Baking Junkie

Tag: No Bake

Monday, July 11th, 2011

Hot Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Recipe adapted from What Megan’s Making

Just before starting the blog I made my first chocolate buttercream frosting. I honestly couldn’t tell you what recipe I tried, but I remember thinking that it could be better. Since then I have been wanting to try different recipes to find “the one”. Fast forward one year, and I think I may have found it!

Megan used this frosting to top off a dark chocolate cake, which I think would taste fabulous. I was mainly interested in trying just the frosting, so I just whipped up a box of plain yellow cake mix. My first reaction was a little mixed and Derek didn’t care for it. Once I actually tried it on a cupcake (because frosting obviously has to be sampled before decorating, right?) I was completely sold. I brought it in to work so my friend (the bride) could sample, and she was sold too! I ended up using this frosting on both yellow and chocolate cupcakes at the wedding, and it got rave reviews.

There is really only one extra step beyond any other basic buttercream, and that is mixing together the heavy cream and hot chocolate mix. Unless you want very thin frosting, you probably won’t end up using that entire mixture. I used about 3/4 of it. I don’t think the hot chocolate flavor necessarily stands out a lot in this frosting, but regardless the taste and texture are amazing! Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Printer Friendly

1 ½ sticks salted butter, room temperature
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
2 ¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp milk
½ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup hot chocolate mix

Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Add powdered sugar, then milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together heavy cream and hot chocolate mix. Slowly add to frosting until you’ve reached the desired consistency (I used about ¾ of the mixture). Will frost one dozen cupcakes or one (two layer) cake.

Tags: Buttercream, chocolate, No Bake

Posted in Buttercream | 3 Comments »

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Strawberry Ice Cream

Recipe adapted from Liv Life

A few weeks ago I went strawberry picking for the first time in my life! With the help of my best friend we picked a total of almost 32 pounds of strawberries, and I now have enough strawberry freezer jam to hopefully last until next summer. It’s prime strawberry picking time right now, so if you are looking for recipes to use them up I highly recommend this one.

In the past I was always nervous that homemade ice cream just wouldn’t be as good as the store bought stuff I grew up with, but with each batch that I make I learn just how wrong I was. This ice cream was incredibly delicious and packed full of strawberry flavor. As with most recipes, you can adjust the amount of strawberries you use depending on what kind of flavor you’d like. Enjoy!

Strawberry Ice Cream
Printer Friendly

1 pint sliced strawberries
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup heavy cream
Scant ½ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Slice strawberries as large or small as you would like them ( I left a few larger pieces) and place in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the eggs, sugar and salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan heat the heavy cream over medium heat, stirring constantly. Heat until cream is hot, but not boiling. Add a few tablespoons of the cream to the egg mixture and stir. Add a few more tablespoons and mix again. Repeat this once more. You want to raise the temperature of the eggs without scrambling them. Pour the egg mixture back into the cream pot and heat slowly, stirring constantly for several minutes. Pour this mixture into a new bowl and add milk, vanilla and strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to make the ice cream, add mixture to your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. When finished, place in an airtight container and freeze for a few hours before serving.

Tags: Ice cream, No Bake, strawberry

Posted in Ice Cream | 4 Comments »

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats

Recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats

Hello everyone! I am certainly well aware that it has been 3 (three!) weeks since my last post, and I honestly apologize. We spent a long weekend visiting some of our best friends in South Carolina, and ever since we got back life has been nothing but crazy. I decided that in order for me to keep my sanity I needed to take a little break from both baking and blogging, and I am starting to feel refreshed again! My other problem has been a decreased appetite that has been keeping baked goods as one of the last things on my mind (I know, I’m shocked too). That seems to be slowly improving, so hopefully I will be baking more soon!

I also feel the need to mention that life’s craziness doesn’t show signs of letting up soon, so while I am hoping to post more often than once every three weeks, it won’t be back to twice weekly posts until probably August. I do hope you’ll stick around, because I have some fantastic recipes to share with you…starting with this one!

Derek requested Rice Krispie bars last summer when I started the blog, but I felt they were too “boring” to post about. When I saw these bars in Annie’s archives I jumped at the chance to make them.

Confession: These were the first Rice Krispie Bars I have ever made. Ever.

They are a dessert I could usually care less about. These, however, have changed my thinking. Cookies and cream anything ranks way up there with chocolate and peanut butter for me, and these certainly don’t disappoint. Annie added some bittersweet chocolate to the bars, but I preferred them without. While I think these would be great without any topping, that’s what puts them over the edge. Derek likes his Rice Krispie bars huge, so I made a full batch pressed into an 8×8 inch pan. If you like them smaller or are feeding a crowd you could easily use a 9×13 inch pan instead. Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats
Printer Friendly

5 Tbsp butter
1 (10 oz) bag mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups coarsely chopped Oreos
1 cup finely chopped Oreos
1 ¼ cups white chocolate chips

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Once butter is melted add marshmallows and stir until combined. Remove pan from heat and gently stir in Rice Krispies and coarsely chopped Oreos. Mixture will be thick. Press into a greased 8×8 inch pan (for thicker bars) or 9×13 inch pan (for thinner bars).

Cut bars into squares once they have completely cooled. Place chocolate chips into a glass bowl and set on top of a small pot of boiling water to create a double boiler. Stir chocolate frequently until melted and smooth. Dip the top of each bar into the white chocolate and then immediately into the finely crushed oreos. Set aside and let chocolate set before eating.

Tags: Bars, chocolate, No Bake, Oreo, White chocolate

Posted in Bars | 9 Comments »

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Peanut Butter Bars

It’s amazing how the simple things in life make me happy.

Like a 12 week old puppy who hasn’t had in accident in 4 days (not that I’m counting or anything).

Or ordering new bedding that I’ve been dying to get. And getting free shipping on a down comforter.

And also the combination of anything chocolate and peanut butter. I have said it before and I know I will continue saying it, but desserts just don’t get any better than chocolate and peanut butter. I first had these bars at a bridal shower a few years ago. After ~~devouring~~ consuming about six of them I asked for the recipe because I knew I had to make them myself.

There are a handful of recipes that I don’t tend to make very often. Not because they aren’t good, but just the opposite. They are too good. I eat them all and very fast. This is one of those recipes (here is another).

The best part about these is that they are no bake. It takes about 10 minutes to throw everything together, and if you want to eat them quickly just pop them in the freezer for about 20 minutes. The original recipe called for making the chocolate frosting with chocolate chips, but I decided to use the frosting recipe from these fudge brownies (it was too good not to make again).

The result…it’s like eating homemade Reese’s peanut butter cups, and you just can’t beat that! I actually already have more plans for the peanut butter filling.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Bars
Printer Friendly

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar

Frosting:
¼ cup (1/2 stick) salted butter
¼ cup milk
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar

Put butter and peanut and butter in a 2 quart glass bowl. Microwave for approximately 90 seconds or until melted. Stir together.

Add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar and mix together (will get thick). Spread mixture into a greased 9 x 9 inch baking pan.

To make frosting, heat butter, milk and cocoa over medium high heat. Stir constantly and bring to a boil. Add in powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Pour over peanut butter mixture. Cool completely before serving.

Tags: Bars, chocolate, No Bake, peanut butter

Posted in Bars | 6 Comments »

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

Chocolate Eclair Cake

Recipe adapted from AllrecipIes

I just have to say that I have been waiting for a long time to post this recipe for you guys! I first heard about this “cake” several years ago while living in Nashville. I had only heard raving reviews, but it wasn’t until about a year and a half ago that I first tried it for myself. After one bite I was instantly hooked. This dessert falls into the “I can’t stop eating it, please take it away from me” category. I honestly don’t make this as often as I would like just because it leaves my willpower manhandled and crying in a corner.

What I love about this cake is how simple it is to put together, the fact that there is no actual baking involved, and how much it actually tastes like an eclair. The pudding and cool whip combination is one of my favorites, and I like to use it as a dip for some of the extra graham crackers. I like to use skim milk and fat free cool whip (you could even use sugar free pudding) so I don’t feel quite so bad when I eat so much. I prefer more of a milk chocolate for the frosting, but you could use a dark chocolate as well. It really is important to let this set in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Doing this allows the graham crackers to soften and give the dessert more of it’s “cake” consistency. Enjoy!

Chocolate Eclair Cake
Printer Friendly

1 Box graham crackers (not all will be used)
2 large boxes (5.1 oz) vanilla instant pudding
2 ½ cups skim milk
16 oz reduced fat or fat free cool whip
1 container chocolate frosting

Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan with graham crackers. You will need to break some up to fit the edges. In a medium sized bowl combine pudding, milk and cool whip. Spread half the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Cover with another layer of graham crackers, the remaining pudding mixture, and top with final layer of graham crackers. Remove aluminum top of frosting and place in microwave for 45-60 seconds, until it becomes melted and thin. Pour over top of cake. Refrigerate for 12 hours before serving.

Tags: Cake, chocolate, No Bake, Pudding

Posted in Cake | 24 Comments »