So, it seems as though I might live in a tiny bit of a bubble. A few months ago, my Chief Culinary Consultant and I were watching an episode of Rock Center with Brian Williams and they were running a story about how so many people in our society live in a bubble. They were featuring an author who had written a book on the subject, and who also created an online quiz, called “How Thick Is Your Bubble?” As soon as the segment was over, my Chief Culinary Consultant hopped on his computer and I jumped on my laptop to take the quiz. “Of course I don’t live in a bubble, fun quiz time!” is what was bouncing around in my head. Twenty questions later, I hit the submit button and was presented with my results. It said that my bubble is so thick that I don’t realize I’m even in one. Whaaaaaaat?? Talk about BURSTING a bubble!

That’s not all. How many of you watch Parks and Recreation? I’m convinced that Ron Swanson is, by far, the most awesome character on TV right now. Everything that comes out of his mouth is gold. My Chief Culinary Consultant coyly mentioned during the season finale that there are some similarities between me and Ron Swanson and while I feign insult, the truth is, it’s pretty spot-on. Bubble? Check. Not big on change? Check. Avoids public masses? Check. I suppose there are worse TV characters to be compared to

When I started thinking about recipes for Memorial Day weekend, which is usually all about cookouts and picnics, and my Chief Culinary Consultant suggested quiche, I almost fell over. What? Quiche for picnic food?! Quiche is brunch food. Holiday brunch food. Baby shower and wedding shower brunch food. Definitely not picnic food. Picnic food is hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, baked beans, watermelon, and a dessert that invariably involves Cool Whip. He disagreed, and set out Googling. Turns out, apparently, that quiche is a pretty common item on a lot of picnic menus, and it seems to be especially popular for picnics in the UK. Okay, so I live in a bubble. I concede. I’ll make that quiche, and I’ll raise you some bacon and cheese.

I loved this quiche recipe for many reasons, but especially because it was baked in a tart pan, instead of the traditional pie plate. Maybe it’s just me, but I think anything baked in a tart pan with that perfectly scalloped pie crust is instantly gorgeous. When that crust is filled with a creamy mixture that includes lots of bacon and cheese? Gorgeous and delicious. I was shocked by how quickly you could throw this recipe together. I mixed the crust in 5 minutes, and was able to assemble the filling while the crust was in the oven. It took nearly zero effort, and I was rewarded with the trifecta of pie crust, bacon, and cheese. It’s hard to beat that! I’m happy to be working my way out of my bubble, and will now add this quiche recipe to potential picnic recipes in the future.

Does anyone else out there live in a bubble?! Also, does anyone else think that Ron Swanson is awesome?

One year ago: Mushroom Barley Risotto
Two years ago: Honey-Oatmeal Sandwich Bread
Three years ago: Traditional Hummus
Four years ago: Homemade Pita Bread
Five years ago: Taco Rice Salad

Bacon and Cheese Quiche Tart

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Bake Time: 50 minutes

Crust:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cold, cut into small pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
4 ounces thick-sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 eggs
1½ cups heavy cream
4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper

1. Make the Crust: Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the butter and the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using a rubber spatula, stir in just enough water to bind. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan. Gently fit the dough into the tart pan and trim any excess off the edge by rolling the rolling pin over top of the pan. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill the tart pan with pie weights. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights and continue baking until the crust is golden brown, 5 to 10 more minutes.

4. Make the Filling: While the crust bakes prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. When the crust comes out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the bacon over the bottom crust, and then slowly pour the egg mixture over the bacon to fill the crust. Bake until the quiche is puffed and brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator.

(Recipe adapted from The Ultimate American Cookbook)

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Tags: Breakfast Main Dishes

Welcome to another weekend! I hope yours is looking as sunny as ours here in Pittsburgh. It might be the best weekend forecast of the year so far! Sunny and in the 80′s – you can’t beat that in mid-May. What do you have planned for the next couple of days? I am going to be helping my mom plant a raised bed garden tomorrow, which I’m super excited about. I’m looking forward to homegrown produce! I’ve done herbs in containers the last few summers, but have yet to do any vegetables. Fingers are crossed that one of us inherited my grandfather’s incredibly green thumb. On our planting list: tomatoes, mixed greens, romaine lettuce, red peppers, jalapeno peppers, broccoli, zucchini, and pickling cucumbers. We’ll see how it goes!

Do you remember last Saturday when I mentioned that my mom and I were going to a Mario Batali cooking demo and autograph signing? We had such a blast. Actually, I think my mom may have had even more fun than I did; I’m so glad that she enjoyed it. We watched him cook two dishes from his new cookbook, and then got our copies autographed. Afterward, my mom and I hit up a local bakery for a casual lunch. It was a wonderful Saturday afternoon! Here are a few photos from the event:

Mario cooking:

Here I am, getting my cookbook signed. I was telling Mario that I watched him on The Haney Project. It’s true, I watch golf shows. I love Feherty!

Next up was my mom, she was having so much fun:

Finally, I got to spend the entire event hanging out with Jessica, who many of you know from How Sweet It Is. We both hail from Pittsburgh, but live in different areas, and this was our first opportunity to meet and spend some time together. We should have had a Terrible Towel in the picture, now that I think about it

As always, you’ll find a recap of what was posted to the site this week as well as some bookmarked recipes from other blogs. Enjoy!

On Brown Eyed Baker This Week

GIVEAWAY: Pampered Chef ‘Help Whip Cancer’ Baking Sets – Did you win??

Colossal Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Chip Cookies – A dream for all peanut butter/chocolate fans!

Key Lime Pie – A classic! Graham cracker crust, a creamy, tart filling, and fresh whipped cream.

Chicken Fried Steak with Sawmill Gravy – Battered. Fried. Steak. Smothered in gravy. I think that says it all!

Mocha Brownies – Chocolate fudge brownies spiked with espresso and topped with an espresso frosting.

Most Viewed Post This Week: Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

What I Bookmarked This Week

Recipes from other blogs that I thought looked especially delicious and that I thought you would like too:

Cashew Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting (My Baking Addiction)
I’m definitely making these for my mom – she LOVES cashews!

Crockpot Bourbon Baked Beans (How Sweet It Is)
I have always loved baked beans, but have never made them myself. Shame on me! These look crazy good.

Open-Face Chicken Caprese Sandwiches (Iowa Girl Eats)
Simple, gorgeous, and perfect for summer!

Pao de Lo (Portuguese Sponge Cake) with Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream (Portuguese Girl Cooks)
I love family recipes, and this one looks outstanding, especially that pastry cream!

Peanut Butter Banana & Honey Muffins (Cookin’ Canuck)
I’ve always loved the combination of peanut butter and banana, but have only recently discovered the combination of peanut butter and honey. I can’t wait to make these!

Have a delicious weekend!

For most people, brownies are a cozy, heavy dessert that are baked primarily during the cooler winter months. I buck the trend. I start to crave brownies most when the birds start to chirp, the sun stays up until 8pm, and it’s shorts and bathing suit weather. Totally irrational, and probably not smart, but the taste buds want what the taste buds want. Apparently, my taste buds want rich, dense, fudgy brownies during the spring and summer months. So, I appease them. A few weeks ago, I fell head over heels in love with the Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. They took me back to my high school days, to a simpler time, a time when a really good brownie could right all of those teenage wrongs. I decided that I needed to make more frosted brownies in the future. As you can see, I didn’t wait very long. I positively adore my Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Frosting, and decided that was the perfect next step in my frosted brownie journey.

I took those amazing chocolate fudge brownies and adapted them for my mocha purposes, and then slathered my (slightly tweaked) espresso buttercream over top. Rich, fudgy brownies spiked with espresso and topped with a fluffy cloud of buttery-sugar-espresso-ness. (That’s definitely a word.) If you love coffee-flavored sweets, you’re going to fall in love with these brownies. Amazingly, I’m not even a coffee drinker, but I *LOVE* any mocha-inspired drinks or treats. I suppose that’s probably because mocha involves chocolate. Go figure, right?!

One year ago: Soba Noodle Stir-Fry with Spicy Almond Butter Sauce
Two years ago: Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Three years ago: Mushroom, Spinach and Gruyere Quiche
Four years ago: Traditional Madeleines

Mocha Brownies

Yield: 16 brownies

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 25 to 30 minutes

For the Brownies:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
4½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon instant espresso powder
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons heavy cream

1. Make the Brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch-square baking dish and line with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the edges. Butter the parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3. Bring about an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Place a medium, heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan (do not let it touch the water) and add the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk in the granulated and brown sugars, along with the instant espresso powder. Whisk in the egg, the yolk, and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture all at once, and fold it into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula until combined.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow  to cool completely; meanwhile, make the frosting.

5. Make the Frosting: Mix the instant espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved; set aside. Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it is mostly incorporated before adding more. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, about a minute or two. Add the espresso and vanilla mixture and continue to mix at medium-high until it is completely incorporated. Scrap the sides of the bowl, add the heavy cream, and again whip briefly at medium-high speed until thoroughly incorporated.

8. Spread the frosting onto the cooled brownies, and cut into squares. Store brownies in an airtight container, or tightly wrapped, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

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Tags: Brownies

Chicken Fried Steak. Also known as Country Fried Steak. Did anyone else meander through life at the very least slightly confused the first time you heard this recipe’s name? Was it chicken? Was it steak? Did you fry chicken and steak together? What on Earth was going on?! At some point along the way, I figured out through reading a menu or being told (I have no idea which), that chicken fried steak was essentially just battered and fried steak. It seems that the word “chicken” got thrown in because at the end of the day, the fried steak looks like fried chicken. Leave it to the culinary world to confuse the masses. Now that we’ve gotten the nomenclature out of the way, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Battered. Fried. Steak. Smothered in gravy. This must be what dinner is like in heaven.

