Spiced Brownie

This weekend was all about that ever-growing "to make" list. I keep discovering all these delicious looking treats, bookmarking them, and then, well, the cycle repeats. :) But this weekend, not only did one on the list get made, but TWO! That have been languishing for quite some time.

Thie first one comes from Smitten Kitchen, who acquired it from the Baked: New Frontiers in Baking cookbook. I really liked the idea of a spicier brownie, but knew that the chipotle would not go over well with my parents. That, and, well, there wasn't any in the spice 'rack'. I did up the cinnamon quantity a wee bit, though.

My dad felt he sould do a taste test... for "quality control," of course. "It's like a cake, but fudgier," was his commentary. Then he wanted another piece. And then another. This is good, though. If I can keep him eating through/despite the chemo, it'll definitely be helpful.

So my thoughts? I'm adoring these. For once, something with cardamom DOESN'T taste citrus-y. It compliments the chocolate and the cinnamon, and it is just fabulous. I'll make these again in the "full" version. (I did a half-batch, just in case.) :)

Oh, and I'm posting the full version, and minusing what I didn't include. So it's easier for my future reference. LOL



Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. dark unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. cardamom
11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake at 350F in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, before cutting into squares.

SHF: Brown Sugar Shortbread

This is one of my favorite recipes, and one of the earliest ones I've made since (re?)discovering my love of baking about five years ago. And when I saw that this next Sugar High Friday, hosted by Dessert First, had a theme of spices, this quickly came to mind. (That sentence seems...awkward, doesn't it? LOL) Actually, it was this or an apple-cinnamon cheesecake, but we're lacking in fridge-room at the moment, so no cheesecake this week.

Like many shortbread recipes, it comes together in no time. I don't measure how much I put in for spices, so each time I make it, it comes out a bit different. It's got a little bit of crunch to it, and, oh, the kitchen smells so yummy after about 20 minutes in the oven.

Now if I could just get that oven warmth into the den right now. Even in flannel pj pants and a sweater, I'm still freezing. Do you think I'll be able to get away with calling work and telling them I'm hibernating? LOL



Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups flour
¼ tsp. salt
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Spray 9-inch fluted tart pan or 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.

Beat the butter and brown sugar together in large bowl until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour, salt, and spices. Beat on low speed until dough just comes together. Do not overmix. Spread dough into prepared pan, pressing dough to the edges.

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of dough.

Bake at 325F for about 50 minutes, until firm on edges but still soft in the center. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then cut into wedges or squares.

Hermit Bars

I've always heard of hermit bars/cookies, but had never made them. So I made them. Then went in search of their history, so I could post it on here. It's been a two-day affair, and only now did I find something relatively decent. Joe Pastry has the best I've come across. Did you know there's not even a Wikipedia page for them? I was shocked.

I can easily imagine these being made a hundred years ago. Even further back than that. No one seems sure as to why they were named hermits, though. Either a mispronounciation, or perhaps based off the color of the hermit's robes? Either way, it makes me feel very connected to the past when making a recipe (or variant of) that's been around for so long. I have a box upstairs of my Aunt Sara's recipes that I plan on going through this autumn. I never met my Aunt Sara, she died a bit before I was born, but all the stories tell of her fabulous cooking and baking. My Uncle Ernie was a lucky man, that's another one I heard a lot. Pictures always show him smiling when Sara was around. Food and love are so intertwined, at least to me. They always looked happy together.

I digress. I think the best image that could be conjured up is one that took place about half an hour ago. I came upstairs from putting some clothes in the washer, and found my dad sitting in the table, quickly closing the cover of the container the bars are in, with a guilty look on his face. :) The bars are soft and chewy, and as they bake, fill the house with a delicious warming scent.



Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
½ cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg, beating well. Add molasses. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Spread into pan.

Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack before cutting into bars.

Applesauce Cake

This is really the post that just didn't want to be posted. I made this on Saturday night, but never had the chance to post about it until now. And it has to be fast because I have to get ready for work soon!

After spending Thursday and Friday not feeling very well, I wanted something really simple. And this totally fit the bill.

Classic flavors, which despite seeing more autumnal, it works for mid-August. Very moist and flavorful. My mom was raving about it for a full five minutes after trying it. :)



Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼-½ tsp. ginger (if desired)
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
½ tsp. vanilla
1 cup applesauce
¼ cup buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease an 8-inch baking pan.

Sift together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and applesauce. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack. Serve warm or cold.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

Well, in my never-ending attempt to waste less food, of course I had to do a pumpkin recipe to use up my 1 cup of leftover pumpkin. I came across this recipe earlier in the year on Slashfood and just hadn't gotten around to make it.

