Top Favorite: Almond Butter & Nutella Swirl Cookies

Almond Butter & Nutella Swirl Cookies - made (again) May 4, 2013 from Amelia's Savory and Sweet

Whenever people find out I'm a baking hobbyist, the most common question I get is "what's your favorite dessert?" I've mentioned before that it's really hard for me to answer that question because I don't have one particular favorite.  I believe in unconditional love for many desserts.  The analogy I like to use is I can't pick a favorite hair on my head either; I like them all - they keep my head warm.

However, a sure sign that I might like one dessert a bit more than most of the others is if I'm willing to make it again for myself, not just because someone requested it.  So, for the next several weeks (or months, depending on my mood), I'm going to re-make and re-post some all-time favorites, partly because they deserve another spot on the stage because I think they're just that good and partly because I just want to make them again and take a better picture for my blog :).

First up is this one from Amelia's Savory and Sweet blog.  When I first discovered and made this recipe, I merely linked to Amelia's blog so people could grab the recipe from there (you still can, just click on the recipe title in this blog post).  However, I've since learned it's probably a good idea to also post the recipe on my blog just in case something happens to that original blog post.  Wouldn't want the recipe to be lost!

What I love about this cookie is the taste and texture.  It stays nice and chubby, hardly spreads during baking and it's just good.  The best way to get significant swirls of Nutella is to make the batter first without the Nutella then drop dollops of it on top of your cookie dough and swirl only very slightly.  Scoop it out, leaving the big swirls of Nutella intact as much as possible, chill or freeze until firm, then bake.  You only want to bake these no more than 9-10 minutes.  If they bake longer, they won't have that moist, fudge-like texture.  Let them cool to at least lukewarm as these tend to be fragile when they first emerge from the oven.  If almond butter isn't a staple in your pantry, you can easily find it at Trader Joe's or Target.

Oh and one note on the almond butter - you may find the oil has separated from the almond butter when you open it, even it's a new jar.  Some recipes advocate pouring off the oil but I would advise trying to mix it back into the rest of the butter as best you can.  If you pour off all the oil, your cookies might be a bit dry because they're missing that fat.  Trust me.

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup smooth almond butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4  teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Nutella

1. Mix first 9 ingredients until smooth and fluffy.  Slowly sift in flour until well incorporated.  Stir in the Nutella just until you have a pretty swirl pattern.
2. Refrigerate dough for about 15-20 minutes. Then scoop out small dough balls onto lined cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for about 7-9 minutes.

Italian Sub Layered Bake

Italian Sub Layered Bake - made March 9, 2013 from Rachel Schultz

I made these awhile back but never blogged them.  I saw the recipe on pinterest and had a tube of crescent roll dough in my refrigerator to use up so it seemed like a nice easy recipe to try.  And so it was.  I confess the Pillsbury crescent rolls are one of the few pre-made things I don't turn my nose up at - they're so good.  And saves me the time and trouble of making them from scratch.  Plus, you can't go wrong with cheesy, flaky-bready goodness.  Even if it does mean more time on the treadmill to work off the calories from said goodness. I used turkey and ham slices and skipped the salami but you can use the deli meat(s) of your choice. These are best served warm so I recommend them as an easy-to-make-and-serve option for brunch.

1 roll refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 pound sliced deli turkey
1/2 pound sliced deli ham
8 slices salami
8 slices swiss cheese
2 egg whites
Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll crescent roll and divide into two squares, along perferated line. Mold one square into the base of a 9×9 glass baking dish. Layer with half of turkey, ham, salami, and swiss.
2. Whisk egg whites and season with salt & pepper.
3. Drizzle half of egg whites over meat. Repeat layering with remaining slices and top with remaining egg whites. Press the second crescent dough square over top. Season with pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden. Slice and serve warm.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies - made dough April 21, 2013, recipe adapted from The Well Traveled Wife

Here's a slightly different twist on the traditional chocolate chip cookie: coconut lovers, put on your running shoes and prepare to do some laps in case you want more than one.  This is different than the usual chocolate chip cookie, not just because of the addition of coconut but also because it uses coconut oil instead of butter.  I've never baked with coconut oil before so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  At a minimum, I guessed the cookies wouldn't spread very much because coconut oil is somewhat solid like shortening and anything with shortening instead of butter has less spread.  And yep, I was right on that one as these stayed nice and chubby.  By my math, chubby in a cookie = good.

