White Chocolate Caramel Blondies

I generally provide dessert for a weekly get-together with friends, and often find myself making different types of brownies and cookies.  They're easy to make a day or two ahead of time, and travel easily when you're also juggling a preschooler, samples of the latest batch of home-brewed beer, and other assorted items that are being loaned out or returned, all on a two or three block walk.  And out of all the varieties I've made (and there have been a lot over the last two years), these blondies were by far one of the group's favorites. 

When I first read the ingredient list for these, I was a little surprised by the extra half stick of butter, and thought about just using two since I was running low.  But I went with it, and wow did it make these bars good.  Chewy and almost fudgy, with a ton of caramelly flavor, it was totally worth wiping out my supply of butter.  I also followed Jen's suggestion to cut back on the spices to shift these away from the original holiday-oriented gingerbread version of these bars, keeping just some of the cinnamon.  Eventually, I'd like to try a version with some orange zest, but for now, I'm not going to mess with what's become one of my favorite standbys.

White Chocolate Caramel Blondies
adapted (just slightly) from Martha Stewart via Beantown Baker

What's in them:

2 3/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 1/2 sticks (20 Tbsp or 1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
11 ounces white chocolate chips

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and molasses.

Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in white chocolate chips.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake until edges are golden, 30-35 minutes (the middle might not be set). Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.  When completely cooled, cut into 24 bars (they're so rich that you really can get 24 from a 9x13" pan).

Chewy Triple Ginger Cookies

Are you completely over cookies yet?  I have to admit that I just really started my holiday baking.  I'd made sausage balls and not-Chex mix, but as of this past weekend, I hadn't baked a single cookie yet.  But when I got home from a business trip, Vince asked if I would bake some cookies, as he'd signed up to bring some for his office's holiday potluck.  (He did say that we could just buy them, but where's the fun in that?!)  By Saturday evening, I'd made chocolatey Hello, Dollies and fruity shortbread thumbprint cookies, but didn't have anything spiced, which is pretty much mandatory at Christmas.

These aren't the traditional crunchy ones you cut out and decorate, but a chewy, richly spiced cookie.  The addition of both fresh and crystallized ginger gives these a kick that you don't get from a gingerbread man.

Chewy Triple-Ginger Cookies
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated and 101 Cookbooks via Forks, Fingers, Chopsticks

What's in them:

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup large grain sugar, for finishing (optional)

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Adjust racks – one in top 1/3 oven – second in bottom 1/3 oven.

Peel and grate fresh ginger, finely chop crystallized ginger, and set both aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt.  Add crystallized ginger, separate if it clumps and stir to incorporate. Set this aside too.

In a small pot, over low heat, melt the butter.  When it has melted almost half way, turn off the heat and add the fresh ginger, brown sugar, molasses.  Combine with a whisk, stirring carefully.  The mixture should be warm to the touch, but not hot.  Add beaten egg and stir to incorporate.

Pour over flour mixture and stir until combined, being careful to not overwork the dough.

Shape dough into balls (1/2 tablespoon dough for small cookies, ~1 1/2"; 1 heaping tablespoon dough for 3").  Balls should be placed at least 2 inches apart for smaller cookies/ 3 inches for larger.  For a prettier cookie, coat each ball with large granule sugar before baking.

Bake for 8 to 9 minutes for small cookies; 10 to 12 for larger. Cookies are done when they have risen and cookies crack. Do not overbake; underbaking is better. Store in airtight container for about 1 week.

Cinnamon Marshmallows

Last year it seemed like all of a sudden I started to need hostess and thank-you gifts around the holidays.  I don't know what changed (maybe it's another step toward actually feeling like a grown-up?), but I remember several last-minute trips to the craft store for festive packaging for holiday cookies, vowing to plan better this year.  And so when I made my holiday baking list, I added homemade hot cocoa mix and marshmallows to the list, to be packed up together and handed out as needed.

  

I'd made these marshmallows before for s'mores pops, and wanted to make them a little more obviously holiday-appropriate.  Adding some cinnamon extract, a swirl of red, and cutting some of them out in fun shapes like trees, candy canes and stars made these nicely festive.  With some hot cocoa mix (homemade or storebought), a batch of these is the perfect thing to have on hand for your neighbor, delivery guy, or anyone that could use some holiday cheer.

