Chocolate

Salty and Sweet Makes an Awesome Treat!

January 8, 2009 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I’m a huge fan of snacks and candies that have a mixture of saltiness and sweet; it’s just the perfect combination all in one. I think the Take 5 candy bars are some of the best out there because you get your mix of salt and sweet in every bite, you just can’t beat that! There are many things that can be made using the salty/sweet flavor combinations and each thing can have an individuals personal touch.

Chocolate covered pretzels are another thing that I made to go in the goody basekts . They are so easy to do but the presentation can be as fancy or as plain as desired. I didn’t do too much to these pretzels since they would be toted around and all that but they looked great anyway.

I did two different varieties of these pretzels. One of the batches were plain; pretzels dipped in melted chocolate bark and then drizzled with white chocolate. The second the pretzels were dipped in chocolate bark and then rolled in crushed up peppermints and drizzled with melted candy cane Hershey Kisses. Both of the flavor combinations were incredible and they were a big hit with all the recipients!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 Bag pretzel rods

2-3 Squares chocolate bark

1/8 – 1/4 Cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Prepare a place with wax/parchment paper to set pretzels once dipped in chocolate.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler until completely melted and smooth. Reduce heat or turn off completely to avoid burning the chocolate or overcooking.

Once chocolate is melted begin rolling pretzels in chocolate until desired coverage is acquired. Place covered pretzels on wax paper and let set. Continue process until all pretzels are covered.

Once the chocolate has set, place white chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish and heat until melted. Keep an eye on the chocolate to avoid burning. Once melted dip a fork in the chocolate and begin drizzling over the pretzels. Let the chocolate dry before storing in a well sealed container.

For the peppermint rolled pretzels:

smash a handful of peppermints and place on a plate. Repeat the dipping process as stated above. Once the pretzel is dipped in the chocolate immediately roll in peppermint and then set on wax paper to cool.

Once the chocolate has set place about 6 candy cane Kisses in a microwave safe dish and melt. Once they are melted dip a fork in the chocolate and drizzle over the top of the pretzels. Plet set and cool before storing in a well sealed container.
Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels

Recipe by: Lynsey Lou

Red Velvet Cakeballs

January 8, 2009 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I love to experiment in the kitchen and try all types of new things. I come across a lot of unique recipes, ideas and presentations while I’m looking around different food websites and food blogs. There are so many different ideas and takes on food; and they are all so interesting. There are some that intrigue me so much that I bookmark them and have them as a must attempt recipe. I must say that my “must attempt” list keeps growing longer and longer as I come across more amazing recipes. Slowly but surely I will get to them all.

One of the things I have come across that I knew I must attempt were cake balls. Cake balls have experienced a growing popularity over the past few months; I’ve seen them popping up on multiple websites. They are just so much fun and there are so many different things that can be done with them. They can be make in different shapes, sizes, flavors and even put on sticks to be made into cake pops. They are so cute and the possibilities are almost endless!

After seeing these on quite a few websites I decided I wanted to attempt to make some. I knew the recipe would make a lot and I didn’t need those sitting around the house since it’s just Spencer and myself most of the time. I started thinking and I knew I wanted to do something for some of his co-workers so I decided I would do some goody baskets and fill it with some baked goods. This would be the perfect time for me to try out the cake balls and not have a ton sitting around the house.

The process of making these is pretty time consuming, so definitely keep that in mind whenever you start to make these. I probably made it a little more lengthy than most people because I decided to make a homemade cake rather than using a cake mix…but it was worth it. Plus I wanted to do Red Velvet cake and since that’s my bosses favorite cake I wanted to make sure it would meet her expectations! (I had to take some goodies to her too!) Even if you don’t do a homemade cake it would be better to give yourself a couple of days to do the whole process.

