chocolate mint brownies

celebratewithcake:

Chocolate Mint Brownies:
Ingredients:

Brownie Layer:

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  
• 4 ounces (114 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 1/2 cup (70 grams) all purpose flour
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  

Mint Layer:

• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 1 cup (115 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
  
• 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract or 1-2 tablespoons creme de menthe
  
• green food coloring (optional)
  

Chocolate Glaze:

• 3 ounces (90 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
  

Preparations:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan. Set aside.
Brownies: In a stainless steel (heatproof) bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon) after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and beat, with a wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan (about one minute). Pour the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are just beginning to brown. A toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies will come out almost clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to completely cool.
Mint Layer: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat all the ingredients until smooth. Add a few drops of green food coloring if you want the frosting green. If the frosting is too thick, add a little extra cream. (The frosting should be just thin enough to spread.) Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownie layer. Place in the refrigerator for about 5-10 minutes or until firm.
Chocolate Glaze:  In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Spread over the mint filling and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate glaze starts to dull.
To Serve: Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into 30 squares. It is a good idea to wipe your knife between cuts with a damp cloth. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or else frozen.
Makes about 30 1-inch (2.5 cm) squares.
Photo by Glorious Treats, recipe found at Chocolate Chipped by Stephanie Jaworski from Joy Of Baking.

banana cupcakes with honey-cinnamon frosting

celebratewithcake:
sweettoothgirl:

Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
For a handheld treat that takes the cake, try these cute confections - they combine the flavor of classic banana bread with a creamy spiced frosting.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 40 minutes plus cooling
Ingredients: makes 12

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas), plus 1 whole banana for garnish (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Honey-Cinnamon Frosting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standered 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Spread tops with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting. Just before serving, peel and slice banana into rounds, and place one on each cupcake, if dersired.

mini key lime cupcakes

celebratewithcake:
sweettoothgirl:

Mini Key Lime Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Topping:

• 1 box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1/4 cup Key lime or regular lime juice
• 4 drops green food color
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cupcakes:

• 48 regular-size paper baking cups
• 1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist yellow cake mix
• Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

Frosting:

• 1 container Betty Crocker Whipped fluffy white frosting
• 1 tablespoon Key lime or regular lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated Key lime or regular lime peel

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat pudding mix and whipping cream with wire whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup Key lime juice and the food color; stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Heat oven to 375 degreesF. (350 degreesF for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cups in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoonful batter into each muffin cup, using about half of the batter. (Muffin cups will be about 1/3 full.) Refrigerate remaining batter. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining baking cups and batter. Cool cupcakes completely, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove paper baking cups from cupcakes. Swirl about 2 teaspoons topping on top of each cupcake.
4. Stir frosting in containter 20 times. Gently stir in 1 tablespoon Key lime juice and the lime peel. Spoon frosting into 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut 1/2-inch opening from bottom corner of bag. Squeeze 1 rounded teaspoonful frosting from bag onto topping. Garnish with fresh lime wedge, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Divide batter in half. Distribute 1/2 batter evenly among 24 muffin cups. Refrigerate remaining batter, and repeat process.

asparagus pesto

 from here

It has come to my attention that many of you do not visit Local Lemons in search of an easy weeknight meal. Is it because I make things like this 5-hour lamb bolognese? Or maybe because my homemade chicken nuggets take over 2 hours? Okay. You have a point.
Today, I’m making a change. I’m going to show you how to make authentic pesto from scratch and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes. Come on, if Rachael Ray can do it, why can’t I? (Geez, never thought the day would come when I mention Rachael Ray). Anyway. By authentic, I mean in technique. Obvious there is no basil in this pesto. And for a good reason – it’s March! If you’re making basil pesto right now, you better live in the tropics (or LA, or Miami). This pesto is authentic because it uses local ingredients that are all in season. Plus, it’s made with a mortar and pestle. This is the most important kitchen tool for making pesto. If you are using a food processor, you’re truly missing out. The food processor pulverizes and jumbles all the flavors, leaving you unable to distinguish the unique qualities of each ingredient. Don’t believe me? Do a side-by-side comparison. I guarantee you’ll never make pesto in a machine again (and you’ll probably never order it at a restaurant again either.)

