Orange Ginger Chocolate Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

Happy Fall! Have you enjoyed any of the fun activities this season has to offer? My favorite is always leaf peeping. Now, I am not one of those individuals who will take a trip or a long drive to see the changing colors, thankfully my drive to work offers plenty of opportunities to admire the leaves. I will make it a point though to go to one or two parks in my area to bask in the colors and snap a few pics. It’s not that easy to take pics while I am driving, although I have tried (only when I am stuck in traffic). Oh, and of course I have had my fair share of PSLs, and this year have also enjoyed quite a few PSLs with the added flavor of hazelnut. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it.

It’s been a few months since I’ve shared a recipe here. I took a break from baking during the summer because it was just too hot to turn my oven on. As for yarn crafts, I was working on items to list on my Etsy shop for the winter and as for jewelry, it’s been a while since I’ve finished a piece. I finally fixed a bracelet that needed fixing after the thread broke on it and some of the beads came loose. But I am back today with a cake recipe that I wrote up earlier this year. I was going to make it during the Spring months but decided to save it for the Fall since the flavors seemed more suited for this time of the year… A chocolate cake layered with homemade orange ginger curd and topped with brown butter frosting.

I started off by making the orange ginger curd since I needed it to chill overnight so it could thicken up. I’ve made different types of fruit curds – passion fruit, raspberry, lime – and I pretty much follow the same recipe each time subbing the fruit flavor and each time they have come out good. If you’re not a fan of ginger you can totally leave it out and you will end up with a delicious orange curd.

Next, I baked the chocolate cake. I opted to use a box cake mix and made a few tweaks to the ingredients. All were tweaks were ones I’ve done before, but I didn’t like how the cake came out. I think it may have had something to do with the brand of cake mix I used. I normally go with Duncan Hines but let’s just say that’s not what I used this time. My tried-and-true swap that works every time is subbing coffee for the water, no matter what the brand is. It enriches the chocolate flavor.

And finally, once my orange ginger chilled overnight and my cake layers had cooled, I made the brown butter frosting. Melting and browning the butter gives it a nice nutty flavor. When melting it you want to keep a close eye on it and make sure it doesn’t burn, keep the heat low. Burnt is not the flavor you want for your frosting. What you are looking for is the melted butter to have a nice amber color. When you transfer the butter to your glass measuring cup to cool, make sure to include all the brown bits at the bottom of your pan. That’s where the flavor is. You need the butter to cool and partially solidify. I attempted to let my brown butter cool and solidify at room temperature, but, after almost 2 hours it was still liquid. You need the butter to solidify because using it melted will make your frosting too soft or require you to use more confectioner’s sugar that will a) make your frosting overly sweet and b) mask the flavor of the brown butter. So, after 2 hours I popped it in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes so it could re-solidify and then proceeded to make the frosting.

Once I had everything made and prepped, I assembled and frosted the cake. And it was delish!

Orange Ginger Curd

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

Zest from 1 orange

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (2 navel oranges)

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 stick unsalted butter, cubed

Directions:

In a medium saucepan whisk the eggs yolks. Add the sugar, zest, and grated ginger and continue whisking until well combined. Gradually whisk in the orange juice.

Heat over low heat and continue whisking until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from the heat and add in the cubed butter, whisk until the butter has melted.

Strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a resealable container. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn Spatula

Brown Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter (2 sticks at room temperature)

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2-3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream, if necessary

Directions:

Begin by making the brown butter. Melt 2 sticks of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the melted butter is a rich amber color. Transfer to a glass measuring cup – be sure to include all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for about 30 – 60 minutes so the butter can re-solidify.

Once the brown butter is ready, cream the remaining 2 sticks of butter in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes.

Add the re-solidified brown butter and continue beating at medium speed until well incorporated.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar.

Add the vanilla extract and salt. If you find your frosting too thick add in a tablespoon at a time of the whole milk (or heavy cream) and beat at medium speed until well incorporated.

