Lovely Leche: Dulce de Leche Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

When I encountered the recipe for Dulce de Leche Cheesecake bars in last month's issue of Bon Appetit, my eyes got really big and I think I probably said something like "Whoa".

After a brief moment of despair at having no graham crackers or cream cheese in the house, I found myself wondering "could this work with peanut butter and Reese's Puffs cereal instead?". And so I made said substitutions, and found myself with a pretty tasty treat. They could have chilled longer to set, but friends had no problem dealing with the dulce de leche ooze.

Dulce de Leche Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

Crust

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 1/4 cups finely ground Reese's Puffs cereal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 1 16-ounce jar peanut butter (preferably smooth, full-fat)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup purchased dulce de leche
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze

• 2/3 cup purchased dulce de leche
• 3 tablespoons (or more) heavy whipping cream
• (optional) a spoonful of hot fudge sauce

Procedure

1. Make the Crust. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray (I used an 8x8-inch pan for fat, thick bars). Mix cereal crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir until coated. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.
2. Make the Filling. Blend peanut butter and sugar in a stand mixer until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, processing 3 to 5 seconds to blend between additions. Add dulce de leche and vanilla; process until blended, about 10 seconds. Spread batter evenly over cooled crust. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.
3. Make the Glaze. Heat dulce de leche, 3 tablespoons cream and chocolate sauce (if using) in microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals until melted. Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if too thick to pour (amount of cream needed will depend on brand of dulce de leche). Pour glaze over cooled baked mixture; spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour (glaze will not be firm). Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled. Sprinkle bars with fleur de sel.

Cake Byte: New Magnets by iPop!

What is that force pulling you to CakeSpy Shop?

The new magnets I just designed for iPop, natch.

There are several new magnet designs available both online and at the CakeSpy retail shop (and, if you're a retailer, you can order them wholesale directly from iPop), including:

A 2-inch jumbo magnet featuring Cuppie Love;

a 2-inch jumbo magnet featuring Cuppie the artist (pictured top);

a 5-pack of half-inch miscellaneous cupcakes;

and a 4-pack of 1-inch magnets featuring pie, cake, cupcake, and cookie!

...of course, the other super cute designs are still available too!

CakeSpy for iPop Clicks magnets, available here!

Belle of the Ball: Coconut Belles from the Betty Crocker Cooky Book

At first glance, Coconut Belles don't look like anything out of the ordinary: they look like a pleasing, if unremarkable, bar cookie.

But don't be fooled. The Coconut Belle one coy little cookie bar. I found them in the "family favorites" section of Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, where this cryptic introduction drew me in:

Since this cooky is better the second day than the day it is baked, you must bake them yesterday to enjoy them today.

True to the intro, these cookies taste good just out of the oven, but become something else entirely when left to their own flavor-melding devices overnight: delicately scented with citrus and redolent of rich coconut, these cookies taste far more compelling than their appearance might imply.

Of course, if you bake them around midnight, does that mean they were baked close enough to yesterday to enjoy today? Customers at the store will see.

Coconut Belles

Makes 24 bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract (I used lemon juice)
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut, plus extra for sprinkling on top
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied orange peel

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 325 F.
2. Mix butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, lemon, and cream thoroughly.
3. Measure flour and mix with salt and baking powder; stir into wet mixture.
4. Blend in the coconut and peel.
5. Spread in a lightly greased pan (I used 8x8-inch). If desired, sprinkle extra coconut on top.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. While warm, cut into bars. Serve cooled (the next day is best).

Seeing Red: Cocoa Red Velvet Strawberry Shortcake for Serious Eats

So, today is National Strawberry Shortcake Day. How are you celebrating?

My suggestion? Don your Strawberry Shortcake cartoon character tee from the 1980s, work up an appetite, and make a big batch of Red Velvet Strawberry Shortcake.

The biscuits in this version take a flavor (and, if desired, color) cue from the classic Southern cake, making use of buttermilk, cocoa and red food coloring, which lends a subtle sweetness which works wonderfully with freshly made whipped cream and strawberries, and makes for a very pretty presentation.