I actually hadn’t tasted this until a couple of years ago when out to eat with my Chief Culinary Consultant. It’s one of his favorite dishes, so when he ordered it and I said I’d never tried it before, he insisted that I take a bite. I barely chewed before I knew I had stumbled upon something utterly amazing. Fast forward to a month ago. I was flipping through my new copy of the The Homesick Texan Cookbook and my CCC pointed out chicken fried steak on one of the pages. It immediately went on my dinner bucket list, no questions asked. We finally got around to making it and found that, (1) it wasn’t nearly as difficult or time-consuming as I imagined it might be; and (2) it’s crazy delicious and deserves to be made at home without a second thought.

Now, sometimes chicken fried steak is served with a basic white gravy (made with a little fat, flour, and milk), and sometimes it’s served with sawmill gravy. Sawmill gravy is made the exact same way, except that it includes some crumbled breakfast sausage. I know what you’re thinking – sausage on top beef?? Look, we’re already battering and frying meat. Nothing was going to stop me from throwing a little sausage into the gravy. It takes the gravy to a completely euphoric level. Now I want everything I eat to be smothered in this gravy. It’s amazing. This whole dish is amazing. From the steak, to the gravy, to my favorite mashed potatoes, and even a tiny bit of vegetables – the whole thing is out of this world. I hear that buttermilk biscuits are also a popular side to the chicken fried steak meal. I will be sure to include those next time! Because there will certainly be a next time. Many, many next times.

One year ago: Top 10 List: Favorite Ice Cream Recipes
Two years ago: Baking FAQ: Answers to Common Baking Questions
Three years ago: Anadama Bread
Four years ago: Chicken Fajita Enchiladas
Five years ago: Chicken Salad

Chicken Fried Steak

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes

For the Steaks:
1½ pounds top-round steak
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil, for frying

For the Sawmill Gravy:
¼ pound breakfast sausage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk
Salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Cut the top-round steak into four pieces. Working with one piece at a time, place on a sturdy cutting board or clean countertop, cover with a large piece of plastic wrap, and pound the beef with a meat tenderizer until flattened and almost doubled in size (you want the meat to be about ¼-inch thick). Repeat with the remaining pieces. Sprinkle pieces of beef with salt and black pepper.

2. In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. In another large, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and the buttermilk. Take a piece of the tenderized meat and dip it in the egg mixture. Next, place the meat in the bowl of seasoned flour. Turn to coat it thoroughly. Place the meat back into the egg mixture, turning to coat. Finally, return it back to the flour mixture, ensuring that it is evenly coated on both sides. Place on a clean baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces of meat.

3. In a large, 12-inch cast iron skillet, heat ½ inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until a small fleck of flour dropped in the pan sizzles. Carefully place one or two pieces of the meat (whatever fits comfortably without overcrowding) into the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the blood starts bubbling out of the top of the steak. Using a pair of tongs, gently turn over the steaks and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove the steaks to a cooling rack to drain while you finish frying the remaining steaks. You can place the cooked steaks in a 200-degree oven to keep warm.

4. Finally, make the sawmill gravy. (You can start this in another pan while the last piece of steak is cooking.) In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned, crumbling it as it cooks. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the skillet and place on a plate. Drain the oil from the pan, reserving 2 tablespoons in the skillet (if your sausage didn’t yield enough drippings, you can use vegetable oil to get to the 2 tablespoons). Sprinkle the flour over the drippings, and whisk together, cooking for about 2 minutes, until a dark roux is formed. Add the milk slowly to the skillet, whisking continuously. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue whisking until the mixture is thickened, about 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the reserved sausage, and season to taste with salt and black pepper. (If the gravy is too thick, you can thin it by whisking in more milk, a tablespoon at a time.)

5. Serve the steaks with the sawmill gravy poured over top.

Note: You can purchase cube steak, which is already-tenderized cuts of round steak, and omit step 1 up until the last line – be sure to still season with salt and pepper!

(Recipe adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook)

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Tags: Beef Recipes

For as much as I love pie, you’d have thought that I would have been all over key lime pie by now. The truth? I ate key lime pie for the very first time when I was in Florida back in March. As in, two months ago. The first time in my entire life. At first, I wasn’t sure how I had missed key lime pie for the last 32 years. Then, when I mentioned to my mom that I had made it this week, she said that she had never had key lime pie either. Mystery solved. Apparently, we are not very tropical people when it comes to our desserts? I also tend to sway waaaayyyy far to the side of pies made with traditional pie crusts. When given the option, I’ll always pick flaky and buttery over graham cracker. Yet another potential reason key lime pie slid down my pie priority list. Is this starting to feel like a Sherlock Holmes investigation to anyone else? (Speaking of which, have you seen the movies with Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law? Two of my recent favorites!) Long story short, I may have been late to the party with key lime pie, but the good news is that I finally made it. To my surprise, this was one of the easiest pies I have ever made. Ever. It was also drop-dead delicious. A perfect balance of a creamy, tart filling, a fluffy, sweet topping, and buttery graham crust. This key lime pie now has a permanent place in my summer baking rotation!

As I mentioned above, this was one of the easiest pies that I’ve ever made. After eating it for the first time in March, I was convinced that the filling was some type of elaborate curd/custard that would need to be painstakingly cooked on the stove, and then baked in the oven. Not so! All you do is whisk together lime zest, egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and lime juice, let it sit to thicken, and then pour it into the crust and bake briefly. Key lime pie dates back to the late 1800′s in Key West, Florida. At the time, modern refrigeration wasn’t available, so fresh milk wasn’t a common commodity. Instead, canned milk was widely used. As a result, this incredibly easy pie came to be. Believe it or not, up until recently, the pie wasn’t baked at all. The combination of the lime juice with the egg yolks and condensed milk creates a chemical reaction that causes the mixture to thicken all on its own (the acid causes the proteins in the yolks and milk to bond together). Nowadays, due to concerns over raw eggs, the pie is baked, which actually creates a much better filling consistency since it  sets wonderfully and is less droopy than its unbaked counterpart.

Aren’t key limes adorable? They’re so itsy bitsy! I had some questions on my Facebook page about the difference between key limes and regular (Persian) limes, which are the ones that you see year-round at the grocery store. The biggest difference is that key limes are more acidic than regular limes, which makes them more tart and much more aromatic. Key limes can sometimes be hard to find in regular supermarkets, so if you can’t get your hands on them, you can absolutely substitute standard limes in this pie. No sweat!

Key lime pies can be made with a meringue topping (more traditional) or a whipped cream topping (more modern). I am a whipped cream girl all the way, so there was no question which way I was going here, but feel free to customize based on your personal preferences. Now that I know how easy and delicious this pie is, there is zero excuse for me not to make it. That goes for you, too! Make this part of your summer baking agenda!

Five years ago: Cheesy Baked Ziti with Sausage

Key Lime Pie

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 1 hour (active) + 3 hours (inactive) | Bake Time: 35 minutes

For the Lime Filling:
4 teaspoons grated lime zest
4 egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup fresh lime juice

For the Graham Cracker Crust:
9 graham crackers, pulverized into crumbs (about 1 cup cracker crumbs)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm

For the Whipped Cream Topping:
1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
½ cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Make the Filling: Whisk the lime zest and egg yolks together in a medium bowl for 2 minutes. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, then the lime juice. Set aside at room temperature to thicken while you prepare the crust.

3. Make the Crust: In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and the granulated sugar. While stirring and mixing continuously with a fork, slowly drizzle the melted butter into the graham cracker and sugar mixture. Once you are done, all of the dry ingredients should be moistened and it should look like wet sand. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch pie plate  and evenly press the crumbs into the pie plate. Bake the crust until it is fragrant and beginning to brown, 15 to 18 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

4. Once the crust has cooled to room temperature, pour the lime filling into the crust. Bake until the center is set, yet still wiggly when jiggled, 15 to 17 minutes. Return the pie to a wire rack; cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until well-chilled, at least 3 hours. (At this point, the pie can be covered directly with plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

5. Make the Whipped Cream: Using an electric mixer, whip the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form. At this point, add the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while continuing to whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Decoratively pipe the whipped cream over the filling or spread the whipped cream evenly with a spatula. Garnish with lime slices, if desired, and serve. Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

(Recipe adapted from Baking Illustrated)

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Tags: Pies and Tarts, Summer

My infatuation with the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is very well-documented here on the site. You put the two of them together and I’m completely unable to practice any sort of restraint. The good news? I know I’m not alone. I’ve been thrilled to hear from all of the other chocolate/peanut butter fanatics out there! So, it probably comes as no surprise that I keep finding new ways to throw the two of them together. Sometimes, the ideas are born out of desperation (I need some chocolate and peanut butter immediately).  Sometimes, I see a recipe on a blog, in a magazine or in a cookbook that looks irresistible, and sometimes, I stare at my pantry ingredients and see the perfect storm. These cookies were born out of a perfect storm. In fact, you know that enormous rogue wave that kills George Clooney at the end of the movie by the same name? It has just met its culinary counterpart.

Speaking of infatuations, most of you also know I’m a hockey fanatic and a huge Penguins fan. Last year, when tickets went on sale for the upcoming season, I had my sights set on one game.

Thursday, December 29th.
Flyers vs. Penguins.
The return of Max Talbot and Jaromir Jagr.

My little fingers click, click, clicked away on Ticketmaster at exactly 10:00am the morning tickets went on sale, but they were immediately sold out. I figured I would check StubHub as the game got closer and try to snag tickets. Lo and behold, a couple of months later, I received my regular Penguins email newsletter. Nestled at the bottom of the email was a notice that the team would be selling 3-game packages for all of the home games versus the Flyers. My fingers have never typed so fast. To say that purchasing that ticket package was an impulse purchase would be the understatement of the century. The thing about those tickets, though? They came pre-loaded with $25 worth of concessions. Turns out, it’s pretty hard for two people to eat and drink $50 worth of concessions at one game. We were at the last game of the season, and I realized there was still a balance on our two tickets, even after we had eaten and gotten drinks. Not willing to throw it away, I hit the concession stand one last time. What did I buy? I stocked up on Reese’s Pieces, of course! “I can use these to bake!” was my immediate exclamation.

