Brownie Cookie Dough Sandwiches

Though I make homemade ice cream quite a bit, we still eat store-bought from time to time. One of our favorites is Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked, a combination of chocolate and vanilla ice creams packed with chunks of fudgy brownies and balls of chocolate chip cookie dough. It's as good as it sounds! When I saw these brownie cookie dough sandwiches on my friend Nicole's site earlier this year, that ice cream immediately sprang to mind and I knew I wanted to try the recipe. I bookmarked the page but as spring turned to summer, it got lost in the excitement of fresh berries, sweet corn, ripe tomatoes and so many of the other delicious things that make summer amazing. In the midst of a marathon baking session over the weekend (during which Shane kindly volunteered to go out not once, but twice, for miscellaneous ingredients I’d forgotten to pick up during my weekly shopping trip), something triggered the memory of this recipe, and I got to work making it before it got pushed aside for another seven months!



I love making whoopie pies, and these cookie sandwiches are sort of a spin on that idea, and since they combine the flavors of brownies and cookie dough in one treat, I was pretty sure they couldn’t be anything but delicious. The recipe starts with intensely dark and rich chocolate cookies. They’re baked just until set on the edges which means they wind up relatively soft and chewy once cooled. They’re still sturdy enough though to support the filling without any problem. Speaking of the filling, it’s an eggless chocolate chip cookie dough that features a surprising ingredient – marshmallow creme. The creme holds the filling together and adds sweetness since the filling doesn’t otherwise have a lot of sugar. I used a cookie scoop to portion the dough so the cookies all baked to relatively the same size and were easy to pair up. The consistency of the filling made it easy to sandwich between the cookies without any problems either.



By the time I finished putting these brownie cookie dough sandwiches together, I’d already eaten way too much and couldn’t handle the thought of another sweet. Earlier in the day I had sampled one of the cookies that didn’t have a mate and enjoyed it, but I relied on Shane to try the finished product and report back. He didn’t say anything as he ate the sandwich, and I was worried he didn’t like it, but when he finally spoke he told me he might need to try 2 or 3 or 4 more before he could render a verdict :) Safe to say there were a hit! I'm told the filling did taste a lot like cookie dough, and something tells me it won't be long before these are requested again.

By the way, Happy Halloween! I hope it's a safe, fun night for all of you!

Brownie Cookie Dough Sandwiches
from Heat Oven to 350

Brownie Cookies
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cookie Dough Filling
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 13 oz container marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in two addition, beating until just combined. The batter will be very thick.

Portion the dough into 1 -1 1/2 tablespoon balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. With damp fingers, slightly flatten the balls of dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are set and the tops are puffed and cracked (but still soft). Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before removing them to the rack to cool completely.

To make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and beat until well combined. Mix in the flour until incorporated (the filling will be almost crumbly). Add the remaining ingredients and beat until the mixture is smooth and thick.

To assemble the sandwiches: Match the cookies in pairs by size. Scoop about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling onto the flat side of one of the cookies in each pair. Put the other cookie on top and press to push the filling to the edges.

Makes about 20 sandwich cookies

Malted Milk Chocolate Sauce

Last night I fixed Shane the bowl of ice cream above as the snow was coming down.  In October.  We eat ice cream all winter long, so not exactly a big deal, but in October we expect to be visiting our local ice cream shop for the last time, enjoying a cone on the picnic bench outside on a crisp fall night.  Instead, we were inside watching the flakes fall and listening to the wind howl, hoping that the trees and their branches, still holding onto most of their leaves at this point, would be able to bear the weight of the snow and not come crashing down on our cars, the fence or our house.

The weather this year has been completely insane; while we've had snow in October before, it's always been a light dusting and never a major storm.  When we woke up today, we found 4-5 inches of snow had fallen overnight.  This is what October 30 looks like in northern RI.   






(This was the tree that had me losing sleep last night, its branches don't normally hang anywhere near that low to the ground.)

The sun is out now and the skies are blue, so hopefully the snow will melt quickly and we'll get back to autumn before winter arrives for good.



