Frosted Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

September 30, 2011 15 Comments

I feel like I’m going to turn into a giant pumpkin at the moment. I’ve been chowing down on everything pumpkin and baking with pumpkin and more pumpkin. Although I have to admit, I’m totally not opposed to turning into a pumpkin in the form of a pie or a bar covered in frosting. (it’s all about the frosting). So after turning into a pumpkin, I felt it was about time for a banana dessert. Why banana you ask?  I bought bananas to eat but I should have known I wouldn’t eat them and they’d end up in a dessert. Because who really wants to eat a plain banana when you can have banana bars filled with chocolate chips and slathered in frosting. Chocolate fudge frosting to be exact.

First off…this recipe uses this yogurt!

Chobani sent me some tasty Greek yogurt for kids. It’s called Chobani Champions and they have VerryBerry and Honey-Nana flavors. Of course I knew immediately that I had to bake with the Honey-Nana flavor because I love banana desserts and those bananas on my counter aren’t going to get eaten. (unless they’re in a dessert…)
Normally I don’t rave about a company but honestly Chobani has been nothing but incredibly kind and generous. I’ve tried to correspond with companies before and once they send the product and get the review out of me, I never hear from them again. But Chobani is completely different. They truly care about the bloggers who write about their products and they care about their customers. So please go out and try some of this Greek yogurt for kids or really any kind of yogurt from Chobani is amazing.
If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t say I did. But I really love to chow down on this yogurt and bake with it. :)

Ok now moving onto the recipe!

First whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.

In a bowl of stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar on medium high speed for 4 minutes.

Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix! Then add in the 2 large eggs, one at a time. Mix to completely combine each egg.

Now it’s time for Chobani. You’ll need 1 cup of Chobani Champions Yogurt in Honey-Nana flavor. That’s about 2 1/2 of those cute little containers.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then use a spatula to fold the ingredients together.

Throw in 1 cup of mashed bananas and fold it in.

Now add in 1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips and fold them in.

Spread the batter into a lightly greased 10 by 15 inch sheet pan. (also known as a jellyroll pan) Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-23 minutes.

Cool completely before frosting unless you want to have a giant mess.
Ok frosting time! Sift 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder together in a bowl. Set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter and 1/4 cup softened shortening on medium high speed for about 3-4 minutes.

Now slowly and I mean slowly add in the powdered sugar/cocoa powder mixture. Once it’s all mixed in there, increase the speed to medium high and mix for a minute. Add in 3 Tablespoons of milk and mix mix!

Onto my favorite part, add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 cup hot fudge topping. Seriously hot fudge topping. It makes the frosting oh so good. Like I want to stick my head in the bowl of frosting good. Mix it on medium high speed for a couple of minutes.

Once the bars have completely cooled, frost them with the chocolate fudge buttercream. And because I have chocolate issues….I topped mine with more chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

Frosted Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
(bar recipe adapted from allrecipes)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup Chobani Champions Yogurt (Honey-Nana flavor) (about 2 1/2 containers)
1 cup very ripe mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Fudge Buttercream
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening, softened
3 Tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup hot fudge topping

Topping (optional)
semi sweet chocolate chips

Sift together the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes.
Add in the vanilla extract and mix. Then add in the eggs, one at a time and mix.
Add in the yogurt and mix it in on low speed.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together.
Add in the mashed bananas and fold them in.
Then add in the chocolate chips and fold them in as well.

Spread the batter into a lightly greased 10 by 15 inch sheet pan. (also known as a jellyroll pan) Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-23 minutes.
Cool completely before frosting.

While the cake is cooling, begin making the frosting.

Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together into a bowl. Set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and shortening on medium speed for 3 minutes until smooth.
On low speed, add in the powdered sugar/cocoa powder mixture. Once it’s all added, increase the speed to medium high and mix for 1 minute.
Add in the milk and mix.
Then add in the vanilla extract and hot fudge topping. Mix on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes until completely smooth.

Spread the frosting on top of the bars and if you like, top with extra chocolate chips. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Bananas, Bars, Dessert Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Bars

September 27, 2011 45 Comments

My Frosted Pumpkin Bars are my all time favorite when it comes to Fall recipes. Every single Fall I have to make them or my life feels incomplete. Yes I’m being a little dramatic but really, these bars are so insanely good and Fall wouldn’t be the same without them. If I could sit down in a corner and eat the entire sheet pan, I definitely would. So now is the time when I make them for myself, drool and eat one on my pumpkin plate (don’t laugh!!). But this fall I wanted to bake something just a little bit different since I’m completely obsessed with maple at the moment. (ok all the time) So I threw some maple extract into my pumpkin bars and some chopped up pecans. I’m drooling just typing this. And of course pumpkin bars wouldn’t be complete without a thick layer of frosting. Maple cream cheese frosting to be exact. Excuse me while I chow down on a maple pecan pumpkin bar on my pumpkin plate.

