Category Archives: Sweets

Cinnabon Caramel Corn

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Veronica

I suppose I could get in trouble for putting a trademarked name into the title of this popcorn, but the truth is I’m just way too unimportant for Cinnabon to care what I do with their name. And if they tasted this popcorn, they’d probably consider it a compliment that their name had been ascribed to this tasty treat.

Does it taste like a Cinnabon? I have no idea. I think it does, but I’ve only had 1/4 of a single Cinnabon in my entire life, and that was four years ago and as far as I recall, it did not have pecans in it. I do know, however, that it reminds me of a cinnamon roll and it is crazy delicious and I just really like calling it Cinnabon Caramel Corn (versus the official name: “Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans and White Chocolate”–way too many syllables to pronounce when I could be stuffing my face with popcorn exactly eight syllables earlier.).

This would make a great food gift this holiday season and stays fresh in an airtight container for at least a week (based on reports from recievers of portions that were mailed). Ours did not survive more than an hour after it had cooled.

OK, fine. We ate half of it warm.

Cinnabon Caramel Corn
Recipe by Our Best Bites
(My notes are in parentheses. (I like parentheses.))

12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels)*
1 C roughly chopped pecans
1 C brown sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 C Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)
1 stick real butter (1/2 C)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
3 squares almond bark

*You can use air popped or microwave popcorn. If using microwave, anything works, but I prefer a “natural” flavor that’s low in butter and salt.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside. (I personally divided the popcorn & nuts between two ginormous bowls, which I would recommend so you have room for lots of stirring.)

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam and rise. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir very well so everything is well coated.

Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan. (I had to use a jelly roll pan & a 9×13 pan–I think 2 jelly roll pans would be best.) Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. (I thought the popcorn wasn’t quite crisp enough after it cooled and will try baking it 10-20 minutes longer next time. I usually bake caramel corn for an hour and found it odd this one only called for half the time.)

Remove from oven and spread out on a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil.

Melt almond bark according to package instructions. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. (I dipped a fork in it and swirled it all over.) When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks and enjoy!

5 Comments

Posted in Candy, My Favorites, Sweets and tagged caramel corn, cinnabon, cinnamon, pecans, popcorn, white chocolate. Bookmark the permalink.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Veronica

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

THESE ARE SO GOOD!

Everyone likes Rice Krispies Treats, but browning the butter before making them really kicks these up a notch. I go through about 3 lbs of butter a week, so that probably counts as an obsession, but what I’m really obsessed with is browning it. I just LOVE the flavor of browned butter. I love the smell of it as it’s cooking. I love the look of it, with the dark brown specks (which also fleck these treats). I just love everything about it. So, naturally, I love these.

I made a double batch, and I’m glad I did b/c my husband and I ate half the recipe immediately, which left just enough to package up to ship out for gifts.

These are very simple, the only difference between it and the original recipe being that you add salt and brown the butter first, which just tacks on about 5 minutes to the prep time. (OK fine, that and the fact that there’s a LOT more butter in it…but I can’t complain about that!) These would be great for Christmas, all-occasion gifts, bake sales, potlucks, after-school snacks, after dinner treats, afternoon snacks, after-breakfast snacks, midnight snacks, “I just ate a tomato so I need to eat something unhealthy to balance out my diet” snacks….I think you get the picture.

I don’t, however, recommend doubling the recipe unless you have a lot of people to feed because, if you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to stop eating them until they’re gone.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
From Smitten Kitchen, with slightly modified instructions

1 stick unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do.

When the butter takes on a nutty color and the solids have turned a chocolate-brown, stir in the salt & marshmallows. Turn off the heat once the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the cereal. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I liked to use a piece of waxed or parchment paper that I’ve sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almost as well.

Let cool, cut into squares and get ready to make new friends.

Veronica’s Notes: If you use salted butter, omit the salt from the recipe. If you use table salt, use a scant 1/4 teaspoon.

6 Comments

Posted in Brownies & Bars, My Favorites, Sweets and tagged brown butter, crispy, rice krispies, treats. Bookmark the permalink.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Vanilla-Rum Custard Sauce

Posted on November 16, 2009 by Veronica

I’ve previously mentioned my failed attempt at a brown butter pound cake. Wonderful flavor, but overbaked to the point that it was almost too dry to choke down. Well, after keeping it in the freezer for a month, I finally decided upon my method of recovery for the dried loaf (with some help from my friend, Laura). And Redbook magazine helped me with the recipe.

Using pound cake rather than bread worked well here, giving an almost creamy texture to the pudding, but I think it would be just as good with the brioche or challah.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Vanilla-Rum Custard Sauce

from Redbook magazine, November 2009

1 T unsalted butter
1 lb brioche or challah loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used about 1 1/2 loaves brown butter pound cake)
4 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
1 c packed light-brown sugar
1 T pumpkin-pie spice
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 c dark rum
1/4 t salt
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Vanilla-rum custard sauce (recipe below)

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with butter.

Bake bread cubes in a roasting pan, tossing several times, 15-20 minutes or until bread feels dry and slightly firm (I toasted mine 30 minutes–they were almost like croutons after cooling) . Transfer cubes to a large bowl. Turn off oven.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, cream, milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin-pie spice, vanilla, rum, and salt. Add bread cubes, tossing to coat. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover; chill overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place baking dish in a roasting pan and pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of dish. (I didn’t do the water bath and it turned out fine.) Bake 50-55 minutes or until a knife tests clean (Mine was not done until 65 minutes). Let cool in pan on a wire rack until warm. Dust with confectioners’ sugar; serve with vanilla-rum custard sauce.

Makes 12 servings. Each serving: 401 calories, 22 g fat, 9 g protein, 43 g carb

Vanilla-Rum Custard Sauce
6 large egg yolks
6 T sugar
1 c heavy cream
1 c milk
1 T each vanilla extract and dark rum

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar, about 3 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, heat cream and milk over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge. Slowly whisk cream mixture into yolk mixture; pour back into saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, until sauce coats back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes or to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and rum. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 2 1/2 cups. Each (1 T) serving: 42 cal, 3 g fat, 1 g protein, 2 g carb

3 Comments

Posted in Bread, Sweets and tagged bread pudding, custard sauce, pumpkin, rum, vanilla. Bookmark the permalink.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Posted on November 16, 2009 by Veronica

I have been baking a lot of pumpkin desserts this fall, and nearly every one calls for pumpkin pie spice. I’ve never bought pumpkin pie spice in my life because I keep all the separate spices on hand. If this is your situation as well, here’s a quick recipe for mixing a small batch of your own pumpkin pie spice blend. If you want to make a larger batch, just double/triple/quadruple the measurements accordingly.

Pumpkin Pie Spice
Makes about 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon allspice

Mix all spices and store in an air-tight container.

3 Comments

Posted in Pie, Tips & Tricks and tagged pumpkin pie spice. Bookmark the permalink.

Dulce de Leche Apple Pie

Posted on November 14, 2009 by Veronica

On average, I save about five recipes a day. Each is saved with full intention of making it ASAP, but most are forgotten by the following day when I’ve found five or twenty more recipes that I just HAVE to try right away. It’s a never-ending cycle.

This one, however, has been stuck in my head ever since I read it on Laura’s blog two months ago. It is not one I forgot, but continued thinking, imagining, and fantasizing about. So when I unexpectedly got the day off on Thursday, I immediately knew how I would spend some of my free time. Making. This. Pie.

It was worth the wait and all the anticipation. Honestly, it’s the best apple pie I’ve ever had–even better than the apple pie that has won me local acclaim and an order for 15 of them to serve as the groom’s “cake” at a wedding. Grandma Ople’s Apple Pie is killer, but this one tops it. And it’s easier to put together, so that makes it a definite winner.

Personally, I don’t taste the dulce de leche in the pie itself so I like to drizzle dulce de leche over the top to enhance the flavor.

Dulce de Leche Apple Pie
from The Cooking Photographer, with some modifications

Double crust for 9” pie (I always use this recipe)
Egg white for brushing dough (reserve the yolk in a separate dish)
5 cups peeled and sliced mixed apples (I used 2 small Jonathan, 1 large Rome and 1 Granny Smith)
¼ cup dulce de leche
2 Tablespoons apple cider
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon of butter for dotting pie
Additional dulce de leche for drizzling (optional)
9” Pyrex pie dish, not the 9 1/2″ deep dish

1. Place the oven rack on the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

2. Mix together sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make sure the cornstarch is well mixed in so you don’t get cornstarch lumps in your pie.

3. In a large bowl toss together the apples with dulce de leche, apple cider, and vanilla extract. Add the dry mixture and toss to combine. Set aside.

4. Roll out one of the discs of pie dough and line a 9” Pyrex pie dish with the bottom crust, then brush with the egg white. (Keep the remaining egg white for later use.) Add the filling and spread out evenly. Dot the mixture with little bits of butter here and there.

6. Roll out the other dough disc & cover with the top crust. Cut it slightly wider than the edge of the bottom crust, then tuck the edges under before fluting.

7. Mix the egg yolk with the remaining egg white & brush over the crust. Poke a few holes in the crust for venting or cut out decorations.

8. Bake for 30 minutes. Then turn the temperature to 375 degrees, cover crust edges with a pie shield*, and bake for another 30 minutes or until crust is golden on the bottom and no longer wet and raw looking.

9. Remove the pie from the oven and set on a cooling rack for several hours to set up the filling.

10. If desired, you may drizzle dulce de leche over the top of the pie shortly before serving. Don’t do it too far in advance or the dulce de leche will dry out and get hard. To drizzle it, warm the dulce de leche and either put it in a pastry bag or a ziploc bag and snip a small hole from the tip. Then just sweep the bag back and forth over the pie while you squeeze the bag.

*There is no need for a pie shield if using the recipe for crust in the link above. It doesn’t burn easily. Also, I only needed to cook my pie 45 minutes before the crust looked done, so I removed it and the apples were soft & perfect.

8 Comments

Posted in Pie and tagged apple pie, dulce de leche. Bookmark the permalink.

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Veronica

I don’t like pumpkin pie. But I do like turtles. And now that I’ve made this, I know that I love turtles enough to make me like pumpkin pie if their elements are a part of it.

As for all normal humans (you know, the ones who already like pumpkin pie), they will like this pie too. It was a huge hit at my husband’s potluck at work. It is sweet & creamy–more like a cream pie than your usual custard filling, but still with the pumpkin flavor (made more palatable enhanced by the caramel & pecans).

This is a very simple recipe, so of course I had to make it difficult and fussy by making my own caramel sauce and graham cracker crust. I wouldn’t make my own breadcrumbs for a meatloaf , but I’ve spent up to an hour making huge amounts of frosting that requires boiling sugar & corn syrup, beating egg yolks to death…etc, etc, ad nausium.

I think I have a problem.

If you have similar problems, you can watch my step-by-step video at the end and prepare your own caramel sauce as well.

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

from Kraftfoods.com

1 graham cracker pie crust

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. caramel syrup, divided

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped pecans, divided

2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) vanilla instant pudding

1 cup cold milk (I used egg nog, which worked well)

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed, divided

Pour 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup nuts.

Beat dry pudding mixes, milk, pumpkin and spices with whisk until well blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP; spoon into crust.

Refrigerate 1 hour. Top with remaining COOL WHIP, caramel topping and nuts just before serving.

3 Comments

Posted in Pie, Videos and tagged Pie, pumpkin, turtle. Bookmark the permalink.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread with Caramel Swirls

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Veronica

I tried making brown butter pound cake a couple weeks ago and ruined it by overbaking it. Despite the the need to drink an entire glass of milk with each bite, Dennis and I couldn’t resist having several slices because of the wonderful brown butter flavor. (If you’ve ever had browned butter in a dessert, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t–then you haven’t fully lived!)

While the remainder of the pound cake lies in the freezer, awaiting it’s transformation into a creative bread pudding, I found the link to a similar recipe waiting for me in my inbox yesterday, compliments of my good friend, Krista. The recipe is, in fact, based upon that brown butter pound cake, but with the addition of pumpkin and dulce de leche.

Krista knows me too well. Cake, brown butter, pumpkin and caramel? Oh yeah, I’m there, baby!

After baking it and diving in (I only had a tiny slice…times five), I discovered that the texture isn’t dense like pound cake, but lighter like regular cake and very moist. But since it doesn’t look like cake, I’m calling it bread. Which kind of makes the name sound a little more wholesome, even with the mention of brown butter and caramel and the fact that the only wholesome thing in there makes up a very small part of the cake bread.

Whatever you want to call it, this stuff is awesome–bake a loaf and see for yourself!

Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread with Caramel Swirls

Slightly adapted from “Pumpkin Pound Cake with Dulce de Leche Swirls” at browniesfordinner.com, which was adapted from the Brown Butter Pound Cake in Gourmet, October 2009

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp rum (optional)
about 1/2 – 3/4 cup dulce de leche (recipe here)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and lightly flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch (or 9 by 5-inch) loaf pan.

Heat the butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until the milk solids on the bottom are a dark chocolate brown. Transfer to a pie plate or shallow bowl and put it in the freezer just until it congealed, about 15 minutes.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl. Cream the brown butter with the sugars with mixer until it is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin, vanilla & rum. On a low speed, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Transfer about half of the batter to the loaf pan and smooth it around so that it covers the bottom of the pan and forms an even layer. Place small grape-sized dollops of dulce de leche on the surface. Swirl by running the tip of a knife through one or two times to create a swirly pattern. Cover with the rest of the batter, smooth the surface. Use the rest of the dulce de leche on top, also in small grape-sized dollops and swirled with the tip of a knife.

Bake 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours (75 to 90 minutes). Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a rack (right side up) to cool completely, about one hour.

Veronica’s Notes: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & ginger. I used 1/4 t cinnamon, 1/8 t nutmeg, a couple sprinkles of cloves and the rest ginger.

3 Comments

Posted in Bread, Cake & Frosting and tagged Bread, brown butter, caramel, pumpkin, swirls. Bookmark the permalink.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Posted on October 25, 2009 by Veronica

I have been making this dessert every fall for about five years because not only is it my favorite fall dessert, but it is usually requested at our Thanksgiving gathering. Although “Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake” is the official name, I feel that “Pumpkin Bars” is more apt and usually refer to them that way. The bottom layer is like a cross between cookie and cake and the pumpkin filling is sweet, perfectly spiced and ultra creamy (not what I would call gooey, though it does jiggle when you take it out of the oven).

If you want to know how this recipe rates, here’s is the list of my top five favorite desserts (that I make):
1. Laura’s Cherry Crumble Bars
2. Laura’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
3. Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
4. Dark chocolate Raspberry Cake
5. Zesty Lemon Pound Cakes

And if you still don’t believe me, here’s further proof that this is a must-try. I brought this to the charity bake sale at work last week and it sold out faster than anything else. I watched one woman scrape her container of every crumb after finishing the slice she bought, then go back to buy another only to find they’d all sold in the time it took her to eat it. When she found out I’d made it, she made me promise to bring more next week!

She is not the first to catch the butter cake fever and won’t be the last.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes (I usually do 45 minutes). Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

From Paula Deen’s Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

12 Comments

Posted in Brownies & Bars, My Favorites and tagged bars, butter, cake, fall, gooey, pumpkin. Bookmark the permalink.

Easy Peanut Clusters

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Veronica

These are incredibly easy to make and come together so quickly. Perfect for holiday gifts!

Oh, and did I mention they’re delicious? Because they are. Enjoy!

Easy Peanut Clusters

1 (12-oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 squares white almond bark*
1 lb salted, roasted peanuts

Melt the chocolate chips and white bark together in a glass bowl in the microwave. Zap it for a minute, stir, then continue in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth and thin. Stir in the peanuts & drop spoonfuls onto a wax-paper lined baking sheet. Let sit or refrigerate until firm, then package or put on a serving plate.

*Update 12/7/09: I have now made these using chocolate almond bark in place of the white and while both versions are good, I like this one better because the chocolate flavor is a little stronger.

Easy Peanut Clusters made with chocolate almond bark instead of white

2 Comments

Posted in Candy and tagged candy, easy, fast, gift baskets, goodies, holiday, peanut clusters, simple. Bookmark the permalink.

Quick & Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Veronica

https://i0.wp.com/a1.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/71/5ea44b37035145b39b48d97919d47ad8/l.jpg

These aren’t your typical pumpkin muffins disguised as cupcakes with a swirl of frosting. Using a cake mix not only makes these a cinch to throw together, but gives the desired light texture of a cupcake.

Libby’s Quick & Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes
from www.verybestbaking.com

1 (18.25 oz) spice cake mix
1 can (15 oz) Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 container (16 oz) prepared cream cheese or vanilla frosting (I made my own with this recipe)

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.

BLEND cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in large mixer bowl until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.

BAKE for 18 to 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean (mine were done in 17 minutes). Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Spread cupcakes with frosting. Decorate with assorted sprinkles, if desired.

YUMMY!!!

I used pumpkin spice icecream topping to drizzle over the top of those in the photo before the recipe. It’s a seasonal item and if you can’t find it, you could use caramel topping and mix in some pumpkin butter & spices.