Pi Day Pie

It’s Pi Day!  3/14/15.  Ya know.  Like Pi…3.1415926….and so on.  So, obviously, that required a pie!  Now, I’m not normally a pie person (a pie baker, that is.  I’m a pie eater.).  But, how could I resist?

And, French Silk Pie is definitely my weakness.  In fact, it’s one of the ONLY foods I craved while I was pregnant.  This one has a little twist though.  I got the recipe for this Double-Chocolate Silk Pie from my Mrs. Fields Best Ever Cookie Book.

It calls for chocolate wafer crumbs for the crust.  I may have adjusted.  And used Thin Mints.  Forgive me.

Yeah.  Thin Mint crust.  Mmmmm.

And, added bonus, it only took 1 1/2 of the sleeves in the box.  So I still have 1/2 a sleeve left to enjoy later.  Once the pie is gone.

Then to add the filling.  It’s essentially a chocolate custard.  Again.  Mmmmm.

It’s very chocolatey.  And, a semisweet chocolatey, so a little dark, but not bitter.

The good news is, that the whole pie was relatively easy to make (as you can see below).  And, even though it said to refrigerate overnight, I only chilled it for about 6 hours and it was just fine!

My only complaint is that it came out a little harder than a typical “silk” pie.  It hardened up quite a bit, actually.  But, the taste was still quite yummy.  The Thin Mints give it a very minty flavor though, so, if you’re crazy not a fan of the cookies, I wouldn’t make that substitute.  Either way, it’s a big hunk of (very) rich, chocolatey goodness!

Double-Chocolate (Thin Mint) Silk Pie

Recipe from Mrs. Fields Best Ever Cookie Book

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer cookies (or Thin Mints, in my case)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 10 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs and melted butter.  Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.  Chill while you make the filling.
• Prepare the filling: In a double boiler, scald the cream; stir in the sugar and salt.  In a small bowl, lightly beat the yolks.  Whisk about 1/4 cup of the hot cream into the yolks to warm them.  Transfer the warmed eggs to the double boiler and cook over simmering water, whisking constantly, until the custard just begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon, 8-9 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and vanilla.  Stir until the chocolate melts and the custard is smooth.
• Pour the custard filling into the pie crust.  Cool to room temperature.  Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the filling to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate the pie overnight to set the filling.  Remove the plastic wrap and smooth the top of the pie.  Garnish with chocolate scrolls and rosettes of whip cream.

 

Healthy Banana Bread Breakfast Bars

So, technically the name is ‘Healthy Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Oat Breakfast Bars {vegan & gluten-free}’…but I didn’t wanna give it all away in the title!  (Recipe from Ambitious Kitchen.)

I know, I know.  I’m usually not on the vegan OR the gluten-free bandwagon.  But, they looked so tasty, and I LOVE banana bread, so I had to try them.  And they did NOT disappoint!  Even without the butter, dairy and eggs that are typically 3 of my favorite things.

The batter (forgive the pic taken with my phone!) is surprisingly simple to make, despite making your own flour.  Yup.  That’s right.  You make your own flour.  I’m not gonna tell you how though, cause you need to check it out for yourself at Ambitious Kitchen!  But this handy trick means that they are gluten-free.  They are also vegan, depending on what kind of chocolate chips you use.

The bars have a good bread-like texture, despite being thinner than a typical banana bread.  But they have a little heartier bite, thanks to the oats.  The chocolate offers a nice balance to the sweetness of the banana.  Overall, just yummy.  And they’re lacking all oils and grease too, so they don’t leave your fingers all messy.  Bonus!

But seriously.  My favorite thing about these bars is that they’re healthy enough to call a breakfast bar (only 116 calories and 2.9g of fat per bar) but tasty enough that we also ate them for dessert.  Yeah.  They were gone within about a day and half.  And there are only 2 of us eating.

Healthy Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Oat Breakfast Bars (recipe from Ambitious Kitchen)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups gluten-free oats
• 1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 medium ripe bananas
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (gluten-free, if desired)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey (agave nectar if vegan) — I used half honey and half agave
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (vegan, if desired)
• For chocolate drizzle:
• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips (vegan, if desired)
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

For directions visit Ambitious Kitchen.

Monster Cookies

So, I wanna start another project.  I know that much.  But, it’s a huge undertaking, especially with a 3 1/2 month old at home.  So, alas, for now, I’ll stick to just some random recipes on random days when I get the chance to bake.  Some will be new (for me).  Others, like these Monster Cookies from Paula Deen/Food Network, are not new.  At all.

These have actually become one of my go-to cookie recipes.  They’re tasty, they’re SUPER easy to make and everyone loves them!  In fact, I’ve made these with my nieces who are 3 and 5, cause they’re so easy AND they have M&M’s (or num-nums, as they call them), so it’s a win-win.

(PS I’d love to try out your “go-to” recipes too!  What are they?!  Leave me a comment or shoot me a note.)

They can be made as large or as small as you want.  I used my cookie scooper (like an ice cream scoop, but smaller…for cookies).  My husband thinks this is a crime, because cookies should be large.  So, the choice is yours.  I will say, though, that mine took about 13 minutes to bake, not the 8-10 that the recipe calls for.  So just keep an eye.  They should be “set” but not firm.

The other great thing about these is that they are “mixer optional”.  In the video, Paula Deen makes them with just a bowl and a wooden spoon.  I used my stand mixer, just cause it’s so easy to do.  But, either way…yum!

Monster Cookies (from Food Network)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 12-oz jar creamy peanut butter
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies (aka M&M’s)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup raisins, optional
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

For directions visit Food Network.

 

The Cupcake Finale

The moment has finally arrived.  365 cupcakes.  Today, we decide which one reigns supreme.

(A little dramatic for cupcakes?  Perhaps…but I’m okay with it.)

The 3 winning Semifinalists are:

Day 93 – Chocolate, Banana, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cupcake

Recipe from Craftstorming

Day 223 – Churro Cupcake

Recipe from The Novice Chef

Chocolate Cherry Cordial Cupcake

Recipe from Erica’s Sweet Tooth

Let’s see how they stack up:

Well, there you have it!  A surprising, but tasty, ending to My Year of Cupcakes.  Thanks again to our Cupcake Panel – George, Anastasia and Dara!  And a huge thanks to my hubby, Ken, for filming and original music (not to mention thanks for tasting all those cupcakes with me!!)!

The top cupcake is chosen, but it’s not over.  Check back soon for more fun and more recipes!!

The 3rd Semifinal Competition

Okay.  The 3rd (and final) Semifinal Competition.  Almost down to the moment of truth.  After today, we’ll know which 3 cupcakes will compete in the Finale for the title of “Best Cupcake on Pinterest”.

So excited!

Our Semifinal Competitors are:

April Monthly Champ – Chocolate Cherry Cordial Cupcake

Recipe from Erica’s Sweet Tooth

May Monthly Champ – Tres Leches Cupcake

Recipe from A Few Shortcuts

June Monthly Champ –  Ballpark Caramel Cracker Jack Cupcake

Recipe from Suitcases & Sweets

July Monthly Champ – French Toast Cupcake

Recipe from The Smart Cookie Cook

Let’s see how they do:

Thanks again to our Cupcake Panel – Nadine, Erin & Robbie – and to my hubby, Ken, for all filming and original music!  Check back very, very soon for our Finale to see which cupcake is crowned “the Best Cupcake on Pinterest”!!

The 2nd Semifinal Competition

As promised, the 2nd Semifinal Competition.  Yes.  One step closer to discovering the best cupcake on Pinterest!

(My mouth is watering already…)

This time the competitors are:

December Monthly Champ – Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcake

Recipe from Half Baked Harvest

January Monthly Champ – S’more Cupcake

Recipe from The Soul of the Matter

February Monthly Champ – Samoas Cupcake

Recipe from Bakers Royale

March Monthly Champ – Churro Cupcake

Recipe from The Novice Chef

And, now for the competition!

Thank you to our Cupcake Panel – Jesse, Maddy, Alex & Shelby – and to my hubby, Ken, for the original music!  Check back soon for the 3rd Semifinal, when we find out which cupcakes will compete in the Finale!

The 1st Semifinal Competition

Well, wow!  I can’t believe how long it’s been.  Sorry for the delay, everyone.  As some of you know, I was quite pregnant when we finished the last cupcake.  Needless to say, we quickly filmed ALL the semifinals and the finale… and then had the baby…before I could post them.

My son, Kenneth (named after his Daddy), was born on November 4th.

Yes.  He’s almost 3 months old now.  And those of you that know anything about babies know why I am JUST NOW getting around to these videos.

So, without further ado, I give you our 1st Semifinal Competitors:

August Monthly Champ – Toffee Crunch Cupcake

Recipe from Bakers Royale

September Monthly Champ – S’mores Cupcake

Recipe from Your Cup of Cake

October Monthly Champ – Blackout Cupcake

Recipe from Cookies and Cups

November Monthly Champ – Chocolate, Banana, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cupcake

Recipe from Craftstorming

Alright.  Here we go!

Thank you to our Cupcake Panel – Bailey, Megan and Sarah – and thanks to my hubby, Ken, for all filming and original music!  Check back soon for Semifinal #2!!