Tried & True Tuesday: Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

.  Hey guys!

I know, we're still doing Tried & True Tuesdays?  And my response?  Heck yes we are, I think I just forgot about them briefly.  But they're back in action.

15,000+ runners and one hot, fun day!

However, before I get into our recipe for the day, I have a little update from this past weekend.  And what a colorful update it is.

Has anyone heard of The Color Run?  Well if you haven't, click that link I've provided just for you.  Basically The Color Run involves a little running [no shock there] and way too much fun!  During the 5k jog, all of the white-wearing participants run through designated 'coloring' zones where volunteers throw colored powder all over the racers.  Hence, The Color Run.  I no doubt had the most absolute best time at this race and it's easily the most unique one I've ever done.  I know The Color Run is happening all through out the country, so regardless if you're a runner or not, SIGN UP!  It's not about how fast you go [a lot of people just walked it], but about how colorful you can get.  So.  Very.  Worth.  It.

Before and After!

Robbie's sister, Kelli, and brother-in-law, Brett, [from The Lauritsen Life], traveled to Omaha for a wedding and to also take part in The Color Run.  Hollyann and I planned on doing the race together but also made the trek to the racing grounds with Kelli and Brett, who met up with a group of their friends.  Seriously, even though it was scorching hot, I know we all had an amazing time.  Sign me up for next year!

Unfortunately I have no story to tie The Color Run to these Blueberry Cheesecake Bars I have for you today.  All I can say is that these are one of my most favorite, easiest bars I've made.  Yes, they call for a boxed cookie mix [gasp!] but it definitely comes in handy when you're in a bind.  Especially during a busy week.  And what's even more great is that you can swap in any type of fruit you have on in hand into these bars.  You can thank me [and Betty Crocker] after you take your first bite of these chewy cookie, fruity filling, and indulgent cheesecake topping bars.

Enjoy ☺  .

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

Cookie Base:

1 pouch (1 lb. 15oz.) Betty Crocker Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 egg

Cheesecake Topping:

3 (8 oz. each) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

3 eggs

Fruit Filling:

1 jar (12 oz.) blueberry preserves

1-1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, beat cookie mix, butter, and egg with electric mixer on low speed until soft dough forms.  Press dough into bottom of pan.
2. Bake 15 minutes and let cool for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in another large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer on medium speed until fluffy.  Add heavy whipping cream and eggs; beat on low speed until well blended.
3. Spread blueberry preserves over cooled crust.  Sprinkle with blueberries.  Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over blueberries, spreading gently to cover.
4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until center is set.  Let bars cool for 30 minutes.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Serving: 2 dozen bars

The One and Only: Scotcharoos

.  Oh hey.  Yes, I'm alive.  Barely.

Telling from the lack of posts the last couple of weeks, you can most likely guess that the CWS and Tasty Bites kept both Robbie and I fairly busy.  Fairly may be an understatement though.

But regardless, the crazy crowds, too many cheese curds, and ample family time are things that I wouldn't have traded for anything.  It was a crazy time but I think we all had too much fun.  And you can bet I'd do it all over again!  Pictures to come...

Unfortunately I had to miss the last couple of Foamer softball games [the cheese curd trailer was a-callin'!] and I'm also missing tonight's game because Robbie and I are heading to the Olympic Swim Trials here in Omaha.  I wish I could say I was a bit sad I'm missing out on softball, but Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte won't wait around.  Sorry, Foamers!

But I did want to leave you with the treat I made for the last softball game I went to and let me tell you.  I'm proud.   A little addition to this classic, nostalgic goodie is what takes it over the edge.  And fortunate for you, I'm sharing ☺

I actually got this recipe from my softball BFF's mom, who used to make these Scotcharoo Bars every once in a while for weekend games.  And until I got the recipe, I never could quite put my finger on what made these things so dang addicting.

You may have heard these bars called many things: Special K Bars, Rice Krispy Treats, etc.  But in the end, they're all one in the same.  Except for this recipe.  And being involed in sports my entire life, you can bet I've had my fair share of different versions of Rice Krispy Treats.  And this one is easily, most definitely, my absolute favorite.  And in the spirit of getting you to make these simple bars, I won't fill you in on the secret ingredient.  Looks like you'll have to make them for yourself, my dears!  .

