Chocolate chip cake bars with salted chocolate glaze

I LOVE sweet and salty combinations, and these chocolate chip cake bars from How Sweet It Is didn't disappoint!  I made these for the Bachelor finale and they were quickly devoured.  I sprinkled extra kosher salt on top because... it's just what I do.

Chocolate Chip Cake Bars with Salted Chocolate Glaze

6 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

3 eggs

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

For the salted chocolate glaze:

8 ounce high-quality chocolate, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add vanilla; add eggs one at a time. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk and ending with the dry ingredients. Toss chocolate chips with a tiny bit of flour and them fold them into the batter. (This is supposed to keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom, but mine did anyway. Not a big deal, in my opinion).

Spray a 9x13 cake pan or baking dish with non-stick spray. Layer with parchment paper and spray again. Pour batter in pan and spread evenly. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

To prepare glaze, melt the chocolate in a double-boiler, or in a glass bowl in the microwave (30 second increments). Stir in sea salt and pour over chocolate chip cake.  Sprinkle tops with kosher or seal salt, optional.

Spicy cinnamon-chocolate brownies

I made these spicy cinnamon-chocolate brownies from Giada de Laurentiis for our Bachelor watch party, and they were a big hit.  Who wouldn't love a brownie smothered with a thick layer of chocolate buttercream??  (If the word "spicy" scares you, then omit the cayenne pepper- but personally, I think spicy chocolate is a match made in heaven).

Ingredients

Brownies:

• Vegetable oil cooking spray, for greasing pan
• One 21-ounce box brownie mix, such as Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Chocolate Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• Ground cinnamon, for dusting

Instructions

For the brownies: Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line the dish with a 15-inch-square piece of parchment paper, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Blend together the brownie mix, eggs, vegetable oil, 1/4 cup water, cinnamon and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Beat the mixture for 1 minute using an electric hand mixer on medium speed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted about 1-inch from the edge of the baking dish comes out clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.

For the buttercream: Place the cream and chocolate chips in a medium bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and refrigerate until thick, 20 minutes. Add the butter and cocoa powder and beat the mixture on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Spread the buttercream over the cooled brownie layer. Dust with the cinnamon and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Lift the brownie layer from the pan, using the excess paper for handles. Run a thin spatula underneath the brownie layer to loosen it from the parchment paper. Cut into 24 brownies and serve.

Note: The buttercream can be made ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Allow the buttercream to come to room temperature for 30 minutes then beat until smooth enough to spread.

Beef and bean burritos

We made the Pioneer Woman's beef and bean burritos a few weeks ago for a quick, delicious dinner.  She mentioned a particular Mexican tomato sauce (El Pato hot tomato sauce), so I sought it out at my local Hispanic market.  A few days later I saw it at Target, so hopefully it's easily accessible for you, too!  (We made the basic version without optional fillings, and it really doesn't get any easier than this!)


BEEF AND BEAN BURRITOS
Yield: 6 burritos

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 of an onion, chopped
• 1 can (7 Ounce) Mexican Tomato Sauce Or Enchilada Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Cumin, Oregano, Chili Powder, Garlic To Taste
• 1 15 oz can refried beans
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 flour tortillas
• Extra Grated Cheese, For Sprinkling
• Extra Sauce, For Drizzling
• Cilantro, Optional
• Optional Filling Ingredients: Mexican Rice, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Green Chilies, Pico De Gallo

Instructions

Brown ground beef with onion and season to taste. Pour in sauce and simmer over low heat. Add water if mixture gets too dry.

Heat refried beans in a saucepan. Add cheese and stir in till melted. Keep warm.

Heat tortillas in microwave for one minute.

Spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add meat. Fold over ends, then roll up. Place two burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Drizzle red sauce over the top and sprinkle with more grated cheddar. Microwave for one minute, or until cheese is melted and burritos are very hot. Serve immediately.

OPTIONAL: Fill burritos with any additional ingredients you like. 

