Almonds, and Sugar, and Butter, Oh My!

Hello again, there! Much like my preteen journals of years past, I have been majorly slacking on keeping up with my blog and it upsets me as much (and hopefully more) than it does my lovely readers. Since last year I've been to Ghana in West Africa and back, I've interned at the County Health Department and helped teach new moms about safe ways to put their babies to sleep, I've written, and revised, revised, & revised a 50+ page thesis, and I've received my master's in public health (MPH)!!! So many good things are in the works for the future, and I'm just so grateful for my awesome support system that's helped get me through the tougher times.

Baking is a great stress reliever and has helped too, as well as coming up with new ways to invent healthy and delicious meals to supplement all those yummy goodies. Going forward, I'd like to include more variety of recipes including my salads and smoothies. I'm Certified in Public Health, so it's like my duty, right?!

That said, for now I will keep the sweets coming with these delicious and deviously simple Mexican wedding cookies. I got the original recipe from a Lauren Conrad guest post on Refinery 29, and was delighted with the melt-in-your-mouth results, which also reminded me of many Italian and Swede-style cookies my mom and I would bake around Christmas. I made these as gifts and brought the rest to work in an attempt to save my waistline.

Can I reiterate that these cookies are so EASY! Seriously, you don't even need to know how to crack an egg to make these cookies. Perfect to bake with little ones, as long as they have eaten all of their vegetables with dinner because this one is chock full of butter and powdered sugar (the good stuff). I've modified my recipe with the substitution of whole wheat flour to make myself feel better about this, but feel free to use just all-purpose or a gluten-free variety. The almonds can also be subbed for another nut if allergies are an issue, but I'm not sure how they would turn out without any nuts at all. Go low for the recipe.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar (for coating)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg (I think I used 3 pinches, but I like a lil' spice in my cookie)
1 cup almonds or nut or your choice, ground or chopped to bitty pieces

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, salt, flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground almonds to form your dough. If your kitchen is warm [as is mine when its 80+ degrees and my oven is on] or dough seems too soft to form, chill for about 10 minutes.

Roll into 1-inch balls.

Bake for eight minutes, until just golden on the bottom.

Let the cookies cool for just a few minutes, and then toss in the remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar. You want the cookies to be warm, or the sugar will not stick.

And that's all, folks! This recipes makes about 30 cookies. No need for a greased pan or parchment paper.  Enjoy!

Blondies Have More Fun!!

By the time this post is published it will probably officially be March. You know what that means, right? Spring is coming!! In like a lion, out like a lamb as they say, and I can't wait for the cute fluffy lamb that is Spring to frolic back into the Pittsburgh area and bring some sun with it! 

Until I can have mild, sunny days and sunshine, I've been contenting myself with lots of baked goods. Now this isn't the best of things for my Spring Break bod, but the great thing is I share everything I make and spread the love (and calories) around! I was really on a brownies and bars kick in February and decided to switch things up and try some blondie bars, which are basically brownies except not cocoa-based and with more fun fillings. Or like a chocolate chip cookie bar. In this case, a white- and milk-chocolate-chip-craisin cookie/blondie bar! Easy stuff, right? I based my recipe on Guy Fieri's Blondie with Dark Roots recipe because, who doesn't love the show Diner, Drive-ins and Dives? I also tweaked it a lot to go with what I liked and because a little recipe experimentation never hurt anybody, well not yet, anyway. Go ahead and add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of whatever nuts, chocolate, or other fun cookie filler you like (coconut, banana chips...go wild!)

Here's what you will need:

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi sweet or milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup craisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use tablespoon of butter to grease the sides of a 9 by 13 baking pan.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. 

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese together until fluffy (Can use hand mixer, stand mixer, or good ol' whisk and willpower). Add packed brown sugar and continue beat until well incorporated. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in dry flour mixture just until it appears well mixed (can't see anymore dry flour in batter). 

Now for the fun part; fold in all of your fun mix-ins, like craisins and chocolate chips.

What's in your bowl?

Spread the batter in your buttered pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You know you wont be able to wait until they're cool to try one, but put them on a wire rack anyway and pretend.

To scale picture: stack of blondies = laptop keyboard... just kidding.

 In case you're in an exceptionally gratuitous mood, these blondies ship to friends fairly well when frozen after cooling and sent in a sealed ziplock inside a USPS-approved shipping bubble envelope or package. Enjoy often until they are all gone!!

