Bake 52: Week 52!! Thick and Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies

 Who can believe it's the last week of Bake 52?!!  I learned this year that time flies when you're baking. ;) I've had so much fun baking new recipes, learning new things, tricks and techniques and making new friends.  Thanks to all my baking friends who participated this year, whether it was baking with me every week or just reading and following along.  

We have decided to start a dinner group for 2013.  We will be posting twice a month for our new group starting the 2nd Wednesday in January.  So be ready for that and if you want to join us, let me know!

It's hard to tell from the pictures exactly how big these cookies are.  They're about 3.5 inches in diameter and plenty if each person only has one cookie!  Not to mention they are pretty rich.  It's a good thing for me because I LOVE chocolate but I guess it's not for everyone.  (Not that I understand that kind of thinking)  These were the perfect cookie, chewy on the outside, soft in the center and stuffed with more chocolate than anyone thought was possible.  You can opt to leave out the chocolate chips if you are scared about these amounts of chocolate but I don't scare easily.  I think these cookies would also be great to stuff things inside of-like rolos, peanut butter cups, oreos, whatever.

I didn't have parchment paper so I just baked the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and it worked out wonderfully.  I melted semi-sweet chocolate chips for the melted chocolate and it seemed to work well too.

All in all, I think these cookies were great.  They go really well with a glass of milk.  ;)  If you are a choco-holic, you should give them a try!

Janet was our host for the week, you can get the recipe at her blog.  Thanks for hosting this week Janet, and picking a great recipe.

Bake 52: Biscotti (Chocolate and Peppermint)

 'Tis the season to over-do everything and shove peppermint in it.  Don't worry, I got the memo.  I am not sure what my fascination is lately with stuffing candy canes into everything but I am all about it.  I don't even normally like peppermint that much.  Or maybe I do and I just don't know it.  Either way, I'm a crazy un-stoppable force right now.  

This was my *third time making biscotti and my favorite so far.  Almost assuredly because of the chocolate involved.  I am not sure why I didn't think to do that last time.  It seems like most of the group used the chocolate chip variation in the book and, of course, I am one of them.  I bet the almond biscotti would also be good with chocolate slathered all over it though. :)

After adding the chocolate and peppermint to the dough (I halved the recipe, used about 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and 2 crushed candy canes) and while it was baking I was thinking about seeing chocolate covered biscotti somewhere and decided to go big or go home.  When it came out of the oven, I just put some chocolate chips on top, let them sit for a minute and then smoothed with a knife.  I am sure I could have made it harder by whipping up some melted chocolate with oil and then dipping them but I forgot about the over-doing everything-thing.  Momentary lapse.

These were pretty good and if I would have made them sooner, I would have considered making them to go with the gifts we gave out this year, which I still need to share.  As it was, I made them tonight. ;)  And that's the reason my pictures are slightly more horrific than usual.  I need the sun, man!

These would be perfect with hot cocoa, I am off to try that.

Emily was our hostess for the week, you can get the recipe at her blog.  Thanks for hosting this week Emily!

 *1st time was almond bicotti and was for this recipe, and the second time was cinnamon flavored

Bake 52: Chocolate Cake Roll with Peppermint Ice Cream

 I was planning on making this according to the recipe until I read Michelle's blog post.  The original recipe has a cream filling but she was discussing the possibility of using ice cream.  That was the only push I needed.  I know, I am so easily swayed.  My grandparents used to own an ice cream shop in my hometown.  They made their own ice cream and popsicles. They also made ice cream cake rolls and it was one of my favorite things we made.  I didn't get to have it very often because they were pretty long, like 24 inches, and we only sold them as an entire cake roll, not in slices.  Birthdays and special occasions were about the only time we got to indulge. I wish I had some super secret recipes from my grandparents but I don't.  I am going to have to interrogate some family members to see what I can come up with. ;)

Obviously, I substituted ice cream for the cream filling.  We had a bucket of vanilla ice cream in our freezer and some candy canes so I thought I would make some peppermint ice cream to make it a bit more festive than using regular vanilla.  I used about 3 1/2-4 cups of ice cream and about 6 candy canes.  I spread some wax paper on a baking sheet (18x13 since that was the size of the cake).  I put a little over a cup of ice cream and 2 candy canes in my food processor and processed until combined and then spread it on the baking sheet.  I repeated that with the remaining ice cream and candy canes (2 more batches).  Once the ice cream was spread out pretty well on the baking sheet, I covered it with wax paper, kind of patted it down so it was even and then froze it for about 45 min to 1 hour.

I was a little worried about waiting longer than the 15 minutes the book specified to fill the cake but it worked out okay.  It might have been a bit more brittle and there was one spot that cracked a little but I really can't complain.  After the ice cream had chilled for an hour, I took it out, took the wax paper off the top and flipped it onto the unrolled cake, removed the other layer of wax paper and then rolled it up as tight as possible.  Wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap and then put it back in the freezer for about 3 hours or until firm. Then I made the glaze and directed.

The cake wasn't quite right as far the cake rolls I am used to.  It's lighter and more airy than the cake rolls we used to make. I remember them being made with denser cakes, almost brownie like cakes. This was still really good but I might try to experiment with it a little.  I was also appalled that there wasn't any butter or oil in the cake.  Weird, right?  I had to read the recipe a couple times to be sure I wasn't missing something.

I love this kind of recipe because it's easy but looks so impressive.  You should give this a try, Michelle, our host for the week, has the recipe on her blog (and how to make it gluten free!).  Thanks for hosting this week Michelle and for inspiring me to make it with ice cream. ;)

Bake 52: Large Danish Braid

I knew when I looked at this recipe a few days ago that it was probably a 2 day process.  It doesn't have to be but it's easier to give yourself a couple days so you don't feel rushed.  Yesterday I made the danish dough and did all the rolling and folding, which really isn't that hard, just takes a little time.  You roll it out and fold it over a few times, refrigerate for 2 hours and then repeat.

This morning, I rolled it out, made the fillings and baked it.  I chose cream cheese and strawberries (1 cup frozen strawberries, pureed with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp lemon juice, simmered until thick) for the filling.  Of course we all loved it.  We are strawberry lovers around here and you all know how I feel about cream cheese.  I almost threw some Nutella in there too but I figured after folding all the butter into the dough, we were going to be consuming enough fat and calories without it.

 After baking it at 400 {Next time I would go with 375 degrees maybe.  It seemed like mine was more done that I'd like on the bottom.  Or maybe just double up on the baking pans like Betsy suggested a while ago.} for 22-25 minutes, the glaze is brushed over it.  I was maybe supposed to brush all the glaze over it, but I just did one coat and still had plenty left.  

 Since I had glaze left, instead of starting over with the icing, I just added some powdered sugar to my left over glaze to make the icing.  And I still had some left over.  Maybe I was just supposed to douse this thing?

This is super fancy, super delicious and not too hard.  It would be perfect for a special brunch or dessert on a special occasion or just a Wednesday. :)

Jen O was our host this week.  If you'd like the recipe, you can head over to her blog.  Thanks for hosting this week Jen, it was a great pick!

Bake 52: The Best Buttermilk Biscuits

 I am always completely skeptical when the name of a recipe includes 'The Best...'  I think it's over used and I also think, how can it possibly be known what is 'the best'?  Have you tried every recipe (to be fair, I am sure America's Test Kitchen has tried quite a few) and even if you've tried every recipe out there, how can you possibly know what people are going to like?  Everyone has a different idea of what makes 'the best' of anything.  I mean, some people like fudgey brownies, some like cakey, and there are some weirdos out there who don't even like brownies!  

