Bake or Break

Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust

jennifer — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:13:34 +0000

Peanut butter and chocolate go together about as well as anything else I can think of in the food world. I've had a long-time love affair with that combination. There's nothing fancy about it, but it's just plain delicious. This pie is no exception.

Butter Pecan Cake

jennifer — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:40:02 +0000

View a printable recipe or more photos

It's been a while since I had a non-chocolate recipe on BoB. Personally, I don't think there's any such thing as too much chocolate, but maybe variety isn't such a bad thing, either.

Chocolate-Caramel Bars

jennifer — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:17:50 +0000

View a printable recipe or more photos

For those of you still keeping tabs on BoB, don't give up on me. I have not been able to bake and post with the frequency I'd like. I hope to remedy that as best I can.

Happy holidays, everyone!

These days, I'm all about quick and easy. The time of all-day baking sprees has passed. I take what baking time I can get. This recipe is a perfect example of making the most of very little time and few ingredients.

Max Brenner’s Fudge Brownies

jennifer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:46:59 +0000

View a printable recipe or more photos

Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Max Brenner’s new book, Chocolate: A Love Story. Having enjoyed visiting one of his shops in New York, I was anxious to try out some recipes. Actually titled "A philosophical highly concentrated fudge brownie," this chocolate extravagance cried out from the book’s pages to be made as soon as possible. Who am I to argue?

German Chocolate Cheesecake

jennifer — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:15:23 +0000

View and printable recipe or more photos

I'm a little late with this, but I had to brag on my birthday cake. I think many bakers are left to make their own birthday cakes. I, however, have Quinn, who always comes through at the end of August.

Chocolate Salted-Caramel Mini Cupcakes

jennifer — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:50:08 +0000

View a printable recipe or more photos

I could begin this post by apologizing for my blogging absence and giving you all the reasons that I've been on an unplanned hiatus, but after getting a good look at these cupcakes I'm sure you'd rather I get right to the business at hand. Chocolate cupcakes + salted caramel = incredibly good!

Blueberry Crumb Cake

jennifer — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:21:28 +0000

View a printable recipe or more photos

I found this recipe while flipping through Nick Malgieri's Perfect Cakes. He prefaces it by saying that he makes this cake about half a dozen times every summer. Knowing how much I have liked his recipes in the past, I did not hesitate to turn on the oven and get to baking.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

jennifer — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:21:14 +0000

View a printable recipe or more photos

I’m not a huge fan of Oreos or, really, any kind of store-bought cookie. I have spoiled myself with the homemade variety. That being said, I am not the least bit hesitant to use store-bought cookies as an ingredient, like with these cheesecakes.

The crust of these little treats is actually a whole Oreo, not crumbs. Leaving the cookie intact makes for a thick crust that gets nice and soft after they’ve baked and chilled. Topping off those Oreos is one of my favorite things – cheesecake. Of course, it wouldn’t meet the legal definition of a cookies and cream cheesecake without even more Oreos mixed into the cheesecake. I especially like the addition of sour cream to the cheesecake filling. It offsets all that sweet with just a little bit of tartness.

Granola Cookies with Chocolate and Roasted Almonds

jennifer — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:43:31 +0000

View a printable recipe or more photos

The first time I flipped through At Home with Magnolia, I was intrigued by these cookies. I am a big fan of granola and have been tempted more than once to make my own granola bars. Somehow, though, I'd never thought to put granola in cookies.

Coconut Cake

jennifer — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:44:20 +0000

View a printable recipe or more photos

One of my very favorite desserts is coconut cake. Strangely enough, I think I've only made two or three of them in my life. One reason could be Quinn's vehement aversion to all things coconut. Other than that, I'm not sure what the reasoning is. In any case, I decided to put an end to the coconut drought.