Magic Cookie Bars

This is the golden oldie, the classic, the 'magic cookie bar'. It's the recipe that we all grew up with from the back of the sweetened condensed milk can. It has been years since I've had these, so I don't know what made me think of making them now, but they were even better than I remembered! Or maybe they were just so good because they fueled us for a full weekend of skiing. I took these snacks with us on our last ski trip of the season this year. Closing weekend was in April, and we were definitely there to say sayonara to ski season 2012.


Peter is a BIG snowboarder. His family took wintertime snow trips to the mountains, whereas my family was more of a summer beach vacation kind of fam. So when Peter and I started dating, I recognized that his snow sportiness was definitely one thing we did not share in common... yet. We loved playing soccer together in college, and volleyball and softball during our first summer dating, but snowboarding was something I was yet to learn. My time had come to learn when our first winter came around that we were dating. I so badly wanted to learn to snowboard because I knew he loved it so much. But learning to snowboard with Peter was like baptism by fire; I got thrown right into solid 4 day ski trips with him and his buddies. I pictured a few hours of learning each afternoon, but with this group it was first chair in the morning to last run of the evening. Like I said, baptism by fire. That first trip, I came home and had lost 5 lbs! Long hard days on the mountain burns some serious calories!


But Peter was such a patient teacher, and soon enough I had picked  up snowboarding and fallen in love... with snowboarding too :) Now, I have been snowboarding with him (and our friends) for 4 years already. Snowboarding has definitely become another fun activity that we share together. However, I also now know to pack some much needed calorie dense treats for our long days on the slopes. Most recently, I made these magic cookie bars and everyone in our group LOVED them. They made for a perfect mountain treat. I think they may become a new ski trip tradition for us :) 


Shopping List (makes a 9x13 casserole dish): 

• 1/2 cup Butter (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (1 wrapped sleeve out of a box)
• 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 1/3 cups flaked Coconut
• 1 cup chopped Walnuts

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a microwavable bowl, melt your butter:

Once the butter is melted, add the graham cracker crumbs into the bowl and combine well with the melted butter:

Press this crumb mixture firmly into a 9x13 casserole dish to make the bottom layer of your magic bars:

Then pour the can sweetened condensed milk over the crumb layer: 

Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips, the coconut flakes, and the walnuts over the condensed milk layer. Press these top ingredients gently down into the condensed milk:

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the coconut flakes look golden and toasty on top:

Allow it to cool slightly before cutting into squares:

And box these bad boys up for a road trip to the slopes :)

But be sure to taste test one while it's still a little warm :)

Chocolate Caramel Turtles

These are such a HANDY DANDY little 'recipe' to know. It's not quite a real recipe, because you don't need any measurements to follow, and it doesn't even really require any cooking!


Typically, candy turtles have pecans, but you can use whatever you want- or whatever you have on hand: cashews, peanuts, peanut m&m's, etc.  My favorites are cashews and pecans, but I like to use the peanut m&m's because the pop of color is so fun. Also, m&m's allow you to use whichever colors you want for the occassion: colors of the holiday, school colors, team colors, etc.


These are the perfect treat for gifting, for a party finger-food, for a potluck dessert, or just for the non-baker :) They're quick, easy, decadent, and you can't mess them up!

Shopping List:

• Mini Pretzels
• Rolo candies
• Your choice of Peanut m&m's, Cashews, Pecans, or whatever else you like

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or use a microwave safe plate, if not using an oven).

On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, lay out as many mini pretzels as you wish. Top them each with a Rolo candy.

Place in 350 degree preheated oven for 3 1/2 minutes, or until soft and shiny but NOT melted.

(or microwave until softening and shiny but NOT melted)

Press the nut topping of choice into the soft oozey Rolo :)

Let cool completely. 5 minutes in the refrigerator works well.

I this picture, I used Christmas colored m&m's because I made this batch for Christmas. But you can change the colors to coordinate for any occassion. 

Muddy Buddies!!!