Banana bread

A few weeks ago I was looking for something creative and simple to make for our weekly Bachelor watch party, when I came across this recipe for bourbon banana bread from Smitten Kitchen.  I had all of the ingredients on hand, so I whipped it up in no time.  I made two mini loaves so I could experiment a bit- one loaf from the original recipe, and one with chocolate chips added.  Usually the addition of chocolate chips is a no-brainer, but Robert actually said he preferred the plain version.  Go figure.  Both ways are delicious, and I'm sure there are other variations that would be a hit as well!  

3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup salted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, and mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Note: I made two mini-loaves versus one large, and baked them at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.  

Sweet pork tacos with avocado cream

I saw this recipe for Sweet pork tacos with avocado cream on fellow blogger Erin's site, Baking and Eggs. They were a big hit at our house, and we'll definitely be making them again!  The pork is cooked in the Crock Pot (yay!), and the avocado cream is simply fantastic.   I used a nifty trick from Pinterest to make crispy taco shells out of flour tortillas- have you seen this yet?  You heat your oven to 350 degrees, then drape flour tortillas over the grates of your oven racks and bake for 10 minutes.  The tortillas get crispy and make the perfect taco shell, with a flat bottom and all!!  Genius, if you ask me.

SWEET PORK TACOS WITH AVOCADO CREAM
Serves: 4

For the pork:
3 lbs pork loin roast or pork shoulder
2 cups salsa
4 oz can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

For the avocado cream:
1 large avocado, mashed
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons low fat sour cream
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste

To serve:
Hard taco shells or tortillas
Optional toppings include sliced onions, shredded cheese, salsa, and shredded lettuce

In the bottom of your slow cooker, combine salsa, green chilies, brown sugar, onion and black beans.  Mix well.  Add pork roast and cook on low for 7-9 hours.  Remove the pork and shred with a fork. Return meat to slow cooker and mix meat into the sauce.  Continue to cook another 30 minutes - 1 hour with lid off to thicken the sauce a little bit.

Meanwhile, to prepare the avocado cream, add green onions, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, chile powder, salt and pepper to mashed avocado and mix well. 

To serve, scoop sweet pork into hard taco shells and top with avocado cream and any other desired toppings.

Caramelized apple grilled cheese

We tried Closet Cooking's caramelized apple grilled cheese sandwich last week.  Have you been to his site?  He's the master of grilled cheese sandwiches.  This was another winner, with the sweet, warm apples marrying with the sharp cheddar cheese.  Such a quick, simple meal, and who doesn't love a grilled cheese??


CARAMELIZED APPLE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES
Yield: 2 sandwiches


Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter (divided- 1 for the apple mixture and 2 to butter your bread)
1 tbsp brown sugar
Dash of cinnamon
1 apple (peeled, cored, and sliced)
4 thick slices of sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices of bread


Directions:
Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  Add the sugar and cinnamon and cook until bubbly.  Add the apples and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Assemble cheese and apples between your slices of buttered bread, and grill until golden brown on both sides (we did ours in a panini maker).

Greek nachos

As soon as I saw this recipe for Greek Nachos from Closet Cooking, I knew I had to make it for Robert.  He is a huge fan of Greek food... and I'm not.  I'm not anywhere near vegetarian, but I am not adventurous when it comes to meat.  I'll stick with beef, pork and chicken, thankyouverymuch.  We have a great Greek restaurant near our house, and Robert  raves about their gyro meat.  (Thankfully they make a pretty good pepperoni pizza to satisfy me and the kids).  So even though I was tempted to substitute ground beef for the lamb in this recipe, I decided to make a sacrifice and cook it the way I knew Robert would enjoy it the most.  It WAS Valentine's Day, after all.

GREEK NACHOS
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 whole wheat pitas, cut into wedges and toasted
1 pound Greek seasoned ground lamb (recipe below)
1 cup tzatziki (recipe below)
4 ounces feta, crumbled
1/2 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped


Directions:
Assemble the nachos, layering as you please.


