Chocolate Merlot Truffle Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes are amazing. Totally perfect for Valentines Day, whether you love Valentines Day or think its just another hallmark holiday, marketing ploy, in that case they are any day perfect.

They might as well be a love potion, these cupcakes. You will love yourself more for making these on this fine upcoming hallmark holiday of love. Believe me.

Truffles are stuffed inside of each one for a little chocolate surprise. Who wouldn't love that? I sure don't know of anyone who wouldn't like it. I'd convert them with these cupcakes though. I'm sure of it.

A lot of recipes call for a little coffee when there is chocolate involved. Coffee and chocolate are a natural pair, but wine and chocolate are too. They both enhance the chocolate factor by 10.

It is quite possible that wine and chocolate are a better pair than chocolate and coffee...particularly if it is afternoon because it is more acceptable to drink after noon. Don't judge me. I'm still a college student for a few more months.

The truffle stuffed inside makes a little semi-molten extra rich chocolate center. These cupcakes are super moist (I'm sorry if you hate that word, but it is true AND have you ever looked at "moist" synonymous; way worse than moist when talking about food. Gross.) all on their own with no truffle but why you wouldn't want the chocolate center, I don't know.

Red wine makes these seem like a red velvet cake. Someone asked me if they were red velvet, which they might as well be.  Red wine velvet cupcakes.

Use any sort of somewhat fruity, well-rounded, smooth red wine that you would normally drink. I used a Merlot.

The wine complements the chocolate by bringing out the fruitiness found in chocolate. It is amazing. These cupcakes are the best cupcakes I've ever made. Maybe the best I've ever consumed. I wouldn't lie to you. Pinky swear.

The frosting in this recipe is probably my favorite frosting of all time. The combination of butter, cream cheese and mascarpone cheese are perfect. I'm always looking to get my boyfriend to say whatever I've cooked for him is the best he has ever had the pleasure of consuming.

This frosting did it. Best he ever had. It isn't too sweet either, which I like. It is honestly the only frosting I ever make. It is just the best. You must try it. Promise me.

Adding a little wine to the frosting is optional. I felt like it made it curdle a little bit, but gave it a lightly pink-red-wine color that I liked. I'd suggest not adding it if you are serving this to children.

These may be adult only cupcakes all together, between a glass of wine and a few cupcakes, I'm not entirely sure if the alcohol cooks off or not. I will let you make the call on serving these to children or not.

The cupcakes come together in around an hour, not counting cooling time. That is okay though. Just think of the time it takes for the cupcakes to cool as the perfect excuse for a glass of wine.

You should probably be drinking a glass while making these. Hell, you should probably just buy two bottles of wine.

Maybe save the second bottle of wine for after the cupcakes are out of the oven, you don't want it going to your head. Dry, overcooked cupcakes are bad, but not as bad as a fire.Either situation is no good though.

I bet you can find time to make these this week. Maybe this weekend, more time to enjoy some wine on a weekend. Treat yourself either way on this lovely hallmark holiday weekend.

I know I'll be treating myself to a to be determined home cooked meal, with white Russians and the Big Lebowski for dessert. I want to know what your plans are! How are you treating yourself this Valentine's day?

xo
April 

Makes about 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
 for the cupcakes:
24 cupcake liners
24 truffles, such as Lindt Irresistibly Smooth Dark Chocolate Truffles
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Merlot wine (or other red wine)

for the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons Merlot wine (or other red wine)
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone (Italian cream cheese, available at most grocery stores)

1/4 cup cocoa powder, for dusting

Instructions:
for the cupcakes:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners, placing a chocolate truffle (I used Lindt truffles) in each cupcake liner. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl, sifting the 3/4 cup cocoa over the top of the flour mixture.

Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, and then the vanilla, and continue beating 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, mix in a third of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and then pour in a third of the Merlot. Mix ingredients together until just combined. Continue this process two more times, alternating between the flour mixture and the wine into the cake batter. (be sure to not over mix the batter, in between each addition it is okay if they are not fully combined until the end.)

Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way full, baking for 15 to 20 minutes; a metal skewer inserted in the cupcake (slightly off to the edge because of the truffle) should come out clean. Let the cupcakes cool 10 minutes in the pans, then place them on a rack to cool completely. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting.

for the frosting:
In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the edges of the bowl and add the vanilla, mixing on low to combine. Then with the mixer going, stream in the 3-4 tablespoons of wine, until combined.