*For the chocolate cake I used a box cake mix, you can do the same or use your favorite chocolate cake mix for a 2-layer 8-inch cake.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn Spatula

No Churn Salted Caramel Swirl Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

It’s officially summer! Which means it’s time to enjoy the warmth of the sun on your skin and to feel the sand between your toes. And of course, to indulge in all the summer fruits (I have been enjoying peaches for a few weeks now), BBQ’s and best of all ice cream there is! I can’t believe it’s been three years since I have shared an ice cream recipe here. The last one being a No Churn Coffee Ice Cream. And while I do own an ice cream maker, once I discovered how to make no churn ice cream that has been my go-to way for making this favorite summertime treat. I got the idea for today’s ice cream – a No Churn Salted Caramel Swirl Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (that is a bit of a mouthful) – from a cupcake flavor I saw. I thought the salted caramel and chocolate chips would be a nice addition to a vanilla based ice cream.

I started off by making the salted caramel sauce since I was going to need it to chill before incorporating it into the ice cream. Making caramel is always a hit or miss for me. Sometimes I let it sit on the stove for too long and it ends up with a burnt flavor, or I don’t trust the process and think I ruined it before even finishing it. But this time I was determined to get it right on the first try. I almost gave up though. All was going well and then I added heavy cream and the caramel began to seize up. I thought all was lost, but then I returned it to the stove over low heat and kept stirring it and it ultimately turned into a smooth sauce. I did end up having a few clumps left in the sauce but to get rid of those I strained it through a fine mesh sieve and was left with the most perfect and delicious salted caramel sauce. The flavor of which reminded me of a Werther’s Original Hard Candy. After letting it cool and refrigerating it overnight so the sauce could thicken, I got to work on making the remaining component of my ice cream, the actual ice cream. I mixed the ingredients for the vanilla ice cream and then folded in mini chocolate chips. I poured half of this into a loaf pan and drizzled some of the caramel sauce on top, I then poured the remaining vanilla mixture on top, drizzled it with more caramel sauce. Swirled everything together with a butter knife and then drizzled more caramel sauce on top.  

And after patiently waiting for it to freeze I was left with a yummy ice cream that had the perfect hint of saltiness.

No Churn Salted Caramel Swirl Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

1 14oz. can sweetened condensed cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup salted caramel sauce (recipe to follow)

Directions:

In a medium bowl stir together the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. In another medium bowl beat the heavy cream with a hand mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream until well combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour half of the mixture into a 9×5 inch loaf pan and then drizzle with about half of the caramel sauce. Pour the remaining whipped cream mixture into the pan and drizzle with more of the caramel sauce. Use a knife to swirl the caramel sauce into the whipped cream mixture. Drizzle more of the caramel sauce on top. Cover the pan tightly with a piece of wax paper and aluminum foil. Freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Salted Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon flaky sea salt

Directions:

Add sugar to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The sugar will form into clumps but continue to stir as the sugar will melt into an amber-colored liquid/syrup. At this point lower the heat to low and add the butter slowly. Continue stirring until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and slowly add in the heavy cream, be careful as the caramel will begin to bubble. Mix until well combined. The mixture may seize, if it does return it to a low heat and continue stirring until you are left with a smooth sauce. Finally, stir in the sea salt.

 Allow the caramel to cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a jar, or another heat safe container, and allow it to cool for another 15-20 minutes before covering and refrigerating. Can store for up to 1 month.

*If your caramel seizes and even after returning it to a low heat some of the hard pieces do not melt simply strain it through a fine mesh sieve when transferring it to a container.

My Take on the Viral Dot Cake

It seems appropriate to break my blogging hiatus with my take on a viral craze. If you’ve been on social media lately you more than likely have seen a post, video and/or reel of the latest dessert craze…. Dot Cakes. Originated by a bakery of the same name on Long Island, the cakes are also being sold at Butterfield Market in NYC where people have waited in line for hours to score one or more of these 8 oz. cake filled cups topped with frosting and nonpareils. You may be wondering what’s the big deal and truthfully, I am as well. It’s just cake and frosting completely covered with nonpareils. And if you are not familiar, nonpareils are those round sprinkles (hence Dot Cake) that don’t taste as good as your traditional sprinkles (jimmies) and their colors tend to bleed. One thing people have been enjoying with these cakes is the ASMR inducing sound made when you scrape your spoon across the dots.  I’m not one to jump on a bandwagon but I did want to create my own version using my favorite cake and frosting combination – yellow cake and chocolate frosting – topped with my favorite sprinkles, rainbow jimmies.

When it came to making the cake, I decided to go the easy route and used a yellow box cake. I normally tweak the recipe to make the flavor a bit more homemade, but I opted to follow the directions on the box and baked the cake in a 9×13 baking pan. Once it was done, I let it cool to room temperature in the pan and then refrigerated it until I was ready to assemble my cakes. While my cake cooled, I made a batch of Chocolate Buttercream (recipe below) that was the perfect amount for the six cakes I made.

To assemble the cakes, I inverted 8oz snack cups into the cakes and after flipping them over I pressed the cake into the bottom of the cups. Next, I frosted the cake right to brim of the cup and smoothed it out using an off-set spatula. I poured a good amount of sprinkles onto a plate then pressed the cakes into them. It’s best to do this right after smoothing the frosting while it’s still soft so the sprinkles can adhere well. And that was it!

I have read some reviews saying these cakes are basically just an oversized cupcake, I wouldn’t really say that. You wouldn’t eat a cupcake with a spoon and you’re not going to peel the cup away from the cake. I find it’s the perfect portion of cake contained in a cup enabling you to get every bit of frosting and cake, and there’s nothing to complain about with that!

Chocolate Buttercream

  • Servings: 2 1/2 cups
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Ingredients:

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

In a microwave safe bowl melt the chocolate chips in 15-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl using a hand mixer cream the butter until pale and creamy. Add half of the confectioner’s sugar and continue mixing on low speed until combined. Add the remaining half of the sugar and continue mixing until well combined. Add the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt and continue mixing on low speed until well combined.

Finally, add the heavy cream and raise the mixer speed to medium and whip the frosting until it’s smooth and creamy.

Peppermint & Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

I’m closing out this week of cookies with the quintessential flavor of the season, peppermint! Specifically, a peppermint buttercream sandwich between two chocolate cake mix cookies. Yes, I made the cookies using a cake mix. I’ve shared quite a few cake mix cookie recipes over the years and they’ve always been a success. This recipe is perfect for anyone short on time or just doesn’t want to be measuring flour, baking soda/powder, sugar, etc. One thing to note, the recipe only makes 12 sandwich cookies, as using the cake mix only yields 24 cookies. If you would like more cookies – 24 for example – simply double the cookie recipe – use 2 boxes of chocolate cake mix, 2/3 cup of oil and 4 eggs. The recipe for the peppermint buttercream is enough for the double batch.  If you don’t want any left-over filling simply cut the ingredients in half for the buttercream. Here’s an idea though, if you plan on making the Stacked Christmas Confetti Cookies I shared yesterday you could use the leftover buttercream to decorate those. If you don’t feel like tinting the frosting to make the Christmas Tree or Santa Hat, you could pipe a snowflake instead.

Peppermint & Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

  • Servings: 12 Sandwich Cookies
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Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Cookies:

1 15.25 oz box chocolate cake mix

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil*

2 large eggs

For the Peppermint Buttercream:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Crushed peppermint candy to decorate the sides of the cookies.

*If you want your cookies to have a more cookie-like texture as opposed to cake-like use 1/3 cup melted butter instead.

Directions:

For the Chocolate Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl combine the cake mix, oil and eggs and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until well incorporated. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough, roll into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 1 -2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Peppermint Buttercream Filling: Add all ingredients to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. If you would like a stronger peppermint flavor add an additional 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. If you find that the filling is not a pipeable consistency add about 1/2 tablespoon of milk and beat well to incorporate. You don’t want the consistency to be too thin though. Transfer to a piping bag and snip the end off.

