Thanks to Chef Michelle I made Chocolate Toffee Bars! Yummers

Gooey toffee, melted chocolate, crunchy nuts, and sweetened condensed milk to hold it all together. The best word to describe these bars is: AMAZING! All made possible by first experiencing these delights in Michelle's kitchen. My friend Michelle is a superb cook/baker and everything in between. I first got to experience Michelle's baking when we met abroad in New Zealand (sigh).

My last two birthdays I was treated (pun intended) by Michelle's chocolate cake which is so @$#%&*$ good I couldn't even try to bake it and do it justice. Perhaps I'll talk her into being a special guest on our blog sometime soon... So here they are. Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars. I made these for my cousins' jewelry party. I didn't end up buying jewelry (sorry!) but I think this delicious dessert made up for it (sorry i'm not sorry!)


Ingredients:

• 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
  
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
  
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 1-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) heath toffee bits, divided

My ingredients waiting for my mother to get home with more brown sugar!

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Combine flour and brown sugar in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg; mix well. Stir in 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips and all of nuts. Then set aside 1-1/2 cups mixture.

3. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over hot crust; set aside 1/4 cup toffee bits. Sprinkle remaining toffee bits over sweetened condensed milk. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture and remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips over top.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. (Mine were re.ady at 25 minutes) Top with reserved toffee bits. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

The Ulu knife. Terrific tool for choppin. Requires family trip to Alaska.

Sooo much toffee mmmmm

Bar mixture before baked


-Kayla

To Chocolate From Ginger With Love

Jessie's right. Her oatmeal raisin cookies get a HUGE approval from me. This is because I actually got to taste them. I walked to the family mailbox earlier today and found this beautiful package waiting for me:


Using a food blog to keep in touch is better than you think. Unlike other blogs, when food is involved, you just might get surprised with a delectable treat!!!


These oatmeal raisin cookies tasted better than ever because they traveled far and were made with a special ingredient: friendship. Isn't baking wonderful? Thanks Ginger, love you and your wonderful new mixer lots.

Something to brighten the post-graduation slump

Graduation has come and gone and without Kayla, where will I ever find the motivation to get off the couch and bake?? Well.. motivation has come in the form of my graduation present:

It's tangerine and it's my new best friend. And just because we're too many miles away from each other, doesn't mean that Kayla can't play with it too..

Heeeyyy Kaayyla. So I decided to make my favorite cookie, the one, the only, the Oatmeal Raisin cookie.

As per Yohn's request I'm adding more pictures of the process..like kayla checking in on the mixing...

Luckily the final product was Kayla approved.

...and someone had to lick the bowl...

So the cookies turned out delicious and chewy. It was probably all because of the Kitchenaid mixer too.

The recipe:

3/4 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. shortening

1 c. packed dark brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. rolled oats

1 c. raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely. Makes 36

Adapted from Beth's Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Graduation & Cheesecake = Bittersweet

Our last baking experience together, for now. Even though Jessie did not get to taste test the final project, they were a hit at a parent/college grad wine and cheese party later in the evening. Our friend Adrian ate about six if that gives you an indicator of how yummy these mini cheesecakes are. What makes them better than your average cheesecake is, for one, the adorable cupcake size, and second, the chocolate chip cookie surprise crust. This recipe has graced the annual family Christmas party since I was a baby so from my family to yours, have a chocolate chip cheesecake on me.

To Jessie, Happy Graduation! Keep baking and keep posting. I can't wait to visit your dream kitchen one day, let's plan on having a baking party every 5 years for our friends. Love you always my favorite ginger!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cups

-1 package (16oz) chocolate chip cookie dough
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 (8oz each) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
-1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup margarine
- 2 eggs
-1 (21oz) can cherry pie filling (can sub for strawberry or blueberry)

Preheat oven to 375F. Line muffin pans with baking cups and spray with Pam. Slice cookie dough into 24 slices and lay in bottoms of baking cups. Mix remaining ingredients (except pie filling) with electric mixer for about 1 minute. Fill cups with batter approximately 2/3 full. Bake 32-35 minutes. Cool to room temperature and top with cherries. Refrigerate then serve.

Recipe from Aunt Janeen H