Cinnamon Marshmallows

adapted from Alton Brown via Beantown Baker

What's in them:

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp cinnamon extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
Nonstick spray

Red food coloring

How to make them:

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment ready to go.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F (soft ball temp, if you're a regular candy maker), approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. (Be very careful to not let the the syrup get wrapped up and around the mixer gears, unless you want it to be hard candy-coated.  Don't ask how I know this, just trust me.)

Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and cinnamon extracts during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula (or fingers) for spreading evenly into the pan. If you want colorful swirls, drop 5-10 drops of food coloring onto the marshmallows as desired.  Drag a toothpick or wooden skewer through the drops, creating swirls. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a knife dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture, or cut out shapes using cookie cutters dusted with the mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Happy Birthday, Alexa!

No recipe today, just a happy birthday to my favorite kitchen helper who is turning THREE today!  Where has all the time gone?

Alexa requested cookies with pink frosting and sprinkles to take to school to share, which Annie provided the perfect recipe for.  These soft sugar cookies with plenty of frosting in bright colors were a hit when we had a couple as a pre-birthday treat- definitely much better-tasting than their grocery store counterparts!

Happy birthday, baby girl!

Cinnamon Spice Sugar Cookies

Last week's rain and cooler temperatures had me thinking about fall, and the warm, comforting flavors that go with it in my mind.  In the mood to bake, I wanted something sweet and spiced, but gingerbread seemed too heavy- it wasn't that cool out.  These spiced sugar cookies were a great compromise, light and crisp but with enough warmth from the cinnamon, ginger and allspice to make the transition to fall.

These are slice and bake sugar cookies, but I'm looking forward to incorporating the spices into a roll-out sugar cookie recipe for some pretty autumn leaf cut out cookies!

Cinnamon Spice Sugar Cookies
adapted from Food & Wine

What's in them:

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
Large pinch of salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 c (lightly packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon extract
1/4 c turbinado sugar
How to make them:

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl, beat the butter with the granulated sugar and the brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy.  Add the egg and extracts and beat until pale.  Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined.  Shape the dough into an 8" log and refrigerate or freeze until firm.

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Unwrap the log and slice 1/4" thick.  Arrange the slices 1 inch apart on 2 large cookie sheets, sprinkle with turbinado sugar and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden.  Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool and bake the remaining cookies. Serve the cookies when they have cooled.

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

During the summer, I love iced coffee.  And as an occasional treat, I like to add a little sweetened condensed milk to it.  The rich caramelly flavor is great with strong coffee  without overpowering it the way cream or half & half usually does.  When I saw this recipe for Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream on Ezra Pound Cake pop up in my reader, I didn't even read past the title, and just starred it right then and there.

I pretty much left the recipe alone, just adding a little vanilla extract because, well, I felt like it.  For the coffee, I just used some of the cold-brewed coffee I keep stocked in the fridge all summer, and added about a tablespoon of the instant espresso I keep around for baking.  This makes a great summer treat- iIf I thought I could sneak ice cream past my daughter in the morning, I'd be putting a scoop of this in my coffee instead of ice!

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

What's in it:

1 1/2 c sweetened condensed milk (almost 2 cans)
1 1/2 c brewed espresso or very strongly brewed coffee, or your regular coffee with some help from instant espresso
1/2 c half-and-half or milk (using milk will result in a slightly less creamy ice cream)

2-3 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Big pinch of finely ground dark roast coffee (optional)

How to make it:

The day before you plan to make your ice cream, freeze your ice cream maker's bowl as appropriate (if you're using a KitchenAid mixer ice cream bowl, try freezing it upside down for more even ice cream churning!).

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.  Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.  I churned for about 20 minutes on medium-low speed.

S'mores Bars

Did you know that today was National S'mores Day?  Now that's a holiday I can get behind.  I only wish I'd known in time to plan for it.  While nothing beats a marshmallow slightly charred over a campfire sandwiched between graham crackers with a Hershey bar, these s'mores bars were a great alternative since the campfire wasn't going to happen today. 

These were so easy, and a hit when I took them to dinner with friends.  I did let them sit under the broiler a touch longer to get that slightly burnt flavor.

