Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Peanut butter and chocolate just might be one of the greatest pairings ever. When I first encountered a Reese’s peanut butter cup three years ago, I thought it was such an interesting combination of ingredients. Whoever came up with the idea to combine peanut butter and chocolate was a pure genius.

I was reminded of my love for pb and choc by my friend Jenny, who made peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes during finals period last week. In fact, I got a personal delivery to the library! A link to her blog and to the recipe can be found here.

I’ve recently become a frequent user of Pinterest. It’s such a cute website, full of stunning photography, crafty ideas, and beautiful creations of all sorts. I came across a pin for these peanut butter truffle brownies while getting my daily dose of Pinterest a few weeks ago, and I knew I just had to make them.

With a new camera in hand, I had lots of fun taking plenty of photos. Maybe I went overboard a little. Somehow, I managed to take over 80 pictures, making choosing which ones to post a difficult decision. Oh well. I’ve no one to blame but myself. Or my camera…

Ingredients

Brownie layer:
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder

Peanut butter layer:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp milk

Chocolate ganache layer:
¼ cup peanut butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate
¼ cup butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.
2. First, make the brownie bottom. In a medium bowl, mix together oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Stir into the wet mixture until well blended. Spread batter into greased pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let the brownie cool.
4. While the brownie is cooling, make the peanut butter layer. Combine the peanut butter layer ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Spread onto the cooled brownie. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until the filling is set.
5. To make the ganache layer, combine peanut butter, chocolate, and butter in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or use a double boiler). Melt the ganache ingredients together and stir to combine.
6. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Place in the refrigerator to set, approximately 30 minutes. Cut into squares to serve.

Healthy Waffles with Fresh Strawberries

…And that’s a wrap! On winter term that is. A few snow showers, too many Collis smoothies, and numerous floor movie nights later, here I am again, back home relaxing and blogging. I can’t believe I’m already two-thirds into with my freshman year at Dartmouth. As cliché as it sounds, it seems like it was just yesterday when I was welcomed to my home away from home.

Back in Philly with the pantry fully stocked, I’m eager to begin experimenting in the kitchen again. I no longer have to ask the entire dorm for an egg, or resort to using only vegan recipes when my baking supplies are low.

I’ve always been a big fan of breakfast, but it’s difficult to get a healthy one in college when waking up before 9 is a tremendous feat. Most days, my breakfast just ends up being a granola bar and a cup of coffee. Sometimes, I crawl to our campus café for a nourishing bowl of oatmeal; I hardly ever make it to the dining hall. This morning, I made these lite waffles for my sister right before she left for school. Yes, I had to wake up at 7am to do so. No more sleeping at 2 and waking up at 9 for me. I’m determined to have a healthy sleep schedule this spring break.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup nonfat milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
Strawberries
Icing sugar (optional)
Syrup, agave nectar, or honey (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Make a well in the center.
2. Combine milk, lemon juice, oil, and egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.
3. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray and follow the manual directions
4. Decorate with fresh strawberries. Dust with icing sugar and serve with syrup (or for a healthier alternative, agave nectar or honey) if desired.

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Like red and green, and red and gold, red and white are just one of those Christmas color combinations that were meant to be. I mean, it’s obviously pretty important considering it’s the color of Santa’s outfit and the color of candy canes.

The idea of Santa is charming. A man who gives out presents by the sleighload? Well, if only. I can’t quite remember when I stopped believing in Santa. It must’ve been gradual, since I don’t remember sitting down with my parents and having the talk. I’m not sure if my eight-year-old sister still believes in Santa. I guess I’ll continue to play the role the older sister is supposed to play and just wait for some 5th grader to tell her the truth. I hope my sister will realize that just because Santa only exists in the mind, does not mean he’s not just as magical, especially if he can get kids to work harder in order to get on his nice list.

Ever wondered about the relationship between peppermint and Christmas? I’m surprised I haven’t actually. It’s just one of those accepted flavors that have become part of the holiday season, so who cares why? The point is that candy cane tastes delicious, and is a great addition to hot cocoa, cakes, and cookies, like these pinwheel cookies.

Ingredients

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp red food coloring

For the peppermint frosting:½ cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp peppermint extract
2 tbsp milk
1 crushed candy cane

Directions
1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until blended.
2. Combine flour and baking soda. Add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until mixed well.
3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Roll 1 portion of dough into a 12- x 8-inch rectangle on a piece of lightly floured plastic wrap.
4. Knead the food coloring into the remaining portion of dough. Roll the red dough into a rectangle like in Step 3. Invert the plain dough onto the colored dough. Peel off plastic wrap.
5. Cut dough in half lengthwise, forming 2 rectangles. Roll up each rectangle starting at 1 long side, using bottom piece of plastic wrap as a guide. Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for 4 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Cut dough into ¼ inch thick pieces, and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool cookies completely.
9. Sandwich with peppermint frosting.

For the peppermint frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar and continue beating on low until combined. Mix in peppermint extract, milk, and crushed candy cane.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

With just ten days until Christmas, the countdown has begun! Listening to B101’s nonstop festive music through the day, it really does feel like Christmas is around the corner. So begins the Christmas baking…

Christmas baking and the holiday season come hand in hand. It’s a great way to bond with family and friends, make fantastic edible presents, and an excuse to eat more sugar than normally acceptable. This time of the year, so many online recipe databases (like tastespotting.com) are covered with shades of white, red, and green that it’s hard to resist not trying a few recipes to experiment with.

These Christmas cookies were made with a simple sugar cookie dough, and then decorated with royal icing. In addition to being gracious noms, these cookies also make delectable Christmas tree ornaments. Simply poke a hole in the cookie before putting it in the oven and thread some tinsel or ribbon through. Hang it around the house and on the tree for a shortbread scent without the risk of burning your whole house down.

