Salted Caramel Brownies

No special occasion this time! This is my ALL time favorite dessert to devour on a regular day basis. I'm pretty sure that's not what one would necessarily call "healthy", but these salted caramel brownie bites are to die for!

Sea salt is magical when it's added to chocolate.

Ingredients:

200g unsalted butter, plus a little extra for greasing

100g chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

100g chocolate, 50% cocoa solids

397g can Carnation caramel

1 tsp flaky sea salt, plus a little extra for the top

200g golden caster sugar

4 medium eggs, at room temperature

100g plain flour, plus 2 tbsp

50g cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease then line a 23cm square traybake tin with baking parchment. Melt the butter in a medium pan, break in all the chocolate, then remove the pan from the heat and wait for the cubes to melt.
2. In a small bowl, mix 175g of the caramel with 1 tsp sea salt – it will loosen up. Put the rest of the caramel in a large bowl with the sugar and eggs, and beat with an electric hand mixer or balloon whisk until even.
3. Whisk in the chocolate and butter. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and a good pinch of table salt, then sift this on top of the chocolate mix. Beat briefly until smooth.
4. Pour half the brownie batter into the tin and level it with a spatula. Using a teaspoon, spoon half of the salted caramel on top of the batter layer in 5 thick, evenly spaced stripes. Spoon the rest of the brownie batter on top and smooth it out, trying not to disturb the caramel beneath. Top with the rest of the caramel in the same stripy fashion. Drag a skewer or tip of a knife through the caramel to make a feathered pattern on the top.
5. Scatter with a little more sea salt, then bake for 25-30 mins or until risen all the way to the middle with a firm crust on top. When ready, the brownie will jiggle just a little when you shake the tin. Let it cool completely in the tin, then cut into squares. Sprinkle sea salt on top for a stronger cocoa flavor. 

VALENTINE COOKIES

Valentine Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies <3

Valentines day is approaching soon, and what better way to show your lover how much you love them than to bake them heart shaped sugar cookies? Yum! Delicious and meaningful. 

Delicious... Mmm. 

Ingredients for cookie:

• 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Royal Icing:

• 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 3 Tablespoons meringue powder
• 6-7 Tablespoons room temperature water
• Food coloring

Directions:

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. If the dough seems too soft, you can add 1 Tablespoon more flour until it is a better consistency for rolling.
4. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat (I prefer the nonstick silicone mat) to about 1/4″ thickness. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly ¼-inch thick.
5. Stack the pieces, with parchment paper between the two, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days. If chilling for more than a couple hours, cover the top dough piece with a single piece of parchment paper.
6. Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator and using a heart cookie cutter, cut into heart shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd dough piece.
7. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Make sure you rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
8. Make the icing: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat all of the icing ingredients together on high speed for 5 minutes. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 10-12 seconds. If it's too thick, add a little more water. If it's too thin, add a little more sifted confectioners' sugar. Separate icing into 6 different bowls. Stir in 1 tiny drop of the following colors into each bowl, 1 color per bowl: pink, violet, green, yellow, and orange. The 6th bowl is for the writing. Use 2-3 drops of red.
9. Add icing to piping bag fitted with round icing tip #5. Decorate cookies with colored icing. Use round icing tip #1 for writing. Do not cover cookies as icing sets. Icing will set within 4-6 hours.
10. Decorated or plain cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

The Best Gingerbread Cookies

We've all been waiting for this blissful month of December. Why? Because Christmas, of course! Christmas is all about oversized sweaters, hot chocolate with cute little marshmallows, presents, and of course, the MARVELOUS desserts that come alongside with the marvelous month. 🎄🎅
Although I adore every single Christmas dessert, I must say that my favorite dessert is the cute gingerbread cookies. 

I have the perfect recipe to share with you guys and can't wait till you try it out! 

The ingredients:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 cup shortening, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 egg
• 
  






YUM. DELICIOUS!




1. The directions to baking perfection:1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon; set aside.
2. 2. In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
3. 3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. 4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but still be soft to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice, get creative and enjoy!

PERFECT PUMPKIN PIE

The month of October has arrived. This means pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread pudding, pumpkin bars and PUMPKIN PIES! We have all waited for marvelous month of October to bake and make these marvelous pumpkin desserts. My personal favorite is pumpkin pie, and you know it's yours too. Want the perfect pumpkin pie to devour with your loved ones? Follow this recipe step by step in order to achieve the perfect dessert.

Yum. I'd want to make this if I were you.

INGREDIENTS:


               1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin                         

               1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk                     

               2 large eggs                     

               1 teaspoon ground cinnamon                                             

               1/2 teaspoon ground ginger                     

               1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg                                             

               1/2 teaspoon salt

               1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:  

 

                 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator. Enjoy!