Secret Recipe Club: Cookie Brittle

.  Hello, my SRCers [and other lovely readers]!

I can't believe another month has already gone by.  I feel like I just wrote up my last SRC post...

But I can't complain, this club is oh-so-fun and I absolutely love being introduced to new blogs.  It's always a treat to browse through their array of recipes and see all of the different styles of bloggers out there.  It's a 'small' community but yet we are each so vastly different.  Gotta love it.

Which brings me to my May assignment, Creative Kitchen Adventures.  Remember how said we are so incredibly different?  Well point in case right here!

LSM is all about the sweet treats, right?  Let's see how much butter and sugar we can pack into one pan and hopefully no one will notice.  But Creative Kitchen Adventures lies on the opposite end of the spectrum.  In an extremely good and healthful way though.  I could take a couple notes from this blog...

Denise, the author of Creative Kitchen Adventures, is much like me in that she is a self taught cook [except I bake!] and she started her blog as a way to keep track of all of the recipes she was trying.  But while Denise is also a mother, she does put a certain focus on bringing healthy meals to her family using wholesome ingredients (e.g., she tries to stay away from processed foods).  But what I think is unique and genuine about Denise's goals is that she's not an 'all or nothing' type of person.  So though she gravitates towards healthful recipes, there's definitely a fair share of sweet treats on her blog [which of course I love!].  And I think it's great that she doesn't deprive her family, one would only think that would lead to some disasters later in life.  Or at least that's what I tell myself when I'm eating pans of brownies...

My brother's commissioning was this last weekend [details and pics to come!] so I made the Cookie Brittle for everyone to snack on.  Uh, it was gone in 15 minutes.

Anywho.  So what recipes of Denise's caught my eye?!  More like what didn't...but here are some of my favs: Mexican Omelette, Bruschetta Pizza, Bacon-wrapped Dates, and Flourless Chocolate Brownie Cookies.  And I'd just like to throw it out there that I've had Bacon-wrapped Dates before and they are quite possibly heaven on Earth.  No joking whatsoever.  And I can only imagine that Denise's version is absolutely scrumptious and addicting!

But this month, curiosity completely got me.  Cookie Brittle?  What?!  First, I didn't have a clue as to what the recipe would turn out like but I couldn't resist trying it out because Denise labeled it as a 'Christmas Favorite.'  Uh, who can turn down a Christmas favorite?  For reals...

And now I know why Denise and her loved ones adore this treat so very much.  It's addicting.  You know those snacks you can't stop nibbling on despite the fact that you're not even hungry?  Yeah, definitely did that with this one.  And I'm not ashamed.

The 'cookie' part of this recipe is just that, it very much resembles a buttery shortbread with a generous helping of rich chocolate chips mixed throughout.  And a lovely topping of chopped walnuts tops off this cookie just perfectly.

I'm not quite sure how it happens, but the brittle pieces comes during the baking process.  If you watch closely, the butter creeps its way to the top of the cookie, enveloping the walnuts and creating a crisp exterior resembling well...brittle.  You know that crunchy, caramely treat?  Yep, it's now in cookie form.

And to make it a true replica, the sheet of cookie brittle is broken into random sized pieces perfect for plopping into a bowl and setting out for all to munch.  Forget Christmas time, this is an all-year-round delight!

Thanks again, Denise, I love the simplicity and deliciousness of this recipe and I wouldn't have found it without you!  Until next month!  .

From Creative Kitchen Adventures

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

2 c. all purpose flour

8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

1-1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375F.  In a large bowl, cream together on medium speed butter, vanilla extract, and salt, until combined.  Add sugar and flour and beat until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.
2. Press batter into a cookie sheet (about 1/2- to 1-inch thickness; batter won't take up the entire sheet).  Sprinkle top with walnuts.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before breaking into pieces. 

Yield: 40 pieces



Brownie Fantasy Bars

.  And the chaos continues.

I'm not really sure how it's happened but the next month or two of my life is jam packed with events, including babies, weddings, and a special baking opportunity I'll fill you in on later.

