Chocolate-Bacon-Beer Muffins

Yep, you read that right. I can't take credit for this recipe in any way, but I loved it so much that I have to share the experience.

The original recipe can be found here: http://thebeeroness.com/2012/01/24/chocolate-bacon-porter-muffins/ . The only thing I changed was that I used a bock beer instead of a smoked porter, on recommendation of the beer expert at my local grocery store. I couldn't find a smoked beer anywhere in early August, so he recommended this as a comparable beer:

Bonus: I got to drink the leftovers.

I used a good thick-cut smoked bacon to and a little extra smoked paprika to add the smoked flavor that was missing from the beer. My whole apartment smelled amazing while these were baking. I doubled the recipe and yielded 16 delicious muffins. I thought these muffins still hot from the oven could possibly be the most delicious thing I've ever created.

 My boyfriend, however, thought they were "gross." I was shocked. These muffins should be the key to any man's heart. I mean chocolate, bacon, and beer? Come on. How could this be anything but delicious?

After much discussion and taste-testing by other friends, we came to some conclusions about this recipe:

1. It needs more bacon. Not just sprinkled on top, but mixed throughout the batter.
2. If you like dark chocolate, you will love this recipe. If you are more of a milk chocolate fan, you will hate it.
3. I have to learn how to make chocolate-covered bacon.

I will definitely be making this recipe again, only next time I won't double it (since apparently I'm the only one in my home who will eat it) and will add more bacon. I'm looking forward to finding a smoky porter this fall and trying it again.

References:
http://thebeeroness.com/2012/01/24/chocolate-bacon-porter-muffins/

Red, White, and Blue Pizza

Happy Independence day everyone! This is my favorite treat to make for Fourth of July parties. Hope everyone has a great holiday!

Ingredients:


1 16-oz package of ready-made sugar cookie dough
1 pint blueberries
2 pints strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese (*do NOT use low-fat)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 t vanilla


Before you start on the dough, take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator so it can come to room temperature.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a pizza pan or cookie tray covered with failed or parchment paper, smash/spread cookie dough to form whatever shape fruit pizza you would like. A rectangular pan makes a nice U.S. flag, for instance. Kraft suggests cutting the dough into cookies and pressing the cookies together to form a circle.


Bake your huge cookie at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Let come to room temperature before attempting to frost. Wash fruit and slice strawberries while waiting for the cookie to cool and the cream cheese to come to room temperature.


When cream cheese is no longer cold, combine in a mixing bowl with sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. I learned the hard way that it is very important that the cream cheese is room temperature - within seconds of turning on the mixer, the whole chunk of cheese was stuck in the beaters.

Oops.

Spread the cream cheese frosting onto the cookie in a thin, even layer. Arrange strawberry slices and blueberries into whatever pattern you like. Refrigerate before serving to help the frosting set.

*Note: Kraft adds a step that I skipped because I ran out of time. Mix 1/4 cup apricot preserves with 1 tablespoon water, push through a sieve to remove lumps, and brush across the top of the pizza. This creates that clear glaze that you see on fruit pizzas in the store. I'm sure you could do this with other flavors of preserves too. Paula Deen drizzles melted chocolate chips on top, which certainly sounds amazing too.

References:

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/philadelphia-fruit-pizza-57079.aspx

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/fruit-pizza-recipe/index.html

Somewhat-Healthier Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake

It's been a few weeks since my last post - I've still been cooking and baking, I just haven't had time to post the recipes. I had an awful migraine this week, which often means I get to eat whatever I want in an attempt to kill the headache. That resulted in this masterpiece dessert that I found on Pinterest and just had to eat immediately. I adjusted the recipe a little, making it healthier by eliminating the chocolate frosting and using fat-free Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

*Drool*

Ingredients:


1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ t baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ t salt
½ stick (4 T) unsalted butter (salted is OK if that’s all you have)
3 oz. creamy peanut butter (a little less than ½ cup)
½ cup tightly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
¼ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup hot water
½ t vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.


Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. I like to stir flour mixtures with a wire whisk or a fork to avoid the bad taste of chunks of baking soda in your baked goods.


In a separate bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Fun tip - if you are out of brown sugar (or if it’s solidified beyond saving like mine was), mix ½ cup white sugar plus 1 ½ tablespoons molasses in a food processor for an easy substitute.

Homemade brown sugar

Add egg and egg yolk and mix for a minute or two. Add half of flour mixture and mix until combined, scraping sides as you mix. Add yogurt and mix at medium-high speed for two minutes. Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Continue to scrape sides eventually to include all ingredients. Add hot water and vanilla extract, beating on medium-high for 2-3 minutes.


Abandon the mixer at this point, and mix in the chocolate chips using a large spoon or spatula. The original recipe only called for a ½ cup of chocolate chips, but who doesn’t want more chocolate? I used miniature chocolate chips because I had some left over from my last batch of biscotti.

Grease a 9x9 pan. I used coconut oil to grease the pan for a little extra flavor. Spread batter into pan using a spatula. Bake for at least 30 minutes, until center appears baked through. A knife inserted in the center won't help you know if it's done because the melted chocolate chips stick to the knife no matter what. Let cool for a few minutes in pan. Cut into 9 pieces and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top.

*Note: After making this recipe once, I recommend baking it in a 13x9 pan for a shorter time - maybe 20-25 minutes. In a 9x9 pan, the center was too thick and not completely baked while the edges were starting to burn.

Yum!

References:
http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/2006/10/01/life-can-be-cruel/ 

Caramel Apple Wine Float

It's been a busy few weeks, and I have a lot of blogging to catch up on tonight! Last winter I went on a tour of local wineries with a few friends for Valentine's Day. One of my favorite Northeast Ohio wineries by far is Emerine Estates (http://www.emerineestates.com/), a small, unimpressive looking place in Jefferson, Ohio. Despite the wood paneling and plain decor, this tiny winery has some of the best wine I've ever tasted.


A year later, the only Emerine wine left in my collection was a caramel apple wine. I remembered when I first tasted this wine, I really wanted some vanilla ice cream with it. This was the inspiration for this amazing ice cream float.

I know this isn't really a recipe (it's just a really good vanilla ice cream with wine poured over it), but if you have access to a caramel apple wine, you have to try this! It was so good I made two. Thank God I ran out of ice cream or I might have had to make more.