3.02.2010
TWD: no toasted coconut custard tart here
After all that baking this weekend (I still have about 4 dozen cookies left in the kitchen!) I just couldn't bring myself to make the toasted coconut custard tart. It's a shame, because Mr. LITK loves coconut and this looks delicious! Check out Cinemon Girl for the recipe and I'll be back next week!
3.01.2010
homemade samoas
Girl Scout cookies. They bring back so many memories. I remember one year when I was a kid, my mom volunteered to be the "cookie mom" for my girl scout troop. It meant that every single box of cookies sold by the girls in my troop got delivered to our house. My mom and I spent hours sorting the boxes into giant piles for each girl to come and pick up. I remember Girl Scout camp. And "crossing the bridge" (I think going from Brownie to Girl Scout?) Oh, and I remember when Girl Scout cookies were $2.00 a box!
Samoas are Mr. LITK's favorite Girl Scout cookie. So when I came across this recipe for homemade samoas bars, I knew I HAD to make them for his birthday a couple of weeks ago. They turned out really well - the cookie base was a little crumbly, but I think that's because I didn't have any eggs (are we noticing a trend here? I'm always halfway through a recipe before I realize I'm missing something!) I subbed in a little bit of applesauce, but I think they would have held together better with an egg.
Honestly, if I closed my eyes and ate one of these, I would swear I was eating a real GS cookie. They were really good - and Mr. LITK loved them, which was the important part! If you love samoas or know someone who does, I definitely recommend making these!
Preheat oven to 350F.
Make the crust first by lightly greasing a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment (I used a hand mixer), cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together.
Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.
Samoas are Mr. LITK's favorite Girl Scout cookie. So when I came across this recipe for homemade samoas bars, I knew I HAD to make them for his birthday a couple of weeks ago. They turned out really well - the cookie base was a little crumbly, but I think that's because I didn't have any eggs (are we noticing a trend here? I'm always halfway through a recipe before I realize I'm missing something!) I subbed in a little bit of applesauce, but I think they would have held together better with an egg.
Honestly, if I closed my eyes and ate one of these, I would swear I was eating a real GS cookie. They were really good - and Mr. LITK loved them, which was the important part! If you love samoas or know someone who does, I definitely recommend making these!
Homemade Samoas Bars
recipe adapted from Baking Bites
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350F.
Make the crust first by lightly greasing a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment (I used a hand mixer), cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together.
Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.
Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened - I used sweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
In a dry non stick skillet over medium heat, add the coconut and toast on the stovetop. Be careful as they can toast up pretty quickly! Once toasted, set aside and allow to cool.
Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Put dollops of the coconut and caramel topping all over the cooled shortbread base. Using a small spatula, spread the topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled. When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper.
Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.
Put dollops of the coconut and caramel topping all over the cooled shortbread base. Using a small spatula, spread the topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled. When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper.
Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.
TWD: honey-wheat cookies
Last week Michelle of Flourchild picked Honey-Wheat Cookies for our weekly baking adventure. When I first read the recipe I was a little skeptical. No chocolate? No peanut butter? I'm not a huge fan of sugar cookies, and was concerned these were just a dressed up version. But I was wrong- these were fantastic! Light, chewy, the perfect hint of lemon... I'll definitely be making these again!
I couldn't find wheat germ at Dominick's, so I used oat bran - which I already had (I like adding oat bran of ground flaxseed to bread in the bread machine). It gave the cookies a wonderful chewy texture - and I loved how the dough is rolled in it before baking. The combination of honey and lemon was delicious and these would be perfect with a cup of tea!
I couldn't find wheat germ at Dominick's, so I used oat bran - which I already had (I like adding oat bran of ground flaxseed to bread in the bread machine). It gave the cookies a wonderful chewy texture - and I loved how the dough is rolled in it before baking. The combination of honey and lemon was delicious and these would be perfect with a cup of tea!
TWD Rewind: Dorie's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
For the February 16th TWD, Kait of Kait's Plate chose My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. In my opinion, chocolate chip is the quintessential cookie. Warm chocolate chip cookies and a tall glass of milk - delish! Usually I stick with the recipe on the back of the Tollhouse bag... Dorie's is pretty similar, but I was excited for a little variety.
fter reading the P&Q, I decided to decrease the butter and increase the flour (both by 1/2 cup) as suggested by some of the other bakers. I like my cookies like I like my brownies: gooey and chewy. No crispy cookies here. Luckily Mr. LITK feels the same way... and chocolate chip cookies are his fave.
These turned out really well. They spread out quite a bit, but stayed chewy, even after a few days. This could definitely be my new go-to recipe!
fter reading the P&Q, I decided to decrease the butter and increase the flour (both by 1/2 cup) as suggested by some of the other bakers. I like my cookies like I like my brownies: gooey and chewy. No crispy cookies here. Luckily Mr. LITK feels the same way... and chocolate chip cookies are his fave.
These turned out really well. They spread out quite a bit, but stayed chewy, even after a few days. This could definitely be my new go-to recipe!
TWD Rewind: Rick Katz's Brownies for Julia
Confession time. February came and went in the blink of an eye in the LITK household. There was a trip to NYC, a trip to Michigan, a visit from the in-laws, and 10 days of a terrible flu. So I've been a little behind in baking... until this weekend. I finally did some catching up and it's time for a blog update!
Back on February 9th Tanya of Chocolatechic chose Rick Katz's Brownies for Julia. I actually made these on time... but am just now getting around to posting! As far as brownies go, I am definitely in the gooey and fudgey camp. Have you ever seen that infomercial for the "perfect brownie pan"? The one that makes every single brownie an edge piece? That's my nightmare. Growing up, you could always tell when my brother and I had been in the brownies because there was a thin piece left all the way around the edge and the middle had been devoured. So I was excited for these brownies.
Overall they were good - rich and chewy. But I left them in the oven a little too long, so they weren't quite as gooey as I was hoping. Oh, and I was one egg short... so that might not have helped. I'll definitely make them again though!
Back on February 9th Tanya of Chocolatechic chose Rick Katz's Brownies for Julia. I actually made these on time... but am just now getting around to posting! As far as brownies go, I am definitely in the gooey and fudgey camp. Have you ever seen that infomercial for the "perfect brownie pan"? The one that makes every single brownie an edge piece? That's my nightmare. Growing up, you could always tell when my brother and I had been in the brownies because there was a thin piece left all the way around the edge and the middle had been devoured. So I was excited for these brownies.
Overall they were good - rich and chewy. But I left them in the oven a little too long, so they weren't quite as gooey as I was hoping. Oh, and I was one egg short... so that might not have helped. I'll definitely make them again though!
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