Oreo Truffle Brownies

Many adults have fond, childhood memories of being awakened on Saturday mornings by comforting smells of a special, homemade breakfast lovingly made by a parent or caregiver. In the southern part of the United States, a special breakfast may be comprised of bacon, buttermilk biscuits (and sausage gravy), pancakes, coffee, and/or orange juice.


As a child, I, on the other hand, was awakened on Saturday mornings, not by the intoxicating smell of a home-cooked breakfast, but by the loud, grating sound of the smoke alarm, which always indicated that my mom was attempting to partially follow yet another recipe. I say “partially” because my mom used to halve part of a recipe and kept the rest as is. For example, she would halve the amount of eggs and sugar called for, yet she would include the full amount of dry ingredients, which would yield, needlessly to say, a disfigured, unpleasant, inedible treat

One day my mother found a recipe for Magic Muffins on the side of a Malt-O-Meal box. Once I heard the timer (read: smoke alarm) go off, I woke up and jumped out of bed to see what this week’s culinary “masterpiece” would be.


Entering the living room, I saw my mom in the kitchen with her back turned, and she was talking under her breath. Then she held up and inspected her latest creation while the sunlight beamed on it proudly. From where I stood it looked like a small, brown, round, hard rock muffin with steam sashaying slowly out of it. Upon hearing my gasp or snicker (or both), she turned around quickly with an embarrassed look on her face. With feigned pride shivering in her face, she exclaimed, “LOOK! I made magic muffins…but I think they came out a little hard.” After five minutes of joint laughter, she decided to hurl the hockey puck muffin against the wall — it left a small dent that is probably still there to this day.

It isn’t entirely my mother’s fault for not knowing how to cook; in fact, now that I’ve taught her how to resist the urge to NOT follow or (to completely) halve recipes, she is able to make more dishes, including homemade bread!

Anyway, the story goes that my grandmother was an excellent cook who provided large, hearty portions of yummy, irresistible meals to the table every day, such as spaghetti and meatballs (which I learned is an unheard-of combination in Italy). When my grandmother cooked, she liked peace and quiet in the kitchen, so every time one of her six children offered to help her, she would quickly dismiss them by telling them to go play outside.

As a result, only two out of the six children are considered good cooks, and their spouses actually taught them how to cook. Then as for me, I learned how to cook from food blogs, FoodGawker, and my tendency to follow recipes to the letter before making creative, personal changes to them.

Once I became comfortable in the kitchen, I began improvising by adding different ingredients or by using different pans or presentation of the finished product, as I did with these Oreo Truffle Brownies!

I found the recipe for these delectable brownies on Pink Parsley and made a HALVED portion. At the last minute, I decided to place the brownie batter in a 9″ (23cm) springform pan instead of an 8×8 (20x20cm) or 9×9″ (23x23cm) baking pan. Just by baking them in a springform pan, these brownies looked more like an elegant cake. To provide a contrast of flavors and for aesthetic reasons, I added frozen raspberries to the edge of a slice. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the tart, bright berries with the sweet, deep, rich, chocolate flavor of the brownies.

These brownies are a more complex version of Oreo truffles (remember the popular balls of crushed Oreos and cream cheese?). The base is a brownie with Oreo truffle and ganache layers on top. Although I halved this recipe, I had to make another batch of the Oreo truffle layer in order cover the brownie. Also, I had some ganache leftover so you can make individual truffles with it (chill it first!) or make a third of the ganache recipe (if you’re halving the brownie recipe).

These Oreo Truffle Brownies make Oreo Truffles seem lackluster! 😉 While they take longer to make and require the oven, they taste and look like an expensive, elegant, overly tedious dessert. I accidentally cooked the brownie layer longer than Pink Parsley did. I thought I had ruined it, but I actually liked the contrast of the dense, chewy, cake-like brownie with the other, more silky layers.