And just an update to my previous post's Valentine's Day frenzy, just wanted to share these fun chocolate bon bons I made before the holiday and gave out to all of my many, many not-so-secret admirers. To sum up the recipe they are basically chocolate cake mixed with cream cheese, rolled into balls, chilled and dipped in melted white or dark chocolate, and garnished with loved-themed sprinkles.

Yum! Always cook with Love,

LaVitaSweeter

Hello again! - Salted Caramel Brownies

Needless to say, I haven't posted for quite a while. I'm happy to say that I did make it back safely from southeast Asia, but certain sad events made it difficult for me to return to blogging. That's not to say I haven't been baking - its just the opposite!! For me, baking has always been a great comfort and stress reliever. Plus, it creates an excuse (and an incentive!) to invite family and friends to enjoy what I've created!! These same family and friends have been an invaluable part of my healing process, and I am so happy to have them.

I'm also happy to have found this great brownie recipes online!!! The brownies are an Alton Brown (from the Food Network) recipe, and I got the salted caramel frosting from the famous Paula Deen. Salted caramel is one of my new favorite flavors of the season, and the addition of chocolate makes it irresistible!!

For the brownies you will need:


Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
8 ounces melted butter
11/4 cups cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the salted caramel frosting you will need:

1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sea salt


Directions:


Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, then butter and flour a 9in pan. With a hand mixer, stand mixer, or a whisk and some elbow grease, beat the eggs speed until fluffy and light yellow. Then add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes.

While the brownies are in the oven, get started on the frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, milk and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Turn off the stove and transfer to a large bowl. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating with a whisk at (or medium speed mixer) until combined. Beat in the vanilla. If the brownies are not yet ready, stir occasionally to keep frosting from thickening.

If you have an electric oven (or if the smells coming from the oven are too good to resist) you might want to check the brownies with a toothpick at 35 minutes. When it's done, remove to a wire rack to cool. After 5 minutes, cut the brownies if you wish to create a marbled effect. Gently spread frosting over the brownies; it will thicken as it cools. Sprinkle with the sea salt, gently pressing to adhere. Cool completely and enjoy!

Stay warm friends!!

Chocolate Cranberry Bars

Good Afternoon!!

Thankfully Spring-y weather has retured to Pittsburgh and this post is coming to you from outside a cafe with a cup of pineapple juice and sunshine =]. The school year is winding down with one week of classes left to go, and with my fashion show coming up (tomorrow!!) I have been super busy! But never, ever to busy to bake. I made these white chocolate + chocolate chocolate cranberry bars last week because I'm always looking to try something new! They came out delicious and were SUPER EASY because the recipe called for boxed cake mix and just a few other ingredients! I got the original recipe from Betty Crocker and modified it a bit in my usual way. These yummy bars are great as an on-the-go snack or you can eat them on the couch with friends and a movie like I did.


What you'll need:


1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbsp water
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup white vanilla baking chips  (6 oz)
1/3 cup chocolate chips, melted

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom and lightly flour 13x9-inch pan, or spray with baking spray and flour.
In large bowl, mix cake mix, butter, water and eggs with spoon until dough forms (some dry mix will remain). Stir in cranberries and baking chips. Spread evenly in pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Melt the chocolate by putting chips in a mug or bowl and placing inside a saucepan filled with water (like pictured below). Heat to a boil, stirring chips until melted.

Drizzle over finished bars. Cut bars 6x4.

Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Chip Expresso Shortbread

Even though I have been busy with an upcoming fashion show and my impending graduation, I have somehow found time (and a budget!) for some more baking! Here's a recipe I found through Pinterest from Smitten Kitchen via Use Real Butter. I've never made shortbread before and was intrigued by the espresso component, so I decided to go ahead and try them and they were delicious! The recipe seems lengthy but it was not that difficult and totally worth it!

What you will need:

1 tbsp instant espresso powder (I brewed some actual espresso and used that!)

1 tbsp boiling water
8 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting 

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

Dissolve espresso powder in boiling water. Set aside to cool to tepid. 

Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. 

Beat in vanilla and espresso, then reduce mixer speed to low and add flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. 

Fold in the chopped chocolate or chips with a sturdy rubber spatula or spoon. 

Using the spatula, transfer dough to a gallon-size zip-loc bag. Put bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. 

When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days. 

Preheat the oven to 325°F. 

Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. 

Transfer the squares to the baking sheets.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point (I bake one sheet at a time). 

The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Enjoy with some warm milk or tea!!

