Brown-Sugar Peacan Sticky Bars

I made these incredibly delectable sticky bars for a business group meeting that I had and I also brought some to my friend for his birthday. They are SO yummy.

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter softened

pinch of salt

1 large egg

1 1/4 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup shredded coconut

Topping:

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 stick unsalted butter cut into chunks

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 1/2 tsp. light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a small bowl stir together the oats and the 1/4 cup of hot water and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed beat together the brown sugar, butter, and salt until fluffy. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Beat in on low speed, the flour and the oat mixture until well blended. Fold in the pecans and coconut and spread evenly into the baking dish using your fingers to press it down. Bake off for 25-30 minutes in the top third portion of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is nicely browned.

Meanwhile, while the crust is cooling, in a 2 quart saucepan combine the pecans and the cut up butter. Bring it to a simmer over medium high heat and cook stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until the butter is browned a little. Using a long handled wooden spoon add the brown sugar, salt, heavy cream, and corn syrup. Stir constantly until evenly incorporated. Return it to a boil and boil briskly for exactly 2 minutes. Remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Immediately spread the topping over the warm crust. Let set until completely cool. When cutting use care not to drag the knife because it will rip the delicate bars apart. Instead, use a knife and press it in slowly as you make your cuts. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Enjoy!

Lots of Cupcakes!

My oldest niece Nina, just turned 7 a little while back and my sister Adrienne asked me to make cupcakes for her birthday party! I was informed that Nina doesn't like regular cake and that she wanted brownie cupcakes and then regular cupcakes for the rest of the guests that enjoy vanilla cake. So here it is! Recipes adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes! cook book.


For the Brownie Cupcakes:
4 oz. unsweetened chcolate

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup flour

1 tsp. vanilla

4 lg. eggs

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. And line cupcake pans. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a saucepan making sure not to burn the chocolate and transfer to a bowl. Add the sugar, flour, and vanilla and beat well. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly dispursed. Fill each liner until 3/4 full and bake off for 20 minutes. Make 18-24 medium sized cupcakes.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups confectionars' sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup milk.

Cream the butter and vanilla together on medium speed. In a separate bowl combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture until fully integrated. Slowly add the milk to get the desired consistency.

For the Golden Cupcakes:
2 sticks unsalted butter room temp.

2 cups granulated sugar

4 lg. eggs separated

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tins. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat well. Add the vanill and mix. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix well. With clean beaters beat the egg whites until they form stiff peasks. Then fold into cupcake batter. Fill tins 1/2 way full and bake off for 20-25 minutes.

For the vanilla frosting:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 stick unsalted butter at room temp.

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. milk

Gradually add the sugar to the softened butter and cream together with an electric mixer. Stir in the vanilla and milk. Beat until smooth and of the consistency that you desire. For the above cupakes I just added a few drops of red food coloring to make the frosting pink.

For the decorations I used fondant and colored it brown and pink using icing paste and kneaded it until it came out the color I wanted then I used little cutters to make the flour shapes.

Enjoy!

Blackened Salmon Salad

During the summer I had the pleasure of working at this awesome seafood bar/grill that was right on the waterfront. This blackened salmon salad was my favorite item on the menu, so I decided to replicate it, but put my own spin on the dish.

Walnuts

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup Crasins or other dried sweetened cranberries

Grape tomatoes cut in half

Romaine lettuce

Blue cheese dressing

Poppy seed dressing

Salmon (however many servings you want will depend on the amount of fish you buy)

Salmon seasoning rub (I like McCormick's salmon seasoning)

Olive oil

First prep all your ingredients but the salmon.

Take however many walnuts you would like and place them on a baking sheet and toss with the sugar. Place in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes until they become candied. Next, cut your tomatoes and wash your lettuce. Finally take equal parts poppy seed dressing and blue cheese and mix them together. Place lettuce, Crasins, candied walnuts, and tomatoes in your salad bowl and toss around.

For the salmon take a non-stick skillet and put about 1 tbsp of olive oil in it. Unwrap salmon and coat the non skin side with your seasoning rub making sure to get the sides. Place your fillets on the skillet skin side down. Let them cook for about 4-5 minutes. Flip to the other side and peel the skin off. It should easily just come right off and discard. Take more seasoning and coat the side where the skin was. After about 5 minutes flip the salmon back over and cook for another 4-5 minutes so that side that once had the skin can now blacken. Place your fillets in the oven at 350 degrees in a baking dish and bake until the flesh is light pink and flakes away easily. Your cooking times will differ based on the thickness of your fish. Place the cooked salmon on top of your prepared salad and drizzle with the dressing.

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Death by Chocolate Cookies

My Brother recently just ruptured his Achilles Tendon and so I thought that I would make him some cookies and send them to him in the mail, I mean who wouldn't love these rich chocolaty cookies?
Here is the recipe taken from The All American Cookie Book.

1 Cup of unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted.
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8th tsp. of salt
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 Tsp. real vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 cookie sheets or line them with waxed paper.
In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment or with a hand held mixer beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until smooth being sure to scrape down the edges. Next, add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat (cautiously) or stir in the flour until it's all incorporated. Then finally mix in the white and semisweet chocolate chips.

Use a tablespoon and form balls and place them on a cookie sheet (about the size of a golf ball) 2 1/2 inches apart. Flatten the balls with your fingers so they will all be the same thickness. Bake off in the oven for about 9-12 minutes or when you press on the middle the cookie is slightly firm. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes. These are best eaten within the day they are made but if wrapped properly should stay for at least 3 days.
Enjoy!

Hearty Beef Stew

So for my first real post I probably should have put something that had to do with baking but I couldn't resist this awesome recipe. My Mom is a simple but amazing cook and baker and she gave me this recipe for a hearty beef stew that hits the spot on those below zero nights! Give it a try and you definitely won't regret it.
2-3 packages of stew beef
1 large onion
1 garlic clove
Chopped into large chunks:
Carrots
Potatoes (whichever kind you like)
Green Beans
Salt & Pepper
Flour
Olive Oil
Boiling water
Small can of tomato sauce sans tomato chunks
1. Mince garlic and onion and sautee for about 2 mintes in a large pot with some olive oil.
2. Mix a good amount of flour (enough to coat the meat) with salt and pepper. Put your stew beef in the flour mixture and dredge.
3. Turn the heat down to low on the burner and put the flour covered meat into the pot and brown. Make sure to mix the meat around so it browns evenly and to keep the flame on low so you don't burn the meat.
4. Once browned, pour boiling water over the meat just enough so that it covers it. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 15 mintes.
5. Next take your small can of tomato sauce and pour into mixture and add pepper and a little salt and mix. Then add about 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and let simmer another 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes add all of your vegetables and cover cooking for 1-1.5 hours or until the meat is tender.
Enjoy!

First Post!

Heyy! So my name is Stephanie and I have been thinking about making a blog for a while and today was the day that I said why not, so here it is! I hope that you enjoy reading about my adventures in baking and take some things and use them to make yourself or someone else some goodies for their sweet tooth!