LongBakeTheQueen

rosewater honey whipped cream

July 10, 2014 by Melia Leave a Comment

Strawberries and whipped cream are probably the perfect picnic dessert. Quite a while back, my good friend Garrett and I had a little picnic of fresh spring rolls, lots of hummus, and plenty of berries with this whipped cream.

I sweetened heavy whipping cream with some local honey, as well as added a touch of rosewater for a fresh twist on the classic whipped cream. I think I was a little homesick that day! Now, vanilla and sugar are obviously divine, but there is something so floral and gorgeous about the combination of honey and rosewater. You should be able to find rosewater at a Middle Eastern grocery store.

This version of whipped cream is perfectly sweet and, though extremely light, somehow decadent at the same time. I imagine it would be delicious with pistachio ice cream sundaes or even on top of a citrus pound cake. Please make this whipped cream; with a hand mixer, it will take less than ten minutes to make fresh, homemade, and delicious whipped cream for all those summer berries!

rosewater honey whipped cream
yields about 4 cups

ingredients
1 pint heavy whipping cream
3 Tablespoons of honey (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon of rosewater to start (add more if desired)

directions
1. Pour the heavy cream into a large, cold bowl. Using a hand mixer (or a whisk; don’t use a stand mixer, since they tend to be way too strong for something this delicate), beat on low for about 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat until soft peaks form.

2. Add the honey and rosewater and beat until firm peaks form. Stop right there, since you don’t want to churn the cream into butter or make the whipped cream clumpy.

3. Serve immediately with fruit! You can store it in the fridge for 2 days; if it starts to look sad, simply whip it for a short bit!

Enjoy!

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blueberry-lemon sweet rolls

July 1, 2014 by Melia Leave a Comment

Guess who picked 3.47 pounds of Louisiana blueberries last week? It was like I didn’t know that I didn’t have to fill the entire basket. Blueberries for days, people. But think of all the delicious things one could make with fresh, hand-picked blueberries! I turned to a recipe I have been dying to try for a year now: the Pioneer Woman’s famous blueberry-lemon sweet rolls. And let me tell you, this is one of those times where my creativity slash improvisation slash let’s-experiment-and-see-what-happens attitude were absolutely not necessary. This recipe is to die for.

The sweet roll dough is by far the softest, most pillowy dough I have ever made. It is so simple to make and bakes up beautifully. All you do is simmer sugar into some whole milk and oil, and let the yeast party around in that while you add flour and other leaveners. After just an hour of rising, the dough is ready to be made into perfection. I did find the dough sticky to work with, but throwing down plenty of flour helped immensely.

The blueberry filling? Forget it. It’s amazing. I am usually a chocolate-peanut butter dessert lover, but this fruity, blueberry-lemon combination completely won me over. Mixing the lemon zest, sugar, and fresh blueberries made my kitchen (and hands!) smell divine. The blueberries will burst in the oven and coat the inside of these soft, buttery, gooey rolls with glorious blue syrup. Once they’re done baking, you will all but smother the rolls with a fresh lemon glaze that is so lemony, no one at work could stop talking about these rolls. I tried them fresh out of the oven (dinner of freaking champions, I tell you) and nearly passed out from happiness. The next day? Still amazing. Make these rolls and smile a little – summer is here!

blueberry-lemon sweet rolls
(yields about 20 rolls; I halved The Pioneer Woman’s recipe)

ingredients:
for the dough:
2 cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup canola oil
1 (0.25 ounce) packet active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup (additional) all-purpose four plus more for dusting
½ heaping Tbsp salt
½ scant tsp baking soda
1 heaping tsp baking powderfor the filling:
1 stick butter, melted
¾ cups granulated sugar
the zest of 2 whole lemons
1 heaping cup fresh blueberriesfor the glaze:
the juice of 2 whole lemons
the zest of one lemon
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk, or as needed
1 dash salt
2 Tbsp melted butter
directions:
1. In a large pot, mix milk, sugar, and canola oil. Heat over medium heat until very warm but not boiling. Remove from heat and allow to cool until warmer than lukewarm but not hot. (Trust yourself! 🙂 )2. Pour the liquid into the bowl of your stand mixer, and using the dough hook on the stir/slowest speed, add in 4 cups of flour until totally combined. The dough will be wet and sticky, so don’t worry. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and keep in a draft-free place for one hour.

3. Once the dough has risen, add in the additional ½ cup of flour, as well as the salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix until combined and refrigerate the dough until you need it. Even if you plan on baking the rolls immediately, it helps to let it sit in the fridge for a little bit – it becomes easier to work with.

4. Preheat oven to 375°. Butter a 9×13 pan (I found I had extra rolls, so I also buttered an additional 9-inch round pan) and set aside. Make the filling by tossing together the sugar, lemon zest, and blueberries in a bowl.

5. Roll out your dough until it is thin, and about 30×10 inches. Drizzle the melted stick of butter all over the dough, and spread it evenly with your hands. Scatter the filling all over the dough. Starting with the edge of dough farthest from you, roll it towards you while trying to keep it tight. It’s ok if blueberries start rolling away – just throw them back on there! Seal the edges of the roll once you’ve completely rolled it.

6. Cut the dough log in slices about 1.5 inches thick and place them pretty close together in your baking dish(es). Let rest for 20 minutes.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. In the meantime, prepare the glaze by whisking together all of the glaze ingredients, adding a few drops of milk at a time if necessary to achieve a drizzle-able consistency. Once the rolls are out of the oven, pour the glaze all over the tops. Serve warm or at room temperature – enjoy!

R xoxo

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boston cream pie cupcakes

June 15, 2014 by Melia Leave a Comment

When I was a lot younger, I used to dislike pastry cream.

I know.

I am still cream-cheese-sour-cream-yogurt-mayonnaise-etc-phobic. But pastry cream? What was WRONG with me? One of the best food sensations has to be biting into a buttery pastry filled with thick, cold pastry cream – it’s so delicious and vanilla-y and custard-y. As today is Father’s Day in the States (I’ll be wishing my daddy a happy one in another week, still), I decided to make something to share with the dads at the office. Stay tuned for the adorable little Father’s Day touch on top of these cupcakes!

Because these treats start with a light and airy butter cupcake, they are much lighter than a Boston cream pie doughnut would be. But they are still perfectly portioned and adorable. I found this cupcake recipe interesting because of how the ingredients are mixed together – you’ll toss together the flour and sugar, along with the leavening agent, and then vaguely like with a pie crust, cut cubes of butter in using a mixer. Three whole eggs, lots of butter, and some milk equal tons of moisture. The recipe made a few more than a dozen, and the plain cupcakes are delicious. Very buttery and vanilla-fragrant, moist crumb, the works.

I unfortunately don’t have pictures of the insides, but they are stuffed with a glorious pastry cream full of egg yolks, sugar, and heavy cream. The pastry cream is thick and glossy, and absolutely decadent. It works perfectly with the vanilla cupcakes in holding up to the even more decadent chocolate ganache with which you will smother these cupcakes.

(How cute are those mustache candies? I found them at JoAnn’s last fall and was so excited to use them for Father’s Day!) The chocolate ganache could not be more simple. It is silky, shiny, thick, and gloriously chocolatey. Be warned. You will find yourself spooning this onto your mid-morning peanut-buttered English muffin. These Boston cream pie cupcakes are incredible and worth the extra (simple!) steps. Do it!

boston cream pie cupcakes
yields 12 (says the recipe; I got 15 out of it)
recipe barely adapted from cook’s illustrated via brown eyed baker

ingredients
for the pastry cream:

1⅓ cups heavy cream
3 egg yolks (at room temperature; save the whites for an omelette or something!)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

for the cupcakes:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 12 pieces
3 eggs at room temperature
¾ cup milk (I used 2%; recipe says whole)
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

for the chocolate ganache:
¾ cup heavy cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

directions
1. Make the pastry cream:

a. Heat the heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the cornstarch and whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick.

b. When the cream reaches a full simmer, very slowly drizzle it into the yolk mixture, whisking the entire time until incorporated. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy (like hot pudding). Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter is completely melted. Transfer the pastry cream to a small bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

2. Make the cupcakes:

a. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. (As I said before, the recipe states it yields 12. I got 15 cupcakes – feel free to bake them plain or just make more Boston cream ones. There is plenty of filling and ganache to go around!)

b. In the bowl of your stand mixer and on low speed, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer still running, add one Tablespoon of butter at a time and mix until it looks like coarse sand. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl in between each addition.

c. Add the milk and vanilla extract, and increase the speed to medium. Beat everything together until light, fluffy, and incorporated, and make sure to scrape down the bottom of the bowl again.

d. Fill the muffin cups ¾ of the way and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. Make the chocolate ganache:

a. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together all of the chocolate ganache ingredients until smooth, thick and glossy. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.

4. Assemble the cupcakes:

a. Using a butter knife, cut out about a ½-inch circle from the top of each cake, tilting the knife toward the center of the cupcake so that you get an easily removable ‘cone’ of cake. Cut off a thin ‘lid’ from each of these cones and set aside. (Just snack on the fluffy middles!)

b. Place a heaping measuring teaspoon-full of pastry cream into each cupcake, and top with the reserved ‘lids.’ Spoon chocolate ganache over the tops and let the cupcakes sit in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before serving. (Cupcakes keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let them come to room temperature before devouring!)

Enjoy!

R xoxo

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chocolate-covered potato chip and english toffee cookies

June 11, 2014 by Melia Leave a Comment

Hello dah-lings! It’s been a while. I was in Italy with mother queen and sister queen, eating our weight in spectacular pasta and Ferrero Rocher gelato. It’s the stuff of food intolerance dreams, really. Continuing the discussion of things that are spectacularly delicious are these cookies. I made these for a friend’s party several weeks ago and have been dying to share the recipe: soft, gooey cookies stuffed with chocolate-covered potato chips and chunks of English toffee. Call me crazy, it’s ok.

My friend Garrett adores my chocolate chip cookies, so my plan was to make those for his party. But I was walking around Trader Joe’s in search of sugar (P.S. They had run out. ??) and got lost amidst all the delicious munchies they had on display. I remembered my white chocolate chunk macadamia pretzel cookies and picked up a bag of their chocolate-covered potato chips and a box of English toffee bars for the same salty-sweet kick I love so much.

I used the same cookie dough base as my chewy chocolate chip cookie cake (thanks, America’s Test Kitchen, for being so geeky and wonderful) and threw in some chopped English toffee and plenty of chopped chocolate-covered potato chips. (Side note – when baking your cookies, they are not supposed to be this close together on your sheet. That picture is just post-rolling the dough balls and pre-lining them up appropriately.) The key to these cookies’ deliciously chewy texture is melted butter and an extra egg yolk, and they stay super thick and soft because you will chill the raw dough before baking it. So worth the extra couple hours!

I could not get enough of these thick and soft cookies, and the party goers ate them before their dinner! Every bite is ooey-gooey-chewy-chocolatey and chock-full of aromatic English toffee and the salty crunch of potato chips. These cookies are a texture and flavor explosion! Make them, and thank me later!

chocolate-covered potato chip and english toffee cookies
(makes about 2 dozen cookies)

ingredients
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup roughly chopped chocolate covered potato chips
½ cup roughly chopped English toffee

directions:
1. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, both kinds of sugar, the egg and egg yolk, and the vanilla extract until well-combined. Add the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients and whisk together until a thick and smooth dough forms.
3. Fold in the potato chips and English toffee. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate dough for at least two hours.
4. Let bowl sit at room temperature for ten minutes, while the oven preheats to 325°. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
5. Roll together two Tablespoons of dough per cookie, and stagger the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11 minutes. (For firmer, more golden cookies, bake a maximum of two minutes more.)
6. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before allowing to cool completely on a wire rack. Dig in, and enjoy!

R xoxo

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triple berry and oat breakfast bars

May 25, 2014 by Melia Leave a Comment

Don’t you just love it when berries are in season? There is nothing that makes me happier. In fact, I’ve learned that one can go blueberry picking in Louisiana in just a couple short weeks. It’s happening. Two weekends ago, I picked up loads of fresh raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. While I thoroughly enjoy a simple bowl of berries and whipped cream, I wanted to incorporate the blues and reds in my fridge into a hearty breakfast bar I could eat for breakfast throughout the week.

These fresh berries get treated very simply in this recipe. #respecttheberries. You just wash them and set them aside until you’re ready to throw them over the crunchy oat base. Seriously. Once they’re layered, a simple drizzle of lemon juice, some cornstarch, and a slight touch of sugar get sprinkled over the berries. That’s it! You will get a burst of juicy berries in every single bite of these bars. Sweet, a little tart, yum.

The dense, slightly crunchy base of these bars is divine. It is full of oats, whole wheat flour, and just enough brown sugar to caramelize ever so wonderfully. This oat and flour mixture serves double-duty as the crumble topping. It bakes like a crisp or crumble and just adds another layer of texture to these breakfast bars. Want to know something amazing? You mix the base together right in the baking dish. No mixer required!

In fact, if you’re impatient like me, eating these bars pretty fresh from the oven result in more of a crisp/crumble structure. AKA a spoon is required. It is freaking delicious. These bars could work as a dessert, too, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a warm bar. The beauty of these breakfast bars is that they aren’t a recipe that requires perfect measuring or cutting or anything. I loved them even more when they were cooled, if possible. They are actual bars at that point, and so wholesome and delicious, it’s ridiculous. It’s as if you tossed delicious berries into a bowl of crunchy granola. Mm-mmm.

triple berry and oat breakfast bars
yields one 9×13 pan (can easily be halved)

ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 ½ cups plus up to ¼ cup extra of flour (either all-purpose, whole wheat, or a mix of the two)
1 cup brown sugar (I used light)
heaping ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ sticks melted and slightly cooled butter
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
4 cups mixed berries of choice

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.

2. In the baking pan, toss together, the oats, 1 ½ cups flour, brown sugar, and salt. Pour the melted butter over this mixture and use a rubber spatula or your hands to combine until crumbly. If the clumps feel too soft or damp, add in one Tablespoon at a time of that extra quarter cup of flour. Set aside 1 cup of this mixture to use as the topping.

3. Pat down the rest of the dough mixture into the bottom of the pan, making an even layer. Scatter half of the berries over the top. Sprinkle the berries with the cornstarch, lemon juice, and one Tablespoon of the sugar. Spread the rest of the berries over this, and sprinkle with the second Tablespoon of sugar.

4. Evenly crumble the reserved oat/flour/brown sugar over the top. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the fruit looks bubbly and the top is all toasty brown.

5. To serve warm, let cool slightly and scoop out with a spoon. To make into bars, let mixture cool in the pan completely, and cut into squares. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Enjoy!

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cookie dough bites (vegan + raw + gluten-free)

May 18, 2014 by Melia Leave a Comment

One of my favorite snacks to make also happens to be really good for you. And it magically tastes just like raw cookie dough, so you know I can’t get enough of these cookie dough bites! I find myself whipping out the food processor twice a week to make these little guys. They are packed with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants.

These cookie dough bites are mostly made of raw cashews and oats. Raw cashews are an incredibly versatile ingredient. When ground up, they lend creamy texture to whatever you’re making, and their mild, almost neutral flavor makes them the perfect backdrop to these cookie dough bites. Raw oats are ground up with the cashews in this recipe to add fiber and cookie-dough taste. If you use certified gluten-free oats, these bites are also gluten-free!

To hold everything together and add a touch of sweetness, you’ll use just a little bit of agave and maple syrup. If you’re not concerned about keeping these vegan, honey works really well in lieu of the agave. You can add whatever add-ins you like – I used chopped dark chocolate. Cocoa nibs will also work, and you can easily find vegan chocolate chips at most grocery stores. Dried fruit or peanut butter chips would also taste great! This recipe is really flexible and takes nothing but one minute in the food processor! I throw three or so in a little baggie and stick them in the fridge at work for whenever I need a sweet-tooth fix without the guilt!

cookie dough bites

yields about 9 bites
(recipe from laurenconrad.com)

ingredients
⅔ cup raw cashews
⅓ cup oats
2 Tablespoons agave or honey
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 or 3 Tablespoons chocolate chips or cocoa nibs

directions

1. In a food processor, grind together the raw cashews and oats until they are finely ground.

2. Add the agave, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, pulsing until everything is combined.

3. Carefully remove the food processor blade and use a spoon or small spatula to mix in the chocolate chips.

4. Roll about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie bite (you can make them whatever size you like). Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat!

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apple sharlotka

May 10, 2014 by Melia Leave a Comment

Let’s talk about how utterly simple this apple sharlotka is to make, and also about how you need to make it for your mama for Mother’s Day. I’m talking five-ingredient simple. I made this several months ago (…I know…timely blogging) and am heavily considering whipping up another very soon. The sharlotka is a traditional Russian confection. I trusted Deb Perelman’s recipe, since she got it from her Russian mother-in-law. The sharlotka is made more of fruit than actual cake. But even cake is not the right word, since no butter is involved and there isn’t a hint of leavener in here. Confused? Let’s start at the beginning.

How do you like them apples? You’ll start with beautiful, tart apples. Peel. Core. Chop. It’s all worth it. The apples will fill a springform pan nearly to the brim and soften ever so perfectly as they bake, surrounded by an ethereally light and delicately sweet blanket of velvety batter. Don’t be alarmed at the sheer quantity of apple chunks. And don’t worry about whether it seems you have enough batter!

The batter could not be more simple to make. You’ll just let 3 eggs whisk up with some sugar, and add in a touch of flour to help it hold up. It’s sweet but not too sugary, and while thick, it’s perfectly light and bakes up with a crackly, golden-brown crust on top. The middle of the apple sharlotka is unbelievably moist and soft. Enjoy this for breakfast, as a part of Sunday brunch, or with afternoon tea. This is probably too adulterated from the Russian classic, but I don’t think many people would object to having a slice of this with some vanilla ice cream for dessert. Get to it!

apple sharlotka
yields one 9-inch sharlotka
(recipe from deb perelman)

ingredients
6 large, tart apples (I used Granny Smiths)
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Using butter or nonstick spray, coat the paper and the sides of the pan thoroughly. Set aside.

2. Peel and halve your apples. Once you’ve cored them, cut each half into several ‘strips’ and run your knife in the other direction to create somewhat thin chunks (see picture above). Throw all apple chunks into the prepared pan and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using either an electric mixer or a whisk, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick and ribbons form on the surface. Beat in the vanilla, and then with a wooden spoon, mix in the flour. The batter will be really thick!

4. Pour the batter over the apples in the pan, and use the wooden spoon to press it down and make sure it coats all the apples, helping the batter sink to all the crevices. The top of the batter should be even with the top of the apples.

5. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a tester comes out clean from the middle. Allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then carefully flip out the sharlotka onto another rack to peel off the parchment paper. Flip back onto a dish and dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Enjoy!

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grain-free almond-strawberry cake

April 27, 2014 by Melia Leave a Comment

Spring is here, the skies are blue, etc! Louisiana strawberries are all over the place, too, and this makes me extremely happy. I love strawberries. I also love almonds, and have been curious to try my hand at baking with almond flour. I am not supposed to eat wheat or dairy, but as you can see from all of my kitchen adventures, I am a terrible medical patient, with my hand perpetually in a bowl of cookie dough. Every now and then, though, I’ll be good and stick to what I’m allowed to have – and this cake made it delicious and easy to do so!

This almond-flour cake is absolutely packed with fresh strawberries in every bite. They taste sweet and slightly tart, and they add lots of moisture to the cake. I would think this recipe would taste amazing with blueberries instead, or even chopped peaches. Although the strawberries are delicious, I must say I am a huge fan of this cake’s texture.

As we said before, the cake is incredibly moist. It also has a lovely crumbly, meal-y texture all at the same time, thanks to the almond flour. When the almond flour comes together with heaps of honey, it’s just decadent. As soon as I took a bite of the raw dough (reason #943 I’m a terrible medical patient), the flavor combination and that unique texture reminded me of ma’amoul, a traditional Lebanese stuffed cookie that’s made with semolina flour. So, so good.

Even better is the slightly crunchy topping, made with butter, slivered almonds, and more honey. I could not stop eating this cake. It’s perfect for spring afternoons, when the weather is glorious and you can smell summer around the corner. Almonds, honey, strawberries – such a lovely combination! P.S. This cake is one-bowl, too! Yet another reason for you to get up and make it, already.

grain-free almond-strawberry cake
yields one 8×8 cake
(recipe adapted from tessadomesticdiva.com)

ingredients
for cake:
2½ cups blanched almond flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
¼ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
¼ cup honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups diced strawberries
topping:
½ cup almond flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
6 tablespoons honey
½ cup sliced or slivered almonds

directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the cake ingredients up to the strawberries. Whisk or stir well to incorporate, then fold in the strawberries. Dough will be very thick.

3. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and set aside.

4. For the topping: In the mixing bowl you just used, use a pastry cutter or your hands to cut the remaining butter and flour together. Mix in the honey and almonds.

5. Evenly scatter the topping over the cake batter. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is completely set/a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Cool, cut, and enjoy!

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peanut butter cheesecake swirled brownies

April 20, 2014 by Melia Leave a Comment

More peanut butter and chocolate – is there anything better? I think not. You might remember these ah-mazing cheesecake-swirled fudge brownies from a while back. And I’m sure you remember these decadent Reese’s peanut butter cup-stuffed dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. So why not let those two play together in a mixing bowl and inspire today’s recipe?

The brownies are, as always in my kitchen, super fudgy and thick and rich. I used the same recipe I always use – the exact one that is the base of those wonderful cheesecake-marbled ones. It is so simple and involves a bowl and a whisk and no waiting for butter to soften. You just melt it together with some chocolate and add in the rest. What I love most about this brownie recipe is how forgiving it is. Sometimes I measure out a precise ⅔ cup of flour, other times I use a scant 1-cup. No matter how I make them, these brownies are the perfect vehicle for other delicious things.

Like this amazing, thick swirl of peanut butter cheesecake. It’s so simple to make, yet one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. You’re whisking together peanut butter, cream cheese, some sugar, and an egg yolk. Come. On. So rich and satisfying. Rippling it into the fudgy raw brownie batter is really fun, too – just look how pretty those swirls are. One bite and you will fall in love – these brownies are soft, totally addictive, and are the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter!

peanut butter cheesecake swirled brownies
yields one 8×8 pan (9 large, 16 small brownies)
(brownies via deb perelman, peanut butter layer via the baker chick)

ingredients
for brownie layer:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces semisweet or unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup all-purpose flour

for peanut butter cheesecake layer:
6 ounces cream cheese, well-softened
⅓ cup peanut butter (a commercial kind like Jif is best)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

2. In a heatproof glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate together, whisking occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat.

3. Whisk in the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and flour, mixing until incorporated. Pour this batter into the prepared baking dish and set aside.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together all peanut butter cheesecake layer ingredients until creamy and smooth. Place spoonfuls of this mixture on top of the brownie batter, using a knife to swirl the two together.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are puffy and the middle is just set. Cool, slice, and enjoy!

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cadbury creme egg-stuffed vanilla cupcakes

April 15, 2014 by Melia Leave a Comment

For the Easter season, I’m continuing my stuffed-cupcake trend with these beauties. A simple yet utterly flavorful and velvety vanilla cupcake gets the royal treatment with an entire Cadbury Creme Egg in the middle. There is far more creme egg than cupcake in this recipe, and oh boy, is it worth it.

Look how amazing that is. The trick to a perfect creme egg-stuffed cupcake is to freeze the eggs first. That way, they won’t melt and ooze out while the cupcakes bake. And super thick cupcake batter is essential. I used one of my favorite basic vanilla cupcake recipes for this one and topped the cupcakes with a simple vanilla buttercream.

I split the frosting batch into two and dyed each a different color. Then, I topped the cooled and frosted cupcakes with spring-themed bunny sprinkles and sparkling sugar. So adorable, and so fun. But most of all, utterly decadent. You will definitely have to (not want to) share these cupcakes. Biting into the cupcakes is a texture adventure – with the smooth and creamy frosting, moist velvet cake, and gooey creme egg center, you will fall in love!

cadbury creme egg-stuffed vanilla cupcakes
(yields about 15 cupcakes)

ingredients

for cupcakes
1 and ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 egg whites
¼ cup greek yogurt or sour cream
¾ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
seeds scraped from ½ split vanilla bean (optional)
15 Cadbury creme eggs, frozen

for frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
4-5 cups confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
seeds scraped from ½ split vanilla bean (optional)
salt, to taste

directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 15 wells in two muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and let cool slightly. Whisk in the sugar. Add egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract and mix well. If using, add the seeds from ½ a split vanilla bean and combine.

3. Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until no longer lumpy.

4. Place one teaspoon of batter into the bottom of each muffin cup. Then place a Cadbury creme egg in each cup, standing up with the fatter end at the bottom (see pictures). Pour about two more teaspoons on top of the egg.

5. Bake for 19-20 minutes. It’s ok if the eggs peek out a little. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, beating the whole time. Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds if using. Beat on high for two minutes. Add pinch of salt and beat until mixed. (You may play around with the amounts of powdered sugar and cream until you get the consistency you like.)

7. Frost cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

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