And then there's biscuits.  I am sure that if you asked a dozen people, they would all have different ways to describe 'the best' biscuit.  Just to let you know, I have no idea if this is in fact, the best biscuit recipe.  It was good, we liked it.  It's been a while since I've made biscuits so I can't tell you if it's better than the recipe I've used before.  They might be my favorite but whether they are your favorite or not isn't for me to say.  

I feel like this might be the kind of recipe you have to make a couple times to get it perfect and that gives you time to add to it and make them how you want them.  I halved the recipe and it made about 7 biscuits and seemed to work well.

 I'd say if you are looking for a great recipe, give this one a try.  It might be your favorite.  It might be your idea of the best buttermilk biscuits.  It might be mine.  I am going to have to make about 10 batches of biscuits just to be sure. ;)  But in the mean time, it was a great recipe and if I needed biscuits for something, I would use it again.

Betsy was our host this week.  You can get the recipe at her blog.

Bake 52: Sweet Potato Pie (Crust-less)

Let me start off by saying that this wasn't my finest week.  It wasn't an epic fail, but it wasn't bliss either.  And it was probably my fault and these are a few reasons:

1.  I never know the difference between a yam and a sweet potato.  I have found myself googling it more than once.  When I went to Target, shopping, I trusted them to know what a sweet potato is and apparently, that was not smart.  What they had labeled as a sweet potato turned out to be a yam (or 2 lbs worth).

2.  I decided to make a crust-less pie because we are spending the holiday with some gluten-free people  and I also didn't really feel like dealing with pie crust.  Partly because:

3.  I wasn't in my own kitchen or even one I have cooked in before.  So not only did it make me not want to deal with the crust, but I also ended up baking the pie for about 25 more minutes than the recipe specified.  Was it the oven?  Do I not know how to work an oven?  Who knows.

It turned out okay and much better than I was expecting, but I still don't know if I would let this slide as dessert.  I bet if it were inside a nice flaky, buttery pie crust, I would change my mind.  

For the crust, I lined a pie plate with parchment paper and added a layer of walnuts

 Then sprinkled with brown sugar and filled it like the recipe told me to.  

I inverted the pie to serve so the walnuts were on the top.

I noticed a lot of the other bakers pies looked way different than mine when they came out of the oven and they all had great reviews of the recipe so I am tending to think that I just didn't have my mojo today.  And it might have helped to eat the pie with whipped cream.  There was another fail on my part.  ALWAYS ADD WHIPPED CREAM!!!

Talesha was our host this week and chose the recipe, you can see pictures of what the pie should look like, along with the recipe at her blog HERE.

And if you want to see what the other Bake 52 members thought this week, use the links below. 

Bake 52: Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

 Update 11/14/12:  This was so good the next day, it tasted more cheesecake-y and delicious.  I am not sure if I was just being a cheesecake snob yesterday or if it's just REALLY good for breakfast (oops), but I am taking back my wishy-washy sentiments from the past.  So add that to the list; can and should be made ahead. :)

This was my week to host. I have been wanting to make pumpkin cheesecake for a while so I decided to try the recipe in our book, and make everyone do it with me.  :)

Bake 52: Red Velvet Cupcakes

 We are officially in the home stretch of our baking year.  This week marks the end of another cycle and leaving only one cycle left.  Only 7 weeks left!  I can't believe it.  

This week was red velvet sheet cake and it should surprise no one that I made cupcakes instead.  Because that's what I do.  Cake isn't usually on the top of my dessert list but the last couple cakes we've made have started to change my mind.  It might be the cream cheese frosting.  Cream cheese makes everything better.  These were pretty quick and simple and easy to share with friends.

Was anyone else surprised with how little chocolate is actually in these? 

The only complaint I had was that the recipe stated I would get 24 cupcakes (but since I halved the recipe I expected 12) if I used a 1/4 cup scoop.   And I did, and I was careful about it.  And I only ended up with 9 cupcakes.  So if you are okay with only 18 cupcakes, then use the 1/4 cup scoop.  If you want 24, then use a 3 T of batter for each cupcake.  And yes, I did the math.  I think the only time I use math is when I am cooking. :)

So the difference in the directions would be:  Line cupcake pans with liners or spray with cooking spray.  Make batter, and spoon 1/4 cup (or 3 T depending on how many you want) batter into each liner.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Cool and frost.  

