Brown Butter Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream

Um, hello, Mother Nature! Are you out there? Did you leave us to our own devices?

Maybe you decided to retire. If so, it sure would have been nice to warn a sista! Hold on, are you on vacation? That must be it. You’re tanning on a pristine white beach sipping on a frozen cocktail with one of those cute umbrellas and fancy twirly straws, aren’t you?

Either way, it would have been nice to get someone to fill in while you’re gone. You know, a replacement!

It’s April 10th, and it’s hot. Not mild. Not warm. Hot! And, guess what? Friday it’s supposed to cool down again. Oh, and it just snowed two weeks ago. What’s up with that? The world is confused.

Could you hurry back? Thanks!

Since it’s smoldering hot outside, I have a frozen treat for you. Grab your ice cream maker, a scoop, and a few cones, because we’re making brown butter butterscotch pecan ice cream. Can get I get holla!

Brown Butter Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream | www.themessybakerblog.com -6618

I’ve had my share of ice cream. I’ve made pineapple coconut ice cream. I’ve made chocolate banana cake batter shakes. Heck, I’ve even made a strawberry-pink champagne sorbet. Out of all the ice cream I’ve made and ate, this is my favorite.

Brown Butter Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream | www.themessybakerblog.com -6616

This ice cream is the total package. It’s velvety smooth and extra creamy. It’s made with brown butter and scotch. Hello, that’s double the delicious. And, as if that weren’t enough, it’s loaded with buttery toasted pecans and topped with wet pecans. Drool!

Brown Butter Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream | www.themessybakerblog.com -6623

Trust me, this won’t last long in your freezer. Enjoy!

4.7 from 3 reviews

Brown Butter Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream
 
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Adapted from The Perfect Scoop
Author:
Recipe type: Ice Cream

Ingredients
Ice Cream
  • 5½ tbs. salted butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 6 egg yolks
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tbs. scotch
  • 1 cup buttered pecans, coarsely chopped
Buttered Pecans
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1½ tbs. salted butter
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
Wet Pecans
  • 1 cup toasted pecans
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup

Instructions
Ice Cream
  1. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat, add the salted butter. Simmer until brown and nutty, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and salt. Whisk in 1 cup of heavy cream and the milk. Pour the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream into a large bowl and set a strainer on top.
  2. Allow the brown sugar and cream mixture to come to a simmer.
  3. In a separate bowl, add the egg yolks; whisk to combine. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan.
  4. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a whisk until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Pour the custard through the strainer and whisk it into the cream. Add the vanilla and scotch.
  5. Place the mixture in an airtight container, then place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard. Place the lid on the container and refrigerate until completely cool.
  6. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacture’s instructions. When the ice cream is almost finished churning, add the buttered pecans. Mix with a rubber spatula before storing in the freezer.
  7. Top with wet pecans and dig in!
Buttered Pecans
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a skillet. Stir in the pecans until well coated, then sprinkle with salt.
  3. Spread the pecans evenly onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes.
  4. Remove and let cool completely.
Wet Pecans
  1. Add the toasted pecans to a small bowl. Stir in maple syrup. Allow to sit for 1 hour at room-temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

 

 



Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze ~ #BundtAMonth

I love dessert. Cake, pie, brownies, cookies… If it’s sweet, I’ll most likely fall in love with it. Sometimes I wish I could be more like my Dad. He can sit right next to a perfectly frosted cake and nothing. Not a finger in the frosting, not a sliver, not a “Is it time to eat cake yet?” plea. Nothing! Me? I’m more of a dessert-first kind of gal.

I take after my very wise grandfather. He believes that there’s a second stomach; an overflow stomach, of sorts. It’s the stomach that’s reserved for dessert, and dessert alone. Nothing else enters the dessert stomach but sweet treats. Now, not everyone has this second stomach; only a select few. Here’s how you can tell if you have a dessert stomach. You can eat a full meal, whether it be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a five-course meal at a fancy restaurant, and still have room for dessert directly after the meal. If you can do that, then there’s a good chance that you’ve been blessed with a dessert stomach. If so, consider yourself a lucky duck.

This hummingbird cake was made for our tropical themed #BundtAMonth. Since not everyone has that very exclusive second dessert stomach, I had my family over to eat it for breakfast. Dessert first–problem solved!

