Dark, Bitter and Handsome: Chocolate Stout Cupcakes from Rainy Day Gal

CakeSpy Note: This is a guest post from Rainy Day Gal (a.k.a. Jenny Miller), a fellow Seattle blogger with a major sweet tooth.

Once in a blue moon, I love a good dark beer.

But every day that ends in y do I love chocolate stout cake.

It's rich, moist, and tastes like an indescribably dark chocolatey-chocolate cake without being overly sweet. Plus, you get to pour beer into the batter. Which is fun. For those of you wary about adding beer to chocolate cake, fear not--they don't taste like beer, the stout just keeps them moist, rich, and prevents them from being overly sweet. I came across an intriguing recipe that was begging, nay, pleading to be turned into cupcakes. Because, c'mon. Who bakes whole cakes anymore? We are living in a cupcake world and I am a cupcake gal. So without further ado, here they are. Fair warning: this recipe makes an ungodly amount of cupcakes. Make a half-batch if you don't know 48 people who would like to eat a chocolate stout cupcake in the next two days. Oh, and fair warning #2: You should probably also be drinking a stout while you're making these. Just sayin.

First, let's make the ganache because it'll need a few hours to chill. You need one pound of bittersweet chocolate (chopped or in chip form) and one pint (or 2 cups) of whipping cream. Again, halve this if you don't want to make a billion cupcakes.

Place the chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wisk attachment. You could also use a hand mixer if you're more in the mood.

Bring the cream just to a simmer on the stove and then remove from heat. Immediately pour the whipping cream over the chocolate. Mix on medium-low until totally combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

You should probably lick this. It's okay. No one is watching. I'll wait. All done? Wasn't it delicious? Good. Let's move on to the cupcakes.

You need at absolutely sinful amount of butter. 4 sticks or 2 cups unsalted. Paula Deen would be so proud. Also find some sour cream (1 1/2 cups) and four eggies.

For the dry stuff, grab some baking soda (1 tbsp), all-purpose flour (4 cups), salt (1 1/2 tsp), and granulated sugar (4 cups. Yes. I'm serious.). Oh, and you'll also need 1 1/2 cups of cocoa powder. Sorry--forgot to snap a photo.

Finally, the goods: Guinness. Or a similarly dark stout. You'll need two cups, which turns out to be about 1 1/4 bottles. Ready? Let's go. Preheat your oven to 350°. If you want to. Or wait 'till later. Measure out your beer. It won't hurt it it's a few sips less than 2 cups. I promise.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the stout. Bring just to a simmer and then remove from heat. I never thought I would have a pan of butter and Guinness heating on my stove.

Grab your cocoa powder...

...and immediately whisk it into the butter/beer mixture until smooth. Set aside to let cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, mix your dry ingredients together in a big ol' bowl...

...and put the sour cream and eggies into another bowl. I love cracking eggs. It's my favorite part of baking. But I'm also completely terrified of finding a little baby chicken fetus inside. I would cry for days. Too much information? Alright. Moving on.

Cream together the sour cream and eggs using an electric hand mixer on low speed.

Ummm....don't lick these blades. Even I don't love sour cream that much. For the next step, grab a big bowl....

...and dump the sour cream/egg mixture into it. Pour the beer/cocoa/butter mixture on top. Mix on low with the electric hand mixer to combine.

Next, dump in the flour/sugar mixture. Beat a little with the electric mixer just to get it started...

...and finish it off with a spatula. Shiny.

Pour into greased (or lined) muffin pans. I usually use liners, but all I had were the ugly ones left from a Christmas variety pack. I couldn't handle dancing reindeer today. Where's Bella when I need 'em? Bake, one pan at a time, for 16-18 minutes or until...you know the drill. Clean toothpick. Or not. Sometimes I think when the whole toothpick comes out clean that I've already over-baked them. You're the judge of your own cupcake world---you decide.

I filled them up almost to the brim because I like big cupcakes.

Let cool on wire racks.

See what I mean? Ungodly amount of cupcakes.

Once the cupcakes have cooled and the ganache has hardened, let's frost those suckers. Give the ganache a good stir before we start.

Spread it around. Spread it around good. I used about a tablespoon and a half per cupcake and still had a little leftover. You frost 'em however you like 'em.

