Good old fashioned Brownies

I found the super yummy old fashioned brownie recipe online and I was so excited when I found it!  These are the brownies I remember as a kid...the best brownies EVER!

Ingredients:
2 c. Flour
2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Cocoa powder
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter (softened)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.  Beat together the eggs, vanilla, and butter in a mixing bowl.  Add in flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and walnuts.  

Mix all ingredients together well, then pour brownie mixture into the lightly greased baking pan.  Bake for 25 min. (or until the toothpick comes out dry).

Frosting Directions:
1/4 c. Cocoa powder

3 c. powder sugar

1/4 c. butter (softened)

1/4 c. milk (I used whole milk)

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Allow the brownies to cool.  Then frost as desired and ENJOY!

Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes

I have had this fetish with "salted caramel" desserts lately.

 I've wanted to learn how to make my own caramel or to just sample salted caramel recipes.

So, this is the one I found that looked OVERLY tempting. 

I found it on the website, Sally's Baking addiction.

I HAD TO TRY IT!

Seriously.
These were AMAZING. (...and I only had a bite)
(you'll have to forgive me, I do NOT have STEP by STEP pictures for this recipe)

CARAMEL CUPCAKES:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream (do not use fat free milk or even 1% milk)

THICK, SALTED CARAMEL FROSTING:
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1-3 cups powdered sugar (you'll beat in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in at a time to the consistency that you want)
additional pinch of salt

MELTED CARAMEL DRIZZLE:
one bag of caramels, unwrapped (about 50)
1/4 c. heavy cream

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Set Aside
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars together at a medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until NO flour remains, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly stir in the milk. Do no over mix the batter.
3. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full, dividing the batter between all 12. Bake cupcakes for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting, about 1 hour.
4. While the cupcakes are cooling, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Once melted, add brown sugar and heavy cream. Stir constantly over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add salt. Allow to bubble for 3 minutes, no more. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 min. Do NOT place in refrigerator to cool.
5. Put cooled caramel sauce in a medium sized bowl. Using a HAND MIXER a medium speed, beat in powdered sugar (1/2 C. at a time) until you reach the desired consistency. Add a pinch of salt is the frosting tastes too sweet. **If the frosting becomes too thick, add a 1/2 tbsp. of heavy cream.
6. Frost cooled cupcakes. Set aside.
7. In a medium pan over low heat, melt the caramel candies along with heavy cream and stir constantly.
Once melted, drizzle the caramel sauce over the frosting, and adorn with a pinch of coarse sea salt.

 (Cupcakes can stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 5 days)

Recipe courtesy of: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/01/10/triple-salted-caramel-cupcakes/

Dark Chocolate Cake

This is my husbands FAVORITE cake!

After I completed my first NPC competition, this is the first thing I wanted to make. 

Not only because I've deprived my own husband from having it (due to my lack of willpower with a gorgeous chocolate cake in the house) 

but because I wanted to sink my teeth INTO something really decadent.

So, I wanted to share the "Dark Chocolate" joy with you.

Ingredient List:

2 cups Sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 cup BOILING water

Put all dry (first 6 ingredients) ingredients in a bowl.
Mix well.

Grease and Flour two 9-in. round baking pans

Prepare the boiling water.
1 Cup. water on medium-high heat (by the time it's boiling, you'll be ready to add it)

Add eggs and milk.
Mix.

Add vegetable oil and 2 tsp. vanilla
Mix with a medium speed of electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Add 1 C. boiling water and stir.

Batter should be runny.

Pour equally into 2 prepared pans.

Put in 350 degree oven for 30-35 min or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 min in pans.

Shave off rounded top (if you want to) with a long, serrated knife.

Remove from pans to wire racks.
Cool Completely.
Then, prepare dark chocolate frosting.

DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Ingredients:

6 tbsp. ROOM TEMPERATURE butter

2 2/3 Cups powdered sugar

1/2 Cup cocoa powder

1/3 C. milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

 FIRST, in a small bowl, beat the butter until creamy.

Then add the powdered sugar and cocoa over the butter.
Beat well.
Then add in milk and vanilla.

Beat with an electric mixer.
DONE.

