Espresso Caramel Bars

valentines day is coming up. you could buy a lame card and try to be sentimental.  but don’t do that, don’t be that girl.  or buy a stuffed teddy bear, like the hallmark store is suggesting….always a bad idea. or buy a box of chocolates that is filled with some that you don’t even like.  if i were you i would make these homemade treats. valentines day is one of the few holidays that you can make your own gifts.  try these candies that resemble twix bars…

Espresso Caramel Bars

Crust:

• vegetable cooking spray
• 12 whole (6 ounces) cinnamon graham crackers, crumbled or 2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 tbs unsalted butter, melted

Caramel:

• bag of soft caramel candies

Chocolate Layer:

• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 3/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder

For the crust:

position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment or waxed paper. spray the paper and the sides of the pan with cooking spray. in a food processor, combine the graham crackers and sugar. process until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. add the melted butter and blend until the mixture forms into clumps. spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing gently to form an even layer. place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the crust is golden. cool for 15 minutes.

For the caramel:

unwrap the candies and place in a microwave safe bowl.  microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir in between until fully melted. freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

For the chocolate layer:

combine the chocolate chips and cream in a small bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. whisk in the espresso powder. remove the springform pan from the freezer. pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel layer and smooth with a spatula. refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm.

allow the layers to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. using a warm, slightly wet knife, carefully cut around the edges of the chocolate layer. release the side of the pan and remove the paper from the bottom. cut into 1 1/2 by 1/2-inch bars and store airtight in a covered plastic container.

even if you don’t make these, just promise me you won’t be that girl.

Brownie Pudding

with my dad’s birthday coming up it got me thinking of the last birthday “cake” i made.  it wasn’t a cake, but in my mind it was better than most cakes out there.  this brownie pudding recipe comes from ina garten.  it has a crust on top with a center that is a warm and gooey like pudding.  so stick a few candles in it and find someone to celebrate with.

Brownie Pudding
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
vanilla ice cream, for serving

preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

when the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. mix only until combined. with mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. a cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. the center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

tips

• framboise is a type of raspberry liqueur.  if you can’t find it you could also try grand marnier; an orange liqueur.
• if not using a vanilla bean, use 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
• enjoy it hot with vanilla ice cream.

Best Cookie Swap Cookies

have a cookie swap coming up? or if you want to be indulgent and make some for yourself…don’t worry i won’t tell.  here’s a few i found that you need to try.

peanut butter toffee cookies

white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies

Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies
preheat oven to 350. unwrap 48 Rolo candies.
 
–Combine:
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 t. baking soda
 
–Beat until light and fluffy:
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. margarine,(2 sticks) softened
 
–Add
2 eggs, one at a time
2 t. vanilla
 
–Stir in:
1/2 c. chopped nuts(we omitted )

for each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 T. dough around 1 caramel candy(Rolos) covering completely.  in a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 c. nuts and 1 T. sugar.  press one side of each ball into nut mixure.  place, nut side up, 2 ” apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  bake 7-10 minutes or until set ans slightly cracked.  cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet: remove from cookied sheets to wire rack to cool completely.
 
–Melt white chocolate.. and drizzle over cookies.  yield 4 dozen cookies.

tips

• stainless steel cookie sheets are best for baking.  if you’re dark pans have baked on grease that won’t come off, it’s time to buy new pans.
• for the easiest no stick cookies use splat mats or parchment paper.
• to measure flour, fluff it first by scooping it up and pouring it back into the canister a few times.  then scoop the flour and level with knife to get the perfect amount.  don’t pack your flour into the measuring cup.
• most of the time nuts are an optional ingredient.  but if a recipe calls for ground nuts it’s not so optional.  the nuts are actually replacing some flour and fat.  so if you choose to opt for no nuts add more flour and fat to counter act the substitution.  (cocoa is also a flour replacement).
• pay close attention to the amount of time a cookie must stay on the sheet before it can be moved to a cooling rack.  otherwise the cookie could crumble.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

i’m not sure what’s gotten into me but i’ve become obsessed with making breakfast breads.  it started out innocently enough in the summer with a surplus of zucchini, then it was apple bread, followed by pumpkin as the fall weather rolled in, and cranberry around thanksgiving.  i’ll admit that doesn’t leave much left, but  then i realized that i haven’t made banana bread in a while… aha!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
5 1/3 tbs butter, at room temperature
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 c flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 bananas, mashed
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips

preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  and spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. set aside.