Pipe the filling on the flat side of half of the cookies and top with the other half, pressing down gently so some of the frosting comes out of the sides. Roll the cookies in the crushed peppermint candy and enjoy!

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Stacked Christmas Confetti Cookies

Truth be told I wasn’t sure if I was going to share five cookie recipes this year! Last year I only shared one and this year was looking a little bleak. I had written up recipes for two cookies that I tested and ended up being disappointed with both. So, I was thinking of scraping this year as well. But then, the ideas started flowing again and some random scrolling on Instagram helped to give way to two of the cookies. Today’s cooking being one of them, a Stacked Christmas Confetti Cookie. It’s a mouthful but not as difficult as it may sound.

Apparently, the idea of this cookie came from a viral sensation from last year where people were using the Pillsbury Halloween Shape Sugar Cookie Dough and topping it on top of another cookie, usually a chocolate chip cookie. If you are not familiar with the Pillsbury seasonal cookies I am talking about, click on this link and then scroll to the bottom. The cookie I saw on Instagram didn’t use the Pillsbury dough though; it used sugar cookie dough for both the base of the cookie and the decorated stack. I decided to use my go-to sugar cookie recipe and switch up the steps to create them myself. And I was very happy with the results. One thing I did do as a short-cut for my version though was use store-bought frosting to decorate the cookies. Thankfully this time of the year it’s easy to find red & green frosting. Also, I opted to roll my cookies in sprinkles, but you could also use nonpareils, it just comes down to preference.

Stacked Christmas Confetti Cookies

  • Servings: 18 Cookies
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Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon table salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup red & green sprinkles

Red, Green & White Frosting for decorating

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat together the butter, cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue beating until incorporated. Add in the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated. If the dough feels too soft, refrigerate 15-20 minutes to firm up.

Add the sprinkles to a small bowl. Scoop the dough using a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons), roll into a ball and then roll in the sprinkles. Place on the prepared cookie sheet and then use the bottom of a glass cup to press the cookies down about 1/4 inch high.

Using a smaller cookie scoop (2 teaspoons), scoop the dough, roll into a ball and then use your palms to flatten and then place on top of the sprinkled cookie.

To make sure you don’t run out of dough for the stack, work with one batch at a time. In other words, don’t scoop all the dough for the base cookie at once. Scoop enough for one of the baking sheets and then scoop the stack part and then repeat for the other baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cookies are cooled transfer the frosting to piping bags and pipe festive designs on the cookies. You can do Christmas Trees, Santa Hats, Snowmen, Snowflakes, etc.

Recipe slightly modified from Smitten Kitchen

Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies

I have made gingerbread cookies from scratch and yes, they are delicious, but they can be a bit time consuming. Especially if you are making Gingerbread cutouts which you are then decorating. One year I decided to try using Betty Crocker’s Gingerbread Cookie Mix and I was very happy with the results, so I always pick up a package or two around the holidays – the only time they are available in stores. One of my favorite flavor combinations for a cake during the holidays is a gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting so I started wondering if I could recreate this with a cookie and lo and behold my idea worked out just as I had hoped. Today’s cookie, Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies, uses Betty Crocker’s Gingerbread Cookie mix as the base and then three simple ingredients are whipped together for the cheesecake filling. The cookie is finished by rolling in a gingerbread spiced sugar to up the ante – an appearance – of the cookie.

Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies

  • Servings: 18 Cookies
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Ingredients:

For the Cheesecake Filling:

6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Gingerbread Spiced Sugar:

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

For the Gingerbread Cookies:

1 17.5oz package Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

Directions:

For the Cheesecake Filling: Line a baking sheet or small cake pan with wax paper and set aside. In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until well combined and the sugar has dissolved. Using a small cookie scoop (2 teaspoons) scoop the mixture and drop onto the prepared pan. You should have 18 portions. Freeze until they are frozen and firm, preferably overnight.

For the Gingerbread Spiced Sugar: Combine the sugar and all the spices in a small bowl and whisk together to combine. Set aside.

