Guest Post: Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

Happy day after National Peanut Butter Day!  In retrospect, I should have shared this post yesterday but it wasn't until it was too late that we realized this day even existed.  How in the world my peanut butter loving husband missed the "celebration" of his favorite food beats me!

Regardless, here's a recipe in honor of that special day.  It's a guest post by my husband and there's both photo documentation and me vouching for the fact that he indeed made this cake ALL BY HIMSELF.  Yes, even the decoration of the cake!

Chocolate chips and peanut butter chips and Reese cups, oh my!

One of my Facebook fans asked if he cleaned up his own mess, too.  And the answer is YES!  In fact, my husband is so sweet he often cleans up after me while I'm cooking up a storm in the kitchen.  Am I a lucky gal or what?  Sorry ladies, he's taken ;).

I followed the original directions to the ganache which yielded wayyy more
drizzle than was needed.  And hey, you can't let good ganache go to waste!

Here's Chris' post and review.  He's pretty excited to be in charge of desserts now because it means he gets to make what  HE likes.  Which...of course is all things peanut butter and chocolate!

My two favorite flavors are: peanut butter and chocolate. Combine them - and it becomes exponentially better! That's also what makes Reese's my favorite candy. Combine Reese's with chocolate brownies, peanut butter cheesecake - that's what I call a dessert! I found this recipe and decided to venture into baking some of my favorite desserts since at some point Christine might get sick of making them! I made this for our friend's Christmas get-together. There was a dessert competition and I won "Best Presentation"! Everyone also agreed that it was very good tasting as well. It was quite a bit of work but it was worth it!

For those that are wondering, you don't actually want to know how many calories are in this thing.  Just close your eyes, eat, and ENJOY!  But then again, did you REALLY think it would be remotely healthy given the name and ingredients?  Yeah didn't think so.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

Ingredients
For the Brownie Crust

• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted + Extra for greasing
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Flour
• ⅓ cups Unsweetened Cocoa
• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Peanut Butter Chips
• 6 whole Peanut Butter Cups, Cut Into Quarters

For the Cheesecake Filling

• 2 pounds Cream Cheese, Softened
• 5 whole Eggs, Room Temperature
• 1-½ cup Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
• 1 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
• ½ cups Whipping Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

For the Decoration

• 1/4 cups Whipping Cream
• 1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter Chips
• 7 Peanut Butter Cups, Cut In Half

Directions
For the Brownie Crust:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a deep 9-inch Springform pan with extra butter. (We use this one from Wilton.  It is 9" diameter and nearly 3" tall.  If you use one any smaller, you'll need to reduce the cheesecake filling or it will overflow!  It's a tight fit to begin with...ours barely fit!)
2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with spoon or wire whisk. Add eggs; stir until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Spread in prepared pan.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan. Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see step #1 below).
4. Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups over brownie surface. Spoon cheesecake mixture over chips. Turn down oven 325° and continue with cheesecake filling step #2 below.

For the Cheesecake Filling:

1. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour filling into prepared crust.
2. Double-wrap Springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping in. To do this, cut a large square of foil and place the pan in the center.  Wrap the foil up the sides so that the seam of the pan bottom and springform side is covered.  Leave the top uncovered. Place Springform pan into a larger baking pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the Springform pan.
3. Bake at 325 degrees 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan somewhat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating. I tend to make cheesecakes a day ahead to let things set.
5. Remove cake from pan and put on a pretty plate.

Chris' Cheesecake tip: to get the cake off you just need to heat up the bottom of the pan a bit and the cake should come off easily. I remove the sides, then hold the pan over a burner on my stove – set to LOW – for about 15 or so seconds. Then run a long cake spatula under the cake and it should slip easily off the pan. Just be careful – the bottom of the cake is now very slippery.

For the Decoration:

1. Bring whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan.
2. Remove from heat and add semi-sweet and peanut butter chips. Stir, stir, stir until melted and smooth.
3. Drizzle over cake and then add peanut butter cup halves around the edge of the cake.

Chris' Decoration tip: I dipped the cut edge of the peanut butter cups into the ganache before placing it on the cake.  This served as a sort of "glue" to hold the decorations in place!

Source: Slightly modified from Erika at Tasty Kitchen

Guest Post by SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl: Grilled Filet with Bourbon Butter

Here we are with my final guest blogger.  Did you enjoy all of the new blogs that I shared?  As I said from the beginning, I hope you found a new one to love and follow.  There was a bit of something for everyone because bloggers come from all life-stages...from high school to young professional to mommy.  All of us are so different and yet we all share a love for cooking and blogging!

Desiree (or Desi for short) the voice of SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl, is a fellow Cincinnatian and Secret Recipe Club Group C member.  I'm always excited to meet others in the area that share my passion for food.  Desi and I even joked about how we annoy our (not-as-food-loving) friends by taking pictures of our food whenever we go out to eat.  I told her we really ought to get together for dinner or drinks sometime :).

When Desi sent me her recipe, I could practically smell and taste the steak through my screen.  Like...I wanted to go over to her house immediately to eat this thing!  My husband's favorite cut of meat is filet and yet we have never tried to make it a home ourselves.  We did take a cooking class together once at The Learning Kitchen where we made filet on a grill pan but that was the end of that (so much for using our newly acquired skills, huh?).  But now, between this recipe, her Filet Mignon with Creamy Mushroom Sauce, and the fact that we're buying 1/16th of a cow this fall, we have no excuses!  (Seriously, you can come back and ask me later if I made some succulent filet mignon with those cows...who...oddly enough are named T-Bone and Ribeye...but that will be a story for another day.)

I'd also love to try making her Bacon Pancakes with Maple-Peanut Butter Syrup (BACON!  And breakfast foods again with peanut butter for the hubby...surprised?  I think not.).  After all is said and done, I'd wash everything down with Cherry Limeade Slushies, my favorite drink to order when we go to Sonic Drive-In.

I'll be seeing you all with a personal post next week if I'm not entirely jetlagged.  Hello to all of my new (and veteran) readers!  Where do you come from?  Any other Great Cincinnatians?  Leave me a comment and stay tuned, okay? :)

One Year Ago: French Onion Soup
Three Years Ago: Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

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Why hello there! I'm so happy to be guest posting on Christine's blog today! My name is Desi and I host a little blog called SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl. It's so cool that Christine and I are both part of the Secret Recipe Club, and both live in the Cincinnati area. 

I love bacon, salted caramel, margaritas, and steak and potatoes of course :) 

But I realized something. I don't have many steak recipes on my blog. 

And I'm the steak n potatoes kinda gurl! 

So here's my attempt to change that. 

A delicious and simple grilled steak recipe that I personally love...

...Grilled Filet with Bourbon Butter.

The perfect steak with the perfect topping. 

Grilled Filet with Bourbon Butter

Bourbon Butter from Traeger

• Two filet mignons
• Salt and pepper for seasoning, if desired

 Bourbon Butter

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Note: Butter can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until serving time. You may want to let the steaks sit out of the fridge for 10-20 minutes also to come to room temp.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, bourbon, green onion, parsley, salt and pepper and stir with a wooden spoon.

Season steaks with salt and pepper, if desired. Place steaks on the grill on medium-high and cook, turning once, until done to your liking in the center of thickest part. Transfer the steaks to a plate and top with the bourbon butter. 

Printable Recipe

You can use whatever cut of meat you like but we like tender filet steaks. The bourbon butter was a nice topping and the bourbon wasn't overpowering, for me at least. And we like our steaks cooked medium with a touch of pink inside.

You can even make the steaks indoors using a skillet. And the bourbon butter is oh so easy. 

This is definitely going in the grilling rotation! And it's been a pleasure guest posting here at Christine's Kitchen Chronicles :)

Peace, and bacon grease!

 

Guest Post by Coffee and Cannolis: Mini Frittatas

Any coffee lovers out there?  How about cannolis?

Well, like I said in my last post, I'm not much of a coffee drinker but I do LOVE cannolis (Umm have you been to Mike's Pastry in Boston? Yum!).  I also am a fan of  Coffee and Cannolis!  Angie, the voice behind this blog, is another What's Cooking message board member but I only recently started following her myself.
She had my attention at her Baked Cinnamon Sugar Churros (I had tried a fried Churro Bites recipe but am always looking for equally delicious baked versions of fried foods).  After that point, I went back and pursued her other recipes.  I bookmarked a couple recipes that I know my peanut butter, dessert loving husband would go crazy over: Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake with Pretzel Crust and Peanut Butterfinger Mini Cheesecakes.  I honestly don't know which one would he'd like more but can say that they'll definitely be contenders for future birthday cakes.  I also saw Angie post a recipe for Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips, one that I love but realized I have never shared on my own blog.