Oh my. A moment of silence, please.

I wasn't drinking that Guinness while eating a cupcake. You must be thinking of someone else.

Nope. Not me (*licks chocolate ganache from lips*).

The verdict on chocolate stout cupcakes? They were divine. Moist. Rich. Chocolatey with a hint of stout. The bittersweet ganache made them ultra-decadent.

When I make them again, however, I'll try a few variations:

1) Use a more flavorful stout. Maybe a local brew, or something with a little more body. Maybe I'll even boil a larger quantity down to make it more concentrated. I wanted more Guinness-y flavor and less sweet.

2) Halve the recipe. Too. Many. Cupcakes.

3) Try not to eat so dang many. There goes one full week of salads. Happy monday!  

The original recipe for chocolate stout cake can be found right here. Just follow the directions above to make them cupcakes. Enjoy!

Accent on the Butter: Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo bars are quite possibly one of the most perfect foods out there, comprised of a dense, chocolatey crust, a dreamy middle layer of custardy buttercream, and a thick slab of chocolate on top as a crowning glory. But what happens when you add peanut butter to all this awesome?

What happens, friends, is that you get an indescribeably rich, irresistible, salty-sweet dessert experience: this is the type of treat that peanut butter cups dream of becoming when they grow up.

Wanna try it out? Here's the recipe.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

- makes about 36 bite-size bars -

 Adapted from a recipe found on the City of Nanaimo website

Ingredients for bottom layer

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped roasted peanuts (or walnuts or almonds work nicely too)
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Ingredients for middle layer

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder or instant vanilla pudding powder
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit this if your peanut butter is salted)

Ingredients for top layer

• 4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 ounce each)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Procedure

1. Prepare bottom layer. Melt the butter, sugar, and cocoa in a double boiler until fully incorporated, but do not let the mixture come to a boil. Add the beaten egg and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press down firmly into an ungreased 8 x 8-inch pan; try to make the mixture as flat as possible in the pan. Let this cool for about an hour.
2. Prepare the middle layer. Cream the butter, peanut butter, instant pudding powder, salt, and confectioners' sugar together, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. If it is too thick, you might want to add a small quantity of milk or cream to the mixture, til it is of a spreadable consistency. Spread over bottom layer, once again trying to make the surface as flat as possible. At this point, I like to put the pan in the refrigerator, as it is easier to spread the top layer on when the buttery middle layer is a bit more solid.
3. Prepare the top layer. Melt chocolate and butter slowly over low heat. Once fully melted and incorporated, remove from heat and allow to solidify to the point where it is thick but still pourable. Pour over second layer as quickly as you can so that the middle layer doesn't begin to melt.
4. Let the bars cool for at least one hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Slow and Steady: Tortoise Vs. Hare Cupcakes Recipe from Cake Gumshoe Melanie

They say that slow and steady wins the race, but these cupcakes seem to inspire a race to see how quickly you can get them in your belly. CakeSpy reader Melanie recently sent on this recipe for Tortoise Vs. Hare cupcakes which combine carrot cake with turtle confections--and all I can say is that they are making me want to run, not walk, to the grocery store to buy the ingredients. Based on Melanie's lovely pictures though, it looks like both tortoise and hare win this one!

Tortoise vs. Hare Cupcakes

- Recipe c/o Melanie H. -

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter-room temp.
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 3/4 cup chocolate chunks (of your liking!)

Thick Caramel Icing (from Chokylit)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 6 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions for cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 18 muffin cups.
3. Whisk together flour, soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
4. In another bowl, beat eggs, sugar, brown sugar, butter, and milk.
5. With mixer on low, add flour mixture a little at a time until just blended. Stir in vanilla, carrots, pecans, and chocolate chunks.
6. Bake 20-22 minutes.

Directions for icing

1. Bring the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk to a boil over medium-high heat stirring to combine.
2. With a wooden spoon, stir all ingredients together and then slowly add the heavy cream.
3. Continue to stir for about 20 minutes until the caramel reached 248 degrees. It is important to continuously stir the mixture and to allow it to reach temperature.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Transfer to a bowl and continue to stir for 2-3 minutes allowing the caramel to cool slightly.

