Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

I found this yummy recipe on pinterest from My baking addiction's blog. It turned out really yummy, especially after it had cooled off completely which was hard to do since I wanted to eat the whole pan :) I also had melted down some caramels and poured them in between the cheesecake and cookie layer. YUM :P

Picture from brandysbaking.blogspot.com

For the Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbs sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

For the Cheesecake Filling

10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and 1 Tbs sugar until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Do not turn your oven off.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature

Hot Fudge Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Found this ridiculously yummy cupcake recipe from Tasty Kitchen :) It is now my go to chocolate cupcake recipe! I didn't stuff the cupcakes as the recipe calls for, just frosted them. Next time I am going to save my energy and just use store bought hot fudge, it didn't taste all that different and was kind of a pain in the butt to make.

• FOR THE CUPCAKES:
• 1 whole Egg
• ¾ cups Brown Sugar
• ½ cups Milk
• ½ cups Plus 1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream
• ½ cups Butter, Melted
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
• 1-⅛ cup All-purpose Flour
• ¼ cups Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1-¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ cups Homemade Hot Fudge (recipe Below)
• _____
• FOR THE BUTTERCREAM:
• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• ⅔ cups Peanut Butter
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar (you May Need 1 More Cup)
• 1 Tablespoon Of Milk (have 1-2 More On Hand)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 pinch Salt
• _____
• FOR THE HOT FUDGE SAUCE:
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1 pinch Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 cup Boiling Water Or Scalding Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add milk, cream, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Stir in sour cream.
Sift dry ingredients together and then add to the wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth, then swirl in fudge sauce. Line a muffin tin (12 count) with liners and using a 1/4 cup measure, add batter to each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
Cream butter and peanut butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar with mixer on low speed and gradually add milk and vanilla extract. Add a pinch of salt and mix until frosting is smooth. If too thick, add more milk; if too thin, add more sugar.
Put the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a tip. Poke a hole in the cupcake with the pastry tip and fill the cupcake. Then frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
For the homemade fudge:
Combine sugar, cocoa, salt, and flour in a bowl or pot over a double boiler. Bring water or milk to a boil in another saucepan or in the microwave. Gradually add hot liquid to sugar mixture. Stir constantly until mixture thickens.
Once it has reached the desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Drizzle over cupcakes and store the rest of the sauce in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Oh My

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Yield: 8 servings

1/2 cup 60% Dark Chocolate Baking Chips

4 tablespoons  butter

3 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon(s) salt

1 1/2 cup(s) crushed pecans

1 (9-inch) unbaked piecrust, store-bought or homemade

Heat oven to 325F. In double boiler over hot water, melt chocolate and butter. In large bowl with electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla and salt until blended; beat in chocolate mixture. Stir in pecans; pour into piecrust. Place pie on baking sheet on middle rack of oven; bake about 55 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely at room temperature.

Perfect Pumpkin Cookies

Perfection in cookies in my book means that every time I walk through the kitchen I have to grab one as I pass by because I just can't get enough. So this to me is a perfect recipe. 
Don't ask me how many I ate.
Because I will lie to you and say "only 2...ish"
But you will know better then that.

  I made them twice this week and sent home the recipe with my sister who was visiting because her fiancee couldn't get enough of them! :) Perfect pillowy pumpkin perfection!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies adapted from Joy the Baker

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter flavored crisco
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup canned or fresh pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips, or any chip you like


Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl for 30 seconds and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

 Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

 Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 10 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Texas Sheet Cake

I made this for the 4th of July BBQ we were invited to. It turned out fantastic and I even brought the leftovers to a pool party the next day where it tasted even better! I wouldn't make this for a weekday dessert (the butter content was driving me insane while I was baking :D ). It is definitely an indulgence that is meant to be shared with others.

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk (I use regular milk with a touch of vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes)
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
_____
FOR FROSTING:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Triple Chocolate Muffins

No not a cupcake... you don't feel as bad eating a chocolate muffin for breakfast then you would a cupcake right? Therefore it is a muffin, it puts my mind at ease. :) I got about a dozen and a half out of this recipe. So good though!

Triple Chocolate Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter

1/4 cup sour cream

4 ounces (4 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate

2 cups flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk (I make my own SO Easy! Per 1 cup milk add 1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice and let sit 5 minutes)
1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup semi sweet or milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate squares together in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Stir and heat for intervals of 30 seconds stirring in between until chocolate is completely melted. Add sour cream and stir until incorporated. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Do not over mix the batter. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

4. Bake for about 17 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Ice cream revisited

Found this great recipe for chocolate ice cream over at The Brown Eyed Baker

Gonna make it just because!

