Blueberry banana bread

I don’t know what got into me last summer, but I was in a constant hunt for THE banana bread recipe. One of those recipes that’s your go-to, no-fail. The kids that I babysat for last summer can attest to the fact that I brought a new loaf of banana bread for them to taste-test almost every week of the summer. From peanut butter banana bread to the classic banana bread to relatively healthy variations…you name it, I made it.

Today, I wanted to share with you one of the recipes that I most frequently made: blueberry banana bread. After the family I babysat for came home from vacation with an abundance of freshly-picked blueberries, I went with the obvious choice of incorporating them into a banana bread recipe. With summer fruits slowly coming back into season, you truly can’t beat the combination of fresh blueberries and bananas! It’s great for breakfast, a snack, or AND dessert. I’ve made this banana bread multiple times and it is always gone in a heartbeat!

The original recipe calls for only all-purpose flour. However, given how moist the bananas and blueberries are, I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour. You can also use canola oil if you don’t have any coconut oil on hand. But, I prefer to use the coconut oil because it is a) healthier and b) it complements the fruity flavor of the bananas and blueberries.

Recipe adapted from: Giada de Laurentiis

Yield: 1 large loaf

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (or canola oil), melted
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large bananas, mashed
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9X5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Mix together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. Using a stand or electric mixer, mix together the sugar, melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended. Add in the bananas and mix until combined.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix throughly. Be sure not to over-mix. Fold in the blueberries.

5. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for approximately one hour or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan. Let the bread cool completely for 1-2 hours on a wire cooling rack.

A year-long blogging hiatus

It’s been quite the baking blog hiatus. It’s hard to believe that the last time I posted was over a YEAR ago. Although I may not have been sharing what I’ve been baking for some time now, I (along with all of my friends and family) can assure you that the baking has not stopped. If anything, it has picked up. Trying new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen is one of my favorite things to do and lately, I’ve had more of an itch to share my baking experiences with friends and family again. Given that I bake something new 2-3 times/week, I’m hoping that I can more frequently share my successes in the kitchen with you.

But first, let’s take a look at some of my favorites over the past year..

Beef empanadas

Pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies

Peanut butter banana bread

Can’t forget the classics: Tanda’s donuts

Carrot cake

Chocolate crinkle cookies

Reindeer chocolate roll-out cookies

Buster bar cake for this guy’s birthday

Classic chocolate chip cookies

Healthy blueberry muffins (made with my favorite baking buddy)

Stay tuned for more…

Anna
xo

British Flapjacks

From my previous posts, it’s probably pretty obvious that there’s a handful of foods that I don’t just like, but that I LOVE.  Peanut butter.  Ice cream/FroYo.  Hummus.  The list goes on…

When I studied abroad in Spain, I became slightly obsessed with picos, which are essentially the Spanish version of pita chips.  I don’t know what it was about them, but I always requested that my Spanish host mom keep them in our kitchen at all times for when hunger struck.

When I traveled to London to visit Molly one weekend that semester, I quickly fell in love with British flapjacks.  I know what you’re thinking…this loser didn’t have pancakes before her junior year in college?!  But, rest assured that British flapjacks are NOT pancakes.  No, they are so much more.  Flapjacks are a sweeter version of American granola bars that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors.

The glorious flapjack.

That weekend in London, Molly [jokingly] told me that in England, everyone eats these so-called flapjacks for breakfast.  I thought, well if everyone eats them, surely I must give them a try.  She gave me a jar of peanut butter and a flapjack and it was love at first bite.  I don’t think any of my friends have heard the end of me talking up flapjacks since then, even since I discovered that flapjacks are most certainly classified as a dessert in England.

Borough Market: quite possibly the best place to be in London.

You can only imagine my excitement after Jack brought me back some British flapjacks after winter break this year.  I don’t know why it took me so long to think of the not-so-crazy idea of baking my own flapjacks.  I looked up some different ways of making flapjacks on Foodgawker and winged it.  This recipe is so easy and you can definitely adapt it to include whatever add-ins you want!  I decided to include butterscotch chips because they complement the corn syrup and butter so well.  But, these would be great with chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dried fruit, etc.  (And let’s be honest, we dipped our butterscotch flapjacks in melted Cadbury chocolate).

Even Jack said that these flapjacks could hold their own in England.  Stop reading and go try these flapjacks for yourself!

Post-Christmas British treats from Jack. Not just one, but TWO containers of flapjacks.