This malted milk chocolate sauce was another recipe I flagged when I was going through my period of obsession with malted milk powder.  Unlike the other recipes I made which used plain powder, this one called for chocolate malt powder.  It gives the thick, rich sauce that classic soda shop malt flavor.  Shane's a big fan of Hershey's chocolate syrup on top of his ice cream, so he was all for this homemade upgrade.  I rarely make chocolate sauce at home, but it's so easy there's really no excuse.  Plus it keeps in the fridge for nearly a week, and you don't have to limit yourself to ice cream - this would be awesome drizzled over just about any dessert!

Malted Milk Chocolate Sauce
from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup chocolate malt Ovaltine
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 oz milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the heavy cream, corn syrup, Ovaltine, brown sugar, salt and 4 oz of the milk chocolate to a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to melt the chocolate and ensure the sauce is smooth. Reduce the heat so the sauce just simmers and cook for 5 minutes, frequently stirring very slowly.

Turn off the heat under the pan and add the remaining 2 oz of chocolate, butter and vanilla. Stir until incorporated. Allow the sauce to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving, or cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove over low heat.

Makes 2 cups

Monster Eyeballs

I can't believe Halloween is just a few days away, it completely snuck up on me this year. Sort of like the snow that decided to fall last night, wasn't really prepared for that either :) There's talk of another storm heading our way for Saturday, so it looks like the kids might be trudging through the snow to get their Halloween candy this year. Shane went off to work today dressed as Indiana Jones for his office Halloween party - he loves dressing up almost as much as I hate it. I know, I'm no fun at all. You definitely won't find me in a costume on Halloween, but I do enjoy passing out the candy, and we get tons of trick-or-treaters at our house every year. I think we even had to turn our light off last year after running out of candy. Do you guys have any Halloween traditions? Do you dress up to pass out candy to the kids?





Halloween is probably one of my favorite times of year around the blog world - there are so many creative, talented bloggers out there, and the things they come up with always blow my mind. I didn't get a chance to try as many themed treats as I'd have liked this year, but I couldn't let the holiday pass without posting at least one or two. Since we're just a few days from Halloween I thought I'd pick simple treats that would be appropriate if you need a last minute party idea or snack for the kids. Or, if you wait until 11 pm at night to start making the dessert for your husband's office party the next day. Not that I'd ever do that.



These monster eyeballs are the best of both worlds for me - not only are they a cute Halloween treat, but they're made with one of my favorite flavor combinations: chocolate and peanut butter! I think they may be similar to buckeyes, though I've never made those so I guess these check another box for me too. The chocolate coating surrounds a simple mixture of peanut butter, butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Pop a mini M&M in the middle to act as the iris and you have cute monster eyeballs. I loved the way they looked all lined up on the baking sheet staring at me :) They're simple to make, though a bit tedious since you need to dip all of the candies in the chocolate. You need to chill them a few times too, but you can use your freezer to speed that up. And it'll give you just enough time to catch up on the season finale of Top Chef Just Desserts (Did you watch? I won't spoil it, but I am happy about who won.) These monster eyeballs are pretty rich so I suggest keeping them on the smaller side - one or two bites is definitely plenty.

If you're looking for other last minute ideas for Halloween treats, here are a few I've made in previous years, as well as some of my favorites from around the web!

Chocolate Spider Cupcakes
Red Velvet Brain Cupcakes
Snack-o-Lantern Fruit Cups from Pink Parsley (a healthy treat!)
Spooky Graveyard Cupcakes from Six Bittersweets
Monster Cupcakes from Annie's Eats
Mummified Oreos from Fake Ginger
Creepy Crawler Cupcakes
Pumpkin Chocolate Spiderweb Tart from Handle the Heat

Monster Eyeballs
adapted from Ghoulish Goodies by Sharon Bowers (via epicurious)

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 (3-oz) package mini M&M's

Combine the peanut butter, butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until all of the ingredients come together. (There may be dry bits in the bottom of the bowl at first, but keep beating, they will incorporate).

Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. Roll the peanut butter mixture by teaspoons (I used my cookie scoop) into small balls and place on the prepared pan. Stick a toothpick in the top of each ball (this will make them easier to dip later). Freeze for 45 minutes (or refrigerate for an hour to an hour and a half).

