Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple recipe makes a better-than-average fudge brownie that's perfect for school lunches or toting to fall meetings. The recipe is straight forward and, happily, is suitable for young cooks to make on their own. The brownies stay soft and chewy for days if they are wrapped and stored in an airtight container. They won't be the prettiest specimens to come from your kitchen, but they are delicious and will add 'creds' to your reputation as a cook. I have one small caution to share with you. The peanut butter swirl that tops the brownies is molten hot, so unless you have a band-aid fetish, don't test for doneness using the tips of your fingers. I speak from bitter experience. The brownies need to cool for an hour before they can be neatly cut. I love peanut butter, so I, of course, am awfully fond of this recipe. I do hope you will give it a try. Here is how the brownies are made.

Chocolate Cinnamon Cracks

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's been a while since I featured a recipe for cookies. The chocolate and cinnamon gems I'm featuring tonight are the result of trying to replicate cookies one we had on Whidbey Island last weekend. While I have to do more testing before I get it exactly right - or, alternatively, request the recipe from the innkeeper - my first effort produced a very nice, very chocolate cookie that's good enough to share with you. These crinkly topped cookies are delicious and I know all chocolate lovers will appreciate the chocolate and cinnamon combination. The cookies are simple to make, though the dough must be refrigerated before they can be formed and baked, so chill time must be factored into your baking plans. Couples and small families will especially like this recipe because the dough can be shaped and frozen in sensible quantities that can be baked at a later date. Here is how they are made.

Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Here is another scrumptious bar cookie that I recommend you try. If you enjoy "turtle" candy, I know you will enjoy these bars with their layers of chocolate, caramel and nuts. The bars are simple to prepare and the recipe is easy to follow. The cookies will quickly disappear from your Christmas cookie tray. Here is how they are made.

Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of William Maple and the Columbus Dispatch

Ingredients:
Crust
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup pecans (halved)
Caramel Layer
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Topping
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) To make crust: In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and butter and mix at medium speed until combined. Press into an ungreased 9-by-13-inch pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over unbaked crust.
3) To make caramel layer: In a saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over crust layer.
4) Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until caramel layer is bubbly and crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let chips melt slightly for 2 to 3 minutes. Use a knife to swirl chips as they melt to cover bars. Cool and cut into bars for serving. Yield: 24 cookies.

                    

                                   Older Posts

                One Year Ago Today:                                                Two Years Ago Today:

            Swedish Cardamom Wreath                         Night Before Christmas Cold Oven Coffee Cake

                Three Years Ago Today:                                                  Four Years Ago Today: 

                       Candied Almonds                                                              Bean Burgers

Chocolate Nut Brittle

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This brittle is neither easy nor inexpensive to make, but I promise it is worth the time and money it takes to put together. The recipe for the brittle was the creation of Suvir Saran, a chef who is highly regarded by his colleagues. His brittle is different from most others because of the spices that are used to give it its unique flavor. This is a great recipe and fortunately the brittle freezes well, so it can be made weeks before things get crazy in the kitchen. Unless you have nerves of steel, this is not a recipe you want to make at the last minute. I don't make a lot of candy for the holidays, but I'll be sure to include this with the other confections that I am planning to prepare. This is good - really good - stuff. Here is how the brittle is made.

A Homemade Alternative to Commercial Chocolate Syrup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been working on recipes for syrups and sauces that will be used at an ice cream social that's on the calendar for next week. I didn't want to spend hours on this project and I was a bit flummoxed when the committee in charge of the social opted for homemade rather than commercial toppings. Fortunately, my job was just to search for usable recipes while others would actually be responsible for their preparation. I found great recipes for the caramel and strawberry sauces right off the bat, but  the chocolate sauce proved to be more  difficult. I wanted a deep, dark sauce that had an intensely chocolate flavor and it took a lot of testing to find the perfect recipe.  Alton Brown's was the clear winner. Not only is it easy to make, reduction makes it possible to use it either as a syrup or a sauce. The thicker version tastes like fudge and makes a wonderful hot fudge sundae. The thinner version is perfect as an ice cream topper or for making chocolate milk. The recipe below makes about four cups of syrup which can be refrigerated for at least a week before it becomes suspect. You can scale the recipe to make 2 cups or double it for 8. This is very easy to prepare and my only caution is to warn you that the syrup thickens as it sits. Don't reduce it to a fudge-like consistency while its on the stove or you'll end up with chocolate concrete when it has cooled. I hope you'll give this syrup a try. There is nothing here not to like.

Bob's in the Kitchen - Walnut Fudge Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have five desserts that I can make, and most of them use ice cream as their main ingredient. This one is a bit different. Mary found the recipe for this pie and passed it onto me. It is really simple to make because it uses a frozen deep dish pie crust to hold the fudgy filling. If you like rich chocolate desserts you will like this quick mix pie. You can serve it with whipped cream or ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Here is the recipe.

An Easy Cararmel and Chocolate-Filled Monkey Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...For the next week, I'll be sharing recipes for breads and sweet rolls that I think would be wonderful addition to your holiday breakfast or brunch table. I've searched for, and was able to find, a series of recipes for breads that are usually associated with the Christmas holidays. Some of the recipes will be new to you, but they are for breads that are part of old-world holiday traditions. Others may be familiar, but as you scan the recipes you'll see they are actually new takes on breads you may already be making. I am going to start the series with a monkey bread that is unlike any that I have seen before. If you, or your family, like to start the day with something sweet, this bread has your name on it and it might find its way to your Christmas table. Because its main ingredient is prepackaged biscuits, I think you'll find it amazingly easy to make. This monkey bread is delicious, beautiful to look at and extremely rich. Each of the pull-aparts is filled with chocolate and drizzled with butter and caramel syrup. This bread is definitely meant for those who love sweets and are not concerned with calories. I do have one caution to share with you. While the bread can be assembled well ahead of time, it should be served warm, fresh from the oven. It stales quickly and does not reheat well, so I assemble mine, save for the final drizzle of syrup, the night before I plan to serve it. I let it come to room temperature the next morning and then pop it in the oven. I do hope those of you who enjoy sweet breads will give this recipe a try. Here is how this rich bread is made.

Moist and Fudgy Brownie Drops

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This cookie is one of my diet secrets. When I have a craving for chocolate, just one of these rich and fudgy gems satisfies my appetite and helps keep me on the straight and narrow. The cookies, which I think were developed in the Hershey Kitchens, are very easy to make and, more importantly, they freeze well. That means temptation can't lure me into the pantry where access to the cookies would be all too easy and my famous resolve would fade away. The cookies, which are almost a confection, are delicious and intensely chocolate. If you love all things chocolate, I urge you to try them, but be careful not to overbake the cookies. They can quickly go from moist and fudgy to crisp, and while the crisp cookies are tasty, they just aren't the same as the chewier version. I do hope you you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the cookies are made.

Peanut Butter Fudge Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm trying to work my way through opened pantry stores in anticipation of our upcoming move. I had a partially used jar of peanut butter and a half bag of chips that I wanted to finish up before the big day arrives, and these bar cookies, an adaption of a recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen, seemed the perfect way to utilize them. The recipe is straight forward and I think you'll find the bars quite easy to make. One bite of them will send those who love peanut butter to the Valhalla of the goober world. I do hope you'll give this homely treat a try. Here is how the bars are made.

Chocolate Chunk Scones

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've just finished baking a triple batch of these scones to send to a meeting that I can't attend tomorrow.  I thought they'd be perfect with morning coffee or tea and, hopefully, the scones will make up for my absence and keep my reputation intact. I found the recipe for them on the Joy of Baking website which is a must visit site for all who love to bake. The recipes to be found here never disappoint and there is a wealth of information that will improve the skills of novice and seasoned bakers alike.This is a simple, straight forward recipe and the scones are very easy to make. You'll have marvelous results if you keep your ingredients cold, use the best chocolate available to you  and avoid over-working the dough. I do hope you'll  give this recipe a try. Here is how the scones are made.

Tiramisu Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These moist, sweet and fudgy bars were developed for Taste of Home magazine where they are called Tiramisu Brownies. I'm not sure why. While the bars are worth a king's ransom in chocolate, Mascarpone cheese and espresso powder, their flavor doesn't quite reach the heights of the Italian classic dessert. I'd be happier if they had called them Mocha and Mascarpone brownies, so I could have set my sights lower. Please don't get me wrong. The bars are delicious, but they are not what I had expected, nor are they as trouble-free to make as I had anticipated. Fortunately, I read the comments associated with the recipe before I started to work on it. That saved me from an expensive disaster. The recipe was not well-reviewed, and a common problem appeared to be that the layers were not in sync with each other and required different baking times to  cook. To their credit, someone at Taste of Home read the reviews and came back with a revision that takes care of the problem. Unfortunately, the correction does not appear in the body of the recipe itself, so I've changed the recipe instructions to include the revisions for you. Now, if I haven't scared you off, I think you'll find the recipe works quite well. The brownies are nice and I think those of you who like really sweet desserts will love them. Here is how they are made.