Hummingbird Bundt w- Cream Cheese Glaze | www.themessybakerblog.com-6358

My family LOVED this cake. It reminds of a gigantic loaf of banana bread…except way better because pineapples and cream cheese glaze get added to the mix.

Hummingbird Bundt | www.themessybakerblog.com-6369

If I allowed myself, I could have eaten the glaze by the spoonful, shoveling spoon after spoon of creamy glaze into my mouth. It would have been a dream come true if I did.

Hummingbird Bundt | www.themessybakerblog.com-6380

Just look at that cake dripping with glaze and topped with toasted pecans. Who could resist?

This was my first time making a hummingbird cake. I’ve heard of it, but didn’t really know the details. Well, I researched it. Wikipedia defines it as follows:

Hummingbird cake is a banana pineapple spice cake from the United States. Ingredients include flour, sugar, salt, ripe banana, pineapple, cinnamon, pecans, vanilla, eggs, and leavening agent. It is often served with cream cheese frosting.The cake has been a tradition in the Southern United States since the mid 19th century.The first known publication of the recipe was in a February 1978 edition of Southern Living by L.H. Wiggin. It was elected the magazine’s favorite recipe in 1990, and won the Favorite Cake Award at the 1978 Kentucky State Fair. The cake has two or three layers with pecans, mashed bananas, crushed pineapple and cream cheese frosting. (Wikipedia)

I decided to take the four layers and condense it into one fine-looking bundt. The result is a beautiful, moist cake without all the fuss.

Hummingbird Bundt | www.themessybakerblog.com-6389

I bet you’ll discover your dessert stomach after one look at this beauty.

Hummingbird Bundt | www.themessybakerblog.com-6363

Enjoy!

Check out the other tropical bundt cakes:

Bananas Foster Bundt by Anita from Hungry Couple
Blue Hawaiian Bundt Cake by Tara from Noshing With The Nolands
Chocolate Bundt With Coconut Cream Cheese Filling by Karen from In The Kitchen With KP
Caramelized Mango Tropical Bundt Cake by Paula from Vintage Kitchen
Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake by Kim from Cravings Of A Lunatic
Coconut and Rum Tea Cake by Anuradha from Baker Street
Coconut Banana Bundt Cake with Rum Glaze by Lora from Cake Duchess
Coconut Bundt Cake by Holly from A Baker’s House
Coconut Lime Bundt Cake by Kate from Food Babbles
Hummingbird Bundt Cake by Heather from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
Hummingbird Bundt Cake by Jennie from The Messy Baker Blog
Lime Glazed Bundt Cake by Carrie from Poet In The Pantry
Mini Pineapple Bundt Cakes with White Chocolate Ganache by Alice from Hip Foodie Mom
Pina Colada Bundt Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days
Pineapple Bundt with Kuih Tat Filling by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
Strawberry and Banana Bundt Cake by Veronica from My Catholic Kitchen
Vanilla Orange Bundt Cake with a Hint of Coconut by Laura from The Spiced Life
White Chocolate Guava Cake by Kim from Ninja Baking

 
5.0 from 3 reviews

Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
 
Prep time

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Author:
Recipe type: Cake, Bundt Cake
Cuisine: Adapted from Southern Living
Serves: 10-12

Ingredients
  • Cake Batter
  • 1½ cups chopped pecans, toasted and chopped
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
  • ¾ cup canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Glaze:
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tbs. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1½ cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 Tbsp. milk

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour your bundt pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Sprinkle 1 cup of your chopped pecans into the bottom of your prepared bundt pan. Set aside.
  4. In a separate large bowl, mash the bananas (I find it easiest to use a potato masher). Whisk in the eggs. Whisk in the crushed pineapple, canola oil, and vanilla extract.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture in three batches, stirring after each addition. Pour the batter over the pecans; smooth with a rubber spatula.
  6. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes; remove the cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack completely before glazing.
Glaze
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, add cream cheese and butter. Beat until smooth. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Slowly add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. You want the glaze thin enough to drizzle over the cake. When the glaze reaches drizzling consistency, it’s ready.
  2. Drizzle the cooled cake with glaze and sprinkle with remaining toasted pecans. Serve.

Here’s how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:

- Simple rule: Use any tropical fruit – and bake us a Bundt for March
- Post it before March 31, 2013.
- Use the #BundtAMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title should read #BundtAMonth: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt)
- Add your entry to the Linky tool below
- Link back to Lora and Anuradha’s announcement posts.

Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from over 350 Bundt cake recipes.

Link to BundtaMonth on Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/BundtaMonth

Link to BundtaMonth on Pinterest- https://pinterest.com/bakerstreet/bundtamonth/




Nutella & Toasted Pecan Sweet Rolls ~ #TwelveLoaves

I’m going to apologize in advance. Why? Oh, you’ll see. Just keep reading.

Have you ever been enamored by, obsessed with, or head-over-heels in love with a dessert before? Enter these sweet rolls. Everything else became a blur as I was shoveling forkful after forkful of sweet dough into my mouth. Ladies & Gentlemen, meet my new obsession.

Nutella & Toasted Pecan Sweet Rolls | www.themessybakerblog.com-6509

I’ve been in love with a lot of desserts in my lifetime, but nothing surpasses the decadence of these nutella and toasted pecan sweet rolls. The dough gets slathered with a generous helping of chocolatey Nutella, then drizzled with melted butter and sprinkled with toasted pecans before getting rolled up and baked to golden brown perfection.

Be still my beating heart!

Fear of devouring the entire pan myself led me to dealing out sweet rolls at a healthy snacking party. Was I ashamed? A little. What choice did I have? It was either give them away or eat the entire pan myself.

Nutella & Toasted Pecan Sweet Rolls | www.themessybakerblog.com-6511

I wasn’t actually planning on making sweet rolls. They were more of a happy accident… A really delicious happy accident. Maybe even life changing. I was originally going to make my grandmother’s recipe for English muffin bread for #twelveloaves when a diligent effort to locate the recipe failed. Let’s just say I’m thankful I keep a large stock of Nutella on hand at all times.

Nutella & Toasted Pecan Sweet Rolls | www.themessybakerblog.com-6534

One bite, and that’s it. You’re. In. Love! Just give yourself over to the sweet roll. You can’t fight it; why try?

Nutella & Toasted Pecan Sweet Rolls | www.themessybakerblog.com-6528

The sweet mocha glaze gets drizzled on while the rolls are still warm. Oozing its way through the doughy fissures, the glaze creates a caramelized crunch on its journey to the underbelly of the rolls, ensuring each roll is perfectly coated with the gooey glaze and each bite is just as sticky and delicious as the one before it.

Nutella & Toasted Pecan Sweet Rolls | www.themessybakerblog.com-6520

Your chin and fingers are coated with mocha glaze, but you don’t care, because licking your fingers at the end just prolongs the sweet moment of pure bliss.

Nutella & Toasted Pecan Sweet Rolls | www.themessybakerblog.com-6530

Enjoy one. Enjoy two. Heck, enjoy the entire pan. Or, you know, share the sweet roll love. I’ll leave it up to you to decide.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Nutella & Toasted Pecan Sweet Rolls
 
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Sweet roll dough adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Author:
Recipe type: Sweet Rolls
Serves: 18

Ingredients
Sweet Roll Dough:
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 1 pkg. yeast
  • 4½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
Nutella Filling:
  • 1 cup Nutella, slightly melted (see note)
  • 4 tbs. unsalted butter, melted
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Mocha Icing:
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbs. strongly brewed coffee
  • 1 tbs. half & half
  • ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions
  1. In a large pot over medium-low heat, whisk together milk, sugar, and oil. Using a candy thermometer, heat the milk to 120 degrees F. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the warm milk mixture. Stir in 3½ cups of flour. Take off the heat. Cover the pot with a towel and allow to rest, undisturbed, for 1 hour.
  2. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the mixture. Stir until combined. Place the lid on the pot and refrigerate until the mixture is completely cool (the dough is easier to handle if it is refrigerated).
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a large baking dish, or two pie plates or round cake pans.
  4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 24 inches long and 10 inches wide. Drizzle the melted nutella onto the dough. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drizzle the nutella with the melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and toasted pecans.
  5. Starting at the side furthest from you, roll the dough toward you, until it resembles a log. Pinch to seal. Turn the dough over so the seal faces the work surface. Slice into 2-inch thick rolls and place in the baking dish cut side down.
  6. Cover the baking dish with a towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown in color.
Mocha Icing:
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and salt. Whisk in coffee, half & half, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  2. Remove the rolls from the oven. Allow the rolls to cool for 5 minutes before drizzling on the icing. Serve warm.
  3. Note: Heat the Nutella for 30 seconds in the microwave to create a spreadable consistency.



