Stephanies Kitchen

Snickers Snack Cake

May 15, 2008 By Steph 20 Comments

My friends and family all think that I’m loosing my mind. Why bake so much, they ask? Well, if I knew the answer to this, I might be able to get to the root of the problem and find a new hobby. But guess what, I don’t want to. I thoroughly enjoy baking. Even if I don’t eat but one taste, and take a photo, I’m totally satisfied. I just picked up Paula Deen’s Chocolate Celebration magazine that just came out. I saw it and immediately knew that I had to have it. There are many recipes bookmarked, but this one jumped out at a me. It reminded me of Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake, which is one of my favorite desserts ever. Hot cake and hot frosting oozing on top is nothing but purely delicious! I don’t use Paula’s recipes very often, too much butter and mayonnaise for me. Not that they are bad things, and I do use them a lot myself, but if I did eat like that all of the time, I would gain 10 pounds a month, and then I wouldn’t be able to stand on my bloated feet long enough to pour a glass of milk let alone bake the cookies to go with it! This particular cake I actually made for my friend and neighbor who just had a baby. I don’t think she was too happy with me when she saw the plate full of chocolate and snickers. Can you say temptation? Yes, you cannot resist this cake. I am a bad friend, and next time a friend has a baby I will bring over fresh fruit, but honestly you just had a baby.. you deserve to splurge! Anyways….if I ever made this cake again, the snickers are totally not necessary. They do add a bit of a different texture with the caramel and the peanuts, but it was sweet enough on it’s own. You can make your own choice, but either way this cake was delicious!

Snickers Snack Cake

Makes 10-12 servings

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Lightly grease foil.

2. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until combined. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Spread chocolate frosting over hot cake. Let cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.

Chocolate Frosting

Makes about 1 cup

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons buttermilk

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 (2.07 ounce) Snickers candy bars cut into 1/2 inch pieces

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add cocoa and buttermilk, whisking until cocoa dissolves. Gradually whisk in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Stir in Snickers bars. Immediately spread over hot cake.

Filed Under: desserts

Classic Italian Lasagna and Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

May 12, 2008 By Steph 17 Comments

My husband offered to make me dinner for Mother’s Day. I told him that it was so sweet to offer, but I had already planned my favorite meal out. I know, I’m crazy. A man offers to cook and you should always accept, but I had my heart set on Lasagna. I love Lasagna! I’ve never enjoyed making it much, so complex, so many different components to make. But because I love it so very much and I haven’t had it in a while, I decided to try Giada’s recipe, because the rest of her recipes have been so excellent. This was the BEST lasagna I have ever had. My favorite part is that she uses a marinara and bechemel sauce combined, instead of just a marinara sauce. It gives it such a creamy texture and it has the perfect flavor! The spinach adds a nice touch and of course the best part is the bubbling cheese on top! Yum! It tastes even better the second day because all of the flavors combine and it is just perfect! Give it a try, it is to die for!

Classic Italian Lasagna
adapted from Giada’s Everyday Italian

salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
15 dry lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups Bechamel Sauce (recipe to follow)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
1 1/2 pounds whole milk ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10 ounce) pkgs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the vegetable oil (prevents sticking). Cook the lasagna until almost al dente, about 6 minutes (the center of the pasta should remain somewhat hard so that it won’t overcook and become soggy when baked.) Drain, then rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking and help remove any excess starch. Cover lightly with a damp towel to prevent the pasta from drying out. Set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame. Add the ground beef and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and saute until the beef is brown, breaking up any large clumps, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain any excess fat. Let cool completely.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the bechamel and marinara sauces to blend. Season the sauce with more salt an pepper to taste.
5. In another medium bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to blend. Set aside. Spread the butter over a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Spoon 1/3 of the bechamel-marinara sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange 5 lasagna noodles atop the sauce, overlapping slightly and covering the bottom of the dish completely. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with the spinach. Arrange 5 more lasagna noodles atop the spinach, then top with the ground beef. Spoon one third of the remaining bechamel-marinara sauce over, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining 5 sheets of lasagna noodles. Spoon the remaining bechamel-marinara sauce over the lasagna noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. (The lasagna can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Uncover before baking).
6. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with foil. Place the baking dish on the baking sheet. Bake until the lasagna is heated through and the top is bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Bechamel Sauce
makes 4 cups

5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups warm whole milk (I use 2 percent)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
pinch of white pepper (I use black pepper)
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I use dried)

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick, smooth, and ream, about 10 minutes. Do not allow bechamel sauce to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate.)

Now onto Dessert!!!!

A friend of mine brought this over to me after I had my last baby. I fell in love with it, it’s simplicity and wonderful flavor combinations! I make it all the time now and it is so good, it doesn’t take long to finish the whole pie! Trust me, it is worth EVERY last calorie!!!

Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

1 store bought oreo pie shell (or make one at home)
1/2 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream
cool whip
caramel
hot fudge sauce
coursely crushed oreo cookies

There are no measurements, because you can put as much of everything as you desire. Make it your own!

On the bottom of the pie shell, drizzle carmel and hot fudge sauce. Soften ice cream, and scoop into the pie shell until 3/4 of the way full. Top with cool whip and top that with the oreo cookies. Drizzle more caramel and hot fudge sauce and put back in the freezer to firm up. Yum!!!!!

Filed Under: desserts, main dishes, pasta

Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats

May 10, 2008 By Steph 19 Comments

I feel like I’ve been away forever. This last week was crazy busy, with a funeral, kids, and whatever else I was busy doing. It’s funny that I can’t actually remember what I was so busy with, but I swear I was…oh well. I’m back and I’ve got a no-brainer recipe here, but it’s sooo yummy and if you haven’t tried this version of rice krispy treats, than you have to! It’s delicious and I can eat the entire pan by myself. I try not to, but I could. Easily. A friend of mine made them for a church function and I fell in love. I don’t think I could ever go back to regular rice krispies, okay I could, because they are so yummy as well, but these are a step up! What could be better than marshmallows, rice krispies, butter, and chocolate, right? Right!

Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats

1 large bag (10.5 oz.) of marshmallows

1/4 cup butter

6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

1 bag (10 oz.) milk chocolate chips

Melt marshmallow’s and butter in a microwavable safe bowl for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir until smooth. Add rice krispies and chocolate chips and mix until blended together. Place in 9 x 13 inch pan and pat down lightly with a buttered spatula. Easy!

The best part of these goodies are the chunks of chocolate that don’t melt all the way, and you bite into the treat and it is perfectly chewy and delicious!

Filed Under: chocolate, desserts, no bake desserts

Cinnamon Buns

May 6, 2008 By Steph 14 Comments

I have been trying to master cinnamon rolls for years! I have been married for 7 years, and every Sunday my husband has wanted cinnamon rolls. I haven’t always been into cooking and baking, so for 7 years I have been buying store bought packaged cinnamon rolls. He loves those things, and I have never understood why. I think they are far from good. So for 7 years, I have also been trying to master the perfect cinnamon roll so that my husband would not want the far from good ones any longer. I can’t believe it has taken me this long, but I have finally done it!!! Thanks to Melissa Murphy and her cookbook and one of my favorites, The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. Everything that I have made out of this book has been extraordinary. Her cinnamon buns are no exception. They are so sweet and light and delicious. I especially love the orange zest in the dough, it makes them different than any other cinnamon bun you have ever had, and it will be the last recipe you ever use. Yum!!!

Cinnamon Buns

For the dough:
1 large egg yolk
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar

For the egg wash:
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

For the cinnamon sugar:
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

To make the dough (first rise):
1. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, combine the egg yolk, milk, vanilla, zest, and one-third of the flour. Mix on medium speed until it is a smooth paste. Add the butter in pieces and mix to combine.
2. Change the mixer attachment to the dough hook. Add the remaining flour, the yeast, salt, and sugar and mix on low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dough forms a ball and is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl. The dough should be nice and elastic. If it is very sticky, slowly add up to 1/ 2 cup more flour.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4. When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. roll out the dough into a rectangle that is 12 inches wide by 18 inches long.
5. For the egg wash: In a small bowl, using a fork, whisk together the egg and milk. Using a pastry brush, brush it over the surface of the dough.
6. For the cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over the dough, leaving unsugared the bottom 1 inch of one long side of the rectangle.
7. Starting at the top edge of the rectangle, roll the dough toward you jelly-roll style and pinch the bottom seam closed. Slice the roll into 12 pieces approximately 1 1/2 inches thick, and place them cut side up about 2 inches apart. Spray the buns lightly with nonstick vegetable cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

To complete the buns:
1. When you are ready for the final rise, remove the buns from the refrigerator. Bring about 3 quarts of water to boil. Place an empty roasting pan large enough to hold the water on the bottom of your cold oven. Pour the boiling water into the pan.
2. Remove the plastic wrap from the buns. Position a rack in the center of your oven. Place the pan on the rack in the oven and shut the door. The steam of the water will help the buns in their final rise. The buns will just about double in size in 30-45 minutes. If they need more time, just boil some more water and refill the roasting pan. When the buns have doubled in volume,, remove them and the roasting pan from the oven.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. (Mine only took 35 minutes) Remove to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Spread each bun liberally with cream cheese frosting.

For cream cheese frosting: In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together 3 ounces cream cheese, 1 tablespoon whole milk, and 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Note: If you want to make them all in one day, just omit the refrigerator, it works just as well!

Filed Under: bread, breakfast

Oatmeal Chocolate and Cinnamon Chip Chipsters

May 1, 2008 By Steph 27 Comments

Ever since I saw Jenny at Picky Palate’s post about Cinnamon Chips, I have been on the hunt for these beauties! I finally found them at a local grocery store and went home and created a lovely cookie with Oatmeal, Chocolate Chips and Cinnamon Chips. Oh my, these cookies melt in your mouth. I can usually contain myself around cookies and limit myself to 2, but these cookies are on a whole different playing level. It’s so much different than just adding cinnamon. The cinnamon chips melt and combined with the chocolate and they truly are a delicacy! Yum, Yum and Yum, are the only three words that I can use to describe these delights. Make sure you pour yourself a glass of milk with these babies, dunking is perfect for these chewy cookies!
Oatmeal Chocolate and Cinnamon Chip Chipsters
recipe by stephanie
makes 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups cinnamon chips (I found Hershey brand)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 1 stick (1/2 cup) of the butter in a mixer until smooth. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. In a seperate bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt and whisk until combined. Add the remaining butter (1 stick) to the flour mixture and using your hands break up butter into flour until well combined and the butter is at least pea sized within the flour. Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture until well combined. Stir in oats, cinnamon chips and chocolate chips. Chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Scoop onto baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Tip: I baked 2 dozen and scooped the remaining dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer until frozen and than place in a ziplock freezer bag and bake at your own convenience! Fresh cookies any time you want!

Filed Under: cookies