Greek Yogurt Chocolate Cake Cookies – TWD

Have you tried greek yogurt yet?

It’s quite a phenomenon. I’ll let you in on a little secret: I couldn’t STAND it the first few times I tried it. I felt like I must be missing something. I begged for someone to LET ME IN ON THE SECRET!! It was sour and not sweet at ALL. So naturally I was turned off immediately. I tried it a few more times convinced that there was something about this yogurt that I wasn’t appreciating.

But I got creative this time: adding granola, dark chocolate chips, fresh cut strawberries (or any other berries) maple syrup, even raw honey. And that was it. That was my answer. My gateway drug, if you will. Honey. It really was as simple as finding that ONE thing that blew my taste buds away. And now I can’t get enough of the stuff.

I top my salads with it, put a dollop in my tacos, even bake it into things now. Like these cookies.

They were supposed to be made with sour cream rather than greek yogurt but I didn’t have any on hand so I made a last minute substitution. I also doubled the cinnamon in these cookies. But you already knew that didn’t you?

They are cakey (hence being called CAKE cookies) so don’t expect a chewy cookie with a crisp outside. I am not really a fan of ‘cakey’ anything unless it’s, well… cake. So I wasn’t too excited about these but they weren’t a total loss. You could easily use these as ice cream sandwich cookies or even as whoopie pies, just smear whatever you want on one side and sandwich them together and enjoy!

Thanks to Spike of Spike Bakes for choosing this and hosting. Click here for the recipe.

Lemon Scented Pull-Apart Coffee Cake

Do you remember those Little Debbie Pecan Wheels? I used to loooove those as a kid. My favorite (and ONLY) way to eat them was to unravel the little roll. Slowly peel it away and eat it layer by layer. I used to do the same with cinnamon rolls and flaky layer biscuits.

Not much has changed by way of my odd layer quirk. If there are layers… I must peel. I can’t simply take a large bite out of something that can clearly be unraveled or picked apart. I would be cheating myself. And I’m not ok with that!

So it should come as no surprise that I ate this bread layer by layer. Standing up next to my counter grabbing piece by piece of warm, gooey, lemony, sugary goodness and shoveling it into my mouth.

I’m still a 5 year old at heart. I’m ok with that

This bread takes a bit of time to make and seems lengthy in steps but there is nothing difficult about making this bread at all. And your reward will be soft, pillow-y layers of lemon scented, sugar crusted, delicious bread. I followed the recipe as-is and it was perfect. You can make an orange, grapefruit, or even cinnamon-sugar version of it. But no matter which flavor you choose… make it and promise me you’ll try the layer-by-layer method of eating it.

Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Coffee Cake Recipe
Adapted from here
Yields 1 9×5″ loaf

Ingredients:

For the sweet yeast dough:
About 2 3/4 cups (12 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (2 1/2 fluid ounces) whole milk
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs , at room temperature

For the lemon paste filling:
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (3 lemons)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 ounces unsalted butter , melted

For the tangy cream cheese icing:
3 ounces cream cheese , softened
1/3 cup (1 1/4 ounces) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions:

Note: for process photos of some of the trickier steps, head on over to my Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Bread post. Same process, different delicious flavor.

1. Stir together 2 cups (9 ounces) of the flour, the sugar, the yeast, and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer; set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over low heat just until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat, add the water, and set aside until warm (120 to 130°F [49 to 54°C]), about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract.

2. Pour the milk mixture over the flour-yeast mixture and, using a rubber spatula, mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Attach the bowl to the mixer, and fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stop the mixer, add 1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) of the remaining flour, and resume mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add 2 more tablespoons flour and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky, about 45 seconds.

3. Sprinkle a work surface with 1 tablespoon flour and center the dough on the flour. Knead gently until smooth and no longer sticky, about 1 minute, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons flour only if necessary to lessen the stickiness. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover the bowl securely with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place (about 70°F [21°C]) until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for the next step. While the dough is rising, make the filling.
Make the lemon paste filling

4. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and the lemon and orange zests. Set the sandy-wet mixture nearby (the sugar draws out moisture from the zests to create the consistency).
Make the coffee cake

5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Or, lightly coat the pan with nonstick spray.

6. Gently deflate the dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 20-by-12-inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush spread the melted butter generously over the dough. Cut the dough crosswise into 5 strips, each about 12 by 4 inches. (A pizza cutter is helpful here.) Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of the zest-sugar mixture over one of the buttered rectangles. Top with a second rectangle and sprinkle it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the zest-sugar mixture. Repeat with the remaining dough rectangles and zest-sugar mixture, ending with a stack of 5 rectangles. Work carefully when adding the crumbly zest filling, or it will fall off when you have to lift the stacked pastry later.

7. Slice the stack crosswise through the 5 layers to create 6 equal strips, each about 4 by 2 inches. Fit these layered strips into the prepared loaf pan, cut edges up and side by side. (While there is plenty of space on either side of the 6 strips widthwise in the pan, fitting the strips lengthwise is tight. But that’s fine because the spaces between the dough and the sides of the pan fill in during baking.) Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place (70 °F [21°C]) until puffy and almost doubled in size, 30 to 50 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for baking.

8. Bake the coffee cake until the top is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.
Make the tangy cream cheese icing

9. In a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula, vigorously mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the milk and lemon juice until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

10. To remove the coffee cake from the pan, tilt and rotate the pan while gently tapping it on a counter to release the cake sides. Invert a wire rack on top of the coffee cake, invert the cake onto the rack, and carefully lift off the pan. Invert another rack on top, invert the cake so it is right side up, and remove the original rack.

11. Slip a sheet of waxed paper under the rack to catch any drips from the icing. Using a pastry brush, coat the top of the warm cake with the icing to glaze it.

