Mini Woopie Pies

Still taking it easy in the baking department, I was looking through my recipes deciding which ones I can do and which ones I can't and came across my family recipe of Woopie Pies.  I love these things.  Growing up on them has lead me to be a Woopie Pie snob, and every time I try one from some place I'm always let down.....either the cake part doesn't taste right or the filling is just gross.  So I have learned to just make my own every time I'm in the mood for them since no other one will live up to my standards of what one should be.  And yesterday I had the bright idea of making them into mini pies instead of the giant ones they usually make.  I thought it was a genius idea.  And I must say, they turned out so freaking cute.  The thing I love most about these is that they are super simple to make.  It came together quickly and before I knew it, it was time to scoop them out.  But what to scoop them out with?!  My cookie scoop is what I use to make them the normal size, so I needed something smaller.......and then I found it.....my yeast scoop!!  It was the perfect size! (It's 2 1/4 tsp for those of you that don't have loose yeast in a jar).   I scooped away.........



seriously..how cute?!

......and baked them off. 

mini chocolate discs

Once all cooled, time for the filling.  Then comes the fun part of putting them together.  For some reason my oven is acting up again, so some were perfect and some were falling apart on me. **Mental Note - Must talk to my landlord before they leave for the South again this winter. **  Once all put together, time to hand them out! :)




one of the pretty ones :)
the ugly ones didn't leave my house

I was happy to be handing out treats again - love getting my feedback from my taste testers :)  And this is one of those times that I won't post a recipe....there are some recipes from my family that I won't share - and this is one of them.  :) 

Back in the kitchen!!

I've been out of my brace since Wednesday, and dying to bake.  I was so happy to get my stitches out last week and learn that I only had to be in the brace for another week.  The not so good news is that I still can't feel my pinky finger......I go back for some tests next week :(  With uncertainty hanging in the air all around me, I got into a funk.  I had a couple breakdowns and just let it all out, let all of my questions about my future out into the open - it's a little scary to think that my loss of feeling in my pinky could be permanent.  After a couple of chats with my dear friend Rae, who I can't wait to see when she gets married in November, I started to feel like I had let it all out and it was time to get back to being CB.  So when my cookbooks started to taunt me every time I walked into my kitchen, I knew it was time to try out something easy.  My hand feels pretty good, just really sore and stiff - and my new scar makes it hard to do things that involve my hand since it is super sensitive (my doctor had told me that it was a possibility that the scar would be really sensitive).  So I thought why not make my favorite doughnut recipe?!  Yes - I know you must be sick of reading about me making them - I've only blogged about them a million times.  But if you haven't made them yet, you really should - and shame on you for not checking out my friends site!! I only promote the best people!! So head on over to Arubula's Kitchen and see what all my fuss is about!!

The hardest part of making these bad boys is just frying them.  I mean yes, they are a little time consuming, and the fact that I started to make these at 7 last night didn't help either, but they are soo good! You can't help yourself from eating them once they are out and all nice and warm.  MMMMM....warm doughnuts...happy place :)  AD and UD are coming down today for a visit and this was also part of my making doughnuts since UD had asked for them last time they were down - I always ask them what they would like me to make them when they come for a visit - and I can't wait to go over to my parents later and hang out, have some good conversation, food and drinks with my family. 

Ok - I'm getting side tracked a lot today - sorry.  Back to doughnuts!!  I didn't take a lot of pics this time because I've made them so many times before.  But I did get some finished shots for you guys :)  So once all fried and still a little warm, I rolled those bad boys in some cinnamon sugar.....

why hello

.......seriously - don't those look good?!  I had made some a little larger this time since AD had requested some to be filled with cream - and I took what I had left over in my freezer and let it thaw out and used that for my filling from the last time I made doughnuts. 

yummies

I didn't coat the filled ones with cinnamon sugar - just left them naked.  I wasn't too sure how a cinnamon sugar coated cream filled doughnut would taste.....maybe a little too much in the sugar department.   Maybe something to try out next time. 

Surgery, my birthday and the road to recovery

It was a busy week last week.  I got surgery to remove a floating bone in my wrist that was pinching my ulnar nerve.  I also got it the day before my birthday - I was giving myself the best birthday present ever....a new hand.  Well that's what I was hoping for.  Surgery went well, the bone is now gone, the nerve is moved and of course I had some arthritis in there as well.  So I celebrated my birthday on my couch in a soft cast and taking some good pain killers.  Friday I got to take the soft cast off and go into a heavy duty brace....this also allowed me to see my stitches when I had to change out my bandage......the scar is huge.  Way bigger than I thought it would be.  It's about an 1 1/2" long on my wrist - and the bruise that is coming in is just as disgusting as the scar itself. 

Because I wasn't fully with it on my birthday to celebrate it with my family, we waited until Sunday to celebrate it.  It was an excellent day, and I got awesome presents.  I didn't ask for much - of course baking supplies were included in it.  And I got the cookbook I've been waiting for - Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts.  I of course have already flagged everything I want to make in the book, and pretty much over half of the book is flagged for things to make right away....other things are going to be saved for when holidays and occasions roll around. 

cookbooks!

I also got a fun cookbook about making cupcakes cute - and of course there is a penguin one in there that Ween has requested I make for her birthday.  I have to admit - it is really cute. If you've got kids this book is great for when they celebrate things. 

I go back to see my doctor on Friday and will get my stitches out then and see what's going on.  I'm hoping that this is the beginning of the end for me.  It's been a long road to this point (3 years out of work) and I'm ready to get back into things.  And a lot of my friends have been saying that it's time for me to start my baking career and I'm really thinking about it a lot.  I have accepted the fact that my massage career is over, I still can't feel half of my elbow and with this new scar on my wrist/palm, it has become clear that it's time to move on to the next phase of my life.  The question is do I open my own place or start it out of my kitchen and work my way from there?  Not really sure, but lots of thinking to do.  And I'm hoping to get back to baking next week.  I've got a huge list of things to make - and now it's gotten longer thanks to my new birthday presents :)

Pepperoni Bread

My Pre-Op appointment yesterday went good.  I was very happy to find out that I won't be in a cast and just a heavy-duty brace.  Hopefully this means that after this week I can return to baking and keep you guys entertained - because let's be honest, me baking with a brace after surgery, something is bound to go wrong.  So before I go off to the hospital for what I hope is my last surgery in this never ending saga, I wanted to put up my last post for the week.  I hope to have a great remainder of the week, and even celebrate my birthday tomorrow as well, and get back into the kitchen sometime next week. 

When one of my cousins was down for a visit she was talking about Pepperoni Bread and ever since then Ween has been asking for me to make it.  So as part of my final day of baking for a while, I made her request.  I even made the dough - which is amazing. It's really easy to make pizza dough.  And now that I've made my own, I will never go back to store bought.  Plus whatever you don't use you can wrap and freeze.  It's good in a freezer for up to 2 months. 

First up, I made the dough.  It came together quickly and the thing that takes the most time is for it to raise.  But once it's doubled in size, you get to roll it out into 2 portions and then make them into balls and let them rest again for up to 30 minutes.  Then it finally comes - time to roll out the dough and make the bread!  And seriously, this couldn't be any easier.  You can use store bought dough if you like or if you're short on time.  Once rolled out to the proper shape, you get to fill it up with the toppings. 

Pepperoni and cheese

A line of ingredients down the middle, then you fold over 1/3 of the dough and cover the top of that with more ingredients.

looking good

Then fold over the top and tuck the ends underneath.  Repeat with other ball of dough if you are making 2 - and let's face it, this is that good that you will want to make both.  Once both are ready to go place on a pan and make 4-5 slits along the top to allow bread to vent while baking.  Brush some melted butter over the tops......

all ready to go

.....and then into the oven they go!  Shortly afterwards they come out all golden brown.

why hello

Let it cool a little and then you can eat this wonderfulness of bread.

YUM!

I mean really, you can fill the middle with whatever you want - it will work with anything.  Quick and easy bread that is sure to be a hit with everyone.  Let's just say when I told Ween what I made her she got really excited about it and couldn't wait to get home to try some of it. 

Pizza Dough

1/2 cup warm water

1 envelope instant yeast

1 1/4 cups room temperature water

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 tsp salt

olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

1. Measure the warm water into a 2 cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes.  Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.
2. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed.  Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms.  Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook.  Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.  Press the dough to deflate it.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth.  Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.
4. Use both halves of the dough or wrap one half tightly in plastic wrap and place in plastic zipper bag.  Freeze for up to 2 months.

Pepperoni Bread



shredded mozzarella cheese

sliced pepperoni

1 tbsp melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Dust a clean work surface with flour.  Roll out dough into a long oblong shape, about 12-14" long and about 8" wide.
3. Visually divide the dough into thirds long-ways.  Down the center third of the dough sprinkle the cheese and pepperoni.  Fold one side of the exposed dough over the stuffed center.  Repeat a layer with the remaining cheese and pepperoni on top of the dough half that covered the first layer.  Fold the remaining 1/3 of the dough over the stuffed area and wrap it under the log.  Wrap the ends under the log as well.
4. Place dough on a pan lined with parchment paper. With a sharp knife, make 4-5 slits on the diagonal into the top of the dough to allow the bread to vent while it cooks.  Using a pastry brush, brush melted butter over the top of the bread and down the sides.  
5. Place pan into the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes until nicely browned.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Cut into pieces. 

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

It's finally come - tomorrow is my surgery.  And today is my Pre-Op appointment in Boston to go over what the surgery is about and everything that will be done to my wrist to make me better.  So I thought that yesterday would be my final day of baking for a while and why not make my sisters things that they have been asking me for.  Immediately I knew what I would make for Heays - her all time favorite cookie....ever.  I found this one years ago, back when Martha Stewart was aired on the Food Network.  I printed this out and made them, and the love affair began.  So did my tinkering with recipes.  I've now got this recipe to where I love it - and have worked all the short cuts out as well. 

The recipe itself for these Chocolate Crackle Cookies is a little overwhelming when you read it the first time.  But trust me, it's really easy.  And I'm going to share my short cuts with you to make it even easier.  The dough part stays the same - all the short cuts come after.  Once the dough is ready - don't portion it out into plastic wrap.  Trust me - you are just adding way too many steps.  Put it in a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.  The longer you let it sit in there, the better the cookies will be.  I usually let them sit in there over night, but 4 hours is what they got yesterday and that is plenty of time.  You also don't need to roll them out into individual logs and put them in plastic wrap.   Waste of time and effort.  Just keep it in the bowl as a solid unit.....took me years of making these cookies, cursing at them every time because they were so labor intensive, and then once my hand got hurt I couldn't make them at all - too much and too hard for me.  So, the important thing to learn here is to skip all the rolling out into plastic wrap and just leave it in a bowl to chill. 

Once you are ready to bake - all you need to do is take a spoon and scoop out the dough, roll it into a ball and then roll that ball into sugar and then confectioners sugar.  This is much easier than cutting the roll of dough that you would of made and then turning that into a ball and then rolling it into the sugars.  I'm saving you loads of time here...trust me :)  These don't expand a lot so you can pack a lot on the sheets at once.

that's right...15 on one sheet :)

While baking, they crack and you can see the chocolate underneath - and your house will smell amazing. 

so pretty

Heays got home from work and I told her she had a present for her in the cookie jar.  Her face was priceless when she opened the lid and saw her favorite cookies there.  Needless to say these don't last long - they are highly addicting. 