Happy S'mores Day!

S'mores Bars
from Gourmet

What's in them:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 cracker sheets)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups milk chocolate
3 cups mini-marshmallows

How to make them:

Preheat oven to   350°F.  In a bowl combine well the crumbs, the sugar, the salt, and the butter and, reserving 1 cup of the mixture, press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a flameproof 9x12x2" baking dish. Bake the crust for 12 minutes, or until it is golden, and let it cool in the dish on a rack.

In a glass bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for another 30 seconds, and stir again until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.  Pour it over the crust spreading it evenly, and sprinkle the marshmallows over the chocolate, pressing them lightly, and then add the reserved crumb mixture. Broil the dessert under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from the heat for 30 seconds, or until the marshmallows are golden, let it cool completely, and cut it into squares.

Lemon-Lime Basil Shortbread Cookies

I've already talked about how much I like savory baked goods, and we've established that I like herbs in unexpected places.  So when I saw these citrusy shortbread cookies in Bon Appetit, I had to try them.  I've always included shortbread in my holiday baking, and loved the idea of a fresher-tasting, more summery version.  These would be great with a glass of minty iced sun tea, or with ice cream for dessert.

I didn't change the recipe much, other than to use lime juice and a little more of its zest since I prefer it to lemon.  The dough was almost too quick to put together in the food processor, and soft and very easy to work with, and the cookies themselves were sturdy enough to handle without being dense. 

Lemon-Lime Basil Shortbread Cookies

What's in them:

1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c + 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 c chilled unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
2 Tbsp sliced fresh basil leaves (about 3-4 leaves)
1 tsp lime zest + juice from half a lime
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp kosher salt

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 375°. Place flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, butter, basil, both zests, lime juice, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until large, moist clumps form.

Measure level tablespoonfuls of dough; roll between your palms to form balls. Place on a large baking sheet, spacing 2" apart.

Lightly dust the bottom of a flat measuring cup with powdered sugar and press cookies into 2" rounds, dusting cup bottom with powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking.

Bake until edges are brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.

Berry Trifle with Lime Pound Cake and Ricotta Whipped Cream

Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays. Not only does it fall a few days after my birthday, guaranteeing a long weekend to enjoy it, but it's a holiday dedicated to the appreciation of a country where we can cook over an open flame by choice, booms and flashes of light are fireworks and not missile strikes, and people can gather for parties or protests without fear of persecution.

If you're headed to a cookout where all sorts of good things are cooked over that open flame before you ooh and aah over those fireworks, this red, white and blue trifle would be a great addition to the evening. Summery berries, rich pound cake with just the slightest hint of tartness and barely-sweetened cream whipped with thick ricotta are layered together to make a cool summer evening treat.

Berry Trifle with Lime Pound Cake and Ricotta Whipped Cream

What's in it:

1 c heavy whipping cream
1 c ricotta (part-skim works well here)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Lime pound cake (recipe follows), diced into 3/4-1" cubes

2 lbs strawberries, hulled and quartered

2 pints blueberries

How to make it:

Whip the cream with beaters or the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer. As the cream starts to fluff, add sugar and vanilla. When the whipped cream holds a peak as you pull the whisk out, add the ricotta and continue to whip until combined

In a steep-sided clear bowl*, place a layer of cake cubes in the bottom, followed by a layer of berries. Spread a layer of the whipped cream mixture over the berries. Repeat layers, and garnish with a few leftover berries. Chill until ready to serve

*Depending on the height and diameter of your bowl, you can make two or three repetitions of the layers, just make sure you decide ahead of time how deep you want the layers!

Lime Pound Cake

adapted from Serious Eats

What's in it

6 oz butter plus more for the pan, at room temperature
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
zest of one lime
1 1/2 c sugar, plus 1 Tbsp for the pan
3 large eggs, at room temperature

How to make it:

Heat oven to 325°F. Generously grease a light-colored 9x5x3" loaf pan with butter. Add the 1 tablespoon of sugar; turn pan to coat evenly with sugar, tap out any excess, and set aside. (The inside of the pan should be smoothly and evenly coated with butter and sugar, with no clumps or gaps.)

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a measuring vessel with a pourable spout, combine milk, vanilla extract, and lime zest. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter at medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and beat until satiny smooth, about 3 minutes.

