Smores Brownies

I am clearly developing an obsession with smores. First there was smores bars, then smores cookies, and now smores brownies! And you know what? These are my favorite...hands down!

If you're looking for a dessert to bring to some bbqs this summer, look no further. This will definitely be a crowd pleaser.

I don't really know what else to say about these except that they are insanely delicious! It's the Baked Brownie, plus graham cracker, plus marshmallow. I'm beginning to think you can addgraham cracker and marshmallow to any dessert and it will only make it better.


Smores Brownies
Recipe: Idea from Joy the Baker
Ingredients:

• 1 batch of Baked Brownie batter (or your favorite brownie recipe)
• 1 cup graham crackers, roughly crushed with your hands
• 12 big marshmallwos

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
   
2. Prepare brownie batter.
3. Mix in graham crackers
4. Pour into prepared baking dish and dot with 12 big marshmallows.
5. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.
6. Marshmallows will be browned and puffy but will deflate as the brownies cool. Cool for at least 20 minutes than slice with a sharp knife, cleaning the knife with hot water if it gets too messy and sticky.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (and My Blogiversary!)

Today marks 1 year since I started SugarCooking and what better way to celebrate than with cupcakes! Cupcakes seem to be my answer for everything. Birthday coming up? I'll make cupcakes! Barbeque this week? I'll make cupcakes! Going to a friends for dinner? I'll make cupcakes! Who had a heart attack? I'll make cupcakes!

These cupcakes were great. The batter was light and moist and it wasn't overly sweet. It tasted exactly like you would expect it to, like a snickerdoodle cookie in cupcake form. The recipe comes from Martha Stewart, and she recommended using her Seven Minute Frosting, but I thought a cinnamon cream cheese frosting would be better. And it was. I guess that's not really a fair statement since I've never tried the seven minute frosting, but I seriously cannot imagine anything tasting better than this frosting!

As part of my blogiversary celebration post, I'm posting my top 10 favorite posts from the last year. It was hard to narrow it down but here they are...


1. Oreo Cookie Cookies


2. Cappuccino Brownies


3. Smores Bars


4. Nutella Cookies


5. Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies


6. Smores Cookies


7. Key Lime Pie Ice Cream


8. Black & Tans (Like Black & White Cookies, but with peanut butter!)


9. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes


10. Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Recipe: Adapted from Martha Stewart, makes 14 cupcakes
Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
• 1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
4. To finish, combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar. Pipe frosting on each cupcake. Using a small, fine sieve, dust peaks with cinnamon-sugar. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are frosted; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 - 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
   
2. Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time). Beat until smooth and creamy.
   

Asian Turkey Burgers with Hoisin Mayo

Turkey burgers are one of my favorite things to make during the week. They're quick, easy, healthy, and make great leftovers the next day for lunch. I'm always looking for new flavor combinations and this asian style burger just replaced the greek style burger as our new favorite.

The burger gets most of its Asian flavor from grated ginger, grated garlic, and hoisin sauce added to the meat. It was also one of the most moist turkey burgers I've ever eaten. These burgers are great plain since they have so much flavor. Just add a drop of hoisin mayo and they're perfect!

Asian Turkey Burgers
Recipe: Adapted from Eating Well
Ingredients:

• 1.3 lbs of ground turkey (I used 93/7, but I think turkey breast would be fine too)
  
• 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
  
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 scallions, trimmed and sliced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• Hoisin Mayo (Recipe Follows)

Directions:

1. Combine the first 7 ingredients and mix well. Form the mixture into patties. (I made mine smaller than normal burgers and got 6 burgers. You should be able to get 4 - 5 regular sized burgers).
2. Sprinkle the patties with salt and pepper.
   
3. Heat grill or grill pan to medium high. Oil the grill and grill until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 5 - 7 minutes per side.

Hoisin Mayo
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonaise (I used light)
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• dash of sesame oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
   

Grilled Corn Salad

The other day I went to the store and fresh corn was on sale. It was 10 ears of corn for $2! Clearly, I had to buy some corn. I had no idea what I was going to make with it, but I knew I'd figure something out. And I did. And it was so good, I went back to the store 2 days later so buy even more corn and make the same dish again. Yes, you read that right. I might this corn twice in 2 days!

The recipe is pretty simple, but requires a little time and labor. This was my first experience grilling corn, so I read a lot of different methods before beginning. It seems like the preferred method is to keep the husks on, remove the silks, soak in water for about 30 minutes, then grill for about 20 minutes. That's exactly what I did and they came out so good!

I took bits and pieces from different corn recipes I saw and ended up with this. Some recipes call for mayo, sour cream, or creme fresh to be mixed in with the corn but I wanted the freshness of the corn to stand out so I just used a tiny bit of butter. The recipe calls for cotija cheese and I definitely encourage you to seek it out instead of replacing it because it really takes the corn to a whole new level!

