Decadent Brownie Cookies with Peanut Butter Butter Cream

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and I thought I would create a special cookie in honor of this auspicious day.    There really was a saint named Valentine (maybe even two) who died on the 14th of February.  He was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for administering communion to imprisoned Christians while he himself was incarcerated.  It's said that he was infatuated with the daughter of his jailer and before he was executed he wrote a simple note to her that said, "from your Valentine" as a farewell--sound familiar!!

During the Middle Ages, in the time of Geoffrey Chaucer, courtly love flourished and Valentine's Day was recognized as a day to give gifts to someone special.  I will be making my grandparent's sugar cookie recipe to send to my loved ones, but today, I was thinking Chocolate!

Here are some more facts about Valentine's Day:

• Casanova ate chocolate to make himself more virile.
• Richard Cadbury produced the first chocolate for eating in the late 1800s.
• Over 35 million heart-shaped boxes are sold.
• $1 billion is spent on chocolate, just in the United States.
• 73% men buy flowers; 27% women, and 15% women send themselves flowers!
• Red roses was the favorite flower of the Roman Goddess, Venus--approx 110 million roses will be sold, mostly red.
• California produces 60% of the roses sold in the United States.
• The day is also celebrated in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark and Italy.
• Verona, Italy, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet on this day.

Decadent Brownie Cookies with Peanut Butter butter cream
2 1/2 T unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate bits

2 large eggs
2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar (if you can't find it in your grocery story, place sugar in a food processor and pulse several times to make a finer granule)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup bittersweet chips

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a double boiler (or a glass bowl over 1" water in a saucepan) melt the 1 1/2 cups of bittersweet chocolate bits and butter.  Set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla together for 15 minutes until pale and "ribbons" of batter occur from the whisk.

Sift the flour and baking powder.  Stir in the melted chocolate and butter, sifted dry ingredients, and the additional 1/2 cup of bittersweet chocolate bits.

Use a 1 or 2 tablespoon size scoop to drop cookies on the parchment paper, allowing about 2" of spacing between the cookies for spreading.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes (I baked mine for 9 minutes).  The tops should be shiny and cracked.

Peanut Butter butter cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-2 T heavy cream

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment or use a hand mixer, cream the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract together.  Scrape down the sides and add the heavy cream to make a fluffy butter cream.

Once cookies have cooled completely, frost the bottom of one cookie and top with another of like-size.

The Beatles sang, "All You Need is Love" and I agree.  These cookies are full of love and a great flavor combination.

I'm sending out love and warm hugs to all my friends and family who were in the path of the storm, Nemo.  Enjoy!
  

A Birthday Cake to Remember Mom

Today would have been my mother's 93rd birthday; she passed away in 1987 at the early age of 67 to a brain tumor.  I decided to bake the yellow cake she had made so many times, but with the twist I put on it when she came out to California for a visit in 1983. We celebrated with my great Aunt Dorothy...her father's younger sister, whom she shared her birthday with and lived just an hour from us in San Bernadino. I shared many times that my mother's two favorite flavors were chocolate and lemon--and this cake delivers both.  The only difference is that I've come across a quick microwave version of lemon curd and the frosting I make now is a Chocolate Buttercream.

My mother was born in 1920 in Washington, D.C., but with her father in the Marine Corps, she traveled to Hawaii and Bremerton, Washington with his assignments.  It was after his tour in Washington that my mother, uncle and grandmother took a boat back to Maryland through the Panama Canal when my grandfather's next duty station was the Philippines; an experience she told us all about.  She married her high school sweetheart, whom she met in the 5th grade when he stole a kiss in the cloakroom!  She raised 8 children, and as my dad would have said, pretty much on her own during his career in the U.S. Navy. 

In the late 70s, I asked her to come with me to a watercolor class I was taking to update my skills in design and she fell in love with art.  She went on to take classes in acrylic paints, but ultimately went back to watercolors and I have several of her paintings that remind me everyday how talented she was in anything she attempted.

