The past week the weather has been a little cold. My son told me that he really wanted some hot chocolate to heat him up. I was too happy to oblige, as I love hot chocolate. I went to all of the stores around me and every single hot chocolate mix that I found, contained sugar and sucralose (an artificial sweetener). I don’t have any issue with people using artificial sweeteners, but my son and I both get an off taste from them. I can’t explain it, but it just does not taste right to us. So after a quick scan of three supermarket aisles, I decided that the commercial brands were out. Therefore, I had to make my own mix. Come to find out, making homemade hot chocolate is quite simple. Mix a few ingredients, add some hot water and boom. Homemade Hot Chocolate! The homemade hot chocolate mix, is simple and delicious!
I have had a craving for a light and fluffy cake, but I didn’t know what to make. Then I asked my son and he said make it taste like Oreos. Sounds like a plan. So I decided to create a super simple, super delicious cake. The basis for this cake is a simple box cake mix, but the frosting and Oreos put it over the top.
With the weather getting a bit cooler outside, I wanted to create a drink that would warm me up and celebrate the season. Nothing says this more than Pumpkin Pie Hot Chocolate! A mixture of pumpkin pie spices, pureed pumpkin and a rich and creamy hot chocolate. It does not get any better than this!
I love ice cream, I love chocolate and I love bourbon. Yep, ice cream and bourbon. It is getting hot outside and the best way to beat the heat is a spiked milkshake. Milkshakes with liquor are awesome! I have created a new spiked milkshake that mimics the flavors of a cherry cordial. It is so good that you will not even know that there is alcohol in it. The key to this cocktail is Jim Beam’s Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon. It is super tasty. So this summer, beat the heat with the tastiest spiked milkshake around! The now imfamous, Chocolate Covered Cherry Spiked Milkshake.
Chocolate Covered Cherry Spiked Milkshake
Add 1 1/2 cups of ice cream, 3 oz of milk, 0.5 to 1 oz chocolate syrup (to taste), 2 maraschino cherries and 2 oz of Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon to a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream and a cherry.
This recipe makes a large milkshake, but honestly you will not care. It will prevent you from having to make a couple small milkshakes. I could have had about 3 more of these, but unfortunately I figured that I did not need 6 shots of bourbon in me, Haha.
Vanilla Ice Cream, chocolate, cherries and Bourbon come together to form the greatest Spiked Milkshake around! Alcohol and Ice creams are awesome!
Ingredients
2½ cups vanilla ice cream
3 oz milk
2 oz Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon
0.5-1 oz chocolate syrup
3 maraschino cherries
whipped cream
Instructions
Add 1½ cups of ice cream, 3 oz of milk, 0.5 to 1 oz chocolate syrup (to taste), 2 maraschino cherries and 2 oz of Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon to a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream and a cherry.
3.2.1311
Spiked Milkshake Tip
When making ice cream drinks the perfect ratio is 3:1. Three parts ice cream to one part liquid. In the case of the milkshake above, we are using 2 1/2 cups (~ 18 oz) of ice cream for 6 oz of liquid. The 3:1 ratio will always give you the perfect ice cream drink. Use it for regular milkshakes, spiked milkshakes or even daiquiris made with ice cream instead of ice.
I have been under the weather for the past couple of days and Dana wanted to cheer me up. So she made some of the tastiest cookies around. S’more cookies. Yep, that campfire favorite is now a tasty cookie. The chocolate, graham cracker and marshmallow works great as a tasty cookie. They were so delicious, that I am feeling much better. Thanks for the treat Dana!
S’more Cookies
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time mix thoroughly after each egg. Next add the vanilla. Mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to combine. Turn the mixer to low speed and then slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixer.
Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows in by hand.
Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line cookies sheets with a silpat or parchment paper.
Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible. Dana used 18 -24 graham cracker squares on each pan. Basically cover the cookie sheet with graham crackers.
Place about 1 tablespoon of dough on each graham cracker and press down slightly with fingertips.
Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey’s bar pieces on to the top. We placed a single Hershey rectangle on each cookie. At this time you might want to also add a couple more mini marshmallows too.
Bake for an additional 7-9 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown.
The perfect campfire treat done as the tastiest cookie around!
Ingredients
11 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces
1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares
Instructions
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time mix thoroughly after each egg. Next add the vanilla. Mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to combine. Turn the mixer to low speed and then slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixer.
Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows in by hand.
Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line cookies sheets with a silpat or parchment paper.
Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible. Dana used 18 -24 graham cracker squares on each pan. Basically cover the cookie sheet with graham crackers.
Place about 1 tablespoon of dough on each graham cracker and press down slightly with fingertips.
Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey’s bar pieces on to the top. We placed a single Hershey rectangle on each cookie. At this time you might want to also add a couple more mini marshmallows too.
Bake for an additional 7-9 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Adapted from http://www.icecreambeforedinner.com/2011/04/smores-cookies.html via http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/06/smores-cookies.html
3.1.09
I was not feeling so hot, but when Dana brought me some of these cookies, I felt 100 times better. Thanks again Dana!
This recipe was adapted from http://www.icecreambeforedinner.com/2011/04/smores-cookies.html via http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/06/smores-cookies.html
For the next couple of posts I am handing the reigns over to my wife Dana! She was in a Christmas cookie kind of mood and we decided to have a Christmas Cookie Marathon. Dana is a great baker and here is her first recipe. Fudge Crinkles. I have never had these before, but they are like little chocolate pillows of awesomeness! Dana blew me out of the water with these.
Fudge Crinkles
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir the cake mix, oil and eggs by hand until a dough forms. This is a temperamental dough so you do not want to use a mixer.
Coat your hands in confectioners sugar and then shape the dough into 1 inch balls. You may have to dust your hands a few times. The dough is really wet, so keep lots of confectioners sugar on stand-by.
After the dough balls are formed, roll them in even more confectioners’ sugar. This gives them that sweet snowflake look that you see in the main picture.
Then place the sugar coated cookie balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Roughly 2-3 inches apart.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes or until the center of the cookie just starts to set.
Perfectly Cooked
Let the cookies cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes and then move the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
In a large bowl, stir the cake mix, oil and eggs by hand until a dough forms. This is a temperamental dough so you do not want to use a mixer.
Coat your hands in confectioners sugar and then shape the dough into 1 inch balls. You may have to dust your hands a few times. The dough is really wet, so keep lots of confectioners sugar on stand-by.
After the dough balls are formed, roll them in even more confectioners' sugar. This gives them that sweet snowflake look that you see in the main picture.
Then place the sugar coated cookie balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Roughly 2-3 inches apart.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes or until the center of the cookie just starts to set.
Perfectly Cooked
Let the cookies cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes and then move the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/fudge-crinkles-a-great-4-ingredient-cake-mix-cookie-32614
3.1.09
Quite possibly the easiest and tastiest cookies around.
I hate to say it, but it is fall. Time to start designing your Halloween Costume and start cooking with pumpkin. A little bit about me, I enjoy a good pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies and pumpkin carving. Lately, I have seen a couple pumpkin swirl cookies out there and it got me thinking about pumpkin swirl muffins. So I decided to make some.
The other day Dana and I were having a little back and forth regarding chocolate and pumpkin. Do they go together or not? I thought they did and Dana was not sure. It seemed a tad bit icky to her. So I decided to combine my two favorite desserts and see. I combined my favorite brownie recipe with my pumpkin pie recipe. Then I mixed them together to see if chocolate and pumpkin go together. Well I proved my point to Dana. We both loved the marbled brownies. I have to say, chocolate and pumpkin go together quite nicely.
Chocolate and Pumpkin Marbled Brownies
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a 13×9 baking pan with foil, extending foil over the edges of the pan.
Grease the foil with vegetable spray and set pan aside.
The Pumpkin Cheesecake
In a medium mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer beat the cream cheese and the 1 tablespoon butter on medium for 30 seconds.
Add 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until well combined.
Beat in the egg, the pumpkin, vanilla, the cinnamon, and ginger until combined.
Stir in the 1 tablespoon flour. This will help the cheesecake set up.
The Chocolate Brownie
Coarsely chop the unsweetened chocolate.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Stir and melt until smooth.
Beat the eggs and sugar at medium speed with a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Beat until the mixture is well blended.