 I also halved the frosting recipe and it was plenty for half a batch of cake.  Each of these cupcakes has PLENTY of frosting, as you can see.  You might even be able to get away with 1/4 a batch of frosting.  I also added about 2 cups of extra powdered sugar (to half a batch) to get it to a firmer consistency.   If you are just spreading it on the cupcake, it doesn't really need to be firmer though.

If you are sad about the election, maybe whipping up a batch of these will make you feel a little better.  Remember what I said about cream cheese?  Makes everything better. ;)   You can get the recipe at Janet's blog.  She was our host for the week and chose the recipe.  Thanks for picking a great recipe Janet!

Bake 52: Apple Dumplings with Caramel Sauce

I am not sure what I thought these were when I heard the name.  In my head I combined a dumpling, like from chicken and dumplings, and apples.  Let's just say the actual dessert is WAY better than the one I was expecting.  Emily was our hostess for the week and decided to go a little easy on us since it was Halloween.  I think it was the perfect pick!  Instead of slaving away over any kind of crust, the recipe calls for refrigerated crescent rolls (the kind in a tube).  You roll them out a little bit, throw an apple, some butter and cinnamon/sugar in the middle....

 twist it all up

And bake it.  I couldn't resist an egg wash (1 egg yolk and 1 T milk whisked together, brush over pastries) and sprinkled them with sugar before baking.  They were super easy and super impressive!  These would be perfect for any occasion when you need something quick and easy but also want everyone to feel special. 

And when you cut the thing open, buttery yummyness oozes out.  

Oh, and I didn't make the cider mixture, I went with some caramel sauce instead.  Which is just as easy.

Caramel Sauce:

2 T butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 T heavy cream, heat in saucepan until sugar is dissolved.

And, of course, serve with ice cream. :)

Our kids, the Lego Forrest Police Officers. 

   Tyler made the costumes and everyone thought they were pretty cool.  We decided they aren't the most practical things in the world, but it was still fun. I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

If you'd like the recipe for Apple Dumpling, you can get it at Emily's blog (I hope all is well on the East Coast, Emily!)  Thanks for hosting this week!

Bake 52: Creme Caramel

I went through a phase a few years ago.  And when I say 'a few' I mean like 8 years ago.  I was going to perfect flan.  It took me numerous tries and a few different recipes and techniques to realize that I just don't like flan.  I am not sophisticated enough for it, I'm sure.  Our friends were kind enough to sample my limitless attempts and say nice things, but I think we were all in the same boat.  When Tyler got home today he was hoping that he was seeing Creme Brulee.  When he realized it was something more flan-like, he wasn't super excited.  It's not that this is super gross, it tastes pretty good, except maybe a little egg-y.  It's sweet, it's dessert, I think it's more just a texture.  It's not creamy like creme brulee is, it's hard to describe....Maybe the texture of soft tofu?  There is also a recipe in the book for flan, so forgive me that I keep comparing when that's not actually what this is, it's just super similar.

I thought it looked cool in the ramekins ready to bake.  And usually when working with hot sugar/caramel, I end up with a giant blister somewhere, but not this time!  Lucky!

 If you like flan and are sophisticated enough for this kind of thing, you might love this recipe!

And as an added bonus, it's gluten free.  I think that's one of the reasons our hostess for the week, Michelle, picked this recipe.  You can find it at her blog.  Thanks for hosting this week Michelle and picking a fun recipe.

Bake 52: Oatmeal Scones

 I don't have a lot of experience with this kind of scone.  The kind that's more of a biscuit.  So I can't really say if these turned out how they were supposed to or not.  We basically treated them like biscuits and ate them with jam, honey, butter and such.  Is that what you're supposed to do with these things?