The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies…Ever!

I know what you’re thinking, “Jennie, do you know how many times I’ve seen the word best associated with chocolate chip cookies?” I know, but these really are the best chocolate chips cookies I’ve ever sunk my teeth into. How do I know this? Because I’ve baked and tested several different recipes and this is the only one that bakes up soft and chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. I call that cookie perfection. They’re so good that I’ve been eating them around the clock.

 

These cookies are delicious dunked in an ice cold glass of milk or paired with a piping hot cup of slightly sweetened tea. They’re delicious for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a midnight snack.

Dear Santa, I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t think I want to share these cookies with you this year, despite what the tag may say.

My pants are fitting a bit tight these days. I suppose it’s the extra junk in the trunk. Hmm, I wonder if my extra junk has anything to do with all of the cookies I’ve been consuming? I’m going with the dryer shrunk my clothes. Yup, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

‘Tis the season to eat all the cookies you want without a shred of guilt! Happy holidays.

5.0 from 4 reviews

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies… Ever!
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Cookies
Cuisine: Adapted from Nigella Lawson

Ingredients
  • 10 tbs. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ cup milk chocolate chips
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips
  • ½ cup pecans, chopped

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment or Silpat.
  2. In a small bowl, add flour, kosher salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and cooled butter. Whisk in vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk.
  4. Fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
  5. Using a cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop the dough onto the lined cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. Store the cookie dough in the refrigerator between batches.
  6. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

 

 

 



Sweet Potato Bourbon Bundt Cake~ #BundtAMonth

Welcome to another #BundtAMonth series. This week we were encouraged to use booze in our cakes. Booze!

I’ve been known to throw back a cocktail or two (or three), so when I heard that December’s bundt theme was “Boozy Cakes,” I did a little dance. I love incorporating alcohol into my baked goods. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy a little cake with their booze? Wink, wink.

The idea for this cake derived from my grandfather’s love for sweet potato pie. Every year I ask him what he’d like to see on the dessert table for Thanksgiving, and every year his answer is always the same, “I wouldn’t mind a sweet potato pie.” I don’t even know why I continue to ask. I didn’t make  him a pie this year, but I sure did fancy up a sweet potato bundt cake for him.

Since this month’s theme is “Boozy Cakes,” I decided to give my sweet potato bundt a little bourbon buzz. The bourbon is not shy in this cake, but it’s not overwhelming either. It’s the perfect balance of earthy sweet potato and warm, spicy bourbon.

I’m going to let the cake speak for itself. Drum roll, please!

Isn’t she a beauty?

I swear the cake knew she was the best dessert at the table. She had this haughty attitude going. “Hmph, you other desserts have nothing on me. I mean, just look at me with my gooey, sweet maple bourbon glaze and my dense, moist interior. I’m the star of Thanksgiving!”

I gotta hand it to her; she was right. Everyone adored this cake. There were oohs and aahs echoed throughout the room as everyone passed the cake dishes around. My grandmother even tried stealing a sliver before dinner, but I shot her down.

I was nervous as I handed my grandfather the first slice of cake, then I proceeded to stare at him intently, waiting for him to take the first bite and for his approval. I received a thumbs up, which is code for yum. I don’t think he’ll be missing the sweet potato pie any time soon.

This cake is my new favorite cake. It’s moist, slightly sweet, but not overly sweet. The sticky glaze soaks into the cake, creating a crisp, sugary crust. The toasted pecans add a warm crunch, and the bourbon kisses your lips with its warm, boozy tingle.

Have a boozy holiday…responsibly, that is.