Beat in the mascarpone on very low speed until just combined. (Be careful; once you've added the mascarpone, excessive beating can make the frosting curdle.)

Frost the top of each muffin with the icing.

To finish the cupcakes, sift a little cocoa powder over the top of each one and then top with a truffle (optional).

Frosting slightly adapted from The Pastry Queen Christmas

One XL Chocolate Cookie

Have you ever had that deep craving that just won't go away? Especially when you're right in the middle of the week feeling great because you've worked out and eaten healthy? But that craving just keeps creeping in until you finally beg your fiancé to go get frozen yogurt? Unfortunately this happened to me (not unlike any other week) AND I got a disappointing answer from the fiancé. I get it, it's the middle of winter so who really wants a cold dessert. I was just looking for something on the less unhealthy side and something that would be one and done.

You see, I'm not the liker of the cake/cookie/brownie in a mug. That would be a good one and done dessert. But, they are unsatisfying to me. Am I crazy or have I just not found the right recipe yet? Anyway, I wanted something super good and satisfying to kick this craving to California. So, I knew the recipe needed to use the oven and eggs. But I didn't want a dozen and a half cookies or bars staring at me all week, asking to be eaten. One and done, guys, one and done.

This recipe does it all for me! Super quick and all the ingredients are already in my kitchen. The cookie was soft but had a crunchy outside, my favorite! And the chocolate flavor was perfect! I shared this bigger than I was expecting cookie with my fiancé. And I'm planning on making this again for Valentine's Day! It's a fun and special dessert just for two (or one, we're not judging!). Plus, no leftover dessert to crave over the next day, perfect for me and my fiancé who are trying to get into wedding attire shape :)

Slightly adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. room temperature butter
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. beaten egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/4 c. chocolate chips

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium sized bowl, cream the butter and sugars with a fork. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate small bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour into wet ingredients bowl and combine with fork. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Mold dough into a ball and place in the center of the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes.
5. Enjoy warm with your bestie or all by yourself!

Cheers,
Brittany

Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I'll admit, there have been weak points in my life where all I've really wanted to do is indulge in a little bit of cookie dough.  The solution tends to be that I will whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, but since the cookies aren't the actual goal, for simplicity's sake the dough just get pressed into a 9x13 pan and voila, cookie bars.

The problem then becomes that you have a large pan of cookie bars sitting around the house that you will be constantly tempted to devour.  When there's only a couple of people in the house, it becomes a real test of your self-control.

To help solve this problem I came up with the very ingenious solution to simply make a smaller batch!  I can still get my cookie dough fix but with much less temptation after the fact.  The cookie bars are now made in a smaller 9x9 pan instead.

The bars don't lose any of their chocolatey cookie goodness with the smaller serving.  My only complaint is that as a middle piece lover, those perfectly soft pieces on all four edges become a hot commodity.  Any other middle piece lovers out there?  Or are you like my mom and sister who fight over the corners?  Not to worry, all pieces middle and edge alike can do the trick, especially when enjoyed with a tall glass of milk.

Enjoy!
Kelsey

Recipe adapted from Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup dry oats

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper and non-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together butter, vegetable shortening, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.  Beat in egg.
4. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and oatmeal.
6. Press cookie dough into prepared pan.
7. Cook for 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

S'mores Rice Krispie Treats

When I think of rice krispie treats, I think of marshmallows and when I think of marshmallows I think of s'mores! S'mores just have that nostalgic taste that brings you back to your childhood of bonfires and camping (or at least it does for me). Most people nowadays don't realize that I use to be quite the rugged camper. I'm sure my college friends can't even picture me hooking a worm or going without a shower for a week. But yes, I did that all the time growing up and I loved it.

Ok, back to s'mores and rice krispies. So when this chain of thought brought me to s'mores, I couldn't wait to start experimenting in the kitchen. You see, I thought I came up with some novel idea to combine s'mores with rice krispie treats. I was slightly crushed when it only took 30 milliseconds to find 28 recipes for s'mores rice krispie treats on Pinterest. I was quite embarrassed that I thought I had some evolutionary culinary masterpiece in mind. However, I decided to stick with my original plan and create my own recipe instead of borrowing. Plus, how hard could it be to create a rice krispie variation? I didn't think I could mess this one up.

After my second try (yes, I did screw up on the first try), I was pretty pleased with the outcome. And I'm guessing others liked them too since I already washed the dish they were in! As s'mores and rice krispie treats imply, these dessert bars are sweet and chewy with a crunch. And there is plenty of chocolate to please my craving, so it should satisfy yours as well. Plus, overall this recipe is quick, easy and sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Hope you enjoy!
Brittany

Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted

Rice Krispies:
5 1/2 c. mini marshmallows
2 tbsp. butter
6 c. Rice Krispies cereal

Chocolate coating:
1/2 c. chocolate chips
Any additional topping such as mini chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs, or sprinkles

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Mix to combine. Make sure everything is evenly coated with the butter.
3. Press crust into a greased 13x9 dish. Bake for 7-10 minutes.
4. As the crust is baking, melt butter in a large pot on medium heat. Add the marshmallows and constantly stir to prevent burning.
5. Once the butter and marshmallows are a nice, smooth consistency, turn the heat off and add the rice krispie cereal.
6. Pour the rice krispie marshmallow mixture over the still warm crust. Press firmly in order for the two layers to stick. *I also melted a bit more marshmallows and put it in between the two layers as glue. I'm not sure how much good that actually did, but worth it if you're not convinced the layers will stay together without it.
7. Let cool for 1-2 hours.
8. Once cool, cut the treat outs with your favorite cookie cutter, or cut into squares.
9. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute or on low in a saucepan.
10. Dunk the treats in the melted chocolate and garnish with your favorite topping. Place on parchment paper to cool.
11. Let chocolate cool and harden for about 1-2 hours.
12. Enjoy!

Dulce De Leche Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

I love me some Rice Krispie treats! They are so gooey, silky, buttery and crunchy all at the same time, and easy to make. I wonder if marshmallow haters also hate on RK treats?  I think the marshmallow part is what really draws me to them. I get where people are coming from though, but that chalky, dry and blandness of a marshmallow is really lost in a RK treat; these ones especially.

These start with two cans of sweetened condensed milk simmering away for a few hours. You are correct, I'm coming at you with more dulce de leche this week. I can't help myself. Its like a super easy, no stress caramel.

No stress assuming I didn't scare you the other week with warnings about cans exploding. They won't explode if you are careful, something about the water, science and the sweetened condensed milk being viscous. More importantly, it hasn't happened to me.

Use the deepest pot you have and be sure to check on the water level and all will be well. You can always buy dulce de leche at the store too, but where is the fun in that?

Other than the planning ahead on the dulce de leche, these RK treats come together really quick. Essentially the same method for making classic RK treats. Easy peasy, but with a "gourmet" twist and chocolate on top. Delicious!

I had originally planned to combine the chocolate and dulce de leche instead of swirling it. Do not attempt to combine them. Ever since sometime during my sophomore year of high school, I've had a tendency to burn chocolate.

That is what I thought happened on my first attempt at melting the chocolate and dulce de leche together, to create a smooth and cohesive topping. Fail. I tried again, this time only adding a tiny bit of dulce de leche to the melted chocolate, and boom, bam! It seized up and got all grainy and weird.

Therefore, gently swirling the dulce de leche into the chocolate already on top of the RK treats is the way to go. Anyone know why the dulce de leche would do this to chocolate? They were both the same temperature. It is lost on me. May never know. I'll survive though.

Anyways, these are pretty fantastic. Almost like a scotcharoo bar. Except it isn't.  My only word of caution would be to eat them within about 24 hours. They get a bit soggy otherwise, still tasty, but soggy. Storing them in the refrigerator really helps slow this.

 Lucky for you they take about 15 minutes to throw together and about an hour for the chocolate to set, but the chocolate doesn't have to be set. I know I wanted to dig in right away, but restraint is something I'm working on these days.

xo
April

Ingredients:
For dulce de leche:
2 cans sweetened condensed milk

For Rice Krispies: 
1 can dulce de leche
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 - 10oz package mini-marshmallows 
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies
For chocolate topping:
1 bag dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup dulce de leche

Instructions:
to make the dulce de leche:
Remove the label from the sweetened condensed milk cans. Place the cans in a pot and cover completely with water. Bring the pot to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and let simmer for about 2 ½ – 3 hours, making sure to add more water as necessary to keep the cans fully submerged in water (I have a medium saucepan and refill the water every 30-45 minutes). Remove the cans of dulce de leche from water and let cool to room temperature.

to make the Rice Krispies:
In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add dulce de leche and salt, whisking until combined and smooth. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray.