Oreo Truffle Brownies
HALVED and adapted from Pink Parsley who adapted it from Chef in Training via Good Thymes & Good Food

BROWNIE BASE:

1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (57g) granulated sugar 
2 large eggs 
1-2 tsp vanilla extract (o 1-2 bustine di vaniglia) (I like extra vanilla!)
2/3 cups (83g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (30g) of cocoa powder (I used Pernigotti)
1-2 tsp coffee or espresso powder (to enhance chocolate flavor; optional)
1/4 tsp salt 

OREO TRUFFLE LAYER (I ended up making the full recipe):

30 Oreo cookies or chocolate wafer cookies/biscuits
6 oz (170g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature 

GANACHE:

1/2 cup (118ml) heavy cream or half-and-half
5 oz (142g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F/180°C and line a8x8-inch baking pan or 9″springform pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on the two long sides. Spray with baking or cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk flour, cocoa, coffee/espresso powder, and salt in a separate bowl and set aside. To the butter and sugar, add 2 eggs one at a time and vanilla extrace. Mix well, scraping down the bowl, as necessary. Add dry ingredients, and mix everything until just combined. Do not over mix!
  3. Place batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes (test with a toothpick; there should be just a few crumbs attached).  Transfer brownies to a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
  4. Meanwhile, make the Oreo truffle layer. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse cookies and the cream cheese together until combined. You may need to stir things around between pulses.
  5. Once brownies are completely cool, spread the Oreo truffle layer over brownies with an offset spatula, clean hands, or the bottom of a cup. 
  6. To make the ganache, heat the cream in small saucepan over medium heat until it is simmering or simply microwave it for 30-45 seconds.  Meanwhile, place the chocolate chips in a medium heat-proof measuring cup or bowl.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes.  Whisk the cream and chocolate together until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  
  7. Pour the ganache over Oreo layer and spread with an offset spatula. Chill in the refrigerator until fully set.  To slice and serve, lift the brownies out of the pan using the foil overhang, then use a sharp knife to cut into small squares. If using springform pan, simply remove the edges and serve! These brownies taste good cold and warm!

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangiodasola.com

Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg Double Chocolate Brownies

Peanut Butter Brownies

Reese’s Peanut Butter Brownies

It’s funny how I made these Peanut Butter Brownies almost exactly a year ago. I know it was about a year because Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs were on sale in time for Easter, and I decided to use these eggs in a brownie recipe that I had made 2 or three times previously.

Peanut Butter Brownies

By this time, I had decided to make these Peanut Butter Brownies recipe my go-to recipe for brownies. So, I no longer needed to try other brownie recipes after having enjoyed these Peanut Butter Brownies consistently, and with the Reese’s peanut butter cup/egg add-ins, I was in love for sure.

Peanut Butter Brownies

Although my brownies were cooked a bit longer than the original, fudgier brownies found on How Crazy Cooks, they were still so fudgey, yet had a crackly top on them! I love how they naturally formed two layers in the oven. Please try these brownies with or without the Reese’s peanut butter candy; you won’t regret it!

Peanut Butter Brownies
Oops! Who took a bite out of that brownie?! Not me! *teehee*
 Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies
adapted from How Crazy Cooks

 

1/2 cup (113 g) butter

1/3 cup (39 g) dark cocoa powder
1 cup (225 g) sugar
3/4 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 (2 g) teaspoon salt

1 (8 g) teaspoon espresso or coffee powder (optional; to enhance chocolate flavor)
1/4 (2 g) teaspoon baking powder
2 whole large eggs
1/2 cup (63 g) all-purpose flour

ADD-INS
1/4 cup (78 g) chocolate chips

1 1.2 oz package (4-6 eggs) Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs

 
Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. 
  2. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick/baking spray. For easy brownie removal, line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper/foil, leaving some overhang. Spray the parchment/foil.
  3. In a medium saucepan, melt the  butter on the stove or in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
  4. Whisk in cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, salt, espresso/coffee powder (if using), and baking powder. Mixture will have a grainy texture.
  5. Working quickly whisk in the eggs one at a time.
  6. In order to avoid the add-ins (peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.) from sinking to the bottom of the pan, stir the add-ins and flour together in a small bowl.
  7. Add the flour/add-ins mixture to the saucepan with the wet ingredients.
  8. Mix the two together just until combined. Some lumps and/or streaks of flour are fine. Do not overmix!
  9. Pour brownie batter into the lined 8×8 baking dish.
  10. Bake at 350/180 for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out with no raw batter. Do not overbake.
  11. Let brownies cool in the pan at least 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper/foil to lift them out of the pan. Slice into squares and serve.

*Store any leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 2-3 days. For longer storage and to prevent diet sabotage :), freeze the leftover brownies by wrapping them well (and separately) with wax paper or foil and freezer bags/containers. Frozen brownies last up to 4-6 months!

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangioeviaggiodasola.com

Double (Not Triple) Citrus Bars

I feel like crying every time I look at my photos as of late. I didn’t post a new focaccia recipe I found b/c of how ugly the photos were. Then I forged on and blogged about the chicken carbonara even though the photos were horrible. I just had to blog about that dish b/c it was too good to keep to myself. Now, I have these citrus bars that look almost just as bad as the other photos but taste too insanely good not to share!
I first thought the problem was due to a dirty lens, so I bought a lens cleaner to remedy the problem. Also, I played around with the white balance as usual, but all the photos came out looking funky. I don’t know why!! I am guessing the colors are off b/c all the aforementioned dishes already had a yellow hue to them on their own so it was hard for me to get the right color. Therefore, for the current photos, I used the blue container of whipped cream to guide me on the right color, but I still think the overall color of the photos looks off! *CRY*
Oh well. I will move on to tell you about these bars. I hope the weird yellow-green-blue colors don’t deter you all from making these bars. You know they must have been good if I went on to post these photos.

You see that bite I took? I almost immediately stopped this photo session after that bite b/c it was so good. I just wanted to eat more. However, I thought about you all and kept clicking away. See how much I love you? LOL!

WARNING: Do not be alone after making and refrigerating these bars! You will eat almost all of them by yourself. They are that good haha. I had to really force myself to not eat the whole thing. I managed to go throw the whole thing within 3 or 4 days, though, and that was hard to do! I do still have 2 more small bars left that will most likely be consumed today hehe.

Oops! I take that back. I guess I couldn’t wait much longer. I had to go on and eat that first bar.

The crust was a bit too salty because I put in too much (oops!), but the filling was perfect. It was so soft and creamy and citrusy. It wasnt too acidic though. The reason I’m calling these bars “double citrus bars” is because I didn’t have any limes in the house, and as I mentioned in the previous post, I was too broke (and tired) to go to the store and get some limes. So, I used my leftover lemons (double amount) and oranges instead. I also used more citrus juice than what the recipe called for to make it more acidic. If you like it sweeter, then use the amount on the recipe. I have posted the triple version of these bars below. Please make these ASAP!

Be sure to eat these with homemade, whipped cream, too!!

Double, not Triple, Citrus Bars
adapted from Cook’s Illustrated and discovered on Bakers Royale

(I made these bars at night, so no process photos today!)

Crust:
5 ounces (~1 1/4 cups, crushed) animal or graham crackers
3 Tbsp packed brown sugar (light or dark)
pinch of table or kosher salt

Filling:
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp grated lime zest (I didn’t use)
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest (I used 3 tsp to replace missing lime zest)
1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1 14-oz can of condensed milk
1 egg yolk, room temperature
6 Tbsp lime juice (I didn’t have)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (I used 8-9 Tbsps to make up for missing lime juice)
1 Tbsp orange juice (I used 2-3 Tbsp)
*The total amount of juice in the recipe comes out to 1/2 cup. I used about 2/3 cups.

Garnish (optional):
3/4 cup toasted coconut flakes (I used 1/2 cup and still ended up with way too much leftover. I suggest using 1/4 cup instead)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut about 12-inch length extra-wide heavy-duty foil; fold cut edges back to form 7 1/2-inch width. With folded sides facing down, fit foil securely into bottom and up sides of 8-inch-square baking pan (I used a rectangular tart pan for (failed) aesthetic reasons), allowing excess to overhang pan sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray (I used baker’s joy).

TO MAKE THE CRUST: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse animal or graham crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses; process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups crumbs). Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, ten to twelve 1-second pulses (if large sugar lumps remain, break them apart with fingers). Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter, about ten 1-second pulses. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn off oven.

TO MAKE THE FILLING: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zests, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add juices and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.

Loosen edges with paring knife and lift bars from baking pan using foil extensions; cut bars into 16 squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, if using, and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 2 days; crust will soften slightly. Let bars stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.)

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangiodasola.com

Chocolate Crumb Cheesecake Bars & Giveaway Winner!

I made these Chocolate Crumb Cheesecake Bars a lonnnng time ago. After I took photos of them, I made a new post, pasted the photos on it, saved it, and then just decided not to publish it. I guess I was hesitant to blog about them because they tasted just okay, and I wasn’t crazy about the photos. I think the “bland” chocolate treats I’ve made have not excited me because of the use of milk chocolate. [Side note: I should start using more semi-sweet chocolate from now on (I’m not a fan of bittersweet). I will just eat the milk chocolate bars as a treat on their own haha….or just combine it with bittersweet to make my own semi-sweet ;).]

