Ghastly Ghosts ~ Halloween S'mores with Peeps®

As shared from the kitchen of Mari @ Once Upon a Plate
www.onceuponaplate1.com
With many thanks to Mary @ Home is Where the Boat is

Ingredients:
Package of Peeps® Ghost Marshmallow (you'll need 12)
1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker crumbs, finely crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
8x8-inch baking dish
Generous amount of butter for baking dish

Your favorite Brownie recipe (or boxed mix)
1/2 cup Chocolate chip morsels
36 Mini chocolate morsels (3 for each ghost, for eyes, nose/mouth)

Preheat oven, center rack 350ºF

For the Graham Cracker Crust: Generously butter baking dish and set aside. In a medium bowl mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, blend in sugar and salt until completed mixed. Press mixture into bottom of buttered baking dish, as evenly as possible. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. 

In the meantime, prepare brownie batter. When graham crust is baked, remove from oven and pour brownie batter over crumb crust and spread evenly. Bake according to recipe/boxed mix directions. Scatter the chocolate morsels over the brownies during last 5 minutes of baking (this will help the marshmallow 'ghosts' adhere to the brownies.)

Remove the baking dish from oven and arrange 3 rows of 4 Ghost Peeps®
over the chocolate morsels, pressing lightly.  Place pan a few inches from hot broiler element in oven, do NOT walk away (these will burn in an instant once they begin to turn golden.)  When the marshmallows are the color you like remove from oven, you'll notice the chocolate for eyes/mouth have all but disappeared. Remove from broiler, cool a bit then place chocolate mini-morsels to represent ghosts' eyes and mouth. These are easiest to cut neatly when completely cool. Cut as desired and enjoy!

Decadent Cappuccino Bars

Cappuccino Bars
As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate by Mari
(www.onceuponaplate1.com)


Special equipment: 10x15-inch jelly roll pan
Makes a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan (cut into any size portions you like, they are rich tasting, so I cut them into smaller portions.)


Ingredients:
1 cup room temperature butter (2 sticks)
1 cup light brown sugar, pressed firmly into measuring cup
1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder (I used an Italian one, most grocery stores carry it)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups chocolate morsels, or chopped chocolate. Can use semi-sweet or a darker, less sweet chocolate.
Glaze:
2 Tablespoons whole milk, half & half, or cream
2 to 3 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cups confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Oven:
Center rack in middle position of oven, preheat to 375˚(F).
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Either grease, or spray baking oil on inside of the jelly roll pan. Alternately, line with baking parchment.
With an electric mixer cream the butter, brown sugar, instant espresso powder and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and beat until just combined. It will should be very crumbly; do not over mix.
With a wooden spoon or rubber/silicone spatula stir the chocolate chips in by hand, distributing evenly.
Transfer the crumbly dough into the prepared jelly roll pan; with your hands press the dough into the pan evenly and firmly.  I find it useful to use a piece of wax paper, or plastic cling film between my hands and the surface of the cookie dough (less sticking to hands.)  You can use a little roller to even it out if you want. You're aiming for an even, flat surface so the glaze will spread evenly later.
Place pan in oven and bake for 5 minutes; rotate pan and bake for 7 to 12 minutes more. The edges should just begin to turn a golden brown.  Don't walk away from the oven during the final moments. 
When done remove to a cooling rack, the cookie base will probably have puffed up a bit so use a spatula (offset spatula works best) to gently tamp down and even the surface of the cookie base to make it level.  Cool for 5 minutes in the pan.   In the meantime . . .
Make the glaze: Combine all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, whisk gently until smooth ~ allow to bubble for just a moment them pour over the warm cookie base and spread evenly to the edges of the pan with a spatula.  Allow to set up until the jelly roll pan is just barely warm to the touch, then cut into desired shapes/sizes.


Enjoy ~  And thank you for visiting!

Recipe adapted from "With Love and Butter", Holly B's Bakery cookbook.

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Fresh Pineapple Up-Side-Down Cake with Coconut Ice Cream, and Macadamia Nut Brittle

Fresh Pineapple Up-Side-Down Cake 
with Coconut Ice Cream, and Macadamia Nut Brittle
As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate, by Mari (www.onceuponaplate1.com
Inspired by the dessert as served at Tyler Florence's 'Wayfare Tavern' in San Francisco.

First a word of caution, in order to make individual pineapple-up-side down cakes, you'll need to secure baking pans/dishes of the proper size and adjust the recipe according to how many cakes you want to make.   The individual cakes are fun, and make a nice presentation, but quite honestly next time I'll just make the cake in an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan.


