Food goodness

Just going to leave this here. ¼ cup all-purpose flour (I only had whole wheat and it turned out fine) 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder ¼ tsp. baking powder 2 tbsp. granulated sugar (you can add 1 tbsp. more if you like it a bit sweeter) ⅛ tsp. salt ¼ cup + 1 tbsp. milk 2 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 tbsp. hazelnut chocolate spread (I didn't have this and threw in a handful of chocolate chips instead) In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Whisk in the milk and vegetable oil until all ingredients are combined and batter has no clumps. Pour batter into a microwave-safe mug. Mine was a 14-ounce mug. You want enough head space for the cake to rise without pouring over. Add 1 tbsp. of hazelnut chocolate spread in the middle of the batter. Just drop it in the middle, no need to push it down and sink it in the batter. (or stir in chocolate chips.) Place a paper towel into the microwave and set the mug on top (this is to catch any batter if your mug cake overflows...

I made this up! 3 ripe peaches, halved and pits removed some maple syrup some butter or Earth Balance some cinnamon/clove/nutmeg mixture, or any one of the above Preheat oven to 350. Put the peaches, cut side up, in a glass baking dish or on a cookie sheet or whatever. Put a sliver of butter in each hold, drizzle maple syrup on top, and sprinkle the spices over everything. Bake for 45 minutes or until everything is melted and hot. Serve right away with ice cream or without.

From All Recipes . I used frozen cherries, unthawed, and it worked just fine.     2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour     1 1/4 cups white sugar     1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder     2 teaspoons baking powder     1 teaspoon baking soda     1/2 teaspoon salt     1 cup sour cream     1/2 cup milk     1/3 cup vegetable oil     2 eggs, beaten     1 teaspoon almond extract     1 1/2 cups fresh dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped (or frozen, unchopped, or TJ's jarred Morello cherries would probably be fine too)     1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 jumbo (3 1/2-inch) muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. Stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate large bowl,...

Made these for a work party -- they were great, but a little flat. Maybe a little more flour next time? But they looked pretty and tasted excellent. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup unsalted butter, sliced 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt 1 cup caramel squares, cut into 1/4's For rolling the cookies: 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Sea salt, for sprinkling on top of cookies 1. In a medium bowl, Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. 2. To brown the butter, heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter until melted. The butter will start to foam and browned specks will begin to form at the bottom of the pan. The butter shoul...

ha! right? This recipe (their title, not mine) was in the Sun back in July and it sounded perfect for a special occasion breakfast. K & T made these this weekend, though it wasn't even a special occasion. I just had the puff pastry dough burning a hole in my freezer and I thought about these every Sunday morning that went by for weeks. We marveled at the gooeyness. We exclaimed over the cinnamon nutty-toastiness. We were then an hour late to an actual special occasion (kid birthday party) and felt like we had a secret. I'm not even going to pretend this is a healthy recipe. Butter or cooking spray for (pans) 1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted and cooled [We used 1 C walnuts, toasted in the toaster oven] 1/2 C sugar 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon 1 t finely grated orange zest [lemon worked great] 1/4 t salt 1 package all-butter puff pastry, defrosted Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep: Butter or spray a 12 cup muffin tin. Mix: In a small bo...

Adapted from: PBS Parents With a store-bought crust (I like TJ's), this comes together really quickly.  The original recipe called for salt in the fruit mixture (with the sugar and flour).  I tried that the first time I made this (last week) and I really didn't like it.  I still had some rhubarb from the farm share and the second pie crust from the package, so I decided to try again without the salt, and I like it so much better without the salt.  I used the graham crackers with the sugar on top (maybe they're cinnamon-sugar?) from Trader Joe's, and it was really good.  The graham crackers on the bottom help absorb any liquid that comes out of the fruit, keeping the crust crisp and adding an interesting flavor you wouldn't necessarily expect.  Obviously we liked this recipe, as this is the second batch in 2 weeks.  Ingredients 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon allspice 3 cups strawberries, stems removed and...

Adapted lightly from this recipe , which is genius. 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour 1/2 c white sugar 1/4 c cocoa powder 2 t baking powder 1/2 t salt 1/3 c canola oil 1 egg 1/3 c milk (I used skim) 1 t vanilla 1/2 c plain yogurt (fat-free works fine) 1 c cherries, cut in half (I used those jarred morello cherries from TJ's) 1/2 c chocolate chips (more! I used chunks, and they were good.) Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil a 12 cup muffin tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, mix the oil, egg, milk and vanilla together. Pour the wet into the dry and use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently stir everything together. Fold in the yogurt, cherries and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes clean. Let sit in the tin for 5 minutes and then use a knife to loosen the muffins, remove from tin and let cool ...