I wanted to do Red Velvet cake because of Christmas and I thought that would look awesome and be a bright burst of color once bitten into. I had never made a “from scratch” Red Velvet cake or any Red Velvet cake for that matter, so I hunted for the perfect recipe for quite some time and I finally came across a recipe I wanted to try on Pinch My Salt. Once I found the recipe I made sure I had everything and I got to mixing. The whole process of making the cake and baking it was actually not as hard as I had initially imagined. I don’t know what I was scared about since I tend to bake quite a bit but this cake has always been one of those that seemed to have quite a bit of difficulty. I’m proud to say I overcame my fear of Red Velvet Cake and I’m so glad I did because this cake turned out incredible! This cake also passed the test of my toughest critic, my boss…the lover of Red Velvet Cakes. Since this cake is her all time favorite she has tasted many and it’s what her mom cooks for her every time she comes to visit…so I was under double pressure, her favorite cake and it’s also a cake her mom makes. I was pretty proud when I heard from her that she LOVED the cake. I also got awesome reviews from the other recipients of the gift baskets as well as a few other people who tried them.

I had so much fun making these. It’s a great way to get the creative juices flowing and the possibilities are endless. Since this was my first time making these I decided I wanted to keep it as simple as possible just so I could have a fair chance of completing them and since I also had some other goodies to make to go in the baskets. I will probably experiment in the future with different shapes and possibly even with the cake pops. This is definitely a fun and different way to serve up a classic dessert. Let your imagination run wild with the different colors, flavor combinations and everything.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

For starters…Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 oz. red food coloring
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Flour and grease a 9×13 pan.

Into a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a paste; set aside. (Be careful with the food coloring…don’t get it on your clothes or counter tops because it does stain!!!)

Place butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Make sure to scrape down the bowl occasionally, beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla and the cocoa paste.

Add one third of the flour mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. Finally beat in the last third of the flour mixture, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

Make sure the pan is greased/buttered, floured, and nearby. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Yes, it fizzes! Add it to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Pour batter into the greased pan place in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check early, cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cake cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled completely, crumble entirely.
To combine make the cake into balls mix in buttercream icing.

Buttercream Icing:

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup shortening
1/4 Cup butter
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Cups confectioners sugar
1 Tablespoon milk

Directions:

Cream butter, shortening, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix in the sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each cup is added. Mix in the milk and continue beating until light and fluffy.

***If you prefer you can use a container of store bought frosting.

Once the frosting is prepared, mix the frosting in with the crumbled cake and combine completely.

Once the cake and icing are combined, form cake balls to desired size (I made them about the size of golf balls) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment/wax paper. Continue this process until all the cake is gone.

Once cake balls are made, cover with plastic wrap or foil and place in refrigerator or freezer. Leave the balls in the freezer/fridge over night to ensure they are set and won’t crumble when dipped into the chocolate.

***I added a little something extra to mine. I took some of the buttercream and placed it in a piping bag and filled the cake balls with a little frosting so there would be a surprise inside!

Once the cake balls have chilled and are set they are ready to dip in the chocolate. In a double boiler melt desired flavor of chocolate ( I used 1/2 semisweet and 1/2 milk chocolate). Stir chocolate until smooth, once smooth begin dipping the cake balls into the chocolate.

Place dipped cake balls on wax/parchment paper. Continue the dipping process until all are covered.

After all were covered I placed mine back in the fridge to let set up. Once they set up I drizzled some white chocolate over the tops of them.

Red Velvet Cake Recipe By: Pinch My Salt

Buttercream Frosting: All Recipes

Munchin' on some Peanut Butter Munchies

December 29, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I have made quite a few things with combination of peanut butter and chocolate; it’s just an awesome combination and probably one of my favorite combinations. I love it in all different types of desserts; it’s just two flavors that go so well together. Whenever I come across a recipe that has this combination of flavors it’s a must that I make it at some point in time. When I came across this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens, it was no exception.

I baked quite a lot throughout Christmas for many different occassions and this was one of the things I decided to make. I made these cookies to send to my solder for Operation Baking Gals. Although this is not a traditional cookie recipe I cook during the Christmas holiday it looked so good that I had to try it.

