Roquefort Crackers

The other night, we were having a few friends stop by, it was after everyone had eaten but I wanted to have something for them to snack on. I'd been eyeing these Blue Cheese and Walnut Crackers from Barefoot Contessa for years but never got around to making them. I decided these would be perfect to put out with some fruit. The crackers are basically a savory shortbread, they have a nice delicate, crumbly texture. The flavor is where these crackers really shine, I decided to use a Roquefort (rather than Stilton) I picked up a Trader Joes and made them without the walnuts. Not because I don't think that the addition of nuts would be great, I do, in fact I love pecans with blue cheese but well... it's because I was feeling lazy. They came out wonderful and Dave especially loved them. They are definitely best the same day, we had some leftover and while the flavor was still good, the texture was a little off.  

Roquefort Crackers

Printable Recipe

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

8 ounces Roquefort cheese

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and Roquefort until well blended, about 1 minute. Add flour, salt and pepper and mix until combined. Roll dough into a 12 inch log, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment. Remove dough from fridge and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds and place on prepared sheet, leaving space between. Bake for 20-22 minutes until they are just starting to brown. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Raspberry Peach Baked Oatmeal

My oh my was this a wonderful Saturday morning breakfast....

I've never been a huge fan of oatmeal although I find myself eating it quite often. It's not that I don't like it, I do, it's just never usually anything special. This my friends, is special. Baked oatmeal is in a whole different category to me, the texture is completely different, it's like eating dessert for breakfast - something which I of course am a fan of. I spotted this recipe on Piece of Cake and made plans right away to make it this weekend. The original recipe calls for blueberries, bananas and walnuts. I'm sure this would be awesome and I plan to try it this way soon but I decided to use the flavors of Peach Melba for inspiration. Peaches, raspberries and I swapped the walnuts for toasted pecans. Heavenly. This definitely started my weekend off right (the tiny dollop of whipped cream I added to my portion didn't hurt either....)

Raspberry Peach Baked Oatmeal
Serves about 6
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 ounces peach slices, I used frozen and thawed
• 6 ounces raspberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine oats, pecans, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla. Place half of your dry mix into an 8 x 8 baking dish, pour over half of your wet mixture and top with half of your fruit. Repeat, making sure everything is moistened. Bake until oatmeal is golden brown and appears set, it took me about 45 minutes, I would begin checking at 35 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Piece of Cake

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Chipotle Peanut Brittle

 

 

I love taking classic recipes and tweaking them just a bit to get an unexpected (but delicious) result.

This recipe is a perfect example of that, a classic, no frills recipe for Peanut Brittle. By itself it's sweet, crunchy and salty with hints of caramel but once the chipotle powder is added, it elevates it to a new level. A smokey heat that lingers on your tongue just long enough to keep you reaching for more. I've found this spicy/sweet/salty combo goes over especially well with men. If you don't like spicy sweets, feel free to use the recipe without it but I would encourage you to give it a shot - you might find you like it!

Chipotle Peanut Brittle
Printable Recipe

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup salted peanuts
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder, more or less depending on taste
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

 

Preheat oven to 275 degrees, place sheet pan in the oven to warm while preparing the brittle. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. Continue cooking until mixture reaches 300 degrees. Stir in your peanuts and cook until mixture returns to 300 degrees, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in your butter, baking soda and chipotle powder, mixture will bubble up. Pour mixture onto warmed sheet pan and tilt pan to spread mixture, try and avoid using a utensil to spread as this will deflate the mixture. Allow to cool completely before breaking up into desired sized pieces.