It's all very exciting but a touch overwhelming when you throw in the fact that I work 8-5 err'day.  And 99% of the time, work is on my mind anyway.  Boo.  But I can't complain, none of these upcoming things are obligations, so it should all be fun-filled...I hope.

But one thing I am uber excited about is the trip to Colorado Robbie and I will be making this weekend.  In our typical fashion, this trip was decided upon maybe last week and we're setting out for the beautiful mountains Friday after work.  Word has it [and the Weather Channel confirms] that Colorado is filled with massive amounts of snow, and though I'd like to get away from this winter-weather-in-spring climate, I can never get enough of the Colorado scenery.  So give it to me.

But before we head off, I figured one last treat was in order.  And this is one monstrous dessert, comparable to the mountain slopes I'll be hittin' in a few days.  And I'm fo reals...no joking here.  This is easily the thickest and most decadent bar I've made to date.  Brace yourselves.

Brownie Fantasy Bars are pretty much that.  One big fat fantasy of a baked goodie.  Not just one, but two batters are somewhat swirled together and absolutely stuffed with crunchy rice cereal, gooey marshmallows, rich semisweet and milk chocolate chips, chewy dates, decadent Oreo cookies, nutty walnuts, and a trio of baking chips topping.  

Whoa.

Now I know what you're thinking, how could all of those things really come together to make an unforgettable bar?  Well...how can they not?!

Trust my taste buds, which have sacrificed themselves for the better of the baking community and tested more cookies and bars than I care to even admit.  These are legit.  And you.  will.  love them.

Have a wonderful rest of the week my dearest readers, until Monday!  .

Adapted from A Passion for Baking

Ingredients:

Blondie Batter:

3/4 c. unsalted butter, melted

1-1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Brownie Batter:

1 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 c. sugar

3/4 c. firmly packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. all purpose flour

2 c. rice cereal

1 c. mini marshmallows

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. milk chocolate chips

1 scant c. chopped dates

2 c. chopped Oreo cookies

1 c. chopped walnuts

Topping:

1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 c. butterscotch chips

1/4 c. white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F.  Generously spray 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. For the blondie batter, blend butter and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla extract.  Fold in flour, baking powder, and salt to make a soft batter.  Set aside.
3. For the brownie batter, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and flour and mix well.  Fold in cereal, marshmallows, semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, dates, Oreos, and walnuts, using a large spatula or wooden spoon.
4. Place the brownie batter into the prepared pan and use wet hand to spread the batter evenly.  Spoon the blondie batter over the brownie mix and spread evenly.  Using the handle of the spatula or a knife, marbleize the two batters by using up and down motions with the handle.
5. Bake 45 minutes or until set and spots of the blondie batter seem set and slightly browned. Immediately sprinkle on the semisweet, butterscotch, and white chocolate chips and smear with a knife as chips melt.  Refrigerate two hours before cutting.

Yield: 2 dozen bars

7-Layer Magic Bars

.  Life...life.  Oh, how you slay me.

Yeah.

Some major changes have been going on in my life as of late.  Nothing I care to talk about at the moment, but it fully explains my extended hiatus from LSM and the blogging world.  I realize I've been alluding to this for the past several months but you'll just have to bear with me.  Sooner, rather than later, I'll get back into some sort of routine and I'll be back raring to go.  Trust me, it's been eating away at me that I haven't been able to get in the kitchen.  And now more than ever I could really use that baking stress relief.  But patience is a virtue, right?

However, in true Jess fashion, I did manage to squeeze in a quick baking sesh last week in honor of one of my co-workers.  A few months ago, my co-worker made a bet with a buddy of his to see who could lose the most weight by the New Year.  Honestly, I give him props.  I could never do the diet thing because I would be the most crabby person on Earth.  My family refers to it as 'low blood sugars.'  I don't know what they're talking about though [wink, wink].

