Imagine if an espresso and a brownie hooked up and made a cookie together.

INGREDIENTS

150g dark chocolate
50 g butter
2 eggs
125 g sugar 
3 tsp powdered espresso
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking powder
60 g flour
Sea salt flakes

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, add the butter, chocolate and coffee powder. Melt it in the microwave or in a double boiler, till it is fully melted.

In a separate bowl, add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and using a whisk or a hand mixer, mix for 3 minutes, till the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.

Pour the cooled chocolate mixture and keep whisking continuously.

Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold the dry ingredients in. Once you no longer see any dry ingredients, chill the dough for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, scoop out the dough using an ice cream scoop and bake the cookies for about 15-17 minutes or until the edges are set.

Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt as soon as they are out of the oven, let them cool on the pan for 3-4 minutes and shift them to a wire rack to cool completely.

I decided to play with the new Russian tips I got. Happy Birthday, Amanda!

INGREDIENTS

Cake
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind (about 2 lemons)

Glaze
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar

Buttercream
150 grams of room temperature butter
340 grams of powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Beat together the butter, sugar, and salt, first until combined, then until fluffy and lightened in color. 

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once all the eggs have been added, and beat briefly to re-combine any residue.

Measure the flour by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Whisk the baking powder into the flour. Add the flour mixture to the batter in three parts alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. The batter may look slightly curdled when you add the milk. That’s OK; it’ll smooth out as you add the flour. Mix until everything is well combined; the batter will look a bit rough, but shouldn’t have any large lumps. Stir in the grated lemon rind or lemon oil.

Thoroughly grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, leveling it and smoothing the top with a spatula.

Bake the cake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A pan with a dark interior will bake cake more quickly; start checking at 40 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring together the lemon juice and sugar. Microwave or heat over a burner briefly, stirring to dissolve the sugar. You don’t want to cook the lemon juice, so microwave just until very warm, but not uncomfortably hot — less than 1 minute should do it. Set the glaze aside.

Remove the cake from the oven, and carefully run a knife between cake and pan all around the edge. Place the pan upside down on a cooling rack. If the cake drops out of the pan onto the rack, remove the pan. If the cake doesn’t drop onto the rack, let it rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift the pan off the cake. If the cake still feels like it’s sticking, give it another 5 minutes upside down, then very gently shake the pan back and forth to loosen and remove it.

Brush the glaze all over the hot cake, both top and sides. Let it sink in, then brush on more glaze, continuing until all the glaze is used up.

Allow the cake to cool completely before decorating. 

To make the butter cream: Mix the butter for approximately 5 minutes in a mixer until light and smooth.  It should turn much lighter in color.  Add the powdered sugar in two parts making sure to mix on med-high for 5 minutes each time.  In a small bowl, mix the vanilla and milk.  Add a tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.  Cover it until you are ready to use it.  Pipe or frost as you desire.  I used the russian tips to make the flowers.  

I worked with this recipe.

This is the good stuff.

INGREDIENTS

4over-ripe bananasmashed
1cupdark brown sugar
8tablespoonssalted butter,room temperature
2large eggs
1 1/2cups flour
1teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with baking spray.

She wanted a Tuxedo Cake, she got one.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups water
1 cup canola oil
4 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups flour
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon baking soda
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

4 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1 ¹⁄₄ cups powdered sugar

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
¹⁄₂cup heavy whipping cream
¹⁄₄ cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Line the bottom of three 9-inch pans with parchment paper rounds, butter and flour pans.

Combine the butter, water and canola oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. When butter is melted, set aside, being careful not to boil over.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, cocoa and flour.

Pour the butter mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk.

Whisk in the baking soda, salt and vanilla all at once.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pans.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cakes cool on racks for about 15 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

To Make Frosting: Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream in a large bowl on high speed until soft peaks form.

Add the powdered sugar and whip until thoroughly combined.

Frost cake and refrigerate at least one hour.

To Make The Glaze: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is very hot and just beginning to steam.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until it has melted completely.

Stir in the syrup and the vanilla.

Pour the glaze into a medium pitcher or measuring cup and let cool for ten minutes.

Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, ensuring that it covers the top of the cake entirely, but make sure some of the cream frosting shows through the drizzles on the sides.

Refrigerate the cake until the glaze is set and the whipped cream frosting is firm, at least one hour.

I worked with this recipe.

Chocolate and Marshmallow.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/3 cups plus 1 1/2 Tbsp (485 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 Tbsp (145 g) sour cream
2 large eggs
3 (90 g) egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp instant coffee powder
2 Tbsp hot water
1 1/2 cups (215 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp (55 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup plus 2 1/2 Tbsp (160 g) chocolate (56% cacao or darker), chips or chopped

Frosting
1 cup melted marshmallows

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter on medium speed until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the sour cream and mix in well. Add the eggs and then the egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each egg is added. Once all of the eggs are in, add the vanilla extract.

Combine the coffee powder with the hot water. Add to the mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until homogeneous.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the dry ingredients into the mixture. Use a spatula to mix gently until all of the ingredients are completely combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix gently until evenly.

Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then release onto a cake circle or a plate. Let cool and then pour melted marshmallows in the center of cake.  Use a kitchen torch to toast.

I worked with this recipe.

May the luck of the Irish be with you all year long.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar + tablespoon for topping
1 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon for topping
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons caraway seeds + 1/2 teaspoon for topping
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
3 eggs at room temperature

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan.

Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter gently into the flour mixture until well combined, and stir in the raisins and caraway seeds. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs together; lightly beat the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Place the dough into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle sugar, caraway seeds, and salt on top.

Bake in the preheated oven until the bread has risen and the top is golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour. A knife inserted into the center of the bread should come out clean. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing. Serve warm.

I adapted this recipe.

A little espresso powder makes the pudding that much better.

INGREDIENTS

Pie Crust
6 tablespoons very cold butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons very cold crisco
3-4 tablespoons ice cold water

Pudding
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/8 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
For crust:

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl and use a pastry cutter until the butter is the size of small peas. Slowly add the water one tablespoon at a time and use a fork to gather together dough. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll on a well-floured board and place in a pie tin.  Cover with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until slightly browned and cooked through.  While cooling, make pudding.

For pie filling: whisk the dry ingredients into a medium pan.  Add milk and whisk. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly.  Let it boil for 1 minute and pour it into pie shell.  Let it cool on counter for 20 minutes before cooling it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

A good reason to get out of bed.

INGREDIENTS

1 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup melted and cooled butter
1 cup fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

Whisk all the wet ingredients in another bowl until well mixed.

Being careful not to overmix, use a spatula to combine wet and dry ingredients until just mixed.  Then fold in blueberries.

Cover and set in refrigerator of at least one hour.

15 minutes before you are ready to bake preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line or spray muffin tins (this make about 8-9 muffins).

Remove batter from refrigerator and using an ice cream scoop, fill each tin to the top.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes then without opening the oven door, lower oven temperature to 375 degrees for another 8-10 minutes until muffins are done.

I am reposting this one because it is a heavenly, pillowy-soft, sweet loaf of bread.  Thank you Food 52 for the inspiration.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter, browned
1 egg

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl whisk wet ingredients.  Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients using a spatula and do not over mix. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Grease or line muffin tins. Fill batter to the top.  Bake for 8 minutes on 425 degrees then without opening the oven door, lower to 350 degrees and bake for about 9-12 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.