 

 

 

 

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Lately I've been trying my hand at (what I consider) more adventurous baking. Trying things that used to seem too involved or too complicated. I find that I actually enjoy recipes that are time consuming or have multi -step processes involved. This has opened up a whole new world of recipes for me. This cake here is a perfect example, it's actually very simple to make, it's just done in a few different steps and when spread out over the course of two days is actually very easy. The reward is a delicious light cake, each layer bringing a different flavor and texture to the party. Since it was just Dave and I that would be eating it, I scaled it down to my 7 inch springform pan which worked fairly well but I did have to make an impromptu cake ring out of parchment since my pan was not deep enough for all of the layers. I've provided the full recipe here which is designed to for a 9.5 inch pan. It's rich and decadent, the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
Printable Recipe

For the Bottom Layer:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter , cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing pan

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs , separated

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Middle Layer:

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

5 tablespoons hot water

7ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Top Layer:

3/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin

1 tablespoon water

6 ounces white chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

 FOR THE BOTTOM LAYER:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees, butter bottom and sides of your springform pan and set aside. In a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt your butter, chocolate and espresso powder, stirring until just melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool, about 5 -10 minutes.

Once cooled, whisk in your vanilla and egg yolks.

In the bowl of your stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat egg whites in they become frothy, with mixer running, slowly add in your brown sugar and salt. Continue beating until soft peaks form. Place 1/3 of your beaten egg whites into your chocolate mixture and whisk to combine, this will lighten your chocolate and make it easier to fold in the rest of your whites. Place the rest of your beaten egg whites into the chocolate and very gently fold until there are no visible white streaks. Place batter into your prepared pan and bake for 13-18 minutes until cake is set around the edges, the center should still be slightly soft. Cool completely before moving on to the second layer, cake will collapse as it cools down.

FOR THE MIDDLE LAYER:

Stir together your cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl and set aside. In a large metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt your chocolate. Remove from the heat and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the cream, sugar and salt at medium high speed until soft peaks form, this should take 1-2 minutes but be careful not to over-whip

Just as we did with the bottom layer, whisk in 1/3 of your whipped cream into the chocolate. Once combined, fold in your remaining cream until there are no remaining streaks. Place your mousse in your pan atop the bottom layer and smooth top. Gently tap on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles, refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

FOR THE TOP LAYER:

In a small cup, sprinkle your gelatin over cold water, let it sit. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup cream to a slight simmer, remove from heat and stir in your gelatin and water until thoroughly combined. Pour cream over your white chocolate and stir until all of the chips are melted. Set aside to cool. Mixture should thicken slightly from the gelatin. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip your remaining cream to soft peaks and repeating as we did before, whisk in 1/3 of cream and fold in the remaining cream. Spoon over your previous layer and smooth the top. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 - 3 hours.

Recipe from Cooks Illustrated

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Coconut, Almond & Banana Granola

Despite what it may seem like around here, we do in fact eat regular, healthy food. Not just a diet of indulgent desserts from dusk to dawn. In fact, for the most part we eat a very healthy diet consisting of mostly lean proteins, vegetables and whole grains. Eating like this allows us the ability to splurge when we want to. Making your own granola is surprisingly easy, so easy and so much less expensive than store bought, that I'm kicking myself for not doing it earlier. The customizations are endless and it is a wonderful topper for yogurt or eaten as a cereal with milk. In this batch here, I used large flakes of coconut, banana chips, pepitas and sliced almonds. You can follow the recipe here or let your imagination run wild.

Coconut, Almond & Banana Granola
Yield: about 4 cups
Printable Recipe

• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup coconut, shredded
• 1 cup almonds, sliced
• 1/2 cup pepitas
• 1/2 cup banana chips, broken into smaller pieces
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, almonds, pepitas and banana chips. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar and honey until melted. Pour sugar mixture over dry ingredients and stir until very well combined. Spread evenly among the two baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, stirring half way though to ensure even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Vanilla Bean Scones with Grapefruit Curd

It doesn't get much better than a lazy Saturday morning does it?