12. Serve the coffee cake warm or at room temperature. To serve, you can pull apart the layers, or you can cut the cake into 1-inch-thick slices on a slight diagonal with a long, serrated knife. If you decide to cut the cake, don’t attempt to cut it until it is almost completely cool.

Sandwich Thins

Confession time: I went through at least three packs of sandwich thins for work lunches… and made peanut butter and jelly samiches with them. I’m boring when it comes to sandwiches. But these lovely thin breads just stuck with me. You can use them as a fluffy bread replacement, as a hamburger bun replacement… heck toast em and schmear Nutella on them for dessert!

Done, done and done!!

When I saw on Tracey’s blog that I could make these at home, I was thrilled. But I forewarn you, the packaged ones may have chemicals and other things in them that are no-nos to some people, but they stay softer longer. The homemade version went stale after about 3 days. So if you make the whole batch, I suggest bagging up the amount you’ll eat in a few days’ time and freezing the rest, taking them out to thaw as you need/want them.

As Tracey states “the recipe does call for a few ingredients you may not have in your pantry – vital wheat gluten and wheat bran. If you didn’t have the wheat gluten, you could try using additional all-purpose flour instead.” I didn’t have either the gluten or bran so I subbed AP and whole wheat flour respectively.

Homemade Sandwich Thins
adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups warm water (about 100 F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
rolled oats (for sprinkling on top of the sandwich thins)

Directions:
Crack the egg into a 2-cup measuring cup and beat lightly with a whisk. Whisk in the water and olive oil. Add the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat bran, wheat gluten, yeast, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix briefly just to combine. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the bowl. Once completely incorporated, continue kneading on low speed until the dough is soft and elastic, about 7-8 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a small amount of flour; if it is too dry, add a little water.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Add the dough to the bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. I weighed the ball of dough first and then used the scale to verify each portion was approximately the same size, but you could definitely just eyeball it. Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten it into a circle between your palms. Transfer to the baking sheet and, using your fingertips, press the circle into a thin round, about 5-inches in diameter. Brush the dough with water and sprinkle each thin with rolled oats. Cover each baking sheet with plastic wrap and let the thins rise just slightly while the oven preheats, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Use a wooden skewer to poke 9 holes in each thin. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until puffed and dry on top. Cool completely before slicing.

Makes 16

Happy National Fudge Day – Cookie and Cream Fudge!!

I am not a big fudge fan. I think it’s the texture because it most certainly isn’t the amazing array of flavors it can come in. It’s sturdier than a cheesecake, creamier than a brownie, much more dense than a cake. Maybe that bothers me. I’m grasping at straws here.

But just because I don’t like fudge doesn’t mean that YOU don’t. So I’m not going to be selfish and withhold the ONLY fudge recipe that I have made and LOVED. Because that would just be rude. I mean imagine if I alone held the key to turning the world’s biggest fudge hater into a fudge LOVER?! I couldn’t live with it if I kept this to myself.

I made this for Christmas this past year and used candy cane oreos but I imagine that they work just as well with regular Oreos, Halloween Oreos, Eater Oreos, Mint Oreos, Golden Oreos or even Peanut Butter Oreos. Go wild!!

Happy National Fudge Day everyone!!

Click here for the recipe!!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cranberry Biscotti – TWD

Don’t be like me.

I am the girl who basically has to chanta reminder over and over in her head so she doesn’t forget to buy eggs.

I am the girl who doesn’t do anything but air dry her hair. Sometimes… I don’t even condition it. I’m lazy.

I’m the girl who is so scattered it takes all day to handle a few simple chores. I’m easily distracted. To the extent which I don’t think you could ever fully appreciate.

   

I am the girl who decides to decorate her lovely biscotti with white chocolate drizzle then takes them outside (for natural light, of course) to photograph and forgets that it’s almost 100 degrees outside. So all of my chocolate melts. Then promptly finds its way on to my fingers, camera, nose, shorts, and glasses.

Do yourself a favor, don’t be like me. Unless you don’t mind licking chocolate off of your camera outside your apartment door for all your neighbors to see.

Melty chocolate aside, these biscotti were phenom. They are chocolate overload and I love every second of it. I used part black cocoa, part rouge cocoa powder, hazelnuts, dried cranberries and semi-sweet chocolate chips and boy, oh boy were these awesome.

Normally I’d pawn biscotti off to my mom but she is a self-proclaimed chocolate hater (kind of like someone else I know, ahem) so these were all for me. Ok, maybe half of them are for me… the rest have to go before I turn into a biscotti myself!!

For the recipe, head on over to Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes. (Click here for the recipe)

Simple Homemade Fudgy Brownies

There are days were I just can’t be bothered with things like chopping chocolate, tempering eggs, making ganache or measuring Nutella without making a mess of my kitchen.

Some days I just need a simple way to get simple brownies fast. Something to hit the spot of that nasty chocolate monster that yells at me at 9pm.

Do you have an inconsiderate chocolate monster inside you too? Perhaps inside your kids? Husband? Best friend? Then make these. You’ll all thank me once that monster is fed. He’s quite a nuisance.

Simplest Homemade Fudgy Brownies
Adapted from Good Life Eats

Ingredients:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup flour
A heaping 1/2 cup chocolate chunks, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 square baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

Set a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Next, add the granulated sugar and extract. Stir well. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl and whisk in with the eggs until well combined. Gently stir in the flour and chocolate chunks, and STOP mixing once flour disappears.

Pour batter into the previously prepared baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. Cool completely to be able to cut neatly. Cool 15 minutes if you want to dig in much sooner.

Remove parchment paper (with brownies) from the pan. Peel away the parchment paper and cut the brownies into serving size pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

It really is as simple as that!!