Ingredients:

1 c. light corn syrup

1 c. sugar

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

6 c. rice crispy cereal

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

2 c. butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Spray 13x9-inch pan with non stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat together light corn syrup and sugar until boiling.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract.
3. Stir in rice crispy cereal and then gently pat into prepared pan (the harder you press, the thinner your bars will be).  
4. In a microwave safe bowl, melt together chocolate and butterscotch chips and stir until smooth.  Evenly spread mixture over the top of the rice crispy bars.  Let cool until topping is set.  

Yield: 2 dozen bars

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

That's a straight up 1:1 ratio of cupcake to frosting.  Just how I like it.

.  Hi, hi!

How's everything going out there?!  Things have been quite calm around our neck of the woods, not too much going on aside from work and...work.  Robbie and I have both managed to fit in a little golf here and there though [actually, mine was completely work related], I've continued with pilates classes [oh yeah, completely in love with those!], and the puppies most recently got their summer haircuts [more like butt cuts, I'm not very happy them].  But all in all, nothing too crazy to report.

The one thing I can't wait to tell you about though are these cupcakes.  These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cupcakes.  YUM.  Do any of you remember the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake I made quite a while back?  Or better yet, did any of you actually make the cake?!  Well if you did or didn't, all I will say is that it is one crazy good cake and these cupcakes follow right in that path.  The cake and cupcake are extremely similar: a rather dense cake with the wonderful flavors of that nostalgic oatmeal.  Oh, and little chunks of sweet, rich chocolate studded throughout.  But wait, one more thing.  These luscious cupcakes are topped with a thick, crunchy cinnamon, brown sugar, and chocolate chip frosting.  Holy lordy.  Here's a napkin for your drool.

Aside from the flavors of this decadent cupcake, how stinkin' cute are they?!  Too cute, I know.  I don't say this too often but I was rather proud of their presentation, don't they look like little cookies topped with ice cream!?  Well if they didn't, they probably do now.  But regardless. Cute, right?  Glad we agree.    .

My Notes:

• I doubled the ingredients from the original recipe since it only made a dozen cupcakes and I needed these for work.  But just halve the ingredients below if you're looking for a smaller batch.
• The cupcakes don't rise incredibly much, so be sure to fill the liners 3/4 full.
• For the frosting, I added in about 2 teaspoons of milk.  But the amount depends on the consistency of your frosting and what you're actually looking for.

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

2 large eggs

1-1/2 c. loosely packed brown sugar

4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2-1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 c. old fashioned oats

2-1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 tbsp. milk

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips (tossed in flour)

Cinnamon Sugar Chocolate Chip Frosting:

2 c. unsalted butter, softened

4 c. powdered sugar

1 c. loosely packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. milk (if needed)

2/3 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Line a muffin tin with liners; set aside.
2. For cupcakes, whisk together eggs and sugar in a large bowl until combined and no lumps remain.  Add in vanilla extract and butter, whisking until smooth.  Add in flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and stir until combined.  Add in milk and stir until smooth.  Gently fold in chocolate chips.  Fill liners about 3/4 full and bake 15 to 17 minutes or until cupcakes are set and spring back when touched.  Let cool completely before frosting.
3. For frosting, beat butter in large bowl until completely smooth and creamy.  With mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar slowly.  Gradually increase mixer speed and add brown sugar and vanilla extract, beating for 2 to 3 minutes.  If frosting is too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.  Fold in mini chocolate chips.  Frost cupcakes as desired.

Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

.  Wow, things have been mighty slow around LSM.  Sorry.  For some reason I haven't felt much like blogging lately.  I think I tired myself out a bit prior to Easter, so maybe a break was just what I needed.  And you know, with this nice weather we've been having, I haven't really wanted to sit indoors typing away on the computer.  You know whatta I mean?

I've debated with myself how much I should actually be blogging.  Sometimes there are recipes I've tried that I can't wait to share with you all, so I crank out the posts.  But other times, I feel like I'm putting out posts only because I feel like I need to and not because I want to.  But I am constantly reminding myself that blogging is strictly a hobby and not my job.  I don't get any money from blogging, I do it because I love writing, I love browsing through the incredible recipes from fellow bloggers, and because I thoroughly enjoy sharing recipes with all of you.  Simple yet true.

So to the point, I shouldn't feel guilty for not posting every single day, right?  Right.  Great, that's settled.

Aside from the pity party I just had, I do have a classic recipe to share today.  And the only way I can really describe the cookie nostalgia is to take you back to those elementary school days.  You know, the times when everyone looked forward to recess or competed for the flashiest lunch box or who had the best snacks.  You remember those days.  Well, one thing that always stuck in my mind from my childhood days was the cookies.  Ooo, those cafeteria cookies.  The chewy, soft, cookies that, for one reason or another, I could only find in the cafeteria.  I don't know what they did to them, but they were downright addicting.  A bit similar to Chewy Keebler cookies but bigger and better.  Does everyone know what I'm talking about?  I hope so.  Because these are it. 

So if you're looking for a wonderfully classic peanut butter and chocolate combo, you should look no further.  These cookies will take you right back to the good ol' days when all we had to worry about was our spelling test the next day.  Well...at least I worried.  But regardless, these will getcha  .

From The Idea Room

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 to 1 tbsp. milk

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat together butter and peanut butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.  Beat until combined.  Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.  Beat in flour.  Add milk, just enough to make dough moist and creamy.  Stir in chocolate chips just until incorporated.  If necessary, cover and chill dough for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. Heat oven to 375F and spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Drop cookies by scant teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet.  Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until bottoms are light brown.  Transfer to wire rack to let cool. 

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Double Fudge Biscotti

.  Well all I know is that I would love to wake up to THAT on Valentine's Day.  Robbie, you better get bakin.'

Just kidding guys, I would never make Robbie do something for me, but if he wanted to out of the goodness of his heart and because I'm so special to him...well then, I guess I would't argue.  No pressure.

But I'm guessing many of you are like Robbie and I, and realizing the clock is quickly winding down to the big V-day [it almost sounds more of like a sentence than a holidy, huh?].  And what's that?  You haven't thought of a gift yet?!  Shame, shame on you.  Juuust kidding, again.  Robbie and I are the worst when it comes to Valentine's Day, it's definitely a holiday we both kind of blow off.  We treat each other like it's Valentine's Day everyday, right sweetie?  Gag.

Anywho, for those of you in a bit of bind, I would highly recommend you whip up a batch of these utterly beautiful treats for those special people in your life.  Not only are they crunchy chocolatey sticks of goodness, filled with hunks of semisweet and white chocolate, but they truly make a gorgeous gift.  I actually made these a couple of weeks ago for a friend of mine at work, wrapped them in some cellophane with a pretty white ribbon and voila!  I looked like good ol' Martha Stewart, if I do say so myself.

I can see myself now, sipping on my coffee come Valentine's Day morning, Double Fudge Biscotti in hand.  Pure bliss.  Oh, and for those of you who aren't coffee drinkers [we may need to have a chat...], these are wonderful by themselves.  They're very rich, so even though they're classified as a breakfast item, it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to call these dessert.  Yeah, you'll see what I mean once you make them.  So go make them!  .

Adapted from A Passion for Baking

Ingredients:
Biscotti:
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1-3/4 c. sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2-1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 c. white chocolate chips

Drizzle:
4 oz. each semisweet and white chocolate, melted

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Line two small or one large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla extract and blend well.  Fold in cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour to make a thick batter.  Fold in semisweet and white chocolate chips.  Let dough stand for 15 minutes to thicken and firm up.
3. Spread dough into two logs on prepared baking sheet(s).  Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until set and logs are firm to the touch.  Remove biscotti from oven and let cool 15 to 20 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.  Using a long serrated knife, slice logs on a diagonal into 1/2-inch thick pieces.  Return biscotti to baking sheet, standing upright, and bake 30 to 40 minutes to dry and crisp biscotti.  Let cool completely on baking sheets.
4. To finish, melt semisweet and white chocolate and drizzle over each piece of biscotti.  Let harden before serving.

Yield: 3 dozen biscotti

Snickery Squares

.  Eeek!  Super Bowl weekend has finally arrived and uh, I have quite a bit to get done!  Why do things always seem to creep up on me like this?

At the request of a couple of our friends [cough, Hollyann/Brandon, cough], Robbie and I will be hosting a small, small Super Bowl get-together this Sunday, filled with lotsa food and [hopefully] one dang good football game.  We had some people over last year as well and apparently they had an okay time, because they wanted to do it again.  Honestly, I think Robbie and I are quite boring but I'm glad our friends don't think so :)

But now that I think about it, maybe it has nothing to do with Robbie and I?  Maybe it has to do with the fact that Hollyann and I [try to] pull out all of the stops for our friendly gatherings, conjuring up a spread for two weeks 24/7 of delicious foods that we don't normally get and making sure we tell each and every one of our potential guests what we'll be having.  Ha, talk about bribing our way into friendships.