British flapjacks

Ingredients:

• 1 and ½ sticks salted butter
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 and ½ cups quick cooking oats (NOT rolled oats)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup of butterscotch chips (or any mix-ins of your choice)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Spray an 8X8” pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
2. In a pot, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla extract.  Stir over medium heat until the butter is fully melted. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine oats and salt.  Pour the heated mixture over the oats and stir until the oats are well coated.  Use a spatula to press the oat mixture into the base of the pan and press down firmly.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  Allow to cool completely before topping with any additional spreads or cutting into small squares.  The flapjacks will keep for one week in an airtight container stored at room temperature.

Pre-baked flapjacks.

The final product.

Nutella-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know it’s been a looooong while since I last blogged.  But, my housemates and I can assure you that the baking hasn’t stopped over the past six months.  From homemade chocolate cake to blondies to whole-wheat pizza, my yellow kitchen aid is constantly in use.  Now that I’m done with college (still in denial about that) I have more time to blog about all of my baking adventures.  Get ready for more frequent posts about all the sweet treats that are being baked in our wonderful blue house!
I thought I’d share a recipe for some of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve made.  Believe me when I say that these aren’t just regular chocolate chip cookies.  Don’t get me wrong; plain chocolate chip cookies are surely delicious, especially with a nice glass of milk.  But, I will have to say that chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Nutella are far superior in my book.  Add Nutella and immediately, you have added quite a few bonus points in my book.  If you like chocolate chip cookies, then these are about to blow your mind!

 

Nutella-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Source: These cookies are adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe  for chocolate chip cookies.  All of my friends know that Sally is my baking idol and that I swear by ALL of her recipes!

Yield: 3-dozen cookies

Ingredients:

¾ cup (1 and ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed

¼ cup of granulated sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 and ¼ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼ cup sprinkles (optional)

½ cup Nutella

Instructions:

1. Using a stand or handheld mixer, beat the butter for one minute until smooth and creamy.  Add in the light brown and granulated sugars and mix until well incorporated.  Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix.
2. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt).
3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
4. Mix in the chocolate chips and sprinkles until just incorporated.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and chill in the fridge for at least one hour or up to one day.  Chilling is mandatory.
5. Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, a Silpat baking mat, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Remove the chilled cookie dough from the fridge.  Scoop out one tablespoon of dough and press down into the cookie sheet.  Place between ½ teaspoon and 1 teaspoon of Nutella into the base of the cookie dough.  Scoop out another tablespoon of cookie dough and cover the base of the cookie by pressing the cookie dough over the Nutella.
6. Bake for 14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  Let the cookies cool completely before transferring to a wire cooling wrack.  Cookies stay well in an airtight, room temperature container for one week.

Notes:

*To get the egg to room temperature quickly, place the egg in a glass of luke warm water for five minutes.
*Be sure to let the cookie sheets completely cool between batches of cookies.

Before.

After.

They made for perfect Valentine’s Day treats.

Caramel Apples

Perfect granny smith apples.

Freshman year, I discovered Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at Southpoint Mall and my life was forever changed.  No, it was not their delicious chocolate that made my life just that much better.  Rather, it was their decadent caramel apples.  With their wide selection of caramel apples, it is quite difficult to pick out my favorite kind of Rocky Mountain caramel apple.  If I had to narrow it down, it would have to be a close competition between their apple pie and peanut butter bomb apples.

After my first Rocky Mountain caramel apple freshman year, a trip to Southpoint was never complete without a caramel apple purchase.  To my (and all of my friends’ ) dismay, the Rocky Mountain store at Southpoint closed after our sophomore year.  Ever since it closed, my friend, Molly, and I are always on the hunt to find Rocky Mountain caramel apples.

Always on the hunt for caramel apples. Even at the NC State Fair.

My mom, knowing how much I absolutely love caramel apples, took matters into her own hands after the store closed.  She called the nearest Rocky Mountain store in Raleigh and asked how she could get apples personally delivered to Chapel Hill.  Since neither Molly nor I were able to fly home for Easter sophomore year, my mom arranged for four caramel apples to be delivered to Chapel Hill on Easter weekend.  Nice work, Deb!  Let’s just say that those apples didn’t last long…

Look at those beauts!

…And these apples will not last you long either.  With the nearest Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store being thirty minutes away, I decided it was about time to make homemade caramel apples.

Okay, so these may not be as pretty as the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory apples.  BUT, I promise you that they taste just as good, if not better!  There are SO many benefits of making your own caramel apples.  Not only can you add as much caramel as you want (the more, the better), you can pick and choose your toppings.  PLUS, I can guarantee you that you will have leftover caramel to use for another recipe or for later “apple dipping.”  If you still need more convincing and rationalization to make these, then look at the financial aspect of it.  You will save quite a bit of $$ because making these apples is definitely much cheaper than buying them at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store.

Now, we chose to do quite a few different toppings:

• Chopped peanuts (can’t go wrong with the classic)
• Toblerone
• Hershey’s Cookies & Cream candy bits
• Melted white chocolate with cinnamon & brown sugar (apple pie flavor)

Chopped peanuts

Toblerone

Hershey’s Cookies & Cream Candy Bar

Look at all of those yummy toppings!

I challenge you to be creative with the toppings 🙂

Caramel Apples

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-caramel-apples-73274

Yield: 8-10 caramel apples

Ingredients:

• 8-10 large Granny Smith apples
• 8-10 wooden sticks (we used knives…college budget, ya know?)
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Don’t forget to buy your favorite toppings!

Directions: 

1. Stick one wooden spoon (or knife) into the center of each apple.  Chop up the candy toppings of your choice and set aside.
2.  In a large saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and sweetened condensed milk.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and stir until the desired consistency is reached.  Turn off the heat and add the vanilla to the mixture.  (The source recipe claimed that this would take 30-40 minutes.  However, I kept the caramel over the heat for about 20 minutes and it turned out well).
3. Dip each apple into the caramel and spin the apple to coat it completely in caramel.  Sprinkle additional toppings over the apple before the caramel cools.  ENJOY!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

You all know that I’m a peanut butter fanatic.  So, it may surprise you that it has taken me this long to share a full-blown peanut butter recipe with you on the blog.

7 jars and counting.

But, these peanut butter chocolate chip blondies are well worth the wait.  They are the perfect combination of sweet and salty, leaving you feeling more than satisfied.

Last week was the last week of my internship at Extraordinary Ventures (EV).  After an amazing nine weeks at EV, I decided to make my co-workers a little treat as a thank you for giving me the opportunity to join the EV family this summer.  I also wanted to give Jake, one of the kids I babysit for, an early birthday treat.  I thought about what sweet would please both parties and decided on these peanut butter chocolate chip blondies.  Who can resist a dessert with both peanut butter AND chocolate?

chocolate chips AND peanut butter chips.

…and MORE peanut butter.

Not only do these blondies taste magnificent, they are SUPER easy to put together.  There are few things better than a simple recipe.  You can throw together the batter in fifteen minutes with minimal mess and you probably have most, if not all, of the ingredients sitting in your very pantry.  So, stop drooling and go make them!

After taking a bite of one of the blondies, Jake told me, “These are on of the best things I’ve ever eaten.”  I smiled at him and before I knew it, he went in to grab a second and a third blondie.  His brother, Chris, quickly told him, “Don’t go crazy with those bars, Jake!”  But, after just one bite, you may find that you just have to!  🙂

 

Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks

Yield: 9 large bars

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
• 1 large egg
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 T vanilla extract
• ½ heaping cup of creamy peanut butter (do not use natural peanut butter – I used Jif)
• 1 and ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup Reese’s peanut butter chips 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line an 8X8 inch-baking pan with aluminum foil and spray the aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Completely melt the butter in the microwave.  Let cool for 1-2 minutes before whisking in the egg.  Using a hand mixer, blend in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.  Mix until well combined.  Add the peanut butter and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Fold in the chocolate and peanut butter chips and mix until fully incorporated in the batter.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes (or until fully cooked).  These blondies are the best when they are gooey, so be sure not to over-bake!  Store in an airtight container until you eat them all – I promise you, it won’t be long!

 

Streusel-Topped Peach Pie

Before today, I had never attempted to make a pie.  Growing up, my grandma (more grandma stories, I know…) would always bring homemade pies over to our house.  Pumpkin, apple, strawberry rhubarb, key lime…you name it, she brought it over!  Other than nibbling on the piecrust (and subsequently getting scolded for mooching), pie wasn’t really my thing.  Fortunately, over the years, my palate has expanded to appreciate almost all desserts, including pie.

No, it’s not March 14^th (official Pi Day for those of you that aren’t math nerds).  But, it IS Sam’s 21^st Birthday and it IS summer.  So, that’s reason enough to make PEACH PIE, per her request.  You see, I need very little convincing to bake.