Once the chocolate is melted, turn the mixer down to low and slowly drizzle the chocolate into the mixture. Continue to blend until the chocolate is fully mixed in.
With the mixer still on low, gradually add the flour and vanilla until fully incorporated.
Put it all Together
Spread chocolate mixture evenly in the prepared pan. I know that it doesn’t look like much, but trust me, it will be enough for the 9×13 pan.
Spoon cream cheese mixture in several mounds on top of the chocolate batter.
Using a butter knife, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture into the chocolate batter.
Bake about 40 minutes or until center is just set when pan is gently shaken.
Cool in pan on a wire rack.
Use foil to lift uncut brownies out of pan. Cut into 18 brownies.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 13x9 baking pan with foil, extending foil over the edges of the pan. Grease the foil; set pan aside.
The Pumpkin Cheesecake
In a medium mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer beat the cream cheese and the 1 tablespoon butter on medium for 30 seconds.
Add ½ cup sugar. Beat until well combined.
Beat in the egg, the pumpkin, vanilla, the cinnamon, and ginger until combined.
Stir in the 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside.
The Chocolate Brownie
Coarsely chop the unsweetened chocolate.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Stir and melt until smooth.
Beat the eggs and sugar at medium speed with a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Beat until the mixture is well blended.
Once the chocolate is melted, turn the mixer down to low and slowly drizzle the chocolate into the mixture. Continue to blend until the chocolate is fully mixed in.
With the mixer still on low, gradually add the flour and vanilla until fully incorporated.
Put it all Together
Spread chocolate mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture in several mounds on top of the chocolate batter. Using a narrow metal spatula, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture into the chocolate batter.
Bake about 40 minutes or until center is just set when pan is gently shaken. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Use foil to lift uncut brownies out of pan. Cut into brownies.
I made one batch of these cookies and immediately had to make another. Dana and I loved them! They were delicious. We are dark chocolate fans so they hit the spot. If you wish, you can use standard cocoa and semi-sweet chips if you are not a fan of the decadent dark chocolate.
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a mixer add the shortening and the granulated and brown sugars. Mix on high until the mixture is light and airy. Then add the cocoa powder. Mix.
Slowly add each egg one at a time. Make sure to fully mix the egg in before add the next egg.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl.
Turn your mixer on low and slowly add the flour mixture.
Once the dough is all combined mix the dark chocolate chips in by hand.
Form the dough into 18 portions. Using two cookie sheets, place 9 portions on each cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until the edges start to darken and the tops solidify.
Once cooked remove the pans from the oven and let cool for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Super chocolaty and delicious double chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients
1 cup (1 stick) butter flavored shortening
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup dark cocoa powder
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2½ cups dark chocolate chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a mixer add the shortening and the granulated and brown sugars. Mix on high until the mixture is light and airy. Then add the cocoa powder. Mix.
Slowly add each egg one at a time. Make sure to fully mix the egg in before add the next egg.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl.
Turn your mixer on low and slowly add the flour mixture.
Once the dough is all combined mix the dark chocolate chips in by hand.
Form the dough into 18 portions. Using two cookie sheets, place 9 portions on each cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until the edges start to darken and the tops solidify.
Once cooked remove the pans from the oven and let cool for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack.
I recently saw a commercial with what looked like Smore Brownies in it. Not sure if it was but it gave me the idea to tackle this recipe. I used a graham cracker crust, a chocolate brownie filling and topped it all off with some marshmallow fluff. It was delicious.
Smore Brownies
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place a piece of aluminum foil in a 9×9 pan. Lightly grease the foil with cooking spray.
Creating the Crust:
In a medium bowl combine the 1 1/4 cup of cracker crumbs with 1/3 cup of butter, 3 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
Press the mixture into the foil lined and greased 9×9 pan.
Bake in the oven for 8 minutes or just until the cracker crust sets.
Mix your brownies and have them ready for when the crust comes out of the oven.
Pour the brownie batter into the pan over the cracker crust.
Bake the brownies according to your brownie recipe.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
The Marshmallow Topping
I failed to allow my brownies to cool completely so when I added the marshmallow fluff to my brownies it immediately started to melt. Oops. At least you get to learn from my mistakes. Let your brownies cool.
