bars/brownies Archives - Page 20 of 29

Nutella Cheesecake Gooey Cake Bars

March 7, 2011 by kim 24 Comments

Okay, I really need to discuss this with someone.. Has anyone seen the movie “Splice?” My DB and I got it on Netflix recently and watched it two days ago. Ever since then, I just can’t get it out of my head. It has to be one of the most disturbing movies that I’ve ever seen… definitely top three most disturbing, anyway. I couldn’t even watch two of the scenes. I was hiding my head in my DB’s shoulder while he was being the tough guy, telling me to just watch the dang movie. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone so I won’t say what happened, but ahhhhhhhhh! Get it out of my head. Please.

I’m thinking of doing a FAQ post this week and would love to answer any questions you may have, right here on my blog! Just leave a question in the comments on this post and let’s get the ball rolling!

I’m still working on those massive Nutella jars that I got from Costco. These definitely did the job– an easy dish with minimal ingredients and a bang of flavor. I used a dark chocolate cake mix since that’s what I had on hand, but any chocolate mix will do. To sum up the recipe, it’s a Nutella cheesecake on top of a soft, moist, & dense cake. Perfect! I especially loved the texture of the piece. The top turned out nice and crackly, while the layers just melded together. From Let’s Dish

Cake:

1 package devil’s food cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup Nutella
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (16 oz.) box powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the cake mix, egg, and butter until well combined. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13 baking pan.
For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and Nutella until creamy.
Stir in the eggs, vanilla, and butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar until incorporated. Spread the Nutella mixture over the pressed cake batter.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The center should still be a little gooey, so don’t over bake!

A Christmas Gift Basket

December 22, 2010 by kim 13 Comments

Let’s take a break from the 12 days of cookies for a second. Just one quick second, I promise!

I was asked to put together a Christmas gift basket recently and had no rules. I love when I have the freedom to do as I please! A little stroll around Michael’s gave me the inspiration I needed. My theme was going to be snowmen!

Let’s break it down, shall we?

I stuffed this tin with snickerdoodles.

How cute is this canister? Seriously dying of cuteness.

It breaks down to three separate canisters.

I filled the bottom two with pecan sandies (sneak peak to the end of my 12 days of cookies!).

and the top hat is filled with cinnamon sugar roasted pecans.

Then I decorated a bakery bag and filled it with good ol’ chocolate chip cookies.

I also spiced up a regular white bakery box with decorative holiday tape on the sides. It transforms it into a completely festive box! (It’s not filled yet in the picture because I was waiting for the triple chocolate brownies to cool before cutting into them).

Excuse the mess in the background; I take over the kitchen when I bake. I added extra bags of roasted nuts after this picture and a mini card explaining what was included in the basket. Oh hey, the brownies are in this picture!

Bag it up.

And a little itty baby stocking to top it all off.

Now isn’t that just the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen? Haha. I sure hope the recipient enjoys it!

Day 9: Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

December 21, 2010 by kim 17 Comments

Day 9 of my 12 days of cookies: Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars. My mouth salivates just saying the name. Snickerdoodles are just meant to be with pumpkin pie. It’s a match made in heaven. I know this isn’t a cookie, but I’ve always thrown a bar in for the past two years of my 12 days of cookies, so I had to stay true to tradition.

These bars were utterly divine. However, I do have a bone to pick; The snickerdoodle layer didn’t quite bake thoroughly in the middle of the pan even thought the edges were set. When I make them again, I’ll try baking the snickerdoodle layer alone for about 5 minutes or so before throwing on the pumpkin layer.

The white chocolate on top was totally not necessary and didn’t really add much to the bar itself, so you can feel free to omit that if you want.

I’m exhausted from baking already and it’s not even Christmas, yet! Whew! I almost forgot how much work it is to bake non stop all day. I’m spending tonight at home by the fireplace, watching Avatar with the bestie… only to start the whole baking process again in two days! This recipe is from Beantown Baker.

Snickerdoodle layer:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Layer:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

Topping

2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Drizzle

1 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan.

To make snickerdoodle layer:

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan.

To make pumpkin pie filling:

In a mixer bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.
Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.
Bake for 33-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely. They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer. The bars that are closer to the edges of the pan will be more firm.
After the bars are completely cool, place the chopped white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it’s completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden.
Store in a covered container.

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