Pork Roll: Bacon Cinnamon Rolls By Rainy Day Gal

CakeSpy Note: This is a guest post from Rainy Day Gal (a.k.a. Jenny Miller), a fellow Seattle blogger with a major sweet tooth. Her current endeavor is "The 12 Days of Bakemas"--12 days, 12 recipes, and 12 million dirty dishes."

Yeah, you heard me.

You're not going to believe these. And you're really not going to
believe how ridiculously easy they are to make. My nine-month old could
bake em.

You need two ingredients:

1. Bacon.

2. Cinnamon rolls. I swear by these "Grands" Cinnabon doodleybobs.

Of course, if you're feeling ambitious, you could always make your
own. But if you're exhausted, have been picking up Cheerios off the
floor for two months, and have no energy to shower let alone make your own
dang cinnamon rolls, stick with me.

Click here for more!

First, fry up that bacon. Not all the way--give it sort of a half-fry. You
don't want to make it too crunchy because it'll snap when you try to roll
it up into those cinnamonny buns. Plus, it'll cook more in le oven.

Let it drain on paper towels. For big cinnamon rolls, you'll need two
slices of bacon per roll. For the tiny guys, you just need one.

Pop that can. How I looove that sound. Separate the rolls.

Unroll them on a piece of parchment paper or a big ol' cutting board.

Lay the bacon strips across the dough....

...roll 'em up...

...lay them in a greased pan and bake according to package directions.

Sit by the oven and twiddle your thumbs.

Ding! They're done!

Frost 'em.

Smell 'em.

Ready?

Set?

SWOON.

I think these things have to qualify as a religious experience. Someone
call the Vatican.

And it's a crime how easy they are to make. Something this good you should
have to work for, right?

Wrong.

Make these Christmas morning. Thank me later.

Happy 6th Day of Bakemas!

-RDG

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

1. Buy bacon.
2. Buy cinnamon rolls.
3. Cook bacon.
4. Roll bacon into cinnamon rolls.
5. Bake cinnamon rolls.
6. Frost cinnamon rolls.
7. Eat cinnamon rolls.
8. Repeat.

Babka's Your Uncle: A Carbohydratey Christmas Breakfast Idea from Rainy Day Gal

CakeSpy Note: This is a guest post from Rainy Day Gal (a.k.a. Jenny Miller), a fellow Seattle blogger with a major sweet tooth. Her current endeavor is "The 12 Days of Bakemas"--12 days, 12 recipes, and 12 million dirty dishes."

Bab-what? Bab-who?

The word is Babka, my friends, and you should really get to know each other.

What is babka, you ask? It's an eastern European bread twisted and rolled up with chocolate and cinnamony goodness, topped off with a sprinkling of streusel.

Why is it called babka? Because it's darn fun to say. Or, as my other good friend Wikipedia informed me, it stems from the Polish noun "baba," meaning grandmother--so-named because of its resemblance to a grandmother.

Huh. I don't know about your grandmother, but mine is definitely twisted, stuffed with chocolate and perpetually covered in streusel. Quite a fitting name, I'd say.

Before we get going, I must say: of what I have made so far in this 12 days of Bakemas adventure, chocolate babka has been by far my favorite. And here are the reasons why:

1) The dough is soft and chewy like the inside of a cinnamon roll.

2) Said dough is covered in melted chocolate.

3) The streusel on top gives it a buttery, sugary crunch.

4) It's pretty and swirly and twisty.

5) It's fun to say. Babka. Baaaabka. You try.

Alright. Enough talkie talkie. Ready to do this thing?

Let's go.

(Click here for the full recipe and directions!)

You need flour. Bread flour and all-purpose, please.

Also snag some cocoa powder, salt, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon from your pantry.

You'll also need vanilla extract, 1 packet of dry active yeast, cooking spray, butter, one egg (yolk only), and 3/4 cup of 1% milk.

And finally, the star of the show: Chocolate. Semi-sweet, and 4 ounces of it.

Now, put on that apron (or as I like to call it, an "old college sweatshirt") and let's begin.

Warm up the milk and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (make sure your camera is not in focus during this step: very important)...

...and that packet-o-yeast. Turn on the mixer and blend until the yeast has dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, measure out 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Turns out it's about 1/3 cup. Throw in 1/4 teaspoon salt while you're at it.