For the Gingerbread Cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Add the gingerbread cookie mix along with the butter, egg and water to a large bowl. Beat with a handheld mixer on medium speed until the dough forms.

Using a medium cookie scoop – 1 1/2 tablespoons – scoop the dough into 18 portions and divide amongst the 2 prepared cookie sheets. Working with the dough on one of the cookie sheets – roll the dough into a ball and then slightly flatten. Place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center of the flatten dough and then cover the ball with the cookie dough. Roll into a ball again and then roll in the gingerbread spiced sugar before placing back onto the cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 – 11 minutes. Until the cookie is slightly puffed and edges begin to brown. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Some things to note, keep the remaining cheesecake balls in the freezer until a few minutes before the first batch of cookies finishes baking. Then remove from the freezer and finish assembling and baking the cookies.

And while I am sure it’s safe to store these cookies at room temperature, I opted to store mine in the refrigerator in an airtight container due to the cream cheese based filling. Just bring to room temperature to before enjoying!

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Caramel & Chocolate Thumbprints

Thumbprints are a popular cookie around the holidays. The simple butter cookie base can be filled with all kinds of yumminess. Jams, curds, chocolate, frosting, etc. The thumbprint I am sharing with you today is filled with caramel and drizzled with melted chocolate… think a Twix bar.

Caramel & Chocolate Thumbprints

  • Servings: 24 Cookies
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Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

For the Caramel Filling:

16 caramels, unwrapped

3 tablespoons heavy cream

For the Chocolate Drizzle:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

For the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar with hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla extract and continue beating until well incorporated. Finally, add the flour and salt and continue beating until the dough forms. Scoop tablespoons of the dough, roll into a ball and drop onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a round teaspoon (or your thumb) press into the center of each ball. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. If necessary, press the center of the cookies down again after removing them from the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Caramel Filling: In a small saucepan melt the caramels with the heavy cream on medium low heat until smooth, stirring occasionally. Fill each cooled cookie with a teaspoon of caramel.

For the Chocolate Drizzle: Melt the chocolate chips in a small saucepan on the stove or in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring between each. Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag, snip the end and then drizzle over the cookies. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing. To speed up the chocolate setting you can place the cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

The holidays are upon us. Which means it’s time to whip out the cookie sheets, pie dishes and cake pans to get to baking. Not really sure how much baking I’ll be doing this year, but after taking last year off from sharing a few good cookie recipes I am back this year with five cookie recipes that are sure to be a welcome addition to your baking repertoire. Up first, a Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie.

While I do love peanut butter cookies, I find that I can only eat one or two before the peanut butter flavor becomes a bit much. With these cookies, the brown butter helps to tone down the peanut butter flavor while adding another layer of dimension. A few things to note about making brown butter. Make sure you use a large enough saucepan, bigger is better just in case it begins to bubble over. You might be tempted to raise the heat, but medium heat is ideal. Once the butter melts and begins to boil/simmer it will turn the desired amber color quite quickly and you don’t want it to burn because then you will have to toss it as it will have a burnt flavor as opposed to the nutty flavor we’re looking for. And once your brown butter is cooled and you make the cookie dough be sure to let it chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. These cookies are quite big, and you don’t want them to spread too much while baking. They would still be edible, but they just want have the same oomph!

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Servings: 18 Cookies
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Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

To make the brown butter: In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat, stirring until it reaches a rich amber color. Pour into a glass measuring cup, including any brown bits in the bottom of the pan, and cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, baking powder and Kosher salt – and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the cooled brown butter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and peanut butter and continue to whisk until smooth.

Fold in the flour mixture until just combined and then add in the chocolate chips. Continue folding until the dough forms.

Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes so the dough can firm up.

