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Shortbread, Salted Dulce de Leche & Brownie Bars

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You have no doubt seen those bars on Pinterest, and floating around on the internet called slutty brownies.  I saw them posted on Pinterest by one of the last people I would have ever expected to allow the word ‘slutty’ to appear before her eyes, much less repin a recipe with the word in the title.  I immediately clicked on it when I saw her pin.  These things are ridiculous, and I mean that in a very good way.  A layer of Oreo cookies is sandwiched between a chocolate chip cookie layer and a brownie layer.  They make my mouth water and I’m pretty sure that looking at them just made my yoga pants stretch out a little more than they already were.  By the way, I did not do yoga in these pants today.  In fact, I did nothing.  Oh no, I vacuumed.  That’s something.

So here they are.  The slutty brownies.  And don’t you see what I mean?  Don’t you just feel a little fatter after looking at them?

Photo from whatsgabycooking.com

Anyway, the link I clicked on led me to the Londoner.  She uses boxes of mix, which is totally fine in my opinion, especially with something called slutty brownies.  The easier the better.  Another recipe, from What’s Gaby Cooking, uses scratch made cookies and brownies.  I typically don’t have that kind of time or patience, so I admire you, Gaby!  Jessica Simpson is apparently craving these brownies during her pregnancy, and I don’t blame her.

Now that you’re expecting to see how my slutty brownies turned out (and how much weight I gained after eating the entire pan), I did not actually make slutty brownies.  I just wanted to talk about them.  But I did make a three layered bar that brings together shortbread, dulce de leche and brownies.  I made the shortbread cookie and used a can of dulce de leche and a box of brownie mix.  I think they would have been better with a scratch brownie, which really isn’t all that hard to do and I wish I’d done it.  Next time.

Everyone seemed to like these.  The salt was nice next to the sweetness of the brownie.  The combination of textures, crunchy, sticky and gooey was quite delicious.  The only changes I might make would be to use more dulce de leche and, like I said above, make a scratch brownie.  You could add chocolate chunks or nuts to the brownies, I’d probably use pecans, but I’m biased.  Toffee pieces might also be really tasty, but that might be overdoing it…but not as over the top as the slutty brownies,

Shortbread, Salted Dulce de Leche & Brownie Bars

Ingredients

Shortbread Layer

  • 1 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • pinch of coarse salt
Dulce de Leche
  • 1 can of dulce de leche
  • a couple pinches of flaked sea salt
Brownie Layer
  • 1 family size brownie mix (for a 9×13 pan)
  • ingredients called for on the box (eggs, oil, water)
Directions
Shortbread Layer
  1. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until mixture resemble coarse sand.  Do not overmix.
  2. Press mixture into a 9×13 pan (greased if desired, I did not grease my pan).  Make sure to push the mixture slightly up the sides.  When you pour the dulce de leche on top you do not want it to touch the sides of the pan or it will burn and stick during baking.
  3. Bake at 325°F for about 20 minutes.  Let cool completely.
Dulce de Leche
  1. Pour dulce de leche into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until it is smooth enough to spread easily.
  2. Spread dulce de leche over shortbread layer evenly, making sure it does not touch the sides of the pan.
  3. Sprinkle salt evenly and lightly over dulce de leche.
Brownie Layer
  1. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions and pour evenly over the dulce de leche layer.
  2. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes.  Check for doneness on the brownie layer and bake a little longer if batter is not cooked in the middle.
  3. Let cool for at least an hour before cutting.

 

 

Gooey Pecan Overnight Breakfast Rolls

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This is as easy as it gets folks.  Well, unless you buy a pan of Sister Schubert’s cinnamon rolls and pop those in the oven.   That would be easier.  But these breakfast rolls are truly simple, and incredibly indulgent and delicious.  With an ingredient list of 5 items, the luxury of preparing them the night before, leaving them on the counter all night, then baking for a mere half an hour the rewards are much greater than the work that’s put into them.

I’ve made these twice now, and was more pleased with the second batch.  The first time I used only 1/2 cup of pecans, and this time I just covered the bottom of my dish and probably used close to a full cup.  It was great to have the extra sugary coated guys to snack on from the pan.  Feel free to use less or you could use walnuts.  I used vanilla pudding the first time, and butterscotch the last time.  Both were good, so use what you like.

A 9×13 pan is fine for these, but I used a smaller baking dish, 10×10, this last time.  A smaller area meant more gooey goodness which is never a bad thing in my opinion.  I only used 12 rolls for the smaller pan.  If I do these again in a 9×13 I would add a little more butter and sugar.  Because if you’re already going to eat these, what’s wrong with a little more fat and calories?  Enjoy!

Gooey Pecan Breakfast Rolls

Ingredients

  • 1/2-1 cup pecans, chopped
  • 18 frozen dinner rolls
  • 1 small box (3.5 ounces) Cook and Serve pudding
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
Directions
  1. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and spread pecans on the bottom of the pan.
  2. Place rolls on top of pecans, spacing evenly.
  3. Sprinkle pudding mix over the top of the rolls and pecans.
  4. Cook butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently to avoid burning or boiling over.
  5. Pour butter mixture over the top.
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight, 8-10 hours.
  7. Preheat oven to 350°F, remove plastic wrap and bake for 20-30 minutes.
  8. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert onto a platter or serve from the pan.

Buttery Jam Cookies

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A good friend of mine makes jam every year and brings me a few jars when we see each other.  It is so much better than store bought!  The last time she was in Amarillo, she brought me 2 jars of blueberry jam.  I used one of those jars in these cookies.

These cookies are delicate, cake-like in texture, and are not overly sweet.  This recipe is from TWD, Tuesdays with Dorie.  Members cook their way through Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. I am not a member of this baking group, but after trying this recipe I may decide to join when they start accepting new members!

I only made slight changes to this recipe.  I drizzled some glaze on the cooled cookies and added sliced almonds to half of the batter.  I would consider pecans next time.  When I mixed in the jam it just didn’t look like quite enough, so I added a little more.  I ended up mixing blueberry jam with a little strawberry rhubarb and the combination was nice.  You really can use any kind or combination of jam, so this is a truly versatile recipe that you can adapt to your personal taste.

These would be perfect with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea, and I even think you could pull off eating them for breakfast.  Enjoy!

Buttery Jam Cookies

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tbsp. whole milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup jam (any flavor)
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds (optional)

Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place two racks in the oven, one in the upper third of the oven and one in the lower third of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar (on high speed) for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat on high speed for an additional minute. Add the milk and the vanilla extract and beat on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the jam and beat on low speed for 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients, with the mixer on low speed, just until they’re mixed in. Stir in almonds here if using.  The dough will be extremely thick and stiff.
  4. With a an ice cream scoop or a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of the dough onto baking sheets, forming cookies that are about 1 inch to 1-1/2 inches in size.
  5. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, rotating the trays from top rack to bottom rack halfway through.
  6. Once baked, let the cookies sit on the pan for a minute or two and then remove to a wire rack and let cool completely.  Drizzle with glaze if desired.

PW’s French Breakfast Puffs

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This recipe was posted to Pioneer Woman back in December of 2007 and I knew from the ingredients alone that these had to be delicious.  And who can argue with bread dipped in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar?  No one.  That’s who.  Here is the link to her post.  I really like her site and every recipe I’ve tried has been great.  If you don’t follow her blog already, then you should.

I don’t know why I haven’t tried these until now.  My mother-in-law made them a few weeks ago, and I was inspired to try them myself.  I made them in mini muffin cups instead of the regular size so that I would have more tasty treats.  I had leftover batter after filling the 24 cups, so I used a madeleine pan for the rest…they didn’t look that great t, but they tasted good.

Since I was using a smaller pan, I reduced the baking time to 15 minutes.  Other than that everything is the same as Pioneer Woman’s recipe.  Why mess with a good thing?  While these are a bit messy to prepare, they are worth it.  Any puffs left over can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days.  They don’t taste quite as good as fresh, but they will still satisfy your sweet tooth.

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Mexican Wedding Cookies

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Aren’t these yummy looking?  It doesn’t hurt that I put them on my cute new summery tray!

These shortbread-like cookies are rich, buttery, full of pecans and covered in a lovely layer of sweet powdered sugar.  They are a bit crumbly and I found them to be a bit dry as well.  But the flavor of these cookies is great and they are a fun little treat.

A few things I would do differently next time.

1) Make them smaller.  I used a large cookie scoop and rolled them into large balls…a bit bigger than the size of a golf ball.  I would go smaller and reduce the baking time.

2) Toss them in sugar twice.  I only tossed them once and only after a very slight cool from the oven.  I would toss them once warm, and then again after they had cooled completely.  The sugar got kinda sticky because of the heat from the warm cookie.

3) Add more cinnamon.  The recipe didn’t call for any, but I added 1/2 teaspoon.  I would double…or maybe even triple…that amount.

One good trick is tossing the cookies in a ziploc bag filled half way full with powdered sugar.  This keeps things from getting too messy in your kitchen.

This recipe came from a good friend, and it was given to her by a great aunt.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks of butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy.
  2. Add the vanilla and beat.
  3. Add the flour, cinnamon and pecans and mix well.
  4. Pat the dough into a round, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour or until firm.
  5. Remove from the fridge and form the dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart.
  6. Bake at 325 F for 15-20 minutes.  Do not let them get too brown or they will be dry.
  7. Roll the hot cookies in powdered sugar and let cool completely.
  8. Roll them once more in powdered sugar before serving.

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

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Glad to report that I made it to Austin this weekend and got to see my pregnant sister and feel lil Kim kick, punch and hiccup a few times.  Babies are amazing.  I don’t think there will come a time in my life that I am not completely and totally in awe of a pregnant woman.  That little kid has fingers, toes, and eyelashes!  Incredible.  I cannot wait to see my little niece in just a few months…

I also got to see my nephew, my parents, aunt, uncle, cousin, and many relatives and family friends at my Grandpa’s 90th birthday celebration on Sunday.  It was wonderful to have the opportunity to spend time with those people.  I am so blessed to have such incredible family and friends!

Back in Amarillo tonight and remembered that I had some of this cake leftover in the fridge.  The piece I ate today wasn’t as good as it was 5 days ago, but it was still tasty.  It was crazy gooey and delicious freshly made!

In my search for the origin of gooey butter cake, I discovered that the cake’s roots are in St. Louis.  I know next to nothing about St. Louis.  I do know that this is the home of the well known Gateway arch, which is the tallest man-made monument in our country standing at 630 feet at its highest point.  It is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and it located near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark expedition.  I had no idea there was so much historical significance to the arch!  Maybe I will plan a vacation to see some historical sights in the USA someday.  Someday…

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Brown Butter and Chive Mashed Potatoes

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I saw Julie and Julia a few weeks ago and thought it was great.  I loved the past and present switches and how their lives seemed to intertwine across decades.  Seeing this movie also increased my passion for cooking.  I love to cook.  I love to cook things I’ve never cooked before and I love to share food with people.  After Ben and I left the theater I was inspired and demanded that we go to the grocery store and get something to make for dinner.  There was just no way that a frozen pizza was going to do it for me that night.

Since it was after 6 when the movie got out, we decided to grill steaks and make some quick side dishes.  Thank God for the iPhone!  Without it I wouldn’t have been able to find this yummy mashed potato recipe on Epi.  Salad would have been another easy side, but I opted to make something a little more exciting; sautéed green beans with toasted walnuts.

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