This recipe did not fail. Spencer, like always, was my taste tester and he loved them. I made enough to wear I could send some to my solder, Mandi, but still have some here so Spencer could have some to snack on. I think those are probably some of his new favorites. I guess it’s not too far from one of his all time favorite candies, Reeses Peanut Cups. He ate them until they were pretty much all gone! I’ll probably be making these over and over again.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the 1/4 cup peanut butter with an electric mixer until combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Beat in as much of the dry ingredients as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining dry ingredients by hand with a wooden spoon. Form chocolate dough into 32 balls about 1-1/4 inches in diameter.

For peanut butter filling, in a medium mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter until smooth.

On a work surface, slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter. Repeat with the remaining chocolate dough and peanut butter filling balls.

Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until they’re just set and surface is slightly cracked. Let cookies stand for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool.
Peanut Butter Munchies

Adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens, Peanut Butter Munchies

A Twist on a Thanksgiving Classic

December 17, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

Everyone associates different foods, traditions and memories with every holiday that comes around. Thanksgiving is no exception, for most people when they hear Thanksgiving they automatically think pumpkin. A lot of people start breaking out the pumpkins to make pie and all sorts of stuff during the fall and sometimes through Christmas. This year I decided to jump on the pumpkin bandwagon and make quite a few things pumpkin.

I have made cookies, bars and a few other things; I got the recipes from a variety of different places. I was looking through an issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine and the picture on the front caught my attention right off the bat. There was a picture of two different types of pies on the cover; Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake and then a Pumpkin Gingerbread Pie. Right when I saw the Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake I knew I had to make it. It has a lot of the different flavors I love in desserts; chocolate, cheesecake and pumpkin. Combine all of those flavors and it sounds like a winner.

I had been looking at the recipe for a while trying to figure out the right time to make it. I love making sweets but I don’t like making something that makes a ton just for Spencer and myself. I knew I wouldn’t make it for my families Thanksgiving becaues my dad takes care of the desserts for ours; so I knew that it would be a great thing to make for Spencer’s Thanksgiving.

This was a pretty easy recipe to make. There were a few little steps but nothing that was too overwhelming and nothing that took up too much time. To save some time I bought a deep dish pie crust that was premade that way all I had to worry about doing was the filling. The recipe for the batter for the pumpkin and cheesecake makes quite a bit. Even though I bought a deep dish crust (which is what the recipe calls for) I still had quite a bit of extra batter; probably enough for a second whole pie. I just poured the rest of the batter into a couple of smaller dishes and baked a crustless pie:). It worked out perfectly though, I was able to sample it before I took it. Since I had never made that recipe before that helped a lot; I would have been a nervous wreck otherwise.

All of the flavors blended together perfectly. One didn’t overpower the others; it was just the perfect blend of all of the flavors. I didn’t get a picture of a cut slice but the slices looked very pretty too; have the different layers stacked on one another.

On to the good stuff…

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 Deep Dish Pie Pastry
12 oz. cream cheese, softened (1-1/2 8-oz. pkgs.)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate or miniature chocolate pieces
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
Chopped chocolate (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare and roll out Deep Dish Pie Pastry. Transfer pastry to a 9-1/2- to 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim crust edge 1/2-inch beyond pie plate. Flute edge high. Line pastry with double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 6 minutes more or until golden. Cool on wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
In medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg; beat on low speed until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture in cooled pastry shell. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate.

In bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, and spice. Stir in 4 eggs. Gradually stir in half-and-half. Slowly pour pumpkin mixture on chocolate layer. To prevent overbrowning, cover pie edge with foil.

Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove foil. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hour. Top with chopped chocolate.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake

Recipe Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies

December 12, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

Oreo Brownies

Brownies are a dessert that have been around for many years and I know there are several different ways to make them. I know everyone has their very own favorite family recipe that cannot be beat, I know there’s a recipe in my family that I consider “The Best” recipe! Brownies have always been a common dessert in my family, it wasn’t out of the ordinary for us to have a pan of brownies sitting around at any given time. They are so easy to throw together and you have a delicious dessert in no time! It’s also a great thing to have around just to nibble on, you can cut a little piece and walk around and eat it. Brownies can easily be one of those desserts that doesn’t have to be eaten with a fork.