With the help of my two elves (thanks Jamie and Patty!) all the cookies turned out very festive indeed. If you so desire, you can even act out a scene with these cookies. Be careful though, once you make your food come to life, it’s difficult to let go of them. Especially when you give them names. Not saying I did or anything of course.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year
There'll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When love ones are near
It's the most wonderful time of the year…”

Lalalalaaa

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the royal icing:1 egg white
½ tsp lemon juice
1 ¾ cup confectioners sugar
Food coloring

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

3. Combine the flour and baking powder, then add to creamed mixture and mix well.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut out with Christmas cookie cutters and transfer to lined baking sheets.

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks. Decorate cookies with royal icing.

For the icing:In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and lemon juice together, adding the powdered sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Divide into bowls and add food coloring as desired.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls

So where have I been the past three months of my life? I guess you can say I’m been on a hiatus. Because while college certainly isn’t a cakewalk, it’s a break: a break from the high school days, a break from living with my parents, a break from seeing familiar faces everywhere I go, and a break from home-style food. College is different to high school (duh, my high school chemistry teacher said when I announced this profound fact to him). It’s more fun. There’s much more free time. People are nicer.

I think over the last three months and am reminded of the friendships made, the memories shared, the frat basements visited. Then there’s the screwed up hours of sleep, the ubiquitous complaints, the irrational demands, and the spontaneous acts. I think that Hanover must be magical. What other reason is there to explain how 1000 people will willingly run 115 (or rather, 15) laps around a gigantic bonfire? Or how strangers will pay for your meal because you absentmindedly left your ID back in your dorm? Or how the entire campus will have snowball fight at midnight in freezing temperatures?

I honestly thought I could keep up this blog during college, but to my shame and realization, I’ve pretty much neglected it. So now I’m in winter break with four weeks to do stuff. I’m going to try hard to make it a productive few weeks of catching up with friends, eating much-missed food, piano playing, leisurely reading, exercising, and visiting places. From this list, you can tell I haven’t really changed much. Besides a few pounds heavier (not quite up to the freshman 15 yet though…) and 3 classes more knowledgeable (in spite of the lost brain cells) I’m proud to say I’m still my old self.

Ingredients

1 cup pretzels
½ cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp oil
3 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
¾ cup semisweet chocolate
white chocolate (optional)

Directions

1. Put the pretzels into a plastic bag and crush into small pieces with a rolling pin.
2. Spoon the peanut butter in a medium bowl and stir in the oil. Pour the crushed pretzels in the peanut butter, add the confectioner’s sugar, and stir well.
3. Shape the peanut butter mixture into small rounds by rolling it in your hands. Place on a tray and put into the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Melt the semisweet chocolate in the microwave or on a double boiler. Carefully dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate to coat. If desired, melt some white chocolate and drizzle over the top.

Deep Dark Brownies

Photos for now

Recipe+blog to follow...

Rose Macarons

Ah… macarons. What makes you so special? What have you done to capture the interests of human beings? To take center stage in bakeries all over the world? To epitomize French sweets?

Sure you’re cute. But looks alone don’t get you anywhere in this world. Not today.

Macarons are indeed the daintiest of dainty lil fellas in the cookies category. I mean, a quick glance at one, and you won’t want to eat it and ruin its beauty. But then, one bite of one, and you won’t want to stop eating it.

The truth is though, I don’t even like them that much. Yes, I spent $6.75 on three quarter-sized macarons from a macaron café in NYC. And it’s true that I describe them like they’re my besties. And yes, I’m quite aware that I’ve blogged about mararons before. TWICE actually (the posts can be found here and here). But truth be told, I don’t think they’re worth all the fuss. I’d much rather indulge in a good chocolate chip cookie.

However, there’s just something about them that justifies spending 2 hours in the kitchen. Or maybe it’s simply that I’m never satisfied with the results. I know now for sure that the first time I made them, the texture was not right at all! But I did not let myself think that. Rather, I lied to myself, thinking that that was the way they were supposed to be. The second time I made macarons, the chocolate flavor was not quite rich enough. I also took a short cut by using marshmallow fluff to sandwich the cookies together instead of making a buttercream or chocolate ganache. And while I won’t say that I’ve nailed them this time round, I’m definitely improving. My macarons are finally starting to have “feet” and stay soft and chewy on the inside, while being crisp on the outside.

Be on the watch out though, for “Macarons, Fourth Time Lucky.”

Ingredients

Macaron batter:1 ¼ cups icing sugar
1 cup finely ground almonds
6 tbsps egg whites (approximately from 3 large eggs)
pinch of salt
¼ cup white sugar
red food coloring

Jam buttercream:2 tbsp jam (I used rose)
½ stick butter
2-3 cups icing sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine the ground almonds and icing sugar in a bowl.
3. In a large dry bowl, beat egg whites with salt until foamy. Increase the speed to high and gradually add in the white sugar, beating until stiff peaks form and the whites are firm and shiny. Add a few drops of red food coloring and mix the color in well.
4. Gently fold the icing sugar mixture into the eggs whites, until incorporated and the mixture leaves a ribbon on the surface.
5. Pipe the batter onto parchment lined baking sheets. Tap the baking sheet to remove air bubbles. Let dry for 1 hour to allow skins to form.
6. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until the top is completely dry. Transfer parchment to a cooling rack.
7. When the macarons are completely cooled, sandwich macarons with the jam buttercream. Store in the refrigerator.

For the jam buttercream:
Whip the butter and jam together. Beat in small amounts of icing sugar, until the desired consistency.