For the Pineapple Up Side Down cake:
I've had this in my recipe box for years, (handwritten, I  believe this recipe is from one of the first editions of "The Better Homes and Garden Cookbook")

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 fresh pineapple - peeled, cored and cut into rings
• 
  
• Position rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 400º F  (205º C).
• 
  
• In a small sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. With a brush, paint the butter on the interior of a 9" square or round baking pan. 
• Stir 5 tablespoons of the butter with the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice. Put mixture in the bottom of the cake pan. Arrange the pineapple rings on the brown sugar mixture in a pretty pattern. Set pan aside while you mix cake batter.

Stir together dry ingredients (flour, salt, white sugar, and baking powder)

Separate the eggs. In a small bowl, beat the whites until stiff (but not dry.)

In a separate bowl, beat two of the egg yolks until  well blended. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup pineapple juice, vanilla, and remainder of the melted butter. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. 

Gently fold in the egg whites. Pour batter over the top of the brown sugar and pineapple rings.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. (Use toothpick test, away from pineapple slice, pick should come out with moist crumb, but no batter adhering to it, or bake a few minutes more.)

Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes then cover pan tightly with a serving dish and invert so pineapple side is up. Serve warm, or at room temperature (and it's even good cold from the fridge!)

For the Coconut Ice Cream: 
Makes about 1 quart


1 -15 ounce can "Coco Lopez®" Real Cream of Coconut  (This is the BEST brand for this recipe)
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
Optional: 1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut shreds (toast lightly in baking pan in oven if desired.)  [I usually omit.]


Combine Cream of Coconut and milk in blender (or food processor) and mix until smooth. Stir in cream (and coconut shreds, if using.)  Freeze in ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's directions.
NOTE: If you don't want your ice cream to freeze rock solid, add 1 Tablespoon vodka during the last minute of blending.  Place in container, cover tightly and store in freezer compartment until ready to serve.


For the Macadamia Nut Brittle:
Recipe adapted from "Spago Desserts", 1994, by Mary Bergin and Judy Gethers


2 cups macadamia nuts (salted or unsalted), your choice
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
8 ounces butter, cut into small pieces
Note: 1 teaspoon salt- if using Unsalted butter otherwise a generous pinch of salt if using salted butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda


Spread nuts on baking tray and place in preheated 350º F, bake for 8 to 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes. Allow to cool, then coarsely chop and set aside for later.
In a deep, medium size saucepan place sugar, corn syrup and water. Place pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil until a layer of bubbles appear on surface (about 3 to 4 minutes.)
Cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, continue to boil 5 minutes longer.
Remove foil, add butter, stir with a wooden spoon until butter is melted. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer registers 300º F. This will take approximately 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Immediately stir in the salt, baking soda and chopped, toasted nuts.
While syrup is cooking, coat a 12 x 17-inch half sheet pan with vegetable oil or cooking spray (or use a silicone baking liner in a larger pan). When nut mixture has reached 300º quickly spread the nut mixture in the prepared pan, spreading as thinly as possible with a long, flexible metal spatula.  Sprinkle very lightly with a few grains of coarse sea salt if desired while still warm.
When completely cool, cut or break brittle into desired chunks. Store in air tight container.
My Hint: To prevent hot brittle mixture from seizing up too quickly (before you have a chance to spread it evenly in pan), place prepared pan in a warm oven (low heat) while cooking the nut mixture, this will keep pan warm until it's time to pour the nut-mixture out. Doing this will assist in getting the mixture spread thinly.


Hope you enjoy!


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Caramel Popcorn with Fleur de Sel

Caramel Popcorn with Fleur de Sel
Makes 28 - one cup servings (it never lasts long!)

As shared from the Kitchen of Once Upon a Plate

This is the easiest recipe (no candy thermometer required), and produces the most delicious Caramel Popcorn you can imagine.

7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 cups nuts (I use roasted pecans, but you can use peanuts, walnuts, almonds, etc.)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (or margarine)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To finish:
Fleur de Sel (Coarse sea salt) for sprinkling

Directions :

Preheat oven to 250* (F), 120* (C)

Divide the popped popcorn between two shallow, lightly greased baking pans. (Such as roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans.) If using, add the nuts to the popped corn. Set aside while you make the caramel.

In a medium-large pot combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to blend. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then boil for 5 minutes, stirring all the while.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will bubble up and become light and foamy. Immediately pour/drizzle over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Try to distribute the syrup evenly, but don't worry it will even out in the next steps.

Bake for 1 hour, giving each pan a good complete stir every 15 minutes. (Remove from the oven to stir).

Line a large work surface ( the counter top works perfectly) with waxed paper, or aluminum foil sprayed lightly with cooking oil. Immediately dump the corn out onto the wax paper or foil and separate the pieces into chunks, or smaller pieces if you desire. Sprinkle lightly and evenly with Fleur de Sel.

Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags to keep it fresh.

This recipe is adapted from "All Recipes".

My friend Em, on her blog "The Repressed Pastry Chef" recommended the recipe as originally posted on All Recipes. However, I took the liberty of adding the Fleur de Sel, I hope you like it!

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