Scones, grapefruit curd, a big cup of coffee and a good book. The only thing more I could ask for would be some sunshine but in Washington in February that's not gonna happen. Hell, we're lucky if that happens in the middle of June. These scones are perfect to keep on hand in the freezer for a quick solution to a delicious breakfast. Bake off how ever many you desire, be it one or all 10, just be sure to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. Now, on to the curd (that;s not a very pleasant name is it?). Since it's the time of year for great citrus, I decided to try my hand at some making some. As usual, I was indecisive and ended up making grapefruit, meyer lemon, orange and lime. I'll share the other recipes soon but the grapefruit stood out as my favorite.

Vanilla Bean Scones
Yield: 10 large scones
Printable Recipe

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

4 ounces (1 stick) butter, cold and diced into small cubes

2 eggs

1/2 cup half and half

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

For the topping:

• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp Demerara sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together half and half, eggs, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds until well combined, set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add in your cubes of butter and mix until pea sized crumbs are formed. With the mixer running on low, slowly pour in your wet ingredients, turning off the mixture just as everything comes together. Divide dough in half and form into two separate discs. Cut each circle into 5 equal wedges and place your scones on a parchment lined baking sheet leaving space between them. Brush the tops of each scone with cream and sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until tops are golden brown.

Recipe adapted from: Sugarcrafter

Grapefruit Curd
Yield: about 2 cups
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
8 egg yolks
4 Tbsp butter, room temperature

Combine juice, zest, sugar, salt and yolks in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Stirring constantly over medium heat, cook for approximately 8-10 minutes until mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and stir in your butter 1 Tbsp at a time, waiting until it melts before adding the next. Once all butter has been added, strain mixture through a fine sieve to get rid of any lumps that may have formed. Transfer to storage container and refrigerate once cooled. Mixture should keep in fridge for 10-14 days.

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Pistachio Shortbread

I know most of you by now have probably picked up on that fact that I am a fiend for the sweet and salty combo. This might be evident by the numerous recipes I've posted or by the title of the blog itself. These cookies are a perfect example of why I love it so much, the added salt from the pistachios perfectly balances the sweetness from the milk chocolate while also enhancing the flavor of the chocolate itself. The addition of cornstarch in the shortbread creates a crumbly, almost sandy texture which I love. It's a perfect treat for an afternoon pick me up when pair with a nice big cup of coffee.

Pistachio Shortbread
Yield: About 20 cookies
Printable Recipe

• 1 1/2 cup flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup cornstarch, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 ounces chocolate, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, line baking sheets with parchment. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream your butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, add your vanilla. On a low speed, gradually add your dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until dough is firm and easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll your dough to approximately 1/4 inch thick and cut into rectangles about 1.5 x 2 or you can use a cookie cutter of your choice. Place cut cookies on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool. Once cookies have completely cooled, place them in the fridge while you melt your chocolate slowly over a double boiler. Dip one end of each of your cookies into the melted chocolate and then immediately into the pistachios. Place the back onto the parchment and once all cookies have been dipped, return to the fridge for about 20 minutes to allow chocolate to set.

  

Adapted from Joy of Baking

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Almond Lovers Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

The other day I was going through some older posts on Picky Palate and spotted these chocolate chip cookies that have been infused with almond paste, an ingredient that I've just recently discovered a love for. Jenny mentions that the almond flavor is subtle but it was definitely a prevalent flavor in my batch. It makes me wonder if there is a big difference between the the paste sold in a tube vs that in the can, which is what I used. Oh well, whatever the reason, these were very good. A strong almond flavor and really great texture, nice and crisp on the outside but the inside stayed soft and chewy. I did notice last minute that the recipe calls for almonds which I did not have so I just left them out this time. I brought some in for my co-workers and they went over very well. Now I need to find another recipe to use up the leftover almond paste....

Almond Lovers Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Picky Palate
Printable Recipe
Yield: 24 cookies

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 Cup sugar
• 3/4 Cup brown sugar
• 3 oz Almond paste, I used Solo brand
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 oz bag chocolate chips
• 3/4 Cup chopped almonds, optional

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream your butter and sugars in the bowl of your stand mixer until well combined and then incorporate your almond paste. Add in your eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk your flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add this to your wet mixture and mix until just barely combined. Stir in your chocolate chips (and almonds if using) by hand.

Scoop dough onto prepared sheets and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 14 minutes, the cookies should be slightly browned and no longer appear "wet". Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

 

 

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Chocolate Souffle

Pure.Chocolate.Bliss. Meet my dinner from last night - yes, you read that right, dinner. Would I do it every night? Nah but it was worth every bite of it. I spent most of my Saturday in the kitchen making various treats, the night ending with me sitting on the couch in front of some bad TV, savoring every rich, chocolaty bite. I know you're being bombarded by everyone (myself included) with so many options for dessert on Valentine's Day but this, this you must make if you are a chocolate lover. So many people are intimidated by making souffles but they are really quite simple to put together and I think it's the simplicity of the process and ingredients that make it such a delicious, elegant dish. The only thing I think could make it even more delicious would be to top it off with an espresso creme anglaise, I'll post a shortcut recipe below.

Chocolate Souffle
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Printable Recipe
Yield: 8 8oz ramekins

•  4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pans
•  1/3 cup sugar, plus more for pans
• 8 ounces chocolate, chopped coarse (I used half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6  egg yolks
• 8  egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, position your oven rack to the lower middle position. Butter each of your ramekins and coat evenly with sugar. Place buttered and sugared ramekins in the fridge until ready to use. Melt your chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over simmering water. Once just melted, remove from the heat. stir in your salt and vanilla and set aside until needed.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes until they've thickened and lightened in color. Fold the yolk mixture into your chocolate and thoroughly clean your bowl and your beaters. If any traces of fat remain, your egg whites will not whip up properly.

With your whisk attachments, whisk egg white until foamy, then add your cream of tartar. increase speed to medium-high and beat until moist, stiff peaks form. Add in 1/3 of your egg whites to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. This step will lighten your chocolate making it easier to combine with the rest of your whites. In two batches, gently fold in the remaining egg white, being very gentle so you don't deflate the mixture. Once combined (a few white streaks are ok!) divide evenly into your prepared dishes and bake until outside is set, about 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately plain or with toppings of your choice such as creme anglaise, powdered sugar, lightly sweetened whip cream or fresh berries.

Espresso (faux) Creme Anglaise

From Alton Brown

• 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder

Melt ice cream in a saucepan, stir in espresso powder and serve warm.

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry High hat Cupcakes

Today's Valentine's Day treat is a High Hat Cupcake - but not just any high hat, a chocolate covered strawberry high hat. The classic romantic dessert of chocolate covered strawberries takes on a new form. In general I'm not a huge fan of fruit flavors with chocolate but I loved the idea of this. A moist chocolate cake and a luscious strawberry buttercream take a dip into a pool of chocolate. I was surprised by how much I actually liked the flavor combo with these. Who knows, maybe this will open my eyes to more fruit and chocolate desserts? If your sweetie has a sweet tooth, consider making these for a romantic night in, they're sure to please.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry High Hat Cupcakes
Printable Recipe
Yield: 12 cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup good quality cocoa (I used Callebaut)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup boiling water or coffee

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, line your muffin tin with liners. Place all ingredients except coffee or water in bowl of your stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Remove from mixer and mix in your boiling water or coffee by hand. Fill your muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 20-23 minutes until a toothpick inserted into your cupcakes comes out clean

Strawberry Buttercream
Yield: Enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1lb powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam or jelly of your choice
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• pinch of salt

Cream the butter, sugar and salt in your stand mixer for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. With mixer running, add your strawberry jam and continue to beat for another minute until it's well incorporated. Now add your heavy cream and whip for 3 more minutes until your desired consistency is reached.

