Brownies

Hey there. I haven't posted in a few days but I have been baking. The other night I made chocolate brownies from my Nan's recipe book (the usual). They turned out pretty good. I just used the chocolate Duncan Hines icing to top them because it was late when they were finally cooled.

On another note, Happy 22nd birthday to one of my besties, Leigh! Love you, hope you had fun lastnight!

Chocolate Brownies

1 & 1/3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter

1 cup cocoa

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar and cocoa. Beat in eggs, one at a time then add vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt and walnuts until just combined. Pour into a greased 9x13' pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, do not over bake! When done, allow to cool and ice with chocolate frosting of choice. I also sprinkled walnut pieces on top!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Good morning! Hope everyone's day is going good so far, as good as it can be at 9:30 am anyway. I made chocolate chip muffins after work lastnight. I'm slowly realizing that the majority of my posts have chocolate in them, but that can't be a bad thing right?

I found this recipe from a link on Foodgawker, aka one of my favourite food related websites. You can pretty much find a recipe for any of your cravings on here.

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Another work day is here. No complaints though, I had a nine hour sleep so I should be doing alright. I'm super excited for this weekend though because one of my besties (Leigh) is finally coming home and it's her birthday weekend! Any ideas?

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups flour

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup melted and cooled butter

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 & 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix flour, sugars, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add butter, milk and vanilla and mix. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour wet mixture in. Once combined, lightly stir in chocolate chips and walnuts if you are adding them.

Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake for about 15 minutes - when a toothpick comes out clean.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Back again with more goodies. The other day I also made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They were a huge hit! The recipe made 24 pretty large cookies and they didn't last the night at my Nanny and Grampie's. I got this recipe from my cousin Tash, she was saying how good they were and I have to agree.

Anyway, onto my non-baking activities this weekend. I didn't end up posting yesterday, I was feeling a little bit under the weather (self induced). I had a good weekend though, enjoyed the sun and hung out with friends. Just as I planned!

Here's a photo op of my cookies. I took a couple other ones but they didn't turn out like I wanted them to. Trust me when I say you should try these out!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup margarine

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 cups Quaker oats

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup coconut or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and other remaining ingredients and mix well (I put in the 1 cup of coconut, I advise you do). Drop onto cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Trifle

Hey! This morning I baked a couple of things for my Nanny. My Aunt and Uncle are home to visit so I thought I'd help her out a bit. One of the things I made was chocolate trifle. Yes people, layers of chocolate cake, pudding, cool whip & skor bits. Pure ecstasy? I know. It's simple to make. I made the cake lastnight in just a glass rectangular pan so it'd be cool for today and I also made the pudding so it'd be set for today. This morning all I had to do was assemble. The finished product looks good and tastes good, perfect combo.

I'll fill you in on my weekend on tomorrow's post. What else did I bake? You'll have to stay tuned! (Check out the skor bits on top. Not a recipe to skimp on ingredients people!)

Chocolate Trifle

1 package chocolate instant pudding

1 package vanilla instant pudding

4 cups cold milk

1 chocolate cake mix

1 large container Cool Whip

4 skor bars

The method is pretty straight forward. The night before (or at least a couple hours before) bake the cake mix according to box instructions. Also, prepare pudding. In a bowl, pour in milk and add the 2 packages of pudding. Beat for 2 minutes and leave to set in fridge.

To put trifle together, first cut up cake into small cubes. Layer trifle as follows: cake, pudding, cool whip, skor bits (have to mash the skor bars up - I put them in a plastic bag and used a rolling pin). Repeat to make two layers. It's best to prepare the trifle not long before serving or to put directly in fridge after making. Voila!

PB & C Rice Krispie Squares

Happy weekend people! Friday's are the bomb, no question. Life has been pretty uneventful since my last post on Tuesday. I worked all week and just chilled afterwards. My life definitely isn't reality tv material ... that I'm thankful for. I'm totally psyched for this weekend though because it's supposed to be hot and sunny Saturday AND Sunday. I'm a total beach bum so this works out perfectly.

So, lastnight I decided to make Peanut Butter & Chocolate Rice Krispie Squares. They're one of my favourites. My Nan made them for my Mom when she was having company over last year and that was the first time I had them. Lets just say it was love at first bite (instead of sight. Get it?) So lame, I know. Anyway, I have been making them ever since because they're no bake - just gotta bring a couple ingredients to boil - and SO worth it.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Rice Krispie Squares

3 cups Rice Krispies

1/2 cup finely chopped white chocolate

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

3/4 cup peanut butter

3 regular size solid chocolate bars

Combine Rice Krispies and white chocolate in bowl. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan. Put over heat and bring to a boil. Then mix in peanut butter until fully incorporated. Pour heated mixture over rice krispies and white chocolate, combine. Press into 8x8' pan.

