Commencement Cookies Otherwise Known As Baking with Bacon

Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

candied-bacon-chocolate-chip-cookies

It’s time for some graduate school graduation goodies!

One of my college friends is graduating from his master’s program at Westminster Choir College this weekend so I drove down to Princeton with some of these tasty morsels. Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies.

Inspired by his love of bacon and his intense love for the chocolate chip cookies from Binghamton’s cafeteria, these cookies are chock full of semisweet chocolate chips and candied bacon.

candied-bacon-chocolate-chip-cookies

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The Kitchen Sink of Cake

JUNKIT CAKE
GANACHE COVERED CHOCOLATE MALT CAKE
WITH LAYERS OF FUDGE + SALTED CARAMEL FROSTING + PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
(plus caramel kettle corn, malted milk balls, crushed peanuts, ritz crackers, potato chips)

 
chocolate-malt-cake

If this cake doesn’t scream sugar rush, I don’t know what does.

My brother just got his braces off so what better way to celebrate than with a cake chock full of all the treats he couldn’t enjoy for the past year or so. Gooey fudge, sticky caramel corn, crispy potato chips, crackers and peanuts along with hard-as-rocks malted milk balls and two types of frosting― creamy peanut butter and salted caramel.

Oh and four layers of chocolate malt cake.

All covered with chocolate ganache.

Are you going into a sugar coma yet?

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A Summer of Strawberry Cake (July)

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY CAKE

Chocolate-Covered-Strawberry-Cake

Welcome to month #3 in my Summer of Strawberry Cake series. If you’ve already checked out my Maple Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Cake and my Strawberry Mango Shortcake, it’s time for a bit of chocolate. Although in the case of this Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake, you’re in for more than just a bit of chocolate.

Are you excited?

I thought about making this cake for my birthday but baking your own birthday cake seems a little odd— especially if you’re not even having a party. Or am I the only one who thinks that?

So if someone in your life is a big fan of chocolate, strawberries and chocolate covered strawberries, this could be their perfect birthday cake.

And it doesn’t even have any food coloring. (Although if you want a more vibrant pink, feel free to use coloring.)

Chocolate-Covered-Strawberry-Cake

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Taking Time to Smell the Roses…and Cake

VEGAN GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE W/ SALTED CARAMEL PECAN RIBBON

vegan-german-chocolate-cake
 
Do you know what today is?

It’s National German Chocolate Cake Day! And Rose Day at Colonial Park in Franklin, NJ.

(Bet you didn’t guess either of those, did you?)

colonel-park-rose-garden

If you can’t make it out to see the roses, don’t fret— you can still celebrate by baking yourself this twist on a classic German Chocolate Cake.

Running through this lightly sweetened vegan chocolate cake is a ribbon of homemade salted pecan caramel. Sandwiched between the three layers is a gloriously sticky coconut milk frosting along with more caramel, pecans and toasted coconut.

vegan-german-chocolate-cake

And if that isn’t enough flavor for you, throw in some chocolate chips between the layers and top the cake shards of pecan brittle.

I repeat, glorious.

german-chocolate-cake-pecan-brittle

A word to the wise, don’t line your circle pans with wax paper. It works for carrot cake but not so much for this cake— unless you enjoy scraping wax paper with a variety of sharp implements. Use very well greased parchment paper instead.

vegan-german-chocolate-cake

 
Onto the million dollar question…

Did German Chocolate Cake originate in Germany?
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Star Wars Day “Chewy”bacca Bars

Star Wars Day Cookie Bars

COOKIE BARS WITH DRIED CHERRIES + SALTED CARAMEL + CHOCOLATE BARK

Happy Star Wars Day everyone! Have you seen the new Star Wars movie yet? Okay, technically it was released back in December but it’s comparatively new.

I liked Episode VII— it was a fun movie albeit somewhat safe.  With a predictable storyline and a fair number of plot holes, it wasn’t anything revolutionary.  However it stayed true to the original series so it still gets a thumbs up from me.

Border Dessert 3

In honor of Star Wars Day, I made these “Chewy”bacca Bars. Get it? Chewie and chewy.

Does laughing at my own jokes make me a dork?

Oh well. If you can’t entertain yourself, who else will? Read more

Stepping Up to Plate Tonight Is…French Onion Soup & Friends

FRENCH ONION SOUP + MIXED GREENS + CHOCOLATE-ORANGE CAKE

French Onion Soup Dinner

Tonight’s plate appearance was made by French Onion Soup, a real class act born in the 18th century.  Don’t let the warm and comforting disposition fool you, this Frenchman has a streak of Port wine and isn’t afraid to tell you like it is.  Balancing out her more traditional companion is Mixed Greens, a sassy salad dressed in this season’s latest citrus vinegar.  As nutty as she is sweet, mandarin orange slices and toasted pecans round out her look.

Last but certainly not least is Chocolate-Orange Cake sporting a creamy yogurt hairstyle straight from Greece with orange zest highlights reflecting her bright personality.  Fresh from her oven-wide tour, she’ll make you, along with any scoop of ice cream, melt.

 

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