26 Feb
Oldies But Goodies {#1}
Posted by Michelle as Favorites | 16 Comments
You know how when you have a fabulous pair of jeans you want to wear them all the time, wear them everywhere, never take them off? But then eventually you get a new pair of equally fabulous jeans, and little by little, the old pair find their way further and further into the deep recesses of your closet? Sometimes you even forget you still have those amazing jeans. You still love them, of course, but it’s just now you have something newer. The same phenomenon often happens with recipes. The Dark Chocolate Chip Scones that you still make all the time and are your mom’s favorite can get swallowed up in the deep recesses of the archives closet. After receiving some comments from readers about enjoying when I link back to old recipes that they may not have found otherwise, I decided to start a monthly feature here on Brown Eyed Baker, aptly named Oldies but Goodies.
At the end of each month I will highlight recipes from the archives that I have actually made during that month. It goes without saying that I do a lot more cooking and baking during the course of a month than shows up on this site, and many times I make favorite recipes. This is a way to share some of the things I’ve been up to in the kitchen, and for you to discover new recipes from the archives that you may not have otherwise stumbled upon. I hope you enjoy!
Let’s get to the February recipes! (Hint: There’s an abundance of chocolate and peanut butter!)
24 Feb
Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Posted by Michelle as Cookies | 60 Comments
What you have here is the ultimate trifecta of cookie goodness:
Peanut butter? Check.
Oats? Check.
Chocolate Chips? Check.
And there you have it – pretty much the most amazingly flavored cookies you could ever imagine. A great big thank you goes out to Jane, a reader who so kindly sent me this recipe as a thank you for sharing my recipes. She received this recipe from her mom, who found it on the back of a flour bag years ago and they have been a staple in her house ever since. I can certainly see why! As you might imagine, these are fabulous. Soft and tender from the peanut butter, a slight toasted flavor from the oats and just the right amount of sweetness from the chocolate chips. I think you’ll want to go ahead and start preheating your oven before you even read the rest of this post…
23 Feb
Espresso Ice Cream
Posted by Michelle as Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts | 38 Comments
I know, I know. February isn’t over, the Snowpocalypse aftermath has yet to totally melt, and here I am posting ice cream. No, i didn’t lose track of my calendar. I know the middle of winter isn’t the most popular time of year to be perusing ice cream recipes, but let’s be honest. There’s always a birthday cake that needs an ice cream accompaniment. There’s always a best friend that needs some cheering up. And there’s never a bad excuse to cozy up with a pint of your favorite flavor, put on your favorite movie and enjoy some me time. Ice cream knows no seasonal boundaries and it’s just as acceptable to enjoy a bowl in January as it is in June. And bonus – it won’t melt as fast!
This recipe was actually inspired by a Valentine’s Day gift and a breakfast trip. My Chief Culinary Consultant loves espresso and so for the holiday, I got him a hand-press espresso maker
22 Feb
Oven-Fried Onion Rings with Dipping Sauce
Posted by Michelle as Appetizers | 44 Comments
I adore onion rings. Love them, really. Although I hardly ever order them in place of French fries, I jump at the chance to get them as an appetizer. And now that Lent has rolled in and fish fries are in full swing, I love ordering onion rings to much on alongside that battered and fried cod sandwich. (I never claimed to be a health fanatic, now did I?) I wonder how many times a variation of the word “fry” was uttered in those first two sentences? It seems like a lot. Well, you’ll be happy to know that these are absolutely fabulous, flavorful onion rings that taste just like the best of restaurant appetizers, and they were not deep fried. They were pseudo-fried, in the oven. We’ll get to the details in a minute, but first – every good onion ring needs a spicy, kicky dipping sauce to go along with it. Sort of like the old saying that “behind every good man is a good woman”? Same thing. I did a little digging and found a copy cat recipe for the dipping sauce that is served at a certain chain restaurant alongside a certain blooming onion. The recipe rocks – it tastes just like the original. Now, on to the details of how you bake these beauties up…
21 Feb
Winner: King Arthur Flour Giveaway
Posted by Michelle as Giveaways | 2 Comments
Congratulations to the winner of the King Arthur Flour White Whole Wheat Flour and the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking
Commenter #76, Tiffany. She shared her favorite brownies:
“I won’t turn down even a boxed-mix brownies, but my favorite is to go to a potluck and see brownies with nuts on a plate. I never put nuts in brownies at home since hubby would be so disappointed.”