However, I changed my mind and decided to post it because I don’t have any other photos to post right now; I wanted to post the giveaway winner; and I wanted to give you all an update on the paper I had to turn in that determined whether I could move forward with my PhD or not.

I have posted the winner of the giveaway below so that the winner and these bars will be the last things on your mind hah! I will tell you about the paper now.

I did not fail. However, I do have to make some revisions on my statistics and research design. So, once I make the necessary revisions, I will be able to turn in my dissertation proposal at the same time since they will be the same topic. So, I’m very happy with the result. I really don’t mind making revisions since I would have had to do it with the dissertation proposal anyway. I will be basically killing two birds with one stone. (Such a violent saying, isn’t it? Where’s PETA?). Anyway, I was crying happy tears like crazy as I hugged my professors. I’m very thankful and pleased with the ultimate decision. It is nice to know that my 9-year-old dream of earning a PhD still has a chance to be realized. I was also pleased to find out how much the faculty appreciates me. I really didn’t know they thought of me so positively.

Back to the bars! The original recipe does not have chocolate in it. Also, nuts are supposed to be in the crust, but I subbed in chocolate chips b/c of my dislike of nuts. I can see many variations that could be done with this recipe, so go wild!! The filling was very creamy, and these bars were pretty easy and quick to make. I’m certain these would taste better with a more intense chocolate like semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate.

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

9

Timestamp: 2010-04-02 05:46:44 UTC

The Random Integer Generator was used to determine the winners so congratulations to:

#9 Corrina

“Happy Blogiversary!
Congratulations on sticking to it. I just found your site through tastespotting, as I was looking for inspiration for this Sunday’s brunch. These danishes look wonderful! I look forward to exploring your blog further.

1. I would enjoy any of those cookbooks, but the Portuguese one jumped out at me first.
I already own Lidia’s Italy, and use it often. Her fennel & orange salad was a hit at Christmas dinner.

2. I love making soups, but have never gotten around to making pho, which is one of my favorites to order when I go out. Hopefully, it will be on both our blogs one day! 🙂

3. I am fluent in English and Spanish. I also have basic knowledge of German and French, but wish these were stronger.”

The winner has been contacted, and I will send her the new cookbook, The Food of Portugal, in the next few days. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Chocolate Crumb Cheesecake Bars
adapted by Land O’ Lakes Pecan Cheesecake Bars

CRUMB MIXTURE:

1 cup AP Flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tbsp) butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans or chocolate chops

FILLING:

1 (8-ounce) pkg cream cheese, softened
3-4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted (microwave or bain marie)
1 tsp espresso or coffee granules
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, brown sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at low speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans or chocolate chips. Reserve 3/4 cup crumb mixture; set aside.

Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and melted chocolate in mixer bowl for 4 minutes. Next, add in the rest of the filling ingredients. Beat at low speed until well mixed. Spread filling over hot, partially baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture; press lightly into filling.

Continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely or refrigerate (latter option for photo purposes) before cutting into bars. Store refrigerated.

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangiodasola.com

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies & Bars

I’ve been working on my paper these past few days (deadline was extended to the 28th), but I’ve been cooking, too. I don’t have much time to write on here as before, so I’ll just post mostly photos and the recipe for now. Those are the most important parts anyway, right?
I made oatmeal raisin cookies and bars using the well-known recipe, Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, from the Quaker’s Oatmeal canister. They were as good as usual.
If you don’t like scooping out cookie dough, it is much easier to make the bar version.

Oh my!
Yum!

O-M-G! Look at those raisins!

They taste very good with or without a cinnamon sugar glaze on top as well. Just be sure not to overbake them, so that they stay soft and chewy. Enjoy!

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Bars
from Quaker Oats Yield: 4 dozen (48 cookies)

200 grams (1/2 cup) (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
150 grams (3/4 cup) firmly packed brown sugar
100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
188 grams (1-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
270 grams (3 cups) Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked) (I had only 1 1/4 cups)
150 grams (1 cup) raisins
150 grams (1 cup) nuts (optional)
150 grams (1 cup) chocolate chips (optional; omit cinnamon)

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Cookies: Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Bars: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan (or 9×9 if using half of the dough). The dough will be hard to spread, but it will eventually happen. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Store tightly covered. 24 BARS.

HIGH ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Increase flour to 1-3/4 cups and bake as directed.

