Chubby Hubby Brownies

Peanut Butter? Check

Caramel? Check

[Cookies and] Cream? Check

Pretzels? Check

Chocolate, Chocolate and more Chocolate? Check Check Check

When I described these brownies to Big D, he turned to me and said, completely deadpan:

"Where's the kitchen sink?"

Want a closer look at that topping?

Hmmmm...these were that good.

Chubby Hubby Brownies

1/2 cup butter

• 4 ounces baking chocolate
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup pretzels, chopped
10 oreo cookies- chopped


1 cup powder sugar
2 tablespoons milk


1/2 recipe Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce


In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Add chocolate and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Gently stir in cookies and pretzels ( Reserving some to sprinkle on top.) Pour into greased 8x8 pan. Sprinkle remaining cookies an pretzels on top. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Let cool. Combine powder sugar and milk,and mix until smooth. Drizzle over cake  with Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce. Cut yourself a piece and then give the pan to a caring friend to safeguard *ahem* I mean- enjoy. 

Pack your bags....

'cuz we  are going on a trip! Come join me today over at Cook Kosher for a super fun, and delicious guest post. Anyone familiar with Leah Schapira's cooking knows that she has some pretty great recipes, and she has put together a really cool recipe sharing site called Cook Kosher. The site is like a breath of fresh air- it feels like taking a walk through a garden when you browse through it.Think I'm exaggerating? 

See it for yourself. 

So come with me, as we knock 'em dead with.......

Chocolate Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

For recipe and guest post, click here. 

Chunky Potato Soup

When we got married, my husband lost many nights of sleep worrying that I would try to poison him with brown sugar or ketchup. Little did he know that my theory is: 

If you can't beat 'em, join em.

Some of my favorite recipes are recipes from my mother in law! Here is her delicious recipe for potato soup:

Chunky Potato Soup

4-5 potatoes, peeled and cubed small

2 stalks celery, diced small

2 carrots, diced small

3 onions- 1 diced, 2 whole

3-4 tablespoons flour

salt and pepper to taste

paprika

oil

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a 6 quart pot. Add the diced onion, and saute until clear. Stir in flour, and mix well. Add in potatoes, celery, carrots and spices. Fill to the top with water. Bring everything to a boil. Add the remaining 2 onions, lower the pot to a simmer, and let cook for 3-4 hours. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

I hate to be a bandwagon jumper. Although I was a huge Red Wings fan in '97 and '98 and kind of drifted away since, that doesn't mean anything right? Anyways, back to the bandwagon thing. I read way too many food blogs, and I noticed that there are lots of trends that keep popping up. And I'm not talking about whoopie pies and cupcakes. But recipes and flavors that jump from blog to blog. Its fun, but sometimes I like to be unique, ya know? So here we are with peanut butter and chocolate. The subject of many a blogs nowadays. What can I do? Its basically the best flavor combination ever so how can I not blog about it?I would be depriving you of a matter of great importance. So to be clear. I am not going to wax poetic about the joys of peanut butter and chocolate. I am not jumping on the blogging bandwagon. I am merely providing you with a flavor combination that is essential to your palate. 

Got it? Good.

Oh yeah, and these are also perfect for hungry little grizzlie bears who are waiting for their dinner. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons margarine

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400° F. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugars, salt, peanut butter and margarine. Mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. In a seperate bowl, mix the milk,eggs and vanilla, until smooth. Gently add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix. Add the chocolate chips. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Makes 18 medium muffins. 

A little some'in

This cake was so much fun to make- it was like one massive arts and crafts project.

It was my first time using stencils, and I think I'm in love...

Sweet and Tangy Tilapia

I think there should be a rule of  "food physics" that if something tastes good, it tastes good with anything. It could be like a litmus test of sorts for good food. Obviously this couldn't be possible, because who would want to eat chocolate cream pie with pickles, (don't answer that please) but it's a nice theory... Anyways, if there was such a thing, this sweet and tangy sauce would definitely ace that test. Maybe you wouldn't eat the sauce with chocolate chip cookies, but it definitely kicks any steak, fish or chicken up to awesome. 

Here it is:

Sweet and Tangy Sauce

1/4 cup duck sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2-1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2  yellow teaspoon mustard

Stir everything together, and baste onto fish/chicken/meat before grilling,broiling or baking. 

Cinnamon Bread

Cinnamon Bread was the first yeast dough recipe that I ever made, 

and it holds a special place in my heart. 

Sadly, there is no place in Big D.'s heart for cinnamon. 

I think it might have something to do with an unfortunate accident

 between some cinnamon and chulent. 

(Note to self: Do NOT  put cinnamon in chulent. Ever.)

Either way, let us all take a moment of silence for this sad, sad fact. 

*

*

*

*

Ok. Done.

On a more positive note, that means there is all the  more cinnamon bread for me!

Now let's make some awesome cinnamon bread.

 If you haven't tasted cinnamon bread, you are missing out.
So, we must fix that ASAP. And if you think its the same thing as Cinnamon Rolls, 

you are sadly mistaken.

Cinnamon Rolls are pastries, sweet and sticky and belong with a cup of coffee.

Cinnamon Bread is really a bread, with a touch of sweetness. It is delicious in a tuna sandwich or french toast, as well as with plain cream cheese, or melted cheese. 

And here it is:

Cinnamon Bread                                                               adapted from ThePioneerWoman.Com

• • 
    
        1 cup milk/soy milk

• 
        6 tablespoons butter/margarine

• 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

• 
  2 whole eggs

• 
  ⅓ cups sugar

• 
  3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 
  1 teaspoon salt

• 
  ⅓ cups sugar

• 
  2 tablespoons cinnamon

• 
  egg and milk, mixed together, for brushing

Melt butter/margarine with milk. Heat until very warm, but don’t boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Combine flour and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.

Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it’s warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm, hospitable place for at least 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you’re going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.

Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.

Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool.