Snickerdoodle Bars (12 weeks of Christmas Cookies)

I love watching television. It's one of my favorite pastimes. It's one of the reasons I love the Fall so much: new shows. While my husband makes his Fantasy Football spreadsheets, I make my TV show grid. (Hey, a DVR can only tape two things at once!)

Of course the TV comedies (Modern Family, anyone?) and dramas (Grey's Anataomy!) are my favorites, but I also love reality TV. I think I love the Housewives so much because it's brainless TV. I can watch for five minutes and then pick it up again a day later without missing a beat. But when it comes to reality TV, I especially love the competition shows: Project Runway, Top Chef, Amazing Race, and Survivor.

Which brings me to the point of this rambling.

I also enjoy Twitter. Evenings seems to be a huge time for tweeting, so I like to tweet and read and share things then. So I'd like to do a little PSA to the celebrities out there who are on reality shows, especially competition ones.

8:00 pm Eastern time is NOT 8:00 pm Pacific time. When it's 8:00 in New York, where y'all live, it's actually on 5:00 pm here in California. Which means that when you, Jeff Probst or other reality competition host, are tweeting which tribe lost and is at tribal council, I have not seen the show yet. And knowing before watching who gets voted off (or is out or who packed their knives) kind of ruins the whole thing.

So now, while trying to figure out how to tape The Real Housewives, Amazing Race, and Sunday Night Football all at the same time, I also have to make sure I don't go on Twitter.

It's a good thing I can bake. Gives me something to do during these situations.

If you need something to do next time you're avoiding social media and your TV, try giving these Snickerdoodle bars a try. I made them for a potluck and they were all gone when I went to clean up the dishes. Only crumbs were left, which is the best compliment for a baker. They are full of cinnamon and topped with a sweet glaze. Snickerdoodles without all the work!

Snickerdoodle Bars

Recipe from Betty Crocker

Printed from www.CrazyforCrust.com

Ingredients:

For the Bars:

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup butter, softened

1 ¼ cups sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Cinnamon Filling:

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350°. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Set aside.

2.       Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

3.       Beat butter with a stand or hand mixer until creamy. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.

4.       Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray and press into bottom of pan (it will be thin).

5.       Make the cinnamon filling by mixing the 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over batter.

6.       Spoon the rest of the batter in teaspoon sized amounts on top of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

7.       Make the glaze: mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. Drizzle over top of bars. Let sit until the glaze sets, about a half hour. Cut into bars.

Yield: 24 bars

What shows are you excited about this season?

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Cast Party Wednesday, Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Fall Crawl (The Artsy Girl Connection), Fall Craft Challenge (One Artsy Mama)

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I read a lot of books. I'm never without one. I read at the gym, during TV shows, in the bathtub. I've pulled out my book at soccer practice and in the school pick-up line. I love how I can lose myself in a story. This summer I read so many good books I was bursting with the need to share them. I decided I was going to pick one book a month and start a new series of posts that pairs a recipe with the book. Sort of a book club based around food. The only thing was to pick which book to feature first.

And then I read the Hunger Games Trilogy.

Source: SuzanneCollins.com

I don't know what Suzanne Collins ate (or drank) before she came up with this novel. I envy anyone with an imagination like hers. The way she can create a story about something so...horrifying and keep you reading is amazing.

Horrifying, you ask? Why? Because the premise of the first book in the series (my favorite of the three) is that in the futuristic North American country of Panem, children are randomly chosen in a lottery and then sent to fight to the death in a televised reality-show arena. Yes, you read that right. They are sent to fight to the death; to murder one another until only one remains. Children, between the ages of 12 and 18.

Believe me, when I started reading I wanted to stop. It was so disturbing I almost couldn't stand it. But I couldn't stop reading. I read the book in less than two days. (Followed closely in suit with the other two. The whole series, done in a week.) And I still (a month later) can't stop thinking about Katniss and Peeta, Gale and Prim and Haymitch. Their lives are still interweaved with mine.

It was so bad that when I watched the season premiere of Survivor I wondered, for an instant, why they were just hanging out; why they weren't trying to murder each other.

So for my first book and food pairing, I made Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Bread and grain are a huge part of the Hunger Games trilogy. Peeta's family is a baker. Grain is a precious commodity. Children can enter their names into the lottery more times in order to earn a years' worth of grain to feed their families. Even the name of the country, Panem, derives from Latin as "bread and circuses." So I thought bread would be a fitting choice, although the disadvantaged and poor Katniss and her family would not have been able to afford cinnamon or sugar.

This bread is awesome. I pulled the recipe from Food Network Magazine a long time ago and have been wanting to make it ever since. It's a lower-fat version, using whole-wheat flour and nonfat dry milk. But you wouldn't know it when you try it - it is delicious. I ate it plain and toasted with butter. To die for (no pun intended). The recipe makes two loaves, so I have one in my freezer to make french toast with sometime.

If you're looking for a good book to read, try the Hunger Games. I haven't read a series of books that has affected me so much since the Twilight series. (You really don't want me to get into that; I'd go on for hours.) So give the Hunger Games a try and then have some cinnamon swirl bread. A perfect pair!

What are you reading?

(Note: There is a print link embedded in the footer of the post; please visit the post to print.)

Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Recipe slightly adapted from Ellie Krieger/Food Network Magazine

Printed at www.CrazyforCrust.com 

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour

2 cups whole-wheat flour

¼ cup nonfat dry milk

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

1.       Combine both flours, the dry milk, egg, vegetable oil, honey, salt, yeast and very warm (120°-130°) water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix three minutes on the lowest setting, then increase to the next highest setting and mix five more minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky.

2.       Transfer the dough to a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, about one and a half hours.

3.       Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface.  Form it into a loose rectangle. Lift up one corner of the dough and fold it across; press down to remove air bubbles. Repeat with remaining three corners.

4.       Spray two 9x5 inch bread pans with cooking spray. Mix the cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl. Separate the dough into two pieces. Roll each piece into and 8-inch square. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder and place seam-side down in the loaf pan. Repeat with second section of dough. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough fills the pans, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

5.       Preheat oven to 375°. Brush the loaves with vegetable oil and bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Yield: 2 loaves

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Cast Party Wednesday, Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Fall Crawl (The Artsy Girl Connection), Fall Craft Challenge (One Artsy Mama)

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Last week I celebrated my 34th birthday. I really can't believe I'm 34. I mean, I don't feel a day younger than 38. (Just kidding.)  Age doesn't matter to me at this point. I know, I know, ask me when I'm 40 and I might sing a different tune. So many of my friends had major issues when we all hit 30. But me? It wasn't a big deal. The only thing I miss about my 20s is my metabolism. As I turned 34 I realized that, if it follows the same pattern it's been over the past few years, I only have a short time left before it's gone completely.

Speaking of metabolism, I managed to run two miles on my birthday (a lot for me). Which proves that I am in way better shape than I was when I was 24. I had never even heard of exercise at that age. So I'm proud of myself for that.

Back over the summer I told my husband that I would be making my own birthday cake this year. My daughter was upset because she wanted to make it (which would have entailed my husband doing it, making him break into a sweat at the thought) so we compromised. I would make the cake and Jordan would decorate it.

I think she did a pretty good job. She was pretty proud of herself.

I really, really love cinnamon rolls. It used to be that I couldn't pass a Cinnabon without buying one. I've been wanting to turn one into a cake for awhile and this is my attempt at that. The cake is a yellow base with a cinnamon-sugar cinnamon swirl. I filled it with brown sugar frosting (that, by the way, tastes exactly like the center of a cinnamon roll) and covered the outside with cream cheese icing.

You swirl the cinnamon sugar into the cake batter. Yum!

Since it's like a cinnamon roll, that means I can eat it for breakfast right?

This cake is not really metabolism friendly, but it was my birthday. So calories be damned! (And it was totally husband approved. He ate it more than once, which if you know about his Skinny Cow addiction, is a big deal for me.)