Fast forward a month, and in my drawer of baking goodies, I see the following:

An unopened bag of Reese’s peanut butter chips.
Boxes of Reese’s Pieces.
Three half-full bags of chocolate chips.
A jar of peanut butter.

The perfect storm. Obviously, these cookies were meant to be. Massive, soft, and chewy. Packed with tons of peanut butter and chocolate. They’re amazingly delicious, and they make the fact that I have no hockey team to root for in May just slightly more bearable.

One year ago: Raspberry Streusel Bars
Two years ago: 7 of the Best Ice Cream Recipes
Three years ago: Easy Fudge
Five years ago: Dark Chocolate Chip Scones

Colossal Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 18 jumbo cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 12 minutes

3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup Reese’s Pieces
Fleur de sel, for sprinkling (optional, but awesome!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour, mixing until it has almost all been incorporated. Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and Reese’s Pieces, and mix briefly (about 20 seconds) to ensure they are evenly distributed.

4. Roll a ¼ cup of dough into a ball and place on one of the baking sheets. Repeat with the rest of the dough – you should end up with about 18 cookies. With your fingers, press down on the balls of dough to flatten into disks, about ½-inch thick. Sprinkle with a pinch of Fleur de Sel. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, just until the edges of the cookies are beginning to turn a light brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

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Tags: Cookies

UPDATE: The five winners of the Pampered Chef ‘Help Whip Cancer’ Baking Sets are:

#2,887 – Laura L: “Following you on pinterest now too.”

#1,694 – Stephanie R: “I already follow you on Pinterest!”

#173 – Mary H.: “Last night I ate roasted asparagus my daughter in law picked from her garden.”

#4,223 – Sarah E.: “I like Pampered Chef on FB”

#4,098 – Sherri: “‘liked’ you on my Facebook!”

Congratulations to the winners! Be sure to reply to the email you’ve been sent to confirm your mailing address, and your baking sets will be shipped off to you!

Thanks to everyone for entering! Don’t forget, for every “like” and “share” that Pampered Chef receives on their Facebook page during May, $1 will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Also, the specialty pink products will be available through May 31st, with $1 from each sale going to the American Cancer Society!

I don’t think there are many of us whose lives haven’t been touched in some way by cancer; whether it be through a personal diagnosis, a family member, or a friend. Most of us have experienced cancer in some way, and have seen first-hand how awful it is. I lost my dad to leukemia (which is cancer of the blood), my aunt is a breast cancer survivor, as is my best friend’s mom. Cancer is everywhere, and it changes lives forever. Which is why I am thrilled to be teaming up with Pampered Chef this week to Help Whip Cancer. This is the 12th year of the annual fundraising campaign in which Pampered Chef donates 25% of Help Whip Cancer Fundraiser Cooking Show sales during the months of May and October to the American Cancer Society. In addition, Pampered Chef is offering specialty pink products; $1 from each of those sales goes directly to the ACS as well. They also launched a Help Whip Cancer app and are donating $1 to ACS for every “like” and “share” in May on Facebook. To help spread the word (and baking love!), Pampered Chef and I are giving away Help Whip Cancer baking sets to FIVE(!) Brown Eyed Baker readers.

I have been in love with Pampered Chef products for a long while now, so I thoroughly enjoyed checking out these fun new kitchen toys. First of all, who doesn’t love some pink in their kitchen (especially when the money is going to a good cause)?! The oven mitt and oven pad are adorable, as are the cake tester and spatula. The cake pans are awesome; everyone needs a great set of cake pans in their kitchen. And then we have the batter bowl. Quite possibly my favorite Pampered Chef product ever! My mom has had one for as long as I can remember. I commandeered hers a couple of years ago, and have since acquired two more of my own. I *love* them! It’s perfect for chilling ice cream custard (the spout is ideal for pouring into an ice cream maker). It also makes a fantastic pour spout for pancakes – from the mixing bowl right onto the griddle!

Check out the details for the giveaway below and be sure to enter! And don’t forget that the specialty pink products will be available through May 31st, with $1 from each sale going to the American Cancer Society!

Giveaway Details

Five (5) winners will each receive the following Help Whip Cancer baking sets (pictured above):

• One (1) Paisley Oven Mitt
• One (1) Paisley Oven Pad
• One (1) Cake Tester
• One (1) Small Batter Bowl
• One (1) Cake Pan Set
• One (1) Pink Spatula

How to Enter

To enter this giveaway, just answer the following question in the comments section of this post:

“What was the last vegetable you ate?”

(I ask this because save for a couple strips of pepper on Friday night, I have no clue. Oops!)

Additional (Optional) Entries

To up your chances of winning, you can receive up to FIVE additional entries to win by doing the following (these are optional, not required):

1. Subscribe to Brown Eyed Baker by either RSS or email. Come back and let me know you’ve subscribed in an additional comment.

2. Become a fan of Brown Eyed Baker on Facebook. Come back and let me know you became a fan in an additional comment.

3. Become a fan of Pampered Chef on Facebook. (Don’t forget, for each “like”, $1 is donated to the American Cancer Society!) Come back and let me know you became a fan in an additional comment.

4. Follow Brown Eyed Baker on Pinterest. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional comment.

5. Follow @browneyedbaker on Twitter. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional comment.

The Fine Print

Deadline: Friday, May 18, 2012 at 11:59pm EST.

Winners: The winners will be chosen at random using Random.org and announced at the top of this post. The winners will also be notified via email; if a winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be selected.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by Brown Eyed Baker and Pampered Chef. All opinions on products are my own.

GOOD LUCK!!

Happy Saturday! I’m always amazed at how quickly the weekends pop up, and at how much I’ve managed to do (and not do) between each one. Today I am spending some pre-Mother’s Day time with my mom at the new Market District in Pine Twp. for a Mario Batali cooking demonstration. How fun! Tomorrow we’re celebrating Mother’s Day with lunch at the Rivers Casino and some games (I stick to the penny slots myself, as I hate to lose more than $10 ). What are your plans for the weekend? Do you have anything special planned? A great big Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there!

As always, you’ll find a recap of what was posted to the site this week as well as some bookmarked recipes from other blogs. Enjoy!

On Brown Eyed Baker This Week

Good Eats in NYC v2.0 – A roundup of all the places I ate at while in New York City last weekend.

Cinnamon-Almond French Toast – A perfect breakfast for Mother’s Day, and one of the best French toasts I’ve ever tasted.

Mimosa Truffles – White chocolate truffles infused with orange and champagne, modeled after the favorite brunch cocktail.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Crumble Tart – A cookie dough tart crust with a no-bake cream cheese filling, fresh strawberries, and a perfect crumb topping.

Hummingbird Cupcakes – The wonderfully tropical, traditional Southern cake made with bananas, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut is transformed into cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting and dried pineapple flowers.

Most Viewed Post This Week: Margarita Cupcakes

What I Bookmarked This Week

Recipes from other blogs that I thought looked especially delicious and that I thought you would like too:

Death by Snickers Bars (Cookies & Cups)
So much deliciousness going on. Snickers bars, dulce de leche, oh my! Need these.

Mac & Beer Cheese (Sugarcrafter)
There is so much to love about the combination of beer and cheese. Must make this macaroni and cheese ASAP!

Rum-Coconut Banana Bread (My Baking Addiction)
I adore banana bread and the myriad of variations it invites. This one in particular sounds outstanding.

Peanut Butter Pretzel M&M Truffle Brownies (Buttercream Blondie)
I’m almost speechless. Chocolate and peanut butter are amazing together. Throw in pretzels and you have a real party!

Three-Cheese Macaroni & Cheese with Lobster and Bacon (Danny’s Kitchen)
I am a sucker for mac n’ cheese of any kind, but throw three cheeses at me with lobster and bacon? Irresistible.

Have a delicious weekend!

I have been hearing about hummingbird cake and hummingbird cupcakes for quite a few years now, but never took the time to do any serious investigative work. I guarantee that had I done so when I first heard about it, these cupcakes would have been made eons ago. Hummingbird cake is very popular in the Southern region of the United States and includes pineapple chunks, banana, coconut, and either walnuts or pecans, and is topped with a cream cheese frosting. Basically, hummingbird cake is a tropical version of carrot cake with chunks of sweet, fresh ingredients. I can’t ever get enough of carrot cake, and I certainly can’t get enough of hummingbird cake.

Some say the cake earned its name because each bite makes you hum with delight. (True.) Others say it’s because the cake is as sweet as the sugared water used to attract hummingbirds. No matter how it got its name, one this is certain – hummingbird cake is the real deal, and I’ve been missing out. For Mother’s Day, I thought it would be fun to create individual cupcakes, complete with their own dried pineapple flowers (you’ll find instructions below on how to make them). A quick note – if you decide to garnish the cupcakes with the dried pineapple flowers, be sure to allow yourself enough time. Once dried, they should sit overnight so that their shape holds.

An early Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! I hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend with family, and get to eat all of your favorite treats!

One year ago: Gazpacho
Two years ago: Classic Baby Shower Cookies

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Yield: 22 to 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 20 minutes

Dried Pineapple Flowers (garnish):
1 whole fresh pineapple

Cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 & 1/3 cups mashed banana (2 to 3 large bananas)
2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained (about half of a 20-ounce can)
2/3 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
2/3 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened will work)
1 & 1/3 cups granulated sugar
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs

Frosting:
12 ounces cream cheese
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

1. Make the Dried Pineapple Flowers: Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper. Cut the top and bottom off the pineapple, and slice off the outer rind. Using a small melon baller or measuring spoon, remove and discard the pineapple “eyes”. Use a sharp knife to cut the pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. Place the slices on the baking sheets. Bake until the tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip slices; bake until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more (or longer, depending on their thickness). Pinch the center of each pineapple slice to shape into a cone; let cool in a clean muffin tin to form flowers. Let sit overnight so that they retain their shape. Once completely dried and shaped, the flowers can be stored (stacked) up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

2. Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard-size muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. In another bowl, stir together the banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut; set aside.

4. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue beating until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the banana mixture to the egg mixture, beating until combined. Stir in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. (Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.)

6. Make the Frosting: Using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix to incorporate. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar, until it has all been incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Assemble the Cupcakes: To finish, pipe frosting onto the top of each cupcake (or use an offset spatula to spread the frosting) and top with a dried pineapple flower. (Note: I used an Ateco #806 decorating tip to frost these cupcakes.)

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes)

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Tags: Cupcakes, Easter, Spring, Summer

When it comes to dessert, I am always a cheesecake-first gal. My taste buds are fiercely loyal to that smooth, creamy, cream cheese filling, and they usually refuse to be swayed in any other direction. Running a close second to cheesecake is anything topped with crumbs. Dutch Apple Pie and Crumb Cake rank right up there at the top of my sweets food chain. If I can’t eat cheesecake or chocolate, you better believe I’m going after a crumb topping! So it’s no surprise that when I came across a recipe that combined a cream cheese filling with a crumb topping, I was nearly salivating. Throw in a tart crust, fresh strawberries, and virtually no bake time, and you have the epitome of what summertime desserts should be.

This recipe requires some planning ahead, as the tart crust needs to be made ahead and refrigerated before baking, but it is well worth the effort. I can say with 100% certainty that if I did not have anyone else to share this with, I could easily demolish this tart within 2 days. I have no self control when it comes to wonderfully creamy, fresh, and crumb-y desserts. I would have had the same issue with the no-bake banana split dessert from a few weeks back. It’s good for my wallet that I have willing and eager taste testers, or else I would be replacing my wardrobe every 2 months.

This tart is highly adaptable depending on the season and your personal tastes. You could easily replace the strawberries with raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries, or do a mixed berry version. In addition, fresh chopped peaches or mangoes would work wonderfully as well. Don’t you just love when you can play around with flavors and what’s in season?

One year ago: White Sangria
Two years ago: Parmesan and Thyme Crackers

Strawberry Cream Cheese Crumble Tart

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 1 hour (active) + 9 hours (inactive) | Bake Time: 30 minutes

Cookie Dough Tart Crust:
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
6 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
½ cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into 8 pieces
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Almond Crumb Topping:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
16 ounces fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and halved (quartered if large)

1. Make the Tart Crust: Combine the almonds and powdered sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse repeatedly until finely ground, about 1 minute. Add the flour and salt and pulse a couple of times to mix. Add the butter and pulse again repeatedly until no visible pieces of butter remain (about 10 pulses). Add the yolks and vanilla and continue pulsing until the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, shape into a thick disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to soften at a cool room temperature for about 20 minutes, just until it is soft enough to roll without cracking, but still firm. Unwrap it and place it on a floured surface. Use the palm of your hand to press it to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Flour the work surface and the dough and gently roll the dough into a 13-inch disk, adding pinches of flour under and on top of the dough as needed. Transfer it to a 10-inch tart pan. Evenly fit the dough into the pan, making sure it’s flat against both the bottom and side of the pan. Trim away any excess dough at the rim of the pan by rolling over with a rolling pin or scraping it away with the back of a paring knife. Slide the tart pan onto a cookie sheet, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight before baking.

3. When ready to bake, arrange the racks in the upper third and lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.

4. Make the Crumb Topping: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the chopped almonds. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the butter until all of the dry ingredients have been evenly moistened. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes, then use your fingertips to break the mixture into ¼- to ½-inch crumbs. Scatter the crumbs on the prepared pan.

5. Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator, and remove the plastic wrap. Line with a piece of parchment paper and fill the pan with pie weights. Bake the tart crust in the lower third of the oven and the crumb topping in the upper third. After 10 minutes, remove the paper and pie weights from the tart shell and place it on the upper rack, and move the crumbs to the lower rack. Continue baking the tart shell until it is dry and light golden, 15 to 20 additional minutes. Bake the crumb topping until it is deep golden and firm, 10 to 15 additional minutes. (Check the crumbs around the 10 minute mark and then go from there – my crumbs were done around 10 minutes, and the tart crust around 20 minutes.) Cool the crust and the topping on wire racks.

6. Make the Cream Cheese Filling: Beat the cream cheese on medium speed just until it is smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue beating until lightened, about 1 minute.

7. Assemble the Tart: Spread half the cream cheese filling on the bottom of the tart crust and arrange the sliced strawberries on it, cut side down. Spread the remaining filling over the strawberries. Evenly scatter the crumb topping over the filling. Right before serving, lightly dust the topping with powdered sugar and garnish with additional strawberries, if desired. Unmold the tart from the pan and place it on a platter. Wrap and refrigerate leftovers.

Note #1: You can omit the nuts in both the crust and the crumb topping. No need to substitute anything else.

Note #2: You should assemble the tart within a few hours of serving it, as the crust will soften after it has been refrigerated.

(Recipe adapted from Bake! by Nick Malgieri)

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Tags: Pies and Tarts, Summer

Since Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, I’m spending the week sharing recipes that I think would be perfect for celebrating mom, whether it be with a homemade breakfast-in-bed, a nice brunch, or a sweet treat. I started with the Cinnamon-Almond French Toast yesterday, moved on to these truffles today, and will be closing out the week with two desserts. I think of breakfast and brunch pretty much interchangeably except for one key difference – mimosas usually aren’t served with breakfast, but are a staple on most brunch menus. I’ve never been one to indulge early, but if I find myself out to eat for brunch, more times than not I will order a mimosa. That combination of crisp, tart orange juice, paired with bubbly champagne – it’s a perfect start to an extra-special meal. I was leafing through a local book while we were in Florida in March and saw champagne truffles on a brunch menu. My mind immediately went to mimosa truffles, and I made a mental note to experiment ASAP. Turns out, mimosa truffles are awesome. Infused with orange, and made with a combination of white chocolate, cream, and champagne, they definitely deserve a spot on your next brunch menu.

To create these truffles, I first infused the cream for the recipe with chopped fresh orange peel. I thought about using orange zest, but I didn’t want little pieces of zest in the finished truffle, which I preferred to be completely smooth. I also didn’t want to use orange juice, because I thought it would dilute the other flavors and not provide as natural an orange flavor as the orange peel infusion would. The infusion worked beautifully – you can do it for as little as 30 minutes, but the longer you let the orange peel steep in the cream, the stronger the orange flavor will be. You can easily make it as subtle or as strong as you’d like.

The other key ingredient to a mimosa is the champagne. In order to include this, I replaced some of the cream with a little bit of champagne. The flavors are just like the drink – crisp, clean and fresh. They also taste a little like an orange creamsicle, which is also awesome. I love these for Mother’s Day, or anytime you might be planning a brunch or a shower. They’re sure to be a hit!

One year ago: Top 10 List: Favorite Cake Recipes
Two years ago: Toffee Pretzel Bark

Mimosa Truffles

Yield: About 12 truffles

Prep Time: 1 hour (active) + 8 hours (inactive)

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons heavy cream
½ teaspoon chopped fresh orange peel
5 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped (see note below)
4 teaspoons champagne or sparkling wine

To Finish:
White sanding sugar, or…

6 ounces (1 cup) chopped white chocolate
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
Orange candy melts

1. Place the heavy cream and chopped orange peel in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the cream begins to simmer, remove from heat, cover, and let steep for at least 30 minutes.

2. Remove the orange peel from the cream and reheat the cream over medium heat until it just comes to a boil. Add the chopped chocolate, and remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in the champagne until completely combined with the chocolate (it will separate at first, but keep stirring – it eventually comes together). Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and place plastic wrap over top, pressing it against the surface of the ganache. Refrigerate overnight.

3. When ready to roll the truffles, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Use a small cookie scoop or a melon baller to scoop out heaping teaspoons of the ganache. Quickly roll in the palm of your hands to form a ball. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat until you have used up all of the ganache. If you are finishing the truffles with sparkling sugar, place a few tablespoons of white sanding sugar in a small bowl and roll the truffles in the bowl to coat with the sugar. Return them to the baking sheet. Refrigerate to set, at least 30 minutes.

4. If using the white chocolate coating, refrigerate the truffles for at least 1 hour, otherwise they will begin to melt when dipped in the chocolate. When they’re ready, microwave the white chocolate and vegetable shortening on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir, and then continue to microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth. When ready, drop 1 truffle into the melted chocolate and, using a fork and working quickly, turn it over so it is completely coated and then lift it out, letting any excess chocolate drip off. Return to the baking sheet and repeat with remaining truffles. Refrigerate to set, at least 30 minutes. If you wish, you can drizzle with orange candy melts – melt according to the package directions and then use a Wilton #2 decorating tip to pipe decorations on top. Let set for at least 15 minutes. Store any leftover truffles in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them.

Note: It’s important to use good-quality white chocolate here for the smoothest and best-tasting truffles. I always prefer using Lindt white chocolate; just be sure not to use white chocolate chips – they will not melt down well.

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Tags: Candy

I’ve come to conclude that there are two types of people in this world – those that love breakfast food, and those that could take or leave it. To this day, I still don’t understand my mom’s ambivalence towards decadent treats like Baked French Toast Casserole with Praline Topping, Brown Sugar-Bacon Buttermilk Waffles, or the world’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes. She does love my scones, though – the Cinnamon-Sugar and Dark Chocolate Chip are her favorites. It goes without saying that I didn’t get my love for all things pancake, waffle, bacon, and sausage from my mom. I could easily eat breakfast food for, well, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a fluffy stack of pancakes with breakfast sausage for dinner. Who’s with me?! Needless to say, I won’t be whipping up any breakfast-centric meals for my mom on Sunday for Mother’s Day, but thought that you might be, and wanted to share an awesome French toast recipe with you.