For a classic super yummy vanilla bean recipe revisit last years post here.

Chocolate Ice Cream


Makes about 1 quart

2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

2. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (170°F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.)

Triple Threat Brownies

Found this recipe and photo on Tasty Kitchens website. These little treats have a brownie base, cream cheese frosting middle, and a topping of chocolate and peanut butter Rice Krispies. Holy cow! I can't wait to make these.
There

Triple Threat Brownies

1 box Brownie Mix
16 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
½ cups Butter, Softened
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Coarsely Chopped Peanuts
1-½ cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup Peanut Butter
3 cups Rice Krispies Cereal


For the brownie base, mix brownies according to package directions or use your favorite recipe. Bake in a 9×13 pan and allow to cool completely.

For the cream cheese frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until fully mixed. Spread on top of cooled brownies and sprinkle with nuts.

For the chocolate peanut butter rice krispies topping, in a large pan, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter over low heat. Continue stirring until the chocolate and peanut butter are melted. Stir in cereal, making sure to coat all the cereal with the peanut butter chocolate mixture.
Spread the cereal mixture on top of the brownies and frosting and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Keep covered and store in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Easter Truffle Eggs

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 jar (17.3 ounces) creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (2 pounds) confectioners' sugar

6 cups (36 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup shortening

Directions
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sugar. Form rounded tablespoonfuls into egg shapes. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill for 30 minutes.
In a microwave-safe bowl or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening: stir until smooth. Dip eggs until coated; place on waxed paper to harden.
For more decorative eggs, place about 1/4 cup melted chocolate in a small plastic bag. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag; pipe chocolate over tops of eggs. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: about 5-1/2 dozen.

Oreo Truffles

1 Package Oreo cookies, finely crushed and divided

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 packages (8 squares each) semi sweet chocolate, melted

1.Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
2.Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
3.Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator

Dark Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

I got this recipe off of Pioneer Woman's new recipe collection Tasty Kitchen. It was a super horrible bad idea for me to log onto that site last night at 10pm with a wicked chocolate craving.
I halved the recipe but being tired and addiction crazed I used just regular unsweetened baking cocoa and double the sugar without realizing it. Fortunately it turned out really good and I went to bed much happier.

So if you like a not so sweet cake use unsweetened baking cocoa (3 tbsp + 1 Tbsp oil = 1 square (oz) of baking chocolate, and double the sugar. (I also had to add 1 Tbsp. milk to thin it out a bit) But if not stick to the original recipe.

It also tastes wonderful for breakfast the next day...

Please don't judge me.


Molten Chocolate Cake
Makes 4 servings

• 4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
• ½ cups Butter
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar, plus extra for dusting
  
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 whole Egg Yolks
• 6 tablespoons Flour

You can serve this with whipped topping or the much better tasting homeade version:

• 2 cups Real Whipping Cream (seriously It's So Much Better!!!)
• 2 tablespoons Sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.

Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.

Divide between cups.

Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.

Dust with powdered sugar

Combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff.

Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.

Best Ever Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I got this recipe from my grandma - who I think secretly adds a poof of grandma magic to everything she cooks. I swear I don't know what she does but everything that comes out of her kitchen is so super good. This really tastes more like a cake than bread, it makes a fabulous dessert.
You would also never guess that it is a low fat recipe either. The applesause and sour cream really make it moist but not too dense as some breads are known to be.

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

3 eggs

11/2 cups sugar

1/2 oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup low fat sour cream

2 cups grated zucchini

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Spray your pans with Pam. 2 loaf pans or a cake pan.

Melt unsweetened chocolate on stovetop or microwave.

In large bowl combine eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, vanilla and melted chocolate. Add sour cream, applesauce. Beat well. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Add chocolate chips and mix until coated. Do not over mix. Pour into pans and bake 60 to 70 minutes for loaf pans, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cute Valentines Idea

I had to keep this for my records and to share with you. So cute! My husband is a die hard cheesecake fan (come to think of it he's really just a die-hard food fan generally speaking!) so I am going to make one for him and then add these little Oreo Cakester babies as decoration. Thanks Bakerella!