Feeling like a kid again...

Do you remember these? I remember going through the school lunch line and getting these. That was way before they changed the whole lunch menu. That is a whole other conversation..

I loved them! I called them cow pies. Kind of gross, but that is what we called them. I have also heard them called quickie candy or no bake cookies. No matter what you call them, they still taste the same, and make me a happy little girl. Oddly though, my daughter Abby, doesn't like them. Crazy girl!!

These mix up in no time at all, and just put spoonfuls on waxed paper to cool and there you have some cow pies!!

Cow Pies, Quickie candy, No Bake cookies....whatever you call them!

2 cups sugar
4 Tbsp cocoa
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup oats
1 cup peanut butter

Mix the first 4 ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add rest of the ingredients. Mix well and drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.

Let cool completely.

Candy Corn

It is finally starting to feel like fall around here, well, I say that and today it is going to be in the 80's, but at night it is in the 60's. The leaves are starting to change and fall off of the trees. Pumpkins are starting to make their appearances at the farmer's markets and the grocery stores. I love when fall finally rolls around. The air smells cleaner, and it makes me start thinking of the holidays. Halloween then Thanksgiving, I am already counting down the days, and then Christmas. And then at the very end of it all, we start off a whole new year. In less than 3 months it will be a whole other year. It is really crazy when you think about it!!

I found this recipe last year, printed it off and never made it. I think that I found it from you who got it from someone else, but it originally came from the editor's blog at Epicurious. I saw a Halloween special last year on Foodtv that the host visited the shop Boule and they made this candy corn and other Halloween treats. This is supposed to be that recipe.

This was completed in less than an hour, and I will definitely be making it again and again. Since this was my first go around with it, I got about 80 pieces. Next time, I will make them smaller. There is a note in the recipe that said not to roll the ropes too thin or it will break. I now know, that I can go a little smaller than I did. I also did not sift the last 3 ingredients. I will for sure do that the next time. It will make for a smoother dough. I will also divide the colors into 2 or 3 parts and make it in separate increments. That will make for easier rope rolling. Oh, and also, unless you want you hands stained, use gloves to mix the colors!

If you like the store bought candy corn, or even if you don't, make this. It tastes so much better, but be warned that it is addicting! This does not make a huge mess in the kitchen, so that is a plus!

Happy Fall Y'all!!

Candy Corn

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup non fat milk powder
1/4 tsp sea salt (I used regular salt)
Red and yellow food coloring

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil over high heat in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sift powdered sugar, milk powder, and salt into medium bowl. Add powdered sugar mixture to pan; stir to combine. Let mixture stand until slightly warm to touch, about 20 minutes.

Divide dough into 3 equal pieces; place each piece in small bowl. Add several drops of yellow food coloring to one piece of dough. Using plastic gloves to protect hands, knead food coloring into dough until smooth and color is even, about 15 minutes. Repeat using red and yellow food coloring (to make orange) with second piece. Leave last piece white; knead dough until smooth. Roll each piece into a thin rope (don't roll too thin or dough will break.) Push three ropes together to form long rectangle. Using sharp knife, cut ropes into triangles. Using fingers, shape candy corn as desired. Store in room temperature in airtight container, separating layers with pieces of waxed paper to prevent sticking.

**I used my bench scraper to cut the triangles, and this would be a great recipe that your kids could do.

Cranberry Shortbread for a cause

My friend Ley from Cilantro and Lime has decided to host her first blog event, and it is a mighty good one. Baking for breast cancer awareness. She is trying to get the work spread more about breast cancer awareness. There are so many people effected by this disease and it does not discriminate against anyone. It effects, mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, grandmothers, friends, cousins and sometimes men. I have lost an aunt to this disease and my grandmother, aunt and cousin are survivors.




I chose to bake Cranberry Shortbread for a couple of reasons, 1) I have never made shortbread and 2) cranberries are supposed to be really healthy for you. I found this recipe from a Martha Christmas cookie magazine from a few years ago and they were cut out like hearts. I will be making this again for Christmas baskets and maybe I will shape them into little trees. But, for this month, they will be for Breast Cancer Awareness.