Araby Spice-Limoncello Bundt Cake with Limoncello Glaze by Lora from Cake Duchess
Bailey’s and Buttershots Bundt Cake by Karen from In The Kitchen With KP
Banana Pineapple Bundt Cake with Coconut Rum Glaze by Carrie from Poet In The Pantry
Chocolate Bourbon Mini Bundt by Holly from A Baker’s House
Chocolate Port Bundt Cake by Paula from Vintage Kitchen
Eggnog Rum Pound Cake by Dorothy from Shockingly Delicious
Madeira Pound Bundt Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days
Mint Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Creme de Menthe by Laura from The Spiced Life
Shirley Temple Bundt Cake by Kim Beaulieu from Cravings Of A Lunatic
Spiked Eggnog Bundt Cake with Bourbon Glaze by Kate from Food Babbles
Sweet Potato Bourbon Bundt by Jennie from The Messy Baker Blog
Long Island Iced TeaCake by Deb from Knitstamatic
Rum and Raisin Butter Bundt with Rum Honey Glaze by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
Tiramisu Bundt Cake with Kahlúa Mascarpone Glaze by Anuradha from Baker Street
Vanilla and Bourbon Cake by Kate from Diet Hood
Vanilla Mini Bundt Cakes with Kahlúa by Alice from Hip Foodie Mom
 
5.0 from 2 reviews

Sweet Potato Bourbon Bundt Cake
 
Prep time

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Total time

 

Author:
Recipe type: Cake

Ingredients
  • Cake:
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups pureed sweet potatoes
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ cup bourbon
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • Glaze:
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 tbs. maple syrup
  • ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • 3 tbs. bourbon

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease and flour a bundt pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and sugar at high speed (speed 6 on my Kitchen-Aid) for 3 minutes or until thick and pale. Add oil, melted butter, and vanilla, beating at a low speed until just combined. Add the sweet potato puree, beating until just combined and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
  4. In a measuring cup, whisk together the bourbon and buttermilk.
  5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Beat at a low speed after each addition until just combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool fully on the wire rack.
  7. Glaze: While the cake is baking, bring brown sugar, butter, and maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, then add the pecans. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon.
  8. Drizzle the glaze slowly over the warm bundt cake, allowing it to soak into the cake.

Here’s how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:
- Get inspired by your favorite cocktail, mocktail or just use your favorite liqueur and bake us a Bundt for Boozy December.
- Post it before December 31, 2012.
- Use the #BundtAMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title should read #BundtAMonth: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt)
- Add your entry to the Linky tool below
- Link back to both Lora and Anuradha’s announcement posts.

Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from over 350 Bundt cake recipes.



Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Because Squirrel and I ate our way through Frankenstorm and consumed an entire 9-by-13 casserole dish of chicken pot pie (didn’t want that baby going to waste in case the electricity went out), I felt it was time to create and eat something healthy. So, naturally, I made cookies.

Healthy snacking cookies. They’re full of whole wheat flour, oats, cranberries, pecans, greek yogurt, and a sprinkling of white chocolate chips. Any time I’m in the mood for a snack, I reach for one two (don’t want the other hand to get jealous) of these hearty cookies.

No cookie remorse happening at the last bite of these cookies.

In this house, I have to sneak healthy ingredients into the recipes I make. If my husband doesn’t know that the food is healthy, you won’t hear a peep out of him. He’ll eat it as if nothing ever happened. My theory is what my husband doesn’t know won’t hurt him. So I sneak a few veggies, whole wheat, and yogurt into some dishes. He can’t eat meat all the time (or could he).

He ate these cookies and was none the wiser. He even said they were really good. Ha! I tricked him. My husband is proof that healthy can be delicious. Indulge all you want, honey, they’re good for you (insert evil laugh here).

Go ahead, have two. Enjoy!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies
 
Prep time

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Total time

 

Author:
Recipe type: Cookies

Ingredients
  • 1½ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1½ cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, at room-temperature
  • ⅓ cup greek yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • ½ cup pecans, toasted
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the yogurt and whisk to combine. Add the eggs one a time, mixing well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla and lemon zest.
  4. Fold in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined.
  5. Fold in the pecans, cranberries, and white chocolate chips.
  6. Using a cookie scoop or teaspoon, scoop the dough onto the baking sheets.
  7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
  8. Eat 10 because they’re healthy!

 



Turtle Pretzels~ #SundaySupper Gifts from the Kitchen

Happy #SundaySupper!

