Classic Goodie: Seven Layer Magic Bars

There was a time in my life that I worked with church youth groups and was asked to not watch rated-R movies since our youth could not watch them and they typically expose us to themes that are not the best for our minds. This time period produced some great movies that people often will reference in conversation. People are shocked that I have not seen some of these “classics.”

Awhile back, a good friend sent me an odd text message that turned out to be just such a reference to a movie that I had not seen. He was surprised that I didn’t understand the reference and when I told him why he suggested that we start to meet up and “catch me up” on some of these classics. The deal was that I would bake with him (teach him how to make some of the classic goodies) and then we would watch a classic movie.

This turned into a weekly treat for both of us as we worked our way through goodies and movies. We made chocolate chip cookies twice and then we made these seven-layer magic bars. I’d never made them before, but the recipe looked very easy, and it was even on the can of sweetened condensed milk!

The bars are made by simply layering the ingredients into a pan and baking. We took the easy way and ground the graham crackers in my food processor and using pre-chopped nuts. This recipe felt very semi-homemade to me. Not much true baking skill is required. It would be a great recipe to quickly pull together to take to a potluck or party. The only downside for me is that it includes coconut. Had I been making it for myself, I would have probably omitted it and said six-layers were enough…but since these were a childhood favorite for my friend, we stuck to the recipe and he took home all of the leftovers!

He said that they were perfectly delicious and just as he remembered having as a child….so I call that a success! Give them a try!

Oh, by the way, we watched Shawshank Redemption, Silence of the Lambs and The Green Mile. So, what movies are on your classic “must-see” list? Let me know in the comments!

Recipe: Seven-Layer Magic Bars
Source: Eagle Brand

Ingredients
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup (6 oz.) butterscotch-flavored chips
1 cup (6 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions
HEAT oven 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom of
prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.

BAKE 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into bars or diamonds.

For perfectly cut cookie bars, line entire pan with foil, extending foil over edge of pan. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, lift up by edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into individual bars.

With Love,
Christina

Comfort Food: Mac ‘n Cheese

I think most of us have a food from our childhood that we would consider a comfort food. For me chocolate chip cookies, mom’s meatloaf with mashed potatoes and the cheap pot pies seem to rank towards to top of my list. One food though really seems to always evoke a childlike comfort more than any other…Mac ‘n Cheese.

Growing up a latch-key kid there weren’t many things that my sister and I could cook alone during the summers or after school. We ate a lot of snack food and things that simply required us to boil water. Hot dogs were great, but mac ‘n cheese was my preferred choice. To this day, seeing the blue box of Kraft takes me back to those summer days lounging in front of the tv (Is it no wonder the battle of the bulge hit me as a kid?!)

With all of the changes going on in my life right now (Qatar has been delayed...maybe up to 2 months!), I started to crave comfort foods. I decided that instead of turning to the ever reliable blue box of Kraft, I would try to expand the comfort food horizon and see if I could find a new version of the delightful pasta and cheese treat. With the recent food truck craze in DC it wasn’t too hard to find one that served mac ‘n cheese. CapMac (http://www.capmacdc.com/) is a mac ‘n cheese lover’s dreams come true. They serve several kinds of macaroni covered in cheese or other sauces, but my taste buds delighted in what they call “Balls Out.” It is their version of mac ‘n cheese with chicken meatballs garnished with crushed Cheez-its. Nirvana! It was so creamy and filling, certainly satisfies the comfort food craving. The only downside is the cost…eating from a DC food truck isn’t cheap! So my quest continued.

I decided that it couldn’t be that difficult to make mac ‘n cheese from scratch at home, and thought I'd try to bake it rather than do a stovetop version. I searched the internet and found the recipe below. It came together easily and was tasty. It’s not perfect…It wasn’t as creamy as I’d hoped for, but I’m sure it could be adapted just a bit to be pure perfection. I liked that this recipe didn’t try to get too fancy. There are a ton of recipes out there that add all kinds of things to the basic mac ‘n cheese. Heck, I was tempted to try adding in some crispy bacon, but wanted to find a good basic recipe before I started to experiment.

Give this one a try. It hit the spot and was just as easy as making mac ‘n cheese from the blue box. It was also easy to reheat and eat as leftovers for a few days.