I get so excited about Muddy Buddies because it means it's Christmas time!!! The first time I had these little treats was when my mom was teaching jr. high. I was in third grade at the time, and my mom came home from her classroom with tons of fun teacher gifts from her 7th grade students before Christmas break.... one of them was a big mason jar full of these muddy buddies! They were gone almost as soon as we cracked the jar open! My brother and sister and I all begged my mom to get the recipe from her student when she got back to school after break. 
13 years later, I still make these every Christmas and give them as gifts :) Sometimes I fill mason jars and tie them with a big Christmas ribbon, but this year I found some super cute ziplock bags that look like stockings! Whichever way you choose to wrap them up, make sure that it is sealed in an airtight package so that they keep their crunchy deliciousness.


These are easy, delicious, and addictive (beware!)


Recipe:

• 1 cup choc chips
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter
• 9 cups Chex cereal
• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

Melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a large microwave safe bowl:

Once well melted, gently fold in the chex cereal until completely coated: 

Toss the coated chex with powdered sugar in a large (2 gallon) ziplock back and shake well. 

**Helpful hint #1: fold down the top of the baggie (as seen in picture) when filling it so that the ziplock remains clean. Otherwise, chocolate and sugar cover the ziplock and it is difficult to seal closed. 

**Helpful hint #2: put 1/2 the powdered sugar in the bag, then the chex, then the other half of powdered sugar and shake well until all the little chex get a white winter coat.

Spread 'snowy' muddy buddies out onto wax paper:

Mmmmmmm... these sweet, salty, crunchy goodies are SO addictive:

 Store or package in airtight baggies/jars/containers. 

Look at these perfect little stocking ziplock baggies for gifting Christmas goodies!

Baked-goodie boxes full of assorted homemade cookies, and stockings full of muddy buddies:

Molten Chocolate Lava Souffle Cakes

My dad is the BIGGEST chocolate lover... ever! To him, dessert isn't dessert unless there is chocolate involved. Whenever we would eat out at restaurants, we could take one glance at the dessert menu and know exactly which one he would order; it's always whatever option is was most ooey gooey and chocolatey....either a hot fudge brownie sundae, a molten chocolate lava cake, or some fudgey chocolate mountain cake. On top of that, he always asks for extra vanilla ice cream with whichever dessert he orders (a bad habit I've picked up). I mean, the man knows how to do dessert right.... and now I'm so busted if he reads this.


Anyway, I've always wanted to learn to make those lava cakes that we would see at his favorite restaurants, but I always thought they were super tricky. I have finally learned and it was SO much easier than I thought! In fact, you can make all of it in about 10 minutes if you can multitask. Mix the yolks while the chocolate is melting, stir those two together, and once you beat the egg whites these little souffles are in the oven before you know it- all in less than 10 minutes!


They are great for entertaining too, because you can make them ahead of time, even a day before, and store them in the fridge until you are ready to put them in the oven. This particular time that I made them, Peter and I had our friends, Zack and Mallory, over for dinner and I made all of it ahead of time EXCEPT for the beaten egg whites (because I didn't want them to deflate in the fridge). All I had to do was warm the chocolate mixture back up, beat the whites and fold them in, and we had fresh warm lava cakes ready on demand!


Recipe (serves 4):

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) Salted Butter
• 6 ounces chocolate (I used semi sweet chips, but you can use any chocolate that you like :)
• 1 teaspoon Instant Coffee granules
• 3 Large Eggs, separated
• 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar, plus 1 Tablespoon
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

For Serving:

• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Coffee
• Milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and then sugar the insides of your baking ramekins, and place them on a baking sheet. Set this aside so that they will be ready and waiting for you when you are ready to pour the batter into them later.

Over a double boiler, melt 1/2 cup (1 stick butter) and 6 ounces of chocolate (just like when making chocolate for fondue).

If your butter is cold, you will need to dice it up into cubes so that it will melt at the same rate as the chocolate. If it is room temperature, then no dicing is necessary. This should only take about 5 minutes. After the chocolate-butter mixture is all melted and combined, stir in 1 teaspoon of instant coffee until completely melted into the chocolate.

In a separate bowl, mix together the 3 egg yolks and 1/3 cup granulated sugar until thick and pale (just like when making ice cream). If using a stand mixer, this should only take about 4 or 5 minutes. then stir in the 1 tsp. vanilla:

Gently stir this yolk mixture into the chocolate bowl:

Place the 3 egg whites, the 1/8 tsp cream of tartar, and 1 Tbsp granulated sugar in a new bowl, or clean the yolk bowl and dry it completely (if there is any water moisture or oily residue left in the bowl, the whites you are about to whip won't reach their full potential). Whip this together until firm peaks form; about 5 minutes or so:

GENTLY fold this mixture into the chocolate in 2 batches. Fold in the first half of the whites gently until combined, then fold in the second half of the whites -gently again- until just combined. Do not over mix or else your whites will deflate! You have to be careful not to break down the stiffness of the firm egg whites; this is what will give your cakes volume and make your souffles rise and puff the way they are supposed to. Pour the batter into the 4 ramekins.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 13-15 minutes. Their 'puffiness' will start falling within a few minutes of pulling them out of the oven, so serve and enjoy immediately. 

You can dust with powdered sugar on top and serve with a side of vanilla ice cream. I put the ice cream right on top because I love when the ice cream melts into the warm molten middle, but technically I think that goes against souffle rules since it automatically deflates the souffle.... but hey, I'm okay with breaking rules for ice cream :)

I mean, look at this guy- he is just screaming for some ice cream!

Mmmmmm...

They are SUPER moist and 'molteny' inside :) ...and VERY rich, so vanilla ice cream and/or a cup of milk is necessary!

Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake

This past memorial day weekend, Peter was gone river rafting on the Kern River for a bachelor party. Therefore, I got to plan some fun girl days! On the actual Memorial Day afternoon, I planned a picnic with my friends Lindsey and Laurie. We set up our picnic on a grassy park right above the beach so that we could also set up CROQUET to play on the lawn! 


In college, Peter and his NINE roommates set up croquet in their front yard; they played all the time- it was awesome... Halftime during the Laker game? Croquet! Free time? Croquet! Want to procrastinate studying? Croquet! These boys turned a recreational past-time into a competitive sport. They played so hard that the set fell to pieces by the time they all graduated. So I got Peter a new croquet set for his birthday last month. We have all been playing it together down here now, and it has been so nostalgic for us all :) However, since the boys are croquet masters from all that practice during their college days, we girls are getting beat up on! This is why it was necessary for us to sneak in a little practice while the boys were gone river rafting :)


To go along with our european lawn game, I planned a french/european 'poet's picnic' (baguette, cheeses, fruit, etc). But I also wanted to make something fun for dessert--- What better than a recipe I learned from Julia Childs- the very woman who brought french cooking to America! It was decided; I would make the flourless chocolate cake that I had learned from one of her cooking shows some time ago :) I added a chocolate ganache glazing and berries whereas Julia Childs added just a sprinkling of powdered sugar atop the cake instead. Either way would be good, but from our experience the ganache was divine. And the cake is so rich that the berries are almost an essential companion. (Also, we couldn't pack ice cream for the picnic of course, but over the following days we enjoyed the leftovers with berries and vanilla ice cream and that was a match made in heaven).


Recipe (serves about 15 since only small slices are required due to its density & richness)


Flourless Chocolate Cake:

• 2 sticks Salted Butter
• 8 oz. Chocolate, >60% cacao (Julia used bittersweet, I used Semi Sweet)
• 1 cup Unsweetened Cacoa
• 1 1/4 cups granulated Sugar
• 6 eggs

Chocolate Ganache:

• 3/4 cup Half & Half or Heavy Cream (I use half & half because it is healthier and it was just fine... I know, I'm making a very unhealthy decadent cake!!!)
• 8 oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 Tablespoons Butter (this gives it that satiny shine and keeps it shiny)

Melt the 2 sticks of butter and stir in the 8 oz chocolate until melted. 

(I just used a 'double boiler' method of nesting a bowl above a pot of boiling water to melt my butter and chocolate together)

In a separate bowl whisk/sift 1 cup unsweetened cacoa with 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar.

Then stir in 6 eggs.

Then slowly temper in the hot butter/chocolate mixture (or else the eggs will scramble), and combine well:

(temper slowly add in a little bit of the hot chocolate and stir well. Continue adding small amounts of hot chocolate and stirring until it is all incorporated together.)

Butter bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan and pour cake batter into springform:

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes

While cake is cooking, prepare the chocolate ganache icing. Ganache is a chocolate glaze/icing that is typically 1 part chocolate and 1 part cream. The addition of butter gives it that glossy, satin-like shine.

Bring the half and half to a simmer using the double boiler method as above. Then melt in the 2 Tbsps butter. Turn off the heat and stir in the chocolate until completely combined. Remove bowl from pot and let ganache somewhat cool before glazing the cake.

Remove cake from springform pan and transfer to a cooling rack that is set up above a baking sheet (to catch the ganache drippings)

This was our fun picnic spread!

I used fresh strawberry slices to decorate the top of my cake, but I imagine raspberries could be very good as well.

Look at how moist and dense it is! That is the beautiful thing about flourless cakes :)

 Here are Laurie and Lindsey during one of our croquet matches that afternoon:

And here are all three of us with croquet mallets in hand :)

Peter came home from river rafting and was delighted to find the remains of this decadent cake in our kitchen! We found that it was best enjoyed warmed up with a side of creamy vanilla ice cream.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay. I make SO MUCH cookie dough in my little kitchen that it's only appropriate for me to share it with you! I don't mean to make so much cookie dough, but it is just so handy to have in stock in case of an emergency...and trust me, there are occasions that call for cookie dough in a flash! You might not think so, but when your husband invites a bunch of friends over- easy. Or when he tells you the night before that there is an office potluck or a cookie exchange at work the next day- done. Or when he needs a little treat and asks for a pizookie at night- check. (I'm just going to blame it all on Peter-- of course I don't ever eat cookies ;)


Sure, you could always buy some refrigerated store-bought cookie dough... but for half the price, why not make a WHOLE BOWL and store it yourself to have on hand?


This is a wonderfully chewy, chocolate chip cookie. Basically, I started with a classic recipe and then increased the brown sugar and decreased the white sugar. When you use brown sugar for these cookies, use dark brown sugar. The brown comes from molasses, and the darker it is the more molasses there is. You want more molasses because that is what makes the cookies bake out nice and chewy! Also, most baked-goods recipes call for unsalted butter, but I always use salted butter... always. It is important to have that salty contrast to enhance the flavor of whatever sweet goodies you are baking!


Recipe: 

• 2 sticks of Salted Butter, at room temp
• 1 cup of firmly packed Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Granulated White Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 1/4 cups Flour
• 12 oz. (or about 2 cups) Chocolate Chips

In a medium sized bowl, cream together your softened butter, sugars, and vanilla. Then add in the eggs, salt, and baking soda. When that is all well combined, mix in the flour: 

Then I stir in the chocolate chips. I can't explain why I do this, but for some reason I just don't like using the mixer to stir in the chips. You can certainly use the mixer if you don't want to mess up a good spoon for no reason.

 Bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 12 minutes (if they are this average cookie-size pictured here), or 15 minutes or so if you are making big cookies or pizookies.

When I take the cookies out of the oven, I transfer them to a cooling rack for just a few minutes so that they can mellow out and become flat and chewy!

Mmmmmm... cookie dough! 

 With the leftover bowl of dough, I let it chill for a few minutes in the fridge, roll it out into individual balls on a cookie sheet. Then I let that firm up in the fridge again....

 ...and then baggie them up in batches to be stored in the fridge or freezer. The only unfortunate thing is that Peter likes to sneak my stock of cookie dough balls... and then when an event arises and I need cookies on call- they're gone!

If you store your baggies of dough in the freezer,  you will want to let them sit out and thaw for a bit before baking them- otherwise, the centers may stay too cold and firm and they might not flatten all the way out when they bake. 
HOWEVER, I know I don't usually get that much notice before I need to pop some in the oven. If you find yourself needing cookies on short notice, I can pop them straight from the freezer to the oven. THEN PREHEAT the oven and let the cookies warm up while the oven does the same. Start your cook time once the oven reaches temp, and press the cookies down with a fork half way through baking :)