With peaches being in season, there is no better time than NOW to make this delicious peach pie.  So, get off your butt and go to the grocery store and buy some of these beauts:

I bought my peaches three days before I made the pie, so that they were soft and ready to bake with.  Very ripe fruit is always better for baking.

I was considering making the piecrust from scratch.  But, then I realized that I don’t have a food processor at school with me, which is sort of necessary to make homemade piecrust.  Also, you just can’t go wrong with Pillsbury products.

Making the ridges of the piecrust.

I always had thought that the piecrust was the best part of a pie, but the peach filling of this pie made me reconsider that.  The ripe, juicy peaches are mouthwatering to begin with.  But, just wait until the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg are added.  MINDBLOWING.

Succulent peaches.

I really like using the streusel topping as opposed to no topping or topping the peaches with an additional piecrust.  The streusel adds a sweet crunch that is hard to beat.

The pie will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature.  But, you will not need to worry about storing it because it will be gone before you know it.  We demolished the pie in one sitting…HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM!

The birthday girl and her peach pie!

Source: Adapted from my friend’s recipe. (THANKS JESS!)

Yield: 9-inch pie

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

• One Pillsbury pie crust, softened to room temperature

Filling:

• 6-8 ripe peaches
• ½ cup granulated sugar (more if you like your pie very sweet)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 T corn starch
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 

Streusel Topping:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Place piecrust (softened to room temperature) in an ungreased 9-inch pie pan.  Place the index finger of one hand on the inside edge of the pastry dough.  Use the index finger and thumb of the opposite hand to mold the piecrust around the index finger that rests on the inside edge of the piecrust.  Repeat process to form ridges around the entire piecrust.
2. Peel and slice peaches.  Place in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Sprinkle the mixture over the sliced peaches and gently mix using a spatula.  Let sit for an hour.
3. To make the streusel topping, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Use a knife to cut the butter into small cubes and add to the mixture.  Use a fork to mash up the butter into even smaller pieces.  Use the fork or a large mixing spoon to mix the butter evenly throughout the mixture.  Set aside.
4. After the peaches have set for one hour, strain the peaches in order to get one cup of peach juice.  (I had to move the peaches around using a ladle in order to get ALL of the peach juice out).  If you are unable to get one cup of peach juice, add water until you reach one cup of juice.  However, for the best results, you want to have a high ratio of peach juice to water.
5. In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix peach juice and cornstarch.  Continuously stir until the mixture is thickened.  Once desired thickness is obtained, remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the salt, butter, and vanilla extract.  Pour mixture over the peaches and gently mix with a spatula.  Once completed, pour the filling over the piecrust.  Then, sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the peach filling.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Baking time depends on how hot your oven is.  Just be sure that the crust is completely cooked before taking out of the oven.  Let the pie cool for fifteen minutes before enjoying.  Serve by itself or with a bit of whipped cream or even better, a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cover the pie with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 2-3 days.  If you put the pie in the refrigerator, it will stay for an additional 2-3 days.

Tanda’s Donuts

My grandma is the best baker I know.  And she’s just the cutest, isn’t she?  I adore her.

Growing up, my cousins and I would always go over to her house to bake with her.  The morning after a sleepover at my grandma’s house was always followed by either Tanda’s donuts or Swedish pancakes (both homemade, using family recipes).

Donut decorating with my silly cousins and grandma a couple years back.

Whenever I made donuts with my grandma, I would whip out my toy cash register (come on, those things were all the rage back in the day) and pretend that we had our own donut shop.  Clearly, I was a cool kid.

Now that we are “all grown-up” (well, sort of…) and all over the country, my cousins and I always try to make donuts with my grams when we come home to Chicago over Christmas break.  Although I’m not (a) home or (b) spending time with my grandma, I decided to take on the challenge of Tanda’s donuts to share a Quaiver family tradition with all of my friends in Chapel Hill.  Whether you are a Krispy Kreme crazy or a Dunkin’ Donuts devotee, you will absolutely LOVE these.

Perfect treat for the weekend.

If you are on a diet, then you should probably avoid these like the plague because (1) they are deep fried in 3 lbs. of vegetable shortening and (2) they are dangerously ADDICTIVE.  But, I can promise you that you will not regret making these.  Let’s be real, what’s better than a fresh donut on a Saturday morning?  Absolutely nothing…except maybe five donuts on a Saturday morning.

