Category Archives: Baker's Delight

Baker’s Delight: Cherry Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Cookies

Posted by Alaina in Baker's Delight and tagged with , , , , , ,

Do they have a long enough name? :) These are from the wonderful Bon Appetit Dessert Cookbook. I adapted them based on the ingredients I had but they were delicious! I’m going to go ahead an include the recipe as written in the book because I would totally make them exactly as written.

Cookies are one of my favorite desserts – they are perfect for picnics and pitch-ins, most of them freeze very well, and they are usually fairly easy to put together. They are also one of my favorite things to bake!

CHERRY-CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES
Bon Appetit Dessert Cookbook
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1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. plus 2 Tb. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. (packed) dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. dried tart cherries
1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted

Position racks in center and top third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Mix in egg and both extracts. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in oats, then chocolate chips, cherries and almonds.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies 12 minutes. Switch and rotate baking sheets. Bake cookies until golden, about 6 minutes longer. Cool cookies on baking sheets (cookies will firm as they cool). (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Baker’s Delight: Lime Shortbread

Posted by Alaina in Baker's Delight and tagged with , , , , , , ,

First, don’t forget to enter our great giveaway! It ends tomorrow!

This weekend I needed to make a quick dessert and so I turned to one of my newest cookbooks, Bon Appetit Dessert. Heather actually gave me this amazing cookbook for my birthday and I just couldn’t wait to start trying the delicious recipes! This recipe was for Lemon Shortbread Squares but I switched it up to to make them lime. We LOVED them! I doubled the recipe and put them in a 12×18 bar pan which made them thinner than the original recipe but it was perfect for us. These are just so good and so incredibly easy!

LIME SHORTBREAD
(Adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts)
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1/2 c. sugar
1 Tb. finely grated lime peel
3/4 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tb. fresh lime juice
2 Tb. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray pan with nonstick spray.

Using fingertips, rub sugar and lime peel together in large bowl to release essential oils in peel. Add butter. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture in light and fluffy. Beat in lime juice, then cornstarch, and salt, Add flour and beat just until blended. Using fingers, press dough firmly and evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.

Bake shortbread until cooked through and just golden brown, about 50 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Cut and enjoy. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Baker’s Delight: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by The Cooks Next Door in Baker's Delight, Guest Post and tagged with , , ,

We are pleased to welcome back Sarah Pulliam Bailey with this guest post! These would be great for you weekend and summer picnicking!

Chocolate chip cookies provide the ultimate comfort food. If you’re serving chocoholics, consider baking double chocolate chip cookies, which offers a rich, moist, chewy dessert.

The cookies did not turn out terribly even because I was in a hurry and grabbed rounded spoonfuls of dough, which made them puffier. If you prefer more uniform, flattened cookies, you could roll the dough up on parchment paper in a log, refrigerate for two hours, and cut individual cookies. You could also substitute white chocolate chips for peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts. Some of the reviews suggested using 1 tsp. of baking soda and 1 tsp. of baking powder, so consider experimenting. The recipe takes about 30 minutes and makes about 3 dozen cookies.

 

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
(Adapted from allrecipes.com)
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1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of vanilla
2 cups white chocolate chips or chunks (12 oz. bag)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. In a large bowl (I used my KitchenAid), cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir the mixture into the other bowl. Fold in white chocolate chips. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (9 minutes was perfect in my oven). Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. If you have a smaller kitchen, consider investing in a tiered cooling rack.

Baker’s Delight: Banana Cupcakes

Posted by Alaina in Baker's Delight and tagged with , , , , , ,

I first made this recipe a few years ago and really enjoyed it! Recently, I was asked to provide banana cupcakes for an open house and I remembered these. And so, I returned to the recipe and adapted it - these were the result. The honey cream cheese frosting is fabulous – not too sweet but oh so wonderful. These also make wonderful mini cupcakes – a batch makes 24 regular cupcakes and a lot of minis.  

BANANA CUPCAKES
(Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network)
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3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer cakes to a rack and cool slightly. Cool completely before frosting.

To frost the cupcakes: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in   the honey. Spread the frosting over the muffins. Sprinkle with the walnuts if desired.

Baker’s Delight: Baked Breakfast Cheesecake

Posted by Stephanie in Baker's Delight and tagged with , , ,

In about 30 minutes you can have a crust-less, breakfast cheesecake on the table. And while cheesecake definitely isn’t for every breakfast, this lightly-sweet version makes a simple, special breakfast treat. I served this topped with fresh strawberries and bananas, with a spinach frittata to round out the meal.