As much as Kelly is responsible for bringing me into the blogging world, it was the inspiration of my mother that had me fall in love with baking.  Now, in my 4th year with this blog, being in the kitchen with my mom is still the most vivid memory I have growing up.  I miss her everyday.

Mom's Birthday Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Brush 2-8 inch round pans with melted butter, line the bottom with parchment and brush with additional butter.  Dust with flour.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly. Scrape down the sides and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla and mix once more.

Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the batter alternating with the buttermilk--beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Divide the batter between the two pans.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and a wooden skewer in the center comes out cleanly.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes, then, invert on a rack and cool completely

Meanwhile make up the Lemon Curd.  You will need one cup of fresh lemon juice--4 lemons will yield that much at room temperature or microwave for 20 seconds to get the most juice.

Place lemon curd in the refrigerator to set.

Chocolate Buttercream

Make up the Chocolate Buttercream and refrigerate to set.

To assemble-

Slice the bottom layer in half and remove.

Spread some of the Chocolate Buttercream on this quarter and then, set the cut half on top.  Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge to act as a "dam" for the lemon curd.

Slice the second layer in half and place on top of the lemon curd.  Spread more buttercream and top with the sliced layer.  Continue to frost the cake with the buttercream.

Happy Birthday, Mom...thank you for being the best mother, teacher, mentor, and best friend.  Enjoy!

Morning Muffins

A muffin for breakfast or an afternoon treat with a cup of tea is always a welcome site and these have a healthy dose of a grated apple, dates, and fresh orange juice to keep the flu bugs away.  This moist, tender-crumb muffin is easy to "throw" together and gives a busy family something warm from the oven before they have to go out into the cold.

Muffins are one of those quick breads that you have to be careful not to over beat.  This was a lesson I was taught by my mother and later when I was at the CIA, the Chef made a point to show what happens when you do over mix and the strands of protein in the flour break down--you pretty much get soup!  I find if I beat the wet ingredients, then remove the bowl from the mixer's stand and stir in the dry ingredients, I can't go wrong.

Recipes for muffins showed up as early as the 19th century here in America.  It's definitely a popular treat for the morning with Blueberry, Banana, and Pumpkin topping the charts at most bakeries.  I know when I'm busy, a muffin is a quick way to get a start to my day.

Morning Muffins
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 up vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 T honey
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 apple, peeled and grated (you should have about 1 cup grated apple)
1 cup chopped dried dates
3/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 Cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400F-degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with papers or spray with a non-stick baking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment.  Cream the butter, oil, sugar and honey together until light.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract and mix once more.  Remove bowl from the stand--the mixture should be light and fluffy.

 Add the dry ingredients, grated apple, dates and orange juice and fold in, using a spatula.

Scoop batter into the prepared muffin pan, if desired, add a dehydrated apple slice to the top of the muffin.

 
 Bake for 5 minutes in the 400-degree oven, then lower the heat to 350F-degrees and bake an additional 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and a skewer in the center comes out cleanly.

Peel back the paper and enjoy a luscious muffin with your favorite morning beverage.

Moist and flavorful--these muffins were a hit this morning. Enjoy!
 

Roasted Pineapple Mini Bundts and February's Apron Give-Away

In all fairness to San Francisco, I decided to come up with a treat that would honor their city as well because it is an honor to get to the Super Bowl.  Back in the early 80s, I traveled with my mom and dad to San Francisco to visit family.  My sister-in-law took us to China Town and it was there I purchased this bamboo steam basket, among some other necessities.  I've used it a lot in the kitchen, not for these bundt cakes, but for the best steamed dumplings and last fall I did tamales in it!

I chose to do roasted pineapple because when I was in Taiwan in 2010, to bring Maddie home, I learned that pineapple treats were part of the new year's celebration. This recipe is the perfect dessert for this year--the Year of the Snake, on February 10th and goes along with the apron material I chose for this month.

The red and gold "take out" boxes on a background of Confucius sayings--one of my favorites, which is on the apron is, "Study the past and you would define the future!"  I hold this saying close to my heart and it really defines why I blog.

Roasted Pineapple Mini Bundts
1 fresh pineapple
3 T firmly packed, light brown sugar
Preheat oven to 375F-degrees

Peel and slice the fresh pineapple.  I have had this handy pineapple "corer" for almost 20 years and I can honestly say, it was the best $9.99 I ever spent.

Slice the leaves and about 1" of the pineapple off

Press the corer in the pineapple and start twisting, clockwise

Presto! beautifully sliced pineapple is pulled from the shell

Place sliced pineapple on a baking sheet, lined with parchment and sprinkle with the brown sugar

Roast the pineapple for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.  Set aside to cool slightly, then, place on a chopping board and rough chop.  You should have about 1 cup of pineapple.

Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup firmly packed, light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. pineapple flavoring (optional, but really enhances the flavor!) 
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk

Lower oven temperature to 350F-degrees.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together thoroughly, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and again scrape down the sides as needed.  Add the vanilla extract and pineapple flavoring, if using, and beat again.

Mix the dry ingredients together and add them alternatively with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Beat one minute more, then remove the bowl from the stand and stir in the roasted, chopped pineapple.

Scoop batter into the wells of the mini bundt pan, which has been sprayed with a non-stick baking spray.

Batter should come up about 2/3 of the way up.  Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.  Make glaze while the cakes are baking--you will get about 14 mini bundts.  You could also do this in a 12-cup bundt pan--bake 45 to 50 minutes.

Glaze:
1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice

1 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Whisk ingredients together in a small sauce pan over medium heat.

Let sit in the pan about 5 minutes, then invert onto a parchment lined cooling rack and brush on the the glaze.

Once you've finished brushing on the glaze, remove the parchment paper so the glaze will dry.

To serve, you could sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar and pour a cup of tea.

Enjoy!
 

Baltimore's Berger Cookies

Admittedly, I'm not a football fan, at least not professional sports, in spite of the fact that I was the sports editor of my high school newspaper and I had four brothers and was definitely a "tom-boy" growing up.  Nope, I just usually don't even watch the Super Bowl...not even the commercials.

However, a recipe that showed up on King Arthur Flour's Facebook page, had me definitely taking sides.  Baltimore's Berger Cookies are very similar to New York's Black & White cookies, although, instead of a thin white and chocolate glaze, these vanilla cake-like cookies are piled (with at least 1/2" thick) of a rich chocolate frosting.

This cookie began in 1835, when Henry Berger immigrated to the United States from Germany.  He pursued "the American dream" and opened a bakery in East Baltimore.  Henry had three sons; Otto, George, and Henry.  Young Henry helped his father in the original bakery, but Otto and George both started their own.  When Otto died, George and Henry combined the bakeries and called it Berger's.  After Henry's death, George, nearing retirement, sold the bakery to Charles Russell, who eventually turned over the bakery to two brothers, Charles and Benjamin DeBaufre.  Charles Jr., today still runs one of the most beloved cookie companies in the Mid-Atlantic states.

Baltimore's Berger Cookies  
by King Arthur Flour

Start by mixing up the frosting

Cover with plastic wrap and microwave (about 3 minutes, checking each time after 1 minute)

The frosting should sit out about 2 hours to set, then use a hand mixer to beat until fluffy

Dough is sticky and more cake-like than cookie dough 

Measure out cookies, then wet finger tips and press the cookie tops flat

Allow to cool completely before frosting

It was easier to scoop the frosting on top of the cookie, then take an off-set spatula to smooth 

All set for the game 

The vanilla cake with the fudge-like frosting was deeeelicious!

 I know there are a lot of households preparing for the the Big game...I'm going to pop in a movie, maybe knit, and enjoy some much needed quiet time.  Enjoy!