I almost didn't toast the oatmeal because I was being lame and I thought last time I did it, I toasted it for too long (I think with the granola bars).  But I sucked it up and toasted it and wondered why I had been being such a baby.  It wasn't a big deal.  The rest of the scones came together fairly easy especially if you have a food processor (which I do).  I think next time I would make the cinnamon raisin variation, I bet it would taste almost like an oatmeal raisin cookie but you can pass it off as breakfast. :)

They were good and if you like scones, you should give this recipe a try.

Jen O. was our hostess for the week and chose the recipe, you can get it at her blog.  Thanks for hosting this week, Jen!

Bake 52: Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Caramel and Cream Cheese Frosting

I had very good intentions of sticking to the recipe this week.  Really, I did.  It's just that this is what was on the page right next to our recipe:  Buttermilk-Caramel Cake

And the only thing I love as much as pumpkin + chocolate is pumpkin + caramel.  How could I do anything but what I did?  I did stick exactly to the recipe for the cake and cream cheese frosting except I halved them both (and baked the cake in an 8x8 pan) and then I made the caramel frosting.  I don't regret it for a minute.  The only thing I do regret is not having pecans.  I think some toasted pecans either in the caramel frosting or on top of the whole thing would have been nothing short of amazing.  

Bake 52: Eclairs

It's already week 40 of our baking group.  Can you believe it?  Only 12 weeks to go!

You don't have to ask me twice when it comes to making eclairs.  What's not to love?  While this recipe wasn't all that hard, it did seem harder that the one I normally use.  Probably because I have made the other recipe 8,000 times and I am more comfortable with it.  And the other recipe uses a short-cut instead of pastry cream.  Which can be a good and a bad thing.  I made a tweak to the glaze (I added a T of corn syrup and about 1/2 cup extra powdered sugar) and I think it was perfect and I might just use that glaze from now on even if I use the other recipe for the shell and the filling.

 I tried piping the filling in with a few of them, but it seemed like a lot of work for something my family would devour in 2 seconds so I cut the rest open and plopped in the filling.  And you know what?  My kids ate them anyway.  Weird, right?  Calvin scarfed two down before I was even sure what happened.  I managed to save 2 for Tyler when he comes home, but he better hurry. :)

 Jenn was our hostess for the week and let her husband choose the recipe (what a nice wife).  You can get the recipe at her blog.  Thanks for hosting this week Jenn and thanks for marrying a guy with such great taste. ;)

Bake 52: Spiced Pumpkin Bread (with Chocolate Chips)

 The summer has been 8000 degrees here and while I am not always ready for the idea of summer to end, I am so ready for cooler temperatures, fall baking and fall TV.  (Although it's been so long, I have forgotten which shows I am looking forward to watching.  I am sure it will all some screaming back to me.)  This was such a great recipe pick this week!  The last two recipes have been a great way to usher in the new season!

Bake 52: Make-Ahead French Toast Casserole

 I don't want to sound whiny or anything (again) BUT I don't remember a time before my computer started uploading these THREE photos!  I am about to go ballistic on the internet in general if I could just figure out a way to do that.  A hissy fit sounds like a stellar idea about now.  How did we EVER survive with dial-up internet connections?!!? I feel like I have dial-up and it's un-survivable.  It was a simpler time I guess.  But enough about that...

This is such a great fall dish!  And while I haven't totally gotten on the fall-bandwagon yet, I was excited to make it.  You should have smelled it baking!

Bake 52: Deep-Dish Pizza (Pepperoni and Veggie)

I am not really keen on picking the recipes, I just like to make what everyone else picks.  So when my week rolled around again, I decided to choose a recipe that was recommended by Courtney.  She made the pizza and said it was good and we should try it.  And I do whatever Courtney tells  me to.  And I also kinda like to have a week once in a while where the baking group counts as dinner. 

Bake 52: Tunnel of Fudge Cake

This is my kind of thing.  I know I said yesterday that I thought twice about making that recipe, but I would never think twice about something like this.  Isn't she pretty?  What is it about a bundt cake that is so lovely?  Not to mention the chocolate brownie-like cake, drizzled with chocolate and a 'tunnel' of fudge running through the middle.  It's the stuff of heaven.  I tried to make it look angelic in the photos but now I can't decide if it's angelic or hellish.  (It's tempting me right now.  I think it knows my name.)

Bake 52: Crunchy Granola Bars

We are almost completely moved out of our old place, we just have a few random things left to take care of and a bit of cleaning to do.  Tonight we were there finishing some things up and Tyler broke 4 of my pasta bowls.  My pasta bowls that we got for our wedding and I have been in love with since day 1.  Every time we have moved, I have wrapped them meticulously and marked the box, "PASTA BOWLS, BREAK AND DIE."  They made the move from Utah to South Dakota, back to Utah, (I didn't take them to Texas or Hawaii, they were in storage) and to California all in one piece.  I broke one of them a few months ago and spent a significant period of time mourning.  And now we have moved 1 mile and broken 4 more.  Leaving only 3.  We can't even have a meal with them now.  This could possibly be the worst day of my life and I am currently restraining myself from choking Tyler with my bare hands.  (I could, possibly, be acting a bit dramatic right now....)

The second worst thing that happened today was when my granola bars didn't go perfectly.  I don't know if you can tell from the photo, but they are a bit brown.  I was supposed to toast the oats for 20-25 minutes before assembling the bars until they were light golden.  I went with 20 minutes and they were more like golden, golden.  Or maybe darker.  After the final baking, they were just too done and it came through in the taste.  It might be my oven, it might be California, it might be that this day was just out to destroy me from the get-go....who knows!  

Next time, I might go with 10 minutes and see what happens.  And I will make these again.  I can tell they have serious potential if I can get it right.  I omitted the cinnamon and added about 1/4 cup of coconut and a handful of chocolate chips when I mixed everything together.  No regrets there, I would do that part again in a heart beat.  Luckily I halved the recipe so we don't have quite a many reject-bars hanging around (we do have quite a few though).  And as an added bonus, Hadlee and I had a lesson on area and what pan would work to half the batch if the recipe called for an 18x13 pan.

 If you want to try the recipe, you can visit Emily's blog for the recipe.  Thanks for hosting this week Emily, I can't wait to try these again and make them better next time!

PS.  I hope to be back to regular posting soon!  I am starting to feel like getting back in the kitchen finally!

Bake 52: Glazed Lime Cookies

If you've seen any of the other posts from our baking group today, you know these are supposed to be lemon cookies.  I could make up some great excuses why I used lime instead of lemon but the main reason, and most influential one, is simply that I am lazy.  (I tell you guys all the time, do you believe me yet?)  I had everything to make these cookies except lemons and I happen to have an abundance of limes.  I now have lime trees in my backyard!!!  It's like Christmas everyday.  Once I get my life together, I will share some pictures of the new place but for now, just know that I have lime trees.  (I hope Valerie won't be too mad at me for changing the recipe again)

Bake 52: Raspberry Streusel Bars

I know I still shouldn't be blaming my move for being so unorganized.  I mean, it's almost been two weeks.  But I have developed this nasty reading habit on top of everything else and I can't seem to shake it.  I took a break from reading and not organizing my life to make these bars.  They aren't really my thing since there isn't a speck of chocolate involved and I had to really restrain myself from adding it in some form along the way.  I did try one and they were pretty good, but since I knew Tyler's classmates might enjoy them more, I sent them to school with him today.  They have a buttery, crumbly crust, raspberry (and strawberry in my case) filling and topped with a streusel topping.  He reported back that everyone loved them and a few of them told him how lucky he is (I think it's good for him to hear that from someone besides me).  He said that he had 2 and they were delicious.