Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Coconut-Almond Doughnut Pop-ems

CakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Now, a few things stand out about this recipe for Coconut-almond Doughnut Pop-ems, created by Kathy Matulewicz of Clifton, New Jersey.

First? The recipe was created by a fellow Jersey girl. Clifton is a different part of the state than I grew up in, but still, this matters. Second, the recipe is for Coconut-Almond Doughnut Pop-ems. I don't even know what that means, but based on the picture, I want them in my mouth.

Third, they include an ingredient called "imitation butter flavor". What? Have you ever heard of that? 

Fourth, they are easy. As the inventor puts it, "Family favorite doughnuts just got easier! Cut up biscuits; bake up into mini doughnuts, then glaze and sprinkle for the perfect finish." Oh joy! Here's the recipe.

Coconut-Almond Doughnut Pop-ems

Makes 32

• 1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 3/4 cup hole Almonds
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Imitation Butter Flavor
• 3 tablespoons milk

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4 wedges. Roll each wedge into a ball. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
2. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on cooling rack.
3. Meanwhile, in food processor, place almonds. Process 15 to 30 seconds until almonds are ground. Transfer almonds to shallow dish. Place coconut in another shallow dish. In small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, almond extract, butter flavor and milk; beat with wire whisk until blended and smooth.
4. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. When cooled, dip half of each pop-em in glaze, allowing excess glaze to drip off before dipping glazed portion into almonds. Place on lined cookie sheet. Freeze 5 minutes to set glaze, if necessary.
5. Dip the uncoated side of each pop-em in glaze, allowing excess glaze to drip off before dipping into coconut. Place on cookie sheet. Let stand 5 minutes for glaze to set. Store tightly covered.

Molly Allen's Prize-Winning Neapolitan Blondie Bars Recipe

CakeSpy Note: Remember that amazing "So You Wanna Be a CakeSpy?" Contest?Well, with the winner's trip to Seattle coming up, I thought I'd take some time to focus on several of the finalists and profiling them and their recipes. Let's get to know grand-prize winner Molly, whose winning recipe for Neapolitan Blondiesis bringing her to Seattle *today* to eat dessert with me, Head Spy Jessie! 

-What does being a CakeSpy mean to you? Being a CakeSpy,to me, means eternal sweet glory. Since I have found CakeSpy, I continue to be incredibly inspired. I have posted for her several times, and just love the motto behind the site. The world really would be a much happier place if everybody ate cake (or another sweet treat) each day. 

-How did you dream up your dessert? I knew I needed something cute. I knew I needed something fun. I knew I needed something delicious, new, and exciting! My favorite thing to bake is definitely Blondies, mainly because I can add so many things to them like Butterfingers or Candy Corn, and they always turn out deliciously! I ended up deciding that I needed to use that as my base and go from there. When it popped in my head, I was eating a bowl of Neapolitan Ice Cream, my favorite. The idea sparked, I looked it up, and found out that nobody else on the web has made such a treat! Neapolitan cake and cookies, definitely, but not Neapolitan Blondies! Then I wrote it down, baked, and magic came out of the oven. 

-Cake or pie? Absolutely CAKE. No competition there.

-What would be your "last meal" dessert? A lot of cake. Specifically, 1/2 a dozen Red Velvet Cupcakes and 1/2 a dozen Carrot Cake Cupcakes. Oh, and don't be skimpy on the cream cheese frosting either, I like a huge dollop. 

Here's the recipe for Neapolitan Blondies--it also appears on Molly's website. 

Neapolitan Blondie Bars

The Vanilla Layer:

• 1/2 C Butter, Melted
• 1 C Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/8 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 1/3 C Flour

Procedure

1. Beat the butter and sugar, then add the egg. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then beat until a thick batter forms. Set this aside, until each batter is complete.

The Strawberry Layer:

• 1/2 C Butter, Melted
• 1 C Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 C Smucker’s Strawberry Sundae Syrup
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/8 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 1/3 C Flour

Procedure

1. Beat the butter and sugar, then add the egg. Pour in the Strawberry Syrup and continue beating. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then beat until a  batter forms. This batter won’t be as thick as the vanilla layer. Set this aside, until each batter is complete.

The Chocolate Layer:

• 1 Stick of Butter (1/2 Cup), softened
• 3/4 C White Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 C Flour
• 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 C Cocoa
• 1/4 Tsp Salt

Procedure

1. Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, and continue to beat. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa until a thick batter forms.

Assembly:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a greased rectangular pan, pour in the Strawberry layer. Scoop the Vanilla layer on top, aiming to cover the 1st layer evenly. Top the Vanilla Layer with the Chocolate brownie layer.
3. Bake for 28-30 minutes, until the top begins to crack and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
4. Let the bars cool and set.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Chocolate-Hazelnut-Coconut Bars

CakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

 Highly related to her recipe for Chocolate-Hazelnut-Coconut Bars, I officially invite Teresa Berkey of Hanover, New Hampshire to come live with me.

Here's her description of this sweet treat: "Layers are the luscious secret to deliciously easy cookie bars." Good luck with this recipe at the Pillsbury Bake-off, Teresa! Here's the recipe for everyone else:

Chocolate-Hazelnut-Coconut Bars

makes 24 bars

• 1 roll Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate flavored chip cookie dough
• 1 1/4cups hazelnut spread with cocoa (from 13-oz jar)
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 Egg White
• 1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 3 cups shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
• 3 tablespoons Butter
• 1/2cup toasted shredded coconut, if desired*

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan (dark pan not recommended) with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir in 3/4 cup of the hazelnut spread until blended. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan.
2. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 30 minutes. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and egg white with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add condensed milk, 3 cups coconut and vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour over crust. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until light golden brown and set. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. In 1-quart saucepan, heat remaining 1/2 cup hazelnut spread and butter over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Spread over cooled bars; sprinkle with toasted coconut. 
4. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until topping is set. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Whoa: those are not flowers! They're flour-and-sugar! 

Whoopie Pie Cake: this one's a beauty.

Lucky charm: trap a leprechaun with this cake!

Sweet memories: remember when I messed with all that Soda Bread? 

Sweet recycling: Turn your cupcake box into a laptop case!

SpyMom's favorite Irish Soda Bread recipe, though, I would not mess with.

Heaven: chocolate chip cheesecake bar cookies.

I don't know about you, but I prefer to eat my pie in slab form.

Short and stout: chocolate stout whiskey cupcakes recipe. 

Cadbury Creme Deviled Eggs. Tis the Season. 

Millet muffins: they're not as healthy as they sound (and I say that as a compliment).

Bakery I wanna visit: Alice Bakery.

Another bakery I wanna visit: Newman's Bakery, Swampscott, MA.

Two Fat Cats is changing ownership! Hope they keep the whoopie pie recipe the same.

Brownie pudding, anyone?

Peeps S'more ice cream pie. Yes.

Sweet art: Pantone themed fruit tarts.

Cake Byte: CakeSpy Featured in Woman's World Magazine!

Guess what? I was featured as an expert in Woman's World Magazine. Because, you know, my thoughts on cupcake mix matter.

In case you can't read that teeny-tiny type, what I say is "When Betty Crocker debuted these cupcake mixes--complete with vanilla and chocolate cream fillings--I put on my cutest apron and did a happy dance," gushes Jessie of CakeSpy.com. "Who wouldn't get a kick out of making cupcakes with a secret inside? They're decadent and super-moist, all thanks to that delicious filling!".

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Hazelnut-French Silk Turtle Pie

CakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Hazelnut and chocolate, that killer combo which is the cornerstone of that sweet manna we call "Nutella".

And, as it happens, the flavor combo that is bringing Craig Partin or Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina to the Pillsbury Bake-off as a finalist with his Hazelnut-French Silk Turtle Pie! "Oh my, turtle pie! A rich flaky pie crust holds a creamy filling with chocolate and caramel" says he. Here's the recipe:

Hazelnut-French Silk Turtle Pie

8 servings

Ingredients

• 1Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box
• 1package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1cup hazelnut spread with cocoa (from 13-oz jar)
• 1tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1/4cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3cup Hershey’s® Caramel Syrup
• 2oz Hershey’s® semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
• 2tablespoons Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Chopped Hazelnuts (filberts)

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Make pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell using 9-inch glass pie plate. Cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, hazelnut spread and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Carefully fold in whipped topping and graham cracker crumbs until blended. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the caramel syrup; set aside. Pour remaining caramel syrup into cooled pie crust; spread evenly. Spoon and spread cream cheese mixture over caramel layer.
3. Freeze 1 hour or until firm. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.
4. Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds, until smooth. Drizzle melted chocolate and reserved caramel syrup over top of pie; sprinkle with hazelnuts. Store covered in refrigerator.

Batter Chatter: Interview With Jana of The Dessert Kitchen

You know what's the best? Eating cake, duh. But second-best is learning the back-stories behind the baker. I recently got to know Jana of The Dessert Kitchen a bit better -- why don't you, too? After all, she makes a mean peanut butter chocolate chip cookie sandwich!

The Dessert Kitchen. Who are you and what do you bake? The Dessert Kitchen is a small one woman bakery turning out delicious special orders almost daily. I bake pies, cookies, cakes and tarts. I also make truffles. All special requests are strongly considered.

How long have you been in business? I'm pretty sure I've been in business all my life, but wasn't getting paid. Things really got going in November 2010.

Cadbury on easter: mini eggs or creme eggs? Mini eggs.

You do a "pie a month". Which has been your biggest success? Chocolate buttermilk pie. They went crazy for it!

If you had a pet koala, what would you name it? Dingbat

What dessert do you think is over-rated? Red Velvet cake.  I've never had one that wasn't dry and the taste is just weird.

What's your favorite cookbook? I love cookbooks and several favorites. So much inspiration. To choose just one, I feel I'm cheating on the others, but if I must choose.. I'm drawing a lot of inspiration from the Pie and Pastry Bible right now.

Brunch: do you go sweet or savory? Savory, I have weak spot for eggy, cheesy porky casseroles.

Do you think the cupcake bubble is going to burst, as I have read in some magazines? I don't think so. While cupcakes seem to be a fad,It's the # 1 request I get. They are portable, versatile and cake. Who gets tired of cake? 

What would be the perfect cake-filled day for you? Eating the day away at all of my favorite bakeries.

What's next for you and your business? I'll have cupcakes turning up at Seattle's Frankly Sweets on Pier 55 on the weekends. It's an experiment for them and for me.

For more, visit Jana's website!

Linda Huang: A Profile, and Recipe for Frau Brownies

CakeSpy Note: Remember that amazing "So You Wanna Be a CakeSpy?" Contest?Well, with the winner's trip to Seattle coming up, I thought I'd take some time to focus on several of the finalists and profiling them and their recipes. Let's get to know Linda and her Frau Brownies:

What does being a CakeSpy mean to you? Being a CakeSpy means that I've been recognized as someone who has an unhealthy appreciation of sweets, and thank goodness there are more of you guys out there (you guys wouldn't judge me for baking a batch of cookies the night before an exam, right?). It also means that I have an amazing group of family, friends, and pharmacy classmates that helped me get this far in the contest. Thank you all.

