Brownies...And a Bit More

Quite a long while has passed since my last recipe entry, and I apologize. During this lull in posting, my time was occupied with more than enough events, activities, and opportunities to fill a plethora of posts. From preparing for ballets and plays, school tests and assignments, and planning out the course of my summer and fall, there has not been a dull moment for some time. Although it is almost tangible that school is finally coming to a close and summer and pleasant weather have nearly arrived, thus seemingly slowing down life for the present, I shall soon be embarking on a thrilling journey that I am eagerly awaiting. 

Beginning this summer, I will be attending and studying at ballet programs in New York and Ohio for 6 weeks in all. I am overjoyed to be spending time with my dear family and friends. Later in the summer, my family will be bidding farewell for a little while to my sister, Madeline, as we drop her off at college in Ohio. Almost immediately afterwards, my mom, dad, and I will be temporarily moving to Florida, where I will be training at the Next Generation Ballet at the Patel Conservatory year round. I am incredibly excited for the adventure that lays ahead, and hope to continue to update the blog.

With that said (congratulations on making it through that update!), would you like some brownies? I know that I previously posted a recipe for brownies, but this time, these bars are the BEST brownie recipe that I have ever come across! They are not too dense, but have a wonderful crisp top and a slightly gooey, fudgey inside.

I am happy to say that my mom recently purchased new camera, after the previous one fell apart,which captures significantly better pictures than I am used to. However, I am not very skilled at snapping pictures, so please excuse my slightly blurry, unprofessional qualities!

Brownies

from::here

1 cup (225 g) butter, melted

3 cups (600 g) white sugar

1 tablespoon (15 mL) vanilla extract

4 eggs (add one more for a cakier result)

1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour

1 cup (70 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (to give them a nice crust - omit if you don't want that)

6 oz chopped semisweet chocolate or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (180 g)

Mix together the melted butter, white sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs in a large bowl.

Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; add chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.

A Venture Onto A New Path...

This week, I have pondered about the possibility of changing my blog just a bit. Along with baking many goodies to share, I am considering adding posts on savory cuisine, faith, and snippets from my life occasionally alongside. 
This summer and fall, I will be experiencing many changes in my life (posts are soon in coming), and will not be able to practice culinary skills as much as I desire. Adding a few simple elements and topics to my blog will keep you from falling asleep :) 
Thoughts? I would be delighted to receive comments or suggestions from you all!

Thank you so much for continuing to follow my blog; your comments and faithfulness truly brightens my day!

xoxo, Julia

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

     
     First off, I am again so sorry that I haven't posted in a while. Unfortunately, school and ballet have occupied much of my time, so I haven't had a chance to blog. However, due to a week-long spring break from dance, I now have plenty of time to bake! 

      Today, I chose to whip up some yummy carrot cupcakes. These are incredible. Truly delightful. They are marvelously moist, slightly spicy, scrumptious, excellent, phenomenal cupcakes.

     And the frosting! Decadently smooth, this is a spectacular cream cheese frosting with a subtle hint of cinnamon. After mixing it up, I couldn't resist sneaking little spoonfuls out of the bowl. It was just that magnificent. 

CARROT MUFFINS with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Cupcakes and frosting are adapted from::here

FOR THE CUPCAKES...

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots (about 5)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, and canola oil until light and thick. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in the vanilla, carrots, and walnuts until well blended.
Line 12 cup cupcake or muffin pan 2/3-full with batter. Bake until the cupcakes are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting...

1/2 stick unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy (2-3 minutes). Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar in 2 parts incorporating vanilla extract 1/2 way through and mix until incorporated (scraping down walls with rubber spatula each time). Add cinnamon and fold by hand into frosting. Serve within 24 hours.

Have a blessed week,

xoxo, Julia

                       

Pound Cake

What is more yummy than a moist, sweet pound cake with juicy berries and whipped cream?

For Christmas Eve, I attempted for the first time to prepare a pound cake. It turned out beautifully. With a moist center and a crispy, golden brown crust on the top, it was a spectacular treat! 

It had a rich, buttery flavor, but was not too heavy, unlike most pound cakes. 

Did I mention that the entire dessert was gone within a couple of days?

POUND CAKE

Slightly Altered from Here

• 3 sticks butter, plus more for pan
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar, a little at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Mix in vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Raspberry Ribbons

First, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts in the past couple of months. Unfortunately, school and ballet schedules have kept me extremely busy, not allowing me to write up a post.

I do have a special treat for you today, though!

Christmas is approaching, so I would like to share with you a tantalizing holiday delight - Raspberry Ribbons!

 

These little bites of goodness are my favorite Christmas cookies around! They are like basic shortbread cookies completely dressed up in the most elegant way. Each bite is filled with sweet shortbread, tart jam, and a lemony icing that adds just the right touch. Is your mouth watering yet?

RASPBERRY RIBBONS From Beatrice O jakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups AP flour

Filling and Decoration

About 1/2 cup raspberry jam

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon cream, milk, or water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. To make the dough, cream the butter and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until light. Add the flour, a little at a time, and mix until the dough is smooth. Divide the dough into 4 parts. On the countertop, use your palms to roll each part into a strand about 3/4 inch in diameter and the length of your cookie sheet. Place the strands about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. With the side of your little finger, press a grove down the center of the length of each strand. Bake for 10 minutes until the cookies feel firm to the touch. Remove the cookies from the oven and spoon jam into the grooves. Return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown. To make the decoration, mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice and cream in a small bowl to make a smooth icing. Drizzle the icing down the length of the hot cookies. While the cookies are still warm, cut them at a 45 degree angle into 1 inch lengths. Let cool on the baking sheets. When the frosting is set, transfer to an airtight tin. Store in a cool place or freeze. Makes about 48 cookies.

Banana Cake With Chocolate Frosting

I LOVE cake, but don't like the "colossal cake just waiting for you to eat it all," fuss, and mess that come along with it :) 

This cake is SO simple and speedy to prepare. It is a sheet cake that is way easier than bars or cookies.

And it is a banana and chocolate cake. Who doesn't love bananas and chocolate! It is a winning combination.


BANANA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING  (Slightly Changed from here)

Cake...

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. buttermilk

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3-4 mashed bananas

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Beat the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. 

Add the mashed bananas. 

Mix in the flour, salt, and baking soda until smooth. 

Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 in. pan. 

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. 

Frosting...
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanillaPlace butter in a bowl and beat until creamy.
Add sugar and cocoa, mixing well.Stir in milk in portions, stirring each time.
Add vanilla.


Spread the frosting on cake. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Apple Handpies

          
 
          Autumn is fading away and winter eagerly making its first appearances. An array of colorful leaves, deep green pine needles, and golden, gentle, and warm sunshine have been replaced by bitingly crisp air, browns, and frosts. It is now the time for piping hot beverages, whatever you prefer, sweatshirts, fleece, heavy coats, mittens, fuzzy socks, and boots.

             However, before the time comes to bid "alvederzane" to fall completely, I wanted to make a special dessert, packed with autumn flavor. Apple handpies (or mini apple pies) are the perfect treat. They are simple, rustic and handmade in appearance, and scrumptious. Crisp, cinnamon sugar topped, flaky crust was stuffed with soft, juicy, fragrant apples. This recipe is definitely one of my new favorites of the season. 

                            CRUST...     (from here)

                     2 1/2 cups flour

                     1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed 

                     1 teaspoon salt

                     1 teaspoon sugar

                     6-8 tablespoons ice water

         Cube butter, place in a bowl, and freeze for at least 15 minutes. Cold butter ensures a flaky pie crust. Combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter and rub into the flour, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and mix again.  Note that too much water will make the crust tough.
Dump the dough out of the owl and place in a mound on a clean surface. If you want an extra flaky crust, shmoosh the dough mixture into the table top with the heel of the palm of your hand a few times. This will help flatten the butter into layers between the flour which will help the resulting crust be flaky. You can easily skip this step if you want. Gently shape the dough mixture into two disks. Work the dough just enough to form the disks, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

                            APPLE FILLING...
                       6 apples, washed and cubed into very small pieces
                        1 tablespoon flour
                       2 tablespoons sugar
                       2 teaspoons cinnamon
                       1/4 teaspoon cloves
                       pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients and let sit for a few minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll pie crust into a very thin sheet on a floured surface. Using a large, circular glass or cookie cutter, cut circles of dough. Beat an egg with 1 tablespoon of milk. Now you are ready to prepare your pies. Take one circle of dough and fill with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of apple filling. Brush the egg wash lightly around the edges of the circle. Take another circle and lay over the top, crimping in the edges with a fork. Cut a design in the top for air venting purposes. Brush the entire thing with egg wash, and dust with cinnamon sugar. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Serve plain, with whipped cream, ice cream, etc. Enjoy!