The recipe calls for using a springform pan. If you don’t have one, just butter a pie dish (this will be more difficult to serve, but won’t effect the flavor at all). I actually halved this recipe and used a 7-inch pie pan and it worked great.

BAKED BREAKFAST CHEESECAKE
(from River Cottage Every Day)
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21 ounces of cream cheese or ricotta cheese
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 Tablespoons quick oats or flour (I used gluten-free quick oats)
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges, plus 1 Tablespoon juice (I used 1 Tblsp oj concentrate instead)
3 Tablespoons raisins (optional)

Serve with fresh fruit or fruit compote

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Beat the cheese with a wooden spoon until smooth, then add the melted butter, oatmeal, salt, sugar, eggs, orange zest and juice, and mix well (you can mix all in a food processor if preferred or use a hand mixer). Fold in raisins, if using.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, until just set, with a slight wobble in the center.

Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with fruit. Serves 10

Baker’s Delight: Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Posted by Alaina in Baker's Delight and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

As promised, here is the lemon cupcake recipe! We really enjoyed these. I still want to tweak the frosting a little bit but it’s really good. Don’t skip the lemon curd, it’s excellent and it will make more than you need which is a happy bonus.  You can print all of these recipes here.

LEMON CURD
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

Zest of 3 lemons
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
4 eggs
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. salt

Combine lemon zest, sugar, butter, eggs, lemon juice, and salt in a saucepan.

Cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate – place plastic wrap on surface of curd while it cools.


LEMON CUPCAKES

2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 c. sugar
5  eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
2/3 c. buttermilk
Zest of 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.

Into a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time until just combined. Add vanilla and lemon extract and zest. Add buttermilk and dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks before filling and frosting.


RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6-8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup raspberry preserves

Using a hand-held mixer beat cream cheese and butter together until light and smooth. Add vanilla extract and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time until thoroughly incorporated and desired thickness is reached.


TO ASSEMBLE: Remove a small amount of cake from the center of the cooled cupcake and spoon in the chilled lemon curd. Use a pastry bag or Ziploc bag to frost the cupcakes. Store finished cupcakes in the refrigerator.

Baker’s Delight: Vanilla Cupcakes

Posted by Alaina in Baker's Delight and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

This week, I set out on a mission to find  a vanilla cupcake recipe for my oldest son’s birthday. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Reviews on nearly every vanilla (or white) cake recipe are mixed – some love it, some hate it, some think it’s light, some think it’s dense…you get the idea. And let’s be honest, not everyone is a competent baker, so it’s hard to know which reviews to trust!

Finally, I deicided to just jump in and try a recipe. Bobby Flay had one which I adapted to work for me. The texture was lovely and the flavor was quite good. The chocolate frosting he included was delicious as well – a frosting recipe unlike any I have ever made. These definitely got the seal of approval from my family and the birthday boy loved them! They would also make a beautiful Easter or spring dessert.

VANILLA CUPCAKES
(adapted from Bobby Flay’s Mini Vanilla Bean Cupcakes)
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2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1Tablespoon vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks, room temperature
3 large egg whites, room temperature
Creamy Chocolate Frosting, recipe follows
Sprinkles for decorating, if desired

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fill muffin tins with liners .

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 1/2 cups sugar together in a large bowl. Whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and yolks in a medium bowl.

In a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks just form, 30 to 60 seconds Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside. Wash the bowl and dry.

Add the flour mixture to the now-empty mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. With the mixer running at low speed, gradually pour in the butter mixture and mix until almost incorporated (a few streaks of dry flour will remain), about 15 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape the whisk and sides of the bowl. Return the mixer to medium-low speed and beat until smooth and fully incorporated, 10 to 15 seconds.

Using a rubber spatula, stir 1/3 of the whites into the batter to lighten, and then add the remaining whites and gently fold into the batter until no white streaks remain.

Fill the cupcake molds 3/4 full and bake until just firm, about 18-22 minutes. Let cool and frost with Creamy Chocolate Frosting. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

CREAMY CHOCOLATE FROSTING
(Adapted from Bobby Flay at FoodNetwork.com - adaptations noted)

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (I used dark chocolate cocoa powder)
 Pinchof fine sea salt
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon espresso powder (I omitted this since I was making them for kids but it would have been a fantastic addition!)

In a food processor (or using a mixer), process the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and then add the melted chocolate and espresso and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 seconds.

Baker’s Delight: Kazakh Cheese Pastries

Posted by Alaina in Baker's Delight and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

These savory pastries would be perfect for brunch or a snack or a dinner or any time. They are seriously delicious! They were a hit with children and adults alike. The buttery, flaky crust with the creamy cheese filling was pretty much perfect. I’m think these may be added to the Easter brunch menu this year.

KAZAKH CHEESE PASTRIES
adapted from Cooking for Kaz: Meals for Hope, Volume 2
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Pastry:
1 ½ c. flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cream of tartar
8 Tb. butter
¼ c. ice water

Place flour, salt, cream of tartar, and butter in a food processor, Blend until texture is coarse and add water. Blend just until the mixture is combined and begins to mass together (add more water if needed). Place on plastic wrap, flatten to disk and wrap airtight. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll dough on floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out 24 circles with 3 inch water glass or biscuit cutter. Pleat edges of circles and fit in bottom of muffin tins. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cheese filling:
1 egg
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I used sharp & 3-cheese blend)
3 T. grated parmesan cheese
2 Tb. parsley, chopped
2 T. chives, chopped

Beat egg in bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Spoon 2-3 tsp. filling in each pastry shell; spread level. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the filling is golden brown. Cool on rack and serve warm.

*These could be made ahead, refrigerated and warmed in the oven.

Baker’s Delight: Salted Toffee-Chocolate Squares

Posted by Alaina in Baker's Delight and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Honestly, I just didn’t know what to make for today. It’s been a long couple of weeks filled with illness at our house and my desire to cook and bake has been almost non-existant. And so, I looked at magazines and websites looking for something that would inspire me. I wrote to one of my friends that I was at a loss…and then, I happened to pick up my May 2010 issue of Everyday Food. I turned to the back for the index and instead, I came across this recipe. I had everything on hand and decided to give it a shot.

Oh. My. Goodness. These are amazing. They combine so much yumminess into one cookie that I can hardly stand it! They certainly aren’t on the “healthy list” but they are worth the splurge. The coarse salt is just the perfect flavor addition – makes all of the flavors come alive. I had to walk away from the pan of cookies; in fact, I had to go upstairs so I would not eat more. So, without further ado, here is the amazing and easy recipe!

SALTED TOFFEE-CHOCOLATE SQUARES
(Everyday Food, May 2010)
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13 graham crackers
1 bag (8 ounces) toffee bits
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted natural almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (4 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place graham crackers in a single layer on sheet, edges touching. Sprinkle toffee bits and almonds over graham crackers.

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and butter to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is syrupy, 2 minutes. Immediately pour over graham crackers. Bake until sugar topping is bubbling, 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate and salt over graham crackers. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 2-inch squares. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. (Store in an airtight container, up to 1 week.)

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Salted Toffee-Chocolate Squares Recipe – Martha Stewart Recipes

Baker’s Delight: Banana Cheesecake

Posted by Stephanie in Baker's Delight, Crock Pot, Gluten-Free Goodness and tagged with , , ,

On Valentine’s Day Jeremy and I went to a favorite restaurant. For dessert I decided to try Fresh Banana Cheesecake (the favored choice of the restaurant owner). I like bananas, I like banana bread, I like banana muffins, but somehow anything else banana never really appeals to me. However, that first bite of banana cheesecake was unbelievably delicious. It tasted somewhat like banana cream pie (which I guess I also like), but even better.

Since then I’ve been dreaming about making it at home. Last week I decided to give it a try. I’d done recipe research and concocted my own. And to make it even more challenging, I decided to try baking it in my crockpot (why not try two variables in my first go at it?!). It turned out quite well (thought admittedly not quite as memorable as the piece I’d eaten). And until I try another piece someday, this is the best it will get.

The standard cheesecake crust is typically crushed cookies of some sort. Being gluten-free around here, I decided instead to try a shredded coconut crust. I mixed it with melted butter and cinnamon. However, feel free to use your crust of choice.

Also, I used a 1 1/2 quart corning ware dish to make my cheesecake, since I was using the crockpot. To bake in the oven in a springform pan, you will likely need to double the ingredients.

BANANA CHEESECAKE
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Crust:
1 1/2 c. shredded coconut
2-3 Tbsp melted butter
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Filling:
1 1/2 blocks of full-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 just ripe bananas, mashed

Press your desired crust onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart pyrex or corning ware dish.

In a bowl beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly between each. Stir in the plain yogurt and the mashed banana. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your crockpot (I used 6 quart). Lower the dish inside. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours. The cheesecake is done when the edges are no longer shiny and have set. (It took close to 3 hrs for mine.) Let the cheesecake sit in the cooling crockpot for about an hour. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Garnish with freshly whipped cream, chopped pecans, chocolate drizzle. Or just eat plain for breakfast. :)