Kitchen Adventures: Whole Wheat Bread

I believe I mentioned before that Husband got a fancy new breadmaker for christmas.  We've made a few different recipes in it, but had yet to find a bread that resembled an everyday sandwich bread.  Well, I think we may have found one, and just incase you too have been searching for a more sandwich-like bread recipe, I thought I would share!

You can click here for the recipe! You will see in the recipe that you can choose honey, maple syrup or molasses as a sweetener, and we chose honey.  The bread isn't too sweet, and it is soft and dense... perfect for peanut butter and jelly (my favorite)!   I am excited to make it again and try adding ground flax and steel cut oats.

If you try it, I would love to know what you think!
~Charlie

Kitchen Adventures: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

If you're in need of cookies this weekend, these may be up your alley. I tried out this chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe from Picky-Palate, originally named "When the Chocolate Cookie Went Rolling With the Peanut Butter Cookie".  I didn't love the consistency of the cookie, but my husband liked it and so did others.  The cookies came together easily... my only tip would be to half the chocolate batter because you are left with lots of just chocolate batter. 

While making the cookies, I thought up this little trick to keep the measuring cup clean (I am sure it is not a new idea, but it was new to me!).

If you try them, I would love to know what you think, and if you have any recipes you think I should try, please let me know... I would love to!

~Charlie

Kitchen Adventures: No Bake Cookies

I love baked goods, but since I hate making a warm house hotter by using the oven in the summer, I am testing out some no bake recipes!  I came across this one from browneyedbaker and had to try it.

Let me tell you... they are devine!! Super easy to make as well, because truth be told, I didn't make them.  I printed out the recipe one night, and my super sweet husband surprised me by making them in the morning before he went to work!  I will caution you, these are super addicting! I can't wait for our floors to be done so I can make more... the two pictured here are the last two and that is very sad.

You can find the recipe here.  I think next time I may add more oats, but it is definitely not needed for them to be good... I just love oatmeal :).

~Charlie

Kitchen Adventures: Brownies

This is my all-time favorite go to brownie recipe!  I think I have perfected the perfect gooey, not-to-cake-like brownie!  I adapted this recipe from Hershey's Chocolate Lover's Cookbook.  I'm not sure if this cookbook is still in circulation or not... I got it as a gift when I was a child, and it's always been my favorite baking book!

What you need:
1 Cup of unsalted butter
2 Cups of sugar
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
4 Eggs
3/4 Cup of Cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 13x9 pan. ( I mean really grease- Crisco, butter, a little oil)

2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat butter until melted.

3. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add in eggs one at a time and mix well after each addtion.

4. Add Cocoa and mix well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until batter is smooth. (Once batter is smooth, you can add in a nut of your choice if you like- about 1/2 a cup).

5. Pour into greased pan, and shake the batter down so it is even.

6. Bake until the batter starts to pull away from edges, about 30 minutes.

7. Enjoy!!!

If you make them, let me know how you like them!

~Charlie

Lesson of the Day...

If you're tired, don't bake!  Sometimes I'm silly and I push myself to do things even when it's really late and I'm exhausted.  Well, look what happens when ya do... Do they look like coffee cake cupcakes to you?

Nope! If you're tired, just go to bed. Nothing good ever happens when you're tired and pushing yourself!  

By the time I got them unstuck from the pan, they weren't pretty, so I decided to do this...

Still tastes amazing... just eat with a fork! :)

~Charlie

I Baked

We had a few days of cooler weather and I jumped on the opportunity to get the oven going! I had been eyeing a recipe from Emma's blog for Banana Nut Monkey Bread.  Of course I had no ripe bananas.... So I used apples! I followed her recipe exactly until the banana part, then added thinly sliced granny smith apples, dusted with a little flour (since apples produce a good amount of juice, I didn't want it to be runny). 

It's not the healthiest recipe, but it sure was yummy! Real butter.... makes everything better :). 

~Charlie

This Weekend

I made S'more cookies :)

We went on a Chinese food date! 

We lit sparklers!!

Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend!

~Charlie

What I'm Listening to

All day today I listened to this album...

Via
While dancing around and baking these yummy cookies! If you are a chocolate lover you will love love love these!!! The only thing I did to change the recipe was I went with half a bag of mini chips... cause the whole bag seemed like it would overwhelm the batter.

I don't know if I could get sick of this album... the whole thing is amazing!  Here are a few of my favorites :)  I know this isn't the newest album out there, but if you haven't given it a complete run through I recommend that you do :)

Also, If you haven't entered the giveaway over at Cookie Louise Pleaze, here is your reminder!!  You could win lots of cute things from me and a few other lovely ladies... go.. go!!

~Charlie

Grandma's Apple Crumble!

A while back I came across this recipe while searching through my grandma's sewing stuff.  Since I am in possession of a surplus of apples, I thought why not try it.  So here it goes!

What you will need:

For the filling!
5 med-large apples (enough to fill a 9x13 dish)

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour 
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  
• For the Crumble!
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

How I did it:

 First, core and peel the apples .I used a corer and peeler... I am not talented enough to just use a knife!

Second, slice all of them up!

Third, butter the dish lightly... make sure you cover the corners and layer in the apples evenly.

Fourth, mix the filling, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together!

Fifth, pour over apples and mix in to get an even coverage.

Sixth, mix together the crumble, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, flour, and melted butter.

Last, but not least, cover evenly with the crumble and place in a 350 degree oven!

Bake for 45 minutes, let cool and enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Let me know how it turns out!!

~Charlie