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangiodasola.com

Chocolate Chip Blondies (Not Heath Bar Blondies)

These were supposed to be Heath Bar Blondies, but I had only 5-10 toffee bits left in my possession. Yes, exactly 5-10 bits. So, I had to sub in chocolate chips because I didn’t want to go to the store again.

Despite the absence of toffee bits, these blondies were so so so so good, which leads me to my next point. Baking can be a rewarding and gratifying skill; however, at the same time, it can be a curse in disguise!

Case in point – I was sitting at my desk minding my own business when a sudden craving for sweets hit me. I started searching my bookmarks for sweets and rediscovered this recipe from Lovin’ From the Oven, jumped up from my seat, and made them. And only 15-30 minutes later, my sweet cravings dissipated with every bite of the warm blondie.
Anyway, try out these blondies. Freeze some of them, and eat one as an award after a 30/60-minute workout :D. Enjoy!

P.S. I will be blogging about a healthy dish I made for my mom while she was here. It was really good! Thanks for your well-wishes about my mom’s visit; we had an awesome time. I miss you already, mom!

Heath Bar/Chocolate Chip Blondies
Lightly adapted from Lovin’ From the Oven
who adapted it from
3 B’s.. Baseball, Baking, and Books

1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped Heath Bars (I used 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray and line pan with foil or parchment paper for easy removal. Spray the foil or parchment paper with the cooking spray.

Cream together the brown sugar and melted butter. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until blended. Stir in the Heath Bars (or whatever addition you prefer) and pour into a greased 8×8 pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow the blondies to cool completely before cutting.

Photo Advice: If taking photos of the blondies, I suggest refrigerating them for at least an hour before cutting into them. Cut off the edges of the brownies for neater-looking blondies.

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangiodasola.com

Daring Bakers: Nanaimo Bars

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

Lauren stated the following: “Nanaimo Bars are a classic Canadian dessert created in none other than Nanaimo, British Colombia. In case you were wondering, it’s pronounced Nah-nye-Moh. These bars have 3 layers: a base containing graham crackers, cocoa, coconut and nuts, a middle custard layer, and a topping of chocolate. They are extremely rich and available almost everywhere across the country. I used to buy them at the grocery store before going gluten-free.”Due to budgetary reasons and personal preferences, I opted to not make my graham wafers gluten-free. I did make them with regular flour, though, along with the Nanaimo Bars.

It took me three or four days to finish making the graham crackers because I prolonged the process (procrastinator am I). Nevertheless, they were pretty easy to do; there were just a lot of steps. With the exception of my last batch, which I burned due to my hot oven, the crackers came out beautifully. I was pretty proud of myself for making these crackers.

Homemade graham cracker crumbs. The burnt pieces made the crumbs look even prettier!

Nanaimo Bars: After making the graham crackers, everything moved along smoothly…until I reached the middle layer! I thought I had vanilla pudding mix, but I didn’t. So, as I always do when I don’t feel like going to the store, especially when the sunlight I need for my photos starts to go down, I searched for viable substitutions. I saw that cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla extract were deemed good enough depending on the recipe, so I used that, and it worked out perfectly.
The bottom layer is beautiful. Since I don’t like nuts, I used extra graham cracker crumbs instead. I’m not crazy about coconut, but I used it anyway. I’m glad I did.

REFLECTION ON CHALLENGE: This is the first DB challenge dessert I’ve actually enjoyed eating. Sure, some of the other desserts we had to make were pretty good, but they weren’t so good that I’ve wanted to make them again in the future. These bars made me moan with joy. I shared some with my friend, and I was later reluctant about giving them away haha. After eating them, he sent me a text message in Portuguese stating basically that they were “finger-licking good”.

I’m surprised I liked them since I’m not a fan of coconut, but my favorite layers were the bottom and middle layers. I will be definitely making these again. Thanks, Lauren!! Make sure you check out what the other DBers did for this month’s challenge.
Since I made a few changes to the recipe, I have posted the recipe with my modifications below. For the graham cracker recipe, visit my previous post.

Nanaimo Bars

adapted from the City of Nanaimo, BC


Bottom Layer

1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter

1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar

5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa

1 Large Egg, Beaten

1 3/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Graham Wafer Crumbs (recipe here; half that recipe)

1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped) (I used more graham cracker crumbs instead)

1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)


Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.


Middle Layer

1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream

2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla pudding mix (I didn’t have so subbed cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla extract)

2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar


Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.