Chocolate Shell

• 6 ounces of good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 1.5 Tablespoon vegetable oil

In the bowl of a double boiler, combine both ingredients and stir continuously until all of your chocolate is melted. Transfer to a tall, narrow container.

Assembly

Pipe buttercream on each of your cupcakes using a large round tip. Starting at the outside and swirling up and toward the center as you would with an ice cream cone. Once all cupcakes are frosted, place in fridge for 20-30 minutes until frosting has firmed up. Now plunge each cupcake upside down in your container of chocolate, let the excess drip of before placing upright on a baking sheet. Once all of your cupcakes have been dipped, return to the fridge for 20 or so minutes until chocolate firms. Enjoy!

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Chocolate Dipped Espresso Chip Shortbread

I've never really been one to get very excited about Valentine's Day, especially since the last few years Dave has been traveling for work and I've spent the day alone. He is away this year as well but I thought I'd get my act together and get in the spirit. Really any excuse to make fun little treats covered in pink sprinkles is good enough for me. For this cookie, I used Deb's recipe for Espresso Chip Shortbread, I just took it one step further and dipped the ends in chocolate and sprinkles.  I've had my eye on this recipe for awhile, honestly I don't know what took me so long. These will be a definite repeat in my kitchen.

Chocolate Dipped Espresso Chip Shortbread

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Printable Recipe

Yield: 42 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces mini chocolate chips
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• Sprinkles of your choice (optional)

Directions:
1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso and slowly add in your flour, mixing just enough to incorporate. Fold in your mini chocolate chips by hand.
3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.
4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
7. Once cooled, place your 4 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler to melt (or do so in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so, just until melted)
8. Dip one end of each of your cookies into the melted chocolate and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, if adding sprinkles, do so now before chocolate hardens.

 

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Girl Scout Cupcakes: Samoas

In honor of Girl Scout Cookie season, I thought I would do a short series on Girl Scout Cookie inspired cupcakes. The Samoa cookies have always been my favorite and for good reason, toasted coconut, caramel and chocolate, what's not to love? I actually made a cupcake version a few years back that was good but I wasn't quite as happy with it as I would have liked so I thought what better place to start? The first time around, I used a chocolate cake, swapping it out this time for a delicious brown sugar pound cake from Martha Stewart. This seemed like a better balance of flavors with the cupcake having a similar taste to the butter cookie itself. From there I swirled on a decent amount of salted caramel buttercream, topped it with toasted coconut and a drizzle of chocolate. I'm very happy with the results this time around. Check back for Thin Mint and Tagalong cupcakes!

 

Samoas Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Brown Sugar Pound Cupcakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/8cups packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.

Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 23 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks.

Caramel Buttercream

Yields enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce, recipe here or store bought if you prefer
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

 In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream your butter and powdered sugar until fluffy and well combined. Add in your caramel sauce and heavy cream and continue to beat for about 3 minutes.

 Assembly

• 4 ounces toasted coconut
• 2 ounces chocolate

Frost your cupcakes generously with the caramel buttercream, top with your toasted coconut and drizzle tops with melted chocolate. I melted mine in the microwave for about 30 seconds and drizzled on with a piping bag.

 

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I guess now that the Super Bowl is over, that means it's time to get in gear for some Valentine's Day treats. I went from store to store trying to find Valentine's Day themed sprinkles with no luck.... it was only the 4th of February people, surely they couldn't be sold out! Luckily I was headed down to Seattle for the weekend so my first stop (as it so often is) was Home Cake. If you are in the Seattle area you MUST seek this place out. Its in a somewhat residential neighborhood near Northgate. It's just a tiny little store jam packed with everything you could ever need or want for baking. The owner is always very nice and willing to offer up advise for your project if needed. It's probably a good thing I don't live closer, it would surely bankrupt me. I gathered up a variety of sprinkles and a few other supplies and was on my way. The first recipe that came to mind was just a classic Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting. So simple, so classic but I find them incredibly beautiful, not to mention yummy! I think you could put cream cheese frosting on just about anything and it would be a winner in my book. This was the first time I've used Martha Stewart's recipe for red velvet but I liked it very much and will probably use it in the future. After removing the cupcakes from the tins, I was worried because they seemed very oily but that problem seemed to take care of itself after sitting for awhile. The cream cheese frosting is a recipe (technique?) that I developed a couple of years ago and never looked back. I used to always have trouble with my cream cheese frosting being too thin to pipe - it would just run off the cupcake and at the very least not hold its shape. After some experimenting, I found that if I cream the room temperature butter with the powdered sugar first, then add in small pieces of cold cream cheese, the result was a thick, wonderful frosting that is a dream to pipe.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

By Martha Stewart

Yields  24 cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted

2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Top with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Yields enough to generously frost 24-30 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 8oz cream cheese, cubed and cold
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Cream your butter and powdered sugar in your stand mixer until very well combines, approximately 3 minutes. With your mixer running on low, slowly add in your cubed, cold pieces of cream cheese one at a time. Once incorporated, add in your vanilla extract and heavy cream. Continue beating for a few minutes longer until light and fluffy.

Note: If you desire a dense frosting with a heavier cream cheese taste, use equal amounts of cream cheese and butter.

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Classic Banana Bread

I've found (as I'm sure many of you have) that my tastes have changed drastically as I've gotten older. I used to despise banana bread and now it's quite the opposite. In fact, sometimes I find that it's what I crave most often, not cookies or cakes but banana bread. I've tried many different recipes lately and I had some issues with all of them, either they were too dry, too moist, not flavorful, etc. I was not completely satisfied until I tried the Classic Banana Bread recipe from Cooking Light. I find it to have the perfect balance of everything I'm looking for in a a quick bread, it's just an added bonus that it is a "lighter" version than most. That is until I starting adding ingredients like chocolate chips, toffee, cinnamon chips or in this case here, mini Reese's peanut butter cups.

Classic Banana Bread

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar 

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of optional "add ins" if you'd like, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. At this point, I usually let it sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes to thicken up, this helps prevent the add ins from sinking to the bottom. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Pineapple, Coconut & Pecan Chewy Granola Bars

Dave is leaving for snowy and cold Manitoba for a business trip so I thought I would send him with a few snacks since he will have limited choices where he is staying. Right away my mind went to a chewy granola bar. They would be perfect; delicious, filling and somewhat healthy. I researched a few recipes and found this one by King Arthur Flour, I've always had pretty good luck with their recipes so I decided to give it a try. Boy was that a good choice. I cannot put into words how good these are. They were pretty good the night I baked them but overnight the flavors developed  into something incredible. They are the perfect combination of crunchy and chewy, sweet and salty. I found myself cutting off a small piece every time I went into the kitchen until I had eaten the very generous sized bar I cut them into. Honestly I had to make myself stop eating them or I could've eaten the whole pan. These are incredibly adaptable to your liking and to what you have on hand. Change out the nuts, fruits, sweetener, etc. the sky is the limit. I already have plans to make a batch with apricots, cherries and pepitas. The original recipe calls for something called sticky bun sugar, which I had never heard of so I used the provided substitution of corn syrup and more melted butter.

Pineapple, Coconut and Pecan Chewy Granola Bars

Recipe by King Arthur Flour

Printable Recipe

1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup oats that have been ground in food processor

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts ( I used dried pineapple, coconut flakes & pecans)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil (I used butter)

1/4 cup  honey, maple syrup or corn syrup ( I used honey)

2 Tablespoons corn syrup

1 tablespoon water

1/3 cup of nut butter, optional ( I used cashew butter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line a 8x8 pan with parchment. Stir together all of your dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, butter, honey, corn syrup, nut butter and water. Add your dry into the wet and mix to combine. Press mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 25 -30 minutes until golden brown around the edges.

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.