First sift together 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and 1 teaspoon ginger into a large bowl. Set aside. You get to see a photo of the sifted ingredients this time…don’t get too excited!

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together 1 (29 ounce) can of pumpkin puree (the big can and make sure it’s plain pumpkin!), 1 2/3 cup sugar, 3/4 cup canola oil, 3 large eggs (at room temperature) and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract. Mix mix mix on medium speed. You can also just whisk this all together but whisk really well!

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Ok that doesn’t look so tasty but I swear it tastes really good.

Now fold everything together with a spatula. Fold it gently!

Chop up 6 ounces of unsalted pecans and throw them in. If you like, you can substitute the pecans for walnuts or leave them out. Whatever floats your boat!

Fold the pecans in with a spatula. Mmmmm pumpkin and pecans.

Lightly grease a 10 by 15 inch sheet pan (also known as a jellyroll pan). Pour the batter into the pan and spread it out evenly. Bake the bars at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Cool the bars (in the pan) completely before frosting or you’ll end up with a big mess!

Onto the maple cream cheese frosting. Sift 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and set it aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together 6 ounces of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter on medium speed for a couple of minutes.

Add in 1/4 teaspoon maple extract and mix!

Then add in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix again!

Slowly add in the powdered sugar on low speed and then increase the speed to medium. Mix until combined (about 1-2 minutes). Don’t beat the frosting to death! :)

Once the bars have completely cooled, spread the maple cream cheese frosting over the bars. If you like, chop up some pecans and sprinkle on top of the frosting. Enjoy!

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Bars

Bars
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (29 ounce) can of pumpkin puree
1 2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
6 ounces unsalted pecans, chopped

Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Extra chopped unsalted pecans for topping

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger into a large bowl. Set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs and maple extract on medium speed. You can also do this with a whisk by hand. Just make sure you whisk really well!
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold the ingredients together with a spatula.

Chop up the pecans and fold them into the pumpkin batter.

Lightly grease a 10 by 15 inch sheet pan (also known as a jellyroll pan) and spread the batter out evenly.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
Cool the bars completely before frosting.

Sift the powdered sugar and set it aside.

In a bowl of stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for a couple of minutes until smooth.
Add in the maple extract and mix. Then add in the vanilla extract and mix.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar on low speed. Then increase the speed to medium and mix for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to over mix the frosting.

Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and topped with extra chopped unsalted pecans. Cut into bars and enjoy!

To store the bars, cut them into pieces and put them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Note: These bars are very very moist and more dense. They are not cake like.

Filed Under: Bars, Dessert, Maple, Pumpkin Tagged With: , , , ,

Williams-Sonoma Pecan Pumpkin Butter Giveaway Winner

September 25, 2011 Leave a Comment

Thank you all for participating in the giveaway! If you didn’t win, no worries. There will be some more giveaways coming up soon. :)

The winner is: Melissa from The Stages of Me, Myself & Her. Congrats Melissa!

Please email me at gingerbreadbagels@gmail.com with your address and I’ll send you the pecan pumpkin butter asap!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Halloween Oreo Cupcakes

September 24, 2011 74 Comments

Yes it’s still September. I’m so rebellious!

I’m a complete Halloween fanatic and you should see how ridiculous I am when it comes to decorating and you’ll see how crazy I am when it comes to baking. In the summer I am already starting to dream about Halloween desserts and have to show some serious restraint not to start making them in July. When I spot the first package of Halloween Oreos, I go full on Halloween dessert obsessed from then on. (I found the Oreos in August and got to work right away) These Halloween Oreos are one of my absolute favorites to bake with, eat, uh eat again because: 1) there’s more cream in the center. Oreos are all about the cream 2) There’s 5 boo-rific shapes (it actually says that, I’m not that looney) 3) they’re orange and black

So I got to work with these Halloween Oreos while trying not to eat the cream out of all of the Oreos or become mesmerized with the different shapes while putting the blade of the food processor in place. Thankfully I stayed on track and didn’t cut my hand off with the food processor blade. (that would be kind of Halloweenish though…I’m so kidding!) But really these are oh so incredibly delicious. There’s chopped up Halloween Oreos throughout the vanilla cupcakes and they’re topped with an orange Oreo buttercream. Have to get all festive you know!

First we’ll start on the cupcakes! These cupcakes are super simple and are one bowl vanilla cupcakes. (minus the whole grinding up Oreos in a food processor thing…that doesn’t count!)

In a bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Then add in 1/2 cup softened shortening. It should be almost melted. Along with the shortening, add in 3/4 cup whole milk (keep it full fat!), 2 large eggs and 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract. Mix until combined on low speed. (about 1 minute)

Set the batter aside and take out the Halloween Oreos! I get way too excited about the Halloween shapes on the cookies.

Put 7 Halloween Oreos in a food processor and grind them up into coarse crumbs. You don’t want to grind them up too much!

Throw them into the batter and fold them in. Mmmm this batter is oh so good!

Line a cupcake pan with liners. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the cupcake liners. When I scoop the batter using the ice cream scooper, I only fill the ice cream scooper up about 3/4 of the way. I hope that makes sense!
You basically want the cupcakes to be filled 2/3 of the way.

Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. (if you filled them up a bit too much, they’ll take 25 minutes)
Cool the cupcakes in the pan for about 10 minutes on a cooling rack. Then take the cupcakes out of the pan and cool them on a cooling rack before frosting.

Onto the Oreo Buttercream…well Halloween Oreo Buttercream.

Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar and set aside. Photos of sifted powdered sugar aren’t that exciting.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter and 1/2 cup shortening on medium high speed for about 3-4 minutes until smooth.

Add in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix mix!

Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time and mix on medium low speed. It’ll look like it won’t combine but it will, I promise!

Add in 3 1/2 ounces of heavy whipping cream (a little over 1/3 cup) and begin mixing on low speed. Then increase the speed to high and mix for 10 minutes. Yes I said 10 minutes!

Once it’s mixed up, add in about 1/4 teaspoon orange gel food coloring and mix!

Oh so festive. Now it’s time to add some Halloween Oreo crumbs!

Put 10 Halloween Oreos in the food processor and grind them up into fine crumbs. And if you’re like me, go ahead and eat a Halloween Oreo. (uh or two..) I swear they taste so much better than regular Oreos. Perhaps I’m delusional but Halloween Oreos are worth being delusional over.

Throw the crumbs into the buttercream. Fold them in with spatula. Oh my oh my oh…mmmmm.

Put the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a decorating tip. (mine is referred to as a closed star tip)

Then pipe it onto the cupcakes! Or if you’re not into being fancy, just use a small spatula or knife to spread it on top of the cupcakes.

Halloween Oreo Cupcakes

Cupcakes
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup shortening, softened
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
7 Halloween Oreos, ground into coarse crumbs

Buttercream
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 ounce heavy whipping cream (a little more than 1/3 cup)
1/4 teaspoon orange gel food coloring (if you need more, feel free to do so! Liquid food coloring works fine too but you may need less if you use liquid food coloring)
10 Halloween Oreos, ground into fine crumbs

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and kosher salt.
Then add in the shortening (the shortening should be very soft, almost melted), milk, eggs and vanilla extract and mix to low speed to combine. (about 1 minute) You don’t want to over mix the batter. Set the batter aside.

Put 7 Halloween Oreos in the food processor and grind them up into coarse crumbs. Throw them into the batter and fold them in.

Line a cupcake pan with liners. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into each cupcake liner. (I fill the ice cream scooper up 3/4 of the way.)
The cupcakes should be filled about 2/3 of the way. Make sure you don’t overfill them!

Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then take the cupcakes out of the pan and transfer them to a cooling rack.
Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:
Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the shortening and butter for about 3-4 minutes on medium high speed.
On low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar. Add in 1/2 cup at a time.
Once all of the powdered sugar is added, increase the speed to medium for a minute or two.

Slowly add in the heavy whipping cream on low speed. Then increase the speed to high and mix for 10 minutes. Yes 10 minutes!
Add in the orange gel food coloring and mix to incorporate it. Set the buttercream aside.

In a food processor, grind up 10 Halloween Oreos into fine crumbs. Add them to the buttercream and fold them in.

Assembling the cupcakes:
Put the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a decorating tip. Pipe the buttercream onto the cooling cupcakes. Or you can simply frost them with a small spatula or knife.

Enjoy!

