sweets – FoodWatcher

Another book update + giveaway!

I have been getting a lot of messages asking about the availability of both my cookbooks – they are showing up OUT OF STOCK almost everywhere. Many of you have purchased my books this past month and once again I am shouting from the rooftops THANK YOU!! Thank you so much for your support of my blog, books, and recipes the last 10 years. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. So, GOOD NEWS: re-printing is happening! 100 Cookies has been reprinted again and there are more copies coming in the next couple weeks. The Vanilla Bean Baking Book will be reprinted, and I will have more information on dates in the near future. SAD NEWS: Printing and shipping have both been slowed down across the country (and the world) due to COVID-19 and the fires; we will all have to practice patience and plan ahead as our goods will take longer to get to use over the next few months. To hold you over, I am doing another giveaway!! There will be two winners – one picked here on my website, and one picked here on Instagram. Each winner will receive a signed copy of both 100 Cookies and The Vanilla […]

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart

Edd Kimber’s latest cookbook, One Tin Bakes, is a wonderful book that reduces the required bakeware to just one tin; each and every recipe in the book is baked in a 9 x13 inch baking pan. I am really enjoying this book, and have so many things in it on my baking wish list: Raspberry and Rose Cheesecake Buns, Whisky and Rye Peach Pie, Brown Butter Apricot Crumble Bars, and Raspberry Cheesecake Streusel Squares (which you can find on Zoebakes), just to name a few. Edd’s preferred tin is this Nordic Ware pan, which I have and love, and use constantly. And, on a side note, I got to meet Edd a few years ago at the Nordic Ware warehouse, so this post brings everything full circle. (Also, another side note, Nordic Ware is currently running a special with this pan, two spatulas, and my cookbook 100 Cookies.) Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart From One Tin Bakes by Edd Kimber From Edd While I love pastry, sometimes I don’t have the patience or time to make it, so in those times, I turn to cookie crusts – tart cases made with a mixture of cookie crumbs and butter. They’re incredibly quick […]

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Neapolitan Cookies #70

This cookie was inspired by pastry chef Matthew Rice’s Neapolitan cookie, which I stumbled upon while searching Pinterest for the color pink. This cookie popped up, and I was intrigued by the pretty colors all rolled together. I headed straight to the kitchen. I used my sugar cookie (#6) as a base and came up with the version here. My children beg for this cookie, and it’s worth the extra steps needed to create it. From 100 Cookies Notes Use black cocoa powder for a darker color. The powdered strawberries on their own won’t give a bright pink hue, so I like to add a little food coloring. I also like to roll each individual color of dough into the same color of sprinkles, but you can mix and match however your heart desires. I buy freeze-dried strawberries at Target. PRINT RECIPE 2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon [364 g] all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup [8 g] freeze-dried strawberries 1 cup [2 sticks | 227 g] unsalted butter, room temperature 1 3/4 cup [350 g] granulated sugar 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 or 3 drops red […]

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Marshmallow Peanut Butter Brownies #26

Marshmallow Fluff + Peanut Butter + Brownies = Yes, please. From 100 Cookies Notes This recipe also needs the recipe for My Favorite Brownies (instructions below). I actually prefer these brownies on the second day; the marshmallow fluff softens and the chocolate flavor intensifies. PRINT RECIPE 1/2 cup [107 g] creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup [30 g] confectioners’ sugar 2 tablespoons [29 g] unsalted butter, at room temperature 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Pinch salt 1 recipe My Favorite Brownies 1/2 cup [70 g] store-bought marshmallow fluff Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Grease a 9 x 13 in [23 by 33 cm] baking pan and line with a parchment sling. In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt until combined and completely smooth. Make the brownie batter as directed (but do not bake it!). Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Dollop the peanut butter filling and the marshmallow cream over the top, alternating the two. Drag the tip of a butter knife through the batter, creating swirls. Bake until the sides of the brownies have set, the top is starting to […]

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Brownie Skillet + 100 Cookies is here!

Brownie Butter Chocolate Cookie Brownie Skillet

100 Cookies is out in the world today! I want to thank you so much for all your support – both in baking from the website and purchasing my books! I am sharing this Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Skillet to celebrate – it is a mash-up of two recipes from the new book, and although it’s rather decadent, it is also delicious. A few book related things: *There is a giveaway going on over at Goodreads until tomorrow (August 26th)- you can win a copy of 100 Cookies on Kindle. You can enter here. *Rick Nelson over at the Star Tribune interviewed me last week about the book – you can read that here. *My Strawberry-Creme Fraiche Bars are up over on ChowHound. *Heated Magazine has a few recipes from my new book up on their site, including Neapolitan cookies and Toasted Sesame Pan-Banging Cookies. *Kate from Wood + Spoon made my Sugar Cookie Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream Sandwiches! *Michelle from Hummingbird High made my Neapolitan Cookies. Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Skillet This dessert could also be titled “Is this really necessary?” but after trying a bite I think you will agree that yes, it is. […]

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Whole Meyer Lemon Meringue Bars

I’ve been working hard the last few weeks on finishing up projects, finishing book edits (my cookie book comes out October 2020!), working on posts for Breadin5, and helping my kids with distance learning (which seems like another full-time job). I haven’t had much time to bake from some of the beautiful cookbooks I received the last few months, but I finally was able to sneak in some time and made these beautiful bars from Susan Spungen’s new cookbook Open Kitchen. Susan’s book is about the “concept of ‘get-ahead cooking.’ Once you discover the joy of getting ahead, you will be come a planner even if you never were before…[c]ooking is how you learn to be a good cook. Just like everything else, cooking is a practice, so as you keep cooking you’ll find yourself getting more and more comfortable and better and better at it.” **** A few things: *My friends over at Pure & Clear are now offering delivery for not only their unique ice and crystal clear ice, but also from other local Minneapolis businesses. Such as! Patisserie 46 macarons, Baker’s Field flours, and MilkJam Ice Cream, along with other great local brands. They also ship nationwide. […]

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Circle Cinnamon Swirl Bread + Circle Toasting Bread

I’ve been baking quite a bit of bread the last few weeks (along with everyone else) and was inspired to try making circle bread after seeing a commenter on Amazon mention they made a similar bread out of two Almond Cake Loaf Pans and some metal clips (thank you, Diana!). Lo and behold, it worked like a charm, and circle bread is now a ‘thing’ at our house. I posted a photo on Instagram and had quite a few people asking how to make it, so I have photos and directions below. I used two different recipes from Artisan Bread in Five (I have linked to them below as well) to make the bread, and they turned out beautifully. I haven’t tried my Sweet Dough yet, but will report back when I do. A few things: *As some of you know, I work over at Artisan Bread in Five, too, and have a Sourdough Pizza dough recipe up over on their site. They also have a great Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe if you are wanting to start one. *My good friend Zoe Francois has a couple of live Instagram videos up, showing how to make, shape, and use Artisan Bread […]

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Cinnamon Rolls

**I’m re-posting my Cinnamon Roll recipe to the front page, after it was featured on The Kitchn today. I’ve included the sweet dough recipe and an option to print the recipe below. ** I’m posting the cinnamon roll recipe from my book here today, as many of you have been looking for it after the Pancake Princess declared it winner of her Cinnamon Roll Bake Off (yay!). I had the rolls in a different form here, but since the recipe was on several other sites and I had so many questions about where to find it and how to make them, I now have it here for you. A few other things I have been highly enjoying Kid the Whiz on Instagram, and especially this video here. This drum off between Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa and Sammy Davis Jr. is pretty awesome. I love this song from Monica Martin. And this album by Kenny Burrell. I just finished Right Ho, Jeeves by Wodehouse and now have started on Joy by Abigail Santamaria. Joni Mitchell. Cinnamon Rolls From my book, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book Notes: The dough can be cut into 8, 10, or 12 pieces, depending on your preferred size. […]

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chocolate mint cake (otherwise known as candy cane cake)

This is an older post, originally posted in 2011, that I’m highlighting this December. My daughter and I were looking through old blog posts, trying to decide on a birthday dessert for her upcoming day, and she died laughing at how terrible the photos were for this post (they were pretty bad). So I remade the cake this week updating not only the photos, but the recipe as well. I’ve used peppermint candies here instead of candy canes (ground into sparkly dust in the food processor), and the chocolate cake from my cookbook. I also added some gold leaf just because, but it isn’t necessary. Original post: This past week we celebrated my daughter’s birthday. The last two years I’ve let her ‘design’ her own cake, meaning she gets to pick colors and flavors and a basic theme, and I try to make something not quite as elaborate. Last year was a very vibrant purple cake , and I had assumed this year it would be something similar (or something worse – she had been eying those Barbie cakes at the grocery store). So I was slightly shocked, when after asking her, she yelled ‘A PINK CANDY CANE CAKE!’ But […]

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Cheesecake Cookies

This past week I was on Twin Cities Live for their 12 Days of Cookies that airs each year around the holidays. I made these cheesecake cookies, and wanted to include them here as well because they are so delicious. On the show I didn’t add the chocolate drizzle, but I made them again this weekend and liked the added touch. They are good either way (you could even swirl in some jam or curd to the filling). Other recipes you may enjoy: Pan-Banging Molasses Espresso Cookies, Cranberry White Chocolate Rosemary Cookies, Holiday Cut-Out Cookies, Peanut Butter Brownies with Candied Cacao Nibs, Parsnip-Cardamom Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. Cheesecake Cookies This recipe is inspired by one I found on Pinterest – I wasn’t able to locate the original author of it, as most of the sites linked to on Pinterest just included a photo of the recipe and piles of ads, and when I finally located the recipe it was on a ‘copycat’ site (their words). I made quite a few tweaks to the recipe I found, but the two are still somewhat similar in structure so here is my attempt to credit to the original author. 1 ¼ […]

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