Add the sugar/salt mixture...

...1 teaspoon vanilla extract...

...and egg yolk. Give it a stir.

Measure out 1/3 cup all-purpose flour and add 1 1/4 cups bread flour.

Switch attachments to your dough hook, but not before pretending to be Captain Hook for 4 minutes.

Slowly add the flours while the mixer is running. Mix until a purdy dough begins to form.

Now, soften 5 tablespoons of butter...

...and add it to the dough. Mix until all of the buttah is incorporated.

Turn the whole mess out onto a floured surface. Warning: it's a gonna be sticky. And greasy.

Keep 1/3 cup all-purpose flour right next to ya...

...and knead for about 10 minutes, adding the flour a tablespoon at a time until it no longer sticks to your hands. The dough should be smooove and elastic.

Spray a bowl (non-metal, please) with cooking spray, plop in that mound-o-dough, give it a flip to coat the whole durn thing with cooking spray, cover, and let rest in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours (or until it's doubled in size).

Meanwhile, grab that bee-youtiful chocolate.

Give it a good chop...

...and throw it in a bowl.

Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder.

Give it a good stir.

Alrighty. We've done the dough and the filling. Now let's prep the streusel.

In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon butter, one tablespoon flour, and one tablespoon powdered sugar.

Mash it all up with a fork, and then stick it in the fridge until we're ready to use it.

Finally, let's get our bread pan ready. Line the bottom with parchment paper, and then spray the whole dang thing with cooking spray.

Now would also be a good time to preheat your oven to 350°.

Is your dough ready? If you're not sure, press two fingers into it. If the indentations stay put, it's good to go. If not, let it rise longer.

If it's ready, punch it down, re-cover, and let rest five minutes.

Now then. Flip it out onto a floured surface and roll into a 15"x15" square.

Spread out the filling on top of the dough, leaving a little room at the edges.

Roll it up nice and tight, pinching the edges closed....

...and give it a few good twists. That is what's going to make it all swirly and purdy.

Squeeze it into your bread pan. If it looks like a snake, that's cool. It won't taste like one. I promise.

Crumble the streusel on top, and stick this bad boy in the oven for 40 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when you tap the top.

Or until it looks like this.

Oh my.

This is going to be gooood.

Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack to let cool completely. And by "completely," I mean as long as you can prevent yourself from ripping that sucker in half and inhaling the whole dang thing.

I think I lasted all of 7.5 minutes. I then cut out the middle piece (above) and scarfed it.

Then I let the rest of the loaf cool like a good little gal.

I must say, this stuff was delicious warm and cold. When it was warm, the chocolate was melty and gooey. But when it was cold, the chocolate had hardened and gave it delicious little rungs of texture.

I'd love this bread warm on Christmas morning. Coffee, a warm, gooey slice of this chocolatey delight, and hanging out with my favorite peeps.

Heavenly.

Happy 12 Days of Bakemas!

-RDG

Chocolate Babka Recipe

from Cooking Light

• 
  
•  Ingredients for dough

1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3/4 cup warm 1% low-fat milk (105° to 110°)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
7.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 2/3 cups), divided
5.85 ounces bread flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and softened
Cooking spray

• 
  
• Ingredients for Filling
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 
  
• Ingredients for streusel
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 
  
• Procedure

1. Dissolve 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and yeast in warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and egg yolk. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 6 ounces (about 1 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour and bread flour to milk mixture; beat with dough hook attachment at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add 5 tablespoons butter, beating until well blended. Scrape dough out onto a floured surface (dough will be very sticky). Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add 1.5 ounces (about 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will be very soft).
2. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let dough rest 5 minutes.
3. Line the bottom of a 9 x 5?inch loaf pan with parchment paper; coat sides of pan with cooking spray.
4. To prepare filling, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and chocolate in a medium bowl; set aside.
5. Place dough on a generously floured surface; roll dough out into a 16-inch square. Sprinkle filling over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges. Roll up dough tightly, jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam and ends to seal. Holding dough by ends, twist dough 4 times as if wringing out a towel. Fit dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
6. Preheat oven to 350°.
7. To prepare streusel, combine powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, and 1 tablespoon softened butter, stirring with a fork until mixture is crumbly; sprinkle streusel evenly over dough. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until loaf is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool bread completely on wire rack before slicing.