 

Filed Under: Cupcakes, Dessert, Halloween

Williams-Sonoma Pecan Pumpkin Butter Giveaway

September 22, 2011 163 Comments

Photo: Source

If you’ve been reading for my blog for a while you’ll know that I used to work at Williams-Sonoma when I lived in Florida. I baked and cooked all of the food and tasted (uh ate) everything.
This Pecan Pumpkin Butter is one of the most popular items at Williams-Sonoma and it’s only available seasonally. I’m seriously obsessed with it and I swear I almost knocked down the entire display when I saw it in the store.

You can eat it on toast, muffins, pumpkin bread, bagels (mmm) or you can even bake with it!

So I want you to try it too! I’m giving away a jar of Williams-Sonoma Pecan Pumpkin Butter to one winner.

To enter:

Leave a comment

This giveaway is open to everyone.

The giveaway will end on Saturday September 24th at 10am PST.

This giveaway is provided by me and only me. :)

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , , ,

Maple Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

September 20, 2011 68 Comments

Fall is my favorite season in the entire world and now that it’s almost fall, I can start baking with tons of pumpkin without appearing to be completely looney. Not that stocking up on Halloween Oreos and baking with them in August doesn’t make me look like I’ve lost my marbles but I tried to hold off on one fall ingredient…pumpkin. Next to bagels, cake, frosting (and five billion other foods) pumpkin is high up there on my “I love you foods” list. I don’t discriminate when it comes to baked goods with pumpkin….pumpkin bagels with pumpkin cream cheese, pumpkin bars, pumpkin muffies from Panera Bread, pumpkin scones, pumpkin cream cheese muffins from Starbucks and most of all I love my pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

I made pumpkin cinnamon rolls last year for my blog but I prefer this recipe so much more! There’s more pumpkin flavor, they’re oh so fluffy and most importantly, there’s maple cream cheese frosting!!! It’s all about the frosting….and the pumpkin…..and nevermind. Just make these please.

First we’ll mix up the pumpkin mixture. You’ll need half a package of instant vanilla pudding mix. (a 3.4 ounce box) Yes seriously and don’t you get all whiny about artificial ingredients. If they won’t kill you, all of the butter and sugar in my recipe should do the trick. Or everything else on my blog will! :)

Whisk in 1/4 cup cold whole milk.

Then add in 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree. (not the pumpkin pie mix!)

Add in 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Whisk it up.

Pour in 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter. Mmmm butter. Butter is my life…along with bagels and cream cheese.

And pour in 1 lightly beaten egg. Whisk everything together. Set the mixture aside.

Now moving onto the yeast part. If you’re afraid of working with yeast, don’t be! It’s not scary…it won’t bite, won’t talk back.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 1 package of active dry yeast with 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Then pour in 1/4 cup warm water. (110-115 degrees F) It’s important that the water is in this temperature range. I use a digital thermometer (you can buy them from Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma)  to take the temperature of the water and I suggest you do too. It’ll help you out a lot when working with yeast.

Mix it up with a fork and make sure all of the yeast is dissolved.

Now leave the yeast mixture alone for 5 minutes.

Once the yeast mixture is foamy (about 5 minutes), add in the pumpkin mixture and mix on medium low speed until it’s combined.

Slowly add in 4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Mix it up using the paddle attachment.

Once all of the flour is added, switch to a dough hook.

Mix with the dough hook on low speed for 7 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for 9 minutes. Once the dough is done mixing (if you’re using the stand mixer), take the dough out and knead it for 1-2 minutes on a floured surface.

Look at that beastly ball of dough!

Take a large bowl and coat the inside with canola oil. Roll the dough around in the oil and then place plastic wrap over the bowl. Put the bowl in a warm draft free area for 1 hour to rise.

After an hour, roll the dough out into a 18 by 11 inch rectangle. Spread 1/3 cup softened unsalted butter over the dough but leave a 1 inch border on the left and right side.

Mix together 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon. Sprinkle it over the butter.

Roll the dough over on the left side and right side.

Then roll the dough up starting on the bottom (the part closest to you). Roll it up tightly! And then flip it over and make sure the edges are sealed (well as best as you can)

Using a piece of string (here’s how to cut cinnamon rolls using a string) or a serrated knife, cut the ends off on the left and right sides. You won’t use these pieces.

Cut the dough into 2 inch pieces. You should have 7 cinnamon rolls. Yes these are mammoth sized pumpkin cinnamon rolls…beast cinnamon rolls.

Press each roll together to prevent it from falling apart during the baking process. Please ignore the black marker and vein on my hand. Thank you.

