to hang over sides. Lightly spray with cooking spray.

Microwave butter in large bowl on low power in 30 second intervals until it's just starting to melt. Stir in brown sugar and salt until combined. Stir in peanut butter, then egg and vanilla. Add flour and baking soda, and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate bars.

Spread into pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with crushed Butterfingers, creating an even layer across the top of the batter.

Bake until golden and just set, approximately 25 minutes. Let cool in pan for an hour. Lift blondies out of pan and slice.

Makes 16.

Here's a not-so-great photo of the blondies.

Oh, and here's that pie I mentioned, for good measure.

This post is part of the Hey Love Designs Monthly Pinterest Challenge. I had both of these recipes on my Pinterest boards (here and here) just waiting to be tried. Here's hoping that this challenge will inspire me to try some new things and post on this blog more regularly!

I do have a few recipes saved up for the holidays, so I'll try to get those up soon too.

Whiskey Beeramisu (aka Irish Tiramisu)

Last year, I wanted to make Beeramisu for St. Patrick's Day. However, things did not quite work out as planned.

Due to some negligent shopping on my part, I ended up with a new variation. I couldn't find any ladyfingers (although now I see them at the same grocery store constantly), so I used Madeleines. (I picked up a 10 oz. package from Entenmann's.)  I thought I had Bailey's Irish Cream at home, so I didn't buy any. I had none, so I used what I did have on hand - Jameson Irish Whiskey.

It actually turned out to be pretty tasty, although I'm not sure what to call it. Whiskey Beeramisu? Irish Tiramisu? You be the judge. (You should also be the judge of how much whiskey you want to use. I didn't do a 1:1 substitution as I was afraid it would be overpowering. However, I could have probably added more.)

And, of course, I forgot to take a photo of the finished product. All in all, not exactly my finest moment as a blogger.

In any event, here's the recipe.


Whiskey Beeramisu (aka Irish Tiramisu)
adapted from Serious Eats


1 pound mascarpone, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 tbsp. (or more) Jameson Irish Whiskey
8 oz. Guinness
14 Madeleines, sliced lengthwise if they are very thick (approximately)
Good quality chocolate (for shaving)


Combine mascarpone and sugar in medium bowl. Stir vigorously until sugar is dissolved; set aside.

In stand mixer, combine whipping cream and 2 tablespoons whiskey. Whip on high until stiff peaks form, approximately 2-3 minutes. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture.

Pour Guinness into a shallow bowl. One at a time, dip Madeleines into Guinness on each side and then place as described below. Don't soak them for long - count to one or two on each side. (If you use whole Madeleines rather than slicing them in half, make sure to soak them a little longer.)

Layer half the Madeleines in the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 dish, breaking into pieces as necessary. (Make sure that you layer them tightly - if necessary, use more than half of the Madeleines on this layer.) Drizzle 2 tablespoons of whiskey over layer. Spread a little less than half of the mascarpone mixture over Madeleines until covered.

Repeat with remaining Madeleines, whiskey, and mascarpone mixture. Grate a layer of chocolate shavings over the top.

Refrigerate for at least 12 hours or overnight before serving.

Spotted Dog

Two posts in one week?  I know... it's madness!

Anyway, in addition to the green beer cupcakes I shared on Tuesday, I wanted to share another St. Patrick's Day recipe with you.  I made this one for my office's annual St. Patrick's Day breakfast, and it was a bit hit.

(It was on Thursday, but we wore green anyway.  I momentarily forgot it wasn't actually St. Patrick's Day on the way to work, and was very confused as to why I was the only person on the street observing the holiday.)

Today's recipe?  It's called Spotted Dog. It's sort of a cousin to traditional Irish soda bread.  It's a bit sweeter, and contains currants. It's also super easy to make!

So, if you're looking for a recipe to make tomorrow, you might want to give this one a try.


Spotted Dog
adapted from Serious Eats and Forgotten Skills of Cooking

3-1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I used unbleached)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 c. currants
1 egg
1 tbsp. white vinegar
1-2/3 cup milk (approx.)



Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In measuring cup, pour 1 tbsp. vinegar.  Pour in milk until total mixture is slightly less than 1-2/3 of a cup.  Let sit.

Sift flour and baking soda together in mixing bowl.  Add salt, sugar, and currants. Mix well, using hands.  Make well in center of bowl.

Break egg and add to vinegar/milk mixture.  Mix well.

Pour most of milk mixture into the well you made in the flour.  Using one hand, with your fingers stiff and open, mix in a circle.  You'll be pulling the flour from the edges of the bowl.  Add more milk if needed.  The dough should be soft, but not too wet or sticky.

Turn dough out onto floured work surface.  Roll the dough lightly a few times, then pat it into a 2-inch thick round.  Transfer to a baking sheet or pan dusted lightly with flour.  (I used a 9" round cake pan.)  Use a sharp knife to cut a deep X into the top of the bread, then poke each of the four triangles with the knife one time.

Put into oven and reduce heat to 400 degrees.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.  To tell if bread is done, tap the bottom - it should sound hollow.

Serve warm with butter, jam, cheese, or anything else your heart desires.



*I made a few modifications - for example, I never have buttermilk on hand, so I usually just make my own.  If you have buttermilk handy, you can substitute it for the vinegar/milk mixture.  You could also substitute raisins for the currants, but I think the currants are tastier.

Christmas candy cane cupcakes

I love the holidays.  After all, more parties means more reasons to bake.  For example, this past weekend I baked some candy cane cupcakes to take to a party. They were pretty darn tasty, if I do say so myself.  Want to make your own?  Well, luckily for you, that's the whole point of this blogging thing.  Read on for details...

For the cupcake itself, I kept it simple.  I used my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe (it may be familiar to you).  However, in keeping with the candy cane theme, I decided to take my inspiration from Bake It In a Cake and stuck a Candy Cane Kiss inside before baking.

All you need to do is fill the cupcake liner with batter, plop a Kiss in there, and then cover the Kiss with batter.

You want the liner to be about two-thirds to three-quarters full when you're done. Much more than that, and they'll be a little too big.  I'd also recommend that you put most of the batter in the cup before you add the Kiss - it has a tendency to sink towards the bottom.

While those were baking and cooling, I whipped up the icing.  I decided to make two types to add some variety.

First, I made a peppermint buttercream, topped off with crushed candy canes.  (I attempted to do two colors and swirl it... as you can see, the results were... not that great.)

Then, I made a cheater's chocolate candy cane frosting.  Instead of making buttercream from scratch, I doctored a can of prepared dark chocolate frosting.  (I ran out of powdered sugar, so I had to improvise.  Forgive me!)

I decorated these in three different ways - with crushed candy canes, with a Candy Cane Kiss, and with red and green M&Ms.  I think it made for a pretty fun assortment.

Here's a shot of the finished product...

Finally, the recipes - each makes enough to frost approximately 12 cupcakes:

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 lb. powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
24 drops red food coloring (optional)

Combine butter, powdered sugar, milk and extracts in mixer.  Once combined, increase speed and whip on medium speed until creamy.  For two colors of frosting, divide in half.  Set aside one half, and stir food coloring into remaining half


Cheater's Chocolate Candy Cane Frosting

1 container prepared dark chocolate frosting
1 tsp. peppermint extract
Crushed candy canes

Beat frosting in mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add peppermint extract and candy canes.  Mix at low speed until full incorporated.


Enjoy!

Vanilla M&M cupcakes with chocolate buttercream

Never fear, I'll be featuring some more cupcakes inspired by ice cream soon.  First, however, I wanted to share a simple and tasty cupcake I whipped up the same night that I made those lemon-blackberry cupcakes.  I was obviously in a Bake It in a Cake mood that night (as you can tell, I'm more than a little obsessed with that  blog).  I wanted to do a kid-friendly batch of cupcakes, and I had some extra M&Ms on hand (meaning I purchased a bulk bag of them at Costco for some reason and seriously needed to start using them).  Feel free to modify based on whatever candy is handy. (Unintentional rhyme!)  Thus, the following creation was born...

The cupcakes are vanilla - I used this recipe for the famous cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery (courtesy of YumSugar).  I cannot rave enough about this recipe... the cupcakes were absolutely delicious and perfectly moist.  You simply must give these a try.  

I'm looking forward to adapting this recipe for years to come - the vanilla cupcakes would be the perfect base for a variety of frosting flavors, and I'm hoping to try some different flavor combinations in the cupcake batter as well.  Yum.  

(As usual, I was out of something.  This time, it was cake flour.  No problem... time to play culinary MacGyver again.  If you find yourself without cake flour, don't panic - you can make a quick substitution using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.)

Anyway, after enjoying far too much of the batter, I eventually prepared the cupcakes for baking.  I filled the cupcake liners a little over halfway full and decided to throw a few M&Ms in the mix for a fun surprise.

After that, I covered the M&Ms with some more batter and popped these babies in the oven.  While they were cooking, I made some chocolate buttercream (recipe courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker).  This frosting was light and creamy... the perfect companion to the vanilla cupcakes.

I piped the frosting on and topped the cupcakes with a few M&Ms.  These were a big hit with the kids (and some grown-up kids) at the barbecue I attended the next day.  If you're looking for a simple treat, you can't go wrong with these. 

Until next time...

These Bomb Pop cupcakes are... the bomb

For those of you that grew up chasing down the ice cream man, this post may bring back some delicious and refreshing memories.  I grew up in a fairly rural area - although the ice cream man was not likely to brave the gravel road to my house just to sell me a Push-Up, I did occasionally encounter him while in town or hanging out at a friend's house.

However, in elementary school there was a magical time of day in the afternoon when we could buy ice cream.  The selection would vary, but it was always a treat to get a Good Humor bar (Strawberry Shortcake, of course).  On really special days, you could score a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar (you know, the one with the chocolate ears) or a Snickers ice cream bar.  Another special treat is the one that inspired today's post... the Bomb Pop (sometimes known as the Rocket Pop)!  With multiple flavors and a patriotic flair, how could you go wrong?