Congratulations, Tiffany, enjoy the new flour and the cookbook! Can’t wait to hear what you bake up from it!
Thanks for entering, everyone!
19 Feb
Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze
Posted by Michelle as Scones | 27 Comments
I’ve been on quite the scone tear here lately, what with the maple-oatmeal scones and then the quiche lorraine scones, and now these! I had been meaning to post a fabulous pumpkin scone recipe since back in October (procrastination, anyone?), but time simply slipped away from me and then the holidays rolled around, and well, you all know how that goes. Thanks to a reader, Rocio, who left a comment on the Brown Eyed Baker Facebook page asking for a pumpkin scone recipe and kicked my butt into gear! Scones are so easy to whip up and bake that there really is no excuse for not making some as soon as the urge strikes. I absolutely adore this pumpkin scone recipe – it is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy and although I have never had the Starbucks original, I honestly can’t imagine them being better than this homemade version. Plus, anything with two levels of icing has to be good, as a matter of principal.
18 Feb
20 iPhone Food Apps to Feast On
Posted by Michelle as How-To | 24 Comments
If you’re like most iPhone users, the phone is likely attached to your hip and goes wherever you go, including the kitchen and grocery store. I used to drag my laptop into the kitchen with me, but since getting an iPhone some 18 months ago, I find that I am relying less on my laptop and more on my space-saving phone to pull up recipes or conversions, or set a timer while I am in the kitchen. It can also be great for organizing lists for the grocery store and getting dinner ideas. I have found many great food-related apps that I use on an almost daily basis and thought that since many of you may be iPhone users as well, you might enjoy having some new apps to download and play with. From recipe databases to farmer’s market locators and grocery lists, you will be sure to find something that interests you in this list!
17 Feb
Secret Ingredient Brownies + King Arthur Flour Giveaway!
Posted by Michelle as Brownies and Bar Cookies, Giveaways | 613 Comments
I think you all are very well aware that I absolutely adore all things butter, sugar and chocolate. You may also have noticed that there aren’t healthy substitutes on this site, such as butter substitutes, using applesauce in place of oil, or Splenda instead of sugar. There is a very good reason for that – I simply don’t believe in it! I believe in the pure enjoyment of delicious desserts made from natural, high-quality ingredients that bring out the best flavors in a dessert. I’ve been asked how it’s possible that I’m not severely overweight since I do so much baking and run this website. Well, another thing I believe in is moderation. It all boils down to this – if you want to eat dessert, I believe you should eat the best dessert you can afford, health-wise. Whether it be a luxurious piece of dark chocolate, a chocolate chip cookie or a piece of cheesecake. If I’m craving chocolate, a fat-free, sugar-free pudding cup probably isn’t going to cut it, but a 1-ounce piece of smooth chocolate very likely will. Where am I going with this? While my philosophy is not to bow to substitutes to make yourself feel better about eating dessert, I don’t necessarily eschew making things that are naturally good for you either.
So, what is the secret ingredient in these brownies? White whole wheat flour.
How am I not a hypocrite? Using white whole wheat flour is an attempt add something to the diet (whole grain) as opposed to taking things away and replacing them with lower-quality ingredients that can compromise the final product.
14 Feb
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Posted by Michelle as Uncategorized | 13 Comments
Wishing you all a wonderful Valentine’s Day full of love with your significant others, children, family and friends.
XOXO,
Michelle
P.S. If you are on a last-minute search for great Valentine’s Day desserts, check out my Top 10 list of recommendations.
11 Feb
Creme Brulee {Celebrating 3 Years of Brown Eyed Baker!}
Posted by Michelle as Puddings and Custard Desserts | 36 Comments
Three years ago today, Brown Eyed Baker was born with a short little write-up and small picture about my favorite Italian Wedding Soup. My, how we’ve grown! I wanted to celebrate three years of fabulous food and fun with a favorite dessert that has yet to make its way to the site. While I usually always have a hankering for rich and decadent desserts like flourless chocolate cakes and creamy cheesecakes, when out to dinner I am often drawn to creme brulee to cap off my meal. I’m not sure if it has a fancy mystique that only calls to me when out to a restaurant, but it’s a treat that I always thoroughly enjoy. Pushing the spoon through the thin layer of caramelized sugar and watching it shatter like a piece of glass is a splendid moment. Something about that crisp sheet of sugar paired with the cool, smooth custard makes my taste buds dance like bumbling bees on a blooming flower.
