CASHEW CARAMEL BROWNIES: National Chocolate Covered Cashew Day

You can never have too many Brownie recipes. Since today is National Chocolate Covered Cashew Day, I thought I'd post this easy recipe from Betty Crocker for Cashew Caramel Brownies. As always, use the very best ingredients. You can use a box mix or use your own recipe and follow the directions for the cashews and caramel. If you're making brownies from scratch, be sure to add some extra dark chocolate chips.

CASHEW CARAMEL BROWNIES

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker triple chunk Premium brownie mix

Water, vegetable oil, and egg called for on brownie mix box 
2/3 cup salted dry roasted cashews, chopped
2 candy bars (1.76 oz each) dark chocolate-covered nougat and caramel candy, each cut lengthwise in half, then chopped (about 2/3 cup)

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan with foil, leaving foil overhanging on 2 opposite sides of pan. Spray foil with cooking spray.
In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, oil, water, and eggs until well blended. Stir in 1/3 cup of the chopped cashews and 1/3 cup of the chopped candy bars. Spread evenly in pan.
Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup cashews and 1/3 cup candy bars evenly over batter.
Bake 35 to 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Remove brownies from pan, using foil to lift.
Cut into squares.

Homemade Chocolate Malted Milk Balls: National Chocolate Malt Day

I'm taking a bit of liberty today with the food theme. Today is Chocolate Malt Day, but I've posted Chocolate Malts (Sodas) before, so I thought it would be more fun to post a recipe for Chocolate Malted Balls. I recently found a good (and easy!) recipe at Craftbeer.com. I often mention that food associations are great places for recipes. Let me know if you have another recipe. I'd like to try a few.  No time to make these? Pick up a box of Malted Milk Balls today. 😁

HOMEMADE MALTED MILK BALLS 

Ingredients

10 oz white chocolate chips 

5 tbsp malted milk powder (King Arthur) 

2 tbsp pilsner DME (dehydrated malt extract, found at your local homebrew shop) 

1 tsp salt (flaked) 

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 cup crushed meringue cookies 

8 oz dark chocolate melting chips (for dipping) 

Directions 

Mix the powders and sift into a dry bowl. 

Melt the white chocolate in a double broiler or microwave safe dish until well melted (careful not to overheat or the chocolate will dry out). 

Mix in the sifted mixture of malted milk, cocoa and DME powders 1 tbsp at a time until smooth. 

Fold in the meringue and salt until well-incorporated. 

Roll out mixture into ½ inch balls and place on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. 

Let rest in freezer for 10 minutes or so. 

While malted milk balls are resting, melt dark chocolate chips in a double broiler or microwave until smooth. 

Pull out malted milk balls and dip in the melted dark chocolate. 

Lay out on the parchment lined baking sheet to set. When finished, rest the malted milk balls in the fridge for at least 10 minutes until the chocolate hardens. 

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTO CHEESCAKE: National Amaretto Day!

Today is National Amaretto Day. Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur. Interestingly enough it isn't always made from almonds. It's primarily made from apricot pits and spices. The original version was made in Saronno, Italy. Amaretto is Italian for "a little bitter." Here's a link to a Homemade Amaretto recipe on Chow.com.

I love this recipe for Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake. I've adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, but I've added more 'heavy' ingredients. My feeling, if you're going to do it, go all the way.

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients
6-10 chocolate wafers
Cooking spray
1 cup sugar
1 cup cottage cheese
12 ounces cream cheese
6 Tbsp DARK unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup Amaretto
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 Tbsp dark chocolate, chopped fine (or mini-chocolate chips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°

Crust
Place wafers in food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs into bottom of  8-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray.

Cheesecake
Place sugar and next 8 ingredients (sugar through salt) in food processor, and process until smooth.
Add egg, and process until blended.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan, and sprinkle with finely chopped dark chocolate.
Bake at 300° for 55 minutes or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched.
Remove cheesecake from oven, and run knife around outside edge.
Cool to room temperature.
Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Topping Ideas
Fresh Fruit (strawberries or raspberries)
Cherries soak in Rum
Whipped Cream (or Amaretto Whipped Cream)

First-Prize Buttermilk Fudge Cake: Carnation's Easy-Does-It-Cookbook

I love old cookbooks, don't you? Several years ago I found a tiny cookbook, Carnation's Easy-Does-It Cookbook, by Mary Blake (1958), at the Alameda Flea Market. It's filled with helpful tips and recipes. Some are a bit dated, and the assumption is that the "little woman's in the kitchen," but it's a real blast from the past. Be sure and scroll down for an easy recipe for First-Prize Buttermilk Fudge Cake!

First-Prize Buttermilk Fudge Cake