Despite how it may seem, we are trying to lose weight. (More of my baked goods get eaten by other folks *waves to my beloved guinea pigs* than ourselves. Which is good.) I love pound cake, but it's not so loving the waistline in the long run. So when I spotted this recipe, I knew it'd be a winner.

Instead of plain yogurt, I use vanilla. In the end, you don't really taste it all, so I'd use vanilla again. It's more fun to eat the rest out of the container when you like the flavor. :)

I'm really pleased with this. It'd be good for breakfast, snack, or dessert. Or as a Christmas present... housewarming gift... teacher's gift... You get my point. :D



Ingredients:
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 large egg white
½ cup vanilla nonfat yogurt
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar, brown sugar, egg and egg white until combined. Beat in the yogurt, pumpkin and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, stirring only until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes, then gently turn the cake out of the pan and let cool completely on the rack before slicing. Serves 10-12, depending on slice size.

Pumpkin Curry Cupcakes

Sure, it was 71 degrees outside today. Not exactly autumnal, despite the leaves to shushel through. But I wanted pumpkin, gosh darnit, and nothing else would do. (Well, maybe gingerbread. Or something with 'home'-y spices. But you know what I mean.) I perused my usual recipe outlets with nothing catching my eye.

And then I decided to look over at Bake Space, where I hit the jackpot. Jackpot, as in, "Oh my god, I won MegaBucks!" kind of jackpot, in my opinion.

Even though I've had little to no experience with curry powder (I'm not one for spicy foods usually), just the thought of it flavored with the pumpkin called to my very soul. I searched around a bit more, but nope, it hooked me in with its sweet siren song.

I had my concerns, as I found myself to be a bit sneezy and sniffley while being in its presence. (The curry powder, that is.) I tried the batter, wasn't unhappy. Was very happy with the fact that I had very little batter left over afterwards. (Don't you hate recipes that leave you with a ton?)

The original recipe made 24, but just in case I didn't like it, I halfed it and just did 12. Also made a chocolate ganache from the Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World book, instead of the one on there. And I gotta say, I'm not impressed with the ganache. I had a very hard time working with it, despite its ease of making. Next time (and, oh, yes, there will be a next time. I don't care if I wind up being the only one who adores these babies.), I think I'll go with more traditional frosting.

Oh, the end result? Even with the not-as-pretty-as-I-imagined frosting? Divine. :)



Ingredients:
1 cup flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1¼ tsp. curry powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
7½ oz. pureed pumpkin

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside.

Cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Add eggs. Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Add pumpkin. Fill muffin cups about halfway full.

Bake at 350F for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack.

Cinnamon Chai-Spiced Coffee Cake

Knowing that we were going up to Half Moon Bay's Pumpkin Festival today, I decided not to overwhelm Dave with the pumpkin-ness. It was a good trip - traffic was a bit much on Route 92, but I sang along with the Spamalot soundtrack and therefore didn't care so much. :) Sadly, there was no pumpkin fudge this year, which has been a highlight for me every time that I've gone. Even sadder, since we're moving next May/June, I won't be going to the Pumpkin Festival again for a while. I'll either have to make my own or find someplace in New England that makes it.

Also, unfortunately, I can't remember where I found this recipe. I copied it out when the printer was being moody, and failed to write down its source. Oops.

It turned out well. I loved the batter, so light and smooth. I almost feel like there was too much. The edge pieces are a bit big and definitely more than a biteful! If I made this again, I'd add some cinnamon to the batter was well. In contrast to the topping, it seems almost plain. *shrug*



Ingredients:
Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cardamom
½ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. salt
1½ cups flour
½ cup butter, melted

Cake:
1-3/4 cups flour
½ tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1½ tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

Whisk together all crumb toppings except for butter. Gradually add butter. Once incorporated, squeeze small clumps together, varying in size. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Alternately add flour mix and sour cream, until well mixed. Pour into prepared pan. Top with crumbles.

Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Cut into squares.

Apple Spice Bars

These were made on Day Four of the Baking Frenzy. I would've continued, but I'm not allowed to bake when it's over 80 degrees in the apartment. *pout* (This is the girl who made two cheesecakes on the hottest day in July last year)

I'm not sure exactly what called me to this recipe. Oh, yeah. I had an apple in the fridge. Which, upon cutting, I discovered that it had been there longer than I thought. Oops. Well, the batter was all together, I couldn't just abandon ship. So I ran to the store and bought some apples. Crisis averted.

I like these. I'm always a fan of cinnamon-spicey, apple, reminds-you-of-home foods, and these totally fit all three categories. Although I think next time I'll add a bit of nutmeg and more cinnamon. I like a bit more of a kick.



Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup butter, melted
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup chopped apple

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar, until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour, mixing just until combined, then stir in the chopped apple. Spread the mixture evenly into prepared pan.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool in pan, then cut into squares.

Cocoa Ginger-Spice Muffins

Yes, in my never-ending quest of a breakfast that keeps me full until lunchtime... muffins again. I found these on the Hershey's website, but I altered them a bit, since I'm not a big fan of chocolate chips in my muffins. They don't seem quite so... muffiny then. Also, less molasses, too, since I didn't have a whole cup. Oops.

In the last third of putting these together, I discovered that I only had one egg left. Which meant a walk over to Whole Foods (because, come on, cage-free organic eggs for $1.99? You can't go wrong!), while hoping what was in the bowl wouldn't go all crazy while I was gone. The recipe is different, I thought, what with the order in which ingredients go into the bowl. Tried 'em last night, shortly out of the oven, and was disappointed. Tried again this morning, for breakfast, and they improved. Thankfully. :)



Ingredients:
2½ cups flour
¼ cup cocoa
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup hot water
½ cup molasses
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

Stir together hot water, molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack.

Apple Spice Muffins

I know, muffins again. But I'm finding them to be perfect to bring to work, as a snack either mid-morning when the blood sugar starts to get low, or mid-afternoon, when the energy starts to get low. Plus I like that the cleanup is relatively minimal, what with using the "found-on-clearance-after-Valentine's Day" muffin liners. :D

I found the original recipe on Allrecipes, but I did alter it a bit. When I make them again (as it's already been requested :D), I'm going to add a bit more spice to them, although I haven't figured out yet what will work best. Any ideas?



Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1½ cups flour
1½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice*
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 cup applesauce

(*I didn't have it, so I just put in some ginger and nutmeg)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, spices, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Alternately add flour and applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until blended. Spoon batter into muffin tins, about 2/3's full.

Bake at 350F for 17-20 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

I saw these posted over at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, and immediately added them to my "wanting to try" file. A random fit of baking occurred tonight, and, since I had the sour cream, I went for it.

Of course, mine didn't come out nearly so pretty as hers, but it's okay. Some of the tops spread like anything and seriously looked like a snickerdoodle. And the taste? Soft, fluffy, and moist - with just the right amount of spices. I almost want to call them muffcakes, because they don't seem overly muffin-y to me.

(I'll refrain from posting the 'during' pictures. I don't have a cookie scoop, so rolling these babies in the cinnamon sugar was not a pretty process!)



Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 tsp nutmeg
2¼ cups flour
1¼ cups sour cream

1 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. cinnamon for rolling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12-18 muffin cups with paper liners.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until well blended.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream, starting and ending with the flour.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar. Place muffin into muffin tin. (From Peabody's directions)

Bake at 350F for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown.

Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Torte

I think the reason I went with this recipe is because I wanted something cheesecake-like, but didn't have enough cream cheese. LOL It tastes very similar to the apple nut cheesecake, just... shorter. :)

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1 cup flour
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 egg
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 cups sliced, peeled apples (about 3-4 apples)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Beat butter and 1/3 cup of the sugar in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour; mix well. Spread firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup of the remaining sugar in same bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well-blended. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Spread evenly over crust.

Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Add to apples in large bowl; toss to coat. Arrange over cream cheese layer.

Bake for 10 minutes at 425F. Reduce temperature to 375F; continue baking for 25 minutes or until center is set. Cool on wire rack. Loosen torte from rim of pan. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours before serving.

Pumpkin Spiced Cookies

I've made these on multiple holiday occasions, they're brightly colored and taste delicious. The original recipe called for chocolate chips, which I'm sure taste wonderful, but I've been making them with peanut butter chips from the very beginning. Soft, melty, delicious. :)

Ingredients:
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 can (15 oz.) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) peanut butter morsels

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Apple Nut Cheesecake

AKA: The cheesecake Kristen walked 4 miles to make. LOL

Between the original decision while walking home from the post office, heading to the grocery store, walking home, then realizing I had forgotten a vital ingredient, I walked about 4 miles altogether.

Was it worth it? Oh, yeah. :)

Ingredients:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
½ cup finely chopped pecans
3 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup butter, melted

2 (8-oz. each) packages cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp. vanilla
4 cups apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup chopped pecans (or whatever nut you'd prefer)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter; press into the bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Mix at medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in vanilla. Pour filling into the baked crust.

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Toss the cinnamon-sugar with the apples to coat. Spoon apple mixture over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake at 350F for 60-70 minutes. With a knife, loosen cake from pan. Let cool, then remove rim of pan. Chill cake before serving.

Molasses Spice Cookies

Think of gingersnaps. Now think of them in a softer, less teeth-hurting way. That's what these are. The original recipe called for white chocolate chips, but I threw in peanut butter instead, and I think the flavors go well together.


Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1½ sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
2 cups (12 oz. package) while morsels
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:
Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and molasses. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until slightly firm.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls; roll in walnuts. Place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool compltely.