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Tag Archives: frosting

Peanut Butter Fudge Bars

26 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by createdforjoy in Cook

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

baking, brownie, chocolate chips, cook, cookie bars, dessert, frosting, fudge, peanut butter, white chocolate

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Disclaimer: I don’t generally hold with the notion that there is such a thing as “bad” food, at least not the ones that nature created. As with most things in life, it is the extremes that will get you in trouble. A healthy diet is balanced, both in amounts and types of food, and pays attention to what our bodies require.

I also find that the quickest way to make a human being want something is to declare it off-limits. Unless dietary constraints based on health issues prevent you from eating sugar or fat, I don’t think there is anything wrong with indulging in a reasonable portion size of dessert. I love to bake, and I love to share what I bake, and I would have a hard time giving up either. Preparing food and feeding myself and others nurtures me, both body and soul, and that feels very right to me.

Okay, I felt the need to say all that first so that I can now quite contradictorily say these Peanut Butter Fudge Bars are BAD. They are so full of fat and sugar that whoever invented the recipe for the King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion ought to blush. These cookie bars do happen to taste fantastic, in a rich, over-the-top sort of way, but that was not my real motivation for choosing them. Mainly, I made this recipe because I had two extra kiddos in the house who absolutely love chocolate and peanut butter in all its forms, and I had a surplus of white baking chips left over from the holidays.

I could pretend that the protein in the peanut butter somehow balances out the multiple sources of sugar, or take heart in the fact that I cut them into tiny servings. If it helps you sleep better at night, I could note that all four children who ate them are very healthy and spent hours playing outside every day during their visit. The truth is, I fell right off the balanced diet wagon into a pool of peanut butter frosting and white chocolate-studded fudge brownie. If you want to join me there, the recipe is below. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you. :)

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Peanut Butter Fudge Bars
makes 36 small bars

For crust:
1/4 c. unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)

For fudge filling:
3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 tsp. salt (not coarse)
1/4 c. golden syrup or light corn syrup (read more about golden syrup here)
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 c. white chocolate chips

For frosting:
3/4 c. white chocolate chips
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)
1/4 c. mini-chocolate chips to sprinkle on top (optional)

Oven 350F. First the crust: in medium mixing bowl, beat together butter and peanut butter with electric mixer until soft and creamy. Stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Mix in the flour until you have a slightly dry, crumbly dough. Press the dough into a lightly greased 9″x13″ glass baking dish. (It helps to put a sheet of plastic wrap between your hands and the dough.) Bake 8-10 minutes, until lightly brown at the edges. Remove from oven, but leave oven turned on.

While the crust is baking, start on the filling. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, microwave the semi-sweet chocolate chips, butter, salt, and golden/corn syrup until chocolate is melted. Stop and stir with a silicone spatula after first minute, and then every 30 seconds afterward to prevent over-cooking. Stir in sugar and flour until mixed, then beat in the eggs one at a time until well-combined. Fold in white chocolate chips, then pour filling on to baked crust and bake for 22-24 minutes. The top will be shiny and set, but don’t overbake — you want to keep a fudgy texture.

While the bars bake the second time, make the frosting by melting the white chocolate chips in the microwave, then stir in the peanut butter and salt until creamy and smooth. Spread the frosting over the baked, warm cookie bars using a silicone spatula, then sprinkle with mini-chocolate chips if desired. (I mean, really, why hold back now?) Allow bars to cool completely before cutting, then cut into roughly 1-1/2″x2″ bars (six rows both directions).

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Island Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut Caramel Drizzle

05 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by createdforjoy in Cook

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

cake, caramel, chocolate, coconut, coconut flour, coconut milk, cook, cream cheese, cupcake, dessert, devil's food, food allergies, frosting, gluten-free, moist, sulfite-free, tender

coconutcupcakes

When my husband, Landon, was in kindergarten, someone’s mother brought a batch of coconut cupcakes to share with the class to celebrate her child’s birthday. Landon had never had coconut before, but he knew a thing or two about baked goods, and he positively drooled over the mounds of fluffy white frosting and clouds of coconut. When his turn came, he eagerly stuffed a bite in his mouth, and then proceeded to experience one of the biggest culinary disappointments of his little life. It seemed someone had accidentally switched out his precious cupcake with a mouthful of dry grass, possibly mixed with bits of shredded string. After he was done retching and spitting (I’m sure the mom and teacher just loved that), he was left with one resounding sentiment: I hate coconut.