When looking for cupcake inspiration for the 4th of July, I stumbled across this gem over at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.  Lemon-lime cupcakes with three kinds of frosting in Bomb Pop flavors?  Sign me up and seal the deal with some patriotic cupcake liners from Michael's.

I did make a few modifications to the recipe, especially with regard to the cupcake side of things.  I decided to use the lemon cupcake recipe I made the other day (for these delicious lemon cupcakes with blackberry buttercream).  In order to capture the lime flavor, I simply substituted lime juice for the lemon juice in that recipe.  It worked out quite well.

Once the cupcakes cooled, I poked some holes in the top.  Then I carefully poured a mixture of raspberry jello and hot water over the top.  I was a little worried about making a giant mess, so I did put some foil under the cooling racks to catch any overflow.  I didn't end up using all of the jello mixture because I was a bit nervous about what it would do to the consistency of the cupcakes.  As it turns out, I shouldn't have worried - the jello mixture was a fun surprise and added some great moistness to the cake.  Next time I'd use it all.

 With regard to the frosting, I stuck pretty close to the recipe - I saw no reason to mess with the yummy combo of raspberry, lime, and cherry.

First up, the raspberry buttercream... with blue food coloring, of course.  (Related thought: why is blue raspberry such a common flavor when raspberries are not at all blue?  Apparently I wasn't the only one who was curious...)

As you can tell from this photo, my decorating skills leave something to be desired.  I'm not a whiz at piping on buttercream.  I used disposable bags from Wilton and a basic leaf tip for these.  Nothing too fancy.  One of these days I'll figure out how to perform feats of buttercream brilliance.  This was not that day.

Anyway, the blue is followed by a ring of lime frosting and some cherry frosting in the center.  I was unable to find cherry extract at my grocery store, so I had to pull a MacGyver for that portion of the recipe.  In order to make the red frosting cherry-licious, I bought a can of cherries and made a cherry puree to use instead of the extract.  I think it probably made the buttercream a tad runnier than I would have preferred, so next time I would play with the proportions a little to account for that.

In any event, here's the finished product:

I have to say, these were pretty scrumptious. (You can find the full instructions at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.) They were so good that I'm considering devoting the summer to a series of cupcakes inspired by ice cream.  Could be a fun experiment, no?

So, let me know your favorite ice cream treats in the comments... perhaps they'll inspire a future post!

By the time we're through, the ice cream man will be searching for your cupcakes instead of you chasing him down for a popsicle...

Lemon cupcakes with blackberry buttercream

Today, I'd like to share with you a fantastic creation I made for a barbecue last week... I had some extra blackberries, so I wanted to use them.  I decided that blackberry and lemon would be a stupendous combo and headed over to Google to get some ideas.

While talking cupcakes with a friend (that's what friends do, right?) she pointed me to a recipe for Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes that just sounded divine.  I decided to use this as my base recipe.  I ended up following the recipe pretty closely... just subbing in seedless blackberry jam instead of raspberry.

Making these cupcakes was pretty easy - especially with the help of my Kitchen-Aid.  Seriously, bless the person who invented the stand mixer.  (Per Wikipedia, that would be Herbert Johnson.  So... thanks, Herbert.)  Anyway, the best part of these cupcakes?

When filling the liners with batter, you get to add a teaspoon of jam.  Then you cover it with more batter.  It's a cupcake with a surprise inside!  I couldn't be happier... I am a frequent reader and ardent fan of Bake It in a Cake, so this was right up my alley.  I will warn you - the jam ended up sinking into the bottom of the cupcake, even though I put a lot of batter in the bottom of the liner.  In retrospect, I realize I should have spread the jam more evenly so that it wouldn't sink as much.  Next time...

Anyway, while these were baking I whipped up the blackberry buttercream - it was easy and absolutely delicious.  I decided to just spread it on with a spatula (my hands were tired from piping some buttercream onto the other batch of cupcakes I'd made that night).  I then topped it off with a blackberry and a little bit of the lemon peel as a garnish.  Here's the finished product (complete with cute cupcake liners I found in the dollar bin at Michael's):

If you want to give these a try (and I would imagine you could swap in any flavor of jam for the frosting, leading to a variety of delicious results), visit Bakergirl for the recipe.

I did make one substitution, as I had no buttermilk in the fridge.  No problem... being a culinary MacGyver is all about the substitutions.

If you don't have buttermilk available, it's an easy fix... you can mix lemon juice or distilled white vinegar with regular milk to make your own buttermilk.   I decided to use lemon juice to make mine, as I figured a little extra lemon flavor couldn't hurt!  To make one cup of buttermilk, add one tablespoon of lemon juice to your measuring cup, and then add milk until the total liquid equals one cup.  You can adjust quantities as needed.  Let it sit for 5 minutes, and voila!  Buttermilk.

I know I promised you some M&Ms cupcakes next, but I may share the goodies I'm making for the Fourth of July first.  I'll be baking them tomorrow, so stay tuned...