A little over a year ago when my Chief Culinary Consultant and I were down in Florida visiting  his parents, they took us to a popular breakfast spot called John G’s. When we ordered, his parents both got the cinnamon-nut French toast and said it was the best thing on the menu. We apparently didn’t listen closely enough, and went ahead and ordered other things. Breakfast came, and when I was offered a bite of the French toast I didn’t hesitate. I immediately regretted my decision not to get it. We haven’t been back there since, but that French toast dances in and out of my mind every so often. With Mother’s Day coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to try to recreate that wonderful French toast with an almond and cinnamon-sugar coating. I used a basic Cook’s Illustrated French toast recipe, dressed it up a little, threw on some pearls, and made some adjustments. The end result is now my favorite French toast – the bread is crisp on the outside, soft inside, and coated with sliced almonds and the crunch of a cinnamon-sugar layer.

It’s just fancy enough to make it something extraordinary, but not the least bit fussy. That’s the perfect recipe for a special, stress-free breakfast!

One year ago: Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Pie {Kentucky Derby Pie}
Two years ago: Snickery Squares
Three years ago: Coffee-and-Espresso Cheesecake

Cinnamon-Almond French Toast

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

8 large slices challah or good-quality sandwich bread, sliced ½-inch thick
1½ cups whole milk, warmed
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted + 2 tablespoons for cooking
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Triple Sec (optional, can substitute orange juice)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
¾ cup sliced almonds

For the Topping:
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the bread on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking dish. Bake bread until almost dry throughout (center should remain slightly moist), about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, vanilla extract, Triple Sec, and orange zest until well blended. Stir in the sliced almonds. Transfer the mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the 4 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; set aside.

3. Soak the bread in the milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart, about 20 seconds per side, ensuring that some almonds adhere to the bread. Using a slotted spatula, pick up a bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off; repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter. Sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon-sugar topping over one side of each slice of soaked bread.

4. Heat ½ tablespoon unsalted butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. When the foaming subsides, use the slotted spatula to transfer 2 slices of the soaked bread to the skillet, cinnamon-sugar side down first, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. While they cook, sprinkle the top of the bread with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Flip and continue to cook until the second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. (If the toast is cooking too quickly, reduce the temperature slightly.) Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven. Repeat cooking with remaining bread, 2 pieces at a time, adding ½ tablespoon butter for each batch. Serve warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and/or drizzled with maple syrup.

(Recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)

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Tags: French Toast

Last weekend, I spent a few days in New York City with my mom and sister to celebrate my sister’s 30th birthday. We caught a matinee of Wicked (I’m not really a show person, and I thought it was fabulous!), we spent an afternoon at a spa, did some shopping, and of course, did our fair share of eating. As I always like to do when I venture outside of my Pittsburgh bubble, I wanted to share with you the places I hit up, what I ate, and what I thought of it all. I did a similar roundup when we were in New York two years ago; this time you won’t find any bakeries, but a nice mix of restaurants that I really enjoyed. I’d love to hear about some of your favorite spots!

RARE Bar & Grill (152 West 26th Street – Chelsea)
This was our first meal in New York, and it was within walking distance of our hotel, which was a bonus. RARE has a large, casual space with a laid-back atmosphere. We started off dinner with the Spinach & Artichoke Dip and the French Fry Tasting Basket, which consisted of hand-cut fries, waffle fries, and sweet potato fries with a variety of dipping sauces. This is just another example of how I could easily make a meal out of nothing but appetizers! Both the dip and the assortment of fries and dips were outstanding. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger for dinner, which was fabulous. All in all, awesome food and a great atmosphere. Two thumbs up.

Alice’s Tea Cup (156 East 64th Street – Upper East Side)
We headed uptown to Alice’s Tea Cup for brunch on Sunday. You can only make reservations for 8 or more on the weekend, and we ended up waiting about an hour for a table, so I would recommend planning ahead if choose to eat here. They had a nice selection of teas, scones, breakfast and brunch-style meals, as well as sandwiches. I wasn’t terribly hungry when we got there, so I just had a blueberry-lemon scone, which was delicious. My mom ordered a double-chocolate pecan scone, which I tasted and also liked. My sister had a pumpkin scone, which I tasted as well, but didn’t fall in love with. It was a very cute place, but tiny, so make sure you have time to wait! Also, I didn’t realize it while we were there, but they have a cookbook out – I’m looking forward to checking it out!

Co. (230 Ninth Avenue – Chelsea)
I took the advice of Maggy and we headed to Co. for some amazing pizza after catching the matinee of Wicked. This was, hands-down, some of the best pizza that I’ve ever had. After poring over the menu, we ended up ordering three different pizzas – Mushroom & Jalapeño, Popeye (spinach and lots of cheese!), and Margherita. Each bite was better than the one before. I only wish that I could have tasted all of the pizzas on the menu, as well as the desserts, which looked to-die-for. Co. is owned by Jim Lahey. On the way out, I picked up his two cookbooks, My Bread and My Pizza, so I can work on some recreations at home!

La Bella Ferrara (108 Mulberry Street – Little Italy)
On Monday morning, we walked down Canal Street and decided to hit Little Italy for a quick breakfast. When we turned the corner down Mulberry Street, we saw La Bella Ferrara – a cute little pastry shop with outdoor seating that looked perfect. I was a boring foodie and ordered a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast (it was delicious, though). My sister had a chocolate-dipped cannoli, and said it was one of the best she’s ever had (and she loooooves her cannoli). My mom had a prosciutto and mozzarella panini, which she raved about. She said it reminded her of the prosciutto my grandpap used to make when she was growing up. Homemade mozzarella is already on my to-do list; it looks like I might need to add curing my own prosciutto as well! They had a great selection of pastries, cakes, cookies, as well as hot sandwiches and an assortment of other treats; I would have loved to try more!

Corner Shop Cafe (643 Broadway – Greenwich Village)
On our last full day in New York, we booked massages at Great Jones Spa (absolutely amazing place, highly recommend!) and then wanted a little bite of something to hold us over until dinner. We happened upon the Corner Shop Cafe while we were walking, and it was the perfect place for a quick, casual bite to eat. Their lunch menu had a great selection of appetizers, brunch-style dishes, salads and sandwiches. I hit up the brunch section and chose a breakfast burrito, which turned out to be a great selection. Fluffy scrambled eggs with pockets of melted cheddar cheese – delicious!

Da Gennaro Restaurant (129 Mulberry Street – Little Italy)
Our final dinner in New York was an absolute treat. My sister had received multiple recommendations for Da Gennaro’s, and it more than lived up to the hype. The food was outstanding and the service was incredible. The bread and dipping oil alone was worth the trip. We started off the meal with Italian-style grilled cheese and stuffed artichoke as appetizers. I loved the grilled cheese – fresh mozzarella sandwiched between thin slices of bread, in a light batter, and fried. Heaven! For dinner, I chose the tortellini with meat sauce, which melted in my mouth. I ordered profiteroles for dessert – the classic cream puff-style pastries were filled with chocolate ice cream and drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauces. It was a perfect way to cap off the meal. Everything was amazing, and I would absolutely eat there again.

What are some of your favorite places to eat in NYC?

I don’t know about you, but with spring having completely sprung here in Pittsburgh, I am more than ready for some fresh fruit pies. Between Easter, Mother’s Day, and a slew of summer picnics, there is definitely no shortage of excuses to bake up a gorgeous pie (or two, or three). The folks over at Le Creuset have put together an awesome baking set for Mother’s Day and would love to give one away to one of you! It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of everything Le Creuset – my 7¼-quart Dutch oven is my kitchen workhorse, and I also have a variety of bakeware items, a skillet, and other kitchen toys. Everything seems to cook and bake perfectly; they are definitely the darlings of my kitchen. This baker’s set includes a large pie dish, a pie bird, an awesome oven mitt, and a trivet. I was excited to finally get my hands on a pie bird; a reader told me about them last year and I had never seen one until now! You place them in the middle of your pie (as shown above) and they help to release steam so that your crust isn’t soggy, but rather flaky and crisp. Genius!

Giveaway Details

One (1) winner will receive the following Baker’s Set from Le Creuset:

• One (1) 10-inch pie dish
• One (1) pie bird
• One (1) oven mitt
• One (1) French trivet

How to Enter

To enter to win, simply sign up on LeCreuset.com to receive information about new items, colors, and exclusive deals. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you’ve signed up. That’s it! You’re entered to win!

Additional (Optional) Entries

To up your chances of winning, you can receive up to FOUR additional entries to win by doing the following (these are optional, not required):

1. Subscribe to Brown Eyed Baker by either RSS or email. Come back and let me know you’ve subscribed in an additional comment.

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The Fine Print

Deadline: Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 11:59pm EST.

Winner: A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org and announced at the top of this post. The winner will also be notified via email; if the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be selected.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by Brown Eyed Baker and Le Creuset.

GOOD LUCK!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Happy Kentucky Derby day! So many things going on today! Are you doing anything for either occasion? I, for one, love any and all excuses to indulge in some great Mexican food, so I’m hoping to whip up something festive for dinner tonight. What’s your favorite Mexican meal? As I mentioned last Saturday, I spent a few days in NYC with my mom and sister to celebrate my sister’s 30th birthday. We enjoyed some good food, took in a matinee of Wicked, spent a few hours getting massages, and I took the opportunity to play with my camera and do some street photography. The photos are available to view on Flickr if you’d like to sneak a peek.

As always, you’ll find a recap of what was posted to the site this week as well as some bookmarked recipes from other blogs. Enjoy!

On Brown Eyed Baker This Week

20 Festive Cinco de Mayo Recipes – A roundup of awesome recipes for celebrating on May 5th!

Salted Mexican Chocolate-Chile Caramels – Wonderful caramels made with Mexican chocolate, a subtle infusion of red chiles, and topped with fleur de sel.

