Triple Chocolate Nanaimo Bars: A Delicious Valentine's Day Recipe for Serious Eats

Why are forks more popular in February? Because they have Valen-tines!

And happily, there's still time to make up something tasty for those tines: Triple Chocolate Nanaimo Bars. Now, in case you're not familiar with Nanaimo bars, they're a fairly perfect food to begin with: a decadent three-part confection made up of a chocolate graham cracker crust, a (vanilla) custardy middle section, and chocolate topping.

Of course, like so many things, they're even better with more chocolate—and this version, with a rich dark chocolate center and a high quality bittersweet chocolate topping, might just make you fall in love, à la black widow spider, with the whole tray. Hey, nobody says you have to share.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Sweet Art for Sweethearts: A Valentine's Day Commission for Michelle of Bleeding Heart Bakery, Chicago

So, I am not a celebrity baker. But--I do artwork for celebrity bakers.

It's true. And this Valentine's Day, I had the exquisite pleasure of making life just a little sweeter for the entire family behind Chicago's original purveyor of "punk rock pastry", Bleeding Heart Bakery (mother and father of said family, btw, are the authors of new book Who You Callin' Cupcake: 75 In-Your-Face Recipes that Reinvent the Cupcake). It might have been the sweetest commission I've ever received--one piece each for the entire family.

And--full freedom to create pieces with minimal art direction (booyeah!). Here's exactly what I was given as guidance for each piece, and what I came up with:

Can you make me some things for my family for Valentine's Day? I would like to make a print for each member:

Oliver (newborn, first piece of art for his room, he is named after Jamie Oliver): so for this piece, I created a mother and father-cake with a baby-cake surrounded by "real" food...

Sofi (really likes puppies and kitties): for this piece, I created a sort of Eloise-meets-cupcake-meets puppies and kitties piece, pictured top);

Gabe (all about Dr. Who): for this piece, I made a cupcake Dr. Who surrounded by space-type food items;

Vinny (cake decorator): for this piece, I made a Vinny-lookin' cupcake making a tribute to his sweetheart, Michelle!

...and, as the icing on the cake, a piece portraying the whole crew having a food fight.

Best of all? Michelle, who commissioned the pieces, put full trust in me, so she was just as surprised as the rest of the family when she received them! How sweet is that!?

Have a sweet Valentine's Day, everyone!

Coconut Dream: Coconut Cream Bread Pudding with Chocolate Velvet Sauce

There are some coconut haters out there.

But that's just fine, because that means there's more of this exceedingly decadent coconut cream bread pudding for the lovers to share. 

This delicious dessert comes by way of Paula Deen's The Deen Family Cookbook. As the grande dame of get-fat-quick desserts herself says, "the rich coconut pudding with a nice pool of chocolate sauce all around brings me back to the days when me and Bubba would count out all our change to buy mounds bars on the way home from school". Like a Mounds bar all grown up and decked out in its after-dinner best, this dessert is bound to make you both very fat and very happy.

Coconut Cream Bread Pudding with Chocolate Velvet Sauce

Serves 6

• One large loaf (16-20 inches) French Bread, cut into one inch cubes
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• Two 13.5 ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
• One 15-ounce can of cream of coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• Chocolate sauce
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

 Procedure

1. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9-inch square flameproof baking dish. Arrange the bread cubes evenly. In a large bowl, whisk together the yolks and eggs, coconut milk, cream of coconut, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the coconut flakes. Pour the custard over the bread cubes. Press the cubes gently to soak up the custard. Let the mixture stand for about an hour in the fridge (covered).
2. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Sprinkle the top of the pudding with the remaining 1/2 cup coconut flakes. Cover the dish with foil, poking a few holes so that steam can vent. Place a roasting pan on the oven rack and put the baking dish in it. Pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the pudding is firm to the touch, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove the baking dish from the water bath (carefully!) and run it under the broiler, at least 4 inches from the heat, until golden (1-2 minutes). Let the pudding cool completely.
3. Make the chocolate sauce directly before serving. Place the chocolate chips in a medium saucepan, and melt on low heat. Pour the cream over the slightly melted chips and continue stirring on low heat until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. Add more cream if desired until it has reached your desired consistency. Drizzle over each serving. 

