Eskimo Bars

These are outrageous. No really. They're so good. They're quite rich, but totally worth it. Also, they're better if you wait a couple of days for some reason. Awe. Some.

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Eskimo Bars
Makes about 16 Bars

Brownie Layer:
10 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Ice Cream Layer:
1 quart good-quality vanilla ice cream (storebought or homemade)

Magic Shell Layer:
3/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Caramel Sauce:
1-2 cups good-quality storebought or homemade caramel sauce

For the brownies, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for one minute intervals, stirring in between, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set the mixture aside until it cools slightly (is warm to the touch not hot). It will look gritty but it will become smooth once the other ingredients are added. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack and then chill in the refrigerator or freezer until thoroughly cold - this will help the brownies hold up well to the ice cream layer that's coming.

For the ice cream layer, soften the ice cream to spreading consistency (leaving at room temperature for 15-20 minutes should do the trick), then spread an even layer across the chilled brownies. The ice cream layer should be about an inch thick. Put the pan in the freezer until very firm (1-2 hours).

For the magic shell, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the coconut oil and chocolate chips. It helps if the bowl is more tall than wide so that when you dip the bars, the chocolate mixture is deep and not super shallow. Microwave for one minute intervals at 50% power until the chocolate is melted. Stir the mixture until it is smooth. It will be fairly runny.

Remove the pan of brownies from the freezer. Gently lift the foil handles and remove the ice cream layered brownies from the pan. Cut the browines in half. Then, working with one half at a time (you might want to return the other half to the freezer if your kitchen is overly warm), cut rectangle into long, thin bars, about 1-inch by 4-inches. You should end up with 8 or so bars per half. Repeat with the remaining half. It is best to put all the cut bars onto a tray or plate and keep them in the refrigerator while dipping so they stay as cold as possible.

Place a baking rack over a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper or even aluminum foil (to help with cleanup). Working one-by-one, gently hold the ice cream bar at the base of the brownie and dip it quickly into the chocolate shell mixture (tilt the bowl to help deepen the chocolate for easier dipping) until completely coated and place on the baking rack. Your hands will get messy but I promise it's worth it! Repeat the dipping process with each bar. After I dipped about 5-7 bars and the chocolate shell had hardened (it sets up very quickly, especially if your ice cream and brownie is very cold), I gently removed them from the cooling rack and put them in the freezer so the ice cream didn't melt and kept dipping the other bars that were waiting in the freezer.

Make note that the chocolate shell mixture will want to stick to the baking rack so pry the eskimo bars carefully off the baking rack so the chocolate shell doesn't crack as you separate them from where the chocolate has hardened to the rack.

When ready to serve, remove the eskimo bars from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for 5-7 minutes. Warm the caramel sauce until it is runny and slightly warm but not overly hot (you don't want any burned fingers).

Dip the eskimo bars in the caramel and enjoy!

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

The Best Peach Cobbler

The third of my favorite peach recipes this season. I've tried a lot of cobblers, and this one is my favorite. The blend of squishy and crunchy on top plus warm peaches. Oh…so yummy.

Photo Credit to The Girl Who Ate Everything

The Best Peach Cobbler

1 cup self-rising flour (see Note for substitution)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (plus 2 additional Tablespoons for topping)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided (and melted separately)
1 (28 ounce) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, undrained {I used 8 small peaches, but would use more next time}

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-size mixing bowl coarsely mix the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and 1/4 cup melted butter together. You can add a dash of cinnamon here if you want too.

Sprinkle about one-third of the flour mixture on the bottom of an 8x8 {I used 7x11} baking dish. The flour mixture will slightly mix with the syrup of the peaches while baking and thicken it up a bit.

Add the peaches with their juice to the dish. If you like your cobbler on the dry side don't add all of the liquid. It was perfect in my opinion.

Sprinkle the peaches with the remaining sugar/flour mixture. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Drizzle with the remaining 1/4 cup of melted butter.There will be a lot of liquid and it will look wet. Don't worry, the flour mixture will soak up the liquid.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Let cobbler sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This can easily be doubled in a 9x13 baking dish.

*Notes: Self-Rising Flour Substitute: If you don't keep self-rising flour on hand, make your own. For every 1 cup of self-rising flour needed mix together: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Want to use fresh peaches?: When using fresh peaches, peel and slice them, and sprinkle the slices with an additional 1/2 cup sugar. Refrigerate them for 2 to 3 hours before using and they will make their own syrup.

Recipe Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Peach Crumb Bars

This is one of other three top peach recipes I found this year. Thank you Brown Eyes. So crunchy, squishy, and delicious.

Photo Credit to Brown Eyed Baker

Peach Crumb Bars
9x13 Pan
For the Dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the Filling:
5 cups diced or sliced peaches (about 7 peaches, peeled)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

For the Dough: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter, and then the egg. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan. Place the pan and the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

For the Filling: Place the diced (or sliced) peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over the peaches and mix gently.

Spread the peach mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the peach layer.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Recipe Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Peach Cobbler Scones

I was overloaded with peaches this year. In a totally great way. I absolutely love peaches and I made so many different peach-y things. This was my favorite. Okay, that might be a lie, but this is one of my top three. (The other two to come). I've never made scones before and these were amazing. So, here you go.

Photo Credit to Joy the Baker

Peach Cobbler Scones

8-10 Scones

3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
1½ sticks (12 tbsp.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing
1-2 ripe peaches, sliced thin

For the cinnamon-sugar:
2 tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk briefly to blend. Add the butter to the bowl and cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the largest butter pieces are the size of peas. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix gently with a fork until a dough forms. Knead briefly, about 10-15 times, until the dough has come together. Be careful to avoid over handling the dough, as it can result in tough, dense scones.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface. (If the dough is too soft to shape, chill it for about 15 minutes before proceeding.) Roll the dough out into a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Brush half of the dough lightly with buttermilk. Lay the peach slices in a single layer over the buttermilk side of the dough. Sprinkle evenly with about half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Carefully fold the other side of the dough over the peaches as if closing a book and press down gently. Slice the dough into 8-10 equal sized pieces.* Transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Brush the top of each scone with buttermilk and sprinkle with additional cinnamon-sugar. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown and the scones are baked through, about 15-18 minutes. Let cool 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool further. Serve warm.

*At this point, the shaped, unbaked scones may also be frozen on a baking sheet and then transferred to a freezer-safe container. Bake as directed straight from the freezer, simply adding a few minutes to the baking time and checking for doneness.

Recipe Source: Annie's Eats

Orange-Kissed Cookies

These are pretty delicious. This isn't, like, my favorite cookie of all time or anything. But I love the orange flavor for the summertime. 

Photo Credit to Our Best Bites

Orange-Kissed Cookies

36ish Cookies

1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1 egg
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (add another 2 tablespoons for high altitudes)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. thawed orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest

Frosting
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1/4 c. thawed orange juice concentrate
1/2 c. softened butter
3 c. powdered sugar
2-3 drops orange food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a mixer, combine the white sugar and shortening. Beat until well-combined. Add the egg and beat well, then add the sour cream and vanilla and beat for about 1 minute or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Add the orange juice concentrate and orange rind and mix well.

Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough/batter (the mixture will be VERY moist–thicker than a cake batter but thinner than traditional cookies) by the tablespoon-ful onto a lined, un-greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are set and just starting to turn golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

For the frosting, combine the frosting ingredients with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Pipe or spread over the cooled cookies.

Recipe Source: Our Best Bites

Black and White Cheesecake Brownies

Chewy, scrumptious, delicious…so so so good. Best cheesecake brownie bars ever. Oh man, I want more right now…

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Black and White Cheesecake Brownies

9X13 pan

Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both long sides, then spray parchment.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. In another bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until smooth. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Increase speed to medium; beat until incorporated.
Reserve 1 cup of dough; cover, and refrigerate. Press remaining dough into bottom of prepared dish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until base is set and edges are puffed, 22-25 minutes (don’t overbake or this brownie layer will be too hard and crumbly). Let cool in dish on a wire rack.
Mix cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and remaining egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled base; crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in dish on wire rack, then lift out using overhang. Cut into 24 squares. Squares will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Love Mel. She always has awesome family-friendly recipes. Here we have a healthy, delicious, and quick pizza dough that I'm always cool with because we're always cool with pizza.

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3-4 cups whole wheat flour

Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (preheating a pizza stone if you have it; if not, flip a rimmed baking sheet upside down and preheat that instead). 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or you can definitely do this the old-fashioned way by hand in a large bowl), combine the water, yeast, sugar, oil and salt. There's no need to proof the yeast if using instant yeast. If you are using active dry yeast, let the mixture stand for 4-5 minutes until the yeast is foaming. 

Add the flour gradually until a soft dough forms that isn't too sticky to the touch (see the note below). 

Knead for 3-4 minutes. Cover and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Note: Don't stress too much about the exact flour amount in the pizza dough recipe. What is most important is to add flour until the dough is soft and smooth. If you have to add more or less than the range I gave, that's ok, as long as the dough isn't over sticky (and conversely, isn't overfloured).