Salted Peanut Butter Brownies

 I first posted this in 2012(!). The recipe came from a 2011 Rachael Ray magazine. 

Boxed brownie mix is always, always better than homemade. It doesn't always work this way with cakes or cookies, but for brownies, boxed is better. Something about the texture, I think. 

But if I have boxed brownie mix, it just kind of sits in the cupboard and "calls to me" to make them, so I don't buy it very often. 

This is a VERY easy recipe you can memorize. You will likely have all the ingredients already. You can dress them up any way you want. 

I made a buttercream and added peanut butter (like 3/4 a cup, maybe? I barely measure things) and then sprinkled sea salt on the finished product. Don't skip the sea salt. You could always chop up some frozen Reeses' eggs or whatever and add those or add some sort of chocolate Easter eggs to the top for decoration, if you want it as an Easter dessert. (We are having a peanut butter frosted bunny cake this year.)

One-Bowl-Brownies 
makes an 8x8 pan
adapted from Rachael Ray magazine

4 T. butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
4 T. cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips (if you're feeling crazy)

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and cocoa powder together.  Take off of the heat.  Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and sugar.  Stir in the flour.   Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.  Pour into a greased 8x8 pan (a pie pan would work too) and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until the middle springs back when touched.

For a 9x13 pan, double the recipe exactly. 

Here's my recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Buttercream. 

I like to store them in the freezer but I would absolutely stick one in the microwave for 30 seconds and then top with ice cream too. 

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Bars

This should've gone up yesterday or Saturday or something, but I was busy. I also didn't post yesterday which kind of throws Blog-Every-Day-in-May off a bit. No need to worry. I'll be back to nothingness next week. I don't know if that's good or bad. 

This is also where I should probably say something eloquent about Memorial Day. I don't really have anything to say because it's not something I can dwell on during seasons of deployment. The appreciation I have for soldiers who have given it all can't be measured.

In case you need a Memorial Day weekend dessert...

I made this for a potluck last week and it went over very well. My mom sent me the recipe and it's an old one. She's been making these bars my entire life, so I figured they'd be a nice addition to my non-food blog. 

They're very easy, you make them the night before, and I had all the ingredients in my cupboard.

They're not your average rice krispy treat. 

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Bars

makes a 9x13 pan

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of Karo syrup (light)

2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 cups of peanut butter

6 cups of rice krispies

1 bag of milk chocolate chips

In a medium pan, heat the sugar and syrup together until it starts to bubble (low heat) and the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.  Stir in the vanilla and peanut butter. 

Add the dry cereal to a large mixing bowl. Pour the sugar/peanut butter mixture over it. Stir/fold gently, but well. It takes a few minutes to incorporate. 

Grease a 9x13 pan (spray Pam is what I used) and then press the bars into it. Set aside. 

Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Spread over the bars and let cool. Cut them before storing in the fridge because they'll harden up and be difficult to cut cold. 

And if none of that made sense, here's the original that I went off of:

White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels (Last minute gift idea!)

Recipe challenge, recipe #49.

Um, hardly a recipe. But I made a bunch to share at work this week so...

Almond bark (white or chocolate, really)
Peppermint extract
Pretzels
Sprinkles

In a 4-quart crockpot, melt the almond bark on low. It takes about 30-45 minutes.  Whisk it really well with a fork. For some reason, almond bark gets thinner when you stir it more.

Add in the peppermint extract and stir once more.

Add in the pretzels. I put about 3/4 of a large tiny twists bag into the crockpot. I used a wide spatula to cover them in the white chocolate. Folding, tossing, etc. Just don't crush them.

Once the pretzels are mostly covered, spread them onto a cookie sheet or wax paper, close to a single layer.  Top with sprinkles immediately.  Let cool for a few hours.

The almond bark hardens into bark (obviously) and I just peeled it off the paper so it turned into more of a pretzel bark than chocolate covered pretzels.

One of my coworkers eats gluten-free, so I also made a batch of this Rocky Road Candy. Holy cow. It did not all make it to work with me.

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

Recipe challenge, week recipe forty-six.

When I presented the idea for a Cookie Dough Ice Cream cake, I already had a vision of what it would look like.  Scott said something about adding peanut butter and I was like That doesn't match my vision.  But it was his birthday and all, so whatever.

This cake is a compromise.

I put peanut butter chips in the chocolate chip cookie base and I put them in the egg-free cookie dough topping.  I was going to go for hot fudge AND peanut butter drizzle on the top but neither Target or the commissary had the Reeses' topping, and there was no way I was going to Wal-Mart the day before Thanksgiving.  Wal-Mart on any day of the year is terrifying, let alone that one.