Lightly grease two baking pans. I’m using an 8 inch pan on the left and a 10 inch pan on the right. You don’t have to use two different size pans…you can just use 8 inch pans or a square pan or basically whatever works for you.  Just make sure you space the rolls out so they’ll have room to rise.

Cover the baking pans with plastic wrap and let them rise again for 20 minutes in a warm draft free area.

Once they’re done rising, bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the maple cream cheese frosting. I would love to just stick my head in this frosting. Really, I would be happy for the rest of my life.

Sift 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and set aside. Photos of sifted ingredients aren’t that exciting.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together 6 ounces softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter for 3 minutes on medium speed until smooth.

Add in 1/4 teaspoon of maple extract.

And 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix mix!

Slowly add in the powdered sugar on low speed. Then add in 1 Tablespoon of whole milk and mix it up on medium speed until the frosting is smooth.

When the pumpkin cinnamon rolls are done baking, spread the maple cream cheese frosting over them. Mmmm I’m in love. Enjoy!

Maple Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Dough
1/2 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounce box)
1/4 cup cold whole milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
4 cups all purpose flour

Filling
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon whole milk

In a bowl, whisk together the half the package of the pudding mix and milk. Add in the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine.
Add in the kosher salt and ground nutmeg and mix.
Whisk in the melted butter and lightly beaten egg. Set the mixture aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the yeast and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Add in the warm water and mix it up with a fork. Mix it really well to make sure all of the yeast dissolves.
Set the yeast mixture aside for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes the mixture will be foamy.
Slowly pour in the pudding mixture with the mixer on low speed. (using the paddle attachment)
Add in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
Keep mixing with the paddle attachment until you’ve added all of the flour. Switch to the dough hook and mix on low speed for 7 minutes.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 9 minutes.

Once the dough is done mixing, take the dough out on a floured surface and knead the dough by hand for 1-2 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Roll it around to coat the dough in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm draft free area for 1 hour to rise.

After an hour, take the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough out into a 18 by 11 inch rectangle.
Spread 1/3 cup softened butter over the surface of the dough but leave a 1 inch border on the left and right sides of the dough.
Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the butter. Press the brown sugar and mixture into the butter.

Roll the dough over once on the left side and once on the right side. Then begin rolling the dough up. Start at the bottom of the dough and roll it away from you. Pinch the seams of the dough to ensure that the cinnamon rolls don’t fall apart.
Using a serrated knife, cut 1 inch of the dough off on the left and right sides.

Then cut the dough every 2 inches. You should have about 7 cinnamon rolls.
Using your hands, press each cinnamon roll together. (see the photos above for an example) This will prevent them from falling apart during the baking process.

Place the cinnamon rolls in two lightly greased baking pans. I use a 10 and 8 inch round baking pans but you can use square pans if you like or whatever works for you. Just make sure you space them out a lot. They will expand in the oven.

Cover the baking pans with plastic wrap and let them rise again for 20 minutes.
Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, begin making the maple cream cheese frosting.

Sift the powdered sugar and set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the cream cheese and butter for 3 minutes on medium speed until smooth. Add in the maple extract and vanilla extract and mix.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix until the frosting is smooth.
Add in the milk and mix it up.

Take the cinnamon rolls out of the oven. Frost them while they’re still warm. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dessert, Pastries, Pumpkin Tagged With: , , , ,

Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookie Sandwiches

September 17, 2011 45 Comments

I used to be madly in love with the Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme bar. There’s nothing quite like the taste of an Oreo but in candy bar form. But honestly I just couldn’t make a cookie. As much as I love cookies, I love frosting even more. Well cookies with frosting to be exact. And these cookies were begging for frosting…..vanilla buttercream with crushed up Oreos mixed. Oh my word, biting into two cookies full of cookies ‘n cream candy with Oreo buttercream sandwiched in the middle is just pure cookie sandwich heaven.

First we’ll start on the Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookies! Sift together 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together 3/4 cup melted unsalted butter (that’s 1 1/2 sticks..mmm butter), 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar on medium high speed for about 3 minutes until completely combined.

Then add in an egg, egg yolk and 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract. Mix mix! Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Then take a spatula and fold the ingredients together. Set the cookie dough aside.

Take 2 Cookies ‘n’ Creme King Size Candy Bars and cut them into chunks. Oh how I love this candy.

Throw the candy into the cookie dough and fold it in. Mmmm this cookie dough is soooo good.

Line some baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a cookie dough scoop, scoop the cookie dough. Then roll each piece of cookie dough into a ball.