Brownies are also one of those desserts where there are endless ingredients that can be incorporated into the recipe to give it a kick. While looking on the baking isle it is easily seen that there are endless options that can be added to make a desired taste . It’s amazing to me to look at the box brownie mixes and far they’ve come over the years; there’s not only plain brownies but brownies with marshmallows, double chocolate and tons of other things. I’ve seen many things added to brownies to spice them up but until this recipe I had never seen a recipe where Oreos or any other type of cookies were added.

This recipe for Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies created by Ina Garten is absolutely awesome. This is definitely a recipe for any brownie, chocolate or Oreo lover. Whatever your sweet craving is, this is a recipe that will quench and fill it!

Outrageious Oreo Crunch Brownies
Oreo Brownies
Ingredients:

4 sticks butter

1 pound semisweet chocolate chips

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

6 eggs

3 tablespoons instant coffee granules

2 tablespoons vanilla

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup plus 1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups chopped Oreo cookies (50 cookies = 1 package regular filled Oreos)

Directions:

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 f. Butter and flour an 11 1/2 in x 14 1/4 in x 1 in baking pan. (I used a regular 9×13).

Set a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Place butter, chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate in bown and melt until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, coffee, vanilla and sugar. Blend chocolate mixture into egg mixture; cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together one cup flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture. in a small bowl, stir Oreos and remaing 1/4 cup flour. Add Oreo mixture to chocolate mixture. Pour batter into baking pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula. (I reserved a few Oreos to sprinkle on top)

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothepick inserted comes out clean.
Oreo Brownies
***Since I used a 9×13 mine were thicker and needed to cook longer than 35 minutes. Mine were a little gooey but I loved them like that!

Recipe By: Ina Garten and found on the website for Oprah Magazine

There's a Blondie in my Oven!

October 28, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

And they look and smell so good!!! Is there anything better than smelling something sweet baking on a cool night, or any night for that matter? My answer to that is no! I love baking stuff and I love the smell of my house during and right after baking.

I think blondies are one of my new favorite dessert items. They are so simple to cook, there’s not a lot to them and they taste wonderful. It’s been a long time since I’ve had blondies, my parents used to cook them all the time. We used to just have them plain with nothing mixed in, they are wonderful that way but they are also a blank slate where practically anything can be added.

I made pumpkin spice blondies the other day and they turned out incredible. This time I decided to do a household favorite, peanut butter and chocolate. Spencer loves Reese’s cups, so any mixture of peanut butter and chocolate is always a winner with him! I was really pleased with the way these turned out, they had just the right amount of everything. Next time I’m probably going to try mixing in some peanut butter, just to enhance the flavor a little.

Ingredients:

6-8 Tablespoons butter- softened (I used 8 in this batch)

1/4 Cup granulated sugar

3/4 Cup brown sugar

1 Egg

1 Teaspoon vanilla

1 Cup flour

1/4 Teaspoon baking powder

1/4-1/2 Milk chocolate chips

1/4-1/2 Reeses peanut butter chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In bowl or mixer cream butter and both sugars until smooth. Once blended incorporate the egg and vanilla. Sift flout and baking powder together and slowly add to mixture.

Add chocolate and peanut butter chips and stir until evenly incorporated.

Line 8×8 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Pour in Blondie Mixture. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Recipe from: Lynsey Lou

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

October 18, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

I guess you could say I’ve been on a peanut butter kick lately, first the peanut butter candy corn cookies and now these super, ooey gooey peanut butter sandwich cookies. Now let me tell ya, this is a cookie! There is nothing better than the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, add a sandwich to the mix and it’s awesome.

I had been doing a lot of baking lately but none of it was stuff that I was making to stay around the house, so I decided to make some cookies that we would actually keep around the house. Spencer is a huge fan of peanut butter, and his favorite candy is Reeses cups so this combination was the perfect choice to make and keep around the house. They were a huge hit for him and everyone else that tried them.

The cookie recipe is one I created a few days ago, so I decided to make this my “staple” PB cookie recipe because the texture, thickness and finished product turned out perfectly. These cookies stay chewy and moist for quite a while, they didn’t get hard like a lot of the cookies do after they cool off. I had seen quite a few different sandwich type cookies, so I decided to make the ultimate peanut butter sandwich cookie with peanut butter filling. They turned out awesome, I know I will be making these many more times! I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:

Cookies-

3/4 Cup butter flavored Crisco

1 1/4 Cup peanut butter

1 1/2 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Cup sugar

4 Eggs

1 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla

2 Teaspoons baking soda

3 Cups flour

1/2 Teaspoon salt

Filling-

3/4 Cup peanut butter

2 1/3 Cup powdered sugar

1/4 Cup milk

1 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla

2/3 Cup Reeses chocolate and peanut butter chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

For Cookies-

In mixer cream crisco and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly add brown sugar and granulated sugar, mix until thoroughly combined. Gradually add baking soda, flour, and salt; once combined add in eggs (one at a time) and vanilla.

Take a scoop of cookie dough about the size of a walnut, roll together in a balland place on prepared cookie sheet.

Dip a fork in flour then press down on the ball of dough.

Take fork and press across the opposite way.

Bake on 350 for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cookies cool on tray for 5 minutes then remove to cooling rack.

For the filling-

To make the filling place peanut butter in mixing bowl and slowly add powdered sugar, blend peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Once combined slowly add milk and vanilla; mix completely. Once everything is combined add chips and mix.

Once cookies are cooled; spread filling on one cookie then place another cookie on top to make a sandwich.

***This makes 30 sandwiches

Recipe Source: Lynsey Lou

Put the Key Lime in the Cookie and you mix it all together!

October 9, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

I love key lime, I’ve never had anything key lime that I haven’t liked. One of my favorite desserts is Key Lime Pie, and I guess the pie has started my obsession with all things key lime. I am always looking for new recipes that include key lime so that I can expand my key lime recipes. I have seen several key lime cookie recipes on websites and blogs, that were of all different varieties.

I came across a white chocolate chip key lime cookie recipe the other day while looking around the internet and I thought it sounded pretty interesting. I thought about this recipe for a little bit because I was just wasn’t too sure of this combination, I thought it would be good but it was just one of those things that was just a little bit different and a “branch out”. I finally talked myself into making them and while I was mixing them up my mouth started watering. I tasted a little bit of the batter just to get an idea of what it was like I from that first taste I was addicted!

When I first tried to get Spencer to taste it he was a little leary of the whole combination. I waited until the first batch of cookies came out and took him one fresh out of the oven to try. He ate it, thought about it for a few minutes and decided they were pretty tasty when he came back for another one. These cookies have been a hit with everyone that has tried them. If you’re a key lime fan I definitely suggest trying these…they are awesome!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup butter-softened

1 Cup sugar

1 Large egg

1 Large egg yolk

1 1/2 Cups flour

1 Teaspoon baking powder

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/4 Cup key lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest

3/4 Cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream butter, sugar, egg, egg yolk in a large bowl. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder. Blend in flour mixture. Add lime zest and lime juice. Fold in white chocolate chips.

Refrigerate dough for about 15 minutes. Place dough on prepared cookie sheet, bake for 8-10 minutes. After removing from oven, let cookies sit on sheet for 5 minutes then move to cooling rack.

Adapted from All Recipes

Chocolatey, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

October 9, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

It seems like there are many people on a mission to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie with the perfect desired consistency. I too am on that mission; there are tons of CC cookie recipes out there and I have tried multiple ones but it seems like they are too thick, too thin or just they just do not come out as I’ve intended or wanted.

The other recipes I have tried have been rather tastey and awesome when they first come out of the oven, but after they are in a container for a few days they just aren’t as good…in my opinion. I was looking for a cookie that was of medium thickness, chewy (both fresh from the oven and after a few days) and just the perfect consistency. It seems like I’ve finally created the perfect cookie…for me and they seem to be a hit for everyone that’s tried them.

When I was working with this cookie batter it was a matter of trial and error at first. I mixed up the batter, made a small batch, let them sit and then tried them. I would add a little more of this and that and then try the process again. After about 3 little tweaks here and there I finally had my perfect cookie that I desired.

During this time of creating this cookie I was also baking for a couple of soldiers for Operation Baking Gals, which is an awesome way to give a little back to the people who are fighting so hard for our country, so after I perfected this cookie I thought it would be a great one to send over to the troops. I doubled my recipe in order to have enough for the troops and to be able to experiment to get the cookies exactly how I wanted.

***I made a larger recipe in order to be able to send 2 dozen to each soldier I volunteered for but you could easily half the recipe and make a much smaller batch. This recipe made approximately 64 cookies.

Ingredients:

2 Cups butter flavored Crisco

1 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 Cup granulated sugar

3 Eggs

3 1/2 Cups flour

1/2 Cup Milk chocolate chips- melted

3 Teaspoons vanilla

2 Teaspoons baking soda

2 Teaspoons salt

1 1/2-2 Cups chocolate chips – semi sweet

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream Crisco for one mintue then add brown sugar and sugar until creamed. Mix in eggs until well combined. Add vanilla and melted chocolate. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together. Slowly add ingredients to Crisco sugar mixture. Once mixed add chocolate chips to mixture.

Refrigerate dough for 15-30 minutes and then spoon on prepared cookie sheet, I made dough balls about the size of a walnut. Place remaining batter in refrigerator until ready to spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. After removing from oven let sit on sheet for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack.

***To get a crunchy, flatter cookie take out 3/4 Cup to 1 Cup of the flour that is called for.

Recipe Source: Lynsey

Miami Beach Birthday Cake

September 26, 2008 by Lynsey 2 Comments

For my birthday my boss made me a cake called “Miami Beach Birthday Cake”. I have to say that is one of the best cakes I’ve ever had and my husband loved it too. So for his birthday I asked my husband what kind of cake he wanted. He thought about it for a while, I named different cakes for a while and then he decided he wanted the same kind I had on my birthday.

I have never tasted a cake like this; it was so good but very different than cakes I’ve had in the past.  All the elements of this cake combined made the end result incredible. The cake is a heavier more dense cake, but the icing is so light and fluffy they complimented each other well.
Also, this month Joelen’s Culinary Adventures is featuring bakeware as her “Tastey Tools”. I’ve been looking for something to cook to submit to Joelen’s and Spencer’s cake turned out to be the perfect cake.

This time baking is a time of firsts for me. I have been in the kitchen baking my entire life but this time it’s with a new mixer, new pans and a recipe that I’ve never made before.  I’m set in my own ways and so this is a pretty big thing combining all these new elements at once.  Spencer, my wonderful husband, was nice enough to treat me to a Kitchen Aid Mixer!!! That alone made my year; and the same day I also got some new cake pans…which I was in dyer need of. So the least I could do after all these treats was try to make him a delicous cake! Everything, all the new elements, worked together wonderfully and we had an awesome birthday cake!

Miami Beach Birthday Cake:
For the cake:
1 Cup chocolate chips
1/2 Cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 Cup melted butter
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts
2 Cups flour
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1/2 Cup butter
1 1/2 Cup sugar
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon vanilla
For the frosting:
1 1/4 Cup buttermilk
1 Cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 F.
Melt 1/3 Cup chocolate chips. Grease and flour bottom of 3, 9 inch cake pans. Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, stire in walnuts and rest of chocolate chips. Set aside.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Cream butter, gradually add sugar. Cream well. Add eggs. Blend in melted chocolate chips and vanilla. At a low speed add dry ingredients alternately with 1 1/4 cups buttermilk-beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Pour into prepared pans. SPrinkle pans with crumb mixture.
Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes. Cool.
For the Frosting:
Beat heavy cream with 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff. Fill and frost the cakes, keeping the crumb sides up. Refrigerate before serving and any leftovers.
***If you have time to make the cake in advance it ices better if you freeze it first. I made the cake and baked it one night, let it cool, covered it well, and put it in the freezer over night and iced it the next evening. This helps eliminate the crumbs getting mixed up in your icing.

Recipe Source: www.fareshare.net/recipesV10-03M.html, and Judy

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