cream the butter with the sugar then add the eggs one at a time.  in a seperate bowl mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. then add to the butter mixture and fold in the bananas and the chocolate chips.

pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes.

tips

• it’s important for the butter to be at room temperature and not melted.  when it’s at room temperature the sugar can then be evenly distributed, if it is melted you will have unequal amounts of sugar and butter through the bread.
• buy the bananas a few days before you make the bread.  it’s best if they are ripe, so they can mash easily.
• nuts are also an option.  i would recommend walnuts for this recipe.

Sweet Dreams Chocolate Fudge

it’s that time of year.  and i love to share the tastes of the season with family, friends and coworkers.  that’s what it all about.  my mom and i decided to make this fudge, because it’s so easy to make, you don’t need a candy thermometer.  so get a non-stick pot and get to work…

Sweet Dreams Chocolate Fudge
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk chocolate
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

line an 8 by 8-inch pan with aluminum foil. set aside.

in a large saucepan over medium heat, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt. bring to a full boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thick.

remove from heat and pour in the milk chocolate chips. stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. stir in nuts and vanilla. pour into prepared pan. chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm.

this recipe is by Max Brenner as seen on Paula’s Best Dishes.

tips

• you can find a similar recipe on jars of marshmallow cream.
• evaporated milk is different than sweetened condensed milk.  both go through an evaporation process removing a good amount of water. but condensed milk has added sugar, while evaporated milk does not.
• the aluminum foil makes it easy to remove the fudge from the pan in one big piece.  you can then slice it into smaller pieces on a cutting board.

Cranberry Pecan Bread

if turkey day taught you anything, you should know that it’s officially cranberry season.  you see the funny ocean spray cranberry commercials and see them stocked in your local grocery store.  as my brother put it, you can only wean yourself off pumpkin by eating cranberries. normally i like to share my own recipes, but this bread is too good to not share.  i made it a bit different than emeril’s original.  i hope you enjoy it.

Cranberry Pecan Bread
1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, halved
2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a saucepan, combine the orange liqueur, sugar, water, cloves, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the berries burst, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the berries cool in the liquid. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves and discard.

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. spray a 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray.

in a mixer bowl, using the mixer on high speed (or using a hand mixer), cream the sugar and butter. add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. into a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. in a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and orange juice. alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the creamed butter, beating after the addition of each. Fold in the reserved cranberry mixture, pecans, and vanilla. pour into the prepared loaf pan. bake until a tester comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.

turn out onto a wire rack to cool. serve warm or at room temperature.

tips

• the bread can be made ahead of time. keep it by wrapping it tightly and store it at room temperature for 1 day or freeze it for up to 2 weeks.
• instead of using a cinnamon stick i just added some cinnamon, about 1 teaspoon.
• you can make your own buttermilk instead of buying it by mixing 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar.  let stand for 5 minutes, then add to the recipe.
• you can also use leftover cranberry sauce.  just skip the directions to start creaming your butter and brown sugar.
• i’ve always been tempted to add chocolate chips to this recipe.  if anyone does, let me know how to comes out.

12 Days of Cookies

if anything is better than the 12 days of christmas, it’s the 12 days of cookies.  each year food network has a newsletter with 12 delicious recipes for holiday cookies.  it starts november 30 so sign up today and be sure to get your fair share of all that is sugary sweet.

and get the last few year’s lists here.

Pecan Pie

to me the holidays are all about tradition.  it’s about getting together with my family and enjoying a nice meal.  it’s also about recounting those old stories from our childhoods. for me that means my parents telling a story about how i wanted more pretzels.  and if i knew you all a bit better i would finish telling the story.  otherwise it’s way too embarressing. 

in the end it’s all worth it because i get to enjoy a nice slice of my mom’s pecan pie…

Pecan Pie
Filling
4 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, chopped

Topping
½ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoon butter
1½ cups pecan halves

prepared pie crust

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a pie dish with non stick cooking spray and lay in prepared pie crust.

Mix together all filling ingredients and pour into crust. Bake for 40 minutes.

In a sauce pan heat topping ingredients until melted and combined. Top pie with mixture and bake for another 10 minutes.

tips

• when you take the pie out of the oven after the first 40 minutes, it will be puffed up.  but don’t be alarmed…this is normal.  just push down slightly to make room for the topping.
• if you run out of brown sugar use a mixture of white sugar and molasses.
• save yourself some money and just buy a big bag of pecan havles.  smash 1 cup of nuts in a food storage bag with a heavy skillet to get chopped pecans.

Apple Pie

a few years ago when i decided i wanted to learn how to cook, i started by going over my aunt’s house for lessons.  she taught me how to cook lebanese dishes and how to really measure.  we don’t use measuring cups…we just guestimate.  and everytime i went over i would bring an apple pie.  it was the only thing i knew how to make and my uncle was a big fan.  so with all the apples i picked i promised him that i would make him an apple pie.   this recipe couldn’t be easier.

Apple Pie
6 golden delicious apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1 cup sugar
1/4 c flour
1 tbs cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 package of refrigerated pie crust
nonstick cooking spray
aluminum foil

preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  spray a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray and then lay 1 pie crust against the bottom and sides of the pan.  in a very large bowl combine the apples, 3/4 tbs cinnamon, 1 c and 2 tbs sugar, and salt and then pour into the pie pan.  cover with the other crust and press the bottom crust over the top to make a seal.  spray the pie with nonstick cooking spray and then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and sugar over the pie.  cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil and cook for 25 minutes.  then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.  let cool then serve.

tips:

• you spray the pie with nonstick cooking spray to make it brown.  you could also brush it with egg wash.  an egg wash is when you whisk an egg with a tablespoon of water.  the protein from the egg allows the crust to brown.  the same is true from the spray.  essentially the spray is a fat and those fats also brown the crust.
• if you don’t cover the edges of your pie the edges will brown before the rest of the pie is done.
• salt in a sweet dish…is that a typo?  no it’s not.  you add salt to sweet dishes to enhance the flavors.  it won’t taste salty, it will just taste better.
• email me at avavmail@gmail.com with any other questions you have.

Stewed Apples

i went apple picking this past weekend, and got a multitude of varieties.  so i made a few things…apple crisp, apple pie, and stewed apples.  i’ve never made stewed apples before, but i’ve had them a billion times at cracker barrel…how hard could it be? i’m not sure how i came up with this recipe, i kind of just made it up as i went along.  hope you enjoy it as much as i did.

Stewed Apples
6 apples, different varieties, peeled, cored, and cut into slices
1/4 c sugar
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs honey
1 tbs butter

add all of the ingredients except the butter to a pot and heat over medium high heat. cover and let the mixture come to a boil.  then uncovered, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until tender…15 minutes. turn off the heat and melt butter into the mixture.  serve hot, cold, or room temperature.

tips:

• these stewed apples pair perfectly with pork.  the pork tenderloin i ate with them was marinated in lemon juice, oil, garlic, thyme, parsley, and dijon.
• if you don’t have brown sugar just add more white sugar and add more honey (or if you have it: molasses).  brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses.
• stewed apples taste just like apple pie filling.  so you could also serve them over ice cream, waffles, or in some oatmeal.