Scoop 1/4 cup of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets 3 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 11-14 minutes, until the cookies are beginning to darken around the edges and the centers are puffed and look slightly underdone. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2-3 minutes so they can set and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Fun, Festive & Simple Christmas Garlands

Two years ago, I had the idea to do a week of semi-simple crochet patterns for Christmas that I would call Crochetmas. I saw it on Instagram, and it sounded like a fun idea. Bringing it to fruition was another story. I came up with the patterns, tested them, but then doing the actual write-up for the blog posts just didn’t happen as I got busy finishing up orders for my Etsy shop and friends last year. So, this year I decided to share three of the patterns in one blog post. They are super simple, the patterns are pretty much variations of each other and you could call them stash busters since they don’t require much yarn to create. They are for a Christmas Tree Garland, Santa Hat Garland and a Light Bulb Garland. If you are feeling creative, you could crochet a few of each pattern to create a very festive garland. Either way, I would suggest using an odd number of components (Tree, Hat or Light Bulb) this way when you hang it it will be symmetrical with a clear middle.

First up, a Light Bulb garland. This project is a great stash buster since you can use whatever color you choose for the bulb part.  Make them all one color or get creative with a bunch of colors. The one color I would keep consistent is the one you use for the “socket” and for the “wire.” I am partial to lights strung on green wire, but white is popular as well.

Next up a Christmas Tree garland. I posted a picture of this garland two years ago on Instagram. At the time I wasn’t sure if I was going to share the pattern via a blog post. I posted a bunch of recipes for baked goods that year that I just didn’t know where to fit it in. And then I got the idea to do Crochetmas that I decided to hold-off, but as I mentioned that didn’t come to fruition. But finally, I am sharing it with you today. What’s fun with this one is that depending on the green you choose it can really change the look and feel of the garland. With this lighter green it has more a rustic feel to…

But with a darker green it has more of a traditional feel…

And the final garland, a Santa Hat Garland. This pattern is very similar to the Christmas Tree Garland since both have the same shape, a triangle. The Santa Hat pattern has one extra row added at the beginning to give it a more elongated look and to account for adding a pom-pom on top and three rows of single crochet in white yarn are added to the bottom for the trim.

The Patterns:

For all of these I used Red Heart Super Saver Yarn and worked with a size H-8 (5mm) crochet hook.

To assemble the garlands, thread a large tapestry needle with a long piece of yarn and then weave through the back of each component (Light Bulb, Christmas Tree or Santa Hat). Leave a long tail on each end to create a loop to hang.

Light Bulb

Ch 2

Row 1: SC in 2nd chain, Ch1 & Turn

Row 2: 2 SC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 3: 2 SC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2 stitches, 2 SC in last stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 5: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 4 stitches, 2 SC in last stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Rows 6 – 9: SC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 7: SC2Tog, SC to last 2 stitches in row, SC2Tog, Ch 1 & Turn

Repeat Row 7 until 2 stitches remain.

Final Row: SC2Tog, Ch 1

SC around the entire light bulb. Fasten off and weave in ends.

For the “socket”: (With either green or white yarn, or the color of your choice)

On the top of the light bulb (the straight edge), attach your yarn in the first stich of the right side (right side facing you), Ch1, SC in the next 2 stitches. Ch 1 & Turn.

SC across, Ch 1 & Turn. Repeat this one more time then fasten off and weave in the yarn.

Abbreviations:

Ch – Chain

SC – Single Crochet

SC2Tog – Single Crochet 2 Together

Christmas Tree

With green yarn:

Ch 2

Row 1: 2 HDC in 2nd chain, Ch1 & Turn

Row 2: 2 HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 3: HDC, 2HDC in next 2 stitches, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 4: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 5: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 2 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 6: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 7: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 4 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 8: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 9: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 6 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 10: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 11: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 8 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 12: HDC in each stitch, Fasten off and weave in ends.

With brown yarn:

Row 1: Join brown yarn in 6th stitch from the right. Ch1 (counts as first SC), then SC in next 3 stitches. Ch1 & Turn.

Row 2: SC in the 4 stitches, Ch 1 & Turn

Repeat Row 2 two more times. Fasten off and weave in end.

With white yarn:

Magic Ring. *Ch 2, SC in 2nd chain from hook, Sl st into MR*. Repeat ** until you have 5 points. Pull the ring tight to close the circle and then fasten off. Leave a long tail to sew the star onto the tree.

Abbreviations:

Ch – Chain

HDC – Half Double Crochet

SC – Single Crochet

MR – Magic Ring

Santa Hat

With red yarn:

Ch 2

Row 1: 2 HDC in 2nd chain, Ch1 & Turn

Row 2: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 3: 2HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 4: HDC, 2HDC in next 2 stitches, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 5: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 6: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 2 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 7: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 8: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 4 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 9: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 10: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 6 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 11: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 12: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 8 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 13: HDC in each stitch, Fasten off and weave in ends.

With white yarn:

Row 1: Join white yarn in last stitch on bottom of the right side. Ch1 (counts as first SC), then SC across the row. Ch1 & Turn.

Row 2: SC across, Ch1 & Turn

Row 3: Repeat Row 2. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Make a mini pom-pom using a mini pom-pom maker or with a fork, leaving a long tail, and then attach to the top of the Santa Hat.  

Abbreviations:

Ch – Chain

HDC – Half Double Crochet

SC – Single Crochet

Brown Butter Almond Cake with Chocolate Filling

With the holidays quickly approaching you may be looking for new recipes to share with your loved ones. Today I am bringing you a Brown Butter Almond Cake with Chocolate Filling that I personally wouldn’t say is ideal for dessert but better suited as a breakfast / brunch treat. Or for an afternoon watching holiday movies, decorating or wrapping gifts while enjoying your favorite warm beverage.

I started this cake by making brown butter. After letting it cool, I got to work on making the batter for the cake. I whisked the cooled brown butter with eggs, sugar and vanilla extract, until it was smooth. In another bowl I whisked together the dry ingredients – flour, almond flour and baking powder. I incorporated the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 3 batches alternating with buttermilk. While you can buy buttermilk, I always opt to make my own by combining whole milk and vinegar. Once the batter was ready, I poured half of it into my prepared pan and then topped it with diced almond paste and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I then topped it with the remaining batter and gently spread it with an offset spatula. Before placing it in the oven I sprinkled the top with sliced almonds. After the cake cooled I dusted it with Confectioners’ sugar before enjoying a slice.

You may be wondering why I said this cake wasn’t very dessert-y. Well, besides the fact that it wasn’t very sweet, the texture was more reminiscent of a muffin or scone to me. It did taste good, but I think the recipe title is a bit deceiving. I was really hoping the brown butter flavor would stand out more as it did in the batter – yes, I tried the batter raw – but it somehow melted away while baking. And while the title does say “Almond Cake”, adding almond flour to the batter didn’t really give the cake an almond flavor, that really came from the almond paste that was added to the filling along with the chocolate chips. The almond flour aided in making the cake extremely moist though – always a good thing when it comes to cakes. No one wants to eat a dry cake, regardless of how good it may be. It is possible that the brown butter and almond flour somehow cancelled each other out, both having a nutty flavor or that the almond past just overpowered everything. Maybe a better title for this cake would be Brown Butter Cake with Almond & Chocolate Filling. Apologies if I sound negative, as I mentioned, the cake was good just not really what I thought it would taste like based on the recipe title. I would be curious to try this recipe again by omitting the almond flour and increasing the amount of all-purpose flour. Maybe then the flavor of the brown butter would really shine through.

Brown Butter Almond Cake with Chocolate Filling

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 ounces almond paste, finely diced (about 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Brown the butter: Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over low-medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter reaches a warm amber color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to large bowl to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch springform pan with baking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Add the eggs to the cooled brown butter and whisk together until smooth. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract until combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk until the batter is smooth.

Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the chocolate chips and diced almond paste over the batter in an even layer right to the edge. Top with remaining batter and gently spread with an offset-spatula. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the cake in an even layer.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and springs back when pressed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the cake to loosen from the springform ring. Remove the springform ring and let the cake cool completely before dusting with Confectioners’ sugar.

Recipe from Food Network