What’s Baking? Kicked Up To Decadence Brownie Mix Cookies

February 23, 2012 by 1 Comment

I’m not saying that a box of plain brownie mix is an invitation to blah snacks. But if you could kick the treats up 4 notches to decadence once in a while, why not?

My Daughter and I are both chocoholics, my Wife isn’t, so we won’t need to share these with her.

I started with a box of Betty Crocker brownie mix, but any mix would do.

Oh, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • boxed brownie mix (without syrups, just plain mix)
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbs vegetable oil
  • 3 tbs water
  • 10 oz. bag (or about 1.5 cups) of dark chocolate chips (or chips of your choice)

Preparation:

  • preheat oven to 350°
  • grease or line baking sheets with parchment paper
  • pour brownie mix into medium mixing bowl
  • add cinnamon powder
  • add egg
  • add oil & water
  • mix well by hand, until combined
  • add chips, fold in by hand or with a wooden spoon

  • drop rounded teaspoons onto prepared baking sheets
  • bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes, or until edges are set (centers may still be soft)
  • do not over bake, cookies will be soft, but have patience
  • let cookies rest for a few minutes before moving to racks to cool completely
  • I didn’t say you could taste them yet, put them back on the rack
  • OK, now you can taste them.

 
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Just For Valentines Day: Sears & Wilton Has All Of Your Baking Needs

February 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I love to bake. And there’s only one thing better than baking for your sweetie. That’s baking for your sweetie for Valentines Day.

For more like this, read Just For Valentines Day

Sears & Wilton have teamed up to bring you some great deals on baking gear especially for Valentines Day. Or any day you want heart-shaped goodies.

Wilton Cupcake Boxes – Valentines – Holds 4 ($7)

 

 

 

 

Wilton Cookie Pan – Valentines – 12  ($16.50)

 

 

 

 

Wilton Cookie Pan – Valentines – 6 ($16.50)

 

 

 

 

Wilton Baking Cups – Valentines – Mini ($3)

 

There are other items too, click on any of the above links to take you to the Wilton Sale at Sears. Offers available for a limited time only. Prices may vary in Stores.
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Just Coupons: SAVE On Dixie Crystals Sugar Products + A Baking Recipe

February 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you have a sweet tooth, or love to bake, or just love to save money with coupons; print your Dixie Crystal coupons here.

For more like this, read Just Coupons

Here is one of my favorite recipes to use your Dixie Crystals sugar in:

What’s Baking? Exotic Double Chocolate Chip Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon  salt
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2  teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2  teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons dark  rum
  • 1 1/2 cups high quality chocolate chips

Preparation:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and  spices with a wire whisk and set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar together well,  scraping sides of bowl as needed.
  • Add eggs, vanilla, and rum and beat on medium  speed until light and fluffy.
  • Add flour mixture gradually, blending at low-speed  just until combined.
  • Carefully mix in chocolate chips.
  • Drop by rounded  tablespoons full 2 inches apart onto parchment lined cookie sheet.
  • Bake 11-13  minutes.
  • Using a spatula, transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
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What’s Baking? Peanut Butter / Hershey Kiss Cookies

January 15, 2012 by 1 Comment

This cookie was requested by someone very special to me, my Wife. Needless to say, they had to be good. They were. I got the recipe from Cooks.com, there are tons of similar ones on the internet, but I liked this one.

My Wife isn’t a Chocoholic like Alex and I, so the Hershey’s Kiss was enough chocolate to satisfy her.

I was taken aback by the price of peanut butter, since we don’t ever eat it, I hadn’t bought any for a long time. Wow!

Oh, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 c. brown sugar
  • 1 c. butter
  • 1 c. creamy peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 c. milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 3 1/2 c. flour
  • 2 tsp. soda (baking)
  • 2 (10 oz.) pkgs. Hershey kisses

Preparation:

  • Cream sugar, butter, and peanut butter.
  • Beat eggs slightly.
  • Add eggs, milk, and vanilla.
  • Sift together flour and baking soda.
  • Stir in egg mixture.
  • Shape 1 teaspoon of batter into balls and roll the balls in the white sugar.
  • Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and place kiss in middle.
  • Place back in oven for approximately 1 minute to set kiss.
  • Remove and place on rack. Makes 7 dozen.
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What’s Baking? Exotic Double Chocolate Chip Spice Cookies

January 13, 2012 by 1 Comment

If you know me, you know I love exotic foods. Not like on that TV show where the contestants have to eat really gross stuff, but I like to try new things. I first baked these Exotic Double Chocolate Chip Spice Cookies last year, and decided to include them in this year’s Holiday gift baskets.

The recipe calls for cardamom, which seems to be more expensive than gold. I bake (and cook) on a budget, so I found a substitution for cardamom. You can use equal parts ginger and nutmeg, in place of the cardamom.

If you’re looking for cookies with a chocolatey kick, these are for you!

Oh, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon  salt
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2  teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2  teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons dark  rum
  • 1 1/2 cups high quality chocolate chips

Preparation:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and  spices with a wire whisk and set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar together well,  scraping sides of bowl as needed.
  • Add eggs, vanilla, and rum and beat on medium  speed until light and fluffy.
  • Add flour mixture gradually, blending at low speed  just until combined.
  • Carefully mix in chocolate chips.
  • Drop by rounded  tablespoons full 2 inches apart onto parchment lined cookie sheet.
  • Bake 11-13  minutes.
  • Using a spatula, transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
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What’s Baking? Chocolate Rum Balls

January 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Do you really need the excuse of a Holiday to bake rum balls? Of course not. That, plus you don’t actually bake them. So how did they become traditional Holiday fare? Nobody seems to know, but the love affair is global.

We included these Chocolate Rum Balls in our Holiday baskets, that we gave to friends and family. If you can keep them in an airtight container for at least 48 hours, the flavor is even more pronounced.

Oh, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/4 cups crushed vanilla wafers
  • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
  • 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup rum

Preparation:

  • In a large bowl, stir together the crushed vanilla wafers, 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, and nuts.  Blend in corn syrup and rum.
  • Shape into 1 inch balls, and roll in additional confectioners’ sugar.
  • Store in an airtight container for several days to develop the flavor.
  • Roll again in confectioners’ sugar before serving.
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What’s Baking: Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

January 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I heard a troubling rumor that Hershey’s was no longer going to produce their Candy Cane Kisses in 2012. So I was intent on baking the best possible last batch for our Christmas gift boxes this year. And I bought a couple of extra bags of the wrapped treats, just in case.

Enjoy the flavors of the Holiday season with this variety of the HERSHEY’S KISSES brand.  HERSHEY’S KISSES Brand Candy Cane Mint Candies combine the one-of-a-kind experience of HERSHEY’S KISSES Brand Candy with the minty flavor and colors of a candy cane – great for sharing with family and friends.

The recipe is from OurBestBites

Oh, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
  • 1/2 c. real butter
  • 1 c. brown sugar
  • 1 c. white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • optional: 1 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
  • 1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
  • 48 Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped (one 10 ounce bag)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350.

  • Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla.
  • Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder.
  • Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined.
  • Mix in the chocolate chips.
  • To prevent cookies from flattening out, refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes.
  • Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet.
  • Bake until just set, but centers are still soft, about 8 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes.
  • Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to cooling rack.
  • Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss.
  • Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden.
  • If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

 
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What’s Baking? Magic Bars

January 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

These bars are ooey and gooey, mostly gooey. I baked these for our Christmas gift baskets, given to friends and family. They are slightly challenging, and more than a little fattening. They are great around holiday time, but not really what I would bake any other time of year.

I found the recipe on Joy Of Baking, and they have a video showing preparation on their website.

Oh, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups (150 grams) graham cracker crumbs (or crushed Digestive Biscuits)
  • 1 1/3 cups (90 grams) sweetened or unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut
  • 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup (100 grams) chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 1 – 14 ounce can (396 grams) sweetened condensed milk

Preparation:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven
  • Lightly butter or spray with a non stick cooking spray a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) square baking pan.
  • Melt the butter and pour it evenly over the bottom of your pan.
  • Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the butter.
  • Sprinkle the coconut over the crumbs.
  • Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the coconut.
  • Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate chips.
  • Finally, evenly drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over all the ingredients.
  • Do not mix the ingredients together, just layer them.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the squares comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
  • Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator. These bars can be frozen.

Makes about 16 – 2 inch squares.

 

 
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What’s Baking: Peppermint Bark

January 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Holiday baking is the best! We bake gifts for our friends, and this recipe was requested by my Sister because she enjoyed it so much last year. It’s actually easier to prepare than you might think, as long as you can work quickly.

Finding peppermint candy to use might be difficult year-round. Christmas time, you can find large, solid candy cane bars, that are easy to crush with a hammer. Otherwise, any peppermint candy could be used.

Oh, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces (170 grams) semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (flavorless oil)
  • 6 ounces (170 grams) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup (80-120 ml) crushed candy canes

Preparation:

  • Line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan with aluminum foil, smoothing out any wrinkles.
  • Melt the semi sweet chocolate with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water.
  • Immediately pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan and tilt the pan so the chocolate makes an even layer.
  • Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has set.
  • Then, melt the white chocolate with the remaining 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water.
  • Immediately pour the melted white chocolate over the dark chocolate and tilt the pan so the chocolate is in an even layer.
  • Sprinkle the crushed candy canes evenly over the white chocolate.
  • Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has set.
  • Remove the Peppermint Bark from the pan by lifting the edges of the aluminum foil.
  • Peel back the foil and break, or cut, the bark into small irregular pieces.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
  • Makes about 25 pieces.
  • Preparation time 45 minutes.

Source: Joy Of Baking

 
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