Oreo Brownies

I found this awesome food blog.  Go to www.picky-palate.com you won’t be disappointed.  This woman is a genius!

She took these ingredients:

and turned them into this…

she committed the ultimate sin…..Oreo cookies dipped in brownie batter!!!  SUPER DELICIOUS!!!  Check out her blog for this recipe and more!

Chocolate Malted Cookies

Sometimes I like receiving junk mail.  Let me explain I preview a lot of cookbooks and they send me all sorts of offers...some are tempting others I send back.  I found this recipe on one of those flyer's you know which one I am talking about....the one that is a little blurred with size 2 font?  Well, I am a master optician....

Anyways, you have to make these !!  Right now!  I made the dough one evening and put the dough in the refrigerator and made them several days later.  Oh my goodness, they were just delicious....they hit the spot. 

The recipe calls for semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate but I thought the dough would be sweet enough so I went BOLD and used bittersweet chocolate.  HEAVEN....I'm Amazing....uhmmm...I mean the cookies were just AMAZING!!  ;)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter-flavor shortening
1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup malted milk powder ( I used ovaltine)
2 TBS  chocolate syrup
1 TBS vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
1 cup milk chocolate chips 
( I omitted both kinds of chocolate chips and used Ghiradelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate)

* In a large bowl, beat the shortening, brown sugar, malted milk powder, chocolate syrup and vanilla for 2 minutes.  Add egg.
*Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in chocolate chunks and chips.
*Shape into 2-in balls; place 3 in apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden (mine only took 10 minutes).  Cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Prep/total time: 30 min  Yield:  about 1-1/2 dozen.

**recipe adapted by Taste of Home Grand Prize Winners mail flyer recipe submitted by Teri Rasey of Cadillac, Michigan.

Homemade Girl Scout Samoa Bars

It has been awhile since I have  made anything sweet.  I was craving Samoa cookies from the Girl Scouts and  searching the web for a "knock off".  I finally found one courtesty of Nicole Weston of Baking Bites (http://www.bakingbites.com/) and by the way she has an awesome food blog.  She did a whole series on Girl Scout cookies and they all look amazing.  Fortunately for me she had a recipe for a Samoas Bar it wasn't as time consumming as making the cookies.  I made them and they were good but I believe I will be leaving the cookie making to the Girl Scouts.  It must of been a sign from above my neice ( yes, she is my cookie supplier) brought my order today!!! 

For the recipe just click on the url below.

 http://bakingbites.com/2009/02/homemade-girl-scout-cookies-samoas-bars/ 

Banana Bread with Pecans

Did everyone have a great Halloween? Is everyone getting ready to plan for Thanksgiving? I know I can't believe it its just right around the corner. Anyways, I was craving banana bread and I came across Tyler Florence recipe and its by far one of the best I have ever made. I added 1/4 cup of cocoa to the recipe and it was delicious. Hope you enjoy and have a great day!
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

Easy Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

After a busy week I was craving a little comfort. I could not make up my mind if I wanted a warm gooey chocolate chip cookie or an oatmeal cookie...How about both!! Did I mention it was a busy week? The last thing I wanted to do was cream eggs, butter, and sugar. I came across this SIMPLE and quick recipe from Christmas Southern Living 2002 cookbook. I was unsure of it at first but what the hey....can I just say they were awesome!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup (6oz) semisweet chocolate morsels

1 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

• Stir together first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well.
• Shape mixture into 1"balls. (Dough will be crumbly & greasy) Place balls on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degree F. for 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield 6 dozen.

Peabody's Chocolate Malted Cupcakes with Chocolate Malted Milk Whipped Cream Frosting

OH MY!!!! These are to DIE for! You will never try another chocolate recipe after tasting this one. I found this recipe on a another blog I frequent Meet Me in the Kitchen and http://culinaryconcoctonsbypeabody.com/ where the recipe originated from.

Chocolate Whopper Malted Cupcakes
1-2/3 cup of AP flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup malted milk powder ( I used Ovaltine)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 325F.
• Mix flour, baking powder, salt, malt powder, cocoa together and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, on at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Alternately add flour and milk
• Add vanilla and beat well
• Spoon batter into cupcake paper, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes (15 for minis) or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool.

Chocolate Malted Milk Whip Cream Frosting

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup powdered sugar

4 T. malted milk powder

2T. unsweetened cocoa powder

• In a lg bowl, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks.
• Add sugar, malt powder, and cocoa powder. beat until stiff.
• Frost cool cupcakes with whipped cream frosting.
• Top with whoppers.