My Return To Blogging and Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Hi! Remember me?! I've been away for some time. It wasn't planned, I just got burnt out. I worked so hard on the cookbook and was making and photographing 2-3 recipes a day. Once it was all done, it was a huge relief but I really didn't want to do it anymore and that meant blogging was put on hold. That also meant that I didn't pick up my camera for a long time either. I am still baking and trying new recipes and am taking pictures with my iphone to share on Instagram (monica_h30) and Facebook. It's easier and faster and much less pressure and I get to post daily pics of my growing curly haired boy! 

Christmas 2014

I've been getting emails and comments asking when I'm returning and posting a new recipe, so here I am! I am so thankful for you guys and your support. I'm feeling motivated and I'm learning to use my camera once again (I sort of forgot how to use it and felt lost and confused when I picked it up...which also led to me not wanting to take pictures of food or anything else, for that matter). I took pictures of Hayden's 3rd birthday in September and was disappointed with how they turned out. The lighting was off and things were out of focus but I think I'm getting the hang of it again and I'm feeling inspired to try new recipes....which is kind of thrilling. 

These cookies were my "practice cookies". I took so many pictures of them, relearning the camera as I went. Some were too dark, some were over exposed and many were blurry and out of focus. But in the end, I think this is what I needed to do. I just needed to sit and shoot until it felt comfortable again. Thus I bring you, hard boiled egg chocolate chip cookies. 

I know what you're thinking and you're probably making faces at your screen right now but trust me on this. This was a way to use up some of the leftover boiled eggs I had from Easter. It's a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe but instead of raw eggs, you use finely chopped cooked eggs. I chopped the eggs, then I used a pastry cutter to chop them up even finer. You can see the bits of egg in the raw dough but once it's cooked they kind of melt away into the cookie. In the end you're left with a buttery, slightly chewy cookie, reminiscent to oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. We all really liked these and they seemed to stay fresher than most other recipes. I didn't tell hubby what was in these until after he ate them but it didn't make any difference. We all loved them!

These look much different than the cookies from Cookies and Cups. Her cookies were fluffy and thick while mine were thin. I made one batch on a Silpat mat and they spread into each other and were super thin. The other batch I baked on an unlined metal sheet pan and I preferred them much more. They were still thin but they looked better. The edges crisp and the center chewy. Also I baked them a little longer, I'm not a big fan of underbaked cookies. Bake them however you like, but definitely give this unique recipe a try!

Boiled Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies

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• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1¼ cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and brown sugar, approximately 2 minutes until light and fluffy. 

Add in vanilla and finely chopped eggs and continue mixing. (You will still see bits of egg in the batter, this is okay.)

Add in baking soda, salt and flour and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Scoop onto pan using a medium cookie scoop.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden. 

Allow to cool for a few minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Makes about 2 dozen. 

Almond Butter Pie And A Giveaway!

In honor of my 600th post and my 7th year of blogging at Lick The Bowl Good, I have an awesome giveaway for you today! I received a few jars of Jif Almond and Cashew Butters recently. We had a few snacks incorporating the butters but I was itching to make something with it, so I made pie! In my opinion, pie is perfect any time- it's a casual, comforting dessert. When searching for the right recipe to make, I wanted something easy and something my 3 year old and my 34 year old husband would like. Enter Creamy Almond Butter Pie. 

First there's a crunchy buttery crust, then a toasty, nutty, creamy filling and then it's topped with more whipped topping and a sprinkling of sliced almonds for texture. My husband said this reminded him of an ice box pie and he liked his slightly frozen. Hayden and I liked ours straight from the fridge. If you can't find Jif almond butter, you could certainly use Jif creamy peanut butter. That cream cheese and almond filling is delicious together, though. If you want you could always make a chocolate crust instead of the graham cracker, maybe even add a layer of chocolate ganache in there. Yum!

Creamy Almond Butter Pie adapted from Jif

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Graham Crust: 

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Almond Butter Filling: 

• 1/2 cup Jif Creamy Almond Butter
• 1- 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1- 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 3 Tablespoons sliced almonds

For The Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in the melted butter until thoroughly blended. Press mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, bringing crumbs evenly up the sides up to the rim.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. While crust is cooling, prepare the filling.