We decided that we're going all out Mexi-themed this year.  Yes, Mexi.  Hollyann was all about it because she has some great homemade recipes from her mom that she's eager to share and I would never turn down an opporunity to gorge munch on anything related to Mexican cuisine.  I've been told by my parents more than once in my life that I'm a Mexican at heart.  So here's our spread:

Nacho Bar

Homemade Tamales

Homemade Refried Beans

Homemade Guacamole

Pina Colada Dip

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

Pie [TBD, any suggestions?!]

Oh yeah, did I mention we're having a max of seven people over?  Looks like we're going to have some leftovers.  But can you blame us, Hollyann and I rarely have the opportunity to plan 'events' like this, so like I said, we go all out.  We love doing it and we just want to make sure the boys don't go hungry.  Yeah, that's our excuse.  The boys.

But anywho, I realize many of you haven't been obsessing over a Super Bowl spread the last few weeks, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to share an All-American goodie for one of America's greatest past times: Snickey Squares!

I made these little candy bar-esque goodie for Robbie to take into work last Saturday.  Uh huh, Saturday.  I think I mentioned this before, but Robbie is officially in 'busy' season and Saturday's are not off limits for work.  So ever since he started his job, I brought it upon myself to start a little tradition to make something for him to bring into the office every weekend.  Just a little sugary snack to brighten up those accountants' days.

Now I must warn you, these are not straight up Snickers Bars as they do not contain any nougat (boo hoo).  Rather, the shortbread crust is topped with a filling of gooey dulce de leche and candied peanuts, and finished with a generous layer of chocolate and more candied peanuts.  I think a more accurate title would be 'The Cousin of Snickers' Squares.

So for those of you still lacking a sweet in your Super Bowl Sunday meal, why not take a chance with these babies?  I mean, whoever went wrong with a Snickers? 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, Robbie and I have much to do in preparation for the big game, so I'll see you all next week!  .

My Notes:

• I personally thought these are the absolute best straight out of the refrigerator.  Otherwise when they're room temperature, they had a tendency to kind of fall apart.

Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

Filling:
1/3 c. sugar
3 tbsp. water
1 c. salted peanuts
1 can dulce de leche

Topping:
7 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray 8-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. For crust, put the flour, sugar, powdered sugar, and salt into food processor and pulse a few times to combine.  Add cold butter pieces and pulse until mixture looks like coarse meal.  Pour the yolk over the mixture and pulse until dough forms clumps and curds (stop before the dough comes together in a ball).
3. Turn out the dough to the prepared pan and gently press evenly across the bottom.  Prick the dough all over with a fork.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust takes on just a little color around the edges.  Transfer pan to rack and cool to room temperature before filling.
4. For filling, set aside a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Keeping the heat fairly high, continue to cook, without stirring, until it just starts to color.  Toss in the peanuts and immediately start stirring to coat the peanuts.  The sugar-covered peanuts will turn white and keep stirring until the sugar turns back to caramel.  Remove the pan from the heat and turn out the peanuts onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in a even layer.  Cool peanuts to room temperature.
5. When cool, separate the peanuts into smaller pieces.  Divide the peanuts in half and finely chop one half of the peanuts for the topping.  Spread the dulce de leche over the crust and sprinkle with whole candied peanuts.  Gently press the peanuts into the filling.
6. For topping, melt together the chocolate and butter in microwave.  Pour the chocolate over the filling, smoothing evenly with a spatula.  Sprinkle over finely chopped candied peanuts. Refrigerate the pan for 20 minutes to let topping set before cutting.

Yield: 16 bars

Tried & True Tuesday: Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

.  Geesh.  These Tuesdays are coming around mighty fast these days.  And I'm quickly winding down the number of old pictures I have for recipes I've tried in the past.  Hmm...what to do, what to do.

But for time being, I still have a few good ol' recipes up my sleeve.  Treats that have been patiently waiting for their reveal to blogland.  And these Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are a perfect example.  A chance in the limelight is just what they deserve.