Today she has chosen to share a super easy savory recipe and she must have read my mind because I love breakfast foods!  I love a good frittata or quiche but my egg-hating husband would never go for it.  This recipe would work well in my house because I could eat a few and then freeze the rest for later.  I can also add whatever leftover veggies and meats I have for customized flavors.  Awesome! It'll get filed right next to the Bacon Egg and Toast Cups for quick, bite-sized eggy breakfast treats.

One Year Ago: Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cheesecake - A past birthday cake for my husband...and it was 9 LAYERS high!
Three Years Ago: Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili

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Hi!  My name is Angie from Coffee and Cannolis, and I’m so excited to be able to guest post today on Christine’s Kitchen Chronicles!  I have been following Christine for a few years now, so it’s an honor to be able to help her out with a post while she’s busy!  (And PS – have you seen that S’Mores Pizza?  I cannot wait to try it!)

Since you may not know me – a few things… I am a (new) mom to 15-month-old Tyler, who takes up A LOT of my time, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!  With what little free time I get, I enjoy baking and cooking (and Pinterest, Netflix Instant Queue, reading…).  Since my free time has been cut significantly, I’ve learned to take some shortcuts, make adjustments, and that I don’t have to get a completely gourmet meal on the table every night.  My new goal (aside from just getting the kid to eat!) is to create REAL food that anyone can make.  Quickly and easily, with as few convenience foods as possible.  I wish I were superwoman, but alas I am not.

In efforts to save some time in the kitchen while still getting a healthy breakfast in my son’s tummy, I’ve discovered my love of these mini frittatas!  I like to make them on Sunday during nap time, or even once he’s down for the night, and freeze them to grab throughout the week.  Not only are they quick and freezer-friendly, they’re very versatile.  Your kids LOVE broccoli?  Throw some in.  You have a kid like mine that loves turkey sausage and super sharp white cheddar cheese?  Well, good news – these are fantastic with sausage and cheese!

Mini Frittatas

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs
• ½ cup milk or half and half
• Salt and Pepper
• Assorted Mix Ins, such as: Shredded Cheese, Cooked Sausage Crumbles, Diced Peppers, Diced Steamed Broccoli

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray
2. Whisk together eggs, milk and salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Evenly distribute egg mixture among the 12 muffin cups.  Add about 2 tablespoons of mix-ins to each cup.
3. Bake about 20-25 minutes until the eggs are puffy and the edges are golden brown.  (If necessary, run a butter knife around the edges to loosen before removing from pan). 

Makes 12-mini frittatas

* These can be frozen in a freezer-weight bag.  To defrost I pull them out and keep in the fridge overnight, and just microwave for 10 seconds for my son, 30-45 seconds for me!

Source: Disney’s Family Fun

Guest Post by Mother Thyme: Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

New week, 3 new guest posters!  And today, I'm FINALLY flying back home from Asia.  But my travels don't stop there because on Sunday I'm off to drive to another US city for a couple days and then this coming weekend, it's yet another flight to New York City for a friend's wedding and visiting my grandma and other extended family while I'm out there.  Phew.  September is certainly a whirlwind of a month for me!

To start the week, I'm sharing one of my new favorite blogs, Mother Thyme. Jennifer is the author of the blog and I first discovered it through being in Secret Recipe Club Group C together. I fell in love with her gorgeous photography (lots of beautiful examples below!) and am just thoroughly impressed by the catalog of recipes that she has amassed on her blog.  Seriously, the number of her recipes I've recently bookmarked to try is out of control and I struggled with which to highlight in my post today.  

I decided on a theme of Fall flavors and comfort foods.  There's something about the weather turning cooler that makes me crave things like:

• Baked Gingerbread Donuts - Any excuse to break out my donut pan!
• Hot Caramel Cocoa - Always a cocoa drinker over coffee anyday. Add caramel? Heaven.
• How to Make Pumpkin Puree - This will be useful in the coming months.  Homemade always tastes so much better than canned and is worth the effort in my opinion.
• Lasagna with Homemade Lasagna Noodles - Speaking of homemade, I think I should give homemade noodles a try again.  I did it last year as part of my 23 Things in 2011 challenge but found it so cumbersome.  Perhaps I just need more practice.  I do feel bad only using it once so far...my husband did buy me that Kitchen Aid Pasta Roller Attachment last Christmas after all...
• Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Noodle Soup - I eat soup year round and am always on the hunt for new varieties to try.  Especially ones that are for the crockpot!