I looked at my calendar the other day and got a jolt of reality. Christmas is only a little over a month away! If you’re anything like me, you’re scrambling at the last minute to put something nice together for friends and loved ones.

Before I went back to school, I would begin my Christmas shopping early, storing presents in the attic for the following year. Well, organization and strategic planning went out the door, along with my sanity, once I started classes for my Bachelor’s degree. I no longer have the time, energy, or excess funds to shop for Christmas. What do you do when that happens? Make homemade gifts, of course. Every year, I put together treats from the kitchen to give as Christmas gifts. Honestly, I think my friends and family appreciate it even more than a store-bought gift. Homemade gifts are thoughtful and crafted with your own hands, so it really shows that special someone how much you care.

This week the #SundaySupper gang gathered up their favorite recipes that can be used to create delicious gifts from the kitchen. What’s better than the gift of food?

I decided to make my most requested homemade holiday snack, turtle pretzels.  They only require three ingredients:  snap pretzels, Rolos, and pecans. The hardest part is unwrapping all of those golden little caramel filled chocolates. I’m tempted to write the Rolo company and put in a request for unwrapped Rolos. Does that make me lazy?


These candies are Christmas crack! People can’t get enough of them, and I can’t keep up with the demand each year. There have even been fights in the past over who gets the last candy on the plate. They turn civilized people into ravenous beasts.

Have you ever seen the episode of Friends where Monica decides to make chocolates for Christmas so she can make friends with her neighbors? Well, the neighbors loved the chocolates so much that they formed an angry mob at the door because Monica was unable to produce the chocolates fast enough. That’s me every year!

I’m tempted to carry these candies around with me during the holiday season to bribe people into getting what I want. Long line at the department store? Give the cashier one of these and you’ll be at the front of the line in no time. The sale doesn’t start until tomorrow? Give the sales clerk one of these and you’ll be VIP for a day. Somebody just grabbed the very last dancing Elmo doll that little Bobby wants ever so badly? Bust out a bag of these candies and Bobby’s mom will hand it over without a fight.

I don’t suppose bribing is very holiday like, is it?

What I’m trying to say is, if you make these you’ll become a holiday superhero. Everybody will adore you and your chocolates. You’ll be the talk of the season.

Enjoy!

Want more holiday gift ideas? Check out the recipes:

Breads/Breakfast

Condiments/Ingredients

Soups and Snacks

Sweets

Drinks

Turtle Pretzel Candy
 
Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

Author:
Recipe type: Candy

Ingredients
  • Snap Pretzels (square shaped)
  • Rolos, unwrapped
  • Pecan halves

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  2. Line the baking pan with the snap pretzels. Top with Rolos.
  3. Bake for 60-90 seconds, just enough to soften the chocolates but not melt them.
  4. While the chocolates are warm, top with pecan halves. Press the pecans slightly to spread the chocolate over the pretzel.
  5. Place in the refrigerator to cool. Package them for the holidays or store in an airtight container.

 



Maple Pecan Bundt~ #BundtAMonth

Well, hello November. It’s so nice to see you, even if you arrived sooner than expected. Thanksgiving is only 15 days away. Fifteen! Wasn’t it just August and warm? Now it’s blustery and cold and almost mitten season.

I have a very special treat for you guys today. My friend An from Bakerstreet and Lora from Cake Duchess invited me to participate in #BundtAMonth. What’s #BundtAMonth? It’s an entire month dedicated to bundt cakes, of course. An and Lora pick an ingredient and announce it the first week of every month. If you’re a bundt lover, all you have to do is use the ingredient to create a delicious bundt, mini or large, and link it up to An and Lora’s blogs throughout the month. Fun, right? A month that celebrates cake- I don’t mind if I do.

This month’s theme is Spicy November. I chose apple pie spice and made a maple pecan bundt with a maple and apple pie spice glaze.

This cake has everything. Moist? Check. Filling? Check. Maple and apple pie spice glaze? Check and check. I made this cake for my mom’s birthday and it was devoured by her party guests.

What makes this cake so special is the sweet, nutty filling. Pecans, brown sugar, maple, and butter create a dense filling that livens up the cake.

Enjoy!