By the way, what are your comfort foods? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Recipe: Mac ‘n Cheese
From: Very Best Baking

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups (about 7 oz.) dry small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 2-quart casserole dish.

COMBINE cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1½ cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

With Love,
Christina

Qatar Bound!

That's right friends, family and followers, I'm headed to live in Doha, Qatar for two years! I will be helping open and manage a new Red Velvet Cupcakery in the Katara Cultural Village Project. Our current timeline is to leave at the end of this month. I'm super excited and hope that you will all continue to keep in touch with me. I'll be sharing my experiences here, as well as continue to try out new recipes.

With Love,
Christina

Happy 2nd Anniversary! Let's celebrate with Sugar Cookie-Chocolate Crunch Fudge

Today is Shaking N Baking's second anniversary! Woot!

When I started this blog I was not really sure where it would go or how long it would last. I am excited that it is still up and running and with just a few exceptions I have been fairly consistent in my posting. I hope that you (whoever you are!!) enjoy reading my ramblings and the recipes I share.

To celebrate, I thought I would make something chocolate again. The perfect recipe to try came across my path via a calendar that I get every year from Pillsbury. The calendar has a new recipe each month and this is February’s recipe this year. It is a Bake-Off winner too!

I also thought that this would be a great thing to send to my niece Jessica in our ongoing cookie tin. I am hoping it won’t melt when it crosses the frozen East Coast into the warmer climates of the West Coast.

The ingredients are all very easy to purchase, or you may even have them on hand already (like I did!). It all came together fairly quick as well (15 minutes or less). The tricky part is getting it to 160 degrees…without a candy thermometer this could prove difficult.

The result is very yummy fudge that reminds me a lot of a Hershey’s Krackle bar (which you can only find in the miniature mix now). The granola adds a crunch that is welcomed, yet in an unexpected way. Certainly a quick and easy fudge to make if you want something a bit different.

Photo from Pillsbury.com

Recipe: Sugar Cookie-Chocolate Crunch Fudge

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies, cut into small chunks
2 bags (12 oz each) semisweet chocolate chips
5 teaspoons vanilla
6 Nature Valley® pecan crunch crunchy granola bars (3 pouches from 8.9-oz box), coarsely crushed (heaping 1 cup)*
Fresh mint sprigs, if desired

Instructions:
In 3-quart heavy saucepan or deep 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook corn syrup, butter, salt and condensed milk over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until well blended. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in cookie dough chunks. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and candy thermometer reads 160°F. Remove from heat.

Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Add crushed granola bars; stir until well blended. Cook over low heat 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is shiny. Spread in ungreased 12x8-inch or 13x9-inch pan.** Refrigerate uncovered at least 2 hours or until firm.

Cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Serve in decorative candy cups or mini paper baking cups on platter garnished with mint sprigs.

* To easily crush granola bars, do not unwrap; use rolling pin to crush bars. (Or unwrap, place in sealed plastic zip bag and use rolling pin to crush.)

** To easily cut fudge, line pan with foil so foil extends over sides of pan. Lift candy from pan using foil.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Marbled Cheesecake Bars, Lemon Bars & Scott’s Almond Roca

Hey look! It is finally a new post from me! I am so sorry that I took a bit of a break from blogging, but sometimes that is what happens when life gets too busy. I am excited to be getting back to it though and thought as a treat I would share with you a few of the things that I have made recently. Catching up so to speak but also sharing some sites and recipes from others.

Marbled Cheesecake Bars
The first recipe I want to share is from Eagle Brand. I know them best as the sweetened condensed milk people. I made these yummy cheesecake bars because I wanted to make something chocolate-y for a church event, but I didn’t want it to be overly chocolate. I also wanted to be able to cut them into individual servings and display in cupcake paper cups so that they were easy to serve.

They were a big hit at the event, and I even had enough left over to take into work the next few days. They kept well and I thought they were delicious. A bit rich, but hey, that’s what cheesecake is all about and certainly with just a bite-sized piece (or two!) you had enough to satisfy and not be overwhelmed.

My only recommendation or change to this recipe would be to use more of the vanilla batter when you first pour it in and make less chocolate batter. I did a true 50/50 and the bars ended up being mostly chocolate with a vanilla swirl versus a true swirl of both.

Photo from Eagle Brand Website

Recipe: Marbled Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients
2 cups finely crushed creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (about 24 cookies) (Think Oreos)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Instructions
HEAT oven to 300ºF. Combine cookie crumbs and butter in medium bowl; press firmly into bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking pan. BEAT cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Pour half the batter evenly over prepared crust. STIR melted chocolate into remaining batter; spoon over vanilla batter. Swirl through batter with knife or metal spatula to marbleize. BAKE 40 to 50 minutes or until set. Cool. Chill. Cut into bars.

Lemon Bars
The next recipe is from one of my favorite food bloggers ever: Smitten Kitchen. She is brilliant! I always turn to her for recipes and tips when I need something that I know will work out perfectly. She takes the time to adapt the recipe so that it works…and shares how and why she made the adaptations. Her photography is brilliant too (check out her link for photos for sale). Her blog is a work of art!

So, at the aforementioned church function, I also wanted to take something that was NOT chocolate. I know everyone says they love chocolate, but if you are like me, you also crave the not-chocolate, not-vanilla tastes every now and then. I thought lemon bars would be perfect for this reason. They could also be individually cut and slipped into cupcake paper cups for display and serving.

This recipe was perfectly easy to follow…the only thing missing was how long to bake it if you wanted to have a 1:1 ration of filling to crust as was recommended (if you read her post, you will see what I mean). I baked mine for about 20 minutes. I thought I’d burnt them, but they tasted wonderful and got RAVE reviews. I would recommend watching them after the 15 minute mark and making your own judgment call on how long to bake them.

Photo from Smitten Kitchen

Head to her site for more yummy photos…She offers them for sale, this one included!

Recipe: Lemon Bars
As adapted by Smitten Kitchen

For the crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the full-size lemon layer:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

[Or] for a thinner lemon layer:
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (3 to 4 lemons)
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup flour
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into the greased baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the lemon layer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes (less if you are using the thinner topping), or about five minutes beyond the point where the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Scott’s Almond Roca
This final recipe comes from a friend. He is a wonderful guy who owns cats, loves wine, has a great sense of humor and apparently one kick-butt recipe for a mock almond roca. Scott posted that he was making this delicious treat on his Facebook page awhile back (around December if I remember right). I immediately asked for the recipe because I love Almond Roca. I have very fond memories of stealing several pieces from the pink can at my Grandma’s. For those that do not know about Almond Roca visit their site, but it is similar to an English Toffee, only in a round piece covered in nuts. Yum!

Scott tried to slip a fast one on me by giving me a faulty recipe but I caught it before I made an attempt at making this and he came clean on the real recipe. (I want to believe it was a simple error on his part… heehee!) Do not make this unless you want to become instantly addicted…that was the warning I got and will pass along to you…because it is accurate. This candy is so easy (well, besides having to stir for 20 minutes) and so worth every minute you have to wait to break it up to eat. Thanks Scott for sharing!

(I do not have a photo of these treats….they were gone way too fast!)

Recipe: Scott’s Almond Roca
Ingredients:
1 cup Slivered Almonds
1 cup White Sugar
1 tbs. Water
1 tbs. Light Karo Syrup
1 cup Butter (DO NOT substitute margarine)
2 Large (1/2 Pound Each) Hershey Bars* (or however many it takes to get to a pound of the smaller chocolate bars!)

Instructions
Combine almonds, sugar, water, Karo syrup and butter in a frying pan or pot on medium-high heat.** Stir constantly until the mixture turns one shade darker than light brown sugar (this takes approximately 20 minutes). When it starts to caramelize it happens quickly so be patient and watch the mixture closely. Try not to let it smoke or it will have a burnt taste.

Pour the mixture into a well-greased 13" x 9" pan (it will be extremely hot, so be careful). Place each Hershey bar on top (they will soften quickly) then spread evenly over the entire pan. Top with some extra almond slivers.***

Let cool/harden and cut or break into pieces.

Scott’s Tips
* I've used various (semi-sweet, dark, etc.) Hershey chocolate chips which also melt well. I've experimented with other brands of chocolate (e.g., Ghirardelli), but none seem to work as well as Hershey.
** I like to add a shot of brandy, rum and/or a small amount of vanilla extract for flavor. It works best to add the alcohol just after the butter completely melts (the alcohol content evaporates by the time the caramel is ready).
*** I like to add a few sprinkles of cinnamon (after everything cools off), as well.

Hopefully you will take the time to make and enjoy each of these recipes. They are all wonderful and from trusted sources of yummy food. Do you have a favorite food blog that you enjoy to cook from (you know, besides mine!)? Share it with me in the comments!

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Blog Behaving Badly

Friends, Family, Followers -

Happy New Year!! I hope that 2011 is going well for you so far.

I wanted to quickly write and let you know that I am FULLY aware that I've not posted since October 2010! In my defense, about a week after I posted those yummy chai cupcakes I started classes again for my BS degree AND I got a part-time job, on top of the much longer commute to my full-time job I started early October. *phew* No excuses, I know...you need your Shaking N Baking fixes. SO....I will tell you that I am hoping to get back on a regular posting schedule soon. Any ideas on what you'd like me to try and make? I know my Daring Kitchen friends have been doing some fun things lately....I can't wait to get back on track with them!

With Love,
Christina

Chai Latte Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I was introduced to chai lattes back in 1999. I was teaching ballroom dancing and our studio manager (who I'm convinced was bi-polar) would bring them to the instructors every so often on days that she felt like being nice to us...they were rare treats. :-)

"Chai is the Hindi word for a tea made with milk and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and pepper" (Betty Crocker website).  Since I don't drink coffee, chai lattes are my drink of choice when going to coffee shops. They are creamy and spicy and are good either piping hot or cold. Perfect for a drink that may sit on the desk while the world whirls around and the drink is forgotten until things simmer down.

These cupcakes were found when I realized I had some extra cake mixes around and wanted to doctor them up a bit to use them up. Those that know me well know that I don't normally like to use store-bought mixes, but prefer to make everything from scratch. BUT, if I have a mix in the house, I will doctor it up to use them. I searched the Betty Crocker website and when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it.

The cupcakes were very easy to mix up. The batter was thinner than a normal cake batter, to the point that I double checked the amount of water I used twice. It was so thin in fact that I put it into a piping bag to control the flow when I was filling the mini-cupcake pan. They baked up beautifully though and smelled wonderful!

I moved onto the frosting. I had a batch of buttercream leftover from when I made the sheet cake, so all I had to do was add the white chocolate. Easy, right?! Well, it is if white chocolate doesn't hate you...like it seems to hate me. For some reason, whenever I try to melt white chocolate it seizes up on me. So frustrating! Luckily, I had enough to try again and the second time really took my time and was much more diligent in my stirring. I finally got the chocolate melted and added so that I could frost the cupcakes.

I piped the frosting onto the cupcakes, sprinkled with cinnamon and then took my first bite....mmmmmm, these are like a fall day in heaven! The cakes are spicy and the frosting balances it with a sweetness that works so well together. I quickly gobbled up two or three (ok, I lost count!) minis and had to stop myself before eating more! I brought them to work two days later (yeah, I debated whether or not to keep them all for myself) and got rave reviews from my co-workers (even though they fussed about always bringing in sweets).

These cupcakes were a hit...a keeper for those times when you have cake mix around and need a quick, yet fancy-feeling dessert during the fall (ok, anytime, but they really taste so fall-like). Here's a glamour shot:

The Recipe:
Chai Latte Cupcakes
From Betty Crocker
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist French vanilla cake mix
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 package (1.1 oz) instant chai tea latte mix (or 3 tablespoons from larger container) (I used Oh My! Chai from Tastefully Simple)

1. Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal pans (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

2. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (approx. 2/3 full).

3. Bake 18 to 23 minutes (10 to 12 minutes for minis) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. Spread or pipe frosting mixture on cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Makes 24 regular-sized cupcakes


White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 bag of white chocolate chips
1 cup solid white vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 teaspoon flavoring (I used Wilton Clear Vanilla...you can use regular vanilla, just remember it'll make it off-white in color)
2 tablespoons water
1 lb. pure cane confectioners' sugar (approx. 4 cups)
1 tablespoon Wilton Meringue Powder (You can find this easily at Michael's craft stores)

Melt the white chips in a microwave safe bowl in 15 second increments. Remember to stir the chips between each heating, you likely will need to heat it slightly less than you think (keep stirring!). Once melted completely, let cool for about 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.

Add melted chocolate to the buttercream, blend completely, use immediately.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina