Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

I've always been on the fence about the combination of chocolate and pumpkin. I will almost always choose peanut butter or caramel.... but this recipe made me change my mind. This most definitely works and if you've ever wondered why people insist on putting these two flavors in the same pan, well, this is why. It's delicious. 

Monster Cookie Bars

Um, hello again. I really did not mean to be gone for that long. Funny how a few weeks can turn into a few months. So many factors contributed to my absence.... a new computer with a new version of iphoto that I needed to get used to... a sense of dissatisfaction with my photography skills.... the impending loss of my current job.... I guess I just lost my motivation somehow but the truth is, I've missed writing about food and taking pictures of it, even though I wish they were better. But I'm going to forge on and share with you the perfect bar cookie to make for your end-of-summer picnics. Meet my new friend, the monster cookie bar.

Baked Sunday Mornings: Malted Crisp Tart

Who needs a candy bar when you could have a tart like this? I have been waiting for a Baked malt recipe to make like a five-year-old waits for Christmas morning. Or maybe a birthday cake. Because this was my birthday present to myself and it pretty much made my week. This is top-to-bottom malty, chocolate nirvana. I've made chocolate chip malt cookies before, but this takes the soda shop flavor to a whole new level.

French Silk Pie

 

Everyone needs a show-stopper in their repertoire. This one is mine. Or maybe I should say, it's my mom's. She's known for this pie (and a few other desserts I'll share in the future) and I'm so happy I can call it my own. I've watched her make it hundreds of times, but I've only made it twice. But I feel like I can take ownership now. This pie is me. It's part of my history. I love this pie because it reminds me of my mom and because it's delicious, but also because I like to be known as a girl who can make a pie like this....

 

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Angel Frosting

 

And here we are back to sweets on Sundays. No regrets. I'm so in love with these cupcakes- they're moist, full of rich chocolate flavor and the halo of fluffy meringue is, well, icing on the cake. For as much as I love cupcakes, I've only baked my own once before and they were just okay. These, however, I will bake again, but maybe with a buttercream frosting next time. I'm very glad I made this one; it's the kind my mom always made for the angel food cake my brother always requested for his birthday, but hers was made by DreamWhip. Homemade is so much better.

Baked Sunday Mornings: Double Chocolate Loaf Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Spread

 

This post is a little late for the Baked Sundays, but I wanted to participate in these blog groups more than I have lately. They have been sneaking up on me and catching me unprepared.... and I have been intending to cook more with vegetables and grains in an effort to eat better. But then this cake came up on the schedule and it's chocolate. And it's got peanut butter with it. I had to make it. Unfortunately, it didn't want to come out of the pan. In an attempt to make the best of a bad situation, I cut a slice in half and spread the peanut butter cream cheese one one side to make a little sandwich. It was delicious. I'll definitely be trying this recipe again; it reminds me of Dorie Greenspan's World Peace Cookies- there's cocoa powder, chocolate chunks, brown sugar and a generous amount of salt. This just happens to be soft (and in my case, crumbly) instead of crispy and crumbly. Same flavors, different application. You can never have too many options for your chocolate, can you?

There will be other pictures of beautiful chocolate loaf cakes on the Baked Sunday Mornings home page. Check out what this treat was supposed to look like and get the recipe there, too!

BAKED Sunday Mornings: Nutella Scones

Well, I've joined another baking group. I had to, though. It's for the Baked cookbooks and I'll get to cook through the entire book (both of them) while getting feedback from other bakers making the same things. It's a great set-up and I'm loving my French Friday group. This one will be amazing too. I mean, just look at the scones. This also just happened to be the recipe I wanted to make from this book first. It was meant to be. And oddly enough, it is also my very first chocolate scone creation. Ever. Sad, but true. I'm so glad Matt and Renato were kind enough to fix that for me. I can't imagine needing any other chocolate scone recipe after trying this one.