Sweet Sirens: Treats from Girl Next Door Baked Goods

According to that cultural goldmine called the Urban Dictionary, "Girl Next Door" is a rather open-ended phrase:

Every guy may have his specific girl-next-door prototype, but in general, she's the girl whom you always admired from afar and were afraid to approach.

Girl Next Door Baked Goods, on the other hand, should not be pined-for from afar. These goods are meant to be enjoyed up close and personal.

And that's just what we got to do this week, when they sent us a sweet parcel loaded with love-themed Valentine's Day treats. And it came with a sultry three-part card:

"Do Chiles & Chocolate get you a little hot?" beckoned the first fold of the card.

Well, no, not after that sriracha-brownie incident, but I powered on.

"Sometimes Love Hurts. A Hot Blonde will help ease the pain," it said on the second fold. Now, that's more like it. Blondies are my weakness, and these ones were a delight: dense, brown-sugary nuggets of buttery butterscotch awesomeness. 

and finally: "If chocolate doesn't work, try bourbon-soaked cherries. If that doesn't work, check his pulse." Well, I'll never know about this one as an aphrodisiac because I ate it all by myself, and it made me feel loved during every bite.

OF course, the cute card ended there, with an invitation to "get a crush on Girl Next Door Baked Goods", but the pleasure didn't. The parcel also contained a sampling of other brownie flavors (all served in tiny, but very potent, portions), a small bag of peanut butter cookies, and something called the "husband bait"--a buttery bar cookie with strawberry preserves and cream cheese. "Would this have made you want to marry me if you hadn't already?" I asked Mr. Spy, but he was too busy eating to answer me.

So, I guess I'd have to say it's true: CakeSpy's got a crush on Girl Next Door Baked Goods. Get a crush yourself--visit gndbakedgoods.com.

Better Together: Peanut Butter Cup Pocket Pies

True or False: 

1. Everything's cuter in miniature form.
2. Pie is so hot right now.
3. Peanut butter cups are delicious.

Well, I think we all know the answer to all three, and it's certainly not "false". But when these three truths come together in one adorable pocket pie form, they go beyond TRUE to TRUE LOVE.

That's right: Peanut Butter Cup Pocket Pies!

These sweet morsels are the perfect two-bite treat, and tasty as can be with the can't-lose combo of peanut butter and chocolate, all blanketed between two discs of rich, buttery pie crust. 

They'd be cute as pops too, but I think I actually prefer the stick-less version, because they're easier to "pop" in your mouth. 

Here's how you make them.

Peanut Butter Cup Pocket Pies

Makes 12 2-inch pocket pies

• 1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked
• 12 teaspoons (approx.) creamy peanut butter
• about 36-40 chocolate chips (milk, semisweet or dark chocolate, your choice)
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

You also need: a 2-inch (or so) round cookie cutter, small pastry brush

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment; set to the side. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Roll out your pie crust on a flat, floured surface.
3. Using a 2-inch (or so) round cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can. It's fine to use other shaped cookie cutters too, but keep it fairly simple (hearts, squares, flower shapes, etc) so that you'll be able to easily seal the pies later. Clump the remaining dough, re-roll, and try to get some more cutouts. If they're kind of ugly, it's ok--use these for the bottom layer of your pocket pies.
4. Lay out half of the pies on your prepared baking sheet. Place a teaspoon of peanut butter in the center of each, leaving room on the perimeter so you can seal the second half of pie crust on top. Add 3-4 chocolate chips to each, pressing into the peanut butter. 
5. Using a small pastry brush, brush a small amount of egg wash along the perimeter of each of the peanut butter-filled pie bottoms.
6. Place the top cutouts on top of each of the peanut buttered and egg washed bottom pieces. Press gently down, and use the tines of a fork to "seal" the pies. I did not vent these on the top. If you want, egg wash the top of the pies too (I didn't, because I forgot. I will be honest.)
7. Place in the preheated oven; bake for 8-12 minutes, or until golden. 