Add the chocolate chips and shortening to a microwave-safe bowl (it will be easier to dip if you pick one that's deep rather than shallow). Microwave for 60 seconds on full power, then stir well. Continue to microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (You could do this over a double boiler too if you prefer.)

Remove the baking sheet from the freezer (or fridge). Holding each candy by the toothpick, dip it in the chocolate, leaving a round or oval opening on the top to make it look like an eye. I found the easiest way to do this was to rock the ball from side to side gently. It's harder to explain than it is to do, you'll get the hang after you do one or two. Let the excess chocolate drip off each candy, then place it back on the wax paper. Repeat with all of the candies - you may need to warm the chocolate a few times if it starts to get too firm for dipping, a 10-second burst will do the trick. (If the balls get too soft, you can briefly pop them back in the freezer, but I found I could dip them all without an issue.)

Remove the toothpick from each candy. Place a dab of chocolate on one side of an M&M then place it on the candy, covering the hole where the toothpick had been. Repeat for all candies. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Store the eyeballs in the refrigerator or freezer and serve chilled.

Yield will depend on how big you make your eyes - I got about 20 from a half recipe

Chicken a la Diable

Today's very special guest poster is none other than my husband, Shane!  I took the photos of the finished dish for this post, but otherwise he did all the heavy lifting.  I may be a bit biased, but I think he did a great job :)  I'll be back tomorrow, but hope you all enjoy the change of pace today!

As you may know from Tracey's recent blog posts, for the past few weeks she's been working full-time at a law firm in Boston. She's been working hard to keep up with her blog at night though, and since the law job is only temporary there should hopefully be little interruption around here. She asked if I'd be willing to do a guest post for her to keep things moving along, and I was more than happy to oblige!

I completed the fall marathon I was heavily training for right before Tracey started the law job, and as such I no longer have lengthy workouts to complete after work each day (until training for Ironman Mont Tremblant 2012 begins!). Since the Boston commute means Tracey gets home close to two hours after me, the tables have turned as far as getting dinner on the table! This chicken dish was one of the first I wanted to tackle; I'm a fan of dishes that are relatively straightforward and have a little kick, so I set in with the goal of having dinner ready for Tracey when she got home.

I can handle myself pretty well in the kitchen, but I've found that since I don't actually cook "fancy recipes" that often it takes me a lot longer than I expect (and certainly longer than it would take Tracey) to get things together. I made sure to take care of my mise en place first (I pay attention during Food Network shows!).



I wanted to show off my mad skills to Tracey, so I took some progress photos with my phone. I didn't know at the time that I would be writing this up for a guest post - if I did I absolutely would have set up some of my Transformers in action poses with the ingredients. Next time!

Once I had all my ingredients together, the pace picked up quite a bit. I realized that the bowl I originally got out for the egg/dijon mixture was going to be too small, so I transferred it before getting started on any of the dredging. I didn't have a great frame of reference for how hot to get the oil - I thought it was acceptably hot over medium heat, but Tracey tells me that I probably could have gotten it a little hotter before putting the chicken in. Other than that, everything went together exactly as planned!



As for the final result: this recipe 100% lived up to my expectations, I thought it was incredibly tasty! Definitely right up my alley flavor-wise. We found when cutting it up that the breading didn't want to stay on the chicken and was sliding off - not sure if that's typical with this recipe or maybe due to my not heating the oil enough. I'll have to make it again soon and experiment! I had a leftover piece of chicken reheated for lunch the next day and didn't seem to have the same issue.

Chicken a la Diable
from Bon Appetit, October 2011

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thickness
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Gather three wide, shallow bowls. In the first whisk the flour, 2 teaspoons of salt and the black pepper together. In the second, use a fork to beat the eggs with the Dijon and cayenne pepper. Mix the bread-crumbs and the remaining teaspoon of salt in the third dish.

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, start by dredging it in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Dip it the egg mixture then coat with the breadcrumbs. Transfer to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.

Set a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add the oil. When it's hot, add the chicken and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the chicken and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until cooked through, about 12 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Waffles

I have a love-hate relationship with my waffle maker. It’s easily the least utilized appliance in my kitchen, but not because I don’t enjoy waffles. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I remember going out to breakfast as a kid and thinking it didn’t get any better than a Belgian waffle topped with strawberries and whipped cream. I’ve come to love other breakfast options equally, but waffles are still pretty high on the list and while the frozen store-bought variety will suffice in a pinch, homemade (as usual) is better. The only problem is that because I only break my waffle maker out about once a year, I still haven’t mastered the darn thing. I’m still cleaning up overflow mess from filling the wells too much, and more often than not, my waffles are undercooked.



Sometimes it's worth the effort, though, and it definitely was for these pumpkin pie waffles. I opened a giant warehouse-sized can of pumpkin recently and I wanted to branch out and try something other than cookies, cupcakes, muffins or quick breads. Waffles won in a toss-up with pancakes (though I'll probably make those before long too) and this recipe is a winner. It's packed with pumpkin flavor as well as warm fall spices. There is rum in the recipe but it's very subtle in the waffles; if I hadn't known it was in there, I probably wouldn't have been able to pick it out. I topped my first few with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and festive sprinkles because I happen to think waffles are a really good dessert option! Though, I guess I could also eat them like this for breakfast. One of the perks of being an adult - no one to tell you you can't eat ice cream with breakfast :)

Pumpkin Pie Waffles
adapted from Williams Sonoma

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your waffle iron. If you want to make all of the waffles before serving, preheat the oven to 200 F and set a wire rack inside of a rimmed baking sheet in the oven (to keep them warm).

Melt the butter. Set aside while you make the batter.

Whisk the pumpkin puree, both sugars, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. The batter will be really thick and tough to combine, just mix until the ingredients are mostly incorporated. Whisk the milk, sour cream, eggs, rum and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Pour over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until combined (the batter may have a few lumps, that’s fine). Use a rubber spatula to fold in the melted butter.

Spray your waffle iron with nonstick spray. Fill the wells of the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions (mine took about 5 minutes). Serve with butter and maple syrup, vanilla ice cream or any other topping of your choice! (Transfer the waffles to the wire rack in the oven to keep warm if not serving immediately.)

Yield will depend on size/shape of your waffle iron

Quick Coq Au Vin

Over the weekend we finally picked up a few pumpkins, and last night when we’d finished dinner we got to work on decorating them. The first year (maybe two?) that Shane and I got pumpkins we carved them in the traditional way. It was fun, but messy and a lot of work. I wasn’t terribly good at it either. More recently, we’ve started using little kits we picked up at Target to make our pumpkins Halloween-ready. We have kits to turn our pumpkins into pirates, skeletons, princesses, and vampires. The pieces in the kits are almost like the parts to Mr. Potato Head – they have little pegs on their ends which you stick into the pumpkins. We like to mix and match the kits sometimes too, vampire-princess, anyone? This year we kept it simple and started a band of pirates. His and hers. As an added bonus, this method of decoration means the pumpkins last longer than when we carved them too.







We didn't have this coq au vin last night, but we could have. It's a quick version of a classic dish, and definitely doable on a weeknight. I do advise prepping the veggies ahead of time though - the sauce comes together quickly once you get going, and it takes a while (or at least it takes me a while) to clean all of those mushrooms. I've never made classic coq au vin, so I can't say for sure how this quick version compares, but we enjoyed it. Mushrooms are one of my very favorite foods but I rarely make them since Shane's not a fan so they were a real treat in this dish. Next time I'll serve the coq au vin over egg noodles or potatoes to soak up the rich sauce.

You could switch this recipe up a number of different ways. Chicken thighs would be good, as would skin-on, bone-in chicken. The addition of rosemary would probably be nice too. Instead of popping the chicken in the oven to stay warm once it's cooked, you could throw it in the pan with the sauce. I might also consider holding the bacon (or at least some of it) out and garnish with it next time. As written below, the bacon cooks in the sauce, and while it does impart a nice, smoky flavor, it also loses its crispness.



Quick Coq Au Vin
adapted from Bon Appetit (via Epicurious.com)

4 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
8 oz large crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, halved
6 large shallots, peeled and halved (or quartered if really large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
4 teaspoons all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 170 F.

Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat until browned and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Cook the chicken in the reserved bacon fat until browned on both sides and cooked through (about 6 minutes per side). Transfer the chicken to an oven-safe dish, tent with foil, and place in the oven to keep warm.

Add the mushrooms and shallots to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 15-30 seconds. Add the wine, 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, the bacon and 1 tablespoon of parsley. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring occasionally. Allow to continue boiling for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth with the flour in a small bowl. Add to the sauce and continue cooking until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove the chicken from the oven. Spoon the sauce over it to serve and garnish with the remaining tablespoon of parsley.

Brewer's Blondies

If you’re a fan on Facebook, you may have seen me mention that on Friday I picked up a jar of Biscoff spread while I was out shopping. If you’ve never heard of Biscoff spread, you’re not alone. It’s taken the food blog world by storm in the past few months, but prior to that I wasn’t at all familiar with it. The spread is made from Biscoff cookies (which I’d also never heard of, but they’re apparently served on at least one big commercial airline and are quite popular) – it’s sort of similar to peanut butter in consistency and color. Anyway, I resisted the urge for as long as I could, but finally I had to see what all the hype was about. The jar sat untouched in my kitchen all weekend. This morning, instead of reaching for the peanut butter to spread on my English muffin, I grabbed the Biscoff. And now I totally understand why everyone has been raving about it, it’s delicious!! I love peanut butter, but I thought the Biscoff was 10x better. I had originally planned to bake with it when I bought the jar, but we’ll have to see if I can keep my spoon out of it long enough for that to happen :)



And now, with that Monday morning tangent out of the way, we can talk about blondies. I haven’t baked all that many blondie recipes because, to be honest, I don’t really love them. I probably wouldn’t have been drawn to this one either had it not included malted milk powder: my obsession continues! I’m really glad I tried it though because these were everything I want in a blondie. They baked perfectly – none of those raised edges and sunken centers (a big blondie pet peeve of mine). They’re packed with brown sugar so they have lots of sweet caramel notes. And of course there’s the malted milk powder, not to mention malted milk balls and chocolate chips. These were sitting on the counter cooling when Shane came home from work a few weeks ago, and I think he nearly ruined his dinner snacking on them. A definite repeat at our house, and also an awesome dessert if you warm one slightly in the microwave and top it with vanilla ice cream!



Brewer's Blondies
from Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons malted milk powder
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup malted milk balls, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to lift the blondies out afterward. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and malted milk powder together in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in two additions, beating just until incorporated. Mix in the malted milk balls, chocolate chips and walnuts briefly until distributed throughout the batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer with an offset spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the blondies cool for at least 20 minutes before lifting them out and cutting into squares. Store at room temperature tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown-Butter Icing

Shane went to an Oktoberfest party this weekend, and of course I wanted to bake something for him to bring. Believe it or not, these cookies were the third treat I attempted to make for the party. The first two? Well, let's just say they didn't turn out very well. I completely under-baked another batch of cookies I attempted and while they were still edible, I didn't want to send semi-gooey cookies with Shane. The pan of brownies I had such high hopes for developed a weird crunchy top as they baked (not the thin, crispy top that's so enviable). This crunchy top puffed in the oven then completely caved and cracked as it cooled. Not good eats. I was beginning to think I had completely lost my baking mojo until these pumpkin cookies came along and saved the day.



Anytime I bake something with pumpkin I'm inclined to combine it with cream cheese frosting - it's easily one of my favorite combinations. When I came upon this recipe though, I knew if anything could compete with cream cheese frosting on pumpkin, it might be brown butter. Nutty and rich, it not only smells amazing, it makes everything it touches better. It didn't disappoint - these cookies are probably one of the best treats to emerge from my kitchen in months. Soft, cakey and warmly spiced, the cookies would be great even if you skipped the icing. But please don't :) It's super easy to make, and works so well on these cookies. I loved that you could see the little flecks of brown butter in the icing. Shane said the cookies were very well received at the party, and I know I've eaten more than my fair share!



While we're on the topic of pumpkin, I thought I'd take a minute to highlight some of my favorite pumpkin recipes from the archives. These are the recipes I long to make when pumpkin season arrives each fall :)



Pumpkin Whoopie Pies



Pumpkin-Cinnamon Streusel Buns



Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting




Pumpkin Spice Scones with Maple Glaze



Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Yeast Bread

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown-Butter Icing
from Martha Stewart's Cookies

{You'll see the recipe calls for piping the batter onto the baking sheets, which I think just ensures the cookies have a nice, consistent shape. You could use a cookie scoop to dish them out if you're looking for a shortcut, but they may not be perfectly round.}

Cookies
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup half-and-half (or evaporated milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon half-and-half (or evaporated milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs until combined. With the mixer on low, add the pumpkin, half-and-half and vanilla and beat until very well blended, about 2 minutes. Keep the mixer on low and add the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 to 1 1/2 inches between them. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies spring back when lightly pressed. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes than remove them to the rack to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining batter.

To make the icing: Add the confectioners' sugar to a large heatproof bowl. Put the butter in a small saucepan, set over medium heat and let it start melting. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter becomes golden brown and smells nutty (be patient and watch carefully, it can go from brown to burnt quickly). Remove it from the heat and pour it over the confectioners' sugar, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as well. Add the half-and-half and vanilla and stir until the icing is smooth. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 1 teaspoon of icing on each cookie. (If the icing stiffens before you get them all frosted (it probably will), add a little more half-and-half and stir vigorously to lighten it up.)

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Lemon Lemon Loaf

I let a lot of things slip through the cracks this week. There's the laundry, which is piled high on nearly every surface in our bedroom. Oh, and the emails. Why does it seem that when I'm busiest that's when my inbox is overflowing? If you happen to be one of the folks waiting for a reply, I apologize - I will get caught up this weekend. The fall decorating still hasn't happened either. Aside from a few mini pumpkins I picked up a month ago and the big bowl of apples on the island, you would probably never guess fall has arrived. We usually decorate pumpkins every year and we're definitely running out of time with Halloween just over a week away. I even missed a blogging event my friend Di hosted recently. Once per season she's been inviting bloggers to share a post related to a specific theme selected for that season. She chose loaves for the fall, and even though I had my loaf baked well ahead of time, the post kept getting pushed back. I'm only 5 days late (oops!) in sharing it today, but better late than never hopefully :)



This lemon lemon loaf recipe comes courtesy of the Baked cookbook, and has been on my to-do list for ages. Di's event gave me the perfect excuse to finally make it. I love lemon desserts, and baking with lemons in general, especially in the winter. Their bright yellow color always makes me feel better when everything else outside is dead and some variation on brown. The recipe makes two loaves, but I halved it to yield just one. The loaf in the book wasn't nearly as stout as mine, but appearance aside, it was terrific. The texture is dense, but incredibly moist. Lemon zest and juice are included in the loaves themselves, and after baking, they're soaked with a lemon syrup and topped with a lemon glaze. I thought the lemon flavor was perfect, and so did my mom, but my step-father said he wished the loaf had even more. I think I stopped short of using all of the lemon syrup to soak the loaf so that may explain it. I could easily see myself enjoying a slice of this bread for breakfast, an afternoon snack or even dessert. It'll definitely be a repeat here this winter.



Lemon Lemon Loaf
from Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Loaves
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
8 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Lemon Syrup
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

Lemon Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray two 9x5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the cakes: In a medium bowl, whisk both flours, the baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add the sugar, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until well combined. With the machine running, slowly pour the butter through the feed tube until incorporated. Add the sour cream and vanilla and pulse until combined. Transfer the batter to a large bowl. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, folding gently to incorporate after each addition. Mix only until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pans and reduce the oven temperature to 325 F. Continue baking for an additional 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the loaves cool for 15 minutes.

To make the lemon syrup: While the loaves are cooling, combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, then continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Turn the loaves out of the pans and set on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Using a toothpick, poke holes in the tops and sides of the loaves. Brush the loaves all over with the lemon syrup. Let it soak in, then brush again until you've used all of the syrup. Cool the loaves completely. (You can wrap the loaves and freeze them (for up to 6 weeks) at this point.)

To make the lemon glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl, until smooth and pourable. Pour the glaze over the top of each loaf, allowing it to drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes before serving.

Store the loaves at room temperature wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may recall that in addition to working on this blog, I’m also an attorney. It’s not a full-time gig for me; the work I do tends to be cyclical, and I mostly jump in on a temporary basis when things get busy for the firm I work with. I just started back up with them this week, and it’s always a bit of an adjustment to figure out how to balance the job with the blog. I’m going to do my best to keep up with my normal posting schedule here, but if for some reason I can’t and posts seem to be coming a little less frequently, you know why.



As a result of my new schedule, I now get home from work almost 2 hours later than Shane does. Even if I started dinner when I walked in the door, we wouldn’t be eating until close to 8 pm every night, which isn’t ideal. Since he has more time, Shane volunteered to step up and help get dinner on the table. When I did our meal plan for the week, I checked with him to make sure he’d be comfortable preparing the recipes I selected. Though I generally do most of the cooking, Shane’s very competent in the kitchen so I knew he’d be fine!



Of this week’s meals, he was most excited to try this fontina and mascarpone baked pasta, and who could blame him for that? Is there anyone who doesn’t love mac and cheese? It’s one of the very best comfort foods out there, and there are endless variations so you’ll never run out of recipes to try. This was the first time I’ve had the combination of fontina and mascarpone in mac and cheese, and it definitely worked. The dish was rich and creamy and it was finished with a garlicky breadcrumb topping. And can I just tell you how nice it is to come home and find dinner on the table? I could get used to that :)

Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta
adapted from Cooking Light: Cooking through the Seasons

1 pound uncooked penne
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-fat milk
2 cups (8 oz) shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup (2 oz) mascarpone cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 oz panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the flour and milk in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, for 10-12 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheeses, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook briefly - just until the garlic is fragrant, about 15-30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the breadcrumbs. Stir to coat.

Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the pasta. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles around the edges. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Peanut Butter Caramel Corn

Now that football season has started, I find myself craving snack foods more than ever. I watch a lot of sports (probably too many in truth), but often the game is background noise while I'm in the kitchen cooking/baking or doing other chores around the house. It's not very often I'll sit on the couch and watch an entire sporting event from start to finish, but I make an exception on Sundays for football. Without fail I try to watch the Patriots game from start to finish, and since I'm involved in a fantasy football league this season, I'll flip back and forth between several of the other games as well.



You can't watch football without snacks, and my snack of choice the first few weeks of the season has been french onion dip. Even though I'm completely obsessed with it right now, eventually I will get bored so I'm trying to branch out and find some other ideas. This peanut butter caramel corn practically jumped off the page at me as I was flipping through this month's issue of Cooking Light. It sounded like the perfect salty-sweet snack, and though I've made caramel corn before (and apparently chose the same dish to photograph it!), I was intrigued by the addition of peanut butter here. I didn't end up finding the peanut butter very noticeable in the popcorn, I just thought it added depth to the flavor and heightened the salty-sweet combo with the caramel. This is a really easy treat to put together though it does bake for an hour at a low temperature in the oven so you do need to plan ahead. I made a full batch so I'll definitely be snacking on some come Sunday this week.

PS - many thanks for the kind birthday wishes for Shane yesterday! I did end up picking up a small store-bought chocolate fudge cake last night so we could light candles and sing Happy Birthday :)

Peanut Butter Caramel Corn
from Cooking Light, October 2011

2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn kernels and cover. Cook, shaking the pan frequently, for about 4 minutes, or until the popping almost completely stops. Remove the pan from the heat and when the popping stops, remove the cover and add the almonds.

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then continue cooking for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the peanut butter and vanilla. Drizzle over the popcorn and use a rubber spatula to toss to coat.

Spread the popcorn on the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Nutella Pinwheels

Today is a day that's definitely worthy of a special dessert - Shane is celebrating a birthday!! I wont spill the beans on his age but it doesn't really matter because at heart he's still a big kid. He loves to laugh and be silly, and if you peeked into his "man cave" in our basement, you'd find toys and video games galore. He’s laid back and calm, in stark contrast to my stressed Type A personality; he’s talked me off the ledge more times than I’d like to admit. It’s our ninth year (!!) celebrating his birthday together, and I hope there are many, many more ahead :)

A big layer cake might have been more appropriate for a birthday celebration, but with just two of us, we decided to go in a different direction. I’ve had these Nutella pinwheels bookmarked for a while, so when my friend Jeannette suggested we bake them together recently, I jumped at the chance. The pinwheel cookies are not only fun and festive, but they’re super simple to throw together. The dough can be made ahead of time too, and once you do bake the cookies they are good for about a week, so they’d be a great addition to your holiday baking plans this year. The pinwheels are buttery and crisp and pack a surprising Nutella punch, given the relatively small amount in each cookie. Shane took them to work to share today. If you have to work on your birthday, cookies definitely make things a little easier!



Nutella Pinwheels
adapted from The Purple Foodie (via The Galley Gourmet)

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella, divided

Whisk the flour and salt together in a small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until well combined. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, beating until a soft dough comes together. Turn the dough onto your work surface and shape into a square. Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Working with one half of the dough at a time, unwrap and place on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top and roll the dough into a rectangle measuring about 10x8-inches - the dough should be approximately 1/4-inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap and use an offset spatula to spread 1/4 cup of the Nutella in a thin layer over the dough, leaving just a tiny border around the edge.

With a long side of the rectangle facing you, use the parchment paper to help you roll the dough into a tight log (my dough cracked slightly at first, but once I got it going, it was fine). Wrap the log in plastic wrap and freeze for 15-20 minutes. Repeat with the second half of the dough.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unwrap the logs and slice them into 1/4-1/3-inch rounds. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until golden around the edges and set in the center. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool the cookies for a few minutes before using a spatula to remove them to the rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining rounds (be sure to cool the baking sheet between batches). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Apple Fritter Muffins

After I mentioned we were going apple picking last week, I didn't get a chance to follow-up and tell you guys about the trip. Despite the 80 degree weather, which doesn't exactly scream "fall," the outing was a huge success.









It was the end of a long, busy weekend at the orchard, but there were still plenty of apples to be picked. The best ones were really high up in the trees, though, so Shane did just about all of the heavy lifting that day.







Before leaving we grabbed an apple cider donut - I resisted the temptation on the way in, but succumbed on the way out. It was worth the splurge! We came home with well over 10 pounds of apples, which was about all we could justify in a house where only 1 person eats apples :)





For the first few days I was content to slice the apples and dunk them in caramel, but eventually the urge to get baking struck. These apple fritter muffins were first up, and they did not disappoint. They pack a hefty dose of apple-cinnamon goodness in a light and fluffy muffin with a sugary glaze on top. I brought them to Shane's marathon yesterday morning and they were a great breakfast treat to enjoy with his parents as we cheered for the racers.



The original recipe called for granny smith apples, but I didn't come home from the orchard with any of those, so I substituted 2 red-skinned apples. The trees weren't as well labeled as I'd have liked, so I'm not entirely sure what they were, but they were much sweeter than a granny smith. I reduced the sugar, and that's reflected in the recipe below, but if you use granny smith apples (or something else similarly tart) you might want to add a few extra tablespoons. If you want to keep the muffins a bit lighter for breakfast, you could also skip the glaze, but what fun would that be? :) The muffins were still light and tender days after I made them, but the glaze didn't hold up as well so if you're going to make these ahead of time I might wait to glaze them.



Apple Fritter Muffins
adapted from Chasing Some Blue Sky

Apples
2 large apples (use your favorite!), cut into 1/4 inch dice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Muffins
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Glaze
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon hot water

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line two muffin pans with paper liners.

Add the diced apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon and water to a skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Let the apples cool slightly then toss them with the flour to coat.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the applesauce, oil and both sugars until smooth and well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Alternately add the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients, and stirring gently just until the ingredients are combined. Fold in the apples.

Divide the batter among the prepared liners, filling each almost to the top. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and spring back when gently pressed on the top. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them to the rack. Let cool slightly while you make the glaze.

To make the glaze: Whisk the melted butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and water in a small bowl until smooth.

When muffins have cooled slightly, hold the muffin upside down and dip the top into the glaze. Allow to set, then dip a second time and let harden again before serving.

Makes about 18-20 muffins