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake
makes a 13x9 pan

Chocolate chip cookies (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)
1.5 quarts (one big container) of cookie dough ice cream (or make your own!)
1 recipe of eggless cookie dough, frozen and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 container Cool Whip
Hot fudge

In a 13x9 pan, line the bottom with chocolate chip cookies to form a crust.  I used ones that were still a bit warm from the oven so they smushed together nicely to cover the bottom.
Take your softened cookie dough ice cream and spread it over the "crust".  Put the pan in the freezer for half an hour to harden.  Drizzle about 1/4 cup of warm hot fudge over the ice cream layer and re-freeze for 15 minutes or so.  Spread softened Cool Whip on as the next layer.  Re-freeze for half an hour. Drizzle about a 1/2 cup of warm hot fudge over the top of the Cool Whip layer.  Decorate the top with pieces of eggless cookie dough.  Refreeze for at least half an hour before serving.
This can be made days in advance, and let it sit out on the counter to soften for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Last-Minute Thanksgiving Ideas!

Looking at this list, you'll notice that I really only care about dessert.  There's some breakfast options. There's a couple of side dishes at the bottom. This list includes everything pumpkin, except the pumpkin pie.  I don't like pumpkin pie.

Pecan Pie

Caramel Apple Galettes

Giant Apple Turnover

Lemon Chess Pie

Caramel Brownie Pie

Apple Crisp

Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Caramel Apple Cake

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Gingerbread

Apple Butter Bread

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Walnut Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Brownies (with Cream Cheese Frosting)

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin Apple Cake

Sweet Potato Casserole

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry and Feta

STUFF AND THINGS will be happening on Thursday so, if you're so inclined, link on up!

Peanut Butter Frosting

Recipe challenge, week forty-one

A couple of weeks ago, Scott mentioned that there was an army thing we should *probably* go to. Some guy was having a cookout and there would be football games to watch and army wives would be present and all.  I asked if we should take something.  He said yes.  I, because I'm incredibly unmotivated and lacking creativity these days, said I could make brownies.  Boxed brownies.
I wandered the aisles of SuperTarget for 20 minutes and that's all I could come up with. The last thing I felt like doing was spending my Sunday making an elaborate dessert. And though this is my go-to appetizer, I didn't feel like transporting a hot dip.

Even though I took the easy way out of with boxed brownies, I did have the plan to make homemade frosting.  This would kick the brownies up a notch and not make them taste quite so boxed.  Though boxed brownies, slightly undercooked, are the best kind of brownies. I always add half a cup or so of chocolate chips to the batter to up the gooeyness factor.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened (half a stick)
1 t. vanilla
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 T. milk, as needed

Cream everything together with an electric mixer or stand mixer.  You may need more or less sugar and milk depending on the consistency you want.  

Lemon-Lime Bars

Recipe challenge, week thirty-one.

I thought Scott coming home would make me want to cook more.  It's actually made me want to cook less.  I'm back on the menu planning train, but I don't really feel particularly creative these days.  I just feel drained in general.  I blame the heat. And the fact that I'm back in a construction zone.  The inside of the house isn't torn apart like it was last summer, but there's work being done, especially outside, so that leads to general messiness (The lesson I've learned is that things always have to get worse before they get better, concerning remodeling).

So this is another flashback recipe, but it is 110% worth sharing again.

Circa 2011

Last week, we went to a friend's house and I took dessert.  I didn't really have to but it seemed like the nice thing to do and, if we all recall, that's what old Kristin (pre-Colorado Kristin) would do.  When I was contemplating what to make, I just started going through my Recipe Index.  I found these Lemon-Lime Bars from way back in 2011.

I really like lemon bars, but I like them to be extra tangy.  I've found that the way to accomplish this is to add lime.  You can add coconut to the crust and the top if you like, but I didn't this time because I didn't know about any potential allergies.

A 17 year old pronounced them to be really good, so that probably means they're really good.

I knew I'd start "cheating" on this recipe challenge sooner or later, but oh well.  I'm busy. I've been building a shed.

Scott's helping.

Peach Crisp

Recipe challenge, week thirty.

I always have such high ambitions when I'm at the farmers' market.  I want to make this or that.  I'm jealous of the people who are menu planning with their reusable grocery bags and long lists, buying their $10/pound "happy meat" out of a cooler.  I like the farmers' market in Old Colorado City a lot, and we filled up two reusable Trader Joe's bags with goodies last weekend.  Or, rather, with vegetables.  Scott loves vegetables, and I'm not a fan.  But most of what they have at farmers' markets is vegetables.  So we got different types of squash, carrots, basil, onions, and other vegetables I can't be bothered to remember.  I cannot get excited about cooking squash.  I just can't.  In fact, I had big plans to grill squash on Sunday (you know, so Scott can eat vegetables) but it was so hot that you couldn't really go outside (I grilled on Friday night; I grilled pizza. Much better than zucchini).  I do believe that zucchini is only good for a few things: this corn/zucchini/gnocchi recipe and this stuffed zucchini recipe.  And bread and brownies but, truthfully, I can't get past the idea that there is a vegetable in that "dessert" so I have trouble eating such things.

Fruit is more my thing.  They had cherries, but they were kind of expensive.  Peaches are everywhere in southern Colorado this time of year, so I bought a basket with the intention of making a dessert.

I wanted to make a turnover of some sort, but I didn't feel like spending a lot of time on it.  I thought about a cobbler, but there's peach cobbler recipes everywhere on the internet.  I almost went with a galette but I was not spending the time making pie crust and then I thought about grilling it but I wasn't super successful with the charcoal grill on Friday and that was only heating up flatbread pizzas.

Since the only fruit dessert I really, really like is apple crisp, I went with peach crisp.

Peach Crisp
makes an 8x8 pan, double for a 9x13

5 peaches, peeled and thinly sliced (if you thinly slice instead of dice, it cooks quicker)
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
4 T softened butter

In a bowl, mixed together everything but the peaches.  Mash/cut the butter in (I use a fork) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Spray the bottom and sides of an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.  Spread the peaches over the bottom of the pan.  Top with the oat mixture and spread it out evenly.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  The top should be a bit browned when you pull it out.

Birthday Cake S'mores

Recipe challenge, week twenty-seven

This is a little over the top.  But it's also really tasty, so I'd try it at least once.

I didn't create this recipe.  I was in a downtown tourist shop a month or so ago and there was a little mini-cookbook that was called 100 Ways to Make S'mores, or something like that.  I really don't remember what it was called and it was like $15 so I wasn't going to buy it.  I tried to memorize a few recipes and this is the only one that stuck in my head for more than 24 hours (so that was not a good strategy...next time I'll be the person taking pictures of the book I'm not going to buy).

The idea of birthday cake slathered onto a s'more was almost too much to handle.  I also have been craving cake like crazy for some weird reason.  I'm not a cake person really.  And I've developed this really snobby attitude of not buying boxed cake mix anymore.  I even have cake flour in the cupboard for occasions such as this (or occasions such as Scott's birthday, because that was the last time I used the cake flour). One afternoon, I made cupcakes from scratch and frosting from scratch and then I froze the cupcakes because there are few things better than frozen cake covered in frosting.

So I took slices of cupcake and I melted some s'mores ingredients together and this is what I got.  If you keep the cake cold and put it onto a hot s'more you get this hot/cold effect that is fascinatingly amazing.

Again, if this seems absolutely crazy, it wasn't my idea.  If you absolutely love it, then you (absolutely) saw it here first.

Birthday Cake S'mores

Large marshmallows
Frozen cake w/ frosting, thinly sliced
Hershey's bars
Graham crackers

On a plate, place half of one graham cracker and a chunk of the Hershey's bar.  Microwave for 10 seconds.  Place the marshmallow on top of the chocolate and microwave for another 10 seconds.  Top with the cake and then the other graham cracker half.  Press down.  Eat immediately!

Caramel Rice Krispy Treats

I've been trying to do some baking here and there. But, let's face it, my days are pretty hum-drum right now.  I've been working on a lot of stuff for school, watching a lot of t.v. (re-runs and some new shows too), trying to keep the house clean and trying out some organizational tricks, and reading a lot of books.

The dogs are at their wits' ends.  They are getting tired of me, I can tell.  However, Jett (being on steroids) is hungrier than normal and Scout (who is a picky eater) has taken to guarding his food bowl.  He'll just lay there beside it so Jett can't get it, yet he won't eat it.  He's so much like me...he doesn't even realize it.

That is why this post is just now going up when it should have been prescheduled for this morning: I've been busy doing a whole lot of nothing, like taking pictures of dogs who are holding a stand-off over a food bowl.

Regardless...

Recipe challenge, week twenty-six (halfway there!)

I kind of wanted to save this recipe for a rainy day, because you would want to eat it on a rainy day.  But I figure this weekend is the 4th of July and if you need a last minute treat to take somewhere, this would be perfect.

It takes 10 minutes to whip up this dessert and, if you can get it out of the house without eating it all, I'm sure it will be enjoyed by all.

I bought a bag of caramel bits because they are like eating a bag of pure sugar and I rather enjoy them...but I bought them for this cookie recipe I was going to try and then I ate them all, so I had to buy another bag.  And then I lost my patience with the idea of of the cookie-baking process.  Rice Krispy treats only take a few minutes though, so this no-bake recipe is what I used the remaining bag of caramel bits for.  So I suppose I've eaten a lot of caramel in the last two weeks...

(don't mind the cashews)

Caramel Rice Krispy Treats
makes an 8x8 pan (for thicker bars) or a 9x13 pan (for thinner bars)

1 cup caramel bits 

1 10-oz bag mini marshmallows

4 T. butter

1 t. vanilla

6 cups Rice Krispy cereal

In a large saucepan, melt the butter.  Stir in vanilla and mini marshmallows. Mix well until the marshmallows have melted. Stir in the caramel bits and allow them to melt, over very low heat. Keep stirring.

Fold in the cereal until it's all covered with the marshmallow mixture.

Spread into an 8x8 pan for thick bars or a 9x13 pan for thinner ones. Store covered.  

Mint Oreo Rice Krispy Treats

It was obviously a low-key Easter weekend in these parts.  Saturday, I went to the gym and ran some errands.  Sunday, I went for a walk with a friend and did some things around the house to prepare for another week (food prep, etc).  Scott, on the other hand, had a weekend.  He had just finished over three weeks of work without a day off, so with his 3-day weekend, he tromped around Vienna and Budapest...and when he called me, I got to share that I was at the commissary.  Life is hard. And I swear I'm not bitter...(well, we know that's a lie).  I'm reading a book about WWII right now.  That's as close as I've gotten to Austria.

Recipe challenge, week fourteen.

This isn't the grandest or most inventive of recipes.  In fact, some would argue that it's not a recipe and is terribly boring and I'm not a creator of anything.

But that's okay.   Because I believe that Mint Oreos are quite close to heaven on Earth.  Like, I don't know what they put in these things, but I won't let myself buy them unless I have a special purpose in mind.  Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake, for example.  In this case, I just combined Rice Krispy treats, one of my favorite desserts, with mint and Oreos.  If you would like an amped up version of a classic treat, try this.  They are especially tasty the day after you make them because the flavors have had time to mesh.  And I don't know that there is anything better than a pot of melted marshmallow, broken up Mint Oreos, and rice krispies.  Makes for a fantastic Friday night.

Mint Oreo Rice Krispy Treats

makes an 8x8 pan

1 10 oz. bag marshmallows

4 T. butter

1 t. vanilla

1 t. peppermint extract

12 (or so) Mint Oreos, crushed

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (save money, buy generic)

In a large pot, melt the butter.  Add the marshmallows and stir.  When they are melted into the butter, add the extracts and then begin folding in the cereal one cup at a time.  Lastly, fold in the Oreos.  

Press into an 8x8 pan.  You can use a bigger pan; they'll just be thinner.  Cover tightly to store.

Hey, look.  I made Rice Krispy treats last Easter too...

I am SO glad I wasn't able to find those M&Ms this year.  Holy cow did I eat a lot of those things last year.  I kept them in my desk at school and everything.  Memories...

Carrot Cake Blondies

Recipe challenge, week twelve.

I'm getting worse and worse at having posts typed up early and ready to go.  I'm typing this on Sunday evening whereas, a month ago, I would've had the post ready to go a week ago.  

I've been feeling that I'm in a blogging rut lately because things are so stagnant around here.  No big projects are happening with the house*, I'm not packing up a classroom because we're not moving, and that brings up a bigger point:  this is the first spring in 3 years that we're not moving.  I did the math recently, and I'm not sure why I didn't do this before, but we moved in April 2013 and again in May 2014.  That's 3 states in 13 months.  3 jobs in 13 months for Scott and, because of summer vacation, 3 jobs in 15 months for me.  Plus two new puppies in 13 months (fun fact: Jett and Scout are totally Irish twins).

*Another fun fact: the kitchen/dining room is actually 98% done but you haven't seen pictures because I'm...lazy? That's probably the right word.

Maybe I'm not getting posts typed up and scheduled early because I keep all of these facts in the forefront of my brain and I get overwhelmed thinking of all the things.

I do feel that I don't have a lot of fun or new changes to blog about because things are indeed stagnant.  I can't make a whole lot of changes while Scott is gone anyway.

But some things will never change: I will make brownies or blondies, I will eat half the batch of frosting with a spoon, and then I will take the finished blondies to the staff lounge because I need to get them out of the house as quickly as possible.

This is the perfect Easter dessert.  That's all I have to say about it.

Carrot Cake Blondies

makes an 8x8 pan (double recipe for 9x13, but the frosting will make enough for a 9x13)

Wet ingredients:

4 T. butter, softened

1/4 cup applesauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup white sugar

1 egg

2 t. vanilla

1 cup finely shredded carrot

Dry ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

1 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a large bowl, cream the butter, applesauce, and sugars.  After the mixture is fluffy, add in the egg and vanilla until well-incorporated.  Stir in the carrot.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients.  Add in batches to the wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in the coconut, white chocolate chips, and nuts.  Spread the batter into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Frost immediately and store in the refrigerator. 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

For this recipe, halve the frosting...Or don't. It'd be good for breakfast too, I'm sure.  Just be sure to store it in the refrigerator. I halved it and still had extra.

1 tub of whipped cream cheese (8 oz.)
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 t. vanilla
about 3 cups powdered sugar (I don't like giving exact numbers on the sugar.  You know the consistency you want.)
1 T. meringue powder (Optional, but will help the frosting harden.  Found in the wedding aisle at Wal-Mart)

Cream the butter and cream cheese together, using a hand mixer or the whisk on a stand mixer.  Add the vanilla.  Then, add the sugar until you reach the consistency you want.  Add the meringue powder last.

Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Recipe challenge, week five.

I have not a lot to say about this ice cream other than the fact that out of all the ice creams I've concocted in the last 2 1/2 years, this is my favorite.  There is no question about it.  If you've never tried your own ice cream, this is a great place to start.  If you have an ice cream maker that you don't use, or you're even contemplating the idea of getting one, this is what you should make.  

I made it a few weeks ago. We ate it.

I had milk and cream leftover.  

I made it again.

We ate it again.

It disappeared within a couple of days.

Ice cream doesn't last long here.

I found this recipe for eggless cookie dough almost two years ago and I've been meaning to try it ever since.  It's perfect, really, but I did add a bit more liquid to make it come together for me.  I noted the change in the recipe below, but wanted to make sure I sourced it.  

Cookie Dough Ice Cream

by Kristin Darhower

Prep Time: 4 hours-cooling overnight

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: dessert ice-cream

Ingredients

For the ice cream

• 2 cups milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1/8 t. salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ T. cornstarch
• 2 T. milk
• 1 ¼ cups whipping cream

For the cookie dough

• 6 T. butter, softened
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup white sugar
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1-2 T. milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

To make the cookie dough

Just stir all the ingredients together until it becomes something you can easily roll into balls. Roll into ½ inch balls and place on a plate in the freezer for a few hours, or overnight, until frozen. Once frozen, chop into smaller chunks.

To make the ice cream

In a large sauce pan, whisk the milk, sugar, and salt together. Bring it to a boil and, keeping on medium heat, let it boil for 4 minutes. Set a timer. Then pull it off the heat.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and extra 2 T. of milk.

Add the cornstarch/milk into the milk/sugar and let it return to a boil. It should thicken up after a few minutes. Stir in the vanilla and whipping cream. Turn off the heat.

Pour the mixture into a large plastic or glass bowl through a mesh sieve. This will get rid of any lumps. Refrigerate the mixture for a few hours or overnight, until it is completely cooled.

Following the manufacturer’s directions for your ice cream maker. When it is about half-frozen (soft-serve-ish), add in the cookie dough chunks and keep mixing. The whole mixing part took me about 20-25 minutes.

Freeze in an airtight container and then remove for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Powered by Recipage

Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Recipe challenge, week two.

I may be cheating with this because I've done a recipe like it before, almost 3 years ago.  However, my birthday was on Saturday and I made myself an ice cream cake.  I would prefer to share something ice cream/mint/cake-related on the Monday after my birthday.  Much more interesting than the soup I originally had scheduled for today.  Plus, it's Monday.  Ice cream might be necessary.

I did improve upon this recipe.  And I added cake.  Because there were a few of you up in arms over the idea that my Peppermint Oreo Ice Cream Cake did not, in fact, have cake in it.  That's just how we do ice cream "cake" in this house, guys.  You can put away your torches and pitchforks…this one has cake in it. Actually, it's a brownie.  But, it was easy to make and I'm not a cake person and I didn't want to use a boxed mix anyway.  You can use whatever kind of chocolate cake/brownie you want and just cut it or arrange it to fit your ice cream cake pan. I used this recipe, omitted any frosting, and added a teaspoon of peppermint extract.

Food on birthdays is really important to me.  I feel you should treat yourself all day long on your birthday. When I started thinking about a cake, I knew it needed to be the ultimate version of Kristin's Favorite Dessert.
My favorite dessert ever is the Mint Oreo Concrete Mixer from Culver's Frozen Custard.  I had one on New Year's Day and it was the best part of Christmas Break.  I swear.  If you haven't had mint Oreos mixed into artificially dyed mint ice cream, you haven't lived.  When I made this first version of the mint ice cream cake in 2012, my inspiration was Thin Mints and I was still living in Alaska so I'd never even tried a concrete mixer.  This time: real mint chocolate brownie, mint Oreos, and mint ice cream.  This was the perfect birthday cake.

Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Prep Time: 1.5 hours

Cook Time: Freeze time: at least 2 hours

Ingredients (8x8 pan or 9x13 pan)

• 1 package Mint Oreos
• 1.5 quarts mint chip ice cream, softened
• Brownies or chocolate cake
• 2 T. butter, melted

Instructions

Crush all the Oreos in a Ziploc bag. Mix half of them with the melted butter, and press those into the bottom of your pan. Freeze for 20-30 minutes. Spread half the ice cream over the Oreo crust and then press in the brownie/cake pieces. Freeze for another 15 minutes. Top with the rest of the crushed Oreos, cover, and freeze until ready to serve. I usually make it the day before. Take it out about 15 minutes before you're ready to cut the cake. You can also use Cool Whip as another layer if you'd like.

Powered by Recipage

This isn't a 30 minute dessert.  I baked the 8x8 brownie earlier in the week, but I put this all together while I was cooking dinner on Friday night.  It didn't take very much brain power or energy.  It's just a process.

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

I have a history with ice cream cakes.  I love them.  I love ice cream.  Regular cake: I could take or leave.  Pie: I'll more often than not just leave.  Cookies are good and all.  Fudge is great.  But ice cream is best.

I've had this ice cream cake idea in my head for over 2 years.  I try to just make ice cream cakes for occasions.  Not for a regular old Tuesday.  Because we will eat the whole thing all at once and that will be it. So, every time an opportunity appears, I ask Scott what kind of ice cream cake he wants.  I give options.  Red velvet or peppermint? Vanilla or peppermint? Birthday cake or peppermint? And he never, ever picks peppermint because…well, I guess he doesn't like peppermint? I don't know.  But for Christmas tomorrow, I decided I'd had enough.  We would have Peppermint Oreo Ice Cream Cake and that would be that.  I have a feeling he'll enjoy it.

This cake can be put together many different ways.  You could layer cookies and hot fudge between the ice cream and Cool Whip, instead of just putting them on the bottom and top.  You could throw some peppermint brownie chunks in there.  Or peppermint fudge.  Or you could top it with crushed candy canes (I don't like candy canes, oddly enough).  Also,  you could switch up the ice cream..stores always have a freezer case full of peppermint and candy cane ice cream this time of year.  I just don't happen to like pepperminty pink ice cream.  However, if you do, go for it.  The sky is kind of the limit with this recipe.  Let me know if you try it and tell me what you did!

Another selling point:  You can make one of these and store it in the freezer (covered well) forever.  Though, it probably won't last very long if you remember that it's there.

Peppermint Oreo Ice Cream Cake
makes a 9x13 pan (I used a 9x6 pan this time and it was just a little thicker)

1 container (1.5 quarts) vanilla or peppermint ice cream, softened (I used vanilla and stirred in a teaspoon of peppermint extract)
1 container Cool Whip, softened
1 package of Candy Cane Oreos, crushed (or those candy cane JoJos I saw at Trader Joe's the other day)
2 T. butter, melted
Peppermint hot fudge (see yesterday's recipe)
Crushed candy canes or peppermint candies, optional

Stir the crushed Oreos with the 2 T. of butter and press into the bottom of the pan.  You may want to reserve some for sprinkling or layering.  Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the hot fudge. Freeze the "crust" in the pan for about 20 minutes so it sets.

Spread your softened ice cream onto the Oreo crust.  Drizzle with a few more tablespoons of hot fudge.  Put the pan back in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

Spread your softened Cool Whip onto the ice cream layer.  Drizzle with a few final tablespoons of hot fudge and sprinkle crushed Oreos or crushed peppermint candy on the top.  Freeze for at least another hour, covered.

Remove from the freezer at least 15 minutes before serving so it has time to soften just bit.

Peppermint Hot Fudge

Something about this time of year makes all of the peppermint flavored everything just scream for my attention.  I've eaten almost an entire tray of peppermint fudge in the last 5 days.  I just feel this need for it.  This happens every year, though.  I never liked peppermint-anything until Christmas 2010 when I had a peppermint brownie at an army Christmas party and life has never been the same.  

We're having an ice cream cake on Christmas because: 1. Holidays by yourself mean you do what you want. 2. I've had this ice cream cake in the back of my head for 2 years and there's no better time than Christmas for it. 

I want to share the hot fudge I'm using for the ice cream cake today though.  In case you need something to eat with a spoon while you're making your Christmas preparations.  

I first made it using an Our Best Bites recipe 4 years ago and it was perfect for a homemade Christmas gift.  Put it in a little mason jar and tie with a ribbon.  I tweaked the recipe a bit for my purposes this year and it is so incredibly easy to make that you have absolutely no excuse for buying hot fudge anymore.  This is probably cheaper too.  I almost always have these ingredients on hand.  Really, you have no excuse not to give this a try!

Peppermint Hot Fudge

makes about 2 cups

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 T. butter

3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

1 t. vanilla extract

1 t. peppermint extract

Mix everything together in a saucepan and stir over low heat until it's melted and combined.

Or you can put it in a Little Dipper and stir every so often while it's melting.  Perfect for a fondue!

Peppermint Truffle Hot Cocoa

I did exactly one crafty gift thing year.  I didn't plan on it but I saw a post about hot cocoa mix and we've been drinking a lot of hot cocoa lately.  Something about it is quite comforting and Christmasy.  I tried a couple of different homemade mix recipes and didn't like them.  I'm a milk chocolate kinda person in most cases, so I wanted something creamy and sweet that tasted like dessert.  I made up a batch of the Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix and poured it into mason jars to pass out to…whoever.  It never hurts to have a cute hostess gift on hand, right?  This dry mix is probably as close as you'll get to that ideal hot cocoa flavor.

I plan on baking some cookies on Monday to go with them. Something white chocolate, oatmeal, and cranberry might go well with the hot cocoa, don't you think?

In my attempt to not really bake this year, I decided to try my hand at chocolate truffles instead.  Halfway through the project, I lost interest.  I let the pan sit in the fridge for a couple of days.  Scott kept asking if it was ready.  I said that it's not like it's fudge and you won't like it and seriously, don't just take a bite.  

I decided that the perfect touch of richness for some hot cocoa might just be a chunk o' truffle.  I've put Hershey's Kisses in cocoa before.  Why not a peppermint truffle?

I highly recommend this method!  It gets you closer to the dessert-like feel of actual hot chocolate, which is different from hot cocoa.  It would be a fun addition to a holiday party or dinner buffet.  You could experiment with different flavors too.

I used this truffle recipe and added in peppermint extract.  Instead of rolling into balls, I kept the mixture spread very thinly in a glass pan to harden.  I broke off chunks like you would with a bark.  Just add 1/3 cup of the hot cocoa mixture, a small chunk of truffle, and pour 8 oz. of hot water over the top.  You barely need to stir!

I apologize here.  Filters are your friend in bad lighting.

If you're looking for some Christmas cookie inspiration, here are my very favorites.  Maybe I'll make one next week.  You know, because it's Christmas.

Peppermint Fudge
Peppermint Cake Pops 
Eggnog Snickerdoodles
Payday Bars
Hershey's Kiss Cookies
Soft Sugar Cookies (with tutorial for decorating)
Apricot Squares
Eggnog Bread 

Pumpkin Apple Cake (or bread…your choice!)

I was pretty happy to have Scott come home this weekend. He finally arrived home late Saturday night after a month in Texas.  While it might seem like he was gone forever..it hasn't been forever but he was gone for 2 weeks, he was back for 8 days, and then it was 4 weeks.  So definitely not the definition of a long time.  But still.  Kinda seemed that way.  I maintain that long trips (2 months or more) are easier than counting by days or weeks.

This meant I got access to my old computer.  I was able to retrieve my Columbus vs. Pilgrims powerpoint, complete with real Mayflower-replica pictures.  So, of course, I spent a lot of time browsing through my old Toshiba.  It's actually really nice and then I remembered the reason for my upgrade to a MacBook:  the Toshiba won't hold a charge and won't work unless it's actually plugged in.

I did find some interesting documents, lesson plans, and pictures and it was nice to take a walk down memory lane.  This is a screen shot of some menu-planning I found from 2011.

I was an efficient little menu planner.  There were 3 months of menus that look like this.  The strikethrough clearly means "ACCOMPLISHED!"  I mean, I was baking sugar cookies that looked like states and continents.  I don't even know who I am anymore…

As you can see, I used to be quite organized.  I gave myself deadlines.  And I don't know what the asterisks mean.  Some sort of secret organizational code, perhaps? There's a lot more of them as you go through the document. "Re-blog" meant re-do for the blog because the first showcased terrible pictures.  When I showed this to Scott, he just laughed and then we said, "What HAPPENED?" at the same time.

I digress.

This is a recipe for a healthy-ish fall bread that can serve as breakfast, a snack, or dessert.  I actually left the recipe completely sugar-free and just put a homemade cream cheese icing on top, but you can make the call on that.  I'd say a half cup of brown sugar would work just fine in there.  Of course, I highly recommend frosting, or at least peanut butter or something, on the top.  I made it over the weekend as a way to use up some gala apples, canned pumpkin, and extra frosting I had leftover from cookies the week before.

I followed all the food-blogging steps:  created the recipe, constructed the recipe, photographed the recipe, blogged about the recipe.  I'm definitely trying to get back in the groove here.

Pumpkin Apple Cake
makes one 8x8 pan

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup apple butter
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla

Combine all the wet ingredients with a mixer.

Then, in a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients:

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups flour

Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl.

Pour into a greased 8x8 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  I used a convection oven and it took longer than I thought it would.  However, that also could've been the 6,000 foot elevation here.  I recommend starting to check it around 25 minutes.  You could also use a loaf pan and baking time would increase to about 45 minutes.  Just check the middle with a butter knife or skewer before taking it out.  

Pumpkin Spice Brownies

Yesterday, I whined about how I never bake anymore and then I blamed Pinterest and the general food-blogging population.

However, over the the weekend, I started baking.  First, pumpkin cookies.  Then, I came up with a brand new recipe.  I used a basic brownie recipe that I've adapted from Rachael Ray magazine and I changed it up for this pumpkin-loving season.  

I have 3 giant cans of pumpkin to use.  I always buy a lot when given the opportunity because you never know when the mood for pumpkin desserts will strike.  I was thinking about what I could make and I thought of brownies.  I didn't want to rip off a recipe that had already been done over and over again, so I searched Pinterest and Google to see if there was already a recipe out there.  There were a couple and they fit directly into the two categories I mentioned yesterday.  There was something vegan, with xylitol and almond meal or something and then there was 1 can of pumpkin + one box of brownie mix.
Mmmmm, right?

Here's a real pumpkin brownie recipe that is quick to whip up and is fudgy and decadent enough to impress.

Pumpkin Spice Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

makes an 8x8 pan

2 T. butter, softened
4 T. cocoa powder
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 T. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chocolate chips

With a mixer, combine the butter, cocoa powder, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs, and sugar.  Mix on low until combined.  Hand mixer or stand mixer will work best, but you can use a big wooden spoon too, if the butter is soft enough. Stir in the flour and pumpkin pie spice until everything is well-combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Check the center with a toothpick after 25 minutes.

Allow to cool and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting, or a frosting of your choice.  If you use cream cheese in the frosting, be sure to store the brownies in the fridge.

1 tub of whipped cream cheese (8 oz.)
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 t. vanilla
about 3 cups powdered sugar (I don't like giving exact numbers on the sugar.  You know the consistency you want.)
1 T. meringue powder (Optional, but will help the frosting harden.  Found in the wedding aisle at Wal-Mart)

Cream the butter and cream cheese together, using a hand mixer or the whisk on a stand mixer.  Add the vanilla.  Then, add the sugar until you reach the consistency you want.  Add the meringue powder last.

(Gluten-Free) PB Brownie Ice Cream

#1 I always must have the news on in the morning.  Local news, then the Today Show.  Sundays throw me off because Today is only, like, an hour.  That's why Sunday mornings are for Mad Men reruns.

#2 I've worn glasses since I was 9 and contacts since I was 12. What did people do before such things were invented?  One of my biggest concerns has always been 'What would I do if I were trapped on a desert island? How would I see?' Cue irrational (but not really) fears.

#3  I will procrastinate some things forever.  I graded a stack of 300 papers in March.  This weekend, since school is almost over and all, I decided it was do or die:  it was time to sort hundreds of tests into assessment binders.  The kids might want them, now that 2nd grade is over and all.  I certainly don't want them.

#4  I last got my hair cut in February.  The other day, someone said, "Oh, you got a haircut!"  No.

#5 One of my biggest pet peeves is when people don't have to eat gluten-free, but they choose to because they mistakenly believe it's healthier.  I made this ice cream for a friend who does have to eat gluten-free.

#6  I will make delicious ice cream, we will devour it in two days, and then I will stare at the picture on my computer desktop for two months before I get around to sharing it.

(Gluten-Free) Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream

2 cups chocolate milk (I used 2%)

1 T. + 1 t. cornstarch

1/8 t. salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

2 t. vanilla

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Frozen brownies, frosted and cut into chunks

-I used this brownie recipe, made with gluten-free flour from Trader Joe's and it came out really well.

-I used the Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting too and that, obviously, was perfect.

In a large saucepan, combine the chocolate milk (all but 1 tablespoon), the salt, and the sugar.  Allow it to come to a boil and then let it boil (a rolling boil) for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. 

In a small bowl, whisk together that extra tablespoon (or so) of milk with the cornstarch.  Remove the milk mixture from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch/milk.  Return the pot to medium heat and let it come back to a boil, stirring constantly, for another minute (or until it's thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon). 

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and peanut butter.  After the peanut butter melts, add in the heavy cream.  Whisk well.  Pour through a mesh sieve to catch any undissolved lumps.  Refrigerate the mixture for a few hours until cooled. 

Following the manufacturer's instructions, pour your cooled mixture into an ice cream maker.  Once its consistency is nearing that of soft ice cream, stir in the chunks of frozen brownie and let it stir to combine.  Once it's all mixed up, pour into a freezer safe container and store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.