Add 1 egg at a time to the butter mixture, beating 15 seconds before adding another, and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour and milk mixtures in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down sides of bowl; beat just until batter is smooth and silky but no more.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and firmly tap on a counter to allow batter to settle evenly. Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out moist but clean, about 1 hour. Let cake cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack; let cool completely before cutting.

Strawberry Basil Sorbet

Yes, this is the second strawberry post in about a week.  Once they're here, I can't resist them.  And there's an herb hiding in here, too.  But the difference is that you can enjoy this sorbet by the spoonful.  Because let's face it, as good as strawberry jam is, you don't really get to eat it with a spoon. 

This is a pretty basic sorbet recipe, but the basil gives it some depth.  Like the jam, the herb flavor is subtle, but it's enough to provide some interest, and enhances the bright strawberry flavor beautifully.

Strawberry Basil Sorbet
adapted from The Perfect Scoop, via Annie's Eats

What's in it:

1 1/2 lb fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
2-3 large basil leaves, chiffonade
1 c sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt

How to make it:

Combine strawberries, basil and sugar in a medium bowl, and stir until sugar dissolves.  Let stand for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Pour the strawberry mixture, lemon juice and salt into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Press the mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds if desired.

Chill the mixture thoroughly (for ice creams and sorbets, I make the base the night before I plan to freeze it), then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Chocolate Cherry Birthday Cupcakes

We were in Florida over the holiday weekend to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday.  It was a great party with lots of friends and family, but we didn't want to overlook the fact that it was also the day before my dad's 60th birthday!  I asked what kind of cupcakes he would want, and he went with classic chocolate cake topped with cherry buttercream.  Happy Birthday, Dad!

This chocolate cake was surprisingly rich considering that there's not a lot of chocolate in it, and very moist.  The cherry buttercream was delicious- I couldn't find the tart cherry preserves called for in the original recipe, but regular sweet preserves worked fine, since the cake itself wasn't particularly sweet.  I halved both recipes for an even dozen cupcakes, with some frosting leftover.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
cake from Wilton, cherry buttercream from Food Network

What's in them:

For the cupcakes:

2 c all-purpose flour, unsifted

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c butter, room temperature

2 c sugar

3 eggs (if halving, use 1 egg and 1 egg yolk)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp instant coffee or espresso

1 1/2 c milk

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted

For the frosting:

4 - 4 1/2 c confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

3 to 4 Tbsp milk

2/3 c cherry preserves

cherry halves for garnishing

How to make them:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla and instant coffee; beat thoroughly. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate and beat thoroughly. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on rack; remove and cool completely before decorating.

While cupcakes are baking, make the buttercream.   In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment, mix together 4 cups of the powdered sugar and the butter on medium-low speed until well blended. Add the vanilla and milk and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat in the cherry preserves until well incorporated.  Add more powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency.  I left mine a little on the soft side so that I could gently spread with a spoon for a smooth finish. 

Frost cupcakes either by spreading or piping the buttercream onto them.  Top each with a cherry half.

Caramel Sauce

To be honest, I'm not sure I should share this recipe.  It's really too easy, and kind of a dangerous thing to have lurking in your fridge.  I originally made this caramel sauce for these salted caramel blondies (these are amazing, especially if you let the butter brown when you melt it), and had about half the batch leftover.  Since then, it's gone on ice cream, fruit, and, my favorite, with berry sauce and whipped cream on French toast.  And it's not gone yet- anyone have favorite uses for caramel sauce?

I stuck with the recipe on this one, being fairly inexperienced with anything that involves melting sugar.  Be sure to watch the sugar closely, since it will cross the line from perfectly golden to bitter and brown very quickly.  And then you'd be sad.  I also upped the salt, as suggested, since I was making salted caramel blondies anyway.  I really like how the salt keeps it from being too sweet.

Caramel Sauce
from The Joy of Cooking, via Yummy Supper

What's in it:

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch or three of salt

How to make it:

Place sugar and water in a small heavy sauce pan.  Heat over to medium-high heat swirling the pan occasionally until sugar has dissolved.  (Avoid letting sugar burn until completely dissolved.) 

Cover pan, turn heat to high, and boil for 2 minutes.  Remove lid and continue to boil until syrup turns brown around the edges of the pan.  Swirl syrup occasionally until it turns a deep amber.

Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, two or three tablespoons at a time.  Stir in cream, then vanilla and salt.  If sauce become lumpy, set pan over low heat and stir until smooth then turn off heat again.

Use immediately, eat a spoonful, or pour into an airtight container (canning jars work well) for later.  Allow to come to room temp, or rewarm in the microwave if it's in an appropriate container, before using.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  This is one of those holidays that I have no cultural tie to, but celebrate anyway because I like the food and drinks.  You know, kind of like St. Patrick's Day.  One of my favorite Mexican ingredients is dulce de leche.  If you've never had it before, it's an amazingly rich, creamy caramel.  It makes a great filling for sandwich cookies (try it between chocolate wafer cookies), pancake or waffle topping, or stirred into hot coffee.

These cheesecake bars are one of my favorite recipes using dulce de leche.  Unlike regular cheesecake, no waterbath is required, and they transport easily for parties, an important factor for Cinco de Mayo.  The sweetness of the dulce de leche balances perfectly with the tanginess of the cream cheese.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars
Adapted from Bon Appetit

What's in them:
 
Crust

    Butter or canola oil for greasing pan 

    1 1/2 cups (scant) finely ground graham crackers (from about 10 whole graham crackers)

    1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

    2 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature

    2/3 cup sugar

    2 large eggs

    1/3 cup purchased dulce de leche*

    1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze

    1/2 cup purchased dulce de leche

    2 tablespoons (or more) heavy whipping cream, half & half, or milk

* If you can't find dulce de leche, you can make your own using sweetened condensed milk.  The easiest (and safest) way to do this is to use your slow cooker.

How to make them:

Crust

   

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Coat 11x8x2-inch baking pan or glass dish with butter or oil.  Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl.  Add melted butter; stir until coated. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

Filling

Blend cream cheese and sugar in processor until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl.  Add eggs 1 at a time, processing 3 to 5 seconds to blend between additions.  Add dulce de leche and vanilla; process until blended, about 10 seconds.  Spread batter evenly over cooled crust.  Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 30-35 minutes.  Transfer to rack; cool completely.

Glaze

Heat dulce de leche and cream or milk in microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals until melted. Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if too thick to pour (amount of cream needed will depend on brand of dulce de leche).  Be careful not to thin the glaze too much, as you don't want it to be runny.  Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour (glaze will not be firm).   This can be done up to two days in advance, if you can resist them that long.

Cut cheesecake lengthwise into 4 strips, then crosswise into 4 strips, forming 16 bars.

Chocolate Cookies with Salted Caramel Drizzle

Look, I know.  The salted caramel trend has had its day.  But I love it.  Especially with chocolate.  Creamy caramel with that salty bite to it, covering bittersweet chocolate is one of my favorite indulgences.  I've been making these cookies for a while, and they always go fast when I take them to parties, picnics or into work.  Which is why I always hold some back for my personal stash.

These are rich cookies, so I usually make them on the small side, about 1/2-2/3 Tbsp. of dough per cookie.  They also keep well at room temp for about a week, but eventually the caramel starts to run off, so if you make them ahead, hold off on the caramel until you're just about ready to serve.

Chocolate Cookies with Salted Caramel Drizzle
adapted from the cookbook Salt, as seen on The Nest

What's in them:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
about 20 caramel candies
1-2 Tbsp. milk or cream
1 tsp. fleur de sel, sea salt, or kosher salt


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugars in a stand mixer on medium high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Continue to beat for 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to slow and add the flour mixture. When that is well mixed, stir in the chopped chocolate.

Put the mixture in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to harden slightly. Scoop very scant tablespoons of the mixture onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 7-9 minutes.  Move cookies to a cooling rack, and continue to bake cookies until dough is gone.

While cookies are cooling, unwrap caramels and put into a microwave-safe bowl.   Add milk or cream, and heat in microwave in 30-second intervals, until caramel is completely melted and smooth.  Stir in salt.

Place cookies back onto parchment-lined pans, and drizzle caramel over each cookie using a spoon, squeeze bottle or pastry bag.How to make them: