Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

This week's baking adventure brings back one of my favorite recipes with a twist.  For his birthday a coworker requested something with red velvet.  I've done cupcakes, cakes and cake balls with red velvet and they are always met with a great response, but I wanted to try something different.  I thought about taking a stab at a knock off recipe for the Cheesecake Factory's Red Velvet Cheesecake but alas, I don't have a spring-form pan.  So I scrapped the cheesecake idea and opted for red velvet brownies. These decadent treats are richer than cake and sinfully delicious.  They are also extremely easy and use basic ingredients I have on hand most of the time.  Here's the delectable recipe.

Brownie Recipe

• 1 (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
• 3/4 cup butter $
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs $
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (1-oz.) bottle red liquid food coloring
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Cream Cheese Icing
• Garnish: white chocolate curls (or chocolate chips if you are lazy)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Gently stir in flour and next 4 ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
3.  Bake at 350° for 44 to 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours).
4.  Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles; gently remove foil.
5.  Spread Cream Cheese Frosting on top of brownies, and cut into 16 squares. 
6. Garnish, if desired.

Icing Recipe:

• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened $
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened $
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Orange Bundt Cake

I wanted to dust off the mini bundt cake pan Elliott gave me for Christmas so I decided to make some yummy citrus style bundt cakes.  Honestly, the glaze was the best part.  I'd recommend using it on cinnamon buns to give them a fun flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk 

GLAZE:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 4 teaspoons orange juice

Directions

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in the eggs, orange peel and extracts. 
• Combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.
• Pour into a greased and floured 6-cup fluted tube pan. 
• Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool.
• For glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and juice until smooth. Spoon over cake.

Slutty Valentine Brownies

This week I decided to let absolute decadence rule and found this recipe online at http://whatsgabycooking.com/slutty-brownies/
I made a few tweaks to the recipe and I hope these will be a huge hit at the office.

Ingredients

For the Brownie layer:
• Pillsbury Fudge Brownies prepared as the box directs
 
For the Oreo layer:
• 1 package of Oreo (regular stuffed or double stuffed) 
 
For the Cookie Dough layer:
• 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temp)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan with foil and spray with Pam
3. Prepare the cookie dough layer:
• Cream together the butter and sugars in a mixer. 
• Add the eggs and vanilla.
• Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix on low until everything is incorporated.
• Fold in the chocolate chips. Set dough aside.
4. Mix the brownie batter as directed on the box.
5. Layer 1/2 of the cookie dough on the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, pressing down firmly
6. Layer as many Oreos that will fit on top of the cookie dough.
7. Pour the brownie batter on top of the Oreo layer and make sure it's evenly layered on top.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Cheesecake Cookie Cups

I've been busy baking since the last post, but terrible about updating the blog.  Since I've gotten so many inquiries at work for the recipes I use, I'm really going to try to keep up on here so everyone can download them from here.

Today's baking adventure is cheesecake cookie cups.  The recipe looked super easy and I'm a big fan of semi-homemade style desserts, so I figured I'd give it a go.  It was also my first time using my new (to me) Kitchenaid mixer.  My mom is moving and rather than store her kitchenaid unused for 6 months, I stole it at Easter and drove it to VA where I intend to keep it.  Don't tell her that though!

So without further ado here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) Chocolate Cookie Dough (or make your dough from scratch)

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature

1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

 

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 325° F. Paper-line 24 muffin cups. Place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup. 

2.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup. 

3.  Beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and vanilla extract in medium bowl until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup.
4.  Bake for additional 15 to 18 minutes or until set.
5.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
6.  Top each with level tablespoon of pie filling and refrigerate for 1 hour.

I made a few slight changes to the recipe.
I used the Pillsbury Ready to Bake Pre-Cut Chocolate Chip Cookies. I wish I hadn't though.  The chocolate chips were big and I worry that they will take away from the flavor of the cheesecake.  I also had to cut them in half and re-roll them in order for them to be the right size for the recipe.  You'd be better off making a recipe from scratch or buying the log that you can cut to size.

I also used strawberry pie filling instead of the cherry because I don't really care for the flavor of cherry.  I really wanted to use raspberry but couldn't find it.  I also saw a few variations of the recipe that used fresh fruit or chocolate for the topping.  I let them set in the refrigerator overnight and topped them in the morning before work.  We will see how they go over at work!

Cookies before the cheesecake filling

Finished Cheesecakes before topping

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

I wanted to make something inspired by spring.  Whenever I think of spring or summer I immediately think of fruit so lemons and berries seemed like the perfect fit.  I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website and gave it a try.  I think it might have been my biggest hit at the office so far.  Everyone loved them and some people came back for seconds and even thirds!  The cake was really light and fluffy and the icing was heavenly.  This is definitely going to be a recipe that I use again and again.

Cupcakes

1              box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® lemon cake mix

1 1/2      cups fresh blueberries

3/4         cup water

1/3         cup vegetable oil

1              tablespoon grated lemon peel

2              eggs

1              package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

Frosting and Garnish

2 1/2      cups powdered sugar

3/4         cup unsalted butter, softened

1              teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2         teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt

1 1/4      teaspoons vanilla

1              tablespoon milk

1              cup fresh blueberries

                Lemon peel, if desired

 Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375°F for shiny metal pans (or 350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

2.  In small bowl, gently toss 2 tablespoons of the dry cake mix with 1 1/2 cups blueberries to coat; set aside.

3.   In large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, water, oil, lemon peel, eggs and cream cheese with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

4.  Fold blueberry mixture into batter.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

5.   Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until tops are light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

6.     In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, 1 teaspoon lemon peel, the salt, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk on high speed about 4 minutes or until smooth and well blended, adding more milk by teaspoonfuls if needed.  Frost cupcakes with frosting.  Garnish with 1 cup blueberries the lemon peel.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.

I added extra lemon zest to both the cupcakes and the icing.  I was a little leery of the salt in the icing but it is amazing.  It really rounds out the flavor and tames the sweetness.

Unfrosted Cupcakes

Finished Product

What Betty Crocker Thinks They Should Look Like

Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Icing

I needed something festive for St. Patty's Day at the office so i searched the internet for something with Baileys.  I stumbled across this recipe and remembered a friend who made Guinness cake for her husband and got rave reviews.  She stuck to chocolate ganache as a topping but I opted for Baileys cream cheese icing. 

After baking the cupcakes I was a little worried that the flavor was off.  I tasted one right out of the oven and wasn't pleased.  I still moved forward with the baking and icing process and hoped for the best.  Turns out, they just needed to cool off and the overnight in the fridge helped solidify the flavors.

They went over really well at the office and the minute I sent out an e-mail people were reserving their treats.  The sweet-tooth partner even sent his admin to pick one up in case they were gone before he got to the office.

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Cake Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan, remove from heat and let cool a bit.
2. Mix in the stout and cocoa powder.
3. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
4. Mix the eggs and sour cream in another large bowl.
5. Mix the stout mixture into the egg mixture.
6. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet.
7. Pour the batter into one or two greased and parchment lined circular cake pan(s).
8. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean. If you bake it in a single pan then it should take about 40-50 minutes. If you bake it in two cake pans then it should take about 20-30 minutes.

Icing Ingredients:
Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1/4 cup of butter (half of a stick)
1 cup confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons of Bailey’s Irish cream (I used about 5 instead- it made the icing a bit runny though)

Icing Directions:
1. Cream the cream cheese and butter on high for 2 minutes.
2. Slowly mix in the confectioners sugar.
3. Slowly mix in the Irish cream and add additional sugar as needed to thicken.
4. Beat on high until fluffy again.

Raspberry Lemon Cookie Bars

It’s been a few weeks since my last baking adventure so I decided to try a new recipe this week for the office.  I made a batch of regular sugar cookies (or you can use the Pillsbury refrigerated dough) and added 3/4 of a teaspoon of lemon extract.  Take 2/3 of the dough and press it into an 8x8 glass pan lined with foil.  Top the dough with 4oz of seedless raspberry jam. Take the remaining third of the dough and crumble small pieces over the top and sprinkle with sliced almonds (optional).  Then bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. When they are brown around the edges and the center is cooked, that them out and lift the cookies out of the pan using the foil.  Let them cool then slice into bars.

I learned a few things making this recipe:

1.  Lemon extract is very different than lemon juice.  Thankfully I researched that before I tried to make the substitution.  My local grocery store had the lemon extract in stock and it was only about $2.50 for the bottle.  Well worth the investment – that stuff is potent!

2.  Seedless raspberry jam is harder to find than you might think.  I settled for seedless raspberry preserves and when the cookies came out I regretted that choice.  The raspberry sunk all the way through the cookie dough and ended up on the bottom of the cookies.  I think the jam probably holds up better to the heat and stays put.   Next time I make this recipe I will use jam, even if it has to have seeds in it.

3. You need to make a double batch of these to satisfy an office.  

I think I might try this recipe again and just make them into thumbprint cookies instead of cookie bars.