Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

I have been on a pumpkin roll lately, and these bars are what took me from intrigued to LOVE. I saw them on Amy's Playing House, and they looked so good I knew I had to try them immediately. What's not to love - cheesecake AND chocolate? I'm there.

And here's why I have officially become a pumpkin convert: it has a very neutral taste, it gives your baked goods beautiful colour, and it replaces the fat in recipes without you even noticing. Plus pumpkin is super good for you! The good for you part wouldn't make me use it without the rest, but its nutritional benefit definitely tipped the scales. I love it so much I'm sure they'll find out in a few years that pumpkin causes systemic organ failure in short redheads or something, as it is rare at best that I luck out with foods I adore.

Anyway, Amy's recipe is super simple and so, so good. I made a few changes, the main one being that I didn't have pumpkin pie spice so I ended up winging it with nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. I went a little heavy on the nutmeg, so don't do that. I think allspice would be great in these, too. Also, Amy uses an Oreo crumb crust, and I ended up forgoing a crust entirely. I can't remember why; maybe I was out of butter, or I was tired, or the dishwasher was full and I didn't want to clean a bowl by hand, I'm really not sure. Knowing me, it was the latter.

One more thing: the chocolate part was SO delicious, I seriously had to exert every last fiber of my woefully weak willpower to keep from eating it all. I could have easily sat down and eaten the entire bowl of chocolate filling, rather than add it to the bars. Next time I think I'll double the chocolate filling part; it was just that good. These keep great in the fridge for days, and are perfect for freezing, too. Head on over to Amy's site for the complete recipe, and for the sake of your thighs, please share them!

TWD - Chocolate Souffle

This week's Tuesdays With Dorie project was a chocolate souffle. Man, I was looking forward to this - doesn't it just sound so elegant and rich and chic?

Those words are, generally, never uttered about my cooking, let me tell you. And perhaps that's why I didn't overly like it. I didn't find it hard to make - I think souffles are a lot easier than they're made out to be - but the taste didn't wow me. It was light and fluffy, but I wanted a super chocolate punch and I didn't get that. From now on, I think I'll stick to savoury souffles, because I don't think the recipe was a problem - just not what I was looking for, that's all.

Ah souffle, it was good to know you! Next post: food that is not a dessert. Really.

TWD - Katharine Hepburn Brownies

I have a never-ending search for the perfect brownie, and oh lordy....my quest has come to an end. This week's TWD recipe was picked by Lisa of Surviving Oz, and she is my new hero. These brownies are exactly what I've been searching for: rich without being overwhelming; chewy, fudgey texture without feeling underbaked; and the perfect, absolute perfect, combination of complimentary flavours. Every single ingredient in this brownie works together in perfect symbiosis.

They are ridiculously easy to make, too. You just melt some butter in a pan, dump in the cocoa and coffee, stir in the eggs and vanilla, add the flour and chocolate chips, and bake. DONE. It took longer to measure the scant ingredients than it did to put them together. I've always heard people disparage brownie mixes, saying they are so easy to make, why would you buy a box mix? Well, these are the first I can honestly say make me vocifierously agree. For the love of God, make these brownies!!

I don't have a lot of tips, other than don't add nuts. Nuts are an abomination in brownies. But that being said, here are some things I learned:

1) Make sure when you're melting the butter that you use a decent sized pot, because all the ingredients are eventually going in there. Look at the pan below: yeah, it was a little wee, but I managed.


2) Just because you've been baking since Christ was a cowboy, it doesn't mean you're allowed to be uppity and skip directions. There's a part that calls for you to line the pan with parchment paper and butter it, yadda yadda yadda; I scoffed at that, since I had a non-stick pan.



See how they turned out? Yeah, they came out of that pan like a dream! Except not. Even when they cooled longer than, say, the 2 minutes I let them rest, they still came out in pieces. It makes for crappy pictures, but doesn't affect the taste at all. I'm betting no one is going to complain about how they look.

3) Finally, see how good this looks?


Keep this in mind: no matter how glossy and chocolately and rich it looks, until you add the sugar it tastes as bitter as a desperate housewife. GAHHHHH! Don't eat the batter until everything is mixed together.



Anyway, this brownie just made my damn day. Ahhhhh, thanks TWD!

Mom's Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Here's the thing: I'm a chocolate addict. I adore chocolate in all its forms (not white chocolate, though - but technically, it's not even chocolate. In fact, it's just wrong, sick and wrong.). I have no willpower when it comes to chocolate, and these sinful little cookies are no exception. This recipe has been in my family for over 75 years, and when you can say that you know you've got a good thing going on. They are soft and cakey, but they hold up great for transport, mailing to friends, or in the cookie jar. The best thing? They are actually BETTER the next day. I can't tell you how good they are 2 or 3 days after they've been baked; I've never had them last that long.

This time around, I decided to try them with some cinnamon, which I greatly enjoyed. Next time, I might add some freshly grated ginger and see how that works. If you want a deep, fudgey cookie, though, just make them as is - you won't be disappointed.

A couple of notes: These cookies are fine if you underbake them slightly, but don't overbake them; they get too dry and you won't have that soft, fudgey texture that really defines the cookie. Also, I know that shortening is the devil now, but whatever - these cookies are great. I've never made them with butter, but if you want to sub it in, make sure you watch your baking times carefully; I find butter causes cookies to brown quicker. Finally, I would recommend lining your cookie sheet with parchment, even if it's non-stick; burnt bottoms on these cookies would be a travesty.




Mom's Chocolate Fudge Cookies

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 heaping tbsps cocoa, sifted
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1. Beat brown sugar and shortening together until well combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and mix until fully incorporated.

2. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and then add to the remaining ingredients. Mix until just combined.

3. Drop dough by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.


I defy you to eat just one of these.