While the Rice Krispie treats cool,  using a microwave-safe container, place chocolate in microwave at medium power (50 percent) for 2 minutes. Remove and stir. If chocolate is not melted, return to microwave and repeat heating step, stirring every 30 seconds to avoid scorching, until smooth. In a separate microwave-safe container, put 1/2 cup dulce de leche, with a pinch of salt, in the microwave for 30 seconds; stir until smooth.

Spread the chocolate evenly over the cooled Rice Krispies, using a knife or fork, place tablespoons of dulce de leche evenly over the chocolate, and then swirl into the chocolate. Allow chocolate to set and cut into desired shape and size. Best served the same day, but will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Similar posts: Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cake, Salted Caramel Brownies, Salted Caramels

Butterscotch, Chocolate Chip, Pretzel Cookies

I made these salty, sweet, crunchy, chocolaty cookies for my birthday! I am that person who makes their own birthday treats or dinner because that is what I love doing.

I brought them to share at work, but they were not necessary! My sweet co-worker brought in a Chocolate Shoppe ice cream cake and serenaded me while I worked the patio. It was embarrassing and sweet. The cake was amazing! AMAZING! Yum.

No fear though I shared these with friends after work and they got rave reviews. Because who doesn't love salty and sweet? It is the only way to go.

When I made these I didn't break up the pretzels before adding them to the batter like I write in the instructions. When I make compost cookies its fun to find whole pretzels in your cookie, having little pockets of pretzel pieces works better I think for these cookies though. You get a little pretzel in every bite this way.

If you didn't have pretzels on hand you could totally try adding potato chips instead! Anything that is  salty and crunchy.

You could easily use mini chocolate chips or all chocolate chips instead of butterscotch pieces. I had butterscotch pieces to use up and I like them together with chocolate so it just made sense.

Adding a little pretzel on top is a cute little way to let people know what is in your cookie. It is not necessary, but pretty dang cute I think. I bet you have all these ingredients in your cupboard and these are a fun and easy treat for you and your friends.

xo,
April

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup salted pretzels, broken up into medium pieces

Instructions:

Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Cream until butter is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract for one more minute. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and beat on low until almost just combined. Add the chocolate and butterscotch chips and pretzel pieces until just combined.

Scoop dough by the heaping tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet. Optional: place a whole pretzel on top of each cookie, pressing it in just slightly. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until the edges and tops are golden. Remove from the oven, allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Dark Chocolate Sorbet

Welcome back to frozen treat month! All of July Badger Kitchen will be featuring frozen treats, just in time to help cool off in the summer heat! Although here in Madison it's a bit on the cooler side this week, this chocolate sorbet will be perfect for when the sun comes out this weekend!

I'm not going to lie, I was a bit discouraged with this month's theme. I pouted to my fiancé that I wouldn't be able to pull off a good frozen treat without an ice cream machine. I joked around to him saying that if this recipe didn't work, I was going to buy frozen sorbet from the store and take pictures of it as if it were my own. Luckily, that was not the case. This recipe proved my pessimistic self that even with simple ingredients and simple kitchen tools, I could pull off a pretty darn good frozen treat!

This dark chocolate sorbet is not like normal fruit flavored, refreshing sorbet, but I can tell you it will still be a hit! It has a rich, intense chocolate flavor that pairs nicely with its creamy, cold texture. And as an added bonus, it's dairy free! Anyone lactose intolerant or who chooses to eat dairy-free, this is an excellent alternative to ice cream. Get your spoons ready!

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
1 c. granulated sugar
2/3 c. cocoa
pinch of salt
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/4 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. vodka

Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients, except vodka, into a saucepan over medium heat.
2. While stirring often, bring mixture to a boil allowing the sugar, cocoa and chocolate chips to dissolve.
3. Once everything is dissolved, transfer to an 8x8 dish and freeze for 2 hours.
4. Using a spoon or fork, stir mixture around and bring the frozen crystals to the center of the dish. Return to freezer and stir mixture around every hour or so until sorbet is nearly firm.
5. Add the vodka and mix again. Transfer sorbet to a container and cover. Continue to freeze until it is firm to your liking. I allowed it to freeze overnight.
6. Serve with your favorite fruit or ice cream toppings!