Frost the top of one cake.
Place other round on top.

Frost Entire cake and sit back and relax with smooth, creamy bites of a rich and delicious cake.
 Incredible.

Recipe adapted from: Hershey's 100th anniversary chocolate cooking book, Deep Dark Chocolate Cake.

Banana and Toasted Coconut Cupcakes

Here's my version of "Banana Bread"

I've always loved making savory breads...Banana, Zucchini, Chocolate...etc. (I'd like it even more if I could eat it...that's okay....7 more weeks and I'll bake me and my teammates a TON of these, after our show)

But, I've LOVED playing with the traditional banana bread recipe and adding my own things and taking out what I don't want. 

So....Here's MY version! 

Ingredients:
1/3 C Butter (softened)
3/4 C sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 C. Raisin Bran (I remove the raisins)
1/2 Tbsp. Flax seeds (if you don't have these, no big deal)
1 1/2 C. Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 (medium to large sized) bananas
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp. Vanilla
(makes 12 cupcakes + 14 mini bite cupcakes) or (16 cupcakes)

Cream Butter, sugar and egg.
Add in the 1 C. Raisin Bran and  1/2 Tbsp. flax seeds.

In a separate bowl:
stir together  1 1/2 C. flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. baking soda.

Add Flour to creamed butter mixture, then MIX

Mix well. You should see that it'll be a bit chunky looking.

Then you'll need 4 VERY ripe bananas.

Add to mixture.

Blend well, then add 2 Tbsp. water

Then, add 1 tsp. Vanilla

Get your cupcake pans ready.

I fill up a DOZEN cupcakes

...then I use the rest to make MINI bites.

Bake 350 for 23 min.
You can put BOTH pans in together and remove the mini bites after 18 min. or so (just check with a toothpick)
Leave the bigger cupcakes in until about 22-23 min. (periodically check with a toothpick)

Once done. Let them COOL.

Make the Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting:

In a small bowl mix together:

2 Tbsp butter softened (not melted)

2 C. powdered sugar + 1 tbsp

3 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp. milk

1/4 tsp. Vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. Coconut extract

(if you want it a bit thinner, add milk. If you want it thicker add a little more powdered sugar)

Time to toast your own COCONUT!
Super easy.
Place shredded coconut on baking pan.

Place under a broiler.

Watch carefully, and continue to stir.

I will slowly toast to....

.....Perfection!

Frost the "Cooled" cupcakes with the Cinnamon/Vanilla Frosting.

Dip in toasted Coconut.

And...
ENJOY!!!

So, there you have it.
My version of the age ol' banana bread!

Simple and Sweet Sugar Cookies

Tis' the season for sugar cookies, decorations and little extra helpers in the kitchen. 

We came home from church today and it was one of those, "I-feel-like-baking -days". The first thing that came to mind were these sugar cookies. This recipe was given to me by my Auntie Kathy. She is one great cook, and I love all her little treats too. This is a fool proof recipe and I LOVE IT!

Ingredients:

2/3 C. butter, softened (or 1.5 sticks)

3/4 C. Sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. Almond extract

4 Tbsp. milk

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 C. flour - ADD LAST - 

Butter, sugar and egg into a mixing bowl

Cream butter, Sugar and egg

Once creamed, add the extracts, milk and baking powder, then mix again.

Once mixed, add the flour, and mix again.

Place your dough on a floured surface

Roll out and cut.

I had my little helper with me.

Cut, and place on baking sheet. I use parchment paper on mine.
Bake at 350 for about 8 min. 

These are how mine look when I bake them. I like mine SOFT, and so I don't cook them long. Maybe only 8 min. The thicker the cookie, the longer the cooking time...maybe only by a minute though.

Next, let the cookies cool.
Then prepare the frosting/glaze.

In a small bowl mix together:

2 Tbsp butter softened (not melted)

2 C. powdered sugar + 1 tbsp

2 Tbsp. milk

1/4 tsp. Vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. Almond extract

Here's your final sugar cookie.
Don't go and buy the pre-made sugar cookie dough at the store. Try this first.

Have fun making them...that's what counts.

Recipe courtesy of Kathy Crockett (my food-tastic auntie)