Spread the marshmallow fluff over the cooled brownies.
Then using a butane torch gently brown the marshmallow. If you do not have a torch, don’t worry. Set your oven to broil and broil the marshmallow until browned. Watch out. Fluff is extremely flammable.
Lift the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil.
The campfire favorite redone in a new and exciting way!
Ingredients
Crust
1¼ cup crushed graham crackers
⅓ cup butter
3 tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
Brownie
Use your favorite recipe, My favorite recipe or your favorite boxed brownie.
Topping
2 Jars Marshmallow fluff
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place a piece of aluminum foil in a 9x9 pan. Lightly grease the foil with cooking spray.
Creating the Crust:
In a medium bowl combine the 1¼ cup of cracker crumbs with ⅓ cup of butter, 3 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
Press the mixture into the foil lined and greased 9x9 pan.
Bake in the oven for 8 minutes or just until the cracker crust sets.
The Brownie
You can use your favorite brownie recipe, a boxed recipe or My Favorite Brownies.
Mix your brownies and have them ready for when the crust comes out of the oven.
Pour the brownie batter into the pan over the cracker crust.
Bake the brownies according to your brownie recipe.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
The Marshmallow Topping
Spread the marshmallow fluff over the cooled brownies.
Then using a butane torch gently brown the marshmallow.
Lift the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil.
Cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
Make Sure to let the brownies cool before adding the fluff.
If you do not have a torch use your broiler. Make sure to watch the brownies as fluff catches fire pretty easily.
2.2.6
These brownies were delicious! They totally had the campfire feel.
I love the fluff. A tip is to make sure to use fluff. It will not get as hard as marshmallows once browned. If you use marshmallows, they tend to immediately get hard and make the brownies inedible after an hour or so.
I am sorry that I have not been posting daily. I was on vacation and clearly relaxed a little bit too much. While I was visiting my family, my Mom made me Eclair Cake. It is my favorite cake. It is a mixture of graham crackers and a vanilla pudding mixture. Super delicious!!
Eclair Cake – From Mom
1 pound box of Graham Crackers
2 small boxes of Instant Vanilla Pudding
3 ½ cups of milk
8 oz. thawed cool whip
Beat the pudding mix with the milk for 2 minutes. Once fully beaten, fold in the cool whip.
Grease or butter a 9 X 13 pan. Then line the base of the pan with Graham Crackers. Then pour half of the pudding mix on top of Graham Crackers then top with a layer of Graham Crackers. Next top with the rest of the pudding mix. Finally top with one more layer of Graham Crackers. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or more.
Frosting – From Mom
2 Nestle ( Toll House) Pre-Melted Chocolate
2 teaspoons of white corn syrup
2 teaspoons of vanilla
3 tablespoons of soft margarine
1 ½ cups of powdered sugar
3 tablespoons of milk
Beat all together and put on top of cake. You need to be careful when putting it on as it is a thin layer on the the whole cake. Refrigerate for 24 hours before eating.
This cake really needs to rest before eating. If you cut it too soon, then the Graham Crackers will be crunchy. When the cake has rested for 24 hours the Graham crackers soften and the cake turns into the most delicious thing that you have eaten.
Last week I wanted something sweet. After trying to recreate the Pot Belly dream bars, I had a ton of coconut lying around. The one thing that I always think of when I have coconut is German Chocolate Cake. It is that chocolate cake that is iced with a creamy coconut frosting. When I was researching this recipe I found that it is not German at all. German Chocolate Cake was originally made with a type of Baker’s Chocolate called German’s Sweet Chocolate bar. German’s Chocolate was a type of chocolate that was made for Baker’s by a man named Sam German. Yep, the cake is named after a type of chocolate, not a country. I had no idea. No matter where it comes from, it is super tasty.
The three layers of cake with the coconut frosting are amazing!
Yesterday I posted the recipe for my first attempt at dream bars. It was extremely tasty, but not the dream bars that I was looking for. Today is my second shot. I wanted to make the crust chewier and more moist. I wanted the top to be chewy but not cookie like. So I changed things up a bit today.
Dream Bars II
The crust is perfect. The top is almost there, but not quite.
