Frosted Raspberry Pie Bars

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Frosted Raspberry Pie Bars

I still haven’t been able to get over my berry craving, even though it’s currently February, and it’s costing me an arm and a leg. So when Lucky Leaf sent me a few cans of their pie filling, including raspberry, I thought that it would be a nice opportunity to feed my addiction without breaking the bank. So after browsing through some recipes, I decided on these delectable raspberry pie bars.

The dough is rolled out into a large rectangle, pie filling is spread on top, then more dough is placed in a lattice formation on top – then it’s all baked, chilled, and finally drizzled with a delicious cream cheese frosting before being cut into individual squares. I chose raspberry, but I think they’d be delicious with just about any variety of pie filling you’d want to use – I’m definitely looking forward to trying cherry and apple in the near future.

I was not having the best day when I made these…not feeling well in general, kids acting crazy, you know how those day go…so when I took the dough out of the refrigerator to take the chill off and roll it out, I let it sit on the counter a little too long. It softened quite a bit, and I had a little bit of a hard time rolling it out, and forming the lattice crust. So, make sure you act quickly when you go to put it together! Once in the oven, it baked up beautifully. The filling stayed in place, and the dough got nice and puffy – creating a gorgeous bar. I let them cool for about an hour before I drizzled them and cut, and enjoyed them after dinner for dessert. Everyone really loved them, and it was great to have all the delicious flavors of a pie in a bar form.

They’d be a perfect sweet treat for Valentine’s Day, either to share with your family – or that special someone in your life. And, it’s a break from all the chocolate that usually goes hand-in-hand with the holiday. We’ve also got something else pretty sweet for you guys – a set of these adorable Rachael Ray Bubble & Brown Individual Servers, and a Lucky Leaf gift pack to go along with them!

luckyleaf

They’re perfect for individual servings of cobbler, bread pudding, or even something like a creme brulee. To enter, just leave a comment telling us what your favorite berry is. I’d say mine is blackberries. Giveaway will run from today through February 14th (Valentine’s Day) at 11:59 PM. I’ll select a winner using the handy, dandy Random Number Generator and contact the winner.

Frosted Raspberry Pie Bars

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (21 oz) can raspberry pie filling

For the frosting:
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
2 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp milk
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the eggs, milk and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture, beating well after each addition. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and grease with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

On a floured work surface, roll out one portion of dough into a 15-in. x 10-in. rectangle; carefully transfer to prepared baking pan. Spread evenly with raspberry filling, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge.

Roll out remaining dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut into 1/2-in.-wide strips; make a lattice crust over filling.

Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over bars. Chill until set. Cut into bars.

Yields about 16 bars.

Source: adapted from Taste of Home, October/November 2002

Disclaimer: Lucky Leaf provided me with products to sample. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Perfect Chocolate Brownies

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Perfect Chocolate Brownies

Ladies and Gentleman, my quest has finally ended. After searching for years to find the perfect brownie recipe, my journey can finally come to a close. These are it. Brownies don’t get any better than this. Rich and dense, chocolaty and fudgey, yet still slightly cakey.

I came across the recipe, titled “Supernatural Brownies”, on The Splendid Table’s website. I love NPR, but especially this program – which I always try to catch on the radio in my kitchen on Sunday mornings before heading to the grocery store for my weekly stock-up. I love hearing the stories from folks all over the country (even the world!) and hearing what the host has to say and suggest. This was the first recipe I’ve actually made from the show, and after the success of these babies, I cannot wait to try more!

They are so perfect, you’d swear they are from a box. That perfect shiny, flaky crust on top? I’ve never been able to attain that with any brownies I’ve made at home before. I’m ashamed to admit that I pretty much ate the whole pan while we were cooped up inside during the snow storm. I had some help from our boys, but their consumption was minimal compared to mine!

It’s safe to say that I’ll never return to a box mix again, where these were so absolutely delicious and easy to bring together. The only complaint I received was from Jon, who was griping that I didn’t include nuts – so next time around I’ll probably add some walnuts to the mix to make him happy.  I’m so thankful to finally have found such a delicious from-scratch brownie recipe! Give it a try, I know you’ll find them perfect in every way too. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Perfect Chocolate Brownies

16 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts (optional)

Preaheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 13×9 inch pan with foil and butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.

Combine butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a double boiler. Stir occasionally until melted.

Whisk eggs together in a large bowl, then whisk in salt, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in flour.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 45 minutes, until top has formed a shiny crust and batter is moderately firm.

Cool in pan on wire rack for at least 1 hour before cutting.

Store in airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Adapted from Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers by Nick Malgieri via The Splendid Table

Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes

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Red Wine Cupcakes

A couple of months ago, my friends at Avalon Winery asked me to come up with a recipe to promote their new cooking contest for this year. If you’ll remember, they sent me to the Charleston Food & Wine Festival last year to compete in their America’s Greatest Foods Recipe Challenge. I didn’t win, I came in last actually (hey, some people can’t handle the idea of fish served with red, even when chorizo is involved – what are you going to do?) but after that trip – visiting the city of Charleston for the first time, meeting such influential chefs like The Lee Brothers and the great Art Smith (he asked me where to get a cup of coffee, y’all – and then he went to that coffee shop the whole time he was in town!), getting drunk with Kelly Liken, and making some new friends… I came out a winner in the end anyway!

So when they offered to send me a few bottles of their delicious Cabernet Sauvignon to develop a recipe with, of course I jumped at the offer. Guys, it’s seriously one of the best reds you’ll find for the price point. For under $10 a bottle, it really can’t be beat. Rich and fruity, with all kinds of delicious berry notes going on. Rolls right off the tongue, with very few harsh tannins that tend to come along with red wines. It’s available nationally, I always have luck finding it at Whole Foods (if your Whole Foods carries wine that is!). But, if you can’t find it – definitely ask your local wine distributor to carry it. I promise that you won’t be disappointed!

I ended up making two dishes with the bottle I opened…since I can’t do much drinking of the stuff at the moment due to baby #3. The first of which was more traditional, and I plan to share with you guys soon – then there were these cupcakes. Red wine and chocolate pair so well together anyways, I thought a cupcake wasn’t too far of a fetch. Boy, do I love being right!

The batter was absolutely beautiful…light and fluffy, and baked up gorgeous! For the frosting I went  the traditional route, used my simple vanilla buttercream with a bit of the wine added to it for flavor and a tint of color. It was definitely unlike any cupcake I’d had before, but still absolutely delicious. I loved how the acidity of the wine cut the sweetness of the frosting. And, of course the color was lovely!

These cupcakes would most definitely be perfect for your Valentine, and they’re something different that friends and family probably haven’t seen before – but will most certainly be intrigued by. I hope you guys enjoy, and a big thanks to Avalon for giving me an excuse to make them!

Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes

8 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
3/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Then add in the egg and egg yolk, as well as the vanilla, beat well until combined.

Add in 1/2 of the dry ingredients, followed by the wine, then the remainder of the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl if necessary.

Divide batter evenly into lined muffin pan. Bake for 18 minutes then remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

In the meantime, to make the frosting, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, as well as the wine and vanilla. Beat until no lumps remain. Frost cupcakes as desired.

Makes about 12 cupcakes. 

Source: cake adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

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Strawberry-Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Gosh – it sure has a busy week around here. I’ve been in the kitchen baking pretty much everyday – rolls, bread, pitas, and this delicious coffee cake. This blackberry version has long been my favorite, but when I came across this strawberry-cream cheese version on Pinterest I couldn’t wait to try something different. I also happened to have everything I needed right on hand, as I had some strawberries in the refrigerator that were on their last leg and needed to be put to use in something.

The cake batter comes together quickly, then you top with a simple cream cheese mixture and a quick homemade strawberry jam using fresh berries, then it’s all topped off with a delicious almond streusel. The cake was tender and sweet, and the layers of toppings from the cream cheese and strawberries just made it totally rich and decadent. Not to mention how beautiful it turned out!

It would be a show stopper at a Sunday morning breakfast or brunch for sure. Or, just to bake on an idle Friday night and have around for nibbling on all weekend long. We’re looking forward to a family trip with our crew, as well as one of my best friend and her family to Ocean City. We’re heading to a restaurant we’ve been dying to try, The Shark on the Harbor – and then it’s on to The Annual Waterman’s Expo! A trip to the boardwalk and Thrasher’s might also have to be in order…you know, for the baby. Then on Sunday, football of course. Still trying to decide what munchies to make. I’m thinking a big dish of roasted Seahawk is definitely on the menu. Heh. GO NINERS! I hope that everyone has a great weekend! 

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

For the strawberry jam:
1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, quartered
3 tbsp sugar
3 tsp water
1.5 tsp cornstarch

For the crumb topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup sliced almonds

For the cream cheese layer:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour and 9-inch springform pan and set asdie.

To make the strawberry jam, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to make a slurry. In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries and sugar. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the strawberries release their juices. Add the cornstarch mix and stir until well combined. Stir for another minute or two until it has thickened. Remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Beat the cream cheese on medium speed for about 30 seconds until smooth. Add in the sugar, egg, and vanilla and beat until well combined. Set aside.

To make the crumb topping, combine the flour and sugar in a small bowl and mix to combine. Pour in the melted butter and mash with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

To make the cake, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a 2-cup measuring cupl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, yogurt, and vanilla until well blended. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid ingredients. Fold together gently until evenly combined and no streaks remain, being careful not to over mix. Pour the the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer.

Carefully layer the cream cheese layer on top of the cake batter, as well as the strawberry layer – spreading out evenly. Top with all of the crumb topping, and then sprinkle with the sliced almonds.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes until cake is set and nicely browned on top. Remove from oven and let sit for 30 minutes before removing from springform pan. Let cool for at least another 30 minutes before serving.

Store in airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Source: highly adapted from Food Wanderings In Asia