Make sure you check out the other spicy bundts:

Here’s how you can join the #BundtaMonth party:
 - Bake your Bundt for November following the theme – Spice.
- Post it before November 30, 2012.
- Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title should read:  #BundtaMonth: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt)
- Add your entry to the Linky tool below
- Link back to both Lora and Anuradha’s announcement posts.
 
5.0 from 1 reviews

Maple Pecan Bundt
 
Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

Author:
Recipe type: cake, dessert
Cuisine: Adapted from Nigella Lawson
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients
  • Pecan Filling:
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp. apple pie spice
  • 1½ cups pecans, toasted and chopped
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • Cake:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. apple pie spice
  • 9 tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Glaze:
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tbs. fresh orange juice
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ tsp. apple pie spice

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour your bundt pan.
  2. Pecan Filling:
  3. In a small bowl, add flour and butter. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the flour until coarse crumbs form. Mix in apple pie spice, pecans, and maple syrup until well combined. The mixture will be thick and sticky. Set aside.
  4. Cake:
  5. In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and apple pie spice. Whisk to combine.
  6. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and pale in color.
  7. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  8. Add the flour and beat until just combined.
  9. Beat in the sour cream. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and make sure the mixture is well mixed. The batter will be thick.
  10. Spoon a little more than half the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Take your spatula and create a shallow well, causing some of the batter to go up the sides of the pan to create a rim. This well will house the pecan filling and prevent it from leaking and sticking to the sides of the pan.
  11. Spoon the maple filling carefully into the well , then cover the filling with the remaining batter. Smooth the top and bake for 35-40. Test the cake with a toothpick where it hits the cake and not the filling (as the filling will stick to your tester).
  12. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 15-30 minutes before removing it from the pan.
  13. Glaze:
  14. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, lemon juice, powdered sugar, and apple pie spice.
  15. Drizzle the warm cake with the maple glaze.

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#SundaySupper~Lemon Meringue Pie for #BakeforaCure with Chantal

Happy Sunday, all!

This week the #SundaySupper crew is teaming up with Chantal for a #BakeforaCure #SundaySupper. October is Breast Cancer Awarness month, and Chantal is working to create awareness with their baking products and is encouraging their audience to bake something for someone who is undergoing cancer treatment or has been affected by cancer. What says “get well soon” better than a baked good straight from the heart?

Chantal was generous enough to give 20 lucky #SundaySupper team members one of their Easy As Pie Dish to take for a test run, and I happened to be one of the lucky 20. Can I just tell you how thrilled I was to receive one of these gorgeous pie dishes…very! Baking is what I do best, so I was tickled to receive such an amazing pie dish. I may have even done a little dance when I found my name on the list of chosen bloggers. It’s the little things that thrill me most.

About Chantal:  Chantal Cookware was founded by Heida Thurlow, a German-born citizen who relocated to the United States in 1971. Heida is considered to be the first woman in the U.S. to launch and run a cookware company.

Chantal is known for their innovation in kitchen cookware development and have achieved several firsts for the kitchen; including, introducing dramatic color to the table, designing tempered glass lids and stay-cool handles for cookware, and designing several intuitive features for cooking, serving, and storing.

About the Easy As Pie Dish:  The newest innovation for bakers everywhere is the Easy As Pie-Dish™ from Chantal. The patented design simplifies the art of baking the perfect pie. Designed for ease, the interior ridges conveniently hold the dough in place and provide an even, uniform mold for the outer crust. A raised rim on the outside of the dish allows for precise trimming of excess dough. 9″ interior Diameter. Microwave, Oven, Freezer and Dishwasher safe (Chantal).

The Messy Baker’s Review:  Chantal has created a gorgeous and user-friendly pie dish. I was lucky enough to receive their signature Apple Red color, which resembles the deep red of a red delicious apple. Its high shine glaze creates an appealing exterior, but also makes it easy to slice and remove a piece of pie effortlessly. The dish is extremely durable and is an item you’ll have in your collection for a lifetime.

The fluted rim is what makes this pie dish so special. The mold is stamped directly into the dish, making it easy to shape and trim the crust. It’s the perfect pie dish for a novice baker.

I decided to test out the pie dish with a lemon meringue pie.

Chantal’s Easy As Pie dish was a pleasure to bake with and is easy on the eyes. My pie came out of their dish effortlessly.