Anywho, my co-worker pulled out the mighty win and promptly requested a baked goodie for his efforts.  And he knew exactly what he wanted.  I mean, what better way to celebrate a victory than with a bar layered with all of the most wonderful ingredients one can find in the baking aisle?  Count me in!

Whether you call them Magic, Bars, 7-Layer Bars, or a combination of the two, these bars are legit.  Simply the most addicting, classic bars you will find.  And when I say seven layers, I mean seven layers.  One after the other.  Let's count them, shall we?

Graham Cracker Crust [1]

Walnuts [2]

Semisweet Chocolate Chips [3]

White Chocolate Chips [4]

Butterscotch Chips [5]

Shredded Toasted Coconut [6]

Sweetened Condensed Milk [7]

Mmmmmhmmmmm.

If that isn't convincing, then...you're just SOL, huh?  Just kidding.  But you won't regret this one.  And whadda ya know, they're easy peasy.  Basically a sprinkling of ingredients and into the oven they go.  You're welcome!

Until my next post, but who knows when that will be  .

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

1 c. sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1-1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 c. chopped walnuts

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. white chocolate chips

1/2 c. butterscotch chips

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Place oven rack in lower middle position.  Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray a 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Spread coconut evenly on a baking sheet.  Bake 4 minutes or just until outside edges begin to brown.  Set aside.
3. Melt butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl.  Press crumbs evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
4. In order, sprinkle walnuts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut in even layers.  Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over layers.  
5. Bake 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.  Cool completely in pan before cutting (about 2 hours).  

Yield: 2 dozen bars

Baked Carrot Cake Donuts

.  Easter, Easter, Easter.  Oh, Easter.  How you have snuck up on me!

Shocking?  Not quite.  To me, it seems like the various holidays creep up on me faster and faster every year.  Good or bad thing?  I haven't quite decided yet.  I'll get back to you on that.

Anyway, we all know how fun holiday-themed goodies are.  And being the try-to-be seasonal baker, I obviously want to take advantage of the once-a-year opportunities I have to make certain things.  Because, duh, one can never make a pumpkin dessert in the Spring!  That is simply preposterous.

So my goal for this upcoming week is to pump out a couple of Eastery desserts and possibly even a little round up of past Easter-themed goodies I've made.  You may have to hold me to that though so I actually get it done.

When I think of Easter, my mind immediately jets to Carrot Cake.  That classic Carrot Cake with a dollop of thick, rich cream cheese frosting [queue in the drool].  Carrot Cake is actually one of Robbie's favorite cakes, so this time of year is particularly good to him.  I was personally never a huge carrot cake fan until I was older, I think the fact that the cake literally has carrots in it made me think there was no way it could be good.  But once I took a chance, I never turned back!  It got me.

So because of my [and Robbie's] love for Carrot Cake, I'm especially excited to share with you..ta dah!..Baked Carrot Cake Donuts.  But wait!  This isn't just any old Carrot Cake recipe.  Nope.  Well yeah, Jess.  It's a donut.  Yes, you are correct.  But!  There's also a few added ingredients that make this Carrot Cake Donut uber special.  Let's just say pineapple, nutmeg, and toasted walnuts are a few of those uber components.  Intrigued yet?  You should be.

These donuts were just too good.  I must say, they are extremely light and fluffy, you won't get that dense donut most of you are probably thinking of.  They're much more cake-like, but absolutely perfect for a morning treat that won't put you in a food coma.  I likey  .

My Notes:

• I chose to ground up my walnuts because I thought it would look much prettier than the huge chunks.  But feel free to leave the walnuts in larger pieces and you don't even need to toast them if you don't like.  Completely up to you!
• When making the frosting, make sure to have your cream cheese and butter pretty soft, otherwise you'll end up with a chunky frosting like I did.  If this does happen, I popped my frosting into the microwave for a few seconds to break down the chunks.

