Never Mind the Starbucks

I made these in an attempt to appease all of the Starbucks lovers that come into the Iron Horse, asking for White Chocolate Mochas. They didn't sell nearly as well as I expected them to, but they looked festive.



By the way, does anyone know what a White Chocolate Mocha really is? Is it supposed to be white milk with white chocolate flavoring or chocolate milk with the white chocolate flavoring? I just sort of crap-shoot it every time someone asks for one.



White Chocolate Mocha Bars
Makes 24 bars

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons instant coffee
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a jelly roll pan.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Flatten into jelly roll pan.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; cut into bars.

The 12-Step Program for Cinnamon Rolls

There are a few things that I did wrong with the Simple Sweet Dough recipe when I halved it. Let's list them:
A. I used three times the amount of butter needed (1 1/2 cups, as opposed to 1/2 cup).
B. I don't have a standing mixer and I don't have a paddle attachment.
C. I failed to finish Step 1 properly; I didn't let the yeast become bubbly.

I think A is the most serious offense, though.



Other than the rolls being very, very, very tender and buttery (due to A), they were good. All they really needed was a little more salt in the dough and a little more cinnamon in the filling, and perhaps in the frosting, and who knows? Those things could have been fixed by using less butter. Unfortunately, I will have to make these again to find out how they really taste.



The entirety of this recipe comes from a blog called Pittsburgh Needs Eated



Simple Sweet Dough
Makes enough for 2 pans of cinnamon rolls

4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup milk
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Rinse a small bowl in hot water to warm it. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the warm water to the bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water; don't stir. Cover the bowl with a saucer and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Stir it briefly with a fork, cover again, and let it stand for 2 to 4 minutes more, or until bubbly.

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix on low speed the 3 cups of flour, remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, and the salt. Add the slightly firm cubed butter and continue to mix until meal-sized crumbs form, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the temperature of the butter. Stop the mixer.

In a small, separate bowl, mix the milk, egg yolks, and vanilla with a fork. Add the milk mixture to the flour, along with the dissolved yeast, and mix on low speed for about 15 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix on low speed for another 30 seconds, or until smooth dough is formed. Don't worry if the dough is sticky; this is a soft dough.

Lightly butter a medium bowl for storing the dough. Empty the dough into the prepared bowl, smoothing the top with lightly-floured hands. Spread a thin layer of softened butter over the top and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a least one night and up to 3 days. If making cinnamon buns, be sure to remove the dough from the refrigerator 1 to 1 1/2 hours before using.

Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 9 rolls

1/2 recipe Simple Sweet Dough
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons, firmly packed, dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash
1 small recipe vanilla glaze, optional

Generously butter an 8-inch square pan. Line the bottom with parchment and set aside.

In a small bowl, using a wooden spoon, mi x the butter, sugars, syup, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.

Place the dough on a lightly-floured surface. Gently knead six or eight times to coat with flour. Pat or shape the dough into a rectangle; roll the dough into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle with the 9-inch side parallel to the edge of the counter.

Spoon dollops of the cinnamon filling evenly across the dough. If the butter wasn't too soft, you should be able to spread the filling across the dough with your hands; make sure the leave a 1 1/2-inch border on the far edge. Lightly brush the border with the gg wash.

Starting at the side of the rectangle closest to you, roll the dough tightly. Pinch the seam well to seal the flap. roll the log back and forth a few times to seal the layers. With your hands, gently stretch the log until it measure about 12 inches in length.

Cut the log into 9 even pieces and place them cut-side-up in the baking pan, spacing them evenly. Press the tops of the buns gently to even the surface. Cover the pan with a tea towel and set it in a warm place to allow the buns to rise until puffy and almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

Before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gently brush the tops of the bunns with egg wash. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. If the buns are browning too quickly, lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the top to allow the center of the buns to bake through. Remove the buns from the oven and allow them to sit for 15 minutes. While the buns are cooling, make the glaze.

Invert the buns onto a cooling rack or plate and remove the parchment paper. Invert the buns once more onto a rack or plate and drizzle with glaze while they are still warm.


Vanilla Glaze

2/3 cup strained powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons very hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
dash of salt

Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of the hot water with the rest of the ingredients. Stir until smooth and add the rest of the hot water or more as needed to make a thin glaze.

Be sure to make this just before using, as it gets crusty very quickly. Milk or cream can be substituted to make a creamier glaze.

Peanut Butter Lovers

I found the recipe for these Peanut Butter Bars somewhere online the summer before I went to college. I remember the first time I made them; our friends had organized a potluck picnic and I had nothing to do all day before it began. So, I looked up a recipe and found this one; they were a huge hit. One guy in particular ate half the pan.



On repeats of this recipe, the same thing always happens; everyone tries one and one person in particular eats five or six. The point is, they're very good and fairly easy, although I don't make them very often. These bars are dense, chewy, creamy, and above all, very very peanut butter-y.



Peanut Butter Bars
Makes 8 large or 16 regular bars

1 1/4 cups creamy or crunchy peanut butter (I usually do a combination of the two)
1 1/2 cups firmly-packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, extrememly softened
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

Combine peanut butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and butter in a large bowl; mix until smooth. Stir in eggs and beat until well mixed.

In another bowl, combine cinnamon, flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture until completely combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides.

First Day of Spring

I honestly have no idea where I got this recipe, but I'm pretty sure it was vegan when I found it. Slowly I've added all sorts of animal by-products and other assorted ingredients and now I guess it's technically mine.



This is a very hearty fall/winter quickbread that I'm posting about at exactly the wrong time. People will eat it year round, however because it's mild and sweet and a good accompaniment to coffee. I like to coarsely chop the pecans, while the original asked for finely-chopped, but that's just because I like big crunchy things in my breads to add some interest and texture. I think my favorite part of this bread is that it has a crusty outside, which doesn't often happen when it comes to quickbread.



Don't be afraid to give this to a picky eater or someone who especially dislikes oatmeal; after the bread is baked, the quick oats are barely discernible.



Maple Oat Pecan Bread
Makes 2 loaves

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup maple syrup
6 tablespoons (3/8 cup) packed brown sugar
3 cups buttermilk*
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottoms only of two nine-inch bread pans.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk together until blended. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil until smooth. Whisk in the maple syrup, brown sugar, and buttermilk. Stir in the oats and pecans.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour into pans, smooth top, and bake until golden-brown and a tester inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean, about 60 minutes.

*To make buttermilk, take 3 cups of milk and add 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to it. Let sour for at least 10 minutes and use in place of buttermilk.

Another One for Your Afternoon Tea

The cookie book (500 Cookies) that I got this particular cookie recipe from frequently calls for superfine sugar. The book also specifies that you can make your own by putting the sugar in a food processor and blending it. Further investigation into castor sugar talked about how it only really needed to be superfine if the recipe depended on the ability of the sugar to dissolve quickly. Anyway, I usually don't have the time or foresight to blend all of my sugar before using, so I always tend to just use plain granulated sugar.



I made these butter cookies for gb, and they actually ended up being refrigerated a lot longer than recommended (about two days), due to an incident with Velveeta and hamburger buns. This ended up only making the cookies easier to slice off and the end result was creamy, buttery, and a little salty.



All in all, the cookies were very suitable for a teatime or if you're feeling creative, you could make a filling or put jam in between the cookies.



Butter Cookies
Makes 2 1/2 dozen

1 cups unsalted butter
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/2 teaspons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy, but not fluffy!

Add the salt and flour and mix to a smooth paste.

Shape the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches thick, wrap in foil and refrigerate for 2 hours until the dough is firm.

When ready to bake the cookies, cut the log into 1/4-inch-thick slives. Place the slices 1 1/2 inches apart on a non-stick baking sheet or use parchment on a standard baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

And Eating It Too

This post is actually about something I ate, but didn't make. My mom found a cake recipe she wanted try in the latest issue of Epicurious.



She rarely has the time or ability (what with me hogging the oven) to bake anything, so she leapt at the chance and made the cake while I worked one night. She and my dad even waited to cut it until after I got home so that I could take pictures, awww.



This cake was delicious; the glaze was sweet and tart at the same time, and the cake was moist all over and a little salty in contrast to the glaze. The blueberry sauce on top was warm, sweet, and sticky, and an excellent addition to the cake.



Lemon Glaze

1 1/2 cups packed powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons or more fresh lemon juice

Combine powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir with a spoon until smooth and paste-like, adding more lemon juice by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to spread. Set aside.


Lemon Cornmeal Cake
Makes 8 to 10 servings

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon finely-grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan with at least 2-inch-high sides; line bottom with parchment.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; whisk to blend. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, lemon peel, and vanilla in small bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture and melted butter into flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold liquids into flour mixture until just blended (do not stir). Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly.

Bake cake until tester inserted in the center comes out clean and cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

Immediately run a knife around the sides of the cake. Invert the cake onto a rack or plate; while the cake is still hot, drop glaze by tablespoonfuls and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edge.


Crushed-Blueberry Sauce
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed (13 to 14 ounces), divided
2/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely-grated lemon peel
Pinch of salt

Combine 1 1/2 cups blueberries and all remaining ingredients in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer, about 7 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until berries are very soft and liquid is syrupy, stirring often, about 7 minutes.

Remove from heat and add remaining blueberries. Using back of spoon, gently press fresh blueberries against side of pan until lightly crushed.

Something About the Kitchen Sink

I've been a Girl Scout for 14 years, and recently have been promoted to being a leader. We have meetings once a month, on the first Wednesday and the person supplying snacks is in constant rotation. The one consistent thing about our meetings is that I almost always bake something.



This month, I made cookies because...just about everyone loves cookies. The recipe I settled on was found in a cookie book I got for my birthday last year.



The recipe here is a little different from the one found in the book: I added vanilla, cinnamon, coconut, and peanuts. Those can all be taken out if you'd like, but I recommend keeping the cinnamon, just because it really helps bring out the milk chocolate. Plus, I made a half recipe because 5 dozen cookies is a lot. When cooked for 12 minutes, these cookies were chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside - perfect.



Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes about 5 dozen cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnnamon
1 cup unsalted butter,
softened
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
1 cup peanuts, chopped or whole (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and granulated and brown sugars until light and creamy, about three minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, graduallly add flour mixture, beating until blended.

With a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips and coconut.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes or until light golden.