Place the cookie dough balls onto the baking sheet and bake them at 325 degrees F for 17 minutes.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Don’t frost them until they have completely cooled!

While the cookies are cooling, begin making the Oreo Buttercream. Just typing the words “Oreo Buttercream” make me drool like crazy. Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar and set it aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter and 1/2 cup shortening for 3-4 minutes until smooth. Add in 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar on low speed and mix to combine. It’ll look like it won’t combine but don’t you worry!

Then increase the speed to medium high and mix until the powdered sugar becomes completely incorporated. See it works out just fine. :)

Pour in 3 1/2 ounces (a little more than 1/3 cup) of heavy whipping cream. I got overly excited and forgot to take a photo. Something about buttercream and Oreo cookies does that to me….Mix on low speed and then increase the speed to high. Mix for 10 minutes. Really 10 minutes, trust me on this!

Ooohh so fluffy and oh my word I want to stick my head in that buttercream. Now set it aside.

In the food processor, grind up 10 Oreos. How I love Oreos. I could live on them and bagels and cake and my list has five billion things on it….like frosting, waffle fries from Chick-Fil-A…  Ok I’ll stop

Throw the Oreo crumbs into the bowl of buttercream and fold them in. Oreo buttercream is one of the best things in life, seriously.

Put the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a round decorating tip.

Pipe it onto the cookie. Place another cookie on top and enjoy! YUM!!

 

Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookie Sandwiches

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme King Size Bars (each bar is 4 ounces), cut into chunks

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 shortening, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 ounces heavy whipping cream (a little over 1/3 cup)
10 Oreos, crushed into crumbs

Sift together the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar and sugar on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes.
Add in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix to completely combine.

Slowly add in the sifted ingredients and mix until just combined. Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together. Set the cookie dough aside.

Cut the Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme bars into chunks and then throw them into the cookie dough. Fold it into the cookie dough.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Take a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. (you’ll need several baking sheets)
Once the cookie dough has chilled, scoop the cookie dough using a 1 1/2 inch cookie dough scoop. Then take each piece of cookie dough and roll it into a ball in your hands. Place the cookie dough balls onto the baking sheet.

Bake the cookies at 325 degrees F for 17 minutes.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

While the cookies are cooling, make the Oreo Buttercream.
Sift the powdered sugar and set it aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the shortening and butter for about 3-4 minutes on medium high speed.
On low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar. Add in 1/2 cup at a time.
Once all of the powdered sugar is added, increase the speed to medium for a minute or two.

Slowly add in the heavy whipping cream on low speed. Then increase the speed to high and mix for 10 minutes. Yes 10 minutes!
Set the buttercream aside.

In a food processor, grind up Oreos into fine crumbs. Add them to the buttercream and fold them in.

Assembling the cookie sandwiches:
Put the Oreo buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a round decorating tip and pipe the buttercream onto one side of the cookie. Then top with another cookie. You can use a small spatula or knife instead of piping the buttercream.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Cookies, Dessert Tagged With: , , , ,

Dark Chocolate Dreams Banana Muffins

September 14, 2011 56 Comments

If you’ve ever had Peanut Butter & Co.’s Dark Chocolate Dreams you know how insanely good and addictive this stuff is. I could sleep on it, bathe in it (ok we’re getting a little weird here…) and devour it by the jar. Dark Chocolate Dreams, for those of you wondering what in the world I’m talking about, is dark chocolate and creamy peanut butter mixed together. It’s pure delicious love in a jar. As much as I love digging my spoon into the jar, the sweets lover in me has to bake with this deliciousness and I wanted to keep it simple. Why you ask? Because I have no patience when it comes to sweets with peanut butter, especially dark chocolate peanut butter and waiting to chow down was simply not an option. :)

Sift together 1 1/2 cups all purpose  flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda. 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside. Photos of sifted ingredients just aren’t that exciting compared to photos of dark chocolate peanut butter.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter, 3 large mashed bananas and an egg on medium speed for about 3 minutes.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients on low speed. Mix until just combined. Then take a spatula and fold the ingredients together.

Line a muffin pan with liners. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into each liner.

Now comes the best part. You’ll need some of this…Dark Chocolate Dreams.  Mmmm (yes those are squeeze packets! I got so excited when I found them. I just had to use them asap…for something!) And excuse me, but put this on celery? Yeah right! I’m throwing this in muffins!

Place three 1/4 teaspoons on top of each muffins.