Cranberry Shortbread

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries


Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack in center. Put butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in large mixing bowl. Stir together with a wooden spoon until combined but not too creamy. Stir in dried cranberries.

Press dough evenly into an 8-inch square baking pan. Bake until firm and pale golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, about 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges; remove shortbread, and transfer, right side up, to work surface. Cut into desired shape.

Pie and a Movie...

I know that you are saying, shouldn't that be dinner and a movie? Normally, yes it would, but not in this case. You see, this is the first go round of You Want Pies With That? blog event. The first round theme just happened to be "I love that movie!" Pick your favorite movie and create a pie from it.

I chose the movie Chocolat starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, my favorite pirate who is coming back for Pirate's of the Caribbean 4!! OK, so back to the movie and pie. I could watch this movie again and again, right after the other. I just love it, but all through the movie, she serves her hot chocolate with a pinch of chili powder. So, I give you Chocolat's Chocolate Chess with a pinch of chili powder pie. I know it is long, but that's OK! Don't want the chili powder added? Just leave it out.

Chocolate Chess with a Pinch of Chili Powder Pie:

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted (I used half bittersweet and half semisweet)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 Tbsp yellow cornmeal
1 tsp chili powder (add more if you want it a little stronger)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add sugar, mix until combined. Add melted chocolate and mix until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, cornmeal, and chili powder. Mix until all combined. Pour into pie shell and bake 50-55 minutes.

I use this pie shell when I need one in a pinch. It is from Gale Gand's book, Butter Sugar Flour Eggs.

Crumbly Pie Crust:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces and lightly softened
1 egg yolk

Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the sugar and mix. Make a well in the center and place the butter pieces and egg yolk in the well. Using your fingers, work the butter and egg yolk together until well combined. Using your fingers, work the butter-egg mixture into the flour mixture until combined but still loose. The dough will be crumbly, but when you squeeze a handful in your hand it should hold together.

Sprinkle the dough into a 10-inch pie or tart pan. Press the dough firmly and evenly onto the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure not to let the crust thicken at the corners. It should make a clean right angle where the sides meet the bottom.

Chill the crust at least 30 minutes or, covered, up to 3 days.

Jam Exchange and a surprise gift!

A few weeks ago I signed up for Batter Splattered's Jam/Jelly Exchange, Molly had hosted this last year and it was a ton of fun, so, I signed up again for this years exchange. The fun of it this year, was that you don't know who is sending to you until you receive the package in the mail. My package came Saturday from my Taste Like Home package partner, Stephanie from StephChows! She made some really good looking, great tasting raspberry jam, that she hand picked. Thank you so much!! I love it!! Now on to the little surprise....

When I received my Taste Like Home package from her, it was all about Rochester, NY. Stephanie explained to me something about sponge candy made by Stever's Candy, and they only make it from October 1st, through April, due to the humidity. This wasn't available in July, so she sent me a package of it with my jam. It was warm on Saturday so it melted into a blob. No worries though, just stick it in the fridge until cool, and there we go, I just took a knife and cut it into pieces. I really liked it. It is strange, I don't really know how to explain the "sponge" part of it. Kind of like the middle of a whopper malt ball. You know, how it melts on your tongue if you just let it sit there? It is really addicting though.

Thank you again Stephanie for a great package!! I love it, and the jam is fantastic!

Fixation Friday-Chocolate Trinity Parfaits

This fixation was chose by my friend Megan of My Baking Adventures. She chose something a little simpler this time around, something that you don't have to heat the oven up for. I struggled with this one, not because I didn't want to make it. You see, this should be 3 different layers, a dark chocolate, a cocoa layer, and a chocolate speckled layer. Obviously, I only have one type. The first issue that I had was, while making the dark layer you were to fold in the melted chocolate...mine didn't want to combine all of the way, so this would be my first speckled layer. Not that big of a deal, right?! Well, then I pour my heavy cream to whip the 2nd batch for my cocoa cream, and turn the mixer on, let it whip for minute. I go to check it and it is not turning into whipped cream! What?!! I then check the container, and guess what?! half and half does not whip!! So, I present to you...chocolate mousse cups. Now, this mousse would be perfect in little chocolate cups, or it is perfect in a big cup with a big spoon!!

Chocolate Trinity Parfaits

Marcel Desaulniers

Makes 4 parfaits - depending upon the size of the glass

4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 oz semisweet chocolate, finely grated

3 ¼ c. heavy cream

¼ c + 2 tbs. granulated sugar

1 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp vanilla extract

To prepare the dark chocolate cream, melt 4 oz semisweet chocolate in a double boiler in a stainless steel bowl. Stir until smooth, and set aside until needed. Place 1 ¼ c. heavy cream and 1 tbs. sugar in a large bowl and whip with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 ½ minutes. Add the melted chocolate to the whipped cream and using a rubber spatula, fold together gently. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

To prepare the cocoa cream, place 1 c. heavy cream, ¼ c. sugar, the cocoa powder and ¼ tsp. vanilla extract in a large bowl. Whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a stainless steel bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

To prepare the speckled chocolate cream, place the remaining 1 c. cream, 1 tbs. sugar and ¼ tsp vanilla extract in a large bowl. Whip with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 ½ minutes. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the grated chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before assembling the parfaits.

To assemble the parfaits, fill a pastry bag (without a tip) with the dark chocolate cream. Pipe an even layer of ¼ to ½ cup cream into the bottom of each glass. Then fill another pastry bag with the cocoa cream, and pipe an even layer of it on top of the dark chocolate cream. For the final layer, fill another pastry bag with the speckled chocolate cream and pipe an even layer onto the cocoa cream. Cover the parfaits with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving. Top with fresh berries and dark chocolate shavings, if desired.

Chipster Topped Brownies

I am just going to go ahead and start this off as...this is probably the best brownie I have ever had!!! Oh my goodness, it is fantastic!! Of course, it comes from the baking queen and it does not disappoint. When you look at the recipe, you think...that is a ton of ingredients, but really, it doesn't take long to put together. First, you mix the brownie ingredients and pour into your pan, then you mix a chocolate chip cookie dough together and spread on top of the brownie and bake. Bake for about 50-55 minutes and these brownies come out thick, and super moist!! Definitely will be made over and over again in this household!!

I should go on the record to say that I only used semisweet chocolate in this.

Chipster-Topped Brownies
from: Dorie Greenspan

For the brownie layer:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 2/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (I didn't use nuts)

For the cookie layer:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped or 1 cup of chocolate chips

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9x13 inch baking pan, line it with parchment paper and butter the paper. Put the pan on a baking sheet.

To make the brownie batter: Put both chocolates and the butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stirring occasionally, heat just until the ingredients are melted, shiny and smooth. If the mixture gets too hot, the butter will separate from the chocolates. Remove the bowl from the heat.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high seed for about 2 minutes, until pale, thick and creamy. Beat in the salt and vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low and mix int eh melted chocolate and butter, mixing only until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then, still on low speed, add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the better. Using the spatula, old in the walnuts, and scrape the better into the prepared pan. Set aside.

To make the cookie dough: Whisk together the flour, baking sold and salt. Working with the stand mixer in the cleaned bowl or with the hand mixer in another large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. One at a time, add the egg and the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Still on low, mix in the chopped chocolate. Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls over the brownie batter and, using a spatula and a light touch, spread it evenly over the batter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cookie top is deep golden brown and firm and a thin knife inserted into the brownie layer comes out with only faint streaks of moist chocolate. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

When the brownies are completely cool, carefully run a knife between the sides of the pan and the brownies, then invert them onto another rack, remove the paper and turn right side up onto a cutting board. Cut into bars.