Amazingly, Jennifer does this all while being a mother to two year old twins!! I can only aspire to the level of cooking, blogging, and motherhood that Jennifer has achieved. I also think perhaps I should get tips from her for my friend Emily, also expecting twin girls soon!

Today she shares a yummy looking coffee cake which will also make my "to-make" list. Some of my other favorite coffee cakes: Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Berry Buttermilk Cake...both are sorta dessert, sorta breakfast!

One Year Ago: Easy Cannelini Bean and Ham Soup 

Three Years Ago: Barbecue and Chicken Pizza

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Hi I’m Jennifer, the voice behind the blog Mother Thyme.   A big thank you to Christine for inviting me to her delicious blog today.  

When I head out with my adorable twins to visit friends or family I like to bring something sweet.  And who doesn’t like to be the recipient of a sweet treat?  I often bake a warm batch of cookies, a loaf of one of my favorite quick breads or my Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.  Packaging any of these goodies and taking it to someone to share can brighten anyones day.  

This delicious cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert.  It is a  classic coffee cake with a thick layer of sweet cream cheese in the center.  

Ready to dive in?

Anytime I cake justify cake for breakfast I’m happy.

Want to know the best part?

It is so easy to make!  

Now won’t this impress everyone the next time you serve this?  

Let me not forget to mention this is so good!  No.  It is actually really, really good.   

Make a pot of coffee, and enjoy a slice or go ahead and have two.  Trust me, you’ll be happy!

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Print recipe

Ingredients:

For Filling:

• 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened (light or regular)
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

For Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream (light or regular)
• For Streusel Topping:
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, chilled and cubed

For Topping:

• ¼ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour a 9” x 13” cake pan and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer in a medium bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla and blend on medium-low speed until creamy.  Set mixture aside.
3. In separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.  
4. Using an electric mixer in a large bowl cream butter and sugar on medium-low speed.  Add eggs one at a time then vanilla extract.   Gradually add in flour mixture alternating with sour cream until it is all combined.  
5. Spread half the batter in prepared cake pan.  Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on top.  Top with remaining cake batter.  Using a butter knife, gently swirl in the batter.  
6. Add sugar, flour and butter in a small bowl and stir using a fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of cake.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool on rack.
9. In a small bowl combine confectioners sugar and milk until creamy.  Drizzle over cake.  

About Mother Thyme

Jennifer is a mom to two year old twins and the creator of Mother Thyme creating fast and easy family friendly meals that incorporate fresh ingredients with common ingredients already on hand.

Find Mother Thyme-

Blog- Mother Thyme

Facebook- Mother Thyme

Twitter- @MotherThyme

Pinterest- MotherThyme

Guest Post by The Barbee Housewife: Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos

So what did you think of my latest Secret Recipe Club post on Monday?  It was nice to be back and "talking" with you again, even if it was scheduled in advance.  By now, I've now jetted off to my second Asian destination...but still a few days yet before I get to come home.

And so continues the series of guest posters.  We're on #3 of 6 so the fun is still just beginning!  Caroline of The Barbee Housewife is another What's Cooking message board member.

For her post, she chose to share a taquito recipe.  Now, I have tried the Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos that have been floating around the blogosphere before and enjoyed them (freeze well, too!).  I can't wait to try this version as well because can you really go wrong with the addition of bacon?  No, you cannot.  Plus, it gives me another reason to use my Homemade Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning!

Other things that caught my eye on Caroline's blog?  Pig Candy (Candied Bacon), Orange and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin, and S'mores Popcorn!  Looks like I'll have quite a bit of cooking to do once I return home!

One Year Ago: Potato and Tomato Gratin and Foil-Baked Fish with Black Beans and Corn (featured on Once a Month Mom's freezer cooking May 2012 Diet Menu!)