Be VERY careful with the hot grease when frying these donuts.  It is imperative that you do not fill the pot with too much vegetable shortening, as you need room for the donuts to roll and cook.  Grease spilling everywhere would not only be a fire hazard, but also super painful if it splattered on you!  After you finish cooking all of the dough, strain the grease and let it cool down.  DO NOT POUR IT DOWN YOUR DRAIN.  Once it cools, you can either throw it out or put it back in the vegetable shortening can for later use.

Traditionally, we roll the donuts in (1) powdered sugar, (2) cinnamon sugar, or (3) my personal favorite, homemade chocolate frosting.  You really can’t beat these simple, yet classic, toppings.  However, given my love for obsession with peanut butter, I decided to try a light peanut butter frosting for some of the donuts, as well (see recipe below).  And while I was at it, I used up some of the remaining Nutella frosting to top some of the donuts.  So many choices!  You will have to decide for yourself which is your favorite! 

The decorating station.

Remember this Nutella frosting?

Tanda’s Donuts:

Yield: 6-dozen donuts

Ingredients:

1 and 1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 T unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs

1 and ¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 teaspoons baking powder

4 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour

3 lbs. container of vegetable shortening

Directions:

1. Use a mixer to combine the melted butter and granulated sugar.  I would recommend using a stand mixer since the dough eventually gets very thick, but a hand mixer will work as well.  Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.  Add the milk and vanilla and mix.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the baking powder and flour.  Stir until combined.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.  The dough will be very thick.
3. In a large pot, heat the vegetable shortening over medium heat.  Once melted and extremely hot, spoon approximately one tablespoon of dough into the grease.  Use a fork to roll and flip the donut around so that it is cooked on all sides (golden brown).  This will be your tester donut.  If it takes more than a couple of minutes to cook, then let your grease heat up a little bit.  You want to make sure that you don’t make your donuts TOO big or else they will be burnt on the outside and not thoroughly cooked on the inside.  Also, grease that is TOO hot will lead to the same problem of a burnt outside and an undercooked center.  Use tongs to remove the donuts from the grease and set on a plate lined with a few sheets of paper towel.
4. Once completely cooled, frost or toss the donuts with your topping of choice.  Store in an airtight container for two days.  Donuts are best on the day they are cooked.

Nutella frosting.

Peanut Butter Glaze:

Ingredients:

• 2 T unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 T milk

Instructions:

1. Beat the butter and peanut butter together using a hand mixer.  Add the powdered sugar and mix well.  Add 1 T of milk and mix.  Add more milk or powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

I used Jif, but feel free to use your peanut butter of choice.

Buster Bar Cake

 

My friends make fun of me because I always “spice up” simple foods with quite a few extra ingredients.

Example A: My morning oatmeal is nothing without a scoop of peanut butter (white chocolate wonderful, mighty maple, dark chocolate dreams, or cinnamon raisin swirl…SO many choices), craisins, and some slivered almonds or sliced fruit.

Example B: Salads. I will always choose a garbage salad full of all of my favorite vegetables over a simple Greek salad.

But, I will tell you that some of the BEST desserts are the more simple ones.  And that is definitely the case with homemade buster bar cake.  I can’t remember a time in which I wasn’t an ice cream enthusiast.  Whether it was my first or sixth dessert of the day, I would insist on a giant bowl of ice cream following dinner when I was growing up.  I sometimes even went for an Eggo waffle ice cream sandwich for a breakfast treat on the weekends.  Given my love for ice cream, it is of no surprise that I always requested (and still do) an ice cream cake for my birthday.  Every year, my mom granted my wish by making the king of all ice cream cakes: homemade buster bar cake.

My mom and me with the one and only buster bar cake for my birthday last year.

You may look at the list of ingredients below and wonder: how could it be THAT good? With only five simple ingredients, you may think that I’m lying to you.  But, rest assured…I’m not.  Go out and make this cake and after just one bite, you will immediately understand why it is the best.  The combination of the sweet and salty is to die for.

Although any type of hot fudge will work, I definitely recommend Mrs. Richardson’s.  It’s seriously the best.  And, make sure you get double stuffed Oreo’s.  Who eats Oreo’s that aren’t double stuffed anyways?

The best hot fudge out there.

I have been raving about this treat since I came to college three years ago, so I’m not sure why I don’t make it more often.  It was my friend Katie’s birthdays this weekend, so I decided that buster bar would really fit the occasion for a little celebration.

 

Happy Birthday, Katie!

Serves: 12-14

Ingredients:

• 1 package of double stuffed Oreo’s
• 4 T unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• ½ gallon vanilla ice cream
• 1 jar Mrs. Richardson’s hot fudge
• 1 and 1/2 cup dry roasted or cocktail peanuts

Instructions:

1. Use a rolling pin to crush the Oreo’s.  (I suggest putting the Oreo’s in a plastic bag to reduce the mess).  Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the crushed Oreo’s and melted butter and mix together until well combined.
2. Pour the Oreo/butter mix into the bottom of an ungreased 9 X 13 inch cake pan.  Use the bottom of a measuring cup (or your hands) to press the mixture evenly throughout the pan.  Set aside.
3. Cut the wrapper off of the ½ gallon of vanilla ice cream.  Cut the ice cream into thin slices and place on top of the Oreo crust.  Once the ice cream is softened, use a spatula to smooth.
4. Microwave the jar of hot fudge until softened.  (Be careful not to make it too hot as it will completely melt all of the ice cream).  Pour the entire jar of hot fudge over the ice cream and use a spatula to spread evenly.  Sprinkle the peanuts on top of the layer of hot fudge.  Freeze for four hours before serving.

Crushing the Oreo’s.

Smooth the ice cream.

Hot fudge. Be sure to work quickly when spreading the hot fudge or else the ice cream will melt into soup!

Enjoy!

Creamy Nutella Frosting

As a thank you for a ride to the airport last week, my friend gave me a jar of Nutella.  You may be surprised by the fact that I was never really a Nutella fan growing up.  My best friend, Sierra, would always sit on the couch with a spoon and a jar of Nutella when she was craving a sweet snack.  Whenever she did this, I just looked at her and shrugged in confusion.  But, my apathetic feelings towards Nutella completely changed when I studied abroad in Europe last fall.  Peanut butter isn’t really a thing in Europe (although let’s be honest…I still packed a jar of peanut butter in my suitcase and asked my señora to buy it for me).  Nevertheless, I didn’t have peanut butter when I was travelling on the weekends and so, I decided to give the whole Nutella thing a try.  From waffles smothered in Nutella in Belgium to Nutella crepes in France, I was a Nutella convert.

Just a few jars of Nutella in a waffle shop in Brussels.

Look at that.

My Uruguayan friends with their Nutella waffle in Bruges.

Crepes in Paris.

When my friend gave me this jar of Nutella, I followed Sierra’s lead and began to eat it with a spoon.  I kept thinking of the best way to describe Nutella and after a few spoonfuls, I said, “This tastes like Europe in a jar.”  My housemates, who all studied abroad in Europe as well, quickly agreed.  Despite the fact that the Fourth of July was just around the corner, I decided to make chocolate cupcakes with a whipped Nutella frosting for a little treat.

Now, this Nutella frosting is out of this world!  It’s light and fluffy, but still retains a rich Nutella taste.

Creamy Nutella Frosting.

Although the Nutella frosting is worth raving about, I cannot say the same about the recipe I used for the chocolate cupcakes.  The cupcakes were indeed delicious, but they did not look like they would be.  After I took the cupcakes out of the oven, they sank down into the cupcake liners and quite literally “flopped.”  My housemates and I are not known for wasting food, so we ate them without thinking twice.  They were very fudgy, rich, and had the consistency of a brownie.  I’m not quite sure what went wrong with how these cupcakes rose, but I’m guessing it had something to do with the combinations of baking soda and baking powder.

They looked so promising before they were put in the oven.

But, then…this happened. At least they still tasted good!

Given that these cupcakes flopped, I won’t bother sharing the recipe with you all.  (Maybe that’s Karma for not making a more “American” treat for the Fourth of July). However, this creamy Nutella frosting is definitely worth sharing:

Creamy Nutella Frosting:

Source: http://www.52kitchenadventures.com/

Yield: Frosts two-dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened to room temperature
• 1 cup Nutella
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 T skim milk

Instructions:

1. Using a hand mixer, beat the butter on low speed until smooth.  Add the Nutella and mix until fully combined.  Slowly mix in the powdered sugar.  Add in 1 T of milk and stir.  Add additional milk to reach desired consistency.

Note: I did not use all of the frosting for my cupcakes.  The frosting freezes well, so I stored the remaining frosting in an airtight container and plan to use it for a future baking adventure.