Using a knife or whatever floats your boat, swirl the Dark Chocolate Dreams. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You’re going to eat it anyway!

Bake the muffins at 375 degrees F for 18 minutes. Cool in the muffin pan for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Enjoy!

 

Dark Chocolate Dreams Banana Muffins
makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 large very ripe bananas, mashed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter & Co.’s Dark Chocolate Dreams

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar, butter, mashed bananas and egg on medium speed for about 3 minutes.
Slowly add in the sifted ingredients on low speed until just combined. Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together.

Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into each cupcake liner.
Then place three 1/4 teaspoons of Dark Chocolate Dreams on top of each muffin. Swirl it around with a knife. If the swirls aren’t perfect, don’t worry.

Bake the muffins at 375 degrees F for 18 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer the muffins to a cooling rack.

Filed Under: Bananas, Breakfast, Chocolate, Dessert, Muffins, Peanut Butter Tagged With: , , , ,

Mini Funfetti Cake Batter Cheesecakes

September 11, 2011 44 Comments

And we’re continuing on with the Funfetti love!

I have the hugest sweet tooth in the world and drool over almost every dessert like a crazy person. (I would eat cake and fro yo for every meal if it was possible…as long as I got my bagel and cream cheese in there) But there are some desserts that make the eyes roll in the back of my head and I have to show some serious self control not to eat the entire batch. Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream, red velvet cake, any kind of pumpkin dessert, brownies…just to name a few. And this my dear friends is one of those desserts that I can’t be trusted around. Even my mama who isn’t much of a cheesecake fan had her eyes rolling in the back of her head when she took a bite of this decadent bite sized sweet. She kept wanting to taste test them over and over again and I don’t blame her one bit because I did too! The cheesecake is oh so creamy and tastes exactly like cake batter (I could live on cake batter flavored desserts) and if things couldn’t get better, the crust is a whole Golden Oreo. Now please excuse me while I taste another cheesecake…quality control you know.

First mix 16 ounces (two blocks) of cream in a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. You want the cream cheese to be smooth. Then add in 1/2 cup of sugar. Mmm sugar.

Add in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix.

Slowly pour in 2 lightly beaten eggs with the mixer on low and mix to combine. Then add in 1/2 cup of sour cream. Mix on medium low speed. You don’t want to mix the cheesecake batter to death!

Measure out 2/3 cup of Funfetti cake mix and sift it over the bowl with the cheesecake batter.

Obviously the sprinkles won’t go through the sifter so just throw them in.

Fold the Funfetti cake mix in with a spatula.

And because of I have major rainbow sprinkles issues, add in 1 Tablespoon of rainbow sprinkles.

Fold everything together. I could seriously just chow down on the cheesecake batter. Is that weird? Maybe, who cares. :)

Take a cupcake pan and line them with cupcake liners. Now you’ll need some tasty Golden Oreos. I am madly in love with these and they make amazing crusts for cheesecakes.

Put a whole Golden Oreo in each cupcake liner.

To scoop the batter, you’ll need a smaller scoop…a cookie dough scoop. I’ve tried using the scoop I typically use (an ice cream scoop) and it’s too much batter.
Scoop two scoopfuls of the batter on top of each Golden Oreos. Spread the cheesecake batter out with a small spatula or knife.

Bake the cheesecakes at 275 degrees for 30 minutes.

Once the cheesecakes are done baking, place them in the refrigerator to chill overnight. Then enjoy!

 

Mini Funfetti Cake Batter Cheesecakes

makes about 15-16 cheesecakes (you may end up with a couple more cheesecakes)

15-16 Golden Oreos
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup Funfetti cake mix
1 Tablespoon rainbow sprinkles

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese for 3 minutes on medium speed until smooth. Add in the sugar and mix for 2 more minutes.

Add in the vanilla and mix. Slowly pour in the lightly beaten eggs on medium low speed and mix to combine.
Add in the sour cream and mix on medium low speed. Be careful not to over mix the cheesecake batter.

Measure out the Funfetti cake mix and sift it over the bowl with the cheesecake batter. The sprinkles obviously won’t go through the sifter so just add them in. Then add in the 1 Tablespoon of rainbow sprinkles.

Fold everything together.

Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Place a whole Golden Oreo in each cupcake liner.
Using a cookie dough scooper, place two scoopfuls of cheesecake batter on top of each Golden Oreo. Spread the cheesecake batter out with a small spatula or knife.

Bake the cheesecakes at 275 degrees F for 30 minutes. Once they’re done baking, chill them in the refrigerator overnight. Then enjoy! If you like, you can top each one with whipped cream and extra rainbow sprinkles.

 

Filed Under: Cheesecake, Dessert, Mini Desserts Tagged With: , , , ,

Guest Post with Sugarcrafter: Gingerbread Bagels

September 8, 2011 32 Comments

Hi readers! I’m soooo excited to share one of my absolute favorite bloggers in the world with you, Tracy from Sugarcrafter! :) When Tracy sent me her guest post, I was eating a bagel (whole grain with honey walnut cream cheese from Panera to be exact. Gingerbread bagels don’t come out until November) and I got so insanely excited I choked on my bagel. Really I did, true story. Why was I excited you ask? Because of what Tracy made for her guest post!!! Gingerbread Bagels! Now how perfect is that?! I can’t wait to try out her recipe and I hope you’ll try it out too. :)

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Hi there! I’m Tracy from Sugarcrafter, and I’m thrilled to be guest posting on Lindsey’s blog today. I’m a huge fan of Lindsey and her recipes, and I feel like we’re kindred spirits because we both have a passion for baking, and because we both like to blog recipes with step-by-step photos in the hopes that we can help both novice and skilled bakers alike. And of course, I also love bagels. Like her, I could probably eat one every day for breakfast, preferably toasted and with a light spread of vegetable cream cheese…yum. Anyway, as the wheels started turning in my head as to what I might bake up for her, I was going over all of the possibilities – cakes, brownies, cookies, bars – but instead, I kept finding myself coming back to bagels. A quick search on her blog, and I realized with a gasp that she didn’t have a single bagel recipes on file! Right then, I knew exactly what I’d be making. And, I wasn’t going to make just any old bagels – I’d make gingerbread bagels, of course!

Now, I have to confess that I’ve never had a gingerbread bagel from Panera (although they’re certainly on my list to try when they come back in season), so I’m not sure whether these taste similar to Panera’s bagels or not. But, I can say that they are delightfully spiced and perfect for fall, so I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I topped mine with a bit of spiced sugar (granulated sugar with a bit of cardamom and cinnamon mixed in) after boiling and before baking for a little extra spice. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. Makes 12 regular bagels or 24 mini bagels.

The Sponge

  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 4 cups bread flour
  • 2 and 1/4 cups room temperature water

The Dough

  • 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 2 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
  • 2 and 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp molasses
  • 2 tsp malt powder

For Boiling and Baking

  • 1 Tbsp baking soda
  • Cornmeal

First, make the sponge. Add the flour to a large mixing bowl, and then add the yeast. Stir in the water until the mixture is smooth.

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Cover it and let rise for about 2 hours. The sponge will about double in size, and it will be bubbly.

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Next, make the dough. Mix the additional yeast into the sponge. Add 2 cups of the flour, the salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, honey, molasses, and the malt powder. Stir until you have incorporated everything into the dough, and then add the last 1/2 cup of flour. The dough will stiffen. Now, move the dough to the counter and knead. It’ll take about 10 minutes for the dough to acquire a smooth yet firm quality. If the dough seems too dry, wet your fingertips and work some water into the dough. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour. The dough should be smooth and pliable when you are done.

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At this point, divide the dough. The recipe will yield 12 regular or 24 mini bagels. I made 12.

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Cover the dough with a damp cloth for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and spray the parchment with cooking spray. Shape the bagels by poking a hole in the center of the dough and gently working it out with your thumb, so that the hole is about an inch in diameter. Place each bagel on the pan and spray them (lightly) with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rest another 20 minutes.

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Next, use the “float test” to see if the bagels are ready to go in the refrigerator. Fill a small bowl with cool water and drop one of the bagels in. If it floats within 10 seconds, return it to the pan (pat dry), cover, and place the bagels in the refrigerator overnight. If the bagel does not float, keep checking back every 10-20 minutes or so until it does.

The next day, get a large pot of water boiling on the stove and preheat the oven to 500 degrees. When the water is at a rolling boil, add the baking soda. Drop the bagels a few at a time into the boiling water, and let boil for 1 or 2 minutes per side (the longer they boil, the chewier they will be).

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Sprinkle the parchment paper with cornmeal, and then place each bagel back on the paper using a slotted spoon to drain. Top with the spiced sugar mix if desired.

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When all of the bagels are ready, place the pan in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees. Bake 5-10 minutes longer before removing the pan. Place the bagels on a cooling rack and cool about 15 minutes.

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Filed Under: Bagels, Breakfast Tagged With: , , ,
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