For The Filling: In a large bowl, beat the almond butter, cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extracts and blend until combined. Blend in 2/3 of the  whipped topping, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 

Pour the almond butter filling into the cooled crust. Spread the remaining whipped topping onto the filling. Top with sliced almonds. Chill at least one hour or until pie is firm. Serve chilled. 

I promised a giveaway, so one lucky winner will receive a prize pack from Jif, including:

• Jif Creamy Almond Butter
• Jif Crunchy Almond Butter
• Jif Creamy Cashew Butter
• Jif Crunchy Cashew Butter
• $200 Visa Gift Card
• Jif Note Pad
• Recipe Cards Using Jif Almond and Cashew Butters

To enter, tell me what or who you are thankful for this year. Leave me a comment on this blog. Giveaway open to US residents only. One winner will be chosen this weekend. Please leave your contact info with your comment. One entry per person. 

Thank you for entering and good luck!

Thank you to each and every one of you for encouraging me, supporting me and inspiring me in my blogging over the past 7 years.   I wouldn't be where I am without you. I look forward to choosing recipes, making them, photographing them in just the right light, adding the little details here and there, and sharing them with you. I  feel like you are all my friends sitting at my kitchen table and indulging with me. So thank you  for being you!

Chocolate Fudge Oreo Bundt for National Chocolate Day!

I had a major craving for chocolate cake one night. It was almost time to start dinner, so I didn't really have time to search for a recipe or bring butter to room temperature so I pulled out one of my favorite baking books- Bundt Classics. I immediately found a recipe that looked good to me and I had all the ingredients on hand. Of course, I added my own touches to it and it took this cake to a whole new level of chocolate deliciousness!

This recipe starts with a chocolate cake mix but you'd never know it. I took the help of the mix and got this cake in the oven in less than 15 minutes. It baked while I made supper then we had it for dessert. Win! I have to be honest, when I was making this, I had no intention of adding Oreos to the batter. I was getting the ingredients from the pantry and Hayden grabbed the Oreos- positioned right at his eye level. He said we needed to add Oreos, so I did! I keep that little genius child around for a reason ;-).

This cake was over the top, a chocolate lovers dream! I mean really, there's the chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, chocolate syrup, chocolate chips and chocolate cookies. Then I had the audacity to top it off with silky ganache and even more chocolate chips. This was fudgy and decadent and cured my cravings. Coincidentally, it's National Chocolate Day, so make this Bundt! 

Chocolate Fudge Oreo Bundt adapted from Bundt Classics

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Cake:

• 1 (18.25 oz) box chocolate cake mix
• 1 (3.4 oz) box instant chocolate pudding
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup Hershey's chocolate syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 10 Oreos, coarsely broken

Ganache: 

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Decoration: 

• Mini chocolate chips or Oreos, optional

To Make The Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a 12 cup Bundt pan with non-stick baking spray (with flour). Set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the cake ingredients except the chocolate chips and Oreos. Blend with a hand mixer over medium speed until well blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl down and stir in the chocolate chips and crushed Oreos. 

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 20 minutes. Unmold cake onto a cooling rack or a serving platter and allow to cool completely. 

To Make The Ganache: In a small mixing bowl, heat cream in the microwave until hot and steamy, about 60 seconds. Add the chocolate chips to the hot cream and let them sit for 5 minutes. With a spatula, gently stir the chocolate chips and cream together until the mixture comes together and becomes shiny and silky. Do not use a whisk or stir too vigorously, this will cause air bubbles in the ganache. If tiny lumps of chocolate remain, let the mixture sit a little longer, then stir again until smooth. 

The longer the mixture sits, the thicker it becomes. Allow ganache to thicken a bit before pouring onto cooled cake. You want it pourable but not so thin that it runs off the side of your cake. 

Immediately top with additional mini chocolate chips or Oreo cookies, if desired. Allow ganache to set before serving. Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature.

Salted Brown Butter Biscoff Treats

Any time I see Biscoff or brown butter in a recipe, I perk up and my eyes get a little bigger. I love those two ingredients and they're even better when you you combine them to make these Salted Brown Butter Biscoff Treats. Rice Krispy treats are so easy to make and they're perfect to make any time of year and I've never met any one who didn't like them. I've made Brown Butter and Spice Rice Treats for years but decided to try something a little different this time. 

Biscoff, if you're not familiar with it, is a creamy spread very similar in consistency to peanut butter, but it's completely nut free because it's made from crushed up Biscoff (Lotus Brand) cookies. They are lightly spiced, caramelized cookies that are quite addicting. When you make it into a spread and can then shovel it into your mouth with a spoon, it becomes heavenly! Mixed with the earthy, nutty flavors of browned butter and accented with sea salt, these treats become irresistible. Hubby said these were amazing, and he rarely dishes out that compliment. 

Salted Brown Butter Biscoff Treats adapted from Bakerella

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• 10 ounces mini marshmallows
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup creamy Biscoff spread
• 6 cup crisp rice cereal
• 1 cup coarsely broken Biscoff cookies
• fleur de sel salt

Butter a 9x9-inch pan. Place the marshmallows in a large bowl and set aside. 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pot occasionally until the butter boils and becomes foamy. It will turn golden brown and start to smell nutty. Once the butter stops sizzling and the foam subsides, it is ready. Keep an eye on it because you don't want it to burn. This could take 5 to 8 minutes.

Once the butter has browned, remove from the heat and pour the butter and the browned bits over marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows are fully coated. Place the bowl into the microwave and heat for one to two minutes, stirring occasionally until the marshmallows are completely melted. Stir in the Biscoff spread until fully incorporated. 

Carefully fold the cereal and the crushed Biscoff cookies into the marshmallow mixture until everything is well coated. Press cereal mixture into the buttered pan and sprinkle the top with sea salt, use as much or as little as you'd like. Allow treats to cool before cutting. 

Getting Back Into The Groove

 I felt out of place the other day in my own kitchen. I took a few months off away from baking and blogging and I almost forgot how to do it! I post pics to my Instagram (monica_h30) account daily, but it's been awhile since I've actually picked up my DSLR to photograph a recipe with the intent to blog. It was exciting and kind of nerve wracking at the same time. Even hubby was surprised at what I was doing. It turns out, blogging is kind of like riding a bike. Or I assume it is, it has been YEARS since I actually got on one :-) I pulled props from around my kitchen and out of my vintage glass stash and it all came together. 

These scones came about because I had really ripe berries and heavy cream to use up. I put my spin on it and did things a little differently than the original recipe and they turned out delicious. They're also quite patriotic looking with their red, white and blue-ness! Once cooked, the strawberry flavor intensifies and produces little pockets of  jam-like goodness. The scone itself is barely vanilla and tender, with crunchy sugared tops. Enjoy with a pat of butter or whipped cream (or "keem" as Hayden likes to call it) and more fresh fruit. These are perfect for long, lazy weekends. 

Happy Memorial Day! 

StrawBerry and Cream Scones
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup chopped ripe strawberries
• 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream plus more for brushing the tops
• sanding sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together. Mix to combine.

Add the cubed, cold butter to the flour. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is pea sized and the mixture is crumbly. 

Gently stir in the strawberries and blueberries so that they are coated in the flour mixture. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract just until the mixture comes together. 

Place the dough onto a floured work surface and knead two to three times until a mass is formed, being careful not to over work the dough. Pat the dough into a flat disc about 10-inches wide and about 1-inch thick. 

Using a sharp knife, a bench scraper or a pizza wheel, divide the round into 8 equal triangles. Place the triangles onto the parchment lined baking sheet, about 1-2 inches apart. Brush the tops with additional heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. 

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until the scones are golden brown. Cool slightly before serving. 

Makes 8 scones. 

This little booger hovers over me while I'm taking photos in the kitchen. He could not wait til I was done so he could dig in. I set my camera down and he helped himself to several fingers full of "keem". Then he said "take picture" and stuck out his tongue. He was very proud of himself! How could I resist those eyes and that curly top?

A Bold Pillsbury Giveaway! (CLOSED)

At the first of the month, I shared with you some fun and pretty flower cupcakes I made for Mother's Day using Pillsbury® bold Funfetti cake mixes and frosting. You're going to get the chance to make these at home because today I'm having a giveaway for a Pillsbury Celebration Starter Kit valued at over $100!

Included in the prize pack from Pillsbury® is: 

• Funfetti® Aqua Blue Cupcake and Cake Mix
• Funfetti® Orange All Star™ Cupcake and Cake Mix
• Funfetti® Neon Yellow Cupcake and Cake Mix
• Funfetti® Vibrant Green Cupcake and Cake Mix
• Funfetti® Orange All Star™ Vanilla Flavored Frosting
• Funfetti® Neon Yellow Vanilla Flavored Frosting
• $100 Visa Gift Card

Learn more about the bold product line by visiting Pillsbury on Facebook, PillsburyBaking.com and Pillsbury on Pinterest.

To enter this fabulous giveaway, simply leave me a comment on this blog post telling me what your favorite kind of cake is. That's it! There are no right or wrong answers, lets just talk cake and maybe even drool a little bit in the process :-)

One entry per person. Open to U.S. residents only. 

*I was provided with product samples and compensation by Pillsbury®, though the opinions I express here are my own. ©/® The J.M. Smucker Company. Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license. 

Spring Bouquet For Mother's Day

I bought these tulip cupcake liners about 3 years ago with the thought that I would make some really pretty Mother's Day cupcakes and that just never happened. Life got in the way, there were other recipes requested and then I misplaced the liners until recently when Hayden was pulling my baking supplies out of a cabinet and playing with them in the living room :-). When Pillsbury® sent me some samples of their new bold Funfetti cake and cupcake mixes, I knew the yellow would be perfect for Spring cupcakes. Sometimes, life just works itself out and things fall into place.

My second mom, Olivia, gave me this Pillsbury Poppin' Fresh doll when she came to visit for Easter. He was the perfect little helper and inspiration in the kitchen and he's just so cute, don't you think? I think he'd approve of my use of  bold Pillsbury flower cupcakes. I'm kind of funny about colored mixes and drinks- I want the flavor to reflect the color so I added some bright lemon zest and juice to the batter along with buttermilk for some extra tang and to provide maximum moisture. So not only do they look like Spring, they taste like it too! The neon pink Funfetti icing was the perfect compliment to the pop of yellow underneath. 

These cupcakes are fun and worthy of a celebration, but they're easy enough that you don't have to stress about making them. They can be decorated any way you want, these flowers are just an idea but you can get more inspiration by visiting Pillsbury on Facebook, PillsburyBaking.com and Pillsbury on Pinterest. Any decorative tips, colors or sprinkles will work. Have fun with it and let everyone help and decorate their own for a truly unique experience. 

Lemon Buttermilk Flower Cupcakes

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• 1- 8.25 oz. package Pillsbury Funfetti Neon Yellow Cake Mix
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4  cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside. 

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until batter is smooth and creamy and no traces of cake mix remain. 

Evenly divide the cake mix between the paper liners, filling them no more than 2/3 full. 

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Makes 10-12 cupcakes, depending on size. 

Once cupcakes are baked, allow them to cool in pan for five minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the Frosting: 

Transfer your favorite colors of Pillsbury Funfetti frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite icing tips and decorate the tops of the cooled cupcakes to resemble flowers. Use the sprinkles and colored sugar that come with the frosting to bring your cupcake flowers to life!

I used these Wilton tips for decorating: 

• leaf tip- #67
• round dot tip- #12
• small flower tip- #224
• swirl tip- #21

Store cupcakes at room temperature, in an airtight container. 

*I was provided with product samples and compensation by Pillsbury®, though the opinions I express here are my own. ©/® The J.M. Smucker Company. Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license. 

Hayden's 2nd Birthday- A Radio Flyer Tricycle Party

My sweet little mischievous boy turned two years old in September. We celebrated with a Radio Flyer red tricycle themed cake and party. I like themed parties but I'm not one to purchase character cups, plates, banners and tablecloths- that's just not my style. So I made a fondant covered tricycle cake, and chose solid red and turquoise accents to bring it all together.  Read on for more details.

I wanted to incorporate some of Hayden's favorite things at his party, which just happened to include cake, cookies, lemonade, milk, hot dogs with ketchup, pretzels and cheese. I made a bunting banner to hang over the table using patterned scrapbook that read "Happy Birthday Hayden". I also set up a lemonade stand and made a bunting for that that said "Lemonade 5 cents" I used this bunting template and Baker's twine to hang it. I loved how they turned out. So much so that I still haven't taken them down :-)

For the buffet I served: 

1. Hot dogs with mustard and ketchup (served out of a Radio Flyer wagon)
2. Tortilla chips and pretzels
3. Veggies with ranch dip
4. Cheese cubes
5. Birthday cake (chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream covered in Marshmallow Fondant)
6. Brown butter and spice rice krispies treats
7. Fresh fruit cups
8. Decorated sugar cookies and red and aqua Sixlets
9. Whole and 2% milk served in glass Frappuccino bottles
10. Raspberry and regular lemonade

My wonderfully talented friend, Kathia from Pink Little Cake, made the tricycle, cat and star Hayden decorated sugar cookies for me. If you haven't been to her blog, go check her out. She does amazing work. She also made the cute little scalloped tags that I used on Hayden's party favors which included Cheez-its, fruit snacks, raisins, and a drink mix.  My friend Becky from Goods by Gert custom made the letter H for me. I ordered Hayden's "two" shirt from Best Birthday Ever shop on Etsy. Thank you Kathia and Becky!

This was my first time covering a cake in fondant, though I have worked with fondant before. I was a little worried, but in the end it turned out great and the fondant I used was really forgiving. Any mistakes I made, I was able to cover up with a cloud or the green grass. This was really fun to make and this colors were so bright and vibrant. The actual fondant was quite tasty too. 

It was a great day shared with close family and I'm so grateful to have had my Dad and step mom there to celebrate with us along with. Hayden is a truly blessed boy. 

Tastes Like Home

I don't remember my Grandma baking very much when we were kids. She was an excellent cook and made the best pot of beans, skillet fried chicken and potato salad, just to name a few. I always loved her potato salad just after she made it when the potatoes were still warm and soft. She always saved a bowl for me to enjoy at room temperature while the rest of it went into the refrigerator. In July, we took a road trip and visited my cousin for his 1st birthday and stayed at my grandparents house. On our last night there we had a cookout and I was able to enjoy her potato salad again. It's little things like that that take me back to my childhood. My mom still makes potato salad, and while it's similar (and delicious), it's not my grandma's. 

This little guy had a field day playing with the ice cream maker. When he thought I wasn't looking, he'd stick his fingers in the top and sneak a few licks of gelato. At one point he even climbed up onto the island and tried to put his face into the machine. You could say he's a fan of this rice gelato, just like his momma. 

When my grandma did make "dessert" it was often a bowl of atole de arroz, which is kind of like rice pudding but not as rich or creamy. It's more of a rice porridge, made with white rice, sugar, water, milk and cinnamon sticks. During the summer months, a man would walk all over town pushing a cart of Mexican popsicles, called paletas. We called him "The Paleta Man" :-). And just like the ice cream truck, we'd hear him ringing his bell, run outside and flag him down as he approached our house. We would make our requests and he'd reach into his mint green chilled chest and pull out colorful treats on sticks. I liked the fresh strawberry and the rice paleta the best. The rice paleta was milky, creamy, lightly sweetened and had a dusting of cinnamon on it. What made it different from the rest was that it had nibbly bits of rice in it. I loved that. 

When I came across this recipe for Rice Gelato from The Perfect Scoop, I knew it would be making an appearance in my future. The original recipe called for adding strips of orange zest to the rice mixture, but cinnamon sticks seemed more up my alley. It's what reminds me of home, so that's what I used. I also added a bit of ground cinnamon to the mixture after the rice was cooked. The smell of the sweet rice cooking filled the house like perfume. This gelato is much creamier and richer than anything my grandma ever made, but this is gelato after all, and it should be creamy. The rice softens and plumps up during the cooking process- half of it is blended really finely and the other half stays whole for optimal texture.While this dessert is frozen and is great on an end of summer day, there's something about it that comforts and soothes the soul. And that to me, is the best of both worlds. 

Rice Pudding Gelato 

adapted from The Perfect Scoop

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• 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 large egg yolks 
• 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a 2 quart baking dish, mix together the rice, milk 1/4 cup of the sugar and the salt. Add the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick and cover the dish with aluminum foil. 

Bake for 1 hour. Remove the rice from the oven and remove the foil. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, then continue to bake the rice, uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove the rice from the oven a second time, remove the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick and briskly whisk in the egg yolks at once. Then whisk in the half and half or cream, round cinnamon and nutmeg.

Puree half of the rice mixture in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Then stir it back into the cooked rice.

Place the rice mixture in the fridge until completely chilled. Then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

NOTE: This gelato freezes really hard. Let it sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving, if necessary.