SEASONED GROUND LAMB

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound ground lamb

Directions:
1. Mix the onion, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, yogurt, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.
2. Marinate the lamb in half of the mixture for 30 minutes.
3. Brown the lamb in a pan over medium heat.
4. Drain the grease.
5. Mix in the remaining marinade and cook for a few minutes more.

TZATZIKI SAUCE

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded, squeezed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or mint
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix everything and let chill in the fridge for an hour or more to let the flavors mingle.

Baked pumpkin spice donuts

So I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond last week for a kitchen timer and left with a handful of items that weren't on my list.  One of those items was a doughnut pan. Taking the girls to get donuts is considered a treat because they insist on getting ones with frosting AND sprinkles, and they also insist on eating two.  EVERY TIME.  The words sugar overload come to mind.  Anyway, I thought this would be a great way to eat donuts in a (slightly) healthier way because they are baked instead of fried.  First up were these baked pumpkin spice donuts from Confections of a Foodie Bride.  Making your own donuts doesn't take ALL the fun away, because we still dipped them in chocolate and covered them in sprinkles.  Oh, and I totally counted the pumpkin as a vegetable serving for the day.  Sue me.

BAKED PUMPKIN SPICE DONUTS

Yield: 6 donuts

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp butter, cold

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp canned pumpkin

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 oz dark chocolate

1 tsp vegetable oil, shortening, or coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Spray a donut pan with baking spray.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, mix the flour, sugar, and butter on low until the butter is incorporated.
4. Add baking powder, spices, and salt, mixing until combined.
5. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.
6. Transfer batter (it will be a little thicker than your standard cake batter) to a ziptop bag.
7. Snip off the corner of the bag (make the opening ~ 3/4 inch) and pipe the batter into the donut wells until 1/2 - 3/4 cup full (you'll get exactly 6 donuts; the batter is thick and holds it's shape, it won't really settle or bake smoothly if you spoon it into the pan).
8. Bake 8-12 minutes, until the top of the donut springs back when lightly tapped.
9. Let cool in pan 3 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
10. To make the glaze, melt chopped chocolate in the microwave with oil/shortening. Stir until smooth.
11. Dip the donuts into the chocolate and add sprinkles while the chocolate is still soft.
12. It's easier to store unglazed donuts in a ziptop bag so only glaze the ones you are eating right away and store the leftover chocolate in the fridge to glaze the others later. They'll stay fresh for 3 days.

Spicy stewed beef with grits

We made this spicy stewed beef with grits from the Pioneer Woman for dinner this week, and Robert promptly declared it one of the best things I've EVER made.  In fact, he can't stop talking about it.  We used our favorite grit recipe from Food + Wine magazine, so if you prefer the Pioneer Woman's version with cheese and bell pepper you can find that recipe here.  Run, don't walk, to make this for dinner tonight.


Spicy Stewed Beef with Grits
Serves: 6


Ingredients:


1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cubed
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
2 cups low-sodium beef stock
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup quick grits
Kosher salt and black pepper


Directions:

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over high heat. Throw in meat and brown for 1 minute, then add chipotle peppers, beef broth, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Stir, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender and the liquid is thick. (Watch the meat occasionally and add more beef broth as needed.)


For the grits, combine the stock, cream, butter and garlic in a large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits and cook over low heat, whisking often, until thick and completely smooth, about 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.  Serve meat - juice and all - over the grits.

Muddy buddies

I don't even know if I consider this a recipe, but Chex muddy buddies are super-simple and delicious so I'm sharing it anyway.  I've made it twice recently- first as a party favor for Lucy's "snow day" party, and again for a Bachelor watch party.  


Ingredients:
9 cups Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, Rice Chex, Chocolate Chex, and pretzels (make your own   
   combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Makes 18 1/2 cup servings