These were Shannon's find, and delicious. Just make sure you don't overcook the brownies in the first step... apparently I can bake some fairly complicated things, but I can't manage to make out-of-the-box brownies without burning them. Oops. 19-1/2 oz. pkg. brownie mix 2 c. powdered sugar   1/2 c. plus 6 T butter, softened and divided 8 oz. creamy peanut butter 6 oz. (approximately) semi-sweet chocolate chips [I used the Ghiardelli dark chocolate baking chips, and I think they're the best] Prepare and bake brownie mix in a greased 13" x 9" pan, according to the directions. Let cool.  With a mixer, combine powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter and peanut butter. Mix well and spread over cooled brownies. Chill for one hour.  Melt together chocolate chips and 6 T butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Spread over brownies. Let cool; cut into squares. Makes 2 to 3 dozen.

From: Honey & Jam I made these apple bars to celebrate all the September birthdays in our small office (half of our staff of 8 are Sept birthdays).  They were good, and everyone loved them.  I thought they could be a little less sweet, so when I make them again (and I probably will), I will try cutting down on the sugar in the apple filling first.  I'm not sure how it would affect the consistency of the crust if you decreased the sugar there... might still work. Base: 2 c. flour 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 c. real butter, softened 1 egg, beaten Apple Filling: 1/2 c. white sugar (could probably use less - these are pretty sweet bars) 1/4 c. flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 4 c. (about 3 medium) sliced, peeled baking apples Glaze: 2 c. powdered sugar About 3 Tbsp. milk (whole milk is best) 1/2 tsp. almond extract To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two ...

From: Everyday Food (Martha Stewart) I combined the fresh rhubarb from the farm share with some rhubarb I had in the freezer from last year's farm share (why didn't I use that earlier?) and made this recipe.  It was nice to find a recipe that just used rhubarb without requiring a complementary fruit.  I subbed Splenda for all of the sugar in this recipe and it worked well.  It came together very quickly, especially since I didn't use the food processor and just mixed the topping by hand in a bowl.  I have eaten it both for dessert and for breakfast this week.  2 pounds rhubarb 1 1/2 cups sugar (I used Splenda) 1/4 cup flour 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled, cut into pieces 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 tsp cinnamon Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice the rhubarb into uniform 3/4 inch pieces.  Place in a 9x13 baking dish; toss with 1 cup of the sugar and 1/4 cup of the flour. In a food processor (I just used my fingers and mixed the ingredients in...

From: Brown Eyed Baker , who adapted it from Smitten Kitchen These are Guinness chocolate cupcakes with an Irish whiskey ganache filling, and Bailey's Irish Cream buttercream frosting.  BEB called these Irish Car Bomb cupcakes (after the same-named cocktail) and got totally flamed in her comments for the offensive name.  It looks like Smitten may have also called them car bomb cupcakes, but changed the name at some point, probably after protests.  So, call them what you want.  I took these to a St. Paddy's Day party last night and they were a big hit with the adults. For the Cupcakes : 1 cup Guinness stout 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups granulated sugar 1½ teaspoons baking soda ¾ teaspoons salt 2 eggs 2/3 cup sour cream For the Whiskey Ganache Filling : 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate 2/3 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (...

I requested my mom's recipe for the potato candy she made for my sibs and I to take to school on St. Patrick's Days of yore. When I say "potato candy," I mean candy shaped like a potato (really cute teeny potatoes). Turns out mom's recipe actually does use some potato which I like because I think it probably cuts some of the sweetness that the sugar-only recipes that I saw online. The cinnamon makes the little lumps look like little dirty potatoes and it keeps them from sticking together. My kid's going to take a box to her classmates tomorrow. I'm more excited than she is. I copied my mom's email below. She's a librarian so she characteristically references a thematically appropriate book. She's a school librarian so she suggests making it a hands on experience for the kids in the class. >> (recipe from an Adele Davis cookbook) Peel, quarter, steam, and mash 1 potato.  You will use 1/4 cup of this.        - 1/4 C. mashed potato...

I've made these quite a few times lately and they come together quickly with the use of one bowl, one spoon and a whisk (optional).  And, most importantly, they are delicious. Adapted from Cook's Illus. The New Best Recipe. 7.5 oz AP flour 1 t baking powder 1 t kosher salt 1.5 sticks of unsalted butter 10.5 oz brown sugar (I used dark) 2 large eggs 1.5 t vanilla extract 1 C dark chocolate chips* 1 C pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped 1.5 C unsweetened flaked coconut (better than shredded, I think), lightly toasted Preheat oven to 350 and line a 13x9 pan with a foil sling and spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, place butter and brown sugar and cook on high for about 2 minutes or until butter is melted and sugar mixture is shiny when stirred.  Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients including chips, nuts and coconut taking care to be gentle and do not overmix.  Turn batter into prepared pan and bake on oven rack...

This recipe surprised me. It is supremely quick and easy and the pears were perfectly spiced, sweet and delicious. They were so delicious by themselves I didn't even have the urge to use the pears as a topping for ice cream or anything typical of me and the hub loved it too. Score. It's from an ayurvedic email newsletter called Joyful Belly. (They probably would not have approved of using it as an ice cream topping, so we're in the clear there too.) 1/2 tsp Star Anise 1/2 tsp Cinnamon 1/4 c Raisins 2 tbsp Oatmeal 1/2 tsp Cloves 4 pear Pears Preheat oven to 350. Powder the spices in a coffee grinder or pulverize with a mortar and pestle. Peel and halve the pears, slicing out the core. Place pears in a baking pan. Add 1/4c of water. Sprinkle with spices and raisins. Bake, covered, for one hour or until pears are tender. Uncover, sprinkle rolled oats and, optionally, pecans. Broil for five minutes for a grilled effect.

From Everybody Likes Sandwiches , with a lovely family story to go with it. This is a quick basic cake, with something special from the taste of the vanilla sugar. I doubled the number of chocolate chips, but otherwise left it alone. 1 c butter 1 c sugar 1 6-gram pack Oetker vanilla sugar (or 1 t of vanilla extract) [I found this vanilla sugar in the baking aisle, with the frosting and sprinkles] 3 eggs 1 1/2 c flour 1/2 c corn starch 1 T baking powder scant 1/2 c milk 1 package of chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 and grease a bundt pan. Cream butter, gradually add sugar, the vanilla sugar and eggs. Add mixture of sieved flour [I never sieve], corn starch and baking powder alternately with the milk. Mixture should be firm; don’t add too much milk. [I probably only used about 1/4 c.] Stir in half the chocolate chips and pour/scoop batter into the pan. Sprinkle the other half of the chocolate chips on the top and press in lightly. Bake for 50 minutes. When coo...

I hate to play into stereotypes, but there are some times in a woman's month -- er, life -- when she just needs chocolate cake. This isn't the finest gourmet cake you'll ever eat, but it exactly does the trick. From the Food Network , with a few modifications... Whisk 1/4 cup flour , 1/4 cup sugar , 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder , 1 egg, 4 tablespoons milk , 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and a dash of vanilla extract and salt in a large mug until smooth. Throw in a handful of chocolate chips and mix again. Microwave until puffed and the top is done, about 4 minutes.

I can't believe I didn't post this recipe. Because it is so, so good and you all need to run out and make it, quick like. I'm really just going to post the link, because I didn't do anything different than the recipe. I took these to work, and my guys (I have all guys that work for me) raved about them. Several weeks later, they're all still talking about the cupcakes and asking when I'll make more. That might partially be because they're all bachelors and don't do any baking themselves. Anyway, make these cupcakes .

I wanted to make something as an extra special thank you to some of our friends who gifted us with spectacularly awesome gifts at our housewarming party and I thought the Maple Syrup Spice Cake would be just the thing. Topped with this recipe for Walnut Praline Topping from Joy the Baker. I could have made the pear spice cake since I have pears in the fridge but honestly it was more work and dirty dishes than I had time for today. Also, the maple syrup cake is actually not very sweet so this topping is perfect for it. And it is heaven. I used toasted pecans because I think they go really well with this particular recipe. And it's so good I have to stop myself from cutting one more tiny piece. Also, this is not vegan in any way so if you are serving the cake which is vegan, well, keep that in mind. 1 stick butter 3/4 C packed brown sugar (I used dark) 1/4 C cream 1 C toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped Combine butter, brown sugar and cream in a medium saucepan on me...

You guys, this is chocolate chip cookie (really chocolate chip pie) nirvana. It's what those huge cookie cakes from the mall should taste like. And I went a little overboard with the undercooking -- I love cookie dough and underdone baked goods in general, so I took this out after about 30 minutes instead of the 35-45 that Heidi suggests. It wasn't enough and the cookie was really kind of soupy (although delicious!)... until I put it in the fridge, still in the skillet overnight. Then the nirvana hit and it was sort of like just-barely-cooked solid dough. You. guys. So. good. Next time, though, I'll leave it in the oven for another 5 minutes -- I would have been nervous to serve it to anyone when it was that uncooked. (Note that it didn't stop me and Jared from eating the entire thing ourselves over the course of not very many days.) 3 cups whole-wheat flour [I used 2 c whole wheat pastry flour and 1 c AP) 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ...

From: The Commissary Cookbook So, once upon a time in Philadelphia, there was a restaurant called The Commissary. Their carrot cake was famous. People still talk about it, even though the restaurant is long gone. If you search the interwebs for the best carrot cake recipe out there, you will probably find at least a few people talking about the Commissary carrot cake. Two years ago a friend mentioned to me that he really likes carrot cake, and asked if I had carrot cake on my agenda any time soon. I didn't, but I remembered the request, and when that person's 40th birthday came around a few weeks ago I made this cake for him. It's not SO different from any other carrot cake recipe, but it is very tasty and delicious. The cake itself is very moist and flavorful, and the pecan filling and cream cheese frosting are the perfect complements. Of course, my supervisor Karen (who gives me all the best baking recipes) directed me to this recipe, and she makes it ...