I may have gone a bit wild with the meringue. As you can see, the meringue is piled high on top of the lemon custard, which is the way I like it.

It reminds me of the lemon meringue pie on the spinning carousel at the diners.

The lemon custard is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. It almost didn’t make it into the pie crust…almost!

A bit of leg work (or should I say arm work) went into this pie, but, I promise, it’s definitely worth it.

Enjoy!

Check out what the other #SundaySupper members are baking up:

These bloggers received the new Chantal Easy As Pie Dish to bake with:

And don’t miss out on the rest of the #BakeForACure recipes from the other #SundaySupper participants:

#SundaySupper~Lemon Meringue Pie for #BakeforaCure with Chantal
 
Custard and meringue adapted from Baked
Author:
Recipe type: Pie
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients
  • Crust:
  • 9 graham crackers
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 2 tbs. brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 6 tbs. melted butter
  • Lemon Custard
  • ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 2 large eggs
  • 7 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 4 tbs. unsalted butter, softened
  • Meringue
  • 7 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • ½ tsp. cream of tartar
  • ½ tsp. almond extract

Instructions
  1. For the crust:
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie dish.
  3. Add graham crackers, pecans, brown sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to a fine crumb. Drizzle in the melted butter while pulsing until it looks like wet sand.
  4. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pie dish and up the sides.
  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is brown.
  6. Lemon Custard
  7. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine lemon juice and lemon zest. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the zest to soften.
  8. In a medium, heat proof bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Add the lemon juice and whisk until combined.
  9. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl). Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 13 minutes.
  10. Remove the bowl from the pan and whisk in the softened butter until melted. Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve and place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  11. Almond Meringue
  12. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in a heat proof bowl. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the temperature reaches 140 degrees F. on an instant or candy thermometer, about 11 minutes.
  13. Remove the bowl from the pan and pour into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on high speed until stiff peaks form, adding the cream of tartar when the mixture begins to thicken, about 3 minutes. When the mixture begins to hold soft peaks, add the almond extract, then continue to mix until stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes total.
  14. Assemble Pie
  15. Preheat the broiler to low. Place the oven rack so it’s sitting in the center of the oven.
  16. Take your lemon custard out the of the fridge and whisk until smooth. Add the custard to the cooled graham cracker crust.
  17. Place a generous helping of meringue on top of the custard and form peaks with the spatula.
  18. Place the pie under the broiler until the meringue begins to turn light brown. Make sure you don’t’ take your eye off of the pie while it’s under the broil. Once the meringue reaches a light brown color, turn the broiler on high to toast the tips of the meringue. Take out of the oven and let sit at room temperature until ready to eat.
  19. Pie best served same day.

Chantal will be running an online promotion during the #BakeForaCure event. The promotion includes a discount coupon code- BAKE4CURE. The discount will be 20% OFF of ALL Chantal Pie dishes on www.chantal.com. The code must be entered at checkout to receive the pie dish discount. The coupon discount code is active October 16, 2012 through October 30, 2012.

Follow Chantal on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

 



#MuffinMonday | Brown Butter Orange Pumpkin Muffins

Happy Monday, all!

It’s time for another #MuffinMonday. I was extremely excited when I received this week’s recipe, an orange pumpkin muffin. You know how I feel about pumpkin, and I’ll take any excuse to bake with it.

At first glance, I wasn’t sure how I was going to change this recipe to make it my own. Quite frankly, the muffin recipe sounded perfect with its combination of orange and pumpkin, so I was a tad stumped. I kept coming back to it, and then it hit me. Why not add some brown butter and maybe a sprinkling of white chocolate chips and toasted pecans? That’s just what I did, and they turned out beautifully.

The muffin by itself is amazing, but top it with an orange glaze, and it’s over-the-top delicious!

The flavor of this muffin is extraordinary. Imagine an extremely moist muffin studded with the perfect amount of white chocolate chips and toasted pecans. When you take the first bite, you get the warm flavor from the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, then the subtle sweetness of the orange forms on your palate as you continue to devour the muffin. And, if all of those flavors weren’t enough, you’re hit with the nutty flavor of the brown butter and toasted pecans, then, to top it all off, the sweet orange glaze adds a burst of orange flavor.

Like I said, this is one scrumptious muffin.

Enjoy!

 

 

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