Chai Latte Brownies, and a kitchen FIASCO!

Lovely photo, right?
After a marathon of baking Friday and Saturday, I was on my last item in the packages, Chai Latte Brownies. I knew my oven had been a little hot all day (I had it set at 200 and things were burning), but after my brownies were in a "350 degree oven" for 10 minutes, the oven started beeping FIRE and smoke came POURING out of the oven. So I removed the scorched tray of brownies and turned off the oven, because I had to go to the store to get new/more ingredients. Well about 15 minutes later, it starts beeping FIRE again, and smoke is pouring out AGAIN!
Finally I figured out, my oven was stuck on at about 500 degrees!!! I called maintenance and they told me to turn off the circut breaker, so I did. Then I turned the circut breaker back on, and the oven automatically came back on to 500 degrees again! Ugh.
So I had only one way to make the brownies, our little toaster/convection oven that JJ uses to make his sandwiches every day!
I had no pans that fit in there besides pie plates, so I made 12 batches of brownies in pie plates in what JJ called, "my easy bake oven." NOT EASY! Well, easy, but time comsuming!
So, all who ordered packages, appreciate the Chai Latte Brownies, ok?! Thanks :)
We should be getting a new oven Monday... so I'm without an oven for 3 days... ugh.


Now on to the brownies... YUM! I love chai, chocolate, brownies, everything about these scream YUM! I did find the recipe was a little dry, so I adjusted it a bit and I think it came out much better.

Chai Latte Brownies

by Cooking Light

1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk (I used 1/3 c.)
3 cardamom pods, crushed
3 whole allspice, crushed
3 whole cloves

(I used 3 Tazo Chai Tea Bags)
1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 1/4)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used 1/3)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a large microwave-safe bowl; discard solids. Add chocolate chips and butter to milk mixture; microwave at HIGH 20 seconds or until chips and butter melt, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly; add eggs, stirring with a whisk.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring just until combined. Spread evenly into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 20 pieces.

*I used 2 pie plates to make these and cut them into 8 wedges each*

Pumpkin Spice Fudge

Again I took my basic fudge and changed it up by making it Pumpkin Spice. The best part, to me, is topping it with pepitas - toasted shelled pumpkin seeds!

Pumpkin Spice Fudge with Pepitas

4 c. sugar

1 5oz. can evaporated milk

2/3 c. canned pumpkin puree

1 c. butter

12 oz. white chocolate chips

7 oz. marshmallow creme

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. toasted pepitas

Line a 13x9x2 pan with aluminum foil, spray with nonstick spray.
In a heavy saucepot, melt butter, add in sugar, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil over medium high, then turn to medium and let mixture cook for 10 minutes. Continue to stir it as it bubbles.
Turn heat off, add in chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, spices, and vanilla. Stir vigorously until combined, pour into the casserole dish. While it's still warm, press in pepitas.
Set aside and cool for 2 hours before cutting.

White Chocolate Craisin Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookes are one of my favorites. To make this more fall-ish, I added some dried cranberries. They're soft, chewy, and delicious!

White Chocolate Craisin Oatmeal Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar

1 c. packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilal extract

3 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1 c. sweetened dried cranberries

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
Add flour, baking soda, poweder, and salt to butter mixture gradually, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in oats, white chocolate and cranberries.
Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 5 dozen.

Caramel Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies

I have seen this cookies made a million times, but never came across a recipe. I was reading a magazine and saw a giant ad with the cookie and this recipe! I had heard about Pumpkin Spice Kisses, and thought they would be great in these rather than plain kisses. I had no luck findind them, but I did find caramel kisses, and they are delicious! These cookies are so cute, easy and a real crowd pleaser!

Caramel Kiss Peanut Butter Blossoms

1 bag Caramel Kisses
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies

Once upon a time my husband came up with a fantastic idea - Pumpkin Buttercream! He didn't really know how to create it, but that's where I came in. I just added a bit of this and a bit of that, and it's now passed cream cheese icing as my favorite. Although... Pumpkin Creamcheese icing sounds amazing... hmm...
I am not a huge icing fan because it's just so sweet, but i could eat this stuff by the spoon fulls! I decided to use a basic sugar cookie as to not overpower the icing, and they made cute little sandwiches. The icing keeps the cookies moist, and they're just so festive.

Pumpkin Buttercream Sandwich Cookies

1 batch of sugar cookie dough, cut in pumpkins, baked and cooled

Pumpkin Buttercream:
2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temp.
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 lbs. confectioner's sugar (more or less)


In a stand mixer, cream butter and pumpkin. Turn to low, add in cinnamon, ginger, salt and vanilla. Slowly add sugar 1/2 c. at a time until the buttercream is creamy and no longer seperating (the pumpkin will make it look grainy if there isn't enough sugar mixed in).
Store in a tupperware container at room temp for a week, or in the fridge for a month, or freezer forever!

Maple Pecan Fudge

I love to take basic fudge recipes and play around with them to create flavors. This is similar to maple candy, but much creamier. They are so cute too, topped with a pecan on each square!

Maple Pecan Fudge

3 c. sugar

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1 5 oz. can evaporated milk

1/2 c. pure maple syrup

1 c. butter

12 oz. white chocolate chips

7 oz. marshmallow cream

100 pecan halves

Line a 13x9x2 pan with aluminum foil, spray with nonstick spray.

In a heavy saucepot, melt butter, add in sugars and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil over medium high, then turn to medium and let mixture cook for 10 minutes. Continue to stir it as it bubbles.

Turn heat off, add in syrup, chocolate chips, and marshmallow creme. Stir vigorously until combined, pour into the casserole dish. While it's still warm, press in pecan halves.

Set aside and cool for 2 hours before cutting.

Ginger Cookies

These are one of my favorite cookies. I love ginger and tons of spice, and a soft, chewy cookie is the best. These are very easy to make from on hand ingredients, and they're perfect for ice cream sandwiches with pumpkin or vanilla ice cream!

Ginger Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookies
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 egg
3 tablespoons molasses
2 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup granulated sugar with butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg and molasses.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and spices. Add to butter mixture and blend well.
3. Fill a shallow bowl with granulated sugar. Break off walnut-size pieces of dough and roll into balls; roll balls in sugar. Arrange on greased cookie sheets and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks.

Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread

I had this recipe torn out of Cooking Light for a few months. I love shortbread and brown sugar, so I decided to add this simple, basic, and delicious cookie to my fall treat packages!

Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread

from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons finely chopped pecans, toasted
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup ice water
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Place butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed. (Mixture will appear crumbly.) Sprinkle ice water over flour mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Shape the dough into 2 (6-inch-long) logs; wrap each log in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour or until very firm.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap dough; cut each log into 16 slices using a serrated knife. Place dough circles 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle tops evenly with turbinado sugar, gently pressing into dough. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets; cool on a wire rack

Brown Sugar Bundt Cake - Two Ways!

(Pear and Golden Raisin Bundt)

(Apple Mini Loaf)

My parents have a giant pear tree in their front yard. A few weeks ago, my dad sent me home with a few dozen pears. They were a little under ripe, so I decided to bake with them. I looked in Baking: From My Home To Yours, and found one recipe that called for pears that was perfect - Brown Sugar Bundt Cake! Since my husband and I both love brown sugar, we knew it would be perfect. It is very easy to make, and looks beautiful.

I was reading Dorie's playing around section, and she mentioned to try it with apples, and substitute prunes or craisins for the raisins. I went apple picking, and knew I wanted to include an apple cake in my fall treat packages, so I went with mini loaves using apple (but no dried fruits). They taste great and look adorable!

Brown Sugar Bundt Cake

by Dorie Greenspan

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 sticks butter at room temp.

2 c. packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs at room temp.

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. buttermilk at room temp.

2 pears or apples in a small dice (I use 3)

1/2 c. dried raisins/cranberries/prunes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a bundt cake pan.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time. Scrape down, add in vanilla.

Add in baking powder, soda, and salt. Mix in for 10 seconds.

Add in flour and buttermilk, alternating starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.

Fold in apple or pear pieces with a spatula.

Pour into bundt cake pan. Bake for 60 minutes (25 for mini loaf cakes).

Cool for 60 minutes.

*In the apple cake, I added 1 tsp. ground cinnamon*

All American Apple Pie

Over the weekend, my husband and I went apple picking at a local orchard. We had a great time, and got some wonderful apples! I looked up many recipes and finally decided to make one of my own! It came out WONDERFULLY!!! It was sweet and tart, the crust was buttery and flaky, I'm not a big apple pie fan, but we plowed through this one!

All American Apple Pie

Crust:
3 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks frozen butter, grated on a cheese grater
1/4 c. shortening
a little less than 2/3 c. ice water

Filling:
10 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
pinch allspice
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c. flour


Mix flour, sugar and salt in a big bowl. Grate in butter, drop in pieces of super cold shortening. Using a fork, mix in the water in a slow stream. When it's just coming together and there is still a lot of flour in the bottom, use your hands to form it into a big ball. It should still be dry-ish though, you don't want it sticky.


Put in the fridge for an hour or two.


Mix all filling ingredients in a big bowl.


Roll crust into the bottom. Top with filling, roll out top, pinch together.


Cut 3 slits in the top.


Wash with milk or cream on the top.


Bake at 350 for 70 mins or until golden brown and bubbly.