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Hi, I am Caroline, of The Barbee Housewife, and I have the great honor of featuring on Christine's Kitchen Chronicles today, and I am so excited! My blog is a way for me to share my love for cooking with the world, because otherwise it would only be for my husband and myself, which seemed like a shame to me. We love to entertain at the Barbee household so on my blog you will find a lot of delicious appetizers that will impress others and the ease of the preparation will be just our secret!

Today, I am going to share one of our very favorite appetizers, chicken bacon ranch taquitos. The ingredients in the name say it all, who couldn't like these? It is perfect for a crowd, they are delicious and I think even your pickiest eaters will love them. These are a win-win situation because you can prep them before hand and just throw in the oven minutes before your guests arrive so you will have your house smelling amazing. Did I just say throw in the oven and taquitos? That is right, a good, ole' fashioned favorite baked instead of fried, and you will not miss the fried one bit, I can promise you that.  This recipe is for a party appetizer so it makes twenty, however,  it can easily be halved!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos
Source: Carrie's Sweet Life, via Six Sisters' Stuff

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Cream Cheese, 8 oz. softened
• 12 slices of Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 cups of Chicken, cooked and shredded, Rotisserie Chicken is perfect for this
• 1 packet of Ranch Dressing Mix
• 2 cups of Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
• 3-4 tablespoons of Green Onions, chopped
• 20 Flour Tortillas, 6-inch size
• Salt
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray

Directions:

1. First, pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Next, get out a large baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil. Spray it with your non-stick cooking spray.
3. Now, get out a large bowl. Mix together the cream cheese, bacon, chicken, ranch dressing mix, cheese, and green onions. Make sure all of these ingredients are combined well so you get some in each bite.
4. Now, you are going to roll these taquitos one at a time so get ready. Have one tortilla and place 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture in each taquito and roll it up. Place it seam-side down on the cooking sheet. Repeat until all of your tortillas are made and no mixture is left to spare.
5. Next, spray the tops of the taquitos with your non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
6. Finally, place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes for the last 30 seconds-1 minute change the temperature on your oven from bake to broil so these taquitos will get a nice browning on top.
7. When you pull them out of the oven, let cool and then slice in half diagonally and serve with ranch dressing for dipping.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Guest Post by Jenna's Cooking Journey: Oatmeal Caramelitas

Today I'm happy to share with you a blogger from a local online cooking community that I participate in, What's Cooking?.  I love how vibrant the community is and there are people on there from novices to the food blog famous.  Each day, everyone shares the recipes that they've created.  It is also how I came to become part of the Recipe Swap.

Jenna and I both started cooking about the same stage in our lives - when we were in college and therefore needing to be able to provide sustenance for ourselves.  She, again like me, shares a variety of foods on her blog - mostly savory (such as this Breakfast Grilled Cheese that I think would be delicious...any excuse to eat grilled cheese all times of day!) with a sprinkling of sweet (such as Better than Sex Cake - my mother-in-law introduced me to this dessert...it is pretty darn amazing! and S'mores Brownies).

Please check out the rest of Jenna's blog at Jenna’s Cooking Journey!

Three Years Ago: Sausage, Onion, and Green Pepper Fra Diavolo

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When Christine asked for people to guest post on her blog, I jumped at it. I still feel pretty new to blogging (about a year and a half), and have only done one guest post, so I thought it would be fun.

I got into cooking in college, but really started cooking when I met my husband. I love finding new recipes and challenging both of us to try new things. Please drop by my blog Jenna’s Cooking Journey to check out my posts.

These bars are absolutely delicious. It was hard for me to send these bars into my husband’s office because I wanted to keep them all for myself. The bars are a little crumbly, so they definitely have to be paired with a napkin or a plate, but the chocolate and caramel center is so good that you forget about the crumbles going everywhere.

Oatmeal Caramelitas

from Just Baked

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks of butter (1 cup), at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
• 2 cups Quick-Cooking Oats
• 1 (14-ounce) bag Kraft soft caramel candies (about 50), unwrapped
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish (or use nonstick baking spray).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until creamy.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture and blend until incorporated. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold in the oats. The mixture will be crumbly.
5. Transfer half (about 3 cups) of the mixture to the baking dish. Use your fingers to gently press and spread the mixture evenly on the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes to set.
6. While the first layer is baking, place the caramels and milk in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramels are melted. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
7. Remove the crust from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Carefully pour the caramel mixture on top of the chocolate chips, and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the bars are set. Cut into squares.