Enjoy,
Brittany

Chocolate Pudding Pops

Frozen treat month continues! These came to be when I gave my boyfriend mono a few months ago. Oppsi. I tried to make it up to him by making him pudding, which failed. I was in a rush and not thinking. The pudding didn't get thick enough. It was pretty sad, until I thought put in the freezer! Soupy pudding was no more.

You could simply make pudding and skip the freezing, but it is summer and I think you probably should. This is super easy to make. It takes about 20 minutes in total and you probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already.

These are very chocolate-y. The addition of a little unsweetened chocolate really amps up the chocolate flavor. If you don't have any on hand, don't worry. They will still taste delicious with only semisweet or bittersweet chocolate.

I've made these with and without the addition of butter. I'm not sure that it makes a huge difference, but I like to add it. I think it gives it a little more texture and body, plus I like to think it helps the popsicles slide out of their molds easier. Who knows though.

These really are the perfect summer popsicles. They don't melt super fast and by melting I mean they turn to pudding. No dripping and sticky hands involved. Its like pudding meets ice cream on a stick, but with less melting.

If you don't have a popsicle mold, it would be totally worth trying to freeze a bowl of this pudding and eating it like ice cream. The ingredients are almost identical to those found in ice cream. The options are deliciously endless. Cool off and make these as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

xo,
April

Makes 6 popsicles
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups whole milk

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
6 wooden popsicle sticks

Instructions:

1. Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan, Slowly whisk in the milk, in a thin steam at first so that lumps don’t form, then more quickly once the cornstarch mixture is smoothly incorporated. 
2.  Place over medium-low heat and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 7 to 10 minutes (slower over lower heat is better, to give the cornstarch time to cook), before it starts to simmer, the mixture should begin to thicken, enough that it will coat the back of a spoon. 
3. Add the chocolate, and continue stirring for another 2 to 4 minutes, until chocolate is fully incorporated and mixture is quite thick (like pudding). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.
4. Let cool slightly, then pour evenly among popsicle molds (there will be about one cup of pudding leftover. That is okay though because you get pudding right away). Freeze the molds for about 30 minutes and then place popsicle sticks in molds; continue to freeze for another 4 hours before serving.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 Years Ago: Homemade Marshmallows 

Caramel Chocolate Tartlets

The other weekend, my fiancé and I met up with our wedding photographers to thank them for doing such a good job on our engagement photos. Seriously, I couldn't ask for better pictures. If you are on the look-out for talented and personable photographers, check them out here! We treated them to a little Madison secret, the Chocolaterian cafe. If you love all things chocolate, you need to stop into this wonderful cafe. I ordered the caramel chocolate tart. Oh my goodness. It was oh-so-good! Naturally, I decided this had to be my next culinary adventure. 

After researching recipes, I realized it shouldn't be too difficult to make. What's the hard part about making tarts? It's finding a store that carries the pans! After a few disappointing trips, I landed at Williams-Sonoma. That store ceases to fail me! Finally, I was all set to recreate the caramel chocolate tart that I fell in love with at Chocolaterian.

This dessert has every element to satisfy any dessert craving. It's sweet, rich and topped off with a hint of salt. It's delectable flavor is perfectly enjoyed in it's tiny tartlet size.  

Caramel Chocolate Tartlets

adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Tart Shell

10 tbsp butter

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp salt

Caramel Filling

1/8 c. water

1/2 c. sugar

1 tbsp corn syrup

2 tbsp butter

1/8 c. heavy cream

pinch of salt

Chocolate Ganache

1/8 c. heavy cream

1 oz. bittersweet chocolate

coarse sea salt to garnish

Instructions

Tart Shell

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  

2. Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs.

3. Add flour and salt until combined.

4. Ball the dough and wrap up. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but up to overnight.

5. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch. Cut the dough to size and press into 6 tartlet pans. Chill 20 minutes.

6. If desired, cover dough with parchment paper and add pie weights. Bake 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment paper. Bake another 5 minutes or until golden edges appear. Let cool.

Caramel Filling

1. Combine water, corn syrup and sugar in a sauce pan on medium to high heat. 

2. Stir sugar mixture often. It will become bubbly. 

3. Turn to low heat once mixture is an amber-yellow color. Add in butter, heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Be careful, the mixture will fizzle up. 

4. Once all combined, transfer to a glass measuring cup and distribute evenly between tartlets. 

5. Let caramel set for at least 45 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache 

1. Heat heavy cream in sauce pan until a light boil.

2. Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate that is in a glass measuring cup.

3. Once chocolate is soft and melting, stir until a smooth consistency.

4. Pour evenly over tartlets.

5. Let tartlets reach room temperature, which takes about 2 hours.

Sprinkle coarse salt over each tartlet and enjoy!

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

I was just having one of those weeks. The one's where you think there is no way Friday will come and the Universe seems to be laughing at you struggle. Yup, that sums up my week so to turn it around, I made these. I was just browsing recipes and once I feasted my eyes upon this recipe, I knew my week could only get better. C'mon, its a cookie...and a brownie. And it's made with chocolate, lots of it! I used up all my cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Oh, and I had to go to the store for some white chocolate chips. Universe, who is laughing now!

These cookie/brownies are a perfect mood-booster or a easy dessert to add to a cookout menu. I actually used this recipe for both purposes! They are chewy (as long as you are extra careful with baking time), chocolately, and are sure to go within a couple of days!

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

adapted from Yammie's Noshery

Ingredients

2 sticks butter

2 1/4 c. sugar

4 large eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract 

1 1/4 c. cocoa powder 

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder 

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Add butter and sugar into a saucepan. Place on stovetop at medium heat. Stir until the butter/sugar mixture is bubbly and smooth. Remove from heat. 

2. Add in eggs and vanilla and stir. 

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and flour. Add in the butter/sugar/egg mixture.

4. Fold in both types of chocolate chips once the dough is at room temperature. 

When I did this, the sugar/butter mixture was still a bit hot and melted the semi-sweet chocolate chips (oops!). So I added more and the white chocolate chips later

5. The dough will have a consistency (and smell) of brownies so chill the dough in the freezer or refrigerator until it becomes pretty solid. 

6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Form the dough into balls and gently pat them down onto a cookie sheet. These cookies don't spread out too much during baking, so shape them/pat them down to your liking. 

7. Bake for about 9-13 minutes. Keep an eye on them to not over-bake them. I took them out just as the middle of the cookie was losing its dark brown color (as mine cooked, they turned into a slightly lighter brown color). 

8. Set cookies on a cooling rack.

9. Enjoy!

Caramel Oatmeal Chewies

So yesterday while I was at work I was thinking about how it is less than two weeks until I leave to study abroad in Spain for the summer, and boy am I excited!!!  The only problem is that being away for two months means two months of not cooking and baking, so I figured I should try to get in a couple of good posts before I leave.

I decided I wanted to bake a dessert so when I got home from work I looked through my two new cookbooks and found this bad boy.  I was short a couple of ingredients though, so I decided to walk the couple of block to Trader Joe's since I had never been there which I am now embarrassed to say because it is my new favorite grocery store!  It is awesome!

Recipe from Fresh, Fast and Fabulous: 2nd Edition.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups oatmeal
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup caramel ice cream topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom of a 13x9 inch metal baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.
3. Stir in melted butter, mixing well.
4. Set aside 1 cup of oats mixture.  Press remaining mixture into bottom of pan.
5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans.
7. Mix caramel topping with remaining 1/4 cup flour.  Drizzle over pecans to within 1/4 inch of edges.
8. Sprinkle with remaining oats mixture.
9. Bake for an additional 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Cool in pan on wire rack.  Then refrigerate until firm.

Cornflake, Marshmallow, Chocolate Chip Cookies

June just came out of nowhere! This year has flown by, which also implies my summer is dwindling too. I've got a long list of things I want to accomplish this summer too. Who knows it may be one of my last in Madison? That decision is a long ways away though, lets focus on the summer list:

1. Find a hostess or waitress job. Check, cocktail waitress to be precise!
2. Raise $4,000 for the MS bike ride. Only 2 months and $3,965 to go, no biggie.
3. Put a 1,000 miles on my sexy new bike.
4. Go on a brewery tour. Ale Asylum anyone?
5. Make a trip to Devils Lake. I've never been, which appalls many of my fellow Wisconsin natives.
6. Canoe camping round two.
7. Concerts on the square, cheese and wine.
8. Willy Street biking eating-drinking crawl.
9. Lose a bit of the pasty white girl look.
10. Make a mean sangria.

That list probably makes me seems a lot more outdoorsy than I really am. Because I think that last word anyone would use to describe me is outdoorsy. That is just my summer list too, there are so many things that I want to do before the year is over! What sort of things do you want to do this summer?

Make these cookies, if June being here is as alarming as it is to me. Even if it isn't, the first of everything month deserves to be started out right. Theses cookies are just the thing. The sister-in-law was in town last weekend. I hadn't seen her since Christmas!!!! I met up with her and my brother at our favorite watering hole, The Library Bar and Cafe. These cookies along with some cake balls came with us. I like to bake and then contemplate how to pawn the goods off on people.

Turns out a bar is a pretty great place to pawn baked goods off on people. These cookies especially. They are crispy, chewy and salty. The salty aspect keeps the people drinking too. I like to help not only myself the bar too. All the reviews were amazing and it wasn't just because people were drinking. The night was young, in fact it wasn't even night time yet.

There will be a leftover cornflake crunch, but just make yourself a bowl of cereal with it. You won't regret it. You can save it too, since after you share these, people will want you to make more. Give these a try you won't regret the sweet, salty, gooey, chewy goodness that results.


Recipe by Christina Tosi from Momofuki Milk Bar Cookbook
Makes 15 large cookies
Ingredients:
Cornflake Crunch:
1/2 box (5 cups) cornflakes
1/2 cup milk powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cookie:
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups Cornflake Crunch
2/3 mini chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows

Making the Cornflake Crunch:

1. Heat the oven to 275F
2. Pour the cornflakes in a medium bowl and crush them with your hands to one-quarter of their original size. Add the milk powder, sugar, and salt and toss to mix. Add the butter and toss to coat. As you toss, the butter will act as glue, binding the dry ingredients to the cereal and creating small clusters.
3. Spread the clusters on a parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, at which point they should look toasted, smell buttery, and crunch gently when cooled slightly and chewed.
4. Cool the cornflake crunch completely before storing or using in a recipe. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the crunch will keep fresh for 1 week; in the fridge or freezer, it will keep 1 month.

Making the Cookies:

1. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.
2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minutes. (Do not walk away from the mixer at this point, or you will risk overmixing the dough.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. 
3. Still on low speed, paddle in the cornflake crunch and mini chocolate chips just until they're incorproated, no more than 30-45 seconds. Paddle in the mini marshmallows just until incorprated. 
4. Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3 cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment lined-sheet pan. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies at room temperature-they will not hold their shape.
5. Heat the oven to 375F.
6. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake for 10-18 minutes (I baked mine for for 15 minutes-keep an eye on them). The cookies will puff, crackle and spread. The cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown toward the center. Leave them in the oven for an additional minute or so if they aren't and they still seem pale and doughy on the surface.
7. Cool the cookies on the sheet pans before transferring to a place or an airtight container for storage. At room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Chocolate Upside-down Cake

This is one of my all-time favorite chocolate desserts for more than one reason. It is super simple, has little ingredients, and a rich flavor. However, it's at the top of the list because it is close to my heart. This recipe was rarely made for special occasions or on holidays. It was a recipe my mom would make for my sisters and me when we needed a pick-me-up or when we all craved some delicious chocolate! It is the ultimate chocolate comfort food.

For the past couple of years, no one in the family has made Chocolate Upside-down cake. My mom passed away the summer before my senior year of high school. I guess we all stayed away from this recipe because it was too hard. This passed Mother's Day, I made Chocolate Upside-down cake for the first time without my mom. It was bittersweet. However, today I see this dessert as a way to preserve a memory of a wonderful mother that will always be missed.   

Chocolate Upside-down Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

3/4 c. white sugar

3 Tbsp. cocoa

1 1/2 Tbsp. melted butter

1/2 c. milk

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. vanilla extract 

3/4 c. chopped nuts (optional) 

Sauce:

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

3 Tbsp. cocoa

1 1/3 c. boiling water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Mix cake ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Pour into a 2 quart baking dish.

4. Mix sauce ingredients in the same bowl and pour on top of the cake batter. 

5. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes.

6. Sprinkle cocoa on top if desired and serve warm.

7. Enjoy!