Grilled Corn Salad with Cotija Cheese
Ingredients

• 8 - 10 ears of corn, silks removed, husks on (soaked in water for 30 min)
• 1/2 tbls butter
• Juice of 1 lime
  
• 1 tbls chopped, fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp ancho chili pepper (I'm a wimp with spice, add more if you want)

Directions:

1. After soaking the corn, grill on medium high for about 20 minutes.
2. When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the husks and cut the corn off the cob.
3. Saute in a pan over medium high heat with the butter, lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, chili powder, and chili pepper.
4. Add the cotija cheese just before you are ready to serve.
   

Banana Bars 2 Ways: Peanut Cream Cheese Frosting & Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm always looking for new ways to use up extra bananas. Don't get me wrong, I love banana bread, but I was looking for something a little different this time around. These frosted banana bars did not disappoint!


I couldn't decide between regular cream cheese frosting or a peanut butter cream cheese frosting. So what's a girl do to? Make both of course! Which one was my favorite? Well whichever one I was eating at the moment. Seriously, both frostings were amazing. The peanut butter cream cheese far exceeded by expectations. I wasn't sure how peanut and cream cheese would go together, but holy cow this stuff is incredible!

Ross preferred the peanut butter one hands down, but that's no surprise because he loves anything peanut butter. His first reaction when he tried a bite was, "Wow. You should put this frosting on more stuff!" (What he really meant is that I should make something chocolate and put it on that, because according to Ross while banana + pb is good, chocolate + pb is unbeatable).

The original recipe calls for a 10 x 15 jellyroll pan, but I divided the batter into two 8 x 8 pans. You could also make these in a 9 x 13 pan. Whatever you chose, cut them into small pieces but the icing is some sweet stuff!

Frosted Banana Bars
Recipe: Adapted from AllRecipes.com
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar (increase to 1/2 cup if you like it sweeter)
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 bananas)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan (or 9x13, or two 8x8's).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting (Enough for an 8 x 8 pan, double for 9 x 13)
Recipe: Adapted from SmittenKitchen

• 5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 - 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes
   
2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (Enough for an 8 x 8 pan, double for 9 x 13)
Ingredients:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 stick butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 - 3 cups confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes

Mocha Chip Cookies

Is there a maximum number times of times a food blogger can post a cookie recipe and declare that it's amazing? I hope not, because this is officially another one of my faves. Add that to my list with Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Smores Cookies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, these Oatmeal Cookies, and Oreo Cookie Cookies! (Wow, that's a lot of cookies!)

If you're thinking that you won't like this cookie because you don't like coffee, think again. Even coffee haters loved this cookie. The coffee flavor comes from 3 tablespoons of instant coffee powder mixed into the dough (I used instant espresso. Oops). The result is a wonderful, chewy cookie with a hint of coffee flavor that really adds to the depth of flavor.

I found the recipe on Framed, but it originally comes from the book Baking with Julia. The recipe says to throw in 1 pound of chocolate chips or chunks but it doesn't specify what kind. I ended up using half white chocolate chips and half dark chocolate chunks. I loved the white chocolate in there and would definitely recommend using at least half white chocolate if you make this recipe. The sweetness of the white chocolate really balanced out the coffee flavor.

Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe: Adapted from Framed, Originally from Baking with Julia
Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder - I used espresso powder
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks butter, cut into chunks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound chocolate chips or chunks - a mix of white chocolate and dark chocolate

Directions:

1. Whisk the flour, coffee, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
2. Beat the butter in a mixer until lightened. Add granulated sugar and beat for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat for another 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until blended.
3. Turn mixer speed down and add flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Add chocolate and mix until evenly blended in.
4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for several hours to overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350, and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Drop a heaping tablespoon full of dough onto sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes. (I baked mine for 11 minutes and they were perfect. They looked underbaked, but after cooling on the pan for 2 minutes, and then cooling on the rack, they were perfectly chewy)
   

Caprese Chicken & My Go-To Chicken Marinade

If you're looking for something quick, healthy, and delicious to jazz up some grilled chicken, this is it. This is a really light and fresh summer meal. And the best part is, you don't even have to turn on the oven! I threw together the bruschetta a few hours before dinner, then went outside to grill the chicken 15 minutes before we were ready to eat. To quote Ina, "How easy is that?". We love anything with tomato and mozzarella in the this house, so I know this would be a hit.


The marinade I used for this chicken is my standard grilled chicken marinade. I use it A LOT in the summer. It's amazing what a difference a little marinade makes. The recipe below was scaled down from the original quantities, I used this to marinade 3 boneless, skinless breasts, but it would probably be enough for 4.

Chicken Marinade
Recipe: Adapted from AllRecipes.com
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard (I used regular mustard)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir in mustard powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Use to marinate chicken before cooking as desired. The longer you marinate, the more flavor it will have.

Caprese Chicken
Recipe: Adapted from BakedBree
Ingredients:

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 of a medium red onion, finely diced
• 1 cup of mozerella, diced
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
  
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Add all the dry ingredients to the bowl. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste and combine. Don't be shy on the salt, it really brings out the flavor of the tomatoes!
   
2. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar to taste and mix together. I probably used about 1/4 cup of each.