Bake or Break

Oatmeal Jammys

jennifer — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:28:09 +0000

One of the first food trucks I visited in New York was The Treats Truck. I vividly remember taking far too long to order because I couldn't decide what sounded best. That truck, affectionately named Sugar, is still going strong and offers a plethora of tempting cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and many other amazing treats.

New to my cookbook collection is The Treats Truck Baking Book. Like Sugar himself, it is also filled with so many good things that it's hard to choose a place to start.

After much deliberation, I chose to start with these oatmeal thumbprint cookies. I'm always a sucker for an oatmeal cookie (minus the raisins, of course), and I always have a fully stocked jam/jelly/preserves section of my refrigerator.

Kitchen Sink Brownies

jennifer — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:32:28 +0000

I've made what most of us think of as Kitchen Sink Cookies many, many times. I do believe, though, that this is my first foray into Kitchen Sink Brownies. How this never happened before now is a mystery. I love the idea, and now that I've tried them, I can't believe I waited so long..

Salted Caramel Cookie Bites

jennifer — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:55:23 +0000

Sweet and salty has become a bit of a theme this month in my kitchen. Just last week, there were those Salted Caramel Pecan Bars. And, the week before that, I shared these lovely Fleur de Sel Chocolate Chip Blondies. Hopefully, no one minds the repetition. I, for one, adore the sweet and salty combo.

Chocolate Macadamia Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

jennifer — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:19:06 +0000

I wouldn't try to guess how many kinds of chocolate chip cookies I've made over the years. It's hard to grow tired of them, especially with all the different ways you can keep them interesting. Nuts, dried fruits, more nuts, maybe some oats. Or, in the case of this version, macadamia nuts and peanut butter chips.

Butter Pecan Shortbread

jennifer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:12:37 +0000

Shortbread is one of the simple joys of the baking world. Usually, there are just a handful of ingredients. The effort is minimal. And, the simple flavors are just right.

Of course, throw some pecans into something, and I'm definitely on board. So, with those few ingredients and very little time, I had this shortbread in the oven. My kitchen was filled with the delightful aroma of buttery cookies and toasted pecans.

Salted Caramel Pecan Bars

jennifer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:48:53 +0000

I generally have some hesitation in sharing super-easy recipes like this one. Then, I have an internal discussion with myself about how we all need to have a collection of embarrassingly easy sweets to make when we are lacking in time and/or inclination. After that, I end up sharing them with you with some near-apology about how easy they are.

While there is baking involved with these, it's not in the traditional sense. No flour, just a few ingredients, and very little mixing. Store-bought graham crackers get things started by providing a crust. Add to that a sweet mixture of buttery pecans, and that's all that's required to get these ready for baking.

Peanut Butter Mud Bars

jennifer — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:54:05 +0000

I've been re-visiting some of my favorite cookbooks lately. I don't have a vast collection, but it's large enough that some get a little lost occasionally. The positive side to that is that when you find a formerly lost one, it's a bit like getting a new cookbook... for free!

I happened upon this recipe while re-discovering The Buttercup Bakeshop Cookbook. Of course, it had me at peanut butter. Then, I read the description that stated that these are a favorite at the bakery. With that kind of endorsement, I started rounding up ingredients. Luckily, these are all ingredients that most of us probably have in our pantries all the time.

Fleur de Sel Chocolate Chip Blondies

jennifer — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:03:57 +0000

If the baking lords ever decide the whole sweet and salty thing is played out, please don't tell me. I'd rather live in oblivion, happily eating salty, sweet treats.

These blondies are a very fine example of how sweet and salty play well together. First of all, you have brown sugar blondies that can barely contain all the chocolate chips in them. Then, that's topped off with lots of beautiful sea salt.

Black Bottom Brownies

jennifer — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:17:13 +0000

When we moved to New York just over a year ago, I was forced to whittle down my cookbook collection. Believe me, losing 3000 square feet of living space will make you whittle down a lot of things. I spent a lot of time and thought considering what books would make the cut.

My collection is about 85% baking books. One of my favorite kinds of baking books is bakery cookbooks. To me, those are just the best. I'm pretty sure all of those made the cut. An old favorite of mine is The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. From that book, I share with you these brownies.

Coca-Cola Cake

jennifer — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:59:53 +0000

I've had a strange fascination with this cake for a long time, yet I've never made it. There's something about the thought of making a cake with a Coke that intrigues me. Sort of in a how-can-that-possibly-work way.

This particular recipe comes from Classic Southern Desserts by Southern Living. I don't know if this cake truly has Southern origins, but it certainly seems Southern enough to me. I mean, who else would pour Coca-Cola into a cake?