Granola

Ready for something healthy?  Well...kinda healthy.  I still have to throw chocolate in there.  

My husband bought a container of granola at one of the fancy stores the other week and then was shocked when they asked 10 dollars for the thing.  I made a suggestion that I could make granola for him instead.  Especially when most mixes always have something I don't like and you spend the whole time picking around that said thing and then you are left with a container of just that.  

So I started by asking my husband what he wanted in the granola and here are his requests.  

Raisins, old-fashioned oats, chocolate chips, and almonds.  I used 2 cups of the oats and a half a cup for everything else.  You can always go with your own ratio here.  And of course, you can always add in other things like dried cranberries.

For the seasoning of the oats, combine the following ingredients in a bowl:

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of brown sugar
a little more than a 1/3 cup of honey
1/4 cup of maple syrup

Now take the the oats and almonds and pour them into the liquid.

Mix really well and then spread the oats and almonds onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Stir the mixture half-way through.  Once the 20 minutes is up, let the oats cool completely.  Once the oats are cooled, then you can stir in the chocolate chips, raisins, and other dried fruit you want.  

Granola - Print Recipe

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Brownies

Grab a glass a milk and meet me by the oven.  You will need the milk for these extra chocolaty super dense brownies.

There are two parts for these puppies.  For the cream cheese mixture, you will need

1 egg, beaten
1 block of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips

In a mixer, combine the beaten egg and cream cheese together.  While that is mixing, add in the caster sugar and vanilla.  Once the cheese is light and fluffy, fold in the chocolate chips and set aside. Easy right?

For the brownie portion, you will need

4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
1 stick of unsalted butter
3/4 cup of light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of all purpose flour

Now using a double boiler, melt down the chocolate and butter.  Once the two are melted, pull the bowl off the heat and set it to the side to cool a little.  This is important because you don't want to cook the eggs when you add them in.  But first, add in your brown sugar and stir until it is incorporated.

Now add in your eggs slooowly.  Seriously, don't rush this part.  Once the eggs are stirred in, fold in your flour and your mixture will start to thicken up instantly.

Now grab your greased baking pan.  For this recipe, you can use a smaller pan.  Mine is 9 x 6.

Add in 2/3 of your chocolate mixture.

Now dump in your cream cheese mixture, followed by the remaining chocolate mixture.

Grab a knife or toothpick and start swirling.

Bake the brownies at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes.  Let the brownies cool for a bit before cutting them into squares.  Oh!  And don't forget that glass of milk.  You will thank me later for it.  

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Brownies - Print Recipe

Parmesan Rosemary Scones

For these wonderfully delicious and fragrant little triangles of awesomeness, you will need the following:

2 cups of self rising flour
pinch of salt
teaspoon of baking powder
2 teaspoons of chopped rosemary
1/4 cup of grated parmesan
1/4 cup of unsalted butter, chopped and chilled
2/3 cup of milk
egg wash

Sift together your flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.  Stir in the rosemary and parmesan cheese.  Add in your cold butter.  Now grab a big handful of flour and butter and rub your hands together.  You want to break up the butter and incorporate it into the flour.  Keep going until the butter is pea-sized chunks.

Now add the milk and stir with a spoon or use your hands.  You will end up with a sticky dough. Drop the dough onto a floured surface and knead very gently.  Roll or flatten the dough until it is about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick.  You can either use a circle cutter or cut the dough into triangles.  I was taught in school that scones were triangle shaped.  You can cut them into hexagon shapes if it makes you happy!

Brush the scones with egg wash before placing them in the oven.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Parmesan Rosemary Scones - Print Recipe

Double Fudge Oreo Crunch Cookies

I told you I would bring back the sweets in no time.  The day I had our baby I came across a website called How Sweet It Is.  And I started to drool over these cookies.

So go ahead.  Check out her site. The best part about this recipe is there is a ton of Oreos remaining afterwards.  So I will sit here and indulge in my Oreos while you read.

Go on.  There is nothing to see here.

Bring on the sweets!!

Sorry for the long delay in recipes.  I have been tending to some rather important business lately.

Our little baking pixie was born last week.  And as I am slowly getting accustomed to being a new mom and the 2 AM feedings, I will slowly bring back back the sweets.  Don't worry.  You don't have to wait too long.  Today's grocery run allowed me to stock up on sugar, vanilla extract, and Oreos.

See you soon.

When life gets in the way

First off, I want to thank everyone who reads my blog.  You guys are awesome! With that being said, I have to apologize if the posts become scarce over the next few weeks.  I am down to my last few weeks of pregnancy with our little baking pixie.  And let's just say, I feel like I am slowly falling apart. If a recipe calls for more then three steps, I tend to overlook it.  My poor swollen feet and aching back just can't take it.

So I ask for your patience and maybe ask that you stock up on your fruits and veggies until I can get back into the swing of sweet things.

Thanks everyone.

Love,

The Baking Pixie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

I am still making and baking my way through Tate's Bakeshop Cookbook.  Now this recipe takes a few steps so be prepared and a little patient.  But it's oh so worth it.

The first step to this pie is to make the crust.  It's very simple.  All you need are Oreos and butter.

I used about 2 1/2 rows of Oreos and 6 tablespoons of butter for the crust.  Crush the Oreos by either smashing them in a large plastic bag or using a food processor.

Melt the butter and pour it in the cookie crumbs.  Stir until all the butter is incorporated.  Press down into a pie shell or cake pan.

The recipe doesn't necessarily call for pushing the cookie crust up on the edges. But do you really know anyone who would argue against extra Oreo crust?  Yeah, me neither.  Bake the crust for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cool completely before adding in the filling.

For the filling, you will need the following:
12 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup heavy cream

Using a mixer, combine your cream cheese, PB, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until light and fluffy.  In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff.  Now take the whipped cream and fold it into the peanut butter mixture.  This will help lighten the peanut butter mixture.

Spoon onto your Oreo crust and try to make as level as possible.  I still need to work on the leveling part.  You will see why when you add the topping. 

Now if you need to catch up on dishes or brush the remaining Oreo crumbs off your chest, then throw the pie in the fridge until you can make your topping.

For the topping, you will need:
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Toss the heavy cream and sugar in a small saucepan and turn on medium heat.

Once the cream comes to a boil, pull the saucepan off the heat.  Add in the remaining ingredients. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and everything is combined.  Let the saucepan sit and cool for a bit. You want the chocolate to be pourable, but not too runny.  Once it reaches that consistency, carefully pour it on top of the peanut butter filling.  See why I still need to work on the leveling part?

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight if possible.  The book suggests placing chopped peanuts on top. But you can always do more crushed Oreos, Reese Cups, or just leave it plain and simple.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie - Print Recipe