Read more--and find the recipe--on Serious Eats!

Whiskey Me Away: Chocolate Whiskey Cake from Columbia City Bakery

It's always five o'clock somewhere, but really, any hour that you devour the chocolate whiskey cake from Columbia City Bakery is a happy hour indeed.

This loaf cake is actually pretty simple: it starts with a dark as night, exceedingly dense and rich chocolate cake, which is then topped with a crowning glory of sweet-but-with-a-bite whiskey-espresso icing glaze.

Something happens when these flavors come together: the chocolate, the whiskey, the sugary glaze with a buzz of espresso: it might just make you tipsy with pleasure overload.

Oh, is this ever a happy cake.

Chocolate Whiskey cake from Columbia City Bakery, 4865 Rainier Ave. South, Seattle; also frequently available at the Broadway Farmer's Market; find out more online at columbiacitybakery.com.

Ding Dong, Man: A Sweet Peek at a Classic Treat

Recently I came across an unexpected surprise at Seattle's Bauhaus Coffee: individually foil-wrapped Ding Dongs for just $1 each. Naturally this was a source of excitement--it's always exciting to find a homemade version of junk food!

Well, upon inquiring further, it turns out that the pastries themselves are nothing of serious note: per the employee I spoke to, they are, in fact, just the commercially made Hostess variety, re-packaged in foil.

However, while one might argue that this is simply a crafty way of re-packaging a 50 cent treat and charging more for it, as it turns out, this way of displaying them is actually quite authentic. Per Wikipedia:

A Ding Dong is a chocolate cake that is sold by Hostess Brands. It is round with a flat top and bottom, about three inches in diameter and a little more than an inch high, similar in shape to a hockey puck. A white creamy filling is injected into the center, and a thin coating of chocolate glaze covers the entire cake. The cake was originally wrapped in a square of thick aluminum foil, enabling it to be carried in lunches without melting the chocolate glaze.

The page also goes on to discuss a bit more about the treat:

The Ding Dong is similar to other cream-filled cakes, such as Arcade Vachon's Jos. Louis introduced before 1934 and still in production. Hostess began marketing their Ding Dong in 1967. The name was given to coincide with a television ad campaign featuring a ringing bell. The company marketed the snacks on the East Coast as Big Wheels, to avoid confusion with the Ring Ding, a similar (and pre-existing) treat by Drake's Cakes. The names were consolidated in 1987, when a short-lived merger of Drake's with Hostess' parent company (then Continental Baking Company) briefly resolved the Ring Ding/Ding Dong conflict. When the merged company broke up, however, Hostess was forced to cease, once again, using the Ding Dongs name in areas where Ring Dings were available. The compromise sound-alike name King Dons lasted untilInterstate Bakeries Corporation, which had recently merged with Hostess' parent company, bought Drake's in 1998. The Hostess product is now sold under the name Ding Dongs throughout the United States. However, the snack is still sold as the King Don in Canada.

and to confirm the bit about the name, I also consulted the official Hostess page:

The name Ding Dong came from the chiming bells used in Hostess' first television commercials and you'll be singing a happy tune every time you polish off a package.  Nibble them slowly, like a king or queen, and savor the creamy goodness of every morsel, or bite right into that creamy center and get a mouthful of chocolate goodness.

Of course, the official page also introduced me to a game I'd never heard of: Ding Dong Ditch, which "involves knocking on the front door (or ringing the doorbell of) a victim, then running away before the door can be answered." Who knew? They even have a video of it in action, with celebrities. Here you go:

For more, check out the official Ding Dong page on the Hostess website!

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Sugar Couture

What happens when a documentary film producer decides to become a pastry chef?

You get delicious desserts of cinematic proportions!

This is the story behind Penny Stankiewicz, owner of Sugar Couture in NYC. What started out as taking a pastry course as a bit of a lark has turned into a full fledged custom dessert business with some serious clients: Sugar Couture has fattened up stars like Tony Bennett, John Mayer, Wyclef Jean, Hugh Jackman, Adele, Hayley Duff, Russel Simmons, Betsey Johnson and Donna Karan at various events. Not that I'm starstruck or anything.