Christmas Cookie Collection: Chocolate Cream Cheese Graham Cracker Bars

Ah, Christmas Cookie Season, that decadent and delicious time of year when moderation is thrown out the window. Sweet, sweet Christmas cookie season.

And in that spirit of rich decadence, here's a sweet little confection I recently made for the C+H Sugar Holiday recipe spree (full disclosure--they gave me a $20 gift card for ingredients. I felt fine about this as I often use their products anyway!). Dense, rich, and decidedly not low-fat or low-carb, these little morsels fall into the territory of so bad, but so good--and are completely habit-forming.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Graham Cracker Bars

- makes about 24 small bars -


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used C+H's baker's sugar, which is really quite wonderful--it falls somewhere between confectioners' and granulated sugar in texture)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (pecans would also work nicely I think)
• About 1 cup chocolate cream cheese frosting (it was leftover from a batch I made from this recipe)--or the frosting of your choice.

Procedure

1. Prepare the base. In a saucepan, heat butter and sugar until the sugar is completely absorbed in the liquid. Add beaten egg and stir to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs and nuts. Press into a greased and parchment-lined 8x8-inch pan. Pat in firmly and evenly. Let this chill for about 2 hours.
2. Spread the frosting thickly and evenly on top of the graham cracker base. Let chill until it is firm, and if desired, decorate the top with festive christmas icing (I used Wilton's glitter gel in red and green and their opaque writing icing in white).

Sweet Variation: Alternate Construction for the Berlinerkranser

Do you like the idea of the berlinerkranser , but not the idea of rolling and twisting dozens of cookies? Happily, there is a variation on the cookie which is a bit faster but no less delicious: using the same dough, the cookies can be formed into buttery little thumbprint cookies with pretty sprinkles on the side. Here's the recipe variation:

Berlinerkranser, Reconstructed

- makes about 36 cookies -

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 4 cups flour
  
• red and green candied cherries
  
• (optional) red and green sprinkles, mixed together in a small dish
  

Procedure

1. Mix butter, 1 cup sugar, orange rind, and eggs thoroughly. Stir in sifted flour until fully incorporated. Chill dough.
   
2. Heat oven to 400°F. Break off small pieces of dough and roll into circles, a little smaller than a ping pong ball.
   
3. With a finger, press an indent into each cookie and press a piece of candied cherry in the indent. If desired, roll the sides of the cookie in red and green sprinkles for a pretty effect.
   
4. Bake for 12 minutes, or until set but not brown.

Lovin in the Oven: Almond Tea Cake Recipe

So, a few weeks ago I received this package in the mail with a bunch of recipes from Love N Bake, a company which makes fancy pastry fillings (almond paste, praline filling, chocolate filling, etc). "Whatever" I thought.

And then two days later, a big ol' box of said fillings arrived in the mail. Sweet! I was excited not only because they were free (cheapskate!), but because each flavor had recipes on the label (don't you just love back of the box recipes?). So I set to trying out the recipe on their almond paste package, for Almond Tea Cake. Don't let its unassuming appearance deceive you--this cake is heavenly. Simultaneously light and buttery all at once, it's got an amazingly luxuriant feeling in the mouth, and is equally as delicious as a breakfast treat, teatime companion or (with whipped cream) a respectable dinner dessert.

Almond Tea Cake

• 1/2 cup almond paste (I used Love N Bake's...but you probably guessed that)
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 cup flour
  
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
  
• Optional: 1/2 cup white chocolate, cut into coarse pieces (I scattered them on top just before baking--yum)

Procedure

Beat the almond paste with the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add ther butter and beat until fluffy. eat in the eggs. Stir well and then fold in the baking powder, flour and vanilla.
Spread the batter into a greased 8-inch cake pan. If you'd like to add the white chocolate, add it now, scattering it evenly over the surface of the cake (it's ok if some sinks). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack, and unmold. If desired, dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Holiday Beer Cheer: Beer Honey Torte With Banana and Rum Flambe Recipe