Chile con Queso – A classic Mexican creamy, cheesy dip augmented with tomatoes and fresh chiles.

Alfajores – A very popular cookie in Spain and Latin America, two shortbread cookies form a sandwich with dulce de leche.

Mint Julep Jell-O Shots – A fun spin on old-school Jell-O shots – perfect for a Kentucky Derby party!

Most Viewed Post This Week: Margarita Cupcakes

What I Bookmarked This Week

Recipes from other blogs that I thought looked especially delicious and that I thought you would like too:

Blueberry-Cream Cheese Hand Pies (Tracey’s Culinary Adventures)
I love hand pies, blueberries, and cream cheese. I can only imagine how amazing the combination is!

Chocolate-Glazed Funfetti Doughnuts (Sugarcrafter)
Funfetti is so much, and I love that Tracy created a homemade, from-scratch version.

How to Freeze Decorated Sugar Cookies (Bake at 350)
I never knew you could freeze completely decorated cookies; I always learn so much from Bridget!

Peanut Butter Cookies with Homemade Honey Roasted Peanut Butter (Kevin and Amanda)
Growing up, you could not pry my little fingers away from a jar of honey roasted peanuts. I am sure to love these cookies!

Sea Salt & Honey Almond Butter (Two Peas and Their Pod)
I am totally intrigued by making my own nut butters, and this recipe seems like a perfect place to start.

Have a delicious weekend!

Ahh, Jell-O shots. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Jell-O shots? High school parties while parents were out of town? Dorm-room or frat-house parties in college? Probably not a high-falutin’ event like the Kentucky Derby, right? Here’s the thing about Jell-O shots… they seem to be making a resurgence among Generation X. Instead of serving cocktails at parties, Jell-O shots are being whipped up with complex flavor combinations and impeccably styled garnishes. They look like a piece of art, but taste just like their cocktail equivalents. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to give the mint julep a Jell-O shot spin for the Kentucky Derby, which is taking place tomorrow.

Mint juleps are the Kentucky Derby drink of choice. Traditionally, it consists of bourbon, mint, sugar, and water, although there are also many variations that include lime. I, for one, love the addition of lime, as it reminds me of a mojito, so I chose to go the lime route when making these Jell-O shots. However, if you prefer your Mint Juleps without it, I provide a link below for a non-lime Mint Julep Jell-O shot.

The Kentucky Derby, also known as “The Run for the Roses” for the blanket of roses draped over the winner, is all about high-class, big hats, and drinks served in fancy silver cups. Grab a silver platter, a rose, and some mini cupcake liners, and suddenly your Jell-O shots have been transformed from frat house grunge to shabby chic.

Don’t forget to wash them down with some dessert! A piece of this Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Pie would be perfect!

One year ago: Margarita Cupcakes
Two years ago: Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

Mint Julep Jell-O Shots

Yield: 48 Jell-O shots

Prep Time: 20 minutes

2½ cups water
½ cup (heaping) mint leaves, packed
3 (6-ounce) packages lime Jell-O
1 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons lime juice

1. Line a 9×9-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap, letting it hang over the sides of the pan; set aside.

2. Combine the water and mint leaves in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.

3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mint leaves from the saucepan and discard. Bring the water to a boil. Meanwhile, empty the Jell-O packets into a large bowl.

4. When the water comes to a boil, pour it over the Jell-O in the bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until it has completely dissolved. Stir in the bourbon and lime juice. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate until set, 1 to 2 hours.

5. Using the plastic wrap “handles”, lift the square of Jell-O out of the pan. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice into squares. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Note: If you prefer a Mint Julep Jell-O shot that does not include lime, check out the recipe at The Friday Football Foodie.

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Tags: Jello Desserts, Kentucky Derby

How many of you are familiar with Alfajores? I was oblivious to their existence until about a year ago, when I made, quite possibly, my most amazing cookie discovery to date. At the time, I received a Foodzie tasting box, which is basically a foodie gift basket full of new and fun food items. Inside my box was a package of two Alfajores cookies. They looked innocent enough. They weren’t covered in chocolate, so I didn’t attack them immediately. Finally, later that day or the next (I can’t remember), I opened the package and was prepared to eat what I assumed would be a very average cookie. I couldn’t believe how wrong I was. After two bites, I was on Google trying to find out what these amazing things were! As it turns out, Alfajores are quite popular in Spain and certain areas of Latin America. They are shortbread cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche, and topped with powdered sugar. Swoon.

I’ve thought about those cookies over and over for the past year, and I finally got around to making them at home. They tasted so utterly amazing that first time, that like many other packaged foods, it seemed impossible to recreate them from scratch. Not only is it totally possible, but it’s ridiculously easy. It also only requires four ingredients. The bonus? Having a jar of dulce de leche leftover. Grab a spoon and pat yourself on the back for cookies well done!

One year ago: Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa
Two years ago: Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread
Five years ago: Pepperoni Bread

Alfajores

Yield: About 18 sandwich cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Bake Time: 15 minutes

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting work surface
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1½ cups unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
½ cup water
Dulce de Leche, chilled (see note below)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

1. Sift together the flour and powdered sugar. In a food processor, pulse together the flour and sugar mixture with the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 20 1-second pulses. With the machine running, pour in the water in a slow stream, and process just until the dough comes together, about 20 seconds. Form the dough into two flattened disks and wrap well in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

3. On a well-floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to just under a ¼-inch in thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds from the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the other disk of dough. Gather up the scraps from both batches, and reroll and cut. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Spread 1 to 2 teaspoons of dulce de leche on the bottom of half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies to make a sandwich. Dust with powdered sugar to finish. Finished cookies should be eaten the same day they are assembled. Unfilled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Note: Dulce de Leche is caramelized sweetened condensed milk and can be purchased in the Hispanic/Mexican section of the grocery store, or you can make your own. To do so, take 2 (14-ounce) cans of sweetened condensed milk and empty them into the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until the milk is thick and amber in color, about 5 hours. Remove from the heat , and beat with a wooden spoon to smooth out. Transfer to a clean bowl, and refrigerate for several hours, or up to 3 days.

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookies)

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Tags: Cinco de Mayo, Cookies, Mexican

The parade of Mexican-inspired food for Cinco de Mayo continues! I don’t know about you, but I find it nearly impossible to celebrate a holiday or throw a party without including at least one type of dip. Dip is where it’s at, right? There’s nothing better than plunging a chip into a creamy, cheesy bowl of deliciousness. The cheesier, the better, which is what makes queso so darn addicting. As you may have guessed from its name, it includes lots and lots of cheese. This is sometimes known simply as “queso” on some restaurant menus, but the concept is the same – a bowl of melted cheese along with chiles and tomatoes. While the shortcut method to chile con queso is usually a block of Velveeta and a can of Rotel, I’ve often times nuked cream cheese and salsa together. No doubt about it – this from-scratch chile con queso puts both of those to shame. It’s thick, creamy, smooth, and packed with flavor and a little a spice.

The dip starts with a quick saute of jalapeño and serrano peppers, onion, and garlic, and then moves on to a bechamel sauce base. The chile con queso gets finished off with milk, cilantro, tomatoes, and lots of cheese. I used a combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack, but the recipe is very forgiving, and as long as it’s a good melting cheese, it will be awesome in this recipe.

We were able to polish this off in two or three sittings, and had we not eaten dinner, I’m sure we could have finished it off much faster! I love all the cheese, the little bit of a spicy kick, and the flavor from the tomatoes and cilantro. It’s perfect and should definitely be on your short list of dip recipes. It’s a Cinco de Mayo necessity, for sure!

Two years ago: Pecan Sandies

Chile con Queso

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup chopped yellow onion
2 serrano chiles, seeds and stems removed, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and stems removed, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (about 1 cup)
12 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
½ cup sour cream

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, serrano chiles, and jalapeño, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

2. Whisk the flour into the pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Slowly pour the milk into the pan while whisking, and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and tomatoes.

3. Reduce the heat to low, and add the grated cheeses a ¼ cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until it is completely melted. Repeat until all of the cheese has been added. Stir in the sour cream until completely combined. Serve immediately with tortilla chips. Leftovers (if you have any!) can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, and then reheated when you’re ready to serve.

(Recipe adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook)

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Tags: Cinco de Mayo, Hot Dips, Mexican

The week prior to Cinco de Mayo is one of my favorites of the year; I love Mexican food, and thoroughly embrace the opportunity to try new and different recipes. Enter these amazing caramels. Salted caramels are awesome. Chocolate caramels? Even better. Chocolate caramels using Mexican chocolate? Better still. And to top it all off? A subtle infusion of red chiles. The combination initially gave me pause, but I’m so happy that I forged ahead with it. The Mexican chocolate and cinnamon provide a wonderful, sweet spice, and the red chile-infused cream leaves just a little bit of heat on the back of the tongue. Needless to say, fleur de sel makes everything and anything better, especially sweet confections like these caramels. I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the Cinco de Mayo food celebration here, than with these amazing candies.

Naturally, a key component to these caramels is the use of Mexican chocolate. I had never eaten Mexican chocolate, and was curious about the difference between “regular” chocolate and Mexican. As it turns out, Mexican chocolate has a much grainier texture than other chocolates, and is flavored with cinnamon, almonds, and vanilla. The original recipe recommended using Ibarra, Abuelita, or Taza. I took a shot at the local grocery store to see if I could find anything in the international aisle. Lo and behold, there was Abuelita in the Hispanic section. Score! They are actually a stack of individually-wrapped disks of chocolate. So cute! If you aren’t able to find Mexican chocolate, there is a substitution listed in the notes section of the recipe below.

I haven’t done much in the way of caramel-making, although I have made the Ale and Pretzel Soft Caramels and Sea Salt Caramels with Vanilla Bean. These Salted Mexican Chocolate-Chile Caramels have definitely been my most successful batch to date. I followed much of the same process as with the other recipes, but the one difference is that I used my (fairly) new Thermapen to monitor the temperature. Since caramels can be so finicky, I attribute my super-duper success with this batch to the accurate temperature gauge. No question, I’ll be using it for all of my candy-making from now on!

It takes a little bit of time to wrap each caramel individually and you might be tempted to skip it and just put them in a container for safe keeping. Trust me, though, the time and effort is well worth it. Without wrapping them, the caramels will begin to spread out if left to sit on their own. You can keep the wrapped candies in an airtight container or tin for a month or two – perfect for afternoon snacks, or for when company stops by!

Four years ago: Vanilla Cake with Hazelnut Ganache Filling and Chocolate Frosting

Salted Mexican Chocolate-Chile Caramels

Yield: 64 caramels

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes

2 cups heavy cream
2-4 small dried red chiles, seeds removed, broken into ½-inch pieces
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
5½ ounces Mexican chocolate (see note below)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1¾ cups granulated sugar
½ cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup (light corn syrup can be substituted)
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons fleur de sel, or other type of flaky sea salt

1. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with two perpendicular pieces of parchment paper, so that there is overhang on all four sides. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, add the chile pieces, give it a quick stir, remove from heat, and cover. Allow the chiles to steep in the cream for at least 30 minutes. Remove the chile pieces with a slotted spoon and discard.

3. Return the strained cream to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, add both chocolates and the cinnamon. Let stand for 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Bring the sugar, syrup, water, and table salt to a boil in a 5 to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring but gently swirling the pot occasionally, until the sugar is a deep golden color, about 10 minutes.

5. Tilt the pot slightly and carefully pour the chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture (it will bubble and steam quite a bit). Continue to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 255 degrees F.

6. Add the butter, stirring until it has completely melted, then immediately pour the caramel mixture into the lined baking pan (do not scrape any caramel clinging to the bottom or side of the pot, as these pieces will have crystallized). Let the caramel stand for 10 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with the fleur de sel. Allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours.

7. Using the parchment overhangs as handles, carefully lift the caramel onto a clean, dry cutting board. Spray a pizza cutter or large knife with non-stick cooking spray and slice the caramel into 1-inch squares. Wrap the candies individually and store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Note: Common brands of Mexican chocolate are Ibarra, Abuelita, and Taza. I found Abuelita in the Hispanic section of the international aisle in my local supermarket; you can also find all three brands online. If you want to make these and can’t get Mexican chocolate easily, you can use this substitution:

1 ounce semisweet chocolate + ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1 drop almond extract.(Recipe adapted from Brave Potato)

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Tags: Candy, Cinco de Mayo, Mexican

It’s that time of year again! You know, May 5th, Cinco de Mayo… the day that makes it perfectly acceptable to consume nothing but chips, salsa, guacamole, and margaritas for all the live long day. Quite a lovely foodie holiday, isn’t it? I’ve wrangled together a list of 20 recipes that are perfect for celebrating this very festive Mexican holiday. From appetizers, to dinner, and dessert, you’re covered. Be sure to check back throughout the week as well; I have a few more Cinco de Mayo-themed recipes to share with you in anticipation of Saturday! Enjoy!

Appetizers

1. Cream Cheese-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños
2. Guacamole
3. Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa
4. Jalapeño Popper Dip
5. Seven Layer Dip
6. Taco Dip

Dinner

7. Chicken Fajita Enchiladas
8. Chicken Tortilla Soup
9. Chili-Rice Dinner
10. Favorite (Hardcore) Chili
11. Grilled Fish Tacos
12. Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
13. Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
14. Taco Rice Salad
15. Thick and Hearty Chili
16. Wendy’s Copycat Chili

Dessert

17. Caramel-Topped Flan
18. Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Squares
19. Margarita Cupcakes
20. Tres Leches Cake

What are some of your favorite things to make for Cinco de Mayo??

Happy Saturday and welcome to another weekend! I started this week bracing for a late-April snowmageddon, as the weather forecasters here were calling for up to 8 inches of snow to fall on Monday. We did not get 8 inches of snow. We didn’t even get one flake of snow. Talk about a let down! We made it through the week snow-free, and I did quite a bit of baking. I must have had a nagging sweet tooth this week, I turned out more than a couple desserts! I made up for it by bookmarking a lot of savory fare from other bloggers down below   Now, I’m currently en route to NYC with my mom and sister for a girls weekend to celebrate my sister’s 30th birthday. I’ll be back next week to get you ready for Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby! What are you up to this weekend? Is it still chilly where you are, or are you able to start working on your gardening and landscaping?

As always, you’ll find a recap of what was posted to the site this week as well as some bookmarked recipes from other blogs. Enjoy!

On Brown Eyed Baker This Week

50 Best Citrus and Fruit-Based Recipes – A roundup of great lemon, lime, and fruit recipes for the upcoming summer months.

Mississippi Mud Cake – Chocolate cake, marshmallows, chocolate, sauce, pecans, and coconut. Life is good.

No-Bake Banana Split Cake Dessert – Amazing old-school recipe, with a little updating. Graham crust, cream cheese layer, then bananas, pineapple, and strawberries topping with sundae frostings!

Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Frosting – These were a total throwback to my high school youth group days. They could potentially make my “last meal” list.

GIVEAWAY: Cookie Cravings Cookbook Package! – Enter to win the e-cookbook Cookie Cravings from Two Peas and Their Pod, as well as the bonus e-cookbook Cookie Days, and an entire digital package of downloads! Giveaway ends Sunday night!

Most Viewed Post This Week: No-Bake Banana Split Cake Dessert

What I Bookmarked This Week

Recipes from other blogs that I thought looked especially delicious and that I thought you would like too:

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls (Rainy Day Gal)
Wrapping bacon inside of cinnamon rolls? Only the best breakfast idea, ever.

Baked Potato Grilled Cheese (BS’ In The Kitchen)
Everything that makes baked potatoes awesome… on a grilled cheese sandwich! Pure genius.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Ranch Dressing (Confections of a Foodie Bride)
These fries look like serious, bona fide comfort food. I would like to stuff myself full of them, immediately.

Honey Prosciutto Flatbread Appetizer (She Wears Many Hats)
I am such a typical Italian girl when someone puts anything containing prosciutto in front of me. I can’t resist it. This simple, easy appetizer sounds amazing.

Rosemary Sea Salt Pretzels with Rosemary Cheddar Cheese Sauce (Two Peas and Their Pod)
I am fairly certain that these pretzels could be life changers. Seriously amazing.

Have a delicious weekend!

UPDATE: The winner of the Cookie Cravings e-cookbook digital package is:

#1,217 – Jackie: “Snickerdoodle!”

Congratulations, Jackie! Be sure to reply to the email you’ve been sent to confirm your email address, and your cookbook package will be sent off to you!

Thanks everyone for entering; be on the lookout for more giveaways in the coming weeks!

Do you love cookies?

Silly question, right?! I think all of us here love, love, love cookies. Which is why I think you’re going to be completely smitten with the new e-cookbook, Cookie Cravings, that was recently released by Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod. Maria is undeniably the cookie queen; she comes up with some of the most amazingly creative cookie recipes I’ve ever seen. She teamed up with Heidi Larsen from Foodie Crush to design this beautiful e-book chock full of 30 cookie recipes – 15 of the most popular recipes from her site, and 15 brand new recipes created just for the book. That’s 30 days worth of cookies. Definitely a book right up my alley!

I just love the layout of this book – not only does every recipe sound irresistible, but the photos are absolutely gorgeous. Maria and Heidi make a great team! The book has been so successful that they are about to release a hard copy version as well. I walk a fine line between loving the convenience of digital and loving the feel of a book in my hands. This is the perfect solution

In addition to Cookie Cravings, Maria also put together a bonus e-cookbook with recipes from some of her food blogging buddies, myself included! You can find a recipe from me in there, along with recipes from  Picky Palate, Kevin and Amanda, Eat, Live, Run, Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, How Sweet It Is, and Recipe Girl.

In addition to these two e-cookbooks, Maria has put together an entire (completely awesome) digital package full of additional recipes, printables, and other goodies that she wants to share with a Brown Eyed Baker reader. Read below for what’s included and how you can enter to win!

(If you happen not to win, but are interested in the cookbook and/or the digital package, head on over to the Cookie Cravings main page to purchase.)

Giveaway Details

One (1) winner will receive the following Cookie Cravings Cookbook Package:

• Cookie Cravings, the digital e-cookbook
• Cookie Days, a bonus e-cookbook featuring cookie recipes from a few of Maria’s favorite food bloggers
• Printable gifting labels for a year of special occasions from ChicSprinkles.com
• Printable: Kitchen Conversion Chart
• Printable: What’s in Maria’s Pantry: Baking Cookies
• Printable: Cookie Recipe Cards, for your own cookie recipes
• Printable: Chocolate Almond Toffee Cookie Recipe Card from Two Peas and Their Pod
• Printable: Keep Calm and Bake On graphic
• Computer Screen Saver Wallpapers
• VIDEO: Maria’s Step-by-Step Cookie Baking Tutorial

How to Enter

To enter to win, simply leave a comment on this post and answer the question:

“What’s your favorite cookie?”

That’s it! You’re entered to win!

Additional (Optional) Entries

To up your chances of winning, you can receive up to FIVE additional entries to win by doing the following (these are optional, not required):

1. Subscribe to Brown Eyed Baker by either RSS or email. Come back and let me know you’ve subscribed in an additional comment.

2. Become a fan of Brown Eyed Baker on Facebook. Come back and let me know you became a fan in an additional comment.

3. Become a fan of Two Peas and Their Pod on Facebook. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional comment.