Top Layer

4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate (I doubled the amount of chocolate)

2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter


Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

A side view of my very lame attempt at making Canadian-Olympic-themed-Nanaimo “Bars”! haha I told you that I’m not very creative. The overhead shots were too ugly to post.
Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangiodasola.com

Twix Bars

I’m sure you’ve seen these around the blogosphere lately under the name of “Millionaire Bars” or the like. I was intrigued by the fact that bloggers had claimed that they tasted like a better version of Twix Bars, so I decided to make them even more like those candy bars by dipping the shortbread and dulce de leche/caramel filling in tempered chocolate.
Before making these, I had never tempered chocolate, which explains why my chocolate bars look so “rugged” and rough around the edges (literally!). They tasted pretty good, and I was excited about how the chocolate looked after chilling them in the freezer.

There are many tutorials online about tempering chocolate, but tempering is basically the process of heating up chocolate to about 115-120 degrees Farenheit (depends on the type of chocolate), “seeding” the mixture with unmelted chocolate to reduce it to 80 degrees, and then heating the mixture back up to about 85-88 degrees, and keeping it there while dipping the filling into the chocolate.
This process is supposed to yield a chocolate coating that is shiny and produces a crack. It is a tricky process, I found out. The temperature can go up quite quickly, and you want to make sure you don’t add any liquid to the chocolate, or it will seize (that includes any wet utensils you use to stir or dip the chocolate!). For my first attempt, I hope I did pretty well. I would like to practice a bit more with a better chocolate then Ghiradelli chocolate, but I think these were just fine for my purposes (i.e., for basic, quotidian consumption).

The recipe for the filling is below; the chocolate portion of the recipe is different from the one I used for these bars. You can take a glance at this video to learn more about tempering chocolate. Use milk or dark chocolate for these bars. Enjoy!

Millionaire Bars
adapted from kristindmiller.com who got it from Joy of Cooking


Shortbread Crust:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temp
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350* and lightly grease a 9 x 9 baking pan. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Stir in the flour just until the dough begins to come together in walnut-sized chunks. Press the dough into the prepared pan and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Cool completely. Begin the filling as soon as the crust goes into the oven.

Caramel Filling:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (I used my leftover, crockpot dulce de leche)

Pour the milk into a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring often, 60-90 minutes, until golden brown. Alternately, cook the caramel in a double boiler, covered, stirring occasionally (every 15 minutes or so). The only difference in the methods is the amount of attention given the caramel and the tools needed. When thick and deep golden, spread caramel evenly over cooled crust and refrigerate until caramel is cool and set.

Chocolate Topping (THIS RECIPE IS NOT FOR TEMPERING CHOCOLATE!):
6 ounces good-quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli)
1 Tablespoon butter
Coarse sea salt (optional)

Melt the chocolate and butter slowly over low heat and spread over the cooled caramel layer. Sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate. Refrigerate until set. Slice and enjoy. Store the bars, covered, in the fridge.

If you decide to temper the chocolate, all you need is the type of chocolate you prefer, such as milk or dark chocolate. Avoid using chocolate chips.

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangiodasola.com

Chocolate Chip Bars

The cookies in these photos came fresh out of the refrigerator the day after I made them. That is why they don’t look ooey and gooey. Sorry about that folks!

Here’s another chocolate chip recipe, but in bar form. I saw this recipe on Chocolate Bytes who got it from a youtube video. The recipe reqires shortening instead of butter, which causes the bars (or cookies) to be very soft. I didn’t allow my bars to cook for very long to further ensure softness.
These bars were very delicious and remained so for three or four days (that’s how long they lasted), but I wouldn’t go far as to say they are the best CCCs I’ve ever had. I simply microwaved one or two bars for 30 sec – 1 minute and chewed them happily with a big mug of (skim) milk haha (I grew up on skim milk, so I can’t tolerate any other type of milk for straight-up “drinkage”).
Anyway, if you’re one of those people who tend to shy away from shortening, try using half shortening and half butter to see how they turn out. I think I used butter-flavored shortening all the way. Also, if you don’t want to use the below recipe, simply use one of your favorite CCC recipes, and convert the dough into bars. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
adapted from GingerCake

1 stick regular Crisco or vegetable shortening (I used butter-flavored shortening)
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs (large or jumbo) (I always use large eggs)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups AP flour

Mix the shortening and white sugar together with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes till creamed together.