Chocolate-Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

These are not you're grandma's oatmeal cookies. Nothing against your grandmother, but I like to think that these are better! Full of whole grain oatmeal goodness, white chocolate decadence, and sweet-n-tart cranberry antioxidant yumminess, these crunchy cookies are a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

I've been making these cookies for years, and originally got the recipe from the bottom of the Quaker Oats oatmeal cylinder lid. I made sure to never lose that lid, because these cookies consistently get rave reviews! My roommates and friends are obsessed and constantly request them, and I once ate at least 20 cookies in one night (it was delicious but not recommended, as these cookies are full of fiber...) I modified the original oatmeal-raisin recipe by using Ghirardelli white chocolate chips and Craisins, which is so much more fun! It's super easy to put together and even a half recipe yields about 40 cookies if you make them a little smaller. But I would suggest making the full recipe, because you will be sad when these babies are all gone.

Here's what you'll need:


1/2  cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2  cup granulated sugar
2  eggs
1  teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
1  teaspoon baking soda
1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
3  cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/2  cup Craisins
1/2 cup white chocolate chips


Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, and mix well.
Add oats and mix well.
Sprinkle craisins and white chocolate chips in gradually and mix in with a sturdy spoon.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets then remove to wire rack. Cool completely and store tightly covered.

Share and Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins with Crumble Topping

The crocus have bloomed, and that means Spring is here!!! We've been having gorgeous weather here in Pittsburgh, and its inspired me to try a bunch of new recipes! I'll have them all up here soon, but for now I wanted to post a recipe that reminded me of Springtime.

I made these soft and fluffy blueberry muffins a couple months ago at a friends house and they went perfectly with our healthy breakfast!! It took less than an hour and is a perfect weekend snack. I got this yummy original recipe through Pinterest (as usual) from Disneyfamily.com!

Here's what you'll need:

Muffin

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used fresh)

2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter, slightly cooled

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Topping

3 tablespoons cold butter, cut in small cubes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

The directions are easy as pie!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add milk, eggs, butter and vanilla and whisk just until combined. 

Gently fold in blueberries. 

Spoon batter into greased muffin tin, filling each cup about two-thirds full.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Mix ingredients for topping together in a small bowl. Using your fingers, or a fork, mash the butter into the flour until large crumbles form. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the muffins. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin comes out clean. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

I ate mine with breakfast

Hope you enjoy!!

-Ki

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

For my first post, I decided to post something that I have done recently, so I'll start with these delicious chocolate chocolate cupcakes I made a couple days ago! I've been baking more and more from scratch these days and was feeling a chocolate craving, so when I found this recipe for chocolate cupcakes on Glorious Treats blog I had to try them! I modified the recipe a little, adding a cool whip frosting and some chocolate chips. These cupcakes are dense, moist, rich and addicting!!

Want to know a little more about me? I hope so because you're about to find out! I'm a student of life, and of Urban Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. I love baking, fashion, art, and I really love baking. I'm always trying new recipes for desserts and meals and hope to share my food adventures with all of you -- the good, the bad, and the tasty!

Back to the cupcakes! Here's what you'll need:

Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Hershey's)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 cup boiling water

Filling: Cool Whip (I used Trader Joe's brand- I love that store!)

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

(adapted from Glorious Treats blog)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (salted, or unsalted)

pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2-3 tablespoons milk

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans with cupcake linings (or bake one pan at a time, like I did). 

In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute.

Stir in boiling water. The batter will look really thin, but thats okay!

Fill liner about 2/3 full with batter.

Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes. If you are like me and lose track of time easily I suggest setting a timer, most phones have this feature. My cupcakes were done in about 21 minutes, test to see if a toothpick comes out clean.

Once cupcakes are cooled, use a thin knife, or an apple corer if you have one, to cut small holes in the center of each cupcake. Do not cut all the way to the bottom of the cupcake (too messy!) Take the chilled cool whip and spoon into a pastry bag, or in my case a ziplock bag with a small hole cut into the corner. Us college students do a lot of improvising.

To start on the frosting:

With an electric mixer in a large bowl, beat butter (on medium speed) until completely smooth and fluffy
Add salt
Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, beating in to combine
Add vanilla, then cocoa powder, beat to combine
Add about 1 tablespoon of milk, and continue beating
Add the remaining cup of powdered sugar, and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy
You can add additional milk by the tablespoon until your frosting reaches desired consistency. If you want to pipe your frosting with a pastry bag it should be somewhat stiff. If frosting is too soft, add powdered suger until you get the consistency you want.

Now go ahead and frost those cupcakes!!! I used a plain ol' knife to frost, and garnished my cupcakes with a trio of chocolate chips. Have fun with decorating and add your own twist!

 Enjoy!! Store in airtight containers

-Ki