Microwave chocolate bars until fully melted (microwave for short periods at a time to avoid burning!) Pour over squares and spread evenly. If you want, you can soften peanut butter in microwave and drizzle over chocolate as I did. Allow to cool in fridge. Take out about half hour before serving.

Lemon Cheesecake Goodness

Here it is, lemon cheesecake squares. This is another recipe from the cookbook my Nan made me a couple of Christmases ago. They're pretty straight forward, and most importantly, awesome!

This is a pretty short post - but I would like to bake something today (not sure what yet) and also have the rest of season 1 of 90210 to watch. Totally addicting.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

2 packages lemon jello powder

2 cups boiling water

1 large tub cool whip

1 package cream cheese

1 1/2 cups graham crumbs

2 tbsps. butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine graham crumbs and melted butter. Press into 9x13' pan and bake for 5-10 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine lemon jello powder and boiling water until dissolved and place in fridge for 10 minutes. During this time, beat cream cheese in separate bowl. Add cool whip and beat until well combined. Add chilled jello mixture to cream cheese and cool whip. Pour over graham crust and place in refrigerator to set. I put graham crumbs on top, do so if desired!

Bonjour

So, just a small update. I have been baking, just no photos have been taken. Yeah, the lazy in me has been in full force lately. Lastnight I made lemon cheesecake squares and friday night I made chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies for my team at Relay for Life. I'll be posting the recipe and a couple photo ops of the squares sometime today. Cheers!

PB Cookies

Ok, so I made chocolate chip cookies again lastnight. It seems that lately I have been making them at a minimum of three times a week. It gets old, but they always taste delicious so I guess that makes up for the redundancy.

Anyway, I also decided to make peanut butter cookies. Normally I use the super simple recipe on the back of the Kraft jar or the one my Nan always used from the Purity cookbook (circa 1980's) but I decided to try a different one this time. I adapted this recipe from a post on Lovin' From the Oven. I was slightly disappointed with their appearance. They definitely didn't look as appetizing as the ones I normally make. But they did taste good, so that's all that matters I suppose.

Most importantly, CONGRATS to my best friend Amy who got accepted into the education program at Mt. St. Vincent!! Well deserved & so happy for you, XO.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 & 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

tsp. baking powder

1 & 3/4 cups flour

2 eggs

Extra white sugar for coating

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and both sugars. Combine flour and baking powder in separate bowl. Add to wet mixture gradually, mixing between each addition. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Roll mixture into balls of the same size and roll in white sugar to coat. Place on cookie sheet and press with fork if desired. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies.

That's Life

Hi pretty people! So, my parents went to Vancouver/Vegas on Friday til this Friday. Why am I telling you this? Because the camera is with them. Seeing as it is mom's camera I guess I can't complain. BUT no fear, kelcie is here - aka i managed to get one from my uncle's lovely girlfriend. Thanks Kenz! I did, however, forget to pick up the computer plugin. I will get it today and get a baking post up.

Anyway, life update! I'm a newly decided vegetarian. I started last week and I don't even find it bad! I didn't eat meat or fish that much anyway, other than chicken. So it's all going pretty well. Other than that, my weekend was pretty boring. Friday night I got some Boston Pizza with Joey (boyfriend), Liz (best friend) & PD (brother). It was delish, and don't forget the blizzard afterwards. Saturday I carted around my brother to basketball & baseball then visited my Nan & Gramp. Oh! And I saw The Killers. It was so funny! Loved it.

By the way, who watches 90210? I am addicted. Can't stop watching it even when it's almost 2 o'clock and I know I have work in the morning... oh well. Worth it. Later taters!

Quick fix

Morning! Here again with a baking post. Lastnight when I got home I knew I had to make something for the brownie closing, which is tonight. At first I was just going to make cookies but then I saw the Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix box (guilty as charged on account of using a boxed cake mix ... and icing). Anyway, I decided to make chocolate cupcakes because what kids don't love cupcakes? Not to mention the fact they are super quick and so easy. I also made chocolate chip cookies, which were originally supposed to be for the closing as well. That went down the drain when my brother ate half of the cookie dough and then my father put a huge dent in the cookies I baked. Oh well, 24 cupcakes should suffice. Anyway, I used both chocolate and vanilla icing because I didn't have enough vanilla for all of them. I then crushed up mini oreos and sprinkled them over each cupcake followed by a full mini oreo in the middle for good measure. For something so easy, I thought they looked (and smelled) great when all was said and done!

I don't have a recipe because I'm not going to repeat the boxed one. But here's a few candids of the finished product, yums!

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