Summer Baking

Anyone in my life has probably ate something that I have baked. I really enjoy baking, I might not be that creative, but I try to be. I wanted to share 2 recipes with you that I have made recently. I hope you are ready for this...

Triple Chocolate Chunk, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Marshmallow, M&M Brownies with a Peanut Butter, Powdered Sugar Icing.
(I couldn't think of a shorter name)

Here is what you need:
1 Box Triple Chunk Brownies (See back of box for what you need)
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
3 Tablespoons Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
16 Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (unwrapped, of course)

Line a 8" square pan with foil (make sure the foil drapes over the sides of the pan)
Bake brownies as directed.
While brownies are still hot, place your Reese's in 4 rows of 4 (slightly push them into the top of the brownies).
Cool Completely.

***Now take out your KitchenAid Mixer (or hand mixer)***

Mix together the butter & powdered sugar until creamy
Slowly add the milk
Add the peanut butter & vanilla
Mix until it is a good spreading consistency (you can add a little more milk if you need to)

Spread the icing on top of the brownies
Top with marshmallow's & M&M's (push on them slightly to mash into the icing)
Refrigerate for 30 minutes
Pull brownies by the foil out of the pan & cut into small squares
Refrigerate what you don't eat right away!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
The next dessert comes with a story:
I went to a small private Christian school my whole life. The church that was attached to it was First Baptist Church of West Hollywood. For the better part of my time at Hollywood Christian, the Pastor of the church was Mr. Bud McCord. He was married to Pam, and they have 4 children, Kenny, Kevin, Rachel, and Rebekah. Kenny was the youth Pastor at the church, so he was older than me, and so was Kevin; Rachel was a few years older, and Rebekah was 1 year younger than me. If you went to school at Hollywood Christian, you more than likely want to church there too. Therefore you probably were at the McCord family home at some point and time. (I was there quite often as a child). I can't remember one time that I was there that I didn't eat a Brigadeiro ( a Brazilian chocolate candy, typically served at parties). Through the wonderful world of "Facebook", I had seen a picture of these on Rachel McCord's (Brewer now) page. It reminded me of all the great times I had at the McCord family home, and how good those chocolates were. I had to have the recipe! I posted on comment on the picture to please share the recipe, and Mrs. McCord gladly shared it with me, so here goes:

What you need:
One can of condensed milk, preferably Eaglebrand.
One tablespoon of butter
Three heaping tablespoons of Nestle's Quik (or Hershey's Cocoa if you like it semi sweet)

Stir these ingredients constantly in a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat. After mixture begins to boil it will also begin to thicken. It is very important to stir faithfully, and all over the bottom of the pan so the mixture won't scorch. Turn down the heat, if needed. The mixture is ready when it pulls away from the sides and bottom of the pan. This will take 20-30 min. total stirring time.


Pour it onto a buttered dish or pyrex and allow to cool.


When cool to the touch, roll by the teaspoon on buttered palms (trust me on this). Roll each ball in real chocolate sprinkles and place in little crimps.


MMM...


OR
You place all the above ingredients into a pyrex, partially cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on full power for four minutes. Remove and stir, then return to microwave for two minutes. Continue cooking and stirring at 2 minutes intervals until mixture is thick and bubbling. Usually this takes a total of 6-8 minutes only from start to finish. Just be careful about the steam and how very HOT the caramel mixture gets!
You can omit the chocolate and make white ones, which can be rolled in flaked coconut....

I hope you all go out & try these recipes. Please let me know how they turn out!

Happy Baking♥

Happy Valentine's Eve..Friday the 13th!!!

Today is Friday the 13th, the day before Valentines Day! Did anyone else wake up to the same picture above as I did this morning?! Creepy...

Is everyone prepared for Valentine's Day tomorrow? According to my husband, now that we are married, we don't have to celebrate it anymore! Another "Mikeism"...We will be celebrating it, but not tomorrow, we will go out tonight for dinner. We have tried in the past to go out on Valentine's Day, but everywhere is too packed! We instead go the day before of the day after, depending on what day it falls on. So we will be dining at Longhorn Steakhouse tonight, one of our favorite places, and the best part is it will be free! (Gift cards are great!!!)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! I Love a holiday, what a great excuse to bake!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I can't believe Christmas is 3 days away! As you can see from the pictures above, I have been a busy baker, and still have more to do! I baked the above cupcakes and brownie pumpkin cheesecake for my fellow workers, and they were very appreciative. My sister jokes that even if I was a bad employee, my boss wouldn't fire me because I always bring in bake goods!

I am happy to report that I am done shopping and wrapping all my gifts! I spent way too much, but it is all well worth it. I had bought Logan (my 19 month old nephew) 2 toys about a month ago, and at the time I said, "Ok, he's done"- If anyone knows my nephew, they know that he has 3 houses FULL of toys (his house and 2 grandparents house's). So toys are the LAST thing he needs, but of course as I have been shopping over the last few weeks, I have bought him a few more things. I just can't resist! He is VERY into trains and cars- he is such a boy- and the stores have all kinds of trains & cars, so oh well! He is my nephew, and it is Christmas, and I don't have to keep any of the toys at my house, so what do I care?!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

xoxo Mrs. Di Vito

Smores by Martha Stewart

INGREDIENTS
Makes 9
• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• 4 packages unflavored gelatin
• 3 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 6 tablespoons room temperature, plus more for pan
• 14 graham crackers, crushed to yield 1 1/2 cups crumbs
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
DIRECTIONS
1. Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with vegetable oil. Cut a piece of parchment or wax paper large enough to cover the bottom of the dish and to overhang the longer sides. Place the parchment in dish, brush with oil, and set dish aside.
2. Pour 3/4 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer, and sprinkle gelatin on top. Let stand 5 minutes.
3. Place 3 cups granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Set saucepan over high heat, and bring to a boil. Insert a candy thermometer, and cook until mixture reaches soft-ball stage (238 degrees, about 9 minutes.
4. Using the whisk attachment, beat hot syrup into gelatin on low speed. Gradually increasing speed to high, beat until mixture is very stiff, about 12 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish, and smooth the surface with an offset spatula. Set dish aside, uncovered, until marshmallow becomes firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
5. Place 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a fine strainer, and sift onto a clean work surface. Invert large marshmallow onto the sugar-coated surface, and peel off the parchment paper. Lightly brush a sharp knife with vegetable oil, and cut marshmallow into 2-inch squares. Sift remaining 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl, and roll marshmallows in sugar to coat. Set aside.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch-square baking pan with melted butter. In a large bowl, combine graham-cracker crumbs, 7 tablespoons melted butter, and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Using your hands, press mixture firmly into the prepared pan. Transfer pan to oven, and bake until the crust has set, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
7. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a simmer. In a medium heat-proof bowl, combine chocolate with remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Set the bowl over the simmering water, and stir until chocolate and butter have melted. Pour chocolate mixture over cooled graham-cracker crust. Using an offset spatula, spread chocolate mixture into an even layer. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
8. Preheat the broiler. Cut chocolate crust into nine 3-inch squares. Top each square with a marshmallow, and place assembled s’mores under the broiler just until marshmallows turn golden brown, about 20 seconds. Serve immediately.

Have A Great Weekend!!!!