Adapted from BrueCrew Life

Ingredients:

Donuts:

1/2 c. butter

2/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 c. vanilla yogurt

2/3 c. crushed pineapple, drained (save juice for frosting)

2/3 c. finely shredded carrots

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

3/4 c. toasted walnuts, ground

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 tbsp. butter, softened

2 tbsp. pineapple juice

3/4 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.  Spray donut pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.  For the donuts, cream together butter, sugar and salt in large bowl.  Add egg, vanilla extract, and yogurt and beat until smooth.  Stir in pineapple and carrots.  
2. Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, beating on low speed until combined.
3. Fill a ziploc bag with donut batter, snipping off one corner.  Pipe batter into prepared pan, filling cavities 1/2 full.  Bake 10 minutes.  Let cool in pan before removing to wire rack.
4. Place walnuts onto baking sheet and bake about 8 minutes or until fragrant.  Let cool on baking sheet.  Place walnuts into food processor and pulse until walnuts are ground (don't ground them too much, some larger pieces are still desirable).  Set aside.
5. For frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and pineapple juice in medium bowl until smooth.  Slowly add powdered sugar until smooth.  Frost cooled donuts as desired and sprinkle with ground walnuts.

Yield: 18 donuts

TWD Baking with Julia: Rugelach

.  Say it with me: rug - eh - lock.  Yep, you got it ☺  Well, that's according to Google.  I've actually been pronouncing it roo - ga - losh.  Oops.  But either way, it's a scrumptious treat all the same.

As you can see, it's that time again.  Another TWD post featuring a recipe from Baking with Julia.  For March, this fancy cookie we call rugelach was chosen for the first monthly post [the second one will be on March 20, we'll see if I get around to making it!].  And my oh my, were these a trip.

First of all, I didn't have a dang clue what rugelach was.  Heck, I can't even pronounce it!  I'd seen recipes for it in several of my recipe books but I've never actually seen it in person.  So when I saw that rugelach was our next assignment, I was all in.  But first, a little Googling was in order.

Rugelach is a Jewish rolled cookie surrounding a filling and literally means 'little twists.'  According to Wikipedia, some say rugelach share a common ancestor with the French croissant [uh, yum?!] and I would have to say that would be a fantastic comparison for this particular recipe.  Since I have never had rugelach before, I don't have much to compare it to.  But what I will say is that these are utterly fantastic and I've been missing out my entire life.  Thanks, mom...

These cookies start with a cream cheese pastry.  Okay, you had me at cream cheese.  And like I said, the cookie element in this recipe is strongly reminiscent of a croissant or a flakey, flakey pie crust.  And to accompany this wonderful pastry is several layers of filling.  Several.  As in four.  As in an apricot jam, cinnamon-sugar, cinnamon-sugar ground nuts, and plumped dried fruit layers of filling.  Can we say decadence?  Yes we can.  And I thoroughly enjoyed every single whopping bite.

The only thing I must put out there is that this treat is quite time consuming.  But, I would take my advice and break the steps up into a couple of days, such as making the pastry one day and completing the rugelach the following day.  The part that sucks up the time is chilling the pastry two times for several hours, otherwise nothing else is overly complicated.  And despite some pouting on my end from the feeling that I had made these wrong, I will say that if you have the time, these are more than worth it.  I've truthfully never made anything like these, so it was an interesting [and deeeeelish] adventure!

If you're feeling a little kitchen courageous, head on over to The Urban Hiker or My Baking Heart for the rugelach recipe.  Happy baking!  .

My Notes:

• As you'll see in the recipe, you have the choice to pick what types of nuts and dried fruits you would like to use.  I chose to use almonds, pecans and walnuts, and cherries, apricots, and dates for my filling.
• All of the fillings combined makes a LARGE amount of goodness.  So while you're rolling your pasty, you'll have to really tuck in the fillings [it will fall out some] and be patient.  I got a little flustered at this part because it can be a bit messy, but if you do everything on wax/parchment paper, it'll make for much easier clean up.
• As you can see from some of my pictures, I didn't generally get that signature twist in my rugelach like I had hoped.  I'm not really sure what happened there...  Nevertheless, the taste was still spot on!

Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting

.  Well, that weekend FLEW by!  I can't believe it's Monday already, I feel like I just left the office on Friday.  What the heck...

But I guess that would indicate a good weekend, huh?  Robbie and I had another lovely couple of days, very laid back and relaxed.  Just our style.  Let's have a little recap.
Saturday morning Robbie had to go into work for a few hours [it's busy season, remember?], so I hopped off [not literally] to the gym to meet Hollyann for a little workout.  That afternoon, I met up with Robbie at Starbucks to work for a few more hours, and then we were off to the Creighton Men's Basketball game vs. Bradley.  All in all, the game wasn't too crazy, there didn't seem to be much energy from the players or fans.  It was one of those games where you knew the 'good' team would pull it out, so regardless of a close score no one got overly excited.  But Creighton did 'pull it out', marking their 20th win of the season.

On Sunday, Robbie and I got our hair[s] cut together and then hung out with the pups at home for the rest of the day.  And don't worry, I definitely got some baking in on Sunday with our free time, but I'm saving that kitchen adventure for later this week.  So stay tuned.

Anywho, what do these Banana Bread Bars have to do with anything?  Well, nothing.  I'm having a hard time correlating anything significant from our weekend to these bars.  Dang it.  But one thing is for sure, they are outrageously addicting and will become one of my go-to banana recipes from here on out.  They are that scrumptious.

You may recall the Banana Cake I made just a bit ago and say to yourself "what's the diff?".  And you'll say 'diff', too.  Now don't get me wrong, the Banana Cake was fantastic, as every recipe has been from Bake or Break, and much more of a classic rendition.  But what we have here is anything but classic.  However, I still can't seem to fathom why I haven't seen more recipes with bananas and brown butter, because this, ladies and gents, should be illegal.  In all 50 states.

These bars?  OooOOo, these bars.  So stinkin' good!  The banana bars themselves are, yes, reminiscent of  banana bread, yet a touch more dense.  They actually kind of remind me of the texture of my favorite Pumpkin Bars, ridiculously moist and full.  And the banana flavor is extrememly prominent but absolutely wonderful.  But what takes these bars to the next level and beyond is the brown butter frosting.  I can't really explain it, but this combination just works.  More than works, actually.  It's like peanut butter and jelly, simply made for each other.  Got me?

Please note, my description did, in no way, do these bars justice.  You'll just have to make them to see for yourself.  Waistline, be warned  .

My Notes:

• When browning the butter, make sure to pay close attention.  The 'turn' happens quickly and before you know it, you'll have extra burnt butter, which is not good...

From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

Banana Bread Bars:

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1-3/4 c. (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:

1/2 c. butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.  For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute.  Stir in walnuts.

2.  Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

3.  Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.

4.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk.  Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).  Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm). 

Yield: 2 dozen large bars

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

.  There seems to always be a lull for me after the holidays when it comes to baking.  I feel like I'm in the middle of seasons: cranberry/apple/holiday baking has passed while spring/raspberry/strawberry season is still a few months away.  Apparently it's citrus season but to be quite honest, I've never been a huge citrus person.  Granted, I love me some lemon and oranges but for one reason or another, I always gravitate towards chocolatey-peanut buttery-caramelly treats.  But the other day I read somewhere that banana recipes are in full bloom.  So let it be known that I've forewarned you.  Banana recipes will be flooding LSM in the near future.  Okay, I exaggerated [Robbie seems to be rubbing off on me].  But I will do my darndest to make use of every banana I can get my [bakin' lovin'] hands on.

So to kick off my banana...kick...I made a recipe from one of my all time favorite blogs, Bake or Break.  As you maybe recall, I've made numerous things from this blog (e.g., Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake and Hummingbird Cupcakes) and not one disappointed in the slightest.  And as we can all assume, this Banana Cake followed suit.

I'm not sure I've mentioned this before, but I recently became a committee chair for a brand [spankin'] new employee resource group at work, called the Asian Employee Resource Organization (AERO).  Since the group is being built from well, nothing, and we're only just coming together, the leadership members decided some type of small gathering would be good to put some faces to those names.  As the Professional Networking chair, I organized a little luncheon potluck this last week and as my contribution, I brought this lovely Banana Cake.

Albeit, I was a wee bit nervous bringing a dish that I had never attempted [nor tasted], but shame on me.  Never have a doubt when attempting anything from Bake or Break.  Trust me, I've learned my lesson now.

This cake is so very simple yet yields such a wonderful treat.  I'll admit, it was a nice change from the heavy, rich desserts I surrounded myself with during the holidays.  The cake itself is uber banana-ey, much like a banana bread [thank you Captain Obvious].  However, it was more dense than your typical banana bread, lending itself well to a rich, smooth classic cream cheese frosting.  I also added on a sprinkling of toasted walnuts, which I absolutely adored.  They added a fantastically deep note to the entire dish, I kind of demand that you do not leave these out.

So when you're finished browsing blogs and checking e-mails this lovely Saturday morning, head on into the kitchen and use those almost-too-ripe bananas on your kitchen counter to make this recipe.  I really can't think of a better way to use them  .

My Notes:

• To toast the walnuts, evenly spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes or until fragrant.
• The original recipe called for a slightly smaller amount of cream cheese frosting, but I'm an avid frosting lover and knew I needed that extra dose.  I've reflected my changes in the ingredients below but check out the original recipe for the reduced frosting ingredients amounts [oh, and gorgeous pictures of this cake!].
• Next time around [and there will be a next time, my dad would love this!] I would be interested in trying either a peanut butter or chocolate cream cheese frosting or adding in some mini chocolate chips to the cake.  Fun ways to switch it up!

Adapted from Bake or Break

Ingredients:

Cake:

4 large ripe bananas

1/4 c. milk

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tbsp. canola oil

3/4 c. sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 large egg white, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. powdered sugar

3 tbsp. toasted walnuts, chopped

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mash bananas and milk together.  Set aside.
2. Heat oven to 375°F and spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.  
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
4. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter, canola oil and sugar.  Beat in eggs and egg white, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Gradually mix half of dry ingredients into butter mixture.  Mix in bananas.  Add remaining dry ingredients and beat until just combined.  Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.  Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Let cake cool completely in pan on wire rack.
6. For frosting, in a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and vanilla extract.  Reduce speed to low and gradually add in powdered sugar.  Spread frosting over cake as desired and sprinkle with toasted walnuts.

Yield: 12 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

Secret Recipe Club: Danish Puff

. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was/am for this post.  I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this day to come around.

The Secret Recipe Club (SRC).  For the bloggers, many of you may know what I'm talking about.  The Secret Recipe Club was created by Amanda from Amanda's Cookin' and the 'secret' group started out with only a small handful of bloggers.  But today?  It's grown into a full blown club that requires applications, acceptance, and tight lips!

The concept is quite simple but so genius.  Every month, you get assigned a group and within that group, you are assigned a different blog.  Your responsibility is to browse through their recipes and make any one of their creations (baking or cooking).  Then, on an assigned day, you post the recipe and reveal who you're assigned blogger is.  AWESOME, huh?!  You might not share my enthusiasm but this is the first club I have joined in the blogging world AND it's been a loooong road to get here.  Okay, not long, but it required patience.  The first time I applied to join the club I was rejected because my blog was too young and I didn't have enough recipe posts.  That was a sad day.  But I kept at it, was eventually accepted, and here we are!  So for the coming months, you'll be seeing SRC posts once a month and I'm so excited!

So now for my reveal.  For my FIRST SRC post, I was assigned Cathy' blog, Wives with Knives.  Gosh, where to start with this woman!  I can't tell you how many times I ventured back to her blog, searching through her recipes and trying to get a a real sense of who she is.  I found out through her 'About' page that she's lived in Oregon's Willamette Valley for her entire life and many of her dishes come from recipes handed down through her family.  That caught me right there.  Who can resist a family tradition?!