How did you dream up this dessert? To be honest, I am not the original creator of Frau brownies. I have a friend at Purdue who raved about these magical "Frau brownies" from his high school. I asked for the recipe, made my first batch for his birthday, and have been making them for friends ever since. The real creator of Frau brownies is a local German teacher. I met her for the first time the day after I found out I was a CakeSpy finalist, and she's just as sweet as the Frau brownies she created. I asked her what her inspiration was, to which she responded "Hmmmm, the inspiration, I guess, was decadence and seeing how much richness I could put in each bite… My daughter loves Rice Krispie treats. My husband and I love chocolate. We all are crazy about peanut butter. My mom would always make treats with melted chocolate chips and butterscotch bits together with something salty like pretzels or potato sticks. Just figured everything would go together well!!!" She's amazing, right?

Cake or pie? My gut reaction is to say cake. A good piece of pie can be so hard to find these days. Cake can also be portable (cupcakes!!), so that's a big plus for me.

What would be your "last meal" dessert? The cinnamon caramel donuts at Rise 'N Roll in Middlebury. I've never really cared for donuts until  a co-worker brought these to work last summer. They are pillowy clouds of heaven that melt in your mouth. No joke.

Frau Brownies

Yield:one 9x13 inch pan

INGREDIENTS

• 1 family-size box brownies, baked “cake-style” (usually with 3 eggs)
• 1 7 oz container marshmallow fluff
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup peanut butter
• about 7 cups rice crispies

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare brownies in a 13x9 inch pan as per instructions on the box to bake more “cakey” brownies. This usually means using 3 eggs instead of 2 eggs.
2. Allow brownies to cool completely.Slightly warm the marshmallow fluff , then spread the fluff onto the brownies until covering every nook and cranny.
3. Gently melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips together. Swirl in the peanut butter. Mix in the rice crispies one cup at a time into the chocolate, butterscotch, and peanut butter mixture. Pat the mixture on top of the fluff and allow to cool and harden.

Pi Day Sweetness

Today is March 14, or to math nerds, Pi Day.

And since Pi sounds a lot like pie, it's also a great excuse to eat dessert.

And here are my three (I can't suggest a .14 thing) suggestions for three sweet ways to spend your Pi Day.

First: Make a Pi-Shaped Pie! It's very easy, and exceedingly delicious. 

Second: Explore Let Them Eat Pie, an online pie shop which sells adorable pie jars (they're also sold at the Williams-Sonoma Artisan Market!) The baker has passed on a discount code--use code "pi314" (not in quotes) in the checkout, and you'll get 20% off.

Third: Pie It Forward! The new book Pie It Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes, and Other Pastries Reinvented is a sweet invitation to bake something sweet and pass it on. What will you bake, and for who?

Happy Pi Day!

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Peanut Butter Crunch Layer Bars

CakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

It's time to hit the bars. No, I don't mean to drink mai tais. I mean bar cookies, and boy are these ones good-looking: Peanut Butter Crunch Layer Bars.

They're a finalist in the upcoming Pillsbury Bake-Off, invented by Becky Pifer of Blanchard, MI, who says "Create ultimate bars in an easy way, starting with refrigerated cookie dough. Toffee, nuts, butterscotch and chocolate all rolled into layered goodness." That's a whole lot to love in just one bar.

Peanut Butter Crunch Layer Bars

Makes 36 bars 

• 2 rolls Pillsbury® refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
• 3/4 cup Heath® Bits 'O Brickle toffee bits
• 1 cup Reese’s peanut butter baking chips
• 1 3/4cups Fisher brand Nut Topping
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate baking chips
• 1 bag (11 oz) butterscotch baking chips
• 1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan (dark pan not recommended) with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. In large bowl, break up 1 1/2 rolls of cookie dough. (Refrigerate 1/2 roll cookie dough for another use.) Add toffee bits, peanut butter chips, 1/2 cup of the nut topping and vanilla. Mix with wooden spoon or knead with hands until well blended. Press evenly in bottom of pan.
2. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. In large microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and butterscotch chips on High 2 to 2 minutes 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth.
4. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Spread over cooled bars. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/4 cups nut topping; press in lightly. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Store covered.