I mashed together fresh spring asparagus, garlic, walnuts, chili peppers and sharp cheese into a thick, pungent paste softened by a light stream of high-quality olive oil. When the pasta was ready, I tossed in some spinach leaves, an egg and a heaping spoonful of the bright green pesto.
Wait, did I lose you at the egg? I love adding an egg or two to pasta dishes when I want a touch of creaminess without adding cream. I never add cream to pasta. Never. Bechamel, yes. Cream, no. All it does is dilute the vim of the rich sauce you lovingly prepared, while adding tasteless fat and heaviness. Eggs, on the other hand, enhance the flavors in your sauce. Especially if the eggs are farm-fresh, and the sauce is a pesto. The trick is to not let the eggs scramble. Crack an egg into a small bowl, add a teaspoon of the hot cooking liquid from the pasta, and lightly beat. After you drain the pasta, put it back into the pot and quickly stir in the eggs. Don’t hesitate or you’ll have chunks of egg instead of a light coating surrounding each noodle. Now add the pesto. And now enjoy a seasonal, from-scratch meal that took a total of 30 minutes. Take that Rachael Ray (Gr, there I go again!).

A note about cheese, because I just found my new favorite. It’s incredible. Sharp, nutty, crumbly, intense–and it’s local. Erin and I have been recipe-testing for Little Mac, and received a nice sampling of cheeses from Vella Cheese company. Their Oro Secco, a dry jack cheese that’s aged for 2 years, is amazing. I hate using such a generic word for such a special cheese, but amazing it is. The only problem is that it’s pricey, too much so for our mac and cheese. But perfect for this asparagus pesto. If you can’t find it, use regular dry jack in its place.

Asparagus Pesto with Pasta
4 servings / Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
About 10 stalks of asparagus, woody ends removed
2 -3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Handful of walnuts
1 egg
2 dried chili peppers (optional)
Handful of spinach, washed and torn into large pieces
Top-notch olive oil (I use California Olive Ranch Arbaquina. It’s affordable, bold and so tasty.)
1/2 cup Oro Secco cheese, finely grated (Or dry jack, or a hard, sharp cheese of your choice)
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound pasta (I used elbows, only because I had a ton on hand from mac and cheese testing. Linguine would work quite well.)

Set a large pot of water to boil and add asparagus. Cook for two minutes and lift asparagus out of the pot using tongs. Run under cold water to stop cooking, and chop into small pieces. Keep the water boiling for your pasta.
Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a sprinkle of salt until it forms a paste. Add the walnuts and dried chili peppers and continue mashing. Next add the asparagus, and mash until they fall apart. Add the cheese and stop mashing. Add a thin stream of olive oil and stir until it forms a thick paste (about 1/3 – 1/2 of a cup). Taste for salt. Add freshly ground black pepper if needed.

Cook pasta in boiling water. When done, drain, reserving a 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot, and keep on a burner set to the lowest heat. Add half of the reserved water.
Crack the egg into a small bowl. Gently beat. Add 1 teaspoon of the hot cooking liquid and stir. Add the egg to the pasta, and stir quickly so the egg doesn’t set. Don’t let it scramble!
Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Finally, add the pesto and mix until fully combined. If pesto is too thick, add remaining pasta water.
Serve with grated cheese and top with a drizzle of olive oil.

lemon cheesecake

celebratewithcake:
sweettoothgirl:

Lemon Cheesecake
Cake mix is the secret to an easy press-in-the-pan crust and a foolproof cream cheese filling.
Prep Time: 15 min / Total Time: 6 hours 50 min / Makes: 16 servings
Ingredients:
Crust:

• 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Filling:

• 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 containers (3.5 oz each) lemon pudding (from 4-pack container)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300 degreesF. Spray bottom and side of 10-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour. Wrap foil around the outside of pan to catch drips. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cake mix; set aside. In large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, butter and lemon peel with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press in bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of pan.
2. In same large bowl, beat reserved cake mix, the cream cheese, sugar, pudding and sour cream on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, on at a time, until mixed. Pour over crust.
3. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes or until edges are set but center of cheesecake jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer.
4. Remove cheesecake from oven; place on cooling rack. Without relesing side of pan, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Cover loosely; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Remove side of pan before serving. Pipe pr spoon whipped topping around outside edge of cheesecake. Store in refrigerator.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 325 degreesF.
Subtitution: If you don’t have fresh lemon to grate peel for the crust, just omit it. There is still plenty of lemon flavor in the cheesecake.
How-To: For clean cuts when serving the cheesecake, dip a sharp knife in hot water and dry on a paper towl before each cut.
Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 400 (Calories from Fat 210); Total Fat 23g (Saturated Fat 14g, Trans Fat 1 1/2g);Cholesterol 90mg; Sodium 380mg; Total Carbohydrate 43g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 30g); Protein5g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 15%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 10%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 High-Fat Meat; 3 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

