New Recipe for 2017 #16 - Merry Cherry Swirl Brownies

I got this delicious recipe from the recipe booklet Betty Crocker Cookies and Bars. I did not use maraschino cherries. Instead I defrosted some sweet cherries that I had in the freezer. You're supposed to spread half of brownie batter on top of the cream cheese layer and then swirl with a knife. This is far harder than the recipe leads you to believe. First spreading batter on top of the cream cheese layer is very difficult. Then that batter did not want to swirl. The top of them did not look that good, but they tasted delicious.

New Recipe for 2017 #15 - Chocolate Macaroon Pie

My friend Sarah says that macaroons are simply a delivery system for chocolate ganache. I saw this recipe from Crazy for Crust and realized it was just a big macaroon covered in chocolate ganache.

I thought this would be gluten free, but it has 2/3 cup of flour. You could use gluten free flour, but I had none on hand. My tart pan does not have a removable bottom, and I had no problem removing tart pieces from it.

The recipe is extremely easy to make, but you need time for the macaroon part to cool completely before putting on the chocolate ganache which needs to cool before you can serve it.

As for taste, oh so tasty. So very good. One warning is that it is very rich. You'll be tempted to cut a big piece, but cut into small pieces and have seconds if you like.

The whole tart

A piece of the tart. Mmmm, look at that layer of chocolate ganache.

New Recipe for 2017 #14 - Brown Butter Brownies

After the deliciousness of the Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, I was definitely attracted to this recipe. I made them up on a Friday night and then posted the picture on Instagram. A very pregnant friend teased that I was posting food porn.

These were very easy to make. I whipped them up after work in plenty of time to get to bed by 9:00. I did not put in the walnuts because walnuts are evil and should not adulterate the innate goodness of brownies.

These bars were good but greasy. Yes, that sounds odd for brownies, but it's something I've encountered in Denver. Maybe it's the altitude.

New Recipe for 2017 #13 - Raspberry Crumb Bars

I was flipping through my copy of the recipe booklet "Cookies & Bars" and came across this recipe for Raspberry Crumb Bars. One of the ingredients was raspberry pie filling. I'd heard of apple, cherry, and blueberry pie filling but never raspberry.

While at the grocery store looking for ingredients for other recipes, I came across raspberry pie filling and put it in my cart to make these cookies at a later date.

 I was taking them to Swedish School, so I used unsweetened coconut instead of pecans because there are students there that are very allergic to nuts. These bars are good, but too sweet for my taste. I blame it on the raspberry pie filling.

Sorry no picture.

New Recipe for 2017 #12 - Hazelnut Lace Cookies

I got this recipe from a Betty Crocker booklet called Cookies & Bars that I got in a General Mills box that my darling Aunt Mary sends me every Christmas.

I had made another recipe that day and realized that it didn't make enough food, so I tried this recipe. There is a real sweet spot as far as baking these cookies. Don't bake long enough and you won't be able to get them off the cookie sheet. Bake them too long and they burn. The line between those two is quite thin.

These turned out well. They were delicious, but not my cup of tea.

 A single cookie 

Three cookies

New Recipe for 2017 #11 - Kerry Apple Cake

For the March meeting at work, I decided to make something Irish for St. Patrick's Day. I grabbed the cookbook Best of Irish Home Baking by Biddy White Lennon that I had purchased in Ireland in 2005. Going through the recipes I came across Kerry Apple Cake and gave it a try.

First thing, don't follow the mixing directions. They are hopeless. Mix the sugar, butter, and egg and then put in the flour. I ended up putting in an extra egg to get anything resembling dough. I have a sneaking suspicion that large apples in Ireland are a bit smaller than apples in the U.S. It took awhile to get the apples mixed in. Apple pieces were flying out of my Kitchen Aid mixer left and right -  even with the bowel shield on.

For the topping, the recipe only calls for a 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg or cloves. I put in 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg plus a bit of cardamon. 

This cake was delicious!

New Recipe for 2017 #10 - Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I got this recipe from the blog She Wears Many Hats.

It is so delicious that I had to get them out of the house before I ate them all. Had to get them out so fast that I didn't have time to take a picture.

They really don't need the pecans, so you can skip that ingredient.