Baking Junkie

Tag: chocolate

Sunday, December 4th, 2011

Cookies and Cream Bark

I imagine that many of you have been busy baking away in your kitchens. I usually try to spend one long day in the kitchen doing all of my holiday baking at once. Because of my schedule this year that isn’t possible, so I am spacing things out and just baking one thing here and there. My biggest dilemma is trying to find the balance between making all of my traditional goodies and also trying to add in some new recipes as well. I decided to kick things off with something new, and this is the recipe I chose.

It helps that it only requires two ingredients!

I have made various different barks in the past, but not for several years. I loved this recipe because of it’s simplicity, but mainly because of it’s taste. One piece was usually not enough for me. You know that something is good when Derek has to hide it from me! Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Bark
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15 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped
1 (12 0z) bag white chocolate chips

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval.

Once the chocolate has melted, mix in cookies. Pour onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, smoothing out with a spatula. Chill for approximately 10 minutes, or until chocolate has hardened. Remove from wax paper and break into pieces.

Tags: Candy, chocolate, Christmas, No Bake, Oreo, White chocolate

Posted in Misc. | 2 Comments »

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

No Bake Energy Balls

Recipe adapted from Smashed Peas and Carrots

This is another fabulous recipe that I found on Pinterest, and I can gaurantee you it will not be the last.

These are incredibly easy to make. I have many friends who say they cannot bake, but trust me, anyone can throw these together. You simply mix together all of the ingredients, chill in the refrigerator, and roll into balls! What I love about the recipe is how easy it is to make substitutions. I added butterscotch chips, which I thought added a great fall-like flavor. I am planning on making these around the holiday season with some red and green M&Ms added in. I kept these in my refrigerator and grabbed a few at a time for a quick and easy snack. Enjoy!

No Bake Energy Balls
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1 cup quick cooking oats
½ cup creamy peanut butter
⅓ cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
½ cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup mini chocolate chips
¼ cup butterscotch chips

In a medium sized bowl mix together all of the ingredients until well combined. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll into balls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Tags: Butterscotch, chocolate, Coconut, No Bake, Oatmeal, peanut butter

Posted in Misc. | 6 Comments »

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie

Recipe adapted from Kevin and Amanda

Have you all been getting sucked in to all of the Fall TV shows like I have? I both love and hate this time of the year. While I get a lot of enjoyment out of watching all of these shows, it tends to send my anxiety skyrocketing just trying to fit them all in!

Glee (as some of you may remember) is among my favorites. This season I am also watching Two and a Half Men, Up All Night, The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Person of Interest, Dexter, and Storm Chasers.

Ok my head is about to explode now.

{Ok, not really, but I am catching up on tv as I type this}.

Do you know what helps fix my anxiety? Chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. Chocolate and peanut butter is even better. This pie gives me both.

This was hands down one of the best desserts I made this summer, so much so that I have now made it twice (something that doesn’t happen very often in my kitchen). It starts with a homemade Oreo crust (you could use a premade crust, but I highly recommend the homemade), and next comes the homemade peanut butter ice cream (without an ice cream maker!). Throw in a layer of hot fudge topping, and then top it all off with pieces of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and it really doesn’t get much better than this. Ideally you should wait several hours to let the pie fully set before serving, but I can speak from experience when I say after only about an hour it’s edible Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie
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25 Oreos, finely crushed
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup peanut butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 jar hot fudge topping
23 miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Crush Oreos in a food processor. Mix together with melted butter and press into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Place in freezer for approximately 10 minutes.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the whipping cream for several minutes until soft peaks form. Fold into the peanut butter mixture.
Remove the Oreo crust from the freezer. Place half of the ice cream mixture on top of the crust. Microwave the hot fudge topping according to directions and pour ¼ – ½ on top of the ice cream. Top with remaining ice cream mixture and more of the hot fudge topping. Coarsely chop the peanut butter cups (add more if you wish) and place on top of the pie. Place in freezer for 6-8 hours prior to serving.

Tags: Candy, chocolate, Ice cream, No Bake, Oreo, peanut butter, Pies

Posted in Ice Cream, Pies | 4 Comments »

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches with Cookie Dough Buttercream

Cookie recipe adapted from Picky Palate, Frosting recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats

Do you ever get a brilliant idea in your head, only to forget it just a few minutes or hours later? I do. ALL the time!

I came up with the idea for these cookies months ago, but didn’t remember them until I was really craving some baked goods a few weeks ago. I was going through all of my saved recipes and nothing was sounding “perfect” to me, until out of the blue I remembered my idea for these.

I love a good, classic chocolate chip cookie, and this cookie dough flavored buttercream is hands down my favorite frosting ever. I really love those chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches, so these are my take on them (sans ice cream).

I have been on a bit of a search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, and this one comes very close. This seems to be the main cookie recipe that Jenny over at Picky Palate uses (in so many unique and amazing ways…you have to check out her site). I love, love, love the taste of these cookies, and this has now become my go to recipe. Combined with the cookie dough buttercream, these treats are dangerous. I added some mini chocolate chips for decoration, but I liked them just the same without the chocolate chips. I did make my cookies smaller than I usually would since I’d be eating two at a time. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches with Cookie Dough Buttercream
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Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Frosting:
1 1/2 sticks salted butter, room temperature
¼ + ⅛ cup packed brown sugar
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 Tbsp milk
1 1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt, then add dry ingredients to dough. Stir in chocolate chips. Roll into small, ½ inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then place on wire rack to cool completely.

While cookies are baking and cooling start making the frosting. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add powdered sugar in increments until smooth. Add in the flour and salt, then add the milk and vanilla.

Once cookies have cooled begin making the sandwiches. Place a spoonful (as much or as little as you want) on the flat side of one cookie, and sandwich it with the flat side of another cookie. Repeat until all cookies are gone. Coat sides with mini chocolate chips if desired.

Tags: Buttercream, chocolate, Cookie Dough, Cookies

Posted in Buttercream, Cookies | 10 Comments »

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Nutella Gooey Butter Cake

Recipe adapted from Let’s Dish

Time to be honest.

Please do not put this cake in front of me.

Not because it is horrible, but exactly the opposite.

It is fantastic!

This is one of those desserts that crumbles my willpower. You know I have a problem when the first words out of Derek’s mouth when he sees the cake are “how much have you had already?!”

(The answer for anyone curious is one entire row. Along the 13 inch side, not the 9).

I know what you’re thinking, and I wonder how I don’t weigh 300 pounds either.

This cake really does need me to say much more. Chocolate cake mix, cream cheese, Nutella, and let’s not forget the butter. It really just doesn’t get better than this. I really want to try the original version of a gooey butter cake, but the thought makes my waistline tremble. Enjoy!

Nutella Gooey Butter Cake
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Cake:
1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
1 egg
8 Tbsp butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup Nutella
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 Tbsp butter, melted
4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the cake mix, egg and melted butter. This can be done with just a spoon if you’d like, no electric mixer needed. Pat mixture into greased 9 x 13 inch cake pan. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer combine the cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla and melted butter, then add powdered sugar. Pour over cake layer and spread evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. The center should still be gooey, do not overbake!
Serve plain or with your choice of whipped cream or ice cream.

Tags: Cake, chocolate, Nutella

Posted in Cake | 2 Comments »