Spiced Brownies on a Chilly Day

Today's baking homework is to make Spicy Brownies from the Baked Elements cookbook.  I'm a huge fan of making brownies and adding spices sound like a great way to give a new variation to them.  

 

I used to work at a restaurant where I had to bake brownies all the time. To make them more desirable, I would fry brownies in a cinnamon tempura batter, serve with vanilla gelato and caramel sauce.  People loved the classic brownie but adding something new helped set it apart.  I think that adding spices to these brownies have helped enhance the brownies to make them warmer and added more depth.

When payday arrives I am going to make a dent in my check at Penzeys Spices. The new place I live at doesn't have a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods and that makes me sad.

 

Starting my mise en place

Adding some extra chocolate chips

I love doing the swirl on top of brownies with back of a spoon

The cooling down part is the hardest for me

Fudgy center brownies= YUM

Now that my homework is done, I can eat brownies, have a glass of milk and catch up on some tv.  Thanks to Baked Sunday Mornings and Baked.

The Super Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

I haven't been blogging or baking in a long time.  So I am really happy to start again with the No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies.  After reading the recipe I noticed that must alter it by adding chopped chocolate to the mix.  This way I can help satisfy my chocolate needs.

Extra chocolate makes everything better

So literally five minutes after I started my prep, I was finished with these cookies.  These little bites will make a great base for a cookie bar.  I think next time I will make it with Nutella and add chopped toasted hazelnuts.  Thank you Baked Sunday Mornings and Baked for the inspiration and fun.

Baking with the Baked Sunday Morning Group

Today's challenge is to prepare the Brooksters, a combination of a brownie and chocolate chip cookie.  Yum!  This is a popular item made at Baked bakery in Brooklyn, New York. 

I have first started to follow Baked when I saw one of the owners, Matt Lewis, on the Martha Stewart Show demonstrating how to prepare a heart shape red velvet cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.  After watching that, I was hooked and always recorded on my DVR his appearances on Martha.

Creaming of the butter

 

I just finished incorporating the dry ingredients

About to roll the cookie dough in a roll to be chilled

Using a muffin tin to make these

Next time I will push the cookie dough in the brownie batter more

Cooling in the pan

Ready to eat!!!

One problem I had with these Brooksters was the cooking rates between the cookie and brownie.  I am just glad that the everything worked out.  Thank you Pastry Gods!!  Now to get a glass of milk and enjoy my treat for the day.  Thank You Baked!!!

Birthday Cake

My mother always gets a flag cake for her birthday.  It all started when I was young and she made a cake using box cake mix, cool whip and fresh berries to design a flag. 

This year I wanted to step up from a box mix to a homemade cake and frosting with a new design.  The cake recipe is from SmittenKitchen.com and I used a swiss meringue buttercream recipe from MarthaStewart.com

Cake came out moist and I think quite pretty

Boeuf Bourguignon Night!!

I begin by searing the meat

Prep all the aromatics

Added the wine and then to the oven for 2 1/2 hours

The finished product was delicious

Pie for my Sis!

I made my sister something she has wanted for a long time... Chocolate Cream Pie!!  Tomorrow she has requested for Boeuf Bourguignon and I am up for the challenge.  I will document my progress on the dish tomorrow.

Santa Fe

I took a weekend getaway to Santa Fe and found many places to inspire my cooking.