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Yellow Cake base from Smitten Kitchen

Printed from www.CrazyforCrust.com

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon cake flour (not self-rising)

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup buttermilk*

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

For the Brown Sugar Frosting:

¼ cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

To make the cake:

1.       Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 6x3” round cake pans. (This cake will alternatively make one 8” square cake or one 9x2” round.)

2.       In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy, and then beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Scrape down the bowl after each egg is added. Beat in buttermilk on low speed and stir until just combined. (At this point the mixture will look curdled.) Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three batches, mixing until just combined. Spread equally in cake pans. Bang the pans on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles.

3.       Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Pour half on the top of each cake round and swirl with a knife. Bake for 35-38 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the side comes out clean. (I waited until the middle was firm and the cake was overbaked.) Cool completely before frosting.

To make the Brown Sugar Frosting:

Blend melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon with a hand mixer.  Add powdered sugar and mix until combined. The mixture will be very crumbly at this point. Add milk and beat until smooth, about one minute. Spread on bottom cake layer, adding more around the edges to level out the cake. Place top layer on top of filling.

To make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1.       Beat butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar slowly, one cup at a time. Add milk, starting with one tablespoon and adding more if needed. If frosting is too sticky, chill for 30 minutes before frosting cake.

2.       Frost sides and top of cake. I like to do two coats; one for a “crumb” coat and one to make it look pretty. If you don’t want to do pink and purple 6-year-old decorations, large white roses might look nice. :)

Store cake in refrigerator.

*If you don’t want to buy buttermilk you can make your own! Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a measuring cup and then add enough whole milk to make 1 total cup of liquid. Let sit 5 minutes and stir before using.

Yield: Two 6x3” layers, one 8” square, or one 9” round. If you do a one layer cake and still want to use the filling you can torte the cake or skip the cream cheese frosting.

Enjoy!

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesdays (Chef-in-Training). Wednesday: Cast Party Wednesday, Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters)

Heart-Shaped Pop Tarts

I love Valentine's Day. As a young (single) adult I hated it (as do most young single women, I suppose). Once I met (and married) my husband I loved Valentine's Day because we'd go out to dinner, have a romantic evening, and I'd get flowers. Once my daughter got to be a few years, old Valentine's Day changed. It somehow became a kid holiday. Parents, do you know what I mean? Suddenly I was making heart-shaped everything: pancakes, sandwiches, muffins. Leaving out a Valentine surprise for her became as exciting as Santa Claus.

Each year I try to find something new and different to make for her to eat (heart-shaped, of course). A long time ago I came across a recipe for homemade pop tarts from Smitten Kitchen. They sounded awesome and as soon as I started thinking about what can (easily) be made into a heart-shaped goody, I thought of them. What's great is that you can do any flavor you want and you control the ingredients and the size.

Because we aren't huge "fruit in food" people around my house, I decided to make cinnamon brown sugar "heart tarts". The filling really does taste like the ones you buy in the store! I used a store-bought pie crust (gasp!) because I had several boxes in the freezer and little time to make dough. Next time I will for sure make the dough from scratch (from Smitten Kitchen's recipe).

In honor of National Nutella Day last week (yes, really) I bought a huge jar at Target. Because, um,...

I filled some of my tarts with it. Ate some from the spoon. Managed to finish baking with (most) of the jar intact.

You can freeze these pop tarts to save for later. And, if you have leftovers or want to bake the day before you need them, pop them in the toaster to warm. My daughter will for sure be getting these on Valentine's Day morning. (And so will I!)

Enjoy!

Easy Pop Tarts

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Use whatever shape you want to personalize your treat!

Ingredients:

1 box refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)

1 egg

For cinnamon brown sugar filling:

½ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 teaspoons flour

For Nutella filling, you will need about 1 teaspoon per pop tart, depending on size. Buy yourself a jar, it’s awesome!!

Unroll your pie crusts and cut out desired shapes. I used hearts that were about 3 ½ inches. Be sure to have an even amount (one for the top, one for the bottom). Re-roll any scraps if needed.

Mix together your filling ingredients in a small bowl.

Beat your egg in another small bowl. Lay out half of your crust cut-outs. Brush the entire surface lightly with the beaten egg. Place about 1 teaspoon (depending on the size of your tart) of filling in the center of the bottom crust. Leave an small edge around the sides for sealing. Place the top crust over the filling and press to seal. Use a fork to pinch closed. Poke a few fork holes in the top to allow steam to escape.

Let refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350°.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake your pop tarts about 15-20 minutes, depending on size. Let cool and enjoy.

To store for later, place pop tarts in a single layer on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer to a freezer safe container until ready to use. Defrost and bake according to above directions.

Toast already baked pop tarts to reheat (watch that they don’t burn).

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Printed at CrazyforCrust.com

Super Bowl Snacks III (Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips & Chocolate Sauce)

If you haven't already guessed, I love sweets. A lot. Sure, I like me a bag of chips now and again, but usually when I go for a snack it's got sugar in it. So my sweet tooth was feeling left out of the Super Bowl Snack planning.

Chips and dip are a staple for any party, especially one involving football. I don't know the statistics, but I have a feeling that the Super Bowl is like Black Friday for the chip companies. I have no idea why this recipe popped into my head yesterday. Maybe it's because I love chocolate or because my daughter had cinnamon toast for breakfast. I'm not sure, but you'll be glad it did.

Cinnamon sugar tortilla chips with a chocolate dipping sauce. Amazing right? Perfect party food for those of us who hit the dessert table first. I'm not sure where I originally found this chocolate syrup recipe (it was in my documents file with no author) but it's super simple to make. And I added some cinnamon to it, to tie it in with the chips.  Did you know it's really easy to make homemade tortilla chips? After getting over my fear of the hot oil, it was a cinch. And when they come out oily and hot, the cinnamon sugar sticks wonderfully. They're like a churro, but easier to make.

Your sweet tooth will thank me. Your thighs, maybe not so much. (Mine have been mad at me since before Christmas.)

Happy Football!

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips with Chocolate Sauce

Printer-Friendly Recipe

For the Chocolate Sauce

Make the chocolate sauce a day or two ahead – saves time and lets it cool and thicken properly.

1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa Powder
1 cup Sugar
1 cup water

¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon Vanilla
dash of salt

Combine cocoa, sugar, cinnamon (if desired) and salt in a saucepan. Add water, and mix until smooth. Bring this mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for one minute (be careful this does not boil over.) Remove from heat, cool for a few minutes. Then stir in your vanilla. Cool about 20 minutes and place in a sterilized jar or Tupperware. Refrigerate overnight. Makes about 2 cups.

For the chips:

10 corn tortillas, each cut into 6 triangles

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups vegetable oil

Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat your oil in a large skillet (I used a wide 3 quart pan) over medium heat. It will take about 8 minutes or so for it to become the right temperature. While your oil is heating, line a cookie sheet with paper towels.

Drop a small piece of tortilla to test the temperature – if it sizzles right away it’s ready. Fry your tortillas in batches (be careful not to overcrowd your pan). Cook about 3 minutes each batch, until they are golden. Remove with a slotted spoon to the paper towel lined cookie sheet. Before adding the next batch of chips to the pan, sprinkle the newly cooked ones with a few teaspoons of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Continue frying the chips and sprinkling them with cinnamon sugar until all your tortillas are used. (I did about 4 batches.)

*Be very careful when working with hot oil. It can burn you very badly, and catch fire very easily. DO NOT move your pan during cooking and work very carefully.*

Serve your chips with the chocolate dipping sauce on the side. Store unused chips in a Ziploc bag for a day or two. Chocolate sauce should last a few days in the refrigerator. Use extra chocolate sauce for ice cream, coffee, or a midnight snack.

Printed at CrazyforCrust.com

Chocolate Sauce