Chocolate Truffles

It's too hot to even think about turning my oven on - so why not have an easy no bake recipe for you guys?  Truffles can seem like a daunting thing, but in reality they are extremely easy.  It's good ingredients that make them so good, not the time and effort.  This is the simplest recipe I have ever seen for truffles (I have one where you freeze it like 3 times before you get to the end) and it's been my go-to recipe for years.  It works well in all times of the year, my only suggestion is that if it's hot/humid out that you put it in the fridge to set up - it wont set if you leave it out on the counter to set and it's hot. 

All you need is a couple of things for this - some chocolate, heavy cream, vanilla extract and whatever you want to coat your truffles in.  I prefer dark chocolate candy coating, but rolling them in confectioners sugar or cocoa powder is great too.  It's a personal preference so go crazy with this part.

This is how easy this recipe is.  I buy the chocolate in chips - that way I don't have to waste time chopping it all up into tiny pieces.  I toss the chips in a heatproof bowl and then heat up the cream on the stove until it just boils.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it melt a little and then start to stir it.  Once it's all smooth, add the vanilla.  Then I pour it into a glass baking dish - don't use a bowl, it will take hours for it to set if you do.



mmm....look at that pretty sight

 You want to use something along the lines of a 13x9 baking dish - much easier.  Let it set for an hour and then comes the fun part of rolling them out.  (If you put it in the fridge to set, let it sit out for 5-10 minutes before you start to roll them out).  The best part of making truffles is that they don't have to be the prettiest things - they can be any size or shape that you want.  You can even fill candy molds with these if you're feeling adventurous.  Once all rolled out, time to coat them in whatever you want. 


all rolled and coated in chocolate

 Then you're done, time to eat. 

yum

I brought some in to my favorite taste testers, and one of them was so exciting.  I have been talking about my truffles with her for a while now and kept promising her some.  I got the biggest hug and I told her to make sure that she got to take some home. 

Chocolate Truffles

about 60 truffles

1/2 pound good bittersweet chocolate

1/2 pound good semisweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

cocoa powder, confectioners sugar, candy coating to coat truffles in

1. Chop the chocolate finely with a sharp knife (if you're using chips, pour them into a bowl and you're done).  Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils.  Turn off the heat and all the cream to sit for 20 seconds.  Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with chocolate.  Wish a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted.  Whisk in the vanilla extract.  Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.  *If it's too hot - stick it in the fridge to set*
3. With 2 teaspoons, spoon round balls of the chocolate mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Roll each ball of chocolate in your hands to roughly make it round.  Roll in confectioners sugar, cocoa powder - whatever you want to use. 

These will keep refrigerated for weeks, but serve them at room temperature. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I'm going to start this post off with a giant thank you to my favorite taste testers - you know who you are.  Tuesday is treat day for you and I found this recipe and knew you guys would love it.  I mean who wouldn't love a chocolate cookie with mini peanut butter cups in them?!  And as one of you puts it, chocolate and peanut butter are "2 things that just go together".  :) 

I read over the recipe and it seemed easy enough - all I needed was a bag of mini peanut butter cups.  I changed a couple of things up in the recipe and was ready to get going with it.  Make sure that when you add in the peanut butter cups to stir them in by hand.  If you do it with a mixer, a lot of them get broken.  Clearly, I used the mixer - they came out just fine - a little crushed here and there.  But if that doesn't matter to you then the mixer works just fine.  These don't expand a lot during the baking time, so if you want to try to squeeze more on a sheet at a time you can.  Scoop out the dough........

ready to bake :)

.....bake them off and 7-9 minutes later you have these. 

yum

Let me tell you - these smell so good while baking.  It even says in the directions to "bake them until they're set and you can smell chocolate".  It's true - once you smell it, they are done. 

I happily handed these out for Tuesday Treat day.  Needless to say they went over very well. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

makes about 30 cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 tbsp milk

1 1/2 cups (9 oz) mini peanut butter cups

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.  In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat together both sugars and butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla, egg and milk.  Then add in dry ingredients.  Stir in the peanut butter cups.
3. Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto prepared cookie sheets.  Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until they're set and you can smell chocolate.  Remove them from the oven and cool on cooling rack.