To me, the name alone of this goodie screams winter, hot chocolate, and fire-snuggling.  Ha, that's a pretty picture, huh?  And these cookies would be a fitting complement, rounding out this scene to a 'T.'

So what is so special about these cookies?  I mean they're just chocolate chip cookies, right?  Just chocolate chip cookies?  Shame on you.  These are anything but a plain old chocolate chip cookie, or POCCC as my dad would like to call them.  These cookies are well...spiced.  Spiced with flavorful cinnamon and dark brown sugar, giving these lovelies a deep, rich, beautiful color.  And jam packed with hearty oatmeal and decadent chunks of chocolate chips.  Gah, pure cookie heaven.  I remember making these while I was in college when Robbie and I had some friends over to watch a football game and they got rave reviews.  Rave, I tell ya  .

My Notes:

• You can use what ever type of chocolate you'd like, though I would probably stick to regular chocolate rather than white.  Just my opinion though.  And you an also experiment with some add ins, such as cherries or cranberries.  Mmm, those would be good.

Adapted from chocolate bar

Ingredients:

1-3/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

1-1/4 c. dark brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2-3/4 c. old fashioned rolled oats

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

1. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together; set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, cream butter, dark brown sugar and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla extract, beating until very fluffy.
2. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly until batter is smooth.  Add old fashioned rolled oats and chocolate chips, mixing until just blended.  Chill dough for 1 to 6 hours.
3. Heat oven to 350°F.  Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 13 to 15 minutes.  Let cool on pan before transferring to wire rack.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Chocolate Hazelnut-Crunch Donuts

.  So these are a first.  A first baked donut, that is.  And they most definitely will not be the last.

I mean c'mon, read that name.  Look at these pictures.  How could they not be good?  Actually, how could they not be fabulously addicting?  I'm still punching myself for not trying baked donuts sooner.

So where to begin?  First, these are insanely easy.  Yes, there are a couple of assembly steps but I promise that not one of them is difficult.  And by the end of the process, all of the elements come together seamlessly.  In perfect baked spiced donut-chocolate frosting-candied hazelnuts harmony.  Drooling yet?

I actually came across this recipe over at the little epicurean.  Her pictures are absolutely gorgeous, so it didn't take much convincing to bookmark this recipe and get to bakin.'  And what came out of this 'maiden voyage' was pure deliciousness.

I must forewarn you that these donuts are not the yeast donuts many of you are used to.  Rather, these are much more dense and cake-like, though scrumptious nonetheless.  The donuts themselves are wonderfully spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, fabulous complements to the cold winter weather.  And the glaze?  Not your traditional frosting but I was quite surprised at how well the chocolate glaze melded with the donuts and oh yes, the candied hazelnuts.  You probably don't need much explanation there.  But I will say that the chocolate glaze and hazelnut combination is extremely reminiscent of the ever-so-popular Nutella.  As if you need more convincing to try these out.

The only complaint I have about this recipe is that it only makes six donuts.  Six?  Hmm, definitely not enough for our house.  The two of us alone did some damage on these babies.  So next time I will most likely be making two batches.  My waistline may have objections though  .

My Notes:

• You can find dried buttermilk powder at most grocery stores, albeit it is a rather old looking container so it may not be easy to spot.  I found a picture of a brand of dried buttermilk powder online, so that was really helpful to me when looking for it [check out the link I included for picture from a blog I found]. 
• Apparently pastry flour is not easy to find, so I had to get my Google on and figure out how to recreate it.  I used directions from JoyofBaking.com that yielded 2 cups of pastry flour  [1-1/3 cups all purpose flour + 1/3 c. cake flour] and then took out the 1/4 cup the recipe calls for (I know, a waste of ingredients, I'm sorry).
• And apparently, again, hazelnuts are not very easy to find either!  So, I kid you not, I sifted through a giant container of mixed nuts to find the hazelnuts I needed.  Now, I don't exactly recommend doing this because it's expensive and annoying.  So if you aren't able to find hazelnuts, I have an out for you.  Target sells the most fabulous Butter Crunch Cashews that are basically the exact same thing you'd be making here.  We had some of these at our house so I chopped up a few and used them to top some of the donuts as well.  They're ridiculously fabulous and pre-made!
• If you use raw hazelnuts with skins on, toast them lightly in a 325F oven for about 7 to 10 minutes.  Rub the toasted hazelnuts between a kitchen towel to remove the skins.  Once cooled, roughly chop them up.

From the little epicurean

Ingredients:

Donuts:

3/4 c. all purpose flour

1/4 c. pastry flour

1/2 c. sugar

2 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. dried buttermilk powder

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. water

Candied Hazelnuts:

1 large egg white

1 c. hazelnuts, blanched, lightly toasted, and roughly chopped

2 tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Chocolate Glaze:

3/ 4 c. semiseet chocolate chips

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375F.  Lightly grease donut pan.
2. Whisk together all purpose flour, pastry flour, sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and dried  buttermilk powder.  Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil and water.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together until batter is smooth and and there are no traces of dry ingredients.
4. Transfer batter to a large piping bag fitted with a large tip or plastic bag with one corner snipped.  Pipe batter into donut pan, filling each cavity about half full.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until cake springs back when touched.  Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
6. For hazelnuts, heat oven to 325F.  Hand whisk egg white until foamy.  Add in chopped hazelnuts and stir to coat evenly.  Sprinkle sugar, salt and cinnamon over nuts.  Spread nuts evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden (if chunks have formed, break into smaller pieces).  Set aside.
7. For glaze, melt chocolate, butter and light corn syrup in bowl in microwave until smooth.  Let the chocolate cool slightly and then dip tops of donuts into mixture.  Sprinkle with candied hazelnuts.

Yield: 6 donuts

Tried & True Tuesday: Banana Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting

.  All right.  Busy week at work, so all-time shortest post right here.  Let's go.

I told you I was going banana crazy since, for me, I'm kind of in baking limbo [i.e., between seasons].  But I'm really excited to share this recipe with you because 1) these cookies are beyond fantastic and 2) this is one of the very first cookies I ever made when the baking craze hit me.  And to prove it, I have no picture.  At the time, taking a picture of the cookies [I was about to devour] never crossed my mind, so I'm having to rely on Pillsbury's [beautiful] picture of these Banana Cookies.  Maybe I should do this more often since my own photography seems to be lacking.  Hmm...nah ☺

Anywho, back to these small pieces of banana heaven.  The cookies themselves are super soft and tender, almost fall apart cookies.  And though they could end right there, they don't.  These 'naner cookies are topped with a healthy spread of peanut butter frosting and sprinkled with a few chocolate chips [for good measure and because the peanut butter-banana-chocolate combo is a no brainer].  Mm.  Mm.  Mm.  I vividly remember making these cookies, and wondering how such an easy-to-make recipe could produce such a memorable cookie.  And memorable they are, as I sit here 2+ years later blogging about them  .

Picture and Recipe from Pillsbury

Ingredients:

Banana Cookies:

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. (about 2 medium) mashed bananas

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2-3/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 c. butter

1 c. powdered sugar

1 to 2 tbsp. milk

Semisweet Chocolate Chips (for sprinkling)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Beat brown sugar, sugar and butter in large bowl until creamy; add bananas, egg and vanilla extract.  Beat until well mixed.  Set aside.
3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.  Add to banana mixture and mix until soft dough forms.  Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.  Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on wire racks.
4. For frosting, beat peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar until well mixed.  Add milk until frosting is desired spreading consistency.  Spread about 1 tablespoon onto tops of cookies.  Decorate with chocolate chips.

Yield: 30 cookies

Tried & True Tuesday: Cheesecake Truffle Bombs

.  Don't judge a book by it's cover.  An important lesson in life, no?  Well the same goes for this post.  Don't judge the cheesecakey deliciousness of this recipe by the oh-so-crap picture below.  Remember, my Tried & True Tuesday posts are of [quality] recipes I've made long before I ever knew the blogging world existed.  Hence, my photography is terrible [not that it's good in the first place!].

These Cheesecake Truffle Bombs are actually quite simple but fabulous nonetheless.  What we have is creamy cheesecake encased in the rich chocolate of your choice.  That's it?  That's it.  Sometimes the simple things in life are all we need.

I made these for a graduation party some years ago and I figured this Tried & True Tuesday post should highlight a treat perfect for the big night.  The big New Years Eve night, that is.  These goodies have it all: wonderful flavor, easy assembly, bite size [gotta make sure we fit in those dresses ladies ;) ], and wow-factor presentation fit for either a party or casual gathering.

So now that we have New Years covered, how was everyone's Christmas?!  Mine?  Well.  Lovely.  In every way.  As I mentioned before, my Christmas weekend began with the arrival of my parents in Omaha Friday afternoon, followed by a gathering of former softball friends and families.  Christmas Eve was very laid back, filled with football, some last minute shopping [cough, Tyler, cough], and our traditional pizza making.  Onto Christmas, we began the day with gift openings, which was followed by lots of eating, lounging, and basketball.  Overall, a very memorable couple of days with my loved ones.  Don't worry, I'll be getting some pictures up after our upcoming weekend in Arizona.  Yes, we're taking another trip.  More to come on that one though.

Happy Tuesday!  .

My Notes:

• Shape wise, you can cut the cheesecake into circles, squares, rectangles, or whatever other shape you can think of.
• It's best to make sure that the cheesecake is very firm and cold before dipping into the chocolate.  Otherwise the cheesecake bits can be hard to work with.
• Remember that you can use whatever combination of chocolate to dip the cheesecake in that you'd like.  One fun suggestion is dipping the cheesecakes into one chocolate and then dipping half of the cheesecake bit into another type of chocolate.  Pretty and yummy!

From A Passion for Baking

Ingredients:

Cheesecake:

1 lb. cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 c. heavy whipping cream

Pinch of salt

Chocolate Casing:

12 oz. milk chocolate

10 oz. semisweet chocolate

10 oz. white chocolate

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Line 8- or 9-inch square pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray with non stick cooking spray.  Place pan on prepared baking sheet.
2. In food processor, blend together cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, heavy whipping cream, and salt.  Pour batter into pan.  Bake 30 minutes or until set (cake should be firm to the touch but not dried out or curling in at the sides).  Cool well in refrigerator.  Cut cheesecake into desired shapes.  Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 to 2 hours.
3. When cheesecake bits are ready for dipping, melt chocolate(s) in individual bowls.  Using a fork, dip and turn each cheesecake in chocolate to evenly coat and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Decorate as desired.  Freeze briefly to set.

Yield: 24 to 32 servings

Secret Recipe Club: {Cherry Walnut} Fudge

.  Hey, hey, hey!  Let the count down begin {if it hasn't already}.  Less than one week from Christmas!  And what better time for an SRC post than...NOW!

This December I was given the honored assignment of That Skinny Chick Can Bake by Liz Berg.  First off, what a great blog name, huh?  Absolutely love it.  And to boot, Liz's blog is ah-mazing.  Beautifully designed and filled with outrageous recipes, both savory and sweet.  Since Liz is an avid baker, there was an endless number of possibilities for me to choose from, which is good but also made my decision that much harder.  Thanks, Liz {wink, wink}.  

Some of Liz's sweets that made my 'possibly make' list included Baked Cake Donuts with Chocolate Glaze, Chocolate Truffles and Chocolate Covered Caramels, Cinnamon Roll Danish, and Triple Layer Cocoa Cake {please note my chocolate theme, I was looking for something Christmas-sy, give me a break}.  But don't forget about those savory dishes I mentioned, there's an equal number of them on her blog and all are mouthwatering.  If I cooked, I would have hit some of those up.

But what I finally decided on making was based on a number of things.  I wanted something Christmas-sy, as I mentioned.  But I also wanted to try something out that I could use this coming Friday because my family is coming into town and we're also having some old softball friends over for a little get together.  Party time!  Just kidding, but I wouldn't doubt it getting a little rowdy over here on 56th Street.

So these few things landed me on Liz's Fudge Redux.  Honestly, I don't know what 'redux' means or how you even correctly pronounce it.  And I haven't taken the time to Google it either {yes, I'm that lazy}.  Sorry.  All I do know is that though my fudge expertise is quite limited, this is the best homemade fudge I have ever had.  I will even go out on a limb and say it compares to bakery fudge.  It's that delish.  And Robbie completely agreed after taking two {extra} huge chunks of this stuff.  

The funny thing about this recipe though is how stinkin' easy it was.  Yes, you have to be a little careful in the beginning using the candy thermometer and making sure you reach the right temp, but guys, I'm not good with a candy thermometer AND I don't think I have a great one at that.  But everything still turned out fantastic.  Beyond my expectations.  

The fuge is dense, uber rich, and oh-so-flavorful.  The only thing I changed about the recipe was adding in toasted walnuts and dried cherries.  I wanted a couple of add-ins and this combination just sounded so Christmas-sy to me {Christmas theme?  Check}.  The wonderful nuttiness and crunch from the walnuts complements the tart dried cherries and creamy fudge so perfectly.  I was a little worried that my fudge would turn out crumbly, as can happen a lot to homemade fudge, but Liz has that covered.  In her original post, she explains that the addition of the marshmallow creme prohibits the sugar from recrystallizing {absolutely no clue what that means} but after this recipe, I will blindly follow anything Liz says.

Oh how I love SRC.  Yes, yes, I do.  And thanks so much, Liz, for another fabulous addition to my SRC posts.  I absolutely fell in love with this recipe and many of your others, glad to be your newest follower!  .

My Notes:

• Like most recipes when chocolate is the star, I suggest using the best quality you can find/afford.  For this fudge, I used Ghirardelli Semisweet Chocolate Chips, which is one of my go-to's.
• After I placed the fudge in the pan to set, I did notice a little collection of some juices.  I'm still not positive why this happened, but my only guess is that the juices from the cherries were brought out.  But it didn't effect anything, nothing a little paper towel can't soak up!

Adapted from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Ingredients:

3 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter

2/3 c. evaporated milk

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. chopped dried cherries

1/2 c. toasted chopped walnuts

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350°F.  To toast walnuts, place walnuts evenly on baking sheet and bake 10 minutes or until fragrant.  Set aside.  Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang (this will allow you to easily pick the fudge block out of the pan).  Set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan.  Bring to boil (cover with a lid for about 1 minute to make sure sugar is dissolved).

3.  Remove lid.  Insert candy thermometer into liquid.  Continue boiling for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently until thermometer reaches 234°F.  

4.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted.

5.  Stir in marshmallow creme and vanilla extract until there are no white streaks.

6.  Fold in cherries and walnuts until evenly distributed.

7.  Pour fudge mixture into prepared pan to let set completely.  Use the parchment paper to lift the fudge out of the pan and cut into squares.

Yield: 24 servings

Dorie's Best Chocolate Chip Cookie

. It's official, winter weather is upon us [at least here in NE] and I am not ready for it.  Not in the least.  What happened to the beautiful Fall weather we had such a short while ago?  I want that back.  Now.

But enough of my complaining, who wants to hear about that.  I'm here to bring each and every one of you recipes, not the gripes of my life.  Right?  Right.  Well today, I have yet another classic cookie, the Chocolate Chip Cookie in particular.  But it's not just a cookie, it's Dorie Greenspan's BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie.

This recipe produces some classic, classic cookies.  Thin, chocolatey, buttery, and chewy.  Identical to those Toll House cookies America has come to love.  But homemade, so much better.  I made these cookies a couple of weekends ago for my parents visit, we all know how much Dale loves his plain, good ol' fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookies.  And this recipe fits the bill.

Personally, I thought these cookies were great but they definitely aren't my favorite.  Sorry you thin-cookie-lovin' people out there, but I prefer a little volume in my cookie, like the outrageously delish NYT Best Chocolate Chip Cookie.  But nonetheless, the flavors were spot on and if you're into that thin kind of cookie, whip up a tasty batch of these! .

My Notes:

• If you don't have any Guittard chocolate chips just lying around [let's face it, who does!], Dorie suggests using 12 oz. of chopped chocolate [you can pick which type] or 2 cups of chocolate chips.  Dorie also adds in 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, but I opted to leave those out because I knew Dale wouldn't want them ☺
• I'd recommend placing the batter in the refrigerator in between baking batches.  I didn't initially, and I felt like the cookies spread a little too thin [a.ka. burnt edges]. 
• I'd also recommend only putting about 6 cookies on a baking sheet at a time.  Like I just mentioned, the cookies spread quite a bit and my first batch ended with one giant cookie.

Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Ingredients:

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. packed light brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 lb. Guittard semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

2.  In small bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda.

3.  In a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth (about 1 minute).  

4.  Add sugar and light brown sugar and beat until well blended (about 2 minutes).  Beat in vanilla extract.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.  

5.  Reduce mixer speed to low and add in dry ingredients in three portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated.

6.  Fold in chocolate disks.

7.  Spoon dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are brown and golden in the centers (centers may still be a bit soft).  Let cool on pan for 1 minute before transferring to wire rack to let cool completely.

Yield: 30 cookies