Cashew Caramel Brownies

Today's recipe was found at  http://www.5dollardinners.com

 

Ingredients

• 4 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup (dairy-free) margarine or butter
• 2 cups chocolate chips, divided
• 4 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 20 caramel chew candies, cut into quarters
• 1 cup cashews, chopped

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking dish.
• Melt the chopped baking chocolate with the margarine or butter and 1 cup of the chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir together. Let cool while you start on the next part.
• In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla.  After the chocolate mixture has cooled, beat it into the eggs mixture. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Then gently fold in the rest of the chocolate chips, the caramel candy pieces and the chopped cashews.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean in the center.
• Let cool slightly before cutting and serving.  Serve warm so the caramels are ooey, gooey good!
• To serve after cooled, warm them in the microwave for 8 to 10 seconds, or long enough to make the caramels soft again!

Enjoy!

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

Today's recipe share comes from one of may favorite food blogs, Cooking During Stolen Moments. http://stolenmomentscooking.com/

I love a good cup of coffee with something slightly sweet like a good muffin or scone.  Have not attempted scone making as yet, though I did pick up a scone cookbook from a tag sale recently.  When I saw this recipe, I thought, this will hit the spot!

Almond Poppyseed Muffins

• 3 c. flour
• 1 c. + 3 T. sugar
• 1 1/2 T. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 c. sliced almonds
• 2 1/2 T. poppyseeds
• 1/2 c. butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 c. vegetable or canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 1 1/2 t. almond extract

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 c. sugar (reserve the remaining 2T. sugar), baking powder and salt until combined. Stir in the sliced almonds, reserving2 T. for topping, and poppyseeds.

2. In a second bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and whisk until fully combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until everything is moistened and combined. Be careful not to over-stir.

3. Pour into greased or lined muffin tins. In a small bowl, combine the reserved 2 T. sugar and 2 T. sliced almonds. Sprinkle on top of each muffin.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes for a mini-muffin tin and 15-18 minutes for a regular-sized muffin tin, until fully cooked. (Use the toothpick test, if needed.) *Makes about 4 dozen mini muffins or 2 dozen regular sized muffins.

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      "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf



Lime Pound Cake with Strawberry Sauce

Today's recipe comes from the Cottage Journal newsletter published by Hoffman Media.  I haven't tried this yet....but honey....you know I will!

Makes 1 (10-inch) cake (about 12 servings)

2 (16-ounce) boxes pound cake mix, Betty Crocker®
1 1⁄3 cups water or whole milk
1⁄2 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
Strawberry Sauce (recipe follows)
Garnish: lime wedges, fresh strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a tube pan with nonstick baking spray with flour.

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, butter, and eggs; beat at low speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium, and beat for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape bowl as needed (batter will be thick). Stir in lime zest and lime juice. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with Strawberry Sauce. Garnish with lime wedges and strawberries, if desired.
STRAWBERRY SAUCE
Makes about 1 cup

1 1⁄2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled, Driscoll’s®
1⁄3 cup sugar, Domino®
2 teaspoons lime zest

1. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine strawberries, sugar, and lime zest; process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.

Enjoy!!