Guest Post by Whisks & Ruffles: Beef with Black Pepper Sauce

Good morning friends!

As this post goes live, it is currently 7PM on Wednesday in Asia and I am STILL on a plane.  Yep, I left just before 7AM on Tuesday (September 11th...still gets small gasps from people...) and will not arrive to my final destination in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia until nearly 10PM local time (10AM for those in the US Eastern Time Zone).  Aye!

So, while I'm gone, I have several guest posters that I will be featuring here on my site.  I am so extremely thankful for them to be helping me out with posting or I'm pretty sure I'd lose my mind.  I highly encourage you to check out their sites and hopefully you'll follow them regularly as I do, too.

My first guest poster is Angelina of Whisks & Ruffles.  Though she's new to blogging, you can tell she's dedicated to her nurturing her blog because she invested in a custom domain name AND a received a new DSLR to take those beautiful photos that make you drool on your keyboard. A couple of  recipes I would love to try sometime are her Korean Samgyeopsal (Pork Belly) with Ssam Jang (Soybean Past Dipping Sauce) and Pajori (Green Onion Salad) and Fancy 4-Cheese Mac and Cheese (omg am I sucker for a good mac and cheese!).

Angelina volunteered to guest post when I put out a request on my facebook fan page.  When I looked at her profile on facebook, I realized we had a mutual real-life friend in common.  She went to college with my good friend Jackie.  But that's not all we have in common, as you'll see from her introduction below.

By the way, everything she says about growing up in an Asian household and trying to replicate "recipes" is totally true!  If you don't believe me, check out my post on Grandpa N's Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Buns) - See the theme with the recipes scrawled on tiny scraps of paper! - and family recipes tag to see my own (mis)adventures!

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Hello! This is Angelina from Whisks & Ruffles. Like Christine, I’m a twenty-something engineer by day and a cooking wife by night. I love to cook, bake, decorate, party plan, and anything wedding-related! Yes, I’m a newlywed and I just can’t help it! Head over to my site to read on my adventures!

Beef with Black Pepper Sauce

Growing up in an Asian household, I’m always in awe of what my mom whips up in the kitchen. It’s so hard to pin-point her recipes though, since she always seems to eye-ball the ingredients. Her food always tastes so amazing, and it’s difficult for me to replicate, because well… her eye-balling is not the same as my eye-balling I guess... but with time, I became wiser, and I learned. At least I’d like to think so!

Whenever I feel like an easy Asian stir-fry, I use the Beef with Black Pepper recipe I found on the Taiwan Center website as a guide. This recipe actually has been posted on my fridge door for quite some time, but whenever I feel like making this dish, I only use it to remind me of the ingredients, and I find myself eye-balling the amount of sauces I add in.

For my guest post at Christine’s Kitchen Chronicles, I attempted to pin-point my recipes, so that you readers can actually try this at home! As I added ingredients, I actually measured them and wrote them down. Finally, I updated the recipe on my fridge! Hooray!

Here’s the before and after recipes (pardon my Disney magnets)

Ingredients:

• ¾ - 1 Lbs. Beef
• 2 Tbsp. Chopped Garlic
• ½ Large Onion, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. Canola Oil
• 1 Broccoli Bunch

Beef Marinade (mix all together)

• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• ½ Tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• 1 tsp. Rice Vinegar

Black Pepper Sauce (mix all together):

• 3 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
• 2 tsp. Sugar
• 4 Tbsp. Water
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper (use less if you don’t like your food spicy!)

Directions:

Marinade the beef for about 30 minutes using the marinade recipe above. I used “beef hanging tenders” that’s already pre-sliced, but you can slice your own beef sirloin.

Cut up broccoli and steam. Set aside.

In a large wok, heat up canola oil and toss in chopped garlic and onion. Stir until onions are starting  to brown and garlic becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Introduce the marinated beef and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until beef is half-cooked.

Pour in the Black Pepper Sauce, and continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes, until beef is fully cooked.

Serve beef on top of a bed of steamed broccoli from step #2. You can also use Chinese Broccoli (Gai-Lan) or Bok Choy. If you don’t feel like eating veggies you can also skip this part.