Just Say No: Sriracha Brownies are Not Delicious

I'd like to present two separate facts:

1. Brownies can be delicious with chili powder.
2. Sriracha makes just about everything better.

Unfortunately, I'm sad to say that these two separate facts do not add up to awesome when combined.

That's right. I went there. And I'm not sad that I did, but as a public service, I'd like to announce that I don't recommend you do it.

Don't worry too much: I didn't ruin an entire batch. I just happened to have some extra batter after filling my pie shell for the Brownie S'more Pie I made a few days ago, so I filled a couple of cupcake liners with it, and on a whim, added a healthy dose of sriracha on top of each.

The taste, while not completely offensive, was off mark--the spiciness of the sriracha didn't contrast the dark, rich brownie, but rather conflicted with the flavor. They were simply not harmonious.

The brownie pie, however, was extremely delicious. Here's a link to that baby.

Of course, if you're intrigued by Sriracha cookery, you might want to check out The Sriracha Cookbook (though I haven't tried any of the recipes, there IS a dessert chapter!).

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Cookies from Macrina Bakery, Seattle

Love is in the air...or is that just the sweet scent of sugar and melting butter? Either way, let's link up for the weekend:

Taste the rainbow: Kaleidoscope cake!

Strawberry milk cake: perfect for Valentine's Day, or really any occasion. (thanks to Erin for the tip!)

Maine Event: Maine in crisis over which should be the official state dessert: Whoopie Pie or Wild Blueberry Pie. Team Whoopie!

The secret to bakery-style Peanut Butter Cookies? Half butter, half shortening, says Seattle Local Flavor.

You've got me, this isn't cake. But Zombies Vs. Unicorns deserve a link, friends.

Shake Shack and Shamrock Shake in one sentence? Unholy...but wholly delicious.

Seeing Red (Velvet): Red Velvet Cake is taking over Boston!

Chocolate desserts in Seattle: a fantastic roundup.

A totally sweet roundup of Valentine's Day desserts, via Lark Crafts!

February is the Carbiest Month: Pancake Month at Clinton Street Baking!

A Singles reference, and a delicious recipe for Tiramisu Brownies: clearly, Peabody is my sister from another mister.

Sweet stop-motion: a Valentine on YouTube, featuring happy Red Velvet Whoopie Pies!

Sweet memories: red wine valentines are divine.

Sweet Giveaway: Reusable Tote from Bake and Destroy!

When I travel, I have a cute little nickname for myself: "Pastry Bag Lady". Because, you see, I keep on going from bakery to bakery, and while I eat some things as I go, some things I save for later (or save for Mr. CakeSpy to consume later). 

And when I am in Pastry Bag Lady mode, it is very helpful to have a fashionable tote for my sweet treasures.

Enter "the handiest tote you'll ever own", from Natalie of Bake and Destroy! As she puts it,

Made with 100% recycled cotton – more sustainable than virgin cotton. A 12.25″ H x 12″ W x 6.5″ D tote with two sets of handles – one long enough to sling over your shoulder and another, shorter set for carrying by hand. (DIYers can snip off the short handles if you prefer a straight-up tote bag.)

And you can win one, sweet stuff! That's right, Natalie has kindly offered up one of these totes for a giveaway, for one lucky US entrant. 

How do you enter? It's startlingly easy. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with a response to this open-ended question: cookie, cake, or pie?

This giveaway will close one week from today, on February 17th, at Noon PST, and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Should you feel the need to buy a tote in the meantime, visit the Bake and Destroy store! Oh, and you should totally visit the site and Twitter too.

Batter Chatter: Interview with Susan Biebuyck, Donut Painter from PA

Believe it or not, I know three notable donut (or is it doughnut?) painters from Pennsylvania. I'm not exaggerating. The first one I became acquainted with was Nancy Bea Miller; the second, Mike Geno (and I actually own one of his originals--so take that!), and now, Susan Biebuyck.

Want to learn more about Susan and her work? Well, you could check out her website (and you should)...but why not also get to know her a little better in interview form, too? Here's the 411:

First off: donut or doughnut? In a sentence doughnut; as a title donut.

Second: cake or yeast? Yeast, top fermenting, thanks.

What is your favorite place to get donuts, and what is your favorite flavor? Dunkin, I'm torn between sugar twist and peanut butter icing on glazed.

Do you prefer to paint donuts with or without holes? Both, it depends on what medium I'm working with.

Do you ever eat the donuts after you paint them? No, but my family constantly asks they can have one. Often my still life sets slowly erode as the painting develops.

What is your artistic background? I've been an artist my whole life. When I was 14 I started working at Hershey Park as a painter. It was a sweet job for a teenager. In the mid-1980s - late 90s doing graphic design and illustration. When I became a mother, I decided to return to fine arts. I attended Kutztown University near my home in Berks County PA.

What medium do you work in, and why? I am an art supply junky. I love to play with materials. At some point in my career I decided to focus on one subject for a period and play with all the different possibilities within that subject. So I have in the past been known as "the pear lady" before I became "the donut artist." Often I exhibit oil paintings, watercolor, pastel and acrylic all in the same show. I also love to make soft sculptures.

Aside from donuts, what are some of your other favored subject matter(s)? Actually, I am a foodie. I love to paint food. I love to cook and have an extensive cook book library. I grew up watching a show called The Galloping Gourmet when I was very small. I used to draw while watching his show. His food and humor were sometimes the subject.

What's the next big thing you're working on and excited about? I've been working on a series of paintings of my daughter and I recently did a self couple of self portraits with donuts. My donuts are currently exhibiting at The GoggleWorks Center for the arts (where I have a studio), at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem, PA, and at the Main Line Art Center in Haverford, PA.

Want more? Visit Susan's site here.

Gimme S'more: Brownie S'more Pie in a Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

Problem: you're looking a little thin these days.

Delicious solution: Brownie S'more Pie in a Graham Cracker Crust. Yeah, you heard me.

This baby has the better part of a batch of brownie batter baked inside of a buttery graham cracker crust, and is crowned with a big, fat swirl of deep, dark, rich cocoa buttercream and topped with yet more chocolate and more marshmallows for good measure. It weighs many pounds, and each one is a pound of awesome.

While topping it with Hershey's Kisses (inspired by my current reading material, The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars) and a heart design is timely, what with it getting dangerously close to Valentine's Day, it's a pretty sure thing that this is what love tastes like all year round.

Brownie S'more Pie in a Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch graham cracker crust 
• 1 batch your favorite brownie recipe
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
• Hershey's Kisses plus more mini marshmallows, to garnish

For the cocoa buttercream

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons milk 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 to 5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Procedure

1. Have your graham cracker crust ready: if you are making your own from scratch, no need to pre-bake. If you're using a store bought variety, just leave it off to the side for the moment.
2. Prepare your brownie batter per the instructions in your favorite recipe, with one change: fold in the marshmallows once the batter is otherwise ready and mixed.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pie shell, filling it about 2/3 of the way full. You may have extra brownie batter; bake it up in cupcake cups, or, you know, lick the bowl clean.
4. Place the pie plate on top of a cookie sheet (just because brownie recipes can vary, and I don't want it to drip over the pie plate into your oven!).
5. Bake according to the brownie recipe instructions. Keep an eye on the bake time and check the pie about 5 minutes before the brownie bake time specifies, since you might be using slightly less batter. 
6. The brownies are done when a toothpick comes out mostly clean -- I would always err on under, rather than over-baking them.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
8. While it is cooling, prepare the cocoa buttercream: in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. With the machine set at its lowest speed, add the cocoa powder and mix well. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, starting with 4 cups and adding more until it has reached your desired spreading consistency. Spread the frosting on top of the brownie pie, leaving a little bit of the brownie showing along the edges (pretty!). Top with your extra chocolate and marshmallows.

Note: Do make sure that the frosting is of an easily spreadable consistency. Because brownies have a flaky texture on top, you want to be sure that the frosting spreads with ease and won't bring up too many of the crumbs (that just looks messy!).