In case you didn't know it, there's a website out there called BitterSweet Partnership--and it is dedicated to "unleashing women's love for beer". I know, who knew, right?
But I was instantly intrigued when they emailed me a rather delicious-looking dessert recipe (developed with UK chef Allegra McEvedy) which includes, of all things, an unlikely pairing of beer, bananas, honey and rum: a recipe for a Honey Torte with Banana and Rum Flambe. Now that sounded good enough to share! While I haven't tried the recipe yet, I thought it was fascinating enough to post. Feeling brave? Here's how you can make it:

Beewyched Christmas Honey Torte With Banana & Rum Flambé
Part of the Bittersweet Christmas Beery Menu

Ingredients

• 1 bottle beewyched beer
  
• 400g stoned dates – the stickier the better
  
• 1 tsp bicarb
  
• 50g sultanas
  
• 150g butter, unsalted and at room temp
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 180g ground almonds
  
• 100g plain flour
  
• 30g soft dark brown sugar
  
• half a tsp vanilla extract
  
• 3 tbsp honey
  

Topping ingredients

• 2 to 3 bananas
  
• a handful of flaked almonds
  
• 2 tbsp butter
  
• 2 tablespoons soft dark brown sugar
  
• 80ml rum
  
• 1 tub vanilla ice cream
  

Procedure

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160ºC. Simmer the dates and sultanas in the beer, stirring occasionally for 15 mins until like a very thick compote.
2. Either vigorously by hand or with an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter, then add the eggs one by one.
3. Sift the flour with the bicarb and then fold into the mix, along with the honey, ground almonds and vanilla extract.
4. Once the compote has reached a suitably dolloping consistency, spread it out thinly on a large plate/baking tray to cool down.
5. Use a knob of butter to grease the inside of a springform cake tin about 20cm across by 6cm deep. Then toss in a small handful of plain flour and coat the inside lightly in it, knocking out the excess into the mix.
6. When the date compote has stopped steaming, fold it into the mix and then tip everything into the cake tin.
7. Cook for 1hr 10mins, then leave to sit for 10mins before lifting out onto a serving plate (ideally your torte will still be warm-ish when you are ready to serve)
8. When it comes to the bananas, get a heavy-based frying pan onto a medium/high heat and melt the butter in it so that it starts to fizzle. Cut the bananas into oblique 2cm thick chunks and fry them and the flaked almonds for just a couple of minutes until the ’nanas begin to soften and get a slight colour.
9. Sprinkle on the soft brown sugar and swirl and toss until all the sugar has melted in the butter and the bananas are coated. Spoon these on top of the torte then take the cake to the table and turn off the lights!
10. In your smallest saucepan gently heat the rum until it’s steaming and just about to start simmering, then quickly pour the hot rum all over your cake and spark it up with a match. Voila!

Rocky Romance: Rocky Ledge Bars Recipe

@mseling (yes, I just referred to her by Twitter name) is a person I admire on many levels. She's an amazing writer; she's a fixture in the Seattle music scene; and--most importantly--she bakes a mean cookie. And at my recent cookie exchange party, she brought it--literally--with two amazing batches of delicious treats. Here's the first recipe of the two, which is a bar cookie, adapted from Martha Stewart's "Rocky Ledge Bar" recipe. Let me tell you, these bars--which are weighty little morsels, chock full of marshmallows, rich, buttery and caramel-y topping, and of course, chocolate--are serious business, but seriously delicious. Some might say they're too much, but I say they're just enough.

Rocky Ledge Bars
-makes 16 bars -
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Note: if you are in a crunch, you could make these using a brownie or blondie box mix--simply use the mix as specified on the box, omit the ingredients used for the cake base, and skip to step 3.

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
  
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  
• 1 1/2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
  
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 cup white chocolate, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
  
• 18 soft caramel-candy cubes, coarsely chopped

  Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the longer sides. Brush parchment with butter (not overhang).
   
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined. Mix in flour mixture until combined. Fold in half of each of the marshmallows, chocolates, butterscotch chips, and caramels.
   
3. Spread batter in prepared pan. Scatter remaining marshmallows, chocolates, butterscotch chips, and caramels on top. Bake until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Lift out of pan, and transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes.
   
4. Remove parchment, and cut into about 16 triangles. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.