I ate my Beef with Black Pepper with a bowl of steamed rice. Delish!

Thank you Christine for letting me guest-post on your blog!

When I ran across the street to buy my last-minute much-needed oyster sauce from a local grocery, I saw some corn on sale, and it reminds me of your Creamed Corn! I wish summer never went away, but Ican’t wait to try this recipe and reminisce the good summer days…

Xo,
Angelina

Guest Post: General Tso's Chicken

Today I've invited my friend Emily to guest post for me.  You'll probably recognize her drool worthy photography from some of my Dinner Club posts as well as our recent Apple Extravaganza from October.  I'm always envious of her skills both in the kitchen and behind the lens.  She's an amazing person and I'm so glad to have her as a friend.  Hopefully this won't be the last that you see of Emily on this blog ;).

If you'd like to guest post, please leave a comment!

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 This officially marks my first food blog post. Ever. Seriously. I’ve taken hundreds of photos of food I’ve cooked…and baked….and grilled….and, sometimes, when I’m feeling rebellious, even fried. But, never once written a blog post. So, as you can imagine I was a bit reluctant to take Christine up on her offer for a guest post, but I’m not one to turn down trying new things. Especially those food-related.

The recipe I’m sharing with you all today is quite the standard: General Tso’s Chicken. I’m sure this one has been done a hundred thousand times over, across blogs, recipe sites and the like. Heck, I would argue that this dish has been over done. However, the reasons I wanted to post this are two-fold:

First, I’m generally anti-fry. I’m more or less a border-line health nut about 80% of the week (the other 20%? Well, that’s what weekends are for!), making this recipe fall squarely outside of my comfort zone. I confess, we own a Fry Daddy (I blame the husband!), but require it never be used inside. There are few things that will make my stomach turn, but waking up to a kitchen with the lingering odor of a McDonald’s only results in my being overcome by the urge to shower. Or exercise. A lot.

Good news! This recipe does NOT require a Fry Daddy. Seriously, nothing ever should. And, yet….

Second, I was quite frankly blown away by the end result. It was border-line restaurant comparable. I’m not kidding. Let’s just say the husband put this recipe in his Top 5, and mandated it have a regular appearance in “The Rotation.” On one condition: that I continue to keep his plate broccoli-free (you see what I have to deal with?). 

And now, for the main event….

General Tso’s Chicken

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN

• 1-½ teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 whole Large Egg White
• ¼ cups Plus 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• Canola, Peanut, Or Vegetable Oil For Frying
• Flour to coat the chicken (1/2 - 1 cup, depending on desired coating)

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1 Tablespoon Peanut, Canola Or Vegetable Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Ginger Root
• 1 cup Chicken Broth Or Stock
•  ¼ cups Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Chinese Chile-garlic Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons sugar. (The original recipe calls for Raw (turbinado Or Demerara) Sugar, but I’m not sure it matters either way)

FOR SERVING:

•  4 whole Scallions, Thinly Sliced
• Steamed Rice (we’re partial to sushi rice, but I’m sure this would taste phenomenal with sawdust, so it matters not!)
• Steamed Broccoli

Preparation Instructions

1. Prep your chicken: In a mixing bowl, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, egg white, and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch until a thick slurry forms. It will look gummy but smooth. Add the chicken pieces and stir until all are evenly coated. At first it may appear that it will not come together but it does! Set chicken aside, covered lightly with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Begin the sauce: Add the tablespoon of oil to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Stir the garlic and ginger into the oil and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour into the garlic and ginger, stirring, until the sauce becomes thick and shiny. Once the sauce thickens, lower heat and keep the saucepan over a low burner partially covered to stay warm.
3. To fry the chicken: Heat 1/2-inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed, high-sided frying pan or skillet over high heat. In the meantime, add the flour to your coated chicken, mixing everything together. When the oil is shimmering, add one piece of chicken at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until deep golden brown and crisp on both sides.
4. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the process until you’ve cooked all the chicken. Then slide all of the fried chicken into the prepared sauce and toss to coat. (If desired, add some steamed broccoli to coat with the sauce also.) Increase the heat to medium, stir and cook just until hot all the way through.
5. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve immediately over white rice. Or brown rice. Or sushi rice. You get the idea.

Source: Adapted from Rebecca at on Tasty Kitchen (Original Recipe)