Add the salt, baking soda, eggs and brown sugar. Mix again on medium for 1 minute or until incorporated.

Add the flour and mix with the mixer until both cups are incorporated.

Stir in an entire bag of semi-sweet chips by hand.

BARS:
Place cookie dough in a foil-lined or sprayed 9 X 13 baking dish and press it out until leveled. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. If using FOIL, take the bars out by lifting the foil and place the uncut bars on a cooling rack. Once cool enough to handle, cut the bard. If SPRAYED dish, allow the bars to cool in the dish and then cut them once they have somewhat cooled. Place the cut bars on a cooling rack, or just gobble them up right then and there!

COOKIES:
Roll into balls larger than golf ball size, but smaller than a small lemon. They should fit on one cookie sheet at a time (about 6 at a time). Bake at 345 for 14-15 minutes.

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangiodasola.com

Carrot Cake Bars

Since I was a child, I have questioned my biological relation to my mother because it seems like we are from different planets. I now jokingly tell her that she’s not really my mom and start listing reasons why:

1. She is an extrovert in any situation; I’m a major introvert around strangers. She claims that she was shy as a child, but I don’t believe that for a second.

2. She is short and pear-shaped; I’m tall and apple-shaped. This means that even when she gains weight, she looks slim. I don’t have such luck. I tower over people horizontally and vertically. 🙂

3. She has a slim face, and her Native-American, facial features are salient. I have a round face, and I look more like my father.

4. She is not..um..very abundant in the chest area, and well, I am. She has short fingers, small eyes, and small ears; I don’t.

5. She was raised in the country with a bunch of siblings, and I’m an only child on my mother’s side, and I was raised in the city.

6. She uses a lot of country jargon, like “doggone” as an adjective (e.g., “Turn off that doggone cellphone.” or “My doggone student had the nerve to complain about the doggone pop quiz.”). When people hear me talk, however, they think I’m from California or from another country, especially when I speak Spanish or Portuguese.

7. She has a grad degree in English Literature; I have a grad degree in Spanish Linguistics. Also, she speaks a little Spanish, but I speak 3.5 languages (but she would tell you that I speak 7 or 9 languages).

8. She knows how to burn food; I know how to cook food.

9. She LOVES nuts and carrot cake; I DETEST both items.

Despite our differences, we have many important features that are the same and most of them supersede all the abovementioned differences:

1. We both love the Lord.

2. We both value education.

3. We both talk fast.

4. We both gain and lose weight over and over again.

5. We enjoy talking to each other every day (when she is paying attention to what I’m saying).

6. We love each other very much, and even if i were to find out that my mother was not my biological parent (which I now believe is NOT true), I would still love her more than any mortal in this world.

So, since I love her so much, I got over dissimilarity #9 and made her these carrot cake bars; they’re much easier to ship than carrot cake with cream cheese icing. These doggone carrot cake bars are for you, mom. I shipped them to you yesterday. They are full of those (yucky) doggone nuts you like so much.

Packaged and ready to go!

I tried to taste a little “nut-less” crumb so that I could report if they are good or not, and they seemed to be pretty good. I guess my mom can provide a better review of the bars once she gets them. Enjoy, mom!

Carrot Cake Bars aka Brain Teaser Bars
from Use Real Butter and Cookie Swap

(I suggest grating the carrots and chopping the toasted walnuts before or right after making the shortbread crust.)

Shortbread Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into tablespoon-size chunks

Set rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a 9×13×2-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an inch of overhang around the top edge of the pan. Smooth out wrinkles and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. [I halved the recipe and used an 8×8-inch pan.] Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. With metal blade, pulse in the butter until the mixture just starts to ball (15-20 seconds). Pat crust evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Prick the dough with a fork. Bake crust for 20-25 minutes or unti lightly browned and firm to touch. Let cool on wire rack before topping, at least 30 minutes.

Carrot “Cake” Topping
2 1/2 tbsps all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (about 1 cup + 3 tbsps)
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and shredded
1 1/2 cups walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped (forgot to toast)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried pineapple pieces, finely chopped (did not use)
1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Combine the flour, spices, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla together. Beat until well combined. Gradually incorporate the flour mixture and stir in the carrots, walnuts, raisins, and pineapple. Pour the mixture over the crust and spread evenly. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the edges are caramel-brown and top is slightly puffy. Let cook completely on a wire rack before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Makes 2 dozen (1 3/4-inch squares).

Copyright – Memoria James – http://www.mangiodasola.com