Finally, three decades later, comes coconut’s redemption. This recipe was inspired by a bag of coconut flour I spied in the baking aisle at Whole Foods. Coconut flour is made of finely ground dried coconut, so it carries the fruit’s sweet aroma without the fibrous texture. Apparently, it also transforms fairly good cake into something so ridiculously moist that you feel the need to talk with your mouth full in order to urge others to eat it too: “Seriously, mmfff, you have got to try this!”

This recipe started life years ago as one from a King Arthur Flour catalogue, but it doesn’t bear much resemblance to the original now. Coconut flour requires extra liquid, so I figured I might as well stick with the theme and use coconut milk. I think the combination of the two is what is responsible for the tender, almost-melting texture — although frankly, after the first bite, you won’t really care. Their diminutive size and the tang of the cream cheese frosting make it a little more reasonable to finish the tops with a drizzle of caramel, in which I also substituted coconut milk for the regular old cow kind.

You would think something with coconut products present in triplicate would be absolutely redolent with its flavor, but somehow these cupcakes manage to come out only barely scented of the stuff. I did feel the need to nod to the coconut flour in the recipe name, but you really wouldn’t know it was there if I didn’t tell you. In other words, this is the perfect recipe for people conditioned by years of shredded coconut with the mouth-feel of lawn clippings. As an added plus, coconut flour has more fiber and vitamins than wheat flour, and it’s a great alternative for people who eat gluten-free. Something that tastes better than it should, transforms the food it’s in, and is good for you to boot: that’s the kind of culinary alchemy that keeps me happily inventing and baking. Now, seriously, mmmfff, you have got to try these… ;)

coconutcupcakes05

Island Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut Caramel Drizzle
makes about 90 mini-cupcakes

For the cake:
3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened (12 Tbsp. or 1 1/2 sticks)
1 c. demerara sugar (also called turbinado or raw sugar, see these recipe notes for more info)
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. salt, not coarse
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
2 tsp. espresso powder (optional, enhances the depth of the chocolate flavor)
1 c. all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur)
1 c. coconut flour
1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs
one 14 oz.-can coconut milk plus enough regular milk to equal 2 1/2 cups

For frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (3/4 stick)
4 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. salt, not coarse
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. coconut milk or regular milk

For caramel:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 c. demerara sugar
1 c. coconut milk
1/2 tsp. salt, not coarse

Oven 350F. Use electric mixer to blend butter, demerara sugar, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and espresso powder until light and fluffy, 5 or 6 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula once or twice to be sure it blends evenly. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together both types of flour and cocoa and set aside.

Add the can of coconut milk to a large measuring cup, then add regular milk until it totals 2 1/2 cups. Now whisk them together until evenly mixed. (The coconut milk always separates in the can. Don’t let this put you off, it’s just the water coming out of the thicker part of the fruit puree.) Add a third of the flour mixture to the cake batter, then mix well. Add half the milk, then mix again. Alternate this way until all ingredients are completed blended into a thick, fragrant batter.

Line a mini-muffin tin with paper liners, then put one teaspoon of batter in each cup. (I use a small ice-cream scoop for this.) Bake mini-cupcakes for 12-13 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with the faintest hint of moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for one minute, then transfer to baking rack to cool completely. Repeat as needed until all batter is baked, about four batches for my 24-cupcake pan.

While the cupcakes bake, make the caramel. Cook the butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until sugar melts (3-4 minutes). Carefully pour in the coconut milk — it will bubble and splash furiously, so be careful that you don’t get burned. Some of the melted sugar may solidify in the bottom of the pan or on the whisk. Every time I make caramel, this is the moment that I have doubts, but trust chemistry and soldier on. Keep stirring constantly as it simmers over low heat for seven minutes (use a timer, no skimping). The caramel will smooth and thicken. Turn off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and leave in the pan to cool.

While the caramel and cupcakes cool, it’s time for frosting. Put the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until lighter and thoroughly mixed, 2-3 minutes. Add half the sifted powdered sugar and mix well. Add coconut milk, mix again, then last half of sugar. Mix until completely combined to a creamy spreading consistency.

Gently frost cooled cupcakes, leaving a bit of a well in the top where the caramel can pool. Drizzle the frosted cupcakes with cooled caramel, then top with chocolate sprinkles or toasted coconut shavings as desired. I made these small for three reasons: I love tiny baked goods; these are very rich; and smaller servings help my family better control portion size. It’s hard to walk away from half a regular-sized cupcake, but having one or two of the minis feels like plenty.

If you prefer a traditional-sized cupcake, I would estimate baking time at around 25 minutes, but start testing a few minutes before to be sure they don’t dry out. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use 2 cups coconut flour (instead of 1 c. coconut flour, 1 c. all-purpose) and add an additional 1 c. of either coconut milk or regular milk; bake and assemble as directed above.

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