simple stir fry by kelsey nixon

Simple Stir-fry

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Yield: 1-2 servings

1-2 chicken breasts, sliced thin

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon peanut or sesame oil

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, julienne

1/4 cup green bell pepper, julienne

1/2 cup snow peas, sliced thin

1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin

2 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/4 cup baby bok choy, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch slices

1/4 cup mandarin oranges, peeled & segmented

1/4 cup green onions, thinly slice on a diagnol

Place chicken strips in a medium size bowl. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss with cornstarch to coat. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, stir 30 seconds. Add chicken; stir fry until chicken is beginning to brown an is almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Add bell peppers, snow peas and onion; toss for 1 minute. Add sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and rice vinegar; boil until sauce thickens slightly, tossing to blend, about 1 minute. Stir in bok choy, mandarin oranges, and scallions. Stir-fry just until bok choy is just wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving dish and top with remaining green onions.

sugar cookies by kelsey nixon

Super Soft Sugar Cookies

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Yield: 2 dozen

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 eggs

8 ounces sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 teaspoons baking powder

approximately 4 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together butter and sugar. Add remaining wet ingredients; eggs, sour cream & vanilla. In a separate medium bowl combine salt, baking soda & baking powder. Slowly mix into wet ingredients until combined. Finally, add flour slowly, adding more or less if needed.

Let the dough chill for at least an hour, although longer is preferable. (I suggest sticking it in the freezer for 5 minutes before rolling out) Roll out dough on a well floured surfaced and cut into shapes. Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on size.

Keys to the cookies: Roll the dough at least 1/4 inch thick and don't overbake.

chana masala and garlic naan

The cold weather the past few weeks has had me craving Indian food. I’ve bookmarked quite a few recipes to try, but the long list of ingredients for Indian cuisine has always intimidated me a bit. This weekend I finally bit the bullet, and gathered the necessary spices from Spice Bazaar, a tiny Indian grocery (in the mini shopping center in front of Target on 15-501, for any locals). And ohmygoodness, what was I waiting for?? This recipe for chana masala is really easy, and oh so good. And the naan… nom, nom, nom. We will definitely be making this again!
Chana Masala
adapted from Molly Wizenberg
1/4 c olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1/4 t ground ginger
1 t ground turmeric
1 t garam masala
1/2 t ground cayenne pepper
1 t salt
water
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 T chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (I used curry leaves)
3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15-oz cans, drained and rinsed)
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to low. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and toasty, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup water, stir, and cook until water has completely evaporated.
Add tomatoes and their juice, raise heat to medium, and bring to a gentle boil. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, and add cilanto (or curry) leaves. Stirring occasionally, cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
Add chickpeas, stir, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add 2T water, cook 5 minutes. Add another 2T water and cook until absorbed. (This process of adding and cooking off water helps concentrate the sauce’s flavor and makes the chickpeas more tender.) Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Garnish with cilantro/curry leaves. Serve with rice and naan.
serves 4
Garlic Naan
adapted from Mic at All Recipes
2 1/4 t active dry yeast
1 c warm water
1/4 c sugar
3 T milk
1 egg, beaten
2 t salt
4 1/2 c flour
2 t minced garlic
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise for 1 hour, until doubled in volume.
Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball, roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat grill or grill pan to high heat. Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle, place on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. Flip and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.
makes 14 pieces of naan

carrot cake pancakes from trever and lindy

If you like carrot cake, you will love these pancakes! I have been trying to add new recipes into the rotation, so last Saturday I made carrot cake pancakes. I found the recipe in the Jan/Feb edition of Cooking Light and thought I would give it a try. The recipe is adapted from a recipe that is used at Snooze in Denver. Side note: I ate at Snooze with Molly when I visited last summer and LOVED their food. The grating of the carrots was time consuming and a little dangerous but the recipe was pretty easy. Give em' a try!
Carrot Cake Pancakes

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 pancakes and about 2 teaspoons honey butter)

Ingredients

• 5.6 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (I used pecans because we didn't have walnuts. I toasted them in the oven on 400 for 5 minutes)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground cloves
• Dash of ground ginger
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (We didn't have buttermilk, so I created my own. You need 1 cup of lowfat milk and one Tbsp. of vinegar. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes and voila, you have your buttermilk. I then measured 3/4 cup from this mixture for my recipe.)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups finely grated carrot (about 1 pound)
• Cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons honey

Preparation

1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through ginger) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through eggs); add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in 2 cups carrot.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon 4 (1/4 cup) batter mounds onto pan, spreading with a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 1 minute or until bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat procedure twice with remaining batter. Combine butter and honey in a small bowl; serve with pancakes.

pb choc chip cupcakes

celebratewithcake:
Ingrdients: Makes 24
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
- Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.
- In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add boiling water and stir to combine (with a spoon, not a mixer! it will splash around your kitchen). Add the chocolate chunks; set cake batter aside.
- Fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter.
- Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.
Milk Chocolate Frosting recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 ½ ounces milk chocolate
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa; set aside.
- In a heatproof bowl above simmering water, melt the chocolate (or in a microwave). Add to confectioners’ sugar mixture and add the remaining ingredients. Mix with an electric mixer for 1 minute, until a smooth frosting appears.

peanut butter sandwich cookies

Recipe from OurBestBites

1 C butter flavored Crisco
1 C creamy peanut butter
1 C sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
1 t vanilla
3 eggs
3 C flour
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

filling:
1 C creamy peanut butter
1/2 c real butter, softened
4 C powdered sugar
2 t vanilla
5-6 T milk

For the cookies:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream shortening, peanut butter, and sugars together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Add in vanilla, and eggs one at a time.
In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt and add to dough. Mix to combine. The dough will be very soft- that's normal!

Roll into balls, roll in sugar, place on cookie sheet (no need to grease it) and do the little forky criss-cross thing.

Now, not only are these cookies doubly sweet because they're sandwiched, but the dough spreads, so make your balls small. I use a regular size 40 cookie scoop and I separate each scoop of dough in half to form 2 cookies, and they're still pretty good sized. A mini scoop is perfect.

Okay, so pop the cookies into the oven and bake for 6-7 minutes. You want them to say super soft, so don't let them get brown. In my oven, and for the size of cookies I do, 6 minutes exactly is perfect. Remove them from pan and cool on a cooling rack.

To make the filling:
Whip the peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Then add milk one T at a time. You may not need it all. You want the filling to be on the thick side, it should just have enough milk in it to make it easily spreadable. If you add too much milk (like a normal frosting consistency) it might squish out of the cookies when you take a bite.

I put the filling in a piping bag, or a hefty zip-lock with the edge cut off to make filling easy. Place filling on one cookie and sandwich another on top. I designed the recipe to have enough filling to be generous :)

With the size I do, I get about 8 dozen cookies, which makes about 4 dozen sandwiches.

Just a note: I think these are actually even better the 2nd day. The flavors mellow together and you get a cool sweet n' saltly thing going on. Plus, after they sit with the filling in them, the cookies get really soft. Mmmm...


from leah and yancy's blog

nutella hot chocolate

Nutella hot chocolate.

• 1 cup whole milk (feel free to substitute skim, rice, almond, etc)
• 3 tb Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut spread
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp high-quality cocoa powder
• 1 or more marshmallows
• pinch of espresso powder (optional)

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over a low flame, whisk together the milk, Nutella, cocoa powder, and espresso (if using). Add cinnamon stick. Simmer for about 5 minutes, to allow flavors to meld.

all kinds of pancake recipes

here

spicy ginger cookies

here

pumpkin pancakes and cinnamon cream syrup

here

banana pudding

here

oatmeal dark chocolate chip pumpkin muffins

here

halloween treats!

here

s'more cupcakes

here

or this version

mini french cinnamon puffs

here

spiced pumpkin shake

here

apple pie

here

sour cream and chive mashed potatoes

here

new york times' best chocolate chip cookies

here

naan! chicken korma!

here and here

shakshuka

from here

slow-cooked tortilla soup

here