And I can see why the stars flock to these sweet treats: with gorgeous cakes like the ones pictured (and yes, the one to the left does have braces), which come in flavors like "ultra rich butter" and "deep chocolate" (can't you just taste them?) and a signature mini Boston Creme Pie, I am a bit in love myself.

If you're in the NYC area, you can get ahold of some of Sugar Couture's desserts by custom order; for a behind the scenes look, check out the blog.

Nut'n Honey: Honey Peanut Butter Refrigerator Cookies

You probably don't think of peanut butter cookies as a slice-and-bake refrigerator cookie, but you should.

I was immediately intrigued when I discovered this recipe in my beloved Betty Crocker's Cooky Book. And, upon testing out the recipe, ultimately rewarded. These cookies have all of the sweet-and-salty flavor that make peanut butter cookies so deliciously addictive, but with a subtle, mellow dimension from the honey, and a more delicate texture than their classic counterpart. The verdict? These fat, chewy, and lightly crumbly cookies are beyond welcome to co-exist peacefully with the flattened-by-fork tines variety in my cookie jar.

And based on how quickly they disappeared when I put them out at my shop, I'd say that the public agrees. Well, either that, or people will eat anything when it's free.

Note: The original recipe calls for 2/3 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup chopped peanuts. I split the difference and used a cup-and-a-bit extra of chunky peanut butter--this kind, if you're curious. Also, I used more baking powder than specified in the original recipe.

Honey Peanut Butter Refrigerator Cookies

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book

- Makes about 30 cookies -

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey or corn syrup (I used honey)
• 1 cup (and maybe a spoonful extra) chunky peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Procedure

1. Mix butter, sugar, honey, peanut butter, and egg thoroughly.
2. Mix your remaining dry ingredients together, and then stir in bit by bit to your wet ingredient mix. If it is too dry, add a few drops of milk or cream until it is cohesive.
3. Roll into a couple of logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter; wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for several hours or overnight.
4. Heat oven to 400 F. Cut dough in fat slices (I did about 1/2 inch) and place about 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until lightly brown on the edges. Let cool for about 5 minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Sweet Art: World Pupcakes

When it comes to puns related to the World Cup, what is the best direction to go? World Pup? Nah--not cute enough. World cup-cakes? Nah, still not quite there.

Oh--I've got it: combine them for ultimate cuteness! World Pupcakes!

In honor of that big soccer (to my friends not in the US, that's football) event that starts today!

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Item of the week at CakeSpy Shop: New Giclee print by Julie West!Make the most of your friday by checking out these super sweet links!

Tiramisu that soaks up wine instead of coffee is just fine by me.

Beet cake is divine when topped with "slabs" of cream cheese frosting. 

A carrot cake to dream about, via Mango Power Girl.

What's the next big thing in baking? Modern Baking weighs in.

Where do cupcakes come from? "The Talk" notecards (featuring the image at the top of the post) now available online and at the retail CakeSpy Shop!

Sounds like a sweet getaway to me: 10 sweet factory tours to take in the US!

Sweet news: Treats Truck goes stationary--with a brick and mortar retail location!

Peanut butter, bacon, sugar, and a side of sweet pun: Sir Francis Bacon's bacon peanut brittle! (via The Nibble)

A savory side that is sweet enough for CakeSpy approval: Tom Douglas's Cornbread Pudding recipe from Etta's.

Art of the Tart: If you liked these Pop-Tarts Ice cream sandwiches, you'll probably like all the other over-the-top sweet recipes on the Pop-tarts website.

This granola is acceptable, because it's kind of like a deconstructed cereal cookie. (Molly Wizenberg for Bon Appetit)

Sweet and salty Espresso Nut Brownies: Yum, yum, and yum. (via The Cookbook Chronicles)

Sweet memories: You deserve a grilled cheesecake sandwich!