4. Follow @browneyedbaker on Twitter. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional comment.

5. Tweet the following about the giveaway: “RT @browneyedbaker Enter to win the Cookie Cravings cookbook + an entire digital goodies package from @TwoPeadandPod! http://wp.me/p1rsii-4vI”. Come back and let me know you’ve Tweeted in an additional comment.

The Fine Print

Deadline: Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 11:59pm EST.

Winner: A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org and announced at the top of this post. The winner will also be notified via email; if the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be selected.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by Two Peas and Their Pod.

GOOD LUCK!!

Raise your hand if you were a teenager during the ’90s. I know there have got to be oodles of you out there. Ahh, the 90′s. When jeans were pegged. When flannel shirts were worn because grunge was the latest fad. When alt rock was the most popular type of music. When Beverly Hills 90210 was can’t-miss-TV. Before smartphones. Before Facebook. Before a completely wired world. A bit of a simpler time, yes? During my teenage years in the mid-90′s, I belonged to our church’s youth group. We’d get together a couple of Sunday nights a month and do youth group-y types of things. Sometimes it was serious and church-related. Sometimes it was flag football. Sometimes it was a service project. No matter what youth group activity was going on, there was one constant – Judi’s chocolate-frosted brownies. They showed up every week, without fail. Sometimes, though, Judi showed up late; when that happened she was immediately accosted by a mad throng of teenagers needing an immediate sugar fix. I have a ton of completely amazing memories from my time spent with youth group, and the friends I made there, but as memories tend to fade with time, the connection my brain makes with youth group and chocolate-frosted brownies is one that will forever stay with me. Therefore, I found it imperative to make this recipe as soon as I saw it.

Pretty much all of my life before and after those high school youth group years has been devoid of frosted brownies. You’d think that since I loved them so much, I would have taken it upon myself to bust open a box of brownie mix and a can of frosting and make it happen. (Those most certainly would have been the steps taken by 18-year-old me; I had yet to appreciate the joys of baking everything from scratch.) It never happened. Even after I began baking regularly, and through all of the brownie recipes that I’ve made, a light bulb never went off. It wasn’t until I was flipping through the Joy the Baker Cookbook and landed on the page with this recipe that my mind raced back nearly 20 years (ouch, that makes me feel really old). I was immediately taken back to Sunday nights in the church basement, with a throwaway tin foil pan of frosted brownies sitting on a table, being devoured square by frosted square.

Aside from the memories they evoke, I can’t tell you how utterly amazing these are. The brownie itself is rich and wonderfully moist, definitely fudge-like. And the frosting. Sweet, heavenly frosting. It’s chocolatey, sweet, smooth, creamy, and perfect in just about every possible way. Joy says that it’s her very favorite chocolate frosting. It might be mine now, too. This is the ultimate combination for anyone who’s a fan of brownies or chocolate frosting. And if you’re a fan of both? You’re in for one amazingly indulgent treat!

One year ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
Two years ago: Raisin Bran Muffins
Four years ago: Cheesecake Truffles

Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Yield: 12 to 16 brownies

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 25 to 30 minutes

For the Brownies:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the Frosting:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons Ovaltine chocolate malt powder

1. Make the Brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch-square baking dish and line with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the edges. Butter the parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3. Bring about an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Place a medium, heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan (do not let it touch the water) and add the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk in the granulated and brown sugars. Whisk in the egg, the yolk, and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture all at once, and fold it into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow  to cool completely; meanwhile, make the frosting.

5. To Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cocoa powder, and salt on medium speed for about 3 minutes (mixture will be thick).

6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed to incorporate the sugar, and while the mixer is running, slowly add the milk and vanilla extract. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high, beating until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

7. In a 1-cup measuring cup, or in a small bowl, mix together the cream and the Ovaltine. Reduce the mixer speed to medium, and pour the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix until thoroughly combined. You can add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time, if you would like a stiffer frosting.

8. Spread the frosting onto the cooled brownies, and cut into squares. Store brownies in an airtight container, or tightly wrapped, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

(Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook)

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Tags: Brownies

Each year, around Easter, I start to get a hankering for this dessert. It’s happened the last handful of years, which is peculiar to me, because I can only remember eating it once or twice ever, and that was at least 10 or 15 years ago. For some reason, it has stuck in my mind and I associate it with Easter. It’s quite possible that my mom made it for an Easter dessert a couple of years in a row, and then moved on to something else. I don’t have a solid explanation for my fascination with it (other than memories of it being amazing, of course), but year after year, it pops into my head like clockwork. A couple of weeks ago I finally remembered to ask my mom if she had the recipe for the “banana split dessert thing” that she made a long time ago, and she was able to dig it up for me. It took me approximately 2.2 seconds to assemble what I needed and get cracking on it. I didn’t need a holiday or any other excuse to make this beauty, a random Tuesday was good enough for me!

First things first, let me break this dessert down for you. Most importantly – it’s entirely no-bake. Absolutely no oven time is required, which makes it perfect for the summer when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen, and also perfect for when you need a quick dessert that you can throw together in very little time. Poof! Done! Now, for the layers… It starts off with a graham cracker crust, topped with a cream cheese-mousse, and then layers of banana, pineapple, strawberries, and finally whipped cream, nuts, chocolate, and cherries on top! Talk about the ultimate banana split.

Now, a strange thing happened when I ran through the recipe the first time, and I had to do a double take. The layer above the graham cracker frosting consisted of butter, powdered sugar, and 2 eggs. EXCEPT… the eggs weren’t heated like a custard, and this dessert isn’t baked, so they’re just in there, raw. ::shudder::  I couldn’t do it, so after thinking through some workarounds, including a pastry cream layer or something like a pudding, I finally decided to use the filling from another of my favorite old-school desserts – the Strawberry Pretzel Salad. I went full steam ahead with that, and it works absolutely brilliantly in this recipe.

Don’t wait for a special reason to make this dessert, and certainly don’t wait years in between. Any ordinary day is special enough for this easy-peasy banana split dessert. And I guarantee it will make you feel like a kid again!

One year ago: Crunchy Good-For-You Granola Bars
Two years ago: Rock n’ Roll Baby Onesie Cookies

No-Bake Banana Split Cake Dessert

Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

For the Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup unsalted butter, melted

For the Cream Cheese Layer:
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
8 ounces COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

For the Fruit & Toppings:
3 to 4 bananas, sliced
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained well
16 ounces strawberries, hulled, and sliced
8 ounces COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
½ cup walnuts, chopped
Chocolate syrup
Maraschino cherries

1. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, stirring until all of the crumbs are evenly moistened. Dump the crumbs into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Refrigerate while you prepare the next layer.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the COOL WHIP until thoroughly combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the graham cracker crust.

4. Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on top of the cream cheese filling, top with an even layer of the crushed pineapple, and then an even layer of the sliced strawberries.

5. Cover with the COOL WHIP, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts, then drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with maraschino cherries. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Disclaimer: As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received coupons for free COOL WHIP Whipped Topping and a stipend. Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content.

What you add makes it. #coolwhipmoms

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Tags: Puddings/Custard Desserts

I have seen Mississippi Mud Pie make its rounds all over the interwebs over the last few years. I’ve seen countless variations, from triple-chocolate layer pies to pies with coffee ice cream. There definitely does not seem to be one standard recipe. Then I saw this… Mississippi Mud Cake. It defied logic that I would be as taken with it as I was. I am traditionally much more of a pie person than a cake person. I love pie crust. And whipped cream. And pie crust. Usually cake has to include an elaborate filling and sky-high frosting for me to choose it over pie. However, this Mississippi Mud Cake spoke to me in ways the Mississippi Mud Pie never did. I’ve had it in the back of my mind since I saw it, and figured a cold, rainy day in April when the weather folks were calling for 8 inches of snow would be the perfect time to whip up this cake.

Much to my dismay, we didn’t get 8 inches of snow. In fact, we didn’t even get one snowflake. Seriously, weather people?! How do you get it that wrong? I got all hyped up for a snow storm, and was severely disappointed when I could, in fact, get to the store.

Back to the cake I made on my snow rain day. I think the tide may be turning in my feelings about cake. Perhaps the key to cake harmony in my life is chocolate cake with non-traditional toppings? I couldn’t believe how much I loved my dad’s favorite birthday cake when I made it a couple of weeks ago. Like this cake, it was also chocolate, made in a 9×13-inch pan, and wasn’t topped with frosting. That cake had a cream cheese center and a sugar-walnut topping. This Mississippi Mud Cake is topped with a layer of gooey marshmallows, then a chocolate glaze, chopped pecans, and coconut. So, basically, it’s amazing.

Slowly, but surely, I’m coming around to cake. I think it’s all about being non-traditional for me. I have quite a few more unique cake recipes to try, and I think I’m going to love them. If you have any you’d like to share, feel free to include links in the comments below!

In the meantime, I think I’ll just eat my way through this pan of chocolate/marshmallow/pecan/coconut awesomeness. Here’s to botched snow days and the wonderful goodies they yield!

One year ago: Hot Cross Buns
Two years ago: Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Four years ago: Cheddar Corn Chowder

Mississippi Mud Cake

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 30 to 40 minutes

For the Cake:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups miniature marshmallows

For the Chocolate Glaze & Toppings:
1 cup pecan halves
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup shredded sweetened coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Make the Cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it together until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is firm to the touch.

3. Remove the cake from the oven and evenly scatter the miniature marshmallows over top. Return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt the marshmallows. They will be puffy and lightly browned.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Spread the pecans on baking sheet in a single layer and bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the pecans.

5. Meanwhile, Make the Chocolate Glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, corn syrup, and heavy cream. Stir over medium-low heat until the chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top of the cake. If necessary, use the back of a spoon to gently spread the chocolate over the marshmallow layer so it is evenly covered. Sprinkle with the pecans, and then the coconut. Let cool completely before serving. Store leftovers tightly wrapped (or in an airtight container) at room temperature.

(Recipe adapted from Pennies on a Platter, originally from Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible)

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Tags: Cake