Her recipes are simply unique and I can tell you I have yet to come across a blog like hers.  Stalking Browsing though her blog, I got this wonderful sense of German foods and the holidays.  Maybe I'm totally off what she's going for, but it's just how I felt.  For the past month I've struggled with what I was going to make from her blog because her recipes are so enticing.

To make it [a bit] easier, I decided that I was going to recreate one of Cathy's recipes that I normally wouldn't pick out on my own.  Yet again, I had some difficulty picking the final entry because her recipes are mouthwatering [check out Cathy's Dresdener Stollen, Maple Nut Coffee Twist, Dungeness Crab and Cheddar Omelet, and Cinnamon Sugar Popovers, to see what I mean].  But with the help of Robbie, I decided to make her unbelievable Danish Puff.

To start, this is a family recipe handed down from Cathy's mother.  Okay, I couldn't resist doing this recipe simply because of that.  And, of course, because Cathy labeled this as her 'favorite coffee cake.'

And now it's MY favorite coffee cake/dessert/breakfast treat.  Let's see if I can do this goodie justice.  Okay, first, it's ridiculously easy.  Beyond, beyond, beyond easy.  Convinced?  The puff looks intricate and from the way it tastes, you would think it took days.  But it maybe took me 15 to 20 minutes to put the two puffs together.

What about the flavor, you ask?  Well, the puff starts out with a simple pastry base, almost like an extremely soft butter cookie [but don't think crunchy cookie, think Melting Moment-esque].  And the base is topped with a pate a choux dough, which is what eclairs and cream puffs are made out of [if that helps at all].  I truthfully had no clue what the pate a choux was going to turn out like or taste like because I had never worked with it.  But my life will never be the same.  And then, the entire goodie is adorned with a rich glaze and toasted walnuts [if you choose!].

All together, you get an unexplainable melt-in-your-mouth, piece-of-heaven.  Just to be frank.  I will forever keep this recipe and whip it out for those special occasions.  Cathy, thank you so incredibly much this one-of-a-kind family recipe, I had an absolute blast looking through your blog!  Glad to be your newest follower ☺ .

My Notes:

• I actually used my food processor for making the pastry base and it worked out wonderfully.  However, I put in the original directions below.
• You can choose whether you want to use the walnuts or not.  Since I wanted to at least taste the original recipe from Cathy, I did one puff with and one puff without walnuts.  But they are equally amazing.  I will say that the walnuts completely change the flavors of the puff though, so I HIGHLY recommend trying out both variations.
• To toast the walnuts, place the walnuts on a baking sheet in an even layer.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 350°F or until the walnuts are fragrant.
• For the glaze, I ended up adding in an additional 2 teaspoons of water to get the consistency I was looking for.  But you can add less or more, depending on how liquidy you would like the glaze.

From Wives with Knives

Ingredients:

Pastry Base:

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. butter

2 tbsp. water

Pate a Choux Dough:

1 c. water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. all purpose flour

3 eggs

Glaze:

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted

2 tbsp. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 to 2 tbsp. water

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  For the pastry base, in a medium bowl, cut in butter with flour using pastry blender or your fingertips.

2.  Sprinkle water over mixture and mix well with fork.

3.  Form the mixture into a ball and divide in half.  Pat each half of the mixture with your hands into 12x3-inch strips on prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.

4.  For the pate a choux, combine butter and water.  Heat to boiling (making sure butter is all melted).

5.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.  

6.  Using a whisk, mix in flour, stirring to keep from lumping.  

7.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.

8.  Divide the pate a choux dough in half and spread evenly on each strip.  Bake 60 minutes or until topping is crisp and browned.

9.  For the glaze, mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and water until smooth (if needed, add 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time until glaze can be poured over coffee cakes).  Glaze coffee cakes as desired.  Top with toasted walnuts.

Yield: 2 coffee cakes