The coconut oil has another purpose in the recipe in that it imparts - wait for it - yes, a coconut undertone to the cookie that's achieved even without adding the coconut itself to the dough as a mix-in.  I got a jar of coconut oil by that enabler of online shopping known as amazon, coupled with The Super Enabler known as prime membership and free two-day shipping.  However, if you're in a Trader Joe's, turns out they also carry it for even better instant gratification.  I saw a neat row of jars on the shelves above the refrigerated section in my Trader Joe's, near where the slabs of chocolate and plastic containers of ready-made cookies hang out.

If you love coconut, you'll probably like this cookie.  The nice thing about baking with coconut oil, at least in this recipe, is that it imparts that subtle coconut undertone but doesn't taste artificial.  I don't bake with coconut extract because it tastes artificial to me but I had no problem with the coconut oil in this cookie.  I still added coconut itself to the dough for both the taste and the chewy texture but if you left it out, you'd still get that coconut flavor from the oil.  This also wasn't greasy or leave a bad mouthfeel as some baked goods made with shortening sometimes do.  Overall, a nice change from the traditional chocolate chip cookie.

 

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips   
1.5-2 cups shredded coconut 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a cookie sheet, or line with a silpat.  
2. In a mixing bowl, use a mixer to beat the the coconut oil and brown sugar.  Add in the eggs and beat until fluffy.  Add in the vanilla extract. 
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder with whisk.  Mix the flour mixture into the coconut oil mixture a little bit at a time with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated.  Add in the chocolate chips + coconut and mix well.  
4. Drop by small rounded spoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 8 - 9 minutes or until slightly browned around the edges.

Cocoa Brownies

Cocoa Brownies - made April 20, 2013 from Fat Witch Brownies by Patricia Helding

This was the third and last dessert I included in my Boston care packages.  Can't have a care package without some kind of brownie, right?  For the brownie base, I used one of the recipes from my Fat Witch Brownies baking book.  Past recipes I've tried from the book shows they're pretty rich and decadent.  This recipe uses cocoa for the chocolate punch and, as long as you use a high-quality cocoa, you can usually count on cocoa-based brownies to offer a deeper, darker chocolate flavor than brownies made only with unsweetened or semisweet chocolate.  That being the case, I knew I could add my nutella crunch topping as a good counterpoint for sweetness and crunch to pair with the dark richness of the brownie.  Because the whole point of making brownies is to make them as decadent as possible.  Otherwise, the chewing effort and calories won't be worth it.

Make the brownies as directed below.  You can leave them plain or click on the link in the previous paragraph for the nutella crunch topping (start with a half recipe or 2/3 of it, depending on how thick you want the topping layer to be).  I've made it so often, I just wing it when I'm putting it together: usually equal parts Nutella and chocolate chips melted together with a tablespoon (or so) of butter then once it's all melted, add as many Rice Krispies as you can work into the mixture.  If you want a more gooey topping, skimp on the Rice Krispies but I prefer to cram them in there for maximum crunch. Once it's completely cooled, cut into small pieces, eat one and give the rest away or wrap them up and put in your freezer for future consumption (these freeze well).  There's something about a decadent brownie that's meant to be savored and enjoyed, just enough to leave you satisfied but not so many that you feel sick and guilty afterwards if you eat too many.  Plus, your waistline will thank me later.  

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup unbleached flour

½ teaspoon salt

1. Grease a 9-inch x 9-inch baking pan with butter.  Dust with flour and tap out the excess.  Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the butter over low heat just until it is melted, but not brown.  Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Add the cocoa powder and sugar to the butter and whisk until well blended.  Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each until the mixture is smooth and shiny.  Add the vanilla and whisk until mixed well.
4. Measure the flour and salt and sift together into the batter.  Mix the batter gently until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains.
5. At this point, if desired, stir in any extras like walnuts.
6. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not batter, on it.
7. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 1 hour.  Cut just before serving.

Lemon Coconut Bars

Lemon Coconut Bars - made April 20,2013 from My Baking Addiction

In case you haven't noticed, I'm going through a teeny, tiny lemon-coconut flavor combination obsession phase.  That would explain why I tried out yet another lemon bar recipe with coconut when I've stuck so long with my standby lemon bar recipe.  This one turned out okay.  The coconut I sprinkled over the lemon curd layer sank into the layer rather than staying on top which I expected so halfway through baking, I took it out and sprinkled more coconut on top to stay on top.  That worked but it still didn't come out as well as I had hoped.  This was more of a coconut lemon bar than a lemon bar with coconut.  I think I prefer the latter.  I also prefer Alice Medrich's crust and the method of baking the lemon bar with the pure lemon layer, glazing it with lemon royal icing and sprinkling toasted coconut on top.  The flavor was still good but the tartness of the lemon is more muted with the sweetness of the coconut.  I prefer more of a flavor contrast. 

Texture-wise, I always like the chewiness that coconut adds to any dessert so this was still good; it just isn't my favorite lemon bar recipe.  I know I sound like I'm damning by faint praise but remember I bake all the time and have a high bar.  My friends tell me my "okay" rating usually translates into a much higher-than-okay point on their food rating scales.  In fact, one of the people who partook of one of the Boston care packages rated this one her favorite amongst the three desserts in the package.  So it's all a matter of taste and preference. The nice thing about dessert?  There's no wrong answer.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup cold butter 
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flaked coconut 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar; cut in the butter until crumbly.
3. Press into the bottom of baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and baking powder until well mixed. Pour over crust; sprinkle coconut evenly over the top.
5. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Baking for Boston: Peanut Butter Pound Cake

Peanut Butter Pound Cake - made April 20, 2013 from Glimmer Twin Fan

Boston has been on my mind since the bombing at the Boston Marathon.  I've consciously avoided the news coverage on the perpetrators - I think justice should be done but I refuse to rubberneck over the darker side of humanity. It would keep me too focused on the horror people can do to one another and there's just too much of that in the news. I would much rather pay attention to and be inspired by the heroes the tragedy brought out: the first responders who rushed into the danger that others fled from, the bystanders who helped injured men, women and children, the police who worked to keep people safe, the journalists who sought to do responsible, accurate reporting despite the danger of their surroundings and so many more examples of courage, compassion and goodness.

Not surprisingly, one of my coping mechanisms to deal with tragedy is to bake.  Most importantly, it's also to share what I've baked.  Which is what I did with the next 3 recipes (the other 2 to follow).  My friends in Boston and in one case, the newsroom where one of them works, were the recipients of these.  I like to share and I couldn't think of a more deserving group.

What went into my Boston care packages

It's always hard to mail anything with frosting in a care package but I really wanted to make this cake.  I'd seen it on pinterest a little while ago and I knew pound cakes kept better over several days and are better able to survive being mailed.  It's hard to send a frosted bundt cake through the mail and expect it to make it intact after a 3000-mile journey though so I baked them in these paper loaf pans and left them in there to cool before I frosted them with the chocolate peanut butter frosting.  I kept the frosting fairly contained within the loaf pans and it was easy to completely encase them in plastic wrap, put each in a ziploc bag and line them up side by side in the mailing box, wedged in so they wouldn't move.  I covered them with those plastic air packs from my (many) amazon shipments so that there would be no space to move between the loaves and the top of the box.

That was the practical aspect of mailing them.  Now for the taste.  This made a lot of batter so I was able to get 5 paper loaf pans and a ramekin out of them.  The ramekin was important since that was my taste test serving.  First, let me set up that I'm indifferent to peanut butter.  I like it well enough but if I had to prioritize a list of flavors, peanut butter wouldn't prevail over chocolate, caramel, coconut or lemon, for instance. Second, I've previously mentioned I'm not a big fan of frosting.  I either like my cakes plain or with just the barest smidge of frosting. I've been known to scrape frosting off of cakes and just eat the cake, no matter how many times my frosting-loving friends roll their eyes at me.  Now that I've done that set up, let me tell you......OMG, I loved this cake.  The texture was amazing and the peanut butter flavor wasn't overwhelming.  I also - OMG - really loved the frosting.  There, I said it.  I loved the frosting.  Not too chocolaty, not too peanut butter-y but a perfect blend of the two flavors.  Plus it was a nice creamy texture that went well with the cake.  Love.  I did discover later that I had likely underbaked the loaf pans a tad (I kept one back to bring to work and mailed out the other 4) but, based on the feedback from my recipients, I don't think it was too underbaked as they seemed to like it.  I got a flurry of very nice thank you emails from the newsroom - it's always nice to hear people enjoyed what you sent them :).  That was my tiny, tiny little part in trying to do good for others after that tragedy.

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
5 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk, whole or low fat (I used whole milk)

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Prepare a large tube or bundt pan by greasing and flouring it. Set pan aside. Update: A couple people have commented that their cake overflowed while baking. This recipe makes a large cake and I used a large tube pan. Only fill your bundt/tube pan up about 3/4 full. Don't let the extra batter go to waste though, make some muffins or a small loaf.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
3. On medium speed, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and peanut butter and continue mixing. Add the eggs, one at a time. Wait until one egg is fully mixed in before adding the next one. Add vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients and the milk to the creamed mixture. Alternate between the flour mixture and the milk, using about a fourth of the ingredient at a time. Always begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix completely.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60 - 70 minutes (adjust baking time based on your pan size(s). Start checking to see if it is done at 60 minutes using a wooden toothpick. Continue checking every 5 minutes to make sure it does not overcook. When the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
6. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then remove it from the cake pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
7. Dust with powdered sugar or frost as desired.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter, creamy
2 cups powdered sugar
Milk (amount varies based on consistency desired)

1. Cream butter and peanut butter.
2. Add powdered sugar and milk while mixer is set on low. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until you are happy with the consistency.
3. Pour over the top of the cake.

For Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting, melt 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate squares, cool slightly, and add to the butter and peanut butter mixture. Proceed with the rest of the instructions.  Don't worry if the frosting is too thick or thin, just add small amounts of milk to thin, or powdered sugar to thicken.

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies - made April 19, 2013 from Chef in Training

I've had this recipe pinned forever and had yet to make it.  It was an intriguing concept: cinnamon rolls in sugar cookie form?  The basic principles are the same: you make a sugar cookie dough (actually, it's more like a sour cream cookie in that it's more cakey than chewy), roll it out, smooth a cinnamon brown sugar "filling" over the dough, roll into a log and cut into rounds.  When I first made this, the dough was really soft.  I mean, really soft.  It took some doing and a bit of flour to coax it into a log and wrap it in parchment paper to chill in the refrigerator.  Then, even after it was chilled, when I cut it, I could barely see the filling and it certainly didn't look like there was any kind of spiral action going on.  Fortunately, however, once it baked, the spiral filling did make itself seen.  Mine didn't have the neatest cinnamon-roll appearance but since you frost it with cream cheese frosting, that doesn't matter too much.  I liked the taste of these cookies.  They're a bit cakey while I prefer my cookies chewy but they were pretty good and really are reminiscent of cinnamon rolls without the bother of yeasted dough and rising times.

Although the recipe says to place the cookies in the refrigerator after you frost them and before you serve them, that's more to preserve the frosting.  Refrigerating cookies tends to dry them out.  If you're not serving these right away, I recommend leaving the cookies at room temperature and making the frosting and frosting them right before serving.  I would also recommend baking these the same day you serve them for freshness' sake.  You can always make the dough through the step of rolling the cookie dough with filling into a log, wrap in waxed paper and place in a freezer bag.  Freeze until the day you're serving them.  Let the log thaw (very) slightly before cutting and baking.  I baked a half recipe of these cookies in two batches on two separate days for different occasions and the cookies slice better and bake to better appearance after the dough is frozen at least overnight.

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Roll Center
8-12 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar, divided into 1/4 cups
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon, divided

Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk, to thin icing

1. In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.
2. In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.
3. Once chilled, cut each disc into thirds and roll into a 1/8 inch thick oval, about 12" x 5". Spread each rolled piece of dough with 1-2 Tablespoons softened butter, 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Start rolling from the long end closest to you, rolling into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch pieces of dough then placing onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
4. To prepare frosting, beat the cream cheese until softened and smooth, slowly add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency. Frost cookies then place in refrigerator until ready to serve.  Alternatively, instead of refrigerating, you can bake a batch the day you're going to serve them and frost at the last minute.