Countdown to Christmas - Chocolate Macadamia Nut Balls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I wanted to squeeze this recipe in while you still had your ovens going. It makes a really nice cookie and while it's not an heirloom recipe, it does harkens back to the days when candy was eaten rather than used as a baking ingredient. That, of course, never prevented adventuresome cooks from making creative equivalents to use in their cookies, especially once chocolate chips were available to them. This recipe probably dates back to the mid 1970's when macadamia were first marketed for cooks here in the states. This is an easy cookie to make, but I have a caution or two to share with you. The cookies can be bland if the butter or nuts you use are not salted. That can be remedied with the addition of 1/4 teaspoon table salt that will greatly improve the flavor of the finished cookies. It is also important to chill, but not over-chill, the cookie dough. It has to be cold enough to shape, but malleable enough to cover the chocolate-nut filling. I usually make the filling before the cookie dough, so I can better gauge readiness for assembly. Sometimes, I actually get it right. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how these cookies are made.

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Balls ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
Cookie Dough
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 jar (3-1/2 ounces) Macadamia nuts, finely chopped
Cookie Filling
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips.
1/2 cup Macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
C0nfectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) To prepare dough: Combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. On low speed, gradually add flour. Add nuts. Dough will be stiff. Cover and chill.
2) To prepare filling, melt chocolate chips. Stir in nuts and cool slightly. Drop by small teaspoons onto parchment lined baking sheets. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4) Shape chilled teaspoons of dough around each piece of chocolate-nut mixture until completely covered. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
5) Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar and cool on wire racks. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

             One Year Ago Today:                                                          Two Years Ago Today:

                  Pumpkin Muffins                                                              French Chicken Nuggets

                 Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

      Crock-Pot: Tomatillo Chicken and Rice                                                  Rosettes

Countdown to Christmas - Mocha Nut Balls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These cookies are a rather late addition to my Christmas cookie collection. I've been making them for about ten years now and I have yet to serve them to anyone outside my family. While the cookies are not particularly attractive, they are especially delicious, and if enjoy a deep and rich mocha flavor, their appearance will not be bothersome. One bite and you'll understand why they disappear before they can be shared with friends. The recipe originally appeared in Taste of Home magazine and I have made one small change to their recipe. They roll the cookies in confectioners' sugar, while I have opted to coat them with a sugar and cocoa combination. The cookies are rolled in sugar or the sugar cocoa combination while they are still warm, so the exterior becomes goopy when it is first applied. Not to worry. It will dry and the cookies can be be stored in air-tight containers once they are no longer tacky. I do hope you'll give this fudge-like confection a try. You won't regret a moment of the 5 minutes it takes to make them. Here is the recipe.

Mocha Nut Balls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 1/4 cup baking cocoa, divided use
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
Confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
2) In another bowl, whisk together flour, 1/3 cup cocoa and coffee granules. Gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in pecans. Chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
3) Shape dough into 1-inch balls, placing them 2 inches apart apart on ungreased baking sheets.
4) Bake 14-16 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 1-2 minutes. Sift 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar together with 1/4 cup baking cocoa. Roll warm cookies in sugar mixture. Cool on wire racks. Store in an air-tight container. Yield: 4-1/2 dozen.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                          One Year Ago Today:                                               Two Years Ago Today:

               Orange Cardamom Sugar Cookies                                        Santa Lucia Crown

                    Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

                Holiday Breakfast Round-Up                                          Kris Kringle Gingerbread Cakes

Countdown to Christmas - Chocolate Nusse

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Opening an old recipe box is a bit like opening Pandora's box. The contents pour out, but there is no unpleasantness to deal with. There may be a flash of sadness as memory conjures a glimpse of faces and places that can no longer be touched or seen, but that passes, and what's left is a special warmth and gratitude for the time and space that was shared and enjoyed with those who have triggered the reverie. On a more practical note, there are also some wonderful recipes to be exhumed, and if it's true that we are what we eat, those kitchen scribblings help to explain whole blocks of our lives. I found this recipe for chocolate nusse  among those the Schlesinger's shared with the Silver Fox and me, and I wanted to pass it on to those of you who like the unusual and are fond of barely sweet European pastry.  The Schlesinger's were our first landlords and they added color and kindness to the early years of our marriage. Mama S had no daughters of her own, so I became the repository  of her wisdom and I can still hear her admonitions, the most serious of which always began with the rather ominous, "lest you have to move your tent to another village".  That was never necessary, but I think I spent more time in her kitchen than I did in my own.  She was a wonderful cook and I was fortunate enough to be there when she wanted to pass on what she knew. That's how I learned that a nusse is a nut or a confection made with nuts and it's also how I became the recipient of this old-world recipe. It makes an atypical Christmas cookie that I think you will enjoy. I know you will love the ease with which it comes together, and I do hope you'll give it a try. Here is how the cookies are made.

Chocolate Nusse...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, separated
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Finely grated zest of 1 medium orange
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2  to 2-1/2 cups finely chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts)  
Ginger marmalade or cherry or apricot preserves

Directions:
1) Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Add chocolate, vanilla, orange zest and cinnamon and blend well. Stir in flour and salt. Chill dough for 1 hour.
2) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
3) Using a teaspoon measure, form dough into small balls. Drop into egg whites, then roll in chopped nuts. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make an indentation in center of each cookie by pressing with a 1/4 teaspoon measure. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until nuts are lightly browned. Remove from oven and again press 1/4 teaspoon measure into cookies to form indentation for filling. Cool cookies on tray. Store in airtight containers or ziplock plastic bags. Fill indentations with marmalade or fruit preserves just before serving. Yield: 4-1/2  to  5 dozen cookies.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                  One Year Ago Today:                                               Two Years Ago Today:

               Braciola with Tomato Sauce                               Moroccan Chicken Smothered in Olives

                    Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

                 Christmas Bread Round-Up                                                 Lebkuchen and Speculaas

Chocolate-Pecan Coffeecake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you've been searching for a new coffeecake to serve for breakfast on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning, this cake just might fill the bill. It's a bit more involved than some, but the cake, every crumb of it, is worth the effort. It has been a while since I featured a "makes my socks go up and down" recipe, but this definitely belongs in that category. This is special and the only problem I've encountered when I make it, is determining when it is fully baked. The cake has so much in it, that it is hard to determine when the batter in the center of the cake is actually done. I probably baked this longer than I should, but in order to assure a cake with a cooked center, I added extra time to the recommendation in the recipe below. The next time I make this I'm going to use a tube pan, which I think will eliminate any chance of over-baking the cake. Those of you who try this recipe will be pleased. I've moved the one I made for this post to the freezer for Thanksgiving weekend and  I do hope you'll follow suit. Here's the recipe for a cake that is a  perfect way to start a holiday breakfast.

Surgery Update:

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust

Things have gone very well thus far. Thank you so much for your prayers, good wishes and support. I will forever be in the debt of the organ donor whose cornea has given me the chance of second sight. . 

Chocolate-Pecan Coffeecake...from thekitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Midwest Living magazine

Ingredients:
Coconut Pecan Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (8-oz.) carton dairy sour cream

Directions:
1) Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
2) To make Coconut Pecan Topping: In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in semisweet chocolate pieces, coconut, and pecans. Set aside.
3) To make cake:  In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until well combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour and sour cream to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
4) Spread half of cake batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of  Coconut Pecan Topping. Spoon remaining cake batter in mounds over coconut mixture. Carefully spread to an even layer. Sprinkle with remaining Coconut Pecan Topping.
%) Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 65 minutes or until a long wooden skewer inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover cake with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a thin metal spatula around edge of cake. Remove sides of the pan. Cool about 30 minutes more. Serve warm. Yield: 12 servings.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Pumpkin Sausage and Sage Rigatoni

Two Years Ago Today: Creamed Spinach

Three Years Ago Today: Fusilli with Ricotta and Spinach

Four Years Ago Today: Wasabi Glazed Salmon

Goody Goody Bars - A Simple No-Bake Confection

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A used copy of America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook came my way while I was vacationing this summer. It, of course, became my beach read for a couple of days, and while I was paging through it, I came across the recipe I'm featuring today. The name grabbed me and I knew I'd have to try the recipe before the seasons changed. As you can see, I'm sneaking in just under the wire. While the Goody Goody Bars are categorized as a cookie, I liken them to a candy-like confection because of their texture and richness. Whatever, you decide to call them, this treat is nearly effortless to make and the recipe uses ingredients that have universal appeal. I love the marriage of chocolate and peanuts, and, if you share my weakness, I think you'll enjoy these bars. Do give them a try. Here is how they are made.

Goody Goody Bars...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, very coarsely chopped
6 cups cornflakes
2 cups (12-oz.)semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil, allowing excess to overhang pan edges. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2) Bring sugar and corn syrup to simmer in a large pan set over medium heat. Remove pan from heat. Add peanut butter and chopped peanuts, stirring until smooth. Add corn flakes and stir until well-coated. This mixture is very hot and capable of burning, so do not use your hands for the final mixing.
3) Working quickly, scrape mixture into prepared pan. Using a greased spatula, press mixture into bottom and corners of the pan.
4) Microwave chocolate chips and oil together in a covered bowl, stirring often, until melted, about 2 minutes. Spread evenly over cornflake mixture. Freeze, uncovered, until filling is firm and chocolate has hardened, about 15 minutes.
5) Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares. Serve immediately or store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Yield: 24 bars.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Maple Apple and Cheddar Pie

Two Years Ago Today: Mexican Lasagna

Three